Currently, the academic community, industry, and governmental institutions worldwide are dedicated to developing and applying artificial intelligence and other advanced analytical tools to drive the transformation of healthcare services. However, there are still many challenges, with only a few artificial intelligence tools having achieved sufficient effectiveness in improving clinical outcomes for cardiovascular diseases and strokes to be widely used. In response, the American Heart Association has formulated related scientific statements outlining the latest research developments in artificial intelligence algorithms and data science for the diagnosis, classification, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. These statements also summarize the current best practices, research gaps, and existing challenges of artificial intelligence tools, aiming to promote the development of this field. This article interprets this scientific statement in conjunction with the relevant research practices of the author's team.

OBJECTIVE: To explore mechanisms of acid-sensing ion channel 1 (ASIC1) mediated lumbar nucleus pulposus cell apoptosis through extracellular-signalregulated protein kinase 5 (ERK5) signaling pathway and mitochondrial dysfunction pathway. METHODS: Totally 34 patients with degenerative lumbar disc herniation (LDH) admitted from January 2020 to December 2022 were collected as research objects, including 21 males and 13 females;aged from 29 to 52 years old with an average of (37.43±4.75) years old;22 patients with grade Ⅱ and 12 patients with grade Ⅳ, according to Pfirrmann grading criteria;15 patients with L_4,5 and 19 patients with L₅S₁. The expression of ASIC1 in nucleus pulposus of LDH patients was measured by immunohistochemical staining. Nucleus pulposus cells were cultured by primary culture method, identified by toluidine blue staining and immunohistochemical staining, and the expression of ASIC1 protein was located by immunofluorescence staining. According to the addition of siRNA-ASIC1, ASIC1 overexpression plasmid, and ERK5 inhibitors, the nucleus pulpocyte was divided into three groups, named as SIRNA-silenced group, overexpression group, and inhibitor group, with 3 patients in each group. Cells of each group were collected at 72 h after intervention, expression of ASIC1, ERK5, BCL-xL/BCL-2-associated Death promoter (Bad), B-cell lymphoma-2 associated X (Bax) and B-cell lymphoblast-2 gene (Bcl-2) were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR);intracellular calcium ion levels were detected by calcium ion kit, mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by JC-1 kit, and apoptosis was observed by AV-PI kit. RESULTS: In LDH patients with grade Ⅳ, nucleus pulposus tissue removed during operation revealed poor elasticity, white color and poor ductility, and immunohistochemical results showed increased ASIC1 expression. There was no significant difference in mRNA relative expression of ASIC1 between siRNA silencing group (0.31±0.03) and inhibitor group (0.39±0.05) (P>0.05). The mRNA relative expression level of ERK5 in siRNA silencing group(0.32±0.05) was significantly higher than that in inhibitor group (0.15±0.04)(P<0.05), which suggested ERK5 was the downstream molecule of ASIC1. The mRNA relative expression levels of apoptosis promoting factor Bad and Bax in siRNA silencing group and inhibitor group were lower than those in overexpression group(P<0.05), the relative expression level of anti-apoptosis factor Bcl-2 mRNA was significantly increased (P<0.05). The calcium content in overexpression group was higher than that in siRNA silencing and inhibitor groups (P<0.05), the normal proportion of mitochondrial membrane potential in overexpression group was lower than that in siRNA silencing and inhibitor group (P<0.05), and the apoptosis rate in overexpression group was higher than that in siRNA silencing and inhibitor group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION After the activation of ASIC1 channel protein, calcium ions could enter the cells and act as a second messenger molecule to regulate apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells by ERK5 signaling pathway and mitochondrial disorder pathway.
Humans ; Acid Sensing Ion Channels/physiology* ; Male ; Female ; Apoptosis ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Signal Transduction ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 7/physiology* ; Mitochondrial Diseases/genetics* ; Nucleus Pulposus/metabolism* ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration/metabolism* ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: Treating peripheral nerve injury (PNI) presents a clinical challenge due to limited axon regeneration. Strychni Semen, a traditional Chinese medicine, is clinically used for numbness and hemiplegia. However, its role in promoting functional recovery after PNI and the related mechanisms have not yet been systematically studied. METHODS: A mouse model of sciatic nerve crush (SNC) injury was established and the mice received drug treatment via intragastric gavage, followed by behavioral assessments (adhesive removal test, hot-plate test and Von Frey test). Transcriptomic analyses were performed to examine gene expression in the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) from the third to the sixth lumbar vertebrae, so as to identify the significantly differentially expressed genes. Immunofluorescence staining was used to assess the expression levels of superior cervical ganglia neural-specific 10 protein (SCG10). The ultra-trace protein detection technique was used to evaluate changes in gene expression levels. RESULTS: Strychni Semen and its active compounds (brucine and strychnine) improved functional recovery in mice following SNC injury. Transcriptomic data indicated that Strychni Semen and its active compounds initiated transcriptional reprogramming that impacted cellular morphology and extracellular matrix remodeling in DRGs after SNC, suggesting potential roles in promoting axon regeneration. Imaging data further confirmed that Strychni Semen and its active compounds facilitated axon regrowth in SNC-injured mice. By integrating protein-protein interaction predictions, ultra-trace protein detection, and molecular docking analysis, we identified myeloperoxidase as a potentially critical factor in the axon regenerative effects conferred by Strychni Semen and its active compounds. CONCLUSION Strychni Semen and its active compounds enhance sensory function by promoting axonal regeneration after PNI. These findings establish a foundation for the future applications of Strychni Semen and highlight novel therapeutic strategies and drug targets for axon regeneration. Please cite this article as: Zhang Y, Zhao XY, Liu MT, Zhou ZC, Cheng HB, Jiang XH, Zheng YR, Chen Z. Strychni Semen and its active compounds promote axon regeneration following peripheral nerve injury by suppressing myeloperoxidase in the dorsal root ganglia. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 169-181.
Animals ; Nerve Regeneration/drug effects* ; Mice ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/physiopathology* ; Male ; Ganglia, Spinal/enzymology* ; Axons/physiology* ; Peroxidase/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Strychnine/pharmacology*

Objective To establish the drug use evaluation(DUE)criteria for aspirin enteric-coated tablets and provide a reference for the rationally clinical application of aspirin enteric-coated tablets.Methods DUE criteria for aspirin enteric-coated tablets were established from three aspects of indications,medications and medication results with reference to drug instructions of aspirin enteric-coated tablets,related guidelines,expert consensus and literature,and through Delphi method.A retrospective analysis was conducted to evaluate the medical records of patients who took aspirin enteric-coated tablets from January 2021 to June 2022 in Fuqing Hospital affiliated to Fujian Medical University.Results A total of 1 071 medical records were included.683 cases fully met the DUE criteria,with a rational rate of 63.77％.Irrational drug use mainly included inappropriate indications(6.26％),off-label drug use without approval(28.48％),contraindications(1.03％),inappropriate usage and dosage(1.68％),drug interactions with potential clinical significance(0.65％)and other inappropriate drug use(2.71％).Conclusion The established DUE standard for aspirin enteric-coated tablets has strong scientific practicability and feasibility.The irrational rate of aspirin enteric-coated tablets in this hospital is high.Corresponding intervention measures should be formulated to ensure the safety of clinical medication.

Chemical cleaning and disinfection are crucial steps for eliminating infection in root canal treatment.However,irrigant selection or irrigation procedures are far from clear.The vapor lock effect in the apical region has yet to be solved,impeding irrigation efficacy and resulting in residual infections and compromised treatment outcomes.Additionally,ambiguous clinical indications for root canal medication and non-standardized dressing protocols must be clarified.Inappropriate intracanal medication may present side effects and jeopardize the therapeutic outcomes.Indeed,clinicians have been aware of these concerns for years.Based on the current evidence of studies,this article reviews the properties of various irrigants and intracanal medicaments and elucidates their effectiveness and interactions.The evolution of different kinetic irrigation methods,their effects,limitations,the paradigm shift,current indications,and effective operational procedures regarding intracanal medication are also discussed.This expert consensus aims to establish the clinical operation guidelines for root canal irrigation and a position statement on intracanal medication,thus facilitating a better understanding of infection control,standardizing clinical practice,and ultimately improving the success of endodontic therapy.

Background::Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) is purported to accurately distinguish uric acid stones from non-uric acid stones. However, whether DECT can accurately discriminate ammonium urate stones from uric acid stones remains unknown. Therefore, we aimed to explore whether they can be accurately identified by DECT and to develop a radiomics model to assist in distinguishing them.Methods::This research included two steps. For the first purpose to evaluate the accuracy of DECT in the diagnosis of uric acid stones, 178 urolithiasis patients who underwent preoperative DECT between September 2016 and December 2019 were enrolled. For model construction, 93, 40, and 109 eligible urolithiasis patients treated between February 2013 and October 2022 were assigned to the training, internal validation, and external validation sets, respectively. Radiomics features were extracted from non-contrast CT images, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm was used to develop a radiomics signature. Then, a radiomics model incorporating the radiomics signature and clinical predictors was constructed. The performance of the model (discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness) was evaluated.Results::When patients with ammonium urate stones were included in the analysis, the accuracy of DECT in the diagnosis of uric acid stones was significantly decreased. Sixty-two percent of ammonium urate stones were mistakenly diagnosed as uric acid stones by DECT. A radiomics model incorporating the radiomics signature, urine pH value, and urine white blood cell count was constructed. The model achieved good calibration and discrimination {area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC; 95% confidence interval [CI]), 0.944 (0.899–0.989)}, which was internally and externally validated with AUCs of 0.895 (95% CI, 0.796–0.995) and 0.870 (95% CI, 0.769–0.972), respectively. Decision curve analysis revealed the clinical usefulness of the model.Conclusions::DECT cannot accurately differentiate ammonium urate stones from uric acid stones. Our proposed radiomics model can serve as a complementary diagnostic tool for distinguishing them in vivo.

AIM:To investigate the effect of glaucoma knowledge education among community residents and knowledge source, and to provide reference for improving the awareness rate of glaucoma knowledge among residents.METHODS: From July 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023, a total of 752 residents live in two communities of Jinhua city were randomly selected to investigate the source of glaucoma prevention and treatment knowledge. In addition, comprehensive health education intervention lasted for 3 mo, awareness rate of core knowledge of glaucoma was investigated before and after the intervention, and the effect of the intervention was evaluated.RESULTS: The source of glaucoma related knowledge for radio and television was 33.4%; the mobile network was 40.9%; the health education was 21.5%. The overall awareness rate of glaucoma related knowledge before education intervention was 32.7%; the overall awareness rate after intervention was 48.4%, and the comparison before and after intervention was statistically significant(χ2=37.130, P<0.001). The awareness rate of 18 questions were statistically significant before and after the intervention(χ2≥13.341, P<0.001).CONCLUSION: The awareness rate of glaucoma related knowledge among residents was low, and mobile phone network and radio and television were the main sources of glaucoma related knowledge, so the education intervention was an effective means to improve glaucoma related knowledge.

In Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases,there are five articles concerning"diet as usual".When many doctors annotate such articles,they mostly interpret"diet as usual"as normal diet or because of stomach qi not affected by disease,ignoring the true significance of"diet as usual"and its role in clinical differential diagnosis.Through sorting out and summarizing the relevant provisions of"diet as usual",combining with the comments of Shuowen Jiezi and various ancient and modern doctors on the relevant provisions of"diet as usual"to explore the meaning behind it,the author believes that"diet as usual"can only be understood as"diet as before".Because it exists in a variety of diseases,it cannot be blindly extended to"normal diet"."Diet as usual"has two functions in clinical differential diagnosis:on the one hand,the stomach is empty,and no solid no drink blocks the qi movement,or there is stagnant heat in the stomach and intestines,but has not yet formed dry feces;on the other hand,when the middle jiao becomes one of the pathogenic factors of the disease,"diet as usual"can exclude the influence of the middle jiao.

OBJECTIVE To establish the drug use evaluation(DUE) standard of ticagrelor, and to provide a reference for the rational clinical application of ticagrelor. METHODS Based on the ticagrelor drug label, related guidelines and literature, combined with clinical expert consultation results, DUE standard from three levels (indications, medications and medication results) was established. A retrospective survey was conducted to evaluate the inpatients using ticagrelor from January 2021 to December 2021 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. RESULTS The DUE of ticagrelor was divided into three levels, including 3 first-level indexes, 14 second-level indexes and 60 third-level indexes. A total of 263 cases of using ticagrelor were included, of which the irrational rate was 72.62%. The irrational cases were mainly off-label use (60.08%), inappropriate drug conversion(14.83%) and unreasonable usage and dosage(5.70%), etc. CONCLUSION The established DUE standard of ticagrelor is scientific, practical and feasible, which can provide reference for clinical rational drug use and prescription evaluation.