This study aims to explore the mechanism of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression based on metabolomics and network pharmacology. The chemical constituents of Jiaotai Pills were identified by UHPLC-Orbitrap Exploris 480, and the targets of Jiaotai Pills and depression were retrieved from online databases. STRING and Cytoscape 3.7.2 were used to construct the protein-protein interaction network of core targets of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression and the "compound-target-pathway" network. DAVID was used for Gene Ontology(GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the core targets. The mouse model of depression was established with chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) and treated with different doses of Jiaotai Pills. The behavioral changes and pathological changes in the hippocampus were observed. UHPLC-Orbitrap Exploris 120 was used for metabolic profiling of the serum, from which the differential metabolites and related metabolic pathways were screened. A "metabolite-reaction-enzyme-gene" network was constructed for the integrated analysis of metabolomics and network pharmacology. A total of 34 chemical components of Jiaotai Pills were identified, and 143 core targets of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression were predicted, which were mainly involved in the arginine and proline, sphingolipid, and neurotrophin metabolism signaling pathways. The results of animal experiments showed that Jiaotai Pills alleviated the depression behaviors and pathological changes in the hippocampus of the mouse model of CUMS-induced depression. In addition, Jiaotai Pills reversed the levels of 32 metabolites involved in various pathways such as arginine and proline metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and porphyrin metabolism in the serum of model mice. The integrated analysis showed that arginine and proline metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and porphyrin metabolism might be the key pathways in the treatment of depression with Jiaotai Pills. In conclusion, metabolomics combined with network pharmacology clarifies the antidepressant mechanism of Jiaotai Pills, which may provide a basis for the clinical application of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Depression/genetics* ; Mice ; Network Pharmacology ; Metabolomics ; Male ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects* ; Antidepressive Agents

Based on serum metabolomics and gut microbiota technology, this study explores the effects and mechanisms of the water extract of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen(SZRW) and the petroleum ether extract of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen(SZRO) in improving depressive-like behaviors induced by sleep deprivation. A modified multi-platform water environment method was employed to establish a rat model of sleep deprivation. Depressive-like behaviors in rats were assessed through the sucrose preference test and forced swim test. The expression of barrier proteins, such as Occludin, in the colon was determined by immunofluorescence. UPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS was utilized to analyze the serum metabolic profiles of sleep-deprived rats, screen for differential metabolites, and analyze metabolic pathways. The diversity of the gut microbiota was detected using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Spearman correlation coefficient analysis was conducted to assess the correlation between differential metabolites and gut microbiota. The results indicated that SZRO significantly increased the sucrose preference index and decreased the immobility time in the forced swim test in rats. A total of 34 differential metabolites were identified through serum metabolomics. SZRW and SZRO shared five metabolic pathways, including phenylalanine metabolism. SZRW uniquely featured taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, while SZRO uniquely featured linoleic acid metabolism and tyrosine metabolism. Correlation analysis revealed that SZRW could upregulate the abundance of Bilophila, promoting the production of indole-3-propionic acid and subsequently upregulating the expression levels of intestinal tight junction proteins such as ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin-1. SZRO could indirectly influence metabolic pathways such as arginine metabolism and linoleic acid metabolism by upregulating the abundance of gut microbiota such as Coprococcus and Eubacterium species. Both SZRW and SZRO can regulate endogenous metabolism, including amino acids, energy, and lipids, alter the gut microbiota microecology, and improve depressive-like behaviors. SZRO demonstrated superior effects in regulating metabolic pathways and gut microbiota structure compared to SZRW. The findings of this study provide a scientific basis for elucidating the pharmacodynamic material basis of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen.
Animals ; Rats ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Male ; Metabolomics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Depression/blood* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sleep Deprivation/complications* ; Ziziphus/chemistry* ; Antidepressive Agents/administration & dosage* ; Behavior, Animal/drug effects* ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Early control of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is crucial for reducing the progress of cardiovascular disease. However, its additional role to the risk of primary osteoporosis in men with coronary heart disease was inconclusive. Our study aims to determine the association of LDL-C and its trajectories for osteoporosis risk in the middle-aged and aged men of China. METHODS: The retrospective cohort study of 1546 men aged 69.74 ± 11.30 years conducted in Beijing, China from 2015 to 2022. And the incidence of primary osteoporosis was annually recorded. LDL-C trajectories were further identified by latent class growth model using repeated measurements of LDL-C. The association of baseline LDL-C for osteoporosis was estimated using hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI in Cox proportional hazard model, while mean level and trajectories of LDL-C for osteoporosis were evaluated using odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI in logistic regression model. RESULTS: During the median 6.2-year follow-up period, 70 men developed primary osteoporosis. The higher level of baseline LDL-C (HR = 1.539, 95% CI: 1.012-2.342) and mean LDL-C (OR = 2.190, 95% CI: 1.443-3.324) were associated with higher risk of osteoporosis in men with coronary heart disease after adjusted for covariates. Compared with those in the LDL-C trajectory of low-stable decrease, participants with medium-fluctuant trajectory, whose longitudinal LDL-C started with a medium LDL-C level and appeared an increase and then decrease, were negatively associated with osteoporosis risk (OR = 2.451, 95% CI: 1.152-5.216). And participants with initially high LDL-C level and then a rapid decrease demonstrated a tendency towards reduced risk (OR = 0.718, 95% CI: 0.212-2.437). CONCLUSIONS Elevated LDL-C level and its long-term fluctuation may increase the risk of primary osteoporosis in men. Early controlling a stable level of LDL-C is also essential for bone health.

Objective To investigate the value of 18F labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen(18F-PSMA)-1007 developing agent PET/CT(18F-PSMA-1007PET/CT)examination in the diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic decision of the newly diagnosed prostate cancer(PCa)and follow up after radical prostatecto-my(RP).Methods This study adopted the retrospective observational study method.A total of 68 patients receiving 18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT examination in this hospital from September 2022 to October 2023 were analyzed,including 36 cases of newly diagnosed PCa and 32 cases of biochemistry follow up failure after RP.A total of 30 items of clinical data were collected,including 8 items of basic clinical characteristics,7 items of pa-thology-related characteristics and 15 items of imaging characteristics.The patients clinical characteristics in the newly diagnosed PCa and biochemical failure after RP conducted the descriptive analysis.The Fisher exact probability method was used to analyze the differentiation of the SUVmax of primary lesions in different clini-cal subgroups[different tPSA levels at diagnosis,different mi-T stages,different Gleason scores at postopera-tive pathological puncture and different pathological types]in the newly diagnosed PCa group and the differ-entiation of recurrent lesion detection rates in different clinical subgroups(different tPSA in 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT examination,different pathological T stages,different lymph node invasion and different pathological Gleason scores in the biochemical failure after RP group.The Spearman correlation was adopted to test and analyze the correlation between the imaging features of positive lesions and tPSA.Results In the newly diag-nosed PCa group,there were 1 case of prostatic hyperplasia and 35 cases of PCa.SUVmax had no statistical differences among the primary lesions with different tPSA levels(P=0.81),different mi-T stages(P=0.70),different puncture Glleasonscores(P=0.20)and different pathological types(P=0.71).Moreover the tPSA value at diagnosis was positively correlated with the number of metastatic lesions(r=0.410,P=0.01).The clinical treatment decisions in 11 cases(31.43％)were changed according to the examination re-sults.In 9 cases of RP combined with lymph node dissection,the accuracy rate and concordance rate of 18F-PS-MA-1007 PET/CT and MRI in the lymph node detection rate all were 100％.I n the biochemical failure after RP group,the overall recurrent lesion detection rate was 71.88％(23/32),the operative area in situ recurrence(11 cases,34.38％)and bone metastasis(11 cases,34.38％)were most common.The differences of 18F-PS-MA-1007 PET/CT recurrent lesions detection rates had no statistical differences among the patients with dif-ferent tPSA levels(P=0.08),different pathological T stages(P=0.10),different postoperative pathological lymph node invasions(P=0.68)and different pathologic Gleason score in the 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT ex-amination.In the 18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT examination in the biochemical failure after RP,the tPSA value in the recurrent lesion was positively correlated with the number of recurrent lesions(r=0.48,P=0.01),SUVmax value in the recurrent lesion(r=0.46,P=0.01)and the SUVmean value(r=0.38,P=0.03).The clinical treatment decision in 18 cases(56.25％)was changed according to the examination results.Conclusion 18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT has good diagnostic value and efficiency for primary lesion and metastasis lesion of new-ly diagnosed PCa and recurrent foci of biochemical failure after RP.

Objective:To investigate the prognostic value of serum adenosylhomocysteinase (AHCY) in patients with hepatitis E virus acute liver failure (HEV-ALF).Methods:From 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2022, 100 patients each with HEV-ALF and acute hepatitis E (AHE) from the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Zhejiang University and Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were included in this case-control study. The HEV-ALF group was 58.56±11.16 years old, including 71 men. The AHE group was 56.04±14.30 years old, including 61 men. All serum samples were obtained before the patient had an acute onset and were obtained without treatment. Firstly, the serum AHCY levels in patients with HEV-ALF and AHE were analyzed by ELISA. Secondly, the serum AHCY levels in HEV-ALF patients with different organ failure and disease condition were compared. According to the number of organ failure, 100 HEV-ALF patients were divided into organ failure number=2 group ( n=58), number=3 group ( n=24) and number>3 groups ( n=18). According to the disease condition, 100 patients were divided into improvement group ( n=49), disease fluctuation group ( n=37), and deterioration group ( n=14). Thirdly, the survival times between the high serum AHCY level group ( n=50) and the low serum AHCY level group ( n=50) were compared. Finally, the independent risk factors to predict mortality using the multivariate Logistic regression analysis, and evaluated the predictive and decision-making abilities of serum AHCY levels were explored using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results:Serum AHCY levels in HEV-ALF patients were significantly higher than those in AHE patients [326.92 (295.37-385.84) pg/ml vs. 222.88 (188.04-246.78) pg/ml, Z=-12.217, P<0.001]. Serum AHCY levels in group 2 were significantly lower than those in group 3 [303.44 (284.40-330.15) pg/ml vs. 335.36 (306.30-385.84) pg/ml, Z=-3.353, P=0.001]. Serum AHCY level in group 3 were significantly lowerthan those in group>3 [335.36 (306.30-385.84) pg/ml vs. 549.89 (423.35-660.22) pg/ml, P<0.001]. The serum AHCY levels in the fluctuation group were lower than those in the deterioration group [322.17 (283.92-423.74) pg/ml vs. 458.26 (374.66, 593.89) pg/ml, Z=-4.016, P=0.009]. The survival time of high serum AHCY level group was significantly lower than that of low serum AHCY level group [23.11 (20.25-25.96) days vs. 29.49 (28.79-30.20) days, Z=-2.596, P<0.001]. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the levels of serum AHCY and total bilirubin were independent risk factors to predict mortality in HEV-ALF patients [AHCY, OR (95% CI): 1.008 (1.002-1.015), P=0.008; total bilirubin, OR (95% CI): 1.011 (1.005-1.018), P=0.001]. Serum AHCY level predicting the area under the curve (AUC) of 30-day mortality in HEV-ALF patients was 0.912, with a sensitivity of 90.00% and a specificity of 93.75%. DCA results demonstrated that serum AHCY level had good decision-making power for predicting 30-day mortality in HEV-ALF patients. Conclusion:Serum AHCY has an important prognostic value for HEV-ALF patients. Higher serum AHCY levels indicate the worse prognosis of HEV-ALF patients.

Objective:To screen interleukin(IL)-1β secretion-related membrane transporters by macrophage experiment in vitro and conventional knockout mice.Methods:THP-1 cell line was differentiated to obtain human THP-1-derived macrophages,and the primary macrophages were obtained from human peripheral blood.FVB wild-type mice with the same sex and age were used as the controls of MRP1 knockout mice.The macrophages in abdominal cavity and bone marrow of mice were cultivated.The cells were treated with ABCC1/MRP1,ABCG2/BCRP,ABCB1/P-gp,OATP1B1,and MATE transporter inhibitors,then stimulated by lipopolysaccharide and adenosine triphosphate.The secretion level of IL-iβ was detected by ELISA,Western blot,and immunofluorescence.Results:After inhibiting ABCC1/MRP1 transporter,the secretion of IL-1β decreased significantly,while inhibition of the other 4 transporters had no effect.In animal experiment,the level of IL-1 β secreted by macrophages in bone marrow of MRP1 knockout mice was significantly lower than control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion:ABCC1/MRP1 transporter is a newly discovered IL-1β secretion pathway,which is expected to become a new target for solving clinical problems such as cytokine release syndrome.

Bacterial biofilms gave rise to persistent infections and multi-organ failure, thereby posing a serious threat to human health. Biofilms were formed by cross-linking of hydrophobic extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), such as proteins, polysaccharides, and eDNA, which were synthesized by bacteria themselves after adhesion and colonization on biological surfaces. They had the characteristics of dense structure, high adhesiveness and low drug permeability, and had been found in many human organs or tissues, such as the brain, heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and skeleton. By releasing pro-inflammatory bacterial metabolites including endotoxins, exotoxins and interleukin, biofilms stimulated the body’s immune system to secrete inflammatory factors. These factors triggered local inflammation and chronic infections. Those were the key reason for the failure of traditional clinical drug therapy for infectious diseases.In order to cope with the increasingly severe drug-resistant infections, it was urgent to develop new therapeutic strategies for bacterial-biofilm eradication and anti-bacterial infections. Based on the nanoscale structure and biocompatible activity, nanobiomaterials had the advantages of specific targeting, intelligent delivery, high drug loading and low toxicity, which could realize efficient intervention and precise treatment of drug-resistant bacterial biofilms. This paper highlighted multiple strategies of biofilms eradication based on nanobiomaterials. For example, nanobiomaterials combined with EPS degrading enzymes could be used for targeted hydrolysis of bacterial biofilms, and effectively increased the drug enrichment within biofilms. By loading quorum sensing inhibitors, nanotechnology was also an effective strategy for eradicating bacterial biofilms and recovering the infectious symptoms. Nanobiomaterials could intervene the bacterial metabolism and break the bacterial survival homeostasis by blocking the uptake of nutrients. Moreover, energy-driven micro-nano robotics had shown excellent performance in active delivery and biofilm eradication. Micro-nano robots could penetrate physiological barriers by exogenous or endogenous driving modes such as by biological or chemical methods, ultrasound, and magnetic field, and deliver drugs to the infection sites accurately. Achieving this using conventional drugs was difficult. Overall, the paper described the biological properties and drug-resistant molecular mechanisms of bacterial biofilms, and highlighted therapeutic strategies from different perspectives by nanobiomaterials, such as dispersing bacterial mature biofilms, blocking quorum sensing, inhibiting bacterial metabolism, and energy driving penetration. In addition, we presented the key challenges still faced by nanobiomaterials in combating bacterial biofilm infections. Firstly, the dense structure of EPS caused biofilms spatial heterogeneity and metabolic heterogeneity, which created exacting requirements for the design, construction and preparation process of nanobiomaterials. Secondly, biofilm disruption carried the risk of spread and infection the pathogenic bacteria, which might lead to other infections. Finally, we emphasized the role of nanobiomaterials in the development trends and translational prospects in biofilm treatment.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of new simplified insulin resistance(IR)assessment indexes in identifying subclinical left ventricular systolic function impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods A total of 150 T2DM patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF≥50%)who were admitted to Department of Endocrinology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from June 2021 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients underwent two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography to measure left ventricular global longitudinal strain(GLS).According to GLS value,the subjects were divided into the normal group(GLS≥18%group,n=80)and the impaired group(GLS<18%group,n=70).Some new simplified IR assessment indicators were calculated and compared between the two groups,including body mass index(BMI),TG/HDL-C ratio,triglyceride-glucose(TyG)index,TyG-BMI index,TyG-WHR and metabolic score for IR(METS-IR).Correlation between the GLS and the new simplified IR assessment indexes was analyzed.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of different simplified IR assessment indexes,with the area under the curve(AUC)calculated.Furthermore,according to whether the subjects were complicated with hypertension,binary logistics regression analysis was performed to explore the independent correlation between the simplified IR assessment index and GLS<18%.Results Total 150 were included with aged(54.5±13.7)years with 96(64.0%)men and 54(36.0%)women.Compared with the GLS≥18%group,the TG/HDL-C ratio,TyG index,TyG-BMI,and METS-IR of subjects in the GLS<18%group were significantly increased(P<0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that TG/HDL-C ratio,TyG index,TyG-BMI,TyG-WHR,and METS-IR were negatively correlated with GLS(P<0.05).ROC analysis showed that TyG index had a certain predictive value for the evaluation of GLS<18%(AUC=0.678,95%CI 0.591-0.765,P<0.001).Stratification based on hypertension and further adjusting for confounding factors,TyG index remains significantly associated with GLS<18%(OR=3.249,95%CI 1.045-10.103,P=0.042).Conclusions The novel simplified insulin resistance evaluation indexes are closely associated with left ventricular subclinical systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients with preserved ejection fraction.TyG index is an effective index to identify left ventricular subclinical dysfunction in these populations.

BACKGROUND:Animal models of diabetic encephalopathy that have been studied mainly include streptozotocin-induced model,high-sugar and high-fat diet-induced model and spontaneous animal model.Establishing a simple,easy,short-cycle,safe and effective model of diabetic encephalopathy can help to explore the subsequent pathogenesis and screen therapeutic drugs. OBJECTIVE:To further explore and evaluate the method of building diabetic encephalopathy rat models. METHODS:Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control(n=10)and model(n=10)groups.Rats in the model group were given a single injection of 45 mg/kg streptozotocin in the left lower abdominal cavity,and those in the control group were given the same amount of citrate buffer.During the experiment,the body mass,feed intake,water intake and blood glucose were measured.After 8 weeks,the glucose tolerance and oxidative stress levels were measured,and the pathological changes of brain tissue and the expression of apoptotic proteins were compared between groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the control group,the food intake,water intake,encephalization quotient,blood glucose and area under the blood glucose curve were significantly increased in the model group,while the body mass decreased significantly(P<0.01).Histopathological examination of the brain showed that compared with the control group,the number of surviving nerve cells was significantly reduced in the model group(P<0.01),with more significant pathological damage of nerve cells.Compared with the control group,the activities of serum superoxide dismutase,catalase and glutathione in the model group were significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the content of oxidative malondialdehyde was significantly increased(P<0.05).The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins Bax and Caspase-3 in brain tissue increased in the model group compared with the control group,while the expression of Bcl-2 decreased(P<0.01).In conclusion,an 8-week injection of 45 mg/kg streptozotocin can cause obvious pathological damage to the brain tissue of diabetic rats,to successfully establish the rat model of diabetic encephalopathy.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of apical microsurgery combined with guided bone regeneration(GBR)on refractory apical periodontitis and masticatory function.Methods A total of 82 patients with refractory apical periodontitis admitted to our hospital from June 2019 to September 2021 were selected as the study subjects,and they were divided into the control group and the com-bined group according to the random number table,with 41 cases in each group.The control group was treated with apical microsurgery,and the combined group was treated with apical microsurgery combined with GBR.The clinical efficacy,masticatory function and the levels of bone absorption markers[Wnt3a,osteoprotegerin(OPG),receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand(RANKL)]of patients in the two groups were compared.Results The total effective rate of the combined group(100%)was higher than that of the control group(85.37%),the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The masticatory efficiency and bite force of patients in both groups increased gradually 3,6 and 12 months after operation(P<0.05),which were higher in the combined group compared with the control group(P<0.05).The tooth mobility of patients in both groups decreased gradually 3,6 and 12 months after operation,and the tooth mobility of patients 3 and 6 months after operation in the combined group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The levels of Wnt3a and OPG of patients 1 week after operation in both groups increased,which were higher in the combined group compared with the control group(P<0.05).The RANKL level of gingival crevicular fluid of patients 1 week after operation in both groups decreased,and which was lower in the combined group compared with the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion The microapical surgery combined with GBR is effective for refractory apical periodontitis,which can effectively inhibit bone resorption,and improve masticatory function.