Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) resources are the essential material foundation for the development of TCM. The national survey of TCM resources serves as a periodic summary of these resources, ensuring the continuity, prosperity, and development of TCM in China. Since 1949, four national surveys of TCM resources have been conducted. The fourth survey incorporated an investigation into traditional knowledge related to TCM resources, including the traditional medicinal knowledge of Chinese ethnic minorities, with the goal of systematically exploring, preserving, and inheriting this knowledge. This manuscript provides an overview of the basic findings from the first three national surveys of TCM resources, while also clarifying the concepts, categories, forms, carriers, and acquisition pathways of traditional knowledge related to TCM resources. A preliminary summary of the findings from traditional knowledge investigations reported in current literature is also presented. Based on the fourth survey, this manuscript emphasizes the urgency of developing public medical knowledge through empirically-based investigations, the excavation, and compilation of traditional knowledge. It also outlines the potential for conducting "precise" investigations based on first-hand data obtained from the survey, as well as facilitating the discovery and evaluation of new medicines using traditional knowledge related to ethnic minority medicinal practices. This manuscript is expected to provide valuable insights for promoting the health and industrial development of ethnic minority populations in the post-"survey" phase.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; China/ethnology* ; Minority Groups ; Ethnicity ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice/ethnology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of zedoarondiol on neovascularization of atherosclerotic (AS) plaque by exosomes experiment. METHODS: ApoE^-/- mice were fed with high-fat diet to establish AS model and treated with high- and low-dose (10, 5 mg/kg daily) of zedoarondiol, respectively. After 14 weeks, the expressions of anti-angiogenic protein thrombospondin 1 (THBS-1) and its receptor CD36 in plaques, as well as platelet activation rate and exosome-derived miR-let-7a were detected. Then, zedoarondiol was used to intervene in platelets in vitro, and miR-let-7a was detected in platelet-derived exosomes (Pexo). Finally, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were transfected with miR-let-7a mimics and treated with Pexo to observe the effect of miR-let-7a in Pexo on tube formation. RESULTS: Animal experiments showed that after treating with zedoarondiol, the neovascularization density in plaques of AS mice was significantly reduced, THBS-1 and CD36 increased, the platelet activation rate was markedly reduced, and the miR-let-7a level in Pexo was reduced (P<0.01). In vitro experiments, the platelet activation rate and miR-let-7a levels in Pexo were significantly reduced after zedoarondiol's intervention. Cell experiments showed that after Pexo's intervention, the tube length increased, and the transfection of miR-let-7a minics further increased the tube length of cells, while reducing the expressions of THBS-1 and CD36. CONCLUSION Zedoarondiol has the effect of inhibiting neovascularization within plaque in AS mice, and its mechanism may be potentially related to inhibiting platelet activation and reducing the Pexo-derived miRNA-let-7a level.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Exosomes/drug effects* ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/genetics* ; Neovascularization, Pathologic/genetics* ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Humans ; Blood Platelets/drug effects* ; Apolipoproteins E/deficiency* ; Thrombospondin 1/metabolism* ; CD36 Antigens/metabolism* ; Platelet Activation/drug effects* ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Accurate identification of endogenous and exogenous substances in food,particularly in competition supplies,is crucial for ensuring food safety and fair competition,as well as for protecting the legitimate rights and professional reputations of athletes.Testosterone(T)and dehydroepiandrosterone(DHEA)are important steroid hormones that can stimulate protein synthesis,increase the number and volume of muscle cells,and promote muscle growth and recovery.Both are often illegally used in the animal husbandry industry to promote animal growth and improve meat quality.However,current research in this area remains limited,and identification technologies require further investigation.This study focused on the techniques for identifying endogenous and exogenous hormones including T and DHEA in beef.A Soxhlet extraction method was established,reducing the pretreatment cycle to 110 min while achieving high extraction efficiency,with recovery rates of 102.5%for T and 91.9%for DHEA,respectively.Based on this,a gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry(GC-C-IRMS)method was developed for analyzing carbon isotopes in T and DHEA,eliminating the need for derivatization.By adding reference materials to the extract,simultaneous measurement of reference materials and target analytes was achieved.The measurement of caffeine reference material,T and DHEA was completed within 40 min,with a measurement repeatability of 0.02‰.Theδ13C values of T and DHEA in standard substances,which may serve as exogenous additives,were determined using elemental analysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry(EA-IRMS).The results indicated an average δ13C value of-29.44‰±0.81‰(k=1)for 10 T standards and-30.86‰±0.87‰(k=1)for 14 kinds of DHEA standards.This approach effectively distinguished between endogenous sources and exogenous addition of these two hormones in beef,thereby providing vital technical support for the assurance and supervision of food safety.

A QuEChERS cleanup-ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS)method was established for simultaneous determination of traditional and emerging 71 kinds of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances(PFAS)in Chinese herbal medicine Eckloniae Thallus.The extraction solvent employed here was 0.2%formic acid-acetonitrile with sodium chloride-anhydrous sodium sulfate(3:1,m/m)as salting-out agent,and the purification was carried out using graphitized carbon black and octadecyl-bonded silica as adsorbents.The sample separation was carried out on a Horizon C18 chromatographic column(150 mm×2.1 mm,1.6 μm)by gradient elution with 2.5 mmol/L ammonium acetate aqueous solution(containing 2.5 mmol/L acetic acid)and acetonitrile as the mobile phases.The flow rate was set at 0.4 mL/min,with an injection volume of 5 μL.The chromatographic separation of each target compound and internal standard substance could be achieved within 15 min.An electrospray ion source was utilized for simultaneous scanning of positive and negative ions under the scheduled multiple reaction monitoring(sMRM)mode,and the internal standard method was used for quantitative analysis.The results of method validations showed that the 71 kinds of PFAS had good linearity,with a correlation coefficient(r)greater than 0.997,spiked recoveries of 76.2%?122.0%and relative standard deviations(RSDs)of 5.5%?14.8%.The limits of detection were in the range of 0.3-60 ng/kg and the limits of quantification were in the range of 0.8-199 ng/kg.The developed method was used for detection of PFAS in 14 batches of Eckloniae Thallus samples,and a total of 19 kinds of PFAS were detected.The findings indicated that PFAS residues were commonly present in Eckloniae Thallus,with perfluorocarboxylic acids(PFCAs)exhibiting the highest concentrations.The method was simple,robust and efficient in preparation,sensitive in detection with high throughput,and suitable for monitoring residual PFAS compounds,including both ionic and neutral in food-medicine homology samples such as Eckloniae Thallus.

Objective To explore the prognostic factor and its predictive value of patients with Wilson disease-related acute-on-chronic liver failure(WD-ACLF).Methods The clinical data of 70 patients diagnosed as WD-ACLF admitted to the Department of Encephalopathy of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from January 1,2017 to January 1,2022 were retrospectively collected.According to the 12-week prognosis,patients were divided into survival group(n=36)and death group(n=34).The data of the two groups were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic analysis to screen the prognostic risk factors and evaluate their predictive value.The model coefficient is omnibus tested,and the model-fitting degree is evaluated by the Hosmer-Lemeshow test.ROC curve was used to analyze the prognostic value for WD-ACLF between the new model and chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment(CLIF-SOFA)score,model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)score and Child-Turcotte-Pugh(CTP)score.Results A total of 70 WD-ACLF patients were enrolled in present study,including 36 cases in survival group[22 males and 14 females with median age of 30.0(17.3,40.0)]and 34 cases in death group[25 males and 9 females with median age of 34.0(28.8,41.0)].Univariate analysis showed that the course of disease,prothrombin time(PT),activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT)were shorter in survival group than that in death group,the white blood cells(WBC),international normalized ratio(INR),aspartate transaminase(AST),total bilirubin(TBIL),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),creatinine(Cre)and ceruloplasmin(CER)levels and the proportion of infection,ascites,and upper gastrointestinal bleeding were lower in survival group than those in death group,however,the proportion of infection,ascites and upper digestive bleeding in the survival group were lower than those in the death group.Meanwhile,the red blood cells(RBC),hemoglobin(Hb),Na+ and total cholesterol(TC)level in the survival group were higher than those in the death group(P<0.05 or P<0.01).The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that disease course(OR=1.176,95%CI 1.043-1.325),INR(OR=7.635,95%CI 1.767-32.980),TBIL(OR=1.012,95%CI 1.003-1.021),and upper gastrointestinal bleeding(OR=11.654,95%CI 1.029-131.980)were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of WD-ACLF(P<0.05).Based on the results of logistic regression analysis,a joint model for predicting the prognosis of WD-ACLF was established.The AUC of the model for evaluating the prognosis of WD-ACLF was 0.941,which was greater than the CLIF-SOFA score(AUC=0.802),MELD score(AUC=0.897),and CTP score(AUC=0.722).Conclusions The course of disease,TBIL,INR,and upper gastrointestinal bleeding are risk factors that affect the prognosis of WD-ACLF.The prognosis model established based on this can more accurately predict the prognosis of WD-ACLF patients,and its predictive value is superior to CLIF-SOFA score,MELD score,and CTP score.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) combined with lower cervical fracture is often categorized into unstable fracture, with a high incidence of neurological injury and a high rate of disability and morbidity. As factors such as shoulder occlusion may affect the accuracy of X-ray imaging diagnosis, it is often easily misdiagnosed at the primary diagnosis. Non-operative treatment has complications such as bone nonunion and the possibility of secondary neurological damage, while the timing, access and choice of surgical treatment are still controversial. Currently, there are no clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture with or without dislocation. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedics Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts to formulate Clinical guidelines for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis combined with lower cervical fracture in adults ( version 2024) in accordance with the principles of evidence-based medicine, scientificity and practicality, in which 11 recommendations were put forward in terms of the diagnosis, imaging evaluation, typing and treatment, etc, to provide guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture.

The incidence of osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral fracture (OTLVF) in the elderly is gradually increasing. The kyphotic deformity caused by various factors has become an important characteristic of OTLVF and has received increasing attention. Its clinical manifestations include pain, delayed nerve damage, sagittal imbalance, etc. Currently, the definition and diagnosis of OTLVF with kyphotic deformity in the elderly are still unclear. Although there are many treatment options, they are controversial. Existing guidelines or consensuses pay little attention to this type of fracture with kyphotic deformity. To this end, the Lumbar Education Working Group of the Spine Branch of the Chinese Medicine Education Association and Editorial Committee of Chinese Journal of Trauma organized the experts in the relevant fields to jointly develop Clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral fractures with kyphotic deformity in the elderly ( version 2024), based on evidence-based medical advancements and the principles of scientificity, practicality, and advanced nature, which provided 18 recommendations to standardize the clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is a prevalent microvascular complication of diabetes and the leading cause of blindness and severe visual impairment in adults.The high levels of glucose trigger multiple intracellular oxidative stress pathways,such as POLDIP2,resulting in excessive reactive oxygen species(ROS)pro-duction and increased expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1),hypoxia-inducible factor 1α(HIF-1α),and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),causing microvascular dysfunction.Dihydromyricetin(DMY)is a natural flavonoid small molecule antioxidant.However,it exhibits poor solubility in physiological environments,has a short half-life in vivo,and has low oral bioavailability.In this study,we present,for the first time,the synthesis of ultra-small Fe-DMY nano-coordinated polymer particles(Fe-DMY NCPs),formed by combining DMY with low-toxicity iron ions.In vitro and in vivo experiments confirm that Fe-DMY NCPs alleviate oxidative stress-induced damage to vascular endo-thelial cells by high glucose,scavenge excess ROS,and improve pathological features of DR,such as retinal vascular leakage and neovascularization.Mechanistic validation indicates that Fe-DMY NCPs can inhibit the activation of the Poldip2-Nox4-H2O2 signaling pathway and downregulate vital vascular function indicators such as VCAM-1,HIF-1α,and VEGF.These findings suggest that Fe-DMY NCPs could serve as a safe and effective antioxidant and microangio-protective agent,with the potential as a novel multimeric drug for DR therapy.

Humans ; Multiple Myeloma/drug therapy* ; Thalidomide/therapeutic use* ; Dexamethasone/therapeutic use* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy*