OBJECTIVES: To investigate pharmacologically active components of Yiqi Zishen Formula (YZF) and their mechanisms for alleviating airway inflammation in mice with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry was employed to characterize the chemical components in YZF and YZF-medicated rat serum. A compound-disease target network was constructed based on serum components of YZF to screen the key pathways and targets using enrichment analysis. A mouse model of cigarette smoke-induced COPD was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of YZF and validate the expression of key proteins in network pharmacology-enriched pathways. Fifty male C57BL/6J mice were randomized equally into control group, COPD model group, high- and low-dose YZF treatment groups, and N-acetylcysteine treatment group. Pulmonary function of the mice was assessed using whole-body plethysmography, and lung histopathology, alveolar structure, and airway remodeling were analyzed using HE staining. The levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF‑α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined with ELISA, and pulmonary expressions of PI3K, Akt, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), p65, and phosphorylated p65 (p-p65) were detected using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: We identified a total of 156 chemical components (including 26 flavonoids or flavonoid glycosides, 27 alkaloids, and 11 saponins) in YZF and 43 prototype components in medicated rat serum. Network pharmacology revealed 704 YZF-related targets and 1199 COPD-associated targets. Integrated analysis suggested that the anti-COPD effects of YZF were associated with the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. In mouse models of COPD, YZF treatment significantly increased mean alveolar number and peak expiratory flow (P<0.05), reduced mean linear intercept, bronchial wall thickness, lung coefficient, and BALF cytokine levels, and suppressed the expressions of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, p65, and p-p65 in the lung tissues. CONCLUSIONS YZF alleviates COPD symptoms and airway inflammation in mice possibly by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/NF‑κB pathway through its multiple components that interact with multiple targets.
Animals ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Rats

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) is a severe dose-limiting adverse event of chemotherapy. Presently, the mechanism underlying the induction of CIPN remains unclear, and no effective treatment is available. In this study, through metabolomics analyses, we found that nab-paclitaxel therapy markedly increased serum serotonin [5-hydroxtryptamine (5-HT)] levels in both cancer patients and mice compared to the respective controls. Furthermore, nab-paclitaxel-treated enterochromaffin (EC) cells showed increased 5-HT synthesis, and serotonin-treated Schwann cells showed damage, as indicated by the activation of CREB3L3/MMP3/FAS signaling. Venlafaxine, an inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake, was found to protect against nerve injury by suppressing the activation of CREB3L3/MMP3/FAS signaling in Schwann cells. Remarkably, venlafaxine was found to significantly alleviate nab-paclitaxel-induced CIPN in patients without affecting the clinical efficacy of chemotherapy. In summary, our study reveals that EC cell-derived 5-HT plays a critical role in nab-paclitaxel-related neurotoxic lesions, and venlafaxine co-administration represents a novel approach to treating chronic cumulative neurotoxicity commonly reported in nab-paclitaxel-based chemotherapy.
Paclitaxel/toxicity* ; Animals ; Albumins/adverse effects* ; Serotonin/metabolism* ; Mice ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Venlafaxine Hydrochloride/therapeutic use* ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes/metabolism* ; Middle Aged ; Schwann Cells/metabolism* ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/drug therapy* ; Antineoplastic Agents

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

The Healthy China 2030 Plan set the goal of reducing premature deaths from diabetes by 30% by 2030. However, there has been a lack of assessment of premature mortality for diabetes since the action plan was issued. This study used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, calculated the premature deaths for diabetes by sex, provinces, and subtypes from 1990 to 2021. We explored the temporal trend of premature mortality using the average annual percent change (AAPC) for different sexes, provinces, and subtypes from 1990 to 2021. Furthermore, we predicted premature mortality for diabetes through 2030 for China and its provinces according to the average annual change rate from 2010 to 2021. There was a first slow upward trend in premature mortality for diabetes from 0.5% in 1990 to 0.6% in 2004, and then a decline until 2021 with premature mortality of 0.4%. By 2030, only Fujian (30.3%) will achieve the desired level of reduction, with only seven provinces meeting the target for females and none for males. There is a large range in the degree of decline between inland and coastal regions, showing obvious geographic differences, and there should be a focus on balancing medical resources.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Female ; Male ; Mortality, Premature/trends* ; Diabetes Mellitus/mortality* ; Goals ; Middle Aged ; Adult

Modulating Tankyrases (TNKS), interactions with USP25 to promote TNKS degradation, rather than inhibiting their enzymatic activities, is emerging as an alternative/specific approach to inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Here, we identified UAT-B, a novel neoantimycin analog isolated from Streptomyces conglobatus, as a small-molecule inhibitor of TNKS-USP25 protein-protein interaction (PPI) to overcome multi-drug resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC). The disruption of TNKS-USP25 complex formation by UAT-B led to a significant decrease in TNKS levels, triggering cell apoptosis through modulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Importantly, UAT-B successfully inhibited the CRC cells growth that harbored high TNKS levels, as demonstrated in various in vitro and in vivo studies utilizing cell line-based and patient-derived xenografts, as well as APC^min/+ spontaneous CRC models. Collectively, these findings suggest that targeting the TNKS-USP25 PPI using a small-molecule inhibitor represents a compelling therapeutic strategy for CRC treatment, and UAT-B emerges as a promising candidate for further preclinical and clinical investigations.

ObjectiveTo observe the effectiveness and safety of the Chinese herbal medicine Mingshi Granules （明视方颗粒） for low myopia in children with heart yang insufficiency. MethodsA multicentre， prospective， double-blind randomised controlled study was conducted， in which 290 children with low myopia from 8 centres were randomly divided into 145 cases in the treatment group and 145 cases in the control group， and the treatment group was given education， dispensing glasses， and Chinese herbal medicine Mingshi Granules， while the control group was given education， dispensing glasses， and granules placebo. Both Mingshi Granules and placebo granules were taken orally， 1 bag each time， twice daily， 4 weeks of oral intake and 2 weeks of rest as 1 course of treatment， a total of 4 courses of treatment （24 weeks）. Equivalent spherical lenses， best naked-eye distance visual acuity， ocular axis， corneal curvature K1， adjustment amplitude， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom scores， calculate the amount of progression of equivalent spherical lenses， were observed at the 12th and the 24th week of treatment， at the 36th week and 48th week of follow-up， resectively， the control rate of myopia progression was evaluated at the 24th week， and safety indexes were observed before treatment. ResultsThe amount of progression of equivalent spherical lenses was lower in the treatment group than in the control group at the 48-week follow-up （P＜0.05）. The control rate of myopia progression at 24 weeks after treatment in the treatment group was higher （57.60%， 72/125） than that in the control group （44.63%， 54/121） （P＜0.05）. The best naked-eye distance visual acuity at 36-week follow-up in the treatment group was higher than that in the control group （P＜0.05）. Equivalent spherical lenses were significantly lower in both groups at all observation time points compared with pre-treatment （P＜0.05）， and were higher in the treatment group than in the control group at the 48-week follow-up （P＜0.05）. The ocular axes of both groups were significantly higher at each observation time point after treatment and at follow-up compared with before treatment （P＜0.05）. The amount of eye axis growth in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group at 24 weeks after treatment and at the 48-week follow-up （P＜0.05）. Corneal curvature K1 was significantly lower in the treatment group at the 24th week of treatment compared to pre-treatment （P＜0.05）. The magnitude of adjustment in the treatment group was significantly higher at the 36-week follow-up and at the 48-week follow-up than before treatment （P＜0.05）. The scores of white/dark complexion， white coating thin pulse， fatigue and total TCM symptom scores of children in both groups at the 12th， 24th， 36th and 48th weeks of follow-up were significantly lower than those before treatment （P＜0.05）； the scores of blurred vision at the 24th and 36th weeks of follow-up were significantly lower than those before treatment （P＜0.05）； and the scores of blurred vision in the treatment group at the 48th week of follow-up were signi-ficantly lower than those before treatment （P＜0.05）. In the treatment group， the score of fatigue was higher than that of the control group at the 36-week follow-up， and the score of blurred vision was lower than that of the control group at the 48-week follow-up （P＜0.05）. No adverse reactions or obvious abnormalities of the safety indexes were observed of the two groups during the treatment. ConclusionChinese herbal medicine Mingshi Granules showed the effect of controlling the progression of low myopia， improving the best naked eye distance visual acuity， slowing down the growth of the eye axis， improving some of the TCM symptoms， with good safety.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the incidence and influencing factors of depression in family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, so as to provide the basis for the prevention and treatment of depression among the family caregivers of AD patients. Methods: Publications pertaining to depression in family caregivers of AD patients were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang Data, PubMed and other databases from the time of their establishment to June 15, 2023. The evaluation criteria recommended by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale were used to assess the quality of cross-sectional and cohort studies, respectively. Stata 16.0 and Revman 5.4 softwares were used to conduct a meta-analysis on the incidence and influencing factors of depression in family caregivers of AD patients. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias assessment were also performed on the results. Results: A total of 2 324 articles were retrieved, and ultimately 14 articles were included, with a total sample size of 8 313 individuals. There were 6 high-quality articles and 8 moderate-quality articles. Meta-analysis showed that the incidence of depression in family caregivers of AD patients was 37.5% (95%CI: 30.2%-45.1%). Factors associated with depression included patients' high degree of dementia (OR=1.718, 95%CI: 1.059-2.789), patients' low scores on Activities of Daily Living Scale (OR=1.344, 95%CI: 1.059-1.706), patients' psychobehavioral abnormalities (OR=1.248, 95%CI: 1.155-1.348), long duration of caregiving (OR=1.998, 95%CI: 1.637-2.437), less involvement of other family members in caregiving (OR=1.597, 95%CI: 1.237-2.061), low educational level (OR=1.191, 95%CI: 1.044-1.359), poor caregiving skills (OR=3.060, 95%CI: 2.257-4.149), poor self-rated health (OR=2.536, 95%CI: 1.114-5.771) and social support (OR=0.424, 95%CI: 0.232-0.774). The results of depression incidence demonstrated good stability with no significant publication bias. However, publication bias was observed in the influencing factors for depression, which were patients' high degree of dementia and patients' low scores on Activities of Daily Living Scale. Conclusions The incidence of depression in family caregivers of AD patients ranges from 30.2% to 45.1%. It is primarily influenced by the severity of patients' symptoms and ability to perform daily activities, and caregivers' educational level, caregiving skills, health status, caregiving duration and social support.

Myopia is a significant global health issue,and its exact causes are still not fully understood,leaving a lack of effective and propaqable treatment options.The prevalence of myopia among children and adolescents in China remains high,posing challenges for prevention and control efforts.According to the"theory of imbalance of essence and tendon",an imbalance in the essential elements and tendons can impede the passage of eye essence and blood,resulting in delayed expansion and contraction of the eye meridians and tendons,leading to blurred vision.Modern research indicates that during the development of myopia,there are notable changes in the microstructure,activation range,and signaling of various brain regions,providing a biological basis for the"brain-eye"mechanism.Moreover,abnormal activity in the brain nucleus contributes to alterations in choroid blood flow and the impairment of eye muscle regulation,thereby accelerating the progression of myopia,this phenomenon represents the manifestation of the brain-eye imbalance.Consequently,strategies for myopia prevention and control should prioritize nourishing kidney essence,replenishing brain marrow,promoting liver and blood health,and softening the meridians.These measures aim to optimize the functioning of the brain and eyes,maintain the flexibility of eye tendons,enhance eye regulation,sustain the strength of eye tendons,and delay the advancement of eye axis growth and myopia.By enriching the scientific understanding of the appropriate application of traditional Chinese medicine techniques to prevent and control myopia through the brain,this research provides valuable insights for future explorations in this field.

Objective:To observe the effect of personalized airway clearance therapy on extubation of patients with trache-otomy in intensive rehabilitation care unit. Method:Totally 62 patients who met the inclusion criteria were divided into the control group and experimen-tal group,with 31 patients in each group.During the experimental period,one patient in the control group and experimental group dropped off.The control group was given the posture drainage combined with back tap-ping on the basis of routine rehabilitation,while the experimental group was given the personalized airway clearance therapy(including cough training,active cycles of breathing techriques,posture drainage,etc.)on the basis of routine rehabilitation.The observation period was 6 weeks,and the sputum volume,extubation time,extubation success rate and clinical pulmonary infection score were compared between the two groups. Result:After 6 weeks of training,the average sputum volume in the experimental group was significantly high-er than that in the control group(P＜0.05).At the first week of training,there was no significant difference in the average daily sputum volume between the two groups(P＞0.05),but at the second,fourth and sixth weeks,the average daily sputum volume in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05).Before training,there was no statistically significant difference in CPIS scores between the two groups(P＞0.05),but at the first,third and sixth weeks,CPIS scores in the experimental group were significantly lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05).The results of repeated measure ANOVA showed that the time effect,inter-group effect and interaction effect of daily expectoration volume and CPIS score in the two groups were statistically significant(P＜0.05).The extubation time in the experimental group was significantly shorter than that in the control group(P＜0.05),and the success rate of extubation in the ex-perimental group was 93.3％,which was significantly higher than 70.0％in the control group(P＜0.05). Conclusion:Personalized airway clearance technology can improve the pulmonary infection of patients with tra-cheotomy in ICU more effectively,shorten the time of tracheal tube removal,and improve the success rate of extubation.