This study examined the effect of islet macrophages on β-cell function changes during type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) progression based on the traditional Chinese medicine theory that " moderate fire generating qi, hyperactive fire consuming qi" . T2DM is closely associated with chronic low-grade inflammation, with islet macrophages playing a central role in this process. Under physiological conditions, islet macrophages secrete anti-inflammatory and growth factors to regulate the immune response, promote cell proliferation, and support islet β-cell survival and function, reflecting the concept of " moderate fire generating qi" . However, during the pathological process of T2DM, islet macrophages become over-activated and dysfunctional, secreting large amounts of pro-inflammatory factors that trigger severe inflammatory responses and oxidative stress. This process damages islet β-cells, disrupts the islet microenvironment and blood supply, exacerbates local inflammation and structural damage, and worsens the survival environment of β-cells. Ultimately, this leads to fewer β-cells and function loss, aligning with the " hyperactive fire consuming qi" theory, where excessive fire depletes qi and blood. This study enhances the understanding and application of traditional Chinese medicine theories in modern medicine, offering a new perspective on T2DM prevention and treatment. Regulating islet macrophage function and reducing their pro-inflammatory responses may become key strategies for preserving β-cell function and slowing T2DM progression.

BACKGROUND: The transcription factor POU2F1 regulates the expression levels of microRNAs in neoplasia. However, the miR-29b1/a cluster modulated by POU2F1 in gastric cancer (GC) remains unknown. METHODS: Gene expression in GC cells was evaluated using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR), western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and RNA in situ hybridization. Co-immunoprecipitation was performed to evaluate protein interactions. Transwell migration and invasion assays were performed to investigate the biological behavior of GC cells. MiR-29b1/a cluster promoter analysis and luciferase activity assay for the 3'-UTR study were performed in GC cells. In vivo tumor metastasis was evaluated in nude mice. RESULTS: POU2F1 is overexpressed in GC cell lines and binds to the miR-29b1/a cluster promoter. POU2F1 is upregulated, whereas mature miR-29b-3p and miR-29a-3p are downregulated in GC tissues. POU2F1 promotes GC metastasis by inhibiting miR-29b-3p or miR-29a-3p expression in vitro and in vivo . Furthermore, PIK3R1 and/or PIK3R3 are direct targets of miR-29b-3p and/or miR-29a-3p , and the ectopic expression of PIK3R1 or PIK3R3 reverses the suppressive effect of mature miR-29b-3p and/or miR-29a-3p on GC cell metastasis and invasion. Additionally, the interaction of PIK3R1 with PIK3R3 promotes migration and invasion, and miR-29b-3p , miR-29a-3p , PIK3R1 , and PIK3R3 regulate migration and invasion via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway in GC cells. In addition, POU2F1 , PIK3R1 , and PIK3R3 expression levels negatively correlated with miR-29b-3p and miR-29a-3p expression levels in GC tissue samples. CONCLUSIONS The POU2F1 - miR-29b-3p / miR-29a-3p-PIK3R1 / PIK3R1 signaling axis regulates tumor progression and may be a promising therapeutic target for GC.
MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement/physiology* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Animals ; Mice ; Octamer Transcription Factor-1/metabolism* ; Mice, Nude ; Class Ia Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/metabolism* ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/genetics* ; Male ; Immunohistochemistry ; Female

Hepatic encephalopathy （HE） is a common complication of severe liver disease in the end stage， and it is urgently needed to improve the rate of effective treatment and clarify the pathogenesis of HE. The liver is a crucial hub for immune regulation， and disruption of immune homeostasis is a key factor in the pathological mechanisms of HE. As the main metabolites of intestinal flora， short-chain fatty acids （SCFAs） play a vital role in the biological processes of both innate and adaptive immunity and can regulate the proliferation and differentiation of immune cells maintain the homeostasis of intestinal microenvironment and the integrity of barrier function. Studies have shown that SCFAs participate in bidirectional and dynamic interactions with the liver-gut-brain axis through immunomodulatory pathways， thereby playing an important role in the diagnosis， treatment， and prognostic evaluation of HE. Starting from the immunoregulatory effect of SCFAs， this article summarizes and analyzes the crosstalk relationship between SCFAs and the liver-gut-brain axis and the significance of SCFAs in the diagnosis and treatment of HE， in order to provide new ideas for optimizing clinical prevention and treatment strategies.

Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） is a malignant tumor with high incidence and mortality rates worldwide. Recent studies have shown that neutrophil extracellular traps （NETs） play an important role in the development， progression， and immune escape of HCC. NETs are released by neutrophils and mainly consist of DNA， histones， and antimicrobial molecules， and in addition to immune defense， they are also involved in the initiation， metastasis， and thrombosis of HCC. This article elaborates on the formation and regulatory mechanisms of NETs， explores their potential mechanisms in the initiation， metastasis， immune escape， and thrombosis of HCC， and discusses the prospect of NETs as a target for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC， in order to provide new ideas for the precise treatment of HCC in the future and promote the early diagnosis and effective treatment of HCC.

Acute liver failure(ALF)is one of the most critical liver diseases in clinical practice and seriously affects the life and health of Chinese people.Due to its high morbidity and mortality rates,unclear pathogenesis,and limited treatment methods,ALF has become a major problem that needs to be solved urgently in the field of liver diseases.In recent years,more and more studies have shown that endoplasmic reticulum stress is a key biological process in the progression of ALF,and the IRE1α/TRAF2/JNK pathway,as a part of endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling,plays a role in amplifying inflammatory response,promoting hepatocyte apoptosis,and inhibiting liver regeneration ability during the progression of diseases.As a traditional treasure of China,traditional Chinese medicine has become a research hotspot in search for effective prevention and treatment drugs for ALF from monomers of Chinese herbs.This article elaborates on the mechanism of action of the IRE1α/TRAF2/JNK pathway in the progression of ALF and summarizes the potential value of several monomers of Chinese herbs in regulating this pathway,such as salidroside,Fructus Broussonetiae,Fructus Psoraleae+Schisandra chinensis,baicalein,genipin,kaempferol,resveratrol,sea buckthorn polysaccharide extract,and luteol,in order to provide a reference for further research and clinical practice of ALF.

Background and objective Invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma(IMA)was a rare and specific type of lung adenocarcinoma,which was often characterized by fewer lymphatic metastases.Therefore,it was difficult to evaluate the prognosis of these tumors based on the existing tumor-node-metastasis(TNM)staging.So,this study aimed to develop Nomo-grams to predict outcomes of patients with pathologic N0 in resected IMA.Methods According to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria,IMA patients with pathologic N0 in The Affiliated Lihuili Hospital of Ningbo University(training cohort,n=78)and Ningbo No.2 Hospital(validation cohort,n=66)were reviewed between July 2012 and May 2017.The prognostic value of the clinicopathological features in the training cohort was analyzed and prognostic prediction models were established,and the performances of models were evaluated.Finally,the validation cohort data was put in for external validation.Results Univariate analysis showed that pneumonic type,larger tumor size,mixed mucinous/non-mucinous component,and higher overall stage were significant influence factors of 5-year progression-free survival(PFS)and overall survival(OS).Multivariate analysis further indicated that type of imaging,tumor size,mucinous component were the independent prognostic factors for poor 5-year PFS and OS.Moreover,the 5-year PFS and OS rates were 62.82％and 75.64％,respectively.In subgroups,the sur-vival analysis also showed that the pneumonic type and mixed mucinous/non-mucinous patients had significantly poorer 5-year PFS and OS compared with solitary type and pure mucinous patients,respectively.The C-index of Nomograms with 5-year PFS and OS were 0.815(95％CI:0.741-0.889)and 0.767(95％CI:0.669-0.865).The calibration curve and decision curve analysis(DCA)of both models showed good predictive performances in both cohorts.Conclusion The Nomograms based on clinicopathological characteristics in a certain extent,can be used as an effective prognostic tool for patients with pathologic N0 after IMA resection.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Jiawei Simiao powder (JWSMP) combined with celecoxib for the treatment of acute gouty arthritis by conducting a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: The Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Databases, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, Wanfang, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception until December 2023. Continuous variables were analyzed using the mean difference (MD) for analysis, and dichotomous variables were used as risk ratios. Data with similar characteristics were pooled for meta-analysis, and heterogeneity was assessed using I2. The Cochrane Handbook was used to assess the risk of bias and quality. RevMan 5.3 software was used to perform the meta-analysis. Results: Thirteen RCTs involving 1007 patients were included in the study. The quality of the included studies was low (unclear randomization processes and insufficient blinding reporting). The group receiving JWSMP combined with celecoxib showed significantly lower levels of serum uric acid (SUA, MD = −66.32, 95% confidence interval (CI): −80.97 to −51.67, P < .001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR, MD = −6.05, 95% CI: −8.29 to −3.82, P < .001), C-reactive protein (CRP, MD = −7.39, 95% CI: −11.15, −3.63, P < .001), and joint pain score (VAS score, MD = −2.14, 95% CI: −2.4 to −1.88, P < .001) compared to celecoxib alone. Additionally, the JWSMP combined group had a higher total effective rate (risk ratio = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.29, P < .001) and fewer adverse compared to celecoxib alone. Conclusions JWSMP combined with celecoxib is more effective than celecoxib alone in improving the total efficacy rate, alleviating joint pain, and improving SUA, ESR, and CRP levels. JWSMP also reduced the occurrence of adverse events caused by celecoxib. However, the quality of the included studies was low, highlighting the need for further high-quality research with larger sample sizes and robust methodologies, such as double-blind randomization, to confirm these findings.

ObjectiveTo explore the relationships between internet gaming disorder (IGD), interpersonal needs, loneliness, and depression in adolescents through the construction of a chain mediation model, to clarify the underlying mechanisms of these associations, and to provid a theoretical basis for depression prevention and intervention. MethodsBased on the data of the 7th Population Census, using convenient sampling method 1 106 adolescents aged between 10‒19 years in South China (176), North China (147), Central China (332), and East China (451) were selected to conduct a cross-sectional survey, with a ratio of 1∶1∶1.5∶2.5. The survey was conducted with a questionnaire consisting of general information (sex, age, grade, parents’ education level), the Chinese version of the IGDS9-SF, the INQ-15, the short-form of the ULS-8 and the PHQ-9 were used to evaluate the depression status of adolescents. Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between the variables. A multiple-mediator model was constructed using IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 PROCESS to examine the mediating effects of interpersonal needs and loneliness on the relationship between IGD and depression. The significance of the chain mediating effect was tested using the Bootstrap method. ResultsOverall, 39.06% (432/1 106) adolescents experienced depression. The incidence of depression among adolescents with smoking and without smoking was 62.50% and 38.36%, respectively. Similarly, the incidence of depression among adolescents with alcohol consuming and without alcohol consuming was 61.94% and 35.94%, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between IGD, interpersonal needs, loneliness, and depression (P<0.01). The chain mediation model demonstrated a good fit, and the bootstrap test showed that the 95%CI of each mediation path did not include 0, indicating significant mediation effects. The overall effect was 0.337. The direct effect of IGD on depression was significant (effect value=0.138, 95%CI:0.102-0.173, P<0.001). The mediation effects included three paths: ① IGD →interpersonal needs → depression (effect value=0.073, P<0.05), accounting for 21.47% of the total effect;② IGD→ loneliness → depression (effect value=0.093, P<0.05), accounting for 27.35%; and ③ IGD → interpersonal needs → loneliness → depression (effect value=0.036, P<0.05), accounting for 10.59%. ConclusionInterpersonal needs and loneliness independently and jointly mediate the relationship between IGD and depression among adolescents. To reduce depression and improve mental health in this population, measures should be taken to prevent and intervene in IGD, address adolescents’ social and emotional needs, enhance satisfaction of interpersonal needs, and reduce loneliness.

Objective:To explore the clinical phenotype and genetic characteristics of a Chinese pedigree affected with Spastic paraplegia type 5A (SPG5A).Methods:A pedigree suspected for Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) at Henan Children′s Hospital on August 15 2022 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the pedigree was collected. Peripheral blood samples were collected from members of the pedigree. Following extraction of genomic DNA, trio-WGS was carried out, and candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing.Results:The child, a 1-year-old boy, had presented with microcephaly, hairy face and dorsal side of distal extremities and trunk, intellectual and motor development delay, increased muscle tone of lower limbs, hyperreflexes of bilateral knee tendons, and positive pathological signs. His parents and sister both had normal phenotypes. Trio-WGS revealed that the child has harbored a homozygous c. 1250G>A (p.Arg417His) variant of the CYP7B1 gene, for which his mother was heterozygous, the father and sister were of the wild type. The variant was determined to have originated from maternal uniparental disomy (UPD). The result of Sanger sequencing was in keeping with the that of trio-WGS. SPG5A due to maternal UPD of chromosome 8 was unreported previously. Conclusion:The child was diagnosed with SPG5A, a complex type of HSP, for which the homozygous c. 1250G>A variant of the CYP7B1 gene derived from maternal UPD may be accountable.

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is a porcine herpesvirus that exhibits cross-species infectivity, primarily affecting pigs as its natural host. Since its initial discovery, PRV has rapidly disseminated worldwide and inflicted substantial economic losses on the swine industry. In recent years, sporadic cases of human infections with PRV have been reported, highlighting the potential risk of interspecies transmission to humans. With further analysis of the pathogenic characteristics of PRV and a deeper understanding of its pathogenic mechanism, preventing PRV from becoming a human infectious disease has become a focus of current research and prevention and control work. To comprehensively understand the variant characteristics of PRV, this study presents an overview of cutting-edge advancements in terms of its genetic variations and epidemiological characteristics, aiming to establish a foundation for more effective implementation of relevant prevention and control work.