ObjectiveThis paper aims to analyze the variety characteristics and prescription patterns of marketed traditional Chinese patent medicines for treating abortion and provide references for new medicine development and clinical application. MethodsRelevant information of traditional Chinese patent medicines for treating abortion was systematically retrieved and collected. Microsoft Excel 2021 software was used to sort and statistically analyze the medicine syndrome types， quantity， market situation， and status of package inserts. Based on the Ancient and Modern Medical Case Cloud Platform （V2.3.9）， the medicine properties， flavors， meridian tropism， and medication characteristics of standardized prescriptions were analyzed. ResultsA total of 39 marketed traditional Chinese patent medicines for treating abortion in China were included. According to disease type， these medicines were categorized as therapeutic medicines for threatened abortion and recurrent spontaneous abortion. According to clinical function， they were categorized into three groups： fetus stabilization， blood nourishment， and adjunctive conditioning. They were also categorized into pre-pregnancy conditioning and post-pregnancy fetal maintenance by clinical intervention stage. Post-marketing research showed that only three products had undergone safety evaluations and one involved pharmacoeconomic research， indicating a general lack of standardized evidence-based data. Dosage forms were mainly pills and granules. Package insert analysis revealed that 15 products listed "contraindications"， while 28 included "precautions". Based on prescription inclusion and exclusion criteria， 25 products were selected for further analysis. Their therapeutic effects were mainly concentrated on "tonifying the kidney and spleen， replenishing Qi， and nourishing blood"， with core medicines including Paeoniae Radix Alba， Angelicae Sinensis Radix， and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma. Most medicines were warm or neutral in nature， predominantly sweet and pungent in flavor， and mainly entered the spleen， liver， and kidney meridians. ConclusionTraditional Chinese patent medicines for treating abortion demonstrate clear clinical value. However， shortcomings remain， including insufficient post-marketing research， prescription homogeneity， and incomplete package inserts. Future efforts should establish a clinically value-oriented modern development pathway， strengthen safety surveillance and evidence evaluation， improve package inserts， and promote precision use to further enhance clinical value.

ObjectiveThis study aims to systematically review the marketed traditional Chinese patent medicines for treating chronic gastritis （CG） in China. By analyzing their variety characteristics and prescription patterns， it seeks to provide references for clinical syndrome differentiation-based drug selection， treatment method optimization， and the design of high-quality clinical research. MethodsInformation on marketed traditional Chinese patent medicines for treating CG was collected. Microsoft Excel software was used to collate and statistically analyze representative drugs for each pathological stage， market status， syndrome types， and other contents. The Ancient and Modern Medical Case Cloud Platform （V2.3.9） was employed to analyze the formula composition patterns of standardized prescriptions. ResultsA total of 141 marketed traditional Chinese patent medicines for treating CG in China were included. Based on the disease's pathological progression， they can be classified into drugs for non-atrophic gastritis， atrophic gastritis， and precancerous lesions. Post-marketing research reveals that relevant evaluation is only conducted on 17 drugs， of which 2 involve pharmacoeconomic studies and 14 possess standardized evidence-based evidence. The primary dosage forms were capsules， granules， and tablets. From the 100 prescriptions screened according to inclusion/exclusion criteria， the varieties indicated for the stomach collateral stasis syndrome in atrophic gastritis accounted for the highest proportion. The main efficacy distributions were clearing heat， detoxifying， and relieving pain by promoting Qi circulation. Core drugs included Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizome， Paeoniae Radix Alba， and Aucklandiae Radix. Medicinal properties were predominantly warm and neutral. Flavors were mainly bitter， pungent， and sweet. The drugs primarily entered the spleen and stomach meridians. Analysis of the package inserts reveals that 67 products list "contraindications"， 110 include "precautions"， and 23 explicitly state "adverse reactions". ConclusionTraditional Chinese patent medicines for treating CG hold unique value in clinical practice. However， currently there are challenges such as insufficient clarity in syndrome type descriptions within package inserts and a relative lack of high-level evidence-based medical evidence， as well as pharmacoeconomic evaluations. Future efforts should focus on addressing these shortcomings by advancing research on syndrome characteristics and medication patterns based on syndrome differentiation， systematically conducting pharmacoeconomic evaluations， strengthening the accumulation of high-level evidence-based evidence， and， on this basis， improving patient medication adherence. This will comprehensively enhance the clinical application value and scientific connotation of this category of drugs.

ObjectiveThis study focused on the marketed Chinese patent medicines for the treatment of Functional Diarrhea （FDr） in China and their prescription characteristics， in order to provide support for the clinical application and research and development of anti-FDr Chinese patent medicines. MethodsCollect the information of Chinese patent medicines that have been marketed to treat FDr， use Microsoft Excel 2021 software to conduct preliminary data collation and statistical analysis， and use the ancient and modern medical record cloud platform （V2.3.9） to analyze the standardized Chinese patent medicine prescriptions from the aspects of drug nature and taste， medication characteristics and prescription rules. Results147 kinds of FDr Chinese patent medicines were included in this study. There are a total of 40 varieties of FDr Chinese patent medicines suitable for children； The distribution of dosage forms is mainly pills， tablets， and capsules. 110 prescriptions were screened， among which the proportion of Chinese patent medicines for the treatment of spleen deficiency syndrome was the highest； The top three drug use frequency were licorice， Atractylodes macrocephala， and Poria cocos； The medicinal properties are mainly warm and flat， and the medicinal taste is mostly pungent， sweet and bitter， and most of them belong to the two meridians of the spleen and stomach； The association rules analysis obtains 20 strong association pairing sets； Three drug combinations were obtained by cluster analysis. ConclusionFDr Chinese patent medicine shows unique value in clinical application， especially in the field of children. However， there are still problems such as strong professionalism in the indication expression of drug instructions， limited coverage of the medical insurance catalog， and lack of high-level evidence-based medicine and pharmacoeconomic evidence. To this end， in the future， efforts should be made to build a multi-level evidence-based evidence system， improve medication compliance， and deepen research on syndrome-based medication laws， so as to enhance the clinical application value and scientific connotation of FDr Chinese patent medicines.

ObjectiveTo study the marketed products and prescription characteristics of Chinese patent medicines for rheumatoid arthritis （RA） in China， thus providing support for clinical application and innovative research and development of Chinese patent medicines for RA. MethodsInformation on marketed Chinese patent medicines for RA treatment was collected. Preliminary data organization and statistical analysis were performed in Microsoft Excel 2021. Subsequently， the standardized prescriptions were analyzed via the Ancient and Modern Medical Case Cloud Platform （V2.3.9） across dimensions including medicinal properties， flavors， channel tropisms， usage characteristics， and formulation patterns. ResultsThis study ultimately included 311 marketed Chinese patent medicines for RA in China. Their initial market launch dates were mostly concentrated from the 1990s to the early 21st century. The National Basic Medical Insurance， Work-Related Injury Insurance， and Maternity Insurance Drug Directory included 89 Chinese patent medicines for RA. The primary dosage forms were tablets， capsules， medicated wines， and pills. After screening， 237 prescriptions were obtained， and the research on their origins was lagging. Among them， the Chinese patent medicines for treating wind-cold-dampness obstruction syndrome accounted for the highest proportion. The top three most frequently used medicinals were Angelicae Sinensis Radix， Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix， and Saposhnikoviae Radix. Medicinal properties were primarily warm and plain， and flavors were mostly pungent， sweet， and bitter. The medicinals predominantly exhibited the liver and spleen channel tropism. Association rule analysis revealed that the herb pairs with the highest confidence were Chuanxiong-Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Myrrha-Olibanum. Cluster analysis yielded three medicinal combinations. ConclusionAlthough Chinese patent medicines for RA have application advantages， issues such as narrow syndrome coverage and insufficient innovation in dosage forms exist. Future development should focus on constructing an evidence-based system， strengthening the textual research on prescription origins and the exploration of classical famous formulas， and promoting dosage form innovation and precise medication to enhance their clinical value.

Background: Adrenocortical hormones, particularly 11-oxygenated androgens, are pivotal in female reproductive health and fertility. Standardized detection kits and population-specific reference intervals are lacking in China, hindering related clinical applications. Methods: A HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) pipeline was developed, rigorously validated, and applied to simultaneously quantify corticosterone, cortisone, cortisol, 18-OH cortisol, androstenedione (A4), 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione (11-OH A4), dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in serum samples from 455 reproductive-aged women (18–45 yrs) in Guangxi, China. Age-dependent concentration trends were analyzed, and reference intervals stratified by age (2.5th to 97.5th percentiles) were established. Correlations with body-composition metrics, ethnicity, and the menstrual cycle were investigated. Results: The HPLC-MS/MS method demonstrated high precision (intra- and inter-assay CVs < 15%), accuracy, and sensitivity. All eight hormones exhibited significant age-related declines (P < 0.001 for seven hormones; P = 0.001 for 11-OH A4). Notably, 11-OH A4 levels were significantly lower in the 35–45-yr (3.05 nmol/L) and 25–34-yr (3.09 nmol/L) age groups than in the 18–24-yr (3.57 nmol/L) age group, whereas no significant difference was observed between the 35–45-yr and 25–34-yr age groups. Weak negative correlations were observed between the body mass index and corticosterone and cortisone levels, whereas ethnicity and the menstrual cycle showed no significant associations with hormone levels. Conclusions We developed an HPLC-MS/MS-based method for simultaneously quantifying eight adrenocortical hormones, including 11-OH A4, and defined age-specific reference intervals for reproductive-aged Chinese women. These findings advance the clinical utility of adrenocortical hormones in diagnosing and managing reproductive disorders.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of Bushen Zhuyun prescription （BSZY） on abortion rats with kidney deficiency-corpus luteum inhibition syndrome. MethodsAn abortion rat model with kidney deficiency-corpus luteum inhibition syndrome was constructed. Pregnant mice aged 8-10 weeks were randomly divided into a control group （Control）， a model group （Model）， low-dose BSZY （BSZY-L）， medium-dose BSZY （BSZY-M）， and high-dose BSZY （BSZY-H） groups （2.57， 5.14， 10.28 g·kg^-¹）， and a Zishen Yutai Pill （ZSYT） group （1.575 g·kg^-¹）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to evaluate histopathological changes in ovarian and decidual tissue of rats in each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to measure levels of estrogen （E₂）， progesterone （P）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， prolactin （PRL）， and follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH） in serum. The candidate targets of BSZY were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Platform （TCMSP） and Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCMIP） v2.0 databases， while disease targets for recurrent spontaneous abortion （RSA） were retrieved from GeneCards， DrugBank， Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM）， and Therapeutic Target Database （TTD）. The intersection targets were identified by the Venny 2.1.0 platform. Pathway enrichment analysis was conducted based on the Metascape database to predict the potential mechanisms of BSZY. Additionally. Western blot was used to verify the effects of BSZY on the expression of estrogen receptor （ERα）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， and protein kinase B （Akt） and explore its protective mechanism on RSA rats. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group exhibited significantly decreased uterine， ovarian， and embryonic wet weights （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with an abortion rate of 57.18%. The ovarian tissue showed varying degrees of reduction in primordial follicles， primary follicles， mature follicles， and corpora lutea， along with a large number of atretic follicles. The endometrium was thinner， and decidual tissue exhibited cellular edema and disorganized arrangement. In contrast， compared with the model group， the BSZY groups at all doses and the ZSYT group demonstrated increased uterine， ovarian， and embryonic wet weights， along with a reduced abortion rate. The number of primordial follicles， primary follicles， mature follicles， and corpora lutea increased， while atretic follicles decreased. The endometrium thickened， and decidual tissue displayed normal cellular structure with tight arrangement. Additionally， the model group showed significantly decreased levels of E₂， P， PRL， and FSH in serum （P<0.05， P<0.01）， along with a decreasing trend in LH level. In contrast， the BSZY groups at all doses exhibited significantly elevated levels of E₂， P， LH， PRL， and FSH in serum （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Network pharmacology predictions suggested that BSZY may exert protective effects against abortion in rats by activating the ERα/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Western blot results confirmed that BSZY significantly upregulated the expression of ERα， PI3K， and p-Akt proteins （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionBSZY has a protective effect on the abortion rats with kidney deficiency-corpus luteum inhibition syndrome， possibly by activating the ERα/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to reduce ovarian apoptosis and regulate endocrine function， thereby lowering the abortion rate.

Radiotherapy can cause varying degrees of damage to surrounding normal tissues while treating tumors. In recent years, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq), an emerging technology in modern biology, has gradually played a significant role in research on radiation-induced injuries. Researchers have delved into a variety of radiation-induced brain injuries, including radiation-induced brain injury (RIBI), cardiovascular injury, lung injury, intestinal injury, skin injury, and hematopoietic injury. Their studies provide novel perspectives for revealing the mechanisms behind radiation-induced injuries, assessing the degree of injury, and exploring potential therapies. This study reviews the advances in the application of scRNA-seq to research on radiation-induced injuries.

BACKGROUND: High temperatures are known to be associated with an increased risk of self-harm, but the influence of demographic changes and country-level indicators on the burden of heat-related self-harm remains unclear. This study examined the key factors driving changes in self-harm mortality linked to high temperatures and explored their impact at the country level. METHODS: This is an ecological study that analyzes data from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, the World Bank, and the Climate Research Unit (CRU) were analyzed. Decomposition analyses were used to identify key factors driving changes in high temperature-related self-harm mortality between 1990 and 2021. A panel data model assessed the impact of national indicators on heat-related self-harm mortality. RESULTS: In 2021, 14,885 deaths globally were attributed to heat-related self-harm, a 41.94% increase from 1990, with low-middle SDI regions accounting for 47.84% of these deaths. While the global death rate from heat-related self-harm declined slightly over this period, South Asia and low-middle SDI regions contributed most to the decline. However, population aging exacerbated mortality rates. Demographic and meteorological factors were also linked to heat-related self-harm. CONCLUSION The global decline in heat-related self-harm mortality is largely driven by reductions in females, low-middle SDI regions, and South Asia. However, population aging and growth in these regions have added to the mortality burden, slowing the overall decline. Factors such as population density are also associated with heat-related self-harm. Targeted measures are needed to mitigate heat-induced self-harm more effectively in future.
Humans ; Self-Injurious Behavior/etiology* ; Hot Temperature/adverse effects* ; Global Health/statistics & numerical data* ; Female ; Male ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Young Adult ; Adolescent

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transsacral magnetic root stimulation combined with sacral reflexes, external anal sphincter electromyography and pudendal nerve somatosensory evoked potentials in the assessment of neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD).Methods:Twenty-one NLUTD patients (1 with a supra-pontine lesion, 5 with a spinal cord injury, 5 with a cauda equina injury, and 10 with pelvic floor disorders) were enrolled. Needle electromyography (EMG) was used to record TMS-induced and transsacral magnetic stimulation-induced motor evoked potentials (tc-MEPs and ts-MEPs, respectively) related to the external anal sphincter (EAS). The dorsal nerve of the penis or clitoris was stimulated electrically to record the latency of the sacral reflex related to the EAS. Central motor conduction time (CMCT) and the tc/ts-MEP latency ratio were calculated to distinguish central from peripheral lesions.Results:In the one patient with a supra-pontine lesion, although the tc-MEP and ts-MEP latencies were within normal limits, the CMCT was prolonged (28.2ms) and the tc/ts-MEP ratio was large (7.4). Among the five patients with a spinal cord injury, one exhibited prolonged tc-MEP latency (50.6ms) and CMCT (47.8ms), along with a large tc/ts-MEP ratio (18.1). In the five patients with cauda equina injury and the ten with NLUTD secondary to pelvic floor disorders, CMCT was within the normal range [averaging (22.9±4.9ms) and (24.2±3.5ms), respectively], but the ts-MEP latency was prolonged [(7.1±2.1ms) and (8.6±3.7ms), respectively], and the tc/ts-MEP ratio was small [(4.4±0.9) and (4.3±1.5), respectively]. The tc/ts-MEP ratio demonstrated the best rate of abnormality detection (93.8%), with an area under the curve of 0.99, indicating good sensitivity.Conclusions:The tc/ts-MEP ratio can be useful for distinguishing central and peripheral lesions. A markedly increased tc/ts-MEP ratio may suggest central nervous system injury, whereas a decreased ratio may indicate peripheral nervous system injury.

Objective:To investigate the effect of curcumin on phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway on the autophagy of Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-infected macrophages.Methods:The infection model was established by infecting THP-1-derived macrophages with BCG. Five groups were involved in this study, which were control group, BCG group, BCG+ curcumin group, BCG+ curcumin+ IGF-1(PI3K agonist) group, and BCG+ curcumin+ LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor) group. The fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes was observed under fluorescence microscope using the fluorescent dye monodansylcadaverine (MDC staining). The expression of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, phospho-PI3K (p-PI3K), phospho-Akt (p-Akt), phospho-mTOR (p-mTOR), microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-Ⅱ (LC3-Ⅱ), and Beclin-1 at protein level were detected by Western blot. Colony forming unit was used to detect macrophage load. Multiple independent, normal, and homogeneous data were compared using one-way analysis of variance, and pairwise comparisons were conducted using LSD test.Results:BCG infection significantly decreased the fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes, and the expression of autophagy marker proteins LC3-Ⅱ and Beclin-1 ( P<0.05), but increased the expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt, and p-mTOR ( P<0.05). Curcumin increased the fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes and enhanced the expression of LC3-Ⅱ and Beclin-1 proteins in a concentration-dependent manner ( P<0.05). Besides, curcumin inhibited the expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt, and p-mTOR ( P<0.05). The PI3K agonist IGF-1 reversed the above effects of curcumin. Compared with the BCG+ curcumin group, the fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes and the expression of LC3-Ⅱ and Beclin-1 proteins were further increased ( P<0.05), while the expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt and p-mTOR was further decreased ( P<0.05) in the BCG+ curcumin+ LY294002 group. Compared with the BCG group, the bacterial loads in the BCG+ curcumin group and the BCG+ curcumin+ LY294002 group decreased significantly ( P<0.05), while the bacterial load in the BCG+ curcumin+ IGF-1 group increased significantly ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Curcumin can promote the autophagy of BCG-infected macrophages, which contributes to the clearance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by macrophages. Part of the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.