Both cathartic colon （CC） and cathartic-dependent constipation （CDC） are caused by the abuse of stimulant laxatives， while their concepts are not completely the same.Starting from the disease name of CC， this article traced the origin and evolution of the concept of CC， summarizes and compared the similarities and differences between CC， CDC， and slow transit constipation （STC）， and called for strict differentiation among the three.Furthermore， this article explored the specific contents of Western medicine clinical subtypes and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome differentiation of CDC and delved into the TCM pathogenesis of CDC according to both literature and clinical practice.The relationship between clinical subtypes and TCM syndromes was established， and the syndrome characteristics of CDC of different clinical subtypes and TCM syndromes were summarized.The recommended prescriptions for corresponding syndromes were listed.A systematic CDC diagnosis and treatment approach of "clinical subtypes-syndrome differentiation-syndrome characteristics-recommended prescriptions" was thus formed.Additionally， the paper provides an overview of current research on CDC in both Western medicine and TCM contexts， identifies future research directions， and suggests research pathways for refining and advancing CDC studies.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of the Yiqi Yangyin Huoxue prescription （YYHP） in the treatment of cathartic colon （CC） and its effects on fecal short-chain fatty acids （SCFAs）， and to explore the correlations among CC severity indicators and between these indicators and patient history. MethodsAccording to the inclusion and exclusion criteria， 98 patients meeting the diagnostic criteria of both traditional Chinese and Western medicine for CC with the syndrome of Qi-Yin deficiency complicated by blood stasis were randomly assigned to an observation group and a control group. The observation group received YYHP granules， while the control group received lactulose. Both medications were administered twice daily， one sachet each time， half an hour after breakfast and dinner， with a treatment course of 8 weeks. The primary constipation symptom score， Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life （PAC-QOL） score， and TCM syndrome score were assessed before and after treatment and at the 8^th week after the end of treatment. The overall clinical effective rate， as well as the efficacy attenuation index and degree， were evaluated. Fecal SCFA levels were measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to explore the correlations among CC severity indicators and between these indicators and patient history. ResultsThe overall clinical effective rate in the observation group （95.83%） was higher than that in the control group （78.72%） （P<0.05）. After treatment， the total scores for primary constipation symptoms， PAC-QOL， and TCM syndromes decreased in both groups （P<0.05）， with more significant reductions in the observation group （P<0.05）. The severity of all primary constipation symptoms was alleviated in both groups （P<0.05）. In terms of "excessive straining and difficult defecation"， "anal heaviness， incomplete evacuation， and bloating sensation"， "abdominal distension"， and "defecation frequency"， the observation group showed better efficacy than the control group （P<0.05）. Scores of the four PAC-QOL dimensions and the scores and severity of primary and secondary TCM symptoms were reduced in both groups （P<0.05）， with more significant reductions in the observation group （P<0.05）. After treatment， acetic acid， propionic acid， butyric acid， and total SCFAs in the observation group increased significantly （P<0.05）. The efficacy attenuation index and degree in the observation group were lower than those in the control group （P<0.05）. No severe adverse reactions occurred in either group， and there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups. Positive correlations of varying degrees were observed among the total scores of primary constipation symptoms， PAC-QOL， and TCM syndromes， as well as between these scores and the history of stimulant laxative use， disease duration， and age. ConclusionYYHP can effectively alleviate the primary constipation symptoms in CC patients， improve quality of life， and ameliorate TCM syndromes， with good safety. It also has the advantage of a lower rebound degree after drug withdrawal， and its mechanism may be related to increasing fecal SCFA levels. Long-term abuse of stimulant laxatives may aggravate the severity of CC and prolong the disease course.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics, bleeding site distribution, and factors associated with hospitalization for surgical management in patients with refractory posterior epistaxis.Methods:This cross-sectional study retrospectively analyzed data from 3 473 patients with refractory posterior epistaxis treated at ENT department or Emergency Department of Affiliated Zhangzhou Hospital of Fujian Medical University, between January 2018 and December 2024. The demographic and clinical data of patients were collected. Univariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression were applied to identify factors associated with hospitalization for surgical intervention.Results:Among 3 473 patients (65.94%(2 290 cases) male; mean age (54±21) years), 46.96% (1 631 cases)were aged 41-69 years. Bleeding predominantly occurred at night (89.66%, 3 114 cases) and in winter (29.92%, 1 039 cases). The most frequent bleeding sites were the olfactory cleft (25.22%,876 cases) and inferior meatus vault (25.63%,890 cases), followed by the posterior regions of middle meatus (11.26%,391 cases), the foremost regions of nasal cavity (11.20%,389 cases), the nasal septum surface (11.23%,390 cases), the bottom of nasal cavity (9.42%,327 cases), and the others or uncertain sites (6.05%,210 cases). Endoscopic electrocautery was performed in 75.01% of cases. Overall, 2 715 patients required hospitalization for surgery. Univariate analysis identified older age (≥70 years), male sex, alcohol use, nighttime onset, winter season, hypertension, diabetes, and anticoagulant use as significantly associated with hospitalization ( χ2=6.51, 8.03, 5.11, -0.17, 7.53, 12.52, 6.83, 5.18, all P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression confirmed older age ( OR=2.45, 95% CI: 1.81-7.50), winter season ( OR=9.55, 95% CI: 2.26-9.38), nighttime onset ( OR=6.78, 95% CI: 1.84-6.96), alcohol use ( OR=27.71, 95% CI: 11.97-64.14), hypertension ( OR=7.93, 95% CI: 1.64-11.84), and anticoagulant use ( OR=6.39, 95% CI: 1.06-9.47) as independent positive factors associated with hospitalization for surgical management (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Refractory posterior epistaxis most commonly affects individuals aged 41-69 years, with bleeding frequently originating from the olfactory cleft or inferior meatus vault, and exhibits seasonal (winter) and diurnal (nighttime) patterns. Independent factors significantly associated with the need for hospitalization and surgical intervention include older age, winter onset, nighttime onset, alcohol use, hypertension, and anticoagulant use. Identifying these factors may aid in risk stratification and clinical decision-making.

Purpose To investigate the differential expression of proteins secreted by diffuse-type gastric cancer-associated fibroblasts(DGC-CAFs)and intestinal-type gastric cancer-associated fibroblasts(IGC-CAFs)according to Lauren classification of gastric cancer.Methods Fresh surgery samples were acquired to extract primary cancer-asso-ciated fibroblasts(CAFs)to obtain the conditional medium,including three cases of diffuse-type gastric cancer(DGC)and three cases of intestinal-type gastric cancer(IGC).Then high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS)was used to detect the differences in secreted factors between DGC-CAFs and IGC-CAFs.Additionally,a total of 1 174 cases were collected from the GEO and TCGA databases,and the distribution of stromal cells was assessed via ESTIMATE to derive stromal scores for both DGC and GC.Furthermore,Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between high stromal scores,elevated CAFs proportions,and patient prognosis.Subsequently,GO enrichment analysis was performed to investigate associated genes and their bi-ological functions.Results HPLC-MS/MS analysis showed that only 10 proteins were identified to be expressed in both DGC-CAFs and IGC-CAFs,namely SPARC,COL6A1,COL1A2,COL1A1,COL3A1,FN1,DCN,ACTG1,TIMP1 and SHROOM3.There were 8 proteins expressed higher in DGC-CAFs than IGC-CAFs in all cases with ratio＞2,namely COL3A1(5.28),COL1A2(3.98),DCN(3.71),TIMP1(3.40),COL6A1(3.35),ACTG1(3.13),COL1A1(2.84)and SHROOM3(2.50).Two other proteins,TUBB and BASP1,were identified in all three cases of DGC-CAFs.The former was only identified in one case of IGC-CAFs,while the latter was not identified in all three cases of IGC-CAFs.The results of bioinformatics analysis showed that the stromal score of DGC was higher than IGC,which correlated with poor prognosis.Analysis of cell components revealed that the related genes were more enriched in ECM,collagen-containing extracellular matrix and cell-cell junction.Also,the biological process and molecular function was based on the components,which was consistent with HPLC-MS/MS analysis results.Conclusion There are differ-ences in secreted proteins of DGC-CAFs and IGC-CAFs,both on the types and the content.The differential proteins are mostly enriched in ECM-related signaling pathways.Presumably,the high content of CAFs in the stroma affects the prognosis of gastric cancer patients by influencing the gene expression and the function of receptor pathway of ECM.

Purpose To investigate the differential expression of proteins secreted by diffuse-type gastric cancer-associated fibroblasts(DGC-CAFs)and intestinal-type gastric cancer-associated fibroblasts(IGC-CAFs)according to Lauren classification of gastric cancer.Methods Fresh surgery samples were acquired to extract primary cancer-asso-ciated fibroblasts(CAFs)to obtain the conditional medium,including three cases of diffuse-type gastric cancer(DGC)and three cases of intestinal-type gastric cancer(IGC).Then high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS)was used to detect the differences in secreted factors between DGC-CAFs and IGC-CAFs.Additionally,a total of 1 174 cases were collected from the GEO and TCGA databases,and the distribution of stromal cells was assessed via ESTIMATE to derive stromal scores for both DGC and GC.Furthermore,Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between high stromal scores,elevated CAFs proportions,and patient prognosis.Subsequently,GO enrichment analysis was performed to investigate associated genes and their bi-ological functions.Results HPLC-MS/MS analysis showed that only 10 proteins were identified to be expressed in both DGC-CAFs and IGC-CAFs,namely SPARC,COL6A1,COL1A2,COL1A1,COL3A1,FN1,DCN,ACTG1,TIMP1 and SHROOM3.There were 8 proteins expressed higher in DGC-CAFs than IGC-CAFs in all cases with ratio＞2,namely COL3A1(5.28),COL1A2(3.98),DCN(3.71),TIMP1(3.40),COL6A1(3.35),ACTG1(3.13),COL1A1(2.84)and SHROOM3(2.50).Two other proteins,TUBB and BASP1,were identified in all three cases of DGC-CAFs.The former was only identified in one case of IGC-CAFs,while the latter was not identified in all three cases of IGC-CAFs.The results of bioinformatics analysis showed that the stromal score of DGC was higher than IGC,which correlated with poor prognosis.Analysis of cell components revealed that the related genes were more enriched in ECM,collagen-containing extracellular matrix and cell-cell junction.Also,the biological process and molecular function was based on the components,which was consistent with HPLC-MS/MS analysis results.Conclusion There are differ-ences in secreted proteins of DGC-CAFs and IGC-CAFs,both on the types and the content.The differential proteins are mostly enriched in ECM-related signaling pathways.Presumably,the high content of CAFs in the stroma affects the prognosis of gastric cancer patients by influencing the gene expression and the function of receptor pathway of ECM.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics, bleeding site distribution, and factors associated with hospitalization for surgical management in patients with refractory posterior epistaxis.Methods:This cross-sectional study retrospectively analyzed data from 3 473 patients with refractory posterior epistaxis treated at ENT department or Emergency Department of Affiliated Zhangzhou Hospital of Fujian Medical University, between January 2018 and December 2024. The demographic and clinical data of patients were collected. Univariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression were applied to identify factors associated with hospitalization for surgical intervention.Results:Among 3 473 patients (65.94%(2 290 cases) male; mean age (54±21) years), 46.96% (1 631 cases)were aged 41-69 years. Bleeding predominantly occurred at night (89.66%, 3 114 cases) and in winter (29.92%, 1 039 cases). The most frequent bleeding sites were the olfactory cleft (25.22%,876 cases) and inferior meatus vault (25.63%,890 cases), followed by the posterior regions of middle meatus (11.26%,391 cases), the foremost regions of nasal cavity (11.20%,389 cases), the nasal septum surface (11.23%,390 cases), the bottom of nasal cavity (9.42%,327 cases), and the others or uncertain sites (6.05%,210 cases). Endoscopic electrocautery was performed in 75.01% of cases. Overall, 2 715 patients required hospitalization for surgery. Univariate analysis identified older age (≥70 years), male sex, alcohol use, nighttime onset, winter season, hypertension, diabetes, and anticoagulant use as significantly associated with hospitalization ( χ2=6.51, 8.03, 5.11, -0.17, 7.53, 12.52, 6.83, 5.18, all P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression confirmed older age ( OR=2.45, 95% CI: 1.81-7.50), winter season ( OR=9.55, 95% CI: 2.26-9.38), nighttime onset ( OR=6.78, 95% CI: 1.84-6.96), alcohol use ( OR=27.71, 95% CI: 11.97-64.14), hypertension ( OR=7.93, 95% CI: 1.64-11.84), and anticoagulant use ( OR=6.39, 95% CI: 1.06-9.47) as independent positive factors associated with hospitalization for surgical management (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Refractory posterior epistaxis most commonly affects individuals aged 41-69 years, with bleeding frequently originating from the olfactory cleft or inferior meatus vault, and exhibits seasonal (winter) and diurnal (nighttime) patterns. Independent factors significantly associated with the need for hospitalization and surgical intervention include older age, winter onset, nighttime onset, alcohol use, hypertension, and anticoagulant use. Identifying these factors may aid in risk stratification and clinical decision-making.

Objective:To analyze the association between the pre-pregnancy oral microbiota of women and fetal overgrowth, and the possible mechanisms involved.Methods:A nested case-control study design based on a pre-pregnancy cohort was used to select 51 mothers who delivered macrosomia and/or large-for-gestational-age (LGA) infants from the population recruited at the Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Jiading District in Shanghai from October 2016 to December 2021 as the case group. A control group was formed by selecting 204 mothers who delivered infants with normal birth weight and appropriate for gestational age during the same period, in a 1:4 ratio. The LGA subgroup consisted of 48 mothers who delivered LGA infants from the total population, and a corresponding control group of 192 was randomly selected from the remaining mothers who delivered non-LGA infants in a 1∶4 ratio for the LGA subgroup analysis. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing technique was utilized to detect pre-pregnancy saliva samples to compare the characteristics of the oral microbiota, differential microorganisms, and differential functional pathways between groups. Nonparametric Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, two independent samples t-tests, or Chi-square (or Fisher's exact) tests were used for statistical analysis. Factor analysis was conducted on the pre-pregnancy diet data of women, and the primary dietary pattern of each study subject was identified based on the highest score of the dietary pattern factors. For microbiota count data, α and β diversity indices were calculated using R and QIIME2 software, and the corresponding microbiota functional count data were acquired through PICRUSt2. Results:(1) General data: There was no significant difference in the time interval from pre-pregnancy sampling to pregnancy and from sampling to delivery between the two groups. In the case group, there were three cases of macrosomia and 48 cases (94.1%) of LGA. The corresponding control group for the LGA subgroup consisted of 192 cases. There were no significant differences in dietary patterns between the case group and the control group. (2) α diversity analysis: The species richness index of the case group was lower than that of the control group [(367.27±84.57) vs. (408.71±93.08), multivariate analysis, P=0.009], while no significant differences were found between the two groups in the Shannon and Simpson indices; the species richness index of the LGA subgroup was also lower than that of the corresponding control group [(371.04±83.92) vs. (408.04±94.21), multivariate analysis, P=0.033], with no significant differences in the Shannon and Simpson indices. (3) β diversity analysis: There was a statistically significant difference in the unweighted UniFrac distance of the oral microbiota between the case group and the control group ( R2=0.006, F=1.479, P=0.048). No significant differences were found in the β diversity indices of the oral microbiota between the LGA subgroup and the corresponding control group. (4) Differential microbiota analysis: There were 14 differential microbiotas from phylum to genus between the case group and the control group. At the genus level, members of the G1 genus of the Streptococcaceae were enriched in the case group, while the Lautropia, Dialister, Leptotrichia, and Rothia were enriched in the control group. In the LGA subgroup and its corresponding control group, there were 14 differential microbiota from phylum to genus; at the genus level, Leptotrichia, Rothia, G6 genus of the Saccharibacteria, and Selenomonas were enriched in the control group (all LDA value>2, and all P<0.05). (5) Differential functional analysis: In the case group, metabolic pathways such as nicotinate degradation [log 2 fold change ( FC)=3.510, q=0.005], de novo synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides (log 2FC=0.078, q=0.005), and L-tyrosine degradation pathway (log 2FC=0.710, q=0.034) were enriched in the oral microbiota of women. In the LGA subgroup, compared to the corresponding control group, metabolic pathways related to nicotinate degradation were enriched in the oral microbiota (log 2FC=3.660, q=0.012). Conclusions:There are differences in the structure of the pre-pregnancy oral microbiota of mothers with overgrown fetuses compared to those with normally grown fetuses, and mothers of normally grown fetuses show higher diversity in their pre-pregnancy oral microbiota. The enrichment of certain pathogenic bacteria and the reduction of symbiotic bacteria in the pre-pregnancy oral microbiota are associated with fetal overgrowth, and this association may be mediated by functional pathways such as nicotinate degradation.

OBJECTIVE To study the effect of 60Co-γ irradiation on the sterilization effect and main components of Rubus chingii Hu. METHODS Irradiated Rubus chingii Hu by 0, 6, 10, 15, 30 kGy doses of 60Co-γ, used the microbial count method to determine the microbial level of Rubus chingii Hu before and after irradiation. Analyzed the components of Rubus chingii Hu by high resolution mass spectrometry, investigated the effects of irradiation on the quality of Rubus chingii Hu by comparing the components of Rubus chingii Hu samples before and after irradiation, analyzing the quantitative results of ellagic acid and kaempferol 3-O-yunxiangoside, and evaluating the similarity of fingerprints. RESULTS The results of microbial examination of Rubus chingii Hu after different doses of irradiation all met the requirements, cluster analysis and principal component analysis of 20 components showed no significant difference. And there was no significant difference in the contents of ellagic acid and kaempferol 3-O-glucoside before and after irradiation. The similarity of fingerprints before and after irradiation was between 0.995 and 1.000. CONCLUSION Irradiation can effectively control the microbial level in Rubus chingii Hu, and there is no significant effect on the chemical composition of Rubus chingii Hu, the results provide a basis for the application of irradiation in the sterilization process of Rubus chingii Hu.

Objective:To investigate the association between exposures of seven classic phthalate metabolites and fertility among preconception women before pregnancy.Methods:Based on the preconception cohort, a nested case-control study was carried out. Preconception couples who were recruited from Shanghai Jiading District Maternal and Child Health Hospital from 2016 to 2020 with intention to conception were selected. A total of 100 women whose time to pregnancy (TTP) >12 months were selected as the case group, and 151 women with the TTP≤12 months were randomly selected as control group. The single and joint effects on fertility of phthalate metabolites were analyzed by the comparison between the two groups via the multivariate binary logistic regression model, and the weighted quantile sum regression model.Results:There were significant differences in mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono-(2-carboxmethyl)-hexyl phthalate (MCMHP), the sum of the detected concentrations of MEHP, MCMHP, mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate, mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate and mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (∑DEHP), and the sum of the detected concentrations of the seven phthalate metabolites (∑PAE) exposure levels between the case group and control group ( P=0.005, P<0.001, P=0.001, P=0.007). As shown by the multivariate binary logistic regression model, women with MEHP, MCMHP, ∑DEHP, ∑PAE at the highest quartile level were found to have significantly increased risk of infertility compared with women at the lowest quartile level (a OR=2.40, 95% CI: 1.12-5.15, P=0.025; a OR=7.74, 95% CI: 3.14-19.08, P<0.001; a OR=4.35, 95% CI: 1.93-9.79, P<0.001; a OR=2.04, 95% CI: 0.96-4.34, P=0.044). The weighted quantile sum regression model demonstrated that the exposure to seven phthalate metabolite mixtures in preconception was associated with an increased risk of infertility ( P<0.05). Among the seven phthalate metabolites, MCMHP had the largest contribution weight (61.7%). Conclusion:Women of childbearing age should avoid the exposure to phthalates in the environment when preparing for conception, such as to reduce the consumption of highly processed foods and foods packaged with plastic/polyvinyl chloride materials to promote fertility.

Objective:To investigate the association between exposures of seven classic phthalate metabolites and fertility among preconception women before pregnancy.Methods:Based on the preconception cohort, a nested case-control study was carried out. Preconception couples who were recruited from Shanghai Jiading District Maternal and Child Health Hospital from 2016 to 2020 with intention to conception were selected. A total of 100 women whose time to pregnancy (TTP) >12 months were selected as the case group, and 151 women with the TTP≤12 months were randomly selected as control group. The single and joint effects on fertility of phthalate metabolites were analyzed by the comparison between the two groups via the multivariate binary logistic regression model, and the weighted quantile sum regression model.Results:There were significant differences in mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono-(2-carboxmethyl)-hexyl phthalate (MCMHP), the sum of the detected concentrations of MEHP, MCMHP, mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate, mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate and mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (∑DEHP), and the sum of the detected concentrations of the seven phthalate metabolites (∑PAE) exposure levels between the case group and control group ( P=0.005, P<0.001, P=0.001, P=0.007). As shown by the multivariate binary logistic regression model, women with MEHP, MCMHP, ∑DEHP, ∑PAE at the highest quartile level were found to have significantly increased risk of infertility compared with women at the lowest quartile level (a OR=2.40, 95% CI: 1.12-5.15, P=0.025; a OR=7.74, 95% CI: 3.14-19.08, P<0.001; a OR=4.35, 95% CI: 1.93-9.79, P<0.001; a OR=2.04, 95% CI: 0.96-4.34, P=0.044). The weighted quantile sum regression model demonstrated that the exposure to seven phthalate metabolite mixtures in preconception was associated with an increased risk of infertility ( P<0.05). Among the seven phthalate metabolites, MCMHP had the largest contribution weight (61.7%). Conclusion:Women of childbearing age should avoid the exposure to phthalates in the environment when preparing for conception, such as to reduce the consumption of highly processed foods and foods packaged with plastic/polyvinyl chloride materials to promote fertility.