Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） is a chronic respiratory disease that poses a significant threat to global health， exhibiting high morbidity， disability and mortality rate， with its prevention and treatment situation becoming increasingly critical. The pathogenesis of COPD is complex， and the underlying cellular and molecular biological mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. Programmed cell death （PCD） is the process wherein cells actively undergo demise to maintain internal environmental stability in response to certain signals or specific stimuli. Contemporary medical research indicates that the dysregulation of PCD patterns such as apoptosis， necroptosis， pyroptosis， autophagy， and ferroptosis is closely related to the onset and progression of COPD. Clarifying the molecular mechanisms of PCD in COPD may provide novel perspectives for in-depth understanding and prevention of the disease. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） is characterized by holistic regulation. In recent years， extensive research has been conducted in the TCM field focusing on modulating apoptosis， necroptosis， pyroptosis， autophagy， and ferroptosis for the treatment of COPD， yielding remarkable achievements. Therefore， this study systematically explored the molecular mechanism of PCD in COPD and reviewed the potential mechanisms and intervention status of TCM targeting PCD in COPD， aiming to provide insights and references for the clinical prevention， treatment and in-depth research of COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） is a chronic respiratory disease that poses a significant threat to global health， exhibiting high morbidity， disability and mortality rate， with its prevention and treatment situation becoming increasingly critical. The pathogenesis of COPD is complex， and the underlying cellular and molecular biological mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. Programmed cell death （PCD） is the process wherein cells actively undergo demise to maintain internal environmental stability in response to certain signals or specific stimuli. Contemporary medical research indicates that the dysregulation of PCD patterns such as apoptosis， necroptosis， pyroptosis， autophagy， and ferroptosis is closely related to the onset and progression of COPD. Clarifying the molecular mechanisms of PCD in COPD may provide novel perspectives for in-depth understanding and prevention of the disease. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） is characterized by holistic regulation. In recent years， extensive research has been conducted in the TCM field focusing on modulating apoptosis， necroptosis， pyroptosis， autophagy， and ferroptosis for the treatment of COPD， yielding remarkable achievements. Therefore， this study systematically explored the molecular mechanism of PCD in COPD and reviewed the potential mechanisms and intervention status of TCM targeting PCD in COPD， aiming to provide insights and references for the clinical prevention， treatment and in-depth research of COPD.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate and evaluate the staged efficacy and safety of the representative empirical prescription of the “Zhu Ke Jiao” theory， Qijia Rougan prescription， combined with entecavir in the treatment of hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B. MethodsA multicenter randomized controlled clinical study was conducted， and 101 patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B-related hepatic fibrosis （CHB-HF） who met the diagnosis and inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to an observation group （Qijia Rougan prescription + entecavir） and a control group （entecavir）. The treatment duration was 24 weeks. Liver stiffness measurement （LSM）， fibrosis-4 index （FIB-4）， portal vein diameter， hepatitis B serology， biochemical indicators， hepatic fibrosis markers in serum ［hyaluronic acid （HA）， laminin （LN）， procollagen Ⅲ peptide （PⅢP）， and type Ⅳ collagen （Ⅳ-C）］， and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores were used as efficacy evaluation indicators. Efficacy assessments and explorations of different staged subgroups of Qijia Rougan prescription were conducted according to LSM values based on the Metavir pathological staging standard. ResultsA total of 98 cases were included for statistical analysis， with 49 cases in the observation group and 49 in the control group. The general data of the patients in both groups were comparable. Compared with the same group before treatment， the observation group showed a significant reduction in LSM and FIB-4 （P<0.01）， as well as notable improvements in LN， Ⅳ-C， and various TCM syndrome scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）. When compared to the control group after treatment， the observation group demonstrated significant improvements in LSM， FIB-4， and various TCM syndrome score indicators （P<0.05， P<0.01）， indicating that the observation group performed better than the control group. Subgroup analysis of the regression of hepatic fibrosis stages showed that compared to the same group before treatment， the observation group had better improvement in regression of stages F2 and F3 （P<0.05）. When compared to the control group after treatment， the observation group exhibited superior improvement in regression of stage F3 （P<0.05）. No adverse events occurred in either group during the treatment period. ConclusionCompared with entecavir alone， the combination of Qijia Rougan prescription and entecavir significantly improves the degree of hepatic fibrosis and clinical TCM symptoms in patients. The optimal intervention period is primarily during stage F3， which is a potential “interception” point of the “Zhu Ke Jiao” theory.

ObjectivePancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) exhibits a limited response to current treatments due to its dense fibrotic stroma and highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In recent years, advancements in cellular immunotherapy, particularly chimeric antigen receptor macrophage (CAR-M) therapy, have offered new hope for pancreatic cancer treatment. Although CAR-M therapy demonstrates dual potential in directly killing tumor cells and remodeling the immune microenvironment, it still faces challenges such as complex in vitro preparation processes and low in vivo targeting and delivery efficiency. Therefore, developing strategies for efficient and targeted in vivo delivery of CAR genes has become crucial for overcoming current therapeutic limitations. This study aims to develop an orally administrable nano-gene delivery system for the targeted delivery of CAR genes to pancreatic tumor sites. MethodsCore nano-gene particles (PNP/pCAR) were constructed by loading plasmid DNA encoding CAR (pCAR) with cationic polypeptides (PNP). Subsequently, PNP/pCAR was surface-modified with β-glucan to prepare the targeted nanoparticles (βGlus-PNP/pCAR). The loading efficiency of PNP for pCAR was quantitatively assessed by gel retardation assay. The particle size, Zeta potential, morphology, and storage stability of PNP/pCAR were characterized using a Malvern particle size analyzer and transmission electron microscopy. At the cellular level, RAW 264.7 macrophages were selected. The cytotoxicity of PNP/pCAR was evaluated using the CCK-8 assay. The cellular uptake efficiency and lysosomal escape ability of the nanoparticles were assessed via flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Transfection efficiency was quantitatively evaluated by detecting the expression of the reporter gene GFP using flow cytometry. At the in vivo level, an orthotopic pancreatic cancer mouse model was established. Cy7-labeled βGlus-PNP/pCAR nanoparticles were administered orally, and the fluorescence distribution in mice was dynamically monitored at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 h post-administration using a small animal in vivo imaging system. Forty-eight hours after oral gavage, the mice were euthanized, and pancreatic tumor tissues were collected for further analysis of intratumoral fluorescence signals using the imaging system. Additionally, βGlus-PNP/pCAR-GFP nanoparticles loaded with the reporter gene (GFP) were administered orally. Forty-eight hours post-administration, pancreatic tumor tissues were harvested to prepare frozen sections, and GFP expression was observed and analyzed under a fluorescence microscope. ResultsThe PNP carrier exhibited a high loading capacity for pCAR. The successfully prepared PNP/pCAR nanoparticles were regular spheres with a hydrodynamic diameter of approximately (120±10) nm and a Zeta potential of about +(6±1) mV. They maintained good structural stability after incubation in PBS buffer for 7 d. Cell experiments demonstrated that PNP/pCAR exhibited no significant cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells while being efficiently internalized and effectively escaping lysosomal degradation. The transfection positive rate of PNP/pCAR-GFP in RAW 264.7 cells reached (25±3)%, surpassing that of Lipofectamine 2000-loaded pCAR-GFP (Lipo/pCAR-GFP), which was (20±1)%.In vivo experiments revealed that, compared to unmodified PNP/pCAR, βGlus-PNP/pCAR exhibited strongerin situ pancreatic tumor targeting ability after oral administration. Furthermore, oral administration of βGlus-PNP/pCAR-GFP resulted in significant GFP protein expression detectable within pancreatic tumor tissues. ConclusionThis study successfully constructed and validated an orally administrable, pancreatic cancer-targeting polypeptide-based nano-gene delivery system. It provides an important technological foundation in delivery systems and experimental basis for the subsequent development of in situ CAR-M-based therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer.

ObjectivePancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) exhibits a limited response to current treatments due to its dense fibrotic stroma and highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In recent years, advancements in cellular immunotherapy, particularly chimeric antigen receptor macrophage (CAR-M) therapy, have offered new hope for pancreatic cancer treatment. Although CAR-M therapy demonstrates dual potential in directly killing tumor cells and remodeling the immune microenvironment, it still faces challenges such as complex in vitro preparation processes and low in vivo targeting and delivery efficiency. Therefore, developing strategies for efficient and targeted in vivo delivery of CAR genes has become crucial for overcoming current therapeutic limitations. This study aims to develop an orally administrable nano-gene delivery system for the targeted delivery of CAR genes to pancreatic tumor sites. MethodsCore nano-gene particles (PNP/pCAR) were constructed by loading plasmid DNA encoding CAR (pCAR) with cationic polypeptides (PNP). Subsequently, PNP/pCAR was surface-modified with β-glucan to prepare the targeted nanoparticles (βGlus-PNP/pCAR). The loading efficiency of PNP for pCAR was quantitatively assessed by gel retardation assay. The particle size, Zeta potential, morphology, and storage stability of PNP/pCAR were characterized using a Malvern particle size analyzer and transmission electron microscopy. At the cellular level, RAW 264.7 macrophages were selected. The cytotoxicity of PNP/pCAR was evaluated using the CCK-8 assay. The cellular uptake efficiency and lysosomal escape ability of the nanoparticles were assessed via flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Transfection efficiency was quantitatively evaluated by detecting the expression of the reporter gene GFP using flow cytometry. At the in vivo level, an orthotopic pancreatic cancer mouse model was established. Cy7-labeled βGlus-PNP/pCAR nanoparticles were administered orally, and the fluorescence distribution in mice was dynamically monitored at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 h post-administration using a small animal in vivo imaging system. Forty-eight hours after oral gavage, the mice were euthanized, and pancreatic tumor tissues were collected for further analysis of intratumoral fluorescence signals using the imaging system. Additionally, βGlus-PNP/pCAR-GFP nanoparticles loaded with the reporter gene (GFP) were administered orally. Forty-eight hours post-administration, pancreatic tumor tissues were harvested to prepare frozen sections, and GFP expression was observed and analyzed under a fluorescence microscope. ResultsThe PNP carrier exhibited a high loading capacity for pCAR. The successfully prepared PNP/pCAR nanoparticles were regular spheres with a hydrodynamic diameter of approximately (120±10) nm and a Zeta potential of about +(6±1) mV. They maintained good structural stability after incubation in PBS buffer for 7 d. Cell experiments demonstrated that PNP/pCAR exhibited no significant cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells while being efficiently internalized and effectively escaping lysosomal degradation. The transfection positive rate of PNP/pCAR-GFP in RAW 264.7 cells reached (25±3)%, surpassing that of Lipofectamine 2000-loaded pCAR-GFP (Lipo/pCAR-GFP), which was (20±1)%.In vivo experiments revealed that, compared to unmodified PNP/pCAR, βGlus-PNP/pCAR exhibited strongerin situ pancreatic tumor targeting ability after oral administration. Furthermore, oral administration of βGlus-PNP/pCAR-GFP resulted in significant GFP protein expression detectable within pancreatic tumor tissues. ConclusionThis study successfully constructed and validated an orally administrable, pancreatic cancer-targeting polypeptide-based nano-gene delivery system. It provides an important technological foundation in delivery systems and experimental basis for the subsequent development of in situ CAR-M-based therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer.

Objective To establish a mouse model of H1N1 influenza wind-heat syndrome by combining climate intervention with influenza virus nasal drops.Methods Seventy-two BALB/c mice were divided randomly into nine groups:a Control group,wind-heat(FR)groups(FR-3Day,FR-5Day),and Model groups(1LD-3Day,2LD-3Day,3LD-3Day,1LD-5Day,2LD-5Day,2LD-5Day,3LD-5Day)(n=8 mice per group).Mice in the Control group were housed in a normal environment,while mice in the FR and Model groups were kept in wind-heat conditions for 7 d.Mice in the Model groups received nasal PR8 influenza virus infection on the 8th day,and mice in the Control and FR heat groups received equal amounts of physiological saline nasal drops.After virus challenge,each group was housed in a normal environment and samples were taken on days 3 and 5.The appearance of the mice was observed and recorded and the lung index,routine blood parameters,lung tissue pathology,serum interleukin(IL)-6 levels,and virus titers were detected in each group based on their behavioral status,stools,and body temperature.Results After 7 d of wind-heat intervention,mice in the FR groups showed no significant abnormalities in terms of appearance,stools,body temperature,routine blood parameters,or lung tissue pathology compared with the Control group.The appearance,lung index,red blood cell count,hemoglobin,hematocrit,pathological result,and body temperature in the Model groups worsened progressively with increasing time and toxin dosage,while the neutrophil percentage,lymphocyte percentage,virus titer,and serum IL-6 levels peaked on day 3 after viral attack,for the same viral dose,and then decreased slightly on day 5.Conclusions PR8 nasal drops and 7 d of wind-heat climate intervention can be used to establish a mouse model of influenza wind-heat syndrome.

Objective To explore the association between dynamic indexes of maternal progesterone in early pregnancy and the average level and growth rate of fetal head circumference(HC)in mid-and late pregnancy.Methods This study adopted a retrospective cohort design and included 255 singleton pregnant women in the maternal and infant cohort of The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2015 to December 2024.The progesterone levels of their early venous blood were detected and divided into two groups of progesterone trajectories,namely,fluctuating type and increasing type,by morphology.The dynamic indicators of progesterone in early pregnancy were constructed:cumulative dynamic deviation index in the first trimester(CDDI-P1T),gestational age at progesterone peak(GA-PP),and maximal relative progesterone decline in the first trimester(MRD-P1T).The average head circumference level and linear growth rate of the fetuses in the middle and late pregnancy were calculated.Generalized linear regression(GLM)was used to analyze the linear association between progesterone dynamic indicators and head circumference development.The key gestational weeks of progesterone affecting fetal head development were explored by linear regression of gestational weeks.Ordinary least squares(OLS)regression and restricted cubic spline(RCS)plots were used to draw the nonlinear association between progesterone dynamic indicators and head circumference.Results Among the 255 pregnant women included,92.5％of the progesterone trajectories in early pregnancy were fluctuating,and 7.5％were increasing.The growth rates of the increasing progesterone trajectory group were higher in the second and third trimesters than in the fluctuating group,but the differences were not statistically significant(all P＞0.05).GLM analysis showed that for every 1 unit increase in CDDI-P1T,the head circumference in the middle and late pregnancy increased significantly by 1.574 cm and 1.193 cm(Z=3.714,2.885,P＜0.01).The delay of GA-PP was negatively correlated with the head circumference in the middle pregnancy(β=-0.190 cm,95％CI:-0.339--0.041,P=0.010)but positively correlated with the head circumference growth rate in the late pregnancy(β=0.022 cm/week,95％CI:0.003-0.041,P=0.025).A 10％decrease in the decline of CDDI-P1T increased the head circumference in the middle pregnancy by 0.200 cm(95％CI:0.016-0.384,P=0.033),and a 100％decrease in the decline increased the head circumference growth rate in the late pregnancy by 0.201 cm/week(95％CI:0.002-0.399,P=0.048).The analysis of the key time window showed that for every 20 nmol/L increase in progesterone during 9.5-13 weeks of pregnancy,the mid-term head circumference increased by 0.035-0.166 cm(Z=2.452-3.517,allP＜0.05),and the late-term head circumference increased by 0.767 cm during 9-13 weeks of pregnancy(Z=2.452-3.517,all P＜0.05).When progesterone increased during 9.5-10.5 weeks of pregnancy,the growth rate of mid-term head circumference increased by 0.013-0.023 cm/week(Z=2.074-2.243,all P＜0.01).When progesterone increased during 8.5-10.5 weeks of pregnancy,the growth rate of late-term head circumference increased by 0.010-0.026 cm/week(Z=2.061-3.137,all P＜0.05).Conclusion Progesterone dynamic index is a new sensitive tool for evaluating fetal head circumference development.There is a stage-specific window period for progesterone regulation.9.5-13 weeks of pregnancy is the critical period for progesterone to affect head circumference growth,and 9.5-10.5 weeks of pregnancy is the core window for regulating the growth rate of head circumference.Therefore,it is necessary to combine progesterone dynamic index and time window for individualized intervention to promote the transformation of prenatal care from pregnancy maintenance to eugenics intervention.

Objective:To investigate the synergistic effect of astaxanthin and curcumin on assisted reproduc-tive technology(ART)outcomes in patients with poor ovarian response(POR).Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted,involving 123 POR patients enrolled at the Reproductive & Women-Children Hospital,Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between March 6,2023 to May 1,2024.According to patient preference,participants were divided into the treatment group(41 cases)and the control group(82 cases)at a ratio of 1∶2.The treatment group took astaxanthin and turmeric compound tablets orally for 60 to 90 days before ovulation induction treatment.The ovulation induction parameters and pregnancy outcomes were compared between the two groups,and a self-controlled analysis was conducted within the treatment group.Results:During the observation period,5 and 10 participants withdrew from the treatment and control groups,respectively,resul-ting in 108 patients included in the final analysis.There were no statistically significant differences between the two group in terms of endometrial thickness on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin(HCG),number of oocytes retrieved,oocyte maturation rate,normal fertilization rate,high-quality embryo rate,or cycle cancellation rate(P＞0.05).However,the treatment group demonstrated significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate(61.54％vs.28.57％),fresh embryo implantation rate(40.91％vs.18.97％),and cumulative clinical pregnancy rate(65.38％vs.33.33％)(P＜0.05).The early miscarriage rate was observed with no significant difference between groups(12.5％vs.10.0％)(P＞0.05).Furthermore,after treatment,basal FSH(bFSH),basal E2(bE2),antral follicles count(AFC),anti-Müllerian hormone(AMH),and the number of oocytes retrieved within the treatment group were significantly improved compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05).Conclusions:Pretreatment with astaxanthin and turmeric compound tablets in POR patients did not significantly improve the ovulation induction re-sponse,but was associated with increased fresh embryo clinical pregnancy rate,implantation rate,and cumulative pregnancy rate.The underlying mechanism may involve modulation of basal endocrine profiles and improvement of ovarian reserve function,though further investigation is required to elucidate precise pathways.

Objective To establish a mouse model of H1N1 influenza wind-heat syndrome by combining climate intervention with influenza virus nasal drops.Methods Seventy-two BALB/c mice were divided randomly into nine groups:a Control group,wind-heat(FR)groups(FR-3Day,FR-5Day),and Model groups(1LD-3Day,2LD-3Day,3LD-3Day,1LD-5Day,2LD-5Day,2LD-5Day,3LD-5Day)(n=8 mice per group).Mice in the Control group were housed in a normal environment,while mice in the FR and Model groups were kept in wind-heat conditions for 7 d.Mice in the Model groups received nasal PR8 influenza virus infection on the 8th day,and mice in the Control and FR heat groups received equal amounts of physiological saline nasal drops.After virus challenge,each group was housed in a normal environment and samples were taken on days 3 and 5.The appearance of the mice was observed and recorded and the lung index,routine blood parameters,lung tissue pathology,serum interleukin(IL)-6 levels,and virus titers were detected in each group based on their behavioral status,stools,and body temperature.Results After 7 d of wind-heat intervention,mice in the FR groups showed no significant abnormalities in terms of appearance,stools,body temperature,routine blood parameters,or lung tissue pathology compared with the Control group.The appearance,lung index,red blood cell count,hemoglobin,hematocrit,pathological result,and body temperature in the Model groups worsened progressively with increasing time and toxin dosage,while the neutrophil percentage,lymphocyte percentage,virus titer,and serum IL-6 levels peaked on day 3 after viral attack,for the same viral dose,and then decreased slightly on day 5.Conclusions PR8 nasal drops and 7 d of wind-heat climate intervention can be used to establish a mouse model of influenza wind-heat syndrome.

Objective To explore the association between dynamic indexes of maternal progesterone in early pregnancy and the average level and growth rate of fetal head circumference(HC)in mid-and late pregnancy.Methods This study adopted a retrospective cohort design and included 255 singleton pregnant women in the maternal and infant cohort of The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2015 to December 2024.The progesterone levels of their early venous blood were detected and divided into two groups of progesterone trajectories,namely,fluctuating type and increasing type,by morphology.The dynamic indicators of progesterone in early pregnancy were constructed:cumulative dynamic deviation index in the first trimester(CDDI-P1T),gestational age at progesterone peak(GA-PP),and maximal relative progesterone decline in the first trimester(MRD-P1T).The average head circumference level and linear growth rate of the fetuses in the middle and late pregnancy were calculated.Generalized linear regression(GLM)was used to analyze the linear association between progesterone dynamic indicators and head circumference development.The key gestational weeks of progesterone affecting fetal head development were explored by linear regression of gestational weeks.Ordinary least squares(OLS)regression and restricted cubic spline(RCS)plots were used to draw the nonlinear association between progesterone dynamic indicators and head circumference.Results Among the 255 pregnant women included,92.5％of the progesterone trajectories in early pregnancy were fluctuating,and 7.5％were increasing.The growth rates of the increasing progesterone trajectory group were higher in the second and third trimesters than in the fluctuating group,but the differences were not statistically significant(all P＞0.05).GLM analysis showed that for every 1 unit increase in CDDI-P1T,the head circumference in the middle and late pregnancy increased significantly by 1.574 cm and 1.193 cm(Z=3.714,2.885,P＜0.01).The delay of GA-PP was negatively correlated with the head circumference in the middle pregnancy(β=-0.190 cm,95％CI:-0.339--0.041,P=0.010)but positively correlated with the head circumference growth rate in the late pregnancy(β=0.022 cm/week,95％CI:0.003-0.041,P=0.025).A 10％decrease in the decline of CDDI-P1T increased the head circumference in the middle pregnancy by 0.200 cm(95％CI:0.016-0.384,P=0.033),and a 100％decrease in the decline increased the head circumference growth rate in the late pregnancy by 0.201 cm/week(95％CI:0.002-0.399,P=0.048).The analysis of the key time window showed that for every 20 nmol/L increase in progesterone during 9.5-13 weeks of pregnancy,the mid-term head circumference increased by 0.035-0.166 cm(Z=2.452-3.517,allP＜0.05),and the late-term head circumference increased by 0.767 cm during 9-13 weeks of pregnancy(Z=2.452-3.517,all P＜0.05).When progesterone increased during 9.5-10.5 weeks of pregnancy,the growth rate of mid-term head circumference increased by 0.013-0.023 cm/week(Z=2.074-2.243,all P＜0.01).When progesterone increased during 8.5-10.5 weeks of pregnancy,the growth rate of late-term head circumference increased by 0.010-0.026 cm/week(Z=2.061-3.137,all P＜0.05).Conclusion Progesterone dynamic index is a new sensitive tool for evaluating fetal head circumference development.There is a stage-specific window period for progesterone regulation.9.5-13 weeks of pregnancy is the critical period for progesterone to affect head circumference growth,and 9.5-10.5 weeks of pregnancy is the core window for regulating the growth rate of head circumference.Therefore,it is necessary to combine progesterone dynamic index and time window for individualized intervention to promote the transformation of prenatal care from pregnancy maintenance to eugenics intervention.