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.

AIM: To explore the therapeutic effect of oral Xuefu Zhuyu Pill combined with intravitreal injection of aflibercept in the treatment of retinal vein occlusion(RVO).METHODS: A total of 80 patients(80 eyes)with RVO admitted to our hospital from January 2021 to March 2024 were prospectively selected. According to the treatment method, they were divided into a control group of 40 patients treated with intravitreal injection of aflibercept, and an observation group of 40 patients treated with oral Xuefu Zhuyu Pill combined with intravitreal injection of aflibercept. The efficacy, TCM syndrome score, retinal microcirculation parameters, macular edema(ME), and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups of patients in the treatment of RVO.RESULTS: All patients have completed follow-up. The clinical effective rate of the observation group after treatment was 95%, obviously higher than that of the control group(80%; χ2=4.114, P=0.043). After treatment for 3 mo, the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores, foveal avascular area(FAZ)area, FAZ circumference, macular central retinal thickness, and neovascularization leakage area of both groups decreased, the overall blood flow density of the superficial capillary plexus(SCP)and deep capillary plexuses(DCP)increased, and the observation group showed better results than the control group(all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the occurrence of adverse reactions between the two groups during the treatment period(P>0.05).CONCLUSION: Oral administration of Xuefu Zhuyu Pill combined with intravitreal injection of aflibercept in the treatment of RVO can improve retinal microcirculation, enhance vision, restore ocular blood circulation, improve bleeding, promote ME absorption, and improve clinical efficacy.

Objective To investigate the association between lifestyle and risk of heart disease and diabetes in the elderly population in Xi'an City. Methods From January 2021 to January 2024, a staged cluster sampling method was used to investigate the lifestyle and the occurrence of heart disease and diabetes in elderly population aged 60 years and above in the communities of Xi'an. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between lifestyle and the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Results A total of 413 elderly people were investigated, of which 31.96% had heart disease, 27.12% had diabetes, and 10.90% had diabetes with heart disease. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age, BMI, family history, sweet food preference, smoking, and sitting and lying for a long time were risk factors for diabetes in the elderly population (P<0.05). Age, BMI, family history, history of diabetes, preference for salted products, smoking, drinking, and sitting and lying for a long time were risk factors for heart disease in the elderly population (P<0.05). Conclusion The incidence rates of heart disease and diabetes are high in the elderly population in Xi'an City. The risk of diabetes is related to unhealthy lifestyles such as sweet food preference, smoking, and sitting and lying for a long time, while heart disease is related to unhealthy lifestyles such as preference for salted products, smoking, drinking, and sitting and lying for a long time.

In recent years,radiation therapy has become a cornerstone in the treatment of head and neck tumors,significantly improving patient survival rates.However,the issue of radiation-induced carotid artery stenosis has garnered increasing attention.Characterized by multiple,long-segment,and unstable lesions,radiation-induced carotid stenosis presents unique challenges that traditional therapeutic approaches struggle to address.This review systematically summarized the pathological features and underlying mechanisms of radiation-induced carotid stenosis,with a focus on the roles of endothelial cells,smooth muscle cells,and vasa vasorum damage.Future research directions and preventive strategies are also discussed.

Objective:To investigate the impact of ionizing radiation(IR)on the structure and function of the testis and pro-vide some strategies for the prevention and treatment of IR-induced damage(IRD).Methods:Using radiation dose simulation,se-men analysis,hormone testing,electron microscopy and single-cell transcriptome sequencing,we assessed and analyzed a case of IRD.We established a mouse model of IRD to validate the results of single-cell sequencing,and investigated the specific biological mecha-nisms of IRD and potential strategies for its intervention.Results:IR at 1-2 Gy significantly reduced sperm concentration and mo-tility,which gradually recovered after 12 months but the percentage of morphologically normal sperm remained low.It also caused im-balanced levels of various steroid hormones,decreased testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate,increased progesterone,prolac-tin,luteinizing hormone,and follicle-stimulating hormone.Electron microscopy revealed damages to the testis structure,including loss of germ cells,atrophy of the seminiferous tubules,nuclear membrane depression of the spermatocytes,mitochondrial atrophy and de-formation,and reduction of mitochondrial cristae.Single-cell sequencing indicated significant changes in the function of the Leydig cells and macrophages and disrupted lipid-related metabolic pathways after IRD.Administration of L-carnitine to the mouse model im-proved lipid metabolism disorders and partially alleviated IRD to the germ cells.Conclusion:Ionizing radiation can cause disorders of testicular spermatogenesis and sexual hormones and inhibit lipid metabolism pathways in Leydig cells and macrophages.Improving lipid metabolism can alleviate IRD to germ cells.

Relevant literature on TCM diagnostic and treatment equipment from January 1994 to May 2023 was collected with three Chinese databases,namely,China National Knowledge Infrastructure,Wanfang and Wipu.CiteSpace software was used for the analyses of the trend of annual publication volume,co-occurrence of publication institutions,co-occurrence of keywords,cluster and burst and the generation of corresponding knowledge graphs.It's pointed out TCM diagnostic and treatment equipment had problems in low publication volume and collaboration between research institutions,hotspots of Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment,diagnosis and treatment equipment,diagnosis device,Chinese medicine diagnosis,diagnosis and treatment technology and traditional Chinese medicine,and research frontiers of artificial intelligence,medical alliance,curriculum design and innovation and entrepreneurship.References were provided for relevant research in China.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(3):76-80]

[Purpose]To analyze the trend of bladder cancer incidence and age at diagnosis in can-cer registration areas of Jiangsu Province from 2009 to 2019.[Methods]The data of bladder can-cer incidence from 2009 to 2019 were collected from 16 cancer registries in Jiangsu Province,and quality control indicators of the data were evaluated.The crude rate(CR)of incidence,age-standar-dized incidence rate by Segi world standard population(ASIRW),age-specific incidence rate,mean age at diagnosis,mean standardized age at diagnosis,and age-specific incidence composi-tion ratio were calculated.Incidence trends were analyzed using Joinpoint software and the average annual percentage change(AAPC)was calculated.Birth cohort models were constructed and can-cer incidence rates were calculated for people born from 1929 to 2019 and the incidence trends were analyzed.The linear regression models were used to analyze the relationship of average age at onset,standardized average age of onset with year of onset.[Results]The CR of bladder cancer in Jiangsu Province increased from 4.27/105 in 2009 to 7.04/105 in 2019.The CR and ASIRW showed upward trends(CR:AAPC=4.62％,ASIRW:AAPC=1.92％,both P＜0.001).Sex-specific analysis showed that the incidence rate was higher in male(AAPC=5.32％)than that in female(AAPC=1.98％).Birth cohort results indicated a significant upward trend in incidence rates among age groups of 60 years old above,and the fastest increase was in those aged 80 years old and above(AAPC=3.27％,P=0.007).From 2009 to 2019,the average age of bladder cancer onset in Jiangsu Province showed a significant rising trend,increasing by an average of 0.17 years old annually,but the standardized average age of onset showed no significant change after adjusting for age structure.[Conclusion]The incidence rate of bladder cancer showed an increasing trend from 2009 to 2019 in Jiangsu Province,with a significantly higher incidence rate in male than that in female.

[Objective]To investigate the difference of ultrasound characteristics between pure mucinous carcinoma(PMC)and fibroadenoma(FA)of the breast.[Methods]Ultrasound data of 50 continuous patients with breast PMC from January 2012 to January 2021 and 100 continuous patients with breast FA from June 2018 to January 2019 in Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were retrospectively reviewed.The ultrasound characteristics of the two groups were evaluated according to the 2013 BI-RADS Ultrasound Atlas,and the differences in age,maximum diameter and ultrasound characteristics between the two groups were compared.[Results]The median age of PMC patients was 47 years and that of FA patients was 33 years.The age of PMC patients was higher than that of the FA group,and the differ-ence between the two groups of patients was statistically significant(P<0.001).The median maximum diameter of PMC pa-tients was 2.4 cm,which was greater than that of the FA group(1.8 cm),and the difference was statistically significant(P=0.001).Of the PMC,70%(35/50)were irregular,82%(41/50)were parallel to the skin,92%(46/50)had no circum-scribed margin,72%(36/50)were hypoechoic,and 68%(34/50)had enhanced posterior echo.Of the FA,69%(69/100)were oval or round,98%(98/100)were parallel to the skin,54%(54/100)had circumscribed margin,98%(98/100)were hypoechoic,and 75%(75/100)had no posterior features.The differences in the above ultrasound characteris-tics between the PMC and FA groups were statistically significant(P<0.001,P=0.001,P<0.001,P<0.001,P<0.001).There was no significant difference between calcifications and blood flow.[Conclusions]Compared with the FA group,pa-tients with PMC are older and the diameter of the lesions are larger.On ultrasound,the morphology and margin of most breast PMC still show the growth characteristics of invasive cancer.Meanwhile,the posterior echo of PMC is enhanced,which is a unique manifestation.

Objective To investigate the correlations of the expression levels of plasma long non-coding RNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (LncRNA PVT1) and microRNA-143-3p (miR-143-3p) with disease activity and prognosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods A total of 129 RA patients admitted to our hospital from April 2021 to April 2023 were selected as disease group. According to the 28-joint disease activity scores (DAS28), the patients were divided into stable disease group (n=28), mildly active group (n=42), moderately active group (n=35), and severely active group (n=24). According to the prognosis of the patients after 6 months of treatment, they were divided into good prognosis group (n=88) and poor prognosis group (n=41), and 110 healthy people who underwent physical examinations in our hospital during the same period were included as control group. The expression levels of plasma LncRNA PVT1 and miR-143-3p were detected using quantitative real-time fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The targeting relationship between LncRNA PVT1 and miR-143-3p was predicted using the Target Scan Human website. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the factors influencing the prognosis of RA patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to assess the predictive value of plasma LncRNA PVT1 and miR-143-3p for the prognosis of RA patients. Results The plasma LncRNA PVT1 level in the disease group was higher than that in the control group, while the plasma miR-143-3p level was lower (P < 0.05). The plasma LncRNA PVT1 levels decreased sequentially in the severe activity, moderate activity, mild activity, and disease stable groups, while the plasma miR-143-3p levels increased sequentially (P < 0.05).The proportion of patients positive for human leukocyte antigen-DR4 (HLA-DR4), DAS28, and plasma LncRNA PVT1 expression level were higher in the poor prognosis group than in the good prognosis group, while the plasma miR-143-3p level was lower (P < 0.05). Plasma LncRNA PVT1, miR-143-3p expression, HLA-DR4 positivity, and DAS28 were factors influencing the prognosis of RA patients (P < 0.05). LncRNA PVT1 and miR-143-3p had targeted binding sites, and there was a negative correlation between them (P < 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) for the combined prediction of plasma LncRNA PVT1 and miR-143-3p for prognosis of RA patients was 0.914, which was superior to the individual diagnosis of LncRNA PVT1 or miR-143-3p (Z=2.159, P=0.031; Z=2.108, P=0.035). The sensitivity and specificity of the combined diagnosis were 95.12% and 78.41%, respectively. Conclusion The plasma LncRNA PVT1 level gradually increases, while the plasma miR-143-3p level gradually decreases with increasing RA disease activity. The combined detection of the two biomarkers has high predictive value for the prognosis of RA patients.

Objective:To understand the prevalence, blood pressure control, and influencing factors of hypertension in residents aged 35-75 years in Jiangsu Province, and provide data support and basis for hypertension prevention and treatment.Methods:A stratified cluster sampling method was adopted to conduct community population surveys in 22 districts and counties in 12 prefectures in Jiangsu from 2021 to 2022. A total of 123 531 permanent residents aged 35-75 years were included in the study. The questionnaire survey collected the information about the demographic characteristics, disease history, lifestyle, and control of hypertension of study subjects. Statistical software SPSS 23.0 was used for χ2 test and multivariate logistic regression analysis, and Joinpoint 4.9.1.0 software was used to evaluate the trend of age change. Results:The standardized prevalence of hypertension in study subjects was 46.60%, the prevalence was higher in men than in women, and in rural residents than in urban residents, and the standardized blood pressure control rate was 11.24%, and it was lower in men than in women and in rural residents than in urban residents. The hypertension prevalence and control rates showed increasing trends with age (both P<0.001). The multivariate analysis results showed that being man, older age, being rural resident, higher frequency of alcohol consumption, marital status of being separated and widowed, overweight and obese, abdominal obesity and stroke, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidaemic diseases histories, and family history of hypertension were risk factors for hypertension, and being man, being rural resident, living north area, higher frequency of alcohol consumption, and obesity were risk factors for blood pressure control. Conclusions:The prevalence of hypertension in residents aged 35-75 years in Jiangsu was high, and the rate of blood pressure control was low. It is suggested to take integrated intervention measures, especially in in rural residents and people with low levels of education to reduce the disease burden of the patients.