Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), a treasure of the Chinese nation, contains abundant chemical components and demonstrates unique pharmacological activities, showing important values in clinical applications. With profound connotations and broad application prospects, TCM urgently needs us to further explore and conduct systematic research. Puerarin is a small-molecule natural isoflavonoid carbon glycoside extracted from plants of Pueraria. It is also the main active ingredient of Puerariae Lobata Radix, a Chinese herbal medicine with both medicinal and edible values. Puerarin has a variety of pharmacological effects such as blood pressure-lowering, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-ischemia-reperfusion injury, antithrombotic, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, liver-protecting, nerve cell-protecting, and intestinal microbiota-regulating effects. It is also an active ingredient that has been widely studied. This article comprehensively reviews the research progress in the pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of puerarin over the years, aiming to provide references and theoretical support for the in-depth research and development as well as clinical application of puerarin.
Isoflavones/chemistry* ; Humans ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Pueraria/chemistry*

Debates persist regarding the efficacy and safety of azvudine, particularly its real-world outcomes. This study involved patients aged ≥60 years who were admitted to 25 hospitals in mainland China with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 1, 2022, and February 28, 2023. Efficacy outcomes were all-cause mortality during hospitalization, the proportion of patients discharged with recovery, time to nucleic acid-negative conversion (T _NANC), time to symptom improvement (T _SI), and time of hospital stay (T _HS). Safety was also assessed. Among the 5884 participants identified, 1999 received azvudine, and 1999 matched controls were included after exclusion and propensity score matching. Azvudine recipients exhibited lower all-cause mortality compared with controls in the overall population (13.3% vs. 17.1%, RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.90; P = 0.001) and in the severe subgroup (25.7% vs. 33.7%; RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.88; P < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients discharged with recovery, and a shorter T _NANC were associated with azvudine recipients, especially in the severe subgroup. The incidence of adverse events in azvudine recipients was comparable to that in the control group (2.3% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.170). In conclusion, azvudine showed efficacy and safety in older patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron wave in China.

Objective To explore the clinical features,treatment and prognosis of traumatic subdural effusion(TSE)in infants.Methods Data of 51 cases of traumatic subdural effusion in infants admitted to the single center of Dalian Women and Children Medical Center(Group)from February 2013 to February 2020 were retrospectively analyzed,and their clinical manifestations,imaging features,treatment methods and prognosis were summarized and analyzed.Results Fifty-one cases(26 males and 25 females),ranging in age from 1 month to 3 years old of traumatic subdural effusion in infants were reviewed in our hospital,all cases were confirmed by Computed Tomography(CT)examination.31 cases were treated conservatively,29 cases were cured,and 2 cases were treated surgically due to poor conservative treatment.Surgical treatment was performed in 22 cases(including 2 cases who received surgical treatment due to poor conservative treatment).One patient underwent puncture and continuous drainage at the lateral Angle of the anterior fontanelle and was cured.Twenty-one cases underwent cranial drilling,subdural space catheterization for external drainage,and 17 cases(80.95％,17/21)were cured at one time.There were 4 cases(19.05％,4/21)of recurrence after external drainage with catheterization.Two cases were cured by external drainage with Ommaya capsule insertion and intermittent aspiration and fluid drainage.It was changed to subdural peritoneal shunt surgery,and 2 cases were cured after the operation.There was no surgical infection or death in all the children in the group.The median follow-up time ranged from 3 months to 60 months,and the conditions were all stable.Conclusion Traumatic subdural effusion is a common complication after craniocerebral injury in infants and young children.Due to its lack of self-expression,the hidden condition is often ignored.Moreover,the brain tissue of infants and young children is in the growth and development stage,which will affect the development of brain tissue after its onset.

Objective To explore the clinical features,treatment and prognosis of traumatic subdural effusion(TSE)in infants.Methods Data of 51 cases of traumatic subdural effusion in infants admitted to the single center of Dalian Women and Children Medical Center(Group)from February 2013 to February 2020 were retrospectively analyzed,and their clinical manifestations,imaging features,treatment methods and prognosis were summarized and analyzed.Results Fifty-one cases(26 males and 25 females),ranging in age from 1 month to 3 years old of traumatic subdural effusion in infants were reviewed in our hospital,all cases were confirmed by Computed Tomography(CT)examination.31 cases were treated conservatively,29 cases were cured,and 2 cases were treated surgically due to poor conservative treatment.Surgical treatment was performed in 22 cases(including 2 cases who received surgical treatment due to poor conservative treatment).One patient underwent puncture and continuous drainage at the lateral Angle of the anterior fontanelle and was cured.Twenty-one cases underwent cranial drilling,subdural space catheterization for external drainage,and 17 cases(80.95％,17/21)were cured at one time.There were 4 cases(19.05％,4/21)of recurrence after external drainage with catheterization.Two cases were cured by external drainage with Ommaya capsule insertion and intermittent aspiration and fluid drainage.It was changed to subdural peritoneal shunt surgery,and 2 cases were cured after the operation.There was no surgical infection or death in all the children in the group.The median follow-up time ranged from 3 months to 60 months,and the conditions were all stable.Conclusion Traumatic subdural effusion is a common complication after craniocerebral injury in infants and young children.Due to its lack of self-expression,the hidden condition is often ignored.Moreover,the brain tissue of infants and young children is in the growth and development stage,which will affect the development of brain tissue after its onset.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of acute pancreatitis (AP) with different etiologies.Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinical data of 702 patients with AP who were admitted to Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2018 to December 2022 were collected. There were 451 males and 251 females,aged (52±17)years. Observation indicators: (1) clinical characteristics of AP patients with different etiologies; (2) complications and prognosis of AP patients with different etiologies; (3) complications and prognosis of moderately severe and severe AP patients with different etiologies. Comparison of measurement data with normal distribution among multiple groups was conducted using the one-way analysis of variance. Comparison of measurement data with skewed distribution among multiple groups was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis H test. Comparison of count data among multiple groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Results:(1) Clinical characteris-tics of AP patients with different etiologies. Of the 702 AP patients, 434 cases were biliary AP, 199 cases were hypertriglyceridemic-induced AP,29 cases were alcoholic AP, and 40 cases were idiopathic AP. There were significant differences in gender,age,body mass index,combined cardiovascular disease,combined diabetes,combined nephrosis,disease severity and modified computed tomography severity index among AP patients with different etiologies ( χ2=24.61, F=48.65, 12.24, χ2=13.67, 12.90, 14.12, 15.56, H=17.62, P<0.05). (2) Complications and prognosis of AP patients with different etiologies. There was no significant difference in infectious pancreatic necrosis,duration of intensive care unit stay,total duration of hospital stay, and death of patients during hospitalization among AP patients with different etiologies ( P>0.05). (3) Complications and prognosis of moderately severe and severe AP patients with different etiologies. Of the 395 patients with moderately severe and severe AP, 217 cases were biliary AP, 128 cases were hypertriglyceridemic-induced AP, 19 cases were alcoholic AP, and 31 cases were idiopathic AP. There were significant differences in renal injury, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and walled-off necrosis among moderately severe and severe AP patients with different etiologies ( χ2=12.62, 8.25, 14.33, P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in infectious pancreatic necrosis, lung injury, circulation system injury, duration of intensive care unit stay, total duration of hospital stay, or death of patients during hospitalization among moderately severe and severe AP patients with different etiologies ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The clinical charac-teristics vary among AP patients with different etiologies. The risk of complications varies among moderately severe and severe AP patients with different etiologies.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of acute pancreatitis (AP) with different etiologies.Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinical data of 702 patients with AP who were admitted to Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2018 to December 2022 were collected. There were 451 males and 251 females,aged (52±17)years. Observation indicators: (1) clinical characteristics of AP patients with different etiologies; (2) complications and prognosis of AP patients with different etiologies; (3) complications and prognosis of moderately severe and severe AP patients with different etiologies. Comparison of measurement data with normal distribution among multiple groups was conducted using the one-way analysis of variance. Comparison of measurement data with skewed distribution among multiple groups was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis H test. Comparison of count data among multiple groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Results:(1) Clinical characteris-tics of AP patients with different etiologies. Of the 702 AP patients, 434 cases were biliary AP, 199 cases were hypertriglyceridemic-induced AP,29 cases were alcoholic AP, and 40 cases were idiopathic AP. There were significant differences in gender,age,body mass index,combined cardiovascular disease,combined diabetes,combined nephrosis,disease severity and modified computed tomography severity index among AP patients with different etiologies ( χ2=24.61, F=48.65, 12.24, χ2=13.67, 12.90, 14.12, 15.56, H=17.62, P<0.05). (2) Complications and prognosis of AP patients with different etiologies. There was no significant difference in infectious pancreatic necrosis,duration of intensive care unit stay,total duration of hospital stay, and death of patients during hospitalization among AP patients with different etiologies ( P>0.05). (3) Complications and prognosis of moderately severe and severe AP patients with different etiologies. Of the 395 patients with moderately severe and severe AP, 217 cases were biliary AP, 128 cases were hypertriglyceridemic-induced AP, 19 cases were alcoholic AP, and 31 cases were idiopathic AP. There were significant differences in renal injury, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and walled-off necrosis among moderately severe and severe AP patients with different etiologies ( χ2=12.62, 8.25, 14.33, P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in infectious pancreatic necrosis, lung injury, circulation system injury, duration of intensive care unit stay, total duration of hospital stay, or death of patients during hospitalization among moderately severe and severe AP patients with different etiologies ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The clinical charac-teristics vary among AP patients with different etiologies. The risk of complications varies among moderately severe and severe AP patients with different etiologies.

Liver fibrosis is a dynamic wound-healing response characterized by the agglutination of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Si-Wu-Tang (SWT), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, is known for treating gynecological diseases and liver fibrosis. Our previous studies demonstrated that long non-coding RNA H19 (H19) was markedly upregulated in fibrotic livers while its deficiency markedly reversed fibrogenesis. However, the mechanisms by which SWT influences H19 remain unclear. Thus, we established a bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced liver fibrosis model to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of SWT on various cells in the liver. Our results showed that SWT markedly improved ECM deposition and bile duct reactions in the liver. Notably, SWT relieved liver fibrosis by regulating the transcription of genes involved in the cytoskeleton remodeling, primarily in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and influencing cytoskeleton-related angiogenesis and hepatocellular injury. This modulation collectively led to reduced ECM deposition. Through extensive bioinformatics analyses, we determined that H19 acted as a miRNA sponge and mainly inhibited miR-200, miR-211, and let7b, thereby regulating the above cellular regulatory pathways. Meanwhile, SWT reversed H19-related miRNAs and signaling pathways, diminishing ECM deposition and liver fibrosis. However, these protective effects of SWT were diminished with the overexpression of H19 in vivo. In conclusion, our study elucidates the underlying mechanisms of SWT from the perspective of H19-related signal networks and proposes a potential SWT-based therapeutic strategy for the treatment of liver fibrosis.
Humans ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Liver Cirrhosis/genetics* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Hepatic Stellate Cells/pathology* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Extracellular Matrix/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Objective:To investigate the expression and clinical significance of CD30 in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 124 cases of primary DLBCL diagnosed at Changzhou Second People's Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing Medical University from January 2018 to July 2020.The expression of CD30 in patients with DLBCL was detected by immunohistochemical method,and the clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed and compared between CD30+and CD30-groups.Kaplan-Meier analysis was used for survival analysis.The relationship between CD30 expression and clinical features and prognosis were analyzed.Results:Among the 124 patients with DLBCL,19 patients expressed CD30,and the positive rate is 15.32％.The clinico-pathological characteristics of CD30+in patients with DLBCL were characterized by low age,more common in males,fewer extranodal lesions,lower international prognostic index(IPI),GCB type being more common in Hans subtype,and achieving better therapeutic effects(P＜0.05).However,there were no significant statistical differences in B-symptoms(P=0.323),Ann Arbor staging(P=0.197),Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group(ECOG)score(P=0.479),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)(P=0.477),and the involvement of bone marrow(P=0.222).There were significant differences in OS and PFS between the CD30+and CD30-groups(x2=5.653,P=0.017;x2=4.109,P=0.043),the CD30+group had a better prognosis than that of the CD30-group.The results of subgroup analysis showed that the CD30+group in the IPI score=1-2,LDH elevated group had a better prognosis(P＜0.05).In the subgroups of Ann Arbor staging Ⅲ-Ⅳ(P=0.055)and non GCB type(P=0.053),the CD30+group had a good prognosis trend,but the difference was not statistically significant.The results of univariate analysis showed that the good prognosis of DLBCL patients was closely related to CD30+expression,no B-symptoms,early Ann Arbor staging,low ECOG score,normal LDH,low IPI score,fewer extranodal involvement,and obtaining the best therapeutic effect as CR(all P＜0.05).COX multivariate regression analysis showed that the presence of B-symptoms and achieving the best therapeutic effect as Non-CR were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of DLBCL patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion:The CD30+expression in DLBCL patients indicates a good prognosis and has certain diagnostic value in evaluating the prognosis of DLBCL patients.

Objective:To compare the differences in the prevalence of mild micro-hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) among patients with cirrhosis by using the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) and the Stroop smartphone application (Encephal App) test.Methods:This prospective, multi-center, real-world study was initiated by the National Clinical Medical Research Center for Infectious Diseases and the Portal Hypertension Alliance and registered with International ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05140837). 354 cases of cirrhosis were enrolled in 19 hospitals across the country. PHES (including digital connection tests A and B, digital symbol tests, trajectory drawing tests, and serial management tests) and the Stroop test were conducted in all of them. PHES was differentiated using standard diagnostic criteria established by the two studies in China and South Korea. The Stroop test was evaluated based on the criteria of the research and development team. The impact of different diagnostic standards or methods on the incidence of MHE in patients with cirrhosis was analyzed. Data between groups were differentiated using the t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ2 test. A kappa test was used to compare the consistency between groups. Results:After PHES, the prevalence of MHE among 354 cases of cirrhosis was 78.53% and 15.25%, respectively, based on Chinese research standards and Korean research normal value standards. However, the prevalence of MHE was 56.78% based on the Stroop test, and the differences in pairwise comparisons among the three groups were statistically significant (kappa = -0.064, P < 0.001). Stratified analysis revealed that the MHE prevalence in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C was 74.14%, 83.33%, and 88.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Chinese researchers, while the MHE prevalence rates in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C were 8.29%, 23.53%, and 38.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Korean researchers. Furthermore, the prevalence rates of MHE in the three groups of patients with Child-Pugh grades A, B, and C were 52.68%, 58.82%, and 73.53%, respectively, according to the Stroop test standard. However, among the results of each diagnostic standard, the prevalence of MHE showed an increasing trend with an increasing Child-Pugh grade. Further comparison demonstrated that the scores obtained by the number connection test A and the number symbol test were consistent according to the normal value standards of the two studies in China and South Korea ( Z = -0.982, -1.702; P = 0.326, 0.089), while the other three sub-tests had significant differences ( P < 0.001). Conclusion:The prevalence rate of MHE in the cirrhotic population is high, but the prevalence of MHE obtained by using different diagnostic criteria or methods varies greatly. Therefore, in line with the current changes in demographics and disease spectrum, it is necessary to enroll a larger sample size of a healthy population as a control. Moreover, the establishment of more reliable diagnostic scoring criteria will serve as a basis for obtaining accurate MHE incidence and formulating diagnosis and treatment strategies in cirrhotic populations.

Objective: To observe the effects of exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells on the proliferation and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells, and to analyze the contents of exosomes and explore the mechanisms affecting pancreatic cancer cells. Methods: Exosomes extracted from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were added to pancreatic cancer cells BxPC3, Panc-1 and mouse models of pancreatic cancer, respectively. The proliferative activity and invasion abilities of BxPC3 and Panc-1 cells were measured by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assays. The expressions of miRNAs in exosomes were detected by high-throughput sequencing. GO and KEGG were used to analyze the related functions and the main metabolic pathways of target genes with high expressions of miRNAs. Results: The results of CCK-8 cell proliferation assay showed that the absorbance of BxPC3 and Panc-1 cells in the hucMSCs-exo group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(4.68±0.09) vs. (3.68±0.01), P<0.05; (5.20±0.20) vs. (3.45±0.17), P<0.05]. Transwell test results showed that the number of invasion cells of BxPC3 and Panc-1 in hucMSCs-exo group was significantly higher than that in the control group (129.40±6.02) vs. (89.40±4.39), P<0.05; (134.40±7.02) vs. (97.00±6.08), P<0.05. In vivo experimental results showed that the tumor volume and weight in the exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs-exo) group were significantly greater than that in the control group [(884.57±59.70) mm(3) vs. (695.09±57.81) mm(3), P<0.05; (0.94±0.21) g vs. (0.60±0.13) g, P<0.05]. High-throughput sequencing results showed that miR-148a-3p, miR-100-5p, miR-143-3p, miR-21-5p and miR-92a-3p were highly expressed. GO and KEGG analysis showed that the target genes of these miRNAs were mainly involved in the regulation of glucosaldehylation, and the main metabolic pathways were ascorbic acid and aldehyde acid metabolism, which were closely related to the development of pancreatic cancer. Conclusion: Exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells can promote the growth of pancreatic cancer cells and the mechanism is related to miRNAs that are highly expressed in exosomes.
Mice ; Animals ; Humans ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Exosomes/genetics* ; Sincalide/metabolism* ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/genetics* ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Umbilical Cord