AIM: To identify the primary active components and underlying mechanisms of Yijing Decoction(YJD)in treating early diabetic retinopathy(DR)based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and network pharmacology.METHODS: Active components of YJD were characterized through LC-MS. Components with optimal ADME(absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion)properties were selected as key bioactive candidates. Network pharmacology approaches were employed to predict YJD-DR therapeutic targets. Protein-protein interaction(PPI)networks, gene ontology(GO)enrichment analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analysis were subsequently conducted to predict core targets and networks. Critical targets and pathways were experimentally validated through Western blot.RESULTS: Ten core therapeutic targets were identified, including TNF, Alb, EGFR, STAT3, PTGS2, ESR1, PPAR, MMP9, TLR4, and MAPK. YJD was related to cancer-related signaling, fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative diseases, encompassing key biological processes such as inflammatory response regulation, programmed cell death activation, and enhanced cell migration. Furthermore, Western blot analysis confirmed that YJD significantly inhibited high glucose-induced phosphorylation of STAT3(P-STAT3/STAT3)and ERK(P-ERK/ERK)in rat retinal microvascular endothelial cells.CONCLUSION: This study revealed YJD's pharmacodynamical basis and its multi-component, multi-target, and multi-paths pharmacology. YJD exerts therapeutic effects on DR by coordinately regulating critical signaling pathways and alleviating intraocular inflammation, thus preserving retinal vascular endothelial cells, maintaining blood-retinal barrier integrity, and facilitating retinal neurovascular repair.

BACKGROUND: Pre-transplant exposure to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) significantly increases the risk of allograft rejection after liver transplantation (LT); however, whether ICI-related rejection leads to increased graft loss remains controversial. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between ICI-related allograft rejection and perioperative graft loss. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of adult liver transplant recipients with early biopsy-proven T-cell-mediated rejection (TCMR) at Liver Transplantation Center of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital from June 2019 to September 2024. The pathological features, clinical characteristics, and perioperative graft survival were analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients who underwent early TCMR between June 2019 and September 2024 were included. Based on pre-LT ICI exposure, recipients were categorized into ICI-related TCMR (irTCMR, n = 12) and conventional TCMR (cTCMR, n = 16) groups. Recipients with irTCMR had a higher median Banff rejection activity index (RAI) (6 vs . 5, P = 0.012) and more aggressive tissue damage and inflammation. Recipients with irTCMR showed higher proportion of treatment resistance, achieving a complete resolution rate of only 8/12 compared to 16/16 for cTCMR. Graft loss occurred in 5/12 of irTCMR recipients within 90 days after LT, with no graft loss in cTCMRs recipients. Cox analysis demonstrated that irTCMR with an ICI washout period of <30 days was an independent risk factor for perioperative graft loss (hazard ratio [HR], 6.540; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.067-40.067, P = 0.042). CONCLUSION IrTCMR is associated with severe pathological features, increased resistance to treatment, and higher graft loss in adult liver transplant recipients.
Humans ; Liver Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Graft Rejection/immunology* ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Adult ; T-Lymphocytes/drug effects* ; Graft Survival/immunology* ; Aged

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) are both chronic progressive respiratory diseases that cannot be completely cured. COPD is characterized by irreversible airflow limitation, chronic airway inflammation, and gradual decline in lung function, whereas PH is characterized by pulmonary vasoconstriction, remodeling, and infiltration of inflammatory cells. These diseases have similar pathological features, such as vascular hyperplasia, arteriolar contraction, and inflammatory infiltration. Despite these well-documented observations, the exact mechanisms underlying the occurrence and development of COPD and PH remain unclear. Evidence that mitochondrial dynamics imbalance is one major factor in the development of COPD and PH. Mitochondrial dynamics is precisely regulated by mitochondrial fusion proteins and fission proteins. When mitochondrial dynamics equilibrium is disrupted, it causes mitochondrial and even cell morphological dysfunction. Mitochondrial dynamics participates in various pathological processes for heart and lung disease. Mitochondrial dynamics may be different in the early and late stages of COPD and PH. In the early stages of the disease, mitochondrial fusion increases, inhibiting fission, and thereby compensatorily increasing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. With the development of the disease, mitochondria decompensation causes excessive fission. Mitochondrial dynamics is involved in the development of COPD and PH in a spatiotemporal manner. Based on this understanding, treatment strategies for mitochondrial dynamics abnormalities may be different at different stages of COPD and PH disease. This article will provide new ideas for the potential treatment of related diseases.
Humans ; Mitochondrial Dynamics/physiology* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/metabolism* ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/metabolism* ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Animals

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining albumin-bound paclitaxel (abpaclitaxel) and anlotinib for ovarian cancer. In this study, 44 patients diagnosed with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer were enrolled. Patients received ab-paclitaxel along with anlotinib until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. Efficacy was assessed according to RECIST 1.1 criteria or Rustin's criteria. The primary endpoint was the investigator-evaluated objective response rate (ORR). 44 patients were enrolled between January 2021 and March 2023 with a median age of 49 years. Twenty-nine had measurable lesions and 15 had non-measurable lesions. Overall, the investigator-evaluated ORR was 56.8% (25/44; 95% CI 0.411-0.713) in intention-to-treat population and 58.1% (25/43; 95% CI 0.422-0.726) in per-protocol population. The median progression-free survival was 9.8 months, and the median duration of response was 7.4 months. For safety, grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs) included leukopenia, gum pain, hypertension, and hand-foot syndrome. The response rates were 55.0% (11/20) in patients with previous use of antiangiogenic reagents and who had previous use of PARP inhibitors. The combination of ab-paclitaxel and anlotinib showed promising anti-tumor activity and a manageable safety profile in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Patients with previous use of antiangiogenic drugs or PARP inhibitors still benefited from this protocol.
Humans ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Indoles/therapeutic use* ; Quinolines/therapeutic use* ; Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial/drug therapy* ; Adult ; Ovarian Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Prospective Studies ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/administration & dosage* ; Aged ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel/therapeutic use* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy* ; Progression-Free Survival ; Paclitaxel/administration & dosage* ; Treatment Outcome

Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） is a common tumor in the digestive tract， the formation mechanism of which remains to be fully elucidated. Although surgery， radiation， chemotherapy， targeted therapy， and immunotherapy have achieved significant results in the treatment of HCC， these methods are accompanied by a considerable number of adverse reactions and complications. In recent years， Chinese medicine has shown remarkable efficacy in the treatment of HCC， and both basic experiments and clinical studies have confirmed the effectiveness of Chinese medicine， which exerts therapeutic effects via multiple components and multiple targets. However， the pathogenesis of HCC is exceptionally complex and not fully understood， which means that studies remain to be carried out regarding the specific mechanism of Chinese medicine in preventing and treating HCC. Network pharmacology and molecular biology can be employed to decipher the mechanism of Chinese medicine in the treatment of diseases. Studies have shown that Chinese medicine can regulate various pathways such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt）， Hedgehog， Wnt/β-catenin， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）， Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （JAK2/STAT3）， and transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β）/Smad signaling pathways. Chinese medicine can exhibit its anti-HCC effects by inducing cell apoptosis， inhibiting cell proliferation and migration， and blocking the cell cycle via the above pathways. However， the specific mechanisms remain to be systematically studied. This study comprehensively reviews the regulatory effects of Chinese medicine on HCC-related signaling pathways to reveal the molecular mechanisms of Chinese medicine in the treatment of HCC. This view holds the promise of providing new targets， new perspectives， and new therapies for HCC treatment and advancing the modernization and development of Chinese medicine.

ObjectiveTo demonstrate the long-term effect of Yishi Therapy for primary tinnitus and analyze the factors affecting the effectiveness. MethodsWe conducted long-term follow-ups of primary tinnitus cases treated with Yishi Therapy during 1 January 2017 to 30 June 2023 by face-to-face， online and telephone between 1 July 2023 and 31 January 2024， to understand the final regression of primary tinnitus and lifestyle changes. We retrospectively analysed the basic data of patients before treatment， and statistically analysed the recovery rate and overall effective rate of tinnitus treated by the Yishi Therapy， and the factors affecting the effectiveness such as lifestyle， age， duration of disease， gender， tinnitus location， severity of tinnitus， accompanying symptoms and complications on the overall effective rate. ResultsA total of 496 cases of primary tinnitus completed follow-ups successfully， and the total Tinnitus Evaluation Questionnaire （TEQ） at follow-up was significantly lower than that before treatment （P＜0.001）. Among the 496 cases， 101 （20.36%） cases cured， 189 （38.10%） cases showed significant improvement， 116 （23.39%） cases were effective， 90 （18.15%） cases were ineffective， and the overall effect rate was 81.85% （406/496）. At follow-up， the score of lifestyle was higher than that before treatment （P＜0.001）. Grouped by the score of lifestyle at follow-up， the effective rates of better lifestyle group and poor lifestyle group were 97.53% （237/243） and 66.80% （169/253）， respectively， with statistical significance （P＜0.001）. Grouped by the mean value of the difference in lifestyle scores before and after treatment， the effective rates of the group with greater lifestyle adjustment and the group with smaller adjustment were 97.55% （239/245） and 66.53% （167/251）， respectively， and the differences were statistically significant （P＜0.001）. Binary logistic regression showed that the better lifestyle， the greater lifestyle adjustment and the severity of tinnitus were positively correlated with the total effective rate of tinnitus （P＜0.001）， while older and hearing loss were negatively correlated with the total effective rate of tinnitus （P＜0.05）. ConclusionYishi Therapy on primary tinnitus shows good long-term effect， lifestyle， severity of tinnitus， hearing loss or not， age are the relevant factors affecting the efficacy of tinnitus， lifestyle is the main factor affecting clinical efficacy.

Objective To investigate the value of serum cell cycle protein-dependent kinase 1(CDK1)and aurora kinase A(AURKA)in the diagnosis of patients with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma(HBV-HCC).Methods A total of 50 HBV-HCC patients,50 patients with hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis(HBV-LC),and 50 chronic hepatitis B(CHB)patients who were hospitalized in Department of Gastroenterology,Gansu Provincial Hospital,from June 2022 to December 2023 were enrolled,and 50 healthy individuals,matched for age and sex,who received physical examination at Physical Examination Center during the same period of time were enrolled as control group.Related data were recorded for all patients,including age,sex,complications,and the results of routine blood test,liver function,and coagulation for the first time after admission.ELISA was used to measure the serum levels of CDK1 and AURKA.A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups,and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups;the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups and the least significant difference Bonferroni test was used for further comparison between two groups;the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.The Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between CDK1 and AURKA,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the area under the ROC curve(AUC)were used to investigate the value of CDK1 and AURKA in the diagnosis of HBV-HCC.Results There were significant differences in liver function parameters between the HBV-HCC patients and the control group(all P<0.05);there were significant differences between the CHB group and the HBV-HCC group in albumin,Glb,direct bilirubin,aspartate aminotransferase(AST),gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT),and alkaline phosphatase(all P<0.05);there were significant differences between the HBV-LC group and the HBV-HCC group in Glb,AST,and GGT(all P<0.05).The HBV-HCC group had significantly higher serum levels of CDK1 and AURKA than the HBV-LC group,the CHB group,and the control group(all P<0.05).There was a significant positive correlation between CDK1 and AURKA in the overall study population and the HBV-HCC patients(r=0.526 6 and 0.815 2,P<0.001).With the control group as reference,CDK1 had an AUC of 0.832 3 in the diagnosis of HBV-HCC,with a sensitivity of 92.86%and a specificity of 75%,and AURKA had an AUC of 0.886 6 in the diagnosis of HCC,with a sensitivity of 95.80%and a specificity of 74%.With the CHB group as reference,CDK1 had an AUC of 0.833 3 in the diagnosis of HBV-HCC,with a sensitivity of 93.75%and a specificity of 75%,and AURKA had an AUC of 0.972 7 in the diagnosis of HBV-HCC,with a sensitivity of 95.83%and a specificity of 91.67%.With the HBV-LC group as reference,CDK1 had an AUC of 0.608 5 in the diagnosis of HBV-HCC,with a sensitivity of 66.67%and a specificity of 54.17%,and AURKA had an AUC of 0.762 2 in the diagnosis of HBV-HCC,with a sensitivity of 95.83%and a specificity of 47.92%.Conclusion The serum levels of CDK1 and AURKA increase with the progression of hepatitis B-associated chronic liver disease,and significant increases in serum CDK1 and AURKA have a certain value in the diagnosis of HBV-HCC.

Hepatic fibrosis characterized by various chronic liver injuries can lead to abnormal activation of hepatic stellate cells， unbalanced production and degradation of extracellular matrix proteins， and excessive deposition that destroys the normal structure of the liver. The aggravated liver fibrosis can cause irreversible cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma， becoming a great challenge to the global health. Ferroptosis is a new form of iron-dependent cell death discovered in recent years， which mainly involves abnormal iron metabolism， lipid peroxide accumulation， and weakening of the antioxidant defense system. A number of studies have reported that inducing ferroptosis in hepatic stellate cells or alleviating ferroptosis in the liver can ameliorate liver fibrosis and reduce liver injury. Chinese medicine widely applied in the treatment of chronic liver diseases has demonstrated good safety， wide therapeutic effects， and easy access compared with Western medicine. Therefore， The intervention of hepatic stellate cells or hepatic ferroptosis by Chinese medicine may be a new direction for the prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis in the future. This paper summarized the various regulatory mechanisms of ferroptosis and expounded how ferroptosis affected the progression of liver fibrosis， providing theoretical support for the prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis with Chinese medicine in the future.

OBJECTIVES: To construct a quantitative index system with the integrated medical and nursing care assessment for the elderly service needs, this system can assess the cost of medical and care services accurately and objectively, so as to provide scientific basis for the allocation of old-age service resources in China. METHODS: Based on the survival needs of the Existence, Relation and Growth theory, an index system is constructed through literature analysis, group discussion, and expert correspondence. Analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the weights of indicators at all levels. The 3-grades service items corresponding to each index were quantified through the measurement of working hours, and the medical and nursing care needs of 624 disabled/demented elderly people over 60 years old in Changsha were investigated to evaluate their reliability and validity. RESULTS: The authoritative coefficients of the 2 rounds of expert correspondence were 88.5% and 88.6%, respectively, and the opinion coordination coefficients were 0.159 and 0.167, respectively. The final quantitative evaluation index system included 4 first-level indicators, 17 second-level indicators, and 105 third-level indicators. The service time of doctor ranged from 6.01 to 22.64 min, the service time of nurses ranged from 0.77 to 24.79 min, and the service time of caregiver ranged from 0.12 to 51.88 min. The Cronbach's αcoefficient was 0.73, the split-half reliability was 0.74, the content validity was 0.93, and the calibration validity was 0.781. CONCLUSIONS The quantitative evaluation index system of medical and nursing service need for the elderly can be used to accurately evaluate the medical and nursing service need.
Humans ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Reproducibility of Results ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Delphi Technique ; Nursing Care ; China

Heart failure is the leading cause of death worldwide. Compound Danshen Dripping Pill (CDDP) or CDDP combined with simvastatin has been widely used to treat patients with myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases in China. However, the effect of CDDP on hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis-induced heart failure is unknown. We constructed a new model of heart failure induced by hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and LDL receptor (LDLR) dual deficient (ApoE^-/-LDLR^-/-) mice and investigated the effect of CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin on the heart failure. CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin inhibited heart injury by multiple actions including anti-myocardial dysfunction and anti-fibrosis. Mechanistically, both Wnt and lysine-specific demethylase 4A (KDM4A) pathways were significantly activated in mice with heart injury. Conversely, CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin inhibited Wnt pathway by markedly up-regulating expression of Wnt inhibitors. While the anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative stress by CDDP were achieved by inhibiting KDM4A expression and activity. In addition, CDDP attenuated simvastatin-induced myolysis in skeletal muscle. Taken together, our study suggests that CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin can be an effective therapy to reduce hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis-induced heart failure.