Aging has emerged as a cutting edge and hotspot in global life science field， with anti-aging and geriatric disease prevention and treatment becoming critical issues urgently demanding solutions in international medical communities. In the face of the challenge of accelerating global population aging， in-depth exploration of aging mechanisms and the development of effective intervention strategies hold significant scientific and clinical value. This study supported by the national key research and development program of China， employed the essence-Qi-spirit theory of Qiluo doctrine as its guiding framework， focusing on the key scientific issue of the core traditional Chinese pathogenesis of aging， namely "depletion of kidney essence， deficiency of primordial Qi， and impairment of body and spirit". The treatment principle of "tonifying the kidney to replenish essence， harmonizing Yin and Yang， warming and invigorating primordial Qi， and nourishing the body and spirit" was established. Centered on holistic aging， systemic aging， and aging-related diseases， the research integrated multidisciplinary research approaches to construct multi-modal aging models and a multi-dimensional evaluation system， and it utilized multi-omics technologies to deeply analyze aging mechanisms. By systematically reviewing historical kidney-tonifying and anti-aging formulas and combining big data with artificial intelligence technologies， an information database of anti-aging traditional Chinese medicine substance was developed to reveal the differences and synergistic effects of various treatment methods and formulas on anti-aging. Based on this treatment method， the research integrated two millennia of kidney-tonifying medicinal experience to develop the innovative anti-aging traditional Chinese medicine， namely Bazhi Bushen capsules. It was validated that this capsule can delay holistic and systemic aging through multiple targets and mechanisms， thereby elucidating the scientific connotation of the essence-Qi-spirit theory of Qiluo doctrine in guiding anti-aging research from multiple dimensions and providing robust support for leveraging the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine to occupy the commanding heights of international anti-aging research.

Chronic visceral pain is a persistent and debilitating condition arising from dysfunction or sensitization of the visceral organs and their associated nervous pathways. Increasing evidence suggests that imbalances in central nervous system function play an essential role in the progression of visceral pain, but the exact mechanisms underlying the neural circuitry and molecular targets remain largely unexplored. In the present study, the ventral tegmental area (VTA) was shown to mediate visceral pain in mice. Visceral pain stimulation increased c-Fos expression and Ca²⁺ activity of glutamatergic VTA neurons, and optogenetic modulation of glutamatergic VTA neurons altered visceral pain. In particular, the upregulation of NMDA receptor 2A (NR2A) subunits within the VTA resulted in visceral pain in mice. Administration of a selective NR2A inhibitor decreased the number of visceral pain-induced c-Fos positive neurons and attenuated visceral pain. Pharmacology combined with chemogenetics further demonstrated that glutamatergic VTA neurons regulated visceral pain behaviors based on NR2A. In summary, our findings demonstrated that the upregulation of NR2A in glutamatergic VTA neurons plays a critical role in visceral pain. These insights provide a foundation for further comprehension of the neural circuits and molecular targets involved in chronic visceral pain and may pave the way for targeted therapies in chronic visceral pain.
Animals ; Male ; Visceral Pain/metabolism* ; Up-Regulation/physiology* ; Ventral Tegmental Area/metabolism* ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Neurons/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos/metabolism* ; Chronic Pain/metabolism* ; Glutamic Acid/metabolism*

Objective:To explore the relationship between sperm DNA integrity, semen parameters, seminal plasma neutral α-glucosidase activity and in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) outcomes. Methods:The clinical data of 300 male infertile patients who underwent routine semen analysis in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from October 2023 to April 2024 and whose spouses received IVF/ICSI treatment were retrospectively analyzed. The results of sperm DNA integrity [sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI)], semen parameters (sperm percentage, sperm density, sperm motility, normal morphology sperm rate) and seminal plasma neutral α-glucosidase activity at admission were recorded. According to their spouses′ IVF/ICSI outcomes, the 300 patients were divided into the successful pregnancy group (those with successful intrauterine pregnancy detected by ultrasound 30 days after transplantation) and the unsuccessful pregnancy group (those without successful intrauterine pregnancy detected by ultrasound 30 days after transplantation). The differences in sperm DNA integrity, semen parameters and seminal plasma neutral α-glucosidase activity at admission between the two groups were compared. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive efficacy of sperm DNA integrity, semen parameters and seminal plasma neutral α-glucosidase activity in male infertile patients at admission for their spouses′ IVF/ICSI outcomes.Results:According to the IVF/ICSI outcomes of the spouses of male infertile patients, 169 cases (56.3%) had successful intrauterine pregnancy detected by ultrasound 30 days after transplantation; 131 cases (43.7%) had unsuccessful intrauterine pregnancy. At admission, there was no statistically significant difference in clinical data between the two groups (all P>0.05). The DFI and sperm density in the successful pregnancy group were lower than those in the unsuccessful pregnancy group, while the sperm percentage, sperm motility, normal morphology sperm rate and seminal plasma neutral α-glucosidase activity were higher than those in the unsuccessful pregnancy group (all P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) values of single indicators including DFI, sperm percentage, sperm density, sperm motility, normal morphology sperm rate, and seminal plasma neutral α-glucosidase level in predicting the IVF/ICSI outcomes of spouses of male infertile patients were 0.719, 0.718, 0.812, 0.779, 0.769, and 0.736, respectively; the sensitivities were 70.42%, 77.46%, 69.01%, 70.42%, 69.01%, and 77.46%, respectively; the specificities were 66.38%, 55.02%, 81.22%, 73.80%, 77.29%, and 62.88%, respectively; the Youden indexes were 0.368, 0.325, 0.502, 0.442, 0.463, and 0.404, respectively; all differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Sperm DNA integrity, semen parameters and seminal plasma neutral α-glucosidase activity can assist in predicting IVF/ICSI outcomes, providing an important reference for the treatment outcomes of male infertile patients.

Objective:To investigate the characteristic distribution of vaginal microbiota in infertile women.Methods:We collected the results of vaginal microbiological examinations from 19322 initial visit infertile women who visited the Reproductive Medicine Center of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,the Second Affili-ated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from March 1,2023 to July 31,2024.The vaginal microbiota infection status of patients was compared in different age groups(＜25 years old,25-＜30 years old,30-＜35 years old,35-＜40 years old,≥40 years old)and different seasons(spring,summer,autumn,winter).Results:①Among 19322 women,6027 cases(31.19％)showed abnormal vaginal microecology.Pathogenic microorganisms were detected in 3093 cases,including 2882 cases of single vaginitis,211 cases of mixed vaginitis,3764 cases with vagi-nal cleanliness grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ,and 3965 cases with abnormal lactobacilli.Among patients with single vaginitis,1349 cases(46.81％)were diagnosed with vulvovaginal candidiasis(VVC),which was the highest proportion.Aerobic vaginitis(AV)followed with 752 cases(26.09％),and bacterial vaginosis(BV)had 671 cases(23.28％),trichomonal vaginitis(TV)with 110 cases(3.82％).Among patients with mixed vaginitis,AV+BV was the most common with 96 cases(45.49％).②The detection rates of cleanliness grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ,abnormal lactobacilli,abnor-mal microorganisms(unclear pathogen),single vaginitis(BV,VVC and TV),and mixed vaginitis showed statisti-cally significant differences across different seasons(P＜0.05).Specifically,the detection rates of cleanliness grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ and abnormal microorganisms(unclear pathogens)were significantly higher in autumn than in other seasons(P＜0.05),while the detection rate of abnormal lactobacilli was higher in spring than in other seasons(P＜0.05).③The detection rates of abnormal lactobacilli,abnormal microorganisms(unclear pathogen),single vaginitis(BV,VVC and AV),and mixed vaginitis showed significant differences among different age groups(P＜0.05).Specifically,the detection rate of abnormal microorganisms(unclear pathogen)was higher in the age group＜25 years than in other age groups(P＜0.05),while the detection rate of BV among single vaginitis cases was higher in the age group≥40 years than in other age groups(P＜0.05).Conclusions:The vaginal microecol-ogy of infertile women varies in terms of infection rates across different age groups and seasons.Patients with simple vaginitis have the highest rate of VVC,while those with mixed vaginitis have the highest proportion of AV+BV infection.

ObjectiveExploring the formula rules of commonly used traditional Chinese medicines（TCMs） for epidemic treatment from the Qin and Han dynasties to the Qing dynasty through data mining， providing reference for the prevention and control of contemporary epidemics. MethodsThe articles on epidemic treatment in the electronic database of Chinese Medical Code V5.0 were systematically searched， and the contents such as source， dynasty， author， diagnosis， formula name， therapeutic method and efficacy， and composition of medicines from each article that met the inclusion criteria were extracted. Then， an Excel standardized database was established， and Python programs were used for data mining to summarize the frequency of commonly used medicines and perform hierarchical cluster analysis， Pearson correlation analysis， and association rule analysis. ResultsA total of 1 595 formulas were included， involving 558 TCMs. The efficacy of these medicines could be classified into two categories， namely， expeling pathogenic factors and reinforcing healthy Qi. According to the frequency deconstruction analysis， high-frequency medicines were mainly detoxification， Fu-organ dredging， aromatization and promoting blood circulation， followed by the medicines with the effect of treating the lungs， such as clearing the lungs and resolving phlegm， clearing heat and purging the lungs， relieving cough and asthma， and purging the lungs and relieving asthma. And the proportions of acrid-warm herbs and acrid-cold herbs varied in different periods. Hierarchical clustering and correlation analysis both suggested TCMs for expeling pathogenic factors and reinforcing healthy Qi often formed stable combinations with high association degrees. Association rule analysis showed that the core acrid-warm herb was mainly Ephedrae Herba， and the core acrid-cold herb was mainly Forsythiae Fructus， resulting in the core formulas of Maxing Shigantang and Yinqiaosan. ConclusionThroughout history， the prevention and control of epidemics have been based on the principle of "preserving healthy Qi and avoiding toxic Qi"， focusing on the treatment of the causes and characteristics of epidemics through detoxification， Fu-organ dredging， and aromatization， emphasizing the use of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and other herbs to dredge Fu-organ， eliminate toxins and pathogens， and playing the role of actively intervene with symptomatic medication. And based on the external manifestations of the body's struggle between evil and righteousness， diagnose and treatment according to syndrome differentiation was performed.

ObjectiveExploring the formula rules of commonly used traditional Chinese medicines（TCMs） for epidemic treatment from the Qin and Han dynasties to the Qing dynasty through data mining， providing reference for the prevention and control of contemporary epidemics. MethodsThe articles on epidemic treatment in the electronic database of Chinese Medical Code V5.0 were systematically searched， and the contents such as source， dynasty， author， diagnosis， formula name， therapeutic method and efficacy， and composition of medicines from each article that met the inclusion criteria were extracted. Then， an Excel standardized database was established， and Python programs were used for data mining to summarize the frequency of commonly used medicines and perform hierarchical cluster analysis， Pearson correlation analysis， and association rule analysis. ResultsA total of 1 595 formulas were included， involving 558 TCMs. The efficacy of these medicines could be classified into two categories， namely， expeling pathogenic factors and reinforcing healthy Qi. According to the frequency deconstruction analysis， high-frequency medicines were mainly detoxification， Fu-organ dredging， aromatization and promoting blood circulation， followed by the medicines with the effect of treating the lungs， such as clearing the lungs and resolving phlegm， clearing heat and purging the lungs， relieving cough and asthma， and purging the lungs and relieving asthma. And the proportions of acrid-warm herbs and acrid-cold herbs varied in different periods. Hierarchical clustering and correlation analysis both suggested TCMs for expeling pathogenic factors and reinforcing healthy Qi often formed stable combinations with high association degrees. Association rule analysis showed that the core acrid-warm herb was mainly Ephedrae Herba， and the core acrid-cold herb was mainly Forsythiae Fructus， resulting in the core formulas of Maxing Shigantang and Yinqiaosan. ConclusionThroughout history， the prevention and control of epidemics have been based on the principle of "preserving healthy Qi and avoiding toxic Qi"， focusing on the treatment of the causes and characteristics of epidemics through detoxification， Fu-organ dredging， and aromatization， emphasizing the use of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and other herbs to dredge Fu-organ， eliminate toxins and pathogens， and playing the role of actively intervene with symptomatic medication. And based on the external manifestations of the body's struggle between evil and righteousness， diagnose and treatment according to syndrome differentiation was performed.

Diabetic retinopathy（DR）， as one of the most common and serious microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus， seriously threatens human health， and belongs to "Xiaoke eye diseases" in traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）， which has been richly experienced by medical practitioners through the ages， but is mostly recorded in a piecemeal manner and has not been systematically researched. This disease is featured by long course and repeated attack， and is refractory， which belongs to the research category of "persistent illness entering collaterals". Systematic establishment of TCM collateral disease theory for guiding prevention and treatment of DR has important clinical value. On the basis of close correlation between tertiary collaterals at the terminal of collaterals and capillaries and microcirculation， the concept of "tertiary collaterals-microvascular" is proposed. It is pointed out that DR falls within the scope of "tertiary collaterals-microvascular" diseases， and presents four types of micro-pathological characteristics， including stasis， insufficiency， growth and bleeding of tertiary collaterals. It is concluded that "deficiency of both Qi and Yin" is the basic pathogenesis of DR， and "blood stasis and collateral obstruction" is the important pathogenesis and key factor. Thus， the treatment method of "dispersing blood stasis， dredging collateral， tonifying Qi and Yin， stopping hemorrhage and improving eyesight" is determined， and the formula of Tongluo Mingmu capsules is developed. The article tightly focuses on the pathological changes such as stasis， growth， insufficiency and bleeding of collaterals， addresses both symptoms and root causes， and plays a synergistic role of both dispersing stasis and stopping bleeding. In this way， it can realize the purpose of tonifying Qi and Yin to replenish the essence， dispersing stasis and dredging collaterals to meet the requirement， as well as stopping hemorrhage and improving eyesight to deal with changes. Fundamental researches demonstrate that Tongluo Mingmu capsules has synergy effects of protecting both retinal capillaries and retinal cells. Phase-Ⅲ clinical trial of new drug has proven definite clinical efficacy and good safety， which provides a new drug choice for enhancing clinical effect of DR， and further supports the scientific value of Luobing theory in preventing and treating DR and other clinically significant diseases.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)is a common disease with a high global incidence and mortality rate.It is charac-terized by chronic inflammation and structural airway obstruction that is not fully reversible,leading to shortness of breath caused by air trapping and increased physical exertion.Over the past few decades,the incidence of COPD has continued to rise.Although commonly used therapeutic agents,such as glucocorticoids and bronchodilators,have demonstrated significant symptomatic relief,they primarily target symptoms rather than halting disease progression.Therefore,further research is needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms of COPD and to develop novel therapeutic strategies for its prevention and management.Early studies on the pathogenesis of COPD primarily focused on airway epithelial cell injury,while relatively less attention was given to pulmonary vascular endothelial cells(PVECs).However,recent evidence indicates that COPD is not only an airway and systemic inflammatory disorder but also a vascular disease,with PVECs playing a critical role in its pathogenesis.PVECs are among the main cellular targets damaged in COPD and are involved in mediating its initiation and progression.In this review,we summarize emerging evidence that highlights the close association between PVEC injury and COPD pathogenesis.We also explore the roles and mechanisms of various therapeutic interventions targeting PVECs,including chemical agents and traditional Chinese medicine,in the treatment of COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease with a high global incidence and mortality rate. It is characterized by chronic inflammation and structural airway obstruction that is not fully reversible, leading to shortness of breath caused by air trapping and increased physical exertion. Over the past few decades, the incidence of COPD has continued to rise. Although commonly used therapeutic agents, such as glucocorticoids and bronchodilators, have demonstrated significant symptomatic relief, they primarily target symptoms rather than halting disease progression. Therefore, further research is needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms of COPD and to develop novel therapeutic strategies for its prevention and management. Early studies on the pathogenesis of COPD primarily focused on airway epithelial cell injury, while relatively less attention was given to pulmonary vascular endothelial cells (PVECs). However, recent evidence indicates that COPD is not only an airway and systemic inflammatory disorder but also a vascular disease, with PVECs playing a critical role in its pathogenesis. PVECs are among the main cellular targets damaged in COPD and are involved in mediating its initiation and progression. In this review, we summarize emerging evidence that highlights the close association between PVEC injury and COPD pathogenesis. We also explore the roles and mechanisms of various therapeutic interventions targeting PVECs, including chemical agents and traditional Chinese medicine, in the treatment of COPD.

Objective:To investigate the characteristic distribution of vaginal microbiota in infertile women.Methods:We collected the results of vaginal microbiological examinations from 19322 initial visit infertile women who visited the Reproductive Medicine Center of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,the Second Affili-ated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from March 1,2023 to July 31,2024.The vaginal microbiota infection status of patients was compared in different age groups(＜25 years old,25-＜30 years old,30-＜35 years old,35-＜40 years old,≥40 years old)and different seasons(spring,summer,autumn,winter).Results:①Among 19322 women,6027 cases(31.19％)showed abnormal vaginal microecology.Pathogenic microorganisms were detected in 3093 cases,including 2882 cases of single vaginitis,211 cases of mixed vaginitis,3764 cases with vagi-nal cleanliness grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ,and 3965 cases with abnormal lactobacilli.Among patients with single vaginitis,1349 cases(46.81％)were diagnosed with vulvovaginal candidiasis(VVC),which was the highest proportion.Aerobic vaginitis(AV)followed with 752 cases(26.09％),and bacterial vaginosis(BV)had 671 cases(23.28％),trichomonal vaginitis(TV)with 110 cases(3.82％).Among patients with mixed vaginitis,AV+BV was the most common with 96 cases(45.49％).②The detection rates of cleanliness grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ,abnormal lactobacilli,abnor-mal microorganisms(unclear pathogen),single vaginitis(BV,VVC and TV),and mixed vaginitis showed statisti-cally significant differences across different seasons(P＜0.05).Specifically,the detection rates of cleanliness grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ and abnormal microorganisms(unclear pathogens)were significantly higher in autumn than in other seasons(P＜0.05),while the detection rate of abnormal lactobacilli was higher in spring than in other seasons(P＜0.05).③The detection rates of abnormal lactobacilli,abnormal microorganisms(unclear pathogen),single vaginitis(BV,VVC and AV),and mixed vaginitis showed significant differences among different age groups(P＜0.05).Specifically,the detection rate of abnormal microorganisms(unclear pathogen)was higher in the age group＜25 years than in other age groups(P＜0.05),while the detection rate of BV among single vaginitis cases was higher in the age group≥40 years than in other age groups(P＜0.05).Conclusions:The vaginal microecol-ogy of infertile women varies in terms of infection rates across different age groups and seasons.Patients with simple vaginitis have the highest rate of VVC,while those with mixed vaginitis have the highest proportion of AV+BV infection.