Objective To analyze and identify the volatile constituents in different parts(flowers,stems and leaves)of Huai chrysanthemumin,and to lay a theoretical foundation for the comprehensive utilization for it.Methods The volatile oil in different parts of Huai chrysanthemumin were extracted by hydrodistillation,respectively.Their constituents were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS).The compounds were identified by library search and literature screening.The relative percentage of each compound was obtained by the area normalization method.The differences in their chemical compositions were analyzed by Venn diagram,principal component analysis(PCA)and cluster heat map analysis.Results A total of 62 volatile chemical components were identified from different parts of Huai chrysanthemumin,including monoterpenes,sesquiterpenes,and their derivatives,as well as a small amount of aliphatic compounds.32,42 and 40 volatile components were detected from the flowers,stems and flowers,respectively.Furthermore 17 volatile components were shared by three parts,whereas 5,6 and 16 volatile components were unique to the flowers,stems and leaves,respectively.The results of stoichiometric analysis showed that both PCA and cluster heat map analysis could separate the flowers,stems and leaves,and their volatile components were different.Conclusion The types and contents of the volatile oil in the stems,leaves and flowers of Huai chrysanthemumin have certain variability,which provide a scientific basis for the further medicinal or industrial exploitation of different parts of Huai chrysanthemumin.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects and mechanism of galangin （GAL） on hepatocyte apoptosis in rats with obstructive jaundice （OJ） based on the Janus kinase 2 （JAK2）/signal transduction and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3） signaling pathway. METHODS Taking male SD rats as the object， the OJ model was established by double ligation of common bile duct， and 48 rats with successful modeling were randomly separated into OJ model group （model group）， low-dose GAL group （GAL-L group）， high-dose GAL group （GAL-H group） and high-dose GAL+JAK2 activator colivelin group （GAL-H+ colivelin group）， with 12 rats in each group； another 12 SD rats with laparotomy/abdominal closure without ligation were selected as sham operation group （sham group）. Each administration group was given relevant medicine intragastrically and/or intraperitoneally， once a day， for 7 consecutive days. After the last medication， the morphology of liver tissue in rats was observed； the serum levels of total bilirubin （TBIL）， direct bilirubin （DBIL）， alanine transaminase （ALT） and γ -glutamyltransferase （GGT）， as well as the levels of superoxide dismutase （SOD） and malondialdehyde （MDA） in mail：guoweishengjcy@126.com liver tissue were detected. The apoptotic rate of liver tissue cells， the expression levels of signaling pathway-related proteins （phosphorylated JAK2， JAK2， phosphorylated STAT3， STAT3） and apoptosis-related proteins [B cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2 related X protein （Bax）] were determined. RESULTS Compared with sham group， congestion of liver sinusoids， damage to liver lobules， disordered arrangement and swollen morphology of liver cells， the disappearance of nucleoli， and significant infiltration of inflammatory cells and fibrous tissue proliferation were observed in model group； the serum levels of TBIL， DBIL， ALT and GGT， the level of MDA in liver tissue， the apoptosis rate of liver cells， the protein expression of Bax， and the protein phosphorylation levels of JAK2 and STAT3 in liver tissue of model group were increased significantly （P＜0.05）； the level of SOD and the protein expression of Bcl-2 in liver tissue were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the pathological injuries of liver tissue were relieved in GAL-L group and GAL-H group， all quantitative indicators had significantly improved， and the effect of GAL-H group was more significant （P＜ 0.05）. Colivelin could significantly reverse the improvement effects of GAL on liver injury and related indicators of OJ rats （P＜ 0.05）. CONCLUSIONS GAL may inhibit liver cell apoptosis in OJ rats， improve liver function and alleviate oxidant stress， the mechanism of which may be associated with inhibiting JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the correlation between Toll-like receptor(TLR)and nuclear factor-KB(NF-κB)levels in monocytes and type 2 diabetic autonomic neuropathy(T2DAN).Methods A total of 112 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)admitted to the Puyang People's Hospital from April 2021 to December 2022 were selected as the observation group,and 50 healthy volunteers who underwent physical examination in the hospital during the same period were selected as the control group.Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)was used to detect plasma TLR2,TLR4 and NF-κB levels in monocytes of patients in the two groups.According to the presence or absence of autonomic neuropathy,patients in the observation group were divided into the autonomic neuropathy group(n=46)and the non-autonomic neuropa-thy group(n=66),and clinical data of patients in these two groups were compared.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used on indicators with statistically significant differences to determine the risk factors for T2DAN,and Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between TLR2,TLR4 and NF-κB levels and T2DAN.Results The TLR2,TLR4 and NF-κB levels in monocytes of patients in the observation group were higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in age,monocyte/high-density lipoprotein ratio(MHR),and levels of cystatin C,TLR2,TLR4 and NF-κB between the autonomic neuropathy group and the non-autonomic neuropathy group(P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that MHR,TLR2,TLR4 and NF-κB levels were risk factors for autonomic neuropathy in T2DM patients(P＜0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that TLR2,TLR4 and NF-κB levels were positively correlated with T2 DAN(r=0.825,0.822,0.819;P＜0.05).Conclusion The expressions of TLR2,TLR4 and NF-κB are up-regulated in T2DM patients,and the expression levels of TLR2,TLR4 and NF-κB are correlated with autonomic neuropathy in T2DM patients.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a leading cause of the life-threatening cardiovascular disease (CVD), creating an urgent need for efficient, biocompatible therapeutics for diagnosis and treatment. Biomimetic nanomedicines (bNMs) are moving closer to fulfilling this need, pushing back the frontier of nano-based drug delivery systems design. This review seeks to outline how these nanomedicines (NMs) might work to diagnose and treat atherosclerosis, to trace the trajectory of their development to date and in the coming years, and to provide a foundation for further discussion about atherosclerotic theranostics.

Objective:To explore the interventional effect of β-sitosterol on ovalbumin(OVA)-induced allergic asthma rats and its potential mechanism.Methods:SD male rats were randomly divided into normal group(CON),model group(M),positive drug dexamethasone group(DEX,0.075 mg/kg)and β-sitosterol group(Sit,50 mg/kg).A rat model of allergic asthma was estab-lished by intraperitoneal injection of OVA with aluminum hydrogen solution,and nebulized inhalation of OVA to stimulate.Rats were given intragastric administration 30 min before aerosol challenge,and after continuous administration for 7 days,the indicators of cough and asthma and tracheal phenol red excretion were detected.HE staining was used to observe pathological changes of lung tis-sue.Flow cytometry was used to detect reactive oxygen species(ROS)generation,apoptosis level and ratios of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood.Biochemical method was used to detect contents of MDA,and activities of T-SOD and GSH-Px in rat lung tissues.ELISA was used to detect levels of Th17 and Treg-related cytokines(TNF-α,IL-4,IL-6,IL-17A,and IL-35).Results:Compared with model group,β-sitosterol significantly prolonged the incubation period of cough and gasp in rats with allergic asthma,reduced the frequency of cough and gasping,and promoted the excretion of phenol red in trachea;significantly reduced inflammatory infiltration in lung tissue of asthmatic rats;observably reduced MDA content in lung tissue,ROS of primary lung cell and apoptosis levels of asthmatic rats,increased the activities of T-SOD and GSH-Px;markedly reduced proportion of Th17 cells and levels of pro-inflammatory cyto-kines TNF-α,IL-4,IL-6 and IL-17A,increased proportion of Treg cells and levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-35.Conclusion:β-sitosterol can ameliorate airway inflammation and oxidative damage in OVA-induced allergic asthmatic rats,and its mecha-nism may be related to the regulation of β-sitosterol on Th17/Treg immune imbalance and oxidative stress response.

Objective:To analyze the application and funding status of various projects of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) from 2013 to 2022, and explore the challenges faced by basic research and clinical transformation in this field.Methods:From 2013 to 2022, application and funding information of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging projects (secondary code H2704, H2706) from five departments of Medical Science Department of NSFC were retrospectively collected. The number of applications, number of funding, funding direction, funding intensity, distribution of supporting units and research hotspots of various projects in this field were analyzed.Results:From 2013 to 2022, the total number of applications of various projects in the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging reached 5 387, and the total number of grants reached 899. The number of applications and grants showed a steady growth trend. The overall funding intensity increased from 48.935 0 million yuan in 2013 to 59.495 4 million yuan in 2022, with the increase of 21.58%. Among all supporting units, Shanghai Jiao Tong University topped the list for both the number of applications (440) and the number of grants (82), Xiamen University ranked the first in terms of overall funding rate (25.42%, 30/118), and Peking University ranked the first in terms of total funding intensity (41.897 1 million yuan). Research hotspots focused on the construction of tumor targeted molecular probes and precise imaging of tumor internal molecular components.Conclusion:In the past decade, the number of related projects and total funding of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging supported by NSFC have steadily increased, and the types of funded projects are diverse and interdisciplinary, promoting the innovative development of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging disciplines in China.

Nowadays, nanotechnology is revolutionizing the approaches to different fields from manufacture to health. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as promising candidates in nanomedicine have great potentials in developing novel entities for central nervous system pathologies, due to their excellent physicochemical properties and ability to interface with neurons and neuronal circuits. However, most of the studies mainly focused on the drug delivery and bioimaging applications of CNTs, while neglect their application prospects as therapeutic drugs themselves. At present, the relevant reviews are not available yet. Herein we summarized the latest advances on the biomedical and therapeutic applications of CNTs and for neurological diseases treatments as inherent therapeutic drugs. The biological mechanisms of CNTs-mediated bio-medical effects and potential toxicity of CNTs were also intensely discussed. It is expected that CNTs will exploit further neurological applications on disease therapy in the near future.

Objective: To investigate the mechanisms of miR-375 affecting the proliferation and invasion of hepatoma cells via targeting YAP (Yes-associated protein). Methods: The cancerous tissues and corresponding para-cancerous tissues of 70 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent surgical resection at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2015 to December 2016, as well as the hepatoma cell lines SMMC-7721, Hb611, HepG2 and BEL-7405 were collected for this study. qPCR method was used to detect the expression level of miR-375 in collected HCC tissues and different hepatoma cell lines; Dual luciferase reporter gene assay was used to verify the interaction between miR-375 and YAP; The relationship between miR-375 and clinicopathological features of HCC patients was also analyzed; MTT assay was used to detect the effect of miR375 on the proliferation of hepatoma cells; Transwell invasion assay was used to detect the invasive ability of hepatoma cells after inhibiting the expression of miR-375; Western blotting was used to detect the expression of YAP in HepG2 cells. The nude mouse model of subcutaneously transplanted xenograft was established, and the tumor volume and mass of transplanted hepatoma cells were detected after inhibiting the expression of miR-375. The expression of YAP in xenograft of nude mice was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Results: The expression of miR-375 and YAP in HCC tissues was significantly higher than that in para-cancerous tissues (all P<0.05). The expression of miR-375 in HepG2 cells was the highest (P<0.05). miR-375 could specifically bind to the 3' UTR of YAP and regulate the expression activity of YAP. After inhibiting the expression of miR-375, the proliferation and invasion abilities of HepG2 cells were reduced (all P<0.05); The tumor volume and mass of transplanted xenografts were significantly reduced (both P<0.05); The expression of YAP protein in the transplanted xenografts was down-regulated (P<0.05). Conclusion: miR-375 plays an important role in the occurrence and development of liver cancer, and can influence the malignant biological behaviors of hepatoma cells by targeting and regulating the expression ofYAP.

Objective To observe the effect of injecting botulinum toxin type A on muscle tension,disability level and ability in the activities of daily living in patients with post-stroke dystonia.Methods Thirty-two patients with post-stroke dystonia were divided into an observation group (n =16) and a control group (n =15).The patients in the observation group were injected with 200-600 U of botulinum toxin type A in the relevant muscles,while the patients in the control group were given 12 mg diphenhydrazole hydrochloride tablets orally.Before and 2,6 and 12 weeks after the treatment,spasticity,disability and daily living ability were evaluated in both groups using the modified Ashworth scale (MAS),a disability assessment scale (DAS) and the modified Barthel index (MBI).Results After the treatment,the average MAS,DAS and MBI scores of both groups were significantly better than before the treatment.And the average MAS,DAS and MBI scores of the observation group were significantly better than those of the control group.Conclusion Botulinum toxin A injection can significantly improve dystonia and relieve disability among stroke survivors.

Ocular diseases include various anterior and posterior segment diseases. Due to the unique anatomy and physiology of the eye, efficient ocular drug delivery is a great challenge to researchers and pharmacologists. Although there are conventional noninvasive and invasive treatments, such as eye drops, injections and implants, the current treatments either suffer from low bioavailability or severe adverse ocular effects. Alternatively, the emerging nanoscience and nanotechnology are playing an important role in the development of novel strategies for ocular disease therapy. Various active molecules have been designed to associate with nanocarriers to overcome ocular barriers and intimately interact with specific ocular tissues. In this review, we highlight the recent attempts of nanotechnology-based systems for imaging and treating ocular diseases, such as corneal d iseases, glaucoma, retina diseases, and choroid diseases. Although additional work remains, the progress described herein may pave the way to new, highly effective and important ocular nanomedicines.