ObjectiveTo explore the pharmacological mechanism involved in the treatment of allergic cough （AC） by Xiaoer Huatan Zhike granules （XEHT） based on proteomics and network pharmacology. MethodsAfter sensitization by intraperitoneal injection of 1 mL suspension containing 2 mg ovalbumin （OVA） and 100 mg aluminum hydroxide， a guinea pig model of allergic cough was constructed by nebulization with 1% OVA. The modeled guinea pigs were randomized into the model， low-， medium- and high-dose （1， 5， 20 g·kg^-1， respectively） XEHT， and sodium montelukast （1 mg·kg^-1） groups （n=6）， and another 6 guinea pigs were selected as the blank group. The guinea pigs in drug administration groups were administrated with the corresponding drugs by gavage， and those in the blank and model groups received the same volume of normal saline by gavage， 1 time·d^-1. After 10 consecutive days of drug administration， the guinea pigs were stimulated by 1% OVA nebulization， and the coughs were observed. The pathological changes in the lung tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to measure the levels of C-reactive protein （CRP）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， and malondialdehyde （MDA） in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） and immunoglobulin G （IgG） and immunoglobulin A （IgA） in the serum. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was employed to observe the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α in the lung tissue. Transmission electron microscopy was employed observe the alveolar type Ⅱ epithelial cell ultrastructure. Real-time PCR was employed to determine the mRNA levels of IL-6， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and TNF-α in the lung tissue. Label-free proteomics was used to detect the differential proteins among groups. Network pharmacology was used to predict the targets of XEHT in treating AC. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） enrichment analysis was performed to search for the same pathways from the results of proteomics and network pharmacology. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group showed increased coughs （P<0.01）， elevated levels of CRP， TNF-α， IL-6， and MDA and lowered level of SOD in the BALF （P<0.05， P<0.01）， elevated levels of IgA and IgG in the serum （P<0.05， P<0.01）， congestion of the lung tissue and infiltration of inflammatory cells， increased expression of IL-6 and TNF-α （P<0.01）， large areas of low electron density edema in type Ⅱ epithelial cells， obvious swelling and vacuolization of the organelles， karyopyknosis or sparse and dissolved chromatin， and up-regulated mRNA levels of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the drug administration groups showed reduced coughs （P<0.01）， lowered levels of CRP， TNF-α， IL-6， and MDA and elevated level of SOD in the BALF （P<0.05， P<0.01）， alleviated lung tissue congestion， inflammatory cell infiltration， and type Ⅱ epithelial cell injury， and decreased expression of IL-6 and TNF-α （P<0.01）. In addition， the medium-dose XEHT group and the montelukast sodium group showcased lowered serum levels of IgA and IgG （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The medium- and high-dose XEHT groups and the montelukast sodium showed down-regulated mRNA levels of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α and the low-dose XEHT group showed down-regulated mRNA levels of IL-6 and TNF-α （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Phospholipase D， mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， and epidermal growth factor receptor family of receptor tyrosine kinase （ErbB） signaling pathways were the common pathways predicted by both proteomics and network pharmacology. ConclusionProteomics combined with network pharmacology reveal that XEHT can ameliorate AC by regulating the phospholipase D， mTOR， and ErbB signaling pathways.

Based on advancements in modern medical research regarding the intricate connection between the endocrine and exocrine functions of the pancreas， as well as the relationship between pancreatic functions and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） spleen system， this paper discussed the categorization of the pancreas. It is proposed that the pancreas is neither a true zang organ nor a fu organ， but possessed the attributes of an extraordinary fu-organ and can be classified under the spleen. The spleen governs transportation and transformation， ascent of the clear and dispersion of essence， which encompasses the endocrine and exocrine functions， and pancreatic enzymes and glucose-regulating hormones form the material basis for the spleen's function of dispersing essence. Diseases of the pancreas exhibit characteristics of both zang-organ deficiency and fu-organ excess， so treatment should simultaneously supplement zang-organ disease and regulate fu-organ disease when pancreas showing endocrine and exocrine co-morbidities， with focus on restoring the pancreas （spleen）'s dispersing essence function. Therapeutic strategies include supplementing spleen qi， nourishing spleen yin to strengthen spleen earth， unblocking spleen collaterals， raising spleen yang， and removing spleen turbidity to support the spleen's dispersing essence function， so as to replenish the essential qi of zang-fu organs， ensure their distribution throughout the body， and improve the endocrine and exocrine functions of the pancreas.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an increasingly widespread sleep-breathing disordered disease, and is an independent risk factor for many high-risk chronic diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, arrhythmias and diabetes, which is potentially fatal. The key to the prevention and treatment of OSA is early diagnosis and treatment, so the assessment and diagnostic technologies of OSA have become a research hotspot. This paper reviews the research progresses of severity assessment parameters and diagnostic technologies of OSA, and discusses their future development trends. In terms of severity assessment parameters of OSA, apnea hypopnea index (AHI), as the gold standard, together with the percentage of duration of apnea hypopnea (AH%), lowest oxygen saturation (LSpO₂), heart rate variability (HRV), oxygen desaturation index (ODI) and the emerging biomarkers, constitute a multi-dimensional evaluation system. Specifically, the AHI, which measures the frequency of sleep respiratory events per hour, does not fully reflect the patients’ overall sleep quality or the extent of their daytime functional impairments. To address this limitation, the AH%, which measures the proportion of the entire sleep cycle affected by apneas and hypopneas, deepens our understanding of the impact on sleep quality. The LSpO₂ plays a critical role in highlighting the potential severe hypoxic episodes during sleep, while the HRV offers a different perspective by analyzing the fluctuations in heart rate thereby revealing the activity of the autonomic nervous system. The ODI provides a direct and objective measure of patients’ nocturnal oxygenation stability by calculating the number of desaturation events per hour, and the biomarkers offers novel insights into the diagnosis and management of OSA, and fosters the development of more precise and tailored OSA therapeutic strategies. In terms of diagnostic techniques of OSA, the standardized questionnaire and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) is a simple and effective method for preliminary screening of OSA, and the polysomnography (PSG) which is based on recording multiple physiological signals stands for gold standard, but it has limitations of complex operations, high costs and inconvenience. As a convenient alternative, the home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) allows patients to monitor their sleep with simplified equipment in the comfort of their own homes, and the cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC) offers a minimal version that simply analyzes the electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. As an emerging diagnostic technology of OSA, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) adeptly pinpoint respiratory incidents and expose delicate physiological changes, thus casting new light on the diagnostic approach to OSA. In addition, imaging examination utilizes detailed visual representations of the airway’s structure and assists in recognizing structural abnormalities that may result in obstructed airways, while sound monitoring technology records and analyzes snoring and breathing sounds to detect the condition subtly, and thus further expands our medical diagnostic toolkit. As for the future development directions, it can be predicted that interdisciplinary integrated researches, the construction of personalized diagnosis and treatment models, and the popularization of high-tech in clinical applications will become the development trends in the field of OSA evaluation and diagnosis.

ObjectiveINF2 is a member of the formins family. Abnormal expression and regulation of INF2 have been associated with the progression of various tumors, but the expression and role of INF2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. HCC is a highly lethal malignant tumor. Given the limitations of traditional treatments, this study explored the expression level, clinical value and potential mechanism of INF2 in HCC in order to seek new therapeutic targets. MethodsIn this study, we used public databases to analyze the expression of INF2 in pan-cancer and HCC, as well as the impact of INF2 expression levels on HCC prognosis. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression level of INF2 in liver cancer cells and human HCC tissues. The correlation between INF2 expression and clinical pathological features was analyzed using public databases and clinical data of human HCC samples. Subsequently, the effects of INF2 expression on the biological function and Drp1 phosphorylation of liver cancer cells were elucidated through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Finally, the predictive value and potential mechanism of INF2 in HCC were further analyzed through database and immunohistochemical experiments. ResultsINF2 is aberrantly high expression in HCC samples and the high expression of INF2 is correlated with overall survival, liver cirrhosis and pathological differentiation of HCC patients. The expression level of INF2 has certain diagnostic value in predicting the prognosis and pathological differentiation of HCC. In vivo and in vitro HCC models, upregulated expression of INF2 triggers the proliferation and migration of the HCC cell, while knockdown of INF2 could counteract this effect. INF2 in liver cancer cells may affect mitochondrial division by inducing Drp1 phosphorylation and mediate immune escape by up-regulating PD-L1 expression, thus promoting tumor progression. ConclusionINF2 is highly expressed in HCC and is associated with poor prognosis. High expression of INF2 may promote HCC progression by inducing Drp1 phosphorylation and up-regulation of PD-L1 expression, and targeting INF2 may be beneficial for HCC patients with high expression of INF2.

As a patented characteristic medicine of Yi ethnic minority， Pingxuan capsules have the effects of nourishing the liver and kidney， pacifying the liver， and subduing Yang. With the main indications of dizziness， headache， palpitations， tinnitus， insomnia， dreaminess， waist and knee soreness caused by liver-kidney deficiency and liver Yang upward disturbance， Pingxuan capsules are widely used in the treatment of posterior circulation ischemic vertigo， vestibular migraine， benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. However， the current knowledge is limited regarding the efficacy， syndrome differentiation， and safety of this medicine. On the basis of summarizing the experience of clinicians and the existing evidence， this study invites clinical experts of traditional Chinese and Western medicine， pharmaceutical experts， and methodological experts from relevant fields across China to conduct evidence-based evaluation of Pingxuan capsules. The evaluation follows the Specifications for the Development of Clinical Expert Consensus on Chinese Patent Medicines issued by the Standardization Office of the China Association of Chinese Medicine， and reaches 5 recommendations and 16 consensus suggestions. The consensus clarifies the clinical applications， efficacy， dose， course of treatment， combination of medicines， precautions， and contraindications of Pingxuan capsules in the treatment of vertigo and explains the safety of clinical application. This consensus is applicable to clinicians （traditional Chinese medicine， Western medicine， and integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine） and pharmacists in tertiary hospitals， secondary hospitals， and community-level medical and health institutions across China， providing a reference for the rational use of Pingxuan capsules in the treatment of vertigo. It is hoped that the promotion of this consensus can facilitate the rational use of drugs in clinical practice， reduce the risk of drug use， and give full play to the advantages of Pingxuan capsules in the treatment of vertigo diseases. This consensus has been reviewed and published by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， with the number GS/CACM330-2023.

AIM: To prepare a novel functionalized upconversion nanomaterial UCNPs-PEG-Tf through an improved method and observe its specific imaging phenomenon to choroidal melanoma cells(OCM-1).METHODS: NaYF4:Yb/Er(Up-conversion nanoparticles, UCNPs)was Prepared and plasma was treated to carboxylate the surface; then amino polyethylene glycol and transferrin(Tf)were respectively loaded to prepare UCNPs-PEG-Tf. Characterized them accordingly, its biocompatibility was tested accordingly, and the specific fluorescence phenomenon of OCM-1 was detected by fluorescence spectrophotometer and inverted fluorescence microscopy.RESULTS: Characterization confirmed successful synthesis of UCNPs, UCNPs-PEG, and further loading of Tf to form UCNPs-PEG-Tf. UCNPs-PEG-Tf showed excellent biocompatibility and emitted significant green fluorescence. Under the same conditions, fluorescence intensity measurement and observations from the inverted fluorescence microscope both demonstrated its significant specificity in imaging to OCM-1 cells.CONCLUSION: The synthesized novel functionalized UCNPs-PEG-Tf nanocomposite showed good biocompatibility and achieve specific imaging to OCM-1 cells.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of liver injury induced by tripterygium glycosides tablets （TG） and the molecular mechanism of compound glycyrrhizin tablets （CG） in alleviating the abnormalities of cholesterol metabolism caused by TG via cholesterol metabolism. MethodsAccording to the body weights， male Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly grouped as follows： control （pure water）， low-dose TG （TG-L， 189.0 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， high-dose TG （TG-H， 472.5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， TG-L+CG （189.0 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 TG + 20.25 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 CG）， and TG-H+CG （472.5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 TG + 20.25 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 CG）， with 6 rats in each group. Rats were administrated with corresponding drugs once daily for 3 weeks. At the end of the last administration， the mRNA and protein levels of liver X receptor-alpha （LXR-α）， low-density lipoprotein receptor （LDLR）， adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter A1 （ABCA1）， adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter G1 （ABCG1）， 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase （HMGCR）， cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase （CYP7A1）， cholesterol 12α-hydroxylase （CYP8B1）， and sterol 27-hydroxylase （CYP27A1） in the liver tissue were determined by Real-time PCR and Western blotting， respectively. The level of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase （HMG-CoAR）， a regulatory enzyme of cholesterol synthesis， was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. HepG2 cells were used to observe the effect of TG on the cell proliferation in vitro. Specifically， HepG2 cells were grouped as follows： Low-dose TG （TG-l， 15 mg·L^-1）， medium-dose TG （TG-m， 45 mg·L^-1）， high-dose TG （TG-h， 135 mg·L^-1）， fenofibrate （FB， 10 μmol·L^-1）， CG extract， TG-h+FB （135 mg·L^-1 TG + 10 μmol·L^-1 FB）， TG-m+FB （45 mg·L^-1 TG + 10 μmol·L^-1 FB）， TG-l+FB （15 mg·L^-1 TG + 10 μmol·L^-1 FB）， TG-h+CG （135 mg·L^-1 TG + 60 μmol·L^-1 CG）， TG-m+CG （45 mg·L^-1 TG + 60 μmol·L^-1 CG）， and TG-l+CG （15 mg·L^-1 TG + 60 μmol·L^-1 CG）. The mRNA and protein levels of LXR-α， ABCG1， LDLR， CYP7A1， CYP8B1， and CYP27A1 in HepG2 cells were determined by Real-time PCR and Western blotting， respectively. ResultsThe rat experiment showed that compared with the control group， the TG-H group showed down-regulated mRNA levels of CYP7A1， CYP8B1， and CYP27A1 in the liver tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）， which were up-regulated by the application of CG （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the TG-H+CG group showed up-regulated mRNA level of LDLR （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group， the TG-L and TG-H groups showed down-regulated protein levels of LDLR， CYP7A1， and CYP8B1 in the liver tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， the protein levels of ABCG1 and LXR-α were down-regulated in the TG-H and TG-L groups， respectively （P<0.05）. Compared with TG alone， TG+CG up-regulated the protein levels of ABCG1 and LDLR （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the protein levels of CYP7A1 and CYP8B1 in the TG-H+CG group were up-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The cell experiment showed that compared with the control group， the TG-h group presented up-regulated mRNA level of LXR-α （P<0.01）， and the TG-m and TG-h groups showcased down-regulated mRNA levels of LDLR and CYP7A1 （P<0.01） and up-regulated mRNA level of CYP27A1 （P<0.01） in HepG2 cells. The combination of CG with TG restored the above changes （P<0.01）. Western blotting results showed that compared with the control group， the TG-m and TG-h groups showed down-regulated protein levels of LXR-α， ABCG1， LDLR， CYP7A1， CYP8B1， and CYP27A1 in HepG2 cells （P<0.01）. Compared with the TG-h group， the TG-h+CG group showed up-regulated protein level of LDLR （P<0.05）. Compared with the TG-m group， the TG-m+CG group showcased up-regulated protein levels of LDLR， ABCG1， CYP7A1， and CYP27A1 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionThe administration of TG at 189.0， 472.5 mg·kg^-1 for 3 weeks could modulate the signaling pathways associated with cholesterol efflux， endocytosis， and cholesterol biotransformation in hepatocytes， leading to the accumulation of cholesterol and subsequent liver injury in rats. CG could ameliorate the liver injury induced by lipid metabolism disorders caused by TG by up-regulating the expression of LXR-α， LDLR， ABCG1， CYP7A1， CYP8B1， and CYP27A1 to promote cholesterol biotransformation.

Objective: To assess the nutritional supply status of school meals for primary and secondary school students in Henan Province, so as to provide a basis for scientific guidance of school meals. Methods: During 2021-2023, 115 lunch and dinner samples were collected from 25 primary and secondary schools in Zhoukou, Anyang and Luoyang of Henan Province by a direct selection method, and 13 nutrients were determined for each sample. The nutrient supply was evaluated based on Nutrition Guidelines of School Meals and Reference Intake of Dietary Nutrients for Chinese Residents (2023 Edition). Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the differences of nutritional supply between urban and rural schools. Results: The median values for energy (709.77 kcal,1 kcal=4.18 kJ), fat energy supply ratio (0.27) and carbohydrate energy supply ratio (0.55) in the 66 lunches and dinners from primary school were within the recommended range. The supply of protein (28.39 g) and sodium (1 464.59 mg) was excessive. The median values of zinc (2.62 mg) and dietary fiber (5.19 g) were lower than the reference values. No statistically significant differences were observed in the supply of 13 nutrients between urban and rural primary schools( U = 427.00 -633.00, P > 0.05 ). Among 49 samples from secondary schools, the median value of energy supply (930.02 kcal), carbohydrate energy ratio ( 0.54 ) and fat energy supply ratio(0.25) were within the recommended range; and the median values of protein (38.82 g) and sodium (2 556.80 mg) were higher than the standard; and the median values of calcium (250.32 mg) and vitamin B1 (0.16 mg) were lower than the standard. Additionally, the differences in the level of vitamin B2 ( U =372.00) and zinc ( U =375.00) between the urban and rural secondary schools were statistically significant ( P <0.05). Conclusion Nutrient supply of primary and secondary school meals in three cities of Henan Province is inadequate and imbalanced, and the recipe need to be further optimized and improved.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of saikosaponin C （SSC） on acute liver injury （ALI） in mice induced by carbon tetrachloride （CCl4） based on serum metabolomics. METHODS Forty mice were divided into blank group （water）， model group （water）， positive control drug group （Biphenyl diester drop pills， 150 mg/kg）， and SSC low- and high-dose groups （2.5， 10 mg/kg） using the random number table method， with 8 mice in each group. They were given water/ relevant drugs， once a day， for 7 consecutive days. One hour after the last administration， all mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.2% CCl4 olive oil to induce ALI model， except for the blank group. After 17 hours of the modeling， the liver index of mice was calculated. The levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and IL-1β in serum of mice were detected. The histopathological changes of liver tissue were observed. Meanwhile， the serum metabolomics of mice were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， the levels of liver index， ALT， AST， LDH， TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-1β in the model group were significantly increased （P＜0.01）. Hepatocytes were edema， vacuolar degeneration， more necrosis， and a large number of inflammatory cells were infiltrated. Compared with the model group， liver index and serum index levels of mice were significantly decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， accompanied by marked improvement in histopathological damage to the liver tissue. The metabolomics results showed that compared with the model group， there were 63 up-regulated and 256 down-regulated differential metabolites in the serum of mice in the SSC high-dose group， including prostaglandin B2， 20-hydroxy-leukotriene B4， 5- hydroxy-L-tryptophan， 7α -hydroxycholesterol， etc.； these metabolites were primarily involved in metabolic pathways such as arachidonic acid metabolism， 5-hydroxytryptamine synapse， primary bile acid biosynthesis. CONCLUSIONS SSC exerts a protective effect against CCl4-induced ALI by down-regulating the level of key metabolites such as prostaglandin B2 and 20-hydroxy-leukotriene B4， and then ruducing metabolic pathways such as arachidonic acid metabolism， 5- hydroxytryptamine synapse， and primary bile acid biosynthesis.

Objective To reveal the scientific output and trends in pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models. Methods Publications on predictive models of pulmonary nodules/early lung cancer between January 1, 2002 and June 3, 2023 were retrieved and extracted from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and Web of Science database. CiteSpace 6.1.R3 and VOSviewer 1.6.18 were used to analyze the hotspots and theme trends. Results A marked increase in the number of publications related to pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models was observed. A total of 12581 authors from 2711 institutions in 64 countries/regions published 2139 documents in 566 academic journals in English. A total of 282 articles from 1256 authors were published in 176 journals in Chinese. The Chinese and English journals which published the most pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction model-related papers were Journal of Clinical Radiology and Frontiers in Oncology, respectively. Chest was the most frequently cited journal. China and the United States were the leading countries in the field of pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models. The institutions represented by Fudan University had significant academic influence in the field. Analysis of keywords revealed that multi-omics, nomogram, machine learning and artificial intelligence were the current focus of research. Conclusion Over the last two decades, research on risk-prediction models for pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer has attracted increasing attention. Prognosis, machine learning, artificial intelligence, nomogram, and multi-omics technologies are both current hotspots and future trends in this field. In the future, in-depth explorations using different omics should increase the sensitivity and accuracy of pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models. More high-quality future studies should be conducted to validate the efficacy and safety of pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models further and reduce the global burden of lung cancer.