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Radiation-induced defects in nanomaterials are an important aspect of the research on the effects of radiation on materials. Recently, the research on radiation-induced defects in semiconductor materials, low-dimensional materials, and high-specific-surface porous materials has become a new application of radiation technology. Radiation-induced nanomaterial defect engineering has the potential to be used to improve the electromagnetic, catalytic, adsorption, and mechanical properties of nanomaterials and will play an important role in materials science, electronic-device development, catalysis, and environmental science. Therefore, this review presents the recent progress and state-of-art in the formation and tuning mechanism of radiation-induced defects in nanomaterials and provides a direction for future development.

Abstract Background Oncolytic adenoviruses are promising as anticancer agents but have limited clinical responses. Our previous study showed that heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) overexpression could increase the anti-tumor efficacy of E1B55kD deleted oncolytic adenovirus through increasing the viral burst. Due to the important roles of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in eliciting innate and adaptive immunity, we reasoned that besides increasing the viral burst, HSF1 may also play a role in increasing tumor specific immune response. Methods In the present study, intra-dermal murine models of melanoma (B16) and colorectal carcinoma (CT26) were treated with E1B55kD deleted oncolytic adenovirus Adel55 or Adel55 incorporated with cHSF1, HSF1i, HSP70, or HSP90 by intra-tumoral injection. Tumors were surgically excised 72 h post injection and animals were analyzed for tumor resistance and survival rate. Results Approximately 95% of animals in the Adel55-cHSF1 treated group showed sustained resistance upon re-challenge with autologous tumor cells, but not in PBS, Adel55, or Adel55-HSF1i treated groups. Only 50–65% animals in the Adel55-HSP70 and Adel55-HSP90 treated group showed tumor resistance. Tumor resistance was associated with development of tumor type specific cellular immune responses. Adel55-cHSF1 treatment also showed higher efficacy in diminishing progression of the secondary tumor focus than Adel55-HSP70 or Adel55-HSP90 treatment. Conclusions Besides by increasing its burst in tumor cells, cHSF1 could also augment the potential of E1B55kD deleted oncolytic adenovirus by increasing the tumor-specific immune response, which is beneficial to prevent tumor recurrence. cHSF1 is a better gene for neoadjuvant immunotherapy than other heat shock protein genes.

The prognosis for traumatic brain injury (TBI) depends largely on prompt hemostasis and effective pharmacologic interventions. Natural all‐small‐molecule self‐gelling powder, integrating the advantages of self‐assembled small‐molecule hydrogels and powders, is expected to provide timely and effective prehospital management of TBI. However, the synthesis and application of natural all‐small‐molecule self‐gelling powder is still uncharted territory. In this study, an all‐small‐molecule co‐assembled MGF‐H3BO3‐RUT (MBR) self‐gelling powder is fabricated through the co‐assembly of mangiferin (MGF) and rutin (RUT) in H3BO3/NaOH aqueous solution. Both compounds can bind with boric acid, leading to co‐assembling into hydrogels through hydrogen‐bonding interactions and π–π stacking. MBR self‐gelling powder is then obtained by drying the as‐prepared hydrogels, thus integrating hemostasis and pharmacodynamics into one. Remarkably, it displays robust regeneration capabilities, while retaining excellent self‐healing properties and injectability after drying‐hydration cycles. Moreover, MBR self‐gelling powder not only achieves rapid effective hemostasis but also attenuates conspicuously cerebral edema and inflammatory response after TBI by in situ spraying, exhibiting notable neuroprotective effects without discernible toxic side effects. This study provides a novel assembly strategy and application form for self‐assembled gel materials originating from natural small molecules, offering promising avenues for the treatment of TBI in the acute phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal particles play a significant role in inducing surface flashover of insulators. Alumina ceramic is commonly utilized as an insulator in electrical vacuum equipment due to its high insulation and corrosion resistance properties. To ensure the safe operation of such equipment, it is imperative to investigate the impact of metal particles on the flashover characteristics of alumina ceramics. In this study, we conducted measurements on the surface flashover voltage of alumina ceramic under pulse voltage in a vacuum chamber with metal particles attached to various positions on the ceramic surface. Our experimental findings demonstrate that the presence of metal particles reduces the flashover voltage, and longer particle lengths result in lower flashover voltages. Furthermore, our results indicate that metal particles located near the cathode have a greater impact on flashover voltage than those located elsewhere. The phenomenon was analyzed through numerical simulation of the electrostatic field, elucidating the mechanism by which particles affect the surface flashover voltage of alumina ceramic. This provides a practical and simulation foundation for comprehending the factors that influence surface flashover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most common neurosurgical diseases and refers to brain function impairment or brain pathological changes induced by external causes. A traditional Chinese medicine, Xuefu-Zhuyu Decoction (XFZYD), has been indicated to harbor therapeutic properties against TBI. Transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived small RNAs, that is, tsRNAs (a group of small RNAs derived from tRNAs), are multifunctional regulatory noncoding RNAs generated under pressure and implicated in the progression of TBI. Methods. A TBI model was successfully constructed using rats. We further performed sequencing and omics analyses to identify novel tsRNAs as drug targets for XFZYD therapy against TBI in the rat hippocampus. qPCR assays were used to further verify the experimental results. Gene Ontology (GO) was used to analyze the signaling pathways of downstream target genes of tsRNAs in the XFZYD-regulated TBI model. qPCR was used to detect the influence of overexpressed tsRNA mimics/inhibitors on their target genes in PC12 cells. Results. Our RNA-Seq data illustrate that 11 tsRNAs were mediated by XFZYD. The experimental data revealed AS-tDR-002004 and AS-tDR-002583 as potential targets for XFZYD therapy and showed that they influenced TBI via the cadherin signaling pathway, cocaine addiction, circadian entrainment, and the nicotine pharmacodynamics pathway. We also confirmed that Pi4kb, Mlh3, Pcdh9, and Ppp1cb were target genes of 2 XFZYD-regulated tsRNAs in the hippocampus of a rat model and PC12 cells. Furthermore, biological function analysis revealed the potential therapeutic effects of tsRNAs, and the results showed that Mapk1 and Gnai1 were related genes for XFZYD therapy against TBI. Conclusion. Our work successfully illuminates the efficiency of XFZYD in the treatment of TBI. The experimental data revealed AS-tDR-002004 and AS-tDR-002583 as potential targets for XFZYD therapy and showed that they influenced TBI via the cadherin signaling pathway, cocaine addiction, circadian entrainment, and the nicotine pharmacodynamics pathway in a TBI rat model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sharenting (using social media to share content about one's child) is a progressively common phenomenon enabled by society's increased connection to digital technology. Although it can encourage positive connections to others, it also creates concerns related to children's privacy and well‐being. In this paper, we establish boundaries and terminology related to sharenting in an evolving digital world. We conceptualize a modern sharenting ecosystem involving key stakeholders (parents, children, community, commercial institutions, and policymakers), by applying consumer vulnerability theory to explore the increased online connection that occurs as work, school, and socialization become increasingly more virtual. Next, we expand the characterization of sharenting by introducing a spectrum of sharenting awareness that categorizes three types of sharenting (active, passive, and invisible). Finally, we provide a research agenda for policymakers and consumer welfare researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microparticle-initiated breakdown plays a key role in the failure of gas switches and has become an active area of investigation in gas discharge recently. The mechanism of the microparticle-initiated breakdown in a 2-mm air gap is studied by experiments and simulations in this article. The dynamics of the microparticle in the electric field is obtained, and four breakdown modes are acquired from the picture of the high-speed camera. The probabilities of breakdown for the 200-, 300-, and 500-μm Cu microparticles under different voltages are presented, and the corresponding lowest breakdown voltages reduce to 65%, 56%, and 47% of the static-breakdown voltage. The relation between the breakdown voltage and position of the microparticle is calculated based on the Townsend theory. The simulated results agree well with the experimental results. The breakdown process and evolution of the plasma are also revealed with PIC simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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As high-intensity beams are required for various applications, high-power, high-current, continuous-wave (CW) radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) accelerators have become a research focus in recent years and also a direction for development in the future. To master and accumulate the advanced technology in design, fabrication and operation of high-current CW RFQs, the RFQ group at Peking University has built a window-type CW RFQ, operating at 162.5 MHz, to accelerate a 50-mA deuteron beam from 50 keV to 1 MeV. It is the first relatively high-frequency window-type CW RFQ in the world. A H 2 + ion beam extracted from an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source was used for the beam commissioning because deuteron beam acceleration will produce a serious radiation risk. We compared and analyzed the measurement results obtained during the beam commissioning with simulations. The data show good consistency in many respects. For the discrepancies, we explain the issues in detail. We achieved stable and robust acceleration of about 1.5 mA CW H 2 + for 1 h. Finally, we discuss the differences between H 2 + ion beam acceleration and deuteron beam acceleration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chinese herbal formula Shaoyao Gancao decoction (SGD) is often used as an adjuvant with chemotherapeutic agents to treat cancer. Due to the herb-drug interactions, the alternations of drug metabolic enzyme and drug transporters induced by SGD deserve to be explored. We aimed to investigate the effect of SGD on the pregnane X receptor (PXR)-mediated transcriptional regulation of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and drug transporter multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) in vitro. Besides, we assessed the contribution of constituent herbs to SGD on the regulation of CYP3A4 and MDR1. Methods: The dual luciferase reporter gene system containing the hPXR expression plasmid and the reporter gene plasmid of CYP3A4 or MDR1 was co-transfected to HepG2 and Caco2 cells. Luciferase activities were determined using a Dual-luciferase reporter assay kit. The gene expression of CYP3A4 and MDR1 in the hPXR-transfected LS174T cells were assessed by real-time qPCR. Finally, the contribution of constituent herbs from SGD was evaluated. Results: SGD, Shaoyao and Gancao concentration-dependently increased promoter activities of CYP3A4 and MDR1 in vitro. Moreover, SGD, Shaoyao and Gancao up-regulated CYP3A4 and MDR1 mRNA in hPXR-transfected LS174T cells. As the herbal constituent of SGD, Gancao possesses significantly higher levels of metabolic enzyme and drug transporters compared with Shaoyao. Conclusion: SGD tends to enhance CYP3A4 and MDR1 expression via PXR pathway, especially Gancao provides the main contribution. This study highlights a potential in vitro mechanism for SGD on the regulation of drug metabolic enzymes and drug transporters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the beam impedance and refrigeration power dramatically, we have designed a high temperature superconductor (HTS) coated beam screen to screen the cold chamber walls of the super proton-proton collider bending magnets from beam-induced heat loads. It employs an absorber, inspired by the future circular collider studies, to absorb the immense synchrotron radiation power of 12.8 W/m emitted from the 37.5 TeV proton beams. Such a structure has the advantage of decreasing the electron cloud effect and improving the beam vacuum. We have compared the critical magnetic field and current density and accessibility of two potential HTS materials for the beam screen, TlBa2Ca2Cu3O9−δ (Tl-1223) and Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO) and finally chose YBCO for coating. The beam screen is tentatively designed to work at 55-70 K because of the limited development of the YBCO material. The thermal analysis with oxygen cooling fluid indicates that the YBCO conductor can maintain its superconductivity even if the synchrotron radiation hits the YBCO-coated surface and the mechanical analysis shows that the structure has the ability to resist the Lorenz force during magnet quenches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact accelerator-driven neutron source (CANS) has been proposed and designed by the Peking University (PKU) RFQ group. The source is based on a compact deuteron RF accelerator that delivers an average current of a few mA of deuterons at 11MeV to the target. The accelerator consists of a short radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) followed by efficient interdigital H-mode drift tube linac (IH-DTL) structure. The total length of the whole accelerator structure is 4.96m, including 1.76m for the 4-vane RFQ and 2.70m for the IH-DTL. The dynamic simulation results show that the beam has excellent quality, with transmission efficiency higher than 99%. The transverse and longitudinal normalized rms emittance at the DTL exit is 0.29mm⋅mrad and 0.12 MeV⋅deg, respectively. Details of the beam dynamics of the RFQ and IH-DTL are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A simple, novel, specific, rapid and reproducible ultra-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated for the determination of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) in biological fluids (plasma, urine and cerebrospinal fluid) of patients with traumatic brain injury after intravenous injection of Xuebijing (XBJ). Liquid-liquid extraction was performed, and separation was carried out on an Acquity UPLC™ BEH C18 column, with gradient elution using a mobile phase composed of methanol and 0.1% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. A triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization was used for the detection of HSYA. The mass transition followed was m/ z 611.0 → 491. The retention time was less than 3.0 min. The calibration curve was linear in the concentration range from 2 to 6125 ng/mL for cerebrospinal fluid, plasma and urine. The intra- and inter-day precisions were <10%, and the relative standard deviation of recovery was <15% for HSYA in biological matrices. The method was successfully applied for the first time to quantify HSYA in the biological fluids (especially in cerebrospinal fluid) of patients with traumatic brain injury following intravenous administration of XBJ. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress chiefly contributes to the disruption of the BBB following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Chinese herbal medicine rhubarb is a promising antioxidant in treating TBI. Here we performed in vivo and in vitro experiments to determine whether rhubarb and its absorbed bioactive compound protected the BBB after TBI by increasing ZO-1 expression through inhibition of gp91phox subunit of NADPH oxidase/ROS/ERK/MMP-9 pathway. Rats were subjected to the controlled cortical impact (CCI) model, and primary rat cortical astrocytes were exposed to scratch-wound model. The liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method showed that rhein was the compound absorbed in the brains of CCI rats after rhubarb administration. The wet-dry weights and Evans blue measurements revealed that rhubarb and rhein ameliorated BBB damage and brain edema in CCI rats. Western blots showed that rhubarb and rhein downregulated GFAP in vitro. RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, Western blot and dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate analysis indicated that rhubarb prevented activation of gp91phox subunit of NADPH oxidase induced ROS production, subsequently inhibited ERK/MMP-9 pathway in vivo and in vitro. Interestingly, rhein and rhubarb similarly protected the BBB by inhibiting this signaling cascade. The results provide a novel herbal medicine to protect BBB following TBI via an antioxidative molecular mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) detection has previously been used for diagnosing gastric cancer. However, the previous studies failed to make an agreement whether the detection of CTCs contributes to the diagnosis of gastric cancer.Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the overall accuracy of CTCs detection for diagnosing gastric cancer. PubMed, Embase and the Wanfang database were searched in all languages published up to Oct 2012. The pooled sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive and negative likelihood ratios (PLR and NLR, respectively), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curve were calculated to evaluate the overall test performance.Results: Twenty studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The diagnostic value of CTCs detection for the gastric cancer was calculated to evaluate the overall test performance. The summary estimates of The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratio were 0.42 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.21-0.67), 0.99 (95% CI, 0.96-1.00), 58.2 (95% CI, 9.8-345.9), 0.58 (95% CI, 0.38-0.89), and 100 (95% CI, 15-663), respectively. The summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.95-0.98). Deek's funnel plot asymmetry test found no evidence of study publication bias in the current study (P = 0.49).Conclusion: This systematic review suggests that CTCs detection alone cannot be recommended as a screening test for gastric cancer. However, it might be used as a noninvasive method for the confirmation of the gastric cancer diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Zhiqiao–Houpu herb-pair (ZQHPHP), composed of Fructus Aurantii (Zhiqiao [ZQ] in Chinese) and Magnolia officinalis (Houpu [HP] in Chinese), is a traditional herbal formula that has been extensively used for treating gastrointestinal motor dysfunction. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect and possible mechanism of ZQHPHP on gastric emptying (GE) and gastric antral smooth muscle contractility (GASMC). Materials and methods This study includes four parts: (a) study of ZQHPHP's effect on GE; (b) study of ZQHPHP's effect on gastric antral smooth muscle contractility (GASMC); (c) comparing the effects of ZQHPHP, ZQ and HP on GASMC; (d) study of antagonists or agonists on ZQHPHP-induced GASMC. A test meal of Evans blue was adopted to estimate GE in rats. A polygraph was used to measure GASMC in rats. Results The in vivo experiments demonstrated that, at the doses of 10 mg/kg bw and 20 mg/kg bw, ZQHPHP could promote GE. While, at the higher dose of 30 mg/kg bw, ZQHPHP delayed the GE. From the in vitro experiments we found that ZQHPHP (3–10 μg/ml) concentration-dependently increased the mean amplitude of contractions in the antral circular strip compared to untreated controls. While, in the concentration of 30 μg/ml, ZQHPHP prohibited GASMC. Besides, atropine blocked the stimulatory effect of ZQHPHP on GASMC and norepinephrine partly prohibited the stimulatory effect of ZQHPHP on GASMC, whereas isoproterenol showed no effect. From the in vitro experiment, we also found that ZQ and HP used together can synergistically increase gut motor. Conclusions The experiment indicated that ZQHPHP could induce bidirectional regulation on gastric motility. ZQ and HP used together can synergistically increase gut motor at a certain dosage. Lower dosage of ZQHPHP increases gastric motility, while higher dosage produces inhibition. In addition, the improvement of gastric motility by ZQHPHP is predominantly involved with muscarinic receptors and secondarily with alpha-receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The repair of small and medium-sized defects in the oral has always been a challenge, free skin flap and distal pedicled tissue flaps are difficult to meet clinical needs, and the traditional under-chin flap has the risk of donor-area injury. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of V-shaped folded submental flap in the repair of small-sized and medium-sized oral defects., Methods: The clinical data of 28 patients with oral defect lesions, who were hospitalized in the Department of Stomatology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from March 2019 to December 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into a V-shaped folded group (17 cases) and a conventional group (11 cases) according to different surgical methods. The V-shaped folded group was treated with a V-shaped folded submental flap for postoperative soft tissue repair, while the conventional group was treated with a conventional submental flap for repair. The postoperative follow-up time was 6-48 months. The survival status, repair time, and repair effect of the 2 groups were compared., Results: There was no significant difference in flap survival rate, flap size, flap preparation time, repair surgery time, and postoperative hospital stay between the 2 groups (all P >0.05). At 6 months after the surgery, the V-shaped folded group had no difficulty in raising the head or everting the lower lip, no "cat ear" deformity in the submental skin. Scars in the V-shaped folding group were hidden at the lower edge of the mandible. The wound aesthetics and functional scores in the V-shaped folded group were significantly higher than those in the conventional group (both P <0.05)., Conclusions: The V-shaped foldable submental flap has the advantages of flexible design, simple preparation, reliable blood supply, and protection of the donor area, which can effectively protect the appearance of the chin and avoid functional disorders.

Objectives: The repair of small- and medium-sized defects in the oral tongue has always been a challenge, and the effect of free flap and distal pedicle flap is still far from satisfactory. Tongue flap is an ideal choice for repairing small- and medium-sized defects. However, the disadvantages such as poor local morphology restricts the development of this operation.This study aims to investigate the efficacy of double V-Y advancement mucosal flap in repair of small- and medium-sized defects of the tongue defect., Methods: The clinical data of 15 patients with tongue defect lesions who were hospitalized in the Department of Stomatology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from March 2019 to May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. After the lesions were completely excised, the mucosa and part of the tongue defect were left. One V-Y advancement mucosal flap was designed anteriorly and posteriorly to the defect. The superficial mucosa was incised gradually all around, preserving the deep median muscle tip. The 2 flaps were freed toward the middle of the defect, and the anterior and posterior flaps were sutured together at the middle of the defect, with the donor area directly pulled together and sutured., Results: The double V-Y advancement mucosal flap survived in 15 patients, and the wounds healed at stage I. The postoperative follow-up time was 12-22 months, and the patients had no recurrence, with symmetrical tongue shape, and no traction and deformation in the affected tongue organs. Meanwhile, the intraoral flap was thin and flat, and healed well with the surrounding mucosa, without obvious flap contracture or tongue bite., Conclusions: Double V-Y advancement mucosal flap has the advantages of flexible design, simple preparation, reliable blood supply, and good protection of the donor site, which may be one of the effective methods for repairing small- and medium-sized defects in the anterior tongue mucosa.

The present study proposes a new approach for direct CO 2 conversion using primary radicals from water irradiation. In order to ensure reduction of CO 2 into CO 2 -. by all the primary radiation-induced water radicals, we use formate ions to scavenge simultaneously the parent oxidizing radicals H . and OH . producing the same transient CO 2 -. radicals. Conditions are optimized to obtain the highest conversion yield of CO 2 . The goal is achieved under mild conditions of room temperature, neutral pH and 1 atm of CO 2 pressure. All the available radicals are exploited for selectively converting CO 2 into oxalate that is accompanied by H 2 evolution. The mechanism presented accounts for the results and also sheds light on the data in the literature. The radiolytic approach is a mild and scalable route of direct CO 2 capture at the source in industry and the products, oxalate salt and H 2 , can be easily separated., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer characterized by rapid invasion and metastasis. CD147 is known to be functioning in cell invasion. In this study, we showed that CD147 was translocated from the cell membrane to the mitochondria in advanced melanoma. Melanoma patients with CD147 localized to the mitochondria confer a worse prognosis. The mitochondrial CD147 levels are correlated with the invasion potential of various melanoma cell lines as well as mitochondrial energy metabolism. Depletion of CD147 decreased the activity of mitochondrial complex V. STRING analysis for protein-protein interaction networks (PPIN) in CD147-depleted melanoma cells showed that mitochondrial proteins HSP60 and ATP5B, a subunit of mitochondrial complex V, were node proteins. HSP60 upregulation was correlated with a worse prognosis of melanoma patients. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay indicates that CD147 interacts with HSP60. These data suggested that mitochondrial CD147 may prompt HSP60 to activate ATP5B, thereby promoting the mitochondrial aerobic oxidation and the invasive abilities of melanoma cells. Correlation analysis of the data acquired from patients was helpful to draw a 5-year survival curve for patients who screened positive and negative for mitochondrial CD147. This study unravels the function of CD147 in tumor invasion and highlights it as a potential tumor therapeutic target., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Background s. Chaihu-Shugan-San (CSS) is a classic traditional Chinese herbal prescription for treating depression. However, the underlying mechanism of the Chinese syndrome-specific efficacy of CSS is poorly understood. Aim of the Study . From traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacogenetics perspectives, the present study aimed to investigate the antidepressant effects of CSS on a mouse model of Liver-Qi Stagnation (LQS) syndrome and its underlying mechanisms. Methods and Materials . We used two main mouse models of depressive syndromes in the study, including LQS and liver stagnation and spleen deficiency (LSSD) syndrome. Tail suspension and forced swimming tests were used to evaluate the effects of CSS on animal behaviour. The expression level of the CYP450 enzyme from liver microsomes was analysed by western blot (WB) analysis and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). More specifically, we analysed the key compounds of CSS that are responsible for CYP450 regulation via bioinformatics. Ultimately, luciferase assays were employed to confirm the prediction in vitro . Results . CSS remarkably reduced the immobile time in LQS rather than in LSSD mice. Although CSS significantly upregulated CYP2C9 in mice with both syndromes, activated translation of CYP3A4 induced by CSS was only observed in the LQS group. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the unique regulation of CYP3A4 was responsible for the effects of glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) from CSS. Further luciferase assays confirmed the enhancement of CYP3A4 expression via the pregnane X receptor (PXR) pathway in vitro . Conclusions . CSS specifically upregulates the translation of CYP3A4 via the PXR pathway in depressed LQS mice. GA, a bioactive compound that originates from CSS, contributes to this activation. This work provides novel insight into Chinese syndrome-based therapy for depression., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Zehui He et al.)

Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction (XFZY), an important traditional Chinese herbal formula, has been reported effective on traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats. However, its cerebral protection mechanism has not been clarified at the metabolic level. This work aims to explore the global metabolic characteristics of XFZY in rats during the acute phase of TBI on days 1 and 3. A plasma metabolomics method based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with univariate analysis and multivariate statistical analysis was performed in three groups (Sham, Vehicle, XFZY). Then, a pathway analysis using MetaboAnalyst 3.0 was performed to illustrate the pathways of therapeutic action of XFZY in TBI. XFZY treatment attenuates neurological dysfunction and cortical lesion volume post-injury on day 3, and reverses the plasma metabolite abnormalities (glutamic acid, lactic acid, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, and ribitol, etc.). These differential metabolites are mainly involved in D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, and inositol phosphate metabolism. Our study reveals potential biomarkers and metabolic networks of acute TBI and neuroprotection effects of XFZY, and shows this metabolomics approach with MetaboAnalyst would be a feasible way to systematically study therapeutic effects of XFZY on TBI., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.