As a novel long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 （GLP-1） receptor agonist， semaglutide plays a pivotal role in the treatment of obesity and related metabolic diseases. This article systematically reviews the research progress of semaglutide in the treatment of obesity and related metabolic diseases from three aspects： mechanism of action， clinical applications， and existing challenges. It is found that its mechanism of action involves multi-organ synergistic regulation and metabolic intervention. Its clinical applications encompass the treatment of obesity， diabetes， polycystic ovary syndrome， and liver-related metabolic syndromes， and it demonstrates groundbreaking value in cardiovascular and renal protection. However， it still faces multiple challenges in terms of adverse reactions， individualized treatment， economic accessibility， ethical controversies， and risks. In the future， it is essential to further accumulate long-term safety data on semaglutide， optimize combination treatment regimens， and address key issues such as individualized medication for special populations， in order to fully realize its clinical application value.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanism of Shenqi Dihuang decoction （SQDHD） on diabetic kidney disease （DKD）， with a focus on its impact on arachidonic acid-related ferroptosis. MethodsSixty C57BL/6 mice were allocated into a normal group （n=10） and a modeling group （n=50）， with 43 mice successfully modeled. The successfully modeled mice were further allocated into model， low-， medium-， and high-dose （4.68， 9.36， and 18.72 g·kg^-1， respectively） SQDHD， and dapagliflozin （0.13 mg·kg^-1） groups. The drug treatment groups were administrated with corresponding agents by gavage， and the normal and model groups were administrated with equal volumes of normal saline by gavage. An electronic balance and a glucometer were used to monitor the body weight and fasting blood glucose level from the tail tip， respectively. Serum creatinine （Scr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN） levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Histopathological changes in the renal tissue were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining， Masson staining， and periodic acid-Schiff （PAS） staining. The fluorescence intensity of reactive oxygen species （ROS） in frozen sections was observed by an inverted fluorescence microscope to evaluate the levels of ferrous ions （Fe²⁺） and lipid peroxidation in the renal tissue. Immunofluorescence staining of glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4） and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 （ACSL4） in the renal tissue was performed to detect their localization and expression. Western blot was employed to assess the expression levels of key ferroptosis proteins such as GPX4 and cystine/glutamate antiporter （xCT）， as well as the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway-related proteins， including ACSL4， lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 3 （LPCAT3）， and arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase （ALOX15）. Real-time PCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of key ferroptosis proteins， including solute carrier family 7 member 11 （SLC7A11） and GPX4， as well as arachidonic acid metabolism-related factors （ACSL4， LPCAT3， and ALOX15） in the renal tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， DKD model mice exhibited a decrease in body weight （P<0.01）， increases in levels of blood glucose （P<0.01）， 24-hour urinary protein， Scr， and BUN （P<0.01）， along with severe pathological changes， such as mesangial cell proliferation， basement membrane thickening， tubular atrophy， and interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration. In addition， the modeling elevated the levels of Fe²⁺， MDA， LPO， and ROS （P<0.01）， lowered the GPX4 and xCT levels （P<0.01）， raised the ACSL4， LPCAT3， and ALOX15 levels （P<0.01）， down-regulated the mRNA levels of GPX4 and SLC7A11 （P<0.01）， and up-regulated the mRNA levels of ACSL4， LPCAT3， and ALOX15 （P<0.01） in the renal tissue. Compared with the model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose SQDHD groups and the dapagliflozin group showed an increase in body weight （P<0.01）， decreases in levels of blood glucose （P<0.01）， 24-hour urinary protein， and Scr （P<0.01）， alleviated pathological changes in glomeruli and tubules， and reduced degree of glomerular and tubular fibrosis. The high-dose SQDHD group and the dapagliflozin group showed reductions in Fe²⁺， MDA， LPO， and ROS levels （P<0.01）. The medium- and high-dose SQDHD groups and the dapagliflozin group exhibited increased levels of GPX4 and xCT （P<0.01）， decreased levels of ACSL4， LPCAT3， and ALOX15 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated mRNA levels of ACSL4， LPCAT3， and ALOX15 （P<0.01）. ConclusionSQDHD ameliorates DKD by inhibiting ferroptosis potentially by reducing iron ion levels， inhibiting lipid peroxidation， up-regulating GPX4 expression， and down-regulating ACSL4 expression. This study provides new insights and a theoretical basis for the treatment of DKD with traditional Chinese medicine and identifies potential targets for developing novel therapeutics for DKD.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanism of Shenqi Dihuang decoction （SQDHD） on diabetic kidney disease （DKD）， with a focus on its impact on arachidonic acid-related ferroptosis. MethodsSixty C57BL/6 mice were allocated into a normal group （n=10） and a modeling group （n=50）， with 43 mice successfully modeled. The successfully modeled mice were further allocated into model， low-， medium-， and high-dose （4.68， 9.36， and 18.72 g·kg^-1， respectively） SQDHD， and dapagliflozin （0.13 mg·kg^-1） groups. The drug treatment groups were administrated with corresponding agents by gavage， and the normal and model groups were administrated with equal volumes of normal saline by gavage. An electronic balance and a glucometer were used to monitor the body weight and fasting blood glucose level from the tail tip， respectively. Serum creatinine （Scr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN） levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Histopathological changes in the renal tissue were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining， Masson staining， and periodic acid-Schiff （PAS） staining. The fluorescence intensity of reactive oxygen species （ROS） in frozen sections was observed by an inverted fluorescence microscope to evaluate the levels of ferrous ions （Fe²⁺） and lipid peroxidation in the renal tissue. Immunofluorescence staining of glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4） and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 （ACSL4） in the renal tissue was performed to detect their localization and expression. Western blot was employed to assess the expression levels of key ferroptosis proteins such as GPX4 and cystine/glutamate antiporter （xCT）， as well as the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway-related proteins， including ACSL4， lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 3 （LPCAT3）， and arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase （ALOX15）. Real-time PCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of key ferroptosis proteins， including solute carrier family 7 member 11 （SLC7A11） and GPX4， as well as arachidonic acid metabolism-related factors （ACSL4， LPCAT3， and ALOX15） in the renal tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， DKD model mice exhibited a decrease in body weight （P<0.01）， increases in levels of blood glucose （P<0.01）， 24-hour urinary protein， Scr， and BUN （P<0.01）， along with severe pathological changes， such as mesangial cell proliferation， basement membrane thickening， tubular atrophy， and interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration. In addition， the modeling elevated the levels of Fe²⁺， MDA， LPO， and ROS （P<0.01）， lowered the GPX4 and xCT levels （P<0.01）， raised the ACSL4， LPCAT3， and ALOX15 levels （P<0.01）， down-regulated the mRNA levels of GPX4 and SLC7A11 （P<0.01）， and up-regulated the mRNA levels of ACSL4， LPCAT3， and ALOX15 （P<0.01） in the renal tissue. Compared with the model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose SQDHD groups and the dapagliflozin group showed an increase in body weight （P<0.01）， decreases in levels of blood glucose （P<0.01）， 24-hour urinary protein， and Scr （P<0.01）， alleviated pathological changes in glomeruli and tubules， and reduced degree of glomerular and tubular fibrosis. The high-dose SQDHD group and the dapagliflozin group showed reductions in Fe²⁺， MDA， LPO， and ROS levels （P<0.01）. The medium- and high-dose SQDHD groups and the dapagliflozin group exhibited increased levels of GPX4 and xCT （P<0.01）， decreased levels of ACSL4， LPCAT3， and ALOX15 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated mRNA levels of ACSL4， LPCAT3， and ALOX15 （P<0.01）. ConclusionSQDHD ameliorates DKD by inhibiting ferroptosis potentially by reducing iron ion levels， inhibiting lipid peroxidation， up-regulating GPX4 expression， and down-regulating ACSL4 expression. This study provides new insights and a theoretical basis for the treatment of DKD with traditional Chinese medicine and identifies potential targets for developing novel therapeutics for DKD.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of a health management model based on the Integrated Theory of Health Behavior Change (ITHBC) on body mass index (BMI), blood lipids, quality of life, and self-management ability in elderly community-dwelling patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS).Methods:This randomized controlled trial enrolled elderly CCS patients attending the general outpatient clinic at Fangzhuang Community Health Service Center of Fengtai District, Beijing, between March 2023 and May 2024. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The control group received routine care, while the intervention group received ITHBC-based health management for 12 months. Primary endpoints included BMI, blood lipid profiles (total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)), quality of life (assessed across 5 domains: disease perception, physical limitation, angina stability, angina frequency, and treatment satisfaction), and patient self-management ability (assessed across 7 domains: symptom management, harmful habit management, emergency management, disease knowledge management, daily life management, treatment adherence management, and emotional cognition management).Results:A total of 140 patients were enrolled, with the age of 71.0(67.0, 75.0) years; 85 (60.71%) were male. Seventy patients were assigned to each group. At the 12-month follow-up, levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed in BMI or HDL-C levels between the two groups (all P>0.05). Regarding quality of life, the intervention group had a significantly lower score in the disease perception domain than the control group ( P=0.007). No significant intergroup differences were found in the scores for physical limitation, angina stability, angina frequency, or treatment satisfaction (all P>0.05). For self-management ability, the symptom management score was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group ( P=0.030). No significant differences were observed between the groups in the remaining self-management domains (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The ITHBC-based health management model can improve blood lipid management in elderly community-dwelling CCS patients, with superior effects compared to routine care, although it doesn′t significantly improve BMI. The model also shows potential to improve patients′ quality of life and self-management ability; however, its effects in these areas are not significantly superior to those of routine care.

Objective To study the therapeutic effects of Yigan Fupi decoction(YGFP)on irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)and its mechanism of action in repairing the intestinal barrier and reducing IBS sensitivity through the PKA/PKC-CREB pathway.Methods Baby rats separated from their mother were randomly divided into a model control(M)and a YGFP group,while baby rats without maternal separation were used as a normal control(N)group.The YGFP group was given YGFP for 4 weeks.Abdominal withdrawal reflux was used to evaluate intestinal sensitivity.Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and ELISA were used to detect bile acid metabolite concentrations and serum levels of interleukin(IL)-6 and CXCL1,respectively.HE staining was used to observe pathological changes in the colon,and Western Blot and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze the relative protein expression levels of PKA,PKC,CREB,5HT2AR,5-HT7R,ZO-1,and Claudin 1.Results Compared with the normal control group,the M group showed a significantly decreased visceral pain threshold,significantly increased levels of total bile acid metabolites,IL-6,and CXCL1,significantly increased relative expression of PKA,PKC,CREB,5HT2AR,and 5-HT7R,and significantly decreased relative expression of ZO-1 and Claudin 1.Compared with the M group,the YGFP group showed a significantly increased visceral pain threshold,significantly reduced levels of total bile acid metabolites,IL-6,and CXCL1,significantly reduced relative expression of PKA,PKC,CREB,5HT2AR,and 5-HT7R,and increased relative expression of ZO-1 and Claudin 1.Conclusions YGFP effectively improved IBS through a mechanism that may involve repair of the intestinal barrier and reduced sensitivity through the PKA/PKC-CREB pathway.

Objective To study the therapeutic effects of Yigan Fupi decoction(YGFP)on irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)and its mechanism of action in repairing the intestinal barrier and reducing IBS sensitivity through the PKA/PKC-CREB pathway.Methods Baby rats separated from their mother were randomly divided into a model control(M)and a YGFP group,while baby rats without maternal separation were used as a normal control(N)group.The YGFP group was given YGFP for 4 weeks.Abdominal withdrawal reflux was used to evaluate intestinal sensitivity.Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and ELISA were used to detect bile acid metabolite concentrations and serum levels of interleukin(IL)-6 and CXCL1,respectively.HE staining was used to observe pathological changes in the colon,and Western Blot and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze the relative protein expression levels of PKA,PKC,CREB,5HT2AR,5-HT7R,ZO-1,and Claudin 1.Results Compared with the normal control group,the M group showed a significantly decreased visceral pain threshold,significantly increased levels of total bile acid metabolites,IL-6,and CXCL1,significantly increased relative expression of PKA,PKC,CREB,5HT2AR,and 5-HT7R,and significantly decreased relative expression of ZO-1 and Claudin 1.Compared with the M group,the YGFP group showed a significantly increased visceral pain threshold,significantly reduced levels of total bile acid metabolites,IL-6,and CXCL1,significantly reduced relative expression of PKA,PKC,CREB,5HT2AR,and 5-HT7R,and increased relative expression of ZO-1 and Claudin 1.Conclusions YGFP effectively improved IBS through a mechanism that may involve repair of the intestinal barrier and reduced sensitivity through the PKA/PKC-CREB pathway.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of a health management model based on the Integrated Theory of Health Behavior Change (ITHBC) on body mass index (BMI), blood lipids, quality of life, and self-management ability in elderly community-dwelling patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS).Methods:This randomized controlled trial enrolled elderly CCS patients attending the general outpatient clinic at Fangzhuang Community Health Service Center of Fengtai District, Beijing, between March 2023 and May 2024. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The control group received routine care, while the intervention group received ITHBC-based health management for 12 months. Primary endpoints included BMI, blood lipid profiles (total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)), quality of life (assessed across 5 domains: disease perception, physical limitation, angina stability, angina frequency, and treatment satisfaction), and patient self-management ability (assessed across 7 domains: symptom management, harmful habit management, emergency management, disease knowledge management, daily life management, treatment adherence management, and emotional cognition management).Results:A total of 140 patients were enrolled, with the age of 71.0(67.0, 75.0) years; 85 (60.71%) were male. Seventy patients were assigned to each group. At the 12-month follow-up, levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed in BMI or HDL-C levels between the two groups (all P>0.05). Regarding quality of life, the intervention group had a significantly lower score in the disease perception domain than the control group ( P=0.007). No significant intergroup differences were found in the scores for physical limitation, angina stability, angina frequency, or treatment satisfaction (all P>0.05). For self-management ability, the symptom management score was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group ( P=0.030). No significant differences were observed between the groups in the remaining self-management domains (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The ITHBC-based health management model can improve blood lipid management in elderly community-dwelling CCS patients, with superior effects compared to routine care, although it doesn′t significantly improve BMI. The model also shows potential to improve patients′ quality of life and self-management ability; however, its effects in these areas are not significantly superior to those of routine care.

Objective:To study the feasibility of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)technique with amide proton transfer(APT)in predicting the prognosis of cerebral stroke.Methods:A total of 71 patients with acute cerebral stroke who admitted to the Nanjing First Hospital,Nanjing Medical University from September 2022 to May 2023 were selected.All of them underwent the test of National Institute of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS),and received the MRI examination with chemical exchange saturation transfer(CEST).According to the modified Rankin scale(mRS)values of 1-month follow-up,they were divided into favorable recovery group(mRS<2,44 cases)and poor group(mRS≥2,27 cases).The asymmetric magnetization transfer ratio(MTRasym)image(APT)was obtained by analyzing data with special software.And then,the difference(△APTw)of APT values between ischemic zone and contralateral normal tissue was further calculated.The △APTw values of two groups were compared and analyzed,and the Pearson correlation analysis was adopted to analyze the correlation among △APTw,NIHSS and mRS.The receiver operating characteristics(ROC)curve was drawn,and the area under curve(AUC)of ROC curve was calculated.Results:There were significant positive correlations among △APTw,NIHSS and mRS scores(R2=0.659,0.522,P<0.001),and the differences of △APTW,NIHSS and mRS scores between the favorable recovery group and poor group were significant(t=5.73,6.36,13.92,P<0.05),respectively.The AUC value was 0.886,and the sensitivity and specificity of prediction were respectively 77.8%and 95.5%.The positive and negative predictive values were respectively 91.3%and 87.5%.Conclusion:APT imaging technique has feasibility in predicting the prognosis of acute cerebral ischemic stroke.

The essence-qi-spirit theory is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine， whose steady state is the material and functional basis for the balance of yin and yang in the body， making the essence， qi and spirit integrated， and body and spirit harmonized. Based on this theory， it is proposed that essence and qi depletion， spirit dissipation and qi dispersion， disharmony between yin and yang is the main pathogenesis of sleep disorders. Therefore， the method of regulating and harmonzing yin and yang by essence gathering， qi nourishing and spirit storing can be used to treat sleep disorder. The biological clock system of the circadian rhythm of sleep is regulated by the molecular oscillation that is generated by the transcription of the biological clock gene， and is a clock gradually formed by orga-nisms constantly adapting to the laws of nature. As the material basis， power， and embodiment of sound and peaceful sleep， essence， qi and spirit can perceive and transmit natural signals， whose functions are similar to what is recognized by modern science that oscillation amplifies the rhythm signal， and synchronously regulates the expression signal of the biological clock gene， thereby forming a biological clock system with “input-oscillation-output” as the feedback cycle. It is believed that the regulation method of yin and yang by essence gathering， qi nourishing and spirit storing may comprehensively regulate the physiological activities through brain/ muscle aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein 1 （BMAL1）/circadian locomotor output cycles kaput （CLOCK）-period protein （PER）/ cryptochrome （CRY） transcriptional feedback loop， thereby adapting to the natural environment changes， playing an active role in the treatment of sleep disorders， and provideing a new idea for traditional Chinese medicine to reshape the molecular regulation system of the endogenous biological clock to prevent and treat sleep disorders.