Recently， Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver published the recommendations for the diagnosis and management of non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis （NCPF）/idiopathic portal hypertension （IPH）. The guidelines mainly elaborate on the definition， diagnosis， histological features， natural history， and management of NCPF/IPH， in order to strengthen the understanding of NCPF/IPH-related issues and establish a global consensus. This article makes an excerpt of the key statements in the guidelines.

ObjectiveTo establish a rapid and stable liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry（LC-MS） for simultaneous analysis of 17 chemical components in Gnaphalium affine aboveground parts with flowers， so as to provide experimental basis for improving the quality standard of this herb. MethodUltra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS） was used for the quantitative analysis of 17 constituents in 15 batches of G. affine from different origins， the separation was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC^® BEH C₁₈ column（2.1 mm×100 mm， 1.7 μm） with the mobile phase of methanol（A）-0.1% formic acid aqueous solution（B） for gradient elution（0-1.0 min， 8%A； 1.0-4.0 min， 8%-26%A； 4.0-9.0 min， 26%A； 9.0-14.0 min， 26%-34%A； 14.0-14.5 min， 34%-45%A； 14.5-15.0 min， 45%-60%A； 15.0-18.0 min， 60%-90%A； 18.0-19.0 min， 90%A； 19.0-19.01 min， 90%-8%A； 19.01-20.0 min， 8%A）， the flow rate was 0.3 mL·min^-1， the column temperature was 40 ℃ and the injection volume was 2 μL. And the electrospray ionization was used with full scanning in both positive and negative ion modes， and the scanning range was m/z 100-1 000. ResultThe established method has been verified by the methodology and could be used for the simultaneous quantification of 17 components in G. affine. The content ranges of the 17 components（quinic acid， gallic acid， protocatechuic acid， neochlorogenic acid， chlorogenic acid， cryptochlorogenic acid， caffeic acid， 1，3-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid， isochlorogenic acid A， isoquercitrin， 1，5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid， apigenin-7-O-glucoside， astragalin， isochlorogenic acid C， luteolin， apigenin and hispidulin） in 15 batches of G. affine samples was 39.60-179.12， 0.17-0.84， 2.41-8.38， 4.33-31.50， 13.63-180.38， 2.43-14.75， 1.16-19.68， 0.49-5.63， 55.77-445.16， 0.23-10.26， 62.04-530.10， 1.11-18.01， 11.36-90.61， 12.22-65.98， 7.22-69.84， 3.37-45.65， 0.30-2.59 μg·g^-1， respectively. The content of organic acids was higher than that of flavonoids in G. affine， and the contents of 1，5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid， isochlorogenic acid A， quinic acid and chlorogenic acid were higher. Meanwhile， the content of flavonoids in the samples from Guizhou was higher than that from Jiangsu， while the content of organic acids in the samples from Jiangsu was higher than that from Guizhou. ConclusionThe established method can be used for the rapid and accurate determination of 17 components in G. affine， which clarifies the content range of the main components in this herb， and can provide a reference for the selection of quality control markers of G. affine.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Fuzheng Huayu prescription on hepatocyte extinction and regeneration in fibrotic liver and its mechanism of action in promoting hepatocyte regeneration. MethodsMice were given intraperitoneal injection of CCl₄ for 6 weeks to establish a model of liver cirrhosis， and there were 10 mice in the model group， 10 in the sorafenib group， 10 in the Fuzheng Huayu prescription group， and 9 in the normal control group. Since week 4 of modeling， the mice in the Fuzheng Huayu prescription group and the sorafenib group were given the corresponding drug by gavage at a dose of 4.8 g/kg and 4 mg/kg， respectively， for three consecutive weeks， and those in the normal group and the model group were given an equal volume of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose. Serum liver function parameters were measured； the METAVIR scoring system was used to evaluate liver inflammation and fibrosis stage； Sirius Red staining and hydroxyproline （Hyp） content in liver tissue were used to evaluate collagen deposition； immunohistochemistry was used to measure the protein expression levels of type IV collagen， CD31， CD32b， Ki67， CyclinD1， glutamine synthetase， Wnt2， and HGF， and Western blot was used to measure the expression levels of Wnt2， LRP6， β-catenin， p-β-catenin， and CyclinD1 in liver tissue. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsCompared with the model group， the Fuzheng Huayu prescription group and the sorafenib group showed the following changes： significant reductions in the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase and the content of Hyp in liver tissue （all P<0.01）； a significant reduction in METAVIR score； significant reductions in the expression levels of type Ⅳ collagen and CD31 （all P<0.05） and a significant increase in the expression level of CD32b （P<0.01）； significant reductions in the number of parenchymal extinction lesions and significant increases in the expression levels of Ki67 and CyclinD1 in liver tissue （all P<0.01）； significant increases in the protein expression levels of Wnt2， LRP6， β-catenin， and CyclinD1 and a significant reduction in the protein expression level of p-β-catenin （all P<0.05）； significant increases in the number of cells stained positive for both CD32b and Wnt2. ConclusionFuzheng Huayu prescription can inhibit hepatic sinusoidal capillarization， improve the Wnt2 exocrine function of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells， activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway associated with hepatocyte regeneration， and finally reverse liver cirrhosis.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Ruyi Zhenbaowan（RYZBW）in the treatment of initial and early knee osteoarthritis （KOA） through a prospective multicenter，randomized，double-blind，and placebo-parallel controlled trial. MethodFrom October 13^th， 2021 to December 25^th， 2021， 240 KOA subjects meeting the acceptance criteria were enrolled in 15 sub-centers including Wangjing Hospital， Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences， and they were randomly divided into observation group and control group， with 120 cases in each group. The intervention measures for the observation group were RYZBW + health education， and the intervention measures for the control group were RYZBW placebo + health education. The intervention period in both groups was four weeks， and they were followed up for four weeks after the intervention. The primary outcome measure was the total score of Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index score （WOMAC score）， and the secondary outcome measures were the response rate of visual scale （VAS） pain score， WOMAC sub item scores （joint pain， joint stiffness， and joint function）， quality of life （SF-12） score， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score. Result（1） Efficacy evaluation. The marginal model results showed that the observation group was better than the control group in improving the WOMAC total score and WOMAC pain score in the treatment of KOA with RYZBW， and the difference was statistically significant （P<0.05）. There was no significant difference between the two groups in improving VAS score response rate， WOMAC function score， WOMAC stiffness score， SF12-PCS （quality of life-physical health） score， SF12-MCS （quality of life-mental health） score， and TCM syndrome score. （2） Subgroup analysis. ① In terms of VAS score response rate， the response rate of the observation group was higher than that of the control group for subjects with baseline VAS score of （4， 5］， and the difference was statistically significant （P<0.05）. ② In terms of TCM syndrome score， for subjects aged ［56， 60］ and ［61， 65］， the decrease in total TCM syndrome score in the observation group was better than that in the control group， and the difference was statistically significant （P<0.05）. ConclusionTibetan medicine RYZBW has good clinical efficacy in improving WOMAC total score， VAS score response rate， WOMAC pain score， WOMAC function score， and TCM syndrome score for patients with initial and early KOA， which can fill the lack of Tibetan medicine RYZBW in the treatment of KOA and make a demonstration study for the inheritance and development of ethnic medicine.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of amygdalin on liver fibrosis in a liver fibrosis mouse model, and the underlying mechanisms were partly dissected in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: Thirty-two male mice were randomly divided into 4 groups, including control, model, low- and high-dose amygdalin-treated groups, 8 mice in each group. Except the control group, mice in the other groups were injected intraperitoneally with 10% carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-olive oil solution 3 times a week for 6 weeks to induce liver fibrosis. At the first 3 weeks, amygdalin (1.35 and 2.7 mg/kg body weight) were administered by gavage once a day. Mice in the control group received equal quantities of subcutaneous olive oil and intragastric water from the fourth week. At the end of 6 weeks, liver tissue samples were harvested to detect the content of hydroxyproline (Hyp). Hematoxylin and eosin and Sirius red staining were used to observe the inflammation and fibrosis of liver tissue. The expressions of collagen I (Col-I), alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), CD31 and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)/Smad signaling pathway were observed by immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. The activation models of hepatic stellate cells, JS-1 and LX-2 cells induced by TGF-β1 were used in vitro with or without different concentrations of amygdalin (0.1, 1, 10 µmol/L). LSECs. The effect of different concentrations of amygdalin on the expressions of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) dedifferentiation markers CD31 and CD44 were observed. RESULTS: High-dose of amygdalin significantly reduced the Hyp content and percentage of collagen positive area, and decreased the mRNA and protein expressions of Col-I, α-SMA, CD31 and p-Smad2/3 in liver tissues of mice compared to the model group (P<0.01). Amygdalin down-regulated the expressions of Col-I and α-SMA in JS-1 and LX-2 cells, and TGFβ R1, TGFβ R2 and p-Smad2/3 in LX-2 cells compared to the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, 1 and 10 µmol/L amygdalin inhibited the mRNA and protein expressions of CD31 in LSECs and increased CD44 expression compared to the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Amygdalin can dramatically alleviate liver fibrosis induced by CCl₄ in mice and inhibit TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway, consequently suppressing HSCs activation and LSECs dedifferentiation to improve angiogenesis.
Rats ; Male ; Mice ; Animals ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism* ; Amygdalin/therapeutic use* ; Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Olive Oil/therapeutic use* ; Rats, Wistar ; Smad Proteins/metabolism* ; Liver Cirrhosis/metabolism* ; Liver ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; Collagen Type I/metabolism* ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; Hepatic Stellate Cells

Currently,the research or publications related to the clinical comprehensive evaluation of Chinese patent medicine are increasing,which attracts the broad attention of all circles. According to the completed clinical evaluation report on Chinese patent medicine,there are still practical problems and technical difficulties such as unclear responsibility of the evaluation organization,unclear evaluation subject,miscellaneous evaluation objects,and incomplete and nonstandard evaluation process. In terms of evaluation standards and specifications,there are different types of specifications or guidelines with different emphases issued by different academic groups or relevant institutions. The professional guideline is required to guide the standardized and efficient clinical comprehensive evaluation of Chinese patent medicine and further improve the authority and quality of evaluation. In combination with the characteristics of Chinese patent medicine and the latest research achievement at home and abroad,the detailed specifications were formulated from six aspects including design,theme selection,content and index,outcome,application and appraisal,and quality control. The guideline was developed based on the guideline development requirements of China Assoication of Chinese medicine. After several rounds of expert consensus and public consultation,the current version of the guideline has been developed.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Nonprescription Drugs ; Consensus ; China ; Reference Standards ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Ethnic medicine has a rich history of application. Because of the large number of ethnic groups, wide geographical distribution, and unique medical systems in China, the research on the human use experience(HUE) of ethnic medicine should combine the characteristics of ethnic medicine, be based on practical experience, and respect folk practice and tradition. The clinical positioning of ethnic medicine should consider three factors, i.e., population region, dominant diseases, and clinical demand. We should consider the development of traditional preparations that meet the needs of ethnic regions and encourage the development of new drugs that can be popularized and used nationwide for the dominant diseases of ethnic medicines. Attention should be paid to the problems such as a large number of customary articles or substitutes of ethnic medicinal materials, the phenomena of foreign bodies with the same name and different names for the same substance, the different standards of medicinal materials, and the poor processing standards. The name, processing method, source, medicinal parts, and dosage of ethnic medicinal materials or decoction pieces should be determined, and resources should be carefully evaluated to ensure the safety of medicinal resources and ecology. The preparation of ethnic medicine is mostly in the form of pills, powder, ointment, etc., with simple processing technology. The problems of low-quality stan-dards of some preparations, different prescriptions with the same name, and inconsistent processing technology should be overcome, and the process route and main process parameters should be clarified to lay the foundation for the subsequent empirical research on HUE. In the collection and analysis of the HUE data of ethnic medicine, the core guiding ideology of "patient-centered" should be established, and the experience data of patients should be collected. The problems of weak links existing in the inheritance of ethnic medicine should be solved, and flexible and diverse methods should be adopted. Meanwhile, on the premise of complying with the requirements of the principles of medical ethics, we should respect the religion, culture, and customs of ethnic areas to obtain the key HUE information of ethnic medicine. On the basis of the patient preference information and differences in regional disease epidemiology, population characteristics, and medical practice, whether the HUE conclusions of ethnic medicine can be extrapolated to patients outside the region is evaluated from the aspects of clinical benefits, risk tolerance, risk acceptance, etc. The HUE research on ethnic medicine is carried out in a clear way to guide the research and development of new ethnic medicines.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; China ; Reference Standards ; Technology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease and an important health concern. Western medicine and therapies are the main treatment strategies for psoriasis vulgaris (PV); however, the overall prognosis of patients with PV is still poor. Therefore, PV prevention is especially crucial. Chinese medicine (CM) has a long history of treating psoriasis, and it has unique wisdom in different cognitive angles and treatment modes from modern medicine. In this review, we first summarized the herbs and ancient CM formulas that have therapeutic effects on PV. Second, the research status and obstacles to the current development of CM in modern medicine were reviewed. Finally, the future of CM in the context of precision medicine and integrated medicine was discussed. After a detailed reading of the abundant literature, we believe that CM, through thousands of years of continuous development and clinical practice, has achieved high effectiveness and safety for PV treatment, despite its surrounding controversy. Moreover, precise analyses and systematic research methods have provided new approaches for the modernization of CM in the future. The treatment of PV with CM is worth popularizing, and we hope it can benefit more patients.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Psoriasis/therapy* ; Research Design ; Drug Therapy, Combination

Objective:To evaluate the clinical performance of direct antimicrobial susceptibility test in blood culture-positive broth, and to provide a basis for optimizing the antibiotic use strategy in clinical bloodstream infection.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 780 blood culture-positive samples collected in Peking University People′s Hospital from May 2017 to December 2021. The direct antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed by disk diffusion method on blood culture-positive broth. The antimicrobial susceptibility breakpoints were in accordance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M100 S32 edition document.Results:In this study, a total of 331 strains of Gram-negative bacteria (139 strains of Escherichia coli, 79 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 35 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 21 strains of Acinetobacter baumannii) and 396 strains of Gram-positive cocci (25 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, 316 strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci, 47 strains of Enterococcussp.) were collected, after excluding 53 cases with two or more isolates. Compared with the routine antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST), the rates of category agreement (CA), major error (ME), and very major error (VME) of Gram-negative bacteria were 86.0% (1368/1 591), 8.7% (139/1 591), and 0.5% (8/1 591), respectively. On the other hand, the CA%, ME%, and VME% of Gram-positive cocci were 89.2% (960/1 076), 7.5% (81/1 076), and 1% (11/1 076), respectively. Regarding the individual antimicrobial agents, the CA% of Escherichia coli was 16/17 for imipenem, 90.1% (109/121) for meropenem, and 70.8% (85/120) for cefepime. For Klebsiella pneumoniae, the CA% of was 10/13 for imipenem, 80.9% (55/68) for meropenem, and 80.3% (53/66) for cefepime. The CA% of meropenem in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii were 96.0% (24/25) and 16/16. The CA% of linezolid and cefoxitin in Staphylococcus aureus were 100% (25/25) and 100% (24/24), respectively. The CA% of linezolid, cefoxitin and gentamicin in coagulase-negative staphylococci were 98.9% (269/272), 94.5% (277/293) and 71.6% (194/271) respectively. Finally, for Enterococcus sp., the CA% of vancomycin and ampicillin were 91.5% (43/47) and 94.7% (36/38), respectively. Conclusion:Compared with the conventional AST, the blood culture-positive broth direct AST exhibited high category agreement and low error rates for both Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive cocci, which can serve a rapid alternative for AST in cases of clinical bloodstream infection.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli（ETEC）infection can induce watery diarrhea，leading to dehydration，electrolyte disturbance，and even death in severe cases. Recombinant B subunit/inactivated whole-cell cholera（rBS/WC）vaccine is effective in preventing ETEC infectious diarrhea. On the basis of the latest evidence on etiology and epidemiology of ETEC，as well as the effectiveness，safety，and health economics of rBS/WC vaccine，National Clinical Research Center for Child Health（The Children’s Hospital，Zhejiang University School of Medicine）and Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention invited experts to develop expert consensus on rBS/WC vaccine in prevention of ETEC infectious diarrhea. It aims to provide the clinicians and vaccination professionals with guidelines on using rBS/WC vaccine to reduce the incidence of ETEC infectious diarrhea.