OBJECTIVE To focus on the classic NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）/Caspase-1/gasdermin D （GSDMD） pyroptosis pathway and explore the mechanism by which Huatan qushi huoxue formula （HQHF） inhibits macrophage pyroptosis to ameliorate metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis （MASH）. METHODS RAW264.7 cells were divided into 5 groups： Control group （10% blank serum）， Model group [10% blank serum+5 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide （LPS）]， HQHF-L group （2.5% drug-containing serum+7.5% blank serum+5 μg/mL LPS）， HQHF-M group （5% drug-containing serum+5% blank serum+5 μg/mL LPS）， and HQHF-H group （10% drug-containing serum+5 μg/mL LPS）. After 24 h of routine culture post-administration， cells and supernatants were collected for assays. Cell morphology was observed via scanning electron microscopy and phase-contrast microscopy； localization and expression of gasdermin D-N （GSDMD-N） were observed by immunofluorescence. Interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and IL-18 contents in supernatants were detected by ELISA； mRNA and protein expressions of NLRP3， Caspase-1， and GSDMD were measured using real-time PCR and Western blot. RESULTS Compared with the Control group， the Model group showed typical pyroptotic morphology （cell membrane bulging and pore formation）， increased aggregation and fluorescence intensity of GSDMD-N on the cell membrane （ P ＜0.05）， significantly increased the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 in cell supernatants （ P ＜0.05）， and significantly up-regulated mRNA and protein expressions of NLRP3， Caspase-1， and GSDMD in cells （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with the Model group， the HQHF-L， HQHF-M and HQHF-H groups showed improved pyroptotic morphology， reduced membrane localization and significantly weakened fluorescence intensity of GSDMD-N （ P ＜0.05）， significantly decreased the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 in cell supernatants （ P ＜0.05）， and significantly down-regulated mRNA and protein expressions of NLRP3， Caspase-1， and GSDMD in cells （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS HQHF inhibits LPS-induced macrophage pyroptosis， and its mechanism of improving MASH may be associated with the suppression of the activation of the classical NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the potential targets of 2，5-dihydroxybenzoic acid （2，5-DHBA） in the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） and the molecular mechanism by which it regulates the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway. MethodsA network pharmacology analysis was performed at first， and related databases were used to obtain the common action targets of 2，5-DHBA and MAFLD， followed by molecular docking and pathway enrichment analysis to predict the potential biological processes and signaling pathways regulated by these targets. Then mouse normal hepatocytes AML-12 were used for cell experiments， and CCK-8 assay was used to determine the three optimal intervention concentrations of 2，5-DHBA. AML-12 cells were divided into control group， model group （cells cultured in a medium containing 2 mmol/L free fatty acid ［FFA］ to establish a cell model of MAFLD）， and three 2，5-DHBA intervention groups （cells cultured with FFA and 2，5-DHBA at the three different concentrations of 1.25， 5， and 20 μmol/L， respectively）. Oil red O staining was used to observe intracellular lipid accumulation； the fluorescent probe DCFH-DA was used to measure the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species （ROS）； biochemical assays were used to measure the content of triglyceride （TG） and total cholesterol （TC）； quantitative real-time PCR and Western Blot were used to measure the expression levels of related genes and proteins. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups， and the Tukey’s test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsA total of 32 common targets were obtained for 2，5-DHBA and MAFLD. Within a concentration range of 1.25 — 20 μmol/L， 2，5-DHBA treatment， starting from the concentration of 2.5 μmol/L， increased the viability of AML-12 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The minimum effective concentration of 1.25 μmol/L， the intermediate gradient concentration of 5 μmol/L， and the maximum safe concentration within the effective range of 20 μmol/L were selected for low-， middle-， and high-dose intervention， respectively. Compared with the model group， 2，5-DHBA intervention at concentrations of 1.25， 5， and 20 μmol/L could significantly reduce lipid droplet accumulation in cells （all P<0.05）， and there were significant differences in TG and TC between the model group and the three intervention groups （all P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， the model group had a significant increase in ROS fluorescence intensity （P<0.05）， and compared with the model group， there was a dose-dependent reduction in intracellular ROS level after treatment with 5 μmol/L or 20 μmol/L 2，5-DHBA （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， 2，5-DHBA treatment at concentrations of 5 and 20 μmol/L significantly downregulated the mRNA expression levels of the lipogenic genes SREBf1 and FASN and upregulated the mRNA expression levels of the key antioxidant gene Nrf2 and its downstream target gene HO-1 （all P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， the expression of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt in the model group was significantly increased （all P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the protein expression levels of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt were significantly decreased after 5 μmol/L 2，5-DHBA treatment （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 protein in the model group were significantly decreased （all P<0.05）. The protein levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 were significantly increased after treatment with 1.25 μmol/L 2，5-DHBA （P<0.05）. ConclusionNetwork pharmacology and cellular experiments confirm that 2，5-DHBA can alleviate lipid deposition and oxidative stress by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， thereby exerting a therapeutic effect on MAFLD.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the ameliorative effect of Weiling decoction on metabolic associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） based on the gut-liver axis theory.METHODS Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into a blank group （ n ＝9） and a modeling group （ n ＝47）. The modeling group was fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks to establish the MAFLD model. Forty-five modeled mice were randomly divided into a model group， a positive control group [metformin， 0.2 g/（kg·d）]， and Weiling decoction low-， medium-， and high-dose groups [6.17， 12.34， 24.68 g/（kg·d）， calculated as crude drug]， with 9 mice in each group. Mice in each group received intragastric administration of the corresponding drug solution or normal saline once daily for 4 consecutive weeks. After the last administration， the body weight， liver weight， and liver index were compared among groups； the levels of liver function indicators （alanine transaminase， aspartate transaminase）， lipid indicators （total cholesterol， triglycerides， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol）， inflammatory indicators [tumor necrosis factor-α， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-1β]， oxidative stress indicators （malondialdehyde， superoxide dismutase， glutathione peroxidase）， and intestinal barrier indicators [lipopolysaccharide （LPS）， diamine oxidase， D-lactic acid] were measured； hepatic pathological changes were observed； the expressions of tight junction proteins [zonula occludens-1 （ZO-1）， occludin] in jejunal tissue and proteins related to lipid metabolism [sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 （SREBP-1）， fatty acid synthase （FASN）， peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α （PPARα）] and inflammatory pathways [Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 （MyD88）， nuclear factor-κB p65 （NF-κB p65）] in liver tissue were detected； and changes in gut microbiota were analyzed.RESULTS Compared with the model group， hepatic steatosis and inflammatory injury were significantly alleviated in all Weiling decoction dose groups； body weight （at week 16）， liver weight， liver index， and the levels of liver function indicators， lipid indicators， inflammation indicators， oxidative stress indicators， and intestinal barrier indicators were all generally improved （ P ＜0.05）. The expressions of SREBP-1， FASN， TLR4， and MyD88 and the phosphorylation level of NF-κB p65 in liver tissue were generally decreased or downregulated （ P ＜0.05）， while the expressions of ZO-1 and occludin in jejunal tissue and PPARα in liver tissue were generally increased or upregulated （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the Observed species， Chao1， and Ace indices of gut microbiota in the Weiling decoction high-dose group were significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）， and the relative abundances of Verrucomicrobiota， Akkermansia ， etc. were significantly increased， while those of Actinomycetota， Alistipes ， Faecalibaculum ， etc. were significantly decreased （ P ＜0.05）.CONCLUSIONS Weiling decoction can ameliorate MAFLD， and its effect may be associated with regulating gut microbiota， repairing the intestinal mechanical barrier， reducing LPS translocation， thereby inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB inflammatory pathway， alleviating oxidative stress， and regulating SREBP-1/FASN and PPARα-mediated lipid metabolism.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） has become the leading chronic liver disease worldwide. As a classic food-medicine homologous Chinese herb， hawthorn fruit has the functions of promoting digestion to resolve food stagnation and activating blood circulation to resolve blood stasis. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that hawthorn fruit and its active components exert diverse pharmacological activities in regulating lipid metabolism， improving insulin resistance， inhibiting inflammatory response， delaying hepatic fibrosis， and protecting hepatocytes. These effects precisely match the “multiple-hit” pathological features of MAFLD， and thus hawthorn fruit shows significant advantages in the prevention and treatment of MAFLD. Drug pair combination is a key strategy in traditional Chinese medicine to enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity. In clinical practice， hawthorn fruit is often combined with Salvia miltiorrhiza， Alisma orientalis， cassia seed， and Poria cocos， and such combination adheres to the principle of “mutual reinforcement and assistance” to enhance efficacy and expand their application in different syndromes of MAFLD. This article systematically reviews the core pharmacological mechanisms of hawthorn fruit in intervening against MAFLD and the research advances in its classic drug combinations， in order to provide a scientific reference for the in-depth development of hawthorn fruit and its combinations and the precise clinical intervention of MAFLD.

Congenital portosystemic shunts（CPSS）are vascular malformations caused by developmental anomalies that create abnormal shunts between the portal and systemic veins.This anomaly permits partial or complete bypass of portal blood flow from the liver，leading it directly into the systemic circulation without hepatic filtration.If untreated，CPSS can lead to multisystem complications，with pulmonary vascular complications being the most severe outcome.These complications are complex in mechanism，often insidious in onset，and present with nonspecific symptoms，increasing the risk of delayed diagnosis and significantly impacting the quality of children lives.Pulmonary vascular complications associated with CPSS primarily include portopulmonary hypertension，characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling，and hepatopulmonary syndrome，distinguished by intrapulmonary vascular dilatation and abnormal arterial oxygenation.This article aims to review the anatomical classifications of CPSS，along with the pathophysiology，clinical presentation，diagnosis，and treatment of its pulmonary vascular complications，with the goal of enhancing clinical awareness and providing a reference for diagnosis and management.

Objective·To explore the antitumor effects and potential mechanisms of combining phosphoinositide 3-kinase,FYVE-type zinc finger containing(PIKfyve)inhibitor YM201636 with the stimulator of interferon genes(STING)agonist diABZI in STING pathway-deficient melanoma.Methods·The mRNA and protein expression levels of STING in human cancer cell lines were obtained from the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia(CCLE)and UniProt databases.Based on median expression values,melanoma cell lines with high STING mRNA but low protein expression were identified.Quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR)and Western blotting were performed to validate STING mRNA and protein expression in human melanoma cells.The murine melanoma cell line YUMM1.7,characterized by low STING protein expression,was selected through Western blotting.The ability of YM201636 to restore STING protein expression in YUMM1.7 cells was evaluated.STING agonist diABZI was then applied in combination with YM201636 to analyze the synergistic tumor cell-killing effect through CCK-8 assay.Western blotting was used to detect the phosphorylation of TANK-binding kinase 1(TBK1)and interferon regulatory factor 3(IRF3),and qRT-PCR was used to evaluate type Ⅰ interferon expression.A mouse melanoma model was established and treated with YM201636,diABZI,or their combination.Tumor volume was measured,and treatment efficacy was assessed.RNA sequencing and immunofluorescence staining were performed to analyze immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment.Results·Database analyses,qRT-PCR,and Western blotting confirmed that some human melanoma cell lines exhibited high STING mRNA expression but low STING protein levels.YM201636 significantly increased STING protein expression in YUMM1.7 cells(P<0.001).Combined treatment with YM201636 and diABZI significantly enhanced phosphorylation of TBK1 and IRF3(P<0.05),indicating effective activation of the STING signaling pathway.This combination also promoted the expression of type Ⅰ interferons(P<0.001)and enhanced tumor cell killing in vitro.In vivo,the combination therapy markedly suppressed melanoma growth compared to monotherapy.Immune profiling of the tumor microenvironment revealed significantly increased infiltration of CD4? T cells and CD8? T cells in the combination treatment group(P<0.05).Conclusion·The PIKfyve inhibitor YM201636 could restore STING protein expression in STING-deficient melanoma and enhance the antitumor efficacy of the STING agonist diABZI,offering a promising therapeutic strategy for tumors with defective STING signaling.

Objective:To investigate the underlying mechanism behind the significant reduction in intracellular virus loads after respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza viruses infect respiratory epithelial cells overexpressing the chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 1 (CCR1).Methods:A549 cells were infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza A viruses (H1N1, H3N2), or influenza B virus (FluB), and the expression of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5 (CCL5) and CCR1 were detected by qRT-PCR, ELISA, and Western blot. After overexpressing or knocking down CCR1 in A549 cells, these cells were infected with RSV, H1N1, H3N2, or FluB, and the expression of CCR1, heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), and viral proteins were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot. After stimulating CCR1-overexpressed A549 cells with CCL5, Western blot was used to detect the expression of HSP90 and CDK1, and co-immunoprecipitation was used to detect the interaction between HSP90 and CCR1. CCR1 -/- mice were infected with RSV, H1N1, or H3N2 to observe the changes in the expression of HSP90, CDK1, and viral proteins with Western blot, and the inflammation in lung tissues with HE staining. One-way analysis of variance and t test were used for statistical analysis. Results:RSV, H1N1, H3N2, and FluB infections induced high expression of CCL5 in A549 cells ( P<0.05), but the expression of CCR1 showed an overall downward trend. After activating its receptor CCR1, CCL5 inhibited the replication of RSV and influenza viruses by suppressing the activity of HSP90 ( P<0.05). The experiments conducted on CCR1 -/- mice confirmed that the enhanced activity of HSP90 facilitated the replication of RSV and influenza viruses. Conclusion:RSV and influenza viruses may reduce the binding of CCL5 to CCR1 by downregulating the expression of CCR1 in respiratory epithelial cells, thereby weakening the inhibitory effect of CCR1 on HSP90 activity, which enables them to evade host immune defense.

Objective To investigate the functional changes of dendritic cells(DCs)in patients at different stages of hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection and analyze the mechanisms underlying DC dysfunction.Methods Single-cell RNA sequencing dataset GSE182159 was downloaded from the GEO database and classified into healthy control(HC),immune active(IA),and immune tolerant(IT)groups based on infection stage.Peripheral blood samples were collected from 7 IA patients,7 IT patients,and 12 healthy controls.Flow cytometry was used to isolate classical dendritic cells(cDC)and plasmacytoid dendritic cells(pDC).The expression levels of transcription factors in cDC and pDC were measured by quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR).Bioinformatics analyses were per-formed using R and Python package.Results The proportions of DCs in IA and IT groups were higher than that in HC group.Func-tional enrichment analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)of cDCs in the IA group were primarily enriched for the processes,such as inflammatory response,MHC classⅡantigen processing and presentation,cell migration,signal transduction,metabolism,and immune response.In contrast the IT group exhibited lower enrichment intensity and a significant reduction in interfer-on responses.The DEGs of pDC in the IA group were enriched in the processes of MHC-Ⅱantigen presentation,Fc receptor signal transduction,and metabolism,whereas those in the IT group were showed enrichment only in Fc receptor signal transduction and me-tabolism with a lower intensity.Both groups exhibited reduced synthesis of typesⅠandⅡinterferons in pDC,with the IT group showing a more pronounced downregulation.Cell-cell communication analysis demonstrated enhanced interactions between myeloid cells(except pDC)and T cells in the IA group,whereas the interactions between cDC/pDC and T cells in the IT group were reduced.Transcription factor analysis revealed that STAT2,STAT3,IRF1,and IRF5 were highly expressed in the IA group but their expression exhibited low-er expression levels in the IT group.In contrast,BHLHE40 was broadly upregulated in both cDC and pDC subsets within the IT group.The qRT-PCR results were consistent with the findings from the single-cell transcription factor analysis.Conclusion The IT phase of hepatitis B infection represents a critical period for cDC dysfunction,characterized by significant suppression of MHCⅡantigen presen-tation,metabolism,and interferon responsiveness.The functional impairment of pDC precedes that of cDC,as evidenced by a marked downregulation of interferon synthesis capacity observed during the IA phase.

Objective·To explore the antitumor effects and potential mechanisms of combining phosphoinositide 3-kinase,FYVE-type zinc finger containing(PIKfyve)inhibitor YM201636 with the stimulator of interferon genes(STING)agonist diABZI in STING pathway-deficient melanoma.Methods·The mRNA and protein expression levels of STING in human cancer cell lines were obtained from the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia(CCLE)and UniProt databases.Based on median expression values,melanoma cell lines with high STING mRNA but low protein expression were identified.Quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR)and Western blotting were performed to validate STING mRNA and protein expression in human melanoma cells.The murine melanoma cell line YUMM1.7,characterized by low STING protein expression,was selected through Western blotting.The ability of YM201636 to restore STING protein expression in YUMM1.7 cells was evaluated.STING agonist diABZI was then applied in combination with YM201636 to analyze the synergistic tumor cell-killing effect through CCK-8 assay.Western blotting was used to detect the phosphorylation of TANK-binding kinase 1(TBK1)and interferon regulatory factor 3(IRF3),and qRT-PCR was used to evaluate type Ⅰ interferon expression.A mouse melanoma model was established and treated with YM201636,diABZI,or their combination.Tumor volume was measured,and treatment efficacy was assessed.RNA sequencing and immunofluorescence staining were performed to analyze immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment.Results·Database analyses,qRT-PCR,and Western blotting confirmed that some human melanoma cell lines exhibited high STING mRNA expression but low STING protein levels.YM201636 significantly increased STING protein expression in YUMM1.7 cells(P<0.001).Combined treatment with YM201636 and diABZI significantly enhanced phosphorylation of TBK1 and IRF3(P<0.05),indicating effective activation of the STING signaling pathway.This combination also promoted the expression of type Ⅰ interferons(P<0.001)and enhanced tumor cell killing in vitro.In vivo,the combination therapy markedly suppressed melanoma growth compared to monotherapy.Immune profiling of the tumor microenvironment revealed significantly increased infiltration of CD4? T cells and CD8? T cells in the combination treatment group(P<0.05).Conclusion·The PIKfyve inhibitor YM201636 could restore STING protein expression in STING-deficient melanoma and enhance the antitumor efficacy of the STING agonist diABZI,offering a promising therapeutic strategy for tumors with defective STING signaling.

Objective:To investigate the underlying mechanism behind the significant reduction in intracellular virus loads after respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza viruses infect respiratory epithelial cells overexpressing the chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 1 (CCR1).Methods:A549 cells were infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza A viruses (H1N1, H3N2), or influenza B virus (FluB), and the expression of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5 (CCL5) and CCR1 were detected by qRT-PCR, ELISA, and Western blot. After overexpressing or knocking down CCR1 in A549 cells, these cells were infected with RSV, H1N1, H3N2, or FluB, and the expression of CCR1, heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), and viral proteins were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot. After stimulating CCR1-overexpressed A549 cells with CCL5, Western blot was used to detect the expression of HSP90 and CDK1, and co-immunoprecipitation was used to detect the interaction between HSP90 and CCR1. CCR1 -/- mice were infected with RSV, H1N1, or H3N2 to observe the changes in the expression of HSP90, CDK1, and viral proteins with Western blot, and the inflammation in lung tissues with HE staining. One-way analysis of variance and t test were used for statistical analysis. Results:RSV, H1N1, H3N2, and FluB infections induced high expression of CCL5 in A549 cells ( P<0.05), but the expression of CCR1 showed an overall downward trend. After activating its receptor CCR1, CCL5 inhibited the replication of RSV and influenza viruses by suppressing the activity of HSP90 ( P<0.05). The experiments conducted on CCR1 -/- mice confirmed that the enhanced activity of HSP90 facilitated the replication of RSV and influenza viruses. Conclusion:RSV and influenza viruses may reduce the binding of CCL5 to CCR1 by downregulating the expression of CCR1 in respiratory epithelial cells, thereby weakening the inhibitory effect of CCR1 on HSP90 activity, which enables them to evade host immune defense.