ObjectiveTo investigate whether modified Taohe Chengqitang （JTCT） treats liver fibrosis by inhibiting hepatic sinusoidal capillarization， and to verify whether its specific mechanism is related to the Homologous genes responsible for the notches along the edges of Drosophila wings（Notch） signaling pathway and endothelial nitric oxide synthase （eNOS） signaling pathway. MethodsFifty C57BL/6 mice were randomized into 5 groups： Control， model （5 mL·kg^-1·3 d^-1）， low-dose JTCT， medium-dose JTCT， and high-dose JTCT （JTCT-L，JTCT-M，JTCT-H）. Except the control group， the other groups were intraperitoneally injected with 20% carbon tetrachloride （CCl₄） olive oil solution every 3 days for 4 weeks to induce liver fibrosis. Meanwhile， JTCT-L， JTCT-M， and JTCT-H groups were administrated with JTCT by gavage at doses of 16.6， 33.3， and 66.6 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively， for 4 consecutive weeks （the control and model groups received equal volumes of normal saline by gavage）. Primary liver sinusoidal endothelial cells （LSECs） were isolated from rat livers through in situ perfusion of collagenase， Percoll density gradient centrifugation， and selective removal of Kupffer cells. After verification of cell phenotype， LSECs were used for experiments. For cells at the logarithmic growth phase， the small interfering RNA（siRNA） kit was used to knock down the expression of soluble guanylate cyclase （sGC） through transient transfection. Subsequently， the Notch agonist Jagged-1 was applied. Cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） was used to examine the cytotoxicity of JTCT on LSECs. Real-time PCR and Western blot were employed to measure the expression of molecules in the Notch and eNOS signaling pathways at mRNA and protein levels， respectively. Intracellular Ca²⁺ was labeled with the fluorescent probe Fluo-4 acetoxymethyl ester（Fluo-4/AM）. ResultsThe animal experiment showed that compared with the control group， the model group exhibited hepatic steatosis， inflammatory cell infiltration， hepatocyte degeneration and necrosis， lobular structural disorder， and fibrous tissue hyperplasia in the mouse liver tissue， significantly elevated serum levels of hydroxyproline （Hyp）， alanine transaminase （ALT）， and aspartate transaminase （AST） （P<0.01）， significantly upregulated expression levels of Notch1， Hes family bHLH transcription factor 1（Hes1）， Cluster of Differentiation 31（CD31）， and von Willebrand factor（vWF） （P<0.01）， and significantly downregulated phosphorylate（p）-eNOS/eNOS ratio and sGC expression （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all the JTCT groups showed significantly reduced serum Hyp， ALT， and AST levels （P<0.01）， downregulated expression of Notch1， Hes1， CD31， and vWF （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and upregulated p-eNOS/eNOS ratio and sGC expression （P<0.05， P<0.01） in the liver tissue， with the JTCT-H group showing the most significant changes （P<0.01）. The cell experiment showed that compared with the LSEC-1day group， the LSEC-5day group exhibited significantly increased expression of Notch1， Hes1， CD31， and vWF （P<0.01）， significantly decreased p-eNOS/eNOS ratio and sGC expression （P<0.01）， and elevated intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration （P<0.01）. Compared with the LSEC-5day group， the JTCT group showed decreased expression of Notch1， Hes1， CD31， and vWF （P<0.01）， significantly increased p-eNOS/eNOS ratio （P<0.01）， and significantly reduced intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration （P<0.01）. No significant differences were observed in the expression of Notch1， Hes1， eNOS， p-eNOS， CD31， vWF， sGC， or intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration between the Jagged1 group and the Jagged1+JTCT group. Compared with the LSEC-5day group， the sGC knockout group （sGC-KO） showed significantly increased expression of CD31 and vWF （P<0.01）. There was no significant difference in CD31 or vWF expression between the sGC-KO group and the sGC-KO+JTCT group. ConclusionJTCT inhibits the activation of the Notch signaling pathway and restores the activity of the eNOS signaling pathway to suppress sinusoidal capillarization of LSECs， thereby treating liver fibrosis.

Monotropein is a compound classified into iridoid which is found in herbaceous plants Morindae officinalis. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-osteoarthritic activities. Previous study indicates that monotropein may have the potential to combat cardiovascular disease, although the related mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we constructed the model of atherosclerosis by oxidized low density lipoprotein-induced vascular smooth muscle cells and LDLR –/–mice given high-fat diet to investigate the effects of monotropein on atherosclerosis.Our results showed that monotropein treatment significantly reduced the area of atherosclerotic plaques and necrotic cores in mice, inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, and reduced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which in turn alleviated atherosclerosis. In addition, we found that monotropein reduced the expression levels of P-NF-κB and P-AP-1. In conclusion, our data suggest that monotropein inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells by mediating the activity of NF-κB, AP-1, reducing the level of inflammation and oxidative stress, and thus resisting the development of atherosclerosis. These findings demonstrate the efficacious therapeutic impact of monotropein on atherosclerosis and elucidate its specific target.

Objective To analyze the relationship between frailty and acute kidney injury(AKI)after hip fracture surgery in the elderly.Methods A total of 405 elderly patients who underwent hip fracture surgery in Jieyang People's Hospital from August 2021 to January 2023 were retrospectively analysed.According to the modified frailty index(mFI),they were divided into frail group(mFI≥0.27,n=112)and non-frail group(mFI<0.27,n=293).Postoperative AKI was defined according to the Kidney Disease:Improving Global Outcomes(KDIGO)criteria.After 1:1 propensity score matching(PSM),100 cases in each group were successfully matched.Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models,propensity score adjustment,PSM,inverse probability of treatment weighting(IPTW),standardized mortality ratio weighting(SMRW),pairwise algorithm(PA)weighting,and overlap weighting(OW)methods were used to analyze the relationship between frailty and postoperative AKI.Stratified analyses were performed according to age(≥80 or<80 years),gender,whether angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors(ACEI)/angiotensin Ⅱreceptor antagonists(ARB)were used,and whether intraoperative hypotension occurred.Results After PSM,there were no significant differences between the two groups in age,sex,surgical type,ACEI/ARB,blood urea nitrogen,serum creatinine,intraoperative blood loss,and intraoperative hypotension[standardized mean difference(SMD)<0.1].In both the original cohort and the matched cohort,the incidence of AKI was higher in frail group than in non-frail group(25.9%vs.8.9%,P<0.001;28.0%vs.11.0%,P=0.002).Analysis of the risk of postoperative AKI in elderly hip fracture patients in frail group found that compared with the non-frail group,in the univariate logistic regression model the odds ratio(OR)and a 95%confidence interval(CI)for the frail group was 3.59(2.00-6.43),P<0.001,and in the multivariable logistic regression model,the OR(95%CI)for frail group was 3.04(1.55-5.95),P=0.001.After adjustment for propensity score,the OR(95%CI)for frail group was 2.85(1.52-5.34),P=0.001,and the OR(95%CI)for frail group after PSM was 3.15(1.47-6.75),P=0.003.After IPTW,SMRW,PA weighting,and OW,the OR(95%CI)for frail group were 2.48(1.37-4.50),2.43(1.41-4.19),2.63(1.25-5.54),and 2.69(1.07-6.78),respectively,with P<0.05.The interaction tests were not statistically significant for age,sex,use of ACEI/ARB,and intraoperative hypotension(P>0.05).Conclusion In elderly patients with hip fractures,preoperative frailty may be a risk factor for postoperative AKI.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of sepsis-induced myocardial injury and microbial distribution.Methods:It was a retrospective observational study conducted from Jan 2023 to Dec 2023 in the Department of Emergency Intensive Care Medicine, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University. Patients meeting the sepsis 3.0 criteria were included, excluding those with underlying cardiovascular diseases or incomplete data. Patients were categorized into myocardial injury (SIMI) and non-myocardial injury (Non-SIMI) groups based on troponin levels. General patient information, laboratory results, microbial findings, and prognostic indicators were collected. Differences in clinical parameters between the two groups were compared. Factors showing statistical differences in univariate analysis were further analyzed using multivariable logistic regression to identify risk factors for SIMI. Conduct propensity score matching among Pulmonary infection patients who underwent bronchoalveolar lavage high-throughput sequencing to compare microbial distribution between groups. Bracken was used to estimate species-level abundance from Kraken2 results, and α and β diversity analyses were conducted on the metagenomic samples.Results:A total of 179 patients were included in the study, with 98 (54.4%) in the Non-SIMI group and 81 (45.5%) in the SIMI group. There were 69 deaths overall (38.5%), with 23 (23.7%) in the Non-SIMI group and 46 (56.8%) in the SIMI group (χ 2=20.347, P<0.01). The 28-day survival curve indicated survival rates in the SIMI group were significantly lower compared to the Non-SIMI group (Log Rank χ 2=21.270, P<0.01). Univariate analysis revealed that fungal infection rate ( P=0.007), C-reactive protein ( P=0.021), procalcitonin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, alanine transaminase, and lactate levels were higher in the SIMI group compared to the Non-SIMI group (all P<0.01), prothrombin time was prolonger ( P<0.01) and APACHEⅡ scores were higher ( P<0.01), while serum albumin, base excess, and platelet levels were lower (all P<0.01). Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that fungal infection ( OR=3.441, P=0.015) was a risk factor for SIMI, whereas base excess and platelets were protective factors ( OR=0.845, 0.988, both P<0.01). Comparison of bronchoalveolar lavage high-throughput sequencing results in the pulmonary infection subgroup showed the relative abundance of Haemophilus paraininfluenzae in Non-SIMI group was higher than SIMI group among the top 20 species ( P=0.013). There were no statistically significant differences in microbial αand β-diversity between the two groups. Conclusions:The incidence of SIMI is relatively highamong sepsis patients and it affects their prognosis. Risk factors for SIMI include fungal infection, decreased platelet count, and reduced base excess levels. Among patients with pulmonary infections, there is a lower risk of SIMI associated with Haemophilus influenzae infection.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral helper T (T PH ) cells are uniquely positioned within pathologically inflamed non-lymphoid tissues to stimulate B-cell responses and antibody production. However, the phenotype, function, and clinical relevance of T PH cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are currently unknown. METHODS: Blood, tumor, and peritumoral liver tissue samples from 39 HCC patients (Sep 2016-Aug 2017) and 101 HCC patients (Sep 2011-Dec 2012) at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were used. Flow cytometry was used to quantify the expression, phenotype, and function of T PH cells. Log-rank tests were performed to evaluate disease-free survival and overall survival in samples from 39 patients and 101 patients with HCC. T PH cells, CD19 + B cells, and T follicular helper (T FH ) cells were cultured separately in vitro or isolated from C57/B6L mice in vivo for functional assays. RESULTS: T PH cells highly infiltrated tumor tissues, which was correlated with tumor size, early recurrence, and shorter survival time. The tumor-infiltrated T PH cells showed a unique ICOS hi CXCL13 + IL-21 - MAF + BCL-6 - phenotype and triggered naïve B-cell differentiation into regulatory B cells. Triggering programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) induced the production of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) by T PH cells, which then suppressed tumor-specific immunity and promoted disease progression. CONCLUSION Our study reveals a novel regulatory mechanism of T PH cell-regulatory B-cell-mediated immunosuppression and provides an important perspective for determining the balance between the differentiation of protumorigenic T PH cells and that of antitumorigenic T FH cells in the HCC microenvironment.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism* ; Liver Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Humans ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/metabolism* ; Animals ; Mice ; Male ; Female ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Middle Aged ; B-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/metabolism* ; Flow Cytometry ; Interleukin-21 ; Aged ; Chemokine CXCL13/metabolism*

Monotropein is a compound classified into iridoid which is found in herbaceous plants Morindae officinalis. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-osteoarthritic activities. Previous study indicates that monotropein may have the potential to combat cardiovascular disease, although the related mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we constructed the model of atherosclerosis by oxidized low density lipoprotein-induced vascular smooth muscle cells and LDLR –/–mice given high-fat diet to investigate the effects of monotropein on atherosclerosis.Our results showed that monotropein treatment significantly reduced the area of atherosclerotic plaques and necrotic cores in mice, inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, and reduced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which in turn alleviated atherosclerosis. In addition, we found that monotropein reduced the expression levels of P-NF-κB and P-AP-1. In conclusion, our data suggest that monotropein inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells by mediating the activity of NF-κB, AP-1, reducing the level of inflammation and oxidative stress, and thus resisting the development of atherosclerosis. These findings demonstrate the efficacious therapeutic impact of monotropein on atherosclerosis and elucidate its specific target.

BACKGROUND: The use of inserted sham acupuncture as a placebo in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is controversial, because it may produce specific effects that cause an underestimation of the effect of acupuncture treatment. OBJECTIVE: This systematic survey investigates the magnitude of insert-specific effects of sham acupuncture and whether they affect the estimation of acupuncture treatment effects. SEARCH STRATEGY: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to identify acupuncture RCTs from their inception until December 2022. INCLUSION CRITERIA: RCTs that evaluated the effects of acupuncture compared to sham acupuncture and no treatment. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: The total effect measured for an acupuncture treatment group in RCTs were divided into three components, including the natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (controlled for no-treatment group), the placebo effect, and the specific effect of acupuncture. The first two constituted the contextual effect of acupuncture, which is mimicked by a sham acupuncture treatment group. The proportion of acupuncture total effect size was considered to be 1. The proportion of natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (PNE) and proportional contextual effect (PCE) of included RCTs were pooled using meta-analyses with a random-effect model. The proportion of acupuncture placebo effect was the difference between PCE and PNE in RCTs with non-inserted sham acupuncture. The proportion of insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture (PIES) was obtained by subtracting the proportion of acupuncture placebo effect and PNE from PCE in RCTs with inserted sham acupuncture. The impact of PIES on the estimation of acupuncture's treatment effect was evaluated by quantifying the percentage of RCTs that the effect of outcome changed from no statistical difference to statistical difference after removing PIES in the included studies, and the impact of PIES was externally validated in other acupuncture RCTs with an inserted sham acupuncture group that were not used to calculate PIES. RESULTS: This analysis included 32 studies with 5492 patients. The overall PNE was 0.335 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.255-0.415) and the PCE of acupuncture was 0.639 (95% CI, 0.567-0.710) of acupuncture's total effect. The proportional contribution of the placebo effect to acupuncture's total effect was 0.191, and the PIES was 0.189. When we modeled the exclusion of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, the acupuncture treatment effect changed from no difference to a significant difference in 45.45% of the included RCTs, and in 40.91% of the external validated RCTs. CONCLUSION The insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture in RCTs represents 18.90% of acupuncture's total effect and significantly affects the evaluation of the acupuncture treatment effect. More than 40% of RCTs that used inserted sham acupuncture would draw different conclusions if the PIES had been controlled for. Considering the impact of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, caution should be taken when using inserted sham acupuncture placebos in RCTs. Please cite this article as: Luo XC, Liu JL, Yao MH, Chen YM, Fan AY, Liang FR, Zhao JP, Zhao L, Zhou X, Zhong XY, Yang JH, Li B, Zhang Y, Sun X, Li L. Specific effect of inserted sham acupuncture and its impact on the estimation of acupuncture treatment effect in randomized controlled trials: A systematic survey. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):630-640.
Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Placebo Effect ; Placebos ; Treatment Outcome

Body weight abnormalities, including overweight, obesity, and underweight, have become a dual public health challenge in Chinese adults: overweight and obesity lead to a variety of chronic complications, while underweight increases the risks of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and organ dysfunction. To systematically address these issues, multidisciplinary experts in endocrinology, sports science, nutrition, and psychiatry from various regions have held multiple weight management seminars. Based on the latest epidemiological data and clinical evidence, they expanded the guideline to include assessment and intervention strategies for underweight, in addition to the core content of obesity management. This guideline outlines the etiological mechanisms, evaluation methods, and multidimensional management strategies for overweight and obesity, covering key areas such as diagnosis and assessment, medical nutrition therapy, exercise prescription, pharmacological intervention, and psychological support. It is intended to provide a scientific and standardized approach to weight management across the adult population, aiming to curb the rising prevalence of obesity, mitigate complications associated with abnormal body weight, and improve nutritional status and overall quality of life.

Objective To explore the efficacy of two lipopolysaccharide(LPS)two-hit methods in establishing an acute lung injury(ALI)mouse model and analyze the characteristics of this model within the context of both Western and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).Methods Healthy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into six groups:PBS instillation control group,PBS nebulization control group,instillation two-hit group,nebulization two-hit group I,nebulization two-hit group Ⅱ,and nebulization two-hit group Ⅲ.Using LPS as a stimulant,a"two-hit"approach was employed to establish an ALI mouse model.Body temperature,weight,pulse oximetric oxygen saturation(SpO2),lung tissue wet-to-dry weight ratio(W/D),levels of tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),and myeloperoxidase(MPO)activity in lung tissue,as well as total protein concentration and white blood cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were measured.Through evaluating the consistency between TCM and Western medical syndromes,the classification,characteristics,modeling methods,advantages,and disadvantages of the two-hit ALI animal model were summarized and analyzed based on the clinical diagnostic criteria and syndrome characteristics of ALI in both TCM and Western medicine.Results Compared with the control group,the body temperature,weight,and SpO2 of model group decreased,W/D increased,levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,and MPO activity in lung tissue increased.The alveolar walls thickened with a large exudate of red blood cells.The total protein concentration and white blood cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid significantly increased.The existing two-hit ALI animal model showed a high degree of consistency with Western medical diagnostic main symptoms.Conclusion Both methods of two-hit can prepare mouse ALI models,among which the nebulization two-hit Group Ⅲ showed more pronounced effects in simulating the pathological changes and clinical symptoms of ALI.

Monotropein is a compound classified into iridoid which is found in herbaceous plants Morindae officinalis. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-osteoarthritic activities. Previous study indicates that monotropein may have the potential to combat cardiovascular disease, although the related mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we constructed the model of atherosclerosis by oxidized low density lipoprotein-induced vascular smooth muscle cells and LDLR –/–mice given high-fat diet to investigate the effects of monotropein on atherosclerosis.Our results showed that monotropein treatment significantly reduced the area of atherosclerotic plaques and necrotic cores in mice, inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, and reduced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which in turn alleviated atherosclerosis. In addition, we found that monotropein reduced the expression levels of P-NF-κB and P-AP-1. In conclusion, our data suggest that monotropein inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells by mediating the activity of NF-κB, AP-1, reducing the level of inflammation and oxidative stress, and thus resisting the development of atherosclerosis. These findings demonstrate the efficacious therapeutic impact of monotropein on atherosclerosis and elucidate its specific target.