Objective To establish the fingerprints of Buyang Huanwu Decoction;To find the quality markers of Buyang Huanwu Decoction by integrating the total statistical moment method,factor analysis and chemical pattern recognition;To provide a reference for its quality control and evaluation methods.Methods Under the conditions of an ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.8 μm),the fingerprint chromatogram was developed.The fingerprints of 15 batches of Buyang Huanwu Decoction were established under the conditions of acetonitrile-0.4%phosphoric acid aqueous solution as the mobile phase;the flow rate was 0.3 mL/min;column temperature was 40℃;detection wavelength was 235 nm.Information entropy,information quantity,total statistical moment and similarity parameters were calculated.The quality stability of different batches of Buyang Huanwu Decoction was evaluated from a macroscopic perspective;the samples were comprehensively ranked by combining factor analysis,and further screened for the components of quality difference by using hierarchical cluster analysis(HCA),principal component analysis(PCA)and partial least squares-discriminant analysis(PLS-DA).Results Fingerprint patterns for 15 Buyang Huanwu Decoction batches were established.The information quantity,total zero-order moment and number of peaks varied greatly among the samples of each batch(RSD values of 32.788%,24.976%and 22.882%),whereas the information entropy,total first-order moment and second-order moment did not vary much(RSD values of 20.697%,18.544%and 9.413%),which indicated that the chemical constituents of each batch content was significantly different,and the composition ratio of components did not differ much.The overall statistical moments exhibited a similarity exceeding 0.727,in which the similarity of the two batches of samples,S2 and S7,was lower;the results of the composite scores from the factor analysis method showed that the top 5 samples of each batch of the quality ranking were S2>S7>S1>S15>S10;HCA and PCA could classify the 15 batches of samples into 2 categories;PLS-DA showed that paeoniflorin,ferulic acid and hydroxy saffron yellow pigment A were the three constituents that contributed more to the batch variation of Buyang Huanwu Decoction.Conclusion The multidimensional quality evaluation method integrated in this study is accurate,efficient and comprehensive,which can provide an objective basis for the overall quality control of Buyang Huanwu Decoction.

Objective:To compare the efficiency and characteristics of different carrier proteins and signal sequences in delivering antigens into Escherichia coli outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). Methods:The fusion protein F1V, which consisted of the main protective antigen of Yersinia pestis F1 and LcrV, was expressed using the carrier proteins such as cytolysin A (ClyA), outer membrane protein A (OmpA), or β-lactamases (Bla) signal sequence as a carrier protein. The expression, localization, and content of F1V protein in OMVs were compared and analyzed. Results:All three delivery methods successfully incorporated F1V protein into OMVs and localized it on the surface of OMVs. Notably, when OmpA was used as the carrier protein, the F1V fusion protein constituted up to 30% of the total protein in OMVs. The highest yield of OMVs, reaching 4.2 mg/L, was achieved when Bla signal sequence was used as the carrier.Conclusions:There is a significant difference in the efficiency of different carrier proteins in delivering the F1V antigen into OMVs of Escherichia coli. Considering both the yield of OMVs and the proportion of antigen in the total protein of OMVs, the carrier Bla signal sequence demonstrated the highest efficiency in delivering F1V into OMVs, showing a potential for the future development of OMVs-based plague vaccines.

AIM:To investigate the possible mechanism how orphan nuclear receptor 4A1(NR4A1)affects renal fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO)mice.METHODS:(1)Specific pathogen-free(SPF)male C57BL/6J mice(5 to 6 weeks old)were randomly divided into sh-Con+sham group(n=6),sham+sh-NR4A1 group(n=6),sh-NR4A1+UUO group(n=6),and sh-NR4A1+UUO group(n=6).Renal NR4A1 knockdown mice were prepared by intrarenal injection of NR4A1 viral vector.(2)SPF male C57BL/6J mice(5 to 6 weeks old)were randomly assigned to in sham group,UUO group,and UUO+cytosporone-B(Csn-B)group.An animal model of renal fibrosis was prepared by UUO,and Csn-B was intervened for 14 days.HE,Masson,and Sirius red staining were used to observe renal pathological damage.Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were performed to detect the expression of NR4A1,interferon-γ(IFN-γ),α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)and vimentin.The purpose of this study is to observe the regulatory effect of NR4A1 on UUO-induced renal fibrosis.RESULTS:(1)The expression of NR4A1 was decreased in kidney tissues of UUO mice(P<0.05).(2)HE staining results showed that there are tubular dilation,atrophy,and massive inflammatory cell infiltra-tion in sh-Con+UUO group,and NR4A1 knockdown can aggravate UUO-induced kidney damage(P<0.05).The results of Masson and Sirius red staining showed a banded distribution of collagen deposition in the sh-Con+UUO group,and colla-gen deposition increased significantly after NR4A1 knockdown(P<0.05).Treatment with Csn-B could improve renal path-ological damage and reduce collagen deposition.(3)UUO could upregulate the expression of α-SMA and vimentin,and NR4A1 knockdown could significantly increase UUO-induced their expression(P<0.05).In addition,Csn-B could im-prove UUO-induced renal fibrosis(P<0.05).(4)The expression of IFN-γ was increased in UUO mice,and NR4A1 knockdown could upregulate UUO-induced IFN-γ expression(P<0.05).Moreover,Csn-B could down-regulate UUO-in-duced IFN-γ expression(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:NR4A1 can affect renal fibrosis by regulating IFN-γ in UUO mice.

Objective To discuss the application value of comfort medical mode in patients with uterine fibroids receiving interventional embolization therapy during hospitalization.Methods A total of 27 patients with uterine fibroids,who received interventional embolization at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University of China,were enrolled in this study.The patient's basic data,including age,the sum of the maximum diameter of the measurable uterine fibroids and the hemoglobin level at admission,were collected.After admission and before discharge,the self-efficacy scale score,Becker anxiety scale score,and positive and negative emotions scale score were determined in all the patients.According to the different medical management mode adopted during the hospitalization,the patients were divided into study group(n=14)and control group(n=13).Comfort medical mode guided by quantitative evaluation strategy was employed for the patients of the study group,while conventional management mode was adopted for the patients of the control group.SPSS 26.0 software was used for data analysis.Measurement data within group were analyzed by independent sample t-test,and measurement data between groups were analyzed by paired sample t-test,and P＜0.05 was defined as a statistically significant difference.Results There were no statistically significant differences in the basic data between the two groups,and no statistically significant differences in the self-efficacy scale score,Becker anxiety scale score,and positive and negative emotions scale score at admission existed between the two groups.In the study group,the self-efficacy score and positive emotion score at discharge were strikingly higher than those at admission(P＜0.001),and the anxiety degree and negative emotion score at discharge were obviously lower than those at admission(P＜0.001).In the control group,the scores of the above-mentioned scales at discharge did not differ from those at admission.Conclusion The comfort medical mode guided by quantitative evaluation strategy has better clinical effect in patients with uterine fibroids receiving interventional embolization therapy,it can improve patient's comfortableness degree during hospitalization period.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the impact of chronic kidney disease(CKD)on the growth,development,and cognitive function of offspring rats,and to evaluate the effects of esaxerenone(ESAX)intervention.METHODS:Thirty female non-pregnant Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups:sham operation+pregnancy(control group),UUO+pregnancy(model group),and UUO+pregnancy+esaxerenone(treatment group),with 10 rats in each group.CKD was induced in the UUO+pregnancy and UUO+pregnancy+esaxerenone groups by performing uni-lateral ureteral obstruction(UUO),while the sham operation+pregnancy group underwent a non-ligated and non-clipped ureter procedure.Rats in the treatment group received esaxerenone at a dosage of 1 mg·kg-1·d-1.Vaginal smears were per-formed weekly from the 8th week post-UUO to monitor the estrous cycle.Female and male rats in pre-estrus or estrus were paired in a 2∶1 ratio,and the day with the first appearance of sperm in vaginal smears was recorded as the first day of preg-nancy.Offspring were delivered 21 to 22 days post-gestation,and 10 offspring from each group were selected for further experimentation:sham-offspring(sham-offspr)group,UUO-offspro group,and esaxerenone treatment offspring(ESAX-offspr)group.At 21 days of age,offspring weight and tail length were measured.Behavioral tests,including the open field test,Y maze test,and Morris water maze test,assessed learning and memory abilities.Serum levels of aldosterone,5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT),and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)were measured using ELISA.Serum creati-nine(SCr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN)levels were assessed using conventional biochemical methods.Renal pathology was examined using Hematoxylin-Eosin(HE)staining.RESULTS:Offspring in the UUO-offspr group had reduced body weight and tail length compared to the sham-offspr group(P＜0.05).Behavioral tests indicated that exploration and memo-ry abilities were significantly impaired in the UUO-offspr group compared to the sham-offspr group(P＜0.05),while the ESAX-offspr group showed improved behavioral development compared to the UUO-offspr group(P＜0.05).ELISA results revealed decreased levels of serum 5-HT,BDNF,and aldosterone in the UUO-offspr group compared to the sham-offspr group(P＜0.01),with increased levels in the ESAX-offspr group(P＜0.05).Renal function tests showed elevated SCr and BUN levels in the UUO-offspr group compared to the sham-offspr group(P＜0.01),while levels in the ESAX-offspr group were reduced(P＜0.01).HE staining demonstrated mild tubular dilation and inflammatory cell infiltration in the UUO-offspr group,whereas the ESAX-offspr group had well-arranged tubules with reduced inflammation.CONCLU-SION:Chronic kidney disease adversely affects the growth,development,and cognitive function of offspring rats by 21 days of age.Esaxerenone intervention can mitigate these detrimental effects on growth,development,and cognitive abili-ties in offspring rats.

AIM:To investigate the possible mechanism how orphan nuclear receptor 4A1(NR4A1)affects renal fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO)mice.METHODS:(1)Specific pathogen-free(SPF)male C57BL/6J mice(5 to 6 weeks old)were randomly divided into sh-Con+sham group(n=6),sham+sh-NR4A1 group(n=6),sh-NR4A1+UUO group(n=6),and sh-NR4A1+UUO group(n=6).Renal NR4A1 knockdown mice were prepared by intrarenal injection of NR4A1 viral vector.(2)SPF male C57BL/6J mice(5 to 6 weeks old)were randomly assigned to in sham group,UUO group,and UUO+cytosporone-B(Csn-B)group.An animal model of renal fibrosis was prepared by UUO,and Csn-B was intervened for 14 days.HE,Masson,and Sirius red staining were used to observe renal pathological damage.Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were performed to detect the expression of NR4A1,interferon-γ(IFN-γ),α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)and vimentin.The purpose of this study is to observe the regulatory effect of NR4A1 on UUO-induced renal fibrosis.RESULTS:(1)The expression of NR4A1 was decreased in kidney tissues of UUO mice(P<0.05).(2)HE staining results showed that there are tubular dilation,atrophy,and massive inflammatory cell infiltra-tion in sh-Con+UUO group,and NR4A1 knockdown can aggravate UUO-induced kidney damage(P<0.05).The results of Masson and Sirius red staining showed a banded distribution of collagen deposition in the sh-Con+UUO group,and colla-gen deposition increased significantly after NR4A1 knockdown(P<0.05).Treatment with Csn-B could improve renal path-ological damage and reduce collagen deposition.(3)UUO could upregulate the expression of α-SMA and vimentin,and NR4A1 knockdown could significantly increase UUO-induced their expression(P<0.05).In addition,Csn-B could im-prove UUO-induced renal fibrosis(P<0.05).(4)The expression of IFN-γ was increased in UUO mice,and NR4A1 knockdown could upregulate UUO-induced IFN-γ expression(P<0.05).Moreover,Csn-B could down-regulate UUO-in-duced IFN-γ expression(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:NR4A1 can affect renal fibrosis by regulating IFN-γ in UUO mice.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the impact of chronic kidney disease(CKD)on the growth,development,and cognitive function of offspring rats,and to evaluate the effects of esaxerenone(ESAX)intervention.METHODS:Thirty female non-pregnant Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups:sham operation+pregnancy(control group),UUO+pregnancy(model group),and UUO+pregnancy+esaxerenone(treatment group),with 10 rats in each group.CKD was induced in the UUO+pregnancy and UUO+pregnancy+esaxerenone groups by performing uni-lateral ureteral obstruction(UUO),while the sham operation+pregnancy group underwent a non-ligated and non-clipped ureter procedure.Rats in the treatment group received esaxerenone at a dosage of 1 mg·kg-1·d-1.Vaginal smears were per-formed weekly from the 8th week post-UUO to monitor the estrous cycle.Female and male rats in pre-estrus or estrus were paired in a 2∶1 ratio,and the day with the first appearance of sperm in vaginal smears was recorded as the first day of preg-nancy.Offspring were delivered 21 to 22 days post-gestation,and 10 offspring from each group were selected for further experimentation:sham-offspring(sham-offspr)group,UUO-offspro group,and esaxerenone treatment offspring(ESAX-offspr)group.At 21 days of age,offspring weight and tail length were measured.Behavioral tests,including the open field test,Y maze test,and Morris water maze test,assessed learning and memory abilities.Serum levels of aldosterone,5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT),and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)were measured using ELISA.Serum creati-nine(SCr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN)levels were assessed using conventional biochemical methods.Renal pathology was examined using Hematoxylin-Eosin(HE)staining.RESULTS:Offspring in the UUO-offspr group had reduced body weight and tail length compared to the sham-offspr group(P＜0.05).Behavioral tests indicated that exploration and memo-ry abilities were significantly impaired in the UUO-offspr group compared to the sham-offspr group(P＜0.05),while the ESAX-offspr group showed improved behavioral development compared to the UUO-offspr group(P＜0.05).ELISA results revealed decreased levels of serum 5-HT,BDNF,and aldosterone in the UUO-offspr group compared to the sham-offspr group(P＜0.01),with increased levels in the ESAX-offspr group(P＜0.05).Renal function tests showed elevated SCr and BUN levels in the UUO-offspr group compared to the sham-offspr group(P＜0.01),while levels in the ESAX-offspr group were reduced(P＜0.01).HE staining demonstrated mild tubular dilation and inflammatory cell infiltration in the UUO-offspr group,whereas the ESAX-offspr group had well-arranged tubules with reduced inflammation.CONCLU-SION:Chronic kidney disease adversely affects the growth,development,and cognitive function of offspring rats by 21 days of age.Esaxerenone intervention can mitigate these detrimental effects on growth,development,and cognitive abili-ties in offspring rats.

Objective To establish the fingerprints of Buyang Huanwu Decoction;To find the quality markers of Buyang Huanwu Decoction by integrating the total statistical moment method,factor analysis and chemical pattern recognition;To provide a reference for its quality control and evaluation methods.Methods Under the conditions of an ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.8 μm),the fingerprint chromatogram was developed.The fingerprints of 15 batches of Buyang Huanwu Decoction were established under the conditions of acetonitrile-0.4%phosphoric acid aqueous solution as the mobile phase;the flow rate was 0.3 mL/min;column temperature was 40℃;detection wavelength was 235 nm.Information entropy,information quantity,total statistical moment and similarity parameters were calculated.The quality stability of different batches of Buyang Huanwu Decoction was evaluated from a macroscopic perspective;the samples were comprehensively ranked by combining factor analysis,and further screened for the components of quality difference by using hierarchical cluster analysis(HCA),principal component analysis(PCA)and partial least squares-discriminant analysis(PLS-DA).Results Fingerprint patterns for 15 Buyang Huanwu Decoction batches were established.The information quantity,total zero-order moment and number of peaks varied greatly among the samples of each batch(RSD values of 32.788%,24.976%and 22.882%),whereas the information entropy,total first-order moment and second-order moment did not vary much(RSD values of 20.697%,18.544%and 9.413%),which indicated that the chemical constituents of each batch content was significantly different,and the composition ratio of components did not differ much.The overall statistical moments exhibited a similarity exceeding 0.727,in which the similarity of the two batches of samples,S2 and S7,was lower;the results of the composite scores from the factor analysis method showed that the top 5 samples of each batch of the quality ranking were S2>S7>S1>S15>S10;HCA and PCA could classify the 15 batches of samples into 2 categories;PLS-DA showed that paeoniflorin,ferulic acid and hydroxy saffron yellow pigment A were the three constituents that contributed more to the batch variation of Buyang Huanwu Decoction.Conclusion The multidimensional quality evaluation method integrated in this study is accurate,efficient and comprehensive,which can provide an objective basis for the overall quality control of Buyang Huanwu Decoction.

Objective:To compare the efficiency and characteristics of different carrier proteins and signal sequences in delivering antigens into Escherichia coli outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). Methods:The fusion protein F1V, which consisted of the main protective antigen of Yersinia pestis F1 and LcrV, was expressed using the carrier proteins such as cytolysin A (ClyA), outer membrane protein A (OmpA), or β-lactamases (Bla) signal sequence as a carrier protein. The expression, localization, and content of F1V protein in OMVs were compared and analyzed. Results:All three delivery methods successfully incorporated F1V protein into OMVs and localized it on the surface of OMVs. Notably, when OmpA was used as the carrier protein, the F1V fusion protein constituted up to 30% of the total protein in OMVs. The highest yield of OMVs, reaching 4.2 mg/L, was achieved when Bla signal sequence was used as the carrier.Conclusions:There is a significant difference in the efficiency of different carrier proteins in delivering the F1V antigen into OMVs of Escherichia coli. Considering both the yield of OMVs and the proportion of antigen in the total protein of OMVs, the carrier Bla signal sequence demonstrated the highest efficiency in delivering F1V into OMVs, showing a potential for the future development of OMVs-based plague vaccines.

Objective:To explore the influencing factors of clinical pregnancy outcomes in patients with hydrosalpinx undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer(IVF-ET) after interventional embolization and whether residual hydrops has an adverse impact on pregnancy outcomes.Methods:Clinical data from 65 patients who underwent interventional embolization and IVF-ET for hydrosalpinx at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March 2021 to October 2022 were collected retrospectively. The hydrops index was quantified by the ratio of the widest diameter to the pelvic transverse diameter of the intraoperative hydrops, and the patient′s age, body mass index(BMI), follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH), lutenizing hormine(LH), estradiol(E2), automated matetials hangling(AMH), endometrial thickness at the time of transplantation, the number of transplanted embryos, embryo type, and location of the hydrosalpinx were recorded. In addition, the clinical pregnancy outcomes of the first transplantation after embolization were followed. Two independent samples t-test, rank sum test and chi-square test were used to analyze the difference of the above indexes among different clinical pregnancy outcomes by SPSS 25.0. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Youden index were used to calculate the cut-off value of the water accumulation index. Results:Among 65 patients, the clinical pregnancy rate was 63.1%(41/65), among the 45 patients who underwent embryo transfer before embolization without success, the clinical pregnancy rate after embolization was 62.2%(28/45). Based on data analysis, it showed that IVF-ET clinical pregnancy outcomes were not associated with age, BMI, FSH, LH, E2, AMH, endometrial thickness at the time of transplantation, the number of transplanted embryos, embryo type, as well as location of hydrosalpinx( P>0.05), but associated with hydrosalpinx index( P<0.001). ROC curve analysis showed that the hydrops index could be used as a predictor of pregnancy outcome, and the area under the curve was 0.825, and the optimal cut-off value of the hydrops index was 12.925% based on the Youden index analysis result. Conclusions:Interventional embolization of hydrosalpinx may improve clinical pregnancy rates. When the hydrosalpinx is large enough, it could adversely affected IVF-ET clinical pregnancy, and further aspiration of hydrosalpinx should be performed prior to transplantation.