Objectives: . The prognostic value of the pretreatment albumin-to-alkaline phosphatase ratio (AAPR) in head and neck cancer (HNC) remains uncertain. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the predictive role of AAPR for survival outcomes in patients with HNC. Methods: . A comprehensive search of the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase databases was conducted to identify relevant studies published up to July 30, 2024. We included studies on AAPR and survival outcomes in HNC patients. Results: . Eight studies comprising 1,737 HNC patients were analyzed using random-effects models. Lower AAPR values were significantly correlated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 2.08), progression-free survival (HR, 2.00), and disease-free survival (HR, 2.18). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these results, with no significant publication bias detected. Conclusion . Our findings suggest that pretreatment AAPR could serve as a valuable and cost-effective prognostic indicator in HNC, potentially aiding clinicians in risk stratification and treatment decision-making. However, additional validation studies are warranted to confirm its clinical applicability.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of artesunate(AS)on polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)in mice and explore the potential mechanism primarily.Methods Twenty-five female C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into Control group,model group(PCOS group),low-and high-dose AS groups(AS15 and AS30 groups)and metformin group(Met group).In addition to the Control group,the mouse model of PCOS was established by subcutaneous injection of dehydroepiandrosterone(DHEA,60 mg/kg)following by a high-fat diet for 21 d.After modeling,AS of 15 and 30 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected into the mice of the AS 15 and AS30 groups,respectively,and 200 mg/kg Met was given to those of the Met group by gavage,once per day,for 6 weeks.ELISA was used to detect serum testosterone(T),fasting insulin(FINS),luteinizing hormone(LH)and follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH),and the LH/FSH ratio was calculated.The levels of fasting blood glucose(FBG),triglyceride(TG)and total cholesterol(TC)were detected by automatic biochemical analyzer,and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)was calculated.The estrous cycle was observed,and HE staining was performed for pathological changes in the ovary and uterus.Immunofluorescence assay was employed to measure the expression of p-eIF2α,ATF4 and CHOP in the ovarian tissue.After steroidogenic human granulosa-like tumor cell line KGN were exposed to 100 μmol/L DHEA to simulate the hyperandrogen environment of PCOS,and then treated with 5 and 10 μg/mL AS for 24 h,the protein levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling pathway was detected by Western blotting.Results Compared with the Control group,the PCOS mice had disturbed estrous cycle,polycystic changes in the ovaries,and significantly increased serum T level and LH/FSH ratio(P＜0.05),and obviously elevated HOMA-IR,TC and TG levels in terms of metabolism(P＜0.01).The expression levels of p-eIF2α,ATF4 and CHOP were notably up-regulated in the ovarian granulosa cells of PCOS mice and KGN cells after DHEA exposure(P＜0.05).Additionally,AS treatment attenuated the pathological changes of ovary and uterine expression,decreased the serum T level and the LH/FSH ratio(P＜0.05),and reduced HOMA-IR,TC and TG levels(P＜0.05)when compared with the PCOS mice.Moreover,the expression levels of p-eIF2α,ATF4 and CHOP were significantly down-regulated after AS treatment in both ovarian granulosa cells of PCOS mice and KGN cells(P＜0.05).Conclusion AS significantly improves glycolipid metabolic disorder and reproductive dysfunction in PCOS mice,which may be associated with its suppressing endoplasmic reticulum stress by inhibiting the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP pathway.

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.

Objectives:QT interval prolongation during treadmill test exercise is one of the clinical feature of patients with long QT syndrome(LQTS).This study aimed to explore the feasibility and efficacy of treadmill exercise testing as an auxiliary diagnosis tool for LQTS in clinical practice.Methods:We enrolled normal healthy individuals,common cardiovascular disease patients,and clinically diagnosed or suspected LQTS patients,who underwent treadmill exercise test from July 2023 to July 2024 at Fuwai Hospital.A special treadmill exercise testing procedure was designed to record the QT interval correction(QTc)intervals of the twelve lead electrocardiogram at 6 time points when performing the exercise tablet,including supine,sitting,standing,peak exercise,and recovery at 1-minute and 4-minute.The differences in QTc intervals among healthy group,cardiovascular diseases group,and suspected LQTS group were compared.Results:A total of 80 cases were consecutively enrolled,including 37 normal healthy controls,25 patients with common cardiovascular disease,and 18 patients with suspected LQTS.The QTc intervals at 6 points did not differ significantly between normal healthy controls and patients with cardiovascular disease,with QTc intervals less than 480 ms at all measurement.For patients with suspected LQTS,67.7%(12/18)of these patients presented a QTc interval≥480 ms at the 4-minute during recovery period.Among them,5 cases were confirmed to have pathogenic gene mutations of LQTS by genetic testing(including 1 case with a lying electrocardiogram QTc interval of 489 ms diagnosed with LQTS 1 type and a QTc interval of 636 ms during the 4-minute recovery period after exercise);5 clinically diagnosed patients(negative or undetectable in genetic testing)with a Schwartz score≥4,and the remaining 2 patients had a Schwartz score of 3.The remaining 5/18 patients,include 2 patients with clinical Schwartz scores≥4 and 3 patients with clinical suspicion(Schwartz scores 2-3)had a 4 min QTc interval of 445-480 ms during exercise recovery.Another patient with clinical suspicion(Schwartz score 3)had a 4 min QTc interval of<445 ms during exercise recovery and a negative genetic test at a later stage.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed a sensitivity of 83.3%and specificity of 98.4%for QTc interval≥482 ms during the 4-minute recovery period of exercise as the LQTS diagnostic cutoff.Conclusions:This study results suggest that this special treadmill exercise testing protocol is effective in identifying LQTS and has strong feasibility and generalizability for clinical practice.

Objective To summarize the imaging characteristics of occult rib fracture(ORF),analyze the causes of missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis of ORF,and explore strategies to improve the detection rate of ORF.Methods A total of 142 patients with rib fractures who underwent multi spiral computed tomography(MSCT)were selected.The initial examination was conducted within 1 week after the injury,and follow-up examinations were performed at multiple time points after 1 week post-injury.A retrospective analysis was conducted to review the fracture detection and locations during the follow-up period.The time of fracture edge sclerosis or callus growth was observed in the young group(17 cases),middle-aged group(64 cases),and elderly group(61 cases).Results The anterior segment of the ribs was the predilection site for occult fractures,with 199 cases(53.4％).The missed diagnosis rates of fracture were higher for fractures near the costal cartilage segment and the posterior segment of the ribs,with missed diagnosis rates of 49.4％and 58.8％,respectively.Compared with the number of rib fractures identified in the initial examination,there was a statistically significant difference in the number of rib fractures at 3-6 weeks after injury(P＜0.05).The time of local sclerosis or callus growth in the young,middle-aged and elderly groups was(18.76±3.849)d,(26.14±6.597)d,and(37.69±5.726)d,respectively,with statistically significantl differences between the groups(P＜0.05).Conclusion MSCT has certain limits in diagnosing ORF in the short term after injury.Primarily observing the predilection sites and missed sites of occult fractures,systematically recognizing the imaging characteristics of ORF,and adopting the optimal detection-time window for patients of different age groups can reduce the missed diagnosis rate and misdiagnosis rate of ORF and improve the detection rate of fractures.This provides accurate and objective basis for clinical and forensic identification,with significant clinical importance and application value.

Objective To understand the current situation of healthcare-associated infection(HAI)in China,pro-vide data support and decision-making basis for formulating scientific and effective strategies for HAI prevention and control.Methods A nationwide cross-sectional survey on HAI was conducted among various types and levels of medical institutions in China according to a unified protocol of bedside surveys and case investigations.Results In 2024,a total of 5 736 medical institutions and 2 751 765 patients were surveyed.Among them,34 889 HAI cases were identified,with a prevalence rate of 1.27％.The number of HAI episodes was 38 032,and case prevalence rate was 1.38％.The prevalence rate of HAI in medical institutions in different regions of China ranged from 0.66％to 2.35％.Among medical institutions of different scales,those with a bed capacity of ≥900 had the high-est incidence of HAI,reaching 1.65％.The most common infection site was the lower respiratory tract(44.66％),followed by the urinary tract(12.94％),surgical site(9.32％),upper respiratory tract(7.02％),and bloodstream infection(5.78％).The top 3 departments with the highest HAI rates were the general intensive care unit(10.02％),department of neurosurgery(5.51％),and department(group)of hematology(5.34％).A total of 23 238 strains of HAI pathogens were detected,with 10 714 strains(46.10％)from lower respiratory tract speci-mens.The top 5 detected strains were Klebsiella pneumoniae(14.76％),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(13.33％),Escherichia coli(12.79％),Acinetobacter baumannii(9.23％),and Staphylococcus aureus(7.88％).231 944 pa-tients underwent class Ⅰ incision surgery were monitored,with 1 647 cases experienced surgical site infection,and the prevalence rate of surgical site infection was 0.71％.The number of patients who should undergo pathogen de-tection(patients receiving therapeutic and therapeutic combined prophylactic antimicrobial agents)was 715 179,while the actual number was 480 492,with a pathogen detection rate of 67.18％.425 225 patients received patho-genic detection before treatment,with a detection rate of 59.46％.Conclusion The overall HAI prevalence in Chi-na is lower,showing disparities among medical institutions of different regions and scales.Therefore,precise imple-mentation of measures is necessary for HAI prevention and control,with a focus on high-risk institutions and high-risk departments,key areas,and critical procedures.All levels of medical institutions should continuously reduce the incidence of HAI by strengthening monitoring,standardizing the use of antimicrobial agents,and reinforcing basic HAI prevention and control measures.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of secondary transport on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for critically ill children.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. Data from 222 pediatric patients who underwent ECMO transport from May 2019 to May 2024 at 5 ECMO centers and Chinese Database of Pediatric Extracorporeal Life Support Organization were collected. The cases were divided into primary and secondary transport groups by nature of transport. The clinical data, including demographics, ECMO indications, transport distance, pre-transport lab results, prognosis and complications were analyzed. Two independent samples t-test, Wilcoxon test, and χ2 test or Fisher′s exact probability method were used to compare the differences between 2 groups and evaluate the safety and efficacy of secondary transport. Results:Among the 222 children transported with ECMO, there were 135 males and 87 females, with an age of 3.0 (0.2, 7.0) years. There were 202 cases in the primary transport group and 20 cases in the secondary transport group. All secondary transport patients had failed attempts at weaning ECMO before transfer. The patients in the secondary transport group were older, had higher rates of surgical cannulation, circulatory support, and pre-ECMO lactate levels compared to the primary transport group (7.0 (2.8, 10.0) vs. 3.0 (0.2, 6.0) years old, 55.0% (11/20) vs. 3.6% (7/202), 80.0% (16/20) vs. 41.6% (84/202), (10±4) vs. (7±6) mmol/L, Z=3.41, χ 2=66.31, 10.99, t=2.24, all P<0.05). In the secondary transport group, the vasoactive-inotropic scores of patients on circulatory support and the oxygenation index for patients requiring respiratory support were higher than those in the primary transport group (83±33 vs. 82±68, 51.0±1.8 vs. 37.4±10.2, t=2.36, 2.63, respectively; both P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in sex, transport distance, pre-ECMO creatinine, arterial blood gas BE values, and ECMO duration (all P>0.05). No life-threatening complications occurred during the transport in either group. Two patients in the secondary transport group underwent heart transplantation, and 1 patient underwent radiofrequency ablation. The overall survival rate between the 2 groups showed no statistically significant difference (45.0% (9/20) vs. 55.4% (112/202), χ2=1.15, P>0.05). Conclusions:Secondary ECMO transport for critically ill children don't increase mortality or life-threatening complications during transport. ECMO patients who cannot receive effective treatment locally can benefit from secondary transport to an advanced ECMO center provides further treatment opportunities.

Mental state is an important part of the normal life activities of the human body, and it is also the most external expression and the most easily obtained information of the physical condition. The normal activities of the mind depend on the normal operation of the viscera, qi, and blood, and are a unified whole that prospers together and suffers together. The theory of the five-spirit-viscera in the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic revealed that the normal mental activities of the human body were dominated by the five internal organs, that is, the five internal organs were the body and the five spirits were the function. And it highlighted the viewpoint that the five internal organs store the spirits and are actually one. The heart governs the spirit and belongs to the four internal organs. On this basis, Synopsis of Golden Chamber used the internal organs to diagnose and treat mental diseases, integrating the theory of the five spirits into it, forming a unique method of diagnosis and treatment with the heart as the leading factor and regulating the qi and blood of the four internal organs. It identified the pathogenesis of diseases such as pathogenic crying, lily disease, and hysteria from five levels: heart deficiency and weak qi, heart-lung disharmony, heart-liver disharmony, the heart of the loss of the spleen nourishment, and disharmony between heart and kidney. The treatment was mainly to replenish the deficiency of the viscera and eliminate the pathogens, reflecting the characteristics of regulating the mind and calming the four internal organs. This unique view on diagnosis and treatment has profoundly influenced the diagnosis and treatment theories of mental illnesses by later doctors, and is of great significance to the current clinical treatment of such illnesses.

Chronic pancreatitis （CP） is a chronic disease characterized by recurrent inflammation and progressive damage to pancreatic tissue， and its deterioration may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with CP， which seriously threatens the health of patients with CP. In recent years， studies on the pathogenesis of CP have mostly focused on the activation of pancreatic stellate cells （PSCs） and its role in pancreatic fibrosis. This article elaborates on the mechanism of action of PSCs in CP， summarizes the current status of research on effective traditional Chinese medicine components and prescriptions for intervention of PSCs in the treatment of chronic CP， and proposes the future research directions for effective traditional Chinese medicine components and prescriptions， so as to provide a reference for the clinical treatment of CP patients in the future.

OBJECTIVE: Aloin, the main active component in Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f., has shown promising anti-tumor effects. This study investigated the impact of aloin in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and explored its functional mechanism. METHODS: We analyzed the viability, migration, invasion, proliferation, and apoptosis of two LUSC cell lines after treatment with aloin. Target molecules of aloin and downstream target transcripts of nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 2 (NR3C2) were predicted by bioinformatics. The biological functions of NR3C2 and metallothionein 1 M (MT1M) in the malignant properties of LUSC cells were determined. A co-culture system of LUSC cells with monocyte-derived macrophages was constructed. Mouse xenograft tumor models were generated to analyze the functions of aloin and NR3C2 in the tumorigenic activity of LUSC cells and macrophage polarization in vivo. RESULTS: Aloin suppressed malignant properties of LUSC cells in vitro. However, these effects were negated by the silencing of NR3C2. NR3C2 was found to activate MT1M transcription by binding to its promoter. Additional upregulation of MT1M suppressed the malignant behavior of LUSC cells augmented by NR3C2 silencing. Analysis of the M1 and M2 markers/cytokines in the macrophages or the culture supernatant revealed that aloin treatment or MT1M overexpression in LUSC cells enhanced M1 polarization while suppressing M2 polarization of macrophages, whereas NR3C2 silencing led to reverse trends. Consistent findings were reproduced in vivo. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that aloin activates the NR3C2/MT1M axis to suppress the malignant behavior of LUSC cells and M2 macrophage polarization. Please cite this article as: Chen YN, Lu JY, Gao CF, Fang ZR, Zhou Y. Aloin blocks the malignant behavior of lung squamous cell carcinoma cells and M2 macrophage polarization by modulating the NR3C2/MT1M axis. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 195-208.
Lung Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Humans ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism* ; Mice ; Macrophages/drug effects* ; Emodin/analogs & derivatives* ; Metallothionein/genetics* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Cell Movement/drug effects* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Receptors, Glucocorticoid/genetics*