Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, is characterized by high mortality and recurrence rates. Common treatments include hepatectomy, liver transplantation, ablation therapy, interventional therapy, radiotherapy, systemic therapy, and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). While exhibiting specific advantages, these approaches are associated with varying degrees of adverse effects. To alleviate patients' suffering and burdens, it is crucial to explore additional treatments and elucidate the pathogenesis of HCC, laying a foundation for the development of new TCM-based drugs. With emerging research on gut microbiota, it has been revealed that microbiota plays a vital role in the development of HCC by influencing intestinal barrier function, microbial metabolites, and immune regulation. TCM, with its multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway characteristics, has been increasingly recognized as a vital therapeutic treatment for HCC, particularly in patients at intermediate or advanced stages, by prolonging survival and improving quality of life. Recent global studies demonstrate that TCM exerts anti-HCC effects by modulating gut microbiota, restoring intestinal barrier function, regulating microbial composition and its metabolites, suppressing inflammation, and enhancing immune responses, thereby inhibiting the malignant phenotype of HCC. This review aims to elucidate the mechanisms by which gut microbiota contributes to the development and progression of HCC and highlight the regulatory effects of TCM, addressing the current gap in systematic understanding of the "TCM-gut microbiota-HCC" axis. The findings provide theoretical support for integrating TCM with western medicine in HCC treatment and promote the transition from basic research to precision clinical therapy through microbiota-targeted drug development and TCM-based interventions.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/microbiology* ; Liver Neoplasms/microbiology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Animals ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical features of children with STAT gene mutations, and to explore corresponding immunotherapy strategies. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 10 children with STAT gene mutations who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, from October 2015 to October 2024. Exploratory immunotherapy was implemented in some refractory cases, and the changes in symptoms, imaging manifestations, and cytokine levels were assessed after treatment. RESULTS: For the 10 children, the main clinical manifestations were recurrent rash since birth (7/10), cough (8/10), wheezing (5/10), expectoration (4/10), and purulent nasal discharge (4/10). Genotyping results showed that there was one child with heterozygous loss-of-function (LOF) mutation in the STAT1 gene, four children with heterozygous LOF mutation in the STAT3 gene, and five children with heterozygous gain-of-function (GOF) mutation in the STAT3 gene. Two children with LOF mutation in the STAT3 gene showed decreased interleukin-6 levels and improved clinical symptoms and imaging findings after omalizumab treatment. Three children with GOF mutation in the STAT3 gene achieved effective disease control after treatment with methylprednisolone (0.5 mg/kg per day). Two children with GOF mutation in the STAT3 gene received treatment with JAK inhibitor and then showed some improvement in symptoms. CONCLUSIONS STAT gene mutation screening should be considered for children with recurrent rash and purulent respiratory tract infections. Targeted immunotherapy may improve prognosis in patients with no response to conventional treatment.
Humans ; Male ; Immunotherapy ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Gain of Function Mutation ; Retrospective Studies ; Infant ; Loss of Function Mutation ; STAT Transcription Factors/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of shockwave therapy, acupuncture, hyperthermia, biofeedback therapy, electrical nerve stimulation, magnetotherapy and ultrasound therapy in the treatment of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome(CP/CPPS), and to provide evidence-based support for clinical decision-making. METHODS: Two researchers independently searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and Chinese Biomedical Literature databases for randomized controlled trials(RCTs) on the effects of different interventions on CP/CPPS from the establishment of the databases to August 2024. We evaluated the quality of the included literature and extracted the relevant data according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, followed by network meta-analysis using Revman 5.3, R 4.33 and Stata17 software. RESULTS: A total of 25 RCTs involving 1 794 cases were included. The results of network meta-analysis showed that electrical nerve stimulation, shockwave therapy, biofeedback therapy, magnetotherapy, ultrasound therapy and acupuncture were significantly superior to conventional medication and placebo in the total NIH-CPSI scores(P< 0.05), and so were electrical nerve stimulation and shockwave therapy to acupuncture and hyperthermia(P< 0.05), magnetic therapy to hyperthermia, and ultrasound therapy to placebo(P< 0.05). Shockwave therapy, biofeedback therapy, electrical nerve stimulation, magnetotherapy and ultrasound therapy achieved remarkably better clinical efficacy than conventional medication and placebo in the treatment of CP/CPPS, and so did shockwave therapy than electrical nerve stimulation, hyperthermia, ultrasonic therapy, magnetotherapy and acupuncture. CONCLUSION For the treatment of CP/CPPS, electrical nerve stimulation is advantageous over the other interventions in improving total NIH-CPSI scores, and shockwave therapy is advantageous in relieving pain symptoms and clinical efficacy. This conclusion, however, needs to be further verified by more high-quality clinical studies.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Biofeedback, Psychology ; Chronic Disease ; Electric Stimulation Therapy ; Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy ; Magnetic Field Therapy ; Pelvic Pain/therapy* ; Prostatitis/therapy* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Ultrasonic Therapy

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of quercetin on cuproptosis and L-type calcium currents in the myocardium of diabetic rats. METHODS: Forty SD rats were randomized into control group and diabetic model groups. The rat models of diabetes mellitus (DM) induced by high-fat and high-sugar diet combined with streptozotocin (STZ) injection were further divided into DM model group, quercetin treatment group, and empagliflozin treatment group (n=10). Blood glucose and body weight were measured every other week, and cardiac function of the rats was evaluated using echocardiography. HE staining, Sirius red staining, and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) analysis were used to observe the changes in myocardial histomorphology, and serum copper levels and myocardial FDX1 expression were detected. In cultured rat cardiomyocyte H9c2 cells with high-glucose exposure, the effects of quercetin and elesclomol, alone or in combination, on intracellular CK-MB and LDH levels and FDX1 expression were assessed, and the changes in L-type calcium currents were analyzed using patch-clamp technique. RESULTS: The diabetic rats exhibited elevated blood glucose, reduced body weight, impaired left ventricular function, increased serum copper levels and myocardial FDX1 expression, decreased L-type calcium currents, and prolonged action potential duration. Quercetin and empagliflozin treatment significantly lowered blood glucose, improved body weight, and restored cardiac function of the diabetic rats, and compared with empagliflozin, quercetin more effectively reduced serum copper levels, downregulated FDX1 expression, and enhanced myocardial L-type calcium currents in diabetic rats. In H9c2 cells, high glucose exposure significantly increased myocardial expressions of FDX1, CK-MB and LDH, which were effectively lowered by quercetin treatment; Elesclomol further elevated FDX1, CK-MB and LDH levels in the exposed cells, and these changes were not significantly affected by the application of quercetin. CONCLUSIONS Quercetin ameliorates myocardial injury in diabetic rats possibly by suppressing myocardial cuproptosis signaling and restoring L-type calcium channel activity.
Animals ; Quercetin/pharmacology* ; Calcium Channels, L-Type/metabolism* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Myocytes, Cardiac/drug effects* ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Male

AIM To explore the clinical effects of Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb.et Zucc.on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus of Dampness-Heat Pattern.METHODS One hundred and forty patients were randomly assigned into control group(70 cases)for 8-week intervention of conventional treatment,and observation group(70 cases)for 8-week intervention of both P.cuspidatum granules and conventional treatment.The changes in body weight,BMI,blood glucose indices(FBG,2 h PG,HbA1C,GA),blood lipid indices(TC,TG,HDL-C,LDL-C,ApoA-I,ApoB,ApoA,ApoE,sdLDL-C),liver function indices(ALT,AST),fatty liver progression,TyG,HSI,TCM syndrome score and effects were detected.RESULTS The observation group demonstrated higher total effective rates of TCM syndromes than the control group(P＜0.01),along with slighter fatty liver progression(P＜0.01).After the treatment,the observation group displayed decreased body weight,BMI,FBG,GA,TG,ApoE,TyG,HSI,ALT and TCM syndrome score(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and 2 h PG,TyG,HSI,ALT,TCM syndrome score were lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION For the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus of Dampness-Heat Pattern,P.cuspidatum can improve glucose and lipid metabolism disorders,which is worthy of clinical popularization and application.

AIM To study the chemical constituents from the leaves of Citrus reticulata Blanco and their anti-inflammatory activities.METHODS The 85%ethanol extract from the leaves of C.reticulata was isolated and purified by silica gel,D101 macroporous resin,MCI,ODS and Sephadex LH-20,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.The Griess method was used to determine their inhibitory activities on lipopolysaccharide-induced NO production in macrophages RAW 264.7 cells.The mice foot swelling inflammation model induced by carrageenan was established,and the levels of IL-1β,TNF-α were detected.RESULTS Twelve compounds were isolated and identified as nobiletin(1),tangeretin(2),5-demethylinoblitin(3),5,4'-dihydroxy-6,7,8,3'-tetramethoxy flavone(4),5-hydroxy-7,8,3',4'-trimethoxyflavanone(5),3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-heptamethoxyflavanone(6),hesperetin(7),5-hydroxy-6,7,3',4'-tetramethoxyphenone(8),β-balsam alcohol(9),stigmaster-5-en-3β-alcohol(10),p-hydroxybenzaldehyde(11),vanillin(12).Compounds 1,4,6,7,10 and 12 had strong inhibitory activites on NO release in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells,and the IC50 values were(25.21±2.10),(37.77±0.50),(38.19±1.58),(21.89±1.73),(43.81±1.18),(47.98±2.55),(41.23±1.11),(43.80±1.43)μmol/mL,respectively.Compounds 2-3 reduced IL-1β and TNF-α levels(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Compounds 6-7,9 are isolated from this plant for the first time.Compounds 1-4,8 exhibit strong in vitro anti-inflammatory activities,and compounds 2-3 exhibit significant in vivo anti-inflammatory activities.

Objective:To summarize the clinical effect of laparoscopic medial umbilical ligament dissection in two-stage Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy (FSO).Methods:A case-series study was conducted.Clinical data of children who underwent two-stage FSO from March 2020 to July 2022 in the Department of Urology, Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University were retrospectively analyzed.Indexes such as operation time, amount of blood loss, degree of postoperative pain in the operative area, testicular position, size, texture and parental satisfaction at the operative side 1 month, 6 months and 1 year after surgery were collected.Measurement data of normal distribution were expressed as Mean± SD and compared using the independent sample and paired sample t-tests. Results:A total of 18 children with complete clinical data were included in this study.Their age ranged from 7 months to 10 years, with an average of 2 years.There were 10 cases of FSO on the left side and 8 cases on the right side.Twelve cases (group A) had the testis directly descending to the scrotum without amputation of the umbilical medial ligament during the operation, including 7 cases on the left side and 5 cases on the right side; 6 cases (group B) with testis not descending to the scrotum received amputation of the umbilical medial ligament, and the testicle was pulled into the scrotum without tension, including 3 cases on the left side and 3 cases on the right side.The age of patients in group A [(0.88±0.26) years] was lower than that in group B [(4.32±2.96) years] ( t=-4.11, P<0.05).The operation time of patients in group B was (47.50±1.87) min, slightly longer than that in group A [(46.17±1.47) min] ( t=-1.66, P>0.05).The intraoperative bleeding volume in group B was (5.18±0.42) mL, slightly higher than that in group A [(4.96±0.20) mL] ( t=-1.56, P>0.05).Patients in both groups had mild pain in the operative area, which could be tolerated by the children.There were no significant differences in testicular position, size, texture and satisfaction between the two groups 1 month after surgery.Reexamination at 6 months after operation showed that 1 case in group A had mild testicular retraction, located above the scrotum; no significant testicular retraction was observed in group B; the size and texture of testis in both groups had no significant change compared with those before operation, and the blood supply was normal according to the color ultrasound findings; parental satisfaction was high.Reexamination at 1 year after operation showed that 1 case of testis in group A was located above the scrotum, 2 cases had no obvious development, and the rest cases had increased testis size [(0.51±0.03) mL] compared with before operation [(0.31±0.02) mL] ( t=-22.97, P<0.05); all cases of testis in group B returned to normal position, 1 case had no obvious development, and the rest cases had increased testis size [(0.45±0.02) mL] compared with before operation [(0.24±0.01) mL] ( t=-32.87, P<0.05).There was no significant difference in testicular size increase between group A [(0.20±0.03) mL] and group B [(0.20±0.01) mL] ( t=-1.19, P>0.05). Conclusions:In the case that the medial umbilical ligament obviously affects the testicular descent, it can be dissected, which significantly shortens the distance of testis descending to the scrotum.The testicular position after surgery is normal, and the two-stage FSO does not affect the testicular development.

Basic research and interdisciplinary application of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） have been continuously extended and rapidly developed with the continuous funding and promotion of basic research on TCM supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （NSFC）， and the overall level of basic research on TCM has been significantly improved， which has made important contributions to the diagnosis and treatment mechanism of TCM by "clarifying， identifying， and interpreting"， providing benchmark guarantees for basic research and industry development of TCM. This article focused on the application and funded projects of NSFC in 2023 under the H31 application code of TCM. It analyzed the project types， branch codes， research question categories， supporting units and regions， research directions， and keywords and summarized the characteristics of the currently funded projects in H31. At the same time， it analyzed the relevant problems in the project application process and put forward several suggestions， so as to provide a reference for scholars in the field of TCM. In 2023， a total of 8 334 applications for three types of projects （general projects， projects for young scholars， and regional projects） under the H31 code have been received by NSFC， which is the highest number in the past five years. However， the proportion of funding is still on a downward trend， and there is fierce competition among applicants. Finally， 804 projects for the three categories under the H31 code have been funded. The total funding decreased in 2022， and the average funding amount of the general project and the regional project has dropped to the lowest in the past five years. It is found that the development of branch research and the research questions under the H31 code is unbalanced. Few projects have focused on the original theory of TCM. Some projects are detached from the characteristics and research laws of TCM. Most researchers lack innovative research ideas， and the applications they write are filled with routines and patterns. In addition， the issue of scientific integrity remains a primary principle for project applicants.

BACKGROUND:Heterotopic ossification is a dynamic growth process.Diverse heterotopic ossification subtypes have diverse etiologies or induction factors,but they exhibit a similar clinical process in the intermediate and later phases of the disease.Acquired heterotopic ossification produced by trauma and other circumstances has a high incidence. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the molecular biological mechanisms linked to the occurrence and progression of acquired heterotopic ossification in recent years. METHODS:The keywords"molecular biology,heterotopic ossification,mechanisms"were searched in CNKI,Wanfang,PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,and Google Scholar databases for articles published from January 2016 to August 2022.Supplementary searches were conducted based on the obtained articles.After the collected literature was screened,131 articles were finally included and summarized. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The occurrence and development of acquired heterotopic ossification is a dynamic process with certain concealment,making diagnosis and treatment of the disease difficult.(2)By reviewing relevant literature,it was found that acquired heterotopic ossification involves signaling pathways such as bone morphogenetic protein,transforming growth factor-β,Hedgehog,Wnt,and mTOR,as well as core factors such as Runx-2,vascular endothelial growth factor,hypoxia-inducing factor,fibroblast growth factor,and Sox9.The core mechanism may be the interaction between different signaling pathways,affecting the body's osteoblast precursor cells,osteoblast microenvironment,and related cytokines,thereby affecting the body's bone metabolism and leading to the occurrence of acquired heterotopic ossification.(3)In the future,it is possible to take the heterotopic ossification-related single-cell osteogenic homeostasis as the research direction,take the osteoblast precursor cells-osteogenic microenvironment-signaling pathways and cytokines as the research elements,explore the characteristics of each element under different temporal and spatial conditions,compare the similarities and differences of the osteogenic homeostasis of different types and individuals,observe the regulatory mechanism of the molecular signaling network of heterotopic ossification from a holistic perspective.It is beneficial to the exploration of new methods for the future clinical prevention and treatment of heterotopic ossification.(4)Meanwhile,the treatment methods represented by traditional Chinese medicine and targeted therapy have become research hotspots in recent years.How to link traditional Chinese medicine with the osteogenic homeostasis in the body and combine it with targeted therapy is also one of the future research directions.(5)At present,the research on acquired heterotopic ossification is still limited to basic experimental research and the clinical prevention and treatment methods still have defects such as uncertain efficacy and obvious side effects.The safety and effectiveness of relevant targeted prevention and treatment drugs in clinical application still need to be verified.Future research should focus on clinical prevention and treatment based on basic experimental research combined with the mechanism of occurrence and development.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of progressive transfer of penile flap combined with local scrotal flap in correction of severe concealed penis in children.Methods:The clinical data of children with severe concealed penis admitted to the Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from July 2021 to July 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The concealed penis was corrected by progressive transfer of penile flap combined with local scrotal flap. During the operation, a small amount of excess inner prepuce was removed and the outer prepuce was cut in the middle of the dorsal side of the penis. Then the penile flap was transferred from dorsal to ventral, gradually covering the wound without tension. The local scrotal flap was lifted upwards and sutured to the frenulum for covering the ventral foreskin defect of the penis. The amount of blood loss during the operation was recorded. The pain tolerance, the duration of prepuce edema, the length of penis extension and the healing of skin flap were observed. The appearance of the penis was followed up to observe whether the penis was retracted, and the satisfaction of the children and their guardians was recorded.Results:A total of 32 male children were enrolled, ranging in age from 3 to 10 years, with an average age of 7.2 years. The penis of all the children had a conical appearance, and the penile shaft was buried under the subcutaneous anterior pubis, which was difficult to palpate in its natural state. The average intraoperative blood loss was about 5 ml. All patients had pain after the operation. Two patients needed a pump to relieve pain, and the rest could tolerate it after rectum administration of indomethacin suppositories. The edema of the prepuce was mild after the operation, and the edema basically disappeared when the patient was discharged 7-9 days later. The penis could be lengthened by 1.5-3.0 cm under static conditions, averaging about 2.0 cm. After surgery, only 1 patient had a small area (about 5 mm × 4 mm) of infection in the scrotal flap and poor incision healing, and scar healing after dressing change and intensive nursing. The other flaps healed well. After 6 to 12 months of follow-up, the penis length of 2 cases was slightly retracted from the time of discharge, and the remaining 30 cases had no significant change. The patients and their guardians were satisfied with the operation results.Conclusion:The progressive transfer of penile flap combined with local scrotal flap correction of severe concealed penis in children can fully lengthen the penile body, and the degree of postoperative retraction is low, the appearance of the penis is good, and the patient satisfaction is high.