OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Yangxue Qingnao Pills (YXQNP) combined with amlodipine in treating patients with grade 1 hypertension. METHODS: This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study. Adult patients with grade 1 hypertension of blood deficiency and Gan (Liver)-yang hyperactivity syndrome were randomly divided into the treatment or the control groups at a 1:1 ratio. The treatment group received YXQNP and amlodipine besylate, while the control group received YXQNP's placebo and amlodipine besylate. The treatment duration lasted for 180 days. Outcomes assessed included changes in blood pressure, Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome scores, symptoms and target organ functions before and after treatment in both groups. Additionally, adverse events, such as nausea, vomiting, rash, itching, and diarrhea, were recorded in both groups. RESULTS: A total of 662 subjects were enrolled, of whom 608 (91.8%) completed the trial (306 in the treatment and 302 in the control groups). After 180 days of treatment, the standard deviations and coefficients of variation of systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were lower in the treatment group compared with the control group. The improvement rates of dizziness, headache, insomnia, and waist soreness were significantly higher in the treatment group compared with the control group (P<0.05). After 30 days of treatment, the overall therapeutic effects on CM clinical syndromes were significantly increased in the treatment group as compared with the control group (P<0.05). After 180 days of treatment, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, ankle brachial index and albumin-to-creatinine ratio were improved in both groups, with no statistically significant differences (P>0.05). No serious treatment-related adverse events occurred during the study period. CONCLUSIONS Combination therapy of YXQNP with amlodipine significantly improved symptoms such as dizziness and headache, reduced blood pressure variability, and showed a trend toward lowering urinary microalbumin in hypertensive patients. These findings suggest that this regimen has good clinical efficacy and safety. (Registration No. ChiCTR1900022470).
Humans ; Amlodipine/adverse effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Hypertension/complications* ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Adult ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Double-Blind Method ; Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents/adverse effects*

OBJECTIVE: Observational studies have found associations between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and vascular dementia (VD); however, these findings are inconsistent. It remains unclear whether these associations are causal. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis by systematically searching for observational studies on the association between IBD and dementia. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis based on summary genome-wide association studies (GWASs) was performed. Genetic correlation and Bayesian co-localization analyses were used to provide robust genetic evidence. RESULTS: Ten observational studies involving 80,565,688 participants were included in this meta-analysis. IBD was significantly associated with dementia (risk ratio [ RR] =1.36, 95% CI = 1.04-1.78; I ² = 84.8%) and VD ( RR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.18-5.70; only one study), but not with AD ( RR = 2.00, 95% CI = 0.96-4.13; I ² = 99.8%). MR analyses did not supported significant causal associations of IBD with dementia (dementia: odds ratio [ OR] = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.98-1.03; AD: OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.95-1.01; VD: OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.97-1.07). In addition, genetic correlation and co-localization analyses did not reveal any genetic associations between IBD and dementia. CONCLUSION Our study did not provide genetic evidence for a causal association between IBD and dementia risk. The increased risk of dementia observed in observational studies may be attributed to unobserved confounding factors or detection bias.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/complications* ; Dementia/etiology* ; Observational Studies as Topic ; Genome-Wide Association Study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

The construction of a medication safety culture is important for medication safety management and rational drug use.The construction of medication safety culture standards is formulated based on relevant national policies and regulations,accreditation standards for hospitals,expert opinions,the current situation,and the development trend of the healthcare industry.With scientificity,general applicability,instructive guidance,and practicality,they standardized basic requirements,management processes,and improvement of the construction of medication safety culture.To facilitate understanding and the implementation of the standards,we describe the process of standards formulation and explain the key points of the standards.

Objective To study the association of hypercoagulability with urinary protein and renal pathological damage in children with immunoglobulin A vasculitis with nephritis(IgAVN).Methods Based on the results of coagulation function,349 children with IgAVN were divided into a hypercoagulability group consisting of 52 children and a non-hypercoagulability group consisting of 297 children.Urinary protein and renal pathological features were compared between the two groups,and the factors influencing the formation of hypercoagulability in children with IgAVN were analyzed.Results Compared with the non-hypercoagulability group,the hypercoagulability group had significantly higher levels of urinary erythrocyte count,24-hour urinary protein,urinary protein/creatinine,urinary immunoglobulin G/creatinine,and urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase(P<0.05).The hypercoagulability group also had a significantly higher proportion of children with a renal pathological grade of Ⅲ-Ⅳ,diffuse mesangial proliferation,capillary endothelial cell proliferation,or>25％ crescent formation(P<0.05).The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that capillary endothelial cell proliferation and glomerular crescent formation>25％ were associated with the formation of hypercoagulability in children with IgAVN(P<0.05).Conclusions The renal injury in IgAVN children with hypercoagulability is more severe,with greater than 25％ crescent formation and increased proliferation of glomerular endothelial cells being important contributing factors that exacerbate the hypercoagulable state in IgAVN.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):164-168]

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.

Objective:To explore potential predictors of refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP) in early stage. Methods:The prospective multicenter study was conducted in Zhejiang, China from May 1 st, 2019 to January 31 st, 2020. A total of 1 428 patients with fever >48 hours to <120 hours were studied. Their clinical data and oral pharyngeal swab samples were collected; Mycoplasma pneumoniae DNA in pharyngeal swab specimens was detected. Patients with positive Mycoplasma pneumoniae DNA results underwent a series of tests, including chest X-ray, complete blood count, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and procalcitonin. According to the occurrence of RMPP, the patients were divided into two groups, RMPP group and general Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (GMPP) group. Measurement data between the 2 groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between clinical data and RMPP. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyse the power of the markers for predicting RMPP. Results:A total of 1 428 patients finished the study, with 801 boys and 627 girls, aged 4.3 (2.7, 6.3) years. Mycoplasma pneumoniae DNA was positive in 534 cases (37.4%), of whom 446 cases (83.5%) were diagnosed with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, including 251 boys and 195 girls, aged 5.2 (3.3, 6.9) years. Macrolides-resistant variation was positive in 410 cases (91.9%). Fifty-five cases were with RMPP, 391 cases with GMPP. The peak body temperature before the first visit and LDH levels in RMPP patients were higher than that in GMPP patients (39.6 (39.1, 40.0) vs. 39.2 (38.9, 39.7) ℃, 333 (279, 392) vs. 311 (259, 359) U/L, both P<0.05). Logistic regression showed the prediction probability π=exp (-29.7+0.667×Peak body temperature (℃)+0.004×LDH (U/L))/(1+exp (-29.7+0.667×Peak body temperature (℃)+0.004 × LDH (U/L))), the cut-off value to predict RMPP was 0.12, with a consensus of probability forecast of 0.89, sensitivity of 0.89, and specificity of 0.67; and the area under ROC curve was 0.682 (95% CI 0.593-0.771, P<0.01). Conclusion:In MPP patients with fever over 48 to <120 hours, a prediction probability π of RMPP can be calculated based on the peak body temperature and LDH level before the first visit, which can facilitate early identification of RMPP.

Objective:To study the changes in skeletal muscle and serum nutritional indicators during concurrent chemoradiotherapy in cervical cancer patients,and to evaluate their correlation with short-term efficacy and long-term prognosis. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 114 patients with cervical cancer who underwent radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the Department of Oncology,Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from February 2019 to February 2023. All patients underwent a treatment regimen comprising external beam radiation (EBRT),internal radiation,and concurrent chemotherapy. Serum nutritional data of the patients were collected before radiotherapy,one week,two weeks and five weeks after the onset of radiotherapy. CT images of the patients at the time of simulation and about five weeks after the onset of radiotherapy were imported into the Pinnacle 39.10 planning system,and the skeletal muscle index (SMI) of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) were calculated for each patients. The changes of the serum nutritional indicators of the patients prior to and post EBRT were analyzed statistically. The patients are categorized into two groups according to the baseline SMI:a sarcopenic group consisting of 35 cases and a non-sarcopenic group comprising 79 cases. The therapeutic outcomes between the two groups were compared,and logistic analysis of the relevant factors affecting the occurrence of sarcopenia during radiotherapy was conducted. The survival curves were drawn using Kaplan-Meier method and disease-free survival (DFS) between the two groups was compared using Log Rank test. We used Cox univariate and multivariate regression analysis to identify prognostic factors related to DFS. Results:The serum nutritional indicators of the patient at one week,two weeks,and five weeks after the beginning of EBRT were significantly lower than those before radiotherapy (P<0.05). The SMI from the CT images of simulation at five weeks after the onset of radiotherapy was significantly lower than that before radiotherapy (P<0.001). There was a significant correlation between hemoglobin levels prior to radiotherapy and incidence of sarcopenia during radiotherapy (P=0.046). There was no significant difference in efficacy between the two groups at the end of EBRT (P>0.05). At the end of radiotherapy,the complete response (CR) rate of the non-sarcopenia group was significantly higher than that of the sarcopenia group (P=0.040). However,the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) of both groups at the end of radiotherapy were 100％. The 2-year DFS of the sarcopenia group and the non-sarcopenia group were 66.7％ and 85.5％,respectively,and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.016). Only four patients died during the 2-year follow-up,so OS was not reached. Baseline SMI,serum squamous cell antigen levels prior to radiotherapy,and degree of bone marrow suppression were three independent prognostic factors affecting DFS in the patients. Conclusion:Cervical cancer patients experience significant nutritional loss during chemoradiotherapy,and baseline SMI is significantly correlated with short-term efficacy and long-term prognosis and can serve as a predictive marker for patients with cervical cancer receiving chemoradiotherapy.

In this paper, the antitussive and expectorant activity of platycodin D (PD) were studied by constructing a mouse cough induced by concentrated ammonia water and a mouse trachea phenol red excretion model. The mechanism of antitussive and expectorant effect of PD was studied by metabolomics. The animal experiment was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine (approval number: JZLLSC-20220739). Then mice were randomly divided into the normal, model, positive drug, PD low-dose, PD medium-dose and PD high-dose group. The antitussive and expectorant effects of PD were evaluated using a cough mouse model induced by concentrated ammonia water and a mouse tracheal phenol red excretion model, respectively. UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS was used to identify the metabolites of mouse lung tissue, and multivariate statistical analysis method of orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was used for metabolites profile analysis. The differential metabolites were screened by variable projected importance value (VIP) and t-test results. Pathways for enrichment of differentiated metabolites were analyzed using the MetaboAnalyst platform. The comparative method was applied to analyze the differences in mechanisms of PD, Deapio-platycodin D (DPD) and total platycosides fraction. The results showed that PD at different concentrations could significantly prolong (P < 0.05) the incubation period of cough mice induced by ammonia water, reduce the coughs frequency, and significantly increase (P < 0.05) the amount of phenol red excretion in phenol red excretion model mice. PD could regulate 6 metabolic pathways of phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, linoleic acid metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism to exert antitussive effect. It could also regulate 8 metabolic pathways of linoleic acid metabolism, glyoxylic acid and dicarboxylic acid metabolism, glycerol phospholipid metabolism, citric acid cycle and arachidonic acid metabolism to exert an expectorant effect. However, only linoleic acid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism could be regulated by the PD, total platycosides fraction and DPD, which may be ascribed to the structural difference of the platycosides and the interaction between platycosides and the intestinal microbiota. Functional analysis showed that these metabolic pathways are closely related to the regulatory mechanisms of anti-inflammatory response, immune function regulation, neurotransmitter release, cell signal transduction, energy metabolism and cell apoptosis. This study shows that PD possesses good antitussive and expectorant activities. In addition, the mechanism difference of PD, total platycosides fraction and DPD imply that the apiose in PD and the interaction between PD and intestinal microbiota could exert an important effect on the antitussive and expectorant mechanism of the platycosides.

Most chemical medicines have polymorphs. The difference of medicine polymorphs in physicochemical properties directly affects the stability, efficacy, and safety of solid medicine products. Polymorphs is incomparably important to pharmaceutical chemistry, manufacturing, and control. Meantime polymorphs is a key factor for the quality of high-end drug and formulations. Polymorph prediction technology can effectively guide screening of trial experiments, and reduce the risk of missing stable crystal form in the traditional experiment. Polymorph prediction technology was firstly based on theoretical calculations such as quantum mechanics and computational chemistry, and then was developed by the key technology of machine learning using the artificial intelligence. Nowadays, the popular trend is to combine the advantages of theoretical calculation and machine learning to jointly predict crystal structure. Recently, predicting medicine polymorphs has still been a challenging problem. It is expected to learn from and integrate existing technologies to predict medicine polymorphs more accurately and efficiently.