ObjectiveTo screen suitable packaging and storage conditions for small packaged Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces， laying the foundation for developing standardized storage， maintenance techniques and determining shelf life. MethodsUsing the accelerated stability test method， the small packaged decoction pieces of Alismatis Rhizoma were placed in polyethylene plastic bags， aluminum foil polyethylene composite bags， and cowhide coated paper bags under temperature of （40±2） ℃ and relative humidity of （75±5）% conditions， the quality testing was conducted at the end of the 0^th， 1^st， 2^nd， 3^rd， and 6^th month， respectively. Using long-term stability test method， an orthogonal experiment was designed to investigate storage conditions， packaging materials， and packaging methods. At the end of the 0^th， 1^st， 3^rd， 6^th， 9^th， 12^th， 18^th， and 24^th month， the quality of small packaged Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces was tested under different packaging and storage conditions（including 2 packaging methods：vacuum packaging and sealed packaging， 3 storage conditions：room temperature， cool， and modified atmosphere， 3 packaging materials：cowhide coated paper bag， aluminum foil polyethylene composite bag， and polyethylene plastic bag）. Then， the G1-entropy weight method combined with orthogonal experiment was used to analyze the quality changes of the decoction pieces under different packaging and storage conditions to identify optimal packaging and storage conditions. The quality testing indicators for Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces were expanded beyond those specified in the 2020 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. In addition to the existing indicators（characteristics， moisture content， extractives， and the total content of 23-acetyl alisol B and 23-acetyl alisol C）， new indicators including color value， water activity， total triterpenoid content， and alisol B content have been added. ResultsThe accelerated stability test results indicated that the quality of small packaged Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces was more stable when packaged in aluminum foil-polyethylene composite materials compared to cowhide-coated paper bags and polyethylene plastic bags. Analysis of the long-term stability test results using the G1-entropy weight method combined with orthogonal experiment revealed that storage conditions had the greatest impact on both raw and salt-processed products， followed by packaging materials， while the packaging method had the least influence. For both types of small packaged Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces， modified atmosphere storage demonstrated superior efficacy compared to cool storage or room temperature storage. Storage in aluminum foil-polyethylene composite bags was superior to polyethylene plastic bags or cowhide-coated paper bags. However， the stability of sealed raw products was better than vacuum-packed ones， whereas vacuum-packed salt-processed products exhibited greater stability than their sealed counterparts. ConclusionBased on the results of the quality changes of small packaged Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces under different storage conditions， it is recommended that the suitable storage packaging conditions for small packaged raw products are sealed packaging with aluminum foil polyethylene composite bags and controlled atmosphere storage， and the suitable storage and packaging conditions for small packaged salt-processed products are vacuum packaging with aluminum foil polyethylene composite bags and controlled atmosphere storage.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of subanesthetic dose of esketamine on postoperative anxiety and recovery in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS A total of 200 patients scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy at Suzhou Ninth Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University from January 2023 to December 2024 were randomly assigned to control group （n＝100） and observation group （n＝100）. One minute before the initiation of anesthesia， patients in the control group received intravenous injections of Propofol emulsion injection， Sufentanil citrate injection， and Succinylcholine chloride injection. On this basis， patients in the observation group received an intravenous injection of Esketamine hydrochloride injection. The anxiety status of patients in both groups was compared， along with their general intraoperative conditions （including sufentanil dosage， duration of pneumoperitoneum， operative time， anesthesia time， and extubation time）， postoperative recovery， incidence of adverse reactions， and the need for dezocine rescue analgesia. Heart rate and mean arterial pressure， entropy index （state entropy and response entropy）， inflammatory marker levels [interleukin-6 （IL-6） and C-reactive protein （CRP）]， numerical rating scale （NRS） for pain intensity were compared between the two groups at different time points. RESULTS No significant differences were found between the two groups in pneumoperitoneum duration， operative time， anesthesia time，extubation time， incidence of postoperative dry mouth， entropy index or length of stay in the post-anesthesia care unit （P＞0.05）. Compared with the control group， the observation group showed significantly lower postoperative STAI-S scores， reduced intraoperative sufentanil consumption， decreased incidence of postoperative nausea， vomiting， and shivering， the need for dezocine rescue analgesia， as well as lower plasma IL-6 and CRP levels at 24 h after surgery， and NRS （P＜0.05）. The heart rate and mean arterial pressure of patients in the observation group at the start of surgery， end of surgery， and during extubation were all significantly higher than those in the control group （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Subanesthetic dose of esketamine can effectively alleviate postoperative anxiety， reduce intraoperative opioid consumption， suppress postoperative inflammatory response， relieve postoperative pain， and promote recovery in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether the effect of Taohong Siwutang on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion （CIRI） injury in rats is related to the regulation of astrocyte polarization and explore the related mechanism. MethodsEighty-four male SD rats were randomly assigned to the following groups： A sham operation group， a model group， Taohong Siwutang treatment groups （low dose， medium dose， and high dose）， ligustrazine phosphate tablet （LPT） group， and AG490 group. All groups， except for the sham operation group， underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion （MCAO/R） modeling and were treated for seven days. The neurological impairment was evaluated using the Longa score. The volume of cerebral infarction was assessed through 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining. Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot analyses were performed to analyze the mRNA and protein expression levels of cortical complement 3 （C3）， S100 calcium-binding protein A10 （S100A10）， Janus kinase 2 （JAK2）， and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3）. Additionally， protein expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor-A （VEGF-A） were assessed， and the mRNA expression levels of inflammatory factors， including interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， were evaluated. Glial fibrillary acidic protein （GFAP） and C3， S100A10 and Co-localization was detected via immunofluorescence double staining. Lastly， VEGF expression levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultsCompared with the sham operation group， the model group showed a significant increase in cerebral infarction volume and neurological impairment （P<0.01）. C3 protein levels were elevated， while S100A10 levels were decreased. Pathway-related markers were significantly upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and VEGF-A protein levels were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of inflammatory factors was significantly upregulated （P<0.01）. Co-localization analysis showed significantly increased GFAP and C3 fluorescence intensity （P<0.01） and greatly decreased GFAP and S100A10 fluorescence intensity （P<0.01）. Additionally， VEGF content was significantly elevated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， medium- and high-dose Taohong Siwutang and LPT groups exhibited a significant reduction in cerebral infarction volume and neurological impairment （P<0.01）. Groups treated with low， medium， and high doses of Taohong Siwutang and LPT group exhibited a decrease in C3 protein expression levels and an increase in S100A10 expression levels （P<0.01）. In the high-dose Taohong Siwutang and AG490 groups， both protein and mRNA expression of C3 and pathway-related markers were significantly downregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while S100A10 expression and VEGF-A protein levels were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Additionally， the mRNA expression levels of inflammatory factors were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. The co-localization fluorescence intensity of GFAP and C3 significantly decreased （P<0.01）， while that of GFAP and S100A10 greatly increased （P<0.01）. Furthermore， VEGF content exhibited a marked elevation （P<0.01）. ConclusionTaohong Siwutang exerts a protective effect in rats with cerebral CIRI injury. The underlying mechanism is associated with the downregulation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway， promotion of A2-type astrocyte polarization， reduction of inflammatory factor release， and enhancement of VEGF production.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether the effect of Taohong Siwutang on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion （CIRI） injury in rats is related to the regulation of astrocyte polarization and explore the related mechanism. MethodsEighty-four male SD rats were randomly assigned to the following groups： A sham operation group， a model group， Taohong Siwutang treatment groups （low dose， medium dose， and high dose）， ligustrazine phosphate tablet （LPT） group， and AG490 group. All groups， except for the sham operation group， underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion （MCAO/R） modeling and were treated for seven days. The neurological impairment was evaluated using the Longa score. The volume of cerebral infarction was assessed through 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining. Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot analyses were performed to analyze the mRNA and protein expression levels of cortical complement 3 （C3）， S100 calcium-binding protein A10 （S100A10）， Janus kinase 2 （JAK2）， and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3）. Additionally， protein expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor-A （VEGF-A） were assessed， and the mRNA expression levels of inflammatory factors， including interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， were evaluated. Glial fibrillary acidic protein （GFAP） and C3， S100A10 and Co-localization was detected via immunofluorescence double staining. Lastly， VEGF expression levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultsCompared with the sham operation group， the model group showed a significant increase in cerebral infarction volume and neurological impairment （P<0.01）. C3 protein levels were elevated， while S100A10 levels were decreased. Pathway-related markers were significantly upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and VEGF-A protein levels were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of inflammatory factors was significantly upregulated （P<0.01）. Co-localization analysis showed significantly increased GFAP and C3 fluorescence intensity （P<0.01） and greatly decreased GFAP and S100A10 fluorescence intensity （P<0.01）. Additionally， VEGF content was significantly elevated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， medium- and high-dose Taohong Siwutang and LPT groups exhibited a significant reduction in cerebral infarction volume and neurological impairment （P<0.01）. Groups treated with low， medium， and high doses of Taohong Siwutang and LPT group exhibited a decrease in C3 protein expression levels and an increase in S100A10 expression levels （P<0.01）. In the high-dose Taohong Siwutang and AG490 groups， both protein and mRNA expression of C3 and pathway-related markers were significantly downregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while S100A10 expression and VEGF-A protein levels were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Additionally， the mRNA expression levels of inflammatory factors were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. The co-localization fluorescence intensity of GFAP and C3 significantly decreased （P<0.01）， while that of GFAP and S100A10 greatly increased （P<0.01）. Furthermore， VEGF content exhibited a marked elevation （P<0.01）. ConclusionTaohong Siwutang exerts a protective effect in rats with cerebral CIRI injury. The underlying mechanism is associated with the downregulation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway， promotion of A2-type astrocyte polarization， reduction of inflammatory factor release， and enhancement of VEGF production.

Objective To compare the long-term survival outcomes of patients with T_1-2N₀M₀ duodenal neuroendocrine tumor (DNET) after endoscopic resection (ER) or surgical resection (SR). Methods Patients diagnosed with T_1-2N₀M₀ DNET between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2015, were extracted from the SEER database. Kaplan-Meier survival curve and log-rank test were used to compare overall survival (OS) rate and cancer-specific survival (CSS) rate between patients undergoing ER or SR. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce grouping differences, and multivariate Cox regression was used to analyze factors affecting OS and CSS before and after PSM. Results A total of 656 patients were included, with 457 in ER group and 199 in SR group. Before PSM, there was no significant difference in the 5-year OS rate between the ER and SR groups (88.9% vs 89.6%), but there was a significant difference in the 5-year CSS rate (99.3% vs 96.9%, P＝0.017). Before PSM, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed advanced age was an independent risk factor for decreased OS (P＜0.001). After PSM, there was no significant difference between the ER group (n＝187) and SR group (n＝187) in 5-year OS rate (90.2% vs 88.9%) or CSS rate (98.9% vs 96.7%). After PSM, multivariate Cox regression also showed advanced age was an independent risk factor for decreased OS, while resection method was not an independent factor for OS or CSS. Conclusions There is no significant difference in OS or CSS after endoscopic treatment and surgical treatments for patients with T_1-2N₀M₀ DNET, and advanced age is an independent factor for OS.

Polycystic ovary syndrome（PCOS） and its resulting infertility is one of the common diseases of gynecology and reproductive endocrinology. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B（PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway is relatively well-studied in the development of intervention in PCOS， and the experiments on PCOS in rats conducted by traditional Chinese medicine through this signaling pathway is also the main direction of mechanistic research. In this paper， 20 articles published in academic journals in the past 5 years were selected through the corresponding criteria， and the objective situation and existing problems of the selected research projects were analyzed from five aspects， namely， baseline data， modeling and treatment， grouping， evaluative indexes， and pharmacodynamic indexes. It is found that there were different degrees of problems in each research project， such as the observation indicators of modeling， criteria for judging the success of the model， the treatment period， the calculation of dosage of prescription/active ingredients and specific dosage were not clearly defined， which could easily lead the bias of the results or reduce the validity of experimental data. Based on this， the list of PCOS rat experimental research operations was formed， involving five categories of experimental rats， model construction， study implementation， outcome measures and analysis and report with a total of 21 operation lists， with a view to provide a reference for the subsequent PCOS experiments related to scientific research and helping to form high-quality results.

Ulcerative colitis（UC） is a chronic non-specific inflammatory bowel disease characterized by inflammation and ulceration of the colonic mucosa and submucosa， and its complex pathogenesis involves immune abnormality， oxidative stress and other factors. The nuclear transcription factor E₂-related factor 2（Nrf2）， encoded by the Nfe212 gene， plays a central role in antioxidant responses. It not only activates various antioxidant response elements such as heme oxygenase-1（HO-1） and quinone oxidoreductase 1（NQO1）， but also enhances the activity of glutathione-S-transferase（GST） and superoxide dismutase 1（SOD1）， effectively eliminating reactive oxygen species（ROS） accumulated in the body， and mitigating oxidative stress-induced damage to intestinal mucosa. In addition， Nrf2 can reduce the release of inflammatory factors and infiltration of immune cells by regulating immune response， cell apoptosis and autophagy pathways， thereby alleviating intestinal inflammation and promoting the repair and regeneration of damaged mucosa. Based on this， this paper reviews the research progress of Chinese materia medica in the prevention and treatment of UC by modulating the Nrf2 signaling pathway. It deeply explores the physiological role of Nrf2， the molecular mechanism of activation， the protective effect in the pathological process of UC， and how active ingredients in Chinese materia medica regulate the Nrf2 signaling pathway through multiple pathways to exert their potential mechanisms. These studies have revealed in depth that Chinese materia medica can effectively combat oxidative stress by regulating the Nrf2 signaling pathway. It can also play a role in anti-inflammatory， promoting autophagy， inhibiting apoptosis， protecting the intestinal mucosal barrier， and promoting intestinal mucosal repair， providing new ideas and methods for the multi-faceted treatment of UC.

ObjectiveTo explore the effectiveness and safety of Shenlong Dingji Formula （参龙定悸方） on the quality of life in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation （PAF） of qi-yin deficiency and phlegm-stasis obstructing collaterals syndrome. MethodsA total of 60 patients with PAF of qi-yin deficiency and phlegm-stasis obstructing collaterals syndrome were recruited and randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group， with 30 patients in each group. The control group received standard western medicine treatment， while the treatment group was additionally given Shenlong Dingji Formula orally， one dose per day. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks. The primary outcome measure is the Atrial Fibrillation Effect on Quality of Life （AFEQT） score including scores of four dimensions，i.e. atrial fibrillation-related symptoms， treatment concerns， daily activities， and treatment satisfaction. The secondary outcome measures included the frequency and duration of symptomatic atrial fibrillation episodes and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores covering symptoms such as palpitations， chest tightness， fatigue， shortness of breath， reluctance to speak， spontaneous sweating， stabbing pain， and insomnia. These indicators were assessed at baseline （before treatment）， after 2-week of treatment， after 4-week of treatment， and 4 weeks after the end of treatment （follow-up）. Additionally， safety indicators before and after treatment and adverse events occurring during the trial were recorded to evaluate safety. ResultsA total of 56 patients completed the study， with 28 in each group. Primary outcome indicators： 1） the treatment group showed significant improvement in the total score of the AFEQT scale， with significantly higher total scores after 2-week treatment， 4-week treatment， and follow-up compared to the previous time point （P＜0.05）. In the control group， the AFEQT score significantly increased only after 4-week treatment compared to baseline （P＜0.05）. In the treatment group， the AFEQT scores after 2-week， 4-week treatment， and during follow-up were all higher than those of the control group at the corresponding time points （P＜0.01）. 2） In the treatment group， there was no statistically significant difference in the AFEQT treatment satisfaction dimension score during follow-up compared to that after 4-week treatment （P＞0.05）. However， the scores for all other dimensions at each time point were higher than those at the previous time point （P＜0.05）. In the control group， the scores for the atrial fibrillation-related symptom dimension were higher after 2-week and 4-week treatment than those of the previous time points （P＜0.05）. For the treatment satisfaction dimension， significant increases were observed only after 2-week and 4-week treatment compared to baseline （P＜0.05）. Secondary outcome indicators： 1） In the treatment group， the frequency and duration of symptomatic atrial fibrillation episodes decreased significantly at each time point compared to the previous time point （P＜0.05）， except for the duration of trial fibrillation at follow-up. In the control group， the frequency of episodes decreased significantly at all time points compared to baseline （P＜0.05）， while the duration of trial fibrillation showed a significant reduction at follow-up compared to those after 2-week treatment （P＜0.05）. 2） In the treatment group， TCM syndrome scores significantly reduced after 2-week treatment， 4-week treatment， and during follow-up compared to the previous time point and baseline （P＜0.05）. In the control group， significant reductions were observed only after 4-week after treatment and during follow-up （P＜0.05）. The TCM syndrome scores in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group at the same time points （P＜0.01）. No adverse events occurred during the trial in either group， and safety indicators showed no significant changes after treatment. ConclusionShenlong Dingji Formula effectively improves the quality of life， alleviates TCM syndromes， and reduces the frequency and duration of symptomatic atrial fibrillation in patients with PAF of qi-yin deficiency and phlegm-stasis obstructing collaterals syndrome， and demonstrates good safety.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the antidepressant mechanism of Shugan hewei tang （SGHWT） based on the metabolomics of prefrontal cortex （PFC）-nucleus accumbens （NAc）-ventral tegmental area （VTA） neural circuit. METHODS Male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， SGHWT low-， medium- and high-dose groups [3.67， 7.34， 14.68 g/（kg·d）， by raw material]， and fluoxetine group [1.58 mg/（kg·d）， positive control]， with 12 rats in each group. Except for the blank group， the depression model was established by chronic unpredictable mild stress combined with individual cage housing in the remaining groups， and the corresponding drug solution or normal saline was administered via gavage during modeling， once a day， for 6 consecutive weeks. After the last administration， the body weight， sucrose preference rate， total moving distance， frequency into the center and immobility time of rats in each group were detected. Samples of PFC， NAc and VTA areas of rats in the blank group， model group， SGHWT medium-dose group and fluoxetine positive control groups were collected，and their histomorphological features were observed， and non-targeted metabolomics analysis （except for fluoxetine group）were performed and validated. RESULTS Compared with model group， the cytolysis， structural damage and other pathological damages in three brain regions of rats were significantly alleviated in each drug group， while their body weight， sucrose preference rate， total moving distance and frequency into the center were all significantly higher or longer （P＜0.05）， and immobility time was significantly shorter （P＜0.05）. The results of non-targeted metabolomics showed that a total of 78 endogenous differential metabolites were identified， with 40， 35 and 24 in the PFC， NAc and VTA regions respectively， mainly involved in amino acid， lipid and sphingolipid metabolism. The results of metabolic pathway enrichment analysis showed that SGHWT affected the neural circuits of depressed rats by regulating sphingolipid metabolism， alanine， aspartic acid and glutamic acid metabolism， saturated fatty acid biosynthesis， among which alanine， aspartic acid and glutamic acid metabolism was predominantly involved. Validation experiments showed that SGHWT significantly increased the phosphorylation levels of protein kinase B （Akt） and mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， and decreased the protein expression of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor 1 （NMDAR1） in the NAc region of rats. CONCLUSIONS SGHWT significantly improves the depression-like behavior and attenuates pathological damage of PFC-NAc-VTA neural circuit of model rats， the mechanism of which is associated with inhibiting NMDAR1 expression and activating the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To develop a pharmaceutical service model for discharge medication order review and medication education （hereinafter referred to as the “proactive pharmaceutical service model”）， and evaluate its effects. METHODS The data of discharged patients were collected retrospectively from Rheumatology and Immunology Department of our hospital during January to June 2023 and January to June 2024. Patients discharged from January to June 2024 were classified as the intervention group （489 cases）， while patients discharged from January to June 2023 were classified as the control group （535 cases） based on the different pharmaceutical service models they received. The control group received traditional service model， and the intervention group additionally got proactive pharmaceutical service model based on the control group. The primary outcome measures [the number of discharge medications， the number of medication errors， and the occurrence of adverse drug-drug interaction （DDI）] and follow-up outcome measures （the adjustment of medication regimen due to intolerance， unplanned hospital admissions， and proactive seeking of pharmaceutical services after discharge） were compared between the two groups. The discharge medication order review status， the occurrence of adverse DDI in patients with polypharmacy， and bedside medication education status for patients receiving the proactive pharmaceutical service model were all recorded. RESULTS From January to June 2024， a total of 1 052 discharge medication order review for inpatients were reviewed， and 174 instances of medication errors were identified. Polypharmacy was observed in 579 patients， with an incidence rate of 55.04%. The incidence of adverse DDI was significantly higher in patients with polypharmacy compared to those without polypharmacy （P＜0.001）. Pharmacists completed medication guidance for 394 instances of high-risk patients prone to the incidence rate of medication errors at home. The number of discharge medications， the incidence rate of medication errors， instances of medication not matching the diagnosis， dosage and administration errors， adverse DDI， and the incidence rate of patients who required adjustment of medication regimen due to intolerance were all significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group （P＜0.05）. Additionally， the incidence rate of patients who proactive seeking of pharmaceutical services after discharge was significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group （P＜0.05）. However， there was no significant difference in the incidence rate of unplanned hospital admissions between the two groups （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS The established proactive pharmaceutical service model can reduce medication errors， enhance patient recognition of pharmaceutical services， and ensure medication safety for discharged patients at home.