Objective:With the in-depth study of complement dysregulation,glomerulonephritis with dominant C3 has received increasing attention,with a variety of pathologic types and large differences in symptoms and prognosis between pathologic types.This study analyzes the clinical,pathological,and prognostic characteristics of different pathological types of glomerulonephritis with dominant C3,aiming to avoid misdiagnosis and missed diagnoses. Methods:The clinical,pathological,and follow-up data of 52 patients diagnosed as glomerulonephritis with dominant C3 by renal biopsy from June 2013 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the clinical feature and results of pathology,15 patients with post-infectious glomerulonephritis(PIGN)and 37 patients with of non-infectious glomerulonephritis(N-PIGN)were classified.N-PIGN subgroup analysis was performed,and 16 patients were assigned into a C3-alone-deposition group and 21 in a C3-dominant-deposition group,or 27 in a C3 glomerulopathy(C3G)group and 10 in a non-C3 nephropathy(N-C3G)group. Results:The PIGN group had lower creatinine values(84.60 μmol/L vs 179.62 μmol/L,P= 0.001),lower complement C3 values(0.36 g/L vs 0.74 g/L,P<0.001)at biopsy,and less severe pathological chronic lesions compared with the N-PIGN group.In the N-PIGN subgroup analysis,the C3-dominant-deposition group had higher creatinine values(235.30 μmol/L vs 106.70 μmol/L,P=0.004)and higher 24-hour urine protein values(4 025.62 mg vs 1 981.11 mg,P=0.037)than the C3-alone-deposition group.The prognosis of kidney in the PIGN group(P=0.049),the C3-alone-deposition group(P=0.017),and the C3G group(P=0.018)was better than that in the N-PIGN group,the C3-dominant-deposition group,and the N-C3G group,respectively. Conclusion:Glomerulonephritis with dominant C3 covers a variety of pathological types,and PIGN needs to be excluded before diagnosing C3G because of considerable overlap with atypical PIGN and C3G;in addition,the deposition of C1q complement under fluorescence microscope may indicate poor renal prognosis,and relevant diagnosis,treatment,and follow-up should be strengthened.

Objective To observe the intervention effect of acupuncture at"Zusanli"(ST36)or"Neiguan"(PC6)on the ulcerative colitis(UC)model mice.And to analyze the similarities and differences of gene transcription expression between the diseased colon and the non-diseased heart after acupuncture intervention by using transcriptomics,to explore whether there are efficacy differences between the two acupoints.Methods The UC mouse model was established by inducing dextran sulfate sodium salt(DSS).After successful modeling,the mice were randomly divided into model group,Zusanli group,and Neiguan group,with 9 mice in each group.Zusanli group and Neiguan group intervened with acupuncture at"Zusanli"and"Neiguan",respectively,30 min each time,once a day,for 5 consecutive days.The control and model groups were only bound without acupuncture.Observe the general situation of mice in each group,calculate the disease activity index(DAI),observe the morphological changes of colon tissue by HE staining.Use transcriptome sequencing technology to sequence and biologically analyze the colon tissue of mice in each group,and compare and study whether the two acupoints have differences in acupoint efficacy from the perspective of diseased tissue.At the same time,take the heart tissues of each group for comparative analysis,and discuss whether the effects of the two acupoints are different from the perspective of non-diseased tissue.Results Compared with control group,the DAI score of the model group increased significantly(P<0.001),and HE staining results showed significant pathological damage;after acupuncture at Zusanli or Neiguan,the DAI scores of UC mice were reduced considerably(P<0.05),and the pathological damage was significantly improved.The results of transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis showed that the effects of acupuncture at Zusanli or Neiguan on the colon of diseased tissue involved multiple genes,and 825 differential genes with similar changes(co-DEGs)were mainly enriched in white blood cells and chemokine pathways;there were 168 differentially expressed genes(ST36 only-DEGs)affected only by Zusanli,which were enriched to gastric acid secretion and other pathways;there were 325 differentially expressed genes(PC6 only-DEGs)only affected by Neiguan,which were enriched in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and other pathways.There were 95 co-DEGs in the heart of non-diseased tissue,which were mainly enriched in positive regulation of defense response and response to interleukin-1;there were 28 ST36 only-DEGs;there were114 PC6 only-DEGs,which were enriched in cardiovascular diseases and other pathways.Conclusion Acupuncture of"Zusanli"and"Neiguan"could improve UC mice's symptoms and pathological colon changes.However,through transcriptomic analysis,it was found that the two acupoints had differences in gene transcription effects on the colon of diseased tissue and the heart of non-diseased tissue,suggesting that acupoints with different distribution positions had some similarities in macro efficacy.Still,there were some differences at a micro level.

Objective To investigate the role of glutathione transferase in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by high-fat diet using the RNA-Seq technique in combination with gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses of differentially expressed genes. Methods A total of 14 male C57BL/6J mice were divided into control group with 6 mice and model group with 8 mice by random sampling. The mice in the control group were fed with normal diet, and those in the model group were fed with high-fat diet for 7 consecutive weeks to establish a model of NAFLD. Kits were used to measure the activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and the level of triglyceride (TG), and HE staining and oil red staining were used to observe liver pathology and deposition of lipid droplets. Liver tissue RNA was extracted for RNA-Seq, and genes with a fold change of ≥2.0 and a P value of < 0.05 were defined as differentially expressed genes; after differentially expressed genes were screened out between the control group and the model group, GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed, and qRT-PCR was used to validate the expression of the differentially expressed genes. The independent samples t -test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups. Results There were no significant differences between the two groups in body weight and the serum levels of ALT and AST (all P > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the model group had a significantly higher serum level of TG (2.02±0.50 mmol/L vs 1.00±0.29 mmol/L, t =-4.45, P =0.001). HE staining showed diffuse steatosis and ballooning degeneration in the model group, and oil red staining showed that the model group had a significant increase in orange-red lipid droplets in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes and a significantly higher grade of hepatocyte steatosis than the control group (1.88±0.64 vs 1.00±0.00, t =-3.86, P =0.006). RNA-seq results showed a total of 1367 differentially expressed genes between the two groups, among which there were 608 upregulated genes and 759 downregulated genes, and there were 17 differentially expressed GST genes between the two groups. The top 10 GST genes in terms of fold change were validated, and compared with the control group, the model group had downregulated expression of GSTa2, GSTa3, GSTa4, GSTm1, GSTm2, GSTm3, GSTm4, GSTp1, and GSTo1 and upregulated expression of GSTk1. The results of qRT-PCR were consistent with the results of sequencing. Conclusion GST affects lipid metabolism by participating in various biological processes such as steroid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and cholesterol metabolism and is closely associated with the pathogenesis of NAFLD.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with liver cirrhosis and its medication characteristics. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 89 patients with liver cirrhosis and PVT who were hospitalized and treated in Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and according to whether TCM treatment was applied in combination, they were divided into TCM group with 59 patients and control group with 30 patients. Related data were collected for the two groups, including demographic data, laboratory examination, radiological examination, gastroscopy, history of surgery, portal hypertension-related complications, medication, and follow-up data. The independent samples t -test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Mann-Whitney U rank sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. An ordinal polytomous Logistic regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis. TCM Inheritance Computing Platform (V3.0) was used to perform a drug effect cluster analysis of TCM prescriptions. Results The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that esophageal and gastric varices (odds ratio [ OR ]=3.144, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.221-8.094), PVT involving the portal vein (PV) and the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) ( OR =51.667, 95% CI : 3.536-754.859), PVT involving PV+spleen vein (SV)+SMV ( OR =13.271, 95% CI : 2.290-76.928), cavernous transformation of the portal vein ( OR =11.896, 95% CI : 1.172-120.696), and TCM intervention ( OR =0.348, 95% CI : 0.129-0.938) were influencing factors for the outcome of PVT in liver cirrhosis. Follow-up results showed that compared with the control group, the TCM group had a significantly lower progression rate (16.95% vs 56.67%, P < 0.001) and a significantly lower incidence rate of variceal rupture and bleeding (8.47% vs 33.33%, P < 0.001). Effective TCM drugs with a relatively high frequency of use included deficiency-tonifying drugs (359 times, 34.6%), blood-activating and stasis-resolving drugs (202 times, 19.5%), and diuresis-inducing and dampness-draining drugs (180 times, 17.3%); the TCM drugs with a relatively high frequency of use included Astragalus membranaceus (57 times, 8.7%), Angelica sinensis (50 times, 7.6%), and leech (48 times, 7.3%); TCM drug combinations with a relatively high frequency of use included Astragalus membranaceus+Angelica sinensis, Astragalus membranaceus+leech, Angelica sinensis+leech, and Astragalus membranaceus+Angelica sinensis+leech. Conclusion Qi-tonifying, blood-activating, and stasis-breaking drugs, such as Astragalus membranaceus, Angelica sinensis, and leech, can promote the stabilization or recanalization of PVT in liver cirrhosis and reduce the incidence rate of bleeding events due to portal hypertension.

Bisphenol A is a common environmental factor and endocrine disruptor that exerts a negative impact on male reproductive ability. By exploring bisphenol A-induced testicular cell death using the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mouse model, we found that a ferroptosis phenomenon may exist. Mice were divided into six groups and administered different doses of bisphenol A via intragastric gavage once daily for 45 consecutive days. Serum was then collected to determine the levels of superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde. Epididymal sperm was also collected for semen analysis, and testicular tissue was collected for ferritin content determination, electron microscope observation of mitochondrial morphology, immunohistochemistry, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western blot analysis. Exposure to bisphenol A was found to decrease sperm quality and cause oxidative damage, iron accumulation, and mitochondrial damage in the testes of mice. In addition, bisphenol A was confirmed to affect the expression of the ferroptosis-related genes, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2), and acyl-CoA synthetase 4 (ACSL4) in mouse testicular tissues. Accordingly, we speculate that bisphenol A induces oxidative stress, which leads to the ferroptosis of testicular cells. Overall, the inhibition of ferroptosis may be a potential strategy to reduce male reproductive toxicity caused by bisphenol A.
Male ; Mice ; Animals ; Testis/metabolism* ; Ferroptosis ; Semen ; Oxidative Stress

ObjectiveTo confirm the clinical efficacy and safety of Yishen Yangxin Anshen tablets in the treatment of insomnia （heart-blood deficiency and kidney-essence insufficiency syndrome）. MethodA randomized block， double-blind， placebo-controlled， multi-center clinical trial design method was adopted， and a total of 480 patients with insomnia due to deficiency of heart blood and insufficiency of kidney essence （treatment group-control group 3∶1） from seven hospitals （Guang'anmen Hospital， China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences， The First Clinical Hospital， Jilin Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine（TCM）， The Second Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of TCM， The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine， Henan Province Hospital of TCM， Hebei General Hospital， The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine） were enrolled. The treatment group was given Yishen Yangxin Anshen tablets and the control group received placebo tablets （4 tablets/time， 3 times/day， 4 weeks of administration， 4 weeks of follow-up after drug withdrawal）. The sleep dysfunction rating scale （SDRS） score， pittsburgh sleep quality index （PSQI） score， TCM， polysomnography （PSG） indicators from four hospital （Guang'anmen Hospital， China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences， Henan Province Hospital of TCM， Hebei General Hospital， The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine）， and other efficacy indicators were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Through general physical examination， laboratory examination， and observation of adverse events， the safety of the drugs was evaluated. ResultThe baseline indexes of the two groups showed no significant difference and thus the two groups were comparable. After treatment， the total score of SDRS in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group （P<0.01）. After drug withdrawal for 4 weeks， the total score of SDRS demonstrated no significant change in the treatment group as compared with that at the end of treatment， indicating that the rebound change of curative effect was not obvious. After treatment， the total score of PSQI in the treatment group decreased as compared with that in the control group （P<0.01）， and the change of total score of PSQI in the treatment group was statistically significant （P<0.05） after drug withdrawal for 4 weeks but small， indicating that the rebound change of curative effect was not obvious. After treatment， the total effective rate about the TCM symptoms in the treatment group was higher than that in the control group （χ²=137.521，P<0.01）. After treatment， the disappearance rates of single indexes in the treatment group， such as difficulty in falling asleep， easily waking up after sleeping， early awakening， short sleep time， dreamfulness， palpitation， forgetfulness， dizziness， mental fatigue， and weakness of waist and knee， increased compared with those in the control group （P<0.01）. After treatment， the treatment group demonstrated fewer awaking times （AT）， longer total sleep time （TST）， lower ATA/TST ratio， and higher sleep efficiency （%） than the control group （P<0.05）. No abnormal value or aggravation related to drugs was observed in either group. The incidence of adverse events in the treatment group and the control group was 5.57% and 8.40% respectively. No serious adverse events or adverse events leading to withdrawal happened in either group. ConclusionYishen Yangxin Anshen tablets is effective and safe for patients with insomnia of deficiency of heart-blood and insufficiency of kidney-essence.

Currently,the research or publications related to the clinical comprehensive evaluation of Chinese patent medicine are increasing,which attracts the broad attention of all circles. According to the completed clinical evaluation report on Chinese patent medicine,there are still practical problems and technical difficulties such as unclear responsibility of the evaluation organization,unclear evaluation subject,miscellaneous evaluation objects,and incomplete and nonstandard evaluation process. In terms of evaluation standards and specifications,there are different types of specifications or guidelines with different emphases issued by different academic groups or relevant institutions. The professional guideline is required to guide the standardized and efficient clinical comprehensive evaluation of Chinese patent medicine and further improve the authority and quality of evaluation. In combination with the characteristics of Chinese patent medicine and the latest research achievement at home and abroad,the detailed specifications were formulated from six aspects including design,theme selection,content and index,outcome,application and appraisal,and quality control. The guideline was developed based on the guideline development requirements of China Assoication of Chinese medicine. After several rounds of expert consensus and public consultation,the current version of the guideline has been developed.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Nonprescription Drugs ; Consensus ; China ; Reference Standards ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Ethnic medicine has a rich history of application. Because of the large number of ethnic groups, wide geographical distribution, and unique medical systems in China, the research on the human use experience(HUE) of ethnic medicine should combine the characteristics of ethnic medicine, be based on practical experience, and respect folk practice and tradition. The clinical positioning of ethnic medicine should consider three factors, i.e., population region, dominant diseases, and clinical demand. We should consider the development of traditional preparations that meet the needs of ethnic regions and encourage the development of new drugs that can be popularized and used nationwide for the dominant diseases of ethnic medicines. Attention should be paid to the problems such as a large number of customary articles or substitutes of ethnic medicinal materials, the phenomena of foreign bodies with the same name and different names for the same substance, the different standards of medicinal materials, and the poor processing standards. The name, processing method, source, medicinal parts, and dosage of ethnic medicinal materials or decoction pieces should be determined, and resources should be carefully evaluated to ensure the safety of medicinal resources and ecology. The preparation of ethnic medicine is mostly in the form of pills, powder, ointment, etc., with simple processing technology. The problems of low-quality stan-dards of some preparations, different prescriptions with the same name, and inconsistent processing technology should be overcome, and the process route and main process parameters should be clarified to lay the foundation for the subsequent empirical research on HUE. In the collection and analysis of the HUE data of ethnic medicine, the core guiding ideology of "patient-centered" should be established, and the experience data of patients should be collected. The problems of weak links existing in the inheritance of ethnic medicine should be solved, and flexible and diverse methods should be adopted. Meanwhile, on the premise of complying with the requirements of the principles of medical ethics, we should respect the religion, culture, and customs of ethnic areas to obtain the key HUE information of ethnic medicine. On the basis of the patient preference information and differences in regional disease epidemiology, population characteristics, and medical practice, whether the HUE conclusions of ethnic medicine can be extrapolated to patients outside the region is evaluated from the aspects of clinical benefits, risk tolerance, risk acceptance, etc. The HUE research on ethnic medicine is carried out in a clear way to guide the research and development of new ethnic medicines.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; China ; Reference Standards ; Technology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease and an important health concern. Western medicine and therapies are the main treatment strategies for psoriasis vulgaris (PV); however, the overall prognosis of patients with PV is still poor. Therefore, PV prevention is especially crucial. Chinese medicine (CM) has a long history of treating psoriasis, and it has unique wisdom in different cognitive angles and treatment modes from modern medicine. In this review, we first summarized the herbs and ancient CM formulas that have therapeutic effects on PV. Second, the research status and obstacles to the current development of CM in modern medicine were reviewed. Finally, the future of CM in the context of precision medicine and integrated medicine was discussed. After a detailed reading of the abundant literature, we believe that CM, through thousands of years of continuous development and clinical practice, has achieved high effectiveness and safety for PV treatment, despite its surrounding controversy. Moreover, precise analyses and systematic research methods have provided new approaches for the modernization of CM in the future. The treatment of PV with CM is worth popularizing, and we hope it can benefit more patients.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Psoriasis/therapy* ; Research Design ; Drug Therapy, Combination

T cells play central roles in anti-tumor immune responses. Immune checkpoint therapy, which is based on modulation of T cell reactivity, has achieved breakthrough in clinical treatment of multiple tumors. Moreover, adoptive T cell therapy, which includes mainly genetically engineered T cells, has shown substantial treatment efficacy in hematoma. Immune therapy has tremendously changed the scenario of clinical tumor treatment and become critical strategies for treating multiple tumors. T cell receptor (TCR) is the fundamental molecule responsible for the specificity of T cell recognition. TCRs could recognize peptides, which are derived from intracellular or extracellular tumor antigens, presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and are therefore highly sensitive to low antigen level. Thereby, TCRs are broadly recognized as promising molecules for the development of anti-tumor drugs. The approval of the first TCR drug in 2022 has initiated a new era for TCR-based therapeutics and since then, multiple TCR drugs have shown substantial treatment efficacy in multiple tumors. This review summarizes the progress of TCR-based immune therapeutic strategies, including T cell receptor-engineered T cell (TCR-T), TCR-based protein drugs, and other cell therapies based on TCR signaling, providing useful information for future design of immune therapeutics based on TCR.
Humans ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism* ; T-Lymphocytes/metabolism* ; Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Immunotherapy ; Antigens, Neoplasm