ObjectiveTo investigate the value of different noninvasive diagnostic models in the diagnosis of esophageal and gastric varices since there is a high risk of esophageal and gastric varices in patients with compensated hepatitis B cirrhosis and significant portal hypertension， and to provide a basis for the early diagnosis of esophageal and gastric varices. MethodsA total of 108 patients with significant portal hypertension due to compensated hepatitis B cirrhosis who attended Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from November 2017 to November 2023 were enrolled， and according to the presence or absence of esophageal and gastric varices under gastroscopy， they were divided into esophageal and gastric varices group （GOV group） and non-esophageal and gastric varices group （NGOV group）. Related data were collected， including age， sex， imaging findings， and laboratory markers. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups； the least significant difference t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic value of five scoring models， i.e.， fibrosis-4 （FIB-4）， LOK index， LPRI， aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index （APRI）， and aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio （AAR）. The binary logistic regression method was used to establish a combined model， and the area under the ROC curve （AUC） was compared between the combined model and each scoring model used alone. The Delong test was used to compare the AUC value between any two noninvasive diagnostic models. ResultsThere were 55 patients in the GOV group and 53 patients in the NGOV group. Compared with the NGOV group， the GOV group had a significantly higher age （52.64±1.44 years vs 47.96±1.68 years， t=0.453， P<0.05） and significantly lower levels of alanine aminotransferase ［42.00 （24.00 — 17.00） U/L vs 82.00 （46.00 — 271.00） U/L， Z=-3.065， P<0.05］， aspartate aminotransferase ［44.00 （32.00 — 96.00） U/L vs 62.00 （42.50 — 154.50） U/L，Z=-2.351， P<0.05］， and platelet count ［100.00 （69.00 — 120.00）×10⁹/L vs 119.00 （108.50 — 140.50）×10⁹/L， Z=-3.667， P<0.05］. The ROC curve analysis showed that FIB-4， LOK index， LPRI， and AAR used alone had an accuracy of 0.667， 0.681， 0.730， and 0.639， respectively， in the diagnosis of esophageal and gastric varices （all P<0.05）， and the positive diagnostic rates of GOV were 69.97%， 65.28%， 67.33%， and 58.86%， respectively， with no significant differences in AUC values （all P>0.05）， while APRI used alone had no diagnostic value （P>0.05）. A combined model （LAF） was established based on the binary logistic regression analysis and had an AUC of 0.805 and a positive diagnostic rate of GOV of 75.80%， with a significantly higher AUC than FIB-4， LOK index， LPRI， and AAR used alone （Z=-2.773，-2.479，-2.206， and-2.672， all P<0.05）. ConclusionFIB-4， LOK index， LPRI， and AAR have a similar diagnostic value for esophageal and gastric varices in patients with compensated hepatitis B cirrhosis and significant portal hypertension， and APRI alone has no diagnostic value. The combined model LAF had the best diagnostic efficacy， which provides a certain reference for clinical promotion and application.

Depressive disorders are common mental illnesses characterized by significant and persistent low mood, with features such as high prevalence, high disability rate, and high suicide rate. The microbiota-gut-brain axis may be one of the potential mechanisms underlying depressive disorders. Gut microbiota metabolites, as important mediators of MGBA signaling, play roles in depressive disorders through multiple pathways. These include short-chain fatty acids, which can regulate the transmission of the vagus nerve, inflammatory responses, and 5-hydroxytryptamine synthesis; secondary bile acids, which can activate farnesoid X receptor and Takeda G protein-compled receptor 5; and choline, which can regulate DNA methylation and trimethylamine N-oxide production. This article reviews the literature on the potential mechanisms of action of gut microbiota metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids, and choline, in depressive disorders. The literature was retrieved from CNKI, PubMed, and Web of Science databases from 2010 to 2025. It aims to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of depressive disorders.

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*

Alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) is a liver disease characterized by steatosis, inflammation, and necrosis of the liver tissue as a result of excessive alcohol consumption. Pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a xenobiotic nuclear receptor best known for its function in the transcriptional regulation of drug metabolism and disposition. Clinical reports suggested that the antibiotic rifampicin, a potent human PXR activator, is a contraindication in alcoholics, but the mechanism was unclear. In this study, we showed that the hepatic expression of fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) was uniquely elevated in ASH patients and a mouse model of ASH. Pharmacological inhibiting FABP4 attenuated ASH in mice. Furthermore, treatment of mice with the mouse PXR agonist pregnenolon-16α-carbonitrile (PCN) induced the hepatic and circulating levels of FABP4 and exacerbated ASH in a PXR-dependent manner. Our mechanism study established FABP4 as a transcriptional target of PXR. Treatment with andrographolide, a natural compound and dual inhibitor of PXR and FABP4, alleviated mice from ASH. In summary, our results showed that the PXR-FABP4 gene regulatory axis plays an important role in the progression of ASH, which may have accounted for the contraindication of rifampicin in patients of alcoholic liver disease. Pharmacological inhibition of PXR and/or FABP4 may have its promise in the clinical management of ASH.

Objective:To investigate the long-term outcomes of laparoscopic ventral rectopexy (LVR) for obstructive defecation with overt pelvic structural abnormalities.Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinical data of 31 obstructive defecation patients with overt pelvic structural abnormalities who were admitted to the Renji Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine from June 2014 to August 2020 were collected. There were 6 males and 25 females, aged 59(range, 32?81)years. All 31 patients underwent LVR through transabdominal approach. Observation indicators: (1) the Cleveland clinic constipation score (CCCS); (2) severity of obstructive defecation; (3) patients assessment of constipation quality of life (PAC-QoL). Follow-up was conducted using telephone interview and outpatient examination up to October 2021. One professional researcher assessed the constipation symptoms and quality of life of patients through outpatient interview or mobile software platform of Questionnaire Star. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range), and comparison before and after operation was conducted using the Wilcoxon sign rank test. Results:(1) The CCCS. All 31 patients underwent LVR for the first time and were followed up for 61.8(range, 11.0?87.0)months. The constipation symptoms of the 22 patients were improved. The CCCS of the 31 patients before surgery and at the last follow-up time were 15.8(range, 8.0?26.0) and 10.7(range, 2.0?20.0), respectively, showing a significant difference ( Z=?3.98, P<0.05). (2) Severity of obstructive defecation. The severity scores of frequency of bowel movements, difficult of bowel movements, sensation of incomplete defecation, abdominal distension or pain, time of each bowel movements, daily unsuccessful times of defecation, artificial assisted defecation for the 31 patients were 2.9(range, 1.0?4.0), 3.0(range, 1.0?4.0), 1.9(range, 0?3.0), 0.5(range, 0?3.0), 2.6(range, 2.0?4.0), 2.0(range, 0?4.0), 0.9 (range, 0?2.0) before surgery, versus 1.7(range, 0?4.0), 1.6(range, 0?4.0), 1.2(range, 0?4.0), 0.3(range, 0?3.0), 1.7(range, 0?3.0), 1.4(range, 0?3.0), 0.7(range, 0?2.0) after surgery, respectively. There were significant differences in the frequency of bowel movements, difficult of bowel movements, sensation of in-complete defecation, abdominal distension or pain, time of each bowel movements, daily unsuccessful times of defecation for the 31 patients before and after surgery ( Z=?3.38, ?3.80, ?2.54, ?2.31, ?3.64, ?2.75, P<0.05) and there was no significant difference in the artificial assisted defecation for the 31 patients before and after surgery ( Z=?1.31, P>0.05). (3) PAC-QoL. The score of physical discomfort, satisfaction, worries and concerns, psychological discomfort for the 31 patients were 2.3(range, 1.0?4.0), 3.2(range, 1.0?4.8), 2.2(range, 0.6?4.0), 1.8(range, 0.4?3.9) before surgery, versus 1.6(range, 0?4.0), 2.3(range, 0?4.0), 1.7(range, 0?4.0), 1.3(range, 0?4.0)after surgery, respectively, showing significant differences before and after surgery ( Z=?3.49, ?2.17, ?2.50, ?3.05, P<0.05). Conclusions:The long-term outcomes of LVR for obstructive defecation with overt pelvic structural abnorma-lities are satisfactory. Symptoms as frequency of bowel movements, difficult of bowel movements, sensation of incomplete defecation, abdominal distension or pain, time of each bowel movements and daily unsuccessful times of defecation will be significantly improved after LVR and the constipation quality of life of patients will be improved.

Monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-

The development of nano drug delivery systems (NDDSs) provides new approaches to fighting against diseases. The NDDSs are specially designed to serve as carriers for the delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to their target sites, which would certainly extend the benefit of their unique physi-cochemical characteristics, such as prolonged circulation time, improved targeting and avoiding of drug-resistance. Despite the remarkable progress achieved over the last three decades, the understanding of the relationships between the in vivo pharmacokinetics of NDDSs and their safety profiles is insufficient. Analysis of NDDSs is far more complicated than the monitoring of small molecular drugs in terms of structure, composition and aggregation state, whereby almost all of the conventional techniques are inadequate for accurate profiling their pharmacokinetic behavior in vivo. Herein, the advanced bio-analysis for tracing the in vivo fate of NDDSs is summarized, including liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), F(o)rster resonance energy transfer (FRET), aggregation-caused quench-ing (ACQ) fluorophore, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorophores, enzyme-linked immunosor-bent assay (ELISA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), radiolabeling, fluorescence spectroscopy, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma MS (LA-ICP-MS), and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). Based on these technologies, a comprehensive survey of monitoring the dynamic changes of NDDSs in struc-ture, composition and existing form in system (i.e. carrier polymers, released and encapsulated drug) with recent progress is provided. We hope that this review will be helpful in appropriate application methodology for investigating the pharmacokinetics and evaluating the efficacy and safety profiles of NDDSs.

Objective: To establish a method for the determination ofsamarium oxide and lanthanum oxide by inductively coupled plasmamass spectrometryin the air of workplace. Methods: Samarium, lanthanum and their compounds in the air of workplace were collected through microporous filter. The samples were digested by nitricacid and perhydrol (V/V=4∶1) and detected by inductively coupled plasmamass spectrometry. Results: The linear range ofsamarium oxide and lanthanum oxide was 0-50.00 μg/L, Sm₂O₃: y=0.0119x, r=0.9999; La₂O₃: y=0.0617x, r=0.9998. The detection limits were less than 0.1 μg/L, and the minimum detection concentration were less than 1.52×10^-5 mg/m³. The sampling efficiency were 100%, the recovery rates were 95.70%-102.01%, and the precision were 0.78%-1.58%. Conclusion The indicators established in this study are conformed with the requirements of Chinese Occupational Standars of GBZ/T 210.4-2008, "The Guidelines for the Development of Occupational Hygiene StandarsMehods Part 4: Determination of Chemical Substances in the Air of Workplace".

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can promote or inhibit the occurrence and development of pancreatic cancer,lung cancer,gastric cancer and breast cancer by regulating the expression of protein,signal pathway and cell cycle in different ways.Further studies of mechanisms of different lncRNAs in tumors may provide new methods for the diagnosis and treatment of cancers.

The present study establishes a visualization method for the measurement of the distribution and localization of protein/peptide constituents within a single poly-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) microsphere using synchrotron radiation-based Fourier-transform infrared spectromicroscopy (SR-FTIR). The representative infrared wavenumbers specific for protein/peptide (Exenatide) and excipient (PLGA) were identified and chemical maps at the single microsphere level were generated by measuring and plotting the intensity of these specific bands. For quantitative analysis of the distribution within microspheres, Matlab software was used to transform the map file into a 3D matrix and the matrix values specific for the drug and excipient were extracted. Comparison of the normalized SR-FTIR maps of PLGA and Exenatide indicated that PLGA was uniformly distributed, while Exenatide was relatively non-uniformly distributed in the microspheres. In conclusion, SR-FTIR is a rapid, nondestructive and sensitive detection technology to provide the distribution of chemical constituents and functional groups in microparticles and microspheres.