The holistic view is the key in the study of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). The component structure theory is based on the holistic view to investigate the correlation between material basis and efficiency, which enriches the holistic "component-effect" research of TCM. Gintonin is a newly isolated non-saponin component of ginseng. Compared to ginsenosides, gintonin has many different pharmacological activities, and it provides new knowledge for the holistic research of ginseng. Thus, taking the discovery of gintonin from ginseng as an example, this paper explored the linkage between ginsenosides and gintonin from the perspective of "component-effect" correlations and systematically sorted out the similarities and differences between them in terms of structural characteristics, modes of action, and pharmacological activities. Starting from the collaborative interaction of TCM compounds, the study discussed the application and value of the holistic view in TCM "component-effect" research in the light of the component structure theory to provide new thoughts for the development of modern TCM research.
Panax/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Humans ; Ginsenosides/pharmacology* ; Animals

Quality control is a key link in the modernization process of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Studies have shown that the effects of active components in TCM depend on not only their chemical composition but also their suitable physical forms and states. The physical phase structures, such as micelles, vesicles, gels, and nanoparticles, can improve the solubility, delivery efficiency, and targeting precision of active components. These structures significantly enhance the pharmacological activity while reducing the toxicity and side effects, demonstrating functional activity surpassing that of active components and highlighting the key effects of "structures" on "functions" of active components. Taking the physical phase structure as a breakthrough point, this paper outlines the common types of TCM physical phase structures. Furthermore, this paper explores how to realize the quality upgrading of TCM through the precise regulation of physical phase structures based on the current applications and potential of TCM physical phase structures in processing to increase the efficacy and reduce the toxicity, compounding and decocting processes, drug delivery systems, and quality control, aiming to provide novel insights for the future quality control of TCM.
Quality Control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/standards* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; Humans ; Drug Delivery Systems

Nine compounds were isolated and purified from 90% ethanol extract of Alstonia mairei Lévl by using various chromatographic methods, including silica gel, SephadexLH-20, MCI Gel and ODS column chromatography, combined with semi-preparative liquid phase separation methods. Modern spectroscopic methods (1D and 2D NMR, UV, IR, MS, etc.) were used to identify the structures of the isolated compounds. They were identified as mairoside A (1), 3′,6-di-O-sinaloylsucrose (2), myristic acid (3), methyl myristate (4), ethyl myristate (5), 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid (6), 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid (7), vinoline (8), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (9), among which compound 1 is a new glycoside, compounds 4 and 5 are new natural products, and the nuclear magnetic data of compound 4 were reported for the first time.

Body weight abnormalities, including overweight, obesity, and underweight, have become a dual public health challenge in Chinese adults: overweight and obesity lead to a variety of chronic complications, while underweight increases the risks of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and organ dysfunction. To systematically address these issues, multidisciplinary experts in endocrinology, sports science, nutrition, and psychiatry from various regions have held multiple weight management seminars. Based on the latest epidemiological data and clinical evidence, they expanded the guideline to include assessment and intervention strategies for underweight, in addition to the core content of obesity management. This guideline outlines the etiological mechanisms, evaluation methods, and multidimensional management strategies for overweight and obesity, covering key areas such as diagnosis and assessment, medical nutrition therapy, exercise prescription, pharmacological intervention, and psychological support. It is intended to provide a scientific and standardized approach to weight management across the adult population, aiming to curb the rising prevalence of obesity, mitigate complications associated with abnormal body weight, and improve nutritional status and overall quality of life.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) meningitis in children. Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. This study included 34 Hi meningitis patients who admitted to Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2023. Data on clinical presentations, laboratory tests, hearing assessment and outcomes at discharge were collected. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the outcome at discharge: favorable outcome group and unfavorable outcome group. Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher exact test was used to estimate the risk factors for an unfavorable outcome at discharge. Results:Thirty-four patients were enrolled. There were 16 males and 18 females. The age at onset ranged from 3 months to 12 years. Fever (34 patients (100%)), convulsions (17 patients (50%)), and coma (21 patients (62%)) were the common clinical presentations. Twenty-four patients (71%) developed complications. There were 15 patients (44%) needed treatment in the intensive care unit, 5 patients (15%) received intubation, and 4 patients (12%) had developed shock. The favorable outcome group included 23 patients, and the unfavorable outcome group included 11 patients. Female, patients with limb movement disability, dystonia, ventriculomegaly or hydrocephalus, and a concentration of glucose in the initial cerebrospinal fluid lower than 1 mmol/L were risk factors of unfavorable outcome at discharge (all P<0.05). Among the 23 patients (68%) in favorable outcomes group, 13 patients (57%) had data available on their long-term follow-up results, including 12 patients with favorable long-term outcomes and 1 patient with unfavorable long-term outcome. Among the 11 patients (32%) in unfavorable outcomegroup, 1 patient died, the other 10 patients (91%) had data available on their long-term outcomes. Eight patients had unfavorable long-term outcomes and 2 patients with favorable long-term outcomes. Patients who had unfavorable outcomes at discharge were at a greater risk of experiencing unfavorable long-term outcomes ( P=0.001). Conclusions:It is common for patients with Hi meningitis to have intracranial complications or develop into critical conditions. Patients who have limb movement disability, dystonia, ventriculomegaly or hydrocephalus, and who exhibit a concentration of glucose in the initial cerebrospinal fluid lower than 1 mmol/L tend to have unfavorable outcomes; they need to be assessed for sequelae.

Objective:To investigate the differences in clinical outcomes of septic children with varying serum zinc levels,and to analyze the relationship between reduced serum zinc levels and organ dysfunction as well as 28-day mortality in septic children.Methods:This study conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical data from pediatric patients diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock in the Department of critical care medicine of the children's Hospital of Soochow University between January 2017 and December 2022.Clinical characteristics,organ dysfunction,and prognosis were compared between two groups:children with low serum zinc levels and those with normal zinc levels.Results:The serum zinc level of septic children within 24 hours of admission was 9.60(5.52,13.80)μmol/L,with 50.54%(94/186)of the children exhibiting low serum zinc levels(<10.07 μmol/L).Compared to the normal serum zinc group,the low serum zinc group had a significantly lower Pediatric Critical Illness Score(PCIS)[(78.71±9.35)vs.(85.12±8.51),P=0.005]and higher 28-day mortality(46.80%vs.14.13%,P<0.001).The low serum zinc group also had a higher proportion of invasive mechanical ventilation(64.89%vs.47.82%,P=0.019),renal replacement therapy(15.59%vs.3.26%,P=0.003),and use of vasoactive drugs(56.38%vs.30.43%,P<0.001).The rate of underlying conditions in the low serum zinc group was significantly higher than that in the normal serum zinc group(57.44%vs.36.95%,P=0.005).Additionally,the low serum zinc group had a higher incidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation(DIC),respiratory failure,acute kidney injury,shock,and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome(MODS)compared to the normal serum zinc group(P<0.05).Serum zinc levels had predictive value for 28-day mortality in septic children(AUC=0.813;95%CI:0.725～0.902;P<0.001).A serum zinc level of less than 6.950 μmol/L predicted the death of septic children with a sensitivity of 0.618 and a specificity of 0.902.Conclusion:Sepsis in children is commonly associated with low serum zinc levels,especially in those with underlying conditions such as hematologic and oncologic disorders.Sepsis patients hypozincemia with a higher incidence of DIC,respiratory failure,acute kidney injury,shock,and MODS.A serum zinc level below 6.95 μmol/L serves as a significant predictor of 28-day mortality in children with severe sepsis.

Objectives:To compare the efficacy and imaging parameters of lateral lumbar interbody fusion(LLIF)combined with anterolateral screw fixation(AF)or bilateral pedicle screw fixation(BPSF)in the treatment of lumbar degenerative disease(LDD).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 100 patients with single-segment LDD who underwent LLIF-AF or LLIF-BPSF treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University between December 2019 and December 2021.The patients were divided into the AF group(50 cases)and the BPSF group(50 cases).There was no statistical difference in the general informa-tion such as gender,age,and body mass index(BMI)between the two groups(P＞0.05).The perioperative data(length of hospital stay,operative time,intraoperative blood loss);Pre-operative,postoperative 7d,postoperative 6 months' visual analog scale(VAS)scores for low back and leg pain,Oswestry disablity index(ODI),imaging parameters such as disc height(DH),foraminal height(FH),cross-sectional area(CSA),as well as surgical complications were collected and analyzed,and the risk factors for intervertebral subsidence and non-fusion of fusion device were explored.Results:AF group was better than BPSF group in operative time,intraoperative blood loss,and hospital stay[125.0±26.6min vs 221.6±52.2min,25.0mL(20.0-50.0mL)vs 100.0mL(90.0-150.0mL),12.5±4.8d vs 14.9±4.6d],and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).For the low back and leg pain VAS scores and ODI,as well as DH,FH,and CSA,the postoperative 7d and 6 months'values were signiticantly improved than before operation in both groups(P＜0.05),while no statistically significant differences were found between groups at the same time points(P＞0.05).Intervertebral subsidence occurred in 12 patients in each group,and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups.There were statistically significant differences in BMI and QCT between the AF and BPSF groups of patients with subsidence of the intervertebral space and those without subsidence at 6 months after operation;There were statistically significant differences in QCT between the two groups of patients with non-fusion and fusion of the fusion device;BMI≥28kg/m2 and QCT＜80mg/cm3 were the independent risk factors for intervertebral subsidence in AF group,but not in the BPSF group;QCT＜80mg/cm3 was the independent risk facors for non-fusion of fusion device in both AF and BPSF groups.Conclusions:LLIF combined with AF or BPSF are both reliable methods for treating LDD.For patients with a high body weight of BMI≥28kg/m2 or decreased bone density of QCT＜80mg/cm3,BPSF internal fixation can provide stronger mechanical stability to the spine,reducing the incidence of postoperative disc space collapse or fusion device non-union;On the contrary,AF internal fixation has shorter operative time and hospital stay,less intraoperative blood loss,which can be considered as a priority.

This study was aimed at exploring novel auxiliary diagnostic biomarkers for brucellosis and their potential miR-NA-mRNA regulatory networks.High-throughput sequencing was used to compare miRNA expression differences in serum ex-osomes between patients with brucellosis and healthy controls.Subsequently,RT-qPCR was used to validate the expression of significantly upregulated exosomal miRNAs.The diagnostic value of these miRNAs was assessed with ROC curves,and bioin-formatics analyses were performed to investigate the potential roles of the miRNAs in brucellosis infection.The ROC curve a-nalysis indicated that the area under the curve for exosomal hsa-miR-11400(P＜0.05),hsa-miR-199a-5p(P＜0.05),and hsa-miR-148a-5p(P＜0.05)was 0.79,0.81,and 0.74,respectively.A total of 465 differentially expressed miRNAs and their tar-get genes were predicted,including 25 immune-related target genes,most of which were closely associated with cancer-related proteoglycans,NF-kappa B signaling pathways,and IL-17 signaling pathways.The constructed differentially expressed gene network indicated that the immune genes PLXNA2,IL17RA,PRKCA,CD22,ACVR1B,and CBL might be regulated by hsa-miR-199a-5p and hsa-miR-148a-5p.These findings suggest that exosomal miRNAs might serve as auxiliary diagnostic indicators for brucellosis.Our exosomal miRNA-mRNA regulatory network provides new insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of brucellosis.

Objectives:To compare the efficacy and imaging parameters of lateral lumbar interbody fusion(LLIF)combined with anterolateral screw fixation(AF)or bilateral pedicle screw fixation(BPSF)in the treatment of lumbar degenerative disease(LDD).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 100 patients with single-segment LDD who underwent LLIF-AF or LLIF-BPSF treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University between December 2019 and December 2021.The patients were divided into the AF group(50 cases)and the BPSF group(50 cases).There was no statistical difference in the general informa-tion such as gender,age,and body mass index(BMI)between the two groups(P＞0.05).The perioperative data(length of hospital stay,operative time,intraoperative blood loss);Pre-operative,postoperative 7d,postoperative 6 months' visual analog scale(VAS)scores for low back and leg pain,Oswestry disablity index(ODI),imaging parameters such as disc height(DH),foraminal height(FH),cross-sectional area(CSA),as well as surgical complications were collected and analyzed,and the risk factors for intervertebral subsidence and non-fusion of fusion device were explored.Results:AF group was better than BPSF group in operative time,intraoperative blood loss,and hospital stay[125.0±26.6min vs 221.6±52.2min,25.0mL(20.0-50.0mL)vs 100.0mL(90.0-150.0mL),12.5±4.8d vs 14.9±4.6d],and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).For the low back and leg pain VAS scores and ODI,as well as DH,FH,and CSA,the postoperative 7d and 6 months'values were signiticantly improved than before operation in both groups(P＜0.05),while no statistically significant differences were found between groups at the same time points(P＞0.05).Intervertebral subsidence occurred in 12 patients in each group,and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups.There were statistically significant differences in BMI and QCT between the AF and BPSF groups of patients with subsidence of the intervertebral space and those without subsidence at 6 months after operation;There were statistically significant differences in QCT between the two groups of patients with non-fusion and fusion of the fusion device;BMI≥28kg/m2 and QCT＜80mg/cm3 were the independent risk factors for intervertebral subsidence in AF group,but not in the BPSF group;QCT＜80mg/cm3 was the independent risk facors for non-fusion of fusion device in both AF and BPSF groups.Conclusions:LLIF combined with AF or BPSF are both reliable methods for treating LDD.For patients with a high body weight of BMI≥28kg/m2 or decreased bone density of QCT＜80mg/cm3,BPSF internal fixation can provide stronger mechanical stability to the spine,reducing the incidence of postoperative disc space collapse or fusion device non-union;On the contrary,AF internal fixation has shorter operative time and hospital stay,less intraoperative blood loss,which can be considered as a priority.