This paper aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of action of the Yiqi Fumai Formula(YQFM), a kind of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), on mice with experimental heart failure based on the "heart-gut axis" theory. Based on the network pharmacology integrated with the group collaboration algorithm, the active ingredients were screened, a "component-target-disease" network was constructed, and the potential pathways regulated by the formula were predicted and analyzed. Next, the model of experimental heart failure was established by intraperitoneal injection of adriamycin at a single high dose(15 mg·kg~(-1)) in BALB/c mice. After intraperitoneal injection of YQFM(lyophilized) at 7.90, 15.80, and 31.55 mg·d~(-1) for 7 d, the protective effects of the formula on cardiac function were evaluated using indicators such as ultrasonic electrocardiography and myocardial injury markers. Combined with inflammatory factors in the cardiac and colorectal tissue, as well as targeted assays, the relevant indicators of potential pathways were verified. Meanwhile, 16S rDNA sequencing was performed on mouse fecal samples using the Illumina platform to detect changes in gut flora and analyze differential metabolic pathways. The results show that the administration of injectable YQFM(lyophilized) for 7 d significantly increased the left ventricular end-systolic internal diameter, fractional shortening, and ejection fraction of cardiac tissue of mice with experimental heart failure(P<0.05). Moreover, markers of myocardial injury were significantly decreased(P<0.05), indicating improved cardiac function, along with significantly suppressed inflammatory responses in cardiac and intestinal tissue(P<0.05). Additionally, the species of causative organisms was decreased, and the homeostasis of gut flora was improved, involving a modulatory effect on PI3K-Akt signaling pathway-related inflammation in cardiac and colorectal tissue. In conclusion, YQFM can affect the "heart-gut axis" immunity through the homeostasis of the gut flora, thereby exerting a therapeutic effect on heart failure. This finding provides a reference for the combination of TCM and western medicine to prevent and treat heart failure based on the "heart-gut axis" theory.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Heart Failure/microbiology* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Male ; Disease Models, Animal ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Heart/physiopathology* ; Humans ; Signal Transduction/drug effects*

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the disease patterns and acupoint selection characteristics of acupuncture for epilepsy in ancient acupuncture texts, providing references and ideas for clinical acupuncture treatment of epilepsy. METHODS: Texts from the Chinese Medical Classics (5th edition) regarding acupuncture for epilepsy are reviewed. The frequency of acupoints, meridian association, distribution, specific points, corresponding epilepsy subtypes, and needling techniques are statistically analyzed. The Apriori algorithm is used for association rule analysis, and a complex network analysis is conducted for high-frequency acupoints and their corresponding subtypes and treatments. RESULTS: A total of 205 acupuncture prescriptions are identified. Ancient texts favored differentiation-based treatments for epilepsy, primarily classified into epilepsy, wind epilepsy, and five epilepsy. Commonly used acupoints include Baihui (GV20), Jiuwei (CV15), Shenmen (HT7), Shenting (GV24), and Xinshu (BL15), with a focus on the acupoints of the governor vessel, the bladder meridian, and the conception vessel. The acupoints on the head, face are combined with the acupoints on the limbs, with skillful use of the five-shu points and intersection acupoints. The most frequent combinations are Shenmen (HT7)-Baihui (GV20), Shenting (GV24)-Baihui (GV20), and Xinshu (BL15)-Shenmen (HT7). Visual network analysis revealed that Baihui (GV20)-Shenting (GV24), Baihui (GV20)-Shenmen (HT7), and Baihui (GV20)-Zhaohai (KI6) are core acupoint combinations. Treatment mainly involved moxibustion or combined acupuncture and moxibustion. CONCLUSION The acupoint selection for epilepsy treatment in ancient texts is precise, frequently using Baihui (GV20), Jiuwei (CV15), Shenmen (HT7), Shenting (GV24), and Xinshu (BL15), etc., with emphasis on calming epilepsy, awakening the spirit, relaxing tendons, and nourishing the heart.
Acupuncture Points ; Humans ; Epilepsy/history* ; History, Ancient ; Acupuncture Therapy/history* ; Medicine in Literature/history* ; Meridians ; China

OBJECTIVES: To study the epidemiological characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in hospitalized children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Hebei Province. METHODS: Hospitalized children with CAP who tested positive for RSV and were admitted to Hebei Children's Hospital from various cities and counties across Hebei Province between January 2019 and December 2023 were included in the study. Clinical data were collected and analyzed to assess epidemiological characteristics. RESULTS: The clinical data of 43 978 children with CAP were collected, with an overall RSV detection rate of 25.98%. The detection rate was higher during the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) (30.60%) than in the non-NPIs period. Winter and spring were the primary epidemic seasons for RSV each year except in 2022. The detection rate in males (26.62%) was higher than in females (25.06%) (P<0.001). The highest detection rate (59.18%) was found in infants aged 29 days to <1 year. Single RSV infection was more common, with rhinovirus being the most frequent co-infection. CONCLUSIONS The overall RSV detection rate in Hebei Province is influenced by NPIs, being higher during their implementation. RSV predominantly circulates in winter and spring. The detection rate of RSV is higher in males and infants. RSV infection is primarily single, most often co-occurring with rhinovirus.
Humans ; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections/epidemiology* ; Female ; Male ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Seasons ; China/epidemiology* ; Infant, Newborn ; Community-Acquired Infections/epidemiology* ; Child

OBJECTIVE: To assess the cardioprotective effect and impact of Qishen Granules (QSG) on different ischemic areas of the myocardium in heart failure (HF) rats by evaluating its metabolic pattern, substrate utilization, and mechanistic modulation. METHODS: In vivo, echocardiography and histology were used to assess rat cardiac function; positron emission tomography was performed to assess the abundance of glucose metabolism in the ischemic border and remote areas of the heart; fatty acid metabolism and ATP production levels were assessed by hematologic and biochemical analyses. The above experiments evaluated the cardioprotective effect of QSG on left anterior descending ligation-induced HF in rats and the mode of energy metabolism modulation. In vitro, a hypoxia-induced H9C2 model was established, mitochondrial damage was evaluated by flow cytometry, and nuclear translocation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 α (HIF-1 α) was observed by immunofluorescence to assess the mechanism of energy metabolism regulation by QSG in hypoxic and normoxia conditions. RESULTS: QSG regulated the pattern of glucose and fatty acid metabolism in the border and remote areas of the heart via the HIF-1 α pathway, and improved cardiac function in HF rats. Specifically, QSG promoted HIF-1 α expression and entry into the nucleus at high levels of hypoxia (P<0.05), thereby promoting increased compensatory glucose metabolism; while reducing nuclear accumulation of HIF-1 α at relatively low levels of hypoxia (P<0.05), promoting the increased lipid metabolism. CONCLUSIONS QSG regulates the protein stability of HIF-1 α, thereby coordinating energy supply balance between the ischemic border and remote areas of the myocardium. This alleviates the energy metabolism disorder caused by ischemic injury.
Animals ; Myocardial Infarction/physiopathology* ; Male ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Glucose/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Energy Metabolism/drug effects* ; Rats ; Fatty Acids/metabolism* ; Myocardium/pathology*

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), especially generative AI (GenAI), has already brought, and will continue to bring, revolutionary changes to our daily production and life, as well as create new opportunities and challenges for diagnostic and therapeutic practices in the medical field. Haihe Hospital of Tianjin University collaborates with the National Supercomputer Center in Tianjin, Tianjin University, and other institutions to carry out research in areas such as smart healthcare, smart services, and smart management. We have conducted research and development of a full-process disease diagnosis and treatment assistance system based on GenAI in the field of smart healthcare. The development of this project is of great significance. The first goal is to upgrade and transform the hospital's information center, organically integrate it with existing information systems, and provide the necessary computing power storage support for intelligent services within the hospital. We have implemented the localized deployment of three models: Tianhe "Tianyuan", WiNGPT, and DeepSeek. The second is to create a digital avatar of the chief physician/chief physician's voice and image by integrating multimodal intelligent interaction technology. With generative intelligence as the core, this solution provides patients with a visual medical interaction solution. The third is to achieve deep adaptation between generative intelligence and the entire process of patient medical treatment. In this project, we have developed assistant tools such as intelligent inquiry, intelligent diagnosis and recognition, intelligent treatment plan generation, and intelligent assisted medical record generation to improve the safety, quality, and efficiency of the diagnosis and treatment process. This study introduces the content of a full-process disease diagnosis and treatment assistance system, aiming to provide references and insights for the digital transformation of the healthcare industry.
Artificial Intelligence ; Humans ; Delivery of Health Care ; Generative Artificial Intelligence

OBJECTIVE: Comorbid pain and depression are common but remain difficult to treat. Electroacupuncture (EA) can effectively improve symptoms of depression and relieve pain, but its neural mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to detect cerebral changes after initiating a mouse pain model via constriction of the infraorbital nerve (CION) and then treating these animals with EA. METHODS: Forty male C57BL/6J mice were divided into 4 groups: control, CION model, EA, and sham acupuncture (without needle insertion). EA was performed on the acupoints Baihui (GV20) and Zusanli (ST36) for 20 min, once a day for 10 consecutive days. The mechanical withdrawal threshold was tested 3 days after the surgery and every 3 days after the intervention. The depressive behavior was evaluated with the tail suspension test, open-field test, elevated plus maze (EPM), sucrose preference test, and marble burying test. The rs-fMRI was used to detect the cerebral changes of the functional connectivity (FC) in the mice following EA treatment. RESULTS: Compared with the CION group, the mechanical withdrawal threshold increased in the EA group at the end of the intervention (P < 0.05); the immobility time in tail suspension test decreased (P < 0.05); and the times of the open arm entry and the open arm time in the EPM increased (both P < 0.001). There was no difference in the sucrose preference or marble burying tests (both P > 0.05). The fMRI results showed that EA treatment downregulated the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity values, while these indicators were elevated in brain regions including the amygdala, hippocampus and cerebral cortex in the CION model for comorbid pain and depression. Selecting the amygdala as the seed region, we found that the FC was higher in the CION group than in the control group. Meanwhile, EA treatment was able to decrease the FC between the amygdala and other brain regions including the caudate putamen, thalamus, and parts of the cerebral cortex. CONCLUSION EA can downregulate the abnormal activation of neurons in the amygdala and improve its FC with other brain regions, thus exerting analgesic and antidepressant effects. Please cite this article as: Yin X, Zeng XL, Lin JJ, Xu WQ, Cui KY, Guo XT, Li W, Xu SF. Brain functional changes following electroacupuncture in a mouse model of comorbid pain and depression: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 159-168.
Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Male ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Depression/diagnostic imaging* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice ; Pain/diagnostic imaging* ; Acupuncture Points

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture therapy provides a complementary and alternative approach to treating major depressive disorder (MDD), but its efficacy and safety have still not been comprehensively assessed. Recently published systematic reviews remain confusing and inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review evaluated the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy alone or combined with antidepressants for adult patients with mild and moderate MDD. SEARCH STRATEGY: Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang Database, Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from their inceptions to March 2025. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials that compared acupuncture therapy with antidepressants, or acupuncture therapy plus antidepressants with acupuncture therapy or antidepressants for adult patients with mild and moderate MDD were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Five reviewers independently extracted data from original literature using a standardized form, and the data were verified by two reviewers to ensure accuracy. Statistical meta-analyses, publication bias analyses, and subgroup analyses were performed by using Review Manager 5.3 software. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach was used to assess the certainty of the evidence. RESULTS: A total of 60 eligible studies including 4675 participants were included. Low-certainty evidence showed that compared with antidepressants, acupuncture therapy (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [-0.87, -0.27]; I² = 86%; P = 0.006) or acupuncture therapy plus antidepressants (SMD = -1.00; 95% CI = [-1.18, -0.81]; I² = 77%; P < 0.00001) may reduce the severity of depression at the end of treatment. Low-certainty evidence indicated that compared with acupuncture therapy alone, acupuncture therapy plus antidepressants slightly reduced the severity of depression at the end of treatment (SMD = -0.38; 95% CI = [-0.61, -0.14]; I² = 18%; P = 0.002). Similar results were also found for acupuncture's relief of insomnia. The reported adverse effects of acupuncture therapy were mild and transient. For most of the subgroup analyses, acupuncture type, scale type, and the course of treatment did not show a significant relative effect. CONCLUSION Acupuncture therapy may provide antidepressant effects and relieve insomnia with mild adverse effects for adult patients with mild and moderate MDD. But the certainty of evidence was very low. More high-quality, well designed, large-scale studies with long-term follow-up are needed in the future. Please cite this article as: Kuang HJ, Yang HS, Feng YX, Tang H, Fan Q, Xu YQ, Cui S, Musil R, Luxenburger H, Zhang YX, Zhao H, Zhang YQ. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapies for adult patients with mild and moderate major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):471-491.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Depressive Disorder, Major/therapy* ; Adult ; Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use* ; Treatment Outcome ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Objective:To investigate the protective effect of lovastatin on liver injury in the rats induced by hyperlipidemia,and to elucidate its possible mechanism.Methods:Fifteen SD rats were randomly divided into control group,hyperlipidemia model group,and lovastatin group,with 5 rats in each group.The rats in control group were fed with standard diet,while the rats in hyperlipidemia model group and lovastatin group were fed high-fat diet for 12 weeks.Starting from the 8th week,the rats were administered treatments via gavage once a day for 4 weeks:the rats in lovastatin group received 2 mng·kg-1 lovastatin,while the rats in control group and hyperlipidemia model group received an equal volume of normal saline.The body weights of the rats in various groups were measured at weeks 1,8,9,10,11,and 12 after the experiment began;the histopathology of liver tissue of the rats in various groups was observed using HE staining;the serum levels of total cholesterol(TC),triglycerides(TG),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),malondialdehyde(MDA),as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),and alanine aminotransferase(ALT),and the levels of interleukin-2(IL-2),interleukin-6(IL-6),interleukin-12(IL-12),and tumor necrosis factor-a(TNF-α)of the rats in various groups were detected using commercial kits;the composition of the gut microbiota of the rats in various groups was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing.Results:Compared with control group,the body weight of the rats in hyperlipidemia model group was significantly increased from the 8th week of high-fat diet feeding(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01 or P＜0.001).Compared with hyperlipidemia model group,the body weight of the rats in lovastatin group was significantly decreased at weeks 11 and 12(P＜0.05).Compared with control group,the livers of the rats in hyperlipidemia model group appeared rough,pale,enlarged,with blunt edges,and had a granular and greasy texture.Compared with hyperlipidemia model group,the livers of the rats in lovastatin group were light brownish-red,soft,with slightly blunt edges,reduced volume,and less granularity and greasiness.Compared with control group,the liver cells of the rats in hyperlipidemia model group were swollen and disorganized,with pyknotic nuclei,extensive inflammatory cell infiltration,and numerous vacuolar degenerations.Compared with hyperlipidemia model group,the rats in lovastatin group showed significantly reduced hepatocyte swelling and degeneration,more orderly and intact liver cell arrangement,decreased inflammatory cell infiltration,and reduced vacuolar degeneration.Compared with control group,the serum levels of TC,TG,and LDL-C of the rats in hyperlipidemia model group were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the serum HDL-C level was decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with hyperlipidemia model group,the serum levels of TC,TG,and LDL-C of the rats in lovastation group were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and the serum HDL-C level was increased(P＜0.05).Compared with control group,the serum MDA levels and the ALT and AST activities of the rats in hyperlipidemia model group were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the SOD and GSH-Px activities were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with hyperlipidemia model group,the serum MDA levels and ALT and AST activities of the rats in lovastatin group were decreased(P＜0.05),and the SOD and GSH-Px activities were increased(P＜0.05).Compared with control group,the serum levels of IL-2,IL-6,IL-12,and TNF-α of the rats in hyperlipidemia model group were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Compared with hyperlipidemia model group,the serum levels of IL-2,IL-6,IL-12,and TNF-α of the rats in lovastatin group were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with control group,the ACE and Chao1 indexes of the rats in hyperlipidemia model group were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with hyperlipidemia model group,the ACE and Chao1 indexes of the rats in lovastatin group were significantly increased(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Compared with control group,the relative abundances of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria of the rats in hyperlipidemia model group were significantly increased(P＜0.001),and the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were decreased(P＜0.001).Compared with hyperlipidemia model group,the relative abundances of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria of the rats in lovastatin group were significantly decreased(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),while the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria showed no significant changes.Compared with control group,the relative abundance of Lactobacillus of the rats in hyperlipidemia model group was significantly decreased(P＜0.001),and the relative abundances of Bacteroides,Desulfovibrio,and Clostridium were significantly increased(P＜0.01 or P＜0.001).Compared with hyperlipidemia model group,the relative abundance of Lactobacillus of the rats in lovastatin group showed no significant change but the relative abundances of Bacteroides,Desulfovibrio,and Clostridium were significantly decreased(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01 or P＜0.001).Conclusion:Lovastatin ameliorates liver injury induced by hyperlipidemia,and the mechanism may be related to its ability to improve gut microbiota composition and inhibit oxidative stress and inflammatory damage.

Objective To investigate the comparative neuroprotective effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(hUC-MSCs-Exos)administered via different routes on hypoxic ischemic brain damage(HIBD)in neonatal mice.Methods Healthy one-week-old SPF-grade BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 4 groups:sham operation group(n=6),model group(n=6),exosome group 1(n=8),exosome group 2(n=8).HIBD was induced using the Rice-Vannucci method.Exosome group 1 and Exosome group 2 were intraperitoneal injection/intranasal drip of phosphate buffer(PBS)100 μl containing 10 μl exosomes within 24 h after successful modeling,respectively.Sham operation and model groups were intraperitoneal injection of PBS 100 μl.On the 7th day after the intervention,neuromotor function was assessed using the horizontal grid test and pole climbing test.On the 2nd day after the evaluation,all mice were killed and their brains were removed by decapitation.HE staining was used to observe the pathological injury of brain tissue,toluidine blue staining was used to observe the survival of neurons in cerebral cortex,and TUNEL staining was used to observe the apoptosis of cerebral cortex cells.Results Compared with sham operation group,model group,exosome group 1 and exosome group 2 exhibited increased hind limb drops in horizontal grid test and climbing scores(P<0.05).No significant difference was found in model group,exosome group 1 and exosome group 2 in these measures(P<0.05).Significant pathology was observed in model group,exosome group 1 and exosome group 2 compared to sham operation group(P<0.05),with significantly reduced damage in exosome group 1 and exosome group 2 compared to model group(P<0.05).Compared with sham operation group,Nissl body count was lower in model group and exosome group 1 and exosome group 2,with a higher count in exosome group 2 compared to exosome group 1(P<0.05).Compared with sham operation group,apoptotic cells were higher in model group and exosome group 1 and exosome group 2,with a significant reduction in exosome group 1 and exosome group 2 compared to model group,and the lowest in exosome group 2(P<0.05).Conclusions hUC-MSCs-Exos can improve the neuronal motor function,promote neuron repair and inhibit apoptosis in HIBD mice.Intranasal administration of hUC-MSCs-Exos is more effective than intraperitoneal administration for reducing neuronal apoptosis in HIBP neonatal mice,offering a convenient and rapid method suitable for clinical application.

Objective To explore the application effect of pressure moxibustion at Baihui and Guanyuan acupoints combined with butylphthalide in treating stroke patients in recovery phase.Methods A total of 108 stroke patients in recovery phase were randomly divided into observation group and control group,with 54 cases in each group.The control group was treated with bu-tylphthalide on the basis of conventional treatment,while the observation group was treated with pres-sure moxibustion at Baihui and Guanyuan acupoints combined with butylphthalide for 8 consecutive weeks.After the end of the treatment course,the efficacy was evaluated in both groups,and the func-tional status[the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS),the Montreal Cognitive Assess-ment(MoCA),the Barthel Index(BI)],event-related potential P300,the levels of hemodynamic indicators[resistance index(RI),pulsatility index(PI),mean velocity(Vm)],cognitive function markers[lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2(Lp-PLA2),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),humanβ-amyloid 1-42(Aβ-42)]and safety were compared between the two groups before and after treat-ment.Results The total effective rate in the observation group was 96.30％,which was significantly higher than 85.19％in the control group(P＜0.05).After 8 weeks of treatment,the MoCA and BI scores in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group,while the NIHSS score was significantly lower(P＜0.05).After 8 weeks of treatment,the latency in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group,while the amplitude and the differences in latency and amplitude before and after treatment were significantly higher(P＜0.05).After 8 weeks of treatment,Vm in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the con-trol group,while PI and RI were significantly lower(P＜0.05).After 8 weeks of treatment,the levels of Lp-PLA2,ALP and Aβ-42 in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05).No serious adverse reactions occurred in patients in each group.Conclusion Pressure moxibustion at Baihui and Guanyuan acupoints combined with butylphthalide can improve cerebral blood flow and promote the recovery of cognitive and neurological functions in stroke patients in recovery phase.The mechanism may be related to the downregulation of Lp-PLA2,ALP and Aβ-42 expression.