AIM:To assess the efficacy of intravitreal conbercept for treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration(nAMD)under a treat-and-extend(T & E)regimen.METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on nAMD patients followed over a 2-year period(May 2020 to May 2022). All eyes received three monthly loading intravitreal injections of conbercept, followed by a T& E regimen in which the injection interval was extended by 2 or 4 wk according to disease activity, up to a maximum of 16 wk. When disease activity recurred, the interval was shortened. Patients were divided into initial and non-initial treatment groups based on treatment history. Best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA), central macular thickness(CMT), injection frequency, and intervals between injections over the 24-month follow-up were compared.RESULTS:Totally 27 patients(15 males and 12 females, 33 eyes)were enrolled. In the initial treatment group(18 eyes, mean age 65.72±12.32 y), BCVA significantly improved at 1, 3, and 6 mo(P<0.05), and CMT significantly improved at 1 and 3 mo(P<0.05). In the non-initial treatment group(15 eyes, mean age 69.00±9.21 y), BCVA improved significantly at 3 mo(P<0.05), whereas CMT remained stable(P >0.05). Baseline CMT was similar between the groups(P>0.05). However, significant differences were observed at multiple post-injection time points(P<0.05). The total number of injections did not differ between the groups(P>0.05). Intervals between injections varied, with the majority at 4 and 3-4 mo in the initial and non-initial treatment groups, respectively.CONCLUSION:Initiating intravitreal conbercept therapy under a T & E regimen results in superior visual and anatomical outcomes compared with non-initial treatment.

OBJECTIVE To explore the improvement effects of Suting pingchuan decoction （STPC） on bronchial asthma in rats and its potential mechanism. METHODS Male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， STPC low-， medium- and high-dose groups （4.14， 8.28， and 16.56 g/kg， respectively， based on the crude drug dosage）， and dexamethasone group （positive control， 1 mg/kg）， with 8 rats in each group. Except for the blank group， the other groups were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin and challenged by nebulized inhalation of ovalbumin to establish a bronchial asthma model. From the day of nebulization challenge， rats of each group were administered the corresponding drug solution or normal saline by gavage 1 hour before aerosolization， once a day， for 7 consecutive days. During the experiment， behavioral changes in rats of each group were observed. After the last administration， the levels of inflammatory factors （interleukin-1β， interleukin-18） in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF）， and oxidative stress indexes [malondialdehyde （MDA）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）] in lung tissue were determined； pathological changes in lung tissue were observed； cell apoptosis in lung tissue， and the mRNA expression of nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 （NLRP3） and the protein expressions of NLRP3， cleaved caspase-1， caspase-1， gasdermin D （GSDMD） and gasdermin D-N-terminal domain （GSDMD-N） in lung tissue were detected. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， rats in the model group showed symptoms such as scratching their ears and noses and frequent sneezing； the lung tissue structure was severely damaged， and there was obvious inflammatory cell infiltration. The levels of inflammatory factors in BALF， as well as the level of MDA， TUNEL-apoptotic cell rate， the mRNA expression of NLRP3， and the protein expressions of NLRP3， cleaved caspase-1， caspase-1， GSDMD-N and GSDMD in lung tissue were significantly increased or up-regulated， while the level of SOD in lung tissue was significantly decreased （ P ＜0.05 or P ＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， the above symptoms and pathological damages of lung tissue in each drug group were significantly improved， and all quantitative indicators （except for the protein expressions of GSDMD in the STPC groups， as well as the level of SOD， and the protein expressions of cleaved caspase-1， caspase-1 and GSDMD-N in the STPC low-dose group） were significantly reversed （ P ＜0.05 or P ＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS STPC can improve airway inflammation and lung tissue damage in rats with bronchial asthma， reduce the level of oxidative stress， and decrease the release of inflammatory factors such as IL-1β and IL-18. Its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of pyroptosis activation mediated by the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects and mechanism of the modified Danggui Yinzi on "itch-anxiety" model rats of chronic urticaria （CU）. MethodsThe 36 SPF-grade 6-8-week-old female SD rats were randomly divided into a blank control group，a model group，a positive control group，a low-dose modified Danggui Yinzi group，a medium-dose modified Danggui Yinzi group，and a high-dose modified Danggui Yinzi group. A "itch-anxiety" model was established by intraperitoneal injection of a suspension of sodium chloride and aluminum hydroxide and ovalbumin，combined with chronic unpredictable emotional stress stimulation. After successful modeling，rats in each group were administered drugs by gavage. The positive control group was given intragastric administration of the drug solutions of cetirizine and fluoxetine （2.08 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 fluoxetine， 2 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 cetirizine）， the low-，medium-，and high-dose modified Danggui Yinzi groups were administered traditional Chinese medicine at 1.44，2.88， 5.76 g·kg^-1， respectively，while the blank control group and model group were given an equal volume of normal saline. All interventions lasted for 15 days. Behavioral changes were evaluated by the elevated plus-maze test （detecting the percentage of entries into the open arms （OE%），the percentage of time spent in the open arms （OT%），and the total number of entries into the open and closed arms （TNE）），the open-field test （detecting total activity，average movement speed，and latency to enter the central area），and scratching behavior observation. Pathological changes of skin tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and toluidine blue staining，while those of amygdala tissues were observed by HE staining，Nissl staining，and immunofluorescence detection of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule-1 （Iba-1）. The content of immunoglobulin E （IgE），interleukin-33 （IL-33），histamine in serum and glutamate in the amygdala was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of striatal-enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase （STEP），N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 2B （NR2B）， calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ （CaMKⅡ），phosphorylated CaMKⅡ （p-CaMKⅡ），mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK），phosphorylated MAPK （p-MAPK），nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells （NF-κB），phosphorylated NF-κB （p-NF-κB），and postsynaptic density protein-95 （PSD-95） in the amygdala. ResultsCompared with the blank control group，the model group rats showed obvious anxiety-like behaviors （decreased OE%，OT%，and TNE，reduced total activity，slower average movement speed，and prolonged latency to enter the central area），increased scratching times，obvious skin inflammation and mast cell degranulation，severe amygdala tissue damage，increased glutamate content in the amygdala，and elevated levels of IgE and IL-33 in serum. The expression of STEP，NF-κB，p-NF-κB，NR2B，MAPK，p-MAPK，CaMKⅡ，and p-CaMKⅡ proteins in the amygdala increased，while the expression of PSD-95 protein decreased （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group，the modified Danggui Yinzi group of each dose had increased OE%，OT%，TNE，total activity，and average movement speed，shortened latency to enter the central area， reduced scratching times，alleviated skin inflammation and mast cell degranulation，relieved amygdala tissue damage，decreased glutamate content in the amygdala，and reduced levels of IgE and IL-33 in serum. Moreover，compared with the model group，the low -，medium-，and high-dose modified Danggui Yinzi groups showed decreased expression levels of STEP，NF-κB，p-NF-κB，NR2B，MAPK，p-MAPK，CaMKⅡ，and p-CaMKⅡ proteins in the amygdala，and increased expression of PSD-95 protein. There was a significant dose-effect relationship，with the high-dose group showing the most significant regulatory effect （P<0.05）. ConclusionThe modified Danggui Yinzi has a therapeutic effect on "itch-anxiety" model rats of CU. Its mechanism may be related to regulating glutamate metabolism in the amygdala，modulating the STEP/NR2B/CaMKⅡ/MAPK/NF-κB pathway，and regulating the expression of PSD-95.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy of Xingpi capsules （XPC） in treating diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome （IBS-D） with spleen deficiency and elucidate its potential molecular mechanisms. MethodsA rat model of IBS-D with spleen deficiency was established by administering senna leaf in combination with restrained stress and swimming fatigue for 14 d. Ten specific pathogen free （SPF）-grade healthy rats were used as the normal control group. After successful modeling， SPF-grade rats were randomly divided into a model group， a pinaverium bromide group （1.5 mg·kg^-1）， and low- and high-dose XPC groups （0.135 and 0.54 g·kg^-1）， with 10 rats in each group. Rats in the normal control group and the model group were given distilled water by gavage， while the remaining groups were administered corresponding drug solutions by gavage once a day for 14 consecutive days. The rat body weights and fecal condition were observed every day， and the Bristol score was recorded. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to determine the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） in serum and colon tissue. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the microvilli and tight junctions in the colon. The integrity of the colonic barrier， intestinal motility， and expression of related pathway proteins were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， immunohistochemistry， and Western blot. ResultsCompared with those in the normal control group， rats in the model group showed a significantly decreased body weight and increased diarrhea rate， diarrhea grade， and Bristol score （P<0.01）. HE staining revealed incomplete colonic mucosa in the model group， with evident congestion and edema observed. Electron microscopy results indicated decreased density and integrity of the colonic barrier， shedding and disappearance of microvilli， and significant widening of tight junctions. The expression levels of colonic tight junction proteins Occludin and Claudin-5 were downregulated （P<0.01）， and the levels of 5-HT in serum and colon tissue were elevated （P<0.01）. The small intestine propulsion rate significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the expression of contractile proteins Ras homolog family member A （RhoA） and Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 2 （ROCK2） in colon and phosphorylation of myosin light chain （MLC₂₀） were upregulated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the treatment groups showed alleviated diarrhea， diarrhea-associated symptoms， and pathological manifestations of colon tissue to varying degrees. Specifically， high-dose XPC exhibited effectively relieved diarrhea， promoted recovery of colonic mucosal structure， significantly reduced congestion and edema， upregulated expression of Occludin and Claudin-5 （P<0.01）， decreased levels of 5-HT in serum and colon tissue （P<0.05，P<0.01）， significantly slowed small intestine propulsion rate （P<0.01）， and significantly downregulated expression of contractile proteins RhoA and ROCK2 in colon and phosphorylation of MLC₂₀ （P<0.05，P<0.01）. ConclusionXPC effectively alleviates symptoms of spleen deficiency and diarrhea and regulates the secretion of brain-gut peptide. The characteristics of XPC are mainly manifested in alleviating IBS-D with spleen deficiency from the aspects of protecting intestinal mucosa and inhibiting smooth muscle contraction， and the mechanism is closely related to the regulation of the 5-HT-RhoA/ROCK2 pathway expression.

Objective:To explore the efficacy and safety of orelabrutinib combined with R-CHOP in patients with high-risk nongerminal center B-cell (non-GCB) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with extranodal involvement.Methods:This retrospective study was conducted on 35 patients who were seen at Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital and were immunohistochemically confirmed to have non-GCB DLBCL, had an International Prognostic Index score of 3 - 5, and confirmed to have ≥2 extranodal involvement on PET/CT. The treatment comprised the standard R-CHOP regimen combined with oral orelabrutinib (150 mg/day) for six cycles. In patients who developed neutropenia or grade 3 neutropenia with fever during treatment, administration of prophylactic pegylated granulocyte colony-stimulating factor 48 h after the end of chemotherapy was started on the next cycle. The endpoints included overall response rate (ORR), complete response (CR) rate, progression-free survival (PFS) time, overall survival (OS) time, and safety assessment.Results:The 35 eligible patients enrolled had a median age of 53 years (21 - 72 years) and a median follow-up time of 28 months (12 - 36 months) ; 19 patients had double-expressor (DE) status. The ORR was 88.6%, and the CR rate was 68.6%. The 2-year PFS and OS rates were 68.6% (95% CI 54.0% - 7.2%) and 87.5% (95% CI 76.7% - 100%), respectively. The 2-year PFS rate was significantly lower in patients with DE status than in those without DE status [54.4% (95% CI 35.4% - 84.2%) vs. 85.2% (95% CI 68.3% - 100%), P=0.048]. Serious adverse events included febrile neutropenia, pneumonia, and atrial flutter, but no treatment-related deaths. Conclusion:In patients with high-risk non-GCB DLBCL and extranodal involvement, the combination of orelabrutinib with R-CHOP regimen had good efficacy and manageable toxicity.

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a heterogeneous clonal myeloid malignancy with a variable prognosis. Some myeloid-related gene alterations have been found to be associated with the diagnosis and prognosis of MDS. As a result, multiple myeloid-related gene mutations have been added to International Working Group for Prognosis in MDS (IWG-PM) and other MDS prognosis evaluation systems as diagnostic and prognostic indications. Further research using the variable allele frequency (VAF) detection technique demonstrated that myeloid-related genes evolve dynamically during the course of MDS with some regularity. Furthermore, significant relevance have been found between the VAF evolution of particular myeloid-related genes and MDS subtypes, risk classification, and prognosis. This article provides an overview of the application of VAF of myeloid-related gene mutations in MDS research, highlighting the critical role of gene mutation VAF in MDS subtype categorization, risk stratification, and therapy response assessment.

Objective:To explore the clinical features and genetic etiology of a child with a SETD1B gene variant causing seizures and language delay. Methods:A child with a SETD1B gene variant admitted to the Department of Pediatric Neurology at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in September 2022 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the child were collected, and peripheral blood samples from the child and her parents were obtained. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed for genetic testing, and Sanger sequencing was used for familial validation of the candidate variant. Using " SETD1B" and " epilepsy" as the Chinese and English keywords, relevant cases were retrieved from databases including CNKI, Wanfang Data, OMIM and PubMed, with the search period spanning from database inception to June 2024. Results:① The child was a 6-year-old female presenting with myoclonic seizures accompanied by global developmental delay. ② WES and Sanger sequencing revealed that the child has carried a de novo SETD1B gene variant, namely, c. 5582G>A (p.Cys1961Tyr). According to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines for sequence variant interpretation, this variant was classified as likely pathogenic (PS2+ PM2_Supporting+ PP2+ PP3). ③ The child was not controlled with effective doses of valproate, levetiracetam, or clonazepam but was successfully managed with low-dose lamotrigine. Follow-up electroencephalography showed normal results, and developmental progress gradually improved. ④ A total of 37 epilepsy cases with SETD1B gene variants were reported across six studies. The predominant seizure types included absence seizures and myoclonic absence seizures, accompanied by delayed language development. The response to pharmacological treatment was generally poor, with no statistically significant difference in incidence between males and females. Conclusion:SETD1B gene variant may induced neurological disorders with drug-resistant epilepsy and severe clinical manifestations. Lamotrigine is effective in controlling the epileptic seizures.

The Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions(STOPP)and the Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment(START)play a crucial role in identifying potentially inappropriate prescriptions among the elderly.As the aging population continues to grow, there is an urgent need for effective tools to address the challenges of multimorbidity and polypharmacy in elderly patients in China.However, the development of rational medication screening tools has significantly lagged, and there is currently a lack of sensitive and effective instruments in China.This article analyzes the newly added entries in the third edition of STOPP/START, aiming to provide a reference for managing multiple medication regimens and for the development of relevant tools for elderly patients in China.

Objective To investigate the level of self-efficacy in peritoneal dialysis patients,and to ana-lyze its influencing factors.Methods The convenience sampling method was adopted.A total of 232 patients with peritoneal dialysis in the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from March 2022 to March 2023 were selected as the study subjects to conduct the status quo survey of chronic disease self-efficacy scale,social support scale,medical coping style questionnaire and patient positivity scale,and the results were analyzed.Re-sults The self-efficacy score of the patients with peritoneal dialysis(6.67±2.14)points,education level,fam-ily monthly income,working status,submission,social support,objective support,subjective support and pa-tient positivity were the main factors affecting the level of self-efficacy(P<0.05),explaining 64.4%of the variation amount.Self-efficacy was positively correlated with social support,facing and patient positivity(P<0.05),and negatively correlated with avoidance and submission(P<0.05).Conclusion The self-efficacy of peritoneal dialysis patients is generally at a low to medium level.Medical staff should pay more attention to it and improve it.

BACKGROUND:Myocardial cell hypoxic injury is closely associated with oxidative stress and ferroptosis.Previous studies have shown that aloin has various effects such as antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,and anti-tumor activities.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of aloin on oxidative stress and ferroptosis in hypoxia-induced H9C2 cells.METHODS:A hypoxia model was established using H9C2 myocardial cells.Firstly,cell viability was determined to confirm the lack of cytotoxicity of aloin and to determine its optimal therapeutic concentration.Subsequently,the effects of aloin on hypoxia-induced lactate dehydrogenase release,reactive oxygen species production,and mitochondrial oxidative stress in H9C2 cells were evaluated using assay kits,dihydroethidium fluorescent probes,and MitoSOX?Red fluorescent probes,respectively.To verify the effect of aloin on ferroptosis,intracellular Fe2+content and lipid peroxidation level were detected using fluorescence staining and flow cytometry,respectively.Then,the expression levels of ferroptosis regulatory factors glutathione peroxidase 4,acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4,and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 were detected using western blot assay and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR techniques.Finally,the role of ferroptosis in aloin-mediated myocardial protection was further confirmed by using the ferroptosis inducer Erastin.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the control group,the viability of H9C2 cells in the hypoxia group was significantly decreased,lactate dehydrogenase release,reactive oxygen species level,mitochondrial oxidative stress degree,Fe2+content,and lipid peroxidation degree were significantly increased,while glutathione peroxidase 4 and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly decreased,and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 mRNA and protein expression were significantly increased(all P＜0.05).(2)Compared with the hypoxia group,both low and high doses of aloin reversed the changes in above indicators(all P＜0.05).(3)Compared with the hypoxia+aloin group,the hypoxia+aloin+Erastin group showed a significant decrease in H9C2 cell viability and a significant increase in lactate dehydrogenase release(both P＜0.01).The results indicate that aloin has a protective effect on hypoxia-treated H9C2 cells in a dose-dependent manner,mainly achieved by inhibiting oxidative stress and ferroptosis.