ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy on the long-term prognosis for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy （DCM） of yang deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 371 DCM patients with yang deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. The yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy was defined as the exposure factor. Patients were categorized into exposure group （186 cases） and non-exposure group （185 cases） according to whether they received yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy combined with conventional western medicine for 6 months or longer. The follow-up period was set at 48 months， and the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess the cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events （MACE） in both groups. Cox regression analysis was used to explore the impact of yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy on the risk of MACE， and subgroup analysis was performed. Changes in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score， left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）， left ventricular fractional shortening （LVFS）， left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVEDD）， and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire （MLHFQ） score were compared between groups at the time of first combined use of yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy （before treatment） and 1 year after receiving the therapy （after treatment）. ResultsMACE occurred in 31 cases （16.67%） in the exposure group and 47 cases （25.41%） in the non-exposure group. The cumulative incidence of MACE in the exposure group was significantly lower than that in the non-exposure group ［HR=0.559， 95%CI（0.361，0.895）， P=0.014］. Cox regression analysis showed that yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy was an independent factor for reducing the risk of MACE in DCM patients ［HR=0.623， 95%CI（0.396，0.980）， P=0.041］， and consistent results were observed in different subgroups. Compared with pre-treatment， the exposure group showed decreased TCM syndrome score and MLHFQ score， reduced LVEDD， and increased LVEF and LVFS after treatment （P＜0.05）； in the non-exposure group， TCM syndrome score decreased， LVEF and LVFS increased， and LVEDD reduced after treatment （P＜0.05）. After treatment， the exposure group had higher LVEF and LVFS， smaller LVEDD， and lower TCM syndrome score and MLHFQ score compared with the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. ConclusionCombining yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy with conventional western medicine can reduce the risk of MACE in DCM patients with yang deficiency and blood stasis syndrome， meanwhile improving their clinical symptoms， cardiac function， and quality of life.

ObjectiveTo explore the correlation between the occurrence of cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis（RA） and traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） syndrome. MethodsThe cross-sectional study selected 6713 RA patients from 122 centres nationwide， in which general information such as name， gender， age， height， body weight， and course of disease were collected by completing a questionnaire； patients were classified into eight types of syndrome according to the information of their four examinations，i.e. wind-dampness obstruction syndrome， cold-dampness obstruction syndrome， dampness-heat obstruction syndrome， phlegm-stasis obstruction syndrome， stasis-blood obstructing collateral syndrome， qi-blood deficiency syndrome， liver-kidney insufficiency syndrome， and qi-yin deficiency syndrome. According to the occurrence of cardiovascular events， they were divided into the occurrence group and the non-occurrence group， and the condition assessment data and laboratory examination indexes were recorded. The test of difference between groups was used to analyse the possible risk factors for the occurrence of RA cardiovascular events， and binary logistic regression was used to analyse the correlation between TCM syndromes and RA cardiovascular events. ResultsA total of 6713 RA patients were included， including 256 cases in occurrence group and 6457 in non-occurrence group. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in terms of height， gender， insomnia， appetite， white blood cell（WBC）， hemoglobin（HGB）， platelets（PLT）， rheumatoid factor（RF）， anti-cyclic peptide containing citrulline（CCP）， alanine aminotransferase（ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase（AST）， γ-glutamyl transpeptidase（GGT）， urea creatinine（CREA）， and glucose（GLU）（P＞0.05）. The TCM syndromes between groups showed significant statistic differences（P＜0.05）. Patients in occurrence group had longer disease duration， heavier body weight， and older age； more severe conditions such as disease activity（DAS-28）， number of painful joints（TJC）， number of swollen joints（SJC）， health questionnaire scores（HAQ）， visual analog scores（VAS）， restlessness， and fatigue； higher blood sedimentation rate（ESR）， low-density lipoprotein（LDL-C）， triglyceride（TG）， total cholesterol（TC）， D-Dimer， and lower high-density lipoprotein（HDL-C）（P＜0.05）. The distribution of syndrome types showed that dampness-heat obstruction syndrome accounted for the largest proportion of patients in both groups and was higher in RA cardiovascular events. Logistic regression analysis showed that the occurrence of RA cardiovascular events was strongly associated with dampness-heat obstruction syndrome［OR=5.937， 95%CI （4.434， 7.949）， P＜0.001］. ConclusionThe occurrence of RA cardiovascular events were associated with TCM syndromes， and the probability of cardiovascular events in the RA patients with dampness-heat obstruction syndrome was 5.937 times higher than patients with other TCM syndromes.

Objective To evaluate the quality of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid after mutual substitution of honeysuckle and wild honeysuckle using total quantum statistical moment(TQSM)and molecular connectivity index(MCI).Methods UPLC fingerprint of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)and Shuanghuanglian oral liquid(wild honeysuckle)were established,the TQSM parameters and similarity of the fingerprint were calculated;by reviewing relevant literature,as well as the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP),chemical composition databases for Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)and Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(wild honeysuckle)was established,all components were divided into different component groups,and MCI and its similarity were calculated.Results The number of chromatographic peaks and total zero order moment(AUCT)of 15 batches of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)were higher than those of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(wild honeysuckle),but there was no significant difference in total first order moment(MRTT)and total second order moment(VRTT);the total quantum statistical moment similarity(TQSMS)between 15 batches of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)was 1.000 0-0.824 6,the TQSMS between 15 batches of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(wild honeysuckle)was 1.000 0-0.659 0,and the TQSMS between 15 batches of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)and Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(wild honeysuckle)was 1.000 0-0.619 8.The MCI similarity of various components between Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)and Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(wild honeysuckle)was 1.000 0-0.984 9,with an overall MCI similarity of 0.995 8.Conclusion There is no significant difference in the various components and overall"imprinting template"between Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)and Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(wild honeysuckle).It is speculated that the substitution of honeysuckle and wild honeysuckle will not affect the pharmacological properties of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid,but there may be differences in the intensity of pharmacological effects,with Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)being the most effective.

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the role of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2)/Smad8 signaling pathway in T-2 toxin-induced apoptosis of rat articular chondrocytes.Methods:Primary chondrocytes from SD rats were cultured in vitro and exposed to varying concentrations of T-2 toxin (0.00, 0.32, 1.60, 8.00 ng/ml). The changes in chondrocytes survival rate were determined by CCK8, and the apoptosis changes of chondrocytes were determined by TUNEL assay kit. Using a group design, chondrocytes were cultured in complete culture media and culture media containing T-2 toxin (1.60 ng/ml), BMP2 cytokine (500 ng/ml), or T-2 toxin (1.60 ng/ml) + BMP2 cytokine (500 ng/ml), referred to as the control group, T-2 toxin group, BMP2 group, and T-2 toxin + BMP2 group, respectively. The survival rate and apoptosis changes of chondrocytes in each group were determined. The expression levels of Caspase-3, BMP2, BMP receptor Ⅱ (BMP-R Ⅱ), and Smad1/4/5/8 were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Results:Compared with the 0.00 ng/ml of T-2 toxin group [(100.00 ± 0.00)%, (4.33 ± 0.32)%], the chondrocyte survival rates [(85.77 ± 2.96)%, (72.79 ± 2.31)%, (48.87 ± 1.83)%] of the 0.32, 1.60, and 8.00 ng/ml of T-2 toxin groups were significantly lower ( P < 0.05), and the apoptosis rates [(5.43 ± 0.32)%, (6.17 ± 0.15)%, (5.07 ± 0.13)%] were significantly higher ( P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the T-2 toxin group had a lower survival rate and a higher apoptosis rate of chondrocytes ( P < 0.05). Compared with the T-2 toxin group, the T-2 toxin + BMP2 group had a higher survival rate and lower apoptosis rate of chondrocytes ( P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the T-2 toxin group showed higher expression level of Caspase-3 mRNA in chondrocytes, while the expression levels of BMP2, BMP-R Ⅱ, and Smad1/4/8 mRNA were lower ( P < 0.05). Compared with the T-2 toxin group, the expression level of Caspase-3 mRNA was lower in the T-2 toxin + BMP2 group, while the expression levels of BMP2 and Smad8 mRNA were higher ( P < 0.05). Conclusion:BMP2 may partially block the apoptosis of chondrocytes caused by T-2 toxin by regulating the BMP2/Smad8 signaling pathway.

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the role of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2)/Smad8 signaling pathway in T-2 toxin-induced apoptosis of rat articular chondrocytes.Methods:Primary chondrocytes from SD rats were cultured in vitro and exposed to varying concentrations of T-2 toxin (0.00, 0.32, 1.60, 8.00 ng/ml). The changes in chondrocytes survival rate were determined by CCK8, and the apoptosis changes of chondrocytes were determined by TUNEL assay kit. Using a group design, chondrocytes were cultured in complete culture media and culture media containing T-2 toxin (1.60 ng/ml), BMP2 cytokine (500 ng/ml), or T-2 toxin (1.60 ng/ml) + BMP2 cytokine (500 ng/ml), referred to as the control group, T-2 toxin group, BMP2 group, and T-2 toxin + BMP2 group, respectively. The survival rate and apoptosis changes of chondrocytes in each group were determined. The expression levels of Caspase-3, BMP2, BMP receptor Ⅱ (BMP-R Ⅱ), and Smad1/4/5/8 were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Results:Compared with the 0.00 ng/ml of T-2 toxin group [(100.00 ± 0.00)%, (4.33 ± 0.32)%], the chondrocyte survival rates [(85.77 ± 2.96)%, (72.79 ± 2.31)%, (48.87 ± 1.83)%] of the 0.32, 1.60, and 8.00 ng/ml of T-2 toxin groups were significantly lower ( P < 0.05), and the apoptosis rates [(5.43 ± 0.32)%, (6.17 ± 0.15)%, (5.07 ± 0.13)%] were significantly higher ( P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the T-2 toxin group had a lower survival rate and a higher apoptosis rate of chondrocytes ( P < 0.05). Compared with the T-2 toxin group, the T-2 toxin + BMP2 group had a higher survival rate and lower apoptosis rate of chondrocytes ( P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the T-2 toxin group showed higher expression level of Caspase-3 mRNA in chondrocytes, while the expression levels of BMP2, BMP-R Ⅱ, and Smad1/4/8 mRNA were lower ( P < 0.05). Compared with the T-2 toxin group, the expression level of Caspase-3 mRNA was lower in the T-2 toxin + BMP2 group, while the expression levels of BMP2 and Smad8 mRNA were higher ( P < 0.05). Conclusion:BMP2 may partially block the apoptosis of chondrocytes caused by T-2 toxin by regulating the BMP2/Smad8 signaling pathway.

Objective To evaluate the quality of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid after mutual substitution of honeysuckle and wild honeysuckle using total quantum statistical moment(TQSM)and molecular connectivity index(MCI).Methods UPLC fingerprint of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)and Shuanghuanglian oral liquid(wild honeysuckle)were established,the TQSM parameters and similarity of the fingerprint were calculated;by reviewing relevant literature,as well as the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP),chemical composition databases for Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)and Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(wild honeysuckle)was established,all components were divided into different component groups,and MCI and its similarity were calculated.Results The number of chromatographic peaks and total zero order moment(AUCT)of 15 batches of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)were higher than those of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(wild honeysuckle),but there was no significant difference in total first order moment(MRTT)and total second order moment(VRTT);the total quantum statistical moment similarity(TQSMS)between 15 batches of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)was 1.000 0-0.824 6,the TQSMS between 15 batches of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(wild honeysuckle)was 1.000 0-0.659 0,and the TQSMS between 15 batches of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)and Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(wild honeysuckle)was 1.000 0-0.619 8.The MCI similarity of various components between Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)and Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(wild honeysuckle)was 1.000 0-0.984 9,with an overall MCI similarity of 0.995 8.Conclusion There is no significant difference in the various components and overall"imprinting template"between Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)and Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(wild honeysuckle).It is speculated that the substitution of honeysuckle and wild honeysuckle will not affect the pharmacological properties of Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid,but there may be differences in the intensity of pharmacological effects,with Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid(honeysuckle)being the most effective.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the dual plasma molecular adsorption system (DPMAS) treatment technology and the laboratory data before and after treatment in patients with liver failure and refractory hyperbilirubinemia, so as to provide a clinical basis for the prediction and prevention of common related complications.Method:A retrospective study was conducted on 161 cases with liver failure and 68 cases with refractory hyperbilirubinemia who underwent DPMAS treatment in our department from October 2022 to July 2024. The general clinical data characteristics, DPMAS treatment status, DPMAS-related complications, and changes in important laboratory indicators before and after the initial DPMAS treatment in both patient groups were analyzed.Results:Among the 229 enrolled cases, 82.53% were male, and the median age was 50 years. The cause of liver failure was hepatitis B virus infection in 84.47%, while hepatitis B accounted for only 51.47% in the other group. There were significant differences in platelets, creatinine, coagulation function, and inflammatory factor-related indicators between the two groups at baseline. The total number of DPMAS treatments given was 471 times. The proportion of albumin used in the initial stage of treatment was significantly higher in patients with refractory hyperbilirubinemia than that in the liver failure group, while the proportion of plasma used in the liver failure group was significantly higher ( P<0.001). The most commonly used anticoagulation regimen was unfractionated heparin. A combined anticoagulation therapy regimen was used in 9.3% of the refractory hyperbilirubinemia group. The internal jugular vein was selected in nearly half of the treated cases. A peripheral vascular access pathway was the treatment option in 31.2%. The proportion of centrifugal separation was significantly higher than that of membrane separation (76.22% vs. 23.78%). The incidence rate of DPMAS-related complications was 16%. The most common complication was bleeding, including bleeding at the puncture site (accounting for 32% of the total complications) and bleeding at non-puncture sites (12%), followed by hypotension (22%), allergic reactions (13%) and infections (11%), respectively. The indexes of hemoglobin, platelets, total bilirubin, and C-reactive protein were significantly decreased within 24-48 hours after DPMAS treatment in both groups of patients. The prothrombin time and international normalized ratio were significantly increased in the liver failure group, while fibrinogen was significantly reduced. Conclusion:DPMAS clinical application is generally safe in patients with liver disease. The most common complications are bleeding, hypotension, allergic reactions, and infections, which need to be paid special attention and timely intervention to ensure the safety profile of treatment.

Objective:To analyze the relationship between serum betaine homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) level and visceral fat area (VAF) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its predictive value for diabetic nephropathy (DN) .Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to select 170 patients with T2DM admitted to the hospital from Apr. 2021 to Apr. 2023 as the study subjects. According to the occurrence of DN, the patients were divided into two groups: DN group and non-DN group. All patients were tested for serum BHMT and VAF, and the relationship between them was analyzed by bivariate correlation. The baseline data of patients were collected, and the correlation between serum BHMT and VAF levels and DN in patients with T2DM was analyzed by binary Logistic regression. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to analyze the predictive value of serum BHMT and VAF levels for DN in patients with T2DM.Results:DN occurred in 34 of 170 patients with T2DM, with an incidence of 20.00%. The proportion of patients with DN combined with hypertension [61.76% (21/34) ] was higher than that of non-DN group [41.91% (57/136) ]. The levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), homocysteine (Hcy) and VAF were (8.97±1.53) %, (15.87± 5.09) μmol/L, (113.62±18.74) cm 2 respectively, higher than those in non-DN group [ (8.16± 1.27) %, (11.65±4.81) μmol/L, (92.61±14.17) cm 2]. The level of BHMT was (57.74± 9.18) pg/ml, lower than that in non-DN group [ (78.74±11.53) pg/ml] ( P<0.05). The levels of serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and urinary albumin excretion rates (UAER) in DN group were (71.74±9.81) μmol/L, (8.18±1.27) mmol/L, (106.61±28.61) mg/24 h respectively, higher than those in non-DN group [ (57.11±10.06) μmol/L, (5.29±1.02) mmol/L, (14.65± 2.52) mg/24 h] ( P<0.05). BHMT was negatively correlated with VAF, Scr, BUN and UAER ( r<0, P<0.05). Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that high levels of HbA1c, Hcy and VAF were risk factors for DN in patients with T2DM ( OR>1, P<0.05). High level of BHMT was a protective factor for DN in patients withT2DM ( OR<1, P<0.05). The results of ROC curve showed that the AUC of BHMT, VAF levels and combined prediction of DN in patients with T2DM were all>0.70, which had certain predictive value, and the combined detection had the highest. Conclusion:Serum BHMT level is negatively correlated with VAF in patients with T2DM, and serum BHMT and VAF levels are closely related to the occurrence of DN in patients with T2DM, both of which can effectively predict the risk of DN in patients.

Objective To establish a rapid detection method for zika virus based on direct amplification re-al-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)technique.Methods A direct amplification RT-PCR technique for the rapid detection of zika virus in 5 samples(whole blood,serum,saliva,throat swab and urine)was established by using a special function DNA polymerase and a preferred PCR enhancer.Results The detection limits of the 5 samples were 103 PFU/mL in serum,102 PFU/mL in urine,throat swab,and saliva,and 104 PFU/mL in whole blood.The coefficient of goodness-fit of stand-ard curves was above 0.98,and the amplification efficiency was 90％-110％.Zika virus nucleic acid was suc-cessfully amplified,but non-zika virus nucleic acid was not amplified.Based on the repeatable detection of sam-ples from urine,whole blood,and saliva,the variation coefficient of 6 repeated Ct values at 106 PFU/mL and 102 PFU/mL concentrations were all＜5％.The zika virus detection method established by the direct amplifi-cation RT-PCR technique was consistent with the detection results of conventional RT-PCR technique.Only two serum samples were detected in eight zika virus samples,and the remaining 62 non-zika virus samples and 12 negative samples were not amplified.Conclusion A rapid detection method for zika virus based on direct ampli-fication RT-PCR technique is successfully established.The method is simple,rapid,sensitive and specific.

Methods: This study established the MFSM method. To demonstrate its effectiveness, we applied this novel approach to analyze Danxi Granules (丹膝颗粒, DXG) and its constituent herbal materials. To begin with, the ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) was applied to obtain the chromatographic fingerprints of DXG and its constituent herbal materials. Next, the MFSM was leveraged to compress and integrate them into a new fingerprint with fewer analytical units. Then, we characterized the properties and variability of both the original and integrated fingerprints by calculating total quantum statistical moment (TQSM) parameters, information entropy and information amount, along with their relative standard deviation (RSD). Finally, we compared the TQSM parameters, information entropy and information amount, and their RSD between the traditional and novel fingerprints to validate the new analytical method. Results: The chromatographic peaks of DXG and its 12 raw herbal materials were divided and integrated into peak families by the MFSM method. Before integration, the ranges of the peak number, three TQSM parameters, information entropy and information amount for each peak or peak family of UPLC fingerprints of DXG and its 12 raw herbal materials were 95.07 − 209.73, 9390 − 183064 μv·s, 5.928 − 21.33 min, 22.62 − 106.69 min2, 4.230 − 6.539, and 50530 − 974186 μv·s, respectively. After integration, the ranges of these parameters were 10.00 − 88.00, 9390 − 183064 μv·s, 5.951 − 22.02 min, 22.27 − 104.73 min2, 2.223 − 5.277, and 38159 − 807200 μv·s, respectively. Correspondingly, the RSD of all the aforementioned parameters before integration were 2.12% − 9.15%, 6.04% − 49.78%, 1.15% − 23.10%, 3.97% − 25.79%, 1.49% − 19.86%, and 6.64% − 51.20%, respectively. However, after integration, they changed to 0.00%, 6.04% − 49.87%, 1.73% − 23.02%, 3.84% − 26.85%, 1.17% − 16.54%, and 6.40% − 48.59%, respectively. The results demonstrated that in the newly integrated fingerprint, the analytical units of constituent herbal materials, information entropy and information amount were significantly reduced (P < 0.05), while the TQSM parameters remained unchanged (P > 0.05). Additionally, the RSD of the TQSM parameters, information entropy, and information amount didn’t show significant difference before and after integration (P > 0.05), but the RSD of the number and area of the integrated analytical units significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Conclusion The MFSM method could reduce the analytical units of constituent herbal materials while maintain the properties and variability from their original fingerprint. Thus, it could serve as a feasible and reliable tool to reduce difficulties in analyzing multi-components within CMMs and facilitating the evaluation of their quality.