AIM To investigate the protective effect of Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills against house dust mite(HDM)-induced allergic asthma in mice.METHODS Compared to the intact BALB/c mice in the blank control group,the BALB/c mice randomly assigned into the model group,the dexamethasone group(0.67 mg/kg),and the low-dose,medium-dose,and high-dose Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills groups(15,30 and 60 mg/kg),were induced into acute allergic asthma models via weekly intraperitoneal sensitization with 0.1 mL HDM solution(0.5 mg/mL)for three weeks followed by three consecutive daily intranasal challenges with 10 μL HDM solution(2.5 mg/mL)starting in the third week.The drug administered continuously 7 days after the last excitation.The mice had their airway reactive Penh value detected,their pulmonary pathological changes observed by HE staining,their blood eosinophils(EOS)counted,their Th2 cytokines in lung tissue and serum IgE levels detected by ELISA,and their number of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC)and pulmonary Th2 cells detected by flow cytometry.Chronic allergic asthma was induced in grouped BALB/c mice through repeated intranasal challenges with 10 μL HDM solution(2.5 mg/mL)administered five times weekly for five consecutive weeks.Drug treatment continued for 14 days following the final challenge.After the final treatment,the mice had their pulmonary pathological changes observed by HE staining,and their levels of Th2 cytokines in B ALF and lung tissue and serum IgE detected by ELISA.RESULTS Compared to the blank control group,the acute allergic asthma model group exhibited increases in Penh value,EOS count and IgE level in serum,IL-4 and IL-5 levels in lung tissue(P＜0.01);obvious pulmonary inflammatory cells infiltration,and thickened airway wall;and increase in pulmonary number of Th2 cells(P＜0.01).Compared to the model group,the groups intervened with Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills demonstrated decreased Penh value,serum EOS count,IgE level and IL-5 level in lung tissue(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);reduced pulmonary inflammatory infiltration and alleviated airway wall thickening;and decreased number of pulmonary Th2 cells.Compared to the blank group,the chronic allergic asthma model group showed obvious pulmonary inflammatory infiltration and airway wall thickening;and increased EOS count and IgE level in serum,IL-4 and IL-13 in lung tissue and IL-14 in BALF(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Compared to the model group,the groups intervened with either medium-dose or high-dose Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills demonstrated reduced pulmonary inflammatory infiltration;and decreased serum EOS count,IgE level,IL-13 in lung tissue and IL-14 in BALF(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills reduce Th2 cells in peripheral blood and lung tissue,suppress type 2 inflammation,and thereby alleviate allergic asthma.

Objective To explore the brain damage of SD rats under different time points of hypobaric hypoxia exposure.Methods A rat high-altitube cerebral edema(HACE)model was constructed by simulating an altitude of 6 000 m in a hypobaric hypoxia animal experimental chamber.Thirty-six SD male rats were randomly divided into the control group and the hypobaric hypoxia exposure 3,7 and 14 d groups,with 9 rats in each group.Except for the control group,the rats in each group were continuously exposed to hypobaric hypoxia for 3,7,and 14 d.At the end of the modeling period,serum was collected by blood sampling via the abdominal aorta,and brain tissue samples were taken.The wet-to-dry ratio(W/D)of brain tissue was calculated,and the levels of relevant oxidative enzymes in serum and brain tissue were measured.The expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)and aquaporin 4(AQP4)mRNAs in brain tissue were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Results The W/D of brain tissues in the control group and the group exposed to hypobaric hypoxia for 3,7 and 14 d were 4.46±0.12,4.98±0.16,5.07±0.18 and 4.95±0.07;the superoxide dismutase contents were(111.86±2.45),(90.73±1.48),(79.64±2.56)and(55.33±1.45)U·g-1;the glutathione contents were(126.91±5.18),(125.26±1.53),(56.20±2.17)and(122.73±1.78)μg·mL-1;the malondialdehyde contents were(230.94±2.00),(362.65±3.28),(407.34±3.47)and(237.50±1.59)nmol·g-1;the relative expression levels of HIF-1 α mRNA were 1.00±0,2.99±0.49,4.72±0.49 and 1.91±0.28;the relative expression levels of AQP4 mRNA were 1.00±0,2.62±0.34,8.38±0.84 and 5.27±0.42,respectively.Statistically significant differences were found between the above indexes in the 3,7 and 14 d of hypobaric hypoxia exposure group compared with the control group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusion Different time of hypobaric hypoxia exposure can up-regulate the expression of AQPs proteins in HACE rats and cause the disruption of the blood-brain barrier,and the HACE model constructed in the hypobaric hypoxia chamber with 6 000 m intervention for 7 d was more stable.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection frequently develop central nervous system damage, yet the mechanisms driving this pathology remain unclear. This study investigated the primary pathways and key factors underlying brain tissue damage induced by the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant (lineage B.1.351). METHODS: K18-hACE2 and C57BL/6 mice were intranasally infected with the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant. Viral replication, pathological phenotypes, and brain transcriptomes were analyzed. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was performed to identify altered pathways. Expression changes of host genes were verified using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. RESULTS: Pathological alterations were observed in the lungs of both mouse strains. However, only K18-hACE2 mice exhibited elevated viral RNA loads and infectious titers in the brain at 3 days post-infection, accompanied by neuropathological injury and weight loss. GO analysis of infected K18-hACE2 brain tissue revealed significant dysregulation of genes associated with innate immunity and antiviral defense responses, including type I interferons, pro-inflammatory cytokines, Toll-like receptor signaling components, and interferon-stimulated genes. Neuroinflammation was evident, alongside activation of apoptotic and pyroptotic pathways. Furthermore, altered neural cell marker expression suggested viral-induced neuroglial activation, resulting in caspase 4 and lipocalin 2 release and disruption of neuronal molecular networks. CONCLUSION These findings elucidate mechanisms of neuropathogenicity associated with the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant and highlight therapeutic targets to mitigate COVID-19-related neurological dysfunction.
Animals ; COVID-19/genetics* ; Mice ; Brain/metabolism* ; Apoptosis ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; SARS-CoV-2/physiology* ; Pyroptosis ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Transcriptome ; Male ; Female

Objective To investigate the changes of serum microRNA (miR)-138-5p and microRNA(miR)-574-5p expression levels and their clinical significance in newborns acute respiratory distress syndrome (nARDS). Methods A total of 112 infants with nARDS from September 2018 to August 2023 in the Neonatal Department of Xiaogan Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology were collected as the observation group. They were divided into good prognosis group (n=98) and the poor prognosis group (n=14). A total of 104 healthy full-term newborns born at the same time were selected as the control group. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression levels of miR-138-5p and miR-574-5p in serum. ROC curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of serum miR-574-5p and miR-138-5p levels for poor prognosis of infants with nARDS. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis of factors affecting the poor prognosis of infants with nARDS. Results Compared with the control group,the expression level of serum miR-574-5p in the observation group increased (1.72±0.23 vs 1.04±0.17),with the expression level of miR-138-5p decreased (0.55±0.08 vs 1.02±0.16),with statistically significant differences (t=24.557,25.597,all P<0.05). Compared with the good prognosis group,the serum miR-138-5p expression level in the poor prognosis group decreased (0.41±0.06 vs 0.57±0.08),with the miR-574-5p expression level increased (2.07±0.25 vs 1.67±0.19),with statistically significant differences (t=7.188,7.069,all P<0.05). The age,intrauterine distress,and proportion of abnormal amniotic fluid in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group (t=5.359,4.257,6.577,all P<0.05). MiR-574-5p was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis with nARDS,and miR-138-5p was a protective factor (all P<0.05).The AUC (95％ CI) of serum miR-138-5p and miR-574-5p alone and combined diagnosis of nADRS were 0.793 (0.706～0.864),0.898 (0.826～0.947) and 0.931 (0.867～0.970),respectively. The combined prediction of miR-138-5p and miR-574-5p were better than that of miR-138-5p alone and miR-574-5p alone (Z=2.151,1.982,all P<0.05). Conclusion The expression levels of miR-138-5p in serum of infant with nARDS were lower and the expression levels of miR-574-5p were higher,both of which have certain diagnostic value for poor prognosis of infant with nARDS .

Objective To investigate the influence of helical tomographic radiotherapy plans with different combinations of lead gate width,pitch and algorithms on threading effects.Methods A target model was established with a Cheese Phantom used as the simulated human body,then three lead gate widths(1.0,2.5,and 5.0 cm),six screw pitches(0.143,0.172,0.215,0.287,0.430,and 0.500)and two computational grids(Fine algorithm and Normal algorithm)were respectively combined for designing the helical tomography radiotherapy plans.The radiotherapy plans with a pitch of 0.143,0.172,0.215,0.287 or 0.430 were enrolled into an experimental group,and the plans with a pitch of 0.500 were divided into a control group.The dosimetric parameters including maximum dose(Dmax),minimum dose(Dmin)and mean dose(Dmean)of the target area PTV1 and PTV2 were evaluated by the dose volume histogram(DVH).The dose homogeneity index(HI)of the target area was calculated,and the single rotation time and total treatment time of each plan were recorded and counted.SPSS 27.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results No significant threading effect appeared regardless of the pitch value when the lead gate width was 1.0 cm.The threading effects in the experimental group were weaker than those in the control group when the lead gate width was 2.5 or 5.0 cm.The threading effect gradually rose with the pitch increased when the lead gate width was 5.0 cm.The most significant difference was found between the threading effect in case of the screw pitch being 0.500 and that with the screw pitch being 0.143,with the differenes being statistically obvious(P<0.05).The lead gate width had significant effects on the Dmax,Dmin,Dmean and HI of PTV1 and PTV2.When the lead gate width was 5.0 cm,high HI value and uneven dose distribution were detected and lowered screw pitch weakened the threading effect.The single rotation time first remained constant and then increased with the screw pitch was enlarged,with the changing points occurring in case of the screw pitches of 0.287 and 0.430.With a certain lead gate width,the treatment time for plans was shortened with the decrease of the pitches in case of the pritches lower than 0.287,and tended to be constant after the screw pitches reached 0.287.The changes of the computational grid had no significant effects on the results of radiotherapy plans when the lead gate width and screw pitch were kept constant.Conclusion When designing a spiral tomotherapy plan with conventional doses,a lead gate width of 1.0 or 2.5 cm and a screw pitch of 0.287 or 0.430 should be selected in order to minimize the threading effect while ensuring the efficiency of plan implementation.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(8):58-66]

Aim To systematically investigate the ac-tive components,targets,and regulatory pathways of Po-lygonum capitatum in intervening atherosclerosis(AS)through network pharmacology,molecular docking and animal experiments.Methods Active components of Polygonum capitatum and AS-related targets were screened and identified through database searches.Protein-protein interaction(PPI)network analysis was performed using the STRING database,followed by GO and KEGG enrichment analyses via the David plat-form.Molecular docking validation was conducted with AutoDock.An AS model was established in Syrian golden hamsters fed a high-fat diet.Predicted pathways and targets were validated using qPCR,ELISA,and histopathological assessment of aortic and hepatic tis-sues via HE staining.Results Network pharmacology identified 27 potential active components of Polygonum capitatum(primarily flavonoids such as quercetin and luteolin)and 110 drug-disease intersection targets,in-cluding core targets MMP-9,ALB,and AKT1.GO and KEGG analyses enriched 593 and 125 pathways,re-spectively,with the NF-κB inflammatory pathway,TNF signaling pathway and lipid metabolism/atherosclerosis pathways highlighted as key mechanisms.Animal ex-periments demonstrated that Polygonum capitatum im-proved serum lipid profiles(reduced TC,TG,LDL-C)in AS hamsters,suppressed the MMP-9/NF-κB signa-ling pathway(downregulated MMP-9,p65 phosphoryla-tion,TNF-α,and IL-6),and inhibited VSMC synthetic phenotypic transformation(upregulated α-SMA and myocardin)by downregulating MCPIP1.Additionally,Polygonum capitatum ameliorated aortic lesions and he-patic lipid deposition in AS hamsters.Conclusions Polygonum capitatum alleviates AS by synergistically regulating the MMP-9/NF-κB/MCPIP1 axis through flavonoid components,suppressing vascular inflammato-ry cascades and maintaining VSMC contractile pheno-types.This reflects Polygonum capitatum's multi-com-ponent,multi-pathway,and multi-target characteristics in combating AS.

Objective To explore the brain damage of SD rats under different time points of hypobaric hypoxia exposure.Methods A rat high-altitube cerebral edema(HACE)model was constructed by simulating an altitude of 6 000 m in a hypobaric hypoxia animal experimental chamber.Thirty-six SD male rats were randomly divided into the control group and the hypobaric hypoxia exposure 3,7 and 14 d groups,with 9 rats in each group.Except for the control group,the rats in each group were continuously exposed to hypobaric hypoxia for 3,7,and 14 d.At the end of the modeling period,serum was collected by blood sampling via the abdominal aorta,and brain tissue samples were taken.The wet-to-dry ratio(W/D)of brain tissue was calculated,and the levels of relevant oxidative enzymes in serum and brain tissue were measured.The expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)and aquaporin 4(AQP4)mRNAs in brain tissue were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Results The W/D of brain tissues in the control group and the group exposed to hypobaric hypoxia for 3,7 and 14 d were 4.46±0.12,4.98±0.16,5.07±0.18 and 4.95±0.07;the superoxide dismutase contents were(111.86±2.45),(90.73±1.48),(79.64±2.56)and(55.33±1.45)U·g-1;the glutathione contents were(126.91±5.18),(125.26±1.53),(56.20±2.17)and(122.73±1.78)μg·mL-1;the malondialdehyde contents were(230.94±2.00),(362.65±3.28),(407.34±3.47)and(237.50±1.59)nmol·g-1;the relative expression levels of HIF-1 α mRNA were 1.00±0,2.99±0.49,4.72±0.49 and 1.91±0.28;the relative expression levels of AQP4 mRNA were 1.00±0,2.62±0.34,8.38±0.84 and 5.27±0.42,respectively.Statistically significant differences were found between the above indexes in the 3,7 and 14 d of hypobaric hypoxia exposure group compared with the control group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusion Different time of hypobaric hypoxia exposure can up-regulate the expression of AQPs proteins in HACE rats and cause the disruption of the blood-brain barrier,and the HACE model constructed in the hypobaric hypoxia chamber with 6 000 m intervention for 7 d was more stable.

Objective To investigate the influence of helical tomographic radiotherapy plans with different combinations of lead gate width,pitch and algorithms on threading effects.Methods A target model was established with a Cheese Phantom used as the simulated human body,then three lead gate widths(1.0,2.5,and 5.0 cm),six screw pitches(0.143,0.172,0.215,0.287,0.430,and 0.500)and two computational grids(Fine algorithm and Normal algorithm)were respectively combined for designing the helical tomography radiotherapy plans.The radiotherapy plans with a pitch of 0.143,0.172,0.215,0.287 or 0.430 were enrolled into an experimental group,and the plans with a pitch of 0.500 were divided into a control group.The dosimetric parameters including maximum dose(Dmax),minimum dose(Dmin)and mean dose(Dmean)of the target area PTV1 and PTV2 were evaluated by the dose volume histogram(DVH).The dose homogeneity index(HI)of the target area was calculated,and the single rotation time and total treatment time of each plan were recorded and counted.SPSS 27.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results No significant threading effect appeared regardless of the pitch value when the lead gate width was 1.0 cm.The threading effects in the experimental group were weaker than those in the control group when the lead gate width was 2.5 or 5.0 cm.The threading effect gradually rose with the pitch increased when the lead gate width was 5.0 cm.The most significant difference was found between the threading effect in case of the screw pitch being 0.500 and that with the screw pitch being 0.143,with the differenes being statistically obvious(P<0.05).The lead gate width had significant effects on the Dmax,Dmin,Dmean and HI of PTV1 and PTV2.When the lead gate width was 5.0 cm,high HI value and uneven dose distribution were detected and lowered screw pitch weakened the threading effect.The single rotation time first remained constant and then increased with the screw pitch was enlarged,with the changing points occurring in case of the screw pitches of 0.287 and 0.430.With a certain lead gate width,the treatment time for plans was shortened with the decrease of the pitches in case of the pritches lower than 0.287,and tended to be constant after the screw pitches reached 0.287.The changes of the computational grid had no significant effects on the results of radiotherapy plans when the lead gate width and screw pitch were kept constant.Conclusion When designing a spiral tomotherapy plan with conventional doses,a lead gate width of 1.0 or 2.5 cm and a screw pitch of 0.287 or 0.430 should be selected in order to minimize the threading effect while ensuring the efficiency of plan implementation.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(8):58-66]

Aim To systematically investigate the ac-tive components,targets,and regulatory pathways of Po-lygonum capitatum in intervening atherosclerosis(AS)through network pharmacology,molecular docking and animal experiments.Methods Active components of Polygonum capitatum and AS-related targets were screened and identified through database searches.Protein-protein interaction(PPI)network analysis was performed using the STRING database,followed by GO and KEGG enrichment analyses via the David plat-form.Molecular docking validation was conducted with AutoDock.An AS model was established in Syrian golden hamsters fed a high-fat diet.Predicted pathways and targets were validated using qPCR,ELISA,and histopathological assessment of aortic and hepatic tis-sues via HE staining.Results Network pharmacology identified 27 potential active components of Polygonum capitatum(primarily flavonoids such as quercetin and luteolin)and 110 drug-disease intersection targets,in-cluding core targets MMP-9,ALB,and AKT1.GO and KEGG analyses enriched 593 and 125 pathways,re-spectively,with the NF-κB inflammatory pathway,TNF signaling pathway and lipid metabolism/atherosclerosis pathways highlighted as key mechanisms.Animal ex-periments demonstrated that Polygonum capitatum im-proved serum lipid profiles(reduced TC,TG,LDL-C)in AS hamsters,suppressed the MMP-9/NF-κB signa-ling pathway(downregulated MMP-9,p65 phosphoryla-tion,TNF-α,and IL-6),and inhibited VSMC synthetic phenotypic transformation(upregulated α-SMA and myocardin)by downregulating MCPIP1.Additionally,Polygonum capitatum ameliorated aortic lesions and he-patic lipid deposition in AS hamsters.Conclusions Polygonum capitatum alleviates AS by synergistically regulating the MMP-9/NF-κB/MCPIP1 axis through flavonoid components,suppressing vascular inflammato-ry cascades and maintaining VSMC contractile pheno-types.This reflects Polygonum capitatum's multi-com-ponent,multi-pathway,and multi-target characteristics in combating AS.

Objective To investigate the changes of serum microRNA (miR)-138-5p and microRNA(miR)-574-5p expression levels and their clinical significance in newborns acute respiratory distress syndrome (nARDS). Methods A total of 112 infants with nARDS from September 2018 to August 2023 in the Neonatal Department of Xiaogan Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology were collected as the observation group. They were divided into good prognosis group (n=98) and the poor prognosis group (n=14). A total of 104 healthy full-term newborns born at the same time were selected as the control group. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression levels of miR-138-5p and miR-574-5p in serum. ROC curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of serum miR-574-5p and miR-138-5p levels for poor prognosis of infants with nARDS. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis of factors affecting the poor prognosis of infants with nARDS. Results Compared with the control group,the expression level of serum miR-574-5p in the observation group increased (1.72±0.23 vs 1.04±0.17),with the expression level of miR-138-5p decreased (0.55±0.08 vs 1.02±0.16),with statistically significant differences (t=24.557,25.597,all P<0.05). Compared with the good prognosis group,the serum miR-138-5p expression level in the poor prognosis group decreased (0.41±0.06 vs 0.57±0.08),with the miR-574-5p expression level increased (2.07±0.25 vs 1.67±0.19),with statistically significant differences (t=7.188,7.069,all P<0.05). The age,intrauterine distress,and proportion of abnormal amniotic fluid in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group (t=5.359,4.257,6.577,all P<0.05). MiR-574-5p was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis with nARDS,and miR-138-5p was a protective factor (all P<0.05).The AUC (95％ CI) of serum miR-138-5p and miR-574-5p alone and combined diagnosis of nADRS were 0.793 (0.706～0.864),0.898 (0.826～0.947) and 0.931 (0.867～0.970),respectively. The combined prediction of miR-138-5p and miR-574-5p were better than that of miR-138-5p alone and miR-574-5p alone (Z=2.151,1.982,all P<0.05). Conclusion The expression levels of miR-138-5p in serum of infant with nARDS were lower and the expression levels of miR-574-5p were higher,both of which have certain diagnostic value for poor prognosis of infant with nARDS .