Epimedium sagittatum is a perennial herb of Berberidaceae. Its leaves have a long history of medicinal use in China. This plant is widely used as a Chinese traditional medicine，with the main functions of tonifying kidney Yang，strengthening bones and muscles，and dispelling wind and dampness. It can be used for treating kidney Yang deficiency，impotence，spermatorrhea，flaccidity of bones and muscles，rheumatic arthralgia，numbness，and spasms. The chemical constituents of this plant include flavonoids，polysaccharides，lignans，and alkaloids. Flavonoids are the main active ingredients. These compounds show a wide range of biological activities，including cartilage repair，anti-aging，anti-fatigue，cough-relieving，blood glucose-lowering，and anti-tumor effects. Modern pharmacological research has shown that E. sagittatum has definite pharmacological effects on the reproductive system，respiratory system，nervous system，cardiovascular system，skeletal system，etc. It has remarkable effects of helping pregnancy，resisting osteoporosis，controlling diabetes，improving immunity，and inhibiting tumor. Under the background of advocating one health and Chinese medicine，E. sagittatum is widely used in health care products，serving as the main raw material of various products. It has great market potential and is a Chinese medicinal herb with great clinical application and research value. This paper reviews the main chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of E. sagittatum based on domestic and foreign reports， providing a theoretical basis for further study on E. sagittatum and its safe clinical application.

Epimedium sagittatum is a perennial herb of Berberidaceae. Its leaves have a long history of medicinal use in China. This plant is widely used as a Chinese traditional medicine，with the main functions of tonifying kidney Yang，strengthening bones and muscles，and dispelling wind and dampness. It can be used for treating kidney Yang deficiency，impotence，spermatorrhea，flaccidity of bones and muscles，rheumatic arthralgia，numbness，and spasms. The chemical constituents of this plant include flavonoids，polysaccharides，lignans，and alkaloids. Flavonoids are the main active ingredients. These compounds show a wide range of biological activities，including cartilage repair，anti-aging，anti-fatigue，cough-relieving，blood glucose-lowering，and anti-tumor effects. Modern pharmacological research has shown that E. sagittatum has definite pharmacological effects on the reproductive system，respiratory system，nervous system，cardiovascular system，skeletal system，etc. It has remarkable effects of helping pregnancy，resisting osteoporosis，controlling diabetes，improving immunity，and inhibiting tumor. Under the background of advocating one health and Chinese medicine，E. sagittatum is widely used in health care products，serving as the main raw material of various products. It has great market potential and is a Chinese medicinal herb with great clinical application and research value. This paper reviews the main chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of E. sagittatum based on domestic and foreign reports， providing a theoretical basis for further study on E. sagittatum and its safe clinical application.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Tiaoshu Anshen (regulating the hinge and calming the mind) acupuncture on sleep quality and serum levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) in patients with chronic insomnia. METHODS: A total of 58 patients with chronic insomnia were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a medication group, 29 cases in each group. Tiaoshu Anshen acupuncture was applied at Baihui (GV20) and bilateral Shenmen (HT7), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Benshen (GB13) in the acupuncture group, once a day, 1-day interval was taken after 6 consecutive days of treatment. Estazolam tablet was given orally before bed in the medication group, 1 mg each time. The 4-week treatment was required in both groups. Before and after treatment, the sleep quality was assessed by Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and polysomnography (PSG), the serum levels of 5-HT and DA were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: After treatment, the item scores and total scores of PSQI were decreased compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05); in the acupuncture group, the scores of sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep disorders and total score of PSQI were lower than those in the medication group (P<0.05). After treatment, the total sleep time (TST) was prolonged (P<0.05), the sleep latency (SL) and wake after sleep onset (WASO) were shortened (P<0.05), the sleep efficiency (SE%), percentage of non-rapid eye movement stage 3 (N3%), percentage of rapid eye movement stage (REM%) and serum levels of 5-HT were increased (P<0.05) compared with those before treatment; the percentage of non-rapid eye movement stage 1 (N1%), percentage of non-rapid eye movement stage 2 (N2%) and serum levels of DA were decreased (P<0.05) compared with those before treatment in the two groups. After treatment, in the acupuncture group, TST was longer, while SL and WASO were shorter than those in the medication group (P<0.05), SE%, N3%, REM% and serum level of 5-HT were higher, while N1%, N2% and serum level of DA were lower than those in the medication group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Tiaoshu Anshen acupuncture may improve the sleep quality by regulating the serum neurotransmitter levels i.e. 5-HT and DA in patients with chronic insomnia.
Humans ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/physiopathology* ; Male ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Serotonin/blood* ; Sleep Quality ; Acupuncture Points ; Dopamine/blood* ; Aged ; Neurotransmitter Agents/blood* ; Young Adult

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, which increases the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC). In the pathophysiology of IBD, ubiquitination/deubiquitination plays a critical regulatory function. Josephin domain containing 2 (JOSD2), a deubiquitinating enzyme, controls cell proliferation and carcinogenesis. However, its role in IBD remains unknown. Colitis mice model developed by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) or colon tissues from individuals with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease showed a significant upregulation of JOSD2 expression in the macrophages. JOSD2 deficiency exacerbated the phenotypes of DSS-induced colitis by enhancing colon inflammation. DSS-challenged mice with myeloid-specific JOSD2 deletion developed severe colitis after bone marrow transplantation. Mechanistically, JOSD2 binds to the C-terminal of inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase 2 (IMPDH2) and preferentially cleaves K63-linked polyubiquitin chains at the K134 site, suppressing IMPDH2 activity and preventing activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and inflammation in macrophages. It was also shown that JOSD2 knockout significantly exacerbated increased azoxymethane (AOM)/DSS-induced CRC, and AAV6-mediated JOSD2 overexpression in macrophages prevented the development of colitis in mice. These outcomes reveal a novel role for JOSD2 in colitis through deubiquitinating IMPDH2, suggesting that targeting JOSD2 is a potential strategy for treating IBD.

Objective To explore the relationship between serum soluble semaphorin 4D(sSema4D),CXC chemokine ligand 12(CXCL12)levels and left ventricular diastolic function in young and middle-aged patients with essential hypertension.Methods A total of 148 young and middle-aged patients with essential hyperten-sion admitted to a hospital from November 2020 to November 2022 were selected as the study subjects,and were grouped into left ventricular diastolic dysfunction group(n=41)and normal left ventricular diastolic function group(n=107)according to their left ventricular diastolic function.The serum levels of sSema4D and CXCL12 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Pearson correlation analysis was applied to analyze the correlation between the serum levels of sSema4D and CXCL12 and the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD),left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVESD),left ventricular septal thickness(IVST),left ventricular end-diastolic posterior wall thickness(LVPWT),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),E peak/A peak(E/A)and maximum velocity of tricuspid regurgitation(TRVmax).The predictive value of ser-um sSema4D and CXCL12 levels in left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in young and middle-aged patients with essential hypertension was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results There were significant differences in diastolic blood pressure and gender between the left ventricular diastolic dys-function group and the left ventricular diastolic function normal group(P＜0.05).Compared with the normal left ventricular diastolic function group,serum levels of sSema4D,CXCL12 in the left ventricular diastolic dys-function group were obviously increased,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Compared with normal left ventricular diastolic function group,IVST and LVPWT in the left ventricular diastolic dys-function group were significantly increased,and E/A was significantly decreased,with statistical significance(P＜0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that serum sSema4D and CXCL12 levels were positively cor-related with LVEDD,IVST and LVPWT(P＜0.05),and negatively correlated with E/A(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of serum sSema4D and CXCL12 combined in pre-dicting left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in young and middle-aged patients with essential hypertension was 0.894(95％CI:0.833-0.939),which was significantly greater than that of sSema4D alone in predicting left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in young and middle-aged patients with essential hypertension(Z=3.142,P=0.002)and CXCL12 alone predicted the AUC of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in young and middle-aged patients with essential hypertension(Z=3.268,P=0.001).Conclusion Serum sSema4D and CXCL12 levels are associated with left ventricular diastolic function in young and middle-aged patients with essential hypertension.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells （BMSCs） co-cultured with bone marrow-derived M2 macrophages （M2-BMDMs）， named as BMSC^M2， on a rat model of liver cirrhosis induced by carbon tetrachloride （CCl₄）/2-acetaminofluorene （2-AAF）. MethodsRat BMDMs were isolated and polarized into M2 phenotype， and rat BMSCs were isolated and co-cultured with M2-BMDMs at the third generation to obtain BMSC^M2. The rats were given subcutaneous injection of CCl₄ for 6 weeks to establish a model of liver cirrhosis， and then they were randomly divided into model group （M group）， BMSC group， and BMSC^M2 group， with 6 rats in each group. A normal group （N group） with 6 rats was also established. Since week 7， the model rats were given 2-AAF by gavage in addition to the subcutaneous injection of CCl₄. Samples were collected at the end of week 10 to observe liver function， liver histopathology， and hydroxyproline （Hyp） content in liver tissue， as well as changes in the markers for hepatic stellate cells， hepatic progenitor cells， cholangiocytes， and hepatocytes. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsCompared with the N group， the M group had significant increases in the activities of serum alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） （P<0.01）； compared with the M group， the BMSC and BMSC^M2 groups had significant reductions in ALT and AST （P<0.01）， and the BMSC^M2 group had significantly better activities than the BMSC group （P<0.05）. Compared with the N group， the M group had significant increases in Hyp content and the mRNA and protein expression levels of alpha-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） in the liver （P<0.01）； compared with the M group， the BMSC and BMSC^M2 groups had significant reductions in Hyp content and the expression of α-SMA （P<0.05）， and the BMSC^M2 group had a significantly lower level of α-SMA than the BMSC group （P<0.01）. Compared with the N group， the M group had significant increases in the mRNA expression levels of the hepatic progenitor cell markers EpCam and Sox9 and the cholangiocyte markers CK7 and CK19 （P<0.01） and significant reductions in the expression levels of the hepatocyte markers HNF-4α and Alb （P<0.01）； compared with the M group， the BMSC and BMSC^M2 groups had significant reductions in the mRNA expression levels of EpCam， Sox9， CK7， and CK19 （P<0.05） and significant increases in the mRNA expression levels of HNF-4α and Alb （P<0.05）， and compared with the BMSC group， the BMSC^M2 group had significant reductions in the mRNA expression levels of EpCam and CK19 （P<0.05） and significant increase in the expression level of HNF-4α （P<0.05）. ConclusionM2-BMDMs can enhance the therapeutic effect of BMSCs on CCl₄/2-AAF-induced liver cirrhosis in rats， which provides new ideas for further improving the therapeutic effect of BMSCs on liver cirrhosis.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid-1(TRPV1) channel is a non-selective ligand-gated cationic channel with multiple activation mechanisms in the transient receptor potential subfamily. In recent years, a large number of studies have found that TRPV1 plays an important role in the field of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis. With the in-depth study of traditional Chinese medicine, it has been found that Chinese medicine monomers and their active components can activate or inhibit TRPV1 channels, which has certain potential in the study of cardiovascular diseases. In this paper, the role of TRPV1 channel in cardiovascular diseases and the research progress of traditional Chinese medicine prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases based on TRPV1 channel are reviewed, in order to provide new ideas for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular system diseases.

The PCR-amplified severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus(SFTSV)Gn-DⅢ-Ⅲ gene was inserted into the pET-30a(+)prokaryotic expression vector to generate the re-combinant plasmid pET-SFTSV-Gn-D Ⅲ-Ⅲ.The plasmid was transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3)for Gn-DⅢ-m protein expression and the expression conditions were optimized.The Gn-DⅢ-Ⅲ protein purified with Ni-NTA column affinity chromatography was applied as the captured antigen to establish an indirect ELISA method for the detection of SFTSV antibody.The results demonstrated that the recombinant plasmid pET-SFTSV-Gn-D Ⅲ-Ⅲ was successfully constructed as identified by PCR and sequencing.The recombinant protein SFTSV Gn-D m-Ⅲ was soluble ex-pression in E.coli under the optimal induction conditions of 0.4 mmol/L IPTG at 25 ℃ for 4 h,and the protein purity was 91.77％after purification by Ni-NTA column.The optimal reaction con-ditions for the indirect ELISA of SFTSV antibody were as follows:coating antigen concentration(5 μg/mL),primary antibody(incubation at 37 ℃ for 1.5 h),and secondary antibody(diluted 1:10 000 and incubated at 37 ℃ for 1 h).The established method had no cross-reactivity with Rift Valley fever virus(RVFV),Ebola virus(EBOV),and tick-borne encephalitis virus(TBEV)posi-tive sera.The method had a high sensitivity,with P/N＞2.1 for SFTSV-positive sera diluted to 81920.Coefficients of variation for intra-and inter-batch reactions were less than 10％.Detection of four SFTSV-infected human clinical serum samples showed the serum samples from patients in re-mission were tested as positive(P/N＞2.1),while serum samples from patients with multiple or-gan failure were detected as negative(P/N＜2.1).The results indicated that the SFTSV Gn-D Ⅲ-Ⅲ protein was successfully expressed and purified,and it was used as the coating protein to estab-lish an indirect ELISA assay for SFTSV antibody,which possesses good specificity,sensitivity and reproducibility.This method might be applied to detect human SFTSV clinical serum samples.

Objective:To investigate the influence of maternal autoimmune diseases and anticoagulants, including low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and aspirin, on the fetal fraction of maternal plasma cell-free DNA of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT).Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted on women with singleton pregnancies receiving NIPT in the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from March 2021 to July 2022. NIPT was carried out using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-free amplification platform. In this study, four types of maternal autoimmune diseases, which were antiphospholipid syndrome, undifferentiated connective tissue disease, Sj?gren's syndrome, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and two anticoagulants, LMWH and aspirin, were studied. Univariate and multivariate linear regression models were used to analyze the factors influencing fetal fraction of maternal plasma cell-free DNA.Results:A total of 4 102 singleton pregnant women were enrolled in the prospective cohort, and 3 948 were finally included after excluding the cases with unclear dosing time of LMWH or aspirin, other autoimmune diseases, conceiving through ovulation induction alone, and having true positive or failed NIPT result. There were 96 cases with antiphospholipid syndrome, 35 with undifferentiated connective tissue disease, 34 with Sj?gren's syndrome, and 18 with SLE. A total of 108 patients only received LMWH treatment, 121 only received aspirin treatment, and 113 received both LMWH and aspirin treatment. Univariate linear regression analysis showed that maternal body mass index at blood collection ( B=－0.423), conceived by assisted reproductive technology ( B=－0.803), male fetus ( B=－0.458), undifferentiated connective tissue disease ( B=1.774), and SLE ( B=3.467) had influence on the fetal fraction (all P<0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that maternal body mass index at blood collection ( B=－0.415), conceived by assisted reproductive technology ( B=－0.585), male fetus ( B=－0.322), SLE ( B=3.347) and undifferentiated connective tissue disease ( B=1.336) were factors influencing fetal fraction (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Maternal use of LMWH or aspirin does not affect fetal fraction when performing NIPT on a PCR-free amplification platform, but undifferentiated connective tissue disease and SLE are the influencing factors. Therefore, pregnant women should be informed before the NIPT that the fetal fraction of maternal plasma cell-free DNA may be affected by maternal autoimmune diseases.

Objective:To observe the proteomic changes in vitreous fluid samples from patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment combined with choroidal detachment (RRDCD).Methods:A prospective cross-sectional clinical study. Vitreous fluid samples were collected from 35 patients with RRDCD (RRDCD group) and 40 patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD group) who were diagnosed at Wuhan Aier Eye Hospital between November 2021 and December 2023. Prior to vitrectomy, 0.3-0.5 ml of vitreous fluid was collected from the affected eyes. Differentially expressed proteins were analyzed using Data-Independent Acquisition (DIA). Three of these proteins were randomly selected for validation using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Bioinformatics analyses, including gene ontology functional enrichment and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway enrichment, were performed to explore the functions of the differentially expressed proteins.Results:Significant differences were observed between the RRDCD and RRD groups in intraocular pressure ( t=-12.795), the number of retinal tears ( t=4.601), the extent of retinal detachment ( χ2=39.642), axial length ( t=0.840), postoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy incidence ( χ2=4.730), single-surgery reattachment rate ( χ2=7.717), and best-corrected visual acuity ( t=7.033) at 6 months postoperatively ( P<0.05). A total of 237 differentially expressed proteins were identified between the RRDCD and RRD groups, with 63 upregulated and 174 downregulated. These proteins were involved in pathways such as extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, complement activation, coagulation, and lysosomal pathways. ELISA validation results showed that the expression trends of the three selected proteins in the RRDCD and RRD groups were consistent with the DIA proteomic analysis. Compared to the RRD group, proteins such as fibrin, coagulation factors, cathepsins, and trypsin inhibitors were significantly upregulated in the RRDCD group. Conclusions:The protein expression profile in vitreous fluid samples from RRDCD patients show significant alterations compared to the RRD group. These differential changes suggest that RRDCD is closely associated with complement and coagulation cascade activation, lysosomal pathways, and extracellular matrix remodeling.