ObjectiveTo develop the Evidence Grading Scale for Ancient classical prescriptions in Traditional Chinese medicine， assess its reliability and validity， and apply it in practice to provide multi-source evidence for clinical practice guidelines development. MethodsLiterature retrieval was conducted to extract and screen existing evaluation dimensions， then the initial items were summarized using thematic analysis. Experts in the clinical medicine， medical history and literature participated in the Delphi questionnaire survey to evaluate and refine the items. An expert consensus meeting was conducted to finalize the included items， refine the method for items evaluation and evidence grading. The evidence quality rating scale for ancient classical traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） prescriptions was then established and tested for reliability and validity. ResultsThrough literature review， extraction， screening and summarization， a total of 3 dimensions and 12 initial items were formed. Questionnaires were sent to 69 experts to evaluate the initial items， with a questionnaire response rate of 100% and an expert authority coefficient of 0.92. All 12 items were retained for they had importance scores above 4. The Evidence Grading Scale on Ancient classical prescriptions in Traditional Chinese medicine includes 3 dimensions with 12 items. The 3 dimensions includes ancient evidence， inheritance status， and modern application. Each dimension contains 4 items， and each item has a full score of 5 points. The evidence was rated as high-level， moderate-level， and low-level according to the final scores. The content validity index （CVI） of the 12 items was ＞0.9， the average CVI of the scale was 0.98， and the intraclass correlation coefficient （ICC） was 0.90. ConclusionThe Evidence Grading Scale on Ancient classical prescriptions in Traditional Chinese medicine has good reliability and validity， which is practical for use in the development of TCM clinical guidelines and can better support clinical decision-making.

ObjectiveTo construct a rat model of psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type）， and evaluate the macroscopic manifestations and microscopic indicators of the model. MethodsTwenty-two SD rats were divided into normal group （n=3）， common psoriasis group （n=5）， spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type） group （n=7）， and psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type） group （n=7）. The spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type） rat model was established through 32-week exposure to an artificially simulated high-humidity environment， while the common psoriasis model was developed via 7-day topical application of imiquimod cream， and these two approaches were combined to construct a composite model of psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type）. Rats in the normal group were housed under normal humidity conditions. The general state， tongue manifestation of rats were observed to evaluate the macroscopic syndrome manifestations； the microscopic syndrome manifestations of rats were evaluated through adipose tissue and liver tissue changes； the severity of psoriasis in rats was evaluated through skin pathological changes， psoriasis area and severity index （PASI）， proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA） expression and spleen tissue changes； changes in rat CD4⁺ interferon-γ⁺ cells （CD4⁺IFN-γ⁺ cells）， CD4⁺ tumour necrosis factor-α+ cells （CD4⁺ TNF-α⁺ cells）， and forkhead framing protein P3⁺ regulatory T cells （CD3⁺CD4⁺FoxP3⁺ Treg cells） were detected by flow cytometry. ResultsMacroscopically， both the spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type） group and psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type） group exhibited manifestations of spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction， including lethargy， huddling behavior， dull and disheveled fur， as well as soft or loose stools and perianal soiling in some individuals； both these two groups displayed enlarged tongue， swollen， and moist tongue texture， accompanied by slippery tongue surface. Microscopically， compared to the common psoriasis group， the psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type） group showed increased epididymal fat index （P＜0.05）； compared to the normal group and spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type） group， the psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type） group demonstrated significantly elevated spleen mass （P＜0.05）， while hepatic gross morphology and HE staining revealed no significant histopathological changes across all groups. Dorsal skin lesions were markedly exacerbated in the psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type） group when compared to those in common psoriasis group. Both the common psoriasis group and psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type） group exhibited significantly higher erythema scores， scaling scores， infiltration scores， PASI total scores， and proportions of CD3⁺CD4⁺FoxP3⁺Treg cells compared to the normal group and spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type） group （P＜0.05）， with pronounced PCNA-positive expression observed in the epidermal basal layer and dermis； the psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type） group displayed significantly increased proportions of CD4⁺TNF-α⁺cells compared to the spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type） group （P＜0.05）； whereas no significant differences were detected in CD4⁺IFN-γ⁺cell proportions among groups （P＞0.05）. ConclusionThe rat model of psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome （external dampness type） can be successfully constructed by artificially simulating a high-humidity environment combined with imiquimod induction.

BACKGROUND: Iron deposition plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD), yet the distribution pattern of iron deposition in the subcortical nuclei has been inconsistent across previous studies. We aimed to assess the difference patterns of iron deposition detected by quantitative iron-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between patients with PD and patients with atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APSs), and between patients with PD and healthy controls (HCs). METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases to identify studies investigating the iron content in PD patients using the iron-sensitive MRI techniques (R2 * and quantitative susceptibility mapping [QSM]), up until May 1, 2023. The quality assessment of case-control and cohort studies was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, whereas diagnostic studies were assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2. Standardized mean differences and summary estimates of sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated for iron content, using a random effects model. We also conducted the subgroup-analysis based on the MRI sequence and meta-regression. RESULTS: Seventy-seven studies with 3192 PD, 209 multiple system atrophy (MSA), 174 progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and 2447 HCs were included. Elevated iron content in substantia nigra (SN) pars reticulata ( P <0.001) and compacta ( P <0.001), SN ( P <0.001), red nucleus (RN, P <0.001), globus pallidus ( P <0.001), putamen (PUT, P = 0.021), and thalamus ( P = 0.029) were found in PD patients compared with HCs. PD patients showed lower iron content in PUT ( P <0.001), RN ( P = 0.003), SN ( P = 0.017), and caudate nucleus ( P = 0.017) than MSA patients, and lower iron content in RN ( P = 0.001), PUT ( P <0.001), globus pallidus ( P = 0.004), SN ( P = 0.015), and caudate nucleus ( P = 0.001) than PSP patients. The highest diagnostic accuracy distinguishing PD from HCs was observed in SN (AUC: 0.85), and that distinguishing PD from MSA was found in PUT (AUC: 0.90). In addition, the best diagnostic performance was achieved in the RN for distinguishing PD from PSP (AUC: 0.86). CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative iron-sensitive MRI could quantitatively detect the iron content of subcortical nuclei in PD and APSs, while it may be insufficient to accurately diagnose PD. Future studies are needed to explore the role of multimodal MRI in the diagnosis of PD. REGISTRISION PROSPERO (CRD42022344413).
Humans ; Parkinson Disease/diagnostic imaging* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Iron/metabolism*

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis （NASH） is a chronic liver disease with the main pathological features of hepatic steatosis， inflammatory cell infiltration， and interstitial fibroplasia， and it is an important risk factor for liver fibrosis， liver cirrhosis， and hepatocellular carcinoma. NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome is the core of innate immunity， and the abnormal activation of NLRP3 inflammasome is closely associated with the development and progression of NASH， which involves multiple links such as inflammatory response and oxidative stress. A large number of studies have shown that the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and TCM compound prescriptions can improve oxidative stress， regulate lipid metabolism， and alleviate liver inflammation by regulating NLRP3 inflammasome. TCM treatment applied in clinical practice has achieved a good therapeutic effect， while inflammasome is one of the key pathways or targets for TCM in improving NASH. This article reviews the mechanism of action of NLRP3 inflammasome in NASH and the research advances in TCM intervention of NLRP3 inflammasome， in order to provide ideas for the clinical TCM treatment of NASH， as well as reference targets and research directions for the research and development of new TCM drugs.

Objective To observe the effects of brain-computer interface-controlled pedal training system on bal-ance function and serum interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)levels in ischemic stroke pa-tients.Methods Forty patients with ischemic stroke who were hospitalized from September 2022 to September 2023 were selected as observation subjects.The patients were equally divided into stroke control group and stroke experimental group according to the random number table method.At the same time,20 healthy subjects with similar gender and age were recruited as the healthy control group to collect relevant plantar pressure data.Patients in the stroke control group received conventional rehabilitation training including the upper and lower extremity active and passive motor training system,and the stroke experimental group replaced the upper and lower extremity active and passive motor training system in the stroke control group with the brain-computer interface-controlled pedal training system for rehabilitation treatment,and other things remained unchanged.Bilateral plantar pressure symmetry index(SI)and center of body pressure(COP)swing area were collected from both groups of stroke patients with eyes open and closed using the plantar pressure assessment system before and after 4 weeks of treatment.Fugl-meyer low-er extremity motor function score(FMA-LE)and berg balance scale(BBS)were used to evaluate the two groups of stroke patients.Serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were also compared between the two groups before and after treat-ment.Results ① The SI value and COP swing area in the eyes open and closed state improved in both groups of stroke patients after treatment compared with that before admission,and the results of the stroke experimental group were better than those of the stroke control group(P＜0.05),but there was still a gap with the healthy control group(P＜0.05).②The BBS and FMA-LE scores of stroke patients in both groups were higher after treatment than before treatment,and the scores of the stroke experimental group were greater than those of the stroke control group,with statistically significant differences(all P＜0.05).③Serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels decreased in both groups of stroke patients after treatment compared with before,and the degree of decrease in serum IL-6 and TNF-αlevels in the stroke experimental group was greater than that in the stroke control group,and the difference was sta-tistically significant(P＜0.001,P＜0.05).Conclusion Brain-computer interface-controlled pedal training sys-tem has a facilitating effect on the recovery of balance function in hemiplegic patients with ischemic stroke,and its mechanism may be related to the reduction of serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels.

Bile reflux gastritis is a common and frequently occurring disease of the digestive system,and the pathology is diverse.Professor Zhou Xinyou emphasized that the disease primarily affects the gallbladder,liver and stomach,advocating for a comprehensive differentiation of its etiology and pathogenesis across three distinct stages.In the early stage,the gallbladder is dysfunctional,which then affects the stomach;In the intermediate stage,there is congestion in the liver and gallbladder,leading to excessive wood element suppressing the earth element;in the late stage,gastric collaterals damage,with qi deficiency and blood stasis.Professor Zhou Xinyou follows the diagnosis and treatment ideas of"multiple compound methods,comprehensive application,and overall adjustment".For typical clinical symptoms,he has formulated the treatment principles and treatment methods of pain separation,general use,oral bitterness and upset,purging heat and stomach,treating gallbladder and stomach,regulating qi and resolving depression,so as to achieve both symptoms and root causes of treatment,gallbladder and stomach regulation.

The comparison between traditional Chinese medicine Jinzhen oral liquid (JZOL) and Western medicine in treating children with acute bronchitis (AB) showed encouraging outcomes. This trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of the JZOL for improving cough and expectoration in children with AB. 480 children were randomly assigned to take JZOL or ambroxol hydrochloride and clenbuterol hydrochloride oral solution for 7 days. The primary outcome was time-to-cough resolution. The median time-to-cough resolution in both groups was 5.0 days and the antitussive onset median time was only 1 day. This randomized controlled trial showed that JZOL was not inferior to cough suppressant and phlegm resolving western medicine in treating cough and sputum and could comprehensively treat respiratory and systemic discomfort symptoms. Combined with clinical trials, the mechanism of JZOL against AB was uncovered by network target analysis, it was found that the pathways in TRP channels like IL-1β/IL1R/TRPV1/TRPA1, NGF/TrkA/TRPV1/TRPA1, and PGE2/EP/PKA/TRPV1/TRPA1 might play important roles. Animal experiments further confirmed that inflammation and the immune regulatory effect of JZOL in the treatment of AB were of vital importance and TRP channels were the key mechanism of action.

Background A large amount of iron deposition in the brain can cause neuronal damage by inducing oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and abnormal mitochondrial function. In addition, iron deposition is also reported to be closely related to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The neurofibrillary tangles aggregated by tau hyperphosphorylation are one of the important pathological features of AD. Objective To investigate potential effect of exogenous trivalent iron ions on neuronal activity in human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells and tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation. Methods SH-SY5Y cells were treated with ferric chloride (FeCl₃) at four concentrations (10, 100, 200, and 400 mg·L⁻¹). Cell survival rate was then detected by CCK8 assay. Intracellular iron content was determined prussian blue (Perl's) by iron staining after 24 h exposure to FeCl₃ at 10 or 200 mg·L⁻¹. Transfection of tau-P301L plasmid was conducted to construct an AD-like cell model for tau overexpression. The differences in the expression of the phosphorylated tau (p-tau) protein in SH-SY5Y cells and SH-SY5Y cells with tau overexpression were detected by Western blotting after 24 h exposure to FeCl₃ at 10 and 200 mg·L⁻¹. After dilution with phosphate buffered saline (PBS), FeCl₃, human tauR3, and FeCl₃ + tauR3 were incubated at 37℃, and the fluorescence intensity reflecting tau aggregation level was measured by thioflavin T(ThT) method at 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, and 96 h, respectively. Meanwhile, after 96 h coincubation of FeCl₃ and tauR3, the fibers formed by tau aggregation were observed under a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Results After 24 h of FeCl₃ exposure, the cell survival rate of SH-SY5Y cells among all groups was statistically different (F=8.63, P<0.01). The cell survival rates in the 200 and 400 mg·L⁻¹ groups were 80.1% and 68.7% of the control group, respectively (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the nuclei of the 200 mg·L⁻¹ FeCl₃ group were mainly yellowish-brown after iron staining and the positive cell rate was up-regulated by 12.9% (P<0.01). After 24 h of FeCl₃ exposure , the p-tau (Ser396) protein expression was statistically different among all groups (F=11.6, P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the p-tau protein expression level of SH-SY5Y cells in the 200 mg·L⁻¹ group was up-regulated by 72.7% (P<0.01). After FeCl₃-treated SH-SY5Y cells with tau overexpression for 24 h, the p-tau (Ser396) protein expression was statistically different among all groups (F=27.8, P<0.01). Compared with the tau group, the p-tau (Ser396) protein expression level of SH-SY5Y cells in the tau + 200 mg·L⁻¹ group was up-regulated by 44.6% (P<0.05). Compared with the tauR3 group, the fluorescence intensities in the 84 and 96 h tauR3 + FeCl₃ groups were up-regulated by 49.9% and 53.7% (P<0.01) respectively. After 96 h of coincubation, compared with the tauR3 group, FeCl₃ + tauR3 aggravated tau aggregation and formed fiber deposition under TEM. Conclusion Exogenous trivalent iron ions may inhibit SH-SY5Y cell viability, promote the phosphorylation of tau in SH-SY5Y cells transfected with tau-P301L plasmid, and aggravate tauR3 aggregation and fiber production.

Objective To evaluate the cognitive dysfunction and its influential factors in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic lacunar infarction(LI). Methods Mini-mental state examination (MMSE), MoCA and P300 were carried out among 70 patients with first attack of LI 1 week after, 66 patients with asymptomatic LI and 54 patients for control at first visit. The tests were performed again in the follow-up of half a year and one year. Results (l)The scores of MMSE and MoCA at 1 week, half a year and one year of LI at acute stage were lower than asymptomatic LI(P＜0. 01) and control group(P＜0. 01). Latent periods of P300 at each time point were longer than those in patients with asymptomatic LI (P＜0. 05) and control group (P＜0. 01). (2)The scores of MMSE and MoCA at first visit, half a year of follow-up and one year of follow-up in patients with asymptomatic LI were lower than those in control group(P＜0. 01), and the latent period of P300 was longer than that in control group(P＜0. 01). (3)The scores of MMSE and MoCA at 1 week of LI at acute stage and first visit of asymptomatic LI were higher than those after one year(P＜0. 05). The latent periods of P300 were shorter than those after one year(P＜0. 05). Compared with those half a year after, MMSE and MoCA one year after decreased more and the latent period of P300 prolonged(P＞0. 05). (4) The scores of MoCA in the aspects of visuospatial and executive function, abstract thinking and attention were lower than those in control group (P＜0. 01). (5)The score of MoCA in LI patients with multiple foci was lower than that in LI patients with single focus(P＜0. 01). The scores of MoCA in patients with foci in basal ganglia, frontal lobe, temporal lobe and thalamus were lower than those in patients with foci in other parts (P＜0. 01). Conclusion LI (both symptomatic and asymptomatic) is easily accompanied with cognitive dysfunction. The cognitive damage becomes more severe as time prolongs. The common symptoms include damages of visuospatial and executive function, abstract thinking and attention. Patients with multiple foci and with LI in key parts easily suffer from cognitive dysfunction. Thus, it needs to evaluate and prevent early.