OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of interferon-λ1 (IFN-λ1) on glucocorticoid (GC) resistance in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) stimulated by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). METHODS: HBECs were divided into five groups: control, dexamethasone, IFN-λ1, RSV, and RSV+IFN-λ1. CCK-8 assay was used to measure the effect of different concentrations of IFN-λ1 on the viability of HBECs, and the sensitivity of HBECs to dexamethasone was measured in each group. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression levels of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1). Western blot was used to measure the protein expression level of GR in cell nucleus and cytoplasm, and the nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio of GR was calculated. RESULTS: At 24 and 72 hours, the proliferation activity of HBECs increased with the increase in IFN-λ1 concentration in a dose- and time-dependent manner (P˂0.05). Compared with the RSV group, the RSV+IFN-λ1 group had significant reductions in the half-maximal inhibitory concentration of dexamethasone and the mRNA expression level of p38 MAPK (P<0.05), as well as significant increases in the mRNA expression levels of GR and MKP-1, the level of GR in cell nucleus and cytoplasm, and the nuclear/cytoplasmic GR ratio (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS IFN-λ1 can inhibit the p38 MAPK pathway by upregulating MKP-1, promote the nuclear translocation of GR, and thus ameliorate GC resistance in HBECs.
Humans ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Glucocorticoids/pharmacology* ; Receptors, Glucocorticoid/analysis* ; Dual Specificity Phosphatase 1/physiology* ; Dexamethasone/pharmacology* ; Drug Resistance/drug effects* ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses ; Interferons/pharmacology* ; MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects* ; Epithelial Cells/drug effects* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Cells, Cultured

OBJECTIVE: Varied acupoint selections represent a potential cause of the uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Skin temperature, a guiding factor for acupoint selection, may help to address this issue. This study explored thermal sensitization of acupoints used for the treatment of knee OA. METHODS: This cross-sectional case-control study enrolled cases aged 45-75 years with symptomatic knee OA and age- and gender-matched non-knee OA controls in a 1:1 ratio. All participants underwent infrared thermographic imaging. The primary outcome was the relative skin temperature of acupoint (STA), and the secondary outcome was the absolute STA of 11 acupoints. The Z test was used to compare the relative and absolute STAs between the groups. Principal component analysis was used to extract the common factors (CFs, acupoint cluster) in the STAs. A general linear model was used to identify factors affecting the STA in the knee OA cases. For the group comparisons of relative STA, P < 0.0045 (adjusted for 11 acupoints through Bonferroni correction) was considered to indicate statistical significance. For other analyses, P < 0.05 was used as the threshold for statistical significance. RESULTS: The analysis included 308 participants, consisting of 151 cases (mean age: [64.58 ± 6.67] years; male: 25.83%; mean body mass index: [25.70 ± 3.16] kg/m²) and 157 controls (mean age: [63.37 ± 5.96] years; male: 26.11%; mean body mass index: [24.47 ± 2.84] kg/m²). The relative STAs of ST34 (P = 0.0001), EX-LE2 (P < 0.0001), EX-LE5 (P = 0.0006), SP10 (P < 0.0001), BL40 (P = 0.0012) and GB39 (P = 0.0037) were higher in the knee OA group. No difference was found in the STAs of ST35, ST36, SP9, GB33 and GB34. Four CFs were identified for relative STA in both groups. The acupoints within each CF were consistent between the groups. The mean values of the relative STAs across each CF were higher in the knee OA group. In the knee OA cases, no factors were observed to affect the relative STA, while age and gender were found to affect the absolute STA. CONCLUSION Among patients with knee OA, thermal sensitization occurs in the acupoints of the lower extremity, exhibiting localized and regional thermal consistencies. The thermally sensitized acupoints that we identified in this study, ST34, SP10, EX-LE2, EX-LE5, GB39 and BL40, may be good choices for the acupuncture treatment of knee OA. Please cite this article as: Tu JF, Wang XZ, Yan SY, Wang YR, Yang JW, Shi GX, Zhang WZ, Jing LN, Yang LS, Liu DH, Wang LQ, Mi BH. Thermal sensitization of acupoints in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional case-control study. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 289-296.
Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Acupuncture Points ; Case-Control Studies ; Aged ; Skin Temperature ; Acupuncture Therapy

The first supplement of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China 2020 Edition will be imple-mented on March 12,2024.It plays an important role in connecting link between the preceding and the following.Among them,11 new pharmaceutical excipients monographs have been added and 46 monographs have been revised.This formulation and revision of pharmaceutical excipients standards are based on the concept of risk man-agement and the full lifecycle management and focuse on ensuring the clinical safety and effectiveness of drugs,the evaluation of critical quality attributes on pharmaceutical excipients is highlighted in the standard-making process,and functional-related characteristics(FRCs)and safety indicators are included.Moreover,the excipient standards have emphasized the concept of international pharmacopeia harmonization and green environmental protection and strengthened the standardization and operability.This article focuses on the general framework and the main charac-teristics of the standards of pharmaceutical excipients in the first supplement of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020,which can contribute to accurately understand and utilize the standards in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

Objective To investigate the incidence rate,clinical characteristics,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen,China.Methods Led by Shenzhen Children's Hospital,the Shenzhen Neonatal Data Collaboration Network organized 21 institutions to collect 36 cases of neonatal stroke from January 2020 to December 2022.The incidence,clinical characteristics,treatment,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen were analyzed.Results The incidence rate of neonatal stroke in 21 hospitals from 2020 to 2022 was 1/15 137,1/6 060,and 1/7 704,respectively.Ischemic stroke accounted for 75％(27/36);boys accounted for 64％(23/36).Among the 36 neonates,31(86％)had disease onset within 3 days after birth,and 19(53％)had convulsion as the initial presentation.Cerebral MRI showed that 22 neonates(61％)had left cerebral infarction and 13(36％)had basal ganglia infarction.Magnetic resonance angiography was performed for 12 neonates,among whom 9(75％)had involvement of the middle cerebral artery.Electroencephalography was performed for 29 neonates,with sharp waves in 21 neonates(72％)and seizures in 10 neonates(34％).Symptomatic/supportive treatment varied across different hospitals.Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment was performed for 12 neonates(33％,12/36),with a mean score of(32±4)points.The prognosis of 27 neonates was followed up to around 12 months of age,with 44％(12/27)of the neonates having a good prognosis.Conclusions Ischemic stroke is the main type of neonatal stroke,often with convulsions as the initial presentation,involvement of the middle cerebral artery,sharp waves on electroencephalography,and a relatively low neurodevelopment score.Symptomatic/supportive treatment is the main treatment method,and some neonates tend to have a poor prognosis.

On June 16, 2023, National Disease Control and Prevention Administration of the People’s Republic of China, in collaboration with other ministries, formulated and issued the Action Plan to Accelerate the Elimination of Schistosomiasis in China (2023—2030). The implementation of this plan provides an important basis for achieving the targets set in the “Healthy China 2030” action plan and the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. This paper describes the background, principles, targets, control strategies, safeguard measures and effectiveness evaluation of the plan, in order to guide the scientific and standardized implementation of actions for schistosomiasis elimination at the grassroots level, and facilitate the progress towards elimination of schistosomiasis in China with a high quality.

Gambogic acid, a caged xanthone compound derived from Garcinia, has been proven to be an important substance basis for the pharmacological effects of the plant. In recent years, it has received continuous attention due to its broad and significant pharmacological activities. Modern pharmacological investigations have demonstrated that gambogic acid endows various therapeutic effects such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumor activities, as well as benefits in retinopathy, organ protection, anti-microbial infection, bone protection, and neuropathic pain relief. Nevertheless, there is currently a lack of systematic summary and integration of the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of gambogic acid, which is critical for advancing the clinical application of this natural product. In addition, current research has raised concerns about potential safety risks associated with gambogic acid, such as organ toxicity, developmental toxicity, and hemolysis. Given this, this paper systematically reviewed and summarized the pharmacological effects, mechanisms, and toxicological profiles of gambogic acid, aiming to provide reference and data support for its clinical translation.
Xanthones/toxicity* ; Humans ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/toxicity* ; Garcinia/chemistry*

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) combined with percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic decompression (PTED) and posterior pedicle fixation through Wiltse approach in the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis accompanied with lumbar spinal stenosis.Methods:From June 2017 to February 2022, 103 patients (50 males and 53 females) of lumbar spondylolisthesis accompanied with lumbar spinal stenosis were performed with OLIF combined with PTED and posterior pedicle fixation. The mean age was 64.1±5.2 years (range, 42-87 years). All involved cases were single-segment and included 83 cases of L 4, 5, 17 cases of L 3, 4, and 3 cases of L 2, 3. Among them, 94 cases were performed for the first time, and other 9 were revision surgery treated by posterior lumbar laminectomy previously. The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the low back pain and leg pain, and the Oswestry disability index (ODI) was used to evaluate the lumbar function. The VAS and ODI scores were recorded respectively before the operation, at discharge, 1, 3, 6 months after the operation and at the last follow-up. Macnab criteria was used to evaluate the clinical efficacy at the last follow-up. At the same time, imaging measurements were conducted, including the anterior and posterior disc height, segmental lordotic angle, percentage of slip on lateral X-ray film and the vertebral canal area on axial MRI before and after surgery. Results:All of 103 patients were successfully operated in one stage with an average operation time of 177.7±21.5 min (range, 155-220 min), and an average intraoperative blood loss of 55.9±18.3 ml (range, 30-150 ml). The mean follow-up time were 15.1±2.6 months (range, 6-36 months). There were significant differences in both VAS scores of back and leg and ODI scores at each postoperative time point when compared with preoperative ( F=508.25, F=1524.82, F=1148.68, P<0.001). Macnab criteria of the last follow-up was evaluated as follow: excellent in 85 cases, good in 14, fair in 4, and the excellent and good rate was 96.1%. The radiographic results showed the mean immediate postoperative anterior disc height, posterior disc height, segmental lordotic angle, percentage of slip and axial area of the vertebral canal were 15.23±2.97 mm, 9.32±2.31 mm, 14.36°±4.18°, 3.89%±3.11%, 113.37±47.27 mm 2, and thus all of those increased significantly compared to the mean preoperative 11.93±3.17 mm, 7.21±2.03 mm, 6.15°±3.99°, 23.66%±7.79%, 57.63±28.91 mm 2, respectively ( t=7.84, t=7.07, t=14.91, t=27.62, t=9.68, P<0.001). All cases achieved bony fusion during 6-12 months after operation. The incidence of surgery-related complications was 10.7% (11/103). There were 3 cases of end plate fracture and 2 cases of dural injury, which had no complaint after operation. There was 1 case of pedicle screw entering into the spinal canal by mistake, and the symptoms of nerve damage appeared after operation. After 1 year it basically returned to normal. There were 2 cases of thigh numbness and 1 case of psoas major weakness after operation, all of which relieved after 4 weeks. There was 1 case continuous pain of abdominal incision after surgery. There was 1 case of cage subsidence at the last follow-up. Conclusion:OLIF combined with PTED and posterior pedicle fixation through Wiltse approach is a minimally invasive surgical method for the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis accompanied with lumbar spinal stenosis. With the combined minimally invasive techniques, the decompression, fusion and fixation of the lumbar spine can be fulfilled perfectly. It has the advantages of minimally invasive, good clical outcome, few complications and rapid rehabilitation.

The peeled stems of Syringa pinnatifolia(SP) is a representative Mongolian folk medicine with the effects of anti-depression, heat clearance, pain relief, and respiration improvement. It has been clinically used for the treatment of coronary heart disease, insomnia, asthma, and other cardiopulmonary diseases. As part of the systematic study on pharmacological substances of SP, 11 new sesquiterpenoids were isolated from the terpene-containing fractions of the ethanol extract of SP by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance(~1H-NMR) guided isolation methods. The planar structures of the sesquiterpenoids were identified by MS, 1D NMR, and 2D NMR data analysis, and were named pinnatanoids C and D(1 and 2), and alashanoids T-ZI(3-11), respectively. The structure types of the sesquiterpenoids included pinnatane, humulane, seco-humulane, guaiane, carryophyllane, seco-erimolphane, isodaucane, and other types. However, limited to the low content of compounds, the existence of multiple chiral centers, the flexibility of the structure, or lack of ultraviolet absorption, the stereoscopic configuration remained unresolved. The discovery of various sesquiterpenoids enriches the understanding of the chemical composition of the genus and species and provides references for further analysis of pharmacological substances of SP.
Syringa ; Sesquiterpenes ; Terpenes ; Asthma ; Chromatography, Liquid

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of Radix Panacis quinguefolii root extract (RPQE) and its therapeutic effects on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: The 72-hour post-fertilization zebrafish was used to generate the local and systematic inflammation models through tail-amputation and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induction (100 µ g/mL), respectively. The Tg(zlyz:EGFP) zebrafish was induced with 75 µ g/mL 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) for establishing the IBD model. The tail-amputated, LPS-, and TNBS-induced models were subjected to RPQE (ethanol fraction, 10-20 µ g/mL) administration for 12 and 24 h, respectively. Anti-inflammatory activity of RPQE was evaluated by detecting migration and aggregation of leukocytes and expression of inflammation-related genes. Meanwhile, TNBS-induced fish were immersed in 0.2% (W/V) calcein for 1.5 h and RPQE for 12 h before photographing to analyze the intestinal efflux efficiency (IEE). Moreover, the expression of inflammation-related genes in these fish was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Subject to RPQE administration, the migration and aggregation of leukocytes were significantly alleviated in 3 zebrafish models (P<0.01). Herein, RPQE ameliorated TNBS-induced IBD with respect to a significantly reduced number of leukocytes, improved IEE, and inhibited gene expression of pro-inflammatory factors (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION RPQE exhibited therapeutic effects on IBD by inhibiting inflammation.
Animals ; Zebrafish ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Disease Models, Animal ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/metabolism* ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use* ; Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid/adverse effects* ; Colitis/drug therapy*