Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive decline, functional impairment, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. It represents the most prevalent form of dementia among the elderly population. Accumulating evidence indicates that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of AD. Notably, elevated levels of oxidative stress have been observed in the brains of AD patients, where excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause extensive damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA, ultimately compromising neuronal structure and function. Amyloid β‑protein (Aβ) has been shown to induce mitochondrial dysfunction and calcium overload, thereby promoting the generation of ROS. This, in turn, exacerbates Aβ aggregation and enhances tau phosphorylation, leading to the formation of two pathological features of AD: extracellular Aβ plaque deposition and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). These events ultimately culminate in neuronal death, forming a vicious cycle. The interplay between oxidative stress and these pathological processes constitutes a core link in the pathogenesis of AD. The signaling pathways mediating oxidative stress in AD include Nrf2, RCAN1, PP2A, CREB, Notch1, NF‑κB, ApoE, and ferroptosis. Nrf2 signaling pathway serves as a key regulator of cellular redox homeostasis, exerts important antioxidant capacity and protective effects in AD. RCAN1 signaling pathway, as a calcineurin inhibitor, and modulates AD progression through multiple mechanisms. PP2A signaling pathway is involved in regulating tau phosphorylation and neuroinflammation processes. CREB signaling pathway contributes to neuroplasticity and memory formation; activation of CREB improves cognitive function and reduce oxidative stress. Notch1 signaling pathway regulates neuronal development and memory, participates in modulation of Aβ production, and interacts with Nrf2 toco-regulate antioxidant activity. NF‑κB signaling pathway governs immune and inflammatory responses; sustained activation of this pathway forms “inflammatory memory”, thereby exacerbating AD pathology. ApoE signaling pathway is associated with lipid metabolism; among its isoforms, ApoE-ε4 significantly increases the risk of AD, leading to elevated oxidative stress, abnormal lipid metabolism, and neuroinflammation. The ferroptosis signaling pathway is driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, and the subsequent release of lipid peroxidation products and ROS exacerbate oxidative stress and neuronal damage. These interconnected pathways form a complex regulatory network that regulates the progression of AD through oxidative stress and related pathological cascades. In terms of therapeutic strategies targeting oxidative stress, among the drugs currently used in clinical practice for AD treatment, memantine and donepezil demonstrate significant therapeutic efficacy and can improve the level of oxidative stress in AD patients. Some compounds with antioxidant effects (such asα-lipoic acid and melatonin) have shown certain potential in AD treatment research and can be used as dietary supplements to ameliorate AD symptoms. In addition, non-drug interventions such as calorie restriction and exercise have been proven to exerted neuroprotective effects and have a positive effect on the treatment of AD. By comprehensively utilizing the therapeutic characteristics of different signaling pathways, it is expected that more comprehensive multi-target combination therapy regimens and combined nanomolecular delivery systems will be developed in the future to bypass the blood-brain barrier, providing more effective therapeutic strategies for AD.

Descurainiae Semen Lepidii Semen, also known as Tinglizi, originates from Brassicaceae plants Descurainia sophia or Lepidium apetalum. The former is commonly referred to as "Southern Tinglizi(Descurainiae Semen)", while the latter is known as "Northern Tinglizi(Lepidii Semen)". To scientifically and accurately identify the origin of Tinglizi medicinal materials and traditional Chinese medicine products, this study developed a specific DNA mini-barcode based on chloroplast genome sequences. By combining the DNA mini-barcode with DNA metabarcoding technology, a method for the qualitative and quantitative identification of Tinglizi medicinal materials and Chinese patent medicines was established. In this study, chloroplast genomes of Southern Tinglizi and Northern Tinglizi and seven commonly encountered counterfeit products were downloaded from the GenBank database. Suitable polymorphic regions were identified to differentiate these species, enabling the development of the DNA mini-barcode. Using DNA metabarcoding technology, medicinal material mixtures of Southern and Northern Tinglizi, as well as the most common counterfeit product, Capsella bursa-pastoris seeds, were analyzed to validate the qualitative and quantitative capabilities of the mini-barcode and determine its minimum detection limit. Additionally, the mini-barcode was applied to Chinese patent medicines containing Tinglizi to authenticate their botanical origin. The results showed that the developed mini-barcode(psbB) exhibited high accuracy and specificity, effectively distinguishing between the two authentic origins of Tinglizi and commonly encountered counterfeit products. The analysis of mixtures demonstrated that the mini-barcode had excellent qualitative and quantitative capabilities, accurately identifying the composition of Chinese medicinal materials in mixed samples with varying proportions. Furthermore, the analysis of Chinese patent medicines revealed the presence of the adulterant species(Capsella bursa-pastoris) in addition to the authentic species(Southern and Northern Tinglizi), indicating the occurrence of adulteration in commercially available Tinglizi-containing products. This study developed a method for the qualitative and quantitative identification of multi-origin Chinese medicinal materials and related products, providing a model for research on other multi-origin Chinese medicinal materials.
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Drug Contamination ; Genome, Chloroplast ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical efficacy of different technical combinations in treating ischemic diabetic foot (DF). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 35 patients with DF who were treated with vascular interventional opening technique, periosteal distraction technique and bone cement coverage technique from January 2024 to November 2024. They were divided into comprehensive group and periosteal distraction group according to whether the vascular interventional opening technique was used in combination or not. There were 5 patients in comprehensive group, including 4 males and 1 female, aged from 59 to 73 years old with an average of (64.40±5.46) years old;the duration of diabetes ranged from 0.17 to 30.00 years with an average of (14.63±12.02) years;the courses of DF ranged from 30 to 150 days with an average of (84.00±61.48) days;2 patients were grade 2, 2 patients were grade 3, and 1 patient was grade 4 according to Wagner classification;combined vascular interventional opening, periosteal distraction and bone cement coverage surgery for treatment. There were 30 patients in periosteal stretch group, including 22 males and 8 females, aged from 58 to 86 years old with an average of (72.63±7.84) years old;the duration of diabetes was 10.00 (6.75, 16.75) years;the courses of DF was 30.00 (15.00, 37.50) days;14 patients were grade 2, 11 patients were grade 3, and 5 patients were grade 4 according to Wagner classification; combined periosteal distraction and bone cement coverage surgery for treatment. Changes of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and procalcitonin (PCT), toe skin temperature, peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO₂), and visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain were compared between two groups before operation and 1 week after operation. The number of operations, healing period, healing number, toe amputation number, preoperative fever situation and the number of complications were compared between two groups. RESULTS: Both groups were followed up for at least 6 months. There were no statistically significant differences in the number of operations, healing period, toe amputation rate, wound healing rate and complications between two groups (P>0.05). Before operation, the toe skin temperature of comprehensive group (26.98±0.88) ℃ was lower than that of periosteal distraction group (28.17±1.45) ℃, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05);while there were no statistically significant difference in CRP, IL-6, PCT, toe SpO2 and VAS between two groups (P>0.05). At 1 week after operation, IL-6, toe skin temperature, toe SpO₂ and VAS in comprehensive group were 12.29(7.92, 22.15) pg·ml-1, (36.02±0.23) ℃, (95.80±0.84) % and(1.40±0.55) respectively, while those in periosteal distraction group were 5.49(4.36, 7.45) pg·ml^-1, (31.36±1.57) ℃, (84.53±6.38) %, (2.20±0.81);and there were statistically significant differences between two groups(P<0.05). CRP, IL-6 and VAS at 1 week after operation in both groups were decreased compared with those before operation, and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05). The toe skin temperature and SpO₂ were increased compared with those before operation, and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.001). CONCLUSION The multi-technique combination therapy, including vascular interventional opening technique, periostealdistraction technique and bone cement covering technique, could protect each other, enhance efficacy, effectively promote the wound healing of ischemic diabetic foot ulcer, and reduce the toe amputation rate. For moderate to severe ischemic DF, the combined use of periosteal distraction and bone cement coverage techniques has a satisfactory effect. For extremely severe ischemic DF with inflow tract lesions, vascular interventional opening techniques need to be added.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Diabetic Foot/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged, 80 and over ; Ischemia/surgery* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism*

BACKGROUND: Both medication and non-medication therapies are effective approaches to control blood pressure (BP) in hypertension patients. However, the association of joint changes in antihypertensive medication use and healthy lifestyle index (HLI) with BP control among hypertension patients is seldom reported, which needs to provide more evidence by prospective intervention studies. We examined the association of antihypertensive medication use and HLI with BP control among employees with hypertension in China based on a workplace-based multicomponent intervention program. METHODS: Between January 2013 and December 2014, a cluster randomized clinical trial of a workplace-based multicomponent intervention program was conducted in 60 workplaces across 20 urban areas in China. Workplaces were randomly divided into intervention (n = 40) and control (n = 20) groups. Basic information on employees at each workplace was collected by trained professionals, including sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, family history, lifestyle behaviors, medication status and physical measurements. After baseline, the intervention group received a 2-year intervention to achieve BP control, which included: (1) a workplace wellness program for all employees; (2) a guidelines-oriented hypertension management protocol. HLI including nonsmoking, nondrinking, adequate physical activity, weight within reference range and balanced diet, were coded on a 5-point scale (range: 0-5, with higher score indicating a healthier lifestyle). Antihypertensive medication use was defined as taking drug within the last 2 weeks. Changes in HLI, antihypertensive medication use and BP control from baseline to 24 months were measured after the intervention. RESULTS: Overall, 4655 employees were included (age: 46.3 ± 7.6 years, men: 3547 (82.3%)). After 24 months of the intervention, there was a significant improvement in lifestyle [smoking (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.43-0.99; P = 0.045), drinking (OR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.40-0.68; P < 0.001), regular exercise (OR = 3.10, 95% CI: 2.53-3.78; P < 0.001), excessive intake of fatty food (OR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.06-0.52; P = 0.002), restrictive use of salt (OR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.12-0.56; P = 0.001)]. Compare to employees with a deteriorating lifestyle after the intervention, those with an improved lifestyle had a higher BP control. In the intervention group, compared with employees not using antihypertensive medication, those who consistent used (OR = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.16-4.72; P = 0.017) or changed from not using to using antihypertensive medication (OR = 2.24; 95% CI: 1.08-4.62; P = 0.030) had higher BP control. Compared with those having lower HLI, participants with a same (OR = 1.38; 95% CI: 0.99-1.93; P = 0.056) or high (OR = 1.79; 95% CI: 1.27~2.53; P < 0.001) HLI had higher BP control. Those who used antihypertensive medication and had a high HLI had the highest BP control (OR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.32-2.67, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis also showed the consistent effect as the above. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that adherence to antihypertensive medication treatment and healthy lifestyle were associated with a significant improvement in BP control among employees with hypertension.

Receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) plays an essential role in regulating the necroptosis and apoptosis in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the regulation of RIPK1 kinase activity after cerebral I/R injury remains largely unknown. In this study, we found the downregulation of protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) was induced by cerebral I/R injury, which negatively correlated with the activation of RIPK1. Mechanistically, we proved that PRMT1 directly interacted with RIPK1 and catalyzed its asymmetric dimethylarginine, which then blocked RIPK1 homodimerization and suppressed its kinase activity. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition or genetic ablation of PRMT1 aggravated I/R injury by promoting RIPK1-mediated necroptosis and apoptosis, while PRMT1 overexpression protected against I/R injury by suppressing RIPK1 activation. Our findings revealed the molecular regulation of RIPK1 activation and demonstrated PRMT1 would be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) incorporates traditional diagnostic methods and several major treatment modalities including Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese patent medicine, and non-pharmacological methods such as acupuncture and tuina. Even though TCM is used daily by more than 70,000 healthcare facilities and over 700,000 clinical practitioners in China, there is a poor understanding of the extent to which TCM diagnostic methods are used, how different treatment modalities are deployed in general, and what major factors may affect the integration of TCM and Western medicine. This study aimed to fill this void in the literature. METHODS: In the 2021 National Healthcare Improvement Evaluation Survey, we included three questions gauging the perception and practices of TCM amongst physicians working in TCM-related facilities, investigating the frequency of their deployment of TCM diagnostic methods, and predominant TCM treatment methods. Our empirical analysis included descriptive statistics, intergroup chi-square analysis, and binary logistic regression to examine the association between different types of facilities and individual characteristics and TCM utilization patterns. RESULTS: A total of 7618 clinical physicians comprised our study sample. Among them, 84.27% have integrated TCM and Western medicine in their clinical practice, and 80.77% of TCM practitioners used the 4 diagnostic methods as a tool in their clinical practice. Chinese herbal medicine was the most widely utilized modality by Chinese TCM physicians (used by 88.49% of respondents), compared with the Chinese patent medicine and non-pharmacological TCM methods, which were used by 73.14%, and 69.39%, respectively. Herbal tea as an out-of-pocket health-maintenance intervention is also a notable practice, recommended by 29.43% of physicians. Significant variations exist across certain institutions, departments, and individual practitioners. CONCLUSION Given that most of the surveyed physicians integrated TCM with Western medicine in their clinical practices, the practice of "pure TCM" appears to be obsolete in China's tertiary healthcare institutions. Notably, remarkable variation exists in the use of different TCM modalities across institutions and among individuals, which might be related to and thus limited by the practitioners' experience. Future research focusing on the efficacy and safety of TCM interventions for specific diseases, the development of standardized clinical guidelines, and the enhancement of TCM education and training are called for to optimize TCM-Western medicine integration. Please cite this article as: Guo R, Zeng D, Zhao Q, Zhang XY, Zhang XK, Liu YL. How are different traditional Chinese medicine modalities deployed by clinical practitioners in China? Findings from a national survey. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 36-45.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; China ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Female ; Male ; Physicians/statistics & numerical data* ; Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data* ; Adult ; Middle Aged

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of andrographolide(AG)on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced ferroptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells(HK-2 cells).Methods HK-2 cells were treated with LPS to simulate the in vitro HK-2 injury model of sepsis.The cells were further treated with AG of 5,10,20,40 μmol/L and randomly divided into control group,LPS group,LPS+dimethyl sulfoxide group(DMSO group),and AG group.Cell viability was detected by the CCK-8 method,and the optimal concentrations of LPS and AG were screened.Cell morphological change,the levels of kidney injury markers,including neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin(NGAL),kidney injury molecule-1(KIM-1),malondialdehyde(MDA),glutathione(GSH)and reactive oxygen species(ROS),as well as the expression levels of ferroptosis regulatory proteins such as solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11),glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)and ferritin in each group were compared,and the pro-tective effect of AG treatment on the cells was evaluated.Results Compared with the control group,the cell viabi-lity and GSH content decreased significantly in HK-2 cells treated with 10 μg/mL LPS;cell shrinkage and adhesion ability were poor;the contents of oxidative products MDA and ROS,as well as the levels of kidney injury markers NGAL and KIM-1 increased significantly,while expression levels of SLC7A11 and GPX4 protein decreased;ferritin expression level increased;differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Compared with LPS group,the cell viability,GSH content,as well as protein expression levels of SLC7A11 and GPX4 increased significantly after AG intervention,while ferritin expression level decreased,differences were all significant(all P＜0.05).MDA content,ROS fluorescence intensity,and the levels of kidney injury markers NGAL and KIM-1 decreased sig-nificantly,difference were all significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion AG has a protective effect on LPS-induced HK-2 cell injury,possibly by activating SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway,reducing oxidative stress,up-regulating antioxi-dant enzyme activity,and alleviating ferroptosis.

Objective To explore and evaluate the micro-elimination mode of hepatitis C virus(HCV)in patients in a general hospital in Jiangxi Province,and provide reference for formulating provincial strategies to eliminate the public health hazards of HCV.Methods Relevant data of hospitalized patients who received HCV screening at the hospital from January 2021 to December 2022 were collected.Data from 2021 were set as the baseline and data from 2022 as the HCV micro-elimination mode operating data.Indexes such as gender,age,department,anti-HCV posi-tive rate,HCV-RNA positive rate,etc.were analyzed.The operational effect was analyzed based on specialty de-partment visiting rate,treatment rate,and loss-to-follow-up(LTFU)rate.The development of the mode was quan-titatively evaluated by superiority weakness opportunity threats-analytic hierarchy process(SWOT-AHP)method.Results A total of 397 744 hospitalized patients underwent anti-HCV screening from 2021 to 2022,with a male to female ratio of 1.34∶1 and an average age of 54 years old.The main departments for patients receiving screening were infectious diseases/gastroenterology departments.HCV gene subtypes in specimens from 62 patients was mainly subtype 1b(43 specimens),followed by subtype 6(9 specimens).The first HCV early warning rate after mode operation was 81.20％,the anti-HCV detection rate after warning was 93.15％,and the anti-HCV detection rate after subsequent pop-up window early warning was 100％.Compared with 2021,the treatment rate of HCV hospi-talized patients in 2022 has increased,with statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).However,there were no statistically significant differences in patients'specialty department visiting rate and LTFU rate(both P＞0.05).Barycentric coordinates calculation P(X,Y)=(0.018 2,0.006 9)located in the first quadrant.Conclusion The HCV micro-elimination mode for patients in a general hospital in Jiangxi Province is feasible and effective.Further mode optimization should focus on strengths/opportunities(SO)strategy,to rely on internal advantages and utilize external opportunities.

Overexpression of P-glycoprotein(P-gp)is one of the major causes of therapeutic resistance to a variety of drugs,in-cluding antitumor drugs.P-gp has a wide range of substrates that are capable of expelling drugs from the cell via a twist-squeeze mechanism,leading to drug resistance.To address the problem of P-gp-mediated multidrug resistance,several inhibitors are being investigated.This article reviews the current small mole-cule compounds,natural source compounds and pharmaceutical excipients capable of inhibiting P-gp,and summarizes the cur-rent mechanisms of action of P-gp inhibitors,which are mainly competitive or non-competitive inhibition,stimulation of ATPase activity,down-regulation of expression,and metamorphic modu-lation.Currently,it is mainly the drug interactions and toxic re-actions that limit their clinical applications.

Objective:To compare the therapeutic effects of different inhaled medications on patients with frequent cough in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including changes in symptoms and acute exacerbation.Methods:This study was based on the RealDTC study, and the study subjects were stable COPD patients from the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University from December 2016 to March 2023. The demographic characteristics, smoking status, history of biofuel exposure, history of acute exacerbation in the past year, lung function, COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score, modified British Medical Research Council Respiratory Difficulty Questionnaire (mMRC) score, and inhalation medication regimen of the patients were collected. Patients with frequent cough are defined as having a cough score of ≥2 in the first item of the CAT score. According to the type of inhaled medication, patients with frequent cough are divided into l long-acting muscarine anticholinergic (LAMA), long-acting β2 agonists (LABA)+ LAMA, inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)+ LABA, and ICS+ LABA+ LAMA groups. At the 6th month follow-up, CAT scores were collected and symptom control was evaluated, including minimum clinical improvement (MCID) (defined as a decrease of ≥2 points from baseline in CAT scores at the 6th month) and improvement in cough symptoms (defined as a decrease of ≥1 point from baseline in cough scores). During a one-year follow-up, the number of acute exacerbations was evaluated. The relationship between different inhaled medications and prognosis in patients with frequent cough in COPD was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results:A total of 653 patients with frequent cough in COPD were included, with a CAT score of (16.4±6.1) and a cough score of 3(2, 3). After 6 months of follow-up, 403 patients (61.7%) achieved MCID, and 394 patients (60.3%) had improved cough symptoms; During a one-year follow-up, 227 patients (34.8%) experienced acute exacerbation. After receiving inhalation medication treatment, the CAT scores and cough scores of four groups of patients with frequent cough, namely LAMA, LABA+ LAMA, ICS+ LABA, and ICS+ LABA+ LAMA, decreased compared to before treatment (all P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of △CAT score, MCID, and acute exacerbation among the four groups of LAMA, LABA+ LAMA, ICS+ LABA, and ICS+ LABA+ LAMA (all P<0.05), while there was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of △cough score and cough score reduction ≥1 point (all P>0.05). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with patients treated with LAMA or ICS+ LABA drugs, patients with frequent cough in COPD treated with LABA+ LAMA or ICS+ LABA+ LAMA drugs were more likely to achieve MCID and less likely to experience acute exacerbation (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with LAMA or ICS+ LABA, patients with frequent cough in COPD who receive LABA+ LAMA or ICS+ LABA+ LAMA drug treatment are more likely to improve symptoms and have a lower risk of acute exacerbation.