Objective:To investigate the regulatory effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on functional connectivity (FC) of thalamic subregions in patients with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).Methods:This study was a cross-sectional investigation. Clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were retrospectively collected from 56 PMS patients (PMS group) and 66 healthy controls (control group) recruited from various universities and hospitals in Nanning between November 2021 and June 2024. Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data and fMRI data during taVNS immediate stimulation (2 Hz, 25 Hz) were acquired from subjects during their late luteal phase. Using thalamic subregions (anterior thalamic nucleus, lateral nucleus, ventral nucleus, medial nucleus, central nucleus, posterior nucleus) as seeds, two-sample t-tests or paired t-tests were employed to analyze alterations in thalamic subregion FC in PMS patients and the regulatory effects of taVNS on these changes. Independent samples t-test were used to compare the differences in clinical and laboratory indicators between the PMS group and the control group. The relationship between taVNS regulation of thalamic subregion FC in PMS patients and thalamic internal functional connectivity were analyzed using mediation effect analysis. Results:Compared to the control group, patients in the PMS group showed increased scores on the Daily Record of Severity of Problems, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale 17, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 14 during the late luteal phase ( P<0.05). At baseline, PMS patients exhibited higher FC between the left thalamic lateral nucleus and the left insula, and lower FC between the left medial nucleus, posterior nucleus, and ventral nucleus of the thalamus and the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) compared to the control group (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). During 2 Hz taVNS immediate stimulation in PMS group, FC between the left thalamic medial nucleus, posterior nucleus, ventral nucleus and the right MFG, as well as the FC between the left thalamic ventral nucleu and the left MFG increased compared to baseline levels; meanwhile, FC between the left thalamic posterior nucleus, ventral nucleus and the left insula decreased compared to baseline levels (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). During 25 Hz taVNS immediate stimulation, the FC between the left thalamic ventral nucleus and the right MFG decreased compared to the baseline level (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). Mediation effect analysis showed that the FC between the left thalamic posterior nucleus and the left lateral nucleus mediated part of the association between the FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-left insula and the FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-left putamen/insula; there were significant direct effects between the FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-the left posterior nucleus and FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-the left insula, as well as between the FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-the left MFG and FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-the right MFG. Conclusions:taVNS can modulate abnormal FC of the left thalamic subregions in PMS patients, restoring it toward normalization. The regulatory effects of 2 Hz stimulation are more pronounced than those of 25 Hz stimulation. This modulation primarily operates through two pathways: the left thalamic lateral nucleus-left insula-left thalamic ventral nucleus pathway and the left MFG-left thalamic ventral nucleus-right MFG.

OBJECTIVE: Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to ultrafine particulate matter (UPM, aerodynamic diameter < 0.1 µm) is associated with adverse cardiovascular events. Previous studies have found that Shenlian (SL) extract possesses anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic properties and has a promising protective effect at all stages of the atherosclerotic disease process. In this study, we aimed to investigated whether SL improves UPM-aggravated myocardial ischemic injury by inhibiting inflammation and cell apoptosis. METHODS: We established a mouse model of MI+UPM. Echocardiographic measurement, measurement of myocardialinfarct size, biochemical analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), histopathological analysis, Transferase dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL), Western blotting (WB), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and so on were used to explore the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of SL in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS: SL treatment can attenuate UPM-induced cardiac dysfunction by improving left ventricular ejection fraction, fractional shortening, and decreasing cardiac infarction area. SL significantly reduced the levels of myocardial enzymes and attenuated UPM-induced morphological alterations. Moreover, SL significantly reduced expression levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1. UPM further increased the infiltration of macrophages in myocardial tissue, whereas SL intervention reversed this phenomenon. UPM also triggered myocardial apoptosis, which was markedly attenuated by SL treatment. The results of in vitro experiments revealed that SL prevented cell damage caused by exposure to UPM combined with hypoxia by reducing the expression of the inflammatory factor NF-κB and inhibiting apoptosis in H9c2 cells. CONCLUSION Overall, both in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that SL attenuated UPM-aggravated myocardial ischemic injury by inhibiting inflammation and cell apoptosis. The mechanisms were related to the downregulation of macrophages infiltrating heart tissues.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Particulate Matter/adverse effects* ; Mice ; Male ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Myocardial Ischemia/drug therapy* ; Cell Line

Objective:To prepare rabbit polyclonal antibody against human FAM21 and analyze antibody specificity.Methods:Using the plasmid encoding human FAM21 full-length gene as a template,the nucleotide sequence of its 2 431～3 006 base was amplified by PCR and connected to the pGEX-6p-1 prokaryotic expression vector to construct pGEX-6P-1-FAM21 recombinant plasmid expressing the 811～1 002 amino acid fragment of FAM21.The recombinant plasmid was transformed into BL21(DE3)compe-tent Escherichia coli and was expressed inductively,and the protein was purified using GST fusion protein purification magnetic beads.The purified GST fusion protein was used as an antigen to immunize New Zealand rabbits,and the collected antiserum was purified by an agarose column containing GST protein.The specificity of antibody was detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence assay in stable FAM21 knockdown HeLa cells.Results:The pGEX-6p-1-FAM21 prokaryotic expression plasmid was successfully constructed and induced to express in BL21(DE3)competent Escherichia coli.The purified GST fusion protein had a molecular weight of approxi-mately 50 kD,and the purified antibody titer from immunized New Zealand rabbits was greater than 1∶128 000,with high specificity.Conclusion:The pGEX-6p-1-FAM21 prokaryotic expression plasmid is successfully constructed,and the rabbit polyclonal antibody against human FAM21 is prepared for Western blot and immunofluorescence assay.

Objective:To prepare rabbit polyclonal antibody against human FAM21 and analyze antibody specificity.Methods:Using the plasmid encoding human FAM21 full-length gene as a template,the nucleotide sequence of its 2 431～3 006 base was amplified by PCR and connected to the pGEX-6p-1 prokaryotic expression vector to construct pGEX-6P-1-FAM21 recombinant plasmid expressing the 811～1 002 amino acid fragment of FAM21.The recombinant plasmid was transformed into BL21(DE3)compe-tent Escherichia coli and was expressed inductively,and the protein was purified using GST fusion protein purification magnetic beads.The purified GST fusion protein was used as an antigen to immunize New Zealand rabbits,and the collected antiserum was purified by an agarose column containing GST protein.The specificity of antibody was detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence assay in stable FAM21 knockdown HeLa cells.Results:The pGEX-6p-1-FAM21 prokaryotic expression plasmid was successfully constructed and induced to express in BL21(DE3)competent Escherichia coli.The purified GST fusion protein had a molecular weight of approxi-mately 50 kD,and the purified antibody titer from immunized New Zealand rabbits was greater than 1∶128 000,with high specificity.Conclusion:The pGEX-6p-1-FAM21 prokaryotic expression plasmid is successfully constructed,and the rabbit polyclonal antibody against human FAM21 is prepared for Western blot and immunofluorescence assay.

Objective:To investigate the regulatory effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on functional connectivity (FC) of thalamic subregions in patients with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).Methods:This study was a cross-sectional investigation. Clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were retrospectively collected from 56 PMS patients (PMS group) and 66 healthy controls (control group) recruited from various universities and hospitals in Nanning between November 2021 and June 2024. Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data and fMRI data during taVNS immediate stimulation (2 Hz, 25 Hz) were acquired from subjects during their late luteal phase. Using thalamic subregions (anterior thalamic nucleus, lateral nucleus, ventral nucleus, medial nucleus, central nucleus, posterior nucleus) as seeds, two-sample t-tests or paired t-tests were employed to analyze alterations in thalamic subregion FC in PMS patients and the regulatory effects of taVNS on these changes. Independent samples t-test were used to compare the differences in clinical and laboratory indicators between the PMS group and the control group. The relationship between taVNS regulation of thalamic subregion FC in PMS patients and thalamic internal functional connectivity were analyzed using mediation effect analysis. Results:Compared to the control group, patients in the PMS group showed increased scores on the Daily Record of Severity of Problems, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale 17, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 14 during the late luteal phase ( P<0.05). At baseline, PMS patients exhibited higher FC between the left thalamic lateral nucleus and the left insula, and lower FC between the left medial nucleus, posterior nucleus, and ventral nucleus of the thalamus and the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) compared to the control group (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). During 2 Hz taVNS immediate stimulation in PMS group, FC between the left thalamic medial nucleus, posterior nucleus, ventral nucleus and the right MFG, as well as the FC between the left thalamic ventral nucleu and the left MFG increased compared to baseline levels; meanwhile, FC between the left thalamic posterior nucleus, ventral nucleus and the left insula decreased compared to baseline levels (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). During 25 Hz taVNS immediate stimulation, the FC between the left thalamic ventral nucleus and the right MFG decreased compared to the baseline level (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). Mediation effect analysis showed that the FC between the left thalamic posterior nucleus and the left lateral nucleus mediated part of the association between the FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-left insula and the FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-left putamen/insula; there were significant direct effects between the FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-the left posterior nucleus and FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-the left insula, as well as between the FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-the left MFG and FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-the right MFG. Conclusions:taVNS can modulate abnormal FC of the left thalamic subregions in PMS patients, restoring it toward normalization. The regulatory effects of 2 Hz stimulation are more pronounced than those of 25 Hz stimulation. This modulation primarily operates through two pathways: the left thalamic lateral nucleus-left insula-left thalamic ventral nucleus pathway and the left MFG-left thalamic ventral nucleus-right MFG.

Objective To generate minichromosome maintenance protein 2(MCM2)gene knockout cervi-cal cancer HeLa cell lines using inducible CRISPR/Cas9 technology,and to explore the effect of MCM2 on DNA replication and replication stress.Methods The inducible CRISPR/Cas9 system,TLCV2,was used to construct MCM2 knockout HeLa cell lines.And the cell lines were divided into control group(Control),knockout group 1(KO1),and knockout group 2(KO2).Western blot,Edu incorporation experiment,real-time quantitative PCR(qPCR),immunofluorescence and MTT assay were used to analyze the effects of MCM2 knockout on DNA replica-tion and replication stress induced by hydroxyurea.Results The CRISPR/Cas9 system successfully knocked out the MCM2 gene after induction,and MCM2 knockout affected the stability of MCM2-7 complex.Compared with the control cells,MCM2 knockout cells had a dramatic decrease in the capacity of DNA replication,and the mRNA levels of Cyclin A1,Cyclin E1 and CDK4.Under DNA replication stress,MCM2 knockout cells decreased cell viability,DNA damage repair capacity,and increased genomic instability compared with control cells.Conclusion Knockout of MCM2 gene reduces the DNA replication capacity of HeLa cells under normal conditions and cell viability under replication stress.This study successfully generates MCM2 gene inducible knockout HeLa cell lines,laying the foundation for further research on the role and biological function of MCM2 gene in the occurrence and progression of cervical cancer.

ObjectiveTo analyze the literature related to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） pharmacology of Institute of Chinese Materia and Medica， China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences （hereinafter referred to as "Institute of Chinese Materia and Medica"）， and evaluate the research status， development trend， influence of discipline members， and patent technology of this field. MethodThe papers from 2002 to 2024 in the databases of CNKI and Web of Science （WOS） were searched， whose first authors or corresponding authors are from the Institute of Chinese Materia and Medica， and CiteSpace 6.3.R6 was adopted for visual analysis of the annual number of publications and keywords. Additionally， the total number of published papers， citation times， and other measurement parameters of discipline members of TCM pharmacology in the institute were counted. After obtaining the h index， the academic track was calculated， and the academic influence of discipline members was quantitatively evaluated from the aspects of the academic track T and highly cited papers. Meanwhile， patent data from 2005 to 2024 of TCM pharmacology in the studied institute were retrieved from the HimmPat patent database， and Excel 2022 and Origin 2021 were utilized to conduct visual analysis on the overall patent application trend and technology composition. ResultIn the past 20 years or more， the annual publication of academic papers has been on the rise generally， and the key words include "animal model"， "mechanism of action"， "network pharmacology" and so on. The studies focus on the innovative methods of TCM pharmacological mechanisms， basic research on TCM prevention and treatment of major non-infectious diseases， and the prevention and treatment of respiratory viral diseases. The academic track T of the discipline members of TCM pharmacology in the Institute of Chinese Materia and Medica is positive， with sound personal influence. In recent years， the patent application trend has increased significantly， mainly concentrating on A61K patents and G01N subcategories， and IPC large-group analysis shows that the main technical applications are mainly in A61K36， A61K31， and other fields. ConclusionTCM pharmacology in the institute develops steadily and the academic influence of the discipline members is still sound， with fruitful patent achievements. In the future， research on pharmacological discipline innovation and new drug research and development can be enhanced， and multidisciplinary integration studies should be carried out to promote TCM modernization.

Background::Homoharringtonine (HHT) is an effective anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-tumor protein synthesis inhibitor that has been applied clinically. Here, we explored the therapeutic effects of HHT in a mouse heart transplant model.Methods::Healthy C57BL/6 mice were used to observe the toxicity of HHT in the liver, kidney, and hematology. A mouse heart transplantation model was constructed, and the potential mechanism of HHT prolonging allograft survival was evaluated using Kaplan–Meier analysis, immunostaining, and bulk RNA sequencing analysis. The HHT-T cell crosstalk was modeled ex vivo to further verify the molecular mechanism of HHT-induced regulatory T cells (Tregs) differentiation. Results::HHT inhibited the activation and proliferation of T cells and promoted their apoptosis ex vivo. Treatment of 0.5 mg/kg HHT for 10 days significantly prolonged the mean graft survival time of the allografts from 7 days to 48 days ( P <0.001) without non-immune toxicity. The allografts had long-term survival after continuous HHT treatment for 28 days. HHT significantly reduced lymphocyte infiltration in the graft, and interferon-γ-secreting CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in the spleen ( P <0.01). HHT significantly increased the number of peripheral Tregs (about 20%, P <0.001) and serum interleukin (IL)-10 levels. HHT downregulated the expression of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathway-related genes ( CD4, H2-Eb1, TRAT1, and CD74) and upregulated the expression of IL-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF) -β pathway-related genes and Treg signature genes ( CTLA4, Foxp3, CD74, and ICOS). HHT increased CD4 + Foxp3 + cells and Foxp3 expression ex vivo, and it enhanced the inhibitory function of inducible Tregs. Conclusions::HHT promotes Treg cell differentiation and enhances Treg suppressive function by attenuating the TCR signaling pathway and upregulating the expression of Treg signature genes and IL-10 levels, thereby promoting mouse heart allograft acceptance. These findings may have therapeutic implications for organ transplant recipients, particularly those with viral infections and malignancies, which require a more suitable anti-rejection medication.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of Xuebijing combined with nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)activator on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced hepatocyte injury.Methods Human normal liver cells L-02 were randomly divided into control group(normal culture),LPS group(40 μg·mL-1 LPS),Xuebijing group(25 times diluted Xuebijing),inhibitor group(40 μg·mL-1 LPS+5 μg·mL-1 Nrf2 inhibitor ML385),activator group(40 μg·mL-1 LPS+15 μg·mL-1 Nrf2 activator sulforaphane),Xuebijing+activator group(40 μg·mL-1 LPS+25 times diluted Xuebijing+15 pg·mL-1 Nrf2 activator sulforaphane).After treatment for 24 h,the expression of nuclear Nrf2 was detected by Western blot assay;cell proliferation was detected by 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine(Edu)assay;cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry;reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels were detected by fluorescent probe.Results The nuclear Nrf2 protein levels of control group,LPS group,Xuebijing group,inhibitor group,activator group and Xuebijing+activator group were 0.83±0.08,0.40±0.04,0.59±0.07,0.26±0.04,0.90±0.10,1.24±0.13,respectively;the Edu positive cell rates were(42.99±4.37)％,(16.30±1.42)％,(30.08±2.10)％,(14.67±1.27)％,(28.66±2.54)％,(38.31±2.54)％,respectively;the apoptosis rates were(4.39±0.42)％,(25.17±3.70)％,(14.44±0.99)％,(28.14±1.26)％,(17.99±1.30)％,(10.50±0.86)％,respectively;the mean density values of ROS were 1.00±0.04,3.48±0.34,1.88±0.15,4.25±0.37,1.87±0.19,1.26±0.12,respectively.The above indexes of LPS group were significantly different from those of control group(all P＜0.05);the above indexes of Xuebijing group,inhibitor group and activator group were compared with LPS group,respectively,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05);the above indexes of Xuebijing+agonist group were compared with Xuebijing group or agonist group,respectively,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Xuebijing combined with Nrf2 activator can reduce LPS-induced hepatocyte injury by enhancing antioxidant system,and the combined treatment effect is better than Xuebijing alone.

Background: Neuroblastoma (NB) is a malignant pediatric tumor requiring new therapies. Accumulating evidence has confirmed that micro RNAs play critical roles in NB metastasis. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) is capable of inhibiting the growth of NB cells. The primary objective of the current investigation was to characterize a newly discovered microRNA, miR-32-5p, in terms of the functional role, underlying mechanism of action, and potential synergistic therapeutic impact in the context of NB metastasis. Materials and methods: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were employed to assess the expression levels of miR-32-5p and its target, vacuolar protein sorting 4B (VPS4B). Furthermore, Transwell assay was utilized to evaluate in vitro cell migration and invasion, whereas a metastasis xenograft model was established in nude mice via caudal vein injections. Results: Gene Expression Omnibus database and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that miR-32-5p was downregulated in human NB samples and NB cell lines, in comparison with the normal tissue and cell lines. Inhibiting miR-32-5p induced the migration and invasion of NB cells, whereas overexpression of miR-32-5p prevented the migration and invasion in NB cell lines. Furthermore, VPS4B was identified as the direct target of miR-32-5p and the miR-32-5p reduction associated with NB metastasis upregulated the expression of VPS4B. Conversely, overexpression of VPS4B reversed the suppressive effects ofmiR-32-5p onNB cells. Moreover, miR-32-5p increased the sensitivity to DHA both in NB cells and in the metastasis xenograft model of nude mice. Conclusions: The downregulation of miR-32-5p in NB regulates NB metastasis by targeting VPS4B. Moreover, miR-32-5b can improve the sensitivity of DHA in the xenograft mouse model. Our findings have important implications for the combined application of miR-32-5p and DHA in the treatment of NB.