The quality of Chinese materia medica (CMM) is a challenging and focused topic in the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A profound comprehension of the morphology, structure, active constituents, and dynamic changes during the whole process of CMM growth is essential, which needs highly precise contemporary techniques for in-depth elucidation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a cutting-edge tool integrating the benefits of both nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and imaging technology. With real-time, non-destructive, and in situ detection capabilities, MRI has been previously used for monitoring internal and external structures of plants alongside compounds during physiological processes in vivo. Here, factors involved in the holistic quality evaluation of CMMs were investigated. Given the applications of MRI in various plants, several representative CMMs were used as examples to demonstrate a methodology of quality visualization by MRI, embodying holistically monitoring the real-time macroscopic morphology, mesoscopic structure, and microscopic metabolites non-destructively in situ. Taken together, the review not only presents a pioneering application mode for utilizing MRI for CMM quality visualization but also holds promise for advancing the quality control and evaluation of CMMs.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of nab-paclitaxel plus platinum as first-line chemotherapy for ovarian cancer (OC). Methods: Patients administered platinum combined with nab-paclitaxel as first-line chemotherapy for epithelial OC, fallopian tube cancer, or primary peritoneal cancer from July 2018 to December 2021 were retrospectively evaluated. The primary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS). Adverse events (AEs) were examined. Subgroup analysis was performed. Results: Seventy-two patients (median age, 54.5 years; range, 20.0–79.0 years) were evaluated, including 12 and 60 administered neoadjuvant therapy and primary surgery with subsequent chemotherapy, respectively. The median follow-up duration was 25.6 months, and the median PFS was 26.7 (95% confidence interval [CI]=24.0–29.3) months in the whole patient population. In the neoadjuvant subgroup, the median PFS was 26.7 (95% CI=22.9–30.5) months vs. 30.1 (95% CI=23.1–37.1) months in the primary surgery subgroup. Twenty-seven patients were administered nab-paclitaxel plus carboplatin and had a median PFS of 30.3 (95% CI=not available [NA]–NA) months. The commonest grade 3–4 AEs included anemia (15.3%), white blood cell decreased (11.1%), and neutrophil count decreased (20.8%). No drug-related hypersensitivity reactions occurred. Conclusion Nab-paclitaxel plus platinum as first-line treatment in OC was associated with a favorable prognosis and was tolerable in patients with OC.

Objective To observe the prevalence of anionic trypsinogen (PRSS2) gene G191R mutation in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP),and to investigate the effect of PRSS2 gene G191R mutation on susceptibility to pancreatitis.Methods The blood samples of 82 patients with acute pancreatitis,73 patients with chronic pancreatitis and 138 healthy subjects were collected,and genomic DNA was extracted.Nest PCR were performed to amplify PRSS2 gene and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was followed by using Hpy188Ⅲ to distinguish the G191R mutation.DNA sequencing analysis was performed to confirm the mutation status.Results The size of nest PCR products was 436 bp.RFLP2 produced 309 bp and 127 bp fragments,which were resulted from PRSS2 gene G191R mutation (GGA →AGA).DNA sequencing analysis of the PCR products further confirmed the PRSS2 gene G191R mutation.Five of eighty-two(6.1％) patients with acute pancreatitis had PRSS2 gene G191R mutation (OR=0.682,95％ CI 0.231 ～ 2.010); one of seventy-three (1.4％) patients with chronic pancreatitis had the mutation (OR =0.145,95％ CI 0.019 ～ 1.145),and the corresponding value in healthy group was 8.7％ (12/138).The G191R mutation rate in patients with chronic pancreatitis was significantly lower than that in healthy group (x2 =0.432,P =0.035),but the G191R mutation rates were not significantly different between AP group and healthy group (x2 =0.487,P =0.485).Conclusions PRSS2 gene G191R mutation facilitates the degradation of anionic trypsin,and may reduce the incidence of chronic pancreatitis.