To study the ameliorative effect of Eucommiae Cortex extract on spatial learning disabilities in APP/PS1 double-transgenic mice and explore its relationship with estrogen receptor β(ERβ)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK) signaling pathway, sixty 3-month-old male APP/PS1 mice were randomly divided into a model group, an anti-brain failure capsule group(0.585 g·kg~(-1)), a donepezil hydrochloride group(0.65 mg·kg~(-1)), and a Eucommiae Cortex extract group(1.3 g·kg~(-1)), and 15 C57BL/6 mice of the same genetic background were set as WT control group. The learning and memory ability of mice was assessed by the Morris water maze test(MWM), the passive avoidance test(PAT), and the novel object recognition test(NOR). The histomorphological and cellular ultrastructural features of the hippocampal region of the mice were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy(TEM); the molecular docking validation of the key active ingredients and the key targets was performed by using AutoDock Vina software, and the immunohistochemical method(IHC) was used to detect the ERβ expression in the dentate gyrus(DG) area of mouse hippocampus. Western blot(WB) was utilized to detect the expression of ERβ, p-JNK, and JNK in mouse hippocampal area. Compared with those in the WT control group, the results of behavioral experiments showed that the latency of the mice in the model group was significantly increased, the number of platform traversals, and the target quadrant residence time were significantly decreased in the MWM. The evasion latency was significantly reduced, and the number of errors was significantly increased in the PAT. The index of recognition of novel objects was significantly reduced in the NOR. The results of HE staining indicated that the hippocampal area of mice in the model group showed a decrease in the number of neurons, disorganization of pyramidal cell arrangement, nucleus consolidation, and other changes. TEM results showed that some neuronal nuclei in the hippocampal area had a consolidated state, slightly thickened and aberrant nuclear membranes, and fewer intracytoplasmic nidus bodies; the IHC results showed that the expression of ERβ in the hippocampal DG area of the mice was reduced. The WB results showed that the ERβ expression in the hippocampal tissue was decreased, and the p-JNK/JNK level was elevated. Compared with the model group, the Eucommiae Cortex extract group showed a significant decrease in latency, and increase in number of platform traversals and target quadrant residence time in the MWM, a significant increase in evasion latency and decrease in number of errors in the PAT, and a significant increase in the index of recognition of novel objects in the NOR. In addition, there was an increase in the number of neurons in the hippocampal area of mice. The pyramidal cells tended to be arranged in an orderly manner; the nuclei of neurons in the hippocampal area were in a better state; the expression of ERβ in the hippocampal DG area of the mice was elevated; the expression of ERβ in the hippocampal tissue was elevated, and the level of p-JNK/JNK was reduced. The effects of donepezil hydrochloride group and anti-brain failure capsule on APP/PS1 mice in terms of behavioral, HE, and TEM indexes were similar to those of Eucommiae Cortex extract, and there was no significant difference between donepezil hydrochloride group and the model group in IHC and WB experiments, and the results of molecular docking indicated that the estrogen-like components in Eucommiae Cortex extract were tightly bound to ERβ. In conclusion, the binding of Eucommiae Cortex extract to estrogen receptors, regulation of ERβ expression, and activation of ERβ/JNK signaling pathway may be one of the key mechanisms by which it improves the learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 mice.
Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Memory/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Estrogen Receptor beta/genetics* ; Eucommiaceae/chemistry* ; Alzheimer Disease/psychology* ; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor/metabolism* ; Presenilin-1/metabolism* ; Humans ; MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Maze Learning/drug effects* ; Learning/drug effects*

BACKGROUND: Poly adenosine-diphosphate-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPi) have been approved to act as first-line maintenance (FL-M) therapy and as platinum-sensitive recurrent maintenance (PSR-M) therapy for ovarian cancer in China for >5 years. Herein, we have analyzed the clinical-application characteristics of olaparib and niraparib in ovarian cancer-maintenance therapy in a real-world setting to strengthen our understanding and promote their rational usage. METHODS: A retrospective chart review identified patients with newly diagnosed or platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer, who received olaparib or niraparib as maintenance therapy at Sichuan Cancer Hospital between August 1, 2018, and December 31, 2021. Patient medical records were reviewed. We grouped and analyzed patients based on the type of PARPi they used (the olaparib group and the niraparib group) and the line of PARPi maintenance therapy (the FL-M setting and the PSR-M setting). The primary endpoint was the 24-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate. RESULTS: In total, 131 patients (olaparib: n = 67, 51.1%; niraparib: n = 64, 48.9%) were enrolled. Breast cancer susceptibility genes ( BRCA ) mutations ( BRCA m) were significantly less common in the niraparib group than in the olaparib group [9.4% (6/64) vs . 62.7% (42/67), P <0.001], especially in the FL-M setting [10.4% (5/48) vs . 91.4% (32/35), P <0.001]. The 24-month progression-free survival (PFS) rates in the FL-M and PSR-M settings were 60.4% and 45.7%, respectively. In patients with BRCA m, the 24-month PFS rates in the FL-M and PSR-M settings were 62.2% and 72.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Olaparib and niraparib were effective in patients with ovarian cancer without any new safety signals except for skin pigmentation. In patients with BRCA m, the 24-month PFS of the PARPi used in the PSR-M setting was even higher than that used in the FL-M setting.
Humans ; Female ; Ovarian Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Piperazines/therapeutic use* ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Phthalazines/therapeutic use* ; Piperidines/therapeutic use* ; Indazoles/therapeutic use* ; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Adult ; Aged ; China ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy* ; Progression-Free Survival

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a well-accepted therapy for atopic dermatitis (AD). However, there are currently no evidence-based guidelines integrating TCM and Western medicine for the treatment of AD, limiting the clinical application of such combined approaches. Therefore, the China Association of Chinese Medicine initiated the development of the current guideline, focusing on key issues related to the use of TCM in the treatment of AD. This guideline was developed in accordance with the principles of the guideline formulation manual published by the World Health Organization. A comprehensive review of the literature on the combined use of TCM and Western medicine to treat AD was conducted. The findings were extensively discussed by experts in dermatology and pharmacy with expertise in both TCM and Western medicine. This guideline comprises 23 recommendations across seven major areas, including TCM syndrome differentiation and classification of AD, principles and application scenarios of TCM combined with Western medicine for treating AD, outcome indicators for evaluating clinical efficacy of AD treatment, integration of TCM pattern classification and Western medicine across disease stages, daily management of AD, the use of internal TCM therapies and proprietary Chinese medicines, and TCM external treatments. Please cite this article as: Du XR, Wu MY, Tao MC, Lin Y, Gu CY, Wu MF, Cao Y, Chen DC, Li W, Wang HW, Wang Y, Wang Y, Lu HZ, Liu X, Su XF, Li FL. Clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of atopic dermatitis with integrative traditional Chinese and Western medicine. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):641-653.
Dermatitis, Atopic/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Integrative Medicine ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

To develop a method for determining the antibody-dependent cell-mediated phagocytosis (ADCP) activity of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted antibody drug conjugate (ADC) based on the reporter gene assay, we established an ADCP activity assay with Jurkat/NFAT/FcγRIIa cells as the effector cells and BT474 as the target cells. Then, the target cell density, the ratio of effector to target cells, the target cell adhesion time, the incubation time for drug administration, and the induction time after adding effector cells were optimized by the method of design of experiment (DOE). The method showed a significant dose-response relationship, which was complied with the four-parameter equation: y=(A-D)/[1+(x/C)^B]+D. The durability ranges of the target cell density, the ratio of effector to target cells, the target cell adhesion time, the incubation time for drug administration, and the induction time after adding effector cells were (2.5-4.0)×10⁵ cells/mL, 3-5, 1.0-2.0 h, 0 h, and 5.0-6.0 h, respectively. The results of the methodological validation showed that the linear equation was y=1.106 8x-0.011 6, r=0.969 2. The established method showed the relative accuracy ranging from -6.59% to 2.98% and the geometric coefficient of variation less than 11% in the intermediate precision test. Furthermore, the method was target-specific. The method was then applied to the determination of ADCP activity of HER2-targeted ADC, demonstrating the result of (103.5±5.7)%. We developed a reporter gene assay for determining the ADCP activity of HER2-targeted ADC and the assay demonstrated high accuracy and good reproducibility, which proposes a highly efficient and approache for evaluating ADCP effect of this HER2-targeted ADC, and also provides a referable technique for characterizing the Fc effector functions of ADCs with diverse targets.
Humans ; Receptor, ErbB-2/immunology* ; Phagocytosis/drug effects* ; Immunoconjugates/immunology* ; Genes, Reporter ; Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity ; Jurkat Cells

AIM To investigate the variations in mercury dissolution from HgS-containing traditional medicines in three kinds of simulated gastrointestinal dissolution media.METHODS 39 batches of 15 types of HgS-containing traditional medicines were collected,total mercury content and dissolved mercury concentrations in simulated gastric fluid,simulated intestinal fluid,and L-cysteine-containing simulated intestinal fluid were measured.The maximum daily intake of total mercury and soluble mercury was calculated based on the maximum daily clinical dosage.RESULTS Among the 15 types of medicines,the maximum daily intake of total mercury varied by 156 times,the daily intake of soluble mercury varied by 3 502 times in simulated gastric fluid,313 times in simulated intestinal fluid,and 10 663 times in L-cysteine-containing simulated intestinal fluid,approximately.CONCLUSION For the 15 types of HgS-containing traditional medicines,the daily maximum intake of soluble mercury showed greater variations than that of total mercury.Soluble mercury concentration is more closely correlated with intestinal absorption of mercury and thus represents a more rational quality control indicator for HgS-containing traditional medicines.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of children with cervicothoracic hemivertebra at different ages and evaluate the surgical outcomes of hemivertebra resection.Methods:This retrospective cohort study analyzed clinical and radiographic data of 35 children (under 18 years old) with cervicothoracic hemivertebra who underwent one-stage posterior hemivertebra resection at the Department of Spine Surgery, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, from June 2005 to June 2022. The cohort included 19 males and 16 females, with a surgical age of (9.7±4.1) years (range: 3 to <18 years). Patients were divided into three groups based on initial surgical age: preschool group (≤5 years, n=10), school-age group (6 to 10 years, n=10), and adolescent group (11 to <18 years, n=15). The intraoperative blood loss, operative time, number of fixed vertebrae, and perioperative and postoperative complications were recorded. Radiographic measurements were taken preoperatively, postoperatively, and at final follow-up, including the Cobb angle of the primary curve, curve length, distal curve Cobb angle, neck tilt, shoulder balance, coronal balance, trunk tilt, clavicle angle, head deviation, and local kyphosis. Statistical analyses included one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis H test, chi-square test, and Fisher′s exact test. Results:The operative time was (333±74) minutes (range:200 to 450 minutes), the intraoperative blood loss was (419±132) ml (range:200 to 650 ml), and the number of fixed vertebrae was (6.0±2.7) segments (range:2 to 12 segments). Preoperatively, the preschool group had a smaller primary curve Cobb angle compared to the adolescent group (33.6°±8.4° vs. 43.0°±9.4°, F=3.394, P=0.046) and distal curve Cobb angle (6.4°±2.4° vs.11.9°±4.5°, F=6.550, P=0.038). The preschool group had better coronal balance ((8.8±4.3) mm vs. (20.2±11.7)mm, F=9.448, P=0.009) and trunk tilt (4.0°±2.0° vs.7.0°±3.0°, F=4.343, P=0.029) than the school-age group. The preschool group had fewer fused vertebrae than the school-age and adolescent groups (3.8±1.6 vs. 7.0±2.6 vs. 6.8±2.6, F=10.480, P=0.005). The preschool group also had less intraoperative blood loss than the adolescent groups ((320±125) ml vs. (480±113) ml, F=8.666, P=0.013). However, no significant differences were found in postoperative and final follow-up measurements of primary and distal curve Cobb angles, neck tilt, shoulder balance, coronal balance, trunk tilt, clavicle angle, head deviation, local kyphosis, or complication rates (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Children with cervicothoracic hemivertebra across different age groups exhibit similar surgical outcomes and complication rates. But the preschool group had fewer fixed segments and less intraoperative blood loss, suggesting that this age group is an ideal time for surgery.

Objective To establish a high-performance liquid chromatography method to detect the purity of human epidermal growth factor(hEGF),to compare the stability of the products of different enterprises by purity results,and to provide technical support for improving quality control and unified monitoring of hEGF based on national drug sampling and testing.Methods Agilent 300SB C8 column(250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm)was used.Mobile phase A was 7.5 mmol·L-1 sodium phosphate buffer(pH 6.8),and mobile phase B was acetonitrile,the column temperature was 30℃,the flow rate was 0.6 mL·min-1 with gradient elution,and the detector wavelength was set at 280 nm.Results The resolution between the main peak of hEGF and the adjacent impurity peak was more than 1.5,with a detection limit of 6 ng.This method has been successfully applied to determine the purity of the bulk and final products.The results showed that the purity of the final products decreased compared with the bulk.The maximum impurity that increased significantly was the deamidation impurity identified by the mass spectrometry.Conclusion Based on the typical sample of the full chain and multi-dosage form,the established method had good specificity and resolution for the preliminary identification and purity determination of hEGF bulk and final products.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of percutaneous pedicle screw combined with unilateral nail placement combined with bone cement strengthening and bilateral nail placement in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracic and lumbar fractures. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was used to analyze the clinical data of 78 patients with osteoporotic thoracic and lumbar fractures admitted from October 2017 to May 2019. According to the surgical method, it was divided into percutaneous pedicle screw combined with unilateral nail placement combined with unilateral bone cement strengthening group(bone cement group) and percutaneous pedicle screw combined with bilateral nail placement(screw group). In the bone cement group, 40 patients included 16 males and 24 females, with a mean age of (62.1±8.1) years old. In the screw group, 38 patients included 18 males and 20 females with a mean age of (65.1±9.3) years old. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay and postoperative complications were compared between two groups. The kyphosis Cobb angle, anterior edge height ratio, central height ratio and pain visual analogue score(VAS) were compared. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 25 to 36 months. The operation time (70.1±17.3) min of the cement group was shorter than that of the screw group (78.6±18.2) min(P<0.05). There were no significant differences in intraoperative blood loss and length of hospital stay(P>0.05). The VAS in the cement group 1 year 1.5±0.5 and the latest follow-up 0.5±0.3 after operation were lower than 1 year 1.8±0.3 and the latest follow-up 0.8±0.4 in the screw group(P<0.05). The kyphosis Cobb angle, anterior edge height ratio, central height ratio in bone cement group, 1 year (6.2±1.2)°, (86.6±3.5)%, (91.1±2.5)%, the last follow-up (6.4±0.7)°, (85.5±3.3)%, (90.5±6.3)% were better than that of the screw group 1 year (6.8±1.4)°, (83.1±2.4)%, (89.9±3.4)% and the latest follow-up (7.1±1.1)°, (82.6±4.1)%, (87.6±5.9)%(P<0.05). There were 3 cases of bone cement leakage in the cement group, all of which had no clinical symptoms;and 2 cases of pedicle screws were extracted in the screw group, and the screws were removed at the last follow-up. CONCLUSION Percutaneous pedicle screw combined with unilateral nail placement combined with bone cement strengthening and bilateral nail placement in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracic and lumbar compression fractures in the elderly can achieve satisfactory efficacy and effectively relieve the pain of patients, but the former internal fixation system is more stable, and the long-term follow-up can effectively maintain the height of the anterior middle column and the correction of kyphosis deformity, and the incidence of chronic low back pain is lower.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Bone Cements ; Middle Aged ; Thoracic Vertebrae/surgery* ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fractures/surgery* ; Osteoporotic Fractures/surgery* ; Case-Control Studies ; Bone Nails ; Pedicle Screws

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the early clinical efficacy of single-position O-arm navigation-assisted oblique lateral interbody fusion(OLIF) combined with minimally invasive percutaneous pedicle screw fixation(PPS) in the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 22 patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis who underwent OLIF-PPS surgery including 11 males and 11 females with a mean age of (64.6±1.5) years old ranging from 49 to 80 years old between April 2021 and June 2023. All patients presented with lumbosacral pain, lower limb radiating pain, numbness, and had poor responses to conservative treatment. Surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, and postoperative complications were recorded. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the visual analogue scale(VAS) and Oswestry disability index(ODI) preoperatively at 3 days after operation and the final follow-up. Standing lumbar anteroposterior and lateral X-rays were performed to measure disc height(DH), slippage degree, vertebral reduction rate, pedicle screw accuracy, and cage subsidence. RESULTS: All surgeries were successfully completed with a mean follow-up of (27.1±2.2) months (range 18 to 36 months). The mean surgical time was (76.1±12.2) min (range 60 to 93 min), intraoperative blood loss was (86.3±32.2) ml (range 40 to 113 ml), and hospital stay was (7.1±1.2) days. Postoperative VAS significantly improved from (7.2±0.7) preoperatively to (2.3±0.5) at 3 days after operation and (1.7±0.2) at the final follow-up (P<0.05). ODI decreased from (68.5±7.2)% preoperatively to (30.3±3.1)% at 3 days after operation and (16.6±1.6)% at the final follow-up (P<0.05). DH increased from (8.5±1.7) mm preoperatively to (18.1±1.4) mm at 3 days after operation and (17.2±1.1) mm at the final follow-up (P<0.05). Slippage degree improved from (24.1±4.6)% preoperatively to (10.3±4.2)% at 3 days after operation and (10.1±3.2)% at the final follow-up (P<0.05). A total of 88 pedicle screws were implanted with an excellent rate of 98% (86/88). Complications included transient left hip flexion weakness (2 cases) and left anteromedial thigh pain (1 case), all resolved during follow-up. No incision hematoma, infection, screw loosening, or cage subsidence occurred. CONCLUSION Single-position O-arm navigation-assisted OLIF combined with PPS demonstrates satisfactory early clinical efficacy for lumbar spondylolisthesis, with advantages including minimal invasiveness, significant pain relief, effective vertebral reduction, and low complication rates.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Spondylolisthesis/diagnostic imaging* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Spinal Fusion/methods* ; Lumbar Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging* ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Pedicle Screws ; Aged, 80 and over ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy and safety of human epidermal growth factor gel in the treatment of pin tract infections after surgery in patients with severe spinal deformity. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 26 patients with pin tract infections after skull-pelvic ring traction for severe spinal deformity admitted from February 2019 to May 2022. Among them, 11 were male and 15 were female;the age ranged from 18 to 31 years, with an average of (24.1±4.3) years;the Cobb angle ranged 80.3° to 120.7°, with an average of (88.6±10.2)°;there were 52 iliac traction pins, 104 pin tract openings, and 38 pin tract infections. According to the Checketts-Otterbum classification, there were 11 infections of gradeⅠ, 13 infections of gradeⅡ, 10 infections of grade Ⅲ, and 4 infections of grade Ⅳ. The patients were divided into the conventional dressing change group (13 cases) and the growth factor group (13 cases) by coin flipping. Clinical efficacy was evaluated by recording the visual analogue scale(VAS) score during dressing change, duration of dressing change, cost of dressing change, positive rate of bacterial culture, wound improvement rate, and wound improvement time. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in VAS or duration of dressing change between the two groups (P>0.05). The cost of dressing change was (800.0±59.5) yuan in the conventional dressing change group and (1 179.5±80.9) yuan in the growth factor group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the positive rate of bacterial culture between the two groups (P>0.05). In the conventional dressing change group, within 20 pin tract infections, 2 infections achieved wound healing, 7 infections showed improvement, and 11 infections were ineffective;in the growth factor group, within 18 pin tract infections 5 infections achieved wound healing, 8 infections showed improvement, and 5 infections were ineffective, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). The wound healing time was (22.8±4.9) days in the conventional dressing change group and (14.2±2.5) days in the growth factor group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). No complications occurred in either group. CONCLUSION The application of human epidermal growth factor gel in the treatment of pin tract infections after skull-pelvic ring surgery in patients with severe spinal deformity is easy to operate, does not increase patient pain, and has significant efficacy. It shortens wound healing time, effectively promotes wound healing, and has good safety and high cost-effectiveness.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Adolescent ; Retrospective Studies ; Case-Control Studies ; Young Adult ; Epidermal Growth Factor/therapeutic use* ; Traction/adverse effects* ; Gels ; Bone Nails/adverse effects* ; Surgical Wound Infection/drug therapy*