AIM:This study aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle mitochondrial damage associated with decline in exercise function during high-altitude de-adaptation,using a mouse model.METHODS:Twen-ty-four healthy male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to two groups:a high-altitude de-adaptation group and a plain control group.The model group was exposed to a low-pressure,low-oxygen chamber simulating an altitude of 7 000 meters for two weeks,followed by eight days of rearing in a plain environment.The control group was maintained in a plain envi-ronment for the same duration.Grip strength and pole-climbing tests were conducted on the 1st,3rd,and 5th days post-re-turn to assess muscle strength and motor coordination.Treadmill exercises were performed on the 4th and 8th days to eval-uate exercise endurance.After the treadmill exercise on the 8th day,serum,liver,and skeletal muscle tissues were col-lected.Levels of lactic acid(LA),glucose(GLU),creatine kinase(CK),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),alanine trans-aminase(ALT),and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)in serum,as well as glycogen levels in the liver and muscle,were analyzed.Additionally,the expression of proteins related to mitochondrial biogenesis,fission,fusion,and oxidative phos-phorylation in muscle tissues was assessed using Western blot.RESULTS:(1)The model group exhibited significant re-ductions in grip strength,increased pole-climbing T-turn and total times,and decreased total time and distance in the ex-haustion running test.(2)Serum levels of LA,CK,LDH,ALT,and AST were elevated,while GLU levels decreased,and glycogen levels in both the liver and muscle were reduced in the model group following the treadmill exercise.(3)Ab-normal indicators in the model group did not return to normal by the end of the de-adaptation period.(4)Western blot analysis revealed decreased expression of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation proteins(ATP6V1A and Mt-CO2)and mitochondrial biogenesis proteins(PGC-1α and FGF21),increased levels of mitochondrial fusion proteins(OPA1 and MFN1),and no significant changes in fission protein expression(FIS1 and DRP1)in muscle tissue from the model group.CONCLUSION:Exercise capacity in mice during the high-altitude de-adaptation period significantly declined,particu-larly in terms of muscle strength,motor coordination,and endurance.This decline is closely associated with abnormal pro-tein expression related to skeletal muscle mitochondrial energy metabolism and production.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle mitochondrial damage associated with decline in exercise function during high-altitude de-adaptation,using a mouse model.METHODS:Twen-ty-four healthy male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to two groups:a high-altitude de-adaptation group and a plain control group.The model group was exposed to a low-pressure,low-oxygen chamber simulating an altitude of 7 000 meters for two weeks,followed by eight days of rearing in a plain environment.The control group was maintained in a plain envi-ronment for the same duration.Grip strength and pole-climbing tests were conducted on the 1st,3rd,and 5th days post-re-turn to assess muscle strength and motor coordination.Treadmill exercises were performed on the 4th and 8th days to eval-uate exercise endurance.After the treadmill exercise on the 8th day,serum,liver,and skeletal muscle tissues were col-lected.Levels of lactic acid(LA),glucose(GLU),creatine kinase(CK),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),alanine trans-aminase(ALT),and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)in serum,as well as glycogen levels in the liver and muscle,were analyzed.Additionally,the expression of proteins related to mitochondrial biogenesis,fission,fusion,and oxidative phos-phorylation in muscle tissues was assessed using Western blot.RESULTS:(1)The model group exhibited significant re-ductions in grip strength,increased pole-climbing T-turn and total times,and decreased total time and distance in the ex-haustion running test.(2)Serum levels of LA,CK,LDH,ALT,and AST were elevated,while GLU levels decreased,and glycogen levels in both the liver and muscle were reduced in the model group following the treadmill exercise.(3)Ab-normal indicators in the model group did not return to normal by the end of the de-adaptation period.(4)Western blot analysis revealed decreased expression of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation proteins(ATP6V1A and Mt-CO2)and mitochondrial biogenesis proteins(PGC-1α and FGF21),increased levels of mitochondrial fusion proteins(OPA1 and MFN1),and no significant changes in fission protein expression(FIS1 and DRP1)in muscle tissue from the model group.CONCLUSION:Exercise capacity in mice during the high-altitude de-adaptation period significantly declined,particu-larly in terms of muscle strength,motor coordination,and endurance.This decline is closely associated with abnormal pro-tein expression related to skeletal muscle mitochondrial energy metabolism and production.

ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of Bushen Huoxue Formula （补肾活血方， BHF） in the treatment of Parkinson's disease （PD） from the the perspective of intestinal flora. MethodsSeventy-two male C57/BL6J mice were randomly divided into blank group， model group， Madopar group and low-， medium- and high-dose BHF groups， with 12 mice in each group. The mice in the blank group were intraperitoneally injected with 10 ml/kg of normal saline， and those in the other groups were intraperitoneally injected with 30 mg/kg of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine （MPTP） at a concentration of 3 mg/ml to induce PD mice model， both once a day for 7 consecutive days. After successful modeling， the low-， medium-， and high-dose BHF groups were given 7.5， 15， and 30 g/（kg·d） of BHF by gavage， respectively， while the Madopar group was given 112.5 mg/（kg ·d） of Domedopar tablets by gavage， and the blank group and the model group were given 15 ml/（kg·d） of distilled water， all once a day for 14 consecutive days. The rod climbing test， rotating rod test， grip strength test and weight-bearing swimming test were used to evaluate the behavioral indicators of mice. Western blotting was used to measure the protein expression levels of Toll-like receptor （TLR）/nuclear factor kappa B （NF-κB） pathway inflammatory factors in the mouse ileum， including Toll-like receptor 2 （TLR2）， Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， NF-κB， tumor necrosis factor α （TNF-α）， interleukin 6 （IL-6）， and interleukin 17 （IL- 17）. 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze changes in mouse intestinal flora. ResultsCompared to those in the blank group， the mice in the model group had longer bottoming time when climbing the pole， reduced grip strength， shortened rotary pole duration and swimming duration， and increased protein expression levels of TLR2， TLR4， NF-κB， TNF-α， and IL-6 in the ileal tissue （P＜0.01）. Compared to the model group， the Madopar group and the low-， medium- and high-dose BHF groups had shortened bottoming time of the climbing pole and increased grip strength； the Madopar group and the high-dose BHF group had prolonged rotary pole duration， and reduced protein expressions of TLR2， TLR4， NF-κB， TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-17 levels； and only the high-dose BHF group had prolonged swimming duration （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to those in the low-dose BHF group， the bottoming time of the climbing pole were shorter in the moderate- and high-dose groups （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， and the grip strength increased while the protein expression levels of TLR2， TLR4 and IL-17 decreased in the high-dose group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The intestinal flora results showed significant differences between the blank group and the model group in the Dominance index， Pielou_e index， Shannon index， and Simpson index （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to those of the model group， the Shannon index， Chao1 index， and Observed_otus index of the Madopar group， as well as the Chao1 index， Observed_otus index， Dominance index， Pielou_e index， Shannon index， and Simpson index of the high-dose BHF group all showed significantly statistical differences （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. At the phylum level， the relative abundance categories of bacterial phyla with statistically significant differences in each group included Proteobacteria， Bacteroidetes， and Firmicutes （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. At the genus level， the relative abundance categories of bacterial genera with statistically significant diffe-rences among each group included Muribaculaceae， Akkermansia， and Helicobacter pylori （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionThe possible mechanism of BHF in treating PD may be to reconstruct the disordered intestinal flora structure and improve the inflammatory response.

Objective     To explore the timing and safety of limited-period lung cancer surgery in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Methods     Clinical data of of patients infected with COVID-19 undergoing lung cancer surgery (an observation group) in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, the Department of Thoracic Surgery of General Hospital of Southern Theater Command of PLA, and the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University from December 2022 to January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed and compared with patients who underwent surgery during the same period but were not infected with COVID-19 (a control group), to explore the impact of COVID-19 infection on lung cancer surgery. Results     We finally included 110 patients with 73 patients in the observation group (28 males and 45 females at age of 52.62±12.80 years) and 37 patients in the control group (22 males and 15 females at age of 56.84±11.14 years). The average operation time of the observation group was longer than that of the control group, and the incidence of anhelation was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). There were no statistcal differences in blood loss, length of hospital stay, moderate or above fever rate, degree of cough and chest pain, or blood routine between the two groups. Conclusion    It is safe and feasible to perform lung cancer surgery early after recovery for COVID-19 patients with lung cancer.

Background Plateau environment may pose a serious impact on the physiological and psychological stress of people stationed on a plateau, especially for those engaged in military training and occupational activities. There is an urgent need to find drugs to prevent and treat injuries caused by high-altitude environment. Objective To analyze the current status, hotspots, and future trends of domestic and international research in the field of prevention and treatment of high-altitude disease (HAD) by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and provide references for scientific research. Methods Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched for literature on TCM and HAD published from inception to 2022. Excel, CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and RStudio softwares were used to conduct visual analysis on the number of publications, types of publications, journals, authors, research institutions, and keywords. Results A total of 501 publications were evaluated in the present study, including 443 Chinese publications and 58 English publications. The annual number of publications showed a rising trend. MA Huiping was the leading author in number of publications in Chinese (37 publications), and ZHANG Yi and MENG Xianli were the leading authors in the number of publications in English (both 8 publications), respectively. The institutions with the most publications in Chinese were The 940th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese People's Liberation Army and Lanzhou General Hospital of Lanzhou Military Region (both 32 publications), and the institution with the most publications in English was Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (8 publications), respectively. The Chinese and English journals with the largest number of publications were the Journal of High Altitude Medicine (39 publications) and the Journal of Ethnopharmacology (10 publications), respectively. The most highly cited Chinese and English literature included Effects of rhodiola on the free radical metabolism and serum creatine kinase after exercise at plateau (61 citations) and Anti-hypoxic activity at simulated high altitude was isolated in petroleum ether extract of Saussurea involucrate (68 citations) , respectively. The most frequent keywords in the Chinese and English literature were high altitude polycythemia and oxidative stress, respectively. The keyword time zone and emergence maps showed that the research hotspots in this field shifted from prevention and treatment of HAD to animal experiments, and then to mechanisms of action, in which oxidative stress, hypoxic injury, inflammation, and apoptosis were the main focuses. Conclusion The research of TCM against HAD is identified from early clinical observation to associations between clinical outcome variation and pharmacological mechanisms, and further to applying multi-omics techniques to explore the physical basis of TCM efficacy and mechanisms of action with focuses like TCM formula and single herb active ingredients, so as to elaborate potential scientific connotation of TCM against HAD.

Objective:To investigate the defeat of men undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) and analyze its influencing factors. Methods:A total of 202 male patients undergoing IVF-ET in Reproductive Medicine Hospital in Changsha from May 2021 to September 2021 were selected by random sampling. General data questionnaire, Chinese version of defeat scale, social support scale, Olson marital quality questionnaire (marital satisfaction, communication), self-rating depression scale, mental resilience scale were used.Results:The defeat score of 202 men in IVF-ET was 16.25±9.93. Marital status, marital quality, education, communication, social support, depression and resilience were the main influencing factors of male defeat after IVF-ET (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Male who have received IVF-ET treatment also have a certain degree of defeat. While paying attention to the psychological status of women who have received IVF-ET, we should also pay attention to the psychological health of the male who have high defeat in IVF-ET treatment and carry out targeted psychological intervention measures to alleviate their defeat, which will be beneficial to the treatment outcome.

Objective:To investigate the defeat of men undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) and analyze its influencing factors. Methods:A total of 202 male patients undergoing IVF-ET in Reproductive Medicine Hospital in Changsha from May 2021 to September 2021 were selected by random sampling. General data questionnaire, Chinese version of defeat scale, social support scale, Olson marital quality questionnaire (marital satisfaction, communication), self-rating depression scale, mental resilience scale were used.Results:The defeat score of 202 men in IVF-ET was 16.25±9.93. Marital status, marital quality, education, communication, social support, depression and resilience were the main influencing factors of male defeat after IVF-ET (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Male who have received IVF-ET treatment also have a certain degree of defeat. While paying attention to the psychological status of women who have received IVF-ET, we should also pay attention to the psychological health of the male who have high defeat in IVF-ET treatment and carry out targeted psychological intervention measures to alleviate their defeat, which will be beneficial to the treatment outcome.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a highly effective chemotherapeutic agent; however, the dose-dependent cardiotoxicity associated with DOX significantly limits its clinical application. In the present study, we investigated whether Rb1 could prevent DOX-induced apoptosis in H9C2 cells via aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). H9C2 cells were treated with various concentrations (−μM) of Rb1. AhR, CYP1A protein and mRNA expression were quantified with Western blot and real-time PCR analyses. We also evaluated the expression levels of caspase-3 to assess the anti-apoptotic effects of Rb1. Our results showed that Rb1 attenuated DOX-induced cardiomyocytes injury and apoptosis and reduced caspase-3 and caspase-8, but not caspase-9 activity in DOX-treated H9C2 cells. Meanwhile, pre-treatment with Rb1 decreased the expression of caspase-3 and PARP in the protein levels, with no effects on cytochrome c, Bax, and Bcl-2 in DOX-stimulated cells. Rb1 markedly decreased the CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 expression induced by DOX. Furthermore, transfection with AhR siRNA or pre-treatment with AhR antagonist CH-223191 significantly inhibited the ability of Rb1 to decrease the induction of CYP1A, as well as caspase-3 protein levels following stimulation with DOX. In conclusion, these findings indicate that AhR plays an important role in the protection of Ginsenoside Rb1 against DOX-triggered apoptosis of H9C2 cells.
Apoptosis* ; Blotting, Western ; Cardiotoxicity ; Caspase 3 ; Caspase 8 ; Caspase 9 ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A2 ; Cytochromes c ; Doxorubicin ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon* ; RNA, Messenger ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Transfection

Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is a pharmacologically active substance extracted from the rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (also known as the Chinese herb Danshen), and is widely used to treat atherosclerosis. The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a nuclear receptor that is a key regulator of xenobiotic and endobiotic detoxification. Tan IIA is an efficacious PXR agonist that has a potential protective effect on endothelial injuries induced by xenobiotics and endobiotics via PXR activation. Previously numerous studies have demonstrated the possible effects of Tan IIA on human umbilical vein endothelial cells, but the further mechanism for its exerts the protective effect is not well established. To study the protective effects of Tan IIA against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), we pretreated cells with or without different concentrations of Tan IIA for 24 h, then exposed the cells to 400 μM H₂O₂ for another 3 h. Therefore, our data strongly suggests that Tan IIA may lead to increased regeneration of glutathione (GSH) from the glutathione disulfide (GSSG) produced during the GSH peroxidase-catalyzed decomposition of H₂O₂ in HUVECs, and the PXR plays a significant role in this process. Tan IIA may also exert protective effects against H₂O₂-induced apoptosis through the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway associated with the participation of PXR. Tan IIA protected HUVECs from inflammatory mediators triggered by H₂O₂ via PXR activation. In conclusion, Tan IIA protected HUVECs against H₂O₂-induced cell injury through PXR-dependent mechanisms.
Apoptosis ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Atherosclerosis ; Endothelial Cells* ; Glutathione ; Glutathione Disulfide ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Inflammation ; Oxidative Stress ; Regeneration ; Rhizome ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; Triacetoneamine-N-Oxyl ; Xenobiotics