Objective:To establish a quality control method for the standard decoction of Polygoni Avicularis Herba.Methods:Totally 12 batches of decoction pieces from different origins were collected, the standard decoction was prepared and the quality evaluation method was established, the content of index components in the decoction pieces and the standard decoction was determined with HPLC, the index components, solution pH and other parameters were calculated, and the similarity analysis was carried out against the fingerprints.Results:The total content of myricetin in 12 batches of decoction pieces was >0.12%, and the content of myricetin in the standard decoction was >0.03%, which met the standard of the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The pH value was 5.1-5.5, the transfer rate of myricetin components ranged from 50.0%-106.3%, and the fingerprint study showed that there were 7 common peaks. The similarity analysis results indicated that the standard decoction of 12 batches of decoction pieces of Polygoni Avicularis Herba had good consistency.Conclusion:The preparation process is stable and feasible in line with the traditional decoction preparation method, and can be used for the research and quality evaluation of the standard decoction.

Objective We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shengxuebao Mixture in the treatment of cancer-related anemia(CRA)presenting with syndrome of deficiency of liver and kidney combined with syndrome of deficiency of both qi and blood.Methods A randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled,multicenter clinical trial was conducted.Eligible patients with malignant tumors meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled from 26 hospitals,including Dongzhimen Hospital,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,Xiaogan Central Hospital,and Yangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine,from June 1,2022,to September 30,2024.Patients were allocated 1:1 to either the experimental group receiving Shengxuebao Mixture or the control group receiving its simulator(placebo)using a block randomization method under double-blind conditions.Both groups received 15 mL orally three times daily for 28 consecutive days.The primary efficacy indicators included the hemoglobin(Hb)improvement rate(RHb)and the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome improvement rate(RTCM)at week 4 of treatment.The secondary efficacy indicators encompassed Hb and red blood cell(RBC)count,Karnofsky Performance Status(KPS)score,TCM syndrome score,individual TCM symptom scores,and changes in each of these indicators compared to the baseline period at weeks 2,4,and 6 of treatment.Safety evaluations were conducted at week 4 of treatment.Results A total of 239 patients were enrolled,with 225 cases included in the Full Analysis Set(FAS)(109 in the experimental group vs.116 control group),163 in the Per Protocol Set(PPS)(77 vs.86),and 225 in the Safety Set(SS)(109 vs.116).Baseline characteristics between groups showed no significant differences.Significant differences were observed between the experimental and control groups in RHb at week 4(FAS:49.51%vs.35.24%,P<0.05;PPS:53.25%vs.36.05%,P<0.05)and RTCM at week 4(FAS:61.54%vs.39.62%,P<0.01;PPS:64.94%vs.40.70%,P<0.01).At weeks 2,4,and 6,the experimental group showed greater improvements in Hb and RBC counts than the control group.Additionally,the TCM syndrome scores were lower in the experimental group than in the control group at these time points.Except for week 2 in PPS,the KPS improvement was better in the experimental group than in the control group(P<0.05).The experimental group also demonstrated a greater reduction in scores for individual TCM symptoms such as spiritlessness and weakness,poor appetite and reduced food intake at weeks 4 and 6 compared to the control group(P<0.05,P<0.01).Furthermore,the reduction in vertigo score was more pronounced in the experimental group at week 6(P<0.01).For the score of pale and lusterless complexion,only in the PPS was the reduction from baseline more significant in the experimental group than in the control group at weeks 4 and 6(P<0.05).No significant differences were observed between the experimental and control groups in the incidence of all adverse events or drug-related adverse reactions.Conclusion Shengxuebao Mixture demonstrates significant efficacy in patients with CRA presenting syndrome of deficiency of liver and kidney combined with syndrome of deficiency of both qi and blood,effectively increasing Hb levels,ameliorating TCM syndromes,alleviating clinical symptoms,and enhancing functional status,with no significant difference in adverse drug reactions compared to the placebo.

Objective:To detect adverse reaction risk signals of triazole antifungal agents and provide evidences for their safe use in clinic.Methods:Adverse reaction/event reports with fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, or isavuconazonium as the primary suspect drug were collected from the data in National Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring System of China reported by Shandong Province from January 2004 to June 2024 and the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database from the first quarter of 2004 to the second quarter of 2023. Adverse reaction/event terms were standardized using the preferred term (PT) and system organ class in Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities 24.0. Risk signals were detected using the reporting odds ratio (ROR) method and the Bayesian confidence propagation neural network (BCPNN) algorithm. A PT was defined as an adverse reaction risk signal if the number of reports was ≥3, the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval ( CI) for ROR was >2, and the lower limit of the 95% CI for the information component ( IC) was >0. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results:A total of 3 988 reports with the above 5 antifungal drugs as the primary suspect drug were collected from data in National Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring System of China reported by Shandong Province, 822 (20.6%) of which were serious cases. Voriconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, and isavuconazonium was the primary suspect drug in 1 852, 1 395, 703, 27, and 11 cases among the 3 988 reports, and in 591 (31.9%), 149 (10.7%), 59 (8.4%), 18 (66.7%), and 5 (5/11) serious cases among the 822 serious case reports, respectively. A total of 20 066 reports with the above 5 drugs as the primary suspect drug were collected in FAERS database, 9 635 (48.0%) of which were serious cases. Voriconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, and isavuconazonium was the primary suspect drug in 7 758, 6 180, 2 869, 1 796, and 1 463 cases among the 20 066 reports, and in 4 295 (55.4%), 2 806 (45.4%), 1 191 (41.5%), 828 (46.1%), and 515 (35.2%) serious cases among the 9 635 serious case reports, respectively. Based on the data reported by Shandong Province and in FAERS database, 18 and 207 risk signals of adverse reaction not mentioned in the labels were identified, respectively, and 5 of them were identified in both databases, including fluconazole-induced renal impairment and voriconazole-induced oliguria, delirium, psychiatric disorders, and rhabdomyolysis. In the data reported by Shandong Province and in FAERS database, 13 and 189 reports of muscle-related disorders (rhabdomyolysis, myopathy, and myositis) were identified respectively, involving voriconazole (in 8 and 62 cases), itraconazole (in 4 and 74 cases), and fluconazole (in 1 and 53 cases).Conclusions:Renal impairment induced by fluconazole and oliguria, delirium, psychiatric disorders, and rhabdomyolysis induced by voriconazole are risk signals of adverse reaction not mentioned in the labels for triazole antifungal agents. Voriconazole, itraconazole, and fluconazole may also cause muscle-related disorders, warranting vigilance in clinical practice.

Objective To explore the potential diagnostic value of protocadherin 17(PCDH17)and transducer of ERBB2,(TOB1)in gastric cancer,as well as their effects on autophagy and apoptosis in gastric cancer cells,providing novel target insights for gastric canc-er diagnosis.Methods Tissue samples were collected from 120gastric cancer patients,including cancerous and adjacent normal tissues.The expression levels of PCDH17 and TOB1 were assessed via immunohistochemistry.Overexpression of PCDH17 and TOB1 in the AGS gastric cancer cell line was analyzed using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)and Western blot.The effects of these overexpressions on cell proliferation,autophagy,and apoptosis were evaluated using CCK-8 assays,Western blot a-nalysis,and detection of autophagy and apoptosis-related proteins.Additionally,receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was employed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of combined PCDH17 and TOB1 in diagnosing gastric cancer.Results The ex-pression levels of PCDH17 and TOB1 were significantly lower in gastric cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues(P＜0.001),and their low expression was significantly correlated with clinical stage and lymph node metastasis(P＜0.001).In vitro experiments dem-onstrated that overexpression of PCDH17 and TOB1 could significantly inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer cells(P＜0.001),and promoted autophagy and apoptosis through upregulation of autophagy markers LC3 and Beclin-1,along with pro-apoptotic protein BAX,while downregulating anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2.The combined overexpression of PCDH17 and TOB1 resulted in a more pronounced inhibitory effect on cell proliferation and enhanced levels of autophagy and apoptosis compared to individual overexpression(P＜0.001).The area under the curve for the combined diagnostic efficacy of PCDH17 and TOB1 was 0.887,with a sensitivity of 88.39％,and a spe-cificity of 87.24％,the diagnostic effect was superior to that of individual assays.Conclusion The low expression of PCDH17 and TOB1 is closely associated with the occurrence and progression of gastric cancer.Furthermore,the combined detection of these markers exhibits high sensitivity and specificity for gastric cancer diagnosis.The combined overexpression of PCDH17 and TOB1 had a significant synergistic effects on inhibiting proliferation while promoting autophagy and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells.PCDH17 and TOB1 can be used as po-tential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for gastric cancer,providing new avenues for the diagnosis and targeted treatment of gastric cancer.

Objective We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shengxuebao Mixture in the treatment of cancer-related anemia(CRA)presenting with syndrome of deficiency of liver and kidney combined with syndrome of deficiency of both qi and blood.Methods A randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled,multicenter clinical trial was conducted.Eligible patients with malignant tumors meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled from 26 hospitals,including Dongzhimen Hospital,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,Xiaogan Central Hospital,and Yangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine,from June 1,2022,to September 30,2024.Patients were allocated 1:1 to either the experimental group receiving Shengxuebao Mixture or the control group receiving its simulator(placebo)using a block randomization method under double-blind conditions.Both groups received 15 mL orally three times daily for 28 consecutive days.The primary efficacy indicators included the hemoglobin(Hb)improvement rate(RHb)and the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome improvement rate(RTCM)at week 4 of treatment.The secondary efficacy indicators encompassed Hb and red blood cell(RBC)count,Karnofsky Performance Status(KPS)score,TCM syndrome score,individual TCM symptom scores,and changes in each of these indicators compared to the baseline period at weeks 2,4,and 6 of treatment.Safety evaluations were conducted at week 4 of treatment.Results A total of 239 patients were enrolled,with 225 cases included in the Full Analysis Set(FAS)(109 in the experimental group vs.116 control group),163 in the Per Protocol Set(PPS)(77 vs.86),and 225 in the Safety Set(SS)(109 vs.116).Baseline characteristics between groups showed no significant differences.Significant differences were observed between the experimental and control groups in RHb at week 4(FAS:49.51%vs.35.24%,P<0.05;PPS:53.25%vs.36.05%,P<0.05)and RTCM at week 4(FAS:61.54%vs.39.62%,P<0.01;PPS:64.94%vs.40.70%,P<0.01).At weeks 2,4,and 6,the experimental group showed greater improvements in Hb and RBC counts than the control group.Additionally,the TCM syndrome scores were lower in the experimental group than in the control group at these time points.Except for week 2 in PPS,the KPS improvement was better in the experimental group than in the control group(P<0.05).The experimental group also demonstrated a greater reduction in scores for individual TCM symptoms such as spiritlessness and weakness,poor appetite and reduced food intake at weeks 4 and 6 compared to the control group(P<0.05,P<0.01).Furthermore,the reduction in vertigo score was more pronounced in the experimental group at week 6(P<0.01).For the score of pale and lusterless complexion,only in the PPS was the reduction from baseline more significant in the experimental group than in the control group at weeks 4 and 6(P<0.05).No significant differences were observed between the experimental and control groups in the incidence of all adverse events or drug-related adverse reactions.Conclusion Shengxuebao Mixture demonstrates significant efficacy in patients with CRA presenting syndrome of deficiency of liver and kidney combined with syndrome of deficiency of both qi and blood,effectively increasing Hb levels,ameliorating TCM syndromes,alleviating clinical symptoms,and enhancing functional status,with no significant difference in adverse drug reactions compared to the placebo.

OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical characteristics of Tropheryma whipplei(TW)infection and observe the application of pathogenic metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS)in diagnosis of TW infection.METHODS The clinical data were collected from 1 patient who was diagnosed by mNGS in the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University on Apr.9,2022.The data including the results of laboratory tests and treatment out-comes were summarized,and a literature review was conducted.RESULTS A 50-year-old woman presented to the hospital with chest tightness and chest pain lasting for 3 days,accompanied by dyspnea,palpitations,and expec-toration.The chest plain CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)scan suggested a high probability of pul-monary infection.Normal flora were isolated by culture of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF);TW and human βherpes virus type 7 were detected in BALF by mNGS,with the sequence numbers 327 000 and 9,respectively.The pulmonary symptoms of the patient were improved after joint treatment of the infection with etimicin,levo-floxacin and minocycline.The patient repeatedly sought for medical treatment due to the pain of shoulder joint and limitation of motion.CONCLUSIONS TW is one of major pathogens leading to the infections of systemic multiple systems,and it is necessary to attach great importance to the diagnosis and treatment.The traditional laboratory test method can not achieve ideal diagnosis effect and is more likely to make a missed diagnosis.mNGS is more ac-curate and more efficient than the traditional detection method in diagnosis of TW-induced diseases.Early use of mNGS can make a rapid identification of pathogens and facilitate the reasonable clinical use of antibiotics.It is of great significance for control of the disease progression,improvement of prognosis and prevention of recurrence.

OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical characteristics of Tropheryma whipplei(TW)infection and observe the application of pathogenic metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS)in diagnosis of TW infection.METHODS The clinical data were collected from 1 patient who was diagnosed by mNGS in the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University on Apr.9,2022.The data including the results of laboratory tests and treatment out-comes were summarized,and a literature review was conducted.RESULTS A 50-year-old woman presented to the hospital with chest tightness and chest pain lasting for 3 days,accompanied by dyspnea,palpitations,and expec-toration.The chest plain CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)scan suggested a high probability of pul-monary infection.Normal flora were isolated by culture of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF);TW and human βherpes virus type 7 were detected in BALF by mNGS,with the sequence numbers 327 000 and 9,respectively.The pulmonary symptoms of the patient were improved after joint treatment of the infection with etimicin,levo-floxacin and minocycline.The patient repeatedly sought for medical treatment due to the pain of shoulder joint and limitation of motion.CONCLUSIONS TW is one of major pathogens leading to the infections of systemic multiple systems,and it is necessary to attach great importance to the diagnosis and treatment.The traditional laboratory test method can not achieve ideal diagnosis effect and is more likely to make a missed diagnosis.mNGS is more ac-curate and more efficient than the traditional detection method in diagnosis of TW-induced diseases.Early use of mNGS can make a rapid identification of pathogens and facilitate the reasonable clinical use of antibiotics.It is of great significance for control of the disease progression,improvement of prognosis and prevention of recurrence.

Objective:To detect adverse reaction risk signals of triazole antifungal agents and provide evidences for their safe use in clinic.Methods:Adverse reaction/event reports with fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, or isavuconazonium as the primary suspect drug were collected from the data in National Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring System of China reported by Shandong Province from January 2004 to June 2024 and the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database from the first quarter of 2004 to the second quarter of 2023. Adverse reaction/event terms were standardized using the preferred term (PT) and system organ class in Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities 24.0. Risk signals were detected using the reporting odds ratio (ROR) method and the Bayesian confidence propagation neural network (BCPNN) algorithm. A PT was defined as an adverse reaction risk signal if the number of reports was ≥3, the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval ( CI) for ROR was >2, and the lower limit of the 95% CI for the information component ( IC) was >0. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results:A total of 3 988 reports with the above 5 antifungal drugs as the primary suspect drug were collected from data in National Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring System of China reported by Shandong Province, 822 (20.6%) of which were serious cases. Voriconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, and isavuconazonium was the primary suspect drug in 1 852, 1 395, 703, 27, and 11 cases among the 3 988 reports, and in 591 (31.9%), 149 (10.7%), 59 (8.4%), 18 (66.7%), and 5 (5/11) serious cases among the 822 serious case reports, respectively. A total of 20 066 reports with the above 5 drugs as the primary suspect drug were collected in FAERS database, 9 635 (48.0%) of which were serious cases. Voriconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, and isavuconazonium was the primary suspect drug in 7 758, 6 180, 2 869, 1 796, and 1 463 cases among the 20 066 reports, and in 4 295 (55.4%), 2 806 (45.4%), 1 191 (41.5%), 828 (46.1%), and 515 (35.2%) serious cases among the 9 635 serious case reports, respectively. Based on the data reported by Shandong Province and in FAERS database, 18 and 207 risk signals of adverse reaction not mentioned in the labels were identified, respectively, and 5 of them were identified in both databases, including fluconazole-induced renal impairment and voriconazole-induced oliguria, delirium, psychiatric disorders, and rhabdomyolysis. In the data reported by Shandong Province and in FAERS database, 13 and 189 reports of muscle-related disorders (rhabdomyolysis, myopathy, and myositis) were identified respectively, involving voriconazole (in 8 and 62 cases), itraconazole (in 4 and 74 cases), and fluconazole (in 1 and 53 cases).Conclusions:Renal impairment induced by fluconazole and oliguria, delirium, psychiatric disorders, and rhabdomyolysis induced by voriconazole are risk signals of adverse reaction not mentioned in the labels for triazole antifungal agents. Voriconazole, itraconazole, and fluconazole may also cause muscle-related disorders, warranting vigilance in clinical practice.

Objective To explore the potential diagnostic value of protocadherin 17(PCDH17)and transducer of ERBB2,(TOB1)in gastric cancer,as well as their effects on autophagy and apoptosis in gastric cancer cells,providing novel target insights for gastric canc-er diagnosis.Methods Tissue samples were collected from 120gastric cancer patients,including cancerous and adjacent normal tissues.The expression levels of PCDH17 and TOB1 were assessed via immunohistochemistry.Overexpression of PCDH17 and TOB1 in the AGS gastric cancer cell line was analyzed using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)and Western blot.The effects of these overexpressions on cell proliferation,autophagy,and apoptosis were evaluated using CCK-8 assays,Western blot a-nalysis,and detection of autophagy and apoptosis-related proteins.Additionally,receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was employed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of combined PCDH17 and TOB1 in diagnosing gastric cancer.Results The ex-pression levels of PCDH17 and TOB1 were significantly lower in gastric cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues(P＜0.001),and their low expression was significantly correlated with clinical stage and lymph node metastasis(P＜0.001).In vitro experiments dem-onstrated that overexpression of PCDH17 and TOB1 could significantly inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer cells(P＜0.001),and promoted autophagy and apoptosis through upregulation of autophagy markers LC3 and Beclin-1,along with pro-apoptotic protein BAX,while downregulating anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2.The combined overexpression of PCDH17 and TOB1 resulted in a more pronounced inhibitory effect on cell proliferation and enhanced levels of autophagy and apoptosis compared to individual overexpression(P＜0.001).The area under the curve for the combined diagnostic efficacy of PCDH17 and TOB1 was 0.887,with a sensitivity of 88.39％,and a spe-cificity of 87.24％,the diagnostic effect was superior to that of individual assays.Conclusion The low expression of PCDH17 and TOB1 is closely associated with the occurrence and progression of gastric cancer.Furthermore,the combined detection of these markers exhibits high sensitivity and specificity for gastric cancer diagnosis.The combined overexpression of PCDH17 and TOB1 had a significant synergistic effects on inhibiting proliferation while promoting autophagy and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells.PCDH17 and TOB1 can be used as po-tential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for gastric cancer,providing new avenues for the diagnosis and targeted treatment of gastric cancer.

Objective To investigate the effects of pre-electroacupuncture(EA)on spatial learning and memory,the locus coeruleus-hippocampal neural circuit,and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease(AD)-like rats,and to explore the possible mechanism of pre-EA in preventing and treating AD.Methods Thirty-six male SD rats were divided into the normal,model,EA,and sham EA groups using the random number table method,with nine rats per group.An AD-like rat model was prepared through intraperitoneal injection of 120 mg/(kg·d)D-galactose for eight consecutive weeks.After daily intraperitoneal injection,the rats in the EA group underwent EA stimulation at the"Neiguan"(PC6)and"Jianshi"(PC5)acupoints with a continuous wave,frequency of 50 Hz,and a current of 1 mA for 20 min once a day for 8 weeks.The sham EA group was only superficially punctured to the subcutaneous tissue at the"Neiguan"(PC6)and"Jianshi"(PC5)acupoints without electricity,and the rest of the operations were the same as those in the EA group.The Morris water maze experiment was then used to evaluate the spatial learning and memory of the rats.Immunofluorescence labeling was used to detect dopamine β hydroxylase and c-Fos co-localization in the locus coeruleus of noradrenergic neurons,as well as glial fibrillary acidic protein and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)co-localization in the CA1 area of the hippocampus of astrocytes.Western blotting was used to measure the protein expressions of norepinephrine(NE),β2-adrenergic receptor(β2AR),β-inhibitory protein 2(β-arrestin2),nuclear transcription factor-κB(NF-κB)inhibitory factor protein α(IκBα),and NF-κB in the hippocampus of rats.An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the TNF-α,interleukin-1β(IL-1β),and interleukin-6(IL-6)contents in hippocampal tissue.Results Compared with the normal group,the average escape latency of the model group rats was prolonged,and the times of crossing platform and exploration time in the target quadrant were reduced(P<0.01),while the EA intervention can shorten the average escape latency and increase the times of crossing platform and exploration time in the target quadrant(P<0.01).Compared with the normal group,the expression of co-located noradrenergic neurons in the model group decreased,co-located astrocytes increased(P<0.01);NE,β2AR,β-arrestin2,and IκBα protein expression decreased(P<0.01),NF-κB protein expression increased(P<0.01);the contents of TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the EA group showed an increase in the expression of co-located noradrenergic neurons,a decrease in co-located astrocytes(P<0.01),an increase in NE,β2AR,β-arrestin2,and IκBα protein expressions(P<0.01),a decrease in NF-κB protein expression(P<0.01),and a decrease in TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 levels(P<0.01).No significant difference was observed in the above indicators between the model and sham EA groups.Conclusion Pre-EA at"Neiguan"(PC6)and"Jianshi"(PC5)can alleviate learning and memory dysfunction,alleviate noradrenergic neuronal loss in the locus coeruleus,inhibit astrocyte activation,protect the locus coeruleus-hippocampal neural circuit,and may be associated with inhibiting β2AR/β-arrestin2/NF-κB inflammatory pathway activation.