Objective To investigate the mechanism of icariin regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome in the treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.Methods A rat model of focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion was induced using the thread embolism method.At 24 hours post-operation,the rats were randomly allocated into a sham operation group,model group,butylphthalide group(70 mg/kg),ICA-low dose(20 mg/kg),ICA-middle dose(40 mg/kg),and ICA-high dose(80 mg/kg)groups.The corresponding drugs were administered by gavage at 10 mL/kg once a day for 13 consecutive days.One hour after the last administration,neurological function was scored.The cerebral cortex was observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.Expression of interleukin(IL)-1β and IL-18 in the cerebral cortex was determined by immunohistochemistry.Expression of NLRP3,ASC,and Caspase-1 in the cerebral cortex was determined by Western Blot.Results In contrast to the sham operation group,there was a notable increase in neural function scores within the model group.The ischemic area around the visible cerebral cortex showed neuron necrosis at various level or glial cell proliferation,and the number of intact neurons was significantly reduced.IL-1β and IL-18 positive cells were significantly increased.Expression of NLRP3,ASC,and Caspase-1 was significantly increased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).After treatment with icariin,the neural function score was decreased significantly.The degree of neuronal necrosis in the peri-ischemic area was significantly reduced,and the number of intact neurons was significantly increased.IL-1 β and IL-18-positive cells were decreased significantly.Expressions of NLRP3,ASC,and Caspase-1 were significantly decreased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).Conclusions Treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by icariin may be related to regulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features and therapeutic efficacy of patients with hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma(RCC) syndrome-associated RCC (HLRCC-RCC) in China.Methods:The clinical data of 119 HLRCC-RCC patients with fumarate hydratase (FH) germline mutation confirmed by genetic diagnosis from 15 medical centers nationwide from January 2008 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 73 were male and 46 were female. The median age was 38(13, 74) years. The median tumor diameter was 6.5 (1.0, 20.5) cm. There were 38 cases (31.9%) in stage Ⅰ-Ⅱand 81 cases (68.1%) in stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ. In this group, only 11 of 119 HLRCC-RCC patients presented with skin smooth muscle tumors, and 44 of 46 female HLRCC-RCC patients had a history of uterine fibroids. The pathological characteristics, treatment methods, prognosis and survival of the patients were summarized.Results:A total of 86 patients underwent surgical treatment, including 70 cases of radical nephrectomy, 5 cases of partial nephrectomy, and 11 cases of reductive nephrectomy. The other 33 patients with newly diagnosed metastasis underwent renal puncture biopsy. The results of genetic testing showed that 94 patients had FH gene point mutation, 18 had FH gene insertion/deletion mutation, 4 had FH gene splicing mutation, 2 had FH gene large fragment deletion and 1 had FH gene copy number mutation. Immunohistochemical staining showed strong 2-succinocysteine (2-SC) positive and FH negative in 113 patients. A total of 102 patients received systematic treatment, including 44 newly diagnosed patients with metastasis and 58 patients with postoperative metastasis. Among them, 33 patients were treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) combined with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI), 8 patients were treated with bevacizumab combined with erlotinib, and 61 patients were treated with TKI monotherapy. Survival analysis showed that the median progression-free survival (PFS) of TKI combined with ICI was 18 (5, 38) months, and the median overall survival (OS) was not reached. The median PFS and OS were 12 (5, 14) months and 30 (10, 32) months in the bevacizumab combined with erlotinib treatment group, respectively. The median PFS and OS were 10 (3, 64) months and 44 (10, 74) months in the TKI monotherapy group, respectively. PFS ( P=0.009) and OS ( P=0.006) in TKI combined with ICI group were better than those in bevacizumab combined with erlotinib group. The median PFS ( P=0.003) and median OS ( P=0.028) in TKI combined with ICI group were better than those in TKI monotherapy group. Conclusions:HLRCC-RCC is rare but has a high degree of malignancy, poor prognosis and familial genetic characteristics. Immunohistochemical staining with strong positive 2-SC and negative FH can provide an important basis for clinical diagnosis. Genetic detection of FH gene germ line mutation can confirm the diagnosis. The preliminary study results confirmed that TKI combined with ICI had a good clinical effect, but it needs to be confirmed by the results of a large sample multi-center randomized controlled clinical study.

Orodispersible films (oral dispersible films), a novel form of oral solid dosage forms, are widely used for patients with dysphagia and those with uncontrollable autonomic behavior. In this study, suvorexant orodispersible film was prepared by hot melt extrusion technology, and the disintegration time, mechanical properties, in vitro dissolution and pharmacokinetics were evaluated, compared with other orodispersible films and commercially available tablets Belsomra. All experiments were approved by the Committee on the Management and Use of Laboratory Animals of Academy of Military Medical Sciences (IACUC-DWZX-2024-504). The results showed that the dissolution rate of suvorexant orodispersible film was faster and the mechanical strength was better than that of other commercially available orodispersible film, which could meet the needs of storage and transportation. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction results showed that suvorexant was dispersed within the orodispersible film in an amorphous state. The in vitro dissolution of the film was observed to be four times faster than that of the commercial tablets, achieving complete dissolution within five minutes. Pharmacokinetic evaluations in Beagle dogs revealed that the self-formulated orodispersible film exhibited no significant differences in the area under the blood concentration-time curve when compared with Belsomra. However, the film showed a faster onset of action, with a peak time that was twice as rapid, and a maximum blood concentration that was twice as high as that of Belsomra. Leveraging hot melt extrusion technology, the suvorexant orodispersible film offers a straightforward, continuous production process with consistent quality. It serves as an excellent platform for the development of solvent-free film preparations tailored for patients with special needs.

The rheological properties of drug and carrier materials have a wide range of guiding significance for the formulation and process development of solid dispersions. In this study, the rheological properties of materials with different drug carrier ratios were systematically studied with suvorexant as the model drug and copovidone as the carrier material, which provided a sufficient basis for determining the formulation and process of solid dispersions. The optimal suvorexant-copovidone ratio obtained by oscillating temperature scanning was 1∶4. If the ratio is greater than 1∶ 4, the glass transformation temperature of the material will increase significantly, and the solubilization effect of the solid dispersion will show a downward trend. The results of oscillation temperature scanning and oscillation temperature sweep can show that when the extrusion temperature is greater than 150 ℃, the viscosity of the material is less than 10 000 Pa·s, and the melt can be extruded smoothly, and the best extrusion temperature of 160-180 ℃ can be obtained by combining the dissolution results. Finally, the dissolution of suvorexant tablets guided by rheological property studies in multiple media is similar to that of the commercially available tablets Belsomra. Therefore, rheological studies can screen and optimize the formulation and process of suvorexant solid dispersions at the mechanism level, which is of great significance to improve the success rate of R&D and shorten the R&D cycle of solid dispersions prepared by hot melt extrusion.

Amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) is one of the most effective formulation approaches to enhance the water solubility and oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. However, maintenance of physical stability of amorphous drug is one of the main challenges in the development of ASD. Crystallization is a process of nucleation and crystal growth. The nucleation is the key factor that influences the physical stability of the ASD. However, a theoretical framework to describe the way to inhibit the nucleation of amorphous drug is not yet available. We reviewed the methods and theories of nucleation for amorphous drug. Meanwhile, we also summarized the research progress on the mechanism of additives influence on nucleation and environmental factors on nucleation. This review aims to enhance the better understanding mechanism of nucleation of amorphous drug and controlling over the crystal nucleation during the ASD formulation development.

Objective To investigate the independent risk factors of comprehensive complication index(CCI)≥26.2 after radical resection of colon cancer,and use these factors to establish and verify a dynamic web-based nomogram model.Methods The clinical data of colon cancer patients who underwent radical resection in the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University from November 2020 to April 2022 were retrospectively collected,and divided into main cohort(November 2020 to October 2021,n=438)and validation cohort(November 2021 to April 2022,n=196).CCI scores of all patients were obtained based on CCI calculator(http://www.assessurgery.com).Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify the risk factors for CCI≥26.2,and a nomogram model was constructed.Receiver operator characteristic curve(ROC),C index and calibration curve were used to evaluate the differentiation and consistency of predictive nomogram model,and the decision curve analysis was conducted to assess the clinical benefits of the model.Internal validation of the model is performed in the validation cohort.Results A total of 438 patients were identified in present study,of which 63 cases(14.4%)had CCI≥26.2.Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age≥60 years(OR=2.662,95%CI 1.341-5.285,P=0.005),low third lumbar spine skeletal muscle mass index(L3MI;OR=4.572,95%CI 2.435-8.583,P<0.001),NRS2002≥3(OR=4.281,95%CI 2.304-7.952,P<0.001),and preoperative bowel obstruction(OR=3.785,95%CI 1.971-7.268,P<0.001)were significant independent risk factors for postoperative CCI≥26.2.Based on these results,a static and web-based dynamic nomogram was established(https://jndxfsyywcwksyf.shinyapps.io/DynNomCCI/).The C-index and area under the curve(AUC)of the nomogram were 0.742 and 0.787,respectively.The calibration curve indicated a good consistency between the predicted probability and the actual probability.In the validation cohort,the nomogram also presented good discrimination(C-index=0.722,AUC=0.795)and predictive consistency.The decision curve analysis indicated the clinical benefit and application value of the nomogram prediction model.Conclusion This easy-to-use dynamic nomogram based on 4 independent risk factors can conveniently and reliably predict the probability of CCI≥26.2 after radical resection of colon cancer,which helps optimize the preoperative evaluation system,formulate precise individualized treatment strategies,and enhance recovery after surgery.

Objective To understand the whole genome sequence characteristics of a Coxsackievirus A4(CVA4)isolated from Yunnan,China in 2022,and explore the phylogenetic characteristics of CVA4.Methods The whole genome sequence of CVA4 isolate 194R3/YN/CHN/2022 was amplified and sequenced,and the phylogenetic tree of CVA4 isolate was constructed by using Mega 7.0,Geneious 9.1.4 and Simplot 3.5.1 softwares.The whole ge-nome sequence characteristics were analyzed.Results The 194R3/YN/CHN/2022 isolate was identified as CVA4,belonging to the C2 gene subtype,which was consistent with the dominant gene subtype in recent years in China.Recombination analysis showed that recombination of CVA4 virus isolate with EVA114 prototype(V13-0285),CVA16 prototype(G-10),and CVA14 prototype(G-14)at the non-structural coding regions of P2 and P3 may have occurred.Conclusion The 194R3/YN/CHN/2022 isolated from Yunnan belongs to the C2 gene subtype,which is the prevalent CVA4 in China,but with certain mutations.

Objective To explore the magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)manifestations of acute cerebral infarction(ACI)and the correlation between lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2(Lp-PLA2),cystatin C(Cys C)and short-term prognosis.Methods A total of 110 ACI patients admitted to the department of neurology in our hospital from January 1,2022 to January 1,2023 were selected as the study objects.The clinical data and multimodal MRI were collected,and the serum Lp-PLA2 and Cys C levels of patients were detected.The patients were divided into the good prognosis group and the poor prognosis group according to the modified Rankin scale(mRS)score 90 days after onset.The predictive value of MRI manifestations and Lp-PLA2 and Cys C levels for short-term poor prognosis was analyzed.Results There were statistically significant differences in the time from onset to admission,National Institute of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score on admission,hypertension or diabetes,coronary heart disease or atrial fibrillation of patients between the good prognosis group and the poor prognosis group(P<0.05).The proportions of patients with ischemic penumbra,HV positive,cortical-subcortical infarction,large perforating branch infarction,small perforating branch infarction,bilateral anterior circulation infarction,posterior circulation infarction,anterior-posterior circulation infarction,middle cerebral artery(MCA)stenosis or occlusion,both internal carotid artery(ICA)and MCA stenosis or occlusion,posterior cerebral artery(PCA)or vertebral artery(VA)stenosis or occlusion and hemorrhage transformation in the poor prognosis group were significantly higher than those in the good prognosis group(P<0.05).The Lp-PLA2 and Cys C levels of patients in the poor prognosis group were significantly higher than those in the good prognosis group(P<0.05).Small penetrating branch infarction,posterior circulation infarction,anterior-posterior circulation infarction,MCA stenosis or occlusion,both ICA and MCA stenosis or occlusion,hemorrhage transformation,serum Lp-PLA2 and Cys C had certain predictive value for patients with short-term poor prognosis(P<0.05).Conclusion MRI manifestations(ischemic penumbra,HV positivity,different types of cerebral infarction,and vascular stenosis)and serum Lp-PLA2 and Cys C levels can predict the short-term prognosis of ACI patients and provide important reference for the formulation of clinical treatment plans.

Due to the prominent unhealthy lifestyle of residents,accelerated population aging,and urbanization processes in our country,the impact of cardiovascular disease(CVD)risk factors on public health is becoming increasingly significant.The prevalence of cardiovascular disease(CVD)in China is still on the rise.It is estimated that there are 330 million people with CVD,including 13 million cases of stroke,11.39 million cases of coronary heart disease,8.9 million cases of heart failure,5 million cases of pulmonary heart disease,4.87 million atrial fibrillation,2.5 million cases of rheumatic heart disease,2 million cases of congenital heart disease,45.3 million cases of peripheral arterial disease,and 245 million cases of hypertension.The economic burden of CVD on residents and society is increasingly heavy,making it a significant public health issue.The turning point for the prevention and control of CVD has not yet arrived,and it is urgent to strengthen government-led efforts in CVD prevention and control.

Aim To investigate the protective effects of dendrobium polysaccharide(DOP)against paraceta-mol(APAP)-induced liver injury in mice and eluci-date its underlying mechanism.Methods Healthy male Kunming mice were randomly assigned to the fol-lowing groups:control group,APAP model group,low,medium,high-dose DOP intervention group(225,450,900 mg·kg-1),and DOP control group.The APAP model group was given 300 mg·kg-1 per day,the DOP intervention group was given DOP for 2 h and then APAP was given,and the remaining groups received an equal volume of normal saline daily for sev-en consecutive days.After the final administration,se-rum and liver samples from the mice were collected and tested after 20 hours.Liver morphology and liver coef-ficient were examined.Liver histopathological altera-tions and apoptosis were examined using HE staining and TUNEL staining.Additionally,medium biochemi-cal indexes were assessed in serum and liver tissue u-sing kits.The levels of oxidative stress,inflammation,and apoptosis-related proteins in liver tissue were de-termined using Western blotting.Results In the APAP model group,liver coefficient increased signifi-cantly,the number of liver vacuolar necrosis and apop-tosis cells increased,and the serum ALT and AST lev-els significantly increased.Compared with the APAP group,the liver coefficient,serum ALT and AST levels were significantly reduced,and the liver pathology was improved after DOP intervention,especially in the 900 mg·kg-1 group.The levels of oxidative stress and in-flammation in the APAP group increased,and the ex-pression of apoptosis,inflammation and oxidative stress related proteins in liver was unbalanced.DOP inter-vention,especially in the 900 mg·kg-1 group,could significantly reverse the oxidative stress,apoptosis and inflammatory response induced by APAP in liver,and increase the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1,but reduce the expression levels of NLRP3 and HMGB1.Conclusions The hepatoprotective mechanism of DOP is mainly due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory response,which may be related to the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and the inhibition of HMGB1/NL-RP3 pathway by DOP.