ObjectiveAge-related macular degeneration （AMD） is one of the leading causes of low vision and blindness in people over 50 years old， and dry AMD （dAMD） is one type for which there is currently no clear treatment. On the basis of the diagnosis and clinical characteristics of dAMD in traditional Chinese and Western medicine， this paper evaluated the fitting degrees of existing animal models of dAMD with clinical characteristics according to the evaluation methods of animal models， and put forward suggestions and prospects. MethodsLiterature on animal models of dAMD was searched against database， and the characteristics of the models were assigned according to the diagnosis criteria of diseases and syndromes of traditional Chinese and Western medicine， and the fitting degrees of the models with clinical characteristics were analyzed and evaluated. ResultsAt present， the animal models of dAMD are mainly established targeting complement factors， chemokines， oxidative damage， lipid/glucose metabolism， and natural strains. Most of the models can simulate the major pathological changes of dAMD， showing the fitting degree of 25%-50% with clinical characteristics in Western medicine. However， the evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes， especially the evaluation of secondary syndromes， is missing， and the models present low fitting degrees with the clinical characteristics in TCM. ConclusionExisting animal models of dAMD are mostly established under the guidance of Western diagnostic standards， which reproduce the main disease characteristics of Western medicine and lack observation of TCM syndromes. Future studies can pay attention to the intervention factors and evaluation systems of spleen deficiency Qi deficiency and liver-kidney Yin deficiency syndrome and build the animal model of dAMD with integration of disease and syndrome based on clinical characteristics of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

ObjectiveRetinal vein occlusion （RVO） is the second most common vascular disease leading to vision loss. Since its pathogenesis remains unclear， current Western medical treatments primarily target complications such as macular edema and neovascularization. The main therapeutic approaches include intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） agents or corticosteroids， laser photocoagulation， and pars plana vitrectomy. However， these treatments cannot fully reverse disease progression or structural damage. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has unique advantages in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of RVO， and integrated Chinese and Western medicine approaches may offer better clinical outcomes. This study， based on the clinical manifestations of RVO， systematically reviews the existing literature and evaluates the alignment of current RVO animal models with clinical manifestations. The aim is to identify the characteristics and limitations of existing models and provide recommendations and prospects for developing RVO animal models featuring the combination of disease and syndrome. MethodsDatabases including CNKI， Wanfang Data， PubMed， and Web of Science were searched with the keywords of "retinal vein occlusion" and "animal model". Model characteristics were assessed based on the diagnostic criteria for diseases and syndromes in both TCM and Western medicine. The alignment of each model with clinical manifestations was analyzed and evaluated. ResultsThe available RVO models were primarily established via methods such as laser photocoagulation， photodynamic therapy， diathermy， intravitreal drug injection， and mechanical modeling. These models demonstrated moderate overall alignment with clinical manifestations， mainly reflecting disease characteristics. However， they generally lack representation of TCM syndrome features. ConclusionExisting RVO models are predominantly based on Western medicine and lack TCM syndrome features. Western medical treatments for RVO have certain limitations， while syndrome differentiation and treatment in TCM offer potential advantages. Future research should focus on developing disease-syndrome integrated animal models that incorporate both pathological features and TCM syndrome characteristics. This approach will enhance the design of RVO models and facilitate both basic and clinical research， which make it a scientifically valuable and necessary endeavor.

ObjectiveAge-related macular degeneration （AMD） is one of the leading causes of low vision and blindness in people over 50 years old， and dry AMD （dAMD） is one type for which there is currently no clear treatment. On the basis of the diagnosis and clinical characteristics of dAMD in traditional Chinese and Western medicine， this paper evaluated the fitting degrees of existing animal models of dAMD with clinical characteristics according to the evaluation methods of animal models， and put forward suggestions and prospects. MethodsLiterature on animal models of dAMD was searched against database， and the characteristics of the models were assigned according to the diagnosis criteria of diseases and syndromes of traditional Chinese and Western medicine， and the fitting degrees of the models with clinical characteristics were analyzed and evaluated. ResultsAt present， the animal models of dAMD are mainly established targeting complement factors， chemokines， oxidative damage， lipid/glucose metabolism， and natural strains. Most of the models can simulate the major pathological changes of dAMD， showing the fitting degree of 25%-50% with clinical characteristics in Western medicine. However， the evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes， especially the evaluation of secondary syndromes， is missing， and the models present low fitting degrees with the clinical characteristics in TCM. ConclusionExisting animal models of dAMD are mostly established under the guidance of Western diagnostic standards， which reproduce the main disease characteristics of Western medicine and lack observation of TCM syndromes. Future studies can pay attention to the intervention factors and evaluation systems of spleen deficiency Qi deficiency and liver-kidney Yin deficiency syndrome and build the animal model of dAMD with integration of disease and syndrome based on clinical characteristics of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

ObjectiveRetinal vein occlusion （RVO） is the second most common vascular disease leading to vision loss. Since its pathogenesis remains unclear， current Western medical treatments primarily target complications such as macular edema and neovascularization. The main therapeutic approaches include intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） agents or corticosteroids， laser photocoagulation， and pars plana vitrectomy. However， these treatments cannot fully reverse disease progression or structural damage. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has unique advantages in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of RVO， and integrated Chinese and Western medicine approaches may offer better clinical outcomes. This study， based on the clinical manifestations of RVO， systematically reviews the existing literature and evaluates the alignment of current RVO animal models with clinical manifestations. The aim is to identify the characteristics and limitations of existing models and provide recommendations and prospects for developing RVO animal models featuring the combination of disease and syndrome. MethodsDatabases including CNKI， Wanfang Data， PubMed， and Web of Science were searched with the keywords of "retinal vein occlusion" and "animal model". Model characteristics were assessed based on the diagnostic criteria for diseases and syndromes in both TCM and Western medicine. The alignment of each model with clinical manifestations was analyzed and evaluated. ResultsThe available RVO models were primarily established via methods such as laser photocoagulation， photodynamic therapy， diathermy， intravitreal drug injection， and mechanical modeling. These models demonstrated moderate overall alignment with clinical manifestations， mainly reflecting disease characteristics. However， they generally lack representation of TCM syndrome features. ConclusionExisting RVO models are predominantly based on Western medicine and lack TCM syndrome features. Western medical treatments for RVO have certain limitations， while syndrome differentiation and treatment in TCM offer potential advantages. Future research should focus on developing disease-syndrome integrated animal models that incorporate both pathological features and TCM syndrome characteristics. This approach will enhance the design of RVO models and facilitate both basic and clinical research， which make it a scientifically valuable and necessary endeavor.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of finerenone combined with standard treatment regimen in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy （DN）. METHODS From the perspective of healthcare service providers， a Markov model was established to simulate the dynamic changes of each stage in DN patients who received finerenone combined with the standard treatment regimen or the standard treatment regimen alone based on the phase Ⅲ clinical trial study of finerenone for DN. Markov model was used to perform the cost-effectiveness of long-term effects and the costs of the two therapies with a simulation cycle of 4 months， a simulation period of 15 years and an annual discount rate of 5%. At the same time， one-way sensitivity analysis and probability sensitivity analysis were performed， and the stability of the results was validated. RESULTS Accumulative cost of the standard treatment regimen was 579 329.54 yuan， and the accumulative utility was 8.052 4 quality-adjusted life year （QALYs）； the accumulative cost of finerenone combined with the standard treatment regimen was 332 520.61 yuan， and the accumulative utility was 8.187 4 QALYs. Finerenone combined with the standard treatment regimen was more cost-effective. The results of one-way sensitivity analysis showed that dialysis status utility value， DN stage 3 utility value and DN stage 4 utility value had a great influence on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio， but did not affect the robustness of the model. The results of probability sensitivity analysis showed that finerenone combined with the standard treatment regimen was more cost-effective with 100% probability. CONCLUSIONS For DN patients， finerenone combined with the standard treatment regimen is more cost-effective as an absolute advantage option.

ObjectiveTo investigate the antitumor effect and mechanism of Guiqi Yiyuan ointment on Lewis lung cancer mice based on the extracellular regulatory protein kinase （ERK） signaling pathway. MethodsA Lewis lung cancer mouse model was established. Except for the blank group， the model mice were randomly divided into the model group， Guiqi Yiyuan ointment low， medium， and high dose groups， and the extracellular ERK1/2 inhibitor group， with 10 mice per group. The Guiqi Yiyuan ointment was administered by gavage at doses of 1.75， 3.5， 7.0 g·kg^-1·d^-1 for the low， medium， and high dose groups， respectively. The ERK1/2 inhibitor group was given the ERK1/2 inhibitor LY3214996 （100 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） by gavage. The treatment was administered for 14 consecutive days， after which samples were collected. Tumor histopathological changes were observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe ultrastructural changes in tumor cells. Immunofluorescence was performed to measure the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 （p-ERK1/2） and the expression of programmed cell death ligand-1 （PD-L1） in tumor tissues. Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were used to detect the expression of p-ERK1/2， PD-L1， the autophagy marker Beclin-1， the autophagic protein p62， and the microtubule-associated protein light chains LC3Ⅰ and LC3Ⅱ at both the protein and gene levels. ResultsCompared with the model group， the average tumor weight was significantly reduced in the low and medium dose groups of Guiqi Yiyuan ointment （P<0.05）， and markedly reduced in the high dose and inhibitor groups （P<0.01）. Tumor cells in all treatment groups became progressively irregular， with ruptured nuclei and expanded areas of cell disintegration and necrosis. The number of organellar ablations in tumor tissues increased， and the number of autophagic vesicles also increased in all groups. The mean fluorescence intensity of p-ERK1/2 and PD-L1 was reduced in the low and medium dose groups of Guiqi Yiyuan ointment （P<0.05）， and significantly reduced in the high dose and inhibitor groups （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of ERK1/2， PD-L1， Beclin-1， and p62 was reduced in the medium dose group （P<0.05）， while LC3Ⅰ/Ⅱ mRNA expression was elevated （P<0.05）. In the high dose and inhibitor groups， mRNA expression of ERK1/2， PD-L1， Beclin-1， and p62 was significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while LC3Ⅰ/Ⅱ mRNA expression was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Protein expression of p-ERK1/2， PD-L1， Beclin-1， and p62 was reduced in the medium dose group （P<0.05）， and LC3Ⅰ/Ⅱ protein expression was elevated （P<0.05）. In the high dose and inhibitor groups， protein expression of p-ERK1/2， PD-L1， Beclin-1， and p62 was significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while LC3Ⅰ/Ⅱ protein expression was significantly elevated （P<0.01）. ConclusionGuiqi Yiyuan ointment may inhibit the activation of the ERK signaling pathway， downregulate the expression of p-ERK1/2， promote autophagic flux in tumor cells， and regulate the expression of PD-L1， thereby exerting an inhibitory effect on tumor growth in Lewis lung cancer mice.

OBJECTIVE From the perspective of China’s healthcare system， to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of amivantamab combined with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for patients with EGFR-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） who experience disease progression during or after treatment with osimertinib monotherapy. METHODS The Markov model was established according to MARIPOSA-2 clinical trial. The simulation time limit was 10 years and the cycle period lasted for 21 days. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio（ICER） of amivantamab combined with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for the treatment of EGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC was calculated， and then compared with the willingness-to-pay（WTP） threshold set in this study[3 times the per capita gross domestic product（GDP） of China in 2023， which was 268 200 yuan per quality-adjusted life year（QALY）]， in order to assess its cost-effectiveness. Single-factor sensitivity analysis and probability sensitivity analysis were performed to evaluate the stability of the model； scenario analysis was carried out to determine the potential price of amivantamab at which the regimen became cost-effective. RESULTS Compared with chemotherapy alone， the cost of amivantamab combined with chemotherapy was higher （1 248 411.60 yuan vs. 89 023.39 yuan）， but at the same time， there were also more benefits of survival （0.756 QALY vs. 0.584 QALY）， ICER was 6 757 285.38 yuan/QALY. ICER was most affected by the utility of progression-free survival and the price of amivantamab. The price of amivantamab decreased to 310.3 yuan per 350 mg， and the combination therapy became cost-effective， compared with chemotherapy alone. CONCLUSIONS From the perspective of Chinese health system， when the WTP threshold is set at three times the per capita GDP of the Chinese population in 2023， amivantamab combined with chemotherapy is not cost-effective for EGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC； the patients’ affordability can be improved when the price of amivantamab experiences a significant decrease.

Xiang thinking is a cognitive approach that reflects the relationships between phenomena and their underlying principles by analyzing their external manifestations through methods such as analogy， reasoning， deduction， and symbolism. This article applied xiang thinking to analyze the etiology and pathogenesis of "wind， fire， phlegm， and blood stasis" in stroke， thereby exploring its impact on the principles of syndrome differentiation and treatment of this condition. Meanwhile， the article traced the construction process of xiang thinking， and interpreted the concept of "toxin pathogen" in traditional Chinese medicine from four perspectives， state， attribute， origin， and law. Furthermore， the relationship between the process of constructing xiang thinking and the origin of etiology， identification methods， pathogenesis evolution， and treatment strategies for stroke with syndrome of combined blood stasis and toxin was explored， so as to provide insights into research on the etiology and pathogenesis of stroke， as well as clinical diagnosis and treatment approaches.

BackgroundCognitive function is closely related to an individual's quality of life and social functioning， with approximately 20%~35% of patients with depressive disorder experiencing some degree of cognitive impairment even after clinical symptom remission. Existing evidence suggests that tACS can improve specific cognitive domains， such as memory function， while its effects on other cognitive dimensions， such as executive functioning， attention， and information processing speed， remain unclear. ObjectiveTo explore the effects of tACS on the multidimensional cognitive functions and emotional problems of patients with depressive disorder， thus to provide references for the treatment of depressive disorder. MethodsForty-nine patients with depressive disorder who were hospitalized in the Fourth People's Hospital of Wuhu from November 2022 to October 2024 and met the diagnostic criteria for depressive disorder outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5）， were selected as study participants. Subjects were randomly divided into study group （n=23） and control group （n=26） based on Microsoft Excel. Both groups received sertraline treatment. The initial dose was 50 mg/day， which gradually titrated upward based on individual variability， drug tolerance， and therapeutic response， with a maintenance dose ranging from 100 to 200 mg/day. In addition， the study group underwent tACS therapy for 4 weeks， with 5 sessions per week， each lasting 20 minutes. The control group received sham stimulation， in which the stimulus was interrupted after the first 30 seconds. At baseline， the 4^th week， and the 12^th week of treatment， patients were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item （HAMD-17）， Hamilton Anxiety Scale （HAMA）， and MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery （MCCB）. ResultsRepeated measures analysis of variance indicated that both the time effect and the time×group interaction effect for HAMD-17 scores were statistically significant between the two groups （F=260.437， 25.309， P<0.01）. At week 12 of treatment， the HAMD-17 score in the study group was lower than that in the control group （t=4.236， P<0.01）. For HAMA scores， the time effect， group effect， and time×group interaction effect were all statistically significant between the two groups （F=248.082， 4.506， 9.500， P<0.05 or 0.01）. At weeks 4 and 12， study group reported lower HAMA scores compared with control group （t=4.580， 2.608， P<0.05 or 0.01）. Regarding the MCCB scores for attention/vigilance， verbal learning， and overall composite， the time effect， group effect， and time×group interaction effect were all statistically significant between the two groups （F=70.331， 27.882， 51.679， 5.560， 10.948， 7.860， 8.490， 3.874， 5.025， P<0.05 or 0.01）. After intervention， the study group showed significantly higher MCCB scores for attention/vigilance， verbal learning， and overall composite at both week 4 （t=-2.149， -3.530， -2.740， P<0.05） and week 12 （t=-3.534， -3.576， -3.838， P<0.01） when compared to the control group. ConclusionThe combined tACS and sertraline therapy may demonstrate superior efficacy to pharmacotherapy alone in the short term for improving attention/vigilance， verbal learning， overall cognitive function， and anxiety symptoms in patients with depressive disorders. Based on the 12-week outcomes， the combined tACS and sertraline therapy not only sustaine its previously observed advantages in improving cognitive domains and anxiety symptoms， but also demonstrate potentially superior efficacy over monotherapy in alleviating depressive symptoms. ［Fund by Clinical Medical Research Transformation Special Project of Anhui Province （number， 202204295107020065）］

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy of acupuncture with yin-yang regulation method versus local acupuncture in treating chronic low back pain (CLBP) in elderly patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH), and to evaluate the changes in the multifidus muscle before and after treatment using musculoskeletal ultrasound. METHODS: A total of 128 elderly patients with CLBP due to LDH were randomly assigned to an observation group (64 cases, 2 cases dropped out) and a control group (64 cases, 2 cases dropped out). The control group received local acupuncture at bilateral L₃-L₅ Jiaji points (EX-B2), Shenshu (BL23), Dachangshu (BL25), Weizhong (BL40), Yaoyangguan (GV3), and ashi points. The observation group received acupuncture with yin-yang regulation method, which included an abdominal protocol with Baihui (GV20), Zhongwan (CV12), Qihai (CV6), Guanyuan (CV4), bilateral Tianshu (ST25), and Dahe (KI12), etc., and a lumbar protocol with Baihui (GV20), Dazhui (GV14), Jizhong (GV6), Yaoyangguan (GV3), and ashi points, etc., alternated bilaterally. Both groups were treated once every other day, three times per week, for a total of 12 sessions. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Oswestry disability index (ODI) score, and the indexs of musculoskeletal ultrasound multifidus muscle (resting and functional thickness and Young's modulus values) were observed before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS: After 1 and 4 weeks of treatment, both groups showed lower VAS scores compared to baseline (P<0.05), the VAS scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.001). ODI scores in both groups were decreased after 1 and 4 weeks of treatment compared to baseline (P<0.05), with a further reduction at 4 weeks of treatment compared to 1 week of treatment (P<0.05); the observation group showed lower ODI score than the control group after 1 week of treatment (P<0.001). After treatment, both groups demonstrated increased resting and functional multifidus muscle thickness bilaterally compared to baseline (P<0.01), with an increased right-side thickness change rate (P<0.01), though no significant difference was observed between groups (P>0.05). Compared to baseline, after treatment, the observation group exhibited decreased Young's modulus values for bilateral resting and functional multifidus muscle (P<0.01), while the control group showed reductions only in bilateral resting and right-side functional Young's modulus values (P<0.01). After treatment, the bilateral functional Young's modulus values in the observation group were lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the bilateral resting and functional changes in Young's modulus values were greater in the observation group than those in the control group (P<0.01). The overall effective rate was 93.5% (58/62) in the observation group, which was higher than 79.0% (49/62) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Acupuncture with yin-yang regulation method effectively alleviates pain, improves functional disability, increases multifidus muscle thickness, and reduces Young's modulus values in elderly patients with CLBP due to LDH, which has superior therapeutic effect compared to local acupuncture.
Humans ; Low Back Pain/physiopathology* ; Male ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Female ; Aged ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/physiopathology* ; Middle Aged ; Yin-Yang ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome