ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal fibrosis in rats with chronic kidney disease （CKD） through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy specific pathogen-free （SPF） Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a control group （n=15） and a modeling group （n=55）. Rats in the modeling group were administered a 2.5% adenine suspension at a dose of 200 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 by gavage for 4 weeks to establish a CKD model. Successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group， an irbesartan group （20.25 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （5.82， 11.64， and 23.28 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively）， with 10 rats in each group. Each group was administered an equal volume of physiological saline， the corresponding concentration of irbesartan， or Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription by gavage for 12 weeks. Body weight and renal function indices were dynamically monitored. Serum creatinine （SCr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio （ACR）， 24-hour urinary total protein （24 hUTP）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） levels were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Renal histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Masson staining. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect the expression of PI3K， Akt， phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）， and mTOR in renal tissues. Western blot was performed to assess the protein expression of PI3K， p-Akt， Akt， phosphorylated mTOR （p-mTOR）， and mTOR in renal tissues. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR in renal tissues. ResultsCompared with the model group， rats in the irbesartan group and the low-， medium-， and high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription groups showed significantly decreased levels of SCr， BUN， ACR， 24 hUTP， IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α （P<0.01）. AST levels were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while no significant difference was observed in ALT levels. Histopathological examination revealed that， compared with the model group， renal tubular epithelial cell edema and necrosis and Bowman's capsule dilation were alleviated， inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced， and interstitial and glomerular fibrosis was markedly improved in all treatment groups， with the most pronounced effect observed in the high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription group. Real-time PCR results showed that mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR were significantly downregulated in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. IHC results demonstrated that PI3K and p-Akt expression levels in renal tissues were significantly decreased in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. Western blot analysis further confirmed that the expression levels of PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， and p-mTOR/mTOR were significantly reduced in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. ConclusionBushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal function indices in CKD rats， reduces collagen deposition in renal tissues， and decreases serum inflammatory factor levels. Its protective effect on renal function may be achieved by activating autophagy through downregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway， thereby alleviating renal fibrosis.

Atherosclerosis （AS） is a vascular disease primarily affecting large and medium-sized arteries. It serves as the pathological basis for many cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and is associated with a relatively high incidence of complications and mortality worldwide. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of AS， demonstrating unique therapeutic advantages through multiple targets and pathways. Ligusticum chuanxiong， a commonly used Chinese medicine in clinical practice， contains key active components against AS， including ligustrazine， senkyunolide， ligustilide， quercetin， ferulic acid， vanillic acid， chlorogenic acid， gallic acid， protocatechuic acid， caffeic acid， chrysophanol， and β-sitosterol. Recent literature indicates that these active components can regulate AS through multiple mechanisms， including improving endothelial cell dysfunction， alleviating lipid metabolism disorders， inhibiting macrophage foam cell formation， suppressing the invasion， proliferation， and migration of smooth muscle cells， inhibiting apoptosis， exerting anticoagulant effects and inhibiting platelet activation， protecting mitochondrial function， and modulating intestinal flora and its metabolites， demonstrating significant pharmacological activity and clinical potential. Clinically， L. chuanxiong is often combined with Salvia miltiorrhiza， Paeonia lactiflora， Angelica sinensis， and borneol to form compound formulations， enhancing therapeutic effects and achieving synergistic anti-AS activity. Compound treatment with L. chuanxiong primarily focuses on promoting blood circulation and shows significant efficacy for different AS syndrome types. This article provides an in-depth review of the active components， drug pairs， and compound preparations of L. chuanxiong in the prevention and treatment of AS， aiming to lay a foundation for subsequent theoretical research and clinical applications in managing AS and its related complications.

Objective To explore the relationship between dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease risk in 340 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 340 DM patients who visited the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2020 to January 2024 and were followed up for at least one year. According to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease in DM patients within 1 year of follow-up after treatment, the patients were divided into occurrence group and non-occurrence group. The demographic and related disease indicators in the two groups were statistically analyzed, and univariate analysis was performed. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors affecting the risk of cardiovascular disease in DM patients. Results The survey results showed that 38 out of 340 DM patients developed cardiovascular disease within 1 year of follow-up after treatment, accounting for 11.18%, and 302 cases did not develop cardiovascular disease, accounting for 88.82%. There were no statistical differences in gender, age, education level, family history of DM, smoking history and alcohol drinking history between the two groups (P>0.05). The proportions of DM course (>10 years), hypertension history and abnormal blood lipid-related indicators in the occurrence group were higher than those in the non-occurrence group (P<0.05). Binary logistics regression analysis showed that DM course>10 years, history of hypertension and abnormal blood lipid-related indicators were independent risk factors affecting the risk of cardiovascular disease in DM patients (P<0.05). Conclusion The course of DM, history of hypertension, and abnormal blood lipid-related indicators in DM patients significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is necessary to actively monitor and manage blood lipid levels to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Medical humanities consistently run through the entire process of medical development and educational reform. However， with the increasingly prominent dominance of evidence-based medicine in clinical practice， the medical humanities have gradually been weakened in both medical education and clinical practice. Narrative medicine， through telling and listening to patients’ stories， enhances healthcare professionals’ empathy， fosters doctor–patient communication， and facilitates a return to the humanistic essence of medical education and clinical practice. By sorting out and reviewing related literature and developmental trends both at home and abroad， this paper pointed out the existing structural problem of an imbalance between technological priority and humanistic care in medical education， focusing on how to achieve an effective integration of medical humanities and narrative medicine in medical education. This paper also systematically analyzed the significance of both medical humanities and narrative medicine in the medical education system and proposed promoting the deep embedding of narrative medicine in medical education from three entry points， namely， curriculum integration， interdisciplinary collaboration， and the construction of teaching evaluation systems. The aim was to provide theoretical support and practical experience for medical education reform， foster the coordinated development of professional competence and humanistic spirit among medical talents， and truly achieve the goal of cultivating well-rounded medical talents.

Objective: To investigate the influencing factors for delay in healthcare-seeking, definitive diagnosis and identification in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in Minhang District, Shanghai Municipality, so as to provide the basis for effectively reducing delay in PTB patients. Methods: Data of PTB patients in Minhang District from 2017 to 2022 were collected from the Infectious Disease Reporting Information System of Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The prevalence rates of delay in healthcare-seeking, definitive diagnosis and identification were analyzed, and factors affecting delay in healthcare-seeking, definitive diagnosis and identification were identified using multivariable logistic regression models. Results: A total of 4 214 PTB patients were reported in Minhang District from 2017 to 2022, including 2 802 males and 1 412 females, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.98∶1. The majority of patients were aged 25 to <45 years (1 664 cases, 39.49%). The prevalence rates of delay in healthcare-seeking, definitive diagnosis and identification were 36.81%, 30.21% and 38.09%, respectively. Delay in healthcare-seeking was associated with the year (2018, OR=0.708; 2019, OR=0.549; 2020, OR=0.670; 2021, OR=0.682), gender (female, OR=1.199), occupation (worker, OR=1.379; housekeeping service/housework/unemployed, OR=1.481), case identification route (symptom-based consultation, OR=11.159), and level of the first-diagnosed hospital (city-level, OR=1.528). Delay in definitive diagnosis was associated with age (45 to <65 years, OR=1.476), occupation (commercial service, OR=0.687; housekeeping service/housework/unemployed, OR=0.672), household registration (non-local, OR=0.820), case identification route (symptom-based consultation, OR=0.616), pathogen test result (negative/not tested, OR=1.903), and the level of the first-diagnosed hospital (city-level, OR=0.311). Delay in identification was associated with the year (2018, OR=0.785; 2019, OR=0.647; 2020, OR=0.790; 2021, OR=0.710), occupation (commercial service, OR=0.687), household registration (non-local, OR=0.848) and level of the first-diagnosed hospital (city-level, OR=0.560) Conclusions Year, gender, occupation, case identification route and level of the first-diagnosed hospital are influencing factors for delay in healthcare-seeking in PTB patients. Age, occupation, household registration, case identification route, pathogen test result and level of the first-diagnosed hospital are influencing factors for delay in definitive diagnosis. Year, occupation, household registration and level of the first-diagnosed hospital are influencing factors for delay in identification.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of narrative medicine education on the narrative ability of resident physicians undergoing standardized residency training， and to explore its application value in clinical practice. MethodsA total of 23 obstetricians and gynecologists who participated in residency training at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from October 2021 to June 2024 were randomly selected to receive a 3-month residency training program integrated with narrative medicine education， including narrative theory learning， text reading， reflective writing， and scenario-based case analysis. A questionnaire survey was conducted to analyze the personal situation of resident physicians， their narrative ability before and after receiving narrative medicine education， and their satisfaction with teaching. ResultsThe results of the questionnaire survey showed that resident physicians who had received narrative medicine education scored higher on the narrative ability assessment scale than before training， including improved narrative abilities in the dimensions of life and health narrative awareness， professional narrative thinking， professional development narrative behavior， peer communication narrative behavior， and doctor-patient interaction narrative behavior （P<0.05）. However， there were no statistically significant differences in the dimensions of life and health narrative behavior and family connection narrative behavior （P>0.05）. Meanwhile， resident physicians’ interest in active learning， clinical thinking ability， doctor-patient communication ability， and satisfaction with teaching methods have also been improved （P<0.05）. ConclusionNarrative medicine education can effectively enhance the narrative ability of resident physicians and make up for the current deficiencies in humanistic literacy and ethical education in current medical education. It is of great significance for improving doctor-patient relationships and the quality of medical services. Therefore， it is recommended to integrate narrative medicine education into the regular training curriculum for resident physicians.

OBJECTIVE: Rhodiolae Crenulatae Radix et Rhizoma (Hongjingtian in Chinese, RCRR), the roots and rhizomes of Rhodiola crenulata and its application in the medicinal market is very chaotic. In this study, DNA barcoding database and identification engine of Rhodiola species were established, decoction pieces from the medicinal market were identified, and the application and challenges of DNA barcoding in the rapid radiation of Rhodiola species were analyzed. This study provides reference for the protection, rational development, and utilization of endangered resources within Rhodiola species. METHODS: A total of 50 original plant samples from 20 species of the genus Rhodiola from Hebei, Xinjiang, Tibet, Jilin, and other major production areas were collected. Theses samples cover the typical distribution area (Qinghai-Tibetan Platea) of Rhodiola species and other scattered alpine regions (Changbai Mountain, Taibai Mountain, Lushan Mountain, etc.), it encompasses all Rhodiola species with thick rhizomes in China. ITS2 and psbA-trnH barcode of Rhodiola database (BORD) were established and an identification engine named Rhodiola-IDE was developed. The stability and accuracy of the standard DNA barcoding database were evaluated using two datasets. Rhodiola-IDE identified 31 decoction pieces of RCRR from the medicinal material market. RESULTS: The BORD containing 1 532 sequences of 88 Rhodiola species has been established, and the identification efficiency results showed good accuracy and stability. According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 edition), 23 samples (74.2%) were identified as authentic R. crenulata, while the rest of the marketed varieties were R. kirilowii, R. dumulosa, and R. fastigiata. The product label "Larger flower, Hongjingtian" was identified as R. crenulata. Samples labeled as "Smaller flower, Hongjingtian" were identified as R. crenulata, R. kirilowii, and R. fastigiata. CONCLUSION ITS2 and psbA-trnH barcodes can identify monophyletic groups represented by R. crenulata. However, for non-monophyletic species, it is necessary to collect as many samples as possible and combine them with multiple markers for joint identification. This study discussed the application and challenges of DNA barcodes in Rhodiola under rapid radiation conditions, providing a scientific basis for the rational development and utilization of Rhodiola varieties.

Objective To analyze differences in the intestinal microbiota and transcriptomics between N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG)gastric cancer rats and normal rats and to analyze the correlation between the two,so as to provide a reference for related studies using MNNG gastric cancer rats as a model.Methods A total of 12 Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal(NM)and gastric cancer(GC)groups.The GC group was given a concentration of 20 mg/mL of MNNG by gavage with a dose of 100 g/mL once a day,and the NM group was given the same amount of normal saline by gavage.Samples were collected for testing after 16 weeks of continuous intervention.The gastric tissues were collected and stained by HE staining to observe morphological changes in the gastric mucosa of the two groups,and the expression levels of differential genes were detected by transcriptome sequencing.The cecal contents were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing.Results(1)Visual observation and HE results showed that the volume of gastric mucosa in the NM group was normal,the surface was glossy,the gastric wall was elastic,the direction of the mucosal folds was regular,there were no hyperplasia or hemorrhagic spots.In the GC group,the volume of gastric mucosa was reduced,the gastric wall was thinned,elasticity was poor,the direction of the folds was disordered and irregular,and there was a bulge accompanied by yellow-black keratotic hyperplasia.In the NM group,the squamous epithelial layer,submucosa,and muscular layer of the gastric mucosa were clear,with no hyperplasia and keratinization.In the GC group,the gastric mucosa had disorganized layers and cell polarity,with different cell morphologies;the squamous epithelial layer was destroyed,and squamous epithelial cells were hyperplasic,keratinized,and had invaded the muscular layer by proliferation.The modeling was considered successful.(2)The results of intestinal microbiota sequencing showed that the abundance of Akkermansia and Lactobacillus in MNNG gastric cancer rats decreased significantly,and the abundance of the rumen coccaceae Prevonella,and Blauter increased significantly.(3)The three key pathways obtained by transcriptomic sequencing and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were amebiasis,systemic lupus erythematosus,and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,and five genes differentially enriched in these three pathways were those for MCPT8I2,IGH-6,IGHG1,ACTN2,and VEGF-D.(4)Combined analysis of intestinal microbiota and transcriptomics showed that_UCG-005,Prevonella_UCG-003 and Brautella were positively correlated with amebiasis,systemic lupus erythematosus,and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.Conclusions The abundance of intestinal microbiota in gastric cancer rats formed by MNNG gavage is different from that of normal rats.The genes for MCPT8I2,IGH-6,IGHG1,ACTN2 and VEGF-D may be up-regulated in gastric cancer induced by MNNG gavage.Combined analysis of intestinal microbiota and differential genes suggested that the mechanism of MNNG carcinogenesis may be mainly related to the destruction of gastric mucosa and the inflammatory response.

This study aims to investigate whether the dietary supplement coenzyme Q10(CoQ10)alleviates bisphenol A(BPA)-induced mouse Leydig cell line(TM3)damage through autophagy pathway.Cell activity was measured by CCK-8 assay when treated with different concentrations of BPA for 24 h.TM3 cells were then divided into 5 groups:CON group,BPA group,Torin2 group,CQ group and BPA+CoQ10 group,with three repeats in each group.The morphology of TM3 cells were observed under inverted light microscope.Western blot was used to determine the protein ex-pression of p62 and LC3-Ⅰ/Ⅱ.The autophagy level of TM3 cells was detected by MDC cell auto-phagy staining,the mRNA expression levels of Atg7,Beclin 1,p62 and Atg5 genes were deter-mined by RT-qPCR,and the apoptosis rate of TM3 cells was detected by flow cytometry.The results showed that compared with 0 μmol/L BPA treatment group,the viability of TM3 cells de-creased significantly after 24 h treatment with 60 μmol/L BPA(P＜0.01).Compared with CON group,the number of TM3 cells markedly reduced in the BPA-treated group,the expression of au-tophagy-related proteins(p62,LC3-Ⅱ)significantly increased(P＜0.01),comparable to the CQ group.The MDC fluorescence intensity dramatically enhanced(P＜0.01),the mRNA expression levels of autophagy-related genes(Atg7,Beclin1,p62,Atg5)significantly elevated(P＜0.01),and the apoptosis rate significantly increased(P＜0.01).Compared with BPA group,the expression levels of autophagy-related genes Atg7 and Beclin1 mRNA(P＜0.05),p 62 and Atg5 mRNA(P＜0.01)in TM3 cells treated with BPA+CoQ10 significantly decreased.Moreover,the expres-sion levels of autophagy-related protein p62(P＜0.01)and LC3-Ⅱ(P＜0.05),MDC fluorescence intensity(P＜0.05)and apoptosis rate(P＜0.01)also markedly reduced.In conclusion,CoQ10 could subsequently reduce the apoptosis of TM3 cells by improving the abnormal autophagy flux induced by BPA.

Objective To explore the impact factors of volume reduction rate(VRR)of benign thyroid nodules after thermal ablation based on conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)manifestations.Methods Totally 238 patients with benign thyroid nodules who underwent thermal ablation were retrospectively enrolled and divided into VRR＜75%group(n=93)and VRR≥75%group(n=145)according to VRR of lesions 12 months after treatment.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to screen the independent impact factors of VRR of lesions 12 months after thermal ablation based on conventional ultrasound and CEUS manifestations.Receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted,the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of the above factors for predicting VRR of lesions.Results High echo,calcification,cystic and solid components,high enhancement,enhancement loss and high ablation energy were all independent risk factors,while circular enhancement was the independent protective factor of VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation(all P＜0.05).The AUC of combination of the above factors for predicting VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation was 0.926.Conclusion High echo,calcification,cystic and solid components,high enhancement,enhancement loss and high ablation energy were all independent risk factors,while circular enhancement was the independent protective factor of VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation.