Pseudogene CSPG4P12 inhibits colorectal cancer progression by attenuating epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignant cancers. Pseudogenes have been identified as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes in the development of various cancers. However, the function of pseudogene CSPG4P12 in colorectal cancer remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of CSPG4P12 in colorectal cancer and explore the possible underlying mechanism. The difference of CSPG4P12 expression between colorectal cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues was analyzed using the online Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 (GEPIA2) database. Cell viability and colony formation assays were conducted to evaluate cell viability. Transwell and wound healing assays were performed to assess cell migration and invasion capacities. Western blot was used to measure the expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related proteins. Colorectal cancer tissues had lower CSPG4P12 expression than adjacent normal tissues. The overexpression of CSPG4P12 inhibited cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in colorectal cancer cells. Overexpressed CSPG4P12 promoted the expression of E-cadherin, whereas it inhibited the expression of vimentin, N-cadherin, and MMP9. These findings suggested that CSPG4P12 inhibits colorectal cancer development and may serve as a new potential target for colorectal cancer.

Research progress on herpes simplex virus membrane fusion protein interactions / 中国生物制品学杂志

@#Herpes simplex virus(HSV)is a ubiquitous enveloped virus containing double-stranded DNA. HSV-1 infection can cause inflammation of the lips,conjunctivitis and encephalitis,HSV-2 infection can cause genital herpes at many ages,and both viruses can establish lifelong latent infection in the body. Membrane fusion triggered by the interaction of various HSV membrane proteins is an important way for viruses to enter host cells. This review introduced the conserved core fusion mechanism of HSV composed of four viral glycoproteins gD,gH,gL and gB by analyzing the structure of glycoproteins and their interaction modes. Since there is currently no HSV vaccine approved for marketing in the world,it is of great significance to study the mode of action of HSV and host cells for the development of vaccines

Effect of Longmu Piyan Prescription on Oxidative Stress in Atopic Dermatitis Mice / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveThis study observes the intervention effect of Longmu Piyan prescription on oxidative stress in BALB/c mice with atopic dermatitis （AD） induced by 2，4-dinitrochlorobenzene （DNCB） and explores its mechanism. MethodThe AD model was established using the method of DNCB sensitization on the back skin of BALB/c mice. Forty male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into a blank group， a model group， a vitamin C control group （0.5×10-3 mg·kg-1）， and a Longmu Piyan prescription group （26 g·kg-1）. Except for the blank group， other groups were sensitized with different concentrations of DNCB on the back to induce AD， and the blank group was treated with matrix coating. The gastric administration was started on the seventh day after sensitization with 2% DNCB and on the 24th day after sensitization with 0.2% DNCB continuously for 21 days. The changes in skin lesions of each group were directly observed after the experiment. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the levels of interleukin （IL）-4， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， immunoglobulin E （IgE）， and reactive oxygen species （ROS） in the serum of each group. The total antioxidant capacity determination kit-trace method (ABTS method) was used to measure the level of total antioxidant capacity （TAOC） in serum. The Hematoxylin eosin （HE） staining method was used to observe the pathological and morphological changes of the skin lesion site. The immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin （TSLP） in the skin lesion site. Western blot was used to detect the expression of filaggrin （FLG） in the dorsal skin lesions. ResultThe results showed that compared with the blank group， the skin lesion score of the model group mice was significantly increased （P<0.01）， and HE staining showed characteristic pathological changes of AD in the skin lesion site. At the same time， the expression of TSLP in the skin lesion was significantly increased， and that of FLG was reduced （P<0.05）. The levels of TNF-α， IL-4， IgE， and ROS in serum increased， while the activity of TAOC decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Longmu Piyan prescription group showed a significant decrease in skin lesion scores and a significant improvement in skin lesion pathology. At the same time， the expression of TSLP decreased， and the expression of FLG increased in the skin lesions （P<0.05）. In addition， compared with the model group， the serum levels of TNF-α， IL-4， IgE， and ROS also decreased to varying degrees （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and TAOC activity increased in the Longmu Piyan prescription group （P<0.01）. ConclusionThere is a significant correlation among the degree of oxidative stress， the severity of skin lesions in AD， and the levels of inflammatory cytokines. Longmu Piyandu prescription can improve AD-like skin lesions in BALB/c mice by promoting ROS clearance， enhancing TAOC， and inhibiting oxidative stress， thus protecting the skin barrier and reducing inflammation.

Exploring Modern Mechanism of Treating Diabetic Retinopathy and Coronary Heart Disease from Perspective of Blood Stasis Under Viewpoint of Treating Different Diseases with the Same Method / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Diabetic retinopathy（DR） and coronary heart disease（CHD） are both major chronic vascular complications that seriously jeopardize the health of the population and often occur together in clinical practice， it is of great clinical value to actively explore the association between the two in the process of disease development and methods of prevention and treatment of modern medicine and traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）. According to TCM， the heart and eyes physiologically communicate with each other by taking Qi， blood and veins as bridges， blood stasis obstructing collaterals is the common TCM etiology of DR and CHD， whose mechanism involves inflammation， oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. Promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis plays an important role in the same treatment for different diseases and prevention and treatment of comorbidities， possibly by inhibiting the expression of interleukin-1β（IL-1β）， endothelin-1（ET-1） and hypoxia inducible factor-1α/vascular endothelial growth factor（HIF-1α/VEGF）， regulating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin（PI3K/Akt/mTOR） pathway， initiating adenosine monophosphate（AMP）-activated protein kinase/silent information regulator 1（AMPK/SIRT1） and nuclear transcription factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1（Nrf2/HO-1） signaling pathways， inhibiting Hippo/Yes-associated protein（Hippo/YAP） signaling pathway， inhibiting mitochondrial permeability transition pore and anti-platelet agglutination for treating DR and CHD， which provides a multi-component， multi-pathway and multi-target selection strategies and ideas for the prevention and treatment of DR and CHD by TCM from a biological perspective. Based on this， subsequent studies should focus on constructing clinically relevant comorbidity models， conducting multicenter prospective studies， and fully utilizing artificial intelligence technology to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between the two diseases， so as to elucidate the mechanism of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis in preventing and treating panvascular diseases.

Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases with Gancao Fuzitang： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Gancao Fuzitang originates from the Treatise on Febrile Diseases and Miscellaneous Diseases （《伤寒杂病论》） and is mainly used to treat pain in the bones and joints and symptoms such as no flexion or extension. It has the effect of tonifying the spleen and kidney and removing dampness and turbidity， so it is widely used in the clinical treatment of various bone and joint diseases. This article reviewed the clinical research and mechanism of Gancao Fuzitang in the treatment of bone and joint diseases. The research has found that this prescription has good efficacy in treating bone and joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis， rheumatoid arthritis， ankylosing spondylitis， gout， and intervertebral disc herniation. Its mechanism of action may be related to regulating the level of inflammatory factors， antioxidation， and the protein expression of inflammatory and apoptotic cell-related pathways， improving bone and joint diseases， and alleviating related symptoms. This study can provide a reference for further deepening the research on the prevention and treatment of bone and joint diseases with Gancao Fuzitang.

Biological Activities of Sesquiterpenoids： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Sesquiterpenoids are natural compounds composed of 15 carbon atoms， which can be divided into sesquiterpene alcohols， ketones， lactones， aldehydes， and carboxylic acids according to oxygen groups. These compounds are widely distributed in nature， and their physiological activities are diverse. For example， many sesquiterpenes with potential anticancer effects have been found for anti-tumor effects， including cytotoxicity， antioxidant， immune regulation， cell proliferation， and so on. In addition， some sesquiterpenoids have good application prospects in antibacterial， anti-inflammatory， and anti-cardiovascular diseases. Malignant tumors， inflammation， bacterial diseases， and cardiovascular diseases are the main diseases that cause human death， and natural products have unique advantages in the treatment of these diseases. Therefore， the development of new drugs that are easy to promote has become a new research hotspot. In this paper， the sesquiterpenes extracted from the natural components of Chinese herbs and plants with anti-tumor， anti-inflammatory， antibacterial， and anti-cardiovascular activities， such as Xanthium， Atractylodes， Convolvulus， Acanthium， Ligularia， Artemisia， Ligularia， Ligularia， Labiaceae Mint， Acanthophyllum， Turmeria， Ginger， and other Chinese herbs and plants， were discussed. The biological activities and related mechanisms of this compound were reviewed， which provided a reference for further research and clinical application of sesquiterpenes.

Research progress on effects of air pollution on pollinosis and its mechanisms / 环境与职业医学

Pollinosis is one of the common allergic diseases, and its morbidity continues to increase. Studies have demonstrated that air pollution is a key environmental factor that leads to the increased prevalence of pollinosis. Air pollutants and pollen allergens exert synergistic effects in stimulating allergic responses in susceptible individuals. In this article, we analyzed the relationship between air pollution and pollinosis based on the latest studies, and elaborated potential mechanisms on how air pollution increases the incidence of pollinosis and aggravates allergic reactions. Air pollutants can increase both pollen production and the levels of allergenic proteins, and enhance allergenicity of pollen allergens through structural alterations or chemical modifications. The potential mechanisms of air pollutants exacerbating pollen allergies are as follows: Air pollutants may disrupt the barrier function of the respiratory epithelium and facilitate the penetration of pollen allergens into deeper tissues. Additionally, they may accelerate the process of the release of pollen allergy-related cytokines, promoting T helper 2 (Th2) cell differentiation and exacerbating inflammatory responses in the airways. Given the limitations of existing research, future prospective studies are needed to explore the effects of mixed pollutants and different types of pollutants on pollen, and the response mechanisms of allergy-related cells and cytokines to different pollutant categories. The findings would provide a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of air pollution on pollen allergies and scientific evidence for effective protection of the heath of pollinosis patients.

Yunkang Oral Liquid Promotes Restoration of Mice from Postpartum Kidney Deficiency via TGF-β/Smads Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Yunkang oral liquid on postpartum kidney deficiency in mice. MethodPostpartum mice were randomized into model and low-dose （6 mL·kg-1）， medium-dose （9 mL·kg-1）， and high-dose （12 mL·kg-1） Yunkang oral liquid groups. The mouse model of postpartum kidney deficiency was established by sleep deprivation combined with forced swimming. Another 9 female ICR mice were selected as the normal control group. The mice were administrated with Yunkang oral liquid during the period of modeling. The levels of estradiol （E2）， progesterone （P）， follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， and luteinizing hormone （LH） in the serum were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The morphological changes of ovaries and uterus were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and the expression of transforming growth factor （TGF）-β and Smad2/3 was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. ResultThe mice in the model group showed prolonged estrous cycle， reduced voluntary activity， dorsal temperature， grip strength， and bone strength， and whitening tongue coating. Compared with the model group， Yunkang oral liquid shortened the estrous cycle， increased the voluntary activity， dorsal temperature， grip strength， and bone strength， and alleviated the whitening of tongue coating. Moreover， it elevated the E2 and P levels and lowered the FSH and LH levels in the serum， decreased ovarian follicular atresia rate， promoted uterine repair， and down-regulated the expression of TGF-β and Smad2/3 in the ovarian and uterine tissues. ConclusionYunkang oral liquid can ameliorate postpartum kidney deficiency in mice by regulating the TGF-β/Smads signaling pathway.

Qingxin Zishen Decoction Treats Menopausal Syndrome Due to Yin Deficiency with Effulgent Fire by Regulating KNDy Neurons / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the comprehensive effects of Qingxin Zishen decoction on the symptom score and neuroendocrine indexes and the mechanism of the decoction in regulating KNDy neurons in the patients with menopausal syndrome. MethodA total of 60 patients with menopausal syndrome due to yin deficiency with effulgent fire who attended the menopausal outpatient of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine were randomized into an experimental （Qingxin Zishen decoction） group （30 cases） and a control （femoston） group （30 cases）. The treatment lasted for 12 weeks in both groups. The two groups were compared in terms of the comprehensive efficacy， frequency and degree of hot flashes and sweating， modified Kupperman score， and the serum levels of hypothalamic peptide kisspeptin， neurokinin B （NKB）， dynorphin （Dyn）， follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， and estradiol （E2）. Result① Comprehensive efficacy： The comprehensive efficacy of the two groups was comparable. ② Frequency and degrees of hot flashes and sweating： After treatment， the frequency and degrees of hot flashes and sweating in the two groups were reduced （P<0.05） and the control group outperformed the experimental group （P<0.05）. ③ Modified Kupperman score and menopausal symptoms： After treatment， the modified Kupperman score decreased in both groups （P<0.05）. After 4 weeks of treatment， the experimental group was superior to the control group in terms of the scores of dizziness and headache （P<0.05）. ④ Serum levels of sex hormones： After treatment， the serum E2 level elevated and the FSH level lowered in both groups （P<0.05）， and the changes were more obvious in the control group （P<0.05）. ⑤ Neuroendocrine indexes： After treatment， the serum levels of kisspeptin and NKB in the two groups decreased （P<0.05）， and the serum Dyn level in the experimental group increased （P<0.05）. Moreover， the experimental group had higher Dyn level than the control group after treatment （P<0.05）. ConclusionQingxin Zishen decoction can alleviate hot flashes， sweating， and other symptoms in the women with menopausal syndrome by acting on the KNDy neurons to lower the kisspeptin and NKB levels and elevate the Dyn level. The findings provide new ideas for the clinical treatment of hot flashes in menopause.

Study of Triptolide on Liver Injury and Detoxification Strategy / 中国实验方剂学杂志

As a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine in clinical practice， Tripterygium wilfordii has the functions of dispelling wind and removing dampness， detoxicating and destroying parasites， detumescence， pain relief， promoting blood circulation， and dredging collateral. Modern pharmacological studies show that it also has other functions such as anticancer， anti-inflammation， and immunosuppression. It has been widely used to treat autoimmune diseases， renal diseases， and tumors. T. wilfordii contains a variety of chemical components， among which triptolide （TP） can cause varying degrees of damage to human digestive， circulatory， reproductive， and other systems， with liver injury being the most common one， which greatly limits the development of TP in new drug research and industrial application. Therefore， the authors focused on the research hotspot of TP-induced liver injury and summarized relevant Chinese and international literature regarding the clinical manifestations， injury mechanisms， and detoxification strategies of TP-induced liver injury. This helps to provide a scientific basis for the clinical drug safety and scientific drug supervision of TP. The clinical manifestations of TP-induced liver injury are mostly abnormal transaminases， loss of appetite， nausea and vomiting， anorexia， yellow staining of skin and sclera， and yellow urine. The mechanisms of the above clinical manifestations involve apoptosis， oxidative stress， influence on cytochrome P450 superfamily， macrophage polarization， regulation of biological clock gene Clock， etc. Among them， cell apoptosis is related to neurogenic locus notch homolog protein 1 （Notch1）， dynamin-related protein 1 （Drp1）-cytochrome C （Cyt C）， phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）， mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， tumor suppressor protein 53 （p53）， Fas cell surface death receptor （Fas）/Caspase-8， and other signaling pathways. Oxidative stress is related to inhibition of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 （NRF2） signaling pathway， promotion of cytochrome P450 2E1 （CYP2E1） expression， and excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen （ROS）. The influence of the cytochrome P450 superfamily is manifested as reducing the substrate affinity， activity， and expression of cytochrome P450 3A （CYP3A）， cytochrome P450 2C9 （CYP2C9）， cytochrome P450 2C19 （CYP2C19）， and cytochrome P450 1A2 （CYP1A2）. Promoting the transformation of macrophages into the M1 type is related to the secretion of inflammatory factors and the accumulation of endotoxin， and the internal rhythmic regulation of the biological clock gene Clock， is related to the expression of cytochrome P450 3A11 （CYP3A11） metabolic enzyme. The detoxification strategies in the clinical application include herbs-processing detoxification strategy and drug-pairing detoxification. The traditional Chinese medicines and monomers that are helpful for detoxification include Glycyrrhiza uralensis， Paeonia lactiflora， Lysimachia christinae， Rehmannia glutinosa， saffron， and paeoniflorin. The reviews and discussion about these topics can help to provide more references for related research and clinical application of TP.

Biological Connotation of Pathogenesis of Colorectal Cancer Due to Damp-heat Accumulation Based on Immune Response-intestinal Microbial Axis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Colorectal cancer （CRC） is a malignant tumor of the intestinal tract with changes in bowel habits， blood in the stool， and pain as the main clinical manifestations. With the change in lifestyle and diet structure in recent years， the incidence of CRC has been increasing year by year. The pathogenesis of CRC is closely related to abnormal immune response and chronic inflammation， intestinal microbial dysbiosis， and the production of oncogenic metabolites. There is a two-way communication between the intestinal microbiota and the body's immunity， which not only plays a key role in maintaining the body's health but also has a close relationship with the development of diseases. An increasing number of studies have shown that abnormal immune responses accelerate the disease process by producing inflammatory factors， causing chronic inflammation in the body， disrupting the intestinal mucosal barrier， and increasing mucosal permeability， thus resulting in dysbiosis of the intestinal microbial ecology and a large number of pathogenic microorganisms and their metabolites. In addition， dysbiosis of intestinal microbes， by suppressing the normal immune response， leads to the disruption of multiple metabolic pathways in the body， affecting the internal and external stress response of the intestine， inducing inflammation， and thus producing disease. Therefore， the complex crosstalk mechanism between the immune response and intestinal microbial axis is closely related to the development of CRC. Based on traditional Chinese medicine theory and clinical research， it was found that dietary factors are an important causative factor in the development of CRC. The deficiency of positive energy is the root cause of the disease， and damp-heat accumulation is the key pathogenesis. Through modern medical and biological research， it is believed that abnormal immune response is the microscopic manifestation of damp-heat entrapment， while intestinal microbial dysbiosis is the biological basis of toxic injection into the large intestine， and in the pathogenesis of CRC， the imbalance of immune response-intestinal microbial axis is compatible with damp-heat accumulation in traditional Chinese medicine. This study aims to explore the biological connotation of CRC due to damp-heat accumulation from the immune response-intestinal microbial axis， so as to interpret the pathogenesis of CRC due to damp-heat accumulation with objective data and provide new ideas and theoretical basis for the pathogenesis and treatment strategies of CRC due to damp-heat accumulation.

Effect of Ferroptosis on Diabetes Mellitus and Its Complications and Intervention of Chinese Medicine： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by chronic hyperglycemia caused by absolute or relative insufficiency of insulin secretion. As the disease progresses， patients begin to suffer from diabetic nephropathy， diabetic cardiomyopathy， non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or other complications， which increase the burden on the patients. Moreover， the number of patients is increasing， which brings a heavy burden to the society. Ferroptosis is a new type of programmed cell death which has attracted wide attention in recent years. It refers to the cell death caused by the excessive accumulation of lipid peroxide under the overload of iron ions. Studies have discovered that ferroptosis exists in diabetes mellitus and its complications. Inhibiting ferroptosis can greatly slow down the occurrence and progression of diabetes mellitus and its complications. Chinese medicine， the unique medical treasure in China， acts in a multi-pathway， multi-target manner and is praised for the cheap price， low toxicity， and mild side effects. It has been widely used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus and its complications and has demonstrated definite therapeutic effects， bringing the good news for the majority of patients. The regulation of ferroptosis by Chinese medicine may be a new direction for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and its complications in the future. This paper briefly describes the mechanism of ferroptosis， explores the relationship of ferroptosis with diabetes mellitus and its complications， summarizes the research status of Chinese medicine interventions， and puts forward suggestions， aiming to provide a reference for further research on the treatment of diabetes mellitus and its complications with Chinese medicine.

Study on the antifungal activity and mechanism of Huangqin decoction against Trichophyton mentagrophytes / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To study the antifungal activity of Huangqin decoction （HQD） against Trichophyton mentagrophytes and explore its mechanism. METHODS Minimal inhibitory concentration （MIC）， minimal fungicidal concentration （MFC）， mycelial length， spore germination rate， biomass and mycelium ultrastructure observation were performed to evaluate the antifungal activity of HQD against T. mentagrophytes. The effects of HQD on the cell wall of T. mentagrophytes were detected through sorbitol protection experiment. By measuring the content of ergosterol and the activities of squalene epoxide （SE） and lanosterol 14α-demethylase （CYP51）， the activity of HQD on the cell membrane of T. mentagrophytes was investigated. The effects of HQD on T. mentagrophytes mitochondria were investigated by determining the activities of malate dehydrogenase （MDH）， succinate dehydrogenase （SDH）， and ATPases （including sodium potassium ATPase， calcium magnesium ATPase， and total ATPase）. RESULTS HQD exhibited significant antifungal activity against T. mentagrophytes with MIC of 3.13 mg/mL and MFC of 25 mg/mL. After intervention with HQD， the mycelial length of T. mentagrophytes was significantly shortened （P＜0.05）； spore germination rate， biomass， the content of ergosterol in the cell membrane， the activities of SE and CYP51 in the cell membrane and MDH， SDH and ATPase in mitochondria were all decreased significantly （P＜0.05）； cell structure had been ；damaged to a certain extent， but the integrity of the cell wall had not been affected. CONCLUSIONS HQD shows significant antifungal activity against T. mentagrophytes， the mechanism of which may be associated with reducing the 0791- content of ergosterol in the cell membrane and the activities of SE， CYP51， and mitochondria-related enzymes.

Progress on internal exposure to typical environmental persistent organic pollutants and cancer / 环境与职业医学

Environmental pollution is closely linked to the occurrence and development of cancer. Chemical carcinogens are the most important environmental factors causing cancer in humans. Among them, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are characterized by their widespread distribution, persistence, and bioaccumulation. Research on the carcinogenic effects of POPs has received considerable attention in recent years. This article reviewed the internal exposure, association with cancer risk, and potential carcinogenic mechanisms of five typical classes of POPs in the environment, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), brominated flame retardants (BFRs), and short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs). These five types of POPs have distinct carcinogenic mechanisms, including interfering with cell proliferation cycle, altering epigenetic inheritance, promoting oxidative stress, altering energy metabolism, and affecting immune function. The development of cancer is the result of interaction between intrinsic genetic factors and external environmental factors. In addition to focusing on how environmental POPs affect the genetic material of organisms, it is also important to consider their effects on the tumor microenvironment, including tumor immunity and angiogenesis. Understanding these effects is crucial for guiding future efforts in pollution control and precision medicine in cancer treatment.

Research progress on effect of air pollution on depression and potential mechanisms / 环境与职业医学

Air pollution is a global issue that threatens human health. In recent years, more and more studies have found that air pollution is closely related to the occurrence of depression. As a serious neuropsychiatric disorder whose incidence is rising rapidly year by year, depression has become an invisible killer of public health. At present, studies on the correlation between air pollution and depression are still very limited, and the underlying molecular mechanisms by which air pollution affects depression are not clear. Based on existing epidemiological and toxicological studies, this paper provided a review of the relationship between air pollution and depression and the possible biological mechanisms, with a focus on the relationship between air pollution and depression indicators and the possible factors affecting depression such as types of air pollutants, exposure time, age and health status of study subjects. In addition, the potential roles of neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, neurogenesis, and apoptosis in the process of air pollution-induced depression were also discussed in order to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of air pollution-induced depression.

Research Progress in Mitochondrial Treatment and Mechanism in Occurrence of Lung Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

Lung cancer is characterized by high incidence and mortality rates and invasiveness, and its occurrence and development are influenced by various factors. Mitochondria, as ubiquitous organelles in the human body, regulate cellular processes, such as metabolism, signal transduction, oxidative stress, and genomic instability, thereby affecting the initiation and progression of lung cancer. This article summarizes the recent research progress on mitochondrial-targeted drugs, mitochondrial transfer, and mitochondrial gene therapy for lung cancer treatment. This work also discusses the principles and prospects of mitochondrial therapy to provide new insights for lung cancer treatment.

snoRNAs and Its Potential Role in Hepatocellular Carcinoma / 肿瘤防治研究

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are non-coding RNAs in the nucleolus and are mainly responsible for the 2'-O-methylation and pseudouridine modification of rRNA. snoRNAs regulate various biological processes, such as tRNA modification, spliceosome snRNA modification, maintenance of the telomere structure, and alternative splicing of mRNA. Aberrant expression of snoRNA is related to cancer progression, and it may become a new target for cancer treatment. snoRNAs are stable and easy to detect in body fluids, so they can be used as a biomarker for clinical diagnosis and prognostic. This article reviews the biogenesis, classification, structure, and function of snoRNAs and introduces their potential role in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Assessment of emotions and stress coping mechanisms of healthcare workers from the Department of Pediatrics at the Philippine General Hospital a year after the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Objective@#Healthcare workers (HCWs) are an often overlooked population in the face of a pandemic. With the myriad of researches focusing on the effect of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on patients, this study aimed to illuminate the emotions, stressors and stress coping mechanisms of medical frontliners from the Department of Pediatrics working in Philippine General Hospital.@*Methods@#A quantitative cross-sectional study was done among 130 HCWs ages 21-55 years old, mostly females (72%), recruited through convenience sampling. An adapted questionnaire from China was used and data were analyzed using means, T-test and Anova.@*Results@#Results showed that HCWs predominantly felt a high sense of professional and ethical duty towards their jobs. Stressors include fear of transmitting the virus to their family and the shortage of manpower, while stressrelievers include knowing that their family are safe and having a good relationship with colleagues. Coping strategies include the use of personal protective measures and the hope of cure motivates them to continue working. Seeking psychiatric help is interestingly one of the least important motivational factors. Nurses, fellows, and residents significantly differ in responses about their feelings, stress-relievers, and coping strategies.@*Conclusion@#HCWs are a vulnerable population since they endure multiple stressors but they are idealistic and resilient, hence the hospital should give adequate financial compensation and provide good work-life balance.

Extraction Process and Mechanism of Active Ingredients of Mori Folium for Lowering Blood Glucose： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Mori Folium， the dried leaves of Morus alba， is widely used in clinical practice for dispersing wind and heat， clearing the lung and moistening dryness， soothing the liver and improving vision， and cooling blood and stopping bleeding. It has been used to regulate blood glucose since ancient times， and modern studies have shown that the active components of Mori Folium for lowering blood glucose mainly include flavonoids， alkaloids， polysaccharides， and phenols. These components are mainly extracted by solvents such as water and alcohols with the assistance of ultrasound and microwave. In addition， new extraction methods are emerging， such as CO2 supercritical fluid extraction， enzymatic hydrolysis， and cloud point extraction. Mori Folium lowers blood glucose via multiple components， pathways， and targets. Specifically， it can improve glucose and lipid metabolism， protect pancreatic β cells， and alleviate insulin resistance to reduce the damage caused by hyperglycemia and restore normal physiological functions. Although a large number of studies have been carried out on diabetes， the causes and radical treatment methods remain to be explored， and diabetes is still a major disease that endangers human health and needs to be solved urgently. The articles about extraction process and mechanism of active components in Mori Folium for lowering blood glucose were retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， Web of Science， and PubMed. We analyzed the applicable extraction methods for the blood glucose-lowering components such as flavonoids， polysaccharides， and alkaloids in Mori Folium， and compared the conventional and emerging methods. Furthermore， we summarized our research achievements in the extraction of active components from Mori Folium and the blood glucose-lowering effect and mechanisms. This review aims to provide theoretical support for the optimization of the extraction process， the research on the blood glucose-lowering components and mechanism， and the development of new drugs and clinical application of Mori Folium.

Slicing Angle Recognition of Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus Based on Improved YOLOv7-tiny Algorithm / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo realize the automatic recognition of the slicing angles of Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus （FTB） based on the improved YOLOv7-tiny algorithm. MethodFirstly， a diverse dataset of FTB images， totaling 16 000 pictures， with various angles was constructed. Furthermore， improvements were made to YOLOv7-tiny by replacing standard convolutions with ghost convolution （GhostConv）， incorporating the coordinate attention （CA） mechanism as a preferred addition， substituting some activation functions with HardSwish function for decreasing the floating point operations. Additionally， a penalty term for angle recognition error was integrated into the loss function， and modifications were made to the non-maximum suppression （NMS） strategy to address cases where multiple detection results were associated with the same target. In order to verify the effectiveness of different improvement points on the optimization of the algorithm model， ablation experiments were carried out on all the improvement points， and the effectiveness of the improvement points was proved by comparing the prediction results before and after the addition of a certain improvement point on the basis of the original model or the model with the addition of an improvement point that has been verified to be effective， in order to evaluate the improvement of the indexes. ResultThe number of parameters required for the improved slicing angle recognition algorithm of FTB was about 55.4% of the original algorithm， and the amount of computation was about 59.4% of the original algorithm. The mAP@0.5［mean average precision at an intersection over union（IoU） of 0.5］ increased by 12.2%， the mean absolute error（MAE） of the recognized angle was 5.02°， representing a reduction of 4.58° compared to the original algorithm. In the experimental environment of this paper， the average recognition time per image was as low as 8.7 ms， significantly faster than the average human reaction time. ConclusionThis study， by utilizing the improved YOLOv7-tiny algorithm， achieves effective slicing angle recognition of FTB with high accuracy and more lightweight， which provides a novel approach for stable and precise automated slicing of FTB， thereby providing valuable insights into the automation of processing other traditional Chinese medicines.