Objective To investigate the relationship between cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) capacity and white matter lesions in elderly people. Methods We included 315 participants aged ≥ 60 years in Jinan area of Shandong Province from May 2018 to July 2019. They underwent transcranial Doppler ultrasonography for assessing CVR, breath holding index (BHI), and arterial pulsatility index (PI). According to CVR capacity, they were divided into normal CVR group (CVR ≥ 20%, n = 206) and impaired CVR group (CVR < 20%, n = 109). Magnetic resonance imaging was performed to evaluate periventricular, subcortical, and total white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volumes and Fazekas scores. Results Compared with the normal CVR group, the impaired CVR group showed significantly higher volumes of periventricular, subcortical, and total WMHs and significantly higher proportions of Fazekas scores ≥ 2 (P < 0.01). Periventricular, subcortical, and total WMH volumes were negatively correlated with CVR (r = −0.70, −0.66, −0.73, P < 0.01) and BHI (r = −0.64, −0.65, −0.68, P < 0.01) and positively correlated with PI (r = 0.60, 0.65, 0.65, P < 0.01). After adjusting for confounding factors, periventricular, subcortical, and total WMH volumes were still negatively correlated with CVR and BHI (P < 0.01) and positively correlated with PI (P < 0.01). The logistic regression analysis showed that the risks of periventricular, subcortical, and total Fazekas score ≥ 2 in the impaired CVR group were 1.96 times (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17−3.27, P < 0.01), 1.84 times (95% CI: 1.11−3.05, P < 0.05), and 2.33 times (95% CI: 1.30−4.18, P < 0.01) that of the normal CVR group, respectively. Conclusion Impaired CVR is an independent risk factor for white matter lesions in the elderly.

Animals ; Macaca mulatta ; Optic Disk ; Glaucoma ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Intraocular Pressure ; Low Tension Glaucoma

Acute kidney injury （AKI） is a clinical syndrome characterized by a rapid decline in renal function over a short period due to various etiologic factors. If left untreated， AKI can progress to chronic kidney disease （CKD） or even end-stage renal disease （ESRD）. Although continuous renal replacement therapy （CRRT） can manage severe AKI， effective pharmacological treatments for AKI remain largely unavailable. Chinese medicine， with its multi-target and multi-pathway approaches， has accumulated substantial theoretical and practical knowledge in treating AKI and related complications. Rehmanniae Radix is a commonly used Chinese medicinal， known for its functions in clearing heat， cooling blood， nourishing yin， and promoting fluid production. The primary active ingredients of Rehmanniae Radix include catalpol， acteoside， and aucubin. In this study， we summarized recent research on the effect of the active ingredients of Rehmanniae Radix in preventing and treating AKI. We found that the key mechanisms underlying its anti-AKI effects include amelioration of inflammation， alleviation of oxidative stress， and inhibition of apoptosis. Additionally， the antifibrotic properties of the active ingredients of Rehmanniae Radix suggest its potential in slowing CKD progression. We reviewed the mechanisms of Rehmanniae Radix in treating AKI and its antifibrotic effects to provide a scientific basis for developing new AKI drugs， promoting the utilization of Rehmanniae Radix resources， and reducing the transition from AKI to CKD.

The global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has infected over 109 million people, leading to over 2 million deaths up to date and still lacking of effective drugs for patient treatment. Here, we screened about 1.8 million small molecules against the main protease (M^pro) and papain like protease (PL^pro), two major proteases in severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 genome, and identified 1851M^pro inhibitors and 205 PL^pro inhibitors with low nmol/l activity of the best hits. Among these inhibitors, eight small molecules showed dual inhibition effects on both M^pro and PL^pro, exhibiting potential as better candidates for COVID-19 treatment. The best inhibitors of each protease were tested in antiviral assay, with over 40% of M^pro inhibitors and over 20% of PL^pro inhibitors showing high potency in viral inhibition with low cytotoxicity. The X-ray crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro in complex with its potent inhibitor 4a was determined at 1.8 Å resolution. Together with docking assays, our results provide a comprehensive resource for future research on anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug development.
Humans ; Antiviral Agents/chemistry* ; COVID-19 ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; High-Throughput Screening Assays ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Protease Inhibitors/chemistry* ; SARS-CoV-2/enzymology* ; Viral Nonstructural Proteins

Objective:To explore the material basis and mechanism of Linggui Zhugan Decoction in treating hypertension and obesity by means of network pharmacology and molecular docking technique.Methods:The TCMSP was retrieved and the main active components and action targets of Linggui Zhugan Decoction were screened. The GeneCards, OMIM, TTD, DisGeNET and DrugBank databases were used to screen disease-related targets of hypertension and obesity. The Cytoscape 3.9.0 was used to draw Chinese materia medica-composition-intersection target-disease network diagram. The STRING 11.5 database was used to draw PPI network. The cytoNCA plug-in was used to screen core active components and targets. The bioenrichment analysis of GO and KEGG was carried out in the R4.1.2, and the Chinese materia medica-intersection target-path diagram was drawn, and the core active components and core targets were docked in PyMOL and AutoDockTools 1.5.7.Results:A total of 102 potentially active components and 62 intersection targets were obtained, and 8 active components and 7 core targets were screened. Enrichment analysis showed that the key targets were mainly enriched through the signaling pathways of fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, lipid and atherosclerosis, and AGE-RAGE, which were involved in biological processes such as the response to nutritional levels and the regulation of small molecule metabolism. Molecular docking showed that there were 37 groups with addinity < -7 kcal/mol.Conclusion:The main active components of Linggui Zhugan Decoction are quercetin, kaempferol and naringenin, which may play a role in fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis pathway, lipid and atherosclerosis pathway and AGE-RAGE signal pathway through AKT1, EGFR, IL1B and other targets.

Objective:To analyze the medication and compatibility law of TCM compound patents in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy (DN) based on data mining method; To provide basis for research and development of new drug in clinic.Methods:TCM compound patents for DN treatment were retrieved from national patent platform. Excel 2019 was used to conduct statistical analysis on drug frequency, property and taste and meridian. SPSS Modeler 18.0 and SPSS Statistic 26.0 were used for drug association rules and clustering analysis. The complex network of co-occurrence of core drugs was constructed with Cytoscape 3.9.0, and the potential of the correlation between new prescriptions and drugs was demonstrated.Results:A total of 261 TCM compound patents were included, including 438 kinds of Chinese materia medica. High-frequency drugs included Astragali Radix, Rehmanniae Radix, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Lycii Fructus, etc. Drug categories were mainly deficiency tonic drugs. The properties and tastes were mainly cold and sweet, and the meridians were mainly liver and kidney meridians. The commonly used medicinal pair was Ganoderma-Rehmannine Radix. The commonly used triple medicinal combination was Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma-Angelicae Sinensis Radix-Ganoderma. There were 7 groups of clustering medicines, including Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Ganoderma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Euryales Semen, Rehmanniae Radix and Lycii Fructus. There were 5 groups of potential medicines, including Campsis Flos-Caulis Tinosporae Sinensis-Kalopanacis Radix-Fimbristylis Rigiduta Nees-Padicularisdis Dissectae Radix -Korshinsk Peashrub-Alismatis Fructus-Cynanchi Wallichii Radix. The core new prescriptions for treating DN were obtained through topological attribute analysis and screening.Conclusions:The national TCM compounds patents treatment for DN is based on the pathogenesis of this disease, which is characterized by deficiency in nature and excess in superficiality. It often uses methods such as tonifying qi and spleen, nourishing yin and tonifying kidney, promoting blood circulation and resolving blood stasis to improve clinical efficacy, providing ideas for the development of new drugs.

ObjectiveTo investigate the predictive indicators of early efficacy of Bushen Shengxue prescription combined with western medicine in the treatment of aplastic anemia， and provide prognosis indicators for the treatment of aplastic anemia （AA） with kidney-tonifying therapy in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） combined with western medicine. MethodA total of 126 patients treated by Bushen Shengxue prescription combined with western medicine in 19 hospitals including Xiyuan Hospital of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from September 2018 to March 2021 were selected for a retrospective study. The therapy was proven to be effective after six months of treatment. According to the efficacy after 4 months of treatment， the patients were assigned into a 4-month effective group and a 4-month ineffective group. The age， sex， disease severity （including severe aplastic anemia and non-severe aplastic anemia）， course of disease， degree of bone marrow nucleated cell proliferation， baseline hemogram levels ［including white blood cell count （WBC）， absolute neutrophil count （ANC）， hemoglobin （HGB）， platelets （PLT）， and reticulocytes （RET）］， T lymphocytes subsets， and the expression levels of T-box transcription factor （T-bet） and GATA-binding protein-3 （GATA-3） were compared between the two groups before treatment. ResultThe proportions of patients within the age ranges of ［20， 40） and ［60， 80） were higher in the 4-month effective group （P<0.05）. The sex， disease severity， course of disease， and comorbidities had no significant differences between the two groups. The 4-month effective group had higher baseline levels of HGB， WBC， ANC， and PLT than the 4-month ineffective group （P<0.05）， and there was no significant difference in the RET level between the two groups before treatment. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that the PLT level before treatment was an independent factor affecting the onset time， while other indicators did not affect the onset time. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was established to analyze the value of PLT level before treatment for predicting the onset time， and the area under the curve was 0.691. With the critical value of 40.5×10⁹/L， the sensitivity and specificity of the prediction that the therapy will take effect within 4 months were 0.569 and 0.893， respectively. The two groups of patients were graded according to age ｛（14， 20）， ［20， 40）， ［40， 60）， and ［60， 80）｝ and PLT level before treatment （PLT<40×10⁹/L， PLT≥40×10⁹/L）. The proportion of the patients with PLT≥40×10⁹/L before treatment in the 4-month effective group was significantly higher than that in the 4-month ineffective group （P<0.05）. The degree of bone marrow nucleated cell proliferation before treatment had no significant difference between the two groups. The level of total T lymphocytes in the 4-month effective patients was lower than that in the 4-month ineffective patients before treatment （P<0.05）. The levels of Th1 cells， Th2 cells， CD4⁺ T cells， and CD8⁺ T cells showed no significant differences between the two groups before treatment. The T-bet expression level in the 4-month effective group was higher than that in the 4-month ineffective group before treatment （P<0.05）， while the expression level of GATA-3 showed no significant difference between the two groups before treatment. ConclusionBushen Shengxue prescription combined with western medicine will achieve faster effect for the patients within the age ranges of ［20， 40） or ［40， 60）， with higher levels of HGB， WBC， ANC， and PLT （especially those with PLT≥40×10⁹/L）， lower level of total T lymphocytes， or higher T-bet expression level before treatment.

ObjectiveTo build an evaluation index system for traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） medicated diet， promoting the scientific and standardized development of medicated diet in TCM. MethodsThe framework of the evaluation index system was constructed through literature review and Delphi expert consultation method. The analytic hierarchy process was used to construct a hierarchical structure model. Pairwise comparisons between the indicators were conducted using the Saaty 1-9 scale method， and the weight of each indicator was calculated using Yaahp 10.3. ResultsThe response rates for the two rounds of expert consultation were 93.33% and 100%， respectively. The Kendall's W coefficients for the first-level and second-level indicators in the second round were 0.270 and 0.281， respectively （both P＜0.001）. Finally， an evaluation index system for TCM medicated diet therapy was constructed， consisting of 6 primary indicators and 27 secondary indicators. The weightings of the primary indicators were as follows： sensory appearance （0.1843）， health value （0.3569）， ingredient compatibility （0.1271）， packaging （0.0370）， production and preparation （0.1005）， and reliability （0.1940）. ConclusionA comprehensive and universally applicable evaluation index system for TCM medicated diet has been developed， taking into conside-rations of color， taste， appearance， efficacy， preparation， quality and others. This system can provide valuable reference for the evaluation of the value of medicated diet as well as its development.

To analyze the methodological and reporting quality of systematic reviews of prediction models published in Chinese journals, with the aim of providing reference for enhancing the overall quality of Chinese systematic reviews of prediction models.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy of Bushen Shengxue prescription and Yiqi Yangxue prescription in the treatment of chronic aplastic anemia and the effect on T cell subsets and the expression of T-box expressed in T cells （T-bet） and GATA binding protein 3 （GATA3）. MethodA total of 585 patients with chronic aplastic anemia who were treated in 19 hospitals in China from May 2018 to June 2021 were enrolled. With the prospective， double-blind and randomized control methods， the patients were randomized into three groups： kidney deficiency group， Qi and blood deficiency group， and control group. The three groups were respectively treated with Bushen Shengxue prescription granule， Yiqi Yangxue prescription granule， and Placebo （half the dose of Bushen Shengxue formula granules）. In addition， all of them were given oral cyclosporin and androgen. The treatment lasted 6 months， with 3 months as a course. The blood routine indexes， T cell subsets， and fusion genes T-bet and GATA3 before and after treatment were analyzed， and the safety indexes were monitored. ResultDuring the observation， a total of 75 cases dropped out and 18 were rejected. Finally， 161 cases in the kidney deficiency group， 164 in the Qi and blood deficiency group， and 167 in the control group were included. After 6 months of treatment， the total effective rate was 98.8% （159/161） in the kidney deficiency group， which was higher than the 79.9% （131/164） in the Qi and blood deficiency group （χ²=30.135， P<0.01） and the 61.7% （103/167） in the control group （χ²=70.126， P<0.01）. The total effective rate was higher in the Qi and blood deficiency group than in the control group （χ²=13.232， P<0.01）. After treatment， the hemoglobin （HGB） content increased significantly in three groups （P<0.05） as compared with that before treatment， particularly the kidney deficiency group （P<0.01）. After treatment， the white blood cell （WBC） count and platelet （PLT） count in the kidney deficiency group and the control group increased compared with those in the Qi and blood deficiency group （P<0.01）. There was no specific difference in neutrophils （ANC） after treatment among the three groups. At the same time point， the level of T helper type 1 （Th1） cells， Th1/Th2 ratio （P<0.05）， level of CD4⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ ratio （P<0.05） were significantly low in the kidney deficiency group among three groups. There was no significant difference in CD19^-， HLA/DR⁺， and CD25⁺ between the kidney deficiency group and the other two groups， but the T-bet of the kidney deficiency group and the control group was lower than that of the Qi and blood deficiency group （P<0.05）. ConclusionBushen Shengxue prescription exerts therapeutic effect on the aplastic anemia by improving the immunoregulatory mechanism， inhibiting the activity of immune system， modulating T cell subsets， suppressing Th1 and CD4⁺， and promoting bone marrow hematopoiesis. Moreover， it is safe with little side effects， which is worthy of further promotion.