Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of Yiqi Huoxue Prescription(derived from Shengyu Decoction)in the treatment of mild cervical spondylotic myelopathy(CSM)with qi deficiency and blood stasis type.Methods A total of 128 patients with mild CSM of qi deficiency and blood stasis type who admitted to Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine from January 2022 to January 2024 were randomly divided into the control group and the trial group according to the random number table method,with 64 cases in each group.The control group was treated with oral administration of Mecobalamin Tablets,and the trial group was treated with Yiqi Huoxue Prescription orally on the basis of treatment for the control group.The two groups were all treated for four weeks,and then were followed up for three months after the completion of treatment.The CSM scores of the Japanese Orthopedic Association(JOA)and the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores in the two groups were observed before treatment,after two weeks of treatment,after four weeks of treatment,and three months after the completion of treatment.And then the clinical efficacy,progression of CSM and the incidence of adverse reactions of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)During the trial,two cases in the control group and three cases in the trial group fell off,and eventually a total of 123 cases were included,62 cases in the control group and 61 cases in the trial group.(2)Three months after the completion of treatment,the total effective rate of the trial group was 93.44%(57/61)and that of the control group was 82.26%(51/62),and the intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the efficacy of the trial group was significantly superior to that of the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(3)After two and four weeks of treatment as well as three months after the completion of treatment,JOA scores in the two groups were increased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and JOA scores of the trial group at various time points mentioned above were higher than those of the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(4)After two and four weeks of treatment as well as three months after the completion of treatment,TCM syndrome scores in the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and TCM syndrome scores of the trial group at various time points mentioned above were lower than those of the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(5)During the follow-up period,there was none case of significant aggravation or progression to moderate-severe illness in the two groups,and there were no adverse events such as allergies and gastrointestinal reactions.Conclusion Yiqi Huoxue Prescription exerts certain efficacy in treating patients with mild CSM of the qi deficiency and blood stasis type,and the treatment method is effective on improving the spinal cord function and symptoms of qi deficiency and blood stasis type,and slowing down the progression of disease in the patients,with high safety.

In recent years,a growing body of research has demonstrated that acupuncture can be used to effectively treat a diverse range of diseases,including functional gastrointestinal disorders,cardiovascular diseases,as well as anxiety and depression,through the modulation of the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus(PVN).Acupuncture may exert its therapeutic effect either by modulating specific neurons within the PVN,such as corticotropin releasing hormone(CRH)neurons,or by regulating the release of hormones,such as oxytocin(OXT)and vasopressin(VP),and the activity of neural circuits associated with the PVN.This review summarizes the mechanisms by which PVN is involved in acupuncture treatment,including its regulatory mechanisms in gastrointestinal diseases,cardiovascular diseases,and negative emotions and pain.Future research should be conducted to further explore the precise mechanisms by which acupuncture regulates PVN to treat diseases,focusing on clarifying the specific processes of signaling pathway transduction,and exploring the specific effects of acupunture of different acupoint combinations and stimulation frequencies and intensity on PVN.

Objective To compare the diagnostic values of different detection methods for respir-atory pathogens in children with acute respiratory infections.Methods A total of 862 children with a-cute respiratory infections were enrolled,and their throat swab samples were tested for seven common respiratory pathogens by the dual amplification method and a self-built nucleic acid detection system.For samples with inconsistent results between the two methods,nested polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was performed for verification.Results The positive detection rate of the dual amplification method was 57.75％,which was significantly higher than 30.14％of the self-built nucleic acid detec-tion system,and the detection rate of mixed infections was 10.14％,which was also significantly high-er than 1.97％of the self-built nucleic acid detection system(P＜0.05).The sensitivity of the dual amplification method was 91.63％,which was significantly higher than 72.61％of the self-built nu-cleic acid detection system,and the specificity was 92.31％,which was also significantly higher than 75.62％of the self-built nucleic acid detection system(P＜0.05).Conclusion The dual amplifica-tion method can simultaneously detect the ribonucleic acid of seven respiratory pathogens with high sensitivity and specificity,demonstrating significant clinical application value.

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) capable of clearing heat and removing toxin is most commonly used in clinical practice and has the effect of removing fire-heat and toxin. Studies have shown that most of the Ilex plants have the effect of clearing heat and removing toxin, among which the varieties of I. cornuta, I. pubescens, I. rotunda, I. latifolia, and I. chinensis are most widely used. These plants generally contain triterpenoids and their glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, and other chemical components, especially pentacyclic triterpenoids. According to their skeletons, pentacyclic triterpenoids can be divided into the oleanane type, the ursane type, the lupinane type, etc. Among them, ursane-type components are the most abundant, and 136 species have been found so far. These components have been proved to have pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, hypolipidemic, anti-thrombosis, cardiomyocyte-protective, antibacterial, and hepatoprotective effects. Therefore, this paper systematically reviews the domestic and foreign literature on Ilex plants with a focus on the research progress on pentacyclic triterpenoids and their pharmacological activities, aiming to provide reference for the development of TCM resources with the effect of clearing heat and removing toxin.
Ilex/chemistry* ; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry* ; Pentacyclic Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Animals

BACKGROUND:Muscle aging is closely related to various epigenetic changes,and exercise has a certain regulatory effect on these epigenetic changes.However,the specific mechanism is not fully understood. OBJECTIVE:To review the epigenetic mechanisms of skeletal muscle and how exercise can improve skeletal muscle aging and promote adaptive changes in muscle through these epigenetic mechanisms,aiming to provide a more comprehensive understanding of skeletal muscle aging and disease mechanisms. METHODS:During the period from June 1st to August 1st,2023,literature searches were conducted for relevant literature published from database inception to August 2023 in databases including Web of Science,PubMed,CNKI,WanFang,and VIP.The search terms used included"skeletal muscle,""muscle,""aging,""older adult,""aging,""exercise,""physical exercise,""epigenetic,"and"epigenetics"in Chinese as well as"skeletal muscle,muscle,aging,older adult,senescence,age,exercise,sports,physical activity,epigenetic,epigenetics"in English.Boolean logic operators were used to connect the search terms for retrieval,and corresponding strategies were developed.According to the predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria,70 eligible articles were selected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Epigenetics refers to the phenomenon where gene expression and function are regulated without changes in gene sequence,and epigenetic changes in skeletal muscle are an important field.The epigenetic mechanisms of skeletal muscle play an important role in muscle aging,mainly involving DNA methylation,histone modification,regulation of non-coding RNAs,chromatin remodeling,changes in mitochondrial function and expression changes of aging-related genes.Exercise significantly regulates the epigenetics of skeletal muscle,including promoting DNA methylation,muscle histone modification,regulating miRNA expression,and regulating lncRNA expression,regulating muscle factors(such as interleukin-6),regulating mitochondrial function(such as peroxisome proliferators-activated receptors γ co-activator 1α).Future studies are recommended for long-term,cross-diverse population-based exercise interventions;the application of multi-omics techniques such as proteomics and metabolomics;strengthening the understanding of epigenetic changes at the single-cell level;cross-species comparative studies as well as human clinical trials for the translation of animal model findings to humans;strategies for combining exercise and pharmacological interventions to assess their synergistic effects;and epigenetic studies of crosstalk interactions between skeletal muscle and different organs.

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the association between genetic factors and the risk of developing treatment-resistant depression (TRD), as well as the efficacy of modified electroconvulsive therapy (MECT), with a specific focus on identifying gene polymorphisms that can differentiate TRD from non-TRD.Methods:This case-control study included inpatients with depression in Adult Psychiatry Department, Affective Disorders Department and Geriatrics Department of Guangzhou Medical University Affiliated Brain Hospital from January 2023 to June 2024, as well as healthy individuals undergoing physical examinations in the outpatient department. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was utilized to genotype 16 loci across 10 candidate genes in 107 non-TRD patients, 101 TRD patients and 281 healthy controls. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium testing, genotype frequency distribution analysis, and genetic association studies were conducted using PLINK software. Univariate binary logistic regression under a dominant model was performed using R software to analyze gene loci associated with non-TRD and TRD.Results:All 16 gene loci in the control group, the TRD group, and the non-TRD group were found to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium ( P>0.05). No significant differences were observed in the genotype distribution of these gene loci across the groups ( P>0.05). Univariate binary logistic regression analysis revealed that individuals with depression carrying the HTR2A-rs7997012 G allele had a significantly lower risk of developing TRD ( OR=0.26, P=0.047). Among the patients receiving MECT, the proportion of G allele carriers who showed improvement at 2, 4, and 6 weeks of treatment was significantly higher compared to those who did not show improvement (96.61% vs. 80.95%, 96.55% vs. 50.00%, 96.59% vs. 46.15%, respectively), with χ2 values of 6.743, 29.295, and 32.300, respectively, and all P values <0.05. Conclusion:The HTR2A-rs7997012 polymorphism may represent a genetic distinction between TRD and non-TRD. Depressed patients with the rs7997012 G allele have a reduced likelihood of developing TRD, moreover, MECT demonstrates superior efficacy in this patient population.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of the Chikungunya fever outbreak in Shunde District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province in July 2025 and the risk factors associated with delayed viral RNA clearance.Methods:A total of 562 patients with Chikungunya fever admitted to three designated hospitals in Shunde District from July 10 to 30, 2025 were enrolled. Demographic data, clinical manifestations, and laboratory findings were collected. Patients were categorized into four age groups including minors (<18 years), young adults (18 to 39 years), middle-aged adults (40 to 64 years) and elderly adults (≥65 years). The differences of clinical characteristics among these age groups were analyzed. Intergroup comparisons were performed using chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance, or Kruskal-Wallis H test. Pairwise comparisons between groups were conducted using the Bonferroni or Games-Howell or Dunn method. Binary logistic regression was employed to analyze risk factors associated with delayed viral RNA clearance (>7 days). Results:The mean age of the 562 enrolled Chikungunya fever patients was (44.8±21.3) years. Fever, arthralgia and rash were the three core symptoms, with incidence rates of 87.5% (492/562), 88.4%(497/562) and 69.6%(391/562), respectively. At discharge, only 54.1%(304/562) of patients achieved complete symptom resolution, while 26.5%(149/562) still had arthralgia and 36.1%(203/562) had residual rash. Significant differences were observed among age groups in the incidence of fever ( χ2=9.43, P=0.024), peak body temperature ( F=6.54, P<0.001), incidence of arthralgia ( χ2=26.89, P<0.001), duration of arthralgia ( F=12.68, P=0.001), incidence of rash ( χ2=68.99, P<0.001), rate of residual rash at discharge ( χ2=32.37, P<0.001), lymphocyte count ( F=12.94, P<0.001), platelet count ( F=14.95, P<0.001), and C-reactive protein levels (CRP) ( H=94.18, P<0.001). Further pairwise comparisons revealed that compared to the middle-aged and elderly groups, the minor group had a higher incidence of fever and a lower incidence of arthralgia, and the duration of arthralgia was shorter than the elderly group (all P<0.008 3). Compared with the other three groups, the elderly group had lower incidence and residual rate of rash, and lower platelet counts (all P<0.008 3), and higher levels of CRP (all P<0.05). The elderly group had lower lymphocyte counts compared to the minor and young adult groups (both P<0.05). Significant differences were found among age groups in the time to viral RNA clearance ( F=5.77, P=0.003) and length of hospital stay ( F=11.64, P<0.001), with the elderly group having significantly longer duration for both compared to the other three groups (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that advanced age (odds ratio ( OR)=1.049, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.015 to 1.083), longer duration of fever ( OR=1.529, 95% CI 1.086 to 2.155) and longer duration of arthralgia ( OR=1.927, 95% CI 1.318 to 2.817) were independent risk factors for delayed viral RNA clearance (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Patients with Chikungunya fever in Shunde District primarily present with fever, arthralgia and rash. The incidence and characteristics of these three core symptoms show age-related variations. Elderly patients and those with longer durations of fever or arthralgia are more likely to experience delayed viral clearance.

Objective:To establish a genomic nucleic acid mass spectrometry detection platform for allelic risk associated with Alzheimer's disease.Methods:Whole blood samples of 61 patients diagnosed as Alzheimer's disease in the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from December 28th, 2023 to 31st, March 2024 were collected and deoxynucleic acid (DNA) was extracted, including 22 males and 39 females, aged (67.36 ± 8.18) years old. After screening out 17 risk gene loci in Chinese population, multiplex polymerase chain reaction primers, single-base extension primers and Sanger sequencing primers were designed. Ten samples were used for primer optimization and debugging through Sanger sequencing and time-of-flight mass spectrometry to establish a detection system. The remaining samples were genotyped using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer and verified by Sanger sequencing for accuracy evaluation. Five samples were selected for gradient dilution and then subjected to time-of-flight mass spectrometry detection to evaluate the detection limit. Three clinical samples, one case of Escherichia coli and one case of Staphylococcus aureus genomic DNA samples were selected for cross-reaction research. The anti-interference ability of the detection system was evaluated against hemolysis, chylous substances and conventional anticoagulants in the samples. Two samples, one wild and one homozygous mutation sample with representative peak shapes, were selected to evaluate the anti-interference ability. Four samples containing the common genotypes of all gene loci in the system were selected and repeated 10 times to evaluate the precision.Results:The minimum intensity of single-base extension primers on mass spectrometry is greater than half of the maximum intensity. All 17 risk gene loci screened were successfully typed. The time-of-flight mass spectrometry detection results of 1,037 loci from 61 samples showed that the genotyping detection rate was 100%. The genotypes of the 20 DNA samples were completely consistent with the results of Sanger sequencing, with an accuracy rate of 100%. The mass spectrometry detection results of five samples after gradient dilution indicated that the low detection limit was 5 ng of DNA. The reaction system has a strong anti-interference ability against hemolysis of samples, chylous substances, conventional anticoagulants and DNA cross-contamination. Homologous allele interference and no cross-reaction between the bacterial genome and 17 gene loci do not affect the risk genome detection results. The results of 10 repeated mass spectrometry tests on 4 samples showed that the precision was 100%.Conclusion:The genomic detection system of Alzheimer's disease risk has been successfully established to provide an auxiliary mean for disease diagnosis and risk assessment.

Objective:To observe the effect of electroacupuncture at Baihui and Shenting points on cognitive function in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model rats and explore its mechanism.Method:Healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into Sham group,Model group,Electroacupuncture group,and Non-acupoint group(n=15 per group).Except for the Sham group,all other groups were prepared with a middle cerebral artery ischemia-reperfusion(MCAO/R)model.The Electroacupuncture group received 7 days of intervention with acupoints Baihui and Shenting,while the Non-acupoint group received 7 days of in-tervention with a 5mm outward of acupoints Baihui and Shenting.The Model group and Sham group only re-ceived the same conditions of grasping and fixation.Model testing was conducted using neurobehavioral scor-ing and TTC staining.Cognitive function was evaluated using neurobehavioral scoring,hippocampal cell mor-phology was observed using HE staining;CD31,GFAP,and IBa1 expression were observed using immunohis-tochemistry,and VEGF,BDNF,and IL-10 expression were observed using ELISA in the hippocampus.Result:Electroacupuncture at Baihui and Shenting acupoints can shorten the escape latency of Morris water maze in MCAO model rat,increase the number of crossing platforms,improve hippocampal cell edema,ne-crosis,and inflammatory cell infiltration,increase VEGF,IL-10,BDNF protein expression,increase CD31 positive expression,and reduce the number of GFAP and IBal positive cells.Conclusion:Electroacupuncture at Baihui and Shenting points can improve cognitive function in rats with cere-bral ischemia-reperfusion injury,and the mechanism of action may be related to regulating the components of the neurovascular unit(NVU)and maintaining NVU homeostasis.

Aim To study the diastolic effect and mechanism of farrerol on isolated pulmonary arteries of C57BL/6J mice.Methods After anesthesia,mouse lung tissue was quickly removed and placed into the 4 ℃ K-H buffer,pulmonary arteries were isolated under the microscope and cut into 2 mm long vascular rings for spare use.(1)The effect of farrerol on the resting tension of isolated mouse pulmonary arteries:in the resting state,the active mouse pul-monary artery rings were treated with different concentrations of farrerol(10-6,3×10-6,10-5,3×10-5 and 10-4 mol/L).(2)Farrerol relaxed mouse pulmonary artery experiment:pulmonary arteries were contracted using phenylephrine(PE,1 μmol/L)or KCl(60 mmol/L),and when the contraction reached the platform,different concentrations of farrerol(10-6,3×10-6,10-5,3×10-5 and 10-4 mol/L)was added.(3)Farrerol inhibited pulmonary artery contraction experi-ment:under conditions with or without the addition of farrerol,pulmonary arteries were contracted using different concen-trations of PE(10-9,3×10-9,10-8,3 × 10-8,10-7,3×10-7 and 10-6 mol/L)or KCl(20,30,40,60,80 and 120 mmol/L),and the pulmonary artery muscle tension was recorded.(4)Calcium free and recalcification experiments:under conditions with or without the addition of farrerol,the changes of isolated mouse pulmonary artery tension were meas-ured in the state of calcium free or recalcification { 2.5 mmol/L[Ca2+]ex }.(5)The relationship between farrerol in-duced relaxation of isolated mouse pulmonary arteries and potassium ion channels:firstly,60 mmol/L KCl solution was used to contract the mouse pulmonary arteries until the platform.Then,3 mmol/L aminopyridine(4-AP),2 mmol/L tet-raethylammonium(TEA),30 μmol/L BaCl2,and 10 μmol/L glibenclamide(Gli)were added and treated for 15 min.Subsequently,the pulmonary arteries were relaxed using a concentration gradient of farrerol.Results Farrerol had no significant effect on the mouse pulmonary arteries in the resting state,but had a concentration-dependent relaxing effect on the mouse pulmonary arteries pre-contracted with PE and KCl.While the pretreatment of 3×10-5 mol/L farrerol could sig-nificantly reduce the maximum contraction of mouse pulmonary arteries induced by PE and KCl(P＜0.01),as well as sig-nificantly reduce the contraction of mouse pulmonary arteries induced by KCl under calcium free or recalcification conditions(P＜0.01).Addition of the voltage-dependent potassium ion channel blocker 4-AP significantly reduced the maximum diastolic rate of mouse pulmonary arteries induced by farrerol(P＜0.01),while addition of the high conductivity calcium activated potassium ion channel blocker TEA,inward rectifying potassium ion channel blocker BaCl2,or ATP sensitive po-tassium ion channel blocker Gli had no significant effect on the vasodilation effect of farrerol(P＞0.05).Conclusion Farrerol has a relaxing effect on isolated mouse pulmonary arteries,and its mechanism may be related to open voltage-de-pendent potassium ion channels.