ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between Jiaotai pill (JTP), its main component berberine (BBR), and the serotonin (5-HT) system in regulating islet hormone secretion and alleviating pancreatic β-cell dysfunction during type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) progression.MethodsT2DM rat model was established using a high-fat diet and streptozotocin injection. JTP, BBR, and Metformin were intragastrically administered for 35 days. The analyzed indices included blood glucose, blood lipids, islet hormones, and proteins related to 5-HT synthesis, secretion, and transport. Additionally, an in vitro model of glucose injury in islet cells was established to study the effects of JTP and BBR on islet hormone secretion following tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) inhibition.ResultsJTP and BBR significantly improved blood glucose and lipid levels and islet morphology in T2DM rats. Both models exhibited reduced islet 5-HT levels and impaired islet hormone secretion. However, the administration of JTP and BBR reversed these effects. Furthermore, JTP and BBR upregulated the expression of TPH1(P = .0194, P = .0413) transglutaminase 2 (TGase2; P = .0492, P = .0349), serotonin transporter (SERT, P = .0090), and 5- hydroxytryptamine 1F receptor (5-HT1FR) in the islet 5-HT pathway (P = .0194). In the cell model, the regulatory effects of JTP and BBR on islet hormone levels were significantly weakened after TPH1 inhibition (P = .001), suggesting that JTP and BBR influence islet hormone secretion through the pancreatic 5-HT system.ConclusionThe islet 5-HT system is correlated with islet hormone secretion dysfunction in T2DM. JTP and BBR can improve islet hormone secretion by activating the TPH1/TGase2/SERT/5-HT1FR pathway in the islet 5-HT system in T2DM rats.

Objective To investigate the effects of Duzhi Pills combined with MOTOmed training on limb function and activities of daily living in patients with cerebral infarction of qi deficiency and blood stasis type.Methods A prospective randomized controlled trial enrolled 98 cerebral infarction patients with qi deficiency and blood stasis treated at Qinhuangdao Hospital,Oriental Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine(Qinhuangdao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine)from June 2022 to December 2024.Participants were randomized into control group(n=49,receiving conventional rehabilitation)and observation group(n=49,receiving additional Duzhi Pills+MOTOmed training)for 8 weeks.All patients received standard medication.Limb motor function and activities of daily living,and quality of life were assessed before and after treatment.Results(1)After treatment,both groups showed significant increases in Carroll Hand Function Test for Upper Extremity(CHFT-UE)scores,Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale for Upper Extremity(FMA-UE)scores,and Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function(STEF)scores compared to baseline(P＜0.05),with significantly greater improvements observed in the observation group(P＜0.01).(2)After treatment,both groups exhibited significant increases in Barthel Index scores for daily activity(P＜0.05),with the observation group demonstrating significantly greater improvement(P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,all subscale scores of the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey(SF-36),including physical function,bodily pain,mental health,vitality,social functioning,emotional role,and general health,were significantly increased in both groups(P＜0.05),with significantly greater improvements in the observation group,the difference being statistically significant(P＜0.01).Conclusion The combined regimen of Duzhi Pills and MOTOmed training significantly enhances limb function,daily activity,and quality of life in cerebral infarction patients with qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome,demonstrating clinical value for rehabilitation.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with clinical hallmarks of progressive cognitive impairment. Synergistic effects of the Aβ-Tau cascade reaction are tightly implicated in AD pathology, and microglial NLRP3 inflammasome activation drives neuronal tauopathy. However, the underlying mechanism of how Aβ mediates NLRP3 inflammasome remains unclear. Herein, we determined that oligomeric Aβ (o-Aβ) bound to microglial Kv2.1 and promoted Kv2.1-dependent potassium efflux to activate NLRP3 inflammasome resulting in neuronal tauopathy by using Kv2.1 inhibitor drofenine (Dfe) as a probe. The underlying mechanism has been intensively investigated by assays with Kv2.1 knockdown in vitro (si-Kv2.1) and in vivo (AAV-ePHP-si-Kv2.1). Dfe deprived o-Aβ of its capability to promote microglial NLRP3 inflammasome activation and neuronal Tau hyperphosphorylation by inhibiting the Kv2.1/JNK/NF-κB pathway while improving the cognitive impairment of 5×FAD-AD model mice. Our results have highly addressed that the Kv2.1 channel is required for o-Aβ-driven microglial NLRP3 inflammasome activation and neuronal tauopathy in AD model mice and highlighted that Dfe as a Kv2.1 inhibitor shows potential in the treatment of AD.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate pharmacologically active components of Yiqi Zishen Formula (YZF) and their mechanisms for alleviating airway inflammation in mice with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry was employed to characterize the chemical components in YZF and YZF-medicated rat serum. A compound-disease target network was constructed based on serum components of YZF to screen the key pathways and targets using enrichment analysis. A mouse model of cigarette smoke-induced COPD was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of YZF and validate the expression of key proteins in network pharmacology-enriched pathways. Fifty male C57BL/6J mice were randomized equally into control group, COPD model group, high- and low-dose YZF treatment groups, and N-acetylcysteine treatment group. Pulmonary function of the mice was assessed using whole-body plethysmography, and lung histopathology, alveolar structure, and airway remodeling were analyzed using HE staining. The levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF‑α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined with ELISA, and pulmonary expressions of PI3K, Akt, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), p65, and phosphorylated p65 (p-p65) were detected using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: We identified a total of 156 chemical components (including 26 flavonoids or flavonoid glycosides, 27 alkaloids, and 11 saponins) in YZF and 43 prototype components in medicated rat serum. Network pharmacology revealed 704 YZF-related targets and 1199 COPD-associated targets. Integrated analysis suggested that the anti-COPD effects of YZF were associated with the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. In mouse models of COPD, YZF treatment significantly increased mean alveolar number and peak expiratory flow (P<0.05), reduced mean linear intercept, bronchial wall thickness, lung coefficient, and BALF cytokine levels, and suppressed the expressions of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, p65, and p-p65 in the lung tissues. CONCLUSIONS YZF alleviates COPD symptoms and airway inflammation in mice possibly by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/NF‑κB pathway through its multiple components that interact with multiple targets.
Animals ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Rats

Objective In this study,2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene(DNCB)was used to induce the establishment of an atopic dermatitis(AD)model in BALB/c homozygous mice to simulate the skin inflammatory complications in patients with clinical malignancies.Methods BALB/c mice were divided into different groups:negative control group(NC group),model group(MODEL group),atopic dermatitis group(AD group),and dexamethasone group(DEX group).After the mice in MODEL group and DEX group were inoculated with S-180 tumor cells in the axilla,MODEL group,AD group and DEX group were stimulated with DNCB on the dorsal skin and the ear to establish an animal model of atopic dermatitis in tumor-bearing mice.Changes in body weight were observed and recorded,the dorsal skin condition of mice was assessed after the last administration of the drug,the spleen was taken to calculate the spleen coefficient,the difference in the mass of mouse ear slices was determined to calculate the degree of auricular swelling and the rate of inhibition of swelling,and histopathological tests were performed on the dorsal skin tissues to detect the levels of IgE,TNF-α,IL-4,and IL-17 in the serum using an ELISA assay.Results Compared with the NC group,the skin of mice in the MODEL and AD groups showed erythematous,papular,scaly and mossy changes,accompanied by weight loss,and a significant increase in splenic coefficient and auricular swelling.Pathologic findings showed an incomplete skin structure,a significant increase in skin thickness,a large infiltration of inflammatory cells,and an increase in the number of mast cells.Serum levels of IgE,TNF-α,IL-4 and IL-17 were increased.Compared with the MODEL group,the DEX group showed an improvement in all the assays.Conclusions DNCB excitation can successfully establish an animal model of AD in hormonal mice,which is drug-controllable,which provides a useful scientific tool for conducting scientific research related to malignant tumors and skin inflammation.

Objective:To analyze the prevalence of human respiratory syncytial virus（RSV）and the evolutionary characteristics of the adhesion glycoprotein（G）gene in Xi'an from 2023 to 2024.Methods:Respiratory specimens were collected from patients with acute respiratory infections in Xi'an between October 2023 to October 2024. RSV nucleic acid screening was performed using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR；full-length G gene sequencing was conducted on nucleic acid-positive specimens. Genotyping characterization of the obtained sequences was performed using Nextclade v3.10.0 software.Results:A total of 2 548 respiratory tract infection samples were collected，with 104 cases（4.08%，104/2 548）testing positive for RSV. The highest RSV positivity rate was observed in children aged ≤1 year（12.24%，18/147），and significant difference in positivity rates were found among age groups（χ 2=37.868， P<0.001）. Since October 2023，RSV has seen an epidemic peak during January to February 2024，and gradually declined thereafter，with no positive cases from May to September 2024. Among the 43 RSV-positive samples，12 strains were identified as subtype A（all genotype A.D.3），and 31 strains were subtype B（14 genotype B.D.4.1.1 and 17 genotype B.D.E.1）. Conclusion:From October 2023 to October 2024，RSV had an epidemic peak in January and February in Xi＇an，with subtype B being the predominant circulating type.

Objective To investigate pharmacologically active components of Yiqi Zishen Formula(YZF)and their mechanisms for alleviating airway inflammation in mice with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).Methods Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry was employed to characterize the chemical components in YZF and YZF-medicated rat serum.A compound-disease target network was constructed based on serum components of YZF to screen the key pathways and targets using enrichment analysis.A mouse model of cigarette smoke-induced COPD was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of YZF and validate the expression of key proteins in network pharmacology-enriched pathways.Fifty male C57BL/6J mice were randomized equally into control group,COPD model group,high-and low-dose YZF treatment groups,and N-acetylcysteine treatment group.Pulmonary function of the mice was assessed using whole-body plethysmography,and lung histopathology,alveolar structure,and airway remodeling were analyzed using HE staining.The levels of IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)were determined with ELISA,and pulmonary expressions of PI3K,Akt,phosphorylated Akt(p-Akt),p65,and phosphorylated p65(p-p65)were detected using immunohistochemistry.Results We identified a total of 156 chemical components(including 26 flavonoids or flavonoid glycosides,27 alkaloids,and 11 saponins)in YZF and 43 prototype components in medicated rat serum.Network pharmacology revealed 704 YZF-related targets and 1199 COPD-associated targets.Integrated analysis suggested that the anti-COPD effects of YZF were associated with the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.In mouse models of COPD,YZF treatment significantly increased mean alveolar number and peak expiratory flow(P<0.05),reduced mean linear intercept,bronchial wall thickness,lung coefficient,and BALF cytokine levels,and suppressed the expressions of PI3K,Akt,p-Akt,p65,and p-p65 in the lung tissues.Conclusion YZF alleviates COPD symptoms and airway inflammation in mice possibly by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway through its multiple components that interact with multiple targets.

Objective:To investigate the current prevalence and control status of coal-burning-borne endemic fluorosis in key areas of the disease in Zhenxiong County of Yunnan Province, thereby providing scientific basis for formulating subsequent prevention strategies and measures.Methods:From October to November 2023, a simple random sampling method was used to conduct a survey in three key townships (towns) in Zhenxiong County, Chishuiyuan Town, Yanyuan Town, and Linkou Yi and Miao Ethnic Township. Three administrative villages were selected from each township (town) as survey sites, and dental fluorosis examination on children aged 8 - 12 years who were born and lived in the local area was conducted. Thirty households were selected from each survey site, the use of household stoves and the formation of related healthy living behaviors were investigated. At the same time, a survey was conducted among primary school students and housewives to investigate their knowledge of coal-burning-borne endemic fluorosis prevention and control. The control and elimination of endemic areas were evaluated according to the "Assessment Protocol for Control and Elimination of Key Endemic Diseases (2019 Edition)".Results:A total of 1 172 children were examined, and the detection rate of dental fluorosis was 7.76% (91/1 172), with a dental fluorosis index of 0.11. A total of 295 households were investigated, and the qualified improved stoves rate and the correct use rate of qualified improved stoves were 95.59% (282/295) and 100% (282/282), respectively. The correct drying rate of edible corn and chili peppers was 79.66% (235/295). The awareness rates of coal-burning-borne endemic fluorosis prevention and control knowledge among housewives and primary school students were 46.69% (409/876) and 82.49% (440.5/534), respectively. Among the 9 villages investigated, two villages had met the criteria for eliminating endemic disease areas, two villages had met the criteria for controlling endemic disease areas, and the remaining 5 villages were uncontrolled.Conclusions:After implementing the comprehensive prevention and control measures mainly based on changing stoves, coal-burning-borne endemic fluorosis condition in Zhenxiong County has been effectively controlled, but there is still a significant gap between the elimination goals of some endemic fluorosis areas. Therefore, it is necessary to continue to strengthen prevention and control measures and promote health education.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of acute leukemia complicated with arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) in children, and to provide a reference for its diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.Methods:Case summary.This report presents three children with acute leukemia complicated with AIS admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from April 2015 to August 2024, and reviews the relevant literature at home and abroad to analyze the clinical characteristics, pathogenesis, and treatment of the disease.Results:All three cases were female, aged 4-14 years; two had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and one had acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Hemiparesis was the main presenting symptom in all cases, occurring during induction therapy.Symptoms resolved completely after anticoagulant and symptomatic treatment, with no sequelae and good prognoses.A literature search identified 8 reported cases of pediatric acute leukemia complicated with AIS.Combining these with our 3 cases yielded a total of 11 cases: 5 males and 6 females; median age 7 years (range 2-15 years); 8 with ALL and 3 with AML.Clinically, all presented with hemiparesis.Vascular imaging in 6 patients showed involvement of the middle cerebral artery.In 8 cases of ALL complicated with AIS, the event occurred during induction therapy, which was considered associated with the use of Asparaginase and intrathecal Cytarabine.Anticoagulation was the main treatment.Symptoms resolved in 10 cases, 3 had neurologic sequelae, and 1 died.Conclusions:AIS complicating acute leukemia in children is often the first clinical manifestation of hemiparesis, which mainly occurs in the process of induction therapy, and may be related to the adverse reactions of chemotherapy drugs such as hypercoagulable state of the blood caused by mendonuclease and insufficient cerebral perfusion caused by intrathecal injection of Cytarabine, etc.; once hemiplegic neurological symptoms appear in the process of induction therapy of children′s acute leukemia, it is highly suspicious of the concomitant AIS, and earlycranial magnetic resonance examination can help to clarify the diagnosis.Although most symptoms resolve with treatment, some patients may develop neurological sequelae.

BACKGROUND:Postoperative fever is one of the common clinical symptoms after posterior lumbar interbody fusion. There is no clear etiology or pathogenesis. The postoperative body temperature of patients is easy to repeat,the course of the disease is long,and the therapeutic effect of western medicine is poor,which affects the postoperative recovery of patients. OBJECTIVE:To review the relationship between inflammatory signaling pathways and postoperative fever and the mechanism of Chinese medicine inpreventing and treating fever after posterior lumbar interbody fusion,and to explore new therapeutic drugs for postoperative fever.METHODS:The CNKI Chinese Journal full-text database,WanFang database,and PubMed database were searched for articles published from June 2006 to December 2023. Chinese search terms were "Chinese medicine,postoperative fever,inflammation,interleukin-1,interleukin-6,interleukin-8,interferon gamma,tumor necrosis factor,prostaglandin E2,p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase,nuclear factor-κB,Toll-like receptor,Janus kinases/signal transduction and transcriptional activator,Notch signaling pathway." English search terms were "medicinal herb,postoperative fever,inflammation,interleukin-1,interleukin-6,interleukin-8,γ-interferon,tumor necrosis factor,prostaglandin E2,p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase,nuclear factor-κB,toll-like receptor,janus kinases/signal transducer and activator of transcription,notch signaling pathway." Articles with irrelevant research content and poor quality were excluded,and 100 articles were included and summarized.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) The operation induced the release of inflammatory factors,and the pro-inflammatory factors acted on the thermoregulatory center in the anterior hypothalamus to promote fever. (2) The absorption of bleeding and oozing fluid in the incision after surgery,and the phagocytosis of the egg white decomposition products of the necrotic cells,produce endogenous pyrogen (interleukin,tumor necrosis factor,interferon,etc.),leading to fever. (3) Cytokines pass through inflammatory signals,play an inflammatory role,and promote fever. (4) Chinese herbs or Chinese herbal compounds can regulate inflammatory signaling pathways and play an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic role in preventing and treating postoperative fever. Due to the lack of the mechanism of action of traditional Chinese medicine,it is necessary to further study and clarify the signaling pathways related to the prevention and treatment of postoperative fever by traditional Chinese medicine,and use modern technology to link cellular and molecular technology with the pharmacological mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine,so as to guide clinicians to use medicine and promote postoperative recovery of patients. (5) Chinese medicine combined with Western medicine in the treatment of postoperative fever is a future research hotspot. We should give full play to the advantages of Chinese medicine,and clarify the target mechanism of action of different syndrome types of Chinese medicine monomer or active ingredient extracts and Chinese medicine decoction.