ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Tougu Xiaotong capsules （TGXTC） on the regulation of chondrocyte PANoptosis， delay of chondrocyte degeneration， and improvement of the symptoms in knee osteoarthritis （KOA）. MethodsIn vivo experiments： 50 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into five groups （n=10 per group）： sham operation group， model group， low-dose TGXTC group （7.2 g·kg^-1）， high-dose TGXTC group （14.4 g·kg^-1）， and diclofenac sodium group （0.05 g·kg^-1）. Except for the sham group， KOA models were established in all other groups using the modified Hulth method. Following successful model induction， the TGXTC groups received daily oral gavage of 7.2 or 14.4 g·kg^-1 for 6 weeks， while the diclofenac sodium group received 0.05 g·kg^-1 solution daily over the same duration. Model evaluation was performed using Lequesne MG score； micro-computed tomography （micro-CT） was used to scan the knee， hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and safranin O-fast green staining were used to observe the morphology of cartilage， transmission electron microscopy （TEM） was used to determine ultrastructural changes of PANoptosis. Multiple immunofluorescence （IF） co-localization assays was performed to detect the co-localization of cleaved Caspase-3， receptor-interacting protein 3 （RlPK3）， and the N-terminal domain of gasdermin D （GSDMD-N） in cartilage tissue， while western blot was employed to detect the expression levels of cleaved Caspase-3， RIPK3， and GSDMD-N. In vitro experiments： The knee cartilages of 4-week-old SD rats were isolated， and a chondrocyte in vitro culture system was established through mechanical digestion with 0.2% type Ⅱ collagenase. Second-generation chondrocytes were divided into three groups： the control group， the model group （pretreated with 10 mg·L^-1 lipopolysaccharide （LPS） for 24 h followed by treatment with 1 μmol·L^-1 nigericin for 4 h）， and the TGXTC treatment group （pretreated with 10 mg·L^-1 LPS for 24 h， followed by exposure to 1 μmol·L^-1 nigericin for 4 h and subsequently treated with 100 mg·L^-1 TGXTC for an additional 24 h）. The levels of reactive oxygen species （ROS）， apoptosis， necroptosis， and pyroptosis of chondrocytes were evaluated via fluorescence microscopy following staining with ROS detection， AO/EB and YO-PRO-1/PI staining kits. Transmission electron microscopy was utilized to investigate the ultrastructural changes associated with PANoptosis in cartilage tissue of KOA mice. Inflammatory cytokine levels （IL-1β and IL-18） were measured using ELISA. Western blot was conducted to assess protein expressions related to PANoptosis， including cleaved Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-8， RIPK3， ZBP1， GSDMD-N， and NLRP3. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the Lequesne MG scores were significantly up-regulated（P<0.01） in the model group， and the pathological changes of cartilage were significantly， with joint spaces narrower， osteophyte formation increased， secere abrasion of cartilage surface. Ultrastructural analysis revealed pronounced chondrocyte apoptosis， necroptosis， and pyroptosis， along with markedly elevated expression of cleaved Caspase-3， RlPK3， and GSDMD-N in cartilage tissue （P<0.01）. In addition， The mean fluorescence intensities of ROS， orange-red fluorescence in AO/EB staining， green fluorescence and red fluorescence in YO-PRO-1/PI staining were increased of chondrocyte in the model group （P<0.01） . The levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-18 in the supernatant were increased （P<0.01）. The expression of PANoptosis related proteins （cleaved Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-8， RIPK3， ZBP1， GSDMD-N， and NLRP3） were also significantly upregulated（P<0.05）. Compared to the model group， the TGXTC group demonstrated a significant improvement in various parameters of mice. These included a reduction in the Lequesne MG score， an increase in joint space， a decrease in osteophyte formation， diminished cartilage damage， reduced release of ROS， and alleviation of apoptotic， necroptotic， and pyroptotic processes in chondrocytes. Additionally， mitochondrial swelling and endoplasmic reticulum dilation were also mitigated. The levels of ROS as well as IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Furthermore， the expression levels of proteins associated with PANoptosis in cartilage tissue showed marked reductions （P<0.05）. Similar results were observed in chondrocytes： cleaved Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-8， RIPK3， ZBP1， GSDMD-N， and NLRP3 exhibited significant decreases as well （P<0.05）. ConclusionTGXTC may mitigate chondrocytes degeneration and alleviate KOA symptoms by reducing oxidative stress and suppressing the activation of PANoptosis pathways.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Tougu Xiaotong capsules （TGXTC） on the regulation of chondrocyte PANoptosis， delay of chondrocyte degeneration， and improvement of the symptoms in knee osteoarthritis （KOA）. MethodsIn vivo experiments： 50 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into five groups （n=10 per group）： sham operation group， model group， low-dose TGXTC group （7.2 g·kg^-1）， high-dose TGXTC group （14.4 g·kg^-1）， and diclofenac sodium group （0.05 g·kg^-1）. Except for the sham group， KOA models were established in all other groups using the modified Hulth method. Following successful model induction， the TGXTC groups received daily oral gavage of 7.2 or 14.4 g·kg^-1 for 6 weeks， while the diclofenac sodium group received 0.05 g·kg^-1 solution daily over the same duration. Model evaluation was performed using Lequesne MG score； micro-computed tomography （micro-CT） was used to scan the knee， hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and safranin O-fast green staining were used to observe the morphology of cartilage， transmission electron microscopy （TEM） was used to determine ultrastructural changes of PANoptosis. Multiple immunofluorescence （IF） co-localization assays was performed to detect the co-localization of cleaved Caspase-3， receptor-interacting protein 3 （RlPK3）， and the N-terminal domain of gasdermin D （GSDMD-N） in cartilage tissue， while western blot was employed to detect the expression levels of cleaved Caspase-3， RIPK3， and GSDMD-N. In vitro experiments： The knee cartilages of 4-week-old SD rats were isolated， and a chondrocyte in vitro culture system was established through mechanical digestion with 0.2% type Ⅱ collagenase. Second-generation chondrocytes were divided into three groups： the control group， the model group （pretreated with 10 mg·L^-1 lipopolysaccharide （LPS） for 24 h followed by treatment with 1 μmol·L^-1 nigericin for 4 h）， and the TGXTC treatment group （pretreated with 10 mg·L^-1 LPS for 24 h， followed by exposure to 1 μmol·L^-1 nigericin for 4 h and subsequently treated with 100 mg·L^-1 TGXTC for an additional 24 h）. The levels of reactive oxygen species （ROS）， apoptosis， necroptosis， and pyroptosis of chondrocytes were evaluated via fluorescence microscopy following staining with ROS detection， AO/EB and YO-PRO-1/PI staining kits. Transmission electron microscopy was utilized to investigate the ultrastructural changes associated with PANoptosis in cartilage tissue of KOA mice. Inflammatory cytokine levels （IL-1β and IL-18） were measured using ELISA. Western blot was conducted to assess protein expressions related to PANoptosis， including cleaved Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-8， RIPK3， ZBP1， GSDMD-N， and NLRP3. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the Lequesne MG scores were significantly up-regulated（P<0.01） in the model group， and the pathological changes of cartilage were significantly， with joint spaces narrower， osteophyte formation increased， secere abrasion of cartilage surface. Ultrastructural analysis revealed pronounced chondrocyte apoptosis， necroptosis， and pyroptosis， along with markedly elevated expression of cleaved Caspase-3， RlPK3， and GSDMD-N in cartilage tissue （P<0.01）. In addition， The mean fluorescence intensities of ROS， orange-red fluorescence in AO/EB staining， green fluorescence and red fluorescence in YO-PRO-1/PI staining were increased of chondrocyte in the model group （P<0.01） . The levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-18 in the supernatant were increased （P<0.01）. The expression of PANoptosis related proteins （cleaved Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-8， RIPK3， ZBP1， GSDMD-N， and NLRP3） were also significantly upregulated（P<0.05）. Compared to the model group， the TGXTC group demonstrated a significant improvement in various parameters of mice. These included a reduction in the Lequesne MG score， an increase in joint space， a decrease in osteophyte formation， diminished cartilage damage， reduced release of ROS， and alleviation of apoptotic， necroptotic， and pyroptotic processes in chondrocytes. Additionally， mitochondrial swelling and endoplasmic reticulum dilation were also mitigated. The levels of ROS as well as IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Furthermore， the expression levels of proteins associated with PANoptosis in cartilage tissue showed marked reductions （P<0.05）. Similar results were observed in chondrocytes： cleaved Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-8， RIPK3， ZBP1， GSDMD-N， and NLRP3 exhibited significant decreases as well （P<0.05）. ConclusionTGXTC may mitigate chondrocytes degeneration and alleviate KOA symptoms by reducing oxidative stress and suppressing the activation of PANoptosis pathways.

BACKGROUND:Rheumatoid arthritis is widely prevalent worldwide,with its high incidence and universality that considerably affects patients' quality of life.Previous studies have focused on a few immune cells or cytokines,whereas this study comprehensively provides a more complete view of the immune mechanisms in rheumatoid arthritis.OBJECTIVE:To explore the causal relationship between 731 immune cell phenotypes and rheumatoid arthritis using the Mendelian randomization method,thereby providing evidence of causality.METHODS:The 731 immune cell phenotypes used in this study were sourced from the GWAScatalog database,jointly developed by the National Human Genome Research Institute(NHGRI)and the European Bioinformatics Institute(EBI).The rheumatoid arthritis data were from the Finngen database,developed by the Finnish Institute for Molecular Medicine(FIMM).The inverse variance weighting method was employed as the primary analytical approach.Additionally,multiple analytical methods,including MR-Egger,weighted mode,simple mode,and weighted median,were concurrently utilized to complement the final results.Sensitivity analyses(Cochran's Q test,MR-Egger regression,and MR-presso analysis)were also conducted to verify the stability and feasibility of the data.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)After excluding results through heterogeneity testing,the inverse variance weighting analysis indicated that 10 absolute cell counts,15 median fluorescence intensities of surface antigen levels,1 morphological characteristic,and 9 relative cell counts had a causal relationship with the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis.(2)According to cell classification,this study found that seven types of B cells,seven types of classical dendritic cells,six types of mature T cells,four types of monocytes,three types of myeloid cells,three types of TBNK cells(lymphocyte subset T cells,B cells and natural killer cells),and five types of Tregs had a causal association with the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis.(3)Through comprehensive bidirectional two-sample MR analysis,we demonstrated the complex causal relationships between multiple immune phenotypes and rheumatoid arthritis,highlighting the intricate interaction patterns between the immune system and rheumatoid arthritis.These results provide new biomarkers for the early screening and diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in China,and help to improve the diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity.

BACKGROUND:Rheumatoid arthritis is widely prevalent worldwide,with its high incidence and universality that considerably affects patients' quality of life.Previous studies have focused on a few immune cells or cytokines,whereas this study comprehensively provides a more complete view of the immune mechanisms in rheumatoid arthritis.OBJECTIVE:To explore the causal relationship between 731 immune cell phenotypes and rheumatoid arthritis using the Mendelian randomization method,thereby providing evidence of causality.METHODS:The 731 immune cell phenotypes used in this study were sourced from the GWAScatalog database,jointly developed by the National Human Genome Research Institute(NHGRI)and the European Bioinformatics Institute(EBI).The rheumatoid arthritis data were from the Finngen database,developed by the Finnish Institute for Molecular Medicine(FIMM).The inverse variance weighting method was employed as the primary analytical approach.Additionally,multiple analytical methods,including MR-Egger,weighted mode,simple mode,and weighted median,were concurrently utilized to complement the final results.Sensitivity analyses(Cochran's Q test,MR-Egger regression,and MR-presso analysis)were also conducted to verify the stability and feasibility of the data.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)After excluding results through heterogeneity testing,the inverse variance weighting analysis indicated that 10 absolute cell counts,15 median fluorescence intensities of surface antigen levels,1 morphological characteristic,and 9 relative cell counts had a causal relationship with the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis.(2)According to cell classification,this study found that seven types of B cells,seven types of classical dendritic cells,six types of mature T cells,four types of monocytes,three types of myeloid cells,three types of TBNK cells(lymphocyte subset T cells,B cells and natural killer cells),and five types of Tregs had a causal association with the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis.(3)Through comprehensive bidirectional two-sample MR analysis,we demonstrated the complex causal relationships between multiple immune phenotypes and rheumatoid arthritis,highlighting the intricate interaction patterns between the immune system and rheumatoid arthritis.These results provide new biomarkers for the early screening and diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in China,and help to improve the diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement mechanism of Huatan tongmai decoction on rats with polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） by regulating autophagy through phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase（PI3K）/protein kinase B（AKT）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） pathway. METHODS A total of 40 rats were randomly divided into blank group （purified water）， model group （purified water）， traditional Chinese medicine group [Huatan tongmai decoction， 24 g/（kg·d）] and chemical drug group [metformin， 0.16 g/（kg·d）]， with 10 rats in each group. Except for blank group， other groups were given a combination of high-fat diet and intragastric administration of 1 mg/kg letrozole suspension to establish PCOS rat model. After modeling， they were given relevant medicine or water intragastrically， once a day， for 42 consecutive days. After the last administration， the pathological and ultrastructural changes of ovarian tissue were observed. The levels of follicle stimulating hormone （FSH）， testosterone （T）， estradiol （E2） ，luteinizing hormone （LH） in serum were detected，and the LH/FSH ratio was calculated. mRNA expressions of Beclin-1， p62 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3） in ovarian tissue were detected. The expressions of related proteins of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and autophagy in rat ovarian tissues were also detected. RESULTS Compared with blank group， the pathological damage and ultrastructural changes of the ovarian tissue in the model group rats were obvious， and a large number of autophagosomes could be seen in cells. The levels of T and LH and the LH/FSH ratio in serum， as well as mRNA and protein expressions of Beclin-1 and LC3， were increased significantly （P＜0.05）， while the levels of E2 and FSH in serum， as well as mRNA and protein expressions of p62 and the phosphorylation levels of PI3K， AKT and mTOR proteins in ovarian tissue， were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group， the pathological damage of ovarian tissue in the administration groups was significantly reduced， the number of autophagosomes was smaller， and the expression levels of the above indicators were significantly reversed （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Huatan tongmai decoction can inhibit autophagy in ovarian granular cells by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway， regulate the secretion of sex hormones， alleviate pathological damage in ovarian tissues， and promote normal follicular development， thereby exerting an ameliorative effect on PCOS rats.

Objective:To explore the characteristics of attention bias and the role of embodied emotion prim-ing in college students with different traits of anxiety.Methods:From 2 310 college students,28 from low trait anxi-ety group and 30 from high trait anxiety group were selected based on the scores of the Trait Anxiety Scale.The at-tention bias index,attention orientation index and attention detachment difficulty index were calculated by point de-tection experiment.By asking two groups of subjects to change their body posture to induce embodied emotion,and then responding to the location of the detection point,the effects of embodied emotion priming on the attention bias of college students with different traits of anxiety were investigated.Results:The point detection experiment found that the attention detachment difficulty index of negative emotional faces in the high trait anxiety group was signifi-cantly greater than 0,and the attention orientation index of positive emotional faces in the low trait anxiety group was significantly greater than 0(Ps＜0.05).The attention bias index for positive emotional faces in low trait anxie-ty group was significantly higher than that in high trait anxiety group(P＜0.05).Under embodied negative prim-ing,the attention bias index of negative emotional faces in low trait anxiety group was significantly greater than 0(P＜0.05).The attention orientation indices of negative emotional faces were significantly higher than that of posi-tive emotional faces in both groups(P＜0.05).Conclusion:College students with high trait anxiety have difficulty in escaping attention to negative faces,while those with low trait anxiety have accelerated attention orientation to positive emotional faces.Embodied negative priming may have a greater impact onattention bias of towards negative emotional faces in students with low trait anxiety.

Objective:To explore the characteristics of attention bias and the role of embodied emotion prim-ing in college students with different traits of anxiety.Methods:From 2 310 college students,28 from low trait anxi-ety group and 30 from high trait anxiety group were selected based on the scores of the Trait Anxiety Scale.The at-tention bias index,attention orientation index and attention detachment difficulty index were calculated by point de-tection experiment.By asking two groups of subjects to change their body posture to induce embodied emotion,and then responding to the location of the detection point,the effects of embodied emotion priming on the attention bias of college students with different traits of anxiety were investigated.Results:The point detection experiment found that the attention detachment difficulty index of negative emotional faces in the high trait anxiety group was signifi-cantly greater than 0,and the attention orientation index of positive emotional faces in the low trait anxiety group was significantly greater than 0(Ps＜0.05).The attention bias index for positive emotional faces in low trait anxie-ty group was significantly higher than that in high trait anxiety group(P＜0.05).Under embodied negative prim-ing,the attention bias index of negative emotional faces in low trait anxiety group was significantly greater than 0(P＜0.05).The attention orientation indices of negative emotional faces were significantly higher than that of posi-tive emotional faces in both groups(P＜0.05).Conclusion:College students with high trait anxiety have difficulty in escaping attention to negative faces,while those with low trait anxiety have accelerated attention orientation to positive emotional faces.Embodied negative priming may have a greater impact onattention bias of towards negative emotional faces in students with low trait anxiety.

BACKGROUND:Our previous research found that Tougu Xiaotong Capsules can be used not only for the treatment of osteoarthritis,but also for rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis.However,the specific mechanism of action of"Same Treatment for Different Diseases"is still unclear.OBJECTIVE:To identify the main effects and mechanisms of Tougu Xiaotong Capsules in the treatment of osteoarthritis,rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis with the treating principle of"Same Treatment for Different Diseases"by the methodologies of integrated pharmacology,molecular docking techniques and molecular dynamics simulation.METHODS:The active chemical components of Tougu Xiaotong Capsules and their corresponding targets were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP)and the Swiss Target Prediction database.The disease genes for osteoarthritis,rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis were obtained from the GeneCards and OMIM databases.Cytoscape 3.7.2 software was used to construct a drug-component-disease-target network diagram and a protein-protein interaction network.Gene ontology analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis were conducted using the Daivd database.Molecular docking simulations were performed on the CB-DOCK2 website,and molecular dynamics simulations were carried out using the GROMACS 2020.6 software.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)A total of 50 active components of Tougu Xiaotong Capsules were screened,with 184 potential targets and 29 intersection targets across the three types of arthritis.(2)The gene ontology enrichment analysis of the intersection targets indicated that the key gene functions of Tougu Xiaotong Capsules in treating the three types of arthritis were found to be cellular response to lipopolysaccharide,inflammatory response,extracellular matrix,protein binding,and zinc ion binding.(3)Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis identified key pathways as interleukin-17 signaling pathway,tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway,NOD-like receptor and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways.(4)Six core targets[interleukin-6,interleukin-1β,prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 1,prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2,cytochrome P450 1A2(CYP1A2)and C-X-C chemokine ligand 8]were determined based on the protein-protein interaction network.(5)Molecular docking results confirmed that(+)-catechin,β-sitosterol,kaempferol,myricetin,and wallichilide had good structure-activity relationships.Molecular dynamics simulations further confirmed the stable binding of CYP1A2 with wallichilide,corroborating the network pharmacology and molecular docking results.Therefore,Tougu Xiaotong Capsules may regulate the interleukin-17 signaling pathway,tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway,and other signaling pathways by targeting interleukin-1β,prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 1,prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2 and CYP1A2,exert an effect of"Same Treatment for Different Diseases"on osteoarthritis,rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis.

BACKGROUND:Our previous research found that Tougu Xiaotong Capsules can be used not only for the treatment of osteoarthritis,but also for rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis.However,the specific mechanism of action of"Same Treatment for Different Diseases"is still unclear.OBJECTIVE:To identify the main effects and mechanisms of Tougu Xiaotong Capsules in the treatment of osteoarthritis,rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis with the treating principle of"Same Treatment for Different Diseases"by the methodologies of integrated pharmacology,molecular docking techniques and molecular dynamics simulation.METHODS:The active chemical components of Tougu Xiaotong Capsules and their corresponding targets were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP)and the Swiss Target Prediction database.The disease genes for osteoarthritis,rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis were obtained from the GeneCards and OMIM databases.Cytoscape 3.7.2 software was used to construct a drug-component-disease-target network diagram and a protein-protein interaction network.Gene ontology analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis were conducted using the Daivd database.Molecular docking simulations were performed on the CB-DOCK2 website,and molecular dynamics simulations were carried out using the GROMACS 2020.6 software.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)A total of 50 active components of Tougu Xiaotong Capsules were screened,with 184 potential targets and 29 intersection targets across the three types of arthritis.(2)The gene ontology enrichment analysis of the intersection targets indicated that the key gene functions of Tougu Xiaotong Capsules in treating the three types of arthritis were found to be cellular response to lipopolysaccharide,inflammatory response,extracellular matrix,protein binding,and zinc ion binding.(3)Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis identified key pathways as interleukin-17 signaling pathway,tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway,NOD-like receptor and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways.(4)Six core targets[interleukin-6,interleukin-1β,prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 1,prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2,cytochrome P450 1A2(CYP1A2)and C-X-C chemokine ligand 8]were determined based on the protein-protein interaction network.(5)Molecular docking results confirmed that(+)-catechin,β-sitosterol,kaempferol,myricetin,and wallichilide had good structure-activity relationships.Molecular dynamics simulations further confirmed the stable binding of CYP1A2 with wallichilide,corroborating the network pharmacology and molecular docking results.Therefore,Tougu Xiaotong Capsules may regulate the interleukin-17 signaling pathway,tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway,and other signaling pathways by targeting interleukin-1β,prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 1,prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2 and CYP1A2,exert an effect of"Same Treatment for Different Diseases"on osteoarthritis,rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis.

Radiotherapy can cause functional and morphological changes in the brain tissues of patients with primary or metastatic malignant brain tumors, leading to radiation-induced brain injury. However, the pathogenesis of radiation-induced brain injury has not yet been unanimously determined, and its research advances and treatment protocols are yet to be elucidated and improved. In this study, we explore the pathogenesis of radiation-induced brain injury from the perspective of vascular injury, inflammatory reactions, neuronal dysfunction, glial cell injury, and gut microbiota and reviewed the advances in research on its treatment and prevention. The purpose is to provide a reference and theoretical basis for the research and clinical diagnosis and treatment of radiation-induced brain injury.