This study aimed to compare the ameliorative effects of Lycii Fructus and Chrysanthemi Flos at different ratios on retinal damage in mice and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. A retinal injury model was established by intraperitoneal injection of sodium iodate(NaIO_3) solution. The mice were divided into the following groups: blank group, model group, positive drug(AREDS 2) group, low-and high-dose groups of Lycii Fructus and Chrysanthemi Flos at 1∶1, low-and high-dose groups at 3∶1, and low-and high-dose groups at 1∶3. Administration was carried out 15 days after modeling. The visual acuity of the mice was assessed using the black-and-white box test. The fundus was observed using an optical coherence tomography device, and retinal thickness was measured. HE staining was used to observe the morphology and pathological changes of the retina. The levels of oxidative factors in serum and ocular tissues were measured using assay kits. The levels of inflammatory factors in serum and ocular tissues were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and the expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and NF-κB proteins in ocular tissues was analyzed by Western blot. The results showed that after administration of Lycii Fructus and Chrysanthemi Flos at different ratios, the model group showed improved retinal thinning and disordered arrangement of retinal layers, elevated content of SOD and GSH in the serum and ocular tissues, and reduced levels of MDA, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Lycii Fructus and Chrysanthemi Flos at 1∶1 and 1∶3 showed better improvement effects. The combination significantly upregulated the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 and downregulated the expression of NF-κB p65. These results indicate that Lycii Fructus and Chrysanthemi Flos at different ratios can improve retinal damage, reduce oxidative stress, and alleviate inflammation in both the body and ocular tissues of mice. The mechanism may be related to the regulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB signaling pathways in ocular tissues. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of Lycii Fructus and Chrysanthemi Flos in the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration.
Animals ; Mice ; Retina/injuries* ; Male ; Lycium/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Chrysanthemum/chemistry* ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Humans ; Retinal Diseases/metabolism* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Flowers/chemistry* ; Heme Oxygenase-1/genetics*

Objective:To determine the differential expressions of long non-coding RNA(lncRNA)and messenger RNA(mRNA)in normal and asthenospermia(AS)men and analyze their biological significance in AS.Methods:We isolated and ex-tracted total RNAs from 9 normal and 9 AS sperm samples,determined the expressions of RNAs in the sperm using the DNBSEQ se-quencing platform,and analyzed their relevant functions by gene ontology enrichment(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and ge-nomes pathway(KEGG)analyses.Results:An average of 10.64G data was generated per group,with 282 185 RNAs detected,in-cluding 107 009 lncRNAs.Among the total number of lncRNAs,15 157 were differentially expressed,2 190 upregulated and 12 967 downregulated;and among the 19 514 mRNAs,13 736 were differentially expressed,4 995 upregulated and 8 741 downregulated.Differentially expressed genes were enriched mainly in the sperm cell membrane and the pathways related to the ion channel functions,sperm development and fertilization.Conclusion:Differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs can be identified by sequencing a-nalysis of AS and normal sperm.Regulation of sperm function through membrane ion channels may contribute to the development of AS,which provides a molecular basis for further research on AS.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism of induction of ferroptosis by brazilin in breast cancer cells. METHODS: Breast cancer 4T1 cells were divided into 6 groups: control, brazilin 1/2 half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀), IC₅₀, 2×IC₅₀, erastin (10 µg/mL) and capecitabine (10 µg/mL) groups. The effect of brazilin on the proliferation of 4T1 cells was detected by cell counting kit-8 assay, and the treatment dose of brazilin was screened. The effect of brazilin on the mitochondrial morphology of 4T1 cells, and the mitochondrial damage was evaluated under electron microscopy. The levels of Fe²⁺, reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) were estimated using various detection kits. The invasion and migration abilities of 4T1 cells were detected by scratch assay and transwell assay. The expressions levels of tumor protein p53, solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), GPX4 and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) proteins were quantified by Western blot assay. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the 10 (1/2 IC₅₀), 20 (IC₅₀) and 40 (2×IC₅₀) µg/mL brazilin, erastin, and capecitabine groups showed a significant decrease in the cell survival rate, invasion and migration abilities, GSH, SLC7A11 and GPX4 protein expression levels, and mitochondrial volume and ridge (P<0.05), and a significant increase in the mitochondria membrane density, Fe²⁺, ROS and MDA levels, and p53 and ACSL4 protein expression levels (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Brazilin actuated ferroptosis in breast cancer cells, and the underlying mechanism is mainly associated with the p53/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway.
Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; Phospholipid Hydroperoxide Glutathione Peroxidase/metabolism* ; Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Female ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism* ; Amino Acid Transport System y+/metabolism* ; Humans ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Animals ; Mice ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Coenzyme A Ligases/metabolism* ; Cell Movement/drug effects* ; Benzopyrans

Objective To compare the image quality of three high-resolution dynamic MRI methods for evaluating the motion of temporomandibular joint disc and condyle. Methods Twenty-five patients with suspected temporomandibular joint disorders were examined by single-shot fast spin-echo (SSFSE),fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (FIESTA),and spoiled gradient echo (SPGR) on the oblique sagittal position.Two radiologists performed subjective and objective evaluation on the images with double-blind method.The subjective evaluation included the signal intensity of mandibular condyle,articular disc,soft tissue around articular disc,and lateral pterygoid muscle,the contrast between articular disc and condyle,the contrast between articular disc and surrounding soft tissue,condylar motion,and disc movement.The objective evaluation indexes included image signal intensity,signal-to-noise ratio (SNR),and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR).The subjective and objective indexes of the image quality were compared between the three sequences. Results The SSFSE sequence had lower signal intensity of articular disc and higher signal intensity of condyle and surrounding soft tissue than FIESTA and SPGR sequences (all P<0.001).The SPGR sequence showed higher signal intensity of lateral pterygoid muscle than the SSFSE and FIESTA sequences (P=0.017,P<0.001).Among the three sequences,SSFSE sequence showed the clearest articular disc structure (χ²=41.952,P<0.001),the strongest contrast between articular disc and condyle (χ²=35.379,P<0.001),the strongest contrast between articular disc and surrounding soft tissue (χ²=27.324,P<0.001),and the clearest movement of articular disc (χ²=44.655,P<0.001).SSFSE and FIESTA sequences showed higher proportion of disc displacement and reduction than SPGR sequence (all P<0.001).The CNR (χ²=21.400,P<0.001),SNR (χ²=34.880,P<0.001),and condyle signal intensity (F=337.151,P<0.001) demonstrated differences among SSFSE,FIESTA,and SPGR sequences.The CNR of SSFSE sequence was higher than that of FIESTA sequence (P<0.001),while it had no significant difference between SSFSE and SPGR sequences (P=0.472).In addition,the SSFSE sequence had higher SNR and signal intensity than FIESTA and SPGR sequences (all P<0.001). Conclusion The best image quality can be observed from SSFSE sequence where both the structure and movement of temporomandibular joint are well displayed.Therefore,SSFSE is preferred for the examination of temporomandibular joint movement.
Humans ; Temporomandibular Joint/diagnostic imaging* ; Motion ; Plastic Surgery Procedures

As an important model animal, fruit fly is characterized by outstanding genetic characteristics, relatively perfect nervous system, rapid reproduction, and low cost. Thus, it has been applied in the research on neuropsychiatric disorders in recent years, showing great potential in life science. The incidence of neuropsychiatric disorders has been on the rise, and the disorders have high disability rate and low case fatality rate. The global drug demand for such diseases is second only to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. At the moment, the demand of the drugs for the diseases have been rising, and it is an urgent task to develop related drugs. However, the research and development of the drugs are time-intensive and have a high failure rate. A suitable animal model can help shorten the time for drug screening and development, thereby reducing the cost and failure rate. This study reviews the application of fruit flies in several common neuropsychiatric disorders, which is expected to provide new ideas for the research and application of the model animals in traditional Chinese medicine.
Animals ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Models, Animal ; Cerebrovascular Disorders

Objective To optimize extraction technology for Sihuang Shaoshang ointment by orthogonal test,and establish the HPLC fingerprint of Sihuang Shaoshang ointment to provide references for the quality evaluation of the preparation.Methods Taking Sihuang Shaoshang ointment as the model drug,the fingerprints were established by HPLC method,the common peak areas were analyzed by principal component analysis,and the total factor scores were used as the evaluation index.The technological parameters such as extraction times,extraction time and liquid-solid ratio were optimized by orthogonal test,and the optimal extraction process parameters were screened out.Results The common mode of fingerprint was set up with 12 common peaks and the two principle components with the accumulative contribution rate of 84.751% extracted by principal component analysis were screened out to calculate the comprehensive scores of 9 samples.The optimal extraction process was as follows:10-fold amount of water,extracting 3 times,and extracting 2 h for each time.Conclusion The established method is simple and effective,which can provide a reference for the extraction process optimization of Sihuang Shaoshang ointment.

Standardization is the universal language of the world, and standardization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is essential for its communication in China and globally. However, the principles and methods of TCM acupuncture standardization have been unclear and inadequate in the early stages. Based on an investigative approach to understanding the current status, identifying problems, and finding solutions, our team has established basic principles of TCM acupuncture that embody Chinese wisdom, evaluated the international strategic environment systematically, proposed the principle of “importance of harmony and exercise of impartiality”, and established basic working principles. A series of methods for TCM acupuncture standard development and evaluation have been constructed, including general standards for the revision of TCM acupuncture standards, the first TCM acupuncture clinical research management specification, a shared full chain technology platform, a data center, and an evaluation research base for TCM acupuncture clinical research. Evaluation criteria for ancient literature and expert experience, a recommendation method for the “three main and three auxiliaries” TCM guideline for prevention were established, and quantifiable assessment methods of TCM standard applicability were proposed. These findings provide methodological guidance for TCM acupuncture standardization.

Objective: To understand the depression status and its influencing factors in elderly patients with MS in China and to explore the correlation between various components of elderly MS and depression. Methods: This study is based on the "Prevention and Intervention of Key Diseases in Elderly" project. We used a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method to complete 16 199 elderly aged 60 years and above in 16 counties (districts) in Liaoning, Henan, and Guangdong Provinces in 2019, excluding 1 001 missing variables. Finally, 15 198 valid samples were included for analysis. The respondents' MS disease was obtained through questionnaires and physical examinations, and the respondents' depression status within the past half month was assessed using the PHQ-9 Depression Screening Scale. The correlation between elderly MS and its components and depression and its influencing factors were analyzed by logistic regression. Results: A total of 15 198 elderly aged 60 years and above were included in this study, with the prevalence of MS at 10.84% and the detection rate of depressive symptoms in MS patients at 25.49%. The detection rates of depressive symptoms in patients with 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 MS abnormal group scores were 14.56%, 15.17%, 18.01%, 25.21%, and 26.65%, respectively. The number of abnormal components of MS was positively correlated with the detection rate of depressive symptoms, and the difference between groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). The risk of depression symptoms in patients with MS, overweight/obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia was 1.73 times (OR=1.73, 95%CI:1.51-1.97), 1.13 times (OR=1.13, 95%CI:1.03-1.24), 1.25 times (OR=1.25, 95%CI:1.14-1.38), 1.41 times (OR=1.41, 95%CI:1.24-1.60), 1.81 times (OR=1.81,95%CI:1.61-2.04), respectively, more than those without the disease. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the detection rate of depressive symptoms in patients with sleep disorders was higher than that with normal sleep (OR=4.89, 95%CI: 3.79-6.32). The detection rate of depressive symptoms in patients with cognitive dysfunction was 2.12 times higher than that in the average population (OR=2.12, 95%CI: 1.56-2.89). The detection rate of depressive symptoms in patients with impaired instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) was 2.31 times (OR=2.31, 95%CI: 1.64-3.26) higher than that in the average population. Tea drinking (OR=0.73, 95%CI: 0.54-0.98) and physical exercise (OR=0.67, 95%CI: 0.49-0.90) seemed to be protective factors for depression in elderly MS patients (P<0.05). Conclusions: Older patients with MS and its component abnormalities have a higher risk of depression than the average population. Sleep disorders, cognitive impairment, and IADL impairment are important influencing factors for depression in elderly MS patients, while tea drinking and physical exercise may help to reduce the risk of the disease.
Aged ; Humans ; Metabolic Syndrome/epidemiology* ; Activities of Daily Living/psychology* ; Depression/epidemiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Tea ; Risk Factors

Objective: To investigate the clinical and biological characteristics of familial platelet disorder (FPD) with germline Runt-related transcription factor (RUNX) 1 mutations. Methods: Patients diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with RUNX1 mutations from February 2016 to December 2021 in Wuhan No.1 Hospital underwent pedigree analysis and were screened for gene mutations (somatic and germline). Patients diagnosed with FPD with germline RUNX1 mutations were enrolled and evaluated in terms of clinical characteristics and biological evolution. Bioinformatics analysis was used to assess the pathogenicity of mutations and to analyze the effect of mutated genes on the function of the corresponding protein. Results: Germline RUNX1 mutations were detected in three out of 34 patients suffering from MDS/AML who had RUNX1 mutations. A pedigree of FPD with RUNX1 (RUNX1-FPD) c.562A>C and RUNX1 c.1415T>C mutations was diagnosed, and the mutations were of patrilineal origin. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that the locus at positions 188 and 472 in the AML-1G type of RUNX1 was highly conserved across different species, and that variations might influence functions of the proteins. The mutations were evaluated to be highly pathogenic. Of the nine cases with germline RUNX1 mutations: two patients died due AML progression; one case with AML survived without leukemia after transplantation of hemopoietic stem cells; four patients showed mild-to-moderate thrombocytopenia; two cases had no thrombocytopenia. During the disease course of the proband and her son, mutations in RUNX1, NRAS and/or CEBPA and KIT appeared in succession, and expression of cluster of differentiation-7 on tumor cells was enhanced gradually. None of the gene mutations correlated with the tumor were detected in the four cases not suffering from MDS/AML, and they survived until the end of follow-up. Conclusions: RUNX1-FPD was rare. The mutations c.562A>C and c.1415T>C of RUNX1 could be the disease-causing genes for the family with RUNX1-FPD, and these mutations could promote malignant transformation. Biological monitoring should be carried out regularly to aid early intervention for family members with RUNX1-FPD.
Humans ; Female ; Germ-Line Mutation ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit/genetics* ; Pedigree ; Blood Platelet Disorders/complications* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics*

Objective To evaluate the effect of a deep learning reconstruction (DLR) method on the visibility of contrast-enhanced CT images of the biliary system by comparing it with different iterative reconstruction algorithms including the adaptive iterative dose reduction 3D (AIDR 3D) algorithm,forward projected model based iterative reconstruction solution (FIRST),and filtered back projection (FBP) algorithm. Methods A total of 30 patients subjected to abdominal contrast-enhanced CT and diagnosed with dilatation of common bile duct or extrahepatic bile duct were retrospectively included in this study.The images of the portal phase were reconstructed via four different algorithms (FBP,AIDR 3D,FIRST,and DLR).Signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) of the dilated bile duct,liver parenchyma,measurable bile duct lesions,and image noise were compared between the four datasets.In subjective analyses,two radiologists independently scored the image quality (best:4 points,second:3 points;third:2 points;fourth:1 point) of the four datasets based on the noise and image visual quality of the biliary system.The Friedman and the Bonferroni-Dunn post-hoc tests were performed for comparison. Results The DLR images (bile duct:4.42±0.87;liver parenchyma:3.78±1.47) yielded higher CNR than the FBP (bile duct:2.21±1.02,P<0.001;liver parenchyma:1.43±1.29,P<0.001),AIDR 3D (bile duct:2.81±0.91,P=0.024;liver parenchyma:2.39±1.94,P=0.278),and FIRST (bile duct:2.51±1.24,P<0.001;liver parenchyma:2.45±1.81,P=0.003) images.Furthermore,the DLR images had higher SNR (bile duct:1.39±0.85,liver parenchyma:9.75±1.90) than the FBP (bile duct:0.86±0.63,P<0.001;liver parenchyma:3.31±1.12,P<0.001) and FIRST (bile duct:1.01±0.61,P=0.013;liver parenchyma:5.73±1.37,P<0.001) images,and showed lower noise (10.51±3.53) than the FBP(4.10±3.92,P<0.001),AIDR 3D (15.72±2.41,P=0.032),and FIRST (17.20±3.82,P<0.001) images.SNR and CNR showed no significant differences between FIRST and AIDR 3D images (all P>0.05).DLR images [4(4,4)] obtained higher score than FPB [1(1,1),P<0.001],AIDR3D[3 (2,3),P=0.029],and FIRST[2 (2,3),P<0.001] images. Conclusion DLR algorithm improved the subjective and objective quality of the contrast-enhanced CT image of the biliary system.
Biliary Tract ; Deep Learning ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods*