ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Qidi Tangshen prescription （QDTS） in alleviating podocyte injury and reducing urinary protein in diabetic nephropathy （DN）. MethodUsing network pharmacology methods， we collected the chemical components and targets of QDTS， as well as the targets related to DN. Subsequently， we constructed a "drug-ingredient-target-disease" network for QDTS in the treatment of DN to systematically elucidate the mechanism. The db/db mice were assigned into the model， QDTS （3.34 g·kg^-1）， and losartan capsules （10.29 mg·kg^-1） groups， and db/m mice served as the normal group. Each group consisted of 8 mice， and they underwent continuous intervention for 8 weeks. After the last administration， mice were euthanized， and the urinary albumin excretion rate （UAER） and renal pathological changes were measured and observed. The expression levels of protein kinase B1 （Akt1）， hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha （HIF-1α）， phosphorylated B-cell lymphoma-extra-large （p-Bcl-xl）， as well as autophagy-related indicators microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）， ubiquitin-binding protein p62 （p62）， and autophagy-related gene 6 homolog （Beclin1）， were determined. Furthermore， mouse podocytes were divided into the normal glucose （5.5 mmol·L^-1）， high glucose （35 mmol·L^-1）， DMSO （35 mmol·L^-1 glucose+200 mg·L^-1 DMSO）， and QDTS （35 mmol·L^-1 glucose+200 mg·L^-1 QDTS freeze-dried powder） groups. After 48 h of intervention， the protein levels of Akt1， HIF-1α， p-Bcl-xl， LC3， p62， and Beclin1 in podocytes were measured. ResultQDTS had 34 active components acting on 143 targets in the treatment of DN， and 55 targets were related to autophagy， in which Akt1， HIF-1α， and Bcl-xl were the key targets. Compared with the normal group， mice in the model group exhibited significantly increased UAER， glomerular hypertrophy， deposition of blue collagen fibers， thickening of the glomerular basement membrane， and noticeable fusion of podocyte foot processes in some segments. Furthermore， the modeling up-regulated the protein levels of p-Akt1， HIF-1α， and p62 and down-regulating the protein levels of p-Bcl-xl， LC3， and Beclin1 in the renal tissue （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， QDTS and losartan decreased UAER （P<0.05） and alleviated the pathological damage in the renal tissue. Moreover， QDTS and losartan down-regulated the protein levels of p-Akt1， HIF-1α， and p62 and up-regulated the protein levels of p-Bcl-xl， LC3， and Beclin1 in the renal tissue （P<0.05）. In comparison to the normal glucose group， the high glucose group displayed up-regulated protein levels of p-Akt1， HIF-1α， and p62 and down-regulated protein levels of p-Bcl-xl， LC3， and Beclin1 in podocytes （P<0.05）. Compared with the high glucose group， QDTS down-regulated the protein levels of p-Akt1， HIF-1α， and p62 and up-regulated the protein levels of p-Bcl-xl， LC3， and Beclin1 in podocytes （P<0.05）. ConclusionQDTS alleviates podocyte damage and reduced urinary protein in DN by regulating the Akt1/HIF-1α/Bcl-xl signaling pathway， thereby enhancing podocyte autophagy.

Objective:To evaluate the role of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes in curcumin-induced reduction of sevoflurane-induced postoperative cognitive dysfunction in rats.Methods:Forty SPF healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 17-18 months, with body mass index of 580-600 g, were divided into 4 groups ( n=10 each) by a random number table method: control group (C group), postoperative cognitive dysfunction group (P group), curcumin group (CU group), and curcumin+ NLRP3 inflammasome activator group (CN group). The rat model of postoperative cognitive dysfunction was prepared by inhaling 1.5% sevoflurane to explore the abdominal cavity. Curcumin suspension 300 mg/kg was given by intragastric administration in CU group and CN group, and the rats received intragastric administration of nidrisin sodium 5 mg/kg simultaneously in CN group, once a day for 6 consecutive days. Rats received the equal volume of normal saline instead in C group and P group. The frequency of crossing the original platform and time spent in the target quadrant were measured by the Morris water maze test. The histopathological changes of hippocampus were observed by HE staining, neuronal apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining, and the expression of NLRP3, Bcl-2 and Bax was detected by Western blot. Results:Compared with C group, the frequency of crossing the original platform was significantly reduced, the time spent in the target quadrant was shortened, the apoptosis rate of neurons was increased, and the expression of NLRP3 and Bax was up-regulated, and the expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated in P group ( P<0.05). Compared with P group, the frequency of crossing the original platform was significantly increased, the time spent in the target quadrant was prolonged, the apoptosis rate of neurons was decreased, and the expression of NLRP3 and Bax was down-regulated, and the expression of Bcl-2 was up-regulated in CU group ( P<0.05). Compared with CU group, the frequency of crossing the original platform was significantly reduced, the time spent in the target quadrant was shortened, the apoptosis rate of neurons was increased, and the expression of NLRP3 and Bax was up-regulated, and the expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated in CN group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in curcumin-induced reduction of postoperative cognitive dysfunction in sevoflurane-anesthetized rats.

ObjectiveTo explore the molecular mechanism of Qidi Tangshen prescription （QDTS） in regulating podocyte pyroptosis in diabetes nephropathy （DN）. MethodThrough in vivo experiment， db/db mice were divided into the model group， QDTS group （3.34 g·kg^-1）， valsartan capsule group （10.29 mg·kg^-1）， with db/m mice serving as the normal control. Each group consisted of 8 mice， and they underwent continuous intervention for 8 weeks. After the last administration， mice were euthanized， and kidney pathological changes were observed. Additionally， the expression levels of pyroptosis-related indicators， including NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， Gasdermin D protein （GSDMD）， and interleukin-1β （IL-1β） protein， were examined. Through in vitro experiment， mouse podocytes were divided into the normal glucose group （5.5 mmol·L^-1 glucose）， high glucose group （35 mmol·L^-1 glucose）， DMSO group （35 mmol·L^-1 glucose+200 mg·L^-1 DMSO）， and QDTS group （35 mmol·L^-1 glucose+200 mg·L^-1 QDTS freeze-dried powder）. After 48 hours of intervention， the expression levels of NLRP3， GSDMD， and IL-1β proteins were measured in podocytes. A drug-ingredient-target-disease interaction network for QDTS in the treatment of DN was constructed by network pharmacology methods. The key signaling pathways regulating podocyte pyroptosis were analyzed， and validation was conducted through in vivo and in vitro experiments. ResultCompared with normal group， glomerular hyperplasia and glomerular basement membrane thickening were observed in model group， and some segments were accompanied by obvious podocellular process fusion. The protein expressions of NLRP3， GSDMD and IL-1β in mouse kidney were increased， the protein expressions of mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 （MAPK14）， V-Rel reticuloendotheliosis virus oncogene homology A （RELA） and Caspase-8 in mouse kidney were increased （P<0.05）. Compared with model group， kidney pathological injury of mice in QDTS group was significantly reduced， and the expressions of NLRP3， GSDMD and IL-1β in kidney of mice in QDTS group and valsartan group were decreased （P<0.05）. The protein expressions of MAPK14， RELA and Caspase-8 in kidney of mice in QDTS group and valsartan group were decreased （P<0.05）. Network pharmacology results showed that there were 16 targets for QDTS to regulate DN cell pyrodeath， among which MAPK14， RELA and Caspase-8 were the key targets. Compared with normal glucose group， the protein expressions of NLRP3， GSDMD and IL-1β in high glucose group were increased （P<0.05）， and the protein expressions of MAPK14， RELA and Caspase-8 in mouse podocytes were increased （P<0.05）. Compared with high glucose group， the expressions of NLRP3， GSDMD and IL-1β in podocytes of mice in QDTS group were decreased （P<0.05）， and the expressions of MAPK14， RELA and Caspase-8 in podocytes of mice in QDTS group were decreased （P<0.05）. ConclusionQDTS reduces damage to DN podocytes， which is associated with its regulation of the MAPK14/RELA/Caspase-8 signaling pathway and inhibition of podocyte pyroptosis.

Objective To explore the association of the magnitude of systolic blood pressure reduction(SBPr)with post-procedure 24 h symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage(sICH)and 90-day clinical outcomes in patients with successful endovascular thrombectomy(EVT).Methods Consecutively registered patients with EVT caused by anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke(LVOS)in the First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College(Yijishan Hospital)between July 2015 and April 2023 and patients with successful reperfusion were analyzed.Demographic data,medical history(hypertension,diabetes),the trial of Org 10172 in acute stroke treatment(TOAST)classification,the baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score and the baseline Alberta stroke early CT(ASPECT)score of patients were collected.And procedure related parameters(including time from onset to puncture,time from onset to reperfusion,occluded site[internal carotid artery,M1 segment of middle cerebral artery,M2 segment of middle cerebral artery],collateral circulation status[determined based on preoperative occluded angiography showing the range of collateral circulation in the occluded vessel area,defined as good collateral circulation with a reflux range of ≥ 50％and poor collateral circulation with a reflux range of＜50％]),immediate postoperative reperfusion status(evaluated using the modified thrombolysis for cerebral infarction[mTICI]grading,successful reperfusion defined as mTICI grading of 2b-3),24 hours sICH,and 90 days clinical outcomes(evaluated using the modified Rankin scale score at 90days after EVT,with a score ≤ 2indicating a good prognosis and a score＞2indicating a poor prognosis).SBPr was defined as(baseline SBP-mean SBP)/baseline SBP x 100％.According to the the magnitude of SBPr,SBPr is divided into 5 categories(＜-10％,-10％-10％,＞10％-20％,＞20％-30％and＞30％).Based on the clinical outcomes at 90 days and the occurrence of sICH at 24 hours after EVT,patients were divided into a good prognosis group and a poor prognosis group,as well as an sICH group and a non-sICH group.The relationship between SBPr and postoperative 90 days clinical prognosis or sICH was analyzed using a binary Logistic regression model.Subgroup analysis was conducted based on a history of hypertension(yes and no),continuous intravenous hypotensive therapy(yes and no),baseline ASPECT scores(3-5 and 6-10),and collateral circulation status(good and bad).Using a restricted cubic plot to depict the relationship between SBPr and sICH and clinical prognosis at 90days.Results(1)In total,731 patients were included.The median age was 71(62,77)years and 424(58.0％)were men.The median baseline NIHSS score was 14(12,18),the median baseline ASPECT was 9(7,10),405(55.4％)patients achieved 90-day modified Rankin scale score 0-2,and 35 patients(4.8％)developed sICH.(2)Multivariate analysis showed that the older age(OR,1.036,95％CI 1.017-1.056),the higher baseline NIHSS score(OR,1.095,95％CI1.049-1.144),the lower baseline ASPECT score(OR,0.704,95％CI 0.636-0.780),diabetes(OR,1.729,95％CI 1.084-2.758),bad collateral circulation(good collateral circulation vs.bad collateral circulation,OR,0.481,95％CI 0.332-0.696)and SBPr＞30％(SBPr-10％-10％as a reference,OR,2.238,95％CI 1.230-4.071),the higher the risk of poor clinical outcomes at 90 days(all P＜0.05).Continuous intravenous hypotensive therapy is a risk factor for postoperative 24 h sICH(OR,2.278,95％CI 1.047-4.953;P=0.038),while SBPr 20％-30％is associated with a lower risk of postoperative 24 h sICH(SBPr-10％-10％as a reference,OR,0.362,95％CI0.131-0.998;P=0.049).(3)The restrictive cube plot shows that there is a U-shaped relationship between SBPr after EVT and poor clinical outcomes at 90 days,while there is a nearly linear relationship with the occurrence of sICH.The more SBP reduction,the lower the incidence of sICH.(4)In the subgroup analyses,in the non-hypertension history and the good collateral circulation group,SBPr＞30％has a higher risk of poor clinical outcomes compared to SBPr-10％-10％(OR and 95％CI were 2.921[1.000-8.528]and 2.363[1.078-5.183],respectively,with P=0.05 or P＜0.05);After EVT,the group receiving continuous intravenous hypotensive therapy and the baseline ASPECT score 6-10 groups showed a significant correlation between SBPr＞30％and poor clinical outcomes at 90 days(SBPr-10％-10％as a reference,OR and 95％CI were 2.646[1.168-5.993]and 2.481[1.360-4.527],respectively,with P＜0.05).The correlation between SBPr and lower incidence of sICH was only found in the subgroup of poor collateral circulation(SBPr-10％-10％as a reference,SBPr＞20％-30％:OR,0.133,95％CI 0.027-0.652;SBPr＞30％:OR,0.104,95％CI 0.013-0.864;all P＜0.05).Conclusions Among patients who achieved successful reperfusion with EVT,SBPr might be related to a worse functional outcome at 90 days and sICH 24 h after operation.However,the relationship may exhibit significant heterogeneity across different subgroups.Baseline ASPECT score,history of hypertension,collateral circulation,and the use of continuous venous hypertension after EVT have been highlighted in individualized blood pressure management after EVT.

Background::Whether functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are associated with the long-term risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the prospective association of FGIDs with CKD and examine whether mental health mediated the association.Methods::About 416,258 participants without a prior CKD diagnosis enrolled in the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2010 were included. Participants with FGIDs (including irritable bowel syndrome [IBS], dyspepsia, and other functional intestinal disorders [FIDs; mainly composed of constipation]) were the exposure group, and non-FGID participants were the non-exposure group. The primary outcome was incident CKD, ascertained from hospital admission and death registry records. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to investigate the association between FGIDs and CKD, and the mediation analysis was performed to investigate the mediation proportions of mental health.Results::At baseline, 33,156 (8.0%) participants were diagnosed with FGIDs, including 21,060 (5.1%), 8262 (2.0%), and 6437 (1.6%) cases of IBS, dyspepsia, and other FIDs, respectively. During a mean follow-up period of 12.1 years, 11,001 (2.6%) participants developed CKD. FGIDs were significantly associated with a higher risk of incident CKD compared to the absence of FGIDs (hazard ratio [HR], 1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28–1.44). Similar results were observed for IBS (HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.17–1.38), dyspepsia (HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.17–1.44), and other FIDs (HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.43–1.79). Mediation analyses suggested that the mental health score significantly mediated 9.05% of the association of FGIDs with incident CKD and 5.63–13.97% of the associations of FGID subtypes with CKD. Specifically, the positive associations of FGIDs and FGID subtypes with CKD were more pronounced in participants with a high genetic risk of CKD.Conclusion::Participants with FGIDs had a higher risk of incident CKD, which was partly explained by mental health scores and was more pronounced in those with high genetic susceptibility to CKD.

Objective:To investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) in patients with heart failure.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study of patients with heart failure who underwent CCM placement at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from February to June 2022. With a follow-up of 3 months, CCM sensation, impedance, percent output, and work time were monitored, and patients were compared with pre-and 3-month postoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) values, and 6-minute walk test distance and New York Heart Association (NYHA) cardiac function classification, and the occurrence of complications was recorded.Results:CCM was successfully implanted in all 9 patients. Seven(7/9) of them were male, aged (56±14) years, 3 patients had ischaemic cardiomyopathy and 6 patients had dilated cardiomyopathy. At 3-month postoperative follow-up, threshold was stable, sense was significantly lower at follow-up than before (right ventricle: (16.3±7.0) mV vs. (8.2±1.1) mV, P<0.05; local sense: (15.7±4.9) mV vs. (6.7±2.5) mV, P<0.05), and impedance was significantly lower at follow-up than before (right ventricle (846±179) Ω vs. (470±65) Ω, P<0.05, local sense: (832±246) Ω vs. (464±63) Ω, P<0.05). The CCM output percentage was (86.9±10.7) %, the output amplitude was (6.7±0.4) V, and the daily operating time was (8.6±1.0) h. LVEF was elevated compared to preoperative ((29.4±5.2) % vs. (38.3±4.3) %, P<0.05), the 6-minute walk test was significantly longer than before ((96.8±66.7)m vs. (289.3±121.7)m, P<0.05). No significant increase in the number of NYHA Class Ⅲ-Ⅳ patients was seen (7/9 vs. 2/9, P>0.05). The patient was not re-hospitalised for worsening heart failure symptoms, had no malignant arrhythmic events and experienced significant relief of symptoms such as chest tightness and shortness of breath. No postoperative complications related to pocket hematoma, pocket infection and rupture, electrode detachment, valve function impairment, pericardial effusion, or cardiac perforation were found. Conclusions:CCM has better short-term safety and efficacy in patients with heart failure.

Objective To investigate the influencing factors for acute multiple vessels occlusion(MVO)and its impact on the prognosis of patients with anterior circulation acute large vessel occlusion stroke(ALVOS)who achieved successful recanalization after endovascular treatment(EVT).Methods Patients with anterior circulation ALVOS who received successful EVT at the Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College between July 2015 and April 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Baseline data,including age,sex,onset-to-puncture time(OTP),onset-to-recanalization time(OTR),medical history(including atrial fibrillation,diabetes,hypertension),alcohol and smoking history,admission blood pressure(systolic and diastolic),Alberta stroke program early CT score(ASPECTS),National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score,trial of Org 10172 in acute stroke treatment(TOAST)classification(atherosclerotic type,cardioembolic type,and other etiology types),and 90-day modified Rankin scale(mRS)score were collected.Collateral circulation was assessed based on the degree of contrast agent reflux observed in the occluded arterial supply area during delayed DSA,and patients were classified into poor and good collateral circulation groups.Malignant cerebral edema was defined as a midline shift of ≥5 mm on the follow-up CT scan performed on day 3 post-surgery.The primary endpoint(efficacy indicator)was the 90-day mRS score,with mRS score≤ 2 considered as a good prognosis and mRS score＞2 considered as a poor prognosis.The secondary endpoint(safety indicator)was the 90-day mortality rate.All patients were divided into MVO and non-MVO groups based on whether they had single or multiple intracranial vessel occlusions.Acute MVO was defined as the detection of acute occlusion of other large or medium vessels,in addition to the main vessels(internal carotid artery or M1/M2 segments of the middle crebral artery[MCA]),in CT angiography,MR angiography,or DSA,resulting in ischemia in brain regions distinct from the main occlusion area.Factors that showed statistically significant differences in univariate analysis were further analyzed using multivariate Logistic regression to identify the risk factors for the occurrence of acute MVO and the factors associated with the prognosis of ALVOS patients.Results A total of 846 patients with ALVOS were included,with ages ranging from 26 to 94 years(mean age[69±11]years).The proportion of male patients was 57.2％(484/846).The median admission ASPECTS was 8(7,9)and the median admission NIHSS score was 14(12,18).The incidence of malignant cerebral edema at 3 days post-surgery was 13.4％(112/835),and the 90-day mortality rate was 19.1％(162/846).(1)Among the 846 ALVOS patients,810(95.7％)were in the non-MVO group and 36(4.3％)were in the MVO group.Univariate analysis showed significant differences between the MVO and non-MVO groups in terms of atrial fibrillation,malignant cerebral edema,admission ASPECTS,admission NIHSS scores,TOAST classification,collateral circulation,rate of complete recanalization,and 90-day poor prognosis rate(all P＜0.05).However,there was no statistically significant difference in 90-day mortality between the two groups(P=0.193).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that TOAST classification of cardioembolic type(OR,16.089,95％CI 1.835-141.061,P=0.012)and other etiology types(OR,9.768,95％CI 1.078-88.540,P=0.043)were associated with the occurrence of MVO.(2)Among the 846 ALVOS patients,445 had a good prognosis at 90days,and 401 had a poor prognosis.Univariate analysis showed that,compared to the good prognosis group,the poor prognosis group had a lower proportion of males and smokers,and a higher proportion of patients with older age,higher baseline systolic blood pressure,hypertension,diabetes,and atrial fibrillation(all P＜0.01).Additionally,the poor prognosis group had higher admission NIHSS scores(P＜0.01),lower admission ASPECTS,lower rates of good collateral circulation and complete recanalization,higher rates of malignant cerebral edema and MVO,and statistically significant differences in TOAST classification distribution(all P＜0.01).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that MVO was associated with poor 90-day prognosis in ALVOS patients after EVT(OR,3.368,95％CI 1.149-9.878,P=0.027).Furthermore,older age(OR,1.045,95％CI 1.025-1.066),diabetes(OR,1.719,95％CI 1.080-2.734),higher baseline systolic blood pressure(OR,1.012,95％CI 1.004-1.019),lower admission ASPECTS(OR,0.746,95％CI 0.674-0.826),higher admission NIHSS score(OR,1.115,95％CI 1.070-1.162),without immediate postoperative complete recanalization(OR,0.413,95％CI 0.290-0.592),poor collateral circulation(OR,0.594,95％CI 0.415-0.851),and malignant cerebral edema(OR,6.191,95％CI 3.026-12.670)were all associated with poor 90-day prognosis after EVT in ALVOS patients(all P＜0.05).Conclusions The TOAST classification of cardioembolic type and other etiology types is associated with MVO.MVO is a risk factor for poor outcomes after successful EVT in ALVOS patients.

Objectives:This study aims to explore the effects of pioglitazone on the attenuation of ventricular arrhythmias(VAs)induced by β1-adrenergic receptor autoantibodies(β1AAb)and its potential mechanisms. Methods:48 SD rats were uniformly randomly divided into four groups using number table:control group received vehicle injection,β1AAb group received back multi-point injection of β1AR-ECLⅡ antigen peptide with adjuvant,2 mg/(kg·time),pioglitazone group received pioglitazone gavage for 2 weeks after 8 weeks of immunization,4 mg/(kg·d),and GW9662 group received pioglitazone+GW9662 intraperitoneal injection for 2 weeks after 8 weeks of immunization,1 mg/(kg·d).Powerlab recorded electrocardiograms and blood collection every 2 weeks.Baseline and week 10 echocardiography were recorded,followed by electrophysiology,histopathology,immunohistochemical staining,and electron microscopy examination after 10 weeks. Results:Compared to control group,β1AAb group showed a higher incidence of ventricular arrhythmias,shorter ventricular effective refractory period(VERP),longer action-recovery interval(ARI),lower left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFS),lower positive staining area ratio of glucose transporter 1(GLUT1)and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a(CPT1a),all P＜0.05.Mitochondrial morphology abnormalities and network damage were also significantly observed(P＜0.05).In contrast to β1AAb group,pioglitazone group showed a reduced incidence of ventricular arrhythmias,prolonged VERP,shortened ARI,recovered LVEF and LVFS,increased the positive staining area ratio of GLUT1 and CPT1a,all P＜0.05.Improvement was observed in mitochondrial morphology abnormalities and network damage(P＜0.05).Compared to pioglitazone group,GW9662 group exhibited a higher incidence of ventricular arrhythmias,shorter VERP,and longer ARI,lower LVEF and LVFS,lower positive staining area ratio of GLUT1 and CPT1a,all P＜0.05.Mitochondrial morphology abnormalities and network damage did not recover(P＜0.05). Conclusions:Pioglitazone can reduce VAs induced by β1AAb,improve ventricular electrical conduction and activation recovery time heterogeneity,and mitigate ventricular remodeling caused by β1AAb at the tissue pathology level,accompanied by upregulation of ventricular cardiomyocyte glucose and lipid transport channel proteins and repair of damaged mitochondrial networks.

Inflammatory caspase-11 senses and is activated by intracellular lipopolysaccharide (LPS) leading to pyroptosis that has critical role in defensing against bacterial infection, whereas its excess activation under pathogenic circumstances may cause various inflammatory diseases. However, there are few known drugs that can control caspase-11 activation. We report here that scutellarin, a flavonoid from Erigeron breviscapus, acted as an inhibitor for caspase-11 activation in macrophages. Scutellarin dose-dependently inhibited intracellular LPS-induced release of caspase-11p26 (indicative of caspase-11 activation) and generation of N-terminal fragment of gasdermin D (GSDMD-NT), leading to reduced pyroptosis. It also suppressed the activation of non-canonical nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome as evidenced by reduced apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) speck formation and decreased interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and caspase-1p10 secretion, whereas the NLRP3-specific inhibitor MCC950 only inhibited IL-1β and caspase-1p10 release and ASC speck formation but not pyroptosis. Scutellarin also suppressed LPS-induced caspase-11 activation and pyroptosis in RAW 264.7 cells lacking ASC expression. Moreover, scutellarin treatment increased Ser/Thr phosphorylation of caspase-11 at protein kinase A (PKA)-specific sites, and its inhibitory action on caspase-11 activation was largely abrogated by PKA inhibitor H89 or by adenylyl cyclase inhibitor MDL12330A. Collectively, our data indicate that scutellarin inhibited caspase-11 activation and pyroptosis in macrophages at least partly via regulating the PKA signaling pathway.

In the original publication the photo of the gregarious adult locust in Fig. 1A is incorrect. The correct photo of adult migratory locust is provided in this correction.