ObjectiveTo investigate the changing trends of the incidence rate， prevalence rate， mortality rate， and disability-adjusted life years （DALYs） of benign hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases among people aged 15 — 39 years in China in 1990 — 2021. MethodsThe data of 2021 Global Burden of Disease Study were downloaded to obtain the epidemiological data of liver fibrosis/chronic liver disease， benign gallbladder/biliary tract diseases， and pancreatitis among people aged 15 — 39 years in China， and estimated annual percentage change （EAPC） was calculated to assess the changing trends of incidence， prevalence， mortality， and DALY rates. The Bayesian age-period-cohort model was used to predict the incidence and mortality rates from 2022 to 2030. ResultsIn 2021， there were 10 448 778 new cases of benign hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases among the individuals aged 15 — 39 years in China， which was increased by 3.8% compared with the data in 1990， while the numbers of prevalent cases， deaths， and DALYs were reduced by 20.4%， 59.6%， and 50.2%， respectively. In 2021， the age-standardized incidence rates of liver fibrosis/chronic liver disease， benign gallbladder/biliary tract diseases， and pancreatitis were 1 104.40/100 000， 1 045.05/100 000， and 16.64/100 000， respectively； the age-standardized prevalence rates were 20 592.37/100 000， 2 364.85/100 000， and 9.43/100 000， respectively； the age-standardized mortality rates were 1.61/100 000， 0.04/100 000， and 0.18/100 000， respectively. From 1990 to 2021， there was a tendency of increase in the age-standardized incidence rate of liver fibrosis/chronic liver disease （EAPC=0.43， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 0.23 — 0.63）， and there was also a tendency of increase in the age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates of benign gallbladder/biliary tract diseases （incidence rate： EAPC=1.07， 95%CI： 0.91 — 1.24； prevalence rate： EAPC=0.75， 95%CI： 0.59 — 0.89）， while there was a tendency of reduction in the age-standardized mortality rate of all three disease categories. Predictions for 2022 — 2030 indicated a potential reduction in the incidence rate of benign gallbladder/biliary tract diseases and an increase in the incidence rate of pancreatitis. ConclusionThere has been an overall upward trend in the incidence rate of liver fibrosis/chronic liver disease and gallbladder/biliary tract diseases over the past three decades， and it is needed to pay attention to the disease burden of benign hepatobiliary diseases among the people aged 15 — 39 years in China.

The inflammatory microenvironment is closely associated with the initiation and progression of osteoarthritis （OA）， specifically manifesting as macrophage activation， dysregulation of inflammatory cytokines， and redox imbalance. Following an overview of the pathological characteristics of the OA inflammatory microenvironment， this paper reviews the research progress on the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） intervening in OA by modulating the inflammatory microenvironment. It has been found that TCM monomers/active ingredients （such as total alkaloids from Strychnos nux-vomica ， quercetin， triptolide， etc.）， herb pairs （e.g. Angelica pubescens - Gentiana macrophylla ， Carthami Flos-Lycopodii Herba）， and TCM formulas （such as Zhuanggu jianxi formula， Duhuo jisheng decoction and Rongjin niantong formula， etc.） can inhibit macrophage activation， reduce the release of proinflammatory cytokines and the generation of reactive oxygen species by inhibiting multiple signaling pathways， including nuclear factor-κB， Wnt/ β -catenin， and mitogen-activated protein kinase， thereby alleviating the articular inflammatory microenvironment， restoring local joint homeostasis， and slowing the progression of OA.

Objective This study reports on the obligatory parasitism of water mites Arrenurus sp. on Anopheles messeae at the Manzhouli Port, Inner Mongolia, China. Methods Duing July 2024, a survey on the mosquito diversity was conducted at the Manzhouli Port. Captured mosquitoes and their ectoparasites were identified to species level. Results A total of 1840 adult mosquitoes were collected, representing species from three genera: Culex(Cx. modestus, Cx. pipiens pallens), Aedes(Ae. dorsalis, Ae. flavidorsalis, Ae. flavescens), and Anopheles (An. messeae). Among all the mosqutioes specimens,3 out of 150 captured An. messeae were found to carry ectoparasitic mites, with number of 2,4,27 mites separately. Morphological and molecular identification reached the same result as water mites(Hydrachnidiae, Hydracrina). COI gene sequence showed 94% similarity with the closest species Arrenurus truncatellus. Conlusions Literature review suggests water mites are host-specific parasitism of mosquito species and herein with the first record of Arrenurus sp. parasiting on An. Messeae in the most high-latitude region globally.

With the rapid development of mobile internet technology, mobile health application (mHealth APP) are increasingly widely used in the field of health management and have been proven to play an important role in the management of chronic diseases. Solid organ transplant recipients face complex health management needs after surgery, including postoperative follow-up, medication management, prevention and treatment of complications and comorbidities, and lifestyle adjustment. mHealth APP can provide solid organ transplant recipients with convenient self-management tools. Although some progress has been made in this field, there are still many challenges, such as insufficient user experience, technological dependence, and data security risks. Therefore, this article discusses the development process, main functions and current application status of mHealth APP, and analyzes its advantages in improving the self-management ability of solid organ transplant recipients, promoting doctor-patient communication and reducing the incidence of complications. At the same time, based on the practical experience of author’s team in developing the “TransMate” mHealth APP, we propose the directions that mHealth APPs should focus on in the future, in order to provide more effective support and services for the health management of solid organ transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data on chronic diarrhea in the Chinese population are lacking, and the association between obesity and chronic diarrhea in East Asian populations remains inconclusive. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of chronic diarrhea and its association with obesity in a representative community-dwelling Chinese population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was based on a multistage, randomized cluster sampling involving 3503 residents aged 20-69 years from representative urban and rural communities in Beijing. Chronic diarrhea was assessed using the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS), and obesity was determined based on body mass index (BMI). Logistic regression analysis and restricted cubic splines were used to evaluate the relationship between obesity and chronic diarrhea. RESULTS: The standardized prevalence of chronic diarrhea in the study population was 12.88%. The average BMI was 24.67 kg/m 2 . Of all the participants, 35.17% (1232/3503) of participants were classified as overweight and 16.13% (565/3503) as obese. After adjustment for potential confounders, individuals with obesity had an increased risk of chronic diarrhea as compared to normal weight individuals (odds ratio = 1.58, 95% confidence interval: 1.20-2.06). A nonlinear association between BMI and the risk of chronic diarrhea was observed in community residents of males and the overall participant group ( P  = 0.026 and 0.017, respectively). CONCLUSIONS This study presents initial findings on the prevalence of chronic diarrhea among residents of Chinese communities while offering substantiated evidence regarding the significant association between obesity and chronic diarrhea. These findings offer a novel perspective on gastrointestinal health management.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Chronic Disease/epidemiology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diarrhea/epidemiology* ; Obesity/complications* ; Prevalence ; East Asian People/statistics & numerical data*

This study aims to investigate the ameliorating effect of Corni Fructus(CF) on the myocardial ischemic injury and the pharmacokinetic properties of characteristic components of CF. The mouse model of isoproterenol-induced myocardial ischemia was established and administrated with the aqueous extract of CF. The general efficacy of CF in ameliorating the myocardial ischemic injury was evaluated based on the cardiac histopathology and the levels of myocardial injury markers: creatine kinase isoenzyme(CK-MB) and cardiac troponin I(cTn-I). The metabolomics analysis was carried out for the heart and serum samples of mice to screen the biomarkers of CF in ameliorating the myocardial ischemic injury and then the predicted biomarkers were submitted to metabolic pathway enrichment. The pharmacokinetic analysis was performed for morroniside, loganin, and cornuside Ⅰ in mouse heart and serum samples to obtain the pharmacokinetic parameters of these components. The pharmacokinetic parameters were then integrated on the basis of self-defined weighting coefficients to simulate an integrated pharmacokinetic profile of CF iridoid glycosides in the heart and serum of the mouse model of myocardial ischemia. The results indicated that CF reduced the pathological damage to cardiac cells and tissue(hematoxylin-eosin staining) and lowered the levels of CK-MB and cTn-I in the serum of the mouse model of myocardial ischemia(P<0.01). Metabolomics analysis screed out 31 endogenous metabolites in the heart and 35 in the serum as biomarkers of CF in ameliorating the myocardial ischemic injury. These biomarkers were altered by modeling and restored by CF. Six metabolic pathways in the heart and 5 in the serum were enriched based on these metabolic markers. The main integrated pharmacokinetic parameters of CF iridoid glycosides were T_(max)=1 h, t_(1/2)=(1.52±0.05) h in the heart and T_(max)=1 h, t_(1/2)=(1.56±0.50) h in the serum. Both concentration-time curves showed a double-peak phenomenon. In conclusion, CF demonstrated the cardioprotective effect by regulating metabolic pathways such as taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, and pantothenic acid and coenzyme A biosynthesis. The integrated pharmacokinetics reflect the general pharmacokinetic properties of characteristic components in CF.
Animals ; Cornus/chemistry* ; Mice ; Metabolomics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia/metabolism* ; Humans ; Troponin I/metabolism* ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Biomarkers/metabolism* ; Creatine Kinase, MB Form/metabolism*

This study employs ultra-performance liquid chromatography(UPLC) to analyze the differences in alkaloid content of Commelina communis from various geographical origins, exploring its feasibility as a quality evaluation indicator. A total of 57 batches of C. communis samples from 23 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China were selected. The MicroPulite HSS T3(2.1 mm×50 mm, 1.8 μm)column was used with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.2% phosphoric acid aqueous solution(20∶80), detection wavelength at 254 nm, and a flow rate of 0.3 mL·min~(-1) to measure the content of 1-deoxynojirimycin(DNJ) and deoxymannojirimycin(DMJ). The MicroPulite XP tC_(18)(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm)column was employed with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.2% phosphoric acid aqueous solution(4∶96), detection wavelength at 254 nm, and a flow rate of 0.4 mL·min~(-1) to measure the content of norharmine(NHM) and harmanme(HM). Chemometric methods were applied to study the relationships and differences among the 57 batches of C. communis. Significant differences in alkaloid content were observed among C. communis from different regions, with the average total content decreasing in the order of North China, Northeast China, Northwest China, East China, Southwest China, Central China, and South China. Cluster analysis(CA) and principal component analysis(PCA) further revealed the quality differences of C. communis from various origins, and partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) identified DNJ as a marker compound to distinguish the quality differences between different geographical sources of C. communis. It is recommended that the content limit of DNJ be set at no less than 0.055 9%, providing a reference for the quality evaluation and clinical application of C. communis medicinal materials.
Alkaloids/analysis* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chemometrics/methods* ; Quality Control

Quality control is a key link in the modernization process of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Studies have shown that the effects of active components in TCM depend on not only their chemical composition but also their suitable physical forms and states. The physical phase structures, such as micelles, vesicles, gels, and nanoparticles, can improve the solubility, delivery efficiency, and targeting precision of active components. These structures significantly enhance the pharmacological activity while reducing the toxicity and side effects, demonstrating functional activity surpassing that of active components and highlighting the key effects of "structures" on "functions" of active components. Taking the physical phase structure as a breakthrough point, this paper outlines the common types of TCM physical phase structures. Furthermore, this paper explores how to realize the quality upgrading of TCM through the precise regulation of physical phase structures based on the current applications and potential of TCM physical phase structures in processing to increase the efficacy and reduce the toxicity, compounding and decocting processes, drug delivery systems, and quality control, aiming to provide novel insights for the future quality control of TCM.
Quality Control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/standards* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; Humans ; Drug Delivery Systems

This study investigated the mechanism by which Jianpi Bushen Yiqi Decoction promotes acetylcholine receptor(AChR) clustering in myasthenia gravis through the Agrin/low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4(LRP4)/muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinases(MuSK) signaling pathway. A total of 114 female C57BL/6J mice were divided into the normal group, modeling group, and solvent control group. The normal group and the solvent control group were immunized with phosphate-buffered saline(PBS), while the modeling group was established as an experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis(EAMG) model using the murine-derived AChR-α subunit R97-116 peptide fragment. After successful modeling, the mice were randomly assigned to the model group, the low-, medium-, and high-dose Jianpi Bushen Yiqi Decoction groups, and the prednisone group. After four weeks of continuous treatment, muscle strength was assessed using Lennon scores and grip strength tests. Immunofluorescence staining was conducted on differentiated C2C12 myotubes incubated with a drug-containing serum to observe the number of AChR clusters. The integrity of AChR on myofilaments in mouse gastrocnemius muscles was further assessed by immunofluorescence staining. Hematoxylin-Eosin(HE)staining was applied to examine pathological changes in the gastrocnemius muscles of EAMG mice treated with Jianpi Bushen Yiqi Decoction. Western blot was utilized to detect the expression of key proteins in the Agrin/LRP4/MuSK signaling pathway in both C2C12 myotubes and mouse gastrocnemius muscles. The results demonstrated that compared to the model group, the prednisone group exhibited a significant decrease in the body weights of mice, whereas no significant differences in the body weights of mice were observed among the low-, medium-, and high-dose Jianpi Bushen Yiqi Decoction groups. All treatment groups showed significantly improved grip strength and Lennon scores. Additionally, the formula promoted AChR clustering on myotubes and enhanced AChR integrity in gastrocnemius myofilaments and reduced inflammatory infiltration between muscle tissue and fibrous hyperplasia. Furthermore, Jianpi Bushen Yiqi Decoction upregulated the protein expression of AChRα1, Agrin, and p-MuSK in C2C12 myotubes and increased the protein expression of AChRα1, Agrin, MuSK, p-MuSK, LRP4, and docking protein 7(Dok-7)in gastrocnemius tissue. In conclusion, Jianpi Bushen Yiqi Decoction may promote AChR clustering by targeting key proteins in the Agrin/LRP4/MuSK signaling pathway, thereby improving neuromuscular junction function and enhancing muscle strength.
Animals ; Agrin/genetics* ; Mice ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Receptors, Cholinergic/genetics* ; Female ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/genetics* ; Neuromuscular Junction/metabolism* ; Myasthenia Gravis, Autoimmune, Experimental/physiopathology* ; Humans ; LDL-Receptor Related Proteins

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the application value of targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) in the etiological diagnosis of moderate to severe respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in neonates. METHODS: A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted, enrolling 81 term and late-preterm neonates with moderate to severe RDS admitted to Fujian Children's Hospital between December 2023 and December 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to the conventional microbiological test (CMT) group (n=42) or the tNGS group (n=39). For routine pathogen detection, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was obtained via bronchoscopy, and lower respiratory tract specimens were collected via the endotracheal tube; all specimens underwent culture, and some specimens additionally underwent polymerase chain reaction or antigen testing. In the tNGS group, tNGS was performed in addition to routine pathogen detection on the same specimen types. The detection rate of pathogens, the detection rate of co-infections, and the duration of antibiotic use were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The pathogen detection rate in the tNGS group (18/39, 46%) was significantly higher than that in the CMT group (8/42, 19%) (P=0.009). The co-infection detection rate was 13% (5/39) in the tNGS group, while no co-infections were identified in the CMT group (P=0.024). Regarding treatment, the duration of antibiotic use in the tNGS group was shorter than that in the CMT group [(12±4) days vs (15±5) days, P=0.003]. CONCLUSIONS tNGS significantly improves the pathogen detection rate in neonates with moderate to severe RDS and offers advantages in the rapid identification of co-infections and reduction of antibiotic treatment duration, suggesting it has clinical utility and potential for wider adoption.
Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Infant, Newborn ; Female ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/etiology* ; Male ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods*