ObjectiveTo clarify the neuroprotective effect of black Panacis Quinquefolii Radix（PQR） and explore its active ingredients， with the aim of establishing an activity-oriented quality evaluation method. MethodsTransgenic Tg（HuC∶EGFP） zebrafish was used to establish a neuronal injury model by aluminum chloride immersion. Different doses（10， 20 mg·L^-1） of PQR and black PQR ethanol extracts were administered. The neuroprotective effects of PQR and black PQR were compared by analyzing the fluorescent area and intensity of zebrafish neurons. Based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography（UPLC）， a fingerprint profile of black PQR was established， followed by principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA）. Differential components were screened using the criteria of variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1 and P<0.05. The neuroprotective activity of 14 batches of black PQR was assessed， and Spearman correlation analysis was used to identify saponins related to neuroprotective activity， which were then validated. Based on the above results， active marker components were determined， and an UPLC method was established for their quantitation with clear content limits. ResultsPharmacological efficacy results showed that both PQR and black PQR at different doses could significantly improved neuronal damage in zebrafish. At a dose of 20 mg·L^-1， black PQR demonstrated superior efficacy（P<0.05）. The fingerprint similarities of 14 batches of black PQR were>0.94， with 26 common peaks identified. Through comparison with the reference standards， 8 components were confirmed， including peak 1（ginsenoside Rg₁）， peak 2（ginsenoside Re）， peak 5（ginsenoside Rb₁）， peak 9（ginsenoside Rd）， peak 16［ginsenoside 20（S）-Rg₃］， peak 17［ginsenoside 20（R）-Rg₃］， peak 18（ginsenoside Rk₁）， and peak 19（ginsenoside Rg₅）. The results of PCA and OPLS-DA indicated that there were differences in saponins among black PQR samples from different origins， and 12 differential components were screened. All 14 batches of black PQR exhibited good protective effects on zebrafish neurons， with Shaanxi-produced black PQR showing superior protective effects compared to the other three production regions. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that a total of 11 components， including ginsenosides 20（S）-Rg₃， 20（R）-Rg₃， Rk₁ and Rg₅， showed a significant positive correlation with the neuroprotective effect in zebrafish（P<0.05）. The activity validation results indicated that ginsenosides 20（S）-Rg₃， 20（R）-Rg₃， Rk₁ and Rg₅ were the primary components responsible for the neuroprotective effects of black PQR. Quantitative analysis showed that the content of ginsenoside 20（S）-Rg₃ in 14 batches of black PQR ranged from 0.17% to 0.52%， and the repair rate of neuronal damage ranged from 42.77% to 97.83%. ConclusionBased on the fingerprint and neuronal protective activity， the spectrum-effect related quality control model of black PQR was established， with ginsenoside 20（S）-Rg₃ as the quality control index， and the neuronal damage repair rate≥60% as the evaluation standard， the minimum limit of ginsenoside 20（S）-Rg₃ in black PQR should be≥0.20%.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute infectious respiratory disease that has been prevalent since December 2019. Chinese medicine (CM) has demonstrated its unique advantages in the fight against COVID-19 in the areas of disease prevention, improvement of clinical symptoms, and control of disease progression. This review summarized the relevant material components of CM in the treatment of COVID-19 by searching the relevant literature and reports on CM in the treatment of COVID-19 and combining with the physiological and pathological characteristics of the novel coronavirus. On the basis of sorting out experimental methods in vivo and in vitro, the mechanism of herb action was further clarified in terms of inhibiting virus invasion and replication and improving related complications. The aim of the article is to explore the strengths and characteristics of CM in the treatment of COVID-19, and to provide a basis for the research and scientific, standardized treatment of COVID-19 with CM.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; SARS-CoV-2/drug effects* ; COVID-19/therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Antiviral Agents/pharmacology* ; Animals

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) is a severe dose-limiting adverse event of chemotherapy. Presently, the mechanism underlying the induction of CIPN remains unclear, and no effective treatment is available. In this study, through metabolomics analyses, we found that nab-paclitaxel therapy markedly increased serum serotonin [5-hydroxtryptamine (5-HT)] levels in both cancer patients and mice compared to the respective controls. Furthermore, nab-paclitaxel-treated enterochromaffin (EC) cells showed increased 5-HT synthesis, and serotonin-treated Schwann cells showed damage, as indicated by the activation of CREB3L3/MMP3/FAS signaling. Venlafaxine, an inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake, was found to protect against nerve injury by suppressing the activation of CREB3L3/MMP3/FAS signaling in Schwann cells. Remarkably, venlafaxine was found to significantly alleviate nab-paclitaxel-induced CIPN in patients without affecting the clinical efficacy of chemotherapy. In summary, our study reveals that EC cell-derived 5-HT plays a critical role in nab-paclitaxel-related neurotoxic lesions, and venlafaxine co-administration represents a novel approach to treating chronic cumulative neurotoxicity commonly reported in nab-paclitaxel-based chemotherapy.
Paclitaxel/toxicity* ; Animals ; Albumins/adverse effects* ; Serotonin/metabolism* ; Mice ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Venlafaxine Hydrochloride/therapeutic use* ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes/metabolism* ; Middle Aged ; Schwann Cells/metabolism* ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/drug therapy* ; Antineoplastic Agents

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is an inherited disease caused by a deficiency of the enzyme arylsulfatase A (ARSA). Lentivirus-modified autologous hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy (HSCGT) has recently been approved for clinical use in pre and early symptomatic children with MLD to increase ARSA activity. Unfortunately, this advanced therapy is not available for most patients with MLD who have progressed to more advanced symptomatic stages at diagnosis. Patients with late-onset juvenile MLD typically present with a slower neurological progression of symptoms and represent a significant burden to the economy and healthcare system, whereas those with early onset infantile MLD die within a few years of symptom onset. We conducted a pilot study to determine the safety and benefit of HSCGT in patients with postsymptomatic juvenile MLD and report preliminary results. The safety profile of HSCGT was favorable in this long-term follow-up over 9 years. The most common adverse events (AEs) within 2 months of HSCGT were related to busulfan conditioning, and all AEs resolved. No HSCGT-related AEs and no evidence of distorted hematopoietic differentiation during long-term follow-up for up to 9.6 years. Importantly, to date, patients have maintained remarkably improved ARSA activity with a stable disease state, including increased Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score and decreased magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesion score. This long-term follow-up pilot study suggests that HSCGT is safe and provides clinical benefit to patients with postsymptomatic juvenile MLD.
Humans ; Leukodystrophy, Metachromatic/genetics* ; Pilot Projects ; Genetic Therapy/methods* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Male ; Follow-Up Studies ; Female ; Lentivirus/genetics* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Cerebroside-Sulfatase/metabolism* ; Adolescent

The incomplete degradation of tumour cells by macrophages (Mϕ) is a contributing factor to tumour progression and metastasis, and the degradation function of Mϕ is mediated through phagosomes and lysosomes. In our preliminary experiments, we found that overactivation of NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) reduced the ability of Mϕ to degrade engulfed tumour cells. Above this, we screened out liquiritin from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, which can significantly inhibit NOX2 activity and inhibit tumours, to elucidate that suppressing NOX2 can enhance the ability of Mϕ to degrade tumour cells. We found that the tumour environment could activate the NOX2 activity in Mϕ phagosomes, causing Mϕ to produce excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), thus prohibiting the formation of phagolysosomes before degradation. Conversely, inhibiting NOX2 in Mϕ by liquiritin can reduce ROS and promote phagosome-lysosome fusion, therefore improving the enzymatic degradation of tumour cells after phagocytosis, and subsequently promote T cell activity by presenting antigens. We further confirmed that liquiritin down-regulated the expression of the NOX2 specific membrane component protein gp91 phox, blocking its binding to the NOX2 cytoplasmic component proteins p67 phox and p47 phox, thereby inhibiting the activity of NOX2. This study elucidates the specific mechanism by which Mϕ cannot degrade tumour cells after phagocytosis, and indicates that liquiritin can promote the ability of Mϕ to degrade tumour cells by suppressing NOX2.

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) among acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases in 16 provinces of China from 2009 to 2023.Methods:The data of this study were collected from the ARI surveillance data from 16 provinces in China from 2009 to 2023, with a total of 28 278 ARI cases included in the study. The clinical specimens from ARI cases were screened for HRSV nucleic acid from 2009 to 2023, and differences in virus detection rates among cases of different age groups, regions, and months were analyzed.Results:A total of 28 278 ARI cases were enrolled from January 2009 to September 2023. The age of the cases ranged from<1 month to 112 years, and the age M ( Q1, Q3) was 3 years (1 year, 9 years). Among them, 3 062 cases were positive for HRSV nucleic acid, with a total detection rate of 10.83%. From 2009 to 2019, the detection rate of HRSV was 9.33%, and the virus was mainly prevalent in winter and spring. During the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the detection rate of HRSV fluctuated between 6.32% and 18.67%. There was no traditional winter epidemic peak of HRSV from the end of 2022 to the beginning of 2023, and an anti-seasonal epidemic of HRSV occurred from April to May 2023. About 87.95% (2 693/3 062) of positive cases were children under 5 years old, and the difference in the detection rate of HRSV among different age groups was statistically significant ( P<0.001), showing a decreasing trend of HRSV detection rate with the increase of age ( P<0.001). Among them, the HRSV detection rate (25.69%) was highest in children under 6 months. Compared with 2009-2019, the ranking of HRSV detection rates in different age groups changed from high to low between 2020 and 2023, with the age M (Q1, Q3) of HRSV positive cases increasing from 1 year (6 months, 3 years) to 2 years (11 months, 3 years). Conclusion:Through 15 years of continuous HRSV surveillance analysis, children under 5 years old, especially infants under 6 months old, are the main high-risk population for HRSV infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence and patterns of HRSV in China have changed.

Objective To investigate the application value of type Ⅰ procollagen N-peptide front-end (PⅠNP) in growth and development in children.Methods The clinical data of 99 children visiting in the ped-iatric department of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from March to August 2023 were analyzed retrospectively,including gender,age,height,weight,BMI,visiting season,Tanner stage,PⅠNP,β-collagen degradation product (β-CTx),N-terminal osteocalcin (N-MID).The general data of children with different sex and PⅠNP level were analyzed.The partial correlation between PⅠNP and growth rate was analyzed.Then the efficiency of PⅠNP for predicting the child growth rate slow was conducted by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results The children height standard deviation,Tanner stage,β-CTx,N-MID,height after blood drawing,growth rate after blood drawing,growth rate slowness had statistical difference among the children with different PⅠNP levels (P<0.05).In the partial correlation,PⅠNP has the correlation with β-CTx (r=0.671),N-MID (r=0.506),growth rate before blood drawing (r=0.551) and growth rate after blood drawing (r=0.474,P<0.05).In linear regression,PⅠNP was linearly correlated with children's height growth rate,and the greater the PⅠNP value was,the higher the children's height growth rate in the past or the next three months was likely to be (P<0.05).The ROC curve results showed that when PⅠNP<434.8 ng/mL,there was a risk of slow height growth rate in children (AUC was 0.819,95%CI:0.712-0.927,sensitivity was 80.0%,specificity was 78.6%).Conclusion The PⅠNP level could reflect the height growth rate of children in the past or the next three months in their daily life,and has certain predictive value for the slow growth rate of children.

Metabolic syndrome is a complex group of metabolic disorders with an increasing global incidence rate,posing a serious threat to human health.Sodium-glucose linked transporter 2(SGLT2)inhibitors are a new type of oral hypoglycemic drug.SGLT2 inhibitors not only lower blood glucose level in a non-insulin-dependent manner by inhibiting glucose reabsorption by renal proximal convoluted tubular epithelial cell to promote urinary glucose excretion,but also by improving islet β cell function,reducing inflammatory responses,and inhibiting oxidative stress.In addition,SGLT2 inhibitors can reduce body weight through osmotic diuresis and increase fat metabolism;reduce blood pressure by inhibiting excessive activation of sympathetic nervous system and by improving vascular function.They can also improve blood lipids by increasing degradation of triacylglycerol;reduce blood uric acid by promoting uric acid excretion in kidney and intestine,and by reducing uric acid synthesis.This article reviews the effects and mechanisms of SGLT2 inhibitors on multiple metabolic disorders in metabolic syndrome and explores their potential application in metabolic syndrome treatment.

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) among acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases in 16 provinces of China from 2009 to 2023.Methods:The data of this study were collected from the ARI surveillance data from 16 provinces in China from 2009 to 2023, with a total of 28 278 ARI cases included in the study. The clinical specimens from ARI cases were screened for HRSV nucleic acid from 2009 to 2023, and differences in virus detection rates among cases of different age groups, regions, and months were analyzed.Results:A total of 28 278 ARI cases were enrolled from January 2009 to September 2023. The age of the cases ranged from<1 month to 112 years, and the age M ( Q1, Q3) was 3 years (1 year, 9 years). Among them, 3 062 cases were positive for HRSV nucleic acid, with a total detection rate of 10.83%. From 2009 to 2019, the detection rate of HRSV was 9.33%, and the virus was mainly prevalent in winter and spring. During the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the detection rate of HRSV fluctuated between 6.32% and 18.67%. There was no traditional winter epidemic peak of HRSV from the end of 2022 to the beginning of 2023, and an anti-seasonal epidemic of HRSV occurred from April to May 2023. About 87.95% (2 693/3 062) of positive cases were children under 5 years old, and the difference in the detection rate of HRSV among different age groups was statistically significant ( P<0.001), showing a decreasing trend of HRSV detection rate with the increase of age ( P<0.001). Among them, the HRSV detection rate (25.69%) was highest in children under 6 months. Compared with 2009-2019, the ranking of HRSV detection rates in different age groups changed from high to low between 2020 and 2023, with the age M (Q1, Q3) of HRSV positive cases increasing from 1 year (6 months, 3 years) to 2 years (11 months, 3 years). Conclusion:Through 15 years of continuous HRSV surveillance analysis, children under 5 years old, especially infants under 6 months old, are the main high-risk population for HRSV infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence and patterns of HRSV in China have changed.