Biomolecular condensates are formed through phase separation of biomacromolecules such as proteins and RNAs. These condensates exhibit liquid-like properties that can futher transition into more stable material states. They form complex internal structures via multivalent weak interactions, enabling precise spatiotemporal regulations. However, the use of inconsistent and non-standardized terminology has become increasingly problematic, hindering academic exchange and the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the terminology related to biomolecular condensates in order to clarify concepts, promote interdisciplinary cooperation, enhance research efficiency, and support the healthy development of this field.

ObjectiveTo explore the regulatory effect of Ganluqingwen prescription on inflammation and immunity by observing the clinical efficacy of Ganluqingwen prescription in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia （CAP）， so as to provide a clinical basis for the treatment of CAP by traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. MethodsA randomized controlled trial was conducted by selecting patients who were diagnosed with CAP and identified as wind-heat attacking lungs in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Hospital of TCM from January 2024 to May 2024 and assigning the patients to a control group （treated by western medicine treatment） or an experimental group （treated by Ganluqingwen prescription combined with western medicine）. The data of the enrolled patients before treatment， for three-day treatment， for seven-day treatment， and for 14-day treatment were collected， including basic information， medical history， pneumonia severity index （PSI） classification， and distribution and difference of laboratory and imaging information indexes. The peripheral blood specimens were collected from the patients. and the changes of inflammatory factors in peripheral blood were detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） reagent kits and flow-type multifactor microarrays to evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of Ganluqingwen prescription in CAP. ResultsCompared with those in the groups before treatment， the total scores of TCM syndromes significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the control group after treatment， the total scores of TCM syndromes decreased more significantly in the experimental group （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group after treatment， the experimental group displayed a significantly reduced number of days of fever in patients （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the groups before treatment， the leukocyte， neutrophil counts， C-reactive protein （CRP）， procalcitonin （PCT）， interleukin （IL）-6， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， creatinine （Cr）， creatine kinase （CK）， and creatine kinase isoenzymes （CK-MB） in both groups decreased （P<0.05） after treatment. Compared with that in the control group after treatment， the decrease of leukocyte， neutrophil counts， CRP， PCT， IL-6， ALT， AST， Cr， CK， and CK-MB was more pronounced in the experimental group （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the group before treatment， the partial pressure of carbon dioxide increased in the experimental group for 3 d of treatment （P<0.05）， and the standard alkali residual， actual alkali residual， standard bicarbonate concentration， and actual bicarbonate concentration increased in the experimental group for 7 d of treatment （P<0.05）. Compared with that in the group before treatment， D-dimer decreased in the control group for 7 d of treatment （P<0.05）. D-dimer and activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT） decreased in the experimental group for 3 d of treatment （P<0.05）， and D-dimer， fibrinogen （FIB）， and APTI significantly decreased in the group for 7 d of treatment （P<0.05）. Compared with the group for 3 d of treatment， the experimental group for 7 d of treatment showed decreased FIB （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the groups before treatment， the levels of inflammatory factors IL-4， IL-10， and IL-13 were elevated in the peripheral blood of the two groups after treatment， and the levels of B lymphocyte chemoattractant （BLC）， interferon gamma-induced protein 10 （IP-10）， tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interferon-gamma （IFN-γ）， monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 （MCP-1）， CRP， IL-2， IL-6， IL-8， IL-17， IL-22， and IL-23p19 were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after treatment， the experimental group exhibited more significant improvement in indexes above （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe group treated by Ganluqingwen prescription combined with western medicine shows more significant effects on reducing total scores of TCM syndromes， lowering the ability of leukocyte and neutrophil counts， decreasing BLC， IP-10， TNF-α， IFN-γ， MCP-1， CRP， IL-2， IL-6， IL-8， IL-17， IL-22， and IL-23p19 in the peripheral blood of the patients， and elevating levels of IL-4， IL-10， and IL-13 than the group treated by western drugs alone.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of different fermentation methods and times on the fungal flora and chemical composition of Aurantii Fructus， in order to obtain the optimal fermentation conditions and flora structure， and to ensure the stability and controllability of the fermented varieties. MethodsScanning electron microscopy was used to observe and analyze the colony characteristics on the surface of Aurantii Fructus under different fermentation conditions. Internal transcribed spacer 2（ITS2） high-throughput sequencing， combined with fungal community diversity analysis and fungal community structure analysis， were used to obtain the fungal flora microbial categories of Aurantii Fructus under the conditions of traditional pressure-shelf fermentation and non-pressure-shelf natural fermentation for 7， 14， 21 d（numbered Y1-Y3 for the former， and numbered F1-F3 for the latter）， respectively. At the same time， the chemical components in the fermentation process were detected by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS）， combined with principal component analysis（PCA）， partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） and compound retention time， parent ions， characteristic fragment ions and other information， the differential compounds between the different fermentation samples were screened and identified. ResultsThe analysis of fungal community diversity showed that the dominant flora did not change at different fermentation time points in the traditional pressure-shelf fermentation method， while in the non-pressure-shelf natural fermentation method， there was a significant difference with the fermentation process， and at the genus level， the dominant genus of samples Y1， Y2， Y3 and F2 was Aspergillus， while the dominant genera of samples F1 and F3 were both Rhizopus. This indicated that the microbial growth environment provided by the traditional fermentation method was more stable， and the microbial community structure was more stable， which was more conducive to the stable and controllable fermentation process and fermented products. A total of 155 compounds were identified by compositional analysis， including 70 flavonoids， 38 coumarins， 10 alkaloids， 34 organic acids and 3 other compounds. After fermentation， two new components of ribalinine and pranferin were produced. Different fermentation conditions also brought about differences in chemical composition， multivariate statistical analysis obtained 26 differential compounds under two different fermentation methods， mainly including flavonoids， organic acids and coumarins. Comprehensively， the microbial community structure of samples fermented by the traditional pressure-shelf method of Aurantii Fructus for 14 d was stable， the species richness was high and the overall content of differential compounds was high， which was the optimal processing condition. ConclusionCompared with non-pressure-shelf natural fermentation， the traditional method has obvious advantages in terms of the stability of the microbial community structure and the content of chemical compounds， and the optimal condition is 14 days of fermentation. This study is helpful to promote the quality stability and fermentation bioavailability of fermented products of Aurantii Fructus， as well as to provide an experimental basis for the further improvement of the quality control methods of this variety.

ObjectiveTo explore the regulatory effect of Ganluqingwen prescription on inflammation and immunity by observing the clinical efficacy of Ganluqingwen prescription in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia （CAP）， so as to provide a clinical basis for the treatment of CAP by traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. MethodsA randomized controlled trial was conducted by selecting patients who were diagnosed with CAP and identified as wind-heat attacking lungs in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Hospital of TCM from January 2024 to May 2024 and assigning the patients to a control group （treated by western medicine treatment） or an experimental group （treated by Ganluqingwen prescription combined with western medicine）. The data of the enrolled patients before treatment， for three-day treatment， for seven-day treatment， and for 14-day treatment were collected， including basic information， medical history， pneumonia severity index （PSI） classification， and distribution and difference of laboratory and imaging information indexes. The peripheral blood specimens were collected from the patients. and the changes of inflammatory factors in peripheral blood were detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） reagent kits and flow-type multifactor microarrays to evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of Ganluqingwen prescription in CAP. ResultsCompared with those in the groups before treatment， the total scores of TCM syndromes significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the control group after treatment， the total scores of TCM syndromes decreased more significantly in the experimental group （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group after treatment， the experimental group displayed a significantly reduced number of days of fever in patients （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the groups before treatment， the leukocyte， neutrophil counts， C-reactive protein （CRP）， procalcitonin （PCT）， interleukin （IL）-6， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， creatinine （Cr）， creatine kinase （CK）， and creatine kinase isoenzymes （CK-MB） in both groups decreased （P<0.05） after treatment. Compared with that in the control group after treatment， the decrease of leukocyte， neutrophil counts， CRP， PCT， IL-6， ALT， AST， Cr， CK， and CK-MB was more pronounced in the experimental group （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the group before treatment， the partial pressure of carbon dioxide increased in the experimental group for 3 d of treatment （P<0.05）， and the standard alkali residual， actual alkali residual， standard bicarbonate concentration， and actual bicarbonate concentration increased in the experimental group for 7 d of treatment （P<0.05）. Compared with that in the group before treatment， D-dimer decreased in the control group for 7 d of treatment （P<0.05）. D-dimer and activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT） decreased in the experimental group for 3 d of treatment （P<0.05）， and D-dimer， fibrinogen （FIB）， and APTI significantly decreased in the group for 7 d of treatment （P<0.05）. Compared with the group for 3 d of treatment， the experimental group for 7 d of treatment showed decreased FIB （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the groups before treatment， the levels of inflammatory factors IL-4， IL-10， and IL-13 were elevated in the peripheral blood of the two groups after treatment， and the levels of B lymphocyte chemoattractant （BLC）， interferon gamma-induced protein 10 （IP-10）， tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interferon-gamma （IFN-γ）， monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 （MCP-1）， CRP， IL-2， IL-6， IL-8， IL-17， IL-22， and IL-23p19 were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after treatment， the experimental group exhibited more significant improvement in indexes above （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe group treated by Ganluqingwen prescription combined with western medicine shows more significant effects on reducing total scores of TCM syndromes， lowering the ability of leukocyte and neutrophil counts， decreasing BLC， IP-10， TNF-α， IFN-γ， MCP-1， CRP， IL-2， IL-6， IL-8， IL-17， IL-22， and IL-23p19 in the peripheral blood of the patients， and elevating levels of IL-4， IL-10， and IL-13 than the group treated by western drugs alone.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of different fermentation methods and times on the fungal flora and chemical composition of Aurantii Fructus， in order to obtain the optimal fermentation conditions and flora structure， and to ensure the stability and controllability of the fermented varieties. MethodsScanning electron microscopy was used to observe and analyze the colony characteristics on the surface of Aurantii Fructus under different fermentation conditions. Internal transcribed spacer 2（ITS2） high-throughput sequencing， combined with fungal community diversity analysis and fungal community structure analysis， were used to obtain the fungal flora microbial categories of Aurantii Fructus under the conditions of traditional pressure-shelf fermentation and non-pressure-shelf natural fermentation for 7， 14， 21 d（numbered Y1-Y3 for the former， and numbered F1-F3 for the latter）， respectively. At the same time， the chemical components in the fermentation process were detected by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS）， combined with principal component analysis（PCA）， partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） and compound retention time， parent ions， characteristic fragment ions and other information， the differential compounds between the different fermentation samples were screened and identified. ResultsThe analysis of fungal community diversity showed that the dominant flora did not change at different fermentation time points in the traditional pressure-shelf fermentation method， while in the non-pressure-shelf natural fermentation method， there was a significant difference with the fermentation process， and at the genus level， the dominant genus of samples Y1， Y2， Y3 and F2 was Aspergillus， while the dominant genera of samples F1 and F3 were both Rhizopus. This indicated that the microbial growth environment provided by the traditional fermentation method was more stable， and the microbial community structure was more stable， which was more conducive to the stable and controllable fermentation process and fermented products. A total of 155 compounds were identified by compositional analysis， including 70 flavonoids， 38 coumarins， 10 alkaloids， 34 organic acids and 3 other compounds. After fermentation， two new components of ribalinine and pranferin were produced. Different fermentation conditions also brought about differences in chemical composition， multivariate statistical analysis obtained 26 differential compounds under two different fermentation methods， mainly including flavonoids， organic acids and coumarins. Comprehensively， the microbial community structure of samples fermented by the traditional pressure-shelf method of Aurantii Fructus for 14 d was stable， the species richness was high and the overall content of differential compounds was high， which was the optimal processing condition. ConclusionCompared with non-pressure-shelf natural fermentation， the traditional method has obvious advantages in terms of the stability of the microbial community structure and the content of chemical compounds， and the optimal condition is 14 days of fermentation. This study is helpful to promote the quality stability and fermentation bioavailability of fermented products of Aurantii Fructus， as well as to provide an experimental basis for the further improvement of the quality control methods of this variety.

Background: A simple superoposterior approach to thoracic transforaminal epidural injections (TFEIs) under ultrasonographic guidance was proposed to reduce zoster-associated pain (ZAP) involving multiple thoracic nerves and the likelihood of transitioning to postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled. Primary endpoints were the burden of illness (BOI) scores and epidural contrast spread. Secondary endpoints included number of needle insertion attempts, sensory blockade, hemodynamic changes, procedure time, radiation dose, adverse events, rescue analgesics, PHN incidence and EuroQoL 5-Dimension scores. Results: Thirty-five injections were performed in 27 patients. Median levels of cephalad-caudad epidural contrast spread were 3, 4, and 5 ml following injections of 2, 3, and 4 ml. Dorsal epidural spread was observed at levels 3, 4, and 5, whereas concurrent ventral spread was observed at levels 2, 3, and 4. BOI scores at 30–180 days significantly decreased (mean difference: −25.3, 95% CI [−57.4 to 6.6], P = 0.005), accounting for reduced rescue analgesic requirements and PHN occurrence and improved EuroQoL 5-Dimension scores. Median sensory blockade at 5 min post-procedure was at level 2, 3, and 4 after 2, 3, and 4 ml of therapeutic injectate. No significant hemodynamic changes were noted at 15 min post-injection. No serious adverse events were observed. Conclusions Spread of thoracic epidural contrast to all involved nerves was confirmed using this novel technique. Simplified needle placement reduced the technical difficulty and risk of complications. It might be a promising alternative approach for ZAP.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect and mechanism of action of flavonoid combination of Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma （A. officinarum） against Helicobacter pylori （H. pylori） gastritis in mice. MethodsAfter acclimatization for one week， 56 SPF-grade healthy C57BL/6J mice were gavaged with mixed antibiotics for three consecutive days. They were randomly divided into a normal group， model group， positive drug group （triple therapy group）， and low- and high-dose groups （100， 200 mg·kg^-1） of flavonoid combination of A. officinarum. The H. pylori gastritis mice model was established by gavage with H. pylori bacterial suspension in each group except for the normal group. After successful modeling， mice were administrated with corresponding drugs once a day for two weeks. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the pathological changes in gastric tissue. Rapid urease test paper was used to detect the positive rate of H. pylori. Silver staining was used to observe the H. pylori adherence on the surface of gastric tissue. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expression of interleukin-8 （IL）-8 and myeloid differentiation factor （MyD88） in gastric tissue. The serum levels of IL-6， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， IL-8， and IL-1β were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The expressions of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） protein were detected by Western blot. ResultsCompared with those in the normal group， mice in the model group had lower gastric weight coefficients， higher pH of gastric juice， 100% H. pylori infection rate， and significantly changed gastric histopathology. The expressions of IL-8 and MyD88 proteins in the gastric tissue of mice in the model group were significantly elevated， and the serum levels of inflammatory factors IL-6， TNF-α， IL-8， and IL-1β were significantly up-regulated in mice. Compared with that in the model group， the gastric weight coefficient of mice in each treatment group of the flavonoid combinations of A. officinarum was elevated （P<0.01）， and the pH of gastric juice was reduced （P<0.01）. The infection rate of H. pylori was reduced. The expressions of IL-8 and MyD88 proteins in the gastric tissue of mice in the treatment groups were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， and the serum levels of inflammatory factors IL-6， TNF-α， IL-8， and IL-1β were significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner （P<0.01）. The flavonoid combinations of A. officinarum down-regulated the expression of PI3K and Akt proteins in H. pylori gastritis-infected cells （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe protective effect of flavonoid combinations of A. officinarum against H. pylori gastritis is associated with the inhibition of H. pylori infection rate and regulation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， resulting in inhibiting the release of inflammatory factors.

Metabolites produced as intermediaries or end-products of microbial metabolism provide crucial signals for health and diseases, such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). These metabolites include products of the bacterial metabolism of dietary substrates, modification of host molecules (such as bile acids [BAs], trimethylamine-N-oxide, and short-chain fatty acids), or products directly derived from bacteria. Recent studies have provided new insights into the association between MASLD and the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). Furthermore, alterations in microbiota composition and metabolite profiles, notably altered BAs, have been described in studies investigating the association between MASLD and the risk of CKD. This narrative review discusses alterations of specific classes of metabolites, BAs, fructose, vitamin D, and microbiota composition that may be implicated in the link between MASLD and CKD.

Metabolites produced as intermediaries or end-products of microbial metabolism provide crucial signals for health and diseases, such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). These metabolites include products of the bacterial metabolism of dietary substrates, modification of host molecules (such as bile acids [BAs], trimethylamine-N-oxide, and short-chain fatty acids), or products directly derived from bacteria. Recent studies have provided new insights into the association between MASLD and the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). Furthermore, alterations in microbiota composition and metabolite profiles, notably altered BAs, have been described in studies investigating the association between MASLD and the risk of CKD. This narrative review discusses alterations of specific classes of metabolites, BAs, fructose, vitamin D, and microbiota composition that may be implicated in the link between MASLD and CKD.

Background: A simple superoposterior approach to thoracic transforaminal epidural injections (TFEIs) under ultrasonographic guidance was proposed to reduce zoster-associated pain (ZAP) involving multiple thoracic nerves and the likelihood of transitioning to postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled. Primary endpoints were the burden of illness (BOI) scores and epidural contrast spread. Secondary endpoints included number of needle insertion attempts, sensory blockade, hemodynamic changes, procedure time, radiation dose, adverse events, rescue analgesics, PHN incidence and EuroQoL 5-Dimension scores. Results: Thirty-five injections were performed in 27 patients. Median levels of cephalad-caudad epidural contrast spread were 3, 4, and 5 ml following injections of 2, 3, and 4 ml. Dorsal epidural spread was observed at levels 3, 4, and 5, whereas concurrent ventral spread was observed at levels 2, 3, and 4. BOI scores at 30–180 days significantly decreased (mean difference: −25.3, 95% CI [−57.4 to 6.6], P = 0.005), accounting for reduced rescue analgesic requirements and PHN occurrence and improved EuroQoL 5-Dimension scores. Median sensory blockade at 5 min post-procedure was at level 2, 3, and 4 after 2, 3, and 4 ml of therapeutic injectate. No significant hemodynamic changes were noted at 15 min post-injection. No serious adverse events were observed. Conclusions Spread of thoracic epidural contrast to all involved nerves was confirmed using this novel technique. Simplified needle placement reduced the technical difficulty and risk of complications. It might be a promising alternative approach for ZAP.