Traditional Chinese medicine formula (TCMF) represents a fundamental component of Chinese medical practice, incorporating medical knowledge and practices from both Han Chinese and various ethnic minorities, while providing comprehensive insights into health and disease. The foundation of TCMF lies in its holistic approach, manifested through herbal compatibility theory, which has emerged from extensive clinical experience and evolved into a highly refined knowledge system. Within this framework, Chinese herbal medicines exhibit intricated characteristics, including multi-component interactions, diverse target sites, and varied biological pathways. These complexities pose significant challenges for understanding their molecular mechanisms. Contemporary advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping research in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), offering immense potential to transform our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying TCMFs. This review explores the application of AI in uncovering these mechanisms, highlighting its role in compound absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) prediction, molecular target identification, compound and target synergy recognition, pharmacological mechanisms exploration, and herbal formula optimization. Furthermore, the review discusses the challenges and opportunities in AI-assisted research on TCMF molecular mechanisms, promoting the modernization and globalization of TCM.
Artificial Intelligence ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacokinetics* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Animals

The hippocampus, a major component of the limbic system, is the most important region related to emotion regulation and memory processing. Cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients may be attributed to hippocampal damage caused by amyloid β-protein (Aβ). Our previous studies have demonstrated that a steroid sulfatase inhibitor DU-14 can enhance hippocampal synaptic plasticity and spatial memory abilities in a chronic AD murine model by counteracting the toxic effects of Aβ. However, limited experimental evidence exists regarding the efficacy of steroid sulfatase inhibitor on depressive symptoms in AD animal models. In this study, we investigated the effects of DU-14 on depressive symptoms and theta-band neuronal oscillations in rats with intrahippocampal injection of Aβ_1-42 using various behavioral tests such as sucrose preference test, tail suspension test, forced swimming test, and in vivo hippocampal local field potential (LFP) recording. The results demonstrated that, in comparison to the control group: (1) rats in the Aβ group exhibited a decrease in sucrose preference, indicating a loss of interest in pleasurable activities; (2) rats in the Aβ group displayed aggravated depressive-like behavior characterized by prolonged immobility time during tail suspension and forced swimming tests; (3) Aβ disrupted the induction of theta rhythm via tail pinch stimulation, and resulted in a significant reduction in peak power of theta rhythm. In contrast to the Aβ group, pretreatment with DU-14 resulted in: (1) a significant improvement in Aβ-induced anhedonia, as evidenced by increased sucrose preference; (2) significant alleviation of Aβ-induced despair and depressive-like behaviors, reflected by reduced immobility time during tail suspension and forced swimming tests; (3) successful mitigation of Aβ-mediated inhibition on bilateral hippocampal theta rhythm. These findings indicate that steroid sulfatase inhibitor DU-14 can counteract neurotoxicity induced by Aβ, and prevent Aβ-induced depressive-like behavior and suppression of theta rhythm.
Animals ; Amyloid beta-Peptides/toxicity* ; Rats ; Depression/physiopathology* ; Theta Rhythm/drug effects* ; Hippocampus/physiopathology* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Alzheimer Disease/physiopathology* ; Steryl-Sulfatase/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Peptide Fragments ; Behavior, Animal/drug effects*

Aim To investigate the therapeutic effects of a newly developed Tadalafil tablets on pathological myocardial hypertrophy induced by abdominal aortic constriction(AAC)in rats,as well as its influence on the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in myo-cardial cells.Methods SD rats were randomly divid-ed into 4 groups:the sham operation group(Sham),the model group(AAC),the tadalafil new tablet treat-ment group(N-Tad,5 mg·kg-1),and the positive control drug treatment group(Cialis,10 mg·kg-1g).The AAC model group and treatment group rats under-went blunt dissection and constrictive ligation of the abdominal aorta at the left renal artery branch point during surgery,while the Sham group rats only had their arteries separated without any constrictive liga-tion.Rats in the treatment groups received either N-Tad or Cialis via gavage three days after modeling,while rats in the sham group and the model group re-ceived physiological saline daily for 8 weeks.Small an-imal ultra-high-resolution echocardiography and hemo-dynamic assessment were applied to evaluate left ven-tricular function in each group of rats,and the calcula-tion of the left ventricular mass index was conducted.By employing Western blot and RT-PCR.we assessed the impact of this treatment on the expression of the hy-pertrophy factor atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP),phosphorylated NF-κB p65 protein(p-NF-κB p65),and phosphorylated IκB-α in the left heart tissue of rats and in H9c2 cardiomyocytes.Results Compared to the Sham group,the AAC rats exhibited a significant decrease in left heart function,an increase in left ven-tricular mass index,and a notable increase in ANP and p-p65 expression in the left heart tissue(P＜0.05).Both N-Tad and Cialis treatments could significantly enhance left ventricular function,decrease left ventric-ular mass index,and inhibit the expression of ANP and phosphorylated NF-κB p65 in rats with myocardial hy-pertrophy(P＜0.05).Notably,the therapeutic effect of low-dose N-Tad was comparable to that of high-dose Cialis.At the cellular level,Tadalafil significantly in-hibited the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and reduced the expression of associated proteins in H9c2 cardiomyocytes.Conclusions N-Tad can sig-nificantly inhibit p65 and IκB-α phosphorylation,and the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway,reduce ANP expression,and improve pathological myocardial hypertrophy,as well as mitigate left heart function damage caused by abdominal aortic constriction.

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of clinically isolated Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis in hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021,and provide evidence for rational use of antimicrobial agents.Methods Data of H.influenzae and M.catarrhalis strains isolated from 2015 to 2021 in CHINET program were collected for analysis,and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by disc diffusion method or automated systems according to the uniform protocol of CHINET.The results were interpreted according to the CLSI breakpoints in 2022.Beta-lactamases was detected by using nitrocefin disk.Results From 2015 to 2021,a total of 43 642 strains of Haemophilus species were isolated,accounting for 2.91％of the total clinical isolates and 4.07％of Gram-negative bacteria in CHINET program.Among the 40 437 strains of H.influenzae,66.89％were isolated from children and 33.11％were isolated from adults.More than 90％of the H.influenzae strains were isolated from respiratory tract specimens.The prevalence of β-lactamase was 53.79％in H.influenzae strains.The H.influenzae strains isolated from children showed higher resistance rate than the strains isolated from adults.Overall,779 strains of H.influenzae did not produce β-lactamase but were resistant to ampicillin(BLNAR).Beta-lactamase-producing strains showed significantly higher resistance rates to these antimicrobial agents than the β-lactamase-nonproducing strains.Of the 16 191 M.catarrhalis strains,80.06％were isolated from children and 19.94％isolated from adults.M.catarrhalis strains were mostly susceptible to both amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefuroxime,evidenced by resistance rate lower than 2.0％.Conclusions The emergence of antibiotic-resistant H.influenzae due to β-lactamase production poses a challenge for clinical anti-infective treatment.Therefore,it is very important to implement antibiotic resistance surveillance for H.influenzae and guide rational antibiotic use.All local clinical microbiology laboratories should actively improve antibiotic susceptibility testing and strengthen antibiotic resistance surveillance for H.influenzae.

Objective To understand the changing composition and antibiotic resistance of bacterial species in the clinical isolates from outpatient and emergency department(hereinafter referred to as outpatients)and inpatient children over time in various hospitals,and to provide laboratory evidence for rational antibiotic use.Methods The data on clinically isolated pathogenic bacteria and antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates from outpatients and inpatient children in the CHINET program from 2015 to 2021 were collected and analyzed.Results A total of 278 471 isolates were isolated from pediatric patients in the CHINET program from 2015 to 2021.About 17.1％of the strains were isolated from outpatients,primarily group A β-hemolytic Streptococcus,Escherichia coli,and Staphylococcus aureus.Most of the strains(82.9％)were isolated from inpatients,mainly SS.aureus,E.coli,and H.influenzae.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant S.aureus(MRSA)in outpatients(24.5％)was lower than that in inpatient children(31.5％).The MRSA isolates from outpatients showed lower resistance rates to the antibiotics tested than the strains isolated from inpatient children.The prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis or E.faecium and penicillin-resistant S.pneumoniae was low in either outpatients or inpatient children.S.pneumoniae,β-hemolytic Streptococcus and S.viridans showed high resistance rates to erythromycin.The prevalence of erythromycin-resistant group A β-hemolytic Streptococcus was higher in outpatients than that in inpatient children.The prevalence of β-lactamase-producing H.influenzae showed an overall upward trend in children,but lower in outpatients(45.1％)than in inpatient children(59.4％).The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CRKpn),carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa(CRPae)and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii(CRAba)was 14％,11.7％,47.8％in outpatients,but 24.2％,20.6％,and 52.8％in inpatient children,respectively.The prevalence of multidrug-resistant E.coli,K.pneumoniae,Proteus mirabilis,P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii strains was lower in outpatients than in inpatient children.The prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant E.coli,ESBLs-producing K.pneumoniae,ESBLs-producing P.mirabilis,carbapenem-resistant E.coli(CREco),CRKpn,and CRPae was lower in children in outpatients than in inpatient children,but the prevalence of CRAba in 2021 was higher than in inpatient children.Conclusions The distribution of clinical isolates from children is different between outpatients and inpatients.The prevalence of MRSA,ESBL,and CRO was higher in inpatient children than in outpatients.Antibiotics should be used rationally in clinical practice based on etiological diagnosis and antimicrobial susceptibility test results.Ongoing antimicrobial resistance surveillance and prevention and control of hospital infections are crucial to curbing bacterial resistance.

Objective To investigate the changing antibiotic resistance profiles of E.coli isolated from patients in the 52 hospitals participating in the CHINET program from 2015 to 2021.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested for clinical isolates of E.coli according to the unified protocol of CHINET program.WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 20.0 software were used for data analysis.Results Atotal of 289 760 nonduplicate clinical strains ofE.coli were isolated from 2015 to 2021,mainly from urine samples(44.7±3.2)％.The proportion of E.coli strains isolated from urine samples was higher in females than in males(59.0％vs 29.5％).The proportion of E.coli strains isolated from respiratory tract and cerebrospinal fluid samples was significantly higher in children than in adults(16.7％vs 7.8％,0.8％vs 0.1％,both P＜0.05).The isolates from internal medicine department accounted for the largest proportion(28.9±2.8)％with an increasing trend over years.Overall,the prevalence of ESBLs-producing E.coli and carbapenem resistant E.coli(CREco)was 55.9％and 1.8％,respectively during the 7-year period.The prevalence of ESBLs-producing E.coli was the highest in tertiary hospitals each year from 2015 to 2021 compared to secondary hospitals.The prevalence of CREco was higher in children's hospitals compared to secondary and tertiary hospitals each year from 2015 to 2021.The prevalence of ESBLs-producing E.coli in tertiary hospitals and children's hospitals and the prevalence of CREco in children's hospitals showed a decreasing trend over the 7-year period.The prevalence of CREco in secondary and tertiary hospitals increased slowly.Antibiotic resistance rates changed slowly from 2015 to 2021.Carbapenem drugs(imipenem,meropenem)were the most active drugs amongβ-lactams against E.coli(resistance rate≤2.1％).The resistance rates of E.coli to β-lactam/β-lactam inhibitor combinations(piperacillin-tazobactam,cefoperazone-sulbactam),aminoglycosides(amikacin),nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin(for urinary isolates only)were all less than 10％.The resistance rate of E.coli strains to antibiotics varied with the level of hospitals and the departments where the strains were isolated,especially for cefazolin and ciprofloxacin,to which the resistance rate of E.coli strains from children in non-ICU departments was significantly lower than that of the strains isolated from other departments(P＜0.05).The E.coli isolates from ICU showed higher resistance rate to most antimicrobial agents tested(excluding tigecycline)than the strains isolated from other departments.The E.coli strains isolated from tertiary hospitals showed higher resistance rates to the antimicrobial agents tested(excluding tigecycline,polymyxin B,cefepime and carbapenems)than the strains from secondary hospitals and children's hospitals.Conclusions E.coli is an important pathogen causing clinical infection.More than half of the clinical isolates produced ESBL.The prevalence of CREco is increasing in secondary and tertiary hospitals over the 7-year period even though the overall prevalence is still low.This is an issue of concern.

As the world's second largest vector of pathogens,ticks can spread a variety of pathogens by sucking the host's blood.Ticks not only threaten human life and health,but also cause great economic losses in animal husbandry.Artificial breeding of ticks can provide a stable environment for the growth and reproduction of ticks,thereby generating sufficient exper-imental materials for understanding ticks'biological characteristics,studying tick-borne pathogens,and developing anti-tick drugs and vaccines.Current methods of breeding ticks in the laboratory can be roughly divided into two categories:breeding methods using host animals or artificial membranes.The selection of breeding method must be comprehensively considered,ac-cording to tick types,blood-sucking habits,living environments,and other aspects.The development processes of the two methods,and their respective advantages and disadvantages,are described and discussed,to assist laboratories in artificial breeding of ticks.

[Purpose]To analyze the results of breast cancer screening among women aged 45～74 in Chongqing from 2012 to 2022 and compare the risk of breast cancer among women with differ-ent characteristics.[Methods]The Urban Cancer Early Diagnosis and Treatment Program was con-ducted in Chongqing from 2012 to 2022,female residents aged 45～74 years old participated in breast cancer screening.The participants who were assessed as at high risk of breast cancer in the preliminary screening were advised to receive ultrasonography and mammography examination in designated hospitals.The study population was followed up annually to obtain information on their health outcomes.The high risk rate of breast cancer,compliance of further examination,the inci-dence density and breast cancer risk were calculated.[Results]A total of 207 891 women com-pleted the questionnaires survey and risk assessment,and 35 947 were assessed as the individuals with high risk of breast cancer with a high risk rate of 17.29％.Among them 14 713 received the imaging screening with a compliance rate of 40.93％.After a mean follow-up of(5.43±3.01)years,847 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed with a cumulative incidence rate of 407.43/105,an in-cidence density of 75.03/105 person-years(95％CI:70.15/105～80.26/105 person-years).Cox pro-portional hazards regression showed that the risk of breast cancer was higher in obese women than that in normal weight women(HR=1.26,95％CI:1.00～1.59);the risk of breast cancer was signifi-cantly higher in those with family history of breast cancer than that in those without family history(HR=1.69,95％CI:1.36～2.09).Compared with non-high-risk groups of breast cancer,the risk of breast cancer was increased in high-risk individuals who were screened or not screened(HR=1.36,95％CI:1.06～1.73 and HR=1.26,95％CI:1.01～1.56).[Conclusion]The breast cancer screening program combining primary risk assessment with ultrasonography and mammography for the high-risk groups can improve the detection rate,and the compliance rate of imaging screening need to be improved in the future and make accurate screening for people with high risk of breast cancer.

To study the ameliorative effect of Eucommiae Cortex extract on spatial learning disabilities in APP/PS1 double-transgenic mice and explore its relationship with estrogen receptor β(ERβ)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK) signaling pathway, sixty 3-month-old male APP/PS1 mice were randomly divided into a model group, an anti-brain failure capsule group(0.585 g·kg~(-1)), a donepezil hydrochloride group(0.65 mg·kg~(-1)), and a Eucommiae Cortex extract group(1.3 g·kg~(-1)), and 15 C57BL/6 mice of the same genetic background were set as WT control group. The learning and memory ability of mice was assessed by the Morris water maze test(MWM), the passive avoidance test(PAT), and the novel object recognition test(NOR). The histomorphological and cellular ultrastructural features of the hippocampal region of the mice were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy(TEM); the molecular docking validation of the key active ingredients and the key targets was performed by using AutoDock Vina software, and the immunohistochemical method(IHC) was used to detect the ERβ expression in the dentate gyrus(DG) area of mouse hippocampus. Western blot(WB) was utilized to detect the expression of ERβ, p-JNK, and JNK in mouse hippocampal area. Compared with those in the WT control group, the results of behavioral experiments showed that the latency of the mice in the model group was significantly increased, the number of platform traversals, and the target quadrant residence time were significantly decreased in the MWM. The evasion latency was significantly reduced, and the number of errors was significantly increased in the PAT. The index of recognition of novel objects was significantly reduced in the NOR. The results of HE staining indicated that the hippocampal area of mice in the model group showed a decrease in the number of neurons, disorganization of pyramidal cell arrangement, nucleus consolidation, and other changes. TEM results showed that some neuronal nuclei in the hippocampal area had a consolidated state, slightly thickened and aberrant nuclear membranes, and fewer intracytoplasmic nidus bodies; the IHC results showed that the expression of ERβ in the hippocampal DG area of the mice was reduced. The WB results showed that the ERβ expression in the hippocampal tissue was decreased, and the p-JNK/JNK level was elevated. Compared with the model group, the Eucommiae Cortex extract group showed a significant decrease in latency, and increase in number of platform traversals and target quadrant residence time in the MWM, a significant increase in evasion latency and decrease in number of errors in the PAT, and a significant increase in the index of recognition of novel objects in the NOR. In addition, there was an increase in the number of neurons in the hippocampal area of mice. The pyramidal cells tended to be arranged in an orderly manner; the nuclei of neurons in the hippocampal area were in a better state; the expression of ERβ in the hippocampal DG area of the mice was elevated; the expression of ERβ in the hippocampal tissue was elevated, and the level of p-JNK/JNK was reduced. The effects of donepezil hydrochloride group and anti-brain failure capsule on APP/PS1 mice in terms of behavioral, HE, and TEM indexes were similar to those of Eucommiae Cortex extract, and there was no significant difference between donepezil hydrochloride group and the model group in IHC and WB experiments, and the results of molecular docking indicated that the estrogen-like components in Eucommiae Cortex extract were tightly bound to ERβ. In conclusion, the binding of Eucommiae Cortex extract to estrogen receptors, regulation of ERβ expression, and activation of ERβ/JNK signaling pathway may be one of the key mechanisms by which it improves the learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 mice.
Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Memory/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Estrogen Receptor beta/genetics* ; Eucommiaceae/chemistry* ; Alzheimer Disease/psychology* ; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor/metabolism* ; Presenilin-1/metabolism* ; Humans ; MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Maze Learning/drug effects* ; Learning/drug effects*

This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism by which naringin alleviates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion(CI/R) injury through DRP1/LRRK2/MCU signaling axis. A total of 60 SD rats were randomly divided into the sham group, the model group, the sodium Danshensu group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose(50, 100, and 200 mg·kg~(-1)) naringin groups, with 10 rats in each group. Except for the sham group, a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion(tMCAO/R) model was established in SD rats using the suture method. Longa 5-point scale was used to assess neurological deficits. 2,3,5-Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining was used to detect the volume percentage of cerebral infarction in rats. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Nissl staining were employed to assess neuronal structural alterations and the number of Nissl bodies in cortex, respectively. Western blot was used to determine the protein expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 gene(Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), cleaved cysteine-aspartate protease-3(cleaved caspase-3), mitochondrial calcium uniporter(MCU), microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3), and P62. Mitochondrial structure and autophagy in cortical neurons were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Immunofluorescence assay was used to quantify the fluorescence intensities of MCU and mitochondrial calcium ion, as well as the co-localization of dynamin-related protein 1(DRP1) with leucine-rich repeat kinase 2(LRRK2) and translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20(TOMM20) with LC3 in cortical mitochondria. The results showed that compared with the model group, naringin significantly decreased the volume percentage of cerebral infarction and neurological deficit score in tMCAO/R rats, alleviated the structural damage and Nissl body loss of cortical neurons in tMCAO/R rats, inhibited autophagosomes in cortical neurons, and increased the average diameter of cortical mitochondria. The Western blot results showed that compared to the sham group, the model group exhibited increased levels of cleaved caspase-3, Bax, MCU, and the LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio in the cortex and reduced protein levels of Bcl-2 and P62. However, naringin down-regulated the protein expression of cleaved caspase-3, Bax, MCU and the ratio of LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio and up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and P62 proteins in cortical area. In addition, immunofluorescence analysis showed that compared with the model group, naringin and positive drug treatments significantly decreased the fluorescence intensities of MCU and mitochondrial calcium ion. Meanwhile, the co-localization of DRP1 with LRRK2 and TOMM20 with LC3 in cortical mitochondria was also decreased significantly after the intervention. These findings suggest that naringin can alleviate cortical neuronal damage in tMCAO/R rats by inhibiting DRP1/LRRK2/MCU-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation and the resultant excessive mitophagy.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury/genetics* ; Flavanones/administration & dosage* ; Rats ; Dynamins/genetics* ; Male ; Brain Ischemia/genetics* ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*