Cardiovascular diseases （CVD），a group of common diseases in clinical practice，are witnessing a steady rise in both incidence and mortality rates，posing a challenge to public health. Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang，originating from Synopsis of the Golden Chamber （《金匮要略》），was initially used to treat severe cases of chest impediment. The formula consists of Trichosanthis Fructus，Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus，Pinelliae Rhizoma，and Baijiu. It has a wide range of clinical applications，with therapeutic effects including moving Qi to relieve depression，activating Yang to dissipate mass，and expelling phlegm to alleviate chest congestion. In recent years，clinical research has confirmed that Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang，with or without modification，used alone or in combination with Western medicine，has definite effects in the treatment of CVD such as hyperlipidemia，coronary atherosclerotic heart disease，hypertension，heart failure，and arrhythmia. It can alleviate disease symptoms and reduce the risk of re-hospitalization. Basic research indicates that the mechanisms of Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang include improving endothelial functions，exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties，countering oxidative stress，preventing apoptosis，inhibiting ventricular remodeling，regulating mitochondrial functions，improving hemorheology，and modulating autophagy and neurotransmitters. This article reviews relevant articles in recent years with focuses on the compatibility，clinical application，and mechanism of Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang. This review is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the mechanism research and clinical application of this formula in treating CVD and to offer ideas and reference for in-depth research.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Naoqingtong decoction （NQT） on the kidney damage and the inflammatory factors NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a C-terminal caspase recruitment domain （ASC）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 （Caspase-1）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in spontaneously hypertensive rats （SHRs）. MethodsTwenty-four SHRs were randomized into a model group， a low-dose （12.9 g·kg^-1·d^-1） NQT （NQT-L） group， a high-dose （25.8 g·kg^-1·d^-1） NQT group （NQT-H）， and a captopril （CTP， 20 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） group， with 6 rats in each group. In addition， 6 homozygous male Wistar-Kyoto rats were used as the control group. The control and model groups were administrated with the same amount of normal saline by gavage for 8 weeks. General behaviors of rats were observed during the intervention period， and the blood pressure was measured periodically. At the end of intervention， the body mass was weighed， and both kidneys were collected and weighed for the calculation of the renal index. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to observe the pathological changes in the kidney tissue. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were employed to determine the expression levels of NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， IL-6， and TNF-α in the kidney tissue. ResultsDuring the experiment period， the control group had normal mental status， food intake， and activity， while the model group showed thinning of hair， loss of luster， reduced activity， loss of appetite， fecal adhesion， and irritability， and some of the skin had scratches or blood scabs. The above symptoms were alleviated to different degrees after 8 weeks of NQT administration. An intelligent non-invasive sphygmomanometer was used to measure the tail artery pressure of rats， which showed that the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of rats in the model group was higher than that in the control group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， drug interventions lowered the systolic and diastolic blood pressure （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the control group， the model group showed severe pathological damage in the kidney tissue， which was alleviated in each drug intervention group. Compared with the control group， the model group showed up-regulated expression levels of NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， IL-6， and TNF-α in the kidney tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the drug intervention groups showed down-regulated expression levels of NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， IL-6， and TNF-α in the kidney tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionNQT can lower the blood pressure in SHRs by inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes， suppressing renal inflammation， and ameliorating hypertensive kidney damage.

ObjectiveThis study leverages structural data from antigen-antibody complexes of the influenza A virus neuraminidase (NA) protein to investigate the spatial recognition relationship between the antigenic epitopes and antibody paratopes. MethodsStructural data on NA protein antigen-antibody complexes were comprehensively collected from the SAbDab database, and processed to obtain the amino acid sequences and spatial distribution information on antigenic epitopes and corresponding antibody paratopes. Statistical analysis was conducted on the antibody sequences, frequency of use of genes, amino acid preferences, and the lengths of complementarity determining regions (CDR). Epitope hotspots for antibody binding were analyzed, and the spatial structural similarity of antibody paratopes was calculated and subjected to clustering, which allowed for a comprehensively exploration of the spatial recognition relationship between antigenic epitopes and antibodies. The specificity of antibodies targeting different antigenic epitope clusters was further validated through bio-layer interferometry (BLI) experiments. ResultsThe collected data revealed that the antigen-antibody complex structure data of influenza A virus NA protein in SAbDab database were mainly from H3N2, H7N9 and H1N1 subtypes. The hotspot regions of antigen epitopes were primarily located around the catalytic active site. The antibodies used for structural analysis were primarily derived from human and murine sources. Among murine antibodies, the most frequently used V-J gene combination was IGHV1-12*01/IGHJ2*01, while for human antibodies, the most common combination was IGHV1-69*01/IGHJ6*01. There were significant differences in the lengths and usage preferences of heavy chain CDR amino acids between antibodies that bind within the catalytic active site and those that bind to regions outside the catalytic active site. The results revealed that structurally similar antibodies could recognize the same epitopes, indicating a specific spatial recognition between antibody and antigen epitopes. Structural overlap in the binding regions was observed for antibodies with similar paratope structures, and the competitive binding of these antibodies to the epitope was confirmed through BLI experiments. ConclusionThe antigen epitopes of NA protein mainly ditributed around the catalytic active site and its surrounding loops. Spatial complementarity and electrostatic interactions play crucial roles in the recognition and binding of antibodies to antigenic epitopes in the catalytic region. There existed a spatial recognition relationship between antigens and antibodies that was independent of the uniqueness of antibody sequences, which means that antibodies with different sequences could potentially form similar local spatial structures and recognize the same epitopes.

Abstract Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has demonstrated unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as glycolipid metabolism disorder. However, its widespread application has been hindered by the unclear biological essence of TCM syndromes and therapeutic mechanisms. As an emerging interdisciplinary field, phenomics integrates multi-dimensional data including genome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, and microbiome. When combined with TCM's holistic philosophy, it forms TCM phenomics, providing novel approaches to reveal the biological connotation of TCM syndromes and the mechanisms of herbal medicine. Taking glycolipid metabolism disorder as an example, this paper explores the application of TCM phenomics in glycolipid metabolism disorder. By analyzing molecular characteristics of related syndromes, TCM phenomics identifies differentially expressed genes, metabolites, and gut microbiota biomarkers to elucidate the dynamic evolution patterns of syndromes. Simultaneously, it deciphers the multi-target regulatory networks of herbal formulas, demonstrating their therapeutic effects through mechanisms including modulation of insulin signaling pathways, improvement of gut microbiota imbalance, and suppression of inflammatory responses. Current challenges include the subjective nature of syndrome diagnosis, insufficient standardization of animal models, and lack of integrated multi-omics analysis. Future research should employ machine learning, multimodal data integration, and cross-omics longitudinal studies to establish quantitative diagnostic systems for syndromes, promote the integration of precision medicine in TCM and western medicine, and accelerate the modernization of TCM.

ObjectiveTo study the regulatory effect of the partial sequence within the 3’ untranslated region （3’UTR） of slit guidance ligand 1 （Slit1） （Slit1-3’UTR） on the fibrotic phenotypes of cardiac fibroblasts （CFs） and its potential mechanism. MethodsThe adenovirus vector was used to overexpress the 1526nt sequence of Slit1-3’UTR in ICR neonatal mouse CFs （mCFs）. The expression of fibrosis-related genes in mCFs， such as collagen type 1 alpha1（COL1A1）， collagen type 3 alpha3 （COL3A1） and alpha smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） were detected by Western blot assay. The effect of Slit1-3’UTR 1526nt on the proliferation and migration of mCFs was assessed by EdU staining and Trans-well assays. Angiotensin Ⅱ （Ang Ⅱ） was used to treat mCFs， and the impact of Slit1-3’UTR 1526nt on the fibrotic phenotypes of Ang Ⅱ-induced mCFs was evaluated. After overexpression of Slit1-3’UTR 1526nt， miR-34a-5p mimic was transfected into mCFs， followed by actinomycin D treatment to detect the mRNA stability of Slit1-3’UTR 1526nt， and the levels of miR-34a-5p and its target gene SIRT1（si-SIRT1） in mCFs were determined. The effects of miR-34a-5p and small interfering RNA targeting SIRT1 on the Slit1-3’UTR 1526nt-mediated regulation of fibrotic phenotypes were also determined. ResultsAdenovirus-mediated overexpression of Slit 1-3’UTR 1526nt was achieved in mCFs. Overexpression of Slit 1-3’UTR 1526nt markedly inhibited the expression of the fibrosis-related genes， proliferation and migration of mCFs and fibrotic phenotypes of Ang Ⅱ. The results of actinomycin D assay showed that miR-34a-5p inhibited the stability of Slit1-3’UTR 1526nt in mCFs， while the level of miR-34a-5p was reduced in mCFs with overexpression of Slit1-3’UTR 1526nt. Transfection of miR-34a-5p promoted the fibrotic phenotypes， and reversed the inhibitory effect of Slit1-3’UTR 1526nt on the fibrotic phenotypes of mCFs. Overexpression of Slit1-3’UTR 1526nt significantly increased the level of miR-34a-5p target gene SIRT1 in mCFs. Transfection of miR-34a-5p and si-SIRT1 consistently reversed the inhibitory effects of Slit1-3’UTR 1526nt on the fibrotic phenotypes of mCFs. ConclusionSlit1-3’UTR1526nt inhibits the fibrotic phenotypes of mCFs by binding to miR-34a-5p and increasing the expression of its target gene of SIRT1.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of CD20 coding gene （MS4A1） polymorphism on the blood concentration and efficacy of rituximab in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. METHODS A prospective observational study was conducted on 160 newly diagnosed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients who received the R-CHOP regimen at the Sun Yat Sen University Cancer Center from January 2016 to December 2020， with a minimum follow-up period of approximately 5 years. The blood concentration of rituximab was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MS4A1 tagSNPs were selected by Haploview4.2 software， including rs1051461， rs17155034， rs4939364， and rs10501385. The genotype of MS4A1 was detected by Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Univariate linear regression analysis was employed to examine the correlation between various factors（demographic， clinical， and genotypic variables） in patients and the steady-state trough concentration of rituximab during the first course of treatment， followed by multivariate linear regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier curves were drawn to evaluate progression-free survival （PFS） and overall survival （OS）. Using MS4A1 genotype and tumor stage as independent variables， Cox regression model was employed to evaluate the factors influencing patient prognosis. RESULTS The blood concentration of rituximab in MS4A1 rs10501385 CC carriers was 15.20 μg/mL，which was significantly lower than 21.95 μg/mL in AA+AC carriers （P＜0.05）. The multivariate linear regression model incorporating tumor stage and MS4A1 rs10501385 polymorphism explained 7.3% of the interindividual variability in rituximab concentrations. Compared with MS4A1 rs1051461 CC carriers， CT+TT carriers had significantly prolonged PFS and OS （P＜0.05）. The Cox proportional hazards regression model showed that the MS4A1 rs1051461 CC genotype （HR＝4.406， 95%CI：1.743-11.137， P＜0.05） and tumor Ⅲ&Ⅳ （HR＝3.233， 95%CI： 1.413-7.399， P＜0.05） were independent risk factors for PFS. CONCLUSIONS The tumor staging and MS4A1 rs10501385 polymorphism are key influencing factors for blood concentration of rituximab， and MS4A1 rs1051461 polymorphism significantly affects PFS in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients.

A 32-year-old female patient experienced a foreign body sensation in her esophagus on the evening of September 22, 2024, after consuming undercooked grass carp at a restaurant in Wuhan. Esophagoscopy conducted at the hospital revealed no abnormalities. Three days later, she had a stabbing pain in the pharynx. On October 8, upon self-examination, she noticed a red brown worm exhibiting stretching and contracting movements attached near the uvula in her pharynx and then went to the hospital. During the removal of the worm, the doctor observed the ulcers on the mucous membrane. Serological antibody tests for seven common human parasitic worms, including Schistosoma japonicum, Paragonimus westermani, Clonorchis sinensis, cysticercus of Taenia solium, sparganum, hydatid cyst, and Trichinella spiralis, were all negative. The isolated worm was reddish brown, measuring 4 mm in length and 2 mm in width. Staining with hydrochloric carmine dye revealed a morphology consistent with Clinostomum complanatum (Rud., 1819), characterized by an oral sucker at the anterior end, a pharynx connecting to intestinal branches, and two intestinal branches extending to the posterior end of the body with small sub-branches. The ventral sucker, larger than the oral sucker, was located at the front 1/4 of the body. A pair of testes were arranged longitudinally in the mid-posterior part, with an ovary located between the two testes and a uterus located above the upper testis. A comprehensive search of 188 databases comprising more than 460 million full-text articles through the library of Huazhong University of Science and Technology confirmed the first reported case of Clinostomum complanatum infection in humans in China.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the peripheral neural mechanism underlying representation along the distribution of stomach meridian induced by intestinal inflammatory reaction using diarrhea predominant-irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) mice. METHODS: Among 62 healthy male C57BL/6 mice of clean grade, 12 mice were randomly selected and divided into a control group and a model group, 6 mice in each group, additionally, 12 mice were randomly selected and divided into a Tianshu group, a Liangqiu group and a Zusanli group, 4 mice in each group. In the model group, citrobacter was administered orally to establish IBS-D model. In the control group and the model group, the visceral pain threshold was observed using fecal colorectal distension (fCRD) induced electromyography of external oblique muscle, the positive cell number of neutrophil in the colonic muscularis was detected by myeloperoxidase (MPO) staining, the number, location and distribution rule of Evans blue (EB) extravasation points were observed by injection of EB staining solution into the tail vein. In the Tianshu group, the Liangqiu group and the Zusanli group, fluorescent dye Dil was injected at bilateral "Tianshu" (ST25), "Liangqiu" (ST34) and "Zusanli" (ST36) respectively, to observe the dye-positive cell number in different dorsal root ganglion (DRG) segments. In the control group and the model group, the activation of satellite glial cells (SGCs) in different DRG segments was observed by immunofluorescence. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, in the model group, the area under curve of electromyography of external oblique muscle was increased at fCRD of 25, 50 and 75 μL distilled water (P<0.001, P<0.01); the MPO-positive cell number of neutrophil in the colonic muscularis was increased (P<0.01). Few EB extravasation points could be found in the control group, while there were much more EB extravasation points observed in the model group, which was specially distribution in the area of stomach meridian, from "Huaroumen" (ST24) to "Zusanli" (ST36), as well as the surface area dominated by L₂-L₅ segment of the spinal cord. The Dil-positive cells were mainly exhibited in the DRG of T₁₁, L₅ and L₄ segments in the Tianshu group, the Liangqiu group and the Zusanli group, respectively. Compared with the control group, the ratio of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)/glutamine synthetase (GS) co-expression was increased in the DRG of T₁₁, L₄ and L₅ segments in the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION The activation of SGCs within DRG of T₁₁, L₄ and L₅ segments may relate closely to the occurrence of the representation along the stomach meridian distribution in IBS-D mice.
Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome/therapy* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Meridians ; Stomach/physiopathology* ; Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Disease Models, Animal

This study established the HPLC fingerprints, characteristic chromatograms, and a multi-component content determination method for Bidens bipinnata and B. biternata. The chemical pattern recognition analysis was then employed to clarify the characteristic indexes of quality differences between the two original plants of Bidentis Herba, providing a reference for establishing the quality standards of Bidentis Herba. HPLC was launched on an Agilent Poroshell 120 EC-C_(18) chromatographic column(4.6 mm×250 mm, 4 μm) by gradient elution with a mobile phase of 0.1% aqueous phosphoric acid-acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.7 mL·min~(-1), detection wavelength of 270 nm, column temperature of 25 ℃, and an injection volume of 5 μL. The similarity between the fingerprints of 18 batches of Bidentis Herba samples and the common pattern(R) ranged from 0.572 to 0.933. A total of 23 chromatographic peaks were calibrated. Through comparison with the reference substances, six components(neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid B, rutin, and hyperoside) were identified and subjected to quantitative analysis. The characteristic fingerprints of B. bipinnata and B. biternata were calibrated with 20 and 17 characteristic peaks, respectively. Among them, peaks 8, 9, 22, and 23 were the characteristic peaks of B. bipinnata, and peak 7 was the characteristic peak of B. biternata, which can be used to distinguish the two original plants of Bidentis Herba. The relative standard deviation of the content of the above-mentioned six components ranged from 36% to 123%. The cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) classified the 18 batches of Bidentis Herba samples into two categories. Additionally, through the analysis of variable importance in projection(VIP) under OPLS-DA, three characteristic indexes, rutin, isochlorogenic acid A, and isochlorogenic acid B, were identified. The analytical method established in this study can comprehensively evaluate the consistency of Bidentis Herba samples derived from different original plants, specifically identify the differential components between them, and effectively distinguish the two original plants of Bidentis Herba, providing a basis for the differentiation between different original plants and the quality control of Bidentis Herba.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Quality Control ; Bidens/chemistry*

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the potential causal relationship between gut microbiota and food allergy (FA) using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) methods. METHODS: Data from genome-wide association studies on gut microbiota and FA were utilized. MR analysis was conducted employing inverse variance weighting, MR-Egger regression, and weighted median methods to assess the causal relationship between gut microbiota and FA. Cochrane's Q test was used to evaluate heterogeneity of instrumental variables, MR-PRESSO analysis was conducted to test for outliers and pleiotropy, and MR-Egger regression was employed to assess horizontal pleiotropy. The "leave-one-out" method was used to evaluate the impact of removing individual single nucleotide polymorphisms on the causal relationship. RESULTS: Inverse variance weighting analysis revealed that the phylum Verrucomicrobia, family Verrucomicrobiaceae, order Verrucomicrobiales, genus Ruminococcaceae UCG013, and genus Akkermansia were negatively associated with FA (P<0.05). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the reliability of the findings, indicating no heterogeneity or pleiotropy present. CONCLUSIONS There is a causal relationship between gut microbiota and FA, with Verrucomicrobia, Verrucomicrobiaceae, Verrucomicrobiales, Ruminococcaceae UCG013, and Akkermansia potentially reducing the risk of developing FA. These findings provide potential targets for the treatment and prevention of FA; however, further research is needed to explore the specific mechanisms by which the microbiota influence FA.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Food Hypersensitivity/microbiology* ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide