ObjectiveTo investigate the potential mechanism of Shenqi Yiliu Formula （参芪抑瘤方） in treating precancerous lesions of gastric cancer （PLGC） by the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. MethodsThe CCK-8 assay was used to determine the optimal intervention time for Shenqi Yiliu Formula drug-containing serum and the concentration of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibitor XAV939 depends on the survival rate of AGS gastric cancer cell line. AGS cells were divided into the gastric cancer cell group （15% blank serum）， inhibitor group （selected concentration of XAV939）， high-dose Shenqi Yiliu Formula group （12% Shenqi Yiliu Formula drug-containing serum + 3% blank serum）， medium-dose Shenqi Yiliu Formula group （6% Shenqi Yiliu Formula drug-containing serum + 9% blank serum）， and low-dose Shenqi Yiliu Formula group （3% Shenqi Yiliu Formula drug-containing serum + 12% blank serum）. Each group was tested in triplicate. After culturing for 24 and 48 hours， cell migration and invasion were assessed by scratch assays； after a selected intervention period （48 hours）， cell cycle distribution was analyzed using flow cytometry， Ki67 protein levels were detected by immunofluorescence， the protein levels of Wnt， β-catenin， GSK-3β， and intranuclear T-cell specific factor（TCF） were measured by the protein immunoblotting assay， and the mRNA expressions of these above factors were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. ResultsThe optimal intervention time for Shenqi Yiliu Formula drug-containing serum was determined to be 48 hours， and the effective concentration of XAV939 was 20 μmol/L. Compared with the gastric cancer cell group， Shenqi Yiliu Formula at all doses reduced the cell migration rate at 24 and 48 hours （P＜0.05）， except for the low-dose group at 24 hours. Compared to the low-dose group at corresponding time points， high- and medium-dose Shenqi Yiliu Formula groups showed significantly reduced migration rates， particularly the high-dose group at 48 hours （P＜0.05）. Compared with the gastric cancer cell group， the high-dose Shenqi Yiliu Formula and inhibitor groups exhibited reduced protein and mRNA levels of Wnt， β-catenin， and TCF， along with reduced Ki67 protein levels and a decreased proportion of cells in the S and G2 phases of the cell cycle， but GSK-3β protein levels， GSK-3β mRNA expression， and the proportion of cells in the G1 phase increased （P＜0.05）. Compared to the inhibitor group， the high-dose Shenqi Yiliu Formula group showed a decreased proportion of G1-phase cells and an increased proportion of G2-phase cells （P＜0.05）， although differences in Wnt and β-catenin protein levels and mRNA expressions were not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. ConclusionShenqi Yiliu Formula drug-containing serum inhibits the migration and invasion of gastric cancer AGS cells and block the cell cycle at G1 phase， and its underlying mechanism may be related to the regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

AIM: To explore the diagnostic value of 18 MHz color Doppler ultrasonography for epiretinal membrane.METHODS: A total of 44 cases(80 eyes)of patients with proposed diagnosis of cataract and vitreous opacity by fundus examination in our hospital between January 2020 and January 2022 were collected, and the affected eyes were examined by optical coherence tomography(OCT)and 18 MHz color Doppler ultrasonography, and the differences in the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were compared between 18 MHz color Doppler ultrasonography and OCT for the diagnosis of epiretinal membrane.RESULTS: In the 80 eyes detected by 18 MHz color Doppler ultrasonography, 62 had epiretinal membrane and 18 had non epiretinal membrane. Totally 54 eyes were confirmed to have epiretinal membrane by OCT, 13 eyes were not diagnosed with epiretinal membrane, 5 eyes were missed diagnosis, and 8 eyes were misdiagnosed. The diagnostic consistency between 18 MHz color Doppler ultrasonography and OCT was high(Kappa=0.892, P<0.05); the 18 MHz color Doppler ultrasonography detection sensitivity of epiretinal membrane was 92%, specificity was 62%, missed diagnosis rate was 8%, misdiagnosis rate was 38%, and accuracy was 84%; compared with OCT detection, 18 MHz color Doppler ultrasonography detected a lower specificity, correct rate, positive prediction accuracy, negative prediction accuracy, and higher misdiagnosis rate(all P<0.05), and the difference in diagnostic sensitivity compared with leakage rate was not statistically significant(all P>0.05).CONCLUSION: 18 MHz color Doppler ultrasonography has some value in identifying epiretinal membrane lesions and is consistent with OCT testing.

Objectives: Lonely death is defined as “a person living in a state of social isolation, disconnected from family, relatives, and others, who dies from suicide, illness, or other causes”. This study investigated the characteristics of individuals who die alone in Korea. Methods: We constructed a database of lonely death cases by linking data from the Korea Crime Scene Investigation Unit of the Korea National Police Agency with National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) records. A descriptive analysis was performed to evaluate the demographics, underlying diseases, and healthcare utilization patterns among lonely death cases. Results: Among the 3122 individuals identified as lonely death cases, 2621 (84.0%) were male and 501 (16.0%) were female. The most common age group was 50-59 years (n=930, 29.8%). The NHIS covered 2161 individuals (69.2%), whereas 961 individuals (30.8%) were enrolled in Medical Aid (MA). The highest number of lonely deaths occurred in Seoul areas, with 1468 cases (47.0%). Mood disorders were diagnosed in 1020 individuals (32.7%), and various alcohol-related diseases, including alcoholic liver disease, were also observed. Outpatient visits increased leading up to death but declined in the final 3 months, while hospitalizations decreased and emergency room visits slightly increased. Conclusions Most lonely death cases involved male in their 50s, with a disproportionately high number of MA beneficiaries compared to the general population. Many of these individuals also experienced mental health issues or alcohol-related disorders. Preventing social isolation and strengthening social safety nets are critical to reducing the occurrence of lonely deaths.

Objectives: Lonely death is defined as “a person living in a state of social isolation, disconnected from family, relatives, and others, who dies from suicide, illness, or other causes”. This study investigated the characteristics of individuals who die alone in Korea. Methods: We constructed a database of lonely death cases by linking data from the Korea Crime Scene Investigation Unit of the Korea National Police Agency with National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) records. A descriptive analysis was performed to evaluate the demographics, underlying diseases, and healthcare utilization patterns among lonely death cases. Results: Among the 3122 individuals identified as lonely death cases, 2621 (84.0%) were male and 501 (16.0%) were female. The most common age group was 50-59 years (n=930, 29.8%). The NHIS covered 2161 individuals (69.2%), whereas 961 individuals (30.8%) were enrolled in Medical Aid (MA). The highest number of lonely deaths occurred in Seoul areas, with 1468 cases (47.0%). Mood disorders were diagnosed in 1020 individuals (32.7%), and various alcohol-related diseases, including alcoholic liver disease, were also observed. Outpatient visits increased leading up to death but declined in the final 3 months, while hospitalizations decreased and emergency room visits slightly increased. Conclusions Most lonely death cases involved male in their 50s, with a disproportionately high number of MA beneficiaries compared to the general population. Many of these individuals also experienced mental health issues or alcohol-related disorders. Preventing social isolation and strengthening social safety nets are critical to reducing the occurrence of lonely deaths.

Objectives: Lonely death is defined as “a person living in a state of social isolation, disconnected from family, relatives, and others, who dies from suicide, illness, or other causes”. This study investigated the characteristics of individuals who die alone in Korea. Methods: We constructed a database of lonely death cases by linking data from the Korea Crime Scene Investigation Unit of the Korea National Police Agency with National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) records. A descriptive analysis was performed to evaluate the demographics, underlying diseases, and healthcare utilization patterns among lonely death cases. Results: Among the 3122 individuals identified as lonely death cases, 2621 (84.0%) were male and 501 (16.0%) were female. The most common age group was 50-59 years (n=930, 29.8%). The NHIS covered 2161 individuals (69.2%), whereas 961 individuals (30.8%) were enrolled in Medical Aid (MA). The highest number of lonely deaths occurred in Seoul areas, with 1468 cases (47.0%). Mood disorders were diagnosed in 1020 individuals (32.7%), and various alcohol-related diseases, including alcoholic liver disease, were also observed. Outpatient visits increased leading up to death but declined in the final 3 months, while hospitalizations decreased and emergency room visits slightly increased. Conclusions Most lonely death cases involved male in their 50s, with a disproportionately high number of MA beneficiaries compared to the general population. Many of these individuals also experienced mental health issues or alcohol-related disorders. Preventing social isolation and strengthening social safety nets are critical to reducing the occurrence of lonely deaths.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Si Junzitang in treating liver injury in rats with spleen Qi deficiency syndrome based on transcriptomics and to experimentally verify its effects. MethodsSixty male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， low-dose Si Junzitang （6 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， medium-dose Si Junzitang group （12 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， high-dose Si Junzitang group （24 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and natural recovery group， with 10 rats in each group. A composite multifactorial modeling method （forced swimming + intragastric administration of Xiao Chengqitang + irregular diet） was used to establish a spleen Qi deficiency model. After 30 days of continuous intervention， body weight and 3-hour food intake were measured， and macroscopic symptom scores for spleen Qi deficiency syndrome were evaluated. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST） and alanine aminotransferase （ALT） in each group were detected， and hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining was used to observe histopathological changes in liver tissue. Transcriptome sequencing （RNA-Seq） was used to identify differentially expressed genes （DEGs） among the blank， model， and high-dose Si Junzitang groups. Gene ontology（GO） and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genome（KEGG） enrichment analyses were performed on the DEGs. Immunofluorescence （IF） and Western blot were used to detect NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein （ASC）， Caspase-1， and the N-terminal domain of gasdermin D （GSDMD-N）. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect the expression of downstream inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and interleukin-18 （IL-18）. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group showed significantly reduced body weight and 3-hour food intake， significantly increased macroscopic symptom scores， and elevated serum AST and ALT levels （P<0.01）， with mild inflammatory liver injury observed histologically. Compared with the model group， Si Junzitang at all doses significantly improved these parameters and alleviated liver injury in a dose-dependent manner （P<0.05，P<0.01）. RNA-Seq analysis revealed 1 254 DEGs between the blank and model groups， and 842 DEGs between the model and high-dose Si Junzitang groups. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated that the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway was activated in liver injury associated with spleen Qi deficiency， suggesting that the NLRP3 inflammasome may be a key target. Results from IF， IHC， and Westernblot showed that compared with the blank group， the expression of NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， GSDMD-N， and the downstream inflammatory cytokines IL-1β， IL-6， and IL-18 were significantly increased in the model group （P<0.01）， while these levels were markedly decreased in the high-dose Si Junzitang group （P<0.01）. ConclusionSi Junzitang effectively improves mild inflammatory liver injury in rats with spleen Qi deficiency syndrome in a dose-dependent manner. Its mechanism may be associated with inhibition of the NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1 signaling pathway， downregulation of the pyroptosis executioner protein GSDMD-N， and reduction of pyroptosis-related inflammatory cytokine release.

Persistent inflammation plays a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of renal fibrosis. Activation of the pattern recognition receptor retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I) is implicated in the initiation of inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the upstream mechanisms that regulates the activation of RIG-I and its downstream signaling pathway. Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were used to establish unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced renal fibrosis model, and the renal tissue samples were collected 14 days later for analysis. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-treated mouse renal tubular epithelial cells were used in in vitro studies. The results demonstrated that, compared to the control group, UUO kidney exhibited significant fibrosis, which was accompanied by the increases of RIG-I, p-NF-κB p65 and inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-1β. Additionally, the protein level of the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF125 was significantly downregulated and predominantly localized in the renal tubular epithelial cells. Similarly, the treatment of tubular cells with TGF-β induced the increases in RIG-I, p-NF-κB p65 and inflammatory cytokines while decreasing RNF125. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays confirmed that RNF125 was able to interact with RIG-I. Overexpression of RNF125 promoted the ubiquitination of RIG-I, and accelerated its degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Overexpression of RNF125 in UUO kidneys and in vitro tubular cells effectively mitigated the inflammatory response and renal fibrosis. In summary, our results demonstrated that the decrease in RNF125 under pathological conditions led to reduction in RIG-I ubiquitination and degradation, activation of the downstream NF-κB signaling pathway and increase in inflammatory cytokine production, which promoted the progression of renal fibrosis.
Animals ; Fibrosis ; Male ; Ubiquitination ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; DEAD Box Protein 58 ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/physiology* ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Ureteral Obstruction/complications* ; Kidney/pathology* ; Signal Transduction ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/pharmacology*

The neurophysiological mechanisms by which exercise improves cognitive function have not been fully elucidated. A comprehensive and systematic review of current domestic and international neurophysiological evidence on exercise improving cognitive function was conducted from multiple perspectives. At the molecular level, exercise promotes nerve cell regeneration and synaptogenesis and maintains cellular development and homeostasis through the modulation of a variety of neurotrophic factors, receptor activity, neuropeptides, and monoamine neurotransmitters, and by decreasing the levels of inflammatory factors and other modulators of neuroplasticity. At the cellular level, exercise enhances neural activation and control and improves brain structure through nerve regeneration, synaptogenesis, improved glial cell function and angiogenesis. At the structural level of the brain, exercise promotes cognitive function by affecting white and gray matter volumes, neural activation and brain region connectivity, as well as increasing cerebral blood flow. This review elucidates how exercise improves the internal environment at the molecular level, promotes cell regeneration and functional differentiation, and enhances the brain structure and neural efficiency. It provides a comprehensive, multi-dimensional explanation of the neurophysiological mechanisms through which exercise promotes cognitive function.
Animals ; Humans ; Brain/physiology* ; Cognition/physiology* ; Exercise/physiology* ; Nerve Regeneration/physiology* ; Neuronal Plasticity/physiology*