Proanthocyanidin B_2(PAC-B_2), a polyphenolic dimeric compound comprising two epicatechin molecules linked by a C-C bond, is extensively found in traditional Chinese medicines, with anti-tumor and anti-oxidant activities. Given the limited bioavailability, a thorough investigation and comprehensive understanding of PAC-B_2 metabolism in vivo are essential for elucidating therapeutic forms and mechanisms. In the present study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) in the negative ion mode was employed to acquire the MS/MS information of PAC-B_2 and metabolites in urine and feces samples of the rats administrated with PAC-B_2. Online energy-resolved MS(ER-MS) was applied as supplementary to obtain the full collision energy ramp-MS~2 spectra(FCER-MS~2) of isomers-of-interest, which implied comprehensive MS~2 information of targeted compounds. Finally, the possible metabolic pathways of PAC-B_2 in rats were proposed. The primary fragmentation behaviors of PAC-B_2 in the negative ion mode included quinone methide fission between C_4-C_8 bond, retro Diels-Alder cracking of F-ring, heterocyclic ring fission of C-ring, and neutral loss of small molecules such as H_2O. A total of 25 metabolites were tentatively elucidated in urine and feces samples of rats administrated with PAC-B_2 by fragmentation pattern and reported literature. Two groups of isomers, M3/M4/M5 and M9/M11, were confirmatively differentiated based on the relationships between optimal collision energy provided by FCER-MS~2 and bond properties, including bond length and bond dissociation energy. In addition to the ring-opening and methylation, PAC-B_2 could also be metabolized into epicatechin and low molecular weight phenolic acids, which were subsequently subjected to dehydroxylation, ring-opening, methylation, sulfation, and glucuronidation. The structural information provided by online ER-MS and FCER-MS~2 enabled the differentiation of isomers and improved the identification confidence. More importantly, the present study deeply analyzes the in vivo metabolic pathways of PAC-B_2, providing a basis for the research on the pharmacological mechanism of this compound.
Animals ; Proanthocyanidins/urine* ; Rats ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Feces/chemistry* ; Molecular Structure

In recent years,significant breakthroughs have been achieved in the immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease.In line with global advancements,two anti-amyloid-β monoclonal antibodies have been approved and successfully launched in China for clinical use.Lecanemab and Donanemab were officially used in June 2024 and April 2025 in China,respectively.In order to standardize the rational and safe application of anti-amyloid-β monoclonal antibodies for Alzheimer's disease in China,this article integrates recom-mendations from the clinical trials and real-world experience from the author's team and domestic peers to further update the recom-mendations for the clinical use of anti-amyloid-β monoclonal antibody based on the 2024 version.It includes indications for therapy,pre-treatment evaluation and preparation,administration protocols and safety measures during treatment,and post-treatment monitor-ing strategies.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-tumor effects of cinobufacini (CINO) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) induced by des-gamma-carboxy-prothrombin (DCP) and to uncover the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: The inhibitory effect of CINO on HCC cell proliferation was evaluated using the cell counting kit-8 method, and the apoptosis rate was quantified using flow cytometry. Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses were used to investigate the differential expression of proteins associated with cell growth, apoptosis, migration, and invasion pathways after CINO treatment. The therapeutic potential of CINO for HCC was confirmed, and the possibility of combining cinobufacini with c-Met inhibitor for the treatment of primary HCC was further validated by in vivo experiments. RESULTS: Under the induction of DCP, CINO inhibited the activity of HCC cells, induced apoptosis, and inhibited migration and invasion. Upon the induction of DCP, CINO regulated c-Met activation and the activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) pathways. In a mouse model of HCC, CINO exhibited significant antitumor effects by inhibiting the phosphorylation of c-Met and the downstream PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways in tumor tissues. CONCLUSIONS CINO inhibited HCC cell growth, promoted apoptosis, and suppressed HCC cell invasion and migration by targeting c-Met and PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK signaling pathways under DCP induction.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met/metabolism* ; Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Animals ; Humans ; Cell Movement/drug effects* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Amphibian Venoms/therapeutic use* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Cell Survival/drug effects* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Mice ; Male ; Bufanolides/therapeutic use* ; Protein Precursors ; Prothrombin ; Biomarkers

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of clinically isolated Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis in hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021,and provide evidence for rational use of antimicrobial agents.Methods Data of H.influenzae and M.catarrhalis strains isolated from 2015 to 2021 in CHINET program were collected for analysis,and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by disc diffusion method or automated systems according to the uniform protocol of CHINET.The results were interpreted according to the CLSI breakpoints in 2022.Beta-lactamases was detected by using nitrocefin disk.Results From 2015 to 2021,a total of 43 642 strains of Haemophilus species were isolated,accounting for 2.91％of the total clinical isolates and 4.07％of Gram-negative bacteria in CHINET program.Among the 40 437 strains of H.influenzae,66.89％were isolated from children and 33.11％were isolated from adults.More than 90％of the H.influenzae strains were isolated from respiratory tract specimens.The prevalence of β-lactamase was 53.79％in H.influenzae strains.The H.influenzae strains isolated from children showed higher resistance rate than the strains isolated from adults.Overall,779 strains of H.influenzae did not produce β-lactamase but were resistant to ampicillin(BLNAR).Beta-lactamase-producing strains showed significantly higher resistance rates to these antimicrobial agents than the β-lactamase-nonproducing strains.Of the 16 191 M.catarrhalis strains,80.06％were isolated from children and 19.94％isolated from adults.M.catarrhalis strains were mostly susceptible to both amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefuroxime,evidenced by resistance rate lower than 2.0％.Conclusions The emergence of antibiotic-resistant H.influenzae due to β-lactamase production poses a challenge for clinical anti-infective treatment.Therefore,it is very important to implement antibiotic resistance surveillance for H.influenzae and guide rational antibiotic use.All local clinical microbiology laboratories should actively improve antibiotic susceptibility testing and strengthen antibiotic resistance surveillance for H.influenzae.

Turning to critical illness is a common stage of various diseases and injuries before death. Patients usually have complex health conditions, while the treatment process involves a wide range of content, along with high requirements for doctor′s professionalism and multi-specialty teamwork, as well as a great demand for time-sensitive treatments. However, this is not matched with critical care professionals and the current state of medical care in China. Telemedicine, which shortens the distance of medical professionals and the gap of disease diagnosis and treatments in various regions through electronic information, can effectively solve the current problem. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a standardized, high-quality visualization telemedicine round system .Therefore, experts have been organized to search domestic and foreign literature on telemedicine round for critically ill patients and to form this consensus based on clinical experiences so as to further improve the level of critical care treatments in regions.

Acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fracture (ASOTLF) can lead to chronic low back pain, kyphosis deformity, pulmonary dysfunction, loss of mobility, and even life-threatening complications. Vertebral augmentation is currently the mainstream treatment method for this condition. In 2019, the Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Trauma and the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedic Surgeons Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association collaboratively led the development of Clinical guideline for vertebral augmentation for acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures. Six years later, with advances in clinical diagnosis and treatment techniques as well as accumulating evidence in related fields, the 2019 guideline requires updating. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedic Surgeons Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, the Spinal Health Professional Committee of China Human Health Science and Technology Promotion Association, and the Minimally Invasive Orthopedics Professional Committee of Shaanxi Medical Doctor Association have organized experts in the field to develop the Clinical guideline for vertebral augmentation of acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures ( version 2025) , based on the latest evidence-based medical researches. This guideline incorporates 3 recommendations retained from the 2019 version with updated strength of evidence, along with 12 new recommendations. It provides recommendations from six aspects of diagnosis, pain management, treatment option selection, prevention of postoperative complications, anti-osteoporosis therapy, and postoperative rehabilitation, aiming to provide a reference for standard treatment of vertebral augmentation for ASOTLF in hospitals at all levels.

Objective To compare the clinical outcomes of patients with coronary in-stent restenosis(ISR)who underwent drug-coated balloon(DCB)treatment,based on different clinical presentations.Methods This prospective study included 508 patients diagnosed with coronary ISR at Anzhen Hospital,Capital Medical University,between May 2020 and May 2022.All patients received DCB treatment.According to clinical presentation,the patients were divided into an acute coronary syndrome(ACS)group(185 patients)and a non-acute coronary syndrome(non-ACS)group(323 patients).All patients were followed for two years,primarily comparing the incidence of myocardial infarction(MI),target lesion revascularization(TLR),death,and major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)between the two groups.Results Baseline data showed that the ACS group had a significantly higher proportion of hypertension,diabetes,and smoking compared to the non-ACS group(all P＜0.05).Additionally,the ACS group had a higher proportion of B2/C-type lesions,long lesions,and moderate to severe calcified lesions(all P＜0.05).The number,length,and diameter of stents implanted were also significantly larger in the ACS group(all P＞0.05).At the 1-year follow-up,the ACS group had a significantly higher incidence of TLR(8.1％vs.2.5％,P=0.007)and MACE(10.3％vs.5.3％,P=0.047)than the non-ACS group.By the end of the 2-year follow-up,the ACS group still had higher rates of TLR(18.9％vs.10.2％,P=0.007)and MACE(22.7％vs.14.9％,P=0.030).Conclusions ISR patients with ACS have higher cardiovascular risk and more complex lesions.They also experience a higher incidence of adverse events after DCB treatment.

Objective:To investigate the effect of ginsenoside octanoate(Rh2-O)on inducing immunogenic cell death in hepa-tocellular carcinoma cells and its molecular mechanism.Methods:Effects of ginsenoside caprylate(Rh2-O)and autophagy inhibitor 3-MA on the activity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells were detected by CCK-8 assay.The effect of Rh2-O on CRT membrane eversion in Hepa1-6 cells were detected by immunofluorescence assay.Rh2-O treated mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cells were used to pre-pare a tumor vaccine for in vivo vaccination experiments in mice.Extracellular ATP levels were detected in real-time.The expression of autophagy-related genes and proteins were measured by real-time fluorescence PCR and Western blot,and the mitochondrial morphol-ogy and co-localization with autophagy proteins were observed by laser confocal microscopy.Results:Rh2-O showed strong cytotoxicity to Hepa1-6 cells[cell viability:(58.54±3.56)%]at a concentration of 150 μmol/L,and a large amount of CRT was observed on the surface of the cell membrane.The tumor emergence rate was 36.36%in the vaccinated group and 100%in the control group.The tumor vaccine prepared by Rh2-O effectively protected mice from the same type of tumor attack;Rh2-O induced an increase in the level of cellular secreted ATP(P<0.05),the mRNA of autophagy-related genes ATG3,p62,LC3 expression levels and autophagy-associated proteins LC3A and LC3B expression levels were increased(P<0.05),and co-localization of mitochondria with autophagy proteins was significantly increased(P<0.05).In addition,Rh2-O action on 3-MA pretreated hepatocellular carcinoma cells resulted in a signifi-cant decrease in extracellular ATP levels(P<0.001).Conclusion:Rh2-O may induce immunogenic cell death by inducing autophagy in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Objective To investigate the incidence and adverse prognosis of late onset sepsis(LOS)in neonates in neonatal intensive care unit(NICU).Methods A retrospective study was conducted to collect and analyze the peri-natal condition,underlying diseases,invasive procedures,and adverse prognosis of neonates in NICU of a regional maternal and child healthcare hospital from 2019 to 2023.According to whether LOS occurred during hospitaliza-tion,neonates were divided into LOS group and non-LOS group.The LOS group was divided into 5 subgroups based on whether invasive procedures were performed:LOS plus umbilical vein catheter(UVC)group,LOS plus peripherally inserted central catheter(PICC)group,LOS plus sequential catheter group,LOS plus tracheal intuba-tion group,and LOS plus lumbar puncture group,the relationship between LOS and adverse prognosis was ana-lyzed.Results Among 2 945 neonates in NICU,354(12.02％)developed LOS.Comparison between LOS groups and non-LOS group were as follows:in term of perinatal condition of neonates,there were statistically significant difference in weight,gestational age,and whether they were twins between the two groups(all P＜0.001);in term of underlying diseases,there were statistically significant differences in the number of cases of maternal gestational hypertension,neonatal asphyxia,neonatal congenital heart disease,neonatal ventricular dilation,neonatal pneumo-nia,neonatal hyperthyrotropinemia,and neonatal anemia,as well as five invasive procedures between the two groups(all P＜0.05).Compared with the non-LOS group,the incidences of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP),neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis(NNEC),bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD),and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome(NRDS)in LOS group were all higher(all P＜0.001).Regression analysis showed that compared with the non-LOS groups,the risk of ROP increased in the LOS group and its subgroups,with the LOS plus sequential catheter group having a 2.27-fold higher risk of ROP than non-LOS group;the risk of NNEC increased in the LOS group and its subgroups,with the LOS plus UVC group having an 8.29-fold higher risk of NNEC than the non-LOS group.Except for the LOS plus UVC group,the risk of BPD increased in the LOS group and other subgroups,with the LOS plus PICC group and LOS plus sequential catheter group having 4.68-and 4.64-fold higher risk of BPD than the non-LOS group,respectively;the risk of NRDS in the LOS plus PICC group was 6.84-fold higher than the non-LOS group(all P＜0.05).The top three pathogens causing LOS were coagulase negative Staphylococcus,Klebsiella pneumoniae,and Escherichia coli.Conclusion LOS can significantly increase the risks of ROP,NNEC,BPD,and NRDS.LOS plus invasive procedures can further increase the risk of adverse prognosis.