ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and economic value of the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Dominant Diseases （abbreviated as the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol） in adult patients with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） based on real-world clinical data. MethodsA retrospective real-world cohort study was conducted using electronic medical records of adult patients hospitalized for non-severe CAP from September 1st， 2023 to December 31st， 2024 across 10 TCM hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were classified into an exposure group and a non-exposure group based on whether they received Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） according to the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol. The non-exposure group received only conventional western medicine， while the exposure group additionally received differentiated CHM for at least five consecutive days. Outcomes were compared between two patient groups， including cough resolution rate， sputum resolution rate （assessed by volume， color， and consistency）， incidence of abnormal C-reactive protein （CRP）， incidence of abnormal white blood cell （WBC） count， and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors influencing clinical efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age， gender， smoking status， history of hypertension， and pneumonia severity score （CURB-65）， and the efficacy of treatment for cough and sputum was analyzed within each subgroup. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using cough resolution rate as the outcome measure， evaluating the pharmacoeconomics of the two groups. ResultsA total of 1688 patients were included with 1293 in the exposure group and 395 in the non-exposure group. Compared to the non-exposure group， the exposure group demonstrated significantly higher resolution rates of cough， sputum volume， color， and consistency， as well as a significantly lower incidence of abnormal CRP （P＜0.05）. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of abnormal WBC count and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates （P＞0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that the cough resolution rate in the exposure group was 1.83 times that of the non-exposure group， while the probabilities of resolution in sputum volume， color， and consistency were 1.37， 2.09， and 1.56 times those of the non-exposure group， respectively （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analyses showed that the exposure group achieved significantly higher cough resolution rates across most subgroups except for populations with a CURB-65 score ≥2 or those with a history of hypertension （P＜0.05）. Specifically， among females， patients aged ≥18 and ＜65 years， non-smokers， those without hypertension， and those with a CURB-65 score of 0， the exposure group showed a higher cough resolution rate than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. From an economic perspective， total hospitalization cost， length of stay， antibiotic cost， and CHM cost all differed significantly between groups （P＜0.05）. The cost-effectiveness ratio （CER） was 10,788.80 CNY/case in the exposure group， while 22,513.80 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. This implies that， compared with the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 17,302.27 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution. When the willingness-to-pay threshold ranged from 0 to 50,000 CNY， the probability of economic advantage was consistently higher in the exposure group than in the non-exposure group. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine， the addition of CHM in accordance with the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol can effectively improve clinical symptoms， reduce inflammatory markers， promote clinical recovery， and is more cost-effective in treating adults with non-severe CAP.

ObjectiveTo observe the real‑world effectiveness and economic outcomes of Weishi Qingjin Formula （苇石清金方， WQF） in the treatment of adult community‑acquired pneumonia （CAP） with phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome. MethodsBased on a multicenter， real-world retrospective cohort study， clinical data were collected from hospitalized adult patients diagnosed with non‑severe CAP and phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome in 10 traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were divided into an exposure group （those who received oral WQF） and a non‑exposure group （those who did not）. The following outcomes were compared between the two groups before and after treatment， which were remission rates of clinical symptoms including cough， expectoration （sputum volume， color， consistency）， and chest pain， levels of inflammatory markers including C‑reactive protein （CRP） and white blood cell count （WBC）， and the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT. Subgroup analyses were performed based on age， gender， smoking status， presence of hypertension， and the severity of community-acquired pneumonia （CURB‑65） score， comparing the two groups in terms of cough remission rate， chest pain remission rate， and chest CT absorption rate. For health economic evaluation， cost‑effectiveness analysis was used to calculate the cost‑effectiveness ratio （CER） and incremental cost‑effectiveness ratio （ICER）. Univariate sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to test the robustness of the results. ResultsA total of 647 patients in the exposure group and 1491 patients in the non-exposure group were included in the final statistical analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay， gender， marital status， smoking history， bronchoscopy history， and comorbidities between the groups （P＞0.05）， but age， CURB-65 score， and antibiotic use. The exposure group had significantly higher remission rates of cough and sputum consistency than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. After adjusting for confounders using propensity score matching and logistic regression， the cough remission rate in the exposure group was 1.49 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference was observed between groups in the reduction rates of CRP and WBC， and in the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT （P＞0.05）. Subgroup analyses revealed that the cough remission rate in the exposure group was significantly better than that in the non-exposure group except for patients aged ≥65 years， smokers， hypertensive patients， those using other type antibiotics or not using antibiotics， and those with a CURB-65 score ≥1 （P＜0.05）. Among smokers， the chest pain remission rate in the exposure group was 4.38 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference in chest CT absorption rate was found between groups across subgroups of gender， age， hypertension status， or antibiotic type （P＞0.05）. In terms of economic evaluation， CER was 10,877.60 CNY/case in the exposure group and 16,773.10 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. Compared to the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 15,034.26 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution， indicating a more favorable cost-effectiveness profile. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis yielded results consistent with the cost-effectiveness analysis， confirming the robustness of the findings. ConclusionWQF demonstrates significant efficacy in improving cough symptoms in the treatment of adult CAP with phlegm-heat obstructing the lung syndrome， and also exhibits favorable economic benefits.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and economic value of the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Dominant Diseases （abbreviated as the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol） in adult patients with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） based on real-world clinical data. MethodsA retrospective real-world cohort study was conducted using electronic medical records of adult patients hospitalized for non-severe CAP from September 1st， 2023 to December 31st， 2024 across 10 TCM hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were classified into an exposure group and a non-exposure group based on whether they received Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） according to the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol. The non-exposure group received only conventional western medicine， while the exposure group additionally received differentiated CHM for at least five consecutive days. Outcomes were compared between two patient groups， including cough resolution rate， sputum resolution rate （assessed by volume， color， and consistency）， incidence of abnormal C-reactive protein （CRP）， incidence of abnormal white blood cell （WBC） count， and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors influencing clinical efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age， gender， smoking status， history of hypertension， and pneumonia severity score （CURB-65）， and the efficacy of treatment for cough and sputum was analyzed within each subgroup. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using cough resolution rate as the outcome measure， evaluating the pharmacoeconomics of the two groups. ResultsA total of 1688 patients were included with 1293 in the exposure group and 395 in the non-exposure group. Compared to the non-exposure group， the exposure group demonstrated significantly higher resolution rates of cough， sputum volume， color， and consistency， as well as a significantly lower incidence of abnormal CRP （P＜0.05）. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of abnormal WBC count and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates （P＞0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that the cough resolution rate in the exposure group was 1.83 times that of the non-exposure group， while the probabilities of resolution in sputum volume， color， and consistency were 1.37， 2.09， and 1.56 times those of the non-exposure group， respectively （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analyses showed that the exposure group achieved significantly higher cough resolution rates across most subgroups except for populations with a CURB-65 score ≥2 or those with a history of hypertension （P＜0.05）. Specifically， among females， patients aged ≥18 and ＜65 years， non-smokers， those without hypertension， and those with a CURB-65 score of 0， the exposure group showed a higher cough resolution rate than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. From an economic perspective， total hospitalization cost， length of stay， antibiotic cost， and CHM cost all differed significantly between groups （P＜0.05）. The cost-effectiveness ratio （CER） was 10,788.80 CNY/case in the exposure group， while 22,513.80 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. This implies that， compared with the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 17,302.27 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution. When the willingness-to-pay threshold ranged from 0 to 50,000 CNY， the probability of economic advantage was consistently higher in the exposure group than in the non-exposure group. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine， the addition of CHM in accordance with the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol can effectively improve clinical symptoms， reduce inflammatory markers， promote clinical recovery， and is more cost-effective in treating adults with non-severe CAP.

ObjectiveTo observe the real‑world effectiveness and economic outcomes of Weishi Qingjin Formula （苇石清金方， WQF） in the treatment of adult community‑acquired pneumonia （CAP） with phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome. MethodsBased on a multicenter， real-world retrospective cohort study， clinical data were collected from hospitalized adult patients diagnosed with non‑severe CAP and phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome in 10 traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were divided into an exposure group （those who received oral WQF） and a non‑exposure group （those who did not）. The following outcomes were compared between the two groups before and after treatment， which were remission rates of clinical symptoms including cough， expectoration （sputum volume， color， consistency）， and chest pain， levels of inflammatory markers including C‑reactive protein （CRP） and white blood cell count （WBC）， and the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT. Subgroup analyses were performed based on age， gender， smoking status， presence of hypertension， and the severity of community-acquired pneumonia （CURB‑65） score， comparing the two groups in terms of cough remission rate， chest pain remission rate， and chest CT absorption rate. For health economic evaluation， cost‑effectiveness analysis was used to calculate the cost‑effectiveness ratio （CER） and incremental cost‑effectiveness ratio （ICER）. Univariate sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to test the robustness of the results. ResultsA total of 647 patients in the exposure group and 1491 patients in the non-exposure group were included in the final statistical analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay， gender， marital status， smoking history， bronchoscopy history， and comorbidities between the groups （P＞0.05）， but age， CURB-65 score， and antibiotic use. The exposure group had significantly higher remission rates of cough and sputum consistency than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. After adjusting for confounders using propensity score matching and logistic regression， the cough remission rate in the exposure group was 1.49 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference was observed between groups in the reduction rates of CRP and WBC， and in the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT （P＞0.05）. Subgroup analyses revealed that the cough remission rate in the exposure group was significantly better than that in the non-exposure group except for patients aged ≥65 years， smokers， hypertensive patients， those using other type antibiotics or not using antibiotics， and those with a CURB-65 score ≥1 （P＜0.05）. Among smokers， the chest pain remission rate in the exposure group was 4.38 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference in chest CT absorption rate was found between groups across subgroups of gender， age， hypertension status， or antibiotic type （P＞0.05）. In terms of economic evaluation， CER was 10,877.60 CNY/case in the exposure group and 16,773.10 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. Compared to the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 15,034.26 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution， indicating a more favorable cost-effectiveness profile. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis yielded results consistent with the cost-effectiveness analysis， confirming the robustness of the findings. ConclusionWQF demonstrates significant efficacy in improving cough symptoms in the treatment of adult CAP with phlegm-heat obstructing the lung syndrome， and also exhibits favorable economic benefits.

BACKGROUND:Hippocampal injury caused by aortic coarctation has been poorly studied,and combined detection of tumor necrosis factor α,nuclear factor κB and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 expression in aortic dissection has not been reported.OBJECTIVE:To observe histomorphologic changes in the hippocampus of a mouse model of aortic dissection and investigate the expression and significance of tumor necrosis factor alpha,nuclear factor kappaB and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 in the hippocampus of aortic dissection mice.METHODS:Sixteen healthy 3-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into two groups:control group and aortic dissection group,with eight mice in each group.In the aortic dissection group,mice were given β-aminopropionitrile monofumarate as drinking water for 4 weeks,and the angiotensin Ⅱ microinfiltration pump was then implanted to establish an animal model of aortic dissection.Mice in the control group were given normal diet and water.After the model was established,the maximum diameter of the ascending aorta was measured,hematoxylin-eosin staining and EVG staining were performed to evaluate the model formation rate,and the levels of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6 in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The hippocampus was dissected and stained with hematoxylin-eosin to observe the pathological changes of the hippocampus in brain sections.The protein expression of tumor necrosis factor α,nuclear factor κB and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 was detected by western blot analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the control group,the maximum diameter of the ascending aorta in the aortic dissection group was significantly enlarged.(2)Hematoxylin-eosin staining of the aorta showed obvious thickening of the middle aorta and destruction and disorder of the aortic wall structure in mice.Neurons in the CA1 and CA3 regions of mice were sparsely arranged,reduced in size,and showed pyknosis with deeply stained nuclei.(3)Serum levels of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6 were increased in the aortic dissection group compared with the control group(P＜0.01).(4)The expression levels of tumor necrosis factor α,nuclear factor κB,phosphorylated nuclear factor κB,and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 in the hippocampus were increased in the aortic dissection group compared with the control group(P＜0.05).To conclude,microglial activation and increased expression of tumor necrosis factor α and nuclear factor κB may be involved in hippocampal neuron injury in aortic dissection mice.

BACKGROUND:Hippocampal injury caused by aortic coarctation has been poorly studied,and combined detection of tumor necrosis factor α,nuclear factor κB and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 expression in aortic dissection has not been reported.OBJECTIVE:To observe histomorphologic changes in the hippocampus of a mouse model of aortic dissection and investigate the expression and significance of tumor necrosis factor alpha,nuclear factor kappaB and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 in the hippocampus of aortic dissection mice.METHODS:Sixteen healthy 3-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into two groups:control group and aortic dissection group,with eight mice in each group.In the aortic dissection group,mice were given β-aminopropionitrile monofumarate as drinking water for 4 weeks,and the angiotensin Ⅱ microinfiltration pump was then implanted to establish an animal model of aortic dissection.Mice in the control group were given normal diet and water.After the model was established,the maximum diameter of the ascending aorta was measured,hematoxylin-eosin staining and EVG staining were performed to evaluate the model formation rate,and the levels of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6 in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The hippocampus was dissected and stained with hematoxylin-eosin to observe the pathological changes of the hippocampus in brain sections.The protein expression of tumor necrosis factor α,nuclear factor κB and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 was detected by western blot analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the control group,the maximum diameter of the ascending aorta in the aortic dissection group was significantly enlarged.(2)Hematoxylin-eosin staining of the aorta showed obvious thickening of the middle aorta and destruction and disorder of the aortic wall structure in mice.Neurons in the CA1 and CA3 regions of mice were sparsely arranged,reduced in size,and showed pyknosis with deeply stained nuclei.(3)Serum levels of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6 were increased in the aortic dissection group compared with the control group(P＜0.01).(4)The expression levels of tumor necrosis factor α,nuclear factor κB,phosphorylated nuclear factor κB,and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 in the hippocampus were increased in the aortic dissection group compared with the control group(P＜0.05).To conclude,microglial activation and increased expression of tumor necrosis factor α and nuclear factor κB may be involved in hippocampal neuron injury in aortic dissection mice.

ObjectiveTo observe ovarian microvascular damage in rats with cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome and to explore the mechanism by which Liangfang Wenjing decoction improves this condition in rats. MethodsFifty SPF female SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group， a model group， low-dose （8.1 g·kg^-1） and high-dose groups （16.2 g·kg^-1） of Liangfang Wenjing decoction， and a 4-phenylbutyric acid （0.1 g·kg^-1） group， with 10 rats in each group. The ice-water bath method was employed to establish the rat model of cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome. Concurrent with modeling， Liangfang Wenjing decoction was administered continuously for 21 days， once daily. The rats' syndrome manifestations and estrous cycles were recorded. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect serum reproductive hormone levels and levels of endothelin-1 （ET-1）， nitric oxide （NO）， thrombomodulin （TM）， and von Willebrand factor （vWF） in ovarian tissue. Prothrombin time （PT）， activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT）， thrombin time （TT）， and fibrinogen （FIB） were measured. The ovarian microcirculatory blood perfusion was detected by laser speckle contrast imaging. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe the ovarian histopathology， flow cytometry to detect ovarian apoptosis rate， and transmission electron microscopy to observe the ultrastructure of ovarian microvascular endothelial cells. Western blot was employed to detect the protein expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase （eNOS）， phosphorylated eNOS （p-eNOS）， Caspase-3， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， glucose-regulated protein 78 （GRP78）， C/EBP homologous protein （CHOP）， inositol-requiring enzyme1α （IRE1α）， p-IRE1α， apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 （ASK1）， p-ASK1， c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK）， and p-JNK. Immunofluorescence was used to detect ovarian Bax and Bcl-2 expression in microvascular endothelial cells. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group showed signs of cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome， prolonged estrus cycles， and reproductive hormone disorders. Histopathological results revealed a decrease in follicle counts at all stages and disorganized granulosa cell arrangement. Ovarian microcirculatory perfusion was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. PT， APTT， and TT were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while FIB levels were increased （P<0.05）. In ovarian tissue， NO content was decreased， while ET-1， vWF， and TM levels were increased significantly （P<0.01）. The apoptosis rate of ovarian cells was markedly increased （P<0.01）. Furthermore， p-eNOS/eNOS and Bcl-2 were decreased （P<0.05）， whereas Bax， cleaved-Caspase-3/Caspase-3， GRP78， CHOP， p-IRE1α/IRE1α， p-ASK1/ASK1， and p-JNK/JNK expression showed significant increases （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Liangfang Wenjing decoction intervention alleviated the symptoms of cold coagulation and blood stasis， gradually restored the estrus cycle， and improved ovarian histopathology and endothelial cell ultrastructure. Microcirculatory blood perfusion was significantly elevated （P<0.05）. NO content in ovarian tissue was elevated， while ET-1， vWF， and TM levels were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The p-eNOS/eNOS ratio and Bcl-2 expression were significantly elevated （P<0.05）， while the expression of Bax， cleaved-Caspase-3/Caspase-3， GRP78， CHOP， p-IRE1α/IRE1α， p-ASK1/ASK1， and p-JNK/JNK was significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionLiangfang Wenjing decoction may regulate the IRE1α/ASK1/JNK signaling pathway to inhibit endoplasmic reticulum stress， attenuate apoptosis， and improve microvascular endothelial injury in ovaries of rats with cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome.

AIM: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of defocus incorporated multiple segments(DIMS)on myopia in adolescents, and provide a theoretical basis for clinical application.METHODS:Retrospective study. A total of 560 myopic children(560 eyes)aged 8-13 years who were admitted to our hospital from January 2019 to January 2022 were selected as research subjects, of whom 180 cases(180 eyes)were enrolled in the DIMS group. The orthokeratology(OK lens)group consisted of 182 patients(182 eyes), and the single vision(SV)group consisted of 198 patients(198 eyes). The changes of the spherical equivalent and axial length in the three groups were observed after 1 and 2 a respectively. The myopia degree(group A: spherical equivalent ≥-3.00 D and group B: -6.00 D≤ spherical equivalent <-3.00 D), and age(group Ⅰ: 8-10 years old and group Ⅱ: 11-13 years old)were grouped to further analyze the effect of myopia degree and age on treatment effect.RESULTS: At 1 and 2 a after wearing lenses, the spherical equivalent in the DIMS and SV groups was statistically significant(all P<0.05); there was statistical significance in the axial length among the DIMS, OK and SV groups(F=21.791, 3.576, all P<0.05). At 1 and 2 a after wearing lenses, there was statistical significance in the changes of spherical equivalent in both the DIMS and SV groups of the groups A and B(all P<0.05); and there was statistical significance in axial length growth of the DIMS, OK and SV groups(all P<0.05). At 1 and 2 a after wearing lenses, there was statistical significance in the changes of spherical equivalent in the DIMS and SV groups of the groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ(all P<0.01); in the group Ⅰ, there was statistical significance in the comparison of axial length growth in the DIMS, OK and SV groups(all P<0.05); in the group Ⅱ, there was no statistical significance in the changes of axial length in the DIMS and OK groups. The efficacy of DIMS and OK in the prevention and treatment of myopia was comparable, and the myopia progression was delayed, and the efficacy was enhanced in those older adolescents wearing DIMS.CONCLUSION: Compared with SV lens, DIMS and OK lenses effectively slow down the myopia progression in adolescents. The overall myopia control effect of DIMS is slightly inferior to that of OK lens. However, with the increase of age and the degree of refractive error, the delaying effect of DIMS on myopia progression is enhanced.

ObjectiveTo investigate the analgesic effect of Tuina at the "Weizhong （BL 40）" on neuropathic pain in a rat model of chronic constriction injury （CCI） of the sciatic nerve and its potential central spinal mechanisms. MethodsThirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups （8 rats in each group）， sham-operated group， model group， Tuina group， and blockade group. The CCI model was established in the model group， Tuina group， and the blockade group by ligating the sciatic nerve with catgut， while the sham-operated group underwent only sciatic nerve exposure without ligation. From postoperative day 4 to day 14， rats in the Tuina group and the blockade group received Tuina manipulation at the "Weizhong （BL 40）" using a dynamic pressure distribution measurement system （5 N pressure， 2 Hz frequency， 10 min per session， once daily）. The blockade group also received intraperitoneal injections of the microglial inhibitor minocycline （10 mg/kg） once daily. The sham-operated and the model group underwent the same handling and fixation as the Tuina group without actual Tuina. Mechanical withdrawal threshold （MWT） and paw withdrawal latency （PWL） were measured before surgery and on day 3， 7， 10， and 14 post-surgery. Transmission electron microscopy was used to evaluate sciatic nerve injury and repair， measuring axon diameter and total myelinated fiber diameter to calculate the g-ratio. Western Blotting was performed to detect the protein levels of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 （Iba-1）， CD206， CD68， interleukin-10 （IL-10）， and β-endorphin （β-EP） precursor pro-opiomelanocortin （POMC） in the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horn. ResultsCompared with the sham-operated group， the model group showed significantly reduced MWT and PWL on day 3， 7， 10， and 14 （P＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Tuina group and the blockade group showed increased MWT and PWL on day 10 and 14 （P＜0.05）. Compared with the Tuina group， the blockade group exhibited higher MWT on day 7， 10， and 14， and higher PWL on day 10 （P＜0.05）. Sciatic nerve pathological morphology revealed intact and well-structured myelin in the sham-operated group， while the model group exhibited myelin collapse， distortion， and myelin ovoid formation. The Tuina group displayed partially irregular myelin with occasional myelin collapse， whereas the blockade group exhibited partial myelin irregularities and phospholipid shedding. Compared with the sham-operated group， the model group showed a decreased g-ratio and increased levels of Iba-1 and CD68 in the spinal dorsal horn （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Tuina group and the blockade group exhibited an increased g-ratio and reduced Iba-1 and CD68 levels. Additionally， the Tuina group showed elevated levels of CD206， IL-10， and POMC， whereas the blockade group had decreased CD206 levels （P＜0.05）. ConclusionTuina at "Weizhong （BL 40）" alleviates neuropathic pain in CCI rats， potentially by regulating microglial activation in the spinal cord， inhibiting M1 polarization while promoting M2 polarization， and activating the IL-10/β-EP pathway to exert analgesic effects.

BACKGROUND:Human periodontal stem cells have a certain inhibitory effect on the pro-inflammatory function of M1-type macrophages,and it is not clear whether icariin,which has anti-inflammatory and other pharmacological activities,can enhance the inhibitory effect of human periodontal stem cells on M1-type macrophages. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of icariin on M1 macrophages after pretreatment of human periodontal stem cells. METHODS:Primary human periodontal stem cells were isolated,cultured and characterized.THP-1 was induced and M1-type macrophages were identified by immunofluorescence staining and PCR.Human periodontal stem cells were cultured with α-MEM complete medium containing concentrations of 10-7,10-6,10-5,and 10-4 mol/L icariin,and the cytotoxicity of Icariin on human periodontal stem cells was detected by the CCK-8 assay at 1,3,5,and 7 days,respectively.α-MEM complete medium,untreated α-MEM conditioned medium for human periodontal stem cells and α-MEM conditioned medium for human periodontal stem cells pretreated with icariin for 24 hours were conditioned with RPMI-1640 complete medium in a 1:1 ratio for M1-type macrophages in the control,untreated,and pretreated groups,and 24 hours later,the mRNA expression of inflammatory factors in M1 macrophages was detected by RT-PCR.The protein expression of inflammatory factors in M1 macrophages was detected by ELISA.The expression of surface markers and nuclear factor-κB pathway-related proteins in M1/M2 macrophages was detected by western blot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)CCK-8 assay results showed that 10-7,10-6,10-5,10-4 mol/L icariin was not cytotoxic to the human periodontal stem cells,and from day 5 onwards,all the concentrations increased the cell viability,and promoted the cell proliferation.10-4 mol/L icariin was selected for follow-up experiment.(2)RT-PCR and ELISA results showed that compared with the control group,the untreated group and the pretreated group both decreased the expression and secretion of interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α of M1-type macrophages(P<0.05),and the pretreated group was lower than the untreated group(P<0.05).(3)Western blot assay results showed that compared with the untreated group,the expression of CD86 was significantly lower in the pretreated group(P<0.05);compared with the control group,the expression of CD206,a surface marker of M2-type macrophages,was elevated in both the untreated and pretreated groups(P<0.01),and it was significantly higher in the pretreated group than in the untreated group(P<0.01).In M1-type macrophages after 24 hours of conditioned culture,compared with the control group,the expression of nuclear factor-κB/P65 was decreased in the untreated group and the pretreated group(P<0.01),and the expression of p-IκBα was decreased only in the pretreated group(P<0.01);the expression of both nuclear factor-κB/P65 and p-IκBα was significantly reduced in the pretreated group compared with the untreated group(P<0.05),while the difference of IκBα in the three groups was not statistically significant.(4)These results indicated that icariin enhanced the inhibitory effect of human periodontal stem cells on M1-type macrophages,and this effect may be related to the inhibition of the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway of macrophages.