Fibrosis, the pathological scarring of vital organs, is a severe and often irreversible condition that leads to progressive organ dysfunction. It is particularly pronounced in organs like the liver, kidneys, lungs, and heart. Despite its clinical significance, the full understanding of its etiology and complex pathogenesis remains incomplete, posing substantial challenges to diagnosing, treating, and preventing the progression of fibrosis. Among the various molecular players involved, platelet-derived growth factor-C (PDGF-C) has emerged as a crucial factor in fibrotic diseases, contributing to the pathological transformation of tissues in several key organs. PDGF-C is a member of the PDGFs family of growth factors and is synthesized and secreted by various cell types, including fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells. It acts through both autocrine and paracrine mechanisms, exerting its biological effects by binding to and activating the PDGF receptors (PDGFRs), specifically PDGFRα and PDGFRβ. This binding triggers multiple intracellular signaling pathways, such as JAK/STAT, PI3K/AKT and Ras-MAPK pathways. which are integral to the regulation of cell proliferation, survival, migration, and fibrosis. Notably, PDGF-C has been shown to promote the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts, key effector cells in the fibrotic process, thus accelerating the accumulation of extracellular matrix components and the formation of fibrotic tissue. Numerous studies have documented an upregulation of PDGF-C expression in various fibrotic diseases, suggesting its significant role in the initiation and progression of fibrosis. For instance, in liver fibrosis, PDGF-C stimulates hepatic stellate cell activation, contributing to the excessive deposition of collagen and other extracellular matrix proteins. Similarly, in pulmonary fibrosis, PDGF-C enhances the migration of fibroblasts into the damaged areas of lungs, thereby worsening the pathological process. Such findings highlight the pivotal role of PDGF-C in fibrotic diseases and underscore its potential as a therapeutic target for these conditions. Given its central role in the pathogenesis of fibrosis, PDGF-C has become an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. Several studies have focused on developing inhibitors that block the PDGF-C/PDGFR signaling pathway. These inhibitors aim to reduce fibroblast activation, prevent the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components, and halt the progression of fibrosis. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of such inhibitors in animal models of liver, kidney, and lung fibrosis, with promising results in reducing fibrotic lesions and improving organ function. Furthermore, several clinical inhibitors, such as Olaratumab and Seralutinib, are ongoing to assess the safety and efficacy of these inhibitors in human patients, offering hope for novel therapeutic options in the treatment of fibrotic diseases. In conclusion, PDGF-C plays a critical role in the development and progression of fibrosis in vital organs. Its ability to regulate fibroblast activity and influence key signaling pathways makes it a promising target for therapeutic strategies aiming at combating fibrosis. Ongoing research into the regulation of PDGF-C expression and the development of PDGF-C/PDGFR inhibitors holds the potential to offer new insights and approaches for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of fibrotic diseases. Ultimately, these efforts may lead to the development of more effective and targeted therapies that can mitigate the impact of fibrosis and improve patient outcomes.

ObjectiveTo investigate the role of paraventricular nucleus (PVN) corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced anxiety-like behavior. And whether exercise relieves chronic restraint stress-induced anxiety through PVN CRH neurons. MethodsTwenty 8-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control (Ctrl) group and chronic restraint stress (CRS) group. The open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze (EPM) were used to evaluate anxiety-like behavior of the mice. Food intake was recorded after CRS. Immunofluorescence staining was used to label the expression of c-Fos expression in PVN and calculate the co-expression of c-Fos and CRH neurons. We used chemogenetic activation of PVN CRH neurons to observed the anxiety-like behavior. 8-week treadmill training (10-16 m/min, 60 min/d, 6 d/week) were used to explore the role of exercise in ameliorating CRS-induced anxiety behavior and how PVN CRH neurons involved in it. ResultsCompared with Ctrl group, CRS group exhibited significant anxiety-like behavior. In OFT, the mice in CRS groups spent less time in center area (P<0.001). In EPM, the time in open arm in CRS group were significantly decreased (P<0.001). Besides, food intake was also suppressed in CRS group compared with Ctrl group (P<0.05). Compared with Ctrl group, CRS significantly increase c-Fos expression in PVN and most of CRH neurons co-express c-Fos (P<0.001). Chemogenetic activation of PVN CRH neurons induced anxiety-like behavior (P<0.05) and inhibited feeding behavior (P<0.01). Exercise relieves chronic restraint stress-induced anxiety (P<0.001) and relieved the anorexia caused by chronic restraint stress (P<0.05). Aerobic exercise inhibited the CRS labeled c-Fos in PVN CRH neurons (P<0.001). Furthermore, ablation of PVN CRH neurons attenuated CRS induced anxiety-like behavior. ConclusionCRS activated PVN CRH neurons, induced anxiety-like behavior and reduced food intake. 8-week exercise attenuated CRS-induced anxiety-like behavior through inhibiting PVN CRH neuron. Ablation of CRH PVN neurons ameliorated CRS-induced anxiety-like behavior. These finding reveals a potential neural mechanism of exercise-relieving CRS-induced anxiety-like behavior. This provides a new idea and theoretical basis for the treatment of anxiety and related mental disorders.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of the inhibitory effect of total flavonoids from Taraxacum mongolicum on high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice through modulation of intestinal flora. METHODS Twenty-four C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into blank group， model group and T. mongolicum total flavonoid group， with 8 mice in each group. Except for the blank group， the other 2 groups were given a high-fat diet， while T. mongolicum total flavonoid group was given T. mongolicum total flavonoid [400 mg/（kg·d）] intragastrically， once a day， for 8 consecutive weeks. During the experiment， the food intake of each group of mice was recorded. After the last medication， the body mass， fat weight， blood lipid level and pathological changes of liver and epididymal fat in mice were evaluated to observe the effect of T. mongolicum total flavonoid on the treatment of obesity in mice. The changes in abundance and structure of intestinal flora in mice were detected by amplicon sequencing； the effects of T. mongolicum total flavonoids on fat metabolism related genes were analyzed by qPCR. RESULTS Compared with model group， the body weight of mice in T. mongolicum total flavonoids group was decreased significantly （P＜0.05）； the levels of total lipid cholesterol， triglycerides， and LDL cholesterol were all decreased significantly （P＜0.01）， and the level of HDL cholesterol was increased significantly （P＜0.01）； the fat indexes of inguinal white adipose tissue and epididymal white wind_lz@hactcm.edu.cn adipose tissue were significantly reduced （P＜0.05）； significant improvement in hepatocellular steatosis and adipose cytopathy were significantly improved； mRNA expressions of COX7A1 and COX8B were significantly upregulated （P＜0.05）. The results of bacterial colony detection showed that compared with the model group， there was a rising trend in the diversity of the bacterial colony in T. mongolicum total flavonoids group， and the Sobs index characterization and β diversity were increased significantly （P＜0.05）. Relative abundances of Blautia， norank_f_Ruminococcaceae， Bilophila， Alistipes， classified_f_Ruminococcaceae， Parabacteroides， norank_f_Desulfovibrionaceae， Anaerotruncus were significantly up-regulated（P＜0.05）， while those of Faecalibaculum， Erysipelatoclostridium， GCA-900066575， Tuzzerella， Lactobacillus， norank_f_norank_o_RF39， achnospiraceae_FCS020_group were significantly down-regulated （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS T. mongolicum total flavonoids can reduce body mass， fat weight and blood lipid levels， and repair the pathological damage to liver and epididymal fat in obese mice， which is related to improving intestinal flora disorders caused by high-fat diet.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of astragalin （AST） on autophagy and apoptosis of astrocytes in the L_4-5 dorsal horn of the spinal cord in mice with inflammatory pain induced by complete Freund's adjuvant （CFA）. MethodsTwenty-four male C57BL/6 mice， aged six months， were randomly assigned to four groups： control group， saline group， CFA model group， and CFA+AST group， six mice in each group. The inflammatory pain model was established by injection of 10 µL CFA into the right lateral malleolus fossa. The saline group were injected with an equal amount of normal saline at the same site. The inflammatory pain mice in CFA+AST group were further treated with AST （60 mg/kg） intraperitoneally once a day for 21 consecutive days. Multiplex immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the coexpression of autophagy-related factors including ATG 12 and Beclin-1， apoptosis-related factors including Cleaved-Caspase3 and Caspase9， and the astrocyte marker such as GFAP in the L_4-5 spinal dorsal horn of the mice in each group. Western blot was used to examine the protein expression levels of autophagy-related proteins（ATG12， Beclin-1） and apoptosis-related proteins（Caspase 3， Caspase 9） in the L_4-5 spinal dorsal horn of mice. ResultsImmunofluorescent staining showed that in the L_4-5 dorsal horn of the spinal cord， the fluorescence intensity of ATG12 （P<0.000 1） and Beclin-1 （P<0.000 1） was significantly increased， while that of Cleaved-Caspase 3 （P<0.001） and Caspase 9 （P<0.000 1） was decreased in the CFA+AST group when compared to the CFA model group. Furthermore， AST could inhibit the activation of astrocytes. Western blot further confirmed that AST significantly upregulated the expression of ATG12 （P<0.000 1） and Beclin-1 （P<0.000 1） in the L_4-5 spinal cord of CFA mice， and downregulated the expression of Caspase 3 （P<0.01） and Caspase 9 （P<0.001）. ConclusionsAST promotes autophagy of astrocytes and inhibits their apoptosis in the L_4-5 spinal dorsal horn of CFA mice.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of different drying conditions on the appearance and intrinsic quality indicators of Pinelliae Rhizoma for screening suitable drying conditions， so as to provide reference for its standardized production and quality evaluation. MethodsDifferent dried samples of Pinelliae Rhizoma were prepared by lime-assisted sweating method and intermittent drying method. Visual analysis was employed to measure the color brightness values（L^*） of the surface， cross-section and powder of the samples， texture analyzer was used to determine the hardness of the samples under different drying conditions. The total starch content was calculated by measuring the contents of amylose and amylopectin in the samples with ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. High performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） was used to determine the contents of seven nucleoside components（uracil， hypoxanthine， uridine， inosine， guanosine， β-thymidine and adenosine） in the samples. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between the external characteristics and intrinsic indicators of the different dried samples. Principal component analysis（PCA） was used to comprehensively rank the data of various indicators， and partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） was used to screen differential components with variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1. Furthermore， the difference between the optimal drying condition for Pinelliae Rhizoma and the traditional sun-drying method was explored by independent samples t-test. ResultsWith the increase of temperature， the color of the intermittently dried samples gradually deepened， while their hardness gradually decreased. Concurrently， the contents of extract， total starch， uridine and adenosine exhibited an upward trend， whereas the contents of uracil， hypoxanthine and inosine displayed a downward trajectory. Compared with the intermittent drying group， the content of extract in the samples subjected to lime-assisted sweating increased. With the increase of lime dose， the hardness and the total content of nucleoside components in the samples showed a downward trend， while the total starch content showed an upward trend. Correlation analysis showed that the comprehensive score of L^* was negatively correlated with the contents of uracil， hypoxanthine and inosine， and positively correlated with the contents of uridine， guanosine and adenosine. Hardness was negatively correlated with adenosine content， and positively correlated with the contents of inosine， uracil and hypoxanthine. Through comprehensive consideration and comprehensive score of principal components， the method of 5% lime-mixed sweating for 6 days emerged as the top-ranking approach. Except for the extract， the results of independent samples t-test showed that there was no significant difference between the 5% lime-mixed sweating for 6 days and the traditional sun-drying in terms of other content indicators. ConclusionThe whiteness and firmness of Pinelliae Rhizoma exhibit significant correlations with its chemical composition， while uridine， uracil， guanosine， adenosine and inosine are the key constituents responsible for the quality difference of Pinelliae Rhizoma under different drying conditions. The lime-assisted sweating method optimized in this study can be proposed as a viable alternative to the traditional sun-drying method. This method not only ensures the quality of the medicinal material but also effectively reduces the drying time and prevents mold contamination， which provides a valuable reference for the standardization of drying conditions and the establishment of quality evaluation criteria for Pinelliae Rhizoma.

ObjectiveTo establish background data for a 90-day feeding trial of SD rats to ensure the reliability of research data. MethodsBackground data from six independent 90-day feeding trials of SD rats conducted by the National Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs from 2020 to 2023 were summarized. These studies involved a blank control group of 120 SPF-grade 4-week-old SD rats, with an equal number of males and females, which were only given standard full-nutrient pelleted rat feed. After the quarantine period, the animals were observed for an additional 90 days, followed by intraperitoneal injection of Zoletil (50 mg/mL) for anesthesia, blood sampling, euthanasia, and necropsy. By analyzing the data from the blank control group, a relevant background database for SD rats was established. ResultsBoth male and female rats exhibited steady weight gain, with a more pronounced increase in male rats. Within 90 days, the average body weight of male and female rats increased to over 500 g and 300 g, respectively. Three weeks later, the average daily food intake of male rats stabilized at approximately 25~28 g per rat, while that of female rats remained stable at approximately 16~19 g per rat. The food utilization rate of all animals gradually decreased from the first week of the experiment. In the white blood cell (WBC) differential count results, significant differences were observed in the counts of WBCs, neutrophils (Neut), lymphocytes (Lymph), and monocytes (Mono) between males and females (P<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the percentages of neutrophil (%Neut), lymphocyte (%Lymph), and monocyte (%Mono) between the sexes (P>0.05). The average red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin concentration (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), platelet count (PLT), prothrombin time (PT), and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were higher in male animals than in female animals (P<0.05). The average values of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatine phosphokinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glucose (GLU), and triglyceride (TG) in male rats were higher than those in female rats (P<0.05). The urinary pH range for male animals was 5.0 to 8.5, while for female animals it was 6.5 to 9.0. The majority of male animals had a urinary specific gravity lower than 1.020, and the majority of female animals had a urinary specific gravity lower than 1.015. The weights of various organs (excluding the adrenal glands and reproductive organs) in male animals were heavier than those in female animals (P<0.001), while the organ/body weight ratios (excluding the kidneys and reproductive organs) of female animals were higher than those of male animals (P<0.001). ConclusionThis study summarizes the background reference ranges for body weight, food intake, hematology, and serum biochemistry indicators in SPF-grade SD rats in the untreated control group from six 90-day feeding trials conducted by the National Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs. It provides important reference data for related research. By summarizing the background and spontaneous histopathological changes in rats, this study aids in the standardization and normalization of subsequent research, as well as in the evaluation and analysis of abnormal results.

Aim To dynamically characterize neuronal damage in the cortex and hippocampus of mice follow-ing acute cerebral ischemia/reperfusion(I/R).Meth-ods Male C57BL/6J mice weighing 25-28 g under-went middle cerebral artery occlusion using the fila-ment method,followed by 1 hour of reperfusion to es-tablish the acute cerebral I/R injury mouse model.The experiment comprised a sham surgery group,I/R-6 h group,I/R-24 h group,and I/R-72 h group.Longa neurological function score was used to assess the neu-rological function.Triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC)staining was conducted to detect cerebral in-farct volume.Hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was utilized to observe brain tissue pathological dam-age.Nissl staining was performed to evaluate neuronal damage.Immunofluorescence histochemistry staining was employed to assess the activation of astrocytes and microglia,as well as neuronal loss.Transmission elec-tron microscopy was used to examine mitochondrial damage in hippocampal neurons.Western blot analysis was conducted to detect the expression levels of mito-chondrial fission-fusion-related proteins p-Drp1/Drp1,Mff,Fis1,and OPA1.Results With prolonged cere-bral I/R time,neurological functional impairment,cerebral infarct volume,neuronal damage in the cortex and hippocampus,glial cell activation,neuronal loss,and mitochondrial damage gradually worsened in mice.The expression of mitochondrial fission-related proteins increased gradually,while the expression of mitochon-drial fusion-related proteins decreased gradually.Con-clusions Neuronal pathological damage,such as glial cell activation,neuronal loss,and mitochondrial dam-age,is gradually aggravated with prolonged cerebral I/R time,which may be associated with mitochondrial dynamics imbalance.

Aim To investigate the protective effect of carnosine on BV2 cell damage induced by oxygen-glu-cose deprivation/reperfusion(OGD/R)and its role in mediating pyrodeath through the ROS/NLRP3/GSDMD pathway.Methods BV2 cells were randomly divided into the control group(Con),model group(OGD/R),carnosine group(OGD/R+CAR),inhibitor group(OGD/R+MCC950),and carnosine+inhibitor group(OGD/R+CAR+MCC950).The cell survival rate was detected by MTT assay.The release rate of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)in cell supernatant was detected by microenzyme labeling method.Cell damage was as-sessed using Hoechst 33342/SYTOX Green staining.ROS levels in cells were detected by DCFH-DA.The nucleation level of NF-κB p65 was observed by immu-nofluorescence.The protein expression levels of NLRP3,ASC,cleaved caspase-1,and GSDMD-N were detected by Western blot.The levels of IL-1 β and IL-18 in the supernatant were detected by ELISA.Results Com-pared with Con group,the survival rate of cells in the OGD/R group was significantly reduced,LDH release was significantly raised,cell morphology was damaged,and the positive rate of SYTOX Green was significantly elevated with ROS level in cells.The fluorescence in-tensity of NF-κB p65 in the nucleus increased,and the protein expression levels of NLRP3,ASC,cleaved caspase-1,GSDMD-N increased significantly,and the levels of IL-1 β and IL-18 in the cell superserum in-creased significantly.Compared with the OGD/R group,the survival rate of cells in other groups in-creased significantly,the LDH release rate significantly decreased,and the cell damage was improved to a cer-tain extent.The positive rate of SYTOX Green and ROS production in cells significantly decreased,and the fluorescence intensity of NF-κB p65 in nucleus markedly decreased.The expression levels of related proteins and the levels of IL-1 β and IL-18 in cell super-natant significantly decreased.Conclusion Carnosine can protect BV2 cells from OGD/R-induced damage by inhibiting oxidative stress and NF-κB activation,then inhibiting NLRP3/GSDMD signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of combined plasma gluconic acid(GA),fumaric acid(FA),and pseudouridine levels at admission for acute kidney injury(AKI)in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods A total of 78 elderly AMI patients transferred from Emergency Department to Coronary Care Unit in Fuwai Hospital during Decem-ber 2021 and July 2022 were enrolled in this prospective study.They were divided into AKI group(40 cases)and non-AKI group(38 cases)according to whether they developed AKI during hospi-talization.Plasma levels of GA,FA and pseudouridine were quantitatively detected with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.ROC curve was plotted to assess the predictive value of these three plasma metabolites for AKI in AMI patients.Multivariate logistic regression analy-sis was applied to analyze the clinical risk factors for AKI.Results There were no statistical differences in the plasma levels of GA,FA and pseudouridine between the AKI group and the non-AKI group(P＞0.05).ROC curve analysis revealed that the plasma levels of the three indicators had no predictive value for the development of AKI in elderly AMI patients(AUC=0.576,95％CI:0.449-0.704,P=0.246;AUC=0.595,95％CI:0.467--0.721,P=0.154;AUC=0.563,95％CI:0.435-0.692,P=0.337).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that left ventricu-lar ejection fraction(LVEF)was an independent predictor for AKI development in elderly AMI patients(OR=0.923,95％CI:0.870-0.978,P=0.007).Conclusion Plasma GA,FA and pseud-ouridine cannot predict the development of AKI in elderly AMI patients,while,LVEF is an inde-pendent predictor for the development.

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effect of Ningmitai Capsules(NMT)on chronic prostatitis/chronic pel-vic pain syndrome(CP/CPPS)and its action mechanism.Methods:We equally randomized fifteen 6-8 weeks old male Wistar rats into a sham operation,a model control and an NMT group,and established a CP/CPPS model in the rats by intra-prostatic injection of complete Freund adjuvant(CFA).We treated the rats in the sham operation and model control groups by injection of aseptic phosphate buffer saline(PBS)and 50 μl complete Freund adjuvant(CFA),respectively,into the ventral lobe of the prostate followed by gavage with purified water from the second day after surgery,and those in the NMT group with 50 μl CFA injected into the ventral lobe of the prostate followed by gavage with 3 ml NMT suspension at 400 mg/kg/d from the second day after surgery.After 4 weeks of treatment,we killed the animals and collected the serum and prostatic tissue samples for evaluation of the severity of prostatitis by histopathological grading of chronic prostatitis through HE staining,determination of the mRNA expressions of inflammatory factors by real-time quantita-tive PCR,measurement of the activities of related antioxidant enzymes with testing kits,and detection of the expressions of the related targets in the signaling pathways by Western blot.Results:Histopathological examination revealed different degrees of inflammatory cell infiltration in the mesenchyme,inflammatory vacuoles,irregularly shaped acini in the model control group,with a significantly higher inflammation score than in the sham operation group(P＜0.05),and reduced infiltrating lymphocytes,inflammatory vacuoles and inflammation score in the NMT group compared with those in the model controls(P＜0.05).Compared with the rats in the sham operation group,the model controls showed remarkably up-regulated expressions of IL-1 β,IL-6,IL-10,IL-17A,TNF-α and IFN-γ(P＜0.05),decreased contents of superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase(CAT)and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)(P＜0.05),and increased content of malondialdehyde(MDA)(P＜0.05).Compared with the model controls,the rats treated with NMT exhibited markedly reduced expressions of IL-1β,IL-6,IL-10,IL-17A,TNF-α and IFN-γ(P＜0.05),increased contents of SOD,CAT and GSH-Px(P＜0.05),decreased content of MDA(P＜0.05),up-regulated expressions of nuclear factor red 2-related factor 2(n-Nrf2)and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)(P＜0.05),and down-regulated expression of NF-κB P-P65(P＜0.05).Conclusion:NMT plays anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation roles in the pathogenesis of CP/CPPS,possibly by activation of Nrf2 and suppression of NF-κB signaling pathways.