This study explored the potential therapeutic targets and mechanisms of Danggui Shaoyao San(DSS) in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease(AD) through transcriptomics and metabolomics, combined with animal experiments. Fifty male C57BL/6J mice, aged seven weeks, were randomly divided into the following five groups: control, model, positive drug, low-dose DSS, and high-dose DSS groups. After the intervention, the Morris water maze was used to assess learning and memory abilities of mice, and Nissl staining and hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining were performed to observe pathological changes in the hippocampal tissue. Transcriptomics and metabolomics were employed to sequence brain tissue and identify differential metabolites, analyzing key genes and metabolites related to disease progression. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) was employed to validate the expression of key genes. The Morris water maze results indicated that DSS significantly improved learning and cognitive function in scopolamine(SCOP)-induced model mice, with the high-dose DSS group showing the best results. Pathological staining showed that DSS effectively reduced hippocampal neuronal damage, increased Nissl body numbers, and reduced nuclear pyknosis and neuronal loss. Transcriptomics identified seven key genes, including neurexin 1(Nrxn1) and sodium voltage-gated channel α subunit 1(Scn1a), and metabolomics revealed 113 differential metabolites, all of which were closely associated with synaptic function, oxidative stress, and metabolic regulation. RT-qPCR experiments confirmed that the expression of these seven key genes was consistent with the transcriptomics results. This study suggests that DSS significantly improves learning and memory in SCOP model mice and alleviates hippocampal neuronal pathological damage. The mechanisms likely involve the modulation of synaptic function, reduction of oxidative stress, and metabolic balance, with these seven key genes serving as important targets for DSS in the treatment of AD.
Animals ; Alzheimer Disease/genetics* ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Metabolomics ; Transcriptome/drug effects* ; Maze Learning/drug effects* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Humans ; Disease Models, Animal ; Memory/drug effects*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the neuroprotective effects of Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction (XFZYD) based on in vivo and metabolomics experiments. METHODS: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was induced via a controlled cortical impact (CCI) method. Thirty rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (10 for each): sham, CCI and XFZYD groups (9 g/kg). The administration was performed by intragastric administration for 3 days. Neurological functions tests, histology staining, coagulation and haemorheology assays, and Western blot were examined. Untargeted metabolomics was employed to identify metabolites. The key metabolite was validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence. RESULTS: XFZYD significantly alleviated neurological dysfunction in CCI model rats (P<0.01) but had no impact on coagulation function. As evidenced by Evans blue and IgG staining, XFZYD effectively prevented blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption (P<0.05, P<0.01). Moreover, XFZYD not only increased the expression of collagen IV, occludin and zona occludens 1 but also decreased matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which protected BBB integrity (all P<0.05). Nine potential metabolites were identified, and all of them were reversed by XFZYD. Adenosine was the most significantly altered metabolite related to BBB repair. XFZYD significantly reduced the level of equilibrative nucleoside transporter 2 (ENT2) and increased adenosine (P<0.01), which may improve BBB integrity. CONCLUSIONS XFZYD ameliorates BBB disruption after TBI by decreasing the levels of MMP-9 and COX-2. Through further exploration via metabolomics, we found that XFZYD may exert a protective effect on BBB by regulating adenosine metabolism via ENT2.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism* ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic/metabolism* ; Adenosine/metabolism* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats

Taxifolin (TAX) is a natural compound known for its liver protection effect, but the mechanism remains unknown. Phosphorylated proteomics analyses discovered that the phosphorylation level of NDRG1 at T328 was a key event of TAX-improved liver fibrosis. We established models with NDRG1 knockout (KO) in vivo and in vitro, demonstrating that NDRG1 KO attenuated the development of hepatocyte injury, and combining NDRG1 KO and TAX administration did not result in a reduction in protection against liver injury. Cellular thermal shift assay and surface plasma resonance analysis showed that TAX directly binds to NDRG1 rather than its upstream kinase, subsequently demonstrating that TAX regulated phosphorylation of NDRG1 at T328 through binding to its C289 site. NDRG1 T328A (phosphorylated mutation) and T328E (mimic phosphorylation) in vivo and in vitro confirmed that pNDRG1_T328 exacerbates hepatocyte injury along with DNA damage, inflammatory response, and apoptosis, thereby contributing to hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation. In contrast, TAX can inhibit the above pathological abnormalities and block hepatocyte injury-triggered HSCs activation and fibrosis. Overall, TAX is a potent liver protection drug primarily targeting NDRG1 and inhibiting pNDRG1_T328 in hepatocytes.

Objective To explore whether dexmedetomidine(DEX)can alleviate exertional heatstroke(EHS)-induced rhabdomyolysis(RM)in rats by activating adrenergic α2 receptors,and to explore its potential mechanism based on the reactive oxygen species(ROS)/NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)/interleukin-1β(IL-1β)pathway.Methods Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats,after a 7-day acclimatization training,were randomly divided into six groups:control group(CN group),EHS group,low-dose DEX group(EHS+low DEX group),high-dose DEX group(EHS+high DEX group),DEX combined with yohimbine(YOH)group(EHS+high DEX+YOH group),and YOH group(EHS+YOH),with six rats in each group.Before modeling,EHS+high DEX+YOH group and EHS+YOH group were intraperitoneally injected with YOH at 1 mg/kg,while the other four groups were injected intraperitoneally with an equal dose of physiological saline(0.9%NS).During modeling,except for CN group,the other 5 groups of rats were subjected to heat exercise in a high-temperature and high-humidity chamber to construct an EHS rat model.After successful modeling,EHS+low DEX group was intraperitoneally injected with DEX at 10 μg/kg,EHS+high DEX group and EHS+high DEX+YOH group were intraperitoneally injected with DEX at 30 μg/kg,and CN group,EHS group and DEX+YOH group were intraperitoneally injected with equal doses of saline.After 6 h of observation,all rats were anesthetized,and their blood from the abdominal aorta and gastrocnemius muscle tissue were taken.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the expression levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6),IL-1β and myoglobin(MB)in rats;biochemical assay kit was used to measure the level of creatine kinase(CK)in rat serum;HE staining was used to observe pathological changes in rat gastrocnemius muscle tissues;transmission electron microscopy was used to observe ultrastructural changes in gastrocnemius muscle;2′,7′-dichlorofluorescent yellow diacetate(DCFH-DA)fluorescent probe was used to detect the level of reactive oxygen species(ROS);and Western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of NOD-like receptors 3(NLRP3),aspartic protease-1(caspase-1)and adrenergic α2A receptor(ADRA2A).Results Compared with CN group,the levels of serum IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-α,CK and MB in EHS group rats were significantly elevated(P<0.01).HE staining results revealed that the gastrocnemius muscle tissues of rats in EHS group had these pathological manifestations such as disarray of muscle fibrous structure,hemorrhage,edema,and infiltration of inflammatory cells.Transmission electron microscopy results showed that the ultrastructure of the gastrocnemius muscle in EHS group exhibited myofibroblasts with swelling and enlarging in size,cytoplasmic vacuolization,and mitochondria with obvious swelling,degranulation,and disappearance of double cristae.Compared with CN group,the expression levels of ROS,NLRP3,and caspase-1 in gastrocnemius of rats in EHS group significantly increased(P<0.01);Compared with EHS group,the levels of TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1β,CK,MB and the expression levels of ROS,NLRP3,caspase-1 in gastrocnemius tissue of rats in EHS+low DEX group and EHS+high DEX group decreased in a dose-dependent manner(P<0.05),and the pathological damage observed with HE staining and transmission electron microscopy was alleviated by DEX.After YOH pretreatment,compared with the EHS+high DEX group,the serum levels of TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1β,CK,MB and ROS,NLRP3 and caspase-1 in the gastrocnemius muscle tissue of rats in EHS+high DEX+YOH group relatively increased(P<0.05),and the pathological damage observed with HE staining and transmission electron microscopy was exacerbated.The expression of ADRA2A in gastrocnemius muscle of EHS group significantly decreased compared with CN group(P<0.01),and the expression of ADRA2A in muscle of rats in DES+low DEX group and EHS+high DEX group was higher than that in EHS group(P<0.05).Conclusions DEX can alleviate EHS-induced RM by activating ADRA2A,potentially through inhibiting the ROS-dependent NLRP3/IL-1β inflammatory pathway.

Objective To investigate the accuracy of cone-beam CT(CBCT)by measuring tongue thickness(TT)in predicting difficult glottis exposure in patients undergoing maxillofacial surgery.Methods Ninety-seven patients undergoing elective maxillofacial surgery under general anesthesia were selected,45 males and 52 females,aged 18-67 years,ASA physical status Ⅰ or Ⅱ.The TT was measured by CBCT before operation.The inter-incisor distance(IID),BMI,thyromental distance(TMD),and modified Mal-lampati test(MMT)were also recorded.According to the Cormack-Lehane(CL)grade at the time of gener-al anesthesia induction,the patients were divided into two groups:the easy laryngoscope exposure group(group E,CL gradeⅠorⅡ,n = 86)and the difficult laryngoscope exposure group(group D,CL gradeⅢ or Ⅳ,n = 11).The relationship between IID,BMI,TMD,MMT,TT,and laryngoscopy exposure was analyzed,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the relationship be-tween each index and difficult laryngoscopy exposure.Results Compared with group E,the BMI,MMT,and TT of group D were significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the TMD was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).The area under the ROC curve(AUC)of BMI,TMD,MMT,and TT to predict difficult glot-tis exposure was 0.690,0.714,0.726,and 0.797,the sensitivity was 36.4%,63.6%,63.6%,and 81.8%,and the specificity was 95.3%,69.8%,76.7%,and 68.6%,respectively.Using BMI,MMT,TMD,and TT as a model to predict difficult glottis exposure,the AUC was 0.913,the sensitivity was 90.9%and the specificity was 83.7%.Conclusion TT measured by CBCT is an independent impact factor for predicting difficult laryngoscope exposure.The comprehensive model incorporating BMI,TMD,MMT,and TT has a better predictive effect.

Objective:To investigate the spatial distribution pattern of local tumor progression (LTP) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ≤5 cm after microwave ablation.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 169 HCCs with matched MRI before and after ablation from December 2009 to December 2019. A tumor MRI was reconstructed using three-dimensional visualization technology. LTP was classified as contact or non-contact, early or late stage, according to whether LTP was in contact with the edge of the ablation zone and the occurrence time (24 months). The tumor-surrounded area was divided into eight quadrants by using the eight-quadrant map method. An analysis was conducted on the spatial correlation between the quadrant where the ablative margin (AM) safety boundary was located and the quadrant where different types of LTP occurred. The t-test, or rank-sum test, was used for the measurement data. 2-test for count data was used to compare the difference between the two groups.Results:The AM quadrant had a distribution of 54.4% LTP, 64.2% early LTP stage, and 69.1% contact LTP, suggesting this quadrant was much more concentrated than the other quadrants ( P ?

Objective The objective of this study was to analyze the incidence and mortality of female breast cancer in canc-er registration areas of Gansu province in 2019 and the change trend of female breast cancer incidence and mortality from 2010 to 2019,so as to provide data support for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.Methods The incidence and mortality data of breast cancer and related demographic data in all cancer registration areas in Gansu province from 2010 to 2019 were collected.The incidence,mortality,age-standardized incidence by Chinese standard population(ASIRC),age-standardized mortality by Chinese standard population(ASMRC),age-standardized incidence by World standard population(ASIRW)and age-standardized mortality by World standard population(ASMRW),cumulative incidence and other key indicators of female breast cancer in each cancer registra-tion area were calculated according to urban and rural distribution and age groups.Joinpoint linear regression was used to analyze the annual change trend of incidence and mortality of female breast cancer in cancer registration areas in Gansu province from 2010 to 2019.Results In 2019,the number of new cases from female breast cancer in the cancer registration areas of Gansu province was 1,502 cases,accounting for 13.14%of all new malignant tumors in women.The incidence was 33.00/100,000,ASIRC and ASIRW were 23.83/100,000 and 23.81/100,000,respectively,and a cumulative rate of 0-74 years old was 2.34%.The incidence of breast cancer in urban and rural areas was 22.25/100,000 and 26.59/100,000,respectively.In 2019,the number of female breast cancer deaths in the cancer registration areas of Gansu province was 254,accounting for 5.61%of all female malignant tumor deaths.The crude mortality was 5.58/100,000,ASMRC and ASMRW were 3.70/100,000 and 3.90/100,000,respectively.The cumulative rate of 0-74 years old was 0.39%.The ASMRC of breast cancer in urban and rural areas was 3.63/100,000 and 3.79/100,000,respec-tively.The annual change trend in the ASIRC of female breast cancer in the province from 2010 to 2019 was not statistically significant(APC=-0.35%,P=0.81),while ASMRC decreased by an average of 9.85%per year(APC=-9.85%,P=0.03).Conclusion Breast cancer is a high incidence malignant tumor that threatens the physical and mental health of female residents in Gansu province,and it is a kind of cancer that women focus on.We should actively screen the risk group of women.

Objective:To investigate the effects and potential mechanisms of galectin-3(Gal3)on mast cells activation and skin injury in a psoriatic murine model.Methods:Imiquimod was applied to the bare skin on back of SPF(Gal3+/+)mice and their matched(Gal3-/-)siblings respectively once daily for 5 d to establish a psoriatic mice model.The development and dynamics of skin le-sions were monitored and recorded,scored.with the psoriasis area and severity index(PASI).The expressions of il-1 and il-17 in the damaged skin were detected by real-time PCR to compare the severity of inflammation between Gal3+/+ mice and their Gal3-/-siblings.HE staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of skin.The difference in morphology and distribution of mast cells were examined by toluidine blue staining.Immunohistochemistry and image analysis techniques were improved to assay the expression and distribution of activated mast cells markers such as tryptase and 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT).Results:The typical psoriatic signs in-cluding erythema,scaling and infiltration were formed in mice after continuous administration of imiquimod in Gal3-/-mice,whereas Gal3+/+ mice just developed small scaling and mild infiltration.PASI score of Gal3-/-mice was significantly higher than that of Gal3+/+mice.In accordance,il-1 and il-17 were increased in the skin lesions of Gal3+/+ mice and Gal3-/-mice,but these inflammatory factors were more upregulated remarkably in the latter.Histopathology observation revealed that the epidermis of Gal3+/+ mice was slightly thickened,whereas thickened epidermis of Gal3-/-mice was more seriously and the rete ridges extended downward,with massive in-flammatory cells aggregation.Toluidine blue staining indicated that the mast cells were sparsely distributed and most of their structures were intact in Gal3+/+ mice,instead the mast cells of Gal3-/-mice were mostly in degranulation state with increased and distributed widely in skin.Immunohistochemistry staining revealed that tryptase and 5-HT,compared with those of Gal3+/+ mice,were increased obviously in the lesioned skin of Gal3-/-mice,most of them were concentrated in the epidermal in particular.Conclusion:The defi-ciency of Gal3 may result in over-activation and degranulation of mast cells at the skin in psoriatic mice model,which aggravates the occurrence of dermatitis inflammatory injury and disease progression in psoriasis,and Gal3 plays suppressive effects on mast cells acti-vation and degranulation at the skin lesions in this model.

Objective To investigate the modeling of Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura nephritis based on data mining,and to provide a reference for the preparation of a standardized Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura nephritis animal model.Methods We searched the CNKI,Wanfang Data,VIP,China Biomedical Literature Database,and PubMed Chinese-English Database by computer to obtain studies of animal experiments relating to Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura nephritis in the past 20 years.The species,modeling method,dosage,dosing cycle,modeling standards,and detection indexes were screened manually,and a database was established by using Microsoft Excel 2021 software for statistical analysis.The association rules of high-frequency indicators were analyzed using SPSS Modeler 18.0,and Cytoscape 3.6.1 was used to visually upgrade the association network diagram.Results A total of 106 articles that met the inclusion criteria were summarized.SD rats and KM mice were the mostly commonly used animal models of Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura nephritis and most studies used drug-induced models.Bovine serum albumin(BSA)+lipopolysaccharide(LPS)+carbon tetrachloride(CCl4)+castor oil,ovalbumin(OVA)+Freund's complete adjuvant,gliadin+Indian ink,and BSA+staphylococcal enterotoxin B(SEB)were used to produce the animal models,generally with cycles of 5～14 weeks.The standard of modeling was skin purpura and increased numbers of urine red blood cells.Proteinuria,glomerular mesangial hyperplasia in kidney tissue,and immune complex mainly composed of immunoglobulin A(IgA)deposited in small blood vessels indicated successful modeling.There were 36 medical indexes,including 23 indexes related to the kidney and urine and nine indexes related to blood.Among these,10 indexes,such as 24 h urine protein quantification,interleukin,renal pathology,urine red blood cell count,IgA,circulating immune complex and creatinine were used in≥10%of cases.Cluster analysis of high-frequency indicators showed that the comprehensive evaluation model of 24 h urinary protein quantification+interleukin+renal pathology+urinary red blood cell count+IgA was mostly used.Conclusions Most existing animal models of Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura nephritis have used male SD rats or female Kunming mice,and most models were induced by drugs.Among these,the method of stasis-heat syndrome combined with IgA nephropathy(disease-syndrome combination method)has the advantages of good repeatability and a high modeling rate,and may thus provide a reference for the selection of animal experimental models of Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura nephritis.