Based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS) technology and network pharmacology, this study explored the pharmacodynamic substances and potential mechanisms of Huazhuo Sanjie Chubi Decoction in the treatment of gouty arthritis(GA). UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS technology was used to identify the components in Huazhuo Sanjie Chubi Decoction, and the qualitative analysis of its active ingredients was carried out, with a total of 184 active ingredients identified. A total of 897 active ingredient targets were screened through the PharmMapper database, and 491 GA-related disease targets were obtained from the OMIM, GeneCards, CTD databases. After Venn analysis, 60 intersecting targets were obtained. The component target-GA target network was constructed through the Cytoscape platform, and the STRING database was used to construct a protein-protein interaction network, with 16 core targets screened. The core targets were subjected to Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses, and the component-target-pathway network was constructed. It was found that the main active ingredients of the formula for the treatment of GA were phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids, and the key targets were SRC, MMP3, MMP9, REN, ALB, IGF1R, PPARG, MAPK1, HPRT1, and CASP1. Through GO analysis, it was found that the treatment of GA mainly involved biological processes such as lipid response, bacterial response, and biostimulus response. KEGG analysis showed that the pathways related to the treatment of GA included lipids and atherosclerosis, neutrophil extracellular traps(NETs), IL-17, and so on. In summary, phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids may be the core pharmacodynamic substances of Huazhuo Sanjie Chubi Decoction in the treatment of GA, and the pharmacodynamic mechanism may be related to SRC, MMP3, MMP9, and other targets, as well as lipids and atherosclerosis, NETs, IL-17, and other pathways.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Network Pharmacology ; Arthritis, Gouty/metabolism* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects*

This study aims to explore the role and mechanism of berberine in promoting the expression of aquaporin 4(AQP4) in astrocytes by regulating the expression of miR-383-5p in HepG2 cell-derived exosomes under insulin resistance(IR). The IR-HepG2 cell model was established with 1×10~(-6) mol·L~(-1) insulin. With metformin as the positive control, the safe concentrations of berberine and metformin were screened by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) leakage assays, and the effect of berberine on the IR of HepG2 cells was evaluated by glucose consumption. NanoSight was used to measure the particle size and concentration of exosomes secreted by HepG2 cells in each group. HepG2 cell-derived exosomes in each group were incubated with astrocytes for 24 h, and the protein and mRNA levels of AQP4 in HA1800 cells were determined by Western blot and qRT-PCR, respectively. qRT-PCR was performed to determine the expression of miR-383-5p in HepG2 cell-derived exosomes and HA1800 cells after co-incubation. Western blotting was employed to determine the expression levels of miRNAs and proteins associated with exosome production and release in HepG2 cells. The results showed that 10 μmol·L~(-1) berberine and 1 mmol·L~(-1) metformin significantly alleviated the IR of HepG2 cells and reduced the concentration of exosomes in HepG2 cells. The exosomes of HepG2 cells treated with berberine and metformin significantly up-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of AQP4 in HA1800 cells. The mRNA level of miR-383-5p in HepG2 cell exosomes and HA1800 cells co-incubated with berberine and metformin decreased significantly. The intervention with berberine and metformin significantly down-regulated the expression of proteins associated with the production of miRNAs(Dicer, Drosha) as well as the production(Alix, Vps4A) and release(Rab35, VAMP3) of exosomes in IR-HepG2 cells. In conclusion, berberine can promote the expression of AQP4 in astrocytes by inhibiting the production and release of miR-383-5p in HepG2-derived exosomes under IR.
Humans ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Berberine/pharmacology* ; Hep G2 Cells ; Exosomes/genetics* ; Aquaporin 4/metabolism* ; Insulin Resistance ; Astrocytes/drug effects*

Amber and subfossil resins are subjects of interdisciplinary research across multiple fields. However, due to their diverse origins and complex compositions, different disciplines vary in their definitions and functional interpretations. In traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), amber has been utilized as a medicinal material since ancient time, with extensive historical documentation. However, its classification, provenance, and nomenclature remain ambiguous, and authentic medicinal amber artifacts are exceedingly rare. This study employed Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) to characterize amber and subfossil resins from various geological sources and commercially "medicinal amber". Additionally, historical literature and market surveys were analyzed to explore their provenance, composition, and functional attributes. The results indicate that amber and subfossil resins from different sources and with different compositions exhibit distinct fingerprint characteristics in the FTIR spectral range of 1 800-700 cm~(-1). "Medicinal amber" available in the market primarily consists of subfossil or modern resins, significantly differing in composition and structure from geological amber. This study highlights the importance of interdisciplinary research on amber identification and resource management. It is essential to establish a systematic database of amber and subfossil resin characteristics and integrate modern analytical techniques to enhance research on their composition, pharmacological mechanisms, and potential therapeutic effects, thereby promoting the standardized utilization of amber resources and advancing the modernization of TCM.
Amber/history* ; Archaeology ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the partial biomechanical properties of the posterior occipital muscles (rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, and obliquus capitis inferior) in patients with cervical vertigo. METHODS: A total of 30 patients with cervical vertigo admitted from April 2024 to September 2024 were included in the vertigo group, and 30 age-and gender-matched healthy subjects were recruited as the normal group. In the vertigo group, there were 21 females and 9 males, with an average age of (24.00±2.25) years;in the normal group, there were 22 females and 8 males, with an average age of (23.00±3.00) years. Shear wave elastography was used to measure the thickness and stiffness of the posterior occipital muscles in both groups. RESULTS: In the vertigo group, there were no statistically significant differences in the Young's modulus values (E) of stiffness of the posterior occipital muscles (rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, obliquus capitis inferior) between the left and right sides(P>0.05). The Young's modulus values(E) of stiffness of the right posterior occipital muscles (rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, obliquus capitis inferior) in the cervical vertigo group were (39.66±8.21) kPa, (45.61±5.85) kPa, and (43.73±5.22) kPa, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the normal group 33.97(17.76) kPa, 41.38(8.99) kPa, 38.27(12.58) kPa, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). In the vertigo group, the Young's modulus values(E) of stiffness of the left rectus capitis posterior major and left obliquus capitis inferior were (40.41±9.13) kPa and (42.11±6.20) kPa, respectively, which were significantly greater than those in the normal group (33.30±11.31) kPa, 38.94(14.62) kPa, with statistically significant differences(P<0.05);however, there was no statistically significant difference in the left rectus capitis posterior minor between the two groups(P>0.05). In the vertigo group, there were no statistically significant differences in the stiffness of the posterior occipital muscles (rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, obliquus capitis inferior) between the left and right sides(P>0.05). Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences in the thickness of the bilateral posterior occipital muscles between the vertigo group and the normal group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The posterior occipital muscles of patients with cervical vertigo are stiffer than those of healthy individuals, while there is no significant difference in muscle thickness between the two groups.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques/methods* ; Adult ; Vertigo/physiopathology* ; Neck Muscles/physiopathology* ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: To construct a Z-score regression model for coronary artery diameter based on echocardiographic data from children in Sichuan Province and to establish a Z-score calculation formula. METHODS: A total of 744 healthy children who underwent physical examinations at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were selected as the modeling group, while 251 children diagnosed with Kawasaki disease at the same hospital from January 2018 to December 2022 were selected as the validation group. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to analyze the relationships between coronary artery diameter values and age, height, weight, and body surface area. A regression model was constructed using function transformation to identify the optimal regression model and establish the Z-score calculation formula, which was then validated. RESULTS: The Pearson correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficients for the diameters of the left main coronary artery, left anterior descending artery, left circumflex artery, and right coronary artery with body surface area were 0.815, 0.793, 0.704, and 0.802, respectively (P<0.05). Among the constructed regression models, the power function regression model demonstrated the best performance and was therefore chosen as the optimal model for establishing the Z-score calculation formula. Based on this Z-score calculation formula, the detection rate of coronary artery lesions was found to be 21.5% (54/251), which was higher than the detection rate based on absolute values of coronary artery diameter. Notably, in the left anterior descending and left circumflex arteries, the detection rate of coronary artery lesions using this Z-score calculation formula was higher than that of previous classic Z-score calculation formulas. CONCLUSIONS The Z-score calculation formula established based on the power function regression model has a higher detection rate for coronary artery lesions, providing a strong reference for clinicians, particularly in assessing coronary artery lesions in children with Kawasaki disease.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Coronary Artery Disease/diagnostic imaging* ; Infant ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Regression Analysis ; Coronary Vessels/diagnostic imaging* ; Echocardiography ; Adolescent

OBJECTIVE To systematically investigate the changes of volatile components in Euphorbia wallichii after milk and wine processing， and preliminarily elucidate the material basis for reducing toxicity. METHODS Using headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technology， the volatile components in raw E. wallichii， milk-processed E. wallichii， and wine- processed E. wallichii were isolated and identified， and the relative percentage content of each component was calculated by the peak area normalization method. Combining chemometric methods such as principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least- squares discriminant analysis， changes in volatile components in samples after milk and wine processing were compared. Differential components were screened. RESULTS A total of 66 volatile components were identified from the three samples， with the types of compounds primarily comprising alkanes， olefins， heterocycles and esters， among others. A total of 39， 24 and 36 volatile components were identified from raw E. wallichii， milk-processed E. wallichii， and wine-processed E. wallichii， respectively， with 10 components common to all three preparations. Compared with raw E. wallichii， the relative percentage of other components in milk-processed E. wallichii decreased， except for alkanes and esters. The relative percentage of alkanes， olefins， aldehydes and esters in wine-processed E. wallichii increased， but the contents of heterocyclic compounds， ketones， ethers and alcohols decreased. The results of chemometric analysis showed that the volatile components of raw and processed products were significantly different. A total of 5 kinds of differential components in milk-processed products and 3 kinds of differential components in wine-processed products were screened out. Among them， the relative percentage of potential toxic components such as linalool， octanal and 3-pentanone decreased significantly after processing（P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Milk and wine processing may exert a toxicity-reducing effect by reducing the contents of toxic components such as linalool， octanal and 3-pentanonein E. wallichii.

Objective:This study aims to investigate the effect of androgen receptor(AR)on doxorubicin(DOX)-induced cardiomyocyte senescence and autophagy.Methods:H9C2 cardiomyocytes were cultured in vitro, and treated with 0.1 μM DOX for 48 hours to construct an aging cardiomyocytes model.An AR-overexpressing cardiomyocyte model was generated via adenovirus transfection.The cells were divided into four groups: Control group, Control+ AR-overexpression group, DOX group and DOX+ AR-overexpression group.Senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining was performed to assess the positive rate of β-galactosidase staining in myocardial cells; RT-PCR technology was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of senescence-related genes( P21, P53, IL-1 β, IL-6, MCP-1), the inflammasome NLRP3, and autophagy regulatory genes( TFEB and P62)in cardiomyocytes; the Western blot method was used to detect the protein expression levels of P21, AR, TFEB, P62, LC3-Ⅰ, LC3-Ⅱ, and the LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio. Results:Compared with the Control group, the DOX group exhibited a significantly increased positive rate of SA-β-gal staining in myocardial cells( P<0.001). The mRNA expression of P21, P53, IL-1 β, IL-6, MCP-1, and NLRP3 were upregulated(all P<0.05), accompanied by elevated P21 protein expression( P<0.05), while the AR protein expression was downregulated( P<0.05). The LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio was increased significantly( P<0.01), whereas both mRNA and protein expression levels of TFEB and P62 were reduced( P<0.05). Compared with the DOX group, the DOX+ AR-overexpression group exhibited a significantly reduced positive rate of SA-β-gal staining in myocardial cells( P<0.000 1), a decrease in P21 protein expression( P<0.05), a decrease in LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio( P<0.01), and an increase in TFEB and P62 protein expression levels( P<0.05). Conclusions:AR enhances the autophagic clearance function of aging myocardial cells and inhibits cell aging phenotype through upregulating the expression levels of TFEB and P62.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of poisoning inpatients in the first affiliated hospital of chongqing medical and pharmaceutied hospital, and to provide basis for improving the level of prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment of regional poisoning.Methods:In January 2024, using the HIS medical record system of The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical and Pharmeceutical College, we collected the clinical data of poisoning inpatients admitted to our hospital from 2018 to 2023. The data of sex, age, time of poisoning, poison species, poisoning cause, poisoning route, season, treatment and prognosis were analyzed.Results:A total of 972 patients were enrolled, among whom 71.71% (697/972) were young and middle-aged adults, with a higher incidence in summer. Chemical poisoning accounted for 53.61% (521/972) , followed by pesticide poisoning and mixed poisoning in the second and third places. The overall detection rate of toxins was 58.23% (566/972) . The number of domestic poisonings increased year by year, while occupational poisonings decreased year by year, with statistically significant differences ( P<0.05) . The overall cure and improvement rate was 97.22% (945/972) , and the cure and improvement rate of pesticide poisoning was the lowest at 90.23% (120/133) . Factors such as age >60 years, intentional exposure to toxins, pesticide exposure, gastric lavage, blood purification, and length of hospital stay affected the prognosis of patients ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:Health education should be actively promoted, toxin control should be strengthened, scientific and reasonable prevention and control measures as well as treatment methods should be adopted to reduce the incidence and mortality of poisoning.

Background Ozone (O₃), a key air pollutant, significantly contributes to cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related mortality, with particularly pronounced effects in the elderly. Objective To explore the association between acute O₃ exposure and mortality from CVD and its subtypes in the elderly population in Jinan, and to investigate the modifying effects of gender,age, and seasonal factors on O₃-related effects, as well as to clarify the interaction with other air pollutants. Methods Daily mortality data for CVD, air pollutants, and meteorological parameters were collected in Jinan from 2015 to 2023. Generalized additive models (GAM) combined with distributed lag nonlinear models (DLNM) were used to analyze the lag effects of acute O₃ exposure on mortalities from CVD, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and stroke in elderly individuals aged ≥60 years. Subgroup analyses were conducted to explore effect differences by gender (male vs. female), age (non-high-aged elderly<80 years vs. high-aged elderly ≥80 years), and season (warm season: April–September vs. cold season: October–March of the following year). Relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion of interaction (API), and Synergy index (SI) were used to assess the interactions of O₃ with PM_2.5 and NO₂. Results During the study period, the mean daily concentration of ozone reached (105.01 ± 54.18) μg·m⁻³, exceeding the Grade I limit value specified in Ambient Air Quality Standard (GB 3095–2012). Among the 203834 CVD deaths, IHD (53.07%) and stroke (33.33%) were the predominant mortality subtypes. The single-day lag analysis revealed peak excess risk (ER) for CVD mortality at lag0 (ER=0.64%, 95%CI: 0.29%, 1.00%) per 10 μg·m⁻³ O₃ increase. The cumulative effects peaked at lag04 (ER=1.61%, 95%CI: 0.77%, 2.46%). The subtype-specific analyses showed the maximal single-day effects at lag0 were identified for both IHD (ER=0.61%, 95%CI: 0.20%, 1.03%) and stroke (ER=0.65%, 95%CI: 0.19%, 1.11%), while the cumulative risks peaked at lag04 for IHD (ER=1.54%, 95%CI: 0.56%, 2.54%) and lag03 for stroke (ER=1.74%, 95%CI: 0.76%, 2.73%). The gender subgroup analyses suggested that both male and female subgroups showed the most significant impact on CVD mortality at lag0, with ER values of 0.53% (95%CI: 0.11%, 0.95%) and 0.75% (95%CI: 0.33%, 1.18%), respectively, but the differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). No statistically significant difference in effect values was found between high-aged and non-high-aged elderly (P>0.05) after age subgroup analyses. The seasonal subgroup analyses indicated that the effects of O₃ on CVD and its subtypes in the warm season were significantly higher than those in the cold season (P<0.05). At lag0 in the warm season, the ER values for CVD, IHD, and stroke mortality were 0.86% (95%CI: 0.57%, 1.14%), 0.84% (95%CI: 0.49%, 1.19%), and 0.84% (95%CI: 0.43%, 1.26%), respectively. The interaction analyses revealed an antagonistic effect between O₃ and PM_2.5 on stroke mortality in the elderly [RERI=−4.64% (95%CI: −9.27%, −0.01%), API=−4.39% (95%CI: −8.77%, −0.01%), SI=0.55 (95%CI: 0.26, 0.84)]. The O₃ effect remained robust in the multi-pollutant models (P<0.05). Conclusion Acute O₃ exposure increases the risk of mortality from CVD and its subtypes in the elderly, and this effect is amplified in the warm season. Additionally, O₃ and PM_2.5 have an antagonistic effect on stroke mortality in the elderly.

Background Under the background of global warming, research on association between ambient temperature and risk of injury is needed. Objective To examine the effect of temperature on injury in Bao'an district, Shenzhen and identify the sensitive population, thereby providing a scientific basis for formulating prevention and control strategies and measures of injury. Methods The injury reports from the Injury Surveillance System and the meteorological data of Bao'an District between 2018 to 2022 were collected. The meteorological data were sourced from the fifth generation of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) land reanalysis data. Based on time-stratified case-crossover design, conditional logistic regression combined with distributed lag nonlinear model was used to evaluate the exposure-response association between ambient temperature and injury. The stratified analyses were further conducted by gender, age, and causes of injury. Results A total of 156205 injury cases were collected from the injury surveillance sentinel hospitals in Bao'an District of Shenzhen from 2018 to 2022, and the median of daily average temperature during the same period was 20.0 ℃. The exposure-response curve showed that the risk of injury was positively correlated with temperature. The linearized analysis revealed that each 1°C increase in temperature was associated with a 1.05% (95%CI: 0.68%, 1.42%) rise in injury risk (ER). Notably, the effect was greater in females (ER=1.31%, 95%CI: 0.67%, 1.94%) than males (ER=0.92%, 95%CI: 0.47%, 1.37%). Among age groups, adults ＞60 years faced the highest risk (ER=1.91%, 95%CI: −0.36%, 4.24%). The top three temperature-associated injury risks were sharp instrument injuries (ER=2.19%, 95%CI: 1.16%, 3.22%), animal injuries (ER=1.71%, 95%CI: 0.86%, 2.56%), and blunt injuries (ER=071%, 95%CI: −0.08%, 1.51%). The impact of temperature on unintentional injuries (ER=1.11%, 95%CI: 0.72%, 1.49%) was higher than that on intentional injuries (ER=0.43%, 95%CI: −0.85%, 1.72%). Severe injuries (ER=2.20%, 95%CI: −3.09%, 7.77%) were more affected by temperature than mild injuries (ER=1.00%, 95%CI: 0.58%, 1.43%) and moderate injuries (ER=1.15%, 95%CI: 0.42%, 1.89%). Conclusion The increase in ambient temperature associates with injury occurrence, and the impact of temperature exhibits obvious heterogeneity among different populations, indicating that targeted intervention measures should be taken for different populations and types of injuries.