Zhusha Anshenwan is a classical traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） formula originating from LI Dongyuan's Treatise on the Differentiation of Endogenous and Exogenous Injuries （Nei Wai Shang Bian Huo Lun） of the Jin-Yuan period. It is composed of five medicinal ingredients： Cinnabaris （Zhusha）， Coptidis Rhizoma （Huanglian）， Angelicae Sinensis Radix （Danggui）， Rehmanniae Radix （Shengdihuang）， and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma （Gancao）. Under the guidance of TCM theory， this formula is used to treat syndromes of disturbed spirit， including insomnia， palpitations， and anxiety， caused by hyperactivity of heart fire and deficiency of Yin-blood， and it also exerts auxiliary anticonvulsant effects in epilepsy and related conditions. However， the potential neurotoxicity， hepatotoxicity， and nephrotoxicity of its monarch drug， Cinnabaris （mainly composed of mercuric sulfide， HgS）， together with the risk of in vivo accumulation， have rendered its clinical application controversial， and it has not yet been formally included in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. In addition， restrictions imposed by the Minamata Convention on Mercury have led to an increasing shortage of natural medicinal Cinnabaris resources， making the evaluation of the efficacy and safety of synthetic Cinnabaris particularly urgent. This contradiction highlights the complexity of safety evaluation for traditional medicines. Existing studies indicate that Zhusha Anshenwan exhibits definite pharmacological activities in calming the mind， improving sleep， and regulating emotional disorders. Moreover， other components of the formula may exert antagonistic effects on the toxicity of Cinnabaris， and reports of severe mercury poisoning caused by standardized clinical use of this prescription are extremely rare. Research suggests that other ingredients in the compound formula， such as Rehmanniae Radix， Coptidis Rhizoma， and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， may effectively alleviate the hepatorenal toxicity of Cinnabaris through mechanisms including modulation of the gut microbiota， formation of mercury complexes， and direct protection of target organs. This article aims to systematically review the progress in pharmacodynamic research on Zhusha Anshenwan， to explore its mechanisms of action in depth， and to analyze the toxicokinetic characteristics and safety risks of Cinnabaris， as well as the scientific connotations of toxicity reduction and efficacy enhancement achieved through compound compatibility. In addition， it compares Zhusha Anshenwan with other commonly used sedative formulas， with the aim of providing a scientific basis and forward-looking perspectives for the safe and rational application and in-depth development of this classical prescription in a modern context， and of emphasizing the important value of holistic research on TCM compound formulas in addressing the challenges of single-component toxicity.

Objective To investigate the application value of positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes combined with T2 mapping in the pathological grade and clinical stage of rectal cancer.Methods Eighty patients with rectal cancer diagnosed by pathology were selected as the study subjects.Among them,26 cases were well differentiated,21 cases were moderately differentiated,and 33 cases were poorly differentiated.According to the clinical stage,there were 17 cases of T1 stage,16 cases of T2 stage,20 cases of T3 stage and 27 cases of T4 stage.The differences in positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes and T2 value in different pathological grades and clinical stages of rectal cancer were compared.Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes and T2 value and pathological grade and clinical stage of rectal cancer.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes and T2 value in the pathological grade of rectal cancer.Results There were significant differences in positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes and T2 value in different pathological grades and different clinical stages(P<0.05).The positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes was negatively correlated with T2 value(P<0.05).The T2 value was negatively correlated with pathological grade(P<0.05).The T2 value was also negatively correlated with clinical stage(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)[95%confidence interval(CI)]of positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes combined with T2 value in the diagnosis of pathological grade and clinical stage were 0.800(0.635-0.957)and 0.779(0.583-0.981),respec-tively,demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance when used in combination.Conclusion The positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes combined with T2 mapping is helpful to evaluate the degree of differentiation and clinical stage of rectal cancer patients,which can provide valuable references for clinical treatment decisions and prognosis assessment of patients.

This study investigates the mechanism by which Xintong Granules improve myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury(MIRI) through the regulation of gut microbiota and their metabolites, specifically short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs). Rats were randomly divided based on body weight into the sham operation group, model group, low-dose Xintong Granules group(1.43 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), medium-dose Xintong Granules group(2.86 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), high-dose Xintong Granules group(5.72 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), and metoprolol group(10 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)). After 14 days of pre-administration, the MIRI rat model was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. The myocardial infarction area was assessed using the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining method. Apoptosis in tissue cells was detected by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling(TUNEL) assay. Pathological changes in myocardial cells and colonic tissue were observed using hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6(IL-6), creatine kinase MB isoenzyme(CK-MB), and cardiac troponin T(cTnT) in rat serum were quantitatively measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) kits. The activities of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), creatine kinase(CK), and superoxide dismutase(SOD) in myocardial tissue, as well as the level of malondialdehyde(MDA), were determined using colorimetric assays. Gut microbiota composition was analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing, and fecal SCFAs were quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS). The results show that Xintong Granules significantly reduced the myocardial infarction area, suppressed cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and decreased serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines(TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), myocardial injury markers(CK-MB, cTnT, LDH, and CK), and oxidative stress marker MDA. Additionally, Xintong Granules significantly improved intestinal inflammation in MIRI rats, regulated gut microbiota composition and diversity, and increased the levels of SCFAs(acetate, propionate, isobutyrate, etc.). In summary, Xintong Granules effectively alleviate MIRI symptoms. This study preliminarily confirms that Xintong Granules exert their inhibitory effects on MIRI by regulating gut microbiota imbalance and increasing SCFA levels.
Animals ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Rats ; Male ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Humans ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6/genetics* ; Malondialdehyde/metabolism*

ObjectiveNon-invasive magnetic stimulation technology has been widely used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but there is a lack of convenient and timely methods for evaluating and providing feedback on the effectiveness of the stimulation, which can be used to guide the adjustment of the stimulation protocol. This study aims to explore the possibility of heart rate variability (HRV) in diagnosing AD and guiding AD magnetic stimulation intervention techniques. MethodsIn this study, we used a 40 Hz, 10 mT pulsed magnetic field to expose AD mouse models to whole-body exposure for 18 d, and detected the behavioral and electroencephalographic signals before and after exposure, as well as the instant electrocardiographic signals after exposure every day. ResultsUsing one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient analysis, we found that some HRV indicators could identify AD mouse models as accurately as behavioral and electroencephalogram(EEG) changes (P<0.05) and significantly distinguish the severity of the disease (P<0.05), including rMSSD, pNN6, LF/HF, SD1/SD2, and entropy arrangement. These HRV indicators showed good correlation and statistical significance with behavioral and EEG changes (r>0.3, P<0.05); HRV indicators were significantly modulated by the magnetic field exposure before and after the exposure, both of which were observed in the continuous changes of electrocardiogram (ECG) (P<0.05), and the trend of the stimulation effect was more accurately observed in the continuous changes of ECG. ConclusionHRV can accurately reflect the pathophysiological changes and disease degree, quickly evaluate the effect of magnetic stimulation, and has the potential to guide the pattern of magnetic exposure, providing a new idea for the study of personalized electromagnetic neuroregulation technology for brain diseases.

This study systematically collated and textual researched realgar from aspects such as name,origin,and quality by consulting ancient herbal texts,classic medical books,and modern literature.The textual research shows that current herbal works all take"realgar"as the official name,with aliases including"Huangshi shi","Shihuang","Tianyang shi","Jiguan shi","Xunhuang","Chouhuang",and"Mingxiong",etc.Ancient herbal records indicate that Xunhuang,Chouhuang,and Shuiku Realgar are all Realgar,while Orpiment is its associated mineral.In ancient times,the main production areas of Realgar were in Gansu,with outputs also seen in Shandong and Hunan.Nowadays,it is mainly produced in Hunan,Guizhou,Hubei,Gansu,Yunnan,Sichuan and other regions.Ancient herbal works mentioned characteristics like"cockscomb color","non-stinky","solid","red and bright"in their quality evaluation,while modern herbal works mostly evaluate its quality by color and texture,such as"red color","large blocks","brittle texture","glossy".The traditional efficacy of Realgar is to dry dampness,kill insects,detoxify various poisons,treat sores and activate blood.Modern studies have shown it also has anti-tumor,antibacterial and antiviral effects.Processing methods in past dynasties included water grinding,vinegar processing,refining,etc.,and currently,water grinding and acid water grinding are commonly used.This paper observed the properties of Realgar,detected the content of As?S?,and analyzed the microscopic characteristics and far-infrared spectral characteristics of qualified batches of Realgar.It was finally found that the As?S? content of qualified batches of Realgar was all more than 90%;under the scanning electron microscope,it showed massive shape,uniform distribution,obvious particles,and no agglomeration;a small amount of associated mineral Orpiment crystals were observed under the polarizing microscope;the characteristic peaks of Realgar(343-344 cm?1,224-225 cm?1,372-374 cm?1,367-369 cm?1,359 cm?1,207-208 cm?1,193-194 cm?1,168-170 cm?1)and Orpiment(390 cm?1,380 cm?1,347 cm?1,311 cm?1,300 cm?1,201 cm?1,182 cm?1,158 cm?1 and 139 cm?1)were determined."Red color and glossy"can be used as property references,"Realgar is a sulfide mineral of the Realgar family,with the main chemical component As?S?,associated with Orpiment"can be used as origin references,and"Shimen in Hunan,Wanshan in Guizhou,Yunnan,Gansu,Sichuan"can be used as production area references,which are consistent with the results of herbal textual research.This study provides a basis for the identification and analysis of Realgar,with a view to better guiding clinical medication and resource utilization.

OBJECTIVE: Blood culture remains the gold standard for diagnosing bloodstream infections. Clinical laboratories must ensure the quality of blood culture processes from receipt to obtaining definitive results. We examined laboratory analytical indicators associated with positive blood culture results. METHODS: Blood cultures collected from Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. The mode of transportation (piping logistics delivery vs. staff), source of blood cultures (outpatient/emergency department vs. inpatient department), rotation of personnel, and time of reception (8:00-19:59 vs. 20:00-07:59) were compared between blood culture-positive and -negative results. RESULTS: Between 2020 and 2022, the total positive rate of blood culture was 8.07%. The positive rate of blood cultures in the outpatient/emergency department was significantly higher than that in the inpatient department (12.46% vs. 5.83%; P < 0.0001). The time-to-detection of blood cultures was significantly affected by the delivery mode and personnel rotation. The blood culture positive rate of the total pre-analytical time within 1 h was significantly higher than that within 1-2 h or > 2 h ( P < 0.0170). CONCLUSION Laboratory analytical indicators such as patient source, transportation mode, and personnel rotation significantly impacted the positive detection rate or time of blood culture.
Blood Culture/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data*

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect and safety of Lu'e Biyan Formula (LBF) combined with loratadine in the treatment of moderate to severe allergic rhinitis (AR) patients with Fei (Lung)-qi deficiency-coldness (FQDC) syndrome. METHODS: From September 2023 to December 2024, moderate to severe AR patients with FQDC syndrome were recruited from the Outpatient Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Pulmonary Diseases Part 1, China-Japan Friendship Hospital. Participants were randomly assigned to a test group and a control group by using a random number table at a ratio of 1:1. Both groups received oral loratadine tablets (10 mg, once daily) for 2 weeks. In addition, the test group received oral LBF (30 mL, twice daily), and the control group received a placebo of LBF. Changes in the Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS), Total Non-nasal Symptom Score (TNNSS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ), and Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome scores before and after treatment were compared between groups. Moreover, the total effective rates and disease recurrence rates were compared. Adverse events (AEs) during the study period were also recorded. RESULTS: Totally 109 participants were recruited, and the full analysis set included 105 cases, 54 in the test group and 51 in the control group. Compared with the pre-treatment values, the scores of sneezing, runny nose, nasal obstruction, nasal itching, TNSS, TNNSS, VAS, RQLQ, and CM syndrome were significantly reduced in both groups at 1 and 2 weeks post-treatment and 12 weeks post-drug withdrawal (P<0.01). After treatment, the aforementioned scores in the test group were all markedly lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). Moreover, the total effective rate in the test group was higher than that in the control group (98.15% vs. 70.59%, P<0.01). After 12 weeks of drug withdrawal, there was no significant difference in the recurrence rate between groups (13.21% vs. 22.22%, P>0.05). No obvious AEs were observed in either group following treatment. CONCLUSIONS The combination of LBF with loratadine can effectively alleviate the symptoms of moderate to severe AR patients with FQDC syndrome, thereby improving their quality of life. This therapy demonstrated both precise effect and high safety. (Trial registration No. ITMCTR2025000589).
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Rhinitis, Allergic/drug therapy* ; Female ; Adult ; Double-Blind Method ; Quality of Life ; Qi ; Middle Aged ; Loratadine/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Syndrome ; Lung/drug effects* ; Young Adult ; Treatment Outcome

AIM To evaluate the quality of Gegen Formula Granules.METHODS Linear calibration with two reference substances(LCTRS)was adopted in the predicting of retention time with puerarin and daidzein as internal standards.UPLC characteristic chromatograms were established.The contents of 3'-hydroxy puerarin,puerarin(internal standard),3'-methoxy puerarin,puerarin 6"-O-xyloside,puerarin apioside and daidzin were determined by quantitative determination analysis multi-components by a single marker(QAMS),after which their transfer rates were calculated.RESULTS Compared with relative retention time method,LCTRS demonstrated higher positional accuracy for characteristic peaks and wider application range for columns.There were 9 characteristic peaks in the characteristic chromatograms for 14 batches of formula granules and 15 batches of standard decoctions with the similarities of more than 0.95.The contents and transfer rates of various constituents in formula granules and standard decoctions were basically consistent.CONCLUSION The chemical constituents in formula granules and their standard decoctions of Puerariae lobatae Radix display good consistency,reliable preparation process is observable in the former.

This study systematically collated and textual researched realgar from aspects such as name,origin,and quality by consulting ancient herbal texts,classic medical books,and modern literature.The textual research shows that current herbal works all take"realgar"as the official name,with aliases including"Huangshi shi","Shihuang","Tianyang shi","Jiguan shi","Xunhuang","Chouhuang",and"Mingxiong",etc.Ancient herbal records indicate that Xunhuang,Chouhuang,and Shuiku Realgar are all Realgar,while Orpiment is its associated mineral.In ancient times,the main production areas of Realgar were in Gansu,with outputs also seen in Shandong and Hunan.Nowadays,it is mainly produced in Hunan,Guizhou,Hubei,Gansu,Yunnan,Sichuan and other regions.Ancient herbal works mentioned characteristics like"cockscomb color","non-stinky","solid","red and bright"in their quality evaluation,while modern herbal works mostly evaluate its quality by color and texture,such as"red color","large blocks","brittle texture","glossy".The traditional efficacy of Realgar is to dry dampness,kill insects,detoxify various poisons,treat sores and activate blood.Modern studies have shown it also has anti-tumor,antibacterial and antiviral effects.Processing methods in past dynasties included water grinding,vinegar processing,refining,etc.,and currently,water grinding and acid water grinding are commonly used.This paper observed the properties of Realgar,detected the content of As?S?,and analyzed the microscopic characteristics and far-infrared spectral characteristics of qualified batches of Realgar.It was finally found that the As?S? content of qualified batches of Realgar was all more than 90%;under the scanning electron microscope,it showed massive shape,uniform distribution,obvious particles,and no agglomeration;a small amount of associated mineral Orpiment crystals were observed under the polarizing microscope;the characteristic peaks of Realgar(343-344 cm?1,224-225 cm?1,372-374 cm?1,367-369 cm?1,359 cm?1,207-208 cm?1,193-194 cm?1,168-170 cm?1)and Orpiment(390 cm?1,380 cm?1,347 cm?1,311 cm?1,300 cm?1,201 cm?1,182 cm?1,158 cm?1 and 139 cm?1)were determined."Red color and glossy"can be used as property references,"Realgar is a sulfide mineral of the Realgar family,with the main chemical component As?S?,associated with Orpiment"can be used as origin references,and"Shimen in Hunan,Wanshan in Guizhou,Yunnan,Gansu,Sichuan"can be used as production area references,which are consistent with the results of herbal textual research.This study provides a basis for the identification and analysis of Realgar,with a view to better guiding clinical medication and resource utilization.

Objective To investigate the application value of positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes combined with T2 mapping in the pathological grade and clinical stage of rectal cancer.Methods Eighty patients with rectal cancer diagnosed by pathology were selected as the study subjects.Among them,26 cases were well differentiated,21 cases were moderately differentiated,and 33 cases were poorly differentiated.According to the clinical stage,there were 17 cases of T1 stage,16 cases of T2 stage,20 cases of T3 stage and 27 cases of T4 stage.The differences in positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes and T2 value in different pathological grades and clinical stages of rectal cancer were compared.Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes and T2 value and pathological grade and clinical stage of rectal cancer.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes and T2 value in the pathological grade of rectal cancer.Results There were significant differences in positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes and T2 value in different pathological grades and different clinical stages(P<0.05).The positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes was negatively correlated with T2 value(P<0.05).The T2 value was negatively correlated with pathological grade(P<0.05).The T2 value was also negatively correlated with clinical stage(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)[95%confidence interval(CI)]of positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes combined with T2 value in the diagnosis of pathological grade and clinical stage were 0.800(0.635-0.957)and 0.779(0.583-0.981),respec-tively,demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance when used in combination.Conclusion The positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes combined with T2 mapping is helpful to evaluate the degree of differentiation and clinical stage of rectal cancer patients,which can provide valuable references for clinical treatment decisions and prognosis assessment of patients.