ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal fibrosis in rats with chronic kidney disease （CKD） through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy specific pathogen-free （SPF） Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a control group （n=15） and a modeling group （n=55）. Rats in the modeling group were administered a 2.5% adenine suspension at a dose of 200 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 by gavage for 4 weeks to establish a CKD model. Successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group， an irbesartan group （20.25 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （5.82， 11.64， and 23.28 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively）， with 10 rats in each group. Each group was administered an equal volume of physiological saline， the corresponding concentration of irbesartan， or Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription by gavage for 12 weeks. Body weight and renal function indices were dynamically monitored. Serum creatinine （SCr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio （ACR）， 24-hour urinary total protein （24 hUTP）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） levels were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Renal histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Masson staining. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect the expression of PI3K， Akt， phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）， and mTOR in renal tissues. Western blot was performed to assess the protein expression of PI3K， p-Akt， Akt， phosphorylated mTOR （p-mTOR）， and mTOR in renal tissues. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR in renal tissues. ResultsCompared with the model group， rats in the irbesartan group and the low-， medium-， and high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription groups showed significantly decreased levels of SCr， BUN， ACR， 24 hUTP， IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α （P<0.01）. AST levels were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while no significant difference was observed in ALT levels. Histopathological examination revealed that， compared with the model group， renal tubular epithelial cell edema and necrosis and Bowman's capsule dilation were alleviated， inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced， and interstitial and glomerular fibrosis was markedly improved in all treatment groups， with the most pronounced effect observed in the high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription group. Real-time PCR results showed that mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR were significantly downregulated in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. IHC results demonstrated that PI3K and p-Akt expression levels in renal tissues were significantly decreased in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. Western blot analysis further confirmed that the expression levels of PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， and p-mTOR/mTOR were significantly reduced in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. ConclusionBushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal function indices in CKD rats， reduces collagen deposition in renal tissues， and decreases serum inflammatory factor levels. Its protective effect on renal function may be achieved by activating autophagy through downregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway， thereby alleviating renal fibrosis.

Acute lung injury(ALI) is a critical clinical condition primarily characterized by refractory hypoxemia and infiltration of inflammatory cells in lung tissue, which can progress into a more severe form known as acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS). Immune cells and inflammatory cytokines play important roles in the progression of the disease. Due to its unclear pathogenesis and the lack of effective clinical treatments, ALI is associated with a high mortality rate and severely affects patients' quality of life, making the search for effective therapeutic agents particularly urgent. Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, the dried root of the perennial herb Panax ginseng from the Araliaceae family, contains active ingredients such as saponins and polysaccharides, which possess various pharmacological effects including anti-tumor activity, immune regulation, and metabolic modulation. In recent years, studies have shown that ginsenosides exhibit notable effects in reducing inflammation, ameliorating epithelial and endothelial cell injury, and providing anticoagulant action, indicating their comprehensive role in alleviating lung injury. This review summarizes the pathogenesis of ALI and the molecular mechanisms through which ginsenosides act at different stages of ALI development. The aim is to provide a scientific reference for the development of ginsenoside-based drugs targeting ALI, as well as a theoretical basis for the clinical application of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma in the treatment of ALI.
Ginsenosides/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Acute Lung Injury/immunology* ; Animals ; Panax/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

PURPOSE: The retear rate of rotator cuff (RC) after surgery is high, and the rapid and functional enthesis regeneration remains a challenge. Whether acellular amniotic membrane (AAM) helps to promote the healing of tendon to bone and which treatment is better are both unclear. The study aims to investigate the effect of AAM on the healing of RC and the best treatment for RC repair. METHODS: Thirty-three Sprague Dawley rats underwent RC transection and repair using microsurgical techniques and were randomly divided into the suturing repair only (SRO) group (n = 11), the AAM overlaying (AOL) group (n = 11), and the AAM interposition (AIP) group (n = 11), respectively. Rats were sacrificed at 4 weeks, then examined by subsequent micro-CT, and evaluated by histologic and biomechanical tests. The statistical analyses of one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test were performed using with SPSS 23.0. A p < 0.05 was considered a significant difference. RESULTS: AAM being intervened between tendon and bone (AIP group) or overlaid over tendon to bone junction (AOL group) in a rat model, promoted enthesis regeneration, increased new bone and cartilage generation, and improved collagen arrangement and biomechanical properties in comparison with suturing repair only (SRO group) (AOL vs. SRO, p < 0.001, p = 0.004, p = 0.003; AIP vs. SRO, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001). Compared with the AOL group, the AIP group had better results in micro-CT evaluation, histological score, and biomechanical testing (p = 0 0.039, p = 0.011, p = 0.003, respectively). CONCLUSION In the RC repair model, AAM enhanced regeneration of the tendon to bone junction. This regeneration was more effective when the AAM was intervened at the tendon to bone interface than overlaid above the tendon to bone junction.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rotator Cuff Injuries/surgery* ; Amnion/transplantation* ; Rats ; Wound Healing ; Rotator Cuff/surgery* ; Male ; X-Ray Microtomography ; Tendons/surgery* ; Biomechanical Phenomena

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prognostic value of ¹⁸ F-deoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT metabolic parameters combined with clinicopathological features for newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) before treatment, and analyze the relationship between tumor metabolic volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG) and clinicopathological features. METHODS: The clinical data of 120 patients with pathologically confirmed DLBCL were retrospectively analyzed and ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT was performed 1 week before treatment. The metabolic parameters including SUVmax, SUVmean, tumor-to-blood standardized uptake value ratio (TBR), tumor-to-liver standardized uptake value ratio (TLR) were obtained. MTV and TLG of the lesions were obtained with 41% of SUVmax as the threshold, and the correlation of MTV and TLG with clinicopathological features were analyzed. Progression-free survival (PFS) was calculated by follow-up for 6-153 months. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier test, log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model were used to analyze the date. RESULTS: The optimum cut-off values of the SUVmax, MTV, TLG, TBR and TLR for predicting tumor progression were 22.25, 256.05, 5 232.67, 12.97 and 10.60, respectively. The patients were divided into two groups according to the above cut-off values, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in PFS between the two group (all P <0.05). The MTV and TLG values were correlated with NCCN-IPI score, Ann Arbor stage, serum lactate dehydrogenase level, and C-MYC, BCL-2, BCL-6 gene rearrangement (all P <0.05). Univariate analysis showed that NCCN-IPI score >3, C-MYC, BCL-2, BCL-6 gene rearrangement positive, SUVmax≥22.25, MTV≥256.05 cm³, TLG≥5 232.67 g and TBR≥12.97 were adverse factors for prognosis (HR: 1.949-5.759, all P <0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that C-MYC, BCL-2 gene rearrangement positive and TLG≥5 232.67 g were all independent risk factors affecting PFS (HR: 4.660, 3.350, 4.031, all P <0.05). CONCLUSION The ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters SUVmax, MTV, TLG, TBR and TLR can be used as important indicators to predict PFS of DLBCL patients, and combining clinicopathological features can better predict the prognosis of patients.
Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/diagnosis* ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed. CONCLUSION STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Angina, Stable/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome ; Placebos ; Tablets

The disturbance of the human microbiota influences the occurrence and progression of many diseases. Live therapeutic bacteria, with their genetic manipulability, anaerobic tendencies, and immunomodulatory properties, are emerging as promising therapeutic agents. However, their clinical applications face challenges in maintaining activity and achieving precise spatiotemporal release, particularly in the harsh gastrointestinal environment. This review highlights the innovative bacterial functionalized encapsulation strategies developed through advances in physicochemical and biological techniques. We comprehensively review how bacterial encapsulation strategies can be used to provide physical barriers and enhanced adhesion properties to live microorganisms, while introducing superior material properties to live bacteria. In addition, this review outlines how bacterial surface coating can facilitate targeted delivery and precise spatiotemporal release of live bacteria. Furthermore, it elucidates their potential applications for treating different diseases, along with critical perspectives on challenges in clinical translation. This review comprehensively analyzes the connection between functionalized bacterial encapsulation and innovative biomedical applications, providing a theoretical reference for the development of next-generation bacterial therapies.

Objective:To discuss the correlation of International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) pathological grading with 18F-prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-1007 positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) parameters and serum total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) in prostate cancer, and assess the clinical value of PET/CT combined with tPSA in predicting the ISUP pathological grade of prostate cancer. Methods:The correlation of ISUP pathological grade with primary parameters of PET/CT images and serum tPSA of 117 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer at Shanxi Cancer Hospital from August 2018 to February 2023 and taken 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT imaging were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify the independent influencing factors for ISUP pathological grading of prostate cancer. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to predict the efficacy between the high and low ISUP grades for prostate cancer. Results:Of the 117 patients, 20 were in ISUP Group 1, 25 in Group 2, 18 in Group 3, 32 in Group 4, and 22 in Group 5. Of these, 63 were in the low-grade group (Groups 1-3) and 54 were in the high-grade group (Groups 4-5). The tumor long diameter was 3.10 (2.05, 4.25) cm, the prostate volume was 40.11 (33.13, 51.85) cm 3, the serum tPSA was 19.71 (12.25, 42.83) ng/ml, the prostate specific antigen density (PSAD) was 0.51 (0.31, 1.01) ng·ml -1·cm -3, the maximum standard uptake value of the lesion (SUVmax) was 15.24 (10.87, 22.03), and the tumor/spleen uptake ratio (TSR) was 1.61 (1.08, 2.15) in the 117 patients. The correlation analysis displayed that the SUVmax, TSR, and tPSA were positively correlated with ISUP groups ( r=0.640, 0.619, and 0.500, P＜0.01). The differences among SUVmax, TSR, long diameter, tPSA, and PSAD were statistically significant when compared among the five ISUP groups ( H=48.98, 45.63, 26.82, 33.95, and 23.81, P＜0.001). The differencesin serum tPSA ( z=5.19), PSAD ( z=4.64), long diameter ( z=3.19), SUVmax ( z=5.57), and TSR ( z=5.53) of the patients between the low-grade group and the high-grade group were statistically significant ( P＜0.01). In multivariate analysis, TSR ( OR=4.172, 95% CI: 2.095-8.308, P＜0.001) and the serum tPSA ( OR=1.042, 95% CI: 1.014-1.070, P＜0.01) were independent influencing factors for ISUP grades. ROC analysis revealed that the area under the curve for the 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT parameters SUVmax and TSR to predict low- or high-grade ISUP for prostate cancer was 0.800 (95% CI: 0.717-0.883) and 0.797 (95% CI: 0.713-0.881), respectively. Among the 70 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy, the postoperative recurrence rate of high-grade ISUP patients was higher than that of low-grade patients (54.8% and 25.6%, χ 2=6.21, P＜0.05). Conclusions:18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT has good application in predicting ISUP grading of prostate cancer. TSR and the serum tPSA are independent predictors for the pathological grade.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs),commonly utilized analgesics,are extensively employed for managing pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders or injuries.Recent clinical studies have demonstrated a heightened risk of bone stress injuries(BSI)in soldiers and athletes,particularly during high-intensity training,due to NSAID usage.Furthermore,the impact of NSAIDs on fracture healing is well-documented;however,the precise mechanism by which their use during training contributes to an increased incidence of stress bone injuries remains unclear.This article aims to summarize potential mechanisms through an extensive review of domestic and international literature in order to standardize the utilization and clinical management of NSAIDs,optimize pain management strategies,and prevent stress bone injuries or fractures in specific populations such as soldiers and elite athletes.

Objective:To discuss the correlation of International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) pathological grading with 18F-prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-1007 positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) parameters and serum total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) in prostate cancer, and assess the clinical value of PET/CT combined with tPSA in predicting the ISUP pathological grade of prostate cancer. Methods:The correlation of ISUP pathological grade with primary parameters of PET/CT images and serum tPSA of 117 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer at Shanxi Cancer Hospital from August 2018 to February 2023 and taken 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT imaging were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify the independent influencing factors for ISUP pathological grading of prostate cancer. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to predict the efficacy between the high and low ISUP grades for prostate cancer. Results:Of the 117 patients, 20 were in ISUP Group 1, 25 in Group 2, 18 in Group 3, 32 in Group 4, and 22 in Group 5. Of these, 63 were in the low-grade group (Groups 1-3) and 54 were in the high-grade group (Groups 4-5). The tumor long diameter was 3.10 (2.05, 4.25) cm, the prostate volume was 40.11 (33.13, 51.85) cm 3, the serum tPSA was 19.71 (12.25, 42.83) ng/ml, the prostate specific antigen density (PSAD) was 0.51 (0.31, 1.01) ng·ml -1·cm -3, the maximum standard uptake value of the lesion (SUVmax) was 15.24 (10.87, 22.03), and the tumor/spleen uptake ratio (TSR) was 1.61 (1.08, 2.15) in the 117 patients. The correlation analysis displayed that the SUVmax, TSR, and tPSA were positively correlated with ISUP groups ( r=0.640, 0.619, and 0.500, P＜0.01). The differences among SUVmax, TSR, long diameter, tPSA, and PSAD were statistically significant when compared among the five ISUP groups ( H=48.98, 45.63, 26.82, 33.95, and 23.81, P＜0.001). The differencesin serum tPSA ( z=5.19), PSAD ( z=4.64), long diameter ( z=3.19), SUVmax ( z=5.57), and TSR ( z=5.53) of the patients between the low-grade group and the high-grade group were statistically significant ( P＜0.01). In multivariate analysis, TSR ( OR=4.172, 95% CI: 2.095-8.308, P＜0.001) and the serum tPSA ( OR=1.042, 95% CI: 1.014-1.070, P＜0.01) were independent influencing factors for ISUP grades. ROC analysis revealed that the area under the curve for the 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT parameters SUVmax and TSR to predict low- or high-grade ISUP for prostate cancer was 0.800 (95% CI: 0.717-0.883) and 0.797 (95% CI: 0.713-0.881), respectively. Among the 70 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy, the postoperative recurrence rate of high-grade ISUP patients was higher than that of low-grade patients (54.8% and 25.6%, χ 2=6.21, P＜0.05). Conclusions:18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT has good application in predicting ISUP grading of prostate cancer. TSR and the serum tPSA are independent predictors for the pathological grade.