OBJECTIVE To focus on the classic NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）/Caspase-1/gasdermin D （GSDMD） pyroptosis pathway and explore the mechanism by which Huatan qushi huoxue formula （HQHF） inhibits macrophage pyroptosis to ameliorate metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis （MASH）. METHODS RAW264.7 cells were divided into 5 groups： Control group （10% blank serum）， Model group [10% blank serum+5 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide （LPS）]， HQHF-L group （2.5% drug-containing serum+7.5% blank serum+5 μg/mL LPS）， HQHF-M group （5% drug-containing serum+5% blank serum+5 μg/mL LPS）， and HQHF-H group （10% drug-containing serum+5 μg/mL LPS）. After 24 h of routine culture post-administration， cells and supernatants were collected for assays. Cell morphology was observed via scanning electron microscopy and phase-contrast microscopy； localization and expression of gasdermin D-N （GSDMD-N） were observed by immunofluorescence. Interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and IL-18 contents in supernatants were detected by ELISA； mRNA and protein expressions of NLRP3， Caspase-1， and GSDMD were measured using real-time PCR and Western blot. RESULTS Compared with the Control group， the Model group showed typical pyroptotic morphology （cell membrane bulging and pore formation）， increased aggregation and fluorescence intensity of GSDMD-N on the cell membrane （ P ＜0.05）， significantly increased the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 in cell supernatants （ P ＜0.05）， and significantly up-regulated mRNA and protein expressions of NLRP3， Caspase-1， and GSDMD in cells （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with the Model group， the HQHF-L， HQHF-M and HQHF-H groups showed improved pyroptotic morphology， reduced membrane localization and significantly weakened fluorescence intensity of GSDMD-N （ P ＜0.05）， significantly decreased the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 in cell supernatants （ P ＜0.05）， and significantly down-regulated mRNA and protein expressions of NLRP3， Caspase-1， and GSDMD in cells （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS HQHF inhibits LPS-induced macrophage pyroptosis， and its mechanism of improving MASH may be associated with the suppression of the activation of the classical NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway.

BACKGROUND:Maxillofacial bone three-dimensional(3D)printing technology has been widely used in clinical diagnosis and treatment,but the data source before performing maxillofacial bone 3D printing mainly comes from the CT scanning data.The lens,thyroid and other parts of the human body are extremely sensitive to X-rays;therefore,it is particularly important to effectively reduce the dose of CT radiation when acquiring the data source.OBJECTIVE:To explore the feasibility of low-dose CT technology in optimizing radiation dose for maxillofacial bone 3D printing.METHODS:The medical records of 65 patients who underwent maxillofacial bone 3D printing in the Department of Stomatology at the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from March 2021 to December 2023 were retrospectively collected and categorized into a conventional CT-dose 3D printing group(conventional CT-dose,120 kVp,automated tube current modulation,n=32)and a low-CT-dose 3D printing group(low-CT-dose group,80 kVp,automated tube current modulation,n=33).The effective dose of radiation was calculated and compared between the two groups.A Likert scale was used to evaluate the quality of 3D printing in the two groups,and the measurement bias and consistency between evaluators were measured using the Bland-Altman method.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There was no significant difference in the general demographic characteristics(age,height,weight,body mass,sex,and body mass index)between the two groups(all P＞0.05).(2)The effective dose value of the low CT-dose 3D printing group was(0.3±0.1)mSv,which was about 62.5％lower than that in the conventional CT-dose 3D printing group[(0.8±0.1)mSv].(3)There was no significant difference in the subjective scoring of 3D printing quality between the two groups(all P＞0.05).The subjective consistency among evaluators was good,with Kappa values of 0.85,0.80,and 0.76.The scatter points in the Bland-Altman for both protocols were uniformly distributed within the standard deviation line,indicating good consistency between the two groups.To conclude,low-dose CT technology can be effectively applied in maxillofacial bone 3D printing,reducing radiation dose without affecting the quality of 3D printing.

Objective To explore the clinical value of albumin-globulin ratio(AGR)combined with prostate-specific antigen(PSA)and Gleason score in predicting biochemical recurrence(BCR)after radical resection in patients with localized prostate cancer, and to provide reference for early identification of BCR high-risk patients and individualized treatment. Methods The clinical data of 114 patients with localized prostate cancer treated during Sep.2019 and Sep.2023 were retrospectively analyzed.According to postoperative BCR status, patients were divided into the BCR group(n=43)and non-BCR group(n=71).Preoperative clinical and pathological data were compared between the two groups.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to assess the correlation between these indicators and BCR.The predictive performance of the combined model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare biochemical recurrence-free survival(BFS)among patients with different AGR, PSA levels and Gleason scores.Results Compared with the non-BCR group, the BCR group had significantly higher PSA level and ISUP grading, but significantly lower AGR level(P＜0.001).Multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that AGR was negatively correlated with BCR(HR=0.031, 95%CI:0.008-0.119, P＜0.001), PSA was positively correlated with BCR(HR=1.009, 95%CI:1.002-1.016, P=0.017), and Gleason score was positively correlated with BCR(HR=1.551, 95%CI:1.199-2.005, P＜0.001).The area under the ROC curve(AUC)for the combined prediction model(AGR + PSA + Gleason score)was 0.886, with a sensitivity of 90.7% and a specificity of 78.9%.Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that patients in the low AGR group, high PSA group, and high Gleason score group had significantly lower BFS than those in the high AGR group, low PSA group and low Gleason score group, respectively(all P＜0.0001).Conclusion The combination of AGR, PSA and Gleason score is closely associated with postoperative BCR in patients with localized prostate cancer.The combined prediction model demonstrates high predictive efficacy and can provide an important reference for the early identification of high-risk BCR patients and for guiding individualized postoperative treatment.

BACKGROUND:Maxillofacial bone three-dimensional(3D)printing technology has been widely used in clinical diagnosis and treatment,but the data source before performing maxillofacial bone 3D printing mainly comes from the CT scanning data.The lens,thyroid and other parts of the human body are extremely sensitive to X-rays;therefore,it is particularly important to effectively reduce the dose of CT radiation when acquiring the data source.OBJECTIVE:To explore the feasibility of low-dose CT technology in optimizing radiation dose for maxillofacial bone 3D printing.METHODS:The medical records of 65 patients who underwent maxillofacial bone 3D printing in the Department of Stomatology at the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from March 2021 to December 2023 were retrospectively collected and categorized into a conventional CT-dose 3D printing group(conventional CT-dose,120 kVp,automated tube current modulation,n=32)and a low-CT-dose 3D printing group(low-CT-dose group,80 kVp,automated tube current modulation,n=33).The effective dose of radiation was calculated and compared between the two groups.A Likert scale was used to evaluate the quality of 3D printing in the two groups,and the measurement bias and consistency between evaluators were measured using the Bland-Altman method.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There was no significant difference in the general demographic characteristics(age,height,weight,body mass,sex,and body mass index)between the two groups(all P＞0.05).(2)The effective dose value of the low CT-dose 3D printing group was(0.3±0.1)mSv,which was about 62.5％lower than that in the conventional CT-dose 3D printing group[(0.8±0.1)mSv].(3)There was no significant difference in the subjective scoring of 3D printing quality between the two groups(all P＞0.05).The subjective consistency among evaluators was good,with Kappa values of 0.85,0.80,and 0.76.The scatter points in the Bland-Altman for both protocols were uniformly distributed within the standard deviation line,indicating good consistency between the two groups.To conclude,low-dose CT technology can be effectively applied in maxillofacial bone 3D printing,reducing radiation dose without affecting the quality of 3D printing.

ObjectiveTo investigate the potential targets of 2，5-dihydroxybenzoic acid （2，5-DHBA） in the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） and the molecular mechanism by which it regulates the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway. MethodsA network pharmacology analysis was performed at first， and related databases were used to obtain the common action targets of 2，5-DHBA and MAFLD， followed by molecular docking and pathway enrichment analysis to predict the potential biological processes and signaling pathways regulated by these targets. Then mouse normal hepatocytes AML-12 were used for cell experiments， and CCK-8 assay was used to determine the three optimal intervention concentrations of 2，5-DHBA. AML-12 cells were divided into control group， model group （cells cultured in a medium containing 2 mmol/L free fatty acid ［FFA］ to establish a cell model of MAFLD）， and three 2，5-DHBA intervention groups （cells cultured with FFA and 2，5-DHBA at the three different concentrations of 1.25， 5， and 20 μmol/L， respectively）. Oil red O staining was used to observe intracellular lipid accumulation； the fluorescent probe DCFH-DA was used to measure the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species （ROS）； biochemical assays were used to measure the content of triglyceride （TG） and total cholesterol （TC）； quantitative real-time PCR and Western Blot were used to measure the expression levels of related genes and proteins. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups， and the Tukey’s test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsA total of 32 common targets were obtained for 2，5-DHBA and MAFLD. Within a concentration range of 1.25 — 20 μmol/L， 2，5-DHBA treatment， starting from the concentration of 2.5 μmol/L， increased the viability of AML-12 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The minimum effective concentration of 1.25 μmol/L， the intermediate gradient concentration of 5 μmol/L， and the maximum safe concentration within the effective range of 20 μmol/L were selected for low-， middle-， and high-dose intervention， respectively. Compared with the model group， 2，5-DHBA intervention at concentrations of 1.25， 5， and 20 μmol/L could significantly reduce lipid droplet accumulation in cells （all P<0.05）， and there were significant differences in TG and TC between the model group and the three intervention groups （all P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， the model group had a significant increase in ROS fluorescence intensity （P<0.05）， and compared with the model group， there was a dose-dependent reduction in intracellular ROS level after treatment with 5 μmol/L or 20 μmol/L 2，5-DHBA （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， 2，5-DHBA treatment at concentrations of 5 and 20 μmol/L significantly downregulated the mRNA expression levels of the lipogenic genes SREBf1 and FASN and upregulated the mRNA expression levels of the key antioxidant gene Nrf2 and its downstream target gene HO-1 （all P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， the expression of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt in the model group was significantly increased （all P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the protein expression levels of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt were significantly decreased after 5 μmol/L 2，5-DHBA treatment （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 protein in the model group were significantly decreased （all P<0.05）. The protein levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 were significantly increased after treatment with 1.25 μmol/L 2，5-DHBA （P<0.05）. ConclusionNetwork pharmacology and cellular experiments confirm that 2，5-DHBA can alleviate lipid deposition and oxidative stress by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， thereby exerting a therapeutic effect on MAFLD.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the ameliorative effect of Weiling decoction on metabolic associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） based on the gut-liver axis theory.METHODS Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into a blank group （ n ＝9） and a modeling group （ n ＝47）. The modeling group was fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks to establish the MAFLD model. Forty-five modeled mice were randomly divided into a model group， a positive control group [metformin， 0.2 g/（kg·d）]， and Weiling decoction low-， medium-， and high-dose groups [6.17， 12.34， 24.68 g/（kg·d）， calculated as crude drug]， with 9 mice in each group. Mice in each group received intragastric administration of the corresponding drug solution or normal saline once daily for 4 consecutive weeks. After the last administration， the body weight， liver weight， and liver index were compared among groups； the levels of liver function indicators （alanine transaminase， aspartate transaminase）， lipid indicators （total cholesterol， triglycerides， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol）， inflammatory indicators [tumor necrosis factor-α， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-1β]， oxidative stress indicators （malondialdehyde， superoxide dismutase， glutathione peroxidase）， and intestinal barrier indicators [lipopolysaccharide （LPS）， diamine oxidase， D-lactic acid] were measured； hepatic pathological changes were observed； the expressions of tight junction proteins [zonula occludens-1 （ZO-1）， occludin] in jejunal tissue and proteins related to lipid metabolism [sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 （SREBP-1）， fatty acid synthase （FASN）， peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α （PPARα）] and inflammatory pathways [Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 （MyD88）， nuclear factor-κB p65 （NF-κB p65）] in liver tissue were detected； and changes in gut microbiota were analyzed.RESULTS Compared with the model group， hepatic steatosis and inflammatory injury were significantly alleviated in all Weiling decoction dose groups； body weight （at week 16）， liver weight， liver index， and the levels of liver function indicators， lipid indicators， inflammation indicators， oxidative stress indicators， and intestinal barrier indicators were all generally improved （ P ＜0.05）. The expressions of SREBP-1， FASN， TLR4， and MyD88 and the phosphorylation level of NF-κB p65 in liver tissue were generally decreased or downregulated （ P ＜0.05）， while the expressions of ZO-1 and occludin in jejunal tissue and PPARα in liver tissue were generally increased or upregulated （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the Observed species， Chao1， and Ace indices of gut microbiota in the Weiling decoction high-dose group were significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）， and the relative abundances of Verrucomicrobiota， Akkermansia ， etc. were significantly increased， while those of Actinomycetota， Alistipes ， Faecalibaculum ， etc. were significantly decreased （ P ＜0.05）.CONCLUSIONS Weiling decoction can ameliorate MAFLD， and its effect may be associated with regulating gut microbiota， repairing the intestinal mechanical barrier， reducing LPS translocation， thereby inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB inflammatory pathway， alleviating oxidative stress， and regulating SREBP-1/FASN and PPARα-mediated lipid metabolism.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） has become the leading chronic liver disease worldwide. As a classic food-medicine homologous Chinese herb， hawthorn fruit has the functions of promoting digestion to resolve food stagnation and activating blood circulation to resolve blood stasis. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that hawthorn fruit and its active components exert diverse pharmacological activities in regulating lipid metabolism， improving insulin resistance， inhibiting inflammatory response， delaying hepatic fibrosis， and protecting hepatocytes. These effects precisely match the “multiple-hit” pathological features of MAFLD， and thus hawthorn fruit shows significant advantages in the prevention and treatment of MAFLD. Drug pair combination is a key strategy in traditional Chinese medicine to enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity. In clinical practice， hawthorn fruit is often combined with Salvia miltiorrhiza， Alisma orientalis， cassia seed， and Poria cocos， and such combination adheres to the principle of “mutual reinforcement and assistance” to enhance efficacy and expand their application in different syndromes of MAFLD. This article systematically reviews the core pharmacological mechanisms of hawthorn fruit in intervening against MAFLD and the research advances in its classic drug combinations， in order to provide a scientific reference for the in-depth development of hawthorn fruit and its combinations and the precise clinical intervention of MAFLD.

Objective To analyze the influence path of medical students'professional identity on positive defensive medical behaviors and examine the mediating effect of medical risk perception between the two,aiming to provide theoretical support and practical reference for medical education to actively adapt to the demands of the medical and health system reform and promote the scientific guidance of positive defensive medical behaviors.Methods ln 2020,a questionnaire survey was conducted among medical students from four medical colleges in Heilongjiang Province using cluster sampling method,and data analysis was performed using SPSS 27.0 software.Results Medical students'professional identity showed a significant positive correlation with their positive defensive medical behavior(β=0.225,P＜0.001),with medical risk perception acting as a partial mediator(indirect effect accounting for 19%of the total effect).Professional identity(β=0.183,P＜0.001)and medical risk perception(β=0.195,P＜0.001)exerted direct positive effects on positive defensive medical behavior.Conclusion Medical students'professional identity drives them to adopt positive defensive medical behaviors by strengthening their sense of responsibility ethics and risk cognition ability,and medical risk perception is a key mediating variable in this process.Educational management should integrate policy-oriented clinical decision-making training and balance medical safety and efficiency through the collaborative mechanism of"professional identity-risk perception-behavioral practice".

Thoracolumbar spine fracture often leads to severe pain, functional impairments, and neurological deficits, for which open reduction and internal fixation can effectively restore the spinal structural stability. Open decompression and reduction with internal fixation can help relieve spinal cord compression and improve spinal function in cases of concomitant cord injury. Although spinal stability can be restored through surgery, patients often face chronic pain and functional impairments postoperatively. A postoperative rehabilitation program is critical in optimizing therapeutic outcomes, reducing complications, and minimizing the risk of secondary injuries. However, current rehabilitation methods, such as physical therapy, functional training, and pain management, are confronted with problems in clinical practice, including significant variation in efficacy, poor patient adherence, and prolonged rehabilitation period. There is an urgent need for a unified rehabilitation strategy to address these problems. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and the Spine Health Professional Committee of the Chinese Human Health Technology Promotion Association organized experts from relevant fields to formulate Evidence-based guidelines for rehabilitation treatment after internal fixation of thoracolumbar spine fracture in adults ( version 2025) by integrating evidences from clinical researches and advanced rehabilitation concepts at home and abroad. A total number of 14 recommendations concerning the rehabilitation treatment with multimodal analgesia, psychological intervention, deep vein thrombosis prevention, core muscle and extremity exercise, appropriate use of braces, early weight-bearing, device-aided rehabilitation exercise, neuroregulatory therapy, rehabilitation team were put forward, aiming to standardize the post-operative rehabilitation process following internal fixation, promote the functional recovery, and enhance patients′ quality of life.

Acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fracture (ASOTLF) can lead to chronic low back pain, kyphosis deformity, pulmonary dysfunction, loss of mobility, and even life-threatening complications. Vertebral augmentation is currently the mainstream treatment method for this condition. In 2019, the Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Trauma and the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedic Surgeons Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association collaboratively led the development of Clinical guideline for vertebral augmentation for acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures. Six years later, with advances in clinical diagnosis and treatment techniques as well as accumulating evidence in related fields, the 2019 guideline requires updating. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedic Surgeons Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, the Spinal Health Professional Committee of China Human Health Science and Technology Promotion Association, and the Minimally Invasive Orthopedics Professional Committee of Shaanxi Medical Doctor Association have organized experts in the field to develop the Clinical guideline for vertebral augmentation of acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures ( version 2025) , based on the latest evidence-based medical researches. This guideline incorporates 3 recommendations retained from the 2019 version with updated strength of evidence, along with 12 new recommendations. It provides recommendations from six aspects of diagnosis, pain management, treatment option selection, prevention of postoperative complications, anti-osteoporosis therapy, and postoperative rehabilitation, aiming to provide a reference for standard treatment of vertebral augmentation for ASOTLF in hospitals at all levels.