Objective To analyze the characteristics of visceral leishmaniasis cases in Henan Province, so as to provide insights into formulation of the visceral leishmaniasis control srtrategy. Methods All epidemiological data of reported visceral leishmaniasis cases in Henan Province from 2021 to 2023 were retrieved from the National Notifiable Disease Report Information Management System of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the epidemiological features and diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis cases were descriptively analyzed. Results A total of 93 visceral leishmaniasis cases were reported in Henan Province from 2021 to 2023, with a male to female ratio of 2.58∶1, and including 2 imported cases from other provinces and 91 local cases. The number of visceral leishmaniasis cases peaked during the period between March and May, and between July and October. The reported visceral leishmaniasis cases had ages of 7 months to 74 years, with the largest number of cases found at ages of 0 to 9 years (26 cases, 27.96%), followed by at ages of 60 to 70 years (24 cases, 25.81%). Farmer (47 cases, 50.54%) and diaspora children (19 cases, 20.43%) were predominant occupations, and 91 local visceral leishmaniasis cases were found in 6 cities of Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Anyang, Hebi, Sanmenxia and Xuchang. The median duration from onset of visceral leishmaniasis to diagnosis was 20 days, and there were 25.81% (24/93) cases with 10 days and less duration from onset to diagnosis, 38.71% (36/93) cases receiving diagnosis at 11 to 30 days following onset, and 35.48% (33/93) cases receiving diagnosis for more than 30 days following onset. All cases were predominantly diagnosed in province- (60.00%) and city-level (28.89%) medical institutions. Conclusions The number of visceral leishmaniasis is on the rise in Henan Province, with a gradually expanding coverage. Intensified monitoring of visceral leishmaniasis cases, dogs, and vectors, dog management, sandflies control and improved individual protection are recommended to prevent the spread of visceral leishmaniasis.

Objective:To exploring the regulatory effect of miR-29a on the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) /Smad homolog 3 (Smad3) pathway during the process of rare earth neodymium oxide (Nd 2O 3) induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Methods:In March 2021, 72 SPF grade C57/BL6J male mice were selected and randomly divided into a control group, Nd 2O 3 group, Nd 2O 3+miR-29a agomir group, and Nd 2O 3+NC agomir group, with 18 mice in each group. The Nd 2O 3 group, Nd 2O 3+miR-29a agomir group, and Nd 2O 3+NC agomir group were treated with non exposed tracheal instillation, with a dust concentration of 250 mg/ml and a dust volume of 0.1 ml. The control group was given the same volume of physiological saline. After exposure to Nd 2O 3, 0.1 ml (5 nmol) of miR-29a agomir was injected into the tail vein of mice in the Nd 2O 3+miR-29a agomir group every 3 days, while 0.1 ml of NC agomir was injected into the tail vein of mice in the Nd 2O 3+NC agomir group. On the 7 th, 14 th, and 28 th days after dust exposure, 6 mice were killed in each group, and the lung tissue of the mice was taken out. HE staining was used to observe the pathological status of the mouse lung tissue; ELISA method was used to detect the levels of TGF-β1 and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in lung tissue; Use qRT-PCR detection method to detect the expression level of TGF-β1 mRNA; Using immunofluorescence assay to detect the expression level of Smad3 in mouse lung tissue; Use bioinformatics websites such as TargetScan7 and miRDB to predict the target gene of miR-29a. When the metrological date were satisfied with normal distribution, Mean±SD was used for comparison between groups, t test was used for two indepent samples, and LSD method was used when the variance was homogeneity in pairwise comparison. Results:HE staining showed that the Nd 2O 3 group of mice showed obvious infiltration of inflammatory cells and structural disorder of alveoli in the early stage of lung tissue. At 28 days, the collagen fibers in the mouse lung tissue increased and the lung tissue showed fibrotic honeycomb like changes. The degree of pulmonary fibrosis in the Nd 2O 3+miR-29a agomir group of mice was significantly reduced; The content of TGF-β1 and CTGF in the lung tissue of mice in the Nd 2O 3+miR-29a agomir group was lower than that in the Nd 2O 3+NC agomir group ( P<0.05) ; The relative expression level of TGF-β1 in the lung tissue of mice in the Nd 2O 3+miR-29a agomir group was lower than that in the Nd 2O 3+NC agomir group ( P<0.05) ; The expression level of Smad3 in the nucleus of the Nd 2O 3+miR-29a agomir group was lower than that of the Nd 2O 3+NC agomir group ( P<0.05). The prediction results of bioinformatics websites have found 152 downstream target genes related to miR-29a, among which FBN1, MAP2K6, KPNB1, COL1A2, SNIP1, LAMC1, and SP1 genes may be related to the regulatory effect of miR-29a on TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway. Conclusion:miR-29a may affect lung fibrosis induced by rare earth Nd 2O 3 exposure in mice by regulating TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway. Overexpression of miR-29a may inhibit TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway and reduce the degree of pulmonary fibrosis in mice.

To promote the development of extracellular vesicles of herbal medicine especially the establishment of standardization, led by the National Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles, research experts in the field of herbal medicine and extracellular vesicles were invited nationwide with the support of the Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles, Professional Committee on Extracellular Vesicle Research and Application, Chinese Society of Research Hospitals and the Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Chinese Herbal Vesicles. Based on the collation of relevant literature, we have adopted the Delphi method, the consensus meeting method combined with the nominal group method to form a discussion draft of "Consensus statement on research and application of Chinese herbal medicine derived extracellular vesicles-like particles (2023)". The first draft was discussed in online and offline meetings on October 12, 14, November 2, 2022 and April and May 2023 on the current status of research, nomenclature, isolation methods, quality standards and research applications of extracellular vesicles of Chinese herbal medicines, and 13 consensus opinions were finally formed. At the Third Academic Conference on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles, held on May 26, 2023, Kewei Zhao, convenor of the consensus, presented and read the consensus to the experts of the Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles. The consensus highlights the characteristics and advantages of Chinese medicine, inherits the essence, and keeps the righteousness and innovation, aiming to provide a reference for colleagues engaged in research and application of Chinese herbal vesicles at home and abroad, decode the mystery behind Chinese herbal vesicles together, establish a safe, effective and controllable accurate Chinese herbal vesicle prevention and treatment system, and build a bridge for Chinese medicine to the world.

Huangqitang comes from the Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang of the Song dynasty. It consists of four medicinal materials: Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus, Citrμs reticμlata， Cannabis sativa， and Apis cerana. It is a classic prescription for treating constipation in the elderly. This study systematically collated the literature records about Huangqitang in ancient Chinese medicine books and combined it with the current status of modern clinical applications to conduct in-depth analysis and research on the origin，composition， dosage, processing, preparation and administration, drug base, main symptoms， and other key information of the formula, so as to provide a strong reference for the development and clinical application of the classic Huangqitang compound preparation. Through systematic combing and textual research on the previous literature of Huangqitang， it can be seen that the formula of Huangqitang was first recorded in the Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang， and the medical books of the past dynasties mostly adopted this formula. In terms of drug base， the dried roots of the leguminous plant Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus are used， and for tangerine， the dried outer peel of the Rutaceae plant Citrus reticμlata and its cultivated varieties are used. The Moraceae plant Cannabis sativa with the peel removed is selected, and the Apis cerana is selected from the honey brewed by Apis cerana， an insect of the Apidae family. In terms of dosage， although the dosage of some drugs changed during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the dosage records basically followed the original prescriptions from the Song dynasty. In terms of processing, preparation, and usage， although the drug processing， preparation， and usage of Huangqitang in the medical books of the past dynasties have changed slightly， they are basically the same as the original prescription of the Song dynasty. In terms of main symptoms, Huangqitang is designed to treat constipation in the elderly. From the Song dynasty to the Qing dynasty， it was mostly used to treat constipation， secret congestion, asthenia， etc. in the elderly. In modern times， it is clinically used to treat constipation due to Qi deficiency， functional constipation， irritable bowel syndrome， and other diseases in the elderly. No adverse reactions have been found yet. In the subsequent research and development， it is necessary to carry out mass spectrometry analysis of Huangqitang， in-depth exploration of its prescription efficacy and mechanism of action， and other multi-omics scientific research. At the same time， it is important to establish quality control standards to provide a reliable scientific basis for the research and development, clinical treatment， and drug supervision of Huangqitang compound preparations.

Objective:To exploring the regulatory effect of miR-29a on the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) /Smad homolog 3 (Smad3) pathway during the process of rare earth neodymium oxide (Nd 2O 3) induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Methods:In March 2021, 72 SPF grade C57/BL6J male mice were selected and randomly divided into a control group, Nd 2O 3 group, Nd 2O 3+miR-29a agomir group, and Nd 2O 3+NC agomir group, with 18 mice in each group. The Nd 2O 3 group, Nd 2O 3+miR-29a agomir group, and Nd 2O 3+NC agomir group were treated with non exposed tracheal instillation, with a dust concentration of 250 mg/ml and a dust volume of 0.1 ml. The control group was given the same volume of physiological saline. After exposure to Nd 2O 3, 0.1 ml (5 nmol) of miR-29a agomir was injected into the tail vein of mice in the Nd 2O 3+miR-29a agomir group every 3 days, while 0.1 ml of NC agomir was injected into the tail vein of mice in the Nd 2O 3+NC agomir group. On the 7 th, 14 th, and 28 th days after dust exposure, 6 mice were killed in each group, and the lung tissue of the mice was taken out. HE staining was used to observe the pathological status of the mouse lung tissue; ELISA method was used to detect the levels of TGF-β1 and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in lung tissue; Use qRT-PCR detection method to detect the expression level of TGF-β1 mRNA; Using immunofluorescence assay to detect the expression level of Smad3 in mouse lung tissue; Use bioinformatics websites such as TargetScan7 and miRDB to predict the target gene of miR-29a. When the metrological date were satisfied with normal distribution, Mean±SD was used for comparison between groups, t test was used for two indepent samples, and LSD method was used when the variance was homogeneity in pairwise comparison. Results:HE staining showed that the Nd 2O 3 group of mice showed obvious infiltration of inflammatory cells and structural disorder of alveoli in the early stage of lung tissue. At 28 days, the collagen fibers in the mouse lung tissue increased and the lung tissue showed fibrotic honeycomb like changes. The degree of pulmonary fibrosis in the Nd 2O 3+miR-29a agomir group of mice was significantly reduced; The content of TGF-β1 and CTGF in the lung tissue of mice in the Nd 2O 3+miR-29a agomir group was lower than that in the Nd 2O 3+NC agomir group ( P<0.05) ; The relative expression level of TGF-β1 in the lung tissue of mice in the Nd 2O 3+miR-29a agomir group was lower than that in the Nd 2O 3+NC agomir group ( P<0.05) ; The expression level of Smad3 in the nucleus of the Nd 2O 3+miR-29a agomir group was lower than that of the Nd 2O 3+NC agomir group ( P<0.05). The prediction results of bioinformatics websites have found 152 downstream target genes related to miR-29a, among which FBN1, MAP2K6, KPNB1, COL1A2, SNIP1, LAMC1, and SP1 genes may be related to the regulatory effect of miR-29a on TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway. Conclusion:miR-29a may affect lung fibrosis induced by rare earth Nd 2O 3 exposure in mice by regulating TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway. Overexpression of miR-29a may inhibit TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway and reduce the degree of pulmonary fibrosis in mice.

Asian ginseng mostly appeared in herbal medical books in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China.In modern literature,it is believed that this drug is alias of vigorously cultivated ginseng,Talinum paniculatum(Jacq.)Gaertn.,Pananis Japonici Rhizoma,Arctii Fructus and other drugs,and the origin is confused.This article made a textual research on the name,origin,producing areas,processing,property and taste,and efficacy.It is concluded that the Asian ginseng was earlier included in the Ben Cao Gang Mu Shi Yi in the Qing Dynasty,and was named Asian ginseng because it was produced in Japan.The original plant is Panax ginseng C.A.Meyer,which is a kind of Araliaceae plant.It takes Yunzhou,Huijin and Xinzhou of Japan as the true land,and is also cultivated in Northeast China.Asian ginseng medicinal materials are made by processing techniques such as net whiskers,boiling,cooling,and exposure to dryness.They are warm in property,sweet and slightly bitter in taste.They are good at tonifying qi and generating fluid,and can treat all deficiency syndromes of fluid and qi.In the Qing Dynasty,they were often used as Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma.The identification of false was also attached for distinguishing.

Objective To retrospectively analyze of factors influencing early preterm birth(EPB)and late preterm birth(LPB)in pregnancy women with placenta previa complicated by placenta accreta spectrum disorders(PAS),and assess maternal and infant outcomes.Methods We included 590 cases of pregnancy women with placenta previa complicated by PAS who underwent cesarean sections at five hospitals in Wuhan and Xianning cities between January 2018 and June 2021.These patients were divided into three groups based on delivery gesta-tional age:EPB,LPB,and term birth(TB).A multiple logistic regression model was employed to analyze the risk factors associated with EPB and LPB.Additionally,differences in early maternal and infant outcomes among these groups were examined.Results Among 590 pregnancy women with placenta previa complicated by PAS,the proportions of EPB and LPB were 9.7%and 54.4%.The use of uterine contraction inhibitors prior to cesarean section,vaginal bleeding,and previous cesarean sections history were identified as risk factors for both EPB and LPB.The proportion of severe postpartum hemorrhage was comparable between the EPB group and the LPB group;however,the incidence of neonatal asphyxia,low birth weight infants,and the rate of newborns transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit(NICU)within 24 hours after cesarean delivery were significantly higher in the EPB group compared to the LPB group.Conclusions Placenta previa complicated by PAS predominantly leads to LPB.The history of prior cesarean sections,uterine contractions,and vaginal bleeding prior to cesarean section,are sig-nificantly associated with both EPB and LPB.During the perinatal period,efforts should be made to extend gesta-tional weeks under close monitoring to minimize the incidence of premature births and thereby improve early mater-nal and infant outcomes.

Objective To analyze the relationship between serum a proliferation inducing ligand(APRIL)and galactin-1(Gal-1)levels with clinical features and prognosis in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer(EOC).Methods EOC patients(n=132)who admitted in Handan Hangang Hospital of Hebei Province from January 2018 to June 2020 were selected as the cancer group,and were grouped into a survival group(n=56)and a death group(n=76)based on their three-year survival after discharge.Meanwhile,healthy in-dividuals(n=68)who underwent physical examination were regarded as the healthy group.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was applied to detect serum APRIL and Gal-1 levels in all subjects.Clinical data of all patients were collected and their relationship with serum APRIL,Gal-1 levels and prognosis was analyzed.Ka-plan-Meier method was applied to analyze the relationship between serum APRIL and Gal-1 levels and the prognosis of EOC patients.Cox regression was applied to analyze the relevant factors affecting the prognostic death of EOC patients.The prognostic value of serum APRIL in patients with EOC was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results The serum APRIL and Gal-1 expression levels in the cancer group were greatly higher than those in the healthy group,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).The serum APRIL and Gal-1 levels in the death group were greatly higher than those in the sur-vival group,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Clinical data analysis showed that se-rum APRIL and Gal-1 levels were not related to the age of EOC patients(P＞0.05),but were related to tumor location,tumor diameter,The International Febderation of Gynecology and Obstetrics(FIGO)staging,differentiation degree,lymph node metastasis,histological classification,and levels of cancer antigen 125(CA125)and human epididymis protein 4(HE4),and FIGO staging,differentiation degree,lymph node me-tastasis,histological classification,and levels of CA125 and HE4 also significantly affected the prognosis of pa-tients(P＜0.05).FIGO stage Ⅲ+Ⅳ,low differentiation,lymph node metastasis,serous tissue classification,CA125≥200 U/mL,HE4≥200 pmol/L,and high expression of APRIL and Gal-1 were all risk factors for prognostic death in EOC patients(P＜0.05).The three-year survival rate of APRIL high expression patients(25.37％)was greatly lower than that of APRIL low expression patients(60.00％),and the three-year sur-vival rate of Gal-1 high expression patients(27.94％)was greatly lower than that of Gal-1 low expression pa-tients(57.81％),,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).ROC curve showed that the ar-ea under the curve(AUC)of the combination of APRIL and Gal-1 for predicting the prognosis was 0.925,which was significantly higher than that of the diagnosis of the two alone,(Zcombined-APRIL=4.061,P＜0.001,Zcombined-Gal-1=3.424,P＜0.001),with a sensitivity and specificity of 86.84％and 83.93％,respectively.Conclu-sion The expression levels of serum APRIL and Gal-1 are greatly elevated in EOC patients,and their levels are related to tumor location,tumor diameter,FIGO staging,lymph node metastasis,histological classifica-tion,CA1 25,HE4,and differentiation degree.The expression levels of both have great application value in the prognosis evaluation of EOC patients.

Background Occupational and environmental particulate matter may cause fibrosis, accompanied by RNA m⁶A modification changes. Neodymium oxide (Nd₂O₃) can cause mouse lung fibrosis, which contains a large number of fibroblasts. Objective To investigate m⁶A modification of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 6/nuclear factor-κB (TRAF6/NF-κB) signaling pathway in fibrosis of human embryonic lung fibroblasts induced by Nd₂O₃, and identify the key m⁶A modification sites of TRAF6. Methods Designed concentrations of Nd₂O₃ (0, 1.563, 3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg∙L⁻¹) were infected with HELF cells for 24 and 48 h, and cell viability was detected to determine exposure time and dose. Measurements included indicators of fibrosis [hydroxyproline (HYP) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)], m⁶A methylation level, methyltransferases (METTL3 and METTL14), demethylases (FTO and ALKBH5), reading proteins (YTHDC2 and YTHDF2), fibrosis-associated genes (collagen-І, vimentin, and α-SMA), and proteins related to signaling pathway (TRAF6, NFKB1, P65, and P-P65). The enrichment of m⁶A in TRAF6 mRNA was measured by methylated RNA immunoprecipitation-quantitative real-time PCR (MeRIP-qPCR). Results The results of cell viability indicated that 6.25, 12.5, 25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃ and 48 h exposure time were used for subsequent experiments. After 48 h exposure, compared with the control group, the HYP level in the 25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃ group was increased, and the levels of TGF-β1 in the 6.25, 12.5, and 25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃ groups were increased (P<0.05); the overall m⁶A methylation levels of HELF cells in the 12.5 and 25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃ groups were increased (P<0.05). At mRNA level, compared with the control group, the mRNA expression levels of methyltransferases METTL3 and METTL14 (6.25, 12.5, and 25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃) were increased (P<0.05); the mRNA expression level of reading protein YTHDF2 (6.25, 12.5, and 25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃) was increased (P<0.05), while the mRNA expression level of YTHDC2 (25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃) was decreased (P<0.05); the mRNA expression levels of demethylases FTO (12.5 and 25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃) and ALKBH5 (25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃) were decreased (P<0.05); the mRNA expression levels of fibrosis-related genes vimentin, α-SMA, and collagen-Ⅰ (6.25, 12.5, and 25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃) were increased (P<0.05); the mRNA expression levels of pathway-related genes TRAF6 (25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃) and NFKB1 (12.5 and 25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃) were increased (P<0.05). At protein level, compared with the control group, the expression levels of methyltransferases METTL3 (25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃) and METTL14 (12.5 and 25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃) were increased (P<0.05); the expression level of reading protein YTHDF2 (12.5 and 25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃) was increased, while the expression level of YTHDC2 (25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃) was decreased (P<0.05); the expression level of demethylase FTO (25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃) was decreased (P<0.05); the expression level of fibrosis-associated protein vimentin was increased at 25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃, and the expression levels of α-SMA and collagen-Ⅰ were increased at 12.5 and 25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃ (P<0.05); the expression levels of TRAF6 and P-P65 were increased at 25 mg∙L⁻¹ Nd₂O₃ (P<0.05). The MeRIP-qPCR results showed that compared with the control group, the concentrations of m⁶A in all Nd₂O₃ groups were significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusions Upon exposure of HELF cells to Nd₂O₃, the alterations in fibrosis-related indexes increase the expression of some m⁶A methylases and decrease the expression of demethylases, thereby increasing the m⁶A methylase level, and may promote the progression of fibrosis by activating the TRAF6/NF-κB signaling pathway.

As a reversible and dynamic epigenetic marker, N⁶-adenylate methylation (m⁶A) modification is the most common mRNA modification in eukaryotes. This paper briefly described how m⁶A can influence RNA splicing, stability, and translation after transcription, and then participate in a variety of signaling pathways and biological and pathological processes, regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) processes, and tumor invasion and metastasis. In addition, according to current studies, m⁶A methyltransferases (writers) are believed to promote EMT and tumor development, and readers and erasers both promote and inhibit EMT in different research objects. In this review, we summarized the mechanism of m⁶A modification and its role in cell transformation, and pointed out the direction of disease treatment.