ObjectiveTo perform a multi-source data fusion analysis of the clinical literature on traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） treatment of gout， explore the front hotspots in this field， and mine the clinical consensus and medication patterns in the TCM treatment of gout with the syndrome of dampness-heat accumulation， thus providing reference for the standardized treatment of this disease. MethodsCNKI， Wanfang， and VIP were searched for the relevant literature. COOC14.9/VOSviewer was used to perform multi-source data fusion analysis of clinical literature on the TCM treatment of gout and construct a visual knowledge map for exploring the research hotspots and frontiers of the TCM treatment of gout. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Support System （V3.0） was used to establish the database of TCM treatment of gout with the syndrome of dampness-heat accumulation and explore the medication pattern and prescription characteristics. ResultsThe number of published clinical articles on the TCM treatment of gout has remained high. The research hotspots included comparative studies on the etiology and pathogenesis of gout， identification and typing， prescription composition， and clinical efficacy. A large amount of data has been accumulated in the medicine use experience and the summarization of therapeutic effects. The medication patterns in the TCM treatment of gout with the syndrome of dampness-heat accumulation were mined from the articles that were published during 2019-2023. It was revealed that clinically used drugs can be categorized into 9 groups according to their efficacy. Among them， the drugs with the effects of promoting urination and draining dampness were the richest and had the highest frequency. Meanwhile， the drugs with the effects of resolving dampness and expelling wind-dampness were also commonly used in clinical practice. The combined use of drugs with effects of eliminating dampness， resolving dampness， and expelling dampness plays a key role in the treatment of gout with the syndrome of dampness-heat accumulation. Secondly， heat-clearing drugs are also commonly used， with the types and frequency close to those of urination-promoting and dampness-draining drugs. In addition， drugs with the effects of activating blood and eliminating stasis are commonly prescribed. The prescriptions modified from Simiaowan were commonly used， and the most commonly used drug was Coicis Semen. The analysis of drug combination applications and core drug combinations showed that the core drugs used in the treatment of gout with the syndrome of dampness-heat accumulation were Coicis Semen， Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex， Atractylodis Rhizoma， Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix， Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma， Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma， Alismatis Rhizoma， and Clematidis Radix et Rhizoma， which were closely related. Coicis Semen was an assistant and guide drug in Simiaowan， while it was the most commonly used in the treatment of gout with the syndrome of dampness-heat accumulation. ConclusionsClinical studies on the TCM treatment of gout are in-depth and diverse， and the core medicinal combination was essentially modified Simiaowan. Coicis Semen， with the highest frequency， has a special efficacy in the treatment of gout with the syndrome of dampness-heat accumulation and is worthy of further in-depth study.

Linxian County in Henan Province, Northern China is known as the region with the highest incidence and mortality rate of esophageal cancer worldwide. Since 1959, the Henan medical team has conducted field work on esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian. Through three generations of effort exerted by oncologists over 65 years of research on esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian, the incidence rate of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in this area has dropped by nearly 50%, and the 5-year survival rate has increased to 40%, reaching the international leading level. This article aims to summarize the history, present opportunities and new challenges, and explore the experience of esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian (referred to as the “Linxian experience”), providing reference and guidance to cancer prevention and treatment research in China.

Intestinal fibrosis is a significant clinical challenge in inflammatory bowel diseases, but no effective anti-fibrotic therapy is currently available. Glucagon receptor (GCGR) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R) are both peptide hormone receptors involved in energy metabolism of epithelial cells. However, their role in intestinal fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Herein GCGR and GLP1R were found to be reduced in the stenotic ileum of patients with Crohn's disease as well as in the fibrotic colon of mice with chronic colitis. The downregulation of GCGR and GLP1R led to the accumulation of the metabolic byproduct lactate, resulting in histone H3K9 lactylation and exacerbated intestinal fibrosis through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Dual activating GCGR and GLP1R by peptide 1907B reduced the H3K9 lactylation in epithelial cells and ameliorated intestinal fibrosis in vivo. We uncovered the role of GCGR/GLP1R in regulating EMT involved in intestinal fibrosis via histone lactylation. Simultaneously activating GCGR/GLP1R with the novel dual agonist peptide 1907B holds promise as a treatment strategy for alleviating intestinal fibrosis.

Andrographolide sulfonate (AS) is a sulfonated derivative of andrographolide extracted from Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees, and has been approved for several decades in China. The present study aimed to investigate the novel therapeutic application and possible mechanisms of AS in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Results indicated that administration of AS by injection or gavage significantly reduced the paw swelling, improved body weights, and attenuated pathological changes in joints of rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis. Additionally, the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1β in the serum and ankle joints were reduced. Bioinformatics analysis, along with the spleen index and measurements of IL-17 and IL-10 levels, suggested a potential relationship between AS and Th17 cells under arthritic conditions. In vitro, AS was shown to block Th17 cell differentiation, as evidenced by the reduced percentages of CD4⁺ IL-17A⁺ T cells and decreased expression levels of RORγt, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, and IL-22, without affecting the cell viability and apoptosis. This effect was attributed to the limited glycolysis, as indicated by metabolomics analysis, reduced glucose uptake, and pH measurements. Further investigation revealed that AS might bind to hexokinase2 (HK2) to down-regulate the protein levels of HK2 but not glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) or pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), and overexpression of HK2 reversed the inhibition of AS on Th17 cell differentiation. Furthermore, AS impaired the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signals in vivo and in vitro, which was abolished by the addition of lactate. In conclusion, AS significantly improved adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) in rats by inhibiting glycolysis-mediated activation of PI3K/AKT to restrain Th17 cell differentiation.
Animals ; Th17 Cells/immunology* ; Diterpenes/pharmacology* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/immunology* ; Glycolysis/drug effects* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Rats ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Humans ; Andrographis paniculata/chemistry* ; Arthritis, Experimental/drug therapy* ; Interleukin-17/immunology* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects*

Petroleum hydrocarbon pollution has become one of the global environmental problems, posing a serious threat to the environment and human health. Microbial remediation plays an important role in the remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated environment. Nevertheless, the stress factors present in the environment polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons limit the effectiveness of microbial remediation. This paper reviews the common stress factors in petroleum hydrocarbon-polluted environment and the response mechanisms of microorganisms to these factors. Furthermore, we introduce the methods to improve microbial tolerance, such as irrational modification, rational modification based on systems biology tools or tolerance mechanisms, and the construction of microbial consortia. The application of these methods is expected to improve the viability and remediation efficiency of microorganisms in petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated environment and provide new perspectives and technical support for environmental remediation.
Biodegradation, Environmental ; Petroleum/metabolism* ; Hydrocarbons/isolation & purification* ; Bacteria/genetics* ; Environmental Pollutants/isolation & purification* ; Petroleum Pollution

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of Dengue virus (DENV) infection among voluntary blood donors in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, and to evaluate the necessity of implementing nucleic acid testing (NAT) for blood donors during the rainy season (May-October). Methods: Prior to initiating donor screening, the Xishuangbanna Central Blood Center conducted in-house validation of reagent performance and participated in external quality assessment (EQA) organized by the National Center for Clinical Laboratories (NCCL). During the surveillance period (August-October 2024), a total of 2 919 donor samples were screened using a 6-sample mini-pool NAT strategy. Daily internal quality controls were recorded. Samples that tested positive in pooled screening were deconvoluted and retested in duplicate; only those reactive in both replicate wells were sent to the NCCL for confirmatory testing. At NCCL, samples underwent re-testing using five domestic NAT reagents, as well as serological assays for NS1 antigen and DENV-specific IgG/IgM. Confirmed positive samples were further characterized by serotyping, envelope (E) gene sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis using the maximum likelihood method. Results: The DENV NAT reagent demonstrated consistent detection of 40 copies/mL controls in individual donor (ID)-NAT test (mean CT: 35.61±0.40). During the 63-day quality control monitoring, DENV detection remained stable (mean CT: 22.53±0.72). The center achieved full marks in EQA assessments for 2023 and 2024. Three reactive pools were identified in initial screening, and subsequent individual testing confirmed three DENV RNA-positive donors (sample numbers: 2401, 2402, and 2403). The confirmatory test results from NCCL were: all five NAT platforms consistently detected DENV RNA in the three samples; for serological tests, 2 samples (2402, 2403) were positive for NS1 antigen, while all three samples were negative for both IgG and IgM antibodies. DENV serotyping reagents identified DENV-2 in all cases, which were further confirmed as DENV-2 Genotype Ⅱ-Cosmopolitan by E gene sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that samples 2401 and 2402 clustered with Southeast Asian strains (Thailand/MZ636802.1, Laos/PQ775621.1), while sample 2403 closely matched a previously reported local Yunnan strain (PV544686.1). Conclusion: DENV-2 infection was detected among blood donors in Xishuangbanna during the rainy season, indicating concurrent risks of imported and local transmission. We recommend implementing pooled NAT screening for blood donors in high-risk areas during dengue epidemic seasons, along with strengthened laboratory quality control, to enhance blood safety.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and possible mechanism of Shenfu Injection （参附注射液） on rat cardiomyocyte injury induced by isoproterenol from the perspective of regulating the high mobility group protein B1 （HMGB1）/ Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/nuclear factor κB （NF-κB） pathway through the deacetylation modification of silent information regulator 1 （SIRT1）. MethodsThe optimal concentration and intervention duration of isoproterenol hydrochloride and the optimal intervention concentration of Shenfu Injection were screened out by CCK-8 method. Logarithmically growing H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes were taken at 5×10⁴ cells/well and divided into normal group， model group， Shenfu Injection group， and SIRT1 inhibitor group， with 3 replicates in each group.Except for the normal group， the cells in the other groups were induced by isoproterenol hydrochloride to establish a chronic heart failure cell model. After modeling， the Shenfu Injection group was given Shenfu Injection at the optimal intervention concentration， and the SIRT1 inhibitor group was given 1 μmol/L of SIRT1 inhibitor EX-527， for optimal intervention duration.CCK-8 assay was used to detect the cell activity and calculate the inhibitory rate. ELISA assay was used to detect the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidation state/ nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduction state （NAD+/NADH） in cardiomyocytes. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the immunofluorescence localization of HMGB1 and SIRT1 in cardiomyocytes. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of acetylated HMGB1 in cardiomyocytes， HMGB1 in the nucleus and cytoplasm， and SIRT1， TLR4， myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MYD88） and NF-κB p65 in cardiomyocytes. RT-qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of SIRT1， HMGB1， TLR4， MYD88 and NF-κB p65 in cardiomyocytes. ResultsThe optimal intervention concentration of isoproterenol hydrochloride was 300 μmol/L， and the intervention duration was 48 hours； 8% was the optimal intervention concentration of Shenfu Injection. Compared to those in the normal group， the cell activity， NAD+/NADH value， nuclear HMGB1 protein expression， cardiomyocyte SIRT1 protein and mRNA expression in the model group decreased， while the cell inhibition rate， cardiomyocyte acetylated HMGB1 and cytoplasmic HMGB1 protein expression， cardiomyocyte TLR4， MYD88， NF-κB p65 protein and mRNA expression all increased （P＜0.05）； fluorescence localization showed that the content of HMGB1 in cardiomyocytes in the model group increased and was localized in both the nucleus and cytoplasm.Compared to the model group and the SIRT1 inhibitor group， the Shenfu Injection group showed significant improvements in all the above indicators （P＜0.05）； fluorescence localization showed that the SIRT1 content increased in the Shenfu injection group， while the HMGB1 content decreased， and was mainly located in the nucleus. ConclusionShenfu Injection can improve myocardial cell damage by increasing SIRT1 expression to reduce the acetylation level of HMGB1， regulating the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB pathway and inhibiting the nuclear translocation of HMGB1.

Objective:To evaluate the 10-year protective effect and immunogenicity of quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in Chinese women aged 20 to 45 years.Methods:From October 2019 to April 2020, a long-term follow-up study was conducted on the subjects of the Phase III clinical trial of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (NCT00834106). Participants underwent a questionnaire survey, venous blood sampling, gynecological examination, cervical exfoliated cell pathology examination, and serum neutralizing antibody titers for HPV-6, 11, 16, and 18 were measured using a pseudovirus neutralization assay. The results of the cytological examination and the positive rate and titers of serum antibodies of different cervical exfoliated cells were compared.Results:A total of 889 subjects were followed up, including 240 in the control group, 453 in the vaccination group and 196 in the post-trial vaccination group. The age of the control group was (40±7) years old, which was higher than that of the supplementary vaccination group and the vaccination group [(38±4) and (38±6) years old, respectively] ( P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in condom use and sexual frequency among all groups (all P values>0.05). The abnormal proportion of cervical exfoliation cytopathology in the vaccination group was 3.7% (17/453), which was significantly lower than that in the control group [9.6% (23/240)] and post-trial vaccination group [5.6% (11/196)] ( P<0.05). There were two cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 1 in the vaccination group, two cases of CIN grade 1 and three cases of CIN grade 2 and above in the control group, and no CIN grade 1 and above cases in the post-trial vaccination group. The positive rate of HPV-18 antibody was 35.5% (161/453) in the vaccination group and 76.0% (149/196) in the post-trial vaccination group, which was significantly lower than that of other types ( P<0.05). The neutralizing antibody GMT ratio between the vaccination group and the control group ranged from 2.62 to 25.33 (9.05 to 83.08). Conclusion:Protective neutralizing antibodies are sustained in Chinese women aged 20 to 45 years after ten years of vaccination with quadrivalent HPV vaccine.

Objective:This study aims to compare the antiviral treatment similarities and differences in the population covered by the 2024 version of the World Health Organization's (WHO) hepatitis B prevention and treatment guidelines and the current Chinese hepatitis B prevention and treatment guidelines, so as to explore their impact on the indications for antiviral therapy in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).Methods:The information of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection who did not receive antiviral treatment was collected through the registration database of the China Clinical Research Platform for Hepatitis B Elimination. Descriptive statistics were conducted on the demographic, blood, biochemical, and virological levels of patients according to the treatment recommendations of the two versions of the guidelines. The Mann-Whitney U test and χ2 test were used to compare the differences and proportional distribution of the treatment populations covered by the two guidelines. The χ2 test was used to analyze the coverage rate of different antiviral treatment indications.Results:A total of 21,134 CHB patients without antiviral treatment were enrolled. 69.4% of patients met the 2024 versions of the WHO guidelines' recommendations. 85.0% of patients met the current Chinese hepatitis B prevention and treatment guidelines. The WHO guidelines for antiviral therapy indications were met in younger patients with higher levels of ALT, AST, and APRI scores, as well as greater proportion of patients with higher viral loads (P<0.001). The WHO guidelines recommended a cut-off value of APRI>0.5, which raised the proportion of patients on antiviral therapy from 6.6% to 30.9%. 45.7% of patients met the antiviral indications for HBV DNA >2000 IU/ml with abnormal transaminase (ALT>30 U/L for males and ALT>19 U/L for females). The reduced APRI diagnostic cut-off value and ALT treatment threshold had further increased the treatment coverage rate by 91.6% in patients with chronic HBV infection in line with the 2024 versions of WHO guidelines.Conclusion:The reduction of the APRI diagnostic cut-off value and the ALT treatment threshold, based on the current hepatitis B guidelines of China, will further improve the treatment coverage of CHB patients.

Objective:To evaluate the 10-year protective effect and immunogenicity of quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in Chinese women aged 20 to 45 years.Methods:From October 2019 to April 2020, a long-term follow-up study was conducted on the subjects of the Phase III clinical trial of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (NCT00834106). Participants underwent a questionnaire survey, venous blood sampling, gynecological examination, cervical exfoliated cell pathology examination, and serum neutralizing antibody titers for HPV-6, 11, 16, and 18 were measured using a pseudovirus neutralization assay. The results of the cytological examination and the positive rate and titers of serum antibodies of different cervical exfoliated cells were compared.Results:A total of 889 subjects were followed up, including 240 in the control group, 453 in the vaccination group and 196 in the post-trial vaccination group. The age of the control group was (40±7) years old, which was higher than that of the supplementary vaccination group and the vaccination group [(38±4) and (38±6) years old, respectively] ( P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in condom use and sexual frequency among all groups (all P values>0.05). The abnormal proportion of cervical exfoliation cytopathology in the vaccination group was 3.7% (17/453), which was significantly lower than that in the control group [9.6% (23/240)] and post-trial vaccination group [5.6% (11/196)] ( P<0.05). There were two cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 1 in the vaccination group, two cases of CIN grade 1 and three cases of CIN grade 2 and above in the control group, and no CIN grade 1 and above cases in the post-trial vaccination group. The positive rate of HPV-18 antibody was 35.5% (161/453) in the vaccination group and 76.0% (149/196) in the post-trial vaccination group, which was significantly lower than that of other types ( P<0.05). The neutralizing antibody GMT ratio between the vaccination group and the control group ranged from 2.62 to 25.33 (9.05 to 83.08). Conclusion:Protective neutralizing antibodies are sustained in Chinese women aged 20 to 45 years after ten years of vaccination with quadrivalent HPV vaccine.