In this paper， the name， origin， producing area， harvesting， processing and functional indications of Arcae Concha were systematically combed and verified by consulting the ancient and modern literature， in order to provide a basis for the development of famous classical formulas containing Arcae Concha. Arcae Concha was first recorded in the name of Han in Bencao Shiyi， but later， due to the influence of LI Shizhen's error of combining Han item with Kuiha in the Ming dynasty， there were aliases such as Kuilu and Fulao， and Yizong Bidu began to include Walengzi as its correct name and has been used ever since. The textual descriptions and illustrations of the medicinal materials of Arcae Concha contained in the materia medica of the past generations were consistent with the modern Arca inflata， A. subcrenata and A. granosa. In ancient times， there were medicinal records of two parts of shell and meat， but now the shell is used as medicine， and the meat is mostly edible. In ancient times， Zhejiang， Shandong， Guangdong and Guangxi were the main producing areas， and Zhejiang was the best. It is now believed that A. inflata is mostly distributed in the northern part of the Huanghai Sea， A. granosa is mostly distributed in the coastal areas south of Shandong Peninsula in China， and A. subcrenata is widely distributed in the coastal areas of China. Its quality is better in a complete， white， no residual meat and sand. In ancient times， there was no clear harvesting period， and the processing was mainly based on vinegar quenching after calcination or powdering of calcined shell， but now the harvesting period is autumn and winter. After harvesting， it is directly washed and crushed for raw use or processed by calcined method. The records of the medicinal materials in the past dynasties on the properties of Arcae Concha were mainly warm， sweet， salty and mild， and it is now believed that Arcae Concha is salty in taste and mild in nature. In ancient times， it was believed that Arcae Concha were mainly used for coldness in the heart and abdomen， coldness in the waist and spine， benefiting the five internal organs， strengthening the stomach. Nowadays， it is believed that Arcae Concha can eliminate phlegm and remove blood stasis， soften the hardness and dissipate the lumps， produce acid and relieve pain. It can be used in the treatment of stubborn phlegm， gall tumor， scrofula and other symptoms. In conclusion， it is suggested that for the famous classical formulas containing Arcae Concha， the corresponding methods should be selected according to the processing requirements of the drug in the formulas， while those without processing requirements can be determined according to the functional position of the products.

ObjectiveTo explore the role and mechanism of Hei Xiaoyaosan in regulating the protein kinase B （Akt）/glycogen synthase kinase-3β （GSK-3β）/nuclear factor E₂-related factor 2 （Nrf2）/heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1） signaling pathway in cascade modulation of oxidative stress and apoptosis for preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease （AD）. MethodsNinety male SD rats of 4 months old were randomly assigned into a control group （n=10）， a sham group （with injection of 1 μL normal saline into bilateral hippocampi， n=10）， and a modeling group （with injection of 1 μL beta-amyloid 1-42 solution into bilateral hippocampi to induce AD， n=70）. One week after modeling， 50 successfully modeled rats were selected and randomly allocated into model， donepezil hydrochloride （0.45 mg·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose （15.30， 7.65， 3.82 g·kg^-1， respectively） Hei Xiaoyaosan groups. The rats were administrated with corresponding drugs once daily for six consecutive weeks. The Morris water maze was used to assess the learning and memory abilities of rats. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to reveal hippocampal morphological changes in AD rats. Apoptosis in the hippocampal CA3 region was detected by terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated Nick end labeling. Immunofluorescence was used to visualize the expression of neuronal nuclear antigen （NeuN） in the CA1 region. Additionally， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to assess the activities of glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px）， glutathione-S-transferase （GST）， and catalase （CAT） in the hippocampus. Real-time PCR was conducted to measure the mRNA levels of Akt， GSK-3β， Nrf2， and HO-1， while Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）/Akt， phosphorylated GSK-3β （p-GSK-3β）/GSK-3β， Nrf2， and HO-1. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group on day 5 showed an increase in total swimming distance （P<0.01）， a reduction in the percentage of time spent in the target quadrant （P<0.01）， reduced and disarranged neurons， nuclear condensation， varying degrees of cellular damage， increased apoptosis of hippocampal neurons （P<0.01）， decreased NeuN content （P<0.01）， weakend activities of GSH-Px， GST， and CAT （P<0.01）， and down-regulated mRNA levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 （P<0.01） and protein levels of p-Akt/Akt， p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β， Nrf2， and HO-1 （P<0.01） in the hippocampus. Compared with the model group， donepezil hydrochloride and high， medium， and low doses of Hei Xiaoyaosan shortened the total swimming distance on day 5 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， increased the percentage of time spent in the target quadrant （P<0.05， P<0.01）， improved the arrangement and morphology of neurons， reduced nuclear condensation and the apoptosis rate of hippocampal neurons （P<0.01）， increased the NeuN content （P<0.01）， enhanced the activities of GSH-Px， GST， and CAT （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and up-regulated the mRNA levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 （P<0.05， P<0.01） and the protein levels of p-Akt/Akt， p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β， Nrf2， and HO-1 （P<0.05， P<0.01） in the hippocampus. ConclusionHei Xiaoyaosan can regulate the Akt/GSK-3β/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to enhance the antioxidant stress capacity and inhibit neuron apoptosis to exert the neuroprotective effect， thereby ameliorating the cognitive dysfunction and pathological damage in AD rats.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Hei Xiaoyaosan in improving the cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease （AD） from cell apoptosis mediated by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/nuclear factor kappa B （NF-κB） signaling pathway. MethodsFour-month-old SD male rats were randomly assigned into a blank group， a sham group， a model group， a donepezil hydrochloride （0.45 mg·kg^-1） group， and high-， medium-， and low-dose （15.30， 7.65， and 3.82 g·kg^-1， respectively） Hei Xiaoyaosan groups， with 10 rats in each group. The sham group received bilateral hippocampal injection of 1 μL normal saline， while the other groups received bilateral hippocampal injection of 1 μL beta-amyloid 1-42 （Aβ_1-42） solution for the modeling of AD. Rats were administrated with corresponding agents once a day for 42 consecutive days. The Morris water maze test was carried out to assess the learning and memory abilities of rats. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to observe pathological changes in the hippocampus of rats. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3 （Caspase-3）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of PI3K， Akt， and NF-κB. A cell model of AD was established by co-culturing Aβ_1-42 and PC12 cells in vitro. Cell viability and apoptosis were detected by the cell-counting kit 8 （CCK-8） assay and flow cytometry （FC）， respectively. ResultsAnimal experiments showed that compared with the blank group， the model group had a prolonged escape latency （P<0.01）， a reduced number of crossing platforms （P<0.01）， disarrangement and a reduced number of hippocampal neurons， up-regulated expression of Bax and Caspase-3， down-regulated expression of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）， decreased p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt levels， and an increased p-NF-κB/NF-κB level （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， donepezil hydrochloride and high- and medium-dose Hei Xiaoyaosan shortened the escape latency and increased the number of crossing platforms （P<0.05， P<0.01）， improved the arrangement and increased the number of hippocampal neurons， down-regulated the expression levels of Bax and Caspase-3， up-reguated the expression level of Bcl-2 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， increased the p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and reduced the p-NF-κB/NF-κB level （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Cell experiments showed that compared with the blank group， the model group exhibited an increased apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the serum containing Hei Xiaoyaosan at various doses improved the cell viability （P<0.01）， and the serum containing Hei Xiaoyaosan at the high dose decreased the cell apoptosis （P<0.01）. ConclusionHei Xiaoyaosan may improve the learning and memory abilities of AD model rats by regulating cell apoptosis， while increasing the vitality and reducing the apoptosis rate of AD model cells via the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Hei Xiaoyaosan on cognitive impairment and the histone deacetylase sirtuin-1 （SIRT1）/tumor suppressor p53/solute carrier family 7 member 11 （SLC7A11） signaling pathway in the rat model of Alzheimer's disease （AD）. MethodsA total of 90 16-week-old SPF-grade SD male rats were randomly assigned in a blank group （n=10）， a sham group （n=10， with injection of 1 μL normal saline into the bilateral hippocampi）， and an AD modeling group （n=70， with injection of 1 μL β amyloid 1-42 solution into the bilateral hippocampi）. According to the random number table method， fifty successfully modeled rats were assigned into model， donepezil hydrochloride （0.45 mg·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose （15.30， 7.65， and 3.82 g·kg^-1， respectively） Hei Xiaoyaosan groups， and they were administrated with corresponding agents via gavage once a day for 42 consecutive days. Morris water maze test was carried out to examine the cognitive function of rats. Nissl staining was employed to observe the morphology of hippocampal neurons in each group， and Prussian blue staining was used to detect iron deposition in the hippocampal tissue. Biochemical kits were used to measure the levels of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， and iron ion （Fe²⁺） in the hippocampal tissue. Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were employed to determine the protein and mRNA levels， respectively， of SIRT1， p53， SLC7A11， glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 （ACSL4） in the hippocampus. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group showed reductions in target quadrant movement distance （P<0.01） and target quadrant residence time （P<0.05）， disarrangement of hippocampal neurons， increased ferroptosis deposition in the hippocampus， a lowered level of SOD， risen levels of MDA and Fe²⁺ （P<0.05， P<0.01）， down-regulated protein and mRNA levels of SIRT1， SLC7A11， and GPX4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， up-regulated protein and mRNA levels of p53 and ACSL4 （P<0.01）， and aggravated pathological process of AD. Compared with the model group， donepezil hydrochloride extended the target quadrant residence time and the target quadrant movement distance （P<0.05， P<0.01）. High- and medium- doses of Hei Xiaoyaosan extended the target quadrant residence time and the target quadrant movement distance （P<0.05， P<0.01）， improved the neuron arrangement and reduced the ferroptosis deposition in the hippocampus， elevated the SOD level， lowered the MDA and Fe²⁺ levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）， up-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of SIRT1， SLC7A11， and GPX4 （P<0.01， P<0.05）， and down-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of p53 and ACSL4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionHei Xiaoyaosan can regulate the SIRT1/p53/SLC7A11 signaling pathway to mitigate oxidative stress and inhibit ferroptosis， thereby ameliorating the cognitive dysfunction in AD rats.

Micro/nanoplastics (MNPs), recognized as emerging environmental pollutants, are widely distributed in natural environments. Due to their small particle size and significant migratory capacity, MNPs can infiltrate diverse environmental matrices, then invade and accumulate in the organism via the skin, respiration, and digestion. Recently, concerns have grown over the detrimental effects and potential toxicity of MNPs on reproductive health. This review summarized published epidemiological and toxicological studies related to MNPs exposure and their effects on reproductive health. Firstly, this review critically examined the current landscape of epidemiological evidence and found that MNPs (e.g., polystyrene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, etc.) are present in various biological specimens from both males and females, and their presence may be associated with an increased risk of reproductive disorders. Secondly, extensive toxicological studies revealed that MNPs exposure induces reproductive health damage through mechanisms such as disrupting the microstructure of reproductive organs and altering molecular-level expressions. Oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and apoptosis are identified as potential links between MNPs exposure and reproductive damage. Finally, this review addressed the prevalent shortcomings in existing studies and proposed future directions to tackle the challenges posed by MNPs-induced reproductive harm. These insights aim to inform strategies for safeguarding public reproductive health and ecological security, providing a scientific foundation for mitigating risks associated with MNPs pollution.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） compound Chaiqin Xiaoyong Decoction （柴芩消痈饮， CXD） combined with Jinhuang Ointment （金黄膏， JO） in treating the nodular stage of acne mastitis of liver meridian heat accumulation type. MethodsA randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted. A total of 108 patients with liver meridian heat accumulation type acne mastitis in the nodular stage were randomly assigned to a treatment group and a control group， with 54 patients in each group. Both groups received topical application of JO once daily at a thickness of 3~5 mm for 8 hours， along with standard nursing care. On this basis， the treatment group received oral CXD granules， while the control group received placebo granules， administered twice daily， 3 sachets per dose， for 14 consecutive days. Clinical efficacy， TCM symptom scores， nodule size， visual analogue scale （VAS） pain scores， white blood cell （WBC） count， C-reactive protein （CRP） level， and systemic immune-inflammation index （SII） were compared. At the end of treatment， efficacy and safety indicators were evaluated. A 6-month follow-up was conducted to compare the proportion of patients undergoing surgical treatment. ResultsThe total clinical efficacy rate in the treatment group was 90.38% （47/52）， significantly higher than 32.00% （16/50） in the control group （P＜0.01）. The treatment group also showed significantly lower TCM symptom scores， VAS scores， nodule size， WBC count， CRP level， and SII （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. During follow-up， the surgical intervention rate in the treatment group was 5.77% （3/52）， lower than 14.00% （7/50） in the control group， with a statistically significant difference （P＜0.01）. No significant abnormalities were observed in safety indicators before and after treatment in either group. ConclusionCXD effectively reduces nodule size and alleviates symptoms such as redness and pain in patients with acne mastitis of liver meridian heat accumulation type， improves TCM symptom scores， enhances overall clinical efficacy， and demonstrates good safety.

Through consulting the ancient herbal books and modern literature， this paper has carried out the textual research on the name， origin， place of origin， harvesting and processing， and other contents of Bruceae Fructus， combed its ancient and modern medicinal history， so as to provide reference for the development of famous classical formulas containing Bruceae Fructus. Through the herbal textual research， It can be verified that， since the Qing dynasty， Bruceae Fructus has been recorded in the materia medica， most of the materia medica in previous dynasties took Bruceae Fructus as its proper name， and Laoyadan， Kushenzi and Yadanzi as the aliases. The main origin of Bruceae Fructus is Brucea javanica， its medicinal part is the fruit， which is harvested from August to October every year， the fruit can be harvested when it is ripe. Bruceae Fructus was first distributed in Fujian， Guangdong and Guangxi， and gradually expanded to the south of China with the change of time. The traditional processing method of Bruceae Fructus is mainly to remove the shell and kernel， and remove the oil by frosting. The 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia stipulates that its processing method is to remove the shell and impurities. Based on the research results， it is suggested that the dried mature fruit of B. javanica should be selected for the development of famous classical formulas containing this herb， and the raw products can be used if the original formula does not specify the processing requirements.

Objective:To construct a nursing quality evaluation index system for knee ligament injury to provide a basis for standardizing the nursing practice and improving the nursing quality of knee ligament injury.Methods:Based on the three-dimensional quality structure model of "structure-process-outcome" proposed by Donabedian, the quality evaluation index system for knee ligament injury specialties was constructed through literature review, brainstorming, and Delphi expert consultation from April to June 2023.Results:Sixteen experts were included in the inquiry. The effective recovery rate of the two rounds of expert correspondence questionnaires was 16/16, the expert authority coefficient was 0.95, and the Kendell harmony coefficients of the expert correspondence were 0.116 and 0.122, respectively (both P<0.05). The final constructed knee ligament injury specialty care quality evaluation index system contained 3 primary indicators (structural quality, process quality and outcome quality), 16 secondary indicators, and 69 tertiary indicators.Conclusions:The specialized nursing quality evaluation index system for knee ligament injury constructed in this study is scientific and reliable, which can provide a basis for the evaluation and assessment of the nursing quality of knee ligament injury specialties and promote the continuous improvement of their nursing quality.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect and mechanism of Hei Xiaoyaosan in regulating the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 6 （Fas）/Fas ligand （FasL）/cysteine protease-8 （Caspase-8）/cysteine protease-3 （Caspase-3） signaling pathway to intervene in neuronal apoptosis and prevent Alzheimer's disease （AD）. MethodNinety SPF-grade SD male rats of 4 months old were selected and randomly grouped as follows： 10 rats in the blank group， 10 rats in the sham group （bilateral hippocampus injected with 1 μL normal saline）， and 70 rats in the modeling group ［bilater hippocampus injected with 1 μL amyloid-beta protein 1-42 （Aβ_1-42） solution for the modeling of AD］. Fifty successfully modeled rats were selected and randomly assigned into model， donepezil hydrochloride （0.45 mg·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose （15.30， 7.65， 3.82 g·kg^-1） Hei Xiaoyaosan groups. Rats were administrated with corresponding agents by gavage once a day for 42 days. Terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling （TUNEL） was employed to observe the apoptosis of neurons in the cortex and hippocampus， and immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2） and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） in the hippocampus. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was employed to determine the mRNA levels of Fas， FasL， and Fas-associated protein with death domain （Fadd）. Western blot was used to determine the protein levels of Fas， FasL， Fadd， Caspase-3， cleved Caspase-3， Caspase-8， and cleved Caspase-8. ResultCompared with the blank group and sham group， the model group showed increased apoptosis rate in the cortex and hippocampus （P<0.01）， elevated Bax level （P<0.01）， lowered Bcl-2 level （P<0.01）， up-regulated mRNA levels of Fas， FasL， and Fadd in the hippocampus （P<0.01）， and up-regulated protein levels of Fas， FasL， Fadd， cleaved Caspase-3， and cleaved Caspase-8 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， donepezil hydrochloride and Hei Xiaoyaosan at high and medium doses decreased the apoptosis rate in the cortex and hippocampus （P<0.05， P<0.01）， lowered the Bax level （P<0.01）， elevated the Bcl-2 level （P<0.01）， and down-regulated the mRNA levels of Fas， FasL， and Fadd and the protein levels of Fas， FasL， Fadd， cleaved Caspase-3， and cleaved Caspase-8 （P<0.05， P<0.01） in the hippocampus. Low-dose Hei Xiaoyaosan decreased the apoptosis rate in the cortex and hippocampus （P<0.05， P<0.01）， lowered the Bcl-2 level （P<0.01）， and down-regulated the mRNA levels of FasL and Fadd （P<0.05） and the protein levels of Fas， FasL， Fadd， cleaved Caspase-3， and cleaved Caspase-8 （P<0.05） in the hippocampus. ConclusionHei Xiaoyaosan can protect neurons in the cortex and hippocampus of AD rats by inhibiting the apoptosis mediated by the Fas/FasL/Caspase-8/Caspase-3 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect and mechanism of Hei Xiaoyaosan in modulating the synaptic plasticity in APP/PS1 mice by regulating the cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP）/protein kinase A （PKA）/N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor （NMDAR） signaling pathway. MethodTwelve 4-month-old male C57BL/6J mice were selected as the blank control group， and 60 4-month-old male APP/PS1 double transgenic mice were randomized into model， KW-6002 （adenosine receptor antagonist， 3 mg·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose （22.10， 11.05， 5.53 g·kg^-1， respectively） Hei Xiaoyaosan groups， with 12 mice in each group. Mice were administrated with corresponding drugs for 90 days. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to observe the synaptic ultrastructure of hippocampal neurons， and Golgi staining was used to observe the dendritic spine density of neurons in hippocampal CA1 region. Western blot was employed to measure the protein levels of cAMP， PKA， N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors 1， 2A， and 2B （NR1， NR2A， and NR2B， respectively）， postsynaptic density protein 95 （PSD95）， and synapsin 1 （SYN1）. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was performed to determine the mRNA levels of cAMP， PKA， and NR1. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to determine the content of interleukin-12 （IL-12） and interleukin-4 （IL-4） in the hippocampus. ResultCompared with the blank group， the model group showed blurred boundaries between presynaptic membrane and postsynaptic membrane in hippocampal CA1 region， reduced and scattered synaptic vesicles， and decreased density of postsynaptic membrane， and irregular， disarranged， and loosened dendritic spines of neurons in hippocampal CA1 region （P<0.01）. In addition， the model group presented down-regulated protein levels of cAMP， PKA， NR1， NR2A， NR2B， PSD95， and SYN1 and mRNA levels of cAMP， PKA， and NR1， elevated IL-12 level， and lowered IL-4 level in the hippocampus （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the drug intervention groups showed clear and intact boundaries between presynaptic membrane and postsynaptic membrane in hippocampal CA1 region， increased synaptic vesicles with dense arrangement， increased density of postsynaptic membrane， and improved morphology， arrangement， and density of neuronal dendritic spines （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， the drug interventions up-regulated the protein levels of cAMP， PKA， NR1， NR2A， NR2B， PSD95， and SYN1 （P<0.05，P<0.01） and mRNA levels of cAMP， PKA， and NR1 （P<0.01）， lowered the IL-12 level （P<0.01）， and elevated the IL-4 level （P<0.01） in the hippocampus. ConclusionHei Xiaoyaosan can improve the structure and morphology of hippocampal neurons in APP/PS1 mice by activating the cAMP/PKA/NMDAR signaling pathway and repairing synaptic plasticity.