AIM To investigate the variations in mercury dissolution from HgS-containing traditional medicines in three kinds of simulated gastrointestinal dissolution media.METHODS 39 batches of 15 types of HgS-containing traditional medicines were collected,total mercury content and dissolved mercury concentrations in simulated gastric fluid,simulated intestinal fluid,and L-cysteine-containing simulated intestinal fluid were measured.The maximum daily intake of total mercury and soluble mercury was calculated based on the maximum daily clinical dosage.RESULTS Among the 15 types of medicines,the maximum daily intake of total mercury varied by 156 times,the daily intake of soluble mercury varied by 3 502 times in simulated gastric fluid,313 times in simulated intestinal fluid,and 10 663 times in L-cysteine-containing simulated intestinal fluid,approximately.CONCLUSION For the 15 types of HgS-containing traditional medicines,the daily maximum intake of soluble mercury showed greater variations than that of total mercury.Soluble mercury concentration is more closely correlated with intestinal absorption of mercury and thus represents a more rational quality control indicator for HgS-containing traditional medicines.

In this experiment, self-assembled nanoparticles(SANs) were prepared by the pH-driven method, and Her-HCP SAN was constructed by using herpetrione(Her) and Herpetospermum caudigerum polysaccharides(HCPs). The average particle size and polydispersity index(PDI) were used as evaluation indexes for process optimization, and the quality of the final formulation was evaluated in terms of particle size, PDI, Zeta potential, and microstructure. The proposed Her-HCP SAN showed a spheroid structure and uniform morphology, with an average particle size of(244.58±16.84) nm, a PDI of 0.147 1±0.014 8, and a Zeta potential of(-38.52±2.11) mV. Her-HCP SAN significantly increased the saturation solubility of Her by 2.69 times, with a cumulative release of 90.18% within eight hours. The results of in vivo unidirectional intestinal perfusion reveal that Her active pharmaceutical ingredient(API) is most effectively absorbed in the jejunum, where both K_a and P_(app) are significantly higher compared to the ileum(P<0.001). However, the addition of HCP leads to a significant reduction in the P_(app) of Her in the jejunum(P<0.05). Furthermore, the formation of the Her-HCP SAN results in a notably lower P_(app) in the jejunum compared to Her API alone(P<0.001), while both K_a and P_(app) in the ileum are significantly increased(P<0.001, P<0.05). The absorption of Her-HCP SAN at different concentrations in the ileum shows no significant differences, and the pH has no significant effect on the absorption of Her-HCP SAN in the ileum. The addition of the transporter protein inhibitors(indomethacin and rifampicin) significantly increases the absorption parameters K_a and P_(app) of Her-HCP SAN in the ileum(P<0.05,P<0.01), whereas the addition of verapamil has no significant effect on the intestinal absorption parameters of Her-HCP SAN, suggesting that Her may be a substrate for multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 and breast cancer resistance proteins but not a substrate of P-glycoprotein.
Nanoparticles/metabolism* ; Polysaccharides/pharmacokinetics* ; Intestinal Absorption/drug effects* ; Animals ; Rats ; Particle Size ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacokinetics* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Drug Carriers/chemistry* ; Drug Compounding ; Cucurbitaceae/chemistry*

OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term clinical efficacy and safety of closed reduction with Kirschner wire fixation versus open reduction with plate fixation for treating osteoporotic Colles' fractures in middle-aged and elderly patients. METHODS: Between January 2018 and January 2023, 119 patients with Colles fractures were retrospectively analyzed, including 39 males and 80 females, aged from 48 to 74 years old with an average of(60.58±6.71) years old. The time from injury to operation ranged 1 to 13 days with an average of (5.29±2.52) days. According to the surgical method, they were divided into Kirschner wire fixation group (Kirschner wire group) and plate internal fixation group (plate group). In Kirschner wire group, there were a total of 68 patients, comprising 21 males and 47 females. The average age was (61.15±6.24) years old, ranged from 49 to 74 years old. Among them, 41 cases involved the left side while 27 cases involved the right side. In the plate group, there were a total of 51 patients, including 18 males and 33 females. The average age was (59.78±5.71) years old ranged from 48 to 72 years old. Among them, there were 31 cases on the left side and 20 cases on the right side. The following parameters were recorded before and after the operation:operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization days, hospitalization expenses, postoperative complications, and radiographic parameters of distal radius (distal radius height, ulnar deviation angle, palmar tilt angle). The clinical efficacy was evaluated at 3 and 12 months after the operation using Gartland-Werley and disabilites of the arm shoulder and hand (DASH) scores. RESULTS: The patients in both groups were followed up for a duration from 12 to 19 months with an average of(13.32±2.02) months. The Kirschner wire group exhibited significantly shorter operation time compared to the plate group 27.91(13.00, 42.00) min vs 67.52(29.72, 105.32) min, Z=-8.74, P=0.00. Intraoperative blood loss was also significantly lower in the Kirschner wire group than in the plate group 3.24(1.08, 5.40) ml vs 21.91(17.38, 26.44) ml, Z=-9.31, P=0.00. Furthermore, patients in the Kirschner wire group had a shorter length of hospital stay compared to those in the plate group (8.38±2.63) days vs (11.40±2.78) days, t=-3.12, P=0.00. Additionally, hospitalization cost was significantly lower in the Kirschner wire group than in the plate group 10 111.29(6 738.98, 13 483.60) yuan vs 15 871.11(11 690.40, 20 051.82) yuan, Z=-5.62, P=0.00. The incidence of complications was 2 cases in the Kirschner wire group and 1 case in the plate group, with no statistically significant difference(P>0.05). At 3 months postoprative, the radial height of the Kirschner wire group was found to be significantly smaller than that of the plate group, with measurements of (11.45±1.69) mm and (12.11±1.78) mm respectively (t=-2.06, P=0.04). However, there were no statistically significant differences observed in ulnar deviation angle and palmar tilt angle between the two groups (P>0.05). The DASH score and Gartland-Werley score in the Kirschner group were significantly higher than those in the plate group at 3 months post-operation (19.10±9.89) vs (13.47±3.51), t=4.34, P=0.00;(11.15±3.61) vs (6.41±2.75), t=8.13, P=0.00). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups at 12 months post-operation (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Compared to plate internal fixation, closed reduction with Kirschner wire support fixation yields a slightly inferior recovery of radial height;however, there is no significant disparity in the functional score of the affected limb at 12 months post-operation. Nonetheless, this technique offers advantages such as shorter operation time, reduced intraoperative blood loss, decreased hospitalization duration, and lower cost.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Bone Wires ; Bone Plates ; Retrospective Studies ; Colles' Fracture/surgery* ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Open Fracture Reduction/methods* ; Osteoporotic Fractures/surgery*

OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors for recurrent plastic bronchitis (PB) among children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP). METHODS: The clinical data of children with MPP complicated by PB who underwent bronchoscopy at Gansu Province Maternity and Child Health Hospital between July 2023 and January 2025 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were grouped into a single-episode PB group and a recurrent PB group according to the number of PB episodes. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for recurrent PB. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic performance of individual and combined predictors. RESULTS: A total of 264 children were included; 188 (71.2%) had a single episode of PB and 76 (28.8%) had recurrent PB. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that decreased serum albumin, atelectasis, and fever persisting beyond 72 hours after the initial bronchoscopy were significantly associated with recurrent PB (all P<0.05). The combination of these predictors yielded a sensitivity of 82.9%, specificity of 61.7%, and an area under the ROC curve of 0.777 (95%CI: 0.714-0.839), outperforming any single predictor (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS In children with MPP complicated by PB, decreased serum albumin, the presence of atelectasis, and fever persisting beyond 72 hours after the initial bronchoscopy are associated with an increased risk of PB recurrence. In such cases, early repeat or multiple bronchoscopic interventions should be considered.
Humans ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma/complications* ; Male ; Female ; Risk Factors ; Recurrence ; Child, Preschool ; Bronchitis/etiology* ; Child ; Retrospective Studies ; Logistic Models ; Infant ; ROC Curve ; Adolescent

OBJECTIVE: By analyzing the hormone secretion of the adenohypophysis, thyroid glands, gonads, and adrenal cortex in patients with hematological diseases before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), this study aims to preliminarily explore the effect of HSCT on patients' hormone secretion and glandular damage. METHODS: The baseline data of 209 hematological disease patients who underwent HSCT in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2023, as well as the data on the levels of hormones secreted by the adenohypophysis, thyroid glands, gonads and adrenal cortex before and after HSCT were collected, and the changes in hormone levels before and after transplantation were analyzed. RESULTS: After allogeneic HSCT, the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and estradiol (E2) decreased, while the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH) increased. The T3 level of patients with decreased TSH after transplantation was lower than that of those with increased TSH after transplantation. In female patients, the levels of prolactin (PRL), progesterone (Prog), and testosterone (Testo) decreased after HSCT. Testo and PRL decreased when there was a donor-recipient sex mismatch, and the levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol (COR) decreased when the HLA matching was haploidentical. The levels of T3, FT3, and PRL decreased after autologous HSCT. In allogeneic HSCT patients, the levels of TSH, T4, T3, FT3, and ACTH in the group with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were significantly lower than those in the group without GVHD. Logistic regression analysis showed the changes in hormone levels after transplantation were not correlated with factors such as the patient's sex, age, or whether the blood types of the donor and the recipient are the same. CONCLUSION HSCT can affect the endocrine function of patients with hematological diseases, mainly affecting target glandular organs such as the thyroid, gonads, and adrenal glands, while the secretory function of the adenohypophysis is less affected.
Humans ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Female ; Male ; Hematologic Diseases/blood* ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone/blood* ; Triiodothyronine/blood* ; Luteinizing Hormone/blood* ; Thyroid Gland/metabolism* ; Estradiol/blood* ; Thyrotropin/blood* ; Gonads/metabolism* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/blood* ; Hormones/metabolism* ; Adrenal Cortex/metabolism* ; Prolactin

Glycyrrhizic acid is one of the key bioactive components in licorice,known for its liver-protec-tive and antiviral effects.Squalene epoxidase(SQE)is a crucial enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of glycyrrhizic acid.However,there is limited research on the systematic analysis of the SQE gene family and its function in licorice.This study aims to explore the role of the SQE gene family in glycyrrhizic acid synthesis through bioinformatic analysis,expression specificity,and correlation with glycyrrhizic acid con-tent.The results showed that the three medicinal species of licorice contained a total of 11 SQE genes.Among them,both Glycyrrhiza glabra and Glycyrrhiza inflata had four SQE genes,while Glycyrrhiza ura-lensis had three.Highly homologous SQE genes exhibited similar expression patterns and were located at similar chromosomal positions.Different SQE genes displayed distinct expression characteristics.Specif-ically,GgSQE1,GiSQE1,GuSQE1,and GuSQE3 were primarily expressed in the roots,while GgSQE3 was highly expressed in the whole plant of licorice.Under 15％PEG6000 and 150 mmol/L NaCl treat-ments at different time points during seedling stages of different licorice species,the expression patterns of GgSQE1,GgSQE3,GiSQE1,GiSQE3,and GuSQE1 exhibited trends similar to the changes in glycyr-rhizic acid content.Further analysis revealed that the promoter regions of these genes contained multiple stress-responsive elements,suggesting that SQE1 and SQE3 may be involved in glycyrrhizic acid synthesis following abiotic stress in licorice.The findings of this study provide candidate genes for future breeding programs aimed at improving glycyrrhizic acid content and lay a foundation for further research into the molecular mechanisms by which abiotic stress enhances glycyrrhizic acid production.

Objective:To compare the impact of manual right arm blood pressure measurement with computer-controlled blood pressure meter (CCBPM) on the detection rate of hypertension among elderly individuals.Method:This was a cross-sectional study. Elderly residents undergoing routine health check-up in a village in Jiangxi Province from April to June 2024 were enrolled. Manual blood pressure measurements were performed on the right arm using an electronic sphygmomanometer, while standardized dual-arm synchronized blood pressure assessments were conducted using the CCBPM. Blood pressure data were recorded from three sources: manual measurement on the right arm; the first CCBPM measurement on the arm with higher systolic blood pressure (CCBPM single); and the mean blood pressure of the arm with higher systolic blood pressure from two (if the difference between the first two measurements was less than 5 mmHg, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) or three (if the difference exceeded 5 mmHg) CCBPM measurements (CCBPM mean). Hypertension detection rates from these three datasets were compared. Subgroup analysis was performed according to age (60-74 years old as the elderly group,≥75 years old as the senior group) and gender. Intra-group correlation coefficient ( ICC) was analyzed to evaluate the consistency of blood pressure data of different blood pressure measurement methods, and Kappa value was analyzed to evaluate the consistency of hypertension classification determined by different blood pressure measurement methods. Results:A total of 1 498 participants were enrolled, aged (71.30±6.83) years old, including 678 males (45.26%). The blood pressure and heart rate measured by the artificial right arm blood pressure measurement were higher than those measured by CCBPM single (blood pressure: (140.09±17.19)/(82.40±10.93) mmHg vs. (135.31±18.98)/(81.23±10.51) mmHg; heart rate: (75.76±11.72) beats/min vs.(72.94±11.21) beats/min) and CCBPM mean (blood pressure: (140.09±17.19)/(82.40±10.93) mmHg vs. (134.64±18.39)/(80.28±9.78) mmHg; heart rate: (75.76±11.72) beats/min vs. (72.87±10.70) beats/min, all P<0.05). The detection rate of hypertension determined by CCBPM mean was significantly lower than that of artificial right arm (40.25% (603/1 498) vs.54.34% (814/1 498)) and CCBPM single (40.25% (603/1 498) vs. 44.79% (671/1 498), all P<0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that that the detection rate of hypertension determined by CCBPM mean was lower than that measured by artificial right arm regardless of gender and age (all P<0.05). The consistency of blood pressure data between artificial right arm and the CCBPM mean was moderate (systolic blood pressure: ICC=0.70; diastolic blood pressure: ICC=0.62), with less consistent classification ( Kappa=0.37). The consistency of blood pressure data between CCBPM single and CCBPM mean is extremely high (systolic blood pressure: ICC=0.94; diastolic blood pressure: ICC=0.91), with highly consistent classification ( Kappa=0.74). Conclusions:Artificial right arm blood pressure measurement in physical examinations may overestimate the hypertension detection rate, and the standardized dual-arm synchronized blood pressure measurement using CCBPM can reduce irregular blood pressure measurement.

A method for determination and targeted screening of diflorasone components in health products using ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF/MS)was established.Four representative diflorasone and esters(diflorasone,diflorasone diacetate,diflorasone-17-propionate,and diflorasone-21-propionate)were selected to optimize the pretreatment conditions,and 10 mL of extraction solvent dosage,15 min of extraction time and 5 g of salting-out agent as the optimal conditions were selected by response surface methodology.The results showed that the four analytes exhibited good linearity within the concentration range of 2.0?100 μg/L with the chromatographic peak area,and the correlation coefficients(R2)were all greater than 0.9990,while the results of recovery and relative standard deviation could satisfy the requirements of determination.The common characteristic ions of diflorasone and esters werem/z121 andm/z335,and their specific structures were obtained by analyzing the cleavage pathway based on the optimized determination conditions.A targeted screening method for other esters of diflorasone based on characteristic ions guidance strategy was established.This method had many advantages such as high efficiency,high sensitivity and good reproducibility,and could be used for targeted screening of diflorasone and esters in health products.The developed characteristic ion guided strategy could be employed to construct mass spectral databases for various glucocorticoids,enabling comprehensive targeted screening across a broad range of compounds.

Glycyrrhizic acid is one of the key bioactive components in licorice,known for its liver-protec-tive and antiviral effects.Squalene epoxidase(SQE)is a crucial enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of glycyrrhizic acid.However,there is limited research on the systematic analysis of the SQE gene family and its function in licorice.This study aims to explore the role of the SQE gene family in glycyrrhizic acid synthesis through bioinformatic analysis,expression specificity,and correlation with glycyrrhizic acid con-tent.The results showed that the three medicinal species of licorice contained a total of 11 SQE genes.Among them,both Glycyrrhiza glabra and Glycyrrhiza inflata had four SQE genes,while Glycyrrhiza ura-lensis had three.Highly homologous SQE genes exhibited similar expression patterns and were located at similar chromosomal positions.Different SQE genes displayed distinct expression characteristics.Specif-ically,GgSQE1,GiSQE1,GuSQE1,and GuSQE3 were primarily expressed in the roots,while GgSQE3 was highly expressed in the whole plant of licorice.Under 15％PEG6000 and 150 mmol/L NaCl treat-ments at different time points during seedling stages of different licorice species,the expression patterns of GgSQE1,GgSQE3,GiSQE1,GiSQE3,and GuSQE1 exhibited trends similar to the changes in glycyr-rhizic acid content.Further analysis revealed that the promoter regions of these genes contained multiple stress-responsive elements,suggesting that SQE1 and SQE3 may be involved in glycyrrhizic acid synthesis following abiotic stress in licorice.The findings of this study provide candidate genes for future breeding programs aimed at improving glycyrrhizic acid content and lay a foundation for further research into the molecular mechanisms by which abiotic stress enhances glycyrrhizic acid production.