ObjectiveTo investigate differential metabolites associated with browning in the post-harvest processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma， providing data support for elucidating the key metabolites and metabolic pathways involved in browning， and developing safe and efficient sulfur-free processing techniques. MethodsUltra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole/linear ion trap mass spectrometry（UPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS） was used to detect the metabolites of Pinelliae Rhizoma at different browning stages（0， 8， 16 h） for widely targeted metabolomics. Subsequently， Multivariate statistical analysis of metabolites was conducted using principal component analysis（PCA）， hierarchical cluster analysis（HCA）， orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA）， and K-means cluster analysis. Differential metabolites at different browning stages were screened based on variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1 and |log₂fold change（FC）|≥1， and metabolic pathway enrichment analysis was performed using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG）. ResultsA total of 1 416 metabolites were identified across the three browning stages of Pinelliae Rhizoma， predominantly comprising amino acids and their derivatives（239）， lipids（219）， alkaloids（156）， phenolic acids（121）， terpenoids（113）， and flavonoids（111）. A two-by-two comparison of the three browning phases， yielded 622 differential metabolites that were significantly enriched in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis， flavone and flavonol biosynthesis， and purine metabolic pathway. Further analysis revealed that carbohydrates such as D-mannose and turanose， phenolic acids such as 1-O-caffeoyl-6-O-glucosyl-β-D-glucose， dicaffeoylshikimic acid， and flavonoids such as epigallocatechin gallate， vitexin-7-O-rutinoside， luteolin-7-O-（6″-malonyl）glucoside-5-O-arabinoside， catechin gallate， epicatechin gallate， isovitexin-7-O-glucoside-2″-O-rhamnoside， apigenin-7-O-rutinoside-4ʹ-O-sophoroside， 3，5，3ʹ，4ʹ，5ʹ-penta-hydroxyflavan-7-gallate may act as browning substrates and play important roles in the browning process. ConclusionCarbohydrates， phenolic acids， and flavonoids may serve as key substrates in the browning process of Pinelliae Rhizoma， involving pathways such as phenylpropanoid biosynthesis， flavone and flavonol biosynthesis， and purine metabolism， which can provide a theoretical basis for further exploration of the browning mechanism.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of needle cauterization on vitiligo with deficiency cold and blood stasis. METHODS: A total of 62 patients of vitiligo with deficiency cold and blood stasis were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 31 cases each group.On the basis of 308 nm excimer light irradiation combined with ironing with Chinese medicine, the control group was treated with tacrolimus ointment for external use, twice a day; the observation group was treated with needle cauterization at vitiligo spots, once a week.Both groups were treated for 10 weeks. Before and after treatment, the area of vitiligo spot, TCM syndrome score, serum levels of inflammatory indexes (interleukin[IL]-6 and IL-17) were observed in the two groups, and the clinical effect was evaluated. RESULTS: After treatment, the areas of vitiligo spot, TCM syndrome scores and serum levels of IL-6, IL-17 were decreased compared with those before treatment in both groups (P<0.05), and the above indexes in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the observation group was 93.5% (29/31), which was higher than 77.4% (24/31) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Needle cauterization could reduce the areas of vitiligo spot in patients of vitiligo with deficiency cold and blood stasis, improve the clinical symptoms, its mechanism may be related to the reduction of serum levels of inflammatory indexes.
Humans ; Vitiligo/physiopathology* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; Adolescent ; Interleukin-6/blood* ; Interleukin-17/blood* ; Cautery ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Needles ; Cold Temperature ; Treatment Outcome

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are multifunctional growth factors of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily. They regulate steroid secretion from mammalian granulosa cells, promote granulosa cell survival and proliferation, and inhibit follicular atresia, luteinization, and granulosa cell apoptosis, thereby promoting the development and maturation of mammalian follicles. At the same time, BMPs play an important role in embryonic morphogenesis, induction of uterine receptivity, and blastocyst attachment. This paper describes the effects of BMPs on mammalian follicular and embryonic development and the roles of BMPs in female reproduction, focusing on the process in which BMPs promote follicular maturation by regulating steroid secretion from granulosa cells during mammalian oocyte maturation. This review aims to provide a reference for further research on mammalian oocyte culture and improvement of reproductive efficiency in female animals.
Animals ; Embryonic Development/drug effects* ; Female ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/pharmacology* ; Reproduction/physiology* ; Humans ; Granulosa Cells/cytology* ; Oocytes

ObjectiveTo investigate the current status and related factors of maternal influenza vaccination willingness among pregnant and postpartum women in Shanghai and Liaoning Province, China, and to explore the facilitators and barriers affecting vaccination uptake, so as to provide references for future practices in promoting maternal influenza immunization in China. MethodsA convergent mixed-methods research was conducted. From January to March 2024, a questionnaire survey was conducted among women attending prenatal and postnatal care at 7 medical institutions in Shanghai and Dalian, Liaoning Province, which aimed to assess pregnant women’s knowledge about influenza vaccine and their willingness to vaccination during pregnancy, as well as to identify the related factors. In addition, purposive sampling method was used to conduct in-depth interviews with pregnant women and perinatal healthcare service providers to explore their perspectives on influenza vaccination during pregnancy, including the reasons for their willingness or unwillingness to receive ( or recommend) the vaccine, and the relevant facilitators and barriers to vaccination. ResultsA total of 366 pregnant and postpartum women participated in the questionnaire survey, and 9.56% (35/366) of them were willing to receive the influenza vaccine during pregnancy. The results of multivariate logistic stepwise regression analyses showed that primipara (aOR=0.158, 95%CI: 0.037‒0.671, P=0.012), family members’ support for influenza vaccination during pregnancy (aOR=0.015, 95%CI: 0.003‒0.082, P<0.001) were associated with higher willingness to receive influenza vaccine during pregnancy. Absence of influenza infection during pregnancy (aOR=5.383, 95%CI: 1.801‒16.092, P<0.001), and lack of knowledge regarding influenza vaccination during pregnancy (aOR=11.294, 95%CI: 3.593‒35.496, P<0.01) were associated with lower willingness to receive influenza vaccine during pregnancy. Qualitative findings indicated that the facilitators to vaccination willingness among pregnant and postpartum women included the recommendation of healthcare service providers, adequate knowledge of influenza vaccine information and family members’ support for vaccination. Conversely, the barriers to vaccination willingness included low recommendation from the healthcare service providers, lack of knowledge about the safety of influenza vaccine during pregnancy and inadequate attention to influenza and influenza vaccine. ConclusionThe willingness to receive influenza vaccination among pregnant and postpartum women in Shanghai and Liaoning Province is relatively low. It is recommended that China should promptly improve the evidence-based system for the safety and efficacy of influenza vaccines for pregnant and postpartum women, along with an establishment of the mechanism for addressing adverse reactions. Furthermore, it is essential to enhance educational outreach to pregnant and postpartum women, their families, and healthcare service providers, thereby increasing the accessibility of information regarding influenza vaccination, which are expected to enhance the willingness of pregnant and postpartum women to receive the vaccine.

Objective To investigate the value of serum thymidine kinase 1(TK1),hypoxia-inducible fac-tor-1α(HIF-1α)and squamous cell carcinoma antigen(SCC)in the diagnosis and prognosis of esophageal cancer.Methods A total of 105 patients with esophageal cancer treated in the Qinhuai Medical Zone of East-ern Theater General Hospital from February 2019 to October 2021 were selected as the study group,and 80 healthy subjects were selected as the control group during the same period.The serum levels of TK1,HIF-1αand SCC were compared between study group,control group and patients with different pathological charac-teristics.Patients with esophageal cancer were followed up for 3 years,and the overall survival(OS)and pro-gression-free survival(PFS)were recorded.Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the di-agnostic efficiency of serum TK1,HIF-1α and SCC combined detection for esophageal cancer,Pearson correla-tion analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the serum indicators,and Kaplan-Meier survival a-nalysis was used to analyze the OS and PFS of patients with different serum levels of TK1,HIF-1α and SCC.Multivariate COX regression was performed to analyze prognostic factors.Results Compared with the control group,the serum TK1,HIF-1α and SCC levels in the study group increased(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of serum TK1,HIF-1α,SCC alone and combined for diagnosis of esophageal cancer were 0.893,0.744,0.841,0.922,respectively,and their combined diagnoses of esophageal cancer had the largest AUC.Se-rum TK1,HIF-1α and SCC in patients with different TNM stages and differentiation stages were significantly different(P＜0.05).Serum TK1,HIF-1α and SCC in patients with lymph node metastasis were higher than those without lymph node metastasis(P＜0.05).Serum TK1 was positively correlated with HIF-1α and SCC levels in patients with esophageal cancer(P＜0.05).The survival functions of OS and PFS in TK1,HIF-1αand SCC low expression group were better than those in high expression group(P＜0.05).Multivariate COX regression analysis showed that low differentiation and lymph node metastasis were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in esophageal cancer patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion Serum levels of TK1,HIF-1α and SCC are increased in patients with esophageal cancer,the combined diagnosis of the three is effective.The high expression of TK1 and HIF-1αand SCC will shorten OS and PFS.

Objective To explore the predictive value of combined serum soluble hemoglobin scavenger receptor 163(sCD163),hypersensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),and procalcitonin(PCT)for stroke-associated pneumonia(SAP).Methods A total of 100 patients with acute ische-mic stroke admitted to the First Hospital of Zhangjiakou from October 2021 to January 2023 were se-lected as the study subjects.According to whether they developed SPA within 7 days of admission,they were divided into SAP group(n=64)and non-SAP group(n=36).Based on pneumonia se-verity index(PSI),patients in the SAP group were further divided into mild SAP group and severe SAP group.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the serum levels of sCD163,hs-CRP,and PCT.The clinical data of the patients were collected and compared.Pearson's method was used to analyze the correlation between the PSI score and the serum levels of sCD163,hs-CRP,and PCT in SAP patients.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was employed to screen for factors influencing the occurrence of SAP.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analy-sis was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of serum sCD163,hs-CRP,and PCT for the occur-rence of SAP.Results The proportion of patients with dysphagia and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score in the SAP group were significantly higher than those in the non-SAP group(P＜0.05).The serum levels of sCD163,hs-CRP,and PCT in the SAP group were significantly higher than those in the non-SAP group(P＜0.05).The serum levels of sCD163,hs-CRP,and PCT in the severe SAP group were significantly higher than those in the mild SAP group(P＜0.05).Pearson's correlation analysis showed that the PSI score was positively correlated with the serum levels of sCD163,hs-CRP and PCT in SAP patients(r=0.356,0.413,0.391,P＜0.001).Logistic regression analysis revealed that serum sCD163,hs-CRP,PCT,NIHSS score,and dysphagia were all influencing factors for the occurrence of SAP(P＜0.05).The areas under the curve(AUC)for predicting SAP using serum sCD163,hs-CRP,PCT and their combina-tion were 0.842,0.924,0.866 and 0.973,respectively,with sensitivities of 73.44％,84.37％,67.19％and 90.62％,and specificities of 88.89％,83.33％,97.22％and 94.44％,respectively.The predictive value of the combined detection was superior to that of the individual detection of ser-um sCD163,hs-CRP and PCT(P＜0.05).Conclusion The serum levels of sCD163,hs-CRP,and PCT are elevated in SAP patients,and their changes are closely related to the severity of the disease.The combined detection of these three indicators has a high value in predicting the occur-rence of SAP and may serve as auxiliary markers for predicting early SAP.

Objective:To construct a new thrombus risk assessment model and evaluate its predictive ability for venous thromboembolism(VTE)in the patients with malignant tumors,and to provide the basis for the early predition of the malignant tumor patients with high risk for VTE.Methods:A total of 128 untreated malignant tumor patients were included,of which 40 were diagnosed with VTE within 2 months of malignant tumor diagnosis and categorized as VTE group.A total of 88 patients who did not develop VTE were categorized as non-VTE group.The clinical risk factors and laboratory indicators of the patients in two groups were compared and analyzed;the types of thrombotic events of the patients were analyzed;the diagnostic values of thrombin-antithrombin-complex(TAT),α2-plasmin inhibitor-plasmin complex(PIC),D-dimer(D-dimer),and fibrin degradation products(FDP)in malignant tumors complicated by VTE were assessed using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis;Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the correlations of the clinical risk factors and biomarkers with the malignant tumors complicated with VTE.A new thrombus risk assessment model was constructed,consisting of TAT≥0.70 μg·L-1,poor differentiation,and cardiovascular risk factors.The predictive probability of the model for malignant tumors complicated by VTE was evaluated based on the significance,goodness of fit,calibration curve,and C value of the model.The clinical application value of the new thrombus risk assessment model,COMPASS-CAT risk score(CRS),and Khorana risk score(KRS)in assessing malignant tumor patients complicated by VTE was compared using the C value and decision curve analysis(DCA).Results:The plasma levels of TAT(P＜0.001),PIC(P＜0.001),D-dimer(P＜0.05),and FDP(P＜0.01)of the patients in VTE group were higher than those in non-VTE group.Compared with the patients without cardiovascular risk factors,poor differentiation,and lymphatic metastasis,the malignant tumor patients with cardiovascular risk factors(P＜0.001),poor differentiation(P＜0.001),and lymphatic metastasis(P＜0.05)were more likely to develop VTE.Most VTE events(65％)were isolated deep vein thromboembolism(DVT).The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC),sensitivity,and specificity of TAT and PIC were higher than those of D-dimer and FDP.TAT≥0.70 μg·L-1(P＜0.05),poor differentiation(P＜0.01),and cardiovascular risk factors(P＜0.01)were the independent risk factors for VTE in the malignant tumor patients.A new thrombus risk assessment model consisting of TAT≥0.70 μg·L-1,poor differentiation,and cardiovascular risk factors was constructed.The new risk assessment model had a high goodness of fit(P=0.805)and good predictive ability during internal validation(x2=75.266,P＜0.001).The ROC curve analysis results showed that the C values for the new thrombus risk prediction model,CRS,and KRS were 0.908,0.676,and 0.541,respectively.The DCA curve analysis results showed that the new thrombus risk assessment model had a higher net benefit rate compared with CRS and KRS.Conclusion:TAT and PIC have greater diagnostic efficiency than D-dimer in the early prediction of the malignant tumor patients with high-risk VTE.For the patients included in this study,the new thrombus risk assessment model,constructed from TAT≥0.70 μg·L-1,poor differentiation,and cardiovascular risk factors,has superior diagnostic efficiency and clinical predictive value compared with CRS and KRS.

Objective:To explore the causal relationship between gut microbiota and lung function (FEV1/FVC) using two-sample Mendelian randomization method; To explore its application in the TCM field.Methods:This was a Mendelian randomization study. The GWAS data of gut microbiota from the MiBioGen consortium study and the GWAS data of lung function (FEV1/FVC) published by IEU OpenGWAS in the public database were used, and instrumental variables were extracted according to prespecified thresholds. The inverse variance weighted method (IVW) was mainly used for analysis. The results were evaluated according to the effect indicator β value and 95% CI. When the IVW method was statistically significant, further sensitivity analysis was performed. Leave-one-out test, heterogeneity test, horizontal gene pleiotropy test and MR-Egger regression intercept analysis were used to verify the stability and reliability of the results. Results:A total of 10 causal relationships between gut microbiota and lung function (FEV1/FVC) were determined using the IVW method: family. BacteroidalesS24.7group ( β=-0.029, P=0.015), family. ClostridialesvadinBB60group ( β=-0.028, P=0.040), family. Streptococcaceae ( β=-0.056, P=0.042), genus. LachnospiraceaeFCS020group ( β=0.025, P=0.029), genus. Lactococcus ( β=-0.024, P=0.038), genus. Peptococcus ( β=0.025, P=0.049), genus. RuminococcaceaeUCG011 ( β=-0.030, P=0.038), genus. Ruminococcus2 ( β=0.028, P=0.033), genus. Terrisporobacter ( β=-0.030, P=0.018), phylum. Cyanobacteria ( β=0.027, P=0.039). Leave-one-out analysis showed that the results were stable, and the effects of heterogeneity and horizontal gene pleiotropy on causal effect estimation could be removed. Conclusion:The gut microbiota may play a role in the changes of lung function, which to a certain extent confirms the TCM theory of "exterior-interior relationship between the lung and large intestine", and can provide certain reference for the research direction of TCM.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1(sFlt-1)and soluble differentiation cluster 14(sCD14)in stroke-associated pneumonia(SAP).Methods A total of 67 SAP patients admitted to the hospital from March 2022 to January 2023 were selected as the study group,and 50 stroke patients without pneumonia during the same period were selected as the control group.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure serum sFlt-1 and sCD14 levels.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between serum sFlt-1,sCD14 levels and clinical data.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of SAP in patients with stroke.Receiver operating char-acteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of serum sFlt-1 and sCD14 levels in predicting SAP in patients with stroke.Results The serum levels of sFlt-1 and sCD14 in SAP patients were higher than those in stroke patients without pneumonia and stroke patients with pneumonia alone(P＜0.05).SAP in stroke patients was associated with age,atrial fibrillation,heart failure,aspiration,dysphagia,brain stem stroke,proton pump inhibitor use,fever,cough,dyspnea,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,procalcitonin(PCT),C-reactive protein,white blood cell count,national institutes of health stroke scale(NIHSS)score,clinical pulmonary infection(CPIS)score(P＜0.05).Correlation analysis showed that serum sFlt-1 level was positively correlated with sCD14(r=0.439,P＜0.001),and serum sFlt-1 and sCD14 levels were positively correlated with NIHSS score and CPIS score(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that sFlt-1,sCD14,proton pump inhibitor use,PCT,dysphagia,and age were the influencing factors of SAP in stroke patients(P＜0.05).ROC curve results showed that the area under the curve of serum sFlt-1 and sCD14 combined to evaluate SAP in stroke patients was higher than that of single detection(ZsFlt-1-combined=2.194,P=0.028,ZscD14-combined=2.310,P=0.002).Conclusion The serum levels of sFlt-1 and sCD14 are in-creased in SAP patients,and the combination of the two has a good diagnostic value for predicting the occur-rence of SAP.

Tripterygium wilfordii is widely used in the treatment of immune system disease and has a remarkable curative effect. Triptolide and Tripterygium glycosides are the most commonly used active ingredients in clinical practice， but their treatment window is narrow and there are many side effects. The damage involves the reproductive system， blood system， cardiovascular system， digestive system， etc. Based on clinical observations and literature summaries， the symptoms of adverse reactions mostly occur in the digestive system （liver and gastrointestinal tract）. Relevant scholars have launched a lot of studies of the manifestations of liver injury induced by T. wilfordii and the mechanism of liver injury. The mechanism is mainly related to liver cell apoptosis， induction of oxidative stress， immune injury， excessive autophagy of liver cells， abnormal fatty acid metabolism， and abnormal enzyme metabolism in liver tissues. This article reviewed and summarized relevant literature on gastrointestinal injury caused by T. wilfordii， but there are few studies on the manifestations and mechanisms of adverse reactions， which still need further research by scholars. In addition， this article also summarized the research on how to reduce toxicity and enhance efficacy of prescriptions prepared from T. wilfordii in the digestive system， mainly involving compatibility with western medicines （Methotrexate， Leflunomide， Iguratimod， etc.）， use along or combination with Chinese medicines （single Chinese medicine， Chinese medicine monomers， and Chinese medicine compounds）， acupuncture and moxibustion （electroacupuncture and moxibustion）， dosage form improvement （glycol plastid gel， self-dissolving microneedle， solid lipid nanoparticles， gastric floating sustained-release capsules， etc.）， processing （steaming， stir-frying， radish seed processing， money grass processing， licorice processing， etc.）， and other methods to reduce toxicity. To sum up， this article analyzed the manifestations， mechanisms， and methods of reducing toxicity and enhancing efficacy of T. wilfordii-induced liver injury and gastrointestinal injury by sorting out relevant literature， in order to provide a reference for the clinical application of T. wilfordii and some research ideas for the future in-depth study of T. wilfordii-induced digestive system injury.