Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) processing is a unique and highly distinctive pharmaceutical technology in China. Utilizing modern scientific methods to elucidate the connotations of traditional processing theory and its effects is expected to facilitate the inheritance, development, innovation, and enhancement of TCM processing, and lead to more original research outcomes in the field of TCM. The breakthrough in TCM processing lies in the study of its underlying principles, and analyzing these principles involves researching the transformation mechanisms of chemical components and the biological effect mechanisms of the transformed components. This paper proposed the concept of "TCM processing chemical biology"(TCMPCB) for the first time. Under the guidance of TCM theory, the active components transformed during TCM processing were used as chemical tools to study their targets and molecular regulatory mechanisms, aiming to clarify the scientific principles by which TCM processing affected biological effects in the organism. The research findings also provided new directions for discovering novel active components, new lead compounds, creating new decoction pieces, and developing new TCM drugs. This paper provided a detailed introduction to the background, definition, research content, research ideas, research methods, and prospects of TCMPCB, with the aim of offering new research perspectives for analyzing the principles of TCM processing and providing new pathways for achieving the "four new and eight transformations" in TCM processing.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Humans ; Animals

Following the core outcome set standards for development(COS-STAD), this study aims to construct core outcome set(COS) for clinical research on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) treatment of simple obesity. Firstly, a comprehensive review was conducted on the randomized controlled trial(RCT) and systematic review(SR) about TCM treatment of simple obesity that were published in Chinese and English databases to collect reported outcomes. Additional outcomes were obtained through semi-structured interviews with patients and open-ended questionnaire surveys for clinicians. All the collected outcomes were then merged and organized as an initial outcome pool, and then a preliminary list of outcomes was formed after discussion by the working group. Subsequently, two rounds of Delphi surveys were conducted with clinicians, methodology experts, and patients to score the importance of outcomes in the list. Finally, a consensus meeting was held to establish the COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity. A total of 221 RCTs and 12 SRs were included, and after integration of supplementary outcomes, an initial outcome pool of 141 outcomes were formed. Following discussions in the steering advisory group meeting, a preliminary list of 33 outcomes was finalized, encompassing 9 domains. Through two rounds of Delphi surveys and a consensus meeting, the final COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity was determined to include 8 outcomes: TCM symptom scores, body mass index(BMI), waist-hip ratio, waist circumference, visceral fat index, body fat rate, quality of life, and safety, which were classified into 4 domains: TCM-related outcomes, anthropometric measurements, quality of life, and safety. This study has preliminarily established a COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity. It helps reduce the heterogeneity in the selection and reporting of outcomes in similar clinical studies, thereby improving the comparability of research results and the feasibility of meta-analysis and providing higher-level evidence support for clinical practice.
Humans ; Obesity/therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Treatment Outcome ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

OBJECTIVE: To explore short-term clinical efficacy of minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment system for hallux valgus in guiding the treatment of hallux valgus. METHODS: From March 2021 to November 2023, 68 patients (136 feet) with hallux valgus were treated under guidance of minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment system, including 12 males and 56 females;aged from 25 to 68 years old with an average of (42.5±8.5) years old, the course of disease ranged from 3.2 to 15.6 years with an average of (10.3±2.6) years. The changes of hallux valgus angle (HVA) and intermetatarsal angle (IMA), visual analog scale (VAS) and American Orthopaedic Foot Ankle Society (AOFAS) forefoot score were recorded and compared before operation and 12 months after operation. RESULTS: Sixty-five patients (130 feet) were followed up for 12 to 15 months with an average of (13.8±0.5) months, 3 patients (6 feet) were not followed up as required. HVA and IMA improved from (35.5±3.5) ° and (12.5±2.0) ° before operation to (10.5±2.5) ° and (8.5±1.5) °12 months after operation, respectively, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05);VAS decreased from (5.5±1.2) before operation to (1.2±0.5) at 12 months after operation, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05);AOFAS forefoot score increased from (50.6±5.1) before operation to (93.8±5.6) at 12 months after operation, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Among them, 102 feet were got excellent result, 24 feet good, and 4 feet fair. Two patients were developed calf intermuscular vein thrombosis, and were cured after 3 months of symptomatic treatment. CONCLUSION Under the guidance of minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment system for hallux valgus, the treatment of HV could obviously improve HVA and IMA, and significantly alleviate pain symptoms, and accelerate functional recovery.
Humans ; Hallux Valgus/diagnosis* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Treatment Outcome

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a complex disease that is often accompanied by mental health disorders. However, the potential mechanisms underlying the heterogeneous clinical presentation of CP/CPPS remain uncertain. This study analyzed widely targeted metabolomic data of expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) and plasma to reveal the underlying pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS. A total of 24 CP/CPPS patients from The Second Nanning People's Hospital (Nanning, China), and 35 asymptomatic control individuals from First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University (Nanning, China) were enrolled. The indicators related to CP/CPPS and psychiatric symptoms were recorded. Differential analysis, coexpression network analysis, and correlation analysis were performed to identify metabolites that were specifically altered in patients and associated with various phenotypes of CP/CPPS. The crucial links between EPS and plasma were further investigated. The metabolomic data of EPS from CP/CPPS patients were significantly different from those from control individuals. Pathway analysis revealed dysregulation of amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and the citrate cycle in EPS. The tryptophan metabolic pathway was found to be the most significantly altered pathway associated with distinct CP/CPPS phenotypes. Moreover, the dysregulation of tryptophan and tyrosine metabolism and elevation of oxidative stress-related metabolites in plasma were found to effectively elucidate the development of depression in CP/CPPS. Overall, metabolomic alterations in the EPS and plasma of patients were primarily associated with oxidative damage, energy metabolism abnormalities, neurological impairment, and immune dysregulation. These alterations may be associated with chronic pain, voiding symptoms, reduced fertility, and depression in CP/CPPS. This study provides a local-global perspective for understanding the pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS and offers potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatitis/blood* ; Adult ; Pelvic Pain/blood* ; Metabolomics ; Prostate/metabolism* ; Middle Aged ; Chronic Pain/blood* ; Metabolome ; Case-Control Studies ; Tryptophan/blood* ; Depression/blood* ; Oxidative Stress/physiology* ; Chronic Disease ; Lipid Metabolism/physiology*

BACKGROUND: Early control of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is crucial for reducing the progress of cardiovascular disease. However, its additional role to the risk of primary osteoporosis in men with coronary heart disease was inconclusive. Our study aims to determine the association of LDL-C and its trajectories for osteoporosis risk in the middle-aged and aged men of China. METHODS: The retrospective cohort study of 1546 men aged 69.74 ± 11.30 years conducted in Beijing, China from 2015 to 2022. And the incidence of primary osteoporosis was annually recorded. LDL-C trajectories were further identified by latent class growth model using repeated measurements of LDL-C. The association of baseline LDL-C for osteoporosis was estimated using hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI in Cox proportional hazard model, while mean level and trajectories of LDL-C for osteoporosis were evaluated using odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI in logistic regression model. RESULTS: During the median 6.2-year follow-up period, 70 men developed primary osteoporosis. The higher level of baseline LDL-C (HR = 1.539, 95% CI: 1.012-2.342) and mean LDL-C (OR = 2.190, 95% CI: 1.443-3.324) were associated with higher risk of osteoporosis in men with coronary heart disease after adjusted for covariates. Compared with those in the LDL-C trajectory of low-stable decrease, participants with medium-fluctuant trajectory, whose longitudinal LDL-C started with a medium LDL-C level and appeared an increase and then decrease, were negatively associated with osteoporosis risk (OR = 2.451, 95% CI: 1.152-5.216). And participants with initially high LDL-C level and then a rapid decrease demonstrated a tendency towards reduced risk (OR = 0.718, 95% CI: 0.212-2.437). CONCLUSIONS Elevated LDL-C level and its long-term fluctuation may increase the risk of primary osteoporosis in men. Early controlling a stable level of LDL-C is also essential for bone health.

Periodontal bone defects, primarily caused by periodontitis, are highly prevalent in clinical settings and manifest as bone fenestration, dehiscence, or attachment loss, presenting a significant challenge to oral health. In regenerative medicine, harnessing developmental principles for tissue repair offers promising therapeutic potential. Of particular interest is the condensation of progenitor cells, an essential event in organogenesis that has inspired clinically effective cell aggregation approaches in dental regeneration. However, the precise cellular coordination mechanisms during condensation and regeneration remain elusive. Here, taking the tooth as a model organ, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing to dissect the cellular composition and heterogeneity of human dental follicle and dental papilla, revealing a distinct Platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC) population with remarkable odontogenic potential. Interestingly, a reciprocal paracrine interaction between PDGFRA⁺ dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs) and CD31⁺ Endomucin⁺ endothelial cells (ECs) was mediated by Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and Platelet-derived growth factor subunit BB (PDGFBB). This crosstalk not only maintains the functionality of PDGFRA⁺ DFSCs but also drives specialized angiogenesis. In vivo periodontal bone regeneration experiments further reveal that communication between PDGFRA⁺ DFSC aggregates and recipient ECs is essential for effective angiogenic-osteogenic coupling and rapid tissue repair. Collectively, our results unravel the importance of MSC-EC crosstalk mediated by the VEGFA and PDGFBB-PDGFRA reciprocal signaling in orchestrating angiogenesis and osteogenesis. These findings not only establish a framework for deciphering and promoting periodontal bone regeneration in potential clinical applications but also offer insights for future therapeutic strategies in dental or broader regenerative medicine.
Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha/metabolism* ; Humans ; Neovascularization, Physiologic/physiology* ; Dental Sac/cytology* ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Transcriptome ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Bone Regeneration ; Animals ; Dental Papilla/cytology* ; Periodontium/physiology* ; Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Regeneration ; Angiogenesis

Objective:To explore the related factors of vascular complications after liver transplantation in children.Methods:This is a retrospective case series research. The clinical data of 89 pediatric liver transplant patients admitted to the Organ Transplantation Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2016 to March 2024 were collected retrospectively. This study included 44 males and 45 females,aged from 4 months to 17 years. The ratio of graft to recipient weight was 0.6% to 7.7%. The primary diseases included 48 cases of biliary atresia and 41 cases of non-biliary atresia. The Wilcoxon rank sum test, χ2 test, and Fisher′s exact probability method were used for data analysis. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the related factors of vascular complications. Results:All 89 children with liver transplantation completed surgery successfully. There were 8 cases of arterial complications after surgery, including 6 cases of hepatic artery thrombosis and 2 cases of hepatic artery stenosis. There were 16 cases of portal vein complications after surgery, including 9 cases of portal vein stenosis and 7 cases of portal vein thrombosis. The results of univariate analysis showed that the age of the recipient ≤1 year was the relevant factor for hepatic arterial complications( χ 2=4.772, P=0.029). The age of the recipient ≤1 year, the age of the donor, the hepatic phase, and the time of cold ischemia were the relevant factors for the occurrence of portal vein complications( χ 2=7.270, Z=388.500, Z=838.000, Z=894.500;all P<0.05). The results of multivariate analysis showed that age(≤1 year vs. >1 year) and duration of cold ischemia(every additional 1 hour) were independent related factors for portal vein complications after liver transplantation in children(both P<0.05). Conclusion:Children aged ≤1 year and with prolonged cold ischemia are more likely to develop portal vein complications after liver transplantation.

Objective To investigate the neuroprotective effect of Huangpu Tongqiao Capsule(HPTQ)in a rat model of Wilson disease(WD)and explore the underlying mechanisms.Methods SD rat models of WD were established by feeding of copper-supplemented chow diet and drinking water for 12 weeks,and starting from the 9th week,the rats were treated with low-,moderate-and high-dose HPTQ,penicillamine,or normal saline by gavage on a daily basis for 3 weeks.Copper levels in the liver and 24-h urine of the rats were detected,and their learning and memory abilities were evaluated using Morris water maze test.HE staining was used to observe morphological changes of CA1 region neurons in the hippocampus,and neuronal apoptosis was detected with TUNEL staining.Hippocampal expressions of endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS)-mediated apoptosis pathway-related proteins GRP78,CHOP,caspase-12,cleaved caspase-9,and cleaved caspase-3 at both the mRNA and protein levels were detected using RT-qPCR,immunofluorescence assay or Western blotting.Results Compared with normal control rats,the rat models with copper overload-induced WD exhibited significantly increased copper levels in both the liver and 24-h urine,impaired learning and memory abilities,obvious hippocampal neuronal damage in the CA1 region and increased TUNEL-positive neurons(P<0.01),with also lowered mRNA and protein expressions of GRP78,CHOP,caspase-12,cleaved caspase-9,and cleaved caspase-3 in the hippocampus(all P<0.01).Treatments with HPTQ and penicillamine significantly lowered copper level in the liver but increased urinary copper level,improved learning and memory ability,alleviated neuronal damage and apoptosis in the hippocampus,and decreased hippocampal expressions of GRP78,CHOP,caspase-12,cleaved caspase-9,and cleaved caspase-3 in the rat models(P<0.01 or 0.05).Conclusion HPTQ Capsule has neuroprotective effects in rat models of WD possibly by inhibiting ERS-mediated apoptosis pathway.

Objective To investigate the effect of E2 signaling in myofibers on muscular macrophage efferocytosis in mice with cardiotoxin-induced acute skeletal muscle injury.Methods Female wild-type C57BL/6 mice with and without ovariectomy and male C57BL/6 mice were given a CTX injection into the anterior tibial muscle to induce acute muscle injury,followed by intramuscular injection of β-estradiol(E2)or 4-hydroxytamoxifen(4-OHT).The changes in serum E2 of the mice were detected using ELISA,and the number,phenotypes,and efferocytosis of the macrophages in the inflammatory exudates and myofiber regeneration and repair were evaluated using immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry.C2C12 cells were induced to differentiate into mature myotubes,which were treated with IFN-γ for 24 before treatment with β-Estradiol or 4-OHT.The treated myotubes were co-cultured with mouse peritoneal macrophages in a 1:2 ratio,followed by addition of PKH67-labeled apoptotic mouse mononuclear spleen cells induced by UV irradiation,and macrophage efferocytosis was observed using immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry.Results Compared with the control mice,the female mice with ovariectomy showed significantly increased mononuclear macrophages in the inflammatory exudates,with increased M1 cell percentage,reduced M2 cell percentage and macrophage efferocytosis in the injured muscle,and obviously delayed myofiber regeneration and repair.In the cell co-culture systems,treatment of the myotubes with β-estradiol significantly increased the number and proportion of M2 macrophages and macrophage efferocytosis,while 4-OHT treatment resulted in the opposite changes.Conclusion In injured mouse skeletal muscles,myofiber E2 signaling promotes M1 to M2 transition to increase macrophage efferocytosis,thereby relieving inflammation and promoting muscle regeneration and repair.