ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effect of Xuebijing injection （XBJ） on severe acute pancreatitis induced acute lung injury （SAP-ALI） by regulating formyl peptide receptors （FPRs）/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor 3 （NLRP3） inflammatory pathway. MethodsSixty rats were randomly divided into a sham group， a SAP-ALI model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose XBJ groups （4， 8， and 12 mL·kg^-1）， and a positive drug （BOC2， 0.2 mg·kg^-1） group. For the sham group， the pancreas of rats was only gently flipped after laparotomy， and then the abdomen was closed， while for the remaining five groups， SAP-ALI rat models were established by retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate （Na-Tc） via the biliopancreatic duct. XBJ and BOC2 were administered via intraperitoneal injection once daily for 3 d prior to modeling and 0.5 h after modeling. Blood was collected from the abdominal aorta 6 h after the completion of modeling， and the expression of interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in plasma was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The amount of ascites was measured， and the dry-wet weight ratios of pancreatic and lung tissue were determined. Pancreatic and lung tissue was taken for hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining to observe pathological changes and then scored. The protein expression levels of FPR1， FPR2， and NLRP3 in lung tissue were detected by the immunohistochemical method. Western blot was used to detect the expression of FPR1， FPR2， and NLRP3 in lung tissue. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of FPR1， FPR2， and NLRP3 in lung tissue. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the SAP-ALI model group showed significantly decreased dry-wet weight ratio of lung tissue （P<0.01）， serious pathological changes of lung tissue， a significantly increased pathological score （P<0.01）， and significantly increased protein and mRNA expression levels of FPR1， FPR2， and NLRP3 in lung tissue （P<0.01）. After BOC2 intervention， the above detection indicators were significantly reversed （P<0.01）. After treatment with XBJ， the groups of different XBJ doses achieved results consistent with BOC2 intervention. ConclusionXBJ can effectively improve the inflammatory response of the lungs in SAP-ALI rats and reduce damage. The mechanism may be related to inhibiting the expression of FPRs and NLRP3 in lung tissue， which thereby reduces IL-1β and simultaneously antagonize the release of inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α.

Objective To optimize the extraction process of Xuetong capsules and establish its quality control method. Methods The extraction process was optimized by orthogonal experiment using ethanol reflux method to investigate the effects of different factors on diphenylstilbene, aloin and extraction yield. The content of 5 anthraquinone compounds in Xuetong capsule was determined by HPLC. Results The optimal extraction process was to add 10 times ethanol, with an ethanol concentration of 70%, and extract 3 times, each time for 1 h; 5 components had a good linear relationship with peak area within a certain concentration range, r>0.999 7; The range of sample recovery rate was 93.66%-96.85%, RSD range of 1.48%-1.66%. The content determination results of the 5 components in three batches of Xuetong capsules were （0.632-0.641）, （0.660-0.681）, （1.968-1.991）, （2.547-2.580）, and （1.076-1.101） mg/g. Conclusion The method was accurate, reproducible, and highly feasible, which could be references for producing and improving the quality control standards of Xuetong capsules.

Panvascular disease， with vascular diseases as the common pathological feature， is mainly manifested as atherosclerosis. Panvascular disease mainly affects the important organs of the heart， brain， kidney， and limbs. It is one of the leading causes of death for Chinese residents at present. Previously， due to the narrow branches of disciplines， too much attention was paid to local lesions， resulting in the neglect of panvascular disease as a systemic one. The fact that panvascular disease has overall pathology and comprehensive and individualized treatment strategies， makes the disease highly compatible with the principles of holism concept and syndrome differentiation and treatment in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. It is believed that blood stasis is the core pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and is involved in the whole process of atherosclerosis. The theories of ''blood vessel''， ''meridians''， ''visceral manifestation''， and ''organs-meridians'' in TCM are helpful to comprehensively understand the complexity of panvascular diseases. Moreover， those theories can provide systematic treatment strategies. The TCM syndromes of panvascular diseases evolve from ''phlegm， stasis， stagnation， and deficiency''. Panvascular arteriosclerosis is related to the syndrome of ''stasis and phlegm''， and the treatment mainly promotes blood circulation and removes phlegm. There are different specific drugs and mechanisms of action for coronary atherosclerosis， cerebral atherosclerosis， and renal artery atherosclerotic stenosis. Panvascular venous lesions are related to the syndrome of ''deficiency and stasis'' in TCM， and the TCM treatment mainly invigorates Qi and promotes blood circulation， which can inhibit venous thrombosis， improve venous ulcers， and resist venous endothelial damage. Panvascular microcirculatory lesions are inseparable from the ''stagnation and stasis'' in TCM， and the treatment mainly promotes Qi and dredges collaterals， which has a good effect on coronary microvascular lesions， diabetic microvascular lesions， pulmonary microvascular lesions， and pancreatic microvascular lesions. Panvascular lymphatic lesions are related to the syndrome of ''water and stasis'' in TCM. The treatment method focuses on promoting blood circulation and water excretion， which can promote lymphangiogenesis and enhance lymphatic reflux. In addition， the combination of TCM and modern technology， especially the application of artificial intelligence， can improve the efficiency of early identification and personalized treatment， resulting in early screening and comprehensive management of panvascular diseases. Therefore， TCM will play a vital role in the prevention and treatment of panvascular diseases.

Panvascular disease， with vascular diseases as the common pathological feature， is mainly manifested as atherosclerosis. Panvascular disease mainly affects the important organs of the heart， brain， kidney， and limbs. It is one of the leading causes of death for Chinese residents at present. Previously， due to the narrow branches of disciplines， too much attention was paid to local lesions， resulting in the neglect of panvascular disease as a systemic one. The fact that panvascular disease has overall pathology and comprehensive and individualized treatment strategies， makes the disease highly compatible with the principles of holism concept and syndrome differentiation and treatment in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. It is believed that blood stasis is the core pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and is involved in the whole process of atherosclerosis. The theories of ''blood vessel''， ''meridians''， ''visceral manifestation''， and ''organs-meridians'' in TCM are helpful to comprehensively understand the complexity of panvascular diseases. Moreover， those theories can provide systematic treatment strategies. The TCM syndromes of panvascular diseases evolve from ''phlegm， stasis， stagnation， and deficiency''. Panvascular arteriosclerosis is related to the syndrome of ''stasis and phlegm''， and the treatment mainly promotes blood circulation and removes phlegm. There are different specific drugs and mechanisms of action for coronary atherosclerosis， cerebral atherosclerosis， and renal artery atherosclerotic stenosis. Panvascular venous lesions are related to the syndrome of ''deficiency and stasis'' in TCM， and the TCM treatment mainly invigorates Qi and promotes blood circulation， which can inhibit venous thrombosis， improve venous ulcers， and resist venous endothelial damage. Panvascular microcirculatory lesions are inseparable from the ''stagnation and stasis'' in TCM， and the treatment mainly promotes Qi and dredges collaterals， which has a good effect on coronary microvascular lesions， diabetic microvascular lesions， pulmonary microvascular lesions， and pancreatic microvascular lesions. Panvascular lymphatic lesions are related to the syndrome of ''water and stasis'' in TCM. The treatment method focuses on promoting blood circulation and water excretion， which can promote lymphangiogenesis and enhance lymphatic reflux. In addition， the combination of TCM and modern technology， especially the application of artificial intelligence， can improve the efficiency of early identification and personalized treatment， resulting in early screening and comprehensive management of panvascular diseases. Therefore， TCM will play a vital role in the prevention and treatment of panvascular diseases.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） is a chronic liver disease closely related to metabolism， which is mainly characterized by abnormal lipid deposition in hepatocytes. In recent years， with the increasing prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome， NAFLD has become one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. The pathogenesis of NAFLD is complex and varied， involving the cross-regulation of multiple signaling pathways such as glucose-lipid metabolism， oxidative stress， and inflammation. The TLR4 signaling pathway plays a key role in the development and progression of NAFLD， and abnormal activation of this pathway accelerates the deterioration of NAFLD by promoting the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines， inducing oxidative stress， and exacerbating insulin resistance. Studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） can regulate the TLR4 signaling pathway to alleviate the symptoms and pathological features of NAFLD. The present review summarizes the experimental research progress in the TCM regulation of the TLR4 signaling pathway in treating NAFLD in the past 5 years， covering a wide range of TCM active ingredients （such as polysaccharides， terpenoids， alkaloids， flavonoids） and compound prescriptions. The active ingredients and compound prescriptions of TCM can effectively ameliorate lipid metabolism disorders， reduce insulin resistance， regulate intestinal flora， and inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress by regulating the TLR4 signaling pathway via multiple targets and pathways， thus slowing down the progression of NAFLD. Through in-depth analysis of the pathological mechanisms of NAFLD and exploration of the potential of TLR4 signaling pathway as a therapeutic target， we can provide theoretical support for the application of TCM in the treatment of NAFLD， as well as new perspectives and directions for future clinical research and new drug development， thereby promoting the innovation and development of therapeutic strategies for NAFLD.

BACKGROUND:Multiple studies have confirmed that mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling pathway is involved in cell proliferation,and microRNA(miR)is involved in the occurrence and development of hypertrophic scars.Therefore,the role of miR-27a-3p and MAPK signaling pathways in pathological scar formation has been further explored. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of miR-27a-3p on the proliferation of human hypertrophic scar fibroblasts through the MAPK signaling pathway. METHODS:The primary fibroblasts were isolated and collected from the skin samples.The primary fibroblasts were observed by inverted microscope and verified by immunofluorescence.The relative expression level of miR-27a-3p in tissues was detected by qRT-PCR.The target genes of hsa-miR-27a-3p were predicted using the database,and then the predicted target genes were enriched by gene ontology function analysis and biological pathway enrichment analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes.There were seven groups:blank control,negative control,miR-27a-3p mimic,miR-27a-3p inhibitor,miR-27a-3p mimic+p38 MAPK inhibitor,miR-27a-3p mimic+extracellular regulated protein kinase inhibitor,miR-27a-3p mimic+c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor.Western blot was used to detect the levels of extracellular regulated protein kinase,c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor.and p38 kinase and their phosphorylation levels.Cell counting kit-8 and EdU were used to detect cell proliferation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with normal skin fibroblasts,hypertrophic scar fibroblasts had stronger proliferative activity(P<0.05)and faster proliferation level(P<0.001).Compared with normal skin,miR-27a-3p was highly expressed in hypertrophic scars(P<0.001).Compared with the negative control group,overexpression of miR-27a-3p could promote cell proliferation activity(P<0.001)and proliferation levels(P<0.001).Compared with the negative control group,knockdown of miR-27a-3p could inhibit the proliferation activity(P<0.05)and proliferation levels(P<0.001).Compared with the negative control group,overexpression of miR-27a-3p promoted the phosphorylated levels of extracellular regulated protein kinase,c-Jun N-terminal kinase,and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(P<0.05).Compared with the negative control group,knockdown of miR-27a-3p inhibited the phosphorylated levels of extracellular regulated protein kinase,c-Jun N-terminal kinase,and p38 MAPK(P<0.05).Compared with the miR-27a-3p mimic group,specific inhibitors of extracellular regulated protein kinase,c-Jun N-terminal kinase,and p38 MAPK reversed the effects of miR-27a-3p on the proliferative activity(P<0.01)and proliferation level(P<0.001)of fibroblasts.To conclude,these results suggest that miR-27a-3p promotes the proliferation of human hypertrophic scar fibroblasts by activating the MAPK signaling pathway.

Background: Chronic pain significantly affects daily activities, mental health, and the interpersonal relationships of patients. Consequently, physicians use various treatments to manage pain. This study investigated the perceptions of treatment, accompanying symptoms, and other problems in patients with chronic pain. Methods: The authors enrolled patients with chronic pain from 19 university hospitals in South Korea. Data was collected on age, gender, diagnosis, disease duration, severity of pain, perception of pain treatment, and accompanying symptoms or problems using an anonymous survey comprising 19 questions. Results: In total, 833 patients with chronic pain completed the survey, and 257 (31.0%) and 537 (64.5%) patientsexpressed concerns about the potential adverse effects of medication and opioid addiction, respectively. Personalitychanges such as irritability or anger were the most frequent accompanying symptoms in 507 (63.8%) patients, followed by depression and sleep disturbance in 462 (58.1%) and 450 (54.5%) patients, respectively. Depression (P = 0.001) and anxiety (P = 0.029) were more common among women, whereas divorce (P = 0.016), family conflict (P < 0.001), unemployment (P < 0.001), suicide attempts (P < 0.001), and restrictions on economic activity (P < 0.001) were more common among men. The frequency of accompanying symptoms, except for suicidal ideation,was higher in the younger patients aged ≤ 40 years than in the older patients aged > 40 years. Conclusions Many patients with chronic pain had concerns about adverse effects or medication tolerance and experienced anxiety, depression, or sleep disturbances. The prevalence of accompanying problems varies according to age and gender.

Background: We investigated whether nutritional intake is associated with physical activity (PA) and handgrip strength (HGS) in individuals with airflow limitation. Methods: This study analyzed data from the 2014 and 2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We assessed total protein intake (g/day), caloric intake (kcal/day), and other nutritional intakes, using a 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire. HGS was measured three times for each hand using a digital grip strength dynamometer, and PA was assessed as health-enhancing PA. Airflow limitation was defined as a forced expiratory volume/forced vital capacity ratio of 0.7 in individuals over 40 years of age. Participants were categorized into groups based on their PA levels and HGS measurements: active aerobic PA vs. non-active aerobic PA, and normal HGS vs. low HGS. Results: Among the 622 individuals with airflow limitation, those involved in active aerobic PA and those with higher HGS had notably higher total food, calorie, water, protein, and lipid intake. The correlations between protein and caloric intake with HGS were strong (correlation coefficients=0.344 and 0.346, respectively). The forest plots show that higher intakes of food, water, calories, protein, and lipids are positively associated with active aerobic PA, while higher intakes of these nutrients are inversely associated with low HGS. However, in the multivariate logistic regression analysis, no significant associations were observed between nutritional intake and active aerobic PA or HGS. Conclusion Nutritional intake was found to not be an independent factor associated with PA and HGS. However, the observed correlations suggest potential indirect effects that warrant further investigation.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Rosa hybrida has been demonstrated to exert biological effects on several cell types. This study investigated the efficacy of the edible ethanol extract of R.hybrida (EERH) against human colorectal carcinoma cell line (HCT116) cells.MATERIALS/METHODS: HCT116 cells were cultured with different concentrations of EERH (0, 400, 600, 800, and 1,000 µg/mL) in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle medium. Cell viability was measured using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and viable cell counting assays. Cell cycle pattern was observed by flow cytometry analysis. The wound-healing migration assay, invasion assay, and zymography were used to determine the migratory and invasive level of HCT116 cells treated with EERH. The protein expression and binding ability level of HCT116 cells following EERH treatment were analyzed via immunoblotting and the electrophoretic mobility shift assay. RESULTS: EERH suppressed HCT116 cell proliferation, thus arresting the G1-phase cell cycle.It also reduced cyclin-dependent kinases and cyclins, which are associated with p27KIP1 expression. Additionally, EERH differentially regulated the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase, p38, and protein kinase B. Moreover, EERH treatment inhibited the enzymatic activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and MMP-2, resulting in HCT116 cell migration and invasion. The EERH-induced inhibition of MMP-9 and MMP-2 was attributed to the reduced transcriptional binding of activator protein-1, specificity protein-1, and nuclear factor-κB motifs in HCT116 cells. Kaempferol was identified as the main compound contributing to EERH's antitumor activity. CONCLUSION EERH inhibits HCT116 cell proliferation and metastatic potential. Therefore, it is potentially useful as a preventive and curative nutraceutical agent against colorectal cancer.

As many countries implement different programs aimed at eliminating malaria, attention should be given to asymptomatic carriers that may interrupt the progress. This was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted in Tanzania from December 2022 to July 2023 within 4 villages from each of the 3 regions, Geita and Kigoma, which are high malaria transmission, and Arusha, which is low transmission. Malaria was diagnosed in asymptomatic individuals aged 1 year and older using the malaria rapid diagnostic test and light microscope. A total of 2,365 of 3,489 (67.9%) participants were enrolled from high-transmission villages. The overall prevalence was 25.5% and 15.8% by malaria rapid diagnostic test and light microscope, respectively. Using the respective tools, the prevalence was significantly higher at 35.6% (confidence interval (CI)=23.6–49.9) and 23.1% (CI=16.2–35.1) in the high-transmission regions (Geita and Kigoma) compared with 2.9% (CI=1.1–3.5) and 1.1% (CI=0.7–1.8) in the low-transmission region (Arusha). Children younger than 15 years and males accounted for the greatest proportion of infections. In the study area, the prevalence of asymptomatic cases was higher than that of reported symptomatic cases in health facilities. We hypothesize that these parasite reservoirs may contribute to the persistence of malaria in the country. Therefore, to achieve comprehensive malaria control in the country, the surveillance and screening of asymptomatic malaria cases are vital.