To investigate the crucial role of particle size in the biological effects of nanoparticles, a series of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were prepared with particle size gradients (50, 100, 150, 200 nm) with the traditional Stober method and adjusting the type and ratio of the silica source. The correlation between toxicity and size-caused biological effects were then further examined both in vitro and in vivo. The results indicated that the prepared MSNs had a uniform size, good dispersal, and ordered mesoporous structure. Hemolytic toxicity was found to be independent of particle size. At the cellular level, MSNs with smaller particle sizes were more readily internalized by cells, which initiated to more intense oxidative stress, therefor inducing higher cytotoxicity, and apoptosis rate. In vivo studies demonstrated that MSNs primarily accumulated in the liver and kidneys of mice. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that larger MSNs were eliminated more efficiently by the urinary system than smaller MSNs. The mice's body weight monitoring, blood tests, and pathological sections of major organs indicated good biocompatibility for MSNs of different sizes. Animal welfare and the animal experimental protocols were strictly consistent with related ethics regulations of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. Overall, this study prepared MSNs with a particle size gradient to investigate the correlation between toxicity and particle size using macrophages and endothelial cells. The study also examined the biosafety of MSNs with different particle sizes in vivo and in vitro, which could help to improve the safety design strategy of MSNs for drug delivery systems.

Objective:To explore the relationship between the polymorphisms of AHNAK2 gene rs12882641,rs28583515 and rs2582497 loci and coronary heart disease(CHD)in the population of Xinjiang.Materials:This study used a case-control method,a total of 602 patients who were hospitalized and underwent coronary angiogra-phy(CAG)at ourheart center from Jan 2019 to Dec 2021 were selected.According toCAG results,the patients were divided into CHD group(n=301)and non-CHD group(n=301).The AHNAK2 gene rs12882641,rs28583515 and rs2582497 loci were genotyped using the improved multiple ligase detection reaction(iMLDR)technique,and the relationship between AHNAK2 gene polymorphisms and CHD was analyzed.Results:Compared with non-CHD group,there was significant rise in the distribution frequencies of AC+CC genotypes(52.8%vs.61.1%,P= 0.040)at rs2582497 locus of the AHNAK2 gene under the dominant model;there was significant reduction in distri-bution frequency of the CC genotype(65.8%vs.53.8%)at the rs28583515 locus of the AHNAK2 gene,and signif-icant rise in distribution frequencies of CT+TT(34.2%vs.46.2%)under the dominant model,TT under the re-cessive model(0.7%vs.3.0%)and CT under the additive model(33.6%vs.43.2%)in CHD group,P＜0.05 or＜0.01.After adjusting for confounding factors,logistic regression analysis indicated that the dominant model of the rs28583515 locus remained an independent risk factor for CHD(OR=1.509,P=0.036).Conclusion:The AH-NAK2 gene rs28583515 locus is closely related to the occurrence and development of CHD in the Xinjiang popula-tion.The dominant model of the AHNAK2 gene rs28583515 locus is an independent risk factor for CHD.

Aim To research the effect of PDG on bone metabolism in young rats. Methods The experimental rats were randomly divided into contro group, PDG-25 group and PDG-50 group. PDG-25 group and PDG-50 group were given PDG at the dose of 25 mg·kg

To investigate the potential molecular mechanism of the combination of Platycodonis Radix and Lilii Bulbus with the homology of medicine and food in the treatment of pneumonia by means of network pharmacology and in vitro verification experiment. Under the condition of bioavailability(OB)≥30% and drug-like(DL)≥0.18, the active components of Platycodonis Radix and Lilii Bulbus were screened in TCMSP database; the prediction targets of active components were searched from TCMSP, DrugBank and other databases, and the potential targets of pneumonia were obtained through GeneCards and OMIM database. The common targets were obtained by the intersection of drug and disease targets. The PPI network of common targets was constructed by STRING 11.0, and the core targets were obtained by topological analysis. Then the core targets received GO and KEGG analysis with use of WebGestalt and Metascape. The "component-target-pathway" network was constructed with the help of Cytoscape 3.7.1 software, and the component-target molecular docking verification was carried out with Discovery Studio 2016 software. Finally, the core targets and pathways were preliminarily verified in vitro. In this study, 12 active components were screened, 225 drug prediction targets and 420 potential diseases targets were obtained based on data mining method, and 14 core targets were obtained by topological analysis, including TNF, MMP9, AKT1, IL4 and IL2. The enrichment results of GO and KEGG showed that "Platycodonis Radix and Lilii Bulbus" drug pair may regulate inflammation, cell growth and metabolism by acting on 20 key signaling pathways such as TNF and IL-17, thereby exerting anti-pneumonia effects. The results of molecular docking showed that 12 active components had good binding ability with 14 core targets. In vitro experiment results showed that the core components of "Platycodonis Radix and Lilii Bulbus" drug pair could inhibit the expression of MMP9 and TNF-α by regulating TNF signal pathway. This study confirmed the scientificity and reliability of the prediction results of network pharmacology, and preliminarily revealed the potential molecular mechanism of the compatibility of Platycodonis Radix and Lilii Bulbus in the treatment of pneumonia. It provides a novel insight on systematically exploring the mechanism of the compatible use of Platycodonis Radix and Lilii Bulbus, and has a certain reference value for the research, development and application of new drugs.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Pneumonia/drug therapy* ; Reproducibility of Results

Objective:To observe the effect of oxymatrine （OM） combined with bevacizumab （ BV ） on the proliferation， invasion， and migration of breast cancer MCF-7 cells and explore the mechanism of OM in regulating BV-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） based on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Method:The effect of different concentrations of OM（0， 0.5， 1.0， 2.0， 4.0， 8.0， 16.0 mmol·L^-1）and BV（0， 0.25×10^-4， 0.50×10^-4， 1.00×10^-4， 2.00×10^-4， 4.00×10^-4， and 8.00×10^-4 mmol·L^-1）on the proliferation of MCF-7 cells were detected by cell counting kit-8（CCK-8）assay. The effect of OM（4.0 mmol·L^-1） combined with BV（2.00×10^-4 mmol·L^-1）on the invasion and migration of MCF-7 cells were observed in transwell and scratch repair tests. Western blot was conducted to investigate the effect of OM（4.0 mmol·L^-1）combined with BV （2.00×10^-4 mmol·L^-1） on proliferation-related proteins in MCF-7 cells， followed by the detection of the expression levels of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway- and EMT-related proteins. Result:Compared with the blank group， OM （2.0，4.0，8.0，16.0 mmol·L^-1） inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner （P<0.01）， while BV did not show the inhibitory effect against the proliferation of MCF-7 cells. The inhibitory effect of the combination of the two drugs on the proliferation of MCF-7 cells was not significantly different from that of OM. Compared with the blank group， OM significantly reduced the migration distance of MCF-7 cells and the number of invaded cells（P<0.01）， while BV increased the migration distance of MCF-7 cells and the number of invaded cells （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Compared with BV， its combination with OM significantly inhibited the invasion and migration of MCF-7 cells induced by BV （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， both OM and the combined medication obviously inhibited the phosphorylation of proliferation-related protein kinase B（Akt） and extracellular-signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2）in MCF-7 cells （P<0.01） and down-regulated the protein expression levels of β-catenin， proto-oncogene （c-Myc）， CD44， and G₁/S-specific cyclin D₁ in Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Besides， OM and the combination of two drugs both significantly reduced the protein expression levels of calcium-dependent cell adhesion protein N-cadherin and Vimentin in EMT， whereas increased the expression of calcium-dependent cell adhesion protein E-cadherin（P<0.01）. However， the expression of the above-mentioned proteins in the BV group was reversed （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Conclusion:After the combination with BV， OM plays an anti-breast cancer role by effectively inhibiting the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway induced by BV and reversing EMT.

Objective: Several COVID-19 patients have overlapping comorbidities. The independent role of each component contributing to the risk of COVID-19 is unknown, and how some non-cardiometabolic comorbidities affect the risk of COVID-19 remains unclear. Methods: A retrospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 1,160 laboratory-confirmed patients were enrolled from nine provinces in China. Data on comorbidities were obtained from the patients' medical records. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio ( Results: Overall, 158 (13.6%) patients were diagnosed with severe illness and 32 (2.7%) had unfavorable outcomes. Hypertension (2.87, 1.30-6.32), type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (3.57, 2.32-5.49), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (3.78, 1.81-7.89), fatty liver disease (7.53, 1.96-28.96), hyperlipidemia (2.15, 1.26-3.67), other lung diseases (6.00, 3.01-11.96), and electrolyte imbalance (10.40, 3.00-26.10) were independently linked to increased odds of being severely ill. T2DM (6.07, 2.89-12.75), CVD (8.47, 6.03-11.89), and electrolyte imbalance (19.44, 11.47-32.96) were also strong predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease on admission (5.46, 3.25-9.19), while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes (6.58, 1.46-29.64) within two weeks. Conclusion Besides hypertension, diabetes, and CVD, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, other lung diseases, and electrolyte imbalance were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity and poor treatment outcome. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease, while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes.
Adult ; Aged ; COVID-19/virology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome

【Objective】 To study the function and mechanism of INI1 in human epithelioid sarcoma cells. 【Methods】 Western blotting was used to test the expressionlevel of INI1in epithelioid sarcoma cells. The expression of INI1 in clinical specimens of epithelioid sarcoma was detected by immunohistochemistry. Tet-on system was used to establish the expression of INI1 in epithelioid sarcoma cells. Following the induction of INI1 expression, the cell morphology, proliferation and the molecular markers of adipocytic differentiation were detected. Then western blot was employed to detect the transcription factors of adipocytic differentiation, and oil red O staining was also tested. 【Results】 The expression of INI1 was absent in both epithelioid sarcoma cells and clinical tissues(P<0.05). The INI1 expression in the epithelioid sarcoma cells was successfully established by Tet-on system. After induction by doxycycline, the expression of INI1 was up-regulated. With continuous expression of INI1, the morphology of VA-ES-BJ cells was changed, with the appearance of abundant vacuoles in the cytoplasm. The cell proliferation was obviously inhibited(P<0.05). Epithelial cell marker Cytokeratin was found significantly reduced(P<0.05). In addition, the adipocyte markers, leptin, adiponectin and lipoprotein lipase were significantly up-regulated(P<0.05). The adipogenic transcriptional factors PPAR-γ and CEBP-α were found upregulated(P<0.05) and the oil red staining was significantly positive. 【Conclusions】 The expression of INI1 was absent in epithelioid sarcoma. Reconstruction of the expression of INI1 could induce adipocytic differentiation via upregulation of transcriptional factors PPAR-γand CEBP-αin epithelioid sarcoma cells.

Objective: To investigate the effect of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma on gastrointestinal function of normal rats and explore its therapeutic mechanism,and compare the difference of this herb before and after simmering. Method: Healthy SD rats were randomly divided into 7 groups,including the blank group,the high,medium and low dose groups of raw Rhei Radix et Rhizoma(1.5,3.0,6.0 g·kg^-1·d^-1) and the high,medium and low dose groups of simmered Rhei Radix et Rhizoma(1.5,3.0,6.0 g·kg^-1·d^-1),eight rats in each group were continuous intragastric administration for 10 days,the effect of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma on gastrointestinal function of rats were evaluated by body weight,food intake,gastric remnant rate,small intestine propelling rate,stomach weight coefficient and gastrointestinal tissue morphology;enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect contents of motilin(MTL) in rat plasma and gastrin(GAS),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-10(IL-10) in rat serum,the mechanism of effect of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma on gastrointestinal function was explored and the effect of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma on gastrointestinal function of normal rats before and after simmering was compared. Result: In each administration group,weight growth of rats was slowed down,gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion were inhibited,inflammatory reaction was triggered,and gastric mucosal injury was increased.Compared with the blank group, except for the low-dose and medium-dose groups of simmered Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,stomach weight coefficient,gastric remnant rate and content of TNF-α of rats were significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01), and the content of IL-10 was significantly reduced, in addition to the low-dose group of simmered Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,the weight,small intestine propelling rate,contents of GAS and MTL of rats were significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Compared with the isodose raw Rhei Radix et Rhizoma group,the weight,small intestine propelling rate,contents of GAS,IL-10 and MTL were all increased with different degrees, the gastric weight coefficient,gastric remnant rate and content of TNF-α of rats were all decreased to different degrees. Conclusion: Gastrointestinal dysfunction caused by Rhei Radix et Rhizoma is related to inhibiting the expression of gastrointestinal hormones and promoting the expression of inflammatory cytokines, in addition,the effect of "stomach injured by bitterness and cold property" of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma is weakened after simmering,which provides scientific basis for clinical rational use of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma.

To investigate the effect of different initial processing methods on the quality of Gardenia and determine the best cooking time in gardenia processing through the determination of index components content. The contents of geniposide, crocetin Ⅰ and total iridoid glycosides in Gardenia were determined before storage, six months after storage and one year after storage. During storage, the contents of geniposide, crocetin Ⅰ and total iridoid glycosides in directly dried Gardenia were 1.68%, 0.45% and 6.45% respectively. The contents of geniposide, crocetin Ⅰ and total iridoid glycosides in Gardenia with different steaming time were 1.34%-0.5%, 0.28%-0.06% and 6.09%-1.59% respectively. The contents of geniposide, crocetin Ⅰ and total iridoid glycosides in Gardenia with different boiling time (adding alum)were 1.42%-0.41%, 0.35%-0.07% and 6.40%-1.65% respectively. The direct drying of Gardenia samples could not achieve the function of killing enzyme and protecting glycosides. The enzymes from degradation of the index components were basically destroyed after steaming time of 13 min or boiling (adding alum) time of 8 min, achieving the function of killing enzyme and protecting glycosides.

Objectives To use visualization method to analyze the relevant literature about prevention and treatment of obesity type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with TCM; To understand research hot spots and development trends of this field. Methods Computers were used to retrieve prevention and treatment of T2DM with TCM in CNKI. CiteSpaceV was used to visualize the authors, research institutes and keywords, and discussed their research hot spots, research frontiers, major research groups and trends. KNS6.6 was used to quantitatively analyzed included literature distribution characteristics, core citations, etc., and conducted visual display. Results After screening, 130 articles were included, involving 257 researchers and 6 research institutes, among which, TONG Xiao-lin, DONG Liu, ZHOU Li-bo, etc. were the main researchers. Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences is the most important research institute, followed by Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine and Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. The main research directions included the diagnosis and treatment of obesity T2DM, acupuncture and moxibustion treatment, the mechanism of TCM intervention in inflammation. This study predicted exploration of the TCM pathogenesis of obesity T2DM and the construction of TCM clinical pathway may be the future research trends and hot spots. Conclusion Through visualization analysis, the main research directions in the field in recent 20 years, research hot spots, evolution veins and development trends can be understood quickly and intuitively, providing a basis for further research.