Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vision-threatening disorder that leads to pathological growth of the retinal vasculature due to hypoxia. Here, we investigated the potential effects of alamandine, a novel heptapeptide in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), on hypoxia-induced retinal neovascularization and its underlying mechanisms. In vivo, the C57BL/6J mice with oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) were injected intravitreally with alamandine (1.0 μmol/kg per eye). In vitro, human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) were utilized to investigate the effects of alamandine (10 μg/mL) on proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and tubular formation under vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulation. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) matrix data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and RAS-related genes from the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB) were sourced for subsequent analyses. By integrating scRNA-seq data across multiple species, we identified that RAS-associated endothelial cell populations were highly related to retinal neovascularization. The liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed a significant decrease in alamandine levels in both the serum and retina of OIR mice compared to those in the control group. Next, alamandine ameliorated hypoxia-induced retinal pathological neovascularization and physiologic revascularization in OIR mice. In vitro, alamandine effectively mitigated VEGF-induced proliferation, scratch wound healing, and tube formation of HRMECs primarily by inhibiting the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/VEGF pathway. Further, coincubation with D-Pro⁷ (Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor D (MrgD) antagonist) hindered the beneficial impacts of alamandine on hypoxia-induced pathological angiogenesis both in vivo and in vitro. Our findings suggested that alamandine could mitigate retinal neovascularization by targeting the MrgD-mediated HIF-1α/VEGF pathway, providing a potential therapeutic agent for OIR prevention and treatment.
Animals ; Retinal Neovascularization/prevention & control* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism* ; Humans ; Mice ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/metabolism* ; Oligopeptides/therapeutic use* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Endothelial Cells/drug effects* ; Retinopathy of Prematurity/drug therapy* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Movement/drug effects* ; Renin-Angiotensin System/drug effects* ; Cells, Cultured

Objective:To investigate the levels of interleukin-7 (IL-7), T helper cell 9 (Th9), and cytotoxic T cell 9 (Tc9), and to assess the regulation of exogenous IL-7 to Th9 in septic cardiomypathy patients.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted. Septic cardiomypathy patients, septic patients, and controls were enrolled in the 7th People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou between June 2018 and January 2022. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated. PBMCs were stimulated with recombinant IL-7. Plasma IL-7, IL-9, and soluble CD127 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. CD127 expression on T cells and Th9/Tc9 percentageswere measured by flow cytometry. mRNAexpressions of purine-rich nucleic acid binding protein 1 (PU.1) and forkhead box protein O1 (Foxo1) were semi-quantified by real-time PCR. IL-7-stimulated Th9 cells from septic cardiomypathy patients were co-cultured with autologous CD8 + T cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Target cell death, cytotoxic molecules and cytokines secretions were investigated. Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparison among groups, while Dunns multiple test was used for comparison between the two groups. Paired t test or Wilcoxon paired test was used for comparison before and after stimulation. Results:A total of 21 septic cardiomypathy patients, 56 septic patients, and 31 controls were enrolled. IL-7 level was lower in septic cardiomypathy patients compared with in septic patients and controls [75.71(42.28, 135.59) pg/mL vs. 118.47(60.18, 171.73) pg/mL vs. 168.42(105.41, 232.30) pg/mL, P<0.05]. Soluble CD127 level was higher in septic cardiomypathy patients and septic patients compared with in controls [96.70(56.76, 147.04) pg/mL vs. 69.75(43.19, 111.28) pg/mL vs. 29.13(19.33, 42.11) pg/mL, P<0.001]. There was no significant difference of CD127 +CD8 + percentage among three groups ( P=0.477). Th9 percentage and Foxo1 mRNA expression was lower in septic cardiomypathy patients compared with in septic patients and controls ( P<0.001). Tc9 percentage, PU.1 mRNA expression and IL-9 level was lower in septic cardiomypathy patients and septic patients compared with in controls ( P<0.001). Th9 percentage, PU.1/Foxo1 mRNA expression, and IL-9 secretion was up-regulated in response to IL-7 stimulation in PBMCs from septic cardiomypathy patients ( P<0.05). IL-7 stimulated Th9 cells from septic cardiomypathy patients promoted CD8 + T cell-mediated target cell death ( P<0.05). Perforin, granzyme B, and interferon-γ levels were also increased in the supernatants ( P<0.05). Conclusion:IL-7 could enhance Th9 cell activity in septic cardiomypathy patients.

BACKGROUND:Some patients still have unsatisfactory improvement of operative limb fatigue and pain after total knee arthroplasty.Clinical findings show that Jianpi Yiqi Huoxue Formula can promote recovery after total knee arthroplasty,but the specific efficacy remains to be studied. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of Jianpi Yiqi Huoxue Formula on the muscle strength and pain of the operated limb after the primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty. METHODS:A total of 74 patients undergoing primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty were randomly divided into a trial group and a control group with 37 patients in each group.All patients received the same prostheses and surgical methods during the operation.Patients in the control group were treated with routine analgesics,anticoagulant drugs and functional exercise after the operation.The trial group received Jianpi Yiqi Huoxue Formula after the treatment in the control group.Both groups were treated continuously and followed up for 1 month.The changes in isokinetic muscle strength(peak torque and total work amount of extensor and flexor),visual analog scale score and the hospital for special surgery score of the two groups were analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The trial group had better improvement in peak torque and total work amount of extensor and flexor and the hospital for special surgery score than the control group 14 days and 1 month after surgery(P<0.05).(2)In contrast to the control group,the visual analog scale score of the trial group improved better at 7 and 14 days and 1 month after surgery(P<0.05).(3)It is indicated that Jianpi Yiqi Huoxue Formula can effectively improve the muscle strength of the operated limb,enhance the degree of postoperative joint pain,and promote functional rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty.

The Menghe Medical School is a highly influential academic school of Chinese medicine in China.Its academic features are mainly learning from others'strengths,openness and tolerance;integrity as the foundation,communication as the strength;harmo-ny as the way,and agility as the technique.The Menghe Medical School originated in Menghe,developed in Shanghai,spread all over the country,and spread around the world.The reasons for the prosperity and development of the Menghe Medical School are analyzed.Among them,imperial doctors being rewarded and supported,the stars having their roots in Menghe,inheritance from teach-ers by blood,help from in-laws,and the establishment of education and leadership in development are the main factors.On the basis of inheriting the scholarship of Menghe Medical School,Professor Tong Xiaolin innovatively proposed academic ideas such as the train-ing path of Xiang thinking,state-target differentiation and treatment,and dosage and effectiveness of prescriptions and medicines,pushing the academic thought of Menghe Medical School to a new theoretical peak in the new era.Based on the majestic development path of the Menghe Medical School,the implications for the inheritance,innovation and development of modern Chinese medicine are analyzed.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has played an important role in the prevention and treatment of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic in China. The integration of Chinese and Western medicine is an important feature of Chinese COVID-19 prevention and treatment. According to a series of evidence-based studies, TCM can reduce the infection rate of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in high-risk groups. For patients with mild and moderate forms of COVID-19, TCM can relieve the related signs and symptoms, shorten the period of nucleic-acid negative conversion, and reduce conversion rate to the severe form of the disease. For COVID-19 patients with severe and critical illnesses, TCM can improve inflammatory indicators and blood oxygen saturation, shorten the hospital stay, and reduce the mortality rate. During recovery, TCM can improve patients' symptoms, promote organ function recovery, boost the quality of patients' life, and reduce the nucleic-acid repositive conversion rate. A series of mechanism research studies revealed that capability of TCM to treat COVID-19 through antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects, immune regulation, and protection of organ function via a multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway approach.
Humans ; COVID-19 ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Epidemics

Interleukin (IL)-17A, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, is a fundamental function in the onset and advancement of multiple immune diseases. To uncover the primary compounds with IL-17A inhibitory activity, a large-scale screening of the library of traditional Chinese medicine constituents and microbial secondary metabolites was conducted using splenic cells from IL-17A-GFP reporter mice cultured under Th17-priming conditions. Our results indicated that some aureane-type sesquiterpene tetraketides isolated from a wetland mud-derived fungus, Myrothecium gramineum, showed remarkable IL-17A inhibitory activity. Nine new aureane-type sesquiterpene tetraketides, myrogramins A-I ( 1, 4- 11), and two known ones ( 2 and 3) were isolated and identified from the strain. Compounds 1, 3, 4, 10, and 11 exhibited significant IL-17A inhibitory activity. Among them, compound 3, with a high fermentation yield dose-dependently inhibited the generation of IL-17A and suppressed glycolysis in splenic cells under Th17-priming conditions. Strikingly, compound 3 suppressed immunopathology in both IL-17A-mediated animal models of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and pulmonary hypertension. Our results revealed that aureane-type sesquiterpene tetraketides are a novel class of immunomodulators with IL-17A inhibitory activity, and hold great promise applications in treating IL-17A-mediated immune diseases.

We report a case of a long-term survivor of heart transplant who developed severe COVID-19 and was treated with a traditional Chinese medicine combined with conventional medicine. Throughout the treatment， the patient received active conventional medical treatment， and traditional Chinese medicine interventions included tonifying qi， invigorating the spleen and transforming phlegm， promoting yang and eliminating stagnation， resolving dampness and dissipating phlegm， and promoting blood circulation and eliminating stasis. The main therapeutic principles adopted were to recuperating depleted yang and rescuing the patient from collapse and to resolve phlegm and promote water. Pogezilong Xuanbai Chengqi Decoction （破格子龙宣白承气汤） with modifications was administered. In summary， it is crucial to the timely adjust the immunosuppressive regimen， combine use of various anti-infective agents with a focus on COVID-19， to protect of cardiac and renal function， and to integrate traditional Chinese medicine in the entire treatment process. As this case is rare， the diagnostic and therapeutic methods in traditional Chinese medicine， the use of immunosuppressive agents， and follow-up monitoring strategies can be a valuable reference.

This article highlighted the invaluable expertise of Academician TONG Xiaolin in managing severe cases of COVID-19， thereby providing ideas for the treatment of severe and critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection by integrating traditional Chinese and western medicine. It is believed that COVID-19 belongs to the “cold dampness epidemic” in traditional Chinese medicine， which is caused by pathogenic qi of cold and dampness. The course of the disease can be divided into four stages： constraint， block， collapse， and deficiency， and the severe cases are mainly in the block and collapse stages. The pathogenesis at the block stage is described as epidemic toxins blocking the lung， which should be treated by diffusing the lung and unblocking the bowels， resolving phlegm and unblocking collaterals. The primary formula used is Zilong Xuanbai Chengqi Decoction （子龙宣白承气汤） with modifications based on individual condition. The pathogenesis at the collapse stage is described as internal block and external collapse， which should be treated by restoring yang to save from collapse， boosting qi to relieve collapse， diffusing the lung and unblocking the bowels， resolving phlegm and unblocking collaterals， usually with the formula Poge Zilong Xuanbai Chengqi Decoction （破格子龙宣白承气汤） with modifications.

Epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis shows a high degree of consistency with the law of transmission among wei （卫）-qi-ying （营）-blood， in terms of the onset of the season， contagiousness， symptoms， pathogenesis， as well as characteristics of the transmission. It is proposed to use epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis as an example to explore the underlying disease of wei-qi-ying-blood syndrome differentiation system. Epidemic meningitis invades the brain from the upper respiratory tract along the nervous system， and its overall pathogenesis follows from entering the lung system （prodromal period） to entering the blood （bacteremia period， sepsis period） and then entering the brain （shock period）. According to the four-dimensional qualitative principle of epidemic pathogen tropism， it corresponds to disease of both wei and qi syndrome， then blazing of both qi and ying syndrome， and then heat blocking pericardium， exuberant heat stirring wind， and internal block and external collapse syndrome. This article explored the laws of transmission among wei-qi-ying-blood and its underlying diseases described in On Warm Heat （《温热论》）， and revealed the original appearance of the disease model under the laws of transmission among wei-qi-ying-blood to guide the clinical practice.

Objective: To investigate the mediating effect of insomnia among mobile phone addiction, aggressive behaviors and self-perceived identity among university students. Methods: A total of 740 university students were sampled from five universities in Binjiang District, Hangzhou City using a cluster random sampling method. The mobile phone addiction, aggressive behaviors and self-perceived identity were assessed using the Mobile Phone Addiction Index Scale, the Athens Insomnia Scale, the Chinese college students' version of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, and the Self-Perceived Identity Scale, and the mediating effect of insomnia among mobile phone addiction, aggressive behaviors and self-perceived identity was examined using Process macro program and Bootstrap method. Results: A total of 740 questionnaires were allocated, and 700 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 94.59%. The respondents included 221 men (31.57%) and 479 women (68.43%), and there were 607 respondents with a specialty of medicine (86.71%). There were 331 participants detected with mobile phone addiction (47.29%), 90 with aggressive behaviors (12.86%) and 289 with low-level self-perceived identity (41.29%), and the prevalence rates of mild, moderate, severe and extremely severe insomnia were 28.00%, 26.14%, 26.43% and 19.43% among respondents, respectively. Mobile phone addiction had a direct predictive effect on aggressive behaviors (β=0.301, P<0.001) and self-perceived identity (β=-0.129, P<0.001), and presented an indirect predictive effect on aggressive behaviors (effect of mobile phone addiction on insomnia: β=0.083, P<0.001; effect of insomnia on aggressive behaviors: β=0.999, P<0.001; effect of insomnia on self-perceived identity: β=-0.698, P<0.001). The contributions of mediating effects caused by insomnia were 21.61% and 31.02% to total effects. Conclusions Insomnia presents partial mediating effects among mobile phone addiction, aggressive behaviors and self-perceived identity among university students. Mobile phone addiction may directly affect aggressive behaviors and self-perceived identity, and indirectly affect aggressive behaviors and self-perceived identity via insomnia.