ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoji Hufei Formula in protecting children with close contact exposure to influenza， and to provide reference and evidence-based support for better clinical prevention and treatment of influenza in children. MethodsA multicenter， prospective， non-randomized， parallel， controlled trial was conducted from October 2021 to May 2022 in five hospitals， including Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Confirmed influenza cases and influenza-like illness （ILI） cases were collected， and eligible children with close contact exposure to these cases were recruited in the outpatient clinics. According to whether the enrolled close contacts were willing to take Xiaoji Hufei formula for influenza prevention， they were assigned to the observation group （108 cases） or the control group （108 cases）. Follow-up visits were conducted on days 7 and 14 after enrollment. The primary outcomes were the incidence of ILI and the rate of laboratory-confirmed influenza. Secondary outcomes included traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom score scale for influenza， influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate， influenza hospitalization rate， and time to onset after exposure to influenza cases. ResultsA total of 216 participants were enrolled， with 108 in the observation group and 108 in the control group. Primary outcomes： （1） Incidence of ILI： The incidence was 12.0% （13/108） in the observation group and 23.1% （25/108） in the control group， with the observation group showing a significantly lower incidence （χ²=4.6， P<0.05）. （2） Influenza confirmation rate： 3.7% （4/108） in the observation group and 4.6% （5/108） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference. Secondary outcomes： （1） TCM symptom score scale： after onset， nasal congestion and runny nose scores differed significantly between the two groups （P<0.05）， while other symptoms such as fever， sore throat， and cough showed no significant differences. （2） Influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate： 84.6% （11 cases） in the observation group and 96.0% （24 cases） in the control group， with no significant difference. （3） Time to onset after exposure： The median onset time after exposure to index patients was 7 days in the observation group and 4 days in the control group， with a statistically significant difference （P<0.05）. ConclusionIn previously healthy children exposed to infectious influenza cases under unprotected conditions， Xiaoji Hufei formula prophylaxis significantly reduced the incidence of ILI. Xiaoji Hufei Formula can be recommended as a specific preventive prescription for influenza in children.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoji Hufei Formula in protecting children with close contact exposure to influenza， and to provide reference and evidence-based support for better clinical prevention and treatment of influenza in children. MethodsA multicenter， prospective， non-randomized， parallel， controlled trial was conducted from October 2021 to May 2022 in five hospitals， including Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Confirmed influenza cases and influenza-like illness （ILI） cases were collected， and eligible children with close contact exposure to these cases were recruited in the outpatient clinics. According to whether the enrolled close contacts were willing to take Xiaoji Hufei formula for influenza prevention， they were assigned to the observation group （108 cases） or the control group （108 cases）. Follow-up visits were conducted on days 7 and 14 after enrollment. The primary outcomes were the incidence of ILI and the rate of laboratory-confirmed influenza. Secondary outcomes included traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom score scale for influenza， influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate， influenza hospitalization rate， and time to onset after exposure to influenza cases. ResultsA total of 216 participants were enrolled， with 108 in the observation group and 108 in the control group. Primary outcomes： （1） Incidence of ILI： The incidence was 12.0% （13/108） in the observation group and 23.1% （25/108） in the control group， with the observation group showing a significantly lower incidence （χ²=4.6， P<0.05）. （2） Influenza confirmation rate： 3.7% （4/108） in the observation group and 4.6% （5/108） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference. Secondary outcomes： （1） TCM symptom score scale： after onset， nasal congestion and runny nose scores differed significantly between the two groups （P<0.05）， while other symptoms such as fever， sore throat， and cough showed no significant differences. （2） Influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate： 84.6% （11 cases） in the observation group and 96.0% （24 cases） in the control group， with no significant difference. （3） Time to onset after exposure： The median onset time after exposure to index patients was 7 days in the observation group and 4 days in the control group， with a statistically significant difference （P<0.05）. ConclusionIn previously healthy children exposed to infectious influenza cases under unprotected conditions， Xiaoji Hufei formula prophylaxis significantly reduced the incidence of ILI. Xiaoji Hufei Formula can be recommended as a specific preventive prescription for influenza in children.

Bio-mineralization has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance vaccine immunogenicity. This study optimized the calcium phosphate (CaP) mineralization process of foot-and-mouth disease virus-like particles (FMD VLPs) to achieve high mineralization efficiency and scalability. Key parameters, including concentrations of Ca²⁺, HPO₄^2-, NaCl, and VLPs, as well as stirring speed, were systematically optimized. Stability of the scaled-up reaction system and immunogenicity of the mineralized vaccine were evaluated. Optimal conditions [25.50 mmol/L Ca(NO₃)₂, 15 mmol/L Na₂HPO₄, 300 mmol/L NaCl, 0.75 mg/mL VLPs, and 1 500 r/min] yielded CaP-mineralized VLPs (VLPs-CaP) with high mineralization efficiency, uniform morphology, and a favorable particle size. Scaling up the reaction by 25 folds maintained consistent mineralization efficiency and particle characteristics. Immunization in mice demonstrated that VLPs-CaP induced higher titers of specific antibodies and neutralizing antibodies than unmineralized VLPs (P < 0.05). Higher IgG2a/IgG1 ratio and enhanced IFN-γ secretion (P < 0.05) further indicated robust cellular immune responses. We establish a stable and scalable protocol for VLPs-CaP, providing a theoretical and technical foundation for developing high-efficacy VLPs-CaP vaccines.
Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle/immunology* ; Immunogenicity, Vaccine ; Calcium Phosphates/chemistry* ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus ; Biomineralization ; Particle Size ; Animals ; Mice ; Antibodies, Neutralizing/blood* ; Antibodies, Viral/blood* ; Immunity, Cellular

Objective: To uncover the underlying mechanisms of action of the Yinlai decoction on high-calorie diet-induced pneumonia through proteomics analysis. Methods: Based on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, lung tissue samples from normal and high-fat diet (HFD) fed mice in the GSE16377 dataset were selected as test cohorts to identify differentially expressed genes and conduct bioinformatics analyses. In the animal experiments, mice were randomly divided into the control (N), high-calorie diet pneumonia (M), and Yinlai decoction treatment (Y) groups. Mice in the M group received high-calorie feed and a 0.5 mg/mL lipopolysaccharide solution spray for 30 min for 3 d. The mice in the Y group were intragastrically administered 2 mL/10 g Yinlai decoction twice daily for 3 d. Pathological evaluation of the lung tissue was performed. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the lung tissue were identified using quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics analyses. The drug-target relationships between Yinlai decoction and core DEPs in the lung tissue were verified using AutoDock Vina and Molecular Graphics Laboratory (MGL) Tools. DEPs were verified by western blot. Results: GEO data mining showed that an HFD altered oxidative phosphorylation in mouse lung tissue. The Yinlai decoction alleviated pathological damage to lung tissue and pneumonia in mice that were fed a high-calorie diet. A total of 47 DEPs were identified between the Y and M groups. Enrichment analysis revealed their association with energy metabolism pathways such as the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) and oxidative phosphorylation. The protein-protein interaction network revealed that Atp5a1, Pdha1, and Sdha were the target proteins mediating the therapeutic effects of Yinlai decoction. Molecular docking results suggested that the mechanism of the therapeutic effect of Yinlai decoction involves the binding of brassinolide, praeruptorin B, chrysoeriol, and other components in Yinlai decoction to Atp5a1. Conclusion The Yinlai decoction alleviated lung tissue damage and pneumonia in mice that were fed a high-calorie diet by regulating the TCA and oxidative phosphorylation. Our study highlights the importance of a healthy diet for patients with pneumonia and provides a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of pneumonia through dietary adjustments.

Objective:To preliminarily predict the potential pathways and targets of Xiaoban Tongmai Formula in anti-atherosclerosis(AS)by network pharmacology analysis,and to verify its possible mechanism combined with in vitro cell experiment.Method:The databases including Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP),GeneCards,Swiss Target Prediction,and Uniprot were used to collect the information on active compounds and corresponding targets of Xiaoban Tongmai Formula to construct the"compound-target-disease"network.The potential targets and pathways were predicted by protein-protein interaction(PPI)network,and the intersection targets were subjected to Gene Ontology(GO)functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis.The human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells(HA-VSMCs)were cultured and identified in vitro,and the abnormal proliferation of HA-VSMCs were induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein(ox-LDL)and identified;MTT method was used to detect the proliferation activities of the HA-VSMCs in various groups after treated with different concentrations of Xiaoban Tongmai Formula;the safety of Xiaoban Tongmai Fang was confirmed.The HA-VSMCs were divided into blank group,model group(the abnormal proliferation of HA-VSMCs was induced),rosuvastatin group(treated with 4 μmol·L-1 rosuvastatin after inducing the abnormal proliferation of HA-VSMCs),and low,medium,and high doses of Xiaoban Tongmai Formula groups(treated with 0.025,0.050,and 0.100 mng·L-1 Xiaoban Tongmai Formula after inducing the abnormal proliferation of HA-VSMCs);enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1(MCP-1),interleukin-6(IL-6),and interleukin-8(IL-8)in supernatant of the HA-VSMCs in various groups;real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)method was used to detect the expression levels of nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)p65 mRNA and fibroblast growth factors 2(FGF2)mRNA in the HA-VSMCs in various groups;Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of NF-κB p65 and FGF2 proteins in the HA-VSMCs in various groups.Results:Xiaoban Tongmai Formula contained 103 active ingredients that exert anti-AS effect by acting on 189 target genes.The potential targets included IL-6,IL-8,vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA),nuclear factor kappa B1(NF-κB1),and RELA(NF-κB p65).The GO functional analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis results showed that Xiaoban Tongmai Formula exerted anti-AS effects by regulating lipid metabolism,hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1),epidermal growth factor(EGF),phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt),and NF-κB signaling pathways.The cell morphology and immunofluorescence staining results confirmed that the cells were HA-VSMCs.The oil red O staining results showed numerous red lipid droplets,indicating successful modeling.The MTT assay results showed that Xiaoban Tongmai Formula had no significant effect on the proliferation rate of HA-VSMCs within a certain dose range,indicating good safety.The ELISA results showed that compared with model group,the levels of MCP-1 and IL-6 in supernatant of the HA-VSMCs in rosuvastatin group and different doses of Xiaoban Tongmai Formula groups were decreased(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),and the levels of IL-8 in supernatant of the HA-VSMCs in 0.050 and 0.100 mg·L-1 Xiaoban Tongmai Formula groups were decreased(P＜0.01);compared with rosuvastatin group,the levels of MCP-1 in supernatant of the HA-VSMCs in different doses of Xiaoban Tongmai Formula groups were decreased(P＜0.01),and the levels of IL-8 in supernatant of the HA-VSMCs in 0.050 and 0.100 mg·L-1 Xiaoban Tongmai Formula groups were decreased(P＜0.01).Compared with model group,the expression levels of NF-κB p65 mRNA in the HA-VSMCs in rosuvastatin group and different doses of Xiaoban Tongmai Formula groups were decreased(P＜0.01),and the expression levels of FGF2 mRNA in the HA-VSMCs in rosuvastatin group and 0.050 and 0.100 mg·L-1 Xiaoban Tongmai Formula groups were decreased(P＜0.01);compared with rosuvastatin group,the expression levels of NF-κB p65 and FGF2 mRNA in the HA-VSMCs in 0.050 and 0.100 mg·L-1 Xiaoban Tongmai Formula groups were decreased(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Compared with model group,the expression levels of NF-κB p65 and FGF2 proteins in the HA-VSMCs in rosuvastatin group and different doses of Xiaoban Tongmai Formula groups were decreased(P＜0.01);compared with rosuvastatin group,the expression levels of NF-κB p65 protein in the HA-VSMCs in 0.050 and 0.100 mg·L-1 Xiaoban Tongmai Formula groups were decreased(P＜0.01),and the expression level of FGF2 protein in the HA-VSMCs in 0.100 mg·L-1 Xiaoban Tongmai Formula group was decreased(P＜0.01).Conclusion:Xiaoban Tongmai Formula has anti-inflammatory effect,inhibitory effect on the proliferation of HA-VSMCs,and anti-AS effect,and its mechanism may be related to the inactivation of NF-κB/FGF2 pathway.

AIM:To investigate the mechanism of hyperplasia of mammary gland(HMG)and the potential differential metabolites in rats based on the serum metabolomics assessment by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS).METHODS:Twelve specific-pathogen-free(SPF)-grade female Wistar rats were randomly and equally as-signed to the normal and model groups.The model group received intramuscular injections of estradiol benzoate(0.5 mg·kg-1·d-1)for 21 d,followed by intramuscular injections of progesterone(4 mg·kg-1·d-1)for 7 d for preparing the HMG model.The body weight and nipple diameter of the rats were measured,and the histopathological changes in their mamma-ry gland were monitored.After the successful establishment of the model,rat serum was collected for LC-MS metabolomics analysis,the differential metabolites in the serum of the normal and model group rats were analyzed by principal compo-nent analysis(PCA)and partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA),and the metabolic pathway analysis of dif-ferential markers through the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)open database was performed.RE-SULTS:Compared with the normal rats in the control group,no significant change was observed in the body weight(P>0.05),the diameter of the nipple was significantly enlarged(P<0.01),the hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining section of the mammary gland displayed typical HMG morphology,which together indicated that the modeling was successful.The metabolic patterns of the serum samples from both groups were significantly different,and 30 potentially differential metab-olites were identified based on the variable importance in projection(VIP)≥2.0 and P<0.05,mainly including 3-dehydro-cholic acid,alcoholic acid,glycocholate-3-sulfate,glycine-deoxycholan-3-sulfate,glycine-deoxycholan-3-sulfate,3a,7b,and 12a trihydroxycholan-3-sulfate,cholic acid,and glycolic acid.Further receiver operating characteristic(ROC)analysis revealed that the area under the curve(AUC)of the 13 metabolites was>0.9,implying the possible high sensitiv-ity for the diagnosis of HMG.According to the KEGG pathway enrichment analysis,most of the differential metabolites were mainly concentrated in aldosterone synthesis and secretion,sphingomyelin metabolism,arachidonic acid metabo-lism,apoptosis and cholesterol metabolism.CONCLUSION:The pathogenesis of estrogen-and progesterone-induced HMG in rats may be related to the altered bile acids,their derivatives metabolism,and the lipid metabolism pathways.The 13 differential metabolites identified by serum metabolomics with high sensitivity may thus provide a reference for the diagnosis of HMG.

OBJECTIVE: To provide evidence for further reducing the incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) according to investigation of the prevention and control of CLABSI in intensive care unit (ICU) in Shandong Province. METHODS: The questionnaire was developed by experts from Shandong Critical Care Medical Quality Control Center, combining domestic and foreign guidelines, consensus and research. A convenient sampling method was used to recruit survey subjects online from October 11 to 31, 2023 in the province to investigate the management status of central venous catheter (CVC) in ICU units of secondary and above hospitals. RESULTS: A total of 201 valid data were collected, involving 186 hospitals in the province, with a total of 201 ICU units, mainly comprehensive ICU (91%). The beds in ICU units were mainly single rooms (89%) and triple rooms (79%), and the ratio of doctors to total beds was 0.54 : 1. The training on the knowledge and operation of intravascular catheter-associated bloodstream infection in each ICU unit was mainly irregular (49%), and 96% of the catheter operators were authorized by the hospital. In terms of CVC selection, 89% of ICU units used dual-chamber CVC, and 86% of ICU units used catheters without antibiotic coating. When selecting the placement site, for conventional CVC catheterization, 65% preferred subclavian vein. Femoral vein was preferred in 87% of ICU units undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy. 95% of ICU units had established standardized operation procedure (SOP) for CVC placement. 86% of ICU units were capable of ultrasound positioning or guided puncture at the time of catheterization. During catheterization, 88% of ICU units met the sterile dress code. Before and after catheterzation, 81% and 77% of ICU units standardized hand hygiene. Only 31% of ICU units were covered from head to toe by aseptic wipes. For the choice of skin disinfectant, the majority of ICU units (72%) only used iodophor. After tube placement, 54% of ICU units chose sterile transparent dressing and 25% chose sterile gauze dressing. 98% of ICU units were sutured to secure the catheter. Regarding catheter replacement and removal, 45% of ICU units could not be removed or replaced within 2 days in emergency situations where the principle of sterility was not guaranteed. When CLABSI was suspected, 55% of ICU units were able to obtain the catheter tip, transcatheter blood culture, and contralateral peripheral vein blood culture at the same time. For CVC replacement frequency, most ICU units (75%) would not be replaced regularly, and some ICU units would be replaced regularly, but the frequency of replacement was different. For CLABSI prevention and control, 82% of ICU units developed a verification form or supervision form. When analyzing the sources of CLABSI data, most of them were filled in by themselves (60%). As for the frequency of data analysis, 57% were once a month. CONCLUSIONS All ICU units in Shandong Province are standardized in terms of the authorization of operators, the formulation of SOP, the formulation and implementation of verification form and supervision form, ultrasound-guided puncture, and hand hygiene before and after catheterization. However, there are still deficiencies in the training on knowledge and operation of intravascular catheter-associated bloodstream infections, maximum aseptic coverage, catheter replacement and removal, and the reporting sources of CLABSI data, which need to be strengthened in the follow-up work. At present, the selection of CVC, the selection of catheterization site, the selection of skin disinfectant and the selection of dressings after catheterization still need further research.
Intensive Care Units ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; China/epidemiology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Catheter-Related Infections/epidemiology* ; Catheterization, Central Venous/methods* ; Cross Infection/epidemiology* ; Central Venous Catheters/adverse effects* ; Infection Control/methods*

Sepsis-induced uncontrolled systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a critical cause of multiple organ failure. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most serious complications associated with an extremely high mortality rate in SIRS, and it lacked simple, safe, and effective treatment strategies. Leontopodium leontopodioides (Willd.) Beauv (LLB) is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of acute and chronic nephritis. However, it remains unclear whether lipopolysaccharide (LPS) affects LPS-induced AKI. To identify the molecular mechanisms of LLB in LPS-induced HK-2 cells and mice, LLB was prepared by extraction with 70% methanol, while a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced HK-2 cell model and an AKI model were established in this study. Renal histopathology staining was performed to observe the morphology changes. The cell supernatant and kidney tissues were collected for determining the levels of inflammatory factors and protein expression by ELISA, immunofluorescence, and Western blot. The results indicated that LLB significantly reduced the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α in LPS-induced HK-2 cells, as well as the secretion of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β in the supernatant. The same results were observed in LPS-induced AKI serum. Further studies revealed that LLB remarkably improved oxidative stress and apoptosis based on the content of MDA, SOD, and CAT in serum and TUNEL staining results. Notably, LLB significantly reduced the mortality due to LPS infection. Renal histopathology staining results supported these results. Furthermore, immunofluorescence and Western blot results confirmed that LLB significantly reduced the expression of the protein related to the NF-κB signaling pathway and NLRP3, ASC, and Caspase-1 which were significantly increased through LPS stimulation. These findings clearly demonstrated the potential use of LLB in the treatment of AKI and the crucial role of the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway in the process through which LLB attenuates AKI induced by LPS.
Animals ; Mice ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Lipopolysaccharides/adverse effects* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Acute Kidney Injury/metabolism* ; Kidney ; Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/pathology*

Objective:To explore the correlation between changing trajectories of serum uric acid and the onset of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).Methods:A longitudinal cohort study. Total of 3 353 subjects who had routine health examination every year from January 2017 to December 2019 in the Health Management Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University and met the inclusion criteria were selected as the research subjects. Four different serum uric acid trajectory groups were determined by using the group-based trajectory model: the low stability group, medium stability group, medium-high stability group and high stability group. During the follow-up to December 2021, the differences in cumulative incidence of NAFLD in different serum uric acid trajectory groups were calculated and compared. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate the hazard ratio ( HR) and 95% confidence interval ( CI) of the NAFLD onset in different serum uric acid trajectory groups. The dose-response relationship between baseline serum uric acid and NAFLD was evaluated by a restricted cubic spline regression model. Results:The cumulative incidence of NAFLD in two years was 10.77%, and the cumulative incidence increased with the rising trajectory of serum uric acid, it was the highestin the high stability group ( P<0.05). Compared that in the low stability group, the risk of NAFLD in the other three groups was as follows: 2.24 (95% CI: 1.59-3.14) in the medium stability group, 2.89 (95% CI: 1.92-4.33) in the medium-high stability group and 4.55 (95% CI:2.83-7.31) in the high stability group (all P<0.05). The risk of NAFLD gradually increased with the rising of serum uric acid level, and the cut-off value of serum uric acid for women and men was 260.32 μmol/L and 365.09 μmol/L, respectively. Conclusions:Long-term moderate and high levels of serum uric acid are independent risk factors for the occurrence of NAFLD. With the rising of serum uric acid trajectory, the risk of NAFLD increases. Attention should be paid to the longitudinal change trend of serum uric acid level in the prevention of NAFLD, and it should be controlled within lower level of the normal range.

Inflammatory diseases are key contributors to high mortality globally and adversely affect the quality of life. Current treatments include corticosteroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories that may cause systemic toxicity and biologics that may increase the risk of infection. Composite nanoparticles that bear not only the drug payload but also targeting ligands for delivery to inflammation sites at lowered systemic toxicity are established in the nanomedicine field, but their relatively large size often leads to systemic clearance. Metal-based nanoparticles with intrinsic anti-inflammatory properties represent attractive alternatives. They are not only designed to be compact for crossing biological barriers (with the nanoparticle serving as a dual carrier and drug), but also support label-free tracking of their interactions with cells. The review commences with an outline of the common inflammatory diseases, inflammatory pathways involved, and conventional drug-loaded nanoparticles for anti-inflammation. Next, the review features the emerging applications of self-therapeutic metal-based nanoparticles (e.g., gold, coper oxide, platinum, ceria, and zinc oxide) for managing inflammatory diseases in animals over the past three years, focusing on therapeutic outcomes and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. The review concludes with an outlook on the biodistribution, long-term toxicity, and clinical translation of self-therapeutic metal-based nanoparticles.