ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the mechanism by which Yishen Huoxue Tongqiao Formula improves metabolism-neuroplasticity and treats unilateral vestibular labyrinth destruction by regulating the metabolic balance of glutamate （Glu）/γ-aminobutyric acid （GABA）. Methods48 Sprague-Dawley （SD） adult rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group， model group， Yishen Huoxue Tongqiao Formula groups with low， medium， and high doses （9.20， 18.39， 36.78 g·kg^-1）， and betahistine group （1.62 mg·kg^-1）. A unilateral vestibular labyrinth destruction （vestibular dysfunction） model was established by intratympanic injection of chloroform into the right ear， while the control group received intratympanic injection of normal saline. Drugs were administered once daily for seven consecutive days. During the period， behavioral tests were performed to evaluate the behaviors of rats after unilateral vestibular labyrinth destruction. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the neuronal morphology in the medial vestibular nucleus. Golgi staining was employed to assess the number of dendritic spines of neurons in the medial vestibular nucleus. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （LC-ESI-MS/MS） was utilized to detect Glu/GABA. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expressions of neuronal nuclei （NeuN）， growth-associated protein 43 （GAP-43）， and glial fibrillary acidic protein （GFAP）. Western blot and real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were applied to determine the expressions of glutamate-immunoreactive （Glu-IR）， GABA， GFAP， postsynaptic density protein 95 （PSD-95）， and GAP-43. ResultsCompared with the sham operation group， the model group presented with head deviation， balance disorder， increased tail suspension score， nuclear consolidation of medial vestibular nerve neurons， and decreased Nissl bodies （P<0.01）. The number of dendritic spines in neurons and NeuN-positive cells decreased. The content of Glu decreased. The content of GABA increased （Glu/GABA decreased）. The expression of GAP-43 was down-regulated， and GFAP was up-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expressions of Glu-IR， PSD-95， and GAP-43 proteins， as well as Glu-IR mRNA decreased， while the expressions of GABA and GFAP proteins and mRNA increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with those in the model group， the head deviation， imbalanced behavior， and tail suspension scores in each treatment group decreased， with alleviated neuronal injury and recovered Nissl bodies （P<0.01）. The number of dendritic spines of neurons increased， and the number of NeuN-positive cells rebounded. The content of Glu increased， and the content of GABA decreased （Glu/GABA increased）. GFAP was down-regulated， and GAP-43 was up-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expressions of Glu-IR， PMD-95， and GAP-43 proteins， as well as Glu-IR mRNA increased， while the expressions of GABA and GFAP proteins and mRNA decreased. The effect was more significant in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe Yishen Huoxue Tongqiao Formula can alleviate vestibular dysfunction， and its mechanism may be associated with regulating the metabolic balance of Glu/GABA， mitigating neural damage， improving synaptic plasticity （promoting GAP-43 expression and inhibiting GFAP expression）， and facilitating vestibular compensation.

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy （DPN） is one of the most common and harmful complications of type 2 diabetes. DPN's pathogenesis include high blood sugar-induced oxidative stress， inflammation， and mitochondrial dysfunction. These factors are combined to damage nerve fibers， leading to sensory issues， pain， and numbness. Through a coordinated effect， these factors trigger nerve fiber damage and lead to sensory abnormalities， pain and numbness in limbs， and other symptoms， seriously restricting patients' activities of daily living and mobility. Recent research highlights that cellular senescence plays a critical role in DPN. Cellular senescence is manifested by the loss of cell proliferation ability， and further aggravates nerve damage via oxidative stress， mitochondrial dysfunction， autophagy impairment， inflammatory reaction， and other mechanisms， accelerating DPN occurrence and progression. In terms of medical treatment， current methods focus on blood sugar control， pain relief medicine， and microcirculation improvement， while no therapy has been developed based on cellular senescence. In contrast， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） shows a unique advantage in DPN prevention and treatment via cellular senescence modulation. TCM emphasizes a holistic approach， as well as syndrome differentiation and treatment， effective in anti-aging and nerve damage repair. Recent studies show that TCM active ingredients， including puerarin， ginsenosides， and berberine， can reduce inflammation， oxidative stress， and apoptosis via signaling pathway regulation， thereby slowing cellular senescence to alleviate nerve damage. Furthermore， TCM compounds such as Buyang Huanwutang， Taohong Siwutang， and Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang exert synergistic effects on cellular senescence-related pathways to improve nerve health and reduce DPN clinical symptoms. Therefore， this paper reviews the literature related to the interaction between cellular senescence and DPN from the perspective of cellular senescence， summarizing the mechanism of DPN and TCM intervention strategies.

Objective: To investigate the factors influencing the co-prevalence of allergic rhinitis and obesity among primary and secondary school students in Inner Mongolia, so as to provide a data foundation and theoretical basis for developing targeted intervention measures. Methods: In September and October 2024, a stratified cluster random sampling method was employed to select 139 102 students from 539 schools across 12 leagues/cities and 103 banners/counties in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Participants who were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis by a doctor at least once within one year and had a body mass index ≥ 28 kg/m 2 were considered to have comorbid conditions. Results: The coprevalence rate of allergic rhinitis and obesity among primary and secondary school students in Inner Mongolia was 6.4% (8 931 cases). Lasso-Logistic regression revealed that nonboarding status, higher maternal education, consuming high protein foods ≥1 time daily, occasionally or never eating breakfast, engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity for ≥60 minutes on fewer than half of holidays, and having been exposed to second hand smoke in person within the past seven days were associated with higher odds ratios for co-prevalence of allergic rhinitis and obesity( OR = 1.23 , 1.22-1.63, 1.20, 1.19, 1.38, 1.35); being female, higher grade level, residence in flag/county/district areas, non only child status, never having consumed a full glass of alcohol, non hypertensive status, and households without pets were associated with lower co-prevalence risks ( OR =0.65, 0.67-0.77, 0.81, 0.87, 0.73, 0.41, 0.68) (all P <0.05). The ROC curve indicated an area under the curve of 0.64 for the predictive model, demonstrating satisfactory discriminatory ability. The calibration curve showed consistency between predicted and actual occurrence probabilities. Conclusions The co-prevalence of allergic rhinitis and obesity among primary and secondary school students in Inner Mongolia is closely associated with demographic characteristics, dietary behaviours, and lifestyle habits. Future prevention and control strategies should prioritize these factors to implement targeted interventions.

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) accompanied with KMT2D gene mutation and the impact of its co-mutated genes on prognosis. Methods Clinical data of 155 newly diagnosed DLBCL patients were obtained. The second-generation sequencing method was used to detect 475 hotspot genes, including KMT2D mutation. Patients were divided into the KMT2D mutation group and KMT2D wild-type group based on the presence or absence of KMT2D gene mutation. Clinical characteristics, differences in co-mutated genes, and survival differences between the two groups were compared. Results The frequency of KMT2D mutation was 31%, which is predominantly observed in elderly patients (P=0.07) and less in the double-expressor phenotype (P=0.07). Compared with the KMT2D wild-type group, KMT2D gene mutation was associated with higher co-mutation rates of CDKN2A (OR=2.82, P=0.01) and BCL2 (OR=3.84, P=0.016), while being mutually exclusive with MYC gene mutation (OR=0.11, P=0.013). In univariate survival analysis, no statistically significant difference in overall survival (OS) was found between the KMT2D mutation group and the wild-type group (P=0.54). Further analysis of the prognostic significance of KMT2D with other gene mutations indicated that patients with KMT2D^mutBTG2^mut had poorer OS than those with KMT2D^wt BTG2^mut (P=0.07) and KMT2D^wt BTG2^wt (P=0.05). On the contrary, patients with KMT2D^mut CD79B^mut had better OS than those with KMT2D^mut CD79B^wt (P=0.09), with no prognostic impact observed for other co-mutated genes. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that Ann Arbor stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ (HR=2.751, 95%CI: 1.169-6.472, P=0.02), elevated LDH levels (HR=2.461, 95%CI: 1.396-4.337, P=0.002), Ki-67 index>80% (HR=1.875, 95%CI: 1.066-3.299, P=0.029), and KMT2D^mutBTG2^mut(HR=4.566, 95%CI: 1.348-15.471, P=0.015) were independent risk factors for OS in patients with DLBCL (P<0.05). Conclusion DLBCL patients with KMT2D mutation often have multiple gene mutations, among which patients with a co-mutated BTG2 gene have poor prognosis.

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.

Huangqintang， with its accurate efficacy， is a classic formula specialized in treating dysentery recommended and promoted by medical experts from successive generations， and it was included in the Catalogue of Ancient Classic Prescriptions （the Second Batch， Han Chinese medicine prescriptions） published by the National Administration of Traditional Chinses Medicine （TCM） in 2023. The method of bibliometrics was applied in this study to conduct textual research on the classic formula Huangqintang and provide a literature reference for the development of modern preparations of Huangqintang. A total of 2 026 pieces of ancient literature were searched with "Huangqintang" as the key word， and 23 pieces of effective data were selected， involving 15 ancient TCM books. The historic evolution， composition， dosage， origin， processing methods， preparation and decocting methods， efficiency， and application of Huangqintang were carefully reviewed. The results showed that Huangqintang was first recorded in the Treatise on Febrile Diseases written by ZHANG Zhongjing. It has the effect of clearing heat， stopping dysentery， regulating the middle， and downbearing counterflow and has become one of the classic formulas widely used in clinical practice. Because of its accurate efficacy， medical experts from later generations have modified it from its original composition. Though many prescriptions have different names， it is the manifestation of physicians' inheritance and development of the thought of ZHANG Zhongjing. Ancient literature showed this prescription had wide indications yet centered on digestive system diseases such as dysentery and abdominal pain. Modern applications of Huangqintang involve digestive， respiratory， ophthalmology and otolaryngology， gynecological， skin， musculoskeletal system， and connective tissue， and this prescription has great potential in treating ulcerative colitis， diarrhea， acute enteritis， and damp-heat dysentery. Through a systematic textual excavation and review of the ancient literature about Huangqintang， the paper has confirmed its key information， so as to provide a scientific basis for the clinical application and new drug development of classic formulas.

Objective To introduce an innovative technique, the "balance-shaped sternal elevation device" and its application in the subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for anterior mediastinal masses resection. Methods Patients who underwent single-port thoracoscopic assisted anterior mediastinal tumor resection through the xiphoid process at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University from May to June 2024 were included, and their clinical data were analyzed. Results A total of 7 patients were included, with 3 males and 4 females, aged 28-72 years. The diameter of the tumor was 1.9-17.0 cm. The operation time was 62-308 min, intraoperative blood loss was 5-100 mL, postoperative chest drainage tube retention time was 0-9 days, pain score on the 7th day after surgery was 0-2 points, and postoperative hospital stay was 3-12 days. All patients underwent successful and complete resection of the masses and thymus, with favorable postoperative recovery. Conclusion The "balance-shaped sternal elevation device" effectively expands the retrosternal space, providing surgeons with satisfactory surgical views and operating space. This technique significantly enhances the efficacy and safety of minimally invasive surgery for anterior mediastinal masses, reduces trauma and postoperative pain, and accelerates patient recovery, demonstrating important clinical significance and application value.

Monotropein is a compound classified into iridoid which is found in herbaceous plants Morindae officinalis. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-osteoarthritic activities. Previous study indicates that monotropein may have the potential to combat cardiovascular disease, although the related mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we constructed the model of atherosclerosis by oxidized low density lipoprotein-induced vascular smooth muscle cells and LDLR –/–mice given high-fat diet to investigate the effects of monotropein on atherosclerosis.Our results showed that monotropein treatment significantly reduced the area of atherosclerotic plaques and necrotic cores in mice, inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, and reduced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which in turn alleviated atherosclerosis. In addition, we found that monotropein reduced the expression levels of P-NF-κB and P-AP-1. In conclusion, our data suggest that monotropein inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells by mediating the activity of NF-κB, AP-1, reducing the level of inflammation and oxidative stress, and thus resisting the development of atherosclerosis. These findings demonstrate the efficacious therapeutic impact of monotropein on atherosclerosis and elucidate its specific target.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of Shuanghua drink in treating primary dysmenorrhea in the rat model and explore its mechanism of action. MethodsAn oxytocin-induced writhing mouse model was established to evaluate the analgesic effect of Shuanghua drink. Forty-eight non-pregnant female institute of cancer research （ICR） mice were randomly divided into six groups， including a blank group， a model group， an ibuprofen group （85.00 mg·kg^-1）， a low-dose group of Shuanghua drink （7.14 mL·kg^-1）， a medium-dose group of Shuanghua drink （14.28 mL·kg^-1）， and a high-dose group of Shuanghua drink （28.57 mL·kg^-1）. Each group consisted of eight mice. All treatment groups received daily intragastric administration at corresponding doses for 10 consecutive days. One hour after the final administration， 2 U of oxytocin was intraperitoneally injected per mouse. The writhing latency and number of writhing within 20 minutes were recorded. A primary dysmenorrhea rat model was established by using estradiol benzoate and oxytocin to evaluate the inhibitory effect of Shuanghua drink on the contraction of uterine smooth muscle. Forty-eight non-pregnant female Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were divided into six groups， including a blank group， a model group， an ibuprofen group （51.00 mg·kg^-1）， a low-dose group of Shuanghua drink （4.28 mL·kg^-1）， a medium-dose group of Shuanghua drink （8.57 mL·kg^-1）， and a high-dose group of Shuanghua drink （17.10 mL·kg^-1）. Each group consisted of eight rats. Rats received subcutaneous injections of estradiol benzoate for 10 consecutive days to enhance uterine sensitivity. On the eleventh day， oxytocin （2 U/rat） was intraperitoneally administered to induce abnormal uterine contractions for establishing the primary dysmenorrhea model. All treatment groups received daily intragastric administration from the second day of modeling for 10 days. The effects of Shuanghua drink were evaluated by using parameters including uterine motility and the variation rate of uterine motility. The mechanism of action was investigated in rats with primary dysmenorrhea. The content of prostaglandin F_2α （PGF_2α）， prostaglandin E₂ （PGE₂）， thromboxane B₂ （TXB₂）， prostacyclin metabolite （6-keto-PGF_1α）， and β-endorphin （β-EP） in uterine tissue of rats was detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The changes in the content of nitric oxide （NO） and inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS） were analyzed via colorimetric assay. Western blot was performed to determine the content of phosphorylated inhibitor of kappa B kinase beta （p-IKKβ）/IKKβ， phosphorylated inhibitor of kappa B alpha （p-IκBα）， IκBα， phosphorylated p65 （p-p65）， p65， and cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2） proteins in uterine tissue of rats. ResultsIn the oxytocin-induced writhing mouse model， the model group exhibited significantly shortened writhing latency and increased writhing frequency compared to the control group （P<0.01）. Both the ibuprofen group and the high-dose group of Shuanghua drink displayed prolonged writhing latency （P<0.05）， while the ibuprofen group and the low-dose， medium-dose， and high-dose groups of Shuanghua drink exhibited reduced writhing frequency （P<0.01）. In the primary dysmenorrhea rat model， the uterine motility and its variation rate in the model group were significantly higher than those in the blank group （P<0.01）. These parameters were markedly suppressed by ibuprofen and Shuanghua drink at all tested doses （P<0.01）. For the mechanism of action， the model group showed significantly increased PGF_2α/PGE₂， TXB₂/6-keto-PGF_1α， NO， and iNOS in uterine tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01） and significantly decreased β-EP （P<0.01）. These parameters were significantly attenuated in the ibuprofen group and the low-dose， medium-dose， and high-dose groups of Shuanghua drink. The PGF_2α/PGE₂ （P<0.01）， TXB₂/6-keto-PGF_1α （P<0.01）， NO （medium-dose group P<0.05）， and iNOS （P<0.01） were reduced， and the β-EP （medium-dose group P<0.05） was up-regulated. Compared to the model group， the ibuprofen group and medium-dose group of Shuanghua drink showed significantly increased content of β-EP in the serum of rats （P<0.05）. Compared to the blank group， the model group showed significantly elevated expressions of COX-2， p-IKKβ/IKKβ， p-IκBα/IκBα， and p-p65/p65 proteins （P<0.01） and significantly reduced anti-inflammatory protein IκBα （P<0.05）. Compared to the model group， the ibuprofen group and the low-dose， medium-dose， and high-dose groups of Shuanghua drink showed significantly reduced expressions of COX-2 （P<0.01）， p-IKKβ/IKKβ （P<0.01）， p-IκBα/IκBα （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and p-p65/p65（P<0.01） and up-regulated expression of IκBα protein （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionShuanghua drink effectively alleviates primary dysmenorrhea through analgesia and suppression of abnormal contractions of uterine smooth muscle. Its mechanism may be mediated by reduced levels of PGF_2α/PGE₂， TXB₂/6-keto-PGF_1α， iNOS， and NO， elevated β-EP level， and inhibited COX-2/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH） is a common chronic progressive disease in middle-aged and elderly men， characterized by prostate enlargement and bladder outlet obstruction， leading to symptoms such as frequent urination， urgency， and difficulty urinating. The pathogenesis of BPH involves factors such as aging， hormonal metabolic abnormalities， inflammatory responses， and imbalances in cell proliferation and apoptosis. Currently， the main treatment methods for BPH include medication， physical therapy， and surgical intervention. However， medication may cause side effects like sexual dysfunction and hypotension， physical therapy has limited efficacy， and surgery carries risks and postoperative complications. Therefore， there is an urgent need to find safer and more effective treatment options. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with its focus on treatment based on syndrome differentiation and a holistic approach， offers therapeutic advantages through multiple pathways and mechanisms. Recent studies have shown that TCM regulates pathways such as phosphoinositide-3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt）， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）， mitogen-activated protein kinases （MAPK）， nuclear factor E₂-related factor 2/antioxidant response element （Nrf2/ARE）， androgen receptor （AR）， transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β）/Smad， and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α/vascular endothelial growth factor （HIF-1α/VEGF） to inhibit oxidative stress and inflammatory response， reduce prostate cell proliferation， and promote apoptosis， thus exerting therapeutic effects. This article summarizes and analyzes the roles of these signaling pathways in the occurrence and development of BPH and the mechanisms of TCM intervention， aiming to provide scientific evidence for clinical treatment and drug development for BPH.