Objectives: . This study aimed to investigate the regulatory functions of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neural circuits from the inferior colliculus (IC) to the medial geniculate body (MGB) in salicylate-induced tinnitus. Methods: . Mice were treated with salicylate to induce tinnitus, and tinnitus-like behaviors were evaluated via gap prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle. Using combined viral tracing methodologies, we identified and mapped the pathways and connections from the IC to the MGB. Furthermore, we employed Gq-coupled human M3 designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) and Gi-coupled human M4 DREADDs to achieve targeted excitation or suppression of GABAergic neurons in the IC and MGB. Following the administration of clozapine N-oxide, which binds to these receptors, we modulated these neural circuits to assess their impact on tinnitus severity in a mouse model. Results: . Our findings demonstrated that mice exposed to salicylate exhibited tinnitus-like behaviors. GABAergic neurons projecting retrogradely from the MGB to the IC were primarily concentrated in the external nucleus of the IC. After clozapine N-oxide administration, chemogenetic activation of IC-MGB GABAergic neurons aggravated salicylate-induced tinnitus. Additionally, activation of GABAergic neurons between the IC and MGB induced the perception of tinnitus even without salicylate. However, chemogenetic inhibition of the IC-MGB GABAergic circuit did not reverse salicylate-induced tinnitus. Conclusion . These findings suggest that activation of the IC-MGB GABAergic neural circuit may contribute to tinnitus generation through a mechanism distinct from that of salicylate-induced tinnitus. This study provides novel insights into the mechanisms underlying tinnitus.

AIM To investigate the mechanism of Jiedu Yizhi Formula on cognitive function and neuroinflammation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease(AD).METHODS 50 APP/PS1 double transgenic mice were randomly divided into the model group,the donepezil group,and the low-dose,moderate-dose,and high-dose Jiedu Yizhi Formula group(1.78,3.56 and 7.12 g/kg),with 10 mice in each group,in contrast to the 10 WT mice of the blank group.Following anesthesia administration and 8-week oral gavage regimen with respective drugs,all mice underwent final tissue sample collection.The mice had their learning and memory ability assessed by Morris water maze and nesting behavior scores;their pathology of brain tissue and Aβ expression observed using HE,Nissl and IHC staining;their polarization of microglia and the expression of inflammatory factors in hippocampal tissue detected by IF and ELISA;their hippocampal expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot.RESULTS Compared with the blank group,the model group had lower scores in total swimming distance,frequency in crossing the platform,residence time in the target quadrant,and nesting behavior scores(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);prolonged evasion latency(P＜0.01);more disorganized arrangement of pyramidal cells,solidification and deep staining,unclear demarcation,irregular cell shapes,reduction of Nyctinidia,and increased Aβ deposition in the brain tissue(P＜0.01);elevated expression of hippocampal microglia M1-type markers CD16/32 and lba-1(P＜0.01);decreased levels of M2-type marker CD206(P＜0.05);elevated levels of TNF-α and IL-1β(P＜0.01);decreased expressions of IL-13 and IL-4(P＜0.01);and decreased levels of PI3K,Akt and mTOR mRNA,and reduced p-PI3K,p-Akt and p-mTOR protein expressions(P＜0.01).Compared to the model group,the donepezil group and the Jiedu Yizhi Formula groups showed statistically significant improvements in the aforementioned indexes(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),with the magnitude of improvement being higher in the high-dose Jiedu Yizhi Formula group.CONCLUSION Jiedu Yizhi Formula suppresses microglia Ml-type polarization while enhancing M2-type polarization via activation the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway,which subsequently reduces inflammatory cytokine secretion.This mechanism attenuates Aβ deposition in brain tissues and ameliorates cognitive dysfunction in AD mouse models.

AIM To investigate the mechanism of Jiedu Yizhi Formula on cognitive function and neuroinflammation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease(AD).METHODS 50 APP/PS1 double transgenic mice were randomly divided into the model group,the donepezil group,and the low-dose,moderate-dose,and high-dose Jiedu Yizhi Formula group(1.78,3.56 and 7.12 g/kg),with 10 mice in each group,in contrast to the 10 WT mice of the blank group.Following anesthesia administration and 8-week oral gavage regimen with respective drugs,all mice underwent final tissue sample collection.The mice had their learning and memory ability assessed by Morris water maze and nesting behavior scores;their pathology of brain tissue and Aβ expression observed using HE,Nissl and IHC staining;their polarization of microglia and the expression of inflammatory factors in hippocampal tissue detected by IF and ELISA;their hippocampal expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot.RESULTS Compared with the blank group,the model group had lower scores in total swimming distance,frequency in crossing the platform,residence time in the target quadrant,and nesting behavior scores(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);prolonged evasion latency(P＜0.01);more disorganized arrangement of pyramidal cells,solidification and deep staining,unclear demarcation,irregular cell shapes,reduction of Nyctinidia,and increased Aβ deposition in the brain tissue(P＜0.01);elevated expression of hippocampal microglia M1-type markers CD16/32 and lba-1(P＜0.01);decreased levels of M2-type marker CD206(P＜0.05);elevated levels of TNF-α and IL-1β(P＜0.01);decreased expressions of IL-13 and IL-4(P＜0.01);and decreased levels of PI3K,Akt and mTOR mRNA,and reduced p-PI3K,p-Akt and p-mTOR protein expressions(P＜0.01).Compared to the model group,the donepezil group and the Jiedu Yizhi Formula groups showed statistically significant improvements in the aforementioned indexes(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),with the magnitude of improvement being higher in the high-dose Jiedu Yizhi Formula group.CONCLUSION Jiedu Yizhi Formula suppresses microglia Ml-type polarization while enhancing M2-type polarization via activation the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway,which subsequently reduces inflammatory cytokine secretion.This mechanism attenuates Aβ deposition in brain tissues and ameliorates cognitive dysfunction in AD mouse models.

Aim To explore the mechanism of Jiawei Shaofu Zhuyu decoction in antagonizing endometriosis fibrosis by regulating mitophagy.Methods After the animal model was constructed,the syndrome was evalu-ated by general condition,organ water content and ther-mal imaging.The curative effect was evaluated by the weight of ectopic focus and the degree of adhesion.The pathological changes were compared using HE stai-ning,transmission electron microscopy,Masson and Sir-ius red staining.The expression of PINK1 and Parkin was detected by immunohistochemistry.The expression of mRNA and protein was determined by qPCR and Western blot,and the level of serum ROS was detected by ELISA.Results The autonomic activity of model mice was weakened,the water content of organs rose,and the temperature of limbs and lower abdomen was reduced by thermal imaging.HE staining showed obvi-ous hyperplasia of ectopic epithelium and glands.Transmission electron microscopy showed mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum structure damage,and nor-mal autophagy structure disappeared.Masson and Siri-us red staining showed increased collagen deposition;immunohistochemistry showed decreased expression of PINK1 and Parkin in ectopic foci.qPCR and Western blot showed that the expression of PINK1,Parkin,Bec-lin1,LC3 mRNA and protein in ectopic foci of model mice decreased,the expression of p62 mRNA and pro-tein increased,and serum ROS increased.The syn-drome performance of model mice was improved after the intervention of Jiawei Shaofu Zhuyu decoction;the inflammatory infiltration of ectopic foci was relieved,the morphology of mitochondria and endoplasmic retic-ulum was restored,and normal autophagy structure ap-peared.The degree of collagen deposition and fibrosis was reduced;the mRNA and protein expression of PINK1,Parkin,Beclin1 and LC3 increased.The ex-pression of p62 mRNA and protein decreased,and the level of ROS decreased.Conclusions Jiawei Shaofu Zhuyu decoction can improve the fibrosis of ectopic le-sions in mice with endometriosis of cold-dampness sta-sis syndrome,which may be related to the regulation of mitophagy.

Aim To explore the mechanism of Jiawei Shaofu Zhuyu decoction in antagonizing endometriosis fibrosis by regulating mitophagy.Methods After the animal model was constructed,the syndrome was evalu-ated by general condition,organ water content and ther-mal imaging.The curative effect was evaluated by the weight of ectopic focus and the degree of adhesion.The pathological changes were compared using HE stai-ning,transmission electron microscopy,Masson and Sir-ius red staining.The expression of PINK1 and Parkin was detected by immunohistochemistry.The expression of mRNA and protein was determined by qPCR and Western blot,and the level of serum ROS was detected by ELISA.Results The autonomic activity of model mice was weakened,the water content of organs rose,and the temperature of limbs and lower abdomen was reduced by thermal imaging.HE staining showed obvi-ous hyperplasia of ectopic epithelium and glands.Transmission electron microscopy showed mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum structure damage,and nor-mal autophagy structure disappeared.Masson and Siri-us red staining showed increased collagen deposition;immunohistochemistry showed decreased expression of PINK1 and Parkin in ectopic foci.qPCR and Western blot showed that the expression of PINK1,Parkin,Bec-lin1,LC3 mRNA and protein in ectopic foci of model mice decreased,the expression of p62 mRNA and pro-tein increased,and serum ROS increased.The syn-drome performance of model mice was improved after the intervention of Jiawei Shaofu Zhuyu decoction;the inflammatory infiltration of ectopic foci was relieved,the morphology of mitochondria and endoplasmic retic-ulum was restored,and normal autophagy structure ap-peared.The degree of collagen deposition and fibrosis was reduced;the mRNA and protein expression of PINK1,Parkin,Beclin1 and LC3 increased.The ex-pression of p62 mRNA and protein decreased,and the level of ROS decreased.Conclusions Jiawei Shaofu Zhuyu decoction can improve the fibrosis of ectopic le-sions in mice with endometriosis of cold-dampness sta-sis syndrome,which may be related to the regulation of mitophagy.

Endometriosis(EMs)is a common estrogen-depend-ent clinical disease with the pathological characteristics of malig-nant tumors,which has great impact on women's physical and mental health.In recent years,experimental exploration has re-vealed that ectopic foci are in a hypoxic environment outside the uterine cavity,and mitochondria,as the"functional factories"of the cells,play an important role in the process of planting and in-vasion,and the mitochondrial quality control system,which in-cludes mitochondrial oxidative stress,kinetics,autophagy,bio-genesis and calcium homeostasis,is a key mechanism for the e-quilibrium of the mitochondrial function.The mitochondrial quality control system,including mitochondrial oxidative stress kinetics,autophagy,biogenesis and calcium homeostasis,is a key mechanism for mitochondrial functional balance.Therefore,to clarify the role of the mitochondrial quality control system in the development of EMs with the help of rational and rigorous experi-mental and clinical studies can not only help to clarify the patho-genesis of the disease,but also explore the key targets in the prevention and treatment of the disease.Therefore,this article summarizes the research progress of mitochondrial quality control system in endometriosis,with a view to providing reference and theoretical basis for the etiology,pathogenesis and prevention strategies of EMs.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

The purpose of this study is to develop a shark single domain antibody(SdAb)targeting a unique B cell epitope in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein,and explore its role in the immunological detection targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S.A u-nique peptide S9 was artificially synthesized based on the sequence of a unique B cell epitope of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein,then it was conjugated to the carrier protein KLH.It was used as an immunogen for subcutaneous injection into shark back and boosted according to the standard immunization protocol.Blood collected from shark tail vein and peripheral blood lymphocytes(PBL)were isolated.Total RNA was purified from PBL and transcribed to cDNA by reverse transcription.Shark vNAR frag-ments were amplified from cDNA templates and cloned into pComb3XSS vector to obtain phage library.A positive clone named T01 was obtained through screening the phage library by indirect ELISA.Then its gene was cloned into the expression vector pET-28a.The SdAb T01 was then prokaryotically expressed and purified,and its specific recognition of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S was indentified by Western-blot(WB),indirect ELISA and IF A.T01 binds well with peptide S9 at EC50 value of 2.050±0.064 nmol/L.The purified SdAb T01 was proven by WB to be able to selectively detect recombinant spike protein sub-unit 1(S1)of SARS-CoV-2,with no cross-reactive to recombinant spike protein subunit 1 of other six human coronavirus.It was showed by ELISA that SdAb T01 can sensitively detect the recombinant N terminal domain(NTD)of SARS-CoV-2 pro-tein.Moreover,it also specifically recognizes the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 that was transiently expressed in transfected HEK293 cells by IFA.Therefore,a shark single domain antibody targeting a unique B cell epitope in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 was successfully developed,and has shown potential immunodiagnostic value by WB,ELISA and IFA.Thus,it provides an effective tool for unique antigen detection of SARS-CoV-2.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.