ObjectiveThe malaria parasites remodel the host erythrocyte structure by exporting parasite proteins that interact with the membrane skeleton proteins of red blood cells (RBCs), facilitating their intracellular survival and pathogenicity. Skeleton-binding protein 1 (SBP1) is a conserved exported protein across Plasmodium species. In Plasmodium falciparum, SBP1 has been reported to interact with erythrocyte membrane skeleton proteins 4.1R and spectrin, while its contribution to erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence in Plasmodium berghei (Pb) remains unclear. This study aims to determine whether PbSBP1 associates with the host cytoskeletal protein 4.1R and to investigate its role in the remodeling of host RBCs and the pathogenicity of Plasmodium berghei. MethodsIn Plasmodium berghei, the relationship between PbSBP1 and the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R was examined using co-immunoprecipitation. A Pbsbp1 gene knockout mutant of Plasmodium berghei (Pbsbp1∆) was generated based on the principle of double crossover homologous recombination. The deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was assessed using microfluidic methods. Microchannels with an array of cylindrical pillars were used to detect modifications in infected RBC deformability. The infected RBCs were squashed between the rows and recovered between the columns and the transit velocity (μm/s) of infected RBCs travelling through the microchannel was recorded. The component of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton junctional complex, tropomodulin (TMOD), was fluorescently labeled, and the cytoskeletal network of infected erythrocytes was imaged using super-resolution stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) to analyze ultrastructural changes in the cytoskeleton of wild-type (WT) and Pbsbp1∆-infected erythrocytes. Actin-based junctional complexes were displayed as individual clusters by the labeled TMOD in the STORM images, and the cluster densities and distances between adjacent clusters of infected RBCs were calculated. Additionally, rodent malaria models (BALB/c mice) and experimental cerebral malaria models (C57BL/6 mice) were employed to monitor the growth of Pbsbp1∆ and WT parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage and their capacity to induce cerebral malaria in mice. ResultsPbSBP1 may participate in the remodeling of infected erythrocytes through direct or indirect interaction with the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R. Microfluidic assays revealed that the deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was significantly enhanced compared to those infected with WT parasites. STORM imaging further demonstrated that the ultrastructure of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton in Pbsbp1∆-infected cells was altered relative to that in WT-infected erythrocytes. The distances between nearest neighbors of clusters had a tendency to increase while the cluster densities were decreased in Pbsbp1∆-infected RBCs compared to WT-infected RBCs. Subsequent phenotypic analysis indicated that the growth rate of Pbsbp1∆ parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage was significantly slower than that of WT parasites, and their ability to induce cerebral malaria in mice was also attenuated. These findings suggest that PbSBP1 is involved in the remodeling of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton, likely through its direct or indirect interaction with protein 4.1R, thereby regulating the deformability of infected erythrocytes and influencing the pathogenicity of the blood-stage parasites. ConclusionThis study establishes a role for PbSBP1 in host erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence, providing new research strategies for the prevention and treatment of malaria.

The brain-gut interaction theory is a multidimensional integrative concept based on the brain-gut axis， involving neural， endocrine， and immune regulatory networks as well as the gut microbiota. Zang-fu organs （脏腑） theory in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） shows a high degree of consistency with the brain-gut interaction theory， and the core functions such as the spleen and stomach governing the ascending of the clear and descending of the turbid， the liver governing the free flow of qi， and the heart governing mental and emotional activities are closely associated with the multi-level regulatory mechanisms of the brain-gut axis. TCM therapy can modulate brain-gut interactions through multiple pathways in the treatment of spleen and stomach diseases， including the regulation of gastrointestinal hormone secretion， neurotransmitter levels， the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis， immune homeostasis and inflammatory responses， as well as the gut microecology. However， current basic research on the brain-gut interaction theory in TCM for spleen and stomach diseases still faces several challenges， such as difficulties in integrating TCM spleen-stomach theory with modern pathophysiology， lack of innovation in research concepts， and limitations in research methodologies. It is therefore proposed that multidisciplinary collaboration， multi-omics technologies， and targeted research approaches should be adopted to provide more comprehensive methods for basic research on TCM spleen and stomach diseases， thereby promoting the in-depth development of brain-gut interaction theory.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of rutaecarpine (RUT) on monosodium urate crystal (MSU)-induced murine peritonitis in mice and further explored the underlying mechanism of RUT in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/MSU-induced gout model in vitro. METHODS: In MSU-induced mice, 36 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 6 groups of 8 mice each group, including the control group, model group, RUT low-, medium-, and high-doses groups, and prednisone acetate group. The mice in each group were orally administered the corresponding drugs or vehicle once a day for 7 consecutive days. The gout inflammation model was established by intraperitoneal injection of MSU to evaluate the anti-gout inflammatory effects of RUT. Then the proinflammatory cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the proportions of infiltrating neutrophils cytokines were detected by flow cytometry. In LPS/MSU-treated or untreated THP-1 macrophages, cell viability was observed by cell counting kit 8 and proinflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA. The percentage of pyroptotic cells were detected by flow cytometry. Respectively, the mRNA and protein levels were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot, the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) p65 was observed by laser confocal imaging. Additionally, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and molecular docking were applied to validate the binding ability of RUT components to tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) targets. RESULTS: RUT reduced the levels of infiltrating neutrophils and monocytes and decreased the levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and interleukin 6 (IL-6, all P<0.01). In vitro, RUT reduced the production of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. In addition, RT-PCR revealed the inhibitory effects of RUT on the mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6, cyclooxygenase-2 and TNF-α (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Mechanistically, RUT markedly reduced protein expressions of tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR), phospho-mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-MAPK), phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase, phospho-c-Jun N-terminal kinase, phospho-NF-κB, phospho-kinase α/β, NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRPS), cleaved-cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1 and cleaved-gasdermin D in macrophages (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Molecularly, SPR revealed that RUT bound to TNF-α with a calculated equilibrium dissociation constant of 31.7 µmol/L. Molecular docking further confirmed that RUT could interact directly with the TNF-α protein via hydrogen bonding, van der Waals interactions, and carbon-hydrogen bonding. CONCLUSION RUT alleviated MSU-induced peritonitis and inhibited the TNFR1-MAPK/NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway to attenuate gouty inflammation induced by LPS/MSU in THP-1 macrophages, suggesting that RUT could be a potential therapeutic candidate for gout.
Animals ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Male ; Indole Alkaloids/therapeutic use* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Inflammation/complications* ; Uric Acid ; Quinazolines/therapeutic use* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Humans ; Gout/chemically induced* ; Inflammasomes/metabolism* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; THP-1 Cells ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Mice ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Quinazolinones

Myocardial fibrosis is a serious cause of heart failure and even sudden cardiac death. However, the mechanisms underlying myocardial ischemia-induced cardiac fibrosis remain unclear. Here, we identified that the expression of sterile alpha and TIR motif containing 1 (SARM1), was increased significantly in the ischemic cardiomyopathy patients, dilated cardiomyopathy patients (GSE116250) and fibrotic heart tissues of mice. Additionally, inhibition or knockdown of SARM1 can improve myocardial fibrosis and cardiac function of myocardial infarction (MI) mice. Moreover, SARM1 fibroblasts-specific knock-in mice had increased deposition of extracellular matrix and impaired cardiac function. Mechanically, elevated expression of SARM1 promotes the deposition of extracellular matrix by directly modulating P4HA1. Notably, by using the Click-iT reaction, we identified that the increased expression of ZDHHC17 promotes the palmitoylation levels of SARM1, thereby accelerating the fibrosis process. Based on the fibrosis-promoting effect of SARM1, we screened several drugs with anti-myocardial fibrosis activity. In conclusion, we have unveiled that palmitoylated SARM1 targeting P4HA1 promotes collagen deposition and myocardial fibrosis. Inhibition of SARM1 is a potential strategy for the treatment of myocardial fibrosis. The sites where SARM1 interacts with P4HA1 and the palmitoylation modification sites of SARM1 may be the active targets for anti-fibrosis drugs.

Collagen is a matrix protein essential for maintaining the function of various tissues in ani-mals.There are many types of collagen in vertebrates,and the function of each type of collagen in the body is closely related to its sequence and structure.In addition to the common Gly-X-Y amino acid se-quence,there is also a special structure Gly-Gly-Y in the natural collagen.In order to explore its effect on collagen,this study constructed mutants containing Gly-Gly-Y at the levels of collagen polypeptides,long-chain collagen,and collagen polymers.The thermal stability of the mutant before and after mutation was characterized by circular dichroism scanning.At the same time,molecular dynamics simulation was used to calculate the hydrogen bonding probability and bending degree of collagen polypeptides,explai-ning the molecular mechanism of changes in collagen stability and flexibility.The results showed that the mutant containing the Gly-Gly structure would decrease the Tm value of the sample,but this effect would gradually weaken as the collagen triple helix region lengthened and the degree of protein self-assembly in-creased,and the reduced Tm values are 5 ℃,3 ℃,and 1 ℃,respectively.At the same time,the sim-ulation results show that the curvature of the polypeptide containing the Gly-Gly structure also increases to some extent,indicating that the structure near the mutation site has greater flexibility.This provides a new idea for the design of rubber materials with certain flexibility.

Collagen is a matrix protein essential for maintaining the function of various tissues in ani-mals.There are many types of collagen in vertebrates,and the function of each type of collagen in the body is closely related to its sequence and structure.In addition to the common Gly-X-Y amino acid se-quence,there is also a special structure Gly-Gly-Y in the natural collagen.In order to explore its effect on collagen,this study constructed mutants containing Gly-Gly-Y at the levels of collagen polypeptides,long-chain collagen,and collagen polymers.The thermal stability of the mutant before and after mutation was characterized by circular dichroism scanning.At the same time,molecular dynamics simulation was used to calculate the hydrogen bonding probability and bending degree of collagen polypeptides,explai-ning the molecular mechanism of changes in collagen stability and flexibility.The results showed that the mutant containing the Gly-Gly structure would decrease the Tm value of the sample,but this effect would gradually weaken as the collagen triple helix region lengthened and the degree of protein self-assembly in-creased,and the reduced Tm values are 5 ℃,3 ℃,and 1 ℃,respectively.At the same time,the sim-ulation results show that the curvature of the polypeptide containing the Gly-Gly structure also increases to some extent,indicating that the structure near the mutation site has greater flexibility.This provides a new idea for the design of rubber materials with certain flexibility.

Parabacteroides distasonis is a gram-negative bacterium initially isolated from a clinical specimen in the 1930s. The strain was re-classified to form the new genus Parabacteroides in 2006. P. distasonis can regulate intestinal barrier function and plays a key role in immune response and metabolic regulation of bodies. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is closely related to the intestinal microbiota. Polysaccharides, saponins, and other ingredients of TCM can treat diseases by interacting with P. distasonis, but the specific mechanisms underlying these processes are still unclear, requiring further exploration. This study reviewed the roles and related mechanisms of P. distasonis in inflammatory-immune diseases, metabolic diseases, cardiovascular disease, neuropsychiatric diseases, cancer, and other diseases and summarized the relevant research results of TCM to prevent and treat diseases by regulating P. distasonis. This study provides a reference for subsequent exploration of P. distasonis and research on the interaction between TCM and intestinal microbiota.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Animals ; Bacteroidetes ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*

Aim To investigate the effect of benzyl iso-thiocyanate (BITC) on the proliferation of mouse U14 cervical cancer cells and to explore the mechanism of cytotoxicity based on transcriptomic data analysis. Methods The effect of BITC on U14 cell activity was detected by MTT, nuclear morphological changes were observed by Hochest 33258 and fluorescent inverted microscope, cell cycle and apoptosis were determined by flow cytometry, and the transcriptome database of U14 cells before and after BITC (20 μmol · L

Objective:To examine the application of a novel pedagogical approach multidimensional supportive psychological intervention(MSPI)in the clinical practice teaching of andrological nursing care.Methods:Using the Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),we assessed the psychology of 100 nursing interns about to enter clinical practice in the Department of Andrology from De-cember 2021 to December 2022.We equally randomized the subjects into an experimental and a control group,the former receiving MSPI and the latter trained on the conventional teaching model without any psychological support intervention.Results:Compared with the baseline,the HAMD scores were significantly decreased in the experimental group after intervention(12.4±2.1 vs 8.9±2.4,P＜0.01),but increased in the controls(13.1±1.8 vs 14.7±1.9,P＜0.01);the skill scores dramatically increased in the experimental group(82.6±4.7 vs 91.2±2.4,P＜0.01),but decreased in the control group after intervention(81.0±3.5 vs 80.4±2.7,P=0.28).Conclusion:MSPI can significantly enhance the learning enthusiasm of nursing students in a short period,re-duce their psychological stress and improve teaching outcomes.This approach,combining psychology with teaching,can also strength-en the mental resilience of nursing students and better confront them with future professional challenges.

With the continuous development of science and technology,environmental pollution has become increasingly severe,which makes environmental monitoring crucial.In recent years,electrochemical sensing strategy has attracted wide attention due to its advantages such as low cost,easy operation and fast detection speed.However,the detection performance still faces many challenges such as low sensitivity,high limit of detection and poor selectivity.Metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)is a kind of ordered network porous crystal formed by the coordination bond of organic ligands and metal ions/ion clusters,which can be used to prepare high-performance electrode materials for construction of electrochemical sensors because of their characteristics of large specific surface area,adjustable pore size and diverse structure.However,the poor conductivity and stability of MOFs result in poor electrochemical detection performance,which seriously limits their extensive applications in the field of electrochemistry.Combining MOFs with other functional materials can not only overcome the inherent defects of MOFs but also have the superior properties of both MOFs and functional materials,and the synergistic effect between MOFs and functional materials is conducive to improving the detection performance.Therefore,MOFs composites have been widely used in the electrochemical detection of environmental pollutants.This paper reviewed the applications progress of electrochemical sensors based on MOFs composites(MOFs combine with carbon materials,conductive polymers,metal nanoparticles or MOFs)in detection of environmental pollutants(Pesticides,heavy metal ions,phenolic compounds and nitrites)in the past five years.The prospects and challenges of electrochemical sensors based on MOFs composites for detection of environmental pollutants were also discussed.