Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), characterized by fatty acid overload, secondary chronic inflammation, and fibrosis, has become the most prevalent chronic liver disease globally. While no effective pharmacotherapy exists for MAFLD, mitigating inflammatory responses represents a promising approach to preventing the progression from steatosis to severe steatohepatitis. The NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, which detects endogenous danger and stress signals, has emerged as a significant target for inflammatory disease treatment, as transcriptional inactivation of its components demonstrates the therapeutic potential for MAFLD. Natural products targeting NLRP3 inflammasome activation have shown promising efficacy in MAFLD therapy. This review synthesizes the current understanding of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and therapeutic targets for NLRP3 homeostasis. Additionally, natural products reported to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome for MAFLD improvement are categorized according to their mechanisms of action. The review also addresses limitations and future directions regarding natural products targeting NLRP3 inflammasome in MAFLD treatment. Enhanced understanding of NLRP3 inflammasome activation mechanisms in MAFLD and the identification of novel natural products supported by mechanistic research will significantly advance MAFLD treatment.
Humans ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/immunology* ; Inflammasomes/metabolism* ; Biological Products/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Fatty Liver/immunology*

BACKGROUND:MRI is important for the diagnosis of early knee osteoarthritis.MRI image recognition and intelligent segmentation of knee osteoarthritis using deep learning method is a hot topic in image diagnosis of artificial intelligence. OBJECTIVE:Through deep learning of MRI images of knee osteoarthritis,the segmentation of femur,tibia,patella,cartilage,meniscus,ligaments,muscles and effusion of knee can be automatically divided,and then volume of knee fluid and muscle content were measured. METHODS:100 normal knee joints and 100 knee osteoarthritis patients were selected and randomly divided into training dataset(n=160),validation dataset(n=20),and test dataset(n=20)according to the ratio of 8:1:1.The Coarse-to-Fine sequential training method was used to train the 3D-UNET network deep learning model.A Coarse MRI segmentation model of the knee sagittal plane was trained first,and the rough segmentation results were used as a mask,and then the fine segmentation model was trained.The T1WI and T2WI images of the sagittal surface of the knee joint and the marking files of each structure were input,and DeepLab v3 was used to segment bone,cartilage,ligament,meniscus,muscle,and effusion of knee,and 3D reconstruction was finally displayed and automatic measurement results(muscle content and volume of knee fluid)were displayed to complete the deep learning application program.The MRI data of 26 normal subjects and 38 patients with knee osteoarthritis were screened for validation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The 26 normal subjects were selected,including 13 females and 13 males,with a mean age of(34.88±11.75)years old.The mean muscle content of the knee joint was(1 051 322.94±2 007 249.00)mL,the mean median was 631 165.21 mL,and the mean volume of effusion was(291.85±559.59)mL.The mean median was 0 mL.(2)There were 38 patients with knee osteoarthritis,including 30 females and 8 males.The mean age was(68.53±9.87)years old.The mean muscle content was(782 409.18±331 392.56)mL,the mean median was 689 105.66 mL,and the mean volume of effusion was(1 625.23±5 014.03)mL.The mean median was 178.72 mL.(3)There was no significant difference in muscle content between normal people and knee osteoarthritis patients.The volume of effusion in patients with knee osteoarthritis was higher than that in normal subjects,and the difference was significant(P<0.05).(4)It is indicated that the intelligent segmentation of MRI images by deep learning can discard the defects of manual segmentation in the past.The more accuracy evaluation of knee osteoarthritis was necessary,and the image segmentation was processed more precisely in the future to improve the accuracy of the results.

BACKGROUND:At present,lumbar interbody fusion is widely used in the treatment of a variety of lumbar diseases.However,how to reduce postoperative complications such as pseudarthrosis formation,screw loosening and fracture,and cage failure remains a serious challenge. OBJECTIVE:To analyze the effect of total lumbar range of motion on the stress or strain of bone grafts,cage,and screw-rod system,so as to better guide patients to carry out lumbar activities to reduce the risks of pseudarthrosis formation and instrumentation failure. METHODS:An intact human L1-S1 finite element model was constructed using Mimics,3-Matic,HyperMesh,and Abaqus software and the transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion was simulated.The average strain of the interbody bone grafts and the peak stresses of the cage and screw-rod system were compared before and after applying the bending moment,and the changing trend with the total range of motion was analyzed.The stress nephogram was drawn to observe the stress distribution. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with applying the vertical compression load alone,the average strain of the interbody bone grafts,peak stresses of the cage and screw-rod system after applying bending moment increased by 2.6%-55.3%,65.6%-166.8%,and 36.0%-353.4%,respectively.(2)With the increase of total range of motion,the average strain of the interbody bone grafts increased nonlinearly and produced the maximum value under left and right axial rotation,while the peak stresses of the cage and screw-rod system increased linearly and produced the maximum value under left and right lateral bending.(3)The stress distribution of the interbody bone grafts and cage was related to the loading condition.The stress of the screw-rod system was mainly concentrated in the interfaces of the screw-bone and screw-rod.(4)Therefore,increasing axial rotation activity after operation may reduce the risk of pseudarthrosis formation,while reducing lateral bending activity may reduce the failure of the cage and screw-rod system.

Objective:To compare the results of operative versus interventional treatments in patients presenting with sentinel hemorrhage after hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery.Methods:The clinical data of patients presenting with sentinel hemorrhage after hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from August 2017 to July 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Of 82 patients who were enrolled in this study, there were 50 males and 32 females, aged (59.0±7.7) years. The patients were divided into the interventional group ( n=42) and the surgical group ( n=40) based on the treatment they received for sentinel hemorrhage. The vascular injury rate, the first operation time for sentinel bleeding, the rate of successful hemostasis in a single operation, the number of deaths and other indicators were compared between groups. Results:In both the two groups of patients who underwent percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage, hepatectomy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, hilar cholangiocarcinoma resection and cholecystectomy were mainly performed hepatic artery injury, pancreaticoduodenectomy with gastroduodenal artery injury, and splenectomy with splenic artery injury. In the intervention group, 36 patients (85.7%) were successfully hemostasis after single treatment, and 32 patients (80.0%) in the operation group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups (χ 2=0.47, P=0.492). The first operation time for the intervention group was (40.5±8.5) min and the mortality rate was 2.4% (1/42), which were significantly better than that of the operation group (90.6±20.8) min and 15.0% (6/40) (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Interventional therapy can be used as the first-line diagnosis and treatment for sentinel bleeding after hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery. It has the advantages of a lower mortality rate in treating these patients.

There are few reports on the use of Allium stents in the treatment of membranous urethral stricture in China. Its safety and effectiveness need to be observed. This study retrospectively analyzed the data of 5 patients admitted to our hospital for the treatment of membranous urethral stricture using Allium-covered metal urethral stents in the past 5 years. The preoperative International Prostatic Symptom Score (IPSS) score was 8.80±1.30, quality of life(QOL)score was 4.20 ±0.84, and the International Index of Erectile Function-5(IIEF-5) score was 20.20 ± 1.92, respectively. Six months after the operation, the IPSS score was 3.60±1.52, the QOL score was 1, and the IIEF-5 score was 19.80±1.48. This operation is easy with little invasion. It can alleviate the dysuria of patients with membranous urethral stricture and has little impact on the sexual function of patients. It is generally safe and controllable, but the appropriate time for implantation still needs to be explored.

【Objective】 To report the early clinical effects and surgical complications of endoscopic spinal fusion technology （Endo-LIF） in the treatment of degenerative lumbar disease. 【Methods】 The clinical data of 31 patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease treated with Endo-LIF from June 2019 to May 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. All the 31 patients underwent endoscopic spinal fusion therapy. We recorded the operation time， hospital stay duration， postoperative complications， visual analogue scale for pain （VAS）， oswestry dysfunction Index （ODI） and low back pain in the Chinese Orthopaedic Association Spine Group Surgery scoring standards before operation， immediately after operation， and the last follow-up to evaluate clinical efficacy. 【Results】 The operation time of the 31 patients was （134.80±34.98） min， the intraoperative blood loss was （100.13±18.49） mL， the hospital stay was （6.65±0.17） days， and the follow-up time was 6 to 18 （14±2.3） months. One patient had hematoma compression after surgery； he had incision made immediately to clear the hematoma and healed after bed rest. Two patients developed spinal hypertension and healed after bed rest. All the patients had no symptoms of nerve injury after operation， and the clinical symptoms were significantly relieved. We compared the perioperative VAS score and ODI index of all the patients， which were lower immediately after operation and at the last follow-up than those before the operation （P<0.05）， and the difference was statistically significant. 【Conclusion】 Endo-LIF technology has good short-term clinical effects and the advantages of milder trauma， less blood loss， and quick recovery after surgery. It is a safe and minimally invasive lumbar fusion surgery.

COVID-19 has spread all over the world since December 2019. Although normal work and production have resumed after the epidemic has been preliminarily controlled in China, the situation of prevention and control of the re-spread of COVID-19 in China is still severe and medical institutions are still facing a great pressure in a certain period of future because part of the patients may become re-positive after healing and input cases from abroad are increasing.Based on the 2016 edition of Technical Operating Norms for Cleaning and Disinfection and Sterilization in Hospital Central Sterile Supply Department, the 2012 edition of Technical Standards for Disinfection in Medical Institutions, Prevention and Control Protocols of 2019-nCoV(5 th edition) and Diagnosis and Treatment Protocols of 2019-nCoV (6th trial version), The Central Sterile Supply Department at The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University has worked out Recycling Procedures for Medical Instruments After 2019-nCoV Infection, Collection Procedures for Medical Instruments After 2019-nCoV Infection, and Vehicle Transport Procedures for Medical Instruments After 2019-nCoV Infection.These contingency plans may be useful references for other Central Sterile Supply Department(CSSD) during the COVID-19 epidemic.

One hundred eighty-four cases of awake craniotomy in Xijing Hospital from September 2010 to June 2019 were retrospectively included in the study.Patients were divided into Asleep-Awake-Asleep (AAA) group and monitored anesthesia care (MAC) group.In AAA group, general anesthesia was used in the early arousal period, sedatives and analgesics were stopped during the arousal period, and the bispectral index (BIS) value was maintained at 60-80 in the late arousal period.In MAC group, dexmedetomidine and remifentanil were intravenously infused in the early arousal period, and the BIS value was maintained at 60-80 in the late arousal pericd.Dexmedetomidine and remifentanil infused were reduced or stopped according to the Observer′s Assessment of Altertness/Sedation score during the arousal period, so that the patient could be awakened at any time, and the BIS value was maintained at 60-80 in the late arousal period.Compared with AAA group, the consumption of local anesthetic and remifentanil was significantly decreased, the operation and anesthesia time was shortened, the requirement for rescue analgesia was decreased, mean arterial pressure, end-tidal pressure of carbon dioxide (P ETCO 2) and partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO 2) were increased and partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO 2) was decreased after laryngeal mask insertion or sedation, and heart rate and PaO 2 were decreased, P ETCO 2 and PaCO 2 were increased after awakening in group MAC ( P<0.05). There were no significant differences in anesthesia failure rate in the awake craniotomy, incidence of adverse events during the arousal period, intraoperative incidence of tachycardia/bradycardia and hypertension/hypotension, Observer′s Assessment of Alertness/Sedation score during the arousal period, rate of postoperative visual analogue scale score>5 after surgery, postoperative requirement for rescue analgesia, neurological deficit rate and rehabilitation discharge rate between the two groups ( P>0.05). Compared with those after laryngeal mask insertion or after sedation, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, P ETCO 2 and PaCO 2 were significantly increased, and PaO 2 was decreased after awakening in AAA group ( P<0.05), and no statistically significant change was found in the parameters mentioned above after awakening in MAC group ( P>0.05). In summary, MAC shortens the operation and anesthesia time, no artificial airway is required, and it is suitable for the short time and minor operation.AAA has a better hemodynamics and oxygenation in the early arousal period, but the patient′s stress is more obvious after awakening, and effective prevention and intervention are needed.

Objective:To explore the effect and mechanism of interleukin-35 gene modified mesenchyma stem cells(MSC)on ameliorating cardiac allograft rejection and prolonging graft survival of transplanted heart in mice.Methods:In this study, IL-35-MSC secreting IL-35 continuously and steadily were successfully constructed in vitro. Abdominal heterotopic heart transplantation model was established successfully. And they were randomly divided into syngeneic control group; saline control group, MSC treatment group and IL-35-MSC experimental group(n=12 each). Six mice were randomly selected for sacrificing at Day 5 post-operation for detecting the related indicators in each group: Hematoxylin eosin staining was used for pathological examination. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was employed for detecting the concentration of IL-35 in peripheral blood and the proportion of T lymphocyte subsets in spleen was analyzed by flow cytometry(FCM). Then the remaining mice were used for recording the graft survival.Results:The model of abdominal heterotopic heart transplantation in mice was successfully constructed. As compared with saline control group(6.50±0.55 d)and MSC treatment group(12.00±0.89 days), IL-35-MSC significantly alleviated rejection after transplantation and effectively prolonged the survival time of graft(18.50±1.64 days)(n=6, P<0.01). As compared with other groups, percentage of Th17 cells and Th1/Th2 ratio in spleen decreased significantly while the proportion of CD4 + Foxp3 + Treg increased significantly in IL-35-MSC experimental group at Day 5 post-transplantation(n=6, P<0.01). Conclusions:IL-35-MSC may alleviate cardiac allograft rejection and prolong graft survival. And cellular immunotherapy based upon IL-35-MSC may provide a new approach for inducing immune tolerance.

Objective To evaluate the preliminary clinical effect of anterior anatomical reduction plate fixation on the treatment of atlantoaxial dislocation. Methods A retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the 13 patients with atlantoaxial dislocation admitted to the second affiliated hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2016 to December 2017. There were eight males and five females, aged 20-57 years, with an average age of 42 years. All patients received transoropharyngeal reconstruction and atlantoaxial anterior anatomical reduction plate fixation, 12 of which underwent the surgery for the first time but one had the revision surgery. The operation time and intraoperative bleeding were recorded. The angle of the clivus axis was measured, and the reduction of the atlantoaxial spine and the fusion of bone graft were observed. The neurological function was evaluated by Japanese Orthopedic Association ( JOA ) score and the improvement rate of spinal cord function was calculated. The complications were also recorded. Results All patients were followed up for 10-30 months [(14. 2 ± 5. 0)months]. The operation time was 150-285 minutes [(216. 8 ± 36. 7)minutes]. The intraoperative blood loss was 50-130 ml [(80. 5 ± 19. 7)ml]. The slope axis angle was (113. 2 ± 9. 1)° before operation and (145. 8 ± 6. 7)° after operation, with an average increase of 32. 6° (P<0. 01). Anatomical reduction was obtained in nine patients, and partial reduction in four patients. At the last follow-up, the atlantoaxial fusion was obtained in all patients, and the healing time was ( 4. 6 ± 1. 1 ) months. Postoperative neurological symptoms were improved compared with those before operation. The JOA score was improved from preoperative (8. 7 ± 1. 7) points to postoperative (14. 3 ± 1. 2) points, with an average increase of 5. 6 points (P<0. 01). The average improvement rate of spinal cord function was 69％. Except for one patient with cerebrospinal fluid leakage, there were no complications such as spinal cord, nerve, blood vessel injury or wound infection after operation. Conclusions Anterior atlantoaxial anatomical reduction plate fixation can effectively restore the dislocated atlantoaxial joint, restore slope axis angle, improve bone fusion rate, and improve nerve function. It can be used as an alternative or supplement to posterior fixation.