Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) serves as a treasure trove of ancient knowledge, holding a crucial position in the medical field. However, the exploration of TCM's extensive information has been hindered by challenges related to data standardization, completeness, and accuracy, primarily due to the decentralized distribution of TCM resources. To address these issues, we developed a platform for TCM knowledge discovery (TCMKD, https://cbcb.cdutcm.edu.cn/TCMKD/). Seven types of data, including syndromes, formulas, Chinese patent drugs (CPDs), Chinese medicinal materials (CMMs), ingredients, targets, and diseases, were manually proofread and consolidated within TCMKD. To strengthen the integration of TCM with modern medicine, TCMKD employs analytical methods such as TCM data mining, enrichment analysis, and network localization and separation. These tools help elucidate the molecular-level commonalities between TCM and contemporary scientific insights. In addition to its analytical capabilities, a quick question and answer (Q&A) system is also embedded within TCMKD to query the database efficiently, thereby improving the interactivity of the platform. The platform also provides a TCM text annotation tool, offering a simple and efficient method for TCM text mining. Overall, TCMKD not only has the potential to become a pivotal repository for TCM, delving into the pharmacological foundations of TCM treatments, but its flexible embedded tools and algorithms can also be applied to the study of other traditional medical systems, extending beyond just TCM.

Objective To investigate the effects of downregulating microRNA(miR)-550a-5p on the proliferation,migration and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)and to explore its mo-lecular mechanisms.Methods The miR-550a-5p inhibitor and its negative control(inhibitor NC),as well as small interfering RNA targeting scavenger receptor class A member 3(si-SCARA3)and its negative control(si-NC)were individually or co-transfected into A549 cells.These cells were desig-nated as inhibitor NC group,miR-550a-5p inhibitor group,miR-550a-5p inhibitor+si-NC(co-trans-fection)group and miR-550a-5p inhibitor+si-SCARA3(co-transfection)group.Cell proliferation was assessed by CCK-8 assay;colony formation ability was evaluated using a plate cloning method;cell migration and invasion were detected by scratch assay and Transwell chamber assay,respectively;levels of matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)-2 and MMP-9 in the supernatant of A549 cells were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA);apoptosis levels were determined by Annexin V/PI double staining.Results Compared with adjacent normal tissues,the expression level of miR-550a-5p was increased,while SCARA3 mRNA expression was decreased in NSCLC tissues(P＜0.05).Dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed that miR-550a-5p directly targeted SCARA3.Compared with the inhibitor NC group,cell proliferation rate,colony formation number,migration and invasion ability of the miR-550a-5p inhibitor group decreased,apoptosis rate increased(P＜0.05).Compared with the inhibitor NC group,the expression levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in cell supernatant of the miR-550a-5p inhibitor group were decreased,and the expression levels of SCARA3 protein were increased(P＜0.05).Compared with the miR-550a-5p inhibitor group or the miR-550a-5p inhibitor+si-NC group,cell proliferation rate,clonal colony formation number,migration and invasion ability of the miR-550a-5p inhibitor+si-SCARA3 group were increased,and apoptosis rate was decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the miR-550a-5p inhibitor group or the miR-550a-5p inhibitor+si-NC group,the miR-550a-5p inhibitor+si-SCARA3 group showed in-creased expression levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the cell supernatant and decreased SCARA3 pro-tein expression levels(P＜0.05).Conclusion Downregulation of miR-550a-5p inhibits the prolif-eration,migration and invasion of NSCLC cells,and promotes apoptosis,possibly through upregulat-ing SC AR A3 expression.

Objective: To study the effects and potential mechanisms of the aquaporin 1(AQP1) inhibitor acetazolamide(AZ) on the proliferation, apoptosis, and inflammatory response of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) fibroblast-like synoviocytes(FLS). Methods: TNF-α-induced RA-FLS was served as in vitro RA model. MTT assay, IF staining, and EdU incorporation assay were applied to study AZ′s effects on RA-FLS proliferation. Hoechst staining, flow cytometry analysis of Annexin V-FITC/PI-stained cells, and mitochondrial membrane potential detection experiments were used to detect cell apoptosis. ELISA and quantitative real-time PCR methods were used to measure pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Cell autophagy was evaluated using IF staining and mCherry-GFP-LC3B puncta assay. Western blot was performed to detect the levels of autophagy, apoptosis, and proliferation-related proteins. Moreover, the role of autophagy inhibition in AZ′s effects on RA-FLS was examined by co-treating with the autophagy activator rapamycin(RAPA) or the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine(3-MA). Results: AZ dose⁃dependently inhibited cell proliferation , promoted apoptosis , and reduced the production of pro⁃inflammatory cytokines in RA⁃FLS. Furthermore , AZ suppressed cytoprotective autophagy in these cells , as evidenced by decreased LC3B levels ( P < 0. 05 ) , increased p62 expression ( P < 0. 05 ) , and reduced autophagic flux ( P <0. 01) . Particularly , AZ ′s beneficial effects were reversed by RAPA⁃induced autophagy activation and enhanced by 3 ⁃MA⁃induced autophagy inhibition. Conclusion This study provides the first evidence that AZ hinders cytoprotective autophagy , thereby alleviating the hyperproliferation , apoptosis resistance , and aberrant inflammatory response of RA⁃FLS , revealing the core role of autophagy inhibition in AZ ′s anti⁃RA effects.

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of bardoxolone methyl(CDDO-Me)on activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and its mechanism for alleviating acute liver injury(ALI).Methods Mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages(BMDM)and THP-1 cells were pre-treated with CDDO-Me followed by treatment with Nigericin,ATP,MSU,intracellular LPS transfection for activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes,or poly A:T for activation of AIM2 inflammasomes.The levels of caspase-1 and IL-1β in the cell culture supernatant was determined with Western blotting and ELISA to assess the inhibitory effect of CDDO-Me on NLRP3 inflammasomes and its specificity.In the animal experiment,male C57BL/6J mouse models of acetaminophen-induced ALI were treated with low-dose(20 mg/kg)and high-dose(40 mg/kg)CDDO-Me,and the changes in serum levels of IL-1β,TNF-α,AST and ALT were measured by ELISA and liver tissue pathology was observed using HE staining.Results In mouse BMDM and THP-1 cells,CDDO-Me dose-dependently inhibited the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes without significantly affecting the secretion of non-inflammasome-related inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α or AIM2 inflammasome activation.In the mouse models of ALI,CDDO-Me treatment at both the low and high doses significantly reduced serum levels of IL-1β,AST and ALT,ameliorated histological changes and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration in the liver tissue,and the effects exhibited a distinct dose dependence.Conclusion CDDO-Me can specifically inhibit the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes to alleviate acetaminophen-induced ALI in mice.

Following the principles of evidence-based medicine,in accordance with the structure and drafting rules of standardized documents,based on literature research,according to the characteristics of chronic cough in children and issues that need to form a consensus,the TCM Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Cough in Children was formulated based on the Delphi method,expert discussion meetings,and public solicitation of opinions.The guideline includes scope of application,terms and definitions,eti-ology and diagnosis,auxiliary examination,treatment,prevention and care.The aim is to clarify the optimal treatment plan of Chinese medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease,and to provide guidance for improving the clinical diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough in children with Chinese medicine.

Objective Recent studies have indicated potential anti-inflammatory effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists(GLP-1RAs)on asthma,which is often comorbid with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and obesity.Therefore,we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the association between the administration of glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1)receptor-based agonists and the incidence of asthma in patients with T2DM and/or obesity. Methods PubMed,Web of Science,Embase,the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials,and Clinicaltrial.gov were systematically searched from inception to July 2023.Randomized controlled trials(RCTs)of GLP-1 receptor-based agonists(GLP-1RA,GLP-1 based dual and triple receptor agonist)with reports of asthma events were included.Outcomes were computed as risk ratios(RR)using a fixed-effects model. Results Overall,39 RCTs with a total of 85,755 participants were included.Compared to non-GLP-1 receptor-based agonist users,a trend of reduced risk of asthma was observed in patients with T2DM or obesity using GLP-1 receptor-based agonist treatments,although the difference was not statistically significant[RR=0.91,95%confidence interval(CI):0.68 to 1.24].Further Subgroup analyses indicated that the use of light-molecular-weight GLP-1RAs might be associated with a reduced the risk of asthma when compared with non-users(RR=0.65,95%CI:0.43 to 0.99,P=0.043).We also performed sensitivity analyses for participant characteristics,study design,drug structure,duration of action,and drug subtypes.However,no significant associations were observed. Conclusion Compared with non-users,a modest reduction in the incidence of asthma was observed in patients with T2DM or obesity using GLP-1 receptor-based agonist treatments.Further investigations are warranted to assess the association between GLP-1 receptor-based agonists and the risk of asthma.

Objective:To explore the clinical and genetic characteristics of three children with Leguis syndrome.Methods:Three children suspected as Legius syndrome at the Henan Children′s Hospital for precocious puberty or short stature from June 6, 2019 to August 25, 2022 were selected as the study subjects. Clinical data of the children were collected. All children were subjected to whole exome sequencing, and candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing.Results:All of the children (including 2 females and 1 male, and aged 4 years and 6 months, 8 years, and 14 years and 8 months, respectively) had typical café de lait spots. Child 1 also had precocious puberty, and children 2 and 3 had short statures. Genetic testing revealed that all of them had harbored heterozygous variants of the SPRED1 gene, including c. 751C>T (p.Arg251Ter194) in child 1, c. 229A>T (p.Lys77Ter368) in child 2, and c. 1044_1046delinsC (p.R349fs *11) in child 3. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the c. 751C>T (p.Arg251Ter194) variant was predicted to be likely pathogenic, whilst the other two were known pathogenic variants. Conclusion:All of the three children were diagnosed with Leguis syndrome due to variants of the SPRED1 gene, which had manifested as multiple café de lait spots in conjunct with precocious puberty or short statures.

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of bardoxolone methyl(CDDO-Me)on activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and its mechanism for alleviating acute liver injury(ALI).Methods Mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages(BMDM)and THP-1 cells were pre-treated with CDDO-Me followed by treatment with Nigericin,ATP,MSU,intracellular LPS transfection for activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes,or poly A:T for activation of AIM2 inflammasomes.The levels of caspase-1 and IL-1β in the cell culture supernatant was determined with Western blotting and ELISA to assess the inhibitory effect of CDDO-Me on NLRP3 inflammasomes and its specificity.In the animal experiment,male C57BL/6J mouse models of acetaminophen-induced ALI were treated with low-dose(20 mg/kg)and high-dose(40 mg/kg)CDDO-Me,and the changes in serum levels of IL-1β,TNF-α,AST and ALT were measured by ELISA and liver tissue pathology was observed using HE staining.Results In mouse BMDM and THP-1 cells,CDDO-Me dose-dependently inhibited the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes without significantly affecting the secretion of non-inflammasome-related inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α or AIM2 inflammasome activation.In the mouse models of ALI,CDDO-Me treatment at both the low and high doses significantly reduced serum levels of IL-1β,AST and ALT,ameliorated histological changes and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration in the liver tissue,and the effects exhibited a distinct dose dependence.Conclusion CDDO-Me can specifically inhibit the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes to alleviate acetaminophen-induced ALI in mice.

Specific tumor-targeted gene delivery remains an unsolved therapeutic issue due to aberrant vascularization in tumor microenvironment (TME). Some bacteria exhibit spontaneous chemotaxis toward the anaerobic and immune-suppressive TME, which makes them ideal natural vehicles for cancer gene therapy. Here, we conjugated ZIF-8 metal-organic frameworks encapsulating eukaryotic murine interleukin 2 (Il2) expression plasmid onto the surface of VNP20009, an attenuated Salmonella typhimurium strain with well-documented anti-cancer activity, and constructed a TME-targeted Il2 delivery system named Il2/ZIF-8@Salmonella. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that Il2/ZIF-8@Salmonella maintained the tumor-targeting feature of bacteria, and could be effectively phagocytosed by intratumoral macrophages, thus leading to the expression and secretion of IL2 in TME. The detailed analysis of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) showed that one dose of combinatorial Il2/ZIF-8@Salmonella achieved synergistic actions on a potent remodeling of TIME, marked by the activation of cytotoxic T cells and M1-polarization of macrophages in TME, thus leading to significant anti-tumor effects in melanoma, orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma, and pulmonary metastasis models. More importantly, Il2/ZIF-8@Salmonella exhibited high safety to major organs and hematopoietic systems. Taken together, we report a novel plasmid/ZIF-8@Salmonella system that simultaneously achieves effective TME-targeted delivery of therapeutic gene, as well as synergistic re-activation of TIME.

Sepsis is currently the leading cause of death in the intensive care unit, and its survivors also experience long-term immunosuppression and high rates of recurrent infections. At present, the clinical treatment of sepsis is still based on antibiotics, intravenous rehydration, and vasopressors, and there is no targeted drug treatment. However, as the rate of antibiotic resistance continues to increase, immunotherapy is highly anticipated as a new treatment. Patients with sepsis are often accompanied by acute leukocyte immune dysfunction and immunosuppression, which may be an important risk factor for the increasing morbidity and mortality of patients. Targeted inhibition of specific cell surface inhibitory immune checkpoint receptors and ligands, such as programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and other targets, can improve the host’s resistance to infection. In this paper, the research progress of PD-1 and PD-L1 in the immune response to sepsis was summarized to provide a theoretical basis for their further application in the treatment of sepsis in the future.