ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the effects of 4-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and to explore its potential mechanisms. MethodsA total of 48 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control (C), model (M), control plus HIIT (HC), and model plus HIIT (HM). Rats in groups M and HM underwent 8 weeks of CUMS to establish depression-like behaviors, while groups HC and HM received HIIT intervention beginning from the 5th week for 4 consecutive weeks. The HIIT protocol consisted of repeated intervals of 3 min at high speed (85%-90% maximal training speed, S_max) alternated with one minute at low speed (50%-55% S_max), with 3 to 5 sets per session, conducted 5 d per week. Behavioral assessments and tail-vein blood lactate levels were measured at the end of the 4th and 8th weeks. After the intervention, rat PFC tissues were collected for Golgi staining to analyze synaptic morphology. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were employed to detect brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), lactate, and glutamate levels in the PFC, as well as serotonin (5-HT) levels in serum. Additionally, Western blot analysis was conducted to quantify the expression of synaptic plasticity-related proteins, including c-Fos, activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 (NMDAR1). ResultsCompared to the control group (C), the CUMS-exposed rats (group M) exhibited significant reductions in sucrose preference rates, number of grid crossings, frequency of upright postures, and entries into and duration spent in open arms of the elevated plus maze, indicating marked depressive-like behaviors. Additionally, the group M showed significantly reduced dendritic spine density in the PFC, along with elevated levels of c-Fos, Arc, NMDAR1 protein expression, and increased concentrations of lactate and glutamate. Conversely, BDNF and MCT1 contents in the PFC and 5-HT levels in serum were significantly decreased. Following HIIT intervention, rats in the group HM displayed considerable improvement in behavioral indicators compared with the group M, accompanied by significant elevations in PFC MCT1 and lactate concentrations. Furthermore, HIIT notably normalized the expression levels of c-Fos, Arc, NMDAR1, as well as glutamate and BDNF contents in the PFC. Synaptic spine density also exhibited significant recovery. ConclusionFour weeks of HIIT intervention may alleviate depressive-like behaviors in CUMS rats by increasing lactate levels and reducing glutamate concentration in the PFC, thereby downregulating the overexpression of NMDAR, attenuating excitotoxicity, and enhancing synaptic plasticity.

Sophorae Flavescentis Radix is one of the commonly used traditional Chinese medicine in China, and a large amount of pharmaceutical residue generated during its processing and production is discarded as waste, which not only wastes resources but also pollutes the environment. Therefore, elucidating the chemical composition of the residue of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and the differences between the residue and Sophorae Flavescentis Radix itself is of great significance for the comprehensive utilization of the residue. This study, based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) technology combined with multivariate statistical methods, provides a thorough characterization, identification, and differential analysis of the overall components of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and its residue. Firstly, 61 compounds in Sophorae Flavescentis Radix were rapidly identified based on their precise molecular weight, fragment ions, and compound abundance, using a self-constructed compound database. Among them, 41 compounds were found in the residue, mainly alkaloids and flavonoids. Secondly, through principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA), 15 key compounds differentiating Sophorae Flavescentis Radix from its residue were identified. These included highly polar alkaloids, such as oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine, which showed significantly reduced content in the residue, and less polar flavonoids, such as kurarinone and kuraridin, which were more abundant in the residue. In summary, this paper clarifies the overall composition, structure, and content differences between Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and its residue, suggesting that the residue of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix can be used as a raw material for the extraction of its high-activity components, with promising potential for development and application in cosmetics and daily care. This research provides a scientific basis for the future comprehensive utilization of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and its residue.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Sophora/chemistry* ; Flavonoids/chemistry* ; Alkaloids/chemistry*

This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism by which naringin alleviates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion(CI/R) injury through DRP1/LRRK2/MCU signaling axis. A total of 60 SD rats were randomly divided into the sham group, the model group, the sodium Danshensu group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose(50, 100, and 200 mg·kg~(-1)) naringin groups, with 10 rats in each group. Except for the sham group, a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion(tMCAO/R) model was established in SD rats using the suture method. Longa 5-point scale was used to assess neurological deficits. 2,3,5-Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining was used to detect the volume percentage of cerebral infarction in rats. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Nissl staining were employed to assess neuronal structural alterations and the number of Nissl bodies in cortex, respectively. Western blot was used to determine the protein expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 gene(Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), cleaved cysteine-aspartate protease-3(cleaved caspase-3), mitochondrial calcium uniporter(MCU), microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3), and P62. Mitochondrial structure and autophagy in cortical neurons were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Immunofluorescence assay was used to quantify the fluorescence intensities of MCU and mitochondrial calcium ion, as well as the co-localization of dynamin-related protein 1(DRP1) with leucine-rich repeat kinase 2(LRRK2) and translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20(TOMM20) with LC3 in cortical mitochondria. The results showed that compared with the model group, naringin significantly decreased the volume percentage of cerebral infarction and neurological deficit score in tMCAO/R rats, alleviated the structural damage and Nissl body loss of cortical neurons in tMCAO/R rats, inhibited autophagosomes in cortical neurons, and increased the average diameter of cortical mitochondria. The Western blot results showed that compared to the sham group, the model group exhibited increased levels of cleaved caspase-3, Bax, MCU, and the LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio in the cortex and reduced protein levels of Bcl-2 and P62. However, naringin down-regulated the protein expression of cleaved caspase-3, Bax, MCU and the ratio of LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio and up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and P62 proteins in cortical area. In addition, immunofluorescence analysis showed that compared with the model group, naringin and positive drug treatments significantly decreased the fluorescence intensities of MCU and mitochondrial calcium ion. Meanwhile, the co-localization of DRP1 with LRRK2 and TOMM20 with LC3 in cortical mitochondria was also decreased significantly after the intervention. These findings suggest that naringin can alleviate cortical neuronal damage in tMCAO/R rats by inhibiting DRP1/LRRK2/MCU-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation and the resultant excessive mitophagy.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury/genetics* ; Flavanones/administration & dosage* ; Rats ; Dynamins/genetics* ; Male ; Brain Ischemia/genetics* ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective To explore the application value of musculoskeletal ultrasound(MSUS)in grading acute gastrocnemius muscle injuries.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on ultrasound images of 291 patients who presented with sudden calf pain and suspected acute gastrocnemius muscle injury in the General Hospital of Central Theater Command from March 2019 to July 2024.The images were independently reviewed and assessed by three ultrasound doctors with different qualifications to determine the presence and grade of gastrocnemius muscle injury.The consistency of grading results among three doctors was compared.The diagnostic results of three doctors were summarized.Then,the diagnostic results of 29 patients who underwent routine MRI scans were compared with those of MSUS,and the agreement between the two imaging modalities was assessed using the Kappa test.Results Among the 291 patients,171 cases(58.8%)were diagnosed with gastrocnemius muscle injury,including 55 cases(32.2%)with grade Ⅰ,109 cases(63.7%)with grade Ⅱ,and 7 cases(4.1%)with grade Ⅲ.There were 159 cases(93.0%)of unilateral medial head injury,10 cases(5.8%)of unilateral lateral head injury,and 2 cases(1.2%)of bilateral medial and lateral head injury.Compared with patients without gastrocnemius muscle injury,patients with gastrocnemius muscle injury were older(P<0.05),with no significant difference in gender and laterality(P>0.05).No significant differences in baseline characteristics were found among patients with different grades of injury(P>0.05).The three doctors diagnosed 173(59.5%),171(58.8%),and 171(58.8%)cases of injury,respectively,with an inter-class correlation coefficient(ICC)of 0.947(P<0.001).Among 29 patients who underwent MRI,the diagnostic agreement between MRI and ultrasound for grade Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ injury was 8(27.6%),18(62.1%)and 3(10.3%)for MRI;and 9(31.0%),17(58.6%)and 3(10.3%)for MSUS,respectively,with a Kappa value of 0.808(P<0.001).Conclusions MSUS is effective for assessing the grade of acute gastrocnemius muscle injury,and shows high diagnostic consistency among doctors with different qualifications.It is recommended as the preferred method for diagnosing gastrocnemius muscle injury.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),polymerase chain reaction(PCR),and gold chromatographic strip assay(GICA)in diagnosing clonorchiasis through a meta-analysis of diagnostic tests.Methods Relevant databases,including CNKI,the Wan Fang Database,VIP,and PubMed,were searched according to inclusion and exclusion criteria.Literature quality was assessed using RevMan 5.4 and Stata 18,and funnel plots,forest plots,and SROC curves were generated.Results A total of 50 articles met the inclusion criteria.Deeks'funnel plot analysis indicated no significant publication bias among the three methods.The combined effect size analysis revealed that the sensitivity and specificity of ELISA for detecting clonorchiasis were 0.93(0.89-0.95)and 0.94(0.92-0.96),respectively,with an area under the SROC curve of 0.98.For PCR,the sensitivity and specificity were 0.93(0.84-0.97)and 0.92(0.80-0.97),respectively,yielding an area under the SROC curve of 0.97.The sensitivity and specificity of the GICA method for detecting clonorchiasis were 0.91(0.83-0.96)and 0.95(0.87-0.98),respectively,with an area under the SROC curve of 0.97.Conclusions In the diagnosis of clonorchiasis,ELISA,PCR and GICA have high diagnostic value,but their ranges differ from each other.

The traditional commodity specifications of Chinese medicinal materials are mainly divided into different grades based on macroscopic characteristics. As the basis for high quality and good price, there is still a lack of systematic evaluation on whether they are consistent with the current standards and whether they can reflect the internal quality of medicinal material. Panax notoginseng is a commonly used, large consumption of Chinese medicinal material. At present, it is divided into 8 grades in the market based on "Tou" (the number of crude drug /500 g), but it is not related to the standard of total saponins of Panax notoginseng (the sum of three saponins) in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) coupled with mass spectrometry molecular network were used for the rapid identification of saponins of Panax notoginseng with different "Tou" and a total of 64 saponins were identified. Seventeen saponins related to "Tou" were screened by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). The content of five saponins R₁, Rb₁, Rg₁, Rd, and Re in Panax notoginseng with different "Tou" was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results of correlation analysis showed that Rd and R₁ with the largest VIP values among the differential saponins, which significantly negatively correlated with "Tou" (P < 0.05). Based on the determination results of 36 batches of samples, using Rd/Total Panax notoginseng saponins (TPNS) ratio ( > 0.08) as the index, Panax notoginseng can be divided into two grades: 20-60 "Tou" (superior) and 80-200 "Tou" (qualified). Based on the concept of "macroscopic characteristics and chemical profiling", this study integrates the non-targeted analysis and quantitative determination methods to provide a new strategy for quality evaluation of Panax notoginseng.

Amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) is one of the most effective formulation approaches to enhance the water solubility and oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. However, maintenance of physical stability of amorphous drug is one of the main challenges in the development of ASD. Crystallization is a process of nucleation and crystal growth. The nucleation is the key factor that influences the physical stability of the ASD. However, a theoretical framework to describe the way to inhibit the nucleation of amorphous drug is not yet available. We reviewed the methods and theories of nucleation for amorphous drug. Meanwhile, we also summarized the research progress on the mechanism of additives influence on nucleation and environmental factors on nucleation. This review aims to enhance the better understanding mechanism of nucleation of amorphous drug and controlling over the crystal nucleation during the ASD formulation development.

Aim To explore the effects of Lycium berry seed oil on Nrf2/ARE pathway and oxidative damage in testis of subacute aging rats. Methods Fifty out of 60 male SD rats, aged 8 weeks, were subcutaneously injected with 125 mg • kg"D-galactosidase in the neck for 8 weeks to establish a subacute senescent rat model. The presence of senescent cells was observed using P-galactosidase ((3-gal), while testicular morphology was examined using HE staining. Serum levels of testosterone (testosterone, T), follicle-stimulating hormone ( follicle stimulating hormone, FSH ) , luteinizing hormone ( luteinizing hormone, LH ) , superoxide dis-mutase ( superoxide dismutase, SOD ) , glutathione ( glutathione, GSH) and malondialdehyde ( malondial-dehyde, MDA) were measured through ELISA, and the expressions of factors related to aging, oxidative damage, and the Nrf2/ARE pathway were assessed via immunohistochemical analysis and Western blotting. Results After successfully identifying the model, the morphology of the testis was improved and the intervention of Lycium seed oil led to a down-regulation in the expression of [3-gal and -yH2AX. The serum levels of SOD, GSH, T, and FSH increased while MDA and LH decreased (P 0. 05) . Additionally, there was an up-regulated expression of Nrf2, GCLC, NQOl, and SOD2 proteins in testicular tissue ( P 0. 05 ) and nuclear expression of Nrf2 in sertoli cells. Conclusion Lycium barbarum seed oil may reduce oxidative damage in testes of subacute senescent rats by activating the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway.