This study aims to reveal the effect and mechanism of Gentianella turkestanorum total extract(GTI) in ameliorating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH). UPLC-Q-TOF-MS was employed to identify the chemical components in GTI. SwissTarget-Prediction, GeneCards, OMIM, and TTD were utilized to screen the targets of GTI components and NASH. The common targets shared by GTI components and NASH were filtered through the STRING database and Cytoscape 3.9.0 to identify core targets, followed by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. AutoDock was used for molecular docking of key components with core targets. A mouse model of NASH was established with a methionine-choline-deficient high-fat diet. A 4-week drug intervention was conducted, during which mouse weight was monitored, and the liver-to-brain ratio was measured at the end. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Sirius red staining, and oil red O staining were employed to observe the pathological changes in the liver tissue. The levels of various biomarkers, including aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), hydroxyproline(HYP), total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), malondialdehyde(MDA), superoxide dismutase(SOD), and glutathione(GSH), in the serum and liver tissue were determined. RT-qPCR was conducted to measure the mRNA levels of interleukin 1β(IL-1β), interleukin 6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α), collagen type I α1 chain(COL1A1), and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA). Western blotting was conducted to determine the protein levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and potential drug targets identified through network pharmacology. UPLC-Q-TOF/MS identified 581 chemical components of GTI, and 534 targets of GTI and 1 157 targets of NASH were screened out. The topological analysis of the common targets shared by GTI and NASH identified core targets such as IL-1β, IL-6, protein kinase B(AKT), TNF, and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma(PPARG). GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the ameliorating effect of GTI on NASH was related to inflammatory responses and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)/AKT pathway. The staining results demonstrated that GTI ameliorated hepatocyte vacuolation, swelling, ballooning, and lipid accumulation in NASH mice. Compared with the model group, high doses of GTI reduced the AST, ALT, HYP, TC, and TG levels(P<0.01) while increasing the HDL-C, SOD, and GSH levels(P<0.01). RT-qPCR results showed that GTI down-regulated the mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, COL1A1, and α-SMA(P<0.01). Western blot results indicated that GTI down-regulated the protein levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, phosphorylated PI3K(p-PI3K), phosphorylated AKT(p-AKT), phosphorylated inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B alpha(p-IκBα), and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB)(P<0.01). In summary, GTI ameliorates inflammation, dyslipidemia, and oxidative stress associated with NASH by regulating the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Animals ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/genetics* ; Mice ; Network Pharmacology ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Liver/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Molecular Docking Simulation

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Functional dyspepsia (FD), characterized by persistent or recurrent dyspeptic symptoms without identifiable organic, systemic or metabolic causes, is an increasingly recognized global health issue. The objective of this guideline is to equip clinicians and nursing professionals with evidence-based strategies for the management and treatment of adult patients with FD using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The Guideline Development Group consulted existing TCM consensus documents on FD and convened a panel of 35 clinicians to generate initial clinical queries. To address these queries, a systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database, China Biology Medicine (SinoMed) Database, Wanfang Database, Traditional Medicine Research Data Expanded (TMRDE), and the Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (TCMLARS). The evidence from the literature was critically appraised using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The strength of the recommendations was ascertained through a consensus-building process involving TCM and allopathic medicine experts, methodologists, pharmacologists, nursing specialists, and health economists, leveraging their collective expertise and empirical knowledge. The guideline comprises a total of 43 evidence-informed recommendations that span a range of clinical aspects, including the pathogenesis according to TCM, diagnostic approaches, therapeutic interventions, efficacy assessments, and prognostic considerations. Please cite this article as: Zhang SS, Zhao LQ, Hou XH, Bian ZX, Zheng JH, Tian HH, Yang GH, Hong WS, He YY, Liu L, Shen H, Li YP, Xie S, Shu J, Zeng BF, Li JX, Liu Z, Xiao ZH, Xiao JD, Zheng PY, Huang SG, Chen SL, Fei GJ. International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025). J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):502-518.
Dyspepsia/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between fish consumption and stroke is inconsistent, and it is uncertain whether this association varies across predicted stroke risks. METHODS: A cohort study comprising 95,800 participants from the Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China project was conducted. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on fish consumption. Participants were stratified into low- and moderate-to-high-risk categories based on their 10-year stroke risk prediction scores. Hazard ratios ( HRs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models and additive interaction by relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (SI). RESULTS: During 703,869 person-years of follow-up, 2,773 incident stroke events were identified. Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, particularly among moderate-to-high-risk individuals ( HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.47-0.60) than among low-risk individuals ( HR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.49-0.85). A significant additive interaction between fish consumption and predicted stroke risk was observed (RERI = 4.08, 95% CI: 2.80-5.36; SI = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.42-1.89; AP = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.28-0.43). CONCLUSION Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, and this beneficial association was more pronounced in individuals with moderate-to-high stroke risk.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Stroke/etiology* ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Incidence ; Aged ; Animals ; Fishes ; Risk Factors ; Diet ; Seafood ; Adult ; Cohort Studies

Objective To retrospectively analyze the ultra-fast track anesthesia(UFTA)methods and perioperative anesthesia management experiences of transcatheter mitral valve edge-to-edge repair(TEER)in the treatment of functional mitral regurgitant.Methods In this retrospective study,patients underwent the TEER procedure and received UFTA in Fuwai Yunnan Hospital,from May 2022 to September 2022 for heart failure combined with moderate to severe or severe functional mitral regurgitant were included.Baseline,preoperative complications,cardial function and anesthesia classification,amino-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP),ultrasound examination results,surgery time,extubation time,intraoperative anesthetic and vasoactive drug,complications related to TEER and UFTA,perioperative,and postoperative 30-day and one-year follow-up data were collected.All perioperative clinical data were recorded and analyzed.Results A total of 30 patients were enrolled,11 patients(36.7％)were female,mean age was(63.6±6.1)years,NYHA classification IV 14 patients(46.7％),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)(36.0±8.1)％,the end-diastolic volume of the left ventricle(66.0±8.2)mm,mitral regurgitation 4+14 patients(56.7％),3+17 patients(43.3％),NT-proBNP(1 934.1±1 973.5)pg/ml,1 patient(3.3％)used high-dose vasoactive drugs during surgery.All patients did not experience nausea,vomiting,delirium,respiratory depression,perioperative transesophageal echocardiography-related gastrointestinal bleeding,pericardial effusion,cerebrovascular accidents,emergency surgery or secondary intervention,or other serious adverse events within 24 hours after surgery.No 30-day all-cause death occurred;the mean postoperative hospital stay was(7.4±2.8)days.All patients completed one-year follow-up,LVEF(37.6±11.1)％,the end-diastolic volume of the left ventricle(63.2±8.6)mm,mitral regurgitation 2+7 patients(23.3％),1+23 patients(76.7％),NT-proBNP(1 949.2±2 576.6)pg/ml.Conclusions Ultra-fast track anesthesia can be safely applied to TEER in treating functional mitral regurgitant patients.

An innovative on-site real-time avian influenza virus(AIV)detection method was estab-lished by integratingrecombinase-aided amplification(RAA)with the clustered regularly inter-spaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein(Cas)system.After analy-zing 120 sequences of the M gene of avian influenza viruses of different subtypes publicly available on NCBI,the RAA primers and crRNA were designed based on the identified highly conserved segment and used for RAA nucleic acid amplification.After the amplified products were transferred to a CRISPR/Cas13a detection system,the fluorescence values were monitored throughout the re-action process to indicate the results.The sensitivity and specificity of the RAA-CRISPR/Cas13a method were validated using gradient dilutions(106-100 copies/μL)of positive plasmids and sev-en other avian viruses.Fifty clinical samples were tested using this method and compared with the national standard fluorescence RT-PCR method.The results indicated that the detection limit for RAA-CRISPR/Cas13a method was 102 copies/μL,a two-fold improvement over the standard RAA.Specificity assay showed the established method only detected AIV with no cross-reactivity with other seven avian viruses.Compared to the national standard fluorescence RT-PCR method,this method exhibited 100％specificity,95.24％accuracy,and 98.00％consistency in detection of clinical samples.In conclusion,a universal and rapid RAA-CRISPR/Cas13a for detection of AIV was established with the capacity of achieving detection within 60 minutes at 37 ℃,which provides a rapid,sensitive,and specific on-site detection method for AIV.

Aim To investigate the effect of Dahuang Tangluo pills(DHTL)on NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)/cysteine aspartate proteolytic enzyme-1(caspase-1)/apodermic D(GSDMD)pathway-media-ted pyroptosis in db/db mice with diabetic kidney dis-ease(DKD)and the underlying mechanism.Methods Eight db/m mice were selected as control group,and forty db/db mice were randomly divided into mod-el group,low dose group,medium dose group,high dose group and dapagliflozin group,with eight mice in each group.The control group and model group were given equal volume normal saline intragastric adminis-tration,the low,medium and high dose groups were given DHTL solution of 0.9,1.8 and 3.6 mg·kg-1,respectively,and the dapagliflozin group was given dapagliflozin tablet solution of 1.5 mg·kg-1,and the six groups were given intragastric administration once a day for 10 weeks.The body weight of mice was meas-ured daily and the dose was adjusted during adminis-tration.Fasting blood glucose(FBG)and body weight were measured after administration.The levels of 24-hour urinary total protein(24h-UTP),blood creatinine(Scr)and urea nitrogen(BUN)were measured by au-tomatic biochemical analyzer.The levels of interleukin-1 β(IL-1β),interleukin-6(IL-6),interleukin-18(IL-18)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in re-nal tissue of mice were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The pathological changes of renal tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.The DNA damage in mouse kid-ney tissue was observed using in situ end labeling(TUNEL)staining.The mRNA and protein expres-sions of NLRP3,caspase-1 and GSDMD in mouse kid-ney tissues were detected by Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot.Results Compared with the control group,FBG,body weight,IL-1β,IL-6,IL-18 and TNF-α in the model group significantly increased(P＜0.01).The mRNA and protein expressions of NLRP3,caspase-1 and GSDMD in mouse kidney tis-sues significantly increased(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the levels of FBG,body weight,IL-1β,IL-6,IL-18 and TNF-α in each administration group significantly decreased(P＜0.05).The patho-logical morphology of renal tissue was improved in dif-ferent degrees,and the number of positive cells in re-nal tissue was significantly reduced(P＜0.05).The mRNA and protein expressions of NLRP3,caspase-1 and GSDMD in renal tissue of mice in high and medi-um dose of DHTL and dapagliflozin group significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusions DHTL can im-prove the renal injury of DKD,and its mechanism may be through the regulation of NLRP3/caspase-1/GSD-MD pathway to inhibit pyroptosis and relieve the in-flammatory response of DKD mice.

Aim To investigate the mechanism of py-roptosis mediated by the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway and the intervention effect of Radix Angelica Sinensis and Radix Astragalus ultrafiltration extract(RAS-RA)in radiation-induced pulmonary fi-brosis.Methods Fifty Wistar rats were randomly di-vided into five groups,with ten rats in each group.Ex-cept for the blank control group,all other groups of rats were anesthetized and received a single dose of 40 Gy X-ray local chest radiation to establish a radiation-in-duced pulmonary fibrosis rat model.After radiation,the rats in the RAS-RA intervention groups were orally administered doses of 0.12,0.24 and 0.48 g·kg-1 once a day for 30 days.The average weight and lung index of the rats were observed after 30 days of contin-uous administration.Hydroxyproline(HYP)content in lung tissue was determined by hydrolysis method.The levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β in serum were detected by ELISA.Lung tissue pathological changes were ob-served by HE and Masson staining.Ultrastructural changes in lung tissue were observed by transmission e-lectron microscopy.The expression levels of NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway-related proteins and fibrosis-related proteins in lung tissue were detec-ted by Western blot.Results Compared with the blank group,the HYP content in lung tissue and the levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β in serum significantly in-creased in the model group(P＜0.01).HE and Mas-son staining showed inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition.Transmission electron mi-croscopy revealed increased damaged mitochondria,disordered arrangement,irregular morphology,shallow matrix,outer membrane rupture,mostly fractured and shortened cristae,mild expansion,increased electron density of individual mitochondrial matrix,mild sparse structure of lamellar bodies,partial disorder,unclear organelles,and characteristic changes of pyroptosis.Western blot analysis showed increased expression of caspase-1,GSDMD,NLRP3,CoL-Ⅰ,α-SMA,and CoL-Ⅲ proteins(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the RAS-RA intervention group showed signifi-cant improvement in body mass index and lung index of rats,decreased levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β inflammatory factors(P＜0.01),improved mitochondrial structure,reduced degree of fibrosis,and decreased expression of caspase-1,GSDMD,NLRP3,COL-Ⅰ,COL-Ⅲ,and α-SMA proteins in lung tissue(P＜0.01).Conclusion RAS-RA has an inhibitory effect on radiation-in-duced pulmonary fibrosis,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of pyroptosis through the regu-lation of the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway.

Sepsis is a potentially fatal condition characterized by the failure of one or more organs due to a disordered host response to infection. The development of sepsis is closely linked to immune dysfunction. As a result, immunotherapy has gained traction as a promising approach to sepsis treatment, as it holds the potential to reverse immunosuppression and restore immune balance, thereby improving the prognosis of septic patients. However, due to the highly heterogeneous nature of sepsis, it is crucial to carefully select the appropriate patient population for immunotherapy. This review summarizes the current and evolved treatments for sepsis-induced immunosuppression to enhance clinicians' understanding and practical application of immunotherapy in the management of sepsis.

With the rapid society development and broad recognition of "Healthy China", the demands for good life and health are increasing. Accordingly, the concept of "food and medicine homologous" have been attractive. The concept of "food and medicine homologous" has a long history in China, and is an essence of various ideas in traditional Chinese medicine, such as diet therapy, medicated diet, regimen and preventive treatment of disease, representing an important field in health science. Many studies have found that the active ingredients of "food and medicine homologous" substances are multiple types, multiple mechanisms and multiple targets, exerting their biological effects after oral administration and chemical or metabolic transformation. In this review, the chemical basis and biological principles of various "food and medicine homologous" substances were summarized as compounds, biological macromolecules and intestinal flora. By focusing on the intestinal flora, we discussed the detailed biological principles of several classic "food and medicine homologous" substances. The scientific significance of "food and medicine homologous" concept were also discussed. This review explores the concept of "food and medicine homologous" from the perspective of modern medicine, in order to provide insights for future drug development and human health.