ObjectiveStudies have shown that nuciferine has anti-cerebral ischemia effect， but the specific mechanism of action has not been elaborated. Based on the transcriptome results， the pharmacological mechanism of nuciferine against cerebral ischemia was analyzed from multiple dimensions including tissue， cell， pathological process， biological process and signaling pathway. MethodsThirty SD rats were randomly divided into the sham group， model group and nuciferine group（40 mg·kg^-1） according to weight. Except for the sham group， the model of middle cerebral artery occlusion（MCAO） was established by thread embolization method after 30 min of administration in the other two groups. Twenty-four hours after surgery， transcriptome sequencing was used to detect the gene expression profiles in the cortex penumbra of rat cerebral tissue， and gene ontology（GO） and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes（KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis were performed for differentially expressed genes. The mechanismof nuciferine against cerebral ischemia was analyzed from 5 dimensions of tissue， cell， pathological process， biological process and signaling pathway by the transcriptome-based multi-scale network pharmacology platform（TMNP）. ResultsTranscriptome sequencing and gene quantitative analysis showed that 667 genes were significantly reversed by nuciferine. Further enrichment analysis of KEGG and GO suggested that the pathways of nuciferine involved regulating stress response， ion transport， cell proliferation and differentiation， and synaptic function. TMNP research found that at the tissue level， nuciferine could significantly improve the cerebral tissue injury caused by ischemia. At the cellular and pathological levels， nuciferine could play an anti-cerebral ischemia role by improving the state of various nerve cells， mobilizing immune cells， regulating inflammation. And at the level of biological processes and signaling pathways， nuciferine mainly acted on the processes such as vascular remodeling， inflammation-related signaling pathways， and synaptic signaling. ConclusionCombined with the results of transcriptome sequencing， gene quantitative analysis and TMNP， the mechanism of nuciferine against cerebral ischemia may be related to processes such as intervening in stress response and inflammation， affecting vascular remodeling and regulating synaptic function. These results can provide a basis and reference for further study of the pharmacological mechanism of nuciferine against cerebral ischemia.

Background/Aims: Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a chronic liver disease characterized by hepatic steatosis. Ubiquitin-specific protease 29 (USP29) plays pivotal roles in hepatic ischemiareperfusion injury and hepatocellular carcinoma, but its role in MASLD remains unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to reveal the effects and underlying mechanisms of USP29 in MASLD progression. Methods: USP29 expression was assessed in liver samples from MASLD patients and mice. The role and molecular mechanism of USP29 in MASLD were assessed in high-fat diet-fed and high-fat/high-cholesterol diet-fed mice and palmitic acid and oleic acid treated hepatocytes. Results: USP29 protein levels were significantly reduced in mice and humans with MASLD. Hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis were significantly exacerbated by USP29 deletion and relieved by USP29 overexpression. Mechanistically, USP29 significantly activated the expression of genes related to fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) under metabolic stimulation, directly interacted with long-chain acyl-CoA synthase 5 (ACSL5) and repressed ACSL5 degradation by increasing ACSL5 K48-linked deubiquitination. Moreover, the effect of USP29 on hepatocyte lipid accumulation and MASLD was dependent on ACSL5. Conclusions USP29 functions as a novel negative regulator of MASLD by stabilizing ACSL5 to promote FAO. The activation of the USP29-ACSL5 axis may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for MASLD.

Background/Aims: Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a chronic liver disease characterized by hepatic steatosis. Ubiquitin-specific protease 29 (USP29) plays pivotal roles in hepatic ischemiareperfusion injury and hepatocellular carcinoma, but its role in MASLD remains unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to reveal the effects and underlying mechanisms of USP29 in MASLD progression. Methods: USP29 expression was assessed in liver samples from MASLD patients and mice. The role and molecular mechanism of USP29 in MASLD were assessed in high-fat diet-fed and high-fat/high-cholesterol diet-fed mice and palmitic acid and oleic acid treated hepatocytes. Results: USP29 protein levels were significantly reduced in mice and humans with MASLD. Hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis were significantly exacerbated by USP29 deletion and relieved by USP29 overexpression. Mechanistically, USP29 significantly activated the expression of genes related to fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) under metabolic stimulation, directly interacted with long-chain acyl-CoA synthase 5 (ACSL5) and repressed ACSL5 degradation by increasing ACSL5 K48-linked deubiquitination. Moreover, the effect of USP29 on hepatocyte lipid accumulation and MASLD was dependent on ACSL5. Conclusions USP29 functions as a novel negative regulator of MASLD by stabilizing ACSL5 to promote FAO. The activation of the USP29-ACSL5 axis may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for MASLD.

Background/Aims: Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a chronic liver disease characterized by hepatic steatosis. Ubiquitin-specific protease 29 (USP29) plays pivotal roles in hepatic ischemiareperfusion injury and hepatocellular carcinoma, but its role in MASLD remains unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to reveal the effects and underlying mechanisms of USP29 in MASLD progression. Methods: USP29 expression was assessed in liver samples from MASLD patients and mice. The role and molecular mechanism of USP29 in MASLD were assessed in high-fat diet-fed and high-fat/high-cholesterol diet-fed mice and palmitic acid and oleic acid treated hepatocytes. Results: USP29 protein levels were significantly reduced in mice and humans with MASLD. Hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis were significantly exacerbated by USP29 deletion and relieved by USP29 overexpression. Mechanistically, USP29 significantly activated the expression of genes related to fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) under metabolic stimulation, directly interacted with long-chain acyl-CoA synthase 5 (ACSL5) and repressed ACSL5 degradation by increasing ACSL5 K48-linked deubiquitination. Moreover, the effect of USP29 on hepatocyte lipid accumulation and MASLD was dependent on ACSL5. Conclusions USP29 functions as a novel negative regulator of MASLD by stabilizing ACSL5 to promote FAO. The activation of the USP29-ACSL5 axis may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for MASLD.

This study explored the drying kinetics of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma(SM), established the suitable models simulating the drying kinetics, and then analyzed the dynamic changes of active components during the drying processes with different methods, aiming to provide a basis for the establishment of suitable drying methods and the quality control of SM. The drying kinetics were studied based on the drying curve, drying rate, moisture effective diffusion coefficient, and drying activation energy, and the appropriate drying kinetics model of SM was established. The drying performance of different methods, such as hot air drying, infrared drying, and microwave drying of SM was evaluated, and the changes in the content of 10 salvianolic acids and 6 tanshinones during drying were analyzed by UPLC-TQ-MS. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution(TOPSIS) was employed to evaluate the quality of SM dried with different methods. The results showed that the drying rate and moisture effective diffusion coefficient of SM increased with the rise in drying temperature, and the maximum drying rates of different methods were in the order of microwave drying > infrared drying > hot air drying, slice > whole root. The drying rate decreased with the rise in temperature and the extension of drying time. The activation energy of hot air drying was higher than that of infrared drying in SM. The most suitable model for simulating the drying process of SM was the Page model. The TOPSIS results suggested infrared drying at 50 ℃ was the optimal drying method for SM. During the drying process, the content of salvianolic acids increased in different degrees with the loss of moisture, among which salvianolic acid B showed the largest increase of 44 times compared with that in the fresh medicinal material. Tanshinones also existed in the fresh herb of SM, and the content of tanshinone Ⅱ_A increased by 3 times after drying. The results provided a basis for the establishment of suitable drying methods and the quality control of SM.
Salvia miltiorrhiza/chemistry* ; Desiccation/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Kinetics ; Quality Control ; Abietanes

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of acupuncture on advanced cancer patients by meta-analysis. METHODS: Nine databases (the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and WanFang Data) were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture in advanced cancer patients published from inception to February 13, 2023 and updated to June 1, 2023. Primary outcomes were quality of life (QOL), while secondary outcomes were pain, fatigue, and adverse events (side effects). Data synthesis was performed using RevMan V.5.3 to calculate pooled effect sizes. RoB-2 was used for the risk of bias, and the quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. RESULTS: Totally 17 RCTs involving 1,178 participants were included, 15 of which were pooled for meta-analysis. Most studies demonstrated some concern for the overall risk of bias. The pooled data indicated that acupuncture was associated with improved QOL [mean difference (MD)=6.67, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.09 to 8.26], pain (MD=-1.18, 95% CI -2.28 to -0.08), and adverse events (risk ratio=0.30, 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.57) compared with control groups. Fatigue outcome was not included. Heterogeneity was substantial, and GRADE evidence was very low for both QOL and pain. CONCLUSIONS Acupuncture could benefit patients with advanced cancer and is considered safe compared with usual care. However, the evidence regarding QOL and pain outcomes requires further validation. It is crucial to encourage the development of high-quality studies to strengthen this evidence. (Registry No. CRD42023423539).
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Neoplasms/therapy* ; Quality of Life ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To explore the characteristics of blood lipid metabolism indicators and risk factors of prognosis in children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods A total of 54 children who were diagnosed with SLE and hospitalized in Chengdu Women and Children’ s Central Hospital from January 2013 to August 2022 were selected. Clinical data of all children were collected and blood lipid metabolism indicators and biochemical indicators were detected , and binary logistic regression was used to analyze the prognosis risk factors in children with SLE. Results Among the 47 cases (87.04%) had abnormal blood lipid metabolism at admission, and is mainly manifested as elevated levels of LDL-C, TG and TC and decreased level of HDL-C. The proportion of cardiovascular system damage, hematological system damage, urinary protein positivity, and SLEDAI-2000 score in the group with good prognosis were lower than those in the group with poor prognosis, while the proportion of dsDNA positivity was higher in the group with poor prognosis. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that the cardiovascular system damage and positive urinary protein were risk factors for poor prognosis, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). Conclusion Abnormal blood lipid metabolism is common in children with SLE, and cardiovascular system damage and positive urinary protein may increase the risk of poor prognosis in young children.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with monkeypox.Methods Data of 17 patients with monkeypox hospitalized in a hospital in Nanning City from July to October 2023 were collected retrospectively.The epidemiological history,clinical manifestations,laboratory examinations,treat-ment and prognosis were analyzed and summarized.Results All 17 patients were male,with a median age of 28 years old.Fifteen(88.2％)patients were men who had sex with men(MSM)within 21 days prior to onset.Major clinical manifestations were rash and fever.Rashes distributed mainly in the anus,perineum and genitals(82.4％),followed by the trunk and limbs(52.9％),head and face(35.3％),while soles and palms were rare.Some patients had swollen inguinal lymph nodes.All patients were discharged from hospital after improvement,with an average hospital stay of 7 days.Conclusion The monkeypox epidemic in Nanning area of Guangxi occurs mainly in MSM population,with fever and rashes as the major symptoms.All patients have mild disease and good prognosis.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) refers to the simultaneous treatment of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and the effect of radiotherapy is enhanced with low-dose chemotherapy, which can reduce tumor recurrence and metastasis and improve clinical prognosis of patients. At present, the main factors for the increase of radiosensitivity of concurrent chemotherapy is that concurrent chemotherapy prevents the repair of tumor cells, and chemotherapy and radiotherapy act on different cell cycles and have synergistic effects. However, even for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) who have undergone CCRT, the 5-year survival rate is only 60%, which is still not ideal. In order to improve the efficacy, researchers have conducted a series of exploratory studies, which consist of the combination of targeted drugs and immunodrugs, and neoadjuvant regimens before CCRT, etc. Although targeted or immunologic drugs are effective treatment of LACC, in view of the lack of large-scale evidence-based medical evidence, multi-center prospective and randomized phase III clinical trials and high-level articles are needed to improve the level of evidence-based medicine. This consensus summarizes several key evidence-based medical studies published recently, especially the clinical research progress in targeted and immunological therapies, providing reference for domestic peers.

Objective To design a multisensory supported device and evaluate its effectiveness on preterm infants(born before 34 weeks)during NICU hospitalization.Methods The multisensory supported device is composed of a basement,several soft cushions and an adjustable eye mask.The inner layer of the device comprises of the head and tail boundaries,serves as uterine wall-like circular boundaries.The outer skeleton is equipped with multisensory stimulation modules to provide visual,hearing,and tactile sensory stimulations for premature infants.The study was conducted in a NICU of a tertiary A children specialist hospital in Shanghai,China.The convenience sampling method was used and based on the ratio of 1∶2 between the experimental and the control group in this study.The control group was treated by standard nursing care,while the experiment group was treated with the multisensory supported device in addition to NICU conventional care.All infants were assessed during the week of admission and again at corrected gestational age of 36 weeks.The actigraphy watch which was used for 72 hours continuous record of the activities of study infants,allows the researcher to compare the activity scores,wakefulness and sleep indicators of 2 groups of infants.Results 71 preterm infants were enrolled in the study,and 60 preterm infants completed data collection for study data analysis,including 20 in the experimental group and 40 in the control group.There were no statistical differences in demographic characteristics and clinical status regarding wakefulness,sleep and physical development between the 2 groups in baseline(P＞0.05).At 36 weeks of corrected gestational age,the activity score of the experimental group was(46.61±12.14)points,and that of the control group was(57.33±18.36)points,with statistically significant differences in 2 groups(P=0.024).The total waking time of the experimental group was(384.85±169.42)min,and that of the control group was(492.08±220.45)min,with statistically significant differences in 2 groups(P=0.049).There was no statistical difference in other indicators between 2 groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion The multisensory supported device can reduce high-frequency unpleasant activity as well as frequent wakefulness status,which could promote the sleeping quality of preterm infants.Further studies are needed to verify further effects of the device on premature infants'physical development.