Object To study the efficacy and potential mechanism of Tongbianling capsule in constipation. Methods The effects of Tongbianling capsule on intestinal motility in normal mice and carbon powder propulsion rate in small intestine of constipation model mice after were observed administration. The potential targets and key pathways of Tongbianling capsule in treating constipation were identified through network pharmacology. To verify the mechanism, the expression of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT and CASP3 proteins in mouse colon tissue was detected by the western blot. Results The time for mice to excrete the first black stool was shortened and the number of fecal particles was increased in Tongbianling capsule administration group, and the carbon powder propulsion rate of mice in each Tongbianling capsule administration group was increased. The results of network pharmacology showed that treatment of constipation by Tongbianling capsule may be related to signaling pathways such as PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and 5-HT. The protein expression of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, and CASP3 in mouse colon tissue could be significantly downregulated in administration group. Conclusion Tongbianling capsule could effectively promote intestinal peristalsis in mice, increase the frequency of defecation, and effectively treat constipation. The mechanism of its action may be related to the direct or indirect regulation of intestinal motility by the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

Objective: To investigate the distribution characteristics and related factors of weight loss behavior among middle school students in Shanghai, so as to provide a reference for guiding scientific weight loss among middle school students. Methods: From May to June 2021, a stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 16 758 junior and high school students in 16 districts of Shanghai. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System was administered to assess the basic condition and weight loss behaviors of the students. An unordered multinomial Logistic regression model was employed to analyze the factors associated with weight loss behaviors. Results: A total of 5 881 (35.09%) reported engaging in exercise for weight loss, 6 344 (37.86%) reported dieting for weight loss, and 461 (2.75%) engaged in unhealthy weight loss behaviors. The unordered multinomial Logistic regression analysis indicated that compared with the no weight loss behavior group, students from urban areas( OR =1.35,95% CI =1.10-1.66), those with Internet addiction ( OR =1.71,95% CI =1.23-2.38), those with victims of bullying ( OR =2.09, 95% CI =1.68-2.61), those experiencing insomnia ( OR =2.33,95% CI = 1.74-3.11), those feelings of sadness or despair ( OR =3.10, 95% CI =2.42- 3.97 ), and those who perceived their body weight as slightly heavy ( OR =2.77, 95% CI = 2.17-3.55) or very heavy ( OR =3.41, 95% CI =2.44-4.75) were more likely to engage in unhealthy weight loss behaviors ( P <0.05). Conclusions There are significant differences in weight loss behaviors among middle school students with varying characteristics in Shanghai. Negative emotions such as insomnia and feelings of sadness or despair, Internet addiction, cognitive bias in weight and experiences of bullying are identified as related factors for unhealthy weight loss behaviors. Targeted intervention measures should be implemented to guide students towards scientific approaches to weight management.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by synovial inflammation, joint destruction, and functional impairment. Angiogenesis plays a key role in the pathological progression of RA with dysfunction of endothelial cells to promote synovial inflammation, sustain pannus formation, subsequently leading to joint damage. Colquhounia Root Tablets (CRT), a Chinese patent drug, has shown a satisfying clinical efficacy in treating RA, while the underlying mechanism by which CRT inhibits RA-associated angiogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we applied a research approach combining transcriptomic data analysis, bio-network mapping, and in vivo and in vitro experiments to explore the molecular mechanisms of CRT in suppressing angiogenesis in RA. Animal welfare and experimental procedures follow the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Basic Theory for Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (ratification number: IBTCMCACMS21-2307-06). Network analysis identified that key genes such as nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2), SMAD family member 3 (SMAD3), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) significantly enriched in pathways related to NOD-like receptor signaling and VEGF signaling, indicating that CRT may inhibit angiogenesis by regulating vascular endothelial cell function with modulating angiogenesis-related pathways. In vivo data showed that CRT significantly reduced the positive expression of CD31 and VEGF in the ankle joint of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rats. In vitro data further confirmed that CRT effectively inhibited VEGF-induced migration, invasion, and tube formation in HUVECs, while significantly reduced the expression of angiogenesis-related factors VEGF/CD31/Ang-1, as well as the positive expression of VEGF and CD31 in HUVECs. Furthermore, CRT markedly decreased the protein expression of NOD2, VEGFA, and SMAD3. In conclusion, these findings indicate that CRT may inhibit the RA-related angiogenesis by targeting the NOD2/SMAD3/VEGF signaling axis to improve endothelial cell function, enriching the scientific connotation of CRT in inhibiting pathological angiogenesis in RA and also offer new insights for clinical prevention and treatment of RA.

The chemical constituents in dried roots of Atractylodes macrocephala were investigated in this study. Through utilizing normal-phase silica gel and ODS column chromatography, TLC, and semi-preparative HPLC, 4 new sesquiterpenoids were purified from the ethyl acetate extract of A. macrocephala. By various spectroscopic techniques, such as 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, IR, UV, and CD, their structures were identified as atractylmacron A (1), 9β-hydroxyasterolide (2), atractylenolide H (3), atractylenolide J (4). Compound 1 possesses a rare 6/7 bicyclic skeleton.

Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of obstruction of the upper airway during sleep. Given the substantial number of OSA patients, it is urgently in need to address the burden on society. Current available evidence linking outdoor light at night (LAN) to OSA is scarce. Objective To explore the relationships regarding outdoor LAN and OSA among residents in Southern China. Methods A total of 3925 hospitalized patients in Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital Sleep Center were recruited between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2015. The severity of OSA was determined by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) using polysomnography or home sleep test. The annual Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (NPP-VIIRS)-like LAN data with a 500 m spatial resolution were used to evaluate outdoor LAN levels of the participants 1, 3, and 5 years before undergoing sleep monitoring. Generalized linear regression models were utilized to examine the associations of outdoor LAN with OSA. Results The ORs (95%CIs) of OSA, mild OSA, and moderate OSA were 1.175 (1.021, 1.351), 1.215 (1.038, 1.421), and 1.195 (1.003, 1.425) respectively for per interquartile range (IQR) increment in three-year average outdoor LAN. The results of stratified analyses showed a higher OR of 1.933 (95%CI: 1.424, 2.637) in female than male participants (P _interaction < 0.001). Additionally, the ORs of OSA did not substantially change using one-year/ five-year instead of three-year average outdoor LAN. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that an elevated outdoor LAN is significantly associated with higher odds of OSA (especially mild and moderate OSA) in Southern China, especially in females. An effective outdoor LAN management and policy-making framework has been suggested as potential preventive measures to reduce burden of OSA.

OBJECTIVE To establish a content determination method for multiple components in Sophora flavescens from different origins and to evaluate its quality by combining with chemometrics. METHODS Thirteen batches （No. K1-K13） of S. flavescens from different origins were selected as test samples. A high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry （HPLC-MS/MS） method was established to determine the contents of 12 components， including matrine， oxymatrine， betaine， cytisine， N-methylcytisine， sophoridine， genistein， sophoricoside， sophorone， formononetin， sophorolone Ⅰ and norkurarinone in S. flavescens. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Shim-pack GIST-HP C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of methanol （A） and water containing 0.1% formic acid （B）， using gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min， column temperature of 35 ℃， and an injection volume of 3 μL. Mass spectrometry was conducted using an electrospray ionization source with positive and negative ion scanning. Data were collected in segments using the multiple reaction monitoring mode. Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution （TOPSIS） and grey relational analysis （GRA）methods were employed to compare and comprehensively evaluate the 13 batches of S. flavescens from different origins. RESULTS The methodological validation for the content determination met the relevant regulatory requirements. The contents of the 12 components were 490.66-1 231.00， 11 088.10- 18 021.50， 7.91-25.38， 903.97-1 713.64， 336.08-1 485.54，1 065.33-2 075.50， 27.52-71.80， 109.36-517.83， 6 034.55-10 632.73， 21.26-145.35， 814.84-1 911.32， 1 040.87-3 446.37 μg/g）， respectively. TOPSIS results showed that the top 7 samples in Euclidean distance ranking were K6， K12， K11， K3， K5， K10， K13. The GRA results showed that the top 7 samples in the relative correlation ranking were K12， K11， K10， K6， K13， K5， K3. CONCLUSIONS The established HPLC-MS/MS method is rapid， accurate， highly sensitive， stable and reliable. Combined with chemometrics methods， it can be used for the quality control and evaluation of S. flavescens. The comprehensive quality of samples K3， K5， K6（ from Hebei）， K10（ from Sichuan）， K11-K13（ from Shanxi）， etc. is relatively superior.

OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Shaoyao gancao decoction in improving intestinal motility in rats with slow transit constipation （STC） by regulating acid-sensitive ion channel 3 （ASIC3）/extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK） signaling pathway. METHODS SD rats were used to construct an STC model by gavage with compound diphenoxylate. The successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into model group， Shaoyao gancao decoction group （1.5 g/mL）， lactulose group （208.4 mg/mL， positive control）， and combined inhibition group （Shaoyao gancao decoction 1.5 g/mL+amiloride hydrochloride 20 μg/kg）， with 12 rats in each group. Additionally， 12 healthy rats were selected as the blank group. They were given relevant medicine once a day and continuously intervened for 14 days. After intervention， the intestinal propulsion function and visceral sensitivity of the model rats were detected. The expression of ASIC3 in the colon tissue of rats was observed by immunohistochemical staining. mRNA expressions of ASIC3， ERK1 and ERK2 as well as protein expressions of ASIC3， ERK1/2 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 （p-ERK1/2） in colon tissue of rats were detected； the ultrastructural changes of the enteric nervous system （ENS） -interstitial cell of Cajal （ICC）-smooth muscle cell （SMC） network in the rat colon were observed under electron microscopy. RESULTS Compared with the model group， the intestinal propulsion rate of the Shaoyao gancao decoction group was significantly increased， while the visceral pain threshold was significantly decreased. The proportion of the positive area of ASIC3 in the colonic tissue was significantly increased. The relative mRNA expression levels of ERK1， ERK2， and ASIC3， as well as the relative protein expression levels of p-ERK1/2 and ASIC3， and the p-ERK1/2 to ERK1/2 in the colonic tissue， were all significantly increased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Additionally， there was marked repair of the morphological structure of ICC and SMC， with closer gap junctions observed. Compared with the Shaoyao gancao decoction group， the combined inhibition group exhibited a diminished improvement in intestinal motility of rats， with statistically significant differences in the levels of some indicators （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； the repairing of the morphological structure of ICC and SMC was notably attenuated. CONCLUSIONS Shaoyao gancao decoction can effectively improve the intestinal transmission function and promote intestinal repair in STC rats， and its mechanism may be related to regulating the balance of the ENS-ICC-SMC network mediated by the ASIC3/ERK signaling pathway， thus promoting intestinal motility and reducing visceral sensitivity.