ObjectiveTo investigate the incidence， glucolipid metabolism characteristics， and associated factors of postoperative overweight/obesity in children and adolescent with craniopharyngioma. MethodsA retrospective study was conducted using follow-up data from 44 patients （aged 0-18 years） diagnosed with craniopharyngioma who underwent surgical treatment and received follow-up care at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital， Sun Yat-sen University， between January 2006 and February 2024. The incidence and glucolipid metabolism characteristics of overweight/obesity were summarized， and potential influencing factors were analyzed. ResultsA total of 44 patients were enrolled. The mean age at surgery was （8.57 ± 4.25） years， and the mean age at last follow-up was （16.02 ± 5.36 ）years. The mean follow-up duration was （7.45 ± 4.64） years （range， 8 months to 17.5 years）. The preoperative incidence of overweight/obesity was 40.91% （predominantly overweight， 27.27%）， which increased to 68.18% postoperatively （predominantly obesity， 50.00%）. Postoperatively， all patients （44/44， 100%） underwent fasting plasma glucose （FPG） testing， among whom 2 （4.55%） had impaired fasting glucose （IFG）. Fasting insulin （FINS） was measured in 20 patients， and insulin resistance was identified in 11 （55.00%）. Oral glucose tolerance testing （OGTT） with insulin release assessment was performed in 12 patients， and all （100%） exhibited abnormal insulin secretion， including 5 （41.67%） with hyperinsulinemia and 3 （25.00%） diagnosed with diabetes mellitus （DM）. All patients （44/44， 100%） underwent lipid profile assessment. The incidence of dyslipidemia was 81.82% （36/44）， including elevated non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （29/44， 65.91%）， hypertriglyceridemia （29/44， 65.91%）， low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （22/44， 50.00%）， and mixed hyperlipidemia （13/44， 29.55%）. Logistic regression analysis indicated that preoperative overweight/obesity and postoperative abnormal glucose metabolism were significant factors associated with postoperative overweight/obesity. Compared with normal-weight patients， those with postoperative overweight/obesity had higher FINS levels （14.22 mU/L vs. 3.57 mU/L）， higher insulin resistance index（HOMA-IR） （2.88 vs. 0.52）， and a higher incidence of abnormal glucose metabolism （77.78% vs. 23.08%）. However， no significant difference was observed in the incidence of dyslipidemia （94.44% vs. 73.08%）. ConclusionsChildren and adolescent with craniopharyngioma exhibit a higher incidence of overweight/obesity than healthy peers preoperatively， which becomes more pronounced after surgery. This is accompanied by a high incidence of glucolipid metabolic disorders， placing these patients at increased risk of metabolic syndrome， which warrants clinical attention and regular metabolic assessment. In patients who develop postoperative obesity， particular attention should be given to the risk of glucose metabolism abnormalities， and further monitoring of glucose homeostasis is recommended.

Objective To investigate the clinical and radiological features of patients with different phenotypes of multiple system atrophy （MSA）. Methods A total of 400 patients with MSA who attended the outpatient service or were hospitalized in Department of Neurology，Chinese PLA General Hospital，were enrolled，among whom there were 294 patients with MSA-cerebellar type （MSA-C） and 106 patients with MSA-Parkinsonian type （MSA-P）. The t-test and the chi-square test were used to analyze the clinical manifestations，radiological features，and blood biochemical indicators of the two groups. Results As for clinical manifestations，there were significant differences in cerebellar symptoms，constipation，and Babinski sign between MSA-C patients and MSA-P patients （P<0.05）. As for radiological features，positron emission tomography/computed tomography （PET/CT） showed that MSA-P patients had a typical reduction in DAT uptake in the putamen and the caudate nucleus，while magnetic resonance imaging showed that compared with the MSA-C group，the MSA-P group had a significantly higher proportion of patients with putamen fissure sign or white matter demyelination； for MSA-C patients，PET/CT showed cerebellar hypometabolism，and magnetic resonance imaging showed the cross sign and high signal intensity in the pontine arm，as well as a significantly higher proportion of patients cerebellar and pontine atrophy than MSA-P patients （P<0.05）. As for laboratory markers，MSA-P patients had a significantly lower level of uric acid than MSA-C patients （P=0.029）. Conclusion Patients with different subtypes of MSA have specific clinical features，radiological features，and uric acid level，which has a certain significance in the accurate diagnosis of MSA.

Objective To observe the effect of Qing-Xin-Jie-Yu granule(QXJYG)on the formation of thrombosis in the rat model of arteriovenous bypass thrombosis and the adenosine diphosphate(ADP)-induced platelet aggregation.Methods Thirty-six male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group,model group,clopidogrel positive control group,QXJYG low-dose,medium-dose and high-dose groups,with 6 rats in each group.The dose of clopidogrel positive control group was 6.74 mg/(kg?d),the dosages of QXJYG in low,medium and high groups were 0.99,1.98,3.96 g/(kg?d),respectively,normal control group and model group were given equal volume of distilled water,and continuous prophylactic intragastric administration for 14 days,once a day.One hour after the final administration,the rats were anesthetized,and the arteriovenous bypass thrombosis model was established by using a polyethylene tube as the arteriovenous bypass bridge(except control group).The thrombus was extracted after 15 min and its weight was weighed by 1/10,000th precision electronic balance.The levels of thromboxane B2(TXB2)and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α(6-keto-PGF1α)in plasma were determined by ELISA kits.The rate of platelet aggregation induced by ADP in each group was measured using a microplate reader by turbidimetric method.Results Compared with the control group,the weight of arteriovenous bypass thrombus was significantly higher,the level of TXB2 in plasma was significantly higher,while the level of 6-keto-PGF1α was significantly lower,and platelet aggregation was significantly higher after ADP induction in the model group(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the weight of arteriovenous bypass thrombosis in clopidogrel positive control group and QXJYG dose groups was significantly decreased(P＜0.05);the inhibition rate of thrombosis formation was 53.80％,23.96％,33.63％,and 32.59％,respectively.The content of TXB2 in plasma was significantly decreased,the content of 6-keto-PGF1α was significantly increased;additionally,the platelet aggregation rate induced by ADP was reduced in clopidogrel positive control group and QXJYG group.Meanwhile,there was a dose-dependence between different doses in QXJYY group(P＜0.05),and the inhibition rate of platelet aggregation was 86.90％,26.17％,38.87％,54.48％,respectively.Conclusion QXJYG can prevent thrombosis formation in the rat model of arteriovenous bypass thrombosis and inhibit platelet aggregation induced by ADP.

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Qingxin Jieyu granules （QXJYG） on FeCl₃-induced carotid artery thrombosis in rats and on the expression of thrombosis-related proteins tissue factor （TF） and tissue factor pathway inhibitor （TFPI） as well as the protein kinase B （Akt）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway in EA.hy926 cells exposed to tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， thus preliminarily exploring the mechanism of QXJYG in inhibiting thrombosis. MethodsThirty-six SD rats were randomized into normal control， model， positive control （aspirin， 9 mg·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （0.99， 1.98， 3.96 g·kg^-1， respectively） QXJYG groups （n=6）. The rats in the drug treatment groups were administrated with corresponding drugs， and those in the normal control group and model group were given an equal volume of distilled water. After 14 consecutive days of prophylactic gavage， the rat model of common carotid artery thrombosis was established with 45% FeCl₃ solution， and the blood vessels were collected and the wet weight of thrombus was weighed by an electronic balance （precision of 1/10 000）. The thrombosis in the common carotid artery of each group of rats was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The plasma levels of von Willebrand factor （vWF）， platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 （PECAM-1）， tissue-type plasminogen activator （t-PA）， and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 （PAI-1） were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. An endothelial cell injury model was established by treating EA.hy926 human umbilical vein endothelial cells with TNF-α. The cell counting kit-8 method was used to screen the intervention concentrations of QXJYG. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of TF， TFPI， Akt， p-Akt， NF-κB p65， and p-NF-κB p65 in each group of cells. ResultsThe animal experiment showed that compared with the normal control group， the model group showed an increase in carotid artery thrombus weight （P<0.05）， with unclear vascular structure and extensive thrombosis in the lumen. In addition， the plasma levels of vWF， PECAM-1， and PAI-1 were elevated， while the t-PA level became lowered （P<0.05） in the model group. Compared with the model group， the aspirin and QXJYG groups showed reductions in the weight of FeCl₃-induced carotid artery thrombi （P<0.05） and thrombosis in the lumen， declines in plasma levels of PECAM-1 and PAI-1， and an elevation in the t-PA level （P<0.05）. Moreover， the QXJYG groups showed reductions in the plasma level of vWF （P<0.05）， which， however， had no significant difference between the aspirin group and the model group. The cell experiments indicated that 31.25， 62.5， 125， 250， 500 mg·L^-1 QXJYG had no effect on the viability of EA.hy926 cells. Therefore， 250， 500 mg·L^-1 QXJYG were selected as the intervention concentrations for subsequent experiments. Western blotting results showed that compared with the control group， the TNF-α stimulation downregulated the expression of TFPI （P<0.05）， upregulated the expression of TF， and increased the ratios of p-Akt/Akt and p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 （P<0.05） in EA.hy926 cells. Compared with the model group， the intervention with QXJYG upregulated the expression of TFPI （P<0.05）， inhibited the expression of TF， and decreased the ratios of p-Akt/Akt and p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 （P<0.05）. ConclusionQXJYG has the effect of inhibiting thrombosis and regulating the expression of TF and TFPI in endothelial cells exposed to TNF-α by suppressing the abnormal activation of the Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the risk factors associated with onset of vertebrobasilar doli-choectasia(VBD)symptoms in elderly patients.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 206 elderly VBD patients admitted in Chinese PLA General Hospital between July 2014 and July 2024.Based on the presence of VBD-related symptoms or not,they were divided into a symptom-atic group(112 cases)and an asymptomatic group(94 cases).All patients underwent cranial mag-netic resonance angiography(MRA)and MRI.And routine blood tests were performed and related indicators were detected,including following parameters:neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),systemic immune-inflammation(SII)index,total cholesterol(TC),low-density lipoprotein choles-terol(LDL-C),and C-reactive protein(CRP).Multivariate logistic regression analysis was per-formed to identify risk factors associated with symptomatic progression in elderly VBD patients.Results The symptomatic group showed significantly higher SII index and NLR,longer bilateral vertebral artery length,and larger proportion of elevated vertebral artery confluence when compared with the asymptomatic group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Significant differences were also observed be-tween the two groups in basilar artery height grade and proportion of basilar artery hyperintensity of vessel wall signal(BA-HVS,P＜0.01).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that elevated vertebral artery confluence and high-grade basilar artery hyperintensity of vessel wall signal were risk factors for symptomatic onset in elderly VBD patients.The risk of symptomatic onset in elderly VBD patients with elevated confluence of the vertebral artery was 2.143 times higher than in those without elevation(95％CI:1.144-4.013,P=0.017).Similarly,the risk in elderly VBD patients with high-grade basilar artery hyperintensity of vessel wall signal was 4.113 times higher than in those without such signal(95％CI:2.213-7.646,P=0.000).Conclusion Elevated vertebral artery confluence and high-grade basilar artery hyperintensity of vessel wall signal may serve as clinical indicators for monitoring disease progression in elderly patients with VBD,thereby facilitating the optimization of clinical management strategies in the patients.

Objective:To explore the association between the metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR) and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and to compare the diagnostic ability of METS-IR with the fatty liver index (FLI) and hepatic steatosis index (HSI) for MAFLD.Methods:This cross-sectional study enrolled 551 individuals participating in community health screenings in Suzhou between September and November 2022. Data collected included basic demographics, clinical indicators, and iLivTouch? (FibroTouch FT5000, Wuxi Hisky Medical Technologies, China) transient elastography results. Participants were categorized into non-MAFLD ( n=218) and MAFLD ( n=333) groups based on an ultrasound attenuation parameter (UAP) cutoff of 244 dB/m measured by iLivTouch. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were employed to assess the relationship between METS-IR and MAFLD. The diagnostic value of METS-IR was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. DeLong′s test was used to compare the diagnostic performance of the different indices. Results:Among the 551 participants, the prevalence of MAFLD diagnosed by transient elastography was 60.4% (333/552). Compared to the non-MAFLD group, the MAFLD group had significantly higher levels of BMI, SBP, DBP, HbA1c, FPG, 2hPG, TC, TG, LDL-C, ALT, AST, GGT, SUA, liver stiffness measurement (LSM), METS-IR, FLI, and HSI, while HDL-C levels were lower (all P<0.05). The MAFLD group also had a higher prevalence of males, overweight/obesity, smoking, hypertension, pre-diabetes, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, metabolic syndrome, and antihypertensive medication use (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for gender, age, smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, ALT, AST, and GGT, demonstrated that METS-IR, FLI, and HSI remained significantly associated with an increased risk of MAFLD ( OR=1.148, 1.042, 1.270, respectively; all P<0.001). The areas under the ROC curve for METS-IR, FLI, and HSI in diagnosing MAFLD were 0.733 (95% CI: 0.691-0.774), 0.727 (95% CI: 0.685-0.770), and 0.677 (95% CI: 0.632-0.722), respectively. The sensitivities were 57.40%, 62.20%, and 48.30%; specificities were 78.00%, 72.90%, and 78.40%; and optimal cutoff values were 38.526, 35.225, and 35.386, respectively. DeLong′s test indicated no significant difference in diagnostic performance between METS-IR and FLI ( P=0.722). However, both METS-IR and FLI demonstrated significantly better diagnostic performance than HSI ( P=0.008 and P=0.018, respectively). Conclusion:METS-IR is significantly associated with MAFLD and effectively identifies MAFLD in community settings. Its diagnostic performance is comparable to FLI and superior to HSI.

This study investigated the regulatory potential of salidroside (SAL), a primary active compound in Rhodiola rosea L., on osteoclast differentiation by modulating the hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1a) pathway in osteoblasts. Luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay were employed to validate whether the receptor activator of nuclear factor-?B ligand (RANKL) is the downstream target gene of HIF-1a in osteoblasts. The study also utilized lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse osteolysis to examine the impact of SAL on osteolysis in vivo. Furthermore, conditioned medium (CM) from SAL-pretreated osteoblasts was used to investigate the paracrine effects on osteoclastogenesis through the HIF-1a pathway. Hypoxic condition-induced overexpression of HIF-1a upregulated RANKL levels by binding to the RANKL promoter and enhancing transcription in osteoblastic cells. In vivo, SAL significantly alleviated bone tissue hypoxia and decreased the expression of HIF-1a by downregulating the expression of RANKL, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4). In the paracrine experiment, conditioned media from SAL-pretreated osteoblasts inhibited differentiation through the HIF-1a/RANKL, VEGF, IL-6, and ANGPTL4 pathways. RANKL emerges as the downstream target gene regulated by HIF-1a in osteoblasts. SAL significantly alleviates bone tissue hypoxia and bone loss in LPS-induced osteolysis through the HIF-1a/RANKL, VEGF, IL-6, and ANGPTL4 pathways. SAL inhibits osteoclast differentiation by regulating osteoblast paracrine secretion.
Animals ; Osteoblasts/cytology* ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/genetics* ; Glucosides/administration & dosage* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Phenols/administration & dosage* ; Mice ; Osteoclasts/metabolism* ; RANK Ligand/genetics* ; Rhodiola/chemistry* ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Interleukin-6/genetics* ; Male ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Osteolysis/genetics* ; Humans ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Objective To observe the effect of Qing-Xin-Jie-Yu granule(QXJYG)on the formation of thrombosis in the rat model of arteriovenous bypass thrombosis and the adenosine diphosphate(ADP)-induced platelet aggregation.Methods Thirty-six male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group,model group,clopidogrel positive control group,QXJYG low-dose,medium-dose and high-dose groups,with 6 rats in each group.The dose of clopidogrel positive control group was 6.74 mg/(kg?d),the dosages of QXJYG in low,medium and high groups were 0.99,1.98,3.96 g/(kg?d),respectively,normal control group and model group were given equal volume of distilled water,and continuous prophylactic intragastric administration for 14 days,once a day.One hour after the final administration,the rats were anesthetized,and the arteriovenous bypass thrombosis model was established by using a polyethylene tube as the arteriovenous bypass bridge(except control group).The thrombus was extracted after 15 min and its weight was weighed by 1/10,000th precision electronic balance.The levels of thromboxane B2(TXB2)and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α(6-keto-PGF1α)in plasma were determined by ELISA kits.The rate of platelet aggregation induced by ADP in each group was measured using a microplate reader by turbidimetric method.Results Compared with the control group,the weight of arteriovenous bypass thrombus was significantly higher,the level of TXB2 in plasma was significantly higher,while the level of 6-keto-PGF1α was significantly lower,and platelet aggregation was significantly higher after ADP induction in the model group(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the weight of arteriovenous bypass thrombosis in clopidogrel positive control group and QXJYG dose groups was significantly decreased(P＜0.05);the inhibition rate of thrombosis formation was 53.80％,23.96％,33.63％,and 32.59％,respectively.The content of TXB2 in plasma was significantly decreased,the content of 6-keto-PGF1α was significantly increased;additionally,the platelet aggregation rate induced by ADP was reduced in clopidogrel positive control group and QXJYG group.Meanwhile,there was a dose-dependence between different doses in QXJYY group(P＜0.05),and the inhibition rate of platelet aggregation was 86.90％,26.17％,38.87％,54.48％,respectively.Conclusion QXJYG can prevent thrombosis formation in the rat model of arteriovenous bypass thrombosis and inhibit platelet aggregation induced by ADP.

Objective To investigate the risk factors associated with onset of vertebrobasilar doli-choectasia(VBD)symptoms in elderly patients.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 206 elderly VBD patients admitted in Chinese PLA General Hospital between July 2014 and July 2024.Based on the presence of VBD-related symptoms or not,they were divided into a symptom-atic group(112 cases)and an asymptomatic group(94 cases).All patients underwent cranial mag-netic resonance angiography(MRA)and MRI.And routine blood tests were performed and related indicators were detected,including following parameters:neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),systemic immune-inflammation(SII)index,total cholesterol(TC),low-density lipoprotein choles-terol(LDL-C),and C-reactive protein(CRP).Multivariate logistic regression analysis was per-formed to identify risk factors associated with symptomatic progression in elderly VBD patients.Results The symptomatic group showed significantly higher SII index and NLR,longer bilateral vertebral artery length,and larger proportion of elevated vertebral artery confluence when compared with the asymptomatic group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Significant differences were also observed be-tween the two groups in basilar artery height grade and proportion of basilar artery hyperintensity of vessel wall signal(BA-HVS,P＜0.01).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that elevated vertebral artery confluence and high-grade basilar artery hyperintensity of vessel wall signal were risk factors for symptomatic onset in elderly VBD patients.The risk of symptomatic onset in elderly VBD patients with elevated confluence of the vertebral artery was 2.143 times higher than in those without elevation(95％CI:1.144-4.013,P=0.017).Similarly,the risk in elderly VBD patients with high-grade basilar artery hyperintensity of vessel wall signal was 4.113 times higher than in those without such signal(95％CI:2.213-7.646,P=0.000).Conclusion Elevated vertebral artery confluence and high-grade basilar artery hyperintensity of vessel wall signal may serve as clinical indicators for monitoring disease progression in elderly patients with VBD,thereby facilitating the optimization of clinical management strategies in the patients.

Objective:To explore the association between the metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR) and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and to compare the diagnostic ability of METS-IR with the fatty liver index (FLI) and hepatic steatosis index (HSI) for MAFLD.Methods:This cross-sectional study enrolled 551 individuals participating in community health screenings in Suzhou between September and November 2022. Data collected included basic demographics, clinical indicators, and iLivTouch? (FibroTouch FT5000, Wuxi Hisky Medical Technologies, China) transient elastography results. Participants were categorized into non-MAFLD ( n=218) and MAFLD ( n=333) groups based on an ultrasound attenuation parameter (UAP) cutoff of 244 dB/m measured by iLivTouch. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were employed to assess the relationship between METS-IR and MAFLD. The diagnostic value of METS-IR was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. DeLong′s test was used to compare the diagnostic performance of the different indices. Results:Among the 551 participants, the prevalence of MAFLD diagnosed by transient elastography was 60.4% (333/552). Compared to the non-MAFLD group, the MAFLD group had significantly higher levels of BMI, SBP, DBP, HbA1c, FPG, 2hPG, TC, TG, LDL-C, ALT, AST, GGT, SUA, liver stiffness measurement (LSM), METS-IR, FLI, and HSI, while HDL-C levels were lower (all P<0.05). The MAFLD group also had a higher prevalence of males, overweight/obesity, smoking, hypertension, pre-diabetes, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, metabolic syndrome, and antihypertensive medication use (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for gender, age, smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, ALT, AST, and GGT, demonstrated that METS-IR, FLI, and HSI remained significantly associated with an increased risk of MAFLD ( OR=1.148, 1.042, 1.270, respectively; all P<0.001). The areas under the ROC curve for METS-IR, FLI, and HSI in diagnosing MAFLD were 0.733 (95% CI: 0.691-0.774), 0.727 (95% CI: 0.685-0.770), and 0.677 (95% CI: 0.632-0.722), respectively. The sensitivities were 57.40%, 62.20%, and 48.30%; specificities were 78.00%, 72.90%, and 78.40%; and optimal cutoff values were 38.526, 35.225, and 35.386, respectively. DeLong′s test indicated no significant difference in diagnostic performance between METS-IR and FLI ( P=0.722). However, both METS-IR and FLI demonstrated significantly better diagnostic performance than HSI ( P=0.008 and P=0.018, respectively). Conclusion:METS-IR is significantly associated with MAFLD and effectively identifies MAFLD in community settings. Its diagnostic performance is comparable to FLI and superior to HSI.