ObjectiveBased on the theory of "spleen governing transportation and transformation"， this study investigates the efficacy of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma processed with Aurantii Fructus Immaturus juice（AMR-AFI） in improving slow-transit constipation（STC）， as well as the synergistic regulatory mechanism involving the microbiota-metabolism axis， thereby elucidating the scientific basis of its processing theory. MethodsAnimals were randomly divided into the control group， model group， positive drug（mosapride） group（3 mg·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of AMR-AFI（3.9， 7.8， 15.6 g·kg^-1）. Except for the control group， the remaining five groups were induced with STC using loperamide hydrochloride. Following modeling， interventions were administered. All groups received continuous administration for 15 d， during which fecal samples， colon tissue， and serum were collected. Constipation improvement was assessed by measuring fecal moisture content and small intestinal propulsion rate， histological morphology of colonic tissue was observed via hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， and the levels of interleukin（IL）-6， tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α， and IL-2 in serum were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Furthermore， the microbial community structure in mouse feces was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing， while transcriptomic sequencing was employed to screen differentially expressed genes in colonic tissue， followed by gene ontology（GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） enrichment analyses. Finally， Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to explore the association between differential microbiota and differential genes. ResultsCompared with the control group， the intestinal propulsion rate and fecal moisture content in the model group were significantly decreased（P<0.01）， while serum levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-2 were significantly elevated（P<0.01）. HE staining showed damage and shedding of colonic mucosal epithelial cells， along with a reduction in goblet cells in the model group. In comparison with the model group， all treatment groups improved the pathological state of the colonic mucosa to varying degrees and reduced serum levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-2（P<0.01）. Among these， the high-dose group of AMR-AFI significantly increased the intestinal propulsion rate and fecal moisture content of rats（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Further transcriptomic analysis revealed that a total of 104 differentially expressed genes were identified from comparisons between the model group and the control group， as well as between the model group and the high-dose group of AMR-AFI. These genes were mainly enriched in pathways closely related to STC pathogenesis， such as arachidonic acid metabolism and aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption. 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that AMR-AFI reversed the structural imbalance of the gut microbiota in model mice， increased species richness， downregulated the relative abundance of pro-inflammatory bacteria such as Parasutterella， and enriched beneficial and butyrate-producing bacteria， including Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group， Ruminococcaceae， and Lachnospiraceae. Spearman correlation analysis further showed that the beneficial bacteria enriched in the AMR-AFI group were negatively correlated with genes involved in the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway and positively correlated with genes in the aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption pathway. In contrast， pro-inflammatory bacteria in the model group exhibited the opposite correlation trends. ConclusionAMR-AFI can effectively exert synergistic therapeutic effects on STC by regulating intestinal microbiota， arachidonic acid-mediated inflammatory metabolism， and aldosterone-regulated water-salt balance pathways.

ObjectiveBased on the theory of "spleen governing transportation and transformation"， this study investigates the efficacy of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma processed with Aurantii Fructus Immaturus juice（AMR-AFI） in improving slow-transit constipation（STC）， as well as the synergistic regulatory mechanism involving the microbiota-metabolism axis， thereby elucidating the scientific basis of its processing theory. MethodsAnimals were randomly divided into the control group， model group， positive drug（mosapride） group（3 mg·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of AMR-AFI（3.9， 7.8， 15.6 g·kg^-1）. Except for the control group， the remaining five groups were induced with STC using loperamide hydrochloride. Following modeling， interventions were administered. All groups received continuous administration for 15 d， during which fecal samples， colon tissue， and serum were collected. Constipation improvement was assessed by measuring fecal moisture content and small intestinal propulsion rate， histological morphology of colonic tissue was observed via hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， and the levels of interleukin（IL）-6， tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α， and IL-2 in serum were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Furthermore， the microbial community structure in mouse feces was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing， while transcriptomic sequencing was employed to screen differentially expressed genes in colonic tissue， followed by gene ontology（GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） enrichment analyses. Finally， Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to explore the association between differential microbiota and differential genes. ResultsCompared with the control group， the intestinal propulsion rate and fecal moisture content in the model group were significantly decreased（P<0.01）， while serum levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-2 were significantly elevated（P<0.01）. HE staining showed damage and shedding of colonic mucosal epithelial cells， along with a reduction in goblet cells in the model group. In comparison with the model group， all treatment groups improved the pathological state of the colonic mucosa to varying degrees and reduced serum levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-2（P<0.01）. Among these， the high-dose group of AMR-AFI significantly increased the intestinal propulsion rate and fecal moisture content of rats（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Further transcriptomic analysis revealed that a total of 104 differentially expressed genes were identified from comparisons between the model group and the control group， as well as between the model group and the high-dose group of AMR-AFI. These genes were mainly enriched in pathways closely related to STC pathogenesis， such as arachidonic acid metabolism and aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption. 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that AMR-AFI reversed the structural imbalance of the gut microbiota in model mice， increased species richness， downregulated the relative abundance of pro-inflammatory bacteria such as Parasutterella， and enriched beneficial and butyrate-producing bacteria， including Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group， Ruminococcaceae， and Lachnospiraceae. Spearman correlation analysis further showed that the beneficial bacteria enriched in the AMR-AFI group were negatively correlated with genes involved in the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway and positively correlated with genes in the aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption pathway. In contrast， pro-inflammatory bacteria in the model group exhibited the opposite correlation trends. ConclusionAMR-AFI can effectively exert synergistic therapeutic effects on STC by regulating intestinal microbiota， arachidonic acid-mediated inflammatory metabolism， and aldosterone-regulated water-salt balance pathways.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of forkhead box protein O4 （FOXO4） expression on gastric precancerous lesions （GPL）， and to clarify its mechanism in mediating the therapeutic effect of Celastrus orbiculatus extract （COE） on GPL by regulating aerobic glycolysis. MethodsReferring to the previously established combined modeling protocol in our research group， a rat model of gastric precancerous lesions （GPL） was constructed through the following procedures： rats were given free access to 170 μg/mL N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG） solution for ad libitum drinking， fed with a diet supplemented with 0.03% ranitidine hydrochloride， and treated with a cycling regimen of “2-day feeding followed by 1-day fasting”. Specifically， on the afternoon of each fasting day， the rats received intragastric administration of 2% sodium salicylate at a dose of 10 mL/kg body weight. FOXO4-silenced and overexpression model rats were constructed by tail vein injection of plasmids. The rats were randomly divided into control， model， COE， overexpression negative control （OE-NC）， FOXO4 overexpression （OE-FOXO4）， OE-FOXO4+COE， silencing negative control （shNC）， FOXO4 silencing （shFOXO4） and shFOXO4+COE groups. Gastric mucosal histopathological changes were observed in each group. Lactic acid content in gastric mucosal tissues was detected by colorimetry. The expression levels of FOXO4， HK2， PKM2， LDHA and GLUT1 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry （IHC）， and their mRNA levels were determined by RT-PCR.Results Compared with the control group， the COE， OE-FOXO4 and OE-FOXO4+COE groups exhibited significantly improved gastric mucosal lesions， reduced lactic acid levels， weakened expression of aerobic glycolysis-related proteins （PKM2， HK2， LDHA， GLUT1）， and enhanced FOXO4 expression. The OE-FOXO4+COE group showed the lowest lactic acid level and more pronounced changes in related protein expression compared with the COE and OE-FOXO4 groups. In contrast， the shFOXO4 and shFOXO4+COE groups displayed increased lactic acid levels， enhanced expression of aerobic glycolysis-related proteins， and reduced FOXO4 expression compared with the model group.ConclusionFOXO4 expression is involved in the inhibitory effect of COE on GPL， possibly by regulating the aerobic glycolysis process.

BackgroundPatients with bipolar disorder exhibit persistent cognitive impairment across multiple domains， including executive function， memory， and attention. Furthermore， those with mixed features tend to have a poorer prognosis. Currently， research evidence regarding the characteristics of cognitive function and event-related potential P300， as well as their correlation， in patients with depressive episodes of bipolar disorder with mixed features remains limited. ObjectiveTo explore the correlation between cognitive function and event-related potential P300 in patients with depressive episodes of bipolar disorder with mixed features， analyze the influencing factors of cognitive function， so as to provide references for the improvement of cognitive function in this subtype of patients. MethodsA total of 73 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for depressive episodes of bipolar disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5） were enrolled from the outpatient and inpatient departments of Tianjin Anding Hospital from November 2021 to April 2024. The Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item（HAMD-17） was used to assess the severity of depressive symptoms， and the Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale Supplemented with Questions for the DSM-5 Mixed Features Specifier （CUDOS-M） was used to evaluate whether patients presented with mixed features. Based on the CUDOS-M total scores， patients were divided into two groups： the mixed features group （n=34） and the non-mixed features group （n=39）. The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery （MCCB） was used to assess cognitive function， and auditory event-related potential P300 testing was performed. Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the correlations between P300 indicators and MCCB scores. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the influencing factors of cognitive function. ResultsPatients with depressive episodes of bipolar disorder with mixed features had a longer total illness duration than those without mixed features， and the difference was statistically significant （t=2.030， P<0.05）. Analysis of covariance showed that the MCCB scores for processing speed， attention/vigilance， and reasoning and problem solving were all lower in the mixed features group than those in the non-mixed features group （F=3.650， 3.520， 4.213， P<0.01）. However， no significant difference was found between the two groups in P300 latency or amplitude （P>0.05）. Correlation analysis revealed that the MCCB attention/vigilance score was negatively correlated with P300 latency in patients with depressive episodes of bipolar disorder with mixed features （r_s=-0.576， P<0.01）. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that， in the mixed features group， years of education positively predicted processing speed （β=0.378， P<0.05）， while P300 latency （β=-0.699， P<0.01） and age （β=-0.424， P<0.01） negatively predicted attention/vigilance function. ConclusionPatients with depressive episodes of bipolar disorder with mixed features have a longer illness duration and more severe impairment in three cognitive domains： processing speed， attention/vigilance， and reasoning and problem solving. P300 latency may be an influencing factor of attention/vigilance function in patients with depressive episodes of bipolar disorder with mixed features ［Funded by Tianjin Key Medical Discipline Construction Project （number， TJYXZDXK-3-015B）； Hospital-level Scientific Research Project of Tianjin Anding Hospital （number， ADYKHT2021010）］

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics, etiological distribution and risk factors of recurrent hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Jiaxing City, so as to provide scientific evidence for developing targeted prevention and control strategies. Methods: Based on the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System, data of all reported HFMD cases in Jiaxing City from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2024 were collected. Epidemiological and etiological distribution characteristics of recurrent HFMD cases were described. The Kaplan-Meier method was applied to estimate the cumulative risk probability of reinfection, and the Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to identify risk factors for HFMD reinfection. Results: A total of 3 105 recurrent HFMD cases were reported in Jiaxing City during 2016-2024, with a reinfection rate of 3.99%. The majority of reinfections were second episodes (97.68%). HFMD reinfection was associated with sex, age, population category and etiological serotype ( χ 2=26.44, 609.92, 459.72, 32.01, all P <0.01). The incidence of recurrent HFMD exhibited a bimodal seasonal pattern, with peaks occurring from June to July and September to November. Spatial distribution indicated that Nanhu District, Jiashan County and Tongxiang City accounted for 49.02% of all recurrent cases citywide. Among 264 laboratory confirmed recurrent cases, EV-A71 was the predominant pathogen (29.92%). The proportion of EV-A71 showed a trend of initial decline followed by rebound, while the proportion of CV-A6 increased over time ( χ 2 trend =6.94, 47.43, both P <0.05). Of 51 patients with ≥2 etiological test results, 56.86 % experienced reinfection with a different serotype. The median time to HFMD reinfection was 17.23 (0.50, 105.03) months after the primary episode. The reinfection probability was 0.61% at 6 months, 3.68% at 36 months, and remained approximately 5% at 64.37 months. Multivariate Cox regression revealed that male sex ( HR =1.23), age ≤ 3 years ( HR = 1.84), and scattered children and preschool children ( HR =3.78, 3.47, respectively) were independent risk factors for HFMD reinfection (all P <0.05). Conclusions Recurrent HFMD in Jiaxing City presents temporal and population heterogeneity, and its etiology shows an alternating serotype evolution pattern. Enhanced surveillance should be implemented among priority populations and high incidence regions, and multivalent vaccines should be developed to confer broader protection.

ObjectiveTo identify the direct target proteins for the anti-obesity effect of resveratrol （Res） via chemical proteomic analysis and systematically explore the molecular mechanisms by which Res inhibits lipid accumulation in adipocytes from mitochondrial function regulation， adipocyte browning， and inflammation inhibition， thus providing new targets and experimental evidence for the prevention and treatment of obesity and related metabolic diseases. MethodsThe cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was adopted to detect the safe and effective doses （7.5， 15， 30 μmol·L^-1） of Res for treating 3T3-L1 cells based on the cell survival rate. After being induced to differentiate into mature adipocytes， the cells were assigned into the blank ［treated with dimethyl sulfoxide （DMSO）］ group and the Res （7.5， 15， 30 μmol·L^-1） groups and treated for 48 h. Oil red O staining and total triglyceride （TG） content were assessed to measure lipid accumulation in adipocytes. Target protein identification of Res was conducted through IAA-P-based chemical proteomics combined with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Target proteins of Res were validated by cellular thermal shift assay （CETSA） combined with Western blot analysis. Furthermore， the expression of browning markers peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α （PGC-1α） and mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 （UCP1）， as well as the target proteins NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase core subunit S8 （NDUFS8） and high-mobility group protein B1 （HMGB1） were determined by Western blot. The ATP assay kit was used to measure the ATP concentration. Mitochondrial biogenesis was characterized with MitoTracker Green， on the basis of which the regulatory effect of Res on mitochondrial function was analyzed. The level of the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， on the basis of which the anti-inflammatory effect of Res on adipocytes was evaluated. ResultsCompared with the control group， Res demonstrated safety and efficacy within the range of 7.5-30 μmol·L^-1， without significantly affecting cell viability. Compared with the control group， different concentrations of Res reduced lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes （P<0.01）， promoted the expression of NDUFS8 （P<0.01）， increased the ATP concentration and the protein levels of UCP1 and PGC-1α， elevated the level of TNF-α （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionNDUFS8 and HMGB1were identified as the target proteins of Res in mitigating obesity. Res promotes mitochondrial biogenesis to induce the browning of 3T3-L1 adipocytes via targeting NDUFS8 and it inhibits the TNF-α-mediated inflammatory signaling via targeting HMGB1， thus inhibiting lipid accumulation and ameliorating obesity.

ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of entecavir （ETV） versus tenofovir alafenamide fumarate （TAF） on renal function in previously untreated patients with chronic hepatitis B （CHB）. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 167 previously untreated CHB patients who received ETV or TAF treatment for at least 48 weeks at the outpatient service of Department of Infectious Diseases in The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from September 2019 to November 2023， and according to the antiviral drug used， they were divided into ETV group with 117 patients and TAF group with 50 patients. In order to balance baseline clinical data， propensity score matching （PSM） was used for matching and analysis at a ratio of 2∶1， and the two groups were compared in terms of estimated glomerular filtration rate （eGFR） and the incidence rate of abnormal renal function at week 48. According to eGFR at week 48， the patients were divided into normal renal function group and abnormal renal function group. The independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for abnormal renal function， and the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to assess the performance of each indicator in predicting abnormal renal function. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the cumulative incidence rate of abnormal renal function， and the log-rank test was used for comparison. The analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to compare the dynamic changes of eGFR during antiviral therapy in CHB patients. ResultsAfter PSM matching， there were 100 patients in the ETV group and 50 patients in the TAF group. There were no significant differences in baseline clinical data between the ETV group and the TAF group （all P>0.05）， with an eGFR level of 112.29±9.92 mL/min/1.73 m² in the ETV group and 114.72±12.15 mL/min/1.73 m² in the TAF group. There was a reduction in eGFR from baseline to week 48 in both groups， and compared with the TAF group at week 48， the ETV group had a significantly lower eGFR （106.42±14.12 mL/min/1.73 m² vs 112.25±13.44 mL/min/1.73 m²， t=-2.422， P=0.017） and a significantly higher incidence rate of abnormal renal function （17.00% vs 4.00%， χ²=5.092， P=0.024）. After the patients were divided into normal renal function group with 131 patients and abnormal renal function group with 19 patients， the univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences between the two groups in age （Z=-2.039， P=0.041）， treatment drug （ETV/TAF） （χ²=5.092， P=0.024）， and baseline eGFR level （t=4.023， P<0.001）， and the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that baseline eGFR （odds ratio ［OR］=0.896， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 0.841 — 0.955， P<0.001） and treatment drug （OR=5.589， 95%CI： 1.136 — 27.492， P=0.034） were independent influencing factors for abnormal renal function. Baseline eGFR had an area under the ROC curve of 0.781 in predicting abnormal renal function in CHB patients， with a cut-off value of 105.24 mL/min/1.73 m²， a sensitivity of 73.68%， and a specificity of 82.44%. The Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that the patients with baseline eGFR≤105.24 mL/min/1.73 m² had a significantly higher cumulative incidence rate of abnormal renal function than those with baseline eGFR>105.24 mL/min/1.73 m² （χ²=22.330， P<0.001）， and the ETV group had a significantly higher cumulative incidence rate of abnormal renal function than the TAF group （χ²=4.961， P=0.026）. With the initiation of antiviral therapy， both the ETV group and the TAF group had a significant reduction in eGFR （F=5.259， P<0.001）， but the ETV group only had a significant lower level of eGFR than the TAF group at week 48 （t=-2.422， P=0.017）； both the baseline eGFR≤105.24 mL/min/1.73 m² group and the baseline eGFR>105.24 mL/min/1.73 m² group had a significant reduction in eGFR （F=5.712， P<0.001）， and there was a significant difference in eGFR between the two groups at baseline and weeks 12， 24， 36， and 48 （t=-13.927， -9.780， -8.835， -9.489， and -8.953， all P<0.001）. ConclusionFor CHB patients initially treated with ETV or TAF， ETV antiviral therapy has a higher risk of renal injury than TAF therapy at week 48.

Cardiac arrest (CA) is a critical condition in the field of cardiovascular medicine. Despite successful resuscitation, patients continue to have a high mortality rate, largely due to post CA syndrome (PCAS). However, the injury and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying PCAS remain unclear. Experimental animal models are valuable tools for exploring the etiology, pathogenesis, and potential interventions for CA and PCAS. Current CA animal models include electrical induction of ventricular fibrillation (VF), myocardial infarction, high potassium, asphyxia, and hemorrhagic shock. Although these models do not fully replicate the complexity of clinical CA, the mechanistic insights they provide remain highly relevant, including post-CA brain injury (PCABI), post-CA myocardial dysfunction (PAMD), systemic ischaemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), and the persistent precipitating pathology. Summarizing the methods of establishing CA models, the challenges encountered in the modeling process, and the mechanisms of PCAS can provide a foundation for developing standardized CA modeling protocols.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Post-Cardiac Arrest Syndrome/physiopathology* ; Heart Arrest/physiopathology* ; Humans ; Ventricular Fibrillation/complications*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DMQ) for alleviating dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice. METHODS: Eighteen male C57BL/6J mice were equally randomized into control group, DSS group and DMQ treatment group. In DSS and DMQ groups, the mice were treated with DSS in drinking water to induce UC, and received intraperitoneal injections of sterile PBS or DMQ (20 mg/kg) during modeling. The changes in body weight, disease activity index (DAI), colon length, spleen weight, and colon histological scores of the mice were examined, and the percentages of Th17 and IFN-γ⁺ CD8⁺ T cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen were analyzed using flow cytometry. The expressions of tight junction proteins (Occludin and ZO-1), proteins associated with inflammasome activation (caspase-1 and p20), IL-1β and TNF-α in the colon tissues were detected using Western blotting or ELISA. In the cell experiment, mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) primed with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were treated with DMQ, followed by stmulation with nigericin to activate the classical NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. In cultured human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) treated with either LPS alone or LPS plus nigericin, the effects of DMQ on inflammasome activation, pyroptosis, and cytokine release were evaluated via Western blotting, ELISA, and flow cytometry. RESULTS: In DSS-treated mice, DMQ treatment significantly alleviated DSS-induced body weight loss, colon shortening, spleen enlargement, and colon inflammation. The DMQ-treated mice showed significantly reduced percentages of Th17 cells and IFN-γ⁺ CD8⁺ T cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen, with increased occludin and ZO-1 expressions and decreased caspase-1 expression in the colon tissue. DMQ obviously inhibited classical NLRP3 inflammasome activation in mouse BMDMs and both the classical and alternative pathways of NLRP3 activation in human PBMCs, causing also suppression of caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis. CONCLUSIONS DMQ ameliorates DSS-induced UC in mice by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation.
Animals ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Colitis, Ulcerative/metabolism* ; Dextran Sulfate/adverse effects* ; Male ; Inflammasomes/metabolism* ; Mice ; Benzoquinones/therapeutic use* ; Th17 Cells ; Caspase 1/metabolism*