Background: Ginsenoside Rc has been known for its promising protective effects against myocardial injury, including inflam-mation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and related pathways. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms behind these effects still need to be explored. The purpose of this study was to explore the therapeutic effect of Ginsenoside Rc on acute myocardial infarction (MI) and the molecular mechanism behind it.Methods: MI mouse model and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) cardiomyocyte injury model were established and Ginseno-side Rc was treated. Troponin I3 (TNNI3)/C-reactive protein (CRP) expression was altered by plasmid transfection or lentiviral vector injection. Myocardial histopathological changes were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and terminal de-oxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dNTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The changes in inflammatory cytokines in cells and tissues were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Commercial kits were used for the assessment of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH). Western blot was used to analyze cleaved caspase-3 protein ex-pression in cells and tissues. The apoptosis rate of cardiomyocytes was measured by flow cytometry. The interaction between TNNI3 and CRP was detected by co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP) assay.Results: TNNI3/CRP expression was abnormally high in MI, and Ginsenoside Rc decreased their relative expression (p < 0.05). Ginsenoside Rc administration reduced inflammation and apoptosis in MI mice and OGD-injured cardiomyocytes (p < 0.05). Ginsenoside Rc administration or TNNI3 knockdown improved the myocardial tissue injury in MI mice (p < 0.05). The thera-peutic effect of Ginsenoside Rc on myocardial injury in MI mice was weakened by overexpressing TNNI3 (p < 0.05). Similarly, its therapeutic effect on OGD cardiomyocyte injury was also weakened by enhancing TNNI3 and CRP (p < 0.05). TNNI3 and CRP also interacted in cardiomyocytes.Conclusions: Ginsenoside Rc improves MI-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and inflammation by inhibiting the TNNI3/CRP axis. The study shows that Ginsenoside Rc can serve as a potential drug for the future treatment of MI.

PURPOSE:Basal metabolic rate (BMR) as one of the most basic and significant indicators of metabolism has been associated with human health. Previous studies showed that the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is linked to BMR; however, the causal relationship between BMR and RA is unknown. Thus, we aimed to explore the causal relationship between BMR and RA as well as RA-related factors.METHODS:Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed on collected genome-wide association studies information. The effect of horizontal pleiotropy was detected by MR-PRESSO and MR-Radial. Five MR analysis methods were applied, including inverse variance weighted, MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and simple mode. Four sensitivity analysis methods were used for the validation of the significant MR analysis results. A two-component mixture of regressions method was additionally used to validate single nucleotide polymorphisms and to verify results.RESULTS:Genetically, there is a causal effect of BMR on overall RA (odds ratio = 1.25, 95% confidence interval: 1.07-1.47, PIVW = .006), seropositive RA (odds ratio = 1.20, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.44, PIVW = .035), and seronegative RA (odds ratio = 1.36, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.78, PIVW = .023). Sensitivity analyses validated the robustness of the above associations. No evidence supported the effect of RA on BMR. Moreover, BMR showed no causal relationship with rheumatoid factor, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and matrix metallopeptidase 3.CONCLUSION:MR results implied the causal effect of BMR on RA and raised our attention to the importance of BMR in RA's pathology.

Visible light communication has attracted significant attention due to advantages such as high transmission speed, good security, high confidentiality, environmental protection, and lack of need for spectrum authorization. Herein, the problem of absorption of light in the visible band in thin silicon films is examined, and a dual composite nanostructure array based on nanoholes of two sizes is proposed to increase visible light absorption. Light absorptivity was determined to be greater than 80% at wavelengths between 400 and 678 nm. Moreover, using finite-difference time-domain numerical simulations, the distributions of the electric field at specific wavelengths were obtained, the propagation modes at these wavelengths were examined, and the effect of these modes was analyzed according to the electric field distributions. The proposed dual composite nanostructured silicon film can be used in photovoltaic devices to improve visible light absorption.

The main pathophysiological abnormalities in type 2 diabetes (T2D) include pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance. Due to hyperglycemia, patients receive long-term treatment. However, side effects and drug tolerance usually lead to treatment failure. GuaLouQuMaiWan (GLQMW), a common traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has positive effects on controlling blood sugar and improving quality of life, but the mechanism is still unclear. To decipher their molecular mechanisms, we used a novel computational systems pharmacology-based approach consisting of bioinformatics analysis, network pharmacology, and drug similarity comparison. We divided the participants into nondisease (ND), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and type 2 diabetes groups according to the WHO’s recommendations for diabetes. By analyzing the gene expression profile of the ND-IGT-T2D (ND to IGT to T2D) process, we found that the function of downregulated genes in the whole process was mainly related to insulin secretion, while the upregulated genes were related to inflammation. Furthermore, other genes in the ND-IGT (ND to IGT) process are mainly related to inflammation and lipid metabolic disorders. We speculate that 17 genes with a consistent trend may play a key role in the process of ND-IGT-T2D. We further performed target prediction for 50 compounds in GLQMW that met the screening criteria and intersected the differentially expressed genes of the T2D process with the compounds of GLQMW; a total of 18 proteins proved potential targets for GLQMW. Among these, RBP4 is considerably related to insulin resistance. GO/KEGG enrichment analyses of the target genes of GLQMW showed enrichment in inflammation- and T2D therapy-related pathways. Based on the RDKit tool and the DrugBank database, we speculate that (-)-taxifolin, dialoside A_qt, spinasterol, isofucosterol, and 11,14-eicosadienoic acid can be used as potential drugs for T2D via molecular docking and drug similarity comparison.

Background Hyperplasia of mammary glands (HMG) is the breast disease with the highest clinical incidence. Many traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctors suggest that the treatment of HMG should be based on the left and right breast pain difference. However, these views are based on case reports, and an objective basis has not been established for treatment according to left-side and right-side differences. Methods We enrolled 150 patients who met the clinical diagnostic criteria of HMG. The incidence bias was determined according to the score difference between bilateral breast pain and mass in patients with HMG. A left group, right group, and bilateral group were included, and TCM constitution was investigated in each group. Blood biochemical indicators were measured for 120 fasting patients. We conducted a network pharmacology study of the key herb qingpi and chenpi, which are used by TCM doctors to treat different lateral HMG. Results In patients with biased onset of HMG, the results showed that the frequency and constitution score of stagnant blood in the L group were higher than those of the R group, and the frequency and constitution score of phlegm-dampness in the R group were higher than those of the L group. Both the L and R groups had high proportion of stagnant Qi. The results indicated that the concentration of coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) was higher in the L group than that in the R group, and the concentration of lipoprotein a (Lp-α) was higher in the R group than that in the L group. The results showed that sinensetin and neohesperidin contained in qingpi might interfere with platelet activation, thrombogenesis, prolactin signaling pathway, and atherosclerosis process, in removing “blood stasis” and eventually treating the left-leaning group of HMG patients. Sitosterol and citromitin contained in chenpi could regulate lipid metabolism by interfering with regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes, salivary secretion, estrogen signaling pathway, and thyroid hormone signaling pathway. Chenpi could eliminate “phlegm turbidity” and treat HMG patients in the right-leaning group. Conclusions We preliminarily confirmed that the clinical pathogenesis of HMG is not a left-right equilibrium and TCM constitution, coagulation function, and lipid metabolism may be used as the objective basis for the difference between the left and right in HMG pathogenesis. For left-sided HMG patients, the doctor can consider qingpi, herb of activating blood and removing stasis, to treat HMG. However, for right-sided HMG, we think doctors should apply herb of activating Qi and eliminating phlegm, such as chenpi.

Depression is a common secondary symptom in neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) caused by the loss of neurons and glial cells. Recent research focuses on stem cell therapy to replace dead nerve cells, but the low efficiency of stem cell differentiation and short survival time are obstacles limiting the therapy’s effectiveness. Clinically, patients with different diseases cannot obtain the same effect by using the same cell therapy. However, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) often uses syndrome differentiation to determine the treatment plan for NDs. Based on TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment, this article summarizes the advantages of Chinese herbal medicine combined with stem cell therapy, mainly for the effects of various herbs on diseases and stem cells, including prolonging the survival time of stem cells, resisting inflammation, and antidepressant-like effects. In particular, it analyzes the unique pathways of the influence of drugs and acupuncture on different therapies, seeking to clarify the scientific TCM system. This review mainly elaborates on the treatment of secondary depression in TCM and the advantages of a herbal combined stem cell therapy in various methods. We believe it can provide a new clinical concept for secondary depression to obtain good clinical effects and reduce the risks borne by patients.

Background: Heart failure (HF), the final stage of cardiovascular diseases, is a clinical syndrome of cardiac structural or functional abnormalities. QiShenYiQi Dripping Pills (T101), short for QSYQ (T101), showed effectiveness and safety in the treatment of HF according to modern pharmacological research and clinical studies, but the mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to clarify the mechanism of QSYQ (T101) in treating heart failure through the analysis to critical biomarkers, targets and pathways.Materials and Methods: In this study, the efficacies of QSYQ (T101) in non-human primates and rodents were evaluated, and the mechanism was demonstrated by integrating network pharmacology and metabolomics analysis. Furthermore, the targets from network pharmacology and the metabolites from targeted metabolomics were jointly analyzed to screen the critical pathways.Results: In rhesus monkeys with spontaneous chronic heart failure, nasogastric administration of QSYQ (T101) for 12 weeks caused profound improvement of systolic and diastolic function as evidenced by echocardiography detection. Consistently, QSYQ (T101) administration especially with higher dose lowered the blood pressure and improved the ventricular remodeling, collagen deposition and fibrosis markedly in Spontaneous Hypertension Rats (SHR) model. Computational prediction showed that QSYQ (T101) exhibited anti-HF effects possibly through HIF-1 signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and other enriched paths. Metabolomics analysis obtained 23 significantly altered metabolites, revealing that QSYQ (T101) significantly regulated the abnormal levels of fatty acids, carnitines, organic acids pyridines, nucleosides, which were mostly involved in myocardial energy metabolism related pathways.Conclusion: Based on serum and myocardium metabolomics and network pharmacology, the present study revealed that the actions of QSYQ (T101) in treating HF depend on multi-components, multi-targets and multi-pathways.

To enhance blue light absorption, a nanohole-array was designed and fabricated on the surface of silicon. The absorptivity of the silicon/nanohole-array composite structure was simulated with the finite-difference time-domain method. The result showed that, when the air filling factor f = 0.45, the period P = 400 nm, and the hole depth d = 0.5 μm, the absorptivity of the silicon was greater than 0.85 in the blue band and the average light absorption gain was about 0.61. A nanohole-array was fabricated with these structural parameters. The experimental results showed that the blue absorptivity of the silicon was greater than 0.91 and the average light absorption gain was about 0.63. For incident light at an angle of 60°, the absorptivity was greater than 0.73 in the blue band. The research demonstrated that the blue light could be absorbed at the deeper position of Si through the nanohole-array. This research may serve as a reference for the design and fabrication of silicon optoelectronic devices with high blue light quantum efficiency.

Abstract Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global health burden. However, there are no approved drugs for NAFLD. A number of studies have shown that acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) can be beneficial for NAFLD. However, high-quality trials are still lacking. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture combined with CHM for NAFLD. Methods: Eight electronic databases including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific and Technical Journals Database, and Wan-fang Database from inception to November 2021 will be searched. We will also search for Clinical Trials Registry Platforms as a supplement. Randomized controlled trials on acupuncture combined with CHM for NAFLD will be included. Literature screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were independently conducted by 2 reviewers. All differences between the 2 reviewers will be discussed and resolved by a third reviewer. Revman5.3 software will be used for meta-analysis. Result: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture combined with CHM for NAFLD. Conclusion: The findings of this study will provide more evidence to determine whether acupuncture combined with CHM for NAFLD is an effective and safe intervention for NAFLD.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are serious neurodegenerative diseases. Although their pathogenesis is unclear, the abnormal accumulation of TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) is a pathological feature that exists in almost all patients. Thus far, there is no drug that can cure ALS/FTLD. Tetramethylpyrazine nitrone (TBN) is a derivative of tetramethylapyrazine, derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Ligusticum chuanxiong, which has been widely proven to have therapeutic effects on models of various neurodegenerative diseases. TBN is currently under clinical investigation for several indications including a Phase II trial of ALS. Here, we explored the therapeutic effect of TBN in an ALS/FTLD mouse model. We injected the TDP-43 M337V virus into the striatum of mice unilaterally and bilaterally, and then administered 30 mg/kg TBN intragastrically to observe changes in behavior and survival rate of mice. The results showed that in mice with unilateral injection of TDP-43M337V into the striatum, TBN improved motor deficits and cognitive impairment in the early stages of disease progression. In mice with bilateral injection of TDP-43M337V into the striatum, TBN not only improved motor function but also prolonged survival rate. Moreover, we show that its therapeutic effect may be through activation of the Akt/mTOR/GSK-3β and AMPK/PGC-1α/Nrf2 signaling pathways. In summary, TBN is a promising agent for the treatment of ALS/FTLD.

Background: Multiple microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proven to regulate osteogenic differentiation by affecting the Runx2 signaling pathway. The intervention of miRNA can delay the progress of osteoporosis (OP) and induce fracture repair by affecting bone regeneration. However, the function and mechanism of miR-187 in osteoporotic fractures are still unknown. Methods: We first established the OP mouse model. Next, the BMD value was certified by iDXA. The miR-187 level in the OP mice and serum of OP patients was identified through qRT-PCR. Bone repair and bone healing were assessed through toluidine blue staining and X-ray, and BARX2 expression was also confirmed. Osteogenesis-related proteins, ALP activity, and the matrix mineralization state were evaluated by western blot, ALP staining, and Alizarin Red staining in hMSCs after transfection with miR-187 mimics, miR-187 inhibitor, or human BarH-like homeobox 2 (BARX2) siRNA. Moreover, the interplay between miR-187 and BARX2 was identified through the dual-luciferase reporter. Results: The BMD value was notably reduced in the OP mice, and miR-187 was markedly downregulated in the OP mice and serum of OP patients. Meanwhile, we proved that miR-187 induced bone reconstruction and healing, and downregulated BARX2 in the OP mouse model. We also proved that BARX2 was a direct target of miR-187, and could be significantly downregulated by miR-187. Furthermore, miR-187 induced osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs by targeting BARX2. Conclusions: The miR-187 might have a significant therapeutic effect in osteoporotic fractures. miR-187 accelerated osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs by directly regulating BARX2.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global health burden. However, there are no approved drugs for NAFLD. A number of studies have shown that acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) can be beneficial for NAFLD. However, high-quality trials are still lacking. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture combined with CHM for NAFLD. Methods: Eight electronic databases including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific and Technical Journals Database, and Wan-fang Database from inception to November 2021 will be searched. We will also search for Clinical Trials Registry Platforms as a supplement. Randomized controlled trials on acupuncture combined with CHM for NAFLD will be included. Literature screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were independently conducted by 2 reviewers. All differences between the 2 reviewers will be discussed and resolved by a third reviewer. Revman5.3 software will be used for meta-analysis. Result: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture combined with CHM for NAFLD. Conclusion: The findings of this study will provide more evidence to determine whether acupuncture combined with CHM for NAFLD is an effective and safe intervention for NAFLD.

五脏苦欲补泻理论出自于《素问?脏气法时论》,是指导临床遣方用药的基本原则.五脏苦欲补泻理论是以整体观念为基础,运用五行生克理论,根据脏腑特性,结合药物的五味,对人体气机进行调达,以达到调整五脏虚实变化的目的.掌握五脏苦欲补泻理论的原理及其遣方用药的规律,有利于深入认识《黄帝内经》理论及其治疗体系的内涵,亦能对传统中医药的临床实践提供理论指导及经验支持.通过探讨五脏苦欲补泻理论的出处、含义,并与虚实补泻理论进行比较,结合广东省名老中医沈英森教授的临床经验,进一步分析五脏苦欲补泻理论的内涵,明确其在临床治疗中遣方用药的原则与方法.

To enhance the blue light absorption of silicon, an array of silver nanoparticles(Ag-NPs) was designed so that they create Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance(LSPR) near the surface of silicon(Si). The properties of the enhanced optical absorption of silicon in the blue band were then observed and researched. The blue-light absorption characteristic of silicon in the Ag-NPs/Silicon composite structure were calculated using the Finite-Difference-Time-Domain (FDTD) method. The results indicated that the metallic nanoparticles' extinction capability was related to its geometric parameters and the resonance intensity and peak wavelength can be tuned according to different geometric parameters of Ag-NPs including radius, height and period. At a resonance peak wavelength of 465 nm, the optical absorption of Si in the composite structure (Ag-NPs/Si) rises from 59% to 94% with an array of radius r = 18.5 nm, a height H = 45.0 nm and a period P = 49.0 nm. It concluded that the light absorption gain was 0.57 and photogenerated carriers had a gain factor of 0.53 due to the enhanced light absorption of Si via LSPR in blue band. The results provide a significant reference for the enhancement of the blue-light absorption properties in silicon based on the LSPR effect and the design of a silicon-photodetector with a visible wide spectral resoponse.

Visible light communication offers abundant spectrum resources, which can alleviate the current shortage of wireless communication spectrum resources, and the security of the system is very reliable. In this study, a new photodiode (PD) array with micro-nano optical structure is designed and shown to effectively improve the absorption efficiency of PDs to blue, green, and red light. The absorption efficiency of blue, green, and red light at the central wavelength reached 96.8%, 97.5% and 98.6%, respectively, thus demonstrating the improved quantum efficiency of the device. Moreover, three color PDs are integrated into an ultra-thin silicon-on-insulator structure, increasing the integration and response speed of the device. The ultra-thin structure of the PD increases the response bandwidth up to the GHz level.

Cervical cancer is the most common cause of female cancer‐related mortality worldwide. Decreased expression of long noncoding RNA growth arrest‐specific 5 (GAS5) is found in human cervical cancer tissues and associated with poor prognosis. However, the studies on associations between GAS5 level and malignant phenotypes, as well as sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drug in cervical cancer cells are limited. In this study, overexpression of GAS5 in cervical cancer cells resulted in prohibited cell proliferation and colony formation, which were promoted by siGAS5. Enhanced GAS5 increased cell percentage in the G0/G1 phase and decreased cells percentage in the S phase, whereas reduced expression did not. The malignant behaviors of cervical cancer cells, manifested by cell migration and invasion, could be weakened by the GAS5 overexpression and enhanced by siGAS5. Furthermore, in cisplatin‐induced cell, overexpression of GAS5 reduced cells viability and enhanced apoptosis, whereas in cells transfected with siGAS5, apoptosis eliminated. We have reported the upregulation of microRNA‐21 (miR‐21) and its oncogenetic roles in cervical cancer previously. In this study, we found the negative relationship between the GAS5 and miR‐21. Moreover, the decrease of miR‐21 associated proteins phosphorylated STAT3 and E2F3 was seen in GAS5 overexpressed cells, both of which could be increased by siGAS5. The GAS5 deficiency also reduced miR‐21 target proteins TIMP3 and PDCD4 expressions. Taken together, the GAS5 expression level is inversely associated with malignancy, but positively associated with sensitivity to cisplatin‐induced apoptosis, suggesting that GAS5 could be a biomarker of cisplatin‐resistance in clinical therapy of human cervical cancer.

In this paper, through in-depth analysis of TCM health management of hypertensive patients, combined with the actual situation of community TCM health services, explore the research practice, systematically expound the practice of hypertension TCM health management, and deeply analyze the dilemma faced by the community in carrying out the service. And make corresponding suggestions.