ObjectiveBiochemistry and Molecular Biology, a discipline that elucidates life phenomena at the molecular level, serves as a core foundational course in medical education. It provides the theoretical basis for studying other basic and clinical medical subjects, as well as for understanding pathogenesis, disease diagnosis, and treatment. However, its complex content and highly abstract concepts have posed a dual challenge to traditional teaching models: “inefficient instruction” and “inadequate learning outcomes”. Within limited classroom hours, how to engage students and stimulate their intrinsic motivation, and how to help them recognize, understand, and develop a passion for biochemistry from the perspective of the discipline’s essence, have long been key focuses of curriculum research. MethodsUsing the lipid metabolism chapter as an example, this study employs “Rain Classroom”, a generative artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted platform, to support education in four dimensions: teaching, learning, evaluation, and research. In teaching, it assists instructors through virtual experiments, lesson preparation support, knowledge mapping, and assignment design. For learning, it serves as an intelligent study assistant for students, providing automated assignment review, enabling educational resource sharing, and facilitating personalized learning pathways. In evaluation, the platform automates assignment grading, analyzes student performance data, and offers diagnostic feedback and teaching recommendations. In research, it aids educators in collecting and analyzing teaching data, as well as searching for and summarizing relevant literature. ResultsThe results indicate that an educational model integrating teacher-led instruction, student-centered learning, and generative AI assistance significantly enhances teaching quality, students’ self-directed learning abilities, and knowledge mastery. Furthermore, with the support of generative AI, curriculum-based ideological education—focusing on cutting-edge disciplinary advances and topical medical issues—helps cultivate students’ medical spirit of “honoring life and healing the wounded”, thereby fostering the establishment of appropriate professional values. Finally, while generative AI presents both opportunities and challenges for higher education, this study also analyzes potential risks in its teaching applications, emphasizing the need for both instructors and students to avoid over-reliance and to ensure that technological tools consistently serve the fundamental goals of education. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that integrating generative AI, specifically via the “Rain Classroom” platform, can effectively enhance biochemistry education. By supporting teaching, learning, evaluation, and research, this approach improves both educational effectiveness and student outcomes. It also facilitates the incorporation of cutting-edge knowledge and professional ethics, nurturing a patient-centered mindset. Additionally, the study addresses potential implementation risks to ensure that such technological tools remain aligned with the core purpose of education.

Objective To gain insights into the biological characteristics of different populations of Culex tritaeniorhynchus within and around the Yellow Sea wetland from the perspective of the occurrence of resistance, we investigated the levels of resistance to deltamethrin and kdr gene mutation in the wetland and its peripheral areas. Methods Specimens were collected from Cx. tritaeniorhynchus populations at two monitoring sites in the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area, and also from two populations in Yancheng City and the Liuhe District of Nanjing, and the resistance of these mosquitoes to deltamethrin was determined using the CDC biotest bottle method. For each concentration of deltamethrin assessed, a random subset of exposed specimens was selected for amplification of the kdr gene fragment, followed by Sanger sequencing to identify and analyze resistance-associated mutations. Results The LC50 levels of deltamethrin among mosquitoes from the four populations in Luhe, Yancheng, the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and the Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area were 2.048 5, 7.798 2, 3.473 3, and 17.695 5 mg/mL, respectively, with corresponding concentrations of deltamethrin ranging from 0.005 to 5.000,0.050 to 50.000,0.050 to 25.000 and 0.050 to 50.000 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the ranges of the KT50 values were 11.76-107.43, 67.05-216.30,29.77-107.43 and 28.40-329.51 min; the 1-h knockdown rates were 34.58%-99.15%, 9.52%-43.80%, 55.09%-73.01%, and 10.09%-68.07%; and the 24-h mortality rates were 12.15%-67.52%,9.52%-79.56%,13.17%-82.21%, and 11.01%-78.99%, respectively. With respect to kdr gene mutation, we assayed a total of 63,70,59, and 57 mosquitoes for the four populations, for which we detected L1014F mutation frequencies of 14.29%, 35.00%, 20.34%, and 31.58%, respectively, with a majority of these mutations being heterozygous for resistance. In addition, five adult mosquitoes were identified has having synonymous mutations at site 1011[i. e. , AAT(asparagine)mutation to AAC(asparagine)]. Conclusions Our findings revealed the clear resistance of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus to deltamethrin in the Yancheng region of the Yellow Sea wetland, and the resistance phenotype and kdr frequency of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment were comparable to those of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment, thereby indicating that the resistance of different populations of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus was homogeneous under the pressure of different insecticide selection within and around the wetland. However, the underlying mechanisms need to be further studied.

Background: and Purpose Vertebrobasilar fusiform aneurysms (VBFAs) carry substantial morbidity and mortality, but optimal management for unruptured VBFAs remains unclear. We compared the safety and efficacy of conservative management (CM), stent-assisted coiling (SAC), and flow diverters (FDs) in patients with unruptured VBFAs, focusing on long-term prognosis. Methods: This study included data from a nationwide Chinese cohort of patients with vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) balanced confounders across groups. The primary outcome was poor prognosis (modified Rankin Scale score >2). Secondary outcomes included aneurysm rupture, ischemic stroke, compression symptoms, and VBFA-related deaths. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: Among 1,115 patients with unruptured VBFAs, 838 (median age, 54 years; 655 men) were included. After IPTW, baseline characteristics were balanced. Median follow-up was 54 months. FD was associated with a lower risk of poor prognosis than CM (OR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.30 to 0.77]; p=0.002), with no difference between CM and SAC. FD also reduced aneurysm rupture (OR, 0.20 [95% CI, 0.07 to 0.60]; p=0.004) and compression symptoms (OR, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.13 to 0.68]; p=0.004) versus CM. Time-to-event analyses further revealed significant differences in vertebral artery lesions and Type I–II VBFAs, whereas no significant differences were observed in basilar or vertebrobasilar junction lesions or in Type III–IV VBFAs. Conclusions Compared with CM, FD was associated with improved long-term outcomes in unruptured VBFAs, particularly in vertebral artery lesions and Type I–II VBFAs, although residual confounding cannot be excluded.

ObjectiveColorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly heterogeneous malignancy, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome differentiation is widely used in its clinical management. However, the biological basis underlying different TCM syndromes remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to investigate the proteomic differences between qi-blood deficiency syndrome (QBDS) and damp-heat syndrome (DHS) in CRC patients and to establish a “syndrome-differential protein-herbal component” network for exploring potential molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets associated with syndrome-specific treatment strategies. MethodsTumor tissue samples were collected from 10 patients with pathologically confirmed CRC, including 5 patients diagnosed with QBDS and 5 with DHS according to standardized TCM syndrome differentiation criteria. Tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics was employed to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between the two syndrome groups. Functional enrichment analyses, including Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses, were performed to characterize the biological functions and signaling pathways associated with the identified DEPs. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis was further applied to screen key syndrome-related proteins and construct a core protein prediction model. Subsequently, molecular docking was conducted to evaluate the binding affinities between representative herbal compounds, astragaloside IV and berberine, and the identified core proteins. Finally, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays were performed in HCT 116 and HT-29 colorectal cancer cell lines to validate the anti-proliferative activities of these compounds in vitro. ResultsA total of 44 DEPs were identified between QBDS and DHS tissues, including 21 upregulated and 23 downregulated proteins in the QBDS group relative to the DHS group. Functional enrichment analyses revealed that these proteins were primarily associated with antiviral immune responses, regulation of inflammatory signaling, NF‑κB signaling pathways, cholesterol metabolism, and other biological processes relevant to tumor progression and host immune regulation. LASSO regression analysis identified eight core proteins with potential syndrome-specific significance. Among them, ST7, GPCPD1, and PODXL were closely associated with QBDS, whereas FAT1, GRB7, KRT7, MAFF, and MMP8 were associated with DHS. Molecular docking demonstrated favorable interactions between astragaloside IV and QBDS-related proteins, with binding energies lower than -5 kcal/mol, indicating stable binding activity. Berberine exhibited even lower binding energies and stronger binding specificity toward DHS-related core proteins. In vitro experiments further confirmed that both compounds inhibited CRC cell proliferation, while berberine displayed significantly greater anti-proliferative efficacy. The lowest 48 h IC₅₀ value of berberine reached 15.21 mg/L in CRC cells, indicating a stronger growth-inhibitory effect than astragaloside IV. ConclusionCRC patients with QBDS and DHS exhibit distinct proteomic characteristics, suggesting that different TCM syndromes possess unique molecular signatures. The identified core proteins may serve as potential biomarkers for syndrome differentiation, while astragaloside IV and berberine may exert therapeutic effects through targeting syndrome-specific molecular networks. These findings provide preliminary proteomic evidence supporting syndrome-guided precision integrative medicine in CRC and offer new insights into the biological basis of TCM syndrome differentiation and individualized therapeutic strategies.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which Xianglian Huazhuo prescription ameliorates chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） through regulating the Golgi protein 73 （GP73）/protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase （PERK）/activating transcription factor 4 （ATF4） signaling pathway and modulating endoplasmic reticulum stress （ERS）. MethodA mouse model of CAG was induced by multiple factors， including ranitidine， N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG）， and irregular feeding. The CAG mice were randomized into five groups： model， Morodan （2.0 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose （7.6， 3.8， 1.9 g·kg^-1， respectively） Xianglian Huazhuo prescription， with 10 mice in each group. At the same time， 10 mice in normal group were set up. The mice in the Morodan group and the high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose groups of Xianglian Huazhuo prescription were administrated with corresponding agents by gavage， and those in the normal group and the model group were administrated with an equal volume of normal saline. All the mice were intervened once a day for 60 consecutive days. After the last administration， the overall morphological changes of the gastric tissue were observed. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and transmission electron microscopy （TEM） were used to evaluate the pathological morphology and the endoplasmic reticulum ultrastructure in the gastric tissue. The serum levels of pepsinogen Ⅰ （PGⅠ）， pepsinogen Ⅱ （PGⅡ）， gastrin-17 （G-17）， and GP73 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The pepsinogen ratio （PGR， PGⅠ/PGⅡ） was calculated. The protein levels of GP73， PERK， phosphorylated （p）-PERK， glucose-regulated protein 78 （GRP78）， ATF4， CCAAT enhancer-binding protein homologous protein （CHOP）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-12 （Caspase-12）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） were assessed by Western blot. The expression of GRP78 was detected by immunofluorescence （IF） assay， and the location of Bcl-2 and Bax by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed pale gastric mucosa with flattened folds and reduced and loosely arranged gastric mucosal glands， declined serum levels of PGI， PGR， G-17， and GP73 （P<0.01）. downregulated protein levels of GP73， p-PERK， ATF4， GRP78， CHOP， Caspase-12， and Bax in the gastric tissue， and upregulated protein level of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Morodan group and each Xianglian Huazhuo prescription group exhibited red gastric mucosa with increased folds， alleviated pathological damage， swelling endoplasmic reticulum， elevated serum levels of PGI， G-17， and GP73 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and upregulated protein levels of Caspase-12 and Bax and downregulated protein level of Bcl-2 in the gastric tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The Morodan group and the high-dose and medium-dose Xianglian Huazhuo prescription groups exhibited increased serum level of PGR （P<0.05， P<0.01） and upregulated protein levels of GP73， p-PERK， ATF4， GRP78， and CHOP in the gastric tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionXianglian Huazhuo prescription can activate the GP73/PERK/ATF4 signaling pathway and induce ERS-mediated apoptosis to alleviate the pathological damage of the gastric mucosa， thereby demonstrating a protective effect against CAG in mice.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism by which Xianglian Huazhuo prescription （XLHZ） ameliorates chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） through regulating glycolysis via the microRNA-34b-5p （miR-34b-5p）/6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2，6-bisphosphatase 1 （PFKFB1） signaling pathway. MethodsBioinformatic screening was performed to identify the target genes of miR-34b-5p. In the animal experiments， a mouse model of CAG was established through a combination of N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG）， ranitidine， and irregular feeding. The mice were randomized into the following groups： normal， model， Morodan group （2 g·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose XLHZ groups（7.2，3.8，1.9 g·kg^-1）. In the cell experiments， GES-1 cells were treated with MNNG for the modeling of CAG and grouped as follows： GES-1， MNNG+GES-1， MNNG+GES-1+XLHZ（10%）， MNNG+GES-1+miR-34b-5p mimics， MNNG+GES-1+miR-34b-5p inhibitor， MNNG+GES-1+PFKFB1 inhibitor， and MNNG+GES-1+PFKFB1 mimics+XLHZ（10%）. The general conditions of mice were observed. Real-time PCR was adopted to measure the expression levels of miRNA-34b-5p and PFKFB1 mRNA in the gastric mucosa of mice in each group. Dual luciferase reporter gene was used to verify the targeting interaction between miR-34b-5p and PFKFB1 in GES-1 cells exposed to MNNG. The cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） was used to screen the drug-containing serum concentration. Real-time PCR was employed to verify the transfection efficiency. Fluorescent probes were used to detect the expression and nuclear translocation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α） in each group of cells. The protein levels of HIF-1α， hexokinase 2 （HK2）， PFKFB1， phosphofructokinase 1 （PFK1）， and lactate dehydrogenase （LDHA） in the gastric mucosa of mice were determined by Western blot. The levels of glucose consumption and lactate in the serum and cells were measured by biochemical methods. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was adopted to measure the content of adenosine triphosphate （ATP） in the gastric mucosa tissue and cells. ResultsThe animal experiments showed that compared with the normal group， the model group exhibited symptoms including mental fatigue， lethargy， sparse and dull fur， a tendency to curl up， sluggish responses， reduced food and water intake， and slow body weight gain. In addition， the model group showed decreased expression of miRNA-34b-5p （P<0.01）， increased mRNA level of PFKFB1 （P<0.01）， upregulated protein levels of HIF-1α， HK2， PFKFB1， PFK1， and LDHA （P<0.01）， and increased glucose consumption， lactate content， and ATP content （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the XLHZ group and Morodan group showed improved mental state， gradually improved fur， increased activity， food and water intake， and body weight. HE showed that each treatment group exhibited well arranged and increased gastric mucosal glands， reduced inflammatory cells， and recovered gastric pits. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the size of mitochondria in each treatment group returned to normal， with no obvious irregular shape， complete and clear cristae， and uniform matrix. Furthermore， each treatment group showed increased expression of miRNA-34b-5p （P<0.05）， reduced mRNA level of PFKFB1 （P<0.05）， downregulated protein levels of HIF-1α， HK2， PFKFB1， PFK1， and LDHA （P<0.05）， and decreased glucose consumption， lactic acid， and ATP （P<0.05）. The cell experiments showed that the expression and nuclear translocation of HIF-1α were reduced in all groups after treatment （P<0.05）. The cell transfection efficiency was satisfactory （P<0.05）. miR-34b-5p exhibited an effect comparable to that of XLHZ， effectively inhibiting glycolysis， whereas PFKFB1 promoted glycolysis and reversed the protective effect of XLHZ in CAG mice （P<0.05）. ConclusionXLHZ could regulate the miR-34b-5p/PFKFB1 axis to inhibit glycolysis， thereby ameliorating MNNG-induced gastric mucosal atrophy.

ObjectiveTo construct a competing endogenous RNA （ceRNA） network involving long non-coding RNA NOTCH1 （lncRNA NOTCH1） and investigate whether Xianglian Huazhuo prescription （XLHZ） ameliorates gastric mucosal injury via regulating ferroptosis through the lncRNA NOTCH1/microRNA-138-5p （miR-138-5p）/silent information regulator 1 （SIRT1） axis. MethodsLncRNA sequencing and bioinformatics tools were used to construct the ceRNA network involving lncRNA NOTCH1. In the animal experiments， a chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） model was induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG） in mice. Mice were randomized into normal， model， Morodan （2.0 g·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose （7.6， 3.8， 1.9 g·kg^-1， respectively） XLHZ groups （n=10）. Transmission electron microscopy was adopted to assess gastric pathology. Real-time PCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of lncRNA NOTCH1， miR-138-5p， SIRT1， nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）， and glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）. Western blot was adopted to quantify the protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， and GPX4 in the gastric tissue. In the cell experiment， dual-luciferase assay was employed to verify the targeting among lncRNA NOTCH1， miR-138-5p， and SIRT1. MNNG was used to treat GES-1 cells for disease modeling. The effects of NOTCH1 mimics on the expression of lncRNA NOTCH1， miR-138-5p， and SIRT1， as well as the effects of miR-138-5p inhibitor on the expression of miR-138-5p and SIRT1， were observed. The rescue experiment with XLHZ was designed with five groups： GES-1， GES-1+MNNG （Model）， Model+XLHZ， Model+NOTCH1 inhibitor+XLHZ， and Model+NOTCH1 inhibitor+miR-138-5p mimics+XLHZ. Real-time PCR and immunofluorescence assay were employed to measure the mRNA levels of lncRNA NOTCH1， miR-138-5p， SIRT1， Nrf2， and GPX4 and the Fe²⁺ content， respectively， in GES-1 cells. ResultsThe modeled mice showed mitochondrial damage with shrinkage and cristae loss， downregulated mRNA/protein levels of lncRNA NOTCH1， SIRT1， Nrf2， GPX4， and upregulated expression of miR-138-5p （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， drug treatments reduced mitochondrial structural damage and the membrane density decreased， partially recovered the crista structure， downregulated the expression of miR-138-5p， and upregulated the mRNA and protein levels of lncRNA NOTCH1， SIRT1， Nrf2， and GPX4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In the cell experiments， the dual-luciferase assays confirmed lncRNA NOTCH1 bound to miR-138-5p and miR-138-5p bound to SIRT1， both suppressing luciferase activity （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the blank control group， the model group showed decreased expression of lncRNA NOTCH1， SIRT1， Nrf2， GPX4， increased expression of miR-138-5p， and enhanced Fe²⁺ fluorescence （P<0.01）. NOTCH1 mimics or miR-138-5p inhibitor reversed these changes （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Rescue experiments showed that NOTCH1 inhibitor reversed XLHZ-induced miR-138-5p decrease and SIRT1 increase （P<0.01）， while miR-138-5p overexpression suppressed SIRT1 expression （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The results confirmed that lncRNA NOTCH1 negatively regulated miR-138-5p， which in turn negatively regulated SIRT1. ConclusionXLHZ effectively alleviates gastric mucosal injury and curbs CAG progression by inhibiting ferroptosis through modulation of the lncRNA NOTCH1/miR-138-5p/SIRT1 axis.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Xianglian Huazhuo prescription （XLHZ） in ameliorating chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） by regulating lysosomal iron metabolism. MethodsIn the animal experiments， a mouse model of CAG was established through a combined modeling approach， including free drinking of N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG， 100 mg·L^-1）， gavage of ranitidine （8 g·L^-1）， and irregular feeding. Mice were randomly assigned into the normal， model， Morodan （2.0 g·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose （7.2， 3.8， 1.9 g·kg^-1， respectively） XLHZ groups. In the cell experiments， GES-1 cells were treated with MNNG to construct a cell model of CAG， and cells were allocated into the GES-1， GES-1+MNNG （Model）， and Model+XLHZ groups. The general physical conditions of mice in each group were observed. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to detect the pathological morphology of the gastric mucosa. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to observe the ultrastructure of gastric mucosal cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was adopted to measure the serum levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-10 （IL-10） in the serum. Western blot was used to determine the protein levels of lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 （LAMP1）， nuclear receptor coactivator 4 （NCOA4）， ferritin heavy chain 1 （FTH1）， six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 3 （Steap3）， and transient receptor potential mucolipin 1 （TRPML1） in the gastric tissue. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the positive expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4） and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine （8-OHdG） in the gastric tissue. Fluorescent probe method was used to detect the levels of Fe²⁺ and reactive oxygen species （ROS）. Immunofluorescence assay was applied to observe the co-localization of FTH1 and LAMP1. ResultsThe animal experiments showed that compared with the normal group， the model group exhibited poor mental status and hair condition， accompanied by decreased locomotor activity， food and water intake， and even reduced body weight. HE staining results showed that the gastric mucosal epithelium of model mice presented poor continuity， significantly decreased mucosal thickness， irregular gastric fovea morphology with widened spacing， dilated glandular cavities， reduced and disarranged glands with obvious atrophy， and extensive inflammatory cell infiltration. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the mitochondria were markedly shrunken with condensed and deeply stained matrix， drastically reduced and irregularly arranged cristae， and even vacuolization， and the outer mitochondrial membrane shrank and ruptured. In addition， the model group showed elevated serum levels of IL-6 and IL-1β （P<0.01）， declined serum level of IL-10 （P<0.01）， upregulated protein levels of LAMP1， NCOA4， Steap3， and TRPML1 （P<0.01）， downregulated protein level of FTH1 （P<0.01） in the gastric tissue， reduced positive expression of GPX4 （P<0.01）， and increased positive expression of 8-OHdG （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all the treatment groups showed improved mental state and hair appearance， increased locomotor activity， food and water intake， as well as gradual body weight gain in mice. HE staining demonstrated that the gastric mucosal epithelium of mice in each treatment group was continuous and intact， with normalized gastric fovea morphology， narrowed glandular cavities， increased and neatly arranged glands， and alleviated inflammatory cell infiltration. Transmission electron microscopy results showed that the mitochondria in mice from each treatment group possessed intact structures with recovered normal volume， increased and regularly arranged cristae， and homogeneous density of the mitochondrial membrane. The mice treated with high and medium doses of XLHZ exhibited declined serum levels of IL-6 and IL-1β （P<0.01） and elevated serum level of IL-10 （P<0.01）. Low-dose XLHZ reduced serum IL-1β level in mice （P<0.05）. The expression levels of LAMP1， NCOA4， Steap3 and TRPML1 protein in gastric tissue of mice in XLHZ high- and medium-dose groups were decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the expression level of FTH1 protein was increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The positive expression of GPX4 in the gastric tissue was increased in the high- and medium-dose XLHZ groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and that of 8-OHdG was decreased in all treatment groups （P<0.01）. The cell experiments showed that compared with the GES-1 group， the fluorescence intensities of Fe²⁺ and ROS， as well as the co-localization of FTH1 and LAMP1， were significantly increased in the GES-1 + MNNG group （P<0.01）. Compared with the GES-1 + MNNG group， the fluorescence intensities of Fe²⁺ and ROS were markedly decreased in the Model + XLHZ group （P<0.01）， while the co-localization of FTH1 and LAMP1 was reduced （P<0.05）. ConclusionXLHZ can effectively regulate lysosomal iron metabolism and ameliorate gastric mucosal and cellular injury induced by CAG.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which Xianglian Huazhuo prescription ameliorates chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） through regulating the Golgi protein 73 （GP73）/protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase （PERK）/activating transcription factor 4 （ATF4） signaling pathway and modulating endoplasmic reticulum stress （ERS）. MethodA mouse model of CAG was induced by multiple factors， including ranitidine， N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG）， and irregular feeding. The CAG mice were randomized into five groups： model， Morodan （2.0 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose （7.6， 3.8， 1.9 g·kg^-1， respectively） Xianglian Huazhuo prescription， with 10 mice in each group. At the same time， 10 mice in normal group were set up. The mice in the Morodan group and the high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose groups of Xianglian Huazhuo prescription were administrated with corresponding agents by gavage， and those in the normal group and the model group were administrated with an equal volume of normal saline. All the mice were intervened once a day for 60 consecutive days. After the last administration， the overall morphological changes of the gastric tissue were observed. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and transmission electron microscopy （TEM） were used to evaluate the pathological morphology and the endoplasmic reticulum ultrastructure in the gastric tissue. The serum levels of pepsinogen Ⅰ （PGⅠ）， pepsinogen Ⅱ （PGⅡ）， gastrin-17 （G-17）， and GP73 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The pepsinogen ratio （PGR， PGⅠ/PGⅡ） was calculated. The protein levels of GP73， PERK， phosphorylated （p）-PERK， glucose-regulated protein 78 （GRP78）， ATF4， CCAAT enhancer-binding protein homologous protein （CHOP）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-12 （Caspase-12）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） were assessed by Western blot. The expression of GRP78 was detected by immunofluorescence （IF） assay， and the location of Bcl-2 and Bax by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed pale gastric mucosa with flattened folds and reduced and loosely arranged gastric mucosal glands， declined serum levels of PGI， PGR， G-17， and GP73 （P<0.01）. downregulated protein levels of GP73， p-PERK， ATF4， GRP78， CHOP， Caspase-12， and Bax in the gastric tissue， and upregulated protein level of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Morodan group and each Xianglian Huazhuo prescription group exhibited red gastric mucosa with increased folds， alleviated pathological damage， swelling endoplasmic reticulum， elevated serum levels of PGI， G-17， and GP73 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and upregulated protein levels of Caspase-12 and Bax and downregulated protein level of Bcl-2 in the gastric tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The Morodan group and the high-dose and medium-dose Xianglian Huazhuo prescription groups exhibited increased serum level of PGR （P<0.05， P<0.01） and upregulated protein levels of GP73， p-PERK， ATF4， GRP78， and CHOP in the gastric tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionXianglian Huazhuo prescription can activate the GP73/PERK/ATF4 signaling pathway and induce ERS-mediated apoptosis to alleviate the pathological damage of the gastric mucosa， thereby demonstrating a protective effect against CAG in mice.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism by which Xianglian Huazhuo prescription （XLHZ） ameliorates chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） through regulating glycolysis via the microRNA-34b-5p （miR-34b-5p）/6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2，6-bisphosphatase 1 （PFKFB1） signaling pathway. MethodsBioinformatic screening was performed to identify the target genes of miR-34b-5p. In the animal experiments， a mouse model of CAG was established through a combination of N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG）， ranitidine， and irregular feeding. The mice were randomized into the following groups： normal， model， Morodan group （2 g·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose XLHZ groups（7.2，3.8，1.9 g·kg^-1）. In the cell experiments， GES-1 cells were treated with MNNG for the modeling of CAG and grouped as follows： GES-1， MNNG+GES-1， MNNG+GES-1+XLHZ（10%）， MNNG+GES-1+miR-34b-5p mimics， MNNG+GES-1+miR-34b-5p inhibitor， MNNG+GES-1+PFKFB1 inhibitor， and MNNG+GES-1+PFKFB1 mimics+XLHZ（10%）. The general conditions of mice were observed. Real-time PCR was adopted to measure the expression levels of miRNA-34b-5p and PFKFB1 mRNA in the gastric mucosa of mice in each group. Dual luciferase reporter gene was used to verify the targeting interaction between miR-34b-5p and PFKFB1 in GES-1 cells exposed to MNNG. The cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） was used to screen the drug-containing serum concentration. Real-time PCR was employed to verify the transfection efficiency. Fluorescent probes were used to detect the expression and nuclear translocation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α） in each group of cells. The protein levels of HIF-1α， hexokinase 2 （HK2）， PFKFB1， phosphofructokinase 1 （PFK1）， and lactate dehydrogenase （LDHA） in the gastric mucosa of mice were determined by Western blot. The levels of glucose consumption and lactate in the serum and cells were measured by biochemical methods. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was adopted to measure the content of adenosine triphosphate （ATP） in the gastric mucosa tissue and cells. ResultsThe animal experiments showed that compared with the normal group， the model group exhibited symptoms including mental fatigue， lethargy， sparse and dull fur， a tendency to curl up， sluggish responses， reduced food and water intake， and slow body weight gain. In addition， the model group showed decreased expression of miRNA-34b-5p （P<0.01）， increased mRNA level of PFKFB1 （P<0.01）， upregulated protein levels of HIF-1α， HK2， PFKFB1， PFK1， and LDHA （P<0.01）， and increased glucose consumption， lactate content， and ATP content （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the XLHZ group and Morodan group showed improved mental state， gradually improved fur， increased activity， food and water intake， and body weight. HE showed that each treatment group exhibited well arranged and increased gastric mucosal glands， reduced inflammatory cells， and recovered gastric pits. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the size of mitochondria in each treatment group returned to normal， with no obvious irregular shape， complete and clear cristae， and uniform matrix. Furthermore， each treatment group showed increased expression of miRNA-34b-5p （P<0.05）， reduced mRNA level of PFKFB1 （P<0.05）， downregulated protein levels of HIF-1α， HK2， PFKFB1， PFK1， and LDHA （P<0.05）， and decreased glucose consumption， lactic acid， and ATP （P<0.05）. The cell experiments showed that the expression and nuclear translocation of HIF-1α were reduced in all groups after treatment （P<0.05）. The cell transfection efficiency was satisfactory （P<0.05）. miR-34b-5p exhibited an effect comparable to that of XLHZ， effectively inhibiting glycolysis， whereas PFKFB1 promoted glycolysis and reversed the protective effect of XLHZ in CAG mice （P<0.05）. ConclusionXLHZ could regulate the miR-34b-5p/PFKFB1 axis to inhibit glycolysis， thereby ameliorating MNNG-induced gastric mucosal atrophy.