ObjectiveTo elucidate the efficacy connotation of Shudi Qiangjin pills （SQP） against liver and kidney deficiency in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head （SONFH） from the perspective of the "disease-syndrome-formula" association and to clarify the underlying mechanisms based on in vivo and in vitro experiment validation. MethodsThe chemical components and the corresponding putative targets of SQP were collected from the Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCMIP） v2.0， the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine （ETCM） v2.0， and HERB databases. The SONFH-related genes were identified based on the differential expression profiles of peripheral blood of patients with SONFH compared to the healthy volunteers， and the disease phenotype-related targets were collected from the TCMIP v2.0 database. Then， the interaction network of "SONFH-related genes and candidate targets of SQP" was constructed based on "gene-gene interaction information"， and the major network targets were screened by calculating the topological characteristic values of the network followed by the functional mining according to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） database and the SoFDA database. After that， the SONFH rat model was prepared by lipopolysaccharide combined with methylprednisolone injection， and 2.5， 5， 7.5 g·kg^-1 SQP （once per day， equivalent to 1， 2， and 3 times the clinical equivalent dose， respectively） or 7.3×10^-3 g·kg^-1 of alendronate sodium （ALS， once per week， equivalent to the clinical equivalent dose） was given for 8 weeks. The effect characteristics of SQP and ALS in the treatment of SONFH were evaluated by micro-computed tomography scanning， hematoxylin and eosin staining， alkaline phosphatase （ALP） staining， immunohistochemical staining， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay， and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling（TUNEL）staining， and a comparative efficacy analysis was conducted with ALS. In addition， SONFH cell models were prepared by dexamethasone stimulation of osteoblasts， and the intervention was carried out with the medicated serum of SQP at the aforementioned three doses. Cell counting kit-8， ALP staining， ALP activity assay， alizarin red staining， and flow cytometry were employed to investigate the regulatory effect of SQP on osteoblasts. The expression levels of osteogenesis-related proteins and key factors of the target signaling axis were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. ResultsThe network analysis results demonstrated that the candidate targets of SQP primarily exerted their therapeutic effects through key signaling pathways， including phosphoinositide 3-kinase（PI3K）/protein kinase B（Akt）， lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis， prolactin， chemokines， and neurotrophic factors pathways. These pathways were significantly involved in critical biological processes such as muscle and bone metabolism and the regulation of the "neuro-endocrine-immune" network， thereby addressing both modern medical symptoms （e.g.， delayed skeletal maturation and recurrent fractures） and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptoms （e.g.， fatigue， aversion to cold， cold limbs， and pain in the limbs and joints in patients with SONFH characterized by liver and kidney deficiency syndrome. Among these pathways， the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway exhibited the highest degree of enrichment. The in vivo experimental results demonstrated that starting from the 4^th week after modeling， the modeling group exhibited a significant reduction in body weight compared to the control group （P<0.05）. After six weeks of treatment， all dosage groups of SQP showed significantly higher body weights compared to the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the model group exhibited significant decreases in bone mineral density （BMD）， bone volume fraction （BV/TV）， trabecular number （Tb.N）， osteocalcin （OCN）， alkaline phosphatase （ALP） levels in femoral head tissue， and serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase （BALP） （P<0.01）， along with significant increases in trabecular separation （Tb.Sp）， empty lacunae rate in tissue， and apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. In comparison to the model group， the SQP intervention groups showed significant improvements in BMD， BV/TV and Tb.N （P<0.01）， significant reductions in Tb.Sp， empty lacunae rate and apoptosis rate （P<0.05）， and significant increases in protein levels of OCN and ALP as well as BALP content （P<0.05）. The in vitro experimental results revealed that all dosage groups of SQP medicated serum showed no toxic effects on osteoblast. Compared with the normal group， the model group displayed significant suppression of osteoblast proliferation activity， ALP activity， and calcified nodule formation rate （P<0.01）， significant decreases in mRNA transcription levels of OCN and Runt-related transcription factor 2 （RUNX2） （P<0.01）， significant reductions in protein content of osteopontin （OPN）， typeⅠ collagen （ColⅠ）A1， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， PI3K， and phosphorylated （p）-Akt （P<0.01）， and a significant increase in apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the SQP medicated serum intervention groups exhibited significant increases in proliferation activity， ALP activity， calcified nodule formation rate， mRNA transcription levels of OCN and RUNX2， and protein content of OPN， ColⅠA1， Bcl-2， PI3K， and p-Akt （P<0.05）， along with a significant decrease in apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. ConclusionSQP can effectively reduce the disease severity of SONFH with liver and kidney deficiency syndrome and improve bone microstructure， with the therapeutic effects exhibiting a dose-dependent manner. The mechanism may be related to its regulation of key processes such as muscle and bone metabolism and the correction of imbalances in the "neuro-endocrine-immune" network， thereby promoting osteoblast differentiation and inhibiting osteoblast apoptosis. The PI3K/Akt signaling axis is likely one of the key pathways through which this formula exerts its effects.

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.

ObjectiveTo establish an ultra-performance liquid fingerprint and multi-components determination method for Naomaili granules. To evaluate the quality of different batches by chemometrics， and the anti-neuroinflammatory effects of water extract and main components of Naomaili granules were tested in vitro. MethodsThe similarity and common peaks of 27 batches of Naomaili granules were evaluated by using Ultra performance liquid chromatography （UPLC） fingerprint detection. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （UPLC-MS/MS） technology was used to determine the content of the index components in Naomaili granules and to evaluate the quality of different batches of Naomaili granules by chemometrics. LPS-induced BV-2 cell inflammation model was used to investigate the anti-neuroinflammatory effects of the water extract and main components of Naomaili granules. ResultsThe similarity of fingerprints of 27 batches of samples was > 0.90. A total of 32 common peaks were calibrated， and 23 of them were identified and assigned. In 27 batches of Naomaili granules， the mass fractions of 14 components that were stachydrine hydrochloride， leonurine hydrochloride， calycosin-7-O-glucoside， calycosin，tanshinoneⅠ， cryptotanshinone， tanshinoneⅡ_A， ginsenoside Rb₁， notoginsenoside R₁， ginsenoside Rg₁， paeoniflorin， albiflorin， lactiflorin， and salvianolic acid B were found to be 2.902-3.498， 0.233-0.343， 0.111-0.301， 0.07-0.152， 0.136-0.228， 0.195-0.390， 0.324-0.482， 1.056-1.435， 0.271-0.397， 1.318-1.649， 3.038-4.059， 2.263-3.455， 0.152-0.232， 2.931-3.991 mg∙g^-1， respectively. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that paeoniflorin， ginsenoside Rg₁， ginsenoside Rb₁ and staphylline hydrochloride were quality difference markers to control the stability of the preparation. The results of bioactive experiment showed that the water extract of Naomaili granules and the eight main components with high content in the prescription had a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the release of NO in the cell supernatant. Among them， salvianolic acid B and ginsenoside Rb₁ had strong anti-inflammatory activity， with IC₅₀ values of （36.11±0.15） mg∙L^-1 and （27.24±0.54） mg∙L^-1， respectively. ConclusionThe quality evaluation method of Naomaili granules established in this study was accurate and reproducible. Four quality difference markers were screened out， and eight key pharmacodynamic substances of Naomaili granules against neuroinflammation were screened out by in vitro cell experiments.

Antibody-drug conjugates （ADCs） are a novel class of anti-tumor agents composed of a targeted monoclonal antibody， a cytotoxic drug， and a linker connecting the two. They combine the high specificity of antibodies with the potent cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents. Triple-negative breast cancer （TNBC） is characterized by high aggressiveness， elevated risks of recurrence and metastasis， and poor prognosis， largely due to the lack of effective therapeutic targets. This review summarizes the research progress of ADCs in the treatment of TNBC. It has been found that ADCs targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 （such as trastuzumab deruxtecan）， trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 （such as sacituzumab govitecan and datopotamab deruxtecan）， zinc transporter LIV-1 （such as ladiratuzumab vedotin）， HER-3 （such as patritumab deruxtecan）， epidermal growth factor receptor （such as AVID100）， and glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B （such as glembatumumab vedotin） have all demonstrated promising therapeutic effects against TNBC. Despite challenges including acquired resistance and treatment-related toxicities， ADCs are undoubtedly reshaping the therapeutic landscape for TNBC and are expected to occupy a more central position in TNBC treatment in the future.

Objective: To investigate the trends in incidence and mortality of lung cancer in Huangpu District, Shanghai Municipality from 2002 to 2019, so as to provide the evidence for formulating lung cancer prevention and control measures. Methods: Data of lung cancer incidence and mortality among residents in Huangpu District from 2002 to 2019 were collected through the Shanghai Cancer Registration and Reporting Management System. The crude incidence and mortality of lung cancer was calculated, and standardized by the data from the Chinese Fifth National Population Census in 2000 (Chinese-standardized rate) and the Segi's world standard population in 1960 (world-standardized rate). The trends in incidence and mortality of lung cancer among residents by age and gender were evaluated using annual percent change (APC). Results: A total of 12 965 cases of lung cancer were reported in Huangpu District from 2002 to 2019, and the crude incidence rate was 80.66/105, the Chinese-standardized incidence rate was 34.54/105, and the world-standardized incidence rate was 31.30/105, all showing upward trends (APC=4.588%, 2.933% and 3.247%, all P<0.05). A total of 10 102 deaths of lung cancer were reported, and the crude mortality rate was 62.30/105, showing an upward trend (APC=0.959%, P<0.05); the Chinese-standardized mortality was 25.93/105, and the world-standardized mortality was 22.05/105, both showing downward trends (APC=-1.282% and -1.263%, both P<0.05). The crude incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer in males were higher than those in females (101.39/105 vs. 60.52/105, 85.45/105 vs. 39.87/105, both P<0.05). The crude incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer showed upward trends with age (both P<0.05), reaching their peaks in the age groups of 80-<85 years (341.37/105) and 85 years or above (355.97/105), respectively. Conclusions The incidence of lung cancer showed an upward trend, while the mortality showed a downward trend in Huangpu District from 2002 to 2019. Elderly men were the high-risk group for lung cancer incidence and mortality.

Shegan Mahuangtang was a famous classical formula for treating asthma and is included in the the Catalogue of Ancient Famous Classical Formulas（The Second Batch）. By means of bibliometrics， this study conducts a textual research and analysis on the key information of its formula origin， composition， drug origins， processing， dosage， decocting methods， efficacy， and clinical application. According to research， Shegan Mahuangtang was first recorded in Synopsis of the Golden Chamber and is the ancestral formula for treating cold asthma， which has been used to this day. Suggestions for the drug origins in Shegan Mahuangtang is as follows：Shegan is selected from the dried rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis（Iridaceae）， Mahuang is selected from the dried herbaceous stems of Ephedra sinica（Ephedraceae）， Shengjiang is selected from the fresh rhizomes of Zingiber officinale（Zingiberaceae）， Xixin is selected from the dried roots and rhizomes of Asarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum， A. sieboldii var. seoulense or A. sieboldii（Aristolochiaceae）， Ziwan is selected from the dried roots and rhizomes of Aster tataricus（Compositae）， Kuandonghua is selected from the dried flower buds of Tussilago farfara（Compositae）， Nanwuweizi is selected from the dried mature fruits of Schisandra sphenanthera（Magnoliaceae）， Dazao is selected from the dried mature fruit of Ziziphus jujuba（Rhamnaceae）， and Banxia， a plant of the Araceae family， is selected as the processed products of dried tubers from Pinellia ternata. The recommended dosage is 41.4 g of Shegan， Xixin， Ziwan and Kuandonghua， 55.2 g of Mahuang and Shengjiang， 37.5 g of Nanwuweizi， 21 g of Dazao， 34.5 g of Banxia. The decoction method is to boil Mahuang first in 2.4 L of water， remove the froth on the top， and add the rest of the herbs and decoct them together， and then boil them to 600 mL， and then take it at warm temperature， 200 mL each time， 3 times a day. In terms of clinical application， Shegan Mahuangtang is most commonly used for respiratory system diseases， especially in the treatment of adult or pediatric bronchial asthma and cough variant asthma. Phlegm sound in the throat is the core symptom of Shegan Mahuangtang in clinical practice， and the core pathogenesis is "cold fluid stagnated in the lungs". By excavating and sorting out the ancient and modern literature of Shegan Mahuangtang， key information is confirmed， which can provide literature reference for the modern clinical application and new drug development of this famous classical formula.

Lactate, with a chemical formula of C₃H₆O₃, is an intermediate product of glucose metabolism in the body and a raw material for hepatic gluconeogenesis. Under physiological resting conditions, the body mainly relies on aerobic oxidation of sugar and fat for energy supply, so the blood lactate concentration is lower. However, during exercise, the enhanced glycolysis in skeletal muscles leads to the significant release of lactate into the bloodstream, causing a marked increase in blood lactate concentration. Traditionally, lactate has been regarded as a metabolic waste product of glycolysis and a contributor to exercise-induced fatigue. Nevertheless, recent studies have revealed that, in humans, lactate is a major vehicle for carbohydrate carbon distribution and metabolism, serving not only as an energy substance alongside glucose but also as a vital component in various biological pathways involved in cardiac energetics, muscle adaptation, brain function, growth and development, and inflammation therapy. Two primary pathways can elevate lactate levels in neurons during exercise. One is peripheral skeletal muscle-derived lactate, which can enter the bloodstream and cross the blood-brain barrier into the brain with the assistance of monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) from the solute carrier family 16 (SLC16). The other is the central brain-derived pathway. During exercise, neuronal activity is enhanced, promoting the secretion of neuroactive substances such as glutamate, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the brain. This activates astrocytes to break down glycogen into lactate and stimulates glutamate from the presynaptic terminal into the synaptic cleft. It upregulates the glucose transport protein-1 (GLUT-1) expression, allowing astrocytes to convert glucose into lactate through glycolysis. The lactate is produced via peripheral pathways and central pathways during exercise are transported by astrocyte membrane monocarboxylate transporters MCT1 and MCT4 to the extracellular space, where neurons take it up through neuronal cell membrane MCT2. The lactate in neurons can serve as an alternative energy source of glucose for neuronal functional activities, meeting the increased energy demands of synaptic activity during exercise, and maintaining energy balance and normal physiological function in the brain. Additionally, acting as a signaling molecule lactate can enhance synaptic plasticity through the SIRT1/PGC-1α/FNDC5 and ERK1/2 signaling pathways, lactate can promote angiogenesis by upregulating VEGF-A expression through the PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2 signaling pathways, stimulate neurogenesis via the Akt/PKB signaling pathway, and reduce neuroinflammation through activation of the “lactate timer”. Overall, lactate contributes to the protection of neurons, the promotion of learning and memory, the enhancement of synaptic plasticity, and the reduction of neuroinflammation in the nervous system. While lactate may serve as a potential mediator for information exchange between the peripheral and central nervous systems during exercise, further experimental research is needed to elucidate its action mechanisms in the nervous system. In addition, future studies should utilize advanced neurophysiological and molecular biology techniques to uncover the importance of lactate in maintaining brain function and preventing neurological diseases. Accordingly, this article first reviews the historical research on lactate, then summarizes the metabolic characteristics and neuronal sources of lactate, and finally explores the role and mechanisms of exercise-induced lactate in the nervous system, aiming to provide new perspectives and targets for understanding the mechanisms underlying exercise promotion of brain health.

ObjectivePhotoacoustic pump-probe imaging can effectively eliminate the interference of blood background signal in traditional photoacoustic imaging, and realize the imaging of weak phosphorescence molecules and their triplet lifetimes in deep tissues. However, background differential noise in photoacoustic pump-probe imaging often leads to large fitting results of phosphorescent molecule concentration and triplet lifetime. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel triplet lifetime fitting method for photoacoustic pump-probe imaging. By extracting the phase of the triplet differential signal and the background noise, the fitting bias caused by the background noise can be effectively corrected. MethodsThe advantages and feasibility of the proposed algorithm are verified by numerical simulation, phantom and in vivo experiments, respectively. ResultsIn the numerical simulation, under the condition of noise intensity being 10% of the signal amplitude, the new method can optimize the fitting deviation from 48.5% to about 5%, and has a higher exclusion coefficient (0.88>0.79), which greatly improves the fitting accuracy. The high specificity imaging ability of photoacoustic pump imaging for phosphorescent molecules has been demonstrated by phantom experiments. In vivo experiments have verified the feasibility of the new fitting method proposed in this paper for fitting phosphoometric lifetime to monitor oxygen partial pressure content during photodynamic therapy of tumors in nude mice. ConclusionThis work will play an important role in promoting the application of photoacoustic pump-probe imaging in biomedicine.

ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism by which Zhiqiao Gancao Decoction （枳壳甘草汤， ZGD） delays intervertebral disc degeneration （IDD） based on the Hippo-yes-associated protein （YAP）/transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif （TAZ） signaling pathway. MethodsA total of 50 SD rats were randomly divided into sham surgery group， model group， low-dose ZGD group， high-dose ZGD group， and high-dose ZGD + inhibitor group， with 10 rats in each group. In the sham surgery group， the rats were pierced in the skin and muscle at the Co6/7/8 segments of the tail with a 21G needle （depth approximately 2 mm） without damaging the intervertebral disc. In the other groups， rats were injected with a 21G needle at the Co6/7/8 segments of the tail to establish an IDD model by piercing the tail intervertebral disc 5 mm. One week after modeling， rats in the low-dose and high-dose ZGD groups were given 6.24 and 12.24 g/（kg·d） of the decoction via gastric gavage， respectively. The high-dose ZGD + inhibitor group was given 12.24 g/（kg·d） of the decoction and an intraperitoneal injection of YAP/TAZ inhibitor Verteporfin 10 mg/kg. The sham surgery and model groups were given 5 ml/（kg·d） of normal saline via gavage. The gavage was given once a day， and the intraperitoneal injection was given every other day. After 4 weeks of continuous intervention， the pathological changes of the tail intervertebral discs were observed using HE staining， Oil Red O-Green staining， and Toluidine Blue staining. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of aggrecan and MMP3 in the nucleus pulposus. TUNEL fluorescence staining was performed to detect apoptosis in the nucleus pulposus， and the apoptosis rate was calculated. Western blot was used to detect the Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling pathway， including YAP， phosphorylated YAP （p-YAP）， phosphorylated MST1/2 （p-MST1/2）， phosphorylated TAZ （p-TAZ） and apoptosis-related proteins， such as Cleaved Caspase 3， P53， Bcl-2 and Bax. ResultsCompared with sham surgery group， the rats in the model group showed significant degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. The levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins in the nucleus pulposus decreased， while the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and the apoptosis rate increased （P < 0.01）. Compared with the model group， the drug intervention groups showed partial recovery in intervertebral disc degeneration. The levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins increased， while the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and the apoptosis rate decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The high-dose ZGD group showed more significant recovery in intervertebral disc degeneration compared to the low-dose ZGD group， with a decrease in the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and apoptosis rate， and an increase in the levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with the high-dose ZGD group， the high-dose ZGD + inhibitor group showed a reduced recovery in intervertebral disc degeneration， with an increase in the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and apoptosis rate， and a decrease in the levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionZGD may delay intervertebral disc degeneration by inhibiting the phosphorylation of YAP in the nucleus pulposus， maintaining the function of the Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling pathway， and reducing apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells.

To summarize the perioperative nursing experiences of 8 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who received Yttrium-90 resin microsphere selective internal radiation therapy (⁹⁰Y-SIRT) at the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University. Key nursing points: a nursing team should be established prior to the ⁹⁰Y-SIRT procedure to dynamically assess the patient’s conditions and conduct preoperative education and preparation; during the procedure, nurses should closely coordinate with physicians and ensure radiation protection; after the procedure, strict implementation of radiation nursing, infusion management, puncture site management, and other nursing measures should be enforced, along with discharge safety guidance. After systematic assessment, treatment, and nursing care, all 8 patients successfully underwent the ⁹⁰Y-SIRT and were discharged. During the 6-month follow-up, all 8 patients showed good recovery.