This study aims to explore the mechanism of lung and gut protection by Tanreqing Capsules on the mice infected with influenza virus based on "the lung-gut axis". A total of 110 C57BL/6J mice were randomized into control group, model group, oseltamivir group, and low-and high-dose Tanreqing Capsules groups. Ten mice in each group underwent body weight protection experiments, and the remaining 12 mice underwent experiments for mechanism exploration. Mice were infected with influenza virus A/Puerto Rico/08/1934(PR8) via nasal inhalation for the modeling. The lung tissue was collected on day 3 after gavage, and the lung tissue, colon tissue, and feces were collected on day 7 after gavage for subsequent testing. The results showed that Tanreqing Capsules alleviated the body weight reduction and increased the survival rate caused by PR8 infection. Compared with model group, Tanreqing Capsules can alleviate the lung injury by reducing the lung index, alleviating inflammation and edema in the lung tissue, down-regulating viral gene expression at the late stage of infection, reducing the percentage of neutrophils, and increasing the percentage of T cells. Tanreqing Capsules relieved the gut injury by restoring the colon length, increasing intestinal lumen mucin secretion, alleviating intestinal inflammation, and reducing goblet cell destruction. The gut microbiota analysis showed that Tanreqing Capsules increased species diversity compared with model group. At the phylum level, Tanreqing Capsules significantly increased the abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, while reducing the abundance of Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria to maintain gut microbiota balance. At the genus level, Tanreqing Capsules significantly increased the abundance of unclassified＿f＿Lachnospiraceae while reducing the abundance of Bacteroides, Eubacterium, and Phocaeicola to maintain gut microbiota balance. In conclusion, Tanreqing Capsules can alleviate mouse lung and gut injury caused by influenza virus infection and restore the balance of gut microbiota. Treating influenza from the lung and gut can provide new ideas for clinical practice.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Mice ; Lung/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Capsules ; Orthomyxoviridae Infections/virology* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Influenza A virus/physiology* ; Influenza, Human/virology*

This study aims to investigate the polarized microscopic mineral phase characteristics, inorganic element content, and potential health risks associated with the intake of raw and calcined fossil mineral Chinese medicinal material Draconis Os. Microscopy was employed to observe the mineralogical characteristics of Draconis Os and compare the microscopic features and phase composition of raw and calcined Draconis Os under monochromatic and orthogonal polarized light. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS) was employed to determine the content of 30 inorganic elements. Health risk assessment was conducted by calculating the single pollution index(P_i), average daily intake of elements for adults(ADI), target hazard quotient(THQ), non-carcinogenic assessment method-hazard quotient(HQ), and the carcinogenic risk of elements(CR). The results indicated that under monochromatic polarized light, the Draconis Os powder sections exhibited light gray-brown to gray-brown irregular fragments, some with undulating textures that were slightly curved. Under crossed polarized light, they appeared dark gray, grayish-white, and yellowish-white. Clear apatite was visible in the ground sections of Draconis Os under crossed polarized light. P_i results indicated that Draconis Os samples were free from contamination and were of good quality. According to the maximum allowable limits of heavy metals stipulated in ISO Traditional Chinese Medicine: Determination of heavy metals in herbal medicines used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, ADI, THQ, HQ, and CR were taken as assessment indicators. Only the THQ value for As(arsenic) in raw Draconis Os was greater than 1, while the THQ values for other heavy metal elements in the Draconis Os samples were all less than 1. The study demonstrates that the primary mineral phase of raw and calcined Draconis Os is apatite, with some samples co-existing with calcite, which can serve as one of the means for quality control of Draconis Os. The elemental analysis results from ICP-MS provide scientific evidence for the safety assessment of Draconis Os, indicating that Draconis Os is safe in clinical application.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Risk Assessment ; Minerals/chemistry* ; Fossils ; Humans ; Drug Contamination ; Mass Spectrometry

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate how spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) exerts its analgesic effects through regulating brain function in lumbar disc herniation (LDH) patients by utilizing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). METHODS: From September 2021 to September 2023, we enrolled LDH patients (LDH group, n=31) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs, n=28). LDH group underwent rs-fMRI at 2 distinct time points (TPs): prior to the initiation of SMT (TP1) and subsequent to the completion of the SMT sessions (TP2). SMT was administered once every other day for 30 min per session, totally 14 treatment sessions over a span of 4 weeks. HCs did not receive SMT treatment and underwent only one fMRI scan. Additionally, participants in LDH group completed clinical questionnaires on pain using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, whereas HCs did not undergo clinical scale assessments. The effects on the brain were jointly characterized using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo). Correlation analyses were conducted between specific brain regions and clinical scales. RESULTS: Following SMT treatment, pain symptoms in LDH patients were notably alleviated and accompanied by evident activation of effects in the brain. In comparison to TP1, TP2 exhibited the most significant increase in ALFF values for Temporal_Sup_R and the most notable decrease in ALFF values for Paracentral_Lobule_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Additionally, the most substantial enhancement in ReHo values was observed for the Cuneus_R, while the most prominent reduction was noted for the Olfactory_R (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Moreover, a comparative analysis revealed that, in contrast to HCs, LDH patients at TP1 exhibited the most significant increase in ALFF values for Temporal_Pole_Sup_L and the most notable decrease in ALFF values for Frontal_Mid_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Furthermore, the most significant enhancement in ReHo values was observed for Postcentral_L, while the most prominent reduction was identified for ParaHippocampal_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Notably, correlation analysis with clinical scales revealed a robust positive correlation between the Cuneus_R score and the rate of change in the VAS score (r=0.9333, P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Long-term chronic lower back pain in patients with LDH manifests significant activation of the "AUN-DMN-S1-SAN" neural circuitry. The visual network, represented by the Cuneus_R, is highly likely to be a key brain network in which the analgesic efficacy of SMT becomes effective in treating LDH patients. (Trial registration No. NCT06277739).
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/diagnostic imaging* ; Male ; Female ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Adult ; Manipulation, Spinal/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Lumbar Vertebrae/physiopathology* ; Pain Management ; Rest ; Case-Control Studies

OBJECTIVE: Varied acupoint selections represent a potential cause of the uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Skin temperature, a guiding factor for acupoint selection, may help to address this issue. This study explored thermal sensitization of acupoints used for the treatment of knee OA. METHODS: This cross-sectional case-control study enrolled cases aged 45-75 years with symptomatic knee OA and age- and gender-matched non-knee OA controls in a 1:1 ratio. All participants underwent infrared thermographic imaging. The primary outcome was the relative skin temperature of acupoint (STA), and the secondary outcome was the absolute STA of 11 acupoints. The Z test was used to compare the relative and absolute STAs between the groups. Principal component analysis was used to extract the common factors (CFs, acupoint cluster) in the STAs. A general linear model was used to identify factors affecting the STA in the knee OA cases. For the group comparisons of relative STA, P < 0.0045 (adjusted for 11 acupoints through Bonferroni correction) was considered to indicate statistical significance. For other analyses, P < 0.05 was used as the threshold for statistical significance. RESULTS: The analysis included 308 participants, consisting of 151 cases (mean age: [64.58 ± 6.67] years; male: 25.83%; mean body mass index: [25.70 ± 3.16] kg/m²) and 157 controls (mean age: [63.37 ± 5.96] years; male: 26.11%; mean body mass index: [24.47 ± 2.84] kg/m²). The relative STAs of ST34 (P = 0.0001), EX-LE2 (P < 0.0001), EX-LE5 (P = 0.0006), SP10 (P < 0.0001), BL40 (P = 0.0012) and GB39 (P = 0.0037) were higher in the knee OA group. No difference was found in the STAs of ST35, ST36, SP9, GB33 and GB34. Four CFs were identified for relative STA in both groups. The acupoints within each CF were consistent between the groups. The mean values of the relative STAs across each CF were higher in the knee OA group. In the knee OA cases, no factors were observed to affect the relative STA, while age and gender were found to affect the absolute STA. CONCLUSION Among patients with knee OA, thermal sensitization occurs in the acupoints of the lower extremity, exhibiting localized and regional thermal consistencies. The thermally sensitized acupoints that we identified in this study, ST34, SP10, EX-LE2, EX-LE5, GB39 and BL40, may be good choices for the acupuncture treatment of knee OA. Please cite this article as: Tu JF, Wang XZ, Yan SY, Wang YR, Yang JW, Shi GX, Zhang WZ, Jing LN, Yang LS, Liu DH, Wang LQ, Mi BH. Thermal sensitization of acupoints in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional case-control study. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 289-296.
Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Acupuncture Points ; Case-Control Studies ; Aged ; Skin Temperature ; Acupuncture Therapy

Objective To explore the changes in serum energy metabolites in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma,and investigate serum biomarkers for monitoring peripheral T-cell lymphoma from the perspective of energy metabolism.Methods Multiple/selected reaction monitoring(MRM/SRM)was used to detect the energy-related metabolites in the sera of 16 patients with newly diagnosed peripheral T-cell lymphoma admitted in the Hematology Medical Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from November 2020 to December 2021,as well as 10 recruited healthy volunteers.The corresponding clinical data including medical history,laboratory results and image data were collected and retrospectively analyzed.Results Significant differences were seen in the contents and expression profiles of serum energy metabolism-related products between the patients and the healthy volunteers.The patients had significantly reduced serum contents of cyclic AMP,succinate,citrate and cis-aconitate(P＜0.05),and elevated D-glucose 6-phosphate content(P＜0.05).The serum contents of citrate and succinate were negatively correlated with the risk stratification(low-,moderate-and high-risk)and clinical stage of the disease(P＜0.05).Meanwhile,there was a negative correlation between the contents of L-malic acid and citrate and the mid-term efficacy evaluation results,such as complete/partial response(CR/PR)or stable disease(SD)(P＜0.05).For patients with extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma(n=10),there were also significant reductions in the contents of cyclic AMP,succinate,citrate,isocitrate and cis-aconitate in the sera of patients compared with healthy volunteers(P＜0.05),and the contents of citrate and succinate were negatively correlated with the clinical stage(P＜0.05)and were rather correlated with mid-term efficacy evaluation results(CR/PR or SD)(P＜0.05).For patients with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma(n=6),the serum contents of cyclic AMP,citrate and succinate were significantly lower,while the content of D-glucose 6-phosphate was higher when compared with the healthy volunteers(P＜0.05),and the content of succinate was negatively correlated with both clinical stage and risk grade of the patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion There are 5 serum differential metabolites identified between patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma and healthy controls,and succinate and citrate are expected to be serum biomarkers of peripheral T-cell lymphoma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglycoside (TGW) in the treatment of psoriatic dermatitis from a cellular immunological perspective. METHODS: Mouse models of psoriatic dermatitis were established by imiquimod (IMQ). Twelve male BALB/c mice were assigned to IMQ or IMQ₊TGW groups according to a random number table. Histopathological changes in vivo were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Ratios of immune cells and cytokines in mice, as well as PAM212 cell proliferation in vitro were assessed by flow cytometry. Pro-inflammatory cytokine expression was determined using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: TGW significantly ameliorated the severity of IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse skin lesions and restrained the activation of CD45⁺ cells, neutrophils and T lymphocytes (all P<0.01). Moreover, TGW significantly attenuated keratinocytes (KCs) proliferation and downregulated the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-23, tumor necrosis factor α, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Furthermore, it reduced the number of γ δ T17 cells in skin lesion of mice and draining lymph nodes (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS TGW improved psoriasis-like inflammation by inhibiting KCs proliferation, as well as the associated immune cells and cytokine expression. It inhibited IL-17 secretion from γ δ T cells, which improved the immune-inflammatory microenvironment of psoriasis.
Male ; Animals ; Mice ; Tripterygium ; Psoriasis/drug therapy* ; Keratinocytes ; Skin Diseases/metabolism* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Imiquimod/metabolism* ; Dermatitis/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Skin/metabolism*

Objective: To explore the current status and associated factors of bullying behavior among middle school students in Shanghai, so as to provide a reference basis for carrying out bullying intervention work. Methods: From May to June 2021, a stratified cluster sampling method was used to select 19 000 middle school students from 63 schools in 16 districts of Shanghai, and the Shanghai Youth Health Risk Behavior Survey Questionnaire was used to conduct an anonymous questionnaire survey of enrolled students. Chi square test and binary Logistic regression analysis were employed to investigate the associated factors of bullying among middle school students. Results: The prevalence of bullying behaviors in Shanghai was 15.5%, with males and junior high school students exhibiting the higher reporting rate(19.5%,17.2%). And malicious teasing or name calling had the highest reported rate at 9.4%. The results of binary Logistic regression analysis showed that fighting ( OR =5.02), attempting to smoke ( OR =3.22), having a feeling of sadness and hopelessness ( OR =2.50) and getting drunk( OR =1.72) were positively associated with bullying behavior among middle school students. Fighting ( OR =3.83-8.97), attempting to smoke ( OR =2.92-5.52), having a feeling of sadness and hopelessness ( OR =2.40-4.34), and getting drunk ( OR =1.66-2.34) were positively correlated with 6 forms of bullying (malicious teasing or name calling, intentionally damaging someone else s belongings, deliberately excluding someone from activities or isolating someone, threatening or intimidating others, hitting, kicking, or pushing someone, and verbally harassing or attacking someone online) ( P <0.05). Conclusions Bullying behavior of middle school students in Shanghai primarily presents as verbal harassment. In the future, greater attention should be directed towards bullies, and it should recognize potential hazards promptly and implement precise intervention measures.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shenbao tablet in the treatment of kidney-yang deficiency syndrome.Methods Patients with kidney-yang deficiency syndrome,will were treated with Shenbao Tablets orally,3 tablets once,3 times a day,and the course of treatment was 56 days or 84 days,depending on the condition.By comparing the clinical efficacy,the changes of symptom scores and syndrome scores before and after treatment,and symptoms remission time,the effectiveness of Shenbao tablet in the treatment of kidney-yang deficiency syndrome was evaluated.The safety was evaluated by adverse reactions.Results There were 339 patients in the 56-day group and 345 patients in the 84-day group.After treatment,the clinical effective rates of the 56-day group and the 84-day group were 91.74％and 97.97％,respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).In the 56-day group and the 84-day group,the excellent rate were 58.41％and 59.13％,clinical control rates were 18.58％and 27.54％,and the progress rates were 14.75％and 11.30％,respectively.After treatment,the symptom scores of kidney-yang deficiency syndrome were significantly reduced respectively within both groups(P＜0.05).In the 56-day group and the 84-day group,the nocturia scores of were 0.89±1.27 and 0.60±1.03,the soreness of waist scores were 1.31±1.19 and 0.72±1.00,the morning diarrhea scores were 0.28±0.74 and 0.19±0.61,the anaphrodisia scores were 0.65±1.13 and 0.53±0.98,the low spirits scores were 0.29±0.81 and 0.08±0.40,the cold limbs score were 1.09±1.20 and 0.55±0.93,the edema scores were 0.14±0.55 and 0.05±0.30,the bright pale complexion scores were 0.20±0.59 and 0.24±0.65,respectively.There were significant differences in the reduction of each symptom score between the two groups(P＜0.05);the 56-day group had a more significant decrease in the score of cold limbs than the 84-day group.The remaining symptom scores decreased more significantly in the 84-day group.After treatment,the syndrome scores of kidney-yang deficiency syndrome in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(all P＜0.05);the change rates of score in the 56-day group and the 84-day group were(-72.33±24.57)％and(-78.77±19.53)％,respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The self-reported time to first symptom relief was(14.85±7.18)days in the 56-day group and(14.10±7.78)days in the 84-day group,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).The incidence of adverse reactions of Shenbao tablets was 5.37％,mainly reflected in hepatobiliary system diseases,gastrointestinal system diseases and various examination abnormalities.Conclusions After taking Shenbao tablets for 2 to 3 months,the clinical symptoms of kidney-yang deficiency were better improved,and the improvement was more significant after 3 months of treatment.The security of Shenbao Tablets was good.

Objective The leptin receptor,encoded by the LEPR gene,is involved in tumorigenesis.A potential functional variant of LEPR,rs1137101(Gln223Arg),has been extensively investigated for its contribution to the risk of digestive system(DS)cancers,but results remain conflicting rather than conclusive.Here,we performed a case-control study and subsequent meta-analysis to examine the association between rs1137101 and DS cancer risk. Methods A total of 1,727 patients with cancer(gastric/liver/colorectal:460/480/787)and 800 healthy controls were recruited.Genotyping of rs1137101 was conducted using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP)assay and confirmed using Sanger sequencing.Twenty-four eligible studies were included in the meta-analysis. Results After Bonferroni correction,the case-control study revealed that rs1137101 was significantly associated with the risk of liver cancer in the Hubei Chinese population.The meta-analysis suggested that rs1137101 is significantly associated with the risk of overall DS,gastric,and liver cancer in the Chinese population. Conclusion The LEPR rs1137101 variant may be a genetic biomarker for susceptibility to DS cancers(especially liver and gastric cancer)in the Chinese population.

Objective We aimed to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture at"Zusanli"(ST36)and"Taichong"(LR3)on gastrointestinal motility,gastrointestinal hormones,and brain-gut axis in rats with functional dyspepsia(FD).Methods 48 SD rats were randomly divided into a normal control group,a model group,a cisapride group,and an electroacupuncture group,with 12 rats in each group.A mild tail pinch stimulation combined with intermittent food deprivation was used to establish the FD rat model.Body mass,food intake,and sucrose preference rate were recorded before and after modeling to verify the success of the FD model.After modeling,the normal control group and the model group received no intervention;the cisapride group rats were administered cisapride[0.4 g/(kg·d)]by intragastric perfusion for 6 consecutive days as one course of treatment,with a rest day between each course;the electroacupuncture group rats received electroacupuncture stimulation at bilateral"Zusanli"and"Taichong"(DC,dense-sparse wave,2/100 Hz,2-5 mA.Electricity was applied for 30 min),with stimulation every 24 h for 6 consecutive times as one course of treatment,with a rest day between each course.After two courses of treatment,samples were collected to compare gastrointestinal motility indices,blood levels of gastrointestinal hormones[motilin,gastrin,serotonin(5-HT),nitric oxide(NO)],serum and tissue levels of endogenous brain-gut peptides[cholecystokinin(CCK),calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP),neuropeptide Y(NPY)]in the hypothalamus,gastric antrum,duodenum,colon,and protein expressions of ghrelin and substance P in the hypothalamus,spinal cord,gastric antrum,and colon.Results Body mass,food intake,and sucrose preference rate were lower of the model rats than those of the normal rats(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,rats in the electroacupuncture group and cisapride group had(i)lower gastric residual rates,higher rates of small intestinal propulsion and gastric slow wave main frequency and power(P<0.05);(ii)levels of motilin,gastrin,and 5-HT increased,while NO level decreased(P<0.05);(iii)serum CCK content increased,while CGRP and NPY levels decreased(P<0.05);(iv)CCK protein positive expression increased,while CGRP and NPY protein positive expression decreased in the hypothalamus,gastric antrum,duodenum(P<0.05);(v)ghrelin protein expressions increased,and substance P protein expression decreased in the hypothalamus,spinal cord,gastric antrum,and colon(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in these indicators between the electroacupuncture group and the cisapride group.Conclusion Electroacupuncture at"Zusanli"and"Taichong"can effectively alleviate gastrointestinal motility disorders in FD rats,regulate gastrointestinal hormone levels,reverse abnormal brain-gut peptide expression,and regulate brain-gut interaction balance.