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Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic, progressive and irreversible interstitial lung disease characterized by unremitting pulmonary myofibroblasts activation, extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and inflammatory recruitment. PF has no curable medication yet. In this study we investigated the molecular pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets of PF and discovered drug lead compounds for PF therapy. A murine PF model was established in mice by intratracheal instillation of bleomycin (BLM, 5 mg/kg). We showed that the protein level of pulmonary protein phosphatase magnesium-dependent 1A (PPM1A, also known as PP2Cα) was significantly downregulated in PF patients and BLM-induced PF mice. We demonstrated that TRIM47 promoted ubiquitination and decreased PPM1A protein in PF progression. By screening the lab in-house compound library, we discovered otilonium bromide (OB, clinically used for treating irritable bowel syndrome) as a PPM1A enzymatic activator with an EC50 value of 4.23 µM. Treatment with OB (2.5, 5 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.p., for 20 days) significantly ameliorated PF-like pathology in mice. We constructed PF mice with PPM1A-specific knockdown in the lung tissues, and determined that by targeting PPM1A, OB treatment suppressed ECM deposition through TGF-ß/SMAD3 pathway in fibroblasts, repressed inflammatory responses through NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway in alveolar epithelial cells, and blunted the crosstalk between inflammation in alveolar epithelial cells and ECM deposition in fibroblasts. Together, our results demonstrate that pulmonary PPM1A activation is a promising therapeutic strategy for PF and highlighted the potential of OB in the treatment of the disease.
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Radicular pain, a common and complex form of neuropathic pain, presents significant challenges in treatment. Acupuncture, a therapy originating from ancient traditional Chinese medicine and widely utilized for various pain types, including radicular pain, has shown promising outcomes in the management of lumbar radicular pain, cervical radicular pain, and radicular pain due to spinal stenosis. Despite its efficacy, the exact mechanisms through which acupuncture achieves analgesia are not fully elucidated and are the subject of ongoing research. This review sheds light on the current understanding of the analgesic mechanisms of acupuncture for radicular pain, offering valuable perspectives for both clinical application and basic scientific research. Acupuncture is postulated to relieve radicular pain by several mechanisms: peripherally, it reduces muscle spasms, lessens mechanical pressure on nerve roots, and improves microcirculation; at the molecular level, it inhibits the HMGB1/RAGE and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways, thereby decreasing the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines; within the spinal cord, it influences synaptic plasticity; and centrally, it modulates brain function, particularly affecting the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and thalamus within the default mode network. By acting across these diverse biological domains, acupuncture presents an effective treatment modality for radicular pain, and deepening our understanding of the underlying mechanisms regarding analgesia for radicular pain is crucial for enhancing its clinical efficacy and advancement in pain management.
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Climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances are increasing liana abundance and biomass in many tropical and subtropical forests. While the effects of living lianas on species diversity, ecosystem carbon, and nutrient dynamics are receiving increasing attention, the role of dead lianas in forest ecosystems has been little studied and is poorly understood. Trees and lianas coexist as the major woody components of forests worldwide, but they have very different ecological strategies, with lianas relying on trees for mechanical support. Consequently, trees and lianas have evolved highly divergent stem, leaf, and root traits. Here we show that this trait divergence is likely to persist after death, into the afterlives of these organs, leading to divergent effects on forest biogeochemistry. We introduce a conceptual framework combining horizontal, vertical, and time dimensions for the effects of liana proliferation and liana tissue decomposition on ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling. We propose a series of empirical studies comparing traits between lianas and trees to answer questions concerning the influence of trait afterlives on the decomposability of liana and tree organs. Such studies will increase our understanding of the contribution of lianas to terrestrial biogeochemical cycling, and help predict the effects of their increasing abundance.
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Ecosystem , Tropical Climate , Forests , Trees , CarbonABSTRACT
Four trials were conducted to establish a protein and amino acid requirement model for layer chicks over 0-6 weeks by using the analytical factorization method. In trial 1, a total of 90 one-day-old Jing Tint 6 chicks with similar body weight were selected to determine the growth curve, carcass and feather protein deposition, and amino acid patterns of carcass and feather proteins. In trials 2 and 3, 24 seven-day-old and 24 thirty-five-day-old Jing Tint 6 chicks were selected to determine the protein maintenance requirements, amino acid pattern, and net protein utilization rate. In trial 4, 24 ten-day-old and 24 thirty-eight-day-old Jing Tint 6 chicks were selected to determine the standard terminal ileal digestibility of amino acids. The chicks were fed either a corn-soybean basal diet, a low nitrogen diet, or a nitrogen-free diet throughout the different trials. The Gompertz equation showed that there is a functional relationship between body weight and age, described as BWt(g) = 2669.317 × exp(-4.337 × exp(-0.019t)). Integration of the test results gave a comprehensive dynamic model equation that could accurately calculate the weekly protein and amino acid requirements of the layer chicks. By applying the model, it was found that the protein requirements for Jing Tint 6 chicks during the 6-week period were 21.15, 20.54, 18.26, 18.77, 17.79, and 16.51, respectively. The model-predicted amino acid requirements for Jing Tint 6 chicks during the 6-week period were as follows: Aspartic acid (0.992-1.284), Threonine (0.601-0.750), Serine (0.984-1.542), Glutamic acid (1.661-1.925), Glycine (0.992-1.227), Alanine (0.909-0.961), Valine (0.773-1.121), Cystine (0.843-1.347), Methionine (0.210-0.267), Isoleucine (0.590-0.715), Leucine (0.977-1.208), Tyrosine (0.362-0.504), Phenylalanine (0.584-0.786), Histidine (0.169-0.250), Lysine (0.3999-0.500), Arginine (0.824-1.147), Proline (1.114-1.684), and Tryptophan (0.063-0.098). In conclusion, this study constructed a dynamic model for the protein and amino acid requirements of Jing Tint 6 chicks during the brooding period, providing an important insight to improve precise feeding for layer chicks through this dynamic model calculation.
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Objective: The aim was to systematically compare the drug compatibility with various closed intravenous (i.v.) infusion containers, to provide a reference for selecting a relatively superior infusion container and improve the medication safety for patients in clinical practice. Methods: The compatibility of four commonly used clinical injections (ceftazidime, pantoprazole sodium, ambroxol hydrochloride, edaravone) with three representative closed i. v. infusion containers (non-PVC infusion bags, upright polypropylene infusion bags, inner sealed polypropylene infusion bags) prefilled with infusion fluids (0.9% sodium chloride or 5% dextrose) in the Chinese market were investigated in this study. The particle counts of both infusion fluids and diluted chemical injections by infusion fluids in various infusion containers were determined by the light obscuration method. At 0, 2 and 6 h after four injections following dilution with infusion fluids in each container, the pH of the solutions was detected, and the physical properties were examined by visual inspection. Meanwhile, the drug concentrations were assessed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: As for either infusion fluids or diluted injections by infusion fluids, the particle counts in non-PVC infusion bags were significantly greater than those in the other two bags under some circumstances. The particle counts in diluted injections by infusion fluids increased dramatically compared with those in infusion fluids in all infusion containers, especially for the small-size particles. But pH, physical properties and drug concentrations of diluted infusion solutions in all infusion containers remained nearly unchanged over the test period. Conclusion: Closed i. v. infusion containers included in this study are all well-compatible with four injections. Moreover, the closed infusion containers produced by Chinese manufacturers have met the international quality standard. Particularly, the intravenous admixture preparation process needs to be optimized to reduce the overall particulate contaminants.
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Objective::To investigate the processing purpose of Morindae Officinalis Radix (MO), Euodiae Fructus (EF) and Polygalae Radix (PR) processed by Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gly). Method::The content of dapsone in rat plasma was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the mobile phase was acetonitrile (A)-water (B) for gradient elution (0-5 min, 10%-25%A; 5-20 min, 25%A) and detection wavelength was set at 292 nm. PK Solution 2.0 software was used to simulate pharmacokinetic parameters. Result::Within 300 min after dapsone was administrated, compared with the control (CTL) group, the elimination of dapsone was slowed down and its plasma concentration was increased in the unprocessed product of MO (UMO) group. The elimination of dapsone was accelerated and its peak concentration (Cmax) was decreased in the processed products of MO with Gly (GMO) groups, and they had positive correlation with proportion of Gly in GMO. Compared with the CTL group, the elimination of dapsone was slowed down, and its plasma concentration was increased and its peak time (Tmax) was postponed in the unprocessed product of EF (UEF) group, while their Cmax and Tmax were changed in the processed products of EF with Gly (GEF) groups. Compared with the CTL group, the elimination of dapsone was slowed down and its plasma concentration was increased in the unprocessed product of PR (UPR) group, while the elimination was accelerated and its plasma concentration was decreased in the processed products of PR with Gly (GPR) groups. Conclusion::The elimination of dapsone is slowed down in rats administered with UMO, UEF and UPR, while its elimination is accelerated in rats administered with the processed products of these three herbs with different proportions of Gly. Among the proportions, effect of processed products of these three herbs with 100∶6 (ratio of unprocessed product-Gly) on pharmacokinetics of dapsone is not significant.
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Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of heat-sensitive moxibustion for vascular dementia and explore its mechanism. Methods: A total of 70 patients with vascular dementia were randomized into an observation group and a control group, with 35 cases in each group. The control group was treated with piracetam, and the observation group was treated with heat-sensitive moxibustion on the basis of the treatment of the control group. The treatment lasted for 8 weeks. Before and after the treatment, the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), activity of daily living (ADL) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom scores were assessed, and the levels of acetyl choline (Ach) and homocysteine (Hcy) were measured. The efficacy was evaluated after treatment. Results: The total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the MMSE and ADL scores in the observation group decreased significantly, and were lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05); the TCM symptom score of the observation group decreased significantly (P<0.05), while that of the control group had no significant change (P>0.05); the plasma Ach level in the observation group increased significantly (P<0.05), and the Hcy level decreased significantly (P<0.05), which were statistically different from those in the control group (both P<0.05). Conclusion: Heat-sensitive moxibustion plus piracetam is effective in treating vascular dementia. It can significantly improve dementia symptoms and ADL, which may be related to the correction of plasma Ach and Hcy levels.
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Objective: To explore the therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) for menopausal insomnia. Methods: A total of 80 patients with menopausal insomnia were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group, with 40 cases in each group. The patients in the control group received conventional Western medication treatment, and the patients in the observation group received TEAS on the basis of conventional Western medication treatment. The treatment for both groups lasted for 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and modified Kupperman scale were evaluated, and the serum levels of estradiol (E2) and follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) were measured. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated after treatment. Results: After treatment, the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05); in the control group, the improvement of PSQI score was significant (P<0.05), while the change of modified Kupperman score was insignificant (P>0.05); the PSQI and Kupperman scores in the observation group were significantly improved after treatment (both P<0.05), and there were significant differences between the observation group and the control group in PSQI and Kupperman scores (both P<0.05). After treatment, the serum E2 and FSH levels in the control group were not statistically different from those before treatment (both P>0.05); the serum E2 level was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the FSH level was decreased (P<0.05) in the observation group after treatment, and the between- group differences in serum levels of E2 and FSH were significant (both P<0.05).Conclusion: TEAS plus conventional Western medication in treating menopausal insomnia is effective, and can significantly improve the symptoms of insomnia and menopause, which may be related to the regulation of serum E2 and FSH levels.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore molecular and genetic mechanism of 3 cases of para-Bombay blood group.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The bood samples of proband and family members were selected to identify their blood groups with conventional serologic methods, and salivary components carrying the ABH antigens were detected. The coding regions of FUT1 as well as exon 6 and 7 of the ABO gene were amplified using polymerase chain reaction(PCR), and the FUT1 gene was directly sequenced.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the 3 cases of proband were confirmed as para-Bombay blood group. Direct sequencing revealed h new2 (nt328G→A) and h1(nt 547 ΔAG) in FUT1 gene of the proband 1, and FUT1 genotype was h1/h new2. However, the genotypes of his parents were H/h1 and H/h new2, which were non-Bombay individuals. The FUT1 genotypes of proband 2 and 3 were h1h2 (nt 547 ΔAG) and h1h2 (nt 880 ΔTT), respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The technology of molecular biology can be used to detect the base deletion mutations in FUT1 gene, which contributes to the analysis of molecular and genetic mechanism of para-Bombay blood group.</p>
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<p><b>AIM</b>To investigate the variation of CYP2C9 isoenzyme activity in the microbial model in response to inhibitors of CYP2C9.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Using C. blakesleeana AS 3. 910 as a model strain, the impact of CYP2C9 inhibitors on the metabolites yields of CYP2C9 substrates was determined and the drug-drug interactions among CYP2C9 substrates were evaluated. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze biotransformation products.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Benzbromarone decreased the yield of 4'-hydroxytolbutamide from 100% to 14.5%; sulfaphenazole decreased the yield of O-demethylindomethacin from 75.2% to 9.9%; valproic acid decreased the yield of 4'-hydroxydiclofenac from 98.6% to 2.7%, separately. Tolbutamide, indomethacin and diclofenac interacted with each other, resulting in the decreased formation of metabolites catalyzed by CYP2C9.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Three CYP2C9 inhibitors inhibit the activity of CYP2C9 isoenzyme in C. blakesleeana AS 3. 910 differently, and there are drug-drug interactions among CYP2C9 substrates.</p>