ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Chaihu Jia Longgu Mulitang（CJLM） on depression-like behaviors and neuroinflammation in rats subjected to social isolation combined with chronic unpredictable mild stress（CUMS）， and to explore the potential underlying mechanisms. MethodsSixty male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group， a model group， and low-， medium-， and high-dose CJLM groups（2.89， 5.78， 11.56 g·kg^-1）， as well as a fluoxetine group（10 mg·kg^-1）. Except for the normal group， all other groups were subjected to social isolation combined with CUMS for 63 d. During the first 35 d， depression models were established only， and from day 36 onward， modeling and drug administration were conducted simultaneously for a total intervention period of 28 d. Depression-like behaviors were evaluated using the sucrose preference test， open-field test， and forced swimming test. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was performed to observe hippocampal histomorphology. Immunohistochemistry（IHC） was used to detect the expression levels of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1（Iba1） and gasdermin D（GSDMD） proteins in the hippocampus. Western blot analysis was employed to determine the protein expression levels of adenosine 5′-monophosphate（AMP）-activated protein kinase（AMPK） and phosphorylated（p）-AMPK， silent information regulator 1（SIRT1）， nuclear factor-κB（NF-κB） and p-NF-κB， NOD-like receptor protein 3（NLRP3）， and Caspase-1 in the hippocampus. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）， interleukin（IL）-6， and IL-1β in the hippocampus. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a decreased sucrose preference rate（P<0.01）， reduced total movement distance（P<0.01）， prolonged immobility time（P<0.01）， and decreased central zone residence time（P<0.01） in the open-field test， and increased immobility time in the forced swimming test（P<0.01）. Hippocampal neuronal structure was damaged. The contents of Iba1 and GSDMD in the hippocampus were significantly increased（P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of p-AMPK and SIRT1 in the hippocampus were significantly decreased（P<0.01）， whereas the protein expression levels of p-NF-κB， NLRP3， and Caspase-1 were significantly increased（P<0.01）. The mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α in the hippocampus were significantly upregulated（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the low-， medium-， and high-dose CJLM groups and the fluoxetine group all were able to reverse depression-like behavioral changes， as evidenced by increased sucrose preference rate， increased total movement distance with shortened immobility time in the open-field test， prolonged central zone residence time， and reduced immobility time in the forced swimming test（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Meanwhile， hippocampal neuronal structural damage was alleviated. In the hippocampus， the expression levels of Iba1 and GSDMD were downregulated， the expression levels of p-AMPK and SIRT1 were upregulated， and the abnormal elevations of p-NF-κB， NLRP3， Caspase-1， as well as IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α mRNA were suppressed（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionCJLM can ameliorate depression-like behaviors in rats subjected to social isolation combined with CUMS and attenuate hippocampal neuroinflammation and pyroptosis， suggesting that its effects may be associated with the regulation of AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveBased on traditional quality evaluation of Gardeniae Fructus（GF） recorded in historical materia medica， this study systematically compared the quality differences between wild and cultivated GF from morphological characteristics， microscopic features， and contents of primary and secondary metabolites. MethodsVernier calipers and analytical balances were used to measure the length， diameter and individual fruit weight of wild and cultivated GF， and the aspect ratio was calculated. A colorimeter was used to determine the chromaticity value of wild and cultivated GF， and the paraffin sections of them were prepared by safranin-fast green staining and examined under an optical microscope to observe their microstructure. Subsequently， the contents of water-soluble and alcohol-soluble extracts of wild and cultivated GF were detected by hot immersion method under the general rule 2201 in volume Ⅳ of the 2020 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China， the starch content was measured by anthrone colorimetric method， the content of total polysaccharides was determined by phenol-sulfuric acid colorimetric method， the sucrose content was determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with evaporative light scattering detection（HPLC-ELSD）， and the contents of representative components in them were measured by ultra-performance liquid chromatography（UPLC）. Finally， correlation analysis was conducted between quality traits and phenotypic traits， combined with multivariate statistical analysis methods such as principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA）， key differential components between wild and cultivated GF were screened. ResultsIn terms of traits， the wild GF fruits were smaller， exhibiting reddish yellow or brownish red hues with significant variation between batches. While the cultivated GF fruits are larger， displaying deeper orange-red or brownish red. The diameter and individual fruit weight of cultivated GF were significantly greater than those of wild GF， while the blue-yellow value（b^*） of wild GF was significantly higher than that of cultivated GF. In the microstructure， the mesocarp of wild GF contained numerous scattered calcium oxalate cluster crystals， while the endocarp contained stone cell class round， polygonal or tangential prolongation， undeveloped seeds were visible within the fruit. In contrast， the mesocarp of cultivated GF contained few calcium oxalate cluster crystals， or some batches exhibited extremely numerous cluster crystals. The stone cells in the endocarp were predominantly round-like， with the innermost layer arranged in a grid pattern. Seeds were basically mature， and only a few immature seeds existed in some batches. Regarding primary metabolite content， wild GF exhibited significantly higher total polysaccharide level than cultivated GF（P<0.01）. In category-specific component content， wild GF exhibited significantly higher levels of total flavonoids and total polyphenols compared to cultivated GF（P<0.01）. Analysis of 12 secondary metabolites revealed that wild GF exhibited significantly higher levels of Shanzhiside， deacetyl asperulosidic acid methyl ester， gardenoside and chlorogenic acid compared to cultivated GF（P<0.01）. Conversely， the contents of genipin 1-gentiobioside， geniposide and genipin were significantly lower in wild GF（P<0.01）. ConclusionThere are significant differences between wild and cultivated GF in terms of traits， microstructure， and contents of primary and secondary metabolites. At present， the quality evaluation system of cultivated GF remains incomplete， and this study provides a reference for guiding the production of high-quality GF medicinal materials.

Objective To analyze the differences in bone serum protein between patients with osteoporosis accompanied by obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS)and those with osteoporosis only using proteomics.Methods A total of 80 osteoporosis patients who attended our hospital between June 2022 and June 2024 were enrolled.Based on their polysomnography results,the participants were divided into an OSAS and osteoporosis comorbidity(OSAS-osteoporosis)group(n=42)and an osteoporosis only group(n=38).Propensity score matching was applied to incorporate covariates in logistic regression so that the individual characteristics of the two groups of patients were generally balanced.Following the matching procedure,a final cohort of 20 matched pairs was obtained and subsequently utilized for further analysis.The mass spectrum was obtained using laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry.Principal component analysis(PCA)was performed to assess differences in metabolic patterns between groups.Partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA)and orthogonal PLS-DA(OPLS-DA)were employed for further data analysis.Variable importance in projection(VIP)scores of each substance were calculated with OPLS-DA to screen the metabolites showing inter-group differences.Heatmaps were generated to visualize metabolic profile differences between the OSAS-osteoporosis group and the osteoporosis group.Enrichment pathway analysis was conducted on the differential identified metabolites.Results After propensity score matching,individual characteristics between the groups were well balanced.Mass spectrometry revealed significant differences between the OSAS-osteoporosis and osteoporosis groups.In the PCA score plot,the separation trend of the two groups was not significant.The PLS-DA score plot showed a discernible separation trend,with R2 and Q2 lower than those of the corresponding results of the real model,confirming the reliability of the model.OPLS-DA showed that the total R2X of the model was 0.635,R2Y was 0.879,and O2Y was 0.728,showing obvious separation trends between the two groups.A total of 16 differential metabolites were identified,including stearyl-oleyl-glycerol phosphate choline,phosphate choline,L-histidine,erucamide,2'-deoxyuridine,1-palmitoyl glycerol,thymine,tyramine,L-pyroglutamic acid,L-glutamic acid,myristate,glycerol-3-phosphate,caprylic acid,pregnenolone,L-arginine,D-4-hydroxyphenylglycine,and isobutyric acid.Heatmaps showed significant differences in metabolic profiles between the OSAS-osteoporosis group and the osteoporosis group.Pathway enrichment analysis showed that 27 metabolic pathways were involved.27 metabolic pathways.Under the conditions of P<0.05 and pathway impact>0.2,the three most significant metabolic pathways identified included mainly alanine,aspartate,and glutamate metabolism,arginine biosynthesis,and histidine metabolism.Conclusion Significant differences were observed in the metabolic profiles between patients with both OSAS and osteoporosis and those with osteoporosis alone.

Objective In this study,we investigated the correlation between the scores for different Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale(LSAS)subscale models and the metabolic activity in specific regions of the brain using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose(FDG)positron emission tomography/computed tomography(PET/CT)(18F-FDG PET),thereby improving the understanding of the neurobiological characteristics of social anxiety.Methods A total of 39 cognitively normal participants(29 men and 10 women,aged 30-63 years)were enrolled.All participants underwent LSAS assessment and brain 18F-FDG PET scanning.Correlations between metabolic activities in various brain regions and scores from the different LSAS subscales were analyzed accordingly.Results LSAS subscale scores were significantly correlated with metabolic activity in specific brain regions.In the Safren model,the score for the observation by others subscale was positively correlated with the left fusiform gyrus(P<0.001,false discovery rate[FDR]-corrected)and the left caudate tail(P<0.001,FDR-corrected),suggesting a close association between mood states related to observation by others and the metabolic activity in these regions.In the Baker model,the score for the eating and drinking subscale was negatively correlated with the right precuneus(P<0.001,FDR-corrected),while the score for the assertiveness subscale was positively correlated with the left caudate nucleus(P<0.001,FDR-corrected).These findings revealed the complex associative patterns between various mood and behavioral dimensions and metabolic activities in specific brain regions.Conclusion Social anxiety symptoms are closely associated with metabolic changes in specific brain regions,including the left insula,left caudate tail,and right precuneus.Moreover,different social situations activate distinct brain regions.Compared with individuals with social anxiety disorder,normal individuals exhibit involvement of fewer brain regions when experiencing social anxiety.These findings provide new experimental evidence for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying social anxiety.

The development and validation of clinical prediction models based on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning methods have become increasingly widespread. However, the prediction model bias risk and applicability evaluation tool developed in 2019 (i.e., PROBAST-2019) has shown significant limitations. Therefore, an expanded and updated version of the PROBAST-2019 tool was released in 2025, known as the PROBAST+AI tool. The tool is divided into two parts including model development and model evaluation. It aims to comprehensively and systematically evaluate potential methodological quality issues in model development, bias risks in model evaluation, and the applicability of models, regardless of the modeling method used. This paper provides a systematic interpretation of the PROBAST+AI tool's items and case analyses, with the aim of guiding and assisting researchers engaged in related studies and promoting the high-quality development of clinical predictive model research.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of Bushen Zhuyun prescription （BSZY） on abortion rats with kidney deficiency-corpus luteum inhibition syndrome. MethodsAn abortion rat model with kidney deficiency-corpus luteum inhibition syndrome was constructed. Pregnant mice aged 8-10 weeks were randomly divided into a control group （Control）， a model group （Model）， low-dose BSZY （BSZY-L）， medium-dose BSZY （BSZY-M）， and high-dose BSZY （BSZY-H） groups （2.57， 5.14， 10.28 g·kg^-¹）， and a Zishen Yutai Pill （ZSYT） group （1.575 g·kg^-¹）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to evaluate histopathological changes in ovarian and decidual tissue of rats in each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to measure levels of estrogen （E₂）， progesterone （P）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， prolactin （PRL）， and follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH） in serum. The candidate targets of BSZY were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Platform （TCMSP） and Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCMIP） v2.0 databases， while disease targets for recurrent spontaneous abortion （RSA） were retrieved from GeneCards， DrugBank， Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM）， and Therapeutic Target Database （TTD）. The intersection targets were identified by the Venny 2.1.0 platform. Pathway enrichment analysis was conducted based on the Metascape database to predict the potential mechanisms of BSZY. Additionally. Western blot was used to verify the effects of BSZY on the expression of estrogen receptor （ERα）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， and protein kinase B （Akt） and explore its protective mechanism on RSA rats. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group exhibited significantly decreased uterine， ovarian， and embryonic wet weights （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with an abortion rate of 57.18%. The ovarian tissue showed varying degrees of reduction in primordial follicles， primary follicles， mature follicles， and corpora lutea， along with a large number of atretic follicles. The endometrium was thinner， and decidual tissue exhibited cellular edema and disorganized arrangement. In contrast， compared with the model group， the BSZY groups at all doses and the ZSYT group demonstrated increased uterine， ovarian， and embryonic wet weights， along with a reduced abortion rate. The number of primordial follicles， primary follicles， mature follicles， and corpora lutea increased， while atretic follicles decreased. The endometrium thickened， and decidual tissue displayed normal cellular structure with tight arrangement. Additionally， the model group showed significantly decreased levels of E₂， P， PRL， and FSH in serum （P<0.05， P<0.01）， along with a decreasing trend in LH level. In contrast， the BSZY groups at all doses exhibited significantly elevated levels of E₂， P， LH， PRL， and FSH in serum （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Network pharmacology predictions suggested that BSZY may exert protective effects against abortion in rats by activating the ERα/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Western blot results confirmed that BSZY significantly upregulated the expression of ERα， PI3K， and p-Akt proteins （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionBSZY has a protective effect on the abortion rats with kidney deficiency-corpus luteum inhibition syndrome， possibly by activating the ERα/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to reduce ovarian apoptosis and regulate endocrine function， thereby lowering the abortion rate.

BACKGROUND: Urolithiasis is a widespread disease with a high prevalence worldwide. This study aims to evaluate the disease burden of urolithiasis and its trends from 1990 to 2021 globally, based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 database. METHODS: The numbers and age-standardized rates (ASRs) of incidence, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and mortality of urolithiasis were extracted from GBD 2021 to represent the disease burden. Joinpoint regression analyses were conducted to assess the temporal trends in the burden of urolithiasis. The male-to-female ASR ratio indices were used to evaluate sex disparities. Additionally, we explored the relationship between the ASR ratio and the sociodemographic index (SDI). RESULTS: The total numbers of incidence, DALY, and mortality of urolithiasis were 105,983,780 cases (95% uncertainty interval [UI] = 88,349,356-128,645,155 cases), 693,444 cases (95% UI = 567,765-850,490 cases), and 17,672 cases (95% UI = 13,932-21,241 cases), respectively, in 2021. There is an increasing trend in the number of these measures globally, whereas the ASRs have decreased over the past 30 years. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) were significantly higher in males than in females in 2021. The sex disparities in the age-standardized DALY rate (ASDR) and ASMR of urolithiasis were negatively correlated with the SDI. In 2021, the ASIR of urolithiasis was 964.70 (95% UI = 801.26-1175.09) per 100,000 people in China, which is much lower than the global average (1242.84 [95% UI = 1034.94-1506.99] per 100,000 people). Compared with the global average, a more pronounced decline in ASIR was observed in China from 1793.16 (1446.0-2235.14) in 1990 to 964.70 (801.26-1175.09) per 100,000 people in 2021. CONCLUSIONS Urolithiasis poses a significant healthcare burden worldwide. More robust global and national strategies are warranted to address the prevention and treatment, especially in low SDI countries and regions.
Humans ; Urolithiasis/mortality* ; Male ; Female ; Incidence ; Global Burden of Disease ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors

Knee osteoarthritis is a common joint disease within osteoarthritis,characterized by pain,swelling,and limited functionality as the main clinical manifestations.In severe cases,it affects daily life and falls under the category of"impediment syndrome"or"bone impediment"in TCM.The author believes that the theory of"bones,tendons,and muscles"is closely related to this disease.Treatment should focus on simultaneously nourishing the liver,spleen and kidneys,considering tendons,bones and muscles,while also dispelling wind,cold and dampness.The clinical application of Sanbi Decoction has shown good efficacy,and this discussion aimed to provide ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

Objective:To investigate the impact of deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR), adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-veo (ASiR-V) and filtered back projection (FBP) on the histogram and wavelet features of portal venous phase abdominal CT in patients with hepatic tumor.Methods:The CT data of 68 patients with hepatic tumor who underwent enhanced CT scans were retrospectively collected. FBP, 30%ASiR-V, DLIR-L, DLIR-M and DLIR-H images were reconstructed. The images of portal venous phase were reconstructed with five algorithms, including FBP, ASIR-V at a level of 30% (ASiR-V 30%), DLIR at low (DLIR-L), medium (DLIR-M), and high (DLIR-H). Histogram and wavelet features were extracted from hepatic lesion, liver, spleen, kidney and erector spinae muscle, and compared using one-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis test. Two radiologists delineated the three-dimensional lesions independently and one of them repeated the delineation after one month. Intra-class correlation coefficients ( ICC) among five sets of images were calculated to evaluate the consistency of radiomics features of hepatic lesion. P<0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. Results:Most histogram and wavelet features extracted from hepatic lesion, liver, spleen, kidney and erector spinae muscle showed significant differences among five groups (all P<0.05). The number of features without significant differences decreased with the intensity of DLIR reconstruction increased. For histogram features, there were no significant differences of energy, mean, median, and total energy among five sets of images ( P>0.05). For wavelet features, there were no significant differences of mean and median among five sets of images ( P>0.05). The consistency of all histogram features was high except for the mean value of wavelet feature. The intra-and inter-observer ICC ranged from 0.756 to 1 and 0.767 to 1, respectively. Conclusion:Both 30%ASiR-V and DLIR at three levels algorithms had influence on the histogram and wavelet features of abdominal organs and hepatic tumors extracted from CT images in portal venous phase, and the effects expanded with the strengthening of levels. Median can be a reliable quantitative parameter for CT texture analysis of hepatic tumor.

Herpes zoster (HZ) and its complications remain one of the major public health problems threatening human health. Four HZ vaccines are currently licensed for commercial use worldwide, while novel HZ vaccine candidates based on diverse technological platforms are in different stages of development. Enhancing public understanding of the effectiveness and safety of HZ vaccines is particularly crucial for increasing vaccine coverage and reducing vaccine hesitancy. This article introduces the overview of licensed HZ vaccines with a focus on elucidating the effectiveness and safety of HZ vaccines in immunocompetent and immunocompromised populations, in order to provide a scientific basis for the deployment of HZ vaccination.