Objective To explore the therapeutic mechanism of Modified Lugen Formula(Phragmitis Rhizoma,Cicadae Periostracum,Batryticatus Bombyx,Lonicerae Japonicae Flos,Glycyrrhiza,Menthae Haplocalycis Herba,Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix,Puerariae Lobatae Radix,Bupleuri Radix)in treating influenza from the virus-host interaction interface.Methods The phytocompounds were first collected from the HERB database,and then potential active compounds were screened out by Lipinski's rules of five.The targets of active compounds were further predicted through the SwissTargetPrediction platform.Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were determined from the human H1N1 influenza dataset GSE90732 available in the Gene Expression Omnibus database(GEO).H1N1-Homo sapiens-related protein-protein interactions(PPIs)were gathered from the Pathogen-Host Interaction Search Tool(PHISTO).The above mentioned bioinformatic datasets were integrated.Then a PPI network and a Formula-virus-host interaction network were constructed using Cytoscape.Functional enrichment analyses were performed by using R software.Finally,molecular docking was carried out to evaluate the binding activities between the key compounds and targets.Results A total of 1 252 active compounds,1 415 targets,951 influenza-related DEGs,and 10 142 H1N1-Homo sapiens-related PPIs were obtained.There were 72 intersection targets between the Modified Lugen Formula and influenza.Functional enrichment analyses showed that these targets are closely related to host defense and programmed cell death.The network topological analysis showed that active compounds in the Modified Lugen Formula,such as oleanolic acid,γ-undecalactone,and longispinogenin,regulate viral proteins M2,NA,NS1,and HA and/or the host factors HSP90AA1,NRAS,and ITGB1,thus exert therapeutic effect.Molecular docking results confirmed that these compounds had a good binding ability with the targets.Conclusion Multiple active ingredients in Modified Lugen Formula directly target influenza virus proteins and/or host factors,thereby play an anti-influenza role in multiple dimensions,including inhibiting virus replication,regulating host defense and cell death.This study provides a theoretical basis for further experimental analysis of the action mechanism of the Modified Lugen Formula in treating influenza.

Objective To investigate the causes of abnormal decrease in maximum amplitude(MA)of thromboelastog-raphy(TEG)and its effect on prognosis by monitoring the changes of coagulation-related indexes in emergency trauma pa-tients.Methods A total of 319 cases of trauma patients admitted to our hospital from September 2020 to September 2023 were retrospectively analyzed,and the coagulation-related indexes of 0 h and 24 h after admission were observed.According to the MA results,they were divided into normal MA group(>50 mm)and reduced MA group(≤50 mm)to compare the hemoglobin(Hb),platelets count(Plt),activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT),prothrombin time(PT),fibrinogen(Fib),thrombin time(TT),D-dimer(D-D),coagulation reaction time(R),clot formation kinetics(Angle),30 min clot dissolution rate(Ly30),MA,thrombine-antithrombin complex(TAT)and plasminase-α2 plasminase inhibitor complex(PIC).The correlation between MA and fibrinolysis indexes in 319 trauma patients was analyzed.According to whether tranexamic acid(TXA)was used,the reduced MA group was divided into a TXA group and a non-drug group.The differ-ences in the change of the above coagulation-related indexes,mortality rate and changes in blood product dosage were com-pared between the two groups.Results Compared with the normal MA group,Hb,Plt,Fib,diastolic blood pressure and GCS scores decreased,while heart rate,ISS score and mortality increased significantly in the reduced MA group(P<0.05).The R,PT and TT were prolonged significantly(P<0.05),and PIC and D-D increased significantly(P<0.05)in the re-duced MA group.Correlation analysis found that MA had no correlation with Ly30,TAT and APTT,but was correlated with Angle(r=0.803),Plt(r=0.544),Fib(r=0.581),PIC(r=-0.443)and D-D(r=-0.343).Compared with the non-drug group,the change of Angle,MA and FIB in the TXA group increased significantly(P<0.05),while the change of PIC de-creased(P<0.05).Cryoprecipitate and platelet transfusion in the TXA group reduced significantly(P<0.05),and red blood cell transfusion had a decreasing trend,but the difference was not significant(P>0.05).The mortality rate in the TXA group was reduced significantly(P<0.05).Conclusion Hyperfibrinolysis may be an important factor in the abnormal decrease of MA in emergency trauma patients.Treatment with TXA can improve its effect on MA,and reduce the transfusion of blood products and the patient mortality.

DNA genetic markers have always played important roles in individual identification, kinship analysis, ancestry inference and phenotype characterization in the field of forensic medicine. DNA methylation has unique advantages in biological age inference, body fluid identification and prediction of phenotypes. The majority of current studies independently examine DNA and DNA methylation markers using various workflows, and they use various analytical procedures to interpret the biological information these two markers present. Integrated methods detect DNA and DNA methylation markers simultaneously through a single experimental workflow using the same preparation of sample. Therefore, they can effectively reduce consumption of time and cost, streamline experimental procedures, and preserve valuable DNA samples taken from crime scenes. In this paper, the integrated detection approaches of DNA and DNA methylation markers on different detection platforms were reviewed. In order to convert methylation modifications to detectable forms, several options were available for pretreatment of genomic DNA, including digestion with methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme, affinity enrichment of methylated fragments, conversion of methylated or unmethylated cytosine. Multiplexed primers can be designed for DNA markers and converted DNA methylation markers for co-amplification. The schemes of using capillary electrophoresis platform for integrated detection add the pretreatment of genomic DNA on the basis of detecting DNA genetic markers. DNA and DNA methylation markers are then integrated by co-amplification. But the limited number of fluorescent options available and the length of amplicons restrict the type and quantity of markers that can be integrated into a panel. Pyrophosphate sequencing also supports integrated detection of DNA and DNA methylation markers. On this platform, due to the conversion of unmethylated cytosine to thymine after treatment with bisulfite, the methylation level of CpG site can be directly calculated using the peak height ratio of cytosine bases and thymine bases. Therefore, the methylation levels and SNP typing can be simultaneously obtained. However, due to the limited read length of sequencing, the detection of markers with longer amplicons is restricted. It is not conducive to fully interpret the complete information of the target sequence. Next-generation sequencing also supports integrated detection of DNA and DNA methylation markers. A preliminary experimental process including DNA extraction, pretreatment of genomic DNA, co-preparation of DNA and DNA methylation library and co-sequencing, has been formed based on the next-generation sequencing platform. It confirmed the feasibility of next-generation sequencing technology for integrated detection of DNA and DNA methylation markers. In field of biomedicine, various integrated detection schemes and corresponding data analysis approaches of DNA and DNA genetic markers developed based on the above detection process.Co-analysis can simultaneously obtain the genomic genetic and epigenetic information through a single analytic process. These schemes suggest that next-generation sequencing may be an effective method for achieving more accurate and highly integrated detection, helping to explore the potential for application in forensic biological samples. We finally explore the impact of interactions between sites and different pretreatment methods on the integrated detection of DNA and DNA methylation markers, and also propose the challenge of applying third-generation sequencing for integrated detection in forensic samples.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a diabetic ocular complication that can lead to poor vision and blindness. This experiment aimed to investigate the ameliorative effect and its mechanism of Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) eye drops on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) in rats. All experiments were approved by the Animal Research Committee of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Animal welfare and the animal experimental protocols were strictly consistent with related ethics regulations of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. PZSHUTCM 211115004). Diabetes mellitus was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ into rats. Two months later, PNS solution was dropped binocular twice per day at 6 h intervals at dose of 20, 40, and 80 mg·kg^-1 continuously for 1 month. The morphological structure and activation of microglia of the retina were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemical assay. The disruption of the blood-retina barrier (BRB) was conducted by the Evans blue dye leakage assay. The number of acellular capillaries in the retina was assessed by digesting and hematoxylin-eosin staining assay. The number of retinal leukocyte adhesion was observed by fluorescein isothiocyanate-coupled concanavalin A lectin labeling assay. The serum expression of inflammatory factors was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blot experiments were used to detect the expression of relevant proteins in retinal tissue and transcriptional activation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB). The results revealed that PNS eye drops significantly increased the thickness of the retina, decreased the number of acellular capillaries, and up-regulated the expression of the tight junction proteins claudin-1 and occludin, thereby alleviating BRB damage. In addition, PNS eye drops were also able to significantly reduce leukocyte adhesion and microglia activation, the expression of inflammatory factors in serum, and the nuclear translocation of retinal p65 proteins, effectively inhibiting the occurrence of retinal inflammation. The above results showed that PNS eye drops played a role in improving NPDR by inhibiting the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and reducing inflammation.

Objectives: To examine the short-term and mid-term effects of surgical treatment of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in one center. Methods: The perioperative data and short-term follow-up outcomes of 421 patients with obstructive HCM who received surgical treatment at Department of Cardiac Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from January 2017 to December 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 207 males and 214 females, aged (56.5±11.7) years (range: 19 to 78 years). Preoperative New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification included 45 cases of class Ⅱ, 328 cases in class Ⅲ, and 48 cases in class Ⅳ. Fifty-eight patients were diagnosed with latent obstructive HCM and 257 patients had moderate or more mitral regurgitation with 56 patients suffering from intrinsic mitral valve diseases. All procedures were completed by a multidisciplinary team, including professional echocardiologists involving in preoperative planning for proper mitral valve management strategies and intraoperative monitoring. A total of 338 patients underwent septal myectomy alone, and 59 patients underwent mitral valve surgery along with myectomy. A single transaortic approach was used in 355 patients, and a right atrial-atrial septal/atrial sulcus approach was used in 51 other patients. Long-handled minimally invasive surgical instruments were used for the procedures. Student t test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, χ² test or Fisher exact test were used to compare the data before and after surgery. Results: The aortic cross-clamping time of septal myectomy alone was (34.3±8.5) minutes (range: 21 to 94 minutes). Eighteen patients had intraoperative adverse events and underwent immediate reoperation, including residual obstruction (10 patients), left ventricular free wall rupture (4 patients), ventricular septal perforation (3 patients), and aortic valve perforation (1 patient). Four patients died during hospitalization, and 11 patients developed complete atrioventricular block requiring permanent pacemaker implantation. After discharge, 384 (92.1%) patients received a follow-up visit with a median duration of 9 months. All follow-up patients survived with significantly improved NYHA classifications: 216 patients in class Ⅰ and 168 patients in class Ⅱ (χ²=662.73, P<0.01 as compared to baseline). At 6 months after surgery, follow-up echocardiography showed that the thickness of the ventricular septum ((13.6±2.5) mm vs. (18.2±3.0) mm, t=23.51, P<0.01) and the peak left ventricular outflow tract gradient ((12.0±6.3) mmHg vs. (93.4±19.8) mmHg, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa, t=78.29, P<0.01) were both significantly lower than baseline values. Conclusion: The construction of the surgical team (including echocardiography experts), proper mitral valve management strategies, identification and management of sub-mitral-valve abnormalities, and application of long-handled minimally invasive surgical instruments are important for the successful implementation of septal myectomy with satisfactory short-and medium-term outcomes.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Treatment Outcome ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic/surgery* ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency/surgery* ; Ventricular Septum

This study explored the feasibility of mineral element content and ratios of nitrogen isotopes to discriminate the cultivation mode of Dendrobium nobile in order to provide theoretical support for the discrimination of the cultivation mode of D. nobile. The content of 11 mineral elements(N, K, Ca, P, Mg, Na, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, and B) and nitrogen isotope ratios in D. nobile and its substrate samples in three cultivation methods(greenhouse cultivation, tree-attached cultivation, and stone-attached cultivation) were determined. According to the analysis of variance, principal component analysis, and stepwise discriminant analysis, the samples of different cultivation types were classified. The results showed that the nitrogen isotope ratios and the content of elements except for Zn were significantly different among different cultivation types of D. nobile(P<0.05). The results of correlation analysis showed that the nitrogen isotope ratios, mineral element content, and effective component content in D. nobile were correlated with the nitrogen isotope ratio and mineral element content in the corresponding substrate samples to varying degrees. Principal component analysis can preliminarily classify the samples of D. nobile, but some samples overlapped. Through stepwise discriminant analysis, six indicators, including δ~(15)N, K, Cu, P, Na, and Ca, were screened out, which could be used to establish the discriminant model of D. nobile cultivation methods, and the overall correct discrimination rates after back-substitution test, cross-check, and external validation were all 100%. Therefore, nitrogen isotope ratios and mineral element fingerprints combined with multivariate statistical analysis could effectively discriminate the cultivation types of D. nobile. The results of this study provide a new method for the identification of the cultivation type and production area of D. nobile and an experimental basis for the quality evaluation and quality control of D. nobile.
Dendrobium ; Minerals ; Discriminant Analysis ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nitrogen Isotopes

A series of chemotherapeutic drugs that induce DNA damage, such as cisplatin (DDP), are standard clinical treatments for ovarian cancer, testicular cancer, and other diseases that lack effective targeted drug therapy. Drug resistance is one of the main factors limiting their application. Sensitizers can overcome the drug resistance of tumor cells, thereby enhancing the antitumor activity of chemotherapeutic drugs. In this study, we aimed to identify marketable drugs that could be potential chemotherapy sensitizers and explore the underlying mechanisms. We found that the alcohol withdrawal drug disulfiram (DSF) could significantly enhance the antitumor activity of DDP. JC-1 staining, propidium iodide (PI) staining, and western blotting confirmed that the combination of DSF and DDP could enhance the apoptosis of tumor cells. Subsequent RNA sequencing combined with Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) pathway enrichment analysis and cell biology studies such as immunofluorescence suggested an underlying mechanism: DSF makes cells more vulnerable to DNA damage by inhibiting the Fanconi anemia (FA) repair pathway, exerting a sensitizing effect to DNA damaging agents including platinum chemotherapy drugs. Thus, our study illustrated the potential mechanism of action of DSF in enhancing the antitumor effect of DDP. This might provide an effective and safe solution for combating DDP resistance in clinical treatment.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Cisplatin/pharmacology* ; Disulfiram/pharmacology* ; Testicular Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Fanconi Anemia/drug therapy* ; Alcoholism/drug therapy* ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/drug therapy* ; Apoptosis ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Cell Proliferation

OBJECTIVE: To observe the impacts of acupuncture on depressive mood and sleep quality in patients with comorbid mild-to-moderate depressive disorder and insomnia, and explore its effect mechanism. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with comorbid mild-to-moderate depressive disorder and insomnia were randomly divided into an observation group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off). In the observation group, acupuncture and low frequency repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) were combined for the intervention. Acupuncture was applied to Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (GV 24⁺), Neiguan (PC 6) and Yanglingquan (GB 34), etc., the needles were retained for 30 min; and the intradermal needles were embedded at Xinshu (BL 15) and Danshu (BL 19) for 2 days. After acupuncture, the rTMS was delivered at the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (R-DLPFC), with 1 Hz and 80% of movement threshold, lasting 30 min in each treatment. In the control group, the sham-acupuncture was adopted, combined with low frequency rTMS. The acupoint selection and manipulation were the same as the observation group. In the two groups, acupuncture was given once every two days, 3 times weekly; while, rTMS was operated once daily, for consecutive 5 days a week. The duration of treatment consisted of 4 weeks. Hamilton depression scale-17 (HAMD-17) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scores were observed before and after treatment, as well as 1 month after the treatment completion (follow-up period) separately. Besides, the levels of nerve growth factor (BDNF) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the serum were detected before and after treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment and in follow-up, the HAMD-17 scores were lower than those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and the scores in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the total scores and the scores of each factor of PSQI were reduced in the two groups in comparison with those before treatment except for the score of sleep efficiency in the control group (P<0.05); the total PSQI score and the scores for sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep efficiency and daytime dysfunction in the observation group were all lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). In the follow-up, except for the scores of sleep duration and sleep efficiency in the control group, the total PSQI score and the scores of all the other factors were reduced compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05); the total PSQI score and the scores of sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency and daytime dysfunction in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of serum BDNF and GABA were increased in comparison with those before treatment in the observation group (P<0.05), and the level of serum BDNF was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Acupuncture relieves depressive mood and improves sleep quality in patients with comorbid mild-to-moderate depressive disorder and insomnia. The effect mechanism may be related to the regulation of BDNF and GABA levels and the promotion of brain neurological function recovery.
Humans ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/therapy* ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; Treatment Outcome ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; Depressive Disorder

The discovery of neuroglobin (Ngb), a brain- or neuron-specific member of the hemoglobin family, has revolutionized our understanding of brain oxygen metabolism. Currently, how Ngb plays such a role remains far from clear. Here, we report a novel mechanism by which Ngb might facilitate neuronal oxygenation upon hypoxia or anemia. We found that Ngb was present in, co-localized to, and co-migrated with mitochondria in the cell body and neurites of neurons. Hypoxia induced a sudden and prominent migration of Ngb towards the cytoplasmic membrane (CM) or cell surface in living neurons, and this was accompanied by the mitochondria. In vivo, hypotonic and anemic hypoxia induced a reversible Ngb migration toward the CM in cerebral cortical neurons in rat brains but did not alter the expression level of Ngb or its cytoplasm/mitochondria ratio. Knock-down of Ngb by RNA interference significantly diminished respiratory succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and ATPase activity in neuronal N2a cells. Over-expression of Ngb enhanced SDH activity in N2a cells upon hypoxia. Mutation of Ngb at its oxygen-binding site (His⁶⁴) significantly increased SDH activity and reduced ATPase activity in N2a cells. Taken together, Ngb was physically and functionally linked to mitochondria. In response to an insufficient oxygen supply, Ngb migrated towards the source of oxygen to facilitate neuronal oxygenation. This novel mechanism of neuronal respiration provides new insights into the understanding and treatment of neurological diseases such as stroke and Alzheimer's disease and diseases that cause hypoxia in the brain such as anemia.
Rats ; Animals ; Neuroglobin/metabolism* ; Globins/metabolism* ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism* ; Neurons/metabolism* ; Hypoxia/metabolism* ; Brain/metabolism* ; Oxygen ; Anemia/metabolism* ; Adenosine Triphosphatases/metabolism*

A new class of potent liver injury protective compounds, phychetins A-D ( 1- 4) featuring an unique 6/6/5/6/5 pentacyclic framework, were isolated and structurally characterized from a Chinese medicinal plant Phyllanthus franchetianus. Compounds 2- 4 are three pairs of enantiomers that were initially obtained in a racemic manner, and were further separated by chiral HPLC preparation. Compounds 1- 4 were proposed to be originated biosynthetically from a coexisting lignan via an intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction as the key step. A bioinspired total synthesis strategy was thus designated, and allowed the effective syntheses of compounds 2- 4 in high yields. Some of compounds exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activities in vitro via suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β. Notably, compound 4, the most active enantiomeric pair in vitro, displayed prominent potent protecting activity against liver injury at a low dose of 3 mg/kg in mice, which could serve as a promising lead for the development of acute liver injury therapeutic agent.