The plants of the genus Caragana Fabr. are desert plants of the Leguminosae family, which are widely used in traditional ethnomedicine, with the effects of nourishing Yin and nourishing blood, dispelling wind and removing dampness, clearing heat and detoxifying toxins. The anti-inflammatory effect of Caragana Fabr. has attracted much attention, the research on the related mechanism has made some progress, but it lacks systematic collation. By summarising the anti-inflammatory effects of the active ingredients of Caragana Fabr., the authors found that they have good anti-inflammatory activities on different inflammatory cell models in vitro, and have good improvement effects on rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, complex nephritis, and acute lung injury and other disease models. The anti-inflammatory effects of the active components of this genus mainly include the reduction of the levels of a variety of pro-inflammatory factors, and the signalling pathways involved mainly include TLR4/NF-κB, TLR4/MAPK, TLR4/NF-κB/IRF3, JAK/STAT-1, ERK/STAT-1 and so on. Therefore, the paper mainly reviews the research progress on the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of the Caragana Fabr. plants and their active components according to disease types, with a view to providing reference for the in-depth study of their anti-inflammatory activities and the development of new products with related functions.

The establishment of mouse models is critical for discovering the biological targets of tumorigenesis and cancer development, preclinical trials of targeted drugs, and formulation of personalized therapeutic regimens. Currently, the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model is considered a reliable animal tumor model because of its ability to retain the characteristics of the primary tumor at the histopathological, molecular, and genetic levels, and to preserve the tumor microenvironment. The application of the PDX model has promoted in-depth research on tumors in recent years, focusing on drug development, tumor target discovery, and precise treatment of patients. However, there are still some common questions. This review introduces the latest research progress and common questions regarding tumors with high mortality rates, focusing on their application in targeted drug screening and the formulation of personalized medical strategies. The challenges faced, improvement methods, and future development of the PDX model in tumor treatment applications are also discussed. This article provides technical guidance and comprehensive expectations for anti-cancer drug screening and clinical personalized therapy.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the current status of self-medication behaviors and the demand preferences for pharmaceutical services among residents in Xining， providing a basis for developing pharmaceutical service intervention strategies tailored to regional characteristics. METHODS A self-designed questionnaire， developed based on literature review and revised after expert panel discussion and a pre-survey， was used to conduct anonymous surveys among residents purchasing medicines at 12 retail pharmacies in Xining area from April 2023 to April 2024. Descriptive analysis， Chi-square test， and Spearman correlation analysis were employed to analyze the characteristics and influencing factors of residents’ self-medication behaviors， and pharmaceutical service needs. RESULTS A total of 859 valid questionnaires were collected， with 605 respondents （70.43%） reporting self-medication behaviors. The primary reason for self-medication was mild symptoms （46.94%）. The main conditions treated were gastrointestinal discomfort （38.51%） and cold， fever， headache （35.37%）. Chinese patent medicines were the most commonly used （58.68%）. Drug selection relied mainly on recommendations by pharmacy staff （52.07%）， and retail pharmacies were the primary source of medicines （65.95%）. Dosage and administration were determined primarily by referring to the drug package insert （67.27%）， while a minority relied on personal experience （9.92%）. Notably， 20.33% of respondents never read the package insert before medication， with a higher tendency observed among ethnic minorities， farmers， and individuals with chronic diseases （P＜0.05）. While 65.29% of respondents reported partially understanding the insert content， those aged ≥60 years， ethnic minorities， and individuals with chronic diseases qhsrmyy-28） were more likely to report being completely unable to understand it （P＜0.05）. Self-medication was “often effective” for 52.73% of respondents， whereas 7.77%“ often experienced adverse drug reactions”； farmers were more prone to poor efficacy or adverse reactions （P＜0.05）. A majority （72.89%） of respondents residents believed it necessary to learn about self- medication knowledge， and 47.11% preferred to obtain pharmaceutical services through WeChat public accounts or mobile applications （APP）. CONCLUSIONS Self-medication is common among residents in Xining area. Issues such as neglecting to read package inserts and relying on personal experience are evident. It is essential to develop science popularization programs suitable for the characteristics of the local population and utilize digital platforms like WeChat public accounts and APP to disseminate self- medication knowledge， thereby enhancing residents’ awareness and capacity for rational medication use.

Objective To screen key autophagy-related genes in alcoholic hepatitis (AH) and investigate potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for AH. Methods Two AH gene chips in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and autophagy-related data sets obtained from MSigDB and GeneCards databases were used, and the key genes were verified and obtained by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The screened key genes were subject to gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), protein-protein interaction (PPI) and immune infiltration analyses. Messenger RNA (mRNA)- microRNA (miRNA) network was constructed to analyze the expression differences of key autophagy-related genes during different stages of AH, which were further validated by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in the liver tissues of AH patients and mice. Results Eleven autophagy-related genes were screened in AH (EEF1A2, CFTR, SOX4, TREM2, CTHRC1, HSPB8, TUBB3, PRKAA2, RNASE1, MTCL1 and HGF), all of which were up-regulated. In the liver tissues of AH patients and mice, the relative expression levels of SOX4, TREM2, HSPB8 and PRKAA2 in the AH group were higher than those in the control group. Conclusions SOX4, TREM2, HSPB8 and PRKAA2 may be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for AH.

This study aims to establish a method for the simultaneous determination of 7 active components in Dracocephalum tanguticum and to evaluate the quality of medicinal materials from different habitats. The method was established with high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) and the gradient elution was performed with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-methanol-0.2% phosphoric acid solution at a column temperature of 35 ℃, an injection volume of 15 μL, and a flow rate of 0.6 mL·min~(-1). The detection wavelength was set as 215 nm. With rosmarinic acid as the internal reference, the relative correction factors and the content of other 6 components were calculated. The results were compared with those obtained with the external standard method. The results showed that the samples from Huangzhong county, Qinghai province had the best quality, with the highest content of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, cosmosiin, rosmarinic acid, oleanolic acid, and ursolic acid(9.29, 12.14, 6.02, 3.11, 17.67 mg·g~(-1) respectively). The samples from Chaya county, Tibet autonomous region ranked the second, with the highest content of betulin and betulinic acid(15.53, 7.17 mg·g~(-1), respectively). The method is accurate, reliable, and repeatable and suitable for the simultaneous determination of multiple components in D. tanguticum. The content of functional components varied in the samples from different producing areas and can be used as the indicator for the quality evaluation of medicinal materials.
Cinnamates ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Lamiaceae ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Rosmarinic Acid

[ Abstract] Objective To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Fok (rs2228570 / rs10735810) of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene and hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (HDCP) in Han nationality women of Qinghai province. Methods A total of 137 Han nationality HDCP subjects (HDCP group) and 146 Han nationality normal pregnant subjects (control group) were selected from Qinghai province. The Fok polymorphism typing in HCDP group and control group was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) . The mutation was confirmed by sequencing. SPSS 19. 0 statistical software was used to test whether there were significant differences between two groups in general clinical data, genotype and allele frequency distribution. Results The frequency of FF Ff ff genotype of Fok in HDCP group and control group were 51. 82%, 37. 96%, 10. 22% and 34. 93%, 43. 15%, 21. 92% respectively (

Objective To investigate the association between the interleukin 10 (IL-10) gene promoter region-592A/C (rs1800872) polymorphism and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in Han women of Qinghai province and to determine the expression of this gene in two groups (HDP group and healthy control group) preliminarily. Methods A total of 140 HDP patients (HDP group) and 140 normal pregnant women (control group) in Qinghai Province were selected. Using blood DNA as template, the IL-10-592A/C polymorphism typing of HDP group and control group was detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and verified by sequencing. The expression of IL-10 mRNA in the placental tissues of the two groups was detected by Real-time PCR. Plasma IL-10 levels of the two groups were detected by ELISA. Results The frequencies of AA, AC and CC genotypes of IL-10 gene in HDP group and control group were 24. 29%, 44. 29%, 31. 42% and 13. 57%, 41. 43%, 45. 00% respectively, the difference in genotype distribution between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0. 05);AA genotype frequency in HDP group(24. 29%)was higher than that of control group(13. 57%)(P<0. 05), CC genotype frequency in HDP group (31. 42%) was lower than that in control group (45. 00%) (P < 0. 05), while there was no significant difference in genotype frequency of AC between the two groups (P<0. 05); The distribution of A and C allele frequencies of IL-10592A/C polymorphism was different between the two groups, and the A allele frequency of HDP group was higher than that of control group (

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of serological indicators and evaluate the diagnostic value of a new established combined serological model on identifying the minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) in patients with compensated cirrhosis.Methods:This prospective multicenter study enrolled 263 compensated cirrhotic patients from 23 hospitals in 15 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities of China between October 2021 and August 2022. Clinical data and laboratory test results were collected, and the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was calculated. Ammonia level was corrected to the upper limit of normal (AMM-ULN) by the baseline blood ammonia measurements/upper limit of the normal reference value. MHE was diagnosed by combined abnormal number connection test-A and abnormal digit symbol test as suggested by Guidelines on the management of hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis. The patients were randomly divided (7∶3) into training set ( n=185) and validation set ( n=78) based on caret package of R language. Logistic regression was used to establish a combined model of MHE diagnosis. The diagnostic performance was evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curve, Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curve. The internal verification was carried out by the Bootstrap method ( n=200). AUC comparisons were achieved using the Delong test. Results:In the training set, prevalence of MHE was 37.8% (70/185). There were statistically significant differences in AMM-ULN, albumin, platelet, alkaline phosphatase, international normalized ratio, MELD score and education between non-MHE group and MHE group (all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that AMM-ULN [odds ratio ( OR)=1.78, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.05-3.14, P=0.038] and MELD score ( OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.04-1.20, P=0.002) were independent risk factors for MHE, and the AUC for predicting MHE were 0.663, 0.625, respectively. Compared with the use of blood AMM-ULN and MELD score alone, the AUC of the combined model of AMM-ULN, MELD score and education exhibited better predictive performance in determining the presence of MHE was 0.755, the specificity and sensitivity was 85.2% and 55.7%, respectively. Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curve showed that the model had good calibration ( P=0.733). The AUC for internal validation of the combined model for diagnosing MHE was 0.752. In the validation set, the AUC of the combined model for diagnosing MHE was 0.794, and Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed good calibration ( P=0.841). Conclusion:Use of the combined model including AMM-ULN, MELD score and education could improve the predictive efficiency of MHE among patients with compensated cirrhosis.

Objective: To describe the distribution characteristics of hypertension among adult twins in the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR) and to provide clues for exploring the role of genetic and environmental factors on hypertension. Methods: A total of 69 220 (34 610 pairs) of twins aged 18 and above with hypertension information were selected from CNTR registered from 2010 to 2018. Random effect models were used to describe the population and regional distribution of hypertension in twins. To estimate the heritability, the concordance rates of hypertension were calculated and compared between monozygotic twins (MZ) and dizygotic twins (DZ). Results: The age of all participants was (34.1±12.4) years. The overall self-reported prevalence of hypertension was 3.8%(2 610/69 220). Twin pairs who were older, living in urban areas, married, overweight or obese, current smokers or ex-smokers, and current drinkers or abstainers had a higher self-reported prevalence of hypertension (P<0.05). Analysis within the same-sex twin pairs found that the concordance rate of hypertension was 43.2% in MZ and 27.0% in DZ, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The heritability of hypertension was 22.1% (95%CI: 16.3%- 28.0%). Stratified by gender, age, and region, the concordance rate of hypertension in MZ was still higher than that in DZ. The heritability of hypertension was higher in female participants. Conclusions: There were differences in the distribution of hypertension among twins with different demographic and regional characteristics. It is indicated that genetic factors play a crucial role in hypertension in different genders, ages, and regions, while the magnitude of genetic effects may vary.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Alcohol Drinking ; Diseases in Twins/genetics* ; Hypertension/genetics* ; Twins, Dizygotic/genetics* ; Twins, Monozygotic/genetics*

Objective: To describe the distribution characteristics of hyperlipidemia in adult twins in the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR) and explore the effect of genetic and environmental factors on hyperlipidemia. Methods: Twins recruited from the CNTR in 11 project areas across China were included in the study. A total of 69 130 (34 565 pairs) of adult twins with complete information on hyperlipidemia were selected for analysis. The random effect model was used to characterize the population and regional distribution of hyperlipidemia among twins. The concordance rates of hyperlipidemia were calculated in monozygotic twins (MZ) and dizygotic twins (DZ), respectively, to estimate the heritability. Results: The age of all participants was (34.2±12.4) years. This study's prevalence of hyperlipidemia was 1.3% (895/69 130). Twin pairs who were men, older, living in urban areas, married,had junior college degree or above, overweight, obese, insufficient physical activity, current smokers, ex-smokers, current drinkers, and ex-drinkers had a higher prevalence of hyperlipidemia (P<0.05). In within-pair analysis, the concordance rate of hyperlipidemia was 29.1% (118/405) in MZ and 18.1% (57/315) in DZ, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Stratified by gender, age, and region, the concordance rate of hyperlipidemia in MZ was still higher than that in DZ. Further, in within-same-sex twin pair analyses, the heritability of hyperlipidemia was 13.04% (95%CI: 2.61%-23.47%) in the northern group and 18.59% (95%CI: 4.43%-32.74%) in the female group, respectively. Conclusions: Adult twins were included in this study and were found to have a lower prevalence of hyperlipidemia than in the general population study, with population and regional differences. Genetic factors influence hyperlipidemia, but the genetic effect may vary with gender and area.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; China/epidemiology* ; Diseases in Twins/genetics* ; Hyperlipidemias/genetics* ; Metabolic Diseases ; Twins, Dizygotic ; Twins, Monozygotic/genetics*