Esophageal cancer （EC） is a highly prevalent malignant tumor in China. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway， as one of the key oncogenic pathways， can promote the cell cycle progression， proliferation， migration， and invasion， induce chemoresistance， and inhibit apoptosis and autophagy of EC cells. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with the advantages of targeting multiple points with multiple components to delay cancer progression， can target the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway for EC treatment. This article preliminarily discusses the molecular mechanism and role of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in EC and elaborates on the specific targets and efficacy of TCM in treating EC through intervention in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the past five years. TCM materials and extracts inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in EC include Borneolum， spore powder of Ganoderma lucidum without spore coat， extract of Celastrus orbiculatus， root extract of Taraxacum， and Bruceae Fructus oil emulsion. TCM active ingredients exerting the effect include flavonoids， terpenoids， saponins， phenols， polysaccharides， alkaloids， and other compounds. TCM compound prescriptions with such effect include Qige San， Huqi San， Xuanfu Daizhetang， Tongyoutang and its decomposed prescriptions， Liujunzi Tang， and Xishenzhi Formula. In addition， TCM injections such as Compound Kushen Injection and Kang'ai injection also inhibit the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in EC. This paper summarizes the role of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in EC and the TCM interventions， aiming to provide reference for the research and clinical application of new drugs for EC.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy of sequential tenofovir alafenamide fumarate （TAF） therapy versus the regimen of entecavir （ETV） combined with TAF in chronic hepatitis B （CHB） patients experiencing low-level viremia （LLV） after ETV therapy， as well as their impact on virologic response， liver and renal function， and blood lipid levels. MethodsA total of 217 CHB patients with LLV after ETV treatment who were admitted to Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from May 2020 to December 2023 were enrolled， and according to the treatment regimen， they were divided into TAF group （180 patients receiving sequential TAF therapy） and combined group （37 patients receiving ETV+TAF therapy）. The propensity score matching （PSM） method was used to match the patients at a ratio of 1∶1， and finally 37 patients were included in each group to balance the baseline confounding factors. The two groups were compared in terms of hepatitis B virus DNA （HBV DNA） clearance rate， hepatitis B envelope antigen （HBeAg） clearance rate， liver and renal function parameters （liver stiffness measurement ［LSM］， platelet count ［PLT］， aspartate aminotransferase ［AST］， alanine aminotransferase ［ALT］， and creatinine ［Cr］）， blood lipid levels （total cholesterol ［TC］， triglyceride ［TG］， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ［HDL-C］， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ［LDL-C］）， and the incidence rate of adverse reactions. The independent samples t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the paired t-test was used for comparison within each group； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. ResultsAfter 48 weeks of treatment， compared with the TAF group， the combined group had significantly higher HBV DNA clearance rate （86.49% vs 59.46%， χ²=6.852， P=0.009） and HBeAg clearance rate （59.46% vs 35.14%， χ²=4.391， P=0.036）. After treatment， compared with the TAF group， the combined group had significantly lower levels of LSM （7.01±1.50 kPa vs 7.90±1.68 kPa， t=2.404， P=0.019）， AST （18.02±2.28 U/L vs 21.12±2.85 U/L， t=5.166， P<0.001）， and ALT （19.85±3.86 U/L vs 22.00±3.90 U/L， t=2.383， P=0.020） and significantly higher levels of PLT ［（218.35±42.60）×10⁹/L vs （192.82±44.13）×10⁹/L， t=2.532， P=0.014］ and Cr （70.92±6.54 μmoL/L vs 67.60±6.13 μmoL/L， t=2.253， P=0.027）. After treatment， there was a slight increase in the level of TC in both the TAF group （5.60±0.89 mmol/L vs 5.18±0.85 mmol/L， t=2.076， P=0.041） and the combined group （5.45±0.80 mmol/L vs 5.02±0.83 mmol/L， t=2.269， P=0.026）. There was no significant difference in the incidence rate of adverse reactions between the TAF group and the combined group （21.62% vs 18.92%， χ²=0.084， P=0.772）. ConclusionFor ETV-treated CHB patients experiencing LLV， compared with sequential TAF therapy， the ETV+TAF combined therapy can effectively increase virologic response rate， alleviate liver fibrosis， and improve liver function， whereas sequential TAF therapy has less impact on renal function. Sequential or combined therapy with TAF may induce a slight increase in the level of TC， which should be taken seriously in clinical practice.

This paper has summarized current studies on retinitis pigmentosa （RP） from two perspectives， which were disease mechanism insights from western medicine， and etiology， pathogenesis and therapeutic principles in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. From the perspective of western medicine， the understanding of RP has evolved from an early single-factor explanation focusing on pathogenic gene mutations to a more comprehensive， multifactorial model involving genetic abnormalities， photoreceptor cell degeneration， retinal pigment epithelium dysfunction， oxidative stress， inflammatory responses， microenvironmental imbalance， and vascular insufficiency. In TCM， RP is considered to be a disorder manifested in the eyes but rooted in dysfunction of the zang-fu （脏腑） organs. Its pathogenesis is primarily associated with congenital insufficiency， liver-kidney depletion， impaired spleen function of transportation and transformation， and stasis obstructing the meridians. The core pathological mechanism can be summarized as "deficiency complicated by stasis"， emphasizing holistic imbalance， dynamic disease progression， and syndrome differentiation and treatment. The differences and complementarities between the two medical systems in understanding disease progression are further discussed. RP is proposed to be more appropriately regarded as a complex disease characterized by long-term progression， stage-dependent evolution， and persistent decompensation. Western medicine contributes to elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying RP and provides the foundation for targeted therapeutic interventions， whereas TCM offers a holistic perspective for understanding disease evolution through the assessment of overall functional status， disease-stage stratification， and long-term syndrome-based regulation.

This paper has summarized current studies on retinitis pigmentosa （RP） from two perspectives， which were disease mechanism insights from western medicine， and etiology， pathogenesis and therapeutic principles in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. From the perspective of western medicine， the understanding of RP has evolved from an early single-factor explanation focusing on pathogenic gene mutations to a more comprehensive， multifactorial model involving genetic abnormalities， photoreceptor cell degeneration， retinal pigment epithelium dysfunction， oxidative stress， inflammatory responses， microenvironmental imbalance， and vascular insufficiency. In TCM， RP is considered to be a disorder manifested in the eyes but rooted in dysfunction of the zang-fu （脏腑） organs. Its pathogenesis is primarily associated with congenital insufficiency， liver-kidney depletion， impaired spleen function of transportation and transformation， and stasis obstructing the meridians. The core pathological mechanism can be summarized as "deficiency complicated by stasis"， emphasizing holistic imbalance， dynamic disease progression， and syndrome differentiation and treatment. The differences and complementarities between the two medical systems in understanding disease progression are further discussed. RP is proposed to be more appropriately regarded as a complex disease characterized by long-term progression， stage-dependent evolution， and persistent decompensation. Western medicine contributes to elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying RP and provides the foundation for targeted therapeutic interventions， whereas TCM offers a holistic perspective for understanding disease evolution through the assessment of overall functional status， disease-stage stratification， and long-term syndrome-based regulation.

Objective:To explore the role of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in rats with severe acute pancreatitis-associated acute lung injury (SAP-ALI) and its related molecular mechanisms.Methods:Twenty-four healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (random number, n=6 per group): Control group, SAP group, FGF21 intervention group (SAP+FGF21 group), and autophagy inhibitor group (SAP+FGF21+3-MA group). The SAP model was established by retrograde injection of 3.5% sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic duct. In SAP+FGF21 group, FGF21 10 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected at 1 hour before modeling. In SAP+FGF21+3-MA group, FGF21 10 mg/kg and 3-MA 20 mg/kg were intraperitoneally injected at 1 h before modeling. Serum amylase activity was detected by biochemical kit. Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and FGF21 were detected by ELISA. HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of pancreas and lung tissues. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the protein level of FGF21 in lung tissue. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of autophagy-related proteins in lung tissue. Autophagosomes in lung tissue were observed by electron microscopy. Results:Compared with the Control group, the plasma and lung tissue FGF21 levels in SAP group were significantly decreased (both P<0.001) , severe pancreatic and lung tissue damage, and elevated plasma TNF-α levels ( P<0.001). Western Blot and transmission electron microscopy showed that: The expression of LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ in lung tissue of SAP group was down-regulated [(0.912±0.052) vs. (0.700±0.135), P<0.001], and P62 protein level was up-regulated [(0.475±0.068) vs. (0.687±0.070), P<0.001] , and reduced autophagosome counts in the SAP group. In contrast, the SAP+FGF21 group showed elevated FGF21 levels (both P<0.01), attenuated pancreatic and lung injury ( P<0.001), decreased TNF-α levels [(280.10±49.36) pg/mL vs. (86.32±66.00) pg/mL, P<0.001]. Lung tissue of LC3 Ⅱ/Ⅰ levels increase [(0.700±0.135) vs. (0.853±0.073), P<0.01], P62 protein levels cut [(0.687±0.070) vs. (0.538±0.030), P<0.01] ], and increased autophagosomes and autolysosomes under electron microscopy. Compared with SAP+FGF21 group, the expression levels of FGF21 in plasma and lung tissue in SAP+FGF21+3-MA group were not significantly changed, and the level of autophagy was decreased. Pancreas and lung tissue injury was severe ( P<0.001), Plasma TNF-α level obviously higher [(86.32±66.00) pg/mL vs. (212.90±11.56) pg/mL, P<0.05]. Conclusion:FGF21 may play a protective role in SAP-ALI by up-regulating the level of autophagy.

Objective:To investigate the effect of myo-inositol on the reactivation of ocular dominance plasticity in the visual cortex of adult mice and its mechanisms.Methods:Thirty-two male SPF-grade C57BL/6J mice at postnatal day 60 (P60) were randomly divided into four groups using a random number table: normal control group, monocular form deprivation (MD) group, myo-inositol group (myo-inositol administered to normal mice), and MD+ myo-inositol group (myo-inositol administered to MD mice), with 8 mice in each group.The right eyes of MD group and MD+ myo-inositol group received MD on P60.Mice in each group were housed until P64 when pattern visual evoked potential (P-VEP) recordings were performed in both eyes.The amplitude and peak time of P100 wave were measured, and the contralateral/ipsilateral ratio (C/I) was calculated to evaluate the shift of ocular dominance.Twenty-four mice were randomly divided into MD group and MD+ myo-inositol group using the random number table method, with 12 mice in each group.RNA was extracted from the visual cortex of the two groups of mice, and transcriptomic sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed to screen differentially expressed genes.Six mice were randomly divided into MD group and MD+ myo-inositol group using the random number table method, with 3 mice in each group, and the expression changes of differentially expressed genes cell communication network factor 1( CCN1), fatty acid binding protein 7( Fabp7) and galectin-3 binding protein ( Lgals3bp) were verified by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.This study adhered to the Regulations on the Administration of Laboratory Animals (2017 Edition), and the research protocol was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Tianjin Medical University (No.TMUaMEC2022004). Results:The P-VEP results showed that the right eye P100 amplitudes in the normal control, MD, myo-inositol and MD+ myo-inositol groups were (89.04±19.87), (83.04±9.42), (88.14±21.75) and (61.75±15.42)μV, and the P100 wave peak time were (102.40±5.64), (101.50±8.26), (101.33±8.66) and (111.30±7.17)ms, and C/I were 2.38±0.17, 2.35±0.22, 2.41±0.31, and 1.65±0.24, respectively, with statistically significant overall differences ( F=5.844, 2.221, 16.634; all P<0.05).Compared with the normal control group, MD group and myo-inositol group, the MD+ myo-inositol group had a significant decrease in the P100 wave amplitude in the right eye, a significant prolongation of the P100 wave peak time, and a significant decrease in the C/I, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05).There was no significant difference in P100 wave amplitude or peak time in the left eyes among the normal control, MD, myo-inositol and MD+ myo-inositol groups ( F=0.249, 1.356; both P>0.05).The transcriptome sequencing results showed that there were significant differences in the expression of 93 genes between the MD+ myo-inositol group and the MD group, among which the differential expression of CCN1, Fabp7 and Lgals3bp genes related to visual plasticity was particularly significant.The real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR results verified that the expression of CCN1 in the MD+ myo-inositol group was significantly decreased, and the expression of Fabp7 and Lgals3bp was significantly increased, with statistically significant differences ( t=17.561, 9.237, 12.710; all P<0.001). Conclusions:Myo-inositol can effectively reactivate ocular dominance plasticity in the visual cortex in adult mice, and may mediate this process by regulating the expression of specific genes CCN1, Fabp7, and Lgals3bp.

Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs), describe a group of nanoparticles released by plants. These particles are characterized by a lipid bilayer structure containing various proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and unique metabolites. Although the study on PDEVs is relatively new, having only been around for ten years, they have shown promising development prospects in both basic research and clinical transformation areas. Evidence suggests that PDEVs have excellent application prospects in regulating inflammation and treating tumors. Their distinctive, vesicle-mimicking architecture and stellar biocompatibility render them prime candidates for ferrying various anti-cancer agents, including RNA, proteins, and conventional chemotherapy drugs. Increasingly, studies have shown that PDEVs can be engineered as an innovative platform for combination cancer immunotherapy. Consequently, this paper provides an extensive summary of current developments in engineering methods and strategies for PDEVs in cancer treatment and combined cancer immune therapeutics. The essential characteristics of PDEVs, including the biogenesis process and components, as well as their anti-tumor activity and mechanism, are summarized. Finally, the in vivo safety of PDEVs as delivery vectors and the challenges of scale-up production and clinical transformation are discussed.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of Ching Shum Pills (CSP) for alleviating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: In a mouse model of NAFLD, the therapeutic effect of CSP was evaluated by measuring serum glucose, lipid profiles (TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C), and hepatic function markers. Network pharmacology was employed to identify active compounds in CSP and their targets using TCMSP, HERB, SwissTargetPrediction, GeneCards, OMIM, and DisGeNET. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, Gene Ontology (GO), and KEGG pathway analyses were conducted. Molecular docking (AutoDock Vina) was used to assess the compound-target binding affinities. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to validate the mRNA expressions of the core genes in the liver tissue of the mouse models. RESULTS: In the mouse model of NAFLD, treatment with CSP significantly reduced body weight gain and serum TG levels of the mice, and high-dose CSP treatment resulted in obvious reduction of ALT levels and hepatic fat accumulation. Network pharmacology analysis identified quercetin and 2-monolinolenin as the key bioactives in CSP, which target TNF, AKT1, IL6, TP53, and ALB. Docking simulations suggested strong binding between the two core compounds and their target proteins. The results of qRT-PCR showed that high-fat diet induced significant downregulation of Tp53, Cpt1, and Ppara expressions in mice, which was effectively reversed by CSP treatment. CONCLUSIONS CSP can improve lipid metabolism disorders in NAFLD mice through a regulatory mechanism involving multiple targets and pathways to reduce liver fat accumulation and protect liver function. The key components in CSP such as quercetin and linolenic acid monoacylglycerol may participate in the regulation of such metabolic processes as fatty acid oxidation by targeting TP53.
Animals ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/drug therapy* ; Mice ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Lipid Metabolism/drug effects* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Disease Models, Animal ; Liver/metabolism* ; Male ; Lipid Metabolism Disorders/drug therapy* ; PPAR alpha/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Network Pharmacology

Hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain damage poses a high risk of death or lifelong disability, yet effective treatments remain elusive. Here, we demonstrated that miR-100-5p levels in the lesioned cortex increased after HI insult in neonatal mice. Knockdown of miR-100-5p expression in the brain attenuated brain injury and promoted functional recovery, through inhibiting the cleaved-caspase-3 level, microglia activation, and the release of proinflammation cytokines following HI injury. Engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing neuron-targeting rabies virus glycoprotein (RVG) and miR-100-5p antagonists (RVG-EVs-Antagomir) selectively targeted brain lesions and reduced miR-100-5p levels after intranasal delivery. Both pre- and post-HI administration showed therapeutic benefits. Mechanistically, we identified protein phosphatase 3 catalytic subunit alpha (Ppp3ca) as a novel candidate target gene of miR-100-5p, inhibiting c-Fos expression and neuronal apoptosis following HI insult. In conclusion, our non-invasive method using engineered EVs to deliver miR-100-5p antagomirs to the brain significantly improves functional recovery after HI injury by targeting Ppp3ca to suppress neuronal apoptosis.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Extracellular Vesicles/metabolism* ; Mice ; Recovery of Function/physiology* ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain/therapy* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Antagomirs/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Animals, Newborn ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Brain Injuries/metabolism* ; Glycoproteins ; Peptide Fragments ; Viral Proteins

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