ObjectiveTo integrate network pharmacology prediction with multi-level experimental verification methods， and to explore in depth the therapeutic efficacy and potential mechanism of luteolin in treating gout. MethodsDatabases were used to obtain potential pharmacodynamic targets of luteolin. Protein-protein interaction （PPI） network construction and network pharmacology analysis techniques were used to screen key core targets of luteolin in gout treatment. Further biological function enrichment analysis and signaling pathway analysis were performed on these targets. Molecular docking simulation was used to calculate the binding energy between luteolin and potential core targets， clarifying the strength of their interactions. In the in vivo experiment for hyperuricemia， 48 mice were randomly divided into a blank group， a model group， an allopurinol group （5 mg·kg^-1）， and low-dose （10 mg·kg^-1）， medium-dose （30 mg·kg^-1）， and high-dose （90 mg·kg^-1） luteolin groups. For the first three days， the blank and model groups were gavaged with an equal volume of normal saline， while the allopurinol group and luteolin groups were gavaged with corresponding drugs. From day 4 onwards， modeling was performed by intraperitoneal injection at 12：00 daily （normal saline for the blank group， and oxonic acid potassium-hypoxanthine mixture for other groups， with 300 mg·kg^-1 for each group）. Gavage intervention was administered at 18：00 daily （normal saline for the blank/model groups， and corresponding drugs for the treatment groups） until day 7. After sampling， levels of serum uric acid （UA）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） were measured. Levels of xanthine oxidase （XO） in the liver and kidney， ATP-binding cassette transporter G2 （ABCG2） and malondialdehyde （MDA） in the kidney， and superoxide dismutase （SOD） in the liver were determined. Renal HE staining was also performed. In the pharmacodynamic study of gouty arthritis， 36 rats were randomly divided into a blank group， a model group， a colchicine group （0.315 mg·kg^-1）， and low-dose （7 mg·kg^-1）， medium-dose （21 mg·kg^-1）， and high-dose （63 mg·kg^-1） luteolin groups. The model was established by vertically injecting 100 µL of 25 g·L^-1 monosodium urate suspension into the posterior lateral aspect of the right ankle joint （the blank group was injected with an equal volume of normal saline）， with repeated injections every two days for reinforcement. From day 2 after modeling， daily gavage administration was performed （normal saline for the blank/model groups， and corresponding drugs for the treatment groups） for a total of 16 days. During the experiment， ankle swelling and pain threshold were measured regularly. After sampling， levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and interleukin-1β （IL-1β） were determined. Ankle joints were subjected to HE， Masson， and safranin O-fast green staining， and HE staining was also performed on ankle synovial tissue and various organs. Western blot was used to determine the expression levels of key proteins in gout-related signaling pathways. ResultsNetwork pharmacology analysis predicted that luteolin may regulate over 20 core targets， such as XO， ABCG2， nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）， and SOD， through acting on signaling pathways including NF-κB， phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt）， and ABC transporters， thereby affecting uric acid metabolism and inflammatory responses. In the hyperuricemia model， compared with the blank group， the model group showed significantly increased serum UA level， liver and kidney XO activity， renal ABCG2 expression， and liver SOD activity （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the high-dose luteolin group significantly reduced serum UA level （P<0.01）， inhibited liver and kidney XO activity （P<0.01）， and significantly increased renal ABCG2 expression and liver SOD activity （P<0.01）， effectively alleviating renal oxidative stress damage and improving renal histopathological status. In the gouty arthritis model， compared with the blank group， the model group showed significant ankle swelling， decreased pain threshold， and significantly increased levels of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α in serum and synovial tissue （P<0.01）. The high-dose luteolin group significantly reduced ankle swelling， prolonged hot plate pain threshold， effectively decreased the levels of the above inflammatory factors in serum and synovial tissue （P<0.01）， and significantly improved ankle pathological damage， showing good analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Western blot results further confirmed that luteolin significantly upregulated Nrf2 protein expression and downregulated XO and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain （NOD）-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） expression in animals. ConclusionLuteolin can improve symptoms of hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis， and its potential mechanism may be related to inhibiting XO activity， increasing ABCG2 and SOD levels， and regulating Nrf2-mediated oxidative stress-related pathways.

Co-infection of hepatitis D virus （HDV） and hepatitis B virus （HBV） is the most severe form of viral hepatitis and is associated with accelerated progression of liver disease and a significant increase in the risk of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Nucleo（s）tide analogues for HBV treatment are ineffective against HDV infection， necessitating the urgent need for developing specific and effective antiviral therapies for HDV. In recent years， significant advances have been made in the research and development of specific antiviral drugs against HDV， including entry inhibitors targeting viral entry （Bulevirtide） and monoclonal antibody drugs （Libevitug）， which bring ground-breaking advances in the treatment of HDV infection. This article briefly reviews the latest research advances in therapeutic drugs for HDV， introduces the mechanism of action and clinical research data of new drugs recently approved for the treatment of HDV， and discusses the challenges that need to be solved in the field of HDV treatment， in order to provide a reference for understanding the current status of hepatitis D treatment.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism by which Xiebai San regulates respiratory tract and intestinal mucosal immunity in rats with allergic asthma. MethodsForty male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups based on body weight: control group, model group, positive control group, and Xiebai San group. The model group, positive control group, and Xiebai San group were sensitized with ovalbumin to establish a rat model of allergic asthma. From day 21 (the aerosol challenge phase), each group received daily gavage interventions simultaneously: the positive control group was administered dexamethasone (0.068 mg/kg), the Xiebai San group received Xiebai San solution (2 g/mL, 11.3 mL/kg), while the control and model groups were given an equal volume of normal saline, once daily for 14 consecutive days. After euthanasia, lung and intestinal tissues were collected. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe histopathological changes. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to examine tissue ultrastructure. Immunohistochemistry was applied to detect the positive reaction areas of phosphatidyl-inositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (Akt) proteins. Total protein and total RNA were extracted from lung and intestinal tissues, then the protein and mRNA expression levels of PI3K and Akt genes were detected by Western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR, respectively. ResultsHistopathological results showed alveolar emphysema accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration, and intestinal mucosal injury with inflammatory cell infiltration in the model group as compared with the control group; the cellular structure of lung tissues was disrupted in the model group, with reduced organelles, while the ultrastructural lesions in the intestine were relatively mild. Compared with the model group, Xiebai San group exhibited milder pathological changes in lung tissues, with occasional alveolar wall damage and a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration; the intestinal mucosal structure was improved, glands were arranged regularly, and pathological changes such as tissue loosening and inflammatory infiltration were alleviated; the cellular structure of lung tissues was relatively intact with reduced severity of lesions, and no ultrastructural pathological changes were observed in intestinal tissues. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting results showed that compared with the control group, the specific positive reaction areas of PI3K and Akt in lung and intestinal tissues were significantly increased in the model group (all P<0.001); meanwhile, the protein expression levels of PI3K and Akt were significantly upregulated (all P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the positive area of Akt protein in lung tissue was significantly reduced in the Xiebai San group (P<0.001), and the positive area of PI3K in intestinal tissue was also significantly decreased (P<0.000 1). Additionally, the protein expression levels of PI3K and Akt in lung and intestinal tissues were significantly downregulated (all P<0.01). Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that compared with the control group, the mRNA expression levels of PI3K and Akt genes in lung and intestinal tissues were significantly elevated in the model group (all P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the mRNA expression levels of PI3K and Akt genes in lung and intestinal tissues were significantly reduced in the Xiebai San group (all P<0.05). ConclusionXiebai San exerts protective effects on rats with allergic asthma by inhibiting the expression of key nucleic acids and proteins in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway in lung and intestinal tissues, improving the morphological structure of lung tissue, and maintaining intestinal mucosal integrity, and regulating intestinal mucosal immune function.

Objective: To explore new therapeutic strategies for periodontitis, this study prepared extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) loaded with saikosaponin D (SSD) and evaluated their efficacy in a mouse model of periodontitis. Methods: This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee and the Laboratory Animal Ethics Committee of the unit. hUC-MSCs at logarithmic growth phase were seeded into 96 well plates and then treated with various concentrations of SSD for 24 hours. The CCK-8 assay was used to determine the SSD concentration that preserves hUC-MSC viability. Flow cytometry (FCM) assessed SSD-induced apoptosis in hUC-MSCs and determined drug loading and loading efficiency. Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterized the morphology and size of hUC-MSCs-EVs and hUC-MSCs-SSD-EVs. C57BL/6J mice were divided into five groups with six mice per group: control group, periodontitis model group (PD), PD+SSD group (2 mg/kg), PD+hUC-MSCs-EVs group (10 μg/μL) and PD+hUC-MSCs-SSD-EVs group (10 μg/μL). Administration was performed 3 times a week for 4 consecutive weeks. Micro-CT and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining evaluated alveolar bone resorption in periodontal tissues of a mouse model of periodontitis. RT-qPCR measured inflammatory cytokine expression in periodontal tissues of a mouse model of periodontitis. Immunofluorescence analyzed macrophage M1/M2 polarization and runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) protein expression in periodontal tissues of a mouse model of periodontitis. Results: The CCK-8 assay showed that 10 μmol/L SSD had little effect on hUC-MSCs viability (P>0.05). FCM confirmed the successful loading of SSD into EVs with a loading efficiency of 11.40%. TEM and NTA revealed that hUC-MSCs-SSD-EVs presented round or oval membranous structures with diameters ranging from 200 to 300 nm. Micro CT and HE staining showed that, compared with the PD group, the distance from cementoenamel junction to alveolar bone crest (CEJ-ABC) was markedly shortened (P<0.01）.The alveolar bone of periodontitis‑model bone volume fraction (BV/TV) and trabecular number (Tb.N) were significantly elevated in the PD+hUC-MSCs-SSD-EVs group (P<0.01). RT-qPCR and IF results showed that hUC-MSCs-SSD-EVs in periodontal tissues markedly downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-12 and interleukin-22 (P<0.01), upregulated the expression of the anti-inflammatory factor interleukin-10 (P<0.01), promoted the polarization of macrophages from the M1 phenotype to the M2 phenotype, and elevated the protein expression level of RUNX2 (P<0.01). Conclusion hUC-MSC-SSD-EVs effectively alleviated inflammatory responses in a mouse model of maxillary periodontitis and reduced alveolar bone loss, providing a new idea for the treatment of periodontitis.

Objective: To assess the drinking water quality and its related factors in rural schools in Anhui Province from 2023 to 2025, so as to provide a basis for drinking water management of school. Methods: From July 2023 to December 2025, a total of 920 drinking water samples from rural schools were collected and tested in all 59 counties in Anhui Province by using stratified random sampling. The results were evaluated based on the Standards for Drinking Water Quality. Chi-square test, Chi-square trend test, and Logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results: From 2023 to 2025,the compliance rates of drinking water quality in rural schools were 79.06%,84.10%,87.15% respectively,with an overall compliance rate of 84.24%. The water quality compliance rate showed an upward trend over the three years ( χ 2 trend =5.99, P <0.05). Conventional treatment was the predominant water supply mode (74.57%), and rural centralized projects accounted for most water supply facilities (83.70%). Univariate analysis indicated that water samples from surface water sources, large scale water plants, municipal water supply, rural centralized water supply projects, conventional treatment processes and plants with sanitary licenses had significantly higher compliance rates ( χ 2=94.52, 74.39, 253.69, 218.34, 113.34，all P <0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustment for survey year, water supply mode( OR =4.98, 95% CI =2.55-9.75), sanitary license( OR =2.36, 95% CI =1.29-4.31), and water plant type( OR =3.78, 95% CI =2.04-7.03) were factors associated with the compliance rate of drinking water (all P <0.05). Conclusions Drinking water quality in rural schools across Anhui Province has improved, but the compliance rates of water samples from supplies with unconventional treatment, self supplied facilities, and supplies without health permits are relatively low. The water treatment of water plants should be improved, sanitation management should be strengthened, so as to ensure the safety of drinking water in schools.

Objective:To explore the influence of different scanning positions based on chest phantom of computed tomography(CT)scan on chest on image quality and radiation dose.Methods:A thermoluminescent dosimeter(TLD)was placed at the breast area of simulating anthropoid chest phantom.GE Revolution evo CT was used to conduct scan on the conventional supine position(supine group)and prone position(prone group)for chest phantom.Different noise indexes(NI=10-23)were adjusted to control ration doses,and other parameters were fixed,and each group collected 12 sequence images.The average value(AV),standard deviation(SD)of the CT scan at region of interest(ROI)under different scanning positions were recorded to calculate the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)of the image.The radiation dose at the breast area was measured by TLD,and the volume CT dose index(CTDIvol)and dose-length product(DLP)were recorded.Results:Under different scanning positions,the radiation dose of breast organs in the prone group was lower than that in the supine group,there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups(t=6.57,P<0.05),while there were not statistically significant differences in CTDIvol and DLP between the two groups(P>0.05).There were not statistically significant differences in the CT values,SD,SNR,CNR of lung tissue,and the CT values of breast tissue between the two groups of images(P>0.05).The SD,SNR and CNR of breast tissue in the prone group were lower than those in the supine group,and the differences were statistically significant(t=-13.33,-10.59,6.70,P<0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the subjective scores of the clarity of the edge of the tissue within lung,the layers of soft tissue of the breast,noise,and artifacts in the bone tissue between the two groups of images(P>0.05).Conclusion:When low-dose CT physical examination on chest is conducted in clinical practice,the scanning of prone position during undergoing CT scan on chest can obtain image quality that can meet the requirements in diagnosing lung,and reduce the radiation dose on the breast,and conform to the technical principle of optimal radiation protection.

Cholangiocarcinoma has an extremely poor prognosis, and the efficacy of existing treatment methods is limited. In the highly desmoplastic tumor microenvironment of cholangiocarcinoma, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the core regulators. Their significant heterogeneity and complex intercellular crosstalk network are not only key factors driving cholangiocarcinoma progression and drug resistance, but also highly promising therapeutic targets. This review focuses on the characteristics of CAFs in cholangiocarcinoma and the key crosstalk mechanisms between CAFs and tumor cells as well as immune cells, and summarizes the research progress and limitations of current therapeutic strategies targeting CAFs.

Objective To predict the potential suitability distribution of Vitex negundo in China;To analyze the key environmental factors influencing its suitability distribution.Methods Based on the geographic distribution data of Vitex negundo from 196 sites across China and 55 environmental variables,the Maximum Entropy(MaxEnt)model and ArcGIS 10.2 were employed to predict the potential distribution of suitable habitats for Vitex negundo in China.Results The constructed MaxEnt prediction model demonstrated high reliability.The primary environmental factors influencing the suitable distribution of Vitex negundo included the average temperature from June to October,precipitation in April and November,the mean temperature of the warmest season,soil type,and vegetation type.The predicted suitable habitats for Vitex negundo would be widely distributed,primarily concentrated in Jiangxi,central and southern Anhui,northwestern Zhejiang,eastern and northeastern Hunan,as well as eastern and southeastern Hubei.Conclusion The predicted potential distribution of Vitex negundo in China can provide a valuable reference for the conservation and sustainable utilization of this medicinal resource.

Gastric cancer,which has high incidence and mortality rates worldwide,faces numerous challenges in its diagnosis and treatment.In recent years,the combination of multi-omics technology and artificial intelligence(AI)algorithms has brought new hope for the diagnosis and treatment of this malignant disease.Multi-omics technology encompasses the fields of genomics,transcriptomics,proteomics,meta-bolomics,and radiomics,and can comprehensively reveal the biological characteristics of gastric cancer.AI algorithms,particularly machine-and deep-learning methods,possess powerful data integration,feature extraction,and pattern recognition capabilities,enabling the extrac-tion of the most valuable information from vast and complex multi-omics data.Such technology can aid in the early screening,precise dia-gnosis,personalized treatment,and prognostic assessment of gastric cancer.In this article,research progress on AI-based multi-omics tech-nology for the diagnosis and treatment of gastric canceris reviewed,and current applications of such technology at different diagnostic and therapeutic stages,the challenges faced,and future development directions are discussed,with the aim of providing new ideas and meth-ods for the diagnosis and treatment of this malignant disease.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to analyse fungal composition and exploit application potential in the Bantou (BT) agarwood-forming trunk of Aquilaria sinensis. METHODS: BT agarwood is a naturally formed agarwood that was collected after cutting. Total genomic DNA of the fungi in BT agarwood was extracted by the hexadecyltrimethy ammonium bromide (CTAB) method, followed by PCR amplification and library construction. The effective tags were obtained by the HiSeq2500 platform, and the data were subjected to bioinformatics and statistical analyses. RESULTS: A total of 7 850 040 effective tags were obtained, Ascomycota was the most abundant fungus at the phylum level, with a relative abundance of 56.36%-61.44%, followed by Basidiomycota, with a relative abundance of 10.49%-20.39%. Dothideomycetes, Agaricomycetes and Sordariomycetes were dominant at the class level, accounting for 26.21%-33.88%, 8.40%-17.66%, and 18.41%-24.11%, respectively. Lignosphaeria, Phaeoacremonium and Hermatomyces were dominant at the genus level, with relative abundances of 6.25%-7.64%, 1.95%-9.05% and 1.5%-5.4%, respectively. Diversity and richness analysis showed that the fungal composition in the agarwood formation sites (agarwood layer, upper agarwood layer and lower agarwood layer) were significantly lower than those in the decomposing layer and the healthy layer. That is, the fungal diversity and richness were significantly reduced during agarwood formation by the action of open wounds. The fungal community structure in the decomposing layer and agarwood formation sites obviously differed from that in the healthy layer. The number of Aspergillus taxa in agarwood formation sites decreased significantly (healthy layer is 0.5%, decomposing layer is 0.022%, upper agarwood layer is 0.012%, agarwood layer is 0.01%, and lower agarwood layer is 0.013%), indicating that agarwood may contain potential substances to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus. CONCLUSION Agarwood from agarwood formation sites contains potential substances that inhibit Aspergillus, which provides valuable information for the control of the genus of Aspergillus.