ObjectiveThis study aims to develop a prediction model for the compatibility of Chinese medicinal pairs based on Graph Convolutional Networks （GCN）， named HC-GCN. The model integrates the properties of herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms to predict pairs with specific therapeutic effects. It serves as a demonstration by applying the model to predict and validate the efficacy of blood-activating herb pairs. MethodsThe training dataset for herb pair prediction was constructed by systematically collecting commonly used herb pairs along with their characteristic data， including Qi， flavor， meridian tropism， and target genes. Integrating traditional characteristics of herb with modern bioinformatics， we developed an efficacy-oriented herb pair compatibility prediction model （HC-GCN） using graph convolutional networks （GCN）. This model leverages machine learning to capture the complex relationships in herb pair compatibility， weighted by efficacy features. The performance of the HC-GCN model was evaluated using accuracy （ACC）， recall， precision， F1 score （F1）， and area under the ROC curve （AUC）. Its predictive effectiveness was then compared to five other machine learning models： eXtreme Gradient Boosting （XGBoost）， logistic regression （LR）， Naive Bayes， K-nearest neighbor （KNN）， and support vector machine （SVM）. ResultsUsing herb pairs with blood-activating effects as a demonstration， a prediction model was constructed based on a foundational dataset of 46 blood-activating herb pairs， incorporating their Qi， flavor， meridian tropism， and target gene characteristics. The HC-GCN model outperforms other commonly used machine learning models in key performance metrics， including ACC， recall， precision， F1 score， and AUC. Through the predictive analysis of the HC-GCN model， 60 herb pairs with blood-activating effects were successfully identified. Among of these potential herb pairs， 44 include at least one herb with blood-activating effects. ConclusionIn this study， we established an efficacy-oriented compatibility prediction model for herb pairs based on GCN by integrating the unique characteristics of traditional herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms. This model demonstrated high predictive performance， offering a novel approach for the intelligent screening and optimization of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions， as well as their clinical applications.

ObjectiveBased on ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）， network pharmacology， molecular docking and cell experiments， the active ingredients， possible targets and molecular mechanisms of Baoxin granules（BXG） regulating ferroptosis in the treatment of heart failure（HF） were explored. MethodsBXG intestinal absorption fluid was prepared by everted gut sac and the chemical composition contained therein were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. According to the obtained components， the potential targets of BXG were predicted， and the HF-related targets and related genes of ferroptosis were retrieved at the same time， and the intersecting targets were obtained by Venn diagram. In addition， the protein-protein interaction（PPI） network and the component-target network were constructed， and the core components and core targets were obtained by topological analysis. Then Gene Ontology（GO） function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） enrichment analysis were performed on the core targets， and molecular docking validation of the key targets and main components was carried out by AutoDockTools 1.5.7. H9c2 cells were used to establish a oxygen-glucose deprivation model， and the protective effect of BXG on cells was investigated by detecting cell viability， cell survival rate and reactive oxygen species（ROS） level. The protein expression levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3（STAT3）， phosphorylation（p）-STAT3 and glutathione peroxidase 4（GPX4） were detected by Western blot to clarify the regulatory effect of BXG on ferroptosis. ResultsA total of 61 chemical components in BXG intestinal absorption fluid were identified， and network pharmacology obtained 27 potential targets of BXG for the treatment of HF， as well as 139 signaling pathways. BXG may act on core targets such as STAT3， tumor protein p53（TP53）， epidermal growth factor receptor（EGFR）， JUN and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2（PTGS2） through core components such as glabrolide and limonin， which in turn intervene in lipid and atherosclerosis， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B（PI3K/Akt）， endocrine resistance and other signaling pathways to exert therapeutic effects on HF. Molecular docking showed that the docking results of multiple groups of targets and compounds were good. In vitro cell experiments showed that compared with the blank group， the cell viability and survival rate of the model group were significantly decreased， the level of ROS was significantly increased（P<0.01）， the expression levels of STAT3， p-STAT3， p-STAT3/STAT3 and GPX4 proteins were significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the cell viability and survival rate of the BXG group were significantly increased， the ROS level was significantly decreased（P<0.01）， the STAT3， p-STAT3， p-STAT3/STAT3 and GPX4 protein levels were significantly increased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionBXG may inhibit the occurrence of ferroptosis by up-regulating the expression of STAT3 and GPX4， thus exerting a therapeutic effect on HF， and flavonoids may be the key components of this role.

ObjectiveBased on ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）， network pharmacology， molecular docking and cell experiments， the active ingredients， possible targets and molecular mechanisms of Baoxin granules（BXG） regulating ferroptosis in the treatment of heart failure（HF） were explored. MethodsBXG intestinal absorption fluid was prepared by everted gut sac and the chemical composition contained therein were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. According to the obtained components， the potential targets of BXG were predicted， and the HF-related targets and related genes of ferroptosis were retrieved at the same time， and the intersecting targets were obtained by Venn diagram. In addition， the protein-protein interaction（PPI） network and the component-target network were constructed， and the core components and core targets were obtained by topological analysis. Then Gene Ontology（GO） function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） enrichment analysis were performed on the core targets， and molecular docking validation of the key targets and main components was carried out by AutoDockTools 1.5.7. H9c2 cells were used to establish a oxygen-glucose deprivation model， and the protective effect of BXG on cells was investigated by detecting cell viability， cell survival rate and reactive oxygen species（ROS） level. The protein expression levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3（STAT3）， phosphorylation（p）-STAT3 and glutathione peroxidase 4（GPX4） were detected by Western blot to clarify the regulatory effect of BXG on ferroptosis. ResultsA total of 61 chemical components in BXG intestinal absorption fluid were identified， and network pharmacology obtained 27 potential targets of BXG for the treatment of HF， as well as 139 signaling pathways. BXG may act on core targets such as STAT3， tumor protein p53（TP53）， epidermal growth factor receptor（EGFR）， JUN and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2（PTGS2） through core components such as glabrolide and limonin， which in turn intervene in lipid and atherosclerosis， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B（PI3K/Akt）， endocrine resistance and other signaling pathways to exert therapeutic effects on HF. Molecular docking showed that the docking results of multiple groups of targets and compounds were good. In vitro cell experiments showed that compared with the blank group， the cell viability and survival rate of the model group were significantly decreased， the level of ROS was significantly increased（P<0.01）， the expression levels of STAT3， p-STAT3， p-STAT3/STAT3 and GPX4 proteins were significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the cell viability and survival rate of the BXG group were significantly increased， the ROS level was significantly decreased（P<0.01）， the STAT3， p-STAT3， p-STAT3/STAT3 and GPX4 protein levels were significantly increased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionBXG may inhibit the occurrence of ferroptosis by up-regulating the expression of STAT3 and GPX4， thus exerting a therapeutic effect on HF， and flavonoids may be the key components of this role.

To introduce and analyze guideline terminology related to clinical question formulation, evidence retrieval and appraisal, and recommendation development.

Animal experiments are an essential component of life sciences and medical research. However, the external validity and reliability of individual animal studies are frequently challenged by inherent limitations such as small sample sizes, high design heterogeneity, and poor reproducibility, which impede the effective translation of research findings into clinical practice. Systematic reviews and meta-analysis represent a key methodology for integrating existing evidence and enhancing the robustness of conclusions. Currently, however, the application of systematic reviews and meta-analysis in the field of animal experiments lacks standardized guidelines for their conduct and reporting, resulting in inconsistent quality and, to some extent, diminishing their evidence value. To address this issue, this paper aims to systematically delineate the reporting process for systematic reviews and meta-analysis of animal experiments and to propose a set of standardized recommendations that are both scientific and practical. The article's scope encompasses the entire process, from the preliminary preparatory phase [including formulating the population， intervention， comparison and outcome （PICO） question, assessing feasibility, and protocol pre-registration] to the key writing points for each section of the main report. In the core methods section, the paper elaborates on how to implement literature searches, establish eligibility criteria, perform data extraction, and assess the risk of bias, based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis （PRISMA) statement, in conjunction with relevant guidelines and tools such as Animal Research： Reporting of in Vivo Experiments （ARRIVE) and a risk of bias assessment tool developed by the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation (SYRCLE). For the presentation of results, strategies are proposed for clear and transparent display using flow diagrams and tables of characteristics. The discussion section places particular emphasis on how to scientifically interpret pooled effects, thoroughly analyze sources of heterogeneity, evaluate the impact of publication bias, and cautiously discuss the validity and limitations of extrapolating findings from animal studies to clinical settings. Furthermore, this paper recommends adopting the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology to comprehensively grade the quality of evidence. Through a modular analysis of the entire reporting process, this paper aims to provide researchers in the field with a clear and practical guide, thereby promoting the standardized development of systematic reviews and meta-analysis of animal experiments and enhancing their application value in scientific decision-making and translational medicine.

Objective To investigate the clinical application value of the non-shared incentive diffusion weighted imaging(ZOOM-DWI)technique at cervical level in diagnosis of cervical spondylotic myelopathy(CSM).Methods A total of 49 CSM patients(patient group),and 50 healthy volunteers(control group)were recruited.All subjects underwent conventional MRI and ZOOM-DWI of the cervical spine and neurologic modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association(mJOA)scores in patients with CSM.The apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)value in the spinal cord at the narrowest area(C5-C6)of the compression site of patients,the ADC value at the disc level in each upper and lower level,and the spinal ADC value at the cervical level C2-C3 were measured.The ADC values of control group C2-C3,C3-C4,C4-C5,C5-C6,C6-C7 were measured.Within-group comparisons of the spinal cord ADC values for each segment between patient and control groups were performed using analysis of variance and post hoc comparisons(SNK-q).The ADC values at the narrowest point of the patient group and control group were tested by independent sample t-test.The Pearson correlation analysis was performed between patients'C5-C6 ADC values and mJOA scores.Results The mean ADC values showed no significantly different levels in the control group.Among the ADC values at each measurement level in the patient group,except for C4-C5 and C6-C7 where the difference was not statistically significant,the remaining pair-wise comparisons all showed statisti-cally significant differences(F=24.368,P＜0.001),with the highest ADC value at C5-C6.The C5-C6 ADC value in the patient group was significantly higher compared to the control group(t=9.414,P＜0.001),with statistical significance.The ADC values at the patient stenosis showed a significant negative correlation with the mJOA score(r=-0.493,P＜0.001).Conclusion Cervical ZOOM-DWI technique can be applied to diagnose CSM,and spinal ADC values can be used as reliable imaging data for diagnosing CSM.

ObjectiveTo conduct a systematic comparative study on wild and cultivated Codonopsis pilosula（CP） from three aspects， including characters， microscopy， and contents of primary and secondary metabolites. MethodWild and cultivated CP samples were collected， their characters were measured using vernier caliper， tape measure and balance， the paraffin sections were stained with safranin-fixed green dyeing， and their microstructure were observed under the optical microscope. The content of alcohol-soluble extracts in wild and cultivated CP was determined according to the method for determination of extract under CP in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia， the starch content was determined by anthrone colorimetry， the content of total polysaccharides was determined by kit method， Fiber analyzer was used to determine the content of fiber components， and ultra performance liquid chromatography（UPLC） was used to determine the content of monosaccharides， disaccharides and some secondary metabolites. Multivariate statistical analysis methods such as principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were employed to screen key differential components between wild and cultivated CP on the basis of variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1 and P<0.05. ResultIn terms of morphological characteristics， the "lion's head-like" shape， longitudinal wrinkles， and circumferential wrinkles below the root cap of wild CP were more pronounced in wild CP compared to the cultivated ones. Regarding transverse sectional features， wild CP had more fissures on the outer side of the cortex and a larger duramen. Under microscopic examination， wild CP had more stone cells， a larger proportion of xylem， and the presence of cork cells arranged in rings in the xylem， while cultivated CP has a larger proportion of phloem， smaller vessel diameters， and a more loosely arranged vascular system. In terms of primary metabolites， the contents of 45% ethanol-soluble extract and total polysaccharides in cultivated CP were significantly higher than those in the wild ones（P<0.05）， the contents of lignin， hemicellulose， cellulose， fructose and glucose in wild CP were significantly higher than those in the cultivated ones（P<0.05）， while sucrose content in the cultivated CP was significantly higher than that in the wild ones（P<0.05）. Concerning secondary metabolites， the contents of tryptophan and tangshenoside Ⅰ in cultivated CP were significantly higher than those in the wild ones（P<0.05）， whereas the contents of lobetyolinin， lobetyol and atractylenolide Ⅲ in wild CP were significantly higher than those in the cultivated ones（P<0.05）. ConclusionThere are significant differences between wild and cultivated CP in terms of morphological characteristics， microscopic features and chemical composition. Glucose， fructose， sucrose， tangshenoside Ⅰ， tryptophan and cellulose components are the key differential components between wild and cultivated CP. Wild CP contains more polyacetylenes and fructose， whereas cultivated CP has higher levels of tangshenoside Ⅰ and sucrose， with noticeably lower cellulose content. These distinctions may be related to their growth conditions， growth years and cultivation techniques. Based on the results of this study， it is recommended to increase polyacetylenes and the content ratio of fructose to sucrose as an indicators to characterize different production methods of CP， in order to guide the high-quality production of CP.

ObjectiveTo compare wild and cultivated Paeoniae Radix Rubra（PRR） in three aspects， including character， microscope， determination of primary and secondary metabolites. MethodSeventeen batches of wild and nine batches of cultivated PRR were collected，their character data were measured by vernier caliper and scales， and their paraffin sections were made by safranin-fixed green dyeing for the observation of microscopic features. The content of ethanol-soluble extracts and total tannin from wild and cultivated PRR was determined by the method of general principle 2201 and 2202 in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia， the content of polysaccharides was determined by phenol-sulfuric acid method. Anthrone colorimetry was used to determine the content of starch， and Van Soest method of washing fiber was used to determine the content of fiber. The contents of fructose， glucose and sucrose in wild and cultivated PRR were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography evaporative light scattering detection（UPLC-ELSD）， and the secondary metabolites（gallic acid， methyl gallate， catechin， oxypaeoniflorin， albiflorin， paeoniflorin， ellagic acid， 1，3，4，6-tetragalloylglucose， galloylpaeoniflorin， 1，2，3，4，6-O-pentagalloylglucose， naringenin， benzoylpaeoniflorin and benzoylalbiflorin） were determined by UPLC. Principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were used to analyze the data of wild and cultivated PRR， the contribution of different factors to the difference was determined according to the variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1 and P<0.05. ResultIn term of characters， wild PRR showed the traditional characteristic of Zaopi Fencha， its outer skin was loose and easy to fall off， its surface had longitudinal furrow and wrinkle， but the outer skin of cultivated PRR was not easy to fall off， and its surface was relatively smooth. The radial texture of xylem of wild PRR cross-section was more obvious， showing radial striations， vacuoles and more cracks， while the radial texture of xylem of cultivated PRR cross-section was not obvious， dense and some had cracks. Microscopically， the number of radial vessels arranged in the xylem of wild PRR was more than that of cultivated PRR， the number of calcium oxalate clusters in the phloem and xylem of wild PRR was more than that of cultivated PRR， while the number of starch grains was significantly higher in cultivated PRR. In terms of the content of primary chemical constituents， the contents of polysaccharides and starch of cultivated PRR were significantly higher than those of wild PRR（P<0.05）， while the contents of cellulose， lignin， fructose and glucose of wild PRR were significantly higher than those of cultivated PRR（P<0.05）. The results of determination of 13 secondary metabolites showed that the contents of paeoniflorin， methyl gallate， catechin and oxypaeoniflorin in wild PRR were significantly higher than those in cultivated PRR（P<0.05）， while the contents of albiflorin， gallic acid， ellagic acid， naringenin， benzoylpaeoniflorin and benzoylalbiflorin were significantly lower than those of cultivated PRR（P<0.05）. A total of 10 variables contributing to the differentiation between wild and cultivated PRR were screened， including albiflorin， cellulose， benzoylpaeoniflorin， oxypaeoniflorin， naringenin， ellagic acid， starch， lignin， paeoniflorin and total tannins. ConclusionThere are significant differences between wild and cultivated PRR in characters， microscopic characteristics， contents of primary and secondary metabolites. It is suggested that the content ratio of paeoniflorin and albiflorin， the contents of oxypaeoniflorin and cellulose can be used as indicators to characterize production methods of PRR so as to improve the quality standard of PRR. This study can provide reference for the improvement of quality standard of PRR and the guidance of high quality production of PRR.

With the increasing proportion of human papilloma virus(HPV)infection in the pathogenic factors of oro-pharyngeal cancer,a series of changes have occurred in the surgical treatment.While the treatment mode has been im-proved,there are still many problems,including the inconsistency between diagnosis and treatment modes,the lack of popularization of reconstruction technology,the imperfect post-treatment rehabilitation system,and the lack of effective preventive measures.Especially in terms of treatment mode for early oropharyngeal cancer,there is no unified conclu-sion whether it is surgery alone or radiotherapy alone,and whether robotic minimally invasive surgery has better func-tional protection than radiotherapy.For advanced oropharyngeal cancer,there is greater controversy over the treatment mode.It is still unclear whether to adopt a non-surgical treatment mode of synchronous chemoradiotherapy or induction chemotherapy combined with synchronous chemoradiotherapy,or a treatment mode of surgery combined with postopera-tive chemoradiotherapy.In order to standardize the surgical treatment of oropharyngeal cancer in China and clarify the indications for surgical treatment of oropharyngeal cancer,this expert consensus,based on the characteristics and treat-ment status of oropharyngeal cancer in China and combined with the international latest theories and practices,forms consensus opinions in multiple aspects of preoperative evaluation,surgical indication determination,primary tumor re-section,neck lymph node dissection,postoperative defect repair,postoperative complication management prognosis and follow-up of oropharyngeal cancer patients.The key points include:① Before the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer,the expression of P16 protein should be detected to clarify HPV status;② Perform enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the maxillofacial region before surgery to evaluate the invasion of oropharyngeal cancer and guide precise surgical resec-tion of oropharyngeal cancer.Evaluating mouth opening and airway status is crucial for surgical approach decisions and postoperative risk prediction;③ For oropharyngeal cancer patients who have to undergo major surgery and cannot eat for one to two months,it is recommended to undergo percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy before surgery to effectively improve their nutritional intake during treatment;④ Early-stage oropharyngeal cancer patients may opt for either sur-gery alone or radiation therapy alone.For intermediate and advanced stages,HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer general-ly prioritizes radiation therapy,with concurrent chemotherapy considered based on tumor staging.Surgical treatment is recommended as the first choice for HPV unrelated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma(including primary and re-current)and recurrent HPV related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma after radiotherapy and chemotherapy;⑤ For primary exogenous T1-2 oropharyngeal cancer,direct surgery through the oral approach or da Vinci robotic sur-gery is preferred.For T3-4 patients with advanced oropharyngeal cancer,it is recommended to use temporary mandibu-lectomy approach and lateral pharyngotomy approach for surgery as appropriate;⑥ For cT1-2N0 oropharyngeal cancer patients with tumor invasion depth＞3 mm and cT3-4N0 HPV unrelated oropharyngeal cancer patients,selective neck dissection of levels ⅠB to Ⅳ is recommended.For cN+HPV unrelated oropharyngeal cancer patients,therapeutic neck dissection in regions Ⅰ-Ⅴ is advised;⑦ If PET-CT scan at 12 or more weeks after completion of radiation shows intense FDG uptake in any node,or imaging suggests continuous enlargement of lymph nodes,the patient should undergo neck dissection;⑧ For patients with suspected extracapsular invasion preoperatively,lymph node dissection should include removal of surrounding muscle and adipose connective tissue;⑨ The reconstruction of oropharyngeal cancer defects should follow the principle of reconstruction steps,with priority given to adjacent flaps,followed by distal pedicled flaps,and finally free flaps.The anterolateral thigh flap with abundant tissue can be used as the preferred flap for large-scale postoperative defects.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of aucubin （AU） on the proliferation and tumor growth of prostate cancer （PC） cells by regulating the protein kinase B （Akt）/murine double minute2 （MDM2）/p53 signaling pathway. METHODS Prostate cancer cell PC3 were separated into control group， 50 μmol/L AU group， 100 μmol/L AU group， SC79 （Akt activator） group （5 μmol/L）， and 100 μmol/L AU+SC79 group. The cell cloning and proliferation ability were investigated； the rate of cell apoptosis and the expressions of Akt/MDM2/p53 signaling pathway-related protein were detected. Meanwhile， xenograft tumor models of nude mice were constructed and separated into tumor group， AU group （80 mg/kg）， SC79 group （50 mg/kg）， and AU+SC79 group （80 mg/kg AU+50 mg/kg SC79）， with 10 mice in each group. They were given relevant medicine， once a day， for 21 d. After the last medication， tumor weight was determined， and the expressions of nucleus-associated antigen （Ki-67） and Akt/MDM2/p53 signaling pathway-related protein were detected in tumor tissue. RESULTS In the cell experiment， compared with control group， the cell clonal formation number， proliferation rate and phosphorylation levels of Akt and MDM2 protein in 50 μmol/L AU and 100 μmol/L AU groups were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）， while the cell apoptosis rate and p53 protein expression levels were significantly increased （P＜0.05）； however， the change trend of each index in SC79 group was opposite （P＜0.05）. Compared with 100 μmol/L AU group， the cell clonal formation number， proliferation rate and phosphorylation levels of Akt and MDM2 protein in 100 μmol/L AU+SC79 group were significantly increased （P＜0.05）， while cell apoptosis rate and p53 protein expression levels were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）； however， compared with SC79 group， the changing trend of indexes was the opposite （P＜0.05）. In the in vivo experiment， compared with the tumor group， the tumor mass and Ki-67 positive expression and the phosphorylation levels of Akt and MDM2 protein in nude mice of AU group were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）， and the expression level of p53 protein was significantly increased （P＜0.05）， but the changing trend of above indexes of nude mice in SC79 group were opposite （P＜0.05）. Compared with AU group， the tumor mass， Ki-67 positive expression and phosphorylation levels of Akt and MDM2 protein in tumor tissues of nude mice in AU+SC79 group were significantly increased （P＜0.05）， while the expression level of p53 protein was significantly decreased （P＜0.05）； however， compared with SC79 group， the changing trend of above indexes was opposite （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS AU can inhibit PC cell proliferation and tumor growth by inhibiting Akt/MDM2/p53 signaling pathway.