OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects and mechanism of modified Xiaoqinglong decoction combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells （BMSCs） on nasal-pulmonary-intestinal mucosal immunity in rats with cold asthma. METHODS SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， BMSCs group， BMSCs+modified Xiaoqinglong decoction （6.39 g/kg） group， and BMSCs+dexamethasone （0.125 mg/kg） group， with 10 rats in each group. The cold asthma rat model was established by sensitization and atomization challenge with ovalbumin combined with aluminum hydroxide， together with cold air stimulation from air conditioners. One hour before the initial atomization challenge， rats in all groups except the blank group and model group were injected with BMSCs suspension via the tail vein. Starting from the 15th day of the experiment， rats in each group were intragastrically administered corresponding liquid medicine or normal saline once a day for 7 consecutive days. After the last administration， the asthmatic behavioral changes and pathological morphological changes of lung tissues in rats were evaluated. The levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and IL-10 in nasopharyngeal lavage fluid， bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） and intestinal mucus were detected. The expression levels of proteins related to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway in nasal， lung and intestinal tissues were determined. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， the asthmatic behavioral score， lung tissue injury score， IL-6 levels in nasopharyngeal lavage fluid， BALF and intestinal mucus， PI3K protein expression and Akt phosphorylation levels in nasal， lung and intestinal tissues of rats in the model group were significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）； the IL-10 levels in nasopharyngeal lavage fluid， BALF and intestinal mucus were significantly decreased （ P ＜0.05）. Alveolar atrophy， collapse and even fusion， abnormal hyperplasia and hypertrophy of bronchial smooth muscle， and massive inflammatory cell infiltration were observed. Compared with the model group， most of the above quantitative indicators in the BMSCs group， BMSCs+modified Xiaoqinglong decoction group and BMSCs+dexamethasone group were significantly reversed （ P ＜0.05）， and pathological injuries of lung tissues were markedly alleviated. Compared with the BMSCs group， most of the above quantitative indicators were further improved in the BMSCs+modified Xiaoqinglong decoction group （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Modified Xiaoqinglong decoction combined with BMSCs can effectively improve nasal-pulmonary-intestinal mucosal immunity and relieve asthmatic symptoms in cold asthma rats， and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects and mechanism of modified Xiaoqinglong decoction combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells （BMSCs） on nasal-pulmonary-intestinal mucosal immunity in rats with cold asthma. METHODS SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， BMSCs group， BMSCs+modified Xiaoqinglong decoction （6.39 g/kg） group， and BMSCs+dexamethasone （0.125 mg/kg） group， with 10 rats in each group. The cold asthma rat model was established by sensitization and atomization challenge with ovalbumin combined with aluminum hydroxide， together with cold air stimulation from air conditioners. One hour before the initial atomization challenge， rats in all groups except the blank group and model group were injected with BMSCs suspension via the tail vein. Starting from the 15th day of the experiment， rats in each group were intragastrically administered corresponding liquid medicine or normal saline once a day for 7 consecutive days. After the last administration， the asthmatic behavioral changes and pathological morphological changes of lung tissues in rats were evaluated. The levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and IL-10 in nasopharyngeal lavage fluid， bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） and intestinal mucus were detected. The expression levels of proteins related to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway in nasal， lung and intestinal tissues were determined. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， the asthmatic behavioral score， lung tissue injury score， IL-6 levels in nasopharyngeal lavage fluid， BALF and intestinal mucus， PI3K protein expression and Akt phosphorylation levels in nasal， lung and intestinal tissues of rats in the model group were significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）； the IL-10 levels in nasopharyngeal lavage fluid， BALF and intestinal mucus were significantly decreased （ P ＜0.05）. Alveolar atrophy， collapse and even fusion， abnormal hyperplasia and hypertrophy of bronchial smooth muscle， and massive inflammatory cell infiltration were observed. Compared with the model group， most of the above quantitative indicators in the BMSCs group， BMSCs+modified Xiaoqinglong decoction group and BMSCs+dexamethasone group were significantly reversed （ P ＜0.05）， and pathological injuries of lung tissues were markedly alleviated. Compared with the BMSCs group， most of the above quantitative indicators were further improved in the BMSCs+modified Xiaoqinglong decoction group （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Modified Xiaoqinglong decoction combined with BMSCs can effectively improve nasal-pulmonary-intestinal mucosal immunity and relieve asthmatic symptoms in cold asthma rats， and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To explore the improvement effects of Suting pingchuan decoction （STPC） on bronchial asthma in rats and its potential mechanism. METHODS Male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， STPC low-， medium- and high-dose groups （4.14， 8.28， and 16.56 g/kg， respectively， based on the crude drug dosage）， and dexamethasone group （positive control， 1 mg/kg）， with 8 rats in each group. Except for the blank group， the other groups were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin and challenged by nebulized inhalation of ovalbumin to establish a bronchial asthma model. From the day of nebulization challenge， rats of each group were administered the corresponding drug solution or normal saline by gavage 1 hour before aerosolization， once a day， for 7 consecutive days. During the experiment， behavioral changes in rats of each group were observed. After the last administration， the levels of inflammatory factors （interleukin-1β， interleukin-18） in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF）， and oxidative stress indexes [malondialdehyde （MDA）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）] in lung tissue were determined； pathological changes in lung tissue were observed； cell apoptosis in lung tissue， and the mRNA expression of nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 （NLRP3） and the protein expressions of NLRP3， cleaved caspase-1， caspase-1， gasdermin D （GSDMD） and gasdermin D-N-terminal domain （GSDMD-N） in lung tissue were detected. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， rats in the model group showed symptoms such as scratching their ears and noses and frequent sneezing； the lung tissue structure was severely damaged， and there was obvious inflammatory cell infiltration. The levels of inflammatory factors in BALF， as well as the level of MDA， TUNEL-apoptotic cell rate， the mRNA expression of NLRP3， and the protein expressions of NLRP3， cleaved caspase-1， caspase-1， GSDMD-N and GSDMD in lung tissue were significantly increased or up-regulated， while the level of SOD in lung tissue was significantly decreased （ P ＜0.05 or P ＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， the above symptoms and pathological damages of lung tissue in each drug group were significantly improved， and all quantitative indicators （except for the protein expressions of GSDMD in the STPC groups， as well as the level of SOD， and the protein expressions of cleaved caspase-1， caspase-1 and GSDMD-N in the STPC low-dose group） were significantly reversed （ P ＜0.05 or P ＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS STPC can improve airway inflammation and lung tissue damage in rats with bronchial asthma， reduce the level of oxidative stress， and decrease the release of inflammatory factors such as IL-1β and IL-18. Its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of pyroptosis activation mediated by the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the application of central auditory testing combined with electroencephalographic features in the early screening of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease. MethodsA convenience sampling method was used to conduct a field survey in the Qixia District of Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, from July to September, 2025. A total of 40 older adults diagnosed as mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease and 23 cognitively normal older adults were recruited. Auditory N-back and dichotic listening paradigms were employed for assessment, while the scores of Montreal Cognitive Assessment Beijing Version (MoCA-BJ) and 32-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) data were simultaneously collected. Binary logistic regression analysis was applied to identify predictive indicators, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. ResultsThe total score of dichotic listening was positively correlated with overall cognitive function (r = 0.475, P < 0.01), while right-ear advantage showed negative correlations with overall cognition, visuospatial ability, abstract reasoning, and delayed recall (r < -0.276, P < 0.05). Task performance across all conditions of the N-back task was positively correlated with overall cognitive function (r > 0.249, P < 0.05). Regarding EEG features, δ and θ band power and power peaks were positively correlated with delayed recall (r > 0.258, P < 0.05), whereas (α+θ)/(α+β) and θ/(α+β) were positively correlated with naming ability and visuospatial executive function, respectively (r > 0.261, P < 0.05). The results of the binary logistic regression analysis showed that the total score of binaural dichotic listening, the accuracy of 1-back task, the average power of δ waves, and the ratio of θ/(α+β) were independent influencing factors for mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease (P < 0.05). The ROC analysis indicated that the AUC for auditory task performance and EEG features were 0.845 and 0.735 respectively, and when combined, the AUC increased to 0.862. ConclusionThe screening model based on the integration of auditory task performance and EEG features can be used in the early identification of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between retinoblastoma binding protein 1 (RB1) gene deletion and the prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM) patients, and the possible effect of renal insufficiency on it.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinical data and follow-up information of MM patients who were treated in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University and the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from December 2020 to November 2023 were collected. According to the presence of RB1 gene deletion in bone marrow samples detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), the patients were divided into the RB1 gene deletion group and the RB1 gene non-deletion group, and the clinicopathological characteristics and hematological index levels were compared between the two groups. Renal insufficiency was determined by renal function assessment indicator serum creatinine (Scr) >177 μmol/L. The Spearman test was used to analyze the relationship between the number of RB1 gene deletion positive cells and levels of Scr, hemoglobin and serum calcium in MM patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze progression-free survival (PFS), and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the influencing factors of PFS in all MM patients and RB1 gene deletion and non-deletion MM patients.Results:A total of 75 MM patients were enrolled, of whom 24 (32.0%) had RB1 gene deletion. There were no significant differences in gender, age ≥65 years old, bone destruction and lactate dehydrogenase level between the RB1 gene deletion and non-deletion groups (all P > 0.05). There were significant differences in the distributions of patients in each stage of MM International Staging System (ISS) and revised International Staging System (R-ISS) between the two groups, as well as in hemoglobin, serum calcium, Scr, β 2-microglobulin, serum albumin levels, and the proportion of bone marrow plasma cells (all P < 0.05). The number of RB1 gene deletion positive cells was positively correlated with Scr level ( r = 0.863, P = 0.016), but not with hemoglobin and serum calcium levels (both P > 0.05). The PFS of the RB1 gene non-deletion group was better than that of the RB1 gene deletion group (1-year PFS rate: 83.5% vs. 71.7%, 2-year PFS rate: 56.3% vs. 26.3%), and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.012). PFS in the non-renal insufficiency group was better than that in the renal insufficiency group (1-year PFS rate: 85.6% vs. 61.9%, 2-year PFS rate: 58.0% vs. 13.5%), and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.001). The PFS of patients without renal insufficiency in both the RB1 gene deletion and non-deletion groups was better than that in patients with renal insufficiency, and the differences were statistically significant (both P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that ISS stage Ⅲ was an independent risk factor for poor PFS in MM patients (stage Ⅲ vs. stage Ⅰ, HR = 11.317, 95% CI: 1.220-104.979, P = 0.033). Multivariate Cox regression analysis in RB1 gene deletion and non-deletion groups showed that ISS stage Ⅲ (stage Ⅲ vs. stageⅠ, HR = 4.166, 95% CI: 1.419-12.225, P = 0.009), R-ISS stage Ⅲ (stage Ⅲ vs. stage Ⅰ, HR = 3.800, 95% CI: 1.005-14.367, P = 0.049), serum calcium > 2.52 mmol/L (> 2.52 mmol/L vs. ≤2.52 mmol/L, HR = 2.398, 95% CI: 1.037-5.546, P = 0.041) and renal insufficiency (yes vs. no, HR = 2.363, 95% CI: 1.021-5.472, P = 0.045) were independent risk factors for poor PFS in RB1 gene non-deletion MM patients, and serum calcium >2.52 mmol/L (>2.52 mmol/L vs. ≤ 2.52 mmol/L, HR = 3.673, 95% CI: 1.160-11.627, P = 0.027) and renal insufficiency (yes vs. no, HR = 3.985, 95% CI: 1.220-13.016, P = 0.022) were independent risk factors for poor PFS in RB1 gene deletion MM patients. Conclusions:The PFS of MM patients with RB1 gene deletion is worse than that of patients without RB1 gene deletion, RB1 gene deletion may be related to renal insufficiency in MM patients, and the prognosis of MM patients with RB1 gene deletion and renal insufficiency may be worse.

Objective To explore the quantitative electroencephalography(qEEG)characteristics of the prefrontal cortex in patients with mild cognitive impairment(MCI)during digital screening tasks for MCI screening.Methods A total of 592 MCI patients(MCI group)and 317 normal cognitively elderly individuals(control group)were recruited from 40 communities in Nanjing,Jiangsu Province,from July to August,2024.All participants were as-sessed using Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Beijing Version(MoCA-BJ).Prefrontal EEG data were collected using a portable EEG device,and power spectral analysis was performed via Fast Fourier Transform.An XG-Boost algorithm was employed to construct an MCI identification model based on qEEG power features,and the model's performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results Compared with the control group,prefrontal δ,α,and β band power increased during screening tasks in MCI group(P<0.05);δ power was negatively correlated with MoCA-BJ total scores,and visuospatial/executive func-tion,attention and delayed recall scores(r=-0.269,-0.169,-0.133,-0.171,P<0.001);α power was negative-ly correlated with MoCA-BJ total scores,attention and delayed recall scores(r=-0.113,-0.075,-0.091,P<0.05).The XGBoost model based on δ and α power was excellent in MCI identification,with an area under the curve of 0.91,accuracy of 0.81,precision of 0.89,F1 score of 0.84,recall of 0.80,and specificity of 0.81.Conclusion MCI patients exhibit increased power in the prefrontal δ and α frequency bands during digital screening tasks,which is associated with cognitive decline.An XGBoost model based on qEEG power features can enable early prediction of MCI.

Objective To explore the quantitative electroencephalography(qEEG)characteristics of the prefrontal cortex in patients with mild cognitive impairment(MCI)during digital screening tasks for MCI screening.Methods A total of 592 MCI patients(MCI group)and 317 normal cognitively elderly individuals(control group)were recruited from 40 communities in Nanjing,Jiangsu Province,from July to August,2024.All participants were as-sessed using Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Beijing Version(MoCA-BJ).Prefrontal EEG data were collected using a portable EEG device,and power spectral analysis was performed via Fast Fourier Transform.An XG-Boost algorithm was employed to construct an MCI identification model based on qEEG power features,and the model's performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results Compared with the control group,prefrontal δ,α,and β band power increased during screening tasks in MCI group(P<0.05);δ power was negatively correlated with MoCA-BJ total scores,and visuospatial/executive func-tion,attention and delayed recall scores(r=-0.269,-0.169,-0.133,-0.171,P<0.001);α power was negative-ly correlated with MoCA-BJ total scores,attention and delayed recall scores(r=-0.113,-0.075,-0.091,P<0.05).The XGBoost model based on δ and α power was excellent in MCI identification,with an area under the curve of 0.91,accuracy of 0.81,precision of 0.89,F1 score of 0.84,recall of 0.80,and specificity of 0.81.Conclusion MCI patients exhibit increased power in the prefrontal δ and α frequency bands during digital screening tasks,which is associated with cognitive decline.An XGBoost model based on qEEG power features can enable early prediction of MCI.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between retinoblastoma binding protein 1 (RB1) gene deletion and the prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM) patients, and the possible effect of renal insufficiency on it.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinical data and follow-up information of MM patients who were treated in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University and the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from December 2020 to November 2023 were collected. According to the presence of RB1 gene deletion in bone marrow samples detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), the patients were divided into the RB1 gene deletion group and the RB1 gene non-deletion group, and the clinicopathological characteristics and hematological index levels were compared between the two groups. Renal insufficiency was determined by renal function assessment indicator serum creatinine (Scr) >177 μmol/L. The Spearman test was used to analyze the relationship between the number of RB1 gene deletion positive cells and levels of Scr, hemoglobin and serum calcium in MM patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze progression-free survival (PFS), and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the influencing factors of PFS in all MM patients and RB1 gene deletion and non-deletion MM patients.Results:A total of 75 MM patients were enrolled, of whom 24 (32.0%) had RB1 gene deletion. There were no significant differences in gender, age ≥65 years old, bone destruction and lactate dehydrogenase level between the RB1 gene deletion and non-deletion groups (all P > 0.05). There were significant differences in the distributions of patients in each stage of MM International Staging System (ISS) and revised International Staging System (R-ISS) between the two groups, as well as in hemoglobin, serum calcium, Scr, β 2-microglobulin, serum albumin levels, and the proportion of bone marrow plasma cells (all P < 0.05). The number of RB1 gene deletion positive cells was positively correlated with Scr level ( r = 0.863, P = 0.016), but not with hemoglobin and serum calcium levels (both P > 0.05). The PFS of the RB1 gene non-deletion group was better than that of the RB1 gene deletion group (1-year PFS rate: 83.5% vs. 71.7%, 2-year PFS rate: 56.3% vs. 26.3%), and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.012). PFS in the non-renal insufficiency group was better than that in the renal insufficiency group (1-year PFS rate: 85.6% vs. 61.9%, 2-year PFS rate: 58.0% vs. 13.5%), and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.001). The PFS of patients without renal insufficiency in both the RB1 gene deletion and non-deletion groups was better than that in patients with renal insufficiency, and the differences were statistically significant (both P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that ISS stage Ⅲ was an independent risk factor for poor PFS in MM patients (stage Ⅲ vs. stage Ⅰ, HR = 11.317, 95% CI: 1.220-104.979, P = 0.033). Multivariate Cox regression analysis in RB1 gene deletion and non-deletion groups showed that ISS stage Ⅲ (stage Ⅲ vs. stageⅠ, HR = 4.166, 95% CI: 1.419-12.225, P = 0.009), R-ISS stage Ⅲ (stage Ⅲ vs. stage Ⅰ, HR = 3.800, 95% CI: 1.005-14.367, P = 0.049), serum calcium > 2.52 mmol/L (> 2.52 mmol/L vs. ≤2.52 mmol/L, HR = 2.398, 95% CI: 1.037-5.546, P = 0.041) and renal insufficiency (yes vs. no, HR = 2.363, 95% CI: 1.021-5.472, P = 0.045) were independent risk factors for poor PFS in RB1 gene non-deletion MM patients, and serum calcium >2.52 mmol/L (>2.52 mmol/L vs. ≤ 2.52 mmol/L, HR = 3.673, 95% CI: 1.160-11.627, P = 0.027) and renal insufficiency (yes vs. no, HR = 3.985, 95% CI: 1.220-13.016, P = 0.022) were independent risk factors for poor PFS in RB1 gene deletion MM patients. Conclusions:The PFS of MM patients with RB1 gene deletion is worse than that of patients without RB1 gene deletion, RB1 gene deletion may be related to renal insufficiency in MM patients, and the prognosis of MM patients with RB1 gene deletion and renal insufficiency may be worse.

β2-adrenergic receptor （β2-AR） agonists are widely used as first-line drugs in the treatment of bronchial asthma （hereinafter referred to as “asthma”）， but long-term use can lead to β2-AR desensitization and reduce its clinical efficacy， resulting in poor symptom control of some asthma patients. The mechanism of β2-AR desensitization induced by β2-AR agonists mainly includes slow hyposensitization （related to the decrease of β2-AR density in airway mucosa） and rapid hyposensitization （related to the mechanism of stimulatory G protein decoupling）. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate（cAMP）-protein kinase A and cAMP- exchange protein activated by cAMP signaling pathways are closely related to β2-AR desensitization. Glucocorticoids， peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma agonists， ASM-024， Chinese medicine monotherapies and formulations， when combined with β2-AR agonists， can improve the sensitivity of β2-AR， so as to better control asthma symptoms.

Bronchial asthma （referred to as “asthma”） is a heterogeneous airway disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation and airway remodeling. Its pathogenesis is complex， the incidence is high and the disease is easy to repeat. Autophagy plays an important regulatory role in improving asthma symptoms. By regulating autophagy-related proteins and signaling pathways， the active components of traditional Chinese medicine （such as flavonoids， anthraquinones， terpenoids） and traditional Chinese medicine compounds （such as Wuhu decoction， Pingchuan granule， Sanzi yangqin decoction） can inhibit airway inflammatory response，reduce airway hyperresponsiveness，and alleviate airway remodeling，thus playing a role in the treatment of asthma. However， most of the current studies are basic studies，and the quality of evidence is not high．In the future，high-quality clinical and basic studies should be further carried out to fully demonstrate the scientific nature of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of asthma by regulating autophagy．