To reduce the dependency on high-carbon-load chromatographic columns,a new method has been established for the determination of the content of docusate sodium using ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography (IP-HPLC). Tetrapropylammonium chloride was used as the ion-pair reagent with a mobile phase, composition of acetonitrile:10 mmol/L tetrapropylammonium chloride solution = 66∶34, adjusting pH to 6.5 with 0.1% phosphoric acid solution,flow rate of 1.5 mL/min, detection wavelength of 214 nm,column temperature of 35 °C, and an injection volume of 25 μL,and quantified by an external standard method. The main peak of docusate sodium exhibited a tailing factor of 1.34. The method showed good linearity within the range of 0.02 mg/mL to 0.40 mg/mL, with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.999 9. It also demonstrated good repeatability, with recovery ranging from 97.0% to 98.2% (n=6). The quantification limit was 3.31 μg/mL, and the detection limit was 2.76 μg/mL.In summary,the new method shows good durability, a wide linear range, and high sensitivity, it is suitable for the determination of docusate sodium.

This study explored the drying kinetics of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma(SM), established the suitable models simulating the drying kinetics, and then analyzed the dynamic changes of active components during the drying processes with different methods, aiming to provide a basis for the establishment of suitable drying methods and the quality control of SM. The drying kinetics were studied based on the drying curve, drying rate, moisture effective diffusion coefficient, and drying activation energy, and the appropriate drying kinetics model of SM was established. The drying performance of different methods, such as hot air drying, infrared drying, and microwave drying of SM was evaluated, and the changes in the content of 10 salvianolic acids and 6 tanshinones during drying were analyzed by UPLC-TQ-MS. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution(TOPSIS) was employed to evaluate the quality of SM dried with different methods. The results showed that the drying rate and moisture effective diffusion coefficient of SM increased with the rise in drying temperature, and the maximum drying rates of different methods were in the order of microwave drying > infrared drying > hot air drying, slice > whole root. The drying rate decreased with the rise in temperature and the extension of drying time. The activation energy of hot air drying was higher than that of infrared drying in SM. The most suitable model for simulating the drying process of SM was the Page model. The TOPSIS results suggested infrared drying at 50 ℃ was the optimal drying method for SM. During the drying process, the content of salvianolic acids increased in different degrees with the loss of moisture, among which salvianolic acid B showed the largest increase of 44 times compared with that in the fresh medicinal material. Tanshinones also existed in the fresh herb of SM, and the content of tanshinone Ⅱ_A increased by 3 times after drying. The results provided a basis for the establishment of suitable drying methods and the quality control of SM.
Salvia miltiorrhiza/chemistry* ; Desiccation/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Kinetics ; Quality Control ; Abietanes

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of acupuncture on advanced cancer patients by meta-analysis. METHODS: Nine databases (the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and WanFang Data) were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture in advanced cancer patients published from inception to February 13, 2023 and updated to June 1, 2023. Primary outcomes were quality of life (QOL), while secondary outcomes were pain, fatigue, and adverse events (side effects). Data synthesis was performed using RevMan V.5.3 to calculate pooled effect sizes. RoB-2 was used for the risk of bias, and the quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. RESULTS: Totally 17 RCTs involving 1,178 participants were included, 15 of which were pooled for meta-analysis. Most studies demonstrated some concern for the overall risk of bias. The pooled data indicated that acupuncture was associated with improved QOL [mean difference (MD)=6.67, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.09 to 8.26], pain (MD=-1.18, 95% CI -2.28 to -0.08), and adverse events (risk ratio=0.30, 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.57) compared with control groups. Fatigue outcome was not included. Heterogeneity was substantial, and GRADE evidence was very low for both QOL and pain. CONCLUSIONS Acupuncture could benefit patients with advanced cancer and is considered safe compared with usual care. However, the evidence regarding QOL and pain outcomes requires further validation. It is crucial to encourage the development of high-quality studies to strengthen this evidence. (Registry No. CRD42023423539).
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Neoplasms/therapy* ; Quality of Life ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Treatment Outcome

Sensorineural hearing loss is one of the most common sensory disorders. In recent years, auditory neuropathy spectrum disorders caused by mutations in the OTOF gene have garnered significant attention worldwide, marking it as the first deafness gene with breakthroughs in gene therapy. Most patients with OTOF gene mutations present with stable, congenital, or prelingual onset of hearing loss, which can range from severe to profound and even complete hearing loss. However, a minority of patients may exhibit mild to moderate progressive hearing loss or temperature-sensitive hearing loss. This review further explores the genotype-phenotype relationship of the OTOF gene based on reported cases in China and abroad. Additionally, we analyze the characteristics of the natural history of OTOF gene mutations within the Chinese population. This study aims to provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of hearing loss associated with OTOF gene mutations.
Humans ; Mutation ; Phenotype ; Genotype ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/genetics* ; Membrane Proteins/genetics*

A solid-phase extraction-ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(SPE-UPLC-MS/MS)method was established for simultaneous determination of 10 kinds of neonicotinoid pesticide residues in aquaculture water.Based on the chemical properties of neonicotinoid pesticides and the matrix characteristics of aquaculture water,suitable temporary storage methods for water samples and appropriate solid-phase extraction columns were selected,and the extraction conditions(including elution solvents and sample loading volumes)were optimized.The method employed acetonitrile and 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate solution(containing 0.1%formic acid)as the mobile phase and an Oasis HLB solid-phase extraction column combined with PSA as a dispersive sorbent for sample purification.The method exhibited good linearity in detection of neonicotinoid in concentration range of 0.2-50 ng/mL(R2>0.99797),with a detection limit of 0.5 ng/L and a quantification limit of 1 ng/L,which were significantly lower than the maximum acceptable method detection limits(9-500 ng/L)for neonicotinoid insecticides in water published by the European Commission.In pond water,rice-fish water,and seawater,the average recoveries of the 10 target analytes were 74.6%-114.1%,with relative standard deviations ranging from 0.3%to 9.6%.Using this method,actual sample tests were conducted on the Pearl River water,Zhaoqing pond water,and Qingyuan rice-fish aquaculture water.The total concentration of five neonicotinoid pesticides in the Pearl River water ranged from 154.8 to 246.6 ng/L,the total concentration of four neonicotinoid pesticides in the Zhaoqing pond water was 95.0-176.1 ng/L,and the total concentration of three neonicotinoid pesticides in the Qingyuan rice-fish aquaculture water was 2.3-11.7 ng/L.This method was simple in operation,highly sensitive,and had strong resistance to interference.It was suitable for detection of trace neonicotinoid pesticides in aquaculture water and could provide technical support for construction of a green aquaculture environment and resolution of international trade disputes.

Bronchial asthma （asthma for short） is a common clinical respiratory disease mainly characterized by chronic airway inflammation， with complicated pathogenesis and a long treatment cycle. It is lingering and difficult to be cured， and lack specific drugs. Oxidative stress is a new focus in the research on the pathogenesis of asthma and a potential key target for the treatment. Under physiological conditions， the oxidative and antioxidative systems in the body are in a dynamic balance， and the two antagonize each other to maintain normal life activities. In the case of asthma attack， oxidation products such as reactive oxygen species （ROS）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， and nitric oxide （NO） are produced excessively， while the content of antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase （SOD）， catalase （CAT）， and glutathione （GSH） is reduced. As a result， the oxidation exceeds the removal of oxidation products， which aggravates oxidative stress. In addition， the overproduction of ROS activates oxidative stress-related signaling pathways to produce pro-inflammatory factors， exacerbating inflammation， which leads to lung and airway tissue damage. In recent years， traditional Chinese medicine has garnering increasing attention because of the unique advantages in the treatment of asthma， especially in regulating redox balance， alleviating oxidative stress in asthma patients， and reducing inflammation. On the one hand， by inhibiting the mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） and transcription factor （NF）-κB signaling pathways， traditional Chinese medicine can reduce the content of oxidation products and pro-inflammatory factors from the source. On the other hand， by activating the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 （NrF2） signaling pathway， traditional Chinese medicine can elevate the levels of antioxidant enzymes and enhance the antioxidant system to neutralize the excessive accumulation of oxidation products. Therefore， the adjustment of redox balance state by traditional Chinese medicine may be a new means and a new direction for the prevention and treatment of asthma in the future. This paper summarizes the oxidative stress-related pathways in the pathogenesis of asthma and reviews the latest research progress in the regulation of oxidative stress-related pathways by Chinese medicine extracts and prescriptions in the treatment of asthma， with a view to providing a fuller， more solid， and more scientific theoretical basis for the clinical and basic research on the prevention and treatment of asthma by traditional Chinese medicine.

Objective:To analyze the short-term clinical efficacy and safety of arsenic trioxide (ATO) combined with a modified N7 induction regimen in the treatment of children with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB).Methods:This study was a prospective, single-arm, multicenter phase Ⅱ clinical study. Sixty-seven high-risk NB children from eight units of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Wuhan Children′s Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Hainan General Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Kunming Children′s Hospital, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Guangdong Provincial Agricultural Reclamation Center Hospital were enrolled from January 2019 to August 2023 and were treated with ATO combined with a modified N7 induction regimen. The efficacy and adverse effects at the end of induction chemotherapy were assessed and analyzed, and the differences in the clinical characteristics were further compared between the treatment-responsive and treatment-unresponsive groups by using the Fisher′s exact test.Results:Among 67 high-risk NB children, there were 40 males (60%) and 27 females (40%), with the age of disease onset of 3.5 (2.6, 4.8) years. Primary NB sites were mostly in retroperitoneum (including adrenal gland) (56/67, 84%) and the common metastases sites at initial diagnosis were distant lymph node in 25 cases (37%),bone in 48 cases (72%),bone marrow in 56 cases (84%) and intracalvarium in 3 cases (4%). MYCN gene amplification were detected in 28 cases (42%). At the end of induction, 33 cases (49%) achieved complete remission, 29 cases (43%) achieved partial remission, 1 case (1%) with stable disease, and 4 cases (6%) were assessed as progressive disease (PD). The objective remission rate was 93% (62/67) and the disease control rate was 94% (63/67). The percentage of central system metastases at the initial diagnosis was higher in the treatment-unresponsive group than in the treatment-responsive group (2/5 vs. 2% (1/62), P=0.013), whereas the difference in MYCN gene amplification was not statistically significant between two groups (3/5 vs.40% (25/62), P=0.786). Grade Ⅲ or higher adverse reactions during the induction chemotherapy period were myelosuppression occurred in 60 cases (90%), gastrointestinal symptoms occurred in 33 cases (49%), infections occurred in 20 cases (30%), hepatotoxicity occurred in 4 cases (6%), and cardiovascular toxicity occurred in 1 case (2%). There were no chemotherapy-related deaths. Conclusion:ATO combined with N7-modified induction regimen had a superiority in efficacy and safety, which deserved further promotion in clinical practice.

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.