ObjectiveTo explore the role and potential mechanism of circulating glutamate in enhancing insulin sensitivity by aerobic exercise. This research may provide a novel strategy for preventing metabolic diseases through precise exercise interventions. MethodsTo investigate the effects of elevated circulating glutamate on insulin sensitivity and its potential mechanisms, 18 male C57BL/6 mice aged 6 to 8 weeks were randomly divided into 3 groups: a control group (C), a group receiving 500 mg/kg glutamate supplementation (M), and a group receiving 1 000 mg/kg glutamate supplementation (H). The intervention lasted for 12 weeks, with treatments administered 6 d per week. Following the intervention, an insulin tolerance test (ITT) and a glucose tolerance test (GTT) were conducted. Circulating glutamate levels were measured using a commercial kit, and the activity of the skeletal muscle InsR/IRS1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was analyzed via Western blot. To further investigate the role of circulating glutamate in enhancing insulin sensitivity through aerobic exercise, 30 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to 3 groups: a control group (CS), an exercise intervention group (ES), and an exercise combined with glutamate supplementation group (EG). The ES group underwent treadmill-based aerobic exercise, while the EG group received glutamate supplementation at a dosage of 1 000 mg/kg in addition to aerobic exercise. The intervention lasted for 10 weeks, with sessions occurring 6 d per week, and the same procedures were followed afterward. To further elucidate the mechanism by which glutamate modulates the InsR/IRS1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, C2C12 myotubes were initially subjected to graded glutamate treatment (0, 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10 mmol/L) to determine the optimal concentration for cellular intervention. Subsequently, the cells were divided into 3 groups: a control group (C), a glutamate intervention group (G), and a glutamate combined with MK801 (an NMDA receptor antagonist) intervention group (GK). The G group was treated with 5 mmol/L glutamate, while the GK group received 50 μmol/L MK801 in addition to 5 mmol/L glutamate. After 24 h of intervention, the activity of the InsR/IRS1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was analyzed using Western blot. ResultsCompared to the mice in group C, the circulating glutamate levels, the area under curve (AUC) of ITT, and the AUC of GTT in the mice of group H were significantly increased. Additionally, the expression levels of p-InsRβ, IRS1, p-AKT, and p-mTOR proteins in skeletal muscle were significantly downregulated. Compared to the mice in group CS, the circulating glutamate levels, the AUC of ITT, and the AUC of GTT in the mice of group ES were significantly reduced. Additionally, the expression levels of p-InsRβ, IRS1, p-AKT, and p-mTOR proteins in skeletal muscle of group ES mice were significantly upregulated. There were no significant changes observed in the mice of group EG. Compared to the cells in group 0 mmol/L, the expression levels of p-InsRβ, p-IRS1, p-PI3K, and p-AKT proteins in cells of group 5 mmol/L were significantly downregulated. Compared to the cells in group C, the expression levels of p-InsRβ, p-IRS1, p-PI3K, and p-AKT proteins in the cells of group G were significantly downregulated. No significant changes were observed in the cells of group GK. ConclusionLong-term aerobic exercise can improve insulin sensitivity by lowering circulating levels of glutamate. This effect may be associated with the upregulation of the InsR/IRS1/AKT signaling pathway activity in skeletal muscle. Furthermore, glutamate can weaken the activity of the InsR/IRS1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in skeletal muscle, potentially by binding to NMDAR expressed in skeletal muscle.

ObjectiveA multiplex amplification system was constructed based on the capillary electrophoresis platform for simultaneous detection of saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions using tissue-specific RNA markers. The aim of this study is to identify the tissue origin of suspicious body fluid stains found at crime scenes and determine whether the body fluid stains at the crime scene are one or several types among saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions. MethodsThirty saliva samples, forty semen samples, and forty vaginal secretion samples (half from 2015 and half from 2024) were collected from healthy adult volunteers. Through primer designing, system formulation, and PCR condition optimization, a multiplex fluorescent amplification system was constructed. The specificity, sensitivity, and detection ability for mixed samples of this system were investigated, and it was tested using real crime scene materials. In the primer design stage, to reduce the requirements for RNA template quality, the amplification products were set within 80-300 bp. In the system formulation stage, dominant and subordinate primers were mainly considered. By reducing the concentration of dominant primers and increasing that of subordinate primers, a capillary electrophoresis spectrum with an appropriate peak height ratio was finally obtained. Additionally, gradient experiments were designed to adjust the concentrations of PCR reagents and PCR amplification conditions, and multiple versions of DNA amplification enzymes were optimized to achieve the best experimental results. ResultsThrough statistical analysis, there was no significant difference in the capillary electrophoresis of the 3 types of body fluid samples from the two years (2015 and 2024), demonstrating that the sample preservation method in this study can preserve samples for a relatively long time. The composite amplification system constructed in this study exhibited high specificity for all 3 types of body fluid, with no cross-reactions between the markers of each type of body fluid. The minimum detection thresholds for the 3 types of body fluid reached 0.002 9, 0.001 5, and 0.42 mg/L, respectively. This system also had a high degree of discrimination for mixed samples, especially for semen-saliva mixtures, where each body fluid marker could still be successfully detected when the concentration ratio of semen to saliva was 100:1. Meanwhile, in the two actual cases presented in this article, the application of this composite amplification system performed outstandingly. ConclusionThe composite amplification detection system constructed in this study can achieve the correct screening of saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions, overcoming the problems such as low specificity and sensitivity of marker tests and unbalanced RFU values of each marker in previous studies. The specificity and sensitivity meet the practical work requirements, and the operation is simple. It provides an analytical and identification method for body fluid stains in actual case and is applicable to the identification of the tissue origin of biological evidence at crime scenes involving sexual assault, indecent assault, and other criminal acts. In the future, more types of body fluid markers will be screened to expand the types of body fluids detected by the system, and body fluid-specific cSNP and cInDel genetic markers will be introduced to infer the sources (individuals and types) of mixed and complex stains more accurately.

ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) on the occurrence, development of psoriasis-like inflammation in mice, and the relative immune mechanisms. MethodsHealthy C57BL/6 mice aged 6-8 weeks were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (Control), psoriasis model group (IMQ), and HDAC3 inhibitor RGFP966-treated psoriasis model group (IMQ+RGFP966). One day prior to the experiment, the back hair of the mice was shaved. After a one-day stabilization period, the mice in Control group was treated with an equal amount of vaseline, while the mice in IMQ group was treated with imiquimod (62.5 mg/d) applied topically on the back to establish a psoriasis-like inflammation model. The mice in IMQ+RGFP966 group received intervention with a high dose of the HDAC3-selective inhibitor RGFP966 (30 mg/kg) based on the psoriasis-like model. All groups were treated continuously for 5 d, during which psoriasis-like inflammation symptoms (scaling, erythema, skin thickness), body weight, and mental status were observed and recorded, with photographs taken for documentation. After euthanasia, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to assess the effect of RGFP966 on the skin tissue structure of the mice, and skin thickness was measured. The mRNA and protein expression levels of HDAC3 in skin tissues were detected using reverse transcription real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot (WB), respectively. Flow cytometry was employed to analyze neutrophils in peripheral blood and lymph nodes, CD4⁺ T lymphocytes, CD8⁺ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood, and IL-17A secretion by peripheral blood CD4⁺ T lymphocytes. Additionally, spleen CD4⁺ T lymphocyte expression of HDAC3, CCR6, CCR8, and IL-17A secretion levels were analyzed. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the localization and expression levels of HDAC3, IL-17A, and IL-10 in skin tissues. ResultsCompared with the Control group, the IMQ group exhibited significant psoriasis-like inflammation, characterized by erythema, scaling, and skin wrinkling. Compared with the IMQ group, RGFP966 exacerbated psoriasis-like inflammatory symptoms, leading to increased hyperkeratosis. The psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) skin symptom scores were higher in the IMQ group than those in the Control group, and the scores were further elevated in the IMQ+RGFP966 group compared to the IMQ group. Skin thickness measurements showed a trend of IMQ+RGFP966>IMQ>Control. The numbers of neutrophils in the blood and lymph nodes increased sequentially in the Control, IMQ, and IMQ+RGFP966 groups, with a similar trend observed for CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T lymphocytes in the blood. In skin tissues, compared with the Control group, the mRNA and protein levels of HDAC3 decreased in the IMQ group, but RGFP966 did not further reduce these expressions. HDAC3 was primarily located in the nucleus. Compared with the Control group, the nuclear HDAC3 content decreased in the skin tissues of the IMQ group, and RGFP966 further reduced nuclear HDAC3. Compared with the Control and IMQ groups, RGFP966 treatment decreased HDAC3 expression in splenic CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. RGFP966 treatment increased the expression of CCR6 and CCR8 in splenic CD4⁺ T cells and enhanced IL-17A secretion by peripheral blood and splenic CD4⁺ T lymphocytes. Additionally, compared with the IMQ group, RGFP966 reduced IL-10 protein levels and upregulated IL-17A expression in skin tissues. ConclusionRGFP966 exacerbates psoriatic-like inflammatory responses by inhibiting HDAC3, increasing the secretion of the cytokine IL-17A, and upregulating the expression of chemokines CCR8 and CCR6.

The "theory of Zangqi method" in Huangdi Neijing the "Tangye Jingfa picture" in Dunhuang's posthumous book Fuxingjue both contain the relationship between the five medicinal tastes and the reinforcing-reducing treatment of the five Zang organs. This article made a systematic comparative analysis of the two methods from the aspects of narrative methods， specific content， mathematical logic， clinical experience， and real treatment effect. From the perspective of narrative methods， they both adopted the expression structure of three medicinal tastes corresponding to one organ， which were respectively described as tonic， laxative， and urgent tastes， with the same way of thinking and the narrative frame shared. From the perspective of reinforcing-reducing content， out of a total of 15 attributes related to the corresponding tonic， laxative， and urgent tastes of the five organs involved in the two methods， there were seven inconsistencies between the two methods. In terms of medicinal taste distribution， the "Tangye Jingfa Tu" presented the order of "liver， heart， spleen， lung， and kidney"， Whether tonic， laxative， or transforming tastes， they were all pungent， salty， sweet， sour， or bitter. However， the "theory of Zangqi method" showed no such pattern. From the perspective of mathematical modeling analysis， the distribution of medicinal tastes in the "Tangye Jingfa Tu" conformed to the mathematical logic of the outer product of a five-dimensional space vector， while the "theory of Zangqi method" had no such law. From the perspective of clinical experience， the effect of removing the heart-fire with a bitter taste in the "Tangye Jingfa Tu" was more consistent with the clinical cognition of clearing heat and detoxification effects of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） with a sweet taste in the "theory of Zangqi method". From the perspective of understanding prescriptions and solving prescriptions， the combination and compatibility principle of 160 common classical prescriptions in the Formulas of Traditional Chinese Medicine can be analyzed by using the "Tangye Jingfa Tu". Therefore， the authors believed that the relationship between the five medicinal tastes and the reinforcing-reducing treatment of the five zang organs in the Fuxingjue was more rigorous and logical， in line with clinical empirical cognition than the relevant records in the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Medicine.

The "theory of Zangqi method" in Huangdi Neijing the "Tangye Jingfa picture" in Dunhuang's posthumous book Fuxingjue both contain the relationship between the five medicinal tastes and the reinforcing-reducing treatment of the five Zang organs. This article made a systematic comparative analysis of the two methods from the aspects of narrative methods， specific content， mathematical logic， clinical experience， and real treatment effect. From the perspective of narrative methods， they both adopted the expression structure of three medicinal tastes corresponding to one organ， which were respectively described as tonic， laxative， and urgent tastes， with the same way of thinking and the narrative frame shared. From the perspective of reinforcing-reducing content， out of a total of 15 attributes related to the corresponding tonic， laxative， and urgent tastes of the five organs involved in the two methods， there were seven inconsistencies between the two methods. In terms of medicinal taste distribution， the "Tangye Jingfa Tu" presented the order of "liver， heart， spleen， lung， and kidney"， Whether tonic， laxative， or transforming tastes， they were all pungent， salty， sweet， sour， or bitter. However， the "theory of Zangqi method" showed no such pattern. From the perspective of mathematical modeling analysis， the distribution of medicinal tastes in the "Tangye Jingfa Tu" conformed to the mathematical logic of the outer product of a five-dimensional space vector， while the "theory of Zangqi method" had no such law. From the perspective of clinical experience， the effect of removing the heart-fire with a bitter taste in the "Tangye Jingfa Tu" was more consistent with the clinical cognition of clearing heat and detoxification effects of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） with a sweet taste in the "theory of Zangqi method". From the perspective of understanding prescriptions and solving prescriptions， the combination and compatibility principle of 160 common classical prescriptions in the Formulas of Traditional Chinese Medicine can be analyzed by using the "Tangye Jingfa Tu". Therefore， the authors believed that the relationship between the five medicinal tastes and the reinforcing-reducing treatment of the five zang organs in the Fuxingjue was more rigorous and logical， in line with clinical empirical cognition than the relevant records in the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Medicine.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of alirocumab combined with atorvastatin on clinical efficacy and safety of patients with acute coronary syndrome （ACS） who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI）. METHODS A total of 207 patients with ACS who underwent PCI in our hospital from January 2021 to December 2023 were randomly divided into alirocumab group， ezetimibe group and control group， with 69 cases in each group. All patients received routine thrombosis prevention and antihypertensive treatment after PCI. On this basis， patients in the control group were treated with atorvastatin （20 mg/time， once a day）； patients in the ezetimibe group were treated with ezetimibe （10 mg/time， once a day） + atorvastatin （20 mg/time， once a day）； patients in the alirocumab group were treated with alirocumab （75 mg/time， once every 2 weeks） + atorvastatin （20 mg/time， once a day）. All patients in the three groups were treated for 8 weeks and followed up for another 6 months after treatment. The levels of cardiac function and lipid metabolism indices before and after treatment， as well as the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular event （MACE） and other adverse drug reaction （ADR） during the follow-up period were compared among the three groups. RESULTS After treatment for 8 weeks， the levels of cardiac function and lipid metabolism indices in the three groups were significantly improved compared with those before treatment （P＜0.05）. Compared with the control group and ezetimibe group， the left ventricular ejection fraction in the alirocumab group was significantly increased， and the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVEDD） was significantly shortened （P＜0.05）. Compared with control group， LVEDD of ezetimibe group was significantly shortened （P＜0.05）， the levels of total cholesterol， triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the alirocumab group and ezetimibe group were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. During the follow-up period， there was no significant difference in the total incidence of MACE and the total incidence of other ADR such as headache and abdominal pain among the three groups （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Alirocumab combined with atorvastatin can significantly improve cardiac function and regulate lipid metabolism indices in patients with ACS after PCI without increasing the risk of MACE or other ADR.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether monotropein has an anticancer effect and explore its potential mechanisms against colorectal cancer (CRC) through network pharmacology and molecular docking combined with experimental verification. METHODS: Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to predict potential targets of monotropein against CRC. Cell counting kit assay, plate monoclonal assay and microscopic observation were used to investigate the antiproliferative effects of monotropein on CRC cells HCT116, HT29 and LoVo. Flow cytometry and scratch assay were used to analyze apoptosis and cell cycle, as well as cell migration, respectively in HCT116, HT29, and LoVo cells. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of proteins related to apoptosis, cell cycle, and cell migration, and the expression of proteins key to the Akt pathway. RESULTS: The Gene Ontology and Reactome enrichment analyses indicated that the anticancer potential of monotropein against CRC might be involved in multiple cancer-related signaling pathways. Among these pathways, RAC-beta serine/threonine-protein kinase (Akt1, Akt2), cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), cell division control protein 42 homolog (CDC42) were shown as the potential anticancer targets of monotropein against CRC. Molecular docking suggested that monotropein may interact with the 6 targets (Akt1, Akt2, CDK6, MMP9, EGFR, CDC42). Subsequently, cell activity of HCT116, HT29 and LoVo cell lines were significantly suppressed by monotropein (P<0.05). Furthermore, our research revealed that monotropein induced cell apoptosis by inhibiting Bcl-2 and increasing Bax, induced G₁-S cycle arrest in colorectal cancer by decreasing the expressions of CyclinD1, CDK4 and CDK6, inhibited cell migration by suppressing the expressions of CDC42 and MMP9 (P<0.05), and might play an anticancer role through Akt signaling pathway. CONCLUSION Monotropein exerts its antitumor effects primarily by arresting the cell cycle, causing cell apoptosis, and inhibiting cell migration. This indicates a high potential for developing novel medication for treating CRC.
Humans ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Cell Cycle ; ErbB Receptors ; Apoptosis ; Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Cell Line, Tumor

Receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) functions as a key regulator in inflammation and cell death and is involved in mediating a variety of inflammatory or degenerative diseases. A number of allosteric RIPK1 inhibitors (RIPK1i) have been developed, and some of them have already advanced into clinical evaluation. Recently, selective RIPK1i that interact with both the allosteric pocket and the ATP-binding site of RIPK1 have started to emerge. Here, we report the rational development of a new series of type-II RIPK1i based on the rediscovery of a reported but mechanistically atypical RIPK3i. We also describe the structure-guided lead optimization of a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable RIPK1i, 62, which exhibits extraordinary efficacies in mouse models of acute or chronic inflammatory diseases. Collectively, 62 provides a useful tool for evaluating RIPK1 in animal disease models and a promising lead for further drug development.

The World Health Organization (WHO) released the “Global report on hypertension” on September 19, 2023. This report systematically summarizes the prevalence, mortality, diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in various countries, and elucidates the current situation of hypertension management, and gives a series of suggestions on how to manage hypertension, providing new thinking and inspiration for countries to optimize hypertension management. Through the summary of relevant studies and reports, this paper further reviews the present situation, early identification and management of hypertension.

Aim To investigate the dynamic time-course changes in neuronal cytoskeleton after acute ischemia and reperfusion in rats. Methods Reperfusion was performedin rats by blocking the middle cerebralarteryfor 90 min, then therats wereobserved and collected at different time points. The brain damage wasobserved by Nissl staining,and neurobehavioural function was evaluated with neurological deficit score and forelimb placement test. The cellular changes in the alternations of cytoskeletal elements including microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2) and neurofilament heavy chain (NF-H) were observed by immunohistochemistry staining and Western blot. Impaired axons, dendrites and cytoskeletal alternations were detected by electron microscope. Results Brain damage and neurobehavioural function were gradually aggravated with the prolongation of reperfusion. Brain damage appeared earlier and more severe in striatum than in cortex. Moreover, decreased MAP2-related and increased NF-H-related immunoreactive intensities were found in the ischemic areas. Impaired cytoskeletal arrangement and reduced dense were indicated. Damaged cytoskeletal components such as microtubules and neurofilament arrangement, decreased axonal filament density, and swelled dendrites were observed after cerebral ischemia reperfusion by ultrastructural observations. Conclusions Different brain regions have diverse tolerance to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Major elements of neuronal cytoskeleton show dynamic responses to ischemia and reperfusion, which may further contribute to brain damage and neurological impairment following MCAO and reperfusion.