Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) combined with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Methods A total of 120 patients with PAF combined with HFpEF treated at Jinshan Hospital of Fudan University from July 2022 to July 2023 were selected and randomly divided into the dapagliflozin group (n＝60, standard treatment combined with dapagliflozin) and the control group (n＝60, standard treatment combined with placebo). After 12 months of follow-up, the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-Total Symptom Score (KCCQ-TSS), PAF duration, recurrence rate and frequency of PAF, left atrial diameter, left ventricular end-systolic diameter, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left ventricular ejection fraction, P-wave dispersion, blood pressure, plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and glycated hemoglobin A_1C (HbA_1C) were compared between the two groups. Cardiovascular outcomes and adverse events were observed. Results A total of 10 patients lost to follow-up, and 110 patients were included in the analysis (55 in each group). After 12 months of treatment, the KCCQ-TSS in the dapagliflozin group was significantly higher than that in the control group ([61.68±2.65] points vs [44.98±4.76] points, P＜0.001). The PAF duration in the dapagliflozin group was significantly shorter than that in the control group ([144±18] min vs [270±24] min, P＝0.045). After treatment, frequency of PAF, NT-proBNP levels, left ventricular end-systolic diameter, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left atrial diameter, P-wave dispersion, and HbA_1C levels showed statistical differences between the two groups (P＜0.05). The heart failure readmission rate and PAF recurrence rate in the dapagliflozin group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P＜0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups during treatment. Conclusions Dapagliflozin improves patients’ quality of life, reduces PAF duration and recurrence rate, decreases heart failure readmission rate, lowers NT-proBNP levels, reverses cardiac remodeling, and demonstrates favorable safety in patients with PAF combined with HFpEF.

Ulcerative colitis （UC）， a chronic， non-specific inflammatory bowel disease with typical symptoms such as abdominal pain， diarrhea， and bloody stools， demonstrates a high relapse rate and difficulty in curing. Sishenwan， first recorded in Internal Medicine Abstract （Nei Ke Zhai Yao）， are a classic prescription for treating diarrhea caused by deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. The core therapeutic principle of Sishenwan is warming and tonifying the spleen and kidney， and astringing the intestine and stopping diarrhea. In recent years， Sishenwan have demonstrated distinct advantages in the clinical treatment of UC. The pathogenesis of UC involves multiple factors， including immune dysregulation and gut microbiota imbalance. Although Western medicine is effective in the short term， its side effects， high relapse rate， and resistance associated with long-term use pose substantial challenges. Sishenwan have shown excellent clinical outcomes in the treatment of UC due to deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. Modern clinical studies indicate that Sishenwan， used alone or in combination with Western medicine or other Chinese medicine compound prescriptions， significantly improve the clinical efficacy in treating UC due to deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. Sishenwan effectively alleviate core symptoms such as mucus， pus， and blood in stools， and persistent abdominal pain， reduce Mayo scores and the relapse rate， and improve patients' quality of life. Research on the material basis reveals that Sishenwan contain multiple active ingredients such as psoralen， isopsoralen， and evodiamine. Mechanism studies indicate that Sishenwan inhibit the inflammatory cascade reactions by regulating the signal network through multiple targets. Sishenwan regulate cellular immunity and restore intestinal immune homeostasis. At the microecological level， Sishenwan promote the intestinal barrier repair through the "microbiota-metabolism-immunity" axis. The current research still needs to be deepened in aspects such as the mining of specific biomarkers for syndromes and the exploration of the collaborative mechanism of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. In the future， a full-chain system covering syndrome differentiation， targeting， and monitoring needs to be constructed for promoting the paradigm transformation of Sishenwan into precision drugs. This review systematically explains the treatment mechanism of Sishenwan regarding the combination of disease and syndrome and its multi-target regulatory characteristics， providing a theoretical basis and transformation direction for the treatment of UC with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Ulcerative colitis （UC）， a chronic， non-specific inflammatory bowel disease with typical symptoms such as abdominal pain， diarrhea， and bloody stools， demonstrates a high relapse rate and difficulty in curing. Sishenwan， first recorded in Internal Medicine Abstract （Nei Ke Zhai Yao）， are a classic prescription for treating diarrhea caused by deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. The core therapeutic principle of Sishenwan is warming and tonifying the spleen and kidney， and astringing the intestine and stopping diarrhea. In recent years， Sishenwan have demonstrated distinct advantages in the clinical treatment of UC. The pathogenesis of UC involves multiple factors， including immune dysregulation and gut microbiota imbalance. Although Western medicine is effective in the short term， its side effects， high relapse rate， and resistance associated with long-term use pose substantial challenges. Sishenwan have shown excellent clinical outcomes in the treatment of UC due to deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. Modern clinical studies indicate that Sishenwan， used alone or in combination with Western medicine or other Chinese medicine compound prescriptions， significantly improve the clinical efficacy in treating UC due to deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. Sishenwan effectively alleviate core symptoms such as mucus， pus， and blood in stools， and persistent abdominal pain， reduce Mayo scores and the relapse rate， and improve patients' quality of life. Research on the material basis reveals that Sishenwan contain multiple active ingredients such as psoralen， isopsoralen， and evodiamine. Mechanism studies indicate that Sishenwan inhibit the inflammatory cascade reactions by regulating the signal network through multiple targets. Sishenwan regulate cellular immunity and restore intestinal immune homeostasis. At the microecological level， Sishenwan promote the intestinal barrier repair through the "microbiota-metabolism-immunity" axis. The current research still needs to be deepened in aspects such as the mining of specific biomarkers for syndromes and the exploration of the collaborative mechanism of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. In the future， a full-chain system covering syndrome differentiation， targeting， and monitoring needs to be constructed for promoting the paradigm transformation of Sishenwan into precision drugs. This review systematically explains the treatment mechanism of Sishenwan regarding the combination of disease and syndrome and its multi-target regulatory characteristics， providing a theoretical basis and transformation direction for the treatment of UC with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

The rapid emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants that evade immunity elicited by vaccination has posed a global challenge to the control of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Therefore, developing countermeasures that broadly protect against SARS-CoV-2 and related sarbecoviruses is essential. Herein, we have developed a lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated mRNA (mRNA-LNP) encoding the full-length Spike (S) glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 (termed RG001), which confers complete protection in a non-human primate model. Intramuscular immunization of two doses of RG001 in Rhesus monkey elicited robust neutralizing antibodies and cellular response against SARS-CoV-2 variants, resulting in significantly protected SARS-CoV-2-infected animals from acute lung lesions and complete inhibition of viral replication in all animals immunized with low or high doses of RG001. More importantly, the third dose of RG001 vaccination elicited effective neutralizing antibodies against current epidemic XBB and JN.1 strains and similar cellular response against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants (BA.1, XBB.1.16, and JN.1) were observed in immunized mice. All these results together strongly support the great potential of RG001 in preventing the infection of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs).

Laccases (LACs), belonging to the multicopper oxidase family, are closely associated with various biological functions including lignin synthesis and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. However, few studies have reported the laccase genes in China rose (Rosa chinensis). Prickles cause difficulties to the management and harvest of R. chinensis and have become a trait concerned in the breeding. To investigate the expression patterns of laccase genes in roses, we cloned a laccase gene from an ancient variety R. chinensis 'Old Blush' and named it RcLAC15. The expression level of RcLAC15 in prickles was significantly higher than those in roots, stems, and leaves. Fifty-eight laccase genes were identified in the genome of R. chinensis, and bioinformatics analysis revealed that RcLAC15 was a homolog of AtLAC15, predicting that RcLAC15 was a stable hydrophilic protein without transmembrane structures. The recombinant expression vector pBI121-proRcLAC15:: GUS was introduced into Arabidopsis, and GUS staining results showed that the RcLAC15 promoter specifically drove GUS gene expression at the edges of Arabidopsis leaves. In summary, RcLAC15 is a gene specifically expressed in the prickles of R. chinensis. This discovery provides a reference for exploring the biological functions of laccase genes in the prickles of R. chinensis.
Laccase/metabolism* ; Rosa/enzymology* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Arabidopsis/metabolism* ; Plants, Genetically Modified/metabolism*

Objective:To compare the effects of different test meals on postprandial triglycerides and to optimize the standard meal composition and the blood sampling protocol for the oral fat tolerance test.Methods:This study is a prospective, open-label, randomized, cross-over trial. In March 2023, 36 volunteers were recruited in Hebei General Hospital. They underwent a health examination and oral glucose tolerance test. Twenty-six healthy volunteers(11 males and 15 females) were included in this study, with an average age of(39.08±4.56) years. Each volunteer received 75 g protein meal, 75 g fat meal, 700 kcal fixed-calorie high-fat mixed meal, and a high-fat mixed meal with energy adjusted based on 10 kcal/kg body weight. A one-week washout period of regular diet was applied before each trial. Blood was collected at fasting status and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 hours after a meal to detect serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-C), glucose, and insulin. The variations of postprandial metabolic indicators over time following the consumption of different test meals were analyzed. The disparities in postprandial metabolic responses between the two types of mixed meals were compared.Results:The protein meal, fat meal, fixed-calorie high-fat mixed meal, and adjusted-calorie high-fat mixed meal resulted in postprandial triglyceride increases of 22.45%, 115.40%, 77.14%, and 63.63%, and insulin increase of 560.43%, 85.69%, 554.18%, and 598.97%, respectively, and with reductions in total cholesterol, LDL-C, and HDL-C ranging from 5.64%-21.81%, respectively. The blood glucose changed slightly. Changes in metabolic indicators mainly occured within 4 hours. The comparison of the characteristics of postprandial triglycerides between the two high-fat mixed meals showed no statistically significant differences( P>0.05). Conclusion:A standardize protocol with a 700 kcal fixed-calorie high-fat mixed meal as test meal, and blood lipid levels measured at fasting and at 1, 2, 3, and 4 hours after consumption, can serve as an optimized approach for oral fat tolerance test.

Osteoarthritis （OA） is a common chronic， highly prevalent， painful， and disabling degenerative joint disease. It has imposed a heavy burden on social healthcare and patients' psychology and economy due to its clinical symptoms such as impaired joint mobility and severe joint pain and the immature therapies. Studies have shown that OA is closely associated with articular cartilage dysfunction， synthesis and degradation disorders of chondrocyte extracellular matrix （ECM）， and joint inflammation. Moderate autophagy can restore the function of damaged chondrocytes， regulate chondrocyte apoptosis， and promote the synthesis and metabolism of ECM to alleviate the inflammation of joints and delay the onset and progression of OA. According to the clinical symptoms， OA can be classified into the category of impediment in traditional Chinese medicine. With the theories of holistic conception， treatment based on syndrome differentiation， and individualised diagnosis and treatment， traditional Chinese medicine has demonstrated definite effects in the treatment of OA in thousands of years of practice. Moreover， traditional Chinese medicine causes mild adverse reactions， and the patients have high tolerance and acceptance. This paper briefly explains the roles of autophagy and the related regulatory proteins， such as Unc-51-like autophagy-activated kinase 1 （ULK1）， Beclin-1， and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 （LC3）， and details the latest research achievements in the prevention and control of OA by traditional Chinese medicines and its related markers via the regulation of autophagy， so as to provide a idea for the in-depth research in this field and the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine in preventing and treating OA.

Objective Based on the theory of"lung governs the skin and hair"in"Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic",this paper analyzes the medication rules of whitening and freckle-removing.The aim of this study is to provide reference for the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)theory and the medication in TCM cosmetics.Methods"Chinese Medical Classics"was used to search the records of whitening and freckle-related drugs.The frequency,nature,flavor,meridian tropism and compatibility laws of TCM for whitening and freckle-removal were analyzed by statistics and association rules.The network pharmacology research was used to analyze the whitening and freckle-removing effects and mechanisms of high-frequency drugs.Then,the potential active ingredients were analyzed.The whitening and anti-freckle effect was verified through cytotoxicity experiments and melanin content detection.Results A total of 171 external prescriptions were selected in eligible articles,including 261 Chinese medicinals,most of which were pungent and belong to the lung meridian.The most frequently used Chinese medicinals was"Erbai Yixin"(EBYX,Angelicae Dahuricae Radix,Typhonii Rhizoma,Asari Radix et Rhizoma).Network pharmacological analysis showed that the core targets of EBYX for whitening and removing freckles are TP53,EGFR,ALB,etc.,which are mainly involved in oxygen perception and response,skin immune regulation,skin cell growth,differentiation,stress,inflammatory response,and other biological processes.Based on the results of molecular docking,biological analysis proved that the active ingredients of EBYX are chrysophanol,gallic acid and caffeic acid,which have inhibitory effects on the proliferation of melanoma cells and melanin production.Conclusion Most of the ancient prescriptions for whitening and removing freckles are pungent and belong to the lung meridian,which embodies the theory of"lung governs the skin and hair".The high-frequency drug EBYX may play a role by regulating skin redox,immunity and inflammation.The active ingredients of EBYX have an inhibitory effect on melanin formation.This study enriches the scientific connotation of TCM whitening and freckle-removing prescriptions based on the theory of"lung governs the skin and hair",realizes interdisciplinary integration and provides support for the modernization of TCM.

ObjectiveTo construct traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） diagnostic scale of turbid toxin syndrome in order to provide corresponding reference for the standardization of TCM syndromes and studies. MethodsWe systematically searched the Chinese Medical Dictionary （CMD）， China Knowledge Network （CNKI）， Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform （WF） and VIP database for TCM classics and modern literature on turbid toxin syndrome， and initially screened the four diagnosis information of turbid toxin syndrome， established a pool of information entries， and conducted a cross-sectional clinical survey. Discrete trend method， correlation coefficient method， Cronbach's coefficient method， and factor analysis method were applied to objectively screen the entries. The diagnostic scale of turbid toxin syndrome were constructed through three rounds of Delphi method expert survey to determine the scale entries， using hierarchical analysis to get the judgement matrix scores and relative weight of each entry， after passing consistency test and then isometric expansion of the relative weight of the entries to get the weight of each entry and assign the value. ResultsA total of 35 articles were included， 45 entries were obtained after the initial screening. After the clinical investigation， 12 entries were not suitable by the discrete trend method， 23 entries not suitable by correlation coefficient method， 13 entries by the internal consistency screening were removed with the Cronbach's alpha coefficient rising， and 10 entries not suitable by the factor analysis method. Twenty-two entries were retained after objective screening by the combined use of the four statistical methods. The positive coefficients of experts in the three rounds of Delphi method of expert consultation were 96.67%， the coefficients of expert authority were 0.834， 0.856， and 0.867， and the coefficients of co-ordination were 0.126， 0.326， and 0.312， respectively. After consulting with clinical experts， and three rounds of Delphi method survey and hierarchical analysis method weight assignment， the diagnostic scale entries of turbid toxin syndrome were finally established. Primary symptoms： dark red or purple and dusky tongue， yellowish greasy or dry coating （10 points）； sticky and unpleasant stools （8 points）； disharmony of tastes including halitosis， sticky and greasy taste in the mouth， dry mouth and bitter taste in the mouth （6 points）； unfavourable or yellowish or red urination （5 points）； and dark complexion （4 points）. Secondary symptoms： heavy body （3 points）； dizziness （3 points）； profuse， sticky， foul-smelling secretions （2 points）； wiry and slippery， or slippery， or slippery and rapid pulse （2 points）； feeling of hardness in the abdomen （1 point）. ConclusionUsing Delphi method combined with the hierarchical analysis method， combining qualitative and quantitative study， a diagnostic scale of turbid toxin syndrome was initially developed.

Objective To construct models of viral transfection and hypoxia/reoxygenation induced cellular injury in adult mouse cardiomyocytes(AMCMs)isolated using a non-Langendorff method.Methods AMCMs were isolated,extracted,sedimented,and plated using a non-Langendorff method.The morphology and survival rate of the isolated cells were evaluated 2,24,48 and 72 h after plating,and their integrity was observed by immunofluorescence staining for α-actinin.The isolated AMCMs were infected with adenoviruses carrying an RFP-expressing vector and fluorescence images were obtained at 36 and 48 h post-infection and used to calculate transfection efficiency.The cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions for 45 min,reoxygenated for 24 h,and then stained with propidium iodide(PI)to verify establishment of the hypoxia/reoxygenation injury model.Results The survival rates of AMCMs at 2,24 and 48 h after plating were comparable,but survival was significantly reduced at 72 h.The integrity of the AMCMs was good and＞80%of the cells were transfected with adenovirus at 48 h.After hypoxia/reoxygenation treatment,42%of cells were stained by PI,suggesting successful establishment of the AMCM injury model.Conclusions In this study,we developed a non-Langendorff method for the fast and easy isolation of AMCMs with high cell viability.The isolated cells can be efficiently infected with adenovirus and respond to hypoxia/reoxygenation injury.These findings provide a systematic method for isolating AMCMs and for applying gene modification and hypoxia/reoxygenation injury in these cells.