Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), refined over millennia, embodies distinctive therapeutic principles rooted in the concept of harmony with nature. The oral efficacy of TCM is critically dependent upon the precise absorption and efficient intestinal transport of its complex constituents. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood, posing a significant challenge to the modernization and global advancement of TCM research. Intestinal organoid technology, which enables three-dimensional in vitro culture of intestinal tissues, accurately recapitulates the cellular heterogeneity, structural organization, and key physiological functions of the native intestine. Recently, the integration of organoids with microfluidic platforms to form “Intestinal Organoid-on-a-Chip” systems has further advanced this field by dynamically recapitulating intestinal peristalsis, absorption, and metabolic activities. These systems provide a more physiologically relevant platform for investigating the transmembrane transport and spatiotemporal dynamics of TCM constituents. This review summarizes the principles, construction strategies, and functional characteristics of intestinal organoid technology, highlights its emerging applications in elucidating the absorption and transport mechanisms of TCM, and discusses current challenges, including standardization, experimental complexity, and clinical translation. Furthermore, it envisions future directions involving multiomics, artificial intelligence, and other cutting-edge approaches, aiming to provide novel strategies to accelerate the modernization and internationalization of TCM research.

Objective To explore the perfusion distribution of vertebral arteries(VA)in healthy adults,and to observe the impact of VA diameter on perfusion distribution based on territorial arterial spin labeling(t-ASL)technique.Methods A total of 228 healthy adult volunteers were prospectively recruited.t-ASL imaging was utilized to analyze VA perfusion patterns in supratentorial region.Bilateral VA diameters,absolute inter-side VA diameter differences,as well as perfusion volumes(PV)supplied by each VA to supratentorial,cerebellar and their combined were recorded.Pearson correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlations of VA diameters with PVsupratentorial,PVcerebellar and PVsupratentorial+cerebellar.Results Five patterns of distinct perfusion distribution were identified in supratentorial region,leading to participant stratification into 5 groups.Significant differences of absolute inter-side VA diameter differences was found among groups(P＜0.001).The mean bilateral VA diameter,PVsupratentorial,PVcerebellar and PVsupratentorial+cerebellar was(1.94±0.49)mm,(91.77±49.34)cm3,(74.72±27.68)cm3 and(166.49±59.53)cm3,respectively.VA diameter showed low-moderate positive correlations with PVsupratentorial,PVcerebellar and PVsupratentorial+cerebellar(r=0.483,0.179,0.484,all P＜0.001).Conclusion Perfusion imaging of t-ASL could visualize various perfusion distribution forms of VA in supratentorial region.Diameter of VA had certain impact on both spatial distribution characteristics and quantitative perfusion volumes.

Objective:To analyze the dynamic plantar pressure distribution of persons with chronic plantar fasciitis (PF).Methods:Twenty persons with unilateral, chronic PF were recruited as the PF group, while twenty-three healthy counterparts were recruited as the control group. A foot-pressure measurement system was used to collect data describing the plantar pressure for each subject with or without PF while walking. The pressure data included the load of peak plantar pressure (PP), the mean plantar pressure (MP), the total foot ground contact area (TCA), and the load percentage and the foot ground contact area beneath the medial heel (MH), the lateral heel (LH), the medial longitudinal arch (MLA), the lateral longitudinal arch (LLA), the first metatarsal head (M1), the second to third metatarsal heads (M2-3), the fourth to fifth metatarsal heads (M4-5), the hallux (T1), and toes two to five (T2-5).Results:In the PF group, significant differences were observed during walking between the affected and unaffected feet in terms of PP [(2.41±0.44)kg/cm 2 versus (3.02±0.63)kg/cm 2]. Both were significantly greater than among the control group. Asymmetry in the load distribution was identified beneath the MH, M2-3, M1, MLA, M4-5 and T2-5 among the chronic PF group. There were also significant differences between the affected foot of the chronic PF group and the non-dominant foot of the control group with regard to the load percentage beneath the LH, M4-5, T2-5, M2-3 and T1. The load percentage under the LH was significantly higher under the unaffected foot of the PF group than under the dominant foot of the control group. In terms of ground contact area, the T2-5 area of the affected foot of the PF group was significantly smaller than that of the unaffected foot, as well as compared to the non-dominant foot of the control group. The TCA of both feet among the PF group was significantly smaller than under the corresponding feet of the control group. Conclusions:Patients with chronic plantar fasciitis apply plantar pressure asymmetrically during walking. They tend to shift their weight laterally onto the asymptomatic foot. During walking, those with PF apply higher plantar pressure over a smaller ground contact area.

Objective:To investigate the factors influencing the efficacy of etanercept in the treatment of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) across different countries and regions.Methods:A total of 17 articles (case analyses or case reports) were selected through a comprehensive search in 4 Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed) and 4 English databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Elsevier SD). Clinical data from 52 patients originating from 7 countries were collected. Independent variables included age, sex, race, culprit drugs, disease severity, presence or absence of complications, initial dose, timing of administration, number of administrations of etanercept, and combination therapy; and the duration of hospitalization served as the dependent variable. Univariate and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted sequentially.Results:Among the 52 patients, 26 were male and 26 were female, with a median age M ( Q1, Q3) of 57.0 (36.0, 71.5) years. The median hospitalization duration was 12.0 (8.0, 17.5) d, and the median severity-of-illness score for TEN (SCORTEN) was 2 (2, 4). A total of 33 patients (63.5%) had at least one comorbidity. The initial etanercept dose was 50 mg in 37 patients (71.2%). The median timing of etanercept administration was 3 (3, 6) days after disease onset. Etanercept was used as monotherapy in 26 patients (50.0%) and as combination therapy in 26 patients (50.0%). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that age (partial regression coefficient β [95% CI]: -0.106 [-0.194, -0.018]), disease severity (2.216 [0.452, 3.980]), timing of administration (1.343 [0.827, 1.858]), and combination therapy (11.993 [4.149, 19.838]) significantly influenced the hospitalization duration of TEN patients (all P < 0.05). However, sex, race, presence of comorbidities, initial dose, and number of administrations did not affect hospitalization duration (all P > 0.05). Based on the standardized regression coefficients, the factors influencing hospitalization duration in TEN patients were ranked from strongest to weakest as follows: timing of administration (0.632), combination therapy (0.595), disease severity (0.337), and age (-0.233) . Conclusions:Early administration of etanercept is the key to achieving clinical benefit in the treatment of TEN. In cases where the response is inadequate or the condition is severe, combination therapy may be considered.

Objective:To compare minimally invasive surgery with traditional open surgery, analyze the current application status of health economic evaluations in the treatment of digestive tract cancers, such as esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer by minimally invasive surgery and provide evidence for the rational selection of clinical treatment, alleviation of disease-related economic burdens, and rational allocation of healthcare resources.Methods:By using five databases, i.e. China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang data, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, PubMed, and Embase, a database was established to retrieve all the papers about health economic studies of minimally invasive surgery for esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer published until December 31, 2023. Literature was analyzed by using software NoteExpress 3.8, and data were processed using Excel 2021. The quality of included papers was evaluated using the CHEERS 2022 checklist, and Meta-analysis was conducted by using software Stata 17.0.Results:A total of 10 919 relevant papers were retrieved, and 59 studies were included. Only 14 studies (23.7%) used standard health economic evaluation methods. Meta-analysis results revealed no significant differences in direct medical expenditure and total expenditure between minimally invasive surgery and open surgery. However, the expenditure for minimally invasive surgery exhibited a significant increase [mean difference ( MD)=5 973.12 yuan, P<0.001], while hospital stay and indirect expenditure significantly decreased ( MD: -4.85 days and -733.79 yuan, P<0.001). In China, for gastric cancer, the direct medical expenditure of endoscopic surgery was lower than that of open surgery ( MD=-33 000.00 yuan) with no significant difference ( P<0.001). In colorectal cancer cases, the direct medical and surgical expenditures for laparoscopic surgery were higher than those for open surgery ( MD: 4 277.94 yuan and 4 267.80 yuan, P<0.001), while the indirect and total medical expenditures decreased ( MD: -768.34 yuan and -159.10 yuan). Hospital stays in patients who had minimally invasive surgery for all three types of cancer were shorter than those who had open surgery ( P<0.001). Conclusions:In the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer, compared with open surgery, minimally invasive surgery shows higher expenditure, but has advantages, such as shorter hospital stay and lower indirect expenditure, and there were no significant differences in direct medical and total expenditures between the two approaches. When conducting health economic evaluation, factors such as postoperative complications, hospital stay, and patient's economic status should be considered for their impact on total medical expenditure. It is necessary to pay attention to the application of health economic evaluations in healthcare decision-making.

Objective To explore the protective effect and related mechanism of Compound Baimai Powder(CBMP,a compound description of Mongolian medicine)on astrocytes after oxygen glu-cose deprivation and reoxygenation(OGD/R)injury.Methods Astrocyte model of OGD/R injury was subjected to simulate in vitro cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.Cultured astrocytes were randomly divided into normal group,OGD/R group,OGD/R+nimodipine group(10 μmol/L),OGD/R+low-and high-dose CBMP groups(25,50 μmol/L).Cell viability and apoptosis were de-tected with CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry,respectively.Western blotting was used to measure the expression levels of the proteins related to the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor-2(NRF2)/antioxidant response element and Janus kinase(J AK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription(STAT)signaling pathways.ELISA was employed to examine the levels of inflam-matory factors IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α,as well as oxidative stress molecules ROS,GSH,MDA and SOD.Results Compared to the normal group,the OGD/R group showed significant decreases in cell viability,NRF2 protein level,and SOD and GSH activities(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and obvious increases in p-JAK and p-STAT proteins levels,contents of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α,and ROS and MDA levels(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).High-dose CBMP treatment resulted in notably elevated cell via-bility and NRF2 protein level,while reduced levels of p-JAK[(1.20±0.20)vs(2.50±0.26)]and p-STAT[(1.15±0.25)vs(2.10±0.21)]proteins,IL-6[(30.33±5.20)vs(180.35±18.50)]and TNF-α[(50.12±8.24)vs(160.45±15.20)]when compared to the OGD/R group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusion CBMP exerts protective effect on astrocytes against OGD/R injury.

Objective:To investigate the mosquito-borne viruses carried by mosquito specimens collected from Huachuan county and Huanan county in Heilongjiang province.Methods:Mosquito samples were collected locally in 2023 and processed in the laboratory. Homogenates of the mosquitoes were inoculated into cells for virus isolation, followed by molecular and bioinformatics analyses of the viral isolates.Results:In 2023, ten viral isolates were obtained from Anopheles sinensis specimens collected in Heilongjiang province, China. Among these isolates, one was identified as Culex flavivirus (CxFV), one as Menghai rhabdovirus (MRV), and eight as Nam Dinh virus (NDiV). The phylogenetic analysis showed that CxFV belongs to genotype I and is clustered with the strains isolated from Liaoning province in 2011 and Ningxia Hui autonomous Region in 2019 in the same evolutionary branch, with amino acid similarity ranging from 98.2% to 99.2% and nucleotide similarity ranging from 98.8% to 99.2%. The MRV strain belongs to the same evolutionary subclade as the strain detected in Guangdong, with both nucleotide and amino acid similarity of 98.0%. Eight NDiV isolates clustered with the South Korean isolates on the same evolutionary branch, forming an independent evolutionary sub-branch. The nucleotide similarity among these eight isolates ranged from 98.5% to 99.7%, while the amino acid similarity ranged from 98.1% to 99.7%. In comparison, when matched with other NDiV isolates from China, the nucleotide similarity of these eight isolates ranged from 94.1% to 97.8%, and the amino acid similarity ranged from 93.5% to 97.7%.Conclusions:This study represents the first isolation of CxFV, MRV, and NDiV in Heilongjiang province, China, and the findings provide fundamental data for the prevention and control of mosquito-borne viral diseases in this region.

Objective:To investigate the long-term prognosis and related factors in children with multiphasic myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD).Methods:A bidirectional cohort study was conducted. This study included 41 children with MOGAD who were treated at the Children′s Medical Center of Peking University First Hospital between January 2013 and December 2024, with a disease duration of ≥5 years. Demographic characteristics, clinical episodes, therapy, and prognostic indicators (including the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and modified Rankin scale (mRS)) were collected. Children were stratified into relapse and non-relapse groups based on the presence or absence of relapse within 5 years of the last follow-up. χ2 test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze factors associated with relapse. The Log-rank test was used to compare relapse-free rates between children with disease onset 0-<5 years and those with onset at 5-10 years. Results:A total of 41 children were enrolled, including 20 boys and 21 girls. The age at onset was 5.3 (3.8, 8.5) years, the age at last follow-up was 16.1 (13.2, 17.5) years, and the disease duration was 9.4 (8.1, 10.9) years. The annualized relapse rate (ARR) during follow-up was 0.34 (0.19, 0.56) times/year. The duration to first relapse was 0.8 (0.4, 1.5) years. At the last follow-up, the EDSS score was 0.0 (0.0, 0.0) score, and the mRS score was 0 (0, 0) score. A total of 40 children (98%) experienced relapses within the first 5 years after onset, while only 1 child (2%) relapsed at 6.7 years. The relapse rate between 5-10 years was lower than that between 0-<5 years ( HR=0.27, 95% CI 0.16-0.47, P<0.001). A total of 25 children (61.0%) exhibited clustered relapses during the disease course. There were 20 children (49%) in non-relapse groups, who were aged 16.6 (14.8, 17.6) years, disease duration 9.8 (9.3, 10.8) years at the last follow-up. Among those 20 children, 15 children (75%) had discontinued corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. The relapse group had higher clinical event rates and ARR compared to the relapse-free group (both P<0.01), the age at last follow-up was yonger ( P<0.05), while no significant differences were observed in age at onset, disease duration, or timing of immunosuppressant use (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Pediatric multiphasic MOGAD generally has a favorable prognosis, about half of patients remain relapse-free for ≥5 years at last follow-up. Relapses predominantly occur early in the disease course (mostly within 5 years of onset) and often exhibit a clustered pattern.

Objective To investigate the effect of levosimendan on the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosin monophosphate synthase-interferon gene stimulating factor(cGAS-STING)signaling pathway during suspension-reperfusion in isolated rat myocardium.Methods The rats were divided into four groups(n=12)using random number table:continuous perfusion group(CO group),suspension-reperfusion group(SR group),suspension-reper-fusion+levosimendan group(SR-L group),and suspension-reperfusion+levosimendan+STING activator:DMXAA group(SR-LD group).Heart rate(HR),left ventricular end-diastolic pressure(LVEDP),left ventricular develop-mental pressure(LVDP),maximum rate of increase in left ventricular pressure(+dp/dtmax)and maximum rate of decrease in left ventricular pressure(-dp/dtmax),and Reperfusion Arrhythmia scores were recorded at the end of equilibrium perfusion(T0),30 min of reperfusion(T1),and 60 min of reperfusion(T2)respectively.Western blot was used to detect cGAS-STING signaling pathway and autophagy-related protein expression.The size of myocardial infarction was measured by using triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC).Results Compared with CO group,SR group had decreased HR,LVDP,+dp/dtmax,and-dp/dtmax at T1 and T2,increase of LVEDP,Reperfusion Arrhythmia score,percentage of myocardial infarcted area,expression of myocardial tissue cGAS and STING pro-teins and increased LC3 Ⅱ/Ⅰratio,while p62 decreased(P<0.05);compared with SR group,SR-L group car-diac function indexes improved,myocardial tissue cGAS,STING protein expression was down-regulated,LC3 Ⅱ/Ⅰ ratio was decreased,and p62 was elevated(P<0.05);SR-LD group reversed the improvement of myocardial injury by levosimendan compared with SR-L.Conclusions Levosimendan may protect myocardial tissue by inhibi-ting the cGAS-STING signaling pathway,down-regulating cardiomyocyte autophagy and reducing myocardial infarc-tion size,so to improve cardial function.

Heat stroke is a heat-related illness caused by an imbalance between the body's heat production and heat dissipation,which could lead to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome with a high mortality rate.Rapid and effective reduction of core body temperature is key to successful treatment.This article reviews recent progress in the treatment of heat stroke,including new understandings of organ injury mechanisms,the timing,velocity and goals of cooling treatment,evaluation and selection of traditional cooling techniques(such as cold water immersion),and scientific evaluation of new cooling technologies(such as blood purification technology and intravascular heat exchange cooling technology),aiming to promote understanding and treatment of heat stroke.