OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of galangin on rheumatoid arthritis （RA） in rats by regulating the Janus kinase 3 （JAK3）/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3） pathway. METHODS Fifty male SD rats were taken， and an emulsion composed of bovine type Ⅱ collagen and Freund’s complete adjuvant was injected subcutaneously to establish an induced arthritis model. The rats that were successfully modeled were randomly divided into model group， low， medium and high dose groups of galangin （1， 5， 15 mg/kg）， and methotrexate group （positive control， 2 mg/kg）， with 10 rats in each group. Another 10 normal rats were taken as the normal group. Starting from the 15th day of modeling， each group of rats was gavaged with the corresponding drug solution or normal saline containing 0.5% Tween 80 once a day for 28 consecutive days. The arthritis index （AI） scores and paw volume of rats were compared before and after gavage administration. Twenty-four hours after the last administration， the serum levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， IL-4 and IL-10 were determined， the pathological changes in ankle joint synovial tissue were observed， and the protein expressions of UNC-51 like kinase 1 （ULK1）， Beclin-1， microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）， B cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， caspase-3， JAK3， phosphorylated JAK3 （p-JAK3）， STAT3 and phosphorylated STAT3 （p-STAT3） in the synovial tissue of the ankle joint were detected， as well as the fluorescence intensity of LC3-positive areas. RESULTS Compared with the model group， the pathological changes such as cellular proliferation of ankle joint synovial tissue and infiltration of inflammatory cells in rats of each administration group showed improvement. Moreover， their AI scores and paw pad volumes （on day 28 after gavage）， the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α， the protein expression of Bcl-2， and the phosphorylation levels of JAK3 and STAT3 were all significantly reduced （ P ＜0.05）. The levels of IL-4 and IL-10， the protein expressions of ULK1， Beclin-1， Bax， caspase-3 and LC3， as well as the fluorescence intensity of LC3-positive areas， were all significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）. Moreover， the effect of galangin was in a dose-dependent manner （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Galangin can induce sustained autophagy in synovial tissue cells of RA rats， promote cell apoptosis， inhibit synovial cell proliferation， and alleviate persistent inflammatory responses. The above anti-RA effects may be related to the inhibition of the JAK3/STAT3 pathway.

As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.

OBJECTIVE To discuss the impact of Wenyang lishui formula on ventricular remodeling in rats with pulmonary hypertension-induced right heart failure （RHF） based on the Hippo/Yes-associated protein （YAP） signaling pathway. METHODS Ten rats were randomly selected as the control group. The remaining 63 rats were given a single intraperitoneal injection of monocrotaline to establish the pulmonary hypertension-induced RHF model. The 50 rats that successfully underwent the model establishment were randomly divided into the RHF group， low-dose group of Wenyang lishui formula （4.25 g/kg）， high-dose group of the Wenyang lishui formula （17.00 g/kg）， furosemide group （20 mg/kg）， and high-dose group of Wenyang lishui formula+ Hippo/YAP signaling pathway activator group （17.00 g/kg of Δ Wenyang lishui formula+16 mg/kg of PY-60）， with 10 rats in each group. The rats in each group were given the corresponding drug solution or normal saline by gavage or/andtail vein injection， once a day， for 4 consecutive weeks. During the experiment， the general conditions of the rats in each group were observed； after the last administration， the right ventricular diameter， right atrial diameter， end-diastolic volume， pulmonary artery blood flow acceleration time （PAAT） and its ratio to ejection time （ET） （PAAT/ET）， pulmonary artery pressure and its ratio to pulmonary arterial flow velocity （pulmonary artery pressure/velocity） were measured. The plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide and angiotensin Ⅱ （Ang Ⅱ） were detected. The pathological changes of the right ventricular tissue were observed， and the collagen volume fraction， the phosphorylation levels of the large tumor suppressor 1/2 （LATS1/2） and YAP， and the protein expression of the transcriptional coactivator of PDZ-binding motif （TAZ） were also detected. RESULTS Compared with the RHF group， the rats in Wenyang lishui formula low-dose and high-dose groups showed improved hair color， movement， diet， and mental state. The atrophy of right ventricular myocardial cells， the increase of inflammatory cells， collagen deposition， and hypertrophy of myocardial fibers were significantly alleviated. The right ventricular internal diameter， right atrial internal diameter， end-diastolic volume， pulmonary artery pressure， pulmonary artery pressure/velocity， the plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide and AngⅡ ， collagen volume fraction， the phosphorylation level of YAP and protein expression of TAZ were significantly decreased， while the PAAT， PAAT/ET and the phosphorylation level of LATS1/2 were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. PY-60 could significantly reverse the improvement effects of high-dose Wenyang lishui formula on the above quantitative indicators （P＜ 0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Wenyang lishui formula can restore the right heart function of pulmonary hypertension-induced RHF rats， reduce their pulmonary artery pressure， alleviate the pathological changes in their cardiac tissues， and the above effects may be related to the activation of Hippo expression and the inhibition of YAP phosphorylation.

As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.

Microfibrino-associated protein (MFAP) 2 is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein and a member of the MFAP family. It participates in the assembly of extracellular elastic microfibers.Upregulation of MFAP2 can promote the occurrence and development of various tumors and regulate multiple cancer-related signaling pathways and is related to their prognosis, making it a potential target for tumor treatment. This article summarizes the research progress on the pathogenesis, targeted therapy and prognosis of MFAP2 in malignant tumors.

As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of acupuncture on postoperative delirium (POD) in diabetic patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia.Methods:In this randomized controlled trial, 92 diabetic patients of either sex, aged 30-80 yr, with a body mass index of 18-28 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅱ or Ⅲ, scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia, were divided into 2 groups ( n=46 each) using a table of random numbers: control group (group C) and acupuncture group (group A). Group A received acupuncture at the Baihui (GV20), Shenting (GV24) and Sishencong (EX-HN1) acupoints before anesthesia. The needles were retained for 30 min, with manual stimulation applied every 10 min for 10 s each time. After 4 stimulations, routine anesthesia was carried out. Group C received routine anesthesia only. Regional cerebral oxygen saturation was recorded on admission to the operating room (T 0), after anesthesia induction (T 1), at the start of surgery (T 2), at the end of surgery (T 3), and immediately after tracheal extubation (T 4). The POD developed within 3 days after surgery was assessed. The occurrence of needle-related adverse effects such as fainting, subcutaneous bleeding, and local paresthesia was recorded. Results:Compared with group C, the incidence of POD was significantly reduced, and the regional cerebral oxygen saturation was increased at T 1, 4 in group A ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Acupuncture can decrease the development of POD in diabetic patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia, which is related to an increase in regional cerebral oxygen saturation.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of acupuncture on postoperative delirium (POD) in diabetic patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia.Methods:In this randomized controlled trial, 92 diabetic patients of either sex, aged 30-80 yr, with a body mass index of 18-28 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅱ or Ⅲ, scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia, were divided into 2 groups ( n=46 each) using a table of random numbers: control group (group C) and acupuncture group (group A). Group A received acupuncture at the Baihui (GV20), Shenting (GV24) and Sishencong (EX-HN1) acupoints before anesthesia. The needles were retained for 30 min, with manual stimulation applied every 10 min for 10 s each time. After 4 stimulations, routine anesthesia was carried out. Group C received routine anesthesia only. Regional cerebral oxygen saturation was recorded on admission to the operating room (T 0), after anesthesia induction (T 1), at the start of surgery (T 2), at the end of surgery (T 3), and immediately after tracheal extubation (T 4). The POD developed within 3 days after surgery was assessed. The occurrence of needle-related adverse effects such as fainting, subcutaneous bleeding, and local paresthesia was recorded. Results:Compared with group C, the incidence of POD was significantly reduced, and the regional cerebral oxygen saturation was increased at T 1, 4 in group A ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Acupuncture can decrease the development of POD in diabetic patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia, which is related to an increase in regional cerebral oxygen saturation.

Microfibrino-associated protein (MFAP) 2 is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein and a member of the MFAP family. It participates in the assembly of extracellular elastic microfibers.Upregulation of MFAP2 can promote the occurrence and development of various tumors and regulate multiple cancer-related signaling pathways and is related to their prognosis, making it a potential target for tumor treatment. This article summarizes the research progress on the pathogenesis, targeted therapy and prognosis of MFAP2 in malignant tumors.

ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of early intervention with Yishen Huazhuo prescription （YHP） on the learning and memory of accelerated aging model mice， as well as its underlying mechanism. MethodForty-eight 3-month-old male SAMP8 mice were randomly assigned into four groups， including the model group， low-dose YHP group， high-dose YHP group， and donepezil group. Additionally， 24 SAMR1 mice of the same age were divided into a control group and a YHP treatment control group， each consisting of 12 mice. The YHP groups received YHP at doses of 6.24 g·kg^-1 and 12.48 g·kg^-1， while the donepezil group was treated with donepezil at a dose of 0.65 mg·kg^-1. The model group and control groups were given physiological saline. The mice were gavaged once daily for a duration of four weeks. Spatial learning and memory abilities of mice were assessed using the Morris water maze test. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to evaluate neuronal density as well as expression levels of M1 microglial （MG） polarization marker inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS） and M2 MG polarization marker arginase-1 （Arg-1） in the hippocampus region. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure serum levels of pro-inflammatory factor interleukin 1β （IL-1β） and anti-inflammatory factor transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁）. Furthermore， Western blot analysis was conducted to determine expressions of amyloid β peptide1-42 （Aβ_1-42） along with triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 （TREM2）/nuclear factor kappa B （NF-κB） signaling pathway-related proteins TREM2， phospho （p）-NF-κB p65， and phospho-inhibitory kappa B kinase β （IKKβ） in the hippocampus. ResultCompared with the control group， the model group exhibited a significantly prolonged escape latency （P<0.01）， a significant reduction in neuron-specific nuclear protein （NeuN） expression in the hippocampus， a significant increase in iNOS expression in MG， and a significant decrease in Arg-1 expression. The serum IL-1β content was significantly increased， while the TGF-β₁ content was significantly decreased. Additionally， there was a significant decrease in TREM2 expression in the hippocampus and significant increases in p-NF-κB p65， p-IKKβ， and Aβ_1-42 expressions （P<0.05， P<0.01）. However， no significant changes were observed in escape latency， times of crossing the platform， and hippocampal NeuN expression in the YHP treatment control group. Conversely， iNOS expression in MG as well as the hippocampal p-NF-κB p65， p-IKKβ， and Aβ_1-42 expressions were significantly decreased. Furthermore， TREM2 expression was significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In comparison to the model group， the low-dose YHP group showed a significantly shortened escape latency and an increased number of crossing the platform （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In the high-dose YHP group， the escape latency was significantly shortened （P<0.05）. In the low-dose YHP group， high-dose YHP group， the expression of NeuN in the hippocampus was significantly increased， the expression of iNOS in MG was significantly decreased， and the expression of Arg-l was significantly increased. The serum IL-1β content was significantly decreased， while the TGF-β₁ content was significantly increased. Furthermore， the expression of TREM2 in the hippocampus was significantly increased， and the expressions of p-NF-κB p65， p-IKKβ， and Aβ_1-42 were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. ConclusionEarly YHP intervention may promote the transformation of hippocampal MG from M1 to M2 by regulating the TREM2/NF-κB signaling pathway， reduce the release of neuroinflammatory factors， protect hippocampal neurons， and reduce the deposition of Aβ_1-42， and finally delay the occurrence of learning and memory decline in SAMP8 mice.