ObjectiveTo explore the clinical efficacy and mechanism of Bupi Qingfei prescription （BPQF） in treating stable bronchiectasis in the patients with syndromes of lung-spleen Qi deficiency and phlegm-heat accumulation in the lungs. MethodsA randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled trial was conducted. Patients were randomized into BPQF and placebo control （PC） groups. On the basis of conventional Western medicine treatment， the BPQF granules and placebo were respectively administered at 10 g each time， twice a day， for a course of 24 weeks. The TCM symptom scores， Quality of Life Questionnaire for Bronchiectasis （QOL-B） scores， lung function indicators， T lymphocyte subsets， level of inflammatory factors in the sputum， level of neutrophil elastase （NE） in the sputum， and occurrence of adverse reactions were observed before and after treatment in the two groups. ResultsA total of 64 patients completed the study， encompassing 32 in the BPQF group and 32 in the PC group. After treatment， the BPQF group showed decreased TCM symptom scores （P<0.01）， increased QOL-B scores （P<0.01）， and declined levels of tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α and NE （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The PC group showed decreased TCM symptom （except spleen deficiency） scores （P<0.01）， increased the QOL-B health cognition and respiratory symptom domain scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and a declined TNF-α level （P<0.01）. Moreover， the BPQF group had lower TCM symptom （except chest tightness） scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）， higher QOL-B （except treatment burden） scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and lower levels of interleukin-6 and TNF-α （P<0.05） than the PC group. Neither group showed serious adverse reactions during the treatment process. ConclusionBPQF can ameliorate the clinical symptoms of stable bronchiectasis patients who have lung-spleen Qi deficiency or phlegm-heat accumulation in the lungs by regulating the immune balance and inhibiting airway inflammatory responses.

This study employed the "disease-medicine-dose" pattern to mine the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prescriptions containing Astragali Radix in ancient Chinese medical books, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the clinical application of Astragali Radix and the development of new medicines. The TCM prescriptions containing Astragali Radix were retrieved from databases such as Chinese Medical Dictionary and imported into Excel 2020 to construct the prescription library. Statical analysis were performed for the prescriptions regarding the indications, syndromes, medicine use frequency, herb effects, nature and taste, meridian tropism, dosage forms, and dose. SPSS statistics 26.0 and IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0 were used for association rules analysis and cluster analysis. A total of 2 297 prescriptions containing Astragali Radix were collected, involving 233 indications, among which sore and ulcer, consumptive disease, sweating disorder, and apoplexy had high frequency(>25), and their syndromes were mainly Qi and blood deficiency, Qi and blood deficiency, Yin and Yang deficiency, and Qi deficiency and collateral obstruction, respectively. In the prescriptions, 98 medicines were used with the frequency >25 and they mainly included Qi-tonifying medicines and blood-tonifying medicines. Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium were frequently used. The medicines with high frequency mainly have warm or cold nature, and sweet, pungent, or bitter taste, with tropism to spleen, lung, heart, liver, and kidney meridians. In the treatment of sore and ulcer, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 3.73 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to promote granulation and heal up sores. In the treatment of consumptive disease, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 37.30 g and combined with Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma to tonify deficiency and replenish Qi. In the treatment of sweating disorder, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 3.73 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to consolidate exterior and stop sweating. In the treatment of apoplexy, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 7.46 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to dispell wind and stop convulsions. Astragali Radix can be used in the treatment of multiple system diseases, with the effects of tonifying Qi and ascending Yang, consolidating exterior and stopping sweating, and expressing toxin and promoting granulation. According to the manifestations of different diseases, when combined with other medicines, Astragali Radix was endowed with the effects of promoting granulation and healing up sores, tonifying deficiency and Qi, consolidating exterior and stopping sweating, and dispelling wind and replenishing Qi. The findings provide a theoretical reference and a scientific basis for the clinical application of Astragali Radix and the development of new medicines.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; History, Ancient ; Astragalus Plant/chemistry* ; China ; Astragalus propinquus

Objective To investigate the mechanism by which Senegenin(SEN)alleviates microglial inflammatory response through the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)/NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)pathway.Methods BV2 mouse microglia cells were randomly divided into control group,model group,SEN group and MCC950 group.Cells in control group were not treated,and cells in model group were added with 1 μg/ml lipopolysaccharide(LPS);Cells in SEN group were added with 1 μg/ml LPS+4 μmol/L SEN,and cells in MCC950 group were added with 1 μg/ml LPS+10 μmol/L MCC950 for 24 hours.CCK-8 method was used to detect the effect of different concentrations of SEN on the viability of BV2 cells.Griess method was used to determine the release amount of nitric oxide(NO)in the supernatant.Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of NLRP3,lymphocyte apoptosis-associated spect-like protein containing a CARD(ASC),caspase-1,interleukin(IL)-1β and IL-18 mRNA.Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression levels of ASC,IL-1β,Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1).Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of NLRP3,caspase-1,ASC,IL-1β,IL-18,Nrf2,HO-1,nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB)and inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS).Results The results of CCK-8 method showed that there was no significant difference in the viability of BV2 cells treated with 2～20 μmol/L SEN compared with control group(P>0.05).Compared with control group,the viability of BV2 cells in model group decreased significantly(P<0.05).Compared with model group,the viability of BV2 cells in 4 μmol/L SEN group was significantly restored(P<0.05).Compared with control group,the results of Griess method showed that the release amount of NO in cells of model group increased significantly(P<0.05);the results of real-time PCR showed that the expression levels of NLRP3,ASC,caspase-1,IL-1β and IL-18 mRNA in cells of model group increased significantly(P<0.05);the results of Western blotting showed that the protein expression levels of NLRP3,ASC,caspase-1,IL-1β and IL-18 proteins in cells of model group increased significantly(P<0.05),and the immunofluorescence staining results showed that the expression levels of iNOS and NF-κB protein in cells of model group increased,and the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 decreased,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Compared with model group,the release amount of NO in cells of SEN group and MCC950 group decreased,and the expression levels of NLRP3,ASC,caspase-1,IL-1β and IL-18 mRNA and proteins decreased,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05);in the SEN group,the expression levels of iNOS and NF-κB decreased,and immunofluorescence staining showed that Nrf2 was translocated into the nucleus,and the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins increased significantly,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Conclusions SEN could alleviate the inflammatory response of mouse microglia cells induced by LPS and inhibit the activation and expression of NLRP3 inflammasome,with an effect comparable to that of the inflammasome inhibitor MCC950.The mechanism may be related to the regulation of the expression of upstream factors Nrf2 and HO-1.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of thickness changes in peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer(pRNFL)and identify related risk factors in patients with Moyamoya disease(MMD).Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 150 MMD patients(150 eyes)aged 6-65 years admitted to the Neurosurgery Department of the Fifth Medical Center,Chinese PLA General Hospital from May 2016 to December 2023(observation group),and 150 age-matched healthy volunteers(150 eyes)from the hospital's ophthalmology outpatient department(control group).Both groups were subdivided into pediatric(≤18 years),young adult(18-40 years),and middle-aged(40-65 years)subgroups.The pRNFL thickness in four quadrants was measured by optical coherence tomography(OCT):superior(pRNFL-Sup),inferior(pRNFL-Inf),nasal(pRNFL-Nas),temporal(pRNFL-Tmp),and average thickness(pRNFL-Avg).General clinical data and pRNFL thickness were compared between two groups.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for pRNFL thinning in MMD patients.The cohort was randomly divided into training(n=210)and validation(n=90)sets at a 7:3 ratio.A predictive model for pRNFL thinning in MMD patients was constructed based on logistic regression results.Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC),and clinical utility was assessed via decision curve analysis.Results Compared with control group,MMD patients exhibited significantly reduced pRNFL-Avg,pRNFL-Sup,pRNFL-Tmp,and pRNFL-Inf thickness(P<0.05 or P<0.001),while pRNFL-Nas showed no significant difference(P>0.05).In the pediatric subgroup,pRNFL-Avg and pRNFL-Inf were thinner(P<0.05).In the young adult subgroup,pRNFL-Avg and pRNFL-Sup were reduced(P<0.001 or P<0.05).In the middle-aged subgroup,pRNFL-Avg,pRNFL-Sup,pRNFL-Inf,and pRNFL-Tmp were all thinner(P<0.05 or P<0.001).Multivariate logistic regression identified visual field defects(OR=15.28,95%CI 2.95-79.10),disease duration(OR=1.11,95%CI 1.05-1.18),and the number of involved cerebral vessels(OR=1.49,95%CI 1.01-2.22)as independent risk factors for pRNFL thinning.The predictive model achieved AUC of 0.94(95%CI 0.91-0.97)and 0.95(95%CI 0.91-0.99)in the training and validation sets,respectively.Decision curve analysis confirmed the model's favorable clinical net benefit.Conclusion Thinning of pRNFL was observed in Moyamoya disease patients with visual field defects,disease duration,and cerebral vascular involvement identified as independent risk factors for pRNFL atrophy.

Objective To evaluate the clinical application value of the half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin echo(HASTE)sequence based on deep learning(DL)in pancreatic T2WI.Methods Data were collected from 41 patients who un-derwent both BLADE and DL-HASTE sequence scans during pancreatic T2WI at some hospital from February to July 2023.Qualitative assessments were made regarding overall image quality,pancreatic edge sharpness,pancreatic duct edge sharp-ness,pancreatic duct visua-lization(proximal,middle and distal segments)and lesion visibility of BLADE-sequence and DL-HASTE-sequence images.Quantitative assessments were carried out in terms of scan time,signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR).Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 24.0.Results DL-HASTE sequence behaved significantly better than BLADE in pancreatic duct edge sharpness,pancreatic duct visualization,lesion visibility,scan time and CNR,while worse in pane-reatic edge sharpness(all P＜0.05).There were significant differences between DL-HASTE and BLADE sequences in overall image quality and SNR(all P＞0.05).Conclusion The DL-HASTE sequence maintains image quality while significantly shor-tening scan time,making it suitable for patients with irregular respiratory rates.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(3):59-63]

Objective To evaluate the clinical application value of the half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin echo(HASTE)sequence based on deep learning(DL)in pancreatic T2WI.Methods Data were collected from 41 patients who un-derwent both BLADE and DL-HASTE sequence scans during pancreatic T2WI at some hospital from February to July 2023.Qualitative assessments were made regarding overall image quality,pancreatic edge sharpness,pancreatic duct edge sharp-ness,pancreatic duct visua-lization(proximal,middle and distal segments)and lesion visibility of BLADE-sequence and DL-HASTE-sequence images.Quantitative assessments were carried out in terms of scan time,signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR).Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 24.0.Results DL-HASTE sequence behaved significantly better than BLADE in pancreatic duct edge sharpness,pancreatic duct visualization,lesion visibility,scan time and CNR,while worse in pane-reatic edge sharpness(all P＜0.05).There were significant differences between DL-HASTE and BLADE sequences in overall image quality and SNR(all P＞0.05).Conclusion The DL-HASTE sequence maintains image quality while significantly shor-tening scan time,making it suitable for patients with irregular respiratory rates.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(3):59-63]

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) diseases are common clinical conditions. The number of patients with TMJ diseases is large, and the etiology, epidemiology, disease spectrum, and treatment of the disease remain controversial and unknown. To understand and master the current situation of the occurrence, development and prevention of TMJ diseases, as well as to identify the patterns in etiology, incidence, drug sensitivity, and prognosis is crucial for alleviating patients′suffering.This will facilitate in-depth medical research, effective disease prevention measures, and the formulation of corresponding health policies. Cohort construction and research has an irreplaceable role in precise disease prevention and significant improvement in diagnosis and treatment levels. Large-scale cohort studies are needed to explore the relationship between potential risk factors and outcomes of TMJ diseases, and to observe disease prognoses through long-term follw-ups. The consensus aims to establish a standard conceptual frame work for a cohort study on patients with TMJ disease while providing ideas for cohort data standards to this condition. TMJ disease cohort data consists of both common data standards applicable to all specific disease cohorts as well as disease-specific data standards. Common data were available for each specific disease cohort. By integrating different cohort research resources, standard problems or study variables can be unified. Long-term follow-up can be performed using consistent definitions and criteria across different projects for better core data collection. It is hoped that this consensus will be facilitate the development cohort studies of TMJ diseases.

Surgical operation is the main treatment of oral and maxillofacial tumors.Dysphagia is a common postoperative complication.Swal-lowing disorder can not only lead to mis-aspiration,malnutrition,aspiration pneumonia and other serious consequences,but also may cause psychological problems and social communication barriers,affecting the quality of life of the patients.At present,there is no systematic evalua-tion and rehabilitation management plan for the problem of swallowing disorder after oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery in China.Combining the characteristics of postoperative swallowing disorder in patients with oral and maxillofacial tumors,summarizing the clinical experience of ex-perts in the field of tumor and rehabilitation,reviewing and summarizing relevant literature at home and abroad,and through joint discussion and modification,a group of national experts reached this consensus including the core contents of the screening of swallowing disorders,the phased assessment of prognosis and complications,and the implementation plan of comprehensive management such as nutrition management,respiratory management,swallowing function recovery,psychology and nursing during rehabilitation treatment,in order to improve the evalua-tion and rehabilitation of swallowing disorder after oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery in clinic.

Oral solid dosage(OSD) occupies a key position in the market of Chinese patent medicines and new traditional Chinese medicines. Processing route is the foundation for the research and development of traditional Chinese medicine OSDs. On the basis of prescriptions and preparation methods of 1 308 traditional Chinese medicine OSDs recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, we summarized the patterns of processing routes of both modern dosage forms(tablets, granules, and capsules) and traditional dosage forms(pills and powder) and constructed a manufacturing classification system(MCS) based on the processing routes. Based on the MCS, statistical analyses were conducted respectively on medicinal materials, pharmaceutical excipients, extraction solvents in the pretreatment process, crushed medicinal materials, methods of concentration and purification, and methods of drying and granulation, aiming to uncover the process features. The results showed that each dosage form can be prepared via different routes with different processing methods of decoction pieces and raw materials for dosage preparation. The raw materials for dosage form preparation of traditional Chinese medicine OSDs included total extract, semi-extract, and total crushed powder, which accounted for different proportions. The raw materials for traditional dosage forms are mainly decoction pieces powder. Semi-extracts are the main raw materials for tablets and capsules, which account for 64.8% and 56.3%, respectively. Total extracts are the main raw materials for granules, with a proportion of 77.8%. Compared with tablets and capsules, traditional Chinese medicine granules with dissolubility requirements had a larger proportion of water extraction process, a higher proportion of refining process(34.7%), and a lower proportion of crushed medicinal mate-rials in semi-extract granules. There are four ways to add volatile oil to the modern dosage forms of traditional Chinese medicine. In addition, some new technologies and processes have been used in concentration, filtration, and granulation processes of traditional Chinese medicine OSDs, and the application of pharmaceutical excipients is diversified. The results of this study are expected to provide reference for the processing route design and upgrading of OSDs for new traditional Chinese medicines.
Capsules ; Excipients ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Powders

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the report status of outcomes and measurement instruments of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia, so as to provide a basis for designing clinical trials and developing the core outcome set in acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia. METHODS: RCTs of acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia were searched in databases i.e. CNKI, SinoMed, Wanfang, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science and clinical trial registries i.e. ClinicalTrials.gov and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), from January 1st, 2012 to October 30th, 2021. By literature screening and data extraction, outcomes and measurement instruments were summarized and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 172 trials (including 165 RCTs and 7 ongoing trials registrations) were included, involving 91 outcomes. The outcomes could be classified into 7 domains according to functional attributes, namely clinical manifestation, physical and chemical examination, quality of life, TCM symptoms/syndromes, long-term prognosis, safety assessment and economic evaluation. It was found that there were various measurements instruments with large differences, inconsistent measurement time point and without discriminatively reporting primary or secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION The status quo of outcomes and measurement instruments of RCTs of acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia is not conducive to the summary and comparison of each trial's results. Thus, it is suggested to develop a core outcome set for acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia to improve the normative and research quality of their clinical trial design.
Humans ; Deglutition Disorders/therapy* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Databases, Factual ; Physical Examination ; Stroke/complications*