ObjectiveTo establish the fingerprints of 15 batches of Hengzhi Kechuan capsules， to quantitatively analyze 10 index components， and to evaluate the quality uniformity of samples from different batches. MethodsThe fingerprints and quantitative analysis of Hengzhi Kechuan capsules were established by a combination method of high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector and charged aerosol detector（HPLC-DAD-CAD）， adenosine， guanosine， vanillic acid， safflomin A， agarotetrol， naringin， hesperidin， militarine， ginsenoside Rb₁， and glycyrrhizic acid were selected as quality attribute indexes. A total of 15 batches of Hengzhi Kechuan capsules from 2022 to 2024（3 boxes per batch） were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed， and the quality uniformity level of the manufacturers was characterized by parameters of intra-batch consistency（P_A） and inter-batch consistency（P_B）. The homogeneity and difference of quality attribute indexes of samples from different years were analyzed by heatmap clustering analysis. ResultsHPLC fingerprints and quantitative method of Hengzhi Kechuan capsules were established， and the methods could be used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of this preparation， which was found to be stable and reliable by method validation. The similarity of fingerprints of 15 batches of samples was 0.887-0.975， a total of 13 common peaks were calibrated， and 10 common peaks were designated， all of which were quality attribute index components. The results of quantitative analysis showed that the contents of the above 10 ingredients in the samples were 0.038-0.078， 0.115-0.251， 0.007-0.018， 0.291-0.673， 0.122-0.257， 0.887-1.905， 1.841-3.364， 1.412-2.450， 2.207-3.112， 0.650-1.161， respectively. And the contents of ginsenoside Rb₁ and glycyrrhizic acid met the limit requirements in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. For the samples from 15 batches， the P_A values of the 10 index components were all <10%， indicating good intra-batch homogeneity， and the P_B values ranged from 33.86% to 92.97%， suggesting that the inter-batch homogeneity was poor. Heatmap clustering analysis showed that the samples from different years were clustered into separate categories， and adenosine， guanosine， safflomin A， naringin， hesperidin and agarotetrol were the main differential components. ConclusionThe intra-annual quality uniformity of Hengzhi Kechuan capsules is good and the inter-annual quality uniformity is insufficient， which may be related to the quality difference of Pinellinae Rhizoma Praeparatum， Carthami Flos， Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus， Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium， Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum， Citri Fructus， etc. In this study， the fingerprint and multi-indicator determination method of Hengzhi Kechuan capsules was established， which can be used for more accurate and efficient quality control and standardization enhancement.

This study aims to explore the mechanism of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression based on metabolomics and network pharmacology. The chemical constituents of Jiaotai Pills were identified by UHPLC-Orbitrap Exploris 480, and the targets of Jiaotai Pills and depression were retrieved from online databases. STRING and Cytoscape 3.7.2 were used to construct the protein-protein interaction network of core targets of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression and the "compound-target-pathway" network. DAVID was used for Gene Ontology(GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the core targets. The mouse model of depression was established with chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) and treated with different doses of Jiaotai Pills. The behavioral changes and pathological changes in the hippocampus were observed. UHPLC-Orbitrap Exploris 120 was used for metabolic profiling of the serum, from which the differential metabolites and related metabolic pathways were screened. A "metabolite-reaction-enzyme-gene" network was constructed for the integrated analysis of metabolomics and network pharmacology. A total of 34 chemical components of Jiaotai Pills were identified, and 143 core targets of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression were predicted, which were mainly involved in the arginine and proline, sphingolipid, and neurotrophin metabolism signaling pathways. The results of animal experiments showed that Jiaotai Pills alleviated the depression behaviors and pathological changes in the hippocampus of the mouse model of CUMS-induced depression. In addition, Jiaotai Pills reversed the levels of 32 metabolites involved in various pathways such as arginine and proline metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and porphyrin metabolism in the serum of model mice. The integrated analysis showed that arginine and proline metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and porphyrin metabolism might be the key pathways in the treatment of depression with Jiaotai Pills. In conclusion, metabolomics combined with network pharmacology clarifies the antidepressant mechanism of Jiaotai Pills, which may provide a basis for the clinical application of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Depression/genetics* ; Mice ; Network Pharmacology ; Metabolomics ; Male ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects* ; Antidepressive Agents

Eight amide alkaloids(1-8) were isolated from the 70% ethanol extract of Cannabis Fructus using silica gel column chromatography, MCI column chromatography, and semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Their structures were identified as hempspiramide A(1), N-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]formamide(2), N-acetyltyramide(3), N-trans-p-coumaroyltyramine(4), N-trans-caffeoyltyramine(5), N-trans-feruloyltyramine(6), N-cis-p-coumaroyltyramine(7), N-cis-feruloyltyramine(8) by using spectroscopic methods such as NMR and MS. Among these compounds, compound 1 was a new amide alkaloid, while compounds 2 and 3 were isolated from Cannabis Fructus for the first time. Some of the isolates were assayed for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Compounds 5-7 displayed significant inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase with IC_(50) values ranging from 1.07 to 4.63 μmol·L~(-1).
Cannabis/chemistry* ; Alkaloids/pharmacology* ; Amides/isolation & purification* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Molecular Structure ; alpha-Glucosidases/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid

Based on the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor(α7nAChR), this study examined how tetrahydropalmatine(THP) affected BV2 microglia exposed to lipopolysaccharide(LPS), aiming to clarify the possible mechanism underlying the anti-depression effect of THP from the perspectives of preventing inflammation and regulating polarization. First, after molecular docking and determination of the content of Corydalis saxicola Bunting total alkaloids, THP was initially identified as a possible anti-depression component. The BV2 microglia model of inflammation was established with LPS. BV2 microglia were allocated into a normal group, a model group, low-and high-dose(20 and 40 μmol·L~(-1), respectively) THP groups, and a THP(20 μmol·L~(-1))+α7nAChR-specific antagonist MLA(1 μmol·L~(-1)) group. The CCK-8 assay was used to screen the safe concentration of THP. A light microscope was used to examine the morphology of the cells. Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to determine the expression of α7nAChR. qRT-PCR was performed to determine the mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS), cluster of differentiation 86(CD86), suppressor of cytokine signaling 3(SOCS3), arginase-1(Arg-1), cluster of differentiation 206(CD206), tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α, interleukin(IL)-6, and IL-1β. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to measure the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in the cell supernatant. The experimental results showed that THP at concentrations of 40 μmol·L~(-1) and below had no effect on BV2 microglia. THP improved the morphology of BV2 microglia, significantly up-regulated the protein level of α7nAChR, significantly down-regulated the mRNA levels of iNOS, CD86, SOCS3, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, significantly up-regulated the mRNA levels of Arg-1 and CD206, and dramatically lowered the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in the cell supernatant. However, the antagonist MLA abolished the above-mentioned ameliorative effects of THP on LPS-treated BV2 microglia. As demonstrated by the aforementioned findings, THP protected LPS-treated BV2 microglia by regulating the M1/M2 polarization and preventing inflammation, which might be connected to the regulation of α7nAChR on BV2 microglia.
Berberine Alkaloids/chemistry* ; alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor/chemistry* ; Microglia/metabolism* ; Mice ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Corydalis/chemistry* ; Humans ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/immunology* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/immunology*

Abstract： ObjectiveThe study aims to explore the effects and regulatory roles of glucose transporter 1 （GLUT1） on the proliferation， migration， adhesion， and angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells （HUVECs） under ischemia-hypoxic conditions. MethodsIn vitro experiments were conducted to subject HUVECs to an ischemia-hypoxic-mimicking environment （1% O₂， 5% CO₂， 94% N₂）. The biological characteristics of HUVECs under normoxic and ischemia-hypoxic conditions were compared by assessing cell viability， proliferation capacity， and examining the expression changes of GLUT1， HIF-1α， and VEGFA proteins under ischemia-hypoxia using Western blot technology. Further， GLUT1 was overexpressed using plasmid transfection and the proliferation， migration， adhesion， and angiogenic capabilities of HUVECs were evaluated through scratch assays， cell adhesion assays， and tube formation assays. Mitochondrial morphological changes were observed by transmission electron microscopy，and oxygen consumption rate （OCR） was detected by Seahorse metabolic analyzer to evaluate mitochondrial function. ResultsCompared with normoxic conditions， the ischemia-hypoxic environment significantly inhibited the proliferation， cell viability， migration， and adhesion capabilities of HUVECs and impaired their angiogenic potential. The expression levels of GLUT1， HIF-1α and VEGFA proteins were also markedly reduced. However， when GLUT1 expression was upregulated， the migration， adhesion， and angiogenic capabilities of HUVECs were significantly improved， and the protein expression levels of HIF-1α， VEGFA and VEGFR were increased. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that ischemic-hypoxia leads to mitochondrial swelling and matrix damage， while GLUT1 overexpression significantly alleviates mitochondrial morphology abnormalities. OCR results suggest that GLUT1 overexpression may enhance oxidative phosphorylation of endothelial cells in ischemic-hypoxic environments to improve energy metabolism. These results suggest that GLUT1 may influence the function and angiogenic potential of HUVECs by regulating glucose metabolism and energy supply. ConclusionsThis study reveals the significant regulatory role of GLUT1 in the function of HUVECs under ischemia-hypoxic conditions， potentially through modulating cellular energy metabolism and signal transduction pathways， thereby affecting cell proliferation， migration， adhesion， and angiogenesis. These findings provide a new perspective on the role of GLUT1 in cardiovascular diseases and may offer potential targets for the development of new therapeutic strategies.

Autoimmune encephalitis（AE）refers broadly to a group of encephalitic disorders mediated by autoimmune mechanisms. AE is characterized by complex pathogeneses and diverse clinical manifestations，and there are still numerous challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of AE. With the development of frontier technologies such as vaccines，gene editing，and big data，new opportunities have emerged for transforming the diagnosis and treatment strategies for AE. Vaccines play a dual role in AE： on the one hand，they can prevent infections； on the other hand，they may trigger autoimmune responses through molecular mimicry. Emerging nanovaccine technologies are expected to achieve safer and more effective immunomodulation. Gene editing techniques，especially the CRISPR-Cas9 system，have shown potential in targeted regulation of the function of immune cells and repair of nervous tissue，which provides new pathways for precise intervention in the treatment of AE. The application of big data technologies，including artificial intelligence，natural language processing，and deep learning，has promoted the early diagnosis of AE and the development of individualized treatment regimens. This article reviews the research advances and clinical prospects of these cutting-edge technologies in AE，in order to provide insights and references for the development of precision medicine，interdisciplinary collaboration，and future treatment strategies for AE.

Objective: To investigate the association between medium to long term PM 2.5 exposure around school areas and overweight/obesity among primary and secondary school students in Guangxi, providing data support and theoretical foundations for scientifically addressing overweight and obesity in primary and secondary school students. Methods: From September to November 2023, a stratified cluster random sampling method was employed to select 251 183 students aged 7-18 years (grade 1 to grade 12) from 14 prefecture level cities (111 districts and counties) in Guangxi. PM 2.5 mass concentration data were obtained from the Tracking Air Pollution in China (TAP) dataset. Preliminary comparative analysis was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test, while binary Logistic regression models were applied to quantify the relationship between PM 2.5 exposure and overweight/obesity. Restricted cubic spline analysis was further utilized to examine the nonlinear association between PM 2.5 concentration and overweight/obesity risk. Results: The detection rate of overweight/obesity among Guangxi students in 2023 was 19.5%. The median PM 2.5 concentration in the year prior to the study was higher in the overweight/obesity group (23.22 μg/m 3) compared to the non overweight/obesity group (22.63 μg/m 3) ( Z=-15.66, P <0.01), and consistent trends were observed across gender (male/female) and educational stage (primary/junior/senior high school) subgroups (all P <0.01). Binary Logistic regression revealed that for every 10 μg/m 3 increase in the annual average PM 2.5 concentration, the risk of overweight/obesity increased by 12% ( OR=1.12, 95%CI=1.09- 1.15 , P <0.01). Restricted cubic spline analysis indicated a nonlinear relationship between monthly PM 2.5 levels and overweight/obesity risk ( P trend <0.01). Below 22.68 μg/m 3, PM 2.5 exposure showed no significant association with obesity risk; above the threshold, the risk increased with rising PM 2.5 levels. Conclusion Medium to long term PM 2.5 exposure around school environments is significantly associated with overweight/obesity among primary and secondary school students.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Maxing Loushi decoction in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （AECOPD） with phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome， and to investigate its effects on inflammatory factors， immune function， and the programmed death-1（PD-1）/programmed death-ligand 1 （PD-L1） signaling pathway. MethodsA randomized controlled study was conducted， enrolling 90 hospitalized patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome in the Respiratory and Emergency Departments of Dongzhimen Hospital， Beijing University of Chinese Medicine， from April 2024 to December 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to a control group and an observation group using a random number table， with 45 patients in each group. The control group received conventional Western medical treatment， while the observation group received additional Maxing Loushi decoction for 14 days. Clinical efficacy， COPD Assessment Test （CAT） score， modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale （mMRC）， 6-minute walk test （6MWT）， serum inflammatory factors， T lymphocyte subsets， and serum PD-1/PD-L1 levels were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. ResultsThe total clinical effective rate was 78.57% （33/42） in the control group and 95.35% （41/43） in the observation group， with the observation group showing significantly higher efficacy than that of the control group. The difference was statistically significant （χ² = 5.136， P<0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed significant reductions in CAT and mMRC scores （P<0.05， P<0.01） and significant increases in 6MWT compared to baseline （P<0.01）. The observation group demonstrated significantly greater improvements than the control group in this regard. Levels of inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein （CRP）， procalcitonin （PCT）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， monocyte chemoattractant protein-1（MCP-1）， and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α （MIP-1α） were significantly reduced in both groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with greater reductions in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. CD8⁺ levels were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ levels were significantly increased in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more significant improvements observed in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum PD-1 levels were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and PD-L1 levels were increased significantly in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more pronounced changes in the observation group （P<0.05）. ConclusionMaxing Loushi decoction demonstrates definite therapeutic efficacy as an adjunctive treatment for patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome. It contributes to reducing serum inflammatory factors， improving immune function， and regulating the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo explore quality difference factors of Perillae Caulis based on the contents of multiple chemical components and comprehensively evaluate the quality. MethodsA total of 32 batches of Perillae Caulis samples were collected from 12 producing areas such as Hebei， Anhui and Guangdong， and their diameter range， epidermis color and producing areas were recorded. Total flavonoids， total phenols， volatile oils， 5 active components and 84 volatile components in 32 batches of samples were quantitatively or semi-quantitatively determined by colorimetry， ultra performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector（UPLC-PDA） and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（GC-MS）. Then the differences between the contents of these components were analyzed by principal component analysis（PCA） and non-parametric test. According to the weights of the index components determined by PCA model， entropy weight-technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution（TOPSIS） model was constructed to evaluate the quality of Perillae Caulis with different characters and origins. ResultsThere were significant differences in the composition of Perillae Caulis with different diameters， epidermis colors and producing areas， and 9 differential components were screened out， including 6 index constituents（total flavonoids， total phenols， caffeic acid， scutellarin， rosmarinic acid and luteolin） and 3 volatile components（caryophyllene oxide， （-）-humulene epoxide Ⅱ， 14-hydroxycaryophyllene）， of which 6 index constituents were higher in samples with small diameter， purple-brown epidermis and southern origin， while the contents of 3 volatile components were higher in samples with large diameter， dark-brown epidermis and northern origin. A significant difference was shown in the model scores of different diameters， epidermis colors and origins（P<0.05）， and the scores of Perillae Caulis with small diameter and purple-brown epidermis from southern area， especially Guangdong， had a high score. ConclusionThere are significant differences in the composition and content of chemical constituents between different diameters， epidermal colors and production areas of Perillae Caulis， samples showing small diameter， owing purple-brown epidermis， and originating from Guangdong were of higher-quality due to their higher content of 8 key indices.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Maxing Loushi decoction in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （AECOPD） with phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome， and to investigate its effects on inflammatory factors， immune function， and the programmed death-1（PD-1）/programmed death-ligand 1 （PD-L1） signaling pathway. MethodsA randomized controlled study was conducted， enrolling 90 hospitalized patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome in the Respiratory and Emergency Departments of Dongzhimen Hospital， Beijing University of Chinese Medicine， from April 2024 to December 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to a control group and an observation group using a random number table， with 45 patients in each group. The control group received conventional Western medical treatment， while the observation group received additional Maxing Loushi decoction for 14 days. Clinical efficacy， COPD Assessment Test （CAT） score， modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale （mMRC）， 6-minute walk test （6MWT）， serum inflammatory factors， T lymphocyte subsets， and serum PD-1/PD-L1 levels were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. ResultsThe total clinical effective rate was 78.57% （33/42） in the control group and 95.35% （41/43） in the observation group， with the observation group showing significantly higher efficacy than that of the control group. The difference was statistically significant （χ² = 5.136， P<0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed significant reductions in CAT and mMRC scores （P<0.05， P<0.01） and significant increases in 6MWT compared to baseline （P<0.01）. The observation group demonstrated significantly greater improvements than the control group in this regard. Levels of inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein （CRP）， procalcitonin （PCT）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， monocyte chemoattractant protein-1（MCP-1）， and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α （MIP-1α） were significantly reduced in both groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with greater reductions in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. CD8⁺ levels were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ levels were significantly increased in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more significant improvements observed in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum PD-1 levels were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and PD-L1 levels were increased significantly in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more pronounced changes in the observation group （P<0.05）. ConclusionMaxing Loushi decoction demonstrates definite therapeutic efficacy as an adjunctive treatment for patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome. It contributes to reducing serum inflammatory factors， improving immune function， and regulating the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.