Colorectal cancer， a leading malignant gastrointestinal tumor globally in terms of incidence and mortality， has seen a consistent annual rise in newly diagnosed cases. While conventional therapies like radiotherapy， chemotherapy， and surgery are available， problems such as lack of early diagnosis， poor prognosis， and drug resistance remain significant burdens for patients. Given the complex and diverse pathogenesis of colorectal cancer， there is an urgent clinical need for safe， effective， reliable， and multi-targeted therapeutic strategies. The Hippo signaling pathway， closely linked to mechanisms like tumorigenesis， cancer cell invasion， migration， and drug resistance， extensively participates in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer， so targeting the signaling pathway for cancer prevention and treatment has become a crucial research direction in recent years. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） offers multi-faceted， multi-pathway， and multi-target advantages and becomes an important therapy for colorectal cancer by enhancing patients' immunity， improving the life quality， and prolonging survival. Studies show that the active components of TCM， including flavonoids， terpenoids， phenols， alkaloids， quinones， lignans， and saponins， as well as TCM compounds such as modified Sijunzi decoction， Jiedu Sangen decoction， Jianpi Jiedu compound， and Quyu Jiedu decoction， exhibit significant targeting effects on the Hippo signaling pathway. These TCMs can exert an anti-colorectal cancer effect through various mechanisms， such as inducing cancer cell autophagy and apoptosis， inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition， reversing drug resistance of the tumor， and blocking the cancer cell cycle. This paper reviewed and analyzed Chinese and international research on the action mechanisms of TCM in regulating the Hippo signaling pathway for the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer with a comprehensive overview presentation， aiming to provide new references and ideas for the clinical application of TCM and the development of new pharmacological agents in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer， a leading malignant gastrointestinal tumor globally in terms of incidence and mortality， has seen a consistent annual rise in newly diagnosed cases. While conventional therapies like radiotherapy， chemotherapy， and surgery are available， problems such as lack of early diagnosis， poor prognosis， and drug resistance remain significant burdens for patients. Given the complex and diverse pathogenesis of colorectal cancer， there is an urgent clinical need for safe， effective， reliable， and multi-targeted therapeutic strategies. The Hippo signaling pathway， closely linked to mechanisms like tumorigenesis， cancer cell invasion， migration， and drug resistance， extensively participates in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer， so targeting the signaling pathway for cancer prevention and treatment has become a crucial research direction in recent years. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） offers multi-faceted， multi-pathway， and multi-target advantages and becomes an important therapy for colorectal cancer by enhancing patients' immunity， improving the life quality， and prolonging survival. Studies show that the active components of TCM， including flavonoids， terpenoids， phenols， alkaloids， quinones， lignans， and saponins， as well as TCM compounds such as modified Sijunzi decoction， Jiedu Sangen decoction， Jianpi Jiedu compound， and Quyu Jiedu decoction， exhibit significant targeting effects on the Hippo signaling pathway. These TCMs can exert an anti-colorectal cancer effect through various mechanisms， such as inducing cancer cell autophagy and apoptosis， inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition， reversing drug resistance of the tumor， and blocking the cancer cell cycle. This paper reviewed and analyzed Chinese and international research on the action mechanisms of TCM in regulating the Hippo signaling pathway for the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer with a comprehensive overview presentation， aiming to provide new references and ideas for the clinical application of TCM and the development of new pharmacological agents in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer is a common malignant tumor of the digestive system. In recent years， its incidence rate and mortality are increasing year by year. Due to the complex pathogenesis and poor prognosis of patients， colorectal cancer poses a serious threat to human physical and mental health. Currently， although Western medicine treatment methods can to some extent inhibit tumor growth and alleviate patient symptoms， postoperative recurrence， metastasis， multiple adverse reactions， and susceptibility to drug resistance are prominent issues， resulting in unsatisfactory overall treatment outcomes. Therefore， exploring more efficient and safe treatment methods has become an urgent task. The adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK） signaling pathway plays a regulatory role in the growth， differentiation， apoptosis， and autophagy of colorectal cancer cells， and is widely involved in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer. It is considered an important target for colorectal cancer treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine has unique advantages in the treatment of colorectal cancer， as it can exert its effects through multiple mechanisms and pathways. It can prevent postoperative recurrence and metastasis， reduce adverse reactions to radiotherapy and chemotherapy， and improve patients' quality of life. It has become a key means of treating colorectal cancer. Research has shown that active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine such as flavonoids， polyphenols， terpenes， and esters， as well as traditional Chinese medicine compounds such as Qingjie Fuzheng Granules and some traditional Chinese medicine extracts， have significant regulatory effects on AMPK and its interaction signaling pathways. They exert their anti-colorectal cancer effects by inducing autophagy and apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells， promoting ferroptosis， inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition， reversing drug resistance， and arresting the cell cycle. This article reviewed and summarized the relevant research on traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of colorectal cancer in recent years， with a focus on the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in regulating the AMPK signaling pathway for the treatment of colorectal cancer. It is expected to provide ideas and references for the development of new drugs for clinical anti-colorectal cancer treatment.

Background The affinity between placental transporters and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) could affect the placental transport and toxicity of PFAS, while the study on the interaction between PFAS and placental transporters is limited. Objective To explore interactions between PFAS and placental transporters using molecular docking, and to provide a theoretical basis for PFAS toxicity prediction and fetal health risk assessment. Methods Fifteen PFAS compounds, each conformationally sampled and energy-minimized, and 16 placental transporters, represented by their 3D structures, were imported into a molecular docking software (MOE 20140901). For each PFAS, 30 distinct conformations were generated and docked into the active pockets of the transporters using a semi-flexible docking mode. Docking poses were primarily scored and ranked based on their calculated binding free energy (ΔG, kcal·mol⁻¹), with additional consideration given to hydrogen bonding interactions and the ligand's root mean square deviation (RMSD) at the binding site; the top 20 poses for each complex were subsequently output. Optimal binding configurations were identified as those exhibiting a relatively low binding free energy (ΔG ranging from −3 to −10 kcal·mol⁻¹), well-defined hydrogen bonds, and an RMSD ≤ 2.0 Å. The binding capabilities of the PFAS to the placental transporters were then evaluated based on these optimal docking results. Results The PFAS could bind to the placental transporters, with structural specificity. For example, the binding capabilities increased as the carbon chain length of PFAS increased, and it was also higher for PFOS alternatives than for PFOS. Besides, the binding capabilities of sulfonic PFAS with the same carbon chain length was also stronger than that of carboxylic PFAS. For example, the binding capabilities of PFOS (C8) to 15 placental transporters was higher than that of PFOA (C8), except for glucose transporter 1 (PFOS vs. PFOA: −4.14 vs. −4.14). Further, PFAS might be bound to the placental transporter through hydrogen, ionic, and hydrophobic interactions. Conclusion PFAS are able to bind the placental transporters, and its toxicity and exposure risk can’t be ignored.

Peanut, a major economic and oil crop known for the high protein and oil content, is extensively cultivated in China. Peanut plants have the ability to form nodules with rhizobia, where the nitrogenase converts atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia nitrogen that can be utilized by the plants. Analysis of nodule fixation is of positive significance for avoiding overapplication of chemical fertilizer and developing sustainable agriculture. In this study, AhNIGT1.2, a member of the NIGT family predominantly expressed in peanut nodules, was identified by bioinformatics analysis. Subsequent spatiotemporal expression analysis revealed that AhNIGT1.2 was highly expressed in nodules and showed significant responses to high nitrogen, low nitrogen, high phosphorus, low phosphorus, and rhizobia treatments. Histochemical staining indicated that the gene was primarily expressed in developing nodules and at the connection region between mature nodules and peanut roots. The fusion protein AhNIGT1.2-GFP was located in the nucleus of tobacco epidermal cells. The AhNIGT1.2-OE significantly increased the number of peanut nodules, while AhNIGT1.2-RNAi reduced the number of nodules, which suggested a positive regulatory role of AhNIGT1.2 in peanut nodulation. The AhNIGT1.2-OE in roots down-regulated the expression levels of NRT1.2, NRT2.4, NLP1, and NLP7, which indicated that AhNIGT1.2 influenced peanut nodulation by modulating nitrate transport and the expression of NLP genes. The transcriptome analysis of AhNIGT1.2-OE and control roots revealed that overexpressing AhNIGT1.2 significantly enriched the differentially expressed genes associated with nitrate response, nodulation factor pathway, enzymes for triterpene biosynthesis, and carotenoid biosynthesis. These findings suggest that AhNIGT1.2 play a key role in peanut nodulation by regulating nitrate transport and response and other related pathways. This study gives insights into the molecular mechanisms of nitrogen and phosphorus in regulating legume nodulation and nitrogen fixation, and sheds light on the development of legume crops that can efficiently fix nitrogen in high nitrogen environments.
Arachis/physiology* ; Nitrates/metabolism* ; Plant Proteins/physiology* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Plant Root Nodulation/physiology* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Root Nodules, Plant/metabolism* ; Nitrogen Fixation

Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） is one of the most common malignant tumors with high incidence and mortality rates worldwide， which brings a huge burden to the physical and mental health and socio-economic life of patients. The adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK） signaling pathway serves as the regulatory center of cellular energy metabolism and is closely associated with the biological activities of HCC cells， including autophagy， apoptosis， and angiogenesis， and it has become a hot topic in current cancer research. Traditional Chinese medicine drugs are abundant in natural components such as flavonoids， alkaloids， and phenols and have the characteristics of multiple targets， pathways， components， and hierarchies. By targeting the AMPK signaling pathway， these components can be used alone or in combination with conventional antitumor therapies to exert an anti-tumor effect on HCC from various aspects. This article reviews and summarizes the extracts of traditional Chinese medicine that target the AMPK signaling pathway for the prevention and treatment of HCC， in order to provide a theoretical basis and a reference for the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of HCC and the development of related drugs.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of Rehmanniae Radix iridoid glycosides （RIG） on the kidney tissue of streptozotocin （STZ）-induced diabetic mice and explore the underlying mechanism. MethodsTwelve of 72 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly selected as the normal group， and the remaining 60 mice were fed with a high-fat diet for six weeks combined with injection of 60 mg·kg^-1 STZ for 4 days to model type 2 diabetes mellitus. The successfully modeled mice were randomized into model， metformin （250 mg·kg^-1）， catalpol （100 mg·kg^-1）， low-dose RIG （RIG-L， 200 mg·kg^-1） and high-dose RIG （RIG-H， 400 mg·kg^-1） groups （n=11）. Mice in each group were administrated with corresponding drugs， while those in the normal group and model group were administrated with the same dose of distilled water by gavage once a day. After 8 weeks of intervention， an oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT） was performed， and the area under the curve （AUC） was calculated. After mice were sacrificed， both kidneys were collected. The body weight， kidney weight， and fasting blood glucose （FBG） were measured. Biochemical assays were performed to measure the serum levels of triglycerides （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， serum creatinine （SCr）， and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to determine the serum level of fasting insulin （FINS）， and the insulin sensitivity index （ISI） and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance （HOMA-IR） were calculated. The pathological changes in kidneys of mice were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson staining. The immunohistochemical method （IHC） was employed to assess the expression of interleukin-1 （IL-1）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）， transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁）， and collagen-3 （ColⅢ） in the kidney tissue. The protein levels of TGF-β₁， cell signal transduction molecule 3 （Smad3）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and ColⅢ in kidneys of mice were determined by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showcased decreased body weight and ISI （P<0.01）， increased kidney weight， FBG， AUC， FINS， HOMA-IR， TC， TG， SCr， and BUN （P<0.01）， glomerular hypertrophy， capsular space narrowing， and collagen deposition in the kidney， up-regulated protein levels of IL-1， IL-6， TNF-α， TGF-β₁， ColⅢ， and Smad3 （P<0.01）， and down-regulated protein level of MMP-9 （P<0.01） in the kidney tissue. Compared with the model group， the treatment groups had no significant difference in the body weight and decreased kidney weight （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The FBG level declined in the RIG-H group after treatment for 4-8 weeks and in the metformin， catalpol， and RIG-L groups after treatment for 6-8 weeks （P<0.01）. The AUC in the RIG-L， RIG-H， and metformin groups decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The levels of TC， SCr， and BUN in the serum of mice in each treatment group became lowered （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The level of TG declined in the RIG-L， RIG-H， and metformin groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The serum level of FINS declined in the catalpol， RIG-L， and metformin groups （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the treatment groups showed decreased HOMA-IR （P<0.01）， increased ISI （P<0.01）， alleviated pathological changes in the kidney tissue， and down-regulated expression of IL-1 and TGF-β₁. In addition， the protein levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and ColⅢ in the RIG-H and metformin groups and IL-6 and TNF-α in the RIG-L group were down-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the protein levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and ColⅢ in the catalpol group and ColⅢ in the RIG-L group showed a decreasing trend without statistical difference. The protein levels of TGF-β₁， Smad3， and ColⅢ in the RIG-H and metformin groups were down-regulated （P<0.01）. Compared with that in the model group， the protein level of MMP-9 was up-regulated in each treatment group （P<0.01）. ConclusionRIG can improve the renal structure and function of diabetic mice by regulating the TGF-β₁/Smads signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo explore the changes in volatile components， total polysaccharides， enzyme activity， and chromaticity value of Myristicae Semen Koji（MSK） during the fermentation process， and conduct correlation analysis. MethodsBased on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（GC-MS）， the changes of volatile components in MSK at different fermentation times were identified. The phenol sulfuric acid method， dinitrosalicylic acid method（DNS）， and carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt method（CMC-Na） were used to investigate the total polysaccharide content， amylase activity， and cellulase activity during the fermentation process. Visual analysis technology was used to explore the changes in chromaticity values， revealing the fermentation process of MSK and the dynamic changes of various measurement indicators， partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） was used to explore the differential compounds of MSK at different fermentation degrees， and Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between volatile components of MSK and total polysaccharides， enzyme activity， and chromaticity values. ResultsA total of 60 volatile compounds were identified from MSK， the relative contents of components such as （+）-α-pinene， β-phellandrene， β-pinene， （+）-limonene， and p-cymene obviously increased， while the relative contents of components such as safrole， methyl isoeugenol， methyleugenol， myristicin， and elemicin significantly decreased. During the fermentation process， the total polysaccharide content showed an upward trend， while the activities of amylase and cellulase showed an initial increase followed by a decrease， and reached their maximum value at 40 h. the overall brightness（L^*） and total color difference（ΔE^*） gradually increased， while the changes in red-green value（a^*） and yellow-blue value（b^*） were not obvious. PLS-DA results showed that MSK could be clearly distinguished at different fermentation times， and 13 differential biomarkers were screened out. Pearson correlation analysis results showed that the contents of α-terpinene， β-phellandrene， methyleugenol， β-cubebene and myristic acid had an obvious correlation with chromaticity values. ConclusionAfter fermentation， the volatile components， total polysaccharides， amylase activity， and cellulase activity of MSK undergo significant changes， and there is a clear correlation between them and chromaticity values， which reveals the dynamic changes in the fermentation process and related indicators of MSK， laying a foundation for the quality control.

Objective:To investigate the influence of cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) gene polymorphisms on liver function injury in patients with hyperthyroidism treated with methimazole.Methods:The study selected 90 patients with hyperthyroidism who were treated with methimazole in the Department of Thyroid Surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from Sept. 2023 to Aug. 2024 as the research subjects. Based on the occurrence of liver injury, they were divided into a liver injury group ( n=36) and a non-liver injury group (n=54). Peripheral blood DNA was extracted from the patients, and the CYP2A6 gene genotypes (rs8192725, rs8192720, and rs28399433) were detected using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification method. The association between CYP2A6 gene polymorphisms and liver injury induced by methimazole treatment in hyperthyroidism was analyzed. Results:The comparison of genotype distribution frequencies at the rs8192725 locus between the liver injury group and the non-liver injury group showed a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). The AG and GG genotypes at the rs8192725 locus were protective factors against liver injury in patients with hyperthyroidism (AG vs. AA, OR: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.08-0.57; P<0.05; GG vs. AA, OR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.06-0.89; P<0.05; AG+GG vs. AA, OR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.09-0.54; P<0.05). The frequency of the G allele of rs8192725 in the liver injury group was significantly lower than that in the non-liver injury group (G vs. A, OR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.19-0.70; P<0.05), indicating that it is a protective factor for liver injury in hyperthyroid patients receiving methimazole treatment. Conclusions:The CYP2A6 gene polymorphism at the rs8192725 locus is associated with the occurrence of liver injury in patients with hyperthyroidism treated with methimazole. The G allele may be a protective factor against liver injury in patients with hyperthyroidism, suggesting that individualized treatment plans can be developed based on the patient's genotype.

BACKGROUND:High-intensity resistance training effectively improves muscle strength,but with a high risk of arteriosclerosis;high-intensity resistance training combined with aerobic exercise effectively reduces the level of arteriosclerosis;low-intensity resistance combined with blood flow restriction training does not require high load strength to stimulate muscles,which may be a scientific training method to improve muscle strength and maintain arterial elasticity.OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of 12 weeks of low-intensity resistance training combined with blood flow restriction training on body composition,muscle strength,and arterial elasticity in young people,thereby providing theoretical support for the development of personalized training programs.METHODS:Fifty-five college students were randomly recruited and divided by drawing lots into high-intensity resistance training group,high-intensity resistance training combined with aerobic exercise group,and low-intensity resistance training combined with blood flow restriction training group. All participants were subjected to 12 weeks of high-intensity resistance training,high-intensity resistance training combined with aerobic exercise,or low-intensity resistance training combined with blood flow restriction training,and their body composition,muscle strength,and arterial elasticity were tested after training. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After 12 weeks of training intervention,the lean body mass of the high-intensity resistance training group and the low-intensity resistance training combined with blood flow restriction training group significantly increased (P<0.05). The one-repetition maximum and knee isokinetic muscle strength significantly increased in all the three groups (P<0.05). The arterial elasticity of the high-intensity resistance training combined with aerobic exercise group and the low-intensity resistance training combined with blood flow restriction training group significantly improved (P<0.05). These findings indicate that 12 weeks of high-intensity resistance training and low-intensity resistance training combined with blood flow restriction training significantly improve body composition;all the three training programs can increase muscle strength;12 weeks of high-intensity resistance training combined with aerobic exercise and low-intensity resistance training combined with blood flow restriction training both improve arterial elasticity,and the effect of low-intensity resistance training combined with blood flow restriction training is superior to that of high-intensity resistance training combined with aerobic exercise. Therefore,it is recommended that low-intensity resistance training combined with blood flow restriction training be used as the preferred training method to improve arterial elasticity,thus reducing the risk of arteriosclerosis.