Objective:To explore the time variations of the influence of the ultra-high dose rate irradiation (FLASH irradiation, FLASH-IR) and conventional dose rate irradiation (CONV-IR) of electron beams under different doses on the energy metabolism of triple-negative breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231.Methods:The basal metabolism of the MDA-MB-231 cells and normal breast epithelial cells MCF-10A was compared using a Seahorse XF Pro Metabolic Analyzer. Based on an irradiation platform with a thermionic cathode electron accelerator (6 MeV), the MDA-MB-231 cells were exposed to FLASH-IR (106 Gy/s) and CONV-IR (0.1 Gy/s) at 2 and 14 Gy, respectively. Meanwhile, a sham irradiation group was established under identical culture conditions. The mitochondrial metabolism and glycolytic metabolism of the cells at 4, 24, and 48 h post-irradiation were analyzed.Results:Compared to the MCF-10A cells, the MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited a greater reliance on glycolytic metabolism. Compared to those of the sham irradiation group, MDA-MB-231 cells in the 2 Gy CONV-IR group showed up-regulated ATP-linked respiration at 4, 24, and 48 h post-irradiation ( t = 2.69-3.70, P < 0.05). Their glycolytic level and glycolytic capacity were up-regulated only at 4 h post-irradiation and were down-regulated at 48 h ( t = 2.79, -4.44, P < 0.05). In contrast, there was no statistically significant difference in these indicators between the FLASH-IR and CONV-IR groups ( P > 0.05). However, the proton leak of the MDA-MB-231 cells in the FLASH-IR group was relatively down-regulated at 4 h post-irradiation and was significantly up-regulated at 24 h and 48 h post-irradiation compared with the CONV-IR group ( t = -2.45, 3.19, 6.51, P < 0.05). At 14 Gy, the MDA-MB-231 cells in the CONV-IR group showed progressively increased mitochondrial and glycolytic metabolism across all time points ( t = 2.48-12.14, P < 0.05). Notably, compared with the CONV-IR group, the MDA-MB-231 cells in the FLASH-IR group exhibited more significantly up-regulated basal respiration, ATP-linked respiration, and non-mitochondrial oxygen consumption ( t = 2.56-6.51, P < 0.05), as well as a higher glycolytic capacity at 24 h post-irradiation ( t = 2.86, P < 0.05). Conclusions:Low-dose (2 Gy) FLASH-IR induces relatively up-regulated proton leak in breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 at 24 h post-irradiation. In contrast, under high-dose (14 Gy) FLASH-IR, the MDA-MB-231 cells show more pronounced mitochondrial metabolic stress and a higher demand for energy metabolism.

Metal ion-promoted chemodynamic therapy(CDT) combined with photodynamic therapy(PDT) offers broad application prospects for enhancing anti-tumor effects. In this study, glycyrrhizic acid(GA), copper ions(Cu~(2+)), and norcantharidin(NCTD) were co-assembled to successfully prepare a natural small-molecule, carrier-free hydrogel(NCTD Gel) with excellent material properties. Under 808 nm laser irradiation, NCTD Gel responded to the tumor microenvironment(TME) and acted as an efficient Fenton reagent and photosensitizer, catalyzing the conversion of endogenous hydrogen peroxide(H_2O_2) within the tumor into oxygen(O_2), and hydroxyl radicals(·OH, type Ⅰ reactive oxygen species) and singlet oxygen(~1O_2, type Ⅱ reactive oxygen species), while depleting glutathione(GSH) to stabilize reactive oxygen species and alleviate tumor hypoxia. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that NCTD Gel exhibited significant CDT/PDT synergistic therapeutic effects. Further safety evaluation and metabolic testing confirmed its good biocompatibility and safety. This novel hydrogel is not only simple to prepare, safe, and cost-effective but also holds great potential for clinical transformation, providing insights and references for the research and development of metal ion-mediated hydrogel-based anti-tumor therapies.
Hydrogels/chemistry* ; Animals ; Photochemotherapy ; Humans ; Mice ; Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage* ; Photosensitizing Agents/chemistry* ; Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Female ; Copper/chemistry* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Male

Objective To explore whether ferroptosis is involved in α-amanitin-induced hepatocyte in-jury by detecting iron deposition in mice liver tissues,oxidative stress indicators in hepatocytes and L-02 cells,and expressions of ferroptosis-related proteins after α-amanitin exposure.Methods The poi-soning models of α-amanitin C57BL/6J mice and L-02 cell were established.The Lillie ferrous iron staining and Prussian blue staining were used to detect iron deposition;the kits were applied to detect the levels of superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase(CAT),malondialdehyde(MDA),and glutathione(GSH).Western blotting was performed to analyze expressions of p53,solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11),and glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4).Results Compared with the control group,after α-amanitin exposure,positive cell rates of Fe2+and Fe3+in mice liver tissues increased significantly.In the liver tissues of medium(0.35 mg/kg)and high(0.45 mg/kg)dose groups and L-02 cells treated with 1 μmol/L α-amanitin,the level of GSH decreased,the level of MDA increased,and the activities of SOD and CAT decreased significantly.In addition,α-amanitin upregulated the expression of p53 in a concentration-and time-dependent manner and inhibited the expressions of SLC7A11 and GPX4.Con-clusion Ferroptosis plays an important role in α-amanitin-induced hepatocyte injury.Abnormalities of ferroptosis-related indicators can provide references for the forensic identification of α-amanitin poisoning.

Respiratory tract infections are common types of infectious diseases in children，involving a variety of immune responses. Understanding the immune mechanisms between viruses and hosts during respiratory infections helps to improve the prevention and treatment of viral infections. The mucosal immune system，as the first line of defense for the body，protects the respiratory tract from pathogen invasion through physical barriers，chemical barriers，microbial barriers，immune cells，and lymphatic tissue. In addition，mucosal immunity also contributes to tissue repair after infection. This article briefly reviews the composition of mucosal immunity and its immune mechanisms in respiratory viral infections，providing a reference for the research of anti-respiratory viral infections and mucosal vaccines.

Objective:To investigate the impact of various conditions on the adsorption of quetiapine by activated carbon, establish a method for evaluating the adsorption efficacy of activated carbon on quetiapine, and assess the adsorption effects both in vitro and in vivo.Methods:In vitro experiments involved incubating activated carbon with quetiapine under different conditions, including varying organic solvent contents, types of organic solvents, adsorption temperatures, adsorption times, and pH. After reaching equilibrium, the mixtures were centrifuged, and the supernatants were collected. The concentration of quetiapine in the supernatants was measured using LC-MS/MS, and the adsorption rates were calculated. The log-transformed concentration of activated carbon was used as the independent variable and the adsorption rate as the dependent variable for function fitting using Origin 2021 software. In the in vivo experiments, rats were administered quetiapine orally, followed by 125 mg/mL of activated carbon in the experimental group. Blood samples were collected at multiple time points pre- and post-administration (0.17 h, 0.33 h, 0.50 h, 0.75 h, 1 h, 1.5 h, 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, 12 h, and 24 h). Plasma samples were pre-treated and the quetiapine concentrations were determined using LC-MS/MS. Pharmacokinetic parameters for both control and experimental groups were calculated using DAS 2.0 software.Results:The factors such as organic solvent content, type of organic solvent, adsorption temperature, adsorption time, and pH value significantly influenced the adsorption efficiency of quetiapine by activated carbon, leading to the optimization and standardization of the in vitro adsorption methodology. Among the 100 different adsorption function models tested, the Boltzmann function was identified as the most suitable models for describing the adsorption of quetiapine by activated carbon. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed that the experimental group treated with activated carbon exhibited significantly reduced C max and AUC for quetiapine compared to the control group. Conclusion:The results of both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that activated carbon effectively adsorbs quetiapine, providing a potential method for mitigating quetiapine absorption.

AIM:To explore the mechanism of BLJZF in the treatment of abnormal lipid metabo-lism based on network pharmacology,molecular docking andin vivo animal experiments.METHODS:TCMSP database,Swiss Target Prediction database,STITCH database and literature search were used to collect and query the chemical composition infor-mation of BLJZF and the corresponding target of drug chemical composition.Disease targets of lipid abnormalities were collected through GeneCards and OMIM databases.Metascape database was used to analyze the gene ontology function and the Kyoto Encyclopedia gene and genome pathway en-richment of common intersection targets.Cyto-scape software was used to construct the correla-tion network diagram of components and targets,so as to select major components and targets for molecular docking study.The hyperlipidemia model was induced by high fat diet,and the control group,model group,positive group and BLJZF group were set up.The serum lipid index contents of triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC),low lipo-protein cholesterol(LDL-C)and high lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)were detected after continuous administration for 4 weeks.The contents of oxida-tive stress index were detected:alanine amino-transferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST).The contents of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and malondialdehyde(MDA)were detected by ELI-SA.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was used to de-tect the pathological changes of liver tissue.RE-SULTS:A total of 25 components and 315 corre-sponding targets of BLJZF were obtained,1729 tar-gets of lipid abnormalities and 116 common tar-gets of BLJZF,among which the core targets were AKT1,TNF,IL1β,CASP3,etc.GO and KEGG enrich-ment analysis suggested that BLJZF may play a role through the lipid and atherosclerotic pathway,PI3K-Akt,AGE-RAGE in diabetic complications and other signaling pathways.Molecular docking showed that most of the core targets had high binding activity with the active ingredients.Animal experiments showed that compared with model group,TC,TG,LDL-C,ALT,AST and MDA in BLJZF group were sig-nificantly decreased,HDL-C and SOD were signifi-cantly increased,and the degree of liver fat defor-mation was reduced.CONCLUSION:BLJZF has a therapeutic effect on lipid abnormalities.It can treat lipid metabolism abnormalities through multi-component,multi-target and multi-pathway,and provide reference for subsequent drug research on BLJZF.

Aim To investigate the effects of hydroxyl-safflor yellow A(HSYA)on the regenerative and re-pair functions of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(hUC-MSCs).Methods hUC-MSCs were mechanically isolated,and their morphology was ob-served.Cell surface marker expression was analyzed u-sing flow cytometry.Osteogenic differentiation was used to confirm the multipotency of the cells.The cells were treated with various concentrations of HSYA(0,100,200,400,600 μmol·L-1),and the optimal con-centration and duration of treatment were determined u-sing the CCK-8 assay.Cells were divided into four groups:control,100,200,and 400 μmol·L-1.The proliferative capacity of hUC-MSCs was assessed by EdU incorporation.Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BD-NF)levels in the culture supernatant were measured u-sing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.Cell migra-tion ability was evaluated by Scratch assays.The ex-pression levels of VEGF,BDNF,and fibroblast growth factor 2(FGF2)were detected by Western blotting.Results The isolated cells exhibited characteristics consistent with stem cell surface markers and demon-strated osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation poten-tial.After 48 hours of treatment,no cytotoxicity was observed at concentrations of 100,200,and 400 μmol·L-1compared to the control group.HSYA signifi-cantly increased the number of EdU-positive cells and cell migration rate,with the most pronounced effect was achieved at 200 μmol·L-1(P＜0.01).VEGF and BDNF levels in the supernatant were elevated,with the highest expression observed at 200 μmol·L-1(P＜0.01).Similarly,the expression levels of BDNF,VEGF,and FGF2 were significantly upregulated in the HSYA groups,with the highest levels at 200 μmol·L-1(P＜0.01).Conclusion HSYA promotes the proliferation,migration and angiogenesis of hUC-MSCs,with an optimal concentration of 200 μmol·L-1.

Aim To investigate the effect of tetrameth-ylpyrazine(TMP)on neuroinflammation after cerebral ischemia and hypoxia via mannose-binding lectin(MBL).Methods Patients diagnosed with ischaemic stroke at Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital were in-cluded in the study,and their clinicopathological data,as well as blood and urine samples,were collected with the consent of the patients and their families.Using these biological samples,differential proteins and tar-gets were identified by proteomic analysis and subse-quently verified with animal experiments.The mice were divided into the sham,dMCAO,and TMP(10,20,40 mg·kg-1)treatment groups.After seven days of drug administration,the modified neurological sever-ity score(mNSS)was used to assess the neurological function.TTC staining was used to detect the volume of cerebral infarction.Motor function was evaluated be-haviourally,and ELISA was used to detect MASP1,sC5b-9,TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-1β.Western blot was used to determine the expression of relevant proteins,such as MBL2,MASP2,and C3.Results Compared with the sham group,the dMCAO group exhibited in-creased neurological impairment,which was signifi-cantly ameliorated by TMP treatment.The expression levels of MBL2,C3 and MASP2 were elevated in the dMCAO group and were reduced following TMP treat-ment.Additionally,the dMCAO group showed elevat-ed expression of inflammatory factors IL-1 β,IL-6 and TNF-α,which were then suppressed by TMP treat-ment.Conclusion TMP inhibits the inflammatory re-sponse after ischemia and hypoxia by regulating MBL,thus attenuating brain injury.

Objective:To explore the time variations of the influence of the ultra-high dose rate irradiation (FLASH irradiation, FLASH-IR) and conventional dose rate irradiation (CONV-IR) of electron beams under different doses on the energy metabolism of triple-negative breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231.Methods:The basal metabolism of the MDA-MB-231 cells and normal breast epithelial cells MCF-10A was compared using a Seahorse XF Pro Metabolic Analyzer. Based on an irradiation platform with a thermionic cathode electron accelerator (6 MeV), the MDA-MB-231 cells were exposed to FLASH-IR (106 Gy/s) and CONV-IR (0.1 Gy/s) at 2 and 14 Gy, respectively. Meanwhile, a sham irradiation group was established under identical culture conditions. The mitochondrial metabolism and glycolytic metabolism of the cells at 4, 24, and 48 h post-irradiation were analyzed.Results:Compared to the MCF-10A cells, the MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited a greater reliance on glycolytic metabolism. Compared to those of the sham irradiation group, MDA-MB-231 cells in the 2 Gy CONV-IR group showed up-regulated ATP-linked respiration at 4, 24, and 48 h post-irradiation ( t = 2.69-3.70, P < 0.05). Their glycolytic level and glycolytic capacity were up-regulated only at 4 h post-irradiation and were down-regulated at 48 h ( t = 2.79, -4.44, P < 0.05). In contrast, there was no statistically significant difference in these indicators between the FLASH-IR and CONV-IR groups ( P > 0.05). However, the proton leak of the MDA-MB-231 cells in the FLASH-IR group was relatively down-regulated at 4 h post-irradiation and was significantly up-regulated at 24 h and 48 h post-irradiation compared with the CONV-IR group ( t = -2.45, 3.19, 6.51, P < 0.05). At 14 Gy, the MDA-MB-231 cells in the CONV-IR group showed progressively increased mitochondrial and glycolytic metabolism across all time points ( t = 2.48-12.14, P < 0.05). Notably, compared with the CONV-IR group, the MDA-MB-231 cells in the FLASH-IR group exhibited more significantly up-regulated basal respiration, ATP-linked respiration, and non-mitochondrial oxygen consumption ( t = 2.56-6.51, P < 0.05), as well as a higher glycolytic capacity at 24 h post-irradiation ( t = 2.86, P < 0.05). Conclusions:Low-dose (2 Gy) FLASH-IR induces relatively up-regulated proton leak in breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 at 24 h post-irradiation. In contrast, under high-dose (14 Gy) FLASH-IR, the MDA-MB-231 cells show more pronounced mitochondrial metabolic stress and a higher demand for energy metabolism.

Aim To investigate the effect of tetrameth-ylpyrazine(TMP)on neuroinflammation after cerebral ischemia and hypoxia via mannose-binding lectin(MBL).Methods Patients diagnosed with ischaemic stroke at Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital were in-cluded in the study,and their clinicopathological data,as well as blood and urine samples,were collected with the consent of the patients and their families.Using these biological samples,differential proteins and tar-gets were identified by proteomic analysis and subse-quently verified with animal experiments.The mice were divided into the sham,dMCAO,and TMP(10,20,40 mg·kg-1)treatment groups.After seven days of drug administration,the modified neurological sever-ity score(mNSS)was used to assess the neurological function.TTC staining was used to detect the volume of cerebral infarction.Motor function was evaluated be-haviourally,and ELISA was used to detect MASP1,sC5b-9,TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-1β.Western blot was used to determine the expression of relevant proteins,such as MBL2,MASP2,and C3.Results Compared with the sham group,the dMCAO group exhibited in-creased neurological impairment,which was signifi-cantly ameliorated by TMP treatment.The expression levels of MBL2,C3 and MASP2 were elevated in the dMCAO group and were reduced following TMP treat-ment.Additionally,the dMCAO group showed elevat-ed expression of inflammatory factors IL-1 β,IL-6 and TNF-α,which were then suppressed by TMP treat-ment.Conclusion TMP inhibits the inflammatory re-sponse after ischemia and hypoxia by regulating MBL,thus attenuating brain injury.