In recent years， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has achieved significant progress in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease （IBD）. A comprehensive literature search was conducted covering the period from January 1， 2010， to December 30， 2024， across Chinese databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， Wanfang Data， VIP China Science and Technology Journal Database， and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System， as well as international databases such as PubMed， Web of Science， and Embase. The clinical applications and mechanistic studies of TCM in IBD were systematically reviewed. The current status of TCM research on the etiology and pathogenesis of IBD， innovative clinical practices， and multimodal therapeutic approaches， including Chinese herbal formulas， single herbs or active compounds， acupuncture， herbal retention enema， and acupoint application， were summarized， together with their synergistic effects when combined with western medical treatments. The development and application of Chinese patent medicines for IBD are undergoing a profound transition from efficacy validation to mechanistic exploration. Mechanistic studies on the effects of TCM in IBD mainly focus on regulating gut microbiota homeostasis， repairing the intestinal mucosal barrier， and modulating intestinal immune balance. Furthermore， future research directions for TCM-based IBD management are proposed， including the establishment of TCM diagnostic and treatment models， expanding integrated applications of external and internal TCM therapies， innovating personalized treatment strategies， and advancing drug development. These efforts aim to provide insights for the standardized and precision-oriented development of TCM in the diagnosis and treatment of IBD.

BACKGROUND: China has made significant progress in medical accessibility and quality over the past decades, and quality improvements in gastroenterology and digestive endoscopy have been consistent. The study aimed to describe the status quo of gastroenterology and digestive endoscopy in the Chinese mainland based on the data from the National Clinical Improvement System (NCIS) and the Hospital Quality Monitoring System (HQMS). METHODS: Data were extracted from the NCIS and the HQMS. Data analysis included general information from the Department of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy centers, management of inpatients and outpatients, and annual volume and quality indicators of digestive endoscopy. Acute pancreatitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, inflammatory bowel disease, and cirrhosis were identified as priority diseases and were subjected to detailed analysis. RESULTS: Data from 4620 and 7074 hospitals were extracted from the NCIS and HQMS, respectively. In 2023, 9.6 gastroenterologists, 6.7 endoscopists, and 37.3 gastroenterology beds per hospital nationwide were observed, achieving 19,252.4 outpatient visits, 1615.2 hospitalizations (97.0 for acute pancreatitis, 146.1 for gastrointestinal bleeding, 40.2 for inflammatory bowel disease, and 111.4 for cirrhosis), and 9432.7 digestive endoscopic procedures per hospital. Overall, the quality of practice improved significantly. The proportion of early cancer among gastrointestinal cancers increased from 11.1% in 2015 to 23.4% in 2023, and the adenoma detection rate during colonoscopy increased from 19.3% in 2019 to 26.9% in 2023. Regarding priority diseases, hospitalizations increased, and 31-day unplanned readmission rates decreased between 2019 and 2023. The median hospitalization costs and median proportion of medication costs decreased for acute pancreatitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and cirrhosis. However, it increased for inflammatory bowel disease. CONCLUSION This report evaluates the status quo and development of gastroenterology and digestive endoscopy in the Chinese mainland, providing guidance for future quality improvements.
Humans ; China ; Gastroenterology/statistics & numerical data* ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/statistics & numerical data* ; Endoscopy, Digestive System/statistics & numerical data*

The innate immune sensor NLRP3 inflammasome overactivation is involved in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. PGAM5 is a mitochondrial phosphatase involved in NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages. However, the role of PGAM5 in ulcerative colitis and the mechanisms underlying PGAM5 regulating NLRP3 activity remain unknown. Here, we show that PGAM5 deficiency ameliorates dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice via suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation. By combining APEX2-based proximity labeling focused on PGAM5 with quantitative proteomics, we identify NEK7 as the new binding partner of PGAM5 to promote NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and activation in a PGAM5 phosphatase activity-independent manner upon inflammasome induction. Interfering with PGAM5-NEK7 interaction by punicalagin inhibits the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages and ameliorates DSS-induced colitis in mice. Altogether, our data demonstrate the PGAM5-NEK7 interaction in macrophages for NLRP3 inflammasome activation and further provide a promising therapeutic strategy for ulcerative colitis by blocking the PGAM5-NEK7 interaction.

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP), whose etiology is influenced by genetic and clinical risk factors, considerably impacts women's quality of life. However, the genetic underpinnings in non-European populations and comprehensive risk models integrating genetic and clinical factors remain underexplored. This study constructed the first polygenic risk score (PRS) for POP in the Chinese population by utilizing 20 disease-associated variants from the largest existing genome-wide association study. We analyzed a discovery cohort of 576 cases and 623 controls and a validation cohort of 264 cases and 200 controls. Results showed that the case group exhibited a significantly higher PRS than the control group. Moreover, the odds ratio of the top 10% risk group was 2.6 times higher than that of the bottom 10%. A high PRS was significantly correlated with POP occurrence in women older than 50 years old and in those with one or no childbirths. As far as we know, the integrated prediction model, which combined PRS and clinical risk factors, demonstrated better predictive accuracy than other existing PRS models. This combined risk assessment model serves as a robust tool for POP risk prediction and stratification, thereby offering insights into individualized preventive measures and treatment strategies in future clinical practice.
Humans ; Female ; Pelvic Organ Prolapse/epidemiology* ; Middle Aged ; Risk Assessment/methods* ; China/epidemiology* ; Multifactorial Inheritance ; Aged ; Risk Factors ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Case-Control Studies ; Adult ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Genetic Risk Score ; East Asian People

Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are a structurally diverse group of plant metabolites renowned for their pharmacological properties. However, sustainable sources for these compounds remain limited. Consequently, researchers are focusing on elucidating BIA biosynthetic pathways and genes to explore alternative sources using synthetic biology approaches. CYP80B, a family of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes, plays a crucial role in BIA biosynthesis. Previously reported CYP80Bs are known to catalyze the 3'-hydroxylation of (S)-N-methylcoclaurine, with the N-methyl group essential for catalytic activity. In this study, we successfully cloned a full-length CYP80B gene (StCYP80B) from Stephania tetrandra (S. tetrandra) and identified its function using a yeast heterologous expression system. Both in vivo yeast feeding and in vitro enzyme analysis demonstrated that StCYP80B could catalyze N-methylcoclaurine and coclaurine into their respective 3'-hydroxylated products. Notably, StCYP80B exhibited an expanded substrate selectivity compared to previously reported wild-type CYP80Bs, as it did not require an N-methyl group for hydroxylase activity. Furthermore, StCYP80B displayed a clear preference for the (S)-configuration. Co-expression of StCYP80B with the CYP450 reductases (CPRs, StCPR1, and StCPR2), also cloned from S. tetrandra, significantly enhanced the catalytic activity towards (S)-coclaurine. Site-directed mutagenesis of StCYP80B revealed that the residue H205 is crucial for coclaurine catalysis. Additionally, StCYP80B exhibited tissue-specific expression in plants. This study provides new genetic resources for the biosynthesis of BIAs and further elucidates their synthetic pathway in natural plant systems.
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/chemistry* ; Benzylisoquinolines/chemistry* ; Hydroxylation ; Plant Proteins/chemistry* ; Alkaloids/metabolism* ; Stephania tetrandra/genetics*

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. is a characteristic oil crop rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly α-linolenic acid, which has important development and utilization value. The Dof transcription factor is one of the plant-specific transcription factor families, which is widely involved in important biological processes such as plant growth, development, and metabolic regulation. In order to explore the key Dof transcription factors involved in the oil biosynthesis and systematically analyze their regulatory mechanisms of P. frutescens seeds, a total of 56 PfDof gene family members were identified from the genome and transcriptome data of P. frutescens and classified into four subfamilies according to sequence characteristics. All PfDofs contained highly conserved C₂-C₂ zinc finger domains, with gene duplication being the primary mechanism driving their evolution and expansion. Genes within the same subgroup exhibited similar gene structures and conserved motifs. The 56 PfDofs were predicted as unstable hydrophilic proteins, with α-helixes and random coils as their predominant structural components. The RNA-seq results revealed that 11 PfDofs exhibited differential expression during different developmental stages of P. frutescens seeds. RT-qPCR was performed to further validate the expression patterns of these 11 members across various tissue samples (root, stem, leaf, and flower) of P. frutescens and at different developmental stages of its seeds. The results showed that PfDof29 exhibited the highest expression level in seeds, which was consistent with the transcriptome data. Subcellular localization studies demonstrated that PfDof29 was localized to the nucleus and had a transcriptional activation activity. Overexpression of PfDof29 in Nicotiana tabacum resulted in a significant increase in total oil content of tobacco leaves, accompanied by reductions in starch and soluble sugar content, while the protein content remained unchanged. Additionally, the metabolic balance between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in the transgenic tobacco leaves was altered, with a significant increase in α-linolenic acid content. The expression levels of the fatty acid desaturase genes NtFAD2, NtFAD3, and NtFAD8 were significantly upregulated. A yeast one-hybrid assay revealed that PfDof29 could directly bind to the promoter region of PfFAD8, thereby regulating its expression. This study provides an initial understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of PfDof transcription factors in the synthesis and accumulation of oil in P. frutescens. These findings offer new insights into the enhancement of oil content and quality of P. frutescens seeds.
Transcription Factors/physiology* ; Perilla frutescens/metabolism* ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; alpha-Linolenic Acid/biosynthesis* ; Lipids/biosynthesis* ; Seeds/genetics*

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy of helical tomotherapy in the treatment of esophageal cancer, explore its influence on nutrition status, blood routine indexes, inflammatory factors and immune function, and analyze its safety.Methods:A total of 124 patients with esophageal cancer treated in Liyang People's Hospital of Jiangsu Province from May 2021 to April 2023 were selected as the study objects, and the patients were divided into the helical tomotherapy group ( n=62) and the modulated arc therapy group ( n=62) according to random number table method. The clinical efficacy, nutritional status [transferrin (TRF), prealbumin (PAB), serum albumin (ALB) ], blood routine indexes [hemoglobin (HGB), neutrophils count, white blood cells (WBC) count, platelets count], the inflammatory factors [C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL) -6, IL-18, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) ], immune function indexes [CD3 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, CD4 + T cells/CD8 + T cells ratio, natural killer (NK) cells], and the rate of adverse reactions were statistically analyzed. Results:The disease control rate of treatment in the helical tomotherapy group (88.71%, 55/62) was significantly higher than that in the modulated arc therapy group (74.19%, 46/62), with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=4.32, P=0.038). After treatment, TRF [(178.42±19.24) μg/dl vs. (171.27±18.19) μg/dl, t=2.13, P=0.035], PAB [(0.37±0.11) g/L vs. (0.31±0.09) g/L, t=3.32, P=0.001], ALB [(4.25±0.52) g/dl vs. (4.01±0.58) g/dl, t=2.43, P=0.017] in the helical tomotherapy group were higher than those in the modulated arc therapy group, with statistically significant differences. After treatment, HGB [(125.49±13.87) g/dl vs. (112.37±14.49) g/dl, t=5.21, P<0.001] in the helical tomotherapy group were higher than those in the modulated arc therapy group; neutrophils count [(4.91±0.75) ×10 9/L vs. (5.37±0.84) ×10 9/L, t=3.22, P=0.002], WBC count [(4.96±0.52) ×10 9/L vs. (5.26±0.61) ×10 9/L, t=2.95, P=0.004], platelets count [(227.15±25.38) ×10 9/L vs. (241.37±26.91) ×10 9/L, t=3.03, P=0.003] in the helical tomotherapy group were lower than those in the modulated arc therapy group, with statistically significant differences. After treatment, CRP [(7.76±0.84) mg/dl vs. (8.11±1.01) mg/dl, t=2.10, P=0.038], IL-6 [(6.47±0.81) μg/L vs. (7.16±0.93) μg/L, t=4.41, P<0.001], IL-18 [(191.01±23.14) μg/L vs. (201.62±22.96) μg/L, t=2.56, P=0.012, ) and TNF-α [(3.65±0.41) μg/L vs. (3.82±0.43) μg/L, t=2.25, P=0.026] in the helical tomotherapy group were lower than those in the modulated arc therapy group, with statistically significant differences. After treatment, the proportion of CD3 + T cells [(41.27±5.45) % vs. (35.48±5.17) %, t=6.07, P<0.001], the proportion of CD4 + T cells [(36.11±4.49) % vs. (29.24±9.52) %, t=9.48, P<0.001], CD4 + T cells/CD8 + T cells ratio (1.35±0.19 vs. 1.21±0.13, t=4.79, P<0.001), the proportion of NK cells [(14.68±2.79) % vs. (12.37±1.86) %, t=5.42, P<0.001] in the helical tomotherapy group were higher than those in the modulated arc therapy group, with statistically significant differences. The rate of adverse reactions in the helical tomotherapy group (80.65%, 50/62) was significantly lower than that in the modulated arc therapy group (93.55%, 58/62), with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=4.59, P=0.032) . Conclusion:Helical tomotherapy is more effective than modulated arc therapy in the treatment of esophageal cancer, which can improve nutrition levels, reduce immunity decline, and has high safety.

Objective To determine the improved effect of methylene blue(MB)on cognitive func-tion in brain-inflammatory-aging rats and investigate the underlying mechanism.Methods A total of 38 healthy 12-month-old SD rats were randomly divided into healthy control group,lipopo-lysaccharide(LPS)group,MB vehicle group and MB group,with 8 rats in the control and 10 rats in the other three groups.LPS was injected into the fourth ventricle with aid of a subcutaneous sustained release pump to establish a rat model of brain chronic inflammatory aging.MB of 0.5 mg/(kg·d)was added into the pump in the rats from the MB group.T-maze test and new object recognition test were employed to evaluate the learning and memory abilities of the rats.The acti-vation of microglia and astrocytes in the hippocampal CA1 region of the rats was detected by im-munofluorescence assay.The release of inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-6 was measured by ELISA,and neuronal death in the CA1 region was assessed by neuronal nuclei(NeuN)fluores-cence staining.Results There was no significant difference in the exploration time for new and old objects between the LPS group and the MB solvent group(P＞0.05).The MB group spent significantly longer time in exploring the new objects than the old object(22.50±4.32 s vs 11.60± 3.01 s,P=0.000).The alternating selection rate of new arm and expression level of NeuN antigen were significantly decreased,and the expression levels of ionized calcium binding adaptor mole-cule-1(Iba-1)and glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)and the contents of IL-1β and IL-6 were obviously increased(P＜0.05)in the LPS group and the MB vehicle group than the healthy con-trol group.Compared with the MB vehicle group,the MB group had notably increased alternating selection rate of new arms and higher NeuN expression level,and decreased Iba-1 and GFAP ex-pression and IL-1β and IL-6 contents(P＜0.05).Conclusion Subcutaneous administration of MB could significantly inhibit the damages of spatial learning and memory abilities in the LPS-induced brain chronic inflammatory aging rats.The mechanism may be closely associated with MB inhibi-ting inflammatory glial cells and protecting hippocampal pyramidal neurons.

Objective:To establish an ultrasound radiomics model by integrating clinical, pathological, and conventional ultrasound features with radiomics characteristics, and to explore its clinical value in predicting endocrine resistance in hormone receptor(HR)-positive breast cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 478 patients with HR-positive breast cancer from January 2017 to December 2021 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, of which 430 were resistant and 48 were sensitive. The clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical data and ultrasound images were collected.Firstly, the propensity score was used to process and match the data. Secondly, Logistic regression was used to screen clinical, pathological, and conventional ultrasound features associated with endocrine resistance. Then, PyRadiomics was used to extract the radiomic features of grayscale ultrasound images, and a series of methods such as Lasso regression were used to screen the radiomic features related to endocrine resistance. Seven machine learning methods such as random forest were used to build a radiomics model. Finally, clinical, pathological and ultrasound features were added to establish a clinical pathological model, a clinical pathological ultrasound model, a clinical pathological radiomics model and a combined model of the four features, and the model effectiveness was evaluated.Results:①Propensity score matching: 96 patients were matched, including 48 patients in the drug-resistant group and 48 patients in the sensitive group. ②Screening clinical pathological conventional ultrasound features related to endocrine resistance: lymph node metastasis, tumor diameter, posterior echo attenuation, and growth orientation were independent predictors of endocrine resistance (all P<0.05). ③Screening radiomics features related to endocrine resistance: 18 features such as Dependence Entropy. ④Establishing radiomics model: the machine learning model of random forest method (AUC=0.80) performed best. ⑤Radiomics model integrating clinical, pathological and conventional ultrasound features: the AUC of the clinical pathological model was 0.70, the AUC of the clinical pathological ultrasound model was 0.78, the AUC of the clinical pathological radiomics model was 0.82, and the AUC of the combined model was 0.86. Conclusions:The radiomics model established by the random forest method performs best in predicting endocrine resistance in HR-positive breast cancer. The model that integrates multiple features performs best in assessing endocrine resistance.which is expected to provide an objective basis for clinicians to predict endocrine resistance in HR-positive breast cancer.