This paper aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of action of the Yiqi Fumai Formula(YQFM), a kind of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), on mice with experimental heart failure based on the "heart-gut axis" theory. Based on the network pharmacology integrated with the group collaboration algorithm, the active ingredients were screened, a "component-target-disease" network was constructed, and the potential pathways regulated by the formula were predicted and analyzed. Next, the model of experimental heart failure was established by intraperitoneal injection of adriamycin at a single high dose(15 mg·kg~(-1)) in BALB/c mice. After intraperitoneal injection of YQFM(lyophilized) at 7.90, 15.80, and 31.55 mg·d~(-1) for 7 d, the protective effects of the formula on cardiac function were evaluated using indicators such as ultrasonic electrocardiography and myocardial injury markers. Combined with inflammatory factors in the cardiac and colorectal tissue, as well as targeted assays, the relevant indicators of potential pathways were verified. Meanwhile, 16S rDNA sequencing was performed on mouse fecal samples using the Illumina platform to detect changes in gut flora and analyze differential metabolic pathways. The results show that the administration of injectable YQFM(lyophilized) for 7 d significantly increased the left ventricular end-systolic internal diameter, fractional shortening, and ejection fraction of cardiac tissue of mice with experimental heart failure(P<0.05). Moreover, markers of myocardial injury were significantly decreased(P<0.05), indicating improved cardiac function, along with significantly suppressed inflammatory responses in cardiac and intestinal tissue(P<0.05). Additionally, the species of causative organisms was decreased, and the homeostasis of gut flora was improved, involving a modulatory effect on PI3K-Akt signaling pathway-related inflammation in cardiac and colorectal tissue. In conclusion, YQFM can affect the "heart-gut axis" immunity through the homeostasis of the gut flora, thereby exerting a therapeutic effect on heart failure. This finding provides a reference for the combination of TCM and western medicine to prevent and treat heart failure based on the "heart-gut axis" theory.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Heart Failure/microbiology* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Male ; Disease Models, Animal ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Heart/physiopathology* ; Humans ; Signal Transduction/drug effects*

Cardiac fibrosis is characterized by an elevated amount of extracellular matrix (ECM) within the heart. However, the persistence of cardiac fibrosis ultimately diminishes contractility and precipitates cardiac dysfunction. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of cardiac fibrosis. Here, we elucidate the functional role of a specific circular RNA CELF1 in cardiac fibrosis and delineate a novel feedback loop mechanism. Functionally, circ-CELF1 was involved in enhancing fibrosis-related markers' expression and promoting the proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), thereby exacerbating cardiac fibrosis. Mechanistically, circ-CELF1 reduced the ubiquitination-degradation rate of BRPF3, leading to an elevation of BRPF3 protein levels. Additionally, BRPF3 acted as a modular scaffold for the recruitment of histone acetyltransferase KAT7 to facilitate the induction of H3K14 acetylation within the promoters of the Celf1 gene. Thus, the transcription of Celf1 was dramatically activated, thereby inhibiting the subsequent response of their downstream target gene Smad7 expression to promote cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, Celf1 further promoted Celf1 pre-mRNA transcription and back-splicing, thereby establishing a feedback loop for circ-CELF1 production. Consequently, a novel feedback loop involving CELF1/circ-CELF1/BRPF3/KAT7 was established, suggesting that circ-CELF1 may serve as a potential novel therapeutic target for cardiac fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective To construct and validate a risk prediction model for poor inhalation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)patients receiving inhaler therapy,providing a decision support tool for personalized prevention of poor inhalation.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data related to COPD patients receiving inhaler therapy,forming a dataset.The dataset was randomly divided into a training set and a test set in a ratio of 4∶1.Four different methods for missing value imputation,3 methods for variable feature selection,and 18 machine learning algorithms were employed to successfully construct 216 models on the training set.The monte carlo simulation method was used for resampling in the test set to validate the models,with the area under curve(AUC),accuracy,precision,recall,and F1 score used to evaluate model performance.The optimal model was selected to build the poor inhalation prediction platform.Results A study involving 308 patients with COPD found that 135(43.8%)were at risk of adverse inhalation.Using 33 predictor variables,216 risk prediction models were developed.Of these models,the ensemble learning algorithm yielded the highest average AUC of 0.844,with a standard deviation of 0.058[95%CI=(0.843,0.845)].The differences in predictive performance among the 216 models were statistically significant(P＜0.01).Under the ensemble learning algorithm,adherence to inhaler use(38.087 4%),inhaler satisfaction(25.680 1%),literacy(24.031 3%),number of inhalers(5.482 3%),age(4.204 5%)and number of acute exacerbations in the past year(2.184 7%)contributed most to the predictive model.The model exhibited superior performance,with an AUC of 0.869 3,an accuracy of 83.87%,a precision of 86.96%,a recall of 74.07%,and an F1 score of 0.8.Conclusion This study has developed a predictive model for poor inhalation risk in COPD inhaler therapy patients using machine learning algorithms,which exhibits strong predictive capabilities and holds potential clinical application value.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical value of cognitive and motor function in predicting conversion to neurodegenerative disorders in patients with isolated rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD).Methods:Forty-seven patients with iRBD were collected from the Department of Neurology of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital and Tianjin Medical University General Hospital Airport Site during October 2018 and June 2022. All participants received comprehensive evaluations of cognitive and motor function at baseline. The visuospatial function was evaluated by Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF)-copy, the memory function was evaluated by Auditory Verbal Learning Test and ROCF-recall, the attention-executive function was evaluated by Trail Making Test (TMT) and Stroop Color-Word Test, and the language function was evaluated by Boston Naming Test. The motor function was evaluated by Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale-Ⅲ, Alternate-tap Test (ATT), and 3-meter Timed Up and Go Test. The iRBD patients with phenoconversion were identified during follow-up. Receiver operating characteristic curve and generalized linear model Logistic regression were applied to identify the optimal combination of cognitive and motor tests in distinguishing the converters from non-converters in patients with iRBD. Multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to evaluate the independent risk factors in predicting conversion to neurodegenerative diseases in patients with iRBD.Results:The median follow-up duration was 3 years. Forty-five iRBD patients were included in the analysis eventually, as 2 dropped out at follow-up. Twenty-one iRBD patients developed neurodegenerative disorders, with 14 presenting motor phenotype and 7 cognitive phenotype. Baseline ROCF-copy, TMT-A and ATT were best combination in identifying iRBD patients with phenoconversion [sensitivity: 90.0%, specificity: 87.5%, area under curve (AUC): 0.931, P<0.001]. Baseline TMT-A and ATT were best combination in identifying iRBD patients with motor phenotype conversion (sensitivity: 100.0%, specificity: 66.7%, AUC: 0.872, P<0.001); Baseline TMT-A performed best in identifying iRBD patients with cognitive phenotype conversion (sensitivity: 83.3%, specificity: 91.7%, AUC: 0.917, P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that individuals with poorer performance of TMT-A (cut-off value: 63.0 s) and ATT (cut-off value: 205.5 taps/min) than the cut-off values at baseline had higher risks for developing to neurodegenerative disorders, with HR values of 5.455 (95% CI 1.243-23.941, P=0.025) and 11.279 (95% CI 1.485-85.646, P=0.019), respectively. Conclusions:In iRBD, ROCF-copy, TMT-A and ATT served as optimum combination in predicting phenoconversion, whereas TMT-A and ATT served as optimum combination in predicting motor phenotype, and TMT-A performed best in predicting cognitive phenotype. The performance in TMT-A and ATT in iRBD could predict the risk of developing to neurodegenerative disorders independently.

Objective:To investigate the expression and clinical significance of CD30 in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 124 cases of primary DLBCL diagnosed at Changzhou Second People's Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing Medical University from January 2018 to July 2020.The expression of CD30 in patients with DLBCL was detected by immunohistochemical method,and the clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed and compared between CD30+and CD30-groups.Kaplan-Meier analysis was used for survival analysis.The relationship between CD30 expression and clinical features and prognosis were analyzed.Results:Among the 124 patients with DLBCL,19 patients expressed CD30,and the positive rate is 15.32％.The clinico-pathological characteristics of CD30+in patients with DLBCL were characterized by low age,more common in males,fewer extranodal lesions,lower international prognostic index(IPI),GCB type being more common in Hans subtype,and achieving better therapeutic effects(P＜0.05).However,there were no significant statistical differences in B-symptoms(P=0.323),Ann Arbor staging(P=0.197),Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group(ECOG)score(P=0.479),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)(P=0.477),and the involvement of bone marrow(P=0.222).There were significant differences in OS and PFS between the CD30+and CD30-groups(x2=5.653,P=0.017;x2=4.109,P=0.043),the CD30+group had a better prognosis than that of the CD30-group.The results of subgroup analysis showed that the CD30+group in the IPI score=1-2,LDH elevated group had a better prognosis(P＜0.05).In the subgroups of Ann Arbor staging Ⅲ-Ⅳ(P=0.055)and non GCB type(P=0.053),the CD30+group had a good prognosis trend,but the difference was not statistically significant.The results of univariate analysis showed that the good prognosis of DLBCL patients was closely related to CD30+expression,no B-symptoms,early Ann Arbor staging,low ECOG score,normal LDH,low IPI score,fewer extranodal involvement,and obtaining the best therapeutic effect as CR(all P＜0.05).COX multivariate regression analysis showed that the presence of B-symptoms and achieving the best therapeutic effect as Non-CR were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of DLBCL patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion:The CD30+expression in DLBCL patients indicates a good prognosis and has certain diagnostic value in evaluating the prognosis of DLBCL patients.

Aim To investigate the effects of Cartham-us tinctorius L.extract(CTLE)on oxidative stress,lipid metabolism,and apoptosis levels of mice with al-cohol-induced liver injury and its mechanism of action.Methods The mouse model of alcohol-associated liver disease was established by chronic alcohol feeding and acute alcohol gavage.Mice were randomly divided into four groups.During the modeling period,the state changes of mice were observed every day,and their weight was recorded.At the end of modeling,blood and liver tissues were collected from each group of mice.The blood of mice was analyzed biochemically,and HE staining and Oil Red O staining were used to evaluate further the degree of pathological damage in the liver of mice.Quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR)and Western blot were applied to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of p-PI3K,PI3K,p-Akt,Akt,p-mTOR,mTOR,p-FoxO1,FoxO1,p-FoxO3a,FoxO3a,p-FoxO4,FoxO4,BCL and BAX factors.Results Compared to the model group,the CTLE administration group showed improved hepatic patho-logical injury and reduced lipid deposition.The bio-chemical indexes in serum and liver,such as ALT,AST,TG,TC,and MDA levels were reduced,while GSH and SOD levels increased.Regulating the PI3K/Akt/FoxO pathway resulted in increased production of SOD,which reduced damage and apoptosis caused by reactive oxygen species(ROS).Conclusions CTLE can exert anti-oxidative stress and anti-apoptotic effects through the PI3K/Akt/FoxO pathway and attenuates alcoholic liver injury in mice,providing new ideas for the treatment of alcoholic liver disease and the develop-ment of related drugs.

Aim To explore the protective effects of Xiyanping injection against lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced acute lung injury(ALI)in mice,and investi-gate the underlying mechanism.Methods In the LPS-induced ALI mouse model,the protective effect of Xiyanping injection against ALI was evaluated by ob-serving the pathological indicators of lung tissue.Net-work pharmacology and molecular docking were used to explore its mechanism.Western blot method was used to validate the predicted target proteins.Results Xiy-anping injection significantly improved the pathological injury and alleviated inflammatory reactions in lungs of ALI mice.Four active ingredients were identified in Xiyanping injection,namely,14-deoxy-11-oxo-an-drographolide,14-deoxyandrographolide,14-deoxy-12-methoxyandrographolide,and andrographolide-19-β-D-glucoside.A total of 288 corresponding drug targets and 4 960 ALI-related targets were obtained,with 192 genes overlapping.The ten core targets associated with Xiyanping injection were identified as STAT3,EGFR,PIK3R1,MAPK1,PIK3CA,NFKB1,ESR1,MAPK8,JAK2,and FYN.GO enrichment analysis re-vealed 310 biological processes(BP),65 cellular components(CC),and 80 molecular functions(MF)associated with the overlapping genes.KEGG pathway enrichment analysis identified 141 pathways related to ALI,with the top 20 pathways including MAPK,TNF-α,VEGF,cAMP,mTOR,AMPK,NOD,JAK-STAT,IL-17,and NF-κB.Molecular docking results demonstrated strong binding affinity between core tar-gets(MAPK1,MAPK8,NFKB1)and active ingredi-ents(14-deoxy-12-methoxyandrographolide and 14-de-oxyandrographolide).Western blotting showed that medium and high doses of Xiyanping injection signifi-cantly downregulated p38,JNK,ERKl/2,NF-κB p65 protein expression in lung tissue of ALI mice(P＜0.01).Conclusions Xiyanping injection has a cer-tain protective effect against ALI,and the mechanism is related to regulating MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy between herbal-moxa plaster and moxa-box moxibustion for diarrhea type irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) of spleen and kidney yang deficiency. METHODS: Eighty patients with IBS-D of spleen and kidney yang deficiency were randomly divided into a herbal-moxa plaster group and a moxa-box moxibustion group, 40 cases in each group. The patients in the two groups were treated with conventional acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (GV 24⁺), Zhongwan (CV 12) and bilateral Tianshu (ST 25), Yinlingquan (SP 9), and Taixi (KI 3), etc. In addition, the patients in the herbal-moxa plaster group were treated with herbal-moxa plaster (Wenyang Fuzheng ointment, composed of prepared monkshood, prepared evodia rutaecarpa, dried ginger, cinnamon, etc.) at Shenque (CV 8), Guanyuan (CV 4), Zhongwan (CV 12) and bilateral Tianshu (ST 25), Shenshu (BL 23) and Shangjuxu (ST 37); the patients in the moxa-box moxibustion group were treated with moxa-box moxibustion at the same acupoints as the herbal-moxa plaster group. The acupuncture-moxibustion treatment was provided once every other day for 4 weeks (14 treatments). Before and after treatment, the scores of clinical symptom of TCM, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptom severity scale (IBS-SSS) and IBS quality of life scale (IBS-QOL) were compared between the two groups, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated. RESULTS: Compared with those before treatment, each item scores and total scores of clinical symptom of TCM, and IBS-SSS scores in the two groups were reduced after treatment (P<0.05). The abdominal bloating score, stool frequency score and total score of clinical symptom of TCM as well as IBS-SSS score in the herbal-moxa plaster group were lower than those in the moxa-box moxibustion group (P<0.05). Compared with those before treatment, the IBS-QOL scores in the two groups were increased after treatment (P<0.05), and the IBS-QOL score in the herbal-moxa plaster group was higher than that in the moxa-box moxibustion group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 92.5% (37/40) in the herbal-moxa plaster group, which was higher than 85.0% (34/40) in the moxa-box moxibustion group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION On the basis of conventional acupuncture treatment, herbal-moxa plaster could effectively improve the clinical symptoms and quality of life in IBS-D patients of spleen and kidney yang deficiency, and its efficacy is superior to that of moxa-box moxibustion.
Humans ; Spleen ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome/drug therapy* ; Quality of Life ; Yang Deficiency/drug therapy* ; Kidney ; Diarrhea

Objective To examine the antiplatelet effect of ticagrelor by microfluidic chip and flow cytometry under shear stress in vitro. Methods Microfluidic chip was used to examine the effect of ticagrelor on platelet aggregation at the shear rates of 300/s and 1500/s.We adopted the surface coverage of platelet aggregation to calculate the half inhibition rate of ticagrelor.The inhibitory effect of ticagrelor on ADP-induced platelet aggregation was verified by optical turbidimetry.Microfluidic chip was used to construct an in vitro vascular stenosis model,with which the platelet reactivity under high shear rate was determined.Furthermore,the effect of ticagrelor on the expression of fibrinogen receptor (PAC-1) and P-selectin (CD62P) on platelet membrane activated by high shear rate was analyzed by flow cytometry. Results At the shear rates of 300/s and 1500/s,ticagrelor inhibited platelet aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner,and the inhibition at 300/s was stronger than that at 1500/s (both P<0.001).Ticagrelor at a concentration ≥4 μmol/L almost completely inhibited platelet aggregation.The inhibition of ADP-induced platelet aggregation by ticagrelor was similar to the results under flow conditions and also in a concentration-dependent manner.Ticagrelor inhibited the expression of PAC-1 and CD62P. Conclusion We employed microfluidic chip to analyze platelet aggregation and flow cytometry to detect platelet activation,which can reveal the responses of different patients to ticagrelor.
Humans ; Ticagrelor/pharmacology* ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors/pharmacology* ; Flow Cytometry/methods* ; Microfluidics ; Platelet Aggregation