This article systematically analyzed the historical evolution of the origin， scientific name， producing area， quality evaluation， harvesting and processing， and other aspects of Quisqualis Fructus by consulting the ancient materia medica， medical books， prescription books， local literature and combining with the modern literature and standards， summarized and explored the development rules of its medicinal properties and efficacy along with their underlying causes， in order to provide support for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. According to the textual research， Shijunzi was first recorded as Liuqiuzi in Nanfang Caomuzhuang of the Jin dynasty， and the name of Shijunzi was first used in Kaibao Bencao of the Song dynasty， which has been consistently used throughout subsequent dynasties， and there were also aliases such as Junziren， Sijunzi， and Dujilizi. The mainstream source of Quisqualis Fructus used in the past dynasties has been the dried mature fruits of Quisqualis indica， a plant belonging to the family Combretaceae. In modern times， its variety Q. indica var. villosa has also been recorded as the medicinal material of Quisqualis Fructus. In 2007， the Flora of China（English edition） designated Q. indica var. villosa as a synonym of Q. indica. Today， the accepted name of Shijunzi is updated to Combretum indicum. According to ancient herbal records， the producing areas of Quisqualis Fructus were Guangdong， Hong Kong， Macao， Guangxi， Hainan， Sichuan and Fujian， and then gradually expanded to Yunnan， Taiwan， Jiangxi and Guizhou. Since the Song dynasty， two major production regions have gradually emerged in Sichuan， Chongqing and Fujian. Currently， it is primarily cultivated in Chongqing， Guangxi and other areas， with Chongqing yielding the highest output. Since modern times， superior quality has been defined by large size， a purple-black surface， plump grains， and a yellowish-white kernel. According to ancient herbal records， the harvesting period of Quisqualis Fructus was the July and August of the lunar calendar， mostly used raw after shelling or with the shell intact， it underwent processing methods such as cleaning， slicing， mixing， steaming， roasting， stewing， and frying. Currently， the harvesting period is autumn， followed by sun-drying or low-heat drying， with processing methods including cleaning， stir-frying， and stewing. In ancient and modern literature， the records of the properties， functions and indications of Quisqualis Fructus are basically the same， that is， sweet in taste， warm in nature， predominantly non-toxic， belonging to the spleen and stomach meridians. It possesses effects of insecticide， decontamination and invigorating spleen for ascariasis， enterobiasis， abdominal pain due to worm accumulation and infantile malnutrition.The contraindications for use primarily include avoiding consumption by individuals without parasitic infestations， limiting use for those with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold， refraining from drinking hot tea during medication， and avoiding excessive intake. Based on the textual research， it is suggested that the dried mature fruits of Q. indica should be used as the medicinal material for the development of famous classical formulas containing Quisqualis Fructus. Processing methods may be chosen according to prescription requirements， and the raw products is recommended for medicinal use if not specified.

Human NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is a flavoenzyme expressed at high levels in multiple solid tumors, making it an attractive target for anticancer drugs. Bioactivatable drugs targeting NQO1, such as β-lapachone (β-lap), are currently in clinical trials for the treatment of cancer. β-Lap selectively kills NQO1-positive (NQO1⁺) cancer cells by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) via catalytic activation of NQO1. In this study, we demonstrated that cryptotanshinone (CTS), a naturally occurring compound, induces NQO1-dependent necrosis without affecting NQO1 activity. CTS selectively kills NQO1⁺ cancer cells by inducing NQO1-dependent necrosis. Interestingly, CTS directly binds to NQO1 but does not activate its catalytic activity. In addition, CTS enables activation of JNK1/2 and PARP, accumulation of iron and Ca²⁺, and depletion of ATP and NAD⁺. Furthermore, CTS selectively suppressed tumor growth in the NQO1⁺ xenograft models, which was reversed by NQO1 inhibitor and NQO1 shRNA. In conclusion, CTS induces NQO1-dependent necrosis via the JNK1/2/iron/PARP/NAD⁺/Ca²⁺ signaling pathway. This study demonstrates the non-enzymatic function of NQO1 in inducing cell death and provides new avenues for the design and development of NQO1-targeted anticancer drugs.

Objective: To provide the mechanism-based pharmacotherapy of the Huatan Qushi formula (HTQS formula), for the health management and treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: A rat model of NAFLD was employed to examine the efficacy and safety of the HTQS formula. In vivo active components and potential mechanisms of the HTQS formula were identified using UPLC‒MS/MS combined with network pharmacology. The influence of the HTQS formula on the dominating proteins in PI3K/Akt pathway was validated in vivo using western blot. Finally, 16S rRNA sequencing of the gut microbiome was conducted followed by targeted metabolomics detecting fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bile acids to determine the impact of the HTQS formula on gut microbiota. Results: The HTQS formula reduced weight gain and hepatic steatosis in NAFLD rats and decreased serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, blood glucose, and insulin resistance (IR) without causing liver or kidney injury. We detected 28 components using UPLC‒MS/MS and identified 439 shared targets between NAFLD and the HTQS formula. Primarily, we focused on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway based on protein‒protein interaction network analysis. We validated that the HTQS formula inhibited liver steatosis and inflammation by increasing the phosphorylation levels of PI3K, AKT, P27, GSK3β in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that the HTQS formula reduced the abundance of the genus Family_XIII_AD3011_group, which was positively correlated with IR and taurodeoxycholic acid. In addition, Lachnospiraceae_UCG_010 inversely correlated with TC and five bile acids, which could be essential to the therapeutic effect of the HTQS formula against NAFLD. Conclusions The HTQS formula proved to be an effective pharmacotherapy for NAFLD without causing liver or kidney injury. Multiple potent components of the HTQS formula could alleviate liver steatosis and lipid metabolism disorder by modulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and restoring gut microbiota composition.

Objective To construct a predictive model for septic shock based on the propensity score matching (PSM) method and validate its effectiveness. Methods A total of 114 patients with sepsis were enrolled as study objects, and were divided into septic shock group (40 patients) and sepsis group (74 patients) according to whether they developed septic shock. PSM was performed with a ratio of septic shock to sepsis of 1∶2, resulting in the inclusion of 30 patients in the septic shock group and 60 patients in the sepsis group after matching. The levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), serum amyloid A (SAA), soluble endothelial protein C receptor (sEPCR), endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 (ESM-1), clusterin (CLU), and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score at admission were compared between the two groups. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to identify the factors influencing septic shock, and a predictive model for septic shock was constructed and internally validated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted to analyze the differences in survival prognosis among patients with different expression levels of the indicators. Results After matching, there were no statistically significant differences in general information between the two groups (P>0.05). At admission, the septic shock group had higher levels of serum PCT, CRP, SAA, IL-6, sEPCR, ESM-1, and higher APACHE Ⅱ and SOFA scores, as well as a lower level of serum CLU compared with the sepsis group (P < 0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that PCT, CRP, SAA, IL-6, sEPCR, ESM-1, APACHE Ⅱ score, and SOFA score were independent risk factors for septic shock (P < 0.05), while CLU was an independent protective factor (P < 0.05). The predictive model for septic shock, constructed based on these factors, showed an internal validation accuracy of 94.44%, an area under the curve of 0.950, a sensitivity of 93.33%, and a specificity of 96.67%. Dead patients had higher levels of PCT, CRP, SAA, IL-6, sEPCR, ESM-1, and higher APACHE Ⅱ and SOFA scores, as well as a lower level of CLU at admission compared with survivors (P < 0.05). Compared with patients with low expression levels or low scores, patients with high expression levels of PCT, CRP, SAA, IL-6, sEPCR, ESM-1, and high APACHE Ⅱ and SOFA scores had higher fatality rates, while patients with high CLU expression levels had a lower fatality rate (P < 0.05). Conclusion The serum biomarkers including PCT, CRP, SAA, IL-6, sEPCR, ESM-1, CLU, and the APACHE Ⅱ and SOFA scores in sepsis patients are closely related to the occurrence of septic shock and survival prognosis. The predictive model constructed by combining these indicators can accurately predict the occurrence of septic shock.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of the modified gasless unilateral axillary approach (MGUAA) endoscopic thyroid surgery in treatment of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) .Methods:From Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2019, 90 patients receiving PTMC (cT1N0M0, cI stage, 8th, 2017 AJCC) therapy by modified gasless unilateral axillary approach endoscopic thyroid surgery (MGUAA group, n=41) , and conventional open thyroid surgery (OS group, n=49) were retrospectively analyzed. Ninety patients were enrolled in the study, including 14 males and 76 females,with the mean age (42.1±12.0) years.The effectiveness of central lymph node dissection (CLND) , the operation time, the types of operation, the amount of drainage, the duration of hospital stay, the related complications, the postoperative pain of neck and axillary and the cosmetic satisfaction were compared between the two groups.SPSS 25.0 statistical software was used for statistical analysis, the measurement data was expressed by ±s, paired t test was used to compare the measurement data between groups, and Chi-square test was used to campare the count date between groups. Results:The mean age (35.0±8.6) years and the amount of surgical bleeding (12.3±7.3) ml in the MGUAA group were significantly lower than those (48.1±11.1) years and (16.1±4.3) ml in the OS group ( P<0.01) , while the mean operation time (99.1±19.5) min, the mean amount of drainage (221.4±67.9) ml and the postoperative drainage tube placement time (5.0±0.8) days were significantly higher than those of (70.6±17.8) min, (98.3±63.7) ml and (3.8±1.0) days in the MGUAA ( P<0.01) . There was no significant difference in the number of lymph nodes of CLND or the duration of hospital stay between the two groups ( P>0.05) . In terms of surgical complications, the transient recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, the postoperative hematoma, the postoperative infection, and the lymphatic leakage had no significant difference between the two groups ( P>0.05) . The MGUAA group had significant advantages in avoiding the postoperative dysphagia in front of neck, the postoperative pain of neck, and cosmetic satisfaction over the OS group [ (0.0% vs 28.6%) , (14.6% vs 71.4%) , (1.1±0.3) score vs (2.4±0.5) score ( P<0.01) ]. Whereas in axillary area pain on the surgical side, the MGUAA group was inferior to the OS group ( P<0.01) . Conclusion:The modified gasless unilateral axillary approach endoscopic thyroid surgery is a feasible, safe and cosmetically operation for PTMC (cT1N0M0, cI stage, 8th, 2017 AJCC) .

To explore whether the downregulation of protein phosphatase 2A catalytic subunit(PP2Ac)involved in the pathogenesis of mitochondria fission/fusion dynamics and functional imbalance induced by human tau accumulation. After cotransfection with mito-dsRed plasmids and pIRES-eGFP-tau40 plasmids 48 hours,the rat primary hippocampal neurons were observed with a laser scanning confocal microscope for their changes in shape and distribution of mitochondria.The expressions of mitochondria fission/fusion protein and PP2Ac and PP2Ab were detected by Western blotting.Furthermore,the shape and distribution of mitochondria of rat primary hippocampal neuron and wild type 293wt cells were assayed 48 hours after co-transfection with siPP2Ac-EGFP plasmids and mito-DsRed plasmids,and the fission/fusion dynamics of 293wt cells was captured with live cell time-lapse imaging after co-transfection with siPP2Ac plasmids and mito-Dendra2 plasmids.After transfection with siPP2Ac plasmids,the relative level of mitochondria fission/fusion protein of 293wt cells was assayed by Western blotting,and mitochondria membrane potential was detected by JC-1 staining,and the cellular viability was measured by CCK8 assay.Finally,the shape and distribution and membrane potential of mitochondria of HEK293 cells with stable transfection of htau40(293htau)were detected after co-transfection with PP2Ac and mito-dsRed plasmids. Human tau40 expression decreased distribution of mitochondria and significantly lowered PP2Ac level in primary hippocampal neuron(=4.814, =0.0086).Down-regulation of PP2Ac caused mitochondria elongation and perinuclear accumulation in primary hippocampal neuron and 293wt cells;in addition,down-regulation of PP2Ac in 293wt cells significantly increased mitochondria fusion rate(=2.857, =0.0074)and the levels of mitochondria fusion protein mitofusin(MFN)1(=6.768, =0.0025),MFN2(=3.121, =0.0035),and optic atrophy 1(=3.775, =0.0199);however,the levels of dynamin-like protein-1 and Fis1 remained unchanged.The down-regulation of PP2Ac in 293wt cells led to the significant decrease in mitochondria membrane potential(=2.300, =0.0270)and cell viability(=6.249, <0.0001).Finally,up-regulation of PP2Ac attenuated the abnormalities in the shape,distribution and function of mitochondria in the 293htau cells. Down-regulation of PP2Ac is involved in the abnormal shape and distribution of mitochondria and its dysfunction induced by human tau40 in rat primary hippocampal neurons and HEK293 cells.
Animals ; Catalytic Domain ; Down-Regulation ; HEK293 Cells ; Humans ; Mitochondria ; Protein Phosphatase 2 ; Rats ; tau Proteins

Objective To understand the cognitive level of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) disease management and pulmonary rehabilitation among medical staff in the respiratory departments and community of public health institutions in Panyu of Guangzhou, in order to assess the status of prevention and treatment of COPD in this area. Methods From March to October 2017, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 339 medical staff in Panyu, including respiratory doctors, nurses and therapists of four tertiary hospitals, five secondary hospitals, and three first-level hospitals, GPs, nurses and therapists at 16 community health service centres, among them, there are 147 respiratory and general practitioners (hereinafter referred to as doctors), 171 respiratory and general nurses (hereinafter collectively referred to as nurses), and 22 rehabilitation therapists (hereinafter collectively referred to as therapists). Using Epidata software to create questionnaire database entry data. Results The awareness rate of COPD airflow limitation severity of nurses was only 19.9％, which was lower than that of doctors (39.7％) and therapists (22.7％). Doctors, nurses, and therapists are familiar with the low percentage of the GOLD guidelines, which are respectively only 12.3％, 7.6％, and 4.5％. Nurses were diagnosed with pulmonary function as a basis for COPD, and the awareness rate was only 60.2％ lower than that of doctors (82.9％) and therapists (81.8％). In alleviating COPD patients′shortness of breath, only 31.8％therapists chose short-acting beta-agonists, lower than doctors (61％) and nurses (45％). There is disagreement about the long-term use of inhaled corticosteroids in COPD. Medical staff have the highest awareness of lip-reducing and abdominal breathing, followed by Taiji and Ba Duan Jin exercises, and low awareness of modern rehabilitation programs such as elastic bands, upper and lower limb exercises. The effective pulmonary rehabilitation program should last at least 8 weeks, and the awareness rate of this therapy practice was 40.9％, higher than doctors (13.7％) and nurses (18.1％). Medical staff believe that the main factors affecting patient compliance are the cost of the drug and the patient′s lack of understanding of the benefits of the treatment. Additionally, 40.4％ of doctors, 51.5％ of nurses, and 54.5％of therapists believe that community health services cannot manage COPD. The reasons that affect community management of COPD, doctors believe that patient compliance and lack of man power, nurses believe that the main shortage of manpower and equipment, the therapist believes that the lack of medical awareness and poor patient compliance. Conclusion Doctors, nurses, and therapists have inconsistent understandings of COPD disease management and pulmonary rehabilitation, and each has its own focus. It is necessary to strengthen learning exchanges for each weak knowledge point. The awareness rate of modern rehabilitation exercise for pulmonary rehabilitation is not as high as that of traditional Chinese medicine. It is necessary to pay attention to the promotion of the benefits and significance of COPD pulmonary rehabilitation treatment and improve compliance.

Objective To observe the changes of serum ferritin and 25-(OH) vitamin D3 in patients with diabetic cranial neuropathy.Methods There were 50 patients without diabetic Cranial neuropathy,46 patients with diabetic cranial neuropathy,and 40 cases of normal control group.The changes of serum ferritin and 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 were observed in each group.The correlation between two indexes and the correlation with diabetic cranial neuropathy were analzyzed.Results The serum ferritin levels in diabetic group and diabetic neuropathy group were significantly higher than those in normal control group (P ＜ 0.01),and its level in patients with diabetic cranial neuropathy [(687.54 ± 65.38)ng/ml] was significantly higher than that of patients without diabetic cranial neuropathy [(497.28 ± 46.39) ng/ml,P ＜0.01].The serum 25-(OH) vitamin D3 levels in the diabetic group and diabetic neuropathy group were lower than those in the control group (P ＜ 0.01),and its level in patients with diabetic cranial neuropathy [(26.45 ± 8.93)nmol/l] was significantly less than that of patients without diabetic cranial neuropathy [(37.19-± 9.74)nmol/L,P ＜ 0.01].Serum ferritin levels were positively correlated with 25-(OH) vitamin D3 (r =-0.59,P ＜ 0.01).Multivariate unconditional Logistic regression analysis showed that diabetic neuropathy was negatively correlated with 25-(OH) vitamin D3 (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The increases of serum ferritin and 25-(OH) vitamin D3 are closely related to the occurrence and development of diabetic cranial neuropathy,which provides the theoretical basis for clinical intervention therapy.

Early postoperative ambulation is one of the three key techniques of fast track surgery,which can not only promote the recovery of gastrointestinal function but also can reduce pulmonary complications and improve patients′ self healing ability. The concept of early postoperative ambulation was summarized in this review and the main factors that can affect the early postoperative ambulation were analyzed from the view of medical staff and patients,which provide basis for further implementation of early postoperative ambulation.

Objective To evaluate the status and influencing factors of early ambulation in patients following postoperative gastric cancer, and provide evidence for making reasonable evaluated standard to patients.Methods Self-designed questionnaires were used to investigate the early ambulation of 108 patients following postoperative gastric cancer from June 2013 to August 2014. Results The mean time of first ambulation was(30.82±13.83)h in 108 patients, and the average distance was(13.14±14.68)meters. 51 cases completed the early ambulation and accounted for 47.2%. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that postoperative pain and postoperative fatigue could greatly affect early ambulation of patients following postoperative gastric cancer(P<0.05).Conclusions Postoperative pain intervention and postoperative fatigue management benefits to the early ambulation for patients following postoperative gastric cancer.