Biomolecular condensates are formed through phase separation of biomacromolecules such as proteins and RNAs. These condensates exhibit liquid-like properties that can futher transition into more stable material states. They form complex internal structures via multivalent weak interactions, enabling precise spatiotemporal regulations. However, the use of inconsistent and non-standardized terminology has become increasingly problematic, hindering academic exchange and the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the terminology related to biomolecular condensates in order to clarify concepts, promote interdisciplinary cooperation, enhance research efficiency, and support the healthy development of this field.

ObjectiveThe nucleolar protein PES1 (Pescadillo homolog 1) plays critical roles in ribosome biogenesis and cell cycle regulation, yet its involvement in cellular senescence remains poorly understood. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the functional consequences of PES1 suppression in cellular senescence and elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying its regulatory role. MethodsInitially, we assessed PES1 expression patterns in two distinct senescence models: replicative senescent mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and doxorubicin-induced senescent human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells. Subsequently, PES1 expression was specifically downregulated using siRNA-mediated knockdown in these cell lines as well as additional relevant cell types. Cellular proliferation and senescence were assessed by EdU incorporation and SA-β-gal staining assays, respectively. The expression of senescence-associated proteins (p53, p21, and Rb) and SASP factors (IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-8) were analyzed by Western blot or qPCR. Furthermore, Northern blot and immunofluorescence were employed to evaluate pre-rRNA processing and nucleolar morphology. ResultsPES1 expression was significantly downregulated in senescent MEFs and HepG2 cells. PES1 knockdown resulted in decreased EdU-positive cells and increased SA‑β‑gal-positive cells, indicating proliferation inhibition and senescence induction. Mechanistically, PES1 suppression activated the p53-p21 pathway without affecting Rb expression, while upregulating IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-8 production. Notably, PES1 depletion impaired pre-rRNA maturation and induced nucleolar stress, as evidenced by aberrant nucleolar morphology. ConclusionOur findings demonstrate that PES1 deficiency triggers nucleolar stress and promotes p53-dependent (but Rb-independent) cellular senescence, highlighting its crucial role in maintaining nucleolar homeostasis and regulating senescence-associated pathways.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) in promoting recovery of the facial function with the involvement of autophagy, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. METHODS: Seventy-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into the control, sham-operated, facial nerve injury (FNI), EA, EA+3-methyladenine (3-MA), and EA+GDNF antagonist groups using a random number table, with 12 rats in each group. An FNI rat model was established with facial nerve crushing method. EA intervention was conducted at Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6), Yifeng (SJ 17), and Hegu (LI 4) acupoints for 2 weeks. The Simone's 10-Point Scale was utilized to monitor the recovery of facial function. The histopathological evaluation of facial nerves was performed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The levels of Beclin-1, light chain 3 (LC3), and P62 were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Additionally, IHC was also used to detect the levels of GDNF, Rai, PI3K, and mTOR. RESULTS: The facial functional scores were significantly increased in the EA group than the FNI group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). HE staining showed nerve axons and myelin sheaths, which were destroyed immediately after the injury, were recovered with EA treatment. The expressions of Beclin-1 and LC3 were significantly elevated and the expression of P62 was markedly reduced in FNI rats (P<0.01); however, EA treatment reversed these abnormal changes (P<0.01). Meanwhile, EA stimulation significantly increased the levels of GDNF, Rai, PI3K, and mTOR (P<0.01). After exogenous administration with autophagy inhibitor 3-MA or GDNF antagonist, the repair effect of EA on facial function was attenuated (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS EA could promote the recovery of facial function and repair the facial nerve damages in a rat model of FNI. EA may exert this neuroreparative effect through mediating the release of GDNF, activating the PI3K/mTOR signaling pathway, and further regulating the autophagy of facial nerves.
Rats ; Male ; Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Electroacupuncture ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/metabolism* ; Facial Nerve Injuries/therapy* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Beclin-1 ; Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; Signal Transduction ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Autophagy ; Mammals/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE To provide reference for the improvement of the price system of innovative drugs in China. METHODS Based on the current situation of innovative drug healthcare management in China， innovation recognition and price management of innovative drugs in typical countries or regions were compared and analyzed， and the suggestions were put forward to improve the price system of innovative drugs in China. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS Taiwan of China， Japan， Australia， Germany and the United Kingdom have different practices in recognition and grading of drug innovation， differentiated pricing and subsequent price management. However， the mainstream practice is to identify and grade drugs mostly based on clinical value， differentiate pricing based on the grading， and carry out risk-sharing agreement or active price adjustment to manage the price. Based on the comparative analysis， it is suggested that China should further clarify the connotation and classification of innovation in the management of innovative drugs， apply a variety of pricing methods to promote differentiated management of innovative drugs， explore the introduction of risk-sharing agreements， and further build an active drug price adjustment mechanism to improve the price system of innovative drugs in China.

Four pyrazines were isolated from the n-butanol fraction of Hypecoum erectum L. by using various chromatographic methods, including MCI gel, ODS, silica gel and semi-preparative HPLC. The structures of the isolated compounds were identified as hyperectpyrazin A (1), 1′S-(6-methylpyrazin-2-yl)-ethane-1′,2′-diol (2), 2-hydroxymethyl-6-methylpyrazin (3) and pyrazine-2-carboxylic acid (4) by spectroscopy methods (1D NMR, 2D NMR, UV, IR, MS, etc.). The absolute configuration of compound 2 was determined by using the Mo₂(OAc)₄ induced CD analysis for the first time. Compound 1 was a new compound, compounds 2-4 were isolated from H. erectum for the first time. Compounds 1-4 were evaluated for their inhibition against acetylcholinesterase and nitric oxide generation induced by lipopolysaccharide-RAW264.7 macrophage cells. At a concentration of 50 μmol·L^-1, compounds 2 and 4 displayed inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase with the inhibition rates of 44.40% and 43.99%, respectively.

Objective To explore the protective mechanism of honey-processed Hedysari Radix in regulating intestinal mucosal injury in rats with spleen qi deficiency.Methods The three-factor composite modeling method of bitter cold diarrhea,overwork and hunger and satiety disorder was used to construct a spleen qi deficiency model rats.After the model was successfully made,they were randomly divided into model group,honey-processed Hedysari Radix group and probiotic group,with 15 animals in each group.Another 15 normal rats were taken as the blank group.The honey-processed Hedysari Radix group was given 12.6 g·kg-1 water decoction of honey-processed Hedysari Radix by gavage,the probiotics group was given Bifidobacterium Lactobacillus triple viable tablets suspension at a dose of 0.625 g·kg-1,and the blank group and the model group were given the same dose of distilled water.The rats in the four groups were administered once a day for 15 days.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect diamine oxidase(DAO)in serum,D-lactic acid(D-LA),secretory immunoglobulin A factor,and Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK),zonula occludens-1(ZO-1)and occludin in colon tissues.Results The serum levels of DAO in the blank group,model group,honey-processed Hedysari Radix group and probiotic group were(138.93±9.78),(187.95±12.90),(147.21±6.92)and(166.47±3.37)pg·mL-1;the contents of D-LA were(892.23±49.17),(1 099.84±137.64),(956.56±86.04)and(989.61±51.75)μg·L-1;the contents of SIgA in colon tissues were(14.04±1.42),(11.47±2.39),(11.84±1.49)and(12.93±1.65)μg·mL-1;the relative expression levels of ZO-1 protein in colon tissues were 1.18±0.11,0.42±0.04,0.77±0.05 and 0.95±0.07;the relative expression levels of occludin protein were 1.35±0.31,0.61±0.17,1.19±0.19 and 0.88±0.13;the relative expression levels of AMPK protein were 0.91±0.02,0.35±0.09,0.74±0.08 and 0.59±0.11.Compared with the model group,there were significant differences in the serum content of DAO and D-LA,SIgA content in colon,and the content of ZO-1,occludin and AMPK protein in the honey-processed Hedysari Radix group(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).Conclusion Honey-processed Hedysari Radix can enhance the protective effect on the intestinal mucosa of rats with spleen qi deficiency by regulating the expression of related inflammatory cytokines,intestinal mucosal upper cell enzymes and tight junction proteins in rats with spleen qi deficiency.

Objective This study aimed to understand the epidemic status and phylogenetic relationships of rotavirus group A(RVA)in the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong Province,China. Methods This study included individuals aged 28 days-85 years.A total of 706 stool samples from patients with acute gastroenteritis collected between January 2019 and January 2020 were analyzed for 17 causative pathogens,including RVA,using a Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel,followed by genotyping,virus isolation,and complete sequencing to assess the genetic diversity of RVA. Results The overall RVA infection rate was 14.59%(103/706),with an irregular epidemiological pattern.The proportion of co-infection with RVA and other pathogens was 39.81%(41/103).Acute gastroenteritis is highly prevalent in young children aged 0-1 year,and RVA is the key pathogen circulating in patients 6-10 months of age with diarrhea.G9P[8](58.25%,60/103)was found to be the predominant genotype in the RVA strains,and the 41 RVA-positive strains that were successfully sequenced belonged to three different RVA genotypes in the phylogenetic analysis.Recombination analysis showed that gene reassortment events,selection pressure,codon usage bias,gene polymorphism,and post-translational modifications(PTMs)occurred in the G9P[8]and G3P[8]strains. Conclusion This study provides molecular evidence of RVA prevalence in the Pearl River Delta region of China,further enriching the existing information on its genetics and evolutionary characteristics and suggesting the emergence of genetic diversity.Strengthening the surveillance of genotypic changes and gene reassortment in RVA strains is essential for further research and a better understanding of strain variations for further vaccine development.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the compositional differences between Fructus Tritici Levis and Triticum aestivum， and to provide reference for identification and quality control of both. METHODS Twenty batches of Fructus Tritici Levis and three batches of T. aestivum were collected， and their fingerprints were acquired by high-performance liquid chromatography and the similarities were evaluated by the Evaluation System of Similarity of Chromatographic Fingerprints of Traditional Chinese Medicine （2012 version）. Cluster analysis （CA）， principal component analysis （PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA） were performed to analyze the difference of Fructus Tritici Levis and T. aestivum from different regions， and the differential components were screened. The contents of the six identified components in Fructus Tritici Levis and T. aestivum were determined. RESULTS The similarities of the fingerprints of Fructus Tritici Levis ranged from 0.928 to 0.996， and the relative similarities of T. aestivum with Fructus Tritici Levis ranged from 0.761 to 0.773. A total of 19 common peaks were calibrated， and six components including linolenic acid， linoleic acid， 5-heptadecylresorcinol， 5-nonadodecylresorcinol， 5- heneicosylresorcinol， and 5-tricosylresorcinol were identified. The results of CA and PCA showed that Fructus Tritici Levis and T. aestivum could be clearly distinguished； the distribution of Fructus Tritici Levis from Anhui province was relatively concentrated. The results of OPLS-DA showed that linolenic acid， linoleic acid， and other six unknown compounds were the differential components between Fructus Tritici Levis and T. aestivum. The average contents of the six identified components in Fructus Tritici Levis were 0.100 9， 1.094 0， 0.005 1， 0.030 9， 0.098 2，and 0.024 8 mg/g， respectively； the contents of linolenic acid and linoleic acid in Fructus Tritici Levis were significantly higher than those in T. aestivum （P＜0.05）.CONCLUSIONS The established qualitative and quantitative methods are simple and reliable， and can be used for the identification and quality evaluation of Fructus Tritici Levis and T. aestivum. The identified differential components， such as linolenic acid and linoleic acid， can also provide clues for the differentiation and pharmacological study of Fructus Tritici Levis and T. aestivum.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the compositional differences between Fructus Tritici Levis and Triticum aestivum， and to provide reference for identification and quality control of both. METHODS Twenty batches of Fructus Tritici Levis and three batches of T. aestivum were collected， and their fingerprints were acquired by high-performance liquid chromatography and the similarities were evaluated by the Evaluation System of Similarity of Chromatographic Fingerprints of Traditional Chinese Medicine （2012 version）. Cluster analysis （CA）， principal component analysis （PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA） were performed to analyze the difference of Fructus Tritici Levis and T. aestivum from different regions， and the differential components were screened. The contents of the six identified components in Fructus Tritici Levis and T. aestivum were determined. RESULTS The similarities of the fingerprints of Fructus Tritici Levis ranged from 0.928 to 0.996， and the relative similarities of T. aestivum with Fructus Tritici Levis ranged from 0.761 to 0.773. A total of 19 common peaks were calibrated， and six components including linolenic acid， linoleic acid， 5-heptadecylresorcinol， 5-nonadodecylresorcinol， 5- heneicosylresorcinol， and 5-tricosylresorcinol were identified. The results of CA and PCA showed that Fructus Tritici Levis and T. aestivum could be clearly distinguished； the distribution of Fructus Tritici Levis from Anhui province was relatively concentrated. The results of OPLS-DA showed that linolenic acid， linoleic acid， and other six unknown compounds were the differential components between Fructus Tritici Levis and T. aestivum. The average contents of the six identified components in Fructus Tritici Levis were 0.100 9， 1.094 0， 0.005 1， 0.030 9， 0.098 2，and 0.024 8 mg/g， respectively； the contents of linolenic acid and linoleic acid in Fructus Tritici Levis were significantly higher than those in T. aestivum （P＜0.05）.CONCLUSIONS The established qualitative and quantitative methods are simple and reliable， and can be used for the identification and quality evaluation of Fructus Tritici Levis and T. aestivum. The identified differential components， such as linolenic acid and linoleic acid， can also provide clues for the differentiation and pharmacological study of Fructus Tritici Levis and T. aestivum.

Background Self-perceived burden,anxiety and depression are among the most important factors affecting quality of life.At present,there is a lack of understanding on the research status and influencing factors of self-perceived burden in liver transplant recipients.Previous studies have shown that self-perceived burden,anxiety,depression and quality of life are correlated in pairs,but the effecting path among the three are not yet clear.Objective To explore the correlation of self-perceived burden and anxiety/depression with quality of life in liver transplant recipients,so as to provide guidance for psychological nursing intervention in clinical patients.Methods A total of 200 patients liver transplant recipients were enrolled from the liver transplantation inpatient and outpatient clinics of Jiangsu Province Hospital and Qinhuai Medical Area,General Hosptial of Eastern Theater Command of People's Liberation Army of China from March 2022 to February 2023.Patients were evaluated using Self-perceived Burden Scale(SPBS),Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS)and the Chinese version of Post Liver Transplant Quality of Life Questionnaire(pLTQ).Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation among the scales.A structural equation model using Mplus 8.3 was utilized to testify the relationship among self-perceived burden,anxiety/depression and quality of life in liver transplant recipients.Bootstrap method was used to test the effecting pathway.Results There were statistically significant differences in SPBS scores of liver transplant recipients with different levels of education and fannual family income(H=9.656,18.796,P<0.05).There were statistically significant differences in HADS scores of liver transplant recipients with different numbers of somatic symptoms(H=9.859,P<0.05).There were statistically significant differences in the Chinese version of pLTQ scores of liver transplant recipients with different levels of education,postoperative survival time and numbers of somatic symptoms(H=6.892,8.023,16.099,P<0.05).The total and each dimension scores in SPBS of liver transplant recipients were positively correlated with the total score and anxiety/depression dimension scores in HADS(r=0.464～0.586,0.460～0.593,0.286～0.408,0.464～0.583,P<0.01)and negatively correlated with the total score and each dimension scores in the Chinese version of pLTQ(r=-0.572～-0.416,-0.599～-0.441,-0.365～-0.213,-0.559～-0.428,P<0.01).Structural equation model denoted that self-perceived burden negatively affected quality of life(β=-0.186,P<0.01).Anxiety/depression also negatively affected quality of life(β=-0.679,P<0.01).The self-perceived burden indirectly affected the quality of life of liver transplant recipients through anxiety and depression,with an effect value of-0.429,accounting for 69.76％of the total effect.Conclusion The quality of life in liver transplant recipients may be related to their self-perceived burden and anxiety/depression.Self-perceived burden may affect the quality of life of liver transplant patients through anxiety and depression.