ObjectiveTo explore the effects of Jingui Shenqiwan （JSW） and Liuwei Dihuangwan （LDW） on the reproductive ability and brain function of normal mice and compare the actions of the two medications. MethodsSeven groups of female and male mice were divided at a ratio of 2∶1. Except for the control group， the other six groups were as follows： a group of both males and females receiving JSW （3.0 g·kg^-1）， a group of both males and females receiving LDW （4.5 g·kg^-1）， a group of males receiving water and females receiving JSW， a group of males receiving water while females receiving LDW， a group of females receiving water while males receiving JSW， and a group of females receiving water while males receiving LDW. Each group was administered the drug for 14 days and then caged together at a 2∶1 （female∶male） ratio to detect the number of pregnant mice and calculate the pregnancy rate. Pregnant mice continued receiving the drug until they naturally gave birth， which was followed by the observation of newborn mice， calculation of their average number， and the measurement of the offspring's preference for sugar water and neonatal recognition index. At the end of the experiment， the weights of the thymus and spleen were measured to calculate the organ coefficients， and mRNA or protein expression was analyzed in the brain and testes or ovaries. A 1% sucrose solution was used to examine the euphoria of their brain reward systems， while novel object recognition test （NOR） was applied to assess their memory capabilities. mRNA expression was detected using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） assay， and protein expression was analyzed with Western blot. ResultsCompared with the control group， oral administration of JSW to both male and female mice for 14 days significantly increased the pregnancy rate of female mice on day 2 after being caged together （P<0.05）， while LDW showed a trend but no statistical significance. Additionally， compared with the control group， JSW could upregulate the gene expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone （GnRH） in the thalamus， as well as reproductive stem cell factor （SCF） and tyrosine kinase receptor （c-Kit） in the testes and reproductive stem cell marker mouse vasa homologue （MVH） in the ovaries， upregulate the expression of proteins influencing neuronal functional activity， such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF）， in hippocampal neurons （P<0.05）， and enhance sucrose preference in male mice （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， JSW significantly increased sucrose preference and novel object recognition index in offspring mice （P<0.05）， which was related to the upregulation of hippocampal dopamine D1 receptor （D1R） and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor （Nmdar） gene expression. Compared with the control group， both JSW and LDW could upregulate the protein expression of glucocorticoid receptor （GR）， BDNF， and tyrosine kinase receptor B （TrkB） in the hippocampus of offspring mice （P<0.05）. ConclusionJSW significantly enhances the reproductive ability of normal mice， which is not only related to the release of gonadotropin but also associated with its regulation of brain function. Additionally， JSW has a certain regulatory effect on the brain function of the offspring mice.

ObjectiveTo decipher the mechanism by which Zuoguiwan （ZGW） treat hyperthyroidism in rats with kidney-Yin deficiency based on the dopamine receptor D4 （DRD4）/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate （NADPH） oxidase 4 （NOX4） signaling pathway. MethodsThe rat model of kidney-Yin deficiency was induced by unilateral intramuscular injection of dexamethasone （0.35 mg·kg^-1）. After successful modeling， the rats were randomized into model， methimazole （positive control， 5 mg·kg^-1）， low-， medium-， and high-dose （1.85， 3.70， 7.40 g·kg^-1， respectively） ZGW， and normal control groups. After 21 days of continuous gavage， the behavioral indexes and body weight changes of rats were evaluated. The pathological changes of the renal tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The serum levels of thyroid hormones ［triiodothyronine （T₃）， thyroxine （T₄）， thyroid-stimulating hormone （TSH）］， renal function indexes ［serum creatine （Scr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）］， energy metabolism markers ［cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP） and cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP）］， and oxidative stress-related factors ［superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， and NADPH）］ were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Western blot was employed to analyze the expression of DRD4， NOX4， mitochondrial respiratory chain complex proteins ［NADH：ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit S4 （NDUFS4） and cytochrome C oxidase subunit 4 （COX4）］， and inflammation-related protein ［tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）］ pathway in the renal tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed mental malaise， body weight decreases （P<0.01）， inflammatory cell infiltration in the renal tissue， a few residual parotid glands in the thyroid， elevations in serum levels of T₃， T₄， Scr， BUN， cAMP， cAMP/cGMP， MDA， and NADPH （P<0.01）， down-regulation in protein levels of TSH， SOD， and DRD4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and up-regulation in expression of NOX4， p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK， and inflammatory factors （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， ZGW increased the body weight （P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced the infiltration of renal interstitial inflammatory cells， restored the thyroid structure and follicle size， lowered the serum levels of T₃， T₄， Scr， BUN， cAMP， cAMP/cGMP， MDA and NADPH （P<0.05， P<0.01）， up-regulated the expression of TSH， SOD and DRD4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated the expression of NOX4， p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK， and inflammatory factors （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， high-dose ZGW outperformed methimazole （P<0.05）. ConclusionBy activating DRD4， ZGW can inhibit the expression of NOX4 mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway， reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory response， thereby ameliorating the pathological state of hyperthyroidism due to kidney-Yin deficiency. This study provides new molecular mechanism support for the clinical application of ZGW.

AIM: To investigate the distribution characteristics of pathogens in patients with post-traumatic infectious endophthalmitis(PTIE)and their relationship with serum levels of macrophage inflammatory protein 1α(MIP-1α), heat shock protein 70(HSP70), and soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1(sTREM-1).METHODS:A total of 157 patients with PTIE from the Handan City Eye Hospital(The Third Hospital of Handan)from May 2023 to May 2025 were selected as the study group. They were divided into a good prognosis group and a poor prognosis group based on their uncorrected visual acuity at discharge. Meanwhile, 157 patients with ocular trauma but without endophthalmitis during the same period were selected as control group 1, and 157 healthy volunteers who underwent physical examinations during the same period were selected as control group 2. Aqueous humor and vitreous fluid samples were collected from the study group to detect the distribution of pathogens. The levels of serum MIP-1α, HSP70, and sTREM-1 were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for poor prognosis. The predictive value of serum MIP-1α, HSP70, and sTREM-1 levels for poor prognosis was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)and decision curve analysis(DCA).RESULTS: The general data of the participants in the three groups was comparable. A total of 173 pathogens were detected in the 157 patients with PTIE, with Gram-positive bacteria being the predominant type. The levels of serum MIP-1α and sTREM-1 in the study group were higher than those in control groups 1 and 2, while the level of HSP70 was lower than those in control groups 1 and 2(all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the levels of serum MIP-1α, HSP70, and sTREM-1 between control groups 1 and 2(all P>0.05). In the poor prognosis group, the time of wound suture was ≥24 h, the wound location was in zones II/III, the type of trauma was rupture, the proportion of rupture injuries, and the levels of serum C-reactive protein, MIP-1α, and sTREM-1 were higher than those in the good prognosis group, while the level of HSP70 was decreased(all P<0.001). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the time of wound suture, wound location, type of trauma, C-reactive protein, MIP-1α, HSP70, and sTREM-1 were risk factors for poor visual prognosis in patients with PTIE(all P<0.05). The ROC curve results showed that the combined prediction of serum MIP-1α, HSP70, and sTREM-1 for poor visual prognosis in PTIE patients had an AUC value of 0.965, which was significantly higher than that of individual predictions(ZMIP-1α, ZHSP70, ZsTREM-1=3.628, 4.705, 3.930, all P<0.05). Additionally, the DCA curve showed that the combined prediction had a higher net benefit rate than individual predictions in the high-risk threshold range of 0.03-0.97.CONCLUSION:Gram-positive bacteria are the predominant type of pathogenic bacteria in patients with PTIE, with elevated levels of serum MIP-1α and sTREM-1 and decreased levels of HSP70. The combined detection of these three factors has a high predictive efficacy for visual prognosis in patients.

Myocardial infarction （MI） and osteoporosis （OP）， as two prevalent metabolic diseases with high morbidity and mortality rates， are respectively characterized by cardiovascular system dysfunction and bone homeostasis imbalance， collectively posing significant global public health challenges. While clinically often considered as independent diseases， recent studies have revealed shared pathological mechanisms between the two. This study initiated its exploration from the traditional Chinese medicine concept of the "heart-bone" axis， systematically analyzing the correlation between MI and OP from perspectives including hemodynamics， neuroendocrinology， calcium homeostasis， inflammation and vascular injury， as well as hormone levels. By discussing the pathological mechanisms of "heart disease affecting the bones and bone disease affecting the heart"， the study also elucidated advancements in both Western and traditional Chinese medicine treatments. The goal is to provide novel insights and methodologies for the prevention and treatment of "heart-bone comorbidities"， thereby facilitating comprehensive management of cardiovascular and skeletal diseases.

Myocardial infarction （MI） and osteoporosis （OP）， as two prevalent metabolic diseases with high morbidity and mortality rates， are respectively characterized by cardiovascular system dysfunction and bone homeostasis imbalance， collectively posing significant global public health challenges. While clinically often considered as independent diseases， recent studies have revealed shared pathological mechanisms between the two. This study initiated its exploration from the traditional Chinese medicine concept of the "heart-bone" axis， systematically analyzing the correlation between MI and OP from perspectives including hemodynamics， neuroendocrinology， calcium homeostasis， inflammation and vascular injury， as well as hormone levels. By discussing the pathological mechanisms of "heart disease affecting the bones and bone disease affecting the heart"， the study also elucidated advancements in both Western and traditional Chinese medicine treatments. The goal is to provide novel insights and methodologies for the prevention and treatment of "heart-bone comorbidities"， thereby facilitating comprehensive management of cardiovascular and skeletal diseases.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Shenge Bushen Capsules （SBC） on sexual development in normal 3-week-old mice. MethodsThe experiment consisted of two parts. In the first part， mice were divided into four groups： The control group and the low， medium， and high-dose SBC groups （234.7， 469.4， 938.7 mg·kg^-1， respectively）. In the second part， mice were divided into four groups： Control group， Pseudostellariae Radix polysaccharide （PRP） group， total flavonoids group， and SBC group， all receiving a dose of 469.4 mg·kg^-1. After 7 days of administration， the vaginal opening of female mice and the descent of testes and scrotum in male mice， as well as the ovarian and testicular organ indices， were observed. After 4 weeks of administration， female and male mice were housed together for 2 days， and the pregnancy rate of females was monitored. After delivery， the pregnant female mice continued receiving the treatment for 4 weeks， and the sexual development of their offspring， including vaginal opening， testicular descent， and organ indices of ovaries and testes， was observed. Serum sex hormones were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone （GnRH） and growth hormone （GH） proteins in the hypothalamus was assessed by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the control group， there was no significant effect on the vaginal opening of female mice or the descent of testes in male mice after 7 days of SBC administration. After 4 weeks of administration， the pregnancy rate in the low-dose group was significantly reduced （P<0.05）， but no significant effects were observed in the other groups. The three doses of SBC did not significantly affect the ovarian or testicular organ indices， and there was no significant upregulation in the expression of GnRH or GH in the hypothalamus. The primary component of SBC， Pseudostellariae Radix polysaccharide， significantly reduced the vaginal opening in female mice after 7 days of administration （P<0.05）. After 4 weeks， the serum estradiol levels of non-pregnant female mice were decreased （P<0.05）， but there was no significant effect on the expression of GnRH or GH proteins in the hypothalamus of either male or female mice. Additionally， there were no significant effects on precocious puberty indicators， such as vaginal opening and testicular descent， in the offspring mice. ConclusionSBC does not significantly promote precocious puberty in young mice， and it does not have any noticeable effects on the pregnancy rate of adult mice or the sexual development of their offspring.

ObjectiveTo observe the influence and therapeutic effect of quercetin on cuproptosis in rheumatoid arthritis rats and to explore its possible mechanism based on the solute carrier family 31 member 1 （SLC31A1）/ferredoxin 1 （FDX1） pathway. MethodsSixty male SD rats were divided into six groups： A control group， a model group， high- and low-dose quercetin groups （150 and 50 mg·kg^-1）， a cuproptosis inhibitor （tetrathiomolybdate， TTM） group （10 mg·kg^-1）， and a methotrexate group （2 mg·kg^-1）， 10 rats in each group. Except for the control group， the model of rheumatoid arthritis （CIA） rats was established by type Ⅱ collagen induction method. After successful modeling， each drug group was intervened according to the corresponding dose of drugs， and the control group and the model group were given the same amount of normal saline by gavage， once a day， which lasted for 4 weeks. The swelling degree of rats' feet was observed， and the clinical arthritis scores were determined. The levels of serum rheumatoid factor （RF）， matrix metalloproteinase-3 （MMP-3）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-10 （IL-10）， and ceruloplasmin （Cp） were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The content of copper ion （Cu）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， and glutathione （GSH） in joint tissue was detected. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the pathological changes of joint tissue. The levels of reactive oxygen species （ROS） and dihydrolipoic acid transacetylase （DLAT） were detected by immunofluorescence （IF）. The protein and mRNA expression of SLC31A1， FDX1， lipoic acid synthase （LIAS）， heat shock protein 70 （HSP70）， pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 subunit β （PDHB）， and copper transporting P-type ATPase β （ATP7B） was detected by immunohistochemistry （IHC） and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsCompared to the control group， the model group exhibited joint swelling and deformity， significantly increased clinical arthritis scores， obvious bone destruction， synovial hyperplasia， and inflammatory cell infiltration in joint tissue. In addition， the serum levels of RF， MMP-3， TNF-α， IL-1β， and Cp showed significant elevation， while the level of IL-10 was significantly reduced. The levels of Cu， MDA， ROS， and DLAT in joint tissue were markedly increased， whereas SOD and GSH content was significantly decreased. The protein and mRNA expression of SLC31A1 and HSP70 was significantly up-regulated， while the protein and mRNA expression of FDX1， LIAS， PDHB， and ATP7B was significantly down-regulated （P<0.01）. Compared to the model group， each treatment group exhibited varying degrees of improvement in joint swelling and deformation as well as clinical arthritis scores in rats. Additionally， there was a reduction in joint bone destruction， inflammatory cell infiltration， and synovial hyperplasia in rats. Furthermore， the serum levels of RF， MMP-3， TNF-α， IL-1β， and Cp significantly decreased， while the level of IL-10 increased significantly. In joint tissue， the levels of Cu， MDA， ROS， and DLAT showed significant decreases， while SOD and GSH content exhibited significant increases. The protein and mRNA expression of SLC31A1 and HSP70 was down-regulated， while the protein and mRNA expression of FDX1， LIAS， PDHB， and ATP7B was up-regulated （P<0.05）. ConclusionQuercetin effectively reduces synovial hyperplasia and inflammatory infiltration in rats with rheumatoid arthritis， thereby alleviating pathological damage to joint tissue. This effect may be attributed to the blockade of the SLC31A1/FDX1 signaling pathway activation and inhibition of excessive cuproptosis.

ObjectiveTo explore the potential mechanism of Xiezhuo Jiedu prescription in regulating autophagy in the treatment of ulcerative colitis （UC） by bioinformatics and animal experiments. MethodsThe differentially expressed genes （DEGs） in the colonic mucosal tissue of UC patients was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus （GEO）， and those overlapped with autophagy genes were obtained as the differentially expressed autophagy-related genes （DEARGs）. DEARGs were imported into Metascape and STRING， respectively， for gene ontology/Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomics （GO/KEGG） enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction （PPI） analysis. Finally， 15 key DEARGs were obtained. The core DEARGs were obtained by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator （LASSO） regression and receiver operating characteristic curve （ROC） analysis. The CIBERSORT deconvolution algorithm was used to analyze the immunoinfiltration of UC patients and the correlations between core DEARGs and immune cells. C57BL/6J mice were assigned into a normal group and a modeling group. The mouse model of UC was established by free drinking of 2.5% dextran sulfate sodium. The modeled mice were assigned into low-， medium-， and high-dose Xiezhuo Jiedu prescription and mesalazine groups according to the random number table method and administrated with corresponding agents by gavage for 7 days. The colonic mucosal morphology was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The protein and mRNA levels of cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase 1 （Caspase-1）， cathepsin B （CTSB）， C-C motif chemokine-2 （CCL2）， CXC motif receptor 4 （CXCR4）， and hypoxia-inducing factor-1α （HIF-1α） in the colon tissue were determined by Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction， respectively. ResultsThe dataset GSE87466 was screened from GEO and interlaced with autophagy genes. After PPI analysis， LASSO regression， and ROC analysis， the core DEARGs （Caspase-1， CCL2， CTSB， and CXCR4） were obtained. The results of immunoinfiltration analysis showed that the counts of NK cells， M0 macrophages， M1 macrophages， and dendritic cells in the colonic mucosal tissue of UC patients had significant differences， and core DEARGs had significant correlations with these immune cells. This result， combined with the prediction results of network pharmacology， suggested that the HIF-1α signaling pathway may play a key role in the regulation of UC by Xiezhuo Jiedu prescription. The animal experiments showed that Xiezhuo Jiedu prescription significantly alleviated colonic mucosal inflammation in UC mice. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed up-regulated protein and mRNA levels of caspase-1， CCL2， CTSB， CXCR4， and HIF-1α， which were down-regulated after treatment with Xiezhuo Jiedu prescription or mesalazine. ConclusionCaspase-1， CCL2， CTSB， and CXCR4 are autophagy genes that are closely related to the onset of UC. Xiezhuo Jiedu prescription can down-regulate the expression of core autophagy genes to alleviate the inflammation in the colonic mucosa of mice.

AIM: To investigate the effect of intense pulsed light(IPL)combined with Yuyin Runmu formula fumigation and meibomian gland massage on the treatment of patients with meibomian gland dysfunction(MGD)-related dry eye.METHODS: Prospectively selected 198 cases(396 eyes)of MGD-related dry eye patients admitted to our hospital from November 2021 to November 2023, and they were randomly divided into 99 cases(198 eyes)in control group treated with fumigation of Yuyin Runmu formula and meibomian gland massage, and 99 cases(198 eyes)in observation group treated with combined IPL on the basis of the control group. The efficacy of the two groups was compared, as well as the changes in the levels of ocular indexes [tear film break-up time(BUT), Schirmer I test(SⅠt)], visual quality [objective scattering index(OSI), Strehl ratio(SR), and modulation transfer function(MTF)], lipid layer thickness(LLT)of the tear film, and changes in tear fluid levels of inflammatory factors [tumour necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and transforming growth factor-beta 1(TGF-β1)].RESULTS: All the patients completely received the treatment and follow-up. The levels of BUT, SⅠt, SR, MTF, and LLT increased and the levels of OSI, TNF-α, and TGF-β1 decreased in the two groups at 2 mo after treatment(all P<0.001), and the observation group was more favourable(all P<0.001).CONCLUSION: IPL combined with Yuyin Runmu formula fumigation and meibomian gland massage is effective in treating MGD-related dry eye, improving patients' ocular parameters, visual quality, and LLT, and decreasing the levels of inflammatory factors in the tear fluid.

Objective To reveal the scientific output and trends in pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models. Methods Publications on predictive models of pulmonary nodules/early lung cancer between January 1, 2002 and June 3, 2023 were retrieved and extracted from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and Web of Science database. CiteSpace 6.1.R3 and VOSviewer 1.6.18 were used to analyze the hotspots and theme trends. Results A marked increase in the number of publications related to pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models was observed. A total of 12581 authors from 2711 institutions in 64 countries/regions published 2139 documents in 566 academic journals in English. A total of 282 articles from 1256 authors were published in 176 journals in Chinese. The Chinese and English journals which published the most pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction model-related papers were Journal of Clinical Radiology and Frontiers in Oncology, respectively. Chest was the most frequently cited journal. China and the United States were the leading countries in the field of pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models. The institutions represented by Fudan University had significant academic influence in the field. Analysis of keywords revealed that multi-omics, nomogram, machine learning and artificial intelligence were the current focus of research. Conclusion Over the last two decades, research on risk-prediction models for pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer has attracted increasing attention. Prognosis, machine learning, artificial intelligence, nomogram, and multi-omics technologies are both current hotspots and future trends in this field. In the future, in-depth explorations using different omics should increase the sensitivity and accuracy of pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models. More high-quality future studies should be conducted to validate the efficacy and safety of pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models further and reduce the global burden of lung cancer.