Climate of origin shapes variations in wood anatomical properties of 17 Picea species.

BACKGROUND: Variations in hydraulic conductivity may arise from species-specific differences in the anatomical structure and function of the xylem, reflecting a spectrum of plant strategies along a slow-fast resource economy continuum. Spruce (Picea spp.), a widely distributed and highly adaptable tree species, is crucial in preventing soil erosion and enabling climate regulation. However, a comprehensive understanding of the variability in anatomical traits of stems and their underlying drivers in the Picea genus is currently lacking especially in a common garden. RESULTS: We assessed 19 stem economic properties and hydraulic characteristics of 17 Picea species grown in a common garden in Tianshui, Gansu Province, China. Significant interspecific differences in growth and anatomical characteristics were observed among the species. Specifically, xylem hydraulic conductivity (Ks) and hydraulic diameter exhibited a significant negative correlation with the thickness to span ratio (TSR), cell wall ratio, and tracheid density and a significant positive correlation with fiber length, and size of the radial tracheid. PCA revealed that the first two axes accounted for 64.40% of the variance, with PC1 reflecting the trade-off between hydraulic efficiency and mechanical support and PC2 representing the trade-off between high embolism resistance and strong pit flexibility. Regression analysis and structural equation modelling further confirmed that tracheid size positively influenced Ks, whereas the traits DWT, D_r, and TSR have influenced Ks indirectly. All traits failed to show significant phylogenetic associations. Pearson's correlation analysis demonstrated strong correlations between most traits and longitude, with the notable influence of the mean temperature during the driest quarter, annual precipitation, precipitation during the wettest quarter, and aridity index. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that xylem anatomical traits demonstrated considerable variability across phylogenies, consistent with the pattern of parallel sympatric radiation evolution and global diversity in spruce. By integrating the anatomical structure of the stem xylem as well as environmental factors of origin and evolutionary relationships, our findings provide novel insights into the ecological adaptations of the Picea genus.

Design and development of a soluble PDA-Emodin-PVP-MN patch and its anti-obesity effect in rats.

Emodin has been proven to have weight-reducing and lipid-lowering effects. In order to make emodin play a better anti-obesity role, we designed and developed an emodin loaded dissolving microneedle patch, in which emodin existed in the form of emodin-polyvinylpyrrolidone co-precipitate (Emodin-PVP). Meanwhile, polydopamine (PDA) was added to the microneedle patch (PDA-Emodin-PVP-MN) for photothermal-enhanced chemotherapy of obesity. The average weight of the patch was 0.1 ± 0.05 g and the drug loading was 0.37 ± 0.031 mg. After 5 min of NIR irradiation (808 nm, 0.6 W/cm2), the rat abdominal temperature could reach 48 ℃, and the cumulative release of emodin reached 96.25%. The diffusion coefficient of emodin in the in vitro agar diffusion experiment was 249.27 mm2 h-1. No obvious toxicity was observed in hemolysis test, CCK-8 assay and microscopic histopathological analysis. The patch significantly reduced the percent of body weight ( P < 0.01), lipid-body ratio ( P < 0.001), serum FFAs ( P < 0.01) and the cell volume of peritesticular adipose tissue in the high-fat diet induced obese rats, indicating the patch had good anti-obesity effect. The mechanism of action may be related to the up-regulation of HSL and LPL protein levels in rat peritesticular adipose tissue.

Novel partially reversible NDM-1 inhibitors based on the naturally occurring houttuynin.

Discovering novel NDM-1 inhibitors is an urgent task for treatment of 'superbug' infectious diseases. In this study, we found that naturally occurring houttuynin and its sulfonate derivatives might be effective NDM-1 inhibitors with novel mechanism, i.e. the attribute of partially covalent inhibition of sulfonate derivatives of houttuynin against NDM-1. Primary structure-activity relationship study showed that both the long aliphatic side chain and the warhead of aldehyde group are vital for the efficiency against NDM-1. The homologs with longer chains (SNH-2 to SNH-5) displayed stronger inhibitory activities with IC50 range of 1.1-1.5 µM, while the shorter chain the weaker inhibition. Further synergistic experiments in cell level confirmed that all these 4 compounds (at 32 µg/mL) recovered the antibacterial activity of meropenem (MER) against E. coli BL21/pET15b-blaNDM-1.

Expression characteristics and potential function of non-coding RNA in mouse cortical cells.

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play essential regulatory functions in various physiological and pathological processes in the brain. To systematically characterize the ncRNA profile in cortical cells, we downloaded single-cell SMART-Seq v4 data of mouse cerebral cortex. Our results revealed that the ncRNAs alone are sufficient to define the identity of most cortical cell types. We identified 1,600 ncRNAs that exhibited cell type specificity, even yielding to distinguish microglia from perivascular macrophages with ncRNA. Moreover, we characterized cortical layer and region specific ncRNAs, in line with the results by spatial transcriptome (ST) data. By constructing a co-expression network of ncRNAs and protein-coding genes, we predicted the function of ncRNAs. By integrating with genome-wide association studies data, we established associations between cell type-specific ncRNAs and traits related to neurological disorders. Collectively, our study identified differentially expressed ncRNAs at multiple levels and provided the valuable resource to explore the functions and dysfunctions of ncRNAs in cortical cells.

Transcriptome analysis and functional verification reveal the roles of copper in resistance to potato virus Y infection in tobacco.

Potato virus Y (PVY) is one of the most important pathogens in the genus Potyvirus that seriously harms agricultural production. Copper (Cu), as a micronutrient, is closely related to plant immune response. In this study, we found that foliar application of Cu could inhibit PVY infection to some extent, especially at 7 days post inoculation (dpi). To explore the effect of Cu on PVY infection, transcriptome sequencing analysis was performed on PVY-infected tobacco with or without Cu application. Several key pathways regulated by Cu were identified, including plant-pathogen interaction, inorganic ion transport and metabolism, and photosynthesis. Moreover, the results of virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) assays revealed that NbMLP423, NbPIP2, NbFd and NbEXPA played positive roles in resistance to PVY infection in Nicotiana benthamiana. In addition, transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing NtEXPA11 showed increased resistance to PVY infection. These results contribute to clarify the role and regulatory mechanism of Cu against PVY infection, and provide candidate genes for disease resistance breeding.

Novel FOXP2 variant associated with speech and language dysfunction in a Chinese family and literature review.

Since its initial identification, the Forkhead Box P2 gene (FOXP2) has maintained its singular status as the archetypal monogenic determinant implicated in Mendelian forms of human speech and language impairments. Despite the passage of two decades subsequent to its discovery, extant literature remains disproportionately sparse with regard to case-specific instances and loci of mutational perturbations. The objective of the current investigation centers on furnishing an enriched delineation of both its clinical manifestations and its mutational heterogeneity. Clinical phenotypes and peripheral blood samples were assiduously amassed from familial subjects. Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing methodologies were deployed for the unambiguous identification of potential genetic variants and for corroborating their co-segregation within the family pedigree. An exhaustive review of published literature focusing on patients manifesting speech and language disorders consequent to FOXP2 genetic anomalies was also undertaken. The investigation yielded the identification of a novel heterozygous variant, c.661del (p.L221Ffs*41), localized within the FOXP2 gene in the proband, an inheritance from his symptomatic mother. The proband presented with an array of symptoms, encompassing dysarthric speech, deficits in instruction comprehension, and communicative impediments. In comparison, the mother exhibited attenuated symptoms, including rudimentary verbalization capabilities punctuated by pronounced stuttering and dysarthria. A comprehensive analysis of articles archived in the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD) classified under "DM" disclosed the existence of 74 patients inclusive of the subjects under current examination, sub-divided into 19 patients with null variants, 5 patients with missense variants, and 50 patients with gross deletions or complex genomic rearrangements. A conspicuous predominance of delayed speech, impoverished current verbal abilities, verbal comprehension deficits, and learning difficulties were observed in patients harboring null or missense FOXP2 variants, as compared to their counterparts with gross deletions or complex rearrangements. Developmental delays, hypotonia, and craniofacial aberrations were exclusive to the latter cohort. The elucidated findings augment the existing corpus of knowledge on the genetic architecture influencing both the proband and his mother within this specified familial context. Of critical importance, these discoveries furnish a robust molecular framework conducive to the prenatal diagnostic evaluations of prospective progeny within this familial lineage.

[Mechanism of Xinshubao Tablets in exerting anti-inflammatory, vasodilation, and cardioprotective effects based on network pharmacology].

This study aims to explore the anti-inflammatory, vasodilation, and cardioprotective effects of the intestinal absorption liquids containing Xinshubao Tablets or single herbs, and to elucidate the potential mechanism based on network pharmacology. Western blot was then conducted to validate the expression changes of core proteins. Lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells were used to observe the anti-inflammatory effect. The vasodilation activity was examined by the microvessel relaxation assay in vitro. Oxygen-glucose deprivation(OGD)-induced H9c2 cells were used to investigate the cardioprotective effect. The chemical components were retrieved from Herb databases and composition of Xinshubao Tablets drug-containing intestinal absorption solution. Drug targets were retrieved from SwissTargetPrediction databases. GeneCards was searched for the targets associated with the anti-inflammatory, vasodilation, and cardioprotective effects. The common targets shared by the drug and the effects were used to establish the protein-protein interaction(PPI) network, from which the core targets were obtained. Finally, the core targets were imported into Cytoscape 3.9.1 for Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) analyses. The anti-inflammatory experiment showed that both Xinshubao Tablets and the single herbs constituting this formula had anti-inflammatory effects. Curcumae Radix had the strongest inhibitory effect on the production of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma had the strongest inhibitory effect on the generation of interleukin-6(IL-6). Xinshubao Tablets, Curcumae Radix, and Crataegi Fructus had vasodilation effect, and Crataegi Fructus had the strongest effect. Xinshubao Tablets, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Acanthopanacis Senticosi Radix et Rhizoma seu Caulis, and Paeoniae Radix Alba had cardioprotective effects, and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma had the strongest cardioprotective effect. Network pharmacology results demonstrated that except the whole formula, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma had the most components with anti-inflammatory effect, and Curcumae Radix had the most components with vasodilation and cardioprotective effects, followed by Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. The nitric oxide synthase 3(NOS3) was predicted as the core target for the anti-inflammatory, vasodilation, and cardioprotective effects. Western blot results showed that Xinshubao Tablets significantly up-regulated the expression of NOS3 in OGD-induced H9c2 cells. GO enrichment analysis showed that the effects were mainly related to lipid exported from cell, regulation of blood pressure, and inflammatory response. KEGG pathway enrichment predicted AGE-RAGE and HIF-1 signaling pathways as the key pathways.

Rehabilitation care for pain in elderly knee replacement patients.

BACKGROUND: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is recognized as the most effective surgical intervention for relieving pain and improving joint mobility and deformity in patients with knee osteoarthritis and other synovial diseases. The application of accelerated postoperative rehabilitation (enhanced recovery after surgery) has demonstrated its efficacy in improving patient outcomes, and early postoperative joint function exercise has become a key prognostic factor in knee replacement. The unexpected appearance of limb pain and swelling hindered the patient's tendency for early mobilization, leading in prolonged hospitalization, delayed functional recovery and negative psychological responses. AIM: To investigate the impact of incorporating programmed pain nursing with collaborative nursing on elderly patients undergoing knee replacement surgery. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of 116 patients who underwent TKA at our hospital between July 2019 and July 2021. The patients were divided into two groups: A control group (n = 58) receiving programmatic nursing, and an observed group (n = 58) receiving programmed nursing combined with a collaborative nursing model. A pain management team consisting of attending physicians, head nurses, and responsible nurses was established. Outcome measures included visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, activities of daily living (ADL) scale scores, and functional scores. RESULTS: The ADL scores of patients in both groups exhibited a continuous increase. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the ADL scores between the two groups at 48 h and the 7th d post-surgery (P > 0.05). Upon reexamination at the 3rd mo, the observation group demonstrated higher ADL scores compared to the control group (67.48 ± 14.69 vs 59.40 ± 16.06, P < 0.05). The VAS scores of both groups significantly decreased, with no significant difference observed between the groups at each time point (P > 0.05). The functional status of patients in both groups exhibited a gradual increase prior to intervention and at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd month following discharge (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in knee joint function scores between the two groups at the 1st month after discharge (47.52 vs 45.81, P > 0.05). However, the knee joint function scores of patients in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group at the 2nd (59.38 vs 53.19, P < 0.05) and 3rd month (71.92 vs 64.34, P < 0.05) following discharge. CONCLUSION: The utilization of programmed pain nursing in conjunction with collaborative nursing for out-of-hospital care of TKA patients has demonstrated favorable outcomes, encompassing pain reduction, enhanced prognosis, and improved nursing quality for patients.

STON2 variations are involved in synaptic dysfunction and schizophrenia-like behaviors by regulating Syt1 trafficking.

Synaptic dysfunction is a core component of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, the genetic risk factors and molecular mechanisms related to synaptic dysfunction are still not fully understood. The Stonin 2 (STON2) gene encodes a major adaptor for clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) of synaptic vesicles. In this study, we showed that the C-C (307Pro-851Ala) haplotype of STON2 increases the susceptibility to schizophrenia and examined whether STON2 variations cause schizophrenia-like behaviors through the regulation of CME. We found that schizophrenia-related STON2 variations led to protein dephosphorylation, which affected its interaction with synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1), a calcium sensor protein located in the presynaptic membrane that is critical for CME. STON2307Pro851Ala knockin mice exhibited deficits in synaptic transmission, short-term plasticity, and schizophrenia-like behaviors. Moreover, among seven antipsychotic drugs, patients with the C-C (307Pro-851Ala) haplotype responded better to haloperidol than did the T-A (307Ser-851Ser) carriers. The recovery of deficits in Syt1 sorting and synaptic transmission by acute administration of haloperidol effectively improved schizophrenia-like behaviors in STON2307Pro851Ala knockin mice. Our findings demonstrated the effect of schizophrenia-related STON2 variations on synaptic dysfunction through the regulation of CME, which might be attractive therapeutic targets for treating schizophrenia-like phenotypes.

Immunotherapy Study on Non-small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Combined with Cytotoxic T Cells and miRNA34a.

Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach for cancer treatment, and the use of microRNAs (miRNAs) as therapeutic agents has gained significant attention. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of immunotherapy utilizing miRNA34a and Jurkat T cells in inducing cell death in non-small-cell lung cancer cells, specifically A549 cells. Moreover, we explored the impact of Jurkat T cell activation and miRNA34a delivery using iron oxide nanorods (IONRs) on the killing of cancer cells. A549 cells were cocultured with both activated and inactivated Jurkat T cells, both before and after the delivery of miRNA34a. Surprisingly, our results revealed that even inactive Jurkat T cells were capable of inducing cell death in cancer cells. This unexpected observation suggested the presence of alternative mechanisms by which Jurkat T cells can exert cytotoxic effects on cancer cells. We stimulated Jurkat T cells using anti-CD3/CD28 and analyzed their efficacy in killing A549 compared to that of the inactive Jurkat T cells in conjunction with miRNA34a. Our findings indicated that the activation of Jurkat T cells significantly enhanced their cytotoxic potential against cancer cells compared to their inactive counterparts. The combined treatment of A549 cells with activated Jurkat T cells and miRNA34a demonstrated the highest level of cancer cell death, suggesting a synergistic effect between Jurkat T cell activation and miRNA therapy. Besides the apoptosis mechanism for the Jurkat T cells' cytotoxic effects on A549 cells, we furthermore investigated the ferroptosis pathway, which was found to have an impact on the cancer cell killing due to the presence of miRNA34a and IONRs as the delivery agent inside the cancer cells.

Cholesterol-lowering effects of rhubarb free anthraquinones and their mechanism of action.

Rhubarb free anthraquinones (RhA) have significant lipid-regulating activity. However, whether RhA monomers have a role in lipid-regulating and their mechanism of action remains unclear. Based on the cholesterol accumulated HepG2 cell model, the cholesterol-regulating effect of RhA monomers and their combinations was investigated. The expression of sterol-regulatory element binding protein 2 (SREBP2), 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) and squalene monooxygenase (SQLE) of the model cells was analyzed to preliminarily explore the mechanism of action. After that, the liposomes of each active RhA monomer were separately prepared with the same lipid materials and the same preparation method so that each monomer has similar or equal bioavailability after oral administration to rats. Finally, the hypercholesterolemic rat model was established, and the effect of active RhA monomers loaded liposomes as well as their combinations on cholesterol-regulating was investigated and their mechanism of action was analyzed. The results showed that aloe-emodin, rhein and emodin were the main cholesterol-regulating components of RhA, and the combination of rhein and emodin showed significant cholesterol-lowering effect, which may be related to the expression of SREBP2, HMGCR and SQLE in the rat liver.

Replication of previous autism-GWAS hits suggests the association between NAA1, SORCS3, and GSDME and autism in the Han Chinese population.

Background: Autism is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social interaction deficits, impairments in communication, and restricted and repetitive stereotyped behavior and activities. Family and twin studies suggested an essential role of genetic factors in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Also, other studies found SORCS3 and GSDME (DFNA5) might be involved in brain development and susceptible to ASD. Methods: In this study, 17 genome-wide significant SNPs reported in previous ASD genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and 7 SNPs in strong linkage disequilibrium with known ASD GWAS hits were selected to investigate the association between these SNPs and autism in the Han Chinese population. Then, 10 tagSNPs in SORCS3 and 11 tagSNPs in GSDME were selected to analyze the association between these SNPs and autism. The selected 24 SNPs and tagSNPs were genotyped using the Agena MassARRAY SNP genotyping assay in 757 Han Chinese autism trios. Results: Rs1484144 in NAA11 was significantly associated with autism; significance remained after the Bonferroni correction (P < 0.0022). Also, rs79879286, rs12154597, and rs12540919 near GSDME, as well as rs9787523 and rs3750261 in SORCS3, were nominally associated with autism. Conclusion: Our study suggests that rs1484144 in NAA11 is a significant SNP for autism in the Han Chinese population, while SORCS3 and GSDME might be the susceptibility genes for autism in this population.

Use of biologics in patients with psoriasis - A retrospective analysis based on real-world data.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize and analysis the application of biologic agents in patients with psoriasis in the real world. METHODS: Relying on collected data from June 2020 to September 2021 in the database of China Psoriasis Standardized Diagnosis and Treatment Center, 2529 cases of psoriasis patients treated with biologic agents in 188 different tertiary hospitals across China were retrospective analyzed. The collected information mainly includes demographic data (age, gender, psoriasis history), curative effectiveness of used biologics drug withdrawal and its reason. According to the collected information, condition of the usage for each category of biologics and influencing factor of biologics replacement were analyzed. RESULT: A total of 2529 patients were analyzed, which included 1626 male (64.29%) and 903 female (35.71%) with an average age of 42.12 ± 14.70 (17 âˆ¼ 85) years old; 2336 (92.37%) patients were aged from 19 to 60 years old. Within these patients, 2362 of them (93.40%) had a psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score, and 1776 of these patients had moderate to severe cases (75.19%). According to the patient's self-evaluation of the past efficacy of biological agents, secukinumab was chosen by the most people to have the highest efficacy (1140 cases, 93.60%). The main reason for the withdrawal of secukinumab is that the disease is already well controlled at the time of withdrawal (67 cases, 38.95%); for TNF- α inhibitor is the poor curative effect; for ustekinumab and ixekizumab were the non-affordable price. CONCLUSIONS: In the current biotherapy of psoriasis in China, the efficacy of secukinumab is thought by most people to be the highest. Secukinumab is the first choice when the needs of changing biologics appear.

Relationship between autism and brain cortex surface area: genetic correlation and a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Alterations in surface area (SA) in specific regions of the cortex have been reported in many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, the genetic background between ASD and SA is still unclear. This study estimated the genetic correlation and causal effect of ASD and cortical SA. METHODS: Summarized data of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were separately downloaded from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (18,381 cases of ASD, and 27,969 controls) and the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis Consortium (33,992 participants of Europeans). We used Linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) and Heritability Estimation from Summary Statistics (HESS) to calculate the heritability of each trait. As for the genetic correlation between ASD and SA, LDSC was used for global correlation and HESS was used to examine the local genetic covariance further. We used three Mendelian randomization (MR) methods, Inverse-variance weighted, MR-Egger, and weighted median to estimate the causal relationship. RESULTS: LDSC observed a nominal significant genetic correlation (rg = 0.1229, P-value = 0.0346) between ASD and SA of the rostral anterior cingulate gyrus whereas analysis through HESS did not reveal any significant loci having genetic covariance. Based on MR results, statistically meaningful estimations were found in the following areas, postcentral cortex (ß (SE) = 21.82 (7.84) mm, 95% CI: 6.46 to 37.19 mm, PIVW = 5.38 × 10- 3, PFDR = 3.09 × 10- 2), posterior cingulate gyrus (ß (SE) = 6.23 (2.69) mm, 95% CI: 0.96 to 11.49 mm, PIVW = 2.05 × 10- 2, PFDR = 4.26 × 10- 2), supramarginal gyrus (ß (SE) = 19.25 (8.43) mm, 95% CI: 29.29 to 35.77 mm, PIVW = 2.24 × 10- 2, PFDR = 4.31 × 10- 2). CONCLUSION: Our results provided genetic evidence to support the opinion that individuals with ASD tend to develop differences in cortical SA of special areas. The findings contributed to understanding the genetic relationship between ASD and cortical SA.

Correlating facial skin parameters with age and gender in population of Shaanxi Province, China.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to comprehensively evaluate the changes in facial skin biophysical parameters with age, as well the influence of gender differences in populations of Shaanxi Province, China. METHODS: Fourteen skin parameters, including stratum corneum hydration (SCH), transdermal water loss (TEWL), erythema, melanin, R0, R2, R5, R7, F4, gloss, skin surface pH, skin erythema index (a*), wrinkle length, and sebum, were measured by noninvasive instruments in 481 volunteers from Shaanxi Province. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between skin parameters and age. Additionally, skin parameters were analyzed for different age groups and different genders. RESULTS: The results of the study showed a linear decrease in skin surface pH and sebum content with age, and the skin elasticity parameters R0, R2, R5, and R7 decreased significantly at the age of 54-65 years. Wrinkle length showed a linear and increase with age. R5 showed a weak negative correlation with age, R2, R7, and sebum content showed a moderate negative correlation, while wrinkle length showed a strong positive correlation. Considering the effect of gender on skin parameters, the results showed that SCH and gloss were lower in men than in women, while TEWL, erythema, melanin, wrinkle length, and sebum were higher than in women. However, there was no difference in skin elasticity between them. CONCLUSION: The facial skin parameters, especially for the wrinkle length, exhibited the strong correlation relationship with ages in Shaanxi Province. Meanwhile, most skin parameters show significant differences with gender, which can provide a reference for future research and development in the field of cosmetics.

Systems Pharmacology Strategy for the Investigation of Action Mechanisms of Qin Herb Libanotis Buchtormensis (Fisch.) DC. in Bone Diseases.

INTRODUCTION: Qin medicines are medicinal plants growing in habitat around the peak of Qinling Mountain. Their unique curative effects on bone metabolic diseases and pain diseases have been favoured by the local people in clinical trials for thousands of years. Libanotis buchtormensis (Fisch.) DC. (LBD), is one of the popular Qin herbs, which has been widely used for the treatment of various diseases, such as osteoporosis, rheumatic, and cardiovascular diseases. However, due to the multiple compounds in LBD, the underlying molecular mechanisms of LBD remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to systemically investigate the underlying mechanisms of LBD against bone diseases. METHODS: In this study, a systems pharmacology platform included the potential active compound screening, target fishing, and network pharmacological analysis was employed to decipher the action mechanisms of LBD. RESULTS: As a result, 12 potential active compounds and 108 targets were obtained. Furthermore, compound-target network and target-pathway network analysis showed that multi-components interacted with multi-targets and multi-pathways, i.e., MARK signalling pathway, mTORC1 signalling pathway, etc., involved in the regulation of the immune system and circulatory system. These results suggested the mechanisms of the therapeutic effects of LBD on various diseases through most compounds targeted by multiple targets. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we successfully predicted the LBD bioactive compounds and potential targets, implying that LBD could be applied as a novel therapeutic herb in osteoporosis, rheumatic, and cardiovascular diseases. This work provides insight into the therapeutic mechanisms of LBD for treating various diseases.

The Role of Total White Blood Cell Count in Antipsychotic Treatment for Patients with Schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Total white blood cell count (TWBCc), an index of chronic and low-grade inflammation, is associated with clinical symptoms and metabolic alterations in patients with schizophrenia. The effect of antipsychotics on TWBCc, predictive values of TWBCc for drug response, and role of metabolic alterations require further study. METHODS: Patients with schizophrenia were randomized to monotherapy with risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, aripiprazole, ziprasidone, perphenazine or haloperidol in a 6-week pharmacological trial. We repeatedly measured clinical symptoms, TWBCc, and metabolic measures (body mass index, blood pressure, waist circumference, fasting blood lipids and glucose). We used mixed-effect linear regression models to test whether TWBCc can predict drug response. Mediation analysis to investigate metabolic alteration effects on drug response. RESULTS: At baseline, TWBCc was higher among patients previously medicated. After treatment with risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, perphenazine, and haloperidol, TWBCc decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Lower baseline TWBCc predicted greater reductions in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total and negative scores over time (p < 0.05). We found significant mediation of TWBCc for effects of waist circumference, fasting low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and glucose on reductions in PANSS total scores and PANSS negative subscale scores (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: TWBCc is affected by certain antipsychotics among patients with schizophrenia, with decreases observed following short-term, but increases following long-term treatment. TWBCc is predictive of drug response, with lower TWBCc predicting better responses to antipsychotics. It also mediates the effects of certain metabolic measures on improvement of negative symptoms. This indicates that the metabolic state may affect clinical manifestations through inflammation.

Stool-softening effect and action mechanism of free anthraquinones extracted from Rheum palmatum L. on water deficit-induced constipation in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: In traditional Chinese herbal medicine, rhubarb is said to remove accumulation with purgation, clearing heat, and discharging fire. Modern pharmacology has shown that rhubarb extract has a purgative effect when given to experimental animals in an appropriate dose. However, the active components and their mechanism of action are still not clearly defined. AIM OF THE STUDY: The current research aimed to evaluate the synergistic stool-softening effects and explore the action mechanism of rhubarb free anthraquinones (RhA) and their monomers on constipation in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A rat model of water deficit-induced constipation was established to induce constipation, and these rats were treated with RhA and its monomers. ELISA, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, qPCR and Western blotting based on network pharmacology and molecular docking were conducted to explore the possible mechanism of action of RhA and its monomers. RESULTS: RhA, aloe-emodin, rhein, and chrysophanol showed stool-softening activity, and the combination of aloe-emodin and rhein had the strongest softening effect on faecal pellets. Aloe-emodin, rhein, and chrysophanol significantly increased the serum levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), motilin (MTL), and substance P (SP), upregulated the expression of VIP, cyclase-associated protein 1 (CAP1), protein kinase A (PKA), cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), aquaporin 3 (AQP3), aquaporin 4 (AQP4), and aquaporin 8 (AQP8), decreased the expression of epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) and Na+/H+ exchanger 3 (NHE3), and reduced the colonic tissue concentration of Na+-K+-ATPase in the constipated rats. Osmolality of colonic fluid in model rats treated by RhA, aloe-emodin, rhein, and chrysophanol was increased. CONCLUSION: Aloe-emodin, rhein, and chrysophanol were the stool-softening components of the RhA extract, and there were certain drug-interactions between the components. RhA upregulated VIP expression, activated the cyclic adenosine monophosphate protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA) pathway, and further stimulated CFTR expression while inhibiting NHE3 and ENaC expression, resulting in a hypertonic state in the colonic lumen. Water transport could then be driven by an osmotic gradient, which in turn led to the upregulation of AQP3, AQP4, and AQP8 expression. In addition, RhA likely improved gastrointestinal motility by increasing serum VIP, SP, and MTL concentrations, thus promoting faecal excretion.