ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of the Wulao Qisun prescription on pathological new bone formation in ankylosing spondylitis （AS）. MethodsSynovial fibroblasts were isolated from the hip joints of AS patients and observed under a microscope to assess cell morphology. The cells were identified using immunofluorescence staining. The isolated AS fibroblasts were divided into blank group， low drug-containing serum group， medium drug-containing serum group， high drug-containing serum group， and positive drug group. After drug intervention， cell proliferation was measured using the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay to observe fibroblast growth and determine the optimal intervention time. Alkaline phosphatase （ALP） activity was measured using the alkaline phosphatase assay. Protein expression of osteocalcin （OCN）， osteopontin （OPN）， and runt-related transcription factor 2 （Runx2） was detected by Western blot. The mRNA expression levels of Wnt5a， β-catenin， and Dickkopf-1 （DKK-1） were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsCompared with the blank group， each drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription and the positive drug group inhibited the proliferation of AS fibroblasts and reduced ALP expression （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the low drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription downregulated β-catenin mRNA expression （P<0.05）. The medium and high drug-containing serum groups and the positive drug group significantly downregulated Wnt5a and β-catenin mRNA expression （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with the positive drug group showing the most pronounced effect （P<0.01）. The high drug-containing serum group and the positive drug group significantly upregulated DKK-1 mRNA expression （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the low drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription inhibited the expression of OPN and Runx2 proteins （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the medium and high drug-containing serum groups and the positive drug group inhibited the expression of OCN， OPN， and Runx2 proteins （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionThe Wulao Qisun prescription can inhibit the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of AS fibroblasts， thereby delaying the formation of pathological new bone in AS. The possible mechanism involves the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin-related gene expression， further inhibiting the transcription of downstream target genes.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of Qingre Sanzhuo decoction in treating gouty arthritis （GA） combined with hyperuricaemia （HUA）. MethodsSixty male SD rats were randomized into normal， model， colchicine （0.5 mg·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （17， 34， 68 g·kg^-1， respectively） Qingre Sanzhuo decoction groups （n=10）. The rats in other groups except the normal group were treated with the modified method for the modeling of GA combined with HUA. The drug intervention groups were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage in the afternoon every day and the normal group and the model group were administrated with an equal volume of sterile normal saline by gavage. The level of uric acid （SUA） in the serum was measured 2 h after the last administration. The degree of ankle joint swelling was calculated 0.5， 12， 24， 48 h after modeling， and joint inflammation was scored. The pathological changes of ankle joints were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining， and the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， C reactive protein （CRP）， and interleukin-18 （IL-18） were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Real-time PCR was performed to determine the mRNA levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD （ASC）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-1 （Caspase-1）， gasdermin D （GSDMD）， and nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） in the synovial tissue of ankle joints. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of NLRP3， ASC， and Caspase-1 in ankle joints. The immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of GSDMD and NF-κB in the synovial tissue of ankle joints. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed increased SUA in the serum （P<0.05）， ankle joint swelling and joint inflammation （P<0.05）， increased number of blood vessels in the synovium， inflammatory cell foci in the synovial bursa， elevated serum levels of TNF-α， IL-1β， CRP， and IL-18 （P<0.05）， and up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， GSDMD， and NF-κB in the synovial tissue of ankle joints （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the medium- and high-dose Qingre Sanzhuo decoction groups showed reduced SUA in the serum （P<0.05）， alleviated ankle joint swelling and joint inflammation （P<0.05）， lowered serum levels of TNF-α， IL-1β， CRP， and IL-18 （P<0.05）， and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， GSDMD， and NF-κB in the synovial tissue of ankle joints （P<0.05）. However， in terms of ameliorating the pathological changes of ankle joints， only the high-dose Qingre Sanzhuo decoction group showed normal morphology of the synovial membrane of ankle joints and no obvious lesion in the articular cartilage. ConclusionQingre Sanzhuo decoction may play a role in preventing and controlling GA combined with HUA by down-regulating the activity of NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1 pathway and inhibiting the expression of inflammatory cytokines， such as TNF-α， IL-1β， CRP， and IL-18.

BACKGROUND:The self-renewal and multi-directional differentiation of pluripotent stem cells possess the potential to revolutionize people's understanding of biology,medicine,development,and disease.Stem cells play an important role in the early stage of embryonic development,and the study of them could be beneficial to understanding of the basic principles of biological development and tissue or organ formation,exploring the potential mechanisms of various diseases,studying the repair and regeneration of damaged tissues or organs,and promoting drug discovery and personalized treatment. OBJECTIVE:To review the research progress of pluripotent stem cells,summarize and categorize the fundamental types of pluripotent stem cells,and elucidate the lineage situations of various types of pluripotent stem cells in common mammals. METHODS:PubMed,Web of Science,CNKI,and WanFang databases were searched systematically,with the keywords"pluripotent stem cells;embryonic stem cells;induced pluripotent stem cells;expanded potential stem cells;livestock pluripotent stem cells"in English and Chinese.The 99 articles related to mammalian pluripotent stem cells were systematically screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria,and then reviewed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)According to classical theory in mouse embryonic stem cell research,the pluripotent state of stem cells is divided into two forms:na?ve and primed.Na?ve state corresponds to the inner cell mass of pre-implantation embryos before attachment to the uterine wall,while primed state corresponds to the epiblast after implantation.These two states exhibit significant differences in epigenetic features,transcriptional activity,external signal dependency,and metabolic phenotype.It is later discovered that there is an intermediate state between na?ve and primed called formative pluripotency.Therefore,the pluripotency of pluripotent stem cells is a continuous developmental process rather than a unique cell state.(2)In addition to obtaining pluripotent stem cells from the inner cell mass,there are various methods and lineages for acquiring pluripotent stem cells,including embryonic germ cells established using primitive germ cells from mouse embryos,induced pluripotent stem cells created by the dedifferentiation of adult mouse and human fibroblasts with four factors—Oct3/4,Sox2,c-Myc,and Klf4;embryonic stem cell-like cell lines cultured from somatic cell nuclear transfer,parthenogenesis,neonatal or adult testicular or ovarian tissue,very small embryonic-like stem cells derived from various adult tissues and expanded pluripotent stem cells derived from pre-implantation stages.These pluripotent stem cells all share the common characteristics of continuous self-renewal,expressing core pluripotency factors and possessing the ability to differentiate into the three primary germ layers.(3)Currently,pluripotent stem cells are being used for disease modeling to study the mechanisms of various diseases and develop new drugs.Simultaneously,scientists are attempting to use pluripotent stem cells to cultivate various tissues and organs,offering new possibilities for regenerative medicine and transplantation.However,the clinical application of pluripotent stem cells faces safety challenges,including issues of cell mutations and immune rejection.Continual improvement in the methods of generating pluripotent stem cells will make them safer and more efficient for clinical applications.(4)Based on the methods of obtaining and lineage establishment of pluripotent stem cells in mice and humans,various types of pluripotent stem cells have been established in livestock,including embryonic stem cells,induced pluripotent stem cells,germ lineages of pluripotent stem cells,and expanded potential stem cells.Research on livestock pluripotent stem cells opens up new avenues for animal reproduction,breeding,genetic engineering,disease modeling,drug screening,and the conservation of endangered wildlife.

Objective: This study compares the effects of lithium disilicate glass ceramic onlays and full crowns in restoring cracked teeth that have undergone root canal therapy, providing a reference for the restoration method of cracked teeth that have undergone root canal therapy. Methods: This study was approved by the hospital’s medical ethics committee, and all patients signed the informed consent form. Patients with cracked teeth who underwent root canal treatment in our hospital from January 2022 to January 2023 were enrolled in this study. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 60 patients were screened and enrolled, with a total of 60 affected teeth. The patients were divided into the onlay group and full crown group at a ratio of 2:3 using the random number table method. Lithium disilicate glass ceramic onlays were used to restore the affected teeth in the onlay group (24 cases), and lithium disilicate glass ceramic full crowns were used to restore the affected teeth in the full crown group (36 cases). At 3, 6, and 12 months after the repair, the restoration effect was evaluated and compared with the modified USPH Standard (the aesthetic, functional, and biological aspects of restorations). According to the biological definition of survival, survival analysis was conducted on the affected teeth in both groups. Results: At 3, 6, and 12 months after the repair, 85% of cases in the onlay group achieved grade A, while 80% of cases in the full crown group achieved grade A. There was no statistically significant difference in the restoration effects between the onlay group and the full crown group (P > 0.05). The 12-month survival rate of cracked teeth in the onlay group reached 95.65%, and the 12-month survival rate of cracked teeth in the full crown group reached 94.12%. There was no statistically significant difference in the retention of the affected teeth (P > 0.05). There was no significant effect of age, gender, tooth position, dentition, direction of cracks, the number of marginal ridges associated with cracks, or the type of restoration on the survival status of cracked teeth. (P > 0.05). Conclusion For cracked teeth that have undergone root canal therapy, the short-term effect of lithium disilicate glass ceramic onlays is comparable to that of full crowns, and both have good short-term effects. Onlays are less invasive and are expected to become an alternative restoration method to full crowns.

Polysaccharides, predominantly extracted from traditional Chinese medicinal herbs such as Lycium barbarum, Angelica sinensis, Astragalus membranaceus, Dendrobium officinale, Ganoderma lucidum, and Poria cocos, represent principal bioactive constituents extensively utilized in Chinese medicine. These compounds have demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory capabilities, especially anti-liver injury activities, while exhibiting minimal adverse effects. This review summarized recent studies to elucidate the hepatoprotective efficacy and underlying molecular mechanisms of these herbal polysaccharides. It underscored the role of these polysaccharides in regulating hepatic function, enhancing immunological responses, and improving antioxidant capacities, thus contributing to the attenuation of hepatocyte apoptosis and liver protection. Analyses of molecular pathways in these studies revealed the intricate and indispensable functions of traditional Chinese herbal polysaccharides in liver injury management. Therefore, this review provides a thorough examination of the hepatoprotective attributes and molecular mechanisms of these medicinal polysaccharides, thereby offering valuable insights for the advancement of polysaccharide-based therapeutic research and their potential clinical applications in liver disease treatment.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Liver Diseases/drug therapy* ; Antioxidants ; Polysaccharides/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Objective Observing the feasibility of acute endovascular treatment for patients with symptomatic anterior intracranial atherosclerotic severe stenosis.Method From Jun 2019 to Jun 2023,30 symptomatic anterior intracranial atherosclerotic severe stenosis cases were retrospectively collected in the Guangdong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine to evaluate the risk stratification score and explore the safety and effectiveness of acute(≤72.0h)endovascular treatment.Endovascular treatment includes balloon dilation+self-expanding stent placement,balloon-mounted stent placement,and balloon dilation.From the clinical experience,the risk stratification score was based on the ABCD3-I score for transient ischemic attacks(TIA)and additional evaluation of cerebral watershed infarction to identify the risk of stroke progression or recurrence in acute stage of symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis.The score of 0-3 was defined as low-risk,4-7 as medium risk,and 8-13 as high-risk.The successful revascularization of blood flow is determined based on the residual stenosis≤50％and the extended thrombolysis in cerebral infarction(eTICI)＞2c.The information of patient receiving endovascular treatment was recorded,including age,sex,risk factors of cerebrovascular disease(hypertension,diabetes,hyperlipidemia,hyperhomocysteinemia,drinking history,smoking history),onset data(time from onset to endovascular treatment,symptoms,progression),diseased vessels,risk stratification score,National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score before and 90 days after surgery,modified Rankin scale(mRS)score 90 days after surgery,intraoperative cerebrovascular events(intracranial hemorrhage,occlusion of responsible vessels),and postoperative cerebrovascular events 90 days after surgery(intracranial hemorrhage,cerebral infarction,TIA and in-stent restenosis)and deaths.Results Among 30 patients with symptomatic anterior intracranial atherosclerotic severe stenosis,3 patients were excluded from the time interval between onset and endovascular treatment＞72.0 hours,1 patient needed long-term anticoagulant drugs due to other diseases,1 patient lost follow-up,3 patients coexisted with other cardiogenic cerebral embolism diseases,4 patients with non-atherosclerotic arterial stenosis,and 7 patients refused emergency endovascular treatment.11 patients were finally included.(1)All 11 patients were successfully treated with endovascular treatment,and 7 were males;age ranged from 52 to 76 years old,with a median age of 64 years old;there were 9 cases with hypertension,3 cases diabetes,7 cases hyperlipidemia,2 cases hyperhomocysteinemia(only 9cases performed the examination),2cases smoking history,1 case drinking history;time from onset to endovascular treatment is 4.0-72.0 h,with a median time of 12.0 h;there were 3 and 8 cases of infarction in the left and right hemispheres,respectively,with 4,3,and 2 cases accompanied with anterior-posterior watershed,medial watershed,and anlerior-medial-posterior watershed infarctions,and 1 case accompanied by posterior-medial,anterior-medial watershed infarctions.(2)Among the 1 1 patients,the risk stratification score was 10-13 points,with a median score of 11 points;preoperative NIHSS score ranged 0-11 points,with a median score of 7 points.(3)Among the 1 1 patients,10 lesions located in the middle cerebral artery and 1 in the C7 segment of the internal carotid artery;the preoperative stenosis rate was 70％to 99％,with a median stenosis rate of 86％;preoperative eTICI grading was 2a in 7 cases and 2b50 in 4 cases(with slow distal blood flow);9 cases received balloon dilation and self-expanding stent placement,1 case received balloon-mounted stent placement,and 1 case received balloon dilation treatment;the postoperative stenosis rate is 10％to 20％,with a median stenosis rate of 15％;there were 3 cases with postoperative eTICI grade 2c and 8 cases with grade 3.(4)Among the 11 patients,one experienced intracranial hemorrhage on the first day after surgery and one had a new cerebral infarction on the third day after surgery.Eight patients were followed up by imaging 90days after surgery,demonstrating 2 cases of in-stent restenosis;90 days post-surgery,NIHSS score was 0-20 points,with a median score of 2 points;after 90 days of surgery,the mRS score was 0-4 points,with a median score of 1 point.There were 8 patients with mRS score ≤ 2 and no death events occurred.Conclusions Preliminary analysis shows that acute endovascular treatment for symptomatic anterior intracranial atherosclerotic severe stenosis has certain effectiveness,but the safety needs to be further validated.The screening of high-risk patients using risk stratification scores still requires further exploration through large sample and multicenter studies.

Objective To analyze the current status and trends of TCM regulation of microRNA(miRNA)using visualization methods.Methods The literature related to the TCM regulation of miRNA was retrieved from CNKI,VIP and Wanfang Data from the establishment of the databases to May 31,2022.Excel 2019,VOSviewer 1.6.18,and CiteSpace 5.8.R3 software were applied to visualize and analyze the year of publication,journal source,author and keywords of the included literature.Results A total of 787 articles were included,and the number of publications continued to rise.Source journals with more publications includes Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulas,China Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy,Chinese Archives of Traditional Chinese Medicine,etc.Research teams were formed with Wang Jie,Liu Xide,Diao Limei,etc.as the representatives,and the cooperation among the teams was not very close.Analysis on the keywords in the literature showed that the studies mainly focused on apoptosis,miRNA-21,electroacupuncture,atherosclerosis,proliferation and other related fields;TCM intervention that accounted for the most research were extracts of Chinese materia medica,with 42%of the studies;there were 24 miRNAs studied≥3 times,and the most studied miRNA was miRNA-21.Conclusion The research hotspots of TCM regulation of miRNA are mainly the molecular mechanism of various TCM therapeutic tools to improve cell autophagy,apoptosis,inflammatory response and other pathways through regulation of miRNAs.The trend of research is to study the mechanism of empirical prescriptions of famous TCM practitioners based on precise therapeutic strategies.

Ankylosing spondylitis （AS） is an inflammatory autoimmune disease with chronic low back pain as the main clinical manifestation， which mainly affects the axial joints， peripheral joints and various organs. In severe cases， the spine is stiff or deformed， which affects the quality of life and health of patients. The pathogenic factors of AS are complex， which are related to heredity， immunity and intestinal flora. The pathogenesis of AS is not clear yet. Among them， inflammatory reaction， bone destruction and heterotopic ossification are the main pathological features of AS， which play an important role in the disease process of AS. Traditional Chinese medicine has multi-target， multi-channel and multi-component pharmacological effects， which can prevent and treat AS by anti-inflammation， inhibiting bone destruction and preventing heterotopic ossification， and the clinical effect is remarkable， but there is no relevant literature report. Therefore， this review expounds the relationship between inflammatory reaction， bone destruction and heterotopic ossification and the occurrence and development of AS， and summarizes the latest research reports of traditional Chinese medicine in treating AS from anti-inflammatory， inhibiting bone destruction and preventing heterotopic ossification， aiming at providing reference and new ideas and directions for further research on the prevention and treatment of AS by traditional Chinese medicine.

Objective To investigate the expression level and clinical application value of serum resistin in patients with systemic lu-pus erythematosus(SLE).Methods Forty-five SLE patients visited Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital,Clinical College of Nanjing Uni-versity of Chinese Medicine from January to August 2023 were enrolled in the study.The patients were scored and grouped according to the SLE disease activity index(SLEDAI),with SLEDAI＜9 score in the inactive group(n=32)and SLEDAI≥9 score in the active group(n=13).Thirty-four healthy individuals who underwent physical examination in our hospital were recruited as healthy controls.The clinical data and laboratory related indicators such as urine protein and serum complement C3 levels were collected from SLE pa-tients and healthy controls.Serum resistin levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The clinical screening value of serum resistin for SLE was evaluated with the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.The correlations of serum resistin levels with different laboratory indicators were determined by Pearson correlation analysis.Results The serum resistin levels in SLE patients([7.64±0.64]ng/mL)were significantly higher than that in healthy controls([2.56±0.43]ng/mL),and the difference was statistically significant(t=6.195,P＜0.01).The serum resistin levels in active SLE patients([10.10±1.45]ng/mL)were significant-ly higher than that in inactive SLE patients([6.64±0.60]ng/mL),and the difference was statistically significant(t=2.632,P＜0.05).The area under the ROC curve(AUCROC)of serum resistin for screening SLE was 0.897.When the cut-off value was 5.893 ng/mL,the sensitivity was 86.67%and the specificity was 82.35%.The serum resistin level in SLE patients was positively correlated with urine protein(r=0.692,P＜0.01),while negatively correlated with serum complement C3(r=-0.354,P＜0.05).Conclusion The expression levels of serum resistin in SLE patients are significantly increased and positively correlated with SLE disease activity and urine protein.Serum resistin may become a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and therapeutic effect assessment of SLE.

Ankylosing spondylitis(AS)is a typical spinal arthritis characterised by inflammatory back pain,which seriously affects the health and quality of life of patients.The clinical efficacy of Chinese medicine in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis is clear,but the mechanism is not clear,and the existing animal models cannot be well applied to the evaluation of Chinese medicine in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis.Therefore,this paper summarizes the existing animal models based on Chinese and Western medicine clinical diagnosis,disease characteristics,etiology and Chinese medicine evidence,and finds that among the existing animal models,the proteoglycan-induced arthritis mouse model has a higher Chinese and Western medicine clinical fit than the other models,but lacks the corresponding Chinese medicine evidence model evaluation.The other animal models had a higher Western clinical match,but lacked the characteristics of the Traditional Chinee Medicine(TCM)syndrome.As ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease with complex pathogenic factors,the existing animal models cannot better simulate the clinical symptoms.Therefore,the establishment of animal models of ankylosing spondylitis with the characteristics of Chinese and Western clinical evidence is a future research priority for AS TCM.