Huanglian Jiedutang （HLJDT）， as a classical formula for clearing heat and removing toxins， has been widely applied in the treatment of various clinical diseases in recent years， particularly during the fire-heat stage of stroke， where it has attracted considerable attention. Based on previous studies， this paper systematically elaborates on the research progress on the active components of HLJDT， its clinical application in ischemic stroke， and advances in studies on its mechanisms of action. Modern pharmacological studies have demonstrated that HLJDT contains multiple active components， including baicalin， geniposide， and berberine. In the treatment of ischemic stroke， these components exert therapeutic effects through multi-target， multi-pathway， and multi-level mechanisms. Clinical studies have shown that HLJDT can increase cerebral blood flow， reduce cerebral infarct volume， and improve post-stroke physical dysfunction in patients with ischemic stroke. Experimental studies have indicated that HLJDT can improve neurological function scores and increase cerebral perfusion in experimental stroke models. In addition， the mechanisms underlying the anti-ischemic stroke effects of HLJDT may be related to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities， promotion of angiogenesis， and regulation of amino acid and energy metabolism. Although existing studies have confirmed that HLJDT exhibits multi-target and multi-pathway synergistic therapeutic characteristics， further large-sample randomized controlled trials are still needed to verify its long-term efficacy and to further elucidate the dynamic interaction network among components， targets， and pathways. Combined with network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses， this study further clarifies the synergistic targets of the core components （berberine， baicalin， and geniposide）， providing a theoretical basis for in-depth research and clinical translation of HLJDT in the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Objective:This study aims to systematically compare the differences in severity, clinical manifestations, and treatment processes between patients with foodborne and iatrogenic botulism, thereby providing evidence-based support for clinical diagnosis and management.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on botulism patients admitted to the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University between January 2010 and July 2024. The foodborne group was diagnosed according to the WS/T 83-1996 standard. The iatrogenic group required a documented history of type A botulinum toxin injection and typical clinical manifestations. Individuals with comorbid neurological disorders or incomplete clinical data were excluded. The severity of poisoning was classified into three groups: mild, moderate, and severe, according to the "Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Botulism". SPSS 26.0 software was used to statistically analyze the distribution of poisoning severity between groups and to compare clinical symptoms and course indicators across severity grades.Results:A total of 220 botulism patients were included in this study, comprising 86 cases of foodborne poisoning (39.1%) and 134 cases of iatrogenic poisoning (60.9%). There was a significant difference in the distribution of poisoning severity between the two groups ( P=0.001), the proportion of severe poisoning was significantly higher in the foodborne group. Analysis of clinical symptoms indicated that, among patients with mild poisoning, the incidence of nausea and vomiting was significantly higher in the foodborne group, compared to that in the iatrogenic group (44.0% vs. 16.4%, P=0.006). In patients with moderate poisoning, the iatrogenic group exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of hoarseness (60.5% vs. 35.7%, P=0.041) and neck weakness (53.5% vs. 17.9%, P=0.003) compared to the foodborne group. Conversely, the foodborne cohort experienced a notably longer interval before seeking medical attention when compared to their iatrogenic counterparts (2.25 d vs. 1.50 d, P=0.003). Among severe poisoning patients, the foodborne group exhibited a higher likelihood of experiencing fever (51.5% vs. 25.0%, P=0.044) and abdominal distension accompanied by constipation (69.7% vs. 41.7%, P=0.034) when compared to the iatrogenic group. Furthermore, the foodborne cohort demonstrated a significantly shorter incubation period (1.00 d vs. 2.45 d, P<0.001), an extended length of hospitalization (22.0 d vs. 16.00 d, P=0.001), and a prolonged duration of antitoxin therapy (14.00 d vs. 9.50 d, P<0.001), alongside a markedly higher total dosage administered (315 900 U vs. 163 300 U, P<0.001) compared to their iatrogenic counterparts. Conclusions:Statistically significant differences exist between food-borne and iatrogenic botulism. Food-borne botulism is characterized by acute onset, greater severity, and a prolonged course, predominantly featuring systemic symptoms and gastrointestinal dysfunction. In contrast, iatrogenic botulism primarily manifests with ocular and oropharyngeal muscle symptoms and is generally less severe.

Objective:To investigate the effects of thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNRD1) on ferroptosis and immune function of dendritic cells (DCs) in septic mice, and to provide a basis for improving the immunosuppression in sepsis caused by wound infection.Methods:This study was an experimental research. Sixty male C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to establish sepsis models. Ten mice were selected at 0 (immediately), 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after CLP surgery, respectively, according to the random number table method. Mouse splenic DCs were isolated using CD11c-positive magnetic beads. The protein expressions of TXNRD1, and anti-ferroptosis proteins solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) in the cells were detected by Western blotting, the reduced glutathione (GSH) content in the cells was measured by colorimetric assay, the lipid peroxidation level was assessed via live-cell imaging technology, and the levels of major histocompatibility complex class Ⅱ subtype I-A/I-E and leukocyte differentiation antigens CD80 and CD86 were detected by flow cytometry. Another 100 male C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks were divided into corn oil+sham injury group, corn oil+CLP group, inhibitor+sham injury group, and inhibitor+CLP group according to the random number table method, with 25 mice in each group. Mice in the two inhibitor groups were intraperitoneally injected with TXNRD1 inhibitor auranofin, while mice in the two corn oil groups were intraperitoneally injected with corn oil. One hour later, mice in the two CLP groups underwent CLP surgery to establish sepsis models, while mice in the two sham injury groups underwent sham surgery. Twenty mice from each group were selected to observe survival within 7 d post-surgery, and the survival rate was calculated. At 24 h post-surgery, mouse splenic DCs from the remaining 5 mice in each group were collected for corresponding assays as above.Results:Compared with those at 0 h after CLP surgery, the protein expressions of TXNRD1, GPX4, and SLC7A11 in mouse cells at 24 h after CLP surgery and the protein expression of TXNRD1 in mouse cells at 48 h after CLP surgery were significantly decreased ( P<0.05), the GSH content in mouse cells was significantly decreased at 24 and 48 h after CLP surgery ( P<0.05). The lipid peroxidation level in mouse cells was low at 0, 6, and 12 h after CLP surgery, slightly lower than that at 72 h after CLP surgery; the lipid peroxidation levels in mouse cells at 24 and 48 h after CLP surgery were significantly higher than those at 0, 6, 12, and 72 h after CLP surgery. Compared with those at 0 h after CLP surgery, the levels of I-A/I-E and CD80 in mouse cells at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after CLP surgery and the levels of CD86 in mouse cells at 12, 24, and 48 h after CLP surgery were significantly increased ( P<0.05). At 24 h post-surgery, the protein expressions of TXNRD1, SLC7A11, and GPX4 in mouse cells in corn oil+CLP group were significantly lower than those in corn oil+sham injury group ( P<0.05), while the protein expressions of TXNRD1, SLC7A11, and GPX4 in mouse cells in inhibitor+CLP group were significantly lower than those in corn oil+CLP group and inhibitor+sham injury group ( P<0.05). At 24 h post-surgery, the content of GSH in mouse cells in corn oil+CLP group was (239±32) μg/mg, which was significantly lower than (366±59) μg/mg in corn oil +sham injury group ( P<0.05); the content of GSH in mouse cells in inhibitor+CLP group was (134±19) μg/mg, which was significantly lower than (355±31) μg/mg in inhibitor+sham injury group and that in corn oil+CLP group (with both P values <0.05). At 24 h post-surgery, the lipid peroxidation level of mouse cells in inhibitor+CLP group was significantly higher than that in the other three groups ( P<0.05). At 24 h post-surgery, the levels of I-A/I-E, CD80, and CD86 in mouse cells in corn oil+CLP group were significantly higher than those in corn oil+sham injury group ( P<0.05), while the levels of I-A/I-E and CD80 in mouse cells in inhibitor+CLP group were significantly higher than those in inhibitor+sham injury group ( P<0.05) but significantly lower than those in corn oil+CLP group ( P<0.05); the level of CD86 in mouse cells in inhibitor+sham injury group was significantly higher than that in corn oil+sham injury group ( P<0.05). Within 7 d post-surgery, the survival rate of mice in inhibitor+CLP group was significantly lower than that in inhibitor+sham injury group and corn oil+CLP group (with χ2 values of 31.19 and 3.91, respectively, both P values <0.05). Conclusions:In septic mice, the expression of TXNRD1 in DCs is reduced, cell ferroptosis is enhanced, and immune function is weakened. The inhibition of TXNRD1 in DCs will exacerbate cell ferroptosis and immune function suppression, and is closely related to the poor prognosis of sepsis.

ObjectiveTo analyze the protective effect of different types of influenza vaccines (InfV) against influenza A among the individuals aged between 3‒17 years old, and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of influenza in the future. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect data on the incidence and InfV vaccination of the individuals aged between 3‒17 years during the influenza epidemic season from 2022 to 2023. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) was calculated, and a log-binomial regression model was used to calculate the corrected VE. ResultsThe incidence rate of influenza in InfV vaccinated and un-vaccinated groups was 7.32% (1 937/ 26 446) and 9.65% (4 421/45 837), respectively. After adjusting for age and gender factors, the unadjusted VE (95%CI) was 54.57% (52.24%‒56.78%). The unadjusted VE (95%CI) was 53.66% (50.36%‒56.74%) for males and 55.60% (52.24%‒58.72%) for females, respectively. The unadjusted VE (95%CI) for the age group of 3‒ years, 6‒ years, 9‒ years, 12‒ years, and 15‒17 years were 64.08% (60.89%‒67.01%), 57.40% (53.71%‒60.80%), 57.77% (52.49%‒62.47%), 24.36% (9.49%‒36.79%), and 24.09% (-17.59%‒51.00%), respectively. The unadjusted VE (95%CI) for quadrivalent split-virion inactivated influenza vaccine, trivalent split-virion inactivated influenza vaccine, trivalent subunit influenza vaccine, and trivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine were 53.84% (51.32%‒56.24%), 62.17% (56.28%‒67.26%), 79.83% (69.94%‒86.46%), and 31.59% (19.07%‒42.18%), respectively. ConclusionThe InfV used during the 2022‒2023 influenza season had a good protective effect against influenza A among the individuals aged between 3‒17 years old, especially in those aged between 3‒11 years old.

Objective:To investigate the effects of thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNRD1) on ferroptosis and immune function of dendritic cells (DCs) in septic mice, and to provide a basis for improving the immunosuppression in sepsis caused by wound infection.Methods:This study was an experimental research. Sixty male C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to establish sepsis models. Ten mice were selected at 0 (immediately), 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after CLP surgery, respectively, according to the random number table method. Mouse splenic DCs were isolated using CD11c-positive magnetic beads. The protein expressions of TXNRD1, and anti-ferroptosis proteins solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) in the cells were detected by Western blotting, the reduced glutathione (GSH) content in the cells was measured by colorimetric assay, the lipid peroxidation level was assessed via live-cell imaging technology, and the levels of major histocompatibility complex class Ⅱ subtype I-A/I-E and leukocyte differentiation antigens CD80 and CD86 were detected by flow cytometry. Another 100 male C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks were divided into corn oil+sham injury group, corn oil+CLP group, inhibitor+sham injury group, and inhibitor+CLP group according to the random number table method, with 25 mice in each group. Mice in the two inhibitor groups were intraperitoneally injected with TXNRD1 inhibitor auranofin, while mice in the two corn oil groups were intraperitoneally injected with corn oil. One hour later, mice in the two CLP groups underwent CLP surgery to establish sepsis models, while mice in the two sham injury groups underwent sham surgery. Twenty mice from each group were selected to observe survival within 7 d post-surgery, and the survival rate was calculated. At 24 h post-surgery, mouse splenic DCs from the remaining 5 mice in each group were collected for corresponding assays as above.Results:Compared with those at 0 h after CLP surgery, the protein expressions of TXNRD1, GPX4, and SLC7A11 in mouse cells at 24 h after CLP surgery and the protein expression of TXNRD1 in mouse cells at 48 h after CLP surgery were significantly decreased ( P<0.05), the GSH content in mouse cells was significantly decreased at 24 and 48 h after CLP surgery ( P<0.05). The lipid peroxidation level in mouse cells was low at 0, 6, and 12 h after CLP surgery, slightly lower than that at 72 h after CLP surgery; the lipid peroxidation levels in mouse cells at 24 and 48 h after CLP surgery were significantly higher than those at 0, 6, 12, and 72 h after CLP surgery. Compared with those at 0 h after CLP surgery, the levels of I-A/I-E and CD80 in mouse cells at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after CLP surgery and the levels of CD86 in mouse cells at 12, 24, and 48 h after CLP surgery were significantly increased ( P<0.05). At 24 h post-surgery, the protein expressions of TXNRD1, SLC7A11, and GPX4 in mouse cells in corn oil+CLP group were significantly lower than those in corn oil+sham injury group ( P<0.05), while the protein expressions of TXNRD1, SLC7A11, and GPX4 in mouse cells in inhibitor+CLP group were significantly lower than those in corn oil+CLP group and inhibitor+sham injury group ( P<0.05). At 24 h post-surgery, the content of GSH in mouse cells in corn oil+CLP group was (239±32) μg/mg, which was significantly lower than (366±59) μg/mg in corn oil +sham injury group ( P<0.05); the content of GSH in mouse cells in inhibitor+CLP group was (134±19) μg/mg, which was significantly lower than (355±31) μg/mg in inhibitor+sham injury group and that in corn oil+CLP group (with both P values <0.05). At 24 h post-surgery, the lipid peroxidation level of mouse cells in inhibitor+CLP group was significantly higher than that in the other three groups ( P<0.05). At 24 h post-surgery, the levels of I-A/I-E, CD80, and CD86 in mouse cells in corn oil+CLP group were significantly higher than those in corn oil+sham injury group ( P<0.05), while the levels of I-A/I-E and CD80 in mouse cells in inhibitor+CLP group were significantly higher than those in inhibitor+sham injury group ( P<0.05) but significantly lower than those in corn oil+CLP group ( P<0.05); the level of CD86 in mouse cells in inhibitor+sham injury group was significantly higher than that in corn oil+sham injury group ( P<0.05). Within 7 d post-surgery, the survival rate of mice in inhibitor+CLP group was significantly lower than that in inhibitor+sham injury group and corn oil+CLP group (with χ2 values of 31.19 and 3.91, respectively, both P values <0.05). Conclusions:In septic mice, the expression of TXNRD1 in DCs is reduced, cell ferroptosis is enhanced, and immune function is weakened. The inhibition of TXNRD1 in DCs will exacerbate cell ferroptosis and immune function suppression, and is closely related to the poor prognosis of sepsis.

Objective:To explore the difference between selective lobar bronchial block and main bronchial block in thoracoscopic surgery in children.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 150 children undergoing thoracoscopic surgery admitted to Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, and Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from December 2019 to December 2022. In the examination of the electronic medical record, 80 children were found to have selective lobar bronchial block, which was used as the study group, and 70 children were matched as the control group.Compare the general data of children in the two groups, such as age, gender, weight, surgical time, and other data. Compare the two groups with respect to hypoxemia, degree of pulmonary collapse, atelectasis, and number of bronchial blocker shifts. Compare the heart rate(HR), mean arterial pressure(MAP), degree of pulmonary collapse, and airway pressure(PAW) at different time points in the two groups[before single lung ventilation(OLV)(T1), 10 min after OLV(T2), and 10 min after OLV(T3)] Difference in alveolar arterial oxygen partial pressure(AaDO 2) levels. Results:Comparison of the incidence of hypoxemia, bronchial blocker displacement, and atelectasis in children in the study group were statistically significant( P<0.05). The results of repeated measurement of variance showed that there was statistically significant difference in the inter subject effects of HR and MAP levels at different time points between the two groups based on time factors( P<0.05). The results of repeated measurement of variance showed that there was statistical significance between the inter-subjective effects of the levels of PAW and AaDO 2 at different time points of the two groups with time factor as the source, group as the source, and intra-subjective effects with time and group interaction as the source( P<0.05). The levels of PAW and AaDO 2 in the study group at time points T2 and T3 were significantly lower than those in the control group, and the differences between the groups were statistically significant( P<0.05). Conclusion:The effect of selective lobobronchial blockade in thoracoscopic surgery in children is ideal, which can effectively improve the ventilation and related oxygenation of children, and reduce the occurrence of complications such as atelectasis and hypoxemia.

BACKGROUND:Early identification of patients requiring ventilator support will be beneficial for the outcomes of botulism.The present study aimed to establish a new scoring system to predict mechanical ventilation(MV)for botulism patients. METHODS:A single-center retrospective study was conducted to identify risk factors associated with MV in botulism patients from 2007 to 2022.Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to screen out risk factors for constructing a prognostic scoring system.The area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was calculated. RESULTS:A total of 153 patients with botulism(66 males and 87 females,with an average age of 43 years)were included.Of these,49 patients(32.0%)required MV,including 21(13.7%)with invasive ventilation and 28(18.3%)with non-invasive ventilation.Multivariate analysis revealed that botulinum toxin type,pneumonia,incubation period,degree of hypoxia,and severity of muscle involvement were independent risk factors for MV.These risk factors were incorporated into a multivariate logistic regression analysis to establish a prognostic scoring system.Each risk factor was scored by allocating a weight based on its regression coefficient and rounded to whole numbers for practical utilization([botulinum toxin type A:1],[pneumonia:2],[incubation period≤1 day:2],[hypoxia<90%:2],[severity of muscle involvement:grade II,3;grade III,7;grade IV,11]).The scoring system achieved an area under the ROC curve of 0.82(95%CI 0.75-0.89,P<0.001).At the optimal threshold of 9,the scoring system achieved a sensitivity of 83.7%and a specificity of 70.2%. CONCLUSION:Our study identified botulinum toxin type,pneumonia,incubation period,degree of hypoxia,and severity of muscle involvement as independent risk factors for MV in botulism patients.A score≥9 in our scoring system is associated with a higher likelihood of requiring MV in botulism patients.This scoring system needs to be validated externally before it can be applied in clinical settings.

Objective:To explore the clinical features of acute diquat (DQ) poisoning, and further improve the awareness of acute DQ poisoning.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of patients with acute DQ poisoning diagnosed in the emergency department of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021. The clinical data included age, gender, exposure routes, presence of pesticides (drugs) mixture poisoning, dosage of poison, the time from taking poisoning to admitting in the emergency department, clinical manifestations, laboratory data, treatment, hospital days, prognosis and survival days.Results:The number of cases who firstly complained of acute DQ poisoning in the past three years were 19 cases in 2019, 28 cases in 2020, and 51 cases in 2021. A total of 12 patients were excluded due to being diagnosed paraquat (PQ) poisoning by toxicology detection. Finally, 86 cases of acute DQ poisoning were included, including 80 cases of oral DQ poisoning, 1 case of intramuscular injection, 1 case of binocular contact and 4 cases of dermal exposure. In 80 cases of oral DQ poisoning, there were 70 cases of diquat poisoning alone (42 cases survived, 28 cases died) and 10 cases of pesticide mixture poisoning (6 cases survived, 4 cases died). The time from oral poisoning to admitting in the emergency department was 0.5-96.0 hours, with an average of (8.6±5.8) hours. The time of intramuscular injection poisoning to admitting in the emergency department was 3 hours. The time of dermal exposure to admitting in the emergency department was relatively long, with an average of 66.1 hours. The time from oral simple DQ poisoning to death was 12.0-108.0 hours, and the time from oral mixed DQ poisoning to death was 24.0-576.0 hours. A total of 70 patients with oral diquat poisoning alone presented various degrees of multiple organ injuries. All patients presented gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Renal injury and central nervous system injury were the most significant and closely related to the prognosis.Conclusions:Acute oral DQ poisoning can cause to multiple organ injuries, and the clinical manifestations are related to the dose of the poison. In severe cases, acute renal failure and refractory circulatory failure occur within 24 hours after poisoning, and severe central nervous system injury with disturbance of consciousness as the primary manifestation occurs within 36 hours, followed by multiple organ failure until death.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and its associated protein gene system can limit the horizontal gene transfer, thereby effectively preventing the invasion of foreign gene elements such as bacteriophages. CRISPR arrays of different bacteria are diverse. Based on the differences in the CRISPR system, this review summarizes the application of CRISPR in food-borne pathogen evolution analysis, detection and typing, virulence and antibiotic resistance in recent years. We also address bacterial detection typing method developed based on the characteristics of CRISPR arrays and the association of CRISPR with virulence and drug resistance of food-borne pathogens. The shortcomings of CRISPR in evolution, detection and typing, virulence and resistance applications are analyzed. In addition, we suggest standardizing CRISPR typing methods, improving and expanding the CRISPR database of pathogenic bacteria, and further exploring the co-evolution relationship between phages and bacteria, to provide references for further exploration of CRISPR functions.
Bacteria/genetics* ; Bacteriophages/genetics* ; CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics* ; Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/genetics* ; Drug Resistance, Microbial/genetics* ; Virulence/genetics*