Objective Based on the general belief that the tongue characteristics of blood stasis constitution is"purple tongue,tortuous sublingual vessels",this study systematically summarized blood stasis tongue characteristics using artificial intelligence image processing combined with expert evaluation.Methods A physical questionnaire survey was conducted on 1275 college students,and 100 cases were randomly selected from the blood stasis constitution group and the mild constitution group.After collecting the tongue images,Unet,OpenCV,YOLOv5 and YOLOv8 algorithms combined with expert evaluation method were used to extract and analyze the tongue features of the two groups.By comparing the differences of tongue image characteristics between the blood stasis constitution group and the mild constitution group,the tongue characteristics of blood stasis constitution were systematically summarized.Results Compared with the mild constitution group,the proportion of light dark tongue and light purple tongue in the blood stasis constitution group was significantly higher(P＜0.05).The I value,L value and a value of the tongue area 1 in the blood stasis constitution group were significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).The S value and a value of area 2 and area 3 were significantly larger(P＜0.05),and the I value,L value,a value and b value of area 5 were significantly smaller(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).Compared with the mild constitution group,the proportion of tooth marks tongue in the blood stasis constitution group was significantly higher(P＜0.01),the proportion of cracked tongue in the blood stasis constitution group was significantly larger(P＜0.05),and the number of tooth marks,crack area,relative height of crack and relative width of crack in the blood stasis constitution group were significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).Compared with the mild constitution group,the I value,L value,a value and b value of tongue coating area 1 in the blood stasis constitution group were significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),the I value,L value,S value,a value and b value of tongue coating area 2 were significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),the I value,S value,a value and b value of tongue coating area 3 were significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),the b value of tongue coating area 4 was significantly larger(P＜0.05),the S value,a value and b value of tongue coating area 5 were significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).The proportion of thick tongue coating and greasy tongue coating in the blood stasis group was significantly higher than that in the gentleness group(P＜0.05).Compared with the mild constitution group,the proportion of tortuous,thickened and nodular sublingual collaterals in the blood stasis constitution group was significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).The a value,I value,S value,b value and relative width of sublingual collaterals in the blood stasis constitution group were significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).Conclusion On the basis of the general belief that the characteristics of blood stasis constitution tongue are dark purple tongue and dark purple sublingual collaterals/varicose veins/thickening,blood stasis constitution people also have new tongue characteristics,such as redder tips and edges,more teeth marks and fissures,thicker and greasier coatings,and yellow fur.These findings offer new insights for"to identify the constitution of traditional Chinese medicine and prevent diseases by observing the tongue manifestation".

Magnolol, a compound extracted from Magnolia officinalis, demonstrates potential efficacy in addressing metabolic dysfunction and cardiovascular diseases. Its biological activities encompass anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticoagulant, and anti-diabetic effects. Growth/differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a member of the transforming growth factor β superfamily, is considered a potential therapeutic target for metabolic disorders. This study investigated the impact of magnolol on GDF-15 production and its underlying mechanism. The research examined the pharmacological effect of magnolol on GDF-15 expression in vitro and in vivo, and determined the involvement of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling in this process. Luciferase reporter assays, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and in vitro DNA binding assays were employed to examine the regulation of GDF-15 by activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), CCAAT enhancer binding protein γ (CEBPG), and CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF). The study also investigated the effect of magnolol and ATF4 on the activity of a putative enhancer located in the intron of the GDF-15 gene, as well as the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on magnolol and ATF4-induced transcription activity. Results demonstrated that magnolol triggers GDF-15 production in endothelial cells (ECs), hepatoma cell line G2 (HepG2) and hepatoma cell line 3B (Hep3B) cell lines, and primary mouse hepatocytes. The cooperative binding of ATF4 and CEBPG upstream of the GDF-15 gene or the E1944285 enhancer located in the intron led to full-power transcription of the GDF-15 gene. SNP alleles were found to impact the magnolol and ATF4-induced transcription activity of GDF-15. In high-fat diet ApoE^-/- mice, administration of magnolol induced GDF-15 production and partially suppressed appetite through GDF-15. These findings suggest that magnolol regulates GDF-15 expression through priming of promoter and enhancer activity, indicating its potential as a drug for the treatment of metabolic disorders.
Lignans/pharmacology* ; Growth Differentiation Factor 15/metabolism* ; Animals ; Biphenyl Compounds/pharmacology* ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress/drug effects* ; Activating Transcription Factor 4/genetics* ; Mice ; Humans ; Male ; Magnolia/chemistry* ; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopes adhesiolysis in the treatment of adhesive intestinal obstruction.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 30 patients with adhesive intestinal obstruction who underwent laparoscopes adhesiolysis at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine between January 2021 and December 2024. The demographics, surgical parameters and postoperative complications were recorded.Results:Among the 30 patients, 16 were male and 14 were female, with age of (55.93 ± 13.83) years. A history of abdominal surgery was present in 25 patients (83.3%). Of the surgeries, 4 cases (13.3%) were performed as emergency procedures and 26 cases (86.7%) were elective. The operative time was (125.57 ± 48.25) min, and intraoperative blood loss was (26.17 ± 16.90) ml. The time to first flatus was (3.30 ± 1.95) d, the time to first oral intake was 4.00 (3.00, 5.00) d, the hospital stay was (24.23 ± 17.97) d, and the postoperative hospital stay was 11.50 (6.75, 18.75) d. The incision pain score 0 score was in 8 cases (26.7%), 1 score in 5 cases (16.7%), 2 scores in 10 cases (33.3%), 3 scores in 3 cases (10.0%), 4 scores in 3 cases (10.0%), and 5 scores in 1 case (3.3%). One case developed a postoperative wound infection. The patients were followed up for 1 year, 1 patient experienced recurrent incomplete intestinal obstruction due to widespread peritoneal metastasis from gastric cancer.Conclusions:Laparoscopes adhesiolysis is a safe and effective treatment for adhesive intestinal obstruction, offering advantages in terms of postoperative recovery and low complication rates. The continued use of minimally invasive techniques is recommended in the management of this condition.

Lipoatrophic diabetes(LD) is a rare and distinct form of diabetes characterized by notable clinical heterogeneity. It is often considered one of the manifestations of lipodystrophy syndrome(LDS). In clinical practice, LD is frequently misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes; however, its management protocols and prognostic outcomes differ significantly from those of other diabetes subtypes. Therefore, timely and accurate diagnosis is of great clinical importance. This paper presents two detailed case reports of female patients with LD. Through an in-depth analysis of their clinical features, it also provides an comprehensive review of the key clinical manifestations of LDS, potential pathogenic mechanisms, and current approaches to genetic diagnosis. The aim is to enhance clinicans′ awareness of LDS and improve corresponding diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Objective:To investigate the association between serum klotho level and risk of all-cause mortality in the population with diabetic kidney disease (DKD).Methods:It was a retrospective cohort study. DKD patients from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database in the United States, which covered five survey cycles from 2007 to 2016 were selected. Relevant demographic and laboratory examination data were collected, and all-cause mortality was regarded as the endpoint event. Patients were divided into high serum klotho group and low serum klotho group according to the optimal klotho threshold of predicting survival outcomes, and the differences of baseline characteristics between the two groups were compared. The weighted Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curves of the high and low serum klotho groups during the follow-up period. Log-rank test was used to compare the survival rates between the two groups. Weighted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and further stratified analysis were used to estimate the correlation between serum klotho level and the risk of all-cause mortality.Results:A total of 633 DKD patients were included in this study, with age of 65 (56, 72) years, and 323 (51.03%) males. Among them, there were 510 patients in the high klotho level (>556.6 ng/L) group, and 123 patients in the low klotho level (≤556.6 ng/L) group. The serum creatinine level in the high klotho level group was significantly lower than that in the low klotho level group ( Z=-2.650, P=0.010), while the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, Z=2.489, P=0.015) and fasting blood glucose ( Z=2.275, P=0.026) were significantly higher than those in the low klotho level group. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender distribution, racial distribution, proportion of smoking, body mass index, proportion of hypertension, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and urine albumin/creatinine ratio (all P>0.05). The follow-up time was 81 (49, 116) months, and a total of 204 (32.23%) all-cause death events occurred. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the survival rate of the high klotho level group was significantly higher than that of the low klotho level group (Log-rank test, χ2=4.21, P=0.040). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for gender, age, race, smoking, body mass index, hypertension, blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol and eGFR, the risk of all-cause death in the low klotho level group was 1.63 times than that in the high klotho level group ( HR=1.63, 95% CI 1.03-2.63). Further stratified analysis showed that there was no interaction effect of age, gender, race and eGFR on the impact between low serum klotho level and the risk of all-cause death (all P>0.05), indicating that the correlation between low serum klotho level and the risk of all-cause death was consistent when DKD individuals were divided into different subgroups. Conclusions:Low serum klotho level are significantly associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality in the DKD population. Maintaining an adequate serum klotho level may reduce the risk of death in DKD patients.

BACKGROUND:Ovarian tissue vitrification cryopreservation is one of the important methods for preserving fertility.Tanshinone ⅡA has various pharmacological activities,including anti-oxidation,inhibition of inflammatory response,and reduction of apoptosis,but its role as an additive for vitrification cryoprotection of ovarian tissue is still unclear.OBJECTIVE:To explore the protective effect of tanshinone ⅡA on vitrification cryopreservation of mouse ovarian tissue.METHODS:Twenty-five 6-week-old female KM mice were randomly selected and their ovarian tissues were randomly divided into five groups,with 10 ovaries per group.The fresh group was not cryopreserved.The frozen control group used vitrification cryoprotectant.The 0.5,2.5,and 5 μmol/L tanshinone ⅡA groups used vitrification cryoprotectant containing 0.5,2.5,and 5 μmol/L tanshinone ⅡA,respectively,and were cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen.After 3 days of storage,the cryopreserved tubes were taken out and thawed.The ovarian tissue and follicle morphology of each group were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining,and the normal follicle morphology and survival rate were analyzed.The levels of superoxide dismutase,catalase,malondialdehyde,tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-1β,and interleukin-17 in the ovary were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RT-qPCR and western blot assay were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)and heme oxygenase 1(HO-1)in the mouse ovary.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the fresh group,the frozen control group had abnormal morphology of follicles at all levels in the ovary,decreased follicle survival rate(P＜0.05),decreased superoxide dismutase and catalase activities(P＜0.05);the levels of malondialdehyde,and tumor necrosis factor α,interleukin 1β,and interleukin 17 were all increased(P＜0.05),and the mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 were decreased(P＜0.05).(2)Compared with the frozen control group,different concentrations of tanshinone ⅡA could improve the morphology of follicles at all levels in the ovary,increase the survival rate of follicles,enhance the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase,and reduce the levels of malondialdehyde,tumor necrosis factor α,interleukin 1β,and interleukin 17,increased the mRNA and protein expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 in a concentration-dependent manner,with 5 μmol/L tanshinone ⅡA having the most significant effect.(3)The results show that tanshinone ⅡA may reduce the oxidative stress level and inflammatory response of mouse ovarian tissue by mediating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway,thereby alleviating the reproductive damage caused by vitrification cryopreservation of mouse ovaries.

Objective Based on the general belief that the tongue characteristics of blood stasis constitution is"purple tongue,tortuous sublingual vessels",this study systematically summarized blood stasis tongue characteristics using artificial intelligence image processing combined with expert evaluation.Methods A physical questionnaire survey was conducted on 1275 college students,and 100 cases were randomly selected from the blood stasis constitution group and the mild constitution group.After collecting the tongue images,Unet,OpenCV,YOLOv5 and YOLOv8 algorithms combined with expert evaluation method were used to extract and analyze the tongue features of the two groups.By comparing the differences of tongue image characteristics between the blood stasis constitution group and the mild constitution group,the tongue characteristics of blood stasis constitution were systematically summarized.Results Compared with the mild constitution group,the proportion of light dark tongue and light purple tongue in the blood stasis constitution group was significantly higher(P＜0.05).The I value,L value and a value of the tongue area 1 in the blood stasis constitution group were significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).The S value and a value of area 2 and area 3 were significantly larger(P＜0.05),and the I value,L value,a value and b value of area 5 were significantly smaller(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).Compared with the mild constitution group,the proportion of tooth marks tongue in the blood stasis constitution group was significantly higher(P＜0.01),the proportion of cracked tongue in the blood stasis constitution group was significantly larger(P＜0.05),and the number of tooth marks,crack area,relative height of crack and relative width of crack in the blood stasis constitution group were significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).Compared with the mild constitution group,the I value,L value,a value and b value of tongue coating area 1 in the blood stasis constitution group were significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),the I value,L value,S value,a value and b value of tongue coating area 2 were significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),the I value,S value,a value and b value of tongue coating area 3 were significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),the b value of tongue coating area 4 was significantly larger(P＜0.05),the S value,a value and b value of tongue coating area 5 were significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).The proportion of thick tongue coating and greasy tongue coating in the blood stasis group was significantly higher than that in the gentleness group(P＜0.05).Compared with the mild constitution group,the proportion of tortuous,thickened and nodular sublingual collaterals in the blood stasis constitution group was significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).The a value,I value,S value,b value and relative width of sublingual collaterals in the blood stasis constitution group were significantly larger(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).Conclusion On the basis of the general belief that the characteristics of blood stasis constitution tongue are dark purple tongue and dark purple sublingual collaterals/varicose veins/thickening,blood stasis constitution people also have new tongue characteristics,such as redder tips and edges,more teeth marks and fissures,thicker and greasier coatings,and yellow fur.These findings offer new insights for"to identify the constitution of traditional Chinese medicine and prevent diseases by observing the tongue manifestation".

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopes adhesiolysis in the treatment of adhesive intestinal obstruction.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 30 patients with adhesive intestinal obstruction who underwent laparoscopes adhesiolysis at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine between January 2021 and December 2024. The demographics, surgical parameters and postoperative complications were recorded.Results:Among the 30 patients, 16 were male and 14 were female, with age of (55.93 ± 13.83) years. A history of abdominal surgery was present in 25 patients (83.3%). Of the surgeries, 4 cases (13.3%) were performed as emergency procedures and 26 cases (86.7%) were elective. The operative time was (125.57 ± 48.25) min, and intraoperative blood loss was (26.17 ± 16.90) ml. The time to first flatus was (3.30 ± 1.95) d, the time to first oral intake was 4.00 (3.00, 5.00) d, the hospital stay was (24.23 ± 17.97) d, and the postoperative hospital stay was 11.50 (6.75, 18.75) d. The incision pain score 0 score was in 8 cases (26.7%), 1 score in 5 cases (16.7%), 2 scores in 10 cases (33.3%), 3 scores in 3 cases (10.0%), 4 scores in 3 cases (10.0%), and 5 scores in 1 case (3.3%). One case developed a postoperative wound infection. The patients were followed up for 1 year, 1 patient experienced recurrent incomplete intestinal obstruction due to widespread peritoneal metastasis from gastric cancer.Conclusions:Laparoscopes adhesiolysis is a safe and effective treatment for adhesive intestinal obstruction, offering advantages in terms of postoperative recovery and low complication rates. The continued use of minimally invasive techniques is recommended in the management of this condition.

Objective:To analyze the relationship between 24-hour urinary calcium (24 h UCa) level and the risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality.Methods:In the Chinese Cohort Study of Chronic Kidney Disease, we examined 3 375 patients aged 18-74 years with CKD stages 1-4. Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to test a time-to-event association between levels of 24 h UCa and incidence of ESKD, CVD, and all-cause mortality.Results:During a follow-up of 4.17 (3.37, 5.20) years, 179, 145, 104 and 38 ESKD events occurred in <0.60, 0.60-, 1.20-, ≥2.32 mmol 24 h UCa groups. Higher levels of 24 h UCa (1.20-,≥2.32 mmol) were independently associated with a lower incidence of ESKD events in patients with CKD, with HR (95% CI) of 0.71 (0.54-0.93) and 0.43 (0.29-0.64), respectively. No significant associations with CVD and all-cause mortality endpoints were detected. Conclusion:Among patients with CKD, levels of 24 h UCa displayed an association with the risk of ESKD among patients with CKD stages 1-4.

Lipoatrophic diabetes(LD) is a rare and distinct form of diabetes characterized by notable clinical heterogeneity. It is often considered one of the manifestations of lipodystrophy syndrome(LDS). In clinical practice, LD is frequently misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes; however, its management protocols and prognostic outcomes differ significantly from those of other diabetes subtypes. Therefore, timely and accurate diagnosis is of great clinical importance. This paper presents two detailed case reports of female patients with LD. Through an in-depth analysis of their clinical features, it also provides an comprehensive review of the key clinical manifestations of LDS, potential pathogenic mechanisms, and current approaches to genetic diagnosis. The aim is to enhance clinicans′ awareness of LDS and improve corresponding diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.