Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease predominantly affecting the elderly and is characterized by cartilage degradation, synovitis, and subchondral bone sclerosis. Despite its widespread occurrence, no effective pharmacological interventions currently exist to halt or reverse disease progression. Polyphenolic compounds, a diverse class of plant-derived substances, have attracted considerable attention for their potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the multifaceted roles of polyphenols in OA. Specifically, polyphenols protect chondrocytes and preserve the extracellular matrix by mitigating oxidative stress, suppressing inflammation, regulating autophagy and cholesterol metabolism, and inhibiting programmed cell death pathways, including apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis. Furthermore, they exert protective effects on synovial tissue by regulating macrophage polarization and inhibiting pathogenic fibroblast activation, while also contributing to the maintenance of subchondral bone homeostasis. Recent progress in nanotechnology-based delivery systems, designed to overcome the poor solubility and limited bioavailability of polyphenols, is also highlighted. Collectively, this review integrates mechanistic insights with emerging therapeutic strategies, underscoring the potential of polyphenolic compounds as disease-modifying agents for OA.

Objective:To investigate the impact of different CT reconstruction kernels on the quantitative analysis of small pulmonary vessels in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and high-risk patients.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Clinical and imaging data of 73 COPD and high-risk patients visiting the China-Japan Friendship Hospital between March and April 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent high-resolution CT of the chest and pulmonary function tests, with the ratio of forced expiratory volume in one second to forced vital capacity (FEV 1/FVC) obtained. The raw CT data were reconstructed using different kernels: the FC86 group used the adaptive iterative dose reduction(AIDR) 3D standard lung sharp reconstruction algorithm, the FC18 group used the AIDR 3D standard Body standard reconstruction algorithm, the advanced intelligent clear-IQ engine(AiCE) Lung group used the AiCE deep learning reconstruction algorithm for lung, and the AiCE Body group used the AiCE deep learning reconstruction algorithm for body. Image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and image noise were calculated. The pulmonary vessel segmentation & Measurement software was used to segment and extract pulmonary arteries and veins of four groups in thin-slice whole-lung CT imaging, obtaining the ratio of small pulmonary arteries (%V artery<5) and the ratio of small pulmonary veins (%V vein<5). The One-way repeated measures ANOVA or Friedman test was used to compare the differences in SNR, CNR, image noise, %V artery<5, and %V vein<5 among the four groups, followed by Bonferroni post hoc or Bonferroni-Dunn test with P-value correction to analysis differences between subgroups. The correlations between %V artery<5 and FEV 1/FVC, as well as between %V vein<5 and FEV 1/FVC were analyzed using Spearman rank correlation analysis in all four groups. Results:The overall differences in image noise, SNR, and CNR in the AiCE Lung, AiCE Body, FC18, and FC86 groups were statistically significant ( P<0.001). Except for the difference in CNR values between the AiCE Lung group and the FC18 group, which was not statistically significant ( P=0.192), all differences were statistically significant ( P<0.016 7). The overall differences in %V artery<5 values and %V vein<5 values in the AiCE Lung, AiCE Body, FC18, and FC86 groups were statistically significant ( P<0.001). The %V artery<5 and %V vein<5 values in the FC18 group were lower than those in the AiCE Lung, AiCE Body, and FC86 groups ( P<0.016 7), and the rest of the differences were not statistically significant ( P>0.016 7). %V artery<5 and %V vein<5 were positively correlated with FEV 1/FVC in all 4 groups ( P<0.05), with the highest correlation coefficient between %V vein<5 and FEV 1/FVC in the AiCE Body group ( r=0.501, P=0.001). Conclusions:DLR-AiCE-based kernel reconstruction optimizes image quality and significantly affects the results of quantitative parameters of small pulmonary vessels. The reconstruction kernel prioritized for quantitative analysis of small vessels within the lungs in COPD based on the CT scanner in this study is AiCE Body.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the inhibitory effects of Bruceine A(BA)on colon cancer and its underlying mechanisms.METHODS Human colon cancer HT-29 and HCT116 cells were treated with various concentrations of BA(0,1,2,5,10,20,40,80 μmol·L-1).Cell viability was assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8).Flow cytometry,wound healing assays,and Transwell assays were employed to evaluate the effects of BA on cell apoptosis,cell cycle,invasion,and migration.Mo-lecular docking simulations were used to assess the binding of BA to GSK-3β protein,and Western blot analysis was used to examine protein expression related to the cell cycle,epithelial-mesenchymal transition,and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.An HT-29 cell subcutaneous xenograft mouse model was established.After tumor formation,mice were randomly divided into three groups(six mice per group):a blank group,a low-dose BA group(0.1 mg·kg-1),and a high-dose BA group(0.2 mg·kg-1).Mice were ad-ministered the drug for 19 d,then sacrificed,and tumor tissues were collected.Tumor volume changes over time were observed;Ki67 immunohistochemistry was used to assess cell proliferation in tumor tissues;Western blot analysis of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway protein expression was conducted.RESULTS Compared with the blank group,BA could significantly inhibit the proliferation of HT-29 and HCT116 cells,with IC50 values of 10.80 μmol·L-1 and 17.96 μmol·L-1,respectively.Flow cytometry results showed that BA significantly induced apoptosis of HT-29 cells(P<0.01,P<0.001),and arrested the cell cycle at the S phase,accompanied by de-creased expression of cycle-related proteins CDK2 and Cyclin A(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.001).BA inhibited cell migration and in-vasion ability(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.001),reduced the expression of EMT-related proteins Snail,Vimentin,and N-Cadherin(P<0.01,P<0.001),and upregulated the expression of E-Cadherin protein.In addition,BA inhibited the expression of β-catenin and p-GSK3β proteins.Wnt agonist LiCl could significantly antagonize the anti-colon cancer effect of BA;Wnt inhibitor XAV939 could enhance the anti-colon cancer effect of BA.In the in vivo experiment,compared with the blank group,the tumor volume of the low-dose and high-dose BA groups was significantly reduced(P<0.05,P<0.001).Immunohistochemistry results showed that compared with the blank group,the expression of Ki67 in tumor tissues of the low-dose and high-dose BA groups was significantly reduced(P<0.001).Western blot results further proved that BA inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.CONCLUSION BA inhibits the viability,invasion,and migration of colon cancer HT-29 cells,induces apoptosis,and causes cell cycle arrest.Additionally,it significantly suppresses the growth of subcutaneous HT-29 cell xenografts in vivo,possibly related to the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the medication patterns of famous traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in treating challenging aspects of idiopathic membranous nephropathy(IMN)based on data mining.Methods Medical cases meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were collected.Statistical analysis of syndrome patterns,herb frequency,association rules,and cluster analysis were conducted for key challenges,including disease duration ≥ 1 year,renal function impairment,hypoalbuminemia,and hypertriglyceridemia.Results A total of 128 medical cases were included.Spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome was identified as the most common pattern.Based on herb frequency and association rule analysis,Huangqi,Baizhu,Fuling,Danggui,Danshen were the most frequently used in prescription.Cluster analysis revealed core herbal groupings primarily based on classical formulas such as Zhenwu decoction,Shenling Baizhu powder,and Shuilu Erxian dan.Conclusion In the medical cases addressing treatment challenges,the syndrome patterns were predominantly characterized by spleen-kidney deficiency.Core medications included Huangqi,Baizhu,Fuling,Danggui and Danshen.The treatment emphasizes strengthening invigorating spleen and kidney,with variations in medication patterns based on disease duration and complications.

As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.

As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture therapy provides a complementary and alternative approach to treating major depressive disorder (MDD), but its efficacy and safety have still not been comprehensively assessed. Recently published systematic reviews remain confusing and inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review evaluated the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy alone or combined with antidepressants for adult patients with mild and moderate MDD. SEARCH STRATEGY: Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang Database, Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from their inceptions to March 2025. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials that compared acupuncture therapy with antidepressants, or acupuncture therapy plus antidepressants with acupuncture therapy or antidepressants for adult patients with mild and moderate MDD were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Five reviewers independently extracted data from original literature using a standardized form, and the data were verified by two reviewers to ensure accuracy. Statistical meta-analyses, publication bias analyses, and subgroup analyses were performed by using Review Manager 5.3 software. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach was used to assess the certainty of the evidence. RESULTS: A total of 60 eligible studies including 4675 participants were included. Low-certainty evidence showed that compared with antidepressants, acupuncture therapy (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [-0.87, -0.27]; I² = 86%; P = 0.006) or acupuncture therapy plus antidepressants (SMD = -1.00; 95% CI = [-1.18, -0.81]; I² = 77%; P < 0.00001) may reduce the severity of depression at the end of treatment. Low-certainty evidence indicated that compared with acupuncture therapy alone, acupuncture therapy plus antidepressants slightly reduced the severity of depression at the end of treatment (SMD = -0.38; 95% CI = [-0.61, -0.14]; I² = 18%; P = 0.002). Similar results were also found for acupuncture's relief of insomnia. The reported adverse effects of acupuncture therapy were mild and transient. For most of the subgroup analyses, acupuncture type, scale type, and the course of treatment did not show a significant relative effect. CONCLUSION Acupuncture therapy may provide antidepressant effects and relieve insomnia with mild adverse effects for adult patients with mild and moderate MDD. But the certainty of evidence was very low. More high-quality, well designed, large-scale studies with long-term follow-up are needed in the future. Please cite this article as: Kuang HJ, Yang HS, Feng YX, Tang H, Fan Q, Xu YQ, Cui S, Musil R, Luxenburger H, Zhang YX, Zhao H, Zhang YQ. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapies for adult patients with mild and moderate major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):471-491.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Depressive Disorder, Major/therapy* ; Adult ; Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use* ; Treatment Outcome ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

This study explored the drying kinetics of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma(SM), established the suitable models simulating the drying kinetics, and then analyzed the dynamic changes of active components during the drying processes with different methods, aiming to provide a basis for the establishment of suitable drying methods and the quality control of SM. The drying kinetics were studied based on the drying curve, drying rate, moisture effective diffusion coefficient, and drying activation energy, and the appropriate drying kinetics model of SM was established. The drying performance of different methods, such as hot air drying, infrared drying, and microwave drying of SM was evaluated, and the changes in the content of 10 salvianolic acids and 6 tanshinones during drying were analyzed by UPLC-TQ-MS. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution(TOPSIS) was employed to evaluate the quality of SM dried with different methods. The results showed that the drying rate and moisture effective diffusion coefficient of SM increased with the rise in drying temperature, and the maximum drying rates of different methods were in the order of microwave drying > infrared drying > hot air drying, slice > whole root. The drying rate decreased with the rise in temperature and the extension of drying time. The activation energy of hot air drying was higher than that of infrared drying in SM. The most suitable model for simulating the drying process of SM was the Page model. The TOPSIS results suggested infrared drying at 50 ℃ was the optimal drying method for SM. During the drying process, the content of salvianolic acids increased in different degrees with the loss of moisture, among which salvianolic acid B showed the largest increase of 44 times compared with that in the fresh medicinal material. Tanshinones also existed in the fresh herb of SM, and the content of tanshinone Ⅱ_A increased by 3 times after drying. The results provided a basis for the establishment of suitable drying methods and the quality control of SM.
Salvia miltiorrhiza/chemistry* ; Desiccation/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Kinetics ; Quality Control ; Abietanes

Atractylodes lancea is a perennial herbaceous plant of Asteraceae, with rhizomes for medical use. However, A. lancea plants from different habitats have great variability, and the germplasm resources of A. lancea are unclear and mixed during production. Therefore, it is urgent to protect new varieties of A. lancea. The distinctness, uniformity, and stability(DUS) testing of new plant varieties is the foundation of plant variety protection, and the DUS testing guidelines are the technical basis for variety approval agencies to conduct DUS testing. In this study, the phenotypic traits of 94 germplasm accessions of A. lancea were investigated considering the breeding and variety characteristics of A. lancea in China. The traits were classified and described, and 24 traits were preliminarily determined, including 20 basic traits that must be tested and four traits selected to be tested. The 20 basic traits included 3 quality traits, 5 false quality traits, and 12 quantitative traits, corresponding to 1 plant traits, 2 stem traits, 8 leaf traits, 6 flower traits, and 3 seed traits. The measurement ranges and coefficients of variation of eight quantitative traits were determined, on the basis of which the grading criteria and codes of the traits were determined and assigned. The guidelines has guiding significance for the trait evaluation, utilization, and breeding of new varieties of A. lancea.
Atractylodes/growth & development* ; China ; Phenotype ; Guidelines as Topic ; Plant Breeding