ObjectiveTo investigate the molecular mechanisms by which salvianolic acid B （SalB） inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） in non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） by downregulating phosphoribosylaminoimidazole carboxylase and phosphoribosylaminoimidazole succinocarboxamide synthetase （PAICS） expression. MethodsNSCLC A549 cells and normal bronchial epithelial cells （bronchial epithelium transformed with Ad12-SV40 2B， BEAS-2B） were used as models. Cell viability was assessed using the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay after treatment with SalB （0， 50， 100， 200， 300， 400， 500 μmol·L^-1 for 24 or 48 h to determine effective and safe intervention concentrations. Cell proliferation， cell cycle distribution， and apoptosis were evaluated by 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine （EdU） staining and flow cytometry， respectively. Wound healing and Transwell invasion assays were performed to assess cell migration and invasion. RNA sequencing combined with bioinformatic analysis was conducted to identify differentially expressed genes and functional enrichment. Molecular docking was used to predict the binding ability between SalB and PAICS， and the cellular thermal shift assay （CETSA） was performed to evaluate the effect of SalB on the thermal stability of the PAICS protein. Western blot （WB） was used to detect the effects of SalB on PAICS and EMT-related proteins （E-cadherin， N-cadherin， Vimentin， Snail， and Slug）. A functional rescue assay was conducted by PAICS overexpression via plasmid transfection. ResultsCompared with the control group， SalB inhibited A549 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner （P<0.05）， and the effective concentrations （≤300 μmol·L^-1） showed no significant cytotoxicity in BEAS-2B cells. Within this concentration range， SalB significantly inhibited A549 cell proliferation， migration， and invasion， and induced G₀/G₁ phase arrest and apoptosis （P<0.05）. Transcriptomic analysis showed that SalB significantly downregulated PAICS expression， and its functions were enriched in cell proliferation and EMT. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that PAICS is highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma and is associated with poor prognosis （P<0.01）. Molecular docking showed that SalB has strong binding ability to PAICS （binding energy -9.1 kcal·mol^-1. CETSA results showed that SalB significantly increased the thermal stability of the PAICS protein （P<0.05）. WB results showed that， compared with the control group， SalB dose-dependently downregulated PAICS expression， upregulated E-cadherin， and downregulated N-cadherin， Vimentin， Snail， and Slug （P<0.05）. Functional rescue experiments showed that， compared with the empty vector group， PAICS overexpression significantly enhanced A549 cell proliferation， migration， and invasion， promoted cell cycle progression， and inhibited apoptosis （P<0.05）. Meanwhile， compared with the empty vector + SalB-H group， PAICS overexpression partially reversed the inhibitory effects of SalB on malignant phenotypes and EMT-related proteins （N-cadherin， Vimentin， Snail， and Slug）， and downregulated E-cadherin expression （P<0.05，P<0.01）， indicating that PAICS is a key functional target mediating the antitumor effects of SalB. ConclusionSalB effectively inhibits EMT progression and cell cycle progression in A549 cells by downregulating PAICS expression， thereby exerting anti-NSCLC effects. This study not only reveals that PAICS is a key functional target through which SalB regulates EMT， but also provides experimental evidence supporting SalB as a potential candidate drug for inhibiting NSCLC metastasis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which eupatilin （Eup） inhibits proliferation， invasion， and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） through the enhancer of zeste homolog 2/histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation （EZH2/H3K27me3） signaling pathway. MethodsIn vivo， a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model was established in nude mice using H1299 cells to evaluate the anti-NSCLC effects of Eup. Immunohistochemistry （IHC-P） was used to detect the expression of proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins， including proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA）， matrix metalloproteinase-2 （MMP-2）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA）. In vitro， cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assays were performed to determine the viability of H1299 cells treated with different concentrations of Eup （0-200 μmol·L^-1） and to select appropriate concentrations. Colony formation and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine （EdU） assays were used to evaluate cell proliferation. Wound healing and invasion assays were conducted to assess cell migration and invasion. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell （HUVEC） angiogenesis assays were used to evaluate the effects of Eup on angiogenesis. Transcriptomic analysis was performed to identify the targets of Eup in H1299 cells and to explore its major functions. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to predict the binding affinity and interaction stability between Eup and its target proteins. Western blot was used to detect the effects of Eup on the expression levels of EZH2/H3K27me3 pathway-related proteins and proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins， including PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA. ResultsIn the subcutaneous xenograft model， compared with the model group， Eup treatment dose-dependently inhibited the growth of H1299 xenograft tumors， and the tumor inhibition rate was significantly increased （P<0.05）. IHC-P results showed that， compared with the model group， high-dose Eup significantly reduced the expression levels of PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA in vivo （P<0.05）. In vitro， compared with the control group， Eup inhibited the proliferation， invasion， and metastasis of NSCLC cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Transcriptomic analysis further showed that， compared with the control group， Eup significantly downregulated EZH2 expression， and its functional effects were associated with inhibition of tumor metastasis. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations indicated that Eup exhibited strong binding affinity with EZH2 and stable interactions. Western blot results demonstrated that， compared with the model group， Eup significantly inhibited， in a dose-dependent manner， the expression levels of EZH2， H3K27me3， and proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins （PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA） in both in vivo and in vitro experiments （P<0.05）. In vitro， compared with the control group， overexpression of EZH2 via plasmid transfection partially reversed the inhibitory effects of Eup on the expression of key proteins involved in proliferation and invasion/metastasis in H1299 cells. ConclusionEup effectively inhibits the proliferation， migration， and invasion of H1299 cells both in vivo and in vitro. The underlying mechanism may be related to inhibition of the EZH2/H3K27me3 signaling pathway and downregulation of proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins， including PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA. Eup may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for suppressing proliferation and invasion/metastasis in NSCLC.

Lung cancer， particularly non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）， is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence and mortality in China and worldwide. In 2022， the global number of deaths reached 1.8 million， accounting for 18.7% of all cancer-related deaths， seriously threatening human health and life， and posing a severe challenge for prevention and treatment. Although treatment strategies for lung cancer have been continuously enriched in recent years， and progress has been made in targeted therapy and immunotherapy， long-term survival benefits remain limited due to primary or acquired drug resistance， low immune responsiveness， and chemotherapy-related toxicities. Therefore， there is an urgent need to explore safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic strategies. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with its advantages of holistic regulation and individualized syndrome differentiation， has played an increasingly prominent role in comprehensive cancer treatment. TCM holds that "Yang deficiency leads to accumulation" is a key pathogenesis of tumors. Based on the theory that "Yang transforms Qi， while Yin forms substance"， deficiency of Yang Qi results in impaired warming and transformation functions， leading to internal accumulation of Yin-cold. This is closely related to dysregulation of the immune microenvironment， "cold tumor" characteristics， and dysfunction of the neuroendocrine system in modern medicine. Accordingly， the therapeutic strategy of "warming Yang， supporting healthy Qi， and combating cancer" has gained increasing attention. In recent years， commonly used Yang-warming Chinese herbs， including Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata， Zingiberis Rhizoma， Cinnamomi Cortex， Epimedii Folium， and Psoraleae Fructus， as well as their active constituents， have achieved notable progress in anti-lung cancer research by regulating multiple signaling pathways， inducing apoptosis， inhibiting metastasis， and reversing drug resistance. In addition， Yang-warming formulae such as Sini Tang and Yanghe Tang have shown promising effects in alleviating myelosuppression， improving cancer-related fatigue， managing malignant pleural effusion， and relieving cancer pain. These therapies exhibit toxicity-reducing and efficacy-enhancing effects， significantly improving patients' quality of life and survival benefits. To systematically summarize the roles and mechanisms of Yang-warming Chinese herbal medicines and compound formulae in lung cancer， this paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advances， aiming to offer insights for the clinical practice of TCM in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer.

ObjectiveTo investigate the molecular mechanisms by which salvianolic acid B （SalB） inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） in non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） by downregulating phosphoribosylaminoimidazole carboxylase and phosphoribosylaminoimidazole succinocarboxamide synthetase （PAICS） expression. MethodsNSCLC A549 cells and normal bronchial epithelial cells （bronchial epithelium transformed with Ad12-SV40 2B， BEAS-2B） were used as models. Cell viability was assessed using the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay after treatment with SalB （0， 50， 100， 200， 300， 400， 500 μmol·L^-1 for 24 or 48 h to determine effective and safe intervention concentrations. Cell proliferation， cell cycle distribution， and apoptosis were evaluated by 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine （EdU） staining and flow cytometry， respectively. Wound healing and Transwell invasion assays were performed to assess cell migration and invasion. RNA sequencing combined with bioinformatic analysis was conducted to identify differentially expressed genes and functional enrichment. Molecular docking was used to predict the binding ability between SalB and PAICS， and the cellular thermal shift assay （CETSA） was performed to evaluate the effect of SalB on the thermal stability of the PAICS protein. Western blot （WB） was used to detect the effects of SalB on PAICS and EMT-related proteins （E-cadherin， N-cadherin， Vimentin， Snail， and Slug）. A functional rescue assay was conducted by PAICS overexpression via plasmid transfection. ResultsCompared with the control group， SalB inhibited A549 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner （P<0.05）， and the effective concentrations （≤300 μmol·L^-1） showed no significant cytotoxicity in BEAS-2B cells. Within this concentration range， SalB significantly inhibited A549 cell proliferation， migration， and invasion， and induced G₀/G₁ phase arrest and apoptosis （P<0.05）. Transcriptomic analysis showed that SalB significantly downregulated PAICS expression， and its functions were enriched in cell proliferation and EMT. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that PAICS is highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma and is associated with poor prognosis （P<0.01）. Molecular docking showed that SalB has strong binding ability to PAICS （binding energy -9.1 kcal·mol^-1. CETSA results showed that SalB significantly increased the thermal stability of the PAICS protein （P<0.05）. WB results showed that， compared with the control group， SalB dose-dependently downregulated PAICS expression， upregulated E-cadherin， and downregulated N-cadherin， Vimentin， Snail， and Slug （P<0.05）. Functional rescue experiments showed that， compared with the empty vector group， PAICS overexpression significantly enhanced A549 cell proliferation， migration， and invasion， promoted cell cycle progression， and inhibited apoptosis （P<0.05）. Meanwhile， compared with the empty vector + SalB-H group， PAICS overexpression partially reversed the inhibitory effects of SalB on malignant phenotypes and EMT-related proteins （N-cadherin， Vimentin， Snail， and Slug）， and downregulated E-cadherin expression （P<0.05，P<0.01）， indicating that PAICS is a key functional target mediating the antitumor effects of SalB. ConclusionSalB effectively inhibits EMT progression and cell cycle progression in A549 cells by downregulating PAICS expression， thereby exerting anti-NSCLC effects. This study not only reveals that PAICS is a key functional target through which SalB regulates EMT， but also provides experimental evidence supporting SalB as a potential candidate drug for inhibiting NSCLC metastasis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which eupatilin （Eup） inhibits proliferation， invasion， and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） through the enhancer of zeste homolog 2/histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation （EZH2/H3K27me3） signaling pathway. MethodsIn vivo， a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model was established in nude mice using H1299 cells to evaluate the anti-NSCLC effects of Eup. Immunohistochemistry （IHC-P） was used to detect the expression of proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins， including proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA）， matrix metalloproteinase-2 （MMP-2）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA）. In vitro， cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assays were performed to determine the viability of H1299 cells treated with different concentrations of Eup （0-200 μmol·L^-1） and to select appropriate concentrations. Colony formation and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine （EdU） assays were used to evaluate cell proliferation. Wound healing and invasion assays were conducted to assess cell migration and invasion. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell （HUVEC） angiogenesis assays were used to evaluate the effects of Eup on angiogenesis. Transcriptomic analysis was performed to identify the targets of Eup in H1299 cells and to explore its major functions. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to predict the binding affinity and interaction stability between Eup and its target proteins. Western blot was used to detect the effects of Eup on the expression levels of EZH2/H3K27me3 pathway-related proteins and proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins， including PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA. ResultsIn the subcutaneous xenograft model， compared with the model group， Eup treatment dose-dependently inhibited the growth of H1299 xenograft tumors， and the tumor inhibition rate was significantly increased （P<0.05）. IHC-P results showed that， compared with the model group， high-dose Eup significantly reduced the expression levels of PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA in vivo （P<0.05）. In vitro， compared with the control group， Eup inhibited the proliferation， invasion， and metastasis of NSCLC cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Transcriptomic analysis further showed that， compared with the control group， Eup significantly downregulated EZH2 expression， and its functional effects were associated with inhibition of tumor metastasis. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations indicated that Eup exhibited strong binding affinity with EZH2 and stable interactions. Western blot results demonstrated that， compared with the model group， Eup significantly inhibited， in a dose-dependent manner， the expression levels of EZH2， H3K27me3， and proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins （PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA） in both in vivo and in vitro experiments （P<0.05）. In vitro， compared with the control group， overexpression of EZH2 via plasmid transfection partially reversed the inhibitory effects of Eup on the expression of key proteins involved in proliferation and invasion/metastasis in H1299 cells. ConclusionEup effectively inhibits the proliferation， migration， and invasion of H1299 cells both in vivo and in vitro. The underlying mechanism may be related to inhibition of the EZH2/H3K27me3 signaling pathway and downregulation of proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins， including PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA. Eup may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for suppressing proliferation and invasion/metastasis in NSCLC.

Lung cancer， particularly non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）， is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence and mortality in China and worldwide. In 2022， the global number of deaths reached 1.8 million， accounting for 18.7% of all cancer-related deaths， seriously threatening human health and life， and posing a severe challenge for prevention and treatment. Although treatment strategies for lung cancer have been continuously enriched in recent years， and progress has been made in targeted therapy and immunotherapy， long-term survival benefits remain limited due to primary or acquired drug resistance， low immune responsiveness， and chemotherapy-related toxicities. Therefore， there is an urgent need to explore safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic strategies. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with its advantages of holistic regulation and individualized syndrome differentiation， has played an increasingly prominent role in comprehensive cancer treatment. TCM holds that "Yang deficiency leads to accumulation" is a key pathogenesis of tumors. Based on the theory that "Yang transforms Qi， while Yin forms substance"， deficiency of Yang Qi results in impaired warming and transformation functions， leading to internal accumulation of Yin-cold. This is closely related to dysregulation of the immune microenvironment， "cold tumor" characteristics， and dysfunction of the neuroendocrine system in modern medicine. Accordingly， the therapeutic strategy of "warming Yang， supporting healthy Qi， and combating cancer" has gained increasing attention. In recent years， commonly used Yang-warming Chinese herbs， including Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata， Zingiberis Rhizoma， Cinnamomi Cortex， Epimedii Folium， and Psoraleae Fructus， as well as their active constituents， have achieved notable progress in anti-lung cancer research by regulating multiple signaling pathways， inducing apoptosis， inhibiting metastasis， and reversing drug resistance. In addition， Yang-warming formulae such as Sini Tang and Yanghe Tang have shown promising effects in alleviating myelosuppression， improving cancer-related fatigue， managing malignant pleural effusion， and relieving cancer pain. These therapies exhibit toxicity-reducing and efficacy-enhancing effects， significantly improving patients' quality of life and survival benefits. To systematically summarize the roles and mechanisms of Yang-warming Chinese herbal medicines and compound formulae in lung cancer， this paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advances， aiming to offer insights for the clinical practice of TCM in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer.

Background: and Purpose Live cell-based assays (LCBA) are increasingly used for serological antibody detection due to their ability to preserve antigen conformation, offering moderately higher sensitivity than fixed cell-based assays. However, the clinical necessity of prioritizing LCBA for the detection of aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG) in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) remains unclear, especially when compared to its established role in diagnosing myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease. Methods: We compared the performance of live cell-based assays using immunofluorescence (LCBA-IF) and fixed cell-based assays using immunofluorescence (FCBA-IF) in detecting AQP4-IgG in 90 cases of NMOSD meeting 2015 International Panel for Neuromyelitis Optica Diagnosis criteria, alongside 40 controls. Additionally, we further investigated the relationship between AQP4-IgG titers as measured by LCBA-IF and FCBA-IF and clinical parameters in NMOSD patients. Results: Results showed 96.9% agreement between LCBA-IF and FCBA-IF (Cohen’s κ=0.935), with a strong Spearman correlation (0.977, p<0.001). Both methods demonstrated 100% specificity, with LCBA-IF showing slightly higher sensitivity compared to FCBA-IF. Within LCBAIF-tested groups, statistically significant differences in annualized relapse rates were observed across all pairwise comparisons (low-titer vs. moderate-titer, low-titer vs. high-titer, and moderate-titer vs. high-titer; all p<0.050). However, this association reached statistical significance in some FCBA-IF-tested groups. Conclusions Overall, there is a strong concordance between LCBA-IF and FCBA-IF in detecting AQP4-IgG, where LCBA-IF shows slightly higher sensitivity. Furthermore, there is a potential link between elevated AQP4-IgG titers and an increased risk of relapse, and this correlation may appear more pronounced when using LCBA-IF.

The iridoid glycosides from Veronica anagallis-aquatica L. alleviate heart failure by modulating the gut microbiota and influencing the production of two metabolites with potential antihypertrophic effects, HVA and 2OH-VA.Image 1.

Image 1.