ObjectiveTo explore the clinical efficacy and safety of Da Chaihutang （DCH） for the treatment of sepsis with Yang syndrome. MethodsA total of 70 patients suffering from sepsis with Yang syndrome were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group， with 35 cases in each group. They both received standard Western medicine treatment. The observation group was additionally given a dose of DCH， which was boiled into 100 mL and taken twice. The control group was additionally given an equal volume and dosage of warm water. The intervention lasted for three days. The 28-day all-cause mortality and the changes in the following indicators before and after intervention were compared between the two groups， including sequential organ failure assessment （SOFA）， acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ （APACHE Ⅱ） score，white blood cell （WBC），the percentage of neutrophils （NEU%），C-reactive protein （CRP），procalcitonin （PCT），alanine transaminase （ALT），aspartate transaminase （AST），total bilirubin （TBil），creatinine （Cr），blood urea nitrogen （BUN），acute gastrointestinal injury （AGI） grade，gastrointestinal dysfunction score （GDS），serum intestinal fatty acid-binding protein （iFABP）， citrulline （CR），platelet （PLT），prothrombin time（PT），activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT），fibrinogen （Fib），international normalized ratio （INR），and D-dimer （D-D）. ResultsThere was no significant difference between the two groups regarding 28-day all-cause mortality. After the intervention，SOFA，WBC，PCT，and Cr were significantly decreased， and PLT was significantly increased in the control group （P<0.05）. SOFA，APACHE Ⅱ，NEU%，CRP，PCT，ALT，AST，Cr，BUN，AGI grade，GDS，and serum iFABP and CR were significantly improved in the observation group （P<0.05）. After the intervention，APACHE Ⅱ，PCT，AGI grade，GDS，and serum iFABP in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ，while CR and PLT were higher （P<0.05，P<0.01）. There were significant differences regarding the gap of SOFA，APACHE Ⅱ，AST，TBil，AGI grade，GDS，iFABP，CR， and PLT between the two groups （P<0.05，P<0.01）. There were slight differences regarding PT，APTT，Fib，INR，and D-D between the two groups，which were in the clinical normal range. ConclusionOn the basis of Western medicine， DCH helped to reduce sepsis severity and improved multiple organ dysfunction with high clinical efficacy and safety， but further research on its impact on the prognosis of patients with sepsis is still required.

Diabetic macular edema(DME), a serious complication of diabetic retinopathy(DR), is a chronic condition caused by multiple factors. Throughout its progression, inflammatory factors and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)play a critical role. Anti-VEGF drugs have shown significant effectiveness in the treatment of DME; however, some patients may experience persistent DME after injection or require frequent injections. Dexamethasone intravitreal implants(DEX implants)serve as a sustained-release implant characterized by a reasonable release profile and high bioavailability. They offer safe, effective, and prolonged anti-inflammatory effects, aiding in the repair of retinal barrier and reduction of exudation. To further enhance patients' visual quality, exploring the efficacy of DEX implants in combination with existing treatment regimens has great clinical significance. This review primarily discusses the research advancements in DEX implants, focusing on their pharmacological properties, indications for use, and their combination with existing drugs and treatment methods. It also evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of combination therapy or switching to DEX implants compared to current standard treatments, aiming to provide guidance for personalized treatment options for patients with DME.

ObjectiveTo study the mechanism of compound Xishu granules （CXG） in inhibiting the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by regulating ferroptosis. MethodsThe transplanted tumor model of human Huh7 was established with nude mice and the successfully modeled mice were randomized into model， Fufang Banmao （0.21 g·kg^-1）， low-dose （1.87 g·kg^-1） CXG， medium-dose （3.74 g·kg^-1） CXG， and high-dose （7.49 g·kg^-1） CXG groups. Mice were administrated with drinking water or CXG for 28 days， and the body weight and tumor volume were measured every 4 days. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to observe the histopathological changes of tumors. The cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） was used to examine the survival rate of Huh7 cells treated with different concentrations （0， 31.25， 62.5， 125， 250， 500， 1 000 mg·L^-1） of CXG for 24 h and 48 h. CA-AM， DCFH-DA， and C11-BODIPY^581/591 fluorescent probes were used to determine the intracellular levels of ferrous ion （Fe²⁺）， reactive oxygen species （ROS）， and lipid peroxide （LPO）， respectively. The colorimetric method was employed to measure the levels of glutathione （GSH） and superoxide dismutase （SOD）. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， transferrin receptor 1 （TFR1）， and ferritin heavy chain 1 （FTH1）， respectively. ResultsIn the animal experiment， compared with the model group， the drug treatment groups showed reductions in the tumor volume from day 12 （P<0.01）. After treatment， the Fufang Banmao and low-， medium-， and high-dose CXG groups had lower tumor volume， relative tumor volume， and tumor weight than the model group （P<0.05）， with tumor inhibition rates of 48.99%， 79.93%， 91.38%， and 97.36%， respectively. Moreover， the CXG groups had lower tumor volume and relative tumor volume （P<0.05 in all the three dose groups） and lower tumor weight （P<0.05 in medium-dose and high-dose groups） than the Fufang Banmao group. Compared with the model group， the drug treatment groups showed reduced number of tumor cells， necrotic foci with karyopyknosis， nuclear fragmentation， and nucleolysis， and the high-dose CXG group showed an increase in the proportion of interstitial fibroblasts. In the cell experiment， compared with the blank group， CXG reduced the survival rate of Huh7 cells in a dose-dependent manner after incubation for 24 h and 48 h （P<0.05）. Compared with the blank group， the RSL3 group and the low-， medium-， and high-dose CXG groups showed a decrease in the relative fluorescence intensity of CA-AM and increases in the fluorescence intensity of DCFH-DA and fluorescence ratio of C11-BODIPY^581/591， which indicated elevations in the levels of Fe²⁺ （P<0.01）， ROS （P<0.05）， and LPO （P<0.01）， respectively. Compared with the blank group， the RSL3 and low-， medium-， and high-dose CXG groups showed lowered levels of GSH and SOD （P<0.05）. In addition， the RSL3 group and the medium- and high-dose CXG groups showed down-regulated expression of GPX4 and FTH1 （P<0.05）， and the low- and high-dose CXG groups presented up-regulated expression of TFR1 （P<0.05）. ConclusionCXG suppresses the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by inducing ferroptosis via downregulating the GSH-GPX4 signaling axis and increasing intracellular Fe²⁺and LPO levels.

ObjectiveTo optimize Tusizi prescription for ovarian reserve function based on the uniform design method combined with in vitro experiments and explore the underlying mechanisms of this prescription. MethodsThe uniform design method was adopted to design a 5-factor 11-level experiment on the water extract of Tusizi prescription. The cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was employed to measure the viability of human ovarian granulosa cells （KGN cells） treated with Tusizi prescription extracts 1-11， and multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the optimal herb ratio in this prescription. The potential targets of active ingredients in the prescription were retrieved from traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform （TCMSP） and encyclopedia of traditional Chinese medicine （ETCM）. The common targets shared by Tusizi prescription and diminished ovarian reserve （DOR） were selected and imported into search tool for the retrieval of interacting genes/proteins （STRING） to construct a protein-protein interaction （PPI） network and into gene function annotation database （DAVID） for gene ontology （GO） analysis. The CCK-8 assay was used to measure the viability of ovarian germline stem cells treated with hyperoside. The CCK-8 assay， 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine （EdU） staining， terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick-end labeling （TUNEL）， and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） were employed to examine the proliferation， apoptosis， and estradiol （E₂） secretion of KGN cells treated with the water extract 11 of Tusizi prescription （Cuscutae Semen-Lycii Fructus-Dioscoreae Rhizoma-Poria-Nelumbinis Semen 4∶4∶2∶1∶1） and the optimal prescription screened by uniform design. On this basis， the optimal prescription composition for maximizing the effect on ovarian reserve function was determined and preliminary insights into the underlying mechanisms of this prescription were gained. ResultsA total of 147 common targets were obtained from 278 targets of Tusizi prescription and 1 721 targets of DOR. GO analysis revealed 194 biological processes， primarily involving cellular responses to exogenous compound stimuli， negative regulation of apoptotic process， and positive regulation of cell proliferation. It identified 84 cellular components， including cell membrane， mitochondria， and neuronal cell body， as well as 144 molecular functions such as enzyme binding， estrogen response element binding， and nuclear estrogen receptor binding. The multivariate regression analysis revealed that when Tusizi prescription was composed of Cuscutae Semen， Lycii Fructus， Dioscoreae Rhizoma， Poria， and Nelumbinis Semen in a ratio of 27∶30∶17∶12∶14， the water extract of Tusizi prescription had the best effect of enhancing the viability of KGN cells. CCK-8 results showed that compared with the normal group， the hyperoside group demonstrated increased viability of ovarian germline stem cells （P<0.01）. The CCK-8， EdU， and ELISA results showed that compared with the normal group， the optimal prescription screened by uniform design and the water extract 11 of Tusizi prescription increased the proliferation and reduced the apoptosis of KGN cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ELISA results showed that compared with the normal group， the water extract 11 of Tusizi prescription promoted the E₂ secretion of KGN cells （P<0.05）， while the optimal prescription screened by uniform design had no significant effect on the E₂ secretion. ConclusionBoth the water extract 11 of Tusizi prescription （Cuscutae Semen-Lycii Fructus-Dioscoreae Rhizoma-Poria-Nelumbinis Semen 4∶4∶2∶1∶1） and the optimal prescription screened by uniform design （Cuscutae Semen-Lycii Fructus-Dioscoreae Rhizoma-Poria-Nelumbinis Semen 27∶30∶17∶12∶14） can improve the ovarian reserve function， and the former has better effect. Tusizi prescription can modulate biological processes （such as cell proliferation and apoptosis） and molecular functions （such as enzyme binding and estrogen response element binding） through active components like hyperoside to promote the proliferation and E₂ secretion and inhibit the apoptosis of KGN cells， thereby protecting the ovarian reserve function.

ObjectiveTo optimize Tusizi prescription for ovarian reserve function based on the uniform design method combined with in vitro experiments and explore the underlying mechanisms of this prescription. MethodsThe uniform design method was adopted to design a 5-factor 11-level experiment on the water extract of Tusizi prescription. The cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was employed to measure the viability of human ovarian granulosa cells （KGN cells） treated with Tusizi prescription extracts 1-11， and multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the optimal herb ratio in this prescription. The potential targets of active ingredients in the prescription were retrieved from traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform （TCMSP） and encyclopedia of traditional Chinese medicine （ETCM）. The common targets shared by Tusizi prescription and diminished ovarian reserve （DOR） were selected and imported into search tool for the retrieval of interacting genes/proteins （STRING） to construct a protein-protein interaction （PPI） network and into gene function annotation database （DAVID） for gene ontology （GO） analysis. The CCK-8 assay was used to measure the viability of ovarian germline stem cells treated with hyperoside. The CCK-8 assay， 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine （EdU） staining， terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick-end labeling （TUNEL）， and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） were employed to examine the proliferation， apoptosis， and estradiol （E₂） secretion of KGN cells treated with the water extract 11 of Tusizi prescription （Cuscutae Semen-Lycii Fructus-Dioscoreae Rhizoma-Poria-Nelumbinis Semen 4∶4∶2∶1∶1） and the optimal prescription screened by uniform design. On this basis， the optimal prescription composition for maximizing the effect on ovarian reserve function was determined and preliminary insights into the underlying mechanisms of this prescription were gained. ResultsA total of 147 common targets were obtained from 278 targets of Tusizi prescription and 1 721 targets of DOR. GO analysis revealed 194 biological processes， primarily involving cellular responses to exogenous compound stimuli， negative regulation of apoptotic process， and positive regulation of cell proliferation. It identified 84 cellular components， including cell membrane， mitochondria， and neuronal cell body， as well as 144 molecular functions such as enzyme binding， estrogen response element binding， and nuclear estrogen receptor binding. The multivariate regression analysis revealed that when Tusizi prescription was composed of Cuscutae Semen， Lycii Fructus， Dioscoreae Rhizoma， Poria， and Nelumbinis Semen in a ratio of 27∶30∶17∶12∶14， the water extract of Tusizi prescription had the best effect of enhancing the viability of KGN cells. CCK-8 results showed that compared with the normal group， the hyperoside group demonstrated increased viability of ovarian germline stem cells （P<0.01）. The CCK-8， EdU， and ELISA results showed that compared with the normal group， the optimal prescription screened by uniform design and the water extract 11 of Tusizi prescription increased the proliferation and reduced the apoptosis of KGN cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ELISA results showed that compared with the normal group， the water extract 11 of Tusizi prescription promoted the E₂ secretion of KGN cells （P<0.05）， while the optimal prescription screened by uniform design had no significant effect on the E₂ secretion. ConclusionBoth the water extract 11 of Tusizi prescription （Cuscutae Semen-Lycii Fructus-Dioscoreae Rhizoma-Poria-Nelumbinis Semen 4∶4∶2∶1∶1） and the optimal prescription screened by uniform design （Cuscutae Semen-Lycii Fructus-Dioscoreae Rhizoma-Poria-Nelumbinis Semen 27∶30∶17∶12∶14） can improve the ovarian reserve function， and the former has better effect. Tusizi prescription can modulate biological processes （such as cell proliferation and apoptosis） and molecular functions （such as enzyme binding and estrogen response element binding） through active components like hyperoside to promote the proliferation and E₂ secretion and inhibit the apoptosis of KGN cells， thereby protecting the ovarian reserve function.

ObjectiveTo study the clinical characteristics and influencing factors of rheumatoid arthritis （RA） in the patients with cold dampness obstruction syndrome. MethodsThe RA patients treated in the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Rheumatology of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital from August 2022 to June 2024 were selected. The demographic information， clinical data， laboratory test results， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom information were collected for syndrome differentiation， on the basis of which the characteristics and influencing factors of cold dampness obstruction syndrome were analyzed. ResultsA total of 258 RA patients were selected in this study， including 88 （34.1%） patients with cold dampness obstruction syndrome， 53 （20.5%） patients with dampness and heat obstruction syndrome， 31 （12.0%） patients with wind dampness obstruction syndrome， 29 （11.2%） patients with liver-kidney deficiency syndrome， 19 （7.4%） patients with Qi-blood deficiency syndrome， 14 （5.4%） patients with phlegm-stasis obstruction syndrome， 15 （5.8%） patients with stasis obstructing collateral syndrome and 9 （3.5%） patients with Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome. The patients were assigned into two groups of cold dampness obstruction syndrome and other syndromes. The group of cold dampness obstruction syndrome had lower joint fever， 28-tender joint count （TJC28）， and 28-joint disease activity score （DAS28）-C-reactive protein （CRP） and higher central sensitization， cold feeling of joints， fear of wind and cold， cold limbs， and abdominal distention than the group of other syndromes （P<0.05）. The binary logistic regression analysis showed that central sensitization （OR 5.749， 95%CI 2.116-15.616， P<0.001） and DAS28-CRP （OR 0.600， 95% CI 0.418-0.862， P=0.006） were the independent factors influencing cold dampness obstruction syndrome in RA. ConclusionCold dampness obstruction syndrome is a common syndrome in RA patients. It is associated with central sensitization， cold feeling of joints， abdominal distension and may be a clinical syndrome associated with central sensitization.

ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism of Shenfuhuang Formula （参附黄配方） in prevention and treatment of epsis-associated encephalopathy from the perspective of brain genomics. MethodsC57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into sham surgery group， sepsis group， and Shenfuhuang group， with 20 mice in each group. The sepsis group and Shenfuhuang group were induced to develop sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture （CLP） procedure. At 4 hours after modelling， Shenfuhuang group were gavaged with 2.5 g/（kg·d） of Shenfuhuang Formula， 0.5 ml each time， at 12 hours intervals， for a total of 4 times after modelling. Sepsis group and sham surgery group were given 0.5 ml of purified water orally. At 48 hours after modeling， the transcriptome sequencing was used to explore the differential gene expression in the effects of Shenfuhuang Formula on the brain regions of septic mice， and real-time PCR and ELISA were later used to further validate the differential gene and proteins expression. ResultsA total of 4605 genes were differentially expressed in Shenfuhuang group compared with sepsis group， of which 2353 genes were up-regulated and 2252 genes were down-regulated. According to the results of previous publications， six key genes were screened， including serine/threonine-protein kinase （Nek1）， myelin-associated glycoprotein （Mag）， endothelial cell-specific tyrosine kinase receptor （Tek）， a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 20 （Adamts20）， lymphocyte antigen 86 （Ly86）， and E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase （Traip）. Further genetic and protein validation revealed that， compared to the sham surgery group， the mRNA levels and corresponding protein levels of Nek1， Mag， Tek， Adamts20， Ly86， and Traip in the brain tissue of septic mice significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. In comparison to the sepsis group， Shenfuhuang group showed significantly increased mRNA levels and corresponding protein levels of Nek1， Mag， Tek， Adamts20， Ly86， and Traip （P＜0.05）. ConclusionThe potential therapeutic targets of Shenfuhuang Formula for treating sepsis-associated encephalopathy may be related to the Nek1， Mag， Tek， Adamts20， Ly86， and Traip genes and their encoded proteins.

AIM: To investigate the correlation between fundus blood flow parameters and carotid artery ultrasound blood flow parameters in patients with hypertensive retinopathy(HRP).METHODS: A total of 50 patients(22 left eyes and 28 right eyes)with HRP admitted to our hospital from June 2021 to June 2023 were retrospectively included as the experimental group, and 50 healthy physical examination subjects(22 left eyes and 28 right eyes)during the same period were included as the healthy group. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between fundus blood flow parameters and carotid artery ultrasound blood flow parameters.RESULTS: The AUC values of fundus blood flow parameters and carotid artery ultrasound blood flow parameters and their combined diagnosis of HRP were 0.853, 0.844 and 0.935, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed that carotid systolic peak blood flow velocity was negatively correlated with foveal avascular zone(FAZ)area, FAZ circumference and non-circularity index, and positively correlated with macular vascular density(all P<0.05). The end-diastolic blood flow velocity was positively correlated with FAZ area and macular vascular density(all P<0.05). The internal carotid artery resistance index was positively correlated with FAZ area(P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The combination of fundus blood flow parameters and carotid artery ultrasound blood flow parameters in the diagnosis of HRP has good application value in the diagnosis of HRP.

BACKGROUND:In the initial stage of growth plate injury inflammation,platelet-derived growth factor BB promotes the repair of growth plate injury by promoting mesenchymal progenitor cell infiltration,chondrogenesis,osteogenic response,and regulating bone remodeling. OBJECTIVE:To elucidate the action mechanism of platelet-derived growth factor BB after growth plate injury. METHODS:PubMed,VIP,WanFang,and CNKI databases were used as the literature sources.The search terms were"growth plate injury,bone bridge,platelet-derived growth factor BB,repair"in English and Chinese.Finally,66 articles were screened for this review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Growth plate injury experienced early inflammation,vascular reconstruction,fibroossification,structural remodeling and other pathological processes,accompanied by the crosstalk of chondrocytes,vascular endothelial cells,stem cells,osteoblasts,osteoclasts and other cells.Platelet-derived growth factor BB,as an important factor in the early inflammatory response of injury,regulates the injury repair process by mediating a variety of cellular inflammatory responses.Targeting the inflammatory stimulation mediated by platelet-derived growth factor BB may delay the bone bridge formation process by improving the functional activities of osteoclasts,osteoblasts,and chondrocytes,so as to achieve the injury repair of growth plate.Platelet-derived growth factor BB plays an important role in angiogenesis and bone repair tissue formation at the injured site of growth plate and intrachondral bone lengthening function of uninjured growth plate.Inhibition of the coupling effect between angiogenesis initiated by platelet-derived growth factor BB and intrachondral bone formation may achieve the repair of growth plate injury.

Geraniin, a polyphenol derived from the fruit peel of Nephelium lappaceum L., has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in the cardiovascular system. The present study explored whether geraniin could protect against an isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac hypertrophy model. Mice in the ISO group received an intraperitoneal injection of ISO (5 mg/kg) once daily for 9 days, and the administration group were injected with ISO after 5 days of treatment with geraniin or spironolactone. Potential therapeutic effects and related mechanisms analysed by anatomical coefficients, histopathology, blood biochemical indices, reverse transcription-PCR and immunoblotting. Geraniin decreased the cardiac pathologic remodeling and myocardial fibrosis induced by ISO, as evidenced by the modifications to anatomical coefficients, as well as the reduction in collagen I/III á1mRNA and protein expression and cross-sectional area in hypertrophic cardiac tissue. In addition, geraniin treatment reduced ISO-induced increase in the mRNA and protein expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α, whereas ISO-induced IL-10 showed the opposite behaviour in hypertrophic cardiac tissue.Further analysis showed that geraniin partially reversed the ISO-induced increase in malondialdehyde and nitric oxide, and the ISO-induced decrease in glutathione, superoxide dismutase and glutathione. Furthermore, it suppressed the ISO-induced cellular apoptosis of hypertrophic cardiac tissue, as evidenced by the decrease in Bcell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)-associated X/caspase-3/caspase-9 expression, increase in Bcl-2 expression, and decrease in TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells.These findings suggest that geraniin can attenuate ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis.