Objective : To investigate the effects of cinnamaldehyde(CA) on the growth, metastasis and apoptosis of human endometriosis(EMs) cells and to explore whether the mechanism is related to ribosomal protein S7(RPS7) expression. Methods : Endometriosis cells were divided into control group, CA group, sh-NC group, CA+sh-RPS7 group. Effects of CA on cell growth in human endometriotic cells were determined using Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8) and colony formation assay. Effects of CA on cell metastasis were performed by motility assay and Transwell assay. Effects of CA on cell apoptosis were evaluated by Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry. Meanwhile, the levels of PCNA, E-cadherin, Vimentin, Bax and Bcl-2 were evaluated using Western blot in human endometriotic cells with treatment CA. The expression of RPS7 was detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot assay. The RPS7 overexpression of human endometriotic cells was established by cell transfection. CA-mediated effects on cell proliferation and apoptosis were determined by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry in human endometriotic cells with RPS7 overexpression. Results : CA repressed cell growth as well as down-regulated PCNA. The half inhibitory concentration(IC50) value was 53.60 μmol/L after 24 h treatment, and colony formation rate was 25.32%. Additionally, CA inhibited metastasis which was associated with downregulated Vimentin and upregulated E-cadherin. The relative migration rates were 35% and 29% as well as invasion rate was 40%. Further, CA induced apoptosis by cell cycle G2/M phase arrest and cell apoptosis rate was 25.1%, which related to the up-regulation of of Bax and the down-regulation of Bcl-2. CA inhibited the expression of RPS7 and overexpression of RPS7 promoted cell proliferation and suppressed apoptosis in CA-mediated cells. Conclusion CA inhibits cell growth, metastasis, and induces cell apoptosis by downregulating the expression of RPS7.

Objective To investigate the correlation between the clinical characteristics of allergic rhinitis(AR)in adults located in Shenzhen area and the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)constitutions.Methods A cross-sectional survey of adult AR patients in Shenzhen was conducted.From June 2022 to December 2023,adult AR patients admitted to the Department of Otolaryngology outpatient clinic of Bao'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine(Shenzhen Bao'an District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine)were selected as the study subjects.The clinical baseline data,Total Nasal Symptoms Score(TNSS),and Total Non-Nasal Symptoms Score(TNNSS)of the patients were collected for the analysis of clinical characteristics,and TCM constitutions were differentiated based on the information collected by TCM constitutions questionnaire.After that,the correlation between the biased TCM constitutions and clinical characteristics were explored by using analysis of variance,non-parametric test and Logistic regression analysis.Results(1)A total of 215 cases of adult AR patients from Shenzhen were included.Most of the patients were male(60.93％),and the patients were usually aged 18-29 years old(accounting for 48.84％).AR in adults often arose in the spring(33.49％)and fall(30.70％).(2)Lung qi deficiency-cold syndrome was the predominated TCM syndrome type of AR in adults,accounting for 40.93％,and then came kidney yang deficiency syndrome(26.98％),spleen qi deficiency syndrome(20.00％),and heat accumulation in lung meridian syndrome(12.09％).Lung qi deficiency-cold syndrome and heat accumulation in lung meridian syndrome were more common in young males,and kidney yang deficiency syndrome was frequently seen in middle-aged and elderly males.(3)The leading three TCM constitution types of AR in adults were qi deficiency constitution(30.23％),yang deficiency constitution(24.65％),and inherited special constitution(15.81％).In adult AR patients with lung qi deficiency-cold syndrome,the commonly-seen TCM constitution types were qi deficiency constitution,inherited special constitution,and balanced constitution.In adult AR patients with spleen qi deficiency syndrome,the commonly-seen TCM constitution types were inherited special constitution,phlegm-damp constitution,and yang deficiency constitution.In adult AR patients with kidney yang deficiency syndrome,the commonly-seen TCM constitution types were yang deficiency constitution,qi stagnation constitution,and inherited special constitution.In adult AR patients with heat accumulation in lung meridian syndrome,the commonly-seen TCM constitution types were damp-heat constitution,yin deficiency constitution,and blood-stasis constitution.The leading five TNSS scores were shown in adult AR patients with inherited special constitution,qi deficiency constitution,yang deficiency constitution,phlegm-damp constitution,and qi stagnation constitution,respectively.And the leading five TNNSS scores were shown in adult AR patients with yang deficiency constitution,inherited special constitution,qi stagnation constitution,yin deficiency constitution,and damp-heat constitution,respectively.(4)The results of statistical analysis showed that the differences in gender among the adult AR patients with various TCM constitution types were not statistically significant(P＞0.05),but the differences in age groups,TCM syndrome types,TNSS scores and TNNSS scores were statistically significant(P＜0.01 or P＜0.001).(5)The results of Logistic regression analysis showed that the TNSS scores and TNNSS scores were all positively correlated with qi deficiency constitution,yang deficiency constitution,and inherited special constitution,and spleen qi deficiency syndrome was negatively correlated with damp-heat constitution,the differences being all statistically significant(P＜0.01 or P＜0.001).Conclusion The onset of AR in adults from Shenzhen area is closely related to age,gender,season,and TCM constitutions.The adult AR patients usually have the biased constitutions,in particular qi deficiency constitution,yang deficiency constitution,and inherited special constitution.In adult AR patients,higher TNSS scores are correlated with inherited special constitution,higher TNNSS scores are correlated with yang deficiency constitution,and the primary TCM syndrome type of lung qi deficiency-cold syndrome is correlated with qi deficiency constitution.

Gastric ulcer(GU)is one of the common,frequently-occurring and intractable diseases of the digestive system.Spleen-stomach deficiency cold type is the most common and hard-to-cure syndrome pattern of GU,and is both a focus and a challenge in medical research.Therefore,constructing a scientific,reasonable,and clinically practical animal model of GU with spleen-stomach deficiency cold type and formulating objective and effective evaluation criteria are of great significance for in-depth research on the pathogenesis and treatment of GU.In this paper,the methods for constructing GU animal models of spleen-stomach deficiency cold type are comprehensively introduced by systematically reviewing the relevant literature.Firstly,the construction methods of pathological models of GU in Western medicine are introduced,including pyloric ligation method,water immersion-restraint stress method,ethanol-induced method,acetic acid-induced method,etc.This paper expounds the establishment methods for spleen-stomach deficiency cold syndrome type model in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),including diet disorder method,bitter cold diarrhea method,excessive fatigue method,Qi consumption and Qi impairment method,and overeating sour-flavor method.This paper focuses on the construction methods for disease-syndrome combination GU models of spleen-stomach deficiency cold type,including two-factor modeling method and three-factor modeling method.Meanwhile,the evaluation indices of GU animal models of spleen-stomach deficiency cold type were summarized from various aspects,including animal physical signs(appearance symptoms,animal behavior,and metabolic indices),as well as tissue morphology and molecular biology-related indicators(gastric function,oxidative stress,inflammatory factors,other cytokines,four coagulation parameters,intestinal flora detection),for constructing a comprehensive evaluation system.From the perspective of prescription-based verification,this paper further analyzes the drug composition and pharmacological effects to infer the syndrome type of the treated animal model,so as to verify whether the target animal model is successfully constructed.This review aims to provide a valuable reference for establishing a syndrome-specific GU animal model that closely aligns with clinical reality and embodies the principles of Chinese medicine.This will further advance research on TCM-pattern GU syndromes and deepen the exploration of herbal medicine-based treatments for GU,ultimately promoting the clinical integration and advancement of Chinese medicine in GU therapy.

Objective:To explore the value of metanephrine, normetanephrine, and some steroid hormones in the assessment of adrenal venous sampling (AVS).Methods:This retrospective study enrolled 101 patients with primary aldosteronism who underwent AVS at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between June 1, 2021, and October 1, 2024. Multiple hormones, including aldosterone, cortisol, metanephrine, normetanephrine and steroid hormone profiles, were measured in samples from the inferior vena cava and bilateral adrenal veins during AVS. Selectivity index and lateralization index were calculated based on the levels of different hormones to determine successful AVS cannulation (selectivity index≥2) and aldosterone hypersecretion lateralization (lateralization index≥2). Patients who underwent unilateral adrenalectomy were followed for at least 6 months. Clinical and biochemical outcomes were assessed according to the Primary Aldosteronism Surgical Outcome (PASO) criteria, with biochemical remission defined as achieving complete or partial biochemical remission postoperatively. The efficacy of different hormones relative to cortisol for calculating selectivity index and lateralization index was evaluated for subtype classification.Results:The age at diagnosis of the enrolled patients was (50.5±9.6) years, including 77 males. Regarding the selectivity index, five hormones including metanephrine, normetanephrine, androstenedione, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone, and dehydroepiandrosterone demonstrated significantly higher selectivity index compared to cortisol (all P<0.05). Based on the cortisol-derived selectivity index, AVS cannulation was unsuccessful in 8 patients; using the five indices, unsuccessful cannulation occurred in 2, 2, 3, 4, and 5 patients, respectively. Based on postoperative follow-up, 55 patients were identified as having unilateral surgically relievable primary aldosteronism. In identifying these patients, the performance of metanephrine, normetanephrine, androstenedione, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone, and dehydroepiandrosterone was non-inferior to cortisol, correctly identifying 95% (52/55), 93% (51/55), 91% (50/55), 87% (48/55), and 89% (49/55) of cases, respectively. However, among these patients, there were no statistically significant differences in the success rate of intubation in AVS and the ability to identify patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism between the five indicators and cortisol (all P>0.05). Using cortisol-based lateralization as the reference standard, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone both achieved an accuracy of 90% (84/93) for determining the lateralized side, while 17α-hydroxypregnenolone, normetanephrine, and metanephrine achieved accuracies of 89% (83/93), 81% (74/93), and 80% (73/93), respectively. Conclusion:Metanephrine, normetanephrine, androstenedione, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone could increase the success rate of intubation in AVS, with a high ability to identify patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism, and are expected to replace cortisol as new indicators of AVS.

Gastric ulcer(GU)is one of the common,frequently-occurring and intractable diseases of the digestive system.Spleen-stomach deficiency cold type is the most common and hard-to-cure syndrome pattern of GU,and is both a focus and a challenge in medical research.Therefore,constructing a scientific,reasonable,and clinically practical animal model of GU with spleen-stomach deficiency cold type and formulating objective and effective evaluation criteria are of great significance for in-depth research on the pathogenesis and treatment of GU.In this paper,the methods for constructing GU animal models of spleen-stomach deficiency cold type are comprehensively introduced by systematically reviewing the relevant literature.Firstly,the construction methods of pathological models of GU in Western medicine are introduced,including pyloric ligation method,water immersion-restraint stress method,ethanol-induced method,acetic acid-induced method,etc.This paper expounds the establishment methods for spleen-stomach deficiency cold syndrome type model in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),including diet disorder method,bitter cold diarrhea method,excessive fatigue method,Qi consumption and Qi impairment method,and overeating sour-flavor method.This paper focuses on the construction methods for disease-syndrome combination GU models of spleen-stomach deficiency cold type,including two-factor modeling method and three-factor modeling method.Meanwhile,the evaluation indices of GU animal models of spleen-stomach deficiency cold type were summarized from various aspects,including animal physical signs(appearance symptoms,animal behavior,and metabolic indices),as well as tissue morphology and molecular biology-related indicators(gastric function,oxidative stress,inflammatory factors,other cytokines,four coagulation parameters,intestinal flora detection),for constructing a comprehensive evaluation system.From the perspective of prescription-based verification,this paper further analyzes the drug composition and pharmacological effects to infer the syndrome type of the treated animal model,so as to verify whether the target animal model is successfully constructed.This review aims to provide a valuable reference for establishing a syndrome-specific GU animal model that closely aligns with clinical reality and embodies the principles of Chinese medicine.This will further advance research on TCM-pattern GU syndromes and deepen the exploration of herbal medicine-based treatments for GU,ultimately promoting the clinical integration and advancement of Chinese medicine in GU therapy.

Objective:To explore the value of metanephrine, normetanephrine, and some steroid hormones in the assessment of adrenal venous sampling (AVS).Methods:This retrospective study enrolled 101 patients with primary aldosteronism who underwent AVS at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between June 1, 2021, and October 1, 2024. Multiple hormones, including aldosterone, cortisol, metanephrine, normetanephrine and steroid hormone profiles, were measured in samples from the inferior vena cava and bilateral adrenal veins during AVS. Selectivity index and lateralization index were calculated based on the levels of different hormones to determine successful AVS cannulation (selectivity index≥2) and aldosterone hypersecretion lateralization (lateralization index≥2). Patients who underwent unilateral adrenalectomy were followed for at least 6 months. Clinical and biochemical outcomes were assessed according to the Primary Aldosteronism Surgical Outcome (PASO) criteria, with biochemical remission defined as achieving complete or partial biochemical remission postoperatively. The efficacy of different hormones relative to cortisol for calculating selectivity index and lateralization index was evaluated for subtype classification.Results:The age at diagnosis of the enrolled patients was (50.5±9.6) years, including 77 males. Regarding the selectivity index, five hormones including metanephrine, normetanephrine, androstenedione, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone, and dehydroepiandrosterone demonstrated significantly higher selectivity index compared to cortisol (all P<0.05). Based on the cortisol-derived selectivity index, AVS cannulation was unsuccessful in 8 patients; using the five indices, unsuccessful cannulation occurred in 2, 2, 3, 4, and 5 patients, respectively. Based on postoperative follow-up, 55 patients were identified as having unilateral surgically relievable primary aldosteronism. In identifying these patients, the performance of metanephrine, normetanephrine, androstenedione, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone, and dehydroepiandrosterone was non-inferior to cortisol, correctly identifying 95% (52/55), 93% (51/55), 91% (50/55), 87% (48/55), and 89% (49/55) of cases, respectively. However, among these patients, there were no statistically significant differences in the success rate of intubation in AVS and the ability to identify patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism between the five indicators and cortisol (all P>0.05). Using cortisol-based lateralization as the reference standard, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone both achieved an accuracy of 90% (84/93) for determining the lateralized side, while 17α-hydroxypregnenolone, normetanephrine, and metanephrine achieved accuracies of 89% (83/93), 81% (74/93), and 80% (73/93), respectively. Conclusion:Metanephrine, normetanephrine, androstenedione, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone could increase the success rate of intubation in AVS, with a high ability to identify patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism, and are expected to replace cortisol as new indicators of AVS.

Objective To evaluate 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC somatostatin receptor and 131 I-MIBG imaging in clinical diag-nostic of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma(PPGL).Methods This was a retrospective study.359 PPGL pa-tients diagnosed by pathology microscopy were included.The diagnostic sensitivity and influencing factors on 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC somatostatin receptor and 131 I-MIBG imaging were analyzed.Results The positive rate of 99mTc-HYN-IC-TOC somatostatin receptor scintigraphy was 57.7%(184/319)and 131I-MIBG imaging was 83.2%(232/279).The positive rates of 99m Tc-HYNIC-TOC somatostatin receptor imaging in the adrenal glands,retroperitoneum,head and neck,heart and mediastinum,pelvis and bladder were 53.3%,62.5%,95.0%,66.7%,50.0%and 11.0%respec-tively and the positive rates of 131I-MIBG imaging were 86.7%,88.5%,45.4%,50.0%,75.0%and 33.3%respec-tively.The positive rate of the two imaging did not showed difference among patients with different genetic back-grounds(SDH,VHL,RET mutations).The median maximum diameter of tumors was 4.4(3.0,6.1)cm.and the diag-nostic sensitivity of somatostatin receptor imaging and 131 I-MIBG imaging for larger tumors(≥4.4 cm)was signifi-cantly higher than those for the smaller tumor group(＜4.4 cm)(64.0%vs.51.3%;92.3%vs.74.1%)(P＜0.01).Tumors in 19 patients(5.3%)failed to uptake neither imaging method.Conclusions This is the largest PPGL cohort in China concerning 99m Tc-HYNIC-TOC somatostatin receptor imaging and 131 I-MIBG imaging.The sensitivity of 131 I-MIBG imaging is higher than that of 99m Tc-HYNIC-TOC somatostatin receptor imaging,but for some tumors,such as head and neck paraganglioma,the latter has obvious advantages.These two imagings technol-ogies are complementary and the choice of them should depend the individual situation of patients.

Objective To study the relationship between serum neuron-specific enolase(NSE)and clinical features of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma(PPGL).Methods Totally 501 PPGL patients diagnosed from January 2019 to December 2022 were divided into normal NSE group(NSE≤16.3 ng/mL)and elevated NSE group(NSE＞16.3 ng/mL).The clinical characteristics were compared between the two groups.Results Compared with normal NSE group,patients in the elevated NSE group had larger diameter in primary tumor(5.00 cm vs.4.60 cm),higher 24-hour urinary norepinephrine(NE)and 24-hour urinary dopamine(DA)levels,and a higher rate of metasta-sis(31.6%vs.13.7%)(P＜0.05).NSE level was positively correlated with the primary tumor size(r=0.131,P＜0.05),24-hour urinary NE level(r=0.195,P＜0.05)and 24-hour urinary DA level(r=0.119,P＜0.05).Conclusions The level of NSE is related to tumor size,secretion function and metastasis in PPGL patients.

ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of Bimin Formula （鼻敏方） in treating lung-spleen qi deficiency syndrome of allergic rhinitis （AR） with high mucin secretion. MethodsThirty-four SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group （8 rats）， a model group （8 rats）， a low-dose Bimin Formula group （8 rats）， and a high-dose Bimin Formula group （10 rats）. Except for the blank group， the other groups were subjected to AR lung-spleen qi deficiency rat models induced by smoking， gavage of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract， and ovalbumin. After modeling， rats in the low- and high-dose Bimin Formula groups were given Bimin Formula concentrate （concentration of 2.16 g/ml） by gavage at doses of 1.08 g/100 g and 2.16 g/100 g， respectively， while rats in the model group were given 0.5 ml/100 g of normal saline by gavage， once daily for 28 days； the blank group was not intervened. Behavioral assessments were performed after intervention. ELISA was used to detect the levels of peripheral blood total immunoglobulin E （IgE）. HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of nasal mucosa epithelium in rats， while immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of transmembrane protein 16A （TMEM16A） and mucin 5AC （MUC5AC） protein in nasal mucosa. Western Blot was used to detect the expression of nuclear factor kappa B （NF-κB） protein， and RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of TMEM16A， MUC5AC， and NF-κB mRNA in nasal mucosa. ResultsHE staining showed that the nasal mucosa epithelial cell structure in the blank group was intact without shedding， swelling， or necrosis； the nasal mucosa epithelial tissue of rats in the model group was thickened and partially shed， with infiltration of eosinophils and lymphocytes visible； the pathological changes in nasal mucosa tissue of rats in the high- and low-dose Bimin Formulagroups were improved， and more improvement was showen in the high-dose group. Compared with those in the blank group， the behavioral scores and peripheral blood total IgE levels of rats in the model group significantly increased， as well as the expression of TMEM16A， MUC5AC， and NF-κB proteins and mRNA in nasal mucosa （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with those in the model group， the behavioral scores and peripheral blood total IgE levels of rats in the high-dose Bimin Formula group decreased， and the expression of TMEM16A， MUC5AC， and NF-κB proteins and mRNA in nasal mucosaalso decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； the behavioral scores and peripheral blood total IgE levels of rats in the low-dose Bimin Formula group were reduced， and the expression of TMEM16A and MUC5AC proteins and mRNA in nasal mucosa， as well as the expression of NF-κB protein decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， but the difference in NF-κB mRNA expression was not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. Compared with the low-dose Bimin Formula group， the expression of NF-κB protein in the high-dose group decreased （P＜0.01）. ConclusionBimin Formula may improve the symptoms and high mucus secretion of AR lung-spleen qi deficiency by regulating the TMEM16A/NF-κB/MUC5AC signaling pathway in nasalmucosa.

Familial hyperaldosteronism type Ⅲ(FH-Ⅲ) is extremely rare, and there are no reported cases in China. Herein, we reported two cases with FH Ⅲ, both of which presented with severe hypertension and hypokalemia in their early childhood. One patient had significantly enlarged adrenal glands and developed clinical manifestations of Cushing′s syndrome at the age of 20. Complete relief of symptoms was achieved after bilateral adrenalectomy. The other case had normal adrenal imaging, and with spironolactone treatment, blood pressure and potassium levels were well-controlled. Both cases had germline mutation of KCNJ5 gene which were c. 433G>C(p.Glu145Gln) and c. 452G>A(p.Gly151Glu), respectively.