ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effect of Xiaozhi Hugan capsules in treating patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis （NASH） combined with phlegm-dampness and blood stasis syndrome and its effects on serum interleukin-6 （IL-6） and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 （MCP-1）. MethodsA total of 124 patients with NASH combined with phlegm-dampness and blood stasis syndrome who were admitted to the Department of Spleen， Stomach， and Hepatobiliary Diseases， the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine from July 2020 to December 2022 were selected. According to the random number table method， patients were randomly divided into an observation group （62 cases） and a control group （62 cases）. The treatment duration was 6 months. The observation group received Xiaozhi Hugan capsules orally， while the control group received polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules. The efficacy indicators included alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， controlled attenuation parameter （CAP）， liver stiffness measurement （LSM）， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores （discomfort/dull pain/distending pain in liver region， fatigue， etc.）， body mass index （BMI）， waist-to-height ratio （WHtR）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance （HOMA-IR） ［including fasting blood glucose （FBG） and fasting insulin level （INS）］， free fatty acids （FFA）， IL-6， and MCP-1. Adverse drug reactions were recorded. ResultsAfter treatment， the total effective rate in the observation group was 92.3% （48/52）， while that in the control group was 75.5% （39/49）. The total effective rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group （χ²=5.339， P<0.05）. After treatment， the TCM syndrome scores in both groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05）， and the post-treatment scores in the observation group were better than those in the control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， the levels of ALT， AST， TC， FFA， fasting insulin （FINS）， HOMA-IR， MCP-1， IL-6， CAP， LSM， BMI， and WHtR were decreased （P<0.05） significantly in both groups， and the observation group showed superior improvement in the above indicators compared to the control group （P<0.05）. The observation group exhibited significant reductions in TG and FBG （P<0.05） and an increase in HDL-C （P<0.05）， while no significant changes were observed in the control group. The observation group was superior to the control group after treatment （P<0.05）. No severe adverse reactions occurred in either group during the treatment. ConclusionXiaozhi Hugan capsules have significant clinical efficacy in treating patients with NASH combined with phlegm-dampness and blood stasis syndrome. It reduces hepatic steatosis， lowers liver stiffness， inhibits the expression of serum inflammatory factors， and alleviates liver inflammation. No obvious adverse reactions occur， suggesting it is suitable for clinical application.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effect of Xiaozhi Hugan capsules in treating patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis （NASH） combined with phlegm-dampness and blood stasis syndrome and its effects on serum interleukin-6 （IL-6） and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 （MCP-1）. MethodsA total of 124 patients with NASH combined with phlegm-dampness and blood stasis syndrome who were admitted to the Department of Spleen， Stomach， and Hepatobiliary Diseases， the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine from July 2020 to December 2022 were selected. According to the random number table method， patients were randomly divided into an observation group （62 cases） and a control group （62 cases）. The treatment duration was 6 months. The observation group received Xiaozhi Hugan capsules orally， while the control group received polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules. The efficacy indicators included alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， controlled attenuation parameter （CAP）， liver stiffness measurement （LSM）， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores （discomfort/dull pain/distending pain in liver region， fatigue， etc.）， body mass index （BMI）， waist-to-height ratio （WHtR）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance （HOMA-IR） ［including fasting blood glucose （FBG） and fasting insulin level （INS）］， free fatty acids （FFA）， IL-6， and MCP-1. Adverse drug reactions were recorded. ResultsAfter treatment， the total effective rate in the observation group was 92.3% （48/52）， while that in the control group was 75.5% （39/49）. The total effective rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group （χ²=5.339， P<0.05）. After treatment， the TCM syndrome scores in both groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05）， and the post-treatment scores in the observation group were better than those in the control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， the levels of ALT， AST， TC， FFA， fasting insulin （FINS）， HOMA-IR， MCP-1， IL-6， CAP， LSM， BMI， and WHtR were decreased （P<0.05） significantly in both groups， and the observation group showed superior improvement in the above indicators compared to the control group （P<0.05）. The observation group exhibited significant reductions in TG and FBG （P<0.05） and an increase in HDL-C （P<0.05）， while no significant changes were observed in the control group. The observation group was superior to the control group after treatment （P<0.05）. No severe adverse reactions occurred in either group during the treatment. ConclusionXiaozhi Hugan capsules have significant clinical efficacy in treating patients with NASH combined with phlegm-dampness and blood stasis syndrome. It reduces hepatic steatosis， lowers liver stiffness， inhibits the expression of serum inflammatory factors， and alleviates liver inflammation. No obvious adverse reactions occur， suggesting it is suitable for clinical application.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Dizhuo Huayu prescription combined with catgut embedding therapy in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis （NASH） and dyslipidemia and explore the effect of the combined therapy on inflammatory cytokines interleukin （IL）-18 and IL-1β. MethodsA total of 82 patients with NASH and dyslipidemia from the Gastroenterology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine were randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group， with 41 patients in each group. The control group received Polyene Polyenylphosphatidylcholine Capsules， while the treatment group received Dizhuo Huayu prescription granules combined with catgut embedding. The treatment duration was 24 weeks for both groups. At weeks 0， 12， and 24， the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score， body mass index （BMI）， liver fat content assessed by Fibroscan （CAP value）， the level of alanine transaminase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， gamma-glutamyl transferase （GGT）， total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， and free fatty acid （FFA）， and the expression of inflammatory cytokines IL-18 and IL-1β in serum were observed. Adverse reactions in both groups were recorded. ResultsA comparison of the comprehensive therapeutic effects between the two groups after 24 weeks of treatment revealed that the total effective rate was 62.16% （23/37） in the control group and 85.71% （30/35） in the treatment group， with a statistically significant difference （χ² = 5.14， P<0.05）. At weeks 12 and 24 after treatment， the TCM syndrome score， BMI， CAP value， TC， TG， LDL-C， and FFA were all significantly lower in both groups compared to pre-treatment levels， while the HDL-C level significantly increased （P<0.05）. The effect was better at week 24 （P<0.05） than at week 12 （P<0.05）， and the treatment group showed better outcomes than the control group at weeks 12 and 24 after treatment （P<0.05）. After 24 weeks of treatment， both groups exhibited significant reductions in IL-18 and IL-1β levels （P<0.05）. The treatment group demonstrated superior efficacy compared to the control group after treatment （P<0.05）. Both groups experienced decreases in ALT， AST， and GGT levels after treatment （P<0.05）. However， there were no statistically significant differences between the 12-week and 24-week post-treatment values within each group， nor were there significant differences between the two groups. No significant adverse reactions were observed in both groups. ConclusionThe Dizhuo Huayu prescription combined with catgut embedding therapy is safe and effective in treating patients with NASH and dyslipidemia， exhibiting hepatoprotective， anti-inflammatory， lipid-regulating， and weight-reducing effects.

Objective:To explore the differences of gene expression profiles of precursors of exhausted T cells (Tpex) and terminal exhausted T cells (Tex) in the peripheral blood of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (ATB).Methods:Twenty-five cases of ATB, 13 cases of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and 10 health controls were enrolled from January 2021 to October 2022 in the Fifth People′s Hospital of Wuxi. The proportions of Tpex and Tex in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of the three groups were detected by flowcytometry. PBMCs of ATB were separated into Tpex and Tex by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. RNA-sequencing was performed and up-regulated and down-regulated genes were screended. Differently expressed genes were analyzed by gene set enrichment analysis of gene ontology (GO) to find regulatory pathways affecting cell metabolism and function. Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn multiple comparsion test were used for statistical analysis.Results:The proportion of Tpex in ATB group was 2.86%(1.74%), which was lower than 7.93%(6.16%) of Tex, and the difference was statistically significant ( Z=-3.91, P<0.001). The proportions of Tpex and Tex in LTBI group were 9.47%(6.26%) and 7.43%(5.48%), respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant ( Z=-0.93, P=0.345). The proportions of Tpex and Tex in healthy control group were 8.42%(2.69%) and 6.49%(5.14%), respectively, with no statistical significance ( Z=-1.36, P=0.170). There was statistical difference of the proportion of Tpex among the three groups ( H=21.93, P<0.001), and the proportion of Tpex in ATB group was lower than those in LTBI and heathy control groups, and the differences were both statistically significant ( Z=4.16, P<0.001 and Z=3.34, P=0.003, respectively), while the proportions of Tex in these three groups were not statistically different ( H=2.17, P=0.338). Compared with Tex, the gene expressions of memory markers, such as B-cell lymphoma 2 of Tpex were up-regulated, and the gene expressions of exhausted markers, such as lymphocyte activation gene 3 were down-regulated. In terms of cellular metabolism, the gene expressions of mitochondrial protein complex, mitochondrial matrix and oxidative phosphorylation of Tpex were up-regulated, and the gene expressions of glycolysis were down-regulated. The gene expressions of pyruvate metabolism in Tex were up-regulated, and the gene expressions of CD4 + T lymphocyte activation and differentiation and glycolytic process in Tpex were down-regulated. Conclusions:Tpex in ATB express more characteristics of memory cells and less features of exhausted markers compared with Tex, and the function of mitochondria of Tpex preserves well.

With the continuous progress of research methodology in the real world and the growing maturity of artificial intelligence technology， a method for conducting “quantitative” research to guide clinical practice based on traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） diagnosis and treatment data was gradually developed. However， there is still a need for further improvements in the overall design of studies and the transformation of findings into clinical practice. Based on this， we put forward a comprehensive overall design concept and application approach for real-world study and artificial intelligence research based on clinical diagnosis and treatment data of TCM. This approach consists of five steps： Constructing a research-based database with a large sample size and high data quality； Mining and classification of core prescriptions； Conducting cohort studies to evaluate the effectiveness of core prescriptions； Utilizing case-control studies to clarify the dominant population； Establishing predictive models to achieve precision medicine. Additionally， it is imperative for researchers to establish a standardized system for collecting TCM variables and processing data， optimize the determination and measurement methods of confounding factors， further improve and promote methodologies， and strengthen the training of interdisciplinary talents. By following this research method， we anticipate that the clinical translation of research findings will be facilitated， leading to advancements in TCM precision medicine. Real-world study and artificial intelligence research share similar research foundations， and clinical applications complement each other. In the future， the two will merge together.

ObjectiveTo study the efficacy of Aclasta combined with Liuwei Dihuangwan on osteoporosis and the effect on quality of life. MethodA total of 126 patients with osteoporosis who were treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from September 2019 to September 2020 were classified into the observation group and the control group with the randomized double-blind method. The observation group consisted of 60 patients （26 males and 34 females） with the age of 59-85 years old ［mean： （72.0 ± 6.5） years old］. The control group was composed of 66 patients （31 males and 35 females）， with the age of 62-82 years old ［mean： （73.0±8.2） years old］. The control group was treated with Aclasta， and the observation group Aclasta combined with Liuwei Dihuangwan. After treatment， the effective rate of each group was calculated. Bone mineral density （BMD） was measured in both groups before and after treatment， and serological parameters calcium （Ca）， total 25 （OH） vitamin D₃ （VITD-T）， osteocalcin （OC）， serum alkaline phosphatase （ALP）， parathyroid hormone （PTH）， β-collagen special sequence （β-CTX）， and total procollagen 1 N-terminal propeptide （T-P1NP） were also measured. Visual Analogue Scale （VAS） score， Japanese Orthopaedic Association （JOA） score， and Oswestry Disability Index （ODI） score were evaluated. On this basis， the effect was compared between the two groups. ResultThe indexes were insignificantly different between the two groups before treatment. After 6 months of treatment， the two groups showed decrease in VAS score and ODI score （P<0.01）， increase in JOA score （P<0.01）， BMD of lumbar spine and hip joint， elevation of Ca， VITD-T， OC， ALP， and PTH （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and decrease of β-CTX （P<0.01） as compared with before treatment. The level of T-P1NP dropped in the observation group after treatment （P<0.01）.After treatment， the total effective rate of the observation group was 88.3% （53/60）， as compared with the 74.2% （49/66） in the control group （χ²=4.047， P<0.05）. Moreover， after treatment， the observation group demonstrated higher levels of BMD， Ca， VITD-T， OC， and PTH （P<0.05）， lower levels of T-P1NP （P<0.05）， lower VAS score （P<0.01）， and higher JOA score （P<0.05） than the control group， but the ODI score was insignificantly different from that in the control group. ConclusionAclasta combined with Liuwei Dihuangwan is effective on osteoporosis， without increasing the incidence of adverse reactions. In addition， the combination can alleviate pain and improve the quality of life of osteoporosis patients.

ObjectiveTo study the expression changes of Lon protein and mitochondrial dynamics-related protein in the hippocampus of SAMP8 mice and provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease by invigorating the spleen and supplementing Qi. MethodEight 3-month-old SAMR1 mice were used as the normal group， and 32 3-month-old SAPM8 mice were divided into model group， western medicine group （0.013 g·kg^-1）， low-dose Si Junziwan group （3.24 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose Si Junziwan group （12.56 g·kg^-1）， with 8 mice in each group. The western medicine group was gavaged with donepezil， and the Si Junziwan low- and high-dose groups were gavaged with Si Junziwan for 30 days. The positioning navigation experiment of the water maze was started on the 25^th day， and the space exploration experiment of the water maze was started on the 30^th day. On the 30^th day， the protein expression of mitofusin 2 （MFN2） was detected by immunohistochemistry， the expression of adenosine 5'-monophosphate （AMP）-activated protein kinase （AMPK） was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， the content of ATP was detected by colorimetry， the microstructure of neuron mitochondria was detected by electron microscope， and the expressions of Aβ protein， Lon protein， dynamin-related protein 1 （DRP1） protein， and MFN1 protein were detected by Western blot. ResultAs compared with the normal group， the latency escape period increased， the number of crossings decreased， the expression of AMPK increased， and the content of ATP decreased in the model group. The expressions of Aβ protein and DRP1 protein increased （P<0.01）， whereas the expressions of Lon protein， MFN1 protein decreased in the model group （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and MFN2 protein decreased. The vacuolation of mitochondria increased and the cristae broke in the model group. As compared with model group， the time of the latent escape period decreased （P<0.01）， and the number of crossings increased in the low-dose and high-dose Si Junziwan groups （P<0.05）. The expression of AMPK （P<0.01） decreased， the content of ATP increased （P<0.01）， the expression of Aβ and DRP1 protein decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the expression of MFN1 protein was up-regulated （P<0.05） in high-dose Si Junziwan groups. The vacuolation was more obvious in the low-dose Si Junziwan group， whereas the vacuolation was restored and the ridge was clear in the high-dose Si Junziwan group. ConclusionSi Junziwan treats Alzheimer's disease by up-regulating the protein expression of Lon， correcting the disorder of mitochondrial division and fusion protein， and changing the memory function of SAMP8 mice.

Objective:To investigate the role of glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP) in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis through regulatory T cell (Treg), in order to provide new targets for the treatment of tuberculosis.Methods:Sixty patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (ATB) admitted to Huashan Hospital, Fudan University and Wuxi Fifth People′s Hospital from January to September 2021 were included. And six individuals with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), and 16 healthy controls (HC) were recruited during the same period. Flow cytometry was performed to detect the proportion of Treg in the peripheral blood, and the expressions of GARP and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) on Treg in different groups. Mann-Whitney U test was used for statistical analysis. Results:Among the 60 patients with ATB, 23 patients did not receive anti-tuberculosis drug therapy, 17 patients were treated for less than three months, ten patients were treated for three to less than six months, and ten patients were treated for greater than or equal to six months. The percentage of CD4 + CD25 + forkhead box protein 3 (Foxp3) + Treg in untreated ATB patients was 7.50%(5.67%, 9.00%), which was higher than that in HC (5.57%(5.03%, 6.09%)), and the difference was statistically significant ( U=95.00, P=0.010). The percentage of GARP expressing in CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + Treg in untreated ATB patients was 10.37%(7.79%, 12.90%), which was higher than that in LTBI (7.02%(5.15%, 8.81%)) and HC (5.33%(4.26%, 6.67%)), respectively, and the differences were both statistically significant ( U=31.00, P=0.040; U=36.00, P<0.001, respectively), while there was no significant difference between LTBI and HC ( U=25.00, P=0.095). The percentage of CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + Treg expressing TGF-β1 in untreated ATB patients was 7.13%(4.25%, 8.89%), which was higher than that in HC (3.59%(2.10%, 5.17%)), and the difference was statistically significant ( U=71.00, P=0.001). The expressions of GARP in CD4 + CD8 -CD25 + Foxp3 + Treg in patients with ATB treated for less than three months group, three to less than six months group and greater than or equal to six months group were 7.82%(3.94%, 13.17%), 6.92%(5.61%, 9.47%) and 7.26%(5.82%, 9.64%), respectively. The expressions of TGF-β1 in CD4 + CD8 -CD25 + Foxp3 + Treg in the above three treatment groups were 11.16%(7.91%, 15.23%), 8.66%(5.43%, 12.54%) and 7.82%(6.01%, 9.53%), respectively, and the expression of TGF-β1 in CD4 + CD8 -CD25 + Foxp3 + Treg in the patients with ATB treated for less than three months group was higher than that in the greater than or equal to six months group, the difference was statistically significant ( U=37.50, P=0.024). Conclusions:Foxp3/GARP/TGF-β1 pathway may be involved in the immune mechanism of Treg regulating the pathogenesis of tuberculosis, and GARP may be a new target for anti-tuberculosis therapy.

Radiotherapy still fails to achieve satisfactory efficacy in the treatment of malignant tumors, and applying radiotherapy sensitizers is an effective method to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy. Gold nanomaterials can effectively increase the sensitivity of tumor cells to radiotherapy due to their high atomic numbers. Gold nanoclusters have more excellent radiobiological and radiophysical properties due to their smaller size. This paper reviews the special radiobiological and radiophysical properties of gold nanoclusters and describes in detail their sensitizing effects in external radiation radiotherapy, radionuclide therapy, and X-ray induced photodynamic therapy.

Antimicrobial peptides are the most promising alternatives to antibiotics. However, the strategy of producing antimicrobial peptides by recombinant technology is complicated and expensive, which is not conducive to the large-scale production. Oxysterlin 1 is a novel type of cecropin antimicrobial peptide mainly targeting on Gram-negative bacteria and is of low cytotoxicity. In this study, a simple and cost-effective method was developed to produce Oxysterlin 1 in Escherichia coli. The Oxysterlin 1 gene was cloned into a plasmid containing elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) and protein splicing elements (intein) to construct the recombinant expression plasmid (pET-ELP-I-Oxysterlin 1). The recombinant protein was mainly expressed in soluble form in E. coli, and then the target peptide can be purified with a simple salting out method followed by pH changing. The final yield of Oxysterlin 1 was about 1.2 mg/L, and the subsequent antimicrobial experiment showed the expected antimicrobial activity. This study holds promise for large-scale production of antimicrobial peptides and the in-depth study of its antimicrobial mechanism.
Elastin ; Escherichia coli/genetics* ; Inteins ; Peptides/pharmacology* ; Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins/genetics*