Jiuwei Xifeng Granules have become a Chinese patent medicine in the market. Because the formula contains Os Draconis, a top-level protected fossil of ancient organisms, the formula was to be improved by replacing Os Draconis with Ostreae Concha. To evaluate whether the improved formula has the same effectiveness and safety as the original formula, a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, equivalence clinical trial was conducted. This study enrolled 288 tic disorder(TD) of children and assigned them into two groups in 1∶1. The treatment group and control group took the modified formula and original formula, respectively. The treatment lasted for 6 weeks, and follow-up visits were conducted at weeks 2, 4, and 6. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference in Yale global tic severity scale(YGTSS)-total tic severity(TTS) score from baseline after 6 weeks of treatment. The results showed that after 6 weeks of treatment, the declines in YGTSS-TSS score showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The difference in YGTSS-TSS score(treatment group-control group) and the 95%CI of the full analysis set(FAS) were-0.17[-1.42, 1.08] and those of per-protocol set(PPS) were 0.29[-0.97, 1.56], which were within the equivalence boundary [-3, 3]. The equivalence test was therefore concluded. The two groups showed no significant differences in the secondary efficacy endpoints of effective rate for TD, total score and factor scores of YGTSS, clinical global impressions-severity(CGI-S) score, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) response rate, or symptom disappearance rate, and thus a complete evidence chain with the primary outcome was formed. A total of 6 adverse reactions were reported, including 4(2.82%) cases in the treatment group and 2(1.41%) cases in the control group, which showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No serious suspected unexpected adverse reactions were reported, and no laboratory test results indicated serious clinically significant abnormalities. The results support the replacement of Os Draconis by Ostreae Concha in the original formula, and the efficacy and safety of the modified formula are consistent with those of the original formula.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Tic Disorders/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To explore the pathogenic mechanisms of Legionella pneumophila(L.pneumophila)infection inhibiting the fusion of endosome-lysosome fusion in mouse macrophages.Methods Twelve C57 mice were randomly divided into control group and L.pneumophila infection group(n=6 each).After anesthesia,an equal volume of physiological saline or L.pneumophila solution was administered nasally.Body weight changes were monitored for 3 consecutive days,and the lungs were extracted to assess injury.Hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining and immunohistochemical staining were performed to observe the pathological characteristics of lung tissue in both groups.Transcriptome sequencing was utilized to analyze differentially expressed genes(DEGs)and associated signaling pathways in lung tissues.Mouse bone marrow macrophages(BMDMs)were isolated and co-cultured with L.pneumophila,with infection status confirmed by immunofluorescence staining.Transcriptome sequencing was employed to analyze DEGs and enriched related signaling pathways before and after infection.Core genes involved in the post-infection signaling pathway were identified,and the consistency of their mRNA expression levels in vivo and in vitro was verified using RT-qPCR.The expression of relevant proteins was detected by Western Blotting,and bacterial proliferation assays were conducted to evaluate the intracellular replication of L.pneumophila.Results Compared with control group,the body weight of mice in L.pneumophila infection group significantly decreased(P<0.001)on the second and third day post-infection.Edema and red hepatoid degeneration were observed in both left and right lung tissues,with lesion areas spreading from the hilum to the lung periphery.HE staining revealed increased inflammatory cell infiltration in the alveolar spaces,thickening of alveolar septa and increased fibrin exudation in L.pneumophila infection group.Immunohistochemistry results showed a significant increase in myeloperoxidase(MPO)activity in the lung tissue infected mice(P<0.001).Transcriptome sequencing identified 2550 DEGs,with 1444 up-regulated genes and 1106 down-regulated genes.KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that these DEGs were mainly involved in pathways related to tumor necrosis factor,rheumatoid arthritis,Rap1,PI3K-Ak,and phagosome pathways.Immunofluorescence results showed in vitro proliferation of L.pneumophila within mouse BMDMs.Transcriptome sequencing identified 2550 DEGs,including 1677 up-regulated genes and 873 down-regulated genes.KEGG enrichment analysis showed that enrichment in pathway related to transcription dysregulation in cancer,PI3K-Akt and phagosome pathways.Thirteen core genes,including tubulin β1(Tubb1),were identified from the overlap between mouse lung tissue and BMDMs.RT-qPCR results demonstrated a significant decrease in Tubb1 expression in both lung tissue and BMDMs infected with L.pneumophila(P<0.001).Western Blotting results revealed significant decreases in Rab7,Tubb1,and LAMP2 protein expression(P<0.05),and increases in iNOS and MPO expression(P<0.05).Intracellular proliferation experiments indicated that L.pneumophila gradually increased within BMDMs over time.Conclusion The potential mechanism of L.pneumophila infection in mouse macrophages involves the down-regulation of Rab7/Tubb1/LAMP2 which inhibits the endosome-lysosome fusion.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of acupoint thread-embedding therapy of regulating governor vessel, dispersing lung, and suppressing reflux for gastroesophageal reflux cough (GERC). METHODS: A total of 120 GERC patients were randomly assigned to an observation group (60 cases, 1 case dropped out) and a control group (60 cases, 1 case was eliminated). The observation group received acupoint thread-embedding treatment at positive response points of governor vessel. If no such points were detected, the following acupoints were used: Dazhui (GV14), Fenghu (Extra), Shendao (GV11), Lingtai (GV10), and Zhiyang (GV9). Treatment was administered once every two weeks. The control group received oral rabeprazole enteric capsules at 20 mg twice daily. All the treatment was given for 6 weeks. Clinical outcomes were assessed using cough symptom score, reflux disease questionnaire (RDQ) score, and Leicester cough questionnaire (LCQ) score before and after treatment in the two groups. Clinical efficacy was also compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, both groups showed decreased cough symptom scores and the each item scores and total scores of RDQ (P<0.001), and increased LCQ scores (P<0.001) compare with those before treatment. The observation group exhibited lower cough symptom score and chest pain, reflux and total score of RDQ, and higher LCQ score compared to those in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the observation group was 94.9% (56/59), which was higher than 84.7% (50/59) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Acupoint thread-embedding therapy of regulating governor vessel, dispersing lung, and suppressing reflux could effectively alleviate cough and reflux symptoms in patients with GERC and improve their quality of life.
Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Gastroesophageal Reflux/physiopathology* ; Male ; Female ; Cough/physiopathology* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Lung/physiopathology* ; Meridians

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective To analyze the academic literature on sepsis-related microRNA(miRNA)at worldwide,and to dentify thematic hotspots and future research trends.Methods A bibliometric analysis was employed to retrieve the literature on sepsis-related miRNA published in the core collection of China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),and Web of Science(WOS)databases from January 1,2010,to January 1,2025,which met the article inclusion criteria,and used CiteSpace 6.3.1 software to perform the co-occurrence analysis of keywords,keyword emergence analysis,and cluster analysison;on the basis of these analyses,the keywords were sorted according to time to generate clustering time line figure to explore the current status and hotspot evolution process of sepsis-related miRNA.Results A total of 135 and 1 278 articles were retrieved from CNKI and the core collection of WOS databases,respectively.The frequency and centrality of keywords such as sepsis,prognosis,microRNA,acute lung injury,acute kidney injury,etc.were high in 135 documents in CNKI;in 1 278 documents in WOS core collection,the frequency and centrality of keywords such as expression,sepsis,inflammation,cells,micrornas,etc.were high;The top 10 keywords in the CNKI database in terms of burst intensity were:microRNA,inflammatory response,inflammatory factor,interleukin-10,tumor necrosis factor-α,acute respiratory distress syndrome,interleukin-35,septic shock,rat,tiny microRNA-155(miR-155);the top 10 keywords in the core collection of the WOS database in terms of burst intensity were:expression,NF-κB,microRNA,cells,induction,pathway,mechanisms,septic shock,mortality,cancer.Representative clustering tags in the CNKI are#0 prognosis,#1 miRNA,#2 septic shock;The representative clustering labels in the core collection of WOS database are#0 acute lung injury,#1 cancer,#2 septic shock,and so on.In CNKI and WOS core databases,the early keywords mainly revolve around the study of inflammatory factors and related mechanisms of sepsis,and the research center gradually shifts to the clinical physiological injuries as well as complications and mortality in the later stage,miRNA-126,AMP-activated protein kinase,interleukin-35 and other keywords have emerged.Among the top 10 most-cited English literature,researchers have paid particular attention to studying various miRNA as potential biomarkers of sepsis,including miR-146a,miR-223 and miR-146.Conclusions There are similarities and differences in the direction and hotspots of sepsis-related miRNA research in China and abroad.The research paradigm of sepsis has gradually shifted from the early clinical observation focusing on the overall complications and prognosis of patients to the basic research centered on the molecular mechanisms of inflammatory factors and signaling pathways.In this context,the study of miRNA as novel biomarkers for sepsis has been increasingly emphasized,and miRNA represent a promising direction for sepsis research,with potential applications both in basic research and clinical treatment.

OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism by which Gongfa Static Training regulates mitophagy through the PTEN-in-duced kinase 1(PINK1)/Parkin pathway in skeletal muscle insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).METHODS T2DM mouse model was established using a high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin(STZ)intraperitoneal injection.Mice were ran-domly divided into a model group,a metformin group,an aerobic exercise group,and a Gongfa Static Training group.The intervention effects of Gongfa Static Training were evaluated by measuring fasting blood glucose,Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resist-ance(HOMA-IR),glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c),lipid metabolism indicators,mitochondrial function in the gastrocnemius muscle,and the expression of PINK1 and Parkin-related genes and proteins.RESULTS Gongfa Static Training significantly reduced fasting blood glucose,HbA1c,and insulin resistance index in T2DM mice,improved lipid metabolism,and enhanced insulin sensitivity.It improved the structure and function of mitochondria in the gastrocnemius muscle by upregulating the mRNA and protein expression of PINK1 and Parkin.CONCLUSION Gongfa Static Training improves mitochondrial function and insulin resistance in the skeletal muscle of T2DM mice by regulating the PINK1/Parkin pathway.

Objective:To investigate the effects of curcumin,berberine,and puerarin combination therapy on lipid levels in hyperlipidemic mice.Methods:A total of 40 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into eight groups:normal control group(A),high-fat control group(B),curcumin group(C),berberine group(D),puerarin group(E),low-dose combination group of curcumin,berberine,and puerarin(F),high-dose combination group of curcumin,berberine,and puerarin(G),and positive control group(H),with 5 mice in each group.The normal control group was fed a standard diet,while the other groups were given a high-fat diet.After establishing the hyperlipidemic model,the mice were administered with physiological saline,curcumin(200 mg/kg),berberine(200 mg/kg),puerarin(300 mg/kg),low-dose combination of curcumin(50 mg/kg),berberine(50 mg/kg),and puerarin(100 mg/kg),high-dose combination of curcumin(200 mg/kg),berberine(200 mg/kg),and puerarin(300 mg/kg),or simvastatin(6 mg/kg)via gavage for three weeks.After treatment,serum was collected from the mice for biochemical analysis of lipid levels and liver function.Liver tissues were subjected to HE staining,Western blot analysis and real-time quantitative PCR.Results:Curcumin,berberine,and puerarin,whether administered individually or in combination,can reduce the body weight of hyperlipidemic mice(P＜0.01).Treatment with curcumin,berberine,and puerarin individually significantly reduced lipid levels in hyperlipidemic mice(P＜0.05)and alleviated liver damage caused by hyperlipidemia(P＜0.05).Furthermore,the high-dose combination of curcumin,berberine,and puerarin exhibited a more pronounced effect on improving lipid levels(P＜0.01)and provided greater protective effects on the liver compared to the positive control group(P＜0.05).Additionally,curcumin,berberine,and puerarin administered individually can each promote the expression of the LDLR gene in high-fat diet mice(increased by 90％,85％,and 98％,respectively)and reduce the expression of the ACC gene(decreased by 42％,45％,and 43％,respectively).The combination of all three compounds enhances the expression of the LDLR gene in high-fat diet mice(increased by 90％with low-dose combination and 169％with high-dose combination)and reduces the expression of the ACC gene(decreased by 38％with low-dose combination and 42％with high-dose combination).Conclusion:The combination of curcumin,berberine,and puerarin significantly improves lipid levels in hyperlipidemic mice and mitigates liver damage associated with hyperlipidemia.

Aim To identify the chemical components of Angelica sinensis(AS)and explore the mechanism of AS in activating blood circulation.Methods UP-LC-Q-TOF-MS was used to identify the chemical com-ponents of AS.The changes of syndrome and patholog-ical section of heart in rats were observed.Hemody-namics and proteomics were measured.Results A to-tal of 270 compounds were identified from AS.It showed that rats of Angelica sinensis group were greatly improved such as arched back,shrugged fur,huddled up and less mobile,purplish paws and tails,whitish ear margins and nasolabial lips,reduced drinking and feed-ing,and slow response to external stimuli;mildly disor-dered myocardial fibre arrangement,myofibre arrange-ment was tighter than that of model group,myocardial fibres were narrower and close to normal,and mild oe-dema,exudation,and inflammatory cell infiltration could be seen in the surrounding area;SAP was signif-icantly lower and LVSP was significantly higher in An-gelica sinensis group(P＜0.05).Proteomics showed that 62 differential proteins were screened in Angelica sinensis group compared to model,GO function were concentrated in the extracellular matrix,cytoskeletal proteins binding and protein hydrolysis negatively regu-lated.KEGG pathway were enriched in signalling path-ways such as complement and coagulation cascades,cellular focal adhesion,leukocyte transendothelial mi-gration and chemokine signalling pathways.Conclu-sions AS probably through the expression of proteins,which modulate the signalling pathways of the comple-ment and coagulation cascade reactions and the con-traction of vascular smooth muscle.

The differences in chemical quality characteristics between Xinjiang Rehmannia glutinosa and R. glutinosa were analyzed to provide a theoretical basis for the introduction and quality control of R. glutinosa. In this study, the high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) fingerprints of 6 batches of Xinjiang R. glutinosa and 10 batches of R. glutinosa samples were established. The content of iridoid glycosides, phenylethanoid glycosides, monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides in Xinjiang R. glutinosa and R. glutinosa was determined by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection(HPLC-DAD), high performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detection(HPLC-ELSD), and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy(UV-Vis). The determination results were analyzed with by chemical pattern recognition and entropy weight TOPSIS method. The results showed that there were 19 common peaks in the HPLC fingerprints of the 16 batches of R. glutinosa, and catalpol, aucubin, rehmannioside D, rehmannioside A, hydroxytyrosol, leonuride, salidroside, cistanoside A, and verbascoside were identified. Hierarchical cluster analysis(HCA) and principal component analysis(PCA) showed that Qinyang R. glutinosa, Mengzhou R. glutinosa, and Xinjiang R. glutinosa were grouped into three different categories, and eight common components causing the chemical quality difference between Xinjiang R. glutinosa and R. glutinosa in Mengzhou and Qinyang of Henan province were screened out by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA). The results of content determination showed that there were glucose, sucrose, raffinose, stachyose, polysaccharides, and nine glycosides in Xinjiang R. glutinosa and R. glutinosa samples, and the content of catalpol, rehmannioside A, leonuride, cistanoside A, verbascoside, sucrose, and glucose was significantly different between Xinjiang R. glutinosa and R. glutinosa. The analysis with entropy weight TOPSIS method showed that the comprehensive quality of R. glutinosa in Mengzhou and Qinyang of Henan province was better than that of Xinjiang R. glutinosa. In conclusion, the types of main chemical components of R. glutinosa and Xinjiang R. glutinosa were the same, but their content was different. The chemical quality of R. glutinosa was better than Xinjiang R. glutinosa, and other components in R. glutinosa from two producing areas and their effects need further study.
Rehmannia/classification* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Quality Control

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a common spinal deformity in adolescents, with potential causes etiologies associated with mesenchymal stem cells, genetic factors, histological features, and biomechanical aspects. Biomechanically, the pelvis, serving as the central and majort load-bearing structure, exhibits morphological and alignment abnormalities highly correlated with the development of AIS. Recent studies have extensively explored three-dimensional pelvic parameters and kinematics, demonstrating that abnormal pelvic characteristics may contribute to AIS onset and progression and are increasingly incorporated into clinical interventions. This review summarizes sagittal and coronal features of the spine-pelvis, as well as the influence of three-dimensional kinematic features on the pathogenesis of AIS, providing insights for advancing the study of spine-pelvis features related to AIS.
Humans ; Scoliosis/pathology* ; Adolescent ; Spine/pathology* ; Pelvis/pathology* ; Biomechanical Phenomena