ObjectiveZheng’s San Qi San (ZSQS) power, a classic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, is used for treating soft tissue injuries involving muscles, tendons, and ligaments. However, its underlying therapeutic mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to screen and identify pharmaceutically active ingredients and their candidate biomolecule targets, and further elucidate the molecular mechanism of ZSQS in the treatment of skeletal muscle injury. MethodsNetwork pharmacology was employed to construct “ZSQS-component-target”, “protein-protein interaction (PPI)” and “active ingredient-core protein-pathway” networks to predict the key active ingredients and potential core targets of ZSQS for skeletal muscle injury. The predicted results were then validated via microarray data from the GEO database. Molecular docking was then performed to assess the binding ability between the screened active ingredients of ZSQS and the candidate core targets. Moreover, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used for qualitative and quantitative analysis to verify the active components of the drug and ZSQS serum. Finally, an animal model of eccentric exercise-induced skeletal muscle injury and a myotube cell model of oxidative stress-induced injury were established to validate the effects of ZSQS and its interventional effects on the biological functions of critical targets, thereby demonstrating the potential therapeutic mechanism of ZSQS. ResultsAmong the 111 active components identified in ZSQS and their corresponding 204 targets related to the skeletal muscle injury repair process, 14 core targets (including AKT1) and 4 core active components (quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, and β‑sitosterol) were screened out, while the corresponding metabolites of quercetin, luteolin and kaempferol were detected in the ZSQS serum. Among these targets, 5 candidate genes (IL-6, CASP3, HIF1A, STAT3, and JUN) overlapped with the differential expression screening results with GEO data, and IL-6 was confirmed to be enriched in the PI3K/AKT pathway. Combined with the prediction results of the AKT expression levels, these findings suggest that the phosphorylation level of AKT1 plays a core role in the therapeutic mechanism of ZSQS. Molecular docking analysis further revealed that the PH domain of AKT1 had high binding energy with all 4 core active components, as verified by LC-MS. Finally, animal model studies have shown the promoting effect of ZSQS administration on skeletal muscle injury repair and its possible antioxidant damage mechanism. Cell model studies further demonstrated that ZSQS-containing serum, core active ingredient combination therapy, and quercetin monomer could increase the phosphorylation level of AKT, promote the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, upregulate the expression of downstream antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPx, and GR), and inhibit the expression of inflammatory factors (IL-6 and TNF-α), thereby alleviating oxidative stress and the inflammatory response. ConclusionZSQS alleviates skeletal muscle injury mainly by activating the AKT/Nrf2 signaling pathway, enhancing cellular antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for the clinical application and modernized development of ZSQS.

AIM To study the chemical constituents from Radix Puerariae Lobatae from Anhui province and their in vitro lipid-lowering activity.METHODS D101 macroporous resin,silica gel,MCI,and semi-preparative HPLC were used for isolation and purification,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.The lipid accumulation model was established by palmitic acid-induced hepatocyte AML12,and the in vitro lipid-lowering activity was evaluated.RESULTS Twenty-one compounds were isolated and identified as carboxymethyl isoferulate(1),methyl(E)feruloylglycolate(2),ariscucurbin-A(3),trans-p-coumaroygly colic acid(4),indole-3-carboxaldehyde(5),β-sitosterol(6),puerol A(7),pueroside C(8),cumoestrol(9),dihydrofurocoumarin(10),decuroside V(11),psoralen dimer(12),bergapten dimer(13),isoliquiritigenin(14),neoliquiritin(15),calycosin(16),daidzein(17),3,4,7-trihydroxyisoflavone(18),ononin(19),genistein(20),genistin(21).Compounds 1-4、7-10、13 and 17-19 significantly inhibited lipid accumulation in AML12 cells,and compound 9 inhibited PPAR-γ expression.CONCLUSION Compounds 1-6,10-13 are isolated from Pueraria genus for the first time.Compounds 1-4,7-10,13 and 17-19 have good lipid-lowering activity.

Objective:To investigate the nutritional risk status of children in PICU and analyze its influencing factors.Methods:From July 2021 to February 2023,all children aged 1 to 18 years admitted to PICU of Beijing Children's Hospital were investigated by using the pediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Scoring tool(PYMS)and the clinical data questionnaire.Results:A total of 492 children in PICU were enrolled.The first nutritional risk screening results showed that there were 32 cases of no/low nutritional risk(6.5%),76 cases of medium risk(15.4%),and 384 cases of high risk(78.1%).The incidence of medium/high nutritional risk was as high as 93.5%.The PYMS score of nutritional risk in PICU was(2.61±1.42).The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that weight,fever time before admission,white blood cells,body mass index,primary diagnosis,father's education,and diet before illness were the main influencing factors of nutritional risk of children in PICU(P<0.05).Conclusion:Children in PICU are in a state of high nutritional risk.It is suggested that children in PICU should carry out nutritional screening in a standardized manner,identify children with high nutritional risk and its influencing factors early.To actively conduct nutritional assessment and nutritional intervention could improve the clinical outcome of children in PICU.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between acupuncture during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and the live birth rate (LBR) using different propensity score methods. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, eligible women who underwent a COH were divided into acupuncture and non-acupuncture groups. The primary outcome was LBR, as determined by propensity score matching (PSM). LBR was defined as the delivery of one or more living infants that reached a gestational age over 28 weeks after embryo transfer. The propensity score model encompassed 16 confounding variables. To validate the results, sensitivity analyses were conducted using three additional propensity score methods: propensity score adjustment, inverse probability weighting (IPW), and IPW with a "doubly robust" estimator. RESULTS: The primary cohort encompassed 9751 patients (1830 [18.76%] in the acupuncture group and 7921 [81.23%] in the non-acupuncture group). Following 1:1 PSM, a higher LBR was found in the acupuncture cohort (41.4% [755/1824] vs 36.4% [664/1824], with an odds ratio of 1.23 [95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.41]). Three additional propensity score methods produced essentially similar results. The risk of serious adverse events did not significantly differ between the two groups. CONCLUSION This retrospective study revealed an association between acupuncture and an increased LBR among patients undergoing COH, and that acupuncture is a safe and valuable treatment option. Please cite this article as: Zheng XY, Jiang ZY, Li YT, Li CL, Zhu H, Yu Z, Yu SY, Yang LL, Tang SY, Lü XY, Liang FR, Yang J. Association between acupuncture and live birth rates after fresh embryo transfer: A cohort study based on different propensity score methods. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):528-536.
Humans ; Female ; Propensity Score ; Embryo Transfer ; Adult ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Pregnancy ; Live Birth ; Birth Rate ; Cohort Studies

Chronic non-specific lower back pain(CNLBP)is one of the most common symptoms in clinical lower back pain,which is prone to recurrence and shows a trend towards younger age.Patients with CNLBP typically experience local pain,reduced joint mobility and balance dysfunction.In depth analysis of the relevant factors that cause balance dysfunction in CNLBP patients and intervention methods can reveal the biological(mechanical)mechanisms of balance dysfunction in patients with CNLBP and provide references and basis for the subsequent improvement of CNLBP intervention methods.This review summarizes the research status of the impact of CNLBP on patients' balance function and disease intervention methods from several aspects,including balance dysfunction in patients with CNLBP,damage to the motor and nervous system,and intervention methods for the disease.The aim is to provide references for the subsequent research on the pathogenesis and intervention methods of CNLBP.

AIM:This study aimed to establish a model of functional impairment in INS-1 cells(rat insulino-ma cells)induced by prolonged exposure to a low level of interleukin-1β(IL-1β),and to investigate the underlying mech-anisms.METHODS:INS-1 cells were treated with different concentrations of IL-1β for 10 d.The cells were divided into control,0.05 μg/L IL-1β,0.1 μg/L IL-1β,and 0.2 μg/L IL-1β groups(n=3).Flow cytometry was employed to assess cell apoptosis,facilitating the identification of IL-1β concentrations that did not significantly induce apoptosis.Subse-quently,INS-1 cells were divided into control and IL-1β groups(n=3)and treated with 0.1 μg/L IL-1β for 10 days.The intracellular insulin content and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion level were detected by immunofluorescence and en-zyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Differential proteins and associated signaling pathways were screened using 4D label-free proteomics technology.Moreover,fluorescent probes were used to detect glucose-stimulated calcium ion in-flux,and Western blot was conducted to verify the expression changes of relevant proteins in the nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)signaling pathway and calcium signaling pathway.RESULTS:Treatment with 0.1 μg/L IL-1β for 10 days ex-hibited minimal impact on the survival of INS-1 cells but significantly reduced the intracellular insulin content and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion(P<0.01).Therefore,0.1 μg/L IL-1β was chosen for in vitro induction of functional impair-ment in INS-1 cells.Proteomic analysis showed no significant differences in the expression of apoptosis-related factors,such as caspase-3,B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2),Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax),and Bcl-2-associated death promoter(Bad),compared with the control(P>0.05).However,the expression of insulin,v-maf avian musculoaponeurotic fibro-sarcoma oncogene family protein A(Mafa),calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II(CaMKII),inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor(IP3R),and NF-kappa-B inhibitor alpha(IκBα)was significantly reduced(P<0.01),while the protein expression levels of NF-κB and inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)were significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Fluorescence probe results showed that,compared to the control,the calcium ion influx induced by glucose stimu-lation in the IL-1β group was significantly reduced(P<0.01).Western blot results demonstrated that the expression lev-els of IP3R,CaMKII,and IκBα in the IL-1β group were significantly reduced(P<0.05,P<0.01),while the expression levels of NF-κB and iNOS were significantly increased(P<0.01).CONCLUSION:A model of functional impairment in rat INS-1 cells induced by prolonged exposure to low levels of IL-1β has been successfully established,and it has been pre-liminarily confirmed that this impairment may be related to the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and dysfunction of the calcium signaling pathway.

AIM To investigate the effects of Heixiaoyao Powder on neuroinflammation in APP/PS1 transgenic mice.METHODS The 16-week-old male APP/PS1 transgenic mice were randomly divided into the model group,the BBG group(P2X7R specific antagonist,30 mg/kg)and high,medium and low dose Heixiaoyao Powder groups of(22.10,11.05,5.53 g/kg),in contrast to the male C57BL/6J mice of the same age and the same strain of the blank groups,with 12 mice in each group.When normal saline by gavage was dosed upon the blank group and the model group,and the other groups were treated with corresponding drug by gavage.After 90 days of administration,the mice had their learning and memory ability detected by Morris water maze test;their hippocampal pathological changes observed with HE staining;their MyD88 expression detected by immunofluorescence staining;their hippocampal levels of pro-inflammatory factors(TNF-α,IL-6),anti-inflammatory factors(IL-10),ATP and amyloid protein β(Aβ)detected by ELISA;their hippocampal mRNA expressions of P2X7R,TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB-P65 detected by RT-qPCR method;and their hippocampal protein expressions of P2X7R,TLR4,MyD88,NF-κB-P65 and p-NF-κB-P65 detected by Western blot.RESULTS Compared with the blank group,the model group demonstrated prolonged escape latency and reduced frequency in crossing platform(P＜0.01);decreased number of hippocampal neurons,deranged neurons,and darker cytoplasm staining;increased immunofluorescence expression of hippocampal MyD88(P＜0.01);decreased IL-10 level(P＜0.01);increased levels of TNF-α,IL-6,ATP and Aβ(P＜0.01);increased mRNA and protein expressions ofP2X7R,TLR4 and MyD88(P＜0.01),and increased protein expression of p-NF-κB-P65(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the groups intervened with Heixiaoyao Powder or BBG demonstrated shortened escape latency and increased frequency in crossing platform(P＜0.01);more number of neatly arranged hippocampal neurons;increased hippocampal IL-10 level(P＜0.01),decreased levels of TNF-α,IL-6,ATP and Aβ(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);decreased mRNA and protein expressions of P2X7R,TLR4 and MyD88(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);and decreased protein expression of p-NF-κB-P65(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Except the low dose Heixiaoyao Powder group,the other treatment groups shared decreased immunofluorescence expression of MyD88(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Heixiaoyao Powder can significantly improve the learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 model mice,and its mechanism may lie in its function in alleviating cerebral neuroinflammation by reducing the abnormal Aβ aggregation via inhibiting the activation of ATP/P2X7R/NF-κB signaling pathway.

AIM To study the chemical constituents from the sticks and leaves of Croton cascarilloides Raeusch.and their biological activities.METHODS The 95％ethanol extract from the sticks and leaves of C.cascarilloides was isolated and purified by MCI,silica gel,Sephadex LH-20 and semi-preparative HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.LPS-induced NO RAW264.7 cell model induced by LPS was used to evaluate its anti-inflammatory activity in vitro.GES-1 injury model induced by taurocholic acid was used to screen the gastric mucosal protection activity.RESULTS Fourteen compounds were isolated and identified as bullatantriol(1),(-)-boscialin(2),(+)-dehydrovomifoliol(3),3-(hydroxylacetyl)-indole(4),pinoresinol(5),3,7-dimethyl-octa-1,7-diene-3,6-ol(6),(+)-syringaresinol(7),curcasinlignan B(8),cleomiscosin C(9),cleomiscosinD(10),2,6-dimethyl-octa-1,7-dien-3,6-diol(11),vanillin(12),vanillic acid(13),methyl vanillate(14).Compound 4 had certain anti-inflammatory activity,with IC50 values of 73.62 μmol/L.The protective rates of 25 μmol/L compounds 1-4,6,9-12 and 14 on gastric mucosal epithelial cells were 30.07％,34.18％,23.91％,30.92％,17.51％,19.69％,31.76％,22.46％,30.56％and 14.49％,respectively.CONCLUSION Compounds 1-14 are isolated from this plant for the first time.Compound 4 shows anti-inflammatory activity,1-4,6,9-12 and 14 show different degrees of gastric mucosal epithelial cell protective activity.

Objective To develop a team collaborative protocol,based on the theory of the development of interprofessional collaborative team development(DICT),for early mobilisation of the patients with mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit(ICU),hence to provide a standardised guidance on a multidisciplinary team with nurses as coordinators to implement the early mobilisation for ICU patients with mechanical ventilation and to improve the efficiency in patient mobilisation.Methods In September 2023,a preliminary draft of the collaborative team protocol based on ICTD was developed for early mobilisation of ICU patients with mechanical ventilation,based on literature review and current situation analysis.The status and influencing factors of multidisciplinary collaboration in early mobilisation for the patients with mechanical ventilation were identified.DICT framework was employed to develop the initial draft of protocol.From September to November 2023,Delphi expert consultation was employed and two rounds of expert consultation had been conducted before the final version of the protocol was drafted.Results A total of 21 experts participated in both rounds of consultation,with a 100.00%effective response rate of the questionnaires.Fifteen suggestions for modification were advised by the experts.The expert authority coefficient was 0.898,and the average coefficients of variation for the items from the two rounds of consultation were(0.14±0.05)and(0.12±0.06),respectively.The Kendall coordination coefficients for the two rounds were 0.198(P<0.001)and 0.256(P<0.001),respectively.The final protocol included 3 primary items(assessment and exploration,collaboration and integration,feedback and adjustment),13 secondary items and 57 tertiary items.Conclusion The team collaborative protocol for early mobilisation of ICU patients with mechanical ventilation,based on the DICT theory,is scientifically reliable.It provides a guidance and a reference for multidisciplinary teams in implementation of early mobilisation for ICU patients with mechanical ventilation..

AIM:The study aims to investigate the effects of Huayu-Qutan formula(HYQT)-medicated serum on oleic acid-induced lipid damage and endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS)in HepG2 cells,and to explore the mecha-nism underlying the prevention and treatment of lipid metabolism disorders by HYQT.METHODS:The HepG2 cells were treated with various concentrations of oleic acid,and CCK8 assay,oil red O staining and ELISA were used to identify the optimal treatment concentration and time of oleic acid and HYQT-medicated serum.Moreover,the cells were divided into control,model,thapsigargin(Tg),and Tg+HYQT groups.Cellular lipid deposition was measured using oil red O staining,while triglyceride(TG)and free fatty acid(FFA)levels were assessed by ELISA.Transmission electron micros-copy was used to examine endoplasmic reticulum structures,and RT-qPCR and Wes fully automated protein quantification analysis system were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression of glucose-regulated protein 78(GRP78),sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c(SREBP1c),acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase(ACC1),fatty acid synthase(FAS)and stearoyl coenzyme A desaturase 1(SCD1)in different groups.RESULTS:Significant lipid deposition was induced in HepG2 cells after treatment with 1 000 μmol/L oleic acid,while treatment with serum containing 10%HYQT for 48 h was found to be optimal.Compared with control group,the cells in model group showed significant deposition of oil red O-stained lipid droplets in the cytoplasm,associated with endoplasmic reticulum expansion,ERS,and nuclear condensa-tion.The TG and FFA levels,and the mRNA and protein expression levels of GRP78,SREBP1c,ACC1,FAS and SCD1 were increased significantly(P<0.01).Compared with model group,the cells treated with HYQT-mediated serum showed marked decrease in the number of lipid droplets in the cytoplasm,with restored endoplasmic reticulum morphology.The TG and FFA levels were significantly reduced(P<0.01),and the mRNA and protein levels of factors related to ERS and de novo fatty acid synthesis were markedly decreased(P<0.01).Treatment with Tg,an ERS agonist,led to greater accu-mulation of cytoplasmic lipid droplets and increased endoplasmic reticulum expansion.Marked variations in the morpholo-gy and size of the endoplasmic reticulum were observed,with fusion and clustering of vacuoles.The TG and FFA levels,and the expression of ERS-and fatty acid synthesis-related factors were increased(P<0.01).Compared with Tg group,the cells treated with Tg+HYQT showed reduced number of cytoplasmic lipid droplets,attenuated endoplasmic reticulum dilation,and decreased number and volume of vacuoles,while the TG and FFA levels and the expression of ERS-and fatty acid synthesis-associated factors were significantly decreased(P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Serum containing HYQT alle-viates oleic acid-induced lipid damage in HepG2 cells by inhibiting ERS-induced de novo synthesis of fatty acids.