Corn silk, a Traditional Chinese Medicine, has the effect of calming liver, cholagogue, detumescence and diuresis. Corn silk is also widely used as tea and functional food. Natural flavonoids have multiple biological activities, which are also the main bioactive components of corn silk. In the past decade, many new advances have been made in the chemistry, analysis, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and safety evaluation of corn silk flavonoids. The chemical composition research of flavonoids has enriched the variety of flavonoids in corn silk. Pharmacological studies have confirmed and expanded the efficacy of corn silk flavonoids. And safety evaluation has provided a theoretical basis for the safe application of corn silk flavonoids. Through literature search, the extraction, separation, compositional analysis, content determination, pharmacological effect, pharmacokinetics, and safety research progress of corn silk flavonoids in the past ten years were reviewed in this paper.

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Guben Fangxiao decoction-containing serum on the expression of transcription factors and cytokines associated with calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP）， γ-aminobutyric acid （GABA）， and type Ⅱ innate lymphoid cells （ILC2） in human bronchial epithelial cells （BEAS-2B） stimulated with interleukin-4 （IL-4） combined with interleukin-13 （IL-13）， and explore the possible mechanism of Guben Fangxiao decoction-containing serum in alleviating type Ⅱ inflammation of bronchial epithelial cells. MethodsBEAS-2B cells stimulated with IL-4 combined with IL-13 were treated with the sera containing high （20%）， medium （15%）， and low （10%） doses of Guben Fangxiao decoction and the montelukast-containing serum （10%）. Real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA levels of CGRP， GABA， mucin 5AC （MUC5AC）， thymic stromal lymphopoietin （TSLP）， interleukin （IL）-25， IL-33， IL-5， GATA-binding protein 3 （GATA3）， and B cell lymphoma/leukemia 11B （Bcl-11B） in each group. Western blot was employed to determine the relative protein levels of CGRP and MUC5AC. The immunofluorescence assay was employed to observe the relative expression of CGRP and GABA in the cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to quantify the protein levels of IL-33， MUC5AC， and IL-5 in the culture and cell supernatants. Periodic acid-Schiff staining was performed to assess mucin secretion. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group showed up-regulated mRNA levels of CGRP， GABA， MUC5AC， TSLP， IL-25， and IL-33 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the Guben Fangxiao decoction-containing serum down-regulated the mRNA levels of CGRP， GABA， MUC5AC， IL-5， GATA3， and Bcl-11B （P<0.05， P<0.01） in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed up-regulated protein levels of CGRP， GABA， MUC5AC， IL-33， and IL-5 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， which were down-regulated by the Guben Fangxiao decoction-containing serum （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed enhanced average fluorescence intensity of CGRP and GABA （P<0.01）， which was weakened by the Guben Fangxiao decoction-containing serum （P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed increased secretion of mucin， which was reduced by the Guben Fangxiao decoction-containing serum. ConclusionGuben Fangxiao decoction can treat bronchial asthma by alleviating type Ⅱ immune airway inflammation and reducing airway mucus secretion， which is achieved by regulating the expression of CGRP， GABA， MUC5AC， and ILC2-related transcription factors.

Objective: To explore the relationship between parenting styles and depressive symptoms in adolescents with nightmare disorder, so as to provide a scientific basis for formulating effective family intervention measures and psychological counseling. Methods: From January 2023 to August 2024, 90 adolescents diagnosed with nightmare disorder and admitted to Hangzhou Seventh Peoples Hospital, along with 176 healthy controls from the urban areas of Hangzhou, were recruited as participants in the study. All participants were assessed using the Nightmare Experience Questionnaire (NEQ), Family Relationship Questionnaire (FRQ), and Plutchik-van Praag Selfreport Depression Scale (PVP). The ttest and Chisquare test were conducted to compare two groups. Pearson correlation and stepwise multiple linear regression were employed to explore the correlations between PVP and NEQ or FRQ. The Process model was used to testing the mediating effects among NEQ/FRQ/PVP. Results: The nightmare disorder group had higher scores in nightmare frequency, the four factors of NEQ (physical effect, negative emotion, meaning interpretation, horrible stimulation), and PVP than the healthy control group (24.86±18.89, 10.12±3.67, 19.01±3.51, 17.02±3.31, 15.14±3.26, 14.02±4.38; 2.34±1.04, 6.49±2.18, 17.63±4.76, 13.91±4.24, 12.40±4.49, 9.39±3.28)(t=15.79, 10.11, 2.43, 6.09, 5.14, 27.46, P<0.05). The nightmare disorder group reported significantly lower scores in FRQ general attachment and maternal encouragement than the healthy control group (7.22±2.81, 16.39±3.28) (t=-5.53, -4.95). In contrast, they exhibited significantly higher scores in maternal abuse, maternal dominance, paternal freedom release, and paternal dominance than the healthy control group (8.23±1.80, 13.11±3.73, 18.36±3.37, 12.04±3.29; 6.07±1.85, 8.48±3.80, 15.15±2.51, 9.47±3.03) (t=6.70, 8.96, 5.90, 7.04, P<0.01). The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that, in the nightmare disorder group, the PVP score was positively correlated with negative emotion, nightmare frequency, maternal abuse, and maternal dominance score (r=0.14, 0.63, 0.26, 0.51, P<0.05). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that when using FRQ score to predict NEQ score, the adjusted R2 in the nightmare disorder group was 0.01-0.59. Mother abuse could prediced physical effect (β=0.33); maternal dominance significantly predicted negative emotion, horrible stimulation, and nightmare frequency (β=0.29, 0.30, 0.79); paternal freedom release could predict negative emotion (β=0.26), paternal dominance predicted both negative emotion and nightmare frequency (β=0.22, 0.45) (P<0.05). Mediation analysis further revealed that, in the nightmare disorder group, PVP scores served as a mediating variable between FRQ and NEQ. Conclusion Abusive, controlling, and neglectful family upbringing styles as well as depression maybe are key factors that may contribute to the development of nightmare disorder among adolescents.

This study established a high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) fingerprint of Chuanxiong Rhizoma from different producing areas and screened its potential differential components for producing areas by chemometrics. Furthermore, the content of the above differential components in Chuanxiong Rhizoma from different producing areas was measured and compared. Then, the geoherbalism markers(geo-markers) that can be used to distinguish Dao-di and non-Dao-di Chuanxiong Rhizoma were excavated by chemometrics. In fingerprint studies, a total of 27 common peaks were determined, and the fingerprint similarity for 37 batches of Chuanxiong Rhizoma samples from different producing areas was above 0.968. The orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) was capable of distinguishing Chuanxiong Rhizoma from Sichuan and from three other provinces, as well as Dao-di Chuanxiong Rhizoma(from Dujiangyan) and non-Dao-di Chuanxiong Rhizoma(from other producing areas) in Sichuan province. Meanwhile, 14 potential differential components in Chuanxiong Rhizoma from different provinces and 16 potential differential components in Chuanxiong Rhizoma from different producing areas in Sichuan were screened by the variable importance in projection(VIP) analysis under OPLS-DA. The reference standards were used to identify 10 potential differential components in the common peaks, and subsequent content determination verified that the content of the above 10 potential differential components was different among different producing areas. Then, the OPLS-DA and VIP analysis were performed with the content of the 10 potential differential components as variables. The results showed that Z-ligustilide, chlorogenic acid, and the ratio of butylidenephthalide/senkyunolide A were the geo-markers that can distinguish Chuanxiong Rhizoma from Sichuan and Chuanxiong Rhizoma from Shaanxi, Hebei, and Jiangxi, while Z-ligustilide, n-butylphthalide, and the ratios of Z-ligustilide/senkyunolide A and butylidenephthalide/senkyunolide A were the geo-markers that can distinguish Dao-di Chuanxiong Rhizoma(from Dujiangyan) and non-Dao-di Chuanxiong Rhizoma(from other producing areas) in Sichuan province. This study elucidated the differences in material basis of Dao-di and non-Dao-di Chuanxiong Rhizoma based on fingerprinting and content determination combined with chemometrics, which provides a reference for the study of material basis of Dao-di traditional Chinese medicine.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Chemometrics/methods* ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical efficacy between side-opening and front-opening bone cement injectors in percutaneous kyphoplasty(PKP) for the management of thoracolumbar osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures(OVCFs). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, comprising 62 patients with single-segment thoracolumbar OVCFs (T₁₁-L₂), who underwent bilateral PKP at our department during the period from June 2020 to October 2021. Patients were categorized into two groups based on the specific bone cement injector employed during the surgical procedure: the side-opening group (n=29) and the front-opening group (n=33). Among them, the side-opening group consisted of 6 male and 23 female patients, with a mean age of (73.32±9.11) years. The front-opening group included 7 male and 26 female patients, with a mean age of (71.29±10.39) years. The variables encompassed essential patient characteristics were recorded, such as gender, age, bone mineral density (BMD), and fracture level (T₁₁-L₂), as well as procedural aspects, including operation duration, cement injection volume, cement distribution type (lobular or diffuse), occurrence of cement leakage, pre-and post-operative visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores, and vertebral compression ratio. RESULTS: All patients underwent successful surgery, with a mean follow-up duration of (15.37±3.03) months. There were no statistically significant differences in gender, age, BMD, fracture level, preoperative vertebral compression degree, and VAS scores between the side-opening group and the front-opening group (P>0.05). The operation time, the mean cement injection volumes, the distribution of bone cement within the vertebrae has no statistically significant difference between two groups(P>0.05). Both the side-opening and front-opening groups showed significant improvements in VAS scores at 3 days and 6 months after operation (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in VAS scores between the two groups at both 3 days and 6 months after the operation (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Side-opening bone cement injectors in bilateral PKP surgery for single-segment thoracolumbar OVCF achieve similar clinical efficacy as front-opening injectors, without significant improvement in cement distribution and containment.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Kyphoplasty/instrumentation* ; Aged ; Bone Cements ; Fractures, Compression/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fractures/surgery* ; Thoracic Vertebrae/injuries* ; Lumbar Vertebrae/injuries* ; Osteoporotic Fractures/surgery* ; Middle Aged ; Aged, 80 and over

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of single-balloon and double-balloon enteroscopy in diagnosing pediatric small bowel diseases and assess the diagnostic efficacy of computed tomography enterography (CTE) for small bowel diseases using enteroscopy as the reference standard. METHODS: Clinical data from 576 children who underwent enteroscopy at Hunan Children's Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023 were retrospectively collected. The children were categorized based on enteroscopy type into the single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) group (n=457) and double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) group (n=119), and the clinical data were compared between the two groups. The sensitivity and specificity of CTE for diagnosing small bowel diseases were evaluated using enteroscopy results as the standard. RESULTS: Among the 576 children, small bowel lesions were detected by enteroscopy in 274 children (47.6%).There was no significant difference in lesion detection rates or complication rates between the SBE and DBE groups (P>0.05), but the DBE group had deeper insertion, longer procedure time, and higher complete small bowel examination rate (P<0.05). The complication rate during enteroscopy was 4.3% (25/576), with 18 cases (3.1%) of mild complications and 7 cases (1.2%) of severe complications, which improved with symptomatic treatment, surgical, or endoscopic intervention. Among the 412 children who underwent CTE, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases were 44.4% and 71.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS SBE and DBE have similar diagnostic efficacy for pediatric small bowel diseases, but DBE is preferred for suspected deep small bowel lesions and comprehensive small bowel examination. Enteroscopy in children demonstrates relatively good overall safety. CTE demonstrates relatively low sensitivity but comparatively high specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases.
Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Double-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data* ; Single-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Operative Time ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/statistics & numerical data* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Intestine, Small/surgery* ; Intestinal Diseases/surgery*

Background::Risk assessment and treatment stratification for three-vessel coronary disease (TVD) remain challenging. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of left atrial volume index (LAVI) with the Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score II, and its association with the long-term prognosis after three strategies (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI], coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG], and medical therapy [MT]) in patients with TVD.Methods::This study was a post hoc analysis of a large, prospective cohort of patients with TVD in China, that aimed to determine the long-term outcomes after PCI, CABG, or optimal MT alone. A total of 8943 patients with TVD were consecutively enrolled between 2004 and 2011 at Fuwai Hospital. A total of 7818 patients with available baseline LAVI data were included in the study. Baseline, procedural, and follow-up data were collected. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), which was a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke. Secondary endpoints included all-cause death, cardiac death, MI, revascularization, and stroke. Long-term outcomes were evaluated among LAVI quartile groups. Results::During a median follow-up of 6.6 years, a higher LAVI was strongly associated with increased risk of MACCE (Q3: hazard ratio [HR] 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.37, P = 0.005; Q4: HR 1.85, 95%CI 1.64-2.09, P <0.001), all-cause death (Q3: HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.17-1.69, P <0.001; Q4: HR 2.54, 95%CI 2.16-3.00, P <0.001), and cardiac death (Q3: HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.39-2.37, P <0.001; Q4: HR 3.47, 95%CI 2.71-4.43, P <0.001). Moreover, LAVI significantly improved discrimination and reclassification of the SYNTAX score II. Notably, there was a significant interaction between LAVI quartiles and treatment strategies for MACCE. CABG was associated with lower risk of MACCE than MT alone, regardless of LAVI quartiles. Among patients in the fourth quartile, PCI was associated with significantly increased risk of cardiac death compared with CABG (HR: 5.25, 95% CI: 1.97-14.03, P = 0.001). Conclusions::LAVI is a potential index for risk stratification and therapeutic decision-making in patients with three-vessel coronary disease. CABG is associated with improved long-term outcomes compared with MT alone, regardless of LAVI quartiles. When LAVI is severely elevated, PCI is associated with higher risk of cardiac death than CABG.

AIM To explore the effects of praeruptorin A from Suhuang antitussive capsules on cough variant asthma(CVA).METHODS The rats were randomly divided into the normal group,the model group,the dexamethasone group(0.5 mg/kg),the Suhuang antitussive capsules group(7 g/kg)and the low,medium and high dose praeruptorin A groups(15,30 and 60 mg/kg).The rat model of CVA was established by intraperitoneal injection of sensitizer(1 mg/mL ovalbumin and 10 mg/mL aluminum hydroxide)and aerosol inhalation of 1%ovalbumin followed by the corresponding dosing of drugs by gavage initiated on the 14th day.Another 14 days later,the rats had their pathological pulmonary changes observed by HE,Masson and PAS stainings;their number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)detected by hematology analyzer;and their levels of IL-4,IL-5,IL-13 and MUC5AC in BALF detected by ELISA.The RAW264.7 cell inflammatory model induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)was treated with 4,8,16 μmol/L praeruptorin A or 0.25 mg/mL Suhuang antitussive capsules,respectively.And the cells had their NO level detected by Griess method,and their ROS expression observed using fluorescence microscopy.The detections of the pulmonary and cellular mRNA expressions of IL-6,IL-1β,COX-2,iNOS and PPAR-γ by RT-qPCR;and the protein expressions of p-P65,P65,p-IκBα,IκBα,NLRP3,caspase-1(p20)and IL-1β by Western blot were conducted in both the cells and the rats.RESULTS The in vivo result showed that praeruptorin A reduced the cough frequency(P＜0.01);prolonged the cough latency(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);reduced the number of eosinophils and neutrophils in BALF(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);decreased the levels of IL-4,IL-5,IL-13 and MUC5AC in BALF and the pulmonary mRNA expressions of IL-6,IL-1β,COX-2 and iNOS(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);and decreased the phosphorylation of P65 and IκBα protein and NLRP3,caspase-1(p20)and IL-1β protein expressions(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)as well.The in vitro result showed that praeruptorin A inhibited the release of LPS-induced NO and reduce the ROS level(P＜0.01);decreased the mRNA expressions of IL-1β,COX-2 and iNOS(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);increased PPAR-γ mRNA expression(P＜0.05),and decreased the phosphorylation of P65 and IκBα protein and the expression of NLRP3 protein(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Praeruptorin A,one of the main antitussive components of Suhuang antitussive capsules,may improve CVA because of its anti-inflammatory and antitussive role by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway and reducing the expression of NLRP3 inflammatory corpuscles.

Objective:To explore the predictive value of admission serum homocysteine levels and quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) indicators for adverse outcomes in patients with cerebral hemorrhage.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 89 patients, who were collected as the study objects with hemorrhagic stroke treated in the neurology intensive care unit at Kailuan General Hospital from January 2017 to December 2022. Patients were categorized into two groups based on modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at discharge: a good prognosis group (mRS≤2) and a poor prognosis group (mRS 3-6). Clinical data and qEEG monitoring of various brain regions were collected. The impact factors of hemorrhagic prognosis were analyzed using multifactorial logistic regression. ROC curve analysis was performed to assess the predictive value of qEEG and admission homocysteine levels for adverse outcomes in hemorrhagic stroke patients.Results:(1) The age of the poor prognosis group was higher than that of the good prognosis group((66.51+13.64) to (60.53+11.69), t=2.15, P=0.034) and admission serum homocysteine levels were significantly higher in the poor prognosis group than in the good prognosis group (17.28(15.52,24.72)mmol/L to 14.50(10.28,16.00)mmol/L, Z=4.14, P<0.001). (2) In the poor prognosis group, power values of δ brain waves in leads Fp1-2, F4, C4, P4, F8, and T4 were higher than those in the good prognosis group (87.99(41.57,196.69) to 50.67(26.64,54.75), Z=2.76, P=0.006); (79.17(40.71,200.00) to 45.06(20.22,61.00), Z=2.10, P=0.036); (72.64(34.97,219.78) to 34.42(19.81,63.4), Z=2.03, P=0.043); (65.06(33.36,177.45) to 28.12(15.88,63.36), Z=2.08, P=0.038); (52.92(25.64,187.91) to 23.61(11.67,43.26), Z=2.21, P=0.027); (66.67(32.56,180.76) to 36.31(17.2,53.78), Z=2.46, P=0.014); (57.30(25.24,127.04) to 29.57(11.91,41.89), Z=2.26, P=0.024). Power values of θ brain waves in leads Fp1-2, F3, F4, C3, C4, P3-4, O1, F7-8, and T3-4 were higher in the poor prognosis group(77.45(47.63,138.72)比35.88(20.92,44.81), Z=3.50, P<0.001); (77.05(35.16,120.22) to 38.74(19.86,58.09), Z=2.27, P=0.023); (85.24(52.53,147.90) to 35.42(14.7,52.59), Z=2.61, P=0.009); (75.81(37.90,124.97) to 36.85(17.92,55.43), Z=2.30, P=0.021); (72.00(43.92,123.54) to 28.37(14.02,51.9), Z=2.22, P=0.027); (67.08(32.01,104.05) to 31.32(17.98,45.28), Z=2.10, P=0.035); (55.33(32.29,94.30) to 25.64(11.87,34.01), Z=2.24, P=0.025); (48.84(20.64,96.28) to 19.85(9.83,28.58), Z=2.30, P=0.022);(48.46(25.06,81.78) to 23.95(8.80,29.16), Z=2.51, P=0.012); (64.46(39.38,112.44) to 26.85(15.74,39.58), Z=2.80, P=0.005); (65.68(31.78,102.00) to 31.09(15.98,46.96), Z=2.38, P=0.017); (45.26(28.34,73.14) to 21.45(10.57,36.59), Z=2.04, P=0.042); (43.50(22.58,78.67) to 25.45(11.91,32.26), Z=2.22, P=0.027). Power values of slow-wave index in leads Fp1-2, F3-4, C3-4, P4, F7-8, and T4, as well as the overall brain average, were higher in the poor prognosis group (6.64(2.98,10.42) to 3.65(2.31,4.30), Z=2.65, P=0.01); (6.53(3.96,11.65) to 3.53(2.56,4.51), Z=2.30, P=0.022); (7.38(4.62,13.12) to 3.83(1.70,4.71), Z=2.38, P=0.017); (5.88(4.02,12.15) to 3.18(2.21,4.46), Z=2.29, P=0.022); (6.13(3.83,11.22) to 2.97(1.53,4.58), Z=2.01, P=0.044); (6.07(3.53,9.39) to 2.74(2.00,3.81), Z=2.40, P=0.016);(4.11(2.51,9.23) to 2.18(1.37,2.82), Z=2.25, P=0.024); (5.71(3.81,10.44) to 3.22(1.86,4.04), Z=2.28, P=0.023); (6.00(3.65,10.37) to 3.04(2.00,4.00), Z=2.39, P=0.017); (4.08(2.56,8.33) to 2.08(1.60,3.14), Z=2.50, P=0.013), with significant statistical differences noted (5.45(3.31,10.08) to 3.17(2.02,4.88), Z=3.62, P=0.005). (3) Logistic regression results showed that admission homocysteine levels ( OR 1.311,95% CI 1.008-1.705, P=0.044), admission NIHSS scores ( OR 1.588,95% CI 1.074-2.349, P=0.020), and overall brain average slow-wave index were influencing factors for poor prognosis in cerebral hemorrhage ( OR 8.596,95% CI 1.088-67.889, P=0.041). (4) ROC curve analysis revealed that the AUC for predicting adverse outcomes in cerebral hemorrhage was 0.768 (95% CI (0.665, 0.872)) for admission homocysteine levels, 0.743 (95% CI (0.634, 0.852)) for the overall brain average slow-wave index, and 0.896 (95% CI (0.827, 0.965)) for admission NIHSS. The cutoff values were 15.67, 3.62, and 8.5, respectively. Sensitivity was 77.8%, 71.1%, and 68.9%, and specificity was 59.4%, 68.7%, and 100%, respectively. The Youden indices were 0.372, 0.398, and 0.689. Conclusion:In the acute phase of cerebral hemorrhage, electroencephalographic physiological changes manifest shows an increase in the δ, θ, and slow-wave index throughout the entire brain. Higher admission homocysteine levels suggest a worse prognosis in patients with cerebral hemorrhage. Admission homocysteine levels and overall brain average slow-wave index have certain predictive value for adverse outcomes in acute cerebral hemorrhage.