Chaihu and Longgu Muli Decoction has demonstrated significant efficacy in the treatment of tachyarrhythmia accompanied by anxiety and depression. However, there is a lack of standardized guidelines for its clinical application. In this study, the Chaihu and Longgu Muli Decoction was investigated through extensive research on ancient and modern literature, as well as a collection of clinical medical records. The basic information, medication details, and diagnostic information from medical records, personal experience literature, and clinical cases in the treatment of tachyarrhythmia accompanied by anxiety were extracted and analyzed to preliminarily identify the prescription characteristics and syndrome patterns. Subsequently, the Delphi method was employed to construct an item pool based on the data obtained in the first step. An expert questionnaire was prepared to collect scores and revision opinions from experts regarding these items. After statistical analysis and group discussions, a second round of questionnaires was formed by screening out certain items. This process was repeated until a final item set for the treatment of tachyarrhythmia accompanied by anxiety with Chaihu and Longgu Muli Decoction was determined. These findings provided guidance for clinical prescription practices. By extracting 71 syndromes and signs, as well as 33 tongue and pulse characteristics, the main syndrome features included palpitations, chest tightness, irritability, etc., which were basically consistent with the ancient syndromes. Through frequency analysis and group discussions, 71 items were screened out. After screening, modification, and primary and secondary division, 11 main diagnostic items and 10 secondary diagnostic items were determined. On this basis, the research team believes that Chaihu and Longgu Muli Decoction is mainly indicated for the following syndromes in the treatment of tachyarrhythmia accompanied by anxiety(palpitations, poor sleep, bitter taste, dry mouth, irritability/easily angered/anxiety/fearfulness/easily startled, red tongue with greasy yellow coating, rapid pulse, high work/life pressure, tachyarrhythmia on electrocardiogram/Holter monitor, and positive results on anxiety scale). Secondary syndromes include chest tightness, shortness of breath, feeling heavy and weak in the body, sweating, poor appetite, constipation, greasy white tongue coating, wiry pulse, slippery pulse, or knotted and intermittent pulse.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Delphi Technique ; Anxiety/complications* ; Tachycardia/psychology* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged

This study explores the basic characteristics and potential functions of the terpene synthase(TPS) gene family members in Lonicera japonica. The L. japonica TPS(LjTPS) gene family was identified and functionally analyzed using bioinformatics methods. The results showed that a total of 70 members of the LjTPS gene family were identified in L. japonica, with protein lengths ranging from 130 to 1 437 amino acids. Most of these proteins were hydrophilic, and they were unevenly distributed across nine chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the LjTPS gene family members were divided into six subfamilies, mainly consisting of members from the TPS-a, TPS-b, and TPS-e subfamilies. Promoter cis-acting element analysis showed that LjTPS members contained a large number of stress-responsive cis-acting elements. Aphid inoculation experiments showed that key enzyme genes in the MVA pathway for terpenoid backbone synthesis in L. japonica, such as HMGS, HMGR, MK, MPD, and the key enzyme gene in the DXP pathway, DXS, exhibited an initial increase followed by a decrease under aphid stress. The qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression levels of the α-farnesene synthase genes LjTPS34 and LjTPS39 were down-regulated, while the expression levels of(E)-β-caryophyllene synthase genes LjTPS15 and LjTPS17 were up-regulated 12 h before aphid feeding, then began to decline. Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase(FPS), which interacted with these genes, also displayed a pattern of increasing followed by decreasing expression. The expression of linalool synthase genes LjTPS12 and LjTPS33 was significantly up-regulated after 72 h of aphid feeding(P<0.000 1), reaching 24.39 and 22.64 times the initial expression, respectively. This pattern was in close alignment with the trend of linalool content in L. japonica. This study provides a theoretical foundation for future research on the interaction between L. japonica and pests, as well as on the functional roles of the LjTPS gene family.
Animals ; Aphids/physiology* ; Alkyl and Aryl Transferases/chemistry* ; Lonicera/parasitology* ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins/chemistry* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Multigene Family ; Terpenes/metabolism*

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*

BACKGROUND: The clinical impact of post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) quantitative flow ratio (QFR) in patients treated with PCI for chronic total occlusion (CTO) was still undetermined. METHODS: All CTO vessels treated with successful anatomical PCI in patients from PANDA III trial were retrospectively measured for post-PCI QFR. The primary outcome was 2-year vessel-oriented composite endpoints (VOCEs, composite of target vessel-related cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization). Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis was conducted to identify optimal cutoff value of post-PCI QFR for predicting the 2-year VOCEs, and all vessels were stratified by this optimal cutoff value. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI. RESULTS: Among 428 CTO vessels treated with PCI, 353 vessels (82.5%) were analyzable for post-PCI QFR. 31 VOCEs (8.7%) occurred at 2 years. Mean value of post-PCI QFR was 0.92 ± 0.13. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis shown the optimal cutoff value of post-PCI QFR for predicting 2-year VOCEs was 0.91. The incidence of 2-year VOCEs in the vessel with post-PCI QFR < 0.91 (n = 91) was significantly higher compared with the vessels with post-PCI QFR ≥ 0.91 (n = 262) (22.0% vs. 4.2%, HR = 4.98, 95% CI: 2.32-10.70). CONCLUSIONS Higher post-PCI QFR values were associated with improved prognosis in the PCI practice for coronary CTO. Achieving functionally optimal PCI results (post-PCI QFR value ≥ 0.91) tends to get better prognosis for patients with CTO lesions.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are characterized by extensive pathological involvement and high prevalence and cause a significant disease burden. Long-term drug administration often causes by adverse effects with poor therapeutic efficacy. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), as a specialized therapeutic modality, delivers acoustic energy at a low intensity in a pulsed wave mode, thus ensuring stable energy transmission to the target tissues while minimizing thermal effects. This non-invasive approach has demonstrated significant potential for MSD treatment by delivering effective physical stimulations. Extensive animal and clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of LIPUS for accelerating the healing process of fresh fractures and nonunions, promoting soft tissue regeneration and suppressing inflammatory responses. Emerging evidence suggests promising applications of LIPUS in skeletal muscle injury treatment and promoting tissue regeneration and repair. This review outlines the recent advancements and mechanistic studies of LIPUS for treatment of common MSDs including fractures, nonunions, muscle injuries, and osteoarthritis, addressing also the technical parameters of commercially available LIPUS devices, current therapeutic approaches, the existing challenges, and future research directions.
Humans ; Ultrasonic Therapy/methods* ; Musculoskeletal Diseases/therapy* ; Ultrasonic Waves ; Osteoarthritis/therapy* ; Muscle, Skeletal/injuries*

Radiochemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (OM) is a common oral complication in patients with tumors following head and neck radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Erosion and ulcers are the main features of OM that seriously affect the quality of life of patients and even the progress of tumor treatment. To date, differences in clinical prevention and treatment plans for OM have been noted among doctors of various specialties, which has increased the uncertainty of treatment effects. On the basis of current research evidence, this expert consensus outlines risk factors, clinical manifestations, clinical grading, ancillary examinations, diagnostic basis, prevention and treatment strategies and efficacy indicators for OM. In addition to strategies such as basic oral care, anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents, anti-infective agents, pro-healing agents, and photobiotherapy recommended in previous guidelines, we also emphasize the role of traditional Chinese medicine in OM prevention and treatment. This expert consensus aims to provide references and guidance for dental physicians and oncologists in formulating strategies for OM prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, standardizing clinical practice, reducing OM occurrence, promoting healing, and improving the quality of life of patients.
Humans ; Chemoradiotherapy/adverse effects* ; Consensus ; Risk Factors ; Stomatitis/etiology*

OBJECTIVE: Pneumoconiosis, a lung disease caused by irreversible fibrosis, represents a significant public health burden. This study investigates the causal relationships between gut microbiota, gene methylation, gene expression, protein levels, and pneumoconiosis using a multi-omics approach and Mendelian randomization (MR). METHODS: We analyzed gut microbiota data from MiBioGen and Esteban et al. to assess their potential causal effects on pneumoconiosis subtypes (asbestosis, silicosis, and inorganic pneumoconiosis) using conventional and summary-data-based MR (SMR). Gene methylation and expression data from Genotype-Tissue Expression and eQTLGen, along with protein level data from deCODE and UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project, were examined in relation to pneumoconiosis data from FinnGen. To validate our findings, we assessed self-measured gut flora from a pneumoconiosis cohort and performed fine mapping, drug prediction, molecular docking, and Phenome-Wide Association Studies to explore relevant phenotypes of key genes. RESULTS: Three core gut microorganisms were identified: Romboutsia ( OR = 0.249) as a protective factor against silicosis, Pasteurellaceae ( OR = 3.207) and Haemophilus parainfluenzae ( OR = 2.343) as risk factors for inorganic pneumoconiosis. Additionally, mapping and quantitative trait loci analyses revealed that the genes VIM, STX8, and MIF were significantly associated with pneumoconiosis risk. CONCLUSIONS This multi-omics study highlights the associations between gut microbiota and key genes ( VIM, STX8, MIF) with pneumoconiosis, offering insights into potential therapeutic targets and personalized treatment strategies.
Humans ; Male ; East Asian People/genetics* ; Europe ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Lung ; Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors/metabolism* ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Multiomics ; Pneumoconiosis/microbiology* ; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases

Objective : To investigate the expression of LncRNA PXN-AS1(abbreviated as PXN-AS1) in gastric cancer tissues and its impact on the proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion of gastric cancer cells, and to explore its potential regulatory mechanisms. Methods : Gastric cancer tissues and adjacent tissues from 43 patients with gastric cancer were collected. The expression levels of PXN-AS1 and miR-125a-5p in gastric cancer tissues were detected using qRT-PCR, and the relationship between the expression level of PXN-AS1 and the clinical pathological parameters of patients with gastric cancer was analyzed. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the correlation between PXN-AS1 and miR-125a-5p in gastric cancer tissues. PXN-AS1 siRNA plasmid(si-PXN-AS1) and negative control plasmid(si-NC), as well as miR-125a-5p inhibitor(inhibitor) and negative control miRNA inhibitor(inhibitor NC), were transfected alone or in combination into HGC-27 cells. The cells were divided into si-NC group, si-PXN-AS1 group, si-PXN-AS1+inhibitor NC group, si-PXN-AS1+inhibitor group, and a blank control group was also established. qRT-PCR was utilized to assess the expression levels of PXN-AS1 and miR-125a-5p in each cell group. CCK-8 assay was employed to evaluate the proliferation levels of cells in each group. EdU experiment was conducted to assess the proliferation status of cells in each group. Transwell assay was performed to examine the migration and invasion capabilities of cells in each group; flow cytometry was employed to measure the apoptosis levels of cells in each group; the dual-luciferase reporter gene system was used to validate the sponge absorption of PXN-AS1 on miR-125a-5p and regulate its expression levels. Bioinformatics analysis was employed to screen downstream target genes of miR-125a-5p and perform GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. Results : Compared with adjacent cancerous tissues, the expression level of the PXN-AS1 in gastric cancer tissues significantly increased, while the expression level of miR-125a-5p markedly decreased(bothP<0.05). PXN-AS1 and miR-125a-5p exhibited a negative correlation(r=-0.452,P=0.002). Furthermore, gastric cancer patients with high expression of PXN-AS1 exhibited the proportions of lymph node metastasis positivity and low differentiation were significantly higher(allP<0.05). Compared to the blank group and si-NC group, the si-PXN-AS1 group of HGC-27 cells showed significantly reduced levels of PXN-AS1 expression, cell proliferation capacity, and the number of cell migration and invasion(allP<0.05), while the level of cell apoptosis significantly increased(P<0.05). The dual-luciferase reporter system results demonstrated specific adsorption of miR-125a-5p by PXN-AS1 in HGC-27 cells. Knockdown of miR-125a-5p could reverse the effect of PXN-AS1 silencing on the inhibition of proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells, and promote apoptosis. The bioinformatics analysis results indicated that the downstream target genes of miR-125a-5p were involved in various biological processes, including DNA damage, T cell apoptosis and differentiation, RNA metabolism synthesis processes, and signal transduction. Additionally, miR-125a-5p was implicated in signaling pathways such as the HIF-1 pathway, JAK-STAT pathway, and cell apoptosis signaling pathway. Conclusion PXN-AS1 is upregulated in gastric cancer. Moreover, acting as a competitive sponge for miR-125a-5p, PXN-AS1 promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of gastric cancer cells HGC-27 while inhibiting apoptosis.

Objective:To evaluate the value of the ratio of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion to pulmonary artery systolic pressure (TAPSE/PASP) in evaluating right ventricular function of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).Methods:A total of 74 patients with HCM and HFpEF and 22 healthy individuals who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2021 to January 2023 were included in this study. The HCM patients with HFpEF were divided into three groups based on the tertiles of the TAPSE/PASP (low group: <0.280 0 mm/mmHg; middle group: 0.280 0-0.476 2 mm/mmHg; high group: >0.476 2 mm/mmHg). Conventional echocardiographic parameters were collected, and two-dimensional speckle tracking technology was used to obtain right ventricular strain parameters. The differences in parameters among the groups were compared, and the correlations between TAPSE/PASP and clinical parameters and right ventricular function parameters were analyzed.Results:The results of difference analysis showed that there were significant differences in 6-minute walking test, New York Heart Association grade (NYHA grade), incidence of atrial fibrillation, left atrial area (LAA), left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), TAPSE, PASP, right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC), right ventricular global longitudinal strain (RVGLS), right ventricular free wall strain (RVFWST) and cardiac magnetic resonance right ventricular ejection fraction (CMR-RVEF) among the three groups. The results of correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis showed that the TAPSE/PASP was positively correlated with 6-minute walking distance, RVFAC, tricuspid annulus peak systolic velocity (RV s′), and CMR-RVEF ( r=0.449, 0.284, 0.358, 0.577; all P<0.05). It was negatively correlated with N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), NYHA grade, LAA, mitral early diastolic peak velocity / mitral annulus early diastolic peak velocity (LV E/e′), LVGLS, RVGLS, RVFWST and tricuspid early diastolic peak velocity / tricuspid annulus early diastolic peak velocity (RV E/e′) (r/ rs=-0.336, -0.349, -0.468, -0.452, -0.444, -0.339, -0.405, -0.320; all P<0.05). The LAA and CMR-RVEF correlated independently with TAPSE/PASP(all P<0.05). Conclusions:The TAPSE/PASP can provide an early, simple, rapid, and convenient evaluation of right ventricular function in patients with HCM and HFpEF, so as to guide clinical treatment and monitoring disease progression.