OBJECTIVE To establish the fingerprint of Bushen ningshen ointment， determine the contents of its major constituents， and investigate its in vitro antioxidant activity. METHODS High performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） fingerprints of 10 batches of Bushen ningshen ointment were established. Similarity evaluation and identification of common peaks were subsequently performed. The contents of 10 components such as salidroside were determined using the same HPLC method. Using the scavenging rates against 2，2′-azino bis（3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid） （ABTS） and 1，1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl （DPPH） radicals， as well as ferric ion reducing antioxidant power （FRAP） as indicators， the anti-oxidant activity of the ointment was evaluated； grey relational analysis and partial least squares regression were conducted using SIMCA 14.1 software to establish the spectrum-effect relationship. RESULTS The fingerprint chromatogram of 10 batches of Bushen ningshen ointment contained 24 common peaks， with similarity values all exceeding 0.96. Eleven peaks were identified as adenosine （peak 1）， salidroside （peak 4）， morroniside （peak 6）， catechin （peak 7）， paeoniflorin （peak 10）， spinosin （peak 11）， ferulic acid （peak 12）， isoquercitrin （peak 13）， E-mail：wli1743@163.com verbascoside （peak 14）， paeonol （peak 23）， and emodin （peak 24）. Content determination results showed that the average contents of salidroside， morroniside， catechin， paeoniflorin， spinosin， ferulic acid， isoquercitrin， verbascoside， paeonol， and emodin were 0.725， 1.962， 0.214， 3.395， 0.124， 0.107， 0.286， 0.019， 0.034 and 0.067 mg/g， respectively. The antioxidant potency composite index （APC） for the 10 batches ranged from 85.08% to 96.35%. Spectrum-effect relationship analysis indicated that all 24 common peaks were positively correlated with the antioxidant capacity. Seventeen peaks had variable importance in projection values ＞1， specitically peaks 2， 5， 6， 7， 9， 10， 13- 21， 23， and 24. CONCLUSIONS This study successfully established the HPLC fingerprint and content determination method for Bushen ningshen ointment. The compounds represented by the 17 common peaks such as morroniside may be the active components contributing to its antioxidant effects.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2024.09.010.].

Lipidomics is an emerging discipline that systematically studies the various types, functions, and metabolic pathways of lipids within living organisms. This field compares changes in diseases or drug impact, identifying biomarkers and molecular mechanisms present in lipid metabolic networks across different physiological or pathological states. Through employing analytical chemistry within the realm of lipidomics, researchers analyze traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This analysis aids in uncovering potential mechanisms for treating diverse physiopathological conditions, assessing drug efficacy, understanding mechanisms of action and toxicity, and generating innovative ideas for disease prevention and treatment. This manuscript assesses recent literature, summarizing existing lipidomics technologies and their applications in TCM research. It delineates the efficacy, mechanisms, and toxicity research related to lipidomics in Chinese medicine. Additionally, it explores the utilization of lipidomics in quality control research for Chinese medicine, aiming to expand the application of lipidomics within this field. Ultimately, this initiative seeks to foster the integration of traditional medicine theory with modern science and technology, promoting an organic fusion between the two domains.

BACKGROUND:In recent years,artificial intelligence has gradually emerged and has been applied in various fields such as spinal cord nerve injury and repair,which has a positive impact on clinical treatment. OBJECTIVE:To study the application progress of artificial intelligence in the diagnosis,treatment,and rehabilitation of spinal cord nerve injury and repair,clarify the research hotspots and shortcomings in this field,and provide suggestions for future research work. METHODS:Relevant literature on artificial intelligence in the field of spinal cord nerve injury and repair was retrieved on the Web of Science core collection database until 2023.CiteSpace 6.1.R6 and VOSviewer 1.6.19 software was used to perform general literature analysis,co-citation of literature,co-citation of journals,double image overlay of journals,keyword clustering,and other visual analysis on the literature data. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)A total of 1 713 articles were selected,and the annual publication volume in this field showed a fluctuating upward trend,with the United States taking the lead,and Kadone and Hideki being the authors with the highest publication volume.ARCH PHYS MED REHAB was the journal with the highest number of citations.(2)Keyword co-occurrence and cluster analysis showed that after removing keywords similar to the search terms,the main keywords were divided into three main clusters:Exoskeleton and exercise rehabilitation(the largest core hotspot);machine learning and neural plasticity;robotics and rehabilitation training.(3)Keyword burst analysis showed that deep learning and artificial intelligence had become burst terms in the past five years.(4)The results of in-depth analysis of co cited and highly cited literature showed that the hotspots of artificial intelligence in the field of spinal cord nerve injury and repair were mainly focused on powered exoskeletons,gaits,electrical nerve stimulation,intracortical brain-computer interface(IBCI),robots,and polymer biomaterials,and neural stem cell.(5)The research on artificial intelligence in the field of spinal cord nerve injury and repair has shown an upward trend in recent years.The focus of this field had gradually shifted from single treatment methods such as exoskeletons and electrical stimulation to intelligent,precise,and personalized directions.(6)There were some limitations in this field,such as the consequences of missing or imbalanced data,low data accuracy and reproducibility,and ethical issues(such as privacy,research transparency,and clinical reliability).Future research should address the issue of data collection,requiring large sample,high-quality clinical datasets to establish effective artificial intelligence models.At the same time,the research on genomics and other mechanisms in this field is very weak.In the future,various machine learning technologies such as brain chips can be used,and gene editing therapy,single-cell spatial transcriptome and other methods can be used to study the basic mechanisms of regeneration-related gene upregulation and axon growth structural protein production.

Lipidomics is an emerging discipline that systematically studies the various types,functions,and metabolic pathways of lipids within living organisms.This field compares changes in diseases or drug impact,identifying biomarkers and molecular mechanisms present in lipid metabolic networks across different physiological or pathological states.Through employing analytical chemistry within the realm of lipidomics,researchers analyze traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).This analysis aids in uncovering potential mechanisms for treating diverse physiopathological conditions,assessing drug efficacy,un-derstanding mechanisms of action and toxicity,and generating innovative ideas for disease prevention and treatment.This manuscript assesses recent literature,summarizing existing lipidomics technologies and their applications in TCM research.It delineates the efficacy,mechanisms,and toxicity research related to lipidomics in Chinese medicine.Additionally,it explores the utilization of lipidomics in quality control research for Chinese medicine,aiming to expand the application of lipidomics within this field.Ultimately,this initiative seeks to foster the integration of traditional medicine theory with modern science and technology,promoting an organic fusion between the two domains.

ObjectiveTo study the effect and mechanism of Shentong Zhuyutang in treating intervertebral disc degeneration （IDD） in rats. MethodsIn the cell experiment， male rats were administrated with normal saline or low-， medium-， and high-dose （3.38， 6.75，13.5 g·kg^-1， respectively） Shentong Zhuyutang by gavage， respectively， and serum samples were collected after 7 days of continuous administration. Another 10 male rats were selected for the isolation of nucleus pulposus cells. The cell model of IDD was established by treatment with interleukin （IL）-1β. The modeled cells were then treated with Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum and the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 （Fer-1）， respectively， to investigate the effects of Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum on the proliferation and ferroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells. To study the role of silent information regulator 1 （SIRT1）/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） in the regulation of ferroptosis in nucleus pulposus cells by Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum， this study treated the cells with the SIRT1 inhibitor Ex 527 and the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385， respectively， in addition to the treatment with IL-1β and high-dose Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum. The cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay and EdU staining were employed to measure the cell viability and proliferation， respectively. The Fe²⁺， glutathione （GSH）， and malondiadehyde （MDA） levels were measured by colorimetric assay. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family 4 （ACSL4）， Collagen Ⅱ， Aggrecan， SIRT1， and Nrf2. Immunofluorescence was used detect SIRT1 expression. In the animal experiment， male rats were treated with anulus puncture for the modeling of IDD. Rats were randomly assigned into sham operation， model， Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum （13.5 g·kg^-1）， and positive control （nimesulide dispersible tablets， 0.18 mg·kg^-1） groups. Rats in the drug intervention groups were administrated with corresponding agents at 1 mL·kg^-1， and those in the sham operation and model groups were administrated with equal volumes of normal saline， once daily for 28 consecutive days. At the end of the last administration， the histopathological changes in the intervertebral discs of rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and scored by the Masuda method. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， GPX4， and Collagen Ⅱ in the nucleus pulposus tissue. ResultsCompared with the control group， the IL-1β group of nucleus pulposus cells showed elevated levels of Fe²⁺， MDA， and ACSL4 （P<0.05）， decreased cell viability， lowered GSH level， and down-regulated protein levels of GPX4， Collagen Ⅱ， and Aggrecan （P<0.05）. Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum and Fer-1 reversed the effects of IL-1β on the viability and ferroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells and up-regulated the protein levels of Collagen Ⅱ and Aggrecan in nucleus pulposus cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， the IL-1β group showcased down-regulated expression of Sirt1 and Nrf2 in nucleus pulposus cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the IL-1β group， the high-dose Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum+IL-1β group showed up-regulated expression of SIRT1 and Nrf2 in nucleus pulposus cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the high-dose Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum+IL-1β group， the ML385 group showed down-regulated protein levels of Nrf2 and GPX4， lowered GSH level， and elevated Fe²⁺ and MDA levels （P<0.05）. In addition， the Ex 527 group showed down-regulated protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， and GPX4 （P<0.05）. The results of the animal experiment showed that compared with the sham operation group， the model group had severe degeneration of the intervertebral disc tissue with increased pathological score， up-regulated protein level of ACSL4 （P<0.05）， and down-regulated protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， GPX4， and Collagen Ⅱ （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the Shentong Zhuyutang group showed alleviated IDD with declined pathological score， down-regulated protein level of ACSL4 （P<0.05）， and up-regulated protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， GPX4， and Collagen Ⅱ （P<0.05）. ConclusionShentong Zhuyutang may activate the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway to inhibit the ferroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells， thereby delaying the process of IDD in rats.

Reduced or interrupted blood flow is an important pathological and physiological process in femoral head necrosis,so understanding the blood flow of the femoral head can help better understand the progression of femoral head necrosis.With the continuous development and improvement of imaging technology,the technical methods for detecting the blood flow of the femoral head are gradually being widely applied,allowing clinical physicians to better understand the blood flow situation of patients with femoral head necrosis.However,at present,the prognosis prediction of femoral head necrosis still mainly revolves around factors such as the area and angle of femoral head necrosis.Therefore,this article explores imaging techniques covering studies such as femoral head vascular imaging or blood flow perfusion parameters,summarizes their application research progress in femoral head necrosis blood flow assessment,and aims to provide more objective basis for exploring the prevention and prognosis of femoral head necrosis from the perspective of femoral head blood flow.

BACKGROUND:Inflammation and apoptosis play key roles in the pathological process of cervical spondylotic myelopathy.Previous studies have shown that Pueraria lobata decoction has favorable therapeutic effects on cervical spondylotic myelopathy.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects and mechanism of Pueraria lobata decoction in neuroinflammatory response and apoptosis in rats with cervical spondylotic myelopathy.METHODS:Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups:a normal group,a sham-operated group,a model group,and three groups that received low,medium,and high doses of Pueraria lobata decoction.An animal model of cervical spondylotic myelopathy was constructed through compression of the spinal cord with water-absorbing and expanding material.Gastric administration of Pueraria lobata decoction(4.86,9.72,and 19.44 g/kg)was given in the three Pueraria lobata decoction groups 2 weeks after surgery,and the resting groups were given saline by gavage,once daily for 4 weeks.Motor function evaluation(Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan score)was performed in rats on days 1,7,14,21 and 28 after drug administration.At 4 weeks after drug administration,hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathomorphologic changes in spinal cord tissue;immunofluorescence double staining was used for the detection of microglial cell polarization in spinal cord tissue;quantitative fluorescence PCR was used to detect the changes in the expression of interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β mRNA;western blot assay was used to detect the protein expression of p-NF-κB p65,NF-κB p65,NLRP3,ASC,Cleaved Caspase-1,Bax,Bcl-2,Cleaved Caspase-3,NOX4,p-Drp1,Drp1,and Mfn2 in spinal cord tissues;TUNEL assay was used to detect apoptosis in spinal cord tissues;and DHE staining was used to detect reactive oxygen species levels in rat spinal cord tissues.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,reduced Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scores were observed in the model group(P<0.05),spinal cord neurons were crumpled and malformed with vacuolike changes.The Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scores in the low-,medium-and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups were significantly higher than those in the model group(P<0.05),and spinal cord neuronal damage reduced significantly.(2)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,there were elevated levels of Iba-1 and inducible nitric oxide synthase proteins and increased interleukin-6 and interluekin-1β mRNA expression in the spinal cord tissue of rats in the model group(P<0.05).The expression levels of Iba-1,inducible nitric oxide synthase,p-NF-κB,NLRP3,ASC and cleaved caspase-1 proteins as well as interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β mRNAs in the spinal cord tissues of rats in the low-,medium-and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups were reduced compared with those in the model group(P<0.05).(3)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,the rate of TUNEL-positive cells and the levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 proteins were increased in the spinal cord tissues of rats in the model group(P<0.05),while the expression of Bcl-2 protein was reduced(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the above indexes were significantly improved in the low-,medium-and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups.(4)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,the model group exhibited increased levels of reactive oxygen species,along with elevated expression of NOX4 and p-Drp1 proteins(P<0.05)and reduced expression of Mfn2 protein(P<0.05)in the rat spinal crod tissue.Compared with the model group,the low-,medium-,and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups exhibited reduced levels of reactive oxygen species,as well as decreased expression of NOX4 and p-Drp1 proteins(P<0.05)and increased expression of Mfn2 protein(P<0.05)in the rat spinal cord tissue.To conclude,Pueraria lobata decoction inhibits neuroinflammatory responses and neuronal apoptosis in the rat model of cervical spondylotic myelopathy,and the mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of the NOX4/reactive oxygen species/DRP1 signaling pathway.

Reduced or interrupted blood flow is an important pathological and physiological process in femoral head necrosis,so understanding the blood flow of the femoral head can help better understand the progression of femoral head necrosis.With the continuous development and improvement of imaging technology,the technical methods for detecting the blood flow of the femoral head are gradually being widely applied,allowing clinical physicians to better understand the blood flow situation of patients with femoral head necrosis.However,at present,the prognosis prediction of femoral head necrosis still mainly revolves around factors such as the area and angle of femoral head necrosis.Therefore,this article explores imaging techniques covering studies such as femoral head vascular imaging or blood flow perfusion parameters,summarizes their application research progress in femoral head necrosis blood flow assessment,and aims to provide more objective basis for exploring the prevention and prognosis of femoral head necrosis from the perspective of femoral head blood flow.

BACKGROUND:Inflammation and apoptosis play key roles in the pathological process of cervical spondylotic myelopathy.Previous studies have shown that Pueraria lobata decoction has favorable therapeutic effects on cervical spondylotic myelopathy.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects and mechanism of Pueraria lobata decoction in neuroinflammatory response and apoptosis in rats with cervical spondylotic myelopathy.METHODS:Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups:a normal group,a sham-operated group,a model group,and three groups that received low,medium,and high doses of Pueraria lobata decoction.An animal model of cervical spondylotic myelopathy was constructed through compression of the spinal cord with water-absorbing and expanding material.Gastric administration of Pueraria lobata decoction(4.86,9.72,and 19.44 g/kg)was given in the three Pueraria lobata decoction groups 2 weeks after surgery,and the resting groups were given saline by gavage,once daily for 4 weeks.Motor function evaluation(Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan score)was performed in rats on days 1,7,14,21 and 28 after drug administration.At 4 weeks after drug administration,hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathomorphologic changes in spinal cord tissue;immunofluorescence double staining was used for the detection of microglial cell polarization in spinal cord tissue;quantitative fluorescence PCR was used to detect the changes in the expression of interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β mRNA;western blot assay was used to detect the protein expression of p-NF-κB p65,NF-κB p65,NLRP3,ASC,Cleaved Caspase-1,Bax,Bcl-2,Cleaved Caspase-3,NOX4,p-Drp1,Drp1,and Mfn2 in spinal cord tissues;TUNEL assay was used to detect apoptosis in spinal cord tissues;and DHE staining was used to detect reactive oxygen species levels in rat spinal cord tissues.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,reduced Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scores were observed in the model group(P<0.05),spinal cord neurons were crumpled and malformed with vacuolike changes.The Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scores in the low-,medium-and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups were significantly higher than those in the model group(P<0.05),and spinal cord neuronal damage reduced significantly.(2)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,there were elevated levels of Iba-1 and inducible nitric oxide synthase proteins and increased interleukin-6 and interluekin-1β mRNA expression in the spinal cord tissue of rats in the model group(P<0.05).The expression levels of Iba-1,inducible nitric oxide synthase,p-NF-κB,NLRP3,ASC and cleaved caspase-1 proteins as well as interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β mRNAs in the spinal cord tissues of rats in the low-,medium-and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups were reduced compared with those in the model group(P<0.05).(3)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,the rate of TUNEL-positive cells and the levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 proteins were increased in the spinal cord tissues of rats in the model group(P<0.05),while the expression of Bcl-2 protein was reduced(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the above indexes were significantly improved in the low-,medium-and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups.(4)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,the model group exhibited increased levels of reactive oxygen species,along with elevated expression of NOX4 and p-Drp1 proteins(P<0.05)and reduced expression of Mfn2 protein(P<0.05)in the rat spinal crod tissue.Compared with the model group,the low-,medium-,and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups exhibited reduced levels of reactive oxygen species,as well as decreased expression of NOX4 and p-Drp1 proteins(P<0.05)and increased expression of Mfn2 protein(P<0.05)in the rat spinal cord tissue.To conclude,Pueraria lobata decoction inhibits neuroinflammatory responses and neuronal apoptosis in the rat model of cervical spondylotic myelopathy,and the mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of the NOX4/reactive oxygen species/DRP1 signaling pathway.