In order to clarify the effects of drought stress training on the quality and drought resistance of Codonopsis pilosula, this study used PEG to simulate drought stress and employed potting with water control for the drought stress training of C. pilosula plants. The polysaccharide content, secondary metabolites, antioxidant system, and photosynthetic pigment system of C. pilosula after drought stress training were analyzed. The results showed that the content of fructans in the root of C. pilosula increased after two rounds of drought stress treatment, and it was significantly higher than that of the control group. The accumulation of fructans in the root of C. pilosula showed an upward trend during the rehydration treatment. The content of lobetyolin and tangshenoside Ⅰ increased after drought stress treatment compared with that of the control group. The rehydration treatment caused first increasing and then decreasing in the content of lobetyolin, while it had no significant effect on the tangshenoside Ⅰcontent. The content of photosynthetic pigments decreased after drought stress treatment, and it gradually increased during the first round of rehydration and the second round of rehydration. Moreover, the increase was faster in the second round of rehydration than in the first round of rehydration. The content of the peroxidation product malondialdehyde(MDA) and the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD), peroxidase(POD), and catalase(CAT) increased after drought stress treatment compared with those of the control group, and they showed a tendency of decreasing during rehydration. Moreover, the decrease was faster in the second round of rehydration than in the first round of rehydration. When the plants of C. pilosula after drought stress training were again subjected to severe drought stress, the wilting rate decreased significantly, and the biomass increases significantly. This study showed that the drought stress training could promote the accumulation of polysaccharides and secondary metabolites in the root of C. pilosula. When encountering drought stress again, C. pilosula plants could quickly regulate the antioxidant system and delay the decomposition of chlorophyll to respond to drought stress. The findings provide a theoretical basis for the ecological cultivation of C. pilosula in arid and semi-arid areas.
Codonopsis/growth & development* ; Droughts ; Polysaccharides/metabolism* ; Stress, Physiological ; Water/metabolism* ; Antioxidants/metabolism* ; Photosynthesis ; Drought Resistance

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) decoction pieces are a core carrier for the inheritance and innovation of TCM, and their quality and safety are critical to public health and the sustainable development of the industry. Conventional quality control models, while having established a well-developed system through long-term practice, still face challenges such as relatively long inspection cycles, insufficient objectivity in characterizing complex traits, and urgent needs for improving the efficiency of integrating multidimensional quality information when confronted with the dual demands of large-scale production and precision quality control. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, machine learning can deeply analyze multidimensional data of the morphology, spectroscopy, and chemical fingerprints of decoction pieces by constructing high-dimensional feature space analysis models, significantly improving the standardization level and decision-making efficiency of quality evaluation. This article reviews the research progress in the application of machine learning in the processing, production, and rapid quality evaluation of TCM decoction pieces. It further analyzes current challenges in technological implementation and proposes potential solutions, offering theoretical and technical references to advance the digital and intelligent transformation of the industry.
Machine Learning ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/standards* ; Quality Control ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; Humans

It has been popular and challenging to undertake researches on the delay of acquired resistance of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI). As key cells for tumor initiation, cancer stem cells (CSC) play an important role in the process of resistance to EGFR-TKI. Although preliminary studies found that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) could inhibit CSC properties and delay EGFR-TKI resistance, the specific molecular mechanism remains unclear. By summarizing the empirical syndrome treatment of EGFR-TKI resistance via TCM and combining recent researches on TCM intervention in CSC to delay EGFR-TKI resistance, this review discussed the potential molecular pathways and mechanisms of deceleration in resistance to EGFR-TKI by TCM via inhibiting CSC characteristics, in order to expand the research ideas of TCM in combination with targeted therapy.
Humans ; Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects* ; ErbB Receptors/genetics* ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

Objective To mine and analyze the routine blood test data of children with allergic rhinitis (AR), identify routine blood parameters related to childhood allergic rhinitis, establish an effective diagnostic model, and evaluate the performance of the model. Methods This study was a retrospective study of clinical cases. The experimental group comprised a total of 1110 children diagnosed with AR at the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University during the period from December 12, 2020 to December 12, 2021, while the control group included 1109 children without a history of allergic rhinitis or other allergic diseases who underwent routine physical examinations during the same period. Information such as age, sex and routine blood test results was collected for all subjects. The levels of routine blood test indicators were compared between AR children and healthy children using comprehensive intelligent baseline analysis, with indicators of P≥0.05 excluded; variables were screened by Lasso regression. Binary Logistic regression was used to further evaluate the influence of multiple routine blood indexes on the results. Five kinds of machine model algorithms were used, namely extreme value gradient lift (XGBoost), logistic regression (LR), gradient lift decision tree (LGBMC), Random forest (RF) and adaptive lift algorithm (AdaBoost), to establish the diagnostic models. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to screen the optimal model. The best LightGBM algorithm was used to build an online patient risk assessment tool for clinical application. Results Statistically significant differences were observed between the AR group and the control group in the following routine blood test indicators: mean cellular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), hemoglobin (HGB), absolute value of basophils (BASO), absolute value of eosinophils (EOS), large platelet ratio (P-LCR), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), platelet count (PLT), absolute values of leukocyte neutrophil (W-LCC), leukocyte monocyte (W-MCC), leukocyte lymphocyte (W-SCC), and age. Lasso regression identified these variables as important predictors, and binary Logistic regression further analyzed the significant influence of these variables on the results. The optimal machine learning algorithm LightGBM was used to establish a multi-index joint detection model. The model showed robust prediction performance in the training set, with AUC values of 0.8512 and 0.8103 in the internal validation set. Conclusion The identified routine blood parameters can be used as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and risk assessment of AR, which can improve the accuracy and efficiency of diagnosis. The established model provides scientific basis for more accurate diagnostic tools and personalized prevention strategies. Future studies should prospectively validate these findings and explore their applicability in other related diseases.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Rhinitis, Allergic/blood* ; Child ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Retrospective Studies ; Early Diagnosis ; Child, Preschool ; ROC Curve ; Logistic Models ; Hematologic Tests ; Algorithms ; Adolescent ; Machine Learning

Objective To investigate the effects of exosomes (Exo) derived from high glucose-stimulated glomerular mesangial cells (GMC) on the kidneys of C57BL/6 mice and the intervention mechanism of Tongluo Yishen Formula (TLYSF). Methods The rat GMC were divided into a normal glucose group (NG, with 5.6 mmol/L glucose) and a high glucose group (HG, with 30 mmol/L glucose). After 24 hours of culture, the supernatant was collected, and exosomes were extracted using the ultracentrifugation method. The exosomes were then identified by transmission electron microscopy and Western blot analysis. Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups: NO-Exo group, NG-Exo group, and HG-Exo group. These groups were respectively administered tail vein injections of PBS buffer, exosomes derived from GMC cultured in normal glucose, and exosomes derived from GMC cultured in high glucose, three times a week for a total of 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, the mice in the HG-Exo group were randomly divided into three subgroups: the HG-Exo group [gavaged with saline], the HG-Exo+TLYSF group [gavaged with TLYSF at 34.32 g/(kg.d)], and the HG-Exo + VAL group [gavaged with valsartan suspension at 10.4 mg/(kg.d)], and the intervention lasted for 4 weeks. Urinary microalbumin (mALb), urinary N-acetyl-β-D-aminoglucosidase (NAG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), serum creatinine (Scr) and urea nitrogen (BUN) were detected. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructure of renal tissues. TUNEL was used to detect the DNA damage of renal tissue cells. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) and wilms tumor 1(WT-1). RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA levels of NLRP3, cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase 1 (caspase-1), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), miR-200c-3p and miR-148a-3p. Western Blot was employed to detect the protein expression of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), caspase-1 and IL-1β. Results Compared with the NG-Exo group, mice in the HG-Exo group exhibited significantly increased levels of mALb, urinary NAG, Scr and BUN. Transmission electron microscopy revealed ruptured podocyte membranes and swollen mitochondria. The positive rate of cells stained by the TUNEL increased, with elevated optical density of NLRP3 and decreased optical density of WT-1. Additionally, there was a significant increase in the level of NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β mRNA, as well as miR-200c-3p and miR-148a-3p. The protein expression of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, and IL-1β also increased. Compared with HG-Exo group, mice in the HG-Exo+TLYSF group showed decreased levels of mALb, urinary NAG, Scr, and BUN. The podocyte membranes were relatively intact, and mitochondrial damage was alleviated. The positive rate of cells stained by the TUNEL decreased, along with a reduction in the optical density of NLRP3 and an increase in the optical density of WT-1. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, miR-200c-3p, and miR-148a-3p were all downregulated to varying degrees. The protein expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, and IL-1β also decreased. Conclusion Exosomes derived from GMC stimulated by high glucose can damage the kidneys of mice and induce podocyte pyroptosis. TLYSF may ameliorate podocyte pyroptosis by downregulating the expression of exosomal miR-200c-3p and miR-148a-3p and inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3/ASC/caspase-1 pathway.
Animals ; Exosomes/ultrastructure* ; Glucose/pharmacology* ; Male ; Podocytes/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Mesangial Cells/metabolism* ; Pyroptosis/drug effects* ; Rats ; MicroRNAs/genetics*

The cardioprotective effects of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors (HDIs) are at odds with the deleterious effects of HDAC depletion. Here, we use HDAC3 as a prototype HDAC to address this contradiction. We show that adult-onset cardiac-specific depletion of HDAC3 in mice causes cardiac hypertrophy and contractile dysfunction on a high-fat diet (HFD), excluding developmental disruption as a major reason for the contradiction. Genetically abolishing HDAC3 enzymatic activity without affecting its protein level does not cause cardiac dysfunction on HFD. HDAC3 depletion causes robust downregulation of lipid oxidation/bioenergetic genes and upregulation of antioxidant/anti-apoptotic genes. In contrast, HDAC3 enzyme activity abolishment causes much milder changes in far fewer genes. The abnormal gene expression is cardiomyocyte-autonomous and can be rescued by an enzyme-dead HDAC3 mutant but not by an HDAC3 mutant (Δ33-70) that lacks interaction with the nuclear-envelope protein lamina-associated polypeptide 2β (LAP2β). Tethering LAP2β to the HDAC3 Δ33-70 mutant restored its ability to rescue gene expression. Finally, HDAC3 depletion, not loss of HDAC3 enzymatic activity, exacerbates cardiac contractile functions upon aortic constriction. These results suggest that the cardiac function of HDAC3 in adults is not attributable to its enzyme activity, which has implications for understanding the cardioprotective effects of HDIs.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of fractional CO 2 laser combined with topical delivery of fluorouracil versus compound betamethasone injections in the treatment of vitiligo. Methods:Clinical data were collected from 94 patients with localized, non-segmental, and stable vitiligo, who received fractional CO 2 laser combined with drug delivery at the Cosmetological Center, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University from October 2018 to May 2023, and were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, there were 40 cases in the fractional CO 2 laser combined with fluorouracil injection group, and 54 cases in the fractional CO 2 laser combined with compound betamethasone injection group. All the patients received the above treatment once a month for 5 sessions. A 4-level grading scale was used to evaluate the pigmentation improvement, and the clinical efficacy and safety of the two therapeutic regimens were compared. Comparisons between groups were performed using chi-square test, Fisher′s exact test, and t test. Results:In the fractional CO 2 laser combined with fluorouracil injection group, there were 22 males and 18 females, their ages were 21.95 ± 12.88 years, and the disease duration was 25.46 ± 11.42 months; in the fractional CO 2 laser combined with compound betamethasone injection group, there were 36 males and 18 females, their ages were 22.26 ± 8.79 years, and the disease duration was 26.51 ± 12.81 months. One month after the first treatment, no significant difference was observed in the efficacy between the two groups ( χ2 = 1.39, P = 0.238). One month after the fifth treatment, 2 (5.0%) patients showed an excellent response, 4 (10.0%) showed a good response, 12 (30.0%) showed a mild response, and 22 (55.0%) showed a poor response in the fractional CO 2 laser combined with fluorouracil injection group; in the fractional CO 2 laser combined with compound betamethasone injection group, 8 (14.8%) patients showed a good response, 8 (14.8%) showed a mild response, and 38 (70.4%) showed a poor response; there was no significant difference in the efficacy between the two groups after 5 sessions of treatment ( χ2 = 2.35, P = 0.125). After either 1 or 5 sessions of treatment, there were no significant differences in the efficacy for lesions on the face and neck, trunk and limbs, hands and feet between the two therapeutic regimens (all P > 0.05). Comparisons of the efficacy for skin lesions on different body sites showed that one session of the fractional CO 2 laser combined with fluorouracil injection was more effective for the treatment of skin lesions on the face and neck compared with those on the hands and feet ( P = 0.039) ; after 5 sessions of treatment, the two therapeutic regimens both showed better efficacy for facial skin lesions compared with hand and foot skin lesions ( P = 0.005, 0.049). There was no significant difference in the occurrence of adverse reactions such as pigmentation, infection and scarring between the two groups. Conclusion:The fractional CO 2 laser combined with topical delivery of fluorouracil and compound betamethasone injections showed similar efficacy and safety in the treatment of vitiligo, and both can be used as treatment options for vitiligo.

OBJECTIVE To establish a rapid method for determining of acid yellow 36 in moxibustion. METHODS Based on the principle of acid yellow 36 as an acid-base indicator and discoloration in the pH range of 1.2(red) to 2.3(yellow), 15% sulfuric acid solution was used as the color developing agent to screen the ethanol extract of the sample, and then HPLC method was used to verify the suspicious positive samples in the initial screening, and finally LC-MS method was used to confirm the accuracy of the established rapid physicochemical detection method. RESULTS The established method was applied to 67 batches of samples, and 3 positive samples were detected. The results were consistent with those of HPLC and LC-MS. CONCLUSION The method is accurate and sensitive, which can be used for rapid detection of acid yellow 36 in moxibustion.

Objective To establish the method for content determination of three lignans of Dendrobium Fimbriatum Hook..Methods The lignans in Dendrobium tasselii were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography/multi-stage mass spectrometry(HPLC-ESI/MSn)coupled with ultraviolet absorption spectrometry(UV)coupled with retention time localization of high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).The separation was carried out on a Kromasil 100-5 C18 column(4.6 mm×250 mm,5 μm)using a gradient elution of acetonitrile-0.1%formic acid solution as the mobile phase,the volume flow rate was 0.8 mL·min-1 and the column temperature was 35℃,and the mass spectrometry was performed using an ESI ion source with the data collected in the negative ion mode.The HPLC content was determined on the same column as that of MS analysis,with the mobile phase methanol + acetonitrile(V/V=1∶1)-0.01 mol/L ammonium acetate solution,gradient elution,flow rate of 0.8 mL·min-1,column temperature of 40℃,and detection wavelength of 215 nm.Results Syringaresinol di-O-glucoside and(-)-Syringaresinol 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and DL-Syringaresinol were identified from Dendrobium fimbriatum Hook.,and the results of content determination showed that the linear ranges of above three components were respectively 0.1701-3.4020,0.1020-2.0400,0.0403-0.8060 μg(r≥0.9995),the average recoveries were in the range of 97.71%-101.67%,and the relative standard deviations(RSDs)were all less than 3.0%.The contents of Syringaresinol di-O-glucoside and(-)-Syringaresinol 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and DL-Syringaresinol in the 10 batches of samples were 0.7779-1.3852,0.0734-0.1966,0.0295-0.1882 mg·g-1.Conclusion This research method can provide a reference basis for the quality evaluation method of Dendrobium fimbriatum Hook..

Objective:To understand the relevant situation of people seeking tattoo removal in laser cosmetic clinics.Methods:A face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted among respondents seeking tattoo removal who visited the Laser Cosmetic Clinic of the Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from June 2021 to May 2022. The questionnaire survey content included 4 categories and a total of 30 questions: basic information of the tattoo respondents, tattoo-related situations, respondents’ cognition of tattoos, and tattoo removal needs. The questionnaire responses were statistically analyzed, and differences were analyzed according to the gender, age of the tattoo respondents, and educational level at the time of tattooing. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted on the general information of the questionnaire; Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test or Pearson’s chi-squared test were used for the analysis of the difference in the composition ratio of each data.Results:A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed and 142 valid questionnaires were collected. There were 81 male and 61 female tattoo respondents, with an age of (21.8±4.9) years (13-41 years). The result of the survey showed that 52.8%(75/142) of the respondents were minors (<18 years old) at the time of tattooing, and 97.2%(138/142) were <24 years old at the time of tattooing; 67.6% (96/142) regretted the act of tattooing; 73.2%(104/142) of the respondents themselves asked for the removal of tattoos; who removed their tattoos for personal development (joining the army, working, studying) was 68.3%(97/142); only 23.2%(33/142) of the respondents understood the harms of tattoos; and 21.8%(31/142) of the respondents suffered from adverse reactions after getting tattoos. The percentage of respondents who hid their tattoos from their family members was 82.4%(117/142); the percentage of respondents whose family members approved of the tattoos was only 25.4%(36/142). Analysis of variance showed that there was no correlation between the education level of the respondents and their knowledge of the tattoo risks( P>0.05); the reasons for removing tattoos were correlated with the age and gender of the respondents at the time of consultation ( P<0.01); the size of tattoos was correlated with the gender of the respondents ( P<0.01) and the female respondents were more inclined to choose a small tattoo; the age of tattooing of the respondents was correlated with the level of education of the respondents when they had tattooed themselves ( P<0.01), the proportion of tattoos aged <18 years old was highest among respondents with junior high school education at the time of tattooing [76.2%(32/42)], and this proportion tended to decrease significantly as the education level at the time of tattooing increased. Conclusion:The respondents seeking tattoo removal in the laser cosmetic clinic are mainly teenagers. About half of the respondents were minors at the time of tattooing, and most of them were not aware of the tattoo risks. There is a certain correlation between the age of the respondents and their educational background at the time of tattooing. There are certain differences in the reasons for removing tattoos among respondents depending on gender and age. There is no correlation between the educational background of the respondents and their understanding of the tattoo risks.