Kynurenine pathway (KP) is a major catabolic route of tryptophan, generating a series of bioactive metabolites including kynurenine, kynurenic acid (KA), quinolinic acid, and 3-hydroxykynurenine. Beyond its fundamental role in amino acid metabolism, KP exerts critical regulatory functions in neurodevelopment, synaptic plasticity, and immune modulation. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition with onset in early childhood, characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors. Despite extensive research, the etiological mechanisms underlying ASD remain highly complex and incompletely understood, involving genetic, environmental, and immunological factors. Emerging clinical evidence has consistently revealed a significant imbalance in KP metabolites in individuals with ASD, often accompanied by altered ratios of neuroprotective versus neurotoxic byproducts. However, the primary drivers of this metabolic dysregulation and its causative contribution to ASD pathogenesis are not yet fully elucidated. In this review, we systematically review the enzymatic steps of KP and the principal physiological functions of its major metabolites, with particular emphasis on their dual roles in neuroprotection and neurotoxicity. We then analyze the potential pathogenic mechanisms through which KP dysfunction may contribute to ASD, focusing on two interconnected etiological dimensions. First, KP imbalance can promote oxidative stress, which in turn triggers chronic inflammatory responses via microglial activation and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, thereby disrupting neuronal homeostasis. Second, aberrant KP metabolism affects neurotransmitter systems, particularly glutamatergic and dopaminergic signaling, leading to impaired neural circuit development and synaptic pruning. By integrating current findings on the KP-ASD association, this review offers a comprehensive etiological framework and a clinically relevant paradigm. Furthermore, we highlight that specific KP metabolites, such as the KA/quinolinic acid ratio, hold promise as peripheral biomarkers for early diagnosis and disease stratification. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting KP enzymes or receptors for personalized intervention strategies, while acknowledging the challenges in translating these findings into clinical practice.

Objective To investigate the potential mechanism of action of polygonatum odoratum in treating Alzheimer's disease through the utilization of network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques.Methods The methods employed include target screening,Gene Ontology(GO)function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis,and molecular docking simulations to assess the binding interactions between the active compounds in polygonatum odoratum(POD)and the key target proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease.Subsequently,lipopolysaccharide(LPS)was used to induce an inflammatory cell model in BV2 microglial cells.After treating the cell model with POD extract for 24 hours,the cells were collected,and the expression of the target genes were detected by Real-time PCR.Results Eight active ingredients and 172 targets of POD were screened.The biological processes such as protein phosphorylation and signal transduction,protein binding and ATP binding were obtained by GO functional analysis.KEGG enrichment yielded PI3K/Akt,cAMP and other signaling pathways.The molecular docking result showed that the active ingredient of POD had well binding activity with epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src(SRC),tumor necrosis factor(TNF),STAT3.Through Real-time PCR experiments,the gene expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),prostaglandin G/H synthase 2(PTGS2),interleukin(IL)-6,and IL-1β in the LPS-induced inflammatory cell model were significantly upregulated.After treating the inflammatory model with POD extract for 24 hours,the expression of TNF-α was significantly reduced,the expression of STAT3 was upregulated,there were no significant changes in the expressions of SRC and EGFR.Conclusion Network pharmacology suggests polygonatum odoratum's potential anti-Alzheimer's effects may be mediated through its interaction with targets such as EGFR,TNF,SRC,and STAT3.The experimental results suggest that polygonatum odoratum exerts an anti-inflammatory effect by acting on TNF-α,which may further alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

This study aims to explore the effects of Buzhong Yiqi Decoction(BYD) on the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase(cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes(STING) signaling pathway in the mouse model of autoimmune thyroiditis(AIT) and the mechanism of BYD in alleviating the immune injury. Forty-eight NOD.H-2~(h4) mice were assigned into normal, model, low-, medium-, and high-dose BYD, and selenium yeast tablets groups(n=8). Mice of 8 weeks old were treated with 0.05% sodium iodide solution for 8 weeks for the modeling of AIT and then administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage for 8 weeks before sampling. High performance liquid chromatography was employed to measure the astragaloside Ⅳ content in BYD. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to observe the pathological changes in the mouse thyroid tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the serum levels of thyroid peroxidase antibody(TPO-Ab), thyroglobulin antibody(TgAb), and interferon-γ(IFN-γ). Flow cytometry was employed to detect the distribution of T cell subsets in the spleen. The immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of cGAS, STING, TANK-binding kinase 1(TBK1), and interferon regulatory factor 3(IRF3). Real-time PCR and Western blot were employed to determine the mRNA and protein levels, respectively, of markers related to the cGAS-STING signaling pathway in the thyroid tissue. The results showed that the content of astragaloside Ⅳ in BYD was(7.06±0.08) mg·mL~(-1). Compared with the normal group, the model group showed disrupted structures of thyroid follicular epithelial cells, massive infiltration of lymphocytes, and elevated levels of TgAb and TPO-Ab. Compared with the model group, the four treatment groups showed intact epithelial cells, reduced lymphocyte infiltration, and lowered levels of TgAb and TPO-Ab. Compared with the normal group, the model group showed increases in the proportions of Th1 and Th17 cells, a decrease in the proportion of Th2 cells, and an increase in the IFN-γ level. Compared with the model group, the four treatment groups presented decreased proportions of Th1 and Th17 cells and lowered levels of IFN-γ, and the medium-dose BYD group showed an increase in the proportion of Th2 cells. Compared with the normal group, the modeling up-regulated the mRNA levels of cGAS, STING, TBK1, and IRF3 and the protein levels of cGAS, p-STING, p-TBK1, and p-IRF3. Compared with the model group, the four treatment groups showed reduced levels of cGAS, STING, TBK1, and IRF3-positive products, down-regulated mRNA levels of cGAS, STING, and TBK1, and down-regulated protein levels of cGAS and p-STING. The high-dose BYD group showed down-regulations in the mRNA level of IRF3 and the protein levels of p-TBK1 and p-IRF3. The above results indicate that BYD can repair the imbalance of T cell subsets, alleviate immune injury, and reduce thyroid lymphocyte infiltration in AIT mice by inhibiting the cGAS-STING signaling pathway.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune/metabolism* ; Mice ; Membrane Proteins/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred NOD ; Humans ; Female ; Nucleotidyltransferases/metabolism* ; Male ; Disease Models, Animal

Acute myocardial infarction and acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding are both critical internal medicine conditions. The incidence of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with acute myocardial infarction ranges from 5.31% to 8.90%, with a mortality rate as high as 20.50% to 35.70%. The pathogenesis may be related to the use of antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs, as well as stress-induced injury. In treatment, the contradiction between antiplatelet/anticoagulation therapy and bleeding has made this disease a significant challenge in modern medicine. Therefore, re-exploring the etiology, pathogenesis, treatment principles, and methods of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) for acute myocardial infarction and acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding is of great clinical importance. The research team has been working year-round in the coronary care unit(CCU), managing a large number of such severe patients. By revisiting classic texts and delving into the foundational theories of TCM and historical medical literature, it has been found that this disease falls under the category of "distant blood" in the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber. In terms of etiology, it is primarily associated with weakness of healthy Qi and damage caused by drug toxicity. In terms of pathogenesis, in the acute stage, it mainly manifests as insufficient spleen Yang, deficiency of spleen Qi, and failure of the spleen to control blood. In the remission stage, it is characterized by deficiency of both heart Qi and spleen blood. For treatment, during the acute stage, Huangtu Decoction is used to warm Yang and restrain blood, while in the remission stage, Guipi Decoction is administered to tonify Qi and nourish blood. During the treatment process, for patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, it is crucial to flexibly apply the treatment principles of "Nil per os" in western medicine and "where there is stomach Qi, there is life; where there is no stomach Qi, there is death" in TCM. Early intervention with Huangtu Decoction can also prevent bleeding, with large doses being key to achieving hemostasis. It is important to address the pathogenesis of heat syndrome in addition to the core pathogenesis of Yang deficiency bleeding and to emphasize the follow-up treatment with Guipi Decoction for a successful outcome.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/etiology* ; Myocardial Infarction/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Acute Disease

Atractylodes lancea is a perennial herbaceous plant of Asteraceae, with rhizomes for medical use. However, A. lancea plants from different habitats have great variability, and the germplasm resources of A. lancea are unclear and mixed during production. Therefore, it is urgent to protect new varieties of A. lancea. The distinctness, uniformity, and stability(DUS) testing of new plant varieties is the foundation of plant variety protection, and the DUS testing guidelines are the technical basis for variety approval agencies to conduct DUS testing. In this study, the phenotypic traits of 94 germplasm accessions of A. lancea were investigated considering the breeding and variety characteristics of A. lancea in China. The traits were classified and described, and 24 traits were preliminarily determined, including 20 basic traits that must be tested and four traits selected to be tested. The 20 basic traits included 3 quality traits, 5 false quality traits, and 12 quantitative traits, corresponding to 1 plant traits, 2 stem traits, 8 leaf traits, 6 flower traits, and 3 seed traits. The measurement ranges and coefficients of variation of eight quantitative traits were determined, on the basis of which the grading criteria and codes of the traits were determined and assigned. The guidelines has guiding significance for the trait evaluation, utilization, and breeding of new varieties of A. lancea.
Atractylodes/growth & development* ; China ; Phenotype ; Guidelines as Topic ; Plant Breeding

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is the pillar for the development of motherland medicine, and animal medicine has a long history of application in China, characterized by wide resources, strong activity, definite efficacy, and great benefits. It has significant potential and important status in the consumption market of raw materials of TCM. In the context of global climate change, farming system alterations, and low renewability, the depletion of wild medicinal animal resources has accelerated. Accordingly, the conservation and sustainable utilization of wild resources of animal medicinal materials has become a problem that garners increasing attention and urgently needs to be solved. This paper summarizes the current situation of domestic and foreign medicinal animal breeding and research progress in industrial application in recent years and points out the issues related to standardized breeding, germplasm selection and breeding, and quality evaluation standards for medicinal animals. Furthermore, this paper discusses standardized breeding, quality standards, resource protection and utilization, and the search for alternative resources for rare and endangered medicinal animals. It proposes that researchers should systematically carry out in-depth basic research on animal medicine, improve the breeding scale and level of medicinal animals, employ modern technology to enhance the quality standards of medicinal materials, and strengthen the research and development of alternative resources. This approach aims to effectively address the relationship between protection and utilization and make a significant contribution to the sustainable development of medicinal animal resources and the animal-based Chinese medicinal material industry.
Animals ; Breeding ; China ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Conservation of Natural Resources

OBJECTIVE: To explore the early clinical outcomes of 3D printed individualised customised prostheses for in hip revision in patients with combined severe bone defects. METHODS: Twenty-two patients from January 2021 to May 2023 underwent hip revision using 3D printed personalised customised prostheses were retrospective analyzed, including 10 males and 12 females, age 28 to 78 with a mean of (58.9±12.8) years old. All of patients were combined with severe bone defects (Parprosky type Ⅲ). Among of them, 9 patients had periprosthetic infections and 13 patients had aseptic prosthesis loosening. All patients were treated with a 3D printed personalised prosthesis protocol, patients with the periprosthetic infection received a second stage revision after infection control. The operation time, preoperative waiting time, intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded, and the clinical efficacy were evaluated at the final follow-up using the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, the Harris hip score. RESULTS: One patient was lost to follow-up and the remaining 21 patients were followed up for 10 to 15 with a mean of (12.91±1.44) months after surgery. All patients completed surgery as planned, with an operative time of 135 to 390 with a mean of (165.4±39.3) minutes and a preoperative waiting time of 7 to 16 with a mean of (10.5±3.3) days. Regarding patient complications:one patient had a severe intraoperative periprosthetic femoral fracture due to the combination of severe osteoporosis; one patient had an intraoperative greater trochanteric femur fracture. At the latest follow-up, all patients had good position of the custom-made prosthesis and no loosening of the prosthesis;all patients had good wound healing and no local redness or swelling. The total Harris score at the final follow-up (85.86±7.04) was significantly improved compared to the preoperative (44.86±2.36), P<0.001. The VAS at the last follow-up (2.19±0.87) was significantly improved compared with preoperative (7.41±0.96), P<0.001. CONCLUSION The clinical efficacy of 3D-printed personalised customised prosthesis in combined severe bone defect hip revision is satisfactory, but due to the increased preoperative waiting time of the patients and certain risks, certain indications should be mastered when applying in the clinic.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Hip Prosthesis ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Reoperation ; Prosthesis Design ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: Investigation on the clinical application of HURWA robot and Smith & Nephew Cori robot in total knee arthroplasty(TKA). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 84 patients with knee osteoarthritis who underwent robotic-assisted TKA (RATKA) between June 2023 and March 2025. According to the different robotic systems used, the patients were divided into the domestic HUARUN robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty group (HRATKA group) and the Smith & Nephew Cori robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty group (CRATKA group). There were 42 patients in the HRATKA group, including 16 males and 26 females; the age ranged from 56 to 73 years old, with an average of (64.70±8.30) years old;the body mass index (BMI) was (25.10±2.30) kg·m^-2;21 cases were on the right side and 21 cases on the left side;in terms of Kellgren-Lawrence(K-L) classification, there were 15 cases of Grade Ⅲ and 27 cases of Grade Ⅳ;the disease duration ranged from 3 to 25 years, with an average of (15.5±7.5) years. The CRATKA group also included 42 patients, with 14 males and 28 females;the age ranged from 58 to 74 years old, with an average of (65.60±7.50) years old;the BMI was (24.50±2.70) kg·m^-2; 20 cases were on the right side and 22 cases on the left side;regarding K-L classification, there were 11 cases of Grade Ⅲ and 31 cases of Grade Ⅳ;the disease duration ranged from 2 to 26 years, with an average of (16.5±8.8) years. Collect general data of all patients, including age, gender, height, weight, surgical site, K-L classification, incision length, and operation time. To evaluate prosthesis position, compare the frontal tibia component (FTC) angle, lateral femoral component (LFC) angle, lateral tibia component (LTC) angle, and frontal femoral component angle between the two groups of patients after surgery. Measure the deviation of the hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle to assess lower limb alignment. Additionally, compare the following indicators between the two groups:Knee Society Score (KSS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain, knee range of motion (ROM), hemoglobin (HB) level, hematocrit (HCT) level, complication rate, and in-hospital satisfaction. RESULTS: All patients successfully completed the surgery as scheduled, and all were followed up after the operation. The follow-up period ranged from 5 to 17 months with an average of (11.2±6.1) months. There were 4 cases of venous thrombosis in the HRATKA group and 3 cases in the CRATKA group;each group had 2 cases of wound exudation. No mechanical-related complications, pulmonary embolism, or other severe complications occurred. Comparison of the incision length and hospital stay between the HRATKA group and the CRATKA group showed no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). The operation time in the HRATKA group was (96.80±7.10) minutes, which was longer than that in the CRATKA group (90.10±8.80) minutes, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). In the HRATKA group, the HKA angle was (178.93±1.11) degree, the FFC angle was (89.00±0.91)°, and the LFC angle was (7.31±2.17) degree;the corresponding values in the CRATKA group were (178.05±1.34)°, (87.88±1.74)°, and (10.60±2.84) degree respectively. The differences in these three indicators between the two groups were all statistically significant (P<0.05). However, there were no statistically significant differences in the FTC angle or LTC angle between the two groups (P>0.05). There was also no statistically significant difference in the total perioperative blood loss between the two groups (P>0.05). At 3 days after surgery, the VAS score for movement in the HRATKA group (5.95±1.45) points was higher than that in the CRATKA group (4.50±0.97) points, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05);at 90 days after surgery, there was no statistically significant difference in the movement VAS score between the two groups (P>0.05). Additionally, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in the KSS, ROM at 3 and 90 days after surgery, or satisfaction degree during hospitalization (all P>0.05). CONCLUSION The domestic HURWA robot demonstrates excellent performance in osteotomy efficiency and lower limb alignment recovery. The Smith & Nephew Cori robot has a significant advantage in soft tissue assessment and joint stability optimization. Both robotic systems offer high-quality surgical treatments that significantly improve short-term knee function.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/instrumentation* ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Robotic Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/surgery*

In this work,a fluorescent probe PIN was synthesized using indole-3-carbohydrazide and pyrenecarboxaldehyde as raw materials.PIN showed weak fluorescence emission in aqueous solution with acetonitrile volume fraction of 70％.However,when Cu2+was added to this aqueous solution of PIN,a new fluorescence emission peak appeared at 495 nm,and the intensity of this peak gradually increased with the increase of concentration of Cu2+,and also caused a significant change in the fluorescence color of the solution.In contrast,the addition of 15 kinds of other common metal ions did not cause such change.The detection limit of PIN for Cu2+was 78.7 nmol/L,which was much lower than the maximum permitting level of Cu2+in drinking water in hygienic standard for drinking water in China.Therefore,PIN was a highly selective and sensitive fluorescence-enhanced probe for Cu2+.Meanwhile,the addition of Cu2+could also cause a new absorption peak at 440 nm in the ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrum of the aqueous solution of PIN,and meanwhile the colorless PIN solution changed into yellow,exhibiting the performance of PIN as a colorimetric probe for Cu2+.By fitting with the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm equation,the binding ratio of PIN to Cu2+was 2:1,and the binding constant was 3.42×1012 L2/mol2.In addition,the binding mode of PIN with Cu2+was explored by using proton nuclear magnetic resonance(1H NMR)titration experiments and density functional theory simulations.The results showed that the addition of Cu2+could cause the aggregation of PIN molecules to form excimers,thus showing highly selective recognition.Finally,PIN was made into a simple test strip,which could achieve rapid and convenient fluorescence detection of Cu2+in actual water samples.

Compounds isolated from Epimedium include the total flavonoids of Epimedium , icariin, and its metabolites (icaritin, icariside I, and icariside II), which have similar molecular structures. Modern pharmacological research and clinical practice have proved that Epimedium and its active components have a wide range of pharmacological effects, especially in improving sexual function, hormone regulation, anti-osteoporosis, immune function regulation, anti-oxidation, and anti-tumor activity. To date, we still need a comprehensive source of knowledge about the pharmacological effects of Epimedium and its bioactive compounds on the male reproductive system. However, their actions in other tissues have been reviewed in recent years. This review critically focuses on the Epimedium , its bioactive compounds, and the biochemical and molecular mechanisms that modulate vital pathways associated with the male reproductive system. Such intrinsic knowledge will significantly further studies on the Epimedium and its bioactive compounds that protect the male reproductive system and provide some guidances for clinical treatment of related male reproductive disorders.
Male ; Epimedium/chemistry* ; Humans ; Genitalia, Male/drug effects* ; Flavonoids/therapeutic use* ; Animals