OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Yangxue Qingnao Pills (YXQNP) combined with amlodipine in treating patients with grade 1 hypertension. METHODS: This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study. Adult patients with grade 1 hypertension of blood deficiency and Gan (Liver)-yang hyperactivity syndrome were randomly divided into the treatment or the control groups at a 1:1 ratio. The treatment group received YXQNP and amlodipine besylate, while the control group received YXQNP's placebo and amlodipine besylate. The treatment duration lasted for 180 days. Outcomes assessed included changes in blood pressure, Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome scores, symptoms and target organ functions before and after treatment in both groups. Additionally, adverse events, such as nausea, vomiting, rash, itching, and diarrhea, were recorded in both groups. RESULTS: A total of 662 subjects were enrolled, of whom 608 (91.8%) completed the trial (306 in the treatment and 302 in the control groups). After 180 days of treatment, the standard deviations and coefficients of variation of systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were lower in the treatment group compared with the control group. The improvement rates of dizziness, headache, insomnia, and waist soreness were significantly higher in the treatment group compared with the control group (P<0.05). After 30 days of treatment, the overall therapeutic effects on CM clinical syndromes were significantly increased in the treatment group as compared with the control group (P<0.05). After 180 days of treatment, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, ankle brachial index and albumin-to-creatinine ratio were improved in both groups, with no statistically significant differences (P>0.05). No serious treatment-related adverse events occurred during the study period. CONCLUSIONS Combination therapy of YXQNP with amlodipine significantly improved symptoms such as dizziness and headache, reduced blood pressure variability, and showed a trend toward lowering urinary microalbumin in hypertensive patients. These findings suggest that this regimen has good clinical efficacy and safety. (Registration No. ChiCTR1900022470).
Humans ; Amlodipine/adverse effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Hypertension/complications* ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Adult ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Double-Blind Method ; Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents/adverse effects*

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*

This review provides a comprehensive summary of the latest advancements in high-throughput protein structural bioinformatics, a field that has undergone a revolutionary transformation with the advent of deep learning-based protein structure prediction systems like AlphaFold2. These systems have significantly increased the accuracy, speed, and scale of protein structure prediction, resulting in an exponential growth in the number of protein structures available for analysis. Notably, the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database (AFDB) has amassed over 214 million protein structures, surpassing the PDB’s 50-year cumulative data by over 1 000-fold within several months. Big data is driving the comprehensive upgrade of protein structural bioinformatics. This review focuses on three main areas: structure data management, tool development, and structure data mining. In the realm of structure data management, the review spotlights the optimization strategy of AlphaFold-like systems, which significantly reduces the resource requirements for protein folding, enabling more researchers to make custom structure predictions and further enlarging the data scale. The resulting “data explosion” has exerted increased pressure on storage and bandwidth, prompting the development of cutting-edge tools such as Foldcomp, PDC, and ProteStAr for compressing PDB files. Moreover, the review underscores the critical role of public repositories like ModelArchive and PDB-Dev in archiving and sharing third-party AlphaFold models. It also highlights the utilization of independent services like MineProt and 3D-Beacons to create more interactive and accessible data portals. In terms of tool development, the review spotlights recent breakthroughs in structure alignment algorithms, represented by Foldseek, which enable ultra-fast searching of large protein structure databases. It also covers tools for functional annotation of proteins based on their structures, including AlphaFill for ligand annotation, DeepFRI for Gene Ontology (GO) annotation, TT3D for protein-protein interaction (PPI) prediction, among others. It is proposed that 3Di sequences born concurrently with Foldseek can enhance many sequence-based deep learning models developed in the pre-AlphaFold era, enabling them to be applied to structure-based function prediction. The challenges on traditional molecular docking methods in the high-throughput era are mentioned at last, in a gesture to arouse the attention of researchers. Finally, the review explores the burgeoning field of structure data mining. Whole proteome structuring has become feasible in recent years, and scientists are processing large structure datasets from an omics viewpoint, continuously identifying analyzable elements and optimizing methodologies, as well as utilizing newly developed tools to push the boundaries. Notable examples include the identification of new protein families, the development of protein structure clustering, and the integration of AlphaFold with conventional experimental techniques to solve large structures. These advancements are paving the way for a deeper understanding of protein structure and function and have the potential to unlock new discoveries in the life sciences. However, the review also acknowledges the challenges and limitations that persist in the field, including the lack of diversity in high-throughput software for protein structural bioinformatics and the existing bottleneck in rapidly predicting protein complex structures. Overall, structural bioinformatics is expected to play an even more crucial role in the life sciences with the development of high-throughput methodology.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy between the combined therapy of fire needling and cupping, and western medication on herpes zoster of acute stage, as well as the effects on Th17 and Treg cells and inflammatory factors, i.e. IL-10 and IL-17 in the peripheral blood. METHODS: Eighty patients with herpes zoster of acute stage were randomly divided into a combined therapy (fire needling plus cupping) group and a western medication group, 40 cases in each one. In the combined therapy group, the pricking and scattering techniques with fire needle were used at ashi points and Jiaji (EX-B 2) corresponding to the affected spinal segments; afterwards, cupping therapy was delivered. The combined treatment was given once daily. In the western medication group, valaciclovir hydrochloride tablet and vitamin B₁ tablet were administered orally. The duration of treatment in each group was 10 days. Before each treatment from day 1 to day 10 and on day 11 , the score of symptoms and physical signs was observed in the two groups separately. Before each treatment from day 1 to day 10 and on day 11, 30, 60, the score of visual analogue scale (VAS) and skin lesion indexes were observed in the two groups. On day 60, the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia was recorded in the two groups. The levels of Th17 and Treg cells, Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 were detected before and after treatment in the two groups. The clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: From day 6 to day 10 during treatment and on day 11, the scores of symptoms and physical signs in the combined therapy group were lower than those of the western medication group (P<0.05, P<0.01). On day 3, day 6 to day 10 during treatment and day 11, day 30, VAS scores in the combined therapy group were lower than those of the western medication group (P<0.05, P<0.01). On day 60, the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia in the combined therapy group was lower compared with that in the western medication group (P<0.05). The blister arresting time and scabbing time in the combined therapy group were shorter than those of the western medication group (P<0.05). After treatment, the level of Th17, and Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as the serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 were all lower in comparison with those in the western medication group (P<0.05). The curative and remarkably effective rate was 82.5% (33/40) in the combined therapy group, higher than 62.5% (25/40) in the western medication group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The early application of fire needling combined with cupping therapy can effectively treat herpes zoster of acute stage, relieve pain, and reduce the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia, which may be related to reducing the levels of Th17 and Treg cells, and Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as the serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 so that the cellular immune balance is modulated.
Humans ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-17 ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Cupping Therapy ; Th17 Cells ; Herpes Zoster/therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; Tablets

China/epidemiology* ; Forecasting ; Humans ; Incidence ; Scarlet Fever/epidemiology*

Objective:To characterize and compare the chemical information of four extracts of Qingre Chushi (QRCS) decoction by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and combine the chemical information of the four extracts with their results of anti-inflammatory effect for a multivariate statistical analysis, in order to identify the compounds directly relating to the anti-inflammatory effects of QRCS decoction. Method:Four extracts of QRCS decoction were characterized by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS:①ethanol extract+water extract,② ethanol extract+supernatant after water extraction and alcohol precipitation, ③ ethanol extract+precipitation after water extraction and alcohol precipitation,and ④ standard decoction. On the basis of the results of inhibition of the four above extracts on xylene-induced ear swelling in mice,multivariate statistical analysis[principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA)] were carried out to lock the chromatographic peaks with significant differences between group ① (the best pharmacological action group) and group ④ (standard decoction group). According to the accuracy of quasi-molecular ion and fragment ion data,and the reference materials and literature data,those chromatographic peaks were identified. Result:PCA could cluster the four extracts of QRCS decoction,and the differences between groups was reflected in the distance between groups. Group ④ (standard decoction) had the most significant differences with the other three groups, especially in the first principal component; group ① (ethanol extract+water extract),group ② (ethanol extract+supernatant after water extraction and ethanol precipitation) and group ③ (ethanol extract+precipitation after water extraction and ethanol precipitation) had certain differences in the second principal component. OPLS-DA was used to compare group ① (the best pharmacological action group) and group ④ (standard decoction group). Eleven chromatographic peaks with great contribution and high reliability to group differences,were identified as gentiopicrin,skimmin,baicalin,baicalin isomer,wogonoside,5,6,7-trihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone-7-O-glucurodonaldehyde,5,6-dihydroxy-6,8,2',3'-tetramethoxyflavone,salicin-6-C-arabinose-8-C-glucoside,plantamajoside and glycyrrhizic acid. Conclusion:In the mode of pectrum-effect combination, this study explores and identifies compounds relating to the anti-inflammatory effect of QRCS decoction,so as to provide the basis for screening the extraction and purification process and optimizing the formulation of preparation of Qingre Chushi decoction.

Objective To investigate the effect of fluacrypyrim on the induction of apoptosis in human acute myeloid leuke-mia(AML)cell lines,NB4,THP-1 and HL-60,and explore the related mechanisms.Methods Trypan blue dye exclusion assay was used to estimate the growth of NB4,THP-1,and HL-60 cells after treatment with various concentrations of fluacrypyrim(1.25, 2.5,5 and 7.5 μmol/L)for 72 h.Cell apoptosis was evaluated by AnnexinⅤ-FITC/PI double stainning for the NB4 and THP-1 cells treated with fluacrypyrim(1.25,2.5 and 5 μmol/L)for 48 h as well as the HL-60 cells treated with fluacrypyrim(2.5,5 and 7.5 μmol/L) for 72 h.Western blotting was used to examine the protein expression of apoptotic regulators Bax,Mcl-1 and Caspase 3 in the NB4 cells treated with fluacrypyrim(1.25,2.5 and 5 μmol/L)for 24 h.Then,NB4 Cells were pretreated with Caspases inhibitor benzyloxy-carbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone(Z-VAD-FMK)and exposed to fluacrypyrim at 2.5 μmol/L for 24 h,which was then evaluat-ed for the apoptosis using AnnexinⅤ-FITC/PI double stainning.Western blotting was used to examine the expression of the phosphory-lated and total proteins of mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling molecules,ERK,JNK and P38,in the NB4 cells treat-ed with fluacrypyrim(1.25,2.5 and 5 μmol/L)for 24 h. NB4 Cells were pretreated with ERK inhibitor U0126,JNK inhibitor SP600125,or P38 inhibitor SB203580 for 1 h and then exposed to fluacrypyrim at 2.5 μmol/L for 24 h,which was then analyzed for the apoptosis by the AnnexinⅤ-FITC/PI double stainning.Results The proliferation of NB4,THP-1 and HL-60 cells was inhibited by the treatment with fluacrypyrim(2.5,5 and 7.5 μmol/L)for 72 h.The apoptosis induced in the NB4 and THP-1 cells by the fluacry-pyrim treatment at 5 μmol/L for 48 h and in the HL-60 cells by the fluacrypyrim treatment at 7.5 μmol/L for 72 h were significant as compared with the control group(P<0.01).Mechanically,fluacrypyrim at the concentrations of 2.5 and 5 μmol/L effectively up-regu-lated the expression of Bax(P<0.01 and P<0.05)for the 2.5 and 5 μmol/L,respectively,down-regulated the expression of Mcl-1 (P<0.01)and activated Caspase 3(P<0.01)in the NB4 cells when compared with the control group(P<0.01).The pretreatment of the NB4 cells with Z-VAD-FMK blocked the apoptosis induced by fluacrypyrim.Furthermore,the fluacrypyrim(2.5 and 5 μmol/L) treatment increased the ERK,JNK and P38 phosphorylation(P<0.01),while the pretreatment of the NB4 cells with U0126 signifi-cantly inhibited the the fluacrypyrim-induced apoptosis(P<0.01),as compared with the control group.Conclusion Fluacrypyrim effectively inhibits the cell proliferation and induces caspase-dependent cell apoptosis in AML cells.Activation of ERK/MAPK signal-ing pathway might play an important role in the action of fluacrypyrim.

To know the status of Enterobius vermicularis infection in children in Jiangxi Province in 2014, so as to provide the evidence for the formulation of prevention and control measures.A survey was performed according to the scheme of the 3rd Principal Human Parasites of Jiangxi Province in 2014. Based on the ecological regions, a stratified cluster sampling method was applied by the economic and geographic situation. There were 84 survey sites from 28 counties, and the basic data were also collected in the different investigation sites, and the round-end tube adhesive cellophane anal swab was used to examine E. vermicularis eggs for the children aged 3–6 years.A total of 1 486 children aged 3-6 years were detected, the E. vermicularis infection rate was 13.73% (204/1 486), and the infection rates were 13.89% (114/821) and 13.53% (90/665) in the male and female, respectively. The infection rate in the different age groups showed a gradual rise then fall trend, the lowest infection rate was 10.05% (38/378) in the 3-year age group, and the highest infection rate was 18.24% (81/444) in the 5-year age group. The infection rates in the high, medium and low-income survey sites were 13.79% (87/631), 17.23% (51/296), and 11.81% (66/559), respectively. The E. vermicularis infection rates in the 4 ecological regions were from 12.34% to 17.74%, but there was no significant difference among the different ecological regions (P > 0.05).The status of E. vermicularis infection in children in Jiangxi Province is relatively serious, and therefore, the parasitic disease control sectors should continue to strengthen the monitoring and control work of E. vermicularis infection in children.

In this study,a new type of impedimetric immunosensor was constructed based on graphene paper for detection of Schistosoma japonicum circulating antigen.The prepared graphene paper was modified with nanobody and gold nanoparticls and the surface morphology and crystal structure of the graphene paper was characterized by scanning electron microscope,atomic force microscope,raman spectroscopy.At the same time,specificity and sensibility of this immuosensor were analyzed.It is demonstrated that the developed impedimetric immunosensor possesses excellent specificity and sensibility,the detection level of S.japonicum soluble egg antigen(SEA) reaches 0.01 ng/mL;The detection rate of suspected schistosomiasis patients was 66.7%,which was better than that (56.7%) of ELISA,and the coincidence rate with ELISA was 90%.The immunosensor has high sensitivity and specificity for detecting S.japonicum circulating antigen.The method is simple,fast and has good potential for application.

A colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay for detection of Schistosoma japonicum based on nanobody was established. Two nanobodies, VHH-48 and VHH-52 against soluble egg antigens (SEA) of Schistosoma japonicum have been expressed in Bacillus subtilis and purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. In order to confirm the optimal labeling pH and optimum concentration of nanobody proteins,the colloidal gold solution was prepared by trisodium citrate reduction, VHH-48 and VHH-52 labelled with colloidal gold were used as probes,and the SEA and goat anti-mouse IgG were coated onto the nitrocellulose membrane to form the test line and control line respectively. The colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay with double nanobody sandwich was established. Test strips were assembled with the optimized double-sandwich nanobody combination,sensitivity was evaluated with a serial dilution of SEA antigen and serum from patients of schistosomiasis positive. The specificity of the test strips was determined with sera from other parasites such as Paragonimus. Results showed every 1 mL colloidal gold labeled with VHH-48 and VHH-52 mixed with 16 and 12 μL 0.2 mol/L K2CO3respectively to reach the optimum pH. The colloidal gold solution was adjusted to the optimum pH to determine the optimal protein concentrantion. The optimal protein concentration of VHH48 and VHH-52 were 14 and 10 μg/mL. The best reaction model was using the VHH-52 to label with colloidal gold and coat onto the nitrocellulose membrane to form the test line. The detective sensitivity of SEA was 3.4 ng/mL and the serum positive rate of Schistosomiasis patients was 2.27%. Detection of other parasite-infected sera showed good specificity. The colloidal gold dipstick based on nanobody against SEA laid a certain foundation for the application of nanobody in the rapid diagnosis of Schistosomiasis.