ObjectiveBased on traditional quality evaluation of Gardeniae Fructus（GF） recorded in historical materia medica， this study systematically compared the quality differences between wild and cultivated GF from morphological characteristics， microscopic features， and contents of primary and secondary metabolites. MethodsVernier calipers and analytical balances were used to measure the length， diameter and individual fruit weight of wild and cultivated GF， and the aspect ratio was calculated. A colorimeter was used to determine the chromaticity value of wild and cultivated GF， and the paraffin sections of them were prepared by safranin-fast green staining and examined under an optical microscope to observe their microstructure. Subsequently， the contents of water-soluble and alcohol-soluble extracts of wild and cultivated GF were detected by hot immersion method under the general rule 2201 in volume Ⅳ of the 2020 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China， the starch content was measured by anthrone colorimetric method， the content of total polysaccharides was determined by phenol-sulfuric acid colorimetric method， the sucrose content was determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with evaporative light scattering detection（HPLC-ELSD）， and the contents of representative components in them were measured by ultra-performance liquid chromatography（UPLC）. Finally， correlation analysis was conducted between quality traits and phenotypic traits， combined with multivariate statistical analysis methods such as principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA）， key differential components between wild and cultivated GF were screened. ResultsIn terms of traits， the wild GF fruits were smaller， exhibiting reddish yellow or brownish red hues with significant variation between batches. While the cultivated GF fruits are larger， displaying deeper orange-red or brownish red. The diameter and individual fruit weight of cultivated GF were significantly greater than those of wild GF， while the blue-yellow value（b^*） of wild GF was significantly higher than that of cultivated GF. In the microstructure， the mesocarp of wild GF contained numerous scattered calcium oxalate cluster crystals， while the endocarp contained stone cell class round， polygonal or tangential prolongation， undeveloped seeds were visible within the fruit. In contrast， the mesocarp of cultivated GF contained few calcium oxalate cluster crystals， or some batches exhibited extremely numerous cluster crystals. The stone cells in the endocarp were predominantly round-like， with the innermost layer arranged in a grid pattern. Seeds were basically mature， and only a few immature seeds existed in some batches. Regarding primary metabolite content， wild GF exhibited significantly higher total polysaccharide level than cultivated GF（P<0.01）. In category-specific component content， wild GF exhibited significantly higher levels of total flavonoids and total polyphenols compared to cultivated GF（P<0.01）. Analysis of 12 secondary metabolites revealed that wild GF exhibited significantly higher levels of Shanzhiside， deacetyl asperulosidic acid methyl ester， gardenoside and chlorogenic acid compared to cultivated GF（P<0.01）. Conversely， the contents of genipin 1-gentiobioside， geniposide and genipin were significantly lower in wild GF（P<0.01）. ConclusionThere are significant differences between wild and cultivated GF in terms of traits， microstructure， and contents of primary and secondary metabolites. At present， the quality evaluation system of cultivated GF remains incomplete， and this study provides a reference for guiding the production of high-quality GF medicinal materials.

The inflammatory microenvironment is closely associated with the initiation and progression of osteoarthritis （OA）， specifically manifesting as macrophage activation， dysregulation of inflammatory cytokines， and redox imbalance. Following an overview of the pathological characteristics of the OA inflammatory microenvironment， this paper reviews the research progress on the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） intervening in OA by modulating the inflammatory microenvironment. It has been found that TCM monomers/active ingredients （such as total alkaloids from Strychnos nux-vomica ， quercetin， triptolide， etc.）， herb pairs （e.g. Angelica pubescens - Gentiana macrophylla ， Carthami Flos-Lycopodii Herba）， and TCM formulas （such as Zhuanggu jianxi formula， Duhuo jisheng decoction and Rongjin niantong formula， etc.） can inhibit macrophage activation， reduce the release of proinflammatory cytokines and the generation of reactive oxygen species by inhibiting multiple signaling pathways， including nuclear factor-κB， Wnt/ β -catenin， and mitogen-activated protein kinase， thereby alleviating the articular inflammatory microenvironment， restoring local joint homeostasis， and slowing the progression of OA.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Chaihu Jia Longgu Mulitang（CJLM） on depression-like behaviors and neuroinflammation in rats subjected to social isolation combined with chronic unpredictable mild stress（CUMS）， and to explore the potential underlying mechanisms. MethodsSixty male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group， a model group， and low-， medium-， and high-dose CJLM groups（2.89， 5.78， 11.56 g·kg^-1）， as well as a fluoxetine group（10 mg·kg^-1）. Except for the normal group， all other groups were subjected to social isolation combined with CUMS for 63 d. During the first 35 d， depression models were established only， and from day 36 onward， modeling and drug administration were conducted simultaneously for a total intervention period of 28 d. Depression-like behaviors were evaluated using the sucrose preference test， open-field test， and forced swimming test. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was performed to observe hippocampal histomorphology. Immunohistochemistry（IHC） was used to detect the expression levels of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1（Iba1） and gasdermin D（GSDMD） proteins in the hippocampus. Western blot analysis was employed to determine the protein expression levels of adenosine 5′-monophosphate（AMP）-activated protein kinase（AMPK） and phosphorylated（p）-AMPK， silent information regulator 1（SIRT1）， nuclear factor-κB（NF-κB） and p-NF-κB， NOD-like receptor protein 3（NLRP3）， and Caspase-1 in the hippocampus. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）， interleukin（IL）-6， and IL-1β in the hippocampus. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a decreased sucrose preference rate（P<0.01）， reduced total movement distance（P<0.01）， prolonged immobility time（P<0.01）， and decreased central zone residence time（P<0.01） in the open-field test， and increased immobility time in the forced swimming test（P<0.01）. Hippocampal neuronal structure was damaged. The contents of Iba1 and GSDMD in the hippocampus were significantly increased（P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of p-AMPK and SIRT1 in the hippocampus were significantly decreased（P<0.01）， whereas the protein expression levels of p-NF-κB， NLRP3， and Caspase-1 were significantly increased（P<0.01）. The mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α in the hippocampus were significantly upregulated（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the low-， medium-， and high-dose CJLM groups and the fluoxetine group all were able to reverse depression-like behavioral changes， as evidenced by increased sucrose preference rate， increased total movement distance with shortened immobility time in the open-field test， prolonged central zone residence time， and reduced immobility time in the forced swimming test（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Meanwhile， hippocampal neuronal structural damage was alleviated. In the hippocampus， the expression levels of Iba1 and GSDMD were downregulated， the expression levels of p-AMPK and SIRT1 were upregulated， and the abnormal elevations of p-NF-κB， NLRP3， Caspase-1， as well as IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α mRNA were suppressed（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionCJLM can ameliorate depression-like behaviors in rats subjected to social isolation combined with CUMS and attenuate hippocampal neuroinflammation and pyroptosis， suggesting that its effects may be associated with the regulation of AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Hepatic sinusoidal capillarization is the first event in the process of fibrogenesis， and inhibiting hepatic sinusoidal capillarization can effectively improve the pathological process of liver fibrosis. Various studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine can significantly inhibit hepatic sinusoidal capillarization. This article systematically reviews the effective constituents， monomers， and compound prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine， summarizes their mechanism of action in inhibiting hepatic sinusoidal capillarization， and analyzes the theoretical core of traditional Chinese medicine in inhibiting hepatic sinusoidal capillarization from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine， in order to provide ideas and literature support for the treatment of liver fibrosis.

Objective:To evaluate the elbow joint function of patients with endemic skeletal fluorosis based on Mayo elbow joint function score and to study its application value.Methods:Based on the monitoring results of drinking water-borne endemic fluorosis in Gansu Province from 2018 to 2023, and the results of the 2019 survey on the current cases of endemic diseases, 8 typical endemic counties were selected from 48 counties with drinking water-borne endemic fluorosis. A cluster sampling method was used to investigate all adult skeletal fluorosis patients over 25 years old in the endemic fluorosis villages under the jurisdiction of the 8 counties. A total of 1 096 skeletal fluorosis patients were included as study subjects. By extracting demographic basic information, follow-up records, elbow joint X-ray films, diagnostic information, and the Mayo elbow joint function score scale of patients, a retrospective analysis was conducted on the distribution characteristics of the Mayo elbow joint function score in different genders, ages, clinical grades, disease duration, and Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grading of osteoarthritis.Results:(1) The distribution of total scores on the scale: 638 cases (58.21%) were rated as "poor" (< 60 points), 345 cases (31.48%) were rated as "fair" (60 - 74 points), 96 cases (8.76%) were rated as "good" (75 - 89 points), and 17 cases (1.55%) were rated as "excellent" (≥90 points). There were statistically significant differences in the total score grading of the scale among patients with different genders, ages, clinical grades, disease duration, and K-L grading of osteoarthritis (χ 2 = 44.90, 147.20, 264.41, 211.96, 262.85, P < 0.001). (2) The scores of each dimension of the scale: the joint stability dimension scores were compared among different ages, clinical grades, disease duration, and K-L grading of osteoarthritis, and the differences were statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The scores of joint pain, range of motion, and daily living ability dimensions were compared among different genders, ages, clinical grades, disease duration, and K-L grading of osteoarthritis, and the differences were statistically significant ( P < 0.05). Conclusions:Based on the Mayo elbow joint function score scale, patients with endemic skeletal fluorosis have relatively poor elbow joint function. The scores of each dimension of the scale are influenced by factors such as genders, ages, clinical grades, disease duration, and joint degeneration. The distribution of scale scores is consistent with the clinical reality of endemic skeletal fluorosis and has certain application value in assessing disease condition.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of high-resolution magnetic resonance black blood technology imaging (MRBTI) and CT angiography (CTA) in detecting carotid plaque in predicting stroke.Methods:A prospective study was conducted on 135 patients with carotid artery disease diagnosed and treated in Handan Central Hospital from January 2020 to June 2022, all patients underwent cervical MRBTI and CTA examinations. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was used as the gold standard to compare the diagnostic value of the two detection methods for carotid plaque properties. Patients were followed up for 2 years and divided into stroke and non-stroke according to the result of follower-up. Imaging indexes of the two groups were compared, and the predictive value of MRBTI combined with CTA for stroke was evaluated by receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:The relevant data of 134 patients were included in statistical analysis. For severe carotid stenosis and ulcerative plaques, the accuracy of CTA examination was 85.11% and 84.91% separately, that of MRBTI examination was 91.49% and 92.45%, the combined examination was 95.74% and 96.23%, and the above three examination methods was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). The detection accuracy rates of CTA for mild, moderate carotid artery stenosis and smooth, irregular plaque, were 73.08%, 86.89%, 73.91% and 86.21%, those of MRBTI detection were 92.31%, 91.80%, 86.96% and 93.10%, and those of combined detection were 100.00%, 98.36%, 100.00% and 98.28%, the combined detection was higher than those of CTA and MRBTI alone ( P<0.05); there was no statistically significant difference in the level of tube wall area between the stroke patients and the non-stroke patients ( P>0.05), but the total vascular area and lumen area in stroke patients were significantly higher than those in non-stroke patients: (103.48 ± 22.48) mm 2 vs. (92.51 ± 16.26) mm 2, (46.18 ± 11.03) mm 2 vs. (41.32 ± 10.52) mm 2, and normal wall index was significantly lower: (0.54 ± 0.12) mm 2 vs. (0.61 ± 0.09) mm 2 ( P<0.05); ROC curve analysis showed that MRBTI combined with CTA had the best predictive efficacy for stroke, with area under the curve (AUC) value as high as 0.82, and its sensitivity (79.00%) was significantly higher than that predicted by MRBTI indexes (total vascular area, lumen area and normal wall index) (51.90%, 39.50%, 56.80%) or CTA (30.90%) alone, with statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The combination of MRBTI and CTA can improve the diagnostic efficiency of carotid artery disease and the prediction efficiency of stroke, and can be used as an auxiliary examination means of DSA to provide a more reliable clinical basis for the assessment of plaque characteristics in patients with carotid artery disease and the prediction of stroke.

Objective:To investigate the distribution of pathogens and changes in serum levels of pyruvate kinase isozyme type M2 (PKM2) and Galectin-3 in patients with severe trauma complicated by ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).Methods:A total of 139 patients with severe trauma and underwent mechanical ventilation in Zhangjiakou First Hospital from February 2022 to February 2024 were selected as the study subjects. They were divided into the VAP group (57 cases) and non- VAP group (82 cases) based on whether they developed VAP. The distribution of pathogenic bacteria in the VAP group was analyzed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was applied to determine the expression levels of serum PKM2 and Galectin-3. Multivariate Logistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of VAP in patients with severe trauma. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to analyze the diagnostic value of serum PKM2 and Galectin-3 levels for severe trauma complicated by VAP.Results:Seventy-one strains of pathogenic bacteria were isolated from 57 patients in the VAP group, mainly including Gram positive bacteria (36.62%), Gram negative bacteria (59.15%), and fungi (4.23%). Among them, Gram positive bacteria were mainly Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus, Gram negative bacteria were mainly Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and fungi were mainly tropical Candida and Candida albicans. The proportion of history of diabetes, the proportion of eating through nasogastric tube, the proportion of trauma severity score ≥ 16 and the levels of serum PKM2 and Galectin-3 in the VAP group were higher than those in the non- VAP group: 54.39%(31/57) vs. 32.93%(27/82), 82.46%(47/57) vs. 52.44%(43/82), 66.67%(38/57) vs. 24.39%(20/82), (32.46 ± 7.28) μg/L vs. (24.25 ± 6.17) μg/L, (3.26 ± 0.75) ng/L vs. (2.39 ± 0.61) ng/L, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). Serum PKM2, Galectin-3, history of diabetes, nasal feeding mode and trauma severity score were the influencing factors of severe trauma patients complicated by VAP ( P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of serum PKM2, Galectin-3, and their combination in predicting severe trauma complicated by VAP was 0.90, and the combination of the two was superior to their respective individual diagnoses ( Zcombination - PKM2 = 2.00, Zcombination - Galectin-3 = 1.99, P = 0.046, 0.047), its sensitivity and specificity were 92.98% and 84.15%, respectively. Conclusions:The distribution of urinary tract pathogens in patients with severe trauma complicated by VAP is mainly Gram negative bacteria, and serum PKM2 and Galectin-3 levels are obviously increased in patients with severe trauma complicated by VAP . The combination of the two has higher diagnostic value for severe trauma complicated by VAP and certain clinical application value.

Objective To explore the mechanism of GS-9620 in improving imiquimod(IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like inflammation by regulating the Th1/Th17-related immune response,and to investigate its regulatory effect on the gut microbiota in mice.Methods An IMQ-induced psoriasis-like inflammation model was established in BALB/c mice.The severity of the skin lesions was evaluated by psoriasis area and severity index(PASI)score.The proportions of CD4+interleukin(IL)-17+and CD4+interferon(IFN)-γ+cells in spleen tissue were detected by flow cytometry.Levels of the inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 in skin tissues were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and pathological analysis was performed by hematoxylin/eosin staining.The effects of GS-9620 on the structure of the gut microbiota in control,IMQ model,and GS-9620-treated mice were detected by 16S rRNA sequencing.Results GS-9620 significantly reduced the PASI score in IMQ-induced mice and effectively reduced the proportions of CD4+IL-17+and CD4+IFN-γ+cells in the spleen.GS-9620 also significantly down-regulated the expression levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 in skin tissues.16S rRNA sequencing showed that GS-9620 significantly regulated the abundance of gut microbiota related to inflammation,including the relative abundances of bacteria such as Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group,Lachnospiraceae_UCG-008,Alloprevotella,Desulfovibrio,Prevotellaceae_UCG-001,and Alistipes.Conclusions GS-9620 effectively alleviates IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation in mice by regulating the expression of Th1/Th17-related inflammatory factors.It may also improve IMQ-induced clinical symptoms by regulating the structure of the gut microbiota,thus providing a new theoretical basis for the treatment of psoriasis.The result of this study provide important experimental evidence to support further investigations into the application of GS-9620 for the treatment of psoriasis.

Objective:To investigate the role of mRNA expression in the pathogenesis of gout by analyzing the difference of gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)among acute gouty(AG),intermittent gouty(IG)and health con-trols(HC).Methods:AG patients,IG patients and HC were enrolled in this study.RNA-seq and bioinformatics techniques were used to observe the differences of mRNA expression in PBMCs of different groups,and to explore the genes and signaling pathways as-sociated with gout attack.GO and KEGG databases were used to investigate the biological functions of differentially expressed genes and the relationship between genes and signaling pathways.Genes involved in the KEGG enriched PPAR signaling pathway(CYP27A1,ACSL1,CD36,PPARG,ANGPTL4,PLIN2)were validated in PBMCs from 35 patients with AG,35 patients with IG,and 35 normal healthy subjects using real-time PCR.Results:Compared with HC group,there were 222 significant differential genes in AG group,including 193 up-regulated genes and 29 down-regulated genes.GO analysis showed that the genes differentially ex-pressed in AG group were mainly enriched in the regulation of multicellular biological processes such as inflammation,trauma,and stress response and immune response regulation compared with HC group.However,KEGG analysis showed that the up-regulated genes in AG group were enriched in"Toll-like receptor signaling pathway""complement and coagulation cascades""PPAR signaling pathway""lipid and atherosclerosis""osteoclast differentiation""cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction""chemokine signaling path-way""IL-17 signaling pathway",and"cholesterol metabolism"compared with HC group.The results of PCR validation of related genes in the PPAR signaling pathway showed that the expression levels of ACSL1,CD36,PPARG,and PLIN2 in the AG group were higher than those in the control group(P<0.05),and the expression levels of CYP27A1 and ANGPTL4 in the AG group were not dif-ferent from those in the HC group(P>0.05).Conclusion:PPAR signaling pathway may be involved in the pathogenesis of AG,of which ACSL1,CD36,PPARG,and PLIN2 may be used as potential therapeutic targets for acute gouty arthritis;CYP27A1 and ANG-PTL4 may not be associated with the pathogenesis of AG.

Objective To explore the mechanism of GS-9620 in improving imiquimod(IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like inflammation by regulating the Th1/Th17-related immune response,and to investigate its regulatory effect on the gut microbiota in mice.Methods An IMQ-induced psoriasis-like inflammation model was established in BALB/c mice.The severity of the skin lesions was evaluated by psoriasis area and severity index(PASI)score.The proportions of CD4+interleukin(IL)-17+and CD4+interferon(IFN)-γ+cells in spleen tissue were detected by flow cytometry.Levels of the inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 in skin tissues were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and pathological analysis was performed by hematoxylin/eosin staining.The effects of GS-9620 on the structure of the gut microbiota in control,IMQ model,and GS-9620-treated mice were detected by 16S rRNA sequencing.Results GS-9620 significantly reduced the PASI score in IMQ-induced mice and effectively reduced the proportions of CD4+IL-17+and CD4+IFN-γ+cells in the spleen.GS-9620 also significantly down-regulated the expression levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 in skin tissues.16S rRNA sequencing showed that GS-9620 significantly regulated the abundance of gut microbiota related to inflammation,including the relative abundances of bacteria such as Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group,Lachnospiraceae_UCG-008,Alloprevotella,Desulfovibrio,Prevotellaceae_UCG-001,and Alistipes.Conclusions GS-9620 effectively alleviates IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation in mice by regulating the expression of Th1/Th17-related inflammatory factors.It may also improve IMQ-induced clinical symptoms by regulating the structure of the gut microbiota,thus providing a new theoretical basis for the treatment of psoriasis.The result of this study provide important experimental evidence to support further investigations into the application of GS-9620 for the treatment of psoriasis.