ObjectiveIn traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the foundational doctrine that the eyes reflect the essence of the internal viscera establishes ocular observation as a cornerstone of diagnostic practice. Specifically, the morphological characteristics and coloration variations of the scleral microvasculature serve as critical clinical indicators for assessing the dynamic balance of Qi and Blood, as well as the pathological status of internal organs. Historically, however, TCM eye diagnosis has relied predominantly on the subjective clinical experience and visual acuity of individual practitioners, leading to inherent challenges in standardization and reproducibility. While automated computer-aided diagnostic systems offer a promising solution, existing vessel segmentation algorithms encounter significant domain-specific bottlenecks when applied to scleral imagery. These challenges primarily stem from the highly reflective and moist nature of the ocular surface, which generates severe reflective interference. Furthermore, the inherent low contrast of fine capillary networks against complex background textures, compounded by non-uniform illumination, frequently results in high false-positive rates, misdetections, and severe vessel fragmentation. To address these critical limitations and advance the objective quantification of TCM diagnostics, this paper proposes a novel, highly robust sclera vessel segmentation framework that innovatively integrates Frangi-Sato dual-filter adaptive enhancement with pixel-level reflection detection. MethodsThe proposed methodology systematically addresses the segmentation pipeline through three synergistic stages. First, to overcome the structural limitations of single-filter approaches, a multi-scale weighted fusion strategy is meticulously designed to harness the complementary extraction capabilities of both Frangi and Sato filters. This adaptive enhancement optimally balances the preservation of main vessel trunk continuity with the heightened sensitivity required for delineating delicate, low-contrast peripheral capillaries. Second, to tackle the persistent issue of reflective highlights, a sophisticated multi-feature synergistic reflection detection module is introduced. By jointly analyzing local information entropy, gradient field variations, and intensity statistical distributions, this module achieves precise, pixel-level identification and elimination of reflective artifacts without compromising the underlying vascular structures. Finally, a dual-level adaptive thresholding strategy, featuring an innovative “core protection” mechanism, is implemented. This critical step effectively suppresses complex background noise while rigorously preserving the structural and topological integrity of the intricate vessel network, preventing the structural breaks often seen in conventional binarization methods. ResultsThe efficacy of the proposed framework was rigorously evaluated using both self-constructed clinical datasets specifically acquired for TCM research and standardized public datasets. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method consistently outperforms state-of-the-art traditional approaches and contemporary deep learning models. Specifically, the proposed method achieves a Dice similarity coefficient of approximately 0.71 on the private clinical dataset, and secures the best performance across the majority of quantitative metrics on both datasets. Notably, the framework exhibits exceptional robustness and generalization capabilities in highly challenging scenarios characterized by intense reflective interference, low signal-to-noise ratios, and cross-domain image variations. ConclusionThis study successfully realizes the high-integrity, automated segmentation of scleral vessel networks under complex clinical imaging conditions. By overcoming the fundamental algorithmic challenges of reflection interference and micro-vessel loss, the proposed methodology provides potential support for the digitization, objective standardization, and intelligent advancement of modern TCM eye diagnosis systems.

ObjectiveIn traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the foundational doctrine that the eyes reflect the essence of the internal viscera establishes ocular observation as a cornerstone of diagnostic practice. Specifically, the morphological characteristics and coloration variations of the scleral microvasculature serve as critical clinical indicators for assessing the dynamic balance of Qi and Blood, as well as the pathological status of internal organs. Historically, however, TCM eye diagnosis has relied predominantly on the subjective clinical experience and visual acuity of individual practitioners, leading to inherent challenges in standardization and reproducibility. While automated computer-aided diagnostic systems offer a promising solution, existing vessel segmentation algorithms encounter significant domain-specific bottlenecks when applied to scleral imagery. These challenges primarily stem from the highly reflective and moist nature of the ocular surface, which generates severe reflective interference. Furthermore, the inherent low contrast of fine capillary networks against complex background textures, compounded by non-uniform illumination, frequently results in high false-positive rates, misdetections, and severe vessel fragmentation. To address these critical limitations and advance the objective quantification of TCM diagnostics, this paper proposes a novel, highly robust sclera vessel segmentation framework that innovatively integrates Frangi-Sato dual-filter adaptive enhancement with pixel-level reflection detection. MethodsThe proposed methodology systematically addresses the segmentation pipeline through three synergistic stages. First, to overcome the structural limitations of single-filter approaches, a multi-scale weighted fusion strategy is meticulously designed to harness the complementary extraction capabilities of both Frangi and Sato filters. This adaptive enhancement optimally balances the preservation of main vessel trunk continuity with the heightened sensitivity required for delineating delicate, low-contrast peripheral capillaries. Second, to tackle the persistent issue of reflective highlights, a sophisticated multi-feature synergistic reflection detection module is introduced. By jointly analyzing local information entropy, gradient field variations, and intensity statistical distributions, this module achieves precise, pixel-level identification and elimination of reflective artifacts without compromising the underlying vascular structures. Finally, a dual-level adaptive thresholding strategy, featuring an innovative “core protection” mechanism, is implemented. This critical step effectively suppresses complex background noise while rigorously preserving the structural and topological integrity of the intricate vessel network, preventing the structural breaks often seen in conventional binarization methods. ResultsThe efficacy of the proposed framework was rigorously evaluated using both self-constructed clinical datasets specifically acquired for TCM research and standardized public datasets. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method consistently outperforms state-of-the-art traditional approaches and contemporary deep learning models. Specifically, the proposed method achieves a Dice similarity coefficient of approximately 0.71 on the private clinical dataset, and secures the best performance across the majority of quantitative metrics on both datasets. Notably, the framework exhibits exceptional robustness and generalization capabilities in highly challenging scenarios characterized by intense reflective interference, low signal-to-noise ratios, and cross-domain image variations. ConclusionThis study successfully realizes the high-integrity, automated segmentation of scleral vessel networks under complex clinical imaging conditions. By overcoming the fundamental algorithmic challenges of reflection interference and micro-vessel loss, the proposed methodology provides potential support for the digitization, objective standardization, and intelligent advancement of modern TCM eye diagnosis systems.

OBJECTIVE To explore whether pachymic acid （Pac） regulates mitochondrial autophagy mediated by the PTEN- induced kinase 1 （PINK1）/Parkin RBR E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase （Parkin） signaling pathway to alleviate myocardial injury in coronary heart disease （CHD） rats. METHODS SD rats were divided into control （Con） group， CHD group， Pac low-dose group （Pac-L group）， Pac high-dose group （Pac-H group）， Pac-H+PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway inhibitor group （Pac-H+3-MA group）， with 10 rats in each group. Except for the Con group， CHD models were established in the remaining groups of rats. After successful modeling， the rats in each group were intraperitoneally injected with the corresponding drugs or normal saline. After continuous intervention for 4 weeks， the left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）， left ventricular end-diastolic volume （LVEDV）， left ventricular end-systolic volume （LVESV）， and mean arterial pressure （MAP） of the rats were detected. The levels of creatine kinase isoenzyme （CK-MB）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， cardiac troponin I （cTnI）， and cardiac troponin T （cTnT） in the serum， as well as the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-10 （IL-10）， IL-1β， reactive oxygen species （ROS）， malondialdehyde （MDA） in the myocardial tissue， and the activities of catalase （CAT） and superoxide dismutase （SOD）， as well as the expression levels of p62， cleaved caspase-3， Parkin， PINK1 proteins and the ratio of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 Ⅱ （LC3Ⅱ）/LC3Ⅰ ratio were measured. The morphology of myocardial tissue and mitochondrial autophagic vesicles were observed， and the number of mitochondrial autophagic vesicles per unit area and the rate of cardiomyocyte apoptosis were counted. RESULTS Compared with CHD group， LVEF， MAP， IL-10 levels， CAT and SOD activities， p62， Parkin， PINK1 protein expressions， LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio， the numbers of mitochondrial autophagic vesicles per unit area in the Pac-L and Pac-H E-mail：hzdpft@163.com groups were increased significantly （P＜0.05）； the levels of LVEDV， LVESV， CK-MB， LDH， cTnI， cTnT， TNF-α， IL-1β， ROS and MDA， cell apoptosis rates， and protein expression of cleaved caspase-3 were all decreased significantly （P＜0.05）； and the changes in various indicators were more pronounced in the Pac-H group （P＜0.05）； both groups showed varying degree of improvement in myocardial histopathological morphology. Compared with the Pac-H group， the aforementioned indicators in rats from the Pac-H+3-MA group were all significantly reversed （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Pac may promote mitochondrial autophagy in cardiomyocytes of CHD rats by activating the PINK1/ Parkin signaling pathway， thereby reducing inflammatory responses and oxidative stress and improving myocardial injury.

Jiuwei Xifeng Granules have become a Chinese patent medicine in the market. Because the formula contains Os Draconis, a top-level protected fossil of ancient organisms, the formula was to be improved by replacing Os Draconis with Ostreae Concha. To evaluate whether the improved formula has the same effectiveness and safety as the original formula, a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, equivalence clinical trial was conducted. This study enrolled 288 tic disorder(TD) of children and assigned them into two groups in 1∶1. The treatment group and control group took the modified formula and original formula, respectively. The treatment lasted for 6 weeks, and follow-up visits were conducted at weeks 2, 4, and 6. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference in Yale global tic severity scale(YGTSS)-total tic severity(TTS) score from baseline after 6 weeks of treatment. The results showed that after 6 weeks of treatment, the declines in YGTSS-TSS score showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The difference in YGTSS-TSS score(treatment group-control group) and the 95%CI of the full analysis set(FAS) were-0.17[-1.42, 1.08] and those of per-protocol set(PPS) were 0.29[-0.97, 1.56], which were within the equivalence boundary [-3, 3]. The equivalence test was therefore concluded. The two groups showed no significant differences in the secondary efficacy endpoints of effective rate for TD, total score and factor scores of YGTSS, clinical global impressions-severity(CGI-S) score, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) response rate, or symptom disappearance rate, and thus a complete evidence chain with the primary outcome was formed. A total of 6 adverse reactions were reported, including 4(2.82%) cases in the treatment group and 2(1.41%) cases in the control group, which showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No serious suspected unexpected adverse reactions were reported, and no laboratory test results indicated serious clinically significant abnormalities. The results support the replacement of Os Draconis by Ostreae Concha in the original formula, and the efficacy and safety of the modified formula are consistent with those of the original formula.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Tic Disorders/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To investigate the mechanism by which serum amyloid P component (SAP) alleviates periodontitis in mice, providing an experimental basis to establish SAP as a novel therapeutic agent for periodontitis. Methods: Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee. Periodontitis models were established in wild-type (WT) mice and SAP-transgenic (SAP-Tg) mice, divided into four groups: WT control (WT group), WT periodontitis (WT+P group), SAP-Tg control (Tg group), and SAP-Tg periodontitis (Tg+P group). On day 7, the mice were euthanized, and periodontal tissues, teeth, and alveolar bone were collected. SAP protein expression was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Micro-CT and HE staining were used to measure alveolar bone resorption (distance from the cementoenamel junction to the alveolar bone crest). Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining was performed to assess osteoclast number, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) was employed to evaluate macrophage infiltration. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured by qRT-PCR. Oral microorganism composition was analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequencing. Additionally, macrophages from WT and SAP-Tg mice were isolated to establish an in vitro inflammation model, divided into WT+LPS and Tg+LPS groups. The expression of macrophage polarization-related genes including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), CD86, CD163, and CD206) were assessed by qRT-PCR. After the induction of osteoclast differentiation, TRAP staining was performed. Results: ELISA results demonstrated that periodontal tissues from Tg+P group mice exhibited higher levels of SAP expression compared to the WT+P group. Micro-CT and HE staining analyses revealed that the Tg+P group showed reduced alveolar bone resorption, indicated by a shorter distance between the cementoenamel junction and alveolar bone crest, compared to the WT+P group. Furthermore, TRAP staining results indicated a decrease in osteoclast numbers in the Tg+P group compared to the WT+P group. IHC and qRT-PCR results indicated reduced macrophage infiltration and decreased expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the Tg+P group. Oral microorganism sequencing showed no significant difference in periodontitis-associated pathogenic bacteria between WT+P and Tg+P groups. In vitro experiments demonstrated that compared to the WT+LPS group, the Tg+LPS group exhibited downregulated M1 macrophage markers (iNOS and CD86) and upregulated M2 macrophage markers (CD163 and CD206). TRAP staining confirmed fewer osteoclasts in the Tg+LPS group. Conclusion SAP overexpression effectively alleviates periodontitis severity in mice by inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization, reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, and suppressing osteoclast differentiation, thereby attenuating alveolar bone resorption.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the pharmacological impact of hesperidin, the main component of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, on depressive behavior and elucidate the mechanism by which hesperidin treats depression, focusing on the gut-brain axis. METHODS: Fifty-four Sprague Dawley male rats were randomly allocated to 6 groups using a random number table, including control, model, hesperidin, probiotics, fluoxetine, and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium groups. Except for the control group, rats in the remaining 5 groups were challenged with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 21 days and housed in single cages. The sucrose preference test (SPT), immobility time in the forced swim test (FST), and number in the open field test (OFT) were performed to measure the behavioral changes in the rats. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in brain tissue, and the histopathology was performed to evaluate the changes of colon tissue, together with sequencing of the V3-V4 regions of 16S rRNA gene on feces to explore the changes of intestinal flora in the rats. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the rats in the model group showed notable reductions in body weight, SPF, and number in OFT (P<0.01). Hesperidin was found to ameliorate depression induced by CUMS, as seen by improvements in body weight, SPT, immobility time in FST, and number in OFT (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Regarding neurotransmitters, it was found that at a dose of 50 mg/kg hesperidin treatment upregulated the levels of 5-HT and BDNF in depressed rats (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the colon tissue of the model group exhibited greater inflammatory cell infiltration, with markedly reduced numbers of goblet cells and crypts and were significantly improved following treatment with hesperidin. Simultaneously, the administration of hesperidin demonstrated a positive impact on the gut microbiome of rats treated with CUMS, such as Shannon index increased and Simpson index decreased (P<0.01), while the abundance of Pseudomonadota and Bacteroidota increased in the hesperidin-treated group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The mechanism responsible for the beneficial effects of hesperidin on depressive behavior in rats may be related to inhibition of the expressions of BDNF and 5-HT and preservation of the gut microbiota.
Animals ; Hesperidin/therapeutic use* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Depression/drug therapy* ; Male ; Stress, Psychological/drug therapy* ; Brain/metabolism* ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism* ; Serotonin/metabolism* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Behavior, Animal/drug effects* ; Rats ; Brain-Gut Axis/drug effects* ; Chronic Disease ; Colon/drug effects*

Ovarian tumor (OT) is the most lethal form of gynecologic malignancy, with minimal improvements in patient outcomes over the past several decades. Metastasis is the leading cause of ovarian cancer-related deaths, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Psychological stress is known to activate the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1), a factor associated with poor prognosis in OT patients. However, the precise mechanisms linking NR3C1 signaling and metastasis have yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that chronic restraint stress accelerates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis in OT through an NR3C1-dependent mechanism involving nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1). Mechanistically, NR3C1 directly regulates the transcription of NUPR1, which in turn increases the expression of snail family transcriptional repressor 2 (SNAI2), a key driver of EMT. Clinically, elevated NR3C1 positively correlates with NUPR1 expression in OT patients, and both are positively associated with poorer prognosis. Overall, our study identified the NR3C1/NUPR1 axis as a critical regulatory pathway in psychological stress-induced OT metastasis, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for intervention in OT metastasis.

Aim To explore the mechanism of ligustil-ide(LIG)improving demyelination by inhibiting in-flammatory response in mice with distal middle cerebral artery occlusion(dMCAO)through AIM2/caspase-1 signal pathway.Methods Thirty C57BL/6N male mice were randomly divided into three groups:sham operation group(Sham group,n=10),model group(dMCAO group,n=10)and treatment group(LIG group,n=10).The dMCAO mouse model was estab-lished by electrocoagulation in dMCAO group and LIG group.The mice were scored by Longa after waking up,and the changes of cerebral blood flow were moni-tored by laser speckle blood flow imaging system after dMCAO.One hour after modeling,LIG(30 mg·kg-1·d-1)was injected intraperitoneally in LIG group,and the same amount of normal saline was injected in sham group and dMCAO group for one week until the end of the experiment.The mice in each group were stained with TTC,and the brain injury was observed pathologically.Fatigue turning bar test and open field test were used to evaluate the motor function and anxie-ty degree of mice,and then the brain tissues of mice were taken for black gold staining to compare the chan-ges of myelin sheath in each group.Immunofluores-cence staining was used to detect the average fluores-cence intensity of MBP,IBA1 and GFAP in CC,CPU and CX regions of mouse brains.ELISAwas used to de-tect the contents of TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1 β,IL-17A and BDNF in brain tissue proteins of mice.Western blot-ting was used to detect the protein expressions of AIM2,caspase-1 and ASC-in each group.Results Compared with the dMCAO group,the infarct area was reduced,the behavior was significantly improved and the demyelination was reduced in the LIG group.The expression of MBP protein in CC,CPU and CX regions increased(P＜0.05),the expression of IBA1 in CX decreased(P＜0.01),and the expression of GFAP in-creased in CC,CPU and CX regions(P＜0.01).The results of ELISA showed that the levels ofTNF-α(P＜0.01),IL-6(P＜0.01),IL-1β(P＜0.05)and IL-17A(P＜0.01)significantly decreased,while the ex-pression of BDNF increased(P＜0.05).The protein expression levels of AIM2,caspase-1 and ASC in mouse brain decreased after treatment(P＜0.01).Conclusion LIG has a protective effect on demyelina-tion in dMCAO mice,which may be related to the inhi-bition of AIM2/caspase-1 signaling pathway and in-flammation and to the promotion of BDNF secretion.