Hypokalemia,a common clinical electrolyte disorder,can affect multiple systems and can be life-threatening in severe cases.Identifying the cause of hypokalemia is crucial for its prevention and treatment.However,the etiology of hypokalemia is complex and often requires detailed differential diagnosis.This article reports a rare clinical case of hypokalemia caused by long-term excessive consumption of strong tea and discusses its pathogenesis.The aim is to raise clinical awareness and understanding of the etiology of such cases of hypokalemia and reduce misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.

Pyroptosis is an identified programmed cell death that has been highly linked to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dynamics. However, the crucial proteins for modulating dynamic ER membrane curvature change that trigger pyroptosis are currently not well understood. In this study, a biotin-labeled chemical probe of potent pyroptosis inducer α-mangostin (α-MG) was synthesized. Through protein microarray analysis, reticulon-4 (RTN4/Nogo), a crucial regulator of ER membrane curvature, was identified as a target of α-MG. We observed that chemically induced proteasome degradation of RTN4 by α-MG through recruiting E3 ligase UBR5 significantly enhances the pyroptosis phenotype in cancer cells. Interestingly, the downregulation of RTN4 expression significantly facilitated a dynamic remodeling of ER membrane curvature through a transition from tubules to sheets, consequently leading to rapid fusion of the ER with the cell plasma membrane. In particular, the ER-to-plasma membrane fusion process is supported by the observed translocation of several crucial ER markers to the "bubble" structures of pyroptotic cells. Furthermore, α-MG-induced RTN4 knockdown leads to pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2)-dependent conventional caspase-3/gasdermin E (GSDME) cleavages for pyroptosis progression. In vivo, we observed that chemical or genetic RTN4 knockdown significantly inhibited cancer cells growth, which further exhibited an antitumor immune response with anti-programmed death-1 (anti-PD-1). In translational research, RTN4 high expression was closely correlated with the tumor metastasis and death of patients. Taken together, RTN4 plays a fundamental role in inducing pyroptosis through the modulation of ER membrane curvature remodeling, thus representing a prospective druggable target for anticancer immunotherapy.
Pyroptosis/immunology* ; Humans ; Endoplasmic Reticulum/immunology* ; Animals ; Nogo Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Mice ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Xanthones/pharmacology* ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; Mice, Nude

Obesity, as a chronic recurrent disease, has become a major public health challenge in China. To implement the requirements of the Healthy China Initiative (2019—2030), under domestic guidelines or consensus statements on overweight and obesity, and in alignment with the latest scientific advances globally, the Quality control protocol for adult overweight and obesity screening in health management (examination) institutions (2025 edition) was developed. This protocol was drafted by the Health Management Center of Shanghai Changzheng Hospital and formulated through multiple rounds of deliberation by experts in China’s health examination quality control field. The protocol establishes unified standards for screening facilities, personnel qualifications, and measurement or testing procedures. It defines specific screening items, outlines a standardized screening pathway, and sets requirements for the final medical review, ensuring the scientific validity, effectiveness, and safety of the screening process. The implementation of this protocol will enhance the consistency of weight management practices for adults across health examination institutions and strengthen the quality control of overweight and obesity screening programs.

Objective:To explore the application effectiveness of the large language model DeepSeek in the cultivation of clinical thinking skills for medical laboratory technology students.Methods:A non-randomized controlled study was conducted. In the 2024-2025 academic year, two classes of second-year medical laboratory technology students from Hubei University of Chinese Medicine were selected and divided into a DeepSeek-assisted teaching group (Class A, n=53) and a traditional teaching control group (Class B, n=53), totaling 106 students. Both groups followed a 20-week problem-based learning (PBL) framework with identical teaching content, instructors, and class hours. Class A utilized DeepSeek via the"Learning Pass AI"platform for case diagnosis reasoning, prompt construction training, test plan formulation, and result analysis, while Class B received traditional PBL instruction. Paired t-tests were used to compare pre-and post-teaching scores in clinical thinking skills, AI interaction literacy, and prompt construction in Class A. Independent samples t-tests and chi-square ( χ2) tests were used to evaluate differences in case reasoning scores, etiology analysis accuracy, and teaching satisfaction between groups. Structured questionnaires supplemented the evaluation of model-assisted teaching processes. Results:The comparison of pre-and post-teaching scores in Class A showed that post-teaching scores significantly improved in clinical thinking skills[(4.02±0.45) points vs. (3.09±0.50) points, t=2.23)] and AI interaction literacy [(4.62±0.41) points vs. (3.27±0.54) points, t=2.18]. Compared to Class B, Class A demonstrated superior performance in case reasoning scores [(81.1±3.8) points vs.(74.3±4.2) points, t=8.97], etiology analysis accuracy [94.3% (50/53) vs. 81.1% (43/53), χ2=4.29], and teaching satisfaction [(95.6±3.2)points vs. (82.6±4.8) points, t=11.86] ( P<0.05). The results of questionnaires indicated that during model application, the prompt construction improved in logic [(2.85±0.58) points to (4.25±0.50) points, t=14.23, P<0.01] and innovation [(2.60±0.53) points to (4.05±0.46) points, t=11.57, P<0.05], but question clarity (77.4%, 41/53) and medical terminology accuracy (43.4%, 23/53) remained primary shortcomings. Conclusion:Integrating large language models into AI-teacher collaborative learning pathways can effectively promote students′ autonomous inquiry and clinical reasoning skills, thereby enhancing medical laboratory technology students′ clinical thinking skills.

Hypokalemia,a common clinical electrolyte disorder,can affect multiple systems and can be life-threatening in severe cases.Identifying the cause of hypokalemia is crucial for its prevention and treatment.However,the etiology of hypokalemia is complex and often requires detailed differential diagnosis.This article reports a rare clinical case of hypokalemia caused by long-term excessive consumption of strong tea and discusses its pathogenesis.The aim is to raise clinical awareness and understanding of the etiology of such cases of hypokalemia and reduce misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.

Objective:To explore the application effectiveness of the large language model DeepSeek in the cultivation of clinical thinking skills for medical laboratory technology students.Methods:A non-randomized controlled study was conducted. In the 2024-2025 academic year, two classes of second-year medical laboratory technology students from Hubei University of Chinese Medicine were selected and divided into a DeepSeek-assisted teaching group (Class A, n=53) and a traditional teaching control group (Class B, n=53), totaling 106 students. Both groups followed a 20-week problem-based learning (PBL) framework with identical teaching content, instructors, and class hours. Class A utilized DeepSeek via the"Learning Pass AI"platform for case diagnosis reasoning, prompt construction training, test plan formulation, and result analysis, while Class B received traditional PBL instruction. Paired t-tests were used to compare pre-and post-teaching scores in clinical thinking skills, AI interaction literacy, and prompt construction in Class A. Independent samples t-tests and chi-square ( χ2) tests were used to evaluate differences in case reasoning scores, etiology analysis accuracy, and teaching satisfaction between groups. Structured questionnaires supplemented the evaluation of model-assisted teaching processes. Results:The comparison of pre-and post-teaching scores in Class A showed that post-teaching scores significantly improved in clinical thinking skills[(4.02±0.45) points vs. (3.09±0.50) points, t=2.23)] and AI interaction literacy [(4.62±0.41) points vs. (3.27±0.54) points, t=2.18]. Compared to Class B, Class A demonstrated superior performance in case reasoning scores [(81.1±3.8) points vs.(74.3±4.2) points, t=8.97], etiology analysis accuracy [94.3% (50/53) vs. 81.1% (43/53), χ2=4.29], and teaching satisfaction [(95.6±3.2)points vs. (82.6±4.8) points, t=11.86] ( P<0.05). The results of questionnaires indicated that during model application, the prompt construction improved in logic [(2.85±0.58) points to (4.25±0.50) points, t=14.23, P<0.01] and innovation [(2.60±0.53) points to (4.05±0.46) points, t=11.57, P<0.05], but question clarity (77.4%, 41/53) and medical terminology accuracy (43.4%, 23/53) remained primary shortcomings. Conclusion:Integrating large language models into AI-teacher collaborative learning pathways can effectively promote students′ autonomous inquiry and clinical reasoning skills, thereby enhancing medical laboratory technology students′ clinical thinking skills.

The upset insomnia caused by life and work pressure has seriously affected the physical and mental health of modern people and induced many diseases. The quality of Chinese medicine for nourishing heart and tranquilizing mind is stable, and it has a significant effect on the treatment of insomnia, with fewer adverse reactions, and no dependence on sedative and hypnotic as chemical drugs. The Chinese herbal pieces and preparations for nourishing heart and tranquilizing mind can be divided into psychotropic and sedative drugs according to their functions. Their active ingredients mainly include flavonoids, alkaloids, organic acids, polysaccharides, amino acids and vitamins, etc. They are mostly used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and central nervous system inhibition. In this paper, the types and active ingredients and development tendency and application status of the Chinese herbal pieces and preparations of nourishing heart and tranquilizing mind were reviewed individually, in order to provide reference for the development of drugs of nourishing heart and tranquilizing mind in the field of clinical application and related drugs.

OBJECTIVE To study the improvement effect of total flavonoids from Rosa multiflora root on vascular injury in rheumatoid arthritis （RA） model rats and its potential mechanism. METHODS Female Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group， model group， aspirin group （positive control， 30 mg/kg）， low-dose and high-dose groups of total flavonoids from R. multiflora root （4.15， 8.30 g/kg， by crude drug）， with 10 rats in each group. Except for the normal control group， the RA model was induced in other groups by collagen induction and high-fat diet. After 14 days of modeling， they were given corresponding drug solution/0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose solution intragastrically， once a day， for 36 consecutive days. The total body score， arthritis index （AI） and swollen joint count （SJC） of the rats were evaluated regularly. After the last medication， serum levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6）， intercellular adhesion molecule-1 （ICAM-1） and vascular cell adhesion molecule- 1 （VCAM-1） were determined. The pathological morphological changes in the vascular tissue of thoracic aorta were observed； the protein expression of Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） and the protein phosphorylation levels of Janus kinase 2 （JAK2） and signal transduction and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3） in vascular tissue of thoracic aorta were measured. RESULTS Compared with the normal control group， serum levels of IL-6， ICAM-1 and VCAM-1， protein expression of TLR4， and the protein phosphorylation levels of JAK2 and STAT3 in vascular tissue of thoracic aorta were increased significantly in model group （P＜ 0.01）. The atherosclerotic plaque （atheroma）， cholesterol crystal， lymphocyte infiltration and a small number of unbroken foam cell aggregation could be seen in the vascular tissue of thoracic aorta. Compared with the model group， total body score （except for the low-dose group）， AI and SJC were decreased significantly in groups of total flavonoids from R. multiflora root on the 28th day （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； total body score，AI and SJC were decreased significantly in low-dose group of total flavonoids from R. multiflora root on the 49th day （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； the other quantitative indicators in serum and vascular tissue were significantly reversed in groups of total flavonoids from R. multiflora root （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， and pathological damage of vascular tissue was significantly relieved. CONCLUSIONS Total flavonoids from R. multiflora root can significantly improve vascular injury in RA model rats， and its mechanism may be related to reducing the protein expression of TLR4 in vascular tissue and inhibiting the activation of IL-6/JAK2/ STAT3 signaling pathway.

Objective:To establish a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) characteristic spectrum of Radix Actinidiae Chinensis decoction pieces, standard decoction and formula granules; To simultaneously determine the contents of index components; To study the transfer law of formula granules based on the extraction amount, content of Catechin and characteristic spectrum of standard decoction.Methods:15 batches of Radix Actinidiae Chinensis decoction pieces were collected, the standard decoction was prepared, and the extraction amount was measured. The HPLC fingerprints of decoction pieces, standard decoction and formula granules were established, and the characteristic peaks were calibrated and attributed. The content of Catechins in decoction pieces, standard decoction and formula granules was measured, and the transfer rate law was calculated. The yield rate, the common peak transmission number of fingerprints, the content and the transfer rate were the main evaluation indexes, and the law of the transmission of the magnitude value was analyzed.Results:The paste yield of 15 batches of Radix Actinidiae Chinensis standard decoction ranged from 3.9%-6.3%. A total of 4 characteristic peaks were calibrated in the feature map, and peak 2 was identified as Protocatechuic acid and peak 4 as Catechin; 6 characteristic peaks were detected in Actinidia chinensis Planchon decoction pieces, standard decoction and formula granules, and their relative retention times were all within the specified range. The content of Catechins in Radix Actinidiae Chinensis decoction pieces was 0.4%-1.4%, which was 3.8%-4.9% in formula granules. The transfer rate of decoction pieces-standard decoction was 13.6%-38.3%, and the decoction-formula granules was 15.5%-21.2%.Conclusions:The mass transfer between Radix Actinidiae Chinensis decoction pieces, standard decoction and formula granules has a good migration. The formula granules also have a good correlation and consistency with the standard decoction, which indicating that the preparation process of Radix Actinidiae Chinensis is reasonable and feasible.

Objective:Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents,characterized by a high potential for proliferation and metastasis.Patients with osteosarcoma who have distant metastases generally have a poor prognosis.Challenges in treatment include incomplete resection of tumor and chemotherapy resistance,with no effective cure currently available.Recent studies suggest that β-1,4-N-acetyl-galactosaminyltransferase 1(B4GALNT1)plays a role in the progression of various malignant tumors.However,the function of B4GALNT1 in osteosarcoma cells has not been reported.This study aims to investigate the expression of B4GALNT1 in osteosarcoma tissues compared to normal tissues and to explore its effects on the proliferation,migration,and invasion of osteosarcoma cells,thereby providing new theoretical foundations and directions for the treatment of osteosarcoma patients. Methods:Tumor tissues and corresponding normal tissue samples were collected from 16 osteosarcoma patients who underwent tumor resection at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University.The patients'ages ranged from 8 to 17 years(median age 12 years).The expression of B4GALNT1 mRNA in osteosarcoma tissues,corresponding normal tissues,3 osteosarcoma cell lines(MG63,Saos-2,and U2OS),and human fetal osteoblastic cells(hFOB)was detected using real-time reverse transcription PCR(real-time RT-PCR).The effects of B4GALNT1 knockdown on the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells Saos-2 and U2OS were analyzed using cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assays and colony formation assays.The effects of B4GALNT1 knockdown on the migration and invasion abilities of Saos-2 and U2OS cells were evaluated using Transwell migration and invasion assays.Western blotting analysis was performed to assess the impact of B4GALNT1 knockdown on the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)and invasion-related proteins in Saos-2 and U2OS cells. Results:Real-time RT-PCR results showed that B4GALNT1 mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in osteosarcoma tissues and the 3 osteosarcoma cell lines compared to normal tissues and hFOB cells(all P＜0.0 1).CCK-8 and colony formation assays indicated that B4GALNT1 knockdown significantly reduced the proliferation rate of osteosarcoma cells compared to the control group(all P＜0.05).Transwell migration and invasion assays demonstrated that B4GALNT1 knockdown significantly decreased the number of migrating and invading osteosarcoma cells(all P＜0.01).Western blotting analysis revealed that B4GALNT1 knockdown inhibited the expression of N-cadherin,Snail,Vimentin,and matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9)compared to the control group(all P＜0.01). Conclusion:B4GALNT1 is upregulated in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines,and its knockdown suppresses the malignant phenotype of osteosarcoma cells.B4GALNT1 may function as an oncogene in the proliferation and metastasis of osteosarcoma cells.