The phase changes and quantity-quality transfer of 17 batches of Ostreae Concha(Ostrea rivularis) during the raw material-calcined decoction pieces-standard decoction process were analyzed. The content of calcium carbonate(CaCO_3), the main component, was determined by chemical titration, and the extract yield and transfer rate were calculated. The CaCO_3 content in the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction was 94.39%-98.80%, 95.03%-99.22%, and 84.58%-90.47%, respectively. The process of raw material to calcined decoction pieces showed the yield range of 96.85% to 98.55% and the CaCO_3 transfer rate range of 96.92% to 99.27%. The process of calcined decoction pieces to standard decoction showed the extract yield range of 2.86% to 5.48% and the CaCO_3 transfer rate range of 2.59% to 5.13%. The results of X-ray fluorescence(XRF) assay showed that the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction mainly contained Ca, Na, Mg, Si, Br, Cl, Al, Fe, Cr, Mn, and K. The chemometric results showed an increase in the relative content of Cr, Fe, and Si from raw material to calcined decoction pieces and an increase in the relative content of Mg, Al, Br, K, Cl, and Na from calcined decoction pieces to standard decoction. X-ray diffraction(XRD) was employed to establish XRD characteristic patterns of the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction. The XRD results showed that the main phase of all three was calcite, and no transformation of crystalline form or generation of new phase was observed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) was employed to establish the FTIR characteristic spectra of the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction. The FTIR results showed that the raw material had internal vibrations of O-H, C-H, C=O, C-O, and CO■ groups. Due to the loss of organic matter components after calcination, no information about the vibrations of C-H, C=O, and C-O groups was observed in the spectra of calcined decoction pieces and standard decoction. In summary, this study elucidated the quantity-quality transfer and phase changes in the raw material-calcined decoction pieces-standard decoction process by determining the CaCO_3 content, calculating the extract yield and transfer rate, and comparing the element changes, FTIR characteristic spectra, and XRD characteristic pattern. The results were reasonable and reliable, laying a foundation for the subsequent process research and quality control of the formula granules of calcined Ostreae Concha(O. rivularis Gould), and providing ideas and methods for the quality control of the whole process of raw material-decoction pieces-standard decoction-formula granules of Ostreae Concha and other testacean traditional Chinese medicine.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Calcium Carbonate/analysis* ; Quality Control

This study aims to explore the protective effect of Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction on rats with heart failure after myocardial infarction, and to clarify its possible mechanisms, providing a new basis for basic research on the mechanism of classic Chinese medicinal formula-mediated inflammatory response in preventing and treating heart failure induced by apoptosis after myocardial infarction. A heart failure model after myocardial infarction was established in rats by coronary artery ligation. The rats were divided into sham group, model group, and low, medium, and high-dose groups of Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction, with 10 rats in each group. The low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose groups of Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction were given 6.3, 12.6, and 25.2 g·kg~(-1) doses by gavage, respectively. The sham group and model group were given an equal volume of distilled water by gavage once daily for four consecutive weeks. Cardiac function was assessed using color Doppler echocardiography. Myocardial pathology was detected by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, apoptosis was measured by TUNEL assay, and mitophagy was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin(IL)-1β, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The expression of apoptosis-related proteins B-cell lymphoma 2(Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), and cleaved caspase-3 was detected by Western blot. Additionally, the expression of phosphorylated nuclear transcription factor-κB(NF-κB) p65(p-NF-κB p65)(upstream) and nuclear factor kappa B inhibitor alpha(IκBα)(downstream) in the NF-κB signaling pathway was assessed by Western blot. The results showed that compared with the sham group, left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) and left ventricular short axis shortening(LVFS) in the model group were significantly reduced, while left ventricular end diastolic diameter(LVEDD) and left ventricular end systolic diameter(LVESD) increased significantly. Myocardial tissue damage was severe, with widened intercellular spaces and disorganized cell arrangement. The apoptosis rate was increased, and mitochondria were enlarged with increased vacuoles. Levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and NT-proBNP were elevated, indicating an obvious inflammatory response. The expression of pro-apoptotic factors Bax and cleaved caspase-3 increased, while the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 decreased. The expression of p-NF-κB p65 was upregulated, and the expression of IκBα was downregulated. In contrast, the Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction groups showed significantly improved of LVEF, LVFS and decreased LVEDD, LVESD compared to the model group. Myocardial tissue damage was alleviated, and intercellular spaces were reduced. The apoptosis rate decreased, mitochondrial volume decreased, and the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and NT-proBNP were lower. The expression of pro-apoptotic factors Bax and cleaved caspase-3 decreased, while the expression of the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 increased. Additionally, the expression of p-NF-κB p65 decreased, while IκBα expression increased. In summary, this experimental study shows that Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction can reduce the inflammatory response and apoptosis rate in rats with heart failure after myocardial infarction, which may be related to the regulation of the IκBα/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Rats ; Myocardial Infarction/physiopathology* ; Male ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Heart Failure/etiology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha/genetics* ; Humans ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to reexplore minimum iodine excretion and to build a dietary iodine recommendation for Chinese adults using the obligatory iodine loss hypothesis. METHODS: Data from 171 Chinese adults (19-21 years old) were collected and analyzed based on three balance studies in Shenzhen, Yinchuan, and Changzhi. The single exponential equation was accordingly used to simulate the trajectory of 24 h urinary iodine excretion as the low iodine experimental diets offered (iodine intake: 11-26 μg/day) and to further deduce the dietary reference intakes (DRIs) for iodine, including estimated average requirement (EAR) and recommended nutrient intake (RNI). RESULTS: The minimum iodine excretion was estimated as 57, 58, and 51 μg/day in three balance studies, respectively. Moreover, it was further suggested as 57, 58, and 51 μg/day for iodine EAR, and 80, 81, and 71 μg/day for iodine RNI or expressed as 1.42, 1.41, and 1.20 μg/(day·kg) of body weight. CONCLUSION The iodine DRIs for Chinese adults were established based on the obligatory iodine loss hypothesis, which provides scientific support for the amendment of nutrient requirements.
Humans ; Iodine/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Female ; China ; Young Adult ; Diet ; Adult ; Nutritional Requirements ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVE: To investigate hypertension (HTN) trends, key risk factors, and gender disparities in rural China, and to propose targeted strategies for improving HTN control in resource-limited settings. METHODS: This longitudinal study used data from the Henan Rural Cohort Study, including baseline (2015-2017; n = 39,224) and follow-up (2018-2022; n = 28,621) participants. HTN was defined as systolic/diastolic blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg, self-reported diagnosis, or use of antihypertensive medication. Severity was classified using a 7-tier blood pressure (BP) staging system (optimal, normal, high normal, and HTN stages 1-4). A generalized linear mixed-effects model (GLMM) identified associated risk factors. RESULTS: HTN prevalence increased modestly from 32.7% (95% CI: 32.2-33.2) to 33.9% (95% CI: 33.3%-34.4%). Awareness and treatment improved from 20.1% to 25.3%, and from 18.8% to 24.4%, respectively, but control rates remained low (6.2% to 12.3%). After adjustment, women had a 1.53-fold higher HTN risk than men ( OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.43-1.63), revealing gender-specific trends. Key risk factors included alcohol use ( OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.27-1.47) and overweight status ( OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.66-1.86). BP staging showed an increase in optimal BP (42.3% to 45.8%), but stagnant management of advanced HTN stages. CONCLUSION Hypertension in rural China is shaped by behavioral risk factors and healthcare access gaps. Gender-sensitive, community-based interventions, including task-shifting models, are necessary to mitigate the growing burden of hypertension.
Humans ; Hypertension/etiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Female ; Male ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Longitudinal Studies ; Sex Factors ; Cohort Studies ; East Asian People

Objective:To investigate the inhibitory effect of Xiaojianzhong Granule(XJZG)on food allergy(FA)and related mecha-nisms in terms of gut microbiota,zonula occluden-1(ZO-1),and Occludin.Methods:A total of 24 specific pathogen-free female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into normal group,model group,prevention group,and treatment group,with 6 mice in each group.The mice in the prevention group were given XJZG by gavage at a standard dose of 5.85 g/kg/day from 3 days before the first challenge till 4 hours before the last challenge;the mice in the treatment group were given XJZG at the double dose for 3 days based on the allergy score;the mice in the other groups were given an equal volume of distilled water by gavage.At the end of the experiment,al-lergy score and anal temperature were measured;flow cytometry was used to measure eosinophils and mast cells in mesenteric lymph nodes(MLNs);toluidine blue staining was performed for mast cells in jejunal tissue;immunohistochemistry was used to measure the expression of ZO-1 and Occludin;16S rRNA sequencing was per-formed to analyze the microbiota in the intestinal content;high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to measure the content of short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs)in jejunal lavage fluid.Results:Compared with the model group,the prevention group and the treatment group had significant reductions in al-lergy score(P=0.000,P=0.000),anal temperature(P=0.002,P=0.000),the proportion of eosinophils and mast cells in MLNs(P<0.05),and mast cell infiltration in jejunal tissue(P=0.000,P=0.000).Compared with the normal group,the model group had signifi-cant increases in the relative abundances of Erysipelaceae and Turicibacter,while the prevention group and the treatment group had disappearance of Erysipelaceae and Turicibacter and an increase in the relative abundance of Porphyromonadaceae.Compared with the normal group,the model group had a significant reduction in the content of propionate in jejunal lavage fluid(P=0.014),and compared with the model group,the prevention group had a significant increase in the content of propionate in jejunal lavage fluid(P=0.024),as well as a significant increase in the treatment group(P=0.008).In the model group,the expression of ZO-1 was downregulated(P=0.010),and the expression of Occludin was significantly downregulated(P=0.002),while the expression of ZO-1 and Occludin re-turned to normal levels in the prevention group and the treatment group(P=0.001,P=0.013;P=0.025,P=0.015).Conclusion:XJZG can change the composition and abundance of gut microbiota,increase the concentration of SCFAs,upregulate the expression of ZO-1 and Occludin,promote the repair of intestinal barrier,and inhibit food allergy.

Objective Hypobaric chamber and simulated weightless bed are essential methods for aerospace medical research,and conducting state assessment of volunteers before and after hypobaric chamber and simulated weightless bed tests is an essential guideline for aerospace implementation medicine.To further improve the efficiency of human condition assessment,in addition to the conventional biochemical and physiological indicators,the human oral exhaled gas can be used for condition assessment,and the olfactometry acquisition equipment and analysis software can collect and detect most volatile gases to complete the human oral exhaled gas data acquisition.Conducting comparative analysis of olfactory mapping data from different populations may be a means to assess the status of the body.Methods The olfactometry acquisition equipment was used to collect the oral exhaled breath olfactometry profiles of the general population,hypobaric cabin volunteers,and ambulatory volunteers.The olfactometry analysis software was used to calculate the 12 eigenvalues of the olfactometry profiles and the t-SNE downscaling,and the radar plots were used to analyze the olfactometry profiles of the general population,low-pressure cabin volunteers,and ambulatory volunteers respectively.A comparative analysis of different populations was conducted.Results(1)The t-SNE mapping data of the general population and the ambulatory volunteers were almost indistinguishable;(2)the t-SNE mapping data of the hypobaric cabin volunteers and the general population had a slight overlap,but the distinguishability of the vast majority of the t-SNE mapping data was obvious;(3)the t-SNE mapping data of the hypobaric cabin volunteers and the ambulatory volunteers were distinguishable with no overlap,and the ambulatory t SNE data are highly aggregated,and the distribution of t-SNE data in low-pressure cabin is more discrete;(4)there are 2-3 sensors with large eigenvalues and a large range of variation for both low-pressure cabin volunteers and recumbent volunteers after training activities,and the common sensor with a large range of variation is S6.Conclusion Olfactory diagnostic analysis mapping may be a means to assess the health status of the body and may be useful for spaceflight health status assessment in the future.The analysis and application of flight health state assessment can be a reference in the future.

Objective To establish an early prediction model for the diagnosis of severe acute pancreatitis based on the improved machine learning models,and to analyze its clinical value.Methods A case-control study was conducted on 352 patients with acute pancreatitis admitted to the Gastroenterology and Hepatobiliary Surgery Departments of the Army Medical Center of PLA and Emergency and Critical Care Medicine Department of No.945 Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA from January 2014 to August 2023.According to the severity of the disease,the patients were divided into the severe group(n=88)and the non-severe group(n=264).The RUSBoost model and improved Archimead optimization algorithm was used to analyze 39 routine laboratory biochemical indicators within 48 h after admission to construct an early diagnosis and prediction model for severe acute pancreatitis.The task of feature screening and hyperparameter optimization was completed simultaneously.The ReliefF algorithm feature importance rank and multivariate logistic analysis were used to analyze the value of the selected features.Results In the training set,the area under curve(AUC)of the improved machine learning model was 0.922.In the testing set,the AUC of the improved machine learning model reached 0.888.The 4 key features of predicting severe acute pancreatitis based on the improved Archimedes optimization algorithm were C-reactive protein,blood chlorine,blood magnesium and fibrinogen level,which were consistent with the results of ReliefF algorithm feature importance ranking and multivariate logistic analysis.Conclusion The application of improved machine learning model analyzing the laboratory examination results can help to early predict the occurrence of severe acute pancreatitis.

italic>Astragalus polysaccharides are the most immunoregulatory active and abundant substances in Astragalus, with anti-tumor, anti-viral, and immune-promoting biological activities. They have been widely used in clinical practice. Previous studies have found that Astragalus polysaccharides are mainly composed of two different polysaccharides, APS-I (>2 000 kDa) and APS-Ⅱ (10 kDa), with APS-Ⅱ (10 kDa) being the most active component of Astragalus polysaccharides. We used α-1,4-glucan endo-hydrolysis enzyme to degrade APS-Ⅱ into oligosaccharides, and screened the immune activity of oligosaccharides in vitro. We found that the overall immune activity of 2-9 oligosaccharides was low, while the immune activity of 10-14 oligosaccharides was strong, and the activity was better than that of untreated APS-Ⅱ. To investigate the key structural features of APS-Ⅱ oligosaccharides that play a role in immune activity, we used MALDI-TOF-MS biochemical mass spectrometry and high-resolution mass spectrometry instrument ESI-Q Exactive-MS to analyze the APS enzymatic oligosaccharides. By comparing, we found that 10-14 oligosaccharides contain 1→4 and 1→6 branched structures with coexisting linkages, suggesting that 1→4 and 1→6 linkages in branched structures are key structural features that play a role in the immune activity of APS-Ⅱ, laying a theoretical foundation for the structure-activity relationship of Astragalus polysaccharides and oligosaccharides.

Objective:To determine the total and age-specific cut-off values of total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) and the ratio of free PSA divided total PSA (fPSA/tPSA) for screening prostate cancer in China.Methods:Based on the Chinese Colorectal, Breast, Lung, Liver, and Stomach cancer Screening Trial (C-BLAST) and the Tianjin Common Cancer Case Cohort (TJ4C), males who were not diagnosed with any cancers at baseline since 2017 and received both tPSA and fPSA testes were selected. Based on Cox regression, the overall and age-specific (＜60, 60-＜70, and ≥70 years) accuracy and optimal cut-off values of tPSA and fPSA/tPSA ratio for screening prostate cancer were evaluated with time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve (tdROC) and area under curve (AUC). Bootstrap resampling was used to internally validate the stability of the optimal cut-off value, and the PLCO study was used to externally validate the accuracy under different cut-off values.Results:A total of 5 180 participants were included in the study, and after a median follow-up of 1.48 years, a total of 332 prostate cancer patients were included. In the total population, the tdAUC of tPSA and fPSA/tPSA screening for prostate cancer were 0.852 and 0.748, respectively, with the optimal cut-off values of 5.08 ng/ml and 0.173, respectively. After age stratification, the age specific cut-off values of tPSA in the <60, 60-<70, and ≥70 age groups were 3.13, 4.82, and 11.54 ng/ml, respectively, while the age-specific cut-off values of fPSA/tPSA were 0.153, 0.135, and 0.130, respectively. Under the age-specific cut-off values, the sensitivities of tPSA screening for prostate cancer in males <60, 60-70, and ≥70 years old were 92.3%, 82.0%, and 77.6%, respectively, while the specificities were 84.7%, 81.3%, and 75.4%, respectively. The age-specific sensitivities of fPSA/tPSA for screening prostate cancer were 74.4%, 53.3%, and 55.9%, respectively, while the specificities were 83.8%, 83.7%, and 83.7%, respectively. Both bootstrap's internal validation and PLCO external validation provided similar results. The combination of tPSA and fPSA/tPSA could further improve the accuracy of screening.Conclusion:To improve the screening effects, it is recommended that age-specific cut-off values of tPSA and fPSA/tPSA should be used to screen for prostate cancer in the general risk population.

Objective:To determine the total and age-specific cut-off values of total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) and the ratio of free PSA divided total PSA (fPSA/tPSA) for screening prostate cancer in China.Methods:Based on the Chinese Colorectal, Breast, Lung, Liver, and Stomach cancer Screening Trial (C-BLAST) and the Tianjin Common Cancer Case Cohort (TJ4C), males who were not diagnosed with any cancers at baseline since 2017 and received both tPSA and fPSA testes were selected. Based on Cox regression, the overall and age-specific (＜60, 60-＜70, and ≥70 years) accuracy and optimal cut-off values of tPSA and fPSA/tPSA ratio for screening prostate cancer were evaluated with time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve (tdROC) and area under curve (AUC). Bootstrap resampling was used to internally validate the stability of the optimal cut-off value, and the PLCO study was used to externally validate the accuracy under different cut-off values.Results:A total of 5 180 participants were included in the study, and after a median follow-up of 1.48 years, a total of 332 prostate cancer patients were included. In the total population, the tdAUC of tPSA and fPSA/tPSA screening for prostate cancer were 0.852 and 0.748, respectively, with the optimal cut-off values of 5.08 ng/ml and 0.173, respectively. After age stratification, the age specific cut-off values of tPSA in the <60, 60-<70, and ≥70 age groups were 3.13, 4.82, and 11.54 ng/ml, respectively, while the age-specific cut-off values of fPSA/tPSA were 0.153, 0.135, and 0.130, respectively. Under the age-specific cut-off values, the sensitivities of tPSA screening for prostate cancer in males <60, 60-70, and ≥70 years old were 92.3%, 82.0%, and 77.6%, respectively, while the specificities were 84.7%, 81.3%, and 75.4%, respectively. The age-specific sensitivities of fPSA/tPSA for screening prostate cancer were 74.4%, 53.3%, and 55.9%, respectively, while the specificities were 83.8%, 83.7%, and 83.7%, respectively. Both bootstrap's internal validation and PLCO external validation provided similar results. The combination of tPSA and fPSA/tPSA could further improve the accuracy of screening.Conclusion:To improve the screening effects, it is recommended that age-specific cut-off values of tPSA and fPSA/tPSA should be used to screen for prostate cancer in the general risk population.