BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies have indicated that Angong Niuhuang Pills (ANP) reduce cerebral infarct and edema volumes. This study aimed to investigate whether ANP safely reduces cerebral infarct and edema volumes in patients with moderate to severe acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial included patients with acute ischemic stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores ranging from 10 to 20 in 17 centers in China between April 2021 and July 2022. Patients were allocated within 36 h after onset via block randomization to receive ANP or placebo (3 g/day for 5 days). The primary outcomes were changes in cerebral infarct and edema volumes after 14 days of treatment. The primary safety outcome was severe adverse events (SAEs) for 90 days. RESULTS: There were 57 and 60 patients finally included in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively for modified intention-to-treat analysis. The median age was 66.0 years, and the median NIHSS score at baseline was 12.0. The changes in cerebral infarct volume at day 14 were 0.3 mL and 0.4 mL in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively (median difference: -7.1 mL; interquartile range [IQR]: -18.3 to 2.3 mL, P = 0.30). The changes in cerebral edema volume of the ANP and placebo groups on day 14 were 11.4 mL and 4.0 mL, respectively ( median difference: 3.0 mL, IQR: -1.3 to 9.9 mL, P = 0.15). The rates of SAE within 90 days were similar in the ANP (3/57, 5%) and placebo (7/60, 12%) groups ( P = 0.36). Changes in serum mercury and arsenic concentrations were comparable. In patients with large artery atherosclerosis, ANP reduced the cerebral infarct volume at 14 days (median difference: -12.3 mL; IQR: -27.7 to -0.3 mL, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: ANP showed a similar safety profile to placebo and non-significant tendency to reduce cerebral infarct volume in patients with moderate-to-severe stroke. Further studies are warranted to assess the efficacy of ANP in reducing cerebral infarcts and improving clinical prognosis. TRAIL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov , No. NCT04475328.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Ischemic Stroke/drug therapy* ; Pilot Projects ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

This study explored the prescription pattern of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) in the treatment of hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH), so as to provide a relevant theoretical basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of hypertensive LVH. The study systematically searched the databases of CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed to screen out the qualified literature on TCM treatment of hypertensive LVH and used Microsoft Excel 2021 to establish the relevant prescription database. It also counted the frequency, property, flavor, and meridian affiliation of TCM in the prescriptions and classified their efficacy. The study used Lantern 5.0 and Rstudio software to analyze the hidden structural models and association rules of the high-frequency TCM with a frequency of >3.50% and adopted Origin 2024 software to visualize the data, so as to explore the prescription pattern of TCM in treating hypertensive LVH. The results showed that a total of 128 TCM prescriptions were included, involving 163 TCM with a total frequency of 1 242. The high-frequency TCM included Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis, Gastrodiae Rhizoma, Poria, and Chuanxiong Rhizoma, with the main efficacy from blood-activating and stasis-resolving herbs, tonic herbs, and liver-calming and wind-extinguishing herbs. The latent structure analysis(LSA) identified 10 latent variables, 20 latent classes, 7 comprehensive clustering models, and 23 core prescriptions. It was speculated that the common syndromes of hypertensive LVH included blood stasis obstructing the collaterals, ascending hyperactivity of liver Yang, Yin deficiency with Yang hyperactivity, and intermingled phlegm and blood stasis. The association rule analysis yielded 33 strong association rules, with the highest comprehensive association rule being Gastrodiae Rhizoma→Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis. Hypertensive LVH is characterized by asthenia in origin and asthenia in superficiality, with Yin deficiency and Qi deficiency as the origin and blood stasis and phlegm as the superficiality. Clinical treatment focuses on activating blood circulation, resolving stasis, tonifying Qi, and nourishing Yin, combined with syndrome-specific therapies such as calming wind and stopping convulsions, clearing heat, eliminating dampness and resolving phlegm, and promoting diuresis and reducing swelling.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Data Mining ; Humans ; Hypertension/complications* ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular/physiopathology* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drug Prescriptions

Quality control is a key link in the modernization process of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Studies have shown that the effects of active components in TCM depend on not only their chemical composition but also their suitable physical forms and states. The physical phase structures, such as micelles, vesicles, gels, and nanoparticles, can improve the solubility, delivery efficiency, and targeting precision of active components. These structures significantly enhance the pharmacological activity while reducing the toxicity and side effects, demonstrating functional activity surpassing that of active components and highlighting the key effects of "structures" on "functions" of active components. Taking the physical phase structure as a breakthrough point, this paper outlines the common types of TCM physical phase structures. Furthermore, this paper explores how to realize the quality upgrading of TCM through the precise regulation of physical phase structures based on the current applications and potential of TCM physical phase structures in processing to increase the efficacy and reduce the toxicity, compounding and decocting processes, drug delivery systems, and quality control, aiming to provide novel insights for the future quality control of TCM.
Quality Control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/standards* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; Humans ; Drug Delivery Systems

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the surgical technique and preliminary effectiveness of closed reduction and internal fixation (CRIF) using antegrade elastic intramedullary nailing (ESIN) via a novel approach through the proximal radius for treating distal radius metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction (DRMDJ) fractures in children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 34 children with DRMDJ fractures who met the selection criteria and were treated between January 2020 and June 2023. There were 21 boys and 13 girls, aged 6-14 years (mean, 8.2 years). Injury causes included falls in 11 cases and sports-related trauma in 23 cases. Twenty-six cases were associated with ipsilateral distal ulnar fractures. All patients had failed initial closed reduction in the outpatient clinic. The time from injury to operation ranged from 1 to 15 days (mean, 4 days). All patients underwent CRIF using antegrade ESIN inserted via a novel approach at the proximal one-third of the radius. The operation time, intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, fracture healing time, and complications were recorded. Fracture reduction was assessed immediately after operation on anteroposterior and lateral X-ray films for residual translation and angulation. Wrist function was evaluated using the modified Mayo wrist score. RESULTS: Surgery was successfully completed in all 34 children. CRIF with ESIN failed in 2 cases with associated ipsilateral distal ulnar fractures, requiring conversion to open reduction of the ulna. Operation time ranged from 15 to 56 minutes (mean, 21 minutes). Intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency ranged from 5 to 21 times (mean, 7 times). Immediate postoperative X-ray films showed residual translation of 0-15% on anteroposterior view and 0-10% on lateral view, and residual angulation of 0°-5° on both anteroposterior and lateral views. All children were followed up 6-18 months (mean, 12 months). There was no complication such as neurovascular injury, incision infection, or limitation of forearm rotation. Follow-up X-ray films showed no fracture displacement, implant loosening, delayed union, or nonunion. Fracture healing time ranged from 4 to 8 weeks (mean, 6 weeks). Implants were removed at 4-6 months postoperatively (mean, 5 months). At last follow-up, all fractures had achieved anatomic or near-anatomic healing. The modified Mayo wrist score ranged from 80 to 100 (mean, 94), with 27 excellent and 7 good results, yielding an excellent and good rate of 100%. CONCLUSION CRIF using antegrade ESIN via a novel approach through proximal radius is a safe and effective treatment for pediatric DRMDJ fractures, associated with few postoperative complications and excellent restoration of wrist function.
Humans ; Child ; Female ; Male ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary/instrumentation* ; Adolescent ; Radius Fractures/diagnostic imaging* ; Retrospective Studies ; Bone Nails ; Treatment Outcome ; Fracture Healing ; Diaphyses/surgery* ; Radius/surgery* ; Operative Time ; Closed Fracture Reduction/methods* ; Ulna Fractures/surgery*

The prevalence of Class III malocclusion varies among different countries and regions. The populations from Southeast Asian countries (Chinese and Malaysian) showed the highest prevalence rate of 15.8%, which can seriously affect oral function, facial appearance, and mental health. As anterior crossbite tends to worsen with growth, early orthodontic treatment can harness growth potential to normalize maxillofacial development or reduce skeletal malformation severity, thereby reducing the difficulty and shortening the treatment cycle of later-stage treatment. This is beneficial for the physical and mental growth of children. Therefore, early orthodontic treatment for Class III malocclusion is particularly important. Determining the optimal timing for early orthodontic treatment requires a comprehensive assessment of clinical manifestations, dental age, and skeletal age, and can lead to better results with less effort. Currently, standardized treatment guidelines for early orthodontic treatment of Class III malocclusion are lacking. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the etiology, clinical manifestations, classification, and early orthodontic techniques for Class III malocclusion, along with systematic discussions on selecting early treatment plans. The purpose of this expert consensus is to standardize clinical practices and improve the treatment outcomes of Class III malocclusion through early orthodontic treatment.
Humans ; Malocclusion, Angle Class III/classification* ; Orthodontics, Corrective/methods* ; Consensus ; Child

Two novel diketopiperazines (1 and 5), along with ten known compounds (2-4, 6-12) demonstrating significant skin inflammation inhibition, were isolated from a marine-derived fungus identified as Aspergillus sp. FAZW0001. The structural elucidation and configurational reassessments of compounds 1-5 were established through comprehensive spectral analyses, with their absolute configurations determined via single crystal X-ray diffraction using Cu Kα radiation, Marfey's method, and comparison between experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Compounds 1, 2, and 8 exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activities in Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes)-induced human monocyte cell lines. Compound 8 demonstrated the ability to down-regulate interleukin-1β (IL-1β) expression by inhibiting Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) expression and modulating the activation of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways, thus reducing the cellular inflammatory response induced by P. acnes. Additionally, compound 8 showed the capacity to suppress mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation, thereby reducing IL-1β maturation and secretion. A three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships (3D-QSAR) model was applied to compounds 5-12 to analyze their anti-inflammatory structure-activity relationships.
Humans ; Aspergillus/chemistry* ; Diketopiperazines/isolation & purification* ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/isolation & purification* ; Interleukin-1beta/genetics* ; Toll-Like Receptor 2/immunology* ; Propionibacterium acnes/drug effects* ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Molecular Structure ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/immunology* ; Monocytes/immunology* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Cell Line

Objective To investigate the regulatory effect of miR-132-3p on calmodulin-binding transcription activator 1(CAMTA1)and Schwann cell activity in rats with facial nerve injury(FNI)treated with I-125 seeds.Methods Rat Schwann cells were irradiated with I-125 seeds and transfected with miR-132-3p mimic,miR-132-3p inhibitor or sh-CAMTA1.The expressions of S100B and β-tubulin Ⅲ in the cells were detected with immunofluorescence assay,and the expressions of miR-132-3p and CAMTA1 protein were determined using RT-qPCR and Western blotting,respectively.EdU staining and Transwell assay were used to evaluate the changes in cell proliferation and migration ability.In a rat model of FNI,I-125 seeds were implanted into the facial tissues near the facial nerve 2 weeks before modeling,and miR-132-3p mimic was injected subcutaneously in the face after modeling.The pathologies of the facial nerve was assessed by HE,LFB and immunofluorescence staining.The targeting relationship between miR-132-3p and CAMTA1 was verified using StarBase v2.0 database and dual-luciferase reporter assay.Results Rat Schwann cells showed high expressions of S100B and β-tubulin Ⅲ.I-125 seeds radiation significantly decreased miR-132-3p expression and repressed proliferation and migration of the cells(P<0.001).Overexpression of miR-132-3p or CAMTA1 knockdown obviously enhanced proliferation and migration of the Schwann cells,while miR-132-3p knockdown produced the opposite effect.MiR-132-3p negatively regulated CAMTA1 expression.In the rat models of FNI,miR-132-3p injection significantly inhibited CAMTA1 expression and attenuated I-125 seeds-induced exacerbation of FNI.Conclusion Overexpression of miR-132-3p suppresses CAMTA1 expression and promotes Schwann cell proliferation and migration to alleviate I-125 seeds-induced exacerbation of FNI in rats.

Objective To analyze the prevalence and genetic characteristics of influenza A(H3N2) viruses in the city of Xiangyang in 2022-2023, and to provide a scientific basis for predicting the epidemic and mutation of influenza virus. Methods Throat swab specimens of the influenza like cases were collected from national influenza monitoring sentinel hospitals in Xiangyang every week. RNA was extracted from the specimens for influenza diagnosing using real-time RT-PCR．Viruses were isolated from H3N2 positive specimens, and HA and NA genes were amplified and sequenced．3D modeling analyses were conducted. Results The gene phylogenetic tree showed that the H3N2 isolates in 2022-2023 belonged to 3C.2a1b.2a1 and 3C.2a1b.2a2 branches, respectively. The A(H3N2) influenza virus strains all had amino acid point mutation sites on important antigenic determinants of HA protein. The epitope mutations of the 2022 A(H3N2) strain mainly occurred in regions B, C, and D. The epitope mutations of the A(H3N2) strain in 2023 mainly occurred in regions C and D. Different glycosylation sites of HA gene were found in 2022-2023 strains. No variation was found in key amino acid sites associated with neuraminidase inhibitor resistance. The difference of overall structure was not obvious in the three-dimensional simulation structure diagram. Conclusion The A(H3N2) influenza strains isolated in this study have shown antigenic drift, especially the mutation of HA, which may affect the protective effect of the vaccine on the local population and lead to influenza epidemic. The variations of HA and NA suggest that close attention should be paid to the epidemic and genetic variation of H3N2 subtype influenza virus, to provide a scientific basis for the selection of influenza virus vaccine strains and the prevention and control of influenza.

To reduce the subjectivity and uncertainty present in the current international methods of drug value pricing when converting value into monetary prices,based on the hedonic pricing theory,it considers the post-negotiation price between manufacturers and payers as a reasonable price reference in the value pricing of Chinese patent medicine.By constructing an indicator system for the characteristics of Chinese patent medicine,it selects and measures the value characteristic variables that affect the price of Chinese patent medicine.It serves as the theoretical foundation and research basis for establishing a Hedonic price model between characteristic price variables and negotiation prices,thereby promoting the enhancement of rationality and objectivity in value-guided pricing of Chinese patent medicine.

To reduce the subjectivity and uncertainty present in the current international methods of drug value pricing when converting value into monetary prices,based on the hedonic pricing theory,it considers the post-negotiation price between manufacturers and payers as a reasonable price reference in the value pricing of Chinese patent medicine.By constructing an indicator system for the characteristics of Chinese patent medicine,it selects and measures the value characteristic variables that affect the price of Chinese patent medicine.It serves as the theoretical foundation and research basis for establishing a Hedonic price model between characteristic price variables and negotiation prices,thereby promoting the enhancement of rationality and objectivity in value-guided pricing of Chinese patent medicine.