ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of Yishen Tongluo prescription in protecting mice from oxidative stress injury in diabetic kidney disease （DKD） via the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）/heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1）/NAD（P）H quinone oxidoreductase 1 （NQO1） signaling pathway. MethodsSpecific pathogen-free （SPF） male C57BL/6 mice were assigned into a control group （n=10） and a modeling group （n=50）. The DKD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. The mice in the modeling group were randomized into a model group， a semaglutide （40 μg·kg^-1） group， and high-， medium-， and low-dose （18.2， 9.1， 4.55 g·kg^-1， respectively） Yishen Tongluo prescription groups， with 10 mice in each group. The treatment lasted for 12 weeks. Blood glucose and 24-h urine protein levels were measured， and the kidney index （KI） was calculated. Serum levels of creatinine （SCr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） were assessed. The pathological changes in the renal tissue were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin， periodic acid-Schiff， periodic acid-silver methenamine， and Masson’s trichrome staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were used to measure the levels of β2-microglobulin （β2-MG）， neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin （NGAL）， kidney injury molecule-1 （KIM-1）， liver fatty acid-binding protein （L-FABP）， nitric oxide synthase （NOS）， glutathione （GSH）， total antioxidant capacity （T-AOC）， and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine （8-OHdG）. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to examine the expression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 （Keap1） and malondialdehyde （MDA）. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR） and Western blot were employed to determine the mRNA and protein levels， respectively， of factors in the Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 signaling pathway. ResultsCompared with the control group， the DKD model group showed rises in blood glucose， 24-h urine protein， KI， SCr， BUN， and ALT levels， along with glomerular hypertrophy， renal tubular dilation， thickened basement membrane， mesangial expansion， and collagen deposition. Additionally， the model group showed elevated levels of β2-MG， NGAL， KIM-1， L-FABP， NOS， and 8-OHdG， lowered levels of GSH and T-AOC， up-regulated expression of MDA and Keap1， and down-regulated expression of Nrf2， HO-1， NQO1， and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit （GCLC） （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the semaglutide group and the medium- and high-dose Yishen Tongluo prescription groups showed reductions in blood glucose， 24-h urine protein， KI， SCr， BUN， and ALT levels， along with alleviated pathological injuries in the renal tissue. In addition， the three groups showed lowered levels of β2-MG， NGAL， KIM-1， L-FABP， NOS， and 8-OHdG， elevated levels of GSH and T-AOC， down-regulated expression of MDA and Keap1， and up-regulated expression of Nrf2， HO-1， NQO1， and GCLC （P<0.05）. ConclusionYishen Tongluo prescription exerts renoprotective effects in the mouse model of DKD by modulating the Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 signaling pathway， mitigating oxidative stress， and reducing renal tubular injuries.

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of Yishen Tongluo Formula in ameliorating renal pyroptosis in diabetic nephropathy mice by regulating the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Methods: Sixty C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into control (10 mice) and intervention groups (50 mice) using random number table method. The diabetes nephropathy model was established by intraperitoneally injecting streptozotocin(50 mg/kg). After modeling, the intervention group was further divided into model, semaglutide (40 μg/kg), and high-, medium-, and low-dose Yishen Tongluo Formula groups (15.6, 7.8, and 3.9 g/kg, respectively) using random number table method. The high-, medium-, and low-dose Yishen Tongluo Formula groups were administered corresponding doses of medication by gavage, the semaglutide group received a subcutaneous injection of semaglutide injection, and the control group and model groups were administered distilled water by gavage for 12 consecutive weeks. Random blood glucose levels of mice in each group were monitored, and the 24-h urinary protein content was measured using biochemical method every 4 weeks; after treatment, the serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels were measured using biochemical method. The weight of the kidneys was measured, and the renal index was calculated. Hematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid-Schiff, periodic Schiff-methenamine, and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes in renal tissue. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect urinary β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) levels. Western blotting and real-time fluorescence PCR were used to detect the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 (NLRP3), Caspase-1, gasdermin D (GSDMD), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in renal tissue. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the proportion of protein staining area of the TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in renal tissue. Results: Compared with the control group, the random blood glucose, 24-h urinary protein, serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, and renal index of the model group increased, and the urine β2-MG, NGAL, and KIM-1 levels increased. The relative protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1β, and IL-18 in renal tissue increased, and the proportion of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB protein positive staining areas increased (P<0.05). Pathological changes such as glomerular hypertrophy were observed in the renal tissue of the model group. Compared with the model group, the Yishen Tongluo Formula high-dose group showed a decrease in random blood glucose after 12 weeks of treatment (P<0.05). The Yishen Tongluo Formula high- and medium-dose groups showed a decrease in 24-h urinary protein, creatinine, urea nitrogen, and renal index, as well as decreased β2-MG, NGAL, and KIM-1 levels. NLRP3, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1 β, and IL-18 relative protein and mRNA expression levels were also reduced, and the proportion of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB protein positive staining areas was reduced (P<0.05). Pathological damage to renal tissue was ameliorated. Conclusion Yishen Tongluo Formula may exert protective renal effects by inhibiting renal pyroptosis and alleviating tubular interstitial injury in diabetic nephropathy mice by regulating the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Methods: This study enrolled 40 patients with AIS, 20 patients with congenital scoliosis (CS), and 20 patients with spinal degenerative disease (SDD). All patients underwent open posterior surgery in our hospital, and a paravertebral muscle (multifidus muscle) biopsy was performed intraoperatively. This study included many indexes that describe muscle, especially dystrophin staining. The above pathological results were compared among the AIS, CS, and SDD groups. The correlation between the Cobb angle and Nash–Moe classification and the above pathological results was analyzed in patients with AIS. Results: Significant reductions in the dystrophin staining of dystrophin-1 (p<0.001), dystrophin-2 (p<0.001), and dystrophin-3 (p<0.001) were observed in the AIS group than in the CS and SDD groups. The higher the Nash–Moe classification in the AIS group, the more significant the loss of dystrophin-2 (p=0.042) in the convex paraspinal muscles. Additionally, a significantly positive correlation was observed between the reductions of dystrophin-2 on the concave side of the AIS group and Cobb angle (p=0.011). Conclusions Dystrophin protein deficiency in the paraspinal muscles plays a crucial role in AIS formation and progression. The severity of scoliosis in patients with AIS is correlated with the extent of dystrophin loss in the paravertebral muscles. Therefore, dystrophin dysfunction may be relevant to AIS occurrence and development.

Methods: This study enrolled 40 patients with AIS, 20 patients with congenital scoliosis (CS), and 20 patients with spinal degenerative disease (SDD). All patients underwent open posterior surgery in our hospital, and a paravertebral muscle (multifidus muscle) biopsy was performed intraoperatively. This study included many indexes that describe muscle, especially dystrophin staining. The above pathological results were compared among the AIS, CS, and SDD groups. The correlation between the Cobb angle and Nash–Moe classification and the above pathological results was analyzed in patients with AIS. Results: Significant reductions in the dystrophin staining of dystrophin-1 (p<0.001), dystrophin-2 (p<0.001), and dystrophin-3 (p<0.001) were observed in the AIS group than in the CS and SDD groups. The higher the Nash–Moe classification in the AIS group, the more significant the loss of dystrophin-2 (p=0.042) in the convex paraspinal muscles. Additionally, a significantly positive correlation was observed between the reductions of dystrophin-2 on the concave side of the AIS group and Cobb angle (p=0.011). Conclusions Dystrophin protein deficiency in the paraspinal muscles plays a crucial role in AIS formation and progression. The severity of scoliosis in patients with AIS is correlated with the extent of dystrophin loss in the paravertebral muscles. Therefore, dystrophin dysfunction may be relevant to AIS occurrence and development.

Methods: This study enrolled 40 patients with AIS, 20 patients with congenital scoliosis (CS), and 20 patients with spinal degenerative disease (SDD). All patients underwent open posterior surgery in our hospital, and a paravertebral muscle (multifidus muscle) biopsy was performed intraoperatively. This study included many indexes that describe muscle, especially dystrophin staining. The above pathological results were compared among the AIS, CS, and SDD groups. The correlation between the Cobb angle and Nash–Moe classification and the above pathological results was analyzed in patients with AIS. Results: Significant reductions in the dystrophin staining of dystrophin-1 (p<0.001), dystrophin-2 (p<0.001), and dystrophin-3 (p<0.001) were observed in the AIS group than in the CS and SDD groups. The higher the Nash–Moe classification in the AIS group, the more significant the loss of dystrophin-2 (p=0.042) in the convex paraspinal muscles. Additionally, a significantly positive correlation was observed between the reductions of dystrophin-2 on the concave side of the AIS group and Cobb angle (p=0.011). Conclusions Dystrophin protein deficiency in the paraspinal muscles plays a crucial role in AIS formation and progression. The severity of scoliosis in patients with AIS is correlated with the extent of dystrophin loss in the paravertebral muscles. Therefore, dystrophin dysfunction may be relevant to AIS occurrence and development.

OBJECTIVE To innovatively apply the pre-intelligent precision dosing and verification system （hereinafter referred to as “the system”）， and to provide a reference for the high-level “intelligent” transformation of inpatient pharmacy. METHODS The limitations of the triple-serial dispensing mode， which comprised the automatic medicine packaging machine （ATC）， intelligent tablet dispensing table （ITDT） and medication detection machine （MDM）， were analyzed. The application of the system and the adoption of the barcode scanning verification method optimized the pre-dosing management， whole-tablet drug dispensing process and ATC temporary dosing management. The comparative analysis was conducted to assess dosing time， labor cost and packaging error of the eight-month period， before and after the system application. RESULTS The triple-serial dispensing mode had a weak ability to avoid error risks in the manual dosing stage， and also had errors in the verification stage. Through the innovative application system， the pre-dosing management had been upgraded， the whole-tablet drug dispensing process had been optimized， and the ATC temporary dosing management had been improved. The average time required for each drug for pre-dosing， whole-tablet drug dispensing and ATC temporary dosing was significantly shortened after the application of the system， compared with before the application of the system （P＜0.001）. The number of pharmacists was reduced from two to one. The error rate of ATC decreased significantly from 0.220‰ to 0.029‰ （P＜0.001）. Specifically， the rate of pharmacist-related errors （pre-dosing error， ITDT dosing error， and ATC temporary dosing error） decreased from 0.116‰ to 0.001‰ （P＜0.001）， and machine-related errors decreased from 0.096‰ to 0.023‰ （P＜0.001）. CONCLUSIONS This innovative integration mode greatly improves the working efficiency and quality of inpatient pharmacy. It enhances refined management of drug expiration and inventory， saves time and labor costs， improves the accuracy of drug dispensing， and ensures patient medication safety.

Objective To compare animal models of chronic heart failure(CHF)prepared by three different protocols,to establish a stable,reliable,and reproducible mouse model of CHF.Methods Twenty-five male C57BL/6J mice were divided randomly into four groups:a blank group,model A group(MA group),model B group(MB group),and model C group(MC group).The model groups adopted different preparation protocols for continuous injection of isoprenaline.The MA group and MB group were dose-decreasing models:MA group:subcutaneous injection of 10 mg/kg on day 1,5 mg/kg on day 2,2.5 mg/(kg·d)on days 3～30,total 30 days;and MB group:subcutaneous injection of 20 mg/kg on day 1,10 mg/kg on day 2,5 mg/(kg·d)on days 3～14,total 14 days.The MC group used a constant dose of intraperitoneal injection of 7.5 mg/(kg·d)for 28 days.The day after the final injection,the survival and model-formation rates for each group of mice were calculated.Cardiac function was measured by cardiac ultrasound and serum levels of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α were measured.Results CHF was successfully induced in all the model groups after all injections at the end of the fourth week.However,comprehensive test result showed that the MC model was the most stable.Conclusions An isoprenaline-induced mouse model of CHF using constant intraperitoneal injection of 7.5 mg/(kg·d)for 28 days may be the most suitable model for subsequent research on traditional Chinese medicine.

The interaction of gut microbiota and its metabolites with the host not only plays an important role in maintaining gut homeostasis and host health, but also is a key link in responding to pathogen infections. A thorough understanding of the changes in gut microbiota and its metabolites during infection, as well as their role and mechanism in host defense against infection, is helpful to guide anti-infection treatment. This review focuses on the role of gut microbiota and their metabolites in host defense against bacterial, fungal, and viral infections, and reveals that they can exert anti-infection effects through resistance mechanisms (inducing antimicrobial substances, training immunity, inhibiting pathogen respiration, directly neutralizing pathogens, immune regulation) and tolerance mechanisms (altering energy metabolism patterns of microbiota, cell proliferation and tissue damage repair, maintaining physiological signal transduction in extraintestinal organs, inflammation regulation, maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier), and also summarizes measures to regulate gut microbiota against pathogen infections, in order to provide more ideas for novel anti-infection prevention and treatment strategies targeting gut microbiota and its metabolites.

Objective:To compare the image quality and the diagnostic efficiency for breast malignant lesions using simultaneous multi-slice single shot echo planar imaging (SMS+SS-EPI) and readout segment of long variable echo trains (RESOLVE) for breast diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Clinical and imaging data of 102 patients with breast lesion from March 2021 to February 2023 in the First Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University were prospectively analyzed. All patients underwent routine breast MRI scans and cross-sectional RESOLVE and SMS+SS EPI sequence DWI, and the image quality of 2 types sequences of DWI was evaluated. The subjective evaluation was based on a 5-point scale, including geometric distortion, artifact blurring, fat suppression, overall image quality, and lesion conspicuity of the breast. The objective evaluation included signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of the lesion. Wilcoxon signed rank sum test was used to compare the subjective and objective parameters between the two sequences. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the effectiveness of ADC values for diagnosing breast malignant lesions based on two sequence images.Results:All 102 female patients had single lesions, aged from 25 to 68 years and 60 lesions were malignant and 42 were benign. The acquisition time for SMS+SS-EPI sequence imaging was 1 min 50 s, and the acquisition time for RESOLVE sequence imaging was 3 min 43 s.The subjective scores from both SMS+SS-EPI and RESOLVE sequence were over than 3 points. The geometric distortion, artifact blurring, and overall image quality scores of RESOLVE sequence images were higher than those of SMS+SS-EPI (all P<0.001). The overall lesion conspicuity score, malignant lesion conspicuity score, and benign lesion conspicuity score of DWI and ADC images combined with SMS+SS-EPI sequence were higher than those of the RESOLVE sequence (all P<0.05). There were no statistically difference in SNR, CNR, overall ADC value, malignant ADC value, and benign ADC value between SMS+SS-EPI and RESOLVE sequence DWI images of breast lesions (all P>0.05). The AUC of RESOLVE sequence ADC value in diagnosis of breast cancer was 0.973, the sensitivity was 0.929, and the specificity was 0.915; The AUC of SMS+SSC-EPI sequence ADC value in diagnosis of breast cancer was 0.956, the sensitivity was 0.977, and the specificity was 0.850. Conclusions:In breast DWI, the subjective score of SMS+SS EPI image quality can basically meet the diagnostic requirements and the conspicuity of lesions is better than that of the RESOLVE sequence. Both have good diagnostic efficacy for malignant breast lesions.

ObjectiveTo comprehensively assess the clinical value of Duliang soft capsules in the treatment of migraine with wind-cold blood stasis syndrome， and to provide guidance for national medical decision-making， clinical drug promotion， and pharmaceutical services. MethodThe evaluation of Duliang soft capsules' clinical value was conducted in accordance with the Guidelines for the Management of Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation of Drugs （Trial Version， 2021） using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Utilizing the CSC v2.0 software， this study conducted a comprehensive clinical evaluation of Duliang soft capsules across the "6+1" dimensions， including safety pre- and post-market launch， effectiveness in treating migraine， economy （cost-effectiveness）， and innovation， suitability， accessibility， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） characteristics in both its technology and clinical applications. ResultSafety： Duliang soft capsules were found to have good safety based on evidence from known adverse reactions （spontaneous reporting system （SRS） data， literature data， etc.）， pre-marketing toxicological research， and post-marketing drug monitoring. Effectiveness： A meta-analysis indicated that the combination of Duliang soft capsules and western medicine was more effective than Western medicine alone in the treatment of migraine. The product's effectiveness was rated as "Best" based on the quality and value of the evidence. Economy： Duliang soft capsules are moderately priced and categorized as a Type B medical insurance product. Economic research indicated that the combination of Western medicine and Duliang soft capsules was more cost-effective than Western medicine alone. The product's economy was rated as "Better". Innovation： Duliang soft capsules， with Angelicae Dahuricae Radix and Chuanxiong Rhizoma as the main components， hold one invention patent and have been awarded the China Patent Excellence Award. The pharmaceutical company has introduced innovative extraction （CO₂ supercritical extraction technology） and formulation （soft capsule） processes. The product's innovation was rated as "Better". Suitability： A questionnaire survey on Duliang soft capsules showed that it was well-suited for both patients and healthcare professionals. The product received a comprehensive assessment of suitability through the "Evaluation of Chinese Patent Medicine Information Services". The product's suitability was rated as "Best". Accessibility： Duliang soft capsules are moderately priced， making them accessible and affordable. The product's accessibility was rated as "Good" based on evidence from these three aspects. TCM characteristics： The formulation of Duliang soft capsules can be traced back to WANG Qiu's Selected Formulas from the Praiseworthy Studio （Shi Zhai Bai Yi Xuan Fang） from the Song Dynasty， and it was documented in ZHANG Jiebin's The Complete Works of Zhang Jing-yue （Jing Yue Quan Shu） as "Duliangwan". The product has been extensively studied with over 2000 clinical cases since its market launch， and its TCM characteristics were rated as outstanding with sufficient evidence. ConclusionThe comprehensive clinical value evaluation of Duliang soft capsules demonstrated its high effectiveness， suitability， and accessibility， and outstanding TCM characteristics. The product's safety， economy， and innovation received good ratings. In summary， Duliang soft capsules exhibited significant clinical value and outstanding TCM characteristics， the evidence was sufficient， and the result was confirmed， providing crucial references for clinical decision-making and pharmaceutical management.