Objective To observe the value of non-parallel transmission(non-PTX)reduced field-of-view(rFOV)echo planar imaging(EPI)sequence applied in diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)for displaying prostate lesions.Methods Conventional EPI-DWI and non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI were prospectively acquired in 30 patients with prostate lesions,including 22 cases of prostatic hyperplasia and 8 cases of prostate cancer.Subjective scoring of imaging quality,as well as objective evaluation on indexes including signal-to-noise ratio(SNR),contrast ratio(CR),contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)and lesions'apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)values were performed and compared between two kinds of DWI.Results The subjective score of non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI was higher than that of conventional EPI-DWI(P＜0.001).SNR,CR,CNR of non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI and lesions'ADC values measured on non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI were all higher than those of conventional EPI-DWI(all P＜0.05).Conclusion non-PTX rFOV-EPI DWI could display prostate lesions better than conventional EPI-DWI.

Objective To study the immune regulatory effect of total flavonoids from houttuynia cordata on herpes simplex keratitis(HSK)mice and preliminarily explore its mechanism.Methods A surgical blade to mark the"#"character on the corneal epithelial layer of Balb/c mice and inoculate with I type herpes simplex virus(HSV-1)was used to construct an HSK model.The successfully identified HSK mice were randomly divided into model group,low(75 mg/kg)and high-dose(300 mg/kg)total flavonoids from houttuynia cordata groups,and high-dose total flavonoids from houttuynia cordata+toll like receptor(TLR)2 agonist Pam3CSK4(0.3 mg/kg)group.A control group was also established with 12 mice in each group.During the modeling and administration period,the corneal lesions in mice were observed daily using a slit-lamp microscope and scored.After administration,HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of the mouse cornea.ELISA was used to detect the levels of interferon-γ(INF-γ),interleukin-2(IL-2),IL-4,and IL-6 in mouse serum.Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of TLR2,myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88),nuclear factor-kappaB p65(NF-κB p65)and p-NF-κB p65 in mouse corneal tissue.Results Compared with the control group,the model group mice showed corneal edema,ulcers,and neovascularization,with severe corneal damage and a large number of inflammatory cell infiltration.The serum levels of INF-γ and IL-2 significantly decreased,while the levels of IL-4 and IL-6 significantly increased(P<0.01).The protein expression levels of TLR2 and MyD88 and protein ratios of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 in corneal tissue significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the low and high dose of total flavonoids from houttuynia cordata groups showed improved corneal injury,the corneal lesion score significantly dereased(P<0.01).The serum levels of INF-γ and IL-2 significantly increased,while the levels of IL-4 and IL-6 significantly decreased(P<0.01).The protein expression levels of TLR2 and MyD88 and protein ratios of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 in corneal tissue significantly decreased(P<0.01).However,the TLR2 agonist Pam3CSK4 partially reversed the improvement effects of total flavonoids from houttuynia cordata on keratitis and immune imbalance in HSK mice.Conclusion The total flavonoids of houttuynia cordata can effectively improve corneal damage,regulate immune response,and suppress inflammation levels in HSK mice.Its mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of TLR2/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To observe the value of non-parallel transmission(non-PTX)reduced field-of-view(rFOV)echo planar imaging(EPI)sequence applied in diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)for displaying prostate lesions.Methods Conventional EPI-DWI and non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI were prospectively acquired in 30 patients with prostate lesions,including 22 cases of prostatic hyperplasia and 8 cases of prostate cancer.Subjective scoring of imaging quality,as well as objective evaluation on indexes including signal-to-noise ratio(SNR),contrast ratio(CR),contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)and lesions'apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)values were performed and compared between two kinds of DWI.Results The subjective score of non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI was higher than that of conventional EPI-DWI(P＜0.001).SNR,CR,CNR of non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI and lesions'ADC values measured on non-PTX rFOV-EPI-DWI were all higher than those of conventional EPI-DWI(all P＜0.05).Conclusion non-PTX rFOV-EPI DWI could display prostate lesions better than conventional EPI-DWI.

ObjectiveTo screen and evaluate the antidepressant compounds of Curcumae Rhizoma， and explore its mechanism of regulating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2（Nrf2）/glutathione（GSH） peroxidase 4（GPX4）/GSH pathway from an antioxidant perspective. MethodsThe antioxidant activities in vitro of 11 characteristic components from Curcumae Rhizoma， including curcumol， curgerenone， curdione， curzerene， curcumenol， curcumenone， dehydrocurdione， isocurcumenol， furanodienone， furanodiene and zederone， were detected using 1，1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl（DPPH） and 2，2'-azinobis-（3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid） diammonium salt（ABTS） radical scavenging assays. The depression in Drosophila melanogaster was induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress（CUMS）， and W1118 wild-type male D. melanogaster were randomly divided into blank group， model group， curcumol group， curgerenone group， curdione group， curzerene group， curcumenol group，curcumenone group， dehydrocurdione group， isocurcumenol group， furanodienone group， furanodiene group， zederone group and fluoxetine group（10 μmol·L^-1）. The treatment groups received a dose of 0.1 g·L^-1 of 11 characteristic components from Curcumae Rhizoma， while the blank and model groups were administered equivalent volumes of solvent. The sucrose preference test， climbing test and forced swimming test were used to evaluate the behavioral indicators of depression in D. melanogaster. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry（LC-MS） was used to detect the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine（5-HT） and dopamine（DA） in the brain of D. melanogaster， and the entropy weight method was used to comprehensively evaluate neurobehavioral and neurotransmitter indicators， resulting in the identification of the antidepressant active components of Curcumae Rhizoma. In addition， a mouse depression model was established by CUMS， and C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into blank group， model group， low and high dose groups of curzerene（0.5， 1 mg·kg^-1）， and fluoxetine group（10 mg·kg^-1） to confirm the antidepressant effect of the optimal active ingredient by behavioral analysis. Flow cytometry was used to detect the content of reactive oxygen species（ROS） in the hippocampus of mice from each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the contents of adenosine triphosphate（ATP）， superoxide dismutase（SOD）， catalase（CAT） and GSH. Transmission electron microscope（TEM） was used to observe the effect of curzerene on the ultrastructure of mitochondria in hippocampal tissue. Western blot was performed to determine the level of Nrf2 protein， and Nrf2 inhibitor（ML385） was used to verify the relationship between the antidepressant effect of curzerene and regulation of Nrf2. Real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was employed to detect the effect of curzerene on the mRNA expression level of GPX. ResultsIn vitro antioxidant experiments showed that curzerene and curgerenone exhibited the most significant ability to scavenge free radicals， and comprehensive evaluation results of entropy weight method indicated that curzerene stood out as the most promising active component. Compared with the blank group， the model group exhibited a significant decrease in sucrose preference coefficient and the number of times entering the open field center（P<0.01）， as well as a significant increase in immobility time in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests（P<0.01）， and the ROS content in hippocampus significantly elevated（P<0.01）， while the ATP content significantly reduced（P<0.01）. In the hippocampal neurons of the model group， mitochondrial cristae were disordered， with vacuolation of the inner membrane and severe damage. Nrf2 protein expression level in the model group was significantly decreased（P<0.05）， and the antioxidant enzymes SOD， CAT and GSH contents were also significantly reduced（P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the gene expression levels of GPX1， GPX4 and GPX7 were significantly decreased（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the high-dose group of curzerene showed a significant increase in the sucrose preference coefficient and the number of times entering the open field center（P<0.05）， as well as a significant decrease in immobility time in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests（P<0.05， P<0.01）. The ROS content in the hippocampus of the high-dose group of curzerene was significantly reduced（P<0.01）， while the ATP content was significantly increased（P<0.05）. The neuronal mitochondrial damage in the hippocampus of the high-dose group of curzerene was alleviated， and the expression level of Nrf2 protein was significantly increased（P<0.05）. The Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 reversed the improvement of curzerene on depressive behaviors in CUMS mice. The GSH content in the hippocampal neurons of the high-dose group of curzerene was significantly increased（P<0.01）， while there were no significant differences in SOD and CAT contents. The expression level of GPX4 gene in the hippocampal neurons of the high-dose group of curzerene was significantly increased（P<0.05）， while there were no significant differences in other GPX genes. ConclusionCurzerene is the best component with antidepressant activity in Curcumae Rhizoma. It may improve mitochondrial dysfunction to exert its antidepressant effect by regulating Nrf2 and its downstream GPX4/GSH pathway rather than CAT or SOD pathways.

Objective To analyze the risk factors,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndromes,and pathogen distribution in patients with bronchiectasis(BE)complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods From June 2022 to June 2024,a total of 299 patients with acute exacerbation of BE admitted to Guangdong Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine were selected.Based on the presence of T2DM,the patients were divided into the BE-T2DM group(74 cases)and the BE-only group(225 cases).Clinical data of the patients were collected,and univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for BE complicated with T2DM.TCM syndromes and pathogen distribution were statistically analyzed.Results(1)Univariate analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences between the two groups in gender,age,body mass index(BMI),hypertension,coronary atherosclerotic heart disease(shortened to coronary heart disease),atherosclerosis,the ratio of forced expiratory volume in one second to forced vital capacity(FEV1/FVC),white blood cell count(WBC),neutrophil count analysis for the risk factors showed that gender,BMI,hypertension,and FEV1/FVC were the independent risk factors for BE complicated with T2DM.(2)In terms of the distribution of TCM syndromes,both groups were mainly characterized by phlegm-heat accumulating in the lung syndrome and phlegm-damp obstructing the lung syndrome,and BE-T2DM group had a higher proportion of phlegm-heat accumulating in the lung syndrome.(3)For the infection of pathogens,BE-T2DM group had a higher infection rate of Haemophilus influenzae,Acinetobacter baumannii,and Klebsiella pneumoniae,while the BE-only group was predominantly infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa;BE-T2DM group had a significantly higher rate of viral infections,mainly infected with influenza A virus,rhinovirus,and SARS-CoV-2;BE-T2DM group also suffered from fungal infections,usually infected with Candida albicans.Conclusion For BE patients complicated with T2DM,the independent risk factors are gender,BMI,hypertension,and FEV1/FVC;the common TCM syndromes are phlegm-heat accumulating in the lung and phlegm-damp obstructing the lung;pathogen infections are mainly caused by Gram-negative bacteria,viruses,and fungi.

Aim To investigate the effects of the fangchinoline derivative LYY-32 on the biological prop-erties of the BLM642-1290 DNA helicase,in order to lay a foundation for further research on its antitumor activity.Methods Fluorescence polarization assay,malachite green-phosphate and ammonium molybdate colorime-try,and fluorescein-labeled DNA gel electrophoresis experiments were conducted to study the effects of fangchinoline derivative LYY-32 on the DNA binding activity,ATPase activity,and DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase.The effects of LYY-32 on the DNA unwinding activity of DNA helicase in cells were studied using fluorescent techniques and time-lapse microscopy.Ultraviolet spectral scanning was used to investigate the effects of LYY-32 on the confor-mation of the BLM642-1290 DNA helicase.Results At a concentration of 10 μmol·L-1,the inhibition rate of LYY-32 on BLM642-1290 DNA helicase binding to dsDNA was 53.17％.At a concentration of 5 μmol·L-1,the inhibition rate of LYY-32 on BLM642-1290 DNA helicase binding to ssDNA was 88.49％.The inhibition rate of LYY-32 on the ATPase activity of BLM642-1290 DNA he-licase was 89.3％at a concentration of 50 μmol·L-1.When the concentration of LYY-32 exceeded 5μmol·L-1,its inhibition rate on the DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase was 100％.LYY-32 also significantly inhibited the DNA unwinding ac-tivity of DNA helicase in cells.However,LYY-32 had no effect on the conformation of BLM642-1290 DNA heli-case.Conclusion The DNA binding activity,AT-Pase activity,and DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase could be significantly inhibi-ted by the fangchinoline derivative LYY-32.

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that the vulnerability and elasticity of carotid plaques are related to the presence and degree of neovascularization within the plaque. Ultrasound,as the preferred measure to screen and evaluate vulnerable carotid plaques,is non-invasive,easy to perform,highly reproducible and radiation-free.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the influencing factors of vulnerable carotid plaque in the high-risk stroke population based on clinical baseline characteristics and carotid ultrasound parameters,and to develop a Nomogram prediction model based on independent risk factors.METHODS:A total of 180 patients who were identified to be at high risk of stroke by stroke screening at Fuzhou First People's Hospital from November 2021 to November 2023 were retrospectively selected as the study objects,and the patients were divided into a modeling set (n=126) and a validation set (n=54)at a ratio of 7∶3. According to the results of carotid artery ultrasound,the subjects in the modeling set were divided into a vulnerable plaque group (n=54) and a non-vulnerable plaque group (n=72). Independent risk factors were obtained by multi-factor Logistic regression,and a Nomogram model was constructed. Decision curves were drawn using R language to evaluate the clinical benefit of the model. The predictive efficacy of the model was tested by receiver operating characteristic curve and calibration curve,and the case data of the validation set were analyzed for external validation.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Multivariate Logistic regression results showed that age,family history of stroke,maximum carotid plaque thickness,carotid plaque quantity,urine microalbumin,urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio were associated with vulnerable carotid plaques in patients at high risk of stroke (P<0.05). The area under curve of the established Nomogram model was 0.917,and the sensitivity and specificity were 79.6％ and 91.7％,respectively. The results of decision curve showed that the potential clinical benefit of this model was considerable and its usability was high. The calibration curve results showed that the model had good prediction accuracy. The verification set results showed that the external prediction performance of the model was good. To conclude,age,family history of stroke,and maximum carotid plaque thickness in the high-risk population are all factors that influence this prediction model. This Nomogram based on these independent risk factors can provide a powerful reference for the clinical treatment of this high-risk population.

Objective To explore the effect of a self-developed augmented multi-task sensory exer-cise intervention on perceptual-motor skills and motor coordination in children with developmental coor-dination disorder(DCD).Methods Twenty-four DCD children aged 6～7 years were included and ran-domly divided into a control group(n=12)and an experimental group(n=12).Both groups maintained their daily physical activities and took P.E.classes in school,while the experimental group additional-ly underwent a multi-task somatosensory motor intervention consisting of 3 stages.Each stage lasted for 4 weeks,3 sessions per week,with progressively increased difficulty.A self-designed data process-ing module of the somatosensory intervention system was used to collect the scores of each task(i.e.,sensory-motor evaluation),and the changes in scores of each task at each stage were analyzed.More-over,before and after the intervention,the motor coordination ability was assessed using the Move-ment Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition(MABC-2),and the intra-and inter-group dif-ferences in MABC-2 scores were analyzed.Two weeks after the intervention,the experimental group conducted 3 sessions of motor relearning at the difficulty level of the 3rd stage to examine the effects of motor retention and relearning.Results 1)The experimental group showed a significant increase in their scores on all tasks from T1 to T5 during the enhanced multi-task somatosensory training of all the three stages(P<0.001,P<0.05).2)After the kinesthetic exercises,the experimental group had sig-nificantly higher abilities in fine motor skills,positioning&grasping and body balance compared to the control group(P<0.05),with relatively greater effect on threading beads,drawing traces,tossing and catching bags,single-leg balance,tiptoe walking and two-legged hopping(η2≥0.114).3)In the assessment of motor skill retention and relearning,the T1～T4 scores in the first retest were lower than the previous final ones(P<0.05),with no significant difference from those at the end of the second stage,but showing significantly higher T1 and T5 scores.Moreover,all the T1～T5 scores reached the level measured at the previous end of stage three after three sessions of relearning.Conclusion The augmented multi-task somatosensory practice based on perception-motor skills theory can enhance the perception-motor skills and motor coordination ability of the DCD children,with good motor skill reten-tion and recovery effectiveness after such intervention.

Aim To investigate the effects of the fangchinoline derivative LYY-32 on the biological prop-erties of the BLM642-1290 DNA helicase,in order to lay a foundation for further research on its antitumor activity.Methods Fluorescence polarization assay,malachite green-phosphate and ammonium molybdate colorime-try,and fluorescein-labeled DNA gel electrophoresis experiments were conducted to study the effects of fangchinoline derivative LYY-32 on the DNA binding activity,ATPase activity,and DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase.The effects of LYY-32 on the DNA unwinding activity of DNA helicase in cells were studied using fluorescent techniques and time-lapse microscopy.Ultraviolet spectral scanning was used to investigate the effects of LYY-32 on the confor-mation of the BLM642-1290 DNA helicase.Results At a concentration of 10 μmol·L-1,the inhibition rate of LYY-32 on BLM642-1290 DNA helicase binding to dsDNA was 53.17％.At a concentration of 5 μmol·L-1,the inhibition rate of LYY-32 on BLM642-1290 DNA helicase binding to ssDNA was 88.49％.The inhibition rate of LYY-32 on the ATPase activity of BLM642-1290 DNA he-licase was 89.3％at a concentration of 50 μmol·L-1.When the concentration of LYY-32 exceeded 5μmol·L-1,its inhibition rate on the DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase was 100％.LYY-32 also significantly inhibited the DNA unwinding ac-tivity of DNA helicase in cells.However,LYY-32 had no effect on the conformation of BLM642-1290 DNA heli-case.Conclusion The DNA binding activity,AT-Pase activity,and DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase could be significantly inhibi-ted by the fangchinoline derivative LYY-32.

ObjectiveTo investigate the optimal ratio of goat horn replacing antelope horn in Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills and the blood pressure-lowering mechanism of this medicine. MethodsThe blood pressure-lowering efficacy of Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills with varying proportions of goat horn replacing antelope horn was evaluated on spontaneous hypertensive rats （SHR）. In this experiment， 50 SHR rats were randomly grouped as follows： model （n=8）， captopril （0.01 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， low-dose blank Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.342 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， high-dose blank Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.684 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， low-dose antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.378 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， high-dose antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.756 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， low-dose goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.378 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， and high-dose goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.756 g·kg^-1） （n=6）. Additionally， 8 WKY rats were used as the normal group. Drugs were administered by gavage for 4 weeks while an equal volume of distilled water was administered for the normal and model groups. Blood pressure was measured before administration， 3 h post administration， and biweekly thereafter. In the experiment for Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills with goat horn replacing antelope horn in different proportions， 48 SHR rats were randomly grouped as follows： model， blank Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.684 g·kg^-1）， antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.756 g·kg^-1）， 2× goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.824 g·kg^-1）， 4× goat horn Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.969 g·kg^-1）， and 6× goat horn Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （1.112 g·kg^-1）. The normal group included 8 WKY rats， and the normal group and model group received an equal volume of distilled water. The treatment lasted for 2 weeks， and blood pressure was recorded at various time points （pre-administration， 3 h post administration， and on days 4， 7， 10， and 14 of administration）. Serum levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme （ACE）， angiotensin Ⅱ（Ang Ⅱ）， renin， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Histopathological changes in the heart， kidney， and thoracic aorta were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The protein levels of ACE2， angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor （AT1R）， and angiotensinogen （AGT） in the kidney tissue were determined by Western blot， while the expression of nuclear factor （NF）-κB p65 and Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） in the thoracic aorta tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry. ResultsCompared with the model group， all treatment groups showed lowered blood pressure （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the 6× goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills group showed consistent blood pressure-lowering effect with the antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills group. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed elevated serum levels of ACE， Ang Ⅱ， renin， and IL-6， while the elevations were declined in the Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Pathological changes in the heart， kidney， and thoracic aorta were alleviated in all the treatment groups， with the 6× goat horn- and antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills groups exhibited the best effect. Western blot and immunohistochemistry results showed that all the treatment groups exhibited down-regulated protein levels of AT1R， AGT， NF-κB p65， and TLR4 and up-regulated protein levels of ACE2 （P<0.05， P<0.01） compared with model group， with the 6×goat horn- and antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills groups showcasing the best effect. ConclusionReplacing antelope horn with 6×goat horn in Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills can achieve consistent blood pressure-lowering effect with the original prescription. The prescription may exert the effect by inhibiting the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system （RAAS） and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways.