Objective To compare the gut fungal composition between gout patients and healthy individuals through high-throughput sequencing of ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 1(ITS1).Methods Gout patients and healthy volunteers who visited our hospital from January 2023 to December 2024 were enrolled in this study.Then based on established medical guidelines,the gout patients were categorized into 3 groups:Group H(asymptomatic hyperuricemia,n=14),Group G(acute gouty arthritis,n=14),and Group I(intercritical period of gouty arthritis,n=15),and the healthy individuals were assigned into Group N(n=9).Fecal samples were collected from all the participants to undergo ITS1 sequencing analysis.The differences in diversity and composition of gut mycobiome,and FunGuild-derived fungal functions and nutritional status were compared among the 4 groups,and the correlation between the gut mycobiome and clinical indicators was analyzed.Results There were no significant differences in baseline features such as gender,age,glomerular filtration rate(GFR),and levels of serum creatinine(SCr)and serum urea among Group N and other gout groups,but obvious differences were observed in body mass index(BMI),erythrocyte sedimentation rate,and levels of C-reactive protein(CRP),serum uric acid(SUA),and IL-1β and IL-6(P<0.05).In terms of gut fungal diversity,ITS1 analysis showed there were no statistical differences in α-diversity or the principal coordinate analysis(PCoA)of β-diversity among the groups.However,as gout progressed,significant changes were observed in β-diversity indices,indicating a shift in the gut fungal community composition with disease advancement(P<0.05).The phyla Ascomycota,Basidiomycota,and Mucoromycotina were the dominant fungal phyla in all groups.Compared with the other 3 gout groups,the abundance of Pichia was significantly increased in Group N(P<0.05),that of Saccharomyces was in Group H(P<0.05),and that of Starmerella was in Group G(P<0.05).Correlation analysis between the gut mycobiome and clinical indices indicated that the relative abundance of Starmerella was significantly positively correlated with IL-1β(P<0.01)and IL-6(P<0.05).The relative abundance of Pichia was significantly positively correlated with IL-1β and IL-6 levels(P<0.05),and negatively correlated with serum urea level(P<0.05),and the relative abundance of Saccharomyces was negatively correlated with IL-1β and IL-6 levels(P<0.05).Conclusion There exist significant alterations in both the diversity and composition of gut fungi among patients with gout at various stages.Notably,the fluctuations in the relative abundance of Starmerella,Pichia and Saccharomyces appear to correlate with key clinical indicators.

Objective To explore the prescription and preparation technology of compound Bupleurum suppository and draft its quality standard.Methods The volatile oil of Bupleurum was extracted by steam distillation,and the compound Bupleurum-based suppository was prepared by mixing the volatile oil with taurine using the melting method.The quality standard of the preparation was formulated according to the quality inspection items of the general rule 0107 of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China(2020 Edition,Volume IV);The contents of n-hexanoic acid and n-heptanoic acid in the preparation were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS).The content of taurine in the preparation was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).Results The optimized distillation time of the volatile oil was 1.5 h,The linear ranges of n-hexanoic acid,n-heptanoic acid and taurine are 23.175 0-115.875 0 μg·mL-1(R2=0.999 4),4.590 0-68.850 0 μg·mL-1(R2=0.998 9)and 15-125 μg·mL-1(R2=0.999 6),respectively.The average recoveries are 99.83%,101.96%,98.89%with RSDs of 2.84%,1.36%,2.88%,respectively.The RSDs of precision,stability,and repeatability tests are less than 5%.The properties,mass difference,melting time,microbial limit,and stability assessment of the preparationwere all in accordance with the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China.Conclusion Compound Bupleurum suppository preparation technology is reasonable and feasible,which meets the quality standard.

Objective To explore the prescription and preparation technology of compound Bupleurum suppository and draft its quality standard.Methods The volatile oil of Bupleurum was extracted by steam distillation,and the compound Bupleurum-based suppository was prepared by mixing the volatile oil with taurine using the melting method.The quality standard of the preparation was formulated according to the quality inspection items of the general rule 0107 of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China(2020 Edition,Volume IV);The contents of n-hexanoic acid and n-heptanoic acid in the preparation were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS).The content of taurine in the preparation was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).Results The optimized distillation time of the volatile oil was 1.5 h,The linear ranges of n-hexanoic acid,n-heptanoic acid and taurine are 23.175 0-115.875 0 μg·mL-1(R2=0.999 4),4.590 0-68.850 0 μg·mL-1(R2=0.998 9)and 15-125 μg·mL-1(R2=0.999 6),respectively.The average recoveries are 99.83%,101.96%,98.89%with RSDs of 2.84%,1.36%,2.88%,respectively.The RSDs of precision,stability,and repeatability tests are less than 5%.The properties,mass difference,melting time,microbial limit,and stability assessment of the preparationwere all in accordance with the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China.Conclusion Compound Bupleurum suppository preparation technology is reasonable and feasible,which meets the quality standard.

Humans ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/pathology* ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell/pathology* ; Genetic Markers ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics* ; Urothelium/pathology*

Objective To explore the protective effect and mechanism of Jinyinqingre oral liquid on acute lung injury in-duced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)in mice.Methods C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into six groups according to the random number table method:blank control group,model control group,Jinyinqingre oral liquid low-dose group,Jinyinqingre oral liquid medium-dose group,Jinyinqingre oral liquid high-dose group,and dexamethasone group.Except for the blank control group,the other groups were injected with lipopolysac charide(LPS)(5 mg·kg-1)into the trachea to establish the acute lung injury model of mice,and the Jinyinqingre oral liquid low,medium,and high groups were continuously administered the drug by gavage for three days.After 24 h,lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)were collected from the six groups for follow-up detection.The pathological injury of lung tissue in each group was observed by HE staining.The total number of cells in BALF was detected.The to-tal protein content of BALF was detected by the BCA method.The contents of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,and IgM in BALF were detected by ELISA.The expression of NF-κB and NLRP3 proteins in lung tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.Results Compared with model control group,Jinyinqingre oral liquid alleviated the pathological injury of lung tissue(P＜0.05),decreased the total cell count,total protein content and IgM expression in BALF(P＜0.01),and the expres-sion of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β in BALF was dreased(P＜0.05),the protein expressions of NF-κB and NL-RP3 in lung tissues was dreased(P＜0.05).Conclusion Jinyinqingre oral liquid attenuated the pathological injury,inflammatory exudation,and expression of inflammatory cytokines in LPS-induced lung injury in mice,and its mechanism may be through the reg-ulation of NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway,providing a theoretical basis for its clinical application.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a prevalent and severe clinical condition characterized by inflammatory damage to the lung endothelial and epithelial barriers, resulting in high incidence and mortality rates. Currently, there is a lack of safe and effective drugs for the treatment of ALI. In a previous clinical study, we observed that Jinyinqingre oral liquid (JYQR), a Traditional Chinese Medicine formulation prepared by the Taihe Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Medicine, exhibited notable efficacy in treating inflammation-related hepatitis and cholecystitis in clinical settings. However, the potential role of JYQR in ALI/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and its anti-inflammatory mechanism remains unexplored. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of JYQR in ALI using a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI and an in vitro RAW264.7 cell model. JYQR yielded substantial improvements in LPS-induced histological alterations in lung tissues. Additionally, JYQR administration led to a noteworthy reduction in total protein levels within the BALF, a decrease in MPAP, and attenuation of pleural thickness. These findings collectively highlight the remarkable efficacy of JYQR in mitigating the deleterious effects of LPS-induced ALI. Mechanistic investigations revealed that JYQR pretreatment significantly inhibited NF-κB activation and downregulated the expressions of the downstream proteins, namely NLRP3 and GSDMD, as well as proinflammatory cytokine levels in mice and RAW2647 cells. Consequently, JYQR alleviated LPS-induced ALI by inhibiting the NF-κB/NLRP3/GSDMD pathway. JYQR exerts a protective effect against LPS-induced ALI in mice, and its mechanism of action involves the downregulation of the NF-κB/NLRP3/GSDMD inflammatory pathway.
Humans ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Lipopolysaccharides/metabolism* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Acute Lung Injury/metabolism* ; Lung ; Phosphate-Binding Proteins/therapeutic use* ; Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins/therapeutic use*

Dioscin chemical compositions are the main effective components in clinical commonly used Chinese medicines such as Diaoxinxuekang capsules and Xinnaoshutong capsules etc , which show distinct curative effect on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.Meanwhile, they are the important raw materials for the synthesis of steroid hormone drugs .The studies on the extraction technology exhibit important significance in the exploration of pharmacological activities of the components , which also are the external requirements for the growing demand of steroid hormone drugs market .In this paper , the relatively mature extraction methods re-searched in recent years were summarized ,and the advantages and disadvantages of the different processes were discussed in order to provide reference for the further studies and application .

Objective To explore a clean and efficient new method for extraction of Diosgenin. Methods Yield of the total saponins was evaluated to determine the optimal enzymolysis temperature,pH,solid to liquid ratio,dosage of enzyme and enzymolysis time.Using diosgenin yield as an index,solid to liquid ratio,concentration of sulfuric acid and hydrolysis time were optimized in the saponins hydrolysis process via orthogonal experiment. Results The best conditions for the enzyme pretreatment were as follows:the temperature for enzymolysis was 70℃,pH 5.5,solid to liquid ratio was 1:4,dosage of enzyme was 8 mL?kg-1,and extraction time was 24 h.The best conditions of total saponins hydrolysis were as follows:the solid to liquid ratio was 1:4,concentration of sulfuric acid was 2.0 mol?L-1 ,and hydrolysis time was 5 h. Conclusion The new method is environmental friendly and highly efficient,and expected to be applied in industrial production.

Objective:To analyze the current situation of sulfur dioxide residues in Chinese herb pieces through determining the residues in Chinese herb pieces purchased by our hospital to provide the information for the quality control of Chinese herb pieces in our hospital and ensure the clinical medication safety. Methods:The methods for the detection of sulfur dioxide residues described in Chi-nese Pharmacopoeia 2010 edition and the relative literatures were adopted. Totally 100 batches of Chinese herb pieces were selected randomly from the storage waiting products, including 10 categories of 36 batches with the limitation of 400 mg·kg-1 and the other categories of 64 batches with the limitation of 150 mg·kg-1 . Results: The sulfur dioxide residues in 14 batches were out of limits, and among them, 7 batches were over 400 mg·kg-1 and the other 7 ones were over 150 mg·kg-1 . The unqualified rate was 19. 4%and 10. 9% for the samples with the limitation of 400 mg·kg-1 and 150 mg·kg-1 , respectively. Conclusion:The detection method is simple, reproducible and rapid in determining sulfur dioxide residues in Chinese herb pieces. The exceeding standard situation of sulfur dioxide residues in Chinese herb pieces is serious, and the management on Chinese herb medicines with sulphur fumigation should be strengthened by manufacturers. Hospitals should implement the determination of sulfur dioxide residues before storage to en-sure drug safety.

Radix bupleuri is mainly used to treat cold fever and liver disease, and the curative effect is remarkable. The prepara-tions previously explored including bupleurum injection, tablets and capsules all show their own characters and different applicable peo-ple. Recently, many researchers carried out extensive research on its dosage forms. The early formulations have been improved as well, and successively developed dropping pill, nasal sprays, transdermal patches and the other new dosage forms. In the paper, the recent research progress in bupieurum preparations were summarized in order to provide reference for the improvement and application.