Wenfeng Xu

Purpose: Crohn’s disease has transitioned from a rare condition to a significant public health concern in East Asia, yet comparative evidence across countries and long-term projections remain limited. We assess national trends in the burden of Crohn’s disease in China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea from 1990 to 2023 and to estimate future patterns through 2060. Methods: Data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023. We assessed prevalence, mortality and DALYs, reporting on numbers, rates, age-standardized prevalence rate, age-standardized mortality rate, age-standardized DALYs rate. Decomposition analysis was applied to quantify contributions from population growth, population aging, and shifts in disease epidemiology. Projections for 2024 to 2060 were generated using a Bayesian age–period–cohort model. Results: All three countries experienced substantial increases in Crohn’s disease burden between 1990 and 2023. Prevalence and DALYs was greatest among males aged 50–54. Projections indicated continued increases in disease burden through 2060. China was projected to retain the largest number of prevalent cases by 2060, while total DALYs in Japan and the Republic of Korea were projected to exceed those in China. Conclusion: Crohn’s disease burden has risen steadily across East Asia over the past 34 years, with men and middle-aged and older adults disproportionately affected. These findings highlight the need for country-specific prevention and healthcare strategies. China should prioritize early detection and primary care capacity, while Japan and the Republic of Korea require integrated management and long-term care systems to support aging patient populations.

To examine the association between the skeletal muscle mass-to-visceral fat area ratio (SVR) and prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a nationally representative U.S. We analyzed data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2011-2018. Associations of SVR with composite CVD and its subtypes (heart failure [HF], coronary heart disease [CHD], angina pectoris [AP], myocardial infarction [MI], or stroke) were estimated using multivariable logistic models; linear trend across SVR tertiles was tested, and nonlinearity was assessed using restricted cubic spline (RCS) models. Subgroup analyses assessed heterogeneity. The sample comprised 9,997 participants. In multivariable-adjusted logistic models, higher SVR was associated with lower odds of CVD (Model 4: OR = 0.44; 95% CI 0.29-0.67; P < 0.001), with a dose-response (P for trend = 0.001). In subtype analyses, the highest SVR category was associated with lower odds of HF (OR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.18-0.96; P = 0.047), CHD (OR = 0.28, 95% CI 0.11-0.71; P = 0.011), and MI (OR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.11-0.94; P = 0.045), with significant trends for all three outcomes (P for trend < 0.05). RCS models showed nonlinear associations of SVR with composite CVD, CHD, and MI, but not with HF, stroke or AP. Subgroup analyses detected interactions for poverty-income ratio (PIR) and BMI strata (both P for interaction = 0.005). Higher SVR may be a potential CVD risk marker, whereas associations with AP and stroke were weak or non-significant. Prospective validation is warranted. Level V-cross-sectional observational study.

Niuhuang Jiedu Tablets (NJT) is a popular over-the-counter traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation. It is composed of realgar (As₂S₂) and seven other TCMs. The safety of NJT is of growing concern because arsenic (As) is carcinogenic to humans. The toxicity of realgar in vivo can mainly be attributed to the absorbed and accumulated As. This study investigated the correlation between the detoxification effects of the other TCMs in NJT on realgar and their influences on arsenic accumulation of realgar in mice. Histopathological examination, clinical biochemical test, and metabolic profiling analysis were used to evaluate the toxicity of realgar. The concentration of arsenic in mice whole blood as the hazard indicator was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The compatibility of NJT could decrease arsenic bioaccumulation of realgar in mice whole blood and consequently reduce the toxicity of realgar, which could be considered as one detoxification mechanism to realgar in NJT. The combination of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix, Platycodonis Radix, and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma exhibited almost the same effects as NJT in regulating the serum biochemical parameters and metabolic profiles disturbed by realgar and in reducing arsenic accumulation of realgar in mice whole blood.

A series of ultrathin BiOCl 2D nanosheet photocatalysts were prepared by the TBAOH-assisted hydrolysis method in water. The effects of tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAOH) dosages, chlorine source, preparation pH value, ultrasonic treatment, and magnetic stirring on the photocatalytic degradation dynamics of carbamazepine were examined under visible-light irradiation to optimize the preparation parameters. It was found that ultrathin BiOCl prepared with TBAOH dosages of 1 mmol and chlorine source of NaCl in the pH of 2 upon magnetic stirring of 6 h displayed the highest photocatalytic degradation rate constant (0.0038 min(-1)) of carbamazepine, which is 7.6 times higher than that with the ordinary BiOCl (without TBAOH). To clarify the mechanism on the outstanding photocatalytic activity of ultrathin BiOCl, the elemental composition/state, micromorphology, and separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and photoluminescence (PL). Results showed that the presence of oxygen vacancy, ultrathin nanosheet structure, and improved separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs contributed to the excellent photocatalytic degradation activity of ultrathin BiOCl. The obtained result provides a novel method to fabricate ultrathin BiOCl with excellent photocatalytic degradation activity of carbamazepine under visible-light irradiation.

Objective. To investigate the influence of gut microbiota on arsenic accumulation of realgar in mice. Methods. Mice were treated with antibiotics to form a mouse model of gut microbial disruption. Antibiotic‐treated and normally raised mice were given 15 mg/kg, 150 mg/kg, and 750 mg/kg realgar by gavage and 0.2 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg arsenic solution by subcutaneous injection for 7 days. The concentration of arsenic in mice whole blood was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS). Arsenic accumulation in antibiotic‐treated mice and normally raised mice was compared. Results. After exposure to low dose (15 mg/kg) and middle dose (150 mg/kg) of realgar, significantly, more arsenic was accumulated in the whole blood of antibiotic‐treated mice compared to normally raised counterparts, which indicated that the disruption of gut microbiota could lead to higher arsenic load of realgar in mice. The homeostasis of gut microbiota was supposed to be disrupted by high dose (750 mg/kg) of realgar because after exposure to high dose of realgar, there was no significant difference in arsenic accumulation between antibiotic‐treated and normally raised mice. Furthermore, arsenic solution was administered by subcutaneous injection to mice to investigate the influence of gut microbial differences on arsenic accumulation in addition to the absorption process, and there was no significant difference in arsenic accumulation between mice with these two different statuses of gut microbiota. Conclusions. Gut microbiota disruption could increase arsenic accumulation of realgar in mice.

Niuhuang Jiedu tablet (NJT), a realgar (As₂S₂) containing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is a well-known formula. The safety of NJT is of growing concern since arsenic (As) is considered as one of the most toxic elements. NJT was demonstrated to be safer than realgar by our previous experiments and some other studies. The toxicity of realgar has been shown to be related to the amount of soluble or bioaccessible arsenic. In this study, the influences of the other TCMs in NJT on the bioaccessibility of arsenic from realgar, and the roles of gut microbiota during this process were investigated in vitro. Results showed that Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma), Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), Jiegeng (Platycodonis Radix), and Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma) could significantly reduce the bioaccessibility of arsenic from realgar in artificial gastrointestinal fluids. Gut microbiota played an important role in decreasing the bioaccessibility of realgar because it was demonstrated to be able to absorb the soluble arsenic from realgar in the incubation medium. Dahuang, Huangqin, and Jiegeng could modulate the gut microbiota to enhance its arsenic absorption activity.

Niuhuang Jiedu Tablet (NJT) is a classical formula in treating acute tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and so on. In the formula, significant level ofRealgaras a potentially toxic element is contained. Our previous experiments revealed that it was less toxic for combinedRealgarin NJT. However, the active fraction of this prescription with toxicity alleviation effect onRealgarwas still obscure. NJT was divided into five different polar fractions (NJT‐PET, NJT‐25, NJT‐50, NJT‐75, and NJT‐95), and we explored the toxicity alleviation effect onRealgar. Based on¹H NMR spectra of urine and serum from rats, PCA and PLS‐DA were performed to identify different metabolic profiles. Liver and kidney histopathology examinations and serum clinical chemistry analysis were also performed. With pattern recognition analysis of metabolites in urine and serum, Realgar group showed a clear separation from control group, while the metabolic profiles of NJT‐PET, NJT‐25, NJT‐50, and NJT‐95 groups were similar to Realgar group, and the metabolic profiles of NJT and NJT‐75 groups were very close to control group. Statistics results were confirmed by the histopathological examination and biochemical assay. The present work indicated that 75% EtOH fraction of NJT was the most valid fraction with the toxicity alleviation effect onRealgar.