ObjectiveTo investigate the differences in clinical efficacy of different medication regimens of Wangbi Tablets （尪痹片） for knee osteoarthritis （KOA） in a real-world setting， providing a basis for rational clinical use of Wangbi Tablets. MethodsA prospective registry study was conducted， involving 2，999 KOA patients registered in 30 hospitals nationwide from January 26th， 2019， to December 17th， 2021. Based on the use of Wangbi Tablets during the observation period， patients were divided into a monotherapy group （1，507 cases） and a combination therapy group （1，492 cases）， and the combination group can be further divided into Wangbi Tablets plus Chinese medicine （CM）， Wangbi Tablets plus western medicine （WM）， and Wangbi Tablets plus Chinese and western medicine （CM+WM） subgroups. The baseline data of patients in the monotherapy group and the combination group were compared， including age， gender， body weight， medication time， clinical stage， K-L grade， and others. Efficacy indicators included the Visual Analog Scale （VAS） score， Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index （WOMAC） score， and EuroQol five-dimensional （EQ-5D） health index， which were evaluated before and after 4-， 8- and 12-week treatment， and the difference before and after treatment was calculated after 4， 8 and 12 weeks of treatment. The difference between the baseline and 12 weeks of treatment of all the above indicators was used as the dependent variables， and gender， age， body mass index （BMI）， course of disease， K-L grade， and clinical stage were used as independent variables， when multiple linear regression was taken to explore the influencing factors of the efficacy. At the same time， the occurrence of major symptoms （including morning stiffness， joint swelling， soreness of waist and knees， fear of wind， and fear of cold） was counted， and the disappearance of symptoms at each time point was counted after 4， 8， and 12 weeks of treatment. ResultsAt baseline， there were no statistically significant differences in gender and age distribution between the monotherapy and combination therapy groups （P＞0.05）； the proportion of patients in the acute stage and recovery stage was higher in the monotherapy group than in the combination therapy group， while the proportion in the remission stage was lower （P＜0.05）； the VAS score was higher in the monotherapy group， and the EQ-5D index was lower （P＜0.01）， with no statistically significant difference in total WOMAC score between the two groups （P＞0.05）. Compared to those measured before treatment and at previous timepoint， the VAS score and WOMAC total score significantly decreased in both groups， while EQ-5D value increased （P＜0.05）. The difference in VAS score between baseline and after 12-week treatment was higher in the monotherapy group than the combination group， while the differences in WOMAC total score and EQ-5D value between baseline and after 4-， 8- and 12-week treatment were higher in the combination group （P＜0.05）. Multiple linear regression showed that VAS score before treatment had greatest impact on pain improvement （P＜0.01）， and compared to Wangbi Tablets monotherapy， the combination of Wangbi tablets with WM or CM had larger associations with pain improvement （P＜0.05）； and Wangbi Tablets had better efficacy when the course of treatment was ＞28 days （P＜0.01）. Wangbi Tablets plus WM had a better effect on improving the overall function of the knee joint than Wangbi Tablets alone （P＜0.01）； and the efficacy of Wangbi Tablets with a course of treatment ＞28 days was better （P＜0.05）. The improvement of quality of life of patients in the attack and remission stages was more obvious than that in the recovery stage （P＜0.01）； Wangbi Tablets plus WM or CM had a better effect on improving quality of life than Wangbi Tablets alone （P＜0.05）. Before treatment， the proportion of patients with morning stiffness， soreness of waist and knees， fear of wind and chills in the monotherapy group was higher than that in the combination group （P＜0.01）. The proportion of main symptoms in both groups decreased after 4， 8 and 12 weeks of treatment （P＜0.05）. After 4 weeks of treatment， the disappearance rate of each main symptom in the combination group was higher than that in the monotherapy group， and after 12 weeks of treatment， the disappearance rate of fear of wind in the monotherapy group was higher than that in the combination group， while the disappearance rate of joint swelling and soreness of waist and knees was lower （P＜0.05）. ConclusionWangbi Tablets， whether used alone or in combination with other medications， is effective throughout the course of KOA， with greater benefits in improving joint function and quality of life during the acute and remission stages compared to the recovery stage. Combination therapy had a faster onset of effect， but began to converge with monotherapy after 8 weeks. The best efficacy was observed with the combination of Wangbi Tablets with WM， followed by combination with CM.

OBJECTIVE To study the protective effect of saikosaponin b2(SSb2)on corticosterone(CORT)induced PC12 cell injury and its mechanism.METHODS ① PC12 cells were divided into the cell control group(24 h of culture with RPMI-1640 medium),CORT group(24 h of culture with CORT 100-800 μmol·L-1)and SSb2 group(24 h of culture with SSb2 1.5625,3.125,6.25,12.5,25,50 and 100 μmol·L-1).MTT assay was used to detect the cell survival rate.②PC12 cells were divided into the cell control group(24 h of culture with RPMI 1640 medium),model group(24 h of culture with CORT 400 μmol·L-1),and model+SSb2 group(3 h pretreatment with SSb2 1.5625,3.125,6.25,12.5 and 25 μmol·L-1,removal of the supernatant before cells were co-incubated with CORT 400 μmol·L-1 and corresponding concentrations of SSb2 for 24 h).MTT assay was used to detect the cell survival rate while micro-plate assay was used to detect the lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)leakage rate of PC12 cells.③PC12 cells were divided into the cell control group,model group and model+SSb2 12.5 μmol·L-1 group.AnnexinV-FITC/PI flow cytometry assay was used to detect PC12 cell apoptosis,ultra-perfor-mance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS)cell metabonomics was used to detect metabolic profile changes and colorimetric assay was employed to detect the glutamic acid content and glutaminase activity in PC12 cells.RESULTS Compared with the cell control group,the cell viability decreased to(55±6)%(P<0.01)when the concentration of CORT was 400 μmol·L-1.When the concentration of SSb2 was higher than 50 μmol·L-1,there was significant toxicity to PC12 cells(P<0.01).②Compared with the cell control group,the cell survival rate was signif-icantly decreased(P<0.01),while the release rate of LDH was significantly increased(P<0.01)in the model group.Compared with the model group,the cell survival rate significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01),while the LDH release rate significantly decreased(P<0.01)in the model+SSb2 group.③ Com-pared with the cell control group,cell apoptosis was significantly increased in the model group(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,cell apoptosis was significantly decreased(P<0.05)in the model+ SSb2 group.Metabolomics results show that SSb2 significantly back-regulated nine differential metabo-lites of glutamate,creatine,N-acetylaspartate,L-tyrosine,citric acid,L-isoleucine,lactic acid,glutamine and choline.Further network analysis of the key metabolites regulated by SSb2 yielded five major metabolic pathways:D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism,phenylalanine,tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis,alanine,aspartate and glutamate metabolism,tyrosine metabolism and arginine biosynthesis.Compared with the cell control group,the content of glutamate and activity of glutaminase were significantly decreased in the model group(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the content of glutamate(P<0.01)and activity of glutaminase(P<0.05)were significantly increased in the model+SSb2 group.CONCLUSION SSb2 has a neuroprotective effect on CORT-injured PC12 cells,and the mechanism of which is related to inhibition of apoptosis and regulation of metabolic disorders.

Aim The key genes for necroptosis in atherosclerosis were screened by bioinformatics methods and verified with the help of in vitro experiments to provide new strategies for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis from the perspective of necroptosis.Methods Genes related to atherosclerotic plaques were downloaded from GEO da-tabase,and genes related to necroptosis were downloaded from GeneCards database and intersected to obtain atherosclerotic necroptosis genes,and the mechanism of action and signalling pathways of the genes were further analysed by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis,and the protein-protein interaction(PPI)network was constructed and screened for key genes.Finally,macrophages were treated with oxidized low density lipoprotein(oa-LDL)at a final concentration of 100 mg/L,and the expression of key genes was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot.Results A total of 81 atherosclerotic nec-roptosis genes were obtained.GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that they were mainly enriched in the positive regulation of endopeptidase activity,IκB kinase(IKK)/nuclear factor-KB(NF-κB)signalling,and autophagy signalling pathway.Five key genes including HSPA8,STAT3,HMOX1,SQSTM1 and FAS were obtained by using five computa-tional methods of Cytoscape software cytoHubba plug-in.Compared with the normal control group,the HMOX1 gene was highly expressed in THP-1 macrophages treated with ox-LDL(P＜0.05),while the expression of the HSPA8,STAT3,SQSTM1 and FAS genes showed no significant changes(P＞0.05);the HMOX1 and SQSTM1 genes were highly expressed in RAW264.7 macrophages treated with ox-LDL(P＜0.05),while HSPA8,STAT3 and FAS genes showed no significant changes(P＞0.05).The expression of HMOX1 protein in THP-1 macrophages was also increased.Conclusion HMOX1 may be the key gene of atherosclerotic necroptosis,and it is expected to become a new target for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of MOOC combined with flipped classroom teaching in clinical train-ing of urology.Methods A total of 100 clinical medical students from Peking Union Medical College were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group.The experimental group adopted the teaching mode of MOOC combined with flipped classroom,while the control group adopted classic teaching method.The two groups were compared in terms of their theoretical exam scores,case analysis skills and teaching satisfaction level.Results There were no significant difference in theoretical examination scores between experimental group and con-trol group(the mean value of scores are 45.12 and 44.50,respectively).However,the interview scores from ex-perimental group was significant higher than that of control group(the mean value of scores are 42.28 and 40.10,respectively,P＜0.001).The MOOC combined with flipped classroom mode significantly improved students'capacity building of clinical reasoning for diagnosis and communication skills.Students were more willing to continue receiving this teaching mode.Conclusions The integration of MOOC with the flipped classroom model sig-nificantly enhances the quality and efficacy of urology teaching.

Objective To explore the impact of pH value of the reaction system on the properties of bovine hemoglobin modified with aldehydeated polyethylene glycol(PEG-bHb).Methods PEG-bHb conjugates were synthesized under varying pH conditions(6.0,6.5,7.4 and 8.0)of the reaction system while consistent molar ratios,temperature,and reaction time were maintained.The structural and functional attributes of PEG-bHb were characterized.Results The proportion of methemoglobin decreased with an increase in pH.In a weakly acidic reaction environment,the PEG-bHb was found to be relatively highly modified.At pH 6.5,the average number of PEG chains attached to the bHb surface was 6.86±0.38.Selective PEG modification of the N-terminal α-NH2 groups was more pronounced under weakly acidic conditions.Specifically,at pH 6.5,the modification efficiency of the N-terminal α-NH2 groups of bHb by aldehyde-activated PEG reached 95.4％for the α-chains and 99.3％for the β-chains.The PEG modification influenced the heme region microenvi-ronment of bHb,with minimal structural impact observed at pH 6.5.After modification,the oxygen affinity of PEG-bHb was enhanced,the Hill coefficient was reduced,and there were significant increases in colloid osmotic pressure,viscosity,and particle size,all of which differed markedly from the unmodified bHb group(P＜0.001).Conclusion The synthesis of PEG-bHb under weakly acidic conditions can result in a high degree of selective modification of the N-terminal α-NH2 groups and an overall high degree of modification.

Objective: QL1604 is a highly selective, humanized monoclonal antibody against programmed death protein 1. We assessed the efficacy and safety of QL1604 plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment in patients with advanced cervical cancer. Methods: This was a multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase II study. Patients with advanced cervical cancer and not previously treated with systemic chemotherapy were enrolled to receive QL1604 plus paclitaxel and cisplatin/carboplatin on day 1 of each 21-day cycle for up to 6 cycles, followed by QL1604 maintenance treatment. Results: Forty-six patients were enrolled and the median follow-up duration was 16.5 months. An 84.8% of patients had recurrent disease and 13.0% had stage IVB disease. The objective response rate (ORR) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Advanced Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 was 58.7% (27/46). The immune ORR per immune RECIST was 60.9% (28/46).The median duration of response was 9.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI]=5.5–not estimable). The median progression-free survival was 8.1 months (95% CI=5.7–14.0). Fortyfive (97.8%) patients experienced treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). The most common grade≥3 TRAEs (>30%) were neutrophil count decrease (50.0%), anemia (32.6%), and white blood cell count decrease (30.4%). Conclusion QL1604 plus paclitaxel-cisplatin/carboplatin showed promising antitumor activity and manageable safety profile as first-line treatment in patients with advanced cervical cancer. Programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor plus chemotherapy may be a potential treatment option for the patient population who have contraindications or can’t tolerate bevacizumab, which needs to be further verified in phase III confirmatory study.

Objective: QL1604 is a highly selective, humanized monoclonal antibody against programmed death protein 1. We assessed the efficacy and safety of QL1604 plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment in patients with advanced cervical cancer. Methods: This was a multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase II study. Patients with advanced cervical cancer and not previously treated with systemic chemotherapy were enrolled to receive QL1604 plus paclitaxel and cisplatin/carboplatin on day 1 of each 21-day cycle for up to 6 cycles, followed by QL1604 maintenance treatment. Results: Forty-six patients were enrolled and the median follow-up duration was 16.5 months. An 84.8% of patients had recurrent disease and 13.0% had stage IVB disease. The objective response rate (ORR) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Advanced Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 was 58.7% (27/46). The immune ORR per immune RECIST was 60.9% (28/46).The median duration of response was 9.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI]=5.5–not estimable). The median progression-free survival was 8.1 months (95% CI=5.7–14.0). Fortyfive (97.8%) patients experienced treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). The most common grade≥3 TRAEs (>30%) were neutrophil count decrease (50.0%), anemia (32.6%), and white blood cell count decrease (30.4%). Conclusion QL1604 plus paclitaxel-cisplatin/carboplatin showed promising antitumor activity and manageable safety profile as first-line treatment in patients with advanced cervical cancer. Programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor plus chemotherapy may be a potential treatment option for the patient population who have contraindications or can’t tolerate bevacizumab, which needs to be further verified in phase III confirmatory study.

Objective: QL1604 is a highly selective, humanized monoclonal antibody against programmed death protein 1. We assessed the efficacy and safety of QL1604 plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment in patients with advanced cervical cancer. Methods: This was a multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase II study. Patients with advanced cervical cancer and not previously treated with systemic chemotherapy were enrolled to receive QL1604 plus paclitaxel and cisplatin/carboplatin on day 1 of each 21-day cycle for up to 6 cycles, followed by QL1604 maintenance treatment. Results: Forty-six patients were enrolled and the median follow-up duration was 16.5 months. An 84.8% of patients had recurrent disease and 13.0% had stage IVB disease. The objective response rate (ORR) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Advanced Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 was 58.7% (27/46). The immune ORR per immune RECIST was 60.9% (28/46).The median duration of response was 9.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI]=5.5–not estimable). The median progression-free survival was 8.1 months (95% CI=5.7–14.0). Fortyfive (97.8%) patients experienced treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). The most common grade≥3 TRAEs (>30%) were neutrophil count decrease (50.0%), anemia (32.6%), and white blood cell count decrease (30.4%). Conclusion QL1604 plus paclitaxel-cisplatin/carboplatin showed promising antitumor activity and manageable safety profile as first-line treatment in patients with advanced cervical cancer. Programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor plus chemotherapy may be a potential treatment option for the patient population who have contraindications or can’t tolerate bevacizumab, which needs to be further verified in phase III confirmatory study.

Angelicae Sinensis Radix (AS) is reproted to exert anti-depression effect (ADE) and nourishing blood effect (NBE) in a rat model of depression. The correlation between the two therapeutic effects and its underlying mechanisms deserves further study. The current study is designed to explore the underlying mechanisms of correlation between the ADE and NBE of AS based on hepatic metabonomics, network pharmacology and molecular docking. According to metabolomics analysis, 30 metabolites involved in 11 metabolic pathways were identified as the potential metabolites for depression. Furthermore, principal component analysis and correlation analysis showed that glutathione, sphinganine, and ornithine were related to pharmacodynamics indicators including behavioral indicators and hematological indicators, indicating that metabolic pathways such as sphingolipid metabolism were involved in the ADE and NBE of AS. Then, a target-pathway network of depression and blood deficiency syndrome was constructed by network pharmacology analysis, where a total of 107 pathways were collected. Moreover, 37 active components obtained from Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Triple-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer (UPLC-Triple-TOF/MS) in AS extract that passed the filtering criteria were used for network pharmacology, where 46 targets were associated with the ADE and NBE of AS. Pathway enrichment analysis further indicated the involvement of sphingolipid metabolism in the ADE and NBE of AS. Molecular docking analysis indciated that E-ligustilide in AS extract exhibited strong binding activity with target proteins (PIK3CA and PIK3CD) in sphingolipid metabolism. Further analysis by Western blot verified that AS regulated the expression of PIK3CA and PIK3CD on sphingolipid metabolism. Our results demonstrated that sphingolipid metabolic pathway was the core mechanism of the correlation between the ADE and NBE of AS.
Rats ; Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Network Pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Metabolomics/methods* ; Mass Spectrometry

Radix Bupleuri(RB)is commonly used to treat depression,but it can also lead to hepatotoxicity after long-term use.In many anti-depression prescriptions,RB is often used in combination with Radix Paeoniae Alba(RPA)as an herb pair.However,whether RPA can alleviate RB-induced hepatotoxicity remain unclear.In this work,the results confirmed that RB had a dose-dependent antidepressant effect,but the optimal antidepressant dose caused hepatotoxicity.Notably,RPA effectively reversed RB-induced hepatotoxicity.Afterward,the mechanism of RB-induced hepatotoxicity was confirmed.The results showed that saiko-saponin A and saikosaponin D could inhibit GSH synthase(GSS)activity in the liver,and further cause liver injury through oxidative stress and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-KB)/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)pathway.Furthermore,the mechanisms by which RPA attenuates RB-induced hepatotoxicity were investigated.The results demonstrated that RPA increased the abundance of intestinal bacteria with glycosidase activity,thereby promoting the conversion of saikosaponins to sai-kogenins in vivo.Different from saikosaponin A and saikosaponin D,which are directly combined with GSS as an inhibitor,their deglycosylation conversion products saikogenin F and saikogenin G exhibited no GSS binding activity.Based on this,RPA can alleviate the inhibitory effect of saikosaponins on GSS activity to reshape the liver redox balance and further reverse the RB-induced liver inflammatory response by the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.In conclusion,the present study suggests that promoting the conversion of saikosa-ponins by modulating gut microbiota to attenuate the inhibition of GSS is the potential mechanism by which RPA prevents RB-induced hepatotoxicity.