In this paper， by referring to ancient and modern literature， the textual research of Inulae Flos has been conducted to clarify the name， origin， production area， quality evaluation， harvesting， processing and others， so as to provide reference and basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. After textual research， it could be verified that the medicinal use of Inulae Flos was first recorded in Shennong Bencaojing of the Han dynasty. In successive dynasties， Xuanfuhua has been taken as the official name， and it also has other alternative names such as Jinfeicao， Daogeng and Jinqianhua. The period before the Song and Yuan dynasties， the main origin of Inulae Flos was the Asteraceae plant Inula japonica， and from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the present， I. japonica and I. britannica are the primary source. In addition to the dominant basal species， there are also regional species such as I. linariifolia， I. helianthus-aquatili， and I. hupehensis. The earliest recorded production areas in ancient times were Henan， Hubei and other places， and the literature records that it has been distributed throughout the country since modern times. The medicinal part is its flower， the harvesting and processing method recorded in the past dynasties is mainly harvested in the fifth and ninth lunar months， and dried in the sun， and the modern harvesting is mostly harvested in summer and autumn when the flowers bloom， in order to remove impurities， dry in the shade or dry in the sun. In addition， the roots， whole herbs and aerial parts are used as medicinal materials. In ancient times， there were no records about the quality of Inulae Flos， and in modern times， it is generally believed that the quality of complete flower structure， small receptacles， large blooms， yellow petals， long filaments， many fluffs， no fragments， and no branches is better. Ancient processing methods primarily involved cleaning， steaming， and sun-drying， supplemented by techniques such as boiling， roasting， burning， simmering， stir-frying， and honey-processing. Modern processing focuses mainly on cleaning the stems and leaves before use. Regarding the medicinal properties， ancient texts describe it as salty and sweet in taste， slightly warm in nature， and mildly toxic. Modern studies characterize it as bitter， pungent， and salty in taste， with a slightly warm nature. Its therapeutic effects remain consistent across eras， including descending Qi， resolving phlegm， promoting diuresis， and stopping vomiting. Based on the research results， it is recommended that when developing famous classical formulas containing Inulae Flos， either I. japonica or I. britannica should be used as the medicinal source. Processing methods should follow formula requirements， where no processing instructions are specified， the raw products may be used after cleaning.

In this paper， by referring to ancient and modern literature， the textual research of Inulae Flos has been conducted to clarify the name， origin， production area， quality evaluation， harvesting， processing and others， so as to provide reference and basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. After textual research， it could be verified that the medicinal use of Inulae Flos was first recorded in Shennong Bencaojing of the Han dynasty. In successive dynasties， Xuanfuhua has been taken as the official name， and it also has other alternative names such as Jinfeicao， Daogeng and Jinqianhua. The period before the Song and Yuan dynasties， the main origin of Inulae Flos was the Asteraceae plant Inula japonica， and from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the present， I. japonica and I. britannica are the primary source. In addition to the dominant basal species， there are also regional species such as I. linariifolia， I. helianthus-aquatili， and I. hupehensis. The earliest recorded production areas in ancient times were Henan， Hubei and other places， and the literature records that it has been distributed throughout the country since modern times. The medicinal part is its flower， the harvesting and processing method recorded in the past dynasties is mainly harvested in the fifth and ninth lunar months， and dried in the sun， and the modern harvesting is mostly harvested in summer and autumn when the flowers bloom， in order to remove impurities， dry in the shade or dry in the sun. In addition， the roots， whole herbs and aerial parts are used as medicinal materials. In ancient times， there were no records about the quality of Inulae Flos， and in modern times， it is generally believed that the quality of complete flower structure， small receptacles， large blooms， yellow petals， long filaments， many fluffs， no fragments， and no branches is better. Ancient processing methods primarily involved cleaning， steaming， and sun-drying， supplemented by techniques such as boiling， roasting， burning， simmering， stir-frying， and honey-processing. Modern processing focuses mainly on cleaning the stems and leaves before use. Regarding the medicinal properties， ancient texts describe it as salty and sweet in taste， slightly warm in nature， and mildly toxic. Modern studies characterize it as bitter， pungent， and salty in taste， with a slightly warm nature. Its therapeutic effects remain consistent across eras， including descending Qi， resolving phlegm， promoting diuresis， and stopping vomiting. Based on the research results， it is recommended that when developing famous classical formulas containing Inulae Flos， either I. japonica or I. britannica should be used as the medicinal source. Processing methods should follow formula requirements， where no processing instructions are specified， the raw products may be used after cleaning.

Periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are chronic inflammatory diseases that share similar inflammatory mechanisms and characteristics. Programmed cell death (PCD) has recently garnered attention for its crucial role in regulating inflammation and maintaining tissue homeostasis, as well as for its potential to link these two diseases. The various forms of PCD--including apoptosis, pyroptosis, and necroptosis--are closely controlled by signaling pathways such as Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) /NF-κB and MAPK. These pathways determine cell fate and influence inflammatory responses, tissue destruction, and repair, and they both play important roles in the pathogenesis of RA and periodontitis. In periodontitis, periodontal pathogens such as Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) and its virulence factors, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS), induce pyroptosis and necroptosis in immune cells such as macrophages via the TLR4/NF-κB pathway, which leads to an excessive release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Concurrently, these pathogens inhibit the normal apoptotic process of immune cells, such as neutrophils, prolonging their survival, exacerbating immune imbalance, and aggravating periodontal tissue destruction. Similarly, in RA synovial tissue, fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) acquire apoptosis resistance through signaling pathways such as the Bcl-2 family, JAK/STAT, and NF-κB, allowing for the consistent proliferation and secretion of matrix metalloproteinases and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Meanwhile, the continuous activation of pyroptotic pathways in neutrophils and macrophages results in the sustained release of IL-1β, further exacerbating synovial inflammation and bone destruction. Notably, dysregulated PCD fosters inter-organ crosstalk through shared inflammatory mediators and metabolic networks. Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and cytokines that originate from periodontal lesions can spread systemically, influencing cell death processes in synovial and immune cells, thereby aggravating joint inflammation and bone erosion. By contrast, systemic inflammation in RA can upregulate osteoclastic activity or interfere with the normal apoptosis of periodontal cells via TNF-α and IL-6, ultimately intensifying periodontal immune imbalance. This review highlights the pivotal bridging role of PCD in the pathogenesis of both periodontitis and RA, providing a reference for therapeutic strategies that target cell death pathways to manage and potentially mitigate these diseases.

Aim To investigate the therapeutic effects of a newly developed Tadalafil tablets on pathological myocardial hypertrophy induced by abdominal aortic constriction(AAC)in rats,as well as its influence on the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in myo-cardial cells.Methods SD rats were randomly divid-ed into 4 groups:the sham operation group(Sham),the model group(AAC),the tadalafil new tablet treat-ment group(N-Tad,5 mg·kg-1),and the positive control drug treatment group(Cialis,10 mg·kg-1g).The AAC model group and treatment group rats under-went blunt dissection and constrictive ligation of the abdominal aorta at the left renal artery branch point during surgery,while the Sham group rats only had their arteries separated without any constrictive liga-tion.Rats in the treatment groups received either N-Tad or Cialis via gavage three days after modeling,while rats in the sham group and the model group re-ceived physiological saline daily for 8 weeks.Small an-imal ultra-high-resolution echocardiography and hemo-dynamic assessment were applied to evaluate left ven-tricular function in each group of rats,and the calcula-tion of the left ventricular mass index was conducted.By employing Western blot and RT-PCR.we assessed the impact of this treatment on the expression of the hy-pertrophy factor atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP),phosphorylated NF-κB p65 protein(p-NF-κB p65),and phosphorylated IκB-α in the left heart tissue of rats and in H9c2 cardiomyocytes.Results Compared to the Sham group,the AAC rats exhibited a significant decrease in left heart function,an increase in left ven-tricular mass index,and a notable increase in ANP and p-p65 expression in the left heart tissue(P＜0.05).Both N-Tad and Cialis treatments could significantly enhance left ventricular function,decrease left ventric-ular mass index,and inhibit the expression of ANP and phosphorylated NF-κB p65 in rats with myocardial hy-pertrophy(P＜0.05).Notably,the therapeutic effect of low-dose N-Tad was comparable to that of high-dose Cialis.At the cellular level,Tadalafil significantly in-hibited the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and reduced the expression of associated proteins in H9c2 cardiomyocytes.Conclusions N-Tad can sig-nificantly inhibit p65 and IκB-α phosphorylation,and the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway,reduce ANP expression,and improve pathological myocardial hypertrophy,as well as mitigate left heart function damage caused by abdominal aortic constriction.

Objective:To explore the effect of specific inhibitor of Smad3 (SIS3) on glucocorticoid-induced ocular hypertension in mice and its possible mechanism.Methods:Fifty-one eight-week-old female C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group, dexamethasone group and SIS3 group by the random number table method, with 17 mice in each group.Mice in the control group were injected with 20 μl 2 % polyvinyl alcohol into the conjunctival fornix every week for 4 weeks.Mice in the dexamethasone group and SIS3 group were injected with 20 μl 10 mg/ml dexamethasone acetate every week and SIS3 group was treated with additional 100 μg/ml SIS3 nanomicelle eye drops 3 times daily for up to 4 weeks.Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured weekly using Icare rebound tonometer.Mice were sacrificed 4 weeks after treatment, and the eyeballs were removed.Morphology of trabecular meshwork (TM) tissues were detected by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining.The collagen deposition area in TM tissues were examined by Masson staining.Fibronectin (FN) and collagen type Ⅰ (Col-1) in the extracellular matrix of TM tissue were detected by immunofluorescence staining.TM tissues were obtained from donated patients, and primary human trabecular meshwork cells (HTMCs) were obtained by culture.The expression level of myocilin in dexamethasone-induced HTMCs was detected by immunofluorescence and Western blot for cell identification.Primary HTMCs were divided into normal control group, dexamethasone group and SIS3 group cultured with normal culture medium, medium containing 400 nmol/L dexamethasone, medium containing 400 nmol/L dexamethasone+ 10 μmol/L SIS3 for 48 hours, respectively.The expression levels of FN, Col-1 and p-Smad3/Smad3 proteins were measured by Western blot.The use and care of animals complied with the ARVO statement.This study protocol was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Zhengzhou University (No.ZZU-LA20220729).The collection of TM tissue specimens complied with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Henan Provincial Eye Hospital (No.HNEECKY-2022[18]).The patients knew the purpose of the experiment and signed the informed consent forms.Results:There was a significant overall difference in IOP among the three groups at different time points after administration ( Fgroup=72.94, P<0.001; Ftime=33.19, P<0.001).Compared with baseline, IOP was increased in the dexamethasone group at each time point after administration, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.001).The IOP of the control and SIS3 groups at weeks 1, 2, 3, 4 were significantly lower than that of the dexamethasone group (all P<0.001).HE staining showed that the iridocorneal angles of all groups were open with similar morphology of the TM structure.Masson staining showed that the positive expression area of collagen in the control group, dexamethasone group and SIS3 group was (9.57±2.91)%, (27.75±5.88)% and (11.67±3.78)%, respectively, with a statistically significant difference among the three groups ( F=25.91, P<0.001), and the positive expression area of collagen was significantly lower in the control group and SIS3 group than in the dexamethasone group (all P<0.001).The fluorescence expression level of FN in the control group, dexamethasone group and SIS3 group was 8.00±1.92, 14.01±2.74 and 7.85±0.64, respectively, and the fluorescence expression level of Col-1 was 6.90±1.16, 14.36±3.19 and 4.90±0.88, respectively, with statistically significant differences among the three groups ( F=15.93, 30.29; both P<0.001), and the fluorescence expression levels of FN and Col-1 were significantly lower in the control group and SIS3 group than in the dexamethasone group (all P<0.01).Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot showed that the cultured primary cells expressed myocilin and the expression level of myocilin was significantly increased after dexamethasone induction, which was identified as HTMCs.There were statistically significant differences in the relative expression levels of FN, Col-1, and p-Smad3/Smad3 proteins among different groups of cells ( F=8.22, 23.08, 8.78; all P<0.05), and the relative expression levels of FN, Col-1, and p-Smad3/Smad3 proteins were significantly lower in the control group and SIS3 group than in the dexamethasone group (all P<0.05). Conclusions:SIS3 reduces IOP by inhibiting p-Smad3, reducing extracellular matrix deposition in TM, and reducing fibrosis in the TM tissue.

(+)-Borneol, the main component of "Natural Borneol" in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, is a high-end spice and precious medicine. Plant extraction cannot meet the increasing demand for (+)-borneol, while microbial biosynthesis offers a sustainable supply route. However, its production was extremely low compared with other monoterpenes, even with extensively optimizing the mevalonate pathway. We found that the key challenge is the complex and unusual dephosphorylation reaction of bornyl diphosphate (BPP), which suffers the side-reaction and the competition from the cellular dephosphorylation process, especially lipid metabolism, thus limiting (+)-borneol synthesis. Here, we systematically optimized the dephosphorylation process by identifying, characterizing phosphatases, and balancing cellular dephosphorylation metabolism. For the first time, we identified two endogenous phosphatases and seven heterologous phosphatases, which significantly increased (+)-borneol production by up to 152%. By engineering BPP dephosphorylation and optimizing the MVA pathway, the production of (+)-borneol was increased by 33.8-fold, which enabled the production of 753 mg/L under fed-batch fermentation in shake flasks, so far the highest reported in the literature. This study showed that rewiring dephosphorylation metabolism was essential for high-level production of (+)-borneol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and balancing cellular dephosphorylation is also helpful for efficient biosynthesis of other terpenoids since all whose biosynthesis involves the dephosphorylation procedure.

Objective·To develop a nomogram prediction model and an online risk calculator,and to predict the continence of patients after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy(RARP).Methods·A total of 604 prostate cancer patients who underwent RARP and had preoperative prostate magnetic resonance imaging at the Shanghai General Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from September 2022 to December 2024 were analyzed and included.All patients were randomly resampled and divided into a training set(n=420)and a validation set(n=184)at a ratio of 7∶3.The patients'continence was followed up every month from the first month after the operation.The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)model was applied to screen the features.A Logistic multivariate regression analysis was used to establish a prediction model integrating the features selected from the LASSO analysis.The receiver operator characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to predict the recovery of continence in patients after RARP,and the areas under the curve were compared by the DeLong test to evaluate the discrimination of the model.Calibration curves and decision curve analysis(DCA)were used to evaluate the calibration and clinical utility the model.Results·According to the postoperative continence follow-up data of the patients,the continence rate of the patients at 3 months after the operation was 58.28%(352/604).The length of the membranous urethra,the thickness of the right levator ani muscle,and blood loss were identified as independent predictors of early postoperative(3-month)incontinence by Logistic multivariate regression analysis of the training set.The area under the ROC curve was calculated as 0.976(0.954,0.998)for the training set and 0.977(0.945,1.000)for the validation set,demonstrating good discrimination of this model.No significant difference between the ROC curves of the training set and the validation set was confirmed by the DeLong test(P=0.949).A good goodness of fit of this model was demonstrated by the Hosmer-Lemeshow test(P=0.179).The clinical utility of the nomogram prediction model was indicated by the DCA plot.This nomogram prediction model was incorporated into an online calculator(https://yitingd.shinyapps.io/DynNomapp).Conclusion·This study developed and validated a nomogram prediction model that can effectively predict the early continence of patients after RARP.The length of the membranous urethra,the thickness of the right levator ani muscle,and the intraoperative blood loss are significant independent predictors of early postoperative incontinence.

Objective:To evaluate the role of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in long-term cognitive impairment after multiple sevoflurane anesthesia in newborn mice.Methods:Clean-grade healthy male C57BL/6 mice, aged 6 days, were used in this study. Ten mice were divided into 2 groups ( n=5 each) by the random number table method: control group (group C) and sevoflurane group (group S). The animals inhaled 3% sevoflurane for 2 h at 6, 7 and 8 days after birth. The DHA content was detected by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry at 9 days of age. Fifty-two mice were selected and divided into 4 groups ( n=13 each) by a random number table method: control+ normal saline group (group C+ S), sevoflurane anesthesia + normal saline group (group S+ S), control+ DHA group (group C+ D), and sevoflurane anesthesia+ DHA group (group S+ D). The sevoflurane anesthesia method was the same as the one mentioned above. DHA 50 mg/kg was administered by intragastric gavage from postnatal days 6-19 (at 6, 7 and 8 days after birth, 2 h before anesthesia) in C+ D and S+ D groups. The equal volume of normal saline was given instead in C+ S group and S+ S group. The novel object recognition test was conducted at 37 days of age, and the Morris water maze test was performed at 42 days of age. The corpus callosum and hippocampal tissues were isolated at 47 days of age for examination of the ultrastructure of myelin (with a transmission electron microscope) and for determination of the expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) in hippocampal tissues (by Western blot). The G-ratio was calculated. Results:Compared with group C, the content of DHA in hippocampal tissues was significantly decreased in group S ( P<0.05). Compared with group C+ S, the discrimination index was significantly decreased, the percentage of duration of staying at the target platform quadrant and the number of crossing the original platform were decreased, the expression of MBP was down-regulated, and the G-ratio in the original platform and hippocampus was increased in S+ S group ( P<0.05). Compared with group S+ S, the discrimination index was significantly increased, the percentage of duration of staying at the target platform quadrant and the number of crossing the original platform were increased, the expression of MBP was up-regulated, and the G-ratio in the original platform and hippocampus was decreased in S+ D group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The mechanism of long-term cognitive impairment following multiple sevoflurane anesthesia may be related to a decrease in the content of DHA, which subsequently leads to myelin structural damage in neonatal mice.

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between preoperative gut microbiota and post-operative ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.Methods:This was a secondary analysis of a previous research project study. Patients who received invasive mechanical ventilation treatment after elective off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from April to September 2023 were selected and divided into VAP group and non-VAP group based on whether VAP occurred after surgery. Fecal samples were collected from patients before surgery, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to analyze the characteristics of preoperative gut microbiota in the two groups. The differences in the diversity of gut microbiota between the two groups were compared. The linear discriminant analysis was used to identify the gut microbiota with significant differences between groups (differential bacteria), and logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between differential bacteria and VAP. Receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn to analyze the predictive value of the differential bacteria for VAP.Results:A total of 79 patients were finally included, with 25 in VAP group and 54 in non-VAP group. The Beta diversity analysis showed statistically significant differences between VAP group and non-VAP group (pseudo- F=2.00, P=0.002). The linear discriminant analysis indicated that Bifidobacterium, Blautia and Megamonas were enriched in non-VAP group, while Klebsiella was enriched in VAP group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium was a protective factor for postoperative VAP ( OR=0.32, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 0.15-0.71, P=0.005), and the relative abundance of Klebsiella was a risk factor for postoperative VAP ( OR=2.49, 95% CI 1.143-5.43, P=0.022). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium for predicting VAP was 0.80 (95% CI 0.69-0.90, P<0.001) and of the relative abundance of Klebsiella was 0.70 (95% CI 0.57-0.83, P=0.005). Conclusions:Bifidobacterium is a protective factor, while Klebsiella is a risk factor for postoperative VAP in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, and the relative abundance of both bacteria has a certain predictive value for VAP.

Objective To develop an animal model that replicates the clinical phenotype of severe asthma.Methods Ovalbumin(OVA)combined with IL-33 or varying doses of lipopolysaccharides(LPS)was used to explore the construction of a severe asthma mouse model.Established model animals were assessed for lung function,number of inflammatory cells,and lung tissue pathology were assessed.Expression of key genes associated with severe asthma identified from the GEO database were validated in the new model.Results Compared with OVA alone,OVA combined with IL-33 or 5 μg LPS significantly increased airway resistance and the number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid,and aggravated the pathological damage to lung tissues.The expression patterns of key genes in the newly constructed severe asthma models were consistent with those observed in clinical patients with severe asthma.Conclusions The modeling method of combining OVA with IL-33 or LPS(5 μg)can be used to construct experimentalanimal models of severe asthma.