BACKGROUND:The extracellular-regulated protein kinase 5(ERK5)signaling protein is essential for the survival of organisms,and resveratrol can promote osteoblast proliferation through various pathways.However,whether resveratrol can regulate osteoblast function through the ERK5 signaling protein needs further verification. OBJECTIVE:To explore the regulatory effect of ERK5 on the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells and related secreted proteins,and to further verify whether resveratrol can complete the above process by activating ERK5. METHODS:Mouse MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts were treated with complete culture medium,XMD8-92(an ERK5 inhibitor),epidermal growth factor(an ERK5 activator),resveratrol alone,XMD8-92+EGF,and resveratrol+XMD8-92,respectively.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of ERK5 and p-ERK5 proteins,proliferation-related proteins Cyclin D1,CDK4 and PCNA,and osteoblast-secreted proteins osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand in MC3T3-E1 cells of each group.The fluorescence intensity of ERK5,osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand in each group was detected by cell immunofluorescence staining,and cell proliferation was detected by EdU staining,respectively.The appropriate concentration and time of resveratrol intervention in MC3T3-E1 cells were determined by cell morphology observation and cell counting kit-8 assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The activation of ERK5 signaling protein could effectively promote the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells,up-regulate the osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand ratio.The appropriate concentration and time for resveratrol intervention in MC3T3-E1 cells was 5 μmol/L and 24 hours,respectively.Resveratrol could activate ERK5 signaling protein,thereby promoting osteoblast proliferation and up-regulating the osteoprotegerin/RANKL ratio.All these results indicate that resveratrol can promote the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells and up-regulate the osteoprotegerin/RANKL ratio by activating the ERK5 signaling protein.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of filiform-heated needle combined with Qingbu Huacuo Decoction in the treatment of acne of damp-heat due to spleen deficiency syndrome.Methods Seventy patients with acne of damp-heat due to spleen deficiency syndrome admitted to the seventh clinical Medical School of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from May 2023 to March 2024 were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group according to random number table method,with 35 patients in each group.Health education was given to the patients in both groups.The control group was given oral administration of Doxycycline Hyclate Tablets combined with filiform-heated needle for treatment,and the observation group was treated with filiform-heated needle combined with Qingbu Huacuo Decoction orally,the course of treatment for the two groups covered six weeks.After six weeks of treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated,and the changes in Global Acne Grading System(GAGS)score and Quality of Life-Acne(Qol-Acne)score,as well as the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores before and after treatment were observed.The changes of skin barrier function indicators such as trans epidermal water loss(TEWL)content,skin moisture content,and sebum content before and after treatment were compared between the two groups of patients.Moreover,the safety of the two groups and the occurrence of adverse reactions were evaluated.Results(1)After treatment,the GAGS scores of patients in the two groups were improved significantly(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,with a statistically significant difference(P<0.05).(2)After treatment,the Qol-Acne scores of the patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P<0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving the three aspects of self-perception,emotional functioning,and self-assessment,with a statistically significant difference(P<0.05),and the observation group was slightly superior to the control group in improving social functioning,but the difference being not statistically significant(P>0.05).(3)After treatment,the content of TEWL,skin moisture,and sebum of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(4)After treatment,the TCM syndrome scores of the two groups of patients were improved significantly(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,with a statistically significant difference(P<0.05).(5)The total effective rate was 94.29%(33/35)in the observation group and 74.29%(26/35)in the control group.The clinical efficacy of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(6)Comparison of the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups,the difference being not statistically significant(P>0.05).Conclusion Filiform-heated needle combined with Qingbu Huacuo Decoction in the treatment of acne of damp-heat due to spleen deficiency syndrome can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of patients,thus improving their quality of life,with good safety.

Ferrets offer an advantage in nonclinical studies of anti-infective drugs because of their ability to be infected with and spread pathogenic microorganisms,especially viral strains,without the need for host adaptation.Additionally,the clinical symptoms exhibited by infected ferrets are very similar to those of humans.Although ferrets play a very important role in the research and development of antiviral drugs,the scope of their application remains limited.This may be related to the lack of corresponding national standards for laboratory animal feeding and application of ferrets as well as the lack of specific diagnostic and detection reagents.This paper summarizes the characteristics of ferrets as infectious disease models with a summary and analysis of the application direction of ferrets in anti-infective drug research.Our aim is to promote further standardization of the use of ferrets.

Objective This study established a model of invasive Aspergillus niger lung disease in immunosuppressed rats to provide theoretical support for the pharmacodynamic evaluation of anti-invasive pulmonary aspergillosis drugs and mechanism studies.Methods Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into a normal control group;cyclophosphamide control group,and cyclophosphamide+fungal infection low,medium,and high dose groups,with 12 animals in each group.General clinical observations were performed daily,and the serum levels of immunoglobulin(Ig)G and IgM and galactomannan(GM)were detected by ELISA on the 3rd and 7th days of modeling.Simultaneously,the ratio of CD4+and CD8+cells,content of white blood cells(WBCs)and neutrophils(Neu)in peripheral blood,the Aspergillus niger load in alveolar lavage,and morphological changes to rat lung tissue were observed.Results Rats in the cyclophosphamide control and cyclophosphamide+fungal infection groups showed reduced voluntary activity and erect hair after modeling,and rats in the cyclophosphamide+fungal infection group also had shortness of breath and audible wet rhonchi in the lungs.Compared with the normal control group,rats in the cyclophosphamide control group showed significant reductions in the levels of CD4+,WBC,Neu,IgG,and IgM in the blood,and their proportion of CD8+cells was significantly higher(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Compared with the cyclophosphamide control group,rats in the cyclophosphamide+fungal infection medium-and high-dose groups had significantly reduced blood levels of IgG,IgM,and CD4+cells(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);while the cyclophosphamide+fungal infection low-,medium-,and high-dose groups had significantly reduced blood levels of WBC and Neu(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Additionally,rats in the cyclophosphamide+fungal infection medium-and high-dose groups had significantly increased blood CD8+cells(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),Blood GM levels and the alveolar lavage Aspergillus niger load were significantly increased in rats in the cyclophosphamide+fungal infection low-,medium-,and high-dose groups compared with the cyclophosphamide control group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The lung tissues of the cyclophosphamide+fungal infection low-,medium-,and high-dose groups showed mycelial distribution and destruction of alveolar epithelium,increase of bronchial epithelial cup cells in the alveoli,and infiltration of inflammatory cells,and the degree of lesions was positively correlated with the modeling dose.Conclusions In this study,we used Aspergillus niger combined with cyclophosphamide immunosuppressant to construct a model of invasive Aspergillus niger lung disease.The duration of the disease was positively correlated with the concentration of bacterial fluid and modeling time,confirming that cellular immunity plays an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease.At the same time,Ig can also affect the development of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis,and it is speculated that the pathogenesis may be related to the level of Ig produced by humoral immunity.

Objective:To investigate the value of fibrinogen to albumin ratio (FAR), creatinine to albumin ratio (CAR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in predicting the poor prognosis of hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis (HLAP).Methods:Clinical data of HLAP patients admitted to the hospital from January 2021 to January and December 2023 were retrospectively collected. According to the prognosis, the patients were divided into two groups: good prognosis group and poor prognosis group.The independent risk factors of HLAP in different prognostic groups were obtained by multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the prognostic value of FAR, CAR and PLR alone and in combination.Results:A total of 118 patients with HLAP were included, including 69 patients with good prognosis and 49 patients with poor prognosis.The difference of heart rate, lymphocyte, triglyceride, albumin, creatinine, urea nitrogen, blood calcium, blood glucose, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, fibrinogen, FAR, CAR, PLR, Bedside indicator of acute pancreatitis Severity score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health status score, hospitalization time assessment between the two groups was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that FAR (odds ratio ( OR) = 25.949, 95% confidence interval (95% CI):3.190 ~ 211.080, P = 0.002), CAR ( OR = 1.453, 95% CI:1.095 ~ 1.928, P = 0.010) and PLR ( OR = 1.005, 95% CI: 1.001 ~ 1.009, P = 0.020) were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in HLAP patients. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of FAR, CAR and PLR to predict poor prognosis of HLAP patients were 0.823, 0.781 and 0.652, respectively.The AUC of FAR combined with CAR, FAR combined with PLR and CAR combined with PLR were 0.840, 0.845 and 0.849, respectively.The combined ability of FAR, CAR and PLR to predict poor prognosis in HLAP patients was (AUC=0.875,95% CI:0.814 ~ 0.937). When the cut-off value was 0.387, the sensitivity was 83.7%, and the specificity was 79.7%. Conclusions:The prognostic value of FAR, CAR and PLR in HLAP patients is better than that of single or pairwise combination.

Objective:To analyze the prognostic risk factors of patients with traumatic pancreatitis (TP) and establish an early combined prediction of multiple indicators model for TP.Methods:Patients admitted to the ICU of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from June 2017 to June 2022 were collected retrospectively. Based on their prognosis, the patients were divided into two groups: the good prognosis group and the poor prognosis group. The general data such as sex, age, underlying diseases, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ (APACHEⅡ), injury severity score (ISS), bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP), and clinical test indices such as blood routine, blood coagulation, blood gas analysis, and liver and kidney function at admission were compared between the two groups. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to screen the early independent predictors of poor prognosis of TP, and the prediction model of TP was established by combining all of the independent indicators. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of each independent predictor and prediction model was drawn, and the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and optimal cut-off value were calculated to examine the diagnostic impact of each independent predictor and the combined prediction model.Results:There were statistically significant differences in the complication rate of mental disorders, GCS, APACHE II, combined craniocerebral injury, combined chest injury, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrin(pro)degradation products, lactate, aspartate aminotransferase, glomerular filtration rate, amylase, lipase, NT-proBNP, myoglobin, procalcitonin, ISS, and BISAP between the good and poor prognosis groups (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that lactate ( OR=1.636, 95% CI: 1.046-2.559), lipase ( OR=1.005, 95% CI: 1.001-1.008), and ISS ( OR=1.161, 95% CI: 1.064-1.266) were independent risk factors influencing the prognosis of patients with TP. Based on the risk factors listed above, a prediction model was created: Logit P=-9.260+0.492×lactate+0.005×lipase+0.149×ISS, and the ROC curve was plotted. The AUC curve of the prediction model was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.91-1.00). Conclusions:Lactate, lipase, and ISS are early independent risk factors associated with the prognosis of TP. Their combined multi-indicator prediction model has an excellent clinical prediction effect, which can provide a clinical reference for early prediction and treatment of TP.

ObjectiveTo conduct a systematic review of the susceptibility gene polymorphism sites of primary knee osteoarthritis (PKO). MethodsThe literature on genetic susceptibility and gene polymorphisms of PKO were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and China Biomedical Literature Database from establishment of the library to December, 2020, and systematically reviewed. ResultsA total of 42 papers on the polymorphism sites of human PKO susceptibility genes were included, involving cellular signaling pathways related to PKO pathogenesis, including inflammatory response, receptor signaling pathway, transcription factor signaling pathway, bone-related signaling pathway, etc. Multiple gene polymorphism sites located in inflammatory factor genes, chemokine genes, Toll-like receptor genes, transcription factor genes, obesity-related genes, and bone-related genes. ConclusionInflammatory factor genes and bone-associated allele polymorphisms are likely to be related to PKO susceptibility.

ObjectiveTo explore the distribution mechanism of network modules in the combined treatment of liver cancer with Jiuwei Zhengxiao granules （JWZX） based on the analysis framework of module pharmacology. MethodThe cell experiment and the animal experiment were carried out to investigate the in vitro anti-liver cancer efficacy of JWZX of different concentrations and the effect on the survival time of H22 ascites tumor mice. By virtue of the analysis strategy of modular pharmacology，the distribution characteristics of nine Chinese drugs in the liver cancer disease network modules were investigated based on the constructed liver cancer disease network and module division by MCODE. In this study，the average degree （AD） of the nodes in the modules was used as an index to screen the main modules of the disease，and the intervention of the sovereign drugs，minister drugs，and assistant drugs on the main modules was explored. Finally，the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis was performed on the drug-acted modules by Metascape. ResultAs revealed by the cell experiment，JWZX could significantly inhibit the proliferation of H22 cells. The animal experiment demonstrated that the medium- and high-dose JWZX could significantly prolong the survival time of mice with H22 ascites tumor （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The distribution of targets of JWZX in the liver cancer disease network modules showed that JWZX interfered with tumor necrosis factor （TNF），epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR），vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA），transcription factor （JUN），tumor protein p53 （TP53），and other 26 targets and 8 modules. The sovereign drug Ginkgo Semen mainly intervened in modules 3 and 8，and the minister drugs such as Centipeda Herba jointly intervened in modules 1，3，5，8，10，and 12. Centipeda Herba and Phyllanthi Fructus intervened in module 7 and module 19 individually. Artemisiae Annuae Herba and other assistant drugs jointly intervened in modules 3，5，10，and 12. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis found that 135 pathways were enriched in 8 modules，and the pathway functions involved 12 categories including cancer，signal transduction，immune system，endocrine system，and amino acid metabolism. The functions of the four major modules involved cancer，signal transduction，and immune system. According to the results of literature verification，the key links of JWZX on the liver cancer disease network and the core mechanism were presumedly related to the inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 （HIF-1） signaling pathways，reduction of the immunosuppressive effect in the tumor microenvironment，and improvement of the anti-tumor immune response. ConclusionJWZX possesses pharmacological activity against liver cancer，and the therapeutic efficacy was achieved through the multiple targets，multiple modules，and multiple functions of drugs alone or in combination to intervene in the disease. The present study reduced the complexity of drug-disease target network analysis with module analysis strategy and explored the network module distribution mechanism of JWZX in the treatment of liver cancer，which provides a new idea for interpreting the complex mechanism of prescription compatibility.

Objective:To discuss the clinical curative effect of the minimally invasive percutaneous suture technique of eight times for repairing closed injury extensor tendon zone I of finger.Methods:From February 2017 to January 2020, 12 patients (male 8, female 4) with mallet finger deformity were retrospectively studied, with an average age of 35 years (range, 18-50 years). And all the affected fingers were acute closed rupture of extensor tendon in zone I of single finger, 5 cases of the left finger and 7 cases of the right finger. There were 1 case of the thumb finger, 2 cases of the index finger, 3 cases of the middle finger, 4 cases of the ring finger and 2 cases of the little finger. 12 patients with fresh sputum mallet fingers were with 3-0 thread monofilament suture on extensor tendon zone I of finger in the minimally invasive percutaneous suture technique of eight times, and the distal end of the tendon was fixed to the base of the distal phalanx through the bone hole. Removal of the Kirschner wire 6-8 weeks, the brace was used to fix the affected finger in the dorsal extension. The flexion and extension of the affected finger was gradually strengthened. The function of the affected finger was evaluated according to the Crawford standard after operation and follow-up. The active flexion and extension range of motion of each joint of the affected finger and the contralateral healthy finger were measured, and the total action movement (TAM) of the finger were recorded. Finger function was evaluated according to TAM of the American Association of Hand Surgeons.Results:All operations were successfully completed, the operation time of the patients ranged from 18 to 25 min, with an average of 20.1±0.2 min. There was only a small amount of bleeding in the surgery. All 12 cases were followed up and the follow-up periods ranged from 6 to 14 months, with an average of 10.2±1.1 months. Mallet finger deformities were all corrected postoperatively; there were no knot exposure, skin necrosis and other complications. According to the Crawford standard, 9 cases were excellent, 2 cases were good, and 1 case was fair. The excellent and good rate was 91.7% (11/12). The mean active flexion of distal interphalangeal joints on the wounded finger and healthy finger were 82.11°±2.02° and 84.09°±2.01°, the mean active extension of distal interphalangeal joints on the wounded finger and healthy finger were -2.04°±3.01° and 0.02°±1.02°, there were significant differences between them ( t=2.447, 3.246; P=0.019, 0.004). The degrees of active joint activity of wounded finger were: 91.02°±4.01° of the metacar-pophalangeal joint, 94.04°±2.11° of the proximal interphalangeal joint, 83.01°±2.02° of the distal interphalangeal joint, and 265.05°±13.04° of total active activity; the degrees of active joint activity of healthy finger were: 93.01°±3.21° of the metacar-pophalangeal joint, 94.03°±3.07° of the proximal interphalangeal joint, 85.02°±2.01° of the distal interphalangeal joint, and 269.02°±12.10° of total active activity. The TAMs of the healthy side were 269.02°±12.10°, and the TAMs of the affected side were 265.05°±13.04°, there was no significant difference between them ( P>0.05). According to TAM system assessment criteria: excellent in 9 patients, good in 3 patients, and the excellent and good rate was 100% (12/12). Conclusion:The minimally invasive percutaneous suture technique of eight times can well repair closed injury extensor tendon zone I of finger, can have satisfactory treatment outcome in mallet finger with a simple procedure and good outcome. It is a simple, safe, effective method with minimal invasion.

OBJECTIVES: Cough variant asthma (CVA) is the main cause of obstinate cough. This study aimed to observe the therapeutic effect of Xiaochuan pill on CVA in a rat model, and to explore the mechanisms. METHODS: The rats were sensitized and challenged with 4% ovaibumin (OA) and 2% Al(OH) to establish the CVA models. They were treated with Xiaochuan pill (at the dose of 0.9, 1.8, 3.6 g/kg) or montelukast sodium once a day for 14 days. After 7 and 14 days of intervention, 5 and 10 rats were randomly selected from each group to collect bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), trachea, and lungs. The number of white blood cells (WBC) and eosinophils (EOS), and the levels of IL-1β, TNF- α, and IFN-γ in BALF were detected. Histopathological examination of lung tissue was performed to observe the histomorphological changes. The expressions of TLR4, MyD88, NF-κBp65, and p-p65 in lung tissue were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: The numbers of WBC and EOS in BALF of CVA rats were significantly decreased by Xiaochuan pill (<0.05 or <0.01). The hyperplasia of tracheal, bronchial mucosa and the infiltration of inflammatory cells in lung were alleviated obviously. After 14 d of intervention, high dose of Xiaochuan pill significantly increased the level of IFN- γ (<0.01), reduced the levels of IL-1β (<0.05) and TNF-α (<0.05), and decreased the expressions of TLR4, MyD88, p65, and p-p65 (<0.05 or <0.01). CONCLUSIONS Xiaochuan pill exerts the significant therapeutic effect on obstinate cough in rats. The mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of TLR4-MyD88-NF-κBp65 signaling pathway as well as the inflammation and immune response.
Animals ; Cough ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 ; NF-kappa B ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha