Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease involving multiple inflammatory cells and cytokines. Its pathogenesis is complex, involving various cells and cytokines. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) theory suggests that the pathogenesis of asthma is closely related to the dysfunction of internal organs such as the lungs, spleen, and kidneys. In contrast, modern immunological studies have revealed the central role of T helper 1(Th1)/T helper 2(Th2) and T helper 17(Th17)/regulatory T(Treg) cellular immune imbalance in the pathogenesis of asthma. Th1/Th2 imbalance is manifested as hyperfunction of Th2 cells, which promotes the synthesis of immunoglobulin E(IgE) and the activation of eosinophil granulocytes, leading to airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation.Meanwhile, Th17/Treg imbalance exacerbates the inflammatory response in the airways, further contributing to asthma pathology.Currently, therapeutic strategies for asthma are actively exploring potential targets for regulating the balance of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg immune responses. These targets include cytokines, transcription factors, key proteins, and non-coding RNAs. Precisely regulating the expression and function of these targets can effectively modulate the activation and differentiation of immune cells. In recent years,traditional Chinese medicine active ingredients have shown unique potential and prospects in the field of asthma treatment. Based on this, the present study systematically summarizes the efficacy and specific mechanisms of TCM active ingredients in treating asthma by regulating Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg immune balance through literature review and analysis. These active ingredients, including flavonoids, terpenoids, polysaccharides, alkaloids, and phenolic acids, exert their effects through various mechanisms, such as inhibiting the activation of inflammatory cells, reducing the release of cytokines, and promoting the normal differentiation of immune cells. This study aims to provide a solid foundation for the widespread application and in-depth development of TCM in asthma treatment and to offer new ideas for clinical research and drug development of asthma.
Asthma/genetics* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Th2 Cells/drug effects* ; Th17 Cells/drug effects* ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/drug effects* ; Th1 Cells/drug effects* ; Animals ; Cytokines/immunology* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Asthma, a chronic inflammatory airway disease with a high global prevalence, has a complex pathogenesis, in which airway remodeling plays a key role in the chronicity of the disease. Airway remodeling involves a series of pathophysiological changes, including airway epithelial damage, proliferation of mucous glands and goblet cells, subepithelial fibrosis, proliferation and migration of airway smooth muscle cells, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. These complex pathological changes significantly increase airway resistance and responsiveness, forming an important pathological basis for refractory asthma. Currently, the regulatory mechanisms of airway remodeling focus on signaling pathways and regulatory targets. The signaling pathways include phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt), nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB), transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)/Smads, and mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK). The regulatory targets include microRNAs(miRNAs), competing endogenous RNAs(ceRNAs), long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs), and circular RNAs(circRNAs). Key proteins involved in these processes include TGF-β1, silencing information regulator 2-related enzyme 1(SIRT1), chitinase 3-like protein 1(YKL-40), and adenosine deaminase-metalloproteinase 33(ADAM33). In recent years, the potential of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of asthma has become increasingly evident. Its active ingredients, extracts, and complexes can inhibit airway remodeling in asthma through multiple pathways, demonstrating a variety of effects, including anti-inflammatory actions, inhibition of smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration, regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, attenuation of fibrosis and basement membrane thickening, reduction of mucus secretion, inhibition of vascular remodeling, modulation of immune imbalance, and antioxidative stress. This paper aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the pathogenesis and therapeutic targets of asthma, offering theoretical support and innovative strategies for clinical research and drug development in the treatment of asthma.
Asthma/pathology* ; Humans ; Airway Remodeling/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1/metabolism*

The therapeutic effects of Yueju Pills on depression and cardiovascular diseases have been widely recognized. Previous studies have shown that the drug can significantly improve depressive-like behaviors induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) combined with atherosclerosis(AS). Given the complex pathogenesis of psychocardiac diseases, this study integrated metabolomics and network pharmacology to systematically elucidate the mechanism of Yueju Pills in alleviating depressive symptoms in psychocardiac diseases. The results demonstrate that, after Yueju Pill intervention, the levels of 9 abnormal metabolites in the hippocampus restore to normal ranges, primarily involving key pathways or signaling pathways, including the cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP), mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR), glycine/serine/threonine metabolism, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. In a high-fat diet-induced CUMS ApoE~(-/-) mouse model, Yueju Pills significantly increases adenosine monophosphate(AMP) levels and decreases L-alanine and D-glyceric acid levels in the hippocampus. In conclusion, Yueju Pills exert antidepressant effects by regulating multiple metabolic axes, including glycine/serine/threonine metabolism and the cAMP, mTOR signaling pathways. Network pharmacology predictions reveal that the treatment of CUMS combined with AS by its core active components may be realized through modulating pathways concerning neuroinflammation and synaptic plasticity, including serine/threonine-protein kinase 1(AKT1), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1(MAPK1), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2). This study provides a theoretical reference for the clinical application of Yueju Pills in alleviating the depressive symptoms of psychocardiac diseases.
Animals ; Network Pharmacology ; Mice ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Metabolomics ; Male ; Depression/genetics* ; Humans ; Hippocampus/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Signal Transduction/drug effects*

OBJECTIVES: To explore potential keywords, research clusters, collaborative pattern, and research trends in the field of medical technology management (MTM) through bibliometric analysis, providing insights for researchers, policy makers, and hospital administrators. METHODS: A retrieval formula was applied to the title, abstract, and keywords in the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection, along with system-recommended terms, to identify articles on MTM. A total of 181 articles published between 1974 and 2022 were retained for quantitative analysis. The global trend of research output; total citations, average citations, and H-index; and bibliographic coupling, co-authorship, and keyword co-occurrence were analyzed using VOSviewer. RESULTS: The number of articles on MTM has been steadily increasing year by year. The focus of research has shifted from addressing basic medical needs to prioritizing emergency response and medical information security. The United States, Italy, and the United Kingdom emerged as the main contributors, with the United States leading in both volume of publications (60 articles) and academic impact (H-index = 21). Authors from the United Kingdom and the United States led the way in cross-border cooperation. The top five institutions, ranked by total link strength among cross-institutional authors, were primarily located in Canada and Spain. CONCLUSIONS The field of MTM has experienced stable growth over the past three decades (1993-2022). The shift of research focus has prompted a heightened emphasis on protecting patient privacy and ensuring the security of medical data. Future research should emphasize interdisciplinary and professional collaboration, as well as international cooperation and open sharing of knowledge.
Bibliometrics ; Humans ; Biomedical Technology

An 11-year-old boy presented with erythematous plaques over the bilateral mandibular and mental regions for 2 years, accompanied by cough and dyspnea for more than 2 months. Chest computed tomography angiography revealed marked stenosis of the right pulmonary artery, irregular aortic caliber, and aortic wall thickening. Histopathological examination of the skin lesion, including immunohistochemistry and special stains, confirmed a chronic suppurative inflammation. Whole-exome sequencing was negative. A final diagnosis of granuloma faciale and Takayasu arteritis was established. Combination therapy with systemic tocilizumab, prednisone, and methotrexate, along with topical 0.1% tacrolimus ointment, resulted in a favorable clinical response. This report summarizes the clinical features of a pediatric case of granuloma faciale and Takayasu arteritis and reviews the etiology, diagnostic approach, and current treatment strategies for the disorders, aiming to enhance clinicians' understanding of these conditions.
Humans ; Male ; Child ; Takayasu Arteritis/diagnosis* ; Facial Dermatoses/diagnosis*

OBJECTIVE: To explore and quantify the association of hot night exposure during the sperm development period (0-90 lag days) with semen quality. METHODS: A total of 6,640 male sperm donors from 6 human sperm banks in China during 2014-2020 were recruited in this multicenter study. Two indices (i.e., hot night excess [HNE] and hot night duration [HND]) were used to estimate the heat intensity and duration during nighttime. Linear mixed models were used to examine the association between hot nights and semen quality parameters. RESULTS: The exposure-response relationship revealed that HNE and HND during 0-90 days before semen collection had a significantly inverse association with sperm motility. Specifically, a 1 °C increase in HNE was associated with decreased sperm progressive motility of 0.0090 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: -0.0147, -0.0033) and decreased total motility of 0.0094 (95% CI: -0.0160, -0.0029). HND was significantly associated with reduced sperm progressive motility and total motility of 0.0021 (95% CI: -0.0040, -0.0003) and 0.0023 (95% CI: -0.0043, -0.0002), respectively. Consistent results were observed at different temperature thresholds on hot nights. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the need to mitigate nocturnal heat exposure during spermatogenesis to maintain optimal semen quality.
Humans ; Male ; Semen Analysis ; Adult ; Sperm Motility ; Hot Temperature/adverse effects* ; China ; Middle Aged ; Spermatozoa/physiology* ; Young Adult

Objective To evaluate the accuracy and clinical application value of the fluorescence quantitative PCR melting curve meth-od for detecting fungal nucleic acid.Methods 460 suspected or confirmed patients with respiratory fungal infections were enrolled in the study.The fluorescence quantitative PCR melting curve method was used as the test method,and the fungal 26S rRNA gene nucleic acid detection kit combined with Sanger sequencing was used as the reference method.Sputum samples from each study subject were collected and detected by the test method and reference method,respectively.The Kappa value of the two methods was calculated to evaluate the consistency of the results.Results Compared with the reference method,the overall conformity rate of the test method was 92.83%(427/460).Compared with the reference method,the positive conformity rates,negative conformity rates,and overall conformity rates of the test method for detecting 8 fungi,including Candida albicans,Candida glabrata,Candida krusei,Candida trop-icalis,Candida parapsilosis,Cryptococcus neoformans,Candida guilliermondii,and Aspergillus,were 97.34%(183/188),97.06%(264/272),and 97.17%(447/460),100.00%(33/33),99.77%(426/427),and 99.78%(459/460),100.00%(16/16),99.55%(442/444),and 99.57%(458/460),98.11%(52/53),99.75%(442/444),and 99.57%(458/460),95.08%(58/61),99.50%(397/399),and 98.91%(455/460),100.00%(9/9),99.56%(449/451),and 99.57%(458/460),85.00%(17/20),99.32%(437/440),and 98.70%(454/460),and 97.59%(81/83),97.88%(369/377),and 97.83%(450/460),respectively.The Kappa values for the consistency evaluation of the two methods'detection results were both greater than 0.8.Upon retesting the inconsistent re-sults of the two methods,it was found that 53.7%(22/41)of the detection results were consistent with the test method,and the others were consistent with the reference method.Conclusion The fluorescence quantitative PCR melting curve method can simultaneously detect 8 kinds of fungi,and the detection results are highly consistent with the reference method.It has unique advantages in fungal de-tection and important clinical application value.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy of high-throughput hemodialysis (HFHD) therapy on the application of serum ferritin (SF), transferrin saturation (TSAT), ferromodultin (Hepc) and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) with renal anemia.Methods:The uremic patients with MHD treatment in the Third People′s Hospital of Hangzhou City from August 2020 to July 2023 were selected as the study object. They were divided into high throughput (30 cases) and low throughput (30 cases) according the treatment methods. The general data; anemia indexes, including red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (HCT), percentage of reticulocytes (Ret); iron metabolism indexes (SF, TSAT, Hepc and sTfR); inflammations indexes, including β 2-microglobulin (β 2-MG), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6); renal function indexes, including blood creatinine (SCr), urine creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN); and adverse reaction were collected. Results:After treatment, the levels of RBC, Hb, HCT, SF and TSAT in the high-throughput group were increased compared with those before treatment: (3.33 ± 0.43) × 10 12/L vs. (2.12 ± 0.24) × 10 12/L, (118.08 ± 11.36) g/L vs. (98.23 ± 8.58) g/L, 0.354 ± 0.030 vs. 0.228 ± 0.037, (486.23 ± 68.22) μg/L vs. (149.34 ± 39.62) μg/L, (36.24 ± 5.82)% vs. (18.72 ± 6.14)%, After treatment, the levels of RBC, Hb, HCT, SF and TSAT in the low-throughput group were increased compared with those before treatment: (2.79 ± 0.32) × 10 12/L vs. (2.19 ± 0.27) × 10 12/L, (111.98 ± 9.07) g/L vs. (97.60 ± 8.33) g/L, 0.330 ± 0.036 vs. 0.214 ± 0.037, (332.73 ± 56.35) μg/L vs. (151.25 ± 39.90) μg/L, (22.23 ± 6.60)% vs. (17.97 ± 5.72)%. In the high-throughput group, after treatment compared with before treatment, Ret, Hepc, sTfR, β 2-MG, CRP, IL-6, SCr, Cr and BUN levels all decreased: (1.02 ± 0.58)% vs.(1.64 ± 0.99)%, (71.56 ± 5.67) μg/L vs. (89.56 ± 7.62) μg/L, (395.07 ± 37.10) μg/L vs. (471.37 ± 41.18) μg/L, (8.38 ± 1.94) μg/L vs. (13.79 ± 2.09) μg/L, (1.07 ± 0.23) mg/L vs. (2.28 ± 0.20) mg/L, (11.40 ± 2.84) ng/L vs. (22.74 ± 6.38) ng/L, (351.54 ± 62.05) μmol/L vs. (530.04 ± 85.06) μmol/L, (6.32 ± 1.49) nmol/L vs. (11.52 ± 2.37) nmol/L, (6.75 ± 1.51) mmol/L vs. (18.37 ± 4.52) mmol/L, compared with before and after treatment in low throughput group, Ret value, Hepc, sTfR, β 2-MG, CRP, IL-6, SCr, Cr and BUN levels decreased: (1.40 ± 0.65)% vs. (1.67 ± 0.78)%, (84.33 ± 7.45) μg/L vs. (88.97 ± 7.79) μg/L, (431.20 ± 37.59) μg/L vs. (459.56 ± 42.22) μg/L, (11.35 ± 1.06) μg/L vs. (14.00 ± 1.90) μg/L, (1.57 ± 0.27) mg/L vs. (2.19 ± 0.23) mg/L, (16..85 ± 3.02) ng/L vs. (23.38 ± 6.17) ng/L, (389.48 ± 67.03) μmol/L vs. (531.02 ± 78.07) μmol/L, (9.80 ± 1.33) nmol/L vs. (11.34 ± 2.18) nmol/L, (7.55 ± 1.21) mmol/L vs. (18.37 ± 4.52) mmol/L, In addition, RBC, Hb, HCT, SF and TSAT levels in high-flux group were higher than those in low-flux group ( P<0.05), while Ret, Hepc, sTfR, β 2-MG, CRP, IL-6, SCr, Cr and BUN levels were lower than those in low-flux group, with statistical significance ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse drug effects between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:HFHD treatment for patients with renal anemia in MHD has better treatment effect than LFHD, which can effectively correct the anemia state of patients, improve the body iron metabolism response, reduce inflammatory response and improve kidney function, and has certain clinical application value.

Purpose/Significance To expound the current status of the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements of hospitals in China,so as to provide references for the development and achievement transformation of clinical research in hospitals.Method/Process Taking 502 Chinese medical science and technology awards won by the hospital hosts from 2015 to 2021 as the analysis object,the award grade,hospital type,regional and thematic distribution are analyzed by scientometrics.Result/Conclu-sion Tertiary hospitals and hospitals affiliated universities are the core forces of scientific and technological research and achievement transformation.There are still great differences in clinical research and transformation levels in different regions.There is an urgent need to strengthen cross-level and cross-regional cooperation in science and technology to enhance the efficiency of achievement transforma-tion.The existing researches mainly focus on the diseases with high morbidity or mortality in China,which meets the actual clinical needs,but it still needs to be further laid out in the fields of major public health emergencies and rare diseases.

AIM:To investigate the mechanism of chronic stress-induced myocardial injury in atherosclerotic(AS)mice.METHODS:Eight-week-old SPF-grade male ApoE-/-mice and C57BL/6J mice used in this study.The mice received dietary intervention for 10 weeks followed by pathological examination to test the successful AS modeling.After AS establishment,the mice were exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)for 6 weeks and then divided into five groups:control,CUMS,AS-regular diet(AS-r)+CUMS,AS-high-fat diet(AS-h),and AS-h+CUMS.During CUMS,open-field test and sucrose preference test were performed on mice in all groups.Blood lipids were characterized using an automatic biochemical analyzer.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)and oil red O staining were performed to evaluate pathological changes in the aortic root.Cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography.The serum concentration of myocardial injury markers and ATP content was detected by ELISA.Transmission electron microscopy was employed to observe the ul-trastructure of myocardial mitochondria.Myocardial mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate was determined using the Oxy-graph-2k high-resolution respiratory energy metabolism analyzer.Western blot was conducted to quantify the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2),Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax),and cleaved caspase-3.RESULTS:compared with the Control group,the total distance traveled,the number of entries into the central area,and the sucrose preference rate were significantly decreased in all CUMS groups(P<0.05).All AS groups exhibited varying levels of lipid deposition and endo-thelial damage in the aortic root,along with a significant reduction in cardiac function(P<0.05)and varying degrees of myocardial injury(P<0.05).In the AS-h+CUMS and AS-r+CUMS groups,myocardial mitochondrial structure was signifi-cantly disrupted.ATP content was significantly reduced(P<0.05),and the rates of oxygen consumption associated with mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I,mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I+II,and the maximum respiratory capacity of the electron transport system were all significantly decreased(P<0.05).Moreover,the protein levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 were significantly increased(P<0.05),while that of Bcl-2 protein was significantly decreased(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Chronic stress triggers mitochondrial non-steady-state load by disrupting myocardial structure and energy metabolism in AS mice,promoting myocardial cell apoptosis and myocardial injury.