ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Maxing Loushi decoction in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （AECOPD） with phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome， and to investigate its effects on inflammatory factors， immune function， and the programmed death-1（PD-1）/programmed death-ligand 1 （PD-L1） signaling pathway. MethodsA randomized controlled study was conducted， enrolling 90 hospitalized patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome in the Respiratory and Emergency Departments of Dongzhimen Hospital， Beijing University of Chinese Medicine， from April 2024 to December 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to a control group and an observation group using a random number table， with 45 patients in each group. The control group received conventional Western medical treatment， while the observation group received additional Maxing Loushi decoction for 14 days. Clinical efficacy， COPD Assessment Test （CAT） score， modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale （mMRC）， 6-minute walk test （6MWT）， serum inflammatory factors， T lymphocyte subsets， and serum PD-1/PD-L1 levels were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. ResultsThe total clinical effective rate was 78.57% （33/42） in the control group and 95.35% （41/43） in the observation group， with the observation group showing significantly higher efficacy than that of the control group. The difference was statistically significant （χ² = 5.136， P<0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed significant reductions in CAT and mMRC scores （P<0.05， P<0.01） and significant increases in 6MWT compared to baseline （P<0.01）. The observation group demonstrated significantly greater improvements than the control group in this regard. Levels of inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein （CRP）， procalcitonin （PCT）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， monocyte chemoattractant protein-1（MCP-1）， and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α （MIP-1α） were significantly reduced in both groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with greater reductions in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. CD8⁺ levels were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ levels were significantly increased in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more significant improvements observed in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum PD-1 levels were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and PD-L1 levels were increased significantly in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more pronounced changes in the observation group （P<0.05）. ConclusionMaxing Loushi decoction demonstrates definite therapeutic efficacy as an adjunctive treatment for patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome. It contributes to reducing serum inflammatory factors， improving immune function， and regulating the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Maxing Loushi decoction in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （AECOPD） with phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome， and to investigate its effects on inflammatory factors， immune function， and the programmed death-1（PD-1）/programmed death-ligand 1 （PD-L1） signaling pathway. MethodsA randomized controlled study was conducted， enrolling 90 hospitalized patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome in the Respiratory and Emergency Departments of Dongzhimen Hospital， Beijing University of Chinese Medicine， from April 2024 to December 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to a control group and an observation group using a random number table， with 45 patients in each group. The control group received conventional Western medical treatment， while the observation group received additional Maxing Loushi decoction for 14 days. Clinical efficacy， COPD Assessment Test （CAT） score， modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale （mMRC）， 6-minute walk test （6MWT）， serum inflammatory factors， T lymphocyte subsets， and serum PD-1/PD-L1 levels were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. ResultsThe total clinical effective rate was 78.57% （33/42） in the control group and 95.35% （41/43） in the observation group， with the observation group showing significantly higher efficacy than that of the control group. The difference was statistically significant （χ² = 5.136， P<0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed significant reductions in CAT and mMRC scores （P<0.05， P<0.01） and significant increases in 6MWT compared to baseline （P<0.01）. The observation group demonstrated significantly greater improvements than the control group in this regard. Levels of inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein （CRP）， procalcitonin （PCT）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， monocyte chemoattractant protein-1（MCP-1）， and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α （MIP-1α） were significantly reduced in both groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with greater reductions in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. CD8⁺ levels were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ levels were significantly increased in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more significant improvements observed in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum PD-1 levels were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and PD-L1 levels were increased significantly in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more pronounced changes in the observation group （P<0.05）. ConclusionMaxing Loushi decoction demonstrates definite therapeutic efficacy as an adjunctive treatment for patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome. It contributes to reducing serum inflammatory factors， improving immune function， and regulating the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.

Sesquiterpenes are natural terpenoids with 15 carbon atoms in the basic skeleton, which mainly exist in plant volatile oil and have important physiological and medicinal value. Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) is a kind of monooxygenase encoded by supergene family, which is one of the largest gene families in plants. It is involved in the synthesis and metabolism of terpenoids, alkaloids and other secondary metabolites. In the process of terpene biosynthesis, CYP450 participates in the post-modification stage of terpenes by introducing functional groups such as hydroxyl, carboxyl and carbonyl, which plays an important role in enriching the diversity of terpenes. The CYP450 enzymes involved in sesquiterpene synthesis and their substrate catalytic specificity mechanisms have been partially investigated. In this paper, the biosynthetic pathway of plant sesquiterpenes, the structure and classification of CYP450 enzymes were briefly introduced, and the CYP450 enzymes involved in sesquiterpene biosynthesis were summarized, in order to provide a reference for intensive study of the role of CYP450 enzymes in the synthesis of sesquiterpenoids.

The quality control of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is the core issue to ensure the modernization,industrialization and internationalization of TCM.Compared with other detection methods,electrochemical analysis method has many advantages such as high sensitivity,fast detection speed and low cost,making it an important means of quality control for TCM and having broad development prospects.This article reviewed the research progress of electrochemical methods in quality control of TCM in recent years,discussed the application of electrochemical fingerprinting technique in identification of TCM,and comprehensively summarized the application of electrochemical technology in analyzing effective components and harmful substances in TCM,including flavonoids,alkaloids,quinones,glycosides,heavy metals and pesticide residues.Finally,the development prospects of electrochemical methods in the field of quality control of TCM were discussed.

Objective To analyze the predictive value of serum levels of procalcitonin(PCT)and cytokines on the prognosis of patients with COVID-19 at admission.Methods From November 2022 to February 2023,patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who were admitted to Beijing Chest Hospital were enrolled.Chemiluminescence was used to detect serum PCT levels,and flow microsphere array was used to detect serum cytokines IL-1β,IL-2,IL-4,IL-5,IL-6,IL-8,IL-10,IL-12p70,IL-17A,IL-17F,IL-22,TNF-α,TNF-β,IFN-γ level.ICU admission,mechanical ventilation and in-hospital death were defined as poor prognosis.After excluding patients with bacterial infection,the relationship between serum PCT and cytokine levels at admission and the prognosis of COVID-19 patients was analyzed.After excluding patients with bacterial infection,the relationship between serum PCT and cytokine levels at admission and the prognosis of COVID-19 patients was analyzed.Results A total of 176 patients with complete data were included,including 134 in the PCT-normal group and 42 in the PCT-elevated group,with a median age of 71.50 years and 71.59%males.Patients in the PCT elevated-group had significantly higher rates of ICU admission(38.41%vs.13.11%,P<0.05),mechanical ventilation(76.92%vs.24.59%,P<0.001)and in-hospital mortality(38.46%vs.6.56%,P<0.001)were significantly higher than those in the PCT-normal group.Serum levels of cytokines IL-6(7.40 pg/mL vs.4.78 pg/mL,P = 0.033 4)and IL-8(10.97 pg/mL vs.5.92 pg/mL,P<0.001)were significantly higher in patients with poor prognosis than in those with good prognosis.The area under the curve for PCT,IL-6,and IL-8 to predict poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients was 0.687,0.660,and 0.746,respectively;sensitivity was 52.78%,55.17%,and 72.41%,respectively;and specificity was 81.58%,74.19%,and 74.19%,respectively,as calculated from the ROC curve.When PCT,IL-6 and IL-8 jointly predict the prognosis of COVID-19 patients,the area under the curve is 0.764,the sensitivity is 70.00%,and the specificity is 80.00%.Conclusion Serum PCT and cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 could be used as predictive markers for poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19.

Objective We aimed to (i) observe the therapeutic effect of Yiqi Wenyang Prescription (YQWYP, which consists of milkvetch root, tangshen, dried ginger, cassig twig, ephedra, biond magnolia flower-bud, Chinese magnoliavine fruit, earthworm, and liquorice root) on an allergic rhinitis (AR) murine model and the protective effect on the tight junction (TJ) key proteins zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin and (ii) elucidate whether YQWYP exerts these effects by inhibiting autophagy in nasal mucosal cells.Methods Thirty C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into six groups with 5 mice per group: (i) the blank group, (ii) the model group, (iii-v) the YQWYP low-dose, mid-dose, and high-dose groups(7, 14, 28 g/kg), and (vi) the cetirizine group(1.667 mg/kg). The model was established by intraperitoneal injection and nasal stimulation of ovalbumin. 1 hour before the nasal stimulation, mice in the blank group or in the model group were given normal saline by gavage, mice in the YQWYP groups and those in the cetirizine group were given the corresponding medicines solution by gavage. After 7 days, mice behavior was scored. After that, the mice were sacrificed and the nasal mucosa tissues were harvested. The inflammatory reaction of the nasal mucosa was observed by HE staining, the proliferation of goblet cells in the nasal mucosa was observed by PAS staining, the IgE content in nasal lavage fluid was determined by ELISA, the expression levels of ZO-1 and occludin were analyzed by immunohistochemistry, and the expression levels of LC3B, P62, and Beclin1 in the nasal mucosa of the blank group, model group, and YQWYP high-dose group were analyzed by Western blotting.Results After the successful establishment of the AR model, compared with the blank group, the symptom scores of nose scratching, sneezing, and runny nose in the model group were higher, while the total scores was significantly higher(P<0.01). In the model group, the nasal mucosal epithelium was disrupted and destroyed, a large number of inflammatory cells were infiltrated, goblet cells showed hyperplasia, mucus production was increased, mucosal swelling was obvious, the amount of IgE in nasal lavage fluid was increased (P<0.01). The protein expression levels of ZO-1 and occludin were decreased (P<0.05), the protein expression levels of LC3BⅡ/Ⅰ and Beclin1 were increased (P<0.05), P62 protein expression was decreased (P<0.05). After medication intervention, compared with the model group, in the YQWYP high-dose group and the cetirizine group, the total score were reduced (P<0.01), the swelling of the nasal mucosa was reduced, the infiltration of inflammatory cells was inhibited, the number of goblet cells was decreased, the amount of IgE in nasal lavage fluid was reduced(P<0.01), the protein expression of ZO-1 and occludin were increased (P<0.05), the protein levels of LC3BII/I and Beclin1 were decreased (P<0.05), P62 protein expression was increased (P<0.05). Conclusion YQWYP has a good therapeutic effect on AR mice, and its mechanism may be related to the promotion of nasal mucosal repair by inhibiting autophagy of nasal mucosal cells.

Objective To investigate whether curcumin is a potential drug for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors(GIST).Methods The differential genes of imatinib-resistant cells and non-resistant cells were analyzed by cell transcriptology.The antitumor activity of curcumin was verified by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)method,and the concentration of Curcumin ranged from 5 to 80 μg·mL-1for GIST-T1 and GIST-T1/IMR cells.20 μg·mL-1 Curcumin as the experimental group,phosphate buffered solution as the control group.The contents of interleukin-6(IL-6),reactive oxygen species(ROS)and nitric oxide(NO)were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.The cell cycle changes were analyzed by flow cytometry.Results Using non-resistant cells as a contrast,the results showed that there were 1 300 up-regulated genes and 1 609 down-regulated genes in imatinib-resistant cells.The 50％inhibiting concentration values of Curcumin on GIST-T1 and GIST-T1/IMR cells were(15.33±1.36)and(10.49±2.12)μg·mL-1,respectively.In GIST-T1 cells,the IL-6 levels in experimental group and control group were(3.45±0.01)and(5.64±0.42)pg·mL-1;the ROS levels were(2 841.42±81.83)and(4 174.32±439.12)pg·mL-1;the iNOS levels were(7.02±0.08)and(8.08±0.03)μmol·L-1,respectively.In GIST-T1/IMR cells,the IL-6 levels in experimental group and control group were(2.47±0.30)and(6.30±0.01)pg·mL-1;the ROS levels were(4 706.40±146.71)and(8 254.34±342.35)pg·mL-1;the iNOS levels were(6.42±0.09)and(7.29±0.04)μmol·L-1,respectively.Among the 2 cells,the differences of above indicators were statistically significant between the experimental group and the control group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Curcumin blocked the cell cycle of GIST-T1 and GIST-T1/IMR in G1 phase,further shortens S phase and G2 phase.Conclusion Curcumin can inhibit the secretion of inflammation and regulate the proliferation of GIST.

Objective Viral encephalitis is an infectious disease severely affecting human health.It is caused by a wide variety of viral pathogens,including herpes viruses,flaviviruses,enteroviruses,and other viruses.The laboratory diagnosis of viral encephalitis is a worldwide challenge.Recently,high-throughput sequencing technology has provided new tools for diagnosing central nervous system infections.Thus,In this study,we established a multipathogen detection platform for viral encephalitis based on amplicon sequencing. Methods We designed nine pairs of specific polymerase chain reaction(PCR)primers for the 12 viruses by reviewing the relevant literature.The detection ability of the primers was verified by software simulation and the detection of known positive samples.Amplicon sequencing was used to validate the samples,and consistency was compared with Sanger sequencing. Results The results showed that the target sequences of various pathogens were obtained at a coverage depth level greater than 20×,and the sequence lengths were consistent with the sizes of the predicted amplicons.The sequences were verified using the National Center for Biotechnology Information BLAST,and all results were consistent with the results of Sanger sequencing. Conclusion Amplicon-based high-throughput sequencing technology is feasible as a supplementary method for the pathogenic detection of viral encephalitis.It is also a useful tool for the high-volume screening of clinical samples.

Objective:To learn about physicians’ concepts and commonly employed method in hyaluronic acid injection and provide reference data for the standardization of pain management.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Convenient sampling method was used to distribute questionnaires to cosmetic injectors and patients experienced with hyaluronic acid injections to collect data on their views of pain associated with hyaluronic acid injections. The physician portion was collected offline from June 15 to July 20, 2022, and the patient portion was collected from November 14, 2022, to December 6, 2022, via the Questionnaire Star platform. The physician questionnaire consisted of 17 questions, question types included single choice, multiple choice and essay questions. The patient questionnaire consisted of 6 questions, question types included single choice and multiple choice. Relevant data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software for descriptive statistics, and data were presented in the form of cases and percentages (%).Results:Sixty-two physician questionnaires and 123 patient questionnaires were collected. 42 (67.74%) physicians observed from their daily practice that more than 50% of their patients were very concerned about pain during injection; 101 (82.11%) patients scored ≥5 out of 10 for concern about impending pain prior to hyaluronic acid filler injection. At the time of treatment, 48 (77.42%) physicians advised patients to choose a lidocaine-containing hyaluronic acid filler for reasons including a significant reduction in injection pain (53 cases, 85.48%) and patient comfort with the treatment experience (59 cases, 95.16%). 60 (48.78%) patients were willing to choose an anesthesia-containing product at the time of injection, but the price of the anesthesia-containing product influenced the patient’ s choice (55 cases 44.72%) .Conclusions:Pain from cosmetic injectable treatments is an important issue to both physicians and patients. Lidocaine-containing hyaluronic acid is recognized by physicians and patients for its analgesic effect and high safety profile. There is no perfect solution for pain in cosmetic injection treatment, and multidisciplinary collaboration may be needed to solve the problem.

Objective:To learn about physicians’ concepts and commonly employed method in hyaluronic acid injection and provide reference data for the standardization of pain management.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Convenient sampling method was used to distribute questionnaires to cosmetic injectors from plastic surgery department of public hospitals or medical beauty institutions and patients experienced with hyaluronic acid injections to collect data on their views of pain associated with hyaluronic acid injections. The physician portion was collected offline from June 15 to July 20, 2022, and the patient portion was collected from November 14 to December 6, 2022, via the Questionnaire Star platform. The physician questionnaire consisted of 17 questions, question types included single choice, multiple choice and essay questions. The patient questionnaire consisted of 6 questions, question types included single choice and multiple choice. Relevant data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software for descriptive statistics, and data were presented in the form of cases(%).Results:Sixty-two physician questionnaires and 123 patient questionnaires were collected. 42 (67.74%) physicians observed from their daily practice that more than 50% of their patients were very concerned about pain during injection; 101 (82.11%) patients scored ≥5 out of 10 for concern about impending pain prior to hyaluronic acid filler injection. At the time of treatment, 48 (77.42%) physicians advised patients to choose a lidocaine-containing hyaluronic acid filler for reasons including a significant reduction in injection pain (53 cases, 85.48%) and patient comfort with the treatment experience (59 cases, 95.16%). 60 (48.78%) patients were willing to choose an anesthesia-containing product at the time of injection, but the price of the anesthesia-containing product influenced the patient’s choice (55 cases, 44.72%).Conclusion:Pain from cosmetic injectable treatments is an important issue to both physicians and patients. Lidocaine-containing hyaluronic acid is recognized by physicians and patients for its analgesic effect and high safety profile. There is no perfect solution for pain in cosmetic injection treatment, and multidisciplinary collaboration may be needed to solve the problem.