ObjectiveTo establish the mouse models of psoriasis-like lesions induced by continuous cold exposure or intermittent cold exposure combined with imiquimod （IMQ）， and to evaluate the interventional effects of Kaixuan Jiedu core prescription （KXJD） on the two models. MethodsMale C57BL/6J mice were selected and classified into two experimental batches. The first batch of 36 mice was randomized into a room temperature group， a continuous cold exposure （10 ℃/24 h） group， and an intermittent cold exposure （10 ℃/6 h） group. Each group was further divided into a normal subgroup and a model subgroup （topical application of IMQ to induce skin lesions）， with 6 mice in each subgroup， for modeling and evaluation. The second batch of 54 mice， with 6 in each group， were subjected to the same temperature grouping with an additional KXJD （30.42 g·kg^-1， continuous gavage for 5 days） group. Comprehensive evaluation of model characteristics and KXJD efficacy was conducted through Psoriasis Area and Severity Index （PASI） scoring， skin temperature measurement by infrared thermography， histopathological observation by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， detection of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 （CD31） by immunohistochemistry， detection of Claudin-1 and Occludin by immunofluorescence assay， determination of serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin （IL）-10 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and quantification of mRNA levels of IL-17A， IL-23， IL-6， and chemokine ligand 20 （CCL20） in skin lesions by quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsModel mice in all temperature groups exhibited typical psoriasis-like skin lesions. Compared with the normal groups， the model groups showed increased PASI scores， decreased skin temperatures （P<0.05）， obvious epidermal thickening， parakeratosis， and dermal inflammatory cell infiltration， as well as elevated mRNA levels of IL-17A， IL-23， IL-6， and CCL20 （P<0.05）. Cold exposure further aggravated psoriasis. The total PASI score of the intermittent cold exposure model group was higher than that of the room temperature model group （P<0.05）. The serum IL-10 did not show a compensatory elevation， and the blood vessels presented a characteristic of elevated CD31 expression （P<0.05） without a synchronous increase in VEGF. The continuous cold exposure model group exhibited more significant dermal capillary tortuosity and dilation， with the highest mRNA levels of IL-17A， IL-23， IL-6， and CCL20 among all groups. Compared with the respective model groups， KXJD intervention alleviated skin lesions， reduced epidermal thickness and inflammatory cell infiltration， and increased skin temperature， with the temperature increase being particularly significant in the intermittent cold exposure+KXJD group （P<0.05）. Furthermore， KXJD down-regulated the expression of VEGF and CD31， restored the expression of Claudin-1 and Occludin， decreased the mRNA levels of IL-17A and IL-23 （P<0.05）， and reduced the serum TNF-α level. ConclusionThis study successfully established compound psoriasis-like mouse models induced by cold exposure combined with IMQ. It confirms that cold aggravates the severity of psoriasis by exacerbating the closure of Xuanfu （sweat pores）， microcirculation disorders， and immune imbalance. Moreover， different cold exposure patterns have distinct mechanism differences. Continuous cold exposure focuses on enhancing the inflammatory response via the IL-23/IL-17 axis and angiogenesis， simulating chronic aggravation under a long-term cold environment. Intermittent cold exposure tends to impair immune regulation and induce microvascular endothelial stress， corresponding to acute exacerbations caused by sudden temperature drops. KXJD can effectively alleviate psoriasis-like skin lesions under cold conditions by unblocking Xuanfu， regulating vasomotor function， and correcting abnormal immune-inflammatory responses.

ObjectiveTo investigate the ameliorative effects of Kaixuan Jiedu core prescription （KXJD） on skin lesions in psoriasis-like mouse models under cold environment exposure， and to analyze its influences on transient receptor potential （TRP） channels and related neuroimmune regulatory factors. MethodsThirty-six C57BL/6J mice were randomized into 6 groups， with 6 mice in each group. Two feeding conditions were set： Normal temperature and cold ［simulating a cold environment at （10±0.5） ℃， for 6 h daily］. Mice were induced to develop psoriasis-like lesions by applying imiquimod externally. The model mice were allocated into model groups and KXJD （30.42 g·kg^-1， continuous gavage for 5 days） groups. Normal mice were used as the control group. Specifically， mice were allocated into normal temperature， normal temperature model， normal temperature+KXJD， cold exposure control， cold exposure model， and cold exposure+KXJD groups. The pathological changes in skin lesions were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The expression of cluster of differentiation （CD） 3⁺ T lymphocytes， CD11c⁺ dendritic cells （DCs）， phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase （p-ERK）， and substance P （SP） were detected by immunofluorescence assay. The protein level of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 8 （TRPM8） in the skin tissue was determined by Western blot. The expression of TRPM8， transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 （TRPV1）， transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily A member 1 （TRPA1）， and transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 2 （TRPV2） at the protein and mRNA levels was determined by immunohistochemistry and Real-time PCR， respectively. The levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP） and neuropeptide Y （NPY） in the serum were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes （DEGs） and TRP pathway network construction were conducted based on the GEO database. The co-expression of TRPM8 and CGRP in the skin lesions was verified by immunofluorescence double labeling. ResultsBoth the normal temperature and cold exposure model groups showed typical psoriasis-like skin lesions. Compared with the normal temperature and cold exposure control groups， the model groups had excessive epidermal keratinization， thickened spinous layer， and inflammatory infiltration in the dermis， with increased pathological scores （P<0.05）， increased infiltration of CD3⁺ and CD11c⁺ cells and expression of p-ERK and SP， upregulated mRNA levels of TRPM8， TRPA1， and TRPV2， downregulated mRNA level of TRPV1 （P<0.05）， and reduced content of CGRP and increased content of NPY in the serum. Compared with the normal temperature and cold exposure model groups， KXJD reduced the pathological manifestations and pathological scores of psoriasis-like skin lesions （P<0.05）， and inhibited the infiltration of CD3⁺ and CD11c⁺ cells and the expression of p-ERK and SP. Gene enrichment analysis suggested that the DEGs of psoriasis were significantly enriched in the interleukin （IL）-17 signaling pathway and TRP channel inflammatory regulation. Compared with the normal temperature and cold exposure model groups， KXJD reversed the abnormal mRNA levels of genes related to the TRP channel subfamilies （P<0.05）， increased the CGRP level， and decreased the NPY level. Immunofluorescence double labeling further confirmed that compared with the model groups， KXJD down-regulated the co-expression of TRPM8 and CGRP in the skin lesions. ConclusionKXJD may ameliorate psoriasis-like skin lesions by downregulating the overexpressed cold-sensitive receptor TRPM8 in skin lesions and correcting the disorder of neuropeptide （such as SP and CGRP） release mediated by it， thereby inhibiting the IL-23/helper T cell 17 （Th17） core inflammatory pathway， suppressing the infiltration of inflammatory cells and the activation of the ERK signaling pathway， and regulating the Xuanfu （sweat pore）-TRPM8-neuroimmune response axis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the ameliorative effects and mechanisms of Kaixuan Jiedu core prescription （KXJD） on neuroimmunological inflammation in imiquimod （IMQ）-induced psoriasis-like mice. MethodsA total of 24 C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups （n=6）： Normal， model， KXJD， and tropomyosin receptor kinase A （TrkA） inhibitor GW441756 groups. The mice in the model， KXJD， and GW441756 groups were topically treated with 5% IMQ cream （62.5 mg·d^-1） on the back to induce psoriasis-like inflammation. The KXJD group received KXJD by gavage （30.42 g·kg^-1）， the GW441756 group received intraperitoneal injection of GW441756 （10 mg·kg^-1）， and the normal and model groups received an equal volume of normal saline by gavage， with continuous intervention for 5 days. The severity of skin lesions was evaluated using the psoriasis area and severity index （PASI）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to measure epidermal thickness and observe pathological changes in the lesioned skin. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen （Ki67） and interleukin-17A （IL-17A） in the lesioned skin. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to quantify the levels of interleukin-23 （IL-23） and calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP） in the lesioned tissues. Western blot was used to detect the expression of TrkA and phosphorylated TrkA （p-TrkA）. Immunofluorescence assay was performed to detect the expression of TrkA receptor， protein gene product 9.5 （PGP9.5）， cluster of differentiation 11c （CD11c）， and CGRP in the lesions. Flow cytometry was used to detect the activation of splenic dendritic cells （DCs）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited typical psoriasis-like inflammation， characterized by erythema， infiltration and scaling， with histopathological findings of epidermal hyperkeratosis and acanthosis. The model group showed significantly increased expression of Ki67， IL-17A， IL-23 and p-TrkA （P<0.05， P<0.01）， increased fluorescence intensity of CD11c， and significantly decreased CGRP expression （P<0.05）. The splenic DC activation was significantly enhanced， as indicated by the increased mean fluorescence intensity （MFI） of CD86 （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， both the KXJD and GW441756 groups showed amelioration of the psoriasis-like skin inflammation， with significantly down-regulated expression of IL-17A， IL-23 and p-TrkA （P<0.05， P<0.01）， significantly up-regulated expression of CGRP （P<0.01）， reduced CD11c⁺ DC infiltration， and restored splenic DC activation balance （down-regulated CD86 MFI and up-regulated CD80 and CD40 MFI）. Furthermore， the inhibitory effect of KXJD on Ki67 was significantly superior to that of the GW441756 group （P<0.01）. ConclusionKXJD may alleviate IMQ-induced psoriasis-like inflammation in mice by targeting and inhibiting TrkA receptor phosphorylation， regulating CGRP expression in the lesions， and ameliorating aberrant activation of dendritic cells， while also significantly inhibiting keratinocyte proliferation.

Objective To observe the clinical effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) combined with pulmonary rehabilitation on the treatment of patients with pneumoconiosis. Methods A total of 108 patients with pneumoconiosis were selected as the research subject using convenient sampling method. They were randomly divided into control group and CBT group, with 54 cases in each group. Patients in the control group were treated with conventional symptomatic treatment and pulmonary rehabilitation treatment for 12 weeks. While patients in the CBT group were treated with CBT treatment in addition to treatments of the control group. The therapeutic effect was analyzed. Results Before treatment, there was no statistical difference on score of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), percentage of forced expiratory volume in one second to the predicted value (FEV₁%), forced expiratory volume in one second to force vital capacity ratio (FEV₁/FVC%), score of the Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC), six minute walk distance (6MWD), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) subscale scores of anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D), and scores of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test (CAT), St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and serum levels of leptin, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) between the two groups (all P>0.05). After treatment, the score of MoCA, FEV₁%, FEV₁/FVC% and 6MWD increased (all P<0.05), while the scores of mMRC, HDS-A, HDS-D, CAT and SGRQ decreased (all P<0.05), and the levels of serum leptin, IL-6 and CRP decreased (all P<0.05) in the CBT group compared with the control group. Conclusion The combined treatment of CBT and pulmonary rehabilitation can better improve the cognitive ability, respiratory function, motor function, negative emotion and quality of life, and alleviate inflammatory response in patients with pneumoconiosis. It is of certain clinical application value.

AIM:To investigate the role and possible mechanisms of disulfiram(DSF)in a rat model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction(HFpEF)induced by high-fat diet(HFD)and nitric oxide blocker Nω-nitro-L-argi-nine methyl ester(L-NAME).METHODS:The HFpEF rat model was constructed using HFD and L-NAME.Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups:control group(fed with a normal diet and water),HFpEF group(fed with HFD and drinking water containing 0.5 g/L L-NAME),and DSF+HFpEF group(treated with DSF in addition to HFD and L-NAME).After 5 weeks,cardiac function of the rats was examined using echocardiography and exercise test.Myo-cardial pathological changes were detected using hematoxylin-eosin and wheat germ agglutinin staining,the degree of car-diac fibrosis was assessed using Masson staining,and apoptosis levels were observed using TUNEL staining.Western blot was performed to detect the expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),cleaved caspase-1,gasdermin D N-terminal fragment(GSDMD-N)in the myocardium,and serum level of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP),and interleukin(IL)-1β and IL-18 in the myocardium were detected by ELISA.RESULTS:Compared with control group,the rats in HFpEF group showed increased body weight,systolic blood pres-sure,diastolic blood pressure,E/E′ ratio,left ventricular anterior wall thickness at diastole and serum NT-proBNP level(P<0.05),and decreased E/A ratio and absolute value of global longitudinal strain(GLS;P<0.05).In contrast,the rats in DSF+HFpEF group showed decreased body weight,E/E′ ratio,diastolic blood pressure and serum NT-proBNP level(P<0.05),and increased E/A ratio and absolute value of GLS(P<0.05),with no significant changes in systolic blood pressure,left ventricular posterior wall thickness at diastole and left ventricular ejection fraction(P>0.05).The rats in HFpEF group had increased myocardial fibrosis area,cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area,and apoptotic rate compared with control group(P<0.05),while these indexes were reduced in DSF+HFpEF group(P<0.05).The results of Western blot and ELISA showed that the levels of NLRP3,cleaved caspase-1,GSDMD-N,IL-1β and IL-18 were increased in the myocardium of rats in HFpEF group compared with control group(P<0.05),but decreased in DSF+HFpEF group com-pared with HFpEF group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Disulfiram improves cardiac function and attenuates myocardial remodeling in HFpEF rats.The mechanism may be related to the modulation of NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling path-way and the reduction of myocardial inflammatory response.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the damage mechanism of pathogenic E.coli on mouse brain microvascular endothelial cells(BMEC cells)and mouse alveolar macrophages(MH-S cells),as well as the lung and brain of healthy mice.In this study,BMEC cells and MH-S cells were infected with pathogenic E.coli strains,and cell morphological changes were observed.Plate counting method was used to detect the adhesion and invasion ability of the strains to cells and the number of bacteria in the lungs and brains of mice.RT-qPCR was used to detect the ex-pression of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 genes in cells and mouse organs at different time periods.West-ern blot was used to detect the expression of p-NF-κB,p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 proteins related to inflammation in cells and mouse organs after infection.The results showed that the cell culture medium of the infection group was turbid,the cell vision became dark and blurred,some cells shrank and died,and more fragments were produced.The adhesion rate and invasion rate of BMEC cells at 3 h were significantly lower than those at 6 h(P＜0.050),and the adhesion rate and inva-sion rate of MH-S cells at 3 h were significantly higher than those at 6 h(P＜0.010).Infected mice had a large area of swelling and bleeding in the brain,and the lungs had different degrees of swell-ing and bleeding.The bacterial load in the brain and lung was the highest at 12 h.Compared with the control group,the mRNA expression levels of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α in the infection group were significantly increased at 3 h and 6 h(P＜0.050),and the mRNA expression levels of inflam-matory factors in BMEC cells and MH-S cells were the highest at 6 and 3 h,respectively.The mR-NA expression of inflammatory factors in the brain and lung of infected mice showed a trend of in-creasing first and then decreasing with time,with the highest expression at 12 h after infection.The expression levels of p-NF-κB protein in BMEC cells,MH-S cells,lung and brain tissues of mice in the infection group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.001),and the expression levels of p-JAK2 protein and p-STAT3 protein were significantly lower than those in the control group(P＜0.050).The above results showed that pathogenic E.coli could adhere and invade BMEC cells and MH-S cells,colonize in lung and brain tissues of mice,promote the expres-sion of NF-κB protein in cells and tissues,inhibit the expression of JAK2 protein and STAT3 pro-tein,and then stimulate cells and tissues to produce inflammatory response.

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of the expression of antioxidant 1 copper chaperone protein(ATOX1)in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and its relationship with tumor proliferation,migration and invasion.Methods The expression of ATOX1 mRNA in HCC cancer tissue and normal liver tissue was analyzed using the Human Genome Atlas database.Immunohistochemical experiment was used to detect the expression of ATOX1 in 15 cases of HCC cancer tissue and adjacent tissue.Human HCC cell lines Hep3B and HepG2 were divided into the control group(NC),the ATOX1 knockdown group 1(si-ATOX1#1)and the ATOX1 knockdown group 2(si-ATOX1#2).The effects of ATOX1 knockdown on the malignant biological behavior of HCC cells were observed through CCK-8 cell proliferation experiment,scratch experiment and Transwell invasion experiments.A nude mouse xenograft tumor model was constructed to analyze the effect of ATOX1 knockdown on the quality and volume of transplanted tumors.Western blot assay was used to detect the relationship between ATOX1 and JAK2/STAT3 pathway protein expression.Results Bioinformatics analysis showed that expression of ATOX1 mRNA in HCC cancer tissue was higher than that in adjacent normal tissue(P＜0.05).The immunohistochemical staining results showed that the positive rate of ATOX1 protein was higher in HCC cancer tissue than that in adjacent tissue(93.33%vs.13.33%,P＜0.01).In vitro experimental results showed that siRNA knockdown of ATOX1 protein expression in Hep3B and HepG2 cells significantly reduced the proliferation,migration and invasion abilities of cancer cells(P＜0.05).In vivo experiments in mice showed that the volume and weight of subcutaneous xenograft tumors were significantly smaller in the sh-ATOX1 group than those in the sh-con group(P＜0.05).The expression levels of JAK2/STAT3 pathway-related proteins p-JAK2,p-STAT3,CyclinD1 and MMP2 were significantly lower in the subcutaneous transplanted tumor tissue of the sh-ATOX1 group than that of the sh-con group(P＜0.05).Conclusion ATOX1 can promote the proliferation,migration and invasion of HCC through JAK2/STAT3 pathway,which can potentially become a potential tumor marker and therapeutic target.

Objective:To study the genetic variation and distribution characteristics of thalassemia in people of childbearing age in Hubei Province, and to provide clinical basis for the local government decision-making departments to formulate and promote appropriate policies for prevention and control of thalassemia.Methods:Venous blood samples were collected from 44 849 people of childbearing age in hospitals in Hubei Province from May 13, 2019 to August 17, 2021. PCR-flow fluorescence hybridization and PCR+diversion hybridization were used to screen thalassemia genes. Spouses of those who tested positive were also tested for thalassemia genes. When both spouses carried the same type of thalassemia gene, the amniotic fluid of pregnant women was extracted for prenatal diagnosis and followed up.Results:Among the 44 849 people of childbearing age, 2 286 cases were diagnosed as thalassemia gene carriers through genetic testing, and the total detection rate was 5.10% (2 286/44 849). Among them, 1 488 cases were diagnosed as α-thalassemia, and the detection rate was 3.32% (1 488/44 849); 767 cases were diagnosed as β-thalassemia, and the detection rate was 1.71% (767/44 849); 31 cases were diagnosed as α-thalassemia combined with β-thalassemia, and the detection rate was 0.07% (31/44 849). The top three genotypes of α-thalassemia were -α 3.7/αα, -- SEA/αα, and -α 4.2/αα, accounting for 58.06% (864/1 488), 26.14% (389/1 488), and8.74% (130/1 488), respectively. The top three genotypes of β-thalassemia were β IVS-Ⅱ-654/β N, β CD41-42/β N, and β CD17/β N, accounting for 41.72% (320/767), 21.25% (163/767), and 16.04% (123/767), respectively. The main genotypes of α-thalassemia combined with β-thalassemia were -α 3.7/αα complex β IVS-Ⅱ-654/β N and -α 3.7/αα complex β CD41-42/β N, accounting for 29.03% (9/31) and 16.13% (5/31), respectively. A total of 59 people of childbearing age were conducted prenatal diagnosis, among fetus, there were 4 cases of severe thalassemia (2 cases of severe α-thalassemia, 2 cases of severe β-thalassemia), 5 cases of intermediate α-thalassemia, 5 cases of intermediate or severe β-thalassemia, 19 cases of mild thalassemia (8 cases of mild α-thalassemia, 11 cases of mild β-thalassemia), 13 cases of stationary α-thalassemia, and 1 case of stationary α-thalassemia combined with mild β-thalassemia, there were 12 cases without α-thalassemia or β-thalassemia genes. After follow-up, 4 cases of severe thalassemia, 2 cases of intermediate α-thalassemia, and 5 cases of intermediate or severe β-thalassemia were terminated pregnancy by the joint decision of both parents. Conclusions:In Hubei Province, the detection rate of thalassemia is high, and α-thalassemia is the main mutation type. The combination of thalassemia gene screening and prenatal diagnosis is of great significance in reducing the birth rate of children with thalassemia.

Brain edema could be secondary to cerebral lesion caused by a variety of reasons, severe cases may result in brain herniation or even death. Accurate real-time monitoring of cerebral edema, rational application of dehydrating drugs, and timely treatment of cerebral edema were very important for patients. However, there were defects in the monitoring methods commonly used in clinical practice. Noninvasive brain-edema monitoring was a new method, which can quantify the degree of brain edema by electromagnetic disturbance and directly reflect the state of brain edema. This article reviews the application of noninvasive brain-edema monitoring in the treatment of in critically ill patients with traumatic brain injury.

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) belong to a family of enzymes that attack eukaryotic ribosomes and potently inhibit cellular protein synthesis. RIPs possess several biomedical properties, including anti-viral and anti-tumor activities. Multiple RIPs are known to inhibit tumor cell proliferation through inducing apoptosis in a variety of cancers, such as breast cancer, leukemia/lymphoma, and hepatoma. This review focuses on the anti-tumor activities of RIPs and their apoptotic effects through three closely related pathways: mitochondrial, death receptor, and endoplasmic reticulum pathways.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; Apoptosis ; Endoplasmic Reticulum ; Humans ; Mitochondria ; Plant Proteins ; Receptors, Death Domain ; Ribosome Inactivating Proteins ; Ribosomes