OBJECTIVE To establish the fingerprint of Pinghuo tea standard decoction and a method for determination of multi-component to clarify the transfer relationship of quantities and quality from pieces and standard decoction. METHODS Fifteen batches of Pinghuo tea standard decoction were prepared and the extract rate was determined； the fingerprint of the preparation was established by using high-performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）； the similarity evaluation and the determination of common peaks were performed， and chemometric analysis was performed； the same method was used to determine the content of indicator components and the transfer rate was calculated. The chromatographic column was Venusil C18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid solution （gradient elution）； the column temperature was 30 ℃， and the detection wavelengths were 238 nm （0-37 min， 85-102 min） and 330 nm （37-85 min） at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min with an injection volume of 10 μL. RESULTS The similarity of HPLC fingerprints for 15 batches of Pinghuo tea standard decoction was not lower than 0.968. A total of 24 common peaks were calibrated and 9 peaks were recognized， which were as follows neochlorogenic acid （peak 3）， chlorogenic acid （peak 6）， geniposide （peak 9）， glycyrrhizin （peak 10）， galuteolin （peak 11）， isochlorogenic acid A （peak 14）， luteolin （peak 21）， kaempferol （peak 23） and glycyrrhizic acid （peak 24）. Cluster analysis， principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis showed consistent results， all of which could classify the 15 batches of samples into three categories. The linear range of indicator components in 15 batches of Pinghuo tea standard decoction， such as geniposide， luteolin， isochlorogenic acid A， glycyrrhizin， and glycyrrhizic acid， were 0.020 580-0.411 600， 0.001 617-0.080 850， 0.006 076-0.607 600， 0.005 125-0.071 740， and 0.017 288-0.432 200 mg/mL， respectively； RSDs of precision， repeatability， stability and recovery rate tests were all not higher than 4% （n＝6）. The mass fractions ranged 3.227 9-10.002 2， 0.297 4-0.554 6， 3.350 1-6.159 6， 0.720 6-1.073 3， 2.003 1-3.030 1 mg/g； transfer rates from the pieces and standard decoction were 19.762 8%-35.840 5%， 12.123 3%-21.254 0%， 46.097 2%-82.869 4%， 58.708 8%-91.629 6%， 39.114 3%-63.710 6%. The transfer rates of the extract from 15 batches of Pinghuo tea standard decoction ranged from 61.15%-84.68%. CONCLUSIONS Established HPLC fingerprint and content determination methods in this study are simple and accurate， which can provide reference for the quantitative value transfer study， quality control， clinical application and the development of subsequent formulations of Pinghuo tea standard decoction.

OBJECTIVE To provide a reference for improving the relevant standard operating procedures （SOP） and biological sample management in drug clinical trials. METHODS According to Good Clinical Practice， Data On-site Verification Points of Drugs Clinical Trials， Human Genetic Resources Management Regulations Implementation Rules， Qualification Examination Rules of Drug Clinical Trials Institution， based on the experience of managing clinical trials programs， the irregularities in biological samples management were analyzed by using statistical quality control tables and protocol deviation （PD） reported by sponsors， in the context of the quality control of drug clinical trials projects managed by the author from July 2016 to May 2023. The precautions in various aspects of sample management were put forward. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS A total of 101 biospecimen- related irregularities were found in the 60 drug clinical trials projects. Biological sample collection， preservation， and handling were the aspects with the highest incidence of irregular operations in biological sample management， accounting for 37.62%， 25.74%， and 21.78%， respectively. Regulating the management of biospecimens requires multiple efforts. The institutional office and the ethics committee carefully reviewed the consistency of the protocols， informed consent， and genetic office application involving biospecimen collection and handling when the project was initiated. Institutional office quality controllers should pay attention to the attendance and training of authorized personnel at project initiation. The principal investigator， research nurse， collector， handler， transporter， relevant personnel of the central laboratory， and institutional office quality controller have their roles during the project implementation phase. On this basis， all parties involved in the management of biological samples should do a good job of effective communication， find problems and report them in time， and conduct special studies on key aspects.

BACKGROUND:Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by joint pain,swelling,and dysfunction.Acupuncture,as a traditional medical treatment,has proved its effectiveness and safety in many diseases.However,the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis remains controversial.Therefore,the purpose of this study is to evaluate and explore the effect of Tiaodu Tongmai acupuncture in the treatment of preclinical rheumatoid arthritis of different ages through the generalized estimating equation,and to provide a basis for the application of acupuncture in rheumatoid arthritis. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of Tiaodu Tongmai acupuncture therapy on preclinical rheumatoid arthritis(pre-RA)patients at different ages based on generalized estimating equation. METHODS:A total of 123 patients with preclinical rheumatoid arthritis treated from January to September 2023 were selected as the study objects and divided into study group(n=64)and control group(n=59)according to different treatment methods.The study group was given Tiaodu Tongmai acupuncture treatment,and the control group was given acetaminophen tablets.The baseline balance was adjusted by propensity score matching method.The clinical efficacy and cytokine levels before and after treatment between the two groups were compared.The generalized estimating equation model was established to evaluate the efficacy of Tiaodu Tongmai acupuncture therapy on preclinical rheumatoid arthritis patients at different ages. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)After 0 days of treatment,there were significant differences in joint pain and C-reactive protein expression between study and control groups(P＜0.05).After 4 weeks of treatment,there were significant differences in visual analogue scale scores,joint pain,C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate between the two groups(P＜0.05).After 8 weeks of treatment,there were significant differences in visual analogue scale scores,C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate between the two groups(P＜0.05).After 12 weeks of treatment,there were significant differences in visual analogue scale scores,C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate between the two groups(P＜0.05).(2)The total effective rate of the study group was 93.75%,while that of the control group was 79.17%.The clinical efficacy of the study group was significantly better than that of the control group(P＜0.05).(3)There were significant differences in interleukin-6,interferon-γ,macrophage migration inhibitory factor,rheumatoid factor IgA,rheumatoid factor IgM,metallomatrix proteinase 3,metallomatrix proteinase 9,and anti-cyclic citrulline antibody in the study group before and after treatment(P＜0.05).The levels of interleukin-6,interferon-γ,rheumatoid factor IgA,rheumatoid factor IgM,metallomatrix proteinase 3,metallomatrix proteinase 9,and anti-cyclic citrulline antibody in the control group after treatment were significantly different from those before treatment(P＜0.05).There were significant differences in interleukin-6,interferon-γ,macrophage migration inhibitory factor,rheumatoid factor IgA,rheumatoid factor IgM,metallomatrix proteinase 3,and anti-cyclic citrulline antibody between the two groups after treatment(P＜0.05).(4)After 12 weeks of treatment,the comprehensive efficacy of patients of all ages in the study group was better than that of the control group(P＜0.05).After 8 weeks of treatment,the comprehensive efficacy of patients aged 23-35,36-50,and 51-60 years old in the study group was better than that of the control group(P＜0.05),and the comprehensive efficacy of patients aged 18-22 years old was comparable between the two groups.After 4 weeks of treatment,the comprehensive efficacy of patients aged 36-50 and 51-60 years old in the study group was better than that of the control group(P＜0.05),and the comprehensive efficacy was comparable between the two groups of patients aged 18-22 and 23-35 years.Overall,Tiaodu Tongmai acupuncture therapy has advantages in treating preclinical rheumatoid arthritis patients aged 36-50 and 51-60 years.

Objective    To investigate the optimal administration combination of β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) and Angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang-Ⅱ) in the establishment of SD rat aortic dissection (AD) model and the related complications. Methods    Forty-two three-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into 7 groups: a group A (0.25% BAPN), a group B (0.40% BAPN), a group C (0.80% BAPN), a group D [1 g/(kg·d) BAPN], a group E [1 g/(kg·d) BAPN+ 1 μg/(kg·min) saline], a group F [1 g/(kg·d) BAPN+1 μg/(kg·min) Ang-Ⅱ] and a group G (control group). There were 6 rats in each group. The intervention period was 4 weeks (groups E and F were 4 weeks+5 days). Rats were dissected immediately if they died during the experiment. After the intervention, the surviving rats were sacrificed by pentobarbital sodium, and the whole aorta was separated and retained. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the changes of aorta from the pathological morphology. Results    There was no statistical difference in the survival rate among the groups after 4 weeks of BAPN intervention (P>0.05). After 5 days of mini-osmotic pumps implantation, the survival rate of rats was higher in the group E than that in the group F (P=0.008), and the incidence of AD in the group E was lower than that in the group F (P=0.001). BAPN could affect the food and water intake of rats. After BAPN intervention for 4 weeks, the body weight of rats in the group G was higher than those in the intervention groups (P<0.05). BAPN combined with Ang-Ⅱ could make the aortic intima thick, elastic fiber breakage, arrangement disorder, and inflammatory cell infiltration in rats, which conformed to the pathological and morphological changes of AD. BAPN could also affect mental state and gastrointestinal tract. Conclusion    The combination of BAPN [1 g/(kg·d)] and Ang-Ⅱ [1 μg/(kg·min)] can stably establish AD model in rats, which will provide a stable carrier for further study of the pathogenesis and therapeutic targets of AD. However, the complications in this process are an unstable factor. How to balance the influence of BAPN on other tissues and organs in the process of AD model establishment remains to be further studied.

OBJECTIVE To study the effect of 60Co-γ irradiation on the sterilization effect and main components of Rubus chingii Hu. METHODS Irradiated Rubus chingii Hu by 0, 6, 10, 15, 30 kGy doses of 60Co-γ, used the microbial count method to determine the microbial level of Rubus chingii Hu before and after irradiation. Analyzed the components of Rubus chingii Hu by high resolution mass spectrometry, investigated the effects of irradiation on the quality of Rubus chingii Hu by comparing the components of Rubus chingii Hu samples before and after irradiation, analyzing the quantitative results of ellagic acid and kaempferol 3-O-yunxiangoside, and evaluating the similarity of fingerprints. RESULTS The results of microbial examination of Rubus chingii Hu after different doses of irradiation all met the requirements, cluster analysis and principal component analysis of 20 components showed no significant difference. And there was no significant difference in the contents of ellagic acid and kaempferol 3-O-glucoside before and after irradiation. The similarity of fingerprints before and after irradiation was between 0.995 and 1.000. CONCLUSION Irradiation can effectively control the microbial level in Rubus chingii Hu, and there is no significant effect on the chemical composition of Rubus chingii Hu, the results provide a basis for the application of irradiation in the sterilization process of Rubus chingii Hu.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the current situation of clinical trial institutions in Chongqing after the recording system of clinical trial institutions, and to put forward suggestions. METHODS A total of 34 clinical trial institutions in Chongqing were selected as the research objects. The research contents mainly included the basic situation of the institutions, staffing, hardware and software construction, project operation and work difficulties, etc. Combined with the research results, suggestions were put forward for the difficulties of the new and old institutions in the operation of clinical trial institutions. RESULTS A total of 29 questionnaires were collected and 29 were valid. The release of clinical trial resources in Chongqing were not sufficient and uniform, there were problems such as insufficient incentive policies, lack of information platform construction, and the number and professional degrees of practitioners need to be improved. The new institutions had certain advantages in project load, office space and willingness to undertake, but it was restricted by principle investigator qualification, project experience and institutional reputation. CONCLUSION It is suggested to clarify the incentive mechanism, enhance the enthusiasm of clinical trials and establish a standardized training mechanism for clinical trial professionals. Make full use of the information platform to improve the efficiency of clinical trials, build a regional information platform to share information and resources, and accelerate the development of regional clinical trials.

Pain is the most common and severe symptom of endometriosis. However,there is no effective treatment nowadays,and the mechanism of endometriosis pain remains poorly defined. Mast cells are immune cells that can interact with sensory nerves to induce endometriosis pain. Recent studies have shown that mast cells play a vital role in the development of endometriosis pain. This article summarizes the latest research to highlight advances in mast cells involving in endometriosis pain through inflammatory response,angiogenesis,nerve growth,and peripheral and central sensitization,hoping to provide new ideas for the mechanism research and clinical treatment of endometriosis pain.

Endodontic diseases are a kind of chronic infectious oral disease.Common endodontic treatment concepts are based on the removal of inflamed or necrotic pulp tissue and the replacement by gutta-percha.However,it is very essential for endodontic treatment to debride the root canal system and prevent the root canal system from bacterial reinfection after root canal therapy(RCT).Recent research,encompassing bacterial etiology and advanced imaging techniques,contributes to our understanding of the root canal system's anatomy intricacies and the technique sensitivity of RCT.Success in RCT hinges on factors like patients,infection severity,root canal anatomy,and treatment techniques.Therefore,improving disease management is a key issue to combat endodontic diseases and cure periapical lesions.The clinical difficulty assessment system of RCT is established based on patient conditions,tooth conditions,root canal configuration,and root canal needing retreatment,and emphasizes pre-treatment risk assessment for optimal outcomes.The findings suggest that the presence of risk factors may correlate with the challenge of achieving the high standard required for RCT.These insights contribute not only to improve education but also aid practitioners in treatment planning and referral decision-making within the field of endodontics.

Objective To explore whether adiponectin receptor 1/2(AdipoR1/R2)mediates berberine to alleviate renal lipid toxicity in mice with diabetic kidney disease.Methods C57BLKS/J db/db mice and db/m mice were selected and divided into 4 groups,with 8 in each group.db/db mice and db/m mice were given berberine(150 mg·kg-1·d-)or placebo by gavage for 12 weeks,respectively.After intervention,blood glucose,blood lipids,urinary microalbumin/creatinine ratio and urinary albumin excretion rate were determined.Kidney tissues were taken for pathological examination,and oil red O staining,immunohistochemistry,ELISA and Western blotting were used to examine lipid deposition,AdipoRl/R2 expression and fibrosis markers expressions,etc.,respectively.The human glomerular endothelial cell line(HGEC)was used to verify the role of AdipoR1/R2 in berberine alleviating renal lipid toxicity.Results After berberine intervention,the body weight,blood glucose,lipids,proteinuria,renal lipid deposition,and renal pathological changes decreased in db/db mice(P＜0.05);the expressions of AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 increased,expressions of TGF-β1 and Col-Ⅳ decreased,and the expressions of PPAR-α and p-AMPK increased in kidney tissue of db/db mice(P＜0.05).In high-fat cultured HGEC cells treated with berberine-treated db/db mouse serum,the expressions of TGF-β1 and Col-Ⅳ decreased,while the expressions of PPAR-α and p-AMPK increased(P＜0.05);after AdipoR1/R2 on HGEC cells were silenced,the expressions of TGF-β1 and Col-Ⅳ increased,while the expressions of PPAR-α and p-AMPK decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusions Berberine can reduce renal lipid toxicity in diabetic nephropathy mice,and adiponectin receptor may mediate this effect of berberine.

Objective To investigate Furin,tumor growth factor-β(TGF-β),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),neuron towards axon guidance factor-1(netrin-1)level expressions and polymorphism of Furin gene P1 promoter r2071410 locus C/T in endometriosis(EMT)patients with different r-AFS stages,and explore the correlation with the incidence of EMT in Shenzhen.Methods A total of 102 patients diagnosed with EMT from May 2021 to January 2023 in the People's Hospital of Longhua,Shenzhen were selected as EMT group,and the EMT group was divided into stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ group and stageⅢ to Ⅳ group according to r-AFS staging method.At the same time,78 non-EMT patients were collected as control group.The levels of serum Furin,TGF-β,VEGF and netrin-1 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),and the polymorphism of the r2071410 C/T locus in the P1 promoter region of Furin gene was analyzed by reverse transcription-real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR).Results The levels of Furin(140.84±47.02pg/ml),TGF-β(376.46±82.36ng/L)and VEGF(167.67±53.02ng/L)in EMT group were higher than those in control group(55.49±13.67pg/ml,216.37±15.04ng/L,102.27±8.45ng/L),while the level of netrin-1(48.37±15.20pg/ml)was lower than that of the control group(165.85±15.63pg/ml),with significant differences(t=28.409,20.347,16.915,36.653,all P＜0.05).The levels of Furin(192.41±20.62pg/ml),TGF-β(452.61±72.03ng/L)and VEGF(201.84±28.01ng/L)in patients with stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ were higher than those in patients with stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ(78.05±16.54pg/ml,283.75±56.92ng/L,126.07±19.35ng/L),while the level of netrin-1(37.95±11.34pg/ml)was lower than that of stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ(61.05±9.52pg/ml),with significant differences(t=31.071,18.054,19.183,21.625,all P＜0.05).Pearson/Spearman correlation analysis showed that Furin was positively correlated with levels of TGF-β and VEGF and clinical stage(r=0.614 9,0.752 6,0.790 5,均 P＜0.05),but negatively correlated with netrin-1 level(r=-0.670 1,all P＜0.05).The TT genotype and T allele frequencies at r2071410 C/T locus of Furin gene P1 promoter in EMT group(42.16％,55.39％)were higher than those in control group(7.69％,19.87％),while the TT genotype and T allele frequencies at stages Ⅲ to Ⅳ(51.79％,65.18％)were higher than those at stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ(30.43％,43.48％),and the differences were statistically significant(x2=26.500,46.472,4.721,9.626,all P＜0.05).The Furin level of patients with different genotypes in EMT group was different(F=51.286,P＜0.001),in which the Furin level of TT genotype(216.29±68.53pg/ml)was higher than that of CC(83.04±21.37pg/ml)and CT genotype,(89.18±20.95pg/ml),and the differences were statistically significant(t=27.146,25.719,all P＜0.01),but there was no significant difference between CC and CT genotypes(t=1.326,P＞0.05).Conclusion The level of Furin in EMT patients was increased,and it was certainly correlated with the levels of TGF-β,VEGF,netrin-1 and clinical stage.Meanwhile,the r2071410 C/T locus in the promoter region of Furin gene P1 showed a polymorphic distribution,in which the Furin level increased more significantly in patients with TT genotype,which may be related to the incidence of EMT in Shenzhen area.