In order to explore the possible role and molecular mechanism of the combined action of leech and bear bile in liver and gallbladder diseases, this study first used network pharmacology methods to screen the components and targets of leech and bear bile, as well as the related target genes of liver and gallbladder diseases. The selected key genes were subjected to interaction network and GO/KEGG enrichment analysis. Then, using sodium oleate induced HepG2 cell lipid deposition model and DL-ethionine induced mouse fatty liver model, the activity of leech and bear bile alone and in combination in reducing liver fat was evaluated in vitro and in vivo, and the expression of key pathway related proteins suggested by network pharmacology was detected by Western blot. The results of network pharmacology analysis showed that the active ingredients of leech and bear bile have 295 intersecting targets with liver and gallbladder related diseases, involving more than 200 signaling pathways, including the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and phospholipase D signaling pathway closely related to glucose and lipid metabolism. The results of in vitro validation experiments showed that both leech and bear bile, alone and in combination, can significantly inhibit the lipid deposition induced by sodium oleate in human liver cells, reduce the triacylglycerol level in cell culture supernatant, and inhibit the lipid content in liver cells. The observation results of Nile red staining confocal microscopy showed that the combination of leech and bear bile had better activity in reducing lipid deposition in liver cells compared to using them alone. In a mouse fatty liver model, the combination of leech and bear bile can better reduce elevated organ indices, blood lipids, and liver lipid levels, as well as lower the levels of serum liver injury biomarkers. The animals used in this experiment and related disposal meet the requirements of animal welfare. Before the experiment, it was reviewed and approved by IACUC, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. The Western blot experiment results showed that the combination of leech and bear bile can significantly upregulate the expression levels of p-PI3K and p-Akt proteins, and increase the p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt ratios, which is consistent with the predicted results of network pharmacology. The combination of leech and bear bile has great potential for treating fatty liver disease, and activating the PI3K/Akt pathway may be one of the important mechanisms for reducing lipid deposition in liver cells.

Objective To monitor the susceptibility of clinical isolates to antimicrobial agents in tertiary hospitals in major regions of China in 2022.Methods Clinical isolates from 58 hospitals in China were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using a unified protocol based on disc diffusion method or automated testing systems.Results were interpreted using the 2022 Clinical &Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints.Results A total of 318 013 clinical isolates were collected from January 1,2022 to December 31,2022,of which 29.5％were gram-positive and 70.5％were gram-negative.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains in Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus epidermidis and other coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species(excluding Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus schleiferi)was 28.3％,76.7％and 77.9％,respectively.Overall,94.0％of MRSA strains were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 90.8％of MRSE strains were susceptible to rifampicin.No vancomycin-resistant strains were found.Enterococcus faecalis showed significantly lower resistance rates to most antimicrobial agents tested than Enterococcus faecium.A few vancomycin-resistant strains were identified in both E.faecalis and E.faecium.The prevalence of penicillin-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae was 94.2％in the isolates from children and 95.7％in the isolates from adults.The resistance rate to carbapenems was lower than 13.1％in most Enterobacterales species except for Klebsiella,21.7％-23.1％of which were resistant to carbapenems.Most Enterobacterales isolates were highly susceptible to tigecycline,colistin and polymyxin B,with resistance rates ranging from 0.1％to 13.3％.The prevalence of meropenem-resistant strains decreased from 23.5％in 2019 to 18.0％in 2022 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and decreased from 79.0％in 2019 to 72.5％in 2022 in Acinetobacter baumannii.Conclusions The resistance of clinical isolates to the commonly used antimicrobial agents is still increasing in tertiary hospitals.However,the prevalence of important carbapenem-resistant organisms such as carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa,and A.baumannii showed a downward trend in recent years.This finding suggests that the strategy of combining antimicrobial resistance surveillance with multidisciplinary concerted action works well in curbing the spread of resistant bacteria.

Objective To monitor the antifungal resistance of clinical isolates of Candida spp.in the East China region.Methods MALDI-TOF MS or molecular methods were used to re-identify the strains collected from January 2018 to December 2022.Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed using the broth microdilution method.The susceptibility test results were interpreted according to the breakpoints of 2022 Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)documents M27 M44s-Ed3 and M57s-Ed4.Results A total of 3 026 strains of Candida were collected,65.33％of which were isolated from sterile body sites,mainly from blood(38.86％)and pleural effusion/ascites(10.21％).The predominant species of Candida were Candida albicans(44.51％),followed by Candida parapsilosis complex(19.46％),Candida tropicalis(13.98％),Candida glabrata(10.34％),and other Candida species(0.79％).Candida albicans showed overall high susceptibility rates to the 10 antifungal drugs tested(the lowest rate being 93.62％).Only 2.97％of the strains showed dose-dependent susceptibility(SDD)to fluconazole.Candida parapsilosis complex had a SDD rate of 2.61％and a resistance rate of 9.42％to fluconazole,and susceptibility rates above 90％to other drugs.Candida glabrata had a SDD rate of 92.01％and a resistance rate of 7.99％to fluconazole,resistance rates of 32.27％and 48.24％to posaconazole and voriconazole non-wild-type strains(NWT),respectively,and susceptibility rates above 90％to other drugs.Candida tropicalis had resistance rates of 29.55％and 26.24％to fluconazole and voriconazole,respectively,resistance rates of 76.60％and 21.99％to posaconazole and echinocandins non-wild-type strains(NWT),and a resistance rate of 2.36％to echinocandins.Conclusions The prevalence and species distribution of Candida spp.in the East China region are consistent with previous domestic and international reports.Candida glabrata exhibits certain degree of resistance to fluconazole,while Candida tropicalis demonstrates higher resistance to triazole drugs.Additionally,echinocandins resistance has emerged in Candida albicans,Candida glabrata,Candida tropicalis,and Candida parapsilosis.

Objective:To investigate the effect of feeder layer cells expressing interleukin(IL)-21 on the amplification of NK cells in vitro.Methods:The K562 cell line with IL-21 expression on its membrane was constructed by electroporation,and co-cultured with NK cells after inactivation.The proliferation of NK cells was observed.The killing function of the amplified NK cells in vitro was evaluated by the lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)and interferon-γ(IFN-y)release assay.A colorectal cancer xenograft model in NOD/SCID mice was established,and a blank control group,a NK cell group and an amplified NK cell group were set up to detect the tumor killing effect of amplified NK cells in vivo.Results:K562 cells expressing IL-21 on the membrane were successfully constructed by electroporation.After co-culturing with K562 cells expressing IL-21 on the membrane for 17 days,the NK cells increased to 700 times,which showed an enhanced amplification ability compared with control group(P＜0.001).In the tumor cell killing experiment in vitro,there was no significant difference in the killing activity on tumor cells between NK cells and amplified NK cells,and there was also no significant difference in mice in vivo.Conclusion:K562 cells expressing IL-21 on the membrane can significantly increase the amplification ability of NK cells in vitro,but do not affect the killing function of NK cells in vitro and in vivo.It can be used for the subsequent large-scale production of NK cells in vitro.

AIM To explore the clinical effects of Shuilu Erxian Pills combined with Modified Didang Decoction on patients with early and middle stage diabetic nephropathy.METHODS Eighty-three patients were randomly assigned into control group(42 cases)for 12-week administration of Irbesartan Tablets,and observation group(41 cases)for 12-week administration of Shuilu Erxian Pills,Modified Didang Decoction and Irbesartan Tablets.The changes in clinical effects,TCM syndrome scores,blood glucose indices(FBG,HbA1c),blood lipid indices(TC,TG),renal function indices(BUN,Scr,24 h UTP,eGFR),inflammatory factors(IL-1β,hs-CRP,IL-6,TNF-α,IL-18,TGF-β1),immune function indices(lymphocyte,neutrophil,CD8+,CD3+,CD4+,CD4+/CD8+)and incidence of adverse reactions were detected.RESULTS The observation group demonstrated higher total effective rate than the control group(P＜0.05).After the treatment,the observation group displayed decreased TCM syndrome scores,blood glucose indices,blood lipid indices,BUN,Scr,24 h UTP,inflammatory factors,CD8+(P＜0.05),reduced lymphocyte,neutrophil(P＜0.05),and increased eGFR,CD3+,CD4+,CD4+/CD8+(P＜0.05),which were more obvious than those in the control group(except for HbA1c,TG,SCr,24 h UTP,lymphocyte,neutrophil)(P＜0.05).No significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions was found between the two groups(P＞0.05).CONCLUSION For the patients with early and middle stage diabetic nephropathy,Shuilu Erxian Pills combined with Modified Didang Decoction can safely and effectively improve clinical symptoms,whose mechanism may contribute to the reduction of inflammatory levels and improvement of immune functions.

AIM To establish an LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous content determination of forsythin,forsythoside A,chlorogenic acid,neochlorogenic acid,amygdalin,emodin,rhein and salidroside in Lianhua Qingwen Capsules.METHODS The analysis was performed on a 35℃thermostatic ACQUITY UPlC-HSS T3 column(100 mm×2.1 mm,1.8 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of 0.1%formic acid-acetonitrile flowing at 0.3 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and electron spray ionization source was adopted in negative ion scanning with multiple reaction monitoring mode.RESULTS Eight constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(r≥0.999 5),whose average recoveries were 99.20%-100.96%with the RSDs of 0.62%-1.23%.CONCLUSION This simple,sensitive and reliable method can be used for the quality control of Lianhua Qingwen capsules.

Objective:To observe the effects of electroacupuncture(EA)combined with Western medication on lower-limb motor function and blood circulation in patients with cerebral infarction-induced hemiplegia in the acute stage. Methods:One hundred eligible patients with acute ischemic stroke accompanied by lower-limb motor dysfunction were allocated to an observation group and a control group using the random number table method,with 50 cases in each group.The control group received routine Western medications for treatment,and the observation group received additional EA intervention.After 2-week and 4-week treatments,the improvement of lower-limb motor function was assessed using the Fugl-Meyer assessment scale for lower extremity(FMA-LE),and changes in the peak blood flow velocities of the posterior tibial(PT)and dorsalis pedis(DP)arteries on the affected side were detected using Doppler. Results:Three cases dropped out during the study,so there were 48 cases in the observation group and 49 in the control group collected for statistical analysis.The FMA-LE score and the peak blood flow velocities of PT and DP arteries increased after 2-week and 4-week treatments in both groups compared with the pre-treatment baseline(P<0.05).After 2-week treatments,the FMA-LE score and the peak blood flow velocities of PT and DP arteries showed no significant differences between the two groups(P>0.05).After 4-week treatments,compared with the control group,the FMA-LE score was higher(P<0.05),and the peak blood flow velocities of PT and DP arteries on the affected side were larger in the observation group(P<0.05). Conclusion:EA combined with Western medication can significantly improve the motor function and blood flow velocity of the affected lower limb in patients with acute cerebral infarction accompanied by hemiplegia.

Objective To investigate the habits of eye rubbing and sleeping posture of patients with keratoconus(KC)and analyze the correlation of the onset and severity of KC with eye rubbing and sleeping posture.Methods In this retrospective case-control study,KC patients who received diagnosis and treatment in the Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University from January 2018 to June 2022 were collected as the KC group,and myopia patients with matching ages and sexes who visited our hospital from February to June 2022 were recruited as the control group.All patients were inves-tigated by questionnaire and the details of eye rubbing,sleeping posture and related habits were recorded.According to the severity of the disease(corneal curvature),KC patients were divided into different stages,and the eye rubbing and sleep-ing posture of KC patients in different stages were compared.Results In this study,406 KC patients and 394 myopia pa-tients were included.It was found that 67.98％of KC patients and 24.87％of myopia patients rubbed their eyes,with a sig-nificant difference(P＜0.001);45.32％of KC patients and 24.87％of myopia patients were accustomed to sleeping on their side or stomach,with a significant difference(P＜0.001).The multivariate binary logistic regression analysis indica-ted that the following variables showed significant differences:patients with eyes at the later stages(steeper eyes)were more likely to rub eyes[odds ratio(OR)=3.547,95％CI:2.02-6.24,P＜0.001],sleep on side or stomach(OR=10.725,95％CI:5.77-19.94,P＜0.001),and turn head to the steeper eye when sleeping(OR=12.171,95％CI:7.23-20.49,P＜0.001).The statistical analysis demonstrated that the proportion of KC patients at the IV stage who were habitu-ated to rub their steeper eyes and turn their heads to the steeper eyes when sleeping was significantly higher than that of pa-tients at stages Ⅰ to Ⅲ(all P＜0.001).Conclusion Eye rubbing and sleeping on the side or stomach are risk factors for the onset of KC and are related to the severity of the disease.

Objective To investigate the self-healing status of children with abnormal tongue root sounds at different age stages of 4 to 12 years old who have not received articulation training,and to provide correct guidance plans for patients.Methods Through retrospective analysis,114 cases of children diagnosed with functional dysar-thria and abnormal root of tongue in Kunming children's hospital from 2019 to 2020 who refused to do rehabilitation training but could receive long-term outpatient follow-up visit,were selected.The follow-up visit was conducted one year later to reevaluate the root of tongue of the children,and the relationship between the self-healing situation of the children's root of tongue and age and wrong form was statistically analyzed.Results Among the 114 children with abnormal root sound,35 cases(30.70％)healed by themselves.The self-healing rates of each age group were as follows:4～5 years old(45.24％),5～6 years old(27.08％),6～7 years old(14.29％),7～12 years old(10.00％).The self-healing rate of all age groups was significant(x2=8.254,P=0.041).There were 287 fre-quency of errors in 114 cases,among which the self-healing rate of consonant loss was the highest(41.46％),fol-lowed by consonant substitution(40.76％),and consonant distortion was the worst(16.67％).The overall differ-ence of the three error forms was statistically significant(x2=10.003,P=0.007).According to different root sounds,the self-healing rate of/h/sound was the highest(31/60.78％),followed by/k/sound(40,32.26％),and/g/sound was the worst(35,31.25％).There was significant difference among the three root sounds(x2=15.172,P＜0.001).There was no significant difference in the self-healing rate between male and female children(x2=1.311,P=0.252).Conclusion The rate of root sound healing in children with functional articulation disor-der was related to age,wrong form and wrong root sound,but not gender.

AIM:To investigate the effects of the γ-aminobutyric acid(GABAergic)neural pathway from the anterior cingulate cortex(ACC)to the nucleus accumbens(NAc)on the regulation of irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)and its underlying mechanisms in mice.METHODS:(1)A C57BL/6J mice model of IBS was established by using chronic acute combing stress(CACS).The mice were divided into a normal group and an IBS group(n=8).The presence of IBS-like symptoms was determined through behavioural tests,an intestinal motility test and abdominal withdrawal reflex scores.(2)Fluorescence gold(FG)retrograde tracing and immunohistochemistry were used to investigate the ACC-NAc GABAergic neural pathway and to examine the activation of GABA in the ACC in IBS mice(n=8).(3)A total of 1.5 μL of normal saline(NS),GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline(BIC)or agonist isoguvacine hydrochloride(Isog)was ad-ministered via a preburied catheter into the NAc of mice in IBS and normal groups.The mice were randomly divided into three groups(n=8):NS group,BIC group and Isog group.IBS-like symptoms were assessed.(4)The mice were prein-jected with AAV2/9-mDlx-iCre-WPRE-pA in the ACC and AAV2/2Retro Plus-hSyn-DIO-hM3D(Gq)-eGFP-WPRE-pA in the NAc and subsequently divided into four groups(n=8):NS(intraperitoneal injection)+NS(NAc microinjection)group,NS+BIC group,clozapine N-oxide(CNO)+NS group and CNO+BIC group.The mice who received AAV2/2Retro-hSyn-DIO-hM4D(Gi)-EGFP-WPRE-pA in the NAc were randomly divided into three groups(n=8):NS+NS group,NS+BIC group and CNO+NS group.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was employed to estimate the expression levels of histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)in colon tissue,and the effects of GABAergic neural pathways from ACC to NAc on IBS were studied.RESULTS:CACS induced IBS-like symptoms in mice.The results of FG retrograde tracing combined with fluorescence immunohistochemistry showed that GABA neurons of ACC could project to NAc.The injection of BIC in the NAc was found to significantly reduce anxiety-like behaviours,diarrheal symptoms and visceral hy-persensitivity in the IBS mice(P<0.05).Chemogenetic inhibition of the ACC-NAc GABAergic neurons ameliorated IBS-like symptoms in mice(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:The GABAergic pathway of ACC-NAc might be involved in the regu-lation of IBS in mice,which may be related to the release of histamine and 5-HT in colon tissue.