ObjectiveTo explore the role of cucurbitacin B （CuB） in inducing ferroptosis in 4T1 cells and its mechanism. MethodsThe effects of CuB（0.2， 0.4， 0.8 μmol·L^-1）on the proliferation ability of 4T1 cells in vitro were detected using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT） assay. The clonogenic ability of 4T1 cells was detected by the plate cloning assay， and the levels of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） in 4T1 cells were detected by the use of a kit. The mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species （ROS） levels in 4T1 cells were detected by flow cytometry， and the mitochondrial ultrastructure of 4T1 cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The western blot was used to detect the expression of ferroptosis-related protein p53 in 4T1 cells， solute carrier family 7 member 11 （SCL7A11）， glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 （ACSL4）， transferrin receptor protein 1 （TFR1）， and ferritin heavy chain 1 （FTH1）. ResultsCompared with that in the blank group， the survival rate of 4T1 cells in CuB groups was significantly decreased （P<0.05）， and the number of cell clones in CuB groups was significantly reduced （P<0.01）. In addition， compared with that in the blank group， the leakage of LDH in cells in CuB groups was significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the mitochondrial membrane potential of cells in CuB groups decreased significantly （P<0.01）. Cellular ROS levels were significantly elevated in CuB groups （P<0.01）. The mitochondria of cells in CuB groups were obviously wrinkled， and the mitochondrial cristae were reduced or even disappeared. Compared with that in the blank group， the protein expression of p53， ACSL4， and TFR1 were significantly up-regulated in CuB groups （P<0.05）， and that of SLC7A11， GPX4， and FTH1 were significantly down-regulated （P<0.05）. ConclusionCuB may inhibit SLC7A11 and GPX4 expression by up-regulating the expression of p53， which in turn regulates the p53/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway axis and accelerates the generation of lipid peroxidation substrate by up-regulating the expression of ACSL4. It up-regulates TFR1 expression to promote cellular uptake of Fe³⁺ and down-regulates the expression of FTH1 to reduce the ability of iron storage， resulting in an elevated free Fe²⁺ level. It catalyzes the Fenton reaction， generates excess ROS， imbalances the antioxidant system and iron metabolism， and then induces ferroptosis in 4T1 cells.

ObjectiveTo explore the role of cucurbitacin B （CuB） in inducing ferroptosis in 4T1 cells and its mechanism. MethodsThe effects of CuB（0.2， 0.4， 0.8 μmol·L^-1）on the proliferation ability of 4T1 cells in vitro were detected using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT） assay. The clonogenic ability of 4T1 cells was detected by the plate cloning assay， and the levels of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） in 4T1 cells were detected by the use of a kit. The mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species （ROS） levels in 4T1 cells were detected by flow cytometry， and the mitochondrial ultrastructure of 4T1 cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The western blot was used to detect the expression of ferroptosis-related protein p53 in 4T1 cells， solute carrier family 7 member 11 （SCL7A11）， glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 （ACSL4）， transferrin receptor protein 1 （TFR1）， and ferritin heavy chain 1 （FTH1）. ResultsCompared with that in the blank group， the survival rate of 4T1 cells in CuB groups was significantly decreased （P<0.05）， and the number of cell clones in CuB groups was significantly reduced （P<0.01）. In addition， compared with that in the blank group， the leakage of LDH in cells in CuB groups was significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the mitochondrial membrane potential of cells in CuB groups decreased significantly （P<0.01）. Cellular ROS levels were significantly elevated in CuB groups （P<0.01）. The mitochondria of cells in CuB groups were obviously wrinkled， and the mitochondrial cristae were reduced or even disappeared. Compared with that in the blank group， the protein expression of p53， ACSL4， and TFR1 were significantly up-regulated in CuB groups （P<0.05）， and that of SLC7A11， GPX4， and FTH1 were significantly down-regulated （P<0.05）. ConclusionCuB may inhibit SLC7A11 and GPX4 expression by up-regulating the expression of p53， which in turn regulates the p53/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway axis and accelerates the generation of lipid peroxidation substrate by up-regulating the expression of ACSL4. It up-regulates TFR1 expression to promote cellular uptake of Fe³⁺ and down-regulates the expression of FTH1 to reduce the ability of iron storage， resulting in an elevated free Fe²⁺ level. It catalyzes the Fenton reaction， generates excess ROS， imbalances the antioxidant system and iron metabolism， and then induces ferroptosis in 4T1 cells.

Based on the discussion of "eight weak areas" in The Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor （《黄帝内经》）， combined with the typical rash manifestations of atopic dermatitis， it is believed that atopic dermatitis is mostly deficiency-excess complex， and that pathogens intruding eight weak areas are the core of its pathogenesis. The external cause is exterior deficiencies， with heat， wind， dampness and other pathogenic qi attacking. The heart， lungs， kidneys out of balance， and excess pathogen are the internal cause， in which fire constraint and excessive heat are the basis of the disease， the wind invading leads to the progress of the changes， dampness obstructing channels and colla-terals make the condition persistent. Internal and external pathogens combination and retention result to the course of the disease lingering and difficult to cure. The internal treatment is to regulate zang-fu organs， and the formula could use self-prescribed modified Qingrun Tongluo Decoction （清润通络汤）， clearing heart and reducing fire in order to clear the heat and cool the blood， moistening lungs and generating metal to consolidate the exterior and dispel the wind， and nourishing kidneys and draining water to dispel the dampness and activate the collaterals. The external treatment applies maceration， fire acupuncture， wrapping to dredge the eight weak areas and regulate qi and blood in channel， so as to expel pathogens.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the mechanism of Pingchuanning Formula (PCN) for inhibiting airway inflammation in rats with asthmatic cold syndrome. METHODS: A total of 105 SD rats were randomized equally into 7 groups, including a control group, an asthmatic cold syndrome model group, 3 PCN treatment groups at high, medium and low doses, a Guilong Kechuanning (GLCKN) treatment group, and a dexamethasone (DEX) treatment group. In all but the control rats, asthma cold syndrome models were established and daily gavage of saline, PCN, GLCKN or DEX was administered 29 days after the start of modeling. The changes in general condition, lung function and lung histopathology of the rats were observed, and inflammatory factors in the alveolar lavage fluid (BALF), oxidative stress, lung tissue ultrastructure, cytokine levels, and expressions of the genes related to the HMGB1/Beclin-1 axis and autophagy were analyzed. RESULTS: The rat models had obvious manifestations of asthmatic cold syndrome with significantly decreased body mass, food intake, and water intake, reduced FEV_0.3, FVC, and FEV_0.3/FVC, obvious inflammatory cell infiltration in the lung tissue, and increased alveolar inflammation score and counts of neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, macrophages, and leukocytes in the BALF. The rat models also had significantly increased MDA level and decreased SOD level and exhibited obvious ultrastructural changes in the lung tissues, where the expressions of HMGB1, Beclin-1, ATG5, TNF-α, IL-6,IL-1β, and IL-13 and the LC3II/I ratio were increased, while the levels of Bcl-2 and IFN-γ were decreased. PCN treatment significantly improved these pathological changes in the rat models, and its therapeutic effect was better than that of GLKCN and similar to that of DEX. CONCLUSIONS PCN can effectively alleviate airway inflammation in rat models of asthmatic cold syndrome possibly by modulating the HMGB1/Beclin-1 signaling axis to suppress cell autophagy, thereby attenuating airway inflammatory damages.
Animals ; Rats ; Autophagy/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Asthma/pathology* ; Beclin-1 ; HMGB1 Protein/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Lung/pathology* ; Inflammation

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a medical condition characterized by cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in individuals with diabetes mellitus. Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and mitochondrial Ca²⁺ overload in cardiomyocytes have been recognized as biological hallmarks in DCM; however, the specific factors underlying these abnormalities remain largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of a cardiac-specific long noncoding RNA, D830005E20Rik (Trdn-as), in DCM. Our results revealed the remarkably upregulation of Trdn-as in the hearts of the DCM mice and cardiomyocytes treated with high glucose (HG). Knocking down Trdn-as in cardiac tissues significantly improved cardiac dysfunction and remodeling in the DCM mice. Conversely, Trdn-as overexpression resulted in cardiac damage resembling that observed in the DCM mice. At the cellular level, Trdn-as induced Ca²⁺ overload in the SR and mitochondria, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. RNA-seq and bioinformatics analyses identified calsequestrin 2 (Casq2), a primary calcium-binding protein in the junctional SR, as a potential target of Trdn-as. Further investigations revealed that Trdn-as facilitated the recruitment of METTL14 to the Casq2 mRNA, thereby enhancing the m⁶A modification of Casq2. This modification increased the stability of Casq2 mRNA and subsequently led to increased protein expression. When Casq2 was knocked down, the promoting effects of Trdn-as on Ca²⁺ overload and mitochondrial damage were mitigated. These findings provide valuable insights into the pathogenesis of DCM and suggest Trdn-as as a potential therapeutic target for this condition.
Animals ; Diabetic Cardiomyopathies/pathology* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism* ; Mice ; Calsequestrin/genetics* ; Calcium/metabolism* ; Male ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum/metabolism* ; Methyltransferases/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mitochondria, Heart/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mitochondria/metabolism*

ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism of Bushen Huoxue Granule （补肾活血颗粒， BHG） in treating Parkinson's disease （PD） from the perspecitve of dopamine （DA） homeostasis. MethodsSeventy-two mice were randomly divided into blank group， model group， madopar group and BHG low-， medium- and high-dose groups， with 12 mice in each group. Except for the blank group， all mice were administered intraperitoneal injections of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1，2，3，6-tetrahydropyridine （MPTP） for 7 consecutive days to induce a PD model. On the day following the injection， BHG low-， medium- and high-dose groups were administered BHG at doses of 1.25， 2.5， and 5.0 mg/（g·d） by oral gavage， respectively， while the madopar group received madopar tablets at dose of 0.093 8 mg/（g·d） by oral gavage. The blank group and the model group were given 0.2 ml/10 g of distilled water by gavage. All treatments were given once daily for 14 days. Open field test， pole climbing test and grip test were used to evaluate the behavior of mice in each group. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase （TH） in striatum. Nissl staining was used to detect the activity of striatal neurons. The contents of DA and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid （DOPAC） in striatum were detected by ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The number and volume of synaptic vesicles were observed by transmission electron microscope. The expression of vesicular monoamine transporter 2 （VMAT2） in striatum was detected by immunofluorescence. Western Blot was used to detect the expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK）， phosphorylated ERK （p-ERK）， cAMP response element-binding protein （CREB）， phosphorylated CREB （p-CREB） and VMAT2 in striatum. ResultsCompared to the blank group， mice in the model group showed a significant decline in total distance and average speed in the open field test， along with an increase in total resting time； in the pole test， both the time required for the mice to turn completely downward （T-turn） and the total time taken to reach the bottom of the pole （T-total） were prolonged； forelimb grip strength was reduced； in the striatum， the mean optical density of TH， the average fluorescence intensity of VMAT2 protein， and DA content all decreased， while the number of striatal neurons was reduced， and the DOPAC/DA ratio was elevated； the levels of p-ERK/ERK， p-CREB/CREB， and VMAT2 in the striatum significantly decreased （P＜0.01）； transmission electron microscopy revealed that both the number and volume of synaptic vesicles in striatal neurons were markedly reduced. Compared to the model group， mice in the madopar group and BHG low-， medium- and high-dose groups showed significant improvements in all the above indicators （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to madopar group， the BHG high-dose group exhibited increased DA content and elevated p-CREB/CREB ratio in the striatum （P＜0.05）. Compared to the BHG low-dose group， the BHG high-dose group showed increased total distance and mean velocity， decreased total resting time， T-turn， and T-total， as well as enhanced forelimb grip strength； moreover， the average fluorescence intensity of VMAT2 protein， DA content， p-ERK/ERK， p-CREB/CREB， and VMAT2 levels in the striatum were all significantly elevated （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionBHG may restore DA homeostasis and alleviate the damage of dopaminergic neurons by regulating ERK/CREB/VMAT2 signaling pathway.

Objective:To establish a predictive model nomogram for 30-day death in patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) by using the data from the large international database, the Electronic Intensive Care Unit-Collaborative Research Database (eICU-CRD), and to validate its predictive performance.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the eICU-CRD. Data of SA-AKI patients were screened from the eICU-CRD database, including demographic characteristics, medical history, SA-AKI type, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO)-AKI staging, severity of illness scores, vital signs, laboratory indicators, and treatment measures; with admission time as the observation start point, death as the outcome event, and a follow-up time of 30 days. Relevant variables of patients with different 30-day prognoses were compared. Univariate Logistic regression analysis and multivariate Logistic regression forward likelihood ratio analysis were used to screen for risk factors associated with 30-day death in SA-AKI patients, and a predictive model nomogram was constructed. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve), calibration curve, and Hosmer-Lemeshow test were used to validate the predictive performance of the model.Results:A total of 201 SA-AKI patients' data were finally enrolled, among which 51 survived for 30 days and 150 died, with a mortality of 74.63%. Compared with the survival group, patients in the death group were older [years old: 68 (60, 78) vs. 59 (52, 69), P < 0.01], had lower body weight, proportion of transient SA-AKI, platelet count (PLT) and blood glucose [body weight (kg): 79 (65, 95) vs. 91 (71, 127), proportion of transient SA-AKI: 61.33% (92/150) vs. 82.35% (42/51), PLT (×10 9/L): 207 (116, 313) vs. 260 (176, 338), blood glucose (mmol/L): 5.5 (4.4, 7.1) vs. 6.4 (5.1, 7.6), all P < 0.05] and higher proportion of persistent SA-AKI, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, lactic acid (Lac), and total bilirubin [TBil; proportion of persistent SA-AKI: 38.67% (58/150) vs. 17.65% (9/51), SOFA score: 7 (5, 22) vs. 5 (2, 7), Lac (mmol/L): 0.4 (0.2, 0.7) vs. 0.3 (0.2, 0.4), TBil (μmol/L): 41.0 (17.1, 51.3) vs. 18.8 (17.1, 34.2), all P < 0.05]. Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age [odds ratio ( OR) = 1.035, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.013-1.058, P = 0.002], body weight ( OR = 0.987, 95% CI was 0.977-0.996, P = 0.007), persistent SA-AKI ( OR = 2.942, 95% CI was 1.333-6.491, P = 0.008), SOFA score ( OR = 1.073, 95% CI was 1.020-1.129, P = 0.006), PLT ( OR = 0.998, 95% CI was 0.996-1.000, P = 0.034), Lac ( OR = 1.142, 95% CI was 1.009-1.292, P = 0.035), TBil ( OR = 1.422, 95% CI was 1.070-1.890, P = 0.015) were associated with 30-day death risk in SA-AKI patients. Multivariate Logistic regression forward likelihood ratio analysis showed that age ( OR = 1.051, 95% CI was 1.023-1.079, P = 0.000), body weight ( OR = 0.985, 95% CI was 0.974-0.995, P = 0.005), cardiovascular disease ( OR = 9.055, 95% CI was 1.037-79.084, P = 0.046), persistent SA-AKI ( OR = 3.020, 95% CI was 1.258-7.249, P = 0.013), SOFA score ( OR = 1.076, 95% CI was 1.013-1.143, P = 0.017), and PLT ( OR = 0.997, 95% CI was 0.995-1.000, P = 0.030) were independent risk factors for 30-day death in SA-AKI patients. Based on the above risk factors, a predictive model nomogram for 30-day death in SA-AKI patients was constructed. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the model was 0.798 (95% CI was 0.722-0.873), with a sensitivity of 86.7% and a specificity of 62.7%. Calibration curve showed that the fitted curve was close to the standard line, indicating that the predicted probability was close to the actual probability, suggesting good predictive performance of the model. Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed χ 2 = 6.393, df = 8, P = 0.603 > 0.05, suggesting that the model could fit the observed data well. The quality of model fitting was judged by the accuracy of model prediction. The results showed that the prediction accuracy rate of the model was 95.3%, and the overall prediction accuracy rate of the model was 81.6%, indicating good model fitting. Conclusion:A predictive model for 30-day death in SA-AKI patients based on risk factors can be successfully constructed, and the model has high accuracy, sensitivity, reliability, and certain specificity, which can help to early identify high-risk patients for death and adopt more proactive treatment strategies.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of different intervention measures on duration of mechanical ventilation and the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay in critically ill patients using network Meta-analysis.Methods:Randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the effects of different intervention measures on duration of mechanical ventilation and the length of ICU stay in critically ill patients were systematically searched in PubMed, Embase, China Biomedical Literature Database, CNKI, and other databases. The search time limit was from the establishment of the database to November 2023. Literature screening, quality assessment, and data extraction were independently conducted by two researchers. Network Meta-analysis was employed to assess the effects of each intervention on duration of mechanical ventilation and the length of ICU stay, and funnel plots were generated.Results:A total of 37 RCTs were included, involving 3?977 severe patients, 2?041 in the intervention group and 1?936 in the control group. Thirteen types of interventions were analyzed, including usual care (UC), early activity (EA), early comprehensive rehabilitation (ECR), early pulmonary rehabilitation (EPR), cluster intervention strategy (CS), sedation, analgesia and cluster nursing (SACN), music therapy (MT), neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), modified education and visitation (MV), virtual reality (VR), auricular point sticking (APS), acupoint acupuncture (AA), and concerted intervention (COR). Network Meta-analysis showed that MV significantly better than COR [standardized mean difference ( SMD) = -2.35, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was -4.30 to -0.39], EPR ( SMD = -2.59, 95% CI was -4.81 to -0.37), and UC ( SMD = -4.10, 95% CI was -5.71 to -2.49) in improving duration of mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients. COR was significantly better than UC in shortened length of ICU stay ( SMD = -5.72, 95% CI was -10.07 to -1.37). The efficacy ranking results showed that for duration of mechanical ventilation, the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was highest for MV (85.4%) and EA (85.4%), followed by AA (74.9%), NMES (63.1%), ECR (51.7%), CS (48.8%), SACN (34.3%), COR (29.4%), EPR (26.1%), and UC (0.7%). For the length of ICU stay, COR had the highest SUCRA (82.3%), followed by APS (79.7%), MV (77.7%), EPR (68.0%), NMES (57.6%), CS (54.4%), ECR (51.1%), SACN (41.9%), MT (39.8%), EA (39.3%), AA (33.0%), VR (15.4%), and UC (9.8%). The funnel plot results of ICU stay showed that the publication bias between studies were relatively small. Conclusions:MV and COR appear to be effective interventions for reducing mechanical ventilation time and ICU stay in critically ill patients. However, due to the number and quality of included studies, these findings require confirmation through additional high-quality research.