This study employed the "disease-medicine-dose" pattern to mine the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prescriptions containing Astragali Radix in ancient Chinese medical books, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the clinical application of Astragali Radix and the development of new medicines. The TCM prescriptions containing Astragali Radix were retrieved from databases such as Chinese Medical Dictionary and imported into Excel 2020 to construct the prescription library. Statical analysis were performed for the prescriptions regarding the indications, syndromes, medicine use frequency, herb effects, nature and taste, meridian tropism, dosage forms, and dose. SPSS statistics 26.0 and IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0 were used for association rules analysis and cluster analysis. A total of 2 297 prescriptions containing Astragali Radix were collected, involving 233 indications, among which sore and ulcer, consumptive disease, sweating disorder, and apoplexy had high frequency(>25), and their syndromes were mainly Qi and blood deficiency, Qi and blood deficiency, Yin and Yang deficiency, and Qi deficiency and collateral obstruction, respectively. In the prescriptions, 98 medicines were used with the frequency >25 and they mainly included Qi-tonifying medicines and blood-tonifying medicines. Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium were frequently used. The medicines with high frequency mainly have warm or cold nature, and sweet, pungent, or bitter taste, with tropism to spleen, lung, heart, liver, and kidney meridians. In the treatment of sore and ulcer, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 3.73 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to promote granulation and heal up sores. In the treatment of consumptive disease, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 37.30 g and combined with Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma to tonify deficiency and replenish Qi. In the treatment of sweating disorder, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 3.73 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to consolidate exterior and stop sweating. In the treatment of apoplexy, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 7.46 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to dispell wind and stop convulsions. Astragali Radix can be used in the treatment of multiple system diseases, with the effects of tonifying Qi and ascending Yang, consolidating exterior and stopping sweating, and expressing toxin and promoting granulation. According to the manifestations of different diseases, when combined with other medicines, Astragali Radix was endowed with the effects of promoting granulation and healing up sores, tonifying deficiency and Qi, consolidating exterior and stopping sweating, and dispelling wind and replenishing Qi. The findings provide a theoretical reference and a scientific basis for the clinical application of Astragali Radix and the development of new medicines.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; History, Ancient ; Astragalus Plant/chemistry* ; China ; Astragalus propinquus

This study aims to explore the protective effect of Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction on rats with heart failure after myocardial infarction, and to clarify its possible mechanisms, providing a new basis for basic research on the mechanism of classic Chinese medicinal formula-mediated inflammatory response in preventing and treating heart failure induced by apoptosis after myocardial infarction. A heart failure model after myocardial infarction was established in rats by coronary artery ligation. The rats were divided into sham group, model group, and low, medium, and high-dose groups of Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction, with 10 rats in each group. The low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose groups of Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction were given 6.3, 12.6, and 25.2 g·kg~(-1) doses by gavage, respectively. The sham group and model group were given an equal volume of distilled water by gavage once daily for four consecutive weeks. Cardiac function was assessed using color Doppler echocardiography. Myocardial pathology was detected by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, apoptosis was measured by TUNEL assay, and mitophagy was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin(IL)-1β, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The expression of apoptosis-related proteins B-cell lymphoma 2(Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), and cleaved caspase-3 was detected by Western blot. Additionally, the expression of phosphorylated nuclear transcription factor-κB(NF-κB) p65(p-NF-κB p65)(upstream) and nuclear factor kappa B inhibitor alpha(IκBα)(downstream) in the NF-κB signaling pathway was assessed by Western blot. The results showed that compared with the sham group, left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) and left ventricular short axis shortening(LVFS) in the model group were significantly reduced, while left ventricular end diastolic diameter(LVEDD) and left ventricular end systolic diameter(LVESD) increased significantly. Myocardial tissue damage was severe, with widened intercellular spaces and disorganized cell arrangement. The apoptosis rate was increased, and mitochondria were enlarged with increased vacuoles. Levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and NT-proBNP were elevated, indicating an obvious inflammatory response. The expression of pro-apoptotic factors Bax and cleaved caspase-3 increased, while the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 decreased. The expression of p-NF-κB p65 was upregulated, and the expression of IκBα was downregulated. In contrast, the Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction groups showed significantly improved of LVEF, LVFS and decreased LVEDD, LVESD compared to the model group. Myocardial tissue damage was alleviated, and intercellular spaces were reduced. The apoptosis rate decreased, mitochondrial volume decreased, and the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and NT-proBNP were lower. The expression of pro-apoptotic factors Bax and cleaved caspase-3 decreased, while the expression of the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 increased. Additionally, the expression of p-NF-κB p65 decreased, while IκBα expression increased. In summary, this experimental study shows that Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction can reduce the inflammatory response and apoptosis rate in rats with heart failure after myocardial infarction, which may be related to the regulation of the IκBα/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Rats ; Myocardial Infarction/physiopathology* ; Male ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Heart Failure/etiology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha/genetics* ; Humans ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics*

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a complex disease that is often accompanied by mental health disorders. However, the potential mechanisms underlying the heterogeneous clinical presentation of CP/CPPS remain uncertain. This study analyzed widely targeted metabolomic data of expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) and plasma to reveal the underlying pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS. A total of 24 CP/CPPS patients from The Second Nanning People's Hospital (Nanning, China), and 35 asymptomatic control individuals from First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University (Nanning, China) were enrolled. The indicators related to CP/CPPS and psychiatric symptoms were recorded. Differential analysis, coexpression network analysis, and correlation analysis were performed to identify metabolites that were specifically altered in patients and associated with various phenotypes of CP/CPPS. The crucial links between EPS and plasma were further investigated. The metabolomic data of EPS from CP/CPPS patients were significantly different from those from control individuals. Pathway analysis revealed dysregulation of amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and the citrate cycle in EPS. The tryptophan metabolic pathway was found to be the most significantly altered pathway associated with distinct CP/CPPS phenotypes. Moreover, the dysregulation of tryptophan and tyrosine metabolism and elevation of oxidative stress-related metabolites in plasma were found to effectively elucidate the development of depression in CP/CPPS. Overall, metabolomic alterations in the EPS and plasma of patients were primarily associated with oxidative damage, energy metabolism abnormalities, neurological impairment, and immune dysregulation. These alterations may be associated with chronic pain, voiding symptoms, reduced fertility, and depression in CP/CPPS. This study provides a local-global perspective for understanding the pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS and offers potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatitis/blood* ; Adult ; Pelvic Pain/blood* ; Metabolomics ; Prostate/metabolism* ; Middle Aged ; Chronic Pain/blood* ; Metabolome ; Case-Control Studies ; Tryptophan/blood* ; Depression/blood* ; Oxidative Stress/physiology* ; Chronic Disease ; Lipid Metabolism/physiology*

AIM To study the chemical constituents from Fomes officinalis(Vill.ex Fr.)Ames and their anti-inflammatory activities.METHODS The 95％ethanol extract from F.officinalis was isolated and purified by silica gel,Sephadex LH-20,HW-40C,MCI and semi-preparative HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.Their anti-inflammatory activities in vitro were evaluated by RAW264.7 model.RESULTS Twenty compounds were isolated and identified as asperginine A(1),laricinolic acid(2),methoxylaricinolic acid(3),fomeffic acid(4),19-acetoxy-13S-hydroxylabda-8(17),14-diene(5),bisbenzopyran(6),lariciresinol acetate(7),fomitopsin G(8),fomitopsin H(9),demalonyl fomitopsin H(10),fomlactone A(11),fomlactone B(12),fomefficinol A(13),fomefficinol B(14),laetiporins A(15),laetiporins B(16),dehydrosulphurenic acid(17),dehydroeburicoic acid(18),3-keto-dehydrosulfurenic acid(19),eburicoic acid(20).The IC50 values of compounds 7,13,20 were(4.00±1.02),(3.29±0.62),(3.22±0.94)μmol/L,respectively.CONCLUSION Compound 1 is a new compound,3,6,15,16 are isolated from this plant for the first time.Compounds 7,13,20 have strong anti-inflammatory activities.

Objective:To investigate the association between albumin-corrected anion gap(ACAG)and short-to long-term death out-comes in patients with acute pancreatitis(AP).Methods:This retrospective study was based on the Medical Information Mart for Inten-sive Care-IV database,and the adult patients who were diagnosed with AP and were admitted to the intensive care unit were enrolled in this study.Cox regression risk analysis,receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve analysis,Kaplan-Meier survival curve analy-sis,restricted cubic spline,and subgroup analysis were used to in-vestigate the value of ACAG in predicting the death outcome of AP patients.Results:A total of 444 patients were enrolled in this study,and according to the death status of the patients on day 28 after ad-mission,the patients were divided into survival group with 412 pa-tients and death group with 32 patients,with a mortality rate of 7.2%on day 28 after admission.The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that ACAG was an independent predictive factor for all-cause mortality rate on day 28 after admission in AP patients(hazard ratio[HR]=1.18,95%CI=1.05-1.32),while it was not an in-dependent predictive factor for death outcome on days 90(HR=1.05,95%CI=0.97-1.14)and 180(HR=1.01,95%CI=0.94-1.09)and at 1 year(HR=1.02,95%CI=0.95-1.10).The ROC curve analysis showed that ACAG had an area under the ROC curve(AUC)of 0.732(95%CI=0.632-0.832)in predicting 28-day death outcome,which was better than that of AG(AUC=0.665,95%CI=0.550-0.781)and serum albumin(Alb)(AUC=0.655,95%CI=0.550-0.761)and was similar to that of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA)score(AUC=0.745,95%CI=0.651-0.838).The ROC curve showed that the optimal cut-off value of ACAG was 21.375.Based on the cut-off value of ACAG of 21.375,the patients were divided into high-value group and normal-value group,and the Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that the patients with a high level of ACAG had a significantly higher mortality rate than those with normal ACAG(P<0.001).The subgroup analysis showed that the results were stable.Conclusion:ACAG can be used as an independent pre-dictive factor for all-cause mortality rate on day 28 after admission in AP patients,with a better efficacy than AG and Alb and a similar efficacy to SOFA.However,it is not significantly associated with 90-day,180-day,and 1-year death outcomes in AP patients.

Objective To explore the clinical and genetic characteristics of children with holocarboxylase synthetase(HLCS)deficiency.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 3 children with HLCS deficiency who were admitted to Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from December 2014 to January 2024.Relevant literature indexed in CNKI,Wanfang Data,PubMed and other databases was reviewed to summarize the clinical characteristics and HLCS gene mutations of children with HLCS deficiency.Results All 3 children were male,with onset age of 4-6 months.The main clinical manifestations included shortness of breath,vomiting,diarrhea,and poor mental state,and partial cases were complicated by growth retardation and neurological symptoms.Laboratory tests showed metabolic acidosis in all cases,blood amino acid and acylcarnitine profiles as well as urinary organic acid analysis suggested multiple carboxylase deficiency.Genetic testing revealed compound heterozygous mutation in the HLCS gene of all 3 children,among which the c.1892delT(p.L631X)mutation was previously unreported.According to the guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics(ACMG),the c.1892delT(p.L631X)mutation was rated as pathogenic mutation(PVS1+PM2_supporting+PM3).Biotin supplementation was effective in all cases.Literature review included 27 English literatures and 29 Chinese literatures,reporting a total of 133 children with HLCS deficiency caused by HLCS gene mutation.Common clinical manifestations included metabolic acidosis,skin lesions,vomiting,feeding difficulties,dyspnea,diarrhea,and neurological symptoms,etc.Conclusions Blood amino acid and acylcarnitine profiles,urine organic acid analysis,and gene testing are helpful for the diagnosis of HLCS deficiency.Timely biotin supplementation leads to a good prognosis.The mutation of HLCS gene is considered as the genetic etiology of HLCS deficiency in 3 children,among which the c.1892delT(p.L631X)mutation is a newly discovered mutation.

Objective To investigate the density,species composition,and seasonal prevalence of domestic rodents in different habitats within Lanzhou garrisons,providing basic information for rodent prevention and control.Methods A total of 12 monitoring sites were sampled across urban,suburban,and rural residential areas from 2014 to 2022.Rodent density was monitored using the night-trapping method in the middle of odd-numbered months.Results From 2014 to 2022,346 domestic rodents were captured using 122 035 effective traps,with an average domestic rodent density of 0.28％.The highest domestic rodent density was 0.63％in 2016,and the lowest was 0.07％in 2020,showing significant differences across years,with an overall trend of initially decreasing and then increasing(χ2=136.555,P<0.001).The dominant species was Rattus norvegicus,accounting for 83.24％of the total rodents captured.Rattus norvegicus accounted for a relatively high proportion across different years,with a statistically significant difference in species composition(χ2=20.931,P<0.05).Rodent densities and species composition also varied significantly among the monitored habitats(P<0.001),with the highest densities observed in rural residential areas and the lowest in urban areas.Seasonal variation in rodent densities showed a bimodal pattern,with smaller peaks in January or March and a larger peak in July.Conclusions Domestic rodent density in Lanzhou garrisons has shown an upward trend in the past few years.Rodent control measures should focus on barracks in rural residential areas,with targeted interventions to reduce the risk of rodent-borne diseases.

Objective To investigate the population composition,seasonal dynamics,and infestation levels of cockroaches in Lanzhou,China,and to provide information for the scientific development of cockroach control strategies.Methods Monitoring was conducted at three locations using the sticky trap method.Habitats included farm product markets,catering establishments,hotels,hospitals,and residential areas.Results From 2016 to 2023,the average cockroach density was 0.77 insects per board,with an average infestation rate of 10.84%.Blattella germanica was the dominant species.Seasonal density of cockroaches showed an approximately unimodal distribution,peaking in September.The highest average density and infestation rates were observed in farm product markets.Conclusions Cockroach density and infestation levels in Lanzhou remained relatively low.A comprehensive prevention and control strategy focusing on environmental management in key areas should be implemented according to the seasonal fluctuations.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in the treatment of malignant tongue base tumors.Methods:A multicenter study was conducted to collect and analyze the clinical data of patients with malignant tongue base tumors who underwent TORS at five otolaryngology-head and neck surgery centers in China, including Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, and the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University between January 2017 and January 2023. Among the patients, 38 were males and 11 were females, with a mean age of 59.0±8.8 years. Baseline characteristics, complications, and follow-up data were compared between groups. Independent sample t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests was used for comparisons of continuous variables; chi-square tests or Fisher′s exact tests was applied for categorical variables. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method to calculate overall survival and disease-free survival, and differences between groups were compared using the log-rank test. Results:Among the 49 patients, 41 (83.7%) were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), with a p16 positive rate of 51.2% (21/41). There were no statistically significant differences between the p16-positive group ( n=21) and the p16-negative group ( n=20) in age, sex, or postoperative bleeding (all P>0.05). However, there was a significant difference in TNM stage between the two groups ( χ2=14.556, P=0.020), with the p16-positive group predominantly in stage I (66.7%) and the p16-negative group primarily in stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ (40.0% and 30.0%, respectively). The postoperative tracheotomy rate was 30.6% (15/49), and the incidence of postoperative bleeding was 6.1% (3/49). The 1-year and 3-year overall survival rates were 98.0% and 92.5%, respectively, while, the 1-year and 3-year disease-free survival rates were 89.2% and 84.9%, respectively. No significant differences were observed between the p16-positive and p16-negative groups in 3-year overall survival (100% vs. 83.8%, χ2=1.093, P=0.518) or 3-year disease-free survival (68.2% vs. 88.9%, χ2=2.161, P=0.382). Conclusion:TORS for malignant tongue base tumors demonstrates high clinical safety and favorable oncological outcomes.

Objective:To explore the clinical application value of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in the treatment of tonsil squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted. The clinical data of 157 TSCC patients were collected who received TORS at five medical centers, namely, the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital of Fudan University, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, and Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, from January 1 2017 to July 31 2022. There were 130 males and 27 females, aged 24-85 years. All patients were followed-up at least for 2 years (2-year group), among them, 99 patients had a follow-up of 3 years (3-year group). The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), clinical stage, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection status were analyzed. SPSS 25.0 and SAS 9.4 were used for statistical analysis.Results:The OS and PFS of the 2-year group were 91.7% and 87.9%, respectively. The OS and PFS of the 3-year group were 85.9% and 82.8%, respectively. The prognosis of patients with locally early-stage was better than that of locally advanced patients, with the OS of 94.4% for T1-2 vs. 78.0% for T3 ( P=0.005) and the PFS of 91.2% for T1-2 vs. 75.0% for T3 ( P=0.011) in the 2-year group; the OS of 91.1% for T1-2 vs. 65.0% for T3 ( P=0.004) and the PFS of 88.6% for T1-2 vs. 60.0% for T3 ( P=0.002) in the 3-year group; and also, the OS of 90.0% for stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ vs. 79.5% for stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ ( P=0.204) and the PFS of 86.7% for stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ vs. 76.9% for stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ ( P=0.188) in the 3-year group. The prognosis of HPV-positive TSCC patients was better than that of HPV-negative patients in the 3-year group, with the OS of 90.9% for HPV-positive vs. 80.5% for HPV-negative ( P=0.045) and the PFS of 90.9% for HPV-positive vs. 75.6% for HPV-negative ( P=0.047). The average time of postoperative tracheal cannula indwelling was 25.1 days. The indwelling rate and average indwelling time of the postoperative nasogastric tube were 94.3% (148/157) and 8.5 days, respectively. Conclusion:TORS has outstanding survival benefits for TSCC patients. HPV-positive TSCC patients have a better prognosis than HPV-negative patients. TORS treatment of TSCC patients has advantages in postoperative recovery and quality of life.