Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）， as the sixth most common malignant tumor worldwide， poses a serious threat to human health due to its insidious onset and high mortality rate. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms and intervention strategies of gut microbiota （GM） homeostasis in the development and progression of HCC， in order to provide new ideas for the intervention and treatment of HCC. Studies have shown that GM dysbiosis， intestinal leakage， microbial-associated molecular pattern， bacterial translocation， and metabolic products play key roles in the progression of HCC. GM imbalance may lead to immune escape， thereby promoting tumor cell proliferation and metastasis. This article elaborates on the association between GM and HCC， deeply analyzes the mechanism of action of GM in the development and progression of HCC， investigates the role of bile acid-related metabolites， short-chain fatty acid-related metabolites， and other metabolites in HCC， and explores the strategies for targeting GM in the treatment of HCC， including probiotics， prebiotics， antibiotics， Toll-like receptor 4 antagonists， and fecal microbiota transplantation. This article emphasizes that maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier and GM homeostasis is of great significance in the prevention and treatment of HCC， which provides a direction for developing new diagnosis and treatment strategies.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of ganoderic acid A （GA-A） on a mouse model of concanavalin A （ConA）-induced autoimmune hepatitis （AIH）. MethodsA total of 35 mice were randomly divided into control group （NC group）， model group （ConA group）， and low-， middle-， and high-dose GA-A treatment groups （GA-A-L， GA-A-M， and GA-A-H groups， respectively）， with 7 mice in each group. ConA was injected via the caudal vein of mice to establish a classic mouse model of AIH， and different doses of GA-A were administered via intraperitoneal injection 1 hour later for treatment. Proteomic techniques were used to investigate the protective mechanism of GA-A on hepatocytes， and HL-60 cells were differentiated into dHL-60 neutrophils by all-trans retinoic acid in vitro to validate the mechanism of action of GA-A. Related indicators were measured， including inflammatory markers （the activities of serum alanine aminotransferase ［ALT］ and aspartate aminotransferase ［AST］， HE staining， and inflammation-related genes）， apoptosis markers （TUNEL staining）， neutrophils， and neutrophil extracellular trap （NET） markers （myeloperoxidase ［MPO］， citrullinated histone H3 ［CitH3］， Ly6G， and free double-stranded DNA ［dsDNA］）， and p38 phosphorylation markers. The independent samples t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups； a one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsCompared with the NC group， the ConA group had significant increases in the serum levels of ALT and AST （both P<0.001）， and compared with the ConA group， GA-A treatment significantly reduced the levels of ALT and AST （both P<0.01）. HE staining showed that the mice in the ConA group had significant liver necrosis， while GA-A treatment significantly reduced the area of liver necrosis and the number of TUNEL-positive cells （both P<0.05）. Compared with the ConA group， the GA-A group had significant reductions in the expression levels of the inflammatory factors interleukin-6， tumor necrosis factor-α， and interferon gamma in serum and liver tissue （all P<0.05）. The proteomic analysis showed that GA-A alleviated ConA-induced acute immune liver injury by inhibiting the release of NET and the p38 MAPK pathway. Immunofluorescent staining of mouse liver tissue showed that compared with the ConA group， the GA-A group had significant reductions in the number of MPO-positive neutrophils and the number of cells with positive Ly6G and CitH3 （all P<0.01）. Western Blot and dsDNA testing showed that GA-A significantly inhibited the levels of the NET markers dsDNA and CitH3 and the level of p38 phosphorylation in liver tissue and dHL-60 cells （all P<0.05）. ConclusionGA-A alleviates liver inflammatory response and hepatocyte death by inhibiting the p38 MAPK pathway and the release of NET， thereby alleviating ConA-induced acute immune liver injury. This study provides a theoretical basis for the use of GA-A to treat immune liver injury by regulating neutrophil function.

Background::Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) remains a common complication during liver transplantation (LT) in patients. As a key downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, Yes-associated protein (YAP) has been reported to be involved in various physiological and pathological processes. However, it remains elusive whether and how YAP may control autophagy activation during ischemia-reperfusion.Methods::Human liver tissues from patients who had undergone LT were obtained to evaluate the correlation between YAP and autophagy activation. Both an in vitro hepatocyte cell line and in vivo liver-specific YAP knockdown mice were used to establish the hepatic ischemia-reperfusion models to determine the role of YAP in the activation of autophagy and the mechanism of regulation. Results::Autophagy was activated in the post-perfusion liver grafts during LT in patients, and the expression of YAP positively correlated with the autophagic level of hepatocytes. Liver-specific knockdown of YAP inhibited hepatocytes autophagy upon hypoxia-reoxygenation and HIRI ( P <0.05). YAP deficiency aggravated HIRI by promoting the apoptosis of hepatocytes both in the in vitro and in vivo models ( P <0.05). Attenuated HIRI by overexpression of YAP was diminished after the inhibition of autophagy with 3-methyladenine. In addition, inhibiting autophagy activation by YAP knockdown exacerbated mitochondrial damage through increasing reactive oxygen species ( P <0.05). Moreover, the regulation of autophagy by YAP during HIRI was mediated by AP1 (c-Jun) N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling through binding to the transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD). Conclusions::YAP protects against HIRI by inducing autophagy via JNK signaling that suppresses the apoptosis of hepatocytes. Targeting Hippo (YAP)-JNK-autophagy axis may provide a novel strategy for the prevention and treatment of HIRI.

ObjectiveThrough a randomized， double-blind， double-simulation， positive-control， multicenter design， this study aimed to analyze the relationship between the dosage， efficacy， and safety of Pudilan anti-inflammatory oral liquid in treating acute pharyngitis/tonsillitis in adults caused by bacterial infection and validate the regulatory effect of Pudilan anti-inflammatory oral liquid on inflammatory markers such as serum amyloid A （SAA）， C-reactive protein （CRP）， white blood cells （WBC）， neutrophil percentage （NE%）， and erythrocyte sedimentation rate （ESR）， thereby exploring the feasibility of using Pudilan anti-inflammatory oral liquid as a substitute for antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diseases and providing a basis for rational clinical medication. MethodUsing a stratified randomized， double-blind， double-simulation， positive-control， multicenter design， 220 participants were enrolled from nine centers. The participants were randomly divided into three groups at 1∶1∶1 — a Pudilan anti-inflammatory oral liquid 20 mL group （73 cases）， a Pudilan anti-inflammatory oral liquid 10 mL group （73 cases）， and a control group （amoxicillin group， 74 cases）. The treatment course was 7 days. The study observed parameters including the total effective rate of sore throat， onset and disappearance time of sore throat， health status score， treatment time， and inflammation markers. Result①Dataset division： The 211 cases were included in the full analysis dataset （FAS）， 208 cases were included in the per-protocol dataset （PPS）， and 218 cases were included in the safety dataset （SS）. ② Efficacy evaluation： There were statistically significant differences （P<0.05） in the comparison of the three groups regarding the total effective rate of sore throat， disappearance time of sore throat， and health status. Both the 20 mL and 10 mL groups were non-inferior to the control group， and there was a statistically significant difference between the 20 mL and 10 mL dosage groups （P<0.05）. There was no statistically significant difference in the comparison of onset time of sore throat among the groups. CRP， WBC， and NE% of patients in all three groups significantly decreased on the 7^th day of treatment compared with those before treatment （P<0.01）. ③Safety evaluation： Adverse events mainly occurred in various examination indicators. There were no statistically significant differences in the comparison between groups， and no adverse reactions or serious adverse events occurred. ④Economic evaluation： The increased cost of the 10 mL and 20 mL dosage groups was entirely justified as compared with that in the control group. When comparing the 10 mL and 20 mL dosage groups， the 10 mL dosage group was deemed less advantageous. ConclusionPudilan anti-inflammatory oral liquid can be used alone as an alternative to antibiotics in the treatment of acute pharyngitis/tonsillitis caused by bacterial infection. It demonstrates good safety and can lower inflammation markers such as CRP， WBC， and NE%， suggesting its potential to reduce the body's inflammatory response. Its mechanism of action may be related to its multi-target regulatory mechanism.

OBJECTIVE To evaluat e the cost-effectiveness of Keluoxin capsule combi ned with chemical medicine in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease （DKD）from the perspective of the whole society. METHODS Six-state Markov model with 1 year cycle and 40 years time horizon was constructed by means of secondary literature review ，medical record analysis of sample hospital and clinical expert consultation. The cost-effectiveness of Keluoxin capsule combined with chemical medicine versus chemical medicine alone for DKD was evaluated by taking the quality-adjusted life year （QALY）as the output index ，setting the discount rate as 5％，and taking one time domestic gross domestic product （GDP）per capita in 2020 of China as the judgement threshold of incremental cost-effectiveness ratio （ICER）. RESULTS Within 40 years，Keluoxin capsule combined with chemical medicine group spent 8 644.09 yuan per capita more than chemical medicine alone group ，and gained more 0.143 QALYs；ICER was 60 460.25 yuan/QALY，which was less than one times GDP per capita of China in 2020（72 447 yuan）. The results of sensitivity analysis showed that the annual days of using Keluoxin capsule ，the health utility value of DKD at early stage had a great influence on the results of cost-effectiveness analysis. The results of probabilistic sensitivity analysis suggested that the basic analysis results of this study were robust. CONCLUSIONS At the current price level ，Keluoxin capsule combined with chemical medicine is more cost-effective to treat DKD than chemical medicine alone. The dosage of Keluoxin capsule and health utility value should be paid attention in specific decision- bjmu.edu.cn making scenarios.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of mulberry twig alkaloids (Sangzhi alkaloids, SZ-A) for treatment of type 2 diabetes in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial. METHODS: A total of 200 patients were randomized to receive SZ-A (n=100) or placebo (n=100) for 16 weeks. The data analysis system for electronic data capture clinical trial central randomization system was used for randomization and dispensing of drugs. The primary outcome was the change in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level. The secondary outcome included the proportions of cases with HbA1c <7.0% and HbA1c <6.5%, fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), area under curve for the PBG (AUC_0-2h), body weight, and body mass index (BMI). Adverse events (AEs), severe adverse events (SAEs), treatment-related adverse events (TAEs), gastrointestinal disorders (GDs), blood pressure, routine blood tests, and liver and kidney function were monitored. RESULTS: Compared with baseline, the change of HbA1c at week 16 was -0.80% (95% CI: -0.98% to -0.62%) and -0.09% (95% CI: -0.27% to 0.09%) in SZ-A group and placebo group, respectively. The proportion of patients with HbA1c <7% and <6.5% was higher in the SZ-A group than in the placebo group (46.8% vs. 21.6% and 29.9% vs. 10.8%). The observed values and changes in FBG, 1 h-PBG, 2 h-PBG, and AUC_0-2h differed significantly between groups (P<0.001), but differences were not significant in body weight and BMI (P>0.05). The incidence rates of AEs, TAEs, and GDs differed significantly between groups (P=0.010, P=0.005, and P=0.006, respectively), whereas the incidence rates of SAEs showed no significant differences between groups (P=1.000). CONCLUSION SZ-A are effective and safe for treatment of type 2 diabetes. The protocol was registered in http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=60117 (ChiCTR2000038550).
Alkaloids ; Blood Glucose ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy* ; Double-Blind Method ; Glycated Hemoglobin A ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Morus ; Tablets/therapeutic use* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of "twelve-section ultrasonic screening diagnosis method" in screening for neonatal complex congenital heart disease (CHD) in primary hospitals.Methods:This is a prospective study. A total of 71 580 newborns were screened for CHD using the "twelve-section ultrasonic screening diagnosis method" from four pilot units in Hebei province, which were Bo'ai Hospital of Huanghua Development Zone, Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Fengning County, Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital of Tang Country, and Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital of Rongcheng Country, from November 2015 to December 2019. Another 262 children with CHD were enrolled, including 39 with complex CHD. These cases received ultrasonography at four pilot units above and then were transferred to CHD Screening Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Hebei Children's Hospital (our center) prior to the implementation of "twelve-section ultrasonic screening diagnosis method" from June 2012 to June 2014, who were all confirmed by surgery. Set the diagnosis results of our center as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic consistency rate in screening for complex CHD cases were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and Chi-square test were used to compare and analyze the sensitivity for screening neonatal complex CHD before and after implementing the method. The screening results of complex CHD after implementing the method between the pilot units and our center as well as between the four pilot units were compared and analyzed using Chi-square test. Results:A total of 553 (0.77%) CHD cases were detected by the "twelve-section ultrasound screening diagnosis method", including 66 cases of complex CHD and 487 cases simple CHD. Among the cases screened using the method, there were three false negative cases (one case with total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, one with abnormal coronary artery originating from pulmonary artery, and one with atresia of distal to the left subclavian artery, aortic arch and left aortic arch of double-arch), one false positive case (false echo loss of aortopulmonary septal that was misdiagnosed as aortopulmonary septal defect), five cases of misdiagnosis (one common pulmonary venous atresia case that was misdiagnosed as total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, one persistent stenosis of the fifth aortic arch that was misdiagnosed as coarctation of aorta, one pulmonary artery sling that was misdiagnosed as absence of left pulmonary artery, one severe coarctation of aorta that was misdiagnosed as interruption of aortic arch, and one aortic isthmus atresia that was misdiagnosed as coarctation of aorta), and all were complex CHD cases. A total of 68 cases (12.3%) of complex CHD were confirmed by our center. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic consistency rate of screening were 95.6% (65/68), 99.8% (484/485), and 86.8% (59/68), respectively and the area under ROC curve was 0.98. Before the implementation, the overall sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic coincidence rates of ultrasonic screening for complex CHD were 69.2%(27/39), 95.5%(213/223), and 61.5% (24/39), respectively, and the area under ROC curve was 0.82. The sensitivity of complex CHD screening was significantly increased after implementing the method ( χ2=14.28, P<0.05). There was no significant statistical significance in the sensitivity for screening complex CHD after the implementation between the pilots and our center or between the four pilots (all P>0.05). Conclusions:"Twelve-section ultrasonic screening diagnosis method" is suitable for the screening of neonatal complex CHD in hospitals at the county level. However patients with some special types of complex CHD are recommended to be transferred for a more accurate diagnosis.

Objective To analyze the basic characteristics and variation trend of death causes of permanent residents in Enshi City during 2013-2018, to assess the burden of different diseases, and to provide a scientific basis for formulating disease prevention and control strategies. Methods The death monitoring data of permanent residents in Enshi City, Hubei Province from 2013 to 2018 was collected. The crude mortality, standardized mortality, life expectancy, potential years of life loss (PYLL), standard potential years of life loss (SPYLL), average years of life lost (AYLL), and annual percentage change (APC) were calculated to describe the distribution and trend of death causes. Results The average annual crude death rate and standardized death rate of residents in Enshi City from 2013 to 2018 were 679.43 per 100 000 and 615.02 per 100 000, respectively. The top 5 causes of death were circulatory system diseases, respiratory system diseases, malignant tumors, injuries, and digestive system diseases, accounting for 91.2% of the total deaths. Analysis of life expectancy found that the average life expectancy of local residents from 2013 to 2018 was 78.02 years, and the value in the male group (75.57 years) was lower than that in the female group (80.78 years). Life loss analysis revealed that PYLL caused by various diseases was 171 620 person-years, SPYLL was 171 284.62 person-years, and AYLL was 15.03 years/person in Enshi City from 2013 to 2018. Among all the death causes, the top five in terms of life loss were injuries, malignant tumors, circulatory diseases, respiratory diseases and digestive diseases. Conclusion From 2013 to 2018, the death rate of residents in Enshi City was relatively higher compared with those in other cities in China, the average annual crude death rate was on the rise, and the average annual standardized death rate was on the decline, indicating a highly ageing region. Chronic diseases such as circulatory system diseases, malignant tumors, and respiratory diseases, as well as injuries were the main death causes and caused a heavy burden of diseases, which should be the focus of future prevention and control work. Considering the higher levels of death and life loss indicators of male residents than those of women, targeted prevention and control measures should be taken to narrow the gap between men and women and improve the overall life quality of the whole population.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture therapy has shown promise for effectively relieving preoperative anxiety. Nevertheless, previous findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are inconsistent and must be examined in detail. OBJECTIVE: This study systematically evaluates the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy for preoperative anxiety as well as the quality of evidence supporting this application. SEARCH STRATEGY: The China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang Data Journal Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chongqing VIP, Embase, PubMed and Cochrane Library Databases were queried from their inception to 19, February 2020, using keywords such as "acupuncture therapy," "preoperative" and "anxioty." Manual searches expanded the search breadth and included conference abstracts and other reference lists. INCLUSION CRITERIA: RCTs were included in the current study if they contained a comparison between a group of anxiety patients that received acupuncture therapy and a control group that received sham acupuncture. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Literature was reviewed, and various articles were selected using the NoteExpress 3.2.0 software. Two researchers independently screened and extracted data and evaluated the risk of bias in the included studies. The RevMan 5.3 software was used for data aggregation and the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) assessment was used to evaluate the quality of the study outcomes. RESULTS: Twelve studies were included in the review, containing a total of 916 patients. Meta-analysis showed that, compared with the control group, patients who received acupuncture therapy had reduced State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Scale (STAI-S) score (mean difference [MD] = -9.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-13.19 to -4.96], P < 0.0001) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score (MD = -1.37, 95% CI [-2.29 to -0.45], P = 0.003). However, for the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score, there was no difference between the two groups (MD = -3.98, 95% CI [-12.89 to 4.92], P = 0.38). Further, the GRADE assessment demonstrated that the STAI-S was of moderate quality, the VAS of low quality and the HAMA of very low quality. CONCLUSION Acupuncture therapy may be able to decrease anxiety in preoperative patients, but the results need to be further verified due to the small sample sizes and the low quality of evidence to date.

Objective To investigate the effectiveness and safety of oral olive oil combined with polyethylene glycol electrolyte ( PEG ) on bowel preparation before colonoscopy for chronic constipation patients. Methods A randomized, single-blind, prospective study was conducted on 180 patients with chronic constipation, who underwent colonoscopy at Tangdu Hospital of the Fourth Military Medical University from November 2017 to May 2018. Patients were randomly divided into three groups. Patients in group A took 60 mL olive oil and a piece of crystal sugar at 7:30 pm the day before colonoscopy, followed by 1500 mL PEG at 8:00 pm before the test, and 1500 mL PEG at 5:00 am the day of colonoscopy. Patients in group B took 60 mL olive oil and a piece of crystal sugar after administration of PEG at 8:00 pm the day before colonoscopy, followed by 1500 mL PEG at 5:00 am the day of colonoscopy. The group C was given 1500 mL PEG at 8:00 pm the day before colonoscopy, and another 1500 mL PEG at 5:00 am the day of colonoscopy. We recorded the time of first defecation after taking medication, the number of defecation before sleep, the total number of defecation, the score of Boston bowel preparation scale ( BBPS) of the right, middle and left colon, and the adverse reactions, and compared the data among the three groups. The measurement data was compared using the analysis of variance. After the difference was found, the LSD-t test was used to compare between the two groups. The enumeration data was compared using the Pearsonχ2 test. Results One patient in the group B terminated colonoscopy due to unable to continue cooperation during the examination. Group B and C both excluded one patient because of a large mass found in the descending colon of patients. Finally, there were 60 cases in the group A, 58 in the group B, and 59 in the group C. There was no statistical difference between the three groups in the general resource ( P>0. 05) . The time of first defecation after taking medication for the group A, B and C was (2. 25±2. 32) h, (2. 43±2. 39) h and (3. 36±2. 79) h respectively, with statistical difference (F=3. 36, P=0. 037). The time of first defecation was longer in the group C than that of the group A and B ( P = 0. 016 and P = 0. 046, respectively). The number of defecation before sleep for the group A, B and C was 3. 47±2. 09, 3. 24±1. 76 and 2. 49±1. 58 respectively, with statistical difference (F=4. 65, P=0. 011). The number of defecation before sleep was lesser in the group C than that of the group A and B ( P=0. 004, P=0. 027, respectively) . The total number of defecation for the group A, B and C was 7. 20 ± 2. 67, 6. 81 ± 2. 31 and 5. 64 ± 2. 22 respectively. The difference among the three groups was statistically significant ( F=6. 68, P=0. 002) . For the group A and B, the total number of defecation was both more than that of the group C ( P=0. 001, P=0. 010) . There were no statistical differences among the three groups in the BBPS score of the left and middle colon and the total BBPS score ( all P>0. 05) . The BBPS score of the right colon for the group A, B and C was 2. 03 ± 0. 82, 1. 95 ± 0. 87 and 1. 53 ± 0. 80 respectively, with statistical difference ( F=6. 38, P=0. 002) , and was lower in the group C than that of the group A and B ( P= 0. 001, P= 0. 006, respectively) . Adverse reactions after taking medication including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and bloating were respectively reported in 7, 3, 0 and 3 cases in the group A, 5, 3, 0 and 6 in the group B, and 4, 2, 1 and 4 in the group C, and there was no statistical difference among the three groups (χ2=4. 35, P=0. 824) . Conclusion Administration of olive oil compared with PEG can improve the cleanness of right colon for chronic constipation patients, shorten the time of first defecation after taking medication, and increase the number of defecation before sleep and the total number of defecation during bowel preparation. Taking olive oil before or after PEG at the night before colonoscopy has no significantly effect on bowel preparation and adverse reactions.