ObjectiveBased on the theory of "spleen governing transportation and transformation"， this study investigates the efficacy of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma processed with Aurantii Fructus Immaturus juice（AMR-AFI） in improving slow-transit constipation（STC）， as well as the synergistic regulatory mechanism involving the microbiota-metabolism axis， thereby elucidating the scientific basis of its processing theory. MethodsAnimals were randomly divided into the control group， model group， positive drug（mosapride） group（3 mg·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of AMR-AFI（3.9， 7.8， 15.6 g·kg^-1）. Except for the control group， the remaining five groups were induced with STC using loperamide hydrochloride. Following modeling， interventions were administered. All groups received continuous administration for 15 d， during which fecal samples， colon tissue， and serum were collected. Constipation improvement was assessed by measuring fecal moisture content and small intestinal propulsion rate， histological morphology of colonic tissue was observed via hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， and the levels of interleukin（IL）-6， tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α， and IL-2 in serum were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Furthermore， the microbial community structure in mouse feces was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing， while transcriptomic sequencing was employed to screen differentially expressed genes in colonic tissue， followed by gene ontology（GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） enrichment analyses. Finally， Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to explore the association between differential microbiota and differential genes. ResultsCompared with the control group， the intestinal propulsion rate and fecal moisture content in the model group were significantly decreased（P<0.01）， while serum levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-2 were significantly elevated（P<0.01）. HE staining showed damage and shedding of colonic mucosal epithelial cells， along with a reduction in goblet cells in the model group. In comparison with the model group， all treatment groups improved the pathological state of the colonic mucosa to varying degrees and reduced serum levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-2（P<0.01）. Among these， the high-dose group of AMR-AFI significantly increased the intestinal propulsion rate and fecal moisture content of rats（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Further transcriptomic analysis revealed that a total of 104 differentially expressed genes were identified from comparisons between the model group and the control group， as well as between the model group and the high-dose group of AMR-AFI. These genes were mainly enriched in pathways closely related to STC pathogenesis， such as arachidonic acid metabolism and aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption. 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that AMR-AFI reversed the structural imbalance of the gut microbiota in model mice， increased species richness， downregulated the relative abundance of pro-inflammatory bacteria such as Parasutterella， and enriched beneficial and butyrate-producing bacteria， including Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group， Ruminococcaceae， and Lachnospiraceae. Spearman correlation analysis further showed that the beneficial bacteria enriched in the AMR-AFI group were negatively correlated with genes involved in the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway and positively correlated with genes in the aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption pathway. In contrast， pro-inflammatory bacteria in the model group exhibited the opposite correlation trends. ConclusionAMR-AFI can effectively exert synergistic therapeutic effects on STC by regulating intestinal microbiota， arachidonic acid-mediated inflammatory metabolism， and aldosterone-regulated water-salt balance pathways.

ObjectiveBased on the theory of "spleen governing transportation and transformation"， this study investigates the efficacy of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma processed with Aurantii Fructus Immaturus juice（AMR-AFI） in improving slow-transit constipation（STC）， as well as the synergistic regulatory mechanism involving the microbiota-metabolism axis， thereby elucidating the scientific basis of its processing theory. MethodsAnimals were randomly divided into the control group， model group， positive drug（mosapride） group（3 mg·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of AMR-AFI（3.9， 7.8， 15.6 g·kg^-1）. Except for the control group， the remaining five groups were induced with STC using loperamide hydrochloride. Following modeling， interventions were administered. All groups received continuous administration for 15 d， during which fecal samples， colon tissue， and serum were collected. Constipation improvement was assessed by measuring fecal moisture content and small intestinal propulsion rate， histological morphology of colonic tissue was observed via hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， and the levels of interleukin（IL）-6， tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α， and IL-2 in serum were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Furthermore， the microbial community structure in mouse feces was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing， while transcriptomic sequencing was employed to screen differentially expressed genes in colonic tissue， followed by gene ontology（GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） enrichment analyses. Finally， Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to explore the association between differential microbiota and differential genes. ResultsCompared with the control group， the intestinal propulsion rate and fecal moisture content in the model group were significantly decreased（P<0.01）， while serum levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-2 were significantly elevated（P<0.01）. HE staining showed damage and shedding of colonic mucosal epithelial cells， along with a reduction in goblet cells in the model group. In comparison with the model group， all treatment groups improved the pathological state of the colonic mucosa to varying degrees and reduced serum levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-2（P<0.01）. Among these， the high-dose group of AMR-AFI significantly increased the intestinal propulsion rate and fecal moisture content of rats（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Further transcriptomic analysis revealed that a total of 104 differentially expressed genes were identified from comparisons between the model group and the control group， as well as between the model group and the high-dose group of AMR-AFI. These genes were mainly enriched in pathways closely related to STC pathogenesis， such as arachidonic acid metabolism and aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption. 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that AMR-AFI reversed the structural imbalance of the gut microbiota in model mice， increased species richness， downregulated the relative abundance of pro-inflammatory bacteria such as Parasutterella， and enriched beneficial and butyrate-producing bacteria， including Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group， Ruminococcaceae， and Lachnospiraceae. Spearman correlation analysis further showed that the beneficial bacteria enriched in the AMR-AFI group were negatively correlated with genes involved in the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway and positively correlated with genes in the aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption pathway. In contrast， pro-inflammatory bacteria in the model group exhibited the opposite correlation trends. ConclusionAMR-AFI can effectively exert synergistic therapeutic effects on STC by regulating intestinal microbiota， arachidonic acid-mediated inflammatory metabolism， and aldosterone-regulated water-salt balance pathways.

ObjectiveTo investigate the migration and distribution characteristics of chemical constituents in blood and hippocampal tissues before and after vinegar processing of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride（CRPV）， and to explore the potential material basis and mechanisms underlying their regulatory effects on emotional disorders by comparing the effects of raw and vinegar-processed products of CRPV. MethodsUltra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS） was employed to characterize and identify the chemical constituents of raw and vinegar-processed products of CRPV extracts， as well as their migrating components in blood and hippocampal tissues after oral administration. Reference standards， databases， and relevant literature were utilized for compound annotation， with data processing performed using PeakView 1.2 software. Seventy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into seven groups， including the blank group， model group， diazepam group（2.5 mg·kg^-1）， raw CRPV low/high dose groups（0.6， 1.2 g·kg^-1）， and vinegar-processed CRPV low/high dose groups（0.6， 1.2 g·kg^-1）， with 10 mice per group. Except for the blank group， all other groups underwent chronic restraint stress（2 h·d^-1） for 20 d. Each drug-treated group received oral administration at the predetermined dose starting 10 d after modeling， with a total treatment duration of 10 d. Following model-based drug administration， mice underwent open-field， forced swimming， and elevated plus maze tests. After anesthesia with isoflurane， whole brains were collected from each group of mice， and hippocampi were dissected. Reactive oxygen species（ROS） level in hippocampal tissues was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe hippocampal tissue morphology. Immunofluorescence was performed to detect neuronal nuclei（NeuN） and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha（PPARα） expressions in hippocampal tissue. Then， pharmacodynamic evaluations were conducted to assess the effects of raw and vinegar-processed CRPV on mood disorders， exploring the potential mechanisms. ResultsVinegar processing caused significant changes in the chemical composition of CRPV， with 18 components showing increased relative content and 35 components showing decreased relative content. The primary changes occurred in flavonoid compounds， including 20 flavonoids， 20 flavonoid glycosides， 3 triterpenes， 3 phenolic acids， 1 alkaloid， and 6 other compounds. Twenty-one components were detected in blood（15 methoxyflavones， 4 flavonoid glycosides， and 2 phenolic acids）， with 17 shared between raw and vinegar-processed CRPV. Seven components reached hippocampal tissues（all common to both forms）. In regulating emotional disorders， Vinegar-processed CRPV exhibited superior antidepressant-like effects compared to raw products. HE staining revealed that both treatments improved hippocampal neuronal morphology， particularly in the damaged CA1 and CA3 regions. Immunofluorescence and ELISA analyses demonstrated that both raw and vinegar-processed CRPV significantly modulated NeuN and PPARα expressions in hippocampal tissue while alleviating oxidative stress induced by excessive ROS（P<0.05）. ConclusionThe chemical composition of CRPV undergoes changes after vinegar processing， but the migrating components in blood and hippocampus are primarily methoxyflavonoids. These components may serve as the potential material basis for activating the PPARα pathway， thereby negatively regulating ROS generation in the hippocampus， reducing oxidative stress， and promoting the development of NeuN-positive neurons. These findings provide experimental evidence for enhancing quality standards， pharmacodynamic material research， and active drug development of raw and vinegar-processed CRPV.

Objective To explore the impact of lung cancer screening on the changes of health risk behaviors in 420 high-risk populations. Methods Among the 420 high-risk subjects who underwent lung cancer screening in the hospital from January 2022 to February 2024 were included and underwent low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening and were followed up for 1 year. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between lung cancer screening and changes in health risk behaviors. Results Compared with the baseline situation, the smoking rate, alcohol drinking rate and long-term exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens were lower during 1-year follow-up, and the regular physical examination rate was increased (P<0.05). In this study, health-risk behaviors of 176 subjects changed during 1-year follow-up, and women, subjects who consulted physicians about physical condition, subjects having positive nodules and subjects having previous history of lung disease accounted for higher proportions (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis suggested that women, consulting physicians about their physical condition, having positive nodules and having previous history of lung disease were more likely to change health risk behaviors (P<0.05). Conclusion Lung cancer screening prompts high-risk individuals (smokers, drinkers, those with long-term exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens, and those without regular physical examination) to change their health risk behaviors. Women, those who actively consult physicians about their physical condition, those with positive nodules and those with previous history of lung disease are more likely to change their unhealthy habits through screening than other individuals.

Objective To investigate the status and predictive factors of future acute exacerbation of asthma in adults. Methods Adult patients with asthma who were admitted to the hospital from March 2023 to July 2025 were selected. Based on the acute exacerbation status after follow-up, the patients were categorized into acute exacerbation group (n=107) and control group (n=245). The clinical data, pulmonary function [peak expiratory flow (PEF) and forced expiratory volume in the 1st second/forced vital capacity (FEV₁/FVC)] and health status [asthma control questionnaire (ACQ), Morisky medication adherence scale (MMAS-8), short form 36-item health survey (SF-36)] of the study subjects were collected. The correlation between the indicators and acute exacerbation was explored by logistic regression analysis, and the predictive efficiency was evaluated by ROC curve. Results The age, smoking history, asthma course, allergen exposure and ACQ in the acute exacerbation group were higher than those in the control group, while the average monthly family income, glucocorticoid treatment, PEF, FEV₁/FVC, MMAS-8 and SF-36 were lower (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression suggested that ACQ score, glucocorticoid treatment, MMAS-8 score, FEV₁/FVC, PEF and smoking history were the influencing factors of acute asthma exacerbation (P<0.05). ROC analysis revealed that the diagnostic efficiency of combined prediction was the highest (AUC=0.965), with sensitivity of 0.944 and specificity of 0.857 (P<0.05). Conclusion It is necessary to pay more attention to the medication compliance and asthma control level of patients, and integrate multi-dimensional information such as smoking history, pulmonary function and treatment conditions to accurately identify patients with high-risk acute exacerbation and implement targeted intervention measures.

OBJECTIVE To screen a single matrix， prepare dissolving microneedles of Pterocarya hupehensis total flavonoids（PHTF-MN）， and characterize it while evaluating its analgesic effects.METHODS Using microneedle morphology and puncture rate as evaluation indicators， the matrix was screened from polyvinyl alcohol （PVA）， polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 （PVP K30）， PVP K90， and sodium hyaluronate with relative molecular weights of 15 000 and 60 000 （HA 1.5w and HA 6w ）. PHTF-MN was prepared by the layer-by-layer casting method with the selected matrix， and the appearance and morphology， total flavonoid content， mechanical properties， puncture performance， dissolution properties， and drug release behavior of the obtained PHTF-MN were characterized. Using male BALB/c mice as test subjects and aspirin （ASA） as a positive control， the analgesic effects of the microneedles were evaluated using a formalin-induced pain model.RESULTS Blank microneedles prepared with 30% HA 1.5w exhibited optimal surface flatness and the membrane puncture rate （through 4 layers of parafilm membrane） reaching 78%. The PHTF-MNs （with PHTF contents of 10， 20， 30， 40， and 50 mg/g in the matrix） exhibited uniform arrays and intact tips， with RSDs for total flavonoid contents all below 7% （ n ＝8）. The single-needle puncture forces were 1.46 and 1.07 N （with PHTF contents of 30 and 50 mg/g in the matrix， respectively）. The skin penetration rate approached 100%， with visible puncture marks in the stratum corneum and drug residue （with a PHTF content of 50 mg/g in the matrix）. After 30 min of fixation， the needles had almost completely dissolved， and the skin retention rates all exceeded 90% （with PHTF contents of 10， 30， and 50 mg/g in the matrix， respectively）. The cumulative release within 8 h was （134.64±2.03） μg/cm 2 ， and the fit to the first-order kinetic equation （ R 2 ＝0.950 1） was highest （with a PHTF content of 50 mg/g in the matrix）. Low- and high-dose PHTF-MN （containing 85.26 and 145.03 μg of total flavonoids per patch， respectively； 1 patch/day） significantly shortened the cumulative time of phase Ⅱ pain response in mice （ P ＜0.05）， with pain inhibition rates （43.67% and 59.78%） comparable to those of ASA （53.70%）.CONCLUSIONS PHTF-MN using HA 1.5w as a single matrix was successfully prepared. This formulation features a simplified preparation process， uniform drug loading， favorable mechanical properties， resistance to fracture， and rapid dissolution. Its drug release behavior conforms to a first-order kinetic model， and its analgesic effect is comparable to that of ASA.

ObjectiveTo investigate the change of interleukin （IL）-18 and Th1， Th2 of CD3⁺CD8^- T helper lymphocytes in pediatric liver transplantation with cytomegalovirus （CMV） infection. MethodsA total of 40 pediatric patients who underwent pediatric liver transplantation were collected. Patients were divided into the CMV group （n=20） and the non-infected group （n=20） according to whether CMV infection occurred. The plasma IL-18 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The expression percentage of IFN-γ and IL-10 of CD3⁺CD8^- T lymphocytes （Th1 and Th2） in peripheral blood were determined with flow cytometry. ResultsThe expression level of plasma IL-18 significantly increased in the CMV group compared with that in non-infected group （P<0.01）. The expression percentage of Th1 in peripheral blood significantly decreased in the CMV group compared with that in non-infected group （P<0.01）. No significant difference was found in the expression percentage of Th2 between CMV group and non-infected group. IL-18 levels were negatively correlated with the Th1 （P<0.05）. ConclusionThe elevated IL-18 levels along with polarized Th 1 subsets’ imbalance involves in the pathogenesis of CMV infection in pediatric liver transplantation.

Background: Isoliquiritigenin, a key pharmacologically active compound derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, can be further modified into various high-value 5-deoxyflavones, demonstrating significant potential for pharmaceutical development. Currently, the supply of isoliquiritigenin primarily depends on plant extraction. However, heterologous synthesis using microbial cell factories presents a promising alternative, offering a solution to resource limitations caused by the dwindling availability of Glycyrrhiza uralensis. Objective: This study aimed to employ heterologous synthesis in yeast strains for the stable and high-efficiency production of isoliquiritigenin. Methods: First, a stable chassis strain for isoliquiritigenin production was constructed by integrating optimized biosynthetic pathway enzyme genes. A type IV noncatalytic chalcone isomerase-like protein and a synthetic protein scaffold system were employed to enhance the metabolic channeling of key pathway enzymes. Subsequently, yeast metabolism was fine-tuned to balance precursor supply, and cofactor engineering strategies were implemented to increase nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen (NADPH) availability, thereby ensuring the catalytic efficiency of the key enzyme chalcone reductase. Results: The engineered strain Y21-2 achieved a 24.4-fold increase in isoliquiritigenin titer compared to the original strain. Additionally, the proportion of the by-product naringenin chalcone was reduced by 67.8%, marking the first instance in which the ratio of C-5 hydroxylated by-products was minimized to 10.4% during the microbial synthesis of 5-deoxyflavones. Conclusion: This work provides a valuable reference for the efficient and sustainable production of isoliquiritigenin, laying a solid foundation for further pathway optimization and the biotechnological synthesis of other high-value natural 5-deoxyflavones.

Objective:To investigate the effects of lipids and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in Artemisia pollen on the induction of allergic rhinitis in a murine model. Methods:BALB/c mice were randomly divided into seven groups using the random number table method as follows: defatted pollen group (TZ group, n=5), defatted pollen+ LPS group (TZLPS group, n=5), non-defatted pollen group (WTZ group, n=5), non-defatted pollen+ LPS group (WTZLPS group, n=5), PBS group ( n=5), PBS+ LPS group (PBSLPS group, n=5), and blank control group ( n=6). On days 1, 8, and 15, the mice in the TZ and TZLPS groups received a subcutaneous injection in the neck region with 0.1 ml of defatted Artemisia pollen extract (20 μg/ml); the WTZ and WTZLPS groups were administered 0.1 ml of non-defatted Artemisia pollen extract (20 μg/ml), while the PBS and PBSLPS groups were injected with 0.1 ml of PBS (0.1 mol/L). From days 22 to 28, the mice were subjected to intranasal challenge to induce allergic rhinitis symptoms. The TZ, WTZ, and PBS groups received nasal administration of 10 μl per nostril of defatted Artemisia pollen extract (500 μg/ml), non-defatted Artemisia pollen extract (500 μg/ml), and PBS (0.1 mol/L), respectively. For the TZLPS, WTZLPS, and PBSLPS groups, an additional 260 EU (5.2 μl) of LPS was co-administered per nostril alongside the corresponding base solutions. The blank control group received no intervention during this phase. The behaviors of the mice were observed; the levels of specific IgE, IgG1 and IgG2a in serum samples were detected by ELISA; the pathological changes in nasal mucosa and lung tissues were observed by HE staining, and the expression of both IL-4 and IL-5 was observed by immunohistochemistry. One-way analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for statistical analysis. Results:Following Artemisia pollen antigen challenge, the total TZ group (TZLPS group+ TZ group) exhibited significantly higher behavioral scores as compared with the total PBS group (PBSLPS group+ PBS group) and the blank control group (both P<0.001). Serum analysis revealed that the total TZ group showed markedly elevated levels of Artemisia-specific IgE compared with the total WTZ group (WTZLPS group+ WTZ group) and the total PBS group ( P<0.05, P<0.001), along with significantly higher IgG1 levels than the total PBS and blank control groups ( P<0.05, P<0.001), while no significant differences in IgG2a levels were observed among these groups (all P>0.05). In local inflammatory responses, eosinophil infiltration and IL-4/IL-5 expression in both nasal mucosa and lung tissues of mice in the total TZ group were significantly higher than those in the total PBS and blank control groups (all P<0.001). Notably, eosinophil counts in nasal mucosa of mice in the total TZ group surpassed those in the total WTZ group ( P<0.05), whereas no significant differences in IL-4/IL-5 expression in mouse nasal mucosa were detected between the total TZ and total WTZ groups (both P>0.05). LPS supplementation in pollen extracts showed no significant effects on the specific IgE, IgG1, or IgG2a levels in serum across groups (all P>0.05), nor did it alter eosinophil activation or IL-4 expression in mouse nasal mucosa (all P>0.05). However, compared with the TZ group, eosinophil counts and IL-4 expression in lung tissues of mice in the TZLPS group were significantly increased (both P<0.001). Conclusions:This study successfully establishes a mouse model of Artemisia pollen allergy, and finds that the defatting treatment of Artemisia pollen can induce more intense inflammatory response. The presence or absence of LPS in pollen has no significant effect on allergic inflammation in the nasal mucosa, but it can cause different degrees of damage to the lung tissues of mice.

Objective:To investigate disease characteristics of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) based on the PsA cohort in West China Hospital, so as to provide a reference for clinicians in its diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation strategy formulation.Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out, and a descriptive analysis was conducted on clinical data from PsA patients who were treated at the Department of Dermatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University between April 2, 2020, and January 21, 2025. Demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory and imaging findings, and treatment modalities were analyzed.Results:A total of 530 PsA patients were included, of whom 332 (62.6%) were males and 198 (37.4%) were females, with ages of 44.1 ± 12.4 years. Skin lesions preceded joint symptoms in 452 patients (85.3%), with time intervals ( M [ Q1, Q3]) of 8.0 (3.0, 15.0) years. Overweight or obesity was observed in 319 patients (60.2%), and 188 (35.5%) had comorbid fatty liver. Peripheral joint involvement was common (485 cases, 91.5%), with the proximal interphalangeal joints being most frequently affected by tenderness (172 cases, 35.5%) and swelling (119 cases, 24.5%) ; the number of enthesitis cases identified by ultrasonography (116 cases, 23.9%) was significantly higher than that by clinical examination (82 cases, 15.5%) ; axial joint involvement was observed in 258 patients (48.7%), with the sacroiliac joints most commonly affected (201 cases, 77.9%). Regarding treatment, conventional systemic drugs were predominant in the treatment of psoriasis prior to the diagnosis of PsA; after the diagnosis of PsA, the number of patients receiving targeted therapies increased to 334 (63.0%), with interleukin-17 inhibitors being the most common (140 cases, 26.4%), followed by tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors (106 cases, 20.0%) and Janus kinase inhibitors (39 cases, 7.4%) . Conclusions:PsA predominantly affects males over 40 years old and is characterized by preceding skin lesions, delayed diagnosis, and multiple comorbidities. High-frequency ultrasound has advantages in the early detection of peripheral enthesitis. Further attention is needed for managing comorbidities such as fatty liver and obesity-related metabolic conditions.