In this paper， the name， origin， producing area， harvesting， processing and functional indications of Arcae Concha were systematically combed and verified by consulting the ancient and modern literature， in order to provide a basis for the development of famous classical formulas containing Arcae Concha. Arcae Concha was first recorded in the name of Han in Bencao Shiyi， but later， due to the influence of LI Shizhen's error of combining Han item with Kuiha in the Ming dynasty， there were aliases such as Kuilu and Fulao， and Yizong Bidu began to include Walengzi as its correct name and has been used ever since. The textual descriptions and illustrations of the medicinal materials of Arcae Concha contained in the materia medica of the past generations were consistent with the modern Arca inflata， A. subcrenata and A. granosa. In ancient times， there were medicinal records of two parts of shell and meat， but now the shell is used as medicine， and the meat is mostly edible. In ancient times， Zhejiang， Shandong， Guangdong and Guangxi were the main producing areas， and Zhejiang was the best. It is now believed that A. inflata is mostly distributed in the northern part of the Huanghai Sea， A. granosa is mostly distributed in the coastal areas south of Shandong Peninsula in China， and A. subcrenata is widely distributed in the coastal areas of China. Its quality is better in a complete， white， no residual meat and sand. In ancient times， there was no clear harvesting period， and the processing was mainly based on vinegar quenching after calcination or powdering of calcined shell， but now the harvesting period is autumn and winter. After harvesting， it is directly washed and crushed for raw use or processed by calcined method. The records of the medicinal materials in the past dynasties on the properties of Arcae Concha were mainly warm， sweet， salty and mild， and it is now believed that Arcae Concha is salty in taste and mild in nature. In ancient times， it was believed that Arcae Concha were mainly used for coldness in the heart and abdomen， coldness in the waist and spine， benefiting the five internal organs， strengthening the stomach. Nowadays， it is believed that Arcae Concha can eliminate phlegm and remove blood stasis， soften the hardness and dissipate the lumps， produce acid and relieve pain. It can be used in the treatment of stubborn phlegm， gall tumor， scrofula and other symptoms. In conclusion， it is suggested that for the famous classical formulas containing Arcae Concha， the corresponding methods should be selected according to the processing requirements of the drug in the formulas， while those without processing requirements can be determined according to the functional position of the products.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a life-threatening gastrointestinal disorder for which no effective pharmacological treatments are currently available. One of the pharmacological targets that merits further research is the neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R), which is found on pancreatic acinar cells and responds to the neuropeptide substance P (SP) that participates in AP. Although a few studies have stated the involvement of SP/NK1R in neurogenic inflammation in AP development, the regulatory mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that following activation of NK1R by SP, β-arrestin1, a scaffold protein of NK1R, down-regulated transcription of Adss, Adsl, and Ampd in the purine nucleotide cycle, thereby inhibiting mitochondrial function through fumarate depletion. Interestingly, we identified magnolol as a new and natural NK1R inhibitor with a non-nitrogenous biphenyl core structure. It exhibited a beneficial effect on AP by restoring purine nucleotide cycle metabolic enzymes and fumarate levels. Our study not only provides new therapeutic strategies, leading compounds, and drug translation possibilities for AP, but also provides important clues for the study of downstream mechanisms driven by SP in other diseases.

OBJECTIVE: Therapeutic angiogenesis has become a promising approach for treating ischemic heart disease (IHD). The present study aims to investigate the effects of Qishen Granule (QSG) on angiogenesis in myocardial ischemia (MI) and the potential mechanism. METHODS: In vivo study was conducted on rat model of myocardial infarction. QSG was performed daily at a dose of 2.352 g/kg for four weeks. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiogram and pro-angiogenic effects were evaluated by Laser Doppler and CD31 expression. Oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) was applied in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Cell viability, wound healing and tube formation assay were used to test functions of HUVECs. ELISA and Western blots were used to assess protein expressions of bone morphogenetic protein 2-delta-like 4-notch homolog 1 (BMP2-Dll4-Notch1) signaling pathway. RESULTS: The results showed that QSG improved heart function, cardiac blood flow and microvessel density in myocardial ischemic rats. In vitro, QSG protected HUVECs by promoting the cell viability and tube formation. QSG upregulated bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) and downregulated delta-like 4 (Dll4) and notch homolog 1 (Notch1) expressions both in rats and HUVECs. CONCLUSION QSG protected against MI by promoting angiogenesis through BMP2-Dll4-Notch1 pathway. BMP2 might be a promising therapeutic target for IHD.

Objective: o develop an onset risk prediction nomogram for patients with homocysteine-type (H-type) hypertension (HTH) based on pulse diagram parameters to assist early clinical prediction and diagnosis of HTH. Methods: Patients diagnosed with essential hypertension and admitted to Shanghai Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Shanghai Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine from July 6th 2020 to June 16th 2021, and from August 11th 2023 to January 22nd 2024, were enrolled in this retrospective research. The baselines and clinical biochemical indicators of patients were collected. The SMART-I TCM pulse instrument was applied to gather pulse diagram parameters. Multivariate logistic regression was adopted to analyze the risk factors for HTH. RStudio was employed to construct the nomogram model, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and calibration curve (bootstrap self-sampling 200 times), and clinical decision curve were drawn to evaluate the model’s discrimination and clinical effectiveness. Results: A total of 168 hospitalized patients with essential hypertension were selected and divided into non-HTH group (n = 29) and HTH group (n = 139). Compared with non-HTH group, HTH group had a lower body mass index (BMI), and higher proportions of male patients and drinkers (P < 0.05). The ventricular wall thickening (VWT) could not be determined. The proportions of left common carotid intima-media wall thickness (LCCIMWT) and serum creatinine (SCR) were higher in HTH group (P < 0.05). The pulse diagram parameter As was significantly higher, and H4/H1 and T1/T were lower in HTH group (P < 0.05). Gender, alcohol consumption, serum creatinine, and the pulse diagram parameter H4/H1 were identified as independent risk factors for HTH (P < 0.05). The nomogram’s area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.795 [95% confidence interval (CI): (0.706 6, 0.882 8)], with a specificity of 0.724 and sensitivity of 0.799. After 200 times repeated bootstrap self-samplings, the calibration curve showed that the simulated curve fits well with the actual curve (x2 = 9.5002, P = 0.301 9). The clinical decision curve indicated that the nomogram’s applicability was optimal when the threshold for predicting HTH was between 0.38 and 1.00. Conclusion The nomogram model could be valuable for predicting the onset risk of HTH and pulse diagram parameters can facilitate early screening and prevention of HTH.

Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), caused by cerebrovascular dysfunction, severely impacts the quality of life in the elderly population, yet effective therapeutic approaches remain limited. Mitophagy, a selective mitochondrial quality-control mechanism, has emerged as a critical focus in neurological disease research. Accumulating evidence indicates that mitophagy modulates oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and neuronal apoptosis. Key signaling pathways associated with mitophagy—including PINK1/Parkin, BNIP3/Nix, FUNDC1, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and AMPK—have been identified as potential therapeutic targets for VCI. This review summarizes the mechanistic roles of mitophagy in VCI pathogenesis and explores emerging therapeutic strategies targeting these pathways, aiming to provide novel insights for clinical intervention and advance the development of effective treatments for VCI.

Objective To investigate the effects of physical activity and disease burden on self-ef-ficacy and quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).Methods A total of 312 IBD patients were selected by convenience sampling method.General information of patients was col-lected.Self-efficacy[Chronic Disease Management Self-Efficacy Scale(CDM-SES)],physical activi-ty[International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form(IPAQ-SF)],disease burden[Inflamma-tory Bowel Diseases Disk(IBD-disk)Scale]and quality of life[Inflammatory Bowel Disease Ques-tionnaire(IBDQ)]were assessed in IBD patients.The chain-mediating effects of physical activity and disease burden on self-efficacy and quality of life in IBD patients were analyzed.Results There were statistically significant differences in self-efficacy of IBD patients with different ages,body mass index(BMI),places of residence,marital status,educational background and disease stages(P＜0.05);there were statistically significant differences in physical activity among IBD patients with different gen-der,age,place of residence,marital status,education background,disease stage and whether to use biological agents(P＜0.05);there were statistically significant differences in the disease burden of IBD patients with different BMI,place of residence,marital status,education background,payment method and disease stage(P＜0.05);there were statistically significant differences in the quality of life of IBD patients with different ages,places of residence,marital status,education levels,pay-ment methods,disease stages and whether to use biological agents(P＜0.05).The quality of life of IBD patients was positively correlated with self-efficacy and physical activity(r=0.605,0.482,P＜0.01),and negatively correlated with disease burden and disease stage(r=-0.550,-0.362,P＜0.01).Physical activity and disease burden partially mediated between self-efficacy and quality of life in IBD patients.Conclusion IBD patients exhibited moderate levels of self-effi-cacy,low levels of physical activity,and high disease burdens.Clinical healthcare professionals should actively take measures to improve patients'self-efficacy and physical activity levels to reduce disease burden.

Mitochondria are the center of intracellular energy metabolism.Mitochondrial dynamics refers to the dynamic process of mitochondrial fusion and fission,which plays an important role in maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis and central nervous system function.Optic atrophy 1(OPA1)is a key factor involved in mitochondrial dynamics.OPA1 acts by regulating mitochondrial fusion and fission,reducing oxidative stress,inhibiting apoptosis,and promoting mitochondrial autophagy,to maintain the dynamic changes in mitochondrial quantity,structure,and biological function.Numerous studies have shown that OPA1-mediated mitochondrial dynamics plays an important role in ischemic stroke,Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson's disease,spinal cord injury,multiple sclerosis,and other central nervous system diseases.Here we review the regulatory mechanism of OPA1 in terms of mitochondrial dynamics and the important role of mitochondrial function mediated by OPA1 in central nervous system diseases,to provide new ideas for clinical treatment.

Objective:To explore the impact of various fixatives on the nuclear-cytoplasmic localization of Yes-associated protein (YAP) in human corneal epithelial cells under hyperosmotic stress condition.Methods:Immortalized human corneal epithelial cells were divided into control group and hypertonic group.After 1 day of normal culture, cells of the hypertonic group were exposed to hyperosmotic medium at 450 mOsM by adding sodium chloride for 1 hour.No special treatment was given to the control group.Both groups of cells were fixed with four different fixatives, including 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA), -20 ℃ precooled absolute ethanol, -20 ℃ precooled methanol-acetone 1∶1 mixture, and Zamboni fixative solution for 20 minutes.Subsequent to fixation, immunofluorescent staining procedures were performed to identify the intracellular localization of YAP in the two groups.Results:After fixation with 4% PFA, human corneal epithelial cells showed normal morphology with YAP mainly in the nucleus in both groups, and there was no significant difference in the mean nuclear YAP fluorescence intensity between the two groups ( t=1.803, P=0.121).After fixation with absolute ethanol, cells showed some degree of shrinkage and deformation, diffuse YAP fluorescence staining with YAP-positive signals mainly localized in the cytoplasm in both groups, and the mean nuclear YAP fluorescence intensity was slightly decreased in the hypertonic group compared with the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant ( t=0.803, P=0.453).After fixation with methanol-acetone 1∶1 mixture, cells were crenulated with YAP mainly in the cytoplasm, and the mean nuclear YAP fluorescence intensity in the hypertonic group was slightly decreased compared with the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant ( t=1.067, P=0.327).After fixation with Zamboni solution, the cell structure was complete and clearly outlined, and the YAP nucleoplasmic translocation phenomenon could be clearly observed in cells in different states.The mean nuclear YAP fluorescence intensity in the hypertonic group was 197.5±34.5, which was significantly higher than 62.2±10.0 in the control group ( t=7.530, P<0.001). Conclusions:In the immunofluorescence staining experiment, the nucleoplasmic localization of YAP in corneal epithelial cells is affected by different fixative treatments.Zamboni fixative is better than 4% PFA, absolute ethanol, and methanol-acetone 1∶1 mixture in observing nuclear translocation of YAP after hypertonic stimulation.

Objective:To explore the impact of various fixatives on the nuclear-cytoplasmic localization of Yes-associated protein (YAP) in human corneal epithelial cells under hyperosmotic stress condition.Methods:Immortalized human corneal epithelial cells were divided into control group and hypertonic group.After 1 day of normal culture, cells of the hypertonic group were exposed to hyperosmotic medium at 450 mOsM by adding sodium chloride for 1 hour.No special treatment was given to the control group.Both groups of cells were fixed with four different fixatives, including 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA), -20 ℃ precooled absolute ethanol, -20 ℃ precooled methanol-acetone 1∶1 mixture, and Zamboni fixative solution for 20 minutes.Subsequent to fixation, immunofluorescent staining procedures were performed to identify the intracellular localization of YAP in the two groups.Results:After fixation with 4% PFA, human corneal epithelial cells showed normal morphology with YAP mainly in the nucleus in both groups, and there was no significant difference in the mean nuclear YAP fluorescence intensity between the two groups ( t=1.803, P=0.121).After fixation with absolute ethanol, cells showed some degree of shrinkage and deformation, diffuse YAP fluorescence staining with YAP-positive signals mainly localized in the cytoplasm in both groups, and the mean nuclear YAP fluorescence intensity was slightly decreased in the hypertonic group compared with the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant ( t=0.803, P=0.453).After fixation with methanol-acetone 1∶1 mixture, cells were crenulated with YAP mainly in the cytoplasm, and the mean nuclear YAP fluorescence intensity in the hypertonic group was slightly decreased compared with the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant ( t=1.067, P=0.327).After fixation with Zamboni solution, the cell structure was complete and clearly outlined, and the YAP nucleoplasmic translocation phenomenon could be clearly observed in cells in different states.The mean nuclear YAP fluorescence intensity in the hypertonic group was 197.5±34.5, which was significantly higher than 62.2±10.0 in the control group ( t=7.530, P<0.001). Conclusions:In the immunofluorescence staining experiment, the nucleoplasmic localization of YAP in corneal epithelial cells is affected by different fixative treatments.Zamboni fixative is better than 4% PFA, absolute ethanol, and methanol-acetone 1∶1 mixture in observing nuclear translocation of YAP after hypertonic stimulation.

Mitochondria are the center of intracellular energy metabolism.Mitochondrial dynamics refers to the dynamic process of mitochondrial fusion and fission,which plays an important role in maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis and central nervous system function.Optic atrophy 1(OPA1)is a key factor involved in mitochondrial dynamics.OPA1 acts by regulating mitochondrial fusion and fission,reducing oxidative stress,inhibiting apoptosis,and promoting mitochondrial autophagy,to maintain the dynamic changes in mitochondrial quantity,structure,and biological function.Numerous studies have shown that OPA1-mediated mitochondrial dynamics plays an important role in ischemic stroke,Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson's disease,spinal cord injury,multiple sclerosis,and other central nervous system diseases.Here we review the regulatory mechanism of OPA1 in terms of mitochondrial dynamics and the important role of mitochondrial function mediated by OPA1 in central nervous system diseases,to provide new ideas for clinical treatment.