This study aims to explore the mechanism of lung and gut protection by Tanreqing Capsules on the mice infected with influenza virus based on "the lung-gut axis". A total of 110 C57BL/6J mice were randomized into control group, model group, oseltamivir group, and low-and high-dose Tanreqing Capsules groups. Ten mice in each group underwent body weight protection experiments, and the remaining 12 mice underwent experiments for mechanism exploration. Mice were infected with influenza virus A/Puerto Rico/08/1934(PR8) via nasal inhalation for the modeling. The lung tissue was collected on day 3 after gavage, and the lung tissue, colon tissue, and feces were collected on day 7 after gavage for subsequent testing. The results showed that Tanreqing Capsules alleviated the body weight reduction and increased the survival rate caused by PR8 infection. Compared with model group, Tanreqing Capsules can alleviate the lung injury by reducing the lung index, alleviating inflammation and edema in the lung tissue, down-regulating viral gene expression at the late stage of infection, reducing the percentage of neutrophils, and increasing the percentage of T cells. Tanreqing Capsules relieved the gut injury by restoring the colon length, increasing intestinal lumen mucin secretion, alleviating intestinal inflammation, and reducing goblet cell destruction. The gut microbiota analysis showed that Tanreqing Capsules increased species diversity compared with model group. At the phylum level, Tanreqing Capsules significantly increased the abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, while reducing the abundance of Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria to maintain gut microbiota balance. At the genus level, Tanreqing Capsules significantly increased the abundance of unclassified＿f＿Lachnospiraceae while reducing the abundance of Bacteroides, Eubacterium, and Phocaeicola to maintain gut microbiota balance. In conclusion, Tanreqing Capsules can alleviate mouse lung and gut injury caused by influenza virus infection and restore the balance of gut microbiota. Treating influenza from the lung and gut can provide new ideas for clinical practice.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Mice ; Lung/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Capsules ; Orthomyxoviridae Infections/virology* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Influenza A virus/physiology* ; Influenza, Human/virology*

OBJECTIVE: Ulcerative colitis is closely associated with intestinal stem cell (ISC) loss and impaired intestinal mucus barrier. Sinisan (SNS), a compound Chinese herbal medicine, has a long history in the treatment of intestinal dysfunction, yet whether SNS can relieve acute experimental colitis by modulating ISC proliferation and secretory cell differentiation has not been studied. Our study tested the effect of SNS against acute colitis and focused on the mechanisms involving intestinal barrier recovery. METHODS: Network pharmacology analysis and blood entry component analysis of SNS were used to explore the underlying mechanism by which SNS affects the acute dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced murine colitis model. RNA-sequencing was used to demonstrate the mechanism. Further, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence staining, and alcian blue and periodic acid-Schiff staining were performed in vivo and in the colonic organoids to investigate the cell lineage differentiation-related mechanism of SNS. Furthermore, potential active ingredients from SNS were predicted by network pharmacology analysis. RESULTS: SNS dramatically suppressed DSS-induced acute colonic inflammation in mice. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed downregulation of inflammation and apoptosis-related genes, and upregulation of lipid metabolism and proliferation-related genes, such as Irf7, Pparα, Clspn and Hspa5. Additionally, ISC renewal and intestinal secretory cell lineage commitment were significantly promoted by SNS both in vivo and in vitro in colonic organoids, leading to enhanced mucin expression. Furthermore, potential active ingredients from SNS that mediated inflammation, lipid metabolism, proliferation, apoptosis, stem cells and secretory cells were predicted using a network pharmacology approach. CONCLUSION Our study shed light on the underlying mechanism of SNS in attenuating acute colitis from the perspective of ISC renewal and secretory lineage cell differentiation, suggesting a of novel therapeutic strategy against colitis. Please cite this article as: Cai YJ, Lan JH, Li S, Feng YN, Li FH, Guo MY, et al. Sinisan, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, alleviates acute colitis by facilitating colonic secretory cell lineage commitment and mucin production. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(4): 429-444.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice ; Colon/pathology* ; Mucins/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Male ; Colitis/metabolism* ; Cell Lineage/drug effects* ; Dextran Sulfate ; Stem Cells/drug effects* ; Disease Models, Animal

Six compounds were isolated from the roots of Ephedra sinica Stapf using various chromatographic techniques such as silica gel column chromatography, thin layer chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. Their chemical structures were identified by analysis of physicochemical properties and spectral data, and determined as (Z)-docosanylferulate (1), (E)-docosanylferulate (2), bis (2-ethylheptyl) phythalate (3), 2,2′-oxybis (1,4-di-tert-butylbenzene) (4), diisobutyl phthalate (5), bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (6). Among them, compound 1 is a new compound, compounds 2-4 were first isolated from Ephedra. A corticosterone-induced PC-12 cell injury model was used for compound activity screening. The results showed that compounds 1 and 5 significantly improved corticosterone-induced PC-12 cell injury and significantly increased 5-HT₇ receptor protein expression in the cells, indicating potential antidepressant activity.

Amantadine(AMD)residue can accumulate in organisms through the food chain and cause serious harm to human body.AMD can specifically bind to AMD specific aptamer and cause its conformation to change from a random single strand to a stem-loop structure.To avoid the influence of excess nucleotides on binding of aptamer to AMD,the truncation of the AMD original aptamer J was optimized by retaining an appropriate stem-loop structure,and a new type of truncation aptamers was developed in this work.By comparing the truncated aptamer with the original aptamer,it was found that the truncated aptamer J-7 had better affinity and specificity with AMD.The detection limit of AMD was 0.11 ng/mL by using J-7 as specific recognition element and molybdenum disulfide nanosheet(MoS2Ns)as signal amplification element.The developed method base on truncated aptamer J-7 was used for detection of AMD in milk,yogurt and SD rat serum samples for the first time with recoveries of 86.6%-108.2%.This study provided a reference for truncating other long sequence aptamers and provided a more sensitive detection method for monitoring AMD residues in food.

Aim To investigate the effect of vanillin on the regulation of cyclic guanylate adenylate synthetase(cGAS)/stimulator of interferon gene(STING)signa-ling pathway on hepatic tissue injury in rats with intra-hepatic cholestasis(IC).Methods SD rats were randomly divided into normal group,IC group,vanillin group,cGAS overexpression group,and vanillin+cGAS overexpression group,with continuous adminis-tration for seven days.The body weight,liver weight and liver to body weight ratio of rats were measured.Liver function(ALT,AST,ALP,LDH),IC(TBIL,TBA)and liver fibrosis(HA,LN,PC Ⅲ)index were determined by ELISA.Liver pathology and fibrosis were observed using HE and Masson staining,and col-lagen volume fraction was calculated.The expression of cGAS/STING pathway related proteins in liver tissue was detected by Western blot.Results Vanillin could improve liver pathology and fibrosis,increase body weight,and decrease liver weight,ALT,AST,ALP,LDH,TBIL,TBA,HA,LN,PC Ⅲ,collagen volume fraction,cGAS,STING protein in IC rats(P＜0.05).Overexpression of cGAS could reverse the effects of vanillin on the above indicators in IC rats(P＜0.05).Conclusions Vanillin may improve liver function,IC,liver fibrosis,and liver tissue damage in IC rats by downregulating the cGAS/STING signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the current status of H.pylori infection in the natural population of Sanya City,analyze its influencing factors,and provide a reference basis for the prevention and control of H.pylori infection.Methods A total of 677 residents from four districts of Sanya City were selected by overall stratified random sampling method,and were subjected to urea 14C breath test and questionnaire survey to calculate the positive rate of H.pylori in the natural population and analyze the influencing factors of H.pylori infection.Results A total of 606 residents were included,and the number of H.pylori positive detections was 261,with a positive detection rate of 38.5％.Among them,different ethnicity,marital status,smoking,eating vegetables and fruits,and literacy level were associated with H.pylori infection(P＜0.05);gender,age,BMI,alcohol consumption,drinking water source,betel quid chewing,and the number of cohabitants were not significantly associated with H.pylori infection(P＞0.05).Family infection was an independent risk factor for H.pylori infection in the natural population of Sanya City,and Li ethnicity,frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables,and college and higher education level were independent protective factors for H.pylori infection in the natural population of Sanya City.Conclusion The rate of H.pylori infection in the natural population of Sanya City is lower than the national average.Consuming more fruits and vegetables and improving the awareness of hygiene protection are conducive to the prevention of H.pylori infection;and the promotion of the family and related members with the same examination and treatment is important to avoid aggregation of infection within the family.

Objective:To investigate effects of resistance exercise on exercise tolerance,cardiac function and somati-zation symptoms in patients with stable coronary artery disease(SCAD).Methods:SCAD patients without heart failure,who were diagnosed with coronary angiography or coronary CTA in Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College,Inner Mongolia University of Science & Technology between June 2020 and June 2022 were select-ed.They were enrolled into groups according to voluntary principle,and 47 cases and 58 cases were finally included in control group and resistance exercise group respectively.Both groups exercised for 12 weeks according to the ex-ercise prescription.Exercise tolerance was assessed using peak oxygen uptake(VO2peak)and anaerobic threshold;left ventricular diastolic function was assessed using cardiac echocardiography mitral early-diastolic peak flow ve-locity/late-diastolic peak flow velocity(E/A);and mental health was assessed using Somatization Symptom Self-rating Scale(SSS).The occurrence of serious cardiovascular adverse events was compared between two groups after 24-week follow-up.Results:Compared with before exercise,after 12-week exercise,there were significant rise in VO2 peak[(17.53±3.92)ml·min-1·kg-1 vs.(20.35±3.70)ml·min-1·kg-1],anaerobic threshold[(11.60±3.40)ml·min-1·kg-1 vs.(12.62±3.16)ml·min-1·kg-1],E peak[(0.63±0.14)mm/s vs.(0.70±0.16)mm/s]and E/A ratio[(0.80±0.14)vs.(0.91±0.24)];and significant reductions in resting heart rate[(76.21±12.70)beats/min vs.(74.36±9.87)beats/min]and SSS score[10.00(5.00,22.25)points vs.9.50(3.00,21.00)points]in resistance exercise group(P＜0.01 all).Compared with the control group,VO2 peak[(18.59±3.93)ml·min-1·kg-1 vs.(20.35±3.70)ml·min-1·kg-1]and E/A ratio[(0.82±0.22)vs.(0.91±0.24)]were significantly higher in resistance exercise group after 12 weeks(P＜0.05 both).After 24-week follow-up,there was no significant difference in incidence rate of serious cardiovascular adverse events between two groups(P=1.000).Conclusion:Resistance exercise can significantly increase exercise tolerance,improve cardiac diastolic function and psychological health in patients with coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: Ginsenoside Rh1 (G-Rh1) has been confirmed to inhibit the growth of breast cancer and colon cancer, but its therapeutic effect on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. This study investigates the therapeutic effect of G-Rh1 on HCC as well as the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Bioinformatics methods were used to analyze glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression and the tumor microenvironment in HCC tissues from HCC patients. The effect of G-Rh1 on HCC cells was investigated in vitro using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method. The therapeutic effect of G-Rh1 was investigated in vivo using subcutaneous transplantation models in C57BL/6J and nude mice. Additionally, the proportion of infiltrating immune cells in tumors was analyzed using flow cytometry, the GR and major histocompatibility complex class-I (MHC-I) expression of HCC cells after G-Rh1 treatment was analyzed using Western blotting, and G-Rh1-treated Hepa1-6 cells were cocultured with bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and B3Z T cells to further analyze the ability of G-Rh1 to induce dendritic cell (DC) maturation and CD8⁺ T cell activation. RESULTS: GR expression was upregulated in HCC tissues, and high GR expression was associated with a worsened immune microenvironment. In vitro studies showed that G-Rh1 had no significant effect on the proliferation of HCC cells, while in vivo studies showed that G-Rh1 exerted antitumor effects in C57BL/6J mice but not in nude mice. Further research revealed that G-Rh1 ameliorated the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, thereby enhancing the antitumor effects of lenvatinib by increasing the infiltration of CD8⁺ T cells, mature DCs, and MHC-I-positive cells. MHC-I was upregulated by G-Rh1 via GR suppression. Moreover, overexpression of GR abolished the G-Rh1-mediated promotion of MHC-I expression in Huh7 cells, as well as the maturation of DCs and the activation of CD8⁺ T cells. CONCLUSION G-Rh1 can regulate the immune microenvironment of HCC by targeting GR, thus increasing the antitumor effect of lenvatinib. Please cite this article as: Wang XH, Fu YL, Xu YN, Zhang PC, Zheng TX, Ling CQ, Feng YL. Ginsenoside Rh1 regulates the immune microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma via the glucocorticoid receptor. J Integr Med. 2024; 22(6): 710-720.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics* ; Ginsenosides/pharmacology* ; Animals ; Liver Neoplasms/genetics* ; Receptors, Glucocorticoid/genetics* ; Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects* ; Humans ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Male ; Dendritic Cells/drug effects*

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy between electroacupuncture(EA) and moxibustion for neurogenic bladder (NB) after spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients with NB after SCI were randomly divided into an EA group, a moxibustion group, and an intermittent catheterization group, with 40 patients in each group. The patients in the intermittent catheterization group were treated with routine treatment and intermittent catheterization, while the patients in the EA group and the moxibustion group were treated with additional treatments of EA (discontinuous wave, with a frequency of 1.3-1.6 Hz, and intensity based on patient tolerance) and moxibustion, respectively. The acupoints used in both groups were Zhongji (CV 3) and Guanyuan (CV 4), bilateral Zusanli (ST 36), Yinlingquan (SP 9), and Baliao points. Each session lasted for 30 min, once daily, six times a week, for a total of six weeks.The maximum bladder capacity (MBC), residual urine vdume (RUV), detrusor pressure (Pdet) during the filling phase, bladder compliance (BC), maximum renal pelvis separation width of both kidneys, urine white blood cell count, TCM syndrome score, and World Health Organization quality of life assessment-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) score were compared before and after treatment in the 3 groups. The number of patients in each group who achieved bladder functional balance was recorded, and the clinical efficacy was assessed after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the MBC, Pdet, BC, and WHOQOL-BREF scores in the EA group and the moxibustion group were increased (P<0.05), while the RUV, maximum renal pelvis separation width of both kidneys, urine white blood cell count, and TCM syndrome scores were decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). In the intermittent catheterization group, MBC, RUV, maximum renal pelvis separation width of both kidneys, and urine white blood cell count were decreased (P<0.05), while BC and WHOQOL-BREF score were increased (P<0.05) after treatment. After treatment, the MBC, Pdet, BC, and WHOQOL-BREF scores in the EA group and the moxibustion group were higher than those in the intermittent catheterization group (P<0.05), while the RUV and TCM syndrome scores were lower than those in the intermittent catheterization group (P<0.05). Moreover, after treatment, the MBC and Pdet in the moxibustion group were higher than those in the EA group (P<0.05), while the RUV, maximum renal pelvis separation width of both kidneys, and TCM syndrome score in the EA group were lower than those in the moxibustion group (P<0.05). The number of patients who achieved bladder functional balance after treatment in the EA group and the moxibustion group was higher than that in the intermittent catheterization group (P<0.05). The cured and effective rate was 85.0% (34/40) in the EA group and 82.5% (33/40) in the moxibustion group, which were both higher than 65.0% (26/40) in the intermittent catheterization group (P<0.05), there was no significant difference between the EA group and the moxibustion group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION EA and moxibustion could effectively improve the functional state of bladder in patients with NB after SCI. EA is more effective in reducing residual urine volume and excessive activity of the urethral sphincter, and relieving TCM syndromes, while moxibustion is more effective in increasing the pressure of the detrusor during the filling period and establishing the detrusor reflex.
Humans ; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic/therapy* ; Electroacupuncture ; Moxibustion ; Quality of Life ; Spinal Cord Injuries/therapy* ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at investigating the carrier rate of, and molecular variation in, α- and β-globin gene mutations in Hunan Province. METHODS: We recruited 25,946 individuals attending premarital screening from 42 districts and counties in all 14 cities of Hunan Province. Hematological screening was performed, and molecular parameters were assessed. RESULTS: The overall carrier rate of thalassemia was 7.1%, including 4.83% for α-thalassemia, 2.15% for β-thalassemia, and 0.12% for both α- and β-thalassemia. The highest carrier rate of thalassemia was in Yongzhou (14.57%). The most abundant genotype of α-thalassemia and β-thalassemia was -α ^3.7/αα (50.23%) and β ^IVS-II-654/β ^N (28.23%), respectively. Four α-globin mutations [CD108 (ACC>AAC), CAP +29 (G>C), Hb Agrinio and Hb Cervantes] and six β-globin mutations [CAP +8 (C>T), IVS-II-848 (C>T), -56 (G>C), beta nt-77 (G>C), codon 20/21 (-TGGA) and Hb Knossos] had not previously been identified in China. Furthermore, this study provides the first report of the carrier rates of abnormal hemoglobin variants and α-globin triplication in Hunan Province, which were 0.49% and 1.99%, respectively. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates the high complexity and diversity of thalassemia gene mutations in the Hunan population. The results should facilitate genetic counselling and the prevention of severe thalassemia in this region.
Humans ; beta-Thalassemia/genetics* ; alpha-Thalassemia/genetics* ; Hemoglobinopathies/genetics* ; China/epidemiology* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing