Major depressive disorder(MDD)is a prevalent con-dition associated with substantial impairment and low remission rates.Traditional antidepressants demonstrate delayed effects,low cure rate,and inadequate therapeutic effectiveness for man-aging treatment-resistant depression(TRD).Several studies have shown that ketamine,a non-selective N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor(NMDAR)antagonist,can produce rapid and sustained antidepressant effects.Ketamine has demonstrated efficacy for reducing suicidality in TRD patients.However,the pharmaco-logical mechanism for ketamine's antidepressant effects remains incompletely understood.Previous research suggests that the an-tidepressant effects of ketamine may involve the monoaminergic,glutamatergic and dopaminergic systems.This paper provides an overview of the pharmacological mechanism for ketamine's anti-depressant effects and discuss the potential directions for future research.

Glutamate,norepinephrine,and their receptors com-prise the glutamatergic and norepinephrine systems,which mu-tually affect each other and play essential roles in mediating vari-ous neuropsychiatric diseases.This paper reviews the functions of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor(NMDA-R)and α2-adrenergic receptor(α2-AR)and their functional crosstalk at the molecular level in brain in common neuropsychiatric diseases,which would benefit our understanding of neuropathophysiology of psychiatric diseases,drug development and optimization of clinical neuro-psychopharmacology.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and peripheral insulin resistance. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), a response to cellular stress, is activated across various tissues during the progression of T2DM, leading to disruptions in protein synthesis. Notably, epithelial and endocrine cells with hormone-secreting functions are particularly vulnerable to functional impairments induced by ERS. The gut-pancreas axis is essential for regulating metabolism and the progression of T2DM. Intestinal epithelial L cells, integral to the intestinal barrier, can secrete the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). This hormone promotes insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells and plays a critical role in glucose metabolism. Importantly, ERS plays a critical role in regulating glucolipid-induced dysfunction of gut-pancreas axis. For instance, ERS is involved in regulating the intestinal barrier and the secretion of GLP-1 as well as insulin. Therefore, ERS can be a potential target for T2DM treatment. In this paper, we review the regulatory roles of ERS in the gut-pancreas axis during the development of T2DM, and summarize the therapeutic drugs and strategies targeting ERS for T2DM treatment.

This study explores the effect of total flavonoids of Rhododendra simsii(TFR) on middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)-induced cerebral injury in rats and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R) injury in PC12 cells and the underlying mechanism. The MCAO method was used to induce focal ischemic cerebral injury in rats. Male SD rats were randomized into sham group, model group, and TFR group. After MCAO, TFR(60 mg·kg~(-1)) was administered for 3 days. The content of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-1(IL-1), and interleukin-6(IL-6) in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The pathological changes of brain tissue and cerebral infarction were observed based on hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein levels of calcium release-activated calcium channel modulator 1(ORAI1), stromal interaction molecule 1(STIM1), stromal intera-ction molecule 2(STIM2), protein kinase B(PKB), and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3(caspase-3) in brain tissues. The OGD/R method was employed to induce injury in PC12 cells. Cells were randomized into the normal group, model group, gene silencing group, TFR(30 μg·mL~(-1)) group, and TFR(30 μg·mL~(-1))+gene overexpression plasmid group. Intracellular Ca~(2+) concentration and apoptosis rate of PC12 cells were measured by laser scanning confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. The effect of STIM-ORAI-regulated store-operated calcium entry(SOCE) pathway on TFR was explored based on gene silencing and gene overexpression techniques. The results showed that TFR significantly alleviated the histopathological damage of brains in MCAO rats after 3 days of admini-stration, reduced the contents of TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6 in the serum, down-regulated the expression of ORAI1, STIM1, STIM2, and caspase-3 genes, and up-regulated the expression of PKB gene in brain tissues of MCAO rats. TFR significantly decreased OGD/R induced Ca~(2+) overload and apoptosis in PC12 cells. However, it induced TFR-like effect by ORAI1, STIM1 and STIM2 genes silencing. However, overexpression of these genes significantly blocked the effect of TFR in reducing Ca~(2+) overload and apoptosis in PC12 cells. In summary, in the early stage of focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and OGD/R-induced injury in PC12 cells TFR attenuates ischemic brain injury by inhibiting the STIM-ORAI-regulated SOCE pathway and reducing Ca~(2+) overload and inflammatory factor expression, and apoptosis.
Animals ; Male ; Rats ; Apoptosis ; Brain Ischemia/metabolism* ; Caspase 3 ; Interleukin-1 ; Interleukin-6 ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics* ; Flavonoids/pharmacology* ; Rhododendron/chemistry*

Radiotherapy is widely used in the management of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the clinical efficacy is limited by the safe irradiated dose. Sensitizing tumor cells to radiotherapy via interrupting DNA repair is a promising approach to conquering the limitation. The BRCA1-BARD1 complex has been demonstrated to play a critical role in homologous recombination (HR) DSB repair, and its functions may be affected by HERC2 or BAP1. Accumulated evidence illustrates that the ubiquitination-deubiquitination balance is involved in these processes; however, the precise mechanism for the cross-talk among these proteins in HR repair following radiation hasn't been defined. Through activity-based profiling, we identified PT33 as an active entity for HR repair suppression. Subsequently, we revealed that BAP1 serves as a novel molecular target of PT33 via a CRISPR-based deubiquitinase screen. Mechanistically, pharmacological covalent inhibition of BAP1 with PT33 recruits HERC2 to compete with BARD1 for BRCA1 interaction, interrupting HR repair. Consequently, PT33 treatment can substantially enhance the sensitivity of CRC cells to radiotherapy in vitro and in vivo. Overall, these findings provide a mechanistic basis for PT33-induced HR suppression and may guide an effective strategy to improve therapeutic gain.

Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of the proportion of hibernating myocardium (HM) in total perfusion defect (TPD) on reverse left ventricle remodeling (RR) after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) by ^99mTc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) combined with ¹⁸F-flurodeoxyglucose (FDG) gated myocardial imaging positron emission computed tomography (PET). Methods: Inpatients diagnosed with HFrEF at the Cardiac Surgery Center, Anzhen Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2016 to January 2022 were prospectively recruited. MPI combined with ¹⁸F-FDG gated PET was performed before surgery for viability assessment and the patients received follow-up MPI and ¹⁸F-FDG gated PET at different stages (3-12 months) after surgery. Δ indicated changes (post-pre). Left ventricular end-systolic volume (ESV) reduced at least 10% was defined as RR, patients were divided into reverse remodeling (RR+) group and the non-reverse group (RR-). Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of RR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to assess the cut-off value for predicting RR. Additionally, we retrospectively enrolled inpatients with HFrEF at the Cardiac Surgery Center, Anzhen Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2021 to January 2022 as the validation group, who underwent MPI and ¹⁸F-FDG gated PET before surgery. Echocardiography was performed before CABG and after CABG (3-12 months). In the validation group, the reliability of obtaining the cut-off value for the ROC curve was verified. Results: A total of 28 patients with HFrEF (26 males; age (56.9±8.7) years) were included in the prospective cohort. HM/TPD was significantly higher in the RR+ group than in the RR- group ((51.8%±17.9%) vs. (35.7%±13.9%), P=0.016). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that HM/TPD was an independent predictor of RR (Odds ratio=1.073, 95% Confidence interval: 1.005-1.145, P=0.035). ROC curve analysis revealed that HM/TPD=38.3% yielded the highest sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy (all 75%) for predicting RR and the AUC was 0.786 (P=0.011). Meanwhile, a total of 100 patients with HFrEF (90 males; age (59.7±9.6) years) were included in the validation group. In the validation group, HM/TPD=38.3% predicted RR in HFrEF patients after CABG with the highest sensitivity, specificity and accuracy (82%, 60% and 73% respectively). Compared with the HFrEF patients in the HM/TPD<38.3% group (n=36), RR and cardiac function improved more significantly in the HM/TPD≥38.3% group (n=64) (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Preoperative HM/TPD ratio is an independent factor for predicting RR in patients with HFrEF after CABG, and HM/TPD≥38.3% can accurately predict RR and the improvement of cardiac function after CABG.
Male ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Stroke Volume ; Heart Failure ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Retrospective Studies ; Reproducibility of Results ; Prospective Studies ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Perfusion ; Myocardium

Objective:To observe the effect of combining biofeedback therapy (BFT) based on virtual reality technology with repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on dysphagia among stroke survivors.Methods:Eighty patients were randomly divided into a control group, an rTMS group, a BFT group and a combined treatment group, each of 20. In addition to routine dysphagia rehabilitation, the rTMS and BFT groups were given those treatments, while the combined treatment group was given both for 4 weeks. Swallowing function was evaluated before and after the treatment using the standardized swallowing assessment (SSA) and the functional oral intake scale (FOIS). Videofluoroscopy was used to quantify the subjects′ oral and pharyngeal phases and their aspiration status.Results:Significant improvement was observed in the average FOIS and SSA scores, as well as in the average oral and pharyngeal phases and in aspiration. The combined treatment group′s results were significantly better in all those aspects than those of the other 3 groups.Conclusion:The combined application of biofeedback therapy based on virtual reality technology and repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation can improve the swallowing function of stroke survivors with dysphagia. It is worthy of clinical promotion.

Objective: To explore the quality of life and its influencing factors of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) of esophageal cancer patients. Methods: The quality of life of 134 esophageal cancer patients was assessed using the quality of life assessment scale (EORTC QLQ-C30) developed by the European Cancer Research and Treatment Organization. Student's t test, One-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression statistical methods were used to analyze the effects of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics on patients' quality of life. Results: The overall score of quality of life (74.00) was lower than that of the general population (75.30). However, the scores of emotion and cognition in function dimension (93.97 and 95.77) were better than those of the general population (82.80 and 86.50). The results of fatigue, pain, insomnia and constipation in symptom dimension (14.18, 10.94, 11.69 and 5.72) were better than those of the general population (28.80, 20.50, 20.40 and 10.70). The pathological stage, body mass index and dietary were independent influencing factors for the quality of life of patients with esophageal cancer (P<0.05). Conclusions: ERAS can partially improve the quality of life of esophageal cancer patients. More attention should be paid to the esophageal cancer patients after surgery and take targeted measures to improve their quality of life.
Esophageal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires

A high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS) was developed for simultaneously determining the components(magnoflorine, jatrorrhizine, berberrubine, coptisine, berberine) of Jiaotai Pills and Fluoxetine in plasma of rats with chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)-induced depression to investigate the pharmacokinetic herb-drug interaction of Jiaotai Pills and Fluoxetine in the rats. The six components showed good linear relationship within the corresponding concentration ranges, and the method showed high specificity, accuracy, precision, and stability. Their pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS 3.2.2, and the results showed that the in vivo metabolic processes of the six components accorded with the characteristics of non-compartmental model. When Jiaotai Pills and Fluoxetine were used together, the AUC_(0-t), AUC_(0-∞), C_(max), and C_(av) of magnoflorine all significantly increased(P<0.05), while the pharmacokinetic trend of berberrubine was opposite to that of magnoflorine, as manifested by the decrease in AUC_(0-t), AUC_(0-∞), T_(max), C_(max), and C_(av)(P<0.01, P<0.05). The pharmacokinetic characteristics of jatrorrhizine, coptisine, and berberine followed the trend of berberrubine. There was no significant difference in the pharmacokinetic characteristics of Fluoxetine in the single or combination groups. This study suggests that the enhanced antidepressant efficacy of Jiaotai Pills and Fluo-xetine may be attributed to the pharmacokinetic interaction.
Animals ; Berberine ; Chromatography, Liquid/methods* ; Depression/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Fluoxetine ; Rats ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods*

Aim To examine the therapeutic effects of DHZCP on carbon tetrachloride(CCl4)-induced chemical hepatic fibrosis model in rats and the mechanism of acid-sensitive ion channels 1a(ASIC1a)and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)-related mechanisms.Methods The rats were injected intraperitoneally with CCl4 vegetable oil mixture to establish hepatic fibrosis model,and randomly divided into six groups:control group,hepatic fibrosis model group,DHZCP low dose group,DHZCP medium dose group,DHZCP high dose group and colchicine(Col)positive control group.HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of hepatic structures in each group,Masson staining to view the production of collagen fibers in each group,and immunohistochemistry,Western blot,q-PCR to investigate the expression level of ASIC1a,CaMKKβ,VEGF,α-SMA,Collagen-I proteins.Results In model group,serum ALT and AST levels were obviously up-regulated,liver tissue structure was severely damaged,and ASIC1a,CaMKKβ,VEGF,α-SMA,Collagen-I gene and protein expression levels were significantly elevated.Compared with model group,each treatment group of DHZCP could markedly alleviate the pathological changes of liver fibrosis caused by CCl4,significantly reduce the serum ALT and AST levels,and dose-dependently down-regulate the gene and protein expression levels of ASIC1a,CaMKKβ,VEGF,α-SMA,Collagen-I,etc.Conclusions DHZCP ameliorates hepatic fibrosis in rats,and its mechanism of action may be associated with the regulation of ASIC1a/VEGF.