Cardiovascular diseases （CVD），a group of common diseases in clinical practice，are witnessing a steady rise in both incidence and mortality rates，posing a challenge to public health. Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang，originating from Synopsis of the Golden Chamber （《金匮要略》），was initially used to treat severe cases of chest impediment. The formula consists of Trichosanthis Fructus，Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus，Pinelliae Rhizoma，and Baijiu. It has a wide range of clinical applications，with therapeutic effects including moving Qi to relieve depression，activating Yang to dissipate mass，and expelling phlegm to alleviate chest congestion. In recent years，clinical research has confirmed that Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang，with or without modification，used alone or in combination with Western medicine，has definite effects in the treatment of CVD such as hyperlipidemia，coronary atherosclerotic heart disease，hypertension，heart failure，and arrhythmia. It can alleviate disease symptoms and reduce the risk of re-hospitalization. Basic research indicates that the mechanisms of Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang include improving endothelial functions，exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties，countering oxidative stress，preventing apoptosis，inhibiting ventricular remodeling，regulating mitochondrial functions，improving hemorheology，and modulating autophagy and neurotransmitters. This article reviews relevant articles in recent years with focuses on the compatibility，clinical application，and mechanism of Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang. This review is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the mechanism research and clinical application of this formula in treating CVD and to offer ideas and reference for in-depth research.

AIM: To assess the stability of the tear film and the characteristics of corneal nerves in patients with Parkinson's disease(PD).METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study included 72 PD patients and 50 healthy controls. Disease severity was determined using the Hoehn-Yahr(H-Y)scale, dividing patients into mild and moderate PD groups. Dry eye symptoms were evaluated via the ocular surface disease index(OSDI)questionnaire, while tear secretion was quantified using the Schirmer I test. Ocular surface damage was assessed through staining scores, and comprehensive ocular examinations were performed utilizing the LipiView ocular surface interferometer and an ocular surface analyzer. Corneal nerve parameters were examined using corneal confocal microscopy in conjunction with automated analysis software ACCMetrics, with correlations drawn between these parameters, PD course, and severity.RESULTS: PD patients exhibited significantly elevated OSDI scores, indicative of more pronounced dry eye symptoms compared to the control group(F=70.290, P<0.01). Tear film stability was markedly compromised, with significantly shorter tear film breakup time and increased corneal fluorescein staining, both showing statistically significant differences relative to controls(all P<0.01). Tear secretion indices, including Schirmer I test results and tear meniscus height, were significantly reduced in PD patients(all P<0.01), whereas lipid secretion indices, such as lipid layer thickness and meibomian gland dropout score, did not show significant variation. Corneal nerve analysis revealed significant reductions in corneal nerve fiber density, nerve branch density, fiber length, and total branch density in PD patients compared to controls(all P<0.01). Furthermore, blink frequency was markedly prolonged(F=62.353, P<0.01). Correlation analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between alterations in tear film stability and both disease duration and H-Y scores.CONCLUSION: PD patients have obvious dry eye manifestations in the early stage of the disease, including the reduction of tear film stability and corneal nerve fiber density, and gradually aggravate with the progress of the disease. Neurodegenerative disease-related dry eye needs to be diagnosed early and actively treated.

Background Metals and metalloids in fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) may cause damage to the respiratory and circulatory systems of the human body, and long-term exposure is prone to causing chronic poisoning, cancer, and other adverse effects. Objective To assess the distribution characteristics of metals and metalloids in outdoor PM_2.5 in a southern city of China, conduct source apportionment, and evaluate the associated health risks, thereby providing theoretical support for further pollution control measures. Methods PM_2.5 samples were collected in districts A, B, and C of a southern China city, and the concentrations of 17 metals and metalloids were detected by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Pollution sources were assessed through enrichment factor and principal components analysis, and the main pollution sources were quantified using absolute principal component scores-multivariate linear regression (APCS-MLR). Health risks were evaluated based on the Technical guide for environmental health risk assessment of chemical exposure (WS/T777—2021). Results The ambient air PM_2.5 concentrations in the city were higher in winter and spring, and lower in summer and autumn. The annual average concentrations of ambient PM_2.5 in districts A, B, and C were 36.7, 31.9, and 24.4 μg·m⁻³, respectively. The ambient PM_2.5 levels in districts B and C were below the second-grade limit set by the Ambient air quality standards (GB 3095—2012). The enrichment factors of cadmium (Cd), aluminum (Al), and antimony (Sb) were greater than 10, those of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), and molybdenum (Mo) fell between 1 and 10, and those of manganese (Mn), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), and uranium (U) were below or equal to 1. The comprehensive evaluation of source analysis showed that the main pollution sources in districts A and C and the whole city were coal-burning. In district B, the main pollution source was also coal combustion, followed by industrial process sources and dust sources. The carcinogenic risks of As and Cr were between 1×10⁻⁶ and 1×10⁻⁴. However, the hazard quotients for 15 metals and metalloids in terms of non-carcinogenic risk were below 1. Conclusion Cr and As in the atmospheric PM_2.5 of the city present a certain risk of cancer and should be paid attention to. In addition, preventive control measures should be taken against relevant pollution sources such as industrial emission, dust, and coal burning.

[Objective] To compare the clinical efficacy of super pulse thulium laser enucleation of the prostate (SPThuLEP) with "open tunnel" and transurethral holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), in order to provide reference for the treatment options of BPH. [Methods] The clinical data of 112 BPH patients treated in our hospital during Jan.2023 and Jul.2023 were retrospectively analyzed, including 65 treated with SPThuLEP with "open tunnel" and 57 with HoLEP.The operation time, postoperative hemoglobin decrease, postoperative bladder irrigation, catheter indwelling time, hospitalization time and complications were compared between the two groups.The changes of maximum urine flow rate (Qmax), international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life score (QoL), postvoid residual (PVR) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were compared between the two groups before operation and one month after operation. [Results] All operations were successful without conversion to open or transurethral plasmakinetic resection.The postoperative decrease of hemoglobin in SPThuLEP group was lower than that in HoLEP group [(13.12±6.72) g/L vs. (21.02±6.51) g/L], with statistical difference (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the operation time [(63.35±15.73) min vs.(61.02±17.55) min], postoperative bladder irrigation time [(1.07±0.45) d vs. (1.06±0.36) d], catheter indwelling time [(2.98±0.56) d vs. (3.01±0.63) d] and hospitalization time [(3.63±0.61) d vs.(3.79±0.76) d] between the two groups (P>0.05). No blood transfusion, secondary bleeding or unplanned hospitalization occurred, and there were no serious complications such as transurethral electroresection syndrome (TURS), urethral stricture and urinary incontinence.One month after operation, the Qmax, IPSS, QoL, PVR and PSA of the two groups were significantly improved compared with those before operation (P<0.05), but with no statistical difference between the two groups (P>0.05). [Conclusion] SPThuLEP with "open tunnel" has comparable efficacy as HoLEP in the treatment of BPH.With advantages of small amount of bleeding and high safety, this minimally invasive technique can be widely popularized in clinical practice.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Dingzhi Xiaowan （DZXW） in post-stroke cognitive impairment （PSCI） model mice. MethodsThe cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury model of mice was established by using the middle cerebral artery occlusion method. Forty C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into the sham operation group， model group， low-dose DZXW group （1.43 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose DZXW group （2.56 g·kg^-1）， with 10 mice in each group. Both the sham operation group and the model group were treated with equal amounts of normal saline by gavage， and the above four groups of mice were gavaged once a day for 30 consecutive days. Morris water maze test was used to evaluate the learning memory ability of mice. Serum levels of amyloid precursor protein （APP）， amyloid 42 （Aβ₄₂）， acetylcholinesterase （AChE）， and superoxide dismutase （SOD） were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Deoxyribonucleotide end transferase-mediated nick end labelling （TUNEL） assay was applied to detect the degree of apoptosis in the mouse's hippocampal neurons. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of phosphoinositol-3 kinase （PI3K）， protein kinase B （Akt）， mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha （HIF-1α）， B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2） homologous structural domain protein （Beclin1）， sequestosome 1 （p62）， microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 （LC3）， Bcl-2， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） in hippocampal tissue. Prussian blue staining was used to detect iron deposition in hippocampal tissue. Transmission electron microscopy was taken to observe the ultrastructure of the mouse's hippocampal neurons. ResultsCompared with the sham operation group， the latency， APP， Aβ₄₂， AChE， TUNEL positivity， ferric ion deposition， HIF-1α， Beclin1， Bax， and LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ were significantly increased in the model group （P<0.01）， while the number of crossing platforms， SOD， p-PI3K， p-Akt， p-mTOR， p62， and Bcl-2 were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the latency， APP， Aβ₄₂， AChE， TUNEL positivity rate， ferric ion deposition， HIF-1α， Beclin1， Bax， and LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ were significantly reduced in the DZXW groups （P<0.05）， while the number of crossing platforms， SOD， p-PI3K， p-Akt， p-mTOR， p62， and Bcl-2 were significantly higher （P<0.05）. ConclusionDZXW can alleviate cognitive impairment induced by oxidative stress-aggravated hippocampal neuronal damage in PSCI model mice by modulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/HIF-1α autophagy signalling pathway.

Shegan Mahuangtang was a famous classical formula for treating asthma and is included in the the Catalogue of Ancient Famous Classical Formulas（The Second Batch）. By means of bibliometrics， this study conducts a textual research and analysis on the key information of its formula origin， composition， drug origins， processing， dosage， decocting methods， efficacy， and clinical application. According to research， Shegan Mahuangtang was first recorded in Synopsis of the Golden Chamber and is the ancestral formula for treating cold asthma， which has been used to this day. Suggestions for the drug origins in Shegan Mahuangtang is as follows：Shegan is selected from the dried rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis（Iridaceae）， Mahuang is selected from the dried herbaceous stems of Ephedra sinica（Ephedraceae）， Shengjiang is selected from the fresh rhizomes of Zingiber officinale（Zingiberaceae）， Xixin is selected from the dried roots and rhizomes of Asarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum， A. sieboldii var. seoulense or A. sieboldii（Aristolochiaceae）， Ziwan is selected from the dried roots and rhizomes of Aster tataricus（Compositae）， Kuandonghua is selected from the dried flower buds of Tussilago farfara（Compositae）， Nanwuweizi is selected from the dried mature fruits of Schisandra sphenanthera（Magnoliaceae）， Dazao is selected from the dried mature fruit of Ziziphus jujuba（Rhamnaceae）， and Banxia， a plant of the Araceae family， is selected as the processed products of dried tubers from Pinellia ternata. The recommended dosage is 41.4 g of Shegan， Xixin， Ziwan and Kuandonghua， 55.2 g of Mahuang and Shengjiang， 37.5 g of Nanwuweizi， 21 g of Dazao， 34.5 g of Banxia. The decoction method is to boil Mahuang first in 2.4 L of water， remove the froth on the top， and add the rest of the herbs and decoct them together， and then boil them to 600 mL， and then take it at warm temperature， 200 mL each time， 3 times a day. In terms of clinical application， Shegan Mahuangtang is most commonly used for respiratory system diseases， especially in the treatment of adult or pediatric bronchial asthma and cough variant asthma. Phlegm sound in the throat is the core symptom of Shegan Mahuangtang in clinical practice， and the core pathogenesis is "cold fluid stagnated in the lungs". By excavating and sorting out the ancient and modern literature of Shegan Mahuangtang， key information is confirmed， which can provide literature reference for the modern clinical application and new drug development of this famous classical formula.

AIM: To investigate the potential inhibitory effect of pterostilbene on the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition(EndMT)induced by high glucose conditions in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells(HRMECs).METHODS: The optimal concentration of pterostilbene for treating HRMECs was determined using the CCK-8 assay, with 12.5 and 25 μmol/L concentrations selected for subsequent experiments. Four experimental groups were established: control group, high glucose group, high glucose combined with 12.5 μmol/L pterostilbene treatment group, and high glucose combined with 25 μmol/L pterostilbene treatment group. The expression levels of HDAC7 and EndMT-associated markers were detected via Western blot analysis. Cell migration ability was assessed using Transwell migration assays and scratch wound healing tests, while vasculogenic capability was evaluated through tube formation assays.RESULTS: The CCK-8 assay revealed that pterostilbene at a concentration of 22.07 μmol/L inhibited 50% of cell viability in HRMECs. Western blot analysis demonstrated that compared with the control group, the expression levels of HDAC7, ZEB1, Vimentin, and Snail were significantly upregulated in HRMECs cultured in high glucose(all P<0.01), while the expressions of VE-cadherin and CD31 were significantly reduced(all P<0.01). Compared to the high glucose group, the treatment with 12.5 and 25 μmol/L pterostilbene significantly reduced the expression of HDAC7, ZEB1, Vimentin, and Snail under high glucose conditions(all P<0.01). Notably, 25 μmol/L pterostilbene enhanced the expression of VE-cadherin and CD31(all P<0.01). Scratch wound healing tests revealed that HRMECs treated with high glucose exhibited a significantly increased cell migration rate compared to the control group(P<0.05), while the application of 25 μmol/L pterostilbene significantly suppressed HRMECs migration under high glucose conditions(P<0.01). Transwell migration assays demonstrated that the cell migration rate in the high glucose group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.01), with cell migration rate markedly reduced following treatment with both of 12.5 and 25 μmol/L pterostilbene(all P<0.01). The tube formation assay revealed that the ability of HRMECs to form tubular structures was significantly enhanced under high glucose conditions(P<0.01), and both 12.5 and 25 μmol/L of pterostilbene effectively inhibited this effect(all P<0.01).CONCLUSION: Pterostilbene can inhibit HDAC7 expression, suppress EndMT-mediated migration of HRMECs, and impair tube formation under high-glucose conditions.

AIM: To investigate the potential inhibitory effect of pterostilbene on the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition(EndMT)induced by high glucose conditions in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells(HRMECs).METHODS: The optimal concentration of pterostilbene for treating HRMECs was determined using the CCK-8 assay, with 12.5 and 25 μmol/L concentrations selected for subsequent experiments. Four experimental groups were established: control group, high glucose group, high glucose combined with 12.5 μmol/L pterostilbene treatment group, and high glucose combined with 25 μmol/L pterostilbene treatment group. The expression levels of HDAC7 and EndMT-associated markers were detected via Western blot analysis. Cell migration ability was assessed using Transwell migration assays and scratch wound healing tests, while vasculogenic capability was evaluated through tube formation assays.RESULTS: The CCK-8 assay revealed that pterostilbene at a concentration of 22.07 μmol/L inhibited 50% of cell viability in HRMECs. Western blot analysis demonstrated that compared with the control group, the expression levels of HDAC7, ZEB1, Vimentin, and Snail were significantly upregulated in HRMECs cultured in high glucose(all P<0.01), while the expressions of VE-cadherin and CD31 were significantly reduced(all P<0.01). Compared to the high glucose group, the treatment with 12.5 and 25 μmol/L pterostilbene significantly reduced the expression of HDAC7, ZEB1, Vimentin, and Snail under high glucose conditions(all P<0.01). Notably, 25 μmol/L pterostilbene enhanced the expression of VE-cadherin and CD31(all P<0.01). Scratch wound healing tests revealed that HRMECs treated with high glucose exhibited a significantly increased cell migration rate compared to the control group(P<0.05), while the application of 25 μmol/L pterostilbene significantly suppressed HRMECs migration under high glucose conditions(P<0.01). Transwell migration assays demonstrated that the cell migration rate in the high glucose group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.01), with cell migration rate markedly reduced following treatment with both of 12.5 and 25 μmol/L pterostilbene(all P<0.01). The tube formation assay revealed that the ability of HRMECs to form tubular structures was significantly enhanced under high glucose conditions(P<0.01), and both 12.5 and 25 μmol/L of pterostilbene effectively inhibited this effect(all P<0.01).CONCLUSION: Pterostilbene can inhibit HDAC7 expression, suppress EndMT-mediated migration of HRMECs, and impair tube formation under high-glucose conditions.

Collagen is a major structural protein in the matrix of animal cells and the most widely distributed and abundant functional protein in mammals. Collagen’s good biocompatibility, biodegradability and biological activity make it a very valuable biomaterial. According to the source of collagen, it can be broadly categorized into two types: one is animal collagen; the other is recombinant collagen. Animal collagen is mainly extracted and purified from animal connective tissues by chemical methods, such as acid, alkali and enzyme methods, etc. Recombinant collagen refers to collagen produced by gene splicing technology, where the amino acid sequence is first designed and improved according to one’s own needs, and the gene sequence of improved recombinant collagen is highly consistent with that of human beings, and then the designed gene sequence is cloned into the appropriate vector, and then transferred to the appropriate expression vector. The designed gene sequence is cloned into a suitable vector, and then transferred to a suitable expression system for full expression, and finally the target protein is obtained by extraction and purification technology. Recombinant collagen has excellent histocompatibility and water solubility, can be directly absorbed by the human body and participate in the construction of collagen, remodeling of the extracellular matrix, cell growth, wound healing and site filling, etc., which has demonstrated significant effects, and has become the focus of the development of modern biomedical materials. This paper firstly elaborates the structure, type, and tissue distribution of human collagen, as well as the associated genetic diseases of different types of collagen, then introduces the specific process of producing animal source collagen and recombinant collagen, explains the advantages of recombinant collagen production method, and then introduces the various systems of expressing recombinant collagen, as well as their advantages and disadvantages, and finally briefly introduces the application of animal collagen, focusing on the use of animal collagen in the development of biopharmaceutical materials. In terms of application, it focuses on the use of animal disease models exploring the application effects of recombinant collagen in wound hemostasis, wound repair, corneal therapy, female pelvic floor dysfunction (FPFD), vaginal atrophy (VA) and vaginal dryness, thin endometritis (TE), chronic endometritis (CE), bone tissue regeneration in vivo, cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer (BC) and anti-aging. The mechanism of action of recombinant collagen in the treatment of FPFD and CE was introduced, and the clinical application and curative effect of recombinant collagen in skin burn, skin wound, dermatitis, acne and menopausal urogenital syndrome (GSM) were summarized. From the exploratory studies and clinical applications, it is evident that recombinant collagen has demonstrated surprising effects in the treatment of all types of diseases, such as reducing inflammation, promoting cell proliferation, migration and adhesion, increasing collagen deposition, and remodeling the extracellular matrix. At the end of the review, the challenges faced by recombinant collagen are summarized: to develop new recombinant collagen types and dosage forms, to explore the mechanism of action of recombinant collagen, and to provide an outlook for the future development and application of recombinant collagen.

ObjectiveTo explore the potential mechanism of acupuncture with the method of soothing the liver and regulating the mind in improving depressive disorder. MethodsEighteen C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into blank group， model group， and acupuncture group， with 6 mice in each group. The model group and the acupuncture group were subjected to depression induction by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide （LPS）， while the blank group received an equal volume of normal saline once daily for seven consecutive days. Concurrently， the acupuncture group received "soothing the liver and regulating the mind" acupuncture intervention starting from the first day of modeling， once daily for 14 days； whereas the blank group and the model group were only restrained without acupuncture. The sucrose preference test was used to assess sucrose preference rate， the open-field test to measure center stay time and total travel distance， and the forced swim test to evaluate immobility time. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe hippocampal morphological changes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in hippocampal tissue. Western blot analysis was conducted to examine the protein expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） and nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） in the hippocampus. ResultsCompared to the blank group， the model group showed a significant reduction in sucrose preference rate， center stay time， and total travel distance， along with a significant increase in immobility time in the forced swim test， hippocampal IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α levels， as well as TLR4 and NF-κB protein expression （P＜0.01）， and the histological examination revealed blurred hippocampal neuronal boundaries， loose arrangement， and some neurons exhibiting nuclear pyknosis and deep staining. Compared to the model group， the acupuncture group demonstrated a significant increase in sucrose preference rate， center stay time， and total travel distance， along with a significant reduction in immobility time in the forced swim test， hippocampal IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α levels， and TLR4 and NF-κB protein expression （P＜0.01）， and the histological analysis showed that hippocampal neurons in the acupuncture group were more tightly arranged， with reduced nuclear pyknosis and deep staining. ConclusionAcupuncture with the "soothing the liver and regulating the mind" method can significantly improve depression-like behavior， potentially by inhibiting the hippocampal TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and alleviating inflammatory responses.