ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Renshentang treats atherosclerosis （AS） in mice， focusing on the regulation of endothelial inflammatory responses mediated by transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 （TRPV1）. MethodsAn AS model was established in apolipoprotein E knockout （ApoE^-/-） mice fed a high-fat diet. The mice were randomly divided into a simvastatin group （0.02 g·kg^-1·d^-1） and low-， medium-， and high-dose Renshentang groups （1.77， 3.54， 7.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， with 12 mice in each group. ApoE^-/- mice were fed a high-fat diet and treated simultaneously. C57BL/6J mice fed a normal diet served as the normal group （n=9）. After continuous administration for 12 weeks， mice were anesthetized and the aortas were collected. Oil Red O staining was used to observe lipid plaque formation in the aorta. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to examine pathological changes in the aortic root. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the levels of pro-inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， as well as the expression of TRPV1， phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase （p-PI3K）， and phosphorylated protein kinase B （p-Akt） in the aortic root. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect endothelial nitric oxide synthase （eNOS） mRNA expression in the aorta， and Western blot was used to detect TRPV1 protein expression. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant increase in aortic plaque formation （P<0.01） and significantly elevated levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the aortic root （P<0.01）. The expression levels of TRPV1， p-PI3K， and p-Akt were decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and eNOS mRNA expression was reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all Renshentang groups significantly reduced aortic plaque formation （P<0.01）， significantly decreased TNF-α and IL-1β levels （P<0.01）， and markedly increased the expression levels of TRPV1， p-PI3K， p-Akt， and eNOS mRNA （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionRenshentang may inhibit endothelial inflammation and suppress the formation of AS by increasing TRPV1 protein expression and up-regulating the PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway， which may be one of the molecular mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effect against AS.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of Renshentang on atherosclerosis （AS） in mice based on the role of transient receptor potential vanilloid1 （TRPV1） in regulating cholesterol metabolism in foam cells. MethodsNine SPF-grade 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice were set as a normal group， and 60 ApoE^-/- mice were randomized into model， positive drug （simvastatin， 0.02 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （1.77， 3.54， 7.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively） Renshentang groups （n=12） according to body weight. The normal group was fed with a normal diet， and the other groups were fed with a high-fat diet and given corresponding drugs by oral gavage for the modeling of AS. The mice were administrated with corresponding drugs once a day for 12 weeks. After the last administration and fasting for 12 h， the aorta was collected. Plaque conditions， pathological changes， levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglcerides （TG）， low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol （LDL-C）， and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol （HDL-C）， and the expression of TRPV1， liver X receptor （LXR）， inducible degrader of the low-density lipoprotein receptor （IDOL）， and low-density lipoprotein receptor （LDLR） in the aortic tissue were observed and detected by gross oil red O staining， HE staining， Western blot， immunohistochemistry， and real-time PCR. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group presented obvious plaque deposition in the aorta， raised levels of TC， TG， and LDL-C in the serum （P<0.01）， up-regulated expression level of LDLR in the aorta （P<0.01）， lowered level of HDL-C in the serum， and down-regulated expression levels of TRPV1， LXR， and IDOL in the aorta （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the positive drug and Renshentang at different doses alleviated AS， elevated the levels of HDL-C， TRPV1， LXR， and IDOL （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while lowering the levels of TC， TG， LDL-C， and LDLR （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionRenshentang has a lipid-lowering effect on AS mice. It can effectively reduce lipid deposition， lipid levels， and plaque area of AS mice by activating TRPV1 expression and regulating the LXR/IDOL/LDLR pathway.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of Renshentang on atherosclerosis （AS） in mice based on the role of transient receptor potential vanilloid1 （TRPV1） in regulating cholesterol metabolism in foam cells. MethodsNine SPF-grade 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice were set as a normal group， and 60 ApoE^-/- mice were randomized into model， positive drug （simvastatin， 0.02 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （1.77， 3.54， 7.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively） Renshentang groups （n=12） according to body weight. The normal group was fed with a normal diet， and the other groups were fed with a high-fat diet and given corresponding drugs by oral gavage for the modeling of AS. The mice were administrated with corresponding drugs once a day for 12 weeks. After the last administration and fasting for 12 h， the aorta was collected. Plaque conditions， pathological changes， levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglcerides （TG）， low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol （LDL-C）， and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol （HDL-C）， and the expression of TRPV1， liver X receptor （LXR）， inducible degrader of the low-density lipoprotein receptor （IDOL）， and low-density lipoprotein receptor （LDLR） in the aortic tissue were observed and detected by gross oil red O staining， HE staining， Western blot， immunohistochemistry， and real-time PCR. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group presented obvious plaque deposition in the aorta， raised levels of TC， TG， and LDL-C in the serum （P<0.01）， up-regulated expression level of LDLR in the aorta （P<0.01）， lowered level of HDL-C in the serum， and down-regulated expression levels of TRPV1， LXR， and IDOL in the aorta （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the positive drug and Renshentang at different doses alleviated AS， elevated the levels of HDL-C， TRPV1， LXR， and IDOL （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while lowering the levels of TC， TG， LDL-C， and LDLR （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionRenshentang has a lipid-lowering effect on AS mice. It can effectively reduce lipid deposition， lipid levels， and plaque area of AS mice by activating TRPV1 expression and regulating the LXR/IDOL/LDLR pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of acupoint thread-embedding therapy of regulating governor vessel, dispersing lung, and suppressing reflux for gastroesophageal reflux cough (GERC). METHODS: A total of 120 GERC patients were randomly assigned to an observation group (60 cases, 1 case dropped out) and a control group (60 cases, 1 case was eliminated). The observation group received acupoint thread-embedding treatment at positive response points of governor vessel. If no such points were detected, the following acupoints were used: Dazhui (GV14), Fenghu (Extra), Shendao (GV11), Lingtai (GV10), and Zhiyang (GV9). Treatment was administered once every two weeks. The control group received oral rabeprazole enteric capsules at 20 mg twice daily. All the treatment was given for 6 weeks. Clinical outcomes were assessed using cough symptom score, reflux disease questionnaire (RDQ) score, and Leicester cough questionnaire (LCQ) score before and after treatment in the two groups. Clinical efficacy was also compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, both groups showed decreased cough symptom scores and the each item scores and total scores of RDQ (P<0.001), and increased LCQ scores (P<0.001) compare with those before treatment. The observation group exhibited lower cough symptom score and chest pain, reflux and total score of RDQ, and higher LCQ score compared to those in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the observation group was 94.9% (56/59), which was higher than 84.7% (50/59) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Acupoint thread-embedding therapy of regulating governor vessel, dispersing lung, and suppressing reflux could effectively alleviate cough and reflux symptoms in patients with GERC and improve their quality of life.
Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Gastroesophageal Reflux/physiopathology* ; Male ; Female ; Cough/physiopathology* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Lung/physiopathology* ; Meridians

China is a high-incidence region for gastric cancer globally. The disease is characterized by a high morbidity rate, low early diagnostic rate, and poor long-term outcomes, imposing a significant burden on both patients and society. Therefore, exploring the pathogenesis of gastric cancer, developing novel therapeutic strategies, and identifying new drug targets is of great importance. Telomerase expression is broadly associated with cancer cell targeting, and its up-regulation is one of the key factors driving the initiation and progression of gastric cancer. Additionally, telomerase is intricately involved in the regulation of autophagy and autophagy-associated cell death. While autophagy can induce chemoresistance, excessive autophagy may lead to cell death, which also constitutes one of the mechanisms of chemotherapy. Telomerase not only directly contributes to gastric cancer pathogenesis but also indirectly influences its development and treatment by modulating autophagy and autophagic cell death. Therefore, telomerase holds promise as a novel therapeutic target in gastric cancer.
Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms/genetics* ; Telomerase/genetics* ; Autophagy/physiology*

Glioma is the most common primary malignant tumor of the central nervous system in adults. Despite the standard treatment of surgery combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the prognosis for high-grade glioma patients remains poor, highlighting the urgent need to further explore its pathogenesis and develop new therapeutic strategies. This article reviews the research progress in the field of glioma in China in 2024, covering tumorigenesis mechanisms, tumor immune microenvironment composition, advances in imaging techniques and novel imaging agents, improvements in surgical approaches, mechanisms of radio- and chemoresistance, and explorations of new therapeutic modalities. These studies provide a solid theoretical foundation for advancing clinical diagnosis and treatment of gliomas and may offer new opportunities to improve patient outcomes.

Objective To construct and validate a prediction model for urosepsis in patients after upper urinary tract stone surgery using various machine learning algorithms.Methods A total of 7 464 upper urinary tract stone patients who underwent surgery at the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from Jun.2018 to Jun.2023 were enrolled and randomly assigned to training(5 224 cases)or validation sets(2 240 cases)at a ratio of 7∶3.Among them,622(8.33%)cases developed urosepsis postoperatively.Six machine learning algorithms,including extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost),logistic regression,light gradient boosting machine(LightGBM),random forest(RF),adaptive boosting(AdaBoost),and gradient boosting decision tree(GBDT),were used to construct prediction models for postoperative urosepsis.The model's predictive ability and clinical benefits were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves,Shapley additive explanation(SHAP)analysis,calibration curves,and decision curve analysis(DCA).Results The clinical features included body mass index(BMI),number of surgeries,heart rate,Barthel index,venous thrombo embolism(VTE)risk assessment,gender,American Society of Anesthesiologists(ASA)grade,urinary nitrite,and urinary leukocyte in the models.In the training set,the XGBoost,LightGBM,and RF models performed excellently,with area under curve(AUC)values of ROC curves reaching 1.00.In the validation set,the logistic regression model performed the best,with an AUC value of ROC curve of 0.76,showing good predictive stability and calibration.The AdaBoost and GBDT models followed with AUC values of 0.74 and 0.75,respectively,while the AUC values of the LightGBM,XGBoost,and RF models were 0.71,0.70,and 0.68.In terms of model interpretability,SHAP analysis showed the contribution of variables in a descending order as:heart rate,urinary leukocytes,gender,BMI,Barthel index,VTE risk assessment,urinary nitrite,number of surgeries,and ASA grade.Conclusion A logistic regression model for early risk prediction of postoperative urosepsis in upper urinary tract stone patients has been successfully constructed.This model has good predictive performance and calibration,and can effectively assist clinical diagnosis.

Osteoporosis （OP） is a common bone disease affecting the quality of life and causing huge medical burden to the patients and society. The occurrence of OP is mainly caused by excessive bone resorption and insufficient bone formation， which are directly influenced by external calcium ion balance. Calcium imbalance can impair bone integrity， reduce the calcium supply to the bone， and lower the calcium content in the bone， thus triggering OP. Drugs are the main anti-OP therapy in modern medicine， which， however， may cause adverse reactions and drug dependence. Chinese medicines have good clinical effects and high safety in treating OP， being suitable for long-term use. Recent studies have shown that Chinese medicines can alleviate estrogen deficiency， regulate bone cell and calcium metabolism， which is crucial for the formation and development of OP. The transient receptor potential cation channel superfamily V members 5 and 6 （TRPV5 and TRPV6， respectively） affect bone homeostasis by mediating the transmembrane calcium ion transport in the intestine （TRPV6） and kidney （TRPV5）. Therefore， TRPV5/6 is one of the key targets to understand the anti-OP mechanisms of the effective parts of Chinese medicines， which is worthy of further study. This paper summarizes the research results about the anti-OP effects of Chinese medicines in the last two decades， especially the mechanism of regulating calcium metabolism， aiming to provide new ideas for the basic research， clinical application， and drug development of OP treatment.

Objective:To introduce the experience of reconstructing the pelvic floor with a pedicled large omental flap combined with a basement membrane biological mesh in combined pelvic organ resection for locally advanced or locally recurrent rectal cancer combined with sacrococcygeal resection, and to discuss the feasibility, safety, and near-term therapeutic efficacy of this technique.Methods:For patients with sacrococcygeal resection of combined pelvic organs, a basement membrane mesh was used to rebuild the pelvic floor with a pedicled greater omentum flap to isolate the abdominopelvic cavity. The main operation was to pull the greater omentum, which preserved the double vascular arches, to the pelvic floor to cover the pelvic floor, and then the mesh was used to cover the posterior peritoneal defect and pelvic inlet with absorbable sutures of 2-0 or thicker.Results:In this study, a retrospective cohort study was used to collect clinical data through the China Rectal Cancer Combined Pelvic Organs Resections Case Database. Twenty patients with locally advanced or locally recurrent rectal cancer without extra-pelvic metastasis or only oligometastases underwent combined pelvic organ and sacrococcygeal resection in the Department of Anal and Intestinal Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of the Naval Military Medical University during the period of July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, and 10 patients underwent simple basement membrane resection with a simple basement membrane. Among them, the pelvic floor were reconstructed by basement membrane mesh alone in 10 cases (mesh only group), and 10 cases were reconstructed the pelvic floor by pedicled large omental flap combined with basement membrane mesh (omental flap-combined mesh group). The recent outcomes of the two groups of patients were studied comparatively. Comparison of baseline data and intraoperative conditions between the two groups showed no statistically significant differences (all P>0.05); the drain removal time in the omental flap-combined mesh group was 26.7 (19-42) days, which was shorter than that in the mesh only group, which was 40.4 (24-56) days ( U=4.125, P=0.001); The empty pelvis healing time in the omental flap-combined mesh group was 29.4 (23~43) days, which was shorter than that of 42.2 (27~58) days in the mesh-only group ( U=4.043, P=0.001); the differences were all statistically significant. The postoperative complication rate of grade ≥III in the omental flap-combined mesh group was 1/10, which was lower than that of 6/10 in the mesh-only group; the difference was not statistically significant when comparing the two groups ( P = 0.057). Follow-up ended on 09/30/2023, with a median follow-up of 9.5 (3-15) months in 20 patients, and all 20 cases survived during the follow-up period, with no tumor recurrence at the surgical site. Conclusion:In locally advanced or locally recurrent rectal cancer undergoing combined pelvic organ resection with sacrococcygeal, compared with reconstruction of the pelvic floor by basement membrane mesh alone, reconstruction of the pelvic floor and isolation of the abdominopelvic cavity by a pedicled greater omentum flap combined with a basement membrane mesh is safe and feasible.

Objective:To introduce the experience of reconstructing the pelvic floor with a pedicled large omental flap combined with a basement membrane biological mesh in combined pelvic organ resection for locally advanced or locally recurrent rectal cancer combined with sacrococcygeal resection, and to discuss the feasibility, safety, and near-term therapeutic efficacy of this technique.Methods:For patients with sacrococcygeal resection of combined pelvic organs, a basement membrane mesh was used to rebuild the pelvic floor with a pedicled greater omentum flap to isolate the abdominopelvic cavity. The main operation was to pull the greater omentum, which preserved the double vascular arches, to the pelvic floor to cover the pelvic floor, and then the mesh was used to cover the posterior peritoneal defect and pelvic inlet with absorbable sutures of 2-0 or thicker.Results:In this study, a retrospective cohort study was used to collect clinical data through the China Rectal Cancer Combined Pelvic Organs Resections Case Database. Twenty patients with locally advanced or locally recurrent rectal cancer without extra-pelvic metastasis or only oligometastases underwent combined pelvic organ and sacrococcygeal resection in the Department of Anal and Intestinal Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of the Naval Military Medical University during the period of July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, and 10 patients underwent simple basement membrane resection with a simple basement membrane. Among them, the pelvic floor were reconstructed by basement membrane mesh alone in 10 cases (mesh only group), and 10 cases were reconstructed the pelvic floor by pedicled large omental flap combined with basement membrane mesh (omental flap-combined mesh group). The recent outcomes of the two groups of patients were studied comparatively. Comparison of baseline data and intraoperative conditions between the two groups showed no statistically significant differences (all P>0.05); the drain removal time in the omental flap-combined mesh group was 26.7 (19-42) days, which was shorter than that in the mesh only group, which was 40.4 (24-56) days ( U=4.125, P=0.001); The empty pelvis healing time in the omental flap-combined mesh group was 29.4 (23~43) days, which was shorter than that of 42.2 (27~58) days in the mesh-only group ( U=4.043, P=0.001); the differences were all statistically significant. The postoperative complication rate of grade ≥III in the omental flap-combined mesh group was 1/10, which was lower than that of 6/10 in the mesh-only group; the difference was not statistically significant when comparing the two groups ( P = 0.057). Follow-up ended on 09/30/2023, with a median follow-up of 9.5 (3-15) months in 20 patients, and all 20 cases survived during the follow-up period, with no tumor recurrence at the surgical site. Conclusion:In locally advanced or locally recurrent rectal cancer undergoing combined pelvic organ resection with sacrococcygeal, compared with reconstruction of the pelvic floor by basement membrane mesh alone, reconstruction of the pelvic floor and isolation of the abdominopelvic cavity by a pedicled greater omentum flap combined with a basement membrane mesh is safe and feasible.