OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects and potential mechanism of curcumin on neurological injury in neonatal rats with bacterial meningitis based on the signal transducer and activator of transcription 1（ STAT1）/ nucleotide-binding domain leucine- rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 （NLRP3） signaling pathway. METHODS Neonatal rats， with an equal number of males and females， were randomly divided into control group， model group， curcumin low-dose （Cur-L）， medium-dose （Cur- M） and high-dose （Cur-H） groups， and Cur-H+STAT1 transcription enhancer [2-（1，8-naphthyridin-2-yl）phenol] group （Cur-H+2- NP group）， with 15 rats in each group. Except for the control group， rats in other groups were injected with a suspension of group B Streptococcus （1×104 cfu/mL， 10 μL） into the cerebellomedullary cistern to establish a bacterial meningitis model. After successful model establishment， rats in Cur-L， Cur-M and Cur-H groups were intraperitoneally injected with 1.25， 2.5 and 5 mg/kg curcumin， respectively， and those in the Cur-H+2-NP group were intraperitoneally injected with 5 mg/kg curcumin and 0.5 mg/kg 2- NP， once a day， for 3 consecutive weeks. After the last administration， modified Loeffler score was conducted， white blood cells （WBC） count in cerebrospinal fluid as well as the contents of inflammatory factors [tumor necrosis factor-α， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-1β and IL-18]， brain water content and blood-brain barrier permeability were detected； the histopathological changes of hippocampus and cortex tissues were observed. The percentage of apoptosis in hippocampal/cortical tissue cells， the positive expression of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule-1 （Iba-1）， the co-localization of Iba-1 and NLRP3， as well as the expressions of proteins related to the STAT1/NLRP3 signaling pathway （phosphorylated STAT1， NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD， gasdermin D， caspase-1， IL-1β and IL-18） were examined. RESULTS Compared with the control group， the neurons in the hippocampal/cortical tissues of rats in the model group exhibited significant morphological abnormalities， accompanied by neuronal edema and necrosis， as well as infiltration of inflammatory cells. The modified Loeffler score and the number of Nissl bodies were significantly decreased/reduced in the model group， while the WBC count， levels of inflammatory factors， brain water content， blood-brain barrier permeability， HE staining score， number of degenerated neurons， percentage of apoptotic cells， positive expression of Iba-1， percentage of Iba-1 and NLRP3 co-localization- positive cells， and expressions of pathway-related proteins were all significantly rose/increased/upregulated （P＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the histopathological changes in the hippocampal/cortical tissues of rats in all curcumin dosage groups were alleviated to varying degrees， with significant improvements in all quantitative indicators （P＜0.05）； conversely， 2-NP significantly reversed the ameliorative effects of curcumin on these quantitative indicators （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Curcumin can alleviate cerebral edema and blood-brain barrier damage， reduce neuroinflammation， inhibit cell apoptosis and pyroptosis， and thereby alleviate neuronal injury in neonatal rats with bacterial meningitis. The underlying mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the STAT1/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

As a major global public health concern,the incidence of depression disorder is increasing annually.The pathological mechanism of depression involves bidirectional dysregulation between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA)and gut-brain axes.According to traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),the liver controls conveyance and dispersion,the spleen governs transportation and transformation,and both jointly maintain the balance between ascending and descending qi movement and zang fu viscera function in the body.Liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency result in qi movement disorder and a lack of source qi and blood,leading to depression induced by malnutrition of heart spirit.As a classic prescription for soothing the liver,invigorating the spleen,and replenishing blood,Xiaoyao Powder is used to reinforce healthy qi and eliminate pathogenic factors.Xiaoyao Powder not only regulates the"yin in property of liver"but also strengthens the"ascending and descending"of the spleen.As commonly used by ancient and modern physicians,also indirectly inhibits HPA axis upregulation and improves depression-related gastrointestinal dysfunction.This paper systematically expounds the multi-dimensional mechanism of Xiaoyao Powder in treating depression through the two-way regulation of the HPA-gut-brain axis.It reveals the therapeutic characteristics of"multi-component and multi-target"in TCM to provide a novel theoretical basis for the modernization of TCM and the treatment of depression by combining TCM and Western medicine.

Depression is closely associated with a neuro-endocrine-immune(NEI)system imbalance.The"excessive vitality leading to restraint and counter-regulation(Kang Hai Cheng Zhi)"theory elucidates the self-regulating mechanism for maintaining dynamic equilibrium in the body,and serves as an importance principle guiding treatment formulation and medication selection.Based on the correlation between NEI system imbalance and the traditional Chinese medicine pathogenesis of depression,and integrating the"Kang Hai Cheng Zhi"theory,the author posits that the pathogenesis of depression lies in overactive liver invading spleen,earth dampness impeding wood′s ascendancy,and disharmony between body and mind,as well as imbalance in storage and discharge functions of liver and kidney,disharmony between Yin and Yang,and disrupted counter-regulation.This dosely aligns with two key pathological methanisms at the micro level:microglial-limbic system homeostatic imbalance and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis-inflammatory circuit dysregulation.Clinically,the treatment principle for depression adheres to supporting the counter-regulation to restrain excess,with herbal interventions using strategies such as restraining wood to support earth,dredging earth to unblock wood,and harmonizing pivotal functions,as well as nourishing water to nurture wood,warming kidney to tonify liver,and relieving depression to calm the spirit.These approaches aim to regulate the liver,spleen,and kidney,embodying the core therapeutic tenet of"striving for equilibrium,"thereby restoring the body′s self-regulating capability.

Objective To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of baicalin(Bai)on vascular endothelial function in young rats with diabetes mellitus by regulating oxidative stress response.Methods 60 SD young rats were randomly divided into control(NC)group,model(Mod)group,Bai 50 mg/kg(Bai 50)group,Bai 100 mg/kg(Bai 100)group,Bai 200 mg/kg(Bai 200)group,and inhibitor(Bai 200+ML-385)group,with 10 rats in each group.Fasting blood glucose(FPG),nitric oxide(NO),malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD),and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)were compared among all groups.Aortic pathology was evaluated by HE staining,vasodilation rate was evaluated by in vitro vascular ring assay,and reactive oxygen species(ROS)was evaluated by DHE staining.Western blot was used to detect protein expression of nuclear factor E2 related factor 2(Nrf2),heme oxygenase 1(HO-1),and endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS)in aortic tissue.Results Compared with the NC group,the levels of FPG,MDA,and ROS in the Mod group were increased(P<0.05),the NO,SOD,GSH-Px,Ach-induced vasodilation rate,p-Nrf2/Nrf2,HO-1,and eNOS protein expression were decreased in the Mod group(P<0.05).Compared with the Mod group,the levels of FPG,MDA,and ROS in the Bai 50,Bai 100,and Bai 200 groups were decreased(P<0.05),the NO,SOD,GSH-Px,ACh-induced vasodilation rate,p-Nrf2/Nrf2,HO-1,while and eNOS protein expression were increased in the Bai 50,Bai 100,and Bai 200 groups(P<0.05).Bai 200+ML-385 group reversed the protective effect of Bai 200 on vascular endothelial function in young rats with DM.Conclusions Bai can protect vascular endothelial function in young rats with DM,and its mechanism may be related to the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and antioxidant stress response.

As a major global public health concern,the incidence of depression disorder is increasing annually.The pathological mechanism of depression involves bidirectional dysregulation between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA)and gut-brain axes.According to traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),the liver controls conveyance and dispersion,the spleen governs transportation and transformation,and both jointly maintain the balance between ascending and descending qi movement and zang fu viscera function in the body.Liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency result in qi movement disorder and a lack of source qi and blood,leading to depression induced by malnutrition of heart spirit.As a classic prescription for soothing the liver,invigorating the spleen,and replenishing blood,Xiaoyao Powder is used to reinforce healthy qi and eliminate pathogenic factors.Xiaoyao Powder not only regulates the"yin in property of liver"but also strengthens the"ascending and descending"of the spleen.As commonly used by ancient and modern physicians,also indirectly inhibits HPA axis upregulation and improves depression-related gastrointestinal dysfunction.This paper systematically expounds the multi-dimensional mechanism of Xiaoyao Powder in treating depression through the two-way regulation of the HPA-gut-brain axis.It reveals the therapeutic characteristics of"multi-component and multi-target"in TCM to provide a novel theoretical basis for the modernization of TCM and the treatment of depression by combining TCM and Western medicine.

Depression is closely associated with a neuro-endocrine-immune(NEI)system imbalance.The"excessive vitality leading to restraint and counter-regulation(Kang Hai Cheng Zhi)"theory elucidates the self-regulating mechanism for maintaining dynamic equilibrium in the body,and serves as an importance principle guiding treatment formulation and medication selection.Based on the correlation between NEI system imbalance and the traditional Chinese medicine pathogenesis of depression,and integrating the"Kang Hai Cheng Zhi"theory,the author posits that the pathogenesis of depression lies in overactive liver invading spleen,earth dampness impeding wood′s ascendancy,and disharmony between body and mind,as well as imbalance in storage and discharge functions of liver and kidney,disharmony between Yin and Yang,and disrupted counter-regulation.This dosely aligns with two key pathological methanisms at the micro level:microglial-limbic system homeostatic imbalance and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis-inflammatory circuit dysregulation.Clinically,the treatment principle for depression adheres to supporting the counter-regulation to restrain excess,with herbal interventions using strategies such as restraining wood to support earth,dredging earth to unblock wood,and harmonizing pivotal functions,as well as nourishing water to nurture wood,warming kidney to tonify liver,and relieving depression to calm the spirit.These approaches aim to regulate the liver,spleen,and kidney,embodying the core therapeutic tenet of"striving for equilibrium,"thereby restoring the body′s self-regulating capability.

Objective To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of baicalin(Bai)on vascular endothelial function in young rats with diabetes mellitus by regulating oxidative stress response.Methods 60 SD young rats were randomly divided into control(NC)group,model(Mod)group,Bai 50 mg/kg(Bai 50)group,Bai 100 mg/kg(Bai 100)group,Bai 200 mg/kg(Bai 200)group,and inhibitor(Bai 200+ML-385)group,with 10 rats in each group.Fasting blood glucose(FPG),nitric oxide(NO),malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD),and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)were compared among all groups.Aortic pathology was evaluated by HE staining,vasodilation rate was evaluated by in vitro vascular ring assay,and reactive oxygen species(ROS)was evaluated by DHE staining.Western blot was used to detect protein expression of nuclear factor E2 related factor 2(Nrf2),heme oxygenase 1(HO-1),and endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS)in aortic tissue.Results Compared with the NC group,the levels of FPG,MDA,and ROS in the Mod group were increased(P<0.05),the NO,SOD,GSH-Px,Ach-induced vasodilation rate,p-Nrf2/Nrf2,HO-1,and eNOS protein expression were decreased in the Mod group(P<0.05).Compared with the Mod group,the levels of FPG,MDA,and ROS in the Bai 50,Bai 100,and Bai 200 groups were decreased(P<0.05),the NO,SOD,GSH-Px,ACh-induced vasodilation rate,p-Nrf2/Nrf2,HO-1,while and eNOS protein expression were increased in the Bai 50,Bai 100,and Bai 200 groups(P<0.05).Bai 200+ML-385 group reversed the protective effect of Bai 200 on vascular endothelial function in young rats with DM.Conclusions Bai can protect vascular endothelial function in young rats with DM,and its mechanism may be related to the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and antioxidant stress response.

Depression,as a common mental illness in the world,has troubled hundreds of millions of patients,affecting the normal life and work of patients,and in serious cases,suicidal tendencies may occur. Depression can be classified into the categories of stagnation syndrome,running piglet,lily disease,and other diseases in traditional Chinese medicine,the mechanism of the disease is mostly related to depression and stagnation,and the clinical symptoms such as low mood and oppression in chest often appear. Based on ZHANG Jingyue's theory of "yang moving and dispersing",under the pathological state of "yang moving and dispersing",yang disperses and is deficient,leading to yang immobile,and then becomes depression,which ultimately leading to yang depression and the onset of the disease. Clinical treatment should be based on the basic therapeutic method of promoting yang and resolving depression,warming and tonifying yang qi,and regulating qi movement,so as to carry out the syndrome differentiation and treatment of depression.

To investigate the current situation and demand for specialized development of allergy nursing in 88 hospitals in Guangdong Province, as well as to provide evidence for the management of allergy nursing. From August to December 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze the core managers of allergy nursing-related work in eighty-eight hospitals in Guangdong Province supported by the Allergy Nursing Branch of the Guangdong Nurses Association and the Nursing Group of the Allergy Branch of the Guangdong Medical Association. An online survey was conducted using the Delphi method to compile a questionnaire on the current status and demand for specialized development of allergy nursing in Guangdong Province. Chi-square tests and Fisher′s exact probability method were used to analyze the differences in the current status of specialty technology applications and the development and demand of specialized nursing between hospitals with or without allergy specialty departments. The results showed that among the eighty-eight hospitals in the nineteen prefecture-level cities surveyed in Guangdong Province, 17 hospitals (19%) had established allergy specialty departments, all of which were top-tier tertiary hospitals. The establishment duration [ M ( Q1, Q3)] was 3 (1, 10) years. The implementation rates of skin prick test (94%, 16/17), in-vitro examination (82%, 14/17), nasal endoscopy (82%, 14/17), subcutaneous specific immunotherapy (82%, 14/17), multidisciplinary consultation (65%, 11/17), fractional exhaled nitric oxide detection (47%, 8/17), skin patch test (41%, 7/17), and autologous serum skin test (35%, 6/17) in hospitals with allergy department were higher than those in hospitals without allergy department [59%, 42/71 ( χ 2= 7.462, P=0.006)], [54%, 38/71 ( χ 2= 4.717, P=0.030)], [51%, 36/71 ( χ 2= 5.599, P=0.018)], [34%, 24/71 ( χ 2= 13.177, P<0.001)], [24%, 17/71 ( χ 2= 10.505, P=0.001)], [24%, 17/71 ( χ 2= 5.540, P=0.019)], [11%, 8/71 (Fisher′s exact test, P=0.008)], [11%, 8/71 (Fisher′s exact test, P=0.025)]. In the development plan of allergy nursing in the next two years, hospitals that had set up allergy departments had a higher proportion in adding nurses (82%, 14/17, χ 2= 13.177, P<0.001), formulating specialized nurse training plans (71%, 12/17, χ 2= 3.980, P=0.046), formulating group standards or clinical guidelines (41%, 7/17, Fisher′s exact test, P=0.046), and formulating assessment standards (53%, 9/17, Fisher′s exact test, P=0.002). The demand for all aspects of allergy specialty nursing knowledge and skills accounted for more than 50%, and it was not related to whether the hospital set up an allergy department. In conclusion, the specialized development of allergy nursing in Guangdong province is still in its early stages, and there is a great demand for improving knowledge and skills in allergy. Further standardization of specialty construction is needed, along with the training of allergic nurses, to promote the comprehensive development of allergic reaction nursing specialties from point to area.

To investigate the current situation and demand for specialized development of allergy nursing in 88 hospitals in Guangdong Province, as well as to provide evidence for the management of allergy nursing. From August to December 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze the core managers of allergy nursing-related work in eighty-eight hospitals in Guangdong Province supported by the Allergy Nursing Branch of the Guangdong Nurses Association and the Nursing Group of the Allergy Branch of the Guangdong Medical Association. An online survey was conducted using the Delphi method to compile a questionnaire on the current status and demand for specialized development of allergy nursing in Guangdong Province. Chi-square tests and Fisher′s exact probability method were used to analyze the differences in the current status of specialty technology applications and the development and demand of specialized nursing between hospitals with or without allergy specialty departments. The results showed that among the eighty-eight hospitals in the nineteen prefecture-level cities surveyed in Guangdong Province, 17 hospitals (19%) had established allergy specialty departments, all of which were top-tier tertiary hospitals. The establishment duration [ M ( Q1, Q3)] was 3 (1, 10) years. The implementation rates of skin prick test (94%, 16/17), in-vitro examination (82%, 14/17), nasal endoscopy (82%, 14/17), subcutaneous specific immunotherapy (82%, 14/17), multidisciplinary consultation (65%, 11/17), fractional exhaled nitric oxide detection (47%, 8/17), skin patch test (41%, 7/17), and autologous serum skin test (35%, 6/17) in hospitals with allergy department were higher than those in hospitals without allergy department [59%, 42/71 ( χ 2= 7.462, P=0.006)], [54%, 38/71 ( χ 2= 4.717, P=0.030)], [51%, 36/71 ( χ 2= 5.599, P=0.018)], [34%, 24/71 ( χ 2= 13.177, P<0.001)], [24%, 17/71 ( χ 2= 10.505, P=0.001)], [24%, 17/71 ( χ 2= 5.540, P=0.019)], [11%, 8/71 (Fisher′s exact test, P=0.008)], [11%, 8/71 (Fisher′s exact test, P=0.025)]. In the development plan of allergy nursing in the next two years, hospitals that had set up allergy departments had a higher proportion in adding nurses (82%, 14/17, χ 2= 13.177, P<0.001), formulating specialized nurse training plans (71%, 12/17, χ 2= 3.980, P=0.046), formulating group standards or clinical guidelines (41%, 7/17, Fisher′s exact test, P=0.046), and formulating assessment standards (53%, 9/17, Fisher′s exact test, P=0.002). The demand for all aspects of allergy specialty nursing knowledge and skills accounted for more than 50%, and it was not related to whether the hospital set up an allergy department. In conclusion, the specialized development of allergy nursing in Guangdong province is still in its early stages, and there is a great demand for improving knowledge and skills in allergy. Further standardization of specialty construction is needed, along with the training of allergic nurses, to promote the comprehensive development of allergic reaction nursing specialties from point to area.