Qing court records show that Arecae Semen was extensively applied. The royal medical records of the Qing Dynasty document nine types of Arecae Semen, with the Palace Museum preserving seven kinds, totaling twelve cultural relics. Historical documents and physical artifacts corroborate each other, providing evidence for the study of the supply channels and court processing of Arecae Semen in the Qing court. According to relevant Qing court archival records, the sources of Arecae Semen used in the imperial court were diverse, including tributes from foreign countries such as Vietnam and Gurkha, annual tributes from local governments in Guangdong, gifts from close aides, and commodities purchased by the Imperial Household Department from civilian shops. The imperial physicians of the Qing court placed great emphasis on the specifications of Arecae Semen slices and were extremely meticulous about their processing. The variety of Arecae Semen slices used in the Qing palace exceeded those recorded in the botanical texts of the era. Compared with the commonly used processing methods for Arecae Semen in the Qing Dynasty, the imperial physicians adjusted the properties and efficacy of the herbs through different processing techniques, based on the patient's condition, constitution, and other factors, in order to meet the clinical treatment needs of the court. The slicing of Arecae Semen in the Qing court required strict control of thickness, with an average thickness of 0.44 mm, which is significantly thinner than the Arecae Semen slices found in today's markets. The texture was softer, making them easier to chew and absorb. Both the Qing court Arecae Semen slices and the Muxiang Binglang Pills focused on the use of authentic medicinal materials, ensuring the quality of the medicine and enhancing the efficacy of Arecae Semen through meticulous selection and preparation.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; History, 19th Century ; History, Ancient ; History, 17th Century ; History, 18th Century

Although clinical evidence suggests that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is an established major risk factor for heart failure, it remains unexplored whether sleep disorder-caused hepatic damage contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Here, our findings revealed that sleep fragmentation (SF) displayed notable hepatic detrimental phenotypes, including steatosis and oxidative damage, along with significant abnormalities in cardiac structure and function. All these pathological changes persisted even after sleep recovery for 2 consecutive weeks or more, displaying memory properties. Mechanistically, persistent higher expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (NOX4) in the liver was the key initiator of SF-accelerated damage phenotypes. SF epigenetically controlled the acetylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27ac) enrichment at the Nox4 promoter and markedly increased Nox4 expression in liver even after sleep recovery. Moreover, fine coordination of the circadian clock and hepatic damage was strictly controlled by BMAL1-dependent Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) transcription after circadian misalignment. Accordingly, genetic manipulation of liver-specific Nox4 or Sirt1, along with pharmacological intervention targeting NOX4 (GLX351322) or SIRT1 (Resveratrol), could effectively erase the epigenetic modification of Nox4 by reducing the H3K27ac level and ameliorate the progression of liver pathology, thereby counteracting SF-evoked sustained CVD. Collectively, our findings may pave the way for strategies to mitigate myocardial injury from persistent hepatic detrimental memory in diabetic patients.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are significant drug targets, but their potential in cancer therapy remains underexplored. Conventional GPCR agonists or antagonists have shown limited effectiveness in cancer treatment, necessitating new GPCR-targeting strategies for more effective therapies. This study discovers that Yersinia pestis LcrV, a crucial linker protein for plague infection, acts as a biased agonist of a GPCR, the formyl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1). The LcrV protein induces unique conformational changes in FPR1, resulting in G proteins being activated in a distinctive state without subunit dissociation. This leads to a biased signaling profile characterized by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) responses and β-arrestin2 recruitment, but not calcium mobilization. In FPR1-expressing triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells, LcrV bi-directionally modulates intracellular signaling pathways, downregulating extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) and Akt pathways while upregulating Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 pathways. This dual modulation results in cell cycle arrest and the inhibition of TNBC cell proliferation. In TNBC xenograft mouse models, long-term LcrV treatment inhibits tumor growth more effectively than a conventional FPR1 antagonist. Additionally, LcrV treatment reprograms tumor cells by reducing stemness-associated proteins OCT4 and c-MYC. Our findings highlight the potential of biased GPCR agonists as a novel GPCR-targeting strategy for cancer treatment.

The breakage pattern of unit particles during the production of oral solid dosage forms (OSD) is closely related to the quality of intermediate or final products. To accurately characterize the particles and study the evolution law of particle breakage, the Bonding model of the discrete element method (DEM) was used to investigate the breakage patterns of model parameters, particle shape and process conditions (loading mode and loading rate) on the dynamic breakage, force-time curve, breakage rate, maximum breakage size ratio and fracture strength of particles. The results showed that the particle breakage force was positively correlated with normal strength and bonded disk scale, negatively correlated with normal stiffness per unit area and tangential stiffness per unit area, and weakly correlated with tangential strength. The particle breakage rate was negatively correlated with the aspect ratio of the particles, and the maximum breakage size ratio was positively correlated with the aspect ratio of the particles; among the three loading modes, the breakage rate of compression breakage model was the largest, the breakage rate of shear breakage model was the second largest, and the breakage rate of wear breakage model was the smallest; the maximum breakage size ratio was positively correlated with the loading rate, the loading mode and the loading rate had no mutual influence on particle breakage rate, but had mutual influence on the maximum breakage size ratio. The research results will provide a theoretical basis for the shift of OSD from batch manufacturing to advanced manufacturing.

Poria(Fu Ling) is a bulk traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)with a long history and complex varieties. The royal medical records of the Qing Dynasty include multiple medicinal materials of Fu Ling, such as Bai Fu Ling(white Poria), Chi Fu Ling(rubra Poria), and Zhu Fu Ling(Poria processed with cinnabaris). The Palace Museum preserves 6 kinds of specimens including Fu Ling Ge(dried Poria), Bai Fu Ling, Chi Fu Ling, Zhu Fu Ling, Bai Fu Shen(white Poria cum Radix Pini), and Fu Shen Mu(Poria cum Radix Pini). After trait identification and textual research, we found that Fu Ling Ge was an intact sclerotium, which was processed into Fu Ling Pi(Poriae Cutis), Bai Fu Ling and other medicinal materials in the Palace. The Fu Ling in the Qing Dynasty Pa-lace was mainly from the tribute paid of the officials in Yunnan-Guizhou region. The tribute situation was stable in the whole Qing Dynasty, and changed in the late Qing Dynasty. The cultural relics of Fu Ling in the Qing Dynasty Palace confirm with the archival documents such as the royal medical records and herbal medicine books, providing precious historical materials for understanding Fu Ling in the Qing Dynasty and a basis for the restoration of the processing of the Fu Ling in the Qing Dynasty Palace.
Animals ; Poria ; China ; Books ; Coleoptera ; Medical Records ; Wolfiporia

Objective:To explore the therapeutic characteristics of population with gout achieving treat-to-target (T2T) indicators through real-world research and evaluate their safety.Methods:A total of 3 287 patients diagnosed with gout by rheumatologists in 21 first-class tertiary hospitals in 10 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China from January 2015 to December 2021 were included in this polycentric cross-sectional study. The database included patients′ general information, disease characteristics, and clinical application of traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment measures. SPSS and Excel software were used for data analysis. Frequency analysis, cluster analysis, and factor analysis were used to summarize the characteristics and rules of treatment measures for patients with gout who achieved the target after treatment. The occurrence of adverse events (AE) was recorded during treatment.Results:After treatment, 691 visits (7%) achieved the serum urate (SUA) target, and the most frequent use of urate-lowering therapy (ULT) was febuxostat, followed by benzbromarone. The most common treatment options were following: GroupⅠ: traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoction-TCM external treatment-physical exercise-proprietary Chinese medicine; GroupⅡ: ferulic acid-nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); Group Ⅲ: allopurinol-sodium bicarbonate-benzbromarone; Group Ⅳ: glucocorticoid-colchicine; Group Ⅴ: febuxostat. A total of 5 898 visits (60%) chieved manifestations of joint pain VAS scores target, and the most frequently used drug to control joint symptoms was NSAIDs. The frequency of use of drugs to control joint symptoms were 2 118 times (usage rate reached 35.9%), while the frequency of ULT were 2 504 times (usage rate reached 42.5%), which was higher than the joint symptom control drug. The most common treatment options were following: Group Ⅰ: proprietary Chinese medicine-TCM decoction-TCM external treatment-physical exercise; Group Ⅱ: NSAIDs-colchicine hormones; Group Ⅲ: allopurinol, Group Ⅳ: benzbromarone; Group Ⅴ: febuxostat. A total of 59 adverse events occurred during treatment.Conclusion:The proportions of gout patients who reach target serum urate level & good control of joint symptoms are both very low, and ULT and anti-inflammatory prescription patterns are very different from international guidelines, so it is necessary to strengthen the standardized management of gout patients. At the same time, life intervention measures account for a certain proportion of the treatment plans for the T2T population, and further exploration is needed.

Objective To investigate the effect of cyclin D1 (with CCND1 as the gene name) on HBV replication and its potential mechanism. Methods With reference to GSE84044 dataset, the Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between the expression levels of genes in liver tissue and serum HBV DNA load in patients with HBV-related liver fibrosis. Cyclin D1 and cyclin D1 T286A mutant were transiently expressed in the HBV cell replication model, and time-resolved immunofluorescence and quantitative real-time PCR were used to measure the levels of HBsAg/HBeAg and HBV DNA in cell culture supernatant; Western blot was used to measure the level of HBV core protein in cells; reverse-transcription quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the level of HBV RNA in cells; dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to observe the effect of cyclin D1 on the activity of HBV basic core promoter (BCP). GSE83148 dataset was used to investigate the correlation between CCND1 and HBV-related regulatory factors. The independent samples t -test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups. Results The analysis of GSE84044 data showed that 7 cell cycle genes were significantly negatively correlated with HBV DNA load in liver tissue of the patients with HBV-related liver fibrosis (all r < -0.3, all P < 0.05), which included the CCND1 gene ( r =-0.474, P < 0.001). Exogenous expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin D1 T286A mutant reduced the levels of HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBV DNA in culture supernatant of the HBV replication cell model, as well as the levels of HBV core protein and HBV RNA in cells. Exogenous expression of cyclin D1 significantly inhibited the transcriptional activity of HBV BCP. The expression level of CCND1 in liver tissue of chronic hepatitis B patients was significantly positively correlated with the expression of APOBEC3G ( r =0.575, P < 0.001), SMC5 ( r =0.341, P < 0.001), and FOXM1 ( r =0.333, P < 0.001) which inhibited HBV replication, while it was significantly negatively correlated with the expression of the HBV entry receptor NTCP ( r =-0.511, P < 0.001) and HNF1α as the transcription factor for positive regulation of HBV replication ( r =-0.430, P < 0.001). Overexpression of cyclin D1 in HepG2 cells reduced the transcriptional levels of HNF1α and NTCP. Conclusion Cyclin D1 inhibits HBV transcription and replication possibly by downregulating the expression of HNF1α and NTCP.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a common sports injury that has a significant impact on knee function and patients′ mobility. With the popularity of national fitness campaign in China, the incidence of ACL injury is increasing year by year. Currently, there still lacks clinical standards or guidelines on how to choose appropriate treatment methods, surgical plans and rehabilitation protocols for ACL injury. In order to timely reflect the new treatment concept of ACL injury, standardize its diagnosis and treatment and improve the curative effect, the Sports Medicine Society of Chinese Research Hospital Association and the Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Trauma organized domestic orthopedic and sports medicine experts to formulate the "clinical evidence-based guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of anterior cruciate ligament injury (2022 version)" based on the level of evidence-based medicine and in compliance with the principle of scientificity, practicability and advancement. The present guideline includes 12 recommendations for the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of ACL injury in order to provide guidance and assistance for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of ACL injury in China.

Objective To explore the neuroprotective effect and mechanism of picroside II on p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signal transduction pathway after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats. Methods A total of 150 healthy male Wistar rats were subject to establish middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) models by inserting a monofilament thread. All rats were randomly divided into sham group, model group, picroside (Pier) group, anisomycin (Anis, agonist of p38 MAPK) group, Anis+Picr group, SB203580 (SB, inhibitor of p38 MAPK) group and SB+Picr group. The neurobehavioral function was evaluated by modified neurological severity score points (mNSS) test. The structure of neuron was observed using HE staining. The apoptotic cells were counted using TUNEL assay. The expression of phosphorylated p38 MAPK (p-p38 MAPK) in cortex was determined using the immunohistochemistry. And the expressions of p-p38 MAPK, phosphorylated MAPK activated protein kinase-2 (p-MK2), phosphorylated cytoplasm phospholipase A2 (p-cPLA2), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrotic factor a (TNF-α) were determined by Western blotting. Results No neurological behavioral malfunction was found in sham group. In model group, the damage of neuron was worsened, while the neurobehavioral function score, apoptotic cell index and the expressions of p-p38 MAPK, p-MK2, p-cPLA2,IL-6 and TNF-α increased significantly than those in control group. No significant difference was found in TNF-α. In Pier group, SB group and SB+Picr group, the damage of neuron was lighter, the neurological behavioral function was improved, the number of apoptotic cells and the expressions of p-p38 MAPK, p- MK2, p-cPLA2 and IL-6 decreased significantly than those in model group. In Anis group and Anis + Pier group, the damage was worsen, the cerebral infarction was larger, and the expressions of p-p38 MAPK, p-MK2, p-cPLA2 and IL-6 increased significantly than those in control group. Conclusion Picroside II can protect the neuron from the apoptosis and inflammation reaction after MCAO/R by inhibiting p38 MAPK signal transduction pathway in rats.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of AU-rich element RNA-binding factor 1 (AUF1) on glypican 3 (GPC3) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its possible mechanism. MethodsTCGA-HCC gene expression data were downloaded from Broad Institute Genome Data Analysis Center, and finally 371 HCC tissue samples with different etiologies and 50 adjacent tissue samples were included; LCI-HCC gene expression data were downloaded from GSE14520, and 214 patients with hepatitis B-associated HCC who had follow-up data were enrolled. A total of 35 primary liver cancer samples and corresponding adjacent tissue samples were collected from HCC patients who underwent radical surgery in Henan Provincial Cancer Hospital from 2009 to 2013. Immunohistochemistry was used to measure the protein expression of GPC3 and AUF1 in HCC tissue; Western Blot and qRT-PCR were used to measure the expression of GPC3 after AUF1 knockdown or overexpression in hepatoma cell lines; RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation and RNA turnover assay were used to investigate the potential mechanism of AUF1 in regulating the expression of GPC3. The t-test was used for comparison of quantitative data between two groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of rates between two groups; the Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis after surgery, and the log-rank test was used for comparison of survival rates. ResultsIn TCGA and LCI databases, the expression of GPC3 in HCC tissue was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissue (P＜0.05), and in TCGA database, the high expression of GPC3 was associated with the poor prognosis of HCC patients (P＜0.05). Immunohistochemistry showed that both GPC3 and AUF1 proteins are highly expressed in HCC tissue, with a positive expression rate of 77.1% (27/35) and 74.3% (26/35), respectively. In vitro experiment showed that AUF1 knockdown significantly reduced the expression of GPC3 in HepG2 and Huh-7 cells (P＜0.05), while AUF1 overexpression significantly increased the expression of GPC3 (P＜0.05). AUF1 protein could bind to GPC3 mRNA, and AUF1 knockdown reduced the stability of GPC3 mRNA. ConclusionAUF1 is an important post-transcriptional regulator of the GPC3 gene, and the abnormal high expression of AUF1 and GPC3 may be involved in the development and progression of HCC.