Oxidative stress(OS)and dopaminergic neuron(DN)dysfunction are implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of various neurological disorders.As the primary active component of the traditional Chinese herb Scutellaria baicalensis,baicalin has garnered significant attention due to its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.Baicalin exhibits a particular affinity for the dopamine(DA)system,maintaining cerebral DA levels by regulating oxidative stress(OS)-related pathways,suggesting that the DA system serves as the"intracerebral target system"through which it exerts its neuroprotective effects.Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2),a central transcription factor regulating redox homeostasis,plays a pivotal role in the anti-OS process mediated by baicalin.This systematic review covers the pharmacological effects of baicalin,providing an in-depth mechanistic analysis of the interaction between OS and DN,with a focus on the latest research progress in baicalin-mediated treatment of OS through the Nrf2 signaling pathway in neurological diseases to provide theoretical references for the pharmacological and molecular mechanisms of baicalin's anti-OS modulation of the DA system for the treatment of neurological diseases.

Objective To study the effect and duration of point-of-use filters on the improvement of endoscopic fi-nal rinse water quality.Methods The final rinse water end at the gastroscope manual cleaning workstation in the Endoscopy Centre of the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University was selected to install a tap ter-minal filter;five specimens of final rinse water were collected consecutively before the installation,immediately after the installation,and 1-11 weeks after the installation.At each sampling time,the staff responsible for clea-ning and disinfecting were asked whether the flow rate of discharged water could satisfy the working demand;the final rinse water was inoculated on R2A culture medium with membrane filter method,bacterial colony forming unit(CFU)was calculated after 30℃ incubation for 5 days.Results The qualified rates of endoscopic final rinse water before point-of-use filter installation was 0,immediately after and 1-9 weeks after installation were both 100％,10 and 11 weeks after installation were 80.0％and 20.0％,respectively.The mean CFU of endoscopic final rinse wa-ter before point-of-use filter installation was 102 CFU/100 mL,immediately after and 1-9 weeks after installation were both ≤2 CFU/100 mL,10 and 11 weeks after installation were 8 and 18 CFU/100 mL,respectively.The feedback from the cleaning and disinfection staff before installation,immediately after installation,and 1-11 weeks after installation indicated that the flow rate of discharged water gradually slowed down over time,but could still meet the work requirements.Conclusion The point-of-use filter can quickly and effectively improve the quality of endoscopic final rinse water,with use duration of up to 9 weeks after installation;Its biggest advantage is that it can serve as the final barrier to all integrated measures,playing a supplementary role in case of any problems occu-rring in the front-end process,and ensuring the microbial quality of the final rinse water to the greatest extent possible.

Objective To explore the efficacy of bilateral facial muscle training combined with visual electromyography biofeedback on facial nerve function recovery in patients with idiopathic facial nerve palsy. Methods Patients with idiopathic facial nerve palsy admitted to Shanghai Fifth People’s Hospital, Fudan University from July 2022 to July 2024 were selected and randomly divided into a control group and an intervention group. The control group received conventional physical factor therapy, while the intervention group received bilateral facial muscle training combined with visual electromyography biofeedback therapy based on the control group’s regimen. After 20 treatment sessions, the total effective rate, the House-Brackmann (H-B) facial nerve grading system, the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System (SFGS) score, and the average value ratio of maximal amplitudes of bilateral frontalis and zygomaticus muscles were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 90 patients were included, 45 in each group. After 20 treatment sessions, the total effective rate was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (84.4% vs 75.6%, P＝0.003). Compared with the control group, the intervention group demonstrated a significantly lower H-B grade (P＝0.003) and a higher SFGS score (P＝0.001). The average value ratios of maximal amplitudes of the affected versus healthy side frontalis (P＝0.013) and zygomatic (P＝0.022) muscles were higher in the intervention group than in the control group. Conclusions Bilateral facial muscle training combined with visual electromyography biofeedback is an effective approach for treating idiopathic facial nerve palsy, effectively promoting the recovery of facial nerve function, and improving facial symmetry and facial muscle function.

Objective To establish a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)method for the determination of ginsenoside Rh2(GRh2)in plasma of mice,so as to provide preclinical data support for the pharmacokinetic study and application of GRh2.Methods C57BL16 mice were given 7.5 mg/kg GRh2 by gavage.After administration,0.03 mL of whole blood was collected at 5 min,10 min,15 min,30 min,1 h,2 h,4 h,and 8 h.Then,the whole blood was centrifuged and the serum was treated with 0.1％formic acid acetonitrile,dried by nitrogen(40℃),and redissolved with 50.0 pL 50％methanol solution containing 100 ng/mL diclofenac sodium.After vortex mixing for 5 min at room temperature,it was put into the automatic sampler for sampling analysis.The chromatographic column was Waters BEHC18(2.1 mm × 50.0 mm,1.7 pm),the mobile phase was aqueous solution containing 0.1％formic acid and acetonitrile solution containing 0.1％formic acid at a flow rate of 0.60 mL/min,the column temperature was 40℃,and the injection volume was 1.00 pL.The electric spray ion source,positive ion mode and multiple reaction monitoring mode were performed.A standard curve was established to calculate blood drug concentration.The blood drug concentration-time curve was established according to the blood drug concentration,and the main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated.Results The linear range of the standard curve of drug containing plasma was 100-40 000 ng/mL,and the correlation coefficient(r)was 0.996 0.After internal standard normalization,the matrix effect factors of GRh2 were 1.09,1.06,and 1.00(between 0.8 and 1.2),indicating no significant matrix effect.The precision and accuracy results showed that the average measured concentration of GRh2 samples at each concentration level was 103,333,23 800 and 35 000 ng/mL,the inter batch standard deviation was 6.47-1 120 ng/mL,the inter batch relative standard deviation was 1.5％-8.3％,and the inter batch accuracy deviation was 93.3％-111.1％.The long-term stability,short-term stability,repeated freeze-thaw property,and extraction recovery rate of GRh2 were all good.The pharmacokinetic parameters Tmax and Cmax of GRh2 in mice were(1.42±1.01)h and(1 251±495)ng/mL,respectively,indicating that the absorption and utilization rate of GRh2 in vivo was high and GRh2 had good drug performance.Conclusion The established LC-MS/MS method is accurate and reliable,and can be used to determine the concentration of GRh2 in mouse plasma and study its pharmacokinetic.

Taxifolin (TAX) is a natural compound known for its liver protection effect, but the mechanism remains unknown. Phosphorylated proteomics analyses discovered that the phosphorylation level of NDRG1 at T328 was a key event of TAX-improved liver fibrosis. We established models with NDRG1 knockout (KO) in vivo and in vitro, demonstrating that NDRG1 KO attenuated the development of hepatocyte injury, and combining NDRG1 KO and TAX administration did not result in a reduction in protection against liver injury. Cellular thermal shift assay and surface plasma resonance analysis showed that TAX directly binds to NDRG1 rather than its upstream kinase, subsequently demonstrating that TAX regulated phosphorylation of NDRG1 at T328 through binding to its C289 site. NDRG1 T328A (phosphorylated mutation) and T328E (mimic phosphorylation) in vivo and in vitro confirmed that pNDRG1_T328 exacerbates hepatocyte injury along with DNA damage, inflammatory response, and apoptosis, thereby contributing to hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation. In contrast, TAX can inhibit the above pathological abnormalities and block hepatocyte injury-triggered HSCs activation and fibrosis. Overall, TAX is a potent liver protection drug primarily targeting NDRG1 and inhibiting pNDRG1_T328 in hepatocytes.

Objective:To explore the effect of vitamin D supplement on chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) through a cohort study and provide evidence for optimizing vitamin D supplement strategies in AS management.Methods:Based on the large-scale prospective cohort of the UK Biobank, a total of 1 497 middle-aged and older patients diagnosed with AS were included. Patients were categorized into three groups according to their baseline vitamin supplements usage: non-vitamin supplement group ( n=978), vitamin D supplement group ( n=65), and other vitamin supplements group ( n=454). The occurrence of CMP was obtained by baseline pain survey and follow-up data from 2019—2020 and 2022—2023. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was used to analyze the association between vitamin D supplement and CMP occurrence, with odds ratio ( OR) and its 95% confidence intervals ( CI) calculated. To verify robustness of the study findings, propensity score matching was employed to match participants in the vitamin D supplementation group with those in the non-vitamin supplement group and the other vitamin supplements group for sensitivity analysis. Results:After adjusting for confounding factors such as demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and co-morbidities, GLMM analysis did not find significant association between vitamin D supplement and the risk of CMP occurrence in AS patients [ OR(95% CI)=0.85(0.48, 1.48), P=0.555]. However, GLMM analysis indicated that male AS patients had a lower likelihood of developing CMP compared to female patients [ OR(95% CI)=0.69(0.56, 0.86), P<0.001]. Additionally, current smoking [ OR(95% CI)=1.46(1.06, 2.03), P=0.022] and poorer overall health status-categorized as general [ OR(95% CI)=2.32(1.85, 2.90)] or poor [ OR(95% CI)=2.31(1.68, 3.18), P<0.001] were associated with an increased risk of CMP occurrence. In the sensitivity analysis, no significant association was observed between vitamin D supplement and CMP. Conclusion:Vitamin D supplement does not reduce the risk of CMP occurrence in middle-aged and old AS patients. However, female, smoking, and poor overall health status are identified as risk factors for CMP in AS patients. Future research should focus on large-scale real-world studies, particularly in younger AS populations, to further investigate the relationship between vitamin D supplement and CMP, thereby providing more targeted intervention strategies.

Objective To study the effect and duration of point-of-use filters on the improvement of endoscopic fi-nal rinse water quality.Methods The final rinse water end at the gastroscope manual cleaning workstation in the Endoscopy Centre of the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University was selected to install a tap ter-minal filter;five specimens of final rinse water were collected consecutively before the installation,immediately after the installation,and 1-11 weeks after the installation.At each sampling time,the staff responsible for clea-ning and disinfecting were asked whether the flow rate of discharged water could satisfy the working demand;the final rinse water was inoculated on R2A culture medium with membrane filter method,bacterial colony forming unit(CFU)was calculated after 30℃ incubation for 5 days.Results The qualified rates of endoscopic final rinse water before point-of-use filter installation was 0,immediately after and 1-9 weeks after installation were both 100％,10 and 11 weeks after installation were 80.0％and 20.0％,respectively.The mean CFU of endoscopic final rinse wa-ter before point-of-use filter installation was 102 CFU/100 mL,immediately after and 1-9 weeks after installation were both ≤2 CFU/100 mL,10 and 11 weeks after installation were 8 and 18 CFU/100 mL,respectively.The feedback from the cleaning and disinfection staff before installation,immediately after installation,and 1-11 weeks after installation indicated that the flow rate of discharged water gradually slowed down over time,but could still meet the work requirements.Conclusion The point-of-use filter can quickly and effectively improve the quality of endoscopic final rinse water,with use duration of up to 9 weeks after installation;Its biggest advantage is that it can serve as the final barrier to all integrated measures,playing a supplementary role in case of any problems occu-rring in the front-end process,and ensuring the microbial quality of the final rinse water to the greatest extent possible.

Oxidative stress(OS)and dopaminergic neuron(DN)dysfunction are implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of various neurological disorders.As the primary active component of the traditional Chinese herb Scutellaria baicalensis,baicalin has garnered significant attention due to its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.Baicalin exhibits a particular affinity for the dopamine(DA)system,maintaining cerebral DA levels by regulating oxidative stress(OS)-related pathways,suggesting that the DA system serves as the"intracerebral target system"through which it exerts its neuroprotective effects.Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2),a central transcription factor regulating redox homeostasis,plays a pivotal role in the anti-OS process mediated by baicalin.This systematic review covers the pharmacological effects of baicalin,providing an in-depth mechanistic analysis of the interaction between OS and DN,with a focus on the latest research progress in baicalin-mediated treatment of OS through the Nrf2 signaling pathway in neurological diseases to provide theoretical references for the pharmacological and molecular mechanisms of baicalin's anti-OS modulation of the DA system for the treatment of neurological diseases.

Objective:To explore the effect of vitamin D supplement on chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) through a cohort study and provide evidence for optimizing vitamin D supplement strategies in AS management.Methods:Based on the large-scale prospective cohort of the UK Biobank, a total of 1 497 middle-aged and older patients diagnosed with AS were included. Patients were categorized into three groups according to their baseline vitamin supplements usage: non-vitamin supplement group ( n=978), vitamin D supplement group ( n=65), and other vitamin supplements group ( n=454). The occurrence of CMP was obtained by baseline pain survey and follow-up data from 2019—2020 and 2022—2023. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was used to analyze the association between vitamin D supplement and CMP occurrence, with odds ratio ( OR) and its 95% confidence intervals ( CI) calculated. To verify robustness of the study findings, propensity score matching was employed to match participants in the vitamin D supplementation group with those in the non-vitamin supplement group and the other vitamin supplements group for sensitivity analysis. Results:After adjusting for confounding factors such as demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and co-morbidities, GLMM analysis did not find significant association between vitamin D supplement and the risk of CMP occurrence in AS patients [ OR(95% CI)=0.85(0.48, 1.48), P=0.555]. However, GLMM analysis indicated that male AS patients had a lower likelihood of developing CMP compared to female patients [ OR(95% CI)=0.69(0.56, 0.86), P<0.001]. Additionally, current smoking [ OR(95% CI)=1.46(1.06, 2.03), P=0.022] and poorer overall health status-categorized as general [ OR(95% CI)=2.32(1.85, 2.90)] or poor [ OR(95% CI)=2.31(1.68, 3.18), P<0.001] were associated with an increased risk of CMP occurrence. In the sensitivity analysis, no significant association was observed between vitamin D supplement and CMP. Conclusion:Vitamin D supplement does not reduce the risk of CMP occurrence in middle-aged and old AS patients. However, female, smoking, and poor overall health status are identified as risk factors for CMP in AS patients. Future research should focus on large-scale real-world studies, particularly in younger AS populations, to further investigate the relationship between vitamin D supplement and CMP, thereby providing more targeted intervention strategies.

Objective To investigate the current status,research hotspots,and emerging trends in the field of TCM treatment for tic disorder(TD);To provide references for relevant research.Methods Literature on the TCM treatment for TD was retrieved from CNKI,VIP,Wanfang Data,Web of Science Core Collection,and PubMed databases from January 1,2000 to May 1,2022.NoteExpress 3.7.0.9296 software was used for literature management.VOSviewer 1.6.18 software was utilized to conduct co-occurrence analysis on author,institution,and keyword information.R 4.1.3 was applied to statistically analyze keyword frequency and time distributions and generate visualizations.Results A total of 1 520 articles were included in the analysis,involving 107 core authors.High-frequency keywords included experience of famous doctors,clinical observation,acupuncture,and ear acupoints.Commonly used Chinese herbal medicines included Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma and Bombyx Batryticatus.Frequently prescribed TCM formulae included Wendan Decoction,Changpu Yujin Decoction,Yinqiao Powder,and Tianma Gouteng Decoction.Conclusion Current research hotspots in this field focus on experience of famous doctors,the clinical efficacy of TCM interventions for TD,and molecular biological mechanism studies.Emerging research trends include external TCM treatment and comorbidity investigations.