Objective:To investigate the current situation of the use of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) for portal hypertension, which should aid the development of TIPS in China.Methods:The China Portal Hypertension Alliance (CHESS) initiated this study that comprehensively investigated the basic situation of TIPS for portal hypertension in China through network research. The survey included the following: the number of surgical cases, main indications, the development of Early-TIPS, TIPS for portal vein cavernous transformation, collateral circulation embolization, intraoperative portal pressure gradient measurement, commonly used stent types, conventional anticoagulation and time, postoperative follow-up, obstacles, and the application of domestic instruments.Results:According to the survey, a total of 13 527 TIPS operations were carried out in 545 hospitals participating in the survey in 2021, and 94.1% of the hospital had the habit of routine follow-up after TIPS. Most hospitals believed that the main indications of TIPS were the control of acute bleeding (42.6%) and the prevention of rebleeding (40.7%). 48.1% of the teams carried out early or priority TIPS, 53.0% of the teams carried out TIPS for the cavernous transformation of the portal vein, and 81.0% chose routine embolization of collateral circulation during operation. Most of them used coils and biological glue as embolic materials, and 78.5% of the team routinely performed intraoperative portal pressure gradient measurements. In selecting TIPS stents, 57.1% of the hospitals woulel choose Viator-specific stents, 57.2% woulel choose conventional anticoagulation after TIPS, and the duration of anticoagulation was between 3-6 months (55.4%). The limitation of TIPS surgery was mainly due to cost (72.3%) and insufficient understanding of doctors in related departments (77.4%). Most teams accepted the domestic instruments used in TIPS (92.7%).Conclusions:This survey shows that TIPS treatment is an essential part of treating portal hypertension in China. The total number of TIPS cases is far from that of patients with portal hypertension. In the future, it is still necessary to popularize TIPS technology and further standardize surgical indications, routine operations, and instrument application.

Objective:To compare Al 18F-1, 4, 7-trizacyclononane-1, 4, 7-triacetic acid (NOTA)-fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI)-04 PET/CT with 18F-FDG PET/CT in the evaluation of patients with initial gastric cancer. Methods:Twenty patients (13 males, 7 females, age: 27-77 years) with histologically proven gastric cancer were recruited prospectively between March 2021 and July 2022 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Each patient underwent both 18F-FDG and Al 18F-NOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT within one week. SUV max, tumor background ratio (TBR) and positive detection rate of the two methods were compared (Wilcoxon signed rank sum test, McNemar χ2 test). Results:Al 18F-NOTA-FAPI-04 showed higher SUV max and TBR than those of 18F-FDG in primary tumors (10.2(8.0, 13.7) vs 5.2(3.3, 7.7), z=-3.47, P=0.001; 7.6(5.6, 10.3) vs 2.4(1.8, 3.0), z=-3.85, P<0.001). For the detection of primary gastric cancer, the positive detection rate of Al 18F-NOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT showed the trend of being higher than that of 18F-FDG PET/CT (95%(19/20) and 75%(15/20); χ2=2.25, P=0.125). For assessing lymph node metastasis, the detection rate of Al 18F-NOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT was higher than that of 18F-FDG PET/CT (78.9%(101/128) vs 64.8%(83/128); χ2=13.47, P<0.001). The SUV max and TBR of Al 18F-NOTA-FAPI-04 in lymph node were higher than those of 18F-FDG (5.3(3.5, 9.2) vs 2.8(1.8, 4.7), z=-7.31, P<0.001; 4.6(2.6, 6.5) vs 1.7(1.0, 3.0), z=-8.44, P<0.001). For the detection of peritoneal carcinomatosis, Al 18F-NOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT showed higher peritoneal cancer index (PCI), SUV max, and TBR compared to 18F-FDG PET/CT (PCI: 12.0(3.0, 29.8) vs 5.5(0.5, 17.5), z=-2.22, P=0.026; SUV max: 8.2(4.4, 12.5) vs 2.7(1.9, 4.0); z=-2.52, P=0.012; TBR: 5.1(2.9, 13.3) vs 1.1(0.9, 2.0); z=-2.52, P=0.012). Conclusion:Al 18F-NOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT outperforms 18F-FDG PET/CT in primary and metastatic lesions of gastric cancer and might be a potential novel modality for imaging patients with gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND:Pain mechanisms in patients with lumbar disc herniation are associated with inflammation,autophagy is closely related to intervertebral disc diseases and inflammatory response,and aberrant miR-206 expression can trigger skeletal diseases. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the mechanism of miR-206 on inflammation,analgesia and autophagy related proteins in nucleus pulposus in rats with lumbar disc herniation. METHODS:Sixty SPF male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group,model group,miR-206 mimics-NC group,miR-206 mimics group,miR-206 inhibitor-NC group and miR-206 inhibitor group.Animal models of lumbar disc herniation were established except for the control group.Ten days after modeling,miR-206 mimics-NC group,miR-206 mimics group,miR-206 inhibitor-NC group and miR-206 inhibitor group were injected with miR-206 mimics-NC(20 μmol/L,10 μL),miR-206 mimics(20 μmol/L,10 μL),miR-206 inhibitor-NC(20 μmol/L,10 μL)and miR-206 inhibitor(20 μmol/L,10 μL),respectively.Administration was given once a day for 4 continuous days.The control group and model group were injected with the same dose of normal saline.The paw withdrawal mechanical threshold of bilateral hind feet was measured by Von Frey filaments,and the paw withdrawal thermal latency of bilateral hind feet was measured by heat pain tester.The morphology of dorsal root ganglia was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The expressions of inflammatory factors phospholipase A2,cyclooxygenase 2,prostaglandin E2,tumor necrosis factor α,and interleukin 1β in nucleus pulposus were detected by qPCR.The expressions of autophagy-related proteins LC3I and Beclin-1 were detected by western blot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:At 3,7,and 14 days after modeling,the paw withdrawal mechanical threshold and paw withdrawal thermal latency were both decreased in the model group compared with the control group,while the levels of phospholipase A2,cyclooxygenase 2,prostaglandin E2,tumor necrosis factor α,interleukin 1β,LC3I and Beclin-1 increased(P<0.05).The above indexes showed no significant changes in the miR-206 inhibitor-NC group and miR-206 mimics-NC group compared with the model group(P>0.05).Compared with the miR-206 mimics-NC group,the miR-206 mimics group had lower paw withdrawal mechanical threshold and paw withdrawal thermal latency and higher levels of phospholipase A2,cyclooxygenase 2,prostaglandin E2,tumor necrosis factor α,interleukin 1β,LC3I,and Beclin-1 levels(P<0.05).Compared with the miR-206 inhibitor-NC group,the rats in the miR-206 inhibitor group showed opposite changes in the above indicators,and there were significant differences between the two groups(P<0.05).To conclude,inhibition of miR-206 can significantly improve the level of inflammatory factors in nucleus pulposus of rats with lumbar disc herniation,increase pain threshold,and reduce autophagy.The mechanism is related to the inhibition of LC3I and Beclin-1 expression.

As one of the most difficult-to-cure neuropsychiatric disorders in clinical practice， schizophrenia is mainly manifested by behavioral abnormalities and multidimensional cognitive dysfunction， and the recurrence rate and disability rate of the disease are increasing year by year， which seriously affects patients' social functioning and quality of life， and even threatens the physical and mental health of the surrounding population. At present， the treatment of schizophrenia is mainly based on antipsychotic drugs combined with psychotherapeutic techniques， which have limited long-term therapeutic effects and a high relapse rate. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） boasts the advantages of multi-targets， multi-pathways， multi-links， and multi-levels， and plays a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of schizophrenia and its prognosis. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K） is widely present in cells and is involved in the regulation of protein synthesis and apoptosis， and the different isoforms of protein kinase B （Akt） are of great significance in cell growth， oxidative stress， neuronal development and other processes. In recent years， a large number of studies have found that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is closely related to schizophrenia. Through regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， TCM monomers and TCM compounds mainly affect key signaling molecules such as mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， glycogen synthase kinase （GSK）， glucose transporter （GLUT） for glucose uptake and transport， and nuclear factor E₂-associated factor 2 （Nrf2）， which organize the intracellular network of centers and regulate the formation and plasticity of neuronal synapse， and they play an important role in mitigating schizophrenia by regulating the processes of cell proliferation， migration and apoptosis of neurons， and has the advantages of multi-targets， all-encompassing and low toxicity. This article analyzes and explains the mechanism of TCM intervention in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway against schizophrenia， in order to provide a theoretical basis and reference for the prevention and treatment of schizophrenia by TCM.

Schizophrenia has various obstacles in cognition， thinking， emotion， behavior and other aspects； it belongs to the category of “madness” in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. Once schizophrenia occurs， multiple factors are often intertwined， and a single therapy is difficult to be effective. At present， TCM compounds and active ingredients have significant effects in the clinical treatment of schizophrenia， which is an important direction for the development of new drugs for schizophrenia. This article summarizes the molecular mechanism of TCM compounds and active ingredients in the treatment of schizophrenia. It is found that Wendan decoction and Yudian decoction can inhibit the apoptosis of hippocampal cells by activating BDNF/TrKB/CREB signaling pathway； quercetin and icariin can promote neural development and regeneration by activating NMDA/ERK signaling pathway； Wendan decoction and icariin can maintain neural cell homeostasis by activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway； Bushen zhuangyang capsule can enhance learning and memory abilities by activating CaMKⅡ signaling pathway； formulas such as Huatan huoxue tongzhi formula can enhance intercellular information transmission by inhibiting PKC signaling pathway； α-humulene and others can restore nerve cell function by inhibiting NRG1/ErbB4 signaling pathway. TCM compounds and active ingredients can improve schizophrenia by intervening in the above-mentioned signaling pathways.

Objective:To determine incidence of seasonal influenza virus infection in the community and to analyze the factors influencing seasonal influenza virus infection.Methods:This study recruited residents aged 6-59 years to build a cohort in 15 villages/streets in Macheng city in November 2019. Meanwhile, a cross-sectional baseline survey was conducted immediately to collect sera, information on demographics and child protection knowledge, behaviors, as well as attitudes using a questionnaire from the participants enrolled in the cohort (i.e., before the influenza epidemic season). In July 2020, a cross-sectional follow-up survey was conducted to collect sera once again (i.e., after the influenza season). Paired sera from the two cross-sectional surveys were tested for influenza virus-specific antibodies by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test or micro-neutralization (MN) test using a circulating representative strain of each subtype/lineage of influenza virus as the test antigen. The infections with influenza virus subtype/lineage was confirmed if there was a four-fold or more increase in titers of antibodies against circulating representative strain of the subtype/lineage of influenza virus. Factors influencing infection with influenza A (H3N2) and B/Victoria viruses were analyzed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression.Results:In November 2019, 800 study participants were enrolled in the cohort, including 340 children aged 6-17 years and 460 adults aged 18-59 years; 605 study participants (including 224 children and 381 adults) were followed up in July 2020 and their paired sera were obtained before and after the influenza season. 25.3% (153/605) of the participants were confirmed to be infected with at least one subtype/lineage of seasonal influenza virus by HI and MN tests. The overall incidence of influenza viruses of all subtypes/lineages in children was 44.2% (95% CI: 37.6%-50.8%) which was significantly higher than the incidence of 14.1% in adults (95% CI: 10.7%-17.7%). Children had the highest incidence of influenza A (H3N2) virus infection, followed by B/Victoria. MN or HI antibody titers in A (H3N2)[ OR=0.88 (95% CI: 0.84-0.93)] and B/Victoria[ OR=0.97 (95% CI: 0.95-0.99)] before the influenza season were significantly associated with whether children were infected with that subtype/lineage of influenza virus. Conclusions:The residents aged 6-59 years in Macheng city had a substantial incidence of seasonal influenza virus infection during the influenza season from winter 2019 to spring 2020. Notably, almost half of children aged 6-17 years have been infected with seasonal influenza virus. Higher titers of HI/MN antibodies against seasonal influenza virus before the influenza season would be likely to reduce the risk of infection with influenza A (H3N2) and B/Victoria.

Liver fibrosis is a significant health burden,marked by the consistent deposition of collagen.Unfortunately,the currently available treatment approaches for this condition are far from optimal.Lysyl oxidase-like protein 2(LOXL2)secreted by hepatic stellate cells(HSCs)is a crucial player in the cross-linking of matrix collagen and is a significant target for treating liver fibrosis.Mesenchymal stem cell-derived small extracellular vesicles(MSC-sEVs)have been proposed as a potential treatment option for chronic liver disorders.Previous studies have found that MSC-sEV can be used for microRNA delivery into target cells or tissues.It is currently unclear whether microRNA-4465(miR-4465)can target LOXL2 and inhibit HSC activation.Additionally,it is uncertain whether MSC-sEV can be utilized as a gene therapy vector to carry miR-4465 and effectively inhibit the progression of liver fibrosis.This study explored the effect of miR-4465-modified MSC-sEV(MSC-sEVmiR-4465)on LOXL2 expression and liver fibrosis development.The results showed that miR-4465 can bind specifically to the promoter of the LOXL2 gene in HSC.Moreover,MSC-sEVmiR-4465 inhibited HSC activation and collagen expression by downregulating LOXL2 expression in vitro.MSC-sEVmiR-4465 injection could reduce HSC activation and collagen deposition in the CCl4-induced mouse model.MSC-sEVmiR-4465 mediating via LOXL2 also hindered the migration and invasion of HepG2 cells.In conclusion,we found that MSC-sEV can deliver miR-4465 into HSC to alleviate liver fibrosis via altering LOXL2,which might provide a promising therapeutic strategy for liver diseases.

Objective To explore the value of multi-parameter spectral CT for differentiating grade G2-3 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor(pNET)and pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma(pNEC).Methods Preoperative double-layer detector spectral CT(DLCT)data of 35 patients with pNET(pNET group,including 25 cases of G2 grade and 10 cases of G3 grade)and 17 patients with pNEC(pNEC group)were retrospectively analyzed.Conventional CT and spectral CT parameters were compared between groups,and those being significant different between groups according to univariate analysis were respectively incorporated into multivariate logistic regression to select the independent predictors for identifying grade G2-3 pNET and pNEC.Conventional CT model and spectral CT model were constructed,and the combined model was constructed based on the two.The efficacy of each model for distinguishing grade G2-3 pNET and pNEC was evaluated.Results CT values of lesions during venous phase(OR=0.939,P=0.025)and vascular invasion(OR=5.049,P=0.027)shown on conventional CT were both independent predictors,and conventional CT model was constructed,its area under the curve(AUC)for distinguishing grade G2-3 pNET and pNEC was 0.808.Normalized iodine concentration during venous phase(OR=0.603)and normalized effective atomic number during venous phase(OR=0.847)on spectral CT were both independent predictors(both P＜0.05),and spectral CT model was constructed.The AUC of spectral CT model was 0.894,higher than that of conventional CT model(Z=2.127,P=0.033).The AUC of combined model was 0.924,higher than that of conventional CT model(Z=2.302,P=0.021)but not significantly different with that of spectral CT model(Z=0.827,P=0.408).Conclusion Multi-parameter spectral CT could effectively differentiate grade G2-G3 grade pNET and pNEC.

Objective:To explore the prevalence and independent associated factors of vascular calcification (VC) in non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients of stage 3-5.Methods:It was a single-center cross-sectional observational study. Non-dialysis stage 3-5 CKD patients ≥18 years old who were admitted to the Department of Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from May 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 with VC evaluation were enrolled. The patients' general information, laboratory examination and imaging data were collected. Coronary artery calcification (CAC), thoracic aorta calcification (TAC), abdominal aorta calcification (AAC), carotid artery calcification and aortic valve calcification (AVC) were evaluated by cardiac-gated electron-beam CT (EBCT) scans, lateral lumbar x-ray, cervical macrovascular ultrasound and echocardiography, respectively. The differences in clinical data and the prevalence of VC at different sites of patients with different CKD stages were compared, and the prevalence of VC at different sites of patients in different age groups [youth group (18-44 years old), middle-aged group (45-64 years old) and elderly group (≥65 years old)] and patients with or without diabetes were compared. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the independent associated factors of VC for different areas.Results:A total of 206 patients aged (51±14) years were included, including 129 (62.6%) males. There were 44 patients with CKD stage 3 (21.4%), 51 patients with CKD stage 4 (24.8%), and 111 patients with CKD stage 5 (53.9%). CKD was caused by chronic glomerulonephritis [104 cases (50.5%)], diabetic kidney damage [35 cases (17.0%)], hypertensive kidney damage [29 cases (14.1%)] and others [38 cases (18.4%)]. Among 206 patients, 131 (63.6%) exhibited cardiovascular calcification, and the prevalence of CAC, TAC, AAC, carotid artery calcification, and AVC was 37.9%, 43.7%, 37.9%, 35.9% and 9.7%, respectively. The overall prevalence of VC in young, middle-aged and elderly patients was 24.6%, 73.6% and 97.4%, respectively. With the increase of age, the prevalence of VC in each site gradually increased, and the increasing trend was statistically significant (all P<0.001). The overall prevalence of VC in CKD patients with diabetes was 92.5% (62/67), and the prevalence of VC at each site in the patients with diabetes was significantly higher than that in the patients without diabetes (all P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age (every 10 years increase, OR=2.51, 95% CI 1.77-3.56, P<0.001), hypertension ( OR=5.88, 95% CI 1.57-22.10, P=0.009), and diabetes ( OR=4.66, 95% CI 2.10-10.35, P<0.001) were independently correlated with CAC; Age (every 10 years increase, OR=6.43, 95% CI 3.64-11.36, P<0.001) and hypertension ( OR=6.09, 95% CI 1.33-27.84, P=0.020) were independently correlated with TAC; Female ( OR=0.23, 95% CI 0.07-0.72, P=0.011), age (every 10 years increase, OR=3.90, 95% CI 2.42-6.29, P<0.001), diabetes ( OR=5.37, 95% CI 2.19-13.19, P<0.001) and serum magnesium ( OR=0.01,95% CI 0-0.35, P=0.014) were independently correlated with AAC. Moreover, age and diabetes were independently correlated with carotid artery calcification, AVC and overall VC Conclusions:The prevalence of VC in non-dialysis CKD patients of stage 3-5 is 63.59%, of which CAC reaches 37.9%, TAC is the most common one (43.7%), while AVC is the least one (9.7%). Age and diabetes are the independent associated factors for VC of all sites except TAC, while hypertension is an independent associated factor for both CAC and TAC.

Objective:To investigate the application of virtual reality (VR) technology on intraoperative pain in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related procedures with local infiltration anesthesia and the satisfaction.Methods:It was a single-center, prospective, concurrent controlled study. Patients were divided into two groups: VR group and control group. In the VR group, patients wore a VR headset to watch soothing audio and video content during surgery, while the control group underwent routine procedures. Intraoperative pain and satisfaction were assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) and a 5-point satisfaction scale within 30 minutes of surgery. In addition, tolerance of the VR experience in the VR group was assessed using the VR sickness questionnaire.Results:A total of 43 patients were included in the study, including 25 males (58.1%). Chronic glomerulonephritis [17 cases (39.5%)] and diabetic nephropathy [6 cases (14.0%)] were the main primary diseases. There were 23 cases in the control group and 20 cases in the VR group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, sex ratio, proportion of primary disease, diabetes, hypertension, distribution of operation methods, preoperative vital signs and operation time (all P>0.05). VAS pain score was significantly lower in the VR group than that in the control group (5.90±2.38 vs. 7.43±1.67, t=2.469, P=0.018). The percentage of patients who were satisfied was 89.5% (17/19) in the VR group and 78.3% (18/23) in the control group, but there was no significant difference (chi-square test for continuity correction, χ2=0.308, P=0.579). Three patients in the VR group withdrew from the study due to severe discomfort, while the remaining participants found the VR experience to be tolerable. Common adverse effects included fatigue and blurred vision. Conclusions:The application of VR technology in PD-related procedures has been effective in reducing intraoperative pain when combined with local infiltration anesthesia. Furthermore, the utilization of VR technology in PD-related procedures is associated with a safe and tolerable outcome, despite the observation of some adverse effects.