BACKGROUND:Psoralen has a strong anti-osteoporotic activity and may have a restorative effect on chemotherapy-induced osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE:To explore the restorative effect of psoralen on the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in mice inhibited by cyclophosphamide and its mechanism. METHODS:C57BL/6 mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and cultured.Effect of psoralen on viability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells was detected by MTT assay.Osteogenic induction combined with alkaline phosphatase staining was used to determine the optimal dose of psoralen to restore the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells inhibited by cyclophosphamide.The mRNA expression levels of Runx2,alkaline phosphatase,Osteocalcin,osteoprotegerin,and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway-related genes Wnt1,Wnt4,Wnt10b,β-catenin,and c-MYC were measured by RT-qPCR at different time points under the intervention with psoralen.The protein expression of osteogenic specific transcription factor Runx2 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway related genes Active β-catenin,DKK1,c-MYC,and Cyclin D1 was determined by western blot assay at different time points under the intervention with psoralen. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There was no significant effect of different concentrations of psoralen on the viability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.The best recovery of the inhibition of osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells caused by cyclophosphamide was under the intervention of psoralen at a concentration of 200 μmol/L.(2)Psoralen reversed the reduction in osteogenic differentiation marker genes Runx2,alkaline phosphatase,Osteocalcin and osteoprotegerin mRNA expression and Runx2 protein expression in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells caused by cyclophosphamide conditioned medium.(3)Psoralen reversed the decrease in Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related genes Wnt4,β-catenin,c-MYC mRNA and Active β-catenin,c-MYC,and Cyclin D1 protein expression and the increase in DKK1 protein expression in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells caused by cyclophosphamide conditioned medium.(4)The results showed that cyclophosphamide inhibited osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in mice,and psoralen had a restorative effect on it.The best intervention effect was achieved at a concentration of 200 μmol/L psoralen,and this protective effect might be related to the activation of Wnt4/β-catenin signaling pathway by psoralen.

OBJECTIVE To establish a content determination method for multiple components in Sophora flavescens from different origins and to evaluate its quality by combining with chemometrics. METHODS Thirteen batches （No. K1-K13） of S. flavescens from different origins were selected as test samples. A high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry （HPLC-MS/MS） method was established to determine the contents of 12 components， including matrine， oxymatrine， betaine， cytisine， N-methylcytisine， sophoridine， genistein， sophoricoside， sophorone， formononetin， sophorolone Ⅰ and norkurarinone in S. flavescens. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Shim-pack GIST-HP C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of methanol （A） and water containing 0.1% formic acid （B）， using gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min， column temperature of 35 ℃， and an injection volume of 3 μL. Mass spectrometry was conducted using an electrospray ionization source with positive and negative ion scanning. Data were collected in segments using the multiple reaction monitoring mode. Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution （TOPSIS） and grey relational analysis （GRA）methods were employed to compare and comprehensively evaluate the 13 batches of S. flavescens from different origins. RESULTS The methodological validation for the content determination met the relevant regulatory requirements. The contents of the 12 components were 490.66-1 231.00， 11 088.10- 18 021.50， 7.91-25.38， 903.97-1 713.64， 336.08-1 485.54，1 065.33-2 075.50， 27.52-71.80， 109.36-517.83， 6 034.55-10 632.73， 21.26-145.35， 814.84-1 911.32， 1 040.87-3 446.37 μg/g）， respectively. TOPSIS results showed that the top 7 samples in Euclidean distance ranking were K6， K12， K11， K3， K5， K10， K13. The GRA results showed that the top 7 samples in the relative correlation ranking were K12， K11， K10， K6， K13， K5， K3. CONCLUSIONS The established HPLC-MS/MS method is rapid， accurate， highly sensitive， stable and reliable. Combined with chemometrics methods， it can be used for the quality control and evaluation of S. flavescens. The comprehensive quality of samples K3， K5， K6（ from Hebei）， K10（ from Sichuan）， K11-K13（ from Shanxi）， etc. is relatively superior.

Objective To investigate the gene expression and regulatory mechanisms of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) under inflammatory conditions, aiming to elucidate the role of MEFs in inflammatory responses and provide a foundation for discovering anti-inflammatory drugs that act by modulating MEF function. Methods MEFs cultured in vitro were divided into the following groups: lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-treated group, inflammatory conditioned medium (CM)-treated group, and control group, which were treated with LPS, CM, and equal volume solvent, respectively. Transcriptome sequencing was used to analyze the effects of two stimuli on gene expression profile of MEFs. Real time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was employed to verify the transcription levels of highly expressed genes of MEFs induced by CM. ELISA was performed to determine the concentrations of cytokines in cell supernatants. Finally, the regulatory effects of CM on the activation of signaling pathways in MEFs were analyzed by immunoblotting. Results Transcriptome analysis showed that both LPS and CM induced the transcription of a large number of genes in MEFs. Compared with LPS, CM potentiated the mRNA transcription of some acute phase proteins, inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), prostaglandin synthetases, and colony-stimulating factors. The transcriptome analysis was verified by RT-qPCR. The results of ELISA showed that CM treatment significantly increased the secretion of interleukin 6 (IL-6), C-C motif chemokine ligand (CCL2), and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL1) by MEFs compared with LPS. Mechanism study showed that both LPS and CM induced the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), and TANK-binding kinase (TBK) in MEFs, and CM strongly stimulated the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in MEFs. Conclusion Both LPS and CM can induce transcription and protein secretion of various inflammation-related genes in MEFs. CM can partly enhance LPS-induced activation of MEFs, and the mechanism may be related to the enhancement effect of CM on the activation STAT3 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Fibroblasts/immunology* ; Mice ; Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects* ; Cytokines/genetics* ; Culture Media, Conditioned/pharmacology* ; Cells, Cultured

Although a single nucleotide polymorphism for N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) has been identified in patients with early-onset stroke, the role of NAT10 in ischemic injury and the related underlying mechanisms remains elusive. Here, we provide evidence that NAT10, the only known RNA N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) modification "writer", is increased in the damaged cortex of patients with acute ischemic stroke and the peri-infarct cortex of mice subjected to photothrombotic (PT) stroke. Pharmacological inhibition of NAT10 with remodelin on Days 3-7 post-stroke or astrocytic depletion of NAT10 via targeted virus attenuates ischemia-induced infarction and improves functional recovery in PT mice. Mechanistically, NAT10 enhances ac4C acetylation of the inflammatory cytokine tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (Timp1) mRNA transcript, which increases TIMP1 expression and results in the accumulation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and progression of astrocyte autophagy. These findings demonstrate that NAT10 regulates astrocyte autophagy by targeting Timp1 ac4C after stroke. This study highlights the critical role of ac4C in the regulation of astrocyte autophagy and proposes a promising strategy to improve post-stroke outcomes via NAT10 inhibition.

Objective To investigate the expression levels of microRNA-34a(miR-34a),β-catenin and pro-grammed death receptor-1(PD-L1)in cancer tissues of patients with cervical cancer(CC)and their correla-tion with patients' prognosis.Methods A total of 83 patients with CC admitted to Yuncheng Central Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University from June 2021 to January 2024 were selected as the research objects.General data,CC tissue and adjacent normal tissue samples of all patients were collected.The mRNA expres-sion levels of miR-34a,β-catenin and PD-L1 in CC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were detected by fluo-rescence quantitative PCR and compared.The expression levels of β-catenin and PD-L1 in CC tissues and adja-cent normal tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of prognosis in CC patients.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive value of miR-34a,β-catenin and PD-L1 expression levels in CC pa-tients with poor prognosis.Results Compared with adjacent normal tissues,the expression level of miR-34a of the CC tissues was lower,while the expression levels of β-catenin and PD-L1 were higher(P＜0.05).The positive expression rates of β-catenin and PD-L1 protein in CC tissues were higher than those of adjacent nor-mal tissues(89.16％vs.10.84％,78.31％vs.20.48％,x2=101.807,55.526,P＜0.05).There were no sig-nificant differences in age and body mass index(BMI)between the good prognosis group and the poor progno-sis group(t=1.508,1.820,both P＞0.05),while there were significant differences in International Federa-tion of Gynecology and Obstetrics(FIGO)stage and differentiation degree between the two groups(x2=8.451,9.115,both P＜0.05).Compared with the good prognosis group,the expression level of miR-34a of the poor prognosis group was lower,while the expression levels of β-catenin and PD-L1 were higher(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that increased expression of miR-34a was an protective factor for poor prognosis in CC patients,while the increased expression levels of β-catenin and PD-L1,Ⅱ a and Ⅱ b FIGO staging and low differentiation were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in CC patients(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that miR-34a,β-catenin and PD-L1 all had certain predictive value for the poor prognosis of CC patient,and the area under the curve(AUC)of the single detection was 0.765,0.836 and 0.797,respectively.The AUC of the combined detection was 0.914(Z=2.631,2.331,2.571,P=0.009,0.020,0.010).Conclusion The expression levels of miR-34a,β-catenin and PD-L1 mRNA affect the prognosis of CC patients.Increased expression of miR-34a is an protective factor for poor prognosis in CC patients,in-creased β-catenin and PD-L1 expressions are independent risk factors for poor prognosis in CC patients,and all three factors can be used as biomarkers to predict poor prognosis in CC patients,and the combined detection of the three has the highest prognostic value.

Objective To investigate the nutritional quality characteristics of vitamin D3-fortified yogurt and explore its improving effect on vitamin D metabolism in the body under simulated weightlessness,thereby providing a theoretical basis for the development of functional foods.Methods Using reconstituted milk as the matrix and Vitamin D3(VD3)microcapsule powder as the fortifier,VD3-fortified yogurt was prepared.A systematic study was conducted to investigate the effects of different gradients(1.25 μg/100 mL,2.50 μg/100 mL,3.75 μg/100 mL,5.00 μg/100 mL,6.25 μg/100 mL)of VD3 microcapsule addition on its quality characteristics(titratable acidity,solid content,water-holding capacity,syneresis).In vivo assessments were conducted using a Sprague-Dawley(SD)rat tail-suspension model to simulate weightlessness.Levels in serum 25(OH)D3,1,25-(OH)2D3,calcium(Ca),and phosphorus(P)were detected using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)to evaluate its metabolic capacity.Results During fermentation(3 h),titratable acidity of VD?-fortified yogurt initially increased,then decreased,and eventually stabilized with rising microcapsule dosage,while total solid content remained consistent.WHC exhibited an initial increase followed by a decline,whereas syneresis showed an inverse trend.At an optimal dosage of 3.75 μg/100 mL,the yogurt displayed a dense and uniform network structure,characterized by non-Newtonian fluid behavior with shear-thinning properties.This formulation demonstrated robust structural stability under high-frequency mechanical stress,alongside desirable textural,flavor,and sensory attributes.Animal experiments revealed that the serum concentrations of 25(OH)D3,1,25-(OH)2D3,calcium,and phosphorus in the vitamin D?-fortified yogurt intervention group were significantly higher than those in the tail-suspended control group(P<0.05).Conclusion VD? microencapsulation technology effectively preserves and enhances the nutritional quality characteristics of yogurt and mitigates vitamin D metabolic dysregulation under simulated weightlessness.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of Gynostemma pentaphyllum on memory of individuals rapidly ascending to high altitudes.Methods Twenty-one healthy subjects were randomly divided into a G.pentaphyllum food group(n=12)and a control group(n=9).The first group consumed G.pentaphyllum food for seven consecutive days while the control group received placebos.Both groups ascended from the plains to an altitude of 3600 m.Memory function was assessed using the matching memory and sequential memory tests of a cognitive evaluation system on day 1 and day 7 on the plains,and at 24 and 48 h after ascending to the high altitude.Scores of acute mountain sickness symptoms were also recorded.Results After 24 h of stay at the high altitude,the score of headache of the G.pentaphyllum food group was significantly lower than that of the control group(P＜0.05).Cognitive test results showed that the matching memory accuracy and sequential memory accuracy of the control group at 24 and 48 h were significantly lower than those on the plains(P＜0.05).In contrast,the G.pentaphyllum food group performed significantly better than the control group in these metrics(P＜0.05).Conclusion Regular consumption of G.pentaphyllum food can effectively alleviate headache symptoms in individuals rapidly ascending to high altitudes and mitigate the decline in working memory,short-term memory,and memory spans caused by acute hypoxic exposure.

Objective:To evaluate the therapeutic effects of Yufu ointment for acute radiation-induced skin injury. Methods:We enrolled a total of 104 patients with malignant tumors who developed acute skin injury of grade 2-3 during or after the first course of radiotherapy from June 2019 to February 2023. The observation group ( n=53) and control group ( n=51) received external application of Yufu ointment and Shirun Shaoshang ointment, respectively. We recorded the changes in the grade of skin injury and associated symptoms (such as pain, itching, and burning sensation) and healing speed and time for the two groups. Results:A total of 102 patients completed the study, with 53 cases in the observation group and 49 cases in the control group. The incidence rate of moisture skin lesions in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (62.26% vs. 83.67%, P<0.05). The healing speed of moisture skin ulcerations was significantly faster in the observation group than in the control group (1.67 cm 2/d vs. 0.55 cm 2/d, P<0.05). The observation group had a significantly shorter time to skin injury healing than the control group (10.40 d vs. 14.41 d, P<0.05), significantly different for skin injury of grade 2 (10.21 d vs. 17.57 d, P<0.05) but not for skin injury of grades 2.5 and 3 ( P>0.05). Regarding clinical symptoms, both groups experienced significant reductions in pain and burning sensation scores after treatment ( P<0.05); the grade of itching was significantly decreased for the observation group ( P<0.05), but had no significant change for the control group after treatment ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Yufu ointment can significantly alleviate secondary damage for patients with acute radiation-induced skin injury, by accelerating the healing process and relieving symptoms such as pain, itching, and burning sensation with good tolerability, which deserves further promotion.

Objective To investigate the effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes(BMSCs-Exo)on the regulation of epithelia-mesenchymal transition(EMT)in human peritoneal mesothelial cells(HPMCs)treated with glucose-based peritoneal dialysis fluid(PDF).Methods BMSCs-Exo were verified by transmission electron microscopy(TEM),nanoparticle tracking analyzer(NTA)and Western blot.Cultured HPMCs(HMrSV5)were divided into 5 groups;control group,high glucose-based PDF(1.5％,2.5％,and 4.25％)group,siNLRP3 group,siNC group and BMSCs-Exo treated group.Expression of E-cadherin,vimentin,α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)and NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins were detected by Western blot.Real time RT-PCR was used to detected the expression of α-SMA,E-cadherin and TGF-β1 mRNAs in HMrSV5 cells.The concentration of TGF-β1,IL-1 β and IL-18 in the culture supernatant was determined by ELISA.Results The exosomes isolated were spherical and double-membrane vesicles with 40-150 nm in diameter,which expressed CD9,CD81,TSG101 and Alix protein.Our results showed that the level of α-SMA and vimentin were significantly up-regulated and E-cadherin(epithelial marker)was significantly decreased in HMrSV5 cells treated with high glucose PDF com-pared with the normal HMrSV5 cells.The expression of NLRP3,pro-caspase-1 and pro-IL-1β were also significantly up-regulated in HMrSV5 cells treated with high glucose PDF compared with the normal HMrSV5 cells.The level of TGF-β1,IL-1 β and IL-18 in high glucose PDF treated HMrSV5 cells culture supernatant was up-regulated in a dose dependent manner.The protein level of α-SMA was decreased and E-cadherin level was increased by an NLRP3 siRNA to inhibit the activation of NLRP3.Compared with 4.25％PDF treated cells,E-cadherin expression was up-regulated,while the expression of α-SMA and vimentin were down-regulated in BMSCs-Exo treatment cells(P＜0.05).Furthermore,the protein expression of NLRP3,pro-caspase-1 and pro-IL-1β in 4.25％PDF-treated HMrSV5 cells were significantly reduced by BMSCs-Exo.BMSCs-Exo also reduced the level of TGF-β1,IL-1 β and IL-8 in the 4.25％PDF-treated HMrSV5 cells culture supernatants(P＜0.05).Conclusions High glucose PDF-induced EMT in HPMCs might be mediated by NLRP3 inflammatory signaling pathway,which can be inhibited by BMSCs-Exo.

BACKGROUND:There are many kinds of cell media with different components,which have a great influence on cell growth.Several studies in and outside China have used serum-free media containing fetal bovine serum for in vitro amplification culture,but the use of media containing human peripheral blood serum to directionally induce human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells to neural stem cells and human peripheral blood serum to promote neural stem cells to differentiate into other nerve cells,so far there are few relevant studies. OBJECTIVE:To observe the feasibility of inducing human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells cultured with human peripheral blood serum into neural stem cells. METHODS:(1)Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were cultured in DMEM/F-12 culture medium containing 10%human peripheral blood serum by volume fraction.Flow cytometry analysis was performed at the third passage to identify surface markers and alizarin red staining was used to detect osteogenic differentiation function.(2)The third-generation human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were induced into neural stem cells using DMEM/F-12 medium containing 0.5%N2,1.5%B27,20 ng/mL basic fibroblast growth factor,and 20 ng/mL epidermal growth factor,and their surface markers were identified.(3)Well-growing human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived neural stem cells were taken to prepare a single cell suspension.They were evenly inoculated into 96-well plates and incubated with DMEM/F-12 culture medium containing 10%human peripheral blood serum for 8 days.Then,hematoxylin-eosin staining,microtubule-associated protein 2,and glial fibrillary acidic protein immunofluorescence staining were performed to detect the differentiation of neural stem cells into other neural cells. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells cultured with human peripheral blood serum grew in a spiral-like pattern and were distributed in multiple layers,with directional arrangement.The surface of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells highly expressed CD44,CD105,CD29,and CD73.Cells stained with alizarin red showed a color reaction.(2)Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells cultured with human peripheral blood serum could be induced to differentiate into neural stem cells,and the surface of neural stem cells was highly expressed with CD44,CD105,CD29,CD73,Nestin,NF-L,and GALC.(3)On day 8 of induced differentiation of neural stem cells,after staining with hematoxylin and eosin,it was found that the protruding protrusions were longer,with more branches and adjacent cells connected,presenting typical neural cell morphology.Immunofluorescence staining for microtubule-associated protein 2 and glial fibrillary acidic protein was positive.It is concluded that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells cultured by human peripheral blood serum can be directly induced to differentiate into neural stem cells.Under the action of human peripheral blood serum,neural stem cells can differentiate into other neural cells as the culture time prolongs.