ObjectiveTo reveal the mechanism of Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu prescription against damage to hippocampal synaptic microenvironment via suppressing glutamate receptor 2 （GluR2）/Parkin signal-mediated mitophagy in rats with diabetes-related depression （DD）. MethodsEighty male SD rats underwent adaptive feeding for 5 days before the study. Ten rats were randomly assigned to the normal group. The model of DD rats was established with the rest by 2-week high-fat diet + streptozotocin （STZ） tail intravenous injection + 28 days of chronic unpredictable mild stress （CUMS） combined with isolation. The rats were randomly divided into a normal group， a model group， a GluR2 blocker group （5 μg·kg^-1）， a GluR2 agonist group （10 μg·kg^-1）， a metformin + fluoxetine group （0.18 g·kg^-1 metformin + 1.8 mg·kg^-1 fluoxetine）， and high- and low-dose Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu prescription groups （20.52 and 10.26 g·kg^-1， respectively）. The rats in the GluR2 blocker group and the GluR2 agonist group were continuously injected with CNQX and Cl-HIBO in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus once a week starting from stress modeling， respectively， while the metformin + fluoxetine group and the high- and low-dose Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu prescription groups were continuously given intragastric administration for 28 d at the same time of stress modeling. Depression-like behavior was evaluated by open field and forced swimming experiments. The levels of serum insulin and adenosine triphosphate （ATP） in hippocampus were detected by biochemical analysis. The levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） and dopamine （DA） in hippocampus were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The autophagosomes of hippocampal neurons were observed by transmission electron microscopy. The morphology and structure of dendrites and spines of hippocampal neurons were evaluated by Golgi staining. Western blot detected the expression levels of GluR2 and Parkin proteins in hippocampus. The expression levels of GluR2， Parkin， regulating synaptic membrane exocytosis protein 3 （RIMS3）， and postsynaptic density protein 95 （PSD95） in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus were detected by immunofluorescence. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited reduced total activity distance in the open field and increased immobility time in forced swimming （P<0.01）， lowered levels of serum insulin and ATP， 5-HT， and DA in hippocampus （P<0.01）， increased autophagosomes of hippocampal neurons， significantly damaged morphology and structure of dendrites and spines of hippocampal neurons， decreased expression levels of GluR2， RIMS3， and PSD95 in hippocampus， and an increased Parkin expression level （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the GluR2 blocker group and the GluR2 agonist group showed aggravation and alleviation of the above abnormal changes， respectively （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The above depression-like behavior was significantly improved in the high- and low-dose Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu prescription groups to different degrees. Specifically， the two groups saw elevated levels of serum insulin and ATP， 5-HT， and DA in hippocampus （P<0.05， P<0.01）， restrained increase in autophagosomes and damage to morphology and structure of dendrites and spines of hippocampal neurons， up-regulated protein expression levels of GluR2， RIMS3， and PSD95， and down-regulated Parkin expression level （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionZuogui Jiangtong Jieyu prescription can ameliorate the mitophagy-mediated damage to hippocampal synaptic microenvironment in DD rats， the mechanism of which might be related to the regulation of GluR2/Parkin signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which the ethanol extract of Epimedium brevicornu （EEBM） intervenes in mesenchymal adipose-derived stem cells （ADSCs） to delay aging in castrated rats. MethodsForty-five 3-month-old SPF female SD rats were ovariectomized and randomly divided into model group， ADSCs treatment group， and ADSCs groups treated with low， medium， and high concentrations of EEBM （1， 50， 100 μg·L^-1）， referred to as the AE low， medium， and high concentration groups， with 9 rats in each group. After tail vein injection of 200 μL of the corresponding stem cell suspension， aging-related indicators including cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor （p21）， tumor suppressor gene （p53）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-8 （IL-8）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3 （Caspase-3）， and lipofuscin were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） and Western blot. ResultsCompared with the model group， the IL-6 content in the AE low， medium， and high concentration groups was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Lipofuscin， MDA， and IL-8 levels in the ADSCs treatment group and AE low， medium， and high concentration groups were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while SOD content was significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the ADSCs treatment group， lipofuscin and IL-8 levels in the AE low， medium， and high concentration groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The MDA content was significantly decreased in the AE medium concentration group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， protein levels of p21， p53， Bax， and Caspase-3 in the ADSCs treatment group and AE low， medium， and high concentration groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the Bcl-2 protein level was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the ADSCs treatment group， protein levels of p21， p53， Bax， and Caspase-3 in the AE low， medium， and high concentration groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the Bcl-2 protein level in the AE low concentration group was significantly increased （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe results of this experiment show that EEBM-treated ADSCs or ADSCs may delay aging in castrated rats by inhibiting cell apoptosis， reducing cell cycle inhibitors and pro-inflammatory factors， enhancing antioxidant capacity， and reducing oxidative reactions. Moreover， EEBM-treated ADSCs demonstrate stronger anti-aging effects than ADSCs alone. This study provides experimental evidence supporting the clinical use of EEBM to intervene in ADSCs and delay aging.

Zhishi Shaoyaosan is the 34^th prescription in the Catalogue of Ancient Classic Formulas （Second Batch） published by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2023. It is widely used in clinical practice and has a definite curative effect. However， there is currently a lack of its ancient literature analysis and textual research， and there is no corresponding Chinese patent medicine preparation. By consulting and combing the relevant ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine， this paper analyzes and conducts textual research of the origin， composition， measurement， administration， and efficacy of Zhishi Shaoyaosan. The results show that Zhishi Shaoyaosan is derived from Essentials from the Golden Cabinet written by Zhang Zhongjing in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is mainly recorded in the name of Zhishi Shaoyaosan in the literature of the past dynasties. The prescription is composed of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus and Paeoniae Radix Alba. The processing method is stir-frying Aurantii Fructus Immaturus to scorch and using raw Paeoniae Radix Alba. The dose of the prescription recorded in the ancient books is mainly an equal amount of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus and Paeoniae Radix Alba in one square-cun spoon， taken three times a day， which is converted into a modern dose of 1.5 g each time （0.75 g Aurantii Fructus Immaturus and 0.75 g Paeoniae Radix Alba each time）. The components of the prescription are ground into powder and taken with barley porridge， three times a day. The efficacy is to break stagnated Qi， harmonize blood， and relieve restlessness and pain. It is mainly used to treat postpartum abdominal pain， acute pelvic inflammatory disease， acute cholecystitis and intestinal diseases， stroke sequelae， and other diseases. This study combs and analyzes the ancient literature recording Zhishi Shaoyaosan and clarifies the key information of the prescription， which provides a basis for promoting the research and development of its patent medicine.

Atopic dermatitis （AD） is a common pruritic and chronic inflammatory dermatosis in clinical practice and is one of the diseases responding specifically to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. With the launch of biological agents and small molecule drugs and the development and implementation of guidelines of diagnosis and treatment， clinical pathways of treatment of moderate to severe AD， and consensus on the whole-process management of AD， the clinical efficacy of moderate to severe AD has been significantly improved. However， there are still many unmet clinical needs that require more effective methods to meet. In response to the Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Facilitating the Inheritance， Innovation， and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the spirit of the National Conference on TCM， the China Association of Chinese Medicine organized more than 20 experts in TCM dermatology， Western medicine dermatology， interdisciplinary fields， and industries to discuss the difficulties and advantages of TCM in the treatment of AD. TCM treatment for AD can not only improve rash and relieve itching but also solve many concomitant syndromes. The abundant external treatment methods of TCM have advantages for different special populations and rash characteristics. The concept of treating disease before its onset in TCM is in line with the chronic disease management mode of prevention and treatment of atopic march and prevention of recurrence. In addition， TCM therapy can reduce the use of topical glucocorticoids and has good safety. Regarding the comorbidity of AD， equal emphasis on TCM and Western medicine and multidisciplinary joint treatment should be advocated to achieve maximum benefit for patients. The exchange of TCM and Western medicine has clarified the positioning and advantages of TCM intervention in AD， providing guidance for clinical and scientific research.

Uveitis is a blinding inflammatory disease that affects multiple structures within the eye, posing significant risks to patients' vision and mental health. Current treatments mainly involve glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants, which are associated with significant side effects, high relapse rates, and substantial costs. Recent research suggests that the gut microbiota may play a role in the development of uveitis through the gut-eye axis, with related metabolites also influencing disease progression. Modulating the gut microbiota or its metabolites could offer new therapeutic avenues for uveitis. This review explores the relationship between gut microbiota and various uveitis-associated diseases, such as systemic sarcoidosis, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome, Behcet's disease, multiple sclerosis, and birdshot chorioretinopathy. It also discusses advancements in microbiota-related therapies, including probiotics and prebiotics, antibiotics, immunomodulators, phage therapy, and fecal microbiota transplantation. The aim is to provide a reference for the development of new therapies targeting specific microbial communities and genetic markers associated with uveitis, thereby promoting the realization of precision medicine.

Objective To investigate the preventive effects of lidocaine administered through different routes on cardiovascular stress responses during anesthesia tracheal intubation. Methods Total 120 patients scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia were randomly divided into three groups: intravenous injection group （group IV）, throat spray group （group LJ）, and control group （group CT）, with 40 patients in each. Group IV received 50 mg of lidocaine via intravenous injection 1 minute before tracheal intubation. Group LJ received 50 mg of lidocaine sprayed into the pharyngeal cavity, glottis, and subglottic area. Group CT did not receive any treatment, and the remaining procedures were performed following the routine general anesthesia induction protocol. Heart rate （HR）, systolic blood pressure （SBP）, diastolic blood pressure （DBP）, and mean arterial pressure （MAP） were recorded at four time points: T₀ （before tracheal intubation）, T₁ （immediately after tracheal intubation）, T₂ （3 minutes after intubation）, and T₃ （5 minutes after intubation）. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using SPSS 22.0. Results There were no significant differences in HR at various time points within the group LJ. The changes in HR in the group IV and group CT were different statistically from those in the throat spray group. The blood pressure of patients in all three groups increased to varying degrees immediately after tracheal intubation, with the group CT showing particularly significant changes that differed significantly from both the group IV and the group LJ. The group LJ rapidly returned to levels close to those before intubation. Conclusion The preventive effects of lidocaine on stress responses during tracheal intubation were different depending on the route of administration. The inhibitory preventive effect of the throat spray method was superior to that of intravenous lidocaine, especially in preventing changes in heart rate.

ObjectiveTo understand the status of parasitic infection in the food sold on market in Qingpu District of Shanghai, and to provide an evidence for the development of prevention and control strategies for parasitic infection applicable to Qingpu District. MethodsAquatic products, meat products and other foodstuffs sold on online shops, at farm product markets, supermarkets/foodstores and restaurants were sampled in Qingpu District, Shanghai, during 2015‒2023, based on the administrative division of Qingpu District. The parasitic infection in the food samples were examined using pressing method and digestion for detecting metacercariae in freshwater products and pickled products, using dissection microscopy for Anisakis larvae in seawater products, Taenia cysticercus and Trichinella encysted larvae in meat products. ResultsA total of 1 079 samples of food products were examined during 2015‒2023, with a total parasite infection rate of 13.44%. The total parasite infection rate of freshwater fish products was 3.40% (16/471), and the difference of parasite infection rates between different freshwater fish species was statistically significant (χ²=229.609, P=0.001). The total infection rate of Clonorchis sinensis was 3.18% (15/471), which had been detected in Pseudorasbora parva, Cyprinidae rhodeus, and Carassius auratus, with a positive rate of 77.78% (7/9), 50.00% (5/10) and 3.90% (3/77), respectively. Metorchis orientalis was detected in in Pseudorasbora parva, with a positive rate of 33.33% (3/9). The positive rate of Gnathostoma spinigerum (third-stage larvae) was 0.81%. Paragonimus metacercariae were not detected in the freshwater shrimps and crabs. The infection rate of seawater fish products was 26.46%. The difference of parasite infection rate in seawater fishes was statistically significant (χ²=109.181, P=0.001). A total of 53 pork and beef samples were tested, none was detected with Trichinella larva cysts, Taenia solium metacercariae, and Taenia saginata metacercariae. The total infection rate of pickled yellow mud snail products was 58.11% (43/74). Paragonimus metacercariae was not detected in any of the pickled aquatic product samples. ConclusionThere are different degrees of parasitic infection in freshwater products, seawater products and pickled aquatic products in Qingpu District of Shanghai. The risk of parasite infection from raw or undercooked foods is high. Health education on healthy dietary practices such as throughly cooked food should be strengthened for local residents.

ObjectiveTo collate and compare the characteristics and differences in the methods for constructing animal models of different subtypes of gastroesophageal reflux disease （GERD） based on literature， providing a reference for researchers in this field regarding animal model construction. MethodsExperimental studies related to GERD including reflux esophagitis （RE）， nonerosive reflux disease （NERD） and Barrett's esophagus （BE） model construction from January 1， 2014 to January 27， 2024， were retrieved from databases such as CNKI， Wanfang， VIP， Web of Science， and Pubmed. Information on animal strains， genders， modeling methods including disease-syndrome combination models， modeling cycles were extracted； for studies with model evaluation， the methods of model evaluation were also extracted； then analyzing all those information. ResultsA total of 182 articles were included. SD rats were most frequently selected when inducing animal models of RE （88/148， 59.46%） and NERD （9/14， 64.29%）. For BE， C57BL/6 mice were most commonly used （11/20， 55.00%）. Male animals （RE： 111/135， 82.22%； NERD： 11/14， 78.57%； BE： 10/12， 83.33%） were the most common gender among the three subtypes. The key to constructing RE animal models lies in structural damage to the esophageal mucosal layer， gastric content reflux， or mixed reflux， among which forestomach ligation + incomplete pylorus ligation （42/158， 26.58%） was the most common modeling method； the key to constructing NERD animal models lies in micro-inflammation of the esophageal mucosa， visceral hypersensitivity， and emotional problems， and intraperitoneal injection of a mixed suspension of ovalbumin and aluminum hydroxide combined with acid perfusion in the lower esophagus （8/14， 57.14%） was the most common modeling method； the key to constructing BE animal models lies in long-term inflammatory stimulation of the esophageal mucosa and bile acid reflux， and constructing interleukin 2-interleukin 1β transgenic mice （7/25， 28.00%） was the most common modeling method. Adverse psychological stress was the most common method for inducing liver depression. ConclusionsThe construction key principles and methodologies for RE， NERD， and BE animal models exhibit significant differences. Researchers should select appropriate models based on subtype characteristics （e.g.， RE focusing on structural damage， NERD emphasizing visceral hypersensitivity）. Current studies show insufficient exploration of traditional Chinese medicine disease-syndrome combination models. Future research needs to optimize syndrome modeling approaches （e.g.， composite etiology simulation） and establish integrated Chinese-Western medicine evaluation systems to better support mechanistic investigations of traditional Chinese medicine.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of astragalin （AST） on autophagy and apoptosis of astrocytes in the L_4-5 dorsal horn of the spinal cord in mice with inflammatory pain induced by complete Freund's adjuvant （CFA）. MethodsTwenty-four male C57BL/6 mice， aged six months， were randomly assigned to four groups： control group， saline group， CFA model group， and CFA+AST group， six mice in each group. The inflammatory pain model was established by injection of 10 µL CFA into the right lateral malleolus fossa. The saline group were injected with an equal amount of normal saline at the same site. The inflammatory pain mice in CFA+AST group were further treated with AST （60 mg/kg） intraperitoneally once a day for 21 consecutive days. Multiplex immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the coexpression of autophagy-related factors including ATG 12 and Beclin-1， apoptosis-related factors including Cleaved-Caspase3 and Caspase9， and the astrocyte marker such as GFAP in the L_4-5 spinal dorsal horn of the mice in each group. Western blot was used to examine the protein expression levels of autophagy-related proteins（ATG12， Beclin-1） and apoptosis-related proteins（Caspase 3， Caspase 9） in the L_4-5 spinal dorsal horn of mice. ResultsImmunofluorescent staining showed that in the L_4-5 dorsal horn of the spinal cord， the fluorescence intensity of ATG12 （P<0.000 1） and Beclin-1 （P<0.000 1） was significantly increased， while that of Cleaved-Caspase 3 （P<0.001） and Caspase 9 （P<0.000 1） was decreased in the CFA+AST group when compared to the CFA model group. Furthermore， AST could inhibit the activation of astrocytes. Western blot further confirmed that AST significantly upregulated the expression of ATG12 （P<0.000 1） and Beclin-1 （P<0.000 1） in the L_4-5 spinal cord of CFA mice， and downregulated the expression of Caspase 3 （P<0.01） and Caspase 9 （P<0.001）. ConclusionsAST promotes autophagy of astrocytes and inhibits their apoptosis in the L_4-5 spinal dorsal horn of CFA mice.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of different drying conditions on the appearance and intrinsic quality indicators of Pinelliae Rhizoma for screening suitable drying conditions， so as to provide reference for its standardized production and quality evaluation. MethodsDifferent dried samples of Pinelliae Rhizoma were prepared by lime-assisted sweating method and intermittent drying method. Visual analysis was employed to measure the color brightness values（L^*） of the surface， cross-section and powder of the samples， texture analyzer was used to determine the hardness of the samples under different drying conditions. The total starch content was calculated by measuring the contents of amylose and amylopectin in the samples with ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. High performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） was used to determine the contents of seven nucleoside components（uracil， hypoxanthine， uridine， inosine， guanosine， β-thymidine and adenosine） in the samples. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between the external characteristics and intrinsic indicators of the different dried samples. Principal component analysis（PCA） was used to comprehensively rank the data of various indicators， and partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） was used to screen differential components with variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1. Furthermore， the difference between the optimal drying condition for Pinelliae Rhizoma and the traditional sun-drying method was explored by independent samples t-test. ResultsWith the increase of temperature， the color of the intermittently dried samples gradually deepened， while their hardness gradually decreased. Concurrently， the contents of extract， total starch， uridine and adenosine exhibited an upward trend， whereas the contents of uracil， hypoxanthine and inosine displayed a downward trajectory. Compared with the intermittent drying group， the content of extract in the samples subjected to lime-assisted sweating increased. With the increase of lime dose， the hardness and the total content of nucleoside components in the samples showed a downward trend， while the total starch content showed an upward trend. Correlation analysis showed that the comprehensive score of L^* was negatively correlated with the contents of uracil， hypoxanthine and inosine， and positively correlated with the contents of uridine， guanosine and adenosine. Hardness was negatively correlated with adenosine content， and positively correlated with the contents of inosine， uracil and hypoxanthine. Through comprehensive consideration and comprehensive score of principal components， the method of 5% lime-mixed sweating for 6 days emerged as the top-ranking approach. Except for the extract， the results of independent samples t-test showed that there was no significant difference between the 5% lime-mixed sweating for 6 days and the traditional sun-drying in terms of other content indicators. ConclusionThe whiteness and firmness of Pinelliae Rhizoma exhibit significant correlations with its chemical composition， while uridine， uracil， guanosine， adenosine and inosine are the key constituents responsible for the quality difference of Pinelliae Rhizoma under different drying conditions. The lime-assisted sweating method optimized in this study can be proposed as a viable alternative to the traditional sun-drying method. This method not only ensures the quality of the medicinal material but also effectively reduces the drying time and prevents mold contamination， which provides a valuable reference for the standardization of drying conditions and the establishment of quality evaluation criteria for Pinelliae Rhizoma.