Depression is a common psychiatric disorder characterized by persistent low mood or mental disorders. Current treatments primarily focus on regulating neurotransmitter levels， but their effectiveness is limited. The mechanisms underlying its onset are complex， and there is no unified consensus. Abnormal signaling pathway transmission plays a crucial role in the development of depression， involving multiple pathways， including Toll-like receptor 4/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 （TLR4/NLRP3）， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）， Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription （JAK/STAT）， mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase （MAPK/ERK）， brain-derived neurotrophic factor/tyrosine kinase receptor B （BDNF/TrkB）， cyclic AMP/protein kinase A/cAMP response element-binding protein （cAMP/PKA/CREB）， and others. Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） is based on a holistic approach and the principle of treatment based on the differentiation of syndromes， regulating the balance of multiple systems and organ functions from a macroscopic perspective. This approach has shown unique advantages in the treatment of depression. TCM attributes the onset of depression to dysfunction of the organ systems， involving liver Qi stagnation， heart spirit deficiency， kidney essence depletion， and spleen dysfunction. TCM compound treatments focus on soothing the liver， strengthening the spleen， calming the heart， and replenishing essence， with formulas such as Xiaoyaosan， Zishui Qinggan Yin， and Chahu Jia Guizhi Longgu Muli Tang. The active components of Chinese herbs mainly aim to tonify and regulate Qi， such as salidroside， ginsenoside Rb₁， astragaloside， and muscone. External TCM treatments， primarily acupuncture， aim to open the orifices and invigorate the spirit. Acupoints such as Baihui， Shenting， and Yintang are commonly used. Additionally， massage and moxibustion therapy can intervene in depression by regulating signaling pathways. This article reviews the core role of signaling pathways in the development of depression and the mechanism of TCM regulation of signaling pathways to intervene in depression， aiming to discover new therapeutic approaches that can improve the symptoms of depressed patients.

Objective:To translate the Maastricht Clinical Teaching Questionnaire (MCTQ) into Chinese and evaluate its reliability and validity in standardized training of residents.Methods:The Chinese version of MCTQ was obtained according to the Brislin translation model, including translation, back-translation, and cross-cultural debugging. A convenient sampling survey was carried out among the trainees in the First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University in June 2022 by using an online survey tool. A total of 562 valid questionnaires were collected. Data from valid survey questionnaires were subjected to item analysis (critical ratio method), reliability analysis (Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability), structural validity analysis (exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis), and discriminant validity analysis using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 24.0 software.Results:The Chinese version of MCTQ scale consisted of 24 items, which was consistent with the original scale. Four common factors were extracted with a cumulative variance contribution of 79.96%. The four-factor model demonstrated high goodness of fit. The χ2/d f, RMR, RMSEA, GFI, AGFI, NFI, and CFI were 3.491, 0.008, 0.067, 0.886, 0.861, 0.947, and 0.962, respectively. Both Cronbach's α and composite reliability exceeded 0.7, indicating high internal consistency and reliability. The correlation coefficients between the four factors ranged from 0.265 to 0.307, all of which were smaller than the corresponding square roots of average variance extracted, demonstrating high structural and discriminant validity. Conclusions:The Chinese version of MCTQ is valid and reliable in the Chinese context and can serve as a useful tool to evaluate the performance of clinical teachers during standardized residency training.

Objective To obtain measurements of fetal four-chamber view and left and right ventricular shapes using two-dimensional speckle tracking,and to explore the clinical quantification of cardiac shape remodeling in small for gestational age(SGA)fetuses.Methods In this study,we prospectively collected data on singleton pregnancies from 28 to 39 weeks that were established in the archives of Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital,Fudan University from May 2020 to Jul 2021.Fetuses eligible for inclusion criteria were randomly matched according to the ratio of estimated fetal weight(EFW)≥10th percentile(P10)∶EFWP90 in the apical segments of the left ventricle was greater in normal UAPI fetuses than that in low-risk fetuses(24.2%vs.14.3%,P=0.005);the SI of left ventricle in UAPI-normal SGA fetuses was greater in segments S1 to S22 than that of right ventricle with statistically significant difference(all P<0.05),while no significant difference was found between the SI of left and right ventricles in segments S23 and S24.Conclusion About one-fourth of SGA fetuses with normal UAPI have abnormally increased apical segments of the left ventricular SI,suggesting that cardiac remodeling with a predominantly"elongated"apical segments of the left ventricle precedes Doppler anomalies.

Schizophrenia is a common, severe, and complex psychiatric disorder worldwide. Genetic factors account for around 80% of the etiology of schizophrenia, yet objective diagnostic biomarkers remain lacking. This article reports two cases of female monozygotic twins diagnosed with schizophrenia, exhibiting a balanced translocation between 22q11.2 and 4p15.3. Reviewing the literature, we analyze and discuss the correlation between chromosomal balanced translocation regions and the pathogenesis of mental disorders. This aims to encourage psychiatrists to consider new perspectives on the diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Depression is a prevalent mental and emotional disor-der that often results in significant emotional disturbances,cog-nitive dysfunction,and memory impairments.It is characterized by a high incidence rate,a substantial disability burden,and limited therapeutic efficacy.Currently,the long-term use of medications for the treatment of depression can result in a range of adverse reactions,highlighting the urgent need to explore no-vel approaches that can effectively alleviate depressive symptoms while minimizing side effects.Curcumin,a natural polyphenolic compound derived from the rhizome of turmeric,demonstrates considerable potential in the prevention and treatment of depres-sion,owing to its diverse array of biological activities.In recent years,numerous studies have investigated the use of curcumin for the treatment of depression.This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the mechanisms of action underlying curcumin's efficacy in treating depression.Specifically,it focu-ses on its ability to improve neurotransmitter imbalances,restore neural plasticity,alleviate neural damage,mitigate dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA)axis,regulate in-flammatory factors and neuroinflammatory signaling pathways,and inhibit oxidative stress.This review is intended to offer in-sights and methodological references for basic research on curcu-min,as well as for the development of novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of depression.

Objective To analyze the medication law and compatibility characteristics of TCM compounds for the treatment of myocardial infarction in the national patent database.Methods TCM compounds for treating myocardial infarction were retrieved from CNIPA patent publication website.A prescription database was built using Excel 2019 software to statistically analyze the frequency of medicinal use and their properties,taste and meridian tropism;SPSS Modeler 18.0 software was used to analyze the association rules of drugs;a network of Chinese materia medica co-occurrence was constructed using Cytoscape 3.10.0,and systematic clustering analysis was performed on the Chinese materia medica in the core network.Results A total of 146 patents of TCM compounds were included,involved 440 kinds of Chinese materia medica.High frequency drugs included Salviea Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Chuanxiong Rhizoma,Angelicae Sinensis Radix,Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,etc.The main property was warm,the main tastes were bitter,sweet and pungent,and the medicines mostly belongs to the liver meridian,heart meridian and spleen meridians.Commonly used medicinal pairs included Angelicae Sinensis Radix-Chuanxiong Rhizoma,Astragali Radix-Salviea Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Paeoniae Radix Rubra-Angelicae Sinensis Radix,etc.Commonly used tripartite combinations included Paeoniae Radix Rubra-Chuanxiong Rhizoma-Angelicae Sinensis Radix,Carthami Flos-Angelicae Sinensis Radix-Chuanxiong Rhizoma,Carthami Flos-Chuanxiong Rhizoma-Angelicae Sinensis Radix,etc.Clustering analysis showed four types of combinations.Conclusion TCM compound patents for the treatment of myocardial infarction is based on promoting blood circulation,removing blood stasis,and relieving pain,while also using methods such as eliminating phlegm,tonifying qi,warming yang,and nourishing yin.It can provide references for clinical medication.

OBJECTIVE: Xuebijing injection has been recommended as a therapeutic approach for individuals with severe and critical COVID-19. This study aims to explore the correlation of neutrophil to lymphocyte platelet ratio (NLPR) with the severity and prognosis of COVID-19, and the effect of XBJ on the prognosis of patients with COVID-19 in different inflammatory states. METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted at Wuhan Union Hospital in China. COVID-19 patients admitted between November 1, 2022 and February 1, 2023 were included. In predicting prognosis for individuals with COVID-19, new inflammatory indicators were used, and their prognostic value was assessed by using Cox regression models and receiver operating characteristic curves. Furthermore, a calculation was made to determine the cutoff value for NLPR. Relative risk and Cox regression models were used to examine the effects of Xuebijing injection on prognosis in patient cohorts that had been stratified by the NLPR cutoff. RESULTS: This research included 455 participants with COVID-19, with a mean age of 72 years. Several inflammatory indicators were found to be strongly correlated with prognosis, and NLPR shows the greatest predictive power. Patients with NLPR > 3.29 exhibited a mortality rate of 17.3%, which was 6.2 times higher than in patients with NLPR ≤ 3.29. Importantly, providing Xuebijing injection to patients with NLPR > 3.29 was associated with a lower risk of 60-day all-cause mortality. However, there was no discernible improvement in survival among patients with NLPR ≤ 3.29 who received Xuebijing injection. CONCLUSION NLPR is the most reliable inflammatory marker for predicting prognosis among individuals with COVID-19, and can accurately identify individuals who may benefit from Xuebijing injection. Please cite this article as: Liao M, Zhang LT, Bai LJ, Wang RY, Liu Y, Han J, Liu LH, Qi BL. Xuebijing injection reduces COVID-19 patients mortality as influenced by the neutrophil to lymphocyte platelet ratio. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 282-288.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Neutrophils ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; COVID-19/blood* ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Lymphocytes ; Blood Platelets ; Platelet Count ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Aged, 80 and over ; Adult

The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of lung zinc ions to pathogenesis of lung ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control group, lung I/R group (I/R group), lung I/R + low-dose zinc chloride group (LZnCl₂+I/R group), lung I/R + high-dose ZnCl₂ group (HZnCl₂+I/R group), lung I/R + medium-dose ZnCl₂ group (MZnCl₂+I/R group) and TPEN+MZnCl₂+I/R group (n = 8 in each group). Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to measure the concentration of zinc ions in lung tissue. The degree of lung tissue injury was analyzed by observing HE staining, alveolar damage index, lung wet/dry weight ratio and lung tissue gross changes. TUNEL staining was used to detect cellular apoptosis in lung tissue. Western blot and RT-qPCR were used to determine the protein expression levels of caspase-3 and ZIP8, as well as the mRNA expression levels of zinc transporters (ZIP, ZNT) in lung tissue. The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) of lung tissue was detected by JC-1 MMP detection kit. The results showed that, compared with the control group, the lung tissue damage, lung wet/dry weight ratio and alveolar damage index were significantly increased in the I/R group. And in the lung tissue, the concentration of Zn²⁺ was markedly decreased, while the cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3 ratio and apoptotic levels were significantly increased. The expression levels of ZIP8 mRNA and protein were down-regulated significantly, while the mRNA expression of other zinc transporters remained unchanged. There was also a significant decrease in MMP. Compared with the I/R group, both MZnCl₂+I/R group and HZnCl₂+I/R group exhibited significantly reduced lung tissue injury, lung wet/dry weight ratio and alveolar damage index, increased Zn²⁺ concentration, decreased ratio of cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3 and apoptosis, and up-regulated expression levels of ZIP8 mRNA and protein. In addition, the MMP was significantly increased in the lung tissue. Zn²⁺ chelating agent TPEN reversed the above-mentioned protective effects of medium-dose ZnCl₂ on the lung tissue in the I/R group. The aforementioned results suggest that exogenous administration of ZnCl₂ can improve lung I/R injury in rats.
Animals ; Reperfusion Injury/pathology* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Chlorides/administration & dosage* ; Lung/pathology* ; Zinc Compounds/administration & dosage* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Caspase 3/metabolism* ; Cation Transport Proteins/metabolism*

BACKGROUND: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is common in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients and may develop earlier in those with multiple cardiovascular comorbidities, potentially impairing self-management and treatment adherence. This study aimed to characterize the prevalence and profile of MCI in AF patients, examine its associations with cardiovascular comorbidities, and assess how these comorbidities influence specific cognitive domains. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from AF patients who underwent cognitive assessment between 2017 and 2021. Cognitive status was categorized as MCI or non-MCI based on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Associations between comorbidities and MCI were assessed by logistic regression, and cognitive domains were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Of 4136 AF patients (mean age: 64.7 ± 9.4 years, 64.7% male), 33.5% of patients had MCI. Among the AF patients, 31.2% of patients had coronary artery disease, 20.1% of patients had heart failure, and 18.1% of patients had hypertension. 88.7% of patients had left atrial enlargement, and 11.0% of patients had reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. Independent factors associated with higher MCI prevalence included older age (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.03-1.05, P < 0.001), lower education level (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.31-1.73, P < 0.001), hypertension (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.07-1.52, P = 0.001), heart failure (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.04-1.48, P = 0.020), and lower left ventricular ejection fraction (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.04-1.98, P = 0.028). A higher CHA₂DS₂-VASc score (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.22-1.33, P < 0.001; ≥ 2 points vs. < 2 points), and greater atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease burden (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.02-2.08, P = 0.040; 2 types vs. 0 type) were linked to increased MCI risk. These above factors influenced various cognitive domains. CONCLUSIONS MCI is common in AF and closely associated with cardiovascular multimorbidity. Patients with multiple comorbidities are at higher risk, highlighting the importance of routine cognitive assessment to support self-management and integrated care.