Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of oral use of Jiawei Puji Xiaodu Granules(mainly composed of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos,Forsythiae Fructus,Taraxaci Herba,Violae Herba,Schizonepetae Herba,Arctii Fructus,Gleditsiae Spina,Paeoniae Radix Rubra,Moutan Cortex,and Phragmitis Rhizoma)combined with external application of Xiaozhong Sanjie Ointment(mainly composed of Scutellariae Radix,Coptidis Rhizoma,Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex,and Gleditsiae Spina,etc.)in the treatment of acute tonsillitis in children,and to observe their effects on the immune function and related inflammatory indexes of the patients.Methods A total of 116 children with acute tonsillitis of heat stagnation in the lung and stomach type were randomly divided into the control group and the observation group,with 58 cases in each group.The control group was treated with Cefixime Dispersible Tablets,while the observation group was treated with Jiawei Puji Xiaodu Granules for oral use and Xiaozhong Sanjie Ointment for external application.Both groups were treated for 14 days and then were followed-up for a period of 6 months.The changes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,white blood cell(WBC)count,T lymphocyte subset CD3+,CD4+,CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ levels,and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),interleukin 1β(IL-1β),interleukin 6(IL-6)and C-reactive protein(CRP)in the two groups were observed before and after the treatment.Moreover,the clinical efficacy and time for the disappearance of clinical symptoms were compared between the two groups,and the occurrence of adverse reactions and the recurrence of tonsillitis in the two groups were monitored at the same time.Results(1)During the trial,there were 8 cases falling off in the control group but none case falling off in the observation group,and eventually 50 cases in the control group and 58 cases in the observation group completed the full course of treatment.(2)After 14 days of treatment,the total effective rate of the observation group was 98.28%(57/58),while that of the control group was 90.00%(45/50).The intergroup(tested by rank sum test)showed that the clinical efficacy of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the time for the disappearance of sore throat,time for the disappearance of purulent spots,time for subsiding fever and time for the tonsils recovering to normal in the observation group were all significantly shorter than those in the control group(P＜0.05).(4)After treatment,the scores of primary and secondary symptoms and the overall symptom scores in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the reduction of the scores in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(5)After treatment,the levels of T lymphocyte subset CD3+,CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ in the two groups were significantly higher(P＜0.05)while the level of CD8 + was significantly lower(P＜0.05)than those before treatment,and the increase in the levels of CD3+,CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ and the reduction of the CD8+ level of the observation group were significantly superior to those of the control group(P＜0.05).(6)After treatment,the levels of WBC,TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6 and CRP in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the reduction in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(7)During the treatment period,no skin allergy,nausea,vomiting or other gastrointestinal adverse reactions occurred in the two groups,which showed a high degree of safety.(8)The 6-month follow-up showed that the recurrence rate of tonsillitis in the observation group was 5.17%(3/58),which was significantly lower than that of 24.00%(12/50)in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(χ2 = 8.330,P＜0.05).Conclusion The efficacy of Jiawei Puji Xiaodu Granules combined with Xiaozhong Sanjie Ointment exert notable curative effect for children with acute tonsillitis of heat stagnation in the lung and stomach type.The combined therapy can significantly shorten the duration of the disease,improve the clinical symptoms of the children and effectively reduce the recurrence rate of tonsillitis.The therapeutic mechanism may be related to the enhancement of the immune function and the inhibition of inflammatory response.

AIM To evaluate the quality of Beidougen Formula Granules.METHODS Fifteen batches of standard decoctions and three batches of formula granules were prepared,after which paste rate and contents,transfer rates of magnoflorine,daurisoline,dauricine were determined.HPLC specific chromatograms were established,and cluster analysis was adopted in chemical pattern recognition.RESULTS For three batches of formula granules,the paste rates were 15.1%-16.6%,the contents of magnoflorine,daurisoline,dauricine were 18.93-19.39,9.42-9.60,6.79-6.85 mg/g with the transfer rates of 34.42%-35.25%,43.81%-44.65%,27.27%-27.51%from decoction pieces to formula granules,respectively,and there were seven characteristic peaks in the specific chromatograms with the similarities of more than 0.95,which demonstrated good consistence with those of standard decoctions and accorded with related limit requirements.Fifteen batches of standard decoctions were clustered into two types,and the medicinal materials produced from Jilin,Hebei,Shangdong could be used for the preparation of formula granules.CONCLUSION This reasonable and reliable method can provide references for the quality control and clinical application of Beidougen Formula Granules.

OBJECTIVE To explore the improvement effect and mechanism of petroleum ether extract of Saposhnikovia divaricata on rheumatoid arthritis （RA） rats by regulating neutrophil extracellular traps （NETs）. METHODS Establishment of rat RA model using bovine type Ⅱ collagen and Freund’s complete adjuvant. The model rats were randomly divided into model group and low-dose， middle-dose and high-dose groups （55， 110， 220 mg/kg） of petroleum ether extract of S. divaricata； the normal group without modeling was also established， with 10 rats in each group. Each group was given corresponding drugs or constant volume of 2% Tween-80 solution intragastrically， once a day， for consecutive 28 days. The toe swelling degree in rats was observed， and the arthritis index （AI） was scored. The serum levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-10， IL-17， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25（OH）D3]， myeloperoxidase （MPO）， neutrophil elastase （NE） and NETs in rats were detected. The histopathological changes in ankle joint were observed. The expression of citrullinated histone H3 （CitH3） in ankle joint as well as the expressions of cytochrome P450 24A1 （CYP24A1）， cytochrome P450 27B1 （CYP27B1），vitamin D receptor （VDR） and peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 疾病。E-mail：zhongyao626@126.com （PAD4） in synovium were all determined. RESULTS Compared with the model group， the toe swelling degree and AI score in the middle-dose and high-dose groups of petroleum ether extract of S. divaricata decreased significantly from day 14 to day 28 after administration （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The serum levels of IL-1β， IL-17， TNF-α， MPO， NE and NETs decreased significantly， while the levels of IL-10 and 25（OH）D3 increased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The widened ankle joint space and the improved structure were found； the expression of CitH3 in ankle joint， and the expressions of CYP24A1 and PAD4 in synovium were down-regulated significantly， while the expressions of CYP27B1 and VDR were up-regulated significantly in synovium （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS The petroleum ether extract of S. divaricata may inhibit the production of NETs and improve the symptoms of RA by regulating the vitamin D system.

The conventional oral drug delivery frequently results in the drug elimination before its complete release due to rapid gastric emptying and short gastrointestinal transport time, thus reducing the bioavailability of drug. In order to maintain an effective concentration of drug in the body and maximize its optimal efficacy, the frequency of administrations often needs to be increased. By contrast, gastric retention drug delivery system (GRDDS), as an innovative method of drug delivery, prolongs the retention time of the drug in the stomach and reduces irritation to the gastrointestinal tract. Consequently, it enhances the bioavailability of drug, reduces dosing frequency for patients and improves treatment adherence. In recent years, domestic and foreign studies have been conducted on gastric retention drug delivery systems. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the relevant literature published in recent years, examining their current marketing status, various types, as well as in vivo and in vitro evaluation methods.

Objective To explore the correlation between the expression of long non-coding RNA(lncRNA)brain ischemia-related factor(BIRF)and focally amplified lncRNA on chromosome 1(lncRNA FAL1)in serum and the degree of white matter lesions(WML)in patients with cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD).Methods From June 2021 to June 2023,102 CSVD patients admitted to Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University were collected,and these patients were grouped into WML group(n=72)and non WML group(n=30)based on WML diagnostic criteria.According to the Fazekas score,the WML group was further grouped into mild WML group(n=24),moderate WML group(n=36)and severe WML group(n=12).Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)was applied to detect the levels of lncRNA BIRF and lncRNA FAL1 in serum.Pearson correlation was applied to analyze the correlation between serum lncRNA BIRF and lncRNA FAL1 levels.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was applied to analyze the diagnostic value of serum lncRNA BIRF and lncRNA FAL1 levels for severe WML in CSVD patients.Results The age(70.50±5.86 years),history of hypertension(Yes/No,43/29),history of diabetes(Yes/No,45/27),IL-33(68.35±6.80 pg/ml),IL-18(97.78±9.65 ng/L),ubiquitin carboxyl terminal hydrolase L1(UCH-L1)(0.29±0.10 μg/L)and lncRNA BIRF level(2.45±0.30)of patients in the WML group were higher than those in the non WML group(67.10±5.76 years,11/19,9/21,62.48±6.13 pg/ml,92.56±9.37 ng/L,0.24±0.06 μg/L,1.02±0.11),while the expression of serum lncRNA FAL1(0.52±0.10)was lower than that in the non WML group(1.04±0.15),with significant differences(t=2.683,4.518,8.978,4.085,2.510,2.550,25.346,20.500,all P<0.05).The serum lncRNA BIRF levels of CSVD patients in the mild,moderate and severe WML groups(2.23±0.23,2.47±0.31,2.82±0.42)were increased sequentially,while the expression of serum lncRNA FAL1(0.60±0.15,0.51±0.09,0.40±0.04)was decreased sequentially,with significant differences(F=14.913,13.899,all P<0.05).Pearson correlation analysis,the serum levels of lncRNA BIRF and lncRNA FAL1 in patients with WML were negatively correlated(r=-0.603,P<0.001),serum lncRNA BIRF was positively correlated with Fazekas score in WML patients(r=0.483,P<0.001),but serum lncRNA FAL1 was negatively correlated with Fazekas score(r=-0.507,P<0.001).The AUCs of serum lncRNA BIRF and lncRNA FAL1 levels alone and both combination for predicting severe WML in CSVD patients were 0.756(0.641～0.850),0.839(0.733～0.915)and 0.892(0.796～0.953),respectively,and the combination of the two was superior to the detection of serum lncRNA BIRF alone(Z=2.111,P=0.035).Conclusion The serum lncRNA BIRF level is increased and lncRNA FAL1 is reduced in patients with CSVD and WML,and both are related to the degree of WML in CSVD patients.

This article summarized Professor Ning Wei-Min's experience in treating chronic migraine with the method of soothing liver,relieving depression and expelling pathogens.Chronic migraine is a common neurological disease with relatively high incidence.Currently,its treatment is mainly through oral administration of drugs,but there exist the disadvantages of unstable therapeutic effect,obvious adverse reactions after long-term medication,low treatment compliance,drug dependence,and easily ignorance of emotional co-morbidities such as anxiety and depression.Professor NING Wei-Min,a famous traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)physician of Guangdong Province,believes that chronic migraine affects the region along the meridians of the liver and gallbladder,and is closely related with the liver's function of ensuring the free movement of qi.Once the liver-qi stagnates,internal retention of phlegm and blood stasis easily induced,and persisting illness causes stagnant liver qi turning into heat,and then the headache will attack by the trigger of a variety of factors of external pathogens such as wind,cold,summer-heat,dampness and heat,as well as the emotional disorders,which leads to the stirring of liver-wind and the stagnation of phlegm-fire insidious pathogens in the meridian.For the treatment of chronic migraine,therapies of soothing liver,relieving depression and expelling pathogens can be utilized,and oral administration of Kaiyu Touxie Prescription combined with acupuncture is recommended.Kaiyu Touxie Prescription is composed of Chuanxiong Rhizoma,Angelicae Dahuricae Radix,Asari Radix et Rhizoma,Bupleuri Radix,Gastrodiae Rhizoma,Curcumae Radix,Paeoniae Radix Alba,Bombyx Batryticatus,Scorpio,Malloti Apeltae Radix Et Rhizoma,and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma.Acupuncture is performed mainly on the acupoints along the meridians of the liver and gallbladder,such as Fengchi(GB20),Shuaigu(GB8),Toulinqi(GB15),Wangu(GB12),Xuanli(GB6),Yangbai(GB14),Yanglingquan(GB34),Taichong(LR3)and Xingjian(LR2),alternatively on acupoints of Waiguan(TE5),Hegu(LI4),Baihui(GV20),Touwei(ST8),etc.Professor NING Wei-Min's experience in treating chronic migraine with oral administration of Chinese medicine combined with acupuncture based on the method of soothing liver,relieving depression and expelling pathogens will provide a reference for clinical treatment of chronic migraine.

Objective To investigate the endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS)features of benign esophageal stenosis in children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical data of the children who were diagnosed with benign esophageal stenosis from February 2019 to February 2022.The clinical manifestations,EUS findings,and treatment outcome were analyzed to summarize the EUS features of benign esophageal stenosis in children.Results A total of 42 children with benign esophageal stenosis were included.Among these children,19(45% )had anastomotic stenosis after surgery for esophageal atresia,with unclear echogenic boundary of the esophageal walls and uneven thicknesses of the surrounding wall on EUS,and had 0-12 sessions of endoscopic treatment(average 2.1 sessions);5 children(12% )had corrosive esophageal stenosis and 1 child(2% )had physical esophageal stenosis,with unclear stratification of the esophageal walls on EUS,and they had 2-9 sessions of endoscopic treatment(average 5.3 sessions);1 child(2% )had patchy irregular hypoechoic areas of the esophageal walls on EUS and was diagnosed with tracheobronchial remnants with reference to pathology;16 children(38% )had unexplained esophageal stenosis and unclear stratification of the esophageal walls on EUS,among whom 6 received endoscopic treatment.During follow-up,95% (40/42)of the children had significant alleviation of the symptoms such as vomiting and dysphagia.Conclusions For benign esophageal stenosis in children,EUS can help to evaluate the degree of esophageal wall involvement in esophageal stenosis lesions,possible etiologies,and the relationship between the esophagus and the lesion and provide an important basis for selecting treatment modality and avoiding complications,thereby helping to optimize the treatment regimen.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):169-173]

Objective:To preliminarily evaluate the effects and analyze the influencing factors of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in severe burn patients complicated with acute kidney injury (AKI).Methods:This study was a retrospective case series study. From January 2010 to December 2020, 79 severe burn patients complicated with AKI who received CRRT and met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University (the Third Military Medical University). The general data (the same below) of all patients were collected, including gender, age, body mass index, burn area, burn index, cause of injury, whether combined with inhalation injury, acute physiology and chronic health status evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score and sepsis-related organ failure assessment (SOFA) score on admission, admission time after burn, and time of AKI after admission. The total efficacy of CRRT, including overall effective rate, complete effective rate, partial effective rate, ineffective rate, and deterioration rate, creatinine, urea, cystatin C, and fluid overload rate before and after treatment, in-hospital mortality, predictive mortality based on Baux scoring model, the most common cause of death, and length of hospital stay were recorded. According to the effect of CRRT, the patients were divided into effective group (42 patients) and ineffective group (37 patients). The general information of patients, the time to initiate CRRT after the occurrence of AKI, the duration of CRRT, etiology of AKI, AKI stage before CRRT initiation, CRRT mode, anticoagulant type, and in-hospital mortality were compared between the two groups of patients. The independent influencing factors for CRRT in severe burn patients complicated with AKI were screened. According to the etiology of AKI, the patients were divided into prerenal group (22 patients) and renal group (57 patients). The general information of patients, the time to initiate CRRT after the occurrence of AKI, the duration of CRRT, and total efficacy of CRRT (except for the most common cause of death) were compared between the two groups of patients.Results:Among the 79 patients, 73 cases were male and 6 cases were female, with age of (46±14) years, body mass index of (24.0±2.9) kg/m 2, total burn area of (69±26)% total body surface area (TBSA), full-thickness burn area of (44±25)%TBSA, and burn index of 57 (36, 76). There were 36 cases of flame burns, 19 cases of electrical burns, 16 cases of hydrothermal burns, 6 cases of explosive burns, and 2 cases of chemical burns. Thirty-nine patients were complicated with inhalation injury. The APACHE Ⅱ score was 16 (12, 18) and the SOFA score was 11 (5, 13) on admission. The patients were admitted to the hospital on 0 (0, 2) d after burn, and AKI occurred on 0 (0, 6) d after admission. The overall effective rate of CRRT was 53.16% (42/79), the complete effective rate was 30.38% (24/79), the partial effective rate was 22.78% (18/79), the ineffective rate was 31.65% (25/79), and the deterioration rate was 15.19% (12/79). The creatinine and urea of patients after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment (with Z values of -3.26 and -2.54, respectively, P<0.05); there were no statistically significant differences in the cystatin C and fluid overload rate of patients before and after treatment ( P>0.05). The in-hospital mortality of patients was 17.72% (14/79), and the predictive mortality based on Baux scoring model was 75.10% (18.94%, 91.84%). The most common cause of death was multiple organ failure, and the length of hospital stay was 39.43 (11.52, 110.58) d. There were statistically significant differences in the full-thickness burn area, the duration of CRRT, and etiology of AKI of patients between effective group and ineffective group (with Z values of -1.99 and -2.90, respectively, χ2=5.58, P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the other indicators ( P>0.05). The etiology of AKI and full-thickness burn area were the independent influencing factors for CRRT in severe burn patients complicated with AKI (with odds ratios of 4.21 and 1.03, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 1.20-14.80 and 1.00-1.05, respectively, P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the cause of injury, overall effective rate of CRRT, total burn area, burn index, admission time after burn, time of AKI after admission, the time to initiate CRRT after the occurrence of AKI, and predictive mortality based on Baux score model of patients between prerenal group and renal group (with χ2 values of 12.59 and 5.58, respectively, Z values of 2.46, 2.43, -2.43, -4.03, -3.01, and -2.31, respectively, P<0.05). Before treatment, urea and cystatin C of patients in renal group were significantly higher than those in prerenal group (with Z values of -2.98 and -2.77, respectively, P<0.05), and the liquid overload rate was significantly lower than that in prerenal group ( Z=-2.99, P<0.05); after treatment, the cystatin C of patients in renal group was significantly higher than that in prerenal group ( Z=-2.08, P<0.05); there were no statistically significant differences in the other indicators ( P>0.05). Conclusions:CRRT can significantly improve renal function, avoid fluid overload, and alleviate renal injury in severe burn patients complicated with AKI. Prerenal AKI is the main independent influencing factor leading to ineffective CRRT.

Objective:To investigate the effects of Xiongcan Yishen Formula(XYF)on ferroptosis in mouse TM3 Leydig cells after oxidative stress injury(OSI)induced by H2O2.Methods:An oxidative stress injury model was established in mouse TM3 Leydig cells using H2O2 induction.The modeled TM3 cells were randomly divided into OSI group,XYF group,the ferroptosis inhibitor Ferrostatin-1(F-1)group,and F-1+XYF group,which were respectively intervened with blank serum,20%drug-containing serum,2μmol/L F-1,and2μmol/L F-1+20%drug-containing serum.A control group(normal TM3 cells+blank serum)was also set up.The morphology of cells in each group was observed,and the levels of testosterone,superoxide dismutase(SOD),reactive oxygen spe-cies(ROS),malondialdehyde(MDA),ferritin heavy chain 1(FTH1),solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11),glutathione(GSH),glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4),fatty acid CoA ligase 4(FACL4),total iron ions,and ferrous ions were detected.Re-sults:Compared with the model group,the control group showed significantly decreased expression of ROS,MDA,FACL4,total iron,and ferrous ions(P<0.05),and significantly increased levels of testosterone,SOD,GSH,FTH1,SLC7A11,and GPX4(P<0.05).The male silkworm kidney-tonifying formula group significantly promoted testosterone secretion by TM3 cells and upregulated the expression of FTH1,SLC7A11,GPX4,GSH,and SOD in TM3 cells(P<0.05),while significantly downregulating ROS,MDA,FACL4,total iron ions,and ferrous ions(P<0.05).Conclusion:Following H2O2 exposure,oxidative stress can induce ferroptosis in mouse TM3 Leydig cells.XYF can antagonize OSI and ferroptosis in TM3 cells by activating the SLC7A11/GSH/GPX4 axis,which may underlie the mechanism of XYF in the treatment of male late-onset hypogonadism.

AIM: To compare the effectiveness and complications of treating rhegmatogenous retinal detachment(RRD)with foldable capsule body(FCB)and scleral buckling(SB).METHODS: The clinical data of 81 patients(82 eyes)with RRD who underwent surgery at our hospital from March 2019 to April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The differences in retinal reattachment rate, best-corrected visual acuity, the absorption of subretinal fluid, postoperative discomfort and incidence of complications between the two treatments were compared.RESULTS: The retinal reattachment rate was 96% in the FCB group and 92% in the SB group, with no significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05). The best corrected visual acuity of the affected macular eyes was different in the both groups(P<0.01). Both groups effectively promoted the absorption of subretinal fluid. The operation time of FCB group was 16.50(12.75, 25.00)min, while it was 38.00(36.25, 41.75)min in the SB group(P<0.001). Patients in the FCB group also had significantly lower eyelid swelling and pain symptoms than those in the SB group(P<0.001). The visual analogue scale(VAS)score at 1d after operation was 1.00(0.00, 2.00)in the FCB group and 3.00(2.00, 3.00)in the SB group(P<0.001).CONCLUSION: FCB is a safe and effective surgical method to treat RRD that can alleviate patient's pain. Furthermore, FCB has a significantly shorter operation time and milder postoperative adverse reactions than SB.