OBJECTIVE To investigate the antidepressant mechanism of Shugan hewei tang （SGHWT） based on the metabolomics of prefrontal cortex （PFC）-nucleus accumbens （NAc）-ventral tegmental area （VTA） neural circuit. METHODS Male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， SGHWT low-， medium- and high-dose groups [3.67， 7.34， 14.68 g/（kg·d）， by raw material]， and fluoxetine group [1.58 mg/（kg·d）， positive control]， with 12 rats in each group. Except for the blank group， the depression model was established by chronic unpredictable mild stress combined with individual cage housing in the remaining groups， and the corresponding drug solution or normal saline was administered via gavage during modeling， once a day， for 6 consecutive weeks. After the last administration， the body weight， sucrose preference rate， total moving distance， frequency into the center and immobility time of rats in each group were detected. Samples of PFC， NAc and VTA areas of rats in the blank group， model group， SGHWT medium-dose group and fluoxetine positive control groups were collected，and their histomorphological features were observed， and non-targeted metabolomics analysis （except for fluoxetine group）were performed and validated. RESULTS Compared with model group， the cytolysis， structural damage and other pathological damages in three brain regions of rats were significantly alleviated in each drug group， while their body weight， sucrose preference rate， total moving distance and frequency into the center were all significantly higher or longer （P＜0.05）， and immobility time was significantly shorter （P＜0.05）. The results of non-targeted metabolomics showed that a total of 78 endogenous differential metabolites were identified， with 40， 35 and 24 in the PFC， NAc and VTA regions respectively， mainly involved in amino acid， lipid and sphingolipid metabolism. The results of metabolic pathway enrichment analysis showed that SGHWT affected the neural circuits of depressed rats by regulating sphingolipid metabolism， alanine， aspartic acid and glutamic acid metabolism， saturated fatty acid biosynthesis， among which alanine， aspartic acid and glutamic acid metabolism was predominantly involved. Validation experiments showed that SGHWT significantly increased the phosphorylation levels of protein kinase B （Akt） and mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， and decreased the protein expression of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor 1 （NMDAR1） in the NAc region of rats. CONCLUSIONS SGHWT significantly improves the depression-like behavior and attenuates pathological damage of PFC-NAc-VTA neural circuit of model rats， the mechanism of which is associated with inhibiting NMDAR1 expression and activating the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Objective:To analyze the prevalence and clinical features of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Chengde city.Methods:From August 2022 to June 2023, throat swabs and clinical data of 478 hospitalized children with respiratory tract infection in the Chengde Central Hospital were collected. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the molecular epidemiology of RSV-A and RSV-B subtypes and analyze the clinical features of patients with RSV infection.Results:Among the hospitalized children, 67.57% (323/478) tested positive for RSV. The outbreak of RSV infection was caused by RSV-A subtype. The peaks of RSV-A infection occurred from November to December, 2022 and May to June, 2023. There were 86.07% (278/323) of the RSV-A-positive cases had mixed infection with other pathogens, primarily bacterial pathogens with Streptococcus pneumoniae being the most common, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Influenza virus A was the most common viral pathogens causing mixed infection. The level of lactate dehydrogenase was higher in the patients with single RSV-A infection than in those with mixed infection ( Z=2.396, P=0.017), and higher than the normal upper limit. Compared with the single infection group, the mixed infection group had higher white blood cell count ( Z=2.417, P=0.016), neutrophil ratio ( Z=3.218, P=0.001), C-reactive protein level ( Z=1.998, P=0.046) and creatinine level ( Z=2.107, P=0.035), and lower lymphocyte ratio ( Z=3.205, P=0.001), but they were all within the normal range. There were no significant differences in the clinical features between RSV-A-positive patients co-infected with bacteria or other viruses (all P>0.05). Conclusions:RSV-A is the leading cause of respiratory tract infection in children in Chengde from 2022 to 2023, and often co-detected with bacteria. The mixed infection with other respiratory pathogens is related to the clinical features of patients with RSV-A infection.

Objective To observe the effects of Xixin Decoction on the blood-brain barrier permeability and the expressions of P-glycoprotein(P-gp),cannabinoid receptor 1(CB1)and cannabinoid receptor 2(CB2)in hippocampal tissue of rapidly aging mice(SAMP8);To explore the possible mechanism of Xixin Decoction in the treatment of Alzheimer disease(AD).Methods Totally 60 SAMP8 mice were randomly divided into model group,probiotics group,and Xixin Decoction high-,medium-and low-dosage groups,with 12 mice in each group,another 12 SAMR1 mice were set as control group.The medicated groups received corresponding drugs by gavage for 10 weeks respectively,while the control group and model group were gavaged with equal volume of distilled water.Morris water maze test was used to detect the learning and memory ability of mice,the blood-brain barrier permeability was detected by Evans blue method,the contents of matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9),nuclear factor(NF)-κB and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in serum were determined by ELISA,the expressions of P-gp,CB1 and CB2 in hippocampal tissue were detected by Western blot,P-gp expression in hippocampal tissue was detected by immunofluorescence staining.Results Compared with the control group,the learning and memory ability of mice in model group significantly decreased,Evans blue exudation in brain tissue significantly increased,the contents of MMP9,TNF-α and NF-κB in serum significantly increased,the expressions of P-gp and CB2 protein significantly decreased,the expression of CB1 protein significantly increased,with statistical significance(P<0.01,P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the learning and memory ability of mice in Xixin Decoction high-dosage group significantly increased,the Evans blue exudation in brain tissue significantly decreased,the contents of MMP9,TNF-α and NF-κB in serum significantly decreased,the protein expressions of P-gp and CB2 significantly increased,and the protein expression of CB1 significantly decreased,with statistical significance(P<0.01,P<0.05).Conclusion Xixin Decoction can improve the spatial learning and memory ability of AD model mice,and its mechanism is related to regulating the permeability of the blood-brain barrier and related protein expression,and inhibiting neuroinflammation.

Objective To investigate the effects of kuwanon G(KG)on proliferation,apoptosis,migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells and the molecular mechanisms.Methods The effects of KG on proliferation and growth of gastric cancer cells were assessed with CCK-8 assay and cell clone formation assay,by observing tumor formation on the back of nude mice and using immunohistochemical analysis of Ki-67.The effect of KG on cell apoptosis was analyzed using Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection kit,Western blotting and TUNEL staining.The effects of KG on cell migration and invasion were detected using Transwell migration and invasion assay and Western blotting for matrix metalloproteinase(MMP).The role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)pathway in KG-mediated regulation of gastric cancer cell proliferation,migration,and invasion was verified by Western blotting and rescue assay.Results KG significantly inhibited proliferation and reduced clone formation ability of gastric cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner(P<0.05).KG treatment also increased apoptosis,enhanced the expressions of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax,down-regulated Bcl-2,lowered migration and invasion capacities and inhibited the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 in gastric cancer cells(P<0.05).Mechanistic validation showed that KG inhibited the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway,and IGF-1,an activator of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway,reversed the effects of KG on proliferation,migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells(P<0.05).Conclusion KG inhibits proliferation,migration and invasion and promotes apoptosis of gastric cancer cells at least in part by inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Hypoxia is the common characteristic of almost all solid tumors,which prevents therapeutic drugs from reaching the tumors.Therefore,the development of new targeted agents for the accurate diagnosis of hypoxia tumors is widely concerned.As carbonic anhydrase Ⅸ(CA Ⅸ)is abundantly distributed on the hypoxia tumor cells,it is considered as a potential tumor biomarker.4-(2-Aminoethyl)benzenesulfo-namide(ABS)as a CA Ⅸ inhibitor has inherent inhibitory activity and good targeting effect.In this study,Ag2S quantum dots(QDs)were used as the carrier to prepare a novel diagnostic and therapeutic bio-probe(Ag2S@polyethylene glycol(PEG)-ABS)through ligand exchange and amide condensation reaction.Ag2S@PEG-ABS can selectively target tumors by surface-modified ABS and achieve accurate tumor im-aging by the near infrared-Ⅱ(NIR-Ⅱ)fluorescence characteristics of Ag2S QDs.PEG modification of Ag2S QDs greatly improves its water solubility and stability,and therefore achieves high photothermal sta-bility and high photothermal conversion efficiency(PCE)of 45.17％.Under laser irradiation,Ag2S@PEG-ABS has powerful photothermal and inherent antitumor combinations on colon cancer cells(CT-26)in vitro.It also has been proved that Ag2S@PEG-ABS can realize the effective treatment of hypoxia tumors in vivo and show good biocompatibility.Therefore,it is a new efficient integrated platform for the diagnosis and treatment of hypoxia tumors.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) have the characteristics of resistance to environmental degradation, bioaccumulation and long-distance migration potential. Maternal exposure to POPs during pregnancy can enter the fetal blood circulation through the placental barrier, and have a potential impact on the functional development of the nervous system of the offspring. This in turn leads to the occurrence and development of neurological defects and diseases in adulthood. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the effects of exposure to three major POPs (organochlorine compounds, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers) during pregnancy on the functional development of the nervous system (social emotions, cognition, language, exercise, and adaptability) in children, and to provide reference for subsequent studies.

Objective To investigate the effects of kuwanon G(KG)on proliferation,apoptosis,migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells and the molecular mechanisms.Methods The effects of KG on proliferation and growth of gastric cancer cells were assessed with CCK-8 assay and cell clone formation assay,by observing tumor formation on the back of nude mice and using immunohistochemical analysis of Ki-67.The effect of KG on cell apoptosis was analyzed using Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection kit,Western blotting and TUNEL staining.The effects of KG on cell migration and invasion were detected using Transwell migration and invasion assay and Western blotting for matrix metalloproteinase(MMP).The role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)pathway in KG-mediated regulation of gastric cancer cell proliferation,migration,and invasion was verified by Western blotting and rescue assay.Results KG significantly inhibited proliferation and reduced clone formation ability of gastric cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner(P<0.05).KG treatment also increased apoptosis,enhanced the expressions of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax,down-regulated Bcl-2,lowered migration and invasion capacities and inhibited the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 in gastric cancer cells(P<0.05).Mechanistic validation showed that KG inhibited the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway,and IGF-1,an activator of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway,reversed the effects of KG on proliferation,migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells(P<0.05).Conclusion KG inhibits proliferation,migration and invasion and promotes apoptosis of gastric cancer cells at least in part by inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) have the characteristics of resistance to environmental degradation, bioaccumulation and long-distance migration potential. Maternal exposure to POPs during pregnancy can enter the fetal blood circulation through the placental barrier, and have a potential impact on the functional development of the nervous system of the offspring. This in turn leads to the occurrence and development of neurological defects and diseases in adulthood. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the effects of exposure to three major POPs (organochlorine compounds, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers) during pregnancy on the functional development of the nervous system (social emotions, cognition, language, exercise, and adaptability) in children, and to provide reference for subsequent studies.

Gait deficits and balance disturbances are prevalent clinical features in Parkinson′s disease (PD). There is an increasing body of evidence pointing towards the degeneration of central cholinergic neurons as a crucial factor leading to these disturbances in PD. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the relevant research on the involvement of the central cholinergic system in the mechanisms underlying gait deficits and balance disturbance in PD. The aim is to provide new perspectives and insights for the treatment of gait deficits and balance disturbances in PD.

Myocardial dysfunction is the most serious complication of sepsis. Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction (SMD) is often associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction, but its pathophysiological significance remains unclear. The present study found that patients with SMD had higher plasma gastrin concentrations than those without SMD. In mice, knockdown of the gastrin receptor, cholecystokinin B receptor (Cckbr), aggravated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cardiac dysfunction and increased inflammation in the heart, whereas the intravenous administration of gastrin ameliorated SMD and cardiac injury. Macrophage infiltration plays a significant role in SMD because depletion of macrophages by the intravenous injection of clodronate liposomes, 48 h prior to LPS administration, alleviated LPS-induced cardiac injury in Cckbr-deficient mice. The intravenous injection of bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) overexpressing Cckbr reduced LPS-induced myocardial dysfunction. Furthermore, gastrin treatment inhibited toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression through the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPAR-α) signaling pathway in BMMs. Thus, our findings provide insights into the mechanism of the protective role of gastrin/CCKBR in SMD, which could be used to develop new treatment modalities for SMD.