ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effectiveness of horticultural therapy involving the planting of Chinese medicinal herbs （mint and lily potted plants） combined with intradermal needling therapy for generalized anxiety disorder （GAD） of liver depression transforming into fire syndrome under transcranial magnetic stimulation and basic psychological therapy， and to explore the possible mechanisms of action. MethodsA total of 180 patients with GAD of liver depression transforming into fire syndrome were randomly divided into three groups， horticultural therapy group， intradermal needling group， and horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group， with 60 patients in each. All groups received basic treatment including basic psychological therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation. The horticultural therapy group received horticultural therapy in addition to the basic treatment； the intradermal needling group received intradermal needling therapy once a week for 8 weeks in addition to the basic treatment； the horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group received both horticultural therapy and intradermal needling therapy， following the same procedures and duration. Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale （HAMA）， Self-Rating Anxiety Scale （SAS）， and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index （PSQI） scores were assessed at baseline and after 2， 4， 6， and 8 weeks of treatment. Serum levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone （ACTH） and corticosterone （CORT） were measured before treatment and after 8 weeks of treatment. Motor-evoked potential （MEP） baseline levels were recorded before treatment， and MEP amplitude ratios were compared after 1 week and 8 weeks of treatment. Clinical effectiveness and safety were evaluated after 8 weeks of treatment. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships between serum ACTH and CORT levels， MEP amplitude， and anxiety. ResultsIn the horticultural therapy group and intradermal needling group， HAMA， SAS and PSQI scores after 4， 6， and 8 weeks treatment were lower than baseline scores （P＜0.05）. In the horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group， these scores showed a significant decline starting after 2 weeks treatment and continuing through 8 weeks after treatment （P＜0.05）. The HAMA， SAS， and PSQI scores in the horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group were significantly lower than those in the other two groups after 2， 4， 6， and 8 weeks treatment （P＜0.05）. After 8 weeks of treatment， serum CORT and ACTH levels in the horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group were significantly lower than baseline levels （P＜0.05） and were also lower than those in the horticultural therapy group and intradermal needling group at the same time point （P＜0.01）. When comparing the level after 8 weeks treatment to that after 1 week treatment， under PAS10 stimulation， the MEP amplitude ratio in the intradermal needling group decreased at 30 minutes， while in the horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group， the MEP amplitude ratio decreased at all time points （P＜0.05 or P＜0.001）； under PAS25 stimulation， the MEP amplitude ratio in the horticultural therapy group increased at 20 minutes， and in the intradermal needle group at 10 minutes （P＜0.05）. In the horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group， the MEP amplitude ratio increased significantly at all time points after treatment （P＜0.001）. The cure rate in the horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group （74.14%， 43/58） was significantly higher than that in the horticultural therapy group （30.00%， 18/60） and the intradermal needling group （48.28%， 28/58， P＜0.05）. Correlation analysis revealed that serum ACTH and CORT levels were positively correlated with HAMA scores （r = 0.488， P＜0.01； r = 0.428， P＜0.01）. Following PAS10 intervention， the MEP amplitude ratio was positively correlated with HAMA scores （r = 0.458， P＜0.01）， whereas after PAS25 intervention， the MEP amplitude ratio was negatively correlated with HAMA scores （r = -0.562， P＜0.01）. ConclusionHorticultural therapy combined with intradermal needling treatment， under transcranial magnetic stimulation and basic psychological therapy， demonstrates significant clinical effectiveness in patients with GAD of liver depression transforming into fire syndrome. Its mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis and the reduction of cortical excitability.

Chronic urticaria (CU) is a persistent immune-mediated skin disease with an incompletely understood pathogenesis. As the largest micro-ecosystem in the human body, the gut microbiota participates in complex metabolic processes and produces a wide range of metabolites. The gut microbiota-metabolism axis plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of CU. Patients with CU commonly exhibit gut dysbiosis, characterized by a reduction in beneficial bacteria and an increase in opportunistic pathogens, accompanied by alterations in key metabolites. These changes may disrupt the intestinal barrier and modulate the function of immune cells such as mast cells and T cells, thereby triggering or aggravating distal cutaneous inflammation and contributing to CU pathophysiology. Certain bacterial taxa and metabolites hold promise as potential biomarkers for CU diagnosis, therapeutic response, and prognosis, while interventions targeting gut microbiota have demonstrated potential in ameliorating CU symptoms. Elucidating the characteristics and mechanistic roles of gut microbiota and metabolism in CU could provide a theoretical basis for developing novel individualized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/physiology* ; Chronic Urticaria/etiology* ; Dysbiosis/complications* ; Mast Cells

OBJECTIVE To provide reference for basic analysis of the pharmacodynamic substance in Stahlianthus involucratus. METHODS Overall 24 SD male rats were randomly divided into blank group （purified water）， and administration group （ethanol extract of S. involucratus， 15.75 g/kg， calculated by crude drug）， with 12 rats in each group. They were given drug liquid/purified water intragastrically， twice a day， every 6-8 h， for consecutive 3 days. After medication， the blood， urine and fecal samples were collected from two groups of rats. UPLC-Q-Exactive-MS technology was used to identify the chemical constituents in the ethanol extract of S. involucratus， and metabolites in the blood， urine and fecal of rats after intragastrical administration of the ethanol extract of S. involucratus. Multivariate statistical analysis was employed to screen various serum metabolites. Metabolic pathways were analyzed by MetaboAnalyst 5.0 platform. RESULTS A total of 38 chemical constituents were identified from the ethanol extract of S. involucratus， including fourteen prototype components and three metabolites identified from 5 urine samples， nine prototype components identified from fecal samples， and ten prototype components and one metabolite identified from serum samples. A total of 71 differential metabolites were screened from two groups of rat serum samples， of which 44 differential metabolites， such as ferulic acid， glycyrrhizin， were up-regulated and 27 differential metabolites， such as arachidonic acid， phenylacetylglutamine， were down-regulated. The 71 differential metabolites were mainly enriched in 11 metabolic pathways， including phenylalanine metabolism， linoleic acid metabolism， arachidonic acid metabolism， and tryptophan metabolism. CONCLUSIONS Ferulic acid， liquiritigenin， isofraxidin and formononetin may be the material basis that directly exert pharmacological effects of S. involucratus. S. involucratus may exert anti-inflammatory effects by affecting metabolic pathways， including arachidonic acid metabolism and tryptophan metabolism.

Osteoporosis can be induced by various factors including prolonged glucocorticoid usage, diminished estrogen levels, secondary hyperparathyroidism, and alterations in the microenvironment of bone tissue. The bone metabolism imbalance(osteogenic-lipogenic imbalance) plays a crucial role in the development of osteoporosis. This imbalance is primarily driven by an increase in the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into adipocytes and a decrease in their differentiation into osteoblasts, thus forming the core of the osteogenic-lipogenic imbalance observed in osteoporosis. The bone morphogenesis protein(BMP) plays a crucial role in the regulation of the osteogenic-lipid balance in osteoporosis. This regulatory function is accomplished through both the Smad-dependent and Smad-independent pathways. This review centers on the Smad-dependent and Smad-independent pathways facilitated by BMP, offering a comprehensive overview of the potential mechanisms through which BMP-2, 4, 6, 7, and 9 contribute to the regulation of osteogenesis and lipid metabolism in osteoporosis via these pathways. In order to present novel insights for the identification of efficacious targets for clinical anti-osteoporosis medications.

BackgroundPrevention and intervention of procrastination in college students are of great practical significance， and studies have illustrated a pairwise correlation among mindfulness， self-control， insecure attachment and procrastination， whereas the mechanism by which insecure attachment leads to procrastination remains unclear， and the related mediation path is quite understudied. ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of insecure attachment on procrastination among college students and the pathway of mindfulness and self-control， so as to inform the design of interventions for procrastination among college students. MethodsRandom and cluster sampling method were utilized to enroll 514 college students from 4 colleges in Guangdong Province From February to April 2023. Subjects were assessed using Irrational Procrastination Scale （IPS）， Adult Attachment Scale （AAS）， Mindful Attention Awareness Scale （MAAS） and Brief Self-Control Scale （BSCS）. Pearson correlation analysis were adopted to identify the correlation among above scales， and the mediation effect was examined via Bootstrap procedure. ResultsAAS score was positively correlated with IPS score （r=0.382， P<0.01）， and negatively correlated with MAAS and BSCS scores （r=-0.242， -0.353， P<0.01）. IPS score was negatively correlated with MAAS and BSCS scores （r=-0.314， -0.682， P<0.01）. MAAS score was positively correlated with BSCS score （r=0.439， P<0.01）. Insecure attachment positively predicted procrastination （β=0.377， P<0.01）， and the prediction of procrastination by insecure attachment was mediated by self-control， with an indirect effect value of 0.163 （95% CI： 0.105~0.223）， accounting for 43.24% of the total effect value. The mindfulness and self-control exerted a chained mediation effect on the relationship between insecure attachment and procrastination， and the indirect effect value was 0.056 （95% CI： 0.028~0.089）， accounting for 14.85% of the total effect value. ConclusionInsecure attachment can influence procrastination among college students both directly and indirectly through the single mediation of self-control or the chained mediation of mindfulness and self-control. ［Funded by 2023 National College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program （number， 202310570023）］

ObjectiveTo identify the chemical components of Houpo Wenzhongtang in vivo and in vitro and to analyze the pharmacokinetic properties of the index components in rats with deficiency-cold of spleen and stomach. MethodThe chemical components of Houpo Wenzhongtang was analyzed and identified by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS）. Six rats were randomly selected from 18 SD rats as the blank group， and the remaining rats were given lard and cold vinegar for a long time to construct a rat model with deficiency-cold of spleen and stomach. After successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided into the model group and Houpu Wenzhongtang group（13.5 g·kg^-1， calculated as crude drug）. The administration group was given the corresponding dose of Houpu Wenzhongtang by gavage， and the blank group and the model group were given the same amount of distilled water by gavage. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） were used to measure gastrin（GAS） and motilin（MTL） levels in each group. At the same time， plasma samples were collected at different time points after administration， and blood-entry prototype components and metabolites of Houpo Wenzhongtang were analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. On this basis， plasma concentrations of magnolol， honokiol， alpinetin and hesperidin in Houpo Wenzhongtang were determined by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole/linear ion trap mass spectrometry（UPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS）， and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using DAS 2.0 software. ResultA total of 79 chemical components， including 44 flavonoids and 11 lignans， were identified in Houpo Wenzhongtang. Meanwhile， 18 blood-entry prototype components and 27 metabolites were identified， the main metabolic pathways of metabolites were glucuronidation， sulfation， oxidation and hydrolysis， and phase Ⅰ and phase Ⅱ were the two primary forms of metabolism. Pharmacokinetic results showed that among the four index components， the time to peak（t_max） values of magnolol and honokiol were consistent and exhibited similar drug metabolism characteristics， the t_max of alpinetin was the shortest， and the absorption rate was the fastest， which had the earliest peak plasma concentration levels， and hesperidin had the shortest mean residence time（MRT_0-t） and the highest metabolic rate in rats. ConclusionThis study clarifies the blood-entry prototype components and their metabolites of Houpo Wenzhongtang in the rat model of deficiency-cold of spleen and stomach， and reveals the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the main active ingredients， which can provide a scientific basis for the study of pharmacodynamic material basis of this formula and its clinical application in treating the syndrome of deficiency-cold of spleen and stomach.

Objective:To understand the current status of gastroscopy in diagnosing gastric lesions in general population, and to recommend the optimal age for the first gastroscopy and intervals for repeated gastroscopy.Methods:The gastroscopy records of residents aged 18-80 years in Yinzhou District of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, between April 2010 and December 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. The detections of gastric lesions across different years, age and genders were described. Goodness of fit tests were applied to compare the differences in detection rates of different lesions in first-time endoscopy in different age groups and different populations. Generalized additive models were used to fit the trend of age specific gastric lesion detection rate explore the optimal age for gastroscopy. The appropriate gastroscopy intervals were determined according to the progress of the gastric lesions detected in repeated gastroscopy.Results:A total of 237 751 participants with 344 398 gastroscopy records were included in analyses. A total of 5 597 cases of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), 9 796 cases of intestinal metaplasia (IM), 165 cases of low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN), 52 cases of high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN) and 435 cases of gastric cancer were detected by the first gastroscopy. The overall detection rate of gastric lesions increased significantly in age group 45-70 years, and remained stable after 70 years old, with LGIN and HGIN showing notable increases at 50 and 55 years old, respectively. Repeated gastroscopy detected CAG, IM, LGIN, and HGIN at a higher rate compared with the first gastroscopy. Normal/superficial gastritis progressed in 3-5 years, whereas CAG or more severe lesions progressed in 1-6 years.Conclusion:Gastroscopy is recommended for general population aged 45 years and above. Furthermore, gastroscopy can be performed every 3-5 years for individuals with normal endoscopy results and once a year for patients with CAG or more severe gastric lesions.

Objective To establish a method for determining hydrogen sulfide(H2S)in blood and apply it to practical cases.Methods A delute solution was achieved by adding 0.8 mL saturated borax solution into 0.2 mL blood sample was diluted with.1 mL acetonitrile solution containing 0.1％formic acid was then taken in a test tube,followed by adding 0.1 mL dilute solution and 0.1 mL thiozine aqueous solution(1％).After thorough mixing,the mixture was left to stand for 30 minutes.Subsequently,the sample was subjected to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)analysis after centrifugation and membrane filtration.Results The results showed that H2S exhibited good linearity within the concentration range of 10～2 000 ng/mL,with the R2 value of 0.998 5.The detection limit was 5 ng/mL,and the quantification limit was 10 ng/mL.In three cases of H2S poisoning,sulfur ions were detected in the blood of the deceased individuals,with concentrations ranging from 0.17 to 0.56 μg/mL.Conclusion For the first time,this study established a LC-MS/MS method for determining H2S in blood,which can meet the detection needs of H2S poisoning cases.

Precise orchestration of cell fate determination underlies the success of scaffold-based skeletal regeneration.Despite extensive studies on mineralized parenchymal tissue rebuilding,regenerating and maintaining undifferentiated mesenchyme within calvarial bone remain very challenging with limited advances yet.Current knowledge has evidenced the indispensability of rebuilding suture mesenchymal stem cell niches to avoid severe brain or even systematic damage.But to date,the absence of promising therapeutic biomaterials/scaffolds remains.The reason lies in the shortage of fundamental knowledge and methodological evidence to understand the cellular fate regulations of scaffolds.To address these issues,in this study,we systematically investigated the cellular fate determinations and transcriptomic mechanisms by distinct types of commonly used calvarial scaffolds.Our data elucidated the natural processes without scaffold transplantation and demonstrated how different scaffolds altered in vivo cellular responses.A feasible scaffold,polylactic acid electrospinning membrane(PLA),was next identified to precisely control mesenchymal ingrowth and self-renewal to rebuild non-osteogenic suture-like tissue at the defect center,meanwhile supporting proper osteointegration with defect bony edges.Especially,transcriptome analysis and cellular mechanisms underlying the well-orchestrated cell fate determination of PLA were deciphered.This study for the first time cellularly decoded the fate regulations of scaffolds in suture-bony composite defect healing,offering clinicians potential choices for regenerating such complicated injuries.

Objective: To observe the effect of moxibustion on behaviors and related products of tryptophan (Trp) metabolism in the colon of mice with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and to explore the mechanism of moxibustion in the IBS treatment.Methods: Twenty-four mice were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a moxibustion group, and a probiotic group, with 6 mice in each group. The visceral pain model of IBS was established by enema with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) solution. Mice in the moxibustion group were treated with mild moxibustion at bilateral Zusanli (ST36), and those in the probiotic group were treated with probiotics such as Bifidobacterium by gavage. Abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) test, elevated plus-maze (EPM) test, and forced swimming test (FST) were performed after treatment. The expression levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) in the colon were detected by immunofluorescence, and the expression levels of Trp, kynurenine (Kyn), and indole-2,3-oxygenase (IDO) in the colon were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Compared with the normal group, the AWR scores were increased significantly in the model group under different pressure values (P<0.01), the open-arm staying time and open-arm entries in the EPM test were decreased significantly (P<0.01, P<0.05), the motionless time in the FST was increased significantly (P<0.01), and the expression levels of colonic Trp, TPH1, IDO, 5-HT, and Kyn were increased significantly (P<0.01) in the models. Compared with the model group, the AWR scores were differently decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), the open-arm entries in the EPM test were increased (P<0.05), the motionless times in the FST were decreased (P<0.05), and the colonic expression levels of Trp, TPH1, IDO, and 5-HT were decreased (P<0.01 or P<0.05) in the moxibustion and probiotic groups; the open-arm staying time was significantly increased in the moxibustion group (P<0.01), and the colonic expression level of Kyn was significantly decreased in the probiotic group (P<0.01). Conclusion: Moxibustion at Zusanli (ST36) improves visceral pain and pain mood and down-regulates the expression levels of colonic TPH1, IDO, Trp, 5-HT, and Kyn in IBS mice.