AIM: To study the effects of different process methods on the content of total flavonoids and the aqueous extract from Rhizoma Drynariae. METHODS: The contents of total flavonoids of Rhizoma Drynariae processed in different ways were assayed by polyamide chromatography and ultraviolet spectroplotometry; the contents of the aqueous extract were assayed by extraction in water. RESULTS: The contents of total flavonoids and the aqueous extract in Rhizoma Drynariae increased after it was processed and purified. The contents of total flavonoids and the aqueous extract in Rhizoma Dyrnariae hotted in sands, at constant temperature oven and microwave process were not influenced, but easier to be extracted in water by these methods. CONCLUSION:Microwave processis better than the other methods.

Objective:To investigate the cognitive characteristics,dangerous factors and the syndromes in mild cognitive impairment(MCI).Methods: Memory and cognitive function were assessed with Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE).The MCI cases and normal controls were assessed by the Delayed Paragraph Story Recall Examination(DPR).A syndrome scale was used to diagnose the syndromes of subjects.The diagnosis of MCI,AD was made according to Petersen’s criteria,NINCDS-ADRDA,respectively.Results: MMSE scores of MCI cases were higher than that of normal controls,a signifi cantly difference was found.Average education level of normal controls was higher than that of MCI cases,but average contractive pressure was lower.Defi ciency of kidney,defi ciency of qi and phlegm syndromes were popular in both MCI cases aormal controls,and MCI cases had increased percentage of combined syndromes.Conclusion:The cognition function of MCI cases was decreased.Cognitive impairment was related to hypertensive disease and low education.As the development of cognitive impairment,complex Chinese medical syndromes appeared.

:In order to improve the compliance of patients with Alzheimer′s disease and maintain the continuity of treatment by reducing administration frequency of memantine hydrochloride, a series of memantine long-acting nanosuspension-based injectable formulations were prepared using a hydrophobic salt formation method. Four hydrophobic salt forms of memantine were prepared, including memantine oleate(Mem-Ole), memantine stearate(Mem-Ste), memantine palmitate(Mem-Pal)and memantine pamoate(Mem-Pam). The salt forms of memantine were characterized using fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance(1H NMR)spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction(PXRD)analysis. The equilibrium solubilities of different salt forms of memantine and the in vitro drug release of long-acting injectable formulations were investigated. In comparison with memantine alone, the equilibrium solubilities of Mem-Ole, Mem-Ste, Mem-Pal and Mem-Pam in simulated body fluid were decreased by 95. 1%、96. 2%、96. 7% and 99. 6%, respectively. Meanwhile, the equilibrium solubilities of Mem-Pam in simulated body fluid with pH ranging from 5 to 8 were all lower than 0. 07 mg/mL. The order of the in vitro drug release rate of the four long-acting injectable formulations with nanosuspensions of memantine was Mem-Ste> Mem-Pal≈Mem-Ole> Mem-Pam> Memantine. The Mem-Pam nanosuspensions could sustain drug release for seven days and exhibited a zero-order drug release profile(y=0. 549 9x+7. 594 2, r=0. 988 3). In conclusion, injectable Mem-Pam nanosuspensions showed desired drug release behavior and might potentially be applied in vivo for a week with a steady plasma drug concentration-time profile.

Objective: To develop a core information index system of disability for the elderly, which is suitable for the elderly in China and has educational and guiding significance and universal application value. Methods: The index system framework was established through an extensive literature review and expert discussions, and the index system was constructed by the Delphi expert consultation method. Results: A total of 74 experts (84 person-times)from various fields participated in the Delphi expert consultations.The positive coefficients of experts for the five rounds of expert consultations were 94.55%, 100.00%, 100.00%, 100.00% and 100.00%, respectively.The authoritative coefficients of experts ranged from 0.75 to 0.90.Based on the five rounds of Delphi expert surveys, the core information index system of disability for the elderly was composed of 16 indicators including health literacy of the elderly, nutritional status, musculoskeletal function, vaccination, prevention of falls, attention to mental health, social function, etc. Conclusions The core information index system of disability for the elderly is comprehensive, covering all components considered essential by a consensus from experts in various fields, and it is authoritative, extendable, scientific, influential, stable and popular.

Objective:To investigate frequency of blood stasis syndrome(BSS) defined by traditional Chinese medicine in cerebral infarction and its correlations with carotid atherosclerotic plaque(CAP).Methods: All subjects comprised 151 patients aged 40 to 80 years(Mean ? SD age,65 ?11 years) with 67.9% for males and 32.1% for females.With the use of ACUSON7 color Doppler ultrasound,carotid atherosclerosis was evaluated by the plaque score,the left plaque score,the right plaque score,the numbers of the plaque respectively as defined by the sum of all plaque heights in bilateral carotid arteries.On the basis of neurological signs and symptoms,medical history,and brain MRI,we diagnosed stroke and its subtypes as follows: stroke(n=117),and vertebrobasilar insufficiency(VBI)(n=34) without the history of the stroke,which were based on Diagnostic Criteria for Cerebral Vascular Diseases in 2005.Diagnosis for syndromes defined by traditional Chinese medicine were made according to Diagnostic Criteria for Stroke in 1994.One-way ANOVA was used in comparison between groups,and multivariant Logistic Regression Analysis was conferred in correlations between several variables.Results: 47.0% of all cases with cerebral infarction presented the BSS,with as lower than syndrome of fire-heat(51.0%),as but significantly higher than syndrome of Qi deficiency(32.0%),liver-wind syndrome(27.0%),phlegm syndrome(23.0%) and syndrome of asthenic yin causing predominant yang(6.0%).There is a significant difference between groups for 44(79.0%) cases of 56 patients with cerebral infarction and the BSS have CAP,and only 35(57.0%) cases of 61 patients with cerebral infarction but without the BSS have CAP(P

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor maintenance therapy after radical radiotherapy and chemotherapy for stage Ⅲ-ⅣA esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in the real world.Methods:The clinical data of 65 patients with stage Ⅲ-ⅣA ESCC treated by radical radiotherapy and chemotherapy from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2022 in Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether to undergo immune checkpoint inhibitor maintenance therapy after radical radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the patients were divided into a control group ( n=29) and an immune maintenance therapy group ( n=36) . The objective response rate (ORR) , progression-free survival (PFS) , and overall survival (OS) between the two groups were compared. Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve accompanied with log-rank test. Cox regression model was used to conduct both univariate and multivariate analyses. Results:The ORR was 34.5% (10/29) in the control group and 61.1% (22/36) in the immune maintenance therapy group, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=4.56, P=0.032) . The median PFS of control group and immune maintenance therapy group were 7.2 and 17.9 months, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=7.86, P=0.005) . The median OS was 14.1 and 27.8 months, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=5.40, P=0.020) . Univariate analysis showed that, objective response ( HR=0.09, 95% CI: 0.03-0.28, P<0.001) and immune maintenance therapy ( HR=0.38, 95% CI: 0.17-0.88, P=0.024) were the influential factors of OS in ESCC patients treaded by radical chemoradiotherapy in stage Ⅲ-ⅣA. Multivariate analysis showed that, objective response ( HR=0.09, 95% CI: 0.03-0.29, P<0.001) and immune maintenance therapy ( HR=0.40, 95% CI: 0.17-0.92, P=0.032) were the independent influencing factors for OS in ESCC patients treaded by radical chemoracial therapy in stage Ⅲ-ⅣA. The incidence of adverse reactions was 22.22% (8/36) in the immune maintenance therapy group and 10.34% (3/29) in the control group, with no statistically significant difference ( χ2=1.61, P=0.204) . All the adverse reactions were grade 1-2, and the symptoms were relieved after symptomatic treatment. Conclusion:Maintenance therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors after radical chemoradiotherapy of stage Ⅲ-ⅣA ESCC can significantly improve the prognosis of patients with good safety.

Objective:To detect itching,anxiety,depression behaviors in chronic itch models of mice and observe the activation of γ-aminobutiric acid(GABA)neurons in the ventral sector of the zona incerta(ZIv),and provide mor-phological evidence for their involvement in the modulation of itch information.Methods:Diphenylcyclopropenone(DCP)was used in glutamic acid decarboxylase 67-green fluorescent protein(GAD67-GFP)knock-in mice to establish chronic itch model.Itch behaviors were detected by video tracking system to verify whether the models were successfully established.The anxiety,depression behaviors of chronic itch model mice were detected by using elevated plus maze test(EPM)and tail suspention test(TST).By using GAD67-GFP mice,the distribution of GABAergic neurons in va-rious sectors of the zona incerta(ZI)was observed.And combined with immunofluorescence staining method,double labeling of GABAergic neurons with FOS in ZIv were observed respectively in control and DCP group mice.Results:In brain slices of GAD67-GFP mice,GABAergic neurons can be observed within all sectors of ZI and are more concentrat-ed in ZIv.Compared with control group mice,DCP group mice showed a significant increase in the bouts of scratching(P＜0.001).The time of immobility in TST was significantly higher in DCP group mice than in control group mice,which displayed depression-like behavior.The EPM test showed that the numbers of entries and proportion of time in the cross region in DCP group mice were less than in control group mice.EPM test revealed that DCP group mice exhibited anxiety-like behavior.The results of immunofluorescence staining showed that the number of FOS-positive cells in ZIv was significantly higher in DCP group mice than in control group mice,and abundant co-labeled neurons of FOS and GABAergic neurons were observed in ZIv.Conclusion:GABAergic neurons were predominantly distributed in ZI,and were more concentrated in ZIv.The activation of GABAergic neurons in ZIv of DCP group mice provides morphological evidence on the involvement of GABAergic neurons in chronic itch and associated negative emotions.

Objective:To explore the relative concentration changes of oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy Hb) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and brain region activation during emotional face recognition tasks in women with perimenopausal depression.Methods:From February to April 2023, forty perimenopausal women were recruited, including 20 women with perimenopausal depression (experimental group) and 20 women with non-perimenopausal depression (control group). All participants were evaluated by the modified Kupperman score, 24-item Hamilton depression scale (HAMD-24), and patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) equipment was used to measure the relative concentration of Oxy-Hb in the PFC in two groups under the emotional face recognition task. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 26.0 software. Data were analyzed by a t-test, rank sum test, and Pearson correlation. Results:There were statistically significant differences in the results of the modified Kupperman score((23.20±3.66), (18.10±1.28)), HAMD-24((15.95±5.47), (3.35±1.84)), and PHQ-9(7.00(5.00, 10.75), 1.50(1.00, 3.00)) scales between the the experimental group and control group ( P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between the modified Kupperman score and the HAMD-24 score in the experimental group ( r=0.685, P=0.01). The reaction time of the experimental group in identifying negative and neutral emotional faces was statistically significant compared to the control group( t=4.01, 4.80, both P<0.05). Compared with identifying neutral emotions, PFC activation was stronger in the experimental group and control group when identifying negative emotions ( P<0.05). The PFC activation in the experimental group was stronger than that in the control group when identifying negative emotions ( P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the activation level between the two groups when identifying neutral emotions ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Women with perimenopausal depression exhibit specificity in emotional processing, with increased PFC activation when identifying negative emotions, impaired emotional processing function of PFC, and dysfunction of aerobic metabolism.

Superb microvascular imaging(SMI)is a new kind of Doppler technology,being sensitive for displaying low-velocity microvascular blood flow in muscles,tendons,synovium,nerves and reflecting microcirculation changes,able to provide imaging evidences for diagnosing musculoskeletal system diseases,monitoring processes and evaluating therapeutic effect.The research progresses of SMI applicated in musculoskeletal diseases were reviewed in this article.

Objective:To study the effect of rapamycin on the disorder of CD4 + T cell subsets in Graves′ ophthalmopathy(GO) mice, as well as the ophthalmopathy and hyperthyroidism phenotype, providing new possibilities for the treatment of GO. Methods:6-8 weeks old female Balb/c mice were injected intramuscularly with adenovirus expressing the A-subunit of TSHR(A-sub-Ad) 9 times. Rapamycin was given by embedding in the feed(14 ppm). The animals were euthanized 4 weeks after the final injection to obtain blood, spleen cells, thyroid glands, and orbital tissue. TT 4, thyrotropin receptor antibody(TRAb), thyroid, and orbital pathologic changes were detected, and the CD4 + T cell subgroup was evaluated by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Results:After final immunization, the mice showed characteristics of GO: increased retrobulbar fibrosis and retrobulbar adipogenesis that indicated ophthalmopathy, increased autoantibodies, and serum total thyroxin that indicated hyperthyroidism. After the intervention of rapamycin, retrobulbar fibrosis and retrobulbar adipogenesis were significantly improved, and the incidence of ophthalmopathy was reduced from 80%-90% to 20%. Moreover, the increase of total thyroxin was reduced from 80% to 20%, and the metabolic condition and thyroid pathology were also improved. Flow cytometry of the spleen, immunohistochemistry of the thyroid and orbital tissue revealed that GO mice exhibited Th1 dominance in Th1/Th2 balance and reduction of Treg cells. After the intervention of rapamycin, flow cytometry showed that the ratio of Th1 and Th17 cells decreased and the ratio of Th2 and Treg cells increased. Immunohistochemistry of thyroid and orbital tissues also confirmed improvement of Th1/Th2 cell imbalance and Treg cell reduction.Conclusion:GO mouse model showed a significant imbalance of CD4 + T cell subsets, and rapamycin could not only regulate the disorder of CD4 + T cell subsets in GO mice, but also effectively improve the phenotype of ophthalmopathy and hyperthyroidism. Therefore, the imbalance of CD4 + T cell subsets is one of the etiological intervention targets of GO, and rapamycin is a potential intervention mode of GO, which can be further explored by randomized clinical studies in the future.