OBJECTIVE To systematically review the current application of discrete choice experiment （DCE） in the value assessment and preference measurement of orphan medicinal product （OMP）， and to provide a reference for the standardized use of this methodology in China. METHODS The systematic search was conducted across Chinese and English databases including CNKI， Wanfang Data， VIP， CBM， PubMed， Web of Science， Medline， and Embase. Original studies that employed DCE to evaluate the value or preferences related to OMP were included. The methodological quality and reporting completeness of the included studies were assessed using the ISPOR Conjoint Analysis Checklist and the DIRECT Checklist， respectively. Respondent populations， attribute setting， and the relative importance of attributes were summarized and analyzed. RESULTS Eight eligible studies were included； all studies demonstrated high-quality reporting and methodological rigor. Respondents comprised the general public， patients/caregivers， policymakers， and other stakeholders. The number of DCE attributes ranged from 4 to 13 （median＝7.5）. Through thematic synthesis， these attributes were categorized into three dimensions， namely “disease-related” “treatment-related” and “economic/financial-related” along with 14 secondary criteria. The most frequently included secondary criteria were treatment efficacy （13 occurrences）， disease severity （9 occurrences）， safety （7 occurrences）， unmet medical need （6 occurrences）， and treatment cost （5 occurrences）. Rankings of relative importance identified treatment efficacy as the most valued criterion across most studies， followed by health insurance financing. CONCLUSIONS DCE applications in the value assessment of OMP have begun to converge on a relatively consistent core attribute framework and selection preference. Future research should further promote the use of DCE to inform attribute and criterion selection in multi-criteria decision analysis frameworks for OMP.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the neuroprotective effects of Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction (XFZYD) based on in vivo and metabolomics experiments. METHODS: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was induced via a controlled cortical impact (CCI) method. Thirty rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (10 for each): sham, CCI and XFZYD groups (9 g/kg). The administration was performed by intragastric administration for 3 days. Neurological functions tests, histology staining, coagulation and haemorheology assays, and Western blot were examined. Untargeted metabolomics was employed to identify metabolites. The key metabolite was validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence. RESULTS: XFZYD significantly alleviated neurological dysfunction in CCI model rats (P<0.01) but had no impact on coagulation function. As evidenced by Evans blue and IgG staining, XFZYD effectively prevented blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption (P<0.05, P<0.01). Moreover, XFZYD not only increased the expression of collagen IV, occludin and zona occludens 1 but also decreased matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which protected BBB integrity (all P<0.05). Nine potential metabolites were identified, and all of them were reversed by XFZYD. Adenosine was the most significantly altered metabolite related to BBB repair. XFZYD significantly reduced the level of equilibrative nucleoside transporter 2 (ENT2) and increased adenosine (P<0.01), which may improve BBB integrity. CONCLUSIONS XFZYD ameliorates BBB disruption after TBI by decreasing the levels of MMP-9 and COX-2. Through further exploration via metabolomics, we found that XFZYD may exert a protective effect on BBB by regulating adenosine metabolism via ENT2.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism* ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic/metabolism* ; Adenosine/metabolism* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) exerts integrative effects on complex diseases owing to the characteristics of multiple components with multiple targets. However, the syndrome-based system of diagnosis and treatment in TCM can easily lead to bias because of varying medication preferences among physicians, which has been a major challenge in the global acceptance and application of TCM. Therefore, a standardized TCM prescription system needs to be explored to promote its clinical application. In this study, we first developed a gradient weighted disease-target-herbal ingredient-herb network to aid TCM formulation. We tested its efficacy against intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). First, the top 100 ICH targets in the GeneCards database were screened according to their relevance scores. Then, SymMap and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) databases were applied to find out the target-related ingredients and ingredient-containing herbs, respectively. The relevance of the resulting ingredients and herbs to ICH was determined by adding the relevance scores of the corresponding targets. The top five ICH therapeutic herbs were combined to form a tailored TCM prescriptions. The absorbed components in the serum were detected. In a mouse model of ICH, the new prescription exerted multifaceted effects, including improved neurological function, as well as attenuated neuronal damage, cell apoptosis, vascular leakage, and neuroinflammation. These effects matched well with the core pathological changes in ICH. The multi-targets-directed gradient-weighting strategy presents a promising avenue for tailoring precise, multipronged, unbiased, and standardized TCM prescriptions for complex diseases. This study provides a paradigm for advanced achievements-driven modern innovation in TCM concepts.

Osteoporosis is a prevalent skeletal condition characterized by reduced bone mass and strength, leading to increased fragility. Buqi-Tongluo (BQTL) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has yet to be fully evaluated for its potential in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. To investigate the mechanism by which BQTL decoction inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vitro and validate these findings through in vivo experiments. We employed MTS assays to assess the potential proliferative or toxic effects of BQTL on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) at various concentrations. TRAcP experiments were conducted to examine BQTL's impact on osteoclast differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were utilized to evaluate the relative expression levels of osteoclast-specific genes and proteins under BQTL stimulation. Finally, in vivo experiments were performed using an osteoporosis model to further validate the in vitro findings. This study revealed that BQTL suppressed receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast resorption activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without observable cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of BQTL on osteoclast formation and function were attributed to the downregulation of NFATc1 and c-fos activity, primarily through attenuation of the MAPK, NF-κB, and Calcineurin signaling pathways. BQTL's inhibitory capacity was further examined in vivo using an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, demonstrating a strong protective effect against bone loss. BQTL may serve as an effective therapeutic TCM for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the alleviation of bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency and related conditions.
Animals ; NFATC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ovariectomy ; Osteoclasts/metabolism* ; Female ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Bone Resorption/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Humans ; RANK Ligand/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Transcription Factors

OBJECTIVE: Observational studies have found associations between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and vascular dementia (VD); however, these findings are inconsistent. It remains unclear whether these associations are causal. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis by systematically searching for observational studies on the association between IBD and dementia. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis based on summary genome-wide association studies (GWASs) was performed. Genetic correlation and Bayesian co-localization analyses were used to provide robust genetic evidence. RESULTS: Ten observational studies involving 80,565,688 participants were included in this meta-analysis. IBD was significantly associated with dementia (risk ratio [ RR] =1.36, 95% CI = 1.04-1.78; I ² = 84.8%) and VD ( RR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.18-5.70; only one study), but not with AD ( RR = 2.00, 95% CI = 0.96-4.13; I ² = 99.8%). MR analyses did not supported significant causal associations of IBD with dementia (dementia: odds ratio [ OR] = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.98-1.03; AD: OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.95-1.01; VD: OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.97-1.07). In addition, genetic correlation and co-localization analyses did not reveal any genetic associations between IBD and dementia. CONCLUSION Our study did not provide genetic evidence for a causal association between IBD and dementia risk. The increased risk of dementia observed in observational studies may be attributed to unobserved confounding factors or detection bias.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/complications* ; Dementia/etiology* ; Observational Studies as Topic ; Genome-Wide Association Study

Objective:To improve the isolation and culture method of seasonal influenza virus in embryonated chicken eggs (ECEs), and evaluate their isolation efficiency.Methods:We randomly selected 80 positive samples of H1N1 (H1N1pdm09) and seasonal H3N2 (H3N2snl) influenza virus nucleic acid, and inoculated them into the amniotic and urinary sac cavities of 10-day-old (traditional method) and 14-day-old (improved method) ECEs respectively to adapt the virus to the ECEs (E1-E2). Both method were used to inoculate 10-day-old urinary sac amplification virus (E2-E3), and the final virus isolation positive rates of the two method were compared; using fluorescence quantitative PCR method to detect viral nucleic acids in the improved amniotic and urinary sac cultures, and evaluate the viral proliferation at different inoculation sites; we analyzed the correlation between virus content and isolation positivity rate in the original specimen based on the CT value of nucleic acid testing and the final virus isolation positivity rate using the improved method.Results:The improved method obtained 42 strains of H1N1pdm09 strain, with a positive rate of 52.5% ( χ2=38.571, P<0.01); obtained 54 strains of H3N2snl strain, with a positive rate of 67.5% ( χ2=40.921, P<0.01). Significant differences were observed in the isolation efficiency of H1N1pdm09 samples when the improved method was applied to different inoculation sites of chicken embryos ( χ2=30.476, P<0.01), and similar differences were noted for H3N2snl samples ( χ2=4.928, P=0.026). There was no significant difference in the isolation rate of different CT value intervals of the original samples ( χH1N1pdm092=10.226, χH3N2snl2=3.764, P>0.05). Conclusions:The improved method of inoculating 14-day old ECEs adapted the virus, and the final number of strains obtained was significantly higher than the traditional method of inoculating 10 day old ECEs, which can significantly improve the positive isolation rate of H1N1pdm09 and H3N2snl influenza virus in ECEs. The amniotic cavity is more sensitive to H1N1pdm09 and H3N2snl influenza viruses, which helps the virus adapt in ECEs. There was no significant difference in the sample isolation rate and total positive rate of virus isolation among different CT value ranges, and further verification is needed.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor,typically treated with a combination of surgery and chemotherapy in clinical practice.However,the increasing prevalence of chemotherapy resistance poses a significant challenge.Chemotherapy resistance can lead to a sharp decline in patients'survival rates.Traditional Chinese medicine,known for its low cost,wide-ranging efficacy,and diverse varieties,has attracted significant attention from researchers.Their attempts to investigate the sensitizing effect of extracted ingredients on osteosarcoma chemoresistance both in vitro and in vivo have yielded promising results.This review has summarized the studies of single traditional Chinese medicine ingredients on reversing osteosarcoma chemoresistance by the mechanisms of chemoresistance,and found that the current research of the clinical mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine ingredients in reversing osteosarcoma chemoresistance is still lacking,indicating significant potential for future development.Utilizing the theory of herbal medicine properties as the theoretical basis for ingredient development may provide novel strategies for the development of new therapeutic approaches.

Objective:To explore the clinical effects and value for application of the tibial flap of the second toe with the vascular pedicle including a plantar vein on the reconstruction of fingertip soft tissue defects.Methods:From October 2020 to August 2022, retrospective analysis of 12 patients (12 digits) were treated at the Department of Hand Surgery, Suzhou Ruihua Orthopaedic Hospital for small soft tissue defects of fingertip. The patients were 9 males and 3 females and aged 29-54 years, at 38 years in average. The fingertip defects were measured at approximately 1.2 cm × 0.8 cm to 1.2 cm × 1.2 cm. In the surgery, a tibial flap of second toe was designed to reconstruct the defect in fingertip. The flap were designed on the tibial of second toe without an extended incision in dorsal foot. The pedicle of the flap carried with the lateral proper digital artery, a nerve and the plantar vein of the second toe. At the recipient site, the artery, nerve and vein carried by the pedicle of the flap were end-to-end anastomosed with the digital artery, digital nerve and subcutaneous vein of the finger. The flaps were measured at 1.5 cm×1.0 cm - 1.5 cm×1.5 cm in size. All donor sites were reconstructed with skin grafts from the ipsilateral calf. Scheduled postoperative follow-ups were conducted at the outpatient clinic. The Michigan Hand Function Questionnaire (MHQ) evaluation criteria was employed to assess the recovery of hand function, and Total Active Movement (TAM) was used to evaluate the recovery of range of motion of the interphalangeal joints of the affected fingers.Results:All 12 flaps in the fingertips survived. Postoperative follow-ups lasted from 6 months to 2 years, with an average of 11 months. One flap was slightly bloated and a flap aesthetic surgery was followed at 3 months after the primary reconstructive surgery, and the rest of flaps were all in good appearance. TPD was found at 12 -14 mm for all flaps at 9 months after surgery. All donor sites in the feet and calfs had primary healing, without a contracture or rupture of skin graft or an obvious dysfunction at the donor sites. According to the evaluation criteria of the MHQ, 8 patients were very satisfied with the overall appearance of the hand, and 4 were satisfied. Finger movement was evaluated according to TAM criteria, all 12 fingers were rated excellent.Conclusion:Reconstruction of a fingertip defect with a tibial flap of the second toe with the vascular pedicle including a plantar vein of the second toe has a good clinical efficacy. It has advantages in flap harvest, avoids an extended incision on dorsal foot, and makes a minimal damage to the donor site.

Objective To explore the risk factors of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)in obese children,and evaluate the diagnostic value of each index for NAFLD and establish a Nomogram prediction model.Methods A total of 207 obese children admitted at Department of Pediatrics the Second Hospital of Jiaxing from January 2022 to January 2025 were selected.These children were divided into two groups based on NAFLD diagnosis:non-NAFLD group(n=99)and NAFLD group(n=108).Differences in gender,age,body mass index(BMI),and related metabolic indicators were compared between two groups.Logistic regression was employed to analyze potential risk factors for NAFLD development,while receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and Nomograms were used to evaluate the predictive value of different factors for NAFLD.Results ROC curve analysis demonstrated diagnostic value for NAFLD in triglyceride-glucose index(TyG),triglyceride-to-cholesterol ratio,TyG-waist circumference,and TyG-BMI.Among these,the area under the curve(AUC)of TyG showed the highest value of 0.713,with an optimal cutoff of 8.189,sensitivity of 50.5％and specificity of 83.3％.Univariate Logistic regression analysis revealed multiple insulin resistance indicators associated with NAFLD development.Multivariate analysis identified homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)and TyG as independent risk factors,with TyG showing the best predictive value(OR=3.038 95％CI:1.089-8.475,P＜0.05).The constructed Nomogram prediction model demonstrated strong comprehensive discriminant capability(AUC=0.742).Conclusion The Nomogram model based on HOMA-IR,TyG and its derived indexes has certain clinical application value in the screening of NAFLD in children.

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)exerts integrative effects on complex diseases owing to the char-acteristics of multiple components with multiple targets.However,the syndrome-based system of diagnosis and treatment in TCM can easily lead to bias because of varying medication preferences among physicians,which has been a major challenge in the global acceptance and application of TCM.Therefore,a standardized TCM prescription system needs to be explored to promote its clinical application.In this study,we first developed a gradient weighted disease-target-herbal ingredient-herb network to aid TCM formulation.We tested its efficacy against intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH).First,the top 100 ICH targets in the GeneCards database were screened according to their relevance scores.Then,SymMap and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology(TCMSP)databases were applied to find out the target-related ingredients and ingredient-containing herbs,respectively.The relevance of the resulting ingredients and herbs to ICH was determined by adding the relevance scores of the corresponding targets.The top five ICH therapeutic herbs were combined to form a tailored TCM prescriptions.The absorbed components in the serum were detected.In a mouse model of ICH,the new prescription exerted multifaceted effects,including improved neurological function,as well as attenuated neuronal damage,cell apoptosis,vascular leakage,and neuroinflammation.These effects matched well with the core pathological changes in ICH.The multi-targets-directed gradient-weighting strategy presents a promising avenue for tailoring precise,multipronged,unbiased,and standardized TCM prescriptions for complex diseases.This study provides a paradigm for advanced achievements-driven modern innovation in TCM concepts.