ObjectiveTo observe the prevention and control effect of processed Polygonatum cyrtonema on depression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress （CUMS） in female rats. MethodsForty rats were assigned into control， model， and low-， medium-， and high-dose processed P. cyrtonema groups according to the random number table method， with 8 rats in each group. The rat model of depression was established with the CUMS method. The body mass， open field test， forced swimming test， Morris water maze test， levels of neurotransmitters ［dopamine （DA）， 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-TH）， and acetylcholine （ACh）］， serum levels of sex hormones ［gonadotropin-releasing hormone（GnRH）， testosterone （T）， and estradiol （E₂）］ and inflammatory factors ［tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin （IL）-6， and IL-10］， and mRNA and protein levels of factors in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF）/tyrosine kinase receptor B （TRKB）/cAMP-response element binding protein （CREB） pathway were employed to evaluate the effect of processed P. cyrtonema on the CUMS-induced depression in female rats. ResultsThe body mass， open field test results， and forced swimming test results showed that the rat model of depression was successfully established. The comparison of behaviors， neurotransmitters， sex hormones， inflammatory factors， and neural pathways among groups showed that processed P. cyrtonema had different effects of preventing the development of depression in female rats. SPSS 25 was used for statistical analysis of error and significance. T test was conducted between groups. Each treatment group showed significant therapeutic effect compared with the model group （P<0.05）. Processed P. cyrtonema elevated the level of 5-TH （P<0.01） and lowered the levels of DA and ACh （P<0.01） in the brain tissue of female rats. In addition， it reduced the serum levels of GnRH， T， E₂， TNF-α， and IL-6 （P<0.05） and up-regulated the mRNA levels of BDNF and TRKB in the rat brain. ConclusionProcessed P. cyrtonema has a non-hyperactive preventive effect on CUMS-induced depression in rats， which provides a theoretical basis for the development of processed P. cyrtonema as a functional food product.

ObjectiveTo observe the prevention and control effect of processed Polygonatum cyrtonema on depression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress （CUMS） in female rats. MethodsForty rats were assigned into control， model， and low-， medium-， and high-dose processed P. cyrtonema groups according to the random number table method， with 8 rats in each group. The rat model of depression was established with the CUMS method. The body mass， open field test， forced swimming test， Morris water maze test， levels of neurotransmitters ［dopamine （DA）， 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-TH）， and acetylcholine （ACh）］， serum levels of sex hormones ［gonadotropin-releasing hormone（GnRH）， testosterone （T）， and estradiol （E₂）］ and inflammatory factors ［tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin （IL）-6， and IL-10］， and mRNA and protein levels of factors in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF）/tyrosine kinase receptor B （TRKB）/cAMP-response element binding protein （CREB） pathway were employed to evaluate the effect of processed P. cyrtonema on the CUMS-induced depression in female rats. ResultsThe body mass， open field test results， and forced swimming test results showed that the rat model of depression was successfully established. The comparison of behaviors， neurotransmitters， sex hormones， inflammatory factors， and neural pathways among groups showed that processed P. cyrtonema had different effects of preventing the development of depression in female rats. SPSS 25 was used for statistical analysis of error and significance. T test was conducted between groups. Each treatment group showed significant therapeutic effect compared with the model group （P<0.05）. Processed P. cyrtonema elevated the level of 5-TH （P<0.01） and lowered the levels of DA and ACh （P<0.01） in the brain tissue of female rats. In addition， it reduced the serum levels of GnRH， T， E₂， TNF-α， and IL-6 （P<0.05） and up-regulated the mRNA levels of BDNF and TRKB in the rat brain. ConclusionProcessed P. cyrtonema has a non-hyperactive preventive effect on CUMS-induced depression in rats， which provides a theoretical basis for the development of processed P. cyrtonema as a functional food product.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is an acute deterioration of liver function occurring on the basis of chronic liver disease, accompanied by failure of the liver and extrahepatic organs, and is associated with a high short-term mortality rate. Liver transplantation is the only curative treatment for patients with ACLF. However, the shortage of donor livers and limitations of the organ allocation system mean that only a minority of patients can receive transplants. The current organ allocation system based on the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score may underestimate the urgency of liver transplantation for ACLF patients. Therefore, it is urgent to develop better assessment tools to determine which ACLF patients are most likely to benefit from liver transplantation. This article reviews the current mainstream definitions of ACLF, the selection of candidates for liver transplantation in ACLF, and the prognostic scoring systems for liver transplantation in ACLF, both domestically and internationally, in order to provide a reference for the prognostic assessment of liver transplantation in ACLF patients.

Platycodonis Radix is the dry root of Platycodon grandiflorum of Campanulaceae, which has a variety of pharmacological effects and is a commonly used bulk Chinese medicine. In this study, the chloroplast genome sequences of six P. grandiflorum from different producing areas has been sequenced with Illumina HiSeq X Ten platform. The specific DNA barcodes were screened, and the germplasm resources and genetic diversity were analyzed according to the specific barcodes. The total length of the chloroplast genome of 6 P. grandiflorum samples was 172 260-172 275 bp, and all chloroplast genomes showed a typical circular tetrad structure and encoded 141 genes. The comparative genomics analysis and results of amplification efficiency demonstrated that trnG-UCC and ndhG_ndhF were the potential specific DNA barcodes for identification the germplasm resources of P. grandiflorum. A total of 305 P. grandiflorum samples were collected from 15 production areas in 9 provinces, for which the fragments of trnG-UCC and ndhG_ndhF were amplificated and the sequences were analyzed. The results showed that trnG-UCC and ndhG_ndhF have 5 and 11 mutation sites, respectively, and 5 and 7 haplotypes were identified, respectively. The combined analysis of the two sequences formed 13 haplotypes (named Hap1-Hap13), and Hap4 is the main genotype, followed by Hap1. The unique haplotypes possessed by the three producing areas can be used as DNA molecular tags in this area to distinguish from the germplasm resources of P. grandiflorum from other areas. The haplotype diversity, nucleotide diversity and genetic distance were 0.94, 4.79×10^-3 and 0.000 0-0.020 3, respectively, suggesting that the genetic diversity was abundant and intraspecific kinship was relatively close. This study laid a foundation for the identification of P. grandiflorum, the protection and utilization of germplasm resources, and molecular breeding.

Depression is a common neurological disorder with high incidence, high recurrence and high disability, but its pathogenesis is unclear. In recent years, the protective and attacking effects of glial cells on neurons have become the frontier of neurological disease research. Neuronal injury caused by abnormal activation of microglia (MG) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of depression. In this paper, through literature retrieval by GeenMedical and CNKI, the relevant pathways and key targets of MG activation in depression are summarized so as to provide a theoretical basis for further clinical research.

BACKGROUND:Cadmium is a common environmental pollutant,which can damage multiple organs and tissues,such as the kidney and bone,but its effect on annulus fibrosus cells in the intervertebral disc has been less reported. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of cadmium chloride on the senescence of annulus fibrosus cells and the role of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. METHODS:Annulus fibrosus cells from Sprague-Dawley rat intervertebral discs were harvested and passage 3 cells were intervened with different concentrations of cadmium chloride(0,1,5,10,20 μmol/L).Cell viability and proliferation were detected by cell counting kit-8 assay.Transcriptome sequencing and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes functional enrichment analysis were performed on annulus fibrosus cells with or without cadmium chloride addition.Passage 3 annulus fibrosus cells were divided into control group,cadmium chloride group and LY294002 group.Cell proliferation rate was detected by EdU method,positive cell rate was detected by senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining,and expressions of senescence-associated proteins(p16,p21 and p53)and p-Akt at protein and mRNA levels were measured by western blot,RT-PCR and immunofluorescence. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:5 μmol/L cadmium chloride could inhibit the proliferation of annulus fibrosus cells.Results from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes functional enrichment analysis showed that the main signal transduction pathways included PI3K/Akt,cell cycle and p53 signaling pathways,which were related to cell senescence and proliferation.PI3K/Akt signaling pathways with significant differential expression were selected for validation.Compared with the control group,the EdU-positive rate was significantly decreased in the cadmium chloride group(P<0.05),while the β-galactosidase-positive rate,the expression of senescence-associated proteins(p16,p21 and p53)and p-Akt significantly increased(P<0.05).Compared with the cadmium chloride group,the EdU-positive rate and p-Akt expression were significantly decreased in the LY294002 group(P<0.05),while the β-galactosidase-positive rate and the expression of senescence-associated proteins(p16,p21 and p53)significantly increased(P<0.05).To conclude,cadmium chloride can regulate the senescence of annulus fibrosus cells by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway,thereby inducing the occurrence and progression of intervertebral disc degeneration.

ObjectiveTo explore the syndrome elements and evolving patterns of patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute on chronic liver failure （HBV-ACLF） at different stages. MethodsClinical information of 1,058 hospitalized HBV-ACLF patients， including 618 in the early stage， 355 in the middle stage， and 85 in the late stage， were collected from 18 clinical centers across 12 regions nationwide from January 1， 2012 to February 28， 2015. The “Hepatitis B-related Chronic and Acute Liver Failure Chinese Medicine Clinical Questionnaire” were designed to investigate the basic information of the patients， like the four diagnostic information （including symptoms， tongue， pulse） of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， and to count the frequency of the appearance of the four diagnostic information. Factor analysis and cluster analysis were employed to determine and statistically analyze the syndrome elements and patterns of HBV-ACLF patients at different stages. ResultsThere were 76 four diagnostic information from 1058 HBV-ACLF patients， and 53 four diagnostic information with a frequency of occurrence ≥ 5% were used as factor analysis entries， including 36 symptom information， 12 tongue information， and 5 pulse information. Four types of TCM patterns were identified in HBV-ACLF， which were liver-gallbladder damp-heat pattern， qi deficiency and blood stasis pattern， liver-kidney yin deficiency pattern， and spleen-kidney yang-deficiency pattern. In the early stage， heat （39.4%， 359/912） and dampness （27.5%， 251/912） were most common， and the pattern of the disease was dominated by liver-gallbladder damp-heat pattern （74.6%， 461/618）； in the middle stage， dampness （30.2%， 187/619） and blood stasis （20.7%， 128/619） were most common， and the patterns of the disease were dominated by liver-gallbladder damp-heat pattern （53.2%， 189/355）， and qi deficiency and blood stasis pattern （27.6%， 98/355）； and in the late stage， the pattern of the disease was dominated by qi deficiency （26.3%， 40/152） and yin deficiency （20.4%， 31/152）， and the patterns were dominated by qi deficiency and blood stasis pattern （36.5%， 31/85）， and liver-gallbladder damp-heat pattern （25.9%， 22/85）. ConclusionThere are significant differences in the distribution of syndrome elements and patterns at different stages of HBV-ACLF， presenting an overall trend of evolving patterns as "from excess to deficiency， transforming from excess to deficiency"， which is damp-heat → blood stasis → qi-blood yin-yang deficiency.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Coptidis Rhizoma and Ophiopogonis Radix on renal tissue injury and epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway in rats with diabetic nephropathy （DN） and explore its possible mechanism of delaying DN. MethodThirty-six male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal group （6 rats） and a model group （30 rats）. The model group was fed with a high-fat and high-sugar diet combined with streptozotocin （STZ） to establish a rat model of type 2 diabetes. After the successful preparation of the model， the rats were randomly divided into the model group， low， medium， and high dose groups of Coptidis Rhizoma and Ophiopogonis Radix （100， 200， 400 mg·kg^-1）， and metformin group （200 mg·kg^-1）. After administration， the levels of fasting blood glucose （FBG）， 24 h urine protein （24 h-UTP）， creatinine （SCr）， urea nitrogen （BUN）， and uric acid （UA） were detected. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes of renal tissue in rats. Western blot and Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were used to detect the related protein expression of EGFR， PI3K， and Akt and their mRNA expression levels in the renal tissue of rats in each group. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the levels of FBG， SCr， BUN， UA， 24 h-UTP， and kidney index in the model group were significantly increased （P<0.01）， most renal tubular epithelial cells were necrotic， and the content of collagen in glomeruli was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the above indexes of rats in each administration group were improved to varying degrees. The FBG， SCr， BUN， UA， 24 h-UTP， and kidney index of rats in each dose group and metformin group were significantly decreased （P<0.01， P<0.05）. The necrosis degree of renal tubular epithelial cells was reduced， and the fibrosis area was decreased （P<0.01）. There related protein and mRNA expressions of EGFR， PI3K， and Akt were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionCoptidis Rhizoma and Ophiopogonis Radix can alleviate renal tissue injury in rats with DN， and their mechanism may be related to the regulation of the EGFR/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

The relationship between exercise and cardiac health has always been a hotspot in the fields of medicine and exercise science. Recently, with the in-depth study of the biological clock, people have gradually realized the close relationship between cardiac metabolic activity and circadian rhythms. The mammalian circadian system includes the central circadian clock and peripheral circadian clocks, the central circadian clock is the main clock system responsible for regulating the circadian rhythms in organisms, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus in mammals, which receives light signals from the retina and translates them into neural signals to regulate peripheral circadian clocks distributed throughout the body. Peripheral circadian clocks exist in various tissues and organs of organisms, coordinating with the central circadian clock to maintain the circadian rhythms of the organism. A series of clock genes regulate downstream clock-controlled genes through the transcriptional-translational feedback loop (TTFL), profoundly affecting the physiological activities of the heart, including cardiac contraction, relaxation, and metabolic processes. Factors such as sleep disorders, shift work, light pollution, and excessive use of electronic devices in modern lifestyles have led to widespread disruption of circadian rhythms, which are significantly correlated with increased cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality. Studies have found that dysregulation of the cardiac circadian clock can not only lead to myocardial lipid degeneration and weakened metabolic rhythms but also decrease myocardial glucose utilization, thereby increasing the risk of adverse cardiac events. Exercise, as a key zeitgeber, has been widely demonstrated to regulate the circadian clocks of peripheral organs such as skeletal muscle, kidneys, and liver. Additionally, exercise, as an important means to improve cardiovascular function, can effectively enhance cardiac metabolic function and resistance to stress stimuli, playing a significant role in promoting heart health. However, the specific mechanisms by which exercise affects the cardiac circadian clock and its related genes are currently unclear. Therefore, this review will focus on the relationship between the cardiac circadian clock and cardiac metabolic activity, summarize previous research to review the possible mechanisms of exercise-mediated regulation of cardiac metabolic activity on the cardiac circadian clock. The cardiac circadian clock plays an important role in maintaining cardiac metabolic activity and physiological functions. The loss of cardiac circadian clock genes Bmal1 and Clock can significantly reduce cardiac fatty acid and glucose utilization rates, increase myocardial lipotoxicity, weaken the circadian rhythm of myocardial triglyceride metabolism, and lead to abnormalities in the circadian clocks of other peripheral organs. Exercise, as a zeitgeber, can independently regulate the cardiac circadian clock apart from the central circadian clock. Additionally, exercise, as an important means to improve cardiovascular function, may regulate cardiac metabolic activity and the transcription of clock genes by activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) and sympathetic-adrenal-medullary axis (SAM) and regulating energy metabolism, thereby maintaining the stability of the cardiac circadian clock and promoting heart health. Future research on the molecular mechanisms of exercise regulation of the cardiac circadian clock will help clarify the role and impact of clock genes in cardiac metabolism and physiological activities, providing new preventive and treatment strategies for shift workers, night owls, and patients with cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, future research should focus on (1) the mechanisms by which exercise regulates cardiac metabolic activity and the circadian clock, (2) the effects and mechanisms of exercise on the disruption of cardiac circadian clock induced by light-dark cycle disturbances, and (3) the effects of exercise on the metabolic activity and circadian rhythms of other peripheral organs regulated by the cardiac circadian clock.

AIM:To observe the anti-scarring effects and safety of triamcinolone acetonide(TA)-loaded hydrogel sustained-release sheeting on stab incision glaucoma surgery(SIGS)with “one-step tunnel method” in rabbit eyes.METHODS:A total of 48 healthy New Zealand white rabbits were randomly selected and divided into 4 groups(12 rabbits in each group), trabeculectomy(Trab)group, SIGS group, polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel(PVAH)sheeting was implanted under the conjunctiva flap during SIGS(PVAH group), and hydrogel sustained-release sheeting loaded with TA was implanted under the conjunctiva flap during SIGS(TA/PVAH group). On the 1, 2, 3, and 4 wk after surgery, the intraocular pressure, filtering bubble morphology, anterior chamber reaction, and other complications were observed and recorded in each group. Then animals were euthanized, and the surgery area tissues of right eye were taken for pathological tissue paraffin section. Masson staining, picric acid-Sirius rose red staining, as well as α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)and fibroblast growth factor 2(FGF2)immunohistochemistry staining was performed on every section. The infiltration of inflammatory cells, proliferation of fibroblasts and synthesis of type I and type III collagen fibers in local tissues were observed. The average positive area ratio of α-SMA and FGF2 antibody immunohistochemical staining in each group was calculated and compared.RESULTS: The TA/PVAH group maintained diffuse and elevated functional filtering blebs, while flat filtering blebs appeared in Trab, SIGS and PVAH groups at 2 wk after surgery. Functional filtering blebs were present in 1 eye(33%), 2 eyes(67%)in the PVAH and TA/PVAH group at 4 wk after surgery, respectively, while the other filtering blebs were flattened. Masson staining showed that the hydrogels in PVAH and TA/PVAH groups did not degrade at 4 wk after surgery. Compared with the Trab and SIGS groups, the filtration passages were more obvious, with less collagen fiber proliferation. Sirius red staining showed that the expression of type I collagen and type III collagen in the TA/PVAH group was less than that in the Trab group, SIGS group and PVAH group at 4 wk after surgery. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the α-SMA expression in the TA/PVAH group was significantly lower than that in the Trab and SIGS groups at 1 wk after surgery(P<0.01). The α-SMA expression was the highest in the Trab and SIGS groups at 2 wk after surgery, while the α-SMA expression in the PHAP and TA/PVAH groups was significantly lower than that in the first two groups(P<0.01). Compared with the Trab group, the expression of FGF2 in the PVAH and TA/PVAH group was significantly increased at 1, 2, 3 and 4 wk after surgery(P<0.05). Compared with the SIGS group, FGF2 expression in the TA/PVAH group was significantly increased at 4 wk after surgery(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:In SIGS surgery of rabbit eyes, implanting hydrogel sustained-release sheeting loaded with TA under conjunctival flap can effectively inhibit the scarring of the filtering bleb, which may be the interaction of the anti-scar effect of TA and the stent function of hydrogel.