Objective: To investigate the effect of Guangdong Shenqu (GSQ) on intestinal flora structure in mice with food stagnation through 16S rDNA sequencing. Methods: Mice were randomly assigned to control, model, GSQ low-dose (GSQL), GSQ medium-dose (GSQM), GSQ high-dose (GSQH), and lacidophilin tablets (LAB) groups, with each group containing 10 mice. A food stagnation and internal heat mouse model was established through intragastric administration of a mixture of beeswax and olive oil (1:15). The control group was administered normal saline, and the model group was administered beeswax and olive oil to maintain a state. The GSQL (2 g/kg), GSQM (4 g/kg), GSQH (8 g/kg), and LAB groups (0.625 g/kg) were administered corresponding drugs for 5 d. After administration, 16S rDNA sequencing was performed to assess gut microbiota in mouse fecal samples. Results: The model group exhibited significant intestinal flora changes. Following GSQ administration, the abundance and diversity index of the intestinal flora increased significantly, the number of bacterial species was regulated, and α and β diversity were improved. GSQ administration increased the abundance of probiotics, including Clostridia, Lachnospirales, and Lactobacillus, whereas the abundance of conditional pathogenic bacteria, such as Allobaculum, Erysipelotrichaceae, and Bacteroides decreased. Functional prediction analysis indicated that the pathogenesis of food stagnation and GSQ intervention were primarily associated with carbohydrate, lipid, and amino acid metabolism, among other metabolic pathways. Conclusion The digestive mechanism of GSQ may be attributed to its role in restoring diversity and abundance within the intestinal flora, thereby improving the composition and structure of the intestinal flora in mice and subsequently influencing the regulation of metabolic pathways.

ObjectiveTo study the effect and mechanism of Linggui Zhugantang in treating chronic bronchitis （CB） induced by exposure to cigarette smoke combined with tracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide （LPS）. MethodSixty SPF-grade SD rats were randomly divided into normal， model， dexamethasone （1 mg·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose （30.06， 15.03， 7.515 g·kg^-1， respectively） Linggui Zhugantang groups by the body weight stratification method， with 10 rats in each group. Each group was administrated with 200 μL LPS （1 g·L^-1） by tracheal instillation on days 1 and 14， respectively， while the normal group was administrated with an equal volume of normal saline. Except the normal group， the other groups were exposed to cigarette smoke on days 2-13 and 15-30 （10 cigarettes/time/30 min， twice/day） for the modeling of CB. The rats were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage for 30 consecutive days from day 2 of modeling， and the mental status， behavior， and body weights of the rats were observed and measured. The wet/dry mass ratio （W/D） of the left lung was measured 30 days after modeling. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to observe the pathological changes in the lung and bronchial tissues. The bronchial mucus secretion and goblet cell proliferation were observed by Alcian blue-periodic acid Schiff （AB-PAS） staining. The levels of mucin 5AC （MUC5AC）， interleukin （IL）-13， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α in the serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of phospholipase A2 （PLA2）， transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 1 （TRPV1）， and transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 （TRPA1） in the lung tissue was quantitatively analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showcased abnormal mental status and behaviors， bloody secretion in the nose and mouth， the mortality rate of 40%， decreased body weight， severe lung bronchial structure damage， a large number of inflammatory mediators and inflammatory cell infiltration in the tube wall， hyperemia， edema， and fibroplasia， massive proliferation of goblet cells， excessive secretion and accumulation of mucus， stenosis and deformation of the lumen， and aggravation of pulmonary edema （P<0.01）. In addition， the model group had higher levels of MUC5AC， IL-13， IL-6， and TNF-α in the serum and higher expression of PLA2 in the lung tissue than the normal group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the medication groups showed normal mental status and behaviors， reduced mortality rate， stable weight gain， reduced lung and bronchial injuries， decreased goblet cell proliferation and mucus secretion， and alleviated pulmonary edema （P<0.01）. Furthermore， Linggui Zhugantang lowered the levels of MUC5AC， IL-13， IL-6， and TNF-α in the serum and down-regulated the protein levels of PLA2， TRPV1， and TRPA1 in the lung tissue （P<0.01）. ConclusionLinggui Zhugantang can reduce the pulmonary inflammation and airway mucus hypersecretion in the rat model of chronic bronchitis. It may exert the effects of reducing inflammation and resolving phlegm by regulating the PLA2-TRPV1/TRPA1 pathway.

Anti γ-aminobutyric acid B receptor encephalitis is a type of autoimmune encephalitis characterized by the production of self specific antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid and/or serum, with seizures, memory loss, and consciousness disorders as the main clinical manifestations. This type of encephalitis caused by autoantibodies has the same pathological characteristics as other peripheral encephalitis. There are many different etiologies and pathophysiological processes that lead to the occurrence of limbic encephalitis, and it is necessary to understand their heterogeneity in order to find effective treatment methods. This article will systematically review the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of anti γ-aminobutyric acid B receptor encephalitis, aiming to enhance clinical doctors' understanding of this disease and provide reference for clinical decision-making.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of pecto-intercostal fascial plane (PIFP) block and erector spinae plane (ESP) block for postoperative analgesia in median open heart surgery.Methods:A total of 158 patients who underwent elective midline open heart surgery at the Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University from October 2022 to October 2023 were randomly divided into a PIFP block group (P group) and ESP block group (E group) using a random number table method, with 79 patients in each group. Before anesthesia surgery, the group P underwent ultrasound-guided bilateral PIFP block, while the group E underwent ultrasound-guided bilateral ESP block. Both groups received sufentanil intravenous patient-controlled analgesia after surgery. The resting and activity Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores of two groups of patients at 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours after surgery were recorded; The first press time of the patient′s postoperative patient-controlled analgesia pump, the cumulative dose of sufentanil within 24 hours, the number of effective presses, and the rate of salvage analgesia were recorded; and extubation time, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and adverse reactions; the time of nerve block operation, clarity score of puncture needle imaging under ultrasound, and patient satisfaction with nerve block were also recorded.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in resting VAS scores and activity VAS scores between the two groups at 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours after surgery (all P>0.05). The activity VAS scores of the group P were lower than those of the group E at 6 and 12 hours after surgery (all P<0.05); Compared with the group E, patients in the group P had significantly longer first press time of postoperative analgesia pump (all P<0.05), lower salvage analgesia rate, cumulative dose of sufentanil 24 hours after surgery, and fewer effective presses of analgesia pump (all P<0.05); There was no statistically significant difference in extubation time, ICU stay, and incidence rate of nausea between the two groups of patients (all P>0.05); Compared with the group E, the group P had shorter nerve block operation time, higher clarity score of puncture needle imaging under ultrasound, and higher patient satisfaction (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with ESP block, PIFP block can provide better perioperative analgesia for cardiac surgery patients, reduce the use of opioid drugs, and the operation of PIFP block is simpler, with good safety and effectiveness.

Purpose To explore the application of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in evaluating the local muscle microcirculation before and after acupuncture at Zusanli point in normal people.Materials and Methods A total of 72 healthy volunteers who visited the Department of Ultrasound,the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from September 2018 to May 2020 were prospectively collected,all subjects performed ultrasound contrast before acupuncture,acupuncture with strongest deqi,and two hours after acupuncture to observe the blood flow perfusion of the microvessels in the tibialis anterior muscle.The pre-selected areas of interest the small arteries,muscle tissues and venules in the middle were analyzed to obtain the time-intensity curve and contrast transit time(CTTs)perfusion parameters.Needle sensation was evaluated using objective scoring criteria for acupuncture combined with moxibustion recipients.Gastrin,plasma gastrin,cholecystokinin,and secretin were measured in all subjects before acupuncture,when acupuncture had the strongest deqi,and two hours after acupuncture.Results ①CTTs of arterial-muscle,muscle-venous and arterial-venous of the tibialis anterior muscle at acupuncture with strongest deqi were significantly shorter than those at before acupuncture and two hours after acupuncture(all P<0.001),and there was no significant difference in CTTs before and after acupuncture and moxibustion(P>0.05);②when acupuncture deqi was strongest,serum gastrin,plasma prokinetics,cholecystokinin,and secretin were significantly increased compared with those before acupuncture and two hours after acupuncture,with statistically significant difference(all P<0.001),while there was no significant difference in these parameters between before acupuncture and two hours after acupuncture(P>0.05);③when acupuncture had the strongest deqi,there were positive correlations between gastrin,plasma prokinetic hormone,cholecystokinin,and secretin values and CTTs of arterial-muscle,muscle-venous,and arterial-venous(r=0.360-0.702,P<0.001).Conclusion Acupuncture of the Zusanli,when it gains the strongest deqi,can cause changes in the microcirculation around the skeletal muscle,leading to a significant shortening of CTTs,and also promotes the secretory function of the gastrointestinal tract.

Zhishi Xiebai Guizhitang is a classical prescription for the treatment of chest impediment with the method of warming Yang. It is included in the Catalogue of Ancient Classical Prescriptions issued by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine （First Batch）， with the effect of activating Yang， dissipating mass， moving Qi and resolving phlegm. Its main symptoms include chest fullness and pain， or even chest pain radiating to the back， wheezing， coughing， shortness of breath， and Qi reversal from the hypochondrium. In modern traditional Chinese medicine， Zhishi Xiebai Guizhitang is clinically used in the treatment of cardiovascular system， digestive system， respiratory system and other diseases， among which coronary heart disease， unstable angina pectoris， myocardial infarction， sinus bradycardia and other cardiovascular diseases have particularly significant effects. This paper reviewed the pharmacological studies of Zhishi Xiebai Guizhitang in the past 10 years. The results showed that each single medicine and the whole prescription alleviated the above cardiovascular diseases to a certain extent， with the pharmacological effects of improving intravascular environment， myocardial ischemia， myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury， and myocardial hypoxia， anti-inflammation， plaque stabilisation， etc.， and the pharmacological mechanism involved the regulation of relevant active substances in vivo as well as related signaling pathways and ion channels， mainly including thromboxane B₂ （TXB₂）， prostacyclin I₂（PGI₂） and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases/protein kinase B/endothelial nitric oxide synthase （PI3K/Akt/eNOS） signaling pathways， and ATP-sensitive potassium channels. In addition， the relationship between the pharmacological effects of some single medicines and transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 （TRPA1） has been reported that TRPA1 is a key to understanding the mechanism of Zhishi Xiebai Guizhitang in treating cardiovascular diseases， which is worth of further study.

ObjectiveIn the treatment of acute gouty arthritis （AGA）， western medicine is mostly used for anti-inflammatory and analgesic purposes to control the blood uric acid level， but some patients are still at risk of poor control and recurrent attacks. Chinese medicinal prescriptions， potent in resisting inflammation and relieving pain， are able to stabilize the blood uric acid level， reduce acute attacks， and improve the clinical efficacy of western medicine. However， there is a lack of evidence to support their use as evidence-based medicine. This study employed network Meta-analysis （NMA） to evaluate the efficacy and safety of common Chinese medicinal prescriptions in the treatment of AGA， aiming to provide evidence-based medical evidence for the clinical use of Chinese medicinal prescriptions in the treatment of AGA. MethodChinese and English databases were searched for prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials （RCTs） on Chinese medicinal prescriptions against AGA from database inception to December 1， 2022. Stata software and Review Manager were used for statistical analysis. ResultForty-four papers with 3 564 cases involved were included in the current NMA. In terms of reducing blood uric acid， the cumulative probability results showed that Mahuang Lianyao Chixiaodou Tang showed optimal efficacy （87.60%）. In terms of relieving joint pain， Danggui Niantongtang and Guizhi Shaoyao Zhimutang showed optimal efficacy （92.00% and 82.30%）. In terms of improving erythrocyte sedimentation rate （ESR）， Simiaowan was superior to other prescriptions （87.00%）. In terms of reducing C-reactive protein （CRP）， Simiaowan and Baihutang modified with Guizhitang showed superior efficacy （76.00% and 66.10%）. In terms of safety， except for the basic treatment group， Mahuang Lianyao Chixiaodou Tang had the lowest probability of adverse events， and Danggui Niantongtang had the highest probability of adverse reactions during treatment. According to the results of cluster analysis， Mahuang Lianyao Chixiaodou Tang and Simiaowan are effective and safe. ConclusionAccording to the results of NMA， Chinese medicinal prescriptions can assist in the treatment of AGA and improve the effectiveness of western medicine. For patients with AGA， clinicians can choose Mahuang Lianyao Chixiaodou Tang or Simiaowan as an auxiliary drug for routine western medicine treatment.

ObjectiveTo observe the therapeutic effect and underlying mechanism of Linggui Zhugantang on lipopolysaccharide （LPS）-induced acute lung injury （ALI） in mice. MethodSeventy-two 7-week-old C57BL/6 mice of SPF grade were randomly divided into a normal group， a model group， a dexamethasone group （5 mg·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose Linggui Zhugantang groups （9.36， 4.68，2.34 g·kg^-1）， with 12 mice in each group. Except for the normal group， the remaining groups underwent intranasal instillation of LPS （50 μg per mouse） for the induction of the ALI model. The treatment groups received oral administration for 7 days prior to modeling. After 12 hours of modeling， mouse lung tissues were taken to measure the wet/dry weight ratio （W/D）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe the pathological morphological changes in lung tissues. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） was collected for total cell count using a cell counter， and Wright-Giemsa staining was conducted to classify and quantify inflammatory cells （neutrophils and macrophages）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to determine the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in BALF. Western blot analysis was performed to detect the expression of nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） inhibitory protein α （IκBα）， NF-κB p65， and their phosphorylated proteins， and the ratio of phosphorylated protein/total protein was calculated. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited severe lung tissue damage， disrupted alveolar structure， thickened alveolar walls， infiltration of extensive inflammatory cells and red blood cells， and significantly aggravated lung edema （P<0.01）. The total cell count， inflammatory cell count， expression levels of IL-6， and TNF-α in BALF， as well as NF-κB p65 and phosphorylated IκBα in lung tissues， were significantly upregulated in the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， high-， medium-， and low-dose Linggui Zhugantang groups， as well as the dexamethasone group， showed improved lung injury， reduced lung edema （P<0.01）， downregulated total cell count， neutrophil count， expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in BALF， and NF-κB p65 and phosphorylated IκBα in lung tissues （P<0.01）， and reduced macrophage count （P<0.05）. ConclusionLinggui Zhugantang has anti-inflammatory and protective effects on LPS-induced ALI in mice， effectively reducing inflammation and promoting diuresis and edema elimination. Its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NF-κB pathway activation.

Objective:To compare the analgesic effect and postoperative recovery between multi-point and single-point ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca compartment block (FCIB) in elderly patients with hip fracture.Methods:From June 2019 to April 2020, 96 patients aged (71.1±5.4) years undergoing elective surgery for hip fracture in Renji Hospital were randomly assigned in multi-point block group or single-point block group, and the multi-point or single-point ultrasound-guided FCIB was performed for the two groups, respectively. The primary outcomes were the success rate for block of femoral nerve, lateral femoral cutaneous nerve and obturator nerve, and the 24 hours postoperative pain visual analog scale (VAS) score at rest and passive movement. The secondary outcomes were the onset time of sensory blocks of the above three nerves, complications of FICB, the satisfaction score of pain control during 48 hours after surgery and postoperative recovery of patients.Results:The success rate for block of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve in multi-point block group was 97.9% (47/48), which was significantly higher than that in single-point block group (83.3%(40/48)) ( P=0.031). The success rate for block of obturator nerve in multi-point block group was 95.8% (46/48), which was significantly higher than that in single-point block group which was 81.3% (39/48) ( P=0.025). The success rate of femoral nerve block in both groups was 97.9% (47/48) ( P=1.000). The 24 hours postoperative VAS scores at rest and passive movement in the multi-point block group were significantly lower than those in the single-point block group ( P<0.05). The onset time for block of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve and obturator nerve in multi-point block group was shorter than that in single-point block group ( P=0.025 and P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the onset time for block of femoral nerve between the two groups ( P=0.343). The satisfaction score of patients at 48 hours after surgery in multipoint block group was higher than that in single point block group ( P=0.024). The length of hospital stay in the multi-point block group was shorter than that in the single-point block group ( P=0.042), the proportion of intravenous analgesic drugs used after surgery was lower than that in the single-point block group ( P=0.041), and the complication rate within 30 days after surgery was also lower than that in the single point block group ( P=0.026). Conclusion:Compared with single-point block, ultrasound-guided multi-point block in iliac fascia space has advantages of increasing analgesic efficacy and promoting postoperative recovery in elderly patients with hip fracture.

C1 gases including CO, CO₂ and CH₄, are mainly derived from terrestrial biological activities, industrial waste gas and gasification syngas. Particularly, CO₂ and CH₄ are two of the most important greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. Bioconversion of C1 gases is not only a promising solution to addressing the problem of waste gases emission, but also a novel route to produce fuels or chemicals. In the past few years, C1-gas-utilizing microorganisms have drawn much attention and a variety of gene-editing technologies have been applied to improve their product yields or to expand product portfolios. This article reviewed the biological characteristics, aerobic or anaerobic metabolic pathways as well as the metabolic products of methanotrophs, autotrophic acetogens, and carboxydotrophic bacteria. In addition, gene-editing technologies (e.g. gene interruption technology using homologous recombination, group Ⅱ intron ClosTron technology, CRISPR/Cas gene editing and phage recombinase-mediated efficient integration of large DNA fragments) and their application in these C1-gas-utilizing microorganisms were also summarized.
Gene Editing ; Gases ; Carbon Dioxide ; Genetic Engineering ; Cloning, Molecular