It is argued that the theoretical framework of system traditional Chinese medicine （STCM） suffers from issues such as the confusion between philosophical and medical principles， as well as a lack of concise expression， which subsequently hinders its clinical translation. Based on meta-holism， the fundamental principles of STCM are reconstructed into three core components， the autonomy principle， the orderliness principle， and the self-stability principle. Together， these three principles constitute the fundamental guarantee for the operation of self-organizing systems. Building upon this foundation， three pathways for the clinical translation of STCM theory are proposed. Systemic state identification is the key to precision medicine in traditional Chinese medicine， requiring the dynamic quantitative expression of "syndrome" through mathematical modeling. Big data-based expert consensus is the basic method to construct refined and precise syndrome differentiation. Artificial intelligence is an effective approach to realize the clinical transformation of the theory and advance precision medicine.

It is argued that the theoretical framework of system traditional Chinese medicine （STCM） suffers from issues such as the confusion between philosophical and medical principles， as well as a lack of concise expression， which subsequently hinders its clinical translation. Based on meta-holism， the fundamental principles of STCM are reconstructed into three core components， the autonomy principle， the orderliness principle， and the self-stability principle. Together， these three principles constitute the fundamental guarantee for the operation of self-organizing systems. Building upon this foundation， three pathways for the clinical translation of STCM theory are proposed. Systemic state identification is the key to precision medicine in traditional Chinese medicine， requiring the dynamic quantitative expression of "syndrome" through mathematical modeling. Big data-based expert consensus is the basic method to construct refined and precise syndrome differentiation. Artificial intelligence is an effective approach to realize the clinical transformation of the theory and advance precision medicine.

The distribution of the common acupoints of acupuncture-moxibustion for gastrointestinal diseases conforms to the rule of the segmental homology of somatic afferent nerve-visceral nerve circuit at the spinal cord level. Acupuncture-moxibustion regulates the gastrointestinal function through the nerve-endocrine-immune system, and especially depending on the integrity of the structure and function of nervous system. The somatic afferent nerve-visceral nerve circuit plays an important role in the process of acupuncture and moxibustion for regulating the gastrointestinal function. There are three dimensions. ① The somatic afferent nerve-visceral nerve circuit at the peripheral level, including the somatic afferent nerve-visceral afferent nerve circuit centered on the dorsal root ganglion, and the somatic afferent nerve-visceral efferent nerve circuit centered on the sympathetic ganglia; ② that at the spinal cord level; ③ that at the supra-spinal cord level, focusing on the various reflex circuits with the solitary nucleus involved. The somatic afferent nerve-visceral nerve circuit at the spinal level and inferior to it determines the segmental regulation of acupuncture-moxibustion in the gastrointestinal system, while that at the level superior to the spinal cord determines the supersegmental action of acupuncture-moxibustion in regulating the gastrointestinal system. The neurophysiological mechanism of acupuncture-moxibustion is multi-circuits and multi-targets in regulating gastrointestinal function.
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; Gastrointestinal Tract/physiology* ; Animals ; Neurons, Afferent/physiology* ; Afferent Pathways/physiology*

ObjectiveTo investigate three representative conditions, gallbladder colic, renal colic, and primary dysmenorrhea, to identify trends and regularities in acupoint selection and provide evidence-based references for clinical practice.MethodsClinical studies on acupuncture for gallbladder colic, renal colic, and primary dysmenorrhea published between 2006 and 2025 were retrieved from the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), Wanfang, and PubMed. Bibliometric analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0, and the Apriori algorithm was applied to evaluate acupoint-use patterns.ResultsThe analysis demonstrated that commonly selected acupoints for these conditions have remained relatively consistent over the past two decades. Frequently used acupoints for gallbladder colic included Yanglingquan (GB 34), Dannang (EX-LE 6), Qiuxu (GB 40), Taichong (LR 3), Danshu (BL 19), Zusanli (ST 36), Qimen (LR 14), Riyue (GB 24), and Ganshu (BL 18). For renal colic, the most frequently reported points were Shenshu (BL 23), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zusanli (ST 36), Yinlingquan (SP 9), Jingmen (GB 25), Guanyuan (CV 4), Ashi points, Zhongji (CV 3), and Pangguangshu (BL 28). The main acupoints for primary dysmenorrhea were Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), Ciliao (BL 32), Diji (SP 8), Shiqizhui (EX-B 8), Zhongji (CV 3), Zusanli (ST 36), Zigong (EX-CA 1), and Qihai (CV 6). On average, treatment protocols employed 3–4 acupoints per session.ConclusionsThe most frequently selected acupoints for visceral smooth muscle spasmodic pain were located within the ganglion segment innervation areas, showing close association with the target organs. Furthermore, treatment protocols typically involved a small number of acupoints. These findings highlight the need for further systematic research, particularly randomized controlled trials, to validate and strengthen the evidence base.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of and risk factors associated with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) coinfections among patients with newly diagnosed syphilis at a hospital in Nanjing. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with newly diagnosed syphilis at the STD Clinic, Hospital of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Nanjing, China from May 2023 to April 2024. Urethral, cervical or rectal swabs were collected according to the gender and types of sexual behavior of the patients. Screening tests for CT, NG and HPV infections were then performed by nucleic acid amplification testing. High-risk HPV testing was performed only in female patients. Univariate analysis was carried out to investigate risk factors associated with CT infection. The chi-square test, chi-square test with continuity correction, or Fisher's exact test was chosen based on the sample size and expected values.Results:A total of 111 newly diagnosed syphilis patients with test specimens were collected, including 71 males (64%) and 40 females (36%), and their ages ranged from 16 to 87 years; there were 82 patients with early syphilis and 29 with late latent syphilis; the number of sexual partners in the past 3 months ranged from 0 to 3. Among the 60 male patients with early syphilis, 1 (1.7%) was co-infected with NG, and 12 (20%) with CT; among the 16 men who have sex with men, 7 (43.8%) were co-infected with CT, while 5 (11.4%) of the 44 heterosexual patients were co-infected with CT, showing a significant difference in CT infection rates between the two groups ( χ2 = 5.80, P = 0.016). Among the 22 female patients with early syphilis, 1 (4.5%) was co-infected with NG, and 8 (36.4%) with CT; among the 12 female patients aged < 25 years, 8 (66.7%) were infected with CT, while none of the 7 patients aged 25-44 years or the 3 patients aged ≥ 45 years were infected with CT, showing a significant difference in CT infection rates among the 3 age groups ( P = 0.005) ; among the 16 female patients with 1 sexual partner in the past 3 months, 3 were infected with CT, while 5 were infected with CT in the 6 female patients with 2-3 sexual partners in the past 3 months, with a significant difference in CT infection rates between the two groups ( P = 0.011). Out of the 40 female patients with syphilis, 16 (40%) were co-infected with high-risk HPV; the HPV infection rates did not differ among different age groups (age groups of < 25 years, 25-44 years, ≥ 45 years: 8/14, 2/9, 6/17, respectively; P = 0.265) . Conclusion:The CT infection rate was relatively high in patients with newly diagnosed early syphilis, and a relatively high infection rate of high-risk HPV was observed in female patients with syphilis aged < 25 years.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of and risk factors associated with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) coinfections among patients with newly diagnosed syphilis at a hospital in Nanjing. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with newly diagnosed syphilis at the STD Clinic, Hospital of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Nanjing, China from May 2023 to April 2024. Urethral, cervical or rectal swabs were collected according to the gender and types of sexual behavior of the patients. Screening tests for CT, NG and HPV infections were then performed by nucleic acid amplification testing. High-risk HPV testing was performed only in female patients. Univariate analysis was carried out to investigate risk factors associated with CT infection. The chi-square test, chi-square test with continuity correction, or Fisher's exact test was chosen based on the sample size and expected values.Results:A total of 111 newly diagnosed syphilis patients with test specimens were collected, including 71 males (64%) and 40 females (36%), and their ages ranged from 16 to 87 years; there were 82 patients with early syphilis and 29 with late latent syphilis; the number of sexual partners in the past 3 months ranged from 0 to 3. Among the 60 male patients with early syphilis, 1 (1.7%) was co-infected with NG, and 12 (20%) with CT; among the 16 men who have sex with men, 7 (43.8%) were co-infected with CT, while 5 (11.4%) of the 44 heterosexual patients were co-infected with CT, showing a significant difference in CT infection rates between the two groups ( χ2 = 5.80, P = 0.016). Among the 22 female patients with early syphilis, 1 (4.5%) was co-infected with NG, and 8 (36.4%) with CT; among the 12 female patients aged < 25 years, 8 (66.7%) were infected with CT, while none of the 7 patients aged 25-44 years or the 3 patients aged ≥ 45 years were infected with CT, showing a significant difference in CT infection rates among the 3 age groups ( P = 0.005) ; among the 16 female patients with 1 sexual partner in the past 3 months, 3 were infected with CT, while 5 were infected with CT in the 6 female patients with 2-3 sexual partners in the past 3 months, with a significant difference in CT infection rates between the two groups ( P = 0.011). Out of the 40 female patients with syphilis, 16 (40%) were co-infected with high-risk HPV; the HPV infection rates did not differ among different age groups (age groups of < 25 years, 25-44 years, ≥ 45 years: 8/14, 2/9, 6/17, respectively; P = 0.265) . Conclusion:The CT infection rate was relatively high in patients with newly diagnosed early syphilis, and a relatively high infection rate of high-risk HPV was observed in female patients with syphilis aged < 25 years.

Objective To explore a nomogram model based on clinical characteristics and immune indicators for predicting the efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitor(TKI)against chronic myeloid leukemia(CML).Methods Clinical data was retrospectively collected from 100 patients with CML treated with TKI between January 2021 and January 2023 in Tangshan Gongren Hospital.Patients were divided into the best response and warning/treatment failure groups according to therapeutic efficacy.Factors affecting therapeutic efficacy were analyzed using logistic regression analysis,and a nomogram model was constructed.Results The best response and warning/treatment failure groups showed significant differences in red blood cell distribution width(RDW),platelet count(PLT),ELTS score,Th 1/CD4+,Treg/CD4+ratio,white blood cell count,and absolute value of natural killer cells(P＜0.05).Logistic regression confirmed that the above indicators were influencing factors(P＜0.05),indicating that the model was meaningful,and had a high goodness of fit as well as high predictive value.Conclusion The nomogram model constructed based on RDW,PLT,and other factors can effectively predict the thera-peutic efficacy of AKI in treating CML.

Objective To explore a nomogram model based on clinical characteristics and immune indicators for predicting the efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitor(TKI)against chronic myeloid leukemia(CML).Methods Clinical data was retrospectively collected from 100 patients with CML treated with TKI between January 2021 and January 2023 in Tangshan Gongren Hospital.Patients were divided into the best response and warning/treatment failure groups according to therapeutic efficacy.Factors affecting therapeutic efficacy were analyzed using logistic regression analysis,and a nomogram model was constructed.Results The best response and warning/treatment failure groups showed significant differences in red blood cell distribution width(RDW),platelet count(PLT),ELTS score,Th 1/CD4+,Treg/CD4+ratio,white blood cell count,and absolute value of natural killer cells(P＜0.05).Logistic regression confirmed that the above indicators were influencing factors(P＜0.05),indicating that the model was meaningful,and had a high goodness of fit as well as high predictive value.Conclusion The nomogram model constructed based on RDW,PLT,and other factors can effectively predict the thera-peutic efficacy of AKI in treating CML.

Objective To investigate the dynamics of NK cells and Treg cells,as well as their potential prognostic significance in relation to TKI discontinuation among patients diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia(CML).Methods In this study,a total of 200 patients diagnosed with CML were randomly selected and divided into two groups:the discontinuation group(n=100)and the non-discontinuation group(n=100).Within the discontinuation group,patients were further categorized into a recurrence subgroup(n=41)and a non-recurrence subgroup(n=59).Clinical data and follow-up information of these patients were retrospectively analyzed.Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the impact of various variables on patient outcomes following drug discontinuation,as well as to explore independent factors influencing recurrence in these individuals.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was employed to assess the predictive value of NK cells and Treg cells for TKI discontinuation outcomes.A significance level of P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results The proportion of patients treated with interferon in the discontinuation group was significantly higher than that in the non-discontinuation group(P<0.05).Moreover,the former group exhibited a significantly higher number of NK cells(P<0.05)and Treg cells(P<0.01)compared to the latter group.Compared to the recurrence group,there was a significant increase in the proportion of patients using interferon in the non-recurrence group(P<0.05),along with longer durations of TKI treatment and deep molecular response(DMR)duration(P<0.05).The number of NK cells and Treg cells in the non-recurrence group was significantly higher than that in the recurrence group(P<0.01).Logistic regression analysis found that the use of interferon(OR=1.25,95%CI:1.11～2.03,P<0.001),duration of DMR(OR=1.16,95%CI:1.08～1.92,P<0.05),NK cells(OR=1.64,95%CI:1.14～2.28,P<0.01),and Treg cells(OR=1.83,95%CI:1.15～2.42,P<0.01)were all influencing factors for the recurrence of patients after drug discontinuation.The results of ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of NK cells combined with Treg cells for predicting the recurrence of TKI after discontinuation was 0.892(95%CI:0.857～0.927,P<0.001).Conclusion The frequencies of NK cells and Treg cells were significantly elevated in patients who remained recurrence-free following TKI discontinuation,highlighting the potential predictive value of combined NK cell and Treg cell analysis for drug cessation in CML patients.

Objective To investigate the neuroprotective effect of methylene blue on diabetic retinopathy in rats. Methods Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into blank, control and experimental groups. The control and experimental groups were induced with diabetes by streptozotocin (STZ) intraperitoneal injection. After 6 weeks of successful modeling, the experimental group received intravitreal injection of methylene blue at a dose of [0.2 mg/(kg.d)], while the control group received an equal amount of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) intravitreal injection, both continuously injected for 7 days. ELISA was used to detect the levels of retinal superoxide dismutase (SOD), 8-iso-prostaglandin F2alpha (iPF2α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in rats. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of retinal extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation (p-ERK1/2) and phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT), and PAS staining was used to detect retinal morphological changes. Results Compared with the blank group rats, the retinal SOD activity in the control and experimental group rats was significantly reduced. iPF2α, IL-1β and p-ERK1/2 level increased, while p-AKT level decreased. Compared with the control group, the SOD activity of the experimental group rats increased. iPF2α and IL-1β level went down, while p-ERK1/2 and p-AKT level went up significantly. The overall thickness of the retinal layer and the number of retinal ganglion cells were significantly reduced. Conclusion Methylene blue improves diabetic retinopathy in rats by reducing retinal oxidative stress and enhancing ERK1/2 and AKT phosphorylation.
Rats ; Animals ; Diabetic Retinopathy/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Methylene Blue/pharmacology* ; Phosphorylation ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/drug therapy* ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism*