INTRODUCTION: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) avoids the complications of general anaesthesia, reduces length of hospitalisation and reduces morbidity from surgery. As such, it is a strong alternative treatment for patients with comorbidities who are not surgical candidates. However, to our knowledge, there have only been 1 systematic review and 3 combined systematic review and meta-analyses on this topic to date. This systematic review and meta-analysis seeks to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RFA in the treatment of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with longer follow-up durations. METHOD: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant studies published from 1990 to 2021; 13 studies with a total of 1366 patients were included. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and Sandelowski et al.'s approach1 to "negotiated consensual validation" were used to achieve consensus on the final list of articles to be included. All authors then assessed each study using a rating scheme modified from the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. RESULTS: Pooled volume reduction rates (VRRs) from 1 to 48 months after RFA, complete disappearance rates (CDR) and complications were assessed. Pooled mean VRRs were 96.59 (95% confidence interval [CI] 91.05-102.13, I2=0%) at 12 months2-6 and 99.31 (95% CI 93.74-104.88, I2=not applicable) at 48 months.2,5 Five studies showed an eventual CDR of 100%.2,4,7-9 No life-threatening complications were recorded. The most common complications included pain, transient voice hoarseness, fever and less commonly, first-degree burn. CONCLUSION RFA may be an effective and safe alternative to treating PTC. Larger clinical trials with longer follow-up are needed to further evaluate the effectiveness of RFA in treating PTC.
Humans ; Radiofrequency Ablation/methods* ; Thyroid Cancer, Papillary/surgery* ; Thyroid Neoplasms/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Postoperative Complications/etiology*

Since the promulgation of the first Drug Administration Law of the People's Republic of China 40 years ago in 1984, China has undergone four main stages in the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) regulation: the initial establishment of TCM regulation rules(1984-1997), the formation of a modern TCM regulatory system(1998-2014), the reform of the review and approval system for new TCM drugs(2015-2018), and the construction of a scientific regulation system for TCM(2019-2024). Over the past five years, a series of milestone achievements of TCM regulation in China have been achieved in the six aspects, including its strategic objectives and the establishment of a science-based regulatory system, the reform of the review and approval system for new TCM drugs, the optimization and improvement of the TCM standard system and its formation mechanism, comprehensive enhancement of regulatory capabilities for TCM safety, international harmonization of TCM regulation and its role in promoting innovation. Looking ahead, centered on advancing TCMRS to establish a sound regulatory framework tailored to the unique characteristics of TCM, TCM regulation will evolve into new reform patterns, advancing and extending across eight critical fronts, including the legal framework and policy architecture, the review and approval system for new TCM drugs, the quality standard and management system of TCM, the comprehensive quality & safety regulation and traceability system, the research and transformation system for TCMRS, AI-driven innovations in TCM regulation, the coordination between high-quality industrial development and high-level regulation, and the leadership in international cooperation and regulatory harmonization. In this way, a unique path for the development of modern TCM regulation with Chinese characteristics will be pioneered.
Humans ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/standards* ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/trends*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Heart failure(HF)is a cardiovascular disease with a high prevalence and mortality rate worldwide,and despite the widespread use of existing drugs,device intervetions and surgical procedures,the clinical outcomes are still unsatisfactory.The exploration of new methods to treat HF is still an urgent problem.Gene therapy provides a new therapeutic strategy for HF by targeting the regulation of pathogenic genes.This article systematically reviewed the delivery system optimization,key targets and clinical translational challenges of gene therapy for HF,aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the optimization of treatment strategies.

Objective To explore clinical effect of manipulation reduction combined with vertebral plasty on osteoporotic compression fractures(OVCFs).Methods Totally 61 patients with OVCFs treated from January 2022 to March 2024 were randomly divided into self-made spinal locator positioning with manipulation reduction group(treatment group)and traditional Kirchner positioning group(control group).There were 30 patients in treatment group,including 4 males and 26 females,aged from 61 to 87 years old with an average of(73.61±7.17)years old;body mass index(BMI)ranged from 15.24 to 28.89 kg·m-2 with an average of(23.90±3.20)kg·m-2;bone mineral density T value ranged from-4.90 to-2.50 SD with an avergae of(-3.43±0.75)SD;fracture to operation time was 6.50(4.00,10.25)d;10 patients were grade Ⅰ,13 patients were grade Ⅱ,and 7 patients were grade Ⅲ according to Genant classification of fracture compression.There were 31 patients in control group,in-cluding 7 males and 24 females,aged from 61 to 89 years old with an average of(73.63±8.77)years old;BMI ranged from 18.43 to 27.06 kg·m-2 with an average of(23.67±2.35)kg·m-2;bone mineral density T value ranged from-4.60 to-2.50 SD with an avergae of(-3.30±0.68)SD;fracture to operation time was 6.00(3.00,8.00)d;1l patients were grade Ⅰ,9 patients were grade Ⅱ,and 11 patients were grade Ⅲ according to Genant classification of fracture compression.The puncture times,X-ray fluoroscopy times and puncture time between two groups were observed and compared.Visual analogue scale(VAS),Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)and timed up and go test(TUGT)were observed and compared before operation,3 d and 1 month after operation.Results All patients were followed up for 1 to 3 months with an average of(2.10±0.80)months.Puncture times,X-ray fluorosecopy times and puncture time in treatment group were 5.00(4.00,6.00)times,(29.53±5.89)times and 14.83(12.42,21.20)min,respectively,while those in control group were 7.00(6.00,8.00)times,(34.58±5.33)times,22.19(17.33,27.01)min,treatment group was better than those of control group(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in preoperative VAS,JOA and TUGT between two groups(P＞0.05).VAS,JOA and TUGT in both groups were sig-nificantly improved after opeation(P＜0.05).On the third day after operation,JOA score of treatment group was 23.00(20.75,25.00),which was higher than that of control group 20.00(19.00,23.00)(P＜0.05).TUGT of treatment group was 6.26(5.86,6.57)s,which was better than that of control group 6.90(6.80,7.14)s(P＜0.05).Bone cement leakage occurred with 1 patient in treatment group and 2 patients in control group.Conclusion The optimal scheme of self-made spinal locators for lo-cating descending verteboplasty combined with traditional Chinese medicine reduction manipulation for OVCF patients could reduce the number of intraoperative puncture times,shorten puncture times and reduce number of X-ray fluoroscopy times,and have advantages over the simple positioning of Kirschn's needle in restoring short-term lumbar function and standing and walk-ing ability of postoperative patients.

This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of Morinda officinalis iridoid glycosides (MOIG) on bone loss of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) rats, and the mechanism of osteoclast function and activity induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). RA rats were established by injecting bovin type II collagen. The Bio-ethic Committee of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University approved all experimental protocols associated with this study (IACUC-20180410-03). The collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats were administered drug by gavage for 8 weeks; the femoral trabecular micro-structure changes were observed in CIA rats by micro-CT; the LPS-induced osteoclasts model further observed the effect and mechanism of anti-inflammatory osteoporosis in vitro. The results indicated that MOIG could markedly increase bone mineral density (BMD) in CIA rats, improve trabecular micro-structure. In vitro studies demonstrated that MOIG could significantly inhibit osteoclastogensis and differentiation, suppress tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity, F-actin ring formation, TNF receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6) recruitment, and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-Bα (IκBα) degradation as well as p65 phosphorylation, thereby repressing nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway activation. Subsequently, MOIG effectively inhibited osteoclast nuclear factor of activated T-cells c1 (NFATc1) and cellular oncogene Fos (c-Fos) expression, as well as bone resorption related protein activity including matrix metalloprotein 9 (MMP-9) and cathepsin K (CtsK). Meanwhile, MOIG also repressed the phosphorylation expression of Janus activating kinase 2 (JAK2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), thereby inhibiting JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway activation. Moreover, further studies found that MOIG could suppress glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) activity, and GSK-3β gene silencing could markedly inhibit oetsoclast F-actin ring formation as well as the phosphorylation expression of p65 and STAT3. Of note, compared with GSK-3β gene silencing group, there was no significant difference in the group treated with both MOIG with GSK-3β gene silencing simultaneously. Thus, the results suggested that MOIG may inhibit NF-κB signaling pathway and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway activation via regulating GSK-3β, thereby alleviating bone destruction in RA.

MADS-box protein family are important transcriptional regulatory factors in plant growth and development. The AGAMOUS 12 (AGL12) subfamily is believed to play an important regulatory role in the process of plant flowering transition. To explore the potential mechanism of AGL12 subfamily involved in regulating the flower development of Lonicera macranthoides, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), prokaryotic expression and yeast two-hybrid techniques were used to analyze the expression pattern, protein expression, and protein-protein interaction pattern of LmAGL12 based on transcriptome data. The results showed that the LmAGL12 gene contains a 603 bp open reading frame (ORF), encoding 200 amino acids, and the encoded protein was stable and hydrophilic without a transmembrane region and signal peptide. Through homologous sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis, it was confirmed that LmAGL12 protein belongs to the MADS-box protein family and is closely related to the AGL12 protein of Heracleum sosnowskyi and Daucus carota subsp. sativus. The LmAGL12 gene was cloned into prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a and the recombinant constructs were transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), which inducing the target protein successfully. The yeast two-hybrid results showed that LmAGL12 protein interacts with LmSVP protein, LmSOC1 protein and LmAP1 protein, respectively. The qRT-PCR results showed that LmAGL12 gene were differentially expressed in different development stages of flower bud, stem, and leaves of 'Longhua' and 'Baiyun' in L. macranthoides. The LmAGL12 gene showed the highest expression level in the middle stage of the 'Longhua' floral bud; For the 'Baiyun' variety, the relative expression level of LmAGL12 gene is the highest in the stem. This study cloned the LmAGL12 gene in L. macranthoides and analyzed it expression for the first time, enriching the research on flower organ development and providing a research basis for further exploring the molecular mechanisms of long bud stage and non-unfolded corolla in L. macranthoides, as well as for variety improvement.

This study investigated the effect of different carrier materials on the in vitro properties of progesterone solid dispersions. The solid dispersions of the insoluble drug progesterone were prepared by hot melt extrusion technique using rheological properties as the index of investigation, and the in vitro properties of the solid dispersions were characterized. Scanning electron microscope revealed solid dispersions with rough surfaces and agglomerated microstructures into irregular lumpy particles. Differential scanning calorimetry and powder X-ray diffraction showed the change of progesterone crystalline form in solid dispersions from crystalline to amorphous state. In vitro dissolution studies showed that solid dispersions prepared with different carrier materials can effectively improve the dissolution rate of drugs. The results of the study showed that the type of carrier material had a significant effect on the in vitro properties of solid dispersions, providing a reference for the study of solid dispersions in the controlled release of insoluble drugs.

Objective To establish a high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)aging characteristic chromatogram of Guangdong Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium.Methods HPLC-diode array detector(DAD)was used to analyze the composition differences between different years of Guangdong Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium,and the relative peak area of each differential chromatographic peak was determined.The aging grade was classified by cluster analysis,and evaluated by the similarity evaluation system for chromatographic fingerprint of TCM(2012A edition).Results The different years of Guangdong Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium was clustered into two different aging grades of classⅠ and class Ⅱ.The similarity of class Ⅰ(low aging grade)Guangdong Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium was 0.708-0.957,and the similarity of class Ⅱ(high aging grade)Guangdong Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium was 0.734-0.976,and the similarity between the two was lower than 0.6.There were 9 different chromatographic peaks in the established characteristic chromatogram.The control characteristic spectrum T2 of typeⅡ Guangdong Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium can be regarded as its aging characteristic spectrum,among which peaks 1-4 and 9 are aging characteristic peaks.Conclusion The established aging characteristic chromatogram of Guangdong Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium is simple in operation,with good repeatability and reliability,and can be used for quality evaluation of different years of Guangdong Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium.