OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effects of stir-fried Semen Armeniacae Amarum (SAA) against aristolochic acid I (AAI)-induced nephrotoxicity and DNA adducts and elucidate the underlying mechanism involved for ensuring the safe use of Asari Radix et Rhizoma. METHODS: In vitro, HEK293T cells overexpressing Flag-tagged multidrug resistance-associated protein 3 (MRP3) were constructed by Lentiviral transduction, and inhibitory effect of top 10 common pairs of medicinal herbs with Asari Radix et Rhizoma in clinic on MRP3 activity was verified using a self-constructed fluorescence screening system. The mRNA, protein expressions, and enzyme activity levels of NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1) and cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) were measured in differentiated HepaRG cells. Hepatocyte toxicity after inhibition of AAI metabolite transport was detected using cell counting kit-8 assay. In vivo, C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 5 groups according to a random number table, including: control (1% sodium bicarbonate), AAI (10 mg/kg), stir-fried SAA (1.75 g/kg) and AAI + stir-fried SAA (1.75 and 8.75 g/kg) groups, 6 mice in each group. After 7 days of continuous gavage administration, liver and kidney damages were assessed, and the protein expressions and enzyme activity of liver metabolic enzymes NQO1 and CYP1A2 were determined simultaneously. RESULTS: In vivo, combination of 1.75 g/kg SAA and 10 mg/kg AAI suppressed AAI-induced nephrotoxicity and reduced dA-ALI formation by 26.7%, and these detoxification effects in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.01). Mechanistically, SAA inhibited MRP3 transport in vitro, downregulated NQO1 expression in vivo, increased CYP1A2 expression and enzymatic activity in vitro and in vivo, respectively (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Notably, SAA also reduced AAI-induced hepatotoxicity throughout the detoxification process, as indicated by a 41.3% reduction in the number of liver adducts (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Stir-fried SAA is a novel drug candidate for the suppression of AAI-induced liver and kidney damages. The protective mechanism may be closely related to the regulation of transporters and metabolic enzymes.
Aristolochic Acids/toxicity* ; Animals ; Humans ; NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone)/genetics* ; HEK293 Cells ; Kidney/pathology* ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A2/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; DNA Adducts/drug effects* ; Male ; Kidney Diseases/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice ; Prunus armeniaca ; Plant Extracts

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed. CONCLUSION STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Angina, Stable/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome ; Placebos ; Tablets

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

Objective To investigate the potential mechanism of action of polygonatum odoratum in treating Alzheimer's disease through the utilization of network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques.Methods The methods employed include target screening,Gene Ontology(GO)function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis,and molecular docking simulations to assess the binding interactions between the active compounds in polygonatum odoratum(POD)and the key target proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease.Subsequently,lipopolysaccharide(LPS)was used to induce an inflammatory cell model in BV2 microglial cells.After treating the cell model with POD extract for 24 hours,the cells were collected,and the expression of the target genes were detected by Real-time PCR.Results Eight active ingredients and 172 targets of POD were screened.The biological processes such as protein phosphorylation and signal transduction,protein binding and ATP binding were obtained by GO functional analysis.KEGG enrichment yielded PI3K/Akt,cAMP and other signaling pathways.The molecular docking result showed that the active ingredient of POD had well binding activity with epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src(SRC),tumor necrosis factor(TNF),STAT3.Through Real-time PCR experiments,the gene expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),prostaglandin G/H synthase 2(PTGS2),interleukin(IL)-6,and IL-1β in the LPS-induced inflammatory cell model were significantly upregulated.After treating the inflammatory model with POD extract for 24 hours,the expression of TNF-α was significantly reduced,the expression of STAT3 was upregulated,there were no significant changes in the expressions of SRC and EGFR.Conclusion Network pharmacology suggests polygonatum odoratum's potential anti-Alzheimer's effects may be mediated through its interaction with targets such as EGFR,TNF,SRC,and STAT3.The experimental results suggest that polygonatum odoratum exerts an anti-inflammatory effect by acting on TNF-α,which may further alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

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.

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction disease caused by a dysregulated host response to infection.It has com-plex pathophysiological changes,and in severe cases,it can rap-idly develop into septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction or multiple organ failure.At present,the pathological mechanism of sepsis and its induced organ dysfunction is complex and the in-fluencing factors are numerous.So far,there is still a lack of specific and effective treatment strategies.RNA modify-N6-methyladenosine(m6 A)is one of the most common post-tran-scriptional modifications on eukaryotic RNAs.It is involved in the regulation of the occurrence and development of a variety of inflammatory diseases,including sepsis,and even multiple organ dysfunction induced by sepsis by affecting the metabolism of RNAs.It includes cardiac dysfunction,acute lung injury(ALI)and acute kidney injury(AKI).Therefore,this article will dis-cuss the effect of m6A modification on the function of immune cells,and its important role in sepsis and its induced multiple or-gan dysfunction diseases by regulating inflammatory signals,py-roptosis,mitochondrial damage and ferroptosis.This will provide new therapeutic targets and strategies for the clinical prevention and treatment of sepsis and its induced multiple organ dysfunc-tion diseases.

Objective To explore the effect and mechanism of Slc1a2 overexpression on cognitive dysfunction in sleep-deprived mice.Methods A total of 130 mice were divided into five groups:normal sleep(NS),NS+ov-Slc1a2,sleep deprivation(SD),SD+ov-NC,and SD+ov-Slc1a2,with 26 mice in each group.The SD mice model was established using an automatic system based on a rotating rod,and overexpress Slc1a2 adenovirus was injected into the prefrontal cortex(PFC).Immunofluorescence and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of Slc1a2 in the mouse PFC.Electrophysiological tests were used to evaluate non-rapid eye movement(NREM)sleep time,rapid eye movement(REM)sleep time,and wakefulness time in mice.Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of glutamate(Glu)and gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA)metabolic enzymes in the mouse PFC.Whole-cell patch-clamp recording was used to detect the frequency and amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents(mEPSC)in mouse PFC.Immunofluorescence was used to detect the proportion of GABA-positive cells in the mouse PFC.The C11-BODIPY fluorescent probe was used to detect lipid reac-tive oxygen species(ROS)levels in mouse PFC.Commercial kits were used to detect Fe2+and malondialdehyde(MDA)levels in the mouse PFC.Cognitive function in mice was evaluated using the open field,novel object recognition,and Y-maze tests.Results Compared with the NS group,the NREM sleep time,REM sleep time,central area stay time,recognition index,and novel wall selection index increased significantly,while wakefulness time decreased significantly in the NS+ov-Slc1a2 group(all P＜0.05).The percentage of Slc1a2+GFAP+cells,expression of Slc1a2 protein,expression of Glul,Slc6a1,and Abat mRNA,frequency and amplitude of mEPSC,and proportion of GABA-positive cells in the PFC increased significantly,whereas lipid ROS,Fe2+,and MDA levels decreased significantly(all P＜0.05).Compared with the NS group,the NREM sleep time,REM sleep time,central area stay time,recognition index,and novel wall selection index of the SD group and the SD+ov-NC group were significantly decreased,whereas wakefulness time was significantly increased(all P＜0.05).The percentage of Slc1a2+GFAP+cells,expression of Slc1a2 protein,expression of Glul,Slc6a1,and Abat mRNA,frequency and amplitude of mEPSC,and proportion of GABA-positive cells in the mouse PFC decreased significantly,whereas lipid ROS,Fe2+,and MDA levels increased significantly(all P＜0.05).Compared with the SD and SD+ov-NC groups,the NREM sleep time,REM sleep time,central area stay time,recognition index,and novel wall selection index of the SD+ov-Slc1a2 group increased significantly,whereas the wakeful-ness time decreased significantly(all P＜0.05).The percentage of Slc1a2+GFAP+cells,the expression of Slc1a2 protein,the expression of Glul,Slc6a1,and Abat mRNA,the frequency and amplitude of mEPSC,and the proportion of GABA-positive cells in the mouse PFC increased significantly,whereas lipid ROS,Fe2+,and MDA levels decreased significantly(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Ectopic overexpres-sion of Slc1a2 in the PFC can improve sleep disorders in SD mice,reduce the damage caused by SD to excitatory synaptic transmission and GABAergic neuron function in the PFC,and alleviate cognitive impairment and anxiety-like behavior in these mice.Its mechanism may be related to the improvement of Glu/GABA metabolic imbalance in the PFC and inhibition of ferroptosis.

Objective:To investigate the association between dietary diversity and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) .Methods:A total of 553 patients diagnosed with CHD and undergoing PCI in the Department of Cardiology at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between May and November 2023 were enrolled using a convenience sampling method. A Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to assess patients' dietary intake after PCI, and the Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) was calculated. Patients were followed up for one year to determine the incidence of MACE.Results:History of hypertension, history of hyperlipidemia, body mass index, use of antiplatelet agents, use of diuretics, triglycerides, smoking index and DDS were identified as factors influencing the occurrence of MACE after PCI ( P<0.05) . Among these, higher dietary diversity had a protective effect against MACE. Conclusions:After PCI, patients with lower DDS experienced MACE more frequently than those with higher scores. Increased dietary diversity can effectively help prevent MACE in patients after PCI.

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction disease caused by a dysregulated host response to infection.It has com-plex pathophysiological changes,and in severe cases,it can rap-idly develop into septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction or multiple organ failure.At present,the pathological mechanism of sepsis and its induced organ dysfunction is complex and the in-fluencing factors are numerous.So far,there is still a lack of specific and effective treatment strategies.RNA modify-N6-methyladenosine(m6 A)is one of the most common post-tran-scriptional modifications on eukaryotic RNAs.It is involved in the regulation of the occurrence and development of a variety of inflammatory diseases,including sepsis,and even multiple organ dysfunction induced by sepsis by affecting the metabolism of RNAs.It includes cardiac dysfunction,acute lung injury(ALI)and acute kidney injury(AKI).Therefore,this article will dis-cuss the effect of m6A modification on the function of immune cells,and its important role in sepsis and its induced multiple or-gan dysfunction diseases by regulating inflammatory signals,py-roptosis,mitochondrial damage and ferroptosis.This will provide new therapeutic targets and strategies for the clinical prevention and treatment of sepsis and its induced multiple organ dysfunc-tion diseases.

Objective To explore the effect and mechanism of Slc1a2 overexpression on cognitive dysfunction in sleep-deprived mice.Methods A total of 130 mice were divided into five groups:normal sleep(NS),NS+ov-Slc1a2,sleep deprivation(SD),SD+ov-NC,and SD+ov-Slc1a2,with 26 mice in each group.The SD mice model was established using an automatic system based on a rotating rod,and overexpress Slc1a2 adenovirus was injected into the prefrontal cortex(PFC).Immunofluorescence and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of Slc1a2 in the mouse PFC.Electrophysiological tests were used to evaluate non-rapid eye movement(NREM)sleep time,rapid eye movement(REM)sleep time,and wakefulness time in mice.Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of glutamate(Glu)and gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA)metabolic enzymes in the mouse PFC.Whole-cell patch-clamp recording was used to detect the frequency and amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents(mEPSC)in mouse PFC.Immunofluorescence was used to detect the proportion of GABA-positive cells in the mouse PFC.The C11-BODIPY fluorescent probe was used to detect lipid reac-tive oxygen species(ROS)levels in mouse PFC.Commercial kits were used to detect Fe2+and malondialdehyde(MDA)levels in the mouse PFC.Cognitive function in mice was evaluated using the open field,novel object recognition,and Y-maze tests.Results Compared with the NS group,the NREM sleep time,REM sleep time,central area stay time,recognition index,and novel wall selection index increased significantly,while wakefulness time decreased significantly in the NS+ov-Slc1a2 group(all P＜0.05).The percentage of Slc1a2+GFAP+cells,expression of Slc1a2 protein,expression of Glul,Slc6a1,and Abat mRNA,frequency and amplitude of mEPSC,and proportion of GABA-positive cells in the PFC increased significantly,whereas lipid ROS,Fe2+,and MDA levels decreased significantly(all P＜0.05).Compared with the NS group,the NREM sleep time,REM sleep time,central area stay time,recognition index,and novel wall selection index of the SD group and the SD+ov-NC group were significantly decreased,whereas wakefulness time was significantly increased(all P＜0.05).The percentage of Slc1a2+GFAP+cells,expression of Slc1a2 protein,expression of Glul,Slc6a1,and Abat mRNA,frequency and amplitude of mEPSC,and proportion of GABA-positive cells in the mouse PFC decreased significantly,whereas lipid ROS,Fe2+,and MDA levels increased significantly(all P＜0.05).Compared with the SD and SD+ov-NC groups,the NREM sleep time,REM sleep time,central area stay time,recognition index,and novel wall selection index of the SD+ov-Slc1a2 group increased significantly,whereas the wakeful-ness time decreased significantly(all P＜0.05).The percentage of Slc1a2+GFAP+cells,the expression of Slc1a2 protein,the expression of Glul,Slc6a1,and Abat mRNA,the frequency and amplitude of mEPSC,and the proportion of GABA-positive cells in the mouse PFC increased significantly,whereas lipid ROS,Fe2+,and MDA levels decreased significantly(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Ectopic overexpres-sion of Slc1a2 in the PFC can improve sleep disorders in SD mice,reduce the damage caused by SD to excitatory synaptic transmission and GABAergic neuron function in the PFC,and alleviate cognitive impairment and anxiety-like behavior in these mice.Its mechanism may be related to the improvement of Glu/GABA metabolic imbalance in the PFC and inhibition of ferroptosis.