OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of hospital-prepared Chinese medicine Feigan granules for influenza patients. This study has been registered at the International Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Registry platform (ITMCTR2025000162). METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted on influenza patients who visited the Fever Clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine between February and March 2024. Patients were divided into the observation group (Feigan granules combined with conventional Western medicine) and the control group (conventional Western medicine). Main symptoms (including fever, cough and sore throat) and secondary symptoms (including chest tightness, poor appetite, muscle soreness and dry mouth) were evaluated with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom scale on the first day of the patient's visit and the third day after treatment. The degrees of improvement in the TCM symptom scores before and after treatment were compared using paired rank-sum test, and the differences in the overall symptom efficacy index between two groups were compared using the Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: A total of 217 influenza patients were included. After treatment, the TCM symptom scores of both groups were significantly improved compared with those before treatment (all P<0.01). The median differences in the main symptom score before and after treatment in the observation and the control groups were 7 points (95%CI: 6.0-8.0) and 6 points (95%CI: 6.0-8.0), respectively. The median difference in the secondary symptom score was 3 points (95%CI: 2.0-4.0) in both groups. The median differences in the total score were 9 points (95%CI: 8.0-10.5) and 8 points (95%CI: 7.0-10.0) in the observation and control groups, respectively. In the subgroup with an initial cough score >2, the improvement rates of total score (97.06% vs. 92.59%) and secondary symptoms (92.31% vs. 85.11%) in observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05); while there was no significant difference in the improvement rate of the main symptoms (95.59% vs. 90.74%, P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Feigan granules can improve the TCM syndromes of influenza patients, especially for patients with more severe cough.
Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Influenza, Human/drug therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Treatment Outcome

Ultra micro angiography (UMA) can effectively improve the sensitivity and spatial resolution of blood flow imaging. To further meet the clinical requirements of quantitative measurements for microvascular imaging, this article demonstrated technical features and performance verification results of the microflow quantitative analysis function, which was developed based on the UMA function. This article provided preliminary validation of the measurement of Synchronous Arbitrary Gate-PW (SAG-PW) using a Doppler flow phantom and a moving string phantom. The Doppler flow phantom results demonstrated that the SAG-PW measurement values were close to the traditional PW results, and the average error of multiple sets of measurement results under different conditions was 3.9%. The results of SAG-PW and PW were strongly linearly correlated, with the slope and correlation coefficient approaching 1. The results of the moving string phantom demonstrated that the relative errors of TAMean and SAG-PW with different phantom set values were within 10%.
Phantoms, Imaging ; Ultrasonography, Doppler/instrumentation* ; Microvessels/diagnostic imaging*

AIM:Hepatotoxicity of Brucea javani-ca picryl with broad-spectrum anticancer effect in nude mice based on hepatic drug metabolizing en-zyme CYP450 activity.METHODS:Fifty-six nude mice were randomly divided into blank group,Bru-cea javanica low-dose group(2 mg/kg),Brucea ja-vanica high-dose group(4 mg/kg),and cisplatin group(2 mg/kg),with 14 mice in each group.The blank group was injected with the same amount of normal saline every 3 days for 6 weeks.Calculate the mortality rate of nude mice in each group,ob-serve the general growth state of nude mice,re-cord the weight change of nude mice before and af-ter administration,weigh and record the liver weight after taking materials,and calculate the liv-er coefficient(liver weight/weight mass×100％),ob-serve and record the liver color and morphology.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was used to ob-serve the pathological changes of liver tissue.De-tection of alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspar-tate aminotransferase(AST),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),alkaline phosphatase(AKP)and albumin(ALB)levels in serum of nude mice by ELISA.Real-time PCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of CYP2E1,CYP3A11,CYP2C19,CYP1A2,CYP2D6 and CYP2C9,which were key enzymes of drug metabolism in nude mice liver.RESULTS:Compared with the blank group,the mortality rate of nude mice in the low-dose Brucea javanica bitter alcohol group was 0,the growth state was good,the diet,movement,and mental state were normal,the weight change and liver coefficient ratio were consistent,the liver color was ruddy,the liver lobule morphology was complete under the microscope,the structure was clear,the liver cells were arranged regularly,and there was no inflammatory cell infiltration.There was no significant difference in the content of ALT,AST,LDH,AKP,and ALB.There was no significant difference in the mRNA and protein expression of CYP2E1,CYP3A11,CYP2C19,CYP1A2,CYP2D6,and CYP2C9(all P＞0.05).Compared with the blank group,the mortality rate of nude mice in the high-dose group of Brucea javanica bitter alcohol was 14.3％,the growth state was slightly poor,the diet,movement,and mental state were reduced,the weight growth was slow,the liver coefficient ratio was increased,the liver color was reddish brown,some liver lobule boundaries were unclear,a small number of liver cells were loosely arranged,the contents of ALT,AST,LDH,AKP,and ALB were signif-icantly increased,the mRNA levels of CYP2E1,CYP3A11,CYP2C19,CYP1A2,CYP2D6,and CYP2C9 were significantly reduced,and the protein expres-sions of CYP2E1,CYP3A11,CYP1A2,and CYP2D6 were significantly reduced(all P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),but there was no statistical difference in the mRNA and protein expression of CYP2C19,and the pro-tein expression of CYP2C9(P＞0.05).Compared with the blank group,the mortality rate of nude mice in the cisplatin group was 35.7％,the growth state was poor,the diet,action,and mental state were low,the weight gain was less,the liver coefficient ratio was significantly increased,the liver color was dark red,the liver sinusoids and central veins were congested,the hepatocytes were disordered,the nuclei were consolidated and contracted,and the arrangement was loose,the contents of ALT,AST,LDH,AKP,and ALB were significantly increased,and the mRNA and protein expressions of CYP2E1,CYP3A11,CYP2C19,CYP1A2,CYP2D6,and CYP2C9 were significantly reduced(all P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).CONCLUSION:The dose of Brucea javanica bitter alcohol is correlated with hepatotoxicity to nude mice.High doses of Brucea javanica bitter alcohol have hepatotoxicity to nude mice,which may be re-lated to reducing serum levels of ALT,AST,LDH,AKP,and ALB,inhibiting the expression of multiple subtypes of enzymes in the key enzyme CYP450 of liver drug metabolism,and then reducing the me-tabolism of toxic substances.

AIM:Hepatotoxicity of Brucea javani-ca picryl with broad-spectrum anticancer effect in nude mice based on hepatic drug metabolizing en-zyme CYP450 activity.METHODS:Fifty-six nude mice were randomly divided into blank group,Bru-cea javanica low-dose group(2 mg/kg),Brucea ja-vanica high-dose group(4 mg/kg),and cisplatin group(2 mg/kg),with 14 mice in each group.The blank group was injected with the same amount of normal saline every 3 days for 6 weeks.Calculate the mortality rate of nude mice in each group,ob-serve the general growth state of nude mice,re-cord the weight change of nude mice before and af-ter administration,weigh and record the liver weight after taking materials,and calculate the liv-er coefficient(liver weight/weight mass×100％),ob-serve and record the liver color and morphology.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was used to ob-serve the pathological changes of liver tissue.De-tection of alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspar-tate aminotransferase(AST),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),alkaline phosphatase(AKP)and albumin(ALB)levels in serum of nude mice by ELISA.Real-time PCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of CYP2E1,CYP3A11,CYP2C19,CYP1A2,CYP2D6 and CYP2C9,which were key enzymes of drug metabolism in nude mice liver.RESULTS:Compared with the blank group,the mortality rate of nude mice in the low-dose Brucea javanica bitter alcohol group was 0,the growth state was good,the diet,movement,and mental state were normal,the weight change and liver coefficient ratio were consistent,the liver color was ruddy,the liver lobule morphology was complete under the microscope,the structure was clear,the liver cells were arranged regularly,and there was no inflammatory cell infiltration.There was no significant difference in the content of ALT,AST,LDH,AKP,and ALB.There was no significant difference in the mRNA and protein expression of CYP2E1,CYP3A11,CYP2C19,CYP1A2,CYP2D6,and CYP2C9(all P＞0.05).Compared with the blank group,the mortality rate of nude mice in the high-dose group of Brucea javanica bitter alcohol was 14.3％,the growth state was slightly poor,the diet,movement,and mental state were reduced,the weight growth was slow,the liver coefficient ratio was increased,the liver color was reddish brown,some liver lobule boundaries were unclear,a small number of liver cells were loosely arranged,the contents of ALT,AST,LDH,AKP,and ALB were signif-icantly increased,the mRNA levels of CYP2E1,CYP3A11,CYP2C19,CYP1A2,CYP2D6,and CYP2C9 were significantly reduced,and the protein expres-sions of CYP2E1,CYP3A11,CYP1A2,and CYP2D6 were significantly reduced(all P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),but there was no statistical difference in the mRNA and protein expression of CYP2C19,and the pro-tein expression of CYP2C9(P＞0.05).Compared with the blank group,the mortality rate of nude mice in the cisplatin group was 35.7％,the growth state was poor,the diet,action,and mental state were low,the weight gain was less,the liver coefficient ratio was significantly increased,the liver color was dark red,the liver sinusoids and central veins were congested,the hepatocytes were disordered,the nuclei were consolidated and contracted,and the arrangement was loose,the contents of ALT,AST,LDH,AKP,and ALB were significantly increased,and the mRNA and protein expressions of CYP2E1,CYP3A11,CYP2C19,CYP1A2,CYP2D6,and CYP2C9 were significantly reduced(all P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).CONCLUSION:The dose of Brucea javanica bitter alcohol is correlated with hepatotoxicity to nude mice.High doses of Brucea javanica bitter alcohol have hepatotoxicity to nude mice,which may be re-lated to reducing serum levels of ALT,AST,LDH,AKP,and ALB,inhibiting the expression of multiple subtypes of enzymes in the key enzyme CYP450 of liver drug metabolism,and then reducing the me-tabolism of toxic substances.

Objective:To explore and compare the image quality and radiation dose between the spiral scanning and the axial scanning for skull phantom based on specific conditions.Methods:The position of the orbitomeatal base line(OBL)of the skull phantom was marked,and the different angles of elevation of skull were adjusted.The angles between OBL and bed surface were respectively set as 90°,100°,110° and 120°.The axial scanning and spiral scanning were respective adopted to conduct 24 times of image acquisition when the computed tomography dose index(CTDIvol)of fixed volume were respectively 40,50 and 60 mGy.The cross section of axial scanning was vertical to OBL,and the images of spiral scanning used the reconstructed technique of image quality enhancement(IQE)of removing spiral artifacts to conduct reconstruction along the OBL direction.The CT value(HU)and standard deviation(SD)of the bilateral cerebellum,temporal lobe,frontal lobe and parietal lobe of the phantom were measured,and the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)of each lobe of the phantom was calculated.The CTDIvol and dose-length product(DLP)were recorded,and the effective dose(ED)of lens was calculated.Results:The differences of the SNR values of cerebellum and occipital lobe(R),cerebellum and occipital lobe(L),temporal lobe(R),temporal lobe(L),frontal lobe(R),frontal lobe(L),parietal lobe(R)and parietal lobe(L)between two kinds of scanning models were significant(F=6.48,5.83,7.00,6.20,7.30,8.26,5.72,5.83,P<0.05),respectively.There was significant difference in lens DLP between the two kinds of scanning models(F=10.96,P<0.05).The spiral scanning and IQE reconstructed technique were used to conduct image acquisition and processing.The SNR value of spiral scanning imaging was better than that of axial scanning,and the reconstructions of coronal and sagittal positions could be conducted,and the radiation doses of lens were similar,but the DLP value of spiral scanning was slightly higher than that of axial scanning at the same CTDIvol.Conclusion:Using the IQE reconstruction technique of spiral scanning can obtain satisfactory CT sectional images of skull under the situations that machine cannot change scanning angle or the scanning of axial position is unable to conduct cooperation.

The efficient clinical treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)is still a challenge that demands the development of effective new drugs.Phenformin has been shown to produce more potent anti-tumor activities than metformin on different tumors,however,not much is known about the influence of phenformin on OSCC cells.We found that phenformin suppresses OSCC cell proliferation,and promotes OSCC cell autophagy and apoptosis to significantly inhibit OSCC cell growth both in vivo and in vitro.RNA-seq analysis revealed that autophagy pathways were the main targets of phenformin and identified two new targets DDIT4(DNA damage inducible transcript 4)and NIBAN1(niban apoptosis regulator 1).We found that phenformin significantly induces the expression of both DDIT4 and NIBAN1 to promote OSCC autophagy.Further,the enhanced expression of DDIT4 and NIBAN1 elicited by phenformin was not blocked by the knockdown of AMPK but was suppressed by the knockdown of transcription factor ATF4(activation transcription factor 4),which was induced by phenformin treatment in OSCC cells.Mechanistically,these results revealed that phenformin triggers endoplasmic reticulum(ER)stress to activate PERK(protein kinase R-like ER kinase),which phosphorylates the transitional initial factor eIF2,and the increased phosphorylation of eIF2 leads to the increased translation of ATF4.In summary,we discovered that phenformin induces its new targets DDIT4 and especially NIBAN1 to promote autophagic and apoptotic cell death to suppress OSCC cell growth.Our study supports the potential clinical utility of phenformin for OSCC treatment in the future.

Objective:To understand the current status of anemia, iron deficiency, and iron-deficiency anemia among preschool children in China.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted with a multi-stage stratified sampling method to select 150 streets or townships from 10 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities (East: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Hainan; Central: Henan; West: Chongqing, Shaanxi, Guizhou, and Xinjiang; Northeast: Liaoning). From May 2022 to April 2023, a total of 21 470 children, including community-based children aged 0.5 to<3.0 years receiving child health care and kindergarten-based children aged 3.0 to<7.0 years, were surveyed. They were divided into 3 age groups: infants (0.5 to<1.0 year), toddlers (1.0 to<3.0 years), and preschoolers (3.0 to<7.0 years). Basic information such as sex and date of birth of the children was collected, and peripheral blood samples were obtained for routine blood tests and serum ferritin measurement. The prevalence rates of anemia, iron deficiency, and iron-deficiency anemia were analyzed, and the prevalence rate differences were compared among different ages, sex, urban and rural areas, and regions using the chi-square test.Results:A total of 21 460 valid responses were collected, including 10 780 boys (50.2%). The number of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers were 2 645 (12.3%), 6 244 (29.1%), and 12 571 (58.6%), respectively. The hemoglobin level was (126.7±14.8) g/L, and the serum ferritin level was 32.3 (18.5, 50.1) μg/L. The overall rates of anemia, iron deficiency, and iron-deficiency anemia were 10.4% (2 230/21 460), 28.3% (6 070/21 460), and 3.9% (845/21 460), respectively. The prevalence rate of anemia was higher for boys than for girls (10.9% (1 173/10 780) vs. 9.9% (1 057/10 680), χ2=5.58, P=0.018), with statistically significant differences in the rates for infants, toddlers and preschoolers (18.0% (475/2 645), 10.6% (662/6 244), and 8.7% (1 093/12 571), respectively, χ2=201.81, P<0.01), and the rate was significantly higher for children in rural than that in urban area (11.8% (1 516/12 883) vs. 8.3% (714/8 577), χ2=65.54, P<0.01), with statistically significant differences in the rates by region ( χ2=126.60, P<0.01), with the highest rate of 15.8% (343/2 173) for children in Central region, and the lowest rate of 5.3% (108/2 053) in Northeastern region. The prevalence rates of iron deficiency were 33.8% (895/2 645), 32.2% (2 011/6 244), and 25.2% (3 164/12 571) in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, respectively, and 30.0% (3 229/10 780) in boys vs. 26.6% (2 841/10 680) in girls, 21.7% (1 913/8 821), 40.0% (870/2 173), 27.1% (2 283/8 413), 48.9% (1 004/2 053) in Eastern, Central, Western, and Northeastern regions, respectively, and each between-group showed a significant statistical difference ( χ2=147.71, 29.73, 773.02, all P<0.01). The prevalence rate of iron-deficiency anemia showed a significant statistical difference between urban and rural areas, 2.9% (251/8 577) vs. 4.6% (594/12 883) ( χ2=38.62, P<0.01), while the difference in iron deficiency prevalence was not significant ( χ2=0.51, P=0.476). Conclusions:There has been a notable improvement in iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia among preschool children in China, but the situation remains concerning. Particular attention should be paid to the prevention and control of iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia, especially among infants and children in the Central, Western, and Northeastern regions of China.

【Objective】 To understand factors associated with children′s attendance at nursery care institutions (NCIs) and the basic characteristics of the NCIs children were enrolled in, so as to provide scientific evidence for policymakers. 【Methods】 During November 2020 and January 2021, parents who visited the Department of Child Health Care in six selected maternal and children′s hospitals, as well as nearby NCIs in Zhejiang were invited to finish an online questionnaire. Information such as children′s sociodemographic characteristics, parents′ knowledge, attitude and practice regarding nursery and feeding, etc. were collected. A total of 1 756 questionnaires were collected. 【Results】 Compared to children who were not in NCIs, children enrolled in NCIs were older (94.4% of children ≥24 months vs. 30.1%, χ²=835.27), more likely to be from the local area (87.2% vs. 81.4%,χ²=12.25), more likely to have parents with a college degree (mother: 83.6% vs. 74.2%, χ²=35.29; father: 79.9% vs. 70.0%, χ²=27.01), had a higher prevalence of family annual income >200 000 CNY (49.5% vs. 28.2%, χ²=110.49), and were less likely to have their grandparents available to take care of them (16.7% vs. 26.8%, χ²=31.4) The difference all have great significant.(P<0.05). In a multivariate Logistic regression model, the older the child, the more likely they were to attend an NCI (for children aged 6 - 23 months, OR=6.70; for children aged 24 - 35 months, OR=134.03; and for children aged 36 - 42 months, OR=699.33; P<0.05). Family annual income was positively associated with children′s attendance at NCIs (for those earning 100 000 - 200 000 CNY/year, OR=1.63; for those earning 200 000 - 500 000 CNY/year, OR=2.96; and for those earning >500 000 CNY/year, OR=4.62, P<0.05). Conversely, the higher the level of grandparent involvement in daily care, the lower the attendance at NCIs (for children cared for by both parents and grandparents, OR=0.57; for those primarily cared for by grandparents, OR=0.26, P<0.05). For children who used to stay at NCIs, 82.8% stayed at institutions that only recruited children aged 0 - 3 years, 97.4% spent their whole day in NCIs, and 71.4% spent less than 3 000 CNY per month for NCI services. Additionally, over 95% of parents were satisfied with the food and care services in NCIs, as well as their children′s physical development in NCIs. However, 32.1% of NCIs were reported by parents as having no room for breastfeeding. 【Conclusions】 Children′s age, grandparent involvement in routine care, and family annual income are the main factors associated with children′s attendance at NCIs. There is a greater need for more affordable and community-based NCIs, particularly for children under 2 years old. Additionally, more attention should be paid to the quality surveillance, assessment and management of NCIs.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is a common malignant tumor within the female reproductive system,and its incidence is increasing. The prognosis for patients with early EC is good,but the prognosis for patients with advanced and recurrent EC is extremely poor. In recent years,immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown significant promise in tumor therapy,including therapy for patients with advanced and re-current EC. Some of these patients experience disease progression during immunotherapy,and the mechanism of tumor immune escape is not thoroughly understood. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxyfenase-1 (IDO1) catalyzes the conversion of tryptophan to kynurenine,which is the first and rate-limiting step in the major pathway of tryptophan catabolism. IDO1 overexpression in a tumor microenvironment results in trypto-phan depletion and kynurenine metabolites overproduction,facilitating cancer immune escape. We review the primary mechanisms by which the IDO1 pathway facilitates immune escape in EC,and describe research progress into EC therapy targeting the IDO1 pathway.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is a common malignant tumor within the female reproductive system,and its incidence is increasing. The prognosis for patients with early EC is good,but the prognosis for patients with advanced and recurrent EC is extremely poor. In recent years,immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown significant promise in tumor therapy,including therapy for patients with advanced and re-current EC. Some of these patients experience disease progression during immunotherapy,and the mechanism of tumor immune escape is not thoroughly understood. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxyfenase-1 (IDO1) catalyzes the conversion of tryptophan to kynurenine,which is the first and rate-limiting step in the major pathway of tryptophan catabolism. IDO1 overexpression in a tumor microenvironment results in trypto-phan depletion and kynurenine metabolites overproduction,facilitating cancer immune escape. We review the primary mechanisms by which the IDO1 pathway facilitates immune escape in EC,and describe research progress into EC therapy targeting the IDO1 pathway.