ObjectiveTo provide a reference for the rational clinical use of cold Chinese medicines by sorting and analyzing their properties， flavors， meridian tropism， primary therapeutic indications， methods of administration， dosages， and precautions as recorded in the 2020 edition of Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China （Chinese Pharmacopoeia）. MethodsCold Chinese medicines for internal and external use included in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia were entered one by one， and their efficacy， properties， flavors， meridian tropism， methods of administration， dosages， and usage precautions were statistically classified and summarized to guide clinical medication use. ResultsA total of 259 cold Chinese medicines for internal use were included and categorized into 18 efficacy groups， mainly comprising heat-clearing drugs， water-excreting and dampness-draining drugs， and phlegm-resolving， cough- and asthma-relieving drugs. Their predominant flavors were bitter， sweet， and pungent， and they primarily entered the liver， lung， and stomach meridians. The main methods of administration included decocting first， grinding into powder for oral use， or preparing into pills or powders， with most dosages ranging from 9 to 15 g. A total of 83 cold Chinese medicines for external use were included， involving 16 efficacy categories. Their main flavors were bitter， sweet， and pungent， primarily entering the liver， lung， and large intestine meridians. The main external application methods were grinding into powder for topical use or preparing decoctions for fumigation and washing， with most dosages ranging from 9 to 15 g. Whether for internal or external use， cold Chinese medicines should be used with caution or contraindicated in pregnant women. ConclusionThe cold Chinese medicines included in the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia are mainly suitable for patients with carbuncles， swellings， and coughs. However， in clinical practice， it is necessary to strictly follow the principles of syndrome differentiation and treatment， pay attention to administration methods and dosages， and use cold medicines rationally and effectively to improve clinical efficacy.

ObjectiveTo investigate the inhibitory effects of curcumol （Cur） on the proliferation and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） cells and to explore the underlying mechanisms. MethodsIn vivo， a subcutaneous tumor xenograft model was established to evaluate the antiproliferative effect of Cur. In vitro， the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was used to assess the effects of Cur at concentrations of 0， 60， 120， 240， 360， 480， 600， 720， 840， 960 μmol·L^-1 on the viability of NCI-A549 and NCI-H23 cells， and to evaluate its inhibitory effect on the proliferation of human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells. Wound healing and Transwell migration assays were conducted to assess changes in cell migratory capacity following Cur treatment. Immunohistochemistry （IHC-P） was used to investigate the regulatory effect of Cur on the Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （JAK2/STAT3） signaling pathway in tumor tissues. Western blot was performed to determine the protein expression levels of phosphorylated JAK2 （p-JAK2）， phosphorylated STAT3 （p-STAT3）， proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA）， matrix metalloproteinase-2 （MMP-2）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA） in tumor tissues and cells. To further verify the role of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in the pharmacological effects of Cur， rescue experiments were performed using the pathway agonist colivelin. ResultsIn vivo experiments showed that， compared with the model group， the tumor volumes of subcutaneous xenografts in nude mice in both low- and high-dose Cur groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05）， and the tumor inhibition rates were significantly increased （P<0.05）. The inhibitory effect in the high-dose group was comparable to that of the cisplatin group， and the body weight of mice in the Cur groups remained stable throughout the experiment. In vitro， compared with the control group， Cur at concentrations of 120 and 240 μmol·L^-1 inhibited the proliferation of NCI-A549 and NCI-H23 cells in a concentration-dependent manner （P<0.05）， with a significant inhibitory effect observed at 360 μmol·L^-1 （P<0.01）， while no significant effect on the viability of BEAS-2B cells was observed. Migration assays demonstrated that， compared with the control group， Cur treatment significantly reduced the migration rates of both cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner （P<0.05）， with an inhibitory effect at 360 μmol·L^-1 comparable to that of the cisplatin group. Mechanistic validation showed that， compared with the control group， the protein expression levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 in tumor tissues and cells were significantly downregulated in the Cur groups （P<0.01）， and the expression levels of downstream proteins PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA were also significantly decreased with increasing Cur concentration （P<0.05）. In the rescue experiments， compared with the control group， colivelin pretreatment increased cell proliferation and migration rates （P<0.05） and upregulated the expression of related proteins （P<0.05）. Compared with the Cur group， the colivelin+Cur group showed significantly increased proliferation and migration rates （P<0.05）， along with significantly upregulated protein expression levels （P<0.05）. ConclusionCur can significantly inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC both in vivo and in vitro， and its mechanism of action is closely associated with the inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway activation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which oxyresveratrol （OXY） inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） in non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway. MethodsCell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assays were used to determine the survival rates of A549 and H1299 cells treated with different concentrations of OXY， and appropriate concentrations （0， 30， 60， 90 μmol·L^-1） were selected. The effects of OXY on the proliferation of A549 and H1299 cells were evaluated using 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine （EdU） assays and colony formation assays. Wound healing assays and Transwell invasion assays were performed to assess the effects of OXY on cell migration and invasion. Western blot （WB） was used to detect the expression levels of Snail， E-cadherin， N-cadherin， and Vimentin in A549 and H1299 cells. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were applied to predict the mechanism of action of OXY， and WB was used to evaluate the effects of OXY on proteins in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Rescue experiments were conducted using the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway agonist 740Y-P. Under activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway， the effect of OXY on proliferation， migration， and invasion phenotypes， as well as on the expression levels of PI3K/Akt pathway-related proteins and EMT markers （Snail， E-cadherin， N-cadherin， and Vimentin）， were examined. ResultsIn the forward experiments， CCK-8 assay results showed that， compared with the control group， the survival rates of NSCLC cells in the OXY-treated groups （20-120 μmol·L^-1） were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration （IC₅₀） values of A549 and H1299 cells after 48 h of OXY treatment were 113.6 μmol·L^-1 and 92.53 μmol·L^-1， respectively. Therefore， concentrations of 0， 30， 60， 90 μmol·L^-1 were selected as the gradient for subsequent phenotypic and mechanistic studies. Compared with the control group， the proliferation rate， colony number， migration rate， and invasion number of NSCLC cells in the OXY groups （30， 60， and 90 μmol·L^-1） were significantly decreased （P<0.01， P<0.05）. WB results showed that， compared with the control group， the protein expression levels of Snail， N-cadherin， and Vimentin in NSCLC cells of the OXY groups were significantly decreased （P<0.05）， whereas E-cadherin expression was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Network pharmacology and molecular docking results indicated that OXY could act on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and exhibited good binding affinity with PI3K and Akt proteins. Further WB results showed that， compared with the control group， there were no statistically significant differences in the expression levels of PI3K and Akt proteins in NSCLC cells of the OXY groups， whereas the expression levels of phosphorylated PI3K （p-PI3K） and phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt） were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. In the rescue experiments， compared with the control group， the proliferation rate， colony number， migration rate， and invasion number of NSCLC cells in the 740Y-P group （15 μmol·L^-1） were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the control + OXY group （90 μmol·L^-1）， these indices in the 740Y-P + OXY group （15 μmol·L^-1 + 90 μmol·L^-1） were also significantly increased （P<0.01）. WB results showed that， compared with the control group， there were no statistically significant differences in the expression levels of PI3K and Akt proteins in the 740Y-P group. However， the expression levels of p-PI3K， p-Akt， Snail， N-cadherin， and Vimentin were significantly increased （P<0.05）， while E-cadherin expression was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the control + OXY group， there were no statistically significant differences in PI3K and Akt protein expression in the 740Y-P + OXY group. However， the expression levels of p-PI3K， p-Akt， Snail， N-cadherin， and Vimentin were significantly increased （P<0.05）， while E-cadherin expression was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. ConclusionOXY inhibits the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and suppresses the EMT process， thereby exerting anti-metastatic effects in NSCLC.

Lung cancer， particularly non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）， is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence and mortality in China and worldwide. In 2022， the global number of deaths reached 1.8 million， accounting for 18.7% of all cancer-related deaths， seriously threatening human health and life， and posing a severe challenge for prevention and treatment. Although treatment strategies for lung cancer have been continuously enriched in recent years， and progress has been made in targeted therapy and immunotherapy， long-term survival benefits remain limited due to primary or acquired drug resistance， low immune responsiveness， and chemotherapy-related toxicities. Therefore， there is an urgent need to explore safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic strategies. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with its advantages of holistic regulation and individualized syndrome differentiation， has played an increasingly prominent role in comprehensive cancer treatment. TCM holds that "Yang deficiency leads to accumulation" is a key pathogenesis of tumors. Based on the theory that "Yang transforms Qi， while Yin forms substance"， deficiency of Yang Qi results in impaired warming and transformation functions， leading to internal accumulation of Yin-cold. This is closely related to dysregulation of the immune microenvironment， "cold tumor" characteristics， and dysfunction of the neuroendocrine system in modern medicine. Accordingly， the therapeutic strategy of "warming Yang， supporting healthy Qi， and combating cancer" has gained increasing attention. In recent years， commonly used Yang-warming Chinese herbs， including Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata， Zingiberis Rhizoma， Cinnamomi Cortex， Epimedii Folium， and Psoraleae Fructus， as well as their active constituents， have achieved notable progress in anti-lung cancer research by regulating multiple signaling pathways， inducing apoptosis， inhibiting metastasis， and reversing drug resistance. In addition， Yang-warming formulae such as Sini Tang and Yanghe Tang have shown promising effects in alleviating myelosuppression， improving cancer-related fatigue， managing malignant pleural effusion， and relieving cancer pain. These therapies exhibit toxicity-reducing and efficacy-enhancing effects， significantly improving patients' quality of life and survival benefits. To systematically summarize the roles and mechanisms of Yang-warming Chinese herbal medicines and compound formulae in lung cancer， this paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advances， aiming to offer insights for the clinical practice of TCM in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer.

ObjectiveTo investigate the inhibitory effects of curcumol （Cur） on the proliferation and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） cells and to explore the underlying mechanisms. MethodsIn vivo， a subcutaneous tumor xenograft model was established to evaluate the antiproliferative effect of Cur. In vitro， the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was used to assess the effects of Cur at concentrations of 0， 60， 120， 240， 360， 480， 600， 720， 840， 960 μmol·L^-1 on the viability of NCI-A549 and NCI-H23 cells， and to evaluate its inhibitory effect on the proliferation of human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells. Wound healing and Transwell migration assays were conducted to assess changes in cell migratory capacity following Cur treatment. Immunohistochemistry （IHC-P） was used to investigate the regulatory effect of Cur on the Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （JAK2/STAT3） signaling pathway in tumor tissues. Western blot was performed to determine the protein expression levels of phosphorylated JAK2 （p-JAK2）， phosphorylated STAT3 （p-STAT3）， proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA）， matrix metalloproteinase-2 （MMP-2）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA） in tumor tissues and cells. To further verify the role of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in the pharmacological effects of Cur， rescue experiments were performed using the pathway agonist colivelin. ResultsIn vivo experiments showed that， compared with the model group， the tumor volumes of subcutaneous xenografts in nude mice in both low- and high-dose Cur groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05）， and the tumor inhibition rates were significantly increased （P<0.05）. The inhibitory effect in the high-dose group was comparable to that of the cisplatin group， and the body weight of mice in the Cur groups remained stable throughout the experiment. In vitro， compared with the control group， Cur at concentrations of 120 and 240 μmol·L^-1 inhibited the proliferation of NCI-A549 and NCI-H23 cells in a concentration-dependent manner （P<0.05）， with a significant inhibitory effect observed at 360 μmol·L^-1 （P<0.01）， while no significant effect on the viability of BEAS-2B cells was observed. Migration assays demonstrated that， compared with the control group， Cur treatment significantly reduced the migration rates of both cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner （P<0.05）， with an inhibitory effect at 360 μmol·L^-1 comparable to that of the cisplatin group. Mechanistic validation showed that， compared with the control group， the protein expression levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 in tumor tissues and cells were significantly downregulated in the Cur groups （P<0.01）， and the expression levels of downstream proteins PCNA， MMP-2， MMP-9， and VEGFA were also significantly decreased with increasing Cur concentration （P<0.05）. In the rescue experiments， compared with the control group， colivelin pretreatment increased cell proliferation and migration rates （P<0.05） and upregulated the expression of related proteins （P<0.05）. Compared with the Cur group， the colivelin+Cur group showed significantly increased proliferation and migration rates （P<0.05）， along with significantly upregulated protein expression levels （P<0.05）. ConclusionCur can significantly inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC both in vivo and in vitro， and its mechanism of action is closely associated with the inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway activation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which oxyresveratrol （OXY） inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） in non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway. MethodsCell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assays were used to determine the survival rates of A549 and H1299 cells treated with different concentrations of OXY， and appropriate concentrations （0， 30， 60， 90 μmol·L^-1） were selected. The effects of OXY on the proliferation of A549 and H1299 cells were evaluated using 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine （EdU） assays and colony formation assays. Wound healing assays and Transwell invasion assays were performed to assess the effects of OXY on cell migration and invasion. Western blot （WB） was used to detect the expression levels of Snail， E-cadherin， N-cadherin， and Vimentin in A549 and H1299 cells. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were applied to predict the mechanism of action of OXY， and WB was used to evaluate the effects of OXY on proteins in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Rescue experiments were conducted using the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway agonist 740Y-P. Under activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway， the effect of OXY on proliferation， migration， and invasion phenotypes， as well as on the expression levels of PI3K/Akt pathway-related proteins and EMT markers （Snail， E-cadherin， N-cadherin， and Vimentin）， were examined. ResultsIn the forward experiments， CCK-8 assay results showed that， compared with the control group， the survival rates of NSCLC cells in the OXY-treated groups （20-120 μmol·L^-1） were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration （IC₅₀） values of A549 and H1299 cells after 48 h of OXY treatment were 113.6 μmol·L^-1 and 92.53 μmol·L^-1， respectively. Therefore， concentrations of 0， 30， 60， 90 μmol·L^-1 were selected as the gradient for subsequent phenotypic and mechanistic studies. Compared with the control group， the proliferation rate， colony number， migration rate， and invasion number of NSCLC cells in the OXY groups （30， 60， and 90 μmol·L^-1） were significantly decreased （P<0.01， P<0.05）. WB results showed that， compared with the control group， the protein expression levels of Snail， N-cadherin， and Vimentin in NSCLC cells of the OXY groups were significantly decreased （P<0.05）， whereas E-cadherin expression was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Network pharmacology and molecular docking results indicated that OXY could act on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and exhibited good binding affinity with PI3K and Akt proteins. Further WB results showed that， compared with the control group， there were no statistically significant differences in the expression levels of PI3K and Akt proteins in NSCLC cells of the OXY groups， whereas the expression levels of phosphorylated PI3K （p-PI3K） and phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt） were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. In the rescue experiments， compared with the control group， the proliferation rate， colony number， migration rate， and invasion number of NSCLC cells in the 740Y-P group （15 μmol·L^-1） were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the control + OXY group （90 μmol·L^-1）， these indices in the 740Y-P + OXY group （15 μmol·L^-1 + 90 μmol·L^-1） were also significantly increased （P<0.01）. WB results showed that， compared with the control group， there were no statistically significant differences in the expression levels of PI3K and Akt proteins in the 740Y-P group. However， the expression levels of p-PI3K， p-Akt， Snail， N-cadherin， and Vimentin were significantly increased （P<0.05）， while E-cadherin expression was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the control + OXY group， there were no statistically significant differences in PI3K and Akt protein expression in the 740Y-P + OXY group. However， the expression levels of p-PI3K， p-Akt， Snail， N-cadherin， and Vimentin were significantly increased （P<0.05）， while E-cadherin expression was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. ConclusionOXY inhibits the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and suppresses the EMT process， thereby exerting anti-metastatic effects in NSCLC.

Lung cancer， particularly non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）， is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence and mortality in China and worldwide. In 2022， the global number of deaths reached 1.8 million， accounting for 18.7% of all cancer-related deaths， seriously threatening human health and life， and posing a severe challenge for prevention and treatment. Although treatment strategies for lung cancer have been continuously enriched in recent years， and progress has been made in targeted therapy and immunotherapy， long-term survival benefits remain limited due to primary or acquired drug resistance， low immune responsiveness， and chemotherapy-related toxicities. Therefore， there is an urgent need to explore safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic strategies. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with its advantages of holistic regulation and individualized syndrome differentiation， has played an increasingly prominent role in comprehensive cancer treatment. TCM holds that "Yang deficiency leads to accumulation" is a key pathogenesis of tumors. Based on the theory that "Yang transforms Qi， while Yin forms substance"， deficiency of Yang Qi results in impaired warming and transformation functions， leading to internal accumulation of Yin-cold. This is closely related to dysregulation of the immune microenvironment， "cold tumor" characteristics， and dysfunction of the neuroendocrine system in modern medicine. Accordingly， the therapeutic strategy of "warming Yang， supporting healthy Qi， and combating cancer" has gained increasing attention. In recent years， commonly used Yang-warming Chinese herbs， including Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata， Zingiberis Rhizoma， Cinnamomi Cortex， Epimedii Folium， and Psoraleae Fructus， as well as their active constituents， have achieved notable progress in anti-lung cancer research by regulating multiple signaling pathways， inducing apoptosis， inhibiting metastasis， and reversing drug resistance. In addition， Yang-warming formulae such as Sini Tang and Yanghe Tang have shown promising effects in alleviating myelosuppression， improving cancer-related fatigue， managing malignant pleural effusion， and relieving cancer pain. These therapies exhibit toxicity-reducing and efficacy-enhancing effects， significantly improving patients' quality of life and survival benefits. To systematically summarize the roles and mechanisms of Yang-warming Chinese herbal medicines and compound formulae in lung cancer， this paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advances， aiming to offer insights for the clinical practice of TCM in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer.

ObjectiveThis study aims to analyze animal models of anxiety disorder based on the clinical characteristics of anxiety disorder in traditional Chinese and Western medicine， systematically assess the clinical compatibility， and provide suggestions for the construction of animal models with a high degree of clinical compatibility between traditional Chinese and Western medicine. MethodsRelevant literature on animal models of anxiety disorder was retrieved from global databases. Scoring scales were developed according to the etiology， pathogenesis， and diagnostic criteria of anxiety disorder in both traditional Chinese and Western medicine. The animal models of anxiety disorder in the literature were analyzed， and their clinical compatibility was systematically assessed to identify reference-worthy models. ResultsThe average clinical compatibility of existing animal models of anxiety disorder was 42.13% for traditional Chinese medicine and 50.94% for Western medicine. Among these， the chronic unpredictable mild stress （CUMS） model had the highest compatibility with both traditional Chinese and Western medicine. However， current models rarely reflect the clinical syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine in depth， and show limitations in syndrome differentiation. ConclusionThe existing animal models of anxiety disorder are mostly established using single-factor approaches， which fail to comprehensively simulate the onset process and physiopathological characteristics of anxiety disorder. These models also neglect the syndrome-based indicators emphasized in traditional Chinese medicine. In the future， the model development should incorporate the clinical characteristics of syndromes in both traditional Chinese and Western medicine， establish standardized evaluation criteria for anxiety disorder models， and utilize multifactorial approaches to enhance the representativeness of animal models in traditional Chinese medicine.

Objective To clone and express the heat shock cognate protein 20 (SjHsc20) of Schistosoma japonicum, and to preliminarily investigate its biological characteristics. Methods The target fragment of the SjHsc20 gene was amplified using PCR assay and cloned into the pET-28a(+) expression plasmid to generate the recombinant expression vector pET-28a(+)-SjH-sc20, which was then transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) competent cells. The recombinant SjHsc20 (rSjHsc20) protein was induced with isopropyl β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) and purified, and the expression of the rSjHsc20 protein was checked with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The immunogenicity of the rSjHsc20 protein was detected using Western blotting, and the transcriptional levels of SjHsc20 were quantified in S. japonicum worms at different developmental stages and in male and female adult worms using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay. Thirty female BALB/c mice at ages 6 to 8 weeks were divided into three groups, including the rSjHsc20 immunization group, the PBS control group, and the ISA 206 adjuvant group, of 10 mice in each group. Mice in the rSjHsc20 immunization group were subcutaneously immunized with 20 μg rSjHsc20 on days 1, 15 and 31, and animals in the PBS control group were subcutaneously injected with the same volume of PBS on days 1, 15 and 31, while mice in the ISA 206 adjuvant group were subcutaneously immunized with the same volume of ISA 206 adjuvant on days 1, 15 and 31, respectively. All mice in each group were infected with (40 ± 2) S. japonicum cercariae via the abdomen 14 day following the last immunization. Levels of serum specific IgG and its subtypes IgG1 and IgG2 antibodies against rSjHsc20, and the serum titers of anti-rSjHsc20 antibody were detected in mice using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All mice were sacrifice 42 days post-infection, and S. japonicum worms were collected from the hepatic portal vein and counted. The eggs per gram (EPG), worm burden reductions and egg burden reductions were estimated to evaluate the protective efficacy of the rSjHsc20 protein. Results The SjHsc20 gene had an open reading frame (ORF) with 756 bp in length and encoded 252 amino acids, and the rSjHsc20 protein had a relative molecular mass of approximately 29 kDa. The rSjHsc20 protein was recognized by the serum of mice infected with S. japonicum and the serum of mice immunized with the rSjHsc20 protein, indicating that rSjHsc20 had a good immunogenicity. There was a significant difference in the transcriptional levels of the SjHsc20 gene among the 7-day (1.001 4 ± 0.065 7), 12-day (2.268 3 ± 0.129 2), 21-day (1.378 5 ± 0.160 4), 28-day (1.196 4 ± 0.244 0), 35-day (1.646 3 ± 0.226 1), 42-day worms of S. japonicum (1.758 0 ± 0.611 1) (F = 38.45, P < 0.000 1), and the transcriptional level of the SjHsc20 gene was higher in the 12-day worms than in worms at other developmental stages (all P values < 0.000 1). The serum levels of anti-rSjHsc20 IgG antibody were 0.106 6 ± 0.010 7, 0.108 3 ± 0.010 4, and 0.553 2 ± 0.069 1 in the PBS control group, ISA 206 adjuvant group, and rSjHsc20 immunization group following the last immunization, respectively, and the serum levels of IgG1 antibody were 0.137 3 ± 0.054 0, 0.181 1 ± 0.096 8, and 1.765 8 ± 0.221 1, while the levels of IgG2a antibody were 0.280 3 ± 0.197 6, 0.274 0 ± 0.146 3, and 1.560 4 ± 0.106 0, respectively. There were significant differences in the serum levels of anti-rSjHsc20 IgG (F = 397.70, P < 0.000 1), IgG1 (F = 401.00, P < 0.000 1) and IgG2a antibodies (F = 229.70, P < 0.000 1) among the three groups, and the serum levels of anti-rSjHsc20 IgG, IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies were higher in the rSjHsc20 immunization group than in the PBS control group and the ISA 206 adjuvant group (all P values < 0.000 1). There was a significant difference in the IgG1/IgG2a ratio among the rSjHsc20 immunization group (1.177 2 ± 0.143 6), the PBS control group (0.428 4 ± 0.199 8) and the ISA 206 adjuvant group (0.559 9 ± 0.181 1) (F = 43.97, P < 0.000 1), and the IgG1/IgG2a ratio was > 1 in the rSjHsc20 immunization group, which was higher than in the PBS control group and the ISA 206 adjuvant group (both P values < 0.000 1). The titers of serum anti-rSjHsc20 antibody were all above 1∶16 384 in the rSjHsc20 immunization group following immunizations on days 1, 15 and 31, indicating that the rSjHsc20 protein had a strong immunogenicity. The mean worm burdens were (16.60±5.75), (15.80±5.58) worms per mouse and (14.40±5.75) worms per mouse in the PBS control group, the ISA 206 adjuvant group and the rSjHsc20 immunization group 42 days post-infection with S. japonicum cercariae (F = 0.50, P > 0.05), and the EPG were 68 370 ± 22 690, 67 972 ± 19 502, and 41 075 ± 13 251 in the PBS control group, the ISA 206 adjuvant group and the rSjHsc20 immunization group (F = 4.55, P < 0.05), with lower EPG in the PBS control group and the ISA 206 adjuvant group than in the rSjHsc20 immunization group (both P values < 0.05). Immunization with the rSjHsc20 protein resulted in a worm burden reduction of 13.25% and an egg burden reduction of 39.92% relative to the PBS control group. Conclusions SjHsc20 is successfully cloned and expressed, and the rSjHsc20 protein induces partial immunoprotective effects in mice, which provides a basis for deciphering the biological functions of SjHsc20 and assessing the potential of SjH-sc20 as a vaccine candidate.

Regenerating periodontal bone defect surrounding periodontal tissue is crucial for orthodontic or dental implant treatment. The declined osteogenic ability of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) induced by inflammation stimulus contributes to reduced capacity to regenerate periodontal bone, which brings about a huge challenge for treating periodontitis. Here, inspired by the adhesive property of mussels, we have created adhesive and mineralized hydrogel microspheres loaded with traditional compound cordycepin (MMS-CY). MMS-CY could adhere to the surface of alveolar bone, then promote the migration capacity of PDLSCs and thus recruit them to inflammatory periodontal tissues. Furthermore, MMS-CY rescued the impaired osteogenesis and ligament-forming capacity of PDLSCs, which were suppressed by the inflammation stimulus. Moreover, MMS-CY also displayed the excellent inhibitory effect on the osteoclastic activity. Mechanistically, MMS-CY inhibited the premature senescence induced by the inflammation stimulus through the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (NRF2) pathway and reducing the DNA injury. Utilizing in vivo rat periodontitis model, MMS-CY was demonstrated to enhance the periodontal bone regeneration by improving osteogenesis and inhibiting the osteoclastic activity. Altogether, our study indicated that the multi-pronged approach is promising to promote the periodontal bone regeneration in periodontitis condition by reducing the inflammation-induced stem cell senescence and maintaining bone homeostasis.
Animals ; Bone Regeneration/drug effects* ; Rats ; Periodontal Ligament/cytology* ; Microspheres ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 ; Hydrogels ; Periodontitis/therapy* ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Stem Cells ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Humans