Objective:To analyze the association between visceral fat area (VFA) and fatty liver based on quantitative CT (QCT) in people receiving health examination with normal body mass index (BMI).Methods:A cross-sectional study. A total of 1 305 physical examiners who underwent chest CT and QCT examination in the Department of Health Management of Henan Provincial People′s Hospital from January to December 2021 were retrospectively selected as subjects. The physical components at the central level of the lumbar two cone were measured with QCT, including subcutaneous fat area (SFA), VFA and liver fat content (LFC). And the metabolic indexes, such as blood lipids and blood glucose, were collected. The t-test and χ2 test were used to analyze the correlation between the detection rate of fatty live and LFCr and age and gender. According to level of VFA (<100 cm 2, 100-150 cm 2 and≥150 cm 2), the subjects were divided into three groups, and one-way ANOVA and χ2 test were used in comparison between groups. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the correlation between VFA and metabolic indexes and LFC. Results:Of the 1 305 subjects, there were 634 males and 671 females. The detection rate of fatty liver in normal BMI population was 65.67%, and it was 72.71% and 59.02% respectively in men and women ( χ2=27.12, P<0.001), and the detection rate of fatty liver and LFC increased with age (both P<0.05). With the increase of VFA, the age, BMI, SFA, LFC, total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), fasting blood glucose (FBG), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood uric acid and prevalence of fatty liver increased (all P<0.05), and the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) decreased ( P<0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that after adjustment for age factors, regardless of male or female, LFC was independently positively related with VFA, BMI, and ALT (male β=0.206, 0.145, 0.174, female β=0.194, 0.150, 0.184; all P<0.05). FBG was positively correlated with male independently ( β=0.134; P<0.001). The indicators related to female independently were TC, TG, and blood uric acid ( β=-0.121, 0.145, 0.141, all P<0.05) Conclusion:In the population receiving health examination with normal BMI, the VFA measured by QCT technique is closely related to fatty liver.

Objective To explore the effectiveness of clinical pharmacists participating in anti-infection treatment for severe infection patients in the intensive care unit.Methods A retrospective collection of severe infection patients admitted to the ICU of the Fourth People's Hospital of Jinan from January to June 2023 was conducted through the hospital information system.Among them,some patients with clinical pharmacists participating in anti-infection treatment throughout the process were in the intervention group,and other patients who did not participate in treatment were in the control group.Both groups of patients received routine treatment according to clinical diagnosis.We compared the cure rate,incidence of adverse reactions,cost of antibiotics,proportion of antibiotic costs,pathogen testing rate,duration of antibiotic treatment,and average length of hospital stay between two groups of patients,and conducted statistical analysis.Results A total of 147 patients were included,with 66 in the intervention group and 81 in the control group.The cure rate of patients in the intervention group was 65.15％,significantly higher than 46.91％in the control group(P＜0.05);The incidence of adverse reactions(7.58％)was significantly lower than that of the control group(19.75％)(P＜0.05).The usage rates of quinolone drugs and tigecycline were significantly reduced in the intervention group;The intervention group had significantly better indicators such as antibiotic costs,proportion of antibiotic costs,and patient pathogen testing rate than the control group(P＜0.05).There were no significant difference in the duration of antimicrobial treatment and average length of hospital stay between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion The full participation of clinical pharmacists in the anti-infection treatment of ICU severe infection patients can help improve their clinical cure rate and medication safety,and reduce their medical burden.

Licorice-gypsum (gancao-shigao, GC-SG) drug pair was used as the research object, using supramolecular chemistry to explore the scientific connotation of combining herbal medicine GC with insoluble mineral medicine SG in clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine. ① The Tyndall effect, microscopic morphology and particle size of the single and co-decocted of GC and SG were observed, the paste content and conductivity were determined, and the interaction between GC and SG was detected by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and infrared absorption spectroscopy (IR). ② Calcium chloride (CaCl₂), a soluble calcium salt of equal gypsum quality, was used instead of SG with GC for co-decocting to explore the effect of calcium salt content on the water decocting, and the characteristics were combined with the Tyndall effect, microscopic morphology, paste content and conductivity. ITC and IR techniques were used to detect the interaction between the two, and the interaction between them was detected by ITC and IR. The zeta potential and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis) of GC-SG and GC-CaCl₂ co-decoction were compared, and the inorganic and organic components in the co-decoction were detected by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed: ① Compared with the liquid phase of single decoction, GC-SG co-decoction had more obvious Tyndall effect, and showed uniform spherical nanoparticles under electron microscope. Physical characterization results such as paste content and conductivity showed that co-decoction promoted the dissolution of each other's components; ITC and IR results showed that there was strong interaction between GC and SG, which preliminatively indicated that GC and SG co-decoction promoted the formation of uniform and stable supramolecular system of traditional Chinese medicine. ② When soluble calcium salt was used to substitute insoluble SG with GC for co-decocting, a stronger but astigmatic light path appeared than single decocting solution, the zeta potential was reduced, and a large number of accumulated polymers were formed. The results of paste content and conductivity showed that the dissolution of the co-decocting component was reduced than the single decocting component. ITC, UV-vis and IR results showed that there was interaction between GC with Ca²⁺ and SG. The formation of polysink indicated that a large amount of soluble calcium salt would destroy the stability of supramolecular Chinese medicine. The results of ICP-OES and HPLC showed that the glycyrrhizic acid (GA) content of the former lower than the latter, which was related to the formation of a large number of polycondensates with the increase of Ca²⁺ concentration and the decrease of the dissolution of GA and other active ingredients. This study indicates that the compatibility of GC and SG can form a uniform and stable supramolecular system of traditional Chinese medicine. Calcium salt, the main component of SG, is taken as the starting point. Excessive soluble Ca²⁺ can promote the aggregation of active ingredients such as GA, so as to reveal the scientific connotation of the compatibility of GC and SG, an insoluble mineral medicine.

Traditional decoction pieces have low efficiency, poor batch-to-batch consistency, and irregular physical form, making it difficult to meet the demands of modern automated production and precise and rapid clinical blending. Therefore, this study aims to develop a new type of granular drinking tablet to meet the demand for high-quality development in the traditional Chinese medicine industry. In the current study, the differences and similarities between the new Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF) granular drinking tablets and the traditional ones were evaluated based on the flowability, the paste rate of the standard soup, the characterization fingerprint, the degree of pasting, the content of active ingredients, the transfer rate, and its traditional antipyretic and anti-inflammatory efficacy, using the traditional LJF decoction piece as a reference. The flowability experiments showed that the flowability of medium-sized granules (10-24 mesh) was significantly better than that of traditional drinking tablets (P < 0.01); the results of the paste rate showed that there was no significant difference between the different particle sizes and the original decoction pieces (P > 0.05), but the small particle sizes (24-65 mesh) had poor decoction clarity and gelatinization; the transfer rate was calculated as chlorogenic acid and luteoloside, and there was no significant difference in the transfer rate between traditional slices and different particle sizes (P > 0.05); the pharmacological results showed that the contents of rat tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), rat interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and rat prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), xylene ear swelling inhibition rate and granuloma inhibition rate showed that there was no significant difference between the traditional and new granule decoction pieces (P > 0.05). In this study, by examining the fluidity, paste rate, paste degree, and antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects of the new granular decoction piece of LJF, it was initially revealed that the new granular drinking tablets of LJF were consistent with the basic properties and pharmacological effects of the commercially available traditional drinking tablets. Still, the new granular tablets were characterized by high utilization rate, homogeneous quality, and ease of clinical transfer, which had a good prospect for application. The animal experiment was approved by the Ethics Committee of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (approval number. 2022B214).

Amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) is one of the most effective formulation approaches to enhance the water solubility and oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. However, maintenance of physical stability of amorphous drug is one of the main challenges in the development of ASD. Crystallization is a process of nucleation and crystal growth. The nucleation is the key factor that influences the physical stability of the ASD. However, a theoretical framework to describe the way to inhibit the nucleation of amorphous drug is not yet available. We reviewed the methods and theories of nucleation for amorphous drug. Meanwhile, we also summarized the research progress on the mechanism of additives influence on nucleation and environmental factors on nucleation. This review aims to enhance the better understanding mechanism of nucleation of amorphous drug and controlling over the crystal nucleation during the ASD formulation development.

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills on rats with steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head(SONFH).Methods Sixty rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,Xianling Gubao Capsules group and Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills low-,medium-and high-dose groups,10 rats in each group.Except for the blank group,the SONFH model was established by lipopolysaccharide combined with Glucocorticoid induction method in all other groups of rats.At the end of the intervention,for the femoral head,blood vessel radiography was performed to observe the microvascular changes in the bone marrow,and hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and calculation of the empty bone trap rate,Micro-CT scanning analysis,and compression experiments were carried out,and the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)was used to detect the gene expressions of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K),protein kinase B(Akt)1,vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1(CD31)in whole blood.Results Compared with the blank group,the blood supply in the femoral head medullary cavity of the model group was poor,the empty bone lacuna rate was increased(P＜0.05),the bone mineral density and bone volume fraction were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the maximum load and elastic modulus of the femoral head were decreased(P＜0.05),and the mRNA expression levels of Akt1,PI3K,VEGF and CD31 in whole blood were decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the blood supply in the femoral head medullary cavity was relatively good,the empty bone lacuna rate was decreased(P＜0.05),the bone mineral density,bone volume fraction,trabecular number and trabecular thickness were significantly increased(P＜0.05),the trabecular separation was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the maximum load and elastic modulus of the femoral head were increased(P＜0.05),and the mRNA expression levels of Akt1,PI3K,VEGF and CD31 in the whole blood were increased(P＜0.05)in the high-dose group of Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills and Xianling Gubao Capsules group.There was no significant difference in the above indexes between the high-dose group of Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills and the Xianling Gubao Capsules group(P＞0.05).Conclusion Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills improves SONFH in rats,and its mechanism is related to the promotion of VEGF/PI3K/Akt pathway gene expression,thereby promoting angiogenesis.

Disharmony between nutritive qi(ying)and defensive qi(wei)is the core pathogenesis of insomnia.The normal function of ying-wei in the generation,dispersion,divergence and aggregation is the precondition for the realization of the coordination between ying and wei.The disordered function of ying-wei in the generation,dispersion,divergence and aggregation will cause the disharmony between ying and wei,and then the insomnia occurs.For the treatment of insomnia caused by the disordered function of ying-wei in the generation,Guizhi Decoction associated prescriptions are used for strengthening middle energizer and nourishing ying and wei.For the treatment of insomnia caused by the disordered function of ying-wei in the dispersion,Mahuang Decoction associated prescriptions are used to relieve the exterior and eliminate the pathogen for insomnia patients with the manifestations of the attack of exopathogens,and Xiao Chaihu Decoction associated prescriptions are used to dredge the triple energizer for insomnia patients with the dysfunction of the triple energizer.For the treatment of insomnia caused by the disordered function of ying-wei in the divergence,Rhei Radix et Rhizoma associated bitter-cold prescriptions are used to purge the interior heat for insomnia patients with abundant interior heat syndrome,Gypsum Fibrosum associated pungent-cold prescriptions are used to release muscles and clear heat for insomnia patients with the interior heat complicated by exterior syndrome,Natrii Sulfas Exsiccatus associated salty-cold prescriptions are used to clear heat,moisten dryness and dissipate the masses for insomnia patients with interior heat complicated by dryness syndrome,sour-cold medicines are used to clear heat and remove retained water,supplement deficiency and relieve exterior for insomnia patients with interior heat complicated by water-retention syndrome,deficiency syndrome and exterior syndrome,and Ophiopogonis Radix associated prescriptions and Lillli Bulbus associated prescriptions are used to clear heat and nourish ying for insomnia patients with the consumption of ying and yin.For the treatment of insomnia caused by the disordered function of ying-wei in the aggregation,the compatibility of Poria and Cinnamomi Ramulus is used for warming yang and resolving fluid retention in patients with fluid retention,Taohong Siwu Decoction associated prescriptions are used to activate blood and remove stasis in patients with predominance of blood stasis syndrome,the compatibility of Poria and Paeoniae Radix Alba are used to treat retained water and blood stasis in patients with water-blood co-morbidity.Treating insomnia caused by disharmony between ying and wei from the perspective of the function of ying-wei in the generation,dispersion,divergence and aggregation is aimed at the core pathogenesis of insomnia,which makes the treatment easy to be carried out,and can provide reference for clinical differentiation and treatment of insomnia.

Objective:Hepatic fibrosis is a common pathological basis for many chronic liver diseases and can progress to cirrhosis,a leading cause of mortality in liver diseases.Early identification and reversal of hepatic fibrosis are key in the treatment of chronic liver disease.This study aims to compare the expression levels of serum core fucosylated low molecular weight kininogen(LMWK-Fc)and alpha-galactosylated(α-Gal)antibodies in patients with hepatic fibrosis at different stages,and to evaluate their diagnostic efficacy for hepatic fibrosis. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 275 patients with chronic liver disease who visited the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between June 2022 and March 2023.Among these,115 patients underwent liver biopsy.Based on the extent of collagen deposition and its impact on liver structure and microcirculation,patients were staged from 0 to 4:S0(no significant collagen deposition in liver tissues;liver structure and microcirculation are normal),S1(mild collagen deposition in liver tissues,with partial disruption of lobule structure,but microcirculation remains largely normal),S2(moderate collagen deposition in liver tissues,with partial disruption of lobule structure and microcirculation),S3(extensive collagen deposition in liver tissues,with substantial disruption of lobule structure and microcirculation),and S4(development of cirrhosis,with heavy collagen deposition,complete disruption of lobule structure,and severe impairment of microcirculation).Patients were grouped as no fibrosis(S0),fibrosis(S1-S2),and significant fibrosis(S3-S4).For the 160 patients without liver biopsy,they were categorized based on liver stiffness measurement(LSM)value:no fibrosis(F0:LSM＜7.3 kPa),fibrosis(F1-F2:LSM 7.3-12.4 kPa),and significant fibrosis(F3-F4:LSM＞12.4 kPa).Demographic data(age,gender)and laboratory indicators(alanine transaminase,aspartate transaminase,gamma-glutamyl transferase,alkaline phosphatase,alpha-fetoprotein,platelet count)were collected to calculate the fibrosis-4 index(FIB-4)and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index(APRI).Serum LMWK-Fc and α-Gal antibodies were measured and compared across the groups,and their correlation with fibrosis severity was analyzed.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to assess the predictive value of serum LMWK-Fc and α-Gal antibody levels for hepatic fibrosis. Results:Among the 160 patients without complete liver biopsy,serum α-Gal antibody and LMWK-Fc levels increased progressively from the no fibrosis group to the significant fibrosis group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).Among the 115 patients with liver biopsy,serum LMWK-Fc levels were significantly higher in the fibrosis group and the significant fibrosis groups compared with the no fibrosis group,and α-Gal antibody levels were significantly higher in the significant fibrosis group compared with the no fibrosis group and the fibrosis group(P＜0.001,P=0.032,respectively).Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses showed that hepatic fibrosis was correlated with gender and LMWK-Fc levels(both P＜0.05),but not with age,α-Gal antibody levels,FIB-4,or APRI(all P＞0.05). Conclusion:The expression levels of serum LMWK-Fc and α-Gal antibodies vary across different stages of hepatic fibrosis,suggesting a potential association with fibrosis progression.LMWK-Fc levels have a certain predictive value for the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis.

Objective To analyze the changes of B lymphocyte(B cells)subsets in peripheral blood of patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB)and to explore its clinical significance.Methods Peripheral blood samples were collected from 37 treatment-na?ve CHB patients who were admitted to the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from July 2022 to October 2022,and peripheral blood samples collected from 18 healthy individuals who have received the hepatitis B vaccine as healthy controls(HC).The study subjects'clinical indexes such as age,HBV DNA viral load,HBsAg quantification,HBeAg semi quantification,ALT,AST,and AST/ALT ratio were collected.The change characteristics of the frequency,phenotypic and functional markers of peripheral blood B lymphocytes and their subsets were compared between CHB and HC.Using multi-color flow cytometry,and the correlation between them and clinical indexes was analyzed.Results Frequency analysis of each subset of B cells showed that compared with HC,the frequency of total B cells,transitional B cells and naive B cells was decreased(P<0.05),while the frequency of mature B cells,memory B cells,atypical memory B cells and activated memory B cells was increased in CHB patients(P<0.01).And there was no significant difference in the frequency of resting memory B cells between the two groups(P>0.05).The results of functional analysis showed that compared with HC,the expression levels of CD79b on total B cells,mature B cells,memory B cells,naive B cells,activated memory B cells,atypical memory B cells and resting memory B cells in CHB patients were increased(P<0.05).The expression level of programmed cell death protein-1(PD-1)on atypical memory B cells in CHB patients was also higher than that in HC group(P<0.05).The results of correlation analysis showed that the frequency of total B cells in CHB patients was slightly negatively correlated with age(r=-0.39,P<0.05),while the expression of programmed death-1(PD-1)on total B cells,mature B cells,transitional B cells,memory B cells and naive B cells were slightly positively correlated with age(r>0.36,P<0.05).Conclusions Chronic HBV infection leads to depletion of the frequency and function of a portion of B cells in the peripheral blood of CHB patients,and age is a potential risk factor for the decline in humoral immune function in CHB patients.

With the improvement of China's socioeconomic status,the issue of aging has become increasingly prominent,making cerebral infarction a common disease among the elderly.In recent years,research on cerebral infarction has gradually deepened,shifting focus from merely protecting and repairing neurons to emphasizing the complex interplay between inflammatory response and autophagy in the brain vascular unit,covering various aspects such as the blood-brain barrier,astrocytes,microglia,and autophagy.This shift in research direction has provided us with a profound understanding of the mechanisms underlying cerebral infarction,offering strong support for innovative future treatment strategies.In this review,we delved into the importance of the interplay between inflammatory response and autophagy in the pathogenesis of cerebral infarction,emphasized the intricate interactions among these biological components,which might lay the groundwork for more effective managements and treatments of cerebral infarction.By comprehensively reviewing existing literatures,we proposed future research directions,aiming to provide more scientific and systematic guidance for the clinical management and treatment of cerebral infarction.