Objective To prepare and characterize caspofungin acetate-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles using glycerol monostearate （CAS-SLNs）, and investigate the antifungal effect of potentiation on Candida albicans in vitro and in vivo. Methods A high performance liquid chromatography method was established for the determination of caspofungin acetate （CAS）. CAS-SLNs were prepared by the melt-emulsification method and characterized. The minimum inhibitory concentration （MIC） and the inhibitory effect on Candida albicans biofilm were determined. A systemic infection model of Candida albicans was established in mice, and the growth curve models for body weight and fungal load of kidneys of the animals were investigated after intravenous infection. Results The retention time of CAS was 6.8 min. The calibration curve showed good linearity, and the precision and stability met the requirements of the assay. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that CAS-SLNs were spherical, with a particle size of （135.97±1.73） nm. The Zeta potential was （19.33±0.37） mV, drug loading was （7.55±0.68）%, and encapsulation efficiency was （67.71±1.74）%. CAS-SLNs showed significant in vitro antifungal inhibition with a MIC of 9.78×10⁻⁴ g/ml, which was significantly better than CAS group and the physical mixture group of CAS and GMS, as well as the same biofilm inhibition was observed （P<0.001）. Pharmacodynamic studies demonstrated that CAS-SLNs maintained stable body weight gain compared to the control （P<0.01） and CAS groups in Candida albicans invasive infection model, and that CAS-SLNs significantly reduced renal fungal burden load relative to the CAS group （P<0.05）. In vivo study revealed that a stable body weight was maintained in CAS-SLNs group compared to the control group （P<0.01） in Candida albicans invasive infection model. CAS-SLNs also significantly reduced renal fungal load compared to the CAS group （P<0.05）. Conclusion CAS-SLNs significantly enhanced the antifungal effects of CAS in vitro and in vivo, which provided a valuable insight for the research of new formulation of CAS.

ObjectiveTo explore the feasibility， evaluation methods and metabolic differences of high-fat diet（HFD） combined with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury（MIRI） to establish a rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion with phlegm and blood stasis blocking collaterals syndrome（PBSBCS）. MethodsThirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into the sham operation， HFD， MIRI， and MIRI+HFD groups. Rats in the sham operation and MIRI groups were fed a standard diet（regular chow）， while the HFD and MIRI+HFD groups received a HFD for 10 weeks. Rats in the MIRI and MIRI+HFD groups underwent myocardial ischemia-reperfusion surgery， while the sham operation group underwent only thread placement without ligation. Cardiac function was assessed via small-animal echocardiography， including left ventricular ejection fraction（EF）， left ventricular fractional shortening（FS）， cardiac output（CO）， and stroke volume（SV）. Serum levels of creatine kinase（CK）， CK-MB， triglyceride（TG）， total cholesterol（TC）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol（HDL-C）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol（LDL-C）， lactate dehydrogenase（LDH）， endothelin-1（ET-1）， endothelial nitric oxide synthase（eNOS）， tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）， interleukin-18（IL-18）， oxidized LDL（ox-LDL）， and cardiac troponin T（cTnT） were measured by biochemical assays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Myocardial histopathology was evaluated via hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， while myocardial infarction and no-reflow area were assessed using 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride（TTC）， Evans blue， and thioflavin staining. Changes in syndrome characteristics［body weight， tongue surface red-green-blue ［RGB］ values， and pulse amplitude］ of PBSBCS were recorded. Serum differential metabolites were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）. ResultsCompared with the sham operation group， the HFD and MIRI+HFD groups showed significant increases in body weight（P<0.01）， RGB values and pulse amplitude decreased in the HFD， MIRI and MIRI+HFD groups， TC， TG， LDL-C and ox-LDL levels increased in the HFD and MIRI+HFD groups， while HDL-C decreased. Blood perfusion peak time and myocardial no-reflow area increased， serum eNOS level decreased， and CK-MB， LDH， and cTnT activities increased in the HFD， MIRI and MIRI+HFD groups（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Whole blood viscosity was increased in the HFD group at medium shear rate， and in the MIRI and MIRI+HFD groups at low， medium and high shear rates（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Platelet aggregation rate increased in the MIRI and MIRI+HFD groups， accompanied by elevated ET-1， TNF-α， and IL-18 levels， reduced cardiac function indices， expanded myocardial no-reflow and infarction areas， and increased serum CK， CK-MB， LDH， and cTnT activities（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the MIRI group， the HFD and MIRI+HFD groups showed significant increase in body weight， TC， TG， LDL-C and ox-LDL levels， and significant decrease in HDL-C content（P<0.01）. The MIRI+HFD group showed decrease in RGB values and pulse amplitude， and an increase in whole blood viscosity， platelet aggregation， blood perfusion peak time， myocardial no-reflow and infarction areas， elevated ET-1， TNF-α and IL-18 levels， decreased eNOS content， EF and SV， increased serum CK， CK-MB and cTnT activities， and worsened myocardial pathology（P<0.05）. Compared with the HFD group， the MIRI+HFD group showed similar aggravated trends（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Metabolomics results showed that 34 potential biomarkers involving 13 common metabolic pathways were identified in the MIRI+HFD group compared with the sham operation group. ConclusionThe MIRI group resembles blood stasis syndrome in hemodynamics and myocardial injury， and the HFD group mirrors phlegm-turbidity syndrome in lipid profiles and tongue characteristics. While the MIRI+HFD group aligns with PBSBCS in comprehensive indices， effectively simulating clinical features of coronary heart disease（CHD）， which can be used for the evaluation of the pathological mechanism and pharmacodynamics of CHD with PBSBCS.

ObjectiveTo explore the feasibility， evaluation methods and metabolic differences of high-fat diet（HFD） combined with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury（MIRI） to establish a rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion with phlegm and blood stasis blocking collaterals syndrome（PBSBCS）. MethodsThirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into the sham operation， HFD， MIRI， and MIRI+HFD groups. Rats in the sham operation and MIRI groups were fed a standard diet（regular chow）， while the HFD and MIRI+HFD groups received a HFD for 10 weeks. Rats in the MIRI and MIRI+HFD groups underwent myocardial ischemia-reperfusion surgery， while the sham operation group underwent only thread placement without ligation. Cardiac function was assessed via small-animal echocardiography， including left ventricular ejection fraction（EF）， left ventricular fractional shortening（FS）， cardiac output（CO）， and stroke volume（SV）. Serum levels of creatine kinase（CK）， CK-MB， triglyceride（TG）， total cholesterol（TC）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol（HDL-C）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol（LDL-C）， lactate dehydrogenase（LDH）， endothelin-1（ET-1）， endothelial nitric oxide synthase（eNOS）， tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）， interleukin-18（IL-18）， oxidized LDL（ox-LDL）， and cardiac troponin T（cTnT） were measured by biochemical assays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Myocardial histopathology was evaluated via hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， while myocardial infarction and no-reflow area were assessed using 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride（TTC）， Evans blue， and thioflavin staining. Changes in syndrome characteristics［body weight， tongue surface red-green-blue ［RGB］ values， and pulse amplitude］ of PBSBCS were recorded. Serum differential metabolites were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）. ResultsCompared with the sham operation group， the HFD and MIRI+HFD groups showed significant increases in body weight（P<0.01）， RGB values and pulse amplitude decreased in the HFD， MIRI and MIRI+HFD groups， TC， TG， LDL-C and ox-LDL levels increased in the HFD and MIRI+HFD groups， while HDL-C decreased. Blood perfusion peak time and myocardial no-reflow area increased， serum eNOS level decreased， and CK-MB， LDH， and cTnT activities increased in the HFD， MIRI and MIRI+HFD groups（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Whole blood viscosity was increased in the HFD group at medium shear rate， and in the MIRI and MIRI+HFD groups at low， medium and high shear rates（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Platelet aggregation rate increased in the MIRI and MIRI+HFD groups， accompanied by elevated ET-1， TNF-α， and IL-18 levels， reduced cardiac function indices， expanded myocardial no-reflow and infarction areas， and increased serum CK， CK-MB， LDH， and cTnT activities（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the MIRI group， the HFD and MIRI+HFD groups showed significant increase in body weight， TC， TG， LDL-C and ox-LDL levels， and significant decrease in HDL-C content（P<0.01）. The MIRI+HFD group showed decrease in RGB values and pulse amplitude， and an increase in whole blood viscosity， platelet aggregation， blood perfusion peak time， myocardial no-reflow and infarction areas， elevated ET-1， TNF-α and IL-18 levels， decreased eNOS content， EF and SV， increased serum CK， CK-MB and cTnT activities， and worsened myocardial pathology（P<0.05）. Compared with the HFD group， the MIRI+HFD group showed similar aggravated trends（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Metabolomics results showed that 34 potential biomarkers involving 13 common metabolic pathways were identified in the MIRI+HFD group compared with the sham operation group. ConclusionThe MIRI group resembles blood stasis syndrome in hemodynamics and myocardial injury， and the HFD group mirrors phlegm-turbidity syndrome in lipid profiles and tongue characteristics. While the MIRI+HFD group aligns with PBSBCS in comprehensive indices， effectively simulating clinical features of coronary heart disease（CHD）， which can be used for the evaluation of the pathological mechanism and pharmacodynamics of CHD with PBSBCS.

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and trends of other infectious diarrhea among children under 18 years old in Guangzhou City from 2014 to 2020, and to explore the correlation between climatic factors and the incidence of the disease, so as to provide reference for the early prevention of infectious diseases. Methods: The data of cases of other infectious diarrhea and meteorological data of children under 18 years old in Guangzhou City from 2014 to 2020 were collected through the Chinese Infectious Disease Reporting System and the Guangzhou Meteorological Bureau. The correlation between meteorological factors and the incidence of other infectious diarrhea was analyzed using negative binomial regression. Results: A total of 104 566 cases of other infectious diarrhea among children under 18 years old were reported in Guangzhou City from 2014 to 2020, with a male to female ratio of 1.48∶1. The incidence rate was the highest in 2017 (980.83 per 100 000) and the lowest in 2020 (388.22 per 100 000). The peak of incidence occurred from October to March of the following year. Children under 5 years old accounted for 87.95% of all cases. The number of cases of other infectious diarrhea was negatively correlated with the temperature of the previous 6 days ( IRR = -0.07 ), and positively correlated with the temperature difference on the day of onset ( IRR =0.02) (both P <0.05). It was also positively correlated with the wind speed of the previous 7 days ( IRR=0.07, P <0.05), but there was no statistically significant correlation with the relative humidity on the day of onset ( IRR=-0.00, P >0.05). Conclusions Low temperature, large temperature difference, and high wind speed can increase the risk of other infectious diarrhea. It is necessary to strengthen the prediction and early warning in conjunction with meteorological changes, and warn kindergartens and schools to enhance preventive measures against the clustering of other infectious diarrhea cases.

Objective: To explore the application and clinical efficacy of red blood cell therapeutic apheresis in erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) and hereditary hemochromatosis (HH). Methods: 1) The EPP patient was hospitalized twice for "abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and brown urine". One and two sessions of red blood cell exchange/therapeutic plasma exchange (RCE/TPE) were respectively performed during the two hospitalizations. During each session, one RCE with 6-8 units of leukoreduced RBCs and 3-4 TPE procedures with 1 800-2 000 mL of frozen plasma was conducted. Biochemical parameters were monitored before and after treatment. 2) The HH patient was hospitalized for “repeatedly elevated aminotransferases”. Erythrocytapheresis was performed once, removing 550 mL of red blood cells, and venous phlebotomy was conducted once every 2 months subsequently. Blood routine and ferritin levels were assessed before and after treatment. Results: 1) During the first hospitalization, the EPP patient was relieved of the abdominal pain and brown urine after therapeutic apheresis. The total bilirubin level decreased from 141.8 μmol/L on admission to 68.6 μmol/L at discharge, with a symptom remission duration of 10 months. During the second hospitalization, the EPP patient still had recurrent abdominal pain after therapeutic apheresis. He developed psychiatric symptoms and gastrointestinal bleeding subsequently, accompanied by elevated bilirubin levels. Liver function deteriorated and the patient went into the state of the end-stage liver disease (ESLD). 2) For the HH patient, the hemoglobin level prior to erythrocytapheresis and vein phlebotomy was 150-160 g/L, with the lowest value occurring two days after erythrocytapheresis, decreasing to 107 g/L. The ferritin level before erythrocytapheresis was 2 428.08 ng/mL and it declined gradually after theraphy, with the lowest value occurring two months after erythrocytapheresis, decreasing to 1 094 ng/mL. The ferritin level was 1 114 ng/mL two months following the first vein phlebotomy, however it increased to 1 472 ng/mL two months after the second vein phlebotomy. Conclusion: RCE/TPE may alleviate protoporphyrin liver disease and help patients with bridging liver transplantation before EPP developments to ESLD. For HH patients with significantly elevated ferritin levels, erythrocytapheresis reduces serum ferritin more quickly and maintains its level longer relative to phlebotomy.

Objective: To explore the application and clinical efficacy of red blood cell therapeutic apheresis in erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) and hereditary hemochromatosis (HH). Methods: 1) The EPP patient was hospitalized twice for "abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and brown urine". One and two sessions of red blood cell exchange/therapeutic plasma exchange (RCE/TPE) were respectively performed during the two hospitalizations. During each session, one RCE with 6-8 units of leukoreduced RBCs and 3-4 TPE procedures with 1 800-2 000 mL of frozen plasma was conducted. Biochemical parameters were monitored before and after treatment. 2) The HH patient was hospitalized for “repeatedly elevated aminotransferases”. Erythrocytapheresis was performed once, removing 550 mL of red blood cells, and venous phlebotomy was conducted once every 2 months subsequently. Blood routine and ferritin levels were assessed before and after treatment. Results: 1) During the first hospitalization, the EPP patient was relieved of the abdominal pain and brown urine after therapeutic apheresis. The total bilirubin level decreased from 141.8 μmol/L on admission to 68.6 μmol/L at discharge, with a symptom remission duration of 10 months. During the second hospitalization, the EPP patient still had recurrent abdominal pain after therapeutic apheresis. He developed psychiatric symptoms and gastrointestinal bleeding subsequently, accompanied by elevated bilirubin levels. Liver function deteriorated and the patient went into the state of the end-stage liver disease (ESLD). 2) For the HH patient, the hemoglobin level prior to erythrocytapheresis and vein phlebotomy was 150-160 g/L, with the lowest value occurring two days after erythrocytapheresis, decreasing to 107 g/L. The ferritin level before erythrocytapheresis was 2 428.08 ng/mL and it declined gradually after theraphy, with the lowest value occurring two months after erythrocytapheresis, decreasing to 1 094 ng/mL. The ferritin level was 1 114 ng/mL two months following the first vein phlebotomy, however it increased to 1 472 ng/mL two months after the second vein phlebotomy. Conclusion: RCE/TPE may alleviate protoporphyrin liver disease and help patients with bridging liver transplantation before EPP developments to ESLD. For HH patients with significantly elevated ferritin levels, erythrocytapheresis reduces serum ferritin more quickly and maintains its level longer relative to phlebotomy.

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) and cognitive dysfunction, and its mediating role between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cognitive dysfunction. MethodsA case-control study was conducted from May 2019 to April 2021 at the Shanghai Yangpu District Central Hospital, China. A total of 193 subjects were recruited and divided into two groups based on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA): normal control (NC) group (n=95) and cognitive impairment group (n=98). The prevalence of T2DM was determined on the basis of medical history, while mtDNAcn in peripheral blood samples was quantified using realtime fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction. ResultsUnivariate analyses revealed that the mean mtDNAcn in the cognitive impairment group was 0.76±0.37, significantly lower than that in the NC group (1.06±0.45) (P<0.05). Logistic regression analyses showed that higher mtDNAcn was associated with a reduced risk of cognitive impairment (OR=0.315, 95%CI: 0.125‒0.795). Additionaly, a statistically significant positive correlation was observed between mtDNAcn and the total MoCA score (r=0.381, P<0.01). Morever, T2DM history (OR=2.741, 95%CI: 1.002‒7.497) and elevated glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels (OR=1.796, 95%CI: 1.190‒2.711) were identified as risk factors for cognitive impairment. Mediation analyses indicated that mtDNAcn served as a mediator between T2DM/HbA1c and the risk of cognitive impairment, with proportions of mediating effect of 9.04% and 9.18%, respectively. ConclusionPatients with mild and moderate cognitive impairment have significantly lower mtDNAcn than those with normal cognitive function. Reduced mtDNAcn is an influencing factor for cognitive dysfunction and may play a mediating role in the association between T2DM and mild to moderate cognitive impairment.

Objective: To analyze the mediating effects of self-efficacy and self-management behaviors on the relationship between depression symptoms and glycemic control among elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), so as to provide references for optimizing health management of elderly T2DM patients. Methods: T2DM patients aged ≥60 years from 8 community health service centers in Nanjing City were selected using a convenience sampling method. Basic information such as gender and age was collected through questionnaires. Depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, and self-management behaviors were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Diabetes Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Diabetes Self-Management Behavior Scale, respectively. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was measured to evaluate glycemic control. A mediating effect model was constructed to analyze the mediating effects of self-efficacy and self-management behaviors on the relationship between depressive symptoms and glycemic control. Results: A total of 567 elderly T2DM patients were included, with a median age of 70.00 (interquartile range, 7.50) years. There were 248 males (43.74%) and 319 females (56.26%). The median scores of self-efficacy, self-management behaviors, depressive symptoms, and HbA1c were 3.89 (interquartile range, 0.78), 4.45 (interquartile range, 1.55), 4.00 (interquartile range, 6.00), and 6.80% (interquartile range, 1.40%), respectively. The mediating effect analysis showed that depressive symptoms indirectly affected glycemic control among elderly T2DM patients through the independent mediating effects of self-efficacy (β=0.028, 95%CI: 0.016-0.043) and self-management behaviors (β=0.009, 95%CI: 0.003-0.016), as well as the chain mediating effect of both (β=0.025, 95%CI: 0.017-0.035). The mediating effects of self-efficacy and self-management behaviors accounted for 36.66% and 11.35% of the total effect, respectively, while the chain mediating effect accounted for 32.15% of the total effect. Conclusion Self-efficacy and self-management behaviors play mediating roles in the relationship between depressive symptoms and glycemic control among elderly T2DM patients.

Asarum forbesii is a perennial herb born in a shaded and humid environment, which is warm in nature. With the efficacy of warming lung, resolving fluid retention, and relieving coughs, it can be used to treat the syndrome of cold fluid accumulating in lung. To investigate the effects of different shading conditions on the composition and efficacy of A. forbesii, this study planted A. forbesii under 20% natural light(NL20), 40% natural light(NL40), 60% natural light(NL60), and 80% natural light(NL80) and utilized ultra performance liquid chromatography(UPLC) and micro broth 2-fold dilution method to detect the volatile chemical compounds and the minimum inhibitory concentration. At the same time, the study investigated the effects of A. forbesii grown under different shading conditions on the signs, pathological changes of lung tissues, serum cytokine levels, activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes Ⅰ-Ⅴ in lung tissues, and relative expression of related genes of mice with syndrome of cold fluid accumulating in lung. The results indicated that with the increase of shading, the content of kakuol, methyl eugenol, and asarinin in A. forbesii and the antibacterial effect showed a tendency of increasing first and then decreasing, and the NL40 group was significantly better than the other groups. Under the conditions of NL20 and NL40, A. forbesii significantly alleviated the pathological damage to lung tissues, restored the homeostasis of the lung, and enhanced the energy metabolism level of mice with syndrome of cold fluid accumulating in lung. In addition, A. forbesii planted under the two conditions reduced the content of interleukin-8(IL-8), interleukin-13(IL-13), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and mucin 5AC(MUC5AC), increased the levels of interleukin-10(IL-10) and aquaporin 1(AQP1), lowered the expression of MMP9, VEGF, TGF-β, and MAPK3. In conclusion, the therapeutic effect of A. forbesii on the syndrome of cold fluid accumulating in lung was positively correlated with the degree of shading, and the chemical composition and efficacy of warming lung and resolving fluid retention were optimal under the conditions of NL20-NL40. This study can provide reference for the pharmacological research and cultivation of A. forbesii.
Animals ; Mice ; Lung/pathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Light ; Cytokines/genetics* ; Humans

This study explores the basic characteristics and potential functions of the terpene synthase(TPS) gene family members in Lonicera japonica. The L. japonica TPS(LjTPS) gene family was identified and functionally analyzed using bioinformatics methods. The results showed that a total of 70 members of the LjTPS gene family were identified in L. japonica, with protein lengths ranging from 130 to 1 437 amino acids. Most of these proteins were hydrophilic, and they were unevenly distributed across nine chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the LjTPS gene family members were divided into six subfamilies, mainly consisting of members from the TPS-a, TPS-b, and TPS-e subfamilies. Promoter cis-acting element analysis showed that LjTPS members contained a large number of stress-responsive cis-acting elements. Aphid inoculation experiments showed that key enzyme genes in the MVA pathway for terpenoid backbone synthesis in L. japonica, such as HMGS, HMGR, MK, MPD, and the key enzyme gene in the DXP pathway, DXS, exhibited an initial increase followed by a decrease under aphid stress. The qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression levels of the α-farnesene synthase genes LjTPS34 and LjTPS39 were down-regulated, while the expression levels of(E)-β-caryophyllene synthase genes LjTPS15 and LjTPS17 were up-regulated 12 h before aphid feeding, then began to decline. Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase(FPS), which interacted with these genes, also displayed a pattern of increasing followed by decreasing expression. The expression of linalool synthase genes LjTPS12 and LjTPS33 was significantly up-regulated after 72 h of aphid feeding(P<0.000 1), reaching 24.39 and 22.64 times the initial expression, respectively. This pattern was in close alignment with the trend of linalool content in L. japonica. This study provides a theoretical foundation for future research on the interaction between L. japonica and pests, as well as on the functional roles of the LjTPS gene family.
Animals ; Aphids/physiology* ; Alkyl and Aryl Transferases/chemistry* ; Lonicera/parasitology* ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins/chemistry* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Multigene Family ; Terpenes/metabolism*