Background: Sex-based differences often influence the therapeutic efficacy and safety of medications. Semen Cuscutae is a traditional tonic botanical drug with sex-specific characteristics, traditionally indicated for conditions such as impotence (exclusive to males) and restless fetus (exclusive to pregnant females). However, most existing studies have focused on a single sex. Objective: To evaluate the sex-specific biological effects of Semen Cuscutae in rats and explore its molecular mechanisms, with the aim of uncovering its pharmacological characteristics through a multiomics approach. Methods: A traditional aqueous extract of Semen Cuscutae (SCA) was used as the experimental material. Forty adult Sprague-Dawley rats (equal numbers of males and females) were randomly divided into 4 groups: male control, male SCA treatment (240 mg/kg), female control, and female SCA treatment (240 mg/kg), with 10 rats in each group. The biological effects were comprehensively evaluated using a combination of open field test, biochemical analyses, proteomics, and gut microbiota profiling. Results: As a tonic botanical drug, SCA appeared to directly affect the mental and behavioral state of rats. It significantly altered the time spent by rats in the center area during the open field test, showing a sex-dependent reversal of behaviors. Proteomic analysis of brain tissue identified 624 differentially expressed proteins across the groups, with 10 key differentially expressed proteins related to sex differences, including fibroblast growth factor receptor 3, transcription elongation factor A protein-like 1, 40S ribosomal protein S25, neural cell adhesion molecule, and anion exchange protein 2 (SLC4A2). Enrichment analysis revealed that in male rats, SCA upregulated proteins involved in biological processes such as ribosome function and energy derivation, supporting protein synthesis and enhancing energy supply, showing an overall gain effect. In contrast, in female rats, SCA downregulated proteins associated with processes such as positive regulation of target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling and vesicle transport, suggesting suppression of neuronal signaling and material transport, indicative of a shift toward a more restrained physiological state. Furthermore, SCA reduced gut microbiota diversity in female rats but increased it in males, including the abundance of Akkermansia, which may serve as a crucial mediator. Conclusion: Overall, the biological effects of SCA differ significantly between male and female rats, with evidence suggesting greater health benefits in males. These findings help elucidate the scientific basis of its traditional applications and provide guidance for the precise application of SCA as a functional health food.

Objective To systematically review international research on health communication, and to provide valuable insights and reference for China's health communication research and practice. Methods This study included 693 articles published from January 2023 to April 2024 in two authoritative academic journals in the field of health communication, ^“Health Communication^” and the ^“Journal of Health Communication^”. A systematic review was conducted on the themes, theoretical foundations, research methods, and populations of international health communication research. Results The findings in this study revealed that international health communication research topics were diverse, with hotspots including social media, health information behavior, health misinformation, stigmatization, trust, and risk perception. The results showed that 34% of the articles were based on theoretical foundations, and 93.3% employed research methods, focusing on adolescents, parents, women, and other key populations. Conclusion Domestic health communication research can expand its perspective from ^“information transmission^” to ^“social interaction^”, innovate theories and methods from ^“single paradigm" to ^“multi-integration^” and shift focus from a ^“mass perspective^” to ^“targeted care^” for the health of all populations. Domestic health communication practice can delve into the localization of social media health communication practices, the comprehensive management of health misinformation, and the critical application of new technologies.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether intestinal deficiency of lanosterol synthase （LSS）， a key enzyme in cholesterol synthesis， influences the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease （MASLD） by regulating intestinal cholesterol absorption and immune response. MethodsLSS heterozygous knockout （LSS^+/-） mice and wild-type （WT） controls were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and fed either a high-fat diet （HFD） or regular chow （CHOW）. The model was validated by genotyping. Hepatic steatosis was assessed by HE and oil red O staining. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the localization and expression of NPC1L1 and CD36 proteins in the intestine. Western blot analysis was performed to measure JNK phosphorylation and TLR4 protein levels in intestinal tissues. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （qPCR） was employed to examine the mRNA expression of TLR4 and IL-6. ResultsLSS^+/- mice were successfully validated by genotyping and reduced intestinal LSS protein expression. HE and oil red O staining of liver sections showed that， compared with WT mice fed a CHOW diet， WT mice fed a HFD exhibited a marked increase in hepatic lipid vacuoles. In contrast， compared with HFD-fed WT mice， HFD-fed LSS^+/- mice displayed significantly attenuated hepatic lipid deposition and reduced serum ALT levels （P<0.05）. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that， compared with WT mice， the expression of the cholesterol absorption protein NPC1L1 in the intestinal villi of LSS^+/- mice was downregulated under both CHOW and HFD conditions （P_HFD<0.001）. Conversely， the expression of the fatty acid transporter CD36 was upregulated in the intestines of LSS^+/- mice （P_CHOW<0.05， P_HFD<0.01）. Western blot analysis demonstrated that， compared with WT mice， TLR4 protein expression in the intestines of LSS^+/- mice significantly increased under both CHOW and HFD conditions （both P<0.05）. JNK phosphorylation level was significantly elevated in LSS^+/- mice under CHOW condition （both P<0.05）. Under HFD condition， total JNK protein expression increased， but its phosphorylation level showed no significant change. qPCR analysis showed that， compared with WT mice， the mRNA levels of TLR4 （P_CHOW<0.01， P_HFD<0.000 1） and IL-6 （P_CHOW<0.001， P_HFD<0.01） were significantly upregulated in the intestines of LSS^+/-mice. ConclusionLSS deficiency counteracts hepatic lipid deposition by orchestrating a synergistic reprogramming involving restricted intestinal cholesterol absorption， enhanced fatty acid utilization， and activation of immune pathways， suggesting intestinal LSS as a potential therapeutic target of MASLD.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of hypoxia on pemetrexed （PE）-mediated apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer cells. MethodsA549 cells were cultured under 21% O₂ （normoxia） or 1% O₂ （hypoxia）， and treated with 8 μmol/L PE for 48 h. The cells were divided into normoxic control group， normoxic vehicle group， normoxic drug-treated group， hypoxic control group， hypoxic vehicle group and hypoxic drug-treated group. Trypan blue staining was used to observe cell death after PE intervention under normoxia and hypoxia. Flow cytometry was adopted to detect cell apoptosis rate. Wound healing assay was used to assess cell migration. Western blot was performed to detect the protein levels of MRP-1， Cleaved Caspase-3， E-Cadherin and N-Cadherin. ResultsTrypan blue staining results showed that the cell death rate was reduced in PE-treated cells under hypoxia compared with the normoxic PE group （P<0.001）. Flow cytometry results indicated that PE induced cell apoptosis under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions.However， the apoptosis rate of the normoxic PE group was significantly higher than that of the hypoxic PE group （P<0.000 1）. Wound healing assay showed that the migration distance of A549 cells decreased after PE treatment for 24 h and 48 h under normoxia and hypoxia when compared with the control group （P<0.05）， while no significant difference was found between the normoxic PE group and the hypoxic PE group. Western blot results revealed that MRP-1 expression was markedly higher in hypoxic PE-treated cells than in normoxic PE-treated cells （P<0.000 1）. Compared with the control group， Cleaved Caspase-3 expression was upregulated in A549 cells following PE intervention under normoxia （P<0.05）， whereas no obvious alteration in Cleaved Caspase-3 expression was detected in hypoxic PE-treated cells. Under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions， PE treatment downregulated the expression of E-Cadherin （P<0.000 1，P<0.001） and N-Cadherin （P<0.05，P<0.000 1）. In addition， the expression levels of E-Cadherin and N-Cadherin in the hypoxic PE group were significantly lower than those in the normoxic PE group （all P<0.000 1）. ConclusionHypoxia significantly attenuates the pro-apoptotic effect of PE on A549 cells and blocks Cleaved Caspase-3 activation. This mechanism may be related to hypoxia-induced MRP-1 overexpression and reduced drug accumulation. Interfering with MRP-1 or restoring the activity of the apoptosis pathway may serve as a novel strategy to overcome hypoxia-induced drug resistance.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Zuogui Pill （左归丸，ZGP） decoction on neurological function， motor function， and activities of daily living in patients with ischemic stroke （IS） of liver-kidney yin deficiency syndrome， and to assess its potential mechanisms from the perspectives of cerebral perfusion and corticospinal tract （CST） remodeling. MethodsA total of 108 patients with IS of liver-kidney yin deficiency syndrome and onset time ≤14 days were enrolled and randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group， with 54 cases in each group. The control group received conventional western medicine， while the treatment group received ZGP decoction （one dose per day） in addition to the conventional treatment. Both groups were treated for 90 days. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale （NIHSS）， modified Rankin Scale （mRS）， modified Barthel Index （MBI）， Fugl-Meyer Assessment （FMA）， and Chinese medicine syndrome score （CMS） were evaluated before treatment and after （90±3） days of treatment. Three-dimensional arterial spin labeling （3D-ASL） and diffusion tensor imaging （DTI） were performed to obtain ipsilesional cerebral blood flow （CBF） in the unaffected and affected hemispheres， relative CBF （rCBF）， and fractional anisotropy （FA） of the CST. Nodal analysis of FA values along the CST was also conducted. Correlation analysis was used to assess the relationships between post-treatment cerebral perfusion parameters （CBF and rCBF）， and FA values with clinical neurological function scores. ResultsAfter treatment， both groups showed significantly decreased NIHSS， mRS and CMS scores， together with significantly increased FMA and MBI scores （P＜0.01）. Intergroup comparison showed that NIHSS， mRS， and CMS scores in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group ， while MBI and FMA scores were significantly higher （P＜0.01）. The 3D-ASL results revealed that CBF and rCBF values in the affected hemisphere significantly increased in both groups after treatment， and the treatment group had significantly higher values （P＜0.01）. DTI showed that the FA value of the CST on the affected side in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group after treatment （P＜0.05）. Nodal analysis along the CST further demonstrated that the continuity of FA values at lesion-related nodes 45~99 in the treatment group was significantly better than that in the control group （P＜0.01）， with significant increases at nodes 65~71 and 76~81 compared with baseline （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， whereas the control group showed a decreasing trend at nodes 80~93 （P＜0.05）. Correlation analysis indicated that CBF and rCBF values in the affected hemisphere were negatively correlated with NIHSS and mRS scores and positively correlated with MBI score （P＜0.05）. FA value of the CST on the affected side， both before and after treatment， were negatively correlated with NIHSS score and positively correlated with FMA score （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionZGP decoction can effectively improve neurological function， motor function， and activities of daily living in IS patients with liver-kidney yin deficiency syndrome， and its mechanism may be related to enhanced cerebral perfusion in the affected hemisphere and corticospinal tract structural remodeling.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement effects of the Shenling kongliu formula （SLKLF） on mice with colorectal adenoma （CRA）， as well as its impact on the Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 （MyD88）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） pathway and on the macrophage polarization.METHODS Thirty male Apc Min/+ mice were randomly divided into a model group， an aspirin group [positive control， 20.59 mg/（kg·d）]， and low-， medium- and high-dose SLKLF groups [2.06， 4.11 and 8.22 g/（kg·d）]， with six mice in each group. Additionally， 6 wild-type male C57BL/6J mice were used as the wild-type control group. Mice in each group were gavaged twice daily with the corresponding drug solution or normal saline for 12 consecutive weeks. After the final administration， the levels of interleukin-10 （IL-10） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the serum of mice in each group were measured， the total number of adenomas and the average longest diameter in the entire colon and rectum were counted， histopathological changes in colorectal tissues were observed， and the protein expressions of cluster of differentiation 86 （CD86）， CD206， inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）， arginase-1 （ARG-1）， TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB p65 in the colorectal tissue were detected.RESULTS Compared with the model group， mice in all SLKLF dose groups showed varying degrees of improvement in pathological changes such as colorectal adenomatous lesions and inflammatory cell infiltration. Their serum levels of IL-10 and TNF-α， total number of adenomas and their average longest diameter （except in the low-dose group）， CD86-positive and CD206-positive （except in the low-dose group） expressions， as well as the protein expressions of iNOS， TLR4， MyD88， NF-κB p65 were all significantly reduced， decreased， shortened， or downregulated， while the protein expression of ARG-1 （except in the low-dose group） was significantly upregulated （ P ＜0.05）. The Jonckheere-Terpstra tests showed that， as the SLKLF dose increased， the levels of IL-10 and TNF-α， the total number of adenomas， the average longest diameter， CD86-positive and CD206-positive expressions， and the protein expression of MyD88 in mice all showed a decreasing trend， while the protein expression of ARG-1 showed an increasing trend （ P ＜0.05）.CONCLUSIONS SLKLF can reduce the CRA burden in Apc Min/+ mice and improve histopathological changes in the adenomas. Its therapeutic effects are accompanied by changes in the expression of proteins associated with the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway， inflammatory factors， and markers related to macrophage polarization.

[Objective]To analyze the manipulation and acupoint selection rules of Tuina treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis(AIS).[Methods]Clinical research literature on Tuina treatment for AIS was searched in databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),VIP Database,WanFang Data,China Biology Medicine disc(CBMdisc)and PubMed from database establishment date to November 31,2024.Frequency statistics,association rules and cluster analysis were performed on the data by using R Studio 4.3.0 software,and the analysis results were visualized.[Results]A total of 122 clinical research articles on Tuina treatment for AIS were included,among which 116 were Chinese articles and 6 were English articles.These studies were extracted 122 tuina prescriptions,which involved 75 types of Tuina techniques,with a total application frequency of 376 times.The technique with the highest application frequency was the kneading method.A total of 19 acupoint prescriptions were extracted,involving 48 acupoints with a frequency of 119,among which Shenshu was the most frequently used acupoint.The acupoints mainly belonged to the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang,the Governing Vessel,the Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin,the Liver Meridian of Foot-Jueyin and some Extra-meridian Points.Among the combinations of manipulations and acupoints,kneading and Shenshu were used most frequently in combination with other manipulations and acupoints.Association rule network analysis showed that Dachangshu,Shenshu,Weizhong and Chengfu were strongly correlated among acupoints;kneading,pressing and Tuina were strongly correlated among manipulations.In the cluster analysis results,high-frequency acupoints formed 5 effective clusters and high-frequency manipulations formed 3 effective clusters.[Conclusion]Tuina treatment of AIS mainly uses loosening and pulling manipulations as a supplement,focusing on adjusting the balance of Yin and Yang of the spine;the selection of acupoints is mainly in local part combined with those along the meridians.

Background:Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge,commonly known as"Danshen"in China due to the distinctive red color of its roots,is one of the most widely used traditional Chinese medicines.It is cultivated in various regions across China,and environmental differences among these regions can affect the secondary metabolites of plants,thereby influencing the quality of S.miltiorrhiza.In recent years,increasing demand for S.miltiorrhiza has exacerbated the problem of origin fraud.Therefore,ensuring the authenticity of its geo-graphical origin is crucial for the sustainable development of the industry.Objective:The red coloration of S.miltiorrhiza is closely associated with the content of its primary active compounds,particularly tanshinones.Therefore,both its internal chemical composition and external color characteristics serve as key indicators for quality assessment.This study utilized hyperspectral imaging technology to evaluate its potential in classifying the geographical origin of S.miltiorrhiza.Methods:Spectral data reflecting the internal chemical properties of S.miltiorrhiza were integrated with color information represent-ing its external features through 3 levels of data fusion.These fused datasets were then combined with deep learning algorithms to achieve accurate origin classification.Results:The results demonstrated that the Transformer model combined with soft-voting decision-level fusion achieved the highest classification accuracy of 98.72％by integrating image color and short-wave infrared spectral data.Conclusion:This study demonstrates that integrating hyperspectral imaging spectral data with color information provides a reliable and innovative approach for verifying the authenticity and traceability of S.miltiorrhiza.

After the full implementation of Diagnosis-Intervention Packet(DIP)payment,driven by the dual mode of public welfare and economy,disease cost accounting,as a key link,promotes the transformation of hospitals from extensive income-driven development mode to refined operation management.Through literature analysis,it compares the characteristics,advantages and limitations of various methods of disease cost accounting.Combined with the current situation of case hospital cost accounting and the dilemma of disease cost accounting,the parameter distribution method combined with the service unit superposition method is used to realize the medical business cost and medical total cost accounting of the DIP disease in the case hospital.In addition,how to better implement DIP disease cost accounting in county-level public hospitals is discussed and suggested,in order to further improve the same type of hospitals and speed up the application of disease cost accounting results.

[Objective]To analyze the manipulation and acupoint selection rules of Tuina treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis(AIS).[Methods]Clinical research literature on Tuina treatment for AIS was searched in databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),VIP Database,WanFang Data,China Biology Medicine disc(CBMdisc)and PubMed from database establishment date to November 31,2024.Frequency statistics,association rules and cluster analysis were performed on the data by using R Studio 4.3.0 software,and the analysis results were visualized.[Results]A total of 122 clinical research articles on Tuina treatment for AIS were included,among which 116 were Chinese articles and 6 were English articles.These studies were extracted 122 tuina prescriptions,which involved 75 types of Tuina techniques,with a total application frequency of 376 times.The technique with the highest application frequency was the kneading method.A total of 19 acupoint prescriptions were extracted,involving 48 acupoints with a frequency of 119,among which Shenshu was the most frequently used acupoint.The acupoints mainly belonged to the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang,the Governing Vessel,the Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin,the Liver Meridian of Foot-Jueyin and some Extra-meridian Points.Among the combinations of manipulations and acupoints,kneading and Shenshu were used most frequently in combination with other manipulations and acupoints.Association rule network analysis showed that Dachangshu,Shenshu,Weizhong and Chengfu were strongly correlated among acupoints;kneading,pressing and Tuina were strongly correlated among manipulations.In the cluster analysis results,high-frequency acupoints formed 5 effective clusters and high-frequency manipulations formed 3 effective clusters.[Conclusion]Tuina treatment of AIS mainly uses loosening and pulling manipulations as a supplement,focusing on adjusting the balance of Yin and Yang of the spine;the selection of acupoints is mainly in local part combined with those along the meridians.