ObjectiveThe chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) technique has become a valuable tool in diagnosing metabolic changes associated with cerebral and systemic diseases, leveraging the calculation of compounds with exchangeable protons in proximity to water molecules. Specifically, the amide proton transfer (APT) CEST technique has shown promise in diagnosing cerebral strokes and tumors by comparing altered endogenous proteins or peptides with normal tissues. Reduced field of view (rFOV) imaging technology has been widely used in the diagnosis of small organ lesions in the body. In this study, we aim to apply the rFOV imaging to identify CEST signals in the rectum, investigating the potential utility of rFOV technique in clinical diagnosis of rectal diseases and providing metabolic insights for chemoradiotherapy. MethodsMRI images of eleven healthy volunteers were acquired using transverse Full_FOV and rFOV CEST imaging on a 3T scanner. The resolution was set at 2.5×2.5×6 mm³ and 1.5×1.5×6 mm³ for Full_FOV or the rFOV method. Saturation powers of 0.7 μT and 2 μT were applied. For the 2 μT saturation, MTRasym at ±3.5 ppm was employed, while for 0.7 μT saturation, Lorentzian difference was used for CEST quantification of the contrast maps and curves. ResultsThe rFOV method has the advantage of halving the scan time while maintaining the same contrast as the Full_FOV method. When compared to Full_FOV methods, rFOV methods exhibited nearly identical Z_spec and very similar MTRasym curves. Additionally, rFOV with a 1.5 mm×1.5 mm in-plane resolution could be achieved in approximately 3 min. rFOV method displayed better structural details for the entire rectum, including CEST contrast maps and quantitative curves. ConclusionCEST MRI proves valuable in diagnosing rectal diseases, and employing the rFOV technique could provide higher spatial and temporal resolution. CEST MRI should be the preferred choice for offering improved diagnostic capabilities with its potential for rectal disease diagnosis.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Shugan Tiaoshen Acupuncture in the treatment of mild-to-moderate perimenopausal depressive disorder(PDD).Methods A total of 66 patients with mild-to-moderate PDD were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group,with 33 cases in each group.The observation group was treated with Shugan Tiaoshen Acupuncture,and the control group was treated with conventional western medicine for 8 weeks.After 2 months of treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated,and the changes in Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD-17)scores before and after treatment,as well as the scores of Menopausal Quality of Life Scale(MENQOL)were observed in the two groups.The changes in serum luteinising hormone(LH),follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH)and oestradiol(E2)levels were compared before and after treatment between the two groups,and the safety and the occurrence of adverse reactions in the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)During the study,3 cases in the observation group and 2 cases in the control group were lost to followup.Finally,30 cases in the observation group and 31 cases in the control group were included in the efficacy statistics.(2)After treatment,the total score of HAMD-17 and the scores of each factor in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the total score of HAMD-17 and the scores of anxiety/somatization factor and sleep factor in the observation group were significantly superior to those in the control group,the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the total score of MENQOL and the scores of vascular dimension,physiological dimension and sexual life dimension in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the total score of HAMD-17 and the scores of vascular dimension and physiological dimension in the observation group were significantly superior to those in the control group,the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).(4)After treatment,the levels of LH,FSH and E2 in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the improvement of LH,FSH and E2 levels in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(5)The total effective rate was 93.33%(28/30)in the observation group and 74.19%(23/31)in the control group.The curative effect of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion Shugan Tiaoshen Acupuncture in the treatment of mild-to-moderate PDD can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of patients,improve the quality of life of patients,regulate the level of sex hormones,and have a significant effect.

Aim To explore the protective effect of an-thocyanin B2(PCB2)on hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)induced oxidative damage and apoptosis in human oli-godendrocytes(MO3.13)and the underlying mecha-nism.Methods The optimal concentration of H2O2 and PCB2 for action was screened,and divided into normal group,PCB2 group(100 mg·L-1 PCB2 treat-ment for 24 hours),H2 O2 model group(500 μmol·L-1 H2O2 treatment for 24 hours),and H2O2+PCB2 group(500 μmol·L-1 H2O2 and 100 mg·L-1 PCB2 co-treated for 24 hours).FRAP method was used to detect the antioxidant capacity of PCB2;CCK-8 meth-od was used to detect the survival rate of cells in each group,while LDH method was used to assess cytotoxic-ity.Microenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and ELISA were used to examine the levels of LDH,NO,H2O2,as well as the activities of CAT and SOD in each group of cells.Immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to detect the protein expression levels of NRF2,xCT,HO-1,ferritin,and GPX4 in each group of cells.FerroOrange fluorescent probe was used to de-tect the intracellular content of ferrous ions(Fe2+).Results H2O2 could induce MO3.13 oxidative dam-age and lead to cell ferroptosis,while PCB2 could alle-viate MO3.13 oxidative damage and ferroptosis.Com-pared with the H2O2 model group,PCB2 intervention could significantly increase LDH content in MO3.13,reduce NO and H2O2 content,and improve SOD and CAT activity,and up-regulate the protein expression levels of NRF2,xCT,HO-1,ferritin,and GPX4.Conclusion PCB2 can enhance cellular antioxidant capacity and alleviate H2O2 induced MO3.13 oxidative damage through the NRF2/HO-1/xCT/GPX4 axis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of femoral neck system(FNS) and three cannulated compression screws(CCS) in the treatment of unstable femoral neck fractures in young adults. METHODS: The clinical data of 52 young and middle-aged patients with unstable femoral neck fractures admitted from August 2018 to August 2021 were reviewed and analyzed. All patients were divided into two groups according to the internal fixation method, 25 cases were treated with FNS fixation, 27 cases were treated with closed reduction and 3 CCS inverted triangular distribution. The operation time, incision length, intraoperative bleeding, hospitalization expenses and fracture reduction quality of two groups were recorded and compared;The patients were followed up regularly after operation. The fracture healing time, complete weight-bearing time and postoperative complications(nonunion, femoral neck shortening, femoral head necrosis) of two groups were compared. The Harris score was used to evaluate hip function 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: The operation was successfully completed in both groups. The patients in FNS group had more bleeding, longer incision length and higher hospitalization cost than CCS group(P<0.01). There ware no significant difference in operation time and Garden index between two groups(P>0.05). Patients in both groups were followed up for 6 to 32 months.The fracture healing time in FNS group was less than that in CCS group, the time of complete weight bearing after surgery was earlier than that in CCS group, and the hip Harris score was higher than that in CCS group (P<0.01). There were no internal fixation fracture complications in two groups during follow-up. In the FNS group, there were 4 cases of avascular necrosis of the femoral head and 2 cases of femoral neck shortening, of which 3 cases underwent total hip replacement due to avascular necrosis of the femoral head. In the CCS group, there were 2 cases of nonunion, 9 cases of avascular necrosis of the femoral head, and 11 cases of femoral neck shortening, among which 5 cases underwent total hip replacement due to nonunion and avascular necrosis of the femoral head. CONCLUSION With simple operation, rotational stability and angular stability, FNS enables patients to start functional exercise as early as possible and reduces the incidence of postoperative complications of unstable femoral neck fracture. It is a new choice for the treatment of unstable femoral neck fracture in young adults.

Since the implementation of drug registration in China, the classification of Chinese medicine has greatly met the needs of public health and effectively guided the transformation, inheritance, and innovation of research achievements on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). In the past 30 years, the development of new Chinese medicine has followed the registration transformation model of " one prescription for single drug". This model refers to the R&D and registration system of modern drugs, and approximates to the " law-abiding" medication method in TCM clinic, while it rarely reflects the sequential therapy of syndrome differentiation and comprehensive treatment with multiple measures. In 2017, Opinions on Deepening the Reform of Review and Approval System and Encouraging the Innovation of Drugs and Medical Devices released by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council pointed out that it is necessary to " establish and improve the registration and technical evaluation system in line with the characteristics of Chinese medicine, and handle the relationship between the traditional advantages of Chinese medicine and the requirements of modern drug research". Therefore, based on the development law and characteristics of TCM, clinical thinking should be highlighted in the current technical requirements and registration system of research and development of Chinese medicine. Based on the current situation of registration supervision of Chinese medicine and the modern drug research in China, the present study analyzed limitations and deficiency of " one prescription for single drug" in the research and development of Chinese medicine. Additionally, a new type of " series prescriptions" was proposed, which was consistent with clinical thinking and clinical reality. This study is expected to contribute to the independent innovation and high-quality development of the TCM industry.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Prescriptions ; Public Health

OBJECTIVE: To observe clinical effect of calcium sulfate on promoting natural healing of docking sites during bone transport. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on the patients with posttraumatic chronic osteomyelitis treated by bone transport and calcium sulfate implantation from January 2013 to January 2018. There were 23 males and 4 females, aged from 20 to 61 years old with an average of (44.30±10.00) years, the courses of disease ranged from 3 to 86 months with an average of(13.26±16.47) months. Sixteen patients with posttraumatic chronic osteomyelitis were caused by internal fixation of closed fractures, and 11 patients were caused by open fractures. The length of bone defects after debridement ranged from 4 to 14 cm with an average of(9.11±2.57) cm. Postoperative complications, natural healing rate of the docking sites, external fixation index were observed, Checketts & Otterburn pin-tract infection classification was used to evaluate pin-tract infection, and Paley evaluation criteria was used to evaluate bone and function results. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients were followed up from 26 to 41 months with an average of (31.32±3.37) months. It did not happened skin embedded between bone stumps in all patients. All patients obtained bone union at (17.78±5.43) months after operation.Among them, 25 patients healed naturally in the docking sites, 2 patients with poor compliance healed after debridement and bone grafting in the docking sites. One patient occurred equines deformity, and no re-fracture or recurrence of infection occurred. According to Checketts & Otterburn pin tract infection classification, 22 patients (41 pin tracts)occurred pin-tract infection with varying degrees. The average external fixation index was (2.02±0.24) months/cm(ranged from 1.6 to 2.4 months/cm). According to Paley evaluation criteria, bony results showed 21 patients obtained excellent results, 5 good, and 1 moderate;functional results showed 19 patients got excellent results, 7 good, and 1 moderate. CONCLUSION During bone transport, the implantation of calcium sulfate on the bone defect areas could prevent skin embedding between the bone stumps, benefit for the natural healing of the docking sites, and could avoid the second-stage debridement and bone grafting for most patients. However, it should be noted that compliance needs to be increased.
Animals ; Bone Transplantation ; Calcium Sulfate ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Fracture Fixation ; Horses ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Osteomyelitis/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Tibial Fractures ; Treatment Outcome

In recent years, the real-world studies (RWS) have attracted extensive attention, and the real-world evidence (RWE) has been accepted to support the drug development in China and abroad. However, there is still a lack of standards for the evaluation of the quality of RWE. It is necessary to formulate a quality evaluation and reporting specification for RWE especially in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). To this end, under the guidance of China Association of Chinese Medicine, the Quality Evaluation and Reporting Specification for Real-World Evidence of Traditional Chinese Medicine (QUERST) Group, including 24 experts (clinical epidemiologists, clinicians, pharmacologists, ethical reviewer and statisticians), was established to develop the specification. This specification contains the listing of classification of RWS design and RWE, the general principles and methods of RWE quality evaluation (26 tools or scales), 25 types of bias in RWS, the special considerations in evaluating the quality of RWE of TCM, and the 19 reporting standards of RWE. This specification aims to propose the quality evaluation principles and key points of RWE, and provide guidance for the proper use of RWE in the development of TCM new drugs.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; China

Objective:To explore the acute toxicities and hepatotoxicities of aqueous extracts of Taxilli Herba from Morus alba， Toxicodendron trichocarpum， Camellia oleifera， Salix babylonica， Melia azedarach， and Nerium indicum against zebrafish model and the effect of different hosts on the toxicity of Taxilli Herba， hoping to provide a theoretical basis for the safe use of Taxilli Herba. Method:The normally developed AB zebrafish at 3-day post fertilization was selected for acute toxicity study. According to the results of preliminary toxicity experiments， the zebrafishes were treated with aqueous extracts of Taxilli Herba from different hosts at six doses， and their mortality was calculated 72 h later. GraphPad Prism 6.0 was used for plotting the dose-toxicity curve， followed by the calculation of their median lethal concentration （LC₅₀） and 10% lethal concentration （LC₁₀）. The gz15Tg/+（AB） liver fluorescent protein transgenic zebrafish with normal development at 4-day post fertilization was applied for the hepatotoxicity study. The zebrafishes were divided into the low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of aqueous extracts of Taxilli Herba from six hosts， the positive control （acetaminophen） group， and the blank （embryo amniotic fluid） group， and then treated with the corresponding drugs. Seventy-two hours later， the liver morphology and fluorescent area changes in zebrafish were observed. And the activities of alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） were detected. Result:The results of acute toxicity test demonstrated that the LC₅₀ values of water extracts of Taxilli Herba from M. alba， T. trichocarpum， C. oleifera， S. babylonica， M. azedarach， and N. indicum were 1.24， 0.94， 0.51， 0.38， 0.11， 0.09 g·L^-1， respectively， and the LC₁₀ values were 0.70， 0.60， 0.35， 0.28， 0.08， 0.07 g·L^-1， respectively. As revealed by hepatotoxicity test， compared with the blank group， the positive control group exhibited liver morphological changes， decreased fluorescent area （P<0.01）， and elevated ALT and AST activities （P< 0.01）， suggesting that acetaminophen was hepatotoxic to zebrafish. However， there was no change in the liver morphology or fluorescent area of zebrafish in the low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of water extracts of Taxilli Herba from M. alba， and the ALT and AST activities were decreased. By contrast， the liver morphology and fluorescent areas in the medium- and high-dose groups of water extracts of Taxilli Herba from T. trichocarpum， C. oleifera， S. babylonica， M. azedarach， and N. indicum changed to varying degrees （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Besides， the activities of both ALT and AST were also enhanced. These indicated that Taxilli Herba from M. alba had no hepatotoxicity to zebrafish， while that from T. trichocarpum， C. oleifera， S. babylonica， M. azedarach， and N. indicum showed varying degrees of hepatotoxicity to zebrafish. Conclusion:The toxicity of Taxilli Herba is host-dependent. Taxilli Herba from M. alba has no hepatotoxicity， but that from the other five hosts shows varying degrees of hepatotoxicity. Standardizing the host source may be an important measure to realize the medication safety of Taxilli Herba.

COVID-19 ; Dermatology ; Humans ; Inpatients ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Singapore

Saussurea lappa originates in India, and now mainly grow in Yunnan, Sichuan and other places in China. It is one of the commonly used traditional herbal medicines in Tibet and other minority regions, with effects in regulating qi to relieve pain and invigo-rating spleen to promote food. It has been used in clinic for gastrointestinal diseases, such as Qi stagnation syndrome of spleen and stomach, diarrhea and tenesmus. More than 200 compounds have been identified from S. lappa. Among them, sesquiterpenoids attracted much attention. In terms of the number of compounds, eudesmanetype is dominant, guaiane and germacranetypes have also been reported frequently. Pharmacological studies have involved extracts, volatile oils and monomeric components represented by dehydrocostus lactone. Anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects on digestive system have attracted great attention. However, due to the complex sources of S. lappa and widely used in clinical practice, there is few research progress on relevant chemical constituents and pharmacological activities. This paper systematically summarizes terpenes and the pharmacological effects of S. lappa, in order to provide basis for further studies and clinical applications.
China ; Plant Extracts ; Saussurea ; Sesquiterpenes ; Terpenes ; Tibet