ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanism of decoctions from four kinds of processed products of Aconiti Radix Lateralis Praeparata（ARLP） in deficiency-cold syndrome. MethodsA total of 36 SD rats were randomly divided into the control group， model group， Shengfupian（SFP） group， Paofuzi（PFZ） group， Heishunpian（HSP） group and Paofupian（PFP） group with 6 rats in each group. Except for the control group， rats in other groups were administered hydrocortisone sodium succinate via intramuscular injection to induce a cold deficiency syndrome model. After 14 consecutive days， each ARLP decoction pieces was administered via continuous gastric lavage at a dose of 12 g·kg^-1·d^-1 for 7 d， while the control and model groups received an equivalent volume of physiological saline. After the end of administration， body weight， spleen weight and thymus weight were measured for calculating the spleen and thymus indexes. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe the pathological morphology of adrenal tissue. The fully automatic biochemistry analyzer was used to measure the total cholesterol（TC）， triglyceride（TG）， lactic dehydrogenase（LDH） and lactate（LAC） levels in serum. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） was employed to measure the contents of 17-hydroxycorticosteroid（17-OHCS）， cortisol（CORT）， triiodothyronine（T₃）， thyroxine（T₄）， thyrotropin（TSH）， immunoglobulin（Ig） M， IgG， cyclic adenosine monophosphate（cAMP） and cyclic guanosine monophosphate（cGMP）. Western blot was used to measure the protein expression levels of protein kinase A（PKA）， cAMP response element-binding protein（CREB）， silent information regulator 1（Sirt1） and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α（PGC-1α）. And high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） was used to determine the content of major alkaloids， followed by Pearson correlation analysis with pharmacodynamic indicators. ResultsAfter modeling， compare with the control group， the model rats exhibited symptoms such as lethargy and loose stools， mild abnormalities were observed in adrenal tissue structure， and both spleen and thymus indices were significantly reduced（P<0.01）. Thyroid， adrenal and immune system functions were suppressed， with decreased serum cAMP level and significantly elevated cGMP level（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the adrenal injury by hydrocortisone sodium succinate were repaired and the spleen index were increased significantly in all four ARLP groups（P<0.05， P<0.01）. The thymus index in SFP and PFZ groups were increased significantly（P<0.05）. The contents of T₃， TSH， 17-OHCS and CORT were increased significantly in SFP and PFZ groups（P<0.05）. In addition， the content of IgG in SFP， PFZ and PFP groups were increased significantly（P<0.01）， while the content of IgM in PFZ and HSP groups were also increased significantly（P<0.05）. Regarding the cyclic nucleotide system， PFZ significantly elevated cAMP level while reducing cGMP level（P<0.05）， exhibiting the most pronounced effect among the four decoction pieces. For energy metabolism indicators， PFZ significantly improved abnormal markers including TC， TG， LDH， and LAC（P<0.05）. HSP showed marked improvement effects on TG， LDH， and LAC（P<0.05）. Both PFZ and SFP significantly elevated the expression levels of PKA， CREB， Sirt1， and PGC-1α proteins（P<0.01）. Additionally， the diester alkaloids in ARLP showed a strong positive correlation with TG， IgG， and CORT， a strong negative correlation with LAC， a moderate positive correlation with T₄， and moderate negative correlations with cAMP and spleen index. Monomeric alkaloids showed strong positive correlations with TG and IgG， strong negative correlations with LAC， moderate positive correlations with CORT and T₄， and moderate negative correlations with cAMP and spleen index. However， the content of water-soluble alkaloids showed strong positive correlations with TC， LDH， 17-OHCS， T₃， TSH， and thymus index， moderate positive correlations with cAMP， CORT， T₄， and spleen index， and moderate negative correlation with cGMP. ConclusionAmong different processed ARLP decoction pieces， PFZ processed according to ZHANG Zhongjing's method exhibits the most potent warming and cold-dispelling effects. Its pharmacological actions are mediated through regulating the thyroid， adrenal， immune， cyclic nucleotide systems， and material-energy metabolism pathways. Among these， water-soluble alkaloids show strong or moderate correlations with more indicators of deficiency-cold syndrome and exhibit the highest content in PFZ. Therefore， PFZ processed according to ZHANG Zhongjing's method may exert its warming and cold-dispelling effects through water-soluble alkaloids.

Rheumatoid arthritis （RA） is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by synovitis as its pathological basis. Although current therapeutic drugs can alleviate symptoms， they are often accompanied by a high risk of side effects. In recent years， the use of flavonoids from traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in the treatment of RA has garnered significant attention. Studies have shown that the mechanisms by which flavonoids treat RA include inhibiting the release of pro-inflammatory factors， regulating multiple cellular signaling pathways， alleviating oxidative stress， modulating immune system functions， inhibiting bone destruction， and suppressing angiogenesis. Due to their notable anti-inflammatory， antioxidant， and immunomodulatory activities， flavonoids hold promise as potential therapeutic agents for RA. A substantial number of articles in this field have been published. By reviewing Chinese and international literature and applying bibliometric and visual analysis using CiteSpace， this paper explored research hotspots and frontiers in this field， systematically reviewed the structures and anti-RA mechanisms of TCM flavonoids， provided a theoretical basis for their use in RA treatment and clinical applications， and offered new perspectives and references for the discovery of novel TCM-based anti-RA drugs.

Rheumatoid arthritis （RA） is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by synovitis as its pathological basis. Although current therapeutic drugs can alleviate symptoms， they are often accompanied by a high risk of side effects. In recent years， the use of flavonoids from traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in the treatment of RA has garnered significant attention. Studies have shown that the mechanisms by which flavonoids treat RA include inhibiting the release of pro-inflammatory factors， regulating multiple cellular signaling pathways， alleviating oxidative stress， modulating immune system functions， inhibiting bone destruction， and suppressing angiogenesis. Due to their notable anti-inflammatory， antioxidant， and immunomodulatory activities， flavonoids hold promise as potential therapeutic agents for RA. A substantial number of articles in this field have been published. By reviewing Chinese and international literature and applying bibliometric and visual analysis using CiteSpace， this paper explored research hotspots and frontiers in this field， systematically reviewed the structures and anti-RA mechanisms of TCM flavonoids， provided a theoretical basis for their use in RA treatment and clinical applications， and offered new perspectives and references for the discovery of novel TCM-based anti-RA drugs.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of orexin-A-mediated regulation of ionotropic glutamate receptors for promoting motor function recovery in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: Thirty-six newborn SD rats (aged 7-14 days) were randomized into 6 groups (n=6), including a normal control group, a sham-operated group, and 4 SCI groups with daily intrathecal injection of saline, DNQX, orexin-A, or orexin-A+DNQX for 3 consecutive days after PCI. Motor function of the rats were evaluated using blood-brain barrier (BBB) score and inclined plane test 1 day before and at 1, 3, and 7 days after SCI. For patch-clamp experiment, spinal cord slices from newborn rats in the control, sham-operated, SCI, and SCI+orexin groups were prepared, and ventral horn neurons were acutely isolated to determine the reversal potential and dynamic indicators of glutamate receptor-mediated currents under glutamate perfusion. RESULTS: At 3 and 7 days after SCI, the orexin-A-treated rats showed significantly higher BBB scores and grip tilt angles than those with other interventions. Compared with those treated with DNQX alone, the rats receiving the combined treatment with orexin and DNQX had significantly higher BBB scores and grip tilt angles on day 7 after PCI. In the patch-clamp experiment, the ventral horn neurons from SCI rat models exhibited obviously higher reversal potential and greater rise slope of glutamate current with shorter decay time than those from sham-operated and orexin-treated rats. CONCLUSIONS Orexin-A promotes motor function recovery in rats after SCI possibly by improving the function of the ionotropic glutamate receptors.
Animals ; Spinal Cord Injuries/drug therapy* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Ionotropic Glutamate/metabolism* ; Recovery of Function/drug effects* ; Orexins/pharmacology* ; Male ; Female ; Animals, Newborn ; Neuropeptides/pharmacology* ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/pharmacology*

ObjectiveTo investigate the safety and feasibility of intra-biliary drainage tube placement after laparoscopic common bile duct exploration in elderly patients with choledocholithiasis， and to provide more options for surgical procedures in the clinical management of elderly patients with choledocholithiasis. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 52 elderly patients with choledocholithiasis who were admitted to Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery， Affiliated Dalian Friendship Hospital of Dalian Medical University， from November 2021 to October 2024. According to the biliary drainage method after surgery， the patients were divided into internal drainage group with 24 patients and T-tube drainage group with 28 patients， and there were 19 patients in each group after propensity score matching. The two groups were compared in terms of perioperative parameters and postoperative complications. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. ResultsCompared with the T-tube drainage group， the internal drainage group had a significantly shorter length of postoperative hospital stay and a significantly lower volume of postoperative bile loss （Z=-2.845 and -5.633， both P<0.05）， while there were no significant differences between the two groups in time of operation， intraoperative blood loss， and drainage tube indwelling time （all P>0.05）. There were no significant differences between the two groups in postoperative bile leak， stone recurrence， biliary stricture， and drainage tube-related complications， and the internal drainage group had a significantly lower total complication rate than the T-tube drainage group ［1 （5.3%） vs 7 （36.8%）， P<0.05］. ConclusionFor elderly patients with choledocholithiasis， intra-biliary drainage tube placement after laparoscopic common bile duct exploration can shorten the length of postoperative hospital stay， reduce bile loss， and lower the incidence rate of postoperative complications， thereby helping to accelerate postoperative recovery.

Objective To identify candidate compounds that activate thermogenesis during cold exposure by integrating the Library of Integrated Network-Based Cellular Signatures(LINCS)with RNA expression profiles specific to cold-induced thermogenesis.Methods Gene expression profiles of interscapular brown adipose tissue(BAT)and inguinal white adipose tissue(iWAT)were generated from 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice which were housed at 5 ℃ or room temperature(23 ℃)for 7 days.The gene expression signatures of the cold-induced BAT and iWAT were compared to the LINCS dataset to predict potential candidates for testing in a cold challenge model that was intended to assess thermogenesis activation.The pharmacological potential of the identified compounds was evaluated in a cold-exposed mouse model.The core body temperature and infrared thermal imaging were collected to monitor physiological responses during cold exposure.Additionally,hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was used to assess morphological changes of fat cells of BAT,iWAT,and epididymal white adipose tissue(eWAT).Results The transcriptomic signatures related to cold-induced thermogenesis were obtained and the top 20 candidate compounds were identified by comparison with the LINCS dataset.Mice treated with withaferin A(WA)during the cold challenge exhibited elevated rectal temperatures and smaller adipocyte sizes compared to controls.Conclusion Our drug repurposing strategy,which connects transcriptional profiles with LINCS data,identifies potential compounds.WA enhances thermogenesis and metabolic activity in adipose tissue,which helps maintain body temperature,and improves cold tolerance during exposure to low temperatures.

Objective : To explore the role and mechanism of 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-HC) in inflammatory bow- el disease (IBD) in mice． Methods : All mice were divided into three groups : the control group was fed normally ; the DSS model group was fed with 2. 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) solution ; the DSS + 25-HC experimental group was fed with 2. 5% DSS solution and he mice in the experimental group were intraperitoneally injected with 25-HC．The symptom changes of the mice were evaluated by assessing the disease activity index(DAI) ，and the tis- sue changes were judged by histological scoring．The expression of interleukin-17 and its signaling pathways in the mice were detected by Western blot，qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry /fluorescence，and flow cytometry．Combined with the detection of tight junction proteins in the intestinal epithelium of the mice，the mechanism by which 25-HC affects IBD in mice was explored． Results : In comparison to the DSS control group，The DSS + 25-HC experimen- tal group mice exhibited a reduction in body weight ( F = 30. 1，P ＜0. 000 1) ，a shortened colon ( F = 63. 8，P < 0. 05) ，and elevated DAI(F = 774. 5，P＜0. 000 1) and histopathological scores(F = 141. 5，P＜0. 05) ．Addition- ally，the expression of tight junction-associated proteins(ZO-2，Occludin，JAM and Claudin-4) was found to be sig- nificantly reduced．The level of IL-17 significantly decreased，and its expression level was positively correlated with tight junction proteins． Conclusion 25-HC inhibited IL-17 production by colonic γδ T cells through the RORγt pathway，aggravated mucosal injury，and promoted the development of DSS-induced acute colitis in mice．

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that facilitate cellular communication by transmitting biomolecules and altering the biochemical characteristics of receptor cells. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes(MSC-Exos)are lipid bilayer vesicles secreted by mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs). These exosomes have similar functions to MSCs and contain bioactive substances such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. MSC-Exos play a vital role in intercellular communication and are involved in essential physiological processes including immune regulation, tissue damage repair, and angiogenesis promotion. Consequently, they have gained significant attention in research, particularly in the treatment of immune inflammatory diseases, ischemic diseases, and other related fields. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the potential treatment mechanisms for dry eye, focusing on the pathogenesis of the condition, including inflammatory reactions, nerve regeneration, and tissue repair. The objective is to establish a foundation for the application of MSC-Exos in the treatment of dry eye, thereby offering a valuable reference for the future clinical applications.

Objective:To investigate the effectiveness of new cryoprotective agents in preserving and transplanting human adipose tissue.Methods:The adipose tissue samples were obtained from healthy adult females who underwent liposuction at the Department of Plastic Surgery of Peking University Third Hospital from January to March 2022. The adipose tissue samples were centrifuged and then randomly divided into 9 groups. These groups were cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen using different cryoprotective agents [group A, group B, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) group] and cryopreservation times (1-month, 2-month, and 3-month groups), respectively. The cryoprotective agent formulation in group A was dextrose glycoside 40 (DEX), amino acids, vitamins, and inorganic salts. In group B, the formulation included DMSO and DEX. The ratio of cryoprotective agent in the DMSO group was 10% DMSO, 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS), and 70% DMEM-12. For cryopreservation, 5 ml cryogenic tubes were used with a fat to cryoprotective agent ratio of 3∶2, and each group contains 6 tubes for cryopreservation. After thawing the adipose tissue, HE staining was used to observe the histological morphology. Immunohistochemical staining was employed for the quantitative analysis of lipid droplet-encapsulated protein (Perilipin), and the Perilipin positivity rate was calculated by the ratio of the number of positive cells to the total number of cells. Adipocyte viability was assessed using the CCK-8 method. Thirty-eight healthy, clean nude mice were selected and divided into 3 groups of 12 mice each according to the use of different cryoprotective agents (groups A, B, and DMSO), while the other 2 mice were used as the day 0 control group. The mean fat freezing duration for all groups was 3 months. After nude mice were anesthetized intraperitoneally, 0.9 ml of thawed cryopreserved fat was injected into the dorsum bilaterally. The rate of adipose tissue retention was calculated by MRI scanning and three-dimensional software at 1, 2, and 3 months after transplantation, and compared between the groups. The fat grafts were explanted from the mice after they were sacrificed, and then subjected to histological morphology and quantitative analysis of Perilipin by using HE staining and immunohistochemical staining. GraphPad Prism 8.0 software was used for statistical analysis of the data. The data that conformed to a normal distribution were expressed as Mean ± SD. The overall comparison between multiple groups used analysis of variance for repeated measures. The comparison of data between groups at the same time point used Tukey’s multiple comparison test.Results:The morphology of adipose tissue in different cryoprotective agent groups closely resembled that of normal fresh adipose tissue after being cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen for 1-3 months. The difference in the proportion of Perilipin-stained positive cells in each group was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). The CCK-8 method indicated that the effect of the DMSO group was superior to groups A and B at 1 and 3 months of cryopreservation ( P<0.01), and that the DMSO group and group B were superior to group A at 2 months of cryopreservation ( P<0.01). In the animal experiments, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the volume retention rate 1-3 months after cryopreserved fat transplantation ( P>0.05). Additionally, the adipose tissues in each group exhibited varying degrees of localized necrosis accompanied by an inflammatory reaction 1-3 months after transplantation. There was no statistically significant difference in the Perilipin staining positivity between the groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The use of new cryoprotective agents for cryopreserving adipose tissue does not show a significant difference compared to the traditional cryoprotective agent. However, it is theoretically safer as it avoids the potential toxic effects of using DMSO or FBS on the human body.

Objective:To investigate the effectiveness of new cryoprotective agents in preserving and transplanting human adipose tissue.Methods:The adipose tissue samples were obtained from healthy adult females who underwent liposuction at the Department of Plastic Surgery of Peking University Third Hospital from January to March 2022. The adipose tissue samples were centrifuged and then randomly divided into 9 groups. These groups were cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen using different cryoprotective agents [group A, group B, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) group] and cryopreservation times (1-month, 2-month, and 3-month groups), respectively. The cryoprotective agent formulation in group A was dextrose glycoside 40 (DEX), amino acids, vitamins, and inorganic salts. In group B, the formulation included DMSO and DEX. The ratio of cryoprotective agent in the DMSO group was 10% DMSO, 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS), and 70% DMEM-12. For cryopreservation, 5 ml cryogenic tubes were used with a fat to cryoprotective agent ratio of 3∶2, and each group contains 6 tubes for cryopreservation. After thawing the adipose tissue, HE staining was used to observe the histological morphology. Immunohistochemical staining was employed for the quantitative analysis of lipid droplet-encapsulated protein (Perilipin), and the Perilipin positivity rate was calculated by the ratio of the number of positive cells to the total number of cells. Adipocyte viability was assessed using the CCK-8 method. Thirty-eight healthy, clean nude mice were selected and divided into 3 groups of 12 mice each according to the use of different cryoprotective agents (groups A, B, and DMSO), while the other 2 mice were used as the day 0 control group. The mean fat freezing duration for all groups was 3 months. After nude mice were anesthetized intraperitoneally, 0.9 ml of thawed cryopreserved fat was injected into the dorsum bilaterally. The rate of adipose tissue retention was calculated by MRI scanning and three-dimensional software at 1, 2, and 3 months after transplantation, and compared between the groups. The fat grafts were explanted from the mice after they were sacrificed, and then subjected to histological morphology and quantitative analysis of Perilipin by using HE staining and immunohistochemical staining. GraphPad Prism 8.0 software was used for statistical analysis of the data. The data that conformed to a normal distribution were expressed as Mean ± SD. The overall comparison between multiple groups used analysis of variance for repeated measures. The comparison of data between groups at the same time point used Tukey’s multiple comparison test.Results:The morphology of adipose tissue in different cryoprotective agent groups closely resembled that of normal fresh adipose tissue after being cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen for 1-3 months. The difference in the proportion of Perilipin-stained positive cells in each group was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). The CCK-8 method indicated that the effect of the DMSO group was superior to groups A and B at 1 and 3 months of cryopreservation ( P<0.01), and that the DMSO group and group B were superior to group A at 2 months of cryopreservation ( P<0.01). In the animal experiments, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the volume retention rate 1-3 months after cryopreserved fat transplantation ( P>0.05). Additionally, the adipose tissues in each group exhibited varying degrees of localized necrosis accompanied by an inflammatory reaction 1-3 months after transplantation. There was no statistically significant difference in the Perilipin staining positivity between the groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The use of new cryoprotective agents for cryopreserving adipose tissue does not show a significant difference compared to the traditional cryoprotective agent. However, it is theoretically safer as it avoids the potential toxic effects of using DMSO or FBS on the human body.