Collagen is a major structural protein in the matrix of animal cells and the most widely distributed and abundant functional protein in mammals. Collagen’s good biocompatibility, biodegradability and biological activity make it a very valuable biomaterial. According to the source of collagen, it can be broadly categorized into two types: one is animal collagen; the other is recombinant collagen. Animal collagen is mainly extracted and purified from animal connective tissues by chemical methods, such as acid, alkali and enzyme methods, etc. Recombinant collagen refers to collagen produced by gene splicing technology, where the amino acid sequence is first designed and improved according to one’s own needs, and the gene sequence of improved recombinant collagen is highly consistent with that of human beings, and then the designed gene sequence is cloned into the appropriate vector, and then transferred to the appropriate expression vector. The designed gene sequence is cloned into a suitable vector, and then transferred to a suitable expression system for full expression, and finally the target protein is obtained by extraction and purification technology. Recombinant collagen has excellent histocompatibility and water solubility, can be directly absorbed by the human body and participate in the construction of collagen, remodeling of the extracellular matrix, cell growth, wound healing and site filling, etc., which has demonstrated significant effects, and has become the focus of the development of modern biomedical materials. This paper firstly elaborates the structure, type, and tissue distribution of human collagen, as well as the associated genetic diseases of different types of collagen, then introduces the specific process of producing animal source collagen and recombinant collagen, explains the advantages of recombinant collagen production method, and then introduces the various systems of expressing recombinant collagen, as well as their advantages and disadvantages, and finally briefly introduces the application of animal collagen, focusing on the use of animal collagen in the development of biopharmaceutical materials. In terms of application, it focuses on the use of animal disease models exploring the application effects of recombinant collagen in wound hemostasis, wound repair, corneal therapy, female pelvic floor dysfunction (FPFD), vaginal atrophy (VA) and vaginal dryness, thin endometritis (TE), chronic endometritis (CE), bone tissue regeneration in vivo, cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer (BC) and anti-aging. The mechanism of action of recombinant collagen in the treatment of FPFD and CE was introduced, and the clinical application and curative effect of recombinant collagen in skin burn, skin wound, dermatitis, acne and menopausal urogenital syndrome (GSM) were summarized. From the exploratory studies and clinical applications, it is evident that recombinant collagen has demonstrated surprising effects in the treatment of all types of diseases, such as reducing inflammation, promoting cell proliferation, migration and adhesion, increasing collagen deposition, and remodeling the extracellular matrix. At the end of the review, the challenges faced by recombinant collagen are summarized: to develop new recombinant collagen types and dosage forms, to explore the mechanism of action of recombinant collagen, and to provide an outlook for the future development and application of recombinant collagen.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute infectious respiratory disease that has been prevalent since December 2019. Chinese medicine (CM) has demonstrated its unique advantages in the fight against COVID-19 in the areas of disease prevention, improvement of clinical symptoms, and control of disease progression. This review summarized the relevant material components of CM in the treatment of COVID-19 by searching the relevant literature and reports on CM in the treatment of COVID-19 and combining with the physiological and pathological characteristics of the novel coronavirus. On the basis of sorting out experimental methods in vivo and in vitro, the mechanism of herb action was further clarified in terms of inhibiting virus invasion and replication and improving related complications. The aim of the article is to explore the strengths and characteristics of CM in the treatment of COVID-19, and to provide a basis for the research and scientific, standardized treatment of COVID-19 with CM.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; SARS-CoV-2/drug effects* ; COVID-19/therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Antiviral Agents/pharmacology* ; Animals

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the most prevalent chronic liver condition globally, lacks adequate and effective therapeutic remedies in clinical practice. Recent studies have increasingly highlighted the close connection between the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and the progression of MASLD. This relationship is crucial for understanding the disease's underlying mechanism. As a sophisticated process, the UPS govern protein stability and function, maintaining protein homeostasis, thus influencing a multitude of elements and biological events of eukaryotic cells. It comprises four enzyme families, namely, ubiquitin-activating enzymes (E1), ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2), ubiquitin-protein ligases (E3), and deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). This review aims to delve into the array of pathways and therapeutic targets implicated in the ubiquitination within the pathogenesis of MASLD. Therefore, this review unveils the role of ubiquitination in MASLD while spotlighting potential therapeutic targets within the context of this disease.

To explore the common irritant components in different base sources of Polygonati Rhizoma(PR). A rabbit eye irritation experiment was conducted to compare the irritant effects of raw products of Polygonatum kingianum, P. officinale, and P. multiflorum. The irritant effects of different solvent extraction parts and needle crystals of PR were compared, and the irritant components were screened. The morphology and structure of the purified needle crystal of PR were observed by microscope and scanning electron microscope and characterized by X-ray diffraction. Rabbit eye irritation and mouse abdominal inflammation model were used to evaluate rabbit eye irritation scores, inflammatory mediators, inflammatory factors levels in the peritoneal exudate of mice, with the peritoneal pathological section used as indicators. The inflammatory effect of needle crystals of PR was studied, and the content of calcium oxalate in three kinds of PR was determined by HPLC. The common protein in three kinds of PR was screened and compared by double enzymatic hydrolysis in solution combined with mass spectrometry. The results showed that three kinds of PR raw products had certain irritant effects on rabbit eyes, among which P. kingianum had the strongest irritant effect. There were no obvious irritant effects in the different solvent extraction parts of P. kingianum. Compared with the blank group, the needle crystal of PR had a significant irritant effect on rabbit eyes, and the inflammatory mediators and inflammatory factors in the peritoneal exudate were significantly increased(P<0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, the peritoneal tissue of mice was damaged with significant inflammatory cell infiltration after intraperitoneal injection of needle crystal, indicating that needle crystal had an inflammatory effect. Microscope and scanning electron microscope observations showed that the needle crystals of PR were slender, with a length of about 100-200 μm and sharp ends. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the needle crystals of PR were calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals. The results of HPLC showed that the content of calcium oxalate in P. kingianum was the highest among the three kinds of PR. It was speculated that the content of needle crystal in P. kingianum was higher than that in P. officinale and P. multiflorum, which was consistent with the results of the rabbit eye irritation experiment. The results of mass spectrometry showed that ribosome inactivating protein and mannose/sialic acid binding lectin were related to inflammation and cell metabolism in all three kinds of PR. There was no obvious irritant effect in different solvent extracts of PR. The calcium oxalate needle crystal contained was the main irritant component of PR, and three kinds of PR contained common ribosome inactivating protein and mannose/sialic acid binding lectin, which may be related to the inflammatory irritant effect of PR.
Animals ; Rabbits ; Mice ; Polygonatum/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/toxicity* ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Male ; Eye/drug effects* ; Female ; Humans

This paper aimed to explore the intestinal toxicity of Euphoriae Ebracteolata Radix(EER) before and after being processed with Mongolian medicine Hezi Decoction(HZD) and the toxicity-reducing mechanism of this processing method. The intestinal toxicity in rats treated with unprocessed EER and HZD-processed EER extracts via 95% ethanol was compared. The comparison was based on several indicators, including fecal volume, serum diamine oxidase(DAO) and D-lactate(D-LA) levels, the water content of various intestinal segments and their contents, and inflammatory factor levels in intestinal segments. Tandem mass tag(TMT) quantitative proteomics technology was employed to analyze the key proteins associated with changes in intestinal toxicity between unprocessed EER and HZD-processed EER. The results indicated that compared with the blank group, unprocessed EER significantly increased the fecal volume, serum DAO and D-LA levels, water content of the ileal segment and its contents, as well as the release levels of inflammatory factors, including tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α) and interleukin-1 beta(IL-1β) in the ileal segment of rats(P<0.05), indicating that EER can cause diarrhea, increase intestinal permeability, and induce intestinal inflammation. Compared with those in the unprocessed EER group, all indicators in the HZD-processed EER group were significantly reduced(P<0.05). The TMT quantitative proteomics analysis revealed that a total of 6 487 proteins were identified in the rat ileum tissue. Compared to the blank group, 182 proteins exhibited significant changes in the unprocessed EER group, while 907 proteins in the HZD-processed EER group showed significant changes. The intersection of the differential proteins between the two groups identified 38 common proteins. Among them, the protein levels of intestinal barrier tight junction protein claudin3, squalene monooxidase(Sqle), clusterin, Na~+/H~+ exchange regulatory cofactor NHE-RF3(Pdzk1), and Y+L amino acid transporter 1(Slc7a7) exhibited significant changes before and after processing, and these changes were closely related to intestinal barrier function. Compared with the blank group, the expression of claudin3, Pdzk1, and Slc7a7 in the raw product group was significantly down-regulated(P<0.05),while the expression of Sqle and clusterin was significantly up-regulated(P<0.05).Compared with the raw product group, the expression of claudin3, Pdzk1, and Slc7a7 in the processed product group of HZD was significantly up-regulated(P<0.05), while the expression of Sqle and clusterin was significantly down-regulated(P<0.05). Western blot was used to detect the expression level of claudin 3 in the ileum of rats in each group. The results show that compared to that in the blank group, the expression level of claudin 3 in the unprocessed EER group was significantly reduced(P<0.01); compared to that in the unprocessed EER group, the expression level of claudin 3 in the HZD-processed EER group was significantly increased(P<0.01). This finding aligned with the proteomic outcomes, indicating that claudin 3 protein levels could serve as a crucial indicator for intestinal damage caused by EER. In summary, HZD-processed EER can reduce EER's intestinal toxicity, and the primary mechanism for its alleviation of intestinal barrier damage is the regulation of the intestinal barrier tight junction protein claudin 3 and other intestinal-related proteins.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Proteomics ; Rats ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Intestines/drug effects* ; Intestinal Mucosa/drug effects* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*

Following the core outcome set standards for development(COS-STAD), this study aims to construct core outcome set(COS) for clinical research on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) treatment of simple obesity. Firstly, a comprehensive review was conducted on the randomized controlled trial(RCT) and systematic review(SR) about TCM treatment of simple obesity that were published in Chinese and English databases to collect reported outcomes. Additional outcomes were obtained through semi-structured interviews with patients and open-ended questionnaire surveys for clinicians. All the collected outcomes were then merged and organized as an initial outcome pool, and then a preliminary list of outcomes was formed after discussion by the working group. Subsequently, two rounds of Delphi surveys were conducted with clinicians, methodology experts, and patients to score the importance of outcomes in the list. Finally, a consensus meeting was held to establish the COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity. A total of 221 RCTs and 12 SRs were included, and after integration of supplementary outcomes, an initial outcome pool of 141 outcomes were formed. Following discussions in the steering advisory group meeting, a preliminary list of 33 outcomes was finalized, encompassing 9 domains. Through two rounds of Delphi surveys and a consensus meeting, the final COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity was determined to include 8 outcomes: TCM symptom scores, body mass index(BMI), waist-hip ratio, waist circumference, visceral fat index, body fat rate, quality of life, and safety, which were classified into 4 domains: TCM-related outcomes, anthropometric measurements, quality of life, and safety. This study has preliminarily established a COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity. It helps reduce the heterogeneity in the selection and reporting of outcomes in similar clinical studies, thereby improving the comparability of research results and the feasibility of meta-analysis and providing higher-level evidence support for clinical practice.
Humans ; Obesity/therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Treatment Outcome ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

This study was a single-center cross-sectional investigation aimed at identifying risk factors for cognitive dysfunction in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD), with the goal of providing a basis for improving patient prognosis. Patients receiving MHD in the Blood Purification Center of Hainan Provincial People's Hospital from June 1 to June 30, 2023, were enrolled. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and potential risk factors for cognitive impairment were analyzed by using Logistic regression. A total of 278 patients were included, 69 patients (24.8%) of whom had cognitive impairment. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated that the history of cerebrovascular disease ( OR=3.109, 95% CI 1.310-7.378, P=0.010), old age ( OR=1.077, 95% CI 1.040-1.115, P<0.001), low dialysis frequency ( OR=0.270, 95% CI 0.120-0.606, P=0.001), low academic qualification (using college/university as the control group: primary school group OR=26.960, 95% CI 7.519-96.673, P<0.001; Junior high school/technical secondary school group OR=4.264, 95% CI 1.330-13.650, P=0.015; High school group OR=9.554, 95% CI 2.861-31.904, P<0.001), high β2-microglobulin ( OR=1.609, 95% CI 1.044-2.480, P=0.031) and high C-reactive protein/albumin ( OR=2.672, 95% CI 1.226-5.826, P=0.013) were independent risk factors for cognitive impairment in MHD patients.

Objective:To investigate the changes in and correlations between melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and androgen levels in the serum of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), aiming to provide a novel research perspective for its diagnosis.Methods:A cross-sectional study. A total of 307 subjects were enrolled from the physical examination center and endocrinology clinic of the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from June 2023 to June 2024. The cohort comprised 114 healthy controls and 193 patients with PCOS, diagnosed according to the Rotterdam criteria. The patients were grouped into four phenotypes: Phenotype A (hyperandrogenemia [HA]+ovulatory dysfunction [OA]+polycystic ovarian morphology [PCOM], n=44), Phenotype B (HA+OA, n=50), Phenotype C (HA+PCOM, n=46), and Phenotype D (OA+PCOM, n=53). Clinical data were collected for all subjects. Serum MCH levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relationship between MCH and androgen-related risk factors for PCOS was analyzed using Spearman partial correlation analysis and stepwise multiple linear hierarchical regression. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze factors influencing PCOS onset. The diagnostic value of MCH for PCOS was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results:There were no significant differences in age and height between the healthy control group and the PCOS phenotypic groups (both P>0.05). MCH levels [17.63 (12.69, 22.00), 17.31 (11.05, 20.09), 17.82 (11.47, 19.40), 16.50 (11.14, 19.41) μg/L vs. 12.14 (9.78, 15.05) μg/L], homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, fasting plasma glucose, fasting serum lisulin, body mass index, and weight were significantly higher across all four PCOS phenotypes (A, B, C, and D) than in healthy controls (all P<0.05), whereas sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) contents were significantly lower ( P<0.05). Free androgen index (FAI), total testosterone (TES) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels were significantly higher in PCOS phenotypes A, B, and C than in the control group and PCOS phenotype D (all P<0.05). Spearman partial correlation analysis revealed no significant correlation between MCH and TES, DHEA, or FAI in healthy controls and patients with non-HA PCOS (all P>0.05). However, in PCOS patients with HA, MCH showed a significant positive correlation with TES and DHEA ( r=0.227 and 0.196, respectively; both P<0.05), but not FAI ( P>0.05). Stepwise multiple linear hierarchical regression analysis showed that MCH was positively correlated with TES, DHEA and luteinizing hormone and negatively correlated with SHBG (all P<0.05). Binary logistic regression indicated that an increase in MCH may be a potential risk factor for PCOS occurrence ( OR=1.113, 95% CI 1.012-1.224, P=0.028). ROC analysis showed that MCH has diagnostic value for PCOS ( P<0.05), with an area under the curve of 0.713. Conclusion:Serum MCH is closely related to FAI, TES, and DHEA levels in PCOS patients and may play an important role in the etiology and progression of the syndrome.

AIM To establish an HPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous content determination of dehydrodiisoeugenol,eugenol,costiolactone,dehydrocostiolactone,quercetin,isorhamnetin,luteolin,caffeic acid,gallic acid,protocatechuic acid,ellagic acid and kaempferol in Anshen Buxin Liuwei Pills,and to make chemical pattern recognition.METHODS The analysis was performed on a 35 ℃ thermostatic Shim-pack GST-HP C18 column(2.1 mm × 100 mm,3 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of methanol-water(containing 0.1％formic acid)flowing at 0.25 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and electron spray ionization source was adopted in positive and negative ion scanning with multiple reaction monitoring mode.Subsequently,cluster analysis,principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis were performed.RESULTS Twelve constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(r≥0.999 0),whose average recoveries were 95.38％-105.00％with the RSDs of 1.91％-5.14％.Thirteen batches of samples were clustered into 3 types,ellagic acid,dehydrocodenolactone,dehydrodiisoeugenol,protocatechuic acid,gallic acid,quercetin and kaempferol were taken as potential quality differential markers.CONCLUSION This accurate,sensitive,stable and reproducible method can be used for the quality control and evaluation of Anshen Buxin Liuwei Pills.

Three evaluation methods were recommended for the key properties of the intravascular catheter lubricating coating such as stability,lubricity and integrity,including insoluble particle test method,friction test procedure and appearance detection method.Fifteen batches of microcatheters produced by different manufacturers were selected for testing to clarify the three methods in test principle,step,result,characteristic.References were provided for the design,production,evaluation and regulation of intravascular catheters with lubricant coatings.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(1):66-72]