Aromatic Chinese medicinal essential oils are volatile oils extracted from aromatic Chinese herbs， which can prevent and treat respiratory infectious diseases through multiple synergistic mechanisms including pathogen inhibition， immune regulation， and inflammatory response regulation. Essential oils are primarily used externally on the body to prevent infections and alleviate symptoms through methods like inhalation， smearing， topical application， bathing， gargling or as a suppository. They can also be utilized in the environment for disinfection and air purification， through methods like diffusion， vaporization， or spraying. The external application of essential oils extracted from Chinese aromatic herbs has the advantages of convenience， quick absorption， and simultaneous influence on both the body and mind. However， there are still challenges and deficiencies in aspects such as the positioning of functions， indications， safety， and the research on the mechanism of action. It has been proposed to combine the theory of aromatic Chinese medicinals with the characteristics of essential oils， and formulate prescriptions of Chinese medicinal essential oils under the principles of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation， and prevent and treat respiratory infectious diseases efficiently， accurately， and safely， thereby expanding the clinical application of aromatic Chinese medicinals and the preventive theory of traditional Chinese medicine.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the toxicity and safety of novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis fusion strain protein derivatives,referred to as B/R strain active proteins.In cellular experiments,RAW264.7 cells were treated with each vaccine preparation,and apoptosis rates were measured.In subsequent animal experiments,C57BL/6 mice were immunized via subcutaneous injection,and their survival and body weight changes were monitored and recorded at 2,4,8,12,and 16 weeks.The lungs and spleens were harvested to calculate organ coefficients,and pathological examinations were conducted.At the eighth week of immunization,the mice were infected with high concentrations of BCG,and pathological changes in the lungs and spleens were observed 4 weeks post-infection.The apoptosis rate at 6 hours was significantly higher in the experimental group than the PBS group(P<0.05).At 12 and 24 hours,the apoptosis rate in the experimental group remained higher than that in the PBS group,although this difference was not statistically significant.After immunization,mice in all four groups exhibited normal growth patterns,as indicated by stable body weight changes.At 4 and 12 weeks post-immunization,the lung coefficients in the protein group were significantly higher than those in the PBS group at the same time points.Additionally,the lung coefficients in the BCG group were significantly elevated across all time periods(P<0.05).The spleen coefficients in the protein and BCG groups were significantly higher than those in the PBS group at 2,4,8,12,and 16 weeks,whereas the ICD B/R group showed higher spleen coefficients than the PBS group only at week 8(P<0.05).Pathological examination revealed normal lung and spleen tissues in the PBS group.However,during the 2-8 weeks immunization period,lung and spleen tissues in all experimental groups exhibited varying degrees of damage,which gradually diminished by 12-16 weeks.Notably,no tuberculosis nodules were observed in any experimental group.After infection with high concentrations of BCG,no overt pathological changes were observed on the surfaces of the lungs and spleens in any group.Microscopic examination revealed less severe pathological changes in the lungs and spleens of mice in the experimental groups than the PBS group.Furthermore,no statistically significant differences were observed between the protein group and the BCG group.Our findings suggested that the B/R strain active proteins'toxicity and safety profiles were comparable to those of BCG,and showed immunoprotective effects.This study provides an experimental foundation for the development of a novel tuberculosis vaccine.

Objective To evaluate the effects of fasting and high-fat diet on the pharmacokinetics of rabeprazole sodium enteric-coated tablets in healthy Chinese subjects.Methods A single-center,randomized,open,two-agent,two-sequence,four-cycle,fully repeated crossover,single-dose trial design was used in this study,healthy subjects were assigned to receive single dose of rabeprazole sodium enteric-coated tablets 0.1 g in either fasting or high-fat diet state,and blood samples were taken at different time points,respectively.The concentrations of rabeprazole sodium enteric-coated in plasma were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS),the model method of the non-compartmental was used to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters by Phoenix WinNonlin 8.2.Results The main pharmacokinetic parameters of rabeprazole sodium enteric-coated tablets in fasting state and high-fat diet state were as follows:Cmax were(339.63±156.47)and(318.86±132.13)ng·mL-1;t1/2 were(2.34±0.68)and(3.60±2.40)h;AUC0_t were(556.62±251.65)and(528.50±201.78)ng·mL-1·h;AUC0-∞ were(563.39±255.69)and(535.15±203.24)ng·mL-1·h;tmax were 3.65 and 6.99 h.After high-fat diet,the Cmax and AUC of rapeprazole sodium after high-fat and high-calorie diet decreased,Cmax decreased by 6.12％,AUC0-t decreased by 5.05％,AUC0-∞ decreased by 5.01％,andtmaxwas delayed by about 3.34 h.Cmax,AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ 90％confidence interval were 73.13％-115.10％,83.22％-112.28％and 83.40％-112.13％,respectively.Neither was between 85.00％-125.00％.Conclusion High-fat diet affects the absorption rate and degree of rabeprazole sodium enteric-coated,so it is suitable to be administered on an empty stomach.

Objective·To investigate the immunotherapeutic effects of exosomes derived from leukemia cells with high expression of B7 molecules(co-stimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86)in tumor-bearing mice.Methods·L1210 leukemia cells were transfected with lentiviral vectors containing the CD80 and CD86 genes,and thereby the leukemia cells with high expression of CD80 and CD86 molecules were obtained.Exosomes LEX-8086 with high expression of CD80 and CD86 molecules were then isolated from the culture supernatant.The biological characteristics of LEX-8086 were analyzed by using transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and Western blotting.A DBA/2-leukemia tumor-bearing mouse model was established.The tumor-bearing mice were divided into LEX-8086 group and PBS group.The LEX-8086 group received intravenous injections of 500 μL LEX-8086(150 μg/mL)via the tail vein 7 d and 12 d after tumor cell inoculation,while the PBS group received injections of equal volumes of PBS at the same time points.Differences in body weight,tumor volume,tumor mass,and survival of the mice between the two groups were observed.Flow cytometry was used to analyze the changes in the immune cells in spleens and lymph nodes of the mice in both groups.Western blotting and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR(qPCR)were used to detect the expression of markers for M1 and M2 macrophages in the spleens of the mice in both groups.Results·The exosomes LEX-8086 were isolated from the supernatant of L1210 cells overexpressing CD80 and CD86 molecules.TEM revealed that LEX-8086 exhibited a disc-shaped vesicular structure with a diameter of approximately 100 nm.Western blotting demonstrated the expression of exosome-specific markers.In the animal experiments,compared with the PBS group,the body weight of the LEX-8086 group showed no significant change,while both the tumor volume and the relative tumor mass ratio decreased significantly,and the survival was significantly prolonged(all P<0.05).Flow cytometry results indicated that the proportions of natural killer(NK)cells and CD4+T cells in the lymph nodes and spleens of the LEX-8086 group significantly increased(all P<0.05);as for CD8+T cells,they only increased in the lymph modes(P=0.012).Moreover,flow cytometry results showed that the proportion of M1 macrophages in the spleens of mice in the LEX-8086 group was significantly elevated(P=0.003),while the proportion of M2 macrophages remained unchanged.Western blotting and qPCR also revealed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of M1 macrophage markers interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in the spleens of mice in the LEX-8086 group increased significantly(all P<0.05).Conclusion·Exosomes derived from leukemia cells with high expression of co-stimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 can induce a therapeutic anti-leukemic effect,which may be achieved by increasing the proportions of NK cells,M1 macrophages,CD4+T cells,and CD8+T cells.

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of shear wave elastography(SWE)for clinically significant prostate cancer(csPCa).Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 359 cases with suspected prostate cancer(PCa)in Baoji Central Hospital from June 2017 to July 2023.All the patients underwent the following examinations in the order of serum prostate-spe-cific antigen(PSA)testing,transrectal ultrasonography(TRUS),measurement of the stiffness of the entire prostate gland by SWE,and TRUS-guided prostate puncture biopsy.The stiffness of the entire prostate gland was defined as the average of Young's modulus at both sides of the base,middle,and apex of the prostate,including the maximum Young's modulus(Emax),mean Young's modulus(Emean),and minimum Young's modulus(Emin).We analyzed the correlation of the parameters of the stiffness of the entire prostate gland with the pathological results,focusing on their diagnostic performance for csPCa.Results:Of the 359 cases,189 were diag-nosed by pathological puncture biopsy as BPH,26 as non-csPCa,and 144 as csPCa.The PSA level,Emax,Emean and Emin were significantly higher in the csPCa than those in the BPH and non-csPCa groups(all P＜0.01),but showed no statistically significant difference between the BPH and non-csPCa groups(all P＞0.05).The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC),optimal cut-off value,sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value(PPV),negative predictive value(NPV)and accura-cy of Emax in the diagnosis of csPCa were 0.852,143.92 kPa,72.22％,84.65％,75.91％,81.98％and 79.67％;those of Emean were 0.868,82.42 kPa,67.36％,91.16％,83.62％,80.66％and 81.62％;and those of Emin were 0.682,32.73 kPa,47.22％,89.30％,73.91％,71.54％and 72.14％,respectively.In the non-csPCa group,Emax,Emean and Emin were found be-low the optimal cut-off value in 73.08％(19/26),92.31％(24/26)and 88.46％(23/26),respectively.Conclusion:The stiff-ness of the entire prostate gland measured by SWE contributes to the diagnosis of csPCa,reduces unnecessary detection of non-csPCa,and provides some reference for its active surveillance.

This study investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of vanillic acid(VA) against cardiac fibrosis(CF) induced by isoproterenol(ISO) in mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group, VA group(100 mg·kg~(-1), ig), ISO group(10 mg·kg~(-1), sc), ISO + VA group(10 mg·kg~(-1), sc + 100 mg·kg~(-1), ig), ISO + dynamin-related protein 1(Drp1) inhibitor(Mdivi-1) group(10 mg·kg~(-1), sc + 50 mg·kg~(-1), ip), and ISO + VA + Mdivi-1 group(10 mg·kg~(-1), sc + 100 mg·kg~(-1), ig + 50 mg·kg~(-1), ip). The treatment groups received the corresponding medications once daily for 14 consecutive days. On the day after the last administration, cardiac functions were evaluated, and serum and cardiac tissue samples were collected. These samples were analyzed for serum aspartate aminotransferase(AST), lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB), cardiac troponin I(cTnI), reactive oxygen species(ROS), interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) levels, as well as cardiac tissue catalase(CAT), glutathione(GSH), malondialdehyde(MDA), myeloperoxidase(MPO), superoxide dismutase(SOD), total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC) activities, and cytochrome C levels in mitochondria and cytoplasm. Hematoxylin-eosin, Masson, uranium acetate and lead citrate staining were used to observe morphological and mitochondrial ultrastructural changes in the cardiac tissues, and myocardial injury area and collagen volume fraction were calculated. Flow cytometry was applied to detect the relative content and M1/M2 polarization of cardiac macrophages. The mRNA expression levels of macrophage polarization markers [CD86, CD206, arginase 1(Arg-1), inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)], CF markers [type Ⅰ collagen(Coll Ⅰ), Coll Ⅲ, α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)], and cytokines(IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, TNF-α) in cardiac tissues were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of Coll Ⅰ, Coll Ⅲ, α-SMA, Drp1, p-Drp1, voltage-dependent anion channel(VDAC), hexokinase 1(HK1), NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein(ASC), caspase-1, cleaved-caspase-1, gasdermin D(GSDMD), cleaved N-terminal gasdermin D(GSDMD-N), IL-1β, IL-18, B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2), B-cell lymphoma-xl(Bcl-xl), Bcl-2-associated death promoter(Bad), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), apoptotic protease activating factor-1(Apaf-1), pro-caspase-3, cleaved-caspase-3, pro-caspase-9, cleaved-caspase-9, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1(PARP-1), and cleaved-PARP-1 in cardiac tissues. The results showed that VA significantly improved cardiac function in mice with CF, reduced myocardial injury area and cardiac index, and decreased serum levels of AST, CK-MB, cTnI, LDH, ROS, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α. VA also lowered MDA and MPO levels, mRNA expressions of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α, and mRNA and protein expressions of Coll Ⅰ, Coll Ⅲ, and α-SMA in cardiac tissues, and increased serum levels of IL-4 and IL-10, cardiac tissue levels of CAT, GSH, SOD, and T-AOC, and mRNA expressions of IL-4 and IL-10. Additionally, VA ameliorated cardiac pathological damage, inhibited myocardial cell apoptosis, inflammatory infiltration, and collagen fiber deposition, reduced collagen volume fraction, and alleviated mitochondrial damage. VA decreased the ratio of F4/80~+CD86~+ M1 cells and the mRNA expressions of CD86 and iNOS in cardiac tissue, and increased the ratio of F4/80~+CD206~+ M2 cells and the mRNA expressions of CD206 and Arg-1. VA also reduced protein expressions of p-Drp1, VDAC, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, cleaved-caspase-1, GSDMD, GSDMD-N, IL-1β, IL-18, Bad, Bax, Apaf-1, cleaved-caspase-3, cleaved-caspase-9, cleaved-PARP-1, and cytoplasmic cytochrome C, and increased the expressions of HK1, Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, pro-caspase-3, pro-caspase-9 proteins, as well as the Bcl-2/Bax and Bcl-xl/Bad ratios and mitochondrial cytochrome C content. These results indicate that VA has a significant ameliorative effect on ISO-induced CF in mice, alleviates ISO-induced oxidative damage and inflammatory response, and its mechanism may be closely related to the inhibition of Drp1/HK1/NLRP3 and mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathways, suppression of myocardial cell inflammatory infiltration and collagen fiber deposition, reduction of collagen volume fraction and CollⅠ, Coll Ⅲ, and α-SMA expressions, thus mitigating CF.
Animals ; Isoproterenol/adverse effects* ; Male ; Mice ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Vanillic Acid/administration & dosage* ; Dynamins/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Fibrosis/genetics* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Myocardium/metabolism* ; Humans

Objective To evaluate the effects of fasting and high-fat diet on the pharmacokinetics of rabeprazole sodium enteric-coated tablets in healthy Chinese subjects.Methods A single-center,randomized,open,two-agent,two-sequence,four-cycle,fully repeated crossover,single-dose trial design was used in this study,healthy subjects were assigned to receive single dose of rabeprazole sodium enteric-coated tablets 0.1 g in either fasting or high-fat diet state,and blood samples were taken at different time points,respectively.The concentrations of rabeprazole sodium enteric-coated in plasma were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS),the model method of the non-compartmental was used to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters by Phoenix WinNonlin 8.2.Results The main pharmacokinetic parameters of rabeprazole sodium enteric-coated tablets in fasting state and high-fat diet state were as follows:Cmax were(339.63±156.47)and(318.86±132.13)ng·mL-1;t1/2 were(2.34±0.68)and(3.60±2.40)h;AUC0_t were(556.62±251.65)and(528.50±201.78)ng·mL-1·h;AUC0-∞ were(563.39±255.69)and(535.15±203.24)ng·mL-1·h;tmax were 3.65 and 6.99 h.After high-fat diet,the Cmax and AUC of rapeprazole sodium after high-fat and high-calorie diet decreased,Cmax decreased by 6.12％,AUC0-t decreased by 5.05％,AUC0-∞ decreased by 5.01％,andtmaxwas delayed by about 3.34 h.Cmax,AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ 90％confidence interval were 73.13％-115.10％,83.22％-112.28％and 83.40％-112.13％,respectively.Neither was between 85.00％-125.00％.Conclusion High-fat diet affects the absorption rate and degree of rabeprazole sodium enteric-coated,so it is suitable to be administered on an empty stomach.

Objective·To investigate the immunotherapeutic effects of exosomes derived from leukemia cells with high expression of B7 molecules(co-stimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86)in tumor-bearing mice.Methods·L1210 leukemia cells were transfected with lentiviral vectors containing the CD80 and CD86 genes,and thereby the leukemia cells with high expression of CD80 and CD86 molecules were obtained.Exosomes LEX-8086 with high expression of CD80 and CD86 molecules were then isolated from the culture supernatant.The biological characteristics of LEX-8086 were analyzed by using transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and Western blotting.A DBA/2-leukemia tumor-bearing mouse model was established.The tumor-bearing mice were divided into LEX-8086 group and PBS group.The LEX-8086 group received intravenous injections of 500 μL LEX-8086(150 μg/mL)via the tail vein 7 d and 12 d after tumor cell inoculation,while the PBS group received injections of equal volumes of PBS at the same time points.Differences in body weight,tumor volume,tumor mass,and survival of the mice between the two groups were observed.Flow cytometry was used to analyze the changes in the immune cells in spleens and lymph nodes of the mice in both groups.Western blotting and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR(qPCR)were used to detect the expression of markers for M1 and M2 macrophages in the spleens of the mice in both groups.Results·The exosomes LEX-8086 were isolated from the supernatant of L1210 cells overexpressing CD80 and CD86 molecules.TEM revealed that LEX-8086 exhibited a disc-shaped vesicular structure with a diameter of approximately 100 nm.Western blotting demonstrated the expression of exosome-specific markers.In the animal experiments,compared with the PBS group,the body weight of the LEX-8086 group showed no significant change,while both the tumor volume and the relative tumor mass ratio decreased significantly,and the survival was significantly prolonged(all P<0.05).Flow cytometry results indicated that the proportions of natural killer(NK)cells and CD4+T cells in the lymph nodes and spleens of the LEX-8086 group significantly increased(all P<0.05);as for CD8+T cells,they only increased in the lymph modes(P=0.012).Moreover,flow cytometry results showed that the proportion of M1 macrophages in the spleens of mice in the LEX-8086 group was significantly elevated(P=0.003),while the proportion of M2 macrophages remained unchanged.Western blotting and qPCR also revealed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of M1 macrophage markers interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in the spleens of mice in the LEX-8086 group increased significantly(all P<0.05).Conclusion·Exosomes derived from leukemia cells with high expression of co-stimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 can induce a therapeutic anti-leukemic effect,which may be achieved by increasing the proportions of NK cells,M1 macrophages,CD4+T cells,and CD8+T cells.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the toxicity and safety of novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis fusion strain protein derivatives,referred to as B/R strain active proteins.In cellular experiments,RAW264.7 cells were treated with each vaccine preparation,and apoptosis rates were measured.In subsequent animal experiments,C57BL/6 mice were immunized via subcutaneous injection,and their survival and body weight changes were monitored and recorded at 2,4,8,12,and 16 weeks.The lungs and spleens were harvested to calculate organ coefficients,and pathological examinations were conducted.At the eighth week of immunization,the mice were infected with high concentrations of BCG,and pathological changes in the lungs and spleens were observed 4 weeks post-infection.The apoptosis rate at 6 hours was significantly higher in the experimental group than the PBS group(P<0.05).At 12 and 24 hours,the apoptosis rate in the experimental group remained higher than that in the PBS group,although this difference was not statistically significant.After immunization,mice in all four groups exhibited normal growth patterns,as indicated by stable body weight changes.At 4 and 12 weeks post-immunization,the lung coefficients in the protein group were significantly higher than those in the PBS group at the same time points.Additionally,the lung coefficients in the BCG group were significantly elevated across all time periods(P<0.05).The spleen coefficients in the protein and BCG groups were significantly higher than those in the PBS group at 2,4,8,12,and 16 weeks,whereas the ICD B/R group showed higher spleen coefficients than the PBS group only at week 8(P<0.05).Pathological examination revealed normal lung and spleen tissues in the PBS group.However,during the 2-8 weeks immunization period,lung and spleen tissues in all experimental groups exhibited varying degrees of damage,which gradually diminished by 12-16 weeks.Notably,no tuberculosis nodules were observed in any experimental group.After infection with high concentrations of BCG,no overt pathological changes were observed on the surfaces of the lungs and spleens in any group.Microscopic examination revealed less severe pathological changes in the lungs and spleens of mice in the experimental groups than the PBS group.Furthermore,no statistically significant differences were observed between the protein group and the BCG group.Our findings suggested that the B/R strain active proteins'toxicity and safety profiles were comparable to those of BCG,and showed immunoprotective effects.This study provides an experimental foundation for the development of a novel tuberculosis vaccine.

OBJECTIVE: To explore a predictive model that can better predict the prognosis of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and validate its clinical value. METHODS: Clinical data of 134 newly treated DLBCL patients were collected from Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2015 to January 2020. Several risk factors of the patients were screened and analyzed, a novel prognostic model were then established based on this, and its clinical application potential was validated. RESULTS: In the novel model, predicting progression-free survival (PFS) based on the age at initial treatment, albumin level, Hans classification, Ann Arbor stage, and BCL2 expression showed better predictive performance than International Prognostic Index (IPI) score (AUC: 0.788 vs 0.620，P <0.001). Predicting overall survival (OS) based on the age at initial treatment, albumin level, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, and expressions of BCL2 and MUM1 proteins also showed better predictive performance for mortality risk than IPI score (AUC: 0.817 vs 0.624，P <0.001). CONCLUSION This novel prognostic model can better predict the survival prognosis of DLBCL patients compared to the IPI scoring system.
Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism* ; Risk Factors ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged