Objective To investigate the mechanisms of 6-hydroxygenistein(6-OHG)in the treatment of high-altitude hypoxia-induced lung injury.Methods The intersection targets of 6-OHG and high-altitude hypoxia-induced lung injury were identified using databases,including Swiss Target Prediction,SuperPred,GeneCards,and OMIM.The STRING database and Cytoscape software were used to construct a protein interaction network for the intersection targets of drugs and diseases,and targets with degree values greater than the median were identified as key targets.GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of key targets were performed using the DAVID database to identify relevant signaling pathways.The Maestro 13.7 software was used for molecular docking validation.A large hypobaric hypoxic chamber was used to establish a high-altitude lung injury model in mice.A total of 42 male BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to 3 groups(n=14 in each group),including a normal control group,which was exposed to the environmental conditions at the altitude of 1400 m and received a single intraperitoneal injection of normal saline,a model group,which received a single intraperitoneal injection of normal saline,and a 6-OHG group,which received a single intraperitoneal injection of 6-OHG at 100 mg/kg.Then,1 h after drug administration,mice in the model and 6-OHG groups were placed in a large hypobaric hypoxic simulation chamber for animal experiments.Then,they ascended to an altitude of 8 000 m at a speed of 10 m/s,remained in that environment for 24 h,and then descended to an altitude of 3500 m.Mice in the three groups were sacrificed,and their lung tissues were extracted to measure the water content in the lungs.Pathological changes were observed using HE staining,and the levels of malondialdehyde(MDA),H2O2,total superoxide dismutase(T-SOD),and glutathione(GSH)were measured.Western blot was performed to determine the expression levles of p-PI3K/PI3K,p-AKT/AKT,hypoxia-inducible factor 1α(HIF-1α),and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)proteins.Results Key targets such as serine/threonine protein kinase 1(AKT1),HIF-1α,epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9),and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor A(PPARA)were identified.GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that the targets of 6-OHG in the treatment of high altitude hypoxia-induced lung injury were mainly involved in PI3K/AKT,HIF-1α/VEGF,tumor necrosis factor(TNF),and other signaling pathways.The results of animal experiments demonstrated that compared with the model group,the 6-OHG group showed significant improvement in the pathological damage of lung tissues induced by high altitude hypoxia,presenting statistically significant differences in the levels of MDA,H2O2,GSH,and T-SOD(P＜0.01).The results of Western blot assay revealed statistically significant differences in the p-PI3K/PI3K,p-AKT/AKT,HIF-1α,and VEGF levels in the lung tissues of the 6-OHG group compared with those of the model group(P＜0.01).The molecular docking results showed that 6-OHG could form stable binding with PI3K,AKT,HIF-1α,and VEGF.Conclusion 6-OHG may alleviate lung injury induced by high altitude hypoxia in mice by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and inhibiting the HIF/VEGF signaling pathway.

Objective:To prepare 7-hydroxyethyl chrysin(7-HEC)loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)(PLGA)nanoparticles and to detect the in vitro release.Methods:The 7-HEC/PLGA nanoparticles were prepared by emulsification solvent volatilization method.The particle size,polydispersity index(PDI),encapsulation rate,drug loading and zeta potential were measured.The prescription was optimized by single factor investigation combined with Box-Behnken response surface method.Mannitol was used as protectant to prepare lyophilized powder,and the optimal formulation was characterized and studied for the in vitro release.Results:The optimal formulation of 7-HEC/PLGA nanoparticles was as follows:drug loading ratio of 2.12∶20,oil-water volume ratio of 1∶14.7,and 2.72%soybean phospholipid as emulsifier.With the optimal formulation,the average particle size of 7-HEC/PLGA nanoparticles was(240.28±0.96)nm,the PDI was 0.25±0.69,the encapsulation rate was(75.74±0.80)%,the drug loading capacity was(6.98±0.83)%,and the potentiostatic potential was(-18.17±0.17)mV.The cumulative in vitro release reached more than 50%within 48 h.Conclusions:The optimized formulation is stable and easy to operate.The prepared 7-HEC/PLGA nanoparticles have uniform particle size,high encapsulation rate and significantly higher dissolution rate than 7-HEC.

Objective:To evaluate the inhibitory effect of a retinoid derivative ECPIRM on proliferation of a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) cell line HH, and to explore its potential mechanisms.Methods:Cultured HH cells were treated with ECPIRM at different concentrations of 0 (control group) , 5, 10 and 20 μmol/L separately for 72 hours, cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay was performed to evaluate the effect of ECPIRM on the proliferative activity of HH cells, and flow cytometry to investigate the effect of ECPIRM on apoptosis of HH cells. Some HH cells were treated with 10 μmol/L ECPIRM for 72 hours, transcriptome sequencing was performed to investigate gene expression changes triggered by ECPIRM in HH cells, and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis were then performed to analyze differentially expressed genes in HH cells induced by ECPIRM. Reverse transcription-qPCR was subsequently conducted to verify changes in key gene expression in related pathways. Intergroup differences were analyzed by using one-way analysis of variance, and least significant difference (LSD) - t test was used for multiple comparisons. Results:CCK8 assay showed that the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of ECPIRM on HH cells was 4.91 ± 2.48 μmol/L, the viability of HH cells significantly differed among the control group, and 5-, 10-and 20-μmol/L ECPIRM groups (100.00% ± 2.87%, 49.58% ± 4.53%, 48.36% ± 2.88%, 31.44% ± 2.46%, respectively, F=162.86, P < 0.001) , and was significantly lower in the 5-, 10-and 20-μmol/L ECPIRM groups than in the control group ( t=15.36, 15.73, 20.89, respectively, all P < 0.001) . Flow cytometry showed that there was a significant difference in the apoptosis rate among the 4 groups (11.51% ± 1.84%, 23.83% ± 5.72%, 36.19% ± 8.33%, 49.75% ± 4.10%, respectively, F=17.62, P < 0.001) , and the 10-and 20-μmol/L groups showed significantly increased apoptosis rates compared with the control group ( t=4.46, 6.92 respectively, both P < 0.01) . Transcriptomics analysis revealed that the inhibitory effect of ECPIRM on the cellular proliferative activity may be related to the metabolic regulation of steroids. As reverse transcription-qPCR revealed, the 10-μmol/L ECPIRM group showed significantly decreased mRNA expression of L-amino acid oxidase (IL4I1) , acetyl-coenzyme A acetyltransferase 2 (ACAT2) , 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase 1 (HMGCS1) , mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MVD) , 3-β-hydroxysteroid-8,7-isomerase (EBP) , very low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) , 3-hydroxy 3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) compared with the control group (all P < 0.05) . Conclusion:The retinoid derivative ECPIRM exerted marked anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects on HH cells, which may be related to the decreased expression of key genes involved in steroid metabolism.

Objective To study the clinical efficacy of Bushen Huoxue decoction in the treatment of varicocele infertility and its influence on epididymis function and sperm vitality. Methods A total of 98 patients with varicocele infertility who were treated in our hospital from August 2016 to July 2018 were selected. The patients were randomly divided into control group of 49 cases and study group of 49 cases. The patients in the control group were treated with Maizhiling plus Wuzi Yanzong pill; the patients in the study group were treated with Bushen Huoxue decoction. After 12 weeks of treatment, the clinical efficacy of the patients was evaluated. The semen quality (including semen volume, sperm density, sperm motility, forward-moving sperm), sex hormones, and seminal plasma neutral α-glucosidase in the two groups were compared before and after treatment. After the end of treatment, the patients were followed up for 3 months to observe the pregnancy of the patients' spouse. Results After treatment, the total effective rate of the study group was87.76％, and the total effective rate of the control group was 69.39％. The semen quality, sex hormone and neutral α-glucosidase levels in the study group were better than those in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Bushen Huoxue decoction has a significant clinical effect in treating varicocele infertility. It can improve the semen quality, improve testosterone level and seminal plasma neutral α-glucosidase level, and improve the fertility of patients with varicocele.It is worthy of clinical promotion.