OBJECTIVE: To study the in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects of the polysaccharide of Alocasia cucullata (PAC) and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: B16F10 and 4T1 cells were cultured with PAC of 40 µg/mL, and PAC was withdrawn after 40 days of administration. The cell viability was detected by cell counting kit-8. The expression of Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 proteins were detected by Western blot and the expressions of ERK1/2 mRNA were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A mouse melanoma model was established to study the effect of PAC during long-time administration. Mice were divided into 3 treatment groups: control group treated with saline water, positive control group (LNT group) treated with lentinan at 100 mg/(kg·d), and PAC group treated with PAC at 120 mg/(kg·d). The pathological changes of tumor tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The apoptosis of tumor tissues was detected by TUNEL staining. Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 protein expressions were detected by immunohistochemistry, and the expressions of ERK1/2, JNK1 and p38 mRNA were detected by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: In vitro, no strong inhibitory effects of PAC were found in various tumor cells after 48 or 72 h of administration. Interestingly however, after 40 days of cultivation under PAC, an inhibitory effect on B16F10 cells was found. Correspondingly, the long-time administration of PAC led to downregulation of Bcl-2 protein (P<0.05), up-regulation of Caspase-3 protein (P<0.05) and ERK1 mRNA (P<0.05) in B16F10 cells. The above results were verified by in vivo experiments. In addition, viability of B16F10 cells under long-time administration culture in vitro decreased after drug withdrawal, and similar results were also observed in 4T1 cells. CONCLUSIONS Long-time administration of PAC can significantly inhibit viability and promote apoptosis of tumor cells, and had obvious antitumor effect in tumor-bearing mice.
Mice ; Animals ; Alocasia/metabolism* ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Caspase 3/metabolism* ; Apoptosis ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism*

Aim To screen and study the expression of long non-coding RNA (IncRNA) in rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) with MCAO treated with Tao Hong Si Wu decoction (THSWD) and determine the possible molecular mechanism of THSWD in treating MCAO rats. Methods Three cerebral hemisphere tissue were obtained from the control group, MCAO group and MCAO + THSWD group. RNA sequencing technology was used to identify IncRNA gene expression in the three groups. THSWD-regulated IncRNA genes were identified, and then a THSWD-regu-lated IncRNA-mRNA network was constructed. MCODE plug-in units were used to identify the modules of IncRNA-mRNA networks. Gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) were used to analyze the enriched biological functions and signaling pathways. Cis- and trans-regulatory genes for THSWD-regulated IncRNAs were identified. Reverse transcription real-time quantitative pol-ymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to verify IncRNAs. Molecular docking was used to identify IncRNA-mRNA network targets and pathway-associated proteins. Results In MCAO rats, THSWD regulated a total of 302 IncRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that some core IncRNAs might play an important role in the treatment of MCAO rats with THSWD, and we further found that THSWD might also treat MCAO rats through multiple pathways such as IncRNA-mRNA network and network-enriched complement and coagulation cascades. The results of molecular docking showed that the active compounds gallic acid and a-mygdalin of THSWD had a certain binding ability to protein targets. Conclusions THSWD can protect the brain injury of MCAO rats through IncRNA, which may provide new insights for the treatment of ischemic stroke with THSWD.

Octapeptin has strong antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii, while it also has activity against some Gram-positive bacteria. This study used natural octapeptin A3 and B3 as lead compounds for structural modification. Twenty-one peptide derivatives (including A3 and B3) containing eight amino acid residues were prepared by solid-phase synthesis, and evaluated for antibacterial activity and renal cytotoxicity. Among them, three compounds 6, 7 and 17 exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and significantly enhanced the activity for Gram-positive bacteria while maintaining the activity of Gram-negative bacteria. Several compounds improved the activity for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Compound 7 was active against all test strains and had relatively low renal cytotoxicity. The results provide a basis for the further development of novel polypeptide antibiotics.

Objective To explore the value of serum D-dimer(D-D),fibrinogen(FIB),platelet(PLT),C-reactive pro-tein(CRP)and tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor(PAI)-1 levels in predicting lower extremity deep vein thrombosis(DVT)after hip joint surgery in the elderly.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 165 elderly patients with hip joint surgery admitted from February 2020 to May 2022,including 89 males and 76 females,aged from 60 to 75 years old with an average of(66.43±5.48)years,and there were 102 cases of femoral neck fracture and 63 cases of femoral head necrosis.Serum levels of D-D,FIB,PLT,CRP and PAI-1 tests were performed in all patients within 24 hours after admission,and the patients were divided into DVT group and non-DVT group according to whether they developed DVT.Results The levels of D-D,FIB,PLT,CRP,and PAI-1 in the DVT group were higher than those in the non-DVT group(P＜0.001).Spearman analysis showed that DVT was positively correlated with PLT,CRP,D-D,FIB,and PAI-1 levels(r=0.382,0.213,0.410,0.310,0.353,all P＜0.001).The results of binary Logistic regression analysis showed that D-D and PLT were independent factors affecting the occurrence of DVT(OR=0.038,0.960,P=0.032,0.011).The area under curve(AUC)of D-D,FIB,PLT,CRP,PAI-1,and the five combined predictions for DVT were 0.843,0.692,0.871,0.780,0.819,and 0.960,respectively.The AUC of the five combined predictions was higher than that of the single prediction(P＜0.05).Conclusion D-D,FIB,PLT,CRP and PAI-1 are effective in predicting DVT after hip surgery in the elderly,and the combined prediction of the five factors has higher effi-cacy.

To sum up integrative nursing experience of a case with chronic refractory wound formation caused by drug extravasation.The essentials of integrative nursing are:structured nursing intervention of"assessment-management-treatment"based on the Triangle of Wound Assessment;determination of the timing for integrative nursing according to the theory of TCM sores and ulcers;implementation of copper board scraping method to promote circulation of qi and blood;use of Huo-long Comprehensive Moxibustion Therapy to promote muscle regeneration.With the help of the cooperation of the multidisciplinary specialist nursing team,the wound was completely healed after 59 days of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine nursing interventions.

ObjectiveTo analyse the clinical characteristics of different traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes in patients with heart failure based on information from electronic medical record. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted to collect clinical data of all inpatients with heart failure in the Department of Cardiology， Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 1， 2019 to December 31， 2020. A database of clinical TCM data was established to explore the characteristics of clinical data of basic information， syndromes and syndrome element types， and biochemical indexes. The distribution of TCM syndromes and syndrome elements in heart failure patients were also analysed， and the basic information and biochemical indexes of the patients with top 7 different TCM syndrome types were compared. ResultsA total of 1676 inpatients with heart fai-lure were included. The top 7 TCM syndromes of heart failure were syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis （477 cases， 28.46%）， syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis （439 cases， 26.19%）， syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis with water retention （274 cases， 16.35%）， syndrome of yang deficiency with water retention （145 cases， 8.65%）， syndrome of qi and yin deficiency （104 cases， 6.21%）， syndrome of qi and yin deficiency with blood stasis （80 cases， 4.77%）， syndrome of heart yang deficiency （59 cases， 3.52%）. Among the 1676 patients， 6 syndrome elements accounted for more than 5%. Blood stasis accounted for the highest proportion of TCM syndrome element type （1292 cases， 77.09%）， followed by qi deficiency （919 cases， 54.83%）， phlegm （498 cases， 29.71%）， water retention （434 cases， 25.89%）， yang deficiency （215 cases， 12.82%） and yin deficiency （191 cases， 11.40%）. Among the 1676 patients， 1308 cases of acute heart failure mainly showed syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis （386 cases， 29.51%）， and 368 of chronic heart fai-lure mainly showed syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis （118 cases， 32.07%）. Patients with syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis had the shortest disease duration of 0.3 months， while those with syndrome of heart yang deficiency had the longest disease duration of 15 months. The proportion of syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis was the highest in patients with heart failure combined with coronary artery disease， the proportion of syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis with water retention was the highest in patients with heart failure combined with atrial fibrillation， and the proportion of patients with syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis with water retention and syndrome of yang deficiency with water retention in those applying diuretics during the hospital stay was the highest with more than 86%. The different 7 TCM syndromes showed statistically difference in patients with complications including coronary artery disease， old myocardial infarction， atrial fibrillation， pre and post-admission medication usage including intravenous vasodilators， cardiac stimulants， diuretics， and level of blood chloride， blood urea， blood creatinine， blood bicarbonate， blood albumin， and blood total bilirubin （P＜0.05）. ConclusionThe most common TCM syndromes in patients with heart failure are syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis and syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis. Different TCM syndromes have different characteristics in gender， disease complications， medication before and after admission， and blood indexes.

Ubiquitination, a diverse post-translational modification, is carried out by enzymes including E1-activating enzymes, E2-conjugating enzymes, E3 ligases, and deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). Ubiquitin itself possesses 7 lysine residues and N-terminal methionine, allowing for the formation of polyubiquitin chains with different lengths and linkages. These chains exhibit various topologies that can be recognized by proteins containing ubiquitin-binding domain, thereby transmitting distinct cellular signals. To unravel the physiological mechanisms associated with ubiquitin, numerous ubiquitin probes have been developed. This review provides an overview of recent advancements in the field of ubiquitin probes, focusing on activity-based and affinity-based probes. Activity-based probes are designed to covalently bind to DUBs, E1s, or E3s, enabling the identification and characterization of these enzymes. Affinity-based probes, on the other hand, selectively bind to ubiquitin-binding domains, facilitating the identification of proteins that interact with ubiquitin. Moreover, this review comprehensively discusses the synthetic methodologies employed for the acquisition of ubiquitin probes. These includes meticulous discussions on the synthesis of individual monomeric modules, the establishment of isopeptide linkages, as well as the incorporation of reactive functional groups. Additionally, the review explores the emerging area of cell-penetrating ubiquitin probes and highlights their latest applications in living cells. These probes incorporate cell-penetrating peptides to enable their internalization into cells, allowing for direct visualization and manipulation of ubiquitin-modified proteins within their native environment. Overall, this review offers insights into the design, synthesis, and applications of ubiquitin probes, highlighting their significance in elucidating ubiquitin-mediated cellular processes.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of CYP3A5 gene polymorphism and Wuzhi capsule （WZ） on early postoperative tacrolimus exposure and adverse reactions in renal transplant patients. METHODS A total of 132 patients who underwent renal transplantation and received tacrolimus + mycophenolic acids + prednisone after operation in our hospital from September 2021 to September 2023 were selected and divided into four groups according to genotypes （CYP3A5*1 or CYP3A5*3/*3） and with or without WZ （“ +WZ” meant drug combination， “ +NO WZ” meant without combination）. The blood trough concentration/daily dose （c0/D） values of the four groups were analyzed on the 14th day， 1 month and 3 months after renal transplantation. The incidence of acute rejection and the incidence of tacrolimus-related adverse reactions within 3 months after transplantation were compared among 4 groups. RESULTS On the 14th day， 1 month and 3 months after surgery （except for the CYP3A5*1+WZ group）， c0/D values of CYP3A5*1 genotype patients were significantly lower than those of CYP3A5*3/*3 genotype patients regardless of whether they were treated with WZ additionally （P＜0.05）. Within 3 months after surgery， although there was no significant difference in the incidence of acute rejection and tacrolimus-related adverse reactions among the four groups （P＞ 0.05）， the incidence of hyperglycemia in patients with CYP3A5*3/*3 was higher （41.67%）. CONCLUSIONS CYP3A5 gene polymorphism is significantly related to tacrolimus c0/D in kidney transplant patients. Under the premise of c0 monitoring of tacrolimus， patients with CYP3A5*1 genotype should be given WZ as soon as possible after surgery to accelerate tacrolimus to reach the therapeutic concentration range， while CYP3A5*3/*3 genotype is not recommended to be given WZ because of the higher risk of hyperglycemia.

Objective To explore the medication rules of Professor HUANG Li for the treatment of recurrent angina pectoris after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)for coronary heart disease by data mining method.Methods The prescriptions for effective cases of recurrent angina pectoris after PCI for coronary heart disease treated by Professor HUANG Li in the outpatient department of China-Japan Friendship Hospital were collected.SPSS Statistics 26.0 software and SPSS Modeler 18.0 software were used for frequency statistics,analysis of the therapeutic actions,properties,flavors and meridian tropism of the prescribed herbs as well as association rule analysis,cluster analysis and factor analysis of the herbs.Results A total of 344 Chinese medicine prescriptions were obtained,involving 209 herbs,with a cumulative frequency of 5 874 times.The top 30 Chinese medicinals were named as the high-frequency Chinese medicines,and the herbs with the frequency over 100 times in descending order were Astragali Radix,Chuanxiong Rhizoma,Puerariae Lobatae Radix,Rhodiolae Crenulatae Radix et Rhizoma,Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma,Poria,Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum,Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma,Curcumae Rhizoma,Sparganii Rhizoma,Dioscoreae Rhizoma,Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium,Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum,Codonopsis Radix,and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma.The high-frequency Chinese medicinals were mostly classified as blood-activating and stasis-resolving drugs and qi-replenishing drugs.The medicinal properties of the drugs were characterized by being warm,mild,or cold,the flavors were predominated by being sweet,pungent or bitter,and the medicinals usually had the meridian tropism of the spleen,lung and liver meridians.A total of 30 association rules were mined out,cluster analysis yielded 5 herbal groups,and factor analysis yielded 11 groups of common factors.Conclusion For the treatment of cardiovascular diseases,Professor HUANG Li follows the theory of qi,blood and water,and especially pays more attention to the ascending and descending of qi movement.For qi deficiency and blood stasis contribute to the basic pathogenesis of recurrent angina pectoris after PCI,the therapy of benefiting qi,activating blood and removing stasis is recommended.Moreover,the simultaneous regulation of five zang-organs and simultaneous use of the cold and warm herbs are performed,and the herbs of benefiting qi and invigorating spleen,resolving phlegm and inducing diuresis,tranquilizing mind,promoting qi and dissipating masses,and activating blood to eliminate stasis are used for adjuvant therapy.

Objective To construct a three-dimensional statistical shape model of the pelvis and analyze the individual variation and gender differences of the three-dimensional shape of the pelvis.Methods We collected CT data from 201 Chinese individuals and used deep learning to automatically reconstruct three-dimensional models of the pelvis.Through three-dimensional model registration,dense correspondence mesh mapping,and the use of statistical shape modelling(SSM)and principal component(PC)analysis method,we extracted models of variations(MoV)of pelvic shape changes and statistically compared the shape MoV between males and females.Results We analysed the top 10 principal components of shape variations,which accounted for 86.1％of the total variability.Among them,PC01,PC02,and PC04 showed significant differences between genders(P＜0.001),accounting for a total variability of 60.1％.PC08 and PC 10 demonstrated pelvic asymmetry,accounting for a total variability of 3.8％.Conclusion We constructed a three-dimensional statistical shape model of the pelvis in Chinese individuals,revealing the morphological variation and sex differences of Chinese pelvis.