ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the action mechanism by which Banxia Xiexintang （BXT） inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） in chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） rats by regulating the interleukin-17（IL-17）/extracellular regulated protein kinases（ERK）/CCAAT enhancer binding protein β（C/EBPβ）signaling pathway， thereby providing new theoretical evidence for the treatment of CAG with classic traditional Chinese medicine formulas. MethodsA CAG rat model was established by using the combined factor method. After successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided into the model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （0.549， 1.098， 2.196 g·kg^-1， respectively） of BXT， and the positive drug group （vitacoenzyme， 0.3 g·kg^-1）. A normal control group was also set up. After 8 weeks of intervention， the pathological changes of gastric tissue were evaluated. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the contents of IL-17， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2）， and C/EBPβ in serum， as well as the contents of EMT markers in gastric mucosal tissue including E-cadherin， N-cadherin， and vimentin. The immunohistochemistry method was employed to determine the localization and protein expression levels of IL-17， p-ERK， and C/EBPβ in gastric mucosal tissue. Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of C/EBPβ， ERK， and its phosphorylated form （p）-ERK in gastric mucosa. Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was applied to measure the mRNA expression levels of ERK， COX-2， and C/EBPβ in gastric mucosa. ResultsCompared with those in the normal control group， the rats in the model group showed gastric mucosal glandular atrophy and inflammatory cell infiltration. The protein and their related mRNA expressions of C/EBPβ， ERK， and p-ERK in gastric mucosa were significantly increased （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The levels of IL-17， TNF-α， COX-2， and C/EBPβ in serum were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The contents of N-cadherin and vimentin in gastric mucosal tissue were significantly increased， while the content of E-cadherin was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， after intervention with different doses of BXT， the pathological damage of the gastric mucosa was improved to varying degrees. The protein and mRNA expressions of C/EBPβ， ERK， and p-ERK in gastric mucosa were significantly reduced （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The levels of IL-17， TNF-α， COX-2， and C/EBP β in serum were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The contents of N-cadherin and vimentin in gastric mucosa tissue were decreased， while the content of E-cadherin was increased （P<0.05，P<0.01）. ConclusionBXT can effectively improve the pathological damage of gastric mucosal tissue in CAG rats. Its action mechanism may be related to reducing the levels of IL-17 and TNF-α in serum， regulating the IL-17/ERK/C/EBPβ signaling pathway and inhibiting the EMT process.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Qizhujianwei granules （QZJW） on abnormal proliferation and malignant transformation of gastric mucosal cells in rats with gastric intraepithelial neoplasia （GIN） and to explore the related mechanisms. MethodsA total of 80 SPF male Wistar rats were used. A GIN rat model was established using a four-factor comprehensive method consisting of methylnitronitrosoguanidine （MNNG）， ranitidine， irregular feeding patterns， and sodium salicylate. Except for the normal group， after successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided according to body weight into a model group， a Moluodan group （0.55 g·kg^-1）， and a QZJW group （7.34 g·kg^-1）， with 12 rats in each group. All groups were treated for 8 weeks. The general characteristics of the rats and morphological changes of the gastric mucosa were observed. Histopathological changes of the gastric mucosa were examined by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect serum levels of pepsinogenⅠ （PGⅠ）， pepsinogenⅡ （PGⅡ）， and gastrin （G-17）， as well as the expression level of transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁） in gastric mucosal tissue， and the PGⅠ/PGⅡ ratio was calculated. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect the localization and expression levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen （Ki-67） and Vimentin in gastric mucosal tissue. Western blot analysis was used to determine the protein expression levels of Wnt family member 3A （Wnt3a）， β-catenin， CyclinD₁， proto-oncogene Cmyc， transforming growth factor-β receptor Ⅰ （TGFβRⅠ）， intracellular signaling transducers Smad2/3， phosphorylated （p）-Smad2/3， twist family transcription factor （Twist1）， and Vimentin in gastric mucosal tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed characteristic changes including dim eyes， pale ears and claws， dark-red tongue， and reduced luster of the tail. The gastric mucosa appeared pale， with surface congestion and erosion. The gastric mucosal glands were disordered， the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio increased， and local tumor cells were observed. Serum PGⅠ and PGⅡ levels and the PGⅠ/PGⅡ ratio were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， while the level of G-17 was significantly increased （P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of Ki-67， Wnt3a， β-catenin， CyclinD₁， Cmyc， TGF-β₁， TGFβRⅠ， Smad2/3， Twist1， and Vimentin in gastric mucosal tissue were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， whereas the ratio of p-Smad2/3 to Smad2/3 was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the general characteristics and gastric mucosal conditions of rats in the Moluodan group and the QZJW group were improved. HE staining showed that QZJW could effectively block the malignant progression of GIN. Serum PGⅠ and PGⅡ levels and the PGⅠ/PGⅡ ratio were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the level of G-17 was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of Ki-67， Wnt3a， β-catenin， CyclinD₁， Cmyc， TGF-β₁， TGFβRⅠ， Smad2/3， Twist1， and Vimentin in gastric mucosal tissue were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionQZJW have a therapeutic effect on rats with GIN. The mechanism may involve inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to regulate the cell cycle and suppress abnormal cell proliferation. Meanwhile， it may inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition by suppressing the TGF-β₁/Smad/Twist1 signaling pathway， thereby blocking the malignant progression of GIN.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Qizhujianwei granules （QZJW） on abnormal proliferation and malignant transformation of gastric mucosal cells in rats with gastric intraepithelial neoplasia （GIN） and to explore the related mechanisms. MethodsA total of 80 SPF male Wistar rats were used. A GIN rat model was established using a four-factor comprehensive method consisting of methylnitronitrosoguanidine （MNNG）， ranitidine， irregular feeding patterns， and sodium salicylate. Except for the normal group， after successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided according to body weight into a model group， a Moluodan group （0.55 g·kg^-1）， and a QZJW group （7.34 g·kg^-1）， with 12 rats in each group. All groups were treated for 8 weeks. The general characteristics of the rats and morphological changes of the gastric mucosa were observed. Histopathological changes of the gastric mucosa were examined by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect serum levels of pepsinogenⅠ （PGⅠ）， pepsinogenⅡ （PGⅡ）， and gastrin （G-17）， as well as the expression level of transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁） in gastric mucosal tissue， and the PGⅠ/PGⅡ ratio was calculated. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect the localization and expression levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen （Ki-67） and Vimentin in gastric mucosal tissue. Western blot analysis was used to determine the protein expression levels of Wnt family member 3A （Wnt3a）， β-catenin， CyclinD₁， proto-oncogene Cmyc， transforming growth factor-β receptor Ⅰ （TGFβRⅠ）， intracellular signaling transducers Smad2/3， phosphorylated （p）-Smad2/3， twist family transcription factor （Twist1）， and Vimentin in gastric mucosal tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed characteristic changes including dim eyes， pale ears and claws， dark-red tongue， and reduced luster of the tail. The gastric mucosa appeared pale， with surface congestion and erosion. The gastric mucosal glands were disordered， the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio increased， and local tumor cells were observed. Serum PGⅠ and PGⅡ levels and the PGⅠ/PGⅡ ratio were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， while the level of G-17 was significantly increased （P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of Ki-67， Wnt3a， β-catenin， CyclinD₁， Cmyc， TGF-β₁， TGFβRⅠ， Smad2/3， Twist1， and Vimentin in gastric mucosal tissue were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， whereas the ratio of p-Smad2/3 to Smad2/3 was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the general characteristics and gastric mucosal conditions of rats in the Moluodan group and the QZJW group were improved. HE staining showed that QZJW could effectively block the malignant progression of GIN. Serum PGⅠ and PGⅡ levels and the PGⅠ/PGⅡ ratio were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the level of G-17 was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of Ki-67， Wnt3a， β-catenin， CyclinD₁， Cmyc， TGF-β₁， TGFβRⅠ， Smad2/3， Twist1， and Vimentin in gastric mucosal tissue were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionQZJW have a therapeutic effect on rats with GIN. The mechanism may involve inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to regulate the cell cycle and suppress abnormal cell proliferation. Meanwhile， it may inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition by suppressing the TGF-β₁/Smad/Twist1 signaling pathway， thereby blocking the malignant progression of GIN.

Objective To describe the clinical characteristics and nutritional management status of hospitalized elderly patients with multimorbidity in a tertiary hospital's geriatric center in 2024, and to analyze the correlation between nutritional status and hospitalization outcomes, thereby providing a basis for optimizing nutritional management pathways for this population. Methods A retrospective study was conducted, including 2 937 elderly patients with multimorbidity. Data on general information, clinical indicators, nutritional risk screening and assessment, nutritional therapy, and costs were collected for descriptive analysis. The relationship between nutritional status (based on BMI and serum albumin levels) and hospitalization outcomes was explored. Results The average age of the patients was (77.45±10.70) years, with 57.17% being male. The average number of chronic diseases diagnosed was (11.56±5.08) per patient, and 26.01% were critically ill. The nutritional risk screening rate was 80.40%, with a screening positivity rate of 33.44%. The nutritional assessment rate was 31.63%, and the malnutrition prevalence was 23.08%. The low BMI group had the longest median hospital stay [15 (9.75, 22) days] and the highest hospitalization costs [15 057.2 (8 980.48, 28 160.46) CNY]. Serum albumin levels were negatively correlated with hospital stay duration (rs=-0.276, P< 0.01) and hospitalization costs (rs=-0.276, P<0.01). Conclusion Hospitalized elderly patients with multimorbidity are characterized by multiple comorbidities and high healthcare resource consumption. While the nutritional risk screening rate is relatively high, there remains room for improvement in nutritional assessment and therapy. It is necessary to strengthen standardized management throughout the entire process. Nutritional status is a significant variable affecting hospital stay duration and costs, with poorer nutritional status significantly associated with prolonged hospitalization and higher costs, suggesting that it may be an important factor influencing hospitalization outcomes.

Objective To explore the prevalence of 9 respiratory pathogens from March 2023 to February 2024,as well as the detection efficiency of various methods for pathogens.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the detection of 9 pathogens in 38 948 patients who first presented with respiratory symp-toms from March 2023 to February 2024,as well as the detection efficacy of nucleic acid,antigen,antibody and other methods.Results Firstly,among 38 948 patients,a total of 8 345 cases(21.43%)were detected with at least one pathogen,of which 8 158 cases(20.95%)were detected with only one pathogen,and 187 cases(2.29%,187/8 158)were detected with two or more pathogens.The top three detection rates were SARS-CoV-2(20.37%),mycoplasma pneumoniae(MP,15.58%)and influenza A virus(IVA,10.79%).Secondly,among patients who detected at least one of the nine pathogens,the detection rate was 24.94%in autumn,21.45%in spring,18.54%in summer,and 19.22%in winter,and the difference in detection rates between the four seasons was statistically significant(P<0.001).Thirdly,except for the relatively high detection rates of SARS-CoV-2 in spring(51.24%)and summer(37.31%),and the highest detection rate of IVB in winter(11.28%),the detection rates of other pathogens were highest in autumn.Fourthly,there was a statistically significant difference in the total detection rates among the children group(31.83%),the youth group(12.48%),the middle-aged group(10.70%),and the elderly group(12.43%)(P<0.001).The detection rates of 7 pathogens,including MP,IVA,Influenza B virus(IVB),syncytial virus,CP,adenovirus,and parain-fluenza virus type 1,were highest in children,and there was a statistically significant difference in comparison between different age groups(P<0.05).The detection rate of SARS-CoV-2 in the children group(3.45%)was lower than that in other age groups(30.90%,29.09%,32.16%,P<0.001).There was no statistically significant difference in HPIV-3 between different age groups(P=0.478).Fifthly,there was no significant difference in overall detection rate between male and female(P>0.05).However,the detection rates of MP and CP in female were higher than those in male(P<0.05),while IVA in male was slightly higher than that in female(P=0.014).There were no significant differences in the detection rate of other 6 pathogens between female and male(P>0.05).Sixthly,the detection rate of MP antigen was lower than that of MP nucleic acid detection(P<0.001),and the detection rate of MP antibody detection was lower than that of MP nucleic acid detection(P<0.001).The detection rate of MP antibody detection increased significantly with the extension of time from initial symptoms to medical treatment(P<0.001).Seventhly,the detection rates of antigen of IVA,IVB,RSV and ADV were significantly lower than those of the corresponding nucleic acid(P<0.001),and the detection rates of nucleic acid testing for 4 kinds of pathogen was about 5 times that of the correspond-ing antigen testing(4.75-6.25 times).And the consistency of the detection rate between antigen detection and nucleic acid detection was poor(Kappa=0.046-0.239).Conclusion The prevalence of common respir-atory pathogens from March 2023 to February 2024 exhibits certain characteristics.Moreover,the detection ef-ficiency of different methods for pathogens varies greatly,and appropriate detection methods should be select-ed based on a thorough understanding of their performance.

Objective:To analyze the electroencephalogram(EEG) average relative power spectrum in patients with unipolar and bipolar depression under the eyes-open and eyes-closed resting states.Methods:A total of 38 patients with unipolar depression (UD group), 48 patients with bipolar depression (BD group), and 43 healthy controls (HC group) were recruited from August 2022 to December 2023.The 64-channel EEG was recorded under eyes-open (EO) and eyes-closed (EC) resting states which alternated twice. The Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis H test were performed by SPSS 25.0 software. Results:There were no significant differences in the average relative power of delta and beta bands among the UD, BD and HC groups in all EO and EC states (all P>0.05). The average relative power of theta band in the three groups showed statistically significant differences in all EO and EC states ( H=7.852-12.583, all P<0.05). Further pairwise comparisons showed that in the first EO and EC stage, the average relative power of theta band of the UD and BD groups were significantly higher than that of the HC group (EO1: 0.18(0.17, 0.21), 0.19(0.16, 0.21), 0.16(0.14, 0.18), EC1: 0.15(0.13, 0.21), 0.15(0.13, 0.20), 0.13(0.10, 0.16); all P<0.05).In the second EO and EC stage, the average relative power of theta band of the BD group was significantly higher than that of the HC group (EO2: 0.18(0.15, 0.22), 0.16(0.14, 0.18), EC2: 0.15(0.13, 0.19), 0.13(0.11, 0.16); both P<0.05).There were statistically significant differences in the average relative power of alpha band among the three groups in the first EO and EC stage, as well as the second EC stage ( H=5.027-10.668, all P<0.05). Further pairwise comparisons showed that in the first EO stage, the average relative power of alpha band in the BD group was significantly higher than that in the UD group (0.20(0.16, 0.25), 0.14(0.11, 0.22), P=0.003), and in the following EC stages, the average relative power of alpha band in the UD group was significantly lower than that in the HC group (EC1: 0.40(0.33, 0.46), 0.51(0.40, 0.58), EC2: 0.41(0.35, 0.50), 0.48(0.43, 0.58); both P<0.05). Conclusion:At the initial stage of the resting state, both unipolar and bipolar depression patients demonstrate abnormal theta band activity under the eyes-open and eyes-closed states, while the alpha band activity under the eyes-open condition differs between the two groups of patients. These findings may provide potentially objective biomarkers to assist the diagnosis of unipolar and bipolar depression patients in clinical settings.

Objective:To visually analyze the research hotspots and development trends of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment for hypertension combined with anxiety by CiteSpace 6.4.R1 software over the past decade.Methods:The Chinese literatures on the treatment of hypertension combined with anxiety by TCM published between February 2015 and February 2025 were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang database and VIP database.Visualization analysis was conducted using CiteSpace 6.4.R1 software to visualize the keywords, authors, and author institutions of literatures.Results:A total of 321 articles were included, showing a fluctuating upward publication trend with a peak of 42 articles in 2023. The author's co-occurrence analysis found that the core research team had not yet been formed. Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine were the main research institutions. Keyword co-occurrence analysis, keyword clustering analysis, and keyword timeline chart showed that the research field mainly focused on symptom improvement, syndrome differentiation, and treatment methods.Conclusion:In the past decade, there has been an increasing amount of researches on the TCM treatment for hypertension combined with anxiety, with clinical studies remaining research hotspots. In the future, research on TCM treatment for hypertension combined with anxiety should strengthen cooperation among research institutions, form representative core research teams, and further enrich research methods.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic vascular wall disease.The clinical manifestations are abnormal lipid depo-sition,fibrous hyperplasia,calcium deposition,etc.under the intima of the affected artery lesions.Its initial link is re-lated to endothelial cell dysfunction,which can be triggered and aggravated by different risk factors of atherosclerosis,in-cluding oxidative stress,hemodynamic abnormalities,endothelial cell senescence and inflammation,etc.Exploring the mechanism of endothelial cell dysfunction is conducive to the discovery of potential treatments for atherosclerosis.This ar-ticle summarizes the mechanism and research progress of drug therapy for endothelial cell dysfunction in atherosclerosis.

Objective To describe the clinical features of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis(PSC)in China based on a nationwide multicenter patient cohort,and to investigate the risk factors for prognosis.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted among the patients with a confirmed diagnosis of PSC based on the electronic medical record system of seven grade A tertiary hospitals across the country,and related data were extracted.The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups,and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate liver transplant-free survival,and the log-rank test was used for comparison of survival rate between PSC patients with different features.The Cox regression model was used to identify independent risk factors for the prognosis of PSC patients and the interactions between key factors.Results A total of 107 patients were enrolled,among whom 55.6%(55/99)had large-duct PSC and 29.0%(31/107)had comorbidity with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).The positivity rate of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody(ANCA)was 32.9%(24/73),and 50.0%(40/80)of the patients had an increase in IgG/IgM.The median symptom-to-diagnosis interval was 1 year(<1-4.0),and 38.3%(41/107)of the patients had progressed to decompensated cirrhosis at the time of diagnosis.The median liver transplant-free survival time was 114 months(95%confidence interval[CI]:62-166),with a 5-year survival rate of 65.7%.The multivariate analysis showed that an increase in total bile acid(TBA)(hazard ratio[HR]=1.006,95%CI:1.002-1.010,P=0.001)and a prolonged symptom-to-diagnosis interval(HR=1.252,95%CI:1.059-1.480,P=0.009)were independent risk factors for prognosis.The interaction analysis showed that compared with the female patients with TBA<50 μmol/L,both male and female patients with TBA≥50 μmol/L had a significant increase in the risk of liver transplantation or death(male:HR=16.563,95%CI:2.103-130.449,P<0.001;female:HR=17.009,95%CI:2.113-136.934,P<0.001),and compared with the patients with an age of<45 years and a TBA level of<50 μmol/L,the patients with an age of≥45 years and a TBA level of≥50 μmol/L had a significant increase in the risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=10.729,95%CI:1.325-86.859,P=0.026).Compared with the female patients with an symptom-to-diagnosis interval of≤2 years,the male patients with a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of>2 years had an increased risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=4.825,95%CI:1.725-13.644,P=0.003),and compared with the patients with an age of<45 years and a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of≤2 years,the patients with an age of<45 years and a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of>2 years had an increased risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=4.983,95%CI:1.366-18.173,P=0.015).Conclusion Compared with the reports from Western countries,large-duct PSC is also the main type of PSC in China,but with a relatively low proportion,and there is also a relatively low proportion of patients with IBD or positive ANCA.An increase in TBA and a prolonged symptom-to-diagnosis interval are independent risk factors for prognosis,with significant interactions with age and sex.This suggests that early screening and intervention should be enhanced to improve prognosis.

Hearing loss is the most prevalent disabling disease. Cochlear implantation（CI） serves as the primary intervention for severe to profound hearing loss. This consensus systematically explores the value of genetic diagnosis in the pre-operative assessment and efficacy prognosis for CI. Drawing upon domestic and international research and clinical experience, it proposes an evidence-based medicine three-tiered prognostic classification system（Favorable, Marginal, Poor）. The consensus focuses on common hereditary non-syndromic hearing loss（such as that caused by mutations in genes like GJB2, SLC26A4, OTOF, LOXHD1） and syndromic hereditary hearing loss（such as Jervell & Lange-Nielsen syndrome and Waardenburg syndrome）, which are closely associated with congenital hearing loss, analyzing the impact of their pathological mechanisms on CI outcomes. The consensus provides recommendations based on multiple round of expert discussion and voting. It emphasizes that genetic diagnosis can optimize patient selection, predict prognosis, guide post-operative rehabilitation, offer stratified management strategies for patients with different genotypes, and advance the application of precision medicine in the field of CI.
Humans ; Cochlear Implantation ; Prognosis ; Hearing Loss/surgery* ; Consensus ; Connexin 26 ; Mutation ; Sulfate Transporters ; Connexins/genetics*