ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the prophylactic effects of caloric restriction (CR) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced septic cardiomyopathy (SCM) and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective actions of CR. This research aims to provide innovative strategies and theoretical support for the prevention of SCM. MethodsA total of forty-eight 8-week-old male C57BL/6 mice, weighing between 20-25 g, were randomly assigned to 4 distinct groups, each consisting of 12 mice. The groups were designated as follows: CON (control), LPS, CR, and CR+LPS. Prior to the initiation of the CR protocol, the CR and CR+LPS groups underwent a 2-week acclimatization period during which individual food consumption was measured. The initial week of CR intervention was set at 80% of the baseline intake, followed by a reduction to 60% for the subsequent 5 weeks. After 6-week CR intervention, all 4 groups received an intraperitoneal injection of either normal saline or LPS (10 mg/kg). Twelve hours post-injection, heart function was assessed, and subsequently, heart and blood samples were collected. Serum inflammatory markers were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The serum myocardial enzyme spectrum was analyzed using an automated biochemical instrument. Myocardial tissue sections underwent hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and immunofluorescence (IF) staining. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of protein in myocardial tissue, including inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-9, IL-18), oxidative stress markers (iNOS, SOD2), pro-apoptotic markers (Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, CASP3), and SIRT3/SIRT6. ResultsTwelve hours after LPS injection, there was a significant decrease in ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) ratios, along with a notable increase in left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD). Morphological and serum indicators (AST, LDH, CK, and CK-MB) indicated that LPS injection could induce myocardial structural disorders and myocardial injury. Furthermore, 6-week CR effectively prevented the myocardial injury. LPS injection also significantly increased the circulating inflammatory levels (IL-1β, TNF-α) in mice. IF and Western blot analyses revealed that LPS injection significantly up-regulating the expression of inflammatory-related proteins (TNF-α, IL-9, IL-18), oxidative stress-related proteins (iNOS, SOD2) and apoptotic proteins (Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, CASP3) in myocardial tissue. 6-week CR intervention significantly reduced circulating inflammatory levels and downregulated the expression of inflammatory, oxidative stress-related proteins and pro-apoptotic level in myocardial tissue. Additionally, LPS injection significantly downregulated the expression of SIRT3 and SIRT6 proteins in myocardial tissue, and CR intervention could restore the expression of SIRT3 proteins. ConclusionA 6-week CR could prevent LPS-induced septic cardiomyopathy, including cardiac function decline, myocardial structural damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. The mechanism may be associated with the regulation of SIRT3 expression in myocardial tissue.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of common diseases among primary and secondary school students in Yichang City from 2019 to 2022, and to provide a scientific basis for formulating effective intervention measures in the future. Methods By random cluster sampling , 7 schools in urban areas and 5 schools in suburban counties were selected to screen common diseases such as myopia, dental caries, obesity and abnormal spinal curvature. Descriptive epidemiological methods were employed for statistical analysis. Results A total of 17 023 primary and secondary school students were screened from 2019 to 2022. The overall detection rate of common diseases from high to low was myopia (54.12%), caries (36.75%), overweight (15.17%), obesity (11.88%), malnutrition (5.80%), and abnormal spinal curvature (3.49%). The detection rates of myopia and abnormal curvature of the spine showed an increasing trend with years and school stages, while the detection rates of malnutrition and dental caries showed a decreasing trend with years and school stages. The detection rates of overweight and obesity showed no trend difference with years, and the detection rates of obesity showed a decreasing trend with school stages. The rates of myopia, overweight and obesity were higher in urban areas than those in suburban counties, and the rate of dental caries was higher in suburban counties than that in urban areas. The prevalence of overweight, obesity, and malnutrition in boys was higher than that in girls. The prevalence of myopia and dental caries in girls was higher than that in boys. The above differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusion Myopia, dental caries, obesity, and abnormal curvature of the spine are the current focus of the prevention and treatment of common diseases in students. There are great differences between different regions, school stages, and genders. The ^“tripartite linkage^” of schools, families, and communities should be achieved with the joint efforts of the education and health departments to actively take targeted intervention measures to reduce the prevalence.

Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head (SONFH) is a disease characterized by femoral head collapse and local pain caused by excessive use of glucocorticoids. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) is mainly expressed in adipose tissue. Wnt/β-catenin, AMPK and other related signaling pathways play an important role in regulating adipocyte differentiation, fatty acid uptake and storage. Bone marrow mesenchymal cells (BMSCs) have the ability to differentiate into adipocytes or osteoblasts, and the use of hormones upregulates PPARγ expression, resulting in BMSCs biased towards adipogenic differentiation. The increase of adipocytes affects the blood supply and metabolism of the femoral head, and the decrease of osteoblasts leads to the loss of trabecular bone, which eventually leads to partial or total ischemic necrosis and collapse of the femoral head. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by inhibiting the transcription or translation of target genes, thereby affecting cell function and disease progression. Studies have shown that miRNAs affect the progression of SONFH by regulating PPARγ lipid metabolism-related signaling pathways. Therefore, it may be an accurate and feasible SONFH treatment strategy to regulate adipogenic-osteoblast differentiation in BMSCs by targeted intervention of miRNA differential expression to improve lipid metabolism. In this paper, the miRNA-mediated PPARγ-related signaling pathways were classified and summarized to clarify their effects on lipid metabolism in SONFH, providing a theoretical reference for miRNA targeted therapy of SONFH, and then providing scientific evidence for SONFH precision medicine.
MicroRNAs/physiology* ; PPAR gamma/metabolism* ; Femur Head Necrosis/metabolism* ; Humans ; Signal Transduction/physiology* ; Lipid Metabolism/physiology* ; Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology* ; Glucocorticoids/adverse effects*

This study aims to delve into the influences and underlying mechanisms of Banxia Xiexin Decoction(BXD) on the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration of colon cancer cells. Firstly, the components of BXD in blood were identified by UPLC-MS/MS, and subsequently the content of these components were determined by HPLC. Then, different concentrations of BXD were used to treat both the normal intestinal epithelial cells(NCM460) and the colon cancer cells(HT29 and HCT116). The cell viability and apoptosis were examined by the cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) and flow cytometry, respectively. Western blot was employed to determine the expression of the apoptosis regulators B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X(Bax). The cell wound healing assay and Transwell assay were employed to measure the cell migration and invasion, respectively. Additionally, Western blot was employed to determine the expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)-associated proteins, including epithelial cadherin(E-cadherin), neural cadherin(N-cadherin), and vimentin. The protein and mRNA levels of the factors in the poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase(PARG)/poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1(PARP1)/nuclear factor kappa-B p65(NF-κB p65) signaling pathway were determined by Western blot and RT-qPCR, respectively. The results demonstrated that following BXD intervention, the proliferation of HT29 and HCT116 cells was significantly reduced. Furthermore, BXD promoted the apoptosis, enhanced the expression of Bcl-2, and suppressed the expression of Bax in colon cancer cells. At the same time, BXD suppressed the cell migration and invasion and augmented the expression of E-cadherin while diminishing the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin. In addition, BXD down-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of PARG, PARP1, and NF-κB p65. In conclusion, BXD may inhibit the malignant phenotypes of colon cancer cells by mediating the PARG/PARP1/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Colonic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Phenotype ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Apoptosis ; Cell Movement/drug effects* ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; HCT116 Cells ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/biosynthesis* ; Humans ; Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1 ; Glycoside Hydrolases ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; NF-kappa B p50 Subunit

Based on the pharmacokinetics theory, this study investigated the pharmacokinetic characteristics of albiflorin, paeoniflorin, wogonoside, and wogonin in normal and febrile rats and summarized absorption and elimination rules of Dayuanyin in them to provide reference for further development and clinical application of Dayuanyin. Blood samples were taken from the fundus venous plexus of normal and model rats after intragastric administration of Dayuanyin at different time points. The concentration of each substance in blood was determined by ultra performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) technique at different time points. DAS 2.0, a piece of pharmacokinetics software, was used to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters of each component. The results show that the 4 components had good linear relationship in their respective ranges, and the results of methodological investigation met the requirements. The pharmacokinetic parameters of C_(max), T_(max), t_(1/2), AUC_(0-t), AUC_(0-∞), and MRT_(0-t) were calculated by the DAS 2.0 non-compartmental model. Compared with those in the normal group, C_(max) and AUC_(0-t) of the 4 components in the model group were significantly increased. There were significant differences in the pharmacokinetic characteristics between the normal and model groups, suggesting that the absorption and elimination of Dayuanyin may be affected by the changes of internal environment of the body in different physiological states.
Animals ; Rats ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Fever/metabolism* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Glucosides/pharmacokinetics* ; Monoterpenes

This study employed the "disease-medicine-dose" pattern to mine the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prescriptions containing Astragali Radix in ancient Chinese medical books, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the clinical application of Astragali Radix and the development of new medicines. The TCM prescriptions containing Astragali Radix were retrieved from databases such as Chinese Medical Dictionary and imported into Excel 2020 to construct the prescription library. Statical analysis were performed for the prescriptions regarding the indications, syndromes, medicine use frequency, herb effects, nature and taste, meridian tropism, dosage forms, and dose. SPSS statistics 26.0 and IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0 were used for association rules analysis and cluster analysis. A total of 2 297 prescriptions containing Astragali Radix were collected, involving 233 indications, among which sore and ulcer, consumptive disease, sweating disorder, and apoplexy had high frequency(>25), and their syndromes were mainly Qi and blood deficiency, Qi and blood deficiency, Yin and Yang deficiency, and Qi deficiency and collateral obstruction, respectively. In the prescriptions, 98 medicines were used with the frequency >25 and they mainly included Qi-tonifying medicines and blood-tonifying medicines. Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium were frequently used. The medicines with high frequency mainly have warm or cold nature, and sweet, pungent, or bitter taste, with tropism to spleen, lung, heart, liver, and kidney meridians. In the treatment of sore and ulcer, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 3.73 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to promote granulation and heal up sores. In the treatment of consumptive disease, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 37.30 g and combined with Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma to tonify deficiency and replenish Qi. In the treatment of sweating disorder, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 3.73 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to consolidate exterior and stop sweating. In the treatment of apoplexy, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 7.46 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to dispell wind and stop convulsions. Astragali Radix can be used in the treatment of multiple system diseases, with the effects of tonifying Qi and ascending Yang, consolidating exterior and stopping sweating, and expressing toxin and promoting granulation. According to the manifestations of different diseases, when combined with other medicines, Astragali Radix was endowed with the effects of promoting granulation and healing up sores, tonifying deficiency and Qi, consolidating exterior and stopping sweating, and dispelling wind and replenishing Qi. The findings provide a theoretical reference and a scientific basis for the clinical application of Astragali Radix and the development of new medicines.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; History, Ancient ; Astragalus Plant/chemistry* ; China ; Astragalus propinquus

This study aimed to explore the therapeutic mechanisms of Colquhounia Root Tablets(CRT) in treating diabetic kidney disease(DKD) by integrating biomolecular network mining with animal model verification. By analyzing clinical transcriptomics data, an interaction network was constructed between candidate targets of CRT and DKD-related genes. Based on the topological eigenvalues of network nodes, 101 core network targets of CRT against DKD were identified. These targets were found to be closely related to multiple pathways associated with type 2 diabetes, immune response, and metabolic reprogramming. Given that immune-inflammatory imbalance driven by metabolic reprogramming is one of the key pathogenic mechanisms of DKD, and that many core network targets of CRT are involved in this pathological process, receptor for advanced glycation end products(RAGE)-reactive oxygen species(ROS)-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)-protein kinase B(AKT)-nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)-NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3) signaling axis was selected as a candidate target for in-depth research. Further, a rat model of DKD induced by a high-sugar, high-fat diet and streptozotocin was established to evaluate the pharmacological effects of CRT and verify the expression of related targets. The experimental results showed that CRT could effectively correct metabolic disturbances in DKD, restore immune-inflammatory balance, and improve renal function and its pathological changes by inhibiting the activation of the RAGE-ROS-PI3K-AKT-NF-κB-NLRP3 signaling axis. In conclusion, this study reveals that CRT alleviates the progression of DKD through dual regulation of metabolic reprogramming and immune-inflammatory responses, providing strong experimental evidence for its clinical application in DKD.
Animals ; Diabetic Nephropathies/metabolism* ; Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products/genetics* ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Rats ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Humans ; Plant Roots/chemistry* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tablets/administration & dosage*

The holistic view is the key in the study of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). The component structure theory is based on the holistic view to investigate the correlation between material basis and efficiency, which enriches the holistic "component-effect" research of TCM. Gintonin is a newly isolated non-saponin component of ginseng. Compared to ginsenosides, gintonin has many different pharmacological activities, and it provides new knowledge for the holistic research of ginseng. Thus, taking the discovery of gintonin from ginseng as an example, this paper explored the linkage between ginsenosides and gintonin from the perspective of "component-effect" correlations and systematically sorted out the similarities and differences between them in terms of structural characteristics, modes of action, and pharmacological activities. Starting from the collaborative interaction of TCM compounds, the study discussed the application and value of the holistic view in TCM "component-effect" research in the light of the component structure theory to provide new thoughts for the development of modern TCM research.
Panax/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Humans ; Ginsenosides/pharmacology* ; Animals

Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum is a precious animal-derived Chinese medicinal material, while there are often adulterants derived from animals not specified in the Chinese Pharmacopeia in the market, which disturbs the safety of medication. This study was conducted with the aim of strengthening the quality control of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum and standardizing the medication. To achieve digital identification of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum from different sources, a digital identification model was constructed based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UHPLC-QTOF-MS~E) combined with an adaptive boosting algorithm(Adaboost). The young furred antlers of sika deer, red deer, elk, and reindeer were processed and then subjected to polypeptide analysis by UHPLC-QTOF-MS~E. Then, the mass spectral data reflecting the polypeptide information were obtained by digital quantification. Next, the key data were obtained by feature screening based on Gini index, and the digital identification model was constructed by Adaboost. The model was evaluated based on the recall rate, F_1 composite score, and accuracy. Finally, the results of identification based on the constructed digital identification model were validated. The results showed that when the Gini index was used to screen the data of top 100 characteristic polypeptides, the digital identification model based on Adaboost had the best performance, with the recall rate, F_1 composite score, and accuracy not less than 0.953. The validation analysis showed that the accuracy of the identification of the 10 batches of samples was as high as 100.0%. Therefore, based on UHPLC-QTOF-MS~E and Adaboost algorithm, the digital identification of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum can be realized efficiently and accurately, which can provide reference for the quality control and original animal identification of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum.
Animals ; Algorithms ; Antlers/chemistry* ; Boosting Machine Learning Algorithms ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Deer ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Quality Control ; Reindeer ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Tissue Extracts/analysis*

Atractylodes lancea is a perennial herbaceous plant of Asteraceae, with rhizomes for medical use. However, A. lancea plants from different habitats have great variability, and the germplasm resources of A. lancea are unclear and mixed during production. Therefore, it is urgent to protect new varieties of A. lancea. The distinctness, uniformity, and stability(DUS) testing of new plant varieties is the foundation of plant variety protection, and the DUS testing guidelines are the technical basis for variety approval agencies to conduct DUS testing. In this study, the phenotypic traits of 94 germplasm accessions of A. lancea were investigated considering the breeding and variety characteristics of A. lancea in China. The traits were classified and described, and 24 traits were preliminarily determined, including 20 basic traits that must be tested and four traits selected to be tested. The 20 basic traits included 3 quality traits, 5 false quality traits, and 12 quantitative traits, corresponding to 1 plant traits, 2 stem traits, 8 leaf traits, 6 flower traits, and 3 seed traits. The measurement ranges and coefficients of variation of eight quantitative traits were determined, on the basis of which the grading criteria and codes of the traits were determined and assigned. The guidelines has guiding significance for the trait evaluation, utilization, and breeding of new varieties of A. lancea.
Atractylodes/growth & development* ; China ; Phenotype ; Guidelines as Topic ; Plant Breeding