Progress and challenges in integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine in China from 2002 to 2021.

Objective: The World Health Organization advocated for enhanced integration of traditional medicine and complementary medicine into national healthcare systems across all countries. This study aims to explore the progress and challenges in integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine (ITCWM) in China over 20 years using nationwide data. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined various facets of ITCWM in China in terms of policies, resources, services, and funding. National policy documents from 2009 onwards were retrieved from official websites of the Chinese government. Data on ITCWM resources, services and subsidies from 2002 to 2021 were extracted from the China Statistical Yearbooks of Chinese Medicine and China Health Statistical Yearbooks. Research fund projects with the ITCWM discipline were collected from the database of National Natural Science Foundation of China. A mixed method of both quantitative and qualitative approaches was employed to present a comprehensive overview of the collected data. Results: This study presented five key findings. First, despite the issuance of 17 national policies by the Chinese government since 2009 to promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), only three of them were specifically tailored for ITCWM. Second, although the average annual growth rates of ITCWM institutions, beds, and practitioners reached 0.35%, 10.56%, and 10.88% from 2002 to 2021, with more equitable allocation of ITCWM resources, the overall proportion of ITCWM remained below 5% in 2021. Third, progress has been made in ITCWM practices, yet service efficiency requires further enhancement. In 2021, ITCWM hospitals accounted for 2% of outpatient and emergency visits and 1.57% of hospital admissions among all hospitals, and 9.82% of delivered services were preventive healthcare services. Fourth, ITCWM served a crucial role in primary healthcare services, but its service capabilities need improvement. From 2007 to 2021, the average growth rates of ITCWM clinics, outpatient departments, and practitioners in outpatient departments were 13.30%, 2.57%, and 12.14%, respectively, while the proportion within TCM hospitals dropped. Lastly, despite the Chinese government's emphasis on financial investment and related project funding for ITCWM, it remained lower than that allocated to TCM and western medicine. Conclusion: ITCWM played a pivotal role in China's healthcare system to advance individuals' health and well-being across the lifespan. In the future, China will provide further support to enhance ITCWM health resources and improve service capability, and the strategic integration of ITCWM into the broader healthcare system will play a crucial role in achieving universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Risk factors for the development of delayed cerebral ischemia after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a common neurosurgical disorder with high morbidity and poor prognosis, and the associated delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is a key factor contributing to poor prognosis. Despite extensive research on the risk factors associated with DCI development, the evidence remains conflicting. Therefore, this meta-analysis of case-control studies aimed to investigate the risk factors for DCI occurrence during hospitalization in patients with aSAH. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for eligible studies published before November 20, 2023. Two independent reviewers extracted relevant data from the included studies using a pre-established data extraction form. The primary outcome was DCI occurrence during hospitalization in patients with aSAH. RESULTS: A total of 42 studies involving 21,726 patients with aSAH were included. The pooled meta-analysis showed that female sex; Hunt-Hess, modified Fisher, and World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) scale scores of 4-5, 3-4, and 4-5, respectively; vasospasm; combined intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH); pre-existing hypertension; hydrocephalus; intracranial infections (ICI); and high white blood cell (WBC) count on admission were independent risk factors for the development of postoperative DCIs in patients with aSAH. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with aSAH who have a Hunt-Hess scale score ≥4, a modified Fisher scale score ≥3, a WFNS scale score ≥4, IVH, pre-existing hypertension, cerebral vasospasm, a high WBC count on admission, ICI, and female sex are at high risk of DCI and hence should be carefully monitored in the intensive care unit.

Construction and validation of a bioinformatics­based screen for cuproptosis­related genes and risk model for Alzheimer's disease.

The present study aimed to validate the association between core cuproptosis genes (CRGs) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) from both bioinformatics and experimental perspectives and also to develop a risk prediction model. To this end, 78 human­derived temporal back samples were analyzed from GSE109887, and the biological functions of the resulting CRGs were explored by cluster analysis, weighted gene co­expression network analysis and similar methods to identify the best machine model. Moreover, an external dataset GSE33000 and a nomogram were used to validate the model. The mRNA and protein expression of CRGs were validated using the SH­SY5Y cell model and the Sprague­Dawley rat animal model. The RT­qPCR and western blotting results showed that the mRNA and protein expression content of dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase, ferredoxin 1, glutaminase and pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 subunit ß decreased, and the expression of dihydrolipoamide branched chain transacylase E2 increased in AD, which supported the bioinformatic analysis results. The CRG expression alterations affected the aggregation and infiltration of certain immune cells. The present study also confirmed the accuracy and validity of AD diagnostic models and nomograms, and validated the association between five CRGs and AD, indicating a significant difference between patients with AD and healthy individuals. Therefore, CRGs are expected to serve as relevant biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognostic monitoring of AD.

Flavopiridol inhibits oocyte maturation, reduces oocyte quality and blocks cumulus cell function.

Flavopiridol (FP) is a plant-derived flavonoidis and used to treat cancers, fungal infections and inflammation-related diseases. However, it is not clear whether it has side effects on the female reproductive system. In this study, we aimed to investigate the toxic effects and potential underlying mechanisms of FP on oocyte maturation and cumulus cell expansion in mice. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured in vitro with FP of gradient concentration (50-1000nM), according to the plasma concentration of FP in the clinical trial. The maturation rate and cumulus expansion index of oocytes were counted and studied by immunofluorescence staining, qRT-PCR, oocyte chromosome preparation and so on. The results showed that the FP-exposed COCs inhibited the oocyte maturation and cumulus cell expansion, leading to cell apoptosis in a dose dependent way. Oocytes exposed to 500nM FP showed abnormalities in the spindle structure and chromosome arrangement, ultimately leading to the oocyte maturation arrest and aneuploidy. This may be due to the excessive oxidative stress caused by mitochondrial membrane potential damage and mislocalization. Therefore, when FP is used for cancer treatment, its side effects on the female reproductive system should be seriously considered.

Comparative analyses of the transcriptome among three development stages of Zeugodacus tau larvae (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Studying differences in transcriptomes across various development stages of insects is necessary to uncover the physiological and molecular mechanism underlying development and metamorphosis. We here present the first transcriptome data generated under Illumina Hiseq platform concerning Zeugodacus tau (Walker) larvae from Nanchang, China. In total, 11,702 genes were identified from 9 transcriptome libraries of three development stages of Z. tau larvae. 7219 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out from the comparisons between each two development stages of Z. tau larvae, and their roles in development and metabolism were analyzed. Comparative analyses of transcriptome data showed that there are 5333 DEGs between 1-day and 7-day old larvae, consisting of 1609 up-regulated and 3724 down-regulated genes. Expressions of DEGs were more abundant in L7 than in L1 and L3, which might be associated with metamorphosis. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis suggested the enrichment of metabolic process. KOG annotation further confirmed that 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) pathway related genes Cyp4ac1_1, Cyp4aa1, Cyp313a4_3 were critical for the biosynthesis, transport, and catabolism of secondary metabolites and lipid transport and metabolism. Expression patterns of 8 DEGs were verified using quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). This study elucidated the DEGs and their roles underlying three development stages of Z. tau larvae, which provided valuable information for further functional genomic research.

Causality of multiple serum metabolites on emotional lability: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Emotional lability (EL)-a transdiagnostic feature characterized by rapid emotional shifts-contributes significantly to functional impairment across psychiatric disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Despite its clinical significance, its etiology remains poorly understood, hindering effective screening and interventions. Growing evidence suggests that metabolic alterations may play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. METHODS: A comprehensive Mendelian randomization (MR) design incorporated summary-level data from extensive genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on serum metabolites (8299 European participants) and EL (3268 European samples) to investigate causal associations between genetically determined metabolite levels and EL. Assumptions of instrumental variables, heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, and directionality were assessed alongside sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Out of 1400 metabolites and ratios analyzed, 30 metabolites demonstrated causal associations with an increased risk of EL based on the inverse-variance weighted method. Sensitivity analyses identified three potential causal metabolites: hydrocinnamate (OR: 1.277, CI: 1.071-1.522, P = 0.0063), which is associated with an increased risk, while glycolithocholate (OR: 0.779, CI: 0.667-0.911, P = 0.0017) and 3ß-hydroxy-5-cholenoic acid (OR: 0.857, CI: 0.756-0.971, P = 0.015) are associated with a decreased risk. CONCLUSION: This MR study supports a causal link between hydrocinnamate, glycolithocholate, and 3ß-hydroxy-5-cholenoic acid levels and the incidence of EL, offering potential metabolic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for EL in psychiatric disorders.

Traditional craniotomy versus current minimally invasive surgery for spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral haemorrhage: A propensity-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and craniotomy (CI) are the current treatments for spontaneous supratentorial cerebral haemorrhage (SSTICH). AIM: To compare the efficacy and safety of MIS and CI for the treatment of SSTICH. METHODS: Clinical and imaging data of 557 consecutive patients with SSTICH who underwent MIS or CI between January 2017 and December 2022 were retrospectively analysed. The patients were divided into two subgroups: The MIS group and CI group. Propensity score matching was performed to minimise case selection bias. The primary outcome was a dichotomous prognostic (favourable or unfavourable) outcome based on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 3 months; an mRS score of 0-2 was considered favourable. RESULTS: In both conventional statistical and binary logistic regression analyses, the MIS group had a better outcome. The outcome of propensity score matching was unexpected (odds ratio: 0.582; 95%CI: 0.281-1.204; P = 0.144), which indicated that, after excluding the interference of each confounder, different surgical modalities were more effective, and there was no significant difference in their prognosis. CONCLUSION: Deciding between MIS and CI should be made based on the individual patient, considering the hematoma size, degree of midline shift, cerebral swelling, and preoperative Glasgow Coma Scale score.

Isolation and characterization of a multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infecting phage and its therapeutic use in mice.

In recent years, the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria has limited the selection of drugs for treating bacterial infections, reduced clinical efficacy, and increased treatment costs and mortality. It is urgent to find alternative antibiotics. In order to explore a new method for controlling methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) , this study isolated and purified a multi drug resistant S. aureus broad-spectrum phage JPL-50 from wastewater. JPL-50 belongs to the Siphoviridae family after morphological observation, biological characterization, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) fragmentation spectrum analysis. It can cleave 84% of tested S. aureus (168/200) , in which 100% of tested mastitis-associated strains (48/48) and 72.04% of MRSA strains (67/93) were lysed. In addition, it has an optimal growth temperature of about 30°C, a high activity within a wide pH range (pH 3-10) , and an optimal multiplicity of infection of 0.01. The one-step growth curve shows a latent time of 20 minutes, an explosive time of 80 minutes. JPL-50 was 16, 927 bp in length and was encoded by double-stranded DNA, with no genes associated with bacterial resistance or virulence factors detected. In a therapeutic study, injection of the phage JPL-50 once and for 7 times in 7 days protected 40% and 60% of the mice from fatal S.aureus infection, respectively. More importantly, JPL-50-doxycycline combination could effectively inhibit host S.aureus in vitro and reduce the use of doxycycline within 8 hours. In conclusion, the bacteriophage JPL-50 has a wide lysis spectrum, high lysis rate, high tolerance to extreme environments, and moderate in vivo activity, providing ideas for developing multidrug-resistant S. aureus infections.

Untargeted Lipidomics Analysis to Discover Lipid Profiles and Biomarkers of Rabbit Acne Model and Reveal Action Mechanism of Isotretinoin.

Background: Acne vulgaris (AV), a chronic inflammatory pilosebaceous disorder, affects 80-90% of teenagers. This study aimed to discover lipid profiles and biomarkers of the rabbit ear acne model, and investigate the mechanism of isotretinoin in treating acne at the lipid level. Methods: Untargeted lipidomic analysis using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography system (UHPLC) coupled to q-extraction plus was performed to identify skin lipid metabolites in blank control (groups C), model group (group M) and isotretinoin group (group T). Multivariate statistical analysis was used to process the lipidomics data. Results: A total of 43 lipid classes comprising 6989 lipid species were identified from the mass spectrometry data. The orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model demonstrated significant separation in skin lipidomic profiles between group M and group C. With variable influence on projection (VIP) > 1.0 and P-value < 0.05, 299 significantly different lipid metabolites were identified. These lipid metabolites consisted mainly of ceramides (Cer) (53.85%), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) (9.03%), phosphatidylcholines (PC)(5.35%), and sphingomyelin (SM)(4.01%). Combining with AUC ≥ 0.9 as the elected criteria, Cer (d18;1_24:0), zymosterol (ZyE)(33:5), Cer (t43:1), ZyE (33:6), ZyE (24:7), and ZyE (35:6) have "high" accuracy. Isotretinoin treatment normalized 25 lipid metabolites in the acne model. Conclusion: Our findings provide new insights into the role of lipid metabolism in the pathogenesis of acne and the action mechanism of isotretinoin.

Prevalence and risk factors of sleep disorders in inflammatory bowel disease: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders are one of the major public health problems, which can potentially induce inflammation and exacerbate disease activity, resulting in compromised sleep quality. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with sleep disorders among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: Between March 2023 and February 2024, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was employed to assess sleep quality in both IBD patients and healthy control subjects. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to identify the risk factors associated with SD in IBD patients. RESULTS: Overall, 208 IBD patients [150 Crohn's disease (CD) and 58 ulcerative colitis (UC)] and 199 healthy individuals were included. Sleep disorders were observed in 59.6% of patients with IBD, with a higher prevalence among females (63.5%) compared to males (56.9%) (P = 0.476). The prevalence of sleep disorders in IBD patients was significantly higher than that found in healthy controls (37.7%) (all P < 0.01). The prevalence of sleep disorders  among CD and UC patients was 58% and 63.8%, respectively (P = 0.291). The multivariate analysis revealed that older age (OR, 1.070; 95% CI: 1.035-1.105, P = 0.000), smoking (OR, 2.698; 95% CI: 1.089-6.685, P = 0.032), and depression (OR, 4.779; 95% CI: 1.915-11.928, P = 0.001) were risk factors for sleep disorders in IBD patients. However, higher body mass index (OR, 0.879; 95% CI: 0.790-0.977, P = 0.017) was identified as a protective factor. CONCLUSION: Sleep disorders are common among IBD patients regardless of activity levels. Smoking and depression are the major risk factors.

Element accumulation in the tracheal and bronchial cartilages of monkeys.

Compositional changes in the tracheal and bronchial cartilages can affect respiratory ventilation and lung function. We aimed to elucidate element accumulation in the tracheal and bronchial cartilages of monkeys and divided it into four sites: the tracheal, tracheal bifurcation, left bronchial, and right bronchial cartilages. The elemental content was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The average calcium content was two to three times higher in the tracheal cartilage than in the other three cartilages. The trends of phosphorus and zinc were similar to those of calcium. The average calcium, phosphorus, and zinc cartilage contents were the highest in the tracheal cartilage and decreased in the following order: the left bronchial, right bronchial, and tracheal bifurcation cartilages. These findings revealed that differences existed in element accumulation between different sites within the same airway cartilage and that calcium, phosphorus, and zinc accumulation mainly occurred in the tracheal cartilage. A substantial direct correlation was observed between age and calcium content in the tracheal and bronchial cartilages and all such monkeys with high calcium content were > four years of age. These results suggest that calcium accumulation occurs in the tracheal and bronchial cartilages after reaching a certain age. An extremely substantial direct correlation was observed between calcium and phosphorus contents in the tracheal and bronchial cartilages. This finding is similar to the previously published calcium and phosphorus correlations in several other cartilages, suggesting that the calcium and phosphorus contents of cartilage exist in a certain ratio.

Transcriptomic Landscape Analysis Reveals a Persistent DNA Damage Response in Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatohepatitis Post-dietary Intervention.

Background and Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its more advanced form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, have emerged as the most prevalent liver diseases worldwide. Currently, lifestyle modification is the foremost guideline-recommended management strategy for MASLD. However, it remains unclear which detrimental signals persist in MASLD even after disease remission. Thus, we aimed to examine the persistent changes in liver transcriptomic profiles following this reversal. Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups: Western diet (WD) feeding, chow diet (CD) feeding, or diet reversal from WD to CD. After 16 weeks of feeding, RNA sequencing was performed on the mice's livers to identify persistent alterations characteristic of MASLD. Additionally, RNA sequencing databases containing high-fat diet-fed P53-knockout mice and human MASLD samples were utilized. Results: WD-induced MASLD triggered persistent activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) and its primary transcription factor, P53, long after the resolution of the hepatic phenotype through dietary reversal. Elevated levels of P53 might promote apoptosis, thereby exacerbating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, as they strongly correlated with hepatocyte ballooning, an indicator of apoptosis activation. Moreover, P53 knockout in mice led to downregulated expression of apoptosis signaling in the liver. Mechanistically, P53 may regulate apoptosis by transcriptionally activating the expression of apoptosis-enhancing nuclease (AEN). Consistently, P53, AEN, and the apoptosis process all exhibited persistently elevated expression and showed a strong inter-correlation in the liver following dietary reversal. Conclusions: The liver demonstrated upregulation of DDR signaling and the P53-AEN-apoptosis axis both during and after exposure to WD. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of MASLD relapse, highlighting DDR signaling as a promising target to prevent MASLD recurrence.

Ultrasonic-driven degradation of organic pollutants using piezoelectric catalysts WS2/Bi2WO6 heterojunction composites.

Water pollution has been made worse by the widespread use of organic dyes and their discharge, which has coincided with the industry's rapid development. Piezoelectric catalysis, as an effective wastewater purification method with promising applications, can enhance the catalyst activity by collecting tiny vibrations in nature and is not limited by sunlight. In this work, we designed and synthesized intriguing WS2/Bi2WO6 heterojunction nanocomposites, investigated their shape, structure, and piezoelectric characteristics using a range of characterization techniques, and used ultrasound to accelerate the organic dye Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation in wastewater. In comparison to the pristine monomaterials, the results demonstrated that the heterojunction composites demonstrated excellent degradation and stability of RhB under ultrasonic circumstances. The existence of heterojunctions and the internal piezoelectric field created by ultrasonic driving work in concert to boost catalytic performance, and the organic dye's rate of degradation is further accelerated by the carriers that are mutually transferred between the composites.

A review of tanshinone compounds in prostate cancer treatment.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignant epithelial tumors in men worldwide. PCa patients are initially sensitive to chemotherapy, but patients in the advanced stages of PCa eventually develop resistance, leaving them with limited therapeutic options. Therefore, it is very important to screen new drugs for treating PCa. Salvia miltiorrhiza is a common Chinese herbal medicine used in some Asian countries. It has many functions and is widely used to treat a variety of diseases, including heart diseases and cancers. For the past few years, research has shown that liposoluble constituents of tanshinones (TANs), including cryptotanshinone, TAN IIA, dihydrotanshinone I, and TAN I, exhibit good anticancer activity in PCa. In this study, we review the progress of TAN compounds (cryptotanshinone, TAN IIA, dihydrotanshinone I, and TAN I) in treating PCa over the past decade. These compounds can act on the same molecular mechanisms, as they have a very similar structure; they are also found to work slightly differently in PCa. According to current studies, compared with other TAN compounds, TAN IIA appears to hold more potential for treating PCa. The toxicity, side effects or biodistribution of Salvia miltiorrhiza and these four TANs need to be confirmed with further research. Findings obtained in this study may provide important information for the potential clinical application of cryptotanshinone, TAN IIA, dihydrotanshinone I, and TAN I in the treatment of PCa.

An Improved Framework for Drug-side effect Associations Prediction via Counterfactual Inference-based Data Augmentation.

Detecting side effects of drugs is a fundamental task in drug development. With the expansion of publicly available biomedical data, researchers have proposed many computational methods for predicting drug-side effect associations (DSAs), among which network-based methods attract wide attention in the biomedical field. However, the problem of data scarcity poses a great challenge for existing DSAs prediction models. Although several data augmentation methods have been proposed to address this issue, most of existing methods employ a random way to manipulate the original networks, which ignores the causality of existence of DSAs, leading to the poor performance on the task of DSAs prediction. In this paper, we propose a counterfactual inference-based data augmentation method for improving the performance of the task. First, we construct a heterogeneous information network (HIN) by integrating multiple biomedical data. Based on the community detection on the HIN, a counterfactual inference-based method is designed to derive augmented links, and an augmented HIN is obtained accordingly. Then, a meta-path-based graph neural network is applied to learn high-quality representations of drugs and side effects, on which the predicted DSAs are obtained. Finally, comprehensive experiments are conducted, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed counterfactual inference-based data augmentation for the task of DSAs prediction.

E3 ubiquitin ligases: key regulators of osteogenesis and potential therapeutic targets for bone disorders.

Ubiquitination is a crucial post-translational modification of proteins that mediates the degradation or functional regulation of specific proteins. This process participates in various biological processes such as cell growth, development, and signal transduction. E3 ubiquitin ligases play both positive and negative regulatory roles in osteogenesis and differentiation by ubiquitination-mediated degradation or stabilization of transcription factors, signaling molecules, and cytoskeletal proteins. These activities affect the proliferation, differentiation, survival, and bone formation of osteoblasts (OBs). In recent years, advances in genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics have led to a deeper understanding of the classification, function, and mechanisms of action of E3 ubiquitin ligases. This understanding provides new insights and approaches for revealing the molecular regulatory mechanisms of bone formation and identifying therapeutic targets for bone metabolic diseases. This review discusses the research progress and significance of the positive and negative regulatory roles and mechanisms of E3 ubiquitin ligases in the process of osteogenic differentiation. Additionally, the review highlights the role of E3 ubiquitin ligases in bone-related diseases. A thorough understanding of the role and mechanisms of E3 ubiquitin ligases in osteogenic differentiation could provide promising therapeutic targets for bone tissue engineering based on stem cells.

Efficacy of budesonide/formoterol inhalation powder in treating viral pneumonia in children.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory viruses are increasingly detected in children with community-acquired pneumonia. Further strategies to limit antibiotic use in children with viral pneumonia are warranted. AIM: To explore clinical efficacy of budesonide/formoterol inhalation powder for viral pneumonia in children and its impact on cellular immunity and inflammatory factor production. METHODS: A total of 60 children with viral pneumonia were recruited: 30 receiving budesonide/formoterol inhalation powder and 30 conventional symptomatic treatment. Outcome measures included peripheral blood levels of inflammatory cytokines, CD4+, CD8+, Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg, clinical efficacy, and incidence of adverse reactions. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the observation group showed a significant reduction in interleukin-6 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels after treatment. Compared with the control group, the observation group showed a significant increase in CD4+/CD8+ and Th1/Th2 levels, and a decrease in Th17/Treg levels after treatment. The total effective rates in the observation group and the control group were 93.75% and 85.00%, respectively, which was a significant difference (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Budesonide/formoterol inhalation powder significantly improved therapeutic efficacy for viral pneumonia in children. The mechanism of action may be related to downregulation of the inflammatory response and improved cellular immune function.

Fecal virome transplantation: A promising strategy for the treatment of metabolic diseases.

Metabolic diseases are a group of disorders caused by metabolic abnormalities, including obesity, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and more. Increasing research indicates that, beyond inherent metabolic irregularities, the onset and progression of metabolic diseases are closely linked to alterations in the gut microbiota, particularly gut bacteria. Additionally, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has demonstrated effectiveness in clinically treating metabolic diseases, notably diabetes. Recent attention has also focused on the role of gut viruses in disease onset. This review first introduces the characteristics and influencing factors of gut viruses, then summarizes their potential mechanisms in disease development, highlighting their impact on gut bacteria and regulation of host immunity. We also compare FMT, fecal filtrate transplantation (FFT), washed microbiota transplantation (WMT), and fecal virome transplantation (FVT). Finally, we review the current understanding of gut viruses in metabolic diseases and the application of FVT in treating these conditions. In conclusion, FVT may provide a novel and promising treatment approach for metabolic diseases, warranting further validation through basic and clinical research.

Identification and immunological characterization of genes associated with ferroptosis in Alzheimer's disease and experimental demonstration.

The incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is rising globally, yet its treatment and prediction of this condition remain challenging due to the complex pathophysiological mechanisms associated with it. Consequently, the objective of the present study was to analyze and characterize the molecular mechanisms underlying ferroptosis­related genes (FEGs) in the pathogenesis of AD, as well as to construct a prognostic model. The findings will provide new insights for the future diagnosis and treatment of AD. First, the AD dataset GSE33000 from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and the FEGs from FerrDB were obtained. Next, unsupervised cluster analysis was used to obtain the FEGs that were most relevant to AD. Subsequently, enrichment analyses were performed on the FEGs to explore biological functions. Subsequently, the role of these genes in the immune microenvironment was elucidated through CIBERSORT. Then, the optimal machine learning was selected by comparing the performance of different machine learning models. To validate the prediction efficiency, the models were validated using nomograms, calibration curves, decision curve analysis and external datasets. Furthermore, the expression of FEGs between different groups was verified using reverse transcription quantitative PCR and western blot analysis. In AD, alterations in the expression of FEGs affect the aggregation and infiltration of certain immune cells. This indicated that the occurrence of AD is strongly associated with immune infiltration. Finally, the most appropriate machine learning models were selected, and AD diagnostic models and nomograms were built. The present study provided novel insights that enhance understanding with regard to the molecular mechanism of action of FEGs in AD. Moreover, the present study provided biomarkers that may facilitate the diagnosis of AD.