ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of metformin on the immune functions of immature dendritic cells （imDCs） and the underlying mechanisms. MethodsMouse bone marrow-derived imDCs were treated with different concentrations of metformin. The working concentration and treatment time of metformin in this study were determined based on the results of cell apoptosis and cell viability assays. The effects of metformin on the phagocytic capacity of imDCs was evaluated using an antigen endocytosis assay. The expression of cluster of differentiation 205 （CD205）， the polymerization of filamentous actin （F-actin）， and the underlying regulatory mechanisms were investigated through flow cytometry， laser confocal fluorescence microscopy， and Western blot. ResultsThe working concentrations of metformin were 1， 2， 4 mmol/L for 24 h determined by the apoptosis and cell viability assays.Metformin significantly suppressed the phagocytic capacity of imDCs， down-regulated the expression of the mannose receptor CD205 on the cell surface， which was closely associated with phagocytic function； metformin inhibited the RhoA-ROCK1-LIMK1-Cofilin signaling pathway， which inhibited the polymerization of F-actin and disturbed its dynamic remodeling of imDCs. ConclusionMetformin can inhibit the expression of CD205 and disrupt the remodeling of F-actin， thereby suppressing the antigen-capturing capacity of imDCs.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by congenital bilateral malformation of the large toe and progressive, extensive, and irreversible heterotopic ossification (HO) of soft tissues throughout the body, leading to severe disabilities. FOP is caused primarily by mutations in activin A receptor type 1 (ACVR1), also known as activin-like kinase 2 (ALK2), which encodes a receptor belonging to the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type I family. However, the continuous and complex process of HO in FOP is not yet fully understood, which has impeded the development of therapeutic drugs. Despite surgical removal of HO, which often results in recurrence and expansion of ossification, there is currently no definitive drug treatment available to completely prevent, halt, or reverse the progression of HO in FOP. Currently, researchers are intensively studying the pathogenesis of FOP at various stages and developing promising drug candidates, including saracatinib, palovarotene, and rapamycin. This review provides an overview of progress in understanding the mechanism of FOP and the development of therapeutic drugs, with the goal of providing insights for further research and the development of new treatment methods.
Myositis Ossificans/genetics* ; Humans ; Activin Receptors, Type I/genetics* ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; Mutation ; Sirolimus/therapeutic use* ; Quinolones/therapeutic use* ; Benzodioxoles/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Quinazolines/therapeutic use*

Fire twinkling is the common method in cupping therapy. In the teaching materials of acupuncture and moxibustion, and the national standard, Standardized Manipulations of Acupuncture and Moxibustion-Part 5: Cupping Therapy, this cupping technique is operated by igniting an alcohol-soaked cotton ball held with a forceps, placing it inside the cup, taking it out after "turning around in several circles", and placing the cup on the selected area. Based on the clinical experience of chief physician LI Yan, a high-efficient and safe fire twinkling was developed. Clamping the middle part of the cotton ball with a holder, dipping it in 95% ethanol, and squeezing the cotton ball to ensure no ethanol drops left; holding the cup with the dominant hand and covering the ignited cotton ball vertically, removing the cup immediately when the ball touching the cup bottom. Such manipulation mode, "flame going in and out directly", can avoid the potential safety hazards such as residual ethanol left on the cup opening, overheating of cup opening and accidentally falling-off of the ignited cotton ball.
Humans ; Cupping Therapy/instrumentation* ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Fires

Objective: To analyze the change trends in the body shape indicators and proportions of students in Harbin from 2010 to 2024, and to investigate ergonomic compatibility of functional dimensions of school desks and chairs with current student shape indicators, so as to provide a reference for revising furniture standards of desks and chairs. Methods: Between September and November of both 2010 and 2024, a combination of convenience sampling and stratified cluster random sampling was conducted across three districts in Harbin, yielding samples of 6 590 and 6 252 students, respectively. Anthropometric shape indicators cluding height, sitting height, crus length, and thigh length-and their proportional changes were compared over the 15-year period. The 2024 data were compared with current standard functional dimensions of school furniture. The statistical analysis incorporated t-test and Mann-Whitney U- test. Results: From 2010 to 2024, average height increased by 1.8 cm for boys and 1.5 cm for girls; sitting height increased by 1.5 cm for both genders; crus length increased by 0.3 cm for boys and 0.4 cm for girls; and thigh length increased by 0.5 cm for both genders. The ratios of sitting height to height, and sitting height to leg length increased by less than 0.1 . The difference between desk chair height and 1/3 sitting height ranged from 0.4-0.8 cm. Among students matched with size 0 desks and chairs, 22.0% had a desk to chair height difference less than 0, indicating that the desk to chair height difference might be insufficient for taller students. The differences between seat height and fibular height ranged from -1.4 to 1.1 cm; and the differences between seat depth and buttock popliteal length ranged from -9.8 to 3.4 cm. Among obese students, the differences between seat width and 1/2 hip circumference ranged from -20.5 to -8.7 cm, while it ranged from -12.2 to -3.8 cm among non obese students. Conclusion Current furniture standards basically satisfy hygienic requirements; however, in the case of exceptionally tall and obese students, ergonomic accommodations such as adaptive seating allocation or personalized adjustments are recommended to meet hygienic requirements.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism by which modified Shengjiangsan （MSJS） improves diabetic kidney disease （DKD） by activating mitochondrial autophagy. MethodsSixty SPF-grade male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 7-8 weeks were selected. A DKD model was established using a high-sugar， high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ）. After successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided into six groups： a normal control group， a model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose MSJS groups （7.7， 15.4， 30.8 g·kg^-1， respectively）， and an irbesartan group （0.384 g·kg^-1）. Each group received either normal saline or the corresponding drug by gavage once daily for 28 consecutive days. Blood glucose， body weight， and kidney weight were recorded. Serum creatinine （SCr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN） levels were detected using an automatic blood analyzer. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to determine urinary microalbumin （mALB）， and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6）. Histopathological changes in renal tissues were observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， periodic acid-Schiff （PAS） staining， and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The expression levels of mitochondrial autophagy-related proteins in renal tissues were analyzed by Western blot. Immunofluorescence co-localization was employed to detect the co-expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta （LC3B） and cytochrome c oxidase subunit Ⅳ （COX Ⅳ）. ResultsCompared with the normal control group， the model group exhibited significant increases in renal index， blood glucose， and 24-hour urinary microalbumin （24 h mALB） （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The levels of serum SCr and BUN were significantly elevated （P<0.01）， and the serum levels of TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 were markedly upregulated （P<0.01）. Histopathological examination revealed glomerular hypertrophy， mesangial expansion and increased deposition， podocyte foot process flattening and fusion， a decreased number of autophagosomes accompanied by mitochondrial swelling， vacuolar degeneration of renal tubular epithelial cells， and inflammatory cell infiltration in the renal interstitium. The expression levels of autophagy-related proteins LC3B， PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 （PINK1）， and E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase （Parkin） were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while expression of the selective autophagy adaptor protein p62 was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Immunofluorescence signal intensity and LC3B-COX Ⅳ co-expression were both diminished. Compared with the model group， the MSJS treatment groups and the irbesartan group showed significant reductions in renal index， blood glucose， and 24 h mALB （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The serum SCr and BUN levels decreased significantly （P<0.05） and TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 levels were significantly downregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Histopathological damage was alleviated， including reduced glomerular hypertrophy， decreased mesangial deposition， and attenuated podocyte foot process fusion. The number of autophagosomes increased， and mitochondrial swelling was improved. The expression levels of LC3B， PINK1， and Parkin in renal tissues were significantly upregulated， whereas p62 expression was significantly downregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01） in MSJS groups. Immunofluorescence signal intensity was enhanced， and LC3B-COX Ⅳ co-expression was increased. ConclusionMSJS alleviates the inflammatory response in DKD rats and exerts renal protective effects by regulating the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway and activating mitochondrial autophagy.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism by which modified Shengjiangsan （MSJS） improves diabetic kidney disease （DKD） by activating mitochondrial autophagy. MethodsSixty SPF-grade male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 7-8 weeks were selected. A DKD model was established using a high-sugar， high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ）. After successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided into six groups： a normal control group， a model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose MSJS groups （7.7， 15.4， 30.8 g·kg^-1， respectively）， and an irbesartan group （0.384 g·kg^-1）. Each group received either normal saline or the corresponding drug by gavage once daily for 28 consecutive days. Blood glucose， body weight， and kidney weight were recorded. Serum creatinine （SCr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN） levels were detected using an automatic blood analyzer. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to determine urinary microalbumin （mALB）， and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6）. Histopathological changes in renal tissues were observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， periodic acid-Schiff （PAS） staining， and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The expression levels of mitochondrial autophagy-related proteins in renal tissues were analyzed by Western blot. Immunofluorescence co-localization was employed to detect the co-expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta （LC3B） and cytochrome c oxidase subunit Ⅳ （COX Ⅳ）. ResultsCompared with the normal control group， the model group exhibited significant increases in renal index， blood glucose， and 24-hour urinary microalbumin （24 h mALB） （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The levels of serum SCr and BUN were significantly elevated （P<0.01）， and the serum levels of TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 were markedly upregulated （P<0.01）. Histopathological examination revealed glomerular hypertrophy， mesangial expansion and increased deposition， podocyte foot process flattening and fusion， a decreased number of autophagosomes accompanied by mitochondrial swelling， vacuolar degeneration of renal tubular epithelial cells， and inflammatory cell infiltration in the renal interstitium. The expression levels of autophagy-related proteins LC3B， PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 （PINK1）， and E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase （Parkin） were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while expression of the selective autophagy adaptor protein p62 was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Immunofluorescence signal intensity and LC3B-COX Ⅳ co-expression were both diminished. Compared with the model group， the MSJS treatment groups and the irbesartan group showed significant reductions in renal index， blood glucose， and 24 h mALB （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The serum SCr and BUN levels decreased significantly （P<0.05） and TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 levels were significantly downregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Histopathological damage was alleviated， including reduced glomerular hypertrophy， decreased mesangial deposition， and attenuated podocyte foot process fusion. The number of autophagosomes increased， and mitochondrial swelling was improved. The expression levels of LC3B， PINK1， and Parkin in renal tissues were significantly upregulated， whereas p62 expression was significantly downregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01） in MSJS groups. Immunofluorescence signal intensity was enhanced， and LC3B-COX Ⅳ co-expression was increased. ConclusionMSJS alleviates the inflammatory response in DKD rats and exerts renal protective effects by regulating the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway and activating mitochondrial autophagy.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is characterized by high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and abundant infiltration of non-malignant lymphocytes, which renders patients potentially suitable candidates for immune checkpoint blockade therapies. Palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone (PLUNC) inhibit the growth of NPC cells and enhance cellular apoptosis and differentiation. Currently, the relationship between PLUNC (as a tumor-suppressor) and PD-L1 in NPC is unclear. Methods: We collected clinical samples of NPC to verify the relationship between PLUNC and PD-L1. PLUNC plasmid was transfected into NPC cells, and the variation of PD-L1 was verified by western blot and immunofluorescence. In NPC cells, we verified the relationship of PD-L1, activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), and β-catenin by western blot and immunofluorescence. Later, we further verified that PLUNC regulates PD-L1 through β-catenin. Finally, the effect of PLUNC on β-catenin was verified by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Results: We found that PLUNC expression was lower in NPC tissues than in paracancer tissues. PD-L1 expression was opposite to that of PLUNC. Western blot and immunofluorescence showed that β-catenin could upregulate ATF3 and PD-L1, while PLUNC could downregulate ATF3/PD-L1 by inhibiting the expression of β-catenin. PLUNC inhibits the entry of β-catenin into the nucleus. Co-IP experiments demonstrated that PLUNC inhibited the interaction of DEAD-box helicase 17 (DDX17) and β-catenin. Conclusions PLUNC downregulates the expression of PD-L1 by inhibiting the interaction of DDX17/β-catenin in NPC.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is characterized by high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and abundant infiltration of non-malignant lymphocytes, which renders patients potentially suitable candidates for immune checkpoint blockade therapies. Palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone (PLUNC) inhibit the growth of NPC cells and enhance cellular apoptosis and differentiation. Currently, the relationship between PLUNC (as a tumor-suppressor) and PD-L1 in NPC is unclear. Methods: We collected clinical samples of NPC to verify the relationship between PLUNC and PD-L1. PLUNC plasmid was transfected into NPC cells, and the variation of PD-L1 was verified by western blot and immunofluorescence. In NPC cells, we verified the relationship of PD-L1, activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), and β-catenin by western blot and immunofluorescence. Later, we further verified that PLUNC regulates PD-L1 through β-catenin. Finally, the effect of PLUNC on β-catenin was verified by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Results: We found that PLUNC expression was lower in NPC tissues than in paracancer tissues. PD-L1 expression was opposite to that of PLUNC. Western blot and immunofluorescence showed that β-catenin could upregulate ATF3 and PD-L1, while PLUNC could downregulate ATF3/PD-L1 by inhibiting the expression of β-catenin. PLUNC inhibits the entry of β-catenin into the nucleus. Co-IP experiments demonstrated that PLUNC inhibited the interaction of DEAD-box helicase 17 (DDX17) and β-catenin. Conclusions PLUNC downregulates the expression of PD-L1 by inhibiting the interaction of DDX17/β-catenin in NPC.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is characterized by high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and abundant infiltration of non-malignant lymphocytes, which renders patients potentially suitable candidates for immune checkpoint blockade therapies. Palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone (PLUNC) inhibit the growth of NPC cells and enhance cellular apoptosis and differentiation. Currently, the relationship between PLUNC (as a tumor-suppressor) and PD-L1 in NPC is unclear. Methods: We collected clinical samples of NPC to verify the relationship between PLUNC and PD-L1. PLUNC plasmid was transfected into NPC cells, and the variation of PD-L1 was verified by western blot and immunofluorescence. In NPC cells, we verified the relationship of PD-L1, activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), and β-catenin by western blot and immunofluorescence. Later, we further verified that PLUNC regulates PD-L1 through β-catenin. Finally, the effect of PLUNC on β-catenin was verified by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Results: We found that PLUNC expression was lower in NPC tissues than in paracancer tissues. PD-L1 expression was opposite to that of PLUNC. Western blot and immunofluorescence showed that β-catenin could upregulate ATF3 and PD-L1, while PLUNC could downregulate ATF3/PD-L1 by inhibiting the expression of β-catenin. PLUNC inhibits the entry of β-catenin into the nucleus. Co-IP experiments demonstrated that PLUNC inhibited the interaction of DEAD-box helicase 17 (DDX17) and β-catenin. Conclusions PLUNC downregulates the expression of PD-L1 by inhibiting the interaction of DDX17/β-catenin in NPC.

Accurate characterization of the chemical composition of complex traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is an essential foundation for the modern scientific interpretation of TCM principles.Mass spectrometry is the most dominant technique in current research on the material basis of TCM,offering the highest sensitivity and the richest information provision.Establishing mass spectrometry databases represents the most effective approach to facilitating the structural analysis of TCM chemical components.This paper systematically searches and reviews literature published from January 2005 to January 2025 through online databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure,PubMed,and Web of Science,using"mass spectrometry database"and"traditional Chinese medicine"as keywords.It reviews the current status of seven TCM chemical component mass spectrometry databases and seven natural product mass spectrometry databases.The key advancements of these mass spectrometry databases for natural products are summarized,detailing their characteristics,search methodologies,included information,and data sources.Additionally,challenges related to data quality,standardization,timely updates,database interaction,retrieval functionality,and data sharing and security are discussed in depth.Furthermore,the paper explores prospective development directions for TCM mass spectrometry databases,emphasizing the importance of open data sharing,technological innovation,and data security.Through this analysis,the paper aims to offer theoretical guidance and practical recommendations for the precise identification of TCM components,as well as for the construction and application of these databases.