ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism by which Notoginsenoside R1 （NGR1） ameliorates hypoxia/reoxygenation （H/R）-induced injury in AC16 human cardiomyocyte cell lines through the regulation of mitophagy. MethodsCommon genes linked to hypoxia/reoxygenation injury and mitophagy were identified by intersecting data from GeneCards and MitoCarta databases. AC16 cell viability was assessed via CCK-8 assay under varying NGR1 concentrations （0， 6.25， 12.5， 25， 50， 100， 200， 300， 400， 500 μmol/L）. AC16 cells were divided into the following groups： control group （Control）， model group （H/R）， and treatment groups （H/R + NGR1 at 100， 200 and 300 μmol/L）. Mitochondrial membrane potential （ΔΨm） was measured using 5，5'，6，6'-tetrachloro-1，1'，3，3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolylcarbocyanine iodide （JC-1） staining. Transcriptional levels of mitophagy-related genes （Parkin， Pink1， P62） were quantified by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR （RT-qPCR）. Protein expression of mitophagy-related markers （Parkin， Pink1， P62， and LC3BⅡ） was evaluated via Western blot analysis. Mitochondrial ultrastructure was visualized by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. ResultsCompared to the control group， cell viability in the H/R group significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Treatment with NGR1 at concentrations above 100 μmol/L significantly enhanced the cell viability of AC16 cells compared to the H/R group （P<0.01）. H/R induced a significant decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential （P<0.01）， which was restored by NGR1 treatment （P<0.01）. The mRNA levels of Parkin， Pink1， and P62 in the H/R group were upregulated compared to the control group （P<0.05）， while NGR1 intervention downregulated their expression （P<0.05）. Protein expression levels of Parkin， Pink1， and LC3BⅡ in the H/R group significantly increased， while P62 expression decreased compared to the control group （P<0.01）. In contrast， different doses of NGR1 treatment significantly reduced the expression of Parkin， Pink1， and LC3BⅡ while increasing P62 expression （P<0.05）. TEM revealed that the mitochondrial structure in the H/R group was severely disrupted， with fragmented and disorganized cristae， which was alleviated by NGR1. ConclusionNGR1 ameliorates H/R-induced AC16 cell injury， and its mechanism may be associated with modulating the Pink1/Parkin pathway to suppress excessive mitophagy.

Fresh-cut processing constitutes a pivotal technique in the origin processing of Chinese medicinal materials， with a long history documented in multiple materia medica. In recent years， it has garnered national policy support for its ability to prevent component loss and low processing efficiency associated with traditional drying-before-cutting methods. As of August 2025， 26 provinces and municipalities nationwide have cumulatively published 789 species for fresh-cut processing. Among these， 78 were included in the 2025 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. However， the practice continues to face common challenges and difficulties， including ambiguous scientific understanding， fragmented standards， limited quality control approaches， and poor process stability. Based on this， this paper synthesises years of research findings to systematically elucidate the core mechanisms of fresh-cut processing. These encompass alterations to herbal tissue structure during cutting， post-processing changes in constituents， and physiological-biochemical processes such as plant stress responses and shifts in endogenous enzyme activity. It also summarises influencing factors， including inherent herbal properties， cutting timing and methods， and environmental conditions like temperature， humidity， and microbial presence. Based on this overview of fresh-cutting mechanisms， subsequent research should advance in four directions：Clarifying the scientific principles of fresh-cutting， overcoming technical bottlenecks， upgrading intelligent equipment， and establishing quality standards and evaluation systems. This study provides a theoretical foundation and scientific basis for future research on fresh-cutting in traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）， promoting its deeper practical application within the industry and contributing to the high-quality development of TCM industry and the modernization of TCM.

BACKGROUND:Fibromyalgia syndrome,as a common rheumatic disease,is related to central sensitization and immune abnormalities.However,the specific mechanism has not been elucidated,and there is a lack of specific diagnostic markers.Exploring the possible pathogenesis of this disease has important clinical significance. OBJECTIVE:To screen the potential diagnostic marker genes of fibromyalgia syndrome and analyze the possible immune infiltration characteristics based on bioinformatics methods,such as weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA),and machine learning. METHODS:Gene expression profiles in peripheral serum of fibromyalgia syndrome patients and healthy controls were obtained from the gene expression omnibus(GEO)database.The differentially co-expressed genes were screened in the expression profile by differential analysis and WGCNA analysis.Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination(SVM-RFE)machine learning algorithm were further used to identify hub biomarkers,and draw receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)to evaluate the accuracy of diagnosing fibromyalgia syndrome.Finally,single sample gene set enrichment analysis(ssGSEA)and gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA)were used to evaluate the immune cell infiltration and pathway enrichment in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Eight down-regulated differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were obtained after differential analysis of the GSE67311 dataset according to the conditions of log2|(FC)|>0 and P<0.05.After WGCNA analysis,497 genes were included in the module(MEdarkviolet)with the highest positive correlation(r=0.22,P=0.04),and 19 genes were included in the module(MEsalmon2)with the highest negative correlation(r=-0.41,P=6×10-5).After intersecting DEGs and the module genes of WGCNA,seven genes were obtained.Four genes were screened out by LASSO regression algorithm and five genes were screened out by SVM-RFE machine learning algorithm.After the intersection of the two,three core genes were identified,which were germinal center associated signaling and motility like,integrin beta-8,and carboxypeptidase A3.The areas under the ROC curve of the three core genes were 0.744,0.739,and 0.734,respectively,indicating that they have good diagnostic value and can be used as biomarkers for fibromyalgia syndrome.The results of immune infiltration analysis showed that memory B cells,CD56 bright NK cells,and mast cells were significantly down-regulated in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome compared with the control group(P<0.05),and were significantly positively correlated with the above three biomarkers(P<0.05).The enrichment analysis suggested that there were nine fibromyalgia syndrome enrichment pathways,mainly related to olfactory transduction pathway,neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction,and infection pathway.The above results showed that the occurrence and development of fibromyalgia syndrome are related to the involvement of multiple genes,abnormal immune regulation,and multiple pathways imbalance.However,the interactions between these genes and immune cells,as well as their relationships with various pathways need to be further investigated.

ObjectiveTo understand the epidemiological distribution and gene evolutionary variation of influenza A (H3N2) viruses in Fengxian District, Shanghai, in the surveillance year of 2023, and to provide a reference basis for influenza prevention and control. MethodsThe prevalence of influenza virus in Fengxian District in the 2023 influenza surveillance year (April 2023‒March 2024) was analyzed. The hemagglutinin (HA) gene, neuraminidase (NA) gene, and amino acid sequences of 75 strains of H3N2 influenza viruses were compared with the vaccine reference strain for similarity matching and phylogenetic evolutionary analysis, in addition to an analysis of gene characterization and variation. ResultsIn Fengxian District, there was a mixed epidemic of H3N2 and H1N1 in the spring of 2023, with H3N2 being the predominant subtype in the second half of the year, and Victoria B becoming the predominant subtype in the spring of 2024. A total of 75 influenza strains of H3N2 with HA and NA genes were distributed in the 3C.2a1b.2a.2a.2a.3a.1 and B.4 branches, with overall similarity to the reference strain of the 2024 vaccine higher than that of the reference strain of the 2022 and 2023 vaccine. Compared with the 2023 vaccine reference strain, three antigenic sites and one receptor binding site were changed in HA, with three glycosylation sites reduced and two glycosylation sites added; where as in NA seven antigenic sites and the 222nd resistance site changed with two glycosylation sites reduced. ConclusionThe risk of antigenic variation and drug resistance of H3N2 in this region is high, and it is necessary to strengthen the publicity and education on the 2024 influenza vaccine and long-term monitoring of influenza virus prevalence and variation levels.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of different concentrations of Shaoyaotang-containing serum on lipopolysaccharide （LPS）-induced inflammation of human colorectal adenocarcinoma （Caco-2） cells by inhibiting apoptosis via activating the tumor necrosis factor （TNF） receptor superfamily member 6 （Fas）/Fas ligand （FasL） pathway. MethodsCaco-2 cells were allocated into blank， model （LPS， 10 mg·L^-1）， Shaoyaotang-containing serum （5%， 10%， 15%， 20%）， and Fas inhibitor （KR-33493， 20 mmol·L^-1） groups. Except the blank group， the other groups were stimulated with 10 mg·L^-1 LPS for 24 h for the modeling of inflammation. After successful modeling， the blank， Fas inhibitor， and model groups were treated with blank serum， and the Shaoyaotang-containing serum groups were treated with the serum samples at corresponding concentrations for 24 h. The Fas inhibitor group was subjected to KR-33493 pretreatment for 1 h. Cell proliferation and viability were examined by the cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） method. The levels of interleukin （IL）-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The protein and mRNA levels of Fas， FasL， cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase （Caspase）-3， Caspase-9， B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） were determined by Western blot and Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， respectively. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group presented a decrease in cell survival rate （P<0.01）. Compared with that in the model group， the cell survival rate showed no significant change in the 5% Shaoyaotang-containing serum group but increased in the 10%， 15%， and 20% Shaoyaotang-containing serum groups （P<0.01）. Since there was no statistical difference between the 5% Shaoyaotang-containing serum group and the model group， 10%， 15%， and 20% Shaoyaotang-containing sera were selected for the follow-up study. Compared with the blank group， the model group showed risen levels of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.01）， an increased apoptosis rate （P<0.01）， up-regulated protein and mRNA levels of Fas， FasL， Caspase-3， Caspase-9， and Bax （P<0.01）， and down-regulated protein and mRNA levels of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Fas inhibitor group and the 10%， 15%， and 20% Shaoyaotang-containing serum groups showed declined levels of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.01）， decreased apoptosis rates （P<0.01）， down-regulated protein and mRNA levels of Fas， FasL， Caspase-3， Caspase-9， and Bax （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and up-regulated protein and mRNA levels of Bcl-2 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， the 15% and 20% Shaoyaotang-containing serum groups had lower levels of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.05， P<0.01）， lower apoptosis rates （P<0.05， P<0.01）， lower protein and mRNA levels of Fas， FasL， Caspase-3， Caspase-9， and Bax （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and higher protein and mRNA levels of Bcl-2 （P<0.05， P<0.01） than the 10% Shaoyaotang-containing serum group. ConclusionThe Shaoyaotang-containing serum can reduce the content of inflammatory factors in Caco-2 cells， down-regulate the protein and mRNA levels of Fas， FasL， Caspase-3， Caspase-9， and Bax， and up-regulate the protein and mRNA levels of Bcl-2 under the intervention of LPS by regulating the Fas/FasL pathway and inhibiting the apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells in ulcerative colitis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect and mechanism of Shaoyaotang （SYD） on the lipopolysaccharide （LPS）-induced damage of tight junction proteins in the human colorectal adenocarcinoma （Caco-2） cell model of inflammation via the Ras homolog gene family member A （RhoA）/Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase （ROCK） pathway. MethodsCaco-2 cells were grouped as follows： Blank， model （LPS， 10 mg·L^-1）， SYD-containing serum （10%， 15%， and 20%）， and inhibitor （Fasudil， 25 μmol·L^-1）. After 24 hours of intervention， the cell viability in each group was examined by the cell-counting kit 8 （CCK-8） method. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to determine the levels of endothelin-1 （ET-1）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6）. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were employed to determine the mRNA and protein levels， respectively， of RhoA， ROCK2， claudin-5， and zonula occludens-1 （ZO-1） in cells of each group. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group showcased a marked reduction in the cell viability （P<0.01）， elevations in the levels of ET-1， TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 （P<0.01）， declines in both mRNA and protein levels of ZO-1 and claudin-5 （P<0.01）， and rises in mRNA and protein levels of RhoA and ROCK2 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Shaoyaotang-containing serum （10%， 15%， and 20%） groups had enhanced cell viability （P<0.01）， lowered levels of ET-1， TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 （P<0.01）， up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of ZO-1 and claudin-5 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of RhoA and ROCK2 （P<0.01）. Moreover， the inhibitor group and the 15% and 20% Shaoyaotang-containing serum groups had lower levels of ET-1， TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， higher mRNA and protein levels of ZO-1 and claudin-5 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and lower mRNA and protein levels of RhoA and ROCK2 （P<0.05， P<0.01） than the 10% Shaoyaotang-containing serum group. ConclusionThe Shaoyaotang-containing serum can lower the levels of LPS-induced increases in levels of inflammatory cytokines and endothelin to ameliorate the damage of tight junction proteins of the Caco-2 cell model of inflammation by regulating the expression of proteins in the RhoA/ROCK pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of different concentrations of Shaoyaotang-containing serum on lipopolysaccharide （LPS）-induced inflammation of human colorectal adenocarcinoma （Caco-2） cells by inhibiting apoptosis via activating the tumor necrosis factor （TNF） receptor superfamily member 6 （Fas）/Fas ligand （FasL） pathway. MethodsCaco-2 cells were allocated into blank， model （LPS， 10 mg·L^-1）， Shaoyaotang-containing serum （5%， 10%， 15%， 20%）， and Fas inhibitor （KR-33493， 20 mmol·L^-1） groups. Except the blank group， the other groups were stimulated with 10 mg·L^-1 LPS for 24 h for the modeling of inflammation. After successful modeling， the blank， Fas inhibitor， and model groups were treated with blank serum， and the Shaoyaotang-containing serum groups were treated with the serum samples at corresponding concentrations for 24 h. The Fas inhibitor group was subjected to KR-33493 pretreatment for 1 h. Cell proliferation and viability were examined by the cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） method. The levels of interleukin （IL）-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The protein and mRNA levels of Fas， FasL， cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase （Caspase）-3， Caspase-9， B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） were determined by Western blot and Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， respectively. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group presented a decrease in cell survival rate （P<0.01）. Compared with that in the model group， the cell survival rate showed no significant change in the 5% Shaoyaotang-containing serum group but increased in the 10%， 15%， and 20% Shaoyaotang-containing serum groups （P<0.01）. Since there was no statistical difference between the 5% Shaoyaotang-containing serum group and the model group， 10%， 15%， and 20% Shaoyaotang-containing sera were selected for the follow-up study. Compared with the blank group， the model group showed risen levels of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.01）， an increased apoptosis rate （P<0.01）， up-regulated protein and mRNA levels of Fas， FasL， Caspase-3， Caspase-9， and Bax （P<0.01）， and down-regulated protein and mRNA levels of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Fas inhibitor group and the 10%， 15%， and 20% Shaoyaotang-containing serum groups showed declined levels of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.01）， decreased apoptosis rates （P<0.01）， down-regulated protein and mRNA levels of Fas， FasL， Caspase-3， Caspase-9， and Bax （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and up-regulated protein and mRNA levels of Bcl-2 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， the 15% and 20% Shaoyaotang-containing serum groups had lower levels of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.05， P<0.01）， lower apoptosis rates （P<0.05， P<0.01）， lower protein and mRNA levels of Fas， FasL， Caspase-3， Caspase-9， and Bax （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and higher protein and mRNA levels of Bcl-2 （P<0.05， P<0.01） than the 10% Shaoyaotang-containing serum group. ConclusionThe Shaoyaotang-containing serum can reduce the content of inflammatory factors in Caco-2 cells， down-regulate the protein and mRNA levels of Fas， FasL， Caspase-3， Caspase-9， and Bax， and up-regulate the protein and mRNA levels of Bcl-2 under the intervention of LPS by regulating the Fas/FasL pathway and inhibiting the apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells in ulcerative colitis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect and mechanism of Shaoyaotang （SYD） on the lipopolysaccharide （LPS）-induced damage of tight junction proteins in the human colorectal adenocarcinoma （Caco-2） cell model of inflammation via the Ras homolog gene family member A （RhoA）/Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase （ROCK） pathway. MethodsCaco-2 cells were grouped as follows： Blank， model （LPS， 10 mg·L^-1）， SYD-containing serum （10%， 15%， and 20%）， and inhibitor （Fasudil， 25 μmol·L^-1）. After 24 hours of intervention， the cell viability in each group was examined by the cell-counting kit 8 （CCK-8） method. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to determine the levels of endothelin-1 （ET-1）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6）. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were employed to determine the mRNA and protein levels， respectively， of RhoA， ROCK2， claudin-5， and zonula occludens-1 （ZO-1） in cells of each group. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group showcased a marked reduction in the cell viability （P<0.01）， elevations in the levels of ET-1， TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 （P<0.01）， declines in both mRNA and protein levels of ZO-1 and claudin-5 （P<0.01）， and rises in mRNA and protein levels of RhoA and ROCK2 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Shaoyaotang-containing serum （10%， 15%， and 20%） groups had enhanced cell viability （P<0.01）， lowered levels of ET-1， TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 （P<0.01）， up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of ZO-1 and claudin-5 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of RhoA and ROCK2 （P<0.01）. Moreover， the inhibitor group and the 15% and 20% Shaoyaotang-containing serum groups had lower levels of ET-1， TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， higher mRNA and protein levels of ZO-1 and claudin-5 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and lower mRNA and protein levels of RhoA and ROCK2 （P<0.05， P<0.01） than the 10% Shaoyaotang-containing serum group. ConclusionThe Shaoyaotang-containing serum can lower the levels of LPS-induced increases in levels of inflammatory cytokines and endothelin to ameliorate the damage of tight junction proteins of the Caco-2 cell model of inflammation by regulating the expression of proteins in the RhoA/ROCK pathway.

ObjectiveTo improve the quality and service performance of community visual health services in Shanghai, and to establish a set of reasonable and effective evaluation index system for community visual health services. MethodsCentered on the national and Shanghai-based visual health policies and based on the current status and development trends of community visual health service program in Shanghai, the candidate indicators were formed through literature review and expert interviews, firstly. The framework of an evaluation index system was formulated through qualitative research successively, which was further revised and perfected using the Delphi method. Coefficient weights were calculated using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), culminating in the establishment of the community visual health evaluation index system, lastly. ResultsA total of 22 visual health experts from district-level center for disease control, hospital ophthalmology and leaders in charging of visual health service in community health centers participated in the Delphi questionnaire survey, with a questionnaire recovery rate of 100% and an expert authority coefficient of 0.86, indicating high credibility. After a round of correspondence to experts’ importance ratings and discussions, a comprehensive evaluation index system comprising 3 primary indicators, 12 secondary indicators, and 47 tertiary indicators, along with 5 additional indicators, was finalized. ConclusionAn index system tailored to effective evaluation for community visual health initiatives was drawn up in this study, which can promote the capacity building in community eye health services, facilitating the high-quality development of visual health courses, and enhancing residents’ eye health.

BACKGROUND: Spicy food consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with mortality from multiple diseases. However, the effect of spicy food intake on the incidence of vascular diseases in the Chinese population remains unclear. This study was conducted to explore this association. METHODS: This study was performed using the large-scale China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) prospective cohort of 486,335 participants. The primary outcomes were vascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCEs), cerebrovascular disease, stroke, and non-stroke cerebrovascular disease. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between spicy food consumption and incident vascular diseases. Subgroup analysis was also performed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the association between spicy food consumption and the risk of vascular disease stratified by several basic characteristics. In addition, the joint effects of spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of vascular disease were also evaluated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the association results. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 12.1 years, a total of 136,125 patients with vascular disease, 46,689 patients with IHD, 10,097 patients with MCEs, 80,114 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 56,726 patients with stroke, and 40,098 patients with non-stroke cerebrovascular disease were identified. Participants who consumed spicy food 1-2 days/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [0.93, 0.97], P <0.001), 3-5 days/week (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], P = 0.003), and 6-7 days/week (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99], P = 0.002) had a significantly lower risk of vascular disease than those who consumed spicy food less than once a week ( Ptrend <0.001), especially in those who were younger and living in rural areas. Notably, the disease-based subgroup analysis indicated that the inverse associations remained in IHD ( Ptrend = 0.011) and MCEs ( Ptrend = 0.002) risk. Intriguingly, there was an interaction effect between spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of IHD ( Pinteraction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings support an inverse association between spicy food consumption and vascular disease in the Chinese population, which may provide additional dietary guidance for the prevention of vascular diseases.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Vascular Diseases/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/epidemiology* ; East Asian People