Metabolic diseases have seen a steady increase in incidence in recent years, becoming one of the main causes of sub-health status globally. Neutrophil extracellular traps(NETs) are reticular complexes containing DNA, which trap foreign microorganisms or induce an immune response. Current research indicates that NETs are widely active in various metabolic diseases and can cause severe damage to the body through multiple mechanisms, including promoting blood glucose elevation, damaging vascular endothelial cells, forming vascular embolisms, triggering intense inflammation, and promoting lipid accumulation. Therefore, intervening in NETs is an important approach to treating metabolic diseases. Research has shown a close relationship between the theory of spleen heat-turbid toxin theory and metabolic diseases-NETs mechanism. The basic pathogenesis include the internal accumulation of phlegm-dampness, qi stagnation and blood stasis, internal accumulation of dampness-heat, phlegm and blood stasis, and flourishing toxic heat. Various Chinese herbal medicines with the functions of dispelling dampness, resolving phlegm, promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, and clearing heat and toxins, along with their extracts and compound prescriptions, can treat metabolic diseases by regulating NETs and delaying disease progression. This paper systematically outlined the formation mechanisms of NETs, their connection to metabolic diseases, the theoretical basis in TCM, their roles in numerous metabolic diseases, and the current research status of TCM in regulating NETs to prevent and control metabolic diseases, aiming to provide effective reference ideas for developing therapeutic strategies for metabolic diseases.
Humans ; Extracellular Traps/metabolism* ; Metabolic Diseases/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Neutrophils/metabolism* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

This study aims to comprehensively analyze the material basis of toad visceral oil(hereafter referred to as toad oil), and explore the pharmacological effect of toad oil on atopic dermatitis(AD). Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap/orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry(UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) were employed to comprehensively identify the chemical components in toad oil. The animal model of AD was prepared by the hapten stimulation method. The modeled animals were respectively administrated with positive drug(0.1% hydrocortisone butyrate cream) and low-and high-doses(1%, 10%) of toad oil by gavage. The effect of toad oil on AD was evaluated with the AD score, ear swelling rate, spleen index, and pathological section results as indicators. A total of 99 components were identified by UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS, including 14 bufadienolides, 7 fatty acids, 6 alkaloids, 10 ketones, 18 amides, and other compounds. After methylation of toad oil samples, a total of 20 compounds were identified by GC-MS. Compared with the model group, the low-and high-dose toad oil groups showed declined AD score, ear swelling rate, and spleen index, alleviated skin lesions, and reduced infiltrating mast cells. This study comprehensively analyzes the chemical composition and clarifies the material basis of toad oil. Meanwhile, this study proves that toad oil has a good therapeutic effect on AD and is a reserve resource of traditional Chinese medicine for external use in the treatment of AD.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Atopic/immunology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice ; Male ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Humans ; Bufonidae ; Oils/administration & dosage* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Female ; Mice, Inbred BALB C

This study aims to investigate the effect of Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula on the neuroinflammation of rats with insomnia complicated with depression through the regulation of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2(TREM2)/complement protein C1q signaling pathway. Rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a positive drug group, as well as a high, medium, and low-dose groups of Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula, with 10 rats in each group. Except for the normal group, the other groups were injected with p-chlorophenylalanine and exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress to establish the rat model of insomnia complicated with depression. The sucrose preference experiment, open field experiment, and water maze test were performed to evaluate the depression in rats. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to detect serum 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT), dopamine(DA), and norepinephrine(NE) levels. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the damage in nucleus accumbens neurons. Western blot and immunofluorescence were performed to detect TREM2, C1q, postsynaptic density 95(PSD-95), and synaptophysin 1(SYN1) expressions in rat nucleus accumbens, respectively. Golgi-Cox staining was utilized to observe the synaptic spine density of nucleus accumbens neurons. The results show that, compared with the model group, Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula can significantly increase the sucrose preference as well as the distance and number of voluntary activities, shorten the immobility time in forced swimming test and the successful incubation period of positioning navigation, and prolong the stay time of space exploration in the target quadrant test. The serum 5-HT, DA, and NE contents in the model group are significantly lower than those in the normal group, with the above contents significantly increased after the intervention of Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula. In addition, Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula can alleviate pathological damages such as swelling and loose arrangement of tissue cells in the nucleus accumbens, while increasing the Nissl body numbers. Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula can improve synaptic damage in the nucleus accumbens and increase the synaptic spine density. Compared to the normal group, the expression of C1q protein was significantly higher in the model group, while the expression of TREM2 protein was significantly lower. Compared to the model group, the intervention with Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula significantly downregulated the expression of C1q protein and significantly upregulated the expression of TREM2. Compared with the model group, the PSD-95 and SYN1 fluorescence intensity is significantly increased in the groups receiving different doses of Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula. In summary, Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula can reduce the C1q protein expression, relieve the TREM2 inhibition, and promote the synapse-related proteins PSD-95 and SNY1 expression. Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula improves synaptic injury of the nucleus accumbens neurons, thereby treating insomnia complicated with depression.
Animals ; Male ; Rats ; Nucleus Accumbens/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Depression/complications* ; Membrane Glycoproteins/genetics* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/complications* ; Neurons/metabolism* ; Receptors, Immunologic/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Synapses/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Qualitative analysis of the ingredients absorbed into blood and their metabolites of Xihuang pill (XHP) were conducted using high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) technology. Network pharmacology was used to explore the potential anticancer mechanisms of the ingredients against glioma, and their specific mechanisms were validated through molecular docking and experimental verification. SD rats were intragastrically administered with XHP, and rat serum samples were collected. Ingredients absorbed into blood and their metabolites were identified based on the retention time of chromatographic peaks, accurate molecular mass, characteristic fragment ions, and comparisons with reference substances and literature data. PharmMapper and SwissTarget Prediction databases were used to obtain the targets of the XHP-medicated serum, while GeneCards, OMIM, PharmGKB, TTD, and DrugBank databases were used to obtain glioma disease targets. The "component-target" network relationship diagram was constructed using Cytoscape 3.9.1 software. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network diagram was constructed using the STRING database, and the targets were analyzed using GO and KEGG analyses. Molecular docking was used to verify the binding ability of core targets with their corresponding compounds in XHP-medicated serum. The potential mechanism of the anti-glioma effect of 11-keto-β-boswellic acid (KBA), a representative component of XHP-medicated serum, was verified using CCK-8 and Western blot assays. A total of 40 compounds were identified in the XHP-medicated serum, including 28 prototype components and 12 metabolites. The network pharmacology results showed that elemonic acid, 3-acetyl-β-boswellic acid, KBA, α-boswellic acid, and other 5 compounds might be the active ingredients of XHP-medicated serum in the treatment of glioma. Glutathione reductase (GSR), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY), aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B1 (AKR1B1) and glutaredoxin (GLRX) were identified as key targets, involving pathways such as glutathione metabolism and the pentose phosphate pathway. Further cell experiments showed that KBA significantly inhibited the proliferation of T98G cells with an IC₅₀ of 30.96 μmol·L^-1, and KBA (30 μmol·L^-1) significantly downregulated the protein expression levels of GSR in T98G cells. In summary, XHP-medicated serum may exert its anti-glioma effect by regulating GSR and G6PD-targeted pathways involved in glutathione metabolism. These results provide valuable evidence for further investigating the mechanism of XHP in treating glioma. The animal welfare and experimental procedures were approved by the Ethical Committee of Laboratory Animals at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (approval No. ACU221001).

Anti-tumor traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of clinic application, in which the star molecules have always been the hotspot of modern drug research, but they are limited by the solubility, stability, targeting, bioactivity or toxicity of the monomer components of traditional Chinese medicine anti-tumor star molecules and other pharmacokinetic problems, which hinders the traditional Chinese medicine anti-tumor star molecules for further clinical translation and application. Currently, the nanosystems prepared by supramolecular technologies such as molecular self-assembly and nanomaterial encapsulation have broader application prospects in improving the anti-tumor effect of active components of traditional Chinese medicine, which has attracted extensive attention from scholars at home and abroad. In this paper, we systematically review the research progress in preparation of supramolecular nano-systems from anti-tumor star molecule of traditional Chinese medicine, and summarize the two major categories and ten small classes of carrier-free and carrier-based supramolecular nanosystems and their research cases, and the future development direction is put forward. The purpose of this paper is to provide reference for the research and clinical transformation of using supramolecular technology to improve the clinical application of anti-tumor star molecule of traditional Chinese medicine.

Objective To explore the mechanism of action of lamotrigine in the treatment of major depressive disorder(MDD).Methods Information on the drug targets of lamotrigine and the therapeutic targets of MDD were collected for intersection target gene analysis and protein-protein interaction screening.Various biological pathways related to lamotrigine in treatment of MDD were determined through gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis.The screened core targets were preliminarily validated using molecular docking technology.Further validation of Mendelian randomization was conducted using genome-wide association analysis data from gamma-aminobutyric acid recep tor-associated protein-like 1(GABARAPL1)and MDD in the OpenGWAS database.Results The biological pathways related to lamotrigine in treatment of MDD were identified,which included gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA)ergic synapses,nicotine addiction,glutamatergic synapses,endogenous cannabinoid signaling.Molecular docking showed that the docking energy of lamotrigine with GABRA1,GABRB2,GABRA6,GABRD,GABRG2,GABRG1,GABRA5,GABRA4,GABRB3,and GABRA2 receptors was-5.8 kCal·mol-1.Among them,the GABRB3 receptor showed the strongest docking energy with lamotrigine,which was-9.5 kCal·mol-1.In the genome-wide association analysis data of GABARAPL1,303 single nucleotide polymorphisms were associated with GABARAPL1(P＜5 × 106).15 single nucleotide polymorphisms were screened and retained for Mendelian randomization analysis,and the results showed that GABA receptors may be an important therapeutic target for MDD.Conclusion The treatment of MDD with lamotrigine may be achieved by acting on GABA receptors,which provided a research basis for the clinical application of lamotrigine in treating MDD.

Aim To explore the antimicrobial activity of a novel R-type phage tail-like bacteriocin(PTLB)secreted by Enterobacter cloacae SHAMU191747 a-gainst methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MR-SA).Methods Antagonistic activity of E.cloacae SHAMU191747 against MRS A was detected by LB agar plate antagonistic test and LB broth micro-fermentation test.The crude extract of fermentation supernatant of E.cloacae SHAMU191747 was prepared by ultra-high-speed centrifugation and density gradient centrifuga-tion.The novel R-type PTLB in the crude extract was detected by transmission electron microscopy.The an-timicrobial activity of the crude extract against MRSA was verified by LB agar plate spot-seeding method.The molecular weight of the novel R-type PTLB was detected by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis.Results E.cloacae SHAMU191747 secreted a novel R-type PTLB,and had a strong antagonistic effect on MRSA.The no-vel R-type PTLB had a molecular weight of approxi-mately 35 ku and could efficiently kill MRSA.The physical dimensions of its tail-sheath-uncontracted functional molecules were(142.7±4.3)×(13.8±0.6)nm,and those of the tail-sheath-contracted non-functional molecules were(57.7±1.2)×(20.8±1.5)nm.Conclusions The novel R-type PTLB pro-duced by E.cloacae SHAMU191747 can efficiently kill MRSA,and has the potential to be developed into a novel antimicrobial drug with great prospects for clini-cal application.

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety between hypofractionated radiotherapy(HyRt)and conventional radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery.Methods This study was a single-center,prospective,randomized controlled study.Eighty-three patients with pTis-T2N0M0 breast cancer admitted to Tangshan People's Hospital from May 2017 to May 2019 were included.The patients received breast-conserving surgery+sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB).After surgery,they were treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy(IMRT).According to random table method,patients were divided into HyRt group(n=41)and conventional radiotherapy group(n=42).The dose of organs at risk,treatment efficacy,treatment failure modes,and radiotherapy related adverse reactions were analyzed in the two groups.The radiotherapy-related adverse reactions were evaluated according to NCI CTC AE Version 3.0,including radiation dermatitis,radiation pneumonia,breast/skin fibrosis,pulmonary fibrosis,etc.Results Eighty-three patients with breast cancer were included,with a median age of 44(26-67)years.There was no statistically significant difference in clinical parameters such as age(P=0.443),TNM stage(P=0.335),molecular typing(P=0.333),degree of differentiation(P=0.617),and pathological type(P=0.127)between the two groups of patients.Compared with conventional radiotherapy group,the V5(25.6％vs.33.8％,P=0.015),V20(13.3％vs.17.2％,P=0.042),and the mean radiation dose(MLD;7.4 Gy vs.10.4 Gy,P=0.020)of the affected lung of HyRt group significantly decreased.Only 3 patients in this study experienced distant metastasis,and no regional lymph node metastasis or local recurrence was observed.There was no significant difference in PFS rate at 2 years between HyRt group and conventional radiotherapy group(94.4％vs.85.2％,P=0.818).Compared with conventional radiotherapy group,the incidence of≥grade Ⅱ irradiation dermatitis in HyRt group was significantly reduced(2.4％vs.21.4％,P=0.015).There was no difference in the incidence of grade Ⅰ breast/skin fibrosis(19.5％vs.14.3％,P=0.570)between the two groups,and no grade Ⅲ radiotherapy-related side effects were observed in the two groups.Conclusions Compared with conventional radiotherapy with simultaneously integrated boosting-intensity modulated radiotherapy,the patients who received HyRt after breast-conserving surgery for early-stage breast cancer have good tolerance and low incidence of adverse reactions.HyRt can be used as the first option of radiation therapy.

BACKGROUND: All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) promotes the osteogenic differentiation induced by bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9), but the intrinsic relationship between BMP9 and ATRA keeps unknown. Herein, we investigated the effect of Cyp26b1, a critical enzyme of ATRA degradation, on the BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and unveiled possible mechanism through which BMP9 regulates the expression of Cyp26b1. METHODS: ATRA content was detected with ELISA and HPLC–MS/MS. PCR, Western blot, and histochemical staining were used to assay the osteogenic markers. Fetal limbs culture, cranial defect repair model, and micro–computed tomographic were used to evaluate the quality of bone formation. IP and ChIP assay were used to explore possible mechanism. RESULTS: We found that the protein level of Cyp26b1 was increased with age, whereas the ATRA content decreased. The osteogenic markers induced by BMP9 were increased by inhibiting or silencing Cyp26b1 but reduced by exogenous Cyp26b1. The BMP9-induced bone formation was enhanced by inhibiting Cyp26b1. The cranial defect repair was promoted by BMP9, which was strengthened by silencing Cyp26b1 and reduced by exogenous Cyp26b1. Mechanically, Cyp26b1 was reduced by BMP9, which was enhanced by activating Wnt/b-catenin, and reduced by inhibiting this pathway. b-catenin interacts with Smad1/5/9, and both were recruited at the promoter of Cyp26b1. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggested the BMP9-induced osteoblastic differentiation was mediated by activating retinoic acid signalling, viadown-regulating Cyp26b1. Meanwhile, Cyp26b1 may be a novel potential therapeutic target for the treatment of bone-related diseases or accelerating bone-tissue engineering.