ObjectiveTo identify the pathogen species responsible for the wilt disease of Tetradium ruticarpum in Chongqing， investigate there biological characteristics， and screen effective fungicides， so as to provide a theoretical basis for disease control in production. MethodsThe pathogen was isolated via the tissue culture method. Pathogenicity was verified according to Koch's postulates. The pathogen was identified based on morphological characteristics and multi-gene phylogenetic analysis. The mycelial growth rate method was used for biological characterization of the pathogen and fungicide screening. ResultsThe pathogen colonies were nearly circular with irregular edges， white， short， velvety aerial hyphae， and pale purple undersides. Macroconidia were colorless， sickle-shaped， with 3-5 septa， while microconidia were transparent， elliptical， aseptate or with 1-2 septa. Multi-gene phylogenetic analysis showed that the pathogen clustered in the same clade as Fusarium fujikuroi with 100% support， which， combined with morphological characteristics， identified the pathogen causing wilt of T. ruticarpum in Chongqing as F. fujikuroi. The optimal conditions for the mycelial growth of F. fujikuroi were mung bean agar （MBA） with glucose as the carbon source， beef extract and yeast powder as nitrogen sources， 28 ℃， pH 7.0， and alternating light/dark conditions. The optimal conditions for sporulation were potato dextrose agar （PDA） with glucose as the carbon source， beef extract as the nitrogen source， 28 ℃， pH 7.0， and complete darkness. Among chemical fungicides， phenazine-1-carboxylic acid exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect on F. fujikuroi. Shenqinmycin and tetramycin were the most effective bio-fungicides. ConclusionThis study is the first to report F. fujikuroi as the causal agent of wilt disease in T. rutaecarpa. The chemical fungicide phenazine-1-carboxylic acid and the bio-fungicides shenqinmycin and tetramycin showed strong inhibitory effects against F. fujikuroi.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate the effects and mechanism of Mimenghua prescription in modulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase （MEK）/rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog （Ras）/rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma kinase （Raf）/extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK） signaling pathway to inhibit inflammatory responses in a dry eye animal model. MethodsA total of 60 C57BL/6J mice （eight weeks old， half male and half female） were used in the experiment. Ten mice were randomly selected as the blank control group， while the remaining 50 were exposed to a controlled dry system and received instillation of 0.2% benzalkonium chloride （BAC） into the eyes for four weeks to establish a dry eye mouse model. After successful modeling， the mice were randomly divided into five groups： Model group， sodium hyaluronate group， and Mimenghua prescription groups with low dose （4.83 g·kg^-1）， medium dose （9.67 g·kg^-1）， and high dose （19.34 g·kg^-1）. The mice in the model group received an equal volume of normal saline via gavage for four weeks. The mice in the sodium hyaluronate group received instillation of sodium hyaluronate eye drops twice daily for 14 consecutive days. The tear secretion volume， tear film break-up time （TBUT）， and corneal fluorescein staining were evaluated once every two weeks. After four weeks of administration， mice were euthanized， and their lacrimal gland tissues and corneas were harvested. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to assess histopathological morphology. Western blot was performed to detect the protein expression levels of MEK， Ras， Raf， and ERK. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure the contents and expressions of MEK， Ras， Raf， ERK， and interleukin （IL）-1β in lacrimal gland and corneal tissues of the mice in each group. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was employed to determine mRNA expression levels of MEK， Ras， Raf， and ERK. ResultsThe Mimenghua prescription groups and the sodium hyaluronate group exhibited significantly increased tear secretion volume （P<0.05） and prolonged TBUT （P<0.05） after treatment. Ocular surface damage of mice was visibly recovered. Western blot results indicated that protein expression levels of MEK， Ras， Raf， and ERK in the lacrimal gland and corneal tissues were significantly downregulated in the sodium hyaluronate group and Mimenghua prescription group with high dose （P<0.05）. ELISA results showed that IL-1β levels were highest in the model group but significantly reduced in the sodium hyaluronate group and Mimenghua prescription groups （P<0.05）. Both ELISA and Real-time PCR results demonstrated that the expression levels of MEK， Ras， Raf， and ERK in the lacrimal glands and corneal tissues were significantly elevated in the model group （P<0.05）， but markedly downregulated in the sodium hyaluronate group and Mimenghua prescription groups （P<0.05）， suggesting that Mimenghua prescription can decrease the expressions of MEK， Ras， Raf， and ERK in the lacrimal glands and corneal tissues. ConclusionMimenghua prescription can reduce inflammatory responses， increase tear secretion， prolong TBUT， and promote corneal recovery by inhibiting the MEK， Ras， Raf， and ERK signaling pathways in lacrimal gland and corneal tissues.

AIM:To investigate the effect of ranibizumab on blood flow density in different regions of the macula in patients with macular edema(ME)secondary to ischemic and non-ischemic branch retinal vein occlusion(BRVO).METHODS:This retrospective study enrolled patients with BRVO-ME who were treated at the hospital from September 2019 to March 2021. Patients were divided into ischemic and non-ischemic groups based on fundus findings. All patients received intravitreal injections of ranibizumab once monthly for three consecutive months. Best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), central macular thickness(CMT), and macular blood flow density were measured before treatment and at 1 d, 1 wk, 1 and 3 mo after treatment.RESULTS: A total of 46 patients(46 eyes)with BRVO-ME were included, comprising 21 eyes in the ischemic group(7 males, 14 females; mean age 55.81±10.36 y)and 25 eyes in the non-ischemic group(11 males, 14 females; mean age 54.84±9.81 y). At 3 mo after treatment, BCVA(LogMAR)in the non-ischemic group was superior to that in the ischemic group(0.19±0.19 vs 0.38±0.27, P=0.009). Analysis of CMT changes showed that the reduction amplitude in the ischemic group was significantly greater than that in the non-ischemic group at both 1 and 3 mo after treatment(all P<0.05). Blood flow densities in the whole, parafoveal, and perifoveal regions of the superficial capillary plexus(SCP), as well as in the whole and perifoveal regions of the deep capillary plexus(DCP), were significantly lower in ischemic patients than in non-ischemic patients, while blood flow density in the foveal region of DCP was significantly higher in the ischemic group(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Ranibizumab is effective for both types of patients. Non-ischemic patients have a better long-term visual prognosis, and the advantage may be related to better blood flow perfusion patterns in specific areas 3 mo after treatment. Monitoring changes in blood flow density in these areas can help provide personalized treatment for patients.

For a long time， simple asymptomatic renal hematuria has not been taken seriously. Current studies have confirmed that renal hematuria is a risk factor for the progression of renal function， but there is no effective treatment available. Because asymptomatic renal hematuria is highly concealed and lacks typical symptoms， individualized syndrome differentiation in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） is difficult， making it a challenge in clinical diagnosis and treatment. Although TCM has a long history and solid theoretical basis in the treatment of hematuria， it urgently needs to break through the bottleneck of traditional syndrome differentiation. Based on classical TCM theories， research achievements in modern constitution studies， and relevant clinical and pathological evidence， this article focuses on the decisive influence of age on constitution distribution and its regular association with the evolution of core syndromes， and constructs a three-dimensional diagnostic and therapeutic system of "age-constitution-syndrome". It reveals that the syndrome manifestations of asymptomatic renal hematuria are profoundly shaped by constitution， and that constitution shows a group distribution pattern with age-children often present with deficiency of lung and spleen Qi combined with wind-heat， young and middle-aged individuals often present with deficiency of liver and kidney Yin combined with deficient fire and stasis heat， and elderly individuals often present with deficiency of spleen and kidney combined with cold-dampness and stasis obstruction. By analyzing the common pathogenic mechanisms， outcome characteristics， and internal mechanisms among different age groups， this study provides a basic syndrome framework and core intervention strategies for specific populations in clinical practice， offering a new evidence-based approach to addressing the dilemma of “no identifiable syndrome”.

OBJECTIVE To form an expert consensus addressing clinical issues regarding the use of parenteral direct thrombin inhibitors （DTIs） in special populations. METHODS Led by the Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital（the Affiliated Hospital of UESTC）， a multidisciplinary working group was formed comprising experts from multiple fields， including clinical pharmacy， cardiac surgery， obstetrics， pediatrics and evidence-based medicine. Through literature review and the Delphi method， clinical questions regarding the efficacy and safety of parenteral DTIs used in special populations were identified. A structured design was adopted using the “Population-Intervention-Comparison-Outcome” （PICO） framework；systematic searches were conducted in CJFD， PubMed， Embase and other databases. Relevant evidence from randomized controlled trials，cohort studies and systematic reviews were included and synthesized. Evidence quality was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment，Development and Evaluation （GRADE） approach， and recommendations were formulated through three rounds of Delphi surveys and expert consensus meetings. RESULTS &CONCLUSIONS Seven clinical questions were ultimately selected （with a consensus rate exceeding 90%）， resulting in the formulation of seven recommendations on the use of parenteral DTIs in special populations， including children， pregnant women， patients with hepatic or renal impairment， patients with mesenteric venous thrombosis， and individuals with thrombophilia. These recommendations clarify the preferred agents， dosing ranges， monitoring parameters， and safety management strategies for parenteral DTIs in these special populations. This expert consensus， which is formulated based on the best available evidence， provides evidence-based guidance for standardized and individualized use of parenteral DTIs in special populations.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the selection and rationales of comparators for pharmaceutical enterprises in their medical insurance access application， so as to provide a reference for promoting communication and consensus between enterprises and medical insurance authorities in this process. METHODS The application materials for drugs outside the catalogue that passed formal review published by the National Healthcare Security Administration from 2021 to 2025 were extracted， and then content analysis was used to systematically sort out relevant information of the declared drugs and comparators； the specific situations and rationales of pharmaceutical enterprises’ selection of comparators were analyzed. RESULTS A total of 1 341 declared drug documents were collected. Data analysis showed that 1 035 （77.18%） were submitted with positive comparators and 306 （22.82%） used blank comparators； 58 drugs （4.33%） took combination therapy as the reference， and 5 drugs （0.37%） referred to non-pharmacological （or non-single pharmacological） treatment regimens. Among competitive drugs declared by multiple enterprises， 50.00% of the enterprises submitted different comparators. A total of 4 basic conditions and 39 additional conditions were extracted as the rationales for selecting positive comparators. For blank comparators， 12 drug-related factors， 2 administrative factors， and 1 other factor were identified. More than 10% of the drugs did not state the rationale for comparator selection， and over 44% of drugs using blank comparators provided only one justification. CONCLUSIONS Pharmaceutical enterprises mainly select comparators based on their own interests in the medical insurance access application， and there are deficiencies in the adequacy and standardization of their selection basis and reasoning. It is recommended that enterprises follow the principled requirements of medical insurance authorities， and fully and normatively explain the reasons for selecting comparators in combination with the characteristics of their own products. Meanwhile， it is advisable to change the current open-ended statement form of selection reasons into a closed-ended answering mode， so as to highlight the priority of selection， standardize the declaration behavior of enterprises， and reduce communication divergences between the two parties.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Qidan Tangshen Granules （芪丹糖肾颗粒， QTG） in the treatment of early diabetic kidney disease （DKD） with qi deficiency， blood stasis， and kidney deficiency syndrome， and to explore its mechanism. MethodsA double-blind， double-simulated method was used to enroll 200 patients with early DKD and qi deficiency， blood stasis， and kidney deficiency syndrome. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1∶1 ratio to the treatment group （100 cases） and the control group （100 cases）. The treatment group received QTG plus a valsartan capsule simulant， while the control group received valsartan capsules plus a QTG simulant， both for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio （UACR）. Secondary outcomes included estimated glomerular filtration rate （eGFR）， fasting blood glucose （FBG）， 2-hour postprandial blood glucose （PBG）， glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c）， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores （including individual symptom scores for fatigue， dull complexion， soreness and weakness of the waist and knees， headache and chest pain， irritability， spontaneous sweating， thirst and polydipsia， polyphagia， polyuria， numbness of the limbs， and the total TCM syndrome score）. Oxidative stress markers including serum 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine （8-OHDG）， 3-nitrotyrosine （3-NT）， and superoxide dismutase （SOD） were also assessed. Clinical efficacy and TCM syndrome efficacy were evaluated after treatment， and routine blood tests， urinalysis， and liver function tests were conducted and adverse reaction during the tria was recorded to assess safety. ResultsA total of 191 patients completed the study （95 in the treatment group and 96 in the control group）. The treatment group showed significant reductions in UACR， FBG， PBG， and HbA1c levels after treatment （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The single TCM symptom scores except for polyphagia and total TCM syndrome scores significantly decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to the control group， the treatment group had signi-ficantly lower UACR， FBG， PBG levels， and total TCM syndrome scores， sinlge symptoms scores except for polyphagia and limb numbness （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Among 40 randomly selected patients （21 cases in the treatment group and 19 cases in the control group） for oxidative stress analysis， there were no significant differences in SOD， 3-NT， and 8-OHDG levels before and after treatment within or between groups （P＞0.05）. The overall effective rate in the treatment group was 64.2% （61/95） and 39.6% （38/96） in the control group， while the TCM syndrome efficacy rates were 80.0% （76/95） and 24.0% （23/96）， respectively， with the treatment group showing superior efficacy （P＜0.01）. No significant differences were observed in routine blood tests， urinalysis， or liver function indices before and after treatment in either group （P＞0.05）. The incidence of adverse reactions was 8.4% （8/95） in the treatment group and 9.4% （9/96） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference （P＞0.05）. ConclusionQTG can effectively reduce UACR and blood glucose levels， alleviate clinical symptoms， and improve clinical efficacy in patients with early DKD with qi deficiency， blood stasis， and kidney deficiency syndrome. The treatment is well-tolerated and safe， with no significant impact on oxidative stress markers.

BACKGROUND:As a degradable scaffold material for bone tissue engineering,lactic acid is widely used in tissue regeneration and repair research,and plays an important role in promoting tissue healing,new bone formation and angiogenesis. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of lactic acid degradation products on osteoclasts and to investigate the effects of lactic-interfered osteoclast conditioned medium on the proliferation,migration and tube-forming capacity of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. METHODS:(1)The mouse monocyte macrophage cell line RAW264.7 at logarithmic growth period was selected,and adherent cells were cultured in the osteoclast induction medium(DMEM medium with nuclear factor-κB receptor-activating factor ligand and 10%fetal bovine serum)containing different concentrations of lactic acid(0,5,10,20 mmol/L).After 5 days of culture,tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining and cytoskeletal fibrillar actin staining were conducted.After 24 hours of culture,RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5.(2)RAW264.7 cells at logarithmic growth period were selected and adherent cells were divided into two groups.Control group was cultured in the osteoclast induction medium,while experimental group was cultured in the osteoclast induction medium containing 10 mmol/L lactic acid.After 5 days of culture,the medium in each group was removed and the cells in the two groups were cultured in the serum-free DMEM medium for another 24 hours.Cell supernatant was then collected and used as the conditioned medium after mixed with an equal volume of DMEM medium containing 10%fetal bovine serum.Human umbilical vein endothelial cells at the logarithmic growth phase were taken and separately co-cultured with the conditioned medium of the control and experimental groups.The proliferation,migration and tube-forming ability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells were observed by cell counting kit-8 assay,migration assay,scratch assay and tube-forming assay.The mRNA and protein expression of angiogenesis-related genes and proteins were observed by RT-PCR and western blot. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining and cytoskeletal fibrillar actin staining showed that 5 and 10 mmol/L lactic acid promoted osteoclastic differentiation of RAW264.7 cells and the promoting effect of 10 mmol/L lactate was more significant.RT-PCR results showed that the expression of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5 mRNA of osteoclast-related genes was the highest when the lactic acid concentration was 5,10,and 20 mmol/L(P<0.05),especially 10 mmol/L.Compared with the control group,the proliferation,migration and tube-forming abilities of human umbilical vein endothelial cells were significantly increased in the experimental group(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and angiogenin 1 mRNA and protein were increased in the experimental group(P<0.05).To conclude,lactate-induced osteoclast conditioned medium could promote the angiogenesis of endothelial cells,and the mechanism may be related to the promotion of the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and angiogenin 1.

ObjectiveAs a second messenger in intracellular signal transduction, Ca²⁺ plays an important role in cell migration. Previous studies have demonstrated that extracellular Ca²⁺ influx can promote electric field-guided cell migration, known as electrotaxis. However, the effect of intracellular Ca²⁺ flow on electrotaxis is unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigate the effect of Ca²⁺ flux on the electrotaxis of Dictyostelium discoideum. MethodsThe electrotaxis of Dictyostelium discoideum was investigated by applying a direct current (DC) electric field. Cell migration was recorded using a real-time imaging system. Calcium channel inhibitors, the extracellular Ca²⁺ chelator EGTA, Ca²⁺-free DB buffer, and caffeine were applied to investigate the impact of intra- and extracellular Ca²⁺ flow on electrotaxis. The involvement of G proteins and ERK2 in directed cell migration mediated by endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ release was explored using mutants. ResultsDictyostelium discoideum migrated toward the cathode in the electric field in a voltage-dependent manner. The intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration of the cells was significantly increased in the electric field. Inhibition of both extracellular Ca²⁺ influx and intracellular Ca²⁺ release suppressed cell electrotaxis migration. Inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ release induced by caffeine significantly impaired the electrotaxis of Dictyostelium discoideum. Deletion of Gα2, Gβ, Gγ, and Erk2 notably reduced the electrotaxis of the cells. Enhancing Ca²⁺ release mediated by caffeine restored the electrotaxis of the Gα2^-, Gβ ^-, and Erk2^- mutant cells partially or completely, but did not restore electrotaxis in the Gγ^- mutant cells. ConclusionCa²⁺ release from the endoplasmic reticulum regulates electrotaxis migration in Dictyostelium discoideum and is involved in the regulation of cell electrotaxis by G proteins and ERK2.

Autophagy is a conservative lysosome-dependent material catabolic pathway, and exists in all eukaryotic cells. Autophagy controls cell quality and survival by eliminating intracellular dysfunction substances, and plays an important role in various pathophysiology processes. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male disease. It is resulted from a variety of causes and pathologies, such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, aging, spinal cord injury, or cavernous nerve injury caused by radical prostatectomy, and others. In the past decade, autophagy has begun to be investigated in ED. Subsequently, an increasing number of studies have revealed the regulation of autophagy contributes to the recovery of ED, and which is mainly involved in improving endothelial function, smooth muscle cell apoptosis, penile fibrosis, and corpus cavernosum nerve injury. Therefore, in this review, we aim to summarize the possible role of autophagy in ED from a cellular perspective, and we look forward to providing a new idea for the pathogenesis investigation and clinical treatment of ED in the future.