Microbial detection and control of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) decoction pieces are crucial for the quality control of TCM preparations. It is also a key area of research in the measurement technology and equipment development for TCM manufacturing. Guided by TCM manufacturing measurement methodologies, this study presented a design of a novel portable microbial detection device, using Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma decoction pieces as a demonstration. Immunomagnetic separation technology was employed for specific isolation and labeling of target microorganisms. Enzymatic signal amplification was utilized to convert weak biological signals into colorimetric signals, constructing an optical biosensor. A self-developed smartphone APP was further applied to analyze the colorimetric signals and quantify target concentrations. A portable and automated detection system based on Arduino microcontroller was developed to automatically perform target microbial separation/extraction, as well as mimetic enzyme labeling and catalytic reactions. The developed equipment specifically focuses on the rapid and quantitative microbial analysis of TCM active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates in TCM manufacturing, and final TCM products. Experimental results demonstrate that the equipment could detect Salmonella in samples within 2 h, with a detection limit as low as 5.1 × 10~3 CFU·mL~(-1). The equipment enables the rapid detection of microorganisms in TCM decoction pieces, providing a potential technical solution for on-site rapid screening of microbial contamination indicators in TCM. It has broad application prospects in measurement technology for TCM manufacturing and offers strong technical support for the modernization, industrialization, and intelligent development of TCM.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Atractylodes/microbiology* ; Rhizome/microbiology* ; Biosensing Techniques/methods* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Colorimetry/instrumentation* ; Quality Control

Testicular histology based on testicular biopsy is an important factor for determining appropriate testicular sperm extraction surgery and predicting sperm retrieval outcomes in patients with azoospermia. Therefore, we developed a deep learning (DL) model to establish the associations between testicular grayscale ultrasound images and testicular histology. We retrospectively included two-dimensional testicular grayscale ultrasound from patients with azoospermia (353 men with 4357 images between July 2017 and December 2021 in The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China) to develop a DL model. We obtained testicular histology during conventional testicular sperm extraction. Our DL model was trained based on ultrasound images or fusion data (ultrasound images fused with the corresponding testicular volume) to distinguish spermatozoa presence in pathology (SPP) and spermatozoa absence in pathology (SAP) and to classify maturation arrest (MA) and Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS) in patients with SAP. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were used to analyze model performance. DL based on images achieved an AUC of 0.922 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.908-0.935), a sensitivity of 80.9%, a specificity of 84.6%, and an accuracy of 83.5% in predicting SPP (including normal spermatogenesis and hypospermatogenesis) and SAP (including MA and SCOS). In the identification of SCOS and MA, DL on fusion data yielded better diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.979 (95% CI: 0.969-0.989), a sensitivity of 89.7%, a specificity of 97.1%, and an accuracy of 92.1%. Our study provides a noninvasive method to predict testicular histology for patients with azoospermia, which would avoid unnecessary testicular biopsy.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/diagnostic imaging* ; Deep Learning ; Testis/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Ultrasonography/methods* ; Sperm Retrieval ; Sertoli Cell-Only Syndrome/diagnostic imaging*

Objective： To investigate the effects of 3D laparoscopic radical resection prostatectomy(LRP) on urinary control and sexual function of patients with prostatic cancer. Methods： A total of 268 patients who were treated with LRP in the Fifth People's Hospital of Huai'an City from January 2019 to May 2022 were selected and divided into 2 groups according to surgical methods, with 134 cases in each group. The patients in the control group were treated with traditional LRP, and the 3D LRP was used in the observation group. The clinical effects of the two groups were compared. Results： The patients in observation group had less blood loss (［135.62±13.58］ mL vs ［143.18±14.89］ mL) and shorter indwelling catheter time (［8.26±1.47］ d vs ［9.78±1.73］ d) compared with control group, but the operation time (［160.52±10.78］ min vs ［154.47±10.41］ min) was longer than that in the control group (P<0.05). The recovery of sexual function and urinary control in the observation group was better than that in the control group after 3, 6 and 12 months of the surgery(P<0.05). After one month of surgery, the scores of ICIQ-SF and 1h urine pad test were lower than those of the control group. The EPIC-UIN score（［72.63±6.85］ points vs ［67.15±5.09］ points）of the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The patients in the observation group had lower level of residual urine volume（［60.26±6.63］mL vs ［76.89±7.89］mL）, higher maximum urine flow rate（［7.52±0.46］mL/s vs ［6.17±0.43］mL/s） and detrusor pressure（［85.19±7.18］mL vs ［76.29±6.85］mL） at maximum urine flow rate compared with the control group (P<0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of complications between the observation group and the control group (5.97% vs8.27%，P>0.05). The recurrence rate of tumor 3 years after operation in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (11.94% vs 29.10%, χ2=12.102, P<0.05). Conclusion： 3D LRP has obvious advantages in surgical clarity and precision, which reduces the risk of postoperative complications and improves urinary control ability and sexual function of patients.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatectomy/methods* ; Laparoscopy/methods* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/surgery* ; Urination ; Middle Aged ; Aged

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic potential of pseudolaric acid B (PAB) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its underlying molecular mechanism in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Eight-week-old male C57BL/6J mice (n=32) were fed either a normal chow diet (NCD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks. The HFD mice were divided into 3 groups according to a simple random method, including HFD, PAB low-dose [10 mg/(kg·d), PAB-L], and PAB high-dose [20 mg/(kg·d), PAB-H] groups. After 8 weeks of treatment, glucose metabolism and insulin resistance were assessed by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT). Biochemical assays were used to measure the serum and cellular levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). White adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT) and liver tissue were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining or Oil Red O staining to observe the alterations in adipose tissue and liver injury. PharmMapper and DisGeNet were used to predict the NAFLD-related PAB targets. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) pathway involvement was suggested by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and search tool Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) analyses. Luciferase reporter assay, cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), and drug affinity responsive target stability assay (DARTS) were conducted to confirm direct binding of PAB with PPARα. Molecular dynamics simulations were applied to further validate target engagement. RT-qPCR and Western blot were performed to assess the downstream genes and proteins expression, and validated by PPARα inhibitor MK886. RESULTS: PAB significantly reduced serum TC, TG, LDL-C, AST, and ALT levels, and increased HDL-C level in HFD mice (P<0.01). Target prediction analysis indicated a significant correlation between PAB and PPARα pathway. PAB direct target binding with PPARα was confirmed through luciferase reporter assay, CETSA, and DARTS (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The target engagement between PAB and PPARα protein was further confirmed by molecular dynamics simulations and the top 3 amino acid residues, LEU321, MET355, and PHE273 showed the most significant changes in mutational energy. Subsequently, PAB upregulated the genes expressions involved in lipid metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis downstream of PPARα (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Significantly, the PPARα inhibitor MK886 effectively reversed the lipid-lowering and PPARα activation properties of PAB (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION PAB mitigates lipid accumulation, ameliorates liver damage, and improves mitochondrial biogenesis by binding with PPARα, thus presenting a potential candidate for pharmaceutical development in the treatment of NAFLD.
Animals ; PPAR alpha/metabolism* ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/pathology* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Lipid Metabolism/drug effects* ; Diterpenes/therapeutic use* ; Organelle Biogenesis ; Diet, High-Fat ; Humans ; Mice ; Liver/metabolism* ; Insulin Resistance ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Molecular Docking Simulation

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect and safety of acupuncture manipulation on treatment of intractable facial paralysis (IFP), and verify the practicality and precision of the Anzhong Facial Paralysis Precision Scale (Eyelid Closure Grading Scale, AFPPS-ECGS). METHODS: A multicentre, single-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted from October 2022 to June 2024. Eighty-nine IFP participants were randomly assigned to an ordinary acupuncture group (OAG, 45 cases) and a characteristic acupuncture group (CAG, 44 cases) using a random number table method. The main acupoints selected included Yangbai (GB 14), Quanliao (SI 18), Yingxiang (LI 20), Shuigou (GV 26), Dicang (ST 4), Chengjiang (CV 24), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Jiache (ST 6), Fengchi (GB 20), and Hegu (LI 4). The OAG patients received ordinary acupuncture manipulation, while the CAG received characteristic acupuncture manipulation. Both groups received acupuncture treatment 3 times a week, with 10 times per course, lasting for 10 weeks. Facial recovery was assessed at baseline and after the 1st, 2nd and 3rd treatment course by AFPPS-ECGS and the House-Brackmann (H-B) Grading Scale. Infrared thermography technology was used to observe the temperature difference between healthy and affected sides in various facial regions. Adverse events and laboratory test abnormalities were recorded. The correlation between the scores of the two scales was analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: After the 2nd treatment course, the two groups showed statistically significant differences in AFPPS-ECGS scores (P<0.05), with even greater significance after the 3rd course (P<0.01). Similarly, H-B Grading Scale scores demonstrated significant differences between groups following the 3rd treatment course (P<0.05). Regarding temperature measurements, significant differences in temperatures of frontal and ocular areas were observed after the 2nd course (P<0.05), becoming more pronounced after the 3rd course (P<0.01). Additionally, mouth corner temperature differences reached statistical significance by the 3rd course (P<0.05). No safety-related incidents were observed during the study. Correlation analysis revealed that the AFPPS-ECGS and the H-B Grading Scale were strongly correlated (r=0.86, 0.91, 0.93, and 0.91 at baseline, and after 1st, 2nd, and 3rd treatment course, respectively, all P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Acupuncture is an effective treatment for IFP, and the characteristic acupuncture manipulation enhances the therapeutic effect. The use of the AFPPS-ECGS can more accurately reflect the recovery status of patients with IFP. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR2200065442).
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Facial Paralysis/therapy* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Acupuncture Points ; Aged

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*

Purpose::To identify the risk factors for training-related lower extremity muscle injuries in young males by a non-invasive method of body composition analysis.Methods::A total of 282 healthy young male volunteers aged 18 -20 years participated in this cohort study. Injury location, degree, and injury rate were adjusted by a questionnaire based on the overuse injury assessment methods used in epidemiological studies of sports injuries. The occurrence of training injuries is monitored and diagnosed by physicians and treated accordingly. The body composition was measured using the BodyStat QuadScan 4000 multifrequency Bio-impedance system at 5, 50, 100 and 200 kHz to obtain 4 impedance values. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to check whether the data conformed to a normal distribution. Data of normal distribution were shown as mean ± SD and analyzed by t-test, while those of non-normal distribution were shown as median (Q 1, Q 3) and analyzed by Wilcoxon rank sum test. The receiver operator characteristic curve and logistic regression analysis were performed to investigate risk factors for developing training-related lower extremity injuries and accuracy. Results::Among the 282 subjects, 78 (27.7%) developed training injuries. Lower extremity training injuries revealed the highest incidence, accounting for 23.4% (66 cases). These patients showed higher percentages of lean body mass ( p = 0.001), total body water (TBW, p=0.006), extracellular water ( p=0.020) and intracellular water ( p=0.010) as well as a larger ratio of basal metabolic rate/total weight ( p=0.006), compared with those without lower extremity muscle injuries. On the contrary, the percentage of body fat ( p=0.001) and body fat mass index ( p=0.002) were lower. Logistic regression analysis showed that TBW percentage > 65.35% ( p=0.050, odds ratio =3.114) and 3rd space water > 0.95% ( p=0.045, odds ratio =2.342) were independent risk factors for lower extremity muscle injuries. Conclusion::TBW percentage and 3rd space water measured with bio-impedance method are potential risk factors for predicting the incidence of lower extremity muscle injuries in young males following training.

Objective To study the acupoint selection and medication rules of acupoint application as an advantageous therapy in treating stroke.Methods The clinical literature from CNKI,Wanfang,CBMdisc,and other databases were searched,and Excel 2013 was used to count the frequency of disease,acupoint selection,and medication,and to analyze the acupoint selection rules using SPSS 25.0 and SPSS Modeler.Results Finally,523 articles were included in the literature,among which,the literature on the treatment of post-stroke constipation with acupoint patch was the most,and the related literature was further screened to analyze the acupoint selection and medication rules,and it was concluded that the most frequently applied acupoints of acupoint application for the treatment of post-stroke constipation were Shenque(RN8),Tianshu(ST25),Zhongwan(RN12),Zusanli(ST36),and the acupoints were mainly taken from conception vessel,stomach meridian and gallbladder meridian,and the core prescriptions were Shenque,Tianshu,Zhongwan,Qihai(RN6),Guanyuan(RN4),Zusanli.For the treatment of post-stroke constipation,acupoint application is often used with Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,Aurantii Fructus Immaturus,Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis,Natrii Sulfas Exsiccatus and Borneolum Syntheticum,among which,warm and cold nature drugs are mainly used,and bitter drugs are most frequently used among five flavors,and most frequently enter to the spleen meridian;and the core prescription is Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,Aurantii Fructus Immaturus,Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis,Natrii Sulfas Exsiccatus and Borneolum Syntheticum.Conclusion Acupoint application is an advantageous treatment for treating post-stroke constipation.The selection of acupoints was based on the conception vessel and stomach meridian,and the medication used were mainly focusing on those with functions of unblocking the bowels and directing qi downward,supplemented by strengthening the spleen and benefiting qi,warming the meridians and nourishing the blood.

BACKGROUND:It has been shown that neural stem cells can differentiate into neurons,astrocytes,and oligodendrocytes.Mesenchymal stem cells-derived extracellular vesicles have also been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier to reach sites of central nervous injury and promote neural repair.However,it is not clear whether neuron-derived extracellular vesicles promote the differentiation of neural stem cells in a direction that is beneficial for neurogenesis. OBJECTIVE:To investigate whether neuron-derived extracellular vesicles facilitate neural stem cell differentiation towards neurogenesis. METHODS:Neurons and neural stem cells were extracted from neonatal SD rat cerebral cortex by trypsin digestion.Cell supernatants of neurons were collected.Neuron-derived extracellular vesicles were extracted.Neural stem cells cultured for 10 days were co-cultured with neuron-derived extracellular vesicles or PBS for 7 days.Immunoblotting,immunofluorescence,and RT-qPCR were used to detect proteins specifically expressed by neurons,neural stem cells,oligodendrocytes,and astrocytes. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The neural stem cells co-cultured with neuron-derived extracellular vesicles showed high expression of neuron-specific proteins and oligodendrocyte-specific proteins including β3-tubulin,neurofilament 200 and myelin basic protein,and low expression of astrocyte-specific protein glial fibrillary acidic protein.These results suggest that neuron-derived extracellular vesicles can promote the differentiation of neural stem cells into neurons and oligodendrocytes and prevent the differentiation of neural stem cells into astrocytes.

ObjectiveTo analyze the long-term trends of the disease burden of diabetes attributed to metabolic factors in China from 1990 to 2019, and provide scientific recommendations for diabetes prevention and control in China. MethodsDescriptive analysis was conducted on the disease burden data of diabetes attributed to metabolic factors in China from 1990 to 2019, obtained from GBD 2019, encompassing death form diabetes, disability-adjusted life years (DALY), years of life lost (YLL), and years lived with disability (YLD). Joinpoint regression models were employed to analyze the long-term trends in mortality and DALY rates. Furthermore, the study examined the impact of two metabolic risk factors, high fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels and high body mass index (BMI) levels, on the disease burden of diabetes. ResultsFrom 1990 to 2019, the overall standardized mortality and DALY rates attributed to metabolic factors for diabetes in the general population in China showed an upward trend, with both average annual percent changes (AAPCs) of 0.1% in the total population. The trend was upward in males with AAPCs of 0.9% and 0.6%, while it was downward in females with AAPCs of -0.4% and -0.3%. As age increased, the disease burden of diabetes attributed to metabolic factors showed an upward trend, with high FPG and high BMI ranking as the top two attributing risk factors. The disease burden of diabetes attributed to metabolic factors was higher in Chinese males than females. ConclusionThe disease burden of diabetes attributed to metabolic factors is increasing among the overall population and particularly among males, while the burden for female is declining. There is a need to increase intervention efforts for males aged 65 and above, provide scientific guidance on residents’ diet and lifestyle habits, and control blood glucose and body weight.