Olfactory receptors (ORs) form the largest superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Traditionally recognized for their role in the nasal olfactory epithelium, where they mediate the sense of smell, accumulating evidence has firmly established their ectopic expression in non-olfactory tissues, including the intestine, lungs, and kidneys. The intestine, as the primary site for nutrient digestion and absorption, harbors a highly complex chemical environment. To adapt to this environment, the gut employs a sophisticated network of “chemosensors” to monitor luminal contents and maintain homeostasis. Among these sensors, intestinal ORs have emerged as crucial functional components, serving as a molecular bridge that connects environmental chemical signals—such as food-derived odorants—to specific physiological responses. This discovery has significantly deepened our understanding of how dietary flavors and compounds influence intestinal physiology at the molecular level. This review systematically summarizes the expression profiles, ligand classification, and biological functions of ORs within the gastrointestinal tract. Studies indicate that intestinal ORs exhibit distinct spatial distribution patterns across different gut segments and display cell-type specificity, particularly within enterocytes and enteroendocrine cells. These receptors function as versatile sensors capable of recognizing a wide variety of ligands, including exogenous dietary components, gut microbiota metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, and endogenous small molecules like azelaic acid. Upon activation by specific ligands, intestinal ORs trigger intracellular signaling cascades, primarily involving the AC-cAMP-PKA pathway or calcium influx channels. A major focus of this review is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which these receptors regulate the secretion of gut hormones. Activation of specific ORs in enteroendocrine cells has been shown to stimulate the release of hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), peptide YY (PYY), and serotonin (5-HT), thereby modulating systemic energy metabolism, glucose homeostasis, and gastrointestinal motility. Furthermore, the review addresses the critical roles of ORs in immune regulation and pathology. Evidence suggests that specific ORs contribute to the maintenance of intestinal immune homeostasis and may offer protection against inflammation. Beyond their involvement in inflammatory responses, ORs such as Olfr78 have been shown to regulate the differentiation and function of intestinal endocrine cells. Similarly, Olfr544 has been demonstrated to alleviate intestinal inflammation by remodeling the gut microbiome and metabolome. These findings collectively suggest that specific ORs hold promise as therapeutic targets for mitigating intestinal inflammation and maintaining gut homeostasis. Additionally, the review explores the emerging role of ORs in cancer. Although OR expression is often downregulated in tumor tissues compared to normal mucosa, activation of specific ORs by certain ligands can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and migration and induce apoptosis via pathways such as MEK/ERK and p38 MAPK. Conversely, other receptors, such as OR7C1, may serve as biomarkers for cancer-initiating cells. In conclusion, intestinal ORs represent a vital component of the gut’s sensory network. The review also discusses the translational potential of these findings. By elucidating the precise pairing relationships between dietary components and specific ORs, novel therapeutic strategies could be developed. Intestinal ORs may thus emerge as promising targets for nutritional and pharmacological interventions in metabolic diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, and malignancies.

Aim To investigate the effects of hydroxyl-safflor yellow A(HSYA)on the regenerative and re-pair functions of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(hUC-MSCs).Methods hUC-MSCs were mechanically isolated,and their morphology was ob-served.Cell surface marker expression was analyzed u-sing flow cytometry.Osteogenic differentiation was used to confirm the multipotency of the cells.The cells were treated with various concentrations of HSYA(0,100,200,400,600 μmol·L-1),and the optimal con-centration and duration of treatment were determined u-sing the CCK-8 assay.Cells were divided into four groups:control,100,200,and 400 μmol·L-1.The proliferative capacity of hUC-MSCs was assessed by EdU incorporation.Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BD-NF)levels in the culture supernatant were measured u-sing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.Cell migra-tion ability was evaluated by Scratch assays.The ex-pression levels of VEGF,BDNF,and fibroblast growth factor 2(FGF2)were detected by Western blotting.Results The isolated cells exhibited characteristics consistent with stem cell surface markers and demon-strated osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation poten-tial.After 48 hours of treatment,no cytotoxicity was observed at concentrations of 100,200,and 400 μmol·L-1compared to the control group.HSYA signifi-cantly increased the number of EdU-positive cells and cell migration rate,with the most pronounced effect was achieved at 200 μmol·L-1(P＜0.01).VEGF and BDNF levels in the supernatant were elevated,with the highest expression observed at 200 μmol·L-1(P＜0.01).Similarly,the expression levels of BDNF,VEGF,and FGF2 were significantly upregulated in the HSYA groups,with the highest levels at 200 μmol·L-1(P＜0.01).Conclusion HSYA promotes the proliferation,migration and angiogenesis of hUC-MSCs,with an optimal concentration of 200 μmol·L-1.

OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study assessed the methodological quality of systematic reviews (SRs) of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) published in Chinese between Jan 2021 and Sep 2022. METHODS: Chinese language CHM SRs were identified through literature searches across 3 international and 4 Chinese databases. Methodological quality was appraised using A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews 2. Logistic regressions were used to explore associations between bibliographical characteristics and quality. RESULTS: Analyses of methodological quality found that among the 213 sampled SRs, 69.5% were of critically low quality, 30.5% were of low quality, and none achieved high or moderate quality. Common shortcomings included the failure to identify the studies excluded from the analysis, failure to disclose funding sources, and limited evaluation of the potential impact of bias on conclusions. Logistic regressions revealed that SRs led by corresponding authors affiliated with universities or academic institutions tended to be of lower quality than SRs led by authors affiliated with hospitals or clinical facilities. CONCLUSION Recent Chinese language CHM SRs exhibited limited methodological quality, making them unlikely to support the development of clinical practice guidelines. Urgent initiatives are needed to enhance training for researchers, peer-reviewers and editors involved in the preparation and publication of SRs. Adoption of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guidelines in Chinese language journals is crucial to improve the relevance of SRs for Chinese medicine development. Addressing deficiencies in methodology and reporting is essential for promoting evidence-based practices and informed clinical decisions in Chinese medicine. Please cite this article as: Jiang Y, Zhong CC, Wang BH, Xu SS, Ho FF, Kwong MH, Ho L, Zhou JHS, Lam KC, Liu JP, Zhang BT, Chung VCH. Methodological quality of systematic reviews on orally administered Chinese herbal medicine published in Chinese between 2021 and 2022: A cross-sectional study. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):492-501.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Systematic Reviews as Topic/standards* ; Humans ; China ; Administration, Oral ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Medical institutions, with their clinical practice foundation and abundant human use experience data, have become important carriers for the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and the "cradles" of the preparation of new TCM. To effectively promote the transformation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions and establish an effective evaluation index system for the transformation of new TCM conforming to the characteristics of TCM, consensus experts adopted the literature research, questionnaire survey, Delphi method, etc. By focusing on the policy and technical evaluation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions, a comprehensive evaluation from the dimensions of drug safety, efficacy, feasibility, and characteristic advantages was conducted, thus forming a comprehensive evaluation system with four primary indicators and 37 secondary indicators. The expert consensus reached aims to encourage medical institutions at all levels to continuously improve the high-quality research and development and transformation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions and targeted at clinical needs, so as to provide a decision-making basis for the preparation, selection, cultivation, and transformation of new TCM for medical institutions, improve the development efficiency of new TCM, and precisely respond to the public medication needs.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; Humans ; Consensus ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Arsenic is a semi-metal,and lipid-soluble arsenic compounds are one of the widespread forms in the environment and food chain,but there is a lack of standards for lipid-soluble arsenic compounds,which is one of the bottlenecks in the current analytical detection and toxicological studies of organic arsenic.In this study,four saturated arsenic-containing hydrocarbons,AsHC 318,AsHC 332,AsHC 346,and AsHC 374(The number is relative molecular mass),were successfully synthesized in three steps by using dimethylarsinic acid,potassium iodide,sodium hydroxide,and four brominated alkanes(1-Bromotetradecane,1-bromopentadecane,1-bromohexadecane,and 1-bromooctadecane)as raw materials.The structures of these four saturated arsenic-containing hydrocarbons were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance(1H NMR)spectroscopy,13C nuclear magnetic resonance(13C NMR)spectroscopy,and high-resolution mass spectrometry(HR-MS).The yields of the method were 8%-10%,and the synthesized compounds could be used in subsequent toxicity evaluation experiments to assess the toxic effects and mechanisms of action of arsenic-containing hydrocarbons.This study provided an effective method for synthesis of arsenic-containing hydrocarbons,enriching the synthesis methods of arsenic-containing hydrocarbons,and provided raw materials for the subsequent toxicological studies of arsenic-containing hydrocarbons.

Aim To investigate the effects of hydroxyl-safflor yellow A(HSYA)on the regenerative and re-pair functions of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(hUC-MSCs).Methods hUC-MSCs were mechanically isolated,and their morphology was ob-served.Cell surface marker expression was analyzed u-sing flow cytometry.Osteogenic differentiation was used to confirm the multipotency of the cells.The cells were treated with various concentrations of HSYA(0,100,200,400,600 μmol·L-1),and the optimal con-centration and duration of treatment were determined u-sing the CCK-8 assay.Cells were divided into four groups:control,100,200,and 400 μmol·L-1.The proliferative capacity of hUC-MSCs was assessed by EdU incorporation.Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BD-NF)levels in the culture supernatant were measured u-sing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.Cell migra-tion ability was evaluated by Scratch assays.The ex-pression levels of VEGF,BDNF,and fibroblast growth factor 2(FGF2)were detected by Western blotting.Results The isolated cells exhibited characteristics consistent with stem cell surface markers and demon-strated osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation poten-tial.After 48 hours of treatment,no cytotoxicity was observed at concentrations of 100,200,and 400 μmol·L-1compared to the control group.HSYA signifi-cantly increased the number of EdU-positive cells and cell migration rate,with the most pronounced effect was achieved at 200 μmol·L-1(P＜0.01).VEGF and BDNF levels in the supernatant were elevated,with the highest expression observed at 200 μmol·L-1(P＜0.01).Similarly,the expression levels of BDNF,VEGF,and FGF2 were significantly upregulated in the HSYA groups,with the highest levels at 200 μmol·L-1(P＜0.01).Conclusion HSYA promotes the proliferation,migration and angiogenesis of hUC-MSCs,with an optimal concentration of 200 μmol·L-1.

Objective To explore the computed tomography angiography(CTA)and clinical features of Takayasu's arteritis(TA)with peripheral artery involvement.Methods In this retrospective study,CTA scan was performed in a total of 184 TA patients.TA patients were divided into two groups:60 patients within peripheral artery involvement(peripheral artery involvement group)and 124 patients without peripheral artery involvement(peripheral artery non-involvement group).The difference in comparison of clini-cal data and CTA findings were analyzed.Results A total of 194 peripheral arteries were involved in 60 patients.The most suscep-tible peripheral artery were axillary artery(52,26.8％),middle cerebral artery(26,13.4％)and femoral artery(22,11.3％).In the peripheral artery involvement group,the most common CTA manifestation was luminal stenosis(141,72.7％).The lumen dilata-tion,lumen stenosis with dilatation and wall calcification were not easy to be observed.The age and duration of disease in peripheral artery involvement group were significantly greater than those in peripheral artery non-involvement group(P＜0.05).The proportion of the peripheral artery involvement group in the active phase was significantly lower than that of the peripheral artery non-involvement group(P＜0.05).The incidence of pain in the limbs in peripheral artery involvement group was significantly higher than that in peripheral artery non-involvement group(P＜0.05).The utilization rate of tocilizumab in the peripheral artery involvement group was significantly higher than that in the peripheral artery non-involvement group(P＜0.05).Conclusion TA involving peripheral arteries is more common in patients with a long course of disease and in the inactive phase.Patients are prone to pain in their limbs.The CT A manifestations of these patients are also special,that is,the involved peripheral arteries are not prone to lumen dilatation and wall calcification.

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) have been widely used in regenerative medicine, but there is limited research on the stability of UC-MSCs formulation during production. This study aims to assess the stability of the cell stock solution and intermediate product throughout the production process, as well as the final product following reconstitution, in order to offer guidance for the manufacturing process and serve as a reference for formulation reconstitution methods. Three batches of cell formulation were produced and stored under low temperature (2-8 ℃) and room temperature (20-26 ℃) during cell stock solution and intermediate product stages. The storage time intervals for cell stock solution were 0, 2, 4, and 6 h, while for intermediate products, the intervals were 0, 1, 2, and 3 h. The evaluation items included visual inspection, viable cell concentration, cell viability, cell surface markers, lymphocyte proliferation inhibition rate, and sterility. Additionally, dilution and culture stability studies were performed after reconstitution of the cell product. The reconstitution diluents included 0.9% sodium chloride injection, 0.9% sodium chloride injection + 1% human serum albumin, and 0.9% sodium chloride injection + 2% human serum albumin, with dilution ratios of 10-fold and 40-fold. The storage time intervals after dilution were 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 h. The reconstitution culture media included DMEM medium, DMEM + 2% platelet lysate, 0.9% sodium chloride injection, and 0.9% sodium chloride injection + 1% human serum albumin, and the culture duration was 24 h. The evaluation items were viable cell concentration and cell viability. The results showed that the cell stock solution remained stable for up to 6 h under both low temperature (2-8 ℃) and room temperature (20-26 ℃) conditions, while the intermediate product remained stable for up to 3 h under the same conditions. After formulation reconstitution, using sodium chloride injection diluted with 1% or 2% human serum albumin maintained a viability of over 80% within 4 h. It was observed that different dilution factors had an impact on cell viability. After formulation reconstitution, cultivation in medium with 2% platelet lysate resulted in a cell viability of over 80% after 24 h. In conclusion, the stability of cell stock solution within 6 h and intermediate product within 3 h meets the requirements. The addition of 1% or 2% human serum albumin in the reconstitution diluent can better protect the post-reconstitution cell viability.

This article elaborates on the complex cross-talk and close relationship between muscles and bones involved in this disease,as well as its pathogenesis.It also summarizes that the difficulty of its treatment lies in the need to simultaneously consider both muscles and bones.And elaborated on the key role of the Hedgehog signaling pathway in embryonic development,tissue morphology establishment,and human tissue regeneration and repair.Investigated the remodeling effect of the Hedgehog signaling pathway on skeletal muscle from three aspects:Proliferation and differentiation of muscle stem cells,precursor cell and muscle fiber generation,inhibition of inflammation,and regulation of immunity;this article elucidates the role of the Hedgehog signaling pathway in bone reconstruction from two aspects.

Objective To observe the cage subsidence after oblique lateral interbody fusion(OLIF)for lumbar spondylo-sis,summarize the characteristics of the cage subsidence,analyze causes,and propose preventive measures.Methods The data of 144 patients of lumbar spine lesions admitted to our hospital from October 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively ana-lyzed.There were 43 males and 101 females,and the age ranged from 20 to 81 years old,with an average of(60.90±10.06)years old.Disease types:17 patients of lumbar intervertebral disc degenerative disease,12 patients of giant lumbar disc hernia-tion,5 patients of discogenic low back pain,33 patients of lumbar spinal stenosis,26 patients of lumbar degenerative spondy-lolisthesis,28 patients of lumbar spondylolisthesis with spondylolisthesis,11 patients of adjacent vertebral disease after lumbar internal fixation,7 patients of primary spondylitis in the inflammatory outcome stage,and 5 patients of lumbar degenerative scoliosis.Preoperative dual-energy X-ray bone mineral density examination showed 57 patients of osteopenia or osteoporosis,and 87 patients of normal bone density.The number of fusion segments:124 patients of single-segment,11 patients of two-seg-ment,8 patients of three-segment,four-segment 1 patient.There were 40 patients treated by stand-alone OLIF,and 104 patients by OLIF combined with posterior pedicle screw.Observed the occurrence of fusion cage settlement after operation,conducted monofactor analysis on possible risk factors,and observed the influence of fusion cage settlement on clinical results.Results All operations were successfully completed,the median operation time was 99 min,and the median intraoperative blood loss was 106 ml.Intraoperative endplate injury occurred in 30 patients and vertebral fracture occurred in 5 patients.The mean follow-up was(14.57±7.14)months from 6 to 30 months.During the follow-up,except for the patients of primary lumbar interstitial in-flammation and some patients of lumbar spondylolisthesis with spondylolisthesis,the others all had different degrees of cage subsidence.Cage subsidence classification:119 patients were normal subsidence,and 25 patients were abnormal subsidence(23 patients were grade Ⅰ,and 2 patients were grade Ⅱ).There was no loosening or rupture of the pedicle screw system.The height of the intervertebral space recovered from the preoperative average(9.48±1.84)mm to the postoperative average(12.65±2.03)mm,and the average(10.51±1.81)mm at the last follow-up.There were statistical differences between postop-erative and preoperative,and between the last follow-up and postoperative.The interbody fusion rate was 94.4％.The low back pain VAS decreased from the preoperative average(6.55±2.2 9)to the last follow-up(1.40±0.82),and there was statistically significant different.The leg pain VAS decreased from the preoperative average(4.72±1.49)to the final follow-up(0.60± 0.03),and the difference was statistically significant(t=9.13,P＜0.000 1).The ODI index recovered from the preoperative av-erage(38.50±6.98)％to the latest follow-up(11.30±3.27)％,and there was statistically significant different.The complication rate was 31.3％(45/144),and the reoperation rate was 9.72％(14/144).Among them,8 patients were reoperated due to fusion cage subsidence or displacement,accounting for 57.14％(8/14)of reoperation.The fusion cage subsidence in this group had obvious characteristics.The monofactor analysis showed that the number of abnormal subsidence patients in the osteopenia or osteoporosis group,Stand-alone OLIF group,2 or more segments fusion group,and endplate injury group was higher than that in the normal bone mass group,OLIF combined with pedicle screw fixation group,single segment fusion group,and no endplate injury group,and the comparison had statistical differences.Conclusion Cage subsidence is a common phenomenon after 0-LIF surgery.Preoperative osteopenia or osteoporosis,Stand-alone OLIF,2 or more segments of fusion and intraoperative end-plate injury may be important factors for postoperative fusion cage subsidence.Although there is no significant correlation be-tween the degree of cage subsidence and clinical symptoms,there is a risk of cage migration,and prevention needs to be strengthened to reduce serious complications caused by fusion of cage subsidence,including reoperation.