The chemokine CXCL1 and its receptor CXCR2 contribute to chronic stress-induced depression in mice.

Depression is increasingly recognized as an inflammatory disease, with inflammatory crosstalk in the brain contributing its pathogenesis. Life stresses may up-regulate inflammatory processes and promote depression. Although cytokines are central to stress-related immune responses, their contribution to stress-induced depression remains unclear. Here, we used unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) to induce depression-like behaviors in mice, as assessed through a suite of behavioral tests. C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1)-related molecular networks responsible for depression-like behaviors were assessed through intrahippocampal microinjection of lenti-CXCL1, the antidepressant fluoxetine, the C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) inhibitor SB265610, and the glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK3ß) inhibitor AR-A014418. Modulation of apoptosis-related pathways and neuronal plasticity were assessed via quantification of cleaved caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein, cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein expression. CXCL1/CXCL2 expression was correlated with depression-like behaviors in response to chronic stress or antidepressant treatment in the UCMS depression model. Intrahippocampal microinjection of lenti-CXCL1 increased depression-like behaviors, activated GSK3ß, increased apoptosis pathways, suppressed CREB activation, and decreased BDNF. Administration of the selective GSK3ß inhibitor AR-A014418 abolished the effects of lenti-CXCL1, and the CXCR2 inhibitor SB265610 prevented chronic stress-induced depression-like behaviors, inhibited GSK3ß activity, blocked apoptosis pathways, and restored BDNF expression. The CXCL1/CXCR2 axis appears to play a critical role in stress-induced depression, and CXCR2 is a potential novel therapeutic target for patients with depression.-Chai, H.-H., Fu, X.-C., Ma, L., Sun, H.-T., Chen, G.-Z., Song, M.-Y., Chen, W.-X., Chen, Y.-S., Tan, M.-X., Guo, Y.-W., Li, S.-P. The chemokine CXCL1 and its receptor CXCR2 contribute to chronic stress-induced depression in mice.

[Comparative Study on Effects of Anti-Gastritis,Gastric Mucosal Protection and Gastrointestinal Movement Promotion of Root and Stem of Zanthoxylum nitidum].

Objective: To provide the experimental evidence for expansion of medicinal parts of Zanthoxylum nitidum by comparing the effects of anti-gastritis,gastric mucosal protection and gastrointestinal movement promotion of its root and stem. Methods: The pharmacological effects between root and stem of Zanthoxylum nitidum were compared by observing the anti-gastritis effect on rats with chronic superficial gastritis induced by iodoacetamide, evaluating the gastric mucosal protective effect on rats' gastric ulcer induced by stress, indometacin and pylorus ligation test, and investigating gastrointestinal movement promotion effect on mice gastric evacuation and intestinal propelling. Results: Both root and stem of Zanthoxylum nitidum showed effects of relieving the inflammation symptoms of rats' gastric mucosa induced by iodoacetamide, gastric ulcer respectively induced by stress, and presenting a strong inhibition of free acid and pepsin activity in gastric juice. Furthermore stem parts of Zanthoxylum nitidum in promoting gastrointestinal motility even showed better efficacy than root. Conclusion: Stem of Zanthoxylum nitidum has similar effects of anti-gastritis, gastric mucosal protection and gastrointestinal movement promotion with root of Zanthoxylum nitidum.

[Comparative Study on Effects of Anti-contusion Injury, Analgesia and Anti-inflammation of Root and Stem of Zanthoxylum nitidum].

OBJECTIVE: To provide the scientific evidence for expansion of medicinal parts of Zanthoxylum nitidum by comparing the effects of anti-contusion injury, analgesia and anti-inflammation of its root and stem. METHODS: The pharmacological effects between root and stem of Zanthoxylum nitidum were compared by observing the anti-injury effect in rats with injury struck by hammer. The analgesic effect in mice was evaluated by writhing test and hot plate test, and the anti-inflammatory effect on paw edema induced by carrageenan and granuloma induced by cotton pellet were investigated in rats. RESULTS: Both root and stem of Zanthoxylum nitidum relieved the exterior and histological symptoms of rats' injury legs struck by hammer, decreased the numbers of mice's writhing, enhanced pain threshold of mice on heat plate, inhibited the edema of rats induced by carrageenan, and suppressed the granuloma of rats induced by cotton pellet. CONCLUSION: Stem of Zanthoxylum nitidum has similar effects of anti-contusion injury, analgesia and anti-inflammation with root of Zanthoxylum nitidum.

Application of 11/13Fr suctioning ureteral access sheath and 8.55Fr single-use digital flexible ureteroscope in one-stage flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy: an initial experience of 900 cases.

OBJECTIVES: To report our initial experience of one-stage flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy(FURL) with 11/13Fr suctioning ureteral access sheath(UAS) and 8.55Fr single-use digital flexible ureteroscope(SDFU) in upper ureteral or renal calculi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected the clinical data of 900 adult patients with upper ureteral or renal calculi treated by FURL with 11/13Fr suctioning UAS and 8.55Fr SDFU from January 2022 to April 2024. Demographics, peri- and postoperative outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: In all, 40 of 940 cases(4.26%) failed to introduce UAS and required second-stage FURL because of ureterostenosis and were excluded. Mean stones size of the remaining 900 eligible cases was 1.68 ± 0.58 cm in greatest diameter. There were 228 cases of upper ureteral stone, 456 cases of renal stone and 216 cases of concomitant ureteral and renal calculi. The mean operation time was 52.20 ± 20.21 min and the postoperative hospital stay was 2.87 ± 1.37 days. The stone-free rate of 1 month postoperatively was 89.56% and only 2.44% of patients with residue underwent additional reoperation. The rate of postoperative fever, postoperative pain needing analgesic and slight ureteral mucosal injury were 5.11%, 8.22% and 7.78%, respectively. None of patient suffered from severe complications, such as sepsis or ureteral perforation. CONCLUSION: It's practical and suitable for the vast majority of adult patients to undergo FURL in single session with 11/13Fr suctioning UAS without preoperative stenting. FURL with 11/13Fr suctioning UAS and 8.55Fr SDFU is feasible, reliable, safe, and efficient in the management of renal stone and upper ureteral stone.

[Study on HPLC fingerprint chromatograms of cell wall-broken decoction pieces of Notoginseng].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the HPLC fingerprint chromatograms of crude Notoginseng, cell wall-broken powder and cell wall-broken decoction pieces of Notoginseng and provide evidence for quality control of cell wall-broken decoction pieces of Notoginseng. METHODS: The HPLC procedure was performed on the chromatographic column of Hypersil ODS2, and the mobile phase was acetonitrile and water in gradient elution with the flow velocity of 1.0 mL/min. The detection wavelength was 203 nm and the column temperature was 25 degrees C. The chromatograms was analyzed with the software of "similarity evaluation system for chromatographic fingerprint of TCM". RESULTS: Eight common peaks were pinpointed from the chromatograms of different batches of crude Notoginseng, cell-broken powder and cell-broken decoction pieces, the similarities of the chromatograms were all larger than 0.9. CONCLUSION: The method of the HPLC fingerprint chromatogram is of good precision, reproducibility and stability,which is suitable for quality control of cell wall-broken decoction pieces of Notoginseng.