Objective To compare the dosimetric and radiobiological differences of helical tomotherapy (HT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in craniospinal irradiation. Methods The CT images of 15 patients who received craniospinal irradiation in our hospital were selected. The target volumes and organs at risk (OARs) were contoured, and HT and VMAT plans were designed. The dosimetric parameters of the two plans were compared. A Matlab program based on equivalent uniform dose was developed to calculate the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). The NTCP values of the two plans were compared. Results The homogeneity index of the target volume in the HT group was better than that in the VMAT group, with values of 0.06 ± 0.01 and 0.08 ± 0.24, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.03). However, there was no significant difference in the conformity index of the target volume (P>0.05). There were significant differences in key indicators (D_mean, V₅, D_max) of the lungs, liver, lens, and eyeballs between the two groups (P<0.05). Regarding OARs, the NTCP values of the lens, optic chiasm, lungs, and liver in the HT and VMAT groups were as follows: 0.04 ± 0.03 vs. 0.1 ± 0.06 in the left lens, 0.04 ± 0.06 vs. 0.1 ± 0.07 in the right lens, 0.16 (0.14-0.17) vs. 0.21 (0.18-0.24) in the optic chiasm, 3.89 × 10⁻⁴ (2.45 × 10⁻⁴-7.3 × 10⁻⁴) vs. 8.95 × 10⁻⁴ (5.19 × 10⁻⁴-1.75 × 10⁻³) in the lungs, and 3.45 × 10⁻⁸ (6.0 × 10⁻⁹-1.036 × 10⁻⁷) vs. 9.54 × 10⁻⁸ (1.70 × 10⁻⁸-2.056 × 10⁻⁷) in the liver; the HT group was superior to the VMAT group, and all differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The NTCP values of the heart in the two groups were 1.35 × 10⁻⁸ (6.34 × 10⁻⁹-2.06 × 10⁻⁹) vs. 5.06 × 10⁻⁹ (2.29 × 10⁻⁹-7.9 × 10⁻⁹), significantly lower in the VMAT group than in the HT group (P<0.05). Conclusion HT has high homogeneity and consistency. The two plans have their own advantages in OAR protection. For OARs with no significant differences in physical dosimetry, NTCP results can be used as a reference. Therefore, comparing the dosimetric parameters and OAR NTCP of HT and VMAT plans can help select the optimal clinical treatment strategy.

To introduce and analyze guideline terminology related to clinical question formulation, evidence retrieval and appraisal, and recommendation development.

This paper aimed to use non-targeted urine metabolomics to reveal the potential biomarkers of toxicity in rats with hepatic injury induced by aqueous extracts of Dictamni Cortex(ADC). Forty-eight SD rats were randomly assigned to a blank group and high-dose, medium-dose, and low-dose ADC groups, with 12 rats in each group(half male and half female), and they were administered orally for four weeks. The hepatic injury in SD rats was assessed by body weight, liver weight/index, biochemical index, L-glutathione(GSH), malondialdehyde(MDA), and pathological alterations. The qPCR was utilized to determine the expression of metabolic enzymes in the liver and inflammatory factors. Differential metabolites were screened using principal component analysis(PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis(PLS-DA), followed by a metabolic pathway analysis. The Mantel test was performed to assess differential metabolites and abnormally expressed biochemical indexes, obtaining potential biomarkers. The high-dose ADC group showed a decrease in body weight and an increase in liver weight and index, resulting in hepatic inflammatory cell infiltration and hepatic steatosis. In addition, this group showed elevated levels of MDA, cytochrome P450(CYP) 3A1, interleukin-1β(IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), as well as lower levels of alanine transaminase(ALT) and GSH. A total of 76 differential metabolites were screened from the blank and high-dose ADC groups, which were mainly involved in the pentose phosphate pathway, tryptophan metabolism, purine metabolism, pentose and glucuronic acid interconversion, galactose metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and other pathways. The Mantel test identified biomarkers of hepatotoxicity induced by ADC in SD rats, including glycineamideribotide, dIDP, and galactosylglycerol. In summary, ADC induced hepatotoxicity by disrupting glucose metabolism, ferroptosis, purine metabolism, and other pathways in rats, and glycineamideribotide, dIDP, and galactosylglycerol could be employed as the biomarkers of its toxicity.
Animals ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Metabolomics ; Biomarkers/metabolism* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Female ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/metabolism* ; Glutathione/metabolism* ; Humans

The study aims to elucidate the existence forms(original constituents and metabolites) of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma in rats and reveal its metabolic pathways. After Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma was administered orally once a day for seven consecutive days to rats, all urine and feces samples were collected for seven days, while the blood samples were obtained 6 h after the last administration. Using the ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) technique, this study identified 6, 73, and 156 existence forms of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma in the rat plasma, urine, and feces samples, respectively. Among them, 101 compounds were identified as new existence forms, and 13 original constituents were identified by comparing with reference compounds. The metabolic reactions of constituents from Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma were mainly deglycosylation, dehydration, hydroxylation, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, acetylation, and amino acid conjugation. Furthermore, the possible in vivo metabolic pathways of protopanaxatriol(PPT) in rats were proposed. Through comprehensive analysis of the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS) data, isomeric compounds were discriminated, and the planar chemical structures of 32 metabolites were clearly identified. According to the literature, 48 original constituents possess antitumor and cardiovascular protective bioactivities. Additionally, 32 metabolites were predicted to have similar bioactivities by SuperPred. This research lays the foundation for further exploring the in vivo effective forms of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma.
Animals ; Rats ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacokinetics* ; Rhizome/metabolism* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Panax notoginseng/chemistry* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Feces/chemistry*

Network Meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different traditional Chinese medicine injections combined with conventional western medicine in treatment of cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD). Computerized searches were conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMbase, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed for randomized controlled trial(RCT) published in Chinese or English using traditional Chinese medicine injections to treat CSVD. The search time is from the inception to July 15, 2024. Literature screening and statistical analysis were conducted with NoteExpress 3.0.3, RevMan 5.3.5, and Stata 15.1.6. A total of 45 articles were included, involving 3 717 patients, with 1 944 patients in the treatment group and 1 773 patients in the control group. A total of 15 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine injections were involved. Network Meta-analysis indicated that,(1) in terms of improving clinical total effective rate, the best intervention in SUCRA was Ciwujia Injection + conventional western medicine.(2) In terms of reducing NIHSS scores, the best intervention in SUCRA was Xueshuantong Injection + conventional western medicine.(3) In terms of improving ADL scores, the best intervention in SUCRA was Danshen Injection + conventional western medicine.(4) In terms of improving MMSE scores, the best intervention in SUCRA was Xueshauntong Injection + conventional western medicine.(5) In terms of improving MoCA scores, the best intervention in SUCRA was Salvianolate Injection + conventional western medicine.(6) In terms of reducing plasma viscosity(PV), the best intervention in SUCRA was Danhong Injection + conventional western medicine.(7) In terms of reducing the hematocrit, the best intervention in SUCRA was Xuesaitong Injection + conventional western medicine.(8) In terms of reducing fibrinogen, the best intervention in SUCRA was Xuesaitong Injection + conventional western medicine.(9) In terms of reducing erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR), the best intervention in SUCRA was Danshen Injection + conventional western medicine.(10) In terms of reducing total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), and low-density lipoprotein(LDL), the best intervention in SUCRA was Danshen Injection + conventional western medicine. The radar chart results indicated that the advantage of Salvianolate Injection lies in improving cognitive function, while the advantage of Xueshuantong Injection lies in improving neurological function. The advantage of Xuesaitong Injection lies in improving hemodynamic parameters, and the advantage of Danshen Injection lies in improving behavioral ability, hemodynamics, and blood lipid levels. In terms of safety, there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the traditional Chinese medicine injection treatment group and the conventional western medicine group, and no serious adverse reactions occurred. The results showed that the combination of traditional Chinese medicine injections and conventional western medicine can effectively improve the clinical total effective rate, the neurological and cognitive functions, hemodynamic parameters, and blood lipid levels of patients suffering from CSVD. In addition, more double-blind, multi-center, large-sample RCT is needed to verify these findings and to provide more high-quality evidence on the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine injections for CSVD.
Humans ; Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Injections ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

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

Panax ginseng as a perennial herb of Araliaceae, exhibits pharmacological effects such as central nervous system stimulation, anti-tumor properties, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular protection. The B3 gene family plays a crucial role in growth and development, antioxidant activity, stress resistance, and secondary metabolism regulation of plants and has been extensively studied in various plants. However, the identification and analysis of the B3 gene family in P. ginseng have not been reported. In this study, a total of 145 B3 genes(PgB3s) with complete open reading frames(ORF) were identified from P. ginseng and classified into five subfamilies based on domain types. Through correlation analysis with ginsenoside content, SNP/InDels analysis, and interaction analysis with key enzyme genes, 15 PgB3 transcripts were found to be significantly correlated with ginsenoside content and exhibited a close interaction network with key enzyme genes involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis, which indicated that these genes may participate in the regulation of ginsenoside biosynthesis. Additionally, this study found that PgB3 genes exhibited induced expression in response to methyl jasmonate(MeJA) stress, which aligned with the presence of abundant stress response elements in their promoters, confirming the important role of the B3 gene family in P. ginseng in stress resistance. The results of this study revealed the potential functions of PgB3 genes in ginsenoside biosynthesis and stress response, providing a significant theoretical basis for further research on the functions of PgB3 genes and their regulatory mechanisms.
Panax/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Ginsenosides/biosynthesis* ; Multigene Family ; Phylogeny

OBJECTIVE: To explore the anatomical parameters of the cervical uncinate process "inflection point" through cervical CT angiography (CTA) and MRI measurements, offering a reliable and safe anatomical landmark for anterior cervical decompression surgery. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the cervical CTA and MRI imaging data of normal adults who met the selection criteria between January 2020 and January 2024. The CTA dataset included 326 cases, with 200 males and 126 females, aged 22-55 years (mean, 46.7 years). The MRI dataset included 300 cases, with 200 males and 100 females, aged 18-55 years (mean, 43.7 years). Based on the CTA data, three-dimensional models of C ₃-C ₇ were constructed, and the following measurements were obtained from the superior view: uncinate process "inflection point" to vertebral artery distance (UIVD), uncinate process tip to vertebral artery distance (UTVD), uncinate process "inflection point" to "inflection point" distance (UID), uncinate process long-axis to sagittal angle (ULSA), and uncinate process "inflection point" to transverse foramen-sagittal angle (UITSA). From the anterior view, the anterior uncinate process to sagittal angle (AUSA) was measured. From the posterior view, the posterior uncinate process to sagittal angle (PUSA) was measured. Based on the MRI data, uncinate process "inflection point" to dural sac distance (UIDD) and dural sac width (DSW) were measured. The trends in measurement parameters of C ₃-C ₇ were observed, and the differences in measurement parameters between genders and between the left and right sides of the same segment were compared, as well as the difference in UID and DSW within the same segment was compared. RESULTS: The measurement parameters from C ₃ to C ₇ in the CTA data showed a general increasing trend, with no significant difference between the left and right sides within the same segment ( P>0.05). The UIVD, UTVD, and UID were greater in males than in females, with significant differences observed in the UIVD and UTVD at C ₃ and C ₆ and UID at C ₃, C ₆, and C ₇ ( P<0.05). The MRI measured DSW showed a general increasing trend from C ₃ to C ₇, and the DSW at C ₆ was greater in females than in males, with a significant difference ( P<0.05). The UIDD showed a gradual decreasing trend, with the smallest value at C ₆. There was no significant difference between males and females or between the left and right sides within the same segment ( P>0.05). The UID was greater than the DSW at C ₃-C ₇, and the differences were significant ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION The uncinate process "inflection point" is a constant anatomical structure located at the anteromedial aspect of the uncinate process tip and laterally to the dural sac. It maintains a certain safe distance from the vertebral artery. As a decompression landmark in anterior cervical spine surgery, it not only ensures surgical safety but also guarantees complete decompression.
Humans ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Cervical Vertebrae/surgery* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Decompression, Surgical/methods* ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Computed Tomography Angiography ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Vertebral Artery/anatomy & histology* ; Anatomic Landmarks/diagnostic imaging*

Cervical spine health issues not only seriously affect patients' quality of life but also impose a heavy burden on the social healthcare system. Existing guidelines lack sufficient clinical guidance on lifestyle and work habits, such as exercise, posture, daily routine, and diet, making it difficult to meet practical needs. To address this, relying on the China Association of Chinese Medicine, Wangjing Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences took the lead and joined hands with more than ten institutions to form a multidisciplinary guideline development group. For the first time, the group developed the Guidelines for Cervical Spine Health Intervention based on evidence-based medicine methods, strictly following the standardized procedures outlined in the World Health Organization Handbook for Guideline Development and the Guiding Principles for the Formulation/Revision of Clinical Practice Guidelines in China (2022 Edition). This proposal systematically explains the methods and steps for developing the guideline, aiming to make the guideline development process scientific, standardized, and transparent.
Humans ; Practice Guidelines as Topic/standards* ; Cervical Vertebrae ; China

Recent studies have shown that shorter periods of ejaculatory abstinence may enhance certain sperm parameters, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these improvements are still unclear. This study explored whether reduced abstinence periods could improve semen quality, particularly for use in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). We analyzed semen samples from men with normal sperm counts ( n = 101) and those with low sperm motility or concentration ( n = 53) after 3-7 days of abstinence and then after 1-3 h of abstinence, obtained from the Reproductive & Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya (Changsha, China). Physiological and biochemical sperm parameters were evaluated, and the dynamics of transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived fragments (tRFs) were analyzed using deep RNA sequencing in five consecutive samples from men with normal sperm counts. Our results revealed significant improvement in sperm motility and a decrease in the DNA fragmentation index after the 1- to 3-h abstinence period. Additionally, we identified 245 differentially expressed tRFs, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway was the most enriched. Further investigations showed significant changes in tRF-Lys-TTT and its target gene mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 2 ( MAP2K2 ), which indicates a role of tRFs in improving sperm function. These findings provide new insights into how shorter abstinence periods influence sperm quality and suggest that tRFs may serve as biomarkers for male fertility. This research highlights the potential for optimizing ART protocols and improving reproductive outcomes through molecular approaches that target sperm function.
Male ; Humans ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; RNA, Transfer/genetics* ; Sperm Motility/genetics* ; Adult ; Semen Analysis ; Sexual Abstinence/physiology* ; Sperm Count ; DNA Fragmentation