ObjectiveBased on whole-animal mass spectrometry imaging technology， spatial metabolomics was used to characterize in situ the metabolic alteration patterns in the lungs and brain of a rat model of lung heat-induced cough and asthma， as well as after treatment with Xiebai San. MethodsNine Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a blank group （physiological saline）， a model group （physiological saline）， and a Xiebai San group （9 g·kg^-1）， with three rats in each group. The model group and the Xiebai San group were both induced using lipopolysaccharide-ovalbumin （LPS-OVA） to establish an asthma rat model. After treatment with Xiebai San， the animals were euthanized on day 21 and rapidly frozen in liquid nitrogen to preserve morphology. Whole-animal tissue sections were prepared using a cryomicrotome， and imaging was performed using the Air-flow-assisted Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging （AFADESI-MSI） platform. Based on the corresponding optical images， ion data of metabolites from the lung and brain tissues of each group were extracted. Differential metabolites were analyzed using SIMCA and GraphPad Prism 9.0 software. Metabolites were identified using the HMDB （https：//hmdb.ca/） and LipidMAPS^® （https：//www.lipidmaps.org/） databases， and metabolic changes in the lungs and brain were analyzed. ResultsMass spectrometry imaging showed that， after Xiebai San intervention， components such as neoglycyrrhizin and glycyrrhizin from Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， as well as palmitamide from Lycii Cortex， were significantly distributed in the lung and brain tissues of rats. Lung analysis indicated that substances with anti-inflammatory effects， such as citric acid， were significantly decreased （P0.01）， while lipid metabolites such as lysophosphatidylethanolamine （LPE 17：1）， LPE （22：4）， and LPE （19：0） （P0.01） were significantly increased， showing a marked inflammatory response in the model group. After Xiebai San intervention， these conditions were notably improved. Analysis of metabolic changes in brain tissue showed that， compared with the blank group， amino acid and fatty acid metabolic pathways in the model group exhibited restricted alterations. Among them， levels of aspartic acid， glutamic acid， fatty acid （FA 18：5）， hydroxy fatty acids （FAHFA 36：0；O）， FA （6：1；O6）， and LPE （18：1） increased， whereas FA （16：0） and FA （20：4） significantly decreased. Administration of Xiebai San improved these metabolic abnormalities in the brain. Systematic analysis of lung and brain metabolic changes in rats with lung heat-induced cough and asthma showed that antioxidant unsaturated phospholipid substances were significantly decreased in the model group， suggesting oxidative stress and inflammation-related lung-brain axis responses after the onset of lung heat-induced cough and asthma. ConclusionUsing whole-animal mass spectrometry imaging combined with spatial metabolomics revealed the in vivo distribution of Xiebai San constituents， characterized the metabolic alterations in the lungs and brain caused by lung heat-induced cough and asthma， and systematically demonstrated the lung-brain axis inflammatory responses and the regulatory effects of Xiebai San. These findings provide valuable information for the study of Chinese medicine in lung heat-induced cough and asthma.

ObjectiveBased on whole-animal mass spectrometry imaging technology， spatial metabolomics was used to characterize in situ the metabolic alteration patterns in the lungs and brain of a rat model of lung heat-induced cough and asthma， as well as after treatment with Xiebai San. MethodsNine Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a blank group （physiological saline）， a model group （physiological saline）， and a Xiebai San group （9 g·kg^-1）， with three rats in each group. The model group and the Xiebai San group were both induced using lipopolysaccharide-ovalbumin （LPS-OVA） to establish an asthma rat model. After treatment with Xiebai San， the animals were euthanized on day 21 and rapidly frozen in liquid nitrogen to preserve morphology. Whole-animal tissue sections were prepared using a cryomicrotome， and imaging was performed using the Air-flow-assisted Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging （AFADESI-MSI） platform. Based on the corresponding optical images， ion data of metabolites from the lung and brain tissues of each group were extracted. Differential metabolites were analyzed using SIMCA and GraphPad Prism 9.0 software. Metabolites were identified using the HMDB （https：//hmdb.ca/） and LipidMAPS^® （https：//www.lipidmaps.org/） databases， and metabolic changes in the lungs and brain were analyzed. ResultsMass spectrometry imaging showed that， after Xiebai San intervention， components such as neoglycyrrhizin and glycyrrhizin from Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， as well as palmitamide from Lycii Cortex， were significantly distributed in the lung and brain tissues of rats. Lung analysis indicated that substances with anti-inflammatory effects， such as citric acid， were significantly decreased （P0.01）， while lipid metabolites such as lysophosphatidylethanolamine （LPE 17：1）， LPE （22：4）， and LPE （19：0） （P0.01） were significantly increased， showing a marked inflammatory response in the model group. After Xiebai San intervention， these conditions were notably improved. Analysis of metabolic changes in brain tissue showed that， compared with the blank group， amino acid and fatty acid metabolic pathways in the model group exhibited restricted alterations. Among them， levels of aspartic acid， glutamic acid， fatty acid （FA 18：5）， hydroxy fatty acids （FAHFA 36：0；O）， FA （6：1；O6）， and LPE （18：1） increased， whereas FA （16：0） and FA （20：4） significantly decreased. Administration of Xiebai San improved these metabolic abnormalities in the brain. Systematic analysis of lung and brain metabolic changes in rats with lung heat-induced cough and asthma showed that antioxidant unsaturated phospholipid substances were significantly decreased in the model group， suggesting oxidative stress and inflammation-related lung-brain axis responses after the onset of lung heat-induced cough and asthma. ConclusionUsing whole-animal mass spectrometry imaging combined with spatial metabolomics revealed the in vivo distribution of Xiebai San constituents， characterized the metabolic alterations in the lungs and brain caused by lung heat-induced cough and asthma， and systematically demonstrated the lung-brain axis inflammatory responses and the regulatory effects of Xiebai San. These findings provide valuable information for the study of Chinese medicine in lung heat-induced cough and asthma.

Objective: To explore the management of blood donors tested reactive to HCV in blood screening based on confirmation of HCV infection. Methods: Multiple HCV antibody assays, repeating HCV RNA testing, follow-up of blood donors and retesting of archive samples were performed to confirm HCV infection, identify infection status, and exclude false positives in blood donors reactive to HCV in blood screening. Results: From 2011 to 2024, the unqualified rate of HCV detection in blood screening was 2.45‰(2 751/1 122 026). Among these, anti-HCV+-&NAT-accounted for 1.85‰, followed by anti-HCV++ at 0.60‰. The proportion of anti-HCV+-&NAT-and HCV RNA yields was extremely low (0.007‰). The positive rate of anti-HCV+-&NAT-samples tested by electrochemiluminescence method (ELCIA) was approximately 7.5%, differing among reagents (P<0.05). The follow-up of anti-HCV+-&NAT-donors showed that 96.2% (202/210) were false positives, but 51.4% of donors remained anti-HCV+-&NAT-during follow-up. Among them, 8 donors (3.8%) could not be ruled out from HCV infection due to positive retesting by ELCIA. Of the anti-HCV+-&NAT-donors who were reactive at the first follow-up, 86.8% remained anti-HCV+-&NAT-at the second follow-up. The sampling confirmation data showed that all of 260 anti-HCV++ donors were confirmed as anti-HCV positive, and the proportion of false positives or missed detections by NAT was very low. Two occult HBV infections (OBIs) and one HBsAg carrier were identified among the 3 anti-HCV +-&NAT+ donors, and no HCV infection was confirmed in 5 anti-HCV--&HCV RNA + donors. Conclusion: The prevalence of HCV among blood donors in Dalian was about 0.06%, with extremely low proportion of window-period infection and slightly higher proportion of resolved infections than that of current infections. The majority of anti-HCV+-&NAT-were false positive. Blood donors confirmed as false positive should be qualified in blood screening 3 months later before next donation. In order to reduce the false positive results, it was advisable to avoid the same type of supplementary reagents as the initial reagents when performing confirmation.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a highly prevalent chronic metabolic disease with an increasing incidence worldwide, that poses a significant risk to public health. In many current clinical practices for diabetes management, conventional Western treatments, including oral or injectable hypoglycemic agents, have serious side effects. Given that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is characterized by a multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway approach, its combination with Western medicine could enhance efficacy and reduce adverse effects. Consequently, the use of TCM as a potential auxiliary or alternative treatment for the prevention and/or management of T2DM has emerged as a research hotspot. This article reviews existing reports on TCM in the treatment of T2DM and provides a detailed discussion of its applications. By integrating relevant clinical evidence, this review summarizes the clinical data on 23 TCM formulas and Chinese patent medicines, comprehensively describing their efficacy and potential pharmacological mechanisms in the treatment of T2DM. This includes an exploration of the impacts of TCM-based therapeutic interventions on T2DM-related microRNAs and their target genes. We hope this review not only offers new insights for future research directions but also enhances the understanding of the scientific value of TCM. Please cite this article as: Ni HX, Cao LH, Gong XX, Zang ZY, Chang H. Traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: Clinical evidence and pharmacological mechanisms. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):605-622.
Humans ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology*

Objective:To explore the short-term clinical effects of deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Methods:A prospective exploratory study was conducted on the treatment of AD patients using the cervical deep lymph node-venous anastomosis technique in Scar and Wound Treatment Department, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from September to October 2024. The patients underwent high-frequency ultrasound to locate deep cervical lymph nodes and the external jugular vein. Under general anesthesia, bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses were performed. Indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography was conducted via subcutaneous injection behind the ear to visualize lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. After making a skin incision along the posterior margin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the external jugular vein, internal jugular veins, and associated lymph nodes were exposed. Adjacent veins were selected for anastomosis of lymph node. Using microsurgical techniques, end-to-side or end-to-end anastomosis was completed for lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. Preoperative assessments included the mini-mental state examination (MMSE, a higher score indicates better cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog, a higher score indicates greater impairment of cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease cooperative study scale for activities of daily living (ADCS-ADL, a higher score indicates better ability to perform daily activity), and neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI, a higher score indicates more severe behavioral and emotional symptom). Postoperative follow-up included the same scales to observe changes in cognitive function, activities of daily living, and emotional communication.Results:Four patients (1 male, 3 females, aged 58-79 years) with AD were included. All were diagnosed based on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. All patients successfully underwent bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses. On average, 4.3 (2-7 per person) anastomoses were performed per patient. Surgical procedures lasted an average of 6.5 h (5.5-8.5 h) with minimal blood loss (less than 50 ml). Patients resumed normal activity within 6 hours postoperatively and were discharged after an average of 4.1 d (3.5-5.0 d). Postoperative complications included one case each of aspiration pneumonia, lower limb venous thrombosis, and transient delirium, all of whom resolved without long-term effects. Clinical symptoms, including memory decline, mood swings, and anxiety, showed varying degrees of improvement. Patients reported enhanced quality of life, emotional stability, and social engagement, confirming the procedure’s safety and potential cognitive benefits. At one month postoperatively, the MMSE scores of the four patients increased by an average of 0.8 points compared to preoperative levels. Additionally, the two patients who completed the ADAS-Cog assessments showed a decrease in their scores (reduced by 1.0 points and 11.3 points, respectively, compared to preoperative scores), indicating a certain degree of improvement in cognitive function during this period. The ADCS-ADL and NPI scores of four patients varied significantly, without showing any clear pattern.Conclusion:Lymphovenous anastomosis of the deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis may provide a new surgical intervention approach for AD, but further large-scale studies and long-term follow-up are needed to validate its safety and effectiveness.

Objective:To investigate improvement of dexamethasone(DM)treatment after intrauterine adhesion decomposition on uterine fibrosis and inflammatory factors.Methods:A total of 60 patients with moderate to severe intrauterine adhesions admitted to The Reproductive Medicine Center of Jilin Provincial People's Hospital from March 2021 to March 2023 were selected,and divided into experimental group and control group according to random number table method,with 30 cases in each group.Control group under-went simple hysteroscopic adhesion decomposition,and experimental group underwent intrauterine infusion treatment with DM injec-tion after intrauterine adhesion decomposition.Improvement of clinical symptoms in the two groups was observed.RT-qPCR was used to detect changes in mRNA levels of intimal receptivity-related factors ER,EGFR,LIF,ITGB3,HOXA10,HOXA11,fibrosis-related factors TGF-β1,E-cadherin,N-cadherin,Smad,and inflammatory related factors IL-8,IL-2 and CD138 in two groups.Western blot was used to detect changes in expression levels of inflammatory related proteins IL-8,IL-2 and CD138.Results:Compared with before treatment,endometrial thickness,mRNA levels of ER,EGFR,LIF,ITGB3,HOXA10,HOXA11 and E-cadherin were significantly increased,while mRNA levels of TGF-β1,N-cadherin,Smad,IL-8,IL-2 and CD138,protein levels of IL-8,IL-2 and CD138,and endometrial blood flow parameters PI,RI and adhesion were significantly decreased.Eendometrial thickness,mRNA levels of ER,EGFR,LIF,ITGB3,HOXA10,HOXA11 and E-cadherin in experimental group were significantly higher than those in control group,while mRNA levels of IL-8,IL-2,TGF-β1,N-cadherin,Smad,CD138,IL-8,IL-2 and CD138,and endometrial blood flow parameters PI,RI and adhesion were lower than those in control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Treatment of DM after intrauterine adhe-sion decomposition can improve intrauterine adhesion,blood flow parameters and endometrial receptivity,and prevent the recurrence of intrauterine adhesion,which mechanism may be related to up-regulation of E-cadherin expression and down-regulation of IL-8,IL-2,CD138,TGF-β1,N-cadherin and Smad expressions.

Nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF), predominantly affecting the elderly, can lead to intractable pain, vertebral collapse, progressive kyphotic deformity, and neurological impairment, significantly compromising patients′ quality of life. There exists considerable debate on diagnosis and management of OVF, encompassing key issues such as clinical diagnosis and staging criteria for nonunion, surgical indications and procedure selection, and postoperative rehabilitation planning. Currently, there lacks standardized clinical guideline and expert consensus on the diagnosis and management of OVF nonunion in China. To address this gap, Minimally Invasive Surgery Group of Chinese Orthopedic Association, Osteoporosis Committee of Chinese Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee for Osteoporosis of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and Minimally Invasive Orthopedic Surgery Branch of China Association for Geriatric Care jointly organized domestic experts in spinal surgery, endocrinology, and rehabilitation to formulate the Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment for nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures ( version 2025), based on existing literature and clinical experience and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and practicality. The guideline provided 13 evidence-based recommendations encompassing diagnosis and treatment of OVF nonunion, aiming to standardize its clinical management.

Objective:To apply artificial intelligence（AI）in classifying ovarian tumors on ultrasound images，and compare the diagnostic results of several sonographers with varying seniority levels.Methods:A total of 645 patients diagnosed with adnexal masses via gynecological ultrasound examination at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from January 2021 to December 2024 were enrolled. Three deep learning architectures，i.e.，Alexnet，Densenet121，and Resnet50 were developed and used to internally test the classification effectiveness of ovarian tumors，while the optimal model was selected for external testing. Two junior sonographers and two senior sonographers were recruited to independently diagnose ovarian tumors in the external test dataset. Subsequently，the benign and malignant results of the model's predictions were disclosed to each sonographer，and their revised diagnoses on the same external test data in combination with the best AI model were recorded.Results:The optimal model achieved an accuracy of 0.941，sensitivity of 0.936，and specificity of 0.944 on the internal test dataset，and maintained robust performance on the external test dataset with accuracy of 0.891，sensitivity of 0.880，and specificity of 0.907. Compared to junior sonographers，the optimal model demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity in discriminating benign from malignant ovarian tumors（0.880 vs. 0.723，0.602；all P<0.05）. No statistically significant difference was observed in diagnostic accuracy between the optimal model and senior sonographer 1（ P=0.05）. With assistance from the optimal model，junior sonographers achieved significant improvements in both sensitivity and specificity（sensitivity：0.723 vs. 0.843，0.602 vs. 0.819；specificity：0.778 vs. 0.833，0.685 vs. 0.741；all P<0.05）. Conclusions:The optimal model achieves comparable performance to that of senior sonographers in ovarian tumor classification. With model assistance，the diagnostic performance of junior sonographers is significantly improved.

Nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF), predominantly affecting the elderly, can lead to intractable pain, vertebral collapse, progressive kyphotic deformity, and neurological impairment, significantly compromising patients′ quality of life. There exists considerable debate on diagnosis and management of OVF, encompassing key issues such as clinical diagnosis and staging criteria for nonunion, surgical indications and procedure selection, and postoperative rehabilitation planning. Currently, there lacks standardized clinical guideline and expert consensus on the diagnosis and management of OVF nonunion in China. To address this gap, Minimally Invasive Surgery Group of Chinese Orthopedic Association, Osteoporosis Committee of Chinese Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee for Osteoporosis of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and Minimally Invasive Orthopedic Surgery Branch of China Association for Geriatric Care jointly organized domestic experts in spinal surgery, endocrinology, and rehabilitation to formulate the Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment for nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures ( version 2025), based on existing literature and clinical experience and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and practicality. The guideline provided 13 evidence-based recommendations encompassing diagnosis and treatment of OVF nonunion, aiming to standardize its clinical management.

Objective:To apply artificial intelligence（AI）in classifying ovarian tumors on ultrasound images，and compare the diagnostic results of several sonographers with varying seniority levels.Methods:A total of 645 patients diagnosed with adnexal masses via gynecological ultrasound examination at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from January 2021 to December 2024 were enrolled. Three deep learning architectures，i.e.，Alexnet，Densenet121，and Resnet50 were developed and used to internally test the classification effectiveness of ovarian tumors，while the optimal model was selected for external testing. Two junior sonographers and two senior sonographers were recruited to independently diagnose ovarian tumors in the external test dataset. Subsequently，the benign and malignant results of the model's predictions were disclosed to each sonographer，and their revised diagnoses on the same external test data in combination with the best AI model were recorded.Results:The optimal model achieved an accuracy of 0.941，sensitivity of 0.936，and specificity of 0.944 on the internal test dataset，and maintained robust performance on the external test dataset with accuracy of 0.891，sensitivity of 0.880，and specificity of 0.907. Compared to junior sonographers，the optimal model demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity in discriminating benign from malignant ovarian tumors（0.880 vs. 0.723，0.602；all P<0.05）. No statistically significant difference was observed in diagnostic accuracy between the optimal model and senior sonographer 1（ P=0.05）. With assistance from the optimal model，junior sonographers achieved significant improvements in both sensitivity and specificity（sensitivity：0.723 vs. 0.843，0.602 vs. 0.819；specificity：0.778 vs. 0.833，0.685 vs. 0.741；all P<0.05）. Conclusions:The optimal model achieves comparable performance to that of senior sonographers in ovarian tumor classification. With model assistance，the diagnostic performance of junior sonographers is significantly improved.