Ferroptosis is a unique regulated form of cell death that is distinct from apoptosis, necrosis, and other well-characterized regulated cell death types, and plays an important role in the occurrence and development of chronic metabolic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Recently, increasing evidence has supported traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a new hot spot for the treatment of chronic metabolic diseases by mediating ferroptosis. Unfortunately, few systematic reviews have described the importance of TCM in treating chronic metabolic diseases through the ferroptosis pathway. In the current review, the mechanism of ferroptosis and the roles of ferroptosis in chronic metabolic diseases are summarized. Additionally, this review illustrates that the regulation of ferroptosis by TCM could be an effective approach for treating chronic metabolic diseases based on experimental evidence and clinical application. In summary, this work will improve the understanding of ferroptosis and the ability of TCM to regulate ferroptosis in chronic metabolic diseases, thereby promoting the development and application of natural TCM.

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The study aims to investigate the impacts of prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) on the replication of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in BHK-21 cells. Firstly, the effects of FMDV replication on POP expression in BHK-21 cells were analyzed by Western blotting and Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Secondly, a eukaryotic expression plasmid for POP was constructed, and the effects of POP overexpression on the replication of two different serotypes of FMDV were assessed by Western blotting, RT-qPCR, and virus titer assays. Thirdly, specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting POP were synthesized, and their efficiency in interfering with endogenous POP expression was identified by RT-qPCR. The impacts of downregulating endogenous POP expression on FMDV replication were further evaluated by Western blotting, RT-qPCR, and virus titer assays. The results indicated that FMDV infection did not significantly affect POP expression in BHK-21 cells. Overexpression of POP dose-dependently enhanced the replication of both FMDV/O and FMDV/A serotypes. Conversely, siRNA-mediated downregulation of endogenous POP expression markedly suppressed FMDV/O replication. This study is the first to demonstrated that the role of the host POP protein in promoting FMDV replication in BHK-21 cells, thereby providing a critical theoretical foundation and potential molecular targets for developing efficient candidate cell strains for foot-and-mouth disease inactivated vaccines.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus/genetics* ; Virus Replication/genetics* ; Prolyl Oligopeptidases ; Serine Endopeptidases/physiology* ; Animals ; Cell Line ; RNA, Small Interfering/genetics* ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease/virology* ; Cricetinae

Objective:To evaluate the effect of lifestyle interventions based on mobile health technolo-gy on gestational weight gain among overweight or obese pregnant women,to explore the influencing fac-tors of the intervention effect,and to provide scientific evidence for weight management during pregnan-cy.Methods:The randomized controlled trial(RCT)design was used.From April 2024 to August 2024,200 singleton overweight or obese pregnant women aged 18-40 years in early pregnancy were re-cruited and stratified block-randomized according to body mass index(BMI)categories,age,and parity.The control group received routine prenatal care,while the intervention group received lifestyle interven-tions based on mobile health technology,which included biweekly face-to-face or telephone sessions;weekly recording of dietary behavior goals with personalized feedback on WeChat public account;6 000 steps per day and 150 minutes of brisk walking per week;and weekly weight recording with personalized feedback.Based on the intention-to-treat principle,generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze the effects on weight gain and weight gain rate up to 24-28 gestational weeks,gestational diabetes melli-tus(GDM),and dietary and physical activity behaviors.Additionally,subgroup analysis and interaction analysis were conducted to explore whether intervention effects on weight gain varied by different maternal characteristics.Results:The mean age of the women in the intervention and control groups was(30.49±3.99)years and(29.83±3.95)years,respectively,with gestational weeks at enrollment being(11.35±1.61)weeks and(11.26±1.52)weeks.No statistically significant differences were observed in the baseline characteristics between the two groups(P＞0.05).In the study,10 and 12 participants were lost to the follow-up in the intervention and control groups,respectively,with 178 women comple-ting the midterm follow-up.At the midterm follow-up(24-28 weeks),the weight gain in the interven-tion and control groups was(5.00±3.72)kg and(6.57±4.28)kg,respectively.After adjusting for age,parity,gravidity,region,pre-pregnancy BMI categories,and socioeconomic status,the between-group difference was-1.63 kg(95％CI:-2.80 to-0.46;P=0.007).The adjusted between-group difference in weight gain rate was-0.07 kg/week(95％CI:-0.11 to-0.02;P=0.005).Com-pared with the control group,the intervention group had lower fasting blood glucose at the oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT)by 0.19 mmol/L(95％CI:0.04 to0.33;P=0.013).No significant difference was observed in GDM incidence between the two groups.Among different subgroups based on characteris-tics,such as age,region,socioeconomic status,and parity,there was no statistically significant dif-ference in the effect on weight gain.Conclusion:The lifestyle interventions based on mobile health tech-nology effectively controlled weight gain up to 24-28 gestational weeks among overweight or obese women and improved fasting blood glucose level.This has significant public health implications for impro-ving the health of overweight or obese pregnant women in China.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of lifestyle interventions based on mobile health technolo-gy on gestational weight gain among overweight or obese pregnant women,to explore the influencing fac-tors of the intervention effect,and to provide scientific evidence for weight management during pregnan-cy.Methods:The randomized controlled trial(RCT)design was used.From April 2024 to August 2024,200 singleton overweight or obese pregnant women aged 18-40 years in early pregnancy were re-cruited and stratified block-randomized according to body mass index(BMI)categories,age,and parity.The control group received routine prenatal care,while the intervention group received lifestyle interven-tions based on mobile health technology,which included biweekly face-to-face or telephone sessions;weekly recording of dietary behavior goals with personalized feedback on WeChat public account;6 000 steps per day and 150 minutes of brisk walking per week;and weekly weight recording with personalized feedback.Based on the intention-to-treat principle,generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze the effects on weight gain and weight gain rate up to 24-28 gestational weeks,gestational diabetes melli-tus(GDM),and dietary and physical activity behaviors.Additionally,subgroup analysis and interaction analysis were conducted to explore whether intervention effects on weight gain varied by different maternal characteristics.Results:The mean age of the women in the intervention and control groups was(30.49±3.99)years and(29.83±3.95)years,respectively,with gestational weeks at enrollment being(11.35±1.61)weeks and(11.26±1.52)weeks.No statistically significant differences were observed in the baseline characteristics between the two groups(P＞0.05).In the study,10 and 12 participants were lost to the follow-up in the intervention and control groups,respectively,with 178 women comple-ting the midterm follow-up.At the midterm follow-up(24-28 weeks),the weight gain in the interven-tion and control groups was(5.00±3.72)kg and(6.57±4.28)kg,respectively.After adjusting for age,parity,gravidity,region,pre-pregnancy BMI categories,and socioeconomic status,the between-group difference was-1.63 kg(95％CI:-2.80 to-0.46;P=0.007).The adjusted between-group difference in weight gain rate was-0.07 kg/week(95％CI:-0.11 to-0.02;P=0.005).Com-pared with the control group,the intervention group had lower fasting blood glucose at the oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT)by 0.19 mmol/L(95％CI:0.04 to0.33;P=0.013).No significant difference was observed in GDM incidence between the two groups.Among different subgroups based on characteris-tics,such as age,region,socioeconomic status,and parity,there was no statistically significant dif-ference in the effect on weight gain.Conclusion:The lifestyle interventions based on mobile health tech-nology effectively controlled weight gain up to 24-28 gestational weeks among overweight or obese women and improved fasting blood glucose level.This has significant public health implications for impro-ving the health of overweight or obese pregnant women in China.

Cancer， one of the deadliest diseases caused by cells escaping homeostasis， abnormal proliferation， and abnormal differentiation， is fast becoming one of the most burdensome diseases of this century. With decades of human research and cognitive changes in cancer， cancer treatment is also developing rapidly， but there is still a lack of effective treatment and countermeasures. Especially， the search for safe， efficient， and non-toxic drugs has become a long-term goal in the field of cancer. Saponins extracted and separated from traditional Chinese medicine can improve cancer through various pathways and have almost no toxic side effects. Therefore， the research on the anti-cancer effect of saponins is heating up. It is found that saponins play anti-tumor roles by inhibiting proliferation， metastasis， and angiogenesis of cancer cells， promoting apoptosis of cancer cells， inducing autophagy of tumor cells， and regulating miRNA expression and immune functions. Chinese herbal medicine saponins can regulate secretory glycoprotein /β-catenin （Wnt/β-catenin）， adenylate activated protein kinase （AMPK）， nuclear transcription factor-κB （NF-κB）， mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， Janus kinase/activator of signal transduction and transcription 3 （JAK/ STAT3）， hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）， Toll-like receptor （TLR）， and other related signaling pathways to get involved in the proliferation， metastasis， angiogenesis， apoptosis， autophagy， and other processes of cancer cells， thus interfering with the progression of cancer. Therefore， the focus of this review is to update the discovery and evaluation of Chinese herbal medicine saponins with anti-cancer properties， clarify their mechanism of action， including the progress of related signaling pathways， and deepen the understanding of the anti-cancer function of Chinese herbal medicine saponins， so as to provide a new perspective and direction for the prevention and treatment of tumors by traditional Chinese medicine and better promote the development and utilization of resources.

Clinical trials of drugs for rare diseases face special challenges such as a limited number of patients,difficult recruitment,long trial period,and frequent video interviews during the trial.Therefore,in the clinical operation of rare diseases,a decentralized clinical trials(DCT)model based on the"patient-cen-tred"research and development concept is implemented.With the help of decentralized elements and digital health technology,the barriers of geographical restrictions can be overcome and subjects do not have to be limit-ed to traditional clinical trial sites(hospitals/research centers),which can significantly reduce the burden on subjects,increase their representation,and obtain a wider range of scientific research data.To guide the indus-try's scientific and standardized application of DCT in the research and development of drugs for rare diseases,the Center for Drug Evaluation of the National Medical Products Administration(NMPA)organized the stake holders to draft the Technical Guideline for the Application of Decentralized Clinical Trials in the Research and Development of Drugs for Rare Diseases.This guideline provides scientific recommendations for the development and implementation of DCT for rare disease drugs.It aims to solve the difficult and key problems during rare disease drug research and development,improve the efficiency and optimize patient experience.This article,combining the research and development concepts in the guideline,explains the current research and develop-ment thinking on the application of DCT in the research and development of rare disease drugs,with a view of providing reference for the industry.

OBJECTIVE To study the protective effect and mechanism of Bupleurum chinense polysaccharides （BCP） on acute liver injury （ALI） in mice. METHODS Overall 40 mice were randomly divided into normal group， model group， positive control group （Baogan tablet， 550 mg/kg）， BCP high-dose and low-dose groups （400， 100 mg/kg）， with 8 mice in each group. The drug was administered intragastrical once a day for 7 days. One hour after the last administration， except for the normal group， mice in other groups were injected with 20 mg/kg concanavalin A solution through the tail vein to establish ALI model. After injection of concanavalin A solution for 12 h， the liver and spleen indexes of mice were measured， and the pathological changes of liver and spleen tissue were observed； the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） were detected， and the levels of superoxide dismutase （SOD） and malondialdehyde （MDA） in liver tissue were detected. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6） and IL-1β in serum and liver tissue of mice were determined， as well as the protein expression levels of nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）， Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） and heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1） in liver tissue were also detected. RESULTS Compared with the normal group， the liver tissue of mice in the model group was necrotic and infiltrated with inflammatory cells； spleen enlargement， increased bleeding and decreased lymphocytes were observed， liver and spleen indexes were increased significantly （P＜0.01）； the serum levels of AST， ALT and LDH， the levels of TNF-α， IL-6 and IL-1β in serum and liver tissue， as well as the MDA level， protein expressions of TLR4， NF- κB and HO-1 in liver tissue were all increased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The levels of SOD and protein expression of Nrf2 in liver tissue were all decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the pathological damages of the liver and the spleen tissues in mice alleviated in BCP high-dose and low-dose groups， and most of liver and spleen indexes， the above indexes of serum and liver tissue were reversed significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS BCP has a protective effect on ALI， the mechanism of which may be related to the inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

The aim of this study was to produce recombinant porcine interferon gamma (rPoIFN-γ) by Chinese hamster ovarian (CHO) cells expression system and to analyze its antiviral activity. Firstly, we constructed the recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3.1-PoIFN-γ and transfected into suspension cultured CHO cells for secretory expression of rPoIFN-γ. The rPoIFN-γ was purified by affinity chromatography and identified with SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Subsequently, the cytotoxicity of rPoIFN-γ was analyzed by CCK-8 test, and the antiviral activity of rPoIFN-γ was evaluated using standard procedures in VSV/PK-15 (virus/cell) test system. Finally the anti-Seneca virus A (SVA) of rPoIFN-γ activity and the induction of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) and cytokines were also analyzed. The results showed that rPoIFN-γ could successfully expressed in the supernatant of CHO cells. CCK-8 assays indicated that rPoIFN-γ did not show cytotoxicity on IBRS-2 cells. The biological activity of rPoIFN-γ was 5.59×10⁷ U/mg in VSV/PK-15 system. Moreover, rPoIFN-γ could induced the expression of ISGs and cytokines, and significantly inhibited the replication of SVA. In conclusion, the high activity of rPoIFN-γ was successfully prepared by CHO cells expression system, which showed strong antiviral activity on SVA. This study may facilitate the investigation of rPoIFN-γ function and the development of novel genetically engineered antiviral drugs.
Swine ; Animals ; Cricetinae ; Interferon-gamma/pharmacology* ; Cricetulus ; CHO Cells ; Sincalide ; Recombinant Proteins/pharmacology* ; Antiviral Agents/pharmacology*

Traditional Chinese medicine has the characteristics of multiple components， pathways， and targets in the treatment of fracture healing， and has good therapeutic advantages and potential for fractures with complex pathological mechanisms. Based on this， the author summarized the mechanism of promoting fracture healing by the monomer components and compound formulas of traditional Chinese medicine and found that visfatin A， puerarin， and others can activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway； Xugudan， Guben zenggu formula and others can activate bone morphogenetic protein （BMP） signaling pathway； baicalin， Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides and others can activate Wnt/β -catenin signaling pathway； apigenin， notoginsenoside and others can activate receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）/receptor activator of NF-κB ligand/osteoprotegerin （RANK/RANKL/OPG） signaling pathway； Compound huoxue jiegu capsule， Jiangu granule and others can inhibit phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/AKT） signaling pathway； icariin can activate Notch signaling pathway； Taohong siwu decoction， crocin and others can activate Hippo signaling pathway； jujuboside A and osthole can inhibit NF-κB signaling pathway， and thus promote fracture healing.