OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of Huangqin decoction （HQD）-based self-assembled nanoparticles （SAN） co-loaded with terbinafine （TBF） （TBF-HQD-SAN NPs） on the transdermal absorption of TBF. METHODS High-speed centrifugation combined with dialysis was used to separate HQD-SAN， and TBF-HQD-SAN NPs were obtained by loading TBF using the ultrasound magnetic stirring method； the particle size distribution， Zeta potential and polydispersity index （PDI） of the nanoparticle were characterized， and the encapsulation efficiency （EE） and drug loading （DL） of TBF were determined； using in vitro and in vivo transdermal experiments， the differences in transdermal performance between TBF-HQD-SAN NPs and TBF raw materials， as well as TBF and HQD-SAN physical mixture （TBF-HQD-SAN PM）， were compared and analyzed. RESULTS TBF- HQD-SAN NPs were spherical with a particle size of （177.60±2.57） nm， a PDI of 0.197 4±0.007 9， and a Zeta potential of （－14.63±0.85） mV. The EE and DL of TBF were （99.49±0.71）% and （3.22±0.10）% ， respectively. In vitro transdermal experiments， compared with TBF raw materials， the steady-state permeation rate （Jss） and skin retention of TBF-HQD-SAN NPs increased by 3.34 times and 27.56 times， respectively （P＜0.05）； compared with TBF-HQD-SAN PM， its Jss and skinretention were increased by 2.04 times and 7.44 times， respectively （P＜0.05）. In vivo transdermal experiments 69号） showed that， the area under the drug-time curve and the maximum concentration of TBF-HQD-SAN NPs increased by 2.13 times and 2.06 times respectively compared to TBF raw materials， and increased by 1.59 times and 1.65 times respectively compared to TBF-HQD-SAN PM （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS TBF-HQD-SAN NPs can significantly enhance the in vitro and in vivo transdermal absorption efficiency and skin retention of TBF.

In recent years， hyperuricemia （HUA） has shown a rapidly increasing incidence and tends to occur in increasingly young people， with a wide range of cardiac， renal， joint， and cancerous hazards and all-cause mortality associations. Western medicine treatment has limitations such as large liver and kidney damage， medication restriction， and easy recurrence. The intestine is the major extra-renal excretion pathway for uric acid （UA）， and the intestinal microecology can be regulated to promote UA degradation. It offers great potential to develop UA-lowering strategies that target the intestinal microecology， which are promising to provide safer and more effective therapeutic approaches. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） can treat HUA via multiple targets and multiple pathways from a holistic view， with low toxicity and side effects. Studies have shown that intestinal microecology is a crucial target for TCM in the treatment of HUA. However， its specific mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated. Focusing on the key role of intestinal microecology in HUA， this review explores the relationship between intestinal microecology and HUA in terms of intestinal flora， intestinal metabolites， intestinal UA transporters， and intestinal barriers. Furthermore， we summarize the research progress in TCM treatment of HUA by targeting the intestinal microecology， with the aim of providing references for the development of TCM intervention strategies for HUA and the direction of future research.

Objective: To develop a simple digital chylous plasma device and validate its ability to accurately, standardly, and non-destructively determine chylous plasma in blood banks and clinical transfusions in hospitals. Methods: A digital chylous plasma assessment device was designed and manufactured. This device was used to measure the chylous degrees of chylous plasma samples before freezing, after freeze-thawing, before viral inactivation, and after viral inactivation. The measured chylosity index values were categorized according to the requirements specified in Appendix A of the Chinese national standard GB 18469-2001 "Quality Requirements for Whole Blood and Blood Components". This process established a digital standard for chylous plasma, enabling the identification of severe, moderate and mild chylous plasma, and non-chylous plasma. Results: The initial simple product of the digital chylous assessment device was successfully designed and manufactured. There was no significant difference in the degree of chylous plasma between pre-freezing 468.11±217.73 lux and post-thawing 538.91±273.39 lux of chylous plasma (P>0.05), or between pre-viral inactivation 858.33±387.79 lux and post-viral inactivation 928.33±166.51 lux of chylous plasma (P>0.05). The median of chylous degree values for plasma chylous index grades 0 to 6 were 45 lux, 250 lux, 620 lux, 835 lux, 1 130 lux, 1 390 lux, and 1 700 lux, respectively. The defined cutoff values/ranges for the chylous degree values corresponding to plasma chylous index grade 0 to 6 were ≤125 lux, 126-465 lux, 466-740 lux, 741-1 000 lux, 1 001-1 233 lux, 1 234-1 560 lux, and ≥1 561 lux. Conclusion: This study successfully developed the initial product of the digital chylous device and established digital standards for classifying chylous plasma. The device demonstrates the potential to meet the needs for assessment of chylous plasma in both blood banks and clinical transfusions in hospitals, thereby promoting the development and application of standardized, non-destructive chylous plasma assessment technology.

Objective To investigate the effect of Hedyotis diffusa extract(HDE)on the proliferation of liver cancer cells and its relationship with sugar metabolism reprogramming and oxidative phosphorylation and analyze its possible mechanisms.Methods CCK-8 and EDU experiments were used to determine the effect of different concentrations(20,40,80 mg/mL)of HDE on the growth of liver cancer cell line SNU-368.Lactate dehydrogenase activity,glucose uptake,lactate production,extracellular pH,mitochondrial respiratory chain complex activity,and cellular oxygen consumption were measured to analyze the effect of HDE on aerobic glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation in liver cancer cells.qRT-PCR experiments were used to detect the mRNA expressions of GLUT1,GLUT4,HK2,GPI,PFKL,ALDOA and HIF-1α in SNU-368 cells of different groups.Western blotting experiments were used to detect the protein expression of HIF-1α.A stable cell line overexpressing HIF-1αwas constructed by lentivirus transfection of liver cancer cells SNU-368 and then intervened with HDE;the expression of HIF-1α mRNA and protein was detected with qRT-PCR and Western blotting.Results CCK-8 results showed that the HDE exhibited a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on the proliferation of liver cancer cells(all P＜0.05).Results from glucose metabolism-related tests indicated that the HDE could inhibit glucose uptake and lactate production,decrease lactate dehydrogenase activity,increase extracellular pH value,enhance cellular oxygen consumption,and elevate activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ(all P＜0.05).qRT-PCR results revealed that the HDE suppressed the mRNA expressions of GLUT1,HK2,GPI,and ALDOA(all P＜0.05).qRT-PCR and Western blotting experiments showed that compared to the control group,the expression of HIF-1α mRNA and protein in the HDE group was significantly reduced.However,when HIF-1α was overexpressed and HDE was added in the HIF-1α-LV group,the expression of HIF-1α mRNA and protein increased again compared to the HDE group.Conclusion HDE inhibits glycolysis and promotes oxidative phosphorylation to inhibit the proliferation of liver cancer cells,and its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of HIF-1α expression.

Background and objective Invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma(IMA)was a rare and specific type of lung adenocarcinoma,which was often characterized by fewer lymphatic metastases.Therefore,it was difficult to evaluate the prognosis of these tumors based on the existing tumor-node-metastasis(TNM)staging.So,this study aimed to develop Nomo-grams to predict outcomes of patients with pathologic N0 in resected IMA.Methods According to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria,IMA patients with pathologic N0 in The Affiliated Lihuili Hospital of Ningbo University(training cohort,n=78)and Ningbo No.2 Hospital(validation cohort,n=66)were reviewed between July 2012 and May 2017.The prognostic value of the clinicopathological features in the training cohort was analyzed and prognostic prediction models were established,and the performances of models were evaluated.Finally,the validation cohort data was put in for external validation.Results Univariate analysis showed that pneumonic type,larger tumor size,mixed mucinous/non-mucinous component,and higher overall stage were significant influence factors of 5-year progression-free survival(PFS)and overall survival(OS).Multivariate analysis further indicated that type of imaging,tumor size,mucinous component were the independent prognostic factors for poor 5-year PFS and OS.Moreover,the 5-year PFS and OS rates were 62.82％and 75.64％,respectively.In subgroups,the sur-vival analysis also showed that the pneumonic type and mixed mucinous/non-mucinous patients had significantly poorer 5-year PFS and OS compared with solitary type and pure mucinous patients,respectively.The C-index of Nomograms with 5-year PFS and OS were 0.815(95％CI:0.741-0.889)and 0.767(95％CI:0.669-0.865).The calibration curve and decision curve analysis(DCA)of both models showed good predictive performances in both cohorts.Conclusion The Nomograms based on clinicopathological characteristics in a certain extent,can be used as an effective prognostic tool for patients with pathologic N0 after IMA resection.

Objective To analyze the current state,research hotspots,and development trends of electroencephalography(EEG)applied in the field of autism spectrum disorder(ASD). Methods Relevant literature from the Web of Science core collection database from January,2014 to January,2024 were retrieved and analyzed using CiteSpace 6.2.R4. Results A total of 1 509 articles were included,with an increasing trend in publication volume over the years.The United States ranked highest in both publication volume and node centrality.The primary journals in this field were concentrated in clinical medicine,immunology and psychology.Keyword co-occurrence and clustering indicated that research primarily focused on the correlation between core symptoms of ASD and EEG indicators,differential diagnosis of ASD and its comorbidities,brain functional connectivity,and assessment of rehabilitation efficacy.Keywords bursted in the past three years mainly included artificial intelligence and machine learning. Conclusion The researches in EEG technology in the field of ASD is generally increasing.Future researches may focus on exploring the brain network mechanisms of ASD using EEG combined with multimodal neuroimaging,and machine learning technologies.

Objective:To delineate a deletional mutation of the HLA-B gene in a Chinese pedigree.Methods:A female patient with acute myeloid leukemia who had visited Liuzhou People′s Hospital in April 2022 was selected as the study subject. Routine human leukocyte antigen (HLA) was determined by using PCR-sequence specific oligonucleotide polymorphism (PCR-SSOP) and PCR-sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) methods. Next generation sequencing (NGS) was used to validate the candidate variant in the HLA-B gene.Results:The PCR-SBT and SSOP results for the HLA-B locus were inconsistent for the patient and her daughter. The SSOP results of the two individuals were HLA-B*35: 01, 40: 02 and HLA-B*35: 01, 40: 01, respectively. However, the PCR-SBT results has indicated a mismatch with the nearest HLA-B*35: 01 at exon 4. NGS results showed that the HLA-B*35: 01 had a 9 bp deletion in the intron 5. The patient′s husband was HLA-B*40: 01, 58: 01, which was normal. Conclusion:The variant in intron 5 of the HLA-B gene in this pedigree has mapped to a primer-binding region for the SBT reagent, which has affected the accuracy of PCR-SBT results.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of endoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (ESG) in the treatment of obesity.Method:A 26 year old female patient was admitted on October 20, 2022 due to a progressive increase in weight for 2 years. Her body mass index (BMI) was 30.04 kg/m 2, body fat percentage was 39.2%, and visceral fat grade was 15. ESG was performed using the OverStitch SX endoscopic suture system. Result:The surgery was successful, with approximately 5 ml of intraoperative bleeding.The patient discharged on the first day after surgery. Two weeks after surgery, small bowel follow-through showed a tubular shape of the stomach. At 6 months after surgery, the BMI was 25.2 kg/m 2, body fat percentage was 32%, visceral fat grade was 10. The total body weight loss rate (%TBWL) at 6 months after surgery was 16%, and the excess weight loss rate (%EWL) was 54.5%. Conclusion:ESG is effective for the treatment of obesity.

Objective:To investigate the role and underlying mechanisms of methyltransferase (Mettl) 3 in the process of angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang Ⅱ)-induced pericyte-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation and renal fibrosis.Methods:C57BL/6J mice were used, in cell experiments, mouse renal pericytes were isolated and cultured using magnetic bead sorting. These pericytes were then induced to transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts with 1×10 6 mmol/L Ang Ⅱ, which was the Ang Ⅱ group, while pericytes cultured in normal conditions served as the control group. Successful transdifferentiation was verified by immunofluorescence staining, Western blotting, and real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) for α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). The levels of m6A modifications and related enzymes (Mettl3, Mettl14), Wilms tumor 1-associated protein (WTAP), fat mass and obesity protein (FTO), ALKBH5, YTHDF1, YTHDF2, YTHDC1, YTHDC2, YTHDC3 were assessed by Dot blot, RT-qPCR and Western blot. Mettl3 expression was inhibited in cells using lentivirus-mediated Mettl3-shRNA transfection, creating sh-Mettl3 and Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3 groups, while lentivirus empty vector transfection served as the negative control (Ang Ⅱ+sh-NC group). The impact of Ang Ⅱ on pericyte transdifferentiation was observed, and the expression of downstream phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathway proteins, including PI3K, AKT, phosphorylated AKT at serine 473 (p-AKT (S473)), and phosphorylated AKT at threonine 308 (p-AKT (T308)), were examined. PI3K gene transcription was inhibited by co-culturing cells with actinomycin D, and the half-life of PI3K mRNA was calculated by measuring residual PI3K mRNA expression over different co-culture time. The reversibility of Mettl3 inhibition on Ang Ⅱ-induced pericyte-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation was assessed by adding the AKT activator SC79 to the Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3 group. In animal experiments, mice were divided into these groups: sham group (administered 0.9% sterile saline), Ang Ⅱ group (infused with Ang Ⅱ solution), sh-Mettl3 group (injected with Mettl3 shRNA lentivirus solution), Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3 group (infused with Ang Ⅱ solution and injected with Mettl3 shRNA lentivirus solution), and Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3+SC79 group (administered Ang Ⅱ solution and Mettl3 shRNA lentivirus, with an additional injection of SC79). Each group consisted of six subject mice. Blood pressure was measured using the tail-cuff method before and after surgery, and serum creatinine, urea, and urinary albumin levels were determined 4 weeks post-surgery. Kidney tissues were collected at 28 days and stained using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson′s trichrome to assess the extent of renal fibrosis. Results:Primary renal pericytes were successfully obtained by magnetic bead sorting, and intervened with 1×10 6 mmol/L Ang Ⅱ for 48 hours to induce pericyte-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation. Dot blot results indicated higher m6A modification levels in the Ang Ⅱ group compared to the control group ( P<0.05). RT-qPCR and Western blot results showed upregulation of Mettl3 mRNA and protein levels in the Ang Ⅱ group compared to the control group (both P<0.05). In the Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3 group, Mettl3 protein expression was lower than that in the Ang Ⅱ group, with reduced expression levels of α-SMA, vimentin, desmin, fibroblast agonist protein (FAPa) and type Ⅰ collagen (all P<0.05). Compared to the control group, PI3K mRNA expression level was elevated in the Ang Ⅱ group, along with increased p-AKT (S473) and p-AKT (T308) expressions. In the Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3 group, PI3K mRNA expression and p-AKT (S473) and p-AKT (T308) levels were decreased (all P<0.05). The half-life of PI3K mRNA was shorter in the Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3 group than that in the Ang Ⅱ+sh-NC group (2.34 h vs. 3.42 h). The ameliorative effect of Mettl3 inhibition on Ang Ⅱ-induced pericyte-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation was reversible by SC79. Animal experiments showed higher blood pressure, serum creatinine, urea, and 24-hour urinary protein levels, and a larger fibrosis area in the Ang Ⅱ group compared to the sham group (all P<0.05). The fibrosis area was smaller in the Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3 group than that in the Ang Ⅱ group ( P<0.05), but increased again upon addition of SC79. Conclusion:Mettl3-mediated RNA m6A epigenetic regulation is involved in Ang Ⅱ-induced pericyte-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation and renal fibrosis, potentially by affecting PI3K stability and regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the effect of asiaticoside on blood pressure and relaxation of thoracic aorta in rats and explore the underlying mechanism.Methods SD rats treated with 50 and 100 mg/kg asiaticoside by daily gavage for 2 weeks were monitored for systolic blood pressure changes,and histological changes of the thoracic aorta were evaluated using HE staining.In isolated rat endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded thoracic aorta rings,the effects of asiaticoside on relaxation of the aortic rings were tested at baseline and following norepinephrine(NE)-and KCl-induced constriction.The vascular relaxation effect of asiaticoside was further observed in NE-stimulated endothelium-intact rat aortic rings pretreated with L-nitroarginine methyl ester,indomethacin,zinc protoporphyrin Ⅸ,tetraethyl ammonium chloride,glibenclamide,barium chloride,Iberiotoxin,4-aminopyridine,or TASK-1-IN-1.The aortic rings were treated with KCl and NE followed by increasing concentrations of CaCl2 to investigate the effect of asiaticoside on vasoconstriction induced by external calcium influx and internal calcium release.Results Asiaticoside at 50 and 100 mg/kg significantly lowered systolic blood pressure in rats without affecting the thoracic aorta histomorphology.While not obviously affecting resting aortic rings with intact endothelium,asiaticoside at 100 mg/kg induced significant relaxation of the rings constricted by KCl and NE,but its effects differed between endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded rings.In endothelium-intact aortic rings pretreated with indomethacin,ZnPP Ⅸ,barium chloride,glyburide,TASK-1-IN-1 and 4-aminopyridine,asiaticoside did not produce significant effect on NE-induced vasoconstriction,and tetraethylammonium,Iberiotoxin and L-nitroarginine methyl ester all inhibited the relaxation effect of asiaticoside.In KCl-and NE-treated rings,asiaticoside obviously inhibited CaCl2-induced vascular contraction.Conclusion Asiaticoside induces thoracic aorta relaxation by mediating high-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel opening,promoting nitric oxide release from endothelial cells and regulating Ca2+ influx and outflow,thereby reducing systolic blood pressure in rats.