Objective: To investigate the correlation between color parameters (L^*, a^*, b^*, Eab^*) and the contents of reducing sugars, total polysaccharides, total oligosaccharides, as well as four saccharides (fructose, glucose, sucrose, and kestose) during the nine cycles of steaming and sun-drying processing of Polygonatum kingianum, and to preliminarily explore the optimal processing duration.
Methods: The color changes were objectively evaluated using a colorimeter. The anthrone-sulfuric acid method was employed to determine total polysaccharides and oligosaccharides. The 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) colorimetric method was used to measure total reducing sugar content. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with charged aerosol detection (HPLC-CAD) was applied for quantitative analysis of fructose, glucose, sucrose, and kestose. Multivariate statistical analysis was conducted to assess samples from different processing stages.
Results: Significant variations in color and component contents were observed across processing stages. The herbal pieces progressively darkened with increased processing cycles: brightness (L^*) and total color difference (Eab^*) initially decreased then stabilized, while a^* (red-green) and b^* (yellow-blue) values first increased then declined. Total polysaccharides and oligosaccharides showed overall decreasing trends, whereas reducing sugars initially increased before stabilizing. Fructose and glucose levels rose continuously, while sucrose and kestose decreased progressively, becoming undetectable after five cycles.
Conclusion: The chromatic alteration and saccharide composition of P. kingianum showed significant correlation with processing duration. Both total color difference (Eab^*) and reducing sugar content stabilized after four processing cycles (12 hours), suggesting that four cycles of steaming and sun-drying may represent the optimal processing duration.

Skeletal muscle atrophy refers to a pathological condition characterized by muscle fiber atrophy as well as decreased muscle mass and muscle strength induced by various predisposing factors. It falls under the category of “flaccidity syndrome” in traditional Chinese medicine， and its pathogenesis is mainly associated with disturbed protein homeostasis， mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress injury. Active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine exerts synergistic regulatory effects via multiple pathways， thus possessing unique advantages in the clinical prevention and treatment of skeletal muscle atrophy. This paper reviews the mechanisms by which active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine alleviate skeletal muscle atrophy. Existing studies have demonstrated that such active ingredients can ameliorate skeletal muscle atrophy through multiple approaches： regulating protein metabolic balance （geniposide， matrine， schisandrin A， etc.） and oxidative stress （astragaloside Ⅳ， Gastrodia elata polysaccharide， Angelica sinensis polysaccharide， etc.）， improving mitochondrial function （parthenolide， berberine， curcumin， etc.）， facilitating myogenesis and myogenic differentiation （cucurbitacin Ⅱb， saikosaponin A， saikosaponin D， etc.）， suppressing inflammatory response （ursolic acid， triptolide， emodin， etc.）， ameliorating insulin resistance （akebiasaponin D， etc.）. In the future， active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine are expected to achieve breakthroughs in clinical treatment for skeletal muscle atrophy， providing novel ideas and strategies for the prevention and treatment of degenerative disorders.

In order to investigate whether the effect of Yuxuebi Tablets on the peripheral and central inflammation resolution of mice with inflammatory pain is related to their regulation of G protein-coupled receptor 37(GPR37), an inflammatory pain model was established by injecting complete Freund's adjuvant(CFA) into the paws of mice, with a sham-operated group receiving a similar volume of normal saline. The mice were assigned randomly to the sham-operated group, model group, ibuprofen group(91 mg·kg~(-1)), and low-, medium-, and high-dose groups of Yuxuebi Tablets(60, 120, and 240 mg·kg~(-1)). The drug was administered orally from days 1 to 19 after modeling. Von Frey method and the hot plate test were used to detect mechanical pain thresholds and heat hyperalgesia. The levels of interleukin-10(IL-10) and transforming growth factor-beta(TGF-β) in the spinal cord were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and the mRNA and protein expression of GPR37 in the spinal cord was measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR(qRT-PCR) and Western blot. Additionally, immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of macrosialin antigen(CD68), mannose receptor(MRC1 or CD206), and GPR37 in dorsal root ganglia, as well as the expression of calcium-binding adapter molecule 1(IBA1), CD206, and GPR37 in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. The results showed that compared with those of the sham-operated group, the mechanical pain thresholds and hot withdrawal latency of the model group significantly declined, and the expression of CD68 in the dorsal root ganglia and the expression of IBA1 in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord significantly increased. The expression of CD206 and GPR37 significantly decreased in the dorsal root ganglion and dorsal horn of the spinal cord, and IL-10 and TGF-β levels in the spinal cord were significantly decreased. Compared with those of the model group, the mechanical pain thresholds and hot withdrawal latency of the high-dose group of Yuxuebi Tablets significantly increased, and the expression of CD68 in the dorsal root ganglion and IBA1 in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord significantly decreased. The expression of CD206 and GPR37 in the dorsal root ganglion and dorsal horn of the spinal cord significantly increased, as well as IL-10 and TGF-β levels in the spinal cord. These findings indicated that Yuxuebi Tablets may reduce macrophage(microglial) infiltration and foster M2 macrophage polarization by enhancing GPR37 expression in the dorsal root ganglia and dorsal horn of the spinal cord of CFA-induced mice, so as to improve IL-10 and TGF-β levels, promote resolution of both peripheral and central inflammation, and play analgesic effects.
Inflammation/genetics* ; Pain/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Animals ; Mice ; Freund's Adjuvant/pharmacology* ; Ibuprofen ; Pain Threshold/drug effects* ; Hyperalgesia/genetics* ; Ganglia, Spinal ; Interleukin-10/genetics* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/genetics* ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tablets ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled

OBJECTIVE To investigate the induction of apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells by polyphyllin 9 （PP9） through the regulation of the Fas/Fas ligand （FasL） signaling pathway， and its inhibitory effect on the growth of transplanted tumor in nude mice. METHODS Based on the screening of cell lines and intervention conditions， HepG2 cells were selected as the experimental subject to investigate the effects of 2 μmol/L and 4 μmol/L PP9 treatment on cell colony formation activity， apoptosis rate， as well as the protein expressions of Fas， FasL， cleaved caspase-8 and cleaved caspase-3. Additionally， Fas inhibitor KR- 33493 was introduced to investigate the underlying mechanism of PP9’s anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activity. Using HepG2 cell tumor-bearing nude mice model as the object， and 5-fluorouracil （20 mg/kg） as the positive control， the effects of 10 mg/kg PP9 on tumor volume， tumor mass， and the protein expressions of the nuclear proliferation-associated antigen Ki-67 and cleaved caspase-3 in tumor-bearing nude mice were investigated. RESULTS Compared with the control group， 2， 4 μmol/L PP9 significantly decreased the number of clones and the clone formation rate of cells， but significantly increased the apoptosis rate， the protein expressions of Fas， FasL， cleaved caspase-8 and cleaved caspase-3 （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. However， the combination of Fas inhibitor KR-33493 could significantly reverse the effect of PP9 on the up-regulation of proteins related to the Fas/FasL signaling pathway （P＜0.01）. Compared with the control group， the tumor volume （on day 27）， mass and protein expression of Ki- 67 in nude mice of the PP9 group were significantly decreased， while the protein expression of cleaved caspase-3 was significantly increased （P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS PP9 can induce apoptosis of HepG2 cells by activating the Fas/FasL signaling pathway. Meanwhile， PP9 can also effectively inhibit the growth of transplanted tumors in nude mice.

This paper summarizes Professor WANG Xiuxia's clinical experience in treating hyperprolactinemia using the liver soothing therapy. Professor WANG identifies liver qi stagnation and rebellious chong qi （冲气） as the core pathomechanisms of hyperprolactinemia. Furthermore， liver qi stagnation may transform into fire or lead to pathological changes such as spleen deficiency with phlegm obstruction or kidney deficiency with essence depletion. The treatment strategy centers on soothing the liver， with a modified version of Qinggan Jieyu Decoction （清肝解郁汤） as the base formula. Depending on different syndrome patterns such as liver stagnation transforming into fire， liver stagnation with spleen deficiency， or liver stagnation with kidney deficiency， heat clearing， spleen strengthening， or kidney tonifying herbs are added accordingly. In addition， three paired herb combinations are commonly used for symptom specific treatment， Danggui （Angelica sinensis） with Chuanxiong （Ligusticum chuanxiong）， Zelan （Lycopus lucidus） with Yimucao （Leonurus japonicus） ， and Jiegeng （Platycodon grandiflorus） with Zisu （Perilla frutescens）.

OBJECTIVE: Recombination events are common and serve as the primary driving force of diverse human adenovirus (HAdV), particularly in children with acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs). Therefore, continual monitoring of these events is essential for effective viral surveillance and control. METHODS: Respiratory specimens were collected from children with ARIs between January 2022 and December 2023. The penton base, hexon, and fiber genes were amplified from HAdV-positive specimens and sequenced to determine the virus type. In cases with inconsistent typing results, genes were cloned into the pGEM-T vector to detect recombination events. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) was performed to characterize the recombinant HAdV genomes. RESULTS: Among 6,771 specimens, 277 (4.09%, 277/6,771) were positvie for HAdV, of which 157 (56.68%, 157/277) were successfully typed, with HAdV-B3 being the dominant type (91.08%, 143/157), and 14 (5.05%, 14/277) exhibited inconsistent typing results, six of which belonged to species B. The penton base genes of these six specimens were classified as HAdV-B7, whereas their hexon and fiber genes were classified as HAdV-B3, resulting in a recombinant genotype designated P7H3F3, which closely resembled HAdV-B114. Additionally, a partial gene encoding L1 52/55 kD was identified, which originated from HAdV-B16. CONCLUSION A novel recombinant, P7H3F3, was identified, containing sequences derived from HAdV-B3 and HAdV-B7, which is similar to HAdV-B114, along with additional sequences from HAdV-B16.
Humans ; Adenoviruses, Human/isolation & purification* ; Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology* ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Recombination, Genetic ; Male ; Beijing/epidemiology* ; Infant ; Female ; Phylogeny ; Adenovirus Infections, Human/epidemiology* ; Acute Disease ; Genome, Viral

Objective To explore current status and potential subtypes of elderly stroke patients' medication literacy among,and to analyze related influencing factors of different subtypes.Methods A total of 285 elderly stroke patients admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from November 2023 to June 2024 were selected as subjects.General Information questionnaire,medication literacy scale for elderly patients with chronic diseases,and perceived social support scale were conducted.Latent profile analysis(LPA)of elderly stroke patients' medication literacy was conducted,and Logistic regression analysis was used to explore influencing factors of different profiles.Results Score of medication literacy scale for elderly stroke patients was(48.26±12.51)points.Medication literacy among elderly stroke patients can be divided into 3 profiles,namely proactive-high literacy type(51.9％),balanced-medium literacy type(34.0％),and dependent-low literacy type(14.1％).Logistic regression analysis showed that recent medication types,current place of residence,educational level,diabetes,and social support were the influencing factors of elderly stroke patients' medication literacy(P＜0.05).Conclusion The level of medication literacy among elderly stroke patients is medium,which is characterized by 3 categories.Medical staffs targeted intervention should be adopted according to different category characteristics,so as to accurately meet their nursing needs,finally improve the level of elderly stroke patients' medication literacy.

Objective:To investigate factors influencing frequent episodes (≥ 4 episodes within 1 year) in children with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in China.Methods:A national multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted. Patients under the age of 18 years diagnosed with moderate-to-severe AD were enrolled at dermatology clinics in 18 medical institutions across 12 provinces and municipalities in China between June 12 and August 8, 2023. At the time of the visit, their guardians completed a structured questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, clinical features of AD, personal and family history, factors associated with frequent episodes of moderate-to-severe AD, compliance with treatment, and disease awareness. Statistical analyses included t tests, one-way analysis of variance, rank-sum tests, and chi-square tests, with multiple-response analysis applied for multiple-choice questions. Results:A total of 965 valid questionnaires were collected, and 965 children with moderate-to-severe AD were included. Among them, there were 531 males and 434 females, 678 (70.3%) were aged 2 - < 12 years, 837 (86.7%) were from urban areas, the age at onset was 2.47 ± 3.03 years, and the median frequency of AD episodes in the past year was 4 times. These children were divided into 2 groups based on the median episode frequency: < 4-episode group (439 cases, 45.5%) and ≥ 4-episode group (526 cases, 54.5%). Compared with the < 4-episode group, children in the ≥ 4-episode group showed younger ages at onset (2.22 ± 2.98 years vs. 2.76 ± 3.06 years, P = 0.006) and higher proportions of patients with comorbid allergic diseases in both the children themselves (82.9% [436/526] vs. 69.7% [306/439], χ2 = 23.42, P < 0.001) and their relatives (66.0% [347/526] vs. 57.4% [252/439], χ2 = 7.46, P = 0.006). Children in the ≥ 4- episode group also had higher monthly usage of moisturizers (150 [30, 300] g vs. 60 [6, 200] g) and daily frequency of moisturizer use, greater disease awareness, but more severe fear of medication use (all P < 0.05). The region and the human development index level were both significantly associated with the episode frequency (both P < 0.001), with the highest proportion of children from South China in the ≥ 4- episode group (36.3%, 191/526). Children in the ≥ 4-episode group also had a longer duration of topical glucocorticoid use than those in the < 4-episode group ( Z = -2.21, P = 0.027). External triggers associated with AD episodes mainly included heat exposure (50.36%, 486/965), hot water bathing (40.73%, 393/965), seafood (23.52%, 227/965), and dust mites (33.37%, 322/965) . Conclusion:In children with moderate-to-severe AD in China, factors influencing frequent episodes may include residence in southern or economically developed regions, earlier age at onset, having a personal or family history of allergic diseases, and fear of medication use.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the genomic characteristics and prognostic factors of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) with RAS mutations. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of JMML children with RAS mutations treated at the Hematology Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from January 2008 to November 2022. RESULTS: A total of 34 children were included, with 17 cases (50%) having isolated NRAS mutations, 9 cases (27%) having isolated KRAS mutations, and 8 cases (24%) having compound mutations. Compared to children with isolated NRAS mutations, those with NRAS compound mutations showed statistically significant differences in age at onset, platelet count, and fetal hemoglobin proportion (P<0.05). Cox proportional hazards regression model analysis revealed that hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and hepatomegaly (≥2 cm below the costal margin) were factors affecting the survival rate of JMML children with RAS mutations (P<0.05); hepatomegaly was a factor affecting survival in the non-HSCT group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Children with NRAS compound mutations have a later onset age compared to those with isolated NRAS mutations. At initial diagnosis, children with NRAS compound mutations have poorer peripheral platelet and fetal hemoglobin levels than those with isolated NRAS mutations. Liver size at initial diagnosis is related to the prognosis of JMML children with RAS mutations. HSCT can improve the prognosis of JMML children with RAS mutations.
Humans ; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Juvenile/therapy* ; Mutation ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Retrospective Studies ; Child ; Infant ; GTP Phosphohydrolases/genetics* ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Adolescent ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/genetics* ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVES: To study genotype-phenotype correlations in children with FGFR3 variants and to improve clinical recognition of related disorders. METHODS: Clinical data of 95 patients aged 0-18 years harboring FGFR3 variants, confirmed by whole‑exome sequencing at Shanghai Children's Medical Center from January 2012 to December 2023, were retrospectively reviewed. Detailed phenotypic characterization was performed for 22 patients with achondroplasia (ACH) and 10 with hypochondroplasia (HCH). RESULTS: Among the 95 patients, 52 (55%) had ACH, 24 (25%) had HCH, 9 (9%) had thanatophoric dysplasia, 3 (3%) had syndromic skeletal dysplasia, 2 (2%) had severe achondroplasia with developmental delay and acanthosis nigricans, and 5 (5%) remained unclassified. A previously unreported FGFR3 variant, c.1663G>T, was identified. All 22 ACH patients presented with disproportionate short stature accompanied by limb dysplasia, commonly with macrocephaly, a depressed nasal bridge, bowed legs, and frontal bossing; complications were present in 17 (77%). The 10 HCH patients predominantly exhibited disproportionate short stature with limb dysplasia and depressed nasal bridge. CONCLUSIONS ACH is the most frequent phenotype associated with FGFR3 variants, and missense variants constitute the predominant variant type. The degree of FGFR3 activation appears to correlate with the clinical severity of skeletal dysplasia.
Humans ; Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3/genetics* ; Child ; Male ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Infant ; Adolescent ; Dwarfism/genetics* ; Achondroplasia/genetics* ; Lordosis/genetics* ; Infant, Newborn ; Retrospective Studies ; Genetic Association Studies ; Bone and Bones/abnormalities* ; Phenotype ; Limb Deformities, Congenital