ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Mahuang Lianqiao Chixiaodoutang （MLC） improves obesity-type polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway. MethodsThirty-six female Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a blank control group （Con） and an obesity-type PCOS model preparation group. The model was induced by gavage with letrozole （1 mg·kg^-1） combined with a high-fat diet （HFD）. After model establishment， the obesity-type PCOS model preparation group was further divided into the model group （Mod， normal saline）， metformin group （Met， 0.3 g·kg^-1）， low-dose MLC group （MLC-L， 4.3 g·kg^-1）， medium-dose MLC group （MLC-M， 8.6 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose MLC group （MLC-H， 17.2 g·kg^-1）. Active components of MLC and targets of obesity-type PCOS were screened from databases， a protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed， and gene ontology（GO）and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis was performed. The gut microbiota structure was analyzed based on 16S rRNA sequencing and correlated with network pharmacology pathways. Body weight and estrous cycle were dynamically monitored. Ovarian morphology was observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Cell apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling （TUNEL）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect levels of follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， anti-Müllerian hormone （AMH）， testosterone （T）， and estradiol （E₂）. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of phosphorylated PI3K/PI3K （p-PI3K/PI3K）， phosphorylated Akt/Akt （p-Akt/Akt）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）. ResultsNetwork pharmacology screening identified 124 active components of MLC and 408 overlapping targets between the herbal formula and the disease. Core targets such as Akt1 and Bcl-2 were revealed. As indicated by 16S rRNA sequencing， the abundances of Lachnospiraceae， Lachnoclostridium， and Dorea were increased in the MLC groups （P<0.05）， while the abundance of Veillonella was decreased （P<0.05）. KEGG correlation analysis integrating network pharmacology and gut microbiota data showed significant enrichment of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Animal experiments showed that， compared with the Mod group， body weight decreased to normal levels in the Met， MLC-M， and MLC-H groups. The estrous cycle became regular. The number of corpora lutea increased and cystic follicles decreased. Serum levels of T， FSH， and LH/FSH were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the E₂ level was increased （P<0.01）. Ovarian cell apoptosis was reduced （P<0.01）， and the protein expression levels of p-PI3K/PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， and Bcl-2 in ovarian tissue were significantly increased， whereas Bax protein expression was significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionMLC can regulate gut microbiota structure， effectively improve ovarian pathology in rats with obesity-type PCOS， and inhibit ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis. The mechanism may be associated with upregulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Mahuang Lianqiao Chixiaodoutang （MLC） improves obesity-type polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway. MethodsThirty-six female Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a blank control group （Con） and an obesity-type PCOS model preparation group. The model was induced by gavage with letrozole （1 mg·kg^-1） combined with a high-fat diet （HFD）. After model establishment， the obesity-type PCOS model preparation group was further divided into the model group （Mod， normal saline）， metformin group （Met， 0.3 g·kg^-1）， low-dose MLC group （MLC-L， 4.3 g·kg^-1）， medium-dose MLC group （MLC-M， 8.6 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose MLC group （MLC-H， 17.2 g·kg^-1）. Active components of MLC and targets of obesity-type PCOS were screened from databases， a protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed， and gene ontology（GO）and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis was performed. The gut microbiota structure was analyzed based on 16S rRNA sequencing and correlated with network pharmacology pathways. Body weight and estrous cycle were dynamically monitored. Ovarian morphology was observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Cell apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling （TUNEL）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect levels of follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， anti-Müllerian hormone （AMH）， testosterone （T）， and estradiol （E₂）. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of phosphorylated PI3K/PI3K （p-PI3K/PI3K）， phosphorylated Akt/Akt （p-Akt/Akt）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）. ResultsNetwork pharmacology screening identified 124 active components of MLC and 408 overlapping targets between the herbal formula and the disease. Core targets such as Akt1 and Bcl-2 were revealed. As indicated by 16S rRNA sequencing， the abundances of Lachnospiraceae， Lachnoclostridium， and Dorea were increased in the MLC groups （P<0.05）， while the abundance of Veillonella was decreased （P<0.05）. KEGG correlation analysis integrating network pharmacology and gut microbiota data showed significant enrichment of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Animal experiments showed that， compared with the Mod group， body weight decreased to normal levels in the Met， MLC-M， and MLC-H groups. The estrous cycle became regular. The number of corpora lutea increased and cystic follicles decreased. Serum levels of T， FSH， and LH/FSH were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the E₂ level was increased （P<0.01）. Ovarian cell apoptosis was reduced （P<0.01）， and the protein expression levels of p-PI3K/PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， and Bcl-2 in ovarian tissue were significantly increased， whereas Bax protein expression was significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionMLC can regulate gut microbiota structure， effectively improve ovarian pathology in rats with obesity-type PCOS， and inhibit ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis. The mechanism may be associated with upregulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the inhibitory effects of curcumol （Cur） on the proliferation and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） cells and to explore the underlying mechanisms. MethodsIn vivo， a subcutaneous tumor xenograft model was established to evaluate the antiproliferative effect of Cur. In vitro， the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was used to assess the effects of Cur at concentrations of 0， 60， 120， 240， 360， 480， 600， 720， 840， 960 μmol·L^-1 on the viability of NCI-A549 and NCI-H23 cells， and to evaluate its inhibitory effect on the proliferation of human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells. Wound healing and Transwell migration assays were conducted to assess changes in cell migratory capacity following Cur treatment. Immunohistochemistry （IHC-P） was used to investigate the regulatory effect of Cur on the Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （JAK2/STAT3） signaling pathway in tumor tissues. Western blot was performed to determine the protein expression levels of phosphorylated JAK2 （p-JAK2）， phosphorylated STAT3 （p-STAT3）， proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA）， matrix metalloproteinase-2 （MMP-2）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA） in tumor tissues and cells. To further verify the role of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in the pharmacological effects of Cur， rescue experiments were performed using the pathway agonist colivelin. ResultsIn vivo experiments showed that， compared with the model group， the tumor volumes of subcutaneous xenografts in nude mice in both low- and high-dose Cur groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05）， and the tumor inhibition rates were significantly increased （P<0.05）. The inhibitory effect in the high-dose group was comparable to that of the cisplatin group， and the body weight of mice in the Cur groups remained stable throughout the experiment. In vitro， compared with the control group， Cur at concentrations of 120 and 240 μmol·L^-1 inhibited the proliferation of NCI-A549 and NCI-H23 cells in a concentration-dependent manner （P<0.05）， with a significant inhibitory effect observed at 360 μmol·L^-1 （P<0.01）， while no significant effect on the viability of BEAS-2B cells was observed. Migration assays demonstrated that， compared with the control group， Cur treatment significantly reduced the migration rates of both cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner （P<0.05）， with an inhibitory effect at 360 μmol·L^-1 comparable to that of the cisplatin group. Mechanistic validation showed that， compared with the control group， the protein expression levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 in tumor tissues and cells were significantly downregulated in the Cur groups （P<0.01）， and the expression levels of downstream proteins PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA were also significantly decreased with increasing Cur concentration （P<0.05）. In the rescue experiments， compared with the control group， colivelin pretreatment increased cell proliferation and migration rates （P<0.05） and upregulated the expression of related proteins （P<0.05）. Compared with the Cur group， the colivelin+Cur group showed significantly increased proliferation and migration rates （P<0.05）， along with significantly upregulated protein expression levels （P<0.05）. ConclusionCur can significantly inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC both in vivo and in vitro， and its mechanism of action is closely associated with the inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway activation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which eupatilin （Eup） inhibits proliferation， invasion， and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） through the enhancer of zeste homolog 2/histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation （EZH2/H3K27me3） signaling pathway. MethodsIn vivo， a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model was established in nude mice using H1299 cells to evaluate the anti-NSCLC effects of Eup. Immunohistochemistry （IHC-P） was used to detect the expression of proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins， including proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA）， matrix metalloproteinase-2 （MMP-2）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA）. In vitro， cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assays were performed to determine the viability of H1299 cells treated with different concentrations of Eup （0-200 μmol·L^-1） and to select appropriate concentrations. Colony formation and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine （EdU） assays were used to evaluate cell proliferation. Wound healing and invasion assays were conducted to assess cell migration and invasion. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell （HUVEC） angiogenesis assays were used to evaluate the effects of Eup on angiogenesis. Transcriptomic analysis was performed to identify the targets of Eup in H1299 cells and to explore its major functions. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to predict the binding affinity and interaction stability between Eup and its target proteins. Western blot was used to detect the effects of Eup on the expression levels of EZH2/H3K27me3 pathway-related proteins and proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins， including PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA. ResultsIn the subcutaneous xenograft model， compared with the model group， Eup treatment dose-dependently inhibited the growth of H1299 xenograft tumors， and the tumor inhibition rate was significantly increased （P<0.05）. IHC-P results showed that， compared with the model group， high-dose Eup significantly reduced the expression levels of PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA in vivo （P<0.05）. In vitro， compared with the control group， Eup inhibited the proliferation， invasion， and metastasis of NSCLC cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Transcriptomic analysis further showed that， compared with the control group， Eup significantly downregulated EZH2 expression， and its functional effects were associated with inhibition of tumor metastasis. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations indicated that Eup exhibited strong binding affinity with EZH2 and stable interactions. Western blot results demonstrated that， compared with the model group， Eup significantly inhibited， in a dose-dependent manner， the expression levels of EZH2， H3K27me3， and proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins （PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA） in both in vivo and in vitro experiments （P<0.05）. In vitro， compared with the control group， overexpression of EZH2 via plasmid transfection partially reversed the inhibitory effects of Eup on the expression of key proteins involved in proliferation and invasion/metastasis in H1299 cells. ConclusionEup effectively inhibits the proliferation， migration， and invasion of H1299 cells both in vivo and in vitro. The underlying mechanism may be related to inhibition of the EZH2/H3K27me3 signaling pathway and downregulation of proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins， including PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA. Eup may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for suppressing proliferation and invasion/metastasis in NSCLC.

Lung cancer， particularly non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）， is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence and mortality in China and worldwide. In 2022， the global number of deaths reached 1.8 million， accounting for 18.7% of all cancer-related deaths， seriously threatening human health and life， and posing a severe challenge for prevention and treatment. Although treatment strategies for lung cancer have been continuously enriched in recent years， and progress has been made in targeted therapy and immunotherapy， long-term survival benefits remain limited due to primary or acquired drug resistance， low immune responsiveness， and chemotherapy-related toxicities. Therefore， there is an urgent need to explore safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic strategies. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with its advantages of holistic regulation and individualized syndrome differentiation， has played an increasingly prominent role in comprehensive cancer treatment. TCM holds that "Yang deficiency leads to accumulation" is a key pathogenesis of tumors. Based on the theory that "Yang transforms Qi， while Yin forms substance"， deficiency of Yang Qi results in impaired warming and transformation functions， leading to internal accumulation of Yin-cold. This is closely related to dysregulation of the immune microenvironment， "cold tumor" characteristics， and dysfunction of the neuroendocrine system in modern medicine. Accordingly， the therapeutic strategy of "warming Yang， supporting healthy Qi， and combating cancer" has gained increasing attention. In recent years， commonly used Yang-warming Chinese herbs， including Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata， Zingiberis Rhizoma， Cinnamomi Cortex， Epimedii Folium， and Psoraleae Fructus， as well as their active constituents， have achieved notable progress in anti-lung cancer research by regulating multiple signaling pathways， inducing apoptosis， inhibiting metastasis， and reversing drug resistance. In addition， Yang-warming formulae such as Sini Tang and Yanghe Tang have shown promising effects in alleviating myelosuppression， improving cancer-related fatigue， managing malignant pleural effusion， and relieving cancer pain. These therapies exhibit toxicity-reducing and efficacy-enhancing effects， significantly improving patients' quality of life and survival benefits. To systematically summarize the roles and mechanisms of Yang-warming Chinese herbal medicines and compound formulae in lung cancer， this paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advances， aiming to offer insights for the clinical practice of TCM in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer.

ObjectiveTo investigate the inhibitory effects of curcumol （Cur） on the proliferation and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） cells and to explore the underlying mechanisms. MethodsIn vivo， a subcutaneous tumor xenograft model was established to evaluate the antiproliferative effect of Cur. In vitro， the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was used to assess the effects of Cur at concentrations of 0， 60， 120， 240， 360， 480， 600， 720， 840， 960 μmol·L^-1 on the viability of NCI-A549 and NCI-H23 cells， and to evaluate its inhibitory effect on the proliferation of human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells. Wound healing and Transwell migration assays were conducted to assess changes in cell migratory capacity following Cur treatment. Immunohistochemistry （IHC-P） was used to investigate the regulatory effect of Cur on the Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （JAK2/STAT3） signaling pathway in tumor tissues. Western blot was performed to determine the protein expression levels of phosphorylated JAK2 （p-JAK2）， phosphorylated STAT3 （p-STAT3）， proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA）， matrix metalloproteinase-2 （MMP-2）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA） in tumor tissues and cells. To further verify the role of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in the pharmacological effects of Cur， rescue experiments were performed using the pathway agonist colivelin. ResultsIn vivo experiments showed that， compared with the model group， the tumor volumes of subcutaneous xenografts in nude mice in both low- and high-dose Cur groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05）， and the tumor inhibition rates were significantly increased （P<0.05）. The inhibitory effect in the high-dose group was comparable to that of the cisplatin group， and the body weight of mice in the Cur groups remained stable throughout the experiment. In vitro， compared with the control group， Cur at concentrations of 120 and 240 μmol·L^-1 inhibited the proliferation of NCI-A549 and NCI-H23 cells in a concentration-dependent manner （P<0.05）， with a significant inhibitory effect observed at 360 μmol·L^-1 （P<0.01）， while no significant effect on the viability of BEAS-2B cells was observed. Migration assays demonstrated that， compared with the control group， Cur treatment significantly reduced the migration rates of both cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner （P<0.05）， with an inhibitory effect at 360 μmol·L^-1 comparable to that of the cisplatin group. Mechanistic validation showed that， compared with the control group， the protein expression levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 in tumor tissues and cells were significantly downregulated in the Cur groups （P<0.01）， and the expression levels of downstream proteins PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA were also significantly decreased with increasing Cur concentration （P<0.05）. In the rescue experiments， compared with the control group， colivelin pretreatment increased cell proliferation and migration rates （P<0.05） and upregulated the expression of related proteins （P<0.05）. Compared with the Cur group， the colivelin+Cur group showed significantly increased proliferation and migration rates （P<0.05）， along with significantly upregulated protein expression levels （P<0.05）. ConclusionCur can significantly inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC both in vivo and in vitro， and its mechanism of action is closely associated with the inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway activation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which eupatilin （Eup） inhibits proliferation， invasion， and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） through the enhancer of zeste homolog 2/histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation （EZH2/H3K27me3） signaling pathway. MethodsIn vivo， a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model was established in nude mice using H1299 cells to evaluate the anti-NSCLC effects of Eup. Immunohistochemistry （IHC-P） was used to detect the expression of proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins， including proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA）， matrix metalloproteinase-2 （MMP-2）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA）. In vitro， cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assays were performed to determine the viability of H1299 cells treated with different concentrations of Eup （0-200 μmol·L^-1） and to select appropriate concentrations. Colony formation and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine （EdU） assays were used to evaluate cell proliferation. Wound healing and invasion assays were conducted to assess cell migration and invasion. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell （HUVEC） angiogenesis assays were used to evaluate the effects of Eup on angiogenesis. Transcriptomic analysis was performed to identify the targets of Eup in H1299 cells and to explore its major functions. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to predict the binding affinity and interaction stability between Eup and its target proteins. Western blot was used to detect the effects of Eup on the expression levels of EZH2/H3K27me3 pathway-related proteins and proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins， including PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA. ResultsIn the subcutaneous xenograft model， compared with the model group， Eup treatment dose-dependently inhibited the growth of H1299 xenograft tumors， and the tumor inhibition rate was significantly increased （P<0.05）. IHC-P results showed that， compared with the model group， high-dose Eup significantly reduced the expression levels of PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA in vivo （P<0.05）. In vitro， compared with the control group， Eup inhibited the proliferation， invasion， and metastasis of NSCLC cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Transcriptomic analysis further showed that， compared with the control group， Eup significantly downregulated EZH2 expression， and its functional effects were associated with inhibition of tumor metastasis. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations indicated that Eup exhibited strong binding affinity with EZH2 and stable interactions. Western blot results demonstrated that， compared with the model group， Eup significantly inhibited， in a dose-dependent manner， the expression levels of EZH2， H3K27me3， and proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins （PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA） in both in vivo and in vitro experiments （P<0.05）. In vitro， compared with the control group， overexpression of EZH2 via plasmid transfection partially reversed the inhibitory effects of Eup on the expression of key proteins involved in proliferation and invasion/metastasis in H1299 cells. ConclusionEup effectively inhibits the proliferation， migration， and invasion of H1299 cells both in vivo and in vitro. The underlying mechanism may be related to inhibition of the EZH2/H3K27me3 signaling pathway and downregulation of proliferation- and invasion/metastasis-related proteins， including PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA. Eup may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for suppressing proliferation and invasion/metastasis in NSCLC.

Lung cancer， particularly non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）， is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence and mortality in China and worldwide. In 2022， the global number of deaths reached 1.8 million， accounting for 18.7% of all cancer-related deaths， seriously threatening human health and life， and posing a severe challenge for prevention and treatment. Although treatment strategies for lung cancer have been continuously enriched in recent years， and progress has been made in targeted therapy and immunotherapy， long-term survival benefits remain limited due to primary or acquired drug resistance， low immune responsiveness， and chemotherapy-related toxicities. Therefore， there is an urgent need to explore safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic strategies. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with its advantages of holistic regulation and individualized syndrome differentiation， has played an increasingly prominent role in comprehensive cancer treatment. TCM holds that "Yang deficiency leads to accumulation" is a key pathogenesis of tumors. Based on the theory that "Yang transforms Qi， while Yin forms substance"， deficiency of Yang Qi results in impaired warming and transformation functions， leading to internal accumulation of Yin-cold. This is closely related to dysregulation of the immune microenvironment， "cold tumor" characteristics， and dysfunction of the neuroendocrine system in modern medicine. Accordingly， the therapeutic strategy of "warming Yang， supporting healthy Qi， and combating cancer" has gained increasing attention. In recent years， commonly used Yang-warming Chinese herbs， including Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata， Zingiberis Rhizoma， Cinnamomi Cortex， Epimedii Folium， and Psoraleae Fructus， as well as their active constituents， have achieved notable progress in anti-lung cancer research by regulating multiple signaling pathways， inducing apoptosis， inhibiting metastasis， and reversing drug resistance. In addition， Yang-warming formulae such as Sini Tang and Yanghe Tang have shown promising effects in alleviating myelosuppression， improving cancer-related fatigue， managing malignant pleural effusion， and relieving cancer pain. These therapies exhibit toxicity-reducing and efficacy-enhancing effects， significantly improving patients' quality of life and survival benefits. To systematically summarize the roles and mechanisms of Yang-warming Chinese herbal medicines and compound formulae in lung cancer， this paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advances， aiming to offer insights for the clinical practice of TCM in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE To study the improvement effects and potential mechanisms of water extract from Chrysanthemum morifolium on skeletal muscle atrophy in rats after ischemic stroke. METHODS Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham operation group， model group， ATP group （10 mg/kg）， C. morifolium water extract high-dose and low-dose groups （1.08， 0.54 g/kg）. Except for sham operation group， ischemic stroke models were induced in rats from the other groups using middle cerebral artery occlusion. Starting from the first day after surgery， rats in each group were given corresponding drug/normal saline intragastrically， once a day， for consecutive 7 days. On the 7th day post-surgery， the rats’ body weights were measured， and their motor functions were evaluated， including Longa scores， exercise distance， grip strength； the electrophysiological signals of the skeletal muscles in rats were measured； the pathological morphology of the soleus muscle in rats was observed； the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in serum and soleus muscle were measured； the expressions of proteins related to TNF-α/c-Jun N- terminal kinase （JNK）/mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway in the soleus muscle were determined. RESULTS Compared with sham operation group， the body weight， grip strength and exercise distance of rats were decreased/ shortened significantly （P＜0.01）； additionally， there was a notable reduction in the interpeak value of skeletal muscle electrophysiology （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Longa score， as well as the levels of TNF-α in serum and soleus muscle， and the expression levels of TNF-α， phosphorylated JNK， phosphorylated MAPK， muscle ring-finger protein-1， and muscle atrophy Fbox- 1 protein in the soleus muscle， were all significantly elevated （P＜0.01）. The skeletal muscle cells of the soleus muscle in the model group showed significant atrophy， with a markedly decreased cross-sectional area （P＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， the levels of the aforementioned indicators were significantly reversed in C. morifolium water extract groups （P＜0.05 or P＜ 0.01）， and the skeletal muscle cells of the soleus muscle were markedly enlarged. CONCLUSIONS C. morifolium water extract can improve skeletal muscle atrophy in rats after ischemic stroke， the mechanism of which may be associated with suppressing the activation of the TNF- α/JNK/MAPK E-mail：19932015@cdutcm.edu.cn signaling pathway.

Objective: To investigate the association between monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) and periodontitis and to provide new epidemiologic evidence on the factors affecting periodontitis. Methods: Data on MHR, periodontitis, and other covariates were selected from the NHANES(National Health and Nutrition Examination) database for 3 cycles of subjects in 2009-2010, 2011-2012, and 2013-2014, and a total of 8 456 study subjects were included. The study participants were grouped according to the prevalence of periodontitis (presence or absence), and three regression models (unadjusted covariates, partially adjusted covariates, and fully adjusted covariates) were constructed to analyze the relationship between MHR and periodontitis by using a weighted logistic regression method with stepwise adjustment for confounders. MHR was divided into four groups from Q1 to Q4 according to quartiles from small to large for weighted trend analysis, and the nonlinear relationship between MHR (continuous) and periodontitis was analyzed using a restricted cubic spline with subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis. Results: All three logistic regression models showed a positive association between MHR and periodontitis (OR = 2.92, 95%CI: 2.14-3.99, P<0.001 (not adjusted); OR = 1.97, 95%CI: 1.39-2.78, P<0.001 (partially adjusted); OR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.10-2.39, P = 0.017 (fully adjusted)). Trend analysis showed a significantly higher risk of developing periodontitis in the Q4 group compared with the Q1 group in both single (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.58-2.33, P<0.001) and multifactorial analyses (OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.03-1.64, P = 0.029). Restricted cubic spline results did not support a nonlinear relationship between MHR and periodontitis (P for nonlinear>0.05), subgroup analysis showed no significant interaction between the covariates and MHR (P>0.05), and sensitivity analysis also showed a positive correlation between MHR and periodontitis (OR = 1.67, 95%CI: 1.31-2.14, P<0.001). Conclusion MHR is positively associated with the risk of developing periodontitis.