Objective To systematically analyze the characteristics of the disease burden of hypertensive heart disease (HHD) in the elderly (≥60 years) globally and in China from 1990 to 2021, and to predict its future trends from 2022 to 2040, with the aim of providing data support for optimizing comprehensive prevention and control strategies for HHD. Methods Based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database, the number of prevalent cases and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of HHD in the elderly were extracted for the world, China, and five regions categorized by sociodemographic index (SDI). Joinpoint regression was used to analyze the temporal trends of age-standardized prevalence rate and age-standardized DALYs rate of HHD in the elderly. A three-factor decomposition method was applied to evaluate the relative contributions of aging, population growth, and epidemiological changes to the variations in the elderly HHD burden. Additionally, a Bayesian age-period-cohort model was used to predict the elderly HHD burden from 2022 to 2040. Results In 2021, the number of prevalent elderly HHD cases reached 10 283 000 globally and 3 412 400 in China, representing increases of 179.20% and 159.20% respectively, compared with 1990. The DALYs of elderly HHD were 18 812 700 person-years globally and 4 731 400 person-years in China, rising by 76.08% and 29.45% respectively from 1990. Meanwhile, the growth rates of the number of prevalent cases and DALYs of elderly HHD varied across different SDI regions. From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardized prevalence rate of elderly HHD in China, as well as the age-standardized DALYs rate of elderly HHD both globally and in China, showed significant downward trends (all average annual percentage changes<0, all P<0.001). In 2021, the 70-74 years age group accounted for the highest proportion of prevalent cases and DALYs of elderly HHD, both globally and in China. Decomposition analysis revealed that population growth was the dominant factor driving the increase in the elderly HHD burden across all regions. The prediction model results indicated that the number of prevalent cases and DALYs of elderly HHD would continue to rise globally and in China from 2022 to 2040, with the growth rate of the elderly HHD burden in China between 2021 and 2040 expected to exceed the global average. Conclusion Over the past 32 years, although the age-standardized disease rates of elderly HHD have mainly shown a downward trend globally and in China, the absolute number of the disease burden has increased substantially. The projection model indicates a continued upward trajectory, with the growth rate in China higher than the global average. Therefore, there is an urgent need to implement precise prevention and control strategies to effectively mitigate the disease burden of elderly HHD.

Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common chronic complication of diabetes mellitus that significantly impairs patients’ quality of life. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as a major component of complementary and alternative medicine, has accumulated numerous effective formulas for the clinical management of DPN. However, systematic approaches for optimizing TCM formulas remain limited. Objective: To establish a pathway-oriented approach for TCM formula optimization and to evaluate the efficacy and mechanisms of the optimized formula in DPN. Methods: We developed 2 formula optimization algorithms that defined pathway-oriented herbal correlation (HC) and herbal contribution (HO) to screen and construct a new herbal formula, Qihongtongbi (QHTB), for treating Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome complicated with DPN. An animal experiment was subsequently conducted to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of QHTB. A total of 32 specific-pathogen-free male ob/ob mice (18–20 g) were randomly divided into 4 groups: model, Mudan Granules (MDG), QHTB low- and high-dose groups (n = 8). Ten male C57BL/6J mice (18–20 g) served as the control group. Metabolomics analysis was further employed to elucidate the biological mechanisms underlying the effects of QHTB. Results: Based on our previous study on TCM medication patterns for treating DPN, 22 candidate herbs were selected for formula optimization. The top 5 candidate herbs (total HC = 25.24 × 10 ) exhibited HC values comparable to those of MDG (total HC = 26.1 × 10 ). These herbs were Carthamus tinctorius L. (HC = 5.40 × 10 ), Astragalus mongholicus Bunge (HC = 5.23 × 10 ), Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (HC = 5.15 × 10 ), Commiphora myrrha (T. Nees) Engl. (HC = 5.02 × 10 ), and Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (HC = 4.44 × 10 ). HO analysis showed that the cumulative HO of these 5 herbs exceeded 50%. In vivo experiments demonstrated that, compared with the model group, QHTB significantly lowered blood glucose (P < 0.05), enhanced nerve conduction velocity (P < 0.01), improved nociceptive hypersensitivity (P < 0.01), and ameliorated sciatic nerve morphology, with efficacy comparable to MDG. Serum and fecal metabolomics further revealed that QHTB exerted multipathway regulatory effects, among which nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism represented a key mechanism. Conclusion: In summary, this study provides a methodological reference for the systematic optimization of TCM formulas.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects and mechanism of modified Xiaoqinglong decoction combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells （BMSCs） on nasal-pulmonary-intestinal mucosal immunity in rats with cold asthma. METHODS SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， BMSCs group， BMSCs+modified Xiaoqinglong decoction （6.39 g/kg） group， and BMSCs+dexamethasone （0.125 mg/kg） group， with 10 rats in each group. The cold asthma rat model was established by sensitization and atomization challenge with ovalbumin combined with aluminum hydroxide， together with cold air stimulation from air conditioners. One hour before the initial atomization challenge， rats in all groups except the blank group and model group were injected with BMSCs suspension via the tail vein. Starting from the 15th day of the experiment， rats in each group were intragastrically administered corresponding liquid medicine or normal saline once a day for 7 consecutive days. After the last administration， the asthmatic behavioral changes and pathological morphological changes of lung tissues in rats were evaluated. The levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and IL-10 in nasopharyngeal lavage fluid， bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） and intestinal mucus were detected. The expression levels of proteins related to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway in nasal， lung and intestinal tissues were determined. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， the asthmatic behavioral score， lung tissue injury score， IL-6 levels in nasopharyngeal lavage fluid， BALF and intestinal mucus， PI3K protein expression and Akt phosphorylation levels in nasal， lung and intestinal tissues of rats in the model group were significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）； the IL-10 levels in nasopharyngeal lavage fluid， BALF and intestinal mucus were significantly decreased （ P ＜0.05）. Alveolar atrophy， collapse and even fusion， abnormal hyperplasia and hypertrophy of bronchial smooth muscle， and massive inflammatory cell infiltration were observed. Compared with the model group， most of the above quantitative indicators in the BMSCs group， BMSCs+modified Xiaoqinglong decoction group and BMSCs+dexamethasone group were significantly reversed （ P ＜0.05）， and pathological injuries of lung tissues were markedly alleviated. Compared with the BMSCs group， most of the above quantitative indicators were further improved in the BMSCs+modified Xiaoqinglong decoction group （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Modified Xiaoqinglong decoction combined with BMSCs can effectively improve nasal-pulmonary-intestinal mucosal immunity and relieve asthmatic symptoms in cold asthma rats， and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Objective To construct a dynamic prediction model for JC polyomavirus (JCV) reactivation after kidney transplantation. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 128 recipients who met the inclusion criteria and received kidney transplantation in Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, from June 2021 to December 2024. Dynamic Cox regression and dynamic restricted mean survival time (RMST) regression based on the landmark method were adopted to establish the dynamic prediction models, and Monte Carlo cross-validation was used to evaluate model performance. Results The dynamic models could predict the incidence and onset time of JCV reactivation within the subsequent 3 months according to covariates at each landmark time point from the 1st to the 6th month after transplantation. Remuzzi score, body mass index and warm ischemia time were independent risk factors for JCV reactivation, while a history of urinary BK polyomavirus reactivation served as a protective factor. The median values of the area under the curve, C-index and Brier score of the dynamic Cox model were 0.873, 0.851 and 0.065 respectively, and the C-index of the dynamic RMST model was 0.829, all of which were superior to those of the static model. Conclusions The landmark-based dynamic models exhibit excellent predictive performance, which may integrate baseline data and post-transplant follow-up information to realize dynamic assessment of the risk and time window of JCV reactivation, thereby providing evidence for optimizing post-operative monitoring and individualized intervention strategies.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects and mechanism of modified Xiaoqinglong decoction combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells （BMSCs） on nasal-pulmonary-intestinal mucosal immunity in rats with cold asthma. METHODS SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， BMSCs group， BMSCs+modified Xiaoqinglong decoction （6.39 g/kg） group， and BMSCs+dexamethasone （0.125 mg/kg） group， with 10 rats in each group. The cold asthma rat model was established by sensitization and atomization challenge with ovalbumin combined with aluminum hydroxide， together with cold air stimulation from air conditioners. One hour before the initial atomization challenge， rats in all groups except the blank group and model group were injected with BMSCs suspension via the tail vein. Starting from the 15th day of the experiment， rats in each group were intragastrically administered corresponding liquid medicine or normal saline once a day for 7 consecutive days. After the last administration， the asthmatic behavioral changes and pathological morphological changes of lung tissues in rats were evaluated. The levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and IL-10 in nasopharyngeal lavage fluid， bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） and intestinal mucus were detected. The expression levels of proteins related to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway in nasal， lung and intestinal tissues were determined. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， the asthmatic behavioral score， lung tissue injury score， IL-6 levels in nasopharyngeal lavage fluid， BALF and intestinal mucus， PI3K protein expression and Akt phosphorylation levels in nasal， lung and intestinal tissues of rats in the model group were significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）； the IL-10 levels in nasopharyngeal lavage fluid， BALF and intestinal mucus were significantly decreased （ P ＜0.05）. Alveolar atrophy， collapse and even fusion， abnormal hyperplasia and hypertrophy of bronchial smooth muscle， and massive inflammatory cell infiltration were observed. Compared with the model group， most of the above quantitative indicators in the BMSCs group， BMSCs+modified Xiaoqinglong decoction group and BMSCs+dexamethasone group were significantly reversed （ P ＜0.05）， and pathological injuries of lung tissues were markedly alleviated. Compared with the BMSCs group， most of the above quantitative indicators were further improved in the BMSCs+modified Xiaoqinglong decoction group （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Modified Xiaoqinglong decoction combined with BMSCs can effectively improve nasal-pulmonary-intestinal mucosal immunity and relieve asthmatic symptoms in cold asthma rats， and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Background Large-for-gestational-age (LGA) births are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes and increased risks of offspring obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases later in life. Beyond traditional risk factors, exposure to environmental factors, especially fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), before and during pregnancy may contribute to excessive fetal growth; however, the roles of specific chemical constituents and critical exposure windows remain unclear. Objective To examine the associations between maternal exposures to PM_2.5 and its chemical constituents before and during pregnancy and the risk of delivering LGA infants. Methods Singleton pregnancies from the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project between 2010 and 2014 were included. Individual exposures to PM_2.5 and its constituents were estimated for preconception and pregnancy windows using geocoded residential addresses. The associations of single and mixed exposures with LGA risk were analyzed using generalized linear models (GLMs) and qg-computation. Results Exposures to PM_2.5 and its major chemical constituents were significantly associated with an increased LGA risk, with differences in effect magnitude across components. Secondary inorganic aerosols showed the strongest associations. For full-pregnancy exposure, nitrate (OR=1.330, 95%CI: 1.313, 1.347), ammonium (OR=1.279, 95%CI: 1.263, 1.295), and sulfate (OR=1.242, 95%CI: 1.227, 1.257) had larger effects on LGA risk than black carbon and organic matter. Analysis by exposure window indicated that the month preceding conception and the third trimester of pregnancy were critical exposure windows for susceptibility, while the strongest effect was observed for full-pregnancy exposure, suggesting a cumulative effect over time. Mixed exposure analysis further showed that nitrate and sulfate consistently accounted for the main positive contributions across different time windows. Conclusion Maternal exposures to PM_2.5 and its chemical components before and during pregnancy are associated with an elevated LGA risk. Nitrate and sulfate show consistent and strong associations across pregnancy stages, underscoring the importance of component composition and exposure timing in fetal overgrowth.

The analysis presented here is based on the blood components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets, the key anti-atherosclerosis pathway of Guanxin Qiwei tablets was screened by network pharmacology, and the anti-atherosclerosis mechanism of Guanxin Qiwei tablets was clarified and verified by cell experiments. HPLC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS technique was used to analyze the components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets into blood, to determine the precise mass charge ratio of the compounds, and to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the components by using secondary mass spectrometry fragments and literature comparison. Finally, a total of 42 components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets into blood were identified. To better understand the interactions, we employed the Swiss Target Prediction database to predict the associated targets. Atherosclerosis (AS) disease targets were searched in disease databases Genecard, OMIM and Disgent, and 181 intersection targets of disease targets and component targets were obtained by Venny 2.1.0 software. Protein interactions were analyzed by String database. The 32 core targets were selected by Cytscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed in DAVID database. It was found that the anti-atherosclerosis pathways of Guanxin Qiwei tablets mainly include lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications and other signal pathways. The core targets and the core compounds were interlinked, and it was found that cryptotanshinone and tanshinone ⅡA in Guanxin Qiwei tablets were well bound to TNF, PPARγ, AKT1, PTG2 and other targets. The lipid metabolism and atherosclerotic pathway was verified using human hl-7702 hepatocytes. This study preliminarily identified the potential pharmacodynamic components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets in the treatment of AS diseases and predicted their pathways of action, and verified the relationship between regulating lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis of Guanxin Qiwei tablets in vitro, providing a reference for the further study of the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism of action of this prescription. This experiment was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Inner Mongolia Medical University (No. YKD202401262).

Objective:To explore the safety and efficacy of intraosseous regional administration (IORA) of vancomycin for preventing infection in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods:A total of 124 patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing TKA between February 2024 and May 2024 at nine hospitals were enrolled. Preoperative infection prophylaxis involved either IORA (0.5 g vancomycin administered via intraosseous regional infusion before incision) or intravenous infusion (1 g vancomycin via peripheral vein). The IORA group included 15 males and 47 females with a median age of 66.5 years (range, 60.0-70.0 years), while the intravenous group included 14 males and 48 females with a median age of 66.0 years (range, 61.8-70.3 years) years. Intraoperative samples were collected including fat and synovium tissues after incision, before prosthesis placement, and after tourniquet release; distal femoral cancellous bone during femoral osteotomy; proximal tibial cancellous bone during tibial osteotomy; proximal intercondylar cancellous bone before prosthesis placement; and peripheral blood from non-infused arms at surgery initiation and after tourniquet release. Vancomycin concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Vital sign changes were recorded from admission to 5~10 minutes post-IORA (IORA group) or post-incision (intravenous group). Follow-ups were conducted on postoperative day 1 and 3, and at 1 and 3 months, to document complications including IORA-related adverse events, periprosthetic joint infections, surgical site infections, red man syndrome, acute kidney injury, deep vein thrombosis and so on.Results:Vancomycin concentrations in bone, fat, and synovial tissue samples were significantly higher in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05), while vancomycin concentrations in blood samples were significantly lower in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05). Only 7.3%(41/558) of tissue samples in the IORA group had vancomycin concentrations below 2.0 μg/g (the minimum inhibitory concentration of vancomycin against coagulase-negative staphylococcus), compared to 59.3%(331/558) in the intravenous group (χ 2=11.285, P<0.001). In the intravenous group, 16.9%(21/124) of blood samples had vancomycin concentrations exceeding 15.0 mg/L (the threshold associated with a significantly increased risk of nephrotoxicity), while all concentrations in the IORA group were below this threshold, the difference was statistically significant (χ 2=22.943, P<0.001). There were no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05) in vital signs changes before and after vancomycin administration between the two groups. Two patients in the intravenous group experienced incision exudate, while no other related complications occurred in either group. Conclusions:Compared to the traditional intravenous infusion of 1 g vancomycin, intraosseous injection of a low dose (0.5 g) of vancomycin achieves higher local tissue concentrations in the knee joint with a lower incidence of adverse reactions and is safe for infection prophylaxis. Despite guidelines not recommending the routine use of vancomycin for preventing infection after primary TKA, intraosseous injection of 0.5 g vancomycin may be considered intraoperatively for primary TKA in the following scenarios: patients in medical institutions with a high prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, patients with potential preoperative MRSA colonization, or patients with cephalosporin allergy.

Objective:To investigate the effects of different BMI classifications on rehabilitation outcomes and complications after total knee arthroplasty(TKA).Methods:Clinical data of 88 patients who underwent TKA in our hospital from January 2022 to June 2024 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the World Health Organization(WHO)BMI standards,patients were divided into normal weight group(18.5 ≤BMI＜24.9 kg/m2),overweight group(25.0≤BMI＜29.9 kg/m2),mild obesity group(30.0≤BMI＜34.9 kg/m2),and severe obesity group(BMI≥35.0 kg/m2).Baseline data,operation time,intraoperative blood loss,hospital stay,postoperative knee function scores,pain scores,range of motion(ROM),and incidence of complications were compared among groups.Results:With the increase of BMI,operation time was prolonged,intraoperative blood loss increased,and hospital stay extended,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).At 3-month and 6-month follow-ups,Knee Society Score(KSS)and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC)showed that functional recovery decreased with increasing BMI(P＜0.05).Regarding postoperative complications,the incidence of poor incision healing,infection,and deep vein thrombosis(DVT)in the obese groups was significantly higher than in the normal weight and overweight groups(P＜0.05).Conclusion:BMI is an important factor affecting rehabilitation outcomes and complications after TKA.Patients with high BMI have slower functional recovery and higher complication rates.For patients with high BMI,preoperative weight loss and individualized rehabilitation programs should be considered to improve TKA prognosis.

Collaborative diagnosis and treatment between Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)and Western Medicine,as an important measure for the modernization and innovation of TCM,faces great challenges such as inadequate medical resource supply and supply-demand imbalance in the context of high-quality development strategy.Supply-demand analysis and the input-output framework of modern economic theory were applied to systematically analyze the operational status of collaborative diagnosis and treatment of TCM and Western Medicine in China,and explore the intrinsic economic mechanism of its development.Furthermore,in line with the concept of the"Three Medical Synergistic Collaborations",it proposes policy recommendations from the dimension of medical care,medical insurance,and medicine.