Ménière's disease(MD)and vestibular migraine(VM)are two common episodic vertigo disor-ders.Patients with VM often exhibit auditory and vestibular symptoms similar to those of MD.Patients with MD are also prone to migraine features such as headache,photophobia,and a positive family history of migraine.There-fore,differentiating MD from VM is challenging,especially in the early stages of the disease.Although the two dis-eases overlap in many ways,some core features in terms of demographic characteristics,clinical symptoms,and la-boratory tests can be used to identify them.However,a highly specific test or biological marker to distinguish the two is not available.Physicians may combine various features such as symptoms,signs,and tests to differentiate MD and VM.

Ménière's disease(MD)and vestibular migraine(VM)are two common episodic vertigo disor-ders.Patients with VM often exhibit auditory and vestibular symptoms similar to those of MD.Patients with MD are also prone to migraine features such as headache,photophobia,and a positive family history of migraine.There-fore,differentiating MD from VM is challenging,especially in the early stages of the disease.Although the two dis-eases overlap in many ways,some core features in terms of demographic characteristics,clinical symptoms,and la-boratory tests can be used to identify them.However,a highly specific test or biological marker to distinguish the two is not available.Physicians may combine various features such as symptoms,signs,and tests to differentiate MD and VM.

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of impulse control disorders(ICD)and related influencing factors in patients with cerebral hepatolenticular degeneration(HLD).Methods Eighty-nine patients with cerebral HLD who were hospitalized in the Brain Disease Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine(AUTCM)from April 2023 to October 2023 were randomly collected and divided into the ICD group and the control group based on the Minnesota Impulsivity Disorder Interview(MIDI)scale,which assessed the patients'neurological function(UWDRS-Ⅰ),hepatic function(UWDRS-Ⅱ),cognition(MMSE),sleep(PSQI),anxiety(HAMA-14),depression(HAMD-17),and adherence to medications taken(MMAS-8);and univariate and multivariate forward stepwise Logistic regression models were used to screen the influencing factors related to ICD in patients with cerebral HLD.Results ICD were present in 44 patients,of which a higher proportion showed stereotyped behaviors and compulsive shopping.UWDRS-Ⅰ,UWDRS-Ⅱ,PSQI,HAMD and HAMA scores were higher in the ICD group than in the control group(P＜0.05).MMSE scores were lower in the ICD group than in the control group(P＜0.05).The ICD group had a younger age of onset and a longer disease duration than the control group(P＜0.05).The two groups were significantly different in terms of education level and smoking history(P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that a high level of education was a protective factor for the occurrence of ICD in patients with cerebral HLD(P＜0.05),and a high UWDRS-Ⅰ score was an independent risk factor for the occurrence of ICD(P＜0.05).Conclusion ICD in patients with cerebral HLD manifested as stereotypical behaviors and a higher percentage of compulsive shopping,the proportion of anxiety,depression,cognitive disorders,and sleep disorders was significantly higher among patients with ICD.Patients with cerebral HLD with a low level of education and severe neurological symptoms were more likely to develop ICD.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the distortion product otoacoustic emissions(DPOAE) characteristics in patients with Ménière disease(MD) and vestibular migraine(VM),and explore the diagnostic value of DPOAE in MD and VM. METHODS There were 35 unilateral MD patients[age (41.86±10.77)years;21 males,14 females]and 32 VM patients[age (39.97±8.99)years;7 males,25 females]who were diagnosed at Beijing Tongren Hospital were included. Pure-tone audiometry thresholds and DPOAE response amplitudes and signal-to-noise ratios(SNR) were analyzed. Further analysis was conducted on DPOAE results in patients with normal average hearing thresholds in both groups. RESULTS 1. DPOAE results of all included patients indicated that DPOAE response amplitudes and SNR in the MD group were lower than those in the VM group within the 0.7-8 kHz range(P<0.05);2. Comparative analysis of the two groups with normal average hearing thresholds revealed a lower DPOAE SNR at 1 kHz in the MD group compared to the VM group(Z=-2.495,P=0.013). CONCLUSION The MD group exhibited lower DPOAE response amplitudes and smaller SNR;a comparison of the two groups with normal mean hearing thresholds also showed a reduced SNR at 1 kHz in the MD group. These findings suggest that DPOAE assessment can be a valuable tool in evaluating cochlear function and aiding in the early differential diagnosis of MD and VM.

Shengmai formula,composed of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma,Ophiopogon Radix and Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus,is a classic and famous formula.It is a representative formula for"supplementing qi,nourishing yin,and generating fluid"in Traditional Chinese Medicine theory.To date,a wide range of Shengmai formulae have been developed according to different medical applications,but the quality evaluation standards are at a relatively low level,and most of them only specify the individual components of a single herb,making it difficult to ensure clinical efficacy and safety.At the same time,the physical and chemical identification methods of Shengmai formula have been constantly updated,allowing for greater progress in research on its main chemical components such as saponins,lignans and flavonoids.However,there is little systematic summarization of the chemical components and analytical methods.Based on the existing references,we systematically summarized ginsenosides,ophiopogonins,schisandra lignans,homoisoflavonoids and some other compounds in this paper,as well as the quality standards of Shengmai formulae and their analytical methods in order to aid clinical research and formulation manufacture.

Bile acids(BAs)are synthesized by the liver from cholesterol through several complementary pathways and aberrant cholesterol metabolism plays pivotal roles in the pathogeneses of cholesterol gallbladder polyps(CGP)and cholesterol gallstones(CGS).To date,there is neither systematic study on BAs profile of CGP or CGS,nor the relationship between them.To explore the metabolomics profile of plasma BAs in healthy volunteers,CGP and CGS patients,an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS)method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of 42 free and conjugated BAs in human plasma.The developed method was sensitive and reproducible to be applied for the quantification of BAs in the investigation of plasma samples.The results show that,compared to healthy volunteers,CGP and CGS were both characterized by the significant decrease in plasma BAs pool size,furthermore CGP and CGS shared aberrant BAs metabolic characteristics.Cheno-deoxycholic acid,glycochenodeoxycholic acid,λ-muricholic acid,deoxycholic acid,and 7-ketolithocholic acid were shared potential markers of these two cholesterol gallbladder diseases.Subsequent analysis showed that clinical characteristics including cysteine,ornithine and body mass index might be closely related to metabolisms of certain BA modules.This work provides metabolomic information for the study of gallbladder diseases and analytical methodologies for clinical target analysis and efficacy evaluation related to BAs in medical institutions.

Obesity and its associated complications are highly related to a current public health crisis around the world. A growing body of evidence has indicated that G-protein coupled bile acid (BA) receptor TGR5 (also known as Gpbar-1) is a potential drug target to treat obesity and associated metabolic disorders. We have identified notoginsenoside Ft1 (Ft1) from

Aim Toassesstheregulatoryeffectsofcar-damonin (CDN ) on toll-like receptor (TLR )-4/MyD88/NF-κB/iNOS signaling pathway in lipopolysac-charide (LPS )-stimulated RAW264. 7 macrophage cells.Methods LPS-stimulatedRAW264.7cells were divided into three groups:vehicle-treated group, LPS-treated group and LPS +CDN-treated group.Cell viability was assessed by CCK-8 assay.The concentra-tion of nitric oxide (NO)in cell culture medium was measured by Griess reagent.The mRNA levels of iN-OS,COX-2,MCP-1 ,TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1βwere de-termined by reverse transcription real-time quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR).The protein levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),TLR4,myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88),nuclear factor κB(NF-κB)phos-phorylated (p )-p65 ,inhibitor κBα(IκBα),and p-IκBαweredeterminedbyWesternblot.Results 1~50 μmol·L-1 CDN had no cytotoxicity in RAW264. 7 cells.However,CDN inhibited the LPS-induced secre-tion of nitric oxide(NO)and mRNA expressions of iN-OS,COX-2,MCP-1 ,TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1βin a dose-dependent manner.Moreover,50 μmol · L-1 CDN inhibited the LPS-induced up-regulation of iNOS, TLR4,MyD88,NF-κB p-p65,p-IκBαand down-reg-ulationofIκBα.Conclusion Cardamonininhibitsthe production of NO via a mechanism associated with the inhibition of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB/iNOS pathway.

Apoptosis is a process of programmed cell death that is controlled by genes. Normally, there are three regulation pathways involved in the process of apoptosis, including the signaling of intracel-lular mitochondria, endoplasmic reticula and extracellular death receptors. Recent studies showed that NF-κB is a key regulator in the process of apoptosis. NF-κB plays a promotional and a inhibitory role as well in the regulation of apoptosis, closely related to the the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins family, the B cell lymphoma/ lewkmia-2 family, tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factors, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand and Fas-associated death domain protein-like interleukin-1β. Thus, investigation of the mechanism regarding NF-κB in apoptosis regulation is of great importance for apoptosis-related drug development. The paper reviews the recent research progress in the function of NF-κB in apoptosis pathway regulation.

Aim To evaluate the effect and mecha-nism of vitexin in a mouse model of DSS-induced ulcer-ative colitis (UC).Methods C57BL/6 mice were randomly placed into three groups: normal control group,DSS group and DSS +Vitexin group.Mice coli-tis was induced by adding 4% dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)into the drinking water for seven days.Vitexin was administered once a day along with DSS treatment. Mice were monitored daily with body weight change and diarrhea symptoms.After sacrifice,colon was re-moved and fixed in 1 0% (W/V)buffered formalin for hematoxylin-eosin (H&E)staining.Histological dam-age was assessed as a combined score of inflammatory cell infiltration and mucosal damage.The remaining colon pieces were collected to measure the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO)by ELISA method and to de-termine the mRNA expression of TNF-α,IL-6 and COX-2.Results None of the mice receiving vehicle alone exhibited body weight loss and mucosal disrup-tion at any point during the study.Vitexin treatment significantly ameliorated DSS-induced body weight loss and histological score.The activity of MPO and the mRNA expression of TNF-α,IL-6 and COX-2 were markedly inhibited by vitexin treatment.Conclusion Vitexin ameliorates DSS-induced colitis through sup-pressing leukocyte infiltration and pro-inflammatory mediators production.