ObjectiveTo explore the improving effect of Huangqi Chifengtang（HCT） on atherosclerosis（AS）， and elucidate its mechanism in relation to adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase（AMPK）/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α（PPARα） signaling pathway and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain（NOD）-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3（NLRP3） inflammasome. MethodsEight C57BL/6J mice were set as the normal group， and 32 ApoE^-/- mice were randomly divided into the model group， the positive drug group（atorvastatin， 5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， HCT low- and high-dose groups（1.95， 3.90 g·kg^-1·d^-1）. ApoE^-/- mice were fed with high-fat and high-cholesterol feed to establish an AS mouse model. After modeling， they were orally administered corresponding dose of drugs for 28 days， while the normal and model groups received an equal volume of physiological saline via oral gavage. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe the pathological status of the aorta and liver in mice， Biochemical testing and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） were used to detect the levels of total cholesterol（TC）， triglycerides（TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol（LDL-C）， alanine aminotransferase（ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase（AST）， C-reactive protein（CRP）， interleukin（IL）-1β， IL-18 in the serum， as well as superoxide dismutase（SOD）， malondialdehyde（MDA）， and reduced glutathione（GSH） in the liver. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was used to measure the mRNA expression levels of NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein（ASC）， cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1（Caspase-1）， Toll-like receptor 4（TLR4） in the aorta， and fatty acid synthase（FAS）， stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1（SCD1）， PPARα， and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A（CPT1A） in the liver. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the protein expressions of NLRP3， Caspase-1， and ASC in the aorta， and Western blot was used to measure the protein expressions of AMPK， p-AMPK， sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c（SREBP-1c）， CPT1A， and FAS in the liver. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant increase in lipid plaque deposition in the aorta and lipid accumulation in the liver， the levels of TC， TG， LDL-C， AST， ALT， IL-1β， IL-18 and CRP in the serum were significantly increased（P<0.01）， and the mRNA and protein expressions of aortic TLR4， NLRP3， Caspase-1 and ASC were significantly upregulated（P<0.01）. The levels of SOD and GSH in the liver were significantly reduced， while the level of MDA was significantly increased（P<0.01）. The mRNA expressions of FAS and SCD1 in the liver were significantly downregulated， while the mRNA expressions of PPARα and CPT1A were significantly upregulated. The protein expressions of p-AMPK/AMPK and CPT1A in the liver were significantly reduced， while the expressions of SREBP-1c and FAS proteins were significantly increased（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the low- and high-dose HCT groups showed significant improvements in aortic plaques and hepatic lipid deposition. The levels of TC， LDL-C， AST， IL-1β and IL-18 in the serum of the low-dose HCT group， as well as TC， TG， LDL-C， AST， ALT， IL-1β， IL-18 and CRP in the serum of the high-dose HCT group， were significantly reduced（P<0.01）. The mRNA expressions of TLR4， NLRP3 and Caspase-1 in the aorta of the low-dose HCT group， as well as TLR4， NLRP3， Caspase-1 and ASC in the aorta of the high-dose HCT group， were significantly downregulated（P<0.01）. The protein expressions of Caspase-1 and ASC in the aorta of the low-dose HCT group， as well as NLRP3， Caspase-1 and ASC in the high-dose HCT group， were significantly downregulated（P<0.01）. The levels of SOD and GSH in the liver of the low- and high-dose HCT groups were significantly increased， while the level of MDA in the high-dose HCT group was significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. In the HCT-treated group， the mRNA expressions of FAS and SCD1 in the liver were significantly upregulated， while the mRNA expressions of PPARα and CPT1A were significantly downregulated， the protein expressions of p-AMPK/AMPK and CPT1A in the liver were significantly increased， while the protein expressions of SREBP-1c and FAS were significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionHCT can improve lipid metabolism by activating the AMPK/PPARα pathway and inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammatory responses， thereby reducing hepatic lipid deposition and AS plaque formation.

Nervous system diseases， also known as neuropathies， encompass a wide range of conditions， primarily including Alzheimer's disease （AD）， Parkinson's disease （PD）， Huntington's disease， and other neurodegenerative disorders， as well as depression， subarachnoid hemorrhage， cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury， vascular dementia， and other neurological diseases. These diseases pose serious threats to the health and lives of patients， bringing heavy burdens to society and families. The pathogenesis of nervous system diseases is highly complex， involving mechanisms such as neuroinflammation， oxidative stress， apoptosis， endoplasmic reticulum stress， mitochondrial dysfunction， brain-derived neurotrophic factor deficiency， reduced cholinergic activity， axonal injury， and demyelination. In recent years， the incidence and mortality of nervous system diseases have been rising annually. Currently， western medicine primarily focuses on symptomatic treatment， often accompanied by many adverse reactions， including lethargy， excessive sedation， dizziness， headaches， tachycardia， liver function damage， metabolic disorders， and incomplete recovery after surgery. As a traditional Chinese medicine， Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma has effects such as promoting blood circulation， removing blood stasis， cooling the blood， clearing the heart， nourishing the blood， and calming the nerves. It can play a role in the treatment and protection against nervous system diseases through multiple targets， pathways， and mechanisms. Studies have found that the water-soluble phenolic acids and fat-soluble diterpenoid quinones in Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma are the main active ingredients for the treatment of nervous system diseases. This paper summarized the effects of the active components and compounds of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma on nervous system diseases over the past ten years， aiming to provide a theoretical basis and research ideas for the development and application of active components and compounds of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in nervous system diseases.

[Objective] To explore the diagnosis and treatment experience of tension hydrocele. [Methods] The clinical data of 2 patients with tension hydrocele treated in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed.Relevant literature was retrieved to analyze the clinical characteristics of this disease. [Results] Case 1 was diagnosed due to swelling and pain of the left scrotum after trauma for more than one month, which worsened for one day.Physical examination showed high tension in the left scrotum and positive light transmission test.Ultrasound examination revealed that the blood flow signal in the left testis disappeared.Emergency left scrotal exploration and hydrocelectomy were performed.There was no sign of testis torsion during the operation.Case 2 was diagnosed mainly due to hydrocele of the right testis for 1 year, which worsened for 1 week and complicated with testis distension and pain.Physical examination showed high tension in the right scrotum and positive light transmission test.Ultrasound examination revealed that the blood flow signal in the right testis decreased.After 40ml of fluid was extracted under ultrasound monitoring, the blood flow signal in the right testis recovered.Hydrocelectomy was performed the next day.During the follow-up of 8 months, there was no recurrence of hydrocele.A search of domestic and foreign literature showed that there were no reports in domestic literature, while a total of 11 cases were reported in foreign literature. [Conclusion] Tension hydrocele of the testis is a rare emergency of the scrotum.Surgery or decompression should be performed as soon as possible to restore testicular blood supply, and hydrocelectomy should be performed simultaneously or in stages to prevent recurrence.

Objective To investigate the changes in coagulation system in acute decompensated cirrhosis(ADC)patients with or without sepsis and the association of these changes with short-term prognosis.Methods A prospective study was conducted among 116 ADC patients who were hospitalized in Nanfang Hospital from January 2021 to July 2023,among whom there were 86 patients with sepsis and 30 patients without sepsis,and 54 patients with sepsis alone who had no chronic liver disease were enrolled as control group.Thromboelastography(TEG)and other conventional coagulation parameters were used to comprehensively evaluate the coagulation function of patients.The data including TEG results and short-term prognosis were collected,and a correlation analysis was performed.The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups,and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups;the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups.The Spearman correlation coefficient was calculated to investigate the correlation between different variables.The Logistic regression model was used to perform the univariate and multivariate analyses.Results For the ADC patients with sepsis,the lungs and bloodstream were the main infection sites,and bacteria were the main pathogenic microorganism.TEG results showed that compared with the patients with sepsis alone,the patients with ADC and sepsis had a significant reduction in median maximum amplitude(MA),a significant increase in coagulation time(K time),and a significant reduction in α angle(all P<0.05);the patients with ADC and sepsis had a significantly longer reaction time(R time)than those with ADC alone(P=0.02),and the patients with sepsis alone had a significantly longer R time than those with ADC and sepsis(P=0.04).There was no correlation between MA and platelet count in the patients with ADC and sepsis(r=-0.133,P=0.057),while there was a significant correlation between MA and platelet count in the patients with sepsis alone(r=0.595,P=0.001).SOFA score was negatively correlated with MA in sepsis patients with or without ADC(r=-0.503 and-0.561,both P<0.001),and for the patients with ADC and sepsis,R time,K time,and α angle were weakly correlated with SOFA score and had a relatively strong correlation with APTT(all P<0.05).The patients with ADC alone all survived within 90 days,and compared with the death group,the patients with sepsis alone who survived had significantly higher values of MA and α angle(all P<0.05);there was a significant difference in α angle on day 90 between the survival group and the death group,no matter whether the patients were comorbid with ADC or not(both P<0.01),while for the patients with ADC and sepsis,there was no significant difference in MA value on day 90 between the survival group and the death group(P>0.05).Conclusion For ADC patients comorbid with sepsis,coagulation function assessment and monitoring should be taken seriously in clinical practice,and TEG parameters and SOFA score should be monitored when necessary to develop individualized treatment regimens.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL)is the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma,which demonstrates significant heterogeneity.Some DLBCL exhibit poor responses to chemotherapy,highlighting the urgent need for precise prognostic evaluation methods.As a critical biological parameter,tumor burden closely associated with disease progression and unfavorable prognosis,but representing tumor burden of DLBCL only with anatomical parameters was not enough to comprehensively reflect its biology features.Multiple parameters derived from 18F-FDG PET/CT could characterize metabolic features of tumors,hence enabling accurate quantification of tumor burden and providing a theoretical basis for individualized treatment of DLBCL.The research progresses of 18 F-FDG PET/CT for assessing tumor burden of DLBCL were reviewed in this article.

Objective:To investigate the application of pedicled or perforator flaps transfer in the stage Ⅰ tissue defect repair after vulvar cancer surgery.Methods:From January 2005 to December 2023, 20 patients with vulvar cancer who underwent extensive episiectomy or extended episiectomy±inguinal lymph node resection+vulvar defect flap transfer were collected in Huanxing Cancer Hospital of Chaoyang District and Cancer Hospital and Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. The survival status, appearance structure, sexual function satisfaction, tumor recurrence, and survival were analyzed.Results:(1) The median age of the 20 patients was 59 years (ranged: 29-73 years). There were 14 patients with recurrence and 6 patients with initial treatment. Pathological types: 14 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, 4 cases of Paget′s disease, 1 case of malignant melanoma, 1 case of adenoid cystic carcinoma (salivary gland type carcinoma). (2) Among the 20 patients, 6 cases underwent extensive episiotomy and 14 underwent extended episiotomy (1 of them underwent extensive excision of inguinal masses). Simultaneous inguinal lymphadenectomy (or dissection) were performed in 11 cases, including 7 cases of bilateral inguinal lymph node resection (or dissection) and 4 cases of unilateral inguinal lymph node resection (or dissection). Flap source: pedicled flap in 12 cases, perforator flap in 8 cases. All the 20 patients were removed at 10-14 days after operation, and all of them survived with rosy skin color and good elasticity. Seventeen cases of transferred flaps healed at stage Ⅰ, 2 cases healed at about 6 weeks due to incision leakage, and 1 case healed at 6 weeks after incision infection debridement. Six months after the operation, 2 cases felt that the pubic mound was thick and swollen. The other 18 cases showed vulva fullness and elasticity, no displacement of urethral opening, no deviation of urethra during urination, no stenosis of vaginal opening, no vulvar scar pain. In addition to 1 unmarried 29-year-old patient and 6 patients over 65 years old who had no sexual life before and after surgery, the other 13 patients had normal sexual life after surgery. (3) The follow-up period were 6 to 100 months, and 9 cases (45%, 9/20) relapsed during the follow-up period. There were 5 deaths (25%, 5/20), who were due to recurrence of vulvar cancer. The 5-year survival rate of 20 patients was 75%, including 83% in 6 patients with initial treatment and 71% in 14 patients with recurrence and reoperation.Conclusions:The combination of flap transfer for episioplasty with vulvar cancer surgery does not affect the wound healing. Because the external structure of the vulva is repaired, it could effectively improve the local wound healing ability and improve the organ function, and has good clinical application value.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of adrenal lesions in unilateral primary aldosteronism.Methods:This is a prospective study. Consecutive patients diagnosed with unilateral primary aldosteronism at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from December 2023 to November 2024 were included. Inclusion criteria：① Age is 18 to 80 years old；② The laboratory test indicators are in line with the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism；③ The auxiliary examination proved that only one side was involved；④ Patient undergo unilateral total adrenalectomy. The exclusion criteria are as follows：① Complete biochemical remission was not achieved during the 1-6 month follow-up after the surgery；② Postoperative loss to follow-up；③ No surgical specimens were received or the surgical specimens were incomplete，making continuous sectioning impossible. Patients meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited，and their clinical and biochemical data were recorded. The number of adrenal nodules visible on CT scans and the number of macroscopically visible nodules in the postoperative adrenal gross specimens were documented. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE）staining and aldosterone synthase CYP11B2 immunohistochemical staining were performed on the adrenal tissues after the operation. The number of nodules visible under the light microscope and the number of CYP11B2-positive nodules were recorded.Results:A total of 114 cases were included in this study. The age of the patients was（49.86 ± 9.80）years，the body mass index was（25.49 ± 3.40）kg/m2，the preoperative aldosterone level was 352（2012，556）pg/ml，and the direct renin concentration was 1.63（0.50，4.56）μIU/ml. The aldosterone/renin ratio was 224.9（57.1，641.6）（aldosterone concentration unit was pg/ml，renin concentration unit was μIU/ml），the minimum blood potassium concentration was 2.87（2.50，3.40）mmol/L，and the systolic blood pressure was（144.5 ± 19.5）mmHg. Among the 114 patients，105 had adrenal nodules detected by preoperative CT，of whom 2（1.75%）had multiple nodules. Postoperative gross adrenal specimen evaluation and CYP11B2 immunohistochemical staining revealed that 90 out of 114 cases were solitary nodules，2 cases had no nodules，and 22 cases（19.30%）had multiple nodules detected（17 cases had 2 nodules and 5 cases had 3 nodules）. Among them，12 cases（10.53%）presented as grossly visible multinodular lesions，while 10 cases（8.77%）appeared as solitary nodules macroscopically but demonstrated multinodular patterns on immunohistochemical staining. CYP11B2 staining showed that among the 22 patients with multiple nodules，13 had multiple CYP11B2-positive nodules，while the remaining had only one positive nodule. Among the 22 patients with multiple nodules，preoperative CT showed single nodules in 19 cases，hyperplasia in 1 case，and multiple nodules in 2 cases（9.09%）. Among the 12 patients with grossly visible multinodular lesions，preoperative CT showed single nodules in 9 cases，hyperplasia in 1 case，and multiple nodules in 2 cases（16.67%）.Conclusions:Multiple adrenal nodules associated with unilateral primary aldosteronism are relatively common，and are often not detected by preoperative CT examination. Partial adrenalectomy based solely on CT-visible nodules may fail to achieve complete remission of primary aldosteronism. This study provides evidence supporting total adrenalectomy as the preferred surgical approach for unilateral primary aldosteronism.

The pathogenesis of central nervous system （CNS） diseases is complex， seriously affecting patients' physical and mental health and imposing a heavy economic burden on society. Western medicine shows limited efficacy in treating CNS diseases and is often associated with numerous adverse reactions and contraindications. Chinese medicine Lycii Fructus exhibits multiple pharmacological effects， including immune regulation， enhancement of hematopoietic function， liver protection， anti-tumor， hypoglycemic， antipyretic， anti-aging， and anti-radiation activities， and has gradually been applied in clinical treatment. In recent years， the active components of Lycii Fructus have attracted considerable attention for their potential therapeutic effects on CNS diseases. Studies indicate that these active components may exert neuroprotective effects through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions， inhibition of neuronal apoptosis， and repair of neuronal damage， involving multiple targets and pathways. This review summarizes the therapeutic effects of Lycii Fructus active components in CNS diseases over the past decade by searching PubMed， CNKI， Wanfang Data， and other electronic databases， aiming to provide new treatment strategies and insights for future research on Lycii Fructus in CNS disorders.

Objective:To study the effect of anti-melanoma differentiation-related gene 5(MDA5) antibody positive dermatomyositis on the heart of patients.Methods:A total of 71 patients with dermatomyositis diagnosed in Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2019 were enrolled as the sample group, including anti-MDA5 (+) group( n=28); anti-MDA5(-) groups( n=43). Electrocardiogram and echocardiography were performed in the sample group and the control group. The electrocardiogram, echocardiography and other relevant clinical data of the anti-MDA5 (+) group, anti-MDA5 (-) group and the healthy control group were retrospectively analyzed. The logistic regression analysis model was used to analyze the related factors influencing cardiac involvement in anti-MDA5 (+) patients. Results:In the anti-MDA5 (+) group, more than half of the patients showed elevated levels of lactate dehydrogenase (21/28, 75%) and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (16/28, 57%), and 11%(3/28) showed elevated levels of creatine kinase isoenzyme and myoglobin. Compared with the anti-MDA5 (-) group, the white blood cell count in the blood routine of the anti-MDA5 (+) group [5.2 (4.0, 6.5) ×10 9/L vs. 7.8 (5.6, 10.6)×10 9/L, Z=-3.447, P=0.001], creatine kinase [62.5 (29.3, 108.3) U/L vs. 481.0 (179.0, 2 738.0) U/L, Z=-5.895, P<0.001], lactate dehydrogenase [313.0 (239.0, 362.0) U/L vs. 448.0 (291.0, 542.0) U/L, Z=-3.236, P<0.001], creatine kinase isoenzyme [1.9 (1.1, 3.9)ng/ml vs. 17.7 (4.0, 67.2) ng/ml, Z=-4.724, P<0.001], myoglobin [28.2 (20.0, 43.0) ng/ml vs. 307.4 (48.1, 612.2) ng/ml, Z=-4.800, P<0.001]. Electrocardiogram analysis showed that QRS axis [33.5±265.9 vs. 46.9±22.4, t=-2.900, P=0.004], SV1 amplitude [0.7 (0.4, 0.9) vs. 0.9 (0.7, 1.0), Z=-2.148, P=0.023] in anti-MDA5 antibody (+) group in anti-MDA5 antibody (+) group were lower than anti-MDA5 antibody (-) group. QRS duration [84.0 (78.0, 96.5) vs.92.0 (87.8, 100.5), Z=-2.900, P=0.004], QRS axis [33.5±265.9 vs. 46.9±20.4, Z=-2.32, P=0.023] in the anti-MDA5 antibody (+) group were lower than those in healthy control group. Echocardiographic analysis showed that the E peak of anti-MDA5 (+) group [63.0 (52.5, 69.5)] was significantly lower than that of anti-MDA5 (-) group [85.0 (68.0, 108.0), Z=-4.926, P<0.001)]and healthy control group [67.0 (62.8, 80.3), Z=-2.897, P=0.004]. The peak A of anti-MDA5 (+) group [65.5 (56.5, 80.0)] was significantly lower than that of anti-MDA5 (-) group [76.0 (65.0, 90.0), Z=-2.631, P=0.011], but higher than that of healthy control group [55.0(51.0, 66.5), Z=-4.550, P<0.001]. There was no significant difference in echocardiographic findi-ngs among the other groups. All patients with anti-MDA5 (+) dermatomyositis had interstitial lung disease (28/28, 100%). Patients with MDA5 antibody (+++) are more likely to have cardiac involvement than patients with MDA5 antibody (++). Conclusion:The results of relevant examinations in anti-MDA5-DM patients suggest that there is damage to myocardial cells and cardiac function.

Objective:To investigate the clinical diagnosis and treatment of IgG4-related disease（IgG4-RD） primarily involving the nasal cavity and skull base. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 8 patients with IgG4-RD primarily involving the nasal cavity and skull base who visited the Nasal and Skull Base Surgery Department at Xiangya Hospital from October 2017 to January 2024. The cohort comprised 4 males and 4 females, aged 8 to 69 years. Clinical data, laboratory examination results, imaging findings, histopathological results, and treatment plans were collected. The clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up results of IgG4-RD primarily involving nasal cavity and skull base were summarized and previous literature were also reviewed. Results:The initial symptoms in the 8 patients included nasal congestion, headache, sensory function decline, and facial deformities. Three patients also had parotid and pulmonary involvement. Among the 8 patients, 4 underwent partial surgical resection combined with glucocorticoid therapy; 1 underwent partial surgical resection combined with glucocorticoid and immunosuppressant therapy; 1 received glucocorticoid therapy alone; and 2 received glucocorticoid combined with immunosuppressant therapy. Follow-up was conducted one month after treatment, lasting from 5 to 79 months. During the follow-up period, recurrence was observed in 1 patient treated with glucocorticoid combined with immunosuppressants and in 1 patient treated with glucocorticoid alone, while the other 6 patients achieved significant remission. Conclusion:The diagnosis of nasal cavity and skull base IgG4-RD requires the combination of histopathology, laboratory tests, and imaging results. Treatment primarily includes glucocorticoids or combined immunosuppressants. For patients with significant compression symptoms, sensory function impairment, or facial deformities, surgical resection is an important treatment option. Given the high risk of recurrence, early intervention, active treatment, and long-term follow-up are crucial.
Humans ; Male ; Skull Base/pathology* ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Nasal Cavity/pathology* ; Adult ; Immunoglobulin G4-Related Disease/therapy* ; Immunoglobulin G ; Child ; Young Adult ; Adolescent