Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and osteoporosis (OP) are two very common metabolic diseases. A growing body of experimental evidence supports a pathophysiological link between MAFLD and OP. MAFLD is often associated with the development of OP. Rutaecarpine (RUT) is one of the main active components of Chinese medicine Euodiae Fructus. Our previous studies have demonstrated that RUT has lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects, and can improve the OP of rats. However, whether RUT can improve both fatty liver and OP symptoms of MAFLD mice at the same time remains to be investigated. In this study, we used C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 months to construct a MAFLD model, and gave the mice a low dose (5 mg·kg^-1) and a high dose (15 mg·kg^-1) of RUT by gavage for 4 weeks. The effects of RUT on liver steatosis and bone metabolism were then evaluated at the end of the experiment [this experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (approval number: IMB-20190124D₃03)]. The results showed that RUT treatment significantly reduced hepatic steatosis and lipid accumulation, and significantly reduced bone loss and promoted bone formation. In summary, this study shows that RUT has an effect of improving fatty liver and OP in MAFLD mice.

BACKGROUND:Percutaneous kyphoplasty assisted by C-arm under local anesthesia requires continuous adjustment of the puncture direction under multiple C-arm fluoroscopy.The establishment time of the working channel is longer,and the intraoperative pain stimulation of patients is larger.With the help of the robot,the puncture can be successfully performed at one time,which can significantly improve the experience of patients and reduce the risk of bone cement leakage.OBJECTIVE:To compare the patient experience and other outcomes of percutaneous kyphoplasty using robot-assisted and conventional C-arm fluoroscopy under local anesthesia.METHODS:A total of 241 patients with single-stage osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture were selected from Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences·Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital(Affiliated Hospital,University of Electronic Science and Technology of China).132 patients underwent robot-assisted percutaneous kyphoplasty under local anesthesia(robot-assisted group).109 cases of conventional C-arm assisted percutaneous kyphoplasty under local anesthesia(conventional fluoroscopy group).Patients'intraoperative experience evaluation,bone cement injection amount,operation time,working channel establishment time,hospitalization cost and complications were recorded.Puncture deviation and bone cement leakage were evaluated by imaging on the first day after surgery.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The intraoperative experience of 59 patients in the robot-assisted group was rated as"very good",43 as"good",16 as"average",10 as"poor",and 4 as"very poor,"while that of 30 patients in the conventional fluoroscopy group was rated as"very good",44 cases were"good",21"average",9"poor",and 5"very poor."There was a significant difference between the two groups in intraoperative experience evaluation(Z=-2.546,P=0.011).Intraoperative pain visual analog scale score was lower in the robot-assisted group than that in the conventional fluoroscopy group(t=-9.513,P=0.000).Totally 84 patients in the robot-assisted group and 47 patients in the conventional fluoroscopy group were willing to undergo percutaneous kyphoplasty again when necessary,and there was a significant difference between the two groups(Z=-2.730,P=0.006).(2)The operation time and hospitalization cost of the robot-assisted group were more than those of the conventional fluoroscopy group(t=2.860,P=0.003;t=36.522,P=0.000).The working channel establishment time of robot-assisted group was shorter than that of conventional fluoroscopy group(t=-27.066,P=0.000).The puncture deviation of robot-assisted group was better than that of conventional fluoroscopy group(Z=-3.656,P=0.000).The cement leakage of robot-assisted group was lower than that of conventional fluoroscopy group(χ2=7.284,P=0.007).(3)It is concluded that under local anesthesia,patients with robot-assisted percutaneous kyphoplasty have good surgical experience,with advantages of accurate puncture,short time to establish working channel,and low leakage rate of bone cement.

This study investigated the mechanism of Chaishao Kaiyu Decoction in improving hippocampal neuroinflammation in depressed rats based on complement component 3(C3)/C3 receptor(C3aR). A total of 60 SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group, high, medium, and low dose groups of Chaishao Kaiyu Decoction, and a positive drug group, with 10 rats in each group. Except for the blank group, chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) was used to construct depression models in other groups. Sucrose preference, open-field experiment, forced swimming, and water maze were used to detect the changes in depression-like behavior in each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect the serum inflammatory factor level in rats, and hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Nissl staining were employed to observe the pathological damage of hippocampal neurons. Golgi-Cox staining was used to observe the dendritic spine damage of hippocampal neurons, and immunofluorescence and Western blot were utilized to detect the expression of microglial marker Iba-1 and C3/C3aR protein in the hippocampus of rats. The behavioral results showed that compared with the model group, Chaishao Kaiyu Decoction could significantly strengthen the sugar water preference, increase the distance and number of voluntary activities, shorten the immobility time in forced swimming and the successful incubation period of positioning navigation, and prolong the stay time of space exploration in the target quadrant. ELISA results showed that the content of inflammatory factors in the hippocampus of depressed rats was significantly higher than that of the blank group, and the content of inflammatory factors decreased significantly after the intervention of Chaishao Kaiyu Decoction. In addition, Chaishao Kaiyu Decoction could relieve pathological damage such as cell swelling and loose arrangement of hippocampus tissue. In the Western blot experiment, the expression levels of C3 and C3aR proteins in the model group were higher than those in the blank group, while the expression of C3 and C3aR in Chaishao Kaiyu Decoction could be down-regulated. Immunofluorescence results showed that compared with the model group, the fluorescence intensity of microglia marker Iba-1 decreased significantly after the intervention of Chaishao Kaiyu Decoction and positive drugs. The antidepressant effect of Chaishao Kaiyu Decoction may be related to the down-regulation of C3/C3aR signaling pathway-related proteins, thus alleviating hippocampal inflammation.
Animals ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Rats ; Male ; Depression/metabolism* ; Complement C3/metabolism* ; Receptors, Complement/metabolism* ; Humans ; Neuroinflammatory Diseases/genetics*

Constructing an efficient and easy-to-operate multigene expression system is currently a crucial part of plant genetic engineering. In this study, a fragment carrying three independent gene expression cassettes and the expression unit of the gene-silencing suppressor protein(RNA silencing suppressor 19 kDa protein, P19) simultaneously was designed and constructed. This fragment was cloned into the commonly used plant expression vector pCAMBIA300, and the plasmid pC1300-TP2-P19 was obtained. Each gene expression cassette consists of different promoters, fusion tags, and terminators. The target gene can be flexibly inserted into the corresponding site through enzymatic digestion and ligation or recombination and fused with different protein tags, which provides great convenience for subsequent detection. The enhanced green fluorescent protein(eGFP) reporter gene was individually constructed into each expression cassette to verify the feasibility of this vector system. The results of tobacco transient expression and laser-confocal microscopy showed that each expression cassette presented independent and normal expression. Meanwhile, the three key enzyme genes in the betanin synthesis pathway, BvCYP76AD, BvDODA1, and DbDOPA5GT, were constructed into the three expression cassettes. The results of tobacco transient expression phenotype, protein immunoblotting(Western blot), and chemical detection of product demonstrated that the three exogenous genes were highly expressed, and the target compound betanin was successfully produced. The above results indicated that the constructed multigene expression system for plants in this study was efficient and reliable and can achieve the co-transformation of multiple plant genes. It can provide a reliable vector platform for the analysis of plant natural product synthesis pathways, functional verification, and plant metabolic engineering.
Nicotiana/metabolism* ; Genetic Vectors/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Plants, Genetically Modified/metabolism* ; Genetic Engineering/methods* ; Green Fluorescent Proteins/metabolism* ; Gene Expression

Since the promulgation of the first Drug Administration Law of the People's Republic of China 40 years ago in 1984, China has undergone four main stages in the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) regulation: the initial establishment of TCM regulation rules(1984-1997), the formation of a modern TCM regulatory system(1998-2014), the reform of the review and approval system for new TCM drugs(2015-2018), and the construction of a scientific regulation system for TCM(2019-2024). Over the past five years, a series of milestone achievements of TCM regulation in China have been achieved in the six aspects, including its strategic objectives and the establishment of a science-based regulatory system, the reform of the review and approval system for new TCM drugs, the optimization and improvement of the TCM standard system and its formation mechanism, comprehensive enhancement of regulatory capabilities for TCM safety, international harmonization of TCM regulation and its role in promoting innovation. Looking ahead, centered on advancing TCMRS to establish a sound regulatory framework tailored to the unique characteristics of TCM, TCM regulation will evolve into new reform patterns, advancing and extending across eight critical fronts, including the legal framework and policy architecture, the review and approval system for new TCM drugs, the quality standard and management system of TCM, the comprehensive quality & safety regulation and traceability system, the research and transformation system for TCMRS, AI-driven innovations in TCM regulation, the coordination between high-quality industrial development and high-level regulation, and the leadership in international cooperation and regulatory harmonization. In this way, a unique path for the development of modern TCM regulation with Chinese characteristics will be pioneered.
Humans ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/standards* ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/trends*

This study aims to investigate the effect of Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula on the neuroinflammation of rats with insomnia complicated with depression through the regulation of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2(TREM2)/complement protein C1q signaling pathway. Rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a positive drug group, as well as a high, medium, and low-dose groups of Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula, with 10 rats in each group. Except for the normal group, the other groups were injected with p-chlorophenylalanine and exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress to establish the rat model of insomnia complicated with depression. The sucrose preference experiment, open field experiment, and water maze test were performed to evaluate the depression in rats. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to detect serum 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT), dopamine(DA), and norepinephrine(NE) levels. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the damage in nucleus accumbens neurons. Western blot and immunofluorescence were performed to detect TREM2, C1q, postsynaptic density 95(PSD-95), and synaptophysin 1(SYN1) expressions in rat nucleus accumbens, respectively. Golgi-Cox staining was utilized to observe the synaptic spine density of nucleus accumbens neurons. The results show that, compared with the model group, Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula can significantly increase the sucrose preference as well as the distance and number of voluntary activities, shorten the immobility time in forced swimming test and the successful incubation period of positioning navigation, and prolong the stay time of space exploration in the target quadrant test. The serum 5-HT, DA, and NE contents in the model group are significantly lower than those in the normal group, with the above contents significantly increased after the intervention of Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula. In addition, Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula can alleviate pathological damages such as swelling and loose arrangement of tissue cells in the nucleus accumbens, while increasing the Nissl body numbers. Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula can improve synaptic damage in the nucleus accumbens and increase the synaptic spine density. Compared to the normal group, the expression of C1q protein was significantly higher in the model group, while the expression of TREM2 protein was significantly lower. Compared to the model group, the intervention with Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula significantly downregulated the expression of C1q protein and significantly upregulated the expression of TREM2. Compared with the model group, the PSD-95 and SYN1 fluorescence intensity is significantly increased in the groups receiving different doses of Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula. In summary, Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula can reduce the C1q protein expression, relieve the TREM2 inhibition, and promote the synapse-related proteins PSD-95 and SNY1 expression. Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula improves synaptic injury of the nucleus accumbens neurons, thereby treating insomnia complicated with depression.
Animals ; Male ; Rats ; Nucleus Accumbens/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Depression/complications* ; Membrane Glycoproteins/genetics* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/complications* ; Neurons/metabolism* ; Receptors, Immunologic/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Synapses/metabolism*

OBJECTIVES: Papular dermatoses commonly affecting the female vulva, such as molluscum contagiosum, syringoma, lymphangioma, folliculitis, verruca vulgaris, ectopic sebaceous glands, and bowenoid papulosis, often present with similar clinical appearances and are frequently misdiagnosed. This study aims to explore the clinical diagnostic value of reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) in differentiating these conditions. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on RCM imaging and histopathological findings from lesion sites in 172 female patients with vulval papular dermatoses. RCM characteristics confirmed by biopsy were summarized and diagnostic clues were explored. RESULTS: RCM diagnosis was consistent with histopathological diagnosis in 147 out of 172 cases (85.47%). Molluscum contagiosum, syringoma, lymphangioma, and folliculitis all exhibited cystic-like structures under RCM, differing in the location of the structures, wall characteristics, internal contents, and reflectivity. Verruca vulgaris, ectopic sebaceous glands, and bowenoid papulosis lacked such structures. Verruca vulgaris showed distinctive low-refractive vacuolated cells in the spinous layer; bowenoid papulosis exhibited mild cytologic atypia in the spinous layer; ectopic sebaceous glands were characterized by moderately to low-refractive, fish roe-like sebaceous lobules within the dermis. CONCLUSIONS RCM enables noninvasive, real-time, and dynamic visualization of key diagnostic and differential features of common vulvar papular dermatoses in women, offering high diagnostic value.
Humans ; Female ; Microscopy, Confocal/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Vulvar Diseases/diagnosis* ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; Aged ; Adolescent ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Child ; Skin Diseases/pathology* ; Molluscum Contagiosum/diagnosis*

AIM To investigate the clinical effects of Yifei Tongluo Decoction combined with azithromycin on patients with childern severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia due to Toxic Heat Blocking Lung.METHODS One hundred and fifty-six patients were randomly assigned into control group(78 cases)for 7-day administration of azithromycin,and observation group(78 cases)for 7-day administration of both Yifei Tongluo Decoction and azithromycin.The changes in clinical effects,disappearance time of local symptoms,mycoplasmas,pulmonary imaging score,Toxic Heat Blocking Lung score,pulmonary function indices(PEF,VPTEF,MMF,TPTEF),inflammatory factors(sB7-H3,Cgp-39,sICAM-1,CCL5),immune function indices(RBC-C3bR,RBC-ICR,CD3+,CD4+)and safety indices were detected.RESULTS The observation group demonstrated higher total effective rate than the control group(P＜0.05),along with shorter disappearance time of local symptoms(P＜0.05).After the treatment,the two groups displayed decreased mycoplasmas,pulmonary imaging score,Toxic Heat Blocking Lung score,inflammatory factors,RBC-ICR(P＜0.05),and increased pulmonary function indices,RBC-C3bR,CD3+,CD4+(P＜0.05),especially for the observation group(P＜0.05).No obvious difference in incidence of adverse reactions was found between the two groups(P＞0.05).CONCLUSION For the patients with childern severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia due to Toxic Heat Blocking Lung,Yifei Tongluo Decoction combined with azithromycin can safely and effectively alleviate clinical symptoms,improve pulmonary functions,and reduce body inflammatory responses.