Objective To investigate the changes in eosinophil counts and the activation of microglial cells in the brain tissues of mice at different stages of Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection, and to examine the role of microglia in regulating the progression of angiostrongyliasis and unravel the possible molecular mechanisms. Methods Fifty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-day and 25-d infection groups, of 10 mice in each group. All mice in infection groups were infected with 30 stage III A. cantonensis larvae by gavage, and animals in the control group was given an equal amount of physiological saline. Five mice were collected from each of infection groups on days 7, 14, 21 d and 25 d post-infection, and 5 mice were collected from the control group on the day of oral gavage. The general and focal functional impairment was scored using the Clark scoring method to assess the degree of mouse neurological impairment. Five mice from each of infection groups were sacrificed on days 7, 14, 21 d and 25 d post-infection, and 5 mice from the control group were sacrificed on the day of oral gavage. Mouse brain tissues were sampled, and the pathological changes of brain tissues were dynamically observed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Immunofluorescence staining with eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) was used to assess the degree of eosinophil infiltration and the counts of microglial cells in mouse brain tissues in each group, and the morphological parameters of microglial cells (skeleton analysis and fractal analysis) were quantified by using Image J software to determine the morphological changes of microglial cells. In addition, the expression of M1 microglia markers Fcγ receptor III (Fcgr3), Fcγ receptor IIb (Fcgr2b) and CD86 antigen (Cd86), M2 microglia markers Arginase 1 (Arg1), macrophage mannose receptor C-type 1 (Mrc1), chitinase-like 3 (Chil3), and phagocytosis genes myeloid cell triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (Trem2), CD68 antigen (Cd68), and apolipoprotein E (Apoe) was quantified using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assay in the mouse cerebral cortex of mice post-infection. Results A large number of A. cantonensis larvae were seen on the mouse meninges surface post-infection, and many neuronal nuclei were crumpled and deeply stained, with a large number of bleeding points in the meninges. The median Clark scores of mouse general functional impairment were 0 (interquartile range, 0), 0 (interquartile range, 0.5), 6 (interquartile range, 1.0), 14 (interquartile range, 8.5) points and 20 (interquartile range, 9.0) points in the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-d and 25-d groups, respectively (H = 22.45, P < 0.01), and the median Clark scores of mouse focal functional impairment were 0 (interquartile range, 0), 2 (interquartile range, 2.5), 7 (interquartile range, 3.0), 18 (interquartile range, 5.0) points and 25 (interquartile range, 6.5) points in the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-d and 25-d groups, respectively (H = 22.72, P < 0.01). The mean scores of mice general and focal functional impairment were all higher in the infection groups than in the control group (all P values < 0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed a significant difference in the eosinophil counts in mouse brain tissues among the five groups (F = 40.05, P < 0.000 1), and the eosinophil counts were significantly higher in mouse brain tissues in the 14-d (3.08 ± 0.78) and 21-d infection groups (5.97 ± 1.37) than in the control group (1.00 ± 0.28) (both P values < 0.05). Semi-quantitative analysis of microglia immunofluorescence showed a significant difference in the counts of microglial cells among the five groups (F = 17.66, P < 0.000 1), and higher Iba1 levels were detected in mouse brain tissues in 14-d (5.75 ± 1.28), 21-d (6.23 ± 1.89) and 25-d infection groups (3.70 ± 1.30) than in the control group (1.00 ± 0.30) (all P values < 0.05). Skeleton and fractal analyses showed that the branch length [(162.04 ± 34.10) μm vs. (395.37 ± 64.11) μm; t = 5.566, P < 0.05] and fractal dimension of microglial cells (1.30 ± 0.01 vs. 1.41 ± 0.03; t = 5.266, P < 0.05) were reduced in mouse brain tissues in the 21-d infection group relative to the control group. In addition, there were significant differences among the 5 groups in terms of M1 and M2 microglia markers Fcgr3 (F = 48.34, P < 0.05), Fcgr2b (F = 55.46, P < 0.05), Cd86 (F = 24.44, P < 0.05), Arg1 (F = 31.18, P < 0.05), Mrc1 (F = 15.42, P < 0.05) and Chil3 (F = 24.41, P < 0.05), as well as phagocytosis markers Trem2 (F = 21.19, P < 0.05), Cd68 (F = 43.95, P < 0.05) and Apoe (F = 7.12, P < 0.05) in mice brain tissues. Conclusions A. cantonensis infections may induce severe pathological injuries in mouse brain tissues that are characterized by massive eosinophil infiltration and persistent activation of microglia cells, thereby resulting in progressive deterioration of neurological functions.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglycoside (TGW) in the treatment of psoriatic dermatitis from a cellular immunological perspective. METHODS: Mouse models of psoriatic dermatitis were established by imiquimod (IMQ). Twelve male BALB/c mice were assigned to IMQ or IMQ₊TGW groups according to a random number table. Histopathological changes in vivo were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Ratios of immune cells and cytokines in mice, as well as PAM212 cell proliferation in vitro were assessed by flow cytometry. Pro-inflammatory cytokine expression was determined using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: TGW significantly ameliorated the severity of IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse skin lesions and restrained the activation of CD45⁺ cells, neutrophils and T lymphocytes (all P<0.01). Moreover, TGW significantly attenuated keratinocytes (KCs) proliferation and downregulated the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-23, tumor necrosis factor α, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Furthermore, it reduced the number of γ δ T17 cells in skin lesion of mice and draining lymph nodes (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS TGW improved psoriasis-like inflammation by inhibiting KCs proliferation, as well as the associated immune cells and cytokine expression. It inhibited IL-17 secretion from γ δ T cells, which improved the immune-inflammatory microenvironment of psoriasis.
Male ; Animals ; Mice ; Tripterygium ; Psoriasis/drug therapy* ; Keratinocytes ; Skin Diseases/metabolism* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Imiquimod/metabolism* ; Dermatitis/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Skin/metabolism*

ObjectiveTo investigate the regulatory effect of Changju Zhidong prescription on gut microbiota structure of children with tic disorder（TD）. MethodTwenty-four children with TD who visited the pediatric outpatient clinic of Dongzhimen Hospital of Bejjing University of Chinese Medicine from November 2020 to January 2022 were selected as the observation group， and eight healthy children were selected as the normal group. The observation group was treated with Changju Zhidong prescription for 12 weeks， and the clinical efficacy was observed by Yale global tic severity scale（YGTSS）， traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） syndrome score， and score of TCM symptom evaluation scale for pediatric gastrointestinal tract. Meanwhile， The fecal samples of the observation and normal groups were collected before and after treatment， and 16S rDNA sequencing was used to explore the effects of Changju Zhidong prescription on the distribution of gut microbiota of the children. ResultCompared with the pre-treatment， the YGTSS， TCM syndrome score， and score of TCM symptom evaluation scale for pediatric gastrointestinal tract of the observation group were significantly reduced after 12 weeks of treatment（P<0.05）， Simpson and Pieloue indices in alpha diversity were significantly reduced（P<0.05）. Before treatment， the relative abundance of Streptococcus parasanguini in the observation group was significantly higher than that of the normal group， while the relative abundances of Citrobacter， Lactobacillus， Lacticaseibacillus， Muribaculaceae unclassified， Odoribacter and 7 other bacterial groups were significantly lower than that in the normal group. Compared with the pre-treatment， the observation group showed a significant decrease in Ruminococcus torques group unclassified and Ruminococcus torques group， and a significant increase in Olsenella， Acetivibrio and 4 other bacterial groups. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the main pathways of Changju Zhidong prescription regulating gut microbiota were bacterial secretion system， insect hormone biosynthesis， limonene and pinene degradation， novobiocin biosynthesis， tropane piperidine and pyridine alkaloid biosynthesis. ConclusionThe pathogenesis of children with TD is accompanied by intestinal flora disorders， and Changju Zhidong prescription can improve core and gastrointestinal symptoms， increase the abundance of beneficial and decrease the abundance of harmful gut microbiota in children with TD， and its mechanism may be through the metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides.

Natural products are important sources of drug discovery. However, the traditional methods of extraction and isolation, as well as chemical synthesis for obtaining natural products are associated with issues such as operational complexity, high costs, low efficiency, and environmental pollution. Constructing microbial cell factories through synthetic biology methods to produce medicinal natural products has the advantages of high efficiency, low cost, and environmental protection. Nevertheless, the scope and yield improvement of the products are limited by the limitations of enzymes in microbial cell factories. Protein engineering is considered one of the most effective approaches to overcome these limitations. This article introduces commonly used methods of protein engineering technology and summarizes its specific applications in improving enzyme performance, modifying the enzymatic environment, and promoting the development of synthetic biology tools in the field of pharmaceutical natural product synthesis. Furthermore, it analyzes the current bottlenecks and challenges in protein engineering and looks forward to its future application prospects, offering insights for the development and practical use of protein engineering technology.

The breakage pattern of unit particles during the production of oral solid dosage forms (OSD) is closely related to the quality of intermediate or final products. To accurately characterize the particles and study the evolution law of particle breakage, the Bonding model of the discrete element method (DEM) was used to investigate the breakage patterns of model parameters, particle shape and process conditions (loading mode and loading rate) on the dynamic breakage, force-time curve, breakage rate, maximum breakage size ratio and fracture strength of particles. The results showed that the particle breakage force was positively correlated with normal strength and bonded disk scale, negatively correlated with normal stiffness per unit area and tangential stiffness per unit area, and weakly correlated with tangential strength. The particle breakage rate was negatively correlated with the aspect ratio of the particles, and the maximum breakage size ratio was positively correlated with the aspect ratio of the particles; among the three loading modes, the breakage rate of compression breakage model was the largest, the breakage rate of shear breakage model was the second largest, and the breakage rate of wear breakage model was the smallest; the maximum breakage size ratio was positively correlated with the loading rate, the loading mode and the loading rate had no mutual influence on particle breakage rate, but had mutual influence on the maximum breakage size ratio. The research results will provide a theoretical basis for the shift of OSD from batch manufacturing to advanced manufacturing.

Objective: To investigate the association between early life adversity(ELA) and the triglycerideglucose (TyG) index for an indicator of insulin resistance among girls with precocious puberty, so as to provide scientific basis for effective prevention and intervention measures. Methods: From July 2020 to September 2021, girls with precocious puberty were recruited from the childrens health clinic of Anhui Provincial Childrens Hospital. Among them, 150 girls with complete blood indicators and questionnaire information were included. Both parental reports and child selfreports were combined to assess ELA exposure. Fasting blood samples were collected to evaluate thetyg index. According to the ELA score classification, girls were classified into 3 groups for 0, 1 and >2, multiple linear regression analysis were conducted to examine the association between ELA exposure and TyG index in girls with precocious puberty. Results: Precocious pubertal girls subjectively reported high rates of ELA exposure, with an average ELA score of (1.07±1.17) and an average TyG level of (7.99±0.49). A single adverse association was found that the exposure of girls with precocious puberty to a lack of warm nurturing was significantly positively correlated with the TyG index (β=0.26, 95%CI=0.03-0.50, P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that girls in the ELA≥2 group had a 0.24 increase in TyG levels compared to girls who did not experience ELA (β=0.24, 95%CI=0.04-0.43). After controlling for covariates such as child age, mothers age, fathers age, physical activity, screen time, birth weight, birth method (including natural and cesarean sections), perceived stress, BMI standardized Zscore, and parental assessment SDQ score, The association remained significant after controlling for covariates and was independent of BMI (β=0.25, 95%CI=0.04-0.46)(P<0.05). Conclusions Cumulative early life adversity in girls with precocious puberty is significantly positively correlated with the TyG index. It should early identify the girls exposed to high ELA for precocious puberty and timely intervent to improve their glucose metabolism function.

Objective To investigate the capillarization of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and its association with hepatic fibrosis during the development of alveolar echinococcosis, so as to provide the basis for unraveling the mechanisms underlying the role of LSEC in the development and prognosis of hepatic injuries and hepatic fibrosis caused by alveolar echinococcosis. Methods Forty C57BL/6 mice at ages of 6 to 8 weeks were randomly divided into a control group and 1-, 2- and 4-week infection groups, of 10 mice in each group. Each mouse in the infection groups was intraperitoneally injected with 2 000 Echinococcus multilocularis protoscoleces, while each mouse in the control group was given an equal volume of phosphate-buffered saline using the same method. All mice were sacrificed 1, 2 and 4 weeks post-infection and mouse livers were collected. The pathological changes of livers were observed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and hepatic fibrosis was evaluated through semi-quantitative analysis of Masson’s trichrome staining-positive areas. The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition were examined using immunohistochemical staining of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1), and the fenestrations on the surface of LSECs were observed using scanning electron microscopy. Primary LSECs were isolated from mouse livers, and the mRNA expression of LSEC marker genes Stabilin-1, Stabilin-2, Ehd3, CD209b, GATA4 and Maf was quantified using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay. Results Destruction of local liver lobular structure was observed in mice 2 weeks post-infection with E. multilocularis protoscoleces, and hydatid cysts, which were surrounded by granulomatous tissues, were found in mouse livers 4 weeks post-infection. Semi-quantitative analysis of Masson’s trichrome staining showed a significant difference in the proportion of collagen fiber contents in mouse livers among the four groups (F = 26.060, P < 0.001), and a higher proportion of collagen fiber contents was detected in mouse livers in the 4-week infection group [(11.29 ± 2.58)%] than in the control group (P < 0.001). Immunohistochemical staining revealed activation of a few HSCs and ECM deposition in mouse livers 1 and 2 weeks post-infection, and abundant brown-yellow stained α-SMA and COL1A1 were deposited in the lesion areas in mouse livers 4 weeks post-infection, which spread to surrounding tissues. Semi-quantitative analysis revealed significant differences in α-SMA (F = 7.667, P < 0.05) and COL1A1 expression (F = 6.530, P < 0.05) in mouse levers among the four groups, with higher α-SMA [(7.13 ± 3.68)%] and COL1A1 expression [(13.18 ± 7.20)%] quantified in mouse livers in the 4-week infection group than in the control group (both P values < 0.05). Scanning electron microscopy revealed significant differences in the fenestration frequency (F = 37.730, P < 0.001) and porosity (F = 16.010, P < 0.001) on the surface of mouse LSECs among the four groups, and reduced fenestration frequency and porosity were observed in the 1-[(1.22 ± 0.48)/μm² and [(3.05 ± 0.91)%] and 2-week infection groups [(3.47 ± 0.10)/μm² and (7.57 ± 0.23)%] groups than in the control group (all P values < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the average fenestration diameter on the surface of mouse LSECs among the four groups (F = 15.330, P < 0.001), and larger average fenestration diameters were measured in the 1-[(180.80 ± 16.42) nm] and 2-week infection groups [(161.70 ± 3.85) nm] than in the control group (both P values < 0.05). In addition, there were significant differences among the four groups in terms of Stabilin-1 (F = 153.100, P < 0.001), Stabilin-2 (F = 57.010, P < 0.001), Ehd3 (F = 31.700, P < 0.001), CD209b (F = 177.400, P < 0.001), GATA4 (F = 17.740, P < 0.001), and Maf mRNA expression (F = 72.710, P < 0.001), and reduced mRNA expression of Stabilin-1, Stabilin-2, Ehd3, CD209b, GATA4 and Maf genes was quantified in three infection groups than in the control group (all P values < 0.001). Conclusions E. multilocularis infections may induce capillarization of LSECs in mice, and result in a reduction in the expression of functional and phenotypic marker genes of LSECs, and capillarization of LSECs occurs earlier than activation of HSC and development of hepatic fibrosis.

Pyroptosis is the programmed death of cells accompanied by an inflammatory response and is widely involved in the development of a variety of diseases, such as infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegeneration. It has been shown that cellular scorching is involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension ( PAH) in cardiovascular diseases. Patients with PAH have perivascular inflammatory infiltrates in lungs, pulmonary vasculopathy exists in an extremely inflam-matory microenvironment, and pro-inflammatory factors in cellular scorching drive pulmonary vascular remodelling in PAH patients. This article reviews the role of cellular scorch in the pathogenesis of PAH and the related research on drugs for the treatment of PAH, with the aim of providing new ideas for clinical treatment of PAH.

During the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC) , many patients have developed drug resistance due to the use of targeted EGFR inhibitors. The main reasons for drug resistance are EGFR site mutations and bypass activation. Activation of ALK pathway is one of the major types of bypass activation. A recent authoritative study indicates that ALK is closely related to immunotherapy. This article reviews the treatment of ALK in tumors from three aspects: the structure and physiological function of ALK, the small molecule inhibitor of ALK, the biological function of ALK and its related treatment methods for NSCLC, and prospects future directions for better application of ALK in the treatment of NSCLC.

Objective To investigate the mechanism underlying the neuroprotective effect of linarin(LIN)against microglia activation-mediated inflammation and neuronal apoptosis following spinal cord injury(SCI).Methods Fifty C57BL/6J mice(8-10 weeks old)were randomized to receive sham operation,SCI and linarin treatment at 12.5,25,and 50 mg/kg following SCI(n=10).Locomotor function recovery of the SCI mice was assessed using the Basso Mouse Scale,inclined plane test,and footprint analysis,and spinal cord tissue damage and myelination were evaluated using HE and LFB staining.Nissl staining,immunofluorescence assay and Western blotting were used to observe surviving anterior horn motor neurons in injured spinal cord tissue.In cultured BV2 cells,the effects of linarin against lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced microglia activation,inflammatory factor release and signaling pathway changes were assessed with immunofluorescence staining,Western blotting,RT-qPCR,and ELISA.In a BV2 and HT22 cell co-culture system,Western blotting was performed to examine the effect of linarin against HT22 cell apoptosis mediated by LPS-induced microglia activation.Results Linarin treatment significantly improved locomotor function(P<0.05),reduced spinal cord damage area,increased spinal cord myelination,and increased the number of motor neurons in the anterior horn of the SCI mice(P<0.05).In both SCI mice and cultured BV2 cells,linarin effectively inhibited glial cell activation and suppressed the release of iNOS,COX-2,TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-1β,resulting also in reduced neuronal apoptosis in SCI mice(P<0.05).Western blotting suggested that linarin-induced microglial activation inhibition was mediated by inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.In the cell co-culture experiments,linarin treatment significantly decreased inflammation-mediated apoptosis of HT22 cells(P<0.05).Conclusion The neuroprotective effect of linarin is medicated by inhibition of microglia activation via suppressing the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway,which mitigates neural inflammation and reduce neuronal apoptosis to enhance motor function of the SCI mice.