This article systematically reviews the current research status as well as diagnosis and treatment strategies of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） for gastroesophageal reflux disease （GERD）. Studies demonstrate that TCM， based on the "disease-syndrome combination" approach， exhibits multi-target advantages in alleviating symptoms of various GERD subtypes， promoting mucosal repair， regulating emotions， and facilitating the reduction of western medication. To address clinical challenges such as symptom overlap and limited therapeutic efficacy， strategies have been proposed including "treating different diseases with the same method" and integrated regulation based on viscera correlation. Future efforts should focus on elucidating the mechanisms of compound prescriptions， promoting TCM drug development under the "three-combination" evaluation framework that integrates TCM theory， human experience and clinical trial evidence， and optimizing integrated traditional and western medicine models to enhance GERD management.

Objective To investigate the chemical constituents of Epimedium multiflorum T. S. Ying. Methods The ethanol extract of E. multiflorum was separated and purified by silica gel column chromatography, preparative thin-layer chromatography, and semi-preparative reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The structures of the compounds were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and comparison with literature data. Results Ten compounds were isolated and purified, which structures were identified as baohuoside Ⅱ（1），2′′-O-rhamnosyl-icariside Ⅱ（2）, icariin（3）, epimedoside A（4）, ikarisoside B（5）, epimedin C（6）, baohuoside Ⅴ（7）, epimedin A（8）, epimedin B（9）, and ikarisoside C（10）. Conclusion All the isolated flavonoid compounds were obtained from E. multiflorum for the first time.

ObjectiveTranscranial magneto-acoustic stimulation (TMAS) is an emerging non-invasive neuromodulation technique that may provide a novel non-pharmacological intervention strategy for Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), leading to motor impairments such as bradykinesia, tremor, and rigidity. Increasing evidence indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired mitochondrial quality control are central mechanisms underlying dopaminergic neuronal loss. In particular, abnormalities in mitophagy and mitochondrial fission-fusion balance contribute substantially to oxidative stress, energy metabolic failure, and neuronal injury. At present, most clinical treatments for PD mainly alleviate symptoms but do not effectively halt disease progression. Therefore, exploring new interventions targeting the core pathological mechanisms is of considerable significance. This study aims to investigate whether TMAS can improve neural damage and motor dysfunction in PD mice by regulating mitophagy and the fission/fusion dynamic balance, thereby providing theoretical and experimental support for its application in PD treatment. MethodsMale C57BL/6 mice were used in this study. A PD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) for 7 consecutive days. After model induction, mice in the intervention group received TMAS once daily for 14 consecutive days, whereas the corresponding control group received sham stimulation. The stimulation target was positioned over the primary motor cortex (M1). Motor performance was evaluated using the pole test and the open-field test. To verify the activation effect of TMAS on the target cortical region, c-Fos immunohistochemistry was performed in the M1. To assess nigral dopaminergic neuronal injury, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry was used to quantify TH-positive neurons in the SNc. Mitochondrial function was evaluated by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content in the SNc. Western blot was further performed to determine the expression of mitophagy-related proteins, including PINK1, Parkin, LC3-II, and p62, as well as mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins, including Drp1 and Opa1. ResultsTMAS significantly increased the number of c-Fos-positive cells in M1 (P<0.000 1), indicating effective activation of neurons in the targeted cortical region. Compared with the control group, MPTP-treated mice exhibited marked motor dysfunction, including a significant reduction in total distance traveled in the open-field test (P<0.000 1) and mean speed (P=0.000 1), as well as significant prolongation of turn time and total climbing time in the pole test (P<0.000 1). These behavioral impairments were accompanied by a substantial loss of TH-positive dopaminergic neurons in the SNc, whereas TMAS significantly increased TH-positive neuron survival (P<0.000 1). In parallel, MPTP induced a pronounced increase in ROS levels and a significant reduction in ATP content, indicating severe mitochondrial dysfunction and energy metabolism impairment (P<0.01). TMAS treatment significantly improved motor performance, as reflected by the reversal of MPTP-induced impairment in the open-field and pole tests, and significantly reduced ROS accumulation (P<0.01) while restoring ATP production (P<0.001). At the molecular level, MPTP markedly downregulated PINK1 and Parkin, decreased p62 expression, increased LC3-II accumulation, elevated Drp1 expression, and reduced Opa1 expression, whereas TMAS significantly reversed these abnormalities, suggesting restoration of mitophagy-related mitochondrial quality control and re-establishment of mitochondrial fission-fusion balance. Collectively, these findings indicate that TMAS ameliorates MPTP-induced neurotoxicity and restores mitochondrial homeostasis and energy metabolism. ConclusionTMAS effectively attenuates neural damage and improves motor dysfunction in MPTP-induced PD mice. Its neuroprotective effects are closely associated with multidimensional regulation of the mitochondrial quality control system, including restoration of PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy and rebalancing of Drp1/Opa1-related mitochondrial dynamics. Rather than acting only as a symptomatic neuromodulatory intervention, TMAS may influence a key pathological axis of PD by improving mitochondrial homeostasis in SNc and protecting nigral dopaminergic neurons. These findings provide experimental evidence supporting TMAS as a promising non-invasive physical intervention for PD.

ObjectiveTranscranial magneto-acoustic stimulation (TMAS) is an emerging non-invasive neuromodulation technique that may provide a novel non-pharmacological intervention strategy for Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), leading to motor impairments such as bradykinesia, tremor, and rigidity. Increasing evidence indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired mitochondrial quality control are central mechanisms underlying dopaminergic neuronal loss. In particular, abnormalities in mitophagy and mitochondrial fission-fusion balance contribute substantially to oxidative stress, energy metabolic failure, and neuronal injury. At present, most clinical treatments for PD mainly alleviate symptoms but do not effectively halt disease progression. Therefore, exploring new interventions targeting the core pathological mechanisms is of considerable significance. This study aims to investigate whether TMAS can improve neural damage and motor dysfunction in PD mice by regulating mitophagy and the fission/fusion dynamic balance, thereby providing theoretical and experimental support for its application in PD treatment. MethodsMale C57BL/6 mice were used in this study. A PD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) for 7 consecutive days. After model induction, mice in the intervention group received TMAS once daily for 14 consecutive days, whereas the corresponding control group received sham stimulation. The stimulation target was positioned over the primary motor cortex (M1). Motor performance was evaluated using the pole test and the open-field test. To verify the activation effect of TMAS on the target cortical region, c-Fos immunohistochemistry was performed in the M1. To assess nigral dopaminergic neuronal injury, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry was used to quantify TH-positive neurons in the SNc. Mitochondrial function was evaluated by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content in the SNc. Western blot was further performed to determine the expression of mitophagy-related proteins, including PINK1, Parkin, LC3-II, and p62, as well as mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins, including Drp1 and Opa1. ResultsTMAS significantly increased the number of c-Fos-positive cells in M1 (P<0.000 1), indicating effective activation of neurons in the targeted cortical region. Compared with the control group, MPTP-treated mice exhibited marked motor dysfunction, including a significant reduction in total distance traveled in the open-field test (P<0.000 1) and mean speed (P=0.000 1), as well as significant prolongation of turn time and total climbing time in the pole test (P<0.000 1). These behavioral impairments were accompanied by a substantial loss of TH-positive dopaminergic neurons in the SNc, whereas TMAS significantly increased TH-positive neuron survival (P<0.000 1). In parallel, MPTP induced a pronounced increase in ROS levels and a significant reduction in ATP content, indicating severe mitochondrial dysfunction and energy metabolism impairment (P<0.01). TMAS treatment significantly improved motor performance, as reflected by the reversal of MPTP-induced impairment in the open-field and pole tests, and significantly reduced ROS accumulation (P<0.01) while restoring ATP production (P<0.001). At the molecular level, MPTP markedly downregulated PINK1 and Parkin, decreased p62 expression, increased LC3-II accumulation, elevated Drp1 expression, and reduced Opa1 expression, whereas TMAS significantly reversed these abnormalities, suggesting restoration of mitophagy-related mitochondrial quality control and re-establishment of mitochondrial fission-fusion balance. Collectively, these findings indicate that TMAS ameliorates MPTP-induced neurotoxicity and restores mitochondrial homeostasis and energy metabolism. ConclusionTMAS effectively attenuates neural damage and improves motor dysfunction in MPTP-induced PD mice. Its neuroprotective effects are closely associated with multidimensional regulation of the mitochondrial quality control system, including restoration of PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy and rebalancing of Drp1/Opa1-related mitochondrial dynamics. Rather than acting only as a symptomatic neuromodulatory intervention, TMAS may influence a key pathological axis of PD by improving mitochondrial homeostasis in SNc and protecting nigral dopaminergic neurons. These findings provide experimental evidence supporting TMAS as a promising non-invasive physical intervention for PD.

Objective To analyze the basic conditions and pathological characteristics of the samples in the Human Brain Bank of Hebei Medical University,which were pathologically diagnosed as cerebral amyloid angiopathy,and to provide reference for the research of related diseases.Methods The basic data of gender,age,apolipoprotein E genotype,pathological classification of cerebral amyloid angiopathy,Alzheimer's disease-related pathological change score,comorbidities and other pathological information were analyzed.Results Up to October 2024,twenty samples were confirmed by pathological diagnosis,with a male to female ratio of 3:1 and an average age of(80.90±8.08)years.Involve three kinds of apolipoprotein E subtype,5 kinds of genotypes(ε2/ε3 xε2/ε4、ε3/ε3 xε3/ε4、ε4/ε4);There were 2 pathologic types,including 6 cases of type 1 and 14 cases of type 2.The pathological grade included 3 grades.The severity grade and subtype classification of cerebral amyloid vascular disease were correlated with the degree of pathological changes of Alzheimer's disease.Cerebral amyloid angiopathy samples could coexist with other degenerative diseases with high comorbidity.Conclusion The incidence of cerebral amyloid angiopathy is higher in the aged samples collected based on Brain Bank,which coexists with conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and microbleeds,etc.It provides more detailed pathological diagnosis basis for further scientific research sharing of samples.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease(MASLD)is a chronic liver condition intricately linked to metabolic abnormalities such as obesity,type 2 diabetes,dyslipidemia,and hypertension.The global prevalence of MASLD continues to rise,posing a significant public health challenge.The pathogenesis of MASLD is multifactorial,with the"multiple-hit"hypothesis suggesting that hepatic lipid accumulation,insulin resistance,oxidative stress,gut microbiota dysbiosis,and genetic factors collectively drive disease progression.Currently,clinical management primarily relies on lifestyle interventions;however,there is a lack of targeted pharmacological interventions,and there is an urgent need to investigate novel adjunctive therapeutic strategies.In recent years,probiotics have demonstrated potential value in MASLD treatment due to their capacity to modulate gut microbiota,enhance insulin sensitivity,and reduce liver inflammation.This review systematically examines the pathogenesis of MASLD and the limitations of existing therapeutic approaches,synthesizing the latest evidence of probiotics-assisted therapy for MASLD from the perspectives of animal studies and clinical trials.By analyzing the target mechanisms and molecular pathways of different strains(e.g.,Bifidobacterium,Lactobacillus),this review explores the translational potential of probiotics in MASLD treatment,aiming to provide a theoretical foundation and future research directions.

Objective:To establish a three-dimensional navigation process for design and resection of perforator flaps based on multi-detector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) and to explore its clinical application effects.Methods:This study was a retrospective observational study. From January 2021 to October 2023, 7 patients and 6 patients with post-traumatic skin and soft tissue defects in extremity and conformed to the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University and Wuxi No. 9 People's Hospital, respectively. There were 8 males and 5 females, aged 21 to 68 years. Nine patients had wounds on the hand and 4 patients had wounds on the foot. The wound area after debridement ranged from 8.0 cm×6.0 cm to 18.0 cm×17.0 cm. Through the three-dimensional navigation process based on MDCTA, 14 perforator flaps were designed and resected, including 11 free anterolateral thigh perforator flaps and 3 pedicled peroneal artery perforator flaps with sural nerve nutritional vessel chain, with flap size ranging from 9.0 cm×6.0 cm to 20.0 cm×15.0 cm. Six wounds in the flap donor sites were directly sutured, and eight wounds in the flap donor sites were transplanted with skin grafts. The consistency of the location, type, and source of the perforators was compared between the preoperative navigation display and actual intraoperative detection. Immediately after surgery, the coverage of wound by the flap was evaluated according to the self-made criteria. The postoperative flap survival was observed. The occurrence of complications was observed during follow-up. At the last follow-up, the appearance of the flaps was observed, the blood supply of the flaps and the hand function of the 9 patients with hand trauma were evaluated according to the trial standards for evaluation of partial function of upper extremity by the Hand Surgery Society of Chinese Medical Association, and the foot function of the 4 patients with foot trauma was assessed using the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Scoring System.Results:The location, type, and source of the perforators displayed in preoperative navigation were consistent with the actual intraoperative detection. Immediately after surgery, the coverage of the wounds by 11 flaps was rated as excellent, and that of 3 flaps was rated as moderate. Postoperatively, 13 flaps survived completely, and 1 flap had partial necrosis, which healed after a full-thickness skin grafting from the thigh. Patients were followed up for 4 to 24 months postoperatively, one patient developed a hematoma under the flap, and one patient had local infection. At the last follow-up, the flaps of all patients were good in color and texture, and 5 patients with bloated flaps post operation had good appearance after thinning surgery; the blood supply was excellent in 12 flaps and was good in 2 flaps; among patients with hand trauma, the hand function was rated as excellent in 2 cases, good in 4 cases, and poor in 3 cases; among patients with foot trauma, the foot function was rated as excellent in 3 cases and good in 1 case.Conclusions:The three-dimensional navigation process for design and resection of perforator flaps based on MDCTA realizes precise evaluation of perforator vessels in flap donor sites and skin and soft tissue defects in the recipient sites. Guided by the three-dimensional navigation process, the application of free anterolateral thigh perforator flaps and pedicled peroneal artery perforator flaps with sural nerve nutritional vessel chain in repairing skin and soft tissue defects in extremity realizes precise surgery, reducing flap donor site injury and achieving excellent clinical outcomes.

Objective To explore the correlation between tongue features of type 2 diabetes patients with coronary heart disease and glycosylated hemoglobin,liver function,blood lipids,C-reactive protein,so as to provide reference for related research.Methods Using the TFDA-1 tongue imaging device to collect patients'tongue images,experts will interpret the tongue images and extract objective parameters of the tongue images through the intelligent auxiliary diagnosis system of traditional Chinese medicine tongue diagnosis;Record patient laboratory indicators and use SPSS statistical software to analyze the correlation between tongue image distribution characteristics,tongue image parameter characteristics,and laboratory indicators using Spearman method.Results 702 patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease were included.In terms of glycated hemoglobin indicators,bruising parameters are positively correlated with HbA1c,while tongue tip RGB values are negatively correlated with HbA1c.In terms of liver function indicators,tongue edge redness,tongue tip and tongue texture R value are positively correlated with ALT and AST;Red tongue tip,tooth marks on the tongue,etc.are positively correlated with ALT;Fat tongue is positively correlated with AST.In terms of blood lipid indicators,parameters such as tooth mark tongue and tooth mark are positively correlated with TG;The parameters of white coating and tongue coating area are positively correlated with LDL-C;Thin coating is positively correlated with HDL-C,while thick coating is negatively correlated with HDL-C;Red tongue is negatively correlated with TCHO.In terms of C-reactive protein,red tongue,tip red,and edge red are positively correlated with CRP;The GB value of tongue root and tongue substance is negatively correlated with CRP.Conclusion Type 2 diabetes patients with coronary heart disease have tongue picture distribution,tongue shape parameters,tongue color parameters,coating color parameters and HbA1c,ALT,AST,TCHO,TG,HDL-C,LDL-C,CRP indicators in varying degrees of correlation.The combination of patients'tongue picture and laboratory indicators is helpful to clarify the diagnosis and prognosis of type 2 diabetes with coronary heart disease.

Objective To develop a personalized recommendation strategy for tranexamic acid administration during the perioperative period of orthopedic surgery based on machine learning,aiming to reduce perioperative bleeding and related complications and improving clinical outcomes.Methods A total of 11 727 patients undergoing orthopedic surgery from the INSPIRE database were subjected in this study.Missing data were handled using multiple imputation methods,and relevant feature variables were screened using Boruta analysis.We constructed various machine learning models,including Gradient Boosting Machine(GBM),Generalized Linear Model(GLM),eXtreme Gradient Boosting(XGBoost),K-Nearest Neighbors(KNN),Neural Network(NNET),Naive Bayes(NB),and Random Forest(RF),to evaluate their performance in predicting intraoperative bleeding and prolonged postoperative length of hospital stay.The optimal model was then selected and further integrated using a weighted ensemble,aiming to achieve the best prognosis by recommending usage strategies for tranexamic acid.The predictive performance of the constructed model was then verified against the testing set,and compared with the physician decision-making to complete the evaluation.Results In predicting intraoperative bleeding,the RF model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)of 0.73,which was significantly better than other models.In predicting the prolonged postoperative length of hospital stay,the XGBoost model performed the best,with an AUC value of 0.84.Based on the above best-performing models,an ensemble strategy was implemented.The patients who followed the recommended strategy had reduced intraoperative bleeding and shorter postoperative length of hospital stay.Conclusion The use of tranexamic acid is associated with intraoperative bleeding and postoperative length of hospital stay.Personalized decision-making recommendation based on our constructed model can effectively improve the outcomes of the patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Varied acupoint selections represent a potential cause of the uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Skin temperature, a guiding factor for acupoint selection, may help to address this issue. This study explored thermal sensitization of acupoints used for the treatment of knee OA. METHODS: This cross-sectional case-control study enrolled cases aged 45-75 years with symptomatic knee OA and age- and gender-matched non-knee OA controls in a 1:1 ratio. All participants underwent infrared thermographic imaging. The primary outcome was the relative skin temperature of acupoint (STA), and the secondary outcome was the absolute STA of 11 acupoints. The Z test was used to compare the relative and absolute STAs between the groups. Principal component analysis was used to extract the common factors (CFs, acupoint cluster) in the STAs. A general linear model was used to identify factors affecting the STA in the knee OA cases. For the group comparisons of relative STA, P < 0.0045 (adjusted for 11 acupoints through Bonferroni correction) was considered to indicate statistical significance. For other analyses, P < 0.05 was used as the threshold for statistical significance. RESULTS: The analysis included 308 participants, consisting of 151 cases (mean age: [64.58 ± 6.67] years; male: 25.83%; mean body mass index: [25.70 ± 3.16] kg/m²) and 157 controls (mean age: [63.37 ± 5.96] years; male: 26.11%; mean body mass index: [24.47 ± 2.84] kg/m²). The relative STAs of ST34 (P = 0.0001), EX-LE2 (P < 0.0001), EX-LE5 (P = 0.0006), SP10 (P < 0.0001), BL40 (P = 0.0012) and GB39 (P = 0.0037) were higher in the knee OA group. No difference was found in the STAs of ST35, ST36, SP9, GB33 and GB34. Four CFs were identified for relative STA in both groups. The acupoints within each CF were consistent between the groups. The mean values of the relative STAs across each CF were higher in the knee OA group. In the knee OA cases, no factors were observed to affect the relative STA, while age and gender were found to affect the absolute STA. CONCLUSION Among patients with knee OA, thermal sensitization occurs in the acupoints of the lower extremity, exhibiting localized and regional thermal consistencies. The thermally sensitized acupoints that we identified in this study, ST34, SP10, EX-LE2, EX-LE5, GB39 and BL40, may be good choices for the acupuncture treatment of knee OA. Please cite this article as: Tu JF, Wang XZ, Yan SY, Wang YR, Yang JW, Shi GX, Zhang WZ, Jing LN, Yang LS, Liu DH, Wang LQ, Mi BH. Thermal sensitization of acupoints in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional case-control study. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 289-296.
Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Acupuncture Points ; Case-Control Studies ; Aged ; Skin Temperature ; Acupuncture Therapy