To explore the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and integrative TCM-Western medicine approaches in the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications （DMC）， refine key pathophysiological insights and treatment principles， and promote academic innovation and strategic research planning in the prevention and treatment of DMC. The 38th session of the Expert Salon on Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine， hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， was held in Beijing， 2024. Experts in TCM， Western medicine， and interdisciplinary fields convened to conduct a systematic discussion on the pathogenesis， diagnostic and treatment challenges， and mechanism research related to DMC， ultimately forming a consensus on key directions. Four major research recommendations were proposed. The first is addressing clinical bottlenecks in the prevention and control of DMC by optimizing TCM-based evidence evaluation systems. The second is refining TCM core pathogenesis across DMC stages and establishing corresponding "disease-pattern-time" framework. The third is innovating mechanism research strategies to facilitate a shift from holistic regulation to targeted intervention in TCM. The fourth is advancing interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the role of TCM in new drug development， research prioritization， and guideline formulation. TCM and integrative approaches offer distinct advantages in managing DMC. With a focus on the diseases responding specifically to TCM， strengthening evidence-based support and mechanism interpretation and promoting the integration of clinical care and research innovation will provide strong momentum for the modernization of TCM and the advancement of national health strategies.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the metabolic differences in roots， stems and leaves of Angelica dahurica （Fisch.ex Hoffm.） Benth. et Hook. f. ex Franch. et Savat. （shortened for A. dahurica ）， and to provide a basis for the development and utilization of its medicinal resources. METHODS UPLC-MS/MS untargeted metabolomics technology was employed to detect metabolites in roots， stems and leaves of A. dahurica . Multivariate statistical analysis was used to screen differential metabolites and perform cluster analysis. Furthermore， Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis was conducted on these differential metabolites. RESULTS A total of 769 metabolites were identified in roots， stems and leaves of A. dahurica . Among t hem， lipids， alkaloids， amino acids and their derivatives accounted for the highest proportion， which accounted for 14.31%， 13.91% and 13.65%， respectively， and the coumarin compounds accounted for 3.25%. Results of principal component analysis， orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis and cluster analysis indicated that there were certain differences in metabolites among the three tissues. A total of 205 differential metabolites were identified between stems and roots （82 up-regulated and 123 down-regulated）， 326 differential metabolites between leaves and roots （247 up-regulated and 79 down-regulated）， and 293 differential metabolites between the leaves and stems （263 up-regulated and 30 down-regulated）. Further analysis of the differential coumarin metabolites in different plant parts revealed that several compounds， including （ R ）-oxypeucedanin， 4-hydroxycoumarin， 4-methylumbelliferyl acetate， exhibited relatively high contents in the leaves. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that differential metabolites predominantly accumulated in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and ABC transporter pathways. CONCLUSIONS There are significant differences in metabolites among roots， stems and leaves of A. dahurica . Coumarin compounds are highly enriched in the leaves， and their synthesis and transport may be related to the synergistic effect of the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway and the ABC transporter pathway.

Objective To investigate the post-discharge exercise behavior and factors influencing moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) in patients undergoing lung surgery. Methods A total of 2874 patients from the large prospective, observational perioperative lung symptom study cohort (CN-PRO-Lung 3) in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Sichuan Cancer Hospital between April 7, 2021, and January 31, 2024, were selected as the survey subjects. A survey was conducted using the Investigation of Exercise Behavior after Lung Surgery questionnaire and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) among patients who underwent lung surgery. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing patients’ engagement in MVPA. Results A total of 702 patients were surveyed, including 252 males and 450 females, with an average age of (52.4±10.2) years. Patients with lung cancer accounted for 85.9%. Only 36.0% of the patients had regular exercise habits, while 42.3% did not engage in any physical activity. The three main barriers for postoperative exercise were physical discomfort (pain, coughing, shortness of breath, etc, 54.7%), lack of professional guidance (41.7%), and concerns about the surgical wound (28.9%). The proportions of patients engaging in vigorous, moderate, and low-intensity physical activity were 5.7%, 28.2%, and 66.1%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that patients with a personal annual income ≥50000 yuan (OR=1.52, 95%CI 1.01-2.29, P=0.044), high school education or above (OR=1.92, 95%CI 1.33-2.76, P<0.001), and lobectomy (OR=1.44, 95%CI 1.02-2.03, P=0.037) engaged in more MVPA. Conclusion Patients undergoing lung surgery have inadequate physical activity after discharge, particularly lacking in MVPA. Patients with higher income, higher educational levels, and lobectomy are more frequently engaged in MVPA. Measures such as symptom control, providing exercise guidance, and enhancing education on wound care may potentially improve the inadequate physical activity in lung surgery patients after discharge.

Objective To explore the visiting behavior and health management strategy of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the industry management strategies under the family doctor contract service model. Methods A total of 351 patients with CVD from January 2022 to January 2025 were included in the case investigation by random sampling. Taking the number of visits in community health service institutions/total number of visits ≥90% as high compliance, the influencing factors of the visiting behavior of CVD patients were analyzed. Results Finally, 344 valid questionnaires were collected, with an effective recovery rate of 98.01%. The study subjects were categorized into high compliance group (271 cases) and low compliance group (73 cases). The scores of policy cognition understanding, institutional trust and medical service understanding in the high compliance group were higher compared with those in the low compliance group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the understanding of medical expenses between the two groups (P>0.05). Multivariate logistic regression model analysis revealed that CVD duration [OR (95% CI): 1.72 (1.21-2.44)], policy cognition understanding [OR (95% CI): 2.16 (1.20-3.89)] and institutional trust [OR (95% CI): 1.88 (1.08-3.25)] were independently associated with medical treatment behavior in CVD patients (P<0.05). Conclusion Enhancing the policy cognition understanding and institutional trust of CVD patients on family doctor contract service can promote patients to seek medical treatment and promote the high-quality development of family doctor contract service.

This study systematically reviews the modern research progress of sanjiao （三焦） theory in the past 20 years， and differentiates concepts such as membrane-source， membrane-interstices， and membrane-system in the study of sanjiao essence. On the basis of its core functions of transporting original qi and regulating water metabolism， the study further expands the theoretical connotation of transporting original qi， defines the application boundary of sanjiao syndrome differentiation， and clarifies the conceptual categories of "sanjiao qi-transformation" and "qi-transforming sanjiao"， which reconciles the contradictions between sanjiao as a six fu （腑） organ and sanjiao as a regional division to a certain extent， and provides a valuable exploration for the innovative development of the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of cadonilimab plus chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric adenocarcinoma or adenocarcinoma of gastroesophageal junction （AEG） with intermediate， low， or no human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 （HER2） expression. METHODS Patients with advanced gastric adenocarcinoma or AEG with intermediate， low， or no HER2 expression who were treated at Liaoning Cancer Hospital between October 1， 2024 and June 30， 2025 were retrospectively included. According to the treatment regimen received， the patients were divided into group A [cadonilimab plus oxaliplatin and capecitabine （XELOX）， n ＝54 ] ， group B （sintilimab plus XELOX， n ＝68）， and group C （tislelizumab plus XELOX， n ＝49）. Short-term efficacy after 4 cycles of treatment， survival outcomes， and adverse events were compared among the three groups. Cox regression and Logistic regression analyses were further performed to evaluate the effects of the treatment regimen and baseline data on survival outcomes and the risk of grade 3-4 treatment related adverse events （TRAEs）. RESULTS No statistically significant differences in objective response rate or disease control rate were observed among the three groups （ P ＞0.05）. The median progression-free survival was 7.56 （5.62， 8.11） months in group A， 7.23 （5.33， 8.23） months in group B， and 7.33 （5.42， 8.19） months in group C， with no statistically significant difference among the three groups （ P ＞0.05）. The median overall survival （mOS） was 11.67 （8.82， 13.88） months in group A， 9.78 （6.82， 12.73） months in group B， and 9.69 （6.78， 12.66） months in group C. The mOS was significantly longer in group A than in group B and group C （ P ＜0.05）， whereas no statistically significant difference was observed between group B and group C （ P ＞0.05）. The correlation analysis indicated that treatment regimen， Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status （ECOG PS）， number of metastatic organs， and peritoneal metastasis may be associated with overall survival （OS）. No significant association was observed between treatment regimen and the risk of grade 3-4 TRAEs. The incidences of grade 1-2 or grade 3-4 TRAEs did not differ significantly among the three groups （ P ＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS In patients with advanced gastric adenocarcinoma or AEG with intermediate， low， or no HER2 expression， cadonilimab plus XELOX may provide a more significant OS benefit with a safety profile comparable to that of sintilimab or tislelizumab plus XELOX. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to validate these findings.

Objective: Machine learning (ML) has been reported to have better predictive capability than traditional statistical techniques. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of ML algorithms and logistic regression (LR) for predicting depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Analyses were carried out in a national cross-sectional study involving 21,916 participants. The ML algorithms in this study included random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), neural network (NN), and gradient boosting machine (GBM) methods. The performance indices were sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, F1-score, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: LR and NN had the best performance in terms of AUCs. The risk of overfitting was found to be negligible for most ML models except for RF, and GBM obtained the highest sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, and F1-score. Therefore, LR, NN, and GBM models ranked among the best models. Conclusion Compared with ML models, LR model performed comparably to ML models in predicting depressive symptoms and identifying potential risk factors while also exhibiting a lower risk of overfitting.

The neurophysiological mechanisms by which exercise improves cognitive function have not been fully elucidated. A comprehensive and systematic review of current domestic and international neurophysiological evidence on exercise improving cognitive function was conducted from multiple perspectives. At the molecular level, exercise promotes nerve cell regeneration and synaptogenesis and maintains cellular development and homeostasis through the modulation of a variety of neurotrophic factors, receptor activity, neuropeptides, and monoamine neurotransmitters, and by decreasing the levels of inflammatory factors and other modulators of neuroplasticity. At the cellular level, exercise enhances neural activation and control and improves brain structure through nerve regeneration, synaptogenesis, improved glial cell function and angiogenesis. At the structural level of the brain, exercise promotes cognitive function by affecting white and gray matter volumes, neural activation and brain region connectivity, as well as increasing cerebral blood flow. This review elucidates how exercise improves the internal environment at the molecular level, promotes cell regeneration and functional differentiation, and enhances the brain structure and neural efficiency. It provides a comprehensive, multi-dimensional explanation of the neurophysiological mechanisms through which exercise promotes cognitive function.
Animals ; Humans ; Brain/physiology* ; Cognition/physiology* ; Exercise/physiology* ; Nerve Regeneration/physiology* ; Neuronal Plasticity/physiology*

Randomized controlled trial(RCT) is considered to represent the gold standard for evaluating the efficacy of interventions and has been widely used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). However, there are unique challenges in implementing RCT in TCM. Patients seeking TCM treatment often have preferences for TCM due to the unsatisfactory therapeutic effect of western medicine, their personal intolerance, and their rejection of certain drugs, medical devices, or surgery. Patients are generally reluctant to be randomly assigned to a group, making it challenging to enroll patients in the control group of western medicine during the implementation of RCT in TCM. This has become a prominent problem restricting the implementation of RCT in TCM and needs to be solved urgently. Therefore, this paper introduced commonly used research designs used in solving the problem of enrolling patients in control group during the implementation of RCT in TCM, including Zelen design, partially randomized patient preference trial(PRPP), single-arm objective performance criteria(OPC), cohort studies, single-arm clinical trials using real world data(RWD) alone as the external control group, and the design method based on RWD-augmented control group samples in RCT. The paper outlined the definitions and principles of these methods, evaluated their advantages, disadvantages, and applicable scenarios, and explored their applications in the TCM field, so as to offer insights for solving the difficulty in enrolling patients in the control group during the implementation of RCT in TCM.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic/methods* ; Research Design ; Patient Selection ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Control Groups

This study investigated the effects of total flavonoids of Dracocephalum moldavica(TFDM) on apoptosis in rat H9c2 cells induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS) established by oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation(OGD/R) injury and tunicamycin(TM), and explored the potential mechanisms. After successful modeling, the following groups were set in this experiment: control group, model(OGD/R or TM) group, and TFDM low-, medium-, and high-dose groups(12.5, 25, and 50 μg·mL~(-1)). The OGD/R injury model was constructed in vitro. Cell proliferation was assessed using the cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) method. The levels of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) and creatine kinase MB isoenzyme(CKMB) in the cell supernatant were detected. Western blot was used to assess the expression of ERS-related proteins, including glucose regulatory protein 78(GRP78), C/EBP homologous protein(CHOP), activating transcription factor 6(ATF6), and apoptotic proteins B-cell lymphoma 2(Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax). Apoptosis was detected using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling(TUNEL) method. In the TM-induced ERS model, Western blot was used to measure the expression of ERS pathway-related proteins GRP78, CHOP, inositol-requiring enzyme 1(IRE1), X-box binding protein 1(XBP1), protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase(PERK), eukaryotic initiation factor 2α(eIF2α), ATF6, p-ATF6, and apoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Bax, cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-12(caspase-12), and cleaved caspase-12. Gene expression of GRP78, CHOP, PERK, and ATF6 was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR). Apoptosis was again detected using the TUNEL method. The results showed that in the OGD/R model, compared with the control group, the levels of LDH and CKMB in the cell supernatant were significantly increased in the OGD/R group. Compared with the OGD/R group, the levels of LDH and CKMB in the TFDM group were significantly reduced. Western blot results revealed that compared with the control group, the expression of ERS-related proteins and Bax in the OGD/R group was significantly increased, while the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased. Compared with the OGD/R group, the expression of ERS-related proteins and Bax in the TFDM groups was significantly reduced, and the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly increased. TUNEL assay showed that apoptosis was significantly decreased after TFDM treatment. In the TM-induced ERS experiment, compared with the control group, the expression of ERS-related genes, ERS-related proteins, and apoptotic proteins in the TM group was significantly increased, while the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased. Compared with the TM group, the expression of ERS-related genes, ERS-related proteins, and apoptotic proteins in the TFDM group was significantly reduced, and the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly increased. These results suggest that ERS exists in the OGD/R-injured H9c2 cell model, and TFDM can effectively inhibit ERS-induced apoptosis. The mechanism may be related to the downregulation of ERS pathway-related proteins and apoptotic proteins.
Animals ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress/drug effects* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Rats ; Flavonoids/pharmacology* ; Glucose/metabolism* ; Cell Line ; Lamiaceae/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Oxygen/metabolism* ; Reperfusion Injury/physiopathology* ; Myocytes, Cardiac/cytology*