ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of Sanren Runchang formula in treating constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome （IBS-C） by regulating the brain-gut axis and the effects of the formula on serum levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT）， vasoactive intestinal peptide （VIP）， and substance P （SP）. MethodsA randomized controlled design was adopted， and 72 IBS-C patients meeting Rome Ⅳ criteria were randomized into observation and control groups （36 cases）.The observation group received Sanren Runchang formula granules twice daily， and the control group received lactulose oral solution daily for 4 weeks. IBS Symptom Severity Scale （IBS-SSS）， IBS Quality of Life Scale （IBS-QOL）， and Bristol Stool Form Scale （BSFS） were used to assess clinical symptoms， and bowel movement frequency was recorded. The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale （SAS） and Self-Rating Depression Scale （SDS） were employed to evaluate psychological status. ELISA was employed to measure the serum levels of 5-HT， VIP， and SP. ResultsThe total response rate in the observation group was 91.67% （33/36）， which was higher than that （77.78%， 28/36） in the control group （χ²=4.50， P<0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed increased defecation frequency and BSFS scores， decreased IBS-SSS total score， abdominal pain and bloating scores， IBS-QOL health anxiety， anxiety， food avoidance， and behavioral disorders scores， SAS and SDS scores， serum 5-HT and VIP levels， and increased SP levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， the observation group showed more significant changes in the indicators above than the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The SP level showed no significant difference between the two groups. During the 4-week follow-up， the recurrence rate was 5.88% in the observation group and 31.25% in the control group. No adverse events occurred in observation group， and 2 cases of mild diarrhea occurred in the control group. ConclusionSanren Runchang formula demonstrated definitive efficacy in alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms and improving the psychological status and quality of life in IBS-C patients， with a low recurrence rate. The formula can regulate serum levels of neurotransmitters such as 5-HT and VIP， suggesting its potential regulatory effect on the brain-gut axis through modulating neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. However， its complete mechanism of action requires further investigation through detection of additional brain-gut axis-related biomarkers.

Impaired glucose regulation （IGR） is an intermediate state between normal blood glucose and diabetes， falling under the category of splenic pure heat in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. The core pathogenesis is believed to be the dysfunction of the zang-fu （脏腑） organs， leading to metabolic abnormalities of subtle essence and the generation of "turbid pathogen". Its accumulation can block qi movement， damage the vessel collaterals， and promote the disease progression toward diabetes. The concept of "turbid pulse" is proposed as an early sign of IGR， characterized by full and heavy sensation with stagnated and astringent circulation， which can serve as an effective supplement to clinical screening. The differentiation and treatment approach in clinical practice is summarized as follows. If the ascending and descending mechanisms of qi movement in the middle jiao （焦） are disrupted， with mutual interference between the clear and the turbid， treatment should focus on harmonizing the ascending and the descending， and transforming dampness with aromatic medicinals. For spleen-stomach qi deficiency due to long-term restriction of the spleen and stomach's function of transportation and transformation， it is suggested to fortify spleen and harmonize stomach， and transport turbid with sweet-warm medicinals. For spleen deficiency and liver constraint induced by internal generation of damp-heat in the middle jiao， the treatment should focus on soothing the liver and opening constraint， and directing the turbid downward with sour-sweat medicinals. For solid accumulation and stagnation caused by liver qi constraint， it is recommended to unblock intestine and remove stagnation， and discharge turbid with bitter-cold medicinals. When the disease is transmitted to the lower jiao， and the kidneys are affected， the treatment should be regulating spleen and kidney， and rectifying turbid with salty-sour medicinals. In conclusion， it is emphasized to promote the transformation of turbid pathogen to restore metabolic homeostasis， providing methods for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of IGR.

ObjectiveTo establish and evaluate a hyperuricemia （HUA） mouse model with the damp-turbidity internal accumulation syndrome. MethodsThirty-six C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group， chemically induced model group （Model）， and model combined with high-fat and fatigue group （Model+HF）. Twenty-four uricase gene knockout （UOX^-/-） mice were randomly divided into UOX^-/- group and UOX^-/-+HF group， with 12 mice in each group. The Model group and the Model+HF group established the HUA model by intragastric administration of potassium oxyazinate combined with adenine. The Model+HF group and the UOX^-/-+HF group adopted a high-fat diet combined with weight-bearing exhaustive swimming to establish the HUA model with the damp-turbidity internal accumulation syndrome. On day 1， 7， 14， 21， and 28 after modeling， the damp-turbidity internal accumulation syndrome score of each group was evaluated. On day 1 and day 28， a weight-bearing swimming exhaustion test was performed， and the exhaustive swimming time was recorded. On day 28， liver and kidney indexes were calculated， and hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe histopathological changes in liver and kidney tissues. Serum levels of uric acid （UA）， xanthine dehydrogenase （XDH）， xanthine oxidase （XOD） and urea nitrogen （BUN） were detected through biochemical assays. ELISA was used to detect serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-1β （IL-1β）. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expression of organic anion transporter 1 （OAT1） and glucose transporter 9 （GLUT9） in renal tissues. Quantitative real-time PCR （qRT-PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expressions of adenosine triphosphate binding transporter G2 （ABCG2）， hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）， urate anion transporter 1 （URAT1）， and GLUT9 in renal tissues. ResultsOn day 14 of modeling， the damp-turbidity internal accumulation syndrome scores of mice in the Model+HF group and the UOX^-/-+HF group were elevated compared with the control group（P＜0.05）； on day 28， the scores significantly increased， and the exhaustive swimming time was shortened （P＜0.01）， indicating successful establishment of the damp-turbidity internal accumulation syndrome model. Compared with the control group， all other groups exhibited increased kidney index， serum levels of UA， XDH， XOD， BUN， TNF-α， and IL-1β， elevated renal mRNA expression of HIF-1α， URAT1， OAT1， and GLUT9， and decreased renal ABCG2 mRNA expression （P＜0.01 or P＜0.05）. Significant pathological damage in the kidney was observed in the Model+HF group and the UOX^-/-+HF group compared to the Model group and the UOX^-/- group， with decreased serum UA and increased BUN and TNF-α levels （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， as well as increased expression of OAT1 and GLUT9 in the renal tissue. ConclusionBoth chemical induction and gene knockout， combined with a high-fat diet and weight-bearing exhaustive swimming， can successfully establish mouse models of HUA with damp-turbidity internal accumulation syndrome. Chemical induction is simple to operate and cost-effective， suitable for short-term drug screening， while UOX gene knockout induces spontaneous elevation of serum uric acid levels without drug administration， which may better mimick human metabolic characteristics.

ObjectiveTo establish and evaluate a hyperuricemia （HUA） mouse model with the damp-turbidity internal accumulation syndrome. MethodsThirty-six C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group， chemically induced model group （Model）， and model combined with high-fat and fatigue group （Model+HF）. Twenty-four uricase gene knockout （UOX^-/-） mice were randomly divided into UOX^-/- group and UOX^-/-+HF group， with 12 mice in each group. The Model group and the Model+HF group established the HUA model by intragastric administration of potassium oxyazinate combined with adenine. The Model+HF group and the UOX^-/-+HF group adopted a high-fat diet combined with weight-bearing exhaustive swimming to establish the HUA model with the damp-turbidity internal accumulation syndrome. On day 1， 7， 14， 21， and 28 after modeling， the damp-turbidity internal accumulation syndrome score of each group was evaluated. On day 1 and day 28， a weight-bearing swimming exhaustion test was performed， and the exhaustive swimming time was recorded. On day 28， liver and kidney indexes were calculated， and hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe histopathological changes in liver and kidney tissues. Serum levels of uric acid （UA）， xanthine dehydrogenase （XDH）， xanthine oxidase （XOD） and urea nitrogen （BUN） were detected through biochemical assays. ELISA was used to detect serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-1β （IL-1β）. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expression of organic anion transporter 1 （OAT1） and glucose transporter 9 （GLUT9） in renal tissues. Quantitative real-time PCR （qRT-PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expressions of adenosine triphosphate binding transporter G2 （ABCG2）， hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）， urate anion transporter 1 （URAT1）， and GLUT9 in renal tissues. ResultsOn day 14 of modeling， the damp-turbidity internal accumulation syndrome scores of mice in the Model+HF group and the UOX^-/-+HF group were elevated compared with the control group（P＜0.05）； on day 28， the scores significantly increased， and the exhaustive swimming time was shortened （P＜0.01）， indicating successful establishment of the damp-turbidity internal accumulation syndrome model. Compared with the control group， all other groups exhibited increased kidney index， serum levels of UA， XDH， XOD， BUN， TNF-α， and IL-1β， elevated renal mRNA expression of HIF-1α， URAT1， OAT1， and GLUT9， and decreased renal ABCG2 mRNA expression （P＜0.01 or P＜0.05）. Significant pathological damage in the kidney was observed in the Model+HF group and the UOX^-/-+HF group compared to the Model group and the UOX^-/- group， with decreased serum UA and increased BUN and TNF-α levels （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， as well as increased expression of OAT1 and GLUT9 in the renal tissue. ConclusionBoth chemical induction and gene knockout， combined with a high-fat diet and weight-bearing exhaustive swimming， can successfully establish mouse models of HUA with damp-turbidity internal accumulation syndrome. Chemical induction is simple to operate and cost-effective， suitable for short-term drug screening， while UOX gene knockout induces spontaneous elevation of serum uric acid levels without drug administration， which may better mimick human metabolic characteristics.

The Huangdi Neijing proposes the " using bitter herbs to nourish or purge" theory to guide clinical prescription and formulation of herbal remedies based on the physiological characteristics and functions of the five zang viscera, along with the properties and flavors of medicinal herbs. This study explored diabetic kidney disease pathogenesis and treatment based on the " using bitter herbs to nourish or purge" theory. Kidney dryness is a key pathological factor in diabetic kidney disease, and the disharmony of kidney dryness is an essential aspect of its pathogenesis. Strengthening is the primary therapeutic principle, and kidney dryness is a persistent factor throughout the occurrence and progression of diabetic kidney disease. In the early stage, the pathogenesis involves heat-consuming qi and injuring yin, leading to kidney dryness. In the middle stage, the pathogenesis manifests as qi deficiency and blood stasis in the collaterals, resulting in turbidity owing to kidney dryness. In the late stage, the pathogenesis involves yin and yang deficiency, with kidney dryness and disharmony. This study proposes the staging-based treatment based on the " need for firmness" characteristic of the kidney. The aim is to provide new insights for clinical diagnosis and treatment in traditional Chinese medicine by rationally using pungent, bitter, and salty medicinal herbs to nourish and moisturize the kidney. This approach seeks to promote precise syndrome differentiation and personalized treatment for different stages of diabetic kidney disease, thereby enhancing clinical efficacy.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of sequential administration of Dihuang Baoyuan granules （DHBY， the prescription for consolidating body resistance） and Fuling Yunhua granules （FLYH， the prescription for treating symptoms） on spontaneous type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） in mice. MethodsAccording to the fasting blood glucose （FBG） level， 12-week-old db/db mice were randomized into six groups： model， DHBY （18.02 g·kg^-1）， FLYH （14.80 g·kg^-1）， sequential administration 1 （SEQ-1， DHBY 18.02 g·kg^-1+FLYH 14.80 g·kg^-1）， sequential administration 2 （SEQ-2， FLYH 14.80 g·kg^-1+DHBY 18.02 g·kg^-1）， and dapagliflozin （Dapa， 1.3 mg·kg^-1）. The m/m mice in the same litter were selected as the normal group. The mice were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage for 8 consecutive weeks. During the 8 weeks of drug administration and 2 weeks after withdrawal， the retinal thickness， FBG， hemoglobin A1c （HbA1c）， and insulin were determined， and histopathological changes of the pancreas， liver， kidney， and retina were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. ResultsCompared with the model group， SEQ-1 for 4 weeks lowered the FBG level （P<0.05）， raised the insulin level， decreased the triglyceride （TG） level （P<0.05）， increased the number of optic ganglion cells and diminished vacuolar degeneration of pancreatic islet and liver. SEQ-2 lowered FBG and HbA1c levels （P<0.05）， rose the insulin level， increased the retinal thickness and the number of optic ganglion cells （P<0.05）， and alleviated vacuolar degeneration of pancreatic islet and liver. Two weeks after drug withdrawal， Dapa tended to increase FBG and HbA1c compared with those at the time of drug withdrawal. However， the levels of FBG and HbA1c in the SEQ-2 group remained decreasing （P<0.05）. ConclusionSEQ-1 and SEQ-2 can lower the blood glucose level and ameliorate diabetic retinopathy， and SEQ-2 outperformed DHBY and FLYH in lowering the blood glucose level. Moreover， SEQ-2 can maintain the blood glucose-lowering effect after drug withdrawal.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of sequential administration of Dihuang Baoyuan granules （DHBY， the prescription for consolidating body resistance） and Fuling Yunhua granules （FLYH， the prescription for treating symptoms） on spontaneous type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） in mice. MethodsAccording to the fasting blood glucose （FBG） level， 12-week-old db/db mice were randomized into six groups： model， DHBY （18.02 g·kg^-1）， FLYH （14.80 g·kg^-1）， sequential administration 1 （SEQ-1， DHBY 18.02 g·kg^-1+FLYH 14.80 g·kg^-1）， sequential administration 2 （SEQ-2， FLYH 14.80 g·kg^-1+DHBY 18.02 g·kg^-1）， and dapagliflozin （Dapa， 1.3 mg·kg^-1）. The m/m mice in the same litter were selected as the normal group. The mice were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage for 8 consecutive weeks. During the 8 weeks of drug administration and 2 weeks after withdrawal， the retinal thickness， FBG， hemoglobin A1c （HbA1c）， and insulin were determined， and histopathological changes of the pancreas， liver， kidney， and retina were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. ResultsCompared with the model group， SEQ-1 for 4 weeks lowered the FBG level （P<0.05）， raised the insulin level， decreased the triglyceride （TG） level （P<0.05）， increased the number of optic ganglion cells and diminished vacuolar degeneration of pancreatic islet and liver. SEQ-2 lowered FBG and HbA1c levels （P<0.05）， rose the insulin level， increased the retinal thickness and the number of optic ganglion cells （P<0.05）， and alleviated vacuolar degeneration of pancreatic islet and liver. Two weeks after drug withdrawal， Dapa tended to increase FBG and HbA1c compared with those at the time of drug withdrawal. However， the levels of FBG and HbA1c in the SEQ-2 group remained decreasing （P<0.05）. ConclusionSEQ-1 and SEQ-2 can lower the blood glucose level and ameliorate diabetic retinopathy， and SEQ-2 outperformed DHBY and FLYH in lowering the blood glucose level. Moreover， SEQ-2 can maintain the blood glucose-lowering effect after drug withdrawal.

Objective To explore the application of plasma 7 microRNA (miR7) testing in the differential diagnosis of very early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods This study is a multicenter real-world study. Patients with single hepatic lesion (maximum diameter≤2 cm) who underwent plasma miR7 testing at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Anhui Provincial Hospital, and Peking University People’s Hospital between January 2019 and December 2024 were retrospectively enrolled. Patients were divided into very early-stage HCC group and non-HCC group, and the clinical pathological characteristics of the two groups were compared. The value of plasma miR7 levels, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) in the differential diagnosis of very early-stage HCC was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC). In patients with both negative AFP and DCP (AFP＜20 ng/mL, DCP＜40 mAU/mL), the diagnostic value of plasma miR7 for very early-stage HCC was analyzed. Results A total of 64 528 patients from 4 hospitals underwent miR7 testing, and 1 682 were finally included, of which 1 073 were diagnosed with very early-stage HCC and 609 were diagnosed with non-HCC. The positive rate of miR7 in HCC patients was significantly higher than that in non-HCC patients (67.9% vs 24.3%, P＜0.001). ROC curves showed that the AUCs for miR7, AFP, and DCP in distinguishing HCC patients from the non-HCC individuals were 0.718, 0.682, and 0.642, respectively. The sensitivities were 67.85%, 43.71%, and 44.45%, and the specificities were 75.70%, 92.78%, and 83.91%, respectively. The pairwise comparison of AUCs showed that the diagnostic efficacy of plasma miR7 detection was significantly better than that of AFP or DCP (P＜0.05). Although its specificity was slightly lower than AFP and DCP, the sensitivity was significantly higher. Among patients negative for both AFP and DCP, miR7 maintained an AUC of 0.728 for diagnosing very early-stage HCC, with 67.82% sensitivity and 77.73% specificity. Conclusions Plasma miR7 testing is a potential molecular marker with high sensitivity and specificity for the differential diagnosis of small hepatic nodules. In patients with very early-stage HCC lacking effective molecular markers (negative for both AFP and DCP), miR7 can serve as a novel and effective molecular marker to assist diagnosis.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and gene variations of children with cystic fibrosis (CF), and to improve the understanding of pediatrician on CF.Methods:The data of 7 children with CF admitted to Xi'an Children 's Hospital from July 2018 to January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Results:The 7 patients (2 males and 5 females) were diagnosed at a median age of 3 years and 9 month(ranging from 1 year and 1 month to 10 years).The main clinical manifestations included recurrent respiratory tract infection (7 cases), bronchiectasis (3 cases), malnutrition (5 cases), steatosis (5 cases), false Bartter syndrome(2 cases), cirrhosis (1case),infantile vomiting (1 case),and meconium intestinal obstruction (1 case). A total of 14 mutation sites were found in 7 cases by whole exon sequencing and Sanger sequencing verification, including 7 missense mutations, 4 nonsenses mutations, 2 shear mutations, and 1 frameshift mutation which was a new mutation. After symptomatic treatment including anti-infection, chest physical therapy, hypertonic saline atomization, fat-soluble vitamin supplementation and pancreatic enzyme supplementation, the respiratory symptoms were controlled, the number of hospitalization due to respiratory infection was significantly reduced. However，the nutritional status of the 7 children did not reach the expected improvement.Conclusion:The clinical manifestations of CF are varied, among which recurrent respiratory tract infection, bronchiectasis and malnutrition are common.Timely targeted anti-infection and other symptomatic treatments can improve the prognosis. The compliance of the confirmed children with nutritional support is poor, and it is still necessary to strengthen the intervention of nutritional support.

Objective:To investigate the laboratory diagnostic value of 5 new blood routine indexes in chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:The retrospective study included 65 patients with chronic HBV infection, 72 patients with liver cirrhosis and 163 patients with HCC recruited at Liver Disease Center in First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, as well as 52 healthy controls recruited from the Physical Examination Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from October 2022 to April 2023. Five new parameters [early granulated cell percent (EGC%), early granulated cell absolute count (EGC#), microcytic anemia factor (MAF), leukocyte estimate(corrected)from the DIFF optical channel (WDOP) and leukocyte estimate(corrected)from the NRBC optical channel (WNOP)] were detected by UniCel DxH 900 blood cell analyzer. Univariate analysis of the expression levels of the 5 new parameterswere compared among CHB, liver cirrhosis and HCC groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between the 5 new parameters and HBV-related markers in CHB and Child-Pugh score in liver cirrhosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and AUC were used to estimate the diagnostic capacity of the 5 new blood routine indexes in CHB, liver cirrhosis and HCC.Results:In patients with CHB, the levels of EGC% ( Z=4.613, P<0.001) and EGC# ( Z=4.220, P<0.001) were higher than those of healthy controls; EGC# was positively correlated with HBsAg and HBeAg (both P<0.05). In patients with cirrhosis, the level of MAF ( Z=-4.928, P<0.001) was lower than that of healthy controls, and Child-Pugh score was found to be negatively correlated with MAF ( r=-0.349, P<0.05). In HCC patients, WDOP ( Z=2.45, P=0.017) and WNOP ( Z=2.90, P=0.017) levels were higher in patients with tumor volume>3 cm 3 than those in patients with volume ≤3 cm 3. The AUCs of combination of 5 new parameters to diagnose CHB, liver cirrhosis and HCC were 0.901 (95% CI 0.830-0.973, P<0.001), 0.946 (95% CI 0.909-0.984, P<0.001), and 0.904 (95% CI 0.858-0.950, P<0.001). Conclusions:The 5 new parameters based on peripheral blood cell analysis have good clinical value in the diagnosis of CHB, liver cirrhosis and HCC diseases.