OBJECTIVES: To explore the therapeutic mechanism of Flos Sophorae (FS) for treatment of psoriasis. METHODS: The active ingredients, targets and psoriasis-related disease targets of FS were obtained from TCMSP, GeneCards, OMIM, DisGeNET and String databases, and Cytoscape 3.8.0 software was used to construct the "FS -active ingredient-key target-signaling pathway-psoriasis" network. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of the key targets were conducted, and molecular docking was performed using Discovery Studio 2019. In a BALB/c mouse model of imiquimod-induced psoriasis, the effects of vaseline, FS at high, medium and low doses (3.00, 1.50 and 0.75 g/kg, respectively) and a positive drug, given 1 week before and during modeling, were evaluated on body weight changes, spleen coefficient, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score and skin pathological changes. Phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT proteins were detected using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. RESULTS: A total of 10 active components and 110 key targets were screened. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis suggested that FS improved psoriasis primarily through the PI3K/AKT, TNF, and IL-17 signaling pathways. Molecular docking showed that both quercetin and kaempferol could spontaneously bind to AKT1, TNF and other sites. In the mouse model of psoriasis, treatment with low-dose FS significantly improved epidermal thickening, increased body weight, lowered PASI score, and reduced phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT proteins. CONCLUSIONS The therapeutic mechanism of FS for psoriasis involves multiple components, targets, and pathways that mediate the inhibition of the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT proteins to suppress the activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
Animals ; Psoriasis/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Mice ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Imiquimod ; Phosphorylation

OBJECTIVE: Cigarette smoking exacerbates the progression of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The role of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in chronic lung diseases has gained attention; however, it remains unclear whether smoking-exacerbated lung damage in TB is associated with TLS. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of pulmonary TLS in smokers with TB and to explore the possible role of TLS in smoking-related lung injury in TB. METHODS: Lung tissues from 36 male patients (18 smokers and 18 non-smokers) who underwent surgical resection for pulmonary TB were included in this study. Pathological and immunohistological analyses were conducted to evaluate the quantity of TLS, and chest computed tomography (CT) was used to assess the severity of lung lesions. The correlation between the TLS quantity and TB lesion severity scores was analyzed. The immune cells and chemokines involved in TLS formation were also evaluated and compared between smokers and non-smokers. RESULTS: Smoker patients with TB had significantly higher TLS than non-smokers ( P < 0.001). The TLS quantity in both the lung parenchyma and peribronchial regions correlated with TB lesion severity on chest CT (parenchyma: r = 0.5767; peribronchial: r = 0.7373; both P < 0.001). Immunohistochemical analysis showed increased B cells, T cells, and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) expression in smoker patients with TB ( P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Smoker TB patients exhibited increased pulmonary TLS, which was associated with exacerbated lung lesions on chest CT, suggesting that cigarette smoking may exacerbate lung damage by promoting TLS formation.
Humans ; Male ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/immunology* ; Middle Aged ; Tertiary Lymphoid Structures/pathology* ; Adult ; Lung/pathology* ; Smoking/adverse effects* ; Smokers ; Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Based on the literature review and the analysis of specific cases of postpartum frequent micturition,pediatric enuresis,elderly uremia complicated with bradyarrhythmia in clinic,the clinical application of the action of Ephedrae Herba in stimulating yang qi is discussed.Ephedrae Herba has the meridian tropism of the lung and bladder meridians,and is pungent,warm and dispersing,which is the most important medicine for the treatment of external contraction.Ephedrae Herba has the actions of inducing diaphoresis,calming asthma and inducing diuresis,and is widely used for the treatment of external contraction,coughing and asthma,and edema.For the patients with deficiency of both kidney yin and kidney yang without obvious bias of yin-yang consumption which result from the postpartum impairment of qi and blood,deficient innate endowment,and gradually exhaustion of essence in the kidney in the elderly or during chronic illness,a small dosage of Ephedrae Herba can stimulate yang qi during the treatment of warming kidney yang,which is helpful for promoting the drug arriving at the back shu-points of the internal organs distributed along the bladder meridian and enhancing the recovery of zang-fu organ function.Ephedrae Herba is strong in inducing diaphoresis with an intense action.When Ephedrae Herba is used to stimulate yang,the dosage of 3～9 g is appropriate,and medicines for warming yang are needs to be used together.The course of treatment with Ephedrae Herba should be avoided to be too long,in order to prevent the vital energy from the damage by its large cumulative dose.

Tuberculosis （TB） and human immunodeficiency virus infection / acquired immune deficiency syndrome （HIV/AIDS） are both serious global public health threats. Early detection of infected persons and/or patients through TB/HIV bi-directional screening is crucial for prevention and control strategy in China and globally. In recent years， with the promotion and application of new TB and HIV detection technologies worldwide， TB/HIV bi-directional screening technologies and strategies have made remarkable changes. This expert consensus introduces the significance and challenges of TB/HIV bi-directional screening， summarizes important progress of research and applications， and makes recommendations on screening measures and procedures to further strengthen TB/HIV bi-directional screening in China.

Lipotoxicity is a pivotal factor that initiates and exacerbates liver injury and is involved in the development of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). However, there are few reported lipotoxicity inhibitors. Here, we identified a natural anti-lipotoxicity candidate, HN-001, from the marine fungus Aspergillus sp. C1. HN-001 dose- and time- dependently reversed palmitic acid (PA)-induced hepatocyte death. This protection was associated with IRE-1α-mediated XBP-1 splicing inhibition, which resulted in suppression of XBP-1s nuclear translocation and transcriptional regulation. Knockdown of XBP-1s attenuated lipotoxicity, but no additional ameliorative effect of HN-001 on lipotoxicity was observed in XBP-1s knockdown hepatocytes. Notably, the ER stress and lipotoxicity amelioration was associated with PLA2. Both HN-001 and the PLA2 inhibitor MAFP inhibited PLA2 activity, reduced lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) level, subsequently ameliorated lipotoxicity. In contrast, overexpression of PLA2 caused exacerbation of lipotoxicity and weakened the anti-lipotoxic effects of HN-001. Additionally, HN-001 treatment suppressed the downstream pro-apoptotic JNK pathway. In vivo, chronic administration of HN-001 (i.p.) in mice alleviated all manifestations of MAFLD, including hepatic steatosis, liver injury, inflammation, and fibrogenesis. These effects were correlated with PLA2/IRE-1α/XBP-1s axis and JNK signaling suppression. These data indicate that HN-001 has therapeutic potential for MAFLD because it suppresses lipotoxicity, and provide a natural structural basis for developing anti-MAFLD candidates.

Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second commonest type of dementia which lacks of efficient treatments currently. Neuroinflammation as a prominent pathological feature of VaD, is highly involved in the development of VaD. In order to verify the therapeutic potential of PDE1 inhibitors against VaD, the anti-neuroinflammation, memory and cognitive improvement were evaluated in vitro and in vivo by a potent and selective PDE1 inhibitor 4a. Also, the mechanism of 4a in ameliorating neuroinflammation and VaD was systematically explored. Furthermore, to optimize the drug-like properties of 4a, especially for metabolic stability, 15 derivatives were designed and synthesized. As a result, candidate 5f, with a potent IC₅₀ value of 4.5 nmol/L against PDE1C, high selectivity over PDEs, and remarkable metabolic stability, efficiently ameliorated neuron degeneration, cognition and memory impairment in VaD mice model by suppressing NF-κB transcription regulation and activating cAMP/CREB axis. These results further identified PDE1 inhibition could serve as a new therapeutic strategy for treatment of VaD.

Objective : To construct folate modified D ⁃α ⁃tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate ( TPGS) oparticles on the cytotoxicity and spliced X ⁃box binding protein 1 ( XBP1s) of mouse leukemia cells of monocyte macrophage (RAW264. 7) . Methods : Mixed FA⁃TPGS and rhodamine B (RhB) labeled XBP1 siRNA solution in a proportion of 5 ∶ 1 and obtained the nano⁃complex coated with XBP1 siRNA(FT@ XBP1) . FT@ XBP1 nanocarriers were characterized by transmission electron microscope , dynamic light scattering , ultraviolet visible spectrum analysis and/or fluorescence analysis. And the release of siRNA from FA⁃TPGS nano⁃carriers was calculated simultaneously. The cell cytotoxicity of FT@ XBP1 nanomaterials were detected by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) , CCK⁃8 and flow cytometry. And the inhibited effect of XBP1 s of RAW264. 7 cells was checked by Western blot. Results FA modified TPGS could effectively bind XBP1 siRNA. And the average particle size of FT@ XBP1 nanocarriers were(200 ± 20) nm. The relative release assays showed that acidic environments (pH 5. 0) was beneficial for siRNA to release from FT@ XBP1 . Both CCK⁃8 and apoptosis assay showed that the effects of FT@ XBP1 on the proliferation and apoptosis of RAW264. 7 cells were relatively small , and FT@ XBP1 could significantly inhibit the expression of XBP1 s protein in RAW264. 7(P < 0. 001) . Conclusion TPGS nanoparticles modified with folic acid can effectively encapsulate XBP1 siRNA and inhibit XBP1 s expression of RAW264. 7 cells with good cellular compatibility.

Objective : To construct folate modified D ⁃α ⁃tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate ( TPGS) nanomaterials (FA⁃TPGS) , which can stably load and effectively release siRNA , and to observe the effects of nanoparticles on the cytotoxicity and spliced X ⁃box binding protein 1 ( XBP1s) of mouse leukemia cells of monocyte macrophage (RAW264. 7) . Methods : Mixed FA⁃TPGS and rhodamine B (RhB) labeled XBP1 siRNA solution in a proportion of 5 ∶ 1 and obtained the nano⁃complex coated with XBP1 siRNA(FT@ XBP1) . FT@ XBP1 nanocarriers were characterized by transmission electron microscope , dynamic light scattering , ultraviolet visible spectrum analysis and/or fluorescence analysis. And the release of siRNA from FA⁃TPGS nano⁃carriers was calculated simultaneously. The cell cytotoxicity of FT@ XBP1 nanomaterials were detected by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) , CCK⁃8 and flow cytometry. And the inhibited effect of XBP1 s of RAW264. 7 cells was checked by Western blot. Results : FA modified TPGS could effectively bind XBP1 siRNA. And the average particle size of FT@ XBP1 nanocarriers were(200 ± 20) nm. The relative release assays showed that acidic environments (pH 5. 0) was beneficial for siRNA to release from FT@ XBP1 . Both CCK⁃8 and apoptosis assay showed that the effects of FT@ XBP1 on the proliferation and apoptosis of RAW264. 7 cells were relatively small , and FT@ XBP1 could significantly inhibit the expression of XBP1 s protein in RAW264. 7(P < 0. 001) . Conclusion TPGS nanoparticles modified with folic acid can effectively encapsulate XBP1 siRNA and inhibit XBP1 s expression of RAW264. 7 cells with good cellular compatibility.

Objective:To explore the mechanism of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) regulating pulmonary vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension (PH).Methods:Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) groups: control group, PH group, PH+BMP-2 group, PH+BMP-2+ small interfering BMP receptor(si-BMPR)-Ⅰa group, PH+BMP-2+ si-BMPR-Ⅰb group, PH+BMP -2+si-BMPR-Ⅱ group. In vitro PH model was induced by hypoxia. The three BMP-2 receptors were silenced by the transfection of si-BMPR-Ⅰa, si-BMPR-Ⅰb and si-BMPR-Ⅱ plasmids, respectively. Cell proliferation and apoptosis in each group were detected, transient receptor potential ion channel C1/6 (TRPC1/6), p21 mRNA and protein levels, and intracellular Ca 2+ concentration were detected. Results:The intracellular Ca 2+ concentration in the PH group was higher than that in the control group: (785.15 ± 44.26) nmol/L vs. (224.15 ± 15.87) nmol/L, the and apoptosis rate was lower than that in the control group: (3.15 ± 0.22)% vs. (7.31 ± 0.45)%, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). The intracellular Ca 2+ concentration in the PH+BMP-2 group was (297.64 ± 21.46) nmol/L, and was lower than that in the PH group, and apoptosis rate was (6.88 ± 0.75)%, and was higher than that in the PH group, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). The intracellular Ca 2+ concentration in the PH+BMP-2+si-BMPR-Ⅰa group, PH+BMP-2+ si-BMPR-Ⅰb group, PH+BMP -2+si-BMPR-Ⅱ group was (412.31 ± 29.57), (384.34 ± 30.66), (695.23 ± 39.85) nmol/L, and was higher than that in the PH+BMP-2 group, and apoptosis rate was (4.10 ± 0.27)%, (4.26 ± 0.28)%, (3.33 ± 0.24)%, and was lower than that in the PH+BMP-2 group, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). The intracellular Ca 2+ concentration in the PH+BMP -2+si-BMPR-Ⅱ group was higher than that in the PH+BMP-2+si-BMPR-Ⅰa group and PH+BMP-2+ si-BMPR-Ⅰb group, the apoptosis rate was lower than that in the PH+BMP-2+si-BMPR-Ⅰa group and PH+BMP-2+ si-BMPR-Ⅰb group, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). Conclusions:BMP-2 mainly inhibits the expression of TRPC1/6 by interacting with the receptor BMPR-Ⅱ, inhibits the influx of Ca 2+ and promotes the expression of p21, thereby inhibiting the proliferation of PASMC and promoting apoptosis, participating in pulmonary vascular remodeling in PH.

Headache is a common clinical complication of ischemic stroke. As a precursor of stroke, headache occurs repeatedly in the convalescent period of ischemic stroke, leading to secondary stroke and seriously hindering patients' rehabilitation. Currently, it is believed that the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke-related headache is associated with the abnormal release of vasoactive substances, high platelet aggregation, and stimulation of intracranial pain-sensitive structures. The active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicines(TCM) with the effects of activating blood to resolve stasis and clearing heat to release exterior can protect brain tissue and relieve headache by reducing the release of inflammatory cytokines, alleviating antioxidant stress, inhibiting neuronal apoptosis and so on. This paper introduces the research progress in the potential mechanism and TCM treatment of ischemic stroke-related headache, aiming to provide reference for further research and drug development of this complication.
Humans ; Ischemic Stroke/drug therapy* ; Brain Ischemia/drug therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Headache/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*