ObjectiveTo investigate the molecular mechanism by which the Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription exerts a renal protective effect in mice with diabetic kidney disease （DKD） by regulating the cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP） signaling pathway. MethodsThirty specific pathogen-free （SPF） male db/db mice were adaptively fed for three weeks. Mice with a random tail vein blood glucose level ≥ 11.1 mmol·L^-1 and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio （ACR） ≥ 30 mg·g^-1 were considered successfully modeled. The successfully modeled mice were randomly divided into five groups with six mice in each group： the model group， the low-， medium-， and high-dose Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription groups （administered at doses of 7， 14， 28 g·kg^-1·d^-1 respectively）， and the positive drug irbesartan group （administered at a dose of 20 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）. Additionally， six db/m mice were selected as the blank group. Mice in each group were given intragastric administration of the Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription at the corresponding concentrations， irbesartan， or an equal volume of pure water， and the intervention lasted for 12 weeks. During the experiment， the general conditions， body weight changes， and renal function indicators of the mice were dynamically monitored. After the intervention， a blood glucose meter was used to measure the fasting blood glucose （FBG） of the mice. An automatic biochemical analyzer was employed to detect the levels of serum creatinine （SCr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， urinary microalbumin （uALB）， ACR， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， leptin （LEP）， glycosylated serum protein （GSP）， and insulin （INS） in the mice. Renal tissues were collected for hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， periodic acid-Schiff （PAS） staining， and Masson's trichrome staining to observe the histopathological changes. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect the expressions of protein kinase A （PKA） and cAMP response element-binding protein （CREB） in the mice. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the expression levels of PKA， phosphorylated protein kinase A （p-PKA）， CREB， phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein （p-CREB）， and B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2） proteins in the renal tissues of the mice. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of PKA， CREB， and Bcl-2 in the renal tissues of the mice. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the mice in the model group showed listlessness， decreased activity， and a significant increase in body weight （P<0.01）. Biochemical indicators revealed that the levels of BUN， uALB， ACR， AST， ALT， TC， TG， FBG， LEP， GSP， and INS were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while SCr showed an increasing trend with no statistically significant difference. Compared with the model group， the mice in the Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription intervention groups had improved general conditions and a decreasing trend in body weight. Biochemical indicators showed that the levels of BUN， uALB， ACR， TC， GSP， and INS were significantly decreased （P<0.05）， while SCr， AST， ALT， TG， and LEP showed a decreasing trend with no statistically significant difference. Renal histopathological analysis showed that the model group exhibited typical DKD pathological features such as thickening of the glomerular basement membrane， expansion of the mesangial matrix， and deposition of collagen fibers in the renal tubulointerstitium， and all treatment groups could alleviate the above pathological damages. The IHC results showed that compared with the blank group， the expression levels of p-PKA and p-CREB in the renal tissues of the model group were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the expression level of p-PKA in the medium-dose Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription group was significantly increased （P<0.01）， while the expression level of p-CREB showed an increasing trend with no statistically significant difference. Western blot results showed that compared with the blank group， the expression levels of p-PKA/PKA， p-CREB/CREB， and Bcl-2 in the model group were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the expression levels of these proteins in the medium-dose Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription group were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Real-time PCR results showed that compared with the blank group， the mRNA expressions of PKA， CREB， and Bcl-2 in the model group were significantly down-regulated （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the mRNA expressions of these genes in the medium-dose Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription group were significantly up-regulated （P<0.05）. ConclusionThe Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription can improve the liver and kidney functions of db/db mice， correct lipid metabolism disorders and glucose metabolism imbalance. Its renal protective effect is associated with up-regulating the cAMP signaling pathway to improve renal fibrosis and reduce the level of oxidative stress， thereby protecting renal function.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to explore the risk factors for chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） with turbidity toxin accumulation syndrome and establish a prediction model. MethodsClinical data of 180 patients with CAG who participated in the "clinical study of Xianglian Huazhuo Particles blocking CAG cancer transformation" of Hebei Sheng Zhong Yi Yuan from July 2021 to March 2022 were collected. After confounding factors were controlled by propensity score matching， patients were divided into a training set （namely dev） and a validation set （namely vad） in a seven to three ratio. The risk factors for CAG with turbidity toxin accumulation syndrome in the training set were investigated by using univariate Logistic regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator （namely Lasso） regression algorithms. Subsequently， a model， named model 1se， was developed by using the training set data to predict the risk factors for CAG with turbidity toxin accumulation syndrome. The accuracy of the prediction model was assessed by using various methods， including the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve， Hosmer-Lemeshow test （H-L）， calibration plot， and decision curve analysis （DCA）. ResultsAge， body mass index （BMI）， family history of cancer， job and life satisfaction， yellow and greasy fur with slippery pulse， and heavy body sensation were independent risk factors of the model. The prediction model showed excellent predictive value for both the training and validation sets. ConclusionThe established prediction model for CAG with turbidity toxin accumulation syndrome has high discrimination and excellent calibration， which could provide an excellent clinical basis for disease diagnosis and individualized treatment of patients.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to explore the risk factors for chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） with turbidity toxin accumulation syndrome and establish a prediction model. MethodsClinical data of 180 patients with CAG who participated in the "clinical study of Xianglian Huazhuo Particles blocking CAG cancer transformation" of Hebei Sheng Zhong Yi Yuan from July 2021 to March 2022 were collected. After confounding factors were controlled by propensity score matching， patients were divided into a training set （namely dev） and a validation set （namely vad） in a seven to three ratio. The risk factors for CAG with turbidity toxin accumulation syndrome in the training set were investigated by using univariate Logistic regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator （namely Lasso） regression algorithms. Subsequently， a model， named model 1se， was developed by using the training set data to predict the risk factors for CAG with turbidity toxin accumulation syndrome. The accuracy of the prediction model was assessed by using various methods， including the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve， Hosmer-Lemeshow test （H-L）， calibration plot， and decision curve analysis （DCA）. ResultsAge， body mass index （BMI）， family history of cancer， job and life satisfaction， yellow and greasy fur with slippery pulse， and heavy body sensation were independent risk factors of the model. The prediction model showed excellent predictive value for both the training and validation sets. ConclusionThe established prediction model for CAG with turbidity toxin accumulation syndrome has high discrimination and excellent calibration， which could provide an excellent clinical basis for disease diagnosis and individualized treatment of patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal fibrosis in rats with chronic kidney disease （CKD） through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy specific pathogen-free （SPF） Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a control group （n=15） and a modeling group （n=55）. Rats in the modeling group were administered a 2.5% adenine suspension at a dose of 200 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 by gavage for 4 weeks to establish a CKD model. Successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group， an irbesartan group （20.25 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （5.82， 11.64， and 23.28 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively）， with 10 rats in each group. Each group was administered an equal volume of physiological saline， the corresponding concentration of irbesartan， or Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription by gavage for 12 weeks. Body weight and renal function indices were dynamically monitored. Serum creatinine （SCr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio （ACR）， 24-hour urinary total protein （24 hUTP）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） levels were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Renal histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Masson staining. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect the expression of PI3K， Akt， phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）， and mTOR in renal tissues. Western blot was performed to assess the protein expression of PI3K， p-Akt， Akt， phosphorylated mTOR （p-mTOR）， and mTOR in renal tissues. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR in renal tissues. ResultsCompared with the model group， rats in the irbesartan group and the low-， medium-， and high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription groups showed significantly decreased levels of SCr， BUN， ACR， 24 hUTP， IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α （P<0.01）. AST levels were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while no significant difference was observed in ALT levels. Histopathological examination revealed that， compared with the model group， renal tubular epithelial cell edema and necrosis and Bowman's capsule dilation were alleviated， inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced， and interstitial and glomerular fibrosis was markedly improved in all treatment groups， with the most pronounced effect observed in the high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription group. Real-time PCR results showed that mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR were significantly downregulated in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. IHC results demonstrated that PI3K and p-Akt expression levels in renal tissues were significantly decreased in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. Western blot analysis further confirmed that the expression levels of PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， and p-mTOR/mTOR were significantly reduced in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. ConclusionBushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal function indices in CKD rats， reduces collagen deposition in renal tissues， and decreases serum inflammatory factor levels. Its protective effect on renal function may be achieved by activating autophagy through downregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway， thereby alleviating renal fibrosis.

ObjectiveTo develop and validate a nomogram for predicting the risk of concurrent cognitive impairment in older adults with heart disease. MethodsSelf-reported data from 2 673 respondents in the 2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were analyzed. The participants were randomly divided into a training set (n = 1 871) and a validation set (n = 802). Heart disease status was determined using a self-report questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors, and a nomogram for predicting the risk of concurrent cognitive impairment in older adults with heart disease was developed using R software. Bootstrap resampling was used for internal validation, and model performance was further evaluated in the randomly split validation set. The predictive performance of the model was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration curves.. ResultsA total of 2 673 older adults with heart disease were included, out of whom 315 participants in the training set had cognitive impairment. Lasso regression analysis identified age, education level, place of residence, instrumental activities of daily living and depression as predictors of concurrent cognitive impairment. A prediction model incorporating these five variables was constructed. The AUC were 0.827 (95%CI 0.804 to 0.850) in the training set and 0.847 (95%CI 0.812 to 0.882) in the validation set. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test yielded P = 0.154 and P = 0.716 in the training and validation sets, respectively. Calibration curves showed good agreement between predicted and observed probabilities. Decision curve analysis indicated that the model provided favorable net benefit and predictive performance. ConclusionThe nomogram may provide a useful reference for risk screening and early intervention for cognitive impairment in older adults with heart disease.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism by which Xianglian Huazhuo prescription （XLHZ） ameliorates chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） through regulating glycolysis via the microRNA-34b-5p （miR-34b-5p）/6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2，6-bisphosphatase 1 （PFKFB1） signaling pathway. MethodsBioinformatic screening was performed to identify the target genes of miR-34b-5p. In the animal experiments， a mouse model of CAG was established through a combination of N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG）， ranitidine， and irregular feeding. The mice were randomized into the following groups： normal， model， Morodan group （2 g·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose XLHZ groups（7.2，3.8，1.9 g·kg^-1）. In the cell experiments， GES-1 cells were treated with MNNG for the modeling of CAG and grouped as follows： GES-1， MNNG+GES-1， MNNG+GES-1+XLHZ（10%）， MNNG+GES-1+miR-34b-5p mimics， MNNG+GES-1+miR-34b-5p inhibitor， MNNG+GES-1+PFKFB1 inhibitor， and MNNG+GES-1+PFKFB1 mimics+XLHZ（10%）. The general conditions of mice were observed. Real-time PCR was adopted to measure the expression levels of miRNA-34b-5p and PFKFB1 mRNA in the gastric mucosa of mice in each group. Dual luciferase reporter gene was used to verify the targeting interaction between miR-34b-5p and PFKFB1 in GES-1 cells exposed to MNNG. The cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） was used to screen the drug-containing serum concentration. Real-time PCR was employed to verify the transfection efficiency. Fluorescent probes were used to detect the expression and nuclear translocation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α） in each group of cells. The protein levels of HIF-1α， hexokinase 2 （HK2）， PFKFB1， phosphofructokinase 1 （PFK1）， and lactate dehydrogenase （LDHA） in the gastric mucosa of mice were determined by Western blot. The levels of glucose consumption and lactate in the serum and cells were measured by biochemical methods. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was adopted to measure the content of adenosine triphosphate （ATP） in the gastric mucosa tissue and cells. ResultsThe animal experiments showed that compared with the normal group， the model group exhibited symptoms including mental fatigue， lethargy， sparse and dull fur， a tendency to curl up， sluggish responses， reduced food and water intake， and slow body weight gain. In addition， the model group showed decreased expression of miRNA-34b-5p （P<0.01）， increased mRNA level of PFKFB1 （P<0.01）， upregulated protein levels of HIF-1α， HK2， PFKFB1， PFK1， and LDHA （P<0.01）， and increased glucose consumption， lactate content， and ATP content （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the XLHZ group and Morodan group showed improved mental state， gradually improved fur， increased activity， food and water intake， and body weight. HE showed that each treatment group exhibited well arranged and increased gastric mucosal glands， reduced inflammatory cells， and recovered gastric pits. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the size of mitochondria in each treatment group returned to normal， with no obvious irregular shape， complete and clear cristae， and uniform matrix. Furthermore， each treatment group showed increased expression of miRNA-34b-5p （P<0.05）， reduced mRNA level of PFKFB1 （P<0.05）， downregulated protein levels of HIF-1α， HK2， PFKFB1， PFK1， and LDHA （P<0.05）， and decreased glucose consumption， lactic acid， and ATP （P<0.05）. The cell experiments showed that the expression and nuclear translocation of HIF-1α were reduced in all groups after treatment （P<0.05）. The cell transfection efficiency was satisfactory （P<0.05）. miR-34b-5p exhibited an effect comparable to that of XLHZ， effectively inhibiting glycolysis， whereas PFKFB1 promoted glycolysis and reversed the protective effect of XLHZ in CAG mice （P<0.05）. ConclusionXLHZ could regulate the miR-34b-5p/PFKFB1 axis to inhibit glycolysis， thereby ameliorating MNNG-induced gastric mucosal atrophy.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism by which Xianglian Huazhuo prescription （XLHZ） ameliorates chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） through regulating glycolysis via the microRNA-34b-5p （miR-34b-5p）/6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2，6-bisphosphatase 1 （PFKFB1） signaling pathway. MethodsBioinformatic screening was performed to identify the target genes of miR-34b-5p. In the animal experiments， a mouse model of CAG was established through a combination of N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG）， ranitidine， and irregular feeding. The mice were randomized into the following groups： normal， model， Morodan group （2 g·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose XLHZ groups（7.2，3.8，1.9 g·kg^-1）. In the cell experiments， GES-1 cells were treated with MNNG for the modeling of CAG and grouped as follows： GES-1， MNNG+GES-1， MNNG+GES-1+XLHZ（10%）， MNNG+GES-1+miR-34b-5p mimics， MNNG+GES-1+miR-34b-5p inhibitor， MNNG+GES-1+PFKFB1 inhibitor， and MNNG+GES-1+PFKFB1 mimics+XLHZ（10%）. The general conditions of mice were observed. Real-time PCR was adopted to measure the expression levels of miRNA-34b-5p and PFKFB1 mRNA in the gastric mucosa of mice in each group. Dual luciferase reporter gene was used to verify the targeting interaction between miR-34b-5p and PFKFB1 in GES-1 cells exposed to MNNG. The cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） was used to screen the drug-containing serum concentration. Real-time PCR was employed to verify the transfection efficiency. Fluorescent probes were used to detect the expression and nuclear translocation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α） in each group of cells. The protein levels of HIF-1α， hexokinase 2 （HK2）， PFKFB1， phosphofructokinase 1 （PFK1）， and lactate dehydrogenase （LDHA） in the gastric mucosa of mice were determined by Western blot. The levels of glucose consumption and lactate in the serum and cells were measured by biochemical methods. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was adopted to measure the content of adenosine triphosphate （ATP） in the gastric mucosa tissue and cells. ResultsThe animal experiments showed that compared with the normal group， the model group exhibited symptoms including mental fatigue， lethargy， sparse and dull fur， a tendency to curl up， sluggish responses， reduced food and water intake， and slow body weight gain. In addition， the model group showed decreased expression of miRNA-34b-5p （P<0.01）， increased mRNA level of PFKFB1 （P<0.01）， upregulated protein levels of HIF-1α， HK2， PFKFB1， PFK1， and LDHA （P<0.01）， and increased glucose consumption， lactate content， and ATP content （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the XLHZ group and Morodan group showed improved mental state， gradually improved fur， increased activity， food and water intake， and body weight. HE showed that each treatment group exhibited well arranged and increased gastric mucosal glands， reduced inflammatory cells， and recovered gastric pits. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the size of mitochondria in each treatment group returned to normal， with no obvious irregular shape， complete and clear cristae， and uniform matrix. Furthermore， each treatment group showed increased expression of miRNA-34b-5p （P<0.05）， reduced mRNA level of PFKFB1 （P<0.05）， downregulated protein levels of HIF-1α， HK2， PFKFB1， PFK1， and LDHA （P<0.05）， and decreased glucose consumption， lactic acid， and ATP （P<0.05）. The cell experiments showed that the expression and nuclear translocation of HIF-1α were reduced in all groups after treatment （P<0.05）. The cell transfection efficiency was satisfactory （P<0.05）. miR-34b-5p exhibited an effect comparable to that of XLHZ， effectively inhibiting glycolysis， whereas PFKFB1 promoted glycolysis and reversed the protective effect of XLHZ in CAG mice （P<0.05）. ConclusionXLHZ could regulate the miR-34b-5p/PFKFB1 axis to inhibit glycolysis， thereby ameliorating MNNG-induced gastric mucosal atrophy.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and possible mechanisms of Xianglian Huazhuo Granules （香连化浊颗粒， XHG） in the treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia. MethodsA total of 140 patients with chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group， with 70 cases in each group. The treatment group received 12.5 g of XHG orally， twice daily. The control group received 12.5 g of placebo orally， twice daily. Both groups were treated for 6 months. The traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom scores， pathological types， serum tumor markers of the digestive system， and serum bile acids （TBA）， interleukin-23 （IL-23）， and Dickkopf-related protein 1 （DKK-1） levels were observed before and after treatment. Safety indicators and adverse events were recorded. After treatment， TCM syndrome efficacy and pathological types were evaluated， and patients were followed up for 18 months with gastric endoscopy and pathological results， which were compared with the results after treatment finished. ResultsTwo patients dropped out in the control group， and a total of 168 cases were included in the final analysis， 70 in the treatment group and 68 in the control group. The treatment group showed a significant reduction in TCM symptom scores， serum TBA， IL-23， and DKK-1 levels， and a significant increase in alpha-fetoprotein （AFP）， carbohydrate antigen 125 （CA125）， carbohydrate antigen 199 （CA199） levels； in the control group， carcinoembryonic antigen （CEA）， CA125， CA199 levels significantly increased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； and carbohydrate antigen 242 （CA242） level in both the treatment group and the control group decreased significantly （P＜0.01）. The treatment group had lower TCM symptom scores and lower levels of serum TBA， IL-23， and DKK-1 compared to the control group （P＜0.05）. The effective rate for TCM syndrome efficacy in the treatment group was 80.00% （56/70）， significantly higher than the 20.59% （14/68） in the control group （P < 0.05）. The effective rate for pathological classification in the treatment group was 72.73% （8/11） for mixed intestinal metaplasia， significantly better than 46.15% （6/13） in the control group （P＜0.05）. No adverse events were reported in either group. Among 40 patients who had a follow-up endoscopy after one year， 21 were from the treatment group， of whom 11 showed reduced intestinal metaplasia， 9 showed no significant changes， and 1 had worsened； while 19 patients in the control group had 4 with reduced intestinal metaplasia， 13 with no significant changes， and 2 with worsened conditions. No cancer was detected in either group. The treatment group showed significantly better improvement in intestinal metaplasia on follow-up gastric endoscopy pathology than the control group （P＜0.05）. ConclusionXHG can significantly improve the clinical symptoms in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia and reduce the degree of mixed intestinal metaplasia. The mechanism may involve lowering serum TBA， DKK-1， and IL-23 levles， thus delaying the progression from inflammation to cancer.

Coronary heart disease is a chronic and lifelong disease， which places a dual burden on the physiological and psychological well-being of patients， and can easily lead to psychological distress and affect their prognosis and quality of life. This article provides a systematic review， in which the current status， evaluation tools， influencing factors and intervention methods of psychological distress in patients with coronary heart disease are explored， aiming to provide key information beneficial for identifying and preventing psychological distress， and to improve the overall management and treatment effectiveness of coronary heart disease patients. In this paper， 18 articles were included， and the demographic， physiological， psychological and social factors affecting the psychological distress of patients with coronary heart disease were systematically analyzed， thus to provide a deeper understanding of psychological distress and offering references for formulating targeted intervention strategies.

It is believed that there is a pathogenesis of yang deficiency in polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） infertility， and it is concluded that warm-yang method has a better effect in improving endometrial abnormality， enhancing the quality of follicles， correcting endocrine disorders， and resolving or alleviating clinical symptoms in PCOS infertility. Based on Yanghe Decoction （阳和汤）， a representative traditional Chinese medicine decoction for warming yang， Yanghe Xiaonang Decoction （阳和消囊汤） was formulated， combining with warm medicinals according to symptoms， and aerobic exercise was also advocated to help generate and develop yang qi， in order to provide ideas for clinical treatments.