ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the methodological quality and measurement properties of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome efficacy evaluation scales， and to provide evidence-based references for selecting high-quality assessment tools in TCM clinical practice. MethodsChina National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， Wanfang Data， VIP Database， Chinese Biomedical Literature Database （CBM）， PubMed， the Cochrane Library， Embase， and Web of Science were searched from inception to April 2， 2025， for studies evaluating the measurement properties of TCM syndrome efficacy evaluation scales. Data were extracted， and the methodological quality and measurement properties of the included scales were assessed according to the consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments （COSMIN）. Recommendation levels were formulated based on the grading of evidence. ResultsA total of 46 studies were included， involving 22 generic syndrome efficacy evaluation scales and 24 disease-specific syndrome efficacy evaluation scales. None of the scales reported cross-cultural validity or measurement error. According to the recommendation grades， 2 scales met Grade A recommendations and are suggested for clinical use； 38 scales were classified as Grade B， indicating potential applicability but requiring further validation； and 6 scales were classified as Grade C， suggesting the need for further refinement. ConclusionExisting TCM syndrome efficacy evaluation scales exhibit substantial variability in methodological quality， incomplete reporting of measurement properties， and insufficient attention to scale revision. Future efforts should emphasize standardized design in the development of TCM syndrome scales， strengthen validation procedures for key measurement properties， and prioritize dynamic revision of scales， thereby providing high-quality tools to support the precise evaluation of syndrome efficacy.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate pharmacologically active components of Yiqi Zishen Formula (YZF) and their mechanisms for alleviating airway inflammation in mice with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry was employed to characterize the chemical components in YZF and YZF-medicated rat serum. A compound-disease target network was constructed based on serum components of YZF to screen the key pathways and targets using enrichment analysis. A mouse model of cigarette smoke-induced COPD was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of YZF and validate the expression of key proteins in network pharmacology-enriched pathways. Fifty male C57BL/6J mice were randomized equally into control group, COPD model group, high- and low-dose YZF treatment groups, and N-acetylcysteine treatment group. Pulmonary function of the mice was assessed using whole-body plethysmography, and lung histopathology, alveolar structure, and airway remodeling were analyzed using HE staining. The levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF‑α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined with ELISA, and pulmonary expressions of PI3K, Akt, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), p65, and phosphorylated p65 (p-p65) were detected using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: We identified a total of 156 chemical components (including 26 flavonoids or flavonoid glycosides, 27 alkaloids, and 11 saponins) in YZF and 43 prototype components in medicated rat serum. Network pharmacology revealed 704 YZF-related targets and 1199 COPD-associated targets. Integrated analysis suggested that the anti-COPD effects of YZF were associated with the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. In mouse models of COPD, YZF treatment significantly increased mean alveolar number and peak expiratory flow (P<0.05), reduced mean linear intercept, bronchial wall thickness, lung coefficient, and BALF cytokine levels, and suppressed the expressions of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, p65, and p-p65 in the lung tissues. CONCLUSIONS YZF alleviates COPD symptoms and airway inflammation in mice possibly by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/NF‑κB pathway through its multiple components that interact with multiple targets.
Animals ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Rats

Objective:To investigate the changes of respiratory function and lung volume after bariatric surgery using spiral CT three-dimensional imaging technology.Methods:Using the prospective study method, the medical records of 30 subjects undergoing sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in the Eighth Department of General Surgery, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from Jan. 2023 to Jun. 2024 were collected. Among them, 12 were males and 18 were females, aged from 20 to 45 years, with the average age of 31.1 years old. Chest CT scans were completed within 1 week before surgery and 6 months after surgery. The subject′s CT plain scan reconstructed thin-layer images of the mediastinal window were transferred to a GE workstation, and the lung volumes of both lungs and each lobe and the tracheal wall area of the five bronchial segments (RB1, RB4, RB10, LB1 + 2 and LB10) were calculated as a percentage of the airway cross-sectional area (WA%), and the posterior intercostal position corresponding to the diaphragm was recorded. Paired t-test and rank-sum test were used to compare preoperative and postoperative differences.Results:Compared with pre-operation, the subject′s body mass index decreased significantly 6 months after bariatric surgery [(42.22±7.31) kg/m 2vs (30.12±5.59) kg/m 2,t=7.31, P<0.001)]. Except for left lower lobe [(1.15±0.23) L vs (1.27±0.24) L, t=1.97, P=0.054] and right middle lobe [(0.57±0.16) L vs (0.83±0.16) L, t=1.38, P=0.172], the remaining lung parts were significantly larger after surgery than before surgery: right upper lobe [(0.80±0.17) L vs (0.94±0.19) L, t=2.79, P=0.007], right lower lobe [(1.08±0.14) L vs (1.22±0.19) L, t=3.23, P=0.002], left upper lobe [(1.12±0.20) L vs (1.24±0.23) L, t=2.26, P=0.014]. Overall, right lung volume [(2.44±0.33) L vs (2.79±0.41) L, t=3.62, P=0.001], left lung volume [(2.27±0.36) L vs (2.52±0.39) L, t=2.53, P=0.014] and total lung volume [(4.71±0.60) L vs (5.30±0.71) L, t=3.48, P=0.001] all increased significantly at 6 months after surgery compared with before surgery. All five segments of bronchus (WA%) were significantly reduced after surgery than before surgery: RB1: [(62.82±4.66) vs (66.85±3.99), t=3.60, P=0.001]; RB4: [(61.24±5.28) vs (64.31±5.51), t=2.20, P=0.031]; RB10: [(60.03±4.64) vs (62.97±5.73), t=2.18, P=0.033]; LB1+ 2: [(63.61±5.05) vs (67.90±4.30), t=3.54, P=0.001]; LB10: [(58.73±6.49) vs (62.01±5.06), t=2.17, P=0.034)]. The posterior intercostal position corresponding to the diaphragm dropped from an average of 7-8 intercostal spaces to 8-9 intercostal spaces, with a significant difference (rank mean 22.77 vs 38.23, Z=-3.67, P<0.001). Conclusion:Bariatric surgery can significantly reduce weight, reduce the pressure of chest and abdominal, improve lung compliance, reduce the internal pressure of the chest, lower the diaphragm, expand the lung volume and airway cross-sectional area, restore the original airway anatomy and respiratory physiology, so it can effectively improve the respiratory function and lung structure abnormalities caused by obesity.

ObjectiveTo analyze the development status and quality of clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of dominant diseases with Chinese patent medicines （CPMs）. MethodsDatabases were searched from Jan. 2019 to Dec.2023 to collect the published clinical practice guidelines of CPMs for the treatment of dominant diseases. The information about the title， the participants， clinical problems， outcomes， evidence grade， recommendations， and recommendation strength in the included clinical practice guidelines were collected， for which the development status was analyzed， and the quality was evaluated with the Scientific， Transparent and Applicable Rankings （STAR） tool for clinical practice guidelines. ResultsTotally， 34 guidelines were included， involving 273 kinds of CPMs. One to ten （with the medium five） clinical problems were proposed from 29 clinical practice guidelines respectively. All the guidelines divided the evidence into four grades according to Grade of Recommendation Assessment， Deve-lopement an Evaluation. And 28 guidelines had five levels of recommendation strength. A total of 344 recommendations were extracted， including 86 strong-recommendations， 191 weak-recommendations （including 36 weak recommendations only based on expert consensus） and 67 recommendations with unclear recommendation strength. All guidelines had high scores in the three areas of “clinical questions （94.20%）”， “evidence （91.45%）” and “recommendations （89.06%）”， while the scores in the three areas of “registry （22.06%）”， “protocol （19.00%）” and “accessibility （31.51%）” were low. The STAR recommended stars of 8 guidelines were 5.0~4.0 stars， while that of 18 guidelines were 3.5~2.5 stars， and 8 guidelines were 2.0~1.0 stars. The three guidelines with the highest recommended stars were depressive disorder， community-acquired pneumonia， and influenza in adult. ConclusionThere is a certain gap in the quality of the published clinical practice guidelines of CPMs， and the quality of the guidelines could be further improved in registry， protocols， funds， and accessibility.

Objective:To establish a rapid method to detect the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of imipenem in Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) based on ompK36 gene′s GD mutation. Methods:This was a methodological evaluation study. A total of 258 isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae were collected from Lishui Municipal Central Hospital from March 2011 to December 2019. Porin gene ompK36 and carbapenemase genes blaKPC, blaNDM, blaIMP and blaOXA-48 were amplified by PCR and confirmed by sequencing. The MIC was detected and confirmed by microbroth dilution susceptibility test, and the corresponding patterns of genotype and MIC were constructed. Based on the patterns, a method for rapid detection of imipenem MIC by real-time fluorescence PCR (RT-PCR) was designed and established. The 159 isolates of non-repetitive Klebsiella pneumoniae collected by Lishui Disease Prevention and Control Center (CDC) from 2017 to 2019 were used for further verification. The sensitivity and specificity were calculated by fourfold table. Kappa test was used to compare the consistency between RT-PCR and microbroth dilution susceptibility test. Results:Among 258 isolates, 109 isolates did not carry carbapenemase gene, 65 isolates carried ompK36 gene GD mutation, 127 isolates carried blaKPC, 15 isolates carried blaNDM, 9 isolates carried blaIMP, and blaOXA-48 was not detected. With mircobroth dilution susceptibility test as the standard, there were 3 corresponding patterns between the drug resistance gene and the imipenem MIC of Kp: when all the 4 carbapenemase genes were negative, MIC≤1 mg/L, the sensitivity was 100% (107/107) and the specificity was 98.4% (125/127); when blaKPC was positive and ompK36 gene GD mutation was negative, 4 mg/L≤MIC≤16 mg/L, the sensitivity was 88.2% (60/68) and the specificity was 98.8% (164/166); when blaKPC and ompK36 gene GD mutation were both positive, MIC≥32 mg/L, the sensitivity was 96.6% (57/59) and the specificity was 96.6% (169/175). RT-PCR detected blaKPC, blaNDM, blaIMP, blaOXA-48 genes accurately.The RT-PCR results of ompK36 gene GD mutation in the KPC-producing isolates were 100% consistent with the sequencing results. In the 159 isolates from Lishui CDC, the sensitivity and specificity of imipenem MIC detected by RT-PCR were higher than 95% in all 3 patterns with mircobroth dilution susceptibility test as the standard, and Kappa value was 0.971. Conclusion:The RT-PCR based on ompK36 gene GD mutation was helpful to quickly determine the MIC range of imipenem in KPC-Kp.

Objective To explore the interventional mechanism of Bufei Yishen formula on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from pathway level.Methods Macrophage inflammatory model was established by LPS stimulation.Based on gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA)method,macrophage inflammation related pathways were screened,and normalized enrichment score(NES)was used to identify pathways that were reversed by traditional Chinese medicine treatment,revealing the interventional mechanism of Bufei Yishen formula and its compatibility.Results The NES of Bufei Yishen formula was-1377.23,among which the NES of Bushen compatibility was-485.07,that of Huoxue was-351.86,Huatan was-303.71,and Yiqi was-236.59.There were 213 significantly disturbed pathways reversed after the intervention of Bufei Yishen formula,among which there were 184 reversed pathways for Huoxue compatibility,147 reversed pathways for Bushen,134 reversed pathways for Huatan,133 reversed pathways for Yiqi,and the reversal rate was 75.41%,60.25%,54.92%,54.51%,respectively.90 pathways,including TGF-β production,were significantly reversed in the four compatibilities.Positive regulation of cytokine production involved in inflammatory response etc were specifically reversed pathways for compatibility.Conclusion The intensity of Bufei Yishen formula that reversed macrophage-inflammatory related pathways was in order of Bushen,Huoxue,Huatan and Yiqi compatibility.And the number of pathways that could be reversed by the compatibility of Bufei Yishen formula was Huoxue,Bushen,Huatan and Yiqi.Bufei Yishen formula could regulate the common and specific reversal pathways of the compatibilities to intervene the inflammatory response.

AIM:To establish a mouse model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)induced by cigarette smoke(CS)exposure combined with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid(Poly I:C)nasal drip,and to investigate the mechanism of airway epithelial barrier injury in COPD.METHODS:(1)Ninety-six male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into control group,CS group,Poly I:C group,and CS+Poly I:C group(n=24).The model was established from week 1 to week 8,with pulmonary function tested every 4 weeks.Six mice from each group were sacrificed at the end of weeks 4,8,16,and 24.Changes in minute volume(MV),enhanced pause(Penh),mean linear intercept(MLI)and bronchial wall thickness(BWT)were observed.The protein levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),zonula occludens-1(ZO-1)and E-cadherin(E-Cad)in the lung were detected.(2)Human bronchial epithe-lial BEAS-2B cells were stimulated with CS extract(CSE)combined with Poly I:C for 24 h,and then the protein levels of occludin(Occ),ZO-1,and phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),P38 and extracellular signal-regu-lated kinase(ERK)1/2 were analyzed.RESULTS:(1)Compared with control group,at the 8th week,the mice in CS and CS+Poly I:C groups showed typical pathological changes in lung tissues,including significant inflammatory cell infil-tration,alveolar cavity expansion,alveolar wall rupture and fusion,and airway wall thickening.The Penh,BWT,MLI,and lung IL-1β and TNF-α levels were significantly increased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),while MV and lung ZO-1 and E-Cad levels were remarkably decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).By the 24th week,these pathological changes remained relative-ly stable in CS+Poly I:C group.(2)Compared with control group,CSE and its combination with Poly I:C dramatically in-duced a reduction in ZO-1 and Occ protein expression in BEAS-2B cells(P<0.05 or P<0.01),and increased the levels of phosphorylated EGFR,P38 and ERK1/2(P<0.01).The effects in CSE combined with Poly I:C group were considerably superior to those in CSE or Poly I:C group alone.CONCLUSION:Poly I:C can enhance the pathological changes and airway epithelial barrier damage induced by CS in a mouse model of COPD,which may be related to the activation of EGFR/ERK/P38 signaling pathway.

AIM:To establish a severe pneumonia mouse model induced by bacterial infection.METHODS:A total of 102 male SPF C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a control group and a model group.Klebsiella pneu-moniae was administered via tracheal instillation at a concentration of 5×109 CFU.Mice were euthanized on days 1,2,4,8,and 14 post-infection to assess general condition,body weight,mortality,white blood cell and neutrophil counts,in-flammatory markers,and pathological changes in lung,heart,liver,spleen,kidney,and intestinal tissues.RESULTS:Mice in the model group exhibited symptoms such as dyspnea and huddling from 6 hours to 4 days post-infection,which progressively worsened,accompanied by continuous weight loss(P<0.01).These symptoms gradually resolved between days 5 and 14.Arterial oxygen saturation in the model group dropped to 80.7%from days 1 to 8(P<0.01)but returned to normal from days 9 to 14.A total of 23 model mice died between days 1 and 9,with no deaths thereafter,resulting in a mortality rate of 31.9%(P<0.01).Pathological examination revealed inflammatory cell infiltration,congestion,and ede-ma in lung tissue from days 1 to 2,with continued inflammatory cell infiltration,alveolar structural disorganization from days 4 to 8,and alveolar rupture and fusion by day 14(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Additionally,model mice showed significant increases in neutrophil count,white blood cell count,protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid,total cell count,neutrophil ratio,and levels of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and IL-6 in peripheral blood from days 1 to 8(P<0.05 or P<0.01).No significant pathological changes were observed in heart and liver tissues,while spleen,kidney,and intestinal tissues exhibited notable pathological changes:indistinct boundaries be-tween red and white pulp in the spleen,significant congestion and edema around renal glomeruli,renal tubules,and col-lecting ducts,and extensive inflammatory cell infiltration in the colonic mucosa.CONCLUSION:Tracheal instillation of 5×109 CFU Klebsiella pneumoniae induces severe pathological changes in the lungs of mice,offering a robust model for studying the pathogenesis and treatment of severe pneumonia.

Objective To analyze the morphological and structural changes to pulmonary arterioles in rats induced by smoke exposure combined with Klebsiella infection,and to evaluate the severity of the pulmonary arteriolar lesions.Methods Pulmonary arteriolar images from lung sections of control and model rats treated with smoke exposure combined with Klebsiella infection were analyzed by qualitative and quantitative method.Victorian-blue-stained sections were used for the detection of pulmonary arteriolar muscularization,vascular wall thickness,vascular occlusion score,the intima thickness and media thickness of muscular arterioles,and neointima proliferation.Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections were used for the observation and detection of inflammatory cell infiltration and plexiform lesions around arterioles.Van Gieson-stained sections were used for the observation of collagen fibers in the intima and detection of the percentage of collagen fiber area in the arteriolar wall.Based on the above analyses,the degree of pulmonary arteriolar pathology was rated according to Heath-Edwards criteria.Results For≤50 μm diameter arterioles,the percentage of non-muscular vessels was significantly decreased(P＜0.01),the percentage of muscular vessels was increased(P＜0.01),the percentage of partial muscular vessels was not significantly different(P＞0.05),the thicknesses of the non-muscular vessel walls and muscular vessel walls were significantly increased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and the occlusion scores of both non-muscular and muscular pulmonary arterioles were significantly increased in the model group compared with the Control group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).For 50 μm＜diameter≤100 μm arterioles,the percentage of non-muscular vessels was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the percentages of muscular vessels and partial muscular vessels were not significantly different(P＞0.05),the wall thickness and occlusion score of muscular vessels were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the wall thickness and occlusion score of non-muscular vessels were not significantly different in the model group compared with the Control group(P＞0.05).Compared with the Control group,the model group showed significantly increased intimal thickness and media thickness and significantly increased perivascular inflammatory infiltration score in both muscular arterioles of≤50 μm diameter and 50 μm＜diameter≤100 μm(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).In the Control group(n=9),only one section with two neointimal lesions was found,and the degree of neointima proliferation was 1.61%.In the model group(n=10),five sections had neointima lesions,and the degree of neointima proliferation was 1.04%to 17.14%.No plexiform lesions were found in any section.For pulmonary arterioles with a diameter of≤100 μm,there was no change in the expression of intimal collagen fibers in the model group compared with the Control group,and there was no significant difference in the percentage of collagen fiber area in the vessel walls(P＞0.05).According to Heath-Edwards criteria,the pulmonary arteriole lesions in the model rats did not reach grade Ⅲ.Conclusions The model rats showed pathological manifestations such as pulmonary arteriolar muscularization,thickening of the intima and media,and mild to moderate inflammatory reactions around arterioles.The low amount of neointimal proliferation and collagen fibers in the vascular wall and the absence of plexiform lesions suggest that the model may be up to grade Ⅱ lesions,according to the Heath-Edwards criteria.

Objective To investigate the intervention effects of Yangqing Chenfei Fang (YCF), Baojin Chenfei Fang (BCF), and Jinshui Chenfei Fang (JCF) at different pathological stages of silicosis in a rat model. Methods A total of 216 specific pathogen free rats were randomly divided into control group, silicosis group, tetrandrine group, YCF group, BCF group and JCF group, with 35-36 rats in each group (11-12 rats at each time point). The rats in control group were treated with intragastric administration of pure water [administration volume at 2.5 mL/(kg·time)], while the rats of other five groups were treated with silica suspension at 250 mg/kg body weight to induce a silicosis model using the one-time non-exposed tracheal method. Intragastric administration of the corresponding drugs was performed at three time points at days 1-14 (early stage of silicosis), days 15-28 (middle stage of silicosis), and days 29-42 (late stage of silicosis) after modeling. Pulmonary function enhanced pause (Penh), forced vital capacity (FVC), and dynamic lung compliance (Cdyn) of rats in the six groups was assessed on days 15, 29, and 43 after modeling. Histopathological changes in lung tissues were observed, and relative expression levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, hydroxyproline, collagenⅠ(COL-Ⅰ), and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were detected in lung tissues. Results i) Pulmonary function index. The index of Penh in three stages of silicosis of rats in YCF group, BCF group and JCF group was lower than that in the silicosis group at the same stage (all P<0.05), and the index of Penh was higher than that in the tetrandrine group at the same stage (all P<0.05). The index of FVC of rats in YCF group, BCF group and JCF group at the middle stage was higher than that in the silicosis group at the same stage (all P<0.05), as well as the index of Cdyn was higher than that in the tetrandrine group at the same stage (all P<0.05). ii) Histopathology of lung tissue. Rats of the silicosis group exhibited alveolitis, fibro stripe, and collagen deposition in lung tissues in the early stage compared with rat of the control group, with fibrosis progressively worsening over time and inflammation persisting throughout the disease course. Pathological changes of lung tissues were alleviated to varying degrees in the tetrandrine groups, YCF group, BCF group and JCF group compared with that of the silicosis group. Compared with the same stage of silicosis group, the Ashcroft scores of lung tissues in the YCF group and BCF group were lower in the middle and late stages (all P<0.05). The Ashcroft score of lung tissues in the BCF group in the middle and late stages was lower than that in tetrandrine group at the same stage (all P<0.05), while the Ashcroft score in the middle stages was lower than that in YCF group at the same stage (P<0.05). The Ashcroft score of lung tissue in the JCF group was lower than that in the silicosis group, tetrandrine group and YCF group at all three stages (all P<0.05), and was lower than that in BCF group at the early and late stage of silicosis (all P<0.05). iii) Inflammatory factors. IL-6 level in the lung tissues in the YCF group, BCF group and JCF group decreased compared with that in the silicosis group at the same stage (all P<0.05), while IL-1β and TNF-α levels decreased at the early and middle stages (all P<0.05), hydroxyproline level decreased at all three stages (all P<0.05). iv) Collagen. The relatively expression of COL-Ⅰ in the lung tissues in the YCF group decreased at the late stage of silicosis compared with that in the silicosis group at the same stage (all P<0.05), while the relatively expression of α-SMA decreased at the middle and late stages (all P<0.05). Compared with the same stage of silicosis group, the relative expression of COL-Ⅰ and α-SMA of the lung tissues reduced in the BCF group and JCF group at all stages (all P<0.05). The relative expression of COL-Ⅰ of the lung tissues reduced in the BCF group at the late stage compared with that in the YCF group in the same stage (all P<0.05), while the relative expression of α-SMA decreased at the early and middle stages (all P<0.05). The relative expression of COL-Ⅰ of the lung tissues reduced in the JCF group at late stage of silicosis (all P<0.05), while the relative expression of α-SMA decreased at all three stages (all P<0.05), compared with the same stage of YCF group. Conclusion All three formulations of Chinese herbs are effective in improving lung function and alleviating the progress of lung inflammation and fibrosis. YCF is the most effective in suppressing inflammation in the early stage of silicosis. BCF excels in delaying fibrosis in the early and middle stages. JCF is the most effective in improving lung function and delaying fibrosis progression in the late stage.