Chinese materia medica and its compound formulas have the characteristics of multi-component,multi-target,and multi pathway effects,and have unique advantages in preventing and treating complex diseases.Network pharmacology explains disease patterns and drug mechanisms from the perspective of complex biological networks,and explores the pharmacological substance basis and target of Chinese medicine.This article summarized the application of network pharmacology from the aspects of biological basis of TCM syndrome,the substance basis and pharmacological mechanism of TCM,compatibility theory of TCM compound formulas,etc.,with the purpose to provide a reference for the research and application of network pharmacology in TCM.

Objective: To explore the epidemic characteristics of injury related deaths in children and adolescents aged 1-24 years old in China from 2010 to 2020, so as to provide a basis for the formulation of policies and measures related to the control of injuries and deaths among children and adolescents. Methods: The data were sourced from the China Death Cause Monitoring Dataset from 2010 to 2020. Annual percentage change (APC) and average annual percentage change (AAPC) of injury deaths in China in this age group during the period 2010 to 2020 were analyzed by Join point regression. Results: From 2010 to 2020, the standardized death rate of injury showed a decreasing trend (AAPC=-6.90%, t =4.58, P <0.01). The standardized death rates of male and rural injuries showed an overall downward trend, with AAPC rates of -8.37% and -7.79%( t =11.87, 10.34, P <0.01). An increasing trend was observed in the 20-24 year-old age group during 2010-2018 (APC=18.11%, t =6.50, P <0.01). The death rate from injuries was higher in males than females, and higher in rural areas compared with urban areas ( χ 2=16 483.64, 3 268.65 , P <0.01). A downward trend was observed in accidental falls and suicide, the overall standardized mortality rate of traffic accidents, accidental poisoning, fire, drowning, homicide and other injuries (AAPC=-10.22%, -6.21%, -7.50%, -7.94%, -9.01% , -10.97%, t =16.23, 7.29, 2.53, 9.32, 7.88, 4.58, P <0.05). Conclusion From 2010 to 2020, the overall injury standardized mortality rate in the 1-24 year-old age group shows a decreasing trend, but it remains at a relatively high level. Prevention efforts should be continuously strengthened, especially for urban areas, and should focus on women and those aged 20-24 years old, as well as accidental falls and suicide prevention.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of ursolic acid in treating sepsis using myeloid differentiation protein-2 (MD-2) as the research carrier. METHODS: The affinity of ursolic acid and MD-2 was determined by biofilm interferometry technique, and the bonding mode between ursolic acid and MD-2 was tested with the aid of molecular docking technique. Raw 264.7 cells were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium and subcultured was conducted when the cell density reached 80%-90%. The second-generation cells were used for in the experiment. The effects of 8, 40 and 100 mg/L ursolic acid on cell viability were assessed by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method. Cells were divided into blank group, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group (LPS 100 μg/L) and ursolic acid group (100 μg/L LPS treatment after addition of 8, 40 or 100 mg/L ursolic acid). The effect of ursolic acid on the release of cytokines nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukins (IL-6, IL-1β) were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The influence of ursolic acid on the mRNA expressions of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The implication of ursolic acid on the protein expressions of LPS-Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MD-2-nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway were tested by Western blotting. RESULTS: Ursolic acid could bind to the hydrophobic cavity of MD-2 through hydrophobic bond with the amino acid residues of the protein. Therefore, ursolic acid showed high affinity with MD-2 [dissociation constant (KD) = 1.43×10^-4]. The cell viability were decreased slightly, with the concentration of ursolic acid increasing, and the cell viability of 8, 40 and 100 mg/L ursolic acid were 96.01%, 94.32% and 92.12%, respectively, and there was no significant difference compared with the blank group (100%). Compared with the blank group, the cytokine level of the LPS group was significantly increased. The level of cytokines were significantly reduced by the treatment of 8, 40 and 100 mg/L ursolic acid, and the higher the concentration, the more obvious effect [compared between 100 mg/L ursolic acid group and LPS group: IL-1β (μmol/L): 38.018±0.675 vs. 111.324±1.262, IL-6 (μmol/L): 35.052±1.664 vs. 115.255±5.392, TNF-α (μmol/L): 39.078±2.741 vs. 119.035±4.269, NO (μmol/L): 40.885±2.372 vs. 123.405±1.291, all P < 0.01]. Compared with the blank group, the mRNA expressions of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, iNOS and COX-2 in the LPS group were significantly increased, and the protein expressions of MD-2, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), phosphorylation NF-κB p65 (p-NF-κB p65) and iNOS in the LPS-TLR4/MD-2-NF-κB pathway were significantly up-regulated. Compared with the LPS group, the mRNA expressions of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, iNOS and COX-2 were significantly reduced by the treatment of 100 mg/L ursolic acid bound with MD-2 protein [TNF-α (2^-ΔΔCt): 4.659±0.821 vs. 8.652±0.787, IL-6 (2^-ΔΔCt): 4.296±0.802 vs. 11.132±1.615, IL-1β (2^-ΔΔCt): 4.482±1.224 vs. 11.758±1.324, iNOS (2^-ΔΔCt): 1.785±0.529 vs. 4.249±0.811, COX-2 (2^-ΔΔCt): 5.591±1.586 vs. 16.953±1.651, all P < 0.01], and the proteins expressions of MD-2, MyD88, p-NF-κB p65 and iNOS in the LPS-TLR4/MD-2-NF-κB pathway were significantly down-regulated (MD-2/β-actin: 0.191±0.038 vs. 0.704±0.049, MyD88/β-actin: 0.470±0.042 vs. 0.875±0.058, p-NF-κB p65/β-actin: 0.178±0.012 vs. 0.571±0.012, iNOS/β-actin: 0.247±0.035 vs. 0.549±0.033, all P < 0.01). However, there was no difference in protein expression of NF-κB p65 among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS Ursolic acid inhibits the release and expression of cytokines and mediators and regulates LPS-TLR4/MD-2-NF-κB signaling pathway by blocking MD-2 protein, and thus plays an anti-sepsis role.
Humans ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Actins ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Interleukin-6 ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Lymphocyte Antigen 96 ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 ; NF-kappa B ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; Sepsis ; Cytokines ; Cell Differentiation ; RNA, Messenger

Background and Objectives: The influence of pre-intervention coronary physiologic status on outcomes post percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not well known. We sought to investigate the prognostic implications of pre-PCI fractional flow reserve (FFR) combined with post-PCI FFR. Methods: A total of 1,479 PCI patients with pre-and post-PCI FFR data were analyzed. The patients were classified according to the median values of pre-PCI FFR (0.71) and post-PCI FFR (0.88). The primary outcome was target vessel failure (TVF) at 2 years. Results: The risk of TVF was higher in the low pre-PCI FFR group than in the high pre-PCI FFR group (hazard ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.15–2.87; p=0.011). In 4 group comparisons, the cumulative incidences of TVF at 2 years were 3.8%, 4.1%, 4.8%, and 10.2% in the high pre-/high post-, low pre-/high post-, high pre-/low post-, and low pre-/low post-PCI FFR groups, respectively. The risk of TVF was the highest in the low pre-/low post-PCI FFR group among the groups (p values for comparisons <0.05). In addition, the high pre-/low post-PCI FFR group presented a comparable risk of TVF with the high post-PCI FFR groups (p values for comparison >0.05). When the prognostic value of the post-PCI FFR was evaluated according to the pre-PCI FFR, the risk of TVF significantly decreased with an increase in postPCI FFR in the low pre-PCI FFR group, but not in the high pre-PCI FFR group. Conclusions Pre-PCI FFR was associated with clinical outcomes after PCI, and the prognostic value of post-PCI FFR differed according to the pre-PCI FFR.

  Objective  To investigate the clinical features of autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) astrocytopathy.  Methods  We collected and analyzed the clinical and laboratory data and obtained the clinical characteristics of diagnosis and treatment from fifteen patients with positive GFAP antibody tested by cerebrospinal fluid and diagnosed autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy by the multi-centers.  Results  The mean age of the first onset of autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy was 39.73 years old (range 4-65 years), with no significant gender difference. In terms of clinical manifestations, we found the whole brain symptoms including abnormal mental behavior, disturbance of consciousness, epileptic attack accounting for more than 50, , meningitis accounting for 66.7%, myelitis (53.3%), limb tremor (53.3%), vision loss (33.3%); systemic symptoms including fever(100%) and fatigue(86.7%). 46.7% of patients were initially diagnosed with tuberculous meningoencephalitis and were treated with diagnostic antituberculous therapy. The MRI showed 46.7% of patients showed brain linear perivascular radial gadolinium enhancement in the white matter perpendicular to the ventricle.  Conclusions  Autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy are acute or subacute dieases and the main clinical features include encephalitis, meningitis, myelitis and optic neuritis. They are likely to be misdiagnosed as tuberculous meningoencephalitis and can manifest progressive loss of consciousness in early phase, which is even life threatening.

Vergence eye movements are the inward and outward rotation of the eyes responsible for binocular coordination. While studies have mapped and investigated the neural substrates of vergence, it is not well understood whether vergence eye movements evoke the blood oxygen level-dependent signal reliably in separate experimental visits. The test-retest reliability of stimulus-induced vergence eye movement tasks during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment is important for future randomized clinical trials (RCTs). In this study, we established region of interest (ROI) masks for the vergence neural circuit. Twenty-seven binocularly normal young adults participated in two functional imaging sessions measured on different days on the same 3T Siemens scanner. The fMRI experiments used a block design of sustained visual fixation and rest blocks interleaved between task blocks that stimulated eight or four vergence eye movements. The test-retest reliability of task-activation was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and that of spatial extent was assessed using the Dice coefficient. Functional activation during the vergence eye movement task of eight movements compared to rest was repeatable within the primary visual cortex (ICC = 0.8), parietal eye fields (ICC = 0.6), supplementary eye field (ICC = 0.5), frontal eye fields (ICC = 0.5), and oculomotor vermis (ICC = 0.6). The results demonstrate significant test-retest reliability in the ROIs of the vergence neural substrates for functional activation magnitude and spatial extent using the stimulus protocol of a task block stimulating eight vergence eye movements compared to sustained fixation. These ROIs can be used in future longitudinal RCTs to study patient populations with vergence dysfunctions.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the effect of advanced glycation end products(AGEs) on apoptosis of cultured mouse spiral ganglion cells(SGCs) and expression of receptor of AGEs(RAGE). To explore the pathway of AGEs in promoting apoptosis of SGCs. And to explore the possible mechanism of neural presbycusis. METHODS The effect of AGEs on apoptosis of SGCs was studied by Tunel technique and fluorescence microscope. The expression of RAGE mRNA was assayed by Real time RT-PCR. RESULTS AGEs induced apoptosis of cultured SGCs. The effects were dose-dependent and time-dependent. Meanwhile RAGE mRNA expression was enhanced in apoptosis cells. CONCLUSION AGEs induced apoptosis in SGCs,which may be mediated by RAGE. And this may be one of the mechanisms of neural presbycusis.

Objective:To screen the plasma microRNAs( miRNAs) of differential expression in a high fat diet-induced insulin resistance in mouse models;further investigations on the mice with insulin resistance treated by TLR4 inhibitors TAK-242,and to study the changes of plasma miRNAs expression profile and the relationship among TLR4, miRNAs and high fat diet-induced insulin resistance. Methods:The plasma samples were from 3 mouse groups of previous study,namely,the control group with general basic diet ( low fat diet,LFD) ,TLR4 inhibitors TAK-242 treatment group with a high fat diet ( HFD-T) and the high fat diet control group( HFD-C) . The differential expressed miRNAs was screened by expression profiling of plasma miRNAs, which was detected using mouse miRNA microarray. The quantitative Real-Time PCR ( qRT-PCR ) was used to verify the results of microarray. The target genes of differential expressed miRNAs were predicted in TLR4 signaling pathway using bioinformatics methods,and the GO and KEGG database molecular annotation system were used to investigate the main effects of the miRNAs targeted genes on the biological functions or signal pathway. Results:The screening results of miRNA microarray chip showed that,comparing miRNAs expression between HFD group and LFD control group,185 miRNAs were significant in the high fat diet group,including 6 up-regulated and 179 down-regulated miRANs. A significant difference of miRANs was also found between HFD-T group and LFD control group,the total number of differential expression miRNAs was 171,and all of them were down-regulated. Comparing miRNAs expression between HFD-C group and HFD-T group,13
miRNAs were significant in HFD-T group,all of them were down-regulated. Bioinformatics analysis results showed that a total of 10 in-teraction proteins with TLR4 were predicted;the difference of mmu-miR-3095-3p,mmu-miR-5113,mmu-miR-709 and mmu-miR-335-3p expression levels was more than 1 000 times between HFD-C group and HFD-T group,and their target genes can be found in TLR4-in-teraction protein or Toll like receptor signaling pathway;GO and KEGG analysis showed 74% of these target genes belonged to the biological processes genes, and the transcription factors accounted for 82%. The expression of mmu-miR-3095-3p, mmu-miR-5113, mmu-miR-709 and mmu-miR-335-3p detected by qRT-PCR exhibited the similar patterns of down regulation to those shown in microarray results. Conclusion:When insulin resistance occurs,there is a change in plasma miRNAs expression profile,this change is associated with TLR4 and its signaling pathways. The finding enrichs the possible mechanisms of insulin resistance and provides a basis for finding miRNAs diagnostic markers for early diagnosis of insulin resistance.