Aim To screen and study the effects of Tao Hong Si Wu decoction(THSWD)-mediated treat-ment on circular RNA(circRNA)expression profiles in rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO),and investigate the possible roles and molecular mecha-nisms of THSWD.Methods Next-generation RNA sequencing was conducted to identify circRNA expres-sion profiles in MCAO rats after treatment with THSWD and compared with the MCAO model group and control group.Bioinformatics analysis was performed to predict the potential target microRNAs and mRNAs.Gene On-tology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analyses for the potential target mRNAs were applied to explore the potential roles of differentially expressed circRNAs.RT-qPCR was performed to verify circRNAs with significant differences in expression.Results We identified 87 significantly differentially expressed circRNAs between the MCAO group versus the control group,and 86 sig-nificantly differentially expressed circRNAs between the MCAO group versus the THSWD group.respective-ly.Among them,17 circRNAs induced by the MCAO model were reversed via treatment with THSWD.To demonstrate the roles of mRNAs targeted by DECs,the GO and KEGG databases were used.Further analysis revealed that five circRNAs may play important roles in the development of MCAO.Conclusions The com-prehensive expression profile of circRNAs in rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion after THSWD treat-ment is determined for the first time,suggesting that the therapeutic effect of THSWD on MCAO may be a-chieved by regulating the expression of circRNAs.

Aim To investigate the synergistic sensiti-zation effect of saikosaponin D(SSD)combined with temozolomide(TMZ)on glioblastoma cells(GBM)and its molecular mechanism.Methods The sensitiv-ity of RG-2,U251 and LN-428 GBM cell lines to SSD and TMZ was analyzed by CCK-8 method combined with HE staining,and the optimal compatible concen-tration was screened.The effect of HE staining com-bined with Hoechst fluorescence staining on the prolif-eration of GBM cell line was detected by clonal forma-tion experiment.The autophagosome formation of GBM cells was observed by monodansylcadaverine(MDC)staining.The expression and distribution of endoplas-mic reticulum stress-related factors and apoptosis and autophagy proteins were detected by Western blot and ICC.Results The sensitivity order of GBM cells to TMZ was RG-2＞U251＞LN-428.The results of com-bined administration showed the synergistic inhibitory effect of SSD combined with TMZ on proliferation of GBM cell lines,which was confirmed by cell cloning formation experiment.Compared with the TMZ group,Hoechst fluorescence staining showed a significant in-crease in the number of nuclear bright staining in the combined administration group.MDC fluorescence staining showed that there were more dense green parti-cles in the cytoplasm of SSD/TMZ plus group than that of TMZ group.Western blot results showed that com-pared with TMZ group,the expression of ER stress markers GRP78,CHOP,p-PERK and ATF6 signifi-cantly increased in SSD/TMZ group(P＜0.05).The expressions of apoptosis proteins caspase-12,caspase-9,caspase-3,cleaved caspase-3,Bax and autophagy proteins LC3 and Beclin-1 significantly increased(P＜0.05),which were verified by ICC test.Conclusions SSD can cooperate with TMZ to inhibit the prolifera-tion of GBM cells and induce apoptosis and autophagy,and enhance the sensitivity of GBM cells to TMZ by ac-tivating endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.

AIM To study the chemical constituents from salt-processed Citri Reticulatae Semen and their antioxidant activities.METHODS The 85% ethanol extract from salt-processed Citri Reticulatae Semen was isolated and purified by silica gel,D101 macroporous resins,MCI,ODS,Sephadex LH-20 and semi-prepative HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.Their antioxidant activities in vitro of the ethanol extract of Citri Reticulatae Semen,salt-processed Citri Reticulatae Semen and all the obtained compounds were evaluated by DPPH and ABTS+assay.RESULTS Sixteen compounds were isolated and identified as limonin(1),obacunone(2),nomilin(3),deacetyl nomilin(4),kaempferol(5),nobiletin(6),diosmetin(7),isosakuranetin(8),hesperetin(9),epicatechin(10),trans-p-menthane-1α,2β,8-triol(11),byakangelicin(12),vanillin(13),p-coumaric acid(14),4-[(1-ethoxy-2-hydroxy)ethyl]phenol(15),catechol(16).Compound 10 showed strong DPPH free radical scavenging activity,with an IC50 value of(0.015±0.001)μmol/mL,and strong ABTS+radical scavenging activity,with an IC50 value of(0.010±0.005)μmol/mL.CONCLUSION Compounds 8,11,15-16 are isolated from genus Citrus for the first time,5,12,14 are obtained from Citri Reticulatae Semen for the first time.Compound 10 shows obvious antioxidant activities.After salt roasting,the antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract of Citri Reticulatae Semen is enhanced.

Objective:To investigate the Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori) infection of Tibetan families and individuals in the Western Sichuan Plateau region and explore the related factors which affected H. pylori infection. Methods:This was a single-center cross-sectional study. Questionnaires were collected from 50 Tibetan families including 155 individuals in Western Sichuan Plateau region during March to May 2023. The 13C-urea breath test was performed to confirm the current infection status of participants. Binary logistic regression were used to analyze the related factors associated with H. pylori infection. Results:Among the 50 Tibetan households, the individual-based H. pylori infection rate was 47.10%(73/155), with two out of nine children and 48.63%(71/146) adults infected. The age group of 18 to 40 years had the highest infection rate (55.00%, 11/20). The prevalence of infection based on family was 80.00%(40/50), of which 16.00%(8/50) had all family members infected. Of the 59 couples surveyed, 23.73%(14/59) were both infected, and 45.76%(27/59) had one person infected. Of the six families which had children and adolescents, two households had their children infected. Logistic regression analysis showed that size of the family was a factor related to H. pylori infection (odds ratio=3.038, 95% confidence interval 1.043 to 10.491, P=0.042). Conclusions:The family-based H. pylori infection rate is relatively high in Tibetan residents in the Western Sichuan Plateau, and larger family size is related with higher risk of H. pylori infection within the family.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of roxallistat combined with polysaccharide iron complex and Shengxuening in the treatment of maintenance hemodialysis renal anemia with poor recombinant human erythropoiesis.Methods Maintenance hemodialysis renal anemia patients with poor recombinant human erythropoietin effect were divided into control group and treatment group according to random number table method.The control group took roxallistat orally with a body weight of＞60 kg,120 mg each time,3 times a week,and 45-60 kg with 100 mg each time,3 times a week;oral polysaccharide iron complex,300 mg each time,once a day.The treatment group was given Shengxuening orally based on the control group,0.25-0.50 g each time,3 times a day.Both groups were treated for 3 months.The clinical efficacy,inflammatory factors,iron metabolism,renal function,anemia index,traditional Chinese medicine symptom score and adverse drug reaction were compared between the two groups.Results In the control group,34 cases were enrolled,1 case fell off,and finally 33 cases were included in the analysis.In the treatment group,35 cases were enrolled,1 case was shed,and 34 cases were finally included in the analysis.After treatment,the total effective rate of treatment group and control group was 97.06％(33 cases/34 cases)and 81.82％(27 cases/33 cases),respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).After treatment,the nuclear transcription factor kappa B(NK-κB)in treatment group and control group were(24.09±3.06)and(35.23±4.11)ng·L-1;interferon gamma(IFN-γ)were(41.39±4.13)and(50.10±5.27)ng·L-1;transferrin saturation(TAST)were(38.62±5.91)％and(31.16±4.73)％;serum ferritin(SF)were(28.13±5.77)and(22.47±4.65)μmol·L-1;serum iron(SI)were(15.66±3.76)and(13.19±2.94)μmol·L-1;urinary protein excretion rate(24 h UPE)were(1.85±0.41)and(2.91±0.62)g·24 h-1;blood urea nitrogen(BUN)were(5.16±0.67)and(6.89±0.97)mmol·L-1;hemoglobin(Hb)were(91.38±11.23)and(83.19±8.54)g·L-1;hematocrit(Hct)were(29.01±7.40)％and(24.56±5.69)％;main disease score were(5.29±1.05)and(7.15±1.53)scores;the secondary scores were(3.11±0.46)and(4.98±0.77)scores;the total scores were(8.40±1.49)and(12.13±2.30)scores,with statistical significance(all P＜0.05).The total incidence of adverse drug reactions in treatment group and control group were 14.71％and 9.09％,with no statistical significance(P＞0.05).Conclusion Roxallistat combined with polysaccharide and iron complex and Shengxuening have good therapeutic effect in the treatment of maintenance hemodialysis renal anemia with poor recombinant human erythropoietin effect;it can reduce inflammation,regulate iron metabolism,improve renal function,and reduce adverse drug reactions.

This study investigates whether compounds in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge can bind to the Toll like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation protein 2 (TLR4/MD2) protein complex and exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. Virtual screening of reported chemical components of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge against TLR4/MD2 was conducted in this study. The selected compound, neoprzewaquinone A (Neo A), was tested for its impact on the binding of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to receptors on the cell membrane, its affinity for the protein, its influence on the dimerization of TLR4 and MD2 in LPS-induced cells, and its effects on the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 protein and the secretion of inflammatory cytokines in cells. Results indicate that Neo A in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge exhibited the highest virtual binding affinity with TLR4/MD2, with a value of -12.8 kcal·mol^-1. Neo A significantly inhibited the binding of LPS to receptors on the cell membrane (P < 0.01). Moreover, Neo A demonstrated affinity for rhTLR4/MD2, rhTLR4, and rhMD2, with K_D values of 267, 534, and 228 nmol·L^-1, respectively. Amino acid residues like TYR131 and PHE121 in TLR4/MD2 might play a role in the alkyl and π-alkyl hydrophobic interactions with Neo A. Neo A also significantly inhibited the dimerization of TLR4 and MD2 in LPS-mediated cells (P < 0.01) and markedly suppressed the phosphorylation of NF-κBp65 protein (P < 0.05). Furthermore, Neo A significantly or markedly inhibited the secretion of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in LPS-induced cells (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In conclusion, Neo A exerts its anti-inflammatory effects by binding TLR4/MD2 then disrupting the binding of LPS to TLR4/MD2. It may serve as a TLR4/MD2 inhibitor with the potential to treat inflammation-related diseases targeting TLR4/MD2.

Objective To analyze the correlation between irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)as well as its subtypes and gallbladder stone.Methods Collected the clinical data of 556 patients who were treated in Department of Gastroenterology of the Sixth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2019 to March 2023.The patients were divided into IBS group(n=161)and non-IBS group(n=395).The subjects were investigated by questionnaire,physical examination and blood examination,and the data of gender,age,height,weight,blood pressure and blood biochemical indexes were obtained and compared between two groups.The relation between gallbladder stone and IBS were evaluated by logistic regression analysis.Results There were 90 cases of gallbladder stone in the total population,accounting for 16.2%,including 37 cases of gallbladder stone in IBS group(23.0%)and 53 cases in non-IBS group(13.4%).The prevalence rate of gallbladder stone in IBS group was significantly higher than that in non-IBS group(P<0.05).There were 6 cases of gallbladder muddy stones(3.7%)in IBS group and 3 cases(0.8%)in non-IBS group.And the prevalence rate of gallbladder muddy stones in IBS group was also significantly higher than that in non-IBS group(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that the age,BMI,total bile acids(TBA),total cholesterol(TC)and combined IBS were independently related to the occurrence of gallbladder stone(P<0.05).In the 161 IBS patients,there were 114 cases of diarrhea-predominant IBS(IBS-D group),including 26 cases(22.8%)of gallbladder stone in IBS-diarrhea(IBS-D,n=114)group and 47 cases of constipation-predominant IBS(IBS-C group),including 11 cases(23.4%)of gallbladder stone.And there were 53 cases(13.4%)of gallbladder stone in the non-IBS group(n=395).Further analysis showed that the prevalence rate of gallbladder stone in IBS-D group was significantly higher than that in non-IBS group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in gallbladder stone prevalence rate between IBS-C group and non-IBS group(P>0.05).Conclusions There is a correlation between IBS and gallbladder stones.In addition,among the two subtypes of IBS,IBS-D patients may have an increased risk of gallbladder stone compared with non-IBS patients.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between clinical phenotypes and genetic characteristics of children with ring chromosomes (RCs).Methods:Case series study.The clinical data of 11 434 children who received treatment and peripheral blood chromosome karyotype detection in Henan Children′s Hospital from October 2008 to October 2023 due to growth retardation, intellectual impairment or congenital malformation were analyzed retrospectively.A total of 25 children with RCs were selected.Their age at diagnosis, karyotype distribution, clinical manifestations, and genetic detection results were analyzed.Results:RCs were detected in 25 out of 11 434 children, with a detection rate of 0.21%.The genome-wide copy number variation (CNV) analysis was performed on 7 RCs cases, and it found that pathogenic variation existed in all of them.Among the 25 RC cases (11 males and 14 females of social gender), the age at diagnosis ranged from 2 months to 14 years; there were 20 autosomal rings and 5 sex chromosome rings; 13 cases had chimeric karyotypes, and 12 cases had non-chimeric karyotypes.Most of the 25 children showed clinical manifestations of mental or developmental retardation, and some also presented with specific clinical manifestations, such as short stature, congenital malformation, and epilepsy.Conclusions:The pathogenesis of RCs is complex.The clinical manifestations are determined by both RCs syndrome and specific phenotypes caused by the dose effect and exhibit high heterogeneity, so it is easy to miss or misdiagnose.The combined application of cellular and molecular genetic detection technology can facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of RCs, and the correlation analysis of phenotypes and genetic characteristics can provide guidance for genetic counseling.

AIM: To investigate the changes in peripapillary choroidal thickness(pCT)within 1a of the first episode of acute primary angle closure glaucoma(APACG).METHODS: A prospective cohort study. A total of 31 patients with APACG who admitted to the ophthalmology department of Shijiazhuang People's Hospital from October 2015 to September 2019 were selected, with 31 eyes in attack group, 31 fellow eyes in preclinical group and 30 cases(30 eyes)in control group. pCT of the three groups was measured respectively at the attack period, 1wk, 1, 3, 6mo and 1a after surgery.RESULTS: The pCT of the attack group was thicker than that in the attack period when at 1wk after surgery, and continued to become thinner within the following 1a(P<0.05). The pCT of the attack group was thicker than that of the other two groups during the attack period and at 1wk after surgery, while it became thinner at 1a(P<0.05). In the attack group, the average pCT was positively correlated with the duration of intraocular hypertension and negatively correlated with the anterior chamber depth(P<0.05).CONCLUSION: For patients with first episode of APACG, pCT was diffusely thickened during attack and at 1wk after surgery. The pCT returned to normal at 1mo, while it became thinner at 1a. Furthermore, the average pCT was positively correlated with the duration of intraocular hypertension, and the choroidal thickness may play an important role in the attack of APACG.

Background: and Purpose Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is common in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Early recognition OH is required with sensitive assessments. The purpose of this study was to determine whether blood pressure (BP) changes during exercise can predict the occurrence of OH in PD. Methods: This prospective cohort study included 80 consecutive patients with PD. All patients agreed to participate in a baseline evaluation and cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET).According to the initial active standing test (AST), those without OH (PD-nonOH) at baseline had their AST results followed up for 6 months. The main outcome was defined as whether patients without OH at baseline would develop OH after 6 months. Logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the relevant variables. A nomogram was constructed based on clinical features and identified variables. The concordance index (C-index) and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the accuracy and predictive ability of the nomogram, respectively. Results: CPET results indicated that peak load, peak heart rate, heart rate recovery at 1 min, and systolic BP change (ΔSBP) were lower in those with OH than in the PD-nonOH group (p<0.05) at baseline. Logistic regression analysis indicated that peak load and ΔSBP during CPET had significant effects on OH (p<0.05). Age, sex, peak load, and ΔSBP were used to construct the nomogram model (C-index=0.761). The prediction model had an AUC of 0.782 (95% confidence interval=0.649–0.889) and a specificity and sensitivity of 70.0% and 81.8%, respectively. Conclusions This study has identified predictive factors for OH development in patients with PD. CPET could be used as a complementary examination to identify patients at a high risk of OH.