Depression is a common psychiatric disorder characterized by persistent low mood or mental disorders. Current treatments primarily focus on regulating neurotransmitter levels， but their effectiveness is limited. The mechanisms underlying its onset are complex， and there is no unified consensus. Abnormal signaling pathway transmission plays a crucial role in the development of depression， involving multiple pathways， including Toll-like receptor 4/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 （TLR4/NLRP3）， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）， Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription （JAK/STAT）， mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase （MAPK/ERK）， brain-derived neurotrophic factor/tyrosine kinase receptor B （BDNF/TrkB）， cyclic AMP/protein kinase A/cAMP response element-binding protein （cAMP/PKA/CREB）， and others. Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） is based on a holistic approach and the principle of treatment based on the differentiation of syndromes， regulating the balance of multiple systems and organ functions from a macroscopic perspective. This approach has shown unique advantages in the treatment of depression. TCM attributes the onset of depression to dysfunction of the organ systems， involving liver Qi stagnation， heart spirit deficiency， kidney essence depletion， and spleen dysfunction. TCM compound treatments focus on soothing the liver， strengthening the spleen， calming the heart， and replenishing essence， with formulas such as Xiaoyaosan， Zishui Qinggan Yin， and Chahu Jia Guizhi Longgu Muli Tang. The active components of Chinese herbs mainly aim to tonify and regulate Qi， such as salidroside， ginsenoside Rb₁， astragaloside， and muscone. External TCM treatments， primarily acupuncture， aim to open the orifices and invigorate the spirit. Acupoints such as Baihui， Shenting， and Yintang are commonly used. Additionally， massage and moxibustion therapy can intervene in depression by regulating signaling pathways. This article reviews the core role of signaling pathways in the development of depression and the mechanism of TCM regulation of signaling pathways to intervene in depression， aiming to discover new therapeutic approaches that can improve the symptoms of depressed patients.

GPR126, also known as ADGRG6, is one of the most deeply studied aGPCRs. Initially, GPR126 was thought to be a receptor associated with muscle development and was primarily expressed in the muscular and skeletal systems. With the deepening of research, it was found that GPR126 is expressed in multiple mammalian tissues and organs, and is involved in many biological processes such as embryonic development, nervous system development, and extracellular matrix interactions. Compared with other aGPCRs proteins, GPR126 has a longer N-terminal domain, which can bind to ligands one-to-one and one-to-many. Its N-terminus contains five domains, a CUB (complement C1r/C1s, Uegf, Bmp1) domain, a PTX (Pentraxin) domain, a SEA (Sperm protein, Enterokinase, and Agrin) domain, a hormone binding (HormR) domain, and a conserved GAIN domain. The GAIN domain has a self-shearing function, which is essential for the maturation, stability, transport and function of aGPCRs. Different SEA domains constitute different GPR126 isomers, which can regulate the activation and closure of downstream signaling pathways through conformational changes. GPR126 has a typical aGPCRs seven-transmembrane helical structure, which can be coupled to Gs and Gi, causing cAMP to up- or down-regulation, mediating transmembrane signaling and participating in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. GPR126 is activated in a tethered-stalk peptide agonism or orthosteric agonism, which is mainly manifested by self-proteolysis or conformational changes in the GAIN domain, which mediates the rapid activation or closure of downstream pathways by tethered agonists. In addition to the tethered short stem peptide activation mode, GPR126 also has another allosteric agonism or tunable agonism mode, which is specifically expressed as the GAIN domain does not have self-shearing function in the physiological state, NTF and CTF always maintain the binding state, and the NTF binds to the ligand to cause conformational changes of the receptor, which somehow transmits signals to the GAIN domain in a spatial structure. The GAIN domain can cause the 7TM domain to produce an activated or inhibited signal for signal transduction, For example, type IV collagen interacts with the CUB and PTX domains of GPR126 to activate GPR126 downstream signal transduction. GPR126 has homology of 51.6%-86.9% among different species, with 10 conserved regions between different species, which can be traced back to the oldest metazoans as well as unicellular animals.In terms of diseases, GPR126 dysfunction involves the pathological process of bone, myelin, embryo and other related diseases, and is also closely related to the occurrence and development of malignant tumors such as breast cancer and colon cancer. However, the biological function of GPR126 in various diseases and its potential as a therapeutic target still needs further research. This paper focuses on the structure, interspecies differences and conservatism, signal transduction and biological functions of GPR126, which provides ideas and references for future research on GPR126.

ObjectiveTo optimize the processing technology of honey bran-fried Rosae Laevigatae Fructus（h-RLF）， formulate relevant quality standards， and explore its improving effect and mechanism on mice with ulcerative colitis（UC） induced by dextran sodium sulfate（DSS）. MethodsTaking the content of polysaccharides and water-soluble extract as the indexes， L₉（3⁴） orthogonal test was used to optimize parameters of the amount of honey bran， frying time and frying temperature. The quality of 15 batches of h-RLF decoction pieces was evaluated according to the optimized process， and the inspection limit standard was preliminarily drawn up. Eighty SPF male Kunming mice were randomly divided into 8 groups， including the blank group， model group， mesalazine group（0.13 g·kg^-1）， RLF group（3.77 g·kg^-1）， bran-fried RLF group（3.77 g·kg^-1）， h-RLF low， medium and high dose groups（1.89， 3.77， 7.54 g·kg^-1）， with 10 mice in each group. The mice in the blank group were free to drink pure water， and the other groups were free to drink 3% DSS solution for 7 days to prepare UC mouse model. Each treatment group was given corresponding drugs by intragastric administration， and the blank and model groups were given equal volume of normal saline. The body weight of mice was recorded daily and the disease activity index（DAI） was calculated. After the administration， the colon tissues of mice were collected to observe the pathological changes by hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining. The levels of tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α， interleukin（IL）-1β， IL-6 and IL-10 in the colon of mice were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of phosphorylation nuclear transcription factor-κB p65（p-NF-κB p65）， Toll-like receptor 4（TLR4）， p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase（p-p38 MAPK）， p-extracellular signal-regulated kinase（p-ERK） and p-c-Jun N-terminal kinase（p-JNK） proteins in colon tissues. ResultsThe optimum processing technology of h-RLF was 20 g honey bran per 100 g RLF， and stir-frying at 200 ℃ for 8 min. The limit standard under the examination of h-RLF was preliminarily formulated as follows：the polysaccharide content should not be less than 25% based on anhydrous glucose（C₆H₁₂O₆）， the content of water-soluble extract should not be less than 38%， the moisture content should not be more than 12.0%， the total ash content should not be more than 5.0%， and the acid-insoluble ash content should not be more than 1.0%. The cluster heat map analysis showed that the quality of RLF from Huanggang， Hubei province was better. Animal experiments showed that compared with the blank group， the DAI score of the model group was significantly increased， the levels of TNF-α， IL-1β and IL-6 in the colon tissue were significantly increased， the IL-10 level was significantly decreased， the colonic mucosa was seriously damaged， accompanied by a large number of inflammatory cell infiltration， tissue congestion and a significant reduction in glands， and the expression levels of p-NF-κB p65， TLR4， p-p38 MAPK， p-ERK and p-JNK proteins were significantly increased（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， each administration group could alleviate the symptoms of colonic ulcer， the structure of colonic crypt was basically intact， and the glands were arranged in an orderly manner. Among them， the high-dose group of h-RLF had a better effect， which could significantly reduce the DAI score and the levels of TNF-α， IL-1β and IL-6 in colon tissue（P<0.01）， and significantly increase the level of IL-10（P<0.01）， alleviate the colonic mucosal injury， and effectively inhibit the expression levels of p-NF-κB p65， TLR4， p-p38 MAPK， p-ERK and p-JNK proteins（P<0.01）. ConclusionThe key parameters of the processing technology of h-RLF are determined， and the optimized technology is stable and feasible. The established quality standard is simple and reliable， and can be used for the quality control. h-RLF can effectively alleviate DSS-induced UC， and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the activation of NF-κB/TLR4/MAPK pathway.

This paper summarized PENG Qinghua's clinical experience in treating dry eye by applying therapeutic method of maintaining with sweet medicinals and restoring the body fluids. It is believed that the spleen earth insufficiency and fluids damage transforming into dryness are the main pathogenesis of the disease， and the basic therapeutic principle is maintaining with the sweet and restoring the body fluids by mainly using sweet medicines. It is advocated to use mild-sweet herbs， such as Baibiandou （Lablab purpureus subsp. purpureus）， Fuling （Smilax glabra Roxb.）， and Yiyiren （Coix lacryma-jobi L.）， to transport spleen earth， so that qi is restored and body fluids are recovered； moderate-sweet herbs， such as Dangshen （Codonopsis pilosula ［Franch.］ Nannf.）， Taizishen （Pseudostellaria heterophylla ［Miq.］ Pax）， Shanyao （Dioscorea oppositifolia L.） and Zhigancao （Glycyrrhiza glabra L.） are suggested to cultivate earth and generate metal， so as to move qi and circulate fluid； sweet-cool herbs， such as Nanshashen （Adenophora triphylla ［Thunb.］ A.DC.）， Beishashen （Glehnia littoralis ［A.Gray］ F.Schmidt ex Miq.）， Yuzhu （Polygonatum odoratum ［Mill.］ Druce）， Tianhuafen （Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim.） are suggested to nourish yin and increase body fluids， so as to promote fluid production to moisten dryness. In this way， when the source of fluid is restored and the fluid is circulated， the fluid can be produced continuously， which provides new ideas for the treatment of dry eyes with traditional Chinese medicine.

Pollinosis is one of the common allergic diseases, and its morbidity continues to increase. Studies have demonstrated that air pollution is a key environmental factor that leads to the increased prevalence of pollinosis. Air pollutants and pollen allergens exert synergistic effects in stimulating allergic responses in susceptible individuals. In this article, we analyzed the relationship between air pollution and pollinosis based on the latest studies, and elaborated potential mechanisms on how air pollution increases the incidence of pollinosis and aggravates allergic reactions. Air pollutants can increase both pollen production and the levels of allergenic proteins, and enhance allergenicity of pollen allergens through structural alterations or chemical modifications. The potential mechanisms of air pollutants exacerbating pollen allergies are as follows: Air pollutants may disrupt the barrier function of the respiratory epithelium and facilitate the penetration of pollen allergens into deeper tissues. Additionally, they may accelerate the process of the release of pollen allergy-related cytokines, promoting T helper 2 (Th2) cell differentiation and exacerbating inflammatory responses in the airways. Given the limitations of existing research, future prospective studies are needed to explore the effects of mixed pollutants and different types of pollutants on pollen, and the response mechanisms of allergy-related cells and cytokines to different pollutant categories. The findings would provide a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of air pollution on pollen allergies and scientific evidence for effective protection of the heath of pollinosis patients.

Retrograde adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are capable of infecting the axons of projection neurons and serve as a powerful tool for the anatomical and functional characterization of neural networks. However, few retrograde AAV capsids have been shown to offer access to cortical projection neurons across different species and enable the manipulation of neural function in non-human primates (NHPs). Here, we report the development of a novel retrograde AAV capsid, AAV-DJ8R, which efficiently labeled cortical projection neurons after local administration into the striatum of mice and macaques. In addition, intrastriatally injected AAV-DJ8R mediated opsin expression in the mouse motor cortex and induced robust behavioral alterations. Moreover, AAV-DJ8R markedly increased motor cortical neuron firing upon optogenetic light stimulation after viral delivery into the macaque putamen. These data demonstrate the usefulness of AAV-DJ8R as an efficient retrograde tracer for cortical projection neurons in rodents and NHPs and indicate its suitability for use in conducting functional interrogations.
Animals ; Haplorhini ; Axons ; Motor Neurons ; Interneurons ; Macaca ; Dependovirus/genetics* ; Genetic Vectors

Lymphatic metastasis is the main metastatic route for colorectal cancer, which increases the risk of cancer recurrence and distant metastasis. The properties of the lymph node metastatic colorectal cancer (LNM-CRC) cells are poorly understood, and effective therapies are still lacking. Here, we found that hypoxia-induced fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAPα) expression in LNM-CRC cells. Gain- or loss-function experiments demonstrated that FAPα enhanced tumor cell migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stemness, and lymphangiogenesis via activation of the STAT3 pathway. In addition, FAPα in tumor cells induced extracellular matrix remodeling and established an immunosuppressive environment via recruiting regulatory T cells, to promote colorectal cancer lymph node metastasis (CRCLNM). Z-GP-DAVLBH, a FAPα-activated prodrug, inhibited CRCLNM by targeting FAPα-positive LNM-CRC cells. Our study highlights the role of FAPα in tumor cells in CRCLNM and provides a potential therapeutic target and promising strategy for CRCLNM.

Six compounds were isolated from the roots of Ephedra sinica Stapf using various chromatographic techniques such as silica gel column chromatography, thin layer chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. Their chemical structures were identified by analysis of physicochemical properties and spectral data, and determined as (Z)-docosanylferulate (1), (E)-docosanylferulate (2), bis (2-ethylheptyl) phythalate (3), 2,2′-oxybis (1,4-di-tert-butylbenzene) (4), diisobutyl phthalate (5), bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (6). Among them, compound 1 is a new compound, compounds 2-4 were first isolated from Ephedra. A corticosterone-induced PC-12 cell injury model was used for compound activity screening. The results showed that compounds 1 and 5 significantly improved corticosterone-induced PC-12 cell injury and significantly increased 5-HT₇ receptor protein expression in the cells, indicating potential antidepressant activity.

Objective To investigate the etiology and outcome of elderly patients with new-onset status epilepticus(NOSE).Methods According to the electronic medical record,the keywords"Epilepsy"and"Status epilepticus"were searched for elderly patients with status epilepticus admitted to Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital between January 2018 and June 2023.Elderly patients with NOSE were strictly screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria,and etiology were analyzed according to medical history and ancillary examinations,and factors related to prognosis of epilepsy were analyzed by Logistic regression.Results There were 63 elderly NOSE patients,including 38 males and 25 females,with an average age of(72.71±7.45)years old.Cerebrovascular disease(21%)was determined as the major cause of NOSE in elderly patients,followed by central nervous system infection(17%).Logistic regression analysis of prognostic factors showed that co-infection(OR = 11.67,95%CI:1.391-97.850,P =0.024)and renal insufficiency(OR =18.90,95%CI:3.522-101.43,P = 0.001)were associated with poor patient prognosis.Conclusions Cerebrovascular disease is the main known cause of NOSE in elderly patients.Prevention of infection and improvement of renal function may improve prognosis.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of icariin regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome in the treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.Methods A rat model of focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion was induced using the thread embolism method.At 24 hours post-operation,the rats were randomly allocated into a sham operation group,model group,butylphthalide group(70 mg/kg),ICA-low dose(20 mg/kg),ICA-middle dose(40 mg/kg),and ICA-high dose(80 mg/kg)groups.The corresponding drugs were administered by gavage at 10 mL/kg once a day for 13 consecutive days.One hour after the last administration,neurological function was scored.The cerebral cortex was observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.Expression of interleukin(IL)-1β and IL-18 in the cerebral cortex was determined by immunohistochemistry.Expression of NLRP3,ASC,and Caspase-1 in the cerebral cortex was determined by Western Blot.Results In contrast to the sham operation group,there was a notable increase in neural function scores within the model group.The ischemic area around the visible cerebral cortex showed neuron necrosis at various level or glial cell proliferation,and the number of intact neurons was significantly reduced.IL-1β and IL-18 positive cells were significantly increased.Expression of NLRP3,ASC,and Caspase-1 was significantly increased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).After treatment with icariin,the neural function score was decreased significantly.The degree of neuronal necrosis in the peri-ischemic area was significantly reduced,and the number of intact neurons was significantly increased.IL-1 β and IL-18-positive cells were decreased significantly.Expressions of NLRP3,ASC,and Caspase-1 were significantly decreased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).Conclusions Treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by icariin may be related to regulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.