Quality control is a key link in the modernization process of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Studies have shown that the effects of active components in TCM depend on not only their chemical composition but also their suitable physical forms and states. The physical phase structures, such as micelles, vesicles, gels, and nanoparticles, can improve the solubility, delivery efficiency, and targeting precision of active components. These structures significantly enhance the pharmacological activity while reducing the toxicity and side effects, demonstrating functional activity surpassing that of active components and highlighting the key effects of "structures" on "functions" of active components. Taking the physical phase structure as a breakthrough point, this paper outlines the common types of TCM physical phase structures. Furthermore, this paper explores how to realize the quality upgrading of TCM through the precise regulation of physical phase structures based on the current applications and potential of TCM physical phase structures in processing to increase the efficacy and reduce the toxicity, compounding and decocting processes, drug delivery systems, and quality control, aiming to provide novel insights for the future quality control of TCM.
Quality Control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/standards* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; Humans ; Drug Delivery Systems

OBJECTIVE: Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to ultrafine particulate matter (UPM, aerodynamic diameter < 0.1 µm) is associated with adverse cardiovascular events. Previous studies have found that Shenlian (SL) extract possesses anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic properties and has a promising protective effect at all stages of the atherosclerotic disease process. In this study, we aimed to investigated whether SL improves UPM-aggravated myocardial ischemic injury by inhibiting inflammation and cell apoptosis. METHODS: We established a mouse model of MI+UPM. Echocardiographic measurement, measurement of myocardialinfarct size, biochemical analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), histopathological analysis, Transferase dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL), Western blotting (WB), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and so on were used to explore the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of SL in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS: SL treatment can attenuate UPM-induced cardiac dysfunction by improving left ventricular ejection fraction, fractional shortening, and decreasing cardiac infarction area. SL significantly reduced the levels of myocardial enzymes and attenuated UPM-induced morphological alterations. Moreover, SL significantly reduced expression levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1. UPM further increased the infiltration of macrophages in myocardial tissue, whereas SL intervention reversed this phenomenon. UPM also triggered myocardial apoptosis, which was markedly attenuated by SL treatment. The results of in vitro experiments revealed that SL prevented cell damage caused by exposure to UPM combined with hypoxia by reducing the expression of the inflammatory factor NF-κB and inhibiting apoptosis in H9c2 cells. CONCLUSION Overall, both in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that SL attenuated UPM-aggravated myocardial ischemic injury by inhibiting inflammation and cell apoptosis. The mechanisms were related to the downregulation of macrophages infiltrating heart tissues.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Particulate Matter/adverse effects* ; Mice ; Male ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Myocardial Ischemia/drug therapy* ; Cell Line

The discipline of allied health sciences provides vital support to clinical diagnosis and treatment while promoting the translation of medical research into practice.As the integration of medicine and engineering deepens,talent cultivation in allied health faces new opportunities and challenges.Herein,we reviewed representative cases from domestic and international universities that have implemented interdisciplinary training in fields related to allied health,including exploration and practices concerning the development of cross-disciplinary platform,dual-degree programs,and collaborative education mechanisms involving the academia,industry,and research.We highlight the efforts of the School of Allied Health,West China School of Medicine,Sichuan University,which has continuously improved its disciplinary system and training programs through top-level planning and platform construction.The School of Allied Health Sciences has accelerated platform construction and established a new model for multidisciplinary collaborative education.At the practical level,the school has promoted curriculum reform through initiatives in ideological and political theories education,instructional system design,and the development of textbook systems.The school has created courses focused on the integration of medicine and engineering,interdisciplinary project-based modules,and specialized project-based curricula.These initiatives aim to strengthen the foundation for training high-level interdisciplinary professionals in allied health sciences under the evolving landscape of medicine-engineering integration.This articile also highlights other prospects,such as establishing a collaborative education model integrating medicine and engineering through industry-university-research collaboration,optimizing academic program structures,and enhancing professional certification systems,to inform policy-making and optimize practice.

Objective To investigate the postoperative efficacy of laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair(LHHR)combined with Toupet or Dor fundoplication for the treatment of esophageal hiatal hernia(HH).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the case data of HH patients who underwent LHHR combined with Toupet(Toupet group,n=53)and Dor(Dor group,n=53)fundoplication between December 2018 and December 2022 in Department of General Surgery of Gansu Provincial Hospital.Intraoperative and postoperative recovery outcomes of both groups were observed.We analyzed and compared the incidence of dysphagia and gastroesophageal reflux disease questionnaire(GERD-Q)scores at preoperative and postoperative intervals of 1 month,6 months,and 1 year.The incidence of postoperative complications and the 1-year recurrence rate were compared between the two groups.Additionally,factors influencing postoperative dysphagia within the first month were examined.Results The differences between the two groups in operation time,intraoperative bleeding,postoperative ventilation time,postoperative extubation time and hospitalization time were not statistically significant(P>0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of immediate postoperative dysphagia in two groups(P>0.05).Furthermore,the differences between the two groups in the incidence of postoperative complications,such as bloating,abdominal pain and diarrhea,were not statistically significant(P>0.05).The incidence of dysphagia in Toupet group was higher than that in Dor group at 1 month postoperatively,and the difference was statistically significant(P=0.017);but the difference in the incidence of dysphagia between the two groups at 6 months and 1 year postoperatively was not statistically significant(P=0.767,1.000).The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that both surgical procedure(OR=2.613,95%CI 1.141-5.983,P=0.023)and esophageal contractile reserve function(OR=2.921,95%CI 1.203-7.095,P=0.018)were independent risk factors for the incidence of dysphagia in patients with HH at 1 month after surgery.Compared with the preoperative period,the GERD-Q symptom scores were lower in both groups at 1 month,6 months,and 1 year postoperatively,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05);but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups at the same time point(Fintergroup=0.334,P=0.565).The difference between the two groups in 1-year postoperative recurrence rates was not statistically significant(P>0.05).Conclusions LHHR combined with Toupet or Dor fundoplication are both safe and effective surgical procedures for the treatment of HH,with excellent reflux control,fewer complications and lower recurrence rates,but Toupet fundoplication is more likely to have postoperative short-term dysphagia than Dor fundoplication.

With the rapid development of social economy， the number of patients with nervous system diseases has increased， and the incidence of the population has a trend of younger， which has a serious impact on life health and social economy. Artemisinin is an active antimalarial component extracted and isolated from Artemisia annua， a Chinese medicinal material. Artemisinin and its derivatives， in addition to the antimalarial effect， also have anti-parasitic， anti-fungal， anti-viral， hypoglycemic， hypolipidemic， anti-tumor， and anti-inflammatory effects， showing a wide range of pharmacological activities. In the past five years， research on the new pharmacological effects of artemisinin and its derivatives has been deepening， and the efficacy of artemisinin and its derivatives in nervous system diseases has attracted much attention， including anti-neuroinflammation， anti-oxidative stress， maintaining the stability of the blood-brain barrier， regulating the release of neurotransmitters， repairing neuronal damage， and promoting neuronal regeneration. These pharmacological effects indicate that artemisinin and its derivatives are potentially capable of neuroprotection. By sorting out literature on the pharmacological activity of artemisinin and its derivatives in nervous system during 2019－2024， this paper systematically summarized the protective effects of artemisinin and its derivatives against nervous system diseases such as stroke， neurodegenerative diseases， neuroimmunological diseases， neuralgia， and nervous system tumors. This review is expected to provide clues and evidence for new indication expansion of artemisinin drugs， innovative drug development， and clinical treatment of nervous system diseases.

The impact of air pollution on human health has always been a research hotspot in the global health field. Outdoor air pollutants composed of multiple components can enter the human body through various pathways. Cardiovascular diseases are a group of diseases caused by outdoor air pollutants. Studies have shown that the incidence of cardiovascular diseases， including hypertension， arrhythmia， and heart failure， is significantly increased among people exposed to air pollution environments. Air pollutants such as fine particulate matter， nitrogen dioxide， ozone， carbon monoxide， and sulfur dioxide are closely related to the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases， and short-term and long-term exposure causes different cardiovascular risks. By reviewing the relevant research reports from 2019 to 2024， this article summarizes the epidemiological evidence of cardiovascular diseases caused by different air pollutants. It generalizes the pathways through which air pollutants accelerate the progression of cardiovascular diseases. These pathways include oxidative stress， inflammatory response， thrombosis， extracellular vesicle release， endoplasmic reticulum stress， apoptosis， endothelial dysfunction， autonomic nervous system imbalance， and their interactions. Based on the different mechanisms of air pollution on cardiovascular diseases， the article analyzes the main progress in drug intervention and summarizes the roles of various active ingredients and compound prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine in treating air pollution-related cardiovascular diseases， providing reference for the research on the mechanisms and drug interventions of air pollution-related cardiovascular diseases.

Objective: To observe the effects of exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells on the proliferation and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells, and to analyze the contents of exosomes and explore the mechanisms affecting pancreatic cancer cells. Methods: Exosomes extracted from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were added to pancreatic cancer cells BxPC3, Panc-1 and mouse models of pancreatic cancer, respectively. The proliferative activity and invasion abilities of BxPC3 and Panc-1 cells were measured by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assays. The expressions of miRNAs in exosomes were detected by high-throughput sequencing. GO and KEGG were used to analyze the related functions and the main metabolic pathways of target genes with high expressions of miRNAs. Results: The results of CCK-8 cell proliferation assay showed that the absorbance of BxPC3 and Panc-1 cells in the hucMSCs-exo group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(4.68±0.09) vs. (3.68±0.01), P<0.05; (5.20±0.20) vs. (3.45±0.17), P<0.05]. Transwell test results showed that the number of invasion cells of BxPC3 and Panc-1 in hucMSCs-exo group was significantly higher than that in the control group (129.40±6.02) vs. (89.40±4.39), P<0.05; (134.40±7.02) vs. (97.00±6.08), P<0.05. In vivo experimental results showed that the tumor volume and weight in the exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs-exo) group were significantly greater than that in the control group [(884.57±59.70) mm(3) vs. (695.09±57.81) mm(3), P<0.05; (0.94±0.21) g vs. (0.60±0.13) g, P<0.05]. High-throughput sequencing results showed that miR-148a-3p, miR-100-5p, miR-143-3p, miR-21-5p and miR-92a-3p were highly expressed. GO and KEGG analysis showed that the target genes of these miRNAs were mainly involved in the regulation of glucosaldehylation, and the main metabolic pathways were ascorbic acid and aldehyde acid metabolism, which were closely related to the development of pancreatic cancer. Conclusion: Exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells can promote the growth of pancreatic cancer cells and the mechanism is related to miRNAs that are highly expressed in exosomes.
Mice ; Animals ; Humans ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Exosomes/genetics* ; Sincalide/metabolism* ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/genetics* ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Umbilical Cord

The postmortem interval (PMI) estimation is a key and difficult point in the practice of forensic medicine, and forensic scientists at home and abroad have been searching for objective, quantifiable and accurate methods of PMI estimation. With the development and combination of high-throughput sequencing technology and artificial intelligence technology, the establishment of PMI model based on the succession of the microbial community on corpses has become a research focus in the field of forensic medicine. This paper reviews the technical methods, research applications and influencing factors of microbial community in PMI estimation explored by using high-throughput sequencing technology, to provide a reference for the related research on the use of microbial community to estimate PMI.
Humans ; Postmortem Changes ; Artificial Intelligence ; Autopsy ; Cadaver ; Microbiota

Traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage commonly presents in traumatic brain injury patients, and it may lead to complications such as meningitis, ventriculitis, brain abscess, subdural hematoma or tension pneumocephalus. When misdiagnosed or inappropriately treated, traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage may result in severe complications and may be life-threatening. Some traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage has concealed manifestations and is prone to misdiagnosis. Due to different sites and mechanisms of trauma and degree of cerebrospinal fluid leak, treatments for traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage varies greatly. Hence, the Craniocerebral Trauma Professional Group of Neurosurgery Branch of Chinese Medical Association and the Neurological Injury Professional Group of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized relevant experts to formulate the " Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage in adults ( version 2023)" based on existing clinical evidence and experience. The consensus consisted of 16 recommendations, covering the leakage diagnosis, localization, treatments, and intracranial infection prevention, so as to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage and improve the overall prognosis of the patients.

Objective To measure and analyze biological characteristics and aging phenotype of SHJH^hr mice and provide basic data for the application of the mouse model in aging mechanisms research and antiaging drug development. MethodsWith ICR mice of the same age as control group, the body mass growth data of SHJH^hr mice at the age of 3 to 16 weeks, the reproduction ability of 1 to 4 fetuses and the life cycle of SHJH^hr mice were measured. Blood routine (30 items) and serum biochemical indexes (25 items) of 6-week-old SHJH^hr mice were measured. The venous blood of 8-week-old SHJH^hr mice was collected for flow cytometry analysis to determine the content of immune cells. The aging bone structure of the cancellous bone and bone mineral density of SHJH^hr mice aged 4, 8 and 26 weeks were measured by micro-CT. Histopathological changes of bone and joint of 8-week-old mice were observed. ResultsCompared with ICR mice, the female and male body mass of SHJH^hr mice were significantly lower at the age of 16 weeks (P < 0.05), and the reproductive performance of female mice was low (P < 0.01) or did not have normal reproductive capacity. The shortest survival time of SHJH^hr mice was 57 weeks and the longest was 71 weeks, which was shorter than those of normal ICR mice, showing obvious rapid aging phenomenon. At the same time, some physiological and biochemical indexes of blood and pathological changes of bone and cartilage tissues also showed the accelerated aging and abnormality of animal physiological functions. ConclusionSHJH^hr mice have some biological characteristics of rapid aging as well as some physiological and pathological changes caused by aging.