Childhood simple obesity has become a significant public health issue in China. Modern medicine primarily relies on lifestyle interventions and often suffers from poor long-term compliance， while pharmacological options are limited and associated with potential adverse effects. Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） has a long history in the prevention and management of this condition， demonstrating eight distinct advantages， including systematic theoretical foundation， diversified therapeutic approaches， definite therapeutic efficacy， high safety profile， good patient compliance， comprehensive intervention strategies， emphasis on prevention， and stepwise treatment protocols. Additionally， TCM is characterized by six distinctive features： the use of natural medicinal substances， non-invasive external therapies， integration of medicinal dietetics， simple exercise regimens， precise syndrome differentiation， and diverse dosage forms. By combining internal and external treatments， TCM facilitates individualized regimen adjustment and holistic regulation， demonstrating remarkable effects in improving obesity-related metabolic indicators， regulating constitutional imbalance， and promoting healthy behaviors. However， challenges remain， such as inconsistent operational standards， insufficient high-quality clinical evidence， and a gap between basic research and clinical application. Future efforts should focus on accelerating the standardization of TCM diagnosis and treatment， conducting multicenter randomized controlled trials， and fostering interdisciplinary integration， so as to enhance the scientific validity and international recognition of TCM in the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of Astragali Radix-Curcuma Zedoaria-Paridis Rhizoma(Qi-Zhu-Zao)combina-tion on inhibiting the growth and metastasis of colon cancer based on the PINK1/Parkin/EMT signaling pathway.METHODS Thirty male BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to five groups:sham operation group,model group,positive control group,high-dose Qi-Zhu-Zao group(5.85 g·kg-1),and low-dose Qi-Zhu-Zao group(2.925 g·kg-1),with six mice in each group.An orthotopic colon cancer model was established in the mice using CT26.WT cells.After 15 days of treatment,tumor and liver tissues were collected from each group.Hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was performed to assess tumor metastasis,and transmission electron microscopy was used to observe mitochondrial autophagy in tumor tissues.The expression of mitochondrial autophagy-related proteins PINK1,Parkin,p62,and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ was analyzed using Western blot and immunohistochemistry(IHC).Additionally,the expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)-related proteins and mRNA,including E-cadherin,N-cadherin,Vimentin,and Snail,were detected using Western blot,qPCR,and IHC staining.RESULTS Compared to the model group,mice in the treatment groups exhibited significantly reduced tumor volumes and fewer metastatic foci.Additionally,liver tissues showed pathological changes,and the overall growth condition of the mice was markedly improved;the tumor tissues in the treatment groups displayed selective mitochon-drial autophagy,accompanied by the formation of autophagosomes.The treatment influenced the PINK1/Parkin pathway-mediated mi-tochondrial autophagy biological process,with PINK1,Parkin,p62,and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ levels being significantly upregulated(P<0.05,P<0.01),the high-dose group exhibited a more significant impact than the low-dose group(P<0.05,P<0.01).Furthermore,the treatment groups also showed significant reductions in the protein and mRNA levels of N-cadherin,Vimentin,and Snail(P<0.05,P<0.01),along with significant increases in the protein and mRNA levels of E-cadherin(P<0.05,P<0.01),these effects were more pronounced in the high-dose group compared to the low-dose group(P<0.05,P<0.01).CONCLUSION The herbal combination of Qi-Zhu-Zao inhibits tumor growth and metastasis to a certain extent in a mouse model of orthotopic transplantation of colon cancer.The underlying mechanism may involve the restoration of mitochondrial function through the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway and the inhibition of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)process,thereby achieving a therapeutic effect on colon cancer.

Aim To investigate the effect of oroxylin A(OA)on apoptosis in Ishikawa cell line of endometrial cancer and the underlying mechanism through the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/AKT)signaling pathway.Methods Ishikawa cells were treated with different concentrations of OA(0,4,8,10,12,and 20 μmol·L-1)for 24 h-72 h,the cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay,apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry,and the protein ex-pression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2),Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax),PI3K/AKT,recombinant cytochrome P450 1B1(CYP1B1),and catechol-O-methyltransferase(COMT)were detected by Western blot technique.Results OA inhibited the prolifera-tion of Ishikawa cells in a concentration-and time-de-pendent manner.Compared with the blank control group,the expression of Bax protein increased signifi-cantly,while the expression of Bcl-2 protein decreased significantly with the increase of OA concentration.The expression of COMT protein increased significant-ly,while the expression of CYP1B1 protein decreased significantly.PI3K/AKT:IGF-1(PI3 K agonist)sup-plementation reversed the effect,the expression of COMT protein significantly decreased,and the expres-sion of CYP1B1 protein significantly increased.Con-clusions OA exerts anti-tumor effects in Ishikawa cells of endometrial cancer,which may be related to cell apoptosis mediated by the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the feasibility and corresponding implementation methods of constructing a sample resource bank based on individual-level data of completed clinical trials and using it to construct external controls for drug/device clinical trials.Methods Taking the pre-marketing clinical trial of transcatheter active valve replacement(TAVR)for the treatment of aortic valve stenosis as an example,the individual-level databases of multiple trials were standardized to form a sample bank.The original data of any trial in the sample bank were selected as the experimental group,and the remaining samples were selected as the control group.The potential confounding was handled by using the propensity score matching and stratification methods to clarify the process of constructing external controls based on the sample bank of individual-level data of clinical trials.Results This study included individual-level data of single-group trials of 4 TAVR devices,with a total of 569 subjects(59.2%male).The number of subjects in Trials 1 to 4 was 120,120,163,and 166,respectively.Propensity score matching enabled the matching of 113,117,125,and 147 subjects with comparable or similar characteristics from individual-level data from other trials,respectively,demonstrating a high matching success rate.The PS score distribution plot after stratification showed that the proportions of subjects in the experimental and control groups in strata 1 to 5 in scheme 1 were 4/103,11/103,22/92,32/87,and 51/64,respectively.For all constructed external controlled trials,a certain number of control samples with similar baseline characteristics to the experimental groups were distributed within each propensity score stratum.The results of the simulation test also reflected the potential differences between different devices in the 12-month all-cause mortality rate.Conclusions The sample bank constructed with individual-level data from clinical trials,as a high-quality data source,can serve as a source of external control for single-arm trials in the same field,and as a useful supplement to the external control scenario of real-world evidence to support drug and device development.At the same time,targeted research on research methods and bias control measures in related fields is also needed.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effect and possible related mechanisms of Sophora subprostrate polysaccharide(SSP)on intestinal epithelial cell injury in-duced by Tert-Butyl hydroperoxide(TBHP).The optimal dose of TBHP and the safe concentra-tion range of SSP were determined using the MTT method.In this study,IPEC-J2 cells were divid-ed into five groups:the control group,the model group,the SSPL group,the SSPM group and the SSPH group,and the cell morphology,cell survival rate and LDH release rate were observed and measured.The content of intracellular reactive ROS was observed and determined by DCFH-DA staining.The content of MDA in the supernatant and the antioxidant index of cells were determined by the reagent kit.Transcriptome technology was employed to analyze the potential mechanisms by which SSP mitigates oxidative damage in IPEC-J2 cells.The results showed that treatment with 625 μmol/L TBHP for 2 h significantly reduced the activity of IPEC-J2 cells,markedly increased LDH release(P＜0.05),inhibited CAT superoxide SOD and glutathione GPX activities(P＜0.05),and significantly elevated MDA and ROS levels(P＜0.05).Compared to the model group,after SSP treatment,intracellular ROS levels were significantly reduced(P＜0.05),while CAT,SOD,and GPX activities were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and MDA content and LDH re-lease were significantly decreased(P＜0.05)in a dose-dependent manner.Transcriptome analysis revealed that TBHP treatment significantly altered the transcriptional profiles of IPEC-J2 cells,while SSP treatment could restore the transcriptional profiles of the damaged cells to a certain ex-tent.Gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)indicated that the differentially expressed genes between the CC and TBHP groups were significantly enriched in oxidative phosphorylation,ribosome,and other pathways.Meanwhile,the differentially expressed genes between the SSP and TBHP groups were mainly enriched in oxidative phosphorylation,ap-optosis,glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism,and other pathways.These results suggest that TBHP may disrupt normal oxidative respiration in IPEC-J2 cells by affecting oxidative phospho-rylation and interfering with metabolism pathways involving glycine,serine,and threonine,leading to oxidative damage in intestinal epithelial cells.Conversely,SSP treatment may potentially restore oxidative phosphorylation processes,alleviate lysosomal damage,reduce cell apoptosis,and miti-gate oxidative damage in intestinal epithelial cells through modulation of oxidative phosphoryla-tion,apoptosis,and lysosomal pathways.This discovery provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of SSP in alleviating oxidative damage in the porcine intestinal tract.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of long non-coding RNA(lncRNA)NRON on myocardial fibrosis in mice with myocardial infarction(MI).Methods Thirty-two C57/BL6 mice were randomly assigned to a Sham group,MI group,MI+shNRON group or MI+NC group,with eight mice in each group.The expression level of lncRNA NRON in myocardial tissue of mice was detected by real-time quantitative PCR.Hematoxylin and eosin staining,Masson's trichrome staining,and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the degree of myocardial injury,myocardial fibrosis,and the expression level of collagen Type Ⅰ(col Ⅰ).Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression levels of TGF-β1,p-Smad2,and p-Smad3 in myocardial tissue of the mice.Results Compared with the Sham group,the expression of NRON,col Ⅰ,TGF-β1,p-Smad2,and p-Smad3 proteins were increased in the MI group.Compared with the MI group,the expression of NRON,the degree of myocardial damage and fibrosis,the expression of col Ⅰ,TGF-β1,p-Smad2,and p-Smad3 proteins were decreased in the MI+shNRON group.Conclusion Down-regulation of lncRNA NRON can alleviate myocardial injury and inhibit myocardial fibrosis in mice with MI,and the molecular mechanism may be related to inhibition of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of Astragali Radix-Curcuma Zedoaria-Paridis Rhizoma(Qi-Zhu-Zao)combina-tion on inhibiting the growth and metastasis of colon cancer based on the PINK1/Parkin/EMT signaling pathway.METHODS Thirty male BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to five groups:sham operation group,model group,positive control group,high-dose Qi-Zhu-Zao group(5.85 g·kg-1),and low-dose Qi-Zhu-Zao group(2.925 g·kg-1),with six mice in each group.An orthotopic colon cancer model was established in the mice using CT26.WT cells.After 15 days of treatment,tumor and liver tissues were collected from each group.Hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was performed to assess tumor metastasis,and transmission electron microscopy was used to observe mitochondrial autophagy in tumor tissues.The expression of mitochondrial autophagy-related proteins PINK1,Parkin,p62,and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ was analyzed using Western blot and immunohistochemistry(IHC).Additionally,the expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)-related proteins and mRNA,including E-cadherin,N-cadherin,Vimentin,and Snail,were detected using Western blot,qPCR,and IHC staining.RESULTS Compared to the model group,mice in the treatment groups exhibited significantly reduced tumor volumes and fewer metastatic foci.Additionally,liver tissues showed pathological changes,and the overall growth condition of the mice was markedly improved;the tumor tissues in the treatment groups displayed selective mitochon-drial autophagy,accompanied by the formation of autophagosomes.The treatment influenced the PINK1/Parkin pathway-mediated mi-tochondrial autophagy biological process,with PINK1,Parkin,p62,and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ levels being significantly upregulated(P<0.05,P<0.01),the high-dose group exhibited a more significant impact than the low-dose group(P<0.05,P<0.01).Furthermore,the treatment groups also showed significant reductions in the protein and mRNA levels of N-cadherin,Vimentin,and Snail(P<0.05,P<0.01),along with significant increases in the protein and mRNA levels of E-cadherin(P<0.05,P<0.01),these effects were more pronounced in the high-dose group compared to the low-dose group(P<0.05,P<0.01).CONCLUSION The herbal combination of Qi-Zhu-Zao inhibits tumor growth and metastasis to a certain extent in a mouse model of orthotopic transplantation of colon cancer.The underlying mechanism may involve the restoration of mitochondrial function through the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway and the inhibition of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)process,thereby achieving a therapeutic effect on colon cancer.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of long non-coding RNA(lncRNA)NRON on myocardial fibrosis in mice with myocardial infarction(MI).Methods Thirty-two C57/BL6 mice were randomly assigned to a Sham group,MI group,MI+shNRON group or MI+NC group,with eight mice in each group.The expression level of lncRNA NRON in myocardial tissue of mice was detected by real-time quantitative PCR.Hematoxylin and eosin staining,Masson's trichrome staining,and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the degree of myocardial injury,myocardial fibrosis,and the expression level of collagen Type Ⅰ(col Ⅰ).Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression levels of TGF-β1,p-Smad2,and p-Smad3 in myocardial tissue of the mice.Results Compared with the Sham group,the expression of NRON,col Ⅰ,TGF-β1,p-Smad2,and p-Smad3 proteins were increased in the MI group.Compared with the MI group,the expression of NRON,the degree of myocardial damage and fibrosis,the expression of col Ⅰ,TGF-β1,p-Smad2,and p-Smad3 proteins were decreased in the MI+shNRON group.Conclusion Down-regulation of lncRNA NRON can alleviate myocardial injury and inhibit myocardial fibrosis in mice with MI,and the molecular mechanism may be related to inhibition of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of surface electromyography biofeedback combined with respiratory training on post-stroke dysphagia and its impacts on serum neuron specific enolase(NSE)and insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1)in patients.Methods Totally 120 patients with post-stroke dysphagia in our hospital were stochastically assigned into the control group and the combined group,with 60 patients in each group.Both groups were given conventional treatment first,while the control group received respiratory training treatment.The combined group received surface electromyography biofeedback treatment on the top of the control group.The efficacy,serum NSE,central nervous system specific protein(S100β),IGF-1,functional oral intake scale(FOIS)score,standard swallowing function assessment scale(SSA)score,respiratory function,pharyngeal contraction rate and duration of pharyngeal contraction were compared between the two groups.Results After treatment,the total effective rate was higher in the combined group(x2=4.876,P＜0.05).Compared with before treatment,NSE,S100β,SSA score and pharyngeal contraction rate decreased after treatment in both groups,and those were even lower in the combined group(t=5.193,9.000,8.976,10.614,P＜0.05).Compared with before treatment,IGF-1,FOIS score,force vital capacity(FVC),forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV1),peak expiratory flow rate(PEF)and duration of pharyngeal contraction increased after treatment in both groups,with even higher levels in the combined group(t=4.212,6.220,3.765,6.935,5.020,4.249,P＜0.05).Conclusion Surface electromyography biofeedback combined with respiratory training can improve neuronal damage in patients with dysphagia,enhance swallowing efficiency,reduce serum NSE,S100β levels and pharyngeal retention time,with significant curative effect.

“Runner’s high” refers to a momentary sense of pleasure that suddenly appears during running or other exercise activities, characterized by anti-anxiety, pain relief, and other symptoms. The neurobiological mechanism of “runner’s high” is unclear. This review summarizes human and animal models for studying “runner’s high”, analyzes the neurotransmitters and neural circuits involved in runner’s high, and elucidates the evidence and shortcomings of researches related to “runner’s high”. This review also provides prospects for future research. Research has found that exercise lasting more than 30 min and with an intensity exceeding 70% of the maximum heart rate can reach a “runner’s high”. Human experiments on “runner’s high” mostly use treadmill exercise intervention, and evaluate it through questionnaire surveys, measurement of plasma AEA, miRNA and other indicators. Animal experiments often use voluntary wheel running intervention, and evaluate it through behavioral experiments such as conditional place preference, light dark box experiments (anxiety), hot plate experiments (pain sensitivity), and measurement of plasma AEA and other indicators. Dopamine, endogenous opioid peptides, endogenous cannabinoids, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and other substances increase after exercise, which may be related to the “runner’s high”. However, attention should be paid to the functional differences of these substances in the central and peripheral regions, as well as in different brain regions. Moreover, current studies have not identified the targets of the neurotransmitters or neural factors mentioned above, and further in-depth researches are needed. The mesolimbic dopamine system, prefrontal cortex-nucleus accumbens projection, ventral hippocampus-nucleus accumbens projection, red nucleus-ventral tegmental area projection, cerebellar-ventral tegmental area projection, and brain-gut axis may be involved in the regulation of runner’s high, but there is a lack of direct evidence to prove their involvement. There are still many issues that need to be addressed in the research on the neurobiological mechanisms of “runner’s high”. (1) Most studies on “runner’s high” involve one-time exercise, and the characteristics of changes in “runner’s high” during long-term exercise still need to be explored. (2) The using of scales to evaluate subjects lead to the lacking of objective indicators. However, some potential biomarkers (such as endocannabinoids) have inconsistent characteristics of changes after one-time and long-term exercise. (3) The neurotransmitters involved in the formation of the “runner’s high” all increase in the peripheral and/or central nervous system after exercise. Attention should be paid to whether peripheral substances can enter the blood-brain barrier and the binding effects of neurotransmitters to different receptors are completely different in different brain regions. (4) Most of the current evidence show that some brain regions are activated after exercise. Is there a functional circuit mediating “runner’s high” between these brain regions? (5) Although training at a specific exercise intensity can lead to “runner’s high”, most runners have not experienced “runner’s high”. Can more scientific training methods or technological means be used to make it easier for people to experience the “runner’s high” and thus be more willing to engage in exercise? (6) The “runner’s high” and “addiction” behaviors are extremely similar, and there are evidences that exercise can reverse addictive behaviors. However, why is there still a considerable number of people in the sports population and even athletes who smoke or use addictive drugs instead of pursuing the “pleasure” brought by exercise? Solving the problems above is of great significance for enhancing the desire of exercise, improving the clinical application of neurological and psychiatric diseases through exercise, and enhancing the overall physical fitness of the population.