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*

Objective To observe the clinical effect and safety of recombinant human interferon-α2b(rhIFN-α2b)combined with 5-aminolaevulinic acid photodynamic therapy(ALA-PDT)in the treatment of patients with cervical intraepithelial lesions and human papilloma virus(HPV)infection.Methods The clinical data of patients with cervical intraepithelial lesions and HPV infection were analyzed retrospectively.The patients were divided into control group and treatment group according to cohort method.The control group was treated with rhIFN-α2b gel at posterior fornix,qd.On this basis,the treatment group was treated with ALA-PDT,namely applying 5％ALA temperature-sensitive gel prepared by 118 mg of ketone valerate hydrochloride powder for external use on vaginal surface,combined with photodynamic therapy,once a week.The clinical efficacy,time to recovery from clinical symptoms,recurrence rate,changes in cytokines[interleukin-6(IL-6),interleukin-8(IL-8)and interferon-γ(IFN-γ)]and immune function[T cell subsets CD3+,CD4+,CD8+and CD4+/CD8+],and safety were compared between the two groups.Results There were 98 cases in treatment group and 100 cases in control group.The total effective rates in treatment group and control group were 93.88％and 83.00％,with statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).The relief time of lower abdominal pain in treatment group and control group were(3.65±0.52)and(5.26±0.65)d;the time to recovery from abnormal vaginal discharge were(5.77±0.83)and(7.16±0.92)d;the time to recovery from irregular vaginal bleeding were(4.82±0.62)and(6.94±0.77)d;HPV clearance rates were 58.16％and 42.00％;IL-6 levels were(0.16±0.09)and(0.23±0.05)mg·L-1;IL-8 levels were(0.47±0.05)and(0.66±0.07)mg·L-1;IFN-γ levels were(10.07±0.98)and(7.24±0.65)ng·mL-1;CD3+were(71.06±8.29)％and(61.36±6.88)％;CD4+were(48.25±5.94)％and(42.25±5.13)％;CD8+were(20.37±2.42)％and(24.69±2.51)％;CD4+/CD8+were 2.11±0.27 and 1.36±0.16;the differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Recurrence rates in treatment group and control group were 5.10％and 14.00％,with statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).The total incidence of adverse drug reactions in treatment group and control group were 26.53％and 21.00％,without statistically significant difference(P＞0.05).Conclusion The combined treatment of rhIFN-α2b and ALA-PDT is effective for patients with cervical intraepithelial lesions and HPV infection.It has obvious advantages in improving immunity,relieving inflammatory response and reducing recurrence rate,with good safety.

AIM To study the protective effects and mechanism of pueraria isoflavones on myocardial injury in ovariectomized rats.METHODS Thirty-six rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group,the model group,the estradiol valerate group(0.1 mg/kg)and the low,medium and high dose pueraria isoflavones groups(55,110,220 mg/kg).In contrast to the rats of the sham operation group having their small pieces of adipose tissue removal around the ovaries,rats of the other groups had their bilateral ovaries excised,followed by the 16-week corresponding oral drug administration 2 weeks later at a once daily frequency for,6 days a week.At the end of the 16th week,the rats had their hemodynamics[systolic pressure(SBP),diastolic pressure(DBP),mean pressure(MBP),left ventricular systolic pressure(LVSP),left ventricular diastolic pressure(LVMP),and the maximum rate of increase and decrease of left ventricular pressure during isovolumic contraction(±dp/dtmax)]detected by PowerLab;their cardiac pathological changes observed by HE staining;their levels of creatine kinase(CK),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and glucose(Glu)in plasma detected by biochemical analyzer;their myocardial level of adenosine triphosphate(ATP)detected by colorimetry;their mRNA expressions of glucose transporter 4(GLUT4),lactate dehydrogenase A(LDHA),carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1(CPT-1α),acyl coenzyme A carboxylase(ACC),liver kinase B1(LKB1),adenylate-activated protein kinase(AMPK)and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator factor 1α(PGC-1α)detected by RT-qPCR;and their myocardial expressions of energy metabolism related proteins LKB1,p-AMPK/AMPK and PGC-1α detected by Western blot.RESULTS Compared with the model group,the pueraria isoflavones groups displayed decreased levels of SBP,DBP,MBP,LVSP,LVMP(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);increased-dp/dtmax(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);improved myocardial fibrinolysis,gap widening and inflammatory infiltration caused by ovariectomy;decreased activities of LDH and CK(P＜0.05);increased myocardial ATP level(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);decreased levels of TC,TG,LDL-C and Glu(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);increased HDL-C level(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);increased myocardial mRNA expressions of GLUT4,LDHA,CPT-1α,ACC,LKB1,AMPK and PGC-1α(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);and increased protein expressions of myocardial LKB1,p-AMPK/AMPK and PGC-1α(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Pueraria isoflavones are protective to myocardial injury in ovariectomized rats,and the mechanism may lie in the improvement of energy metabolism-related myocardial proteins via LKB1/AMPK/PGC-1α signaling pathway.

The theory of Zang Xiang is the core of the theory of traditional Chinese medicine,and its content mostly comes from the comparison of images.Among them,the liver Zang of"main drainage"and"main blood storage"involves many systems such as nerve,digestion,circulation,hematopoiesis,reproduction and so on.It is difficult to find the corresponding anatomical organs or tissues in western medicine.The author analyzes and believes that the collection of the functional system of the liver system of traditional Chinese medicine,compares the physiological function and pathological changes of the liver system with the histamine receptor distributed in multiple systems of the whole body,as well as the main symptoms and adverse reactions of the drugs regulating the histamine receptor,and believes that the functional system composed of histamine receptors may carry the important functions of the liver system of traditional Chinese medicine.

The application of new-generation information technologies such as big data, the internet of things(IoT), and cloud computing in the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)manufacturing industry is gradually deepening, driving the intelligent transformation and upgrading of the TCM industry. At the current stage, there are challenges in understanding the extraction process and its mechanisms in TCM. Online detection technology faces difficulties in making breakthroughs, and data throughout the entire production process is scattered, lacking valuable mining and utilization, which significantly hinders the intelligent upgrading of the TCM industry. Applying data-driven technologies in the process of TCM extraction can enhance the understanding of the extraction process, achieve precise control, and effectively improve the quality of TCM products. This article analyzed the technological bottlenecks in the production process of TCM extraction, summarized commonly used data-driven algorithms in the research and production control of extraction processes, and reviewed the progress in the application of data-driven technologies in the following five aspects: mechanism analysis of the extraction process, process development and optimization, online detection, process control, and production management. This article is expected to provide references for optimizing the extraction process and intelligent production of TCM.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Quality Control ; Big Data ; Algorithms

Platelets are reprogrammed by cancer via a process called education, which favors cancer development. The transcriptional profile of tumor-educated platelets (TEPs) is skewed and therefore practicable for cancer detection. This intercontinental, hospital-based, diagnostic study included 761 treatment-naïve inpatients with histologically confirmed adnexal masses and 167 healthy controls from nine medical centers (China, n = 3; Netherlands, n = 5; Poland, n = 1) between September 2016 and May 2019. The main outcomes were the performance of TEPs and their combination with CA125 in two Chinese (VC1 and VC2) and the European (VC3) validation cohorts collectively and independently. Exploratory outcome was the value of TEPs in public pan-cancer platelet transcriptome datasets. The AUCs for TEPs in the combined validation cohort, VC1, VC2, and VC3 were 0.918 (95% CI 0.889-0.948), 0.923 (0.855-0.990), 0.918 (0.872-0.963), and 0.887 (0.813-0.960), respectively. Combination of TEPs and CA125 demonstrated an AUC of 0.922 (0.889-0.955) in the combined validation cohort; 0.955 (0.912-0.997) in VC1; 0.939 (0.901-0.977) in VC2; 0.917 (0.824-1.000) in VC3. For subgroup analysis, TEPs exhibited an AUC of 0.858, 0.859, and 0.920 to detect early-stage, borderline, non-epithelial diseases and 0.899 to discriminate ovarian cancer from endometriosis. TEPs had robustness, compatibility, and universality for preoperative diagnosis of ovarian cancer since it withstood validations in populations of different ethnicities, heterogeneous histological subtypes, and early-stage ovarian cancer. However, these observations warrant prospective validations in a larger population before clinical utilities.
Humans ; Female ; Blood Platelets/pathology* ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics* ; Ovarian Neoplasms/pathology* ; China

This paper aimed to study the effect of Dalbergia cochinchinensis heartwood on plasma endogenous metabolites in rats with ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery, and to analyze the mechanism of D. cochinchinensis heartwood in improving acute myocardial ischemic injury. The stability and consistency of the components in the D. cochinchinensis heartwood were verified by the establishment of fingerprint, and 30 male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a model group, and a D. cochinchinensis heartwood(6 g·kg~(-1)) group, with 10 rats in each group. The sham group only opened the chest without ligation, while the other groups established the model of ligation. Ten days after administration, the hearts were taken for hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, and the content of heart injury indexes in the plasma creatine kinase isoenzyme(CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), energy metabolism-related index glucose(Glu) content, and vascular endothelial function index nitric oxide(NO) was determined. The endogenous metabolites were detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). The results showed that the D. cochinchinensis heartwood reduced the content of CK-MB and LDH in the plasma of rats to relieve myocardial injury, reduced the content of Glu in the plasma, improved myocardial energy metabolism, increased the content of NO, cured the vascular endothelial injury, and promoted vasodilation. D. cochinchinensis heartwood improved the increase of intercellular space, myocardial inflammatory cell infiltration, and myofilament rupture caused by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The metabolomic study showed that the content of 26 metabolites in the plasma of rats in the model group increased significantly, while the content of 27 metabolites decreased significantly. Twenty metabolites were significantly adjusted after the administration of D. cochinchinensis heartwood. D. cochinchinensis heartwood can significantly adjust the metabolic abnormality in rats with ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of cardiac energy metabolism, NO production, and inflammation. The results provide a corresponding basis for further explaining the effect of D. cochinchinensis on the acute myocardial injury.
Male ; Animals ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Dalbergia ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Metabolomics ; Heart ; Heart Injuries ; Creatine Kinase, MB Form

Anemia, Aplastic ; Bone Marrow Diseases ; Bone Marrow Failure Disorders ; Humans ; Pancytopenia

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Pul-Stent as the treatment of postoperative branch pulmonary artery stenosis in children with congenital heart disease. Methods: This was a retrospective study. Thirty-three patients who underwent Pul-Stent implantation in Shanghai Children's Medical Center due to postoperative residual pulmonary artery stenosis from August 2014 to June 2015 were included. The immediate curative effect, follow-up and complications of Pul-Stent implantation were assessed. Comparisons between groups were performed with unpaired Student t test. Results: Pul-Stent implantation of 33 patients (19 males and 14 females) were performed successfully. Thirty-one patients underwent percutaneous stenting, and 2 patients underwent hybrid stenting. A total of 35 Pul-Stents were implanted (19 of model small, 15 of model medium and one of model large), 23 stents were planted in the proximal left pulmonary artery and 12 stents were in the proximal right pulmonary artery. The initial diameter of dilation balloon ranged from 6 to 16 mm, and the long sheath of percutaneous implantation ranged from 8 to 10 F in 29 patients (29/31, 94%). After stenting, the diameter of the narrowest segment of pulmonary artery increased from (4.0±1.7) mm to (9.1±2.1) mm in all patients (t=-21.60, P<0.001). The pressure gradient at the stenosis in 26 patients after biventricular correction decreased from (30.5±12.3) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) to (9.9±9.6) mmHg (t=12.92, P<0.001), and the right ventricular to aortic pressure ratio decreased from 0.57±0.14 to 0.44±0.12 (t=7.44, P<0.001). The pressure of the superior vena cava after stenting in 5 patients after cavopulmonary anastomosis decreased from (17.0±1.9) mmHg to (14.0±0.7) mmHg (t=2.86, P=0.046). Two patients died during reoperation for repairing other cardiac malformations. The remaining 31 patients were clinically stable during the follow-up period of (5.3±1.6) years, and one stent fracture was found on chest X-ray. Cardiac catheterization reexaminations in 16 patients showed that restenosis was found in one stent, while stent position and patency were satisfactory in the remaining stents. Nine children underwent post-dilation without stent fracture, displacement or aneurysm formation. Cardiac tomography showed no stent stenosis, fracture observed, or significant change in diameter of the stent in 8 patients. The inner diameter and pulmonary blood perfusion could not be accurately evaluated due to artifacts by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in 4 patients. Conclusions: Pul-Stent has good compliance and adequate radial strength, and can dilate further over time to accommodate for somatic growth. It performs safely and effectively in treating post-operative branch pulmonary artery stenosis in children.
Child ; China ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Defects, Congenital/surgery* ; Humans ; Male ; Pulmonary Artery/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Stenosis, Pulmonary Artery/surgery* ; Stents ; Treatment Outcome ; Vena Cava, Superior

OBJECTIVE: To explore the transcriptional gene expression profile up-regulated in human macrophages stimulated by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and the underlying intracellular signaling mechanisms. METHODS: RNA-seq was used to sequence and compare the differential gene expression profiles of human macrophage cell line U937 before and after IFN-γ stimulation, and the significantly up-regulated genes were screened out, which were verified by fluorescence-based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in U937 and THP1 cell lines, respectively. JAK/STAT, MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitors were added to simultaneously to the cultured U937 cells upon IFN-γ priming to detect their effects on the expressions of the up-regulated genes to explore the key regulatory mechanisms. RESULTS: RNA-seq and qPCR results showed that, the well-recognized chemokines CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11, the APOL family including APOL1, APOL2, APOL3, APOL4, APOL6 and GBP family GBP1, GBP2, GBP3, GBP4 and GBP5 as well were significantly up-regulated in IFN-γ-stimulated U937 cells. JAK/STAT3 pathway inhibitor inhibited the upregulation of APOL1, APOL4, GBP1, GBP4 and GBP5 genes induced by IFN-γ, while MAPK/ERK pathway inhibitor inhibited the upregulation of CXCL10 gene. PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitor inhibited the upregulation of APOL1,APOL4, APOL6, GBP1 and GBP5 genes induced by IFN-γ, all three signal pathway inhibitors could inhibit the upregulation of CXCL9 gene, and none of them could inhibit the upregulation of APOL3 gene. CONCLUSION Upon IFN-γ stimulation, some family molecules of APOL and GBP in macrophages are significantly up-regulated, and PI3K/AKT, JAK/STAT3 and MAPK/ERK pathways have positive regulation on their expressions, respectively.
Apolipoprotein L1/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma/pharmacology* ; Macrophages/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction