Brain’s neural activities encompass both periodic rhythmic oscillations and aperiodic neural fluctuations. Rhythmic oscillations manifest as spectral peaks of neural signals, directly reflecting the synchronized activities of neural populations and closely tied to cognitive and behavioral states. In contrast, aperiodic fluctuations exhibit a power-law decaying spectral trend, revealing the multiscale dynamics of brain neural activity. In recent years, researchers have made notable progress in studying brain aperiodic dynamics. These studies demonstrate that aperiodic activity holds significant physiological relevance, correlating with various physiological states such as external stimuli, drug induction, sleep states, and aging. Aperiodic activity serves as a reflection of the brain’s sensory capacity, consciousness level, and cognitive ability. In clinical research, the aperiodic exponent has emerged as a significant potential biomarker, capable of reflecting the progression and trends of brain diseases while being intricately intertwined with the excitation-inhibition balance of neural system. The physiological mechanisms underlying aperiodic dynamics span multiple neural scales, with activities at the levels of individual neurons, neuronal ensembles, and neural networks collectively influencing the frequency, oscillatory patterns, and spatiotemporal characteristics of aperiodic signals. Aperiodic dynamics currently boasts broad application prospects. It not only provides a novel perspective for investigating brain neural dynamics but also holds immense potential as a neural marker in neuromodulation or brain-computer interface technologies. This paper summarizes methods for extracting characteristic parameters of aperiodic activity, analyzes its physiological relevance and potential as a biomarker in brain diseases, summarizes its physiological mechanisms, and based on these findings, elaborates on the research prospects of aperiodic dynamics.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory impairment in clinical. Currently, there are no effective treatments for AD. In recent years, a variety of therapeutic approaches from different perspectives have been explored to treat AD. Although the drug therapies targeted at the clearance of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) had made a breakthrough in clinical trials, there were associated with adverse events. Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of AD. Continuous neuroinflammatory was considered to be the third major pathological feature of AD, which could promote the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. At the same time, these toxic substances could accelerate the development of neuroinflammation, form a vicious cycle, and exacerbate disease progression. Reducing neuroinflammation could break the feedback loop pattern between neuroinflammation, Aβ plaque deposition and Tau tangles, which might be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating AD. Traditional Chinese herbs such as Polygonum multiflorum and Curcuma were utilized in the treatment of AD due to their ability to mitigate neuroinflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and indomethacin had been shown to reduce the level of inflammasomes in the body, and taking these drugs was associated with a low incidence of AD. Biosynthetic nanomaterials loaded with oxytocin were demonstrated to have the capability to anti-inflammatory and penetrate the blood-brain barrier effectively, and they played an anti-inflammatory role via sustained-releasing oxytocin in the brain. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells could reduce neuroinflammation and inhibit the activation of microglia. The secretion of mesenchymal stem cells could not only improve neuroinflammation, but also exert a multi-target comprehensive therapeutic effect, making it potentially more suitable for the treatment of AD. Enhancing the level of TREM2 in microglial cells using gene editing technologies, or application of TREM2 antibodies such as Ab-T1, hT2AB could improve microglial cell function and reduce the level of neuroinflammation, which might be a potential treatment for AD. Probiotic therapy, fecal flora transplantation, antibiotic therapy, and dietary intervention could reshape the composition of the gut microbiota and alleviate neuroinflammation through the gut-brain axis. However, the drugs of sodium oligomannose remain controversial. Both exercise intervention and electromagnetic intervention had the potential to attenuate neuroinflammation, thereby delaying AD process. This article focuses on the role of drug therapy, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, gut microbiota therapy, exercise intervention, and brain stimulation in improving neuroinflammation in recent years, aiming to provide a novel insight for the treatment of AD by intervening neuroinflammation in the future.

ObjectiveTo explore psychological experiences and care needs of elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following dysphagia. MethodsFrom April to June, 2024, 13 elderly patients with COPD and dysphagia received treatment in Yixing No. 2 People's Hospital (Yixing Occupational Disease Institute) and Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital were interviewed. Nvivo 11.0 and content analysis were employed to analyze and summarize themes. ResultsTwo main themes were identified. The psychological experiences included fear of eating due to swallowing and choking, swallowing anxiety in social situations, concerns about malnutrition, and emotional loss related to family. The care needs included improvement in swallowing function, adjustment of food texture, assistance with disease adaptation and effective access to health education information. ConclusionHealthcare professionals should thoroughly understand the psychological and needs of elderly patients with COPD-related dysphagia, and comprehensive nursing strategies should be developed and implemented to improve swallowing function and overall quality of life.

As a complex autoimmune disease， rheumatoid arthritis （RA） involves immune microenvironment dysregulation resulting from excessive activation of pyroptosis， which is a crucial factor in disease progression. Based on the theory of ying-wei in traditional Chinese medicine， "ying decline and wei attack" is considered the fundamental pathogenesis of RA. Pyroptosis serves as a microscopic manifestation of this concept， suggesting a potential correlation between "ying decline and wei attack" and pyroptosis nd immune microenvironment dysregulation in RA. Accordingly， treatment principles based on this theory are proposed： in the early stage of the disease， boosting wei to consolidate the exterior， and regulating ying to dispel pathogens； in the middle and late stages， harmonizing ying to remove stagnation， and nourishing its transformational source.

Shengma Gegentang is one of the classic formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Classic Prescriptions （Second Batch）. This study reviewed ancient and modern literature and used literature tracing and bibliometric methods to analyze the historical evolution， efficacy， indications， dosage decoctions， and modern clinical disease spectrum of Shengma Gegentang. The results indicated that the earliest record of Shengma Gegentang can be found in the Taiping Huimin Heji Jufang of the Song dynasty， but its origin can be traced back to the Shaoyao Siwu Jiejitang in the Beiji Qianjin Yaofang of the Tang dynasty. The composition dosage of Shengma Gegentang is 413 g of Cimicifugae Rhizoma， 619.5 g of Puerariae Lobatae Radix， 413 g of Paeoniae Radix Alba， and 413 g of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， which are ground into coarse powder. Each dose is 12.39 g， and the amount of water added is 300 mL. 100 mL of solution is decocted and taken at the right time. The four drugs in the formula play the role of relieving exterior syndrome， penetrating pathogenic factors， and detoxicating together. Its indications are widely involved in internal medicine， pediatrics， surgery， ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology， obstetrics and gynecology， sexually transmitted diseases， and other diseases， such as measles， sores， acne， spots， surgical gangrene， red eyes， toothache， chancre， and fetal poison. The epidemic diseases treated by Shengma Gegentang are complicated， including rash， pox， macula， numbness， summer diarrhea， dysentery， sha disease， febrile symptoms， spring warmth， winter warmth， and cold pestilence. At the same time， it is a plague prevention formula. Although Shengma Gegentang has a wide range of indications， it cannot be separated from the pathogenic mechanism of evil Qi blocking the muscle surface and heat in the lungs and stomach. The modern clinical disease spectrum of Shengma Gegentang involves the ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology system， nervous system， pediatric-related diseases and syndromes， skin system， hepatobiliary system， and digestive system. It plays a key role in the treatment of epidemic diseases such as measles， chronic hepatitis B， dysentery， and tetanus.

ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the mechanism of action of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang in treating rheumatoid arthritis （RA）-associated sarcopenia by regulating autophagy and improving skeletal muscle homeostasis based on network pharmacology，bioinformatics，machine learning，and animal experiments. MethodsActive ingredients and targets of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang were screened using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP），PubChem，and SwissTargetPrediction databases. RA-related datasets were retrieved from the GEO database，and differential genes were screened. Sarcopenia-related targets were searched through GeneCards and the Comparative Toxicology Database （CTD），and autophagy-related gene sets were downloaded from the Human Autophagy Database （HADb）. Their intersection was analyzed to identify autophagy-related therapeutic targets，followed by enrichment analysis. A protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed using the STRING database，and key targets were selected using multiple methods. Machine learning was applied to predict models based on the expression profiles of intersecting targets，and nomogram models were constructed based on key targets. Molecular docking of the top four active ingredients with key targets was performed using AutoDockVina. A collagen-induced arthritis （CIA） rat model was established using bovine type Ⅱ collagen，with SD rats divided into groups including a blank group，a model group，and low-，medium-，and high-dose groups of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang （2.44，4.88，and 9.76 g·kg^-1） and administered for five consecutive weeks. Joint scores and gastrocnemius muscle mass were recorded and analyzed after modeling. Hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining and Masson's staining were used to observe pathological changes in muscle tissue. Immunofluorescence staining was applied to observe the protein expression levels of myosin heavy chain （MYHC） and insulin-like growth factor-1 （IGF-1） in skeletal muscle. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of autophagy-related proteins ATG5，Beclin1，LC3B，muscle-specific proteins （MuRF1），MaFbx，and MYHC. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR （Real-time PCR） was performed to measure the mRNA expression levels of ATG5，Beclin1，LC3B，MuRF1，MaFbx，and MYHC in muscle tissue. ResultsNetwork pharmacology revealed that Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang shared 25 common targets with autophagy genes related to RA-associated sarcopenia. The PPI network and machine learning identified six key targets，which were primarily involved in autophagy and inflammatory pathways. Animal experiments showed that compared to the blank group，the model group had significantly higher joint scores （P<0.01） and lower gastrocnemius muscle index （P<0.01）. HE staining indicated a significant reduction in the cross-sectional area of gastrocnemius muscle fibers，with notable inflammatory cell infiltration and muscle atrophy in the model group. Masson's staining revealed obvious collagen fiber proliferation and deposition，with significant muscle fibrosis in the model group. The protein and mRNA expression levels of ATG5，Beclin1，LC3B，MuRF1，and MaFbx were significantly increased （P<0.01），while the protein expression of MYHC and IGF1 was significantly downregulated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group，the high-dose group of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang showed significantly reduced protein and mRNA expression levels of ATG5，Beclin1，LC3B，MuRF1，and MaFbx （P<0.01） and increased protein expression levels of MYHC and IGF1 （P<0.01）. The cross-sectional area of muscle fibers increased，and the muscle cell morphology approached normal. Moreover，pathological abnormalities in the gastrocnemius muscle were significantly improved，with reduced collagen fiber proliferation （P<0.01）. ConclusionHuangqi Guizhi Wuwutang can mediate autophagy by regulating the expression of ATG5，Beclin1，LC3B，and IGF1，thereby reducing skeletal muscle catabolism and improving skeletal muscle homeostasis，which contributes to the treatment of RA-associated sarcopenia. The findings provide insight into the mechanisms underlying the effects of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang in the treatment of RA-related sarcopenia and offer a reference for its enhanced clinical application.

ObjectiveTo investigate the target proteins directly bound by neochlorogenic acid （NA） and the molecular mechanisms that ameliorate the proliferation and inflammatory response of psoriatic keratinocytes. MethodsM5-induced HaCaT cells were used as a psoriatic keratinocyte proliferation and inflammatory cell model. The synthesized NA probe （NA-P） and NA prodrug were first evaluated for cell viability using a cell proliferation/cell counting kit-8（CCK-8）. The potency of NA and NA-P was evaluated in the safe concentration range， and the effects of 0-100 μmol·L^-1 NA and probe on M5-induced proliferation of HaCaT cells were detected using CCK-8. The effects of 20， 40， 80 μmol·L^-1 NA and 80 μmol·L^-1 NA-P on the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-23 （IL-23）， and interleukin-17A （IL-17A） inflammatory factors were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to measure the effects of NA on the mRNA expression of keratin 16 （K16） in HaCaT cells， S100 calcium-binding protein A9 （S100A9）， S100 calcium-binding protein A7 （S100A7）， IL-6， IL-17A， and chemokine 1 （CXCL1）. In vitro fluorescence labeling and competition experiments using NA-P were performed， and target protein angling and analysis using pull-down experiments combined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry （Pull-down/LC-MS/MS） were conducted. Target validation was performed using pull-down experiments combined with protein immunoblotting （Pull down-WB）， cellular heat transfer analysis combined with protein immunoblot （CETSA-WB） experiments， and molecular docking. Finally， Real-time PCR was utilized to detect the effects of 20， 40， 80 μmol·L^-1 NA and 80 μmol·L^-1 NA-P on the mRNA expression of IL-1β， nucleotide-binding oligomeric structural domain-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， apoptosis-associated speckled-like protein （ASC）， and cysteine protease-1 （Caspase-1） in HaCaT cells. Protein immunoblot （Western blot） was used to detect the effects of phosphorylated p65 （p-p65）， p65， phosphorylated human nuclear factor-κB inhibitory protein α （p-IκBα）， human nuclear factor κB inhibitory protein α （IκBα）， and heat shock protein 90 （HSP90） expression. ResultsIn the 200 μmol·L^-1 safe concentration range， HaCaT cell proliferation， increased expression of TNF-α， IL-1β， IL-23， and IL-17A inflammatory factors， and increased mRNA expression of K16， S100A9， S100A7， IL-6， IL-17A， and CXCL1 were observed in the M5 group compared with the blank group. Cell proliferation in 5-100 μmol·L^-1 NA and NA-P groups was inhibited， and the expression of TNF-α， IL-1β， IL-23， and IL-17A inflammatory factors was decreased in the NA-L， NA-M， NA-H， and NA-P-H groups. The mRNA expression of K16， S100A9， S100A7， IL-6， IL-17A， and CXCL1 was decreased （P<0.05）. High-confidence targets were screened for HSP90 protein by Pull-down/LC-MS/MS using 200 μmol·L^-1 NA competing with 100 μmol·L^-1 NA-P. Compared with that in the blank group， the mRNA expression of NLRP3， IL-1β， ASC， and Caspase-1， as well as the expression of p-p65/p65， p-IκBα/IκBα， and HSP90 protein， were increased in HaCaT cells in the M5 group （P<0.05）. Compared with that in the M5 group， the mRNA expression of NLRP3， IL-1β， ASC， and Caspase-1 of cells in the NA-L group， the NA-M group， the NA-H group， and the NA-P-H group was decreased （P<0.05）. p-p65/p65 and p-IκBα/IκBα were decreased in the NA-M and NA-H groups （P<0.05）， and there was no change in HSP90 protein. Pull down-WB showed that NA could directly target HSP90 protein， and NA binding to HSP90 protein enhanced its thermal stability. Molecular docking of NA with HSP90 family proteins HSP90AA1， HSP90B1， and HSP90AB1 all resulted in highly stable binding. ConclusionNA can inhibit the proliferation and inflammatory response of psoriatic keratinocytes by a mechanism that may be achieved by targeting HSP90 to modulate the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the target proteins directly bound by neochlorogenic acid （NA） and the molecular mechanisms that ameliorate the proliferation and inflammatory response of psoriatic keratinocytes. MethodsM5-induced HaCaT cells were used as a psoriatic keratinocyte proliferation and inflammatory cell model. The synthesized NA probe （NA-P） and NA prodrug were first evaluated for cell viability using a cell proliferation/cell counting kit-8（CCK-8）. The potency of NA and NA-P was evaluated in the safe concentration range， and the effects of 0-100 μmol·L^-1 NA and probe on M5-induced proliferation of HaCaT cells were detected using CCK-8. The effects of 20， 40， 80 μmol·L^-1 NA and 80 μmol·L^-1 NA-P on the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-23 （IL-23）， and interleukin-17A （IL-17A） inflammatory factors were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to measure the effects of NA on the mRNA expression of keratin 16 （K16） in HaCaT cells， S100 calcium-binding protein A9 （S100A9）， S100 calcium-binding protein A7 （S100A7）， IL-6， IL-17A， and chemokine 1 （CXCL1）. In vitro fluorescence labeling and competition experiments using NA-P were performed， and target protein angling and analysis using pull-down experiments combined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry （Pull-down/LC-MS/MS） were conducted. Target validation was performed using pull-down experiments combined with protein immunoblotting （Pull down-WB）， cellular heat transfer analysis combined with protein immunoblot （CETSA-WB） experiments， and molecular docking. Finally， Real-time PCR was utilized to detect the effects of 20， 40， 80 μmol·L^-1 NA and 80 μmol·L^-1 NA-P on the mRNA expression of IL-1β， nucleotide-binding oligomeric structural domain-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， apoptosis-associated speckled-like protein （ASC）， and cysteine protease-1 （Caspase-1） in HaCaT cells. Protein immunoblot （Western blot） was used to detect the effects of phosphorylated p65 （p-p65）， p65， phosphorylated human nuclear factor-κB inhibitory protein α （p-IκBα）， human nuclear factor κB inhibitory protein α （IκBα）， and heat shock protein 90 （HSP90） expression. ResultsIn the 200 μmol·L^-1 safe concentration range， HaCaT cell proliferation， increased expression of TNF-α， IL-1β， IL-23， and IL-17A inflammatory factors， and increased mRNA expression of K16， S100A9， S100A7， IL-6， IL-17A， and CXCL1 were observed in the M5 group compared with the blank group. Cell proliferation in 5-100 μmol·L^-1 NA and NA-P groups was inhibited， and the expression of TNF-α， IL-1β， IL-23， and IL-17A inflammatory factors was decreased in the NA-L， NA-M， NA-H， and NA-P-H groups. The mRNA expression of K16， S100A9， S100A7， IL-6， IL-17A， and CXCL1 was decreased （P<0.05）. High-confidence targets were screened for HSP90 protein by Pull-down/LC-MS/MS using 200 μmol·L^-1 NA competing with 100 μmol·L^-1 NA-P. Compared with that in the blank group， the mRNA expression of NLRP3， IL-1β， ASC， and Caspase-1， as well as the expression of p-p65/p65， p-IκBα/IκBα， and HSP90 protein， were increased in HaCaT cells in the M5 group （P<0.05）. Compared with that in the M5 group， the mRNA expression of NLRP3， IL-1β， ASC， and Caspase-1 of cells in the NA-L group， the NA-M group， the NA-H group， and the NA-P-H group was decreased （P<0.05）. p-p65/p65 and p-IκBα/IκBα were decreased in the NA-M and NA-H groups （P<0.05）， and there was no change in HSP90 protein. Pull down-WB showed that NA could directly target HSP90 protein， and NA binding to HSP90 protein enhanced its thermal stability. Molecular docking of NA with HSP90 family proteins HSP90AA1， HSP90B1， and HSP90AB1 all resulted in highly stable binding. ConclusionNA can inhibit the proliferation and inflammatory response of psoriatic keratinocytes by a mechanism that may be achieved by targeting HSP90 to modulate the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine and metabolic disorder affecting a substantial proportion of women of reproductive age. It is frequently associated with ovulatory dysfunction, infertility, and an increased risk of chronic metabolic diseases. A hallmark pathological feature of PCOS is the arrest of follicular development, closely linked to impaired intercellular communication between the oocyte and surrounding granulosa cells. Transzonal projections (TZPs) are specialized cytoplasmic extensions derived from granulosa cells that penetrate the zona pellucida to establish direct contact with the oocyte. These structures serve as essential conduits for the transfer of metabolites, signaling molecules (e.g., cAMP, cGMP), and regulatory factors (e.g., microRNAs, growth differentiation factors), thereby maintaining meiotic arrest, facilitating metabolic cooperation, and supporting gene expression regulation in the oocyte. The proper formation and maintenance of TZPs depend on the cytoskeletal integrity of granulosa cells and the regulated expression of key connexins, particularly CX37 and CX43. Recent studies have revealed that in PCOS, TZPs exhibit significant structural and functional abnormalities. Contributing factors—such as hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and dysregulation of critical signaling pathways (including PI3K/Akt, Wnt/β‑catenin, and MAPK/ERK)—collectively impair TZP integrity and reduce their formation. This disruption in granulosa-oocyte communication compromises oocyte quality and contributes to follicular arrest and anovulation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of TZP biology, including their formation mechanisms, molecular composition, and stage-specific dynamics during folliculogenesis. We highlight the pathological alterations in TZPs observed in PCOS and elucidate how endocrine and metabolic disturbances—particularly androgen excess and hyperinsulinemia—downregulate CX43 expression and impair gap junction function, thereby exacerbating ovarian microenvironmental dysfunction. Furthermore, we explore emerging therapeutic strategies aimed at preserving or restoring TZP integrity. Anti-androgen therapies (e.g., spironolactone, flutamide), insulin sensitizers (e.g., metformin), and GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., liraglutide) have shown potential in modulating connexin expression and enhancing granulosa-oocyte communication. In addition, agents such as melatonin, AMPK activators, and GDF9/BMP15 analogs may promote TZP formation and improve oocyte competence. Advanced technologies, including ovarian organoid models and CRISPR-based gene editing, offer promising platforms for studying TZP regulation and developing targeted interventions. In summary, TZPs are indispensable for maintaining follicular homeostasis, and their disruption plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of PCOS-related folliculogenesis failure. Targeting TZP integrity represents a promising therapeutic avenue in PCOS management and warrants further mechanistic and translational investigation.

A novel pair of Z/E isomeric compounds with unprecedented carbon skeleton were isolated from an aqueous extract of Aspongopus chinensis Dallas by macroporous resin, silica gel, and semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Their structures were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Infrared spectroscopy (IR), Mass spectroscopy (MS) and other spectroscopic methods as (Z)-3-(but-1″-en-1″-yl)-1-(2ʹ-hydroxyethyl)-4-propylpyridin-1-ium, namely aspongopyridine A, and (E)-3-(but-1″-en-1″-yl)-1-(2ʹ-hydroxyethyl)-4-propylpyridin-1-ium, namely aspongopyridine B, respectively. Besides, the anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, acetylcholinesterase inhibition and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition activities of the compounds 1 and 2 were evaluated. The results showed that compounds 1 and 2 have no anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition activities instead of weak acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity.