Objective: To evaluate the practical effectiveness of confidential unit exclusion (CUE) in ensuring blood safety in Zhengzhou, analyze its application characteristics and existing problems, and provide a basis for optimizing blood safety management strategies. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on CUE data handled by Henan Red Cross Blood Center from January 2019 to December 2024. Parameters such as the number of cases, demographic characteristics, reasons for exclusion, and time of report were statistically analyzed and compared with those of non-CUE. Results: From 2019 to 2024, the CUE reporting rate in Zhengzhou was 0.002 6% (40/1 547 666). CUE donors were predominantly male (65.00%, 26/40), aged 18-34 years (47.50%, 19/40), had college degree orabove (50.00%, 20/40), and were employees of enterprises or public institutions (32.50%, 13/40). Among the 40 CUE blood units, only one was reactive for anti-TP, while all others were qualified. The main reasons for CUE were recent vaccination (32.50%, 13/40), medical conditions unsuitable for donation (27.50%, 11/40), and high-risk sexual behavior (17.50%, 7/40). A total of 70.00% of reports occurred within 24 hours after donation, during which none of the corresponding blood units had been released; all units reported after more than 7 days had already been issued for clinical use, with no adverse transfusion reactions reported upon follow-up. Conclusion: The confidential unit exclusion program has played an active role in establishing a supplementary information feedback channel for blood donors. The procedure can be optimized by strengthening interactive communication and confirmation before donation, improving the accuracy of donors' self-assessment, and expanding convenient and rapid information-based reporting channels.

ObjectiveTo investigate the regulatory effects of Huanglian Jiedutang （HLJDT） on immune cell migration， blood-brain barrier protection， and cellular functional recovery in a model of ischemic stroke. MethodsA transient middle cerebral artery occlusion （tMCAO） model was established in mice to induce ischemic stroke. Cerebral blood flow and neurological function were evaluated using laser speckle imaging and neurological deficit scoring. Histopathological damage in brain tissues was assessed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Nissl staining. Mice were divided into a sham group， a model group， an HLJDT group， and a Ginkgo biloba extract （GBE） group. After one week of acclimatization， intragastric administration was initiated. The sham and model groups received normal saline， the HLJDT group received HLJDT at 1.82 g·kg^-¹， and the GBE group received GBE at 0.432 g·kg^-¹. Administration was continued for 5 consecutive days， and the tMCAO model was established after the final dose on day 6. Single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on brain tissues and peripheral immune cells. UMAP and odds ratio （OR） indices were used to analyze cell distribution. Differential expression analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of HLJDT on endothelial cells， pericytes， and macrophages， combined with CellChat and decoupler to analyze cell-cell communication and transcription factor regulation. Finally， PCR and ELISA were used to validate the mRNA and protein expression of relevant genes. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the model group showed significantly increased neurological deficit scores （P<0.01） and significantly decreased cerebral blood flow （P<0.01）， accompanied by cortical structural disorder， aggravated cytoplasmic vacuolization， and increased numbers of Nissl bodies. Compared with the model group， both the HLJDT and GBE groups exhibited significantly reduced neurological deficit scores （P<0.01） and markedly improved cerebral blood flow （P<0.01）， along with amelioration of cortical structural disorder， alleviated cytoplasmic vacuolization， and reduced numbers of Nissl bodies. Single-cell analysis showed that HLJDT protected endothelial cells and pericytes by preventing their reduction， restored the expression of functional genes in these cells （e.g.， PECAM1 and NOS3）， and downregulated the expression of chemokines and adhesion-related factors （e.g.， CCL2 and CXCL2）. In macrophages， HLJDT reduced their recruitment to the central nervous system and downregulated the expression of chemokine receptors and inflammatory factors （e.g.， IL-6， CCR2， and CXCR2）. Cell-cell communication analysis further indicated that HLJDT， through the above mechanisms， alleviated damage to pericytes and endothelial cells， reduced their recruitment of macrophages， and decreased ligand-receptor interactions in chemokine signaling pathways （including CCL， CXCL， and CSF3） between pericytes/endothelial cells and macrophages， thereby preventing secondary injury. Compared with the sham group， the model group showed significantly upregulated mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， IL-6， TNF-α， CCL2， CXCL2， and CSF3 （P<0.01）， while mRNA expression levels of endothelial- and pericyte function-related genes （RGS5， PECAM1， VEGFB， and NOS3） were significantly downregulated （P<0.01）. In contrast， compared with the model group， the HLJDT and GBE groups exhibited significantly decreased mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， IL-6， TNF-α， CCL2， CXCL2， and CSF3 （P<0.01）， and significantly increased expression of RGS5， PECAM1， VEGFB， and NOS3 （P<0.01）. At the protein level， compared with the sham group， the model group showed significantly increased expression of IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α （P<0.01）， whereas these protein levels were significantly reduced in the HLJDT and GBE groups compared with the model group （P<0.01）. ConclusionHLJDT reduces neuronal damage in ischemic stroke by protecting endothelial cells and pericytes， while inhibiting their interaction with macrophages， thereby mitigating secondary injury in the central nervous system.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of prostaglandin E₂ （PGE₂） microinjection into the median preoptic nucleus （MnPO） on core body temperature in female mice， and to clarify its underlying mechanism. MethodsMicroinjection cannula were implanted into the MnPO of female mice using stereotaxic surgery.Subsequently， a multi-channel temperature acquisition system was used to simultaneously monitor rectal and brown adipose tissue （BAT） temperatures before and after intra-MnPO injections of different reagents.To investigate the thermoregulatory effects of the microinjection of PGE₂ into the MnPO， 12 female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a saline group （n=6） and a PGE₂ group （n=6）， which were injected with 0.1 μL saline and PGE₂ （2.8 mmol/L）， respectively.To determine whether E-series prostaglandin receptor （EP）1， EP3， and EP4 receptors mediate the thermoregulatory effects of PGE₂， 15 female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups （n=5 per group）.Mice in each group first received an injection of 0.1 μL PGE2 （2.8 mmol/L） into the MnPO. After their body temperature returned to baseline levels， they were subsequently injected with a mixture of either EP1， EP3 or EP4 antagonist （ant） （20 mmol/L） + PGE2 （2.8 mmol/L）. ResultsCompared with baseline level， the rectal temperature （P<0.01） and BAT temperature （P<0.001） of female mice both increased significantly after microinjection of PGE₂ into the MnPO.Compared with the saline group， the increases in rectal temperature （P<0.001） and BAT temperature （P<0.000 1） were significantly greater in the PGE₂ group of mice.Furthermore， following the injection of PGE₂ into MnPO， the increase in BAT temperature was found to be significantly greater than that in rectal temperature in mice （P<0.001）.Compared to the administration of PGE₂ alone， co-injection of an EP3 ant + PGE₂ into the MnPO of mice resulted in a significantly smaller increase in both rectal temperature （P<0.001） and BAT temperature （P<0.001）.In contrast， the increases in rectal and BAT temperatures following MnPO injection of either EP1 ant + PGE₂ or EP4 ant + PGE₂ were not statistically significant （P>0.05）. ConclusionInjection of PGE₂ into the MnPO elevates BAT and core body temperature in female mice via the EP3 receptor.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common head and neck malignancy. Approximately 50% to 60% of patients with OSCC are diagnosed at a locally advanced stage (clinical staging III-IVa). Even with comprehensive and sequential treatment primarily based on surgery, the 5-year overall survival rate remains below 50%, and patients often suffer from postoperative functional impairments such as difficulties with speaking and swallowing. Programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) inhibitors are increasingly used in the neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced OSCC and have shown encouraging efficacy. However, clinical practice still faces key challenges, including the definition of indications, optimization of combination regimens, and standards for efficacy evaluation. Based on the latest research advances worldwide and the clinical experience of the expert group, this expert consensus systematically evaluates the application of PD-1 inhibitors in the neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced OSCC, covering combination strategies, treatment cycles and surgical timing, efficacy assessment, use of biomarkers, management of special populations and immune related adverse events, principles for immunotherapy rechallenge, and function preservation strategies. After multiple rounds of panel discussion and through anonymous voting using the Delphi method, the following consensus statements have been formulated: 1) Neoadjuvant therapy with PD-1 inhibitors can be used preoperatively in patients with locally advanced OSCC. The preferred regimen is a PD-1 inhibitor combined with platinum based chemotherapy, administered for 2-3 cycles. 2) During the efficacy evaluation of neoadjuvant therapy, radiographic assessment should follow the dual criteria of Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1 and immune RECIST (iRECIST). After surgery, systematic pathological evaluation of both the primary lesion and regional lymph nodes is required. For combination chemotherapy regimens, PD-L1 expression and combined positive score need not be used as mandatory inclusion or exclusion criteria. 3) For special populations such as the elderly (≥ 70 years), individuals with stable HIV viral load, and carriers of chronic HBV/HCV, PD-1 inhibitors may be used cautiously under the guidance of a multidisciplinary team (MDT), with close monitoring for adverse events. 4) For patients with a poor response to neoadjuvant therapy, continuation of the original treatment regimen is not recommended; the subsequent treatment plan should be adjusted promptly after MDT assessment. Organ transplant recipients and patients with active autoimmune diseases are not recommended to receive neoadjuvant PD-1 inhibitor therapy due to the high risk of immune related activation. Rechallenge is generally not advised for patients who have experienced high risk immune related adverse events such as immune mediated myocarditis, neurotoxicity, or pneumonitis. 5) For patients with a good pathological response, individualized de escalation surgery and function preservation strategies can be explored. This consensus aims to promote the standardized, safe, and precise application of neoadjuvant PD-1 inhibitor strategies in the management of locally advanced OSCC patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the status of overlapping hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus （HCV） infection and the serological characteristics of such patients. MethodsA total of 8 637 patients with HCV infection who were hospitalized from January 1， 2010 to December 31， 2020 and had complete data of HBV serological markers were enrolled， and the composition ratio of patients with overlapping HBV serological markers was analyzed among the patients with HCV infection. The patients were divided into groups based on age and year of birth， and serological characteristics were analyzed， and the distribution of HBV-related serological characteristics were analyzed across different HCV genotypes. ResultsThe patients with HCV/HBV overlapping infection accounted for 5.85%， and the patients with previous HBV infection accounted for 48.10%； the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 14.67%， while the patients with a lack of protective immunity against HBV accounted for 31.39%. The patients were divided into groups based on age： in the 0 — 17 years group， the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 61.41% （304 patients）； the 18 — 44 years group was mainly composed of patients with previous HBV infection （698 patients， 37.31%）， the 45 — 59 years group was predominantly composed of patients with previous HBV infection （1 945 patients， 50.38%）， and the ≥60 years group was also predominantly composed of patients with previous HBV infection （1 486 patients， 61.66%）. The patients were divided into groups based on the year of birth： in the pre-1992 group， the patients with previous HBV infection accounted for 51.63% （4 112 patients）； in the 1992 — 2005 group， the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 54.72% （168 patients）； in the post-2005 group， the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 64.38% （235 patients）. In this study， 6 301 patients underwent HCV genotype testing： the patients with genotype 1b accounted for the highest proportion of 51.71% （3 258 patients）， followed by those with genotype 2a （1 769 patients， 28.07%）， genotype 3b （63 patients， 1.00%）， genotype 3a （10 patients， 0.16%）， genotype 4 （21 patients， 0.33%）， and genotype 6a （5 patients， 0.08%）. ConclusionWith the implementation of hepatitis B planned vaccination program in China， there has been a significant reduction in the proportion of patients with previous HBV infection among the patients with HCV/HBV overlapping infection， but there is still a relatively high proportion of patients with a lack of protective immunity against HBV.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the therapeutic effects of Huanglian Jiedutang on cerebral infarction injury in a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO） and to explore its mechanism of action on oligodendrocytes， particularly its potential in myelin repair. MethodsMultiple experimental approaches were used to evaluate cerebral ischemic injury and the effects of drug intervention. Laser speckle imaging was used to detect changes in cerebral blood flow， 2，3，5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining was used to measure infarct volume， and neurological function was scored according to the Zea-Longa criteria. Brain tissues were routinely embedded in paraffin and subjected to HE and Nissl staining to observe tissue structure and neuronal damage. Animals were divided into a sham group （n=24）， model group （n=24）， Huanglian Jiedutang group （n=24）， and Ginkgo biloba extract （GBE） group （n=18）. After 1 week of acclimatization， intragastric administration was initiated. The sham and model groups received normal saline， the Huanglian Jiedutang group was administered 1.82 g·kg^-1， and the GBE group was administered 0.432 g·kg^-1 after preparation as a 2.16 g·L^-1 solution. All groups were treated for 5 consecutive days at a dose of 0.2 mL·（10 g）^-¹·d^-¹. The MCAO model was established after the final administration on day 6. Single-cell RNA sequencing was used to analyze brain tissue cellular composition and changes in oligodendrocyte subpopulations. Distinct subpopulations were identified by Uniform manifold approximation and projection （UMAP） dimensionality reduction and unsupervised clustering， and marker gene expression was analyzed. Pathway enrichment and causal inference were further performed using IPA. Finally， real-time quantitative PCR was used to verify mRNA expression changes of myelin-related genes. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the model group showed significantly increased neurological function scores （P<0.01）， significantly impaired blood flow （P<0.01）， significantly enlarged cerebral infarct area （P<0.01）， and pathological changes including disordered cortical structural arrangement， aggravated cytoplasmic vacuolization， and increased Nissl bodies. Compared with the model group， the Huanglian Jiedutang and GBE groups showed significantly decreased neurological function scores （P<0.01）， markedly restored blood flow levels （P<0.01）， significantly reduced cerebral infarct area （P<0.01）， and improvement in cortical structural disorder， alleviation of cytoplasmic vacuolization， and a reduction in Nissl bodies. Single-cell data showed that a myelin-associated oligodendrocyte （Mye-OL） subpopulation existed among oligodendrocytes， which was closely related to myelin generation. Compared with the sham group， the number of Mye-OL cells decreased in the model group. Compared with the model group， the number of Mye-OL cells increased in the Huanglian Jiedutang group. This subpopulation promoted the expression of myelin-related genes， including MOG， MBP， and MAG， via transcription factors such as OLIG1， OLIG2， NKX2-2， and SOX10， thereby regulating myelin generation， restoring cognition， and exerting therapeutic effects on acute cerebral infarction. Compared with the sham group， the mRNA expression levels of OLIG1， OLIG2， NKX2-2， and SOX10 were significantly downregulated in the model group （P<0.01）， and the mRNA expression levels of myelin-related genes， including MOG， MBP， and MAG， were also significantly downregulated （P<0.01）. In contrast， compared with the model group， the Huanglian Jiedutang and GBE groups showed significantly upregulated mRNA expression levels of OLIG1， OLIG2， NKX2-2， and SOX10 （P<0.01）， and significantly upregulated mRNA expression levels of myelin-related genes， including MOG， MBP， and MAG （P<0.01）. ConclusionHuanglian Jiedutang exerts therapeutic effects on acute cerebral infarction by regulating the OLIG1/2-NKX2-2-SOX10 signaling pathway to promote myelin generation by Mye-OL cells.

ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of metabolic reprogramming during cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury using single-cell transcriptome sequencing， analyze the heterogeneity of microglial populations， and evaluate the interventional effects of Huanglian Jiedutang on metabolic abnormalities and neuroinflammation. MethodsA transient middle cerebral artery occlusion （tMCAO） model was used to establish ischemic stroke in mice. Local cerebral blood flow changes were monitored by laser speckle imaging. Neurological impairment was evaluated using the Zea-Longa score， and histopathological damage in brain tissue was observed by HE and Nissl staining. Animals were divided into a sham group， model group， Huanglian Jiedutang group， and Ginkgo biloba extract （GBE） group. After 1 week of acclimatization， intragastric administration was initiated. The sham and model groups received normal saline， the Huanglian Jiedutang group was administered 1.82 g·kg^-1， and the GBE group was administered 0.432 g·kg^-1 after preparation as a 2.16 mg/mL solution. All groups were treated for 5 consecutive days （0.2 mL/10 g/day）， and the tMCAO model was established on day 6 after the final administration. At the molecular level， single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on ischemic hemisphere tissue. Non-negative matrix factorization （NMF） was used to cluster microglial subpopulations， combined with differential expression analysis， metabolic reprogramming assessment， and inflammatory factor correlation analysis to elucidate their functional characteristics in ischemia-reperfusion injury. Transcription factor enrichment analysis was further conducted to identify key regulatory nodes. Finally， PCR was used to detect mRNA expression changes of relevant genes to validate the single-cell sequencing results. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the model group showed increased neurological function scores （P<0.01）， decreased blood flow levels （P<0.01）， disordered cortical structure， increased cytoplasmic vacuolization， and increased Nissl bodies. Compared with the model group， the Huanglian Jiedutang and GBE groups showed decreased neurological function scores （P<0.01）， increased blood flow levels （P<0.01）， alleviated cortical structural disorder， reduced cytoplasmic vacuolization， and decreased Nissl bodies. Single-cell analysis showed that microglia could be divided into five subpopulations. Among them， clusters 3 and 5 exhibited significant pro-inflammatory phenotypes， with marked activation of hypoxia and NF-κB signaling pathways， and were identified as pro-inflammatory subpopulations. Clusters 1 and 2 were enriched in Wnt/β-catenin and transforming growth factor（TGF）-β signaling pathways and exhibited prominent anti-inflammatory and reparative characteristics. Meanwhile， glycolysis-related genes， such as HK2， PFKP， and LDHA， were significantly upregulated in the pro-inflammatory subpopulations. Correlation analysis showed that the expression levels of inflammatory molecules were positively correlated with glycolysis-related gene expression levels， whereas the expression levels of reparative and anti-inflammatory molecules were negatively correlated with glycolysis-related gene expression levels， indicating that microglia rely on the glycolytic pathway for energy acquisition under ischemic conditions. Further single-cell transcriptome analysis revealed that Huanglian Jiedutang effectively downregulated key genes driving metabolic reprogramming （such as HK2， PFKP， and LDHA）， significantly reduced the proportion of microglial subpopulations accompanied by glycolytic reprogramming， and inhibited their transformation toward a damage phenotype， thereby reducing inflammatory injury. Meanwhile， compared with the sham group， the mRNA expression levels of interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-6， tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α， CCL2， CXCL2， and CSF3 were significantly upregulated （P<0.01） in the model group， whereas the mRNA expression levels of endothelial- and pericyte-related functional genes， including RGS5， PECAM1， VEGFB， and NOS3， were significantly downregulated （P<0.01）. In contrast， compared with the model group， the Huanglian Jiedutang and GBE groups showed significantly decreased mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， IL-6， TNF-α， CCL2， CXCL2， and CSF3 （P<0.01）， and significantly increased mRNA expression levels of endothelial- and pericyte-related functional genes， including RGS5， PECAM1， VEGFB， and NOS3 （P<0.01）. ConclusionHuanglian Jiedutang exerts neuroprotective effects by regulating the metabolic reprogramming state of microglia and modulating their inflammatory levels， thereby inhibiting neuroinflammatory injury.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the therapeutic effects of Huanglian Jiedutang on cerebral infarction injury in a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO） and to explore its mechanism of action on oligodendrocytes， particularly its potential in myelin repair. MethodsMultiple experimental approaches were used to evaluate cerebral ischemic injury and the effects of drug intervention. Laser speckle imaging was used to detect changes in cerebral blood flow， 2，3，5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining was used to measure infarct volume， and neurological function was scored according to the Zea-Longa criteria. Brain tissues were routinely embedded in paraffin and subjected to HE and Nissl staining to observe tissue structure and neuronal damage. Animals were divided into a sham group （n=24）， model group （n=24）， Huanglian Jiedutang group （n=24）， and Ginkgo biloba extract （GBE） group （n=18）. After 1 week of acclimatization， intragastric administration was initiated. The sham and model groups received normal saline， the Huanglian Jiedutang group was administered 1.82 g·kg^-1， and the GBE group was administered 0.432 g·kg^-1 after preparation as a 2.16 g·L^-1 solution. All groups were treated for 5 consecutive days at a dose of 0.2 mL·（10 g）^-¹·d^-¹. The MCAO model was established after the final administration on day 6. Single-cell RNA sequencing was used to analyze brain tissue cellular composition and changes in oligodendrocyte subpopulations. Distinct subpopulations were identified by Uniform manifold approximation and projection （UMAP） dimensionality reduction and unsupervised clustering， and marker gene expression was analyzed. Pathway enrichment and causal inference were further performed using IPA. Finally， real-time quantitative PCR was used to verify mRNA expression changes of myelin-related genes. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the model group showed significantly increased neurological function scores （P<0.01）， significantly impaired blood flow （P<0.01）， significantly enlarged cerebral infarct area （P<0.01）， and pathological changes including disordered cortical structural arrangement， aggravated cytoplasmic vacuolization， and increased Nissl bodies. Compared with the model group， the Huanglian Jiedutang and GBE groups showed significantly decreased neurological function scores （P<0.01）， markedly restored blood flow levels （P<0.01）， significantly reduced cerebral infarct area （P<0.01）， and improvement in cortical structural disorder， alleviation of cytoplasmic vacuolization， and a reduction in Nissl bodies. Single-cell data showed that a myelin-associated oligodendrocyte （Mye-OL） subpopulation existed among oligodendrocytes， which was closely related to myelin generation. Compared with the sham group， the number of Mye-OL cells decreased in the model group. Compared with the model group， the number of Mye-OL cells increased in the Huanglian Jiedutang group. This subpopulation promoted the expression of myelin-related genes， including MOG， MBP， and MAG， via transcription factors such as OLIG1， OLIG2， NKX2-2， and SOX10， thereby regulating myelin generation， restoring cognition， and exerting therapeutic effects on acute cerebral infarction. Compared with the sham group， the mRNA expression levels of OLIG1， OLIG2， NKX2-2， and SOX10 were significantly downregulated in the model group （P<0.01）， and the mRNA expression levels of myelin-related genes， including MOG， MBP， and MAG， were also significantly downregulated （P<0.01）. In contrast， compared with the model group， the Huanglian Jiedutang and GBE groups showed significantly upregulated mRNA expression levels of OLIG1， OLIG2， NKX2-2， and SOX10 （P<0.01）， and significantly upregulated mRNA expression levels of myelin-related genes， including MOG， MBP， and MAG （P<0.01）. ConclusionHuanglian Jiedutang exerts therapeutic effects on acute cerebral infarction by regulating the OLIG1/2-NKX2-2-SOX10 signaling pathway to promote myelin generation by Mye-OL cells.

ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of metabolic reprogramming during cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury using single-cell transcriptome sequencing， analyze the heterogeneity of microglial populations， and evaluate the interventional effects of Huanglian Jiedutang on metabolic abnormalities and neuroinflammation. MethodsA transient middle cerebral artery occlusion （tMCAO） model was used to establish ischemic stroke in mice. Local cerebral blood flow changes were monitored by laser speckle imaging. Neurological impairment was evaluated using the Zea-Longa score， and histopathological damage in brain tissue was observed by HE and Nissl staining. Animals were divided into a sham group， model group， Huanglian Jiedutang group， and Ginkgo biloba extract （GBE） group. After 1 week of acclimatization， intragastric administration was initiated. The sham and model groups received normal saline， the Huanglian Jiedutang group was administered 1.82 g·kg^-1， and the GBE group was administered 0.432 g·kg^-1 after preparation as a 2.16 mg/mL solution. All groups were treated for 5 consecutive days （0.2 mL/10 g/day）， and the tMCAO model was established on day 6 after the final administration. At the molecular level， single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on ischemic hemisphere tissue. Non-negative matrix factorization （NMF） was used to cluster microglial subpopulations， combined with differential expression analysis， metabolic reprogramming assessment， and inflammatory factor correlation analysis to elucidate their functional characteristics in ischemia-reperfusion injury. Transcription factor enrichment analysis was further conducted to identify key regulatory nodes. Finally， PCR was used to detect mRNA expression changes of relevant genes to validate the single-cell sequencing results. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the model group showed increased neurological function scores （P<0.01）， decreased blood flow levels （P<0.01）， disordered cortical structure， increased cytoplasmic vacuolization， and increased Nissl bodies. Compared with the model group， the Huanglian Jiedutang and GBE groups showed decreased neurological function scores （P<0.01）， increased blood flow levels （P<0.01）， alleviated cortical structural disorder， reduced cytoplasmic vacuolization， and decreased Nissl bodies. Single-cell analysis showed that microglia could be divided into five subpopulations. Among them， clusters 3 and 5 exhibited significant pro-inflammatory phenotypes， with marked activation of hypoxia and NF-κB signaling pathways， and were identified as pro-inflammatory subpopulations. Clusters 1 and 2 were enriched in Wnt/β-catenin and transforming growth factor（TGF）-β signaling pathways and exhibited prominent anti-inflammatory and reparative characteristics. Meanwhile， glycolysis-related genes， such as HK2， PFKP， and LDHA， were significantly upregulated in the pro-inflammatory subpopulations. Correlation analysis showed that the expression levels of inflammatory molecules were positively correlated with glycolysis-related gene expression levels， whereas the expression levels of reparative and anti-inflammatory molecules were negatively correlated with glycolysis-related gene expression levels， indicating that microglia rely on the glycolytic pathway for energy acquisition under ischemic conditions. Further single-cell transcriptome analysis revealed that Huanglian Jiedutang effectively downregulated key genes driving metabolic reprogramming （such as HK2， PFKP， and LDHA）， significantly reduced the proportion of microglial subpopulations accompanied by glycolytic reprogramming， and inhibited their transformation toward a damage phenotype， thereby reducing inflammatory injury. Meanwhile， compared with the sham group， the mRNA expression levels of interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-6， tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α， CCL2， CXCL2， and CSF3 were significantly upregulated （P<0.01） in the model group， whereas the mRNA expression levels of endothelial- and pericyte-related functional genes， including RGS5， PECAM1， VEGFB， and NOS3， were significantly downregulated （P<0.01）. In contrast， compared with the model group， the Huanglian Jiedutang and GBE groups showed significantly decreased mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， IL-6， TNF-α， CCL2， CXCL2， and CSF3 （P<0.01）， and significantly increased mRNA expression levels of endothelial- and pericyte-related functional genes， including RGS5， PECAM1， VEGFB， and NOS3 （P<0.01）. ConclusionHuanglian Jiedutang exerts neuroprotective effects by regulating the metabolic reprogramming state of microglia and modulating their inflammatory levels， thereby inhibiting neuroinflammatory injury.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation plays a critical role in severe cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) pathogenesis, but the benefits of anti-inflammatory therapies remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between steroid therapy combined with anticoagulation and the prognosis of acute/subacute severe CVT patients. METHODS: A prospective cohort study enrolled patients with acute/subacute severe CVT at Xuanwu Hospital (July 2020-January 2024). Patients were allocated into steroid and non-steroid groups based on the treatment they received. Functional outcomes (modified Rankin scale [mRS]) were evaluated at admission, discharge, and 6 months after discharge. Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) IL-6, and intracranial pressure were measured at admission and discharge in the steroid group. Fundoscopic Frisén grades were assessed at admission and 6 months after discharge. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to evaluat associations between steroid use and favorable outcomes (mRS ≤2) at the 6-month follow-up. Paired tests assessed changes in hs-CRP and other variables before and after treatment, and Spearman's correlations were used to analyze relationships between these changes and functional improvements. RESULTS: A total of 107 and 58 patients in the steroid and non-steroid groups, respectively, were included in the analysis. Compared with the non-steroid group, the steroid group had a higher likelihood of achieving an mRS score of 0-2 (93.5% vs . 82.5%, odds ratio [OR] = 2.98, P  = 0.037) at the 6-month follow-up. After adjusting for confounding factors, the result remained consistent. Pulsed steroid therapy did not increase mortality during hospitalization or follow-up, nor did it lead to severe steroid-related complications (all P  >0.05). Patients in the steroid group showed a significant reduction in serum hs-CRP, IL-6, CSF IL-6, and intracranial pressure at discharge compared to at admission, as well as a significant reduction in the fundoscopic Frisén grade at the 6-month follow-up compare to at admission (all P  <0.001). A reduction in serum inflammatory marker levels during hospitalization positively correlated with improvements in functional outcomes ( P  <0.05). CONCLUSION: Short-term steroid use may be an effective and safe adjuvant therapy for acute/subacute severe CVT when used alongside standard anticoagulant treatments, which are likely due to suppression of the inflammatory response. However, these findings require further validation in randomized controlled trials. TRAIL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT05990894.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Anticoagulants/therapeutic use* ; C-Reactive Protein/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Intracranial Thrombosis/drug therapy* ; Prospective Studies ; Steroids/therapeutic use* ; Venous Thrombosis/drug therapy*