ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of Astragali Radix-mediated changes in gut microbiota on treating type 2 diabetes （T2DM）. MethodsA 12-week randomized， placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled eighty patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and poor glycemic control in the Qi deficiency type. All patients received insulin therapy. The observation group （40 cases） was administered with Astragali Radix Granules， while the control group （40 cases） received a placebo. Both treamtents were taken orally twice daily. Changes in gut microbiota were assessed by 16s rDNA sequencing. Serum glucagon-like peptide-1 （GLP-1） levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Glucose metabolism indicators including fasting blood glucose （FPG）， 2-hour postprandial blood glucose （2 h PG），glycated albumin（GA）， and glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c） were evaluated. Pancreatic function was evaluated using fasting C-peptide （FCP）， 2-hour postprandial C-peptide （2 h CP）， and C-peptide area under the curve （AUC_cp）. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， clinical efficacy， and safety indicators were also observed. ResultsIn terms of glucose metabolism indicators， compared with the baseline， both groups exhibited significantly lower FPG， 2 h PG， GA and HbA1C （P<0.01），while FCP， 2 h CP and AUC_cp were significantly higher （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after the treatment， the observation group showed significantly lower FPG， 2 h PG， GA and HbA1C（P<0.05， P<0.01），and significantly higher FCP， 2 h CP and AUC_cp （P<0.05， P<0.01）， indicating that Astragali Radix can improve glucose metabolism. In terms of the diversity of gut microbiota， no significant differences were detected in the Chao1， Shannon and Simpson indexes of the two groups compared with their respective baselines. However， compared with the post-treatment control group， the observation group demonstrated significant increases in the Chao1， Shannon and Simpson indexes （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The β-diversity analysis showed significant separation in gut microbiota composition before and after treatment in both groups， indicating that Astragali Radix can significantly alter the structure and improve the diversity of gut microbiota. At the phylum level， compared with the baseline， both groups showed a significant increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidota（P<0.01）. The relative abundance of the potentially harmful phylum Proteobacteria was significantly lower in the observation Group after treatment （P<0.01）. Compared with the post-treatment control group， the observation group had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroidota（P<0.01）. No significant difference was found in Firmicutes/Bacteroidota （F/B） ratio between the two groups after treatment， and other phyla showed no significant differences. At the genus level， compared with the baseline， the observation group exhibited a significant increase in Bacteroides （P<0.01） and a significant decrease in Escherichia-Shigella （P<0.01）， whereas no significant difference was seen in the control group . Compared with the control group after treatment， the observation group after treatment had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroides （P<0.01）. No significant differences were seen in other genera. Linear discriminant analysis （LDA） identified potential characteristics taxa： in the observation group， Bacteroidota at the phylum level and Bacteroides and Dubosiella at the genus level， in the control group， Proteobacteria at the phylum level as well as Barnesiella and Staphylococcus at the genus level. Correlation analysis based on a heatmap revealed that GLP-1 levels were positively correlated with Firmicutes， F/B ratio and Fusobacterium， and negatively correlated with Bacteroidota， Proteobacteria， Bacteroides and Escherichia-Shigella. In terms of clinical efficacy， compared with the control group， the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher （P<0.05）. Compared with the baseline， the scores for shortness of breath， fatigue， weakness， spontaneous sweating and reluctance to speak significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after treatment， the score for weakness was significantly lower in the observation group （P<0.01），indicating that Astragali Radix could improve clinical symptoms and alleviate weakness symptoms. In terms of safety， compared with the baseline， alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.05，P<0.01），indicating that Astragali Radix did not induce any significant abnormalities in liver and kidney functions. ConclusionAstragali Radix demonstrates the potential to significantly improve the gut microbiota environment in patients of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes with Qi deficiency. The therapeutic effect may contribute to glycemic control， possibly mediated by an elevation in GLP-1 level. These findings may support its further clinical investigations and potential applications.

OBJECTIVE To comprehensively evaluate the efficacy， safety， and cost-effectiveness of lecanemab in the treatment of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease （AD）， and to provide evidence-based guidance for clinical decision-making. METHODS A systematic search of PubMed， Cochrane Library， CNKI， Wanfang， Embase， and the official websites of leading health technology assessment （HTA） agencies was conducted for randomized controlled trials， pharmacoeconomic studies， meta-analyses/systematic reviews， and HTA reports on lecanemab published up to October 2025. After screening against predefined eligibility criteria， methodological quality was appraised with validated tools， relevant data were extracted， and the findings were synthesized qualitatively. RESULTS A total of 6 studies were included， consisting of 3 randomized controlled trials and 3 pharmacoeconomic evaluations. In terms of efficacy， lecanemab significantly slowed cognitive decline by 27% compared to placebo， reduced the decline in daily activity ability by 37%， and markedly reduced intracerebral amyloid levels. Regarding safety， the incidence of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities （ARIA） was higher in the lecanemab group than in the control group， with the incidence of edema/effusion of 12.6% （vs. 1.7% in the placebo group）， and the incidence of hemorrhage/hemosiderin deposition of 17.3% （vs. 9.0% in the placebo group）. Economically， the estimated incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of lecanemab compared with standard treatment exceeded commonly used willingness-to-pay thresholds in the United States （USD 50 000-150 000 per QALY）. CONCLUSIONS Lecanemab confers significant cognitive protection in early-stage AD； however， it is associated with a relatively high risk of ARIA and economic burden.

AIM:To observe the changes of Th17 related cytokines in tears of conjunctivochalasis(CCH)patients with liver-kidney yin deficiency treated with traditional Chinese medicine Qi Jing Mingmu decoction combined with artificial tears.METHODS:A total of 56 CCH patients(56 eyes)with liver-kidney yin deficiency of grade Ⅱ to Ⅲ were collected and randomly divided into treatment group(treated with Qi Jing Mingmu decoction combined with artificial tears)of 26 cases(26 eyes)and control group(treated with pure artificial tears)of 30 cases(30 eyes). The treatment course was 1 mo, and international ocular surface disease index(OSDI), tear film break-up time(BUT), tear meniscus height(TMH)and conjunctival congestion index of the patients were observed before and after treatment. The patients' tears were collected before and after treatment, and Th17 related cytokines in tears were detected using flow cytometry immunofluorescence luminescence method.RESULTS:After treatment, the OSDI, BUT and conjunctival congestion index of CCH patients in the treatment group and control group were significantly improved(all P<0.01). After treatment, the TMH of CCH patients in the treatment group was significantly reduced(P<0.01), while there was no statistically significant difference in TMH of the control group before and after treatment(P=0.41). After treatment, the levels of Th17 related cytokines IL-17A, IL-22, IFN-γ, IL-17F, and IL-1β in tears of CCH patients in the treatment group were significantly reduced after treatment(all P<0.01), and the changes in the treatment group were more significant(all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the control group before and after treatment(all P>0.05). After treatment, the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the tears of both groups of CCH patients decreased compared to those before treatment(both P<0.05), but the changes in the treatment group were more significant(both P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Qi Jing Mingmu decoction combined with artificial tears can effectively improve the ocular surface microenvironment, enhance tear film stability, and inhibit ocular surface inflammation in CCH patients with liver-kidney yin deficiency. This may be related to its reduction in the secretion of Th17 related cytokines in tears.

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed databases up to August 7, 2024. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected for data extraction and quality assessment. The quality of included studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), and the risk of bias and applicability of included prediction model studies were assessed by the prediction model risk of bias assessment tool (PROBAST). Results A total of 10 studies were included, among which 5 studies only identified specific exhaled VOCs in CF patients, and another 5 developed 7 CF risk prediction models based on the identification of VOCs in CF. The included studies reported a total of 75 exhaled VOCs, most of which belonged to the categories of acylcarnitines, aldehydes, acids, and esters. Most models (n=6, 85.7%) only included exhaled VOCs as predictive factors, and only one model included factors other than VOCs, including forced expiratory flow at 75% of forced vital capacity (FEF75) and modified Medical Research Council scale for the assessment of dyspnea (mMRC). The accuracy of the models ranged from 77% to 100%, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ranged from 0.771 to 0.988. None of the included studies provided information on the calibration of the models. The results of the Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST) showed that the overall bias risk of all predictive model studies was high, and the overall applicability was unclear. Conclusion The exhaled VOCs reported in the included studies showed significant heterogeneity, and more research is needed to explore specific compounds for CF. In addition, risk prediction models based on exhaled VOCs have certain value in the diagnosis of CF, but the overall bias risk is relatively high and needs further optimization from aspects such as model construction and validation.

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the effects of different sizes of seedlings and melatonin treatment on physiological and biochemical indicators and bolting-related gene expression in Angelica sinensis， find substances related to early bolting， and elucidate the inhibitory mechanism of melatonin on bolting. MethodsSpectrophotometry was used to detect the related enzyme activities of A. sinensis leaves. The contents of endogenous hormones and polyamines were detected using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the expression levels of bolting-related genes. Inter-group differential indicator analysis， orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis， and principal component analysis were comprehensively applied to identify factors related to early bolting. ResultsEndogenous jasmonic acid and melatonin were identified as the most important factors affecting early bolting. Secondly， the activity of antioxidant enzymes， abscisic acid content， gibberellin content， and the expression levels of CO3， HD3A， and FD genes had important effects on the bolting process. Compared with small seedlings， exogenous melatonin treatment mainly inhibited early bolting by increasing endogenous melatonin content， reducing gibberellin content， and decreasing the expression levels of SOC1 and FD genes. ConclusionExogenous melatonin can inhibit early bolting in A. sinensis by regulating its physiological， biochemical， and gene expression levels.

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the effects of different sizes of seedlings and melatonin treatment on physiological and biochemical indicators and bolting-related gene expression in Angelica sinensis， find substances related to early bolting， and elucidate the inhibitory mechanism of melatonin on bolting. MethodsSpectrophotometry was used to detect the related enzyme activities of A. sinensis leaves. The contents of endogenous hormones and polyamines were detected using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the expression levels of bolting-related genes. Inter-group differential indicator analysis， orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis， and principal component analysis were comprehensively applied to identify factors related to early bolting. ResultsEndogenous jasmonic acid and melatonin were identified as the most important factors affecting early bolting. Secondly， the activity of antioxidant enzymes， abscisic acid content， gibberellin content， and the expression levels of CO3， HD3A， and FD genes had important effects on the bolting process. Compared with small seedlings， exogenous melatonin treatment mainly inhibited early bolting by increasing endogenous melatonin content， reducing gibberellin content， and decreasing the expression levels of SOC1 and FD genes. ConclusionExogenous melatonin can inhibit early bolting in A. sinensis by regulating its physiological， biochemical， and gene expression levels.

Objective: To investigate the effect of targeted silencing of DNA methyltransferase 3A(DNMT3A) on collagen deposition, proliferation and migration activity of mouse lung fibroblasts(PFs). Methods: In order to ensure the proliferation and migration activity of primary fibroblasts, the lung tissues of neonatal C57 suckling mice were taken, PFs were extracted after being sheared, and the morphology was observed and identified under the microscope. PFs cells were activated by 5 ng/ml TGF-β1for 24 h after cell attachment, and DNMT3A silencing model was constructed by small interfering RNA; The experiment was divided into control group, TGF-β1group, TGF-β1+ siRNA-NC group and TGF-β1+ siRNA-DNMT3A group. The protein expressions of DNMT3A, α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA) and Collagen Ⅰ were detected by Western blot; Real time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression changes ofDNMT3A,α-SMAandCollagenⅠ. The proliferation ability of PFs was detected by CCK-8 and EdU staining; the migration ability of PFs was detected by scratch test and Transwell migration test. Results: Compared with the control group, TGF-β1induced the increase of DNMT3A in the activated PFs cell group(P<0.01), the protein and mRNA levels of fibrosis and proliferation related indicators α-SMA and Collagen Ⅰ also increased(allP<0.05), and the proliferation and migration ability of PFs increased(allP<0.000 1). Compared with the siRNA-NC group, the protein expression levels of DNMT3A(P<0.000 1) and related indicators α-SMA(P<0.01) and Collagen Ⅰ(P<0.01) significantly decreased in the DNMT3A silencing group by Western blot, and the mRNA levels ofDNMT3A,α-SMAandCollagenⅠby RT-qPCR also decreased(allP<0.001), and the proliferation(P<0.01) and migration ability(P<0.05) of PFs cells decreased compared with the control group. Conclusion Silencing DNMT3A can inhibit the deposition of collagen and the proliferation of PFs. DNMT3A can promote the proliferation and migration of PFs, and then promote the activation of PFs and the development of pulmonary fibrosis. This process may be regulated by DNA methylation modification.

ObjectiveThis study aims to observe the clinical effect of Danggui Liuhuang Tang （DGLHT） on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） complicated by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease （ASCVD） at high risk， focus on evaluating the influence of DGLHT on cardiovascular risk indicators such as flow-mediated dilation （FMD）， atherogenic index of plasma （AIP）， and triglyceride-glucose index （TyG）， and explore the regulatory effect of DGLHT on the myeloid differentiation factor 88/nuclear factor-kappa B （MyD88/NF-κB） signaling pathway. MethodsThe clinical study was a single-center， double-blind， and randomized controlled trial. A total of 68 patients with T2DM-ASCVD at high risk for cardiovascular events with Yin deficiency and fire excess syndrome were enrolled and randomly assigned to a treatment group and a control group. The treatment group was given atorvastatin calcium tablets and DGLHT， while the control group was given atorvastatin calcium tablets and placebos. The treatment course was 12 weeks， with a final study completion of 30 patients in the treatment group and 29 in the control group. Changes in cardiovascular risk indicators such as FMD， AIP， TyG， and small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （sdLDL-C） index were compared. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells （HUVECs） were used to establish a vascular endothelial injury and inflammation model. The protective effect of DGLHT on endothelial injury was verified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot . ResultsAfter 12 weeks of treatment， the AIP in the treatment group significantly decreased compared with that before the treatment （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， the treatment group showed significant improvements in FMD and TyG （P<0.05）. Additionally， the treatment group demonstrated significant reductions in two-hour postprandial glucose （2 hPG）， glycated albumin （GA）， triglycerides （TG）， apolipoprotein E （Apo E）， and sdLDL-C （P<0.05）. Analysis of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome efficacy indicated that in the treatment group， Yin deficiency and fire excess syndromes， including dry throat and mouth （P<0.05）， excessive thirst （P<0.01）， tidal fever and night sweats （P<0.05）， and dry stools （P<0.05）， improved. Compared with the control group， the treatment group showed significant improvements in symptoms of dry throat and mouth （P<0.05） and excessive thirst （P<0.01）. TCM syndrome scores significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and the overall efficacy rate was 56.67%， significantly higher than the 10.34% observed in the control group （P<0.01）. At the cellular level， increasing concentrations of DGLHT led to decreased messenger ribonucleic acid （mRNA） levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， and interleukin-1-beta （IL-1β） in lipopolysaccharide （LPS）-stimulated HUVECs （P<0.01）， with significant reductions in the high-concentration group （P<0.01）. DGLHT may inhibit the expressions of MyD88 and phosphorylated （p）-NF-κB p65 proteins in a concentration-dependent manner. ConclusionDGLHT shows significant effects in reducing cardiovascular risks and may exert an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. This finding provides a new perspective for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in high-risk individuals with T2DM-ASCVD.

ObjectiveTo investigate the bacterial diversity in the rhizosphere soil and phyllosphere of Angelica sinensis and examine the effects of foliar applications of a composite bacterial agent，salicylic acid，and coronatine on the bacterial diversity，disease incidence，and plant yield，thus providing a theoretical basis and guidance for the artificial construction of functional minimal communities and the regulation of rhizosphere through foliar treatments. MethodsUnder continuous cropping conditions in the field，foliar applications of a composite bacterial agent，salicylic acid，coronatine，and sterile water were conducted. The 100-plant weight was measured via the conventional method，and the incidence of diseases was recorded. The microbial community composition，diversity，and inter-group differences in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere soil of A. sinensis were analyzed by 16S high-throughput sequencing，and the potential microbial functions were predicted. ResultsCompared with the blank control，foliar applications of salicylic acid and coronatine both significantly reduced the yield and root rot incidence of A. sinensis. The foliar application of salicylic acid decreased the content of ferulic acid and increased that of ligustilide. The foliar application of coronatine increased the content of both ferulic acid and ligustilide. The microbial communities and functions in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere soil were significantly different. The phyllosphere had lower microbial diversity，with all bacteria being Gram-negative，mainly Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria with limited functions. The rhizosphere soil had higher microbial diversity，harboring dominant phyla including Proteobacteria，Actinobacteria，Acidobacteria，and Bacteroidetes with rich functions. All foliar treatments regulated the microbial community in the rhizosphere soil，with a more significant effect on the microbial community in the rhizosphere soil than that in the phyllosphere. The coronatine treatment significantly reduced the abundance of Proteobacteria and nitrate-reducing and aromatic compound-degrading microorganisms in the rhizosphere soil，thus affecting nutrient cycling and autotoxic substance degradation and leading to a yield reduction. Compared with the salicylic acid treatment，the coronatine treatment significantly increased the abundance of Bacillus and Streptomyces in the rhizosphere soil，demonstrating enhanced disease control efficacy. ConclusionFoliar application of coronatine and salicylic acid can significantly regulate the composition and function of bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soil，thereby reducing the disease incidence and the plant yield.

Magnetic stimulation has made significant strides in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Nonetheless, current magnetic stimulation techniques lack the precision to accurately modulate specific nuclei and cannot realize deep brain magnetic stimulation. To address this, we utilized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as mediators to achieve precise targeting and penetration. We investigated the effects of magnetic fields with varying frequencies on neuronal activity and compared the activation effects on neurons using a 10-Hz precise magneto-stimulation system (pMSS) with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in mice. Oxytocin levels, dendritic morphology and density, and mouse behavior were measured before and after pMSS intervention. Our findings suggest that pMSS can activate oxytocinergic neurons, leading to upregulation of oxytocin secretion and neurite outgrowth. As a result, sociability was rapidly improved after a one-week pMSS treatment regimen. These results demonstrate a promising magneto-stimulation method for regulating neuronal activity in deep brain nuclei and provide a promising therapeutic approach for autism spectrum disorder.
Animals ; Autism Spectrum Disorder/physiopathology* ; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus/physiology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation/methods* ; Male ; Social Behavior ; Mice ; Oxytocin/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neurons/physiology*