ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Renshentang treats atherosclerosis （AS） in mice， focusing on the regulation of endothelial inflammatory responses mediated by transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 （TRPV1）. MethodsAn AS model was established in apolipoprotein E knockout （ApoE^-/-） mice fed a high-fat diet. The mice were randomly divided into a simvastatin group （0.02 g·kg^-1·d^-1） and low-， medium-， and high-dose Renshentang groups （1.77， 3.54， 7.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， with 12 mice in each group. ApoE^-/- mice were fed a high-fat diet and treated simultaneously. C57BL/6J mice fed a normal diet served as the normal group （n=9）. After continuous administration for 12 weeks， mice were anesthetized and the aortas were collected. Oil Red O staining was used to observe lipid plaque formation in the aorta. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to examine pathological changes in the aortic root. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the levels of pro-inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， as well as the expression of TRPV1， phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase （p-PI3K）， and phosphorylated protein kinase B （p-Akt） in the aortic root. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect endothelial nitric oxide synthase （eNOS） mRNA expression in the aorta， and Western blot was used to detect TRPV1 protein expression. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant increase in aortic plaque formation （P<0.01） and significantly elevated levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the aortic root （P<0.01）. The expression levels of TRPV1， p-PI3K， and p-Akt were decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and eNOS mRNA expression was reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all Renshentang groups significantly reduced aortic plaque formation （P<0.01）， significantly decreased TNF-α and IL-1β levels （P<0.01）， and markedly increased the expression levels of TRPV1， p-PI3K， p-Akt， and eNOS mRNA （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionRenshentang may inhibit endothelial inflammation and suppress the formation of AS by increasing TRPV1 protein expression and up-regulating the PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway， which may be one of the molecular mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effect against AS.

Hypertension, a common risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, has aroused global concern. As breakthroughs have been achieved in the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and western medicine theories related to the heart and brain, top international journals such as Science pay increasing attention to the functional interaction between the heart and brain in modern medicine, known as the "heart-brain" axis, also referred to as the "cardiovascular-brain" circuit. The heart and brain interact and influence each other through the "heart-brain" axis. Increasing evidence suggests that the inflammation-regulated "heart-brain" axis plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of hypertension, offering new insights for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In TCM, there is a connection between the heart and brain by the sharing of blood essence, interconnected blood vessels, and shared governance over the mind. Diseases of the heart and brain share common pathological and physiological foundations, similar risk factors, and TCM pathogeneses, which form the basis for simultaneous treatment of heart and brain diseases in TCM. The principle of simultaneous treatment of the heart and brain diseases aligns with the theory of "heart-brain" axis. Modern research has found that the heart and brain are the main target organs of hypertension. Long-term high blood pressure can easily cause structural changes, mainly characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy and dilation, leading to hypertensive heart disease. Hypertension can change the structure, blood supply, and function of the brain, being closely related to cerebral atherosclerosis, cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, cognitive dysfunction, dementia and other brain diseases. TCM treatment of hypertension has a long history. According to the pathogenesis(Yang hyperactivity and blood stasis) of hypertension, the team has developed the core treatment principle of subduing Yang and activating blood. Through extensive clinical exploration and experimental research, the team has developed an effective prescription called Tianxiong Granules. This prescription has shown definite efficacy in stabilizing blood pressure, ameliorating clinical symptoms, and reducing target organ damage. The protective effects of Tianxiong Granules on the heart and brain are reflected in aspects such as symptoms related to the heart and brain, pharmacological effects on ventricular hypertrophy, and brain protection. The preliminary research by the team found that Tianxiong Granules might treat hypertension by inhibiting sympathetic nerve excitation and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system(RAAS) and targeting mitochondrial autophagy to regulate the activation of the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3) inflammasome. The activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome mediates pyroptosis, which is a key mechanism of hypertension. Next, the team will construct the adeno-associated viruses with downregulated NLRP3 expression via adenoviral vectors and use viral tracing technology, left stellate ganglionectomy, and a cardiac denervation model to reveal the mechanism of Tianxiong Granules in regulating the heart-brain interaction in hypertensive rats, from both in vivo and in vitro perspectives. In summary, exploring clinical treatment strategies for hypertension from both heart and brain based on the "heart-brain" axis is likely to be a new direction for the development of drugs for hypertension and offers a new target and basis for intervention in hypertension.
Humans ; Hypertension/physiopathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Brain/physiopathology* ; Animals ; Heart/physiopathology*

Objective: To analyze characteristics of iron-deficient blood donors, implement targeted interventions, and evaluate their effectiveness, thereby providing a reference for formulating blood donor recruitment and care strategies. Methods: Based on serum ferritin (SF) test results, the apheresis platelet donors were divided into the low SF group (n=90; 45 males and 45 females) and the normal SF group (n=651; 510 males and 141 females). The results of related indicators of the two groups were compared and analyzed. Interventions for the low SF group included extending the blood donation interval to at least 45 days (group A) and oral iron supplementation combined with the extended donation interval implemented in group A (group B). Pre-intervention and post-intervention SF results were compared. Results: For both male and female donors, serum iron levels were significantly lower in the low SF group than those of the normal SF group, while the levels of transferrin, unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC) and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) were higher in the low SF group compared to the normal SF group. Some indicators related to red blood cells showed changes, with more evident alterations in females than in males. Twenty-eight donors in group A and 39 donors in group B completed the study after intervention. SF value in group A was (18.32±8.09) μg/L at baseline and (26.21±17.30) μg/L after intervention. Similarly, SF value in group B was (15.87±7.69) μg/L at baseline and (26.24±15.55) μg/L after intervention. In both groups, SF values after intervention were significantly higher than baseline values. However, the magnitude of change did not significantly differ between groups A and B. Conclusion: Other related indicators in blood donors with low ferritin have also experienced some changes, suggesting that some blood donors may have entered the stage of iron-deficient erythropoiesis. Extending blood donation interval facilitates the recovery of iron storage in low-ferritin apheresis platelet donors. Blood stations should develop care strategies for apheresis platelet donors, including, at a minimum, the prolonged blood donation interval for donors with low ferritin.

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of tislelizumab combined with platinum-based drugs in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods:A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted. Eighty-six patients with clinical stage Ⅳ NSCLC in Huaibei People's Hospital from June 2020 to June 2023 were selected as the study subjects, and the patients were divided into the control group and the observation group based on the randomized numerical table method, with 43 cases in each group. The control group was treated with platinum-based drugs, the observation group was treated with platinum-based drugs combined with tislelizumab, and all patients were treated for 4-6 cycles. The two groups were compared in terms of therapeutic efficacy, serum tumor markers [carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cytokeratin 19 soluble fragment (CYFRA21-1) and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125)] detected by chemiluminescence method, serum immune function indicators [CD3 +, CD4 +, CD8 + cell ratios and CD4 + cell number-to-CD8 + cell number ratio (CD4 +/CD8 +)] detected by flow cytometry, and quality of life [European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life measurement scale (QLQ-C30) scores in functional domain and symptom domain], and incidence of adverse reactions. Results:The differences in baseline data of age, gender, degree of tumor differentiation, pathological type, lesion location, programmed death receptor ligand 1 expression between the observation group and the control group were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). After treatment, the objective remission rates in the observation and control groups were 34.9% (15/43) and 18.6% (8/43), respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant ( χ2 = 2.91, P = 0.088); the disease control rate in the observation group was 74.4% (32/43), which was higher than that in the control group [51.2% (22/43)], and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 4.98, P = 0.026). The differences in the serum levels of CEA, CYFRA21-1 and CA125 between the observation group and the control group before treatment were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05); the serum levels of CEA, CYFRA21-1 and CA125 in the observation group were lower than those in the control group after treatment, and the differences were all statistically significant (all P < 0.01). The differences in the CD3 +, CD4 +, CD8 + cell ratios and CD4 +/CD8 + between the observation group and the control group before treatment were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05); the CD3 +, CD4 + cell ratios and CD4 +/CD8 + in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, the CD8 + cell ratio was lower than that in the control group after treatment, and the differences were all statistically significant (all P < 0.01). Before treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in the scores of EORTC QLQ-C30 functional domain and symptom domain between the observation group and the control group (both P > 0.05); after treatment, the functional domain score of the observation group was higher than that of the control group, the symptom domain score was lower than that of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (both P < 0.01). The incidence rates of skin itching, rash and diarrhea in the observation group were 23.3% (10/43), 20.9% (9/43) and 48.8% (21/43), respectively, which were higher than those in the control group [4.7% (2/43), 2.3% (1/43) and 27.9% (12/43)], and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:Tislelizumab combined with platinum-based drugs in advanced NSCLC patients can enhance the short-term efficacy, reduce serum tumor marker levels, and improve the immune function and quality of life of the patients, but it will increase the occurrence of skin and digestive tract adverse reactions.

Community general practitioners are the main force of primary health care, however, the lack of effective incentive mechanisms would affect their work enthusiasm. Therefore, to enhance incentive mechanisms,particularly from the perspective of the career development,will improve the work enthusiasm and post competeny of general practitioners in primary health care services. This article summarizes five major influencing factors of the incentives for community general practitioners, namely salary and benefits, performance evaluation, promotion and development, working conditions and interpersonal relationships, and proposes the operational strategies of incentive improvement, to provide reference for improving working conditions and strengthening incentive measures for community general practioners in primary community hospitals.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of Renshentang on atherosclerosis （AS） in mice based on the role of transient receptor potential vanilloid1 （TRPV1） in regulating cholesterol metabolism in foam cells. MethodsNine SPF-grade 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice were set as a normal group， and 60 ApoE^-/- mice were randomized into model， positive drug （simvastatin， 0.02 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （1.77， 3.54， 7.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively） Renshentang groups （n=12） according to body weight. The normal group was fed with a normal diet， and the other groups were fed with a high-fat diet and given corresponding drugs by oral gavage for the modeling of AS. The mice were administrated with corresponding drugs once a day for 12 weeks. After the last administration and fasting for 12 h， the aorta was collected. Plaque conditions， pathological changes， levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglcerides （TG）， low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol （LDL-C）， and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol （HDL-C）， and the expression of TRPV1， liver X receptor （LXR）， inducible degrader of the low-density lipoprotein receptor （IDOL）， and low-density lipoprotein receptor （LDLR） in the aortic tissue were observed and detected by gross oil red O staining， HE staining， Western blot， immunohistochemistry， and real-time PCR. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group presented obvious plaque deposition in the aorta， raised levels of TC， TG， and LDL-C in the serum （P<0.01）， up-regulated expression level of LDLR in the aorta （P<0.01）， lowered level of HDL-C in the serum， and down-regulated expression levels of TRPV1， LXR， and IDOL in the aorta （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the positive drug and Renshentang at different doses alleviated AS， elevated the levels of HDL-C， TRPV1， LXR， and IDOL （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while lowering the levels of TC， TG， LDL-C， and LDLR （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionRenshentang has a lipid-lowering effect on AS mice. It can effectively reduce lipid deposition， lipid levels， and plaque area of AS mice by activating TRPV1 expression and regulating the LXR/IDOL/LDLR pathway.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of Renshentang on atherosclerosis （AS） in mice based on the role of transient receptor potential vanilloid1 （TRPV1） in regulating cholesterol metabolism in foam cells. MethodsNine SPF-grade 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice were set as a normal group， and 60 ApoE^-/- mice were randomized into model， positive drug （simvastatin， 0.02 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （1.77， 3.54， 7.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively） Renshentang groups （n=12） according to body weight. The normal group was fed with a normal diet， and the other groups were fed with a high-fat diet and given corresponding drugs by oral gavage for the modeling of AS. The mice were administrated with corresponding drugs once a day for 12 weeks. After the last administration and fasting for 12 h， the aorta was collected. Plaque conditions， pathological changes， levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglcerides （TG）， low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol （LDL-C）， and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol （HDL-C）， and the expression of TRPV1， liver X receptor （LXR）， inducible degrader of the low-density lipoprotein receptor （IDOL）， and low-density lipoprotein receptor （LDLR） in the aortic tissue were observed and detected by gross oil red O staining， HE staining， Western blot， immunohistochemistry， and real-time PCR. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group presented obvious plaque deposition in the aorta， raised levels of TC， TG， and LDL-C in the serum （P<0.01）， up-regulated expression level of LDLR in the aorta （P<0.01）， lowered level of HDL-C in the serum， and down-regulated expression levels of TRPV1， LXR， and IDOL in the aorta （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the positive drug and Renshentang at different doses alleviated AS， elevated the levels of HDL-C， TRPV1， LXR， and IDOL （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while lowering the levels of TC， TG， LDL-C， and LDLR （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionRenshentang has a lipid-lowering effect on AS mice. It can effectively reduce lipid deposition， lipid levels， and plaque area of AS mice by activating TRPV1 expression and regulating the LXR/IDOL/LDLR pathway.

Objective:To investigate the current talent cultivation among young pediatricians, and to provide insights for fostering a virtuous cycle in their education, scientific research, and career growth.Methods:This study enrolled 152 young pediatricians (under 45 years of age) who had completed or were participating in standardized residency training at the Children's Hospital of Soochow University since September 2014. The pediatricians were surveyed on clinical training, scientific research process, career development planning, policies, and incentive mechanisms using a self-administered questionnaire. SPSS 23.0 was used for statistical analysis. Enumeration data, expressed as the number of cases and composition ratios, were analyzed using chi-square tests, while ordinal data were analyzed using rank sum tests. The SPSS macroprogram PROCESS v3.3 was used for mediating effect analysis.Results:The results of the questionnaire survey of 152 respondents were as follows: 65.79% (100/152) were aged 25-34 years; 57.24% (87/152) held a master's degree; 13.82% (21/152), 16.45% (25/152), and 69.74% (106/152) held deputy senior professional titles and above, intermediate professional titles, and junior professional titles and below, respectively. More than half of the respondents desired expanded training in professional skill updates, scientific research capacity enhancement, and simulation teaching. The current training system was deemed simplistic in content and method, requiring optimization. The frequency of clinical teaching activities ( P<0.001), training methods ( P<0.001), and departmental mentorship atmosphere ( P<0.001) were correlated with the degree of satisfaction with clinical training. Among the respondents, 81.58% (124/152) reported insufficient time, energy, and motivation for scientific research. The frequency of training ( P<0.001), participation frequency ( P<0.001), diversity of training methods ( P=0.024), departmental mentorship atmosphere ( P<0.001), opportunities for collaboration ( P<0.001), and training in methodology and innovative thinking ( P=0.042) were correlated with the degree of satisfaction with the scientific research capability enhancement training. Notably, there was a marginally significant difference in degree of satisfaction with scientific research training among young physicians with different titles ( P=0.053). Only 38.16% (58/152) of the respondents had established mid-to-long-term career plans, indicating a lack of career planning awareness. Age ( P=0.001), educational background ( P=0.009), professional titles ( P=0.001), and completion status of standardized residency training ( P=0.011) were correlated with degree of satisfaction with career development planning. The departmental mentorship atmosphere ( P=0.013) and flexible work arrangements ( P=0.039) were correlated with degree of satisfaction with policies and incentive mechanisms, with a marginal significance for performance-based reward system ( P=0.057). The frequency of clinical training ( P=0.030) and scientific research training ( P=0.010) had a significant indirect mediating effect on the degree of satisfaction with clinical training through the departmental mentorship atmosphere. Conclusions:Optimizing the development pathway for young physicians requires improvements in clinical training system, scientific research management, career planning guidance, and overall supportive environment.

Objective:To investigate the current talent cultivation among young pediatricians, and to provide insights for fostering a virtuous cycle in their education, scientific research, and career growth.Methods:This study enrolled 152 young pediatricians (under 45 years of age) who had completed or were participating in standardized residency training at the Children's Hospital of Soochow University since September 2014. The pediatricians were surveyed on clinical training, scientific research process, career development planning, policies, and incentive mechanisms using a self-administered questionnaire. SPSS 23.0 was used for statistical analysis. Enumeration data, expressed as the number of cases and composition ratios, were analyzed using chi-square tests, while ordinal data were analyzed using rank sum tests. The SPSS macroprogram PROCESS v3.3 was used for mediating effect analysis.Results:The results of the questionnaire survey of 152 respondents were as follows: 65.79% (100/152) were aged 25-34 years; 57.24% (87/152) held a master's degree; 13.82% (21/152), 16.45% (25/152), and 69.74% (106/152) held deputy senior professional titles and above, intermediate professional titles, and junior professional titles and below, respectively. More than half of the respondents desired expanded training in professional skill updates, scientific research capacity enhancement, and simulation teaching. The current training system was deemed simplistic in content and method, requiring optimization. The frequency of clinical teaching activities ( P<0.001), training methods ( P<0.001), and departmental mentorship atmosphere ( P<0.001) were correlated with the degree of satisfaction with clinical training. Among the respondents, 81.58% (124/152) reported insufficient time, energy, and motivation for scientific research. The frequency of training ( P<0.001), participation frequency ( P<0.001), diversity of training methods ( P=0.024), departmental mentorship atmosphere ( P<0.001), opportunities for collaboration ( P<0.001), and training in methodology and innovative thinking ( P=0.042) were correlated with the degree of satisfaction with the scientific research capability enhancement training. Notably, there was a marginally significant difference in degree of satisfaction with scientific research training among young physicians with different titles ( P=0.053). Only 38.16% (58/152) of the respondents had established mid-to-long-term career plans, indicating a lack of career planning awareness. Age ( P=0.001), educational background ( P=0.009), professional titles ( P=0.001), and completion status of standardized residency training ( P=0.011) were correlated with degree of satisfaction with career development planning. The departmental mentorship atmosphere ( P=0.013) and flexible work arrangements ( P=0.039) were correlated with degree of satisfaction with policies and incentive mechanisms, with a marginal significance for performance-based reward system ( P=0.057). The frequency of clinical training ( P=0.030) and scientific research training ( P=0.010) had a significant indirect mediating effect on the degree of satisfaction with clinical training through the departmental mentorship atmosphere. Conclusions:Optimizing the development pathway for young physicians requires improvements in clinical training system, scientific research management, career planning guidance, and overall supportive environment.

Community general practitioners are the main force of primary health care, however, the lack of effective incentive mechanisms would affect their work enthusiasm. Therefore, to enhance incentive mechanisms,particularly from the perspective of the career development,will improve the work enthusiasm and post competeny of general practitioners in primary health care services. This article summarizes five major influencing factors of the incentives for community general practitioners, namely salary and benefits, performance evaluation, promotion and development, working conditions and interpersonal relationships, and proposes the operational strategies of incentive improvement, to provide reference for improving working conditions and strengthening incentive measures for community general practioners in primary community hospitals.