This study aims to investigate the polarized microscopic mineral phase characteristics, inorganic element content, and potential health risks associated with the intake of raw and calcined fossil mineral Chinese medicinal material Draconis Os. Microscopy was employed to observe the mineralogical characteristics of Draconis Os and compare the microscopic features and phase composition of raw and calcined Draconis Os under monochromatic and orthogonal polarized light. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS) was employed to determine the content of 30 inorganic elements. Health risk assessment was conducted by calculating the single pollution index(P_i), average daily intake of elements for adults(ADI), target hazard quotient(THQ), non-carcinogenic assessment method-hazard quotient(HQ), and the carcinogenic risk of elements(CR). The results indicated that under monochromatic polarized light, the Draconis Os powder sections exhibited light gray-brown to gray-brown irregular fragments, some with undulating textures that were slightly curved. Under crossed polarized light, they appeared dark gray, grayish-white, and yellowish-white. Clear apatite was visible in the ground sections of Draconis Os under crossed polarized light. P_i results indicated that Draconis Os samples were free from contamination and were of good quality. According to the maximum allowable limits of heavy metals stipulated in ISO Traditional Chinese Medicine: Determination of heavy metals in herbal medicines used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, ADI, THQ, HQ, and CR were taken as assessment indicators. Only the THQ value for As(arsenic) in raw Draconis Os was greater than 1, while the THQ values for other heavy metal elements in the Draconis Os samples were all less than 1. The study demonstrates that the primary mineral phase of raw and calcined Draconis Os is apatite, with some samples co-existing with calcite, which can serve as one of the means for quality control of Draconis Os. The elemental analysis results from ICP-MS provide scientific evidence for the safety assessment of Draconis Os, indicating that Draconis Os is safe in clinical application.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Risk Assessment ; Minerals/chemistry* ; Fossils ; Humans ; Drug Contamination ; Mass Spectrometry

Microbial detection and control of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) decoction pieces are crucial for the quality control of TCM preparations. It is also a key area of research in the measurement technology and equipment development for TCM manufacturing. Guided by TCM manufacturing measurement methodologies, this study presented a design of a novel portable microbial detection device, using Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma decoction pieces as a demonstration. Immunomagnetic separation technology was employed for specific isolation and labeling of target microorganisms. Enzymatic signal amplification was utilized to convert weak biological signals into colorimetric signals, constructing an optical biosensor. A self-developed smartphone APP was further applied to analyze the colorimetric signals and quantify target concentrations. A portable and automated detection system based on Arduino microcontroller was developed to automatically perform target microbial separation/extraction, as well as mimetic enzyme labeling and catalytic reactions. The developed equipment specifically focuses on the rapid and quantitative microbial analysis of TCM active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates in TCM manufacturing, and final TCM products. Experimental results demonstrate that the equipment could detect Salmonella in samples within 2 h, with a detection limit as low as 5.1 × 10~3 CFU·mL~(-1). The equipment enables the rapid detection of microorganisms in TCM decoction pieces, providing a potential technical solution for on-site rapid screening of microbial contamination indicators in TCM. It has broad application prospects in measurement technology for TCM manufacturing and offers strong technical support for the modernization, industrialization, and intelligent development of TCM.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Atractylodes/microbiology* ; Rhizome/microbiology* ; Biosensing Techniques/methods* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Colorimetry/instrumentation* ; Quality Control

Patients suffering from nerve injury often experience exacerbated pain responses and complain of memory deficits. The dorsal hippocampus (dHPC), a well-defined region responsible for learning and memory, displays maladaptive plasticity upon injury, which is assumed to underlie pain hypersensitivity and cognitive deficits. However, much attention has thus far been paid to intracellular mechanisms of plasticity rather than extracellular alterations that might trigger and facilitate intracellular changes. Emerging evidence has shown that nerve injury alters the microarchitecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and decreases ECM rigidity in the dHPC. Despite this, it remains elusive which element of the ECM in the dHPC is affected and how it contributes to neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits. Laminin, a key element of the ECM, consists of α-, β-, and γ-chains and has been implicated in several pathophysiological processes. Here, we showed that peripheral nerve injury downregulates laminin β1 (LAMB1) in the dHPC. Silencing of hippocampal LAMB1 exacerbates pain sensitivity and induces cognitive dysfunction. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that loss of hippocampal LAMB1 causes dysregulated Src/NR2A signaling cascades via interaction with integrin β1, leading to decreased Ca²⁺ levels in pyramidal neurons, which in turn orchestrates structural and functional plasticity and eventually results in exaggerated pain responses and cognitive deficits. In this study, we shed new light on the functional capability of hippocampal ECM LAMB1 in the modulation of neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits, and reveal a mechanism that conveys extracellular alterations to intracellular plasticity. Moreover, we identified hippocampal LAMB1/integrin β1 signaling as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of neuropathic pain and related memory loss.
Animals ; Laminin/genetics* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Neuralgia/metabolism* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; Male ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/metabolism* ; Extracellular Matrix/metabolism* ; Integrin beta1/metabolism* ; Pyramidal Cells/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction

Objective To analyze the effects of probiotics combined with montmorillonite powder on intestinal mucosa and expressions of intestinal microorganism function-related genes in neonatal rats with rotavirus(RV)infection.Methods RV infection model was established by intragastric administration of SA11 strain rotavirus.Forty-eight suckling rats were randomly divided into normal group(0.9％NaCl),model group(0.9％NaCl),experimental group(0.06 g·mL-1 montmorillonite powder)and combined group(0.06 g·mL-1 montmorillonite powder+6.5 × 107 CFU·mL-1 Saccharomyces cerevisiae powder)with 12 rats in each group.The feces were collected for evaluation.The levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-a(TNF-a),interleukin-1 β(IL-1 β)and IL-17 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,the levels of aquaporin(AQP)in intestinal tissues was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction,and the counts of Bifidobacteria and Escherichia coli in feces were detected by bacterial 16srDNA fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Results The feces scores in normal,model,experimental and combined groups were(1.01±0.10),(2.97±0.08),(2.84±0.03)and(2.77±0.03)points;TNF-α levels were(132.54±14.63),(185.66±19.64),(165.25±17.63)and(149.95±15.76)pg·mL-1;IL-1β levels were(172.32±18.68),(265.34±27.72),(202.34±21.34)and(186.24±19.46)pg·mL-1;IL-17 levels were(118.62±12.44),(173.24±18.25),(152.32±16.72)and(122.54±13.58)pg·mL-1;Bifidobacteria counts were(6.35±0.64),(4.31±0.44),(4.93±0.50)and(5.34±0.54)CFU·g-1;Escherichia coli counts were(6.14±0.62),(8.78±0.88),(8.46±0.85)and(8.12±0.83)CFU·g-1;mRNA levels of AQP2 were 1.02±0.05,0.72±0.07,0.89±0.08 and 1.21±0.12;mRNA expression levels of AQP4 were 1.04±0.07,0.42±0.05,0.78±0.08 and 1.19±0.12;mRNA expression levels ofAQP8 were 1.00±0.06,0.63±0.06,0.91±0.09 and 1.30±0.13,respectively.There were significant differences of above indexes between the model group with the normal,experimental and combined groups(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Montmorillonite powder combined with probiotics can improve fecal properties,reduce serum inflammatory factors and correct intestinal flora disorders in neonatal rats with RV infection,which may be related to improving the expressions of intestinal A QP2,AQP4 and AQP8.

Background::Although some well-established oncogenes are involved in cancer initiation and progression such as prostate cancer (PCa), the long tail of cancer genes remains to be defined. Goosecoid ( GSC) has been implicated in cancer development. However, the comprehensive biological role of GSC in pan-cancer, specifically in PCa, remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of GSC in PCa development. Methods::We performed a systematic bioinformatics exploration of GSC using datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Genotype-Tissue Expression, Gene Expression Omnibus, German Cancer Research Center, and our in-house cohorts. First, we evaluated the expression of GSC and its association with patient prognosis, and identified GSC-relevant genetic alterations in cancers. Further, we focused on the clinical characterization and prognostic analysis of GSC in PCa. To understand the transcriptional regulation of GSC by E2F transcription factor 1 ( E2F1), we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Functional experiments were conducted to validate the effect of GSC on the tumor cellular phenotype and sensitivity to trametinib. Results::GSC expression was elevated in various tumors and significantly correlated with patient prognosis. The alterations of GSC contribute to the progression of various tumors especially in PCa. Patients with PCa and high GSC expression exhibited worse progression-free survival and biochemical recurrence outcomes. Further, GSC upregulation in patients with PCa was mostly accompanied with higher Gleason score, advanced tumor stage, lymph node metastasis, and elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Mechanistically, the transcription factor, E2F1, stimulates GSC by binding to its promoter region. Detailed experiments further demonstrated that GSC acted as an oncogene and influenced the response of PCa cells to trametinib treatment. Conclusions::GSC was highly overexpressed and strongly correlated with patient prognosis in PCa. We found that GSC, regulated by E2F1, acted as an oncogene and impeded the therapeutic efficacy of trametinib in PCa.

Aim To investigate the therapeutic effect of luteolin(LUT)on myasthenia gravis(MG)rats and its mechanism.Methods Female Lewis rats were di-vided into five groups:C group,MG group,low dose luteolin group(L-LUT),medium dose luteolin group(M-LUT)and high dose luteolin group(H-LUT),with 12 rats in each group.Rats in C group were nor-mal control rats.Rats in other groups were MG model rats induced by subcutaneous injection of Rα97-116.Rats in C group and MG group were intragastrically fed with 1 mL corn oil.Rats in L-LUT group,M-LUT group and H-LUT group were intragastrically infused with 1 mL 10,20 and 40 mg·kg-1 luteolin solution,respectively.The administration period was four weeks.Lennon grading method was used to score clini-cal symptoms,and EMG evoked potential instrument was used to detect the attenuation rate of low frequency repetitive nerve stimulation(RNS).The morphology of skeletal muscle was observed by hematoxylin eosin(HE)staining.The levels of serum AChR antibody(AChR-Ab),interferon gamma(IFN-γ)and interleu-kin-4(IL-4)were detected by ELISA method.The activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD)in skeletal muscle was detected by visible spectrophotometry,and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)and malondialde-hyde(MDA)were detected by micromethod.The mR-NA levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγ coactivator-1α(PGC-1α),nuclear respiratory factor 1(NRF1)and mitochondrial transcription factor A(TFAM)in skeletal muscle were measured by qRT-PCR.The protein expression levels of AMP-activated protein kinase α(AMPKα)and p-AMPKα in skeletal muscle were detected by Western blot.Results Com-pared with C group,Lennon score and RNS decay rate in MG group increased,AChR-Ab and IFN-γ levels increased,skeletal muscle showed obvious injury,SOD and GSH-Px levels decreased,MDA levels in-creased,p-AMPKα protein expression levels and PGC-1α,NRF1 and TFAM mRNA levels decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with MG group,Lennon score and RNS decay rate in L-LUT group and M-LUT group M and H-LUT group decreased,AChR-Ab and IFN-γlevels decreased,skeletal muscle damage was allevia-ted,SOD and GSH-Px levels increased,MDA levels decreased,p-AMPKα protein expression levels and PGC-1α,NRF1 and TFAM mRNA levels increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion The mechanism of luteolin in treating MG rats may be related to correcting the bal-ance of Th1/Th2 cells and activating AMPK.

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women worldwide and the leading cause of most cancer-related deaths,posing a serious threat to women′s health worldwide.At present,although the prognosis of some patients with breast cancer has improved,the emergence of drug resistance and the metastasis and recurrence of breast cancer are still the main reasons for poor prognosis.CD36 is a multiligand transmembrane glycoprotein expressed on various cell types.In recent years,studies have confirmed that CD36 can reshape the lipid metabolism of cancer cells;promote the differentiation of tumor-related macrophages into M2 type and recruitment into tumor tissues;regulate the function of Treg cells,CD8+T cells,DCs,and other immune cells,and thus promote tumor development.In addition,CD36 is also associated with breast cancer stem cells,metastasis-initiating cells,and breast drug resistant cells.Therefore,CD36 could be an important potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Objective To construct a non-drug intervention program for acute chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in children with cancer and to evaluate its efficacy.Methods Through literature review and Delphi expert correspondence,a non-drug intervention program for acute chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in children with cancer was constructed.By the convenience sampling method,200 consecutive children who received chemotherapy in the neurosurgery department of a tertiary children's hospital in Zhejiang province from February 1 to October 31,2023 were included as the application subjects,with 100 cases in an experimental group and 100 cases in a control group.The experimental group applied the non-drug intervention program of acute chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in children with cancer,and the routine measures were applied in the control group.The incidence of nausea and vomiting,severity of vomiting,compliance rate of normal sleep duration and incidence of negative emotions were compared between the 2 groups.Results The recovery rate of the valid questionnaire in 2 rounds of expert letter inquiry was 100％,and the expert authority coefficient was 0.836.The Kendall harmony coefficients were 0.471 and 0.820(P＜0.001),and the final non-drug intervention program for pediatric acute chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting included 5 primary,14 secondary and 18 tertiary items.The results showed that the incidence of nausea,vomiting and negative emotions in the experimental group were lower than that in the control group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).The severity of vomiting was less than it in the control group,with statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).The standard rate of normal sleep time was higher than that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The non-drug intervention program of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in children is scientific and feasible,and the implementation of the program can reduce the incidence of nausea,vomiting and negative emotions,reduce the severity of vomiting,and improve the standard rate of normal bedtime in children.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the cytotoxicity of four wild mushrooms involved in a case of Yunnan sudden unexplained death (YNSUD), to provide the experimental basis for prevention and treatment of YNSUD. METHODS: Four kinds of wild mushrooms that were eaten by family members in this YNSUD incident were collected and identified by expert identification and gene sequencing. Raw extracts from four wild mushrooms were extracted by ultrasonic extraction to intervene HEK293 cells, and the mushrooms with obvious cytotoxicity were screened by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). The selected wild mushrooms were prepared into three kinds of extracts, which were raw, boiled, and boiled followed by enzymolysis. HEK293 cells were intervened with these three extracts at different concentrations. The cytotoxicity was detected by CCK-8 combined with lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) Assay Kit, and the morphological changes of HEK293 cells were observed under an inverted phase contrast microscope. RESULTS: Species identification indicated that the four wild mushrooms were Butyriboletus roseoflavus, Boletus edulis, Russula virescens and Amanita manginiana. Cytotoxicity was found only in Amanita manginiana. The raw extracts showed cytotoxicity at the mass concentration of 0.1 mg/mL, while the boiled extracts and the boiled followed by enzymolysis extracts showed obvious cytotoxicity at the mass concentration of 0.4 mg/mL and 0.7 mg/mL, respectively. In addition to the obvious decrease in the number of HEK293 cells, the number of synapses increased and the refraction of HEK293 cells was poor after the intervention of Amanita manginiana extracts. CONCLUSIONS The extracts of Amanita manginiana involved in this YNSUD case has obvious cytotoxicity, and some of its toxicity can be reduced by boiled and enzymolysis, but cannot be completely detoxicated. Therefore, the consumption of Amanita manginiana is potentially dangerous, and it may be one of the causes of the YNSUD.
Humans ; HEK293 Cells ; Sincalide ; China ; Amanita ; Death, Sudden

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis