OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of catalpol affecting the differentiation of helper T cell 17 （Th17） by interfering the expressions of pyruvate kinase M2 （PKM2） and lactate dehydrogenase A （LDHA）. METHODS The naive CD4+ T cells were selected from the spleen of C57BL/6 mice， and were differentiated into Th17 cells by adding directional differentiation stimulants for 72 hours. At the same time， the cells were treated with 0 （directed control）， 20， 40 and 80 μg/mL catalpol. The flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of Th17 cell differentiation in cells； the colorimetric method was adopted to detect the levels of pyruvate and lactate in cell culture supernatant； mRNA expressions of retinoid-related orphan nuclear receptor gamma t （RORγt）， PKM2 and LDHA were detected by qRT-PCR method； Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of PKM2， LDHA， signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3）， and phosphorylated STAT3 （p-STAT3） proteins in cells. RESULTS Compared with the directed control group， after 72 hours of treatment with 20， 40， 80 μg/mL catalpol， the differentiation ratio of Th17 cells were decreased by 6.74%， 8.41%， 9.24%， and the levels of pyruvate and lactate in the cell culture supernatant， the mRNA expressions of PKM2， LDHA and RORγt as well as the protein expressions of PKM2 and LDHA and the phosphorylation of STAT3 were significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Catalpol can reduce the glycolysis level by down-regulating the expressions of PKM2 and LDHA， thereby inhibiting the differentiation of Th17 cells.

Objective To investigate the influences of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide on apoptosis of corneal epithelial cells induced by hypertonicity through regulating adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase(AMPK)/uncoordinated 51-like kinase 1(ULK1)autophagy pathway.Methods The ophthalmoxerosis cell model was established by osmotic pressure of 500 mOsm·L-1 on corneal epithelial cells.They were divided into model group,positive control group(0.3％sodium hyaluronate eye drops),inhibitor group(1 mg·mL-1 Lycium barbarum polysaccharide+10 μmol·L-1compound C),experimental-L,-H groups(0.5,1.0 mg·mL 1 Lycium barbarum polysaccharide),and normal cultured CRL-11135 cells were taken as blank group(no treatment was performed).Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry.Autophagy was detected by MDC staining.Western blot was used to detect the expressions of p-AMPK/AMPK and p-ULK1/ULK1.Results The apoptosis rates of experimental-L,experimental-H,positive control,inhibitor,model and blank groups were(26.47±2.13)％,(13.68±2.21)％,(12.54±2.16)％,(18.73±2.12)％,(37.56±3.25)％and(6.35±2.14)％;the relative contents of autophagosomes were(59.63±8.14)％,(89.89±9.04)％,(90.31±9.13)％,(62.75±7.26)％,(43.11±6.45)％and(100.00±0.00)％;p-AMPK/AMPK were 0.45±0.07,0.64±0.08,0.66±0.06,0.53±0.04,0.34±0.05 and 0.87±0.06;p-ULKl/ULKl were 0.54±0.06,0.75±0.05,0.77±0.03,0.65±0.04,0.46±0.04 and 0.92±0.08,respectively.The above indexes in experimental-L,-H groups and positive control group were significantly different from those in model group(all P＜0.05);the above indexes in inhibitor group were significantly different from those in experimental-H group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Lycium barbarum polysaccharide can inhibit the apoptosis of corneal epithelial cells induced by hypertonicity by activating the AMPK/ULK1 autophagy pathway.

The assessment of adverse drug events is an important basis for clinical safety evaluation and post-marketing risk control of drugs,and its causality assessment is gaining increasing attention.The existing methods for assessing the causal relationship between drugs and the occurrence of adverse reactions can be broadly classified into three categories:global introspective methods,standardized methods,and probabilistic methods.At present,there is no systematic introduction of the operational details of the various methods in the domestic literature.This paper compares representative causality assessment methods in terms of definition and concept,methodological steps,industry evaluation and advantages and disadvantages,clarifies the basic process of determining the causality of adverse drug reactions,and discusses how to further improve the adverse drug reaction monitoring and evaluation system,with a view to providing a reference for drug development and pharmacovigilance work in China.

Quercetin can mediate the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling pathways to prevent osteoporosis(OP).This paper comprehensively discusses the interrelationship between MAPK and osteoporosis-related cells based on the latest domestic and international research.Additionally,it elucidates the research progress of quercetin in mediating the MAPK signaling pathway for OP prevention.The aim is to provide an effective foundation for the clinical prevention and treatment of OP and the in-depth development of quercetin.

Diabetic kidney disease(DKD)is one of the most important complications of diabetes.In recent years,domestic and foreign studies have found that mammalian target protein of rapamycin(mTOR)related signaling pathway is a classic pathway involved in the regulation of autophagy,which can achieve the therapeutic effect of DKD by targeting the autophagy pathway,and plays a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of DKD.In this paper,we reviewed the mechanism of mTOR-related signaling pathway targeted autophagy in the prevention and treatment of DKD,in order to provide a new reference and basis for clinical prevention and treatment of DKD.

BACKGROUND:The formation of Lewy bodies due to abnormal α-synuclein aggregation is a characteristic pathological change in Parkinson's disease.In recent years,several studies have revealed that the formation of α-synuclein aggregates is closely related to its post-translational modifications.The modification of α-synuclein such as phosphorylation,nitration,acetylation,and ubiquitination has attracted extensive attention in the pathogenesis and progression of Parkinson's disease. OBJECTIVE:To review the research progress in the effect of modification types and sites of α-synuclein on the characteristic pathological formation and progression of Parkinson's disease. METHODS:PubMed and CNKI databases were searched by the first author with the key words of"α-synuclein,Parkinson's disease,phosphorylation,acetylation,ubiquitination,nitration"in English and Chinese respectively to collect and sort out the literature related to abnormal modification of α-synuclein in recent years.Finally,61 articles were included for further review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Abnormal modification of α-synuclein is closely related to its protein structure and its positive and negative charges.Its amino terminus is positively charged and prone to ubiquitination and acetylation modifications.The central hydrophobic region is prone to forming β-pleated sheet due to its hydrophobic property.The carboxyl terminus is negatively charged,which is the main phosphorylation modification region.Phosphorylation modification sites promote phosphorylation modification and are closely related to α-synuclein aggregation,while protein kinases can target the activation of translational modifications,which may help to promote or inhibit aggregate formation.The degradation pathway of α-synuclein mainly plays a role in removing pathological proteins.Various kinase catalysts contribute to impaired protein ubiquitination modifications that lead to abnormal protein accumulation,thereby exacerbating neurodegeneration.The amino-terminal acetylation of α-synuclein improves the shuttle ability of the protein to the cell membrane and slows down the protein aggregation,which may be the protection target of nerve cells.However,the acetylation modification of the mutant protein produces the opposite effect.The protein nitration modification is mainly related to oxidative stress.The aggregation tendency of the protein modified by nitration is enhanced under the action of reactive oxygen species.Different post-translational modifications have different effects.Therefore,elucidating the main mechanisms of their post-translational modifications and inhibiting the post-translational modifications that contribute to protein aggregation may provide a reference for new targets for early diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Methods: This study established the MFSM method. To demonstrate its effectiveness, we applied this novel approach to analyze Danxi Granules (丹膝颗粒, DXG) and its constituent herbal materials. To begin with, the ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) was applied to obtain the chromatographic fingerprints of DXG and its constituent herbal materials. Next, the MFSM was leveraged to compress and integrate them into a new fingerprint with fewer analytical units. Then, we characterized the properties and variability of both the original and integrated fingerprints by calculating total quantum statistical moment (TQSM) parameters, information entropy and information amount, along with their relative standard deviation (RSD). Finally, we compared the TQSM parameters, information entropy and information amount, and their RSD between the traditional and novel fingerprints to validate the new analytical method. Results: The chromatographic peaks of DXG and its 12 raw herbal materials were divided and integrated into peak families by the MFSM method. Before integration, the ranges of the peak number, three TQSM parameters, information entropy and information amount for each peak or peak family of UPLC fingerprints of DXG and its 12 raw herbal materials were 95.07 − 209.73, 9390 − 183064 μv·s, 5.928 − 21.33 min, 22.62 − 106.69 min2, 4.230 − 6.539, and 50530 − 974186 μv·s, respectively. After integration, the ranges of these parameters were 10.00 − 88.00, 9390 − 183064 μv·s, 5.951 − 22.02 min, 22.27 − 104.73 min2, 2.223 − 5.277, and 38159 − 807200 μv·s, respectively. Correspondingly, the RSD of all the aforementioned parameters before integration were 2.12% − 9.15%, 6.04% − 49.78%, 1.15% − 23.10%, 3.97% − 25.79%, 1.49% − 19.86%, and 6.64% − 51.20%, respectively. However, after integration, they changed to 0.00%, 6.04% − 49.87%, 1.73% − 23.02%, 3.84% − 26.85%, 1.17% − 16.54%, and 6.40% − 48.59%, respectively. The results demonstrated that in the newly integrated fingerprint, the analytical units of constituent herbal materials, information entropy and information amount were significantly reduced (P < 0.05), while the TQSM parameters remained unchanged (P > 0.05). Additionally, the RSD of the TQSM parameters, information entropy, and information amount didn’t show significant difference before and after integration (P > 0.05), but the RSD of the number and area of the integrated analytical units significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Conclusion The MFSM method could reduce the analytical units of constituent herbal materials while maintain the properties and variability from their original fingerprint. Thus, it could serve as a feasible and reliable tool to reduce difficulties in analyzing multi-components within CMMs and facilitating the evaluation of their quality.

The pattern differentiation method is the most representative part of the inheritance of the experience of renowned practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine,reflecting their clinical thinking characteristics. Among them,Professor LYU Renhe proposed and developed the theory of abdominal masses in the long-term diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases. Based on his clinical experience,he formed the method of differentiation of Shenluozhengjia (tangible or intangible abdominal masses of kidney collaterals). This differentiation method is characterized by its simple and easy clinical application. Tangible or intangible abdominal masses of kidney collaterals refer to chronic kidney disease,which is based on the basic cause of kidney deficiency. External or internal pathogenic factors cannot be eliminated,and prolonged illness invades the kidney collaterals,causing pathological products,such as qi stagnation,blood stasis,phlegm dampness,heat toxin,and turbid toxin to stagnate in the kidney collaterals,resulting in damage to the kidney body and loss of kidney function. The basic pathogenesis is a deficiency of kidney qi and the formation of tangible or intangible abdominal masses of the kidney collaterals. During pattern differentiation,the type is determined by the deficiency,which is fixed,and the pattern is determined by the excess,which is constantly changing with the condition and can be combined. Furthermore,he summarized the dietary principles as having more essence and less coarseness,more milk and less meat,a phased diet,and the selection of the symptomatic diet. To inherit and improve the theory and clinical practice of the pattern differentiation theory of tangible or intangible abdominal masses of kidney collaterals,this article reviews and summarizes the unique pattern differentiation method of the kidney collateral pattern from the aspects of definition,theoretical origin,etiology and pathogenesis,differentiation and treatment,and regulation,providing a basis for forming suitable diagnosis and treatment method for clinical promotion.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) at sensitized acupoints could reduce sympathetic-sensory coupling (SSC) and neurogenic inflammatory response by interfering with 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)ergic neural pathways to relieve colitis and somatic referred pain, and explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Rats were treated with 5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) solution for 7 days to establish a colitis model. Twelve rats were randomly divided into the control and model groups according to a random number table (n=6). According to the "Research on Rat Acupoint Atlas", sensitized acupoints and non-sensitized acupoints were determined. Rats were randomly divided into the control, model, Zusanli-EA (ST 36), Dachangshu-EA (BL 25), and Xinshu (BL 15) groups (n=6), as well as the control, model, EA, and EA + GR113808 (a 5-HT inhibitor) groups (n=6). The rats in the control group received no treatment. Acupuncture was administered on 2 days after modeling using the stimulation pavameters: 1 mA, 2 Hz, for 30 min, with sparse and dense waves, for 14 consecutive days. GR113808 was injected into the tail vein at 5 mg/kg before EA for 10 min for 7 consecutive days. Mechanical sensitivity was assessed with von Frey filaments. Body weight and disease activity index (DAI) scores of rats were determined. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to observe colon histopathology. SSC was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect 5-HT and substance P (SP) expressions. The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in skin tissue and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) protein levels in DRG were detected by Western blot. The levels of hyaluronic acid (HA), bradykinin (BK), prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) in skin tissue, 5-HT, tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1), serotonin transporters (SERT), 5-HT 3 receptor (5-HT3R), and 5-HT 4 receptor (5-HT4R) in colon tissue were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: BL 25 and ST 36 acupoints were determined as sensitized acupoints, and BL 15 acupoint was used as a non-sensitized acupoint. EA at sensitized acupoints improved the DAI score, increased mechanical withdrawal thresholds, and alleviated colonic pathological damage of rats. EA at sensitized acupoints reduced SSC structures and decreased TH and CGRP expression levels (P<0.05). Furthermore, EA at sensitized acupoints reduced BK, PGI2, 5-HT, 5-HT3R and TPH1 levels, and increased HA, 5-HT4R and SERT levels in colitis rats (P<0.05). GR113808 treatment diminished the protective effect of EA at sensitized acupoints in colitis rats (P<0.05). CONCLUSION EA at sensitized acupoints alleviated DSS-induced somatic referred pain in colitis rats by interfering with 5-HTergic neural pathway, and reducing SSC inflammatory response.
Rats ; Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serotonin ; Acupuncture Points ; Pain, Referred ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; Signal Transduction ; Colitis/therapy* ; Indoles ; Sulfonamides

Objective: To investigate the incidence trend of diabetes among children and adolescents in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province from 2011 to 2021, so as to provide the basis for the prevention and control of diabetes among children and adolescents. Methods: Data on diabetes incidence among children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 years in Ningbo City were collected through the Diabetes Monitoring Platform of the Ningbo Chronic Disease Collaborative Management System from 2011 to 2021. Crude incidence rates were calculated and standardized using data from the Sixth National Population Census in 2010. The trend of incidence rates were analyzed by average annual percent change (AAPC). Results: A total of 701 cases of diabetes among children and adolescents were reported in Ningbo City from 2011 to 2021. The crude and standardized incidence rates were 6.86/105 and 7.27/105, respectively, showing upward trends (AAPC=5.886%, 7.147%, both P<0.05). The crude and standardized incidence rates of type 1 diabetes mellitus were 3.36/105 and 3.35/105, respectively, with no significant trend observed (AAPC=1.229%, 1.449%, both P>0.05). The crude incidence rate was higher in children and adolescents aged 10 to <15 years (4.56/105) than in other age groups (all P<0.05). The standardized incidence rate was higher in females than in males (3.49/105 vs. 3.04/105, P<0.05). The standardized incidence rate was higher in urban areas than in rural areas (3.60/105 vs. 3.15/105, P<0.05). The crude and standardized incidence rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus were 3.43/105 and 3.87/105, respectively, showing upward trends (AAPC=4.904%, 7.579%, both P<0.05). The crude incidence rate was higher in children and adolescents aged 15 to 18 years (10.53/105) than in other groups (all P<0.05). The crude incidence rates in children and adolescents who aged 10 to <15 years and 15 to 18 years showed upward trends (AAPC=15.030%, 6.637%, both P<0.05). The standardized incidence rate was higher in males than in females (4.01/105 vs. 3.57/105, P<0.05). The standardized incidence rate was higher in urban areas than in rural areas (4.57/105 vs. 3.34/105, P<0.05). Conclusions From 2011 to 2021, the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus showed an upward trend, with cases mainly concentrated in children and adolescents aged 15 to 18 years, males, and those living in urban areas. The incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus remained stable, with cases mainly concentrated in children and adolescents aged 10 to <15 years, females, and those living in urban areas.