ObjectiveTo study on the different therapeutic effects and potential mechanisms of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma（RH） before and after steaming with wine on constipation model mice. MethodsFifty-four male ICR mice were randomly divided into control group， model group， lactulose group（1.5 mg·kg^-1）， high， medium and low dose groups of RH and RH steaming with wine（PRH）（8， 4， 1 g·kg^-1）. Except for the control group， the constipation model was replicated by gavage of loperamide hydrochloride（6 mg·kg^-1） in the other groups. After 2 weeks of modeling， each administration group was gavaged with the corresponding dose of drug solution， and the control and model groups were given an equal volume of normal saline， 1 time/d for 2 consecutive weeks. After administration， the feces were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing， the levels of gastrin（GAS）， motilin（MTL）， interleukin-6（IL-6）， γ-interferon（IFN-γ） in the colonic tissue were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）， the histopathological changes of colon were observed by hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion changes of CD4⁺， CD8⁺ and regulatory T cell（Treg） in peripheral blood. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group showed significantly decrease in fecal number in 24 h， fecal quality and fecal water rate（P<0.01）， the colon was seen to have necrotic shedding of mucosal epithelium， localized intestinal glands in the lamina propria were degenerated， necrotic and atrophied， a few lymphocytes were seen to infiltrate in the necrotic area in a scattered manner， the contents of GAS and MTL， the proportions of CD4⁺， CD8⁺ and Treg were significantly reduced（P<0.01）， the contents of IL-6 and IFN-γ were significantly elevated（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the fecal number in 24 h， fecal quality and fecal water rate of high-dose groups of RH and PRH were significantly increased（P<0.05， P<0.01）， the pathological damage of the colon was alleviated to varying degrees， the contents of GAS， MTL， IL-6 and IFN-γ were significantly regressed（P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the proportions of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ were significantly increased（P<0.01）， although the proportion of Treg showed an upward trend， there was no significant difference. In addition， the results of intestinal flora showed that the number of amplicon sequence variant（ASV） and Alpha diversity were decreased in the model group compared with the control group， and there was a significant difference in Beta diversity， with a decrease in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and an increase in the relative abundances of Bacillus and Helicobacter. Compared with the model group， the ASV number and Alpha diversity were increased in the high-dose groups of RH and PRH， and there was a trend of regression of Beta diversity to the control group， the relative abundance of Lactobacillus increased， and the relative abundances of Bacillus and Helicobacter decreased. ConclusionRH and PRH can improve dysbacteriosis， promote immune system activation， inhibit the release of inflammatory factors for enhancing the gastrointestinal function， which may be one of the potential mechanisms of their therapeutic effect on constipation.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) complicated by hyperuricemia (HUA) and explore their potential as novel diagnostic molecular markers and their target genes. METHODS: This study was conducted among 30 CHF patients with HUA (observation group) and 30 healthy volunteers (control group) enrolled between September, 2020 and September, 2023. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 6 CHF patients with HUA for analyzing exosomal miRNAs by high-throughput sequencing, and the results were validated in the remaining 24 patients using qRT-PCR. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed to predict the the target genes of the identified differential miRNAs. We also validated the differentially expressed miRNAs by animal experiment. RESULTS: A total of 42 differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs were detected in observation group by high-throughput sequencing; among them, miR-27a-5p was significantly upregulated (P=0.000179), and miR-139-3p was significantly downregulated (P=0.000058). In the 24 patients with both CHF and PUA, qRT-PCR validated significant upregulation of miR-27a-5p (P=0.004) and downregulation of miR-139-3p (P=0.005) in serum exosomes. When combined, miR-27a-5p and miR-139-3p had a maximum area under the curve (AUC) of 0.899 (95% CI: 0812-0.987) for predicting CHF complicated by HUA. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses suggested that the differential expressions of miR-27a-5p and miR-139-3p was associated with the activation of the AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway to activate the autophagic response. We obtained the same conclusion from animal experiment. CONCLUSIONS Upregulated exosomal miR-27a-5p combined with downregulated exosomal miR-139-3p expression can serve as a novel molecular marker for diagnosis of CHF complicated by HUA, and their differential expression may promote autophagy in cardiomyocytes by activating the AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway.
Humans ; Hyperuricemia/diagnosis* ; Heart Failure/genetics* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Exosomes/metabolism* ; Chronic Disease ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Animals

OBJECTIVES: To explore the bioactive components in Jiawei Xiaoyao Pills (JWXYP) and their mechanisms for alleviating depression-like behaviors. METHODS: The active compounds, key targets, and pathways of JWXYP were identified using TCMSP and TCMIP databases. Thirty-six SD rats were randomized equally into 6 groups including a control group and 5 chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression groups. After modeling, the 5 model groups were treated with daily gavage of normal saline, 1.8 mg/kg fluoxetine hydrochloride (positive control drug), or JWXYP at 1.44, 2.88, and 4.32 g/kg. The depression-like behaviors of the rats were evaluated using behavioral tests, and pathological changes in the liver and hippocampus were examined with HE staining. The biochemical indicators in the serum and brain tissues were detected using ELISA. Serum metabolomics analysis was performed to identify the differential metabolites using OPLS-DA, and gut microbiota changes were analyzed using 16S rDNA sequencing. RESULTS: Network pharmacology revealed that menthone and paeonol in JWXYP were capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier to regulate inflammatory pathways and protect the nervous system. In the rat models subjected to CUMS, treatment with JWXYP significantly improved body weight loss, sucrose preference and open field activities, reduced liver inflammation, alleviated structural changes in the hippocampal neurons, decreased serum levels of TNF‑α, IL-1β, IL-6 and LBP, and increased 5-HT and VIP concentrations in the serum and brain tissue, and these effects were the most pronounced in the high-dose group. Metabolomics analysis showed changes in such metabolites as indole-3-acetamide and acetyl-L-carnitine in JWXYP-treated rats, involving the pathways for bile acid biosynthesis and amino acid metabolism. 16S rDNA analysis demonstrated increased gut microbiota diversity and increased abundance of Lactobacillus species in JWXYP-treated rats. CONCLUSIONS JWXYP alleviates depression-like symptoms in rats by regulating the neurotransmitters, inhibiting inflammation and oxidation, and modulating gut microbiota.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Depression/drug therapy* ; Neurotransmitter Agents/metabolism* ; Rats ; Inflammation ; Male ; Hippocampus ; Behavior, Animal/drug effects*

OBJECTIVE To improve the quality evaluation method of Platycodonis Radix, to study the differences in the quality of three-years-old Platycodonis Radix under different harvesting periods, and to determine the optimal harvesting period of Platycodonis Radix. METHODS The leachate, ash, moisture, refractive index and the content of six saponins were used as the quality evaluation indexes. The differences between the herbs of Platycodonis Radix at different harvesting periods were characterized with the help of mathematical and statistical methods. And link the entropy weight method, gray correlation analysis and TOPSIS method were combined to obtain the statistical analysis of the relevant indexes and the quality ranking information of the herbs in different harvesting periods. RESULTS There were significant differences between the quality evaluation indexes of three-years-old Platycodonis Radix at different harvesting periods. The added multi-indicator testing had improved the quality evaluation system of Platycodonis Radix and enhanced the "Drug properties-Effectiveness" linkage of the herbs. And the results of the comprehensive quality evaluation model showed that the herbs harvested around October 21 (Frost’s Descent) were ranked best in terms of comprehensive index. CONCLUSION In order to ensure the quality of Platycodonis Radix, the best harvesting period for three-years-old Platycodonis Radix is determined around the "Frost’s Descent" season, taking into account the characteristics of the herbs' appearance and the material basis of herbs.

Objective To standardize nursing management on postoperative patients with a left ventricular assist-ant device(LVAD).Methods The first draft of the Consensus was formed on the basis of literature review.2 rounds of expert consultations and a round of online meeting discussion were held for adjustments and modifications the draft of the Consensus.Results The recovery rate of the inquiry questionnaire was 93.75%.The authority coefficients of the 2 rounds of inquiry experts were 0.927 and 0.920.The concentration degree of expert opinions for each indicator was greater than 3.5 score,and the coefficient of variation was less than 0.25.The Kendall harmony coefficients for 2 rounds of correspondence were 0.402 and 0.407(P<0.01).The final Consensus formed through expert consultations and meetings includes 7 themes:hemodynamic monitoring,LVAD function monitoring,coagulation function monitoring,percutaneous cable and wound care,exercise rehabilitation care,health education and guidance,and pre-discharge assessment.Conclusion The Consensus is scientific,rigorous,and authoritative.The Consensus covers all aspects of postoperative care for patients with LVAD,and it will benefit to clinical practice.

ObjectiveMyelodysplastic syndromes （MDS） is a group of clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders，and this study aims to investigate the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α（HIF-1α） in the bone marrow cells of patients with MDS and its correlation with the clinical features of MDS，the therapeutic efficacy of arsenic-containing Chineseherbal compound，and the survival prognosis. MethodAccording to the inclusion and exclusion criteria，27 MDS patients treated with arsenic-containing Chinese herbal compound in the Department of Hematology，Xiyuan Hospital，China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from January 2022 to September 2022 were included，and their bone marrow samples were collected by myelotomy. HIF-1α expression level in bone marrow cells was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction （PCR） to analyze its correlation with clinical features，and logistic and Cox regression was used to analyze the risk factors affecting the efficacy and prognostic survival of MDS patients. ResultThe HIF-1α mRNA expression level was lower in bone marrow cells of MDS patients than in healthy subjects. HIF-1α was positively correlated with the degree of myelodysplasia（r=0.384，P<0.05） and bone marrow granulocytic system%（G%）（r=0.560，P<0.01）. Logistic regression showed that HIF-1α was a risk factor for the prognosis in the follow-up of the efficacy of treatment（P<0.05）and Cox regression showed that HIF-1α was an independent factor affecting the survival prognosis of MDS patients ［odds ratio（OR）=398.968，95% confidence interval（CI）（1.281，116 858.743），P<0.05］. ConclusionThe level of HIF-1α expression in bone marrow cells of MDS patients was closely related to the degree of clinical myelodysplasia and G%，and HIF-1α was a risk factor for the efficacy for and survival prognosis of MDS patients.

Objective To investigate the expression of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), regulatory T cells (Treg), IL-17-producing CD4 + T cells (Th17), and CD8 + T cells (Tc17) in hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic pre-liver failure (pre-ACHBLF), and to provide ideas for the early treatment of acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure (ACHBLF). Methods A total of patients with pre-ACHBLF and 15 patients with ACHBLF who were hospitalized in Shijiazhuang Fifth Hospital, from August 2018 to May 2019 were enrolled as subjects, and 15 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 15 healthy controls (HC) who underwent physical examination were enrolled as controls. Flow cytometry was used to measure the expression levels of MDSC and Th17, Treg, and Tc17 cells in peripheral blood; a blood analyzer was used to measure routine blood parameters and calculate neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic immune-inflammation index(SIRS) to evaluate the degree of inflammation, and the correlation between the expression of immune cells and the degree of inflammation was analyzed. An analysis of variance for independent samples was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t -test was used for further comparison between two groups; the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups, and the Nemenyi test was used for further comparison between two groups. A Pearson linear correlation analysis or Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between variables. Results Compared with the CHB group, the ACHBLF and pre-ACHBLF groups had significant increases in the expression levels of Th17, Treg, and Tc17 cells, and the pre-ACHBLF group also had a significant increase in the expression level of MDSC (all P < 0.05). The correlation analysis showed that in pre-ACHBLF patients, MDSC were positively correlated with leukocyte count, neutrophil count, NLR, MLR, and SII ( r =0.775, 0.727, 0.571, 0.786, and 0.846, all P < 0.05), and Treg cells were only positively correlated with leukocyte count ( r =0.618, P =0.043); Th17/Treg ratio and Tc17 cells were negatively correlated with the number of lymphocytes ( r =-0.790 and -0.795, both P < 0.05). Conclusion Cellular immune dysfunction is observed in patients with pre-ACHBLF, and the expression of MDSC is closely associated with the degree of inflammation and should be taken seriously in the early stage.

Objective:To explore the predictive value of lactic acid for the adverse prognostic outcomes in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure combined with infection.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 208 cases of ACLF combined with infection who were hospitalized from January 2014 to March 2016. Patients were divided into a survival group ( n = 83) and a mortality group ( n = 125) according to the results of a 90-day follow-up. The clinical data were statistically analyzed between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression with two categorical variables was used to analyze the independent risk factors for 90-day disease mortality and establish a new prediction model. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to evaluate the predictive value of lactic acid, the MELD score, the MELD-Na score, lactic acid combined with the MELD score, lactic acid combined with the MELD-Na score, and the new model. Results:The 90-day mortality rate of 208 cases of ACLF combined with infection was 60.1%. There were statistically significant differences in white blood cell count, neutrophil count, total bilirubin (TBil), serum creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), blood ammonia, the international normalized ratio (INR), lactic acid (LAC), procalcitonin, the MELD score, the MELD-Na score, hepatic encephalopathy (HE), acute kidney injury (AKI), and bleeding between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that TBil, INR, LAC, HE, and bleeding were independent risk factors for 90-day mortality in patients with ACLF combined with infection. After the establishment of MELD-LAC, MELD-Na-LAC, and a new prediction model, the ROC curve revealed that the AUC (95% confidence interval) of MELD-LAC and MELD-Na LAC were 0.819 (0.759 ~ 0.870) and 0.838 (0.780 ~ 0.886), respectively, and was superior than the MELD score [0.766 (0.702 ~ 0.823)] and MELD-Na score [0.788 (0.726 ~ 0.843)], with P < 0.05, while the new model had an AUC of 0.924, the sensitivity of 83.9%, specificity of 89.9%, and accuracy of 87.8%, which was higher than LAC, MELD score, MELD-Na score, MELD-LAC, and MELD-Na-LAC ( P < 0.01). Conclusion:Lactic acid is an independent risk factor for mortality in patients with ACLF combined with infection, and it improves the clinical predictive value of MELD and MELD-Na for the prognosis of mortality.

Objective:To establish the sensitive quality indicators for cardiovascular nursing based on the RAND Corporation University of California, Los Angeles (RAND-UCLA) expert consensus method, so as to lay the foundation for scientific and standardized quality management of cardiovascular nursing.Methods:Relevant literature was searched on China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang Data, VIP, China Biomedical Literature Database, Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase and CINAHL. The search period was from database establishment to August 31, 2021. We used the Johns Hopkins evidence-based nursing practice model for evidence-based analysis and summary, and referred to documents on cardiovascular nursing quality indicators to form an indicator pool. From May 23 to July 12, 2022, 17 experts were selected to apply the RAND-UCLA expert consensus method to inquire about the indicators.Results:The effective response rates of the first and third rounds of the questionnaire were both 100.00% (17/17) , and the authority coefficients of the experts were 0.87 and 0.88, respectively. Among the 18 indicators in the third round of expert consultation, the consistency degree of importance and operability of all indicators was less than 1.00. Finally, 18 sensitive quality indicators for cardiovascular nursing were established.Conclusions:The consistency and coordination of experts in this study are good, and the nursing sensitive indicators formed have scientific characteristics, cardiovascular specialty characteristics, and good operability.

In response to the Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Promoting the Inheritance， Innovation， and Development of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） and the spirit of the National Conference on TCM， Chinese Association of Chinese Medicine organized experts in Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery of traditional Chinese and western medicine to discuss the clinical advantages of TCM and integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine in the treatment of allergic rhinitis （AR） and they reached a basic consensus. In recent years， the prevalence of AR has been on the rise， threatening the quality of life of patients and giving rise to a heavy burden to both the patients and the society. AR is resulted from immune imbalance rather than reduced immunity or hyperimmunity， and the imbalance is similar to the Yin-yang disharmony in TCM. In the treatment of this disease， western medicine features rapid onset. However， it is cost-intensive and causes severe surgical trauma， and the recurrence is common. TCM boasts diverse methods for AR， which can be used in all stages of this disease. It has advantages in controlling symptoms such as nasal congestion， runny nose， or dysosmia in the attack stage， preventing recurrence in the remission stage， and treating refractory AR or steroid-resistant AR. In particular， acupuncture enjoys a reputation in treatment of AR， which has been supported by evidence-based medicine and recommended by guidelines. While treating local symptoms of AR， TCM regulates the psychosomatic conditions， which facilitates chronic disease management and long-term follow-up. We should integrate the advantages of TCM and western medicine， give full play to the unique nonnegligible and irreplaceable advantages of TCM， formulate a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment scheme for learning and promotion， and summarize the research outcomes to promote the theoretical innovation of TCM on AR from the perspective of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine.