ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Jiaohong pills （JHP） and its prescription， Pericarpium Zanthoxyli （PZ） and Rehmanniae Radix （RR） cognitive dysfunction in scopolamine-induced Alzheimer's disease （AD） mice and its mechanism through pharmacodynamic and metabolomics study. MethodThe animal model of AD induced by scopolamine was established and treated with PZ， RG and JHP， respectively. The effects of JHP and its formulations were investigated by open field test， water maze test， object recognition test， avoidance test， cholinergic system and oxidative stress related biochemical test. Untargeted metabolomics analysis of cerebral cortex was performed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-Quadrupole/Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry （UPLC Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS）. ResultThe behavioral data showed that， compared with the model group， the discrimination indexes of the high dose of JHP， PZ and RR groups was significantly increased （P<0.05）. The staging rate of Morris water maze test in the PZ， RR， high and low dose groups of JHP was significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， the crossing numbers in the PZ， JHP high and low dose groups were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）； the number of errors in the avoidance test were significantly reduced in the PZ and high-dose JHP groups （P<0.01）， and the error latencies were significantly increased in the JHP and its prescription drug groups （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the activities of acetylcholinesterase in the cerebral cortex of the two doses of JHP group and the PZ group were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the activity of acetylcholinesterase in the high-dose JHP group was significantly decreased （P<0.05）， and the level of acetylcholine was significantly increased （P<0.01）. At the same time， the contents of malondialdehyde in the serum of the two dose groups of JHP decreased significantly （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The results of metabolomics study of cerebral cortex showed that 149 differential metabolites were identified between the JHP group and the model group， which were involved in neurotransmitter metabolism， energy metabolism， oxidative stress and amino acid metabolism. ConclusionJHP and its prescription can antagonize scopolamine-induced cognitive dysfunction， regulate cholinergic system， and reduce oxidative stress damage. The mechanism of its therapeutic effect on AD is related to the regulation of neurotransmitter， energy， amino acid metabolism， and improvement of oxidative stress.

Based on the theory of “manifestation-body and spirit-qi”， it is considered that the pathogenesis of tic disorders （TD） involves three manifestations of “wind， phlegm and fire”， with wind as the leading factor and phlegm and fire as the accompanying factors. It is advocated to identify the abnormality of body and spirit， summarize the evolution of manifestation， and prescribe flexibly based on qi movement of zang-fu organs. Among them， the common symptoms related to tics are mostly belong to wind symptoms， which originated from lung qi failing to purify and liver qi over-ascent. The method of soothing liver wood and purifying lung gold is adopted， and modified Xiaochaihu Decoction （小柴胡汤） and Cangerzi Powder （苍耳子散） are recommended； Patients with prolonged illness and strange symptoms are often mixed with phlegm， which stemmed from the fact that spleen failing to rise clear and stomach failing to downward turbid. The method of raising spleen-earth and lowering stomach-earth is adopted， and modified Yigong Powder （异功散） and Erchen Decoction （二陈汤） are recommended； Patients with severe symptoms are often mixed with fire symptoms， which originated from discordance of water and fire and hyperactivity of heart fire. The method of interacting heart and kidney and coordinating water and fire is adopted， and modified Xiegan Pill （泻肝丸） and Liuwei Dihuang Pill （六味地黄丸） are recommended， in order to regulate qi movement， harmonize body and spirit， and improve the symptoms.

We report a case of a male patient who developed persistent fever and central nervous system symptoms after eating raw snails for 10 days. The patient was diagnosed with Angiostrongyliasis depended on the clinical presentation, epidemiological history, and etiological results. The patient recovered after receiving albendazole anthelmintic and dexamethasone anti-inflammatory therapy. This article incorporates literature review to sort out the diagnosis and treatment of this patient, in order to provide feasible reference for clinicians.

Objective: To investigate the mechanism underlying the effects exerted by the Qizhu prescription (QZP) in breast cancer (BC), and the respective targets. Methods: Expression data from the ArrayExpress and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in BC. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed on the DEGs to identify genes involved in protein–protein interactions. Molecular docking was used to explore the dynamic relationship between active molecules and targets. Cell function experiments and animal studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of hub genes and active QZP compounds on BC cell behavior. Results: Among the 25 evaluated BC-related targets of QZP, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP1) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exhibited the highest degrees of dysregulation. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the anti-BC targets of QZP primarily affected drug responses and pathways in cancer cells. Molecular docking analysis suggested potential interactions between EGFR and quercetin/luteolin, as well as between MMP1 and luteolin/kaempferol/quercetin. Quercetin significantly reduced BC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor development in vivo. Treatment of BC cells with quercetin decreased the expression or activation of several associated proteins. Conclusion The findings of our study provide new insights into the therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine against BC, with particular reference to QZP.

We report a case of a male patient who developed persistent fever and central nervous system symptoms after eating raw snails for 10 days. The patient was diagnosed with Angiostrongyliasis depended on the clinical presentation, epidemiological history, and etiological results. The patient recovered after receiving albendazole anthelmintic and dexamethasone anti-inflammatory therapy. This article incorporates literature review to sort out the diagnosis and treatment of this patient, in order to provide feasible reference for clinicians.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of Ganmai Dazao Tang on breast cancer-related depression and explore the mechanism of the decoction in regulating immune inflammation and neurotransmitters via the mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） pathway. MethodBALB/c mice were randomized into control， model， fluoxetine （5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and low- and high-dose （crude drug 20 and 40 g·kg^-1， respectively） Ganmai Dazao Tang groups （n=10）. The mouse model of 4T1 orthotopic transplantation-induced breast cancer-related depression-like behavior was established. The depression-like behavior of mice was assessed by the tail suspension test and the forced swimming test. RT-qPCR was employed to determine the mRNA levels of interleukin （IL）-17A， forkhead box P3 （FoxP3），IL-1β， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the cerebral cortex. Flow cytometry was employed to measure the proportions of immune cell subsets in the spleen and thymus. HPLC-MS/MS was employed to measure neurotransmitter levels in the cerebral cortex. Western blotting was employed to detect the activation of the MAPK/NF-κB pathway. ResultCompared with the model group， administration of Ganmai Dazao Tang at a dose of 40 g crude drug·kg^-1 continuously for 4 weeks shortened the immobility time of modeled mice in the tail suspension and forced swimming tests （P<0.05）， down-regulated the mRNA levels of IL-1β， IL-17A， and TNF-α （P<0.05）， increased the proportions of T cells， CD4⁺ T cells， B cells， helper T 17 （Th17） cells， and regulatory T （Treg） cells， and reduced the proportion of CD8⁺ T cells （P<0.05）. Furthermore， it lowered the levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid （5-HIAA） and kynurenine （Kyn）， decreased the kynurenine/tryptophan （Kyn/Trp） ratio （P<0.05）， increased the content of 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT）， and down-regulated the protein levels of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase （p-ERK）， phosphorylated p38 MAPK， and phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB p65 （P<0.05）. ConclusionGanmai Dazao Tang can down-regulate the expression of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β， IL-17A， and TNF-α， restore 5-HT metabolism and Kyn/Trp balance， increase the 5-HT content， and reduce the activation of p38 MAPK， ERK， and the MAPK-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway to reduce neuroinflammation in the treatment of cancer-related depression.

Objective To observe the value of energy spectrum CT angiography(CTA)optimal single energy imaging combined with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction V(ASIR-V)for optimizing visualization of thoracodorsal artery(TDA).Methods Energy spectrum CTA was prospectively performed in 60 patients to observe TDA.The images were reconstructed as 120 kVp-like combined with 40%post-set ASIR-V(group A),as well as totally 18 kinds of single energy images ranging from 45 to 70 keV(with interval of 5 keV)combined with 40%,60%and 80%post-set ASIR-V(group B),and the subjective and objective evaluation results of the images were compared between and within groups.Results Under the same post-set ASIR-V weight,significant differences of subjective scores of axial and 3D images were found among different keV levels(all P＜0.001).With the increase of keV level,subjective scores of axial images increased first and then decreased,among which subjective score of 50 keV was the highest(all P＜0.001).Under the same keV levels,with the increase of ASIR-V weight,the subjective scores of overall axial images and 3D images for displaying the main trunk of TDA,as well as contrast-to-noise ratio of axillary artery increased(all P＜0.01).Conclusion Performing CTA using 50 keV single energy imaging combined with 80%ASIR-V reconstruction could balance image contrast and noise better,hence improving visualization of TDA and its branches.

Objective:To investigate the effect of Norcantharidin(NCTD)on the apoptosis of human ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells and its mechanism.Methods:Human ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells were cultured in vitro and treated with 52 μmol/L NCTD.The SKOV3 cells were divided into the control group and NCTD group(52 μmol/L).The morphological changes of SKOV3 cells were observed under an inverted microscope,and the changes of nucleus were observed under a fluorescence microscope.The changes of mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by flow cytometry after drug treatment for 24 h.Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins Bax,Bcl-2 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway-related protein β-catenin in SKOV3 cells after drug treatment for 24 h.Result:Compared with that in the control group,NCTD inhibited the proliferation of SKOV3 cells,reduced mitochondrial membrane potential,induced apoptosis of SKOV3 cells,increased the expression of Bax protein,decreased the expression of Bcl-2 protein and β-catenin.Conclusion:NCTD-induced apoptosis of ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells may be related to the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Objective To predict the potential mechanism of Yifei Sanjie prescription in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma based on network pharmacology,and to verify one of the key signal pathways,Janus protein tyrosine kinase 2(JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3),by cell experiments in vitro.Methods To screen the main active components and potential action targets of Yifei Sanjie prescription,with traditional Chinese medicine system pharmacological database(TCMSP).To search and retrieve the main targets of lung adenocarcinoma,with human genetic database(GeneCards)and online human Mendelian genetic database(OMIM).To obtain the intersection targets by screening and apply Wayne diagram,then analysis the topology and establish the traditional Chinese medicine-active compound-target network diagram by using of Cytoscape 3.7.2 software.To construct the protein-protein interaction(PPI)network,with the protein-protein interaction platform(STRING)and Cytoscape3.7.2 software.To analyze the functional enrichment of gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG),with the Metascape database.To carry out the molecular docking verification by using of Vina1.2.3 software.Using CCK-8 method to detect the effect of Yifei Sanjie prescription on cell activity.Using the cell scratch test to observe the effect on cell migration.And using Western blot method to test the expression of p-STAT3,STAT3,p-JAK2,JAK2 and VEGF-A.Results 94 active components,329 related drug targets and 1358 lung adenocarcinoma targets were obtained from Yifei Sanjie prescription,among which,150 of them intersected.PPI network visualization analysis shows that the potential key targets of Yifei Sanjie prescription in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma are protein kinase B1(AKT1),β-actin(ACTB),tumor suppressor gene p53(TP53),serum albumin(ALB),caspase-3(CASP3)and vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA).KEGG enrichment analysis screened 138 related signal pathways,indicating that JAK/STAT signaling pathway may play a key role in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma with Yifei Sanjie prescription.Molecular docking results showed that quercetin,luteolin,and ursolic acid had good binding activities with JAK2 and STAT3.The cell experiment showed that compared with the blank group,Yifei Sanjie prescription could significantly inhibit the activity of A549 cells,inhibit the migration of A549 cells,and decrease the expression of p-JAK2/JAK2,p-STAT3/STAT3 and VEGF-A protein.In addition,Colivelin,an activator of JAK2/STAT3 pathway,could reverse the effect of Yifei Sanjie prescription on the expression of A549 related proteins.Conclusion Yifei Sanjie prescription has the characteristics of multi-component,multi target and multi pathway in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma,and its mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of p-JAK2,p-STAT3 and VEGF-A protein expression,thereby inhibiting cell proliferation and migration.

Gelsemium elegans is a traditional Chinese herb of medicinal importance, with indole terpene alkaloids as its main active components. To study the expression of the most suitable housekeeping reference genes in G. elegans, the root bark, stem segments, leaves and inflorescences of four different parts of G. elegans were used as materials in this study. The expression stability of 10 candidate housekeeping reference genes (18S, GAPDH, Actin, TUA, TUB, SAND, EF-1α, UBC, UBQ, and cdc25) was assessed through real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, ΔCT, and RefFinder. The results showed that EF-1α was stably expressed in all four parts of G. elegans and was the most suitable housekeeping gene. Based on the coexpression pattern of genome, full-length transcriptome and metabolome, the key candidate targets of 18 related genes (AS, AnPRT, PRAI, IGPS, TSA, TSB, TDC, GES, G8H, 8-HGO, IS, 7-DLS, 7-DLGT, 7-DLH, LAMT, SLS, STR, and SGD) involved in the Gelsemium alkaloid biosynthesis were obtained. The expression of 18 related enzyme genes were analyzed by qRT-PCR using the housekeeping gene EF-1α as a reference. The results showed that these genes' expression and gelsenicine content trends were correlated and were likely to be involved in the biosynthesis of the Gelsemium alkaloid, gelsenicine.
Genes, Essential ; Gelsemium/genetics* ; Peptide Elongation Factor 1/genetics* ; Transcriptome ; Gene Expression Profiling/methods* ; Alkaloids ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods* ; Reference Standards