1.Comparison of Efficacy and Mechanism in Warming Yang and Dispersing Cold of Aconiti Radix Lateralis Praeparata Processed by ZHANG Zhongjing's Method and Pharmacopoeia Method
Mingjie JIAO ; Qian CHEN ; Shuyu YAN ; Yiyan SONG ; Jia ZHANG ; Fei LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(2):207-217
ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanism of decoctions from four kinds of processed products of Aconiti Radix Lateralis Praeparata(ARLP) in deficiency-cold syndrome. MethodsA total of 36 SD rats were randomly divided into the control group, model group, Shengfupian(SFP) group, Paofuzi(PFZ) group, Heishunpian(HSP) group and Paofupian(PFP) group with 6 rats in each group. Except for the control group, rats in other groups were administered hydrocortisone sodium succinate via intramuscular injection to induce a cold deficiency syndrome model. After 14 consecutive days, each ARLP decoction pieces was administered via continuous gastric lavage at a dose of 12 g·kg-1·d-1 for 7 d, while the control and model groups received an equivalent volume of physiological saline. After the end of administration, body weight, spleen weight and thymus weight were measured for calculating the spleen and thymus indexes. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to observe the pathological morphology of adrenal tissue. The fully automatic biochemistry analyzer was used to measure the total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) and lactate(LAC) levels in serum. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to measure the contents of 17-hydroxycorticosteroid(17-OHCS), cortisol(CORT), triiodothyronine(T3), thyroxine(T4), thyrotropin(TSH), immunoglobulin(Ig) M, IgG, cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate(cGMP). Western blot was used to measure the protein expression levels of protein kinase A(PKA), cAMP response element-binding protein(CREB), silent information regulator 1(Sirt1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α(PGC-1α). And high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) was used to determine the content of major alkaloids, followed by Pearson correlation analysis with pharmacodynamic indicators. ResultsAfter modeling, compare with the control group, the model rats exhibited symptoms such as lethargy and loose stools, mild abnormalities were observed in adrenal tissue structure, and both spleen and thymus indices were significantly reduced(P<0.01). Thyroid, adrenal and immune system functions were suppressed, with decreased serum cAMP level and significantly elevated cGMP level(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the adrenal injury by hydrocortisone sodium succinate were repaired and the spleen index were increased significantly in all four ARLP groups(P<0.05, P<0.01). The thymus index in SFP and PFZ groups were increased significantly(P<0.05). The contents of T3, TSH, 17-OHCS and CORT were increased significantly in SFP and PFZ groups(P<0.05). In addition, the content of IgG in SFP, PFZ and PFP groups were increased significantly(P<0.01), while the content of IgM in PFZ and HSP groups were also increased significantly(P<0.05). Regarding the cyclic nucleotide system, PFZ significantly elevated cAMP level while reducing cGMP level(P<0.05), exhibiting the most pronounced effect among the four decoction pieces. For energy metabolism indicators, PFZ significantly improved abnormal markers including TC, TG, LDH, and LAC(P<0.05). HSP showed marked improvement effects on TG, LDH, and LAC(P<0.05). Both PFZ and SFP significantly elevated the expression levels of PKA, CREB, Sirt1, and PGC-1α proteins(P<0.01). Additionally, the diester alkaloids in ARLP showed a strong positive correlation with TG, IgG, and CORT, a strong negative correlation with LAC, a moderate positive correlation with T4, and moderate negative correlations with cAMP and spleen index. Monomeric alkaloids showed strong positive correlations with TG and IgG, strong negative correlations with LAC, moderate positive correlations with CORT and T4, and moderate negative correlations with cAMP and spleen index. However, the content of water-soluble alkaloids showed strong positive correlations with TC, LDH, 17-OHCS, T3, TSH, and thymus index, moderate positive correlations with cAMP, CORT, T4, and spleen index, and moderate negative correlation with cGMP. ConclusionAmong different processed ARLP decoction pieces, PFZ processed according to ZHANG Zhongjing's method exhibits the most potent warming and cold-dispelling effects. Its pharmacological actions are mediated through regulating the thyroid, adrenal, immune, cyclic nucleotide systems, and material-energy metabolism pathways. Among these, water-soluble alkaloids show strong or moderate correlations with more indicators of deficiency-cold syndrome and exhibit the highest content in PFZ. Therefore, PFZ processed according to ZHANG Zhongjing's method may exert its warming and cold-dispelling effects through water-soluble alkaloids.
2.Study on the safety and efficacy of micro-perfusion device for preserving isolated porcine limbs
Pengkai LI ; Zhaodi MI ; Shen LI ; Man YUAN ; Xiwei PENG ; Jia LÜ ; Sice WANG ; Zhibo JIA ; Xiangyu SONG ; Yixuan ZHU ; Chonghui LI ; Moling XIAO ; Wenjing XU ; Jiang PENG
Organ Transplantation 2026;17(3):422-431
Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a self-developed micro-normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) system (micro-perfusion device) for preserving isolated porcine limbs. Methods Five healthy Landrace pigs were selected, and their left and right forelimbs were randomly divided into the NMP group and static cold storage (SCS) group. The NMP group was perfused with the self-developed micro-perfusion device and polymerized hemoglobin perfusate for 32 hours at normothermia, while the SCS group was preserved at 4 ℃. Hemodynamic parameters such as perfusion pressure and flow were monitored. The pH value, partial pressure of oxygen (PO2), lactic acid (Lac), creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the perfusate were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to assess the muscle tissue structure, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling was employed to evaluate muscle cell apoptosis, and immunohistochemistry staining was applied to detect the expressions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6. A mixed-effects model was used to analyze the effects of time and treatment methods on tissue structure, cell apoptosis and inflammatory factors. Results The device could stably maintain a perfusion pressure of (69±15) mmHg and a flow rate of (117±42) mL/min. The pH value and electrolytes of the perfusate were generally stable, with PO2 maintained at a high level. Lac was maintained at 5.38(3.81, 6.45) mmol/L, while CK and LDH increased over time. After 32 hours of perfusion in the NMP group, both the myocyte spacing and apoptosis rate were better than those in the SCS group. Mixed-effects model analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in the effects of NMP treatment and SCS treatment on myocyte spacing and apoptosis rate per unit time (both P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in TNF-α and IL-6 between the two groups, and mixed-effects model analysis showed no statistically significant differences in the effects of NMP treatment and SCS treatment on TNF-α and IL-6 per unit time (both P > 0.05). Conclusions The micro-perfusion device used in this study may achieve 32-hour normothermic preservation in a porcine limb amputation model, maintain basic metabolism and ionic homeostasis, reduce muscle structural damage and cell apoptosis without inducing additional inflammatory responses. This technology is expected to significantly extend the time window for replantation of amputated limbs in disaster rescue and long-distance transportation, providing an important technical basis for clinical translation and subsequent replantation research.
3.Inhibitory effect and mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine on liver fibrosis and hepatic sinusoidal capillarization
Long WANG ; Li MA ; Andong SONG ; Guohua LI ; Tingting JIA
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(5):1166-1171
Hepatic sinusoidal capillarization is the first event in the process of fibrogenesis, and inhibiting hepatic sinusoidal capillarization can effectively improve the pathological process of liver fibrosis. Various studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine can significantly inhibit hepatic sinusoidal capillarization. This article systematically reviews the effective constituents, monomers, and compound prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine, summarizes their mechanism of action in inhibiting hepatic sinusoidal capillarization, and analyzes the theoretical core of traditional Chinese medicine in inhibiting hepatic sinusoidal capillarization from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, in order to provide ideas and literature support for the treatment of liver fibrosis.
4.Plant-derived Exosome-like Nanovesicles in Biomedical Applications
Xu LIU ; Si-Rui LIU ; Jia-Yu MA ; Yu-Ting MOU ; Ting-Yu SHI ; Sheng HUANG ; Tian-Li SONG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1609-1621
Plant-derived exosome-like nanovesicles (PELNs), characterized by a natural lipid bilayer membrane, have rapidly emerged as a prominent research frontier in medicine owing to their unique biological properties and robust therapeutic potential. This review comprehensively examines the biological profiles, mechanistic functions, and recent engineering advancements of PELNs. In terms of composition, PELNs are uniquely enriched in plant-specific glycolipids, phosphatidylserine, secondary metabolites, and highly stable 2'-O-methylated miRNAs. This distinct molecular makeup endows them with exceptional biocompatibility, negligible immunogenicity, and the capacity for cross-species molecular communication. Mechanistically, PELNs demonstrate profound anti-inflammatory efficacy by suppressing the NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome pathways. They also serve as potent immune modulators, driving macrophage M1/M2 polarization and regulating T cell activity. Additionally, PELNs exhibit promising antitumor capabilities, targeting malignancies via reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction, TRAIL pathway activation, and tumor microenvironment remodeling. Crucially, the plant miRNAs encapsulated within PELNs remain highly stable in the gastrointestinal tract, allowing them to selectively alter gene expression in specific gut microbiota communities. This interaction deeply influences host immunity and metabolism, highlighting the vital role in cross-species regulation. Advancements in bioengineering have further expanded the clinical utility of PELNs. Targeted delivery efficiency can be significantly amplified via surface functionalization (e.g., folate and RGD sequences) and state-of-the-art drug loading technologies such as sonication and electroporation. Consequently, engineered PELNs surpass traditional synthetic nanocarriers in penetrating natural physiological barriers, particularly for oral and transdermal drug administration. Despite these advantages, clinical translation is currently hindered by the lack of standardized isolation protocols, challenges in scalable manufacturing, and the need for robust quality control frameworks. Looking forward, the integration of multi-omics approaches and AI-driven “molecular fingerprinting”—coupled with the design of synthetic biomimetic vesicles—will be instrumental in overcoming these bottlenecks, ultimately establishing PELNs as a next-generation platform for precision medicine and targeted nanotherapeutic delivery.
5.Influenza A virus infection activates TLR3-mediated necroptosis
Weijie LI ; Congying HUANG ; Ziling ZENG ; Xiang LI ; Jia XU ; Tian GONG ; Hao ZHANG ; Xinyan ZHANG ; Ping WANG ; Yuanjia HU ; Haiyu XU ; Lijuan SONG
Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;4(1):40-49
Background: Influenza A virus (IAV) is a negative-sense RNA virus of the Orthomyxoviridae family and is the etiological agent of a highly contagious acute respiratory disease that can lead to acute lung injury. Objective: To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of IAV infection, an integrative research approach combining gene expression profiling, multinetwork analysis, and in vivo experimental validations was employed. Methods: First, a series of network-based analyses were performed, including protein-protein interaction network construction, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and subsequent gene set enrichment analysis, to identify the major underlying mechanisms of IAV infection. Following gene expression analysis, core targets, both direct and indirect regulators, were screened. An IAV (H1N1) strain A/PR/8/34-induced acute lung injury mouse model was constructed for in vivo validations. Batch one included two groups to evaluate findings from the multi-network analysis: Mock (n = 10; 5 males and 5 females) and IAV (n = 10; 5 males and 5 females). Batch two included three groups to assess the role of toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) in IAV infection: Mock (n = 6; 3 males and 3 females), IAV (n = 6; 3 males and 3 females), and TLR3 inhibitor (n = 6; 3 males and 3 females). Body weight was measured on days 0, 3, and 5 after infection. On day 5, lung tissues were collected to assess viral load and histopathological changes. Key targets were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining, both in sera and lung tissues. Results: IAV infection was significantly associated with dysregulation of the immune-inflammation system, such as the LTR, nucle-otide-binding oligomerization domain-(NOD) like receptor, retinoic acid-inducible gene I-like receptor, and nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathways. Gene set enrichment analysis further indicated that the TLR and necroptosis signaling pathways played crucial roles in the progression of IAV infection (TLR signaling pathway normalized enrichment score = 2.3941, P = 1.00 × 10 −10; necroptosis normalized enrichment score = 1.9421, P = 6.21 × 10 −7). Among the core targets, TLR3 and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) may regulate gene expression at the transcriptional level (all P < 0.05). In vivo validation using an IAV (PR8) infected acute lung injury mouse model demonstrated increased viral load and lung index, alveolar structural damage, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Immunofluorescence staining exhibited large gaps in Lamin B1 staining and breaches in Emerin signals following IAV-PR8 infection. Expression levels of TLR3, p-receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 3 (RIPK3)/RIPK3, and p-mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL)/MLKL proteins in lung tissues, as well as proinflammatory factors and mediators in sera, were significantly elevated after IAV infection. Moreover, enhanced neutrophil infiltration (myeloperoxidase) and citrullinated histone H3 (a neutrophil extracellular trap-specific marker), both established indicators of neutrophil extracellular trap formation, were observed. Notably, treatment with a TLR3 inhibitor significantly ameliorated IAV-induced acute lung injury by regulating necroptosis-related targets. Conclusion: Our study provides network-based in vivo evidence that TLR3-receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 3-MLKL-mediated necroptosis may underlie IAV-induced acute lung injury and could serve as a potential therapeutic target in severe influenza cases.
6.MADS-Net: a Multi-scale Attention and Dynamic Sparse Mask Fusion Network for Electrical Impedance Tomography Image Reconstruction in Breast Screening
Cheng-Tao YU ; Jia-Hui WANG ; Song-Pei HU ; Huai-Jin CHEN ; Li DING ; Xia YE ; Jia-Feng YAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(9):2480-2496
ObjectiveTo address the key challenges in breast electrical impedance tomography (EIT) reconstruction including the severe ill‑posedness of the inverse problem, limited measurement information from the electrodes, low contrast of small lesions, as well as the common drawbacks of traditional reconstruction methods such as boundary blurring, low spatial resolution, and weak small-target detection capability, and to overcome the limitations of existing deep learning approaches namely low training efficiency, insufficient physical consistency, and substantial information loss during the low‑to‑high dimensional mapping process, this study proposes a multi‑scale attention and dynamic sparse mask fusion network (MADS‑Net). The proposed method aims to enhance high‑resolution reconstruction accuracy, small-lesion detectability, noise robustness, and computational efficiency in breast‑screening-oriented EIT, thereby providing a feasible solution for the application of EIT in breast functional imaging. MethodsThe proposed network adopts a strategy of “locate first, reconstruct later”. It realizes adaptive allocation of computational resources through a dynamic mask module, alleviates information loss in the low-to-high dimensional mapping process via a multi-scale attention mechanism, and embeds physical constraints to improve the physical rationality of reconstruction results. The performance of the proposed method was validated through systematic numerical simulations, agar phantom experiments, and porcine tissue experiments. Comparisons were made with mainstream methods including the Gauss-Newton algorithm, convolutional neural networks, U-Net, and Deep D-Bar. The image correlation coefficient (ICC), root mean square error (RMSE), and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) were adopted as quantitative evaluation metrics. Furthermore, lesion‑level evaluation metrics were introduced to assess the capability of different methods in reconstructing abnormal target boundaries and small‑sized target regions. ResultsExperimental results demonstrate that MADS-Net outperforms all comparison methods across all test scenarios. In numerical simulations, it achieves higher accuracy in target morphology and spatial location recovery as well as better background suppression. In agar phantom experiments, its detection and imaging reliability for small targets is significantly superior to the comparison methods. In porcine tissue experiments, the model maintains good generalization performance and can adapt to complex biological tissue imaging scenarios. Quantitative results show that MADS-Net achieves an average ICC of 0.917 6±0.048 8, an RMSE as low as0.060 6±0.031 6, and a PSNR of (23.893 9±2.685 3) dB. It successfully detects tiny targets as small as 5 mm within a 100 mm diameter sensing field, reduces the total training duration by 23.5% compared with the baseline method, and maintains stable reconstruction performance even under strong noise interference. ConclusionThe results demonstrate that MADS-Net achieves favorable EIT reconstruction performance in numerical simulations, agar phantom experiments, and porcine tissue experiments, even under common practical imaging challenges including low signal-to-noise ratio and blurred tissue boundaries. This study provides a methodological reference for further research on EIT in breast-screening-related scenarios and other medical functional imaging tasks, and also offers a low-cost, radiation-free alternative for breast lesion screening that aligns with the clinical demand for non-invasive diagnostic tools. It should be noted that real clinical breast data have not yet been used for validation in this study, and the clinical applicability of the proposed method requires further investigation. Future work will prioritize collecting multi-center real clinical breast datasets, and further optimize the model’s generalization ability to adapt to individual differences in breast tissue composition to promote its clinical application.
7.Total Flavonoids from Cuscutae Semen Inhibit Depression in CUMS Mice via UCP2/TXNIP/NLRP3 Signaling Pathway
Andong SONG ; Guohua LI ; Bo YUAN ; Menghui JIA ; Zhantao LI ; Xiaoli WANG ; Long WANG ; Huiling FU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(21):109-119
ObjectiveTo investigate the antidepressant effects and mechanisms of total flavonoids from Cuscutae Semen (TFCC) in the mouse model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). MethodsFifty male 4-week-old ICR mice were randomized into five groups (n=10 per group): blank control, model, Cuscutae Semen decoction (10.2 g·kg-1·d-1), paroxetine (2.6 mg·kg-1·d-1), and TFCC (173.2 mg·kg-1·d-1). The other groups except the blank control group underwent chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 4 weeks. Behavioral assessments were conducted post-modeling. Then, the model group received distilled water (10 mL·kg-1·d-1), while treatment groups were administrated with respective agents via oral gavage (10 mL·kg-1) for 4 weeks. Depression-like behaviors were evaluated by the sucrose preference test (SPT), forced swimming test (FST), and tail suspension test (TST). Hippocampal neuronal morphology was observed via hematoxylin-eosin staining, and apoptosis in the brain tissue was assessed via terminal- deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to measure the hippocampal levels of inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α)] and neurotransmitters [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)], while the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were quantified via the DCFH-DA probe. Real-time PCR was performed to measure the mRNA levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated Speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 (Caspase-1), IL-1β, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Western blot was employed to evaluate the protein levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), and thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP). ResultsCompared with the blank control group, the model group exhibited weight loss (P<0.01), reduced sucrose preference (P<0.01), prolonged immobility time in FST and TST (P<0.01), neuron disarrangement with nuclear pyknosis in hippocampal CA3 region, increased apoptosis in the brain tissue, elevated levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α (P<0.01), declined levels of 5-HT, DA, and BDNF (P<0.01), increased ROS accumulation (P<0.01), upregulated mRNA levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and iNOS (P<0.01), down-regulated protein level of UCP2 (P<0.01), and up-regulated protein levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, and TXNIP (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the interventions restored sucrose preference (P<0.01), shortened immobility time (P<0.01), repaired hippocampal neuronal structure, reduced apoptosis, lowered the levels of inflammatory cytokines (P<0.01), restored the levels of neurotransmitters (P<0.01), alleviated ROS accumulation (P<0.01), downregulated the mRNA levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and iNOS (P<0.01), upregulated the protein level of UCP2 (P<0.01), and reduced the protein levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, and TXNIP (P<0.01). Moreover, TFCC outperformed Cuscutae Semen decoction in ameliorating depressive behaviors. TFCC excelled in neuronal repair, neurotransmitter regulation, anti-inflammatory effects, and modulation of the UCP2/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway (P<0.05). ConclusionTFCC modulates the hippocampal UCP2/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway to inhibit inflammasome activation, reduce oxidative stress, restore neurotransmitters, thus suppressing neuronal apoptosis and promoting the rearrangement and morphology recovery of hippocampal cells. It outperforms Cuscutae Semen decoction in the antidepressant efficacy.
8.Total Flavonoids from Cuscutae Semen Inhibit Depression in CUMS Mice via UCP2/TXNIP/NLRP3 Signaling Pathway
Andong SONG ; Guohua LI ; Bo YUAN ; Menghui JIA ; Zhantao LI ; Xiaoli WANG ; Long WANG ; Huiling FU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(21):109-119
ObjectiveTo investigate the antidepressant effects and mechanisms of total flavonoids from Cuscutae Semen (TFCC) in the mouse model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). MethodsFifty male 4-week-old ICR mice were randomized into five groups (n=10 per group): blank control, model, Cuscutae Semen decoction (10.2 g·kg-1·d-1), paroxetine (2.6 mg·kg-1·d-1), and TFCC (173.2 mg·kg-1·d-1). The other groups except the blank control group underwent chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 4 weeks. Behavioral assessments were conducted post-modeling. Then, the model group received distilled water (10 mL·kg-1·d-1), while treatment groups were administrated with respective agents via oral gavage (10 mL·kg-1) for 4 weeks. Depression-like behaviors were evaluated by the sucrose preference test (SPT), forced swimming test (FST), and tail suspension test (TST). Hippocampal neuronal morphology was observed via hematoxylin-eosin staining, and apoptosis in the brain tissue was assessed via terminal- deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to measure the hippocampal levels of inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α)] and neurotransmitters [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)], while the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were quantified via the DCFH-DA probe. Real-time PCR was performed to measure the mRNA levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated Speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 (Caspase-1), IL-1β, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Western blot was employed to evaluate the protein levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), and thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP). ResultsCompared with the blank control group, the model group exhibited weight loss (P<0.01), reduced sucrose preference (P<0.01), prolonged immobility time in FST and TST (P<0.01), neuron disarrangement with nuclear pyknosis in hippocampal CA3 region, increased apoptosis in the brain tissue, elevated levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α (P<0.01), declined levels of 5-HT, DA, and BDNF (P<0.01), increased ROS accumulation (P<0.01), upregulated mRNA levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and iNOS (P<0.01), down-regulated protein level of UCP2 (P<0.01), and up-regulated protein levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, and TXNIP (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the interventions restored sucrose preference (P<0.01), shortened immobility time (P<0.01), repaired hippocampal neuronal structure, reduced apoptosis, lowered the levels of inflammatory cytokines (P<0.01), restored the levels of neurotransmitters (P<0.01), alleviated ROS accumulation (P<0.01), downregulated the mRNA levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and iNOS (P<0.01), upregulated the protein level of UCP2 (P<0.01), and reduced the protein levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, and TXNIP (P<0.01). Moreover, TFCC outperformed Cuscutae Semen decoction in ameliorating depressive behaviors. TFCC excelled in neuronal repair, neurotransmitter regulation, anti-inflammatory effects, and modulation of the UCP2/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway (P<0.05). ConclusionTFCC modulates the hippocampal UCP2/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway to inhibit inflammasome activation, reduce oxidative stress, restore neurotransmitters, thus suppressing neuronal apoptosis and promoting the rearrangement and morphology recovery of hippocampal cells. It outperforms Cuscutae Semen decoction in the antidepressant efficacy.
9.Association of sedentary types with anxiety and depressive symptom among college freshmen
LI Lanlan, LI Shuqin, WEI Runyu, LI Xin, SONG Xianbing, LI Jia, WAN Yuhui
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(11):1599-1603
Objective:
To analyze the association of sedentary types with symptom of depressive and anxiety among college freshmen, so as to provide a reference for improving the mental health of college students.
Methods:
From October to November 2022, all college freshmen at three colleges and universities in Anhui Province were selected by a cluster sampling method. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Youth Leisure-Time Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire (YLSBQ) were used for the investigation. A binary Logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship of different types of sedentary behavior with anxiety and depressive symptom.
Results:
The detection rates of anxiety and depressive symptom among college freshmen were 32.8% and 49.9%, respectively. The results of the binary Logistic regression model analysis showed that after controlling for gender, family location, parental education level, self rated family economic status and number of intimate partners, high level overall, video based, and social based sedentary time were associated with an increased risk of anxiety ( OR =1.26, 1.56, 1.27) and depressive symptom ( OR =1.42, 1.94, 1.29) among college freshmen; the association between moderate level sedentary time and depressive symptom was statistically significant ( OR =0.83) (all P <0.05). The overall trends of the association between sedentary behavior with symptom of anxiety and depressive were similar in both boys and girls.
Conclusions
Sedentary behavior is associated with an increased risk of anxiety and depressive symptom in college students. Reducing video based and social based sedentary behaviors is beneficial for mental health promotion in college students.
10.Clinical efficacy of Fu's subcutaneous needling based on "multi-joint muscle spiral balance chain" theory for cervical vertigo and its effect on blood flow velocity of vertebral artery.
Meng GONG ; Zhixiang LIU ; Pei LI ; Renyan XIAO ; Peng JIA ; Hong GUO ; Song JIN
Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2025;45(1):13-18
OBJECTIVE:
To observe the clinical efficacy of Fu's subcutaneous needling based on "multi-joint muscle spiral balance chain" theory for cervical vertigo (CV) and its effect on blood flow velocity of vertebral artery.
METHODS:
A total of 60 patients with CV were randomized into a Fu's subcutaneous needling group and a medication group, 30 cases in each one. In the Fu's subcutaneous needling group, Fu's subcutaneous needling was delivered at Dazhui (GV14), the flexible tube was retained for 5 min after sweeping manipulation, and the treatment was given once every other day, 3 times a week for 3 weeks. In the medication group, betahistine mesylate tablet and diclofenac sodium dual-release enteric capsule were taken orally for continuous 3 weeks. Before treatment, after treatment, and in follow-up of one month after treatment completion, the scores of dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were observed; before and after treatment, the blood flow velocity of vertebral artery was measured by transcranial Doppler, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated after treatment in the two groups.
RESULTS:
After treatment and in follow-up, each item scores and total scores of DHI were decreased compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05); the VAS scores after treatment in the two groups, as well as the VAS score in follow-up of the Fu's subcutaneous needling group, were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). In the Fu's subcutaneous needling group, after treatment and in follow-up, the physical scores and the total scores of DHI, and the VAS scores were lower than those in the medication group (P<0.05); in follow-up, the emotional and functional scores of DHI were lower than those in the medication group (P<0.05). After treatment, the mean blood flow velocity (Vm) of the left vertebral artery (LVA) and the right vertebral artery (RVA) was increased compared with that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and the Vm of LVA and RVA in the Fu's subcutaneous needling group was higher than that in the medication group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 100.0% (30/30) in the Fu's subcutaneous needling group, which was superior to 73.3% (22/30) in the medication group (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Fu's subcutaneous needling based on the "multi-joint muscle spiral balance chain" theory can effectively alleviate the vertigo and neck pain, and improve the blood flow velocity of vertebral artery in CV patients, and has a long-term therapeutic effect.
Humans
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Female
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation*
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Vertebral Artery/physiopathology*
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Adult
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Vertigo/physiopathology*
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Aged
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Blood Flow Velocity
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Treatment Outcome
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Acupuncture Points
;
Young Adult


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