ObjectiveTo establish a mouse model of particulate matter 2.5 （PM_2.5）-induced dry eye and investigate whether Chufeng Yisuntang can ameliorate the PM_2.5-induced ocular surface damage by regulating the reactive oxygen species （ROS）/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK） signaling pathway. MethodsSixty 8-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were used. Ten were randomly selected as the control group. The remaining 50 mice received topical instillation of 1 drop （0.1 mL） of 5 g·L^-1 PM_2.5 suspension in both eyes， four times daily. Successfully modeled mice were randomized into four groups （n=10）： Model， p38 MAPK inhibitor， Chufeng Yisuntang， and combination （Chufeng Yisuntang at 7.3 g·kg^-1 + p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 at 5 mg·kg^-1）. Chufeng Yisuntang was administered via gavage， and the inhibitor group via intraperitoneal injection. The control and model groups received equal volumes of distilled water by gavage. All treatments lasted for 4 weeks. General conditions were dynamically observed. Tear secretion， tear film break-up time， and corneal fluorescein staining were assessed. After intervention for 4 weeks， hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining was used to examine the histopathological changes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was adopted to measure serum levels of ROS， malondialdehyde （MDA）， superoxide dismutase （SOD） 1， and SOD2. Western blot and Real-time PCR were employed to determine the protein and gene levels， respectively， of p38 MAPK， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， and cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3 （Caspase-3） in the corneal tissue. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group exhibited reduced tear secretion volume and tear film breakup time， along with increased corneal fluorescein staining scores （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Chufeng Yisuntang group， p38 MAPK inhibitor group， and combination group demonstrated increased tear secretion volume and tear film breakup time， along with decreased corneal fluorescein staining scores （P<0.01）. HE staining revealed that compared with the control group， the model group exhibited marked increases in corneal epithelial cell layers and epithelial thickness， along with reduced meibomian gland acini and intensely stained， densely packed nuclei around the acini. Compared with the model group， the Chufeng Yisuntang group， p38 MAPK inhibitor group， and combination group showed intact corneal structure， improved cell morphology， and reduced damage severity. ELISA revealed elevated ROS and MDA levels （P<0.01） and decreased SOD1 and SOD2 levels （P<0.01） in the model group compared with the control group. Compared with the model group， Chufeng Yisuntang， p38 MAPK inhibitor， and the combination lowered ROS and MDA levels （P<0.01）， while raising SOD1 and SOD2 levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Western blot revealed that compared with the control group， the model group exhibited increased protein levels of p38 MAPK， Bax， and Caspase-3 （P<0.01） and reduced protein level of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Chufeng Yisuntang， p38 MAPK inhibitor， and the combination down-regulated the protein levels of p38 MAPK， Bax， and Caspase-3 （P<0.01）， while up-regulating the protein level of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. Compared with the Chufeng Yisuntang group， the combination group exhibited decreased protein levels of p38 MAPK， Bax， and Caspase-3 （P<0.01） and increased protein level of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. Real-time PCR revealed that compared with the control group， the model group exhibited upregulated mRNA levels of p38 MAPK， Bax， and Caspase-3 （P<0.01）， and downregulated mRNA level of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Chufeng Yisuntang， p38 MAPK inhibitor， and the combination down-regulated the mRNA levels of p38 MAPK， Bax， and Caspase-3 （P<0.01）， while up-regulating the mRNA level of Bcl-2 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the Chufeng Yisuntang group， the combination group exhibited decreased mRNA levels of p38 MAPK， Bax， and Caspase-3 expression （P<0.05， P<0.01） and increased mRNA level of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. ConclusionChufeng Yisuntang may partially protect against PM_2.5-induced corneal injury by inhibiting the ROS/p38 MAPK pathway， enhancing antioxidant defense， and reducing epithelial apoptosis.

The deficiency in immunogenicity and the presence of immunosuppression within the tumor microenvironment significantly hindered the efficacy of immunotherapy. Consequently, a nanoformulation containing metal sulfide of FeS and GSDMD plasmid (NP_FeS/GD) had been developed to effectively augment antitumor immune responses through dual activation of immunogenic PANoptosis and ferroptosis, as well as reprogramming immunosuppressive effects via H₂S amplification. The bioactive NP_FeS/GD exhibited controlled release of GSDMD plasmid, H₂S, and Fe²⁺ in response to the tumor microenvironment. Fe²⁺, H₂S, and the expression of GSDMD protein could effectively elicit highly immunogenic PANoptosis and ferroptosis. Furthermore, releasing H₂S could mitigate the overexpression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase1 (IDO1) induced by immunogenic PANoptotic and ferroptotic cell death and disrupt the activity of IDO1. Consequently, NP_FeS/GD effectively triggered the antitumor innate and adaptive immune responses through induction of PANoptotic and ferroptotic cell death and reshaped the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment to enhance antitumor immunotherapy for metastasis inhibition. This study unveiled the significant potential of immunogenic PANoptosis and ferroptosis in H₂S gas therapy for enhancing tumor immunotherapy, offering novel insights and ideas for the rational design of nanomedicine to enhance tumor immunogenicity while reprogramming the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment.

Based on the theory of "disease involving both dryness and dampness"， it is believed that the complex of dryness and dampness and the mutual stalemate between them produce the disease， forming a pathological state of dampness within dryness and dryness within dampness. The two can occur accompanied by each other， transform into each other， and coexist as a disease. According to the clinical characteristics of sjögren's syndrome-related dry eye disease （SS-DED）， it is believed that its symptoms can reflect the pathological state of coexistence of dryness and dampness， and that "disease involving both dryness and dampness" is the key pathogenesis. The main treatment principles are performing both purgation and tonification， and treating the dryness and dampness simultaneously. The treatment should focus on rectifying qi， fortifying spleen and dispelling dampness， as well as opening orifices， nou-rishing yin and moistening dryness， usually with Shashen Maidong Decoction （沙参麦冬汤） and Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction （香砂六君子汤） in modifications. The theory of "disease involving both dryness and dampness" is expected to provide ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of SS-DED.

AIM: To investigate the relationship between vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) injury, organelle stress response and autophagic cell death (autophagy) and ferroptosis induced by the chemical hypoxia inducer cobalt chloride (CoCl2) through the bioinformatics analysis and in vitro cell experimentation. METHODS: The dataset GSE119226 of VSMC treated with cobalt chloride was acquired from the gene expression database (GEO). The R language was used to investigate the relationship between CoCl2 treatment and organelle stress response (Golgi stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress) and two forms of cell death (ferroptosis and autophagic cell death). With primary cultured rat VSMC (rVSMC) and CoCl2-induced anoxia model, the changes in cell viability were detected by CCK-8 method, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured using DCFH-DA method. The expression levels of HIF-1α (a key molecule in hypoxia), Golgi stress markers GM130 and p115, endoplasmic reticulum stress markers GRP78 and CHOP, autophagy markers LC3-II / LC3-I and Beclin1, and ferroptosis markers GPx4 and xCT were detected by Western blot. The effect of inducing or inhibiting organelle stress and cell death on the CoCl2-induced cell damage was also observed. RESULTS: Differentially expressed genes analysis of GSE119226 dataset showed that CoCl2 treatment of VSMCs had significant effects on organelle function and stress response, autophagy and ferroptosis-related genes, in which endoplasmic reticulum stress, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, regulation of Golgi to plasma membrane protein transport, autophagy / autophagic cell death, and ferroptosis pathways were remarkably enriched. The results of in vitro experiment showed that compared with normal rVSMC, cell viability was significantly decreased after CoCl2 treatment, as well as HIF-1α protein expression and ROS levels in rVSMCs were increased. In rVSMC treated with Co-Cl2, the expression levels of Golgi structural proteins GM130 and p115 (reflecting the occurrence of Golgi stress) were decreased, while the markers GRP78 and CHOP (reflecting the occurrence of endoplasmic reticulum stress) were increased. At the same time, CoCl2 treatment also reduced the expression of autophagy markers LC3-II/LC3-I and Beclin1 (indicating the decrease levels of autophagy), while the expression of ferroptosis markers GPx4 and xCT were decreased (indicating the occurrence of ferroptosis). Compared with CoCl2 treatment group, induced Golgi stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, or ferroptosis could further reduce cell viability, while inhibition of these processes could improve cell viability. On the other hand, increasing the level of autophagy can improve the cell viability. CONCLUSION: Hypoxia induced by cobalt chloride can lead to VSMC injury. Golgi stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, ferroptosis, and the reduction of autophagy level play an important role in it. Inhibition of organelle stress response and ferroptosis, or increase of autophagy level can improve VSMC injury caused by cobalt chloride.

Objective A model for studying oral ulcers induced by betel nut-extract was constructed in rats.Changes in the structure and diversity of oral flora were observed to explore the involvement of oral flora and local inflammatory factors in the pathogenesis of oral ulcers induced by betel nut-extract and to provide theoretical support for the prevention and treatment of oral ulcers in the clinic.Methods Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into normal,model and intervention groups(Guilin watermelon cream,8 mg/d for 7 days),with 10 rats/group.The oral mucosa of rats was subcutaneously injected with 10 g/mL of betel nut-extract to generate an oral ulcer model.The histomorphological changes were observed,and ulcer area and ulcer scores were assessed.Local oral tissue tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin(IL)-2 and IL-8 levels were determined.Oral mucosal tissues were sampled for HE staining and analyzed for the structural distribution of oral flora and the diversity of microbial communities using high-throughput sequencing method.Results Compared with rats in the normal group,those in the model group had an increased ulcer area,significantly increased ulcer scores(P＜0.01),and significantly increased levels of TNF-α,IL-2 and IL-8 in the oral mucosal tissues(P＜0.01).The amount Streptococcus(P＜0.05)and Veillonella(P＜0.001)in the oral saliva of the model group rats was significantly reduced.The model group rats showed oral mucosal epithelial cell hyperplasia or focal necrosis,mucosal lamina propria edema,and hemorrhage accompanied by mass neutrophil and monocyte infiltration.Compared with the model group rats,the intervention group rats had significantly reduced ulcerated area(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)and ulcer scores(P＜0.05).And oral mucosal tissue levels of TNF-α(P＜0.01),IL-2(P＜0.05)and IL-8(P＜0.05),as well as significantly increased Streptococcus(P＜0.001)and Veillonella(P＜0.01)and significantly reduced Staphylococcus(P＜0.01)in the oral saliva.The degree of lesions in the oral mucosal tissues was significantly improved in the intervention group.Conclusions Betel nut-extract can be used to successfully reproduce a rat model of oral ulcer,and it is speculated that the development of oral ulcers after exposure to betel nut-extract may be related to an imbalance in the oral flora and local tissue inflammatory mediators.

Ferrets offer an advantage in nonclinical studies of anti-infective drugs because of their ability to be infected with and spread pathogenic microorganisms,especially viral strains,without the need for host adaptation.Additionally,the clinical symptoms exhibited by infected ferrets are very similar to those of humans.Although ferrets play a very important role in the research and development of antiviral drugs,the scope of their application remains limited.This may be related to the lack of corresponding national standards for laboratory animal feeding and application of ferrets as well as the lack of specific diagnostic and detection reagents.This paper summarizes the characteristics of ferrets as infectious disease models with a summary and analysis of the application direction of ferrets in anti-infective drug research.Our aim is to promote further standardization of the use of ferrets.

Objective This study established a model of invasive Aspergillus niger lung disease in immunosuppressed rats to provide theoretical support for the pharmacodynamic evaluation of anti-invasive pulmonary aspergillosis drugs and mechanism studies.Methods Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into a normal control group;cyclophosphamide control group,and cyclophosphamide+fungal infection low,medium,and high dose groups,with 12 animals in each group.General clinical observations were performed daily,and the serum levels of immunoglobulin(Ig)G and IgM and galactomannan(GM)were detected by ELISA on the 3rd and 7th days of modeling.Simultaneously,the ratio of CD4+and CD8+cells,content of white blood cells(WBCs)and neutrophils(Neu)in peripheral blood,the Aspergillus niger load in alveolar lavage,and morphological changes to rat lung tissue were observed.Results Rats in the cyclophosphamide control and cyclophosphamide+fungal infection groups showed reduced voluntary activity and erect hair after modeling,and rats in the cyclophosphamide+fungal infection group also had shortness of breath and audible wet rhonchi in the lungs.Compared with the normal control group,rats in the cyclophosphamide control group showed significant reductions in the levels of CD4+,WBC,Neu,IgG,and IgM in the blood,and their proportion of CD8+cells was significantly higher(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Compared with the cyclophosphamide control group,rats in the cyclophosphamide+fungal infection medium-and high-dose groups had significantly reduced blood levels of IgG,IgM,and CD4+cells(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);while the cyclophosphamide+fungal infection low-,medium-,and high-dose groups had significantly reduced blood levels of WBC and Neu(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Additionally,rats in the cyclophosphamide+fungal infection medium-and high-dose groups had significantly increased blood CD8+cells(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),Blood GM levels and the alveolar lavage Aspergillus niger load were significantly increased in rats in the cyclophosphamide+fungal infection low-,medium-,and high-dose groups compared with the cyclophosphamide control group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The lung tissues of the cyclophosphamide+fungal infection low-,medium-,and high-dose groups showed mycelial distribution and destruction of alveolar epithelium,increase of bronchial epithelial cup cells in the alveoli,and infiltration of inflammatory cells,and the degree of lesions was positively correlated with the modeling dose.Conclusions In this study,we used Aspergillus niger combined with cyclophosphamide immunosuppressant to construct a model of invasive Aspergillus niger lung disease.The duration of the disease was positively correlated with the concentration of bacterial fluid and modeling time,confirming that cellular immunity plays an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease.At the same time,Ig can also affect the development of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis,and it is speculated that the pathogenesis may be related to the level of Ig produced by humoral immunity.

Cardiovascular disease(CVD)is the leading cause of death in humans and has received widespread attention.The clinical indicators for predicting the risk of CVD occurrence and development are expensive and difficult to popularize in grassroots areas.Triglyceride glucose(TyG)index,as an alternative biomarker for insulin resistance,can predict the risk of CVD.The clinical TyG index is easy to obtain and is gradually receiving attention.This article reviews the research progress on the correlation between TyG index and CVD risk.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the domestic robotic surgical system for general surgery.Methods:A prospective single-center, single-arm exploratory study was conducted at Gansu Provincial People's Hospital from Jun 2022 to Oct 2023, enrolling 54 patients undergoing general surgery using domestically produced Toumai? Endoscopic Surgical Robotic System. The primary study endpoint was surgical success rate, and the secondary study endpoints were intraoperative bleeding, operative time, complications, system performance, hospitalization days.Results:In this study, robotic surgery was successfully completed in 52 patients, and in 2 patients undergoing thyroid operation it was converted to open surgery due to bleeding, with a success rate of 96%, no organ injury or death during surgery, and no system failure. The types of surgery included cholecystectomy, radical gastric cancer resection, radical colorectal cancer resection, inguinal hernia repair, partial hepatectomy, total thyroidectomy and choledocho-jejunal anastomosis.Conclusion:The study provides preliminary evidence of the safety and efficacy of the Toumai? Endoscopic Surgical Robotic System for the treatment of general surgical diseases.

Objective To propose a two-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI) method based on real patients with carotid artery stenosis, and analyze the hemodynamic parameters of carotid plaques with different types at the lesion as well as deformation and stress changes of the plaque itself. Methods Three-dimensional ( 3D) modeling was performed based on computed tomography angiography ( CTA) data of patients with moderate carotid artery stenosis. The carotid artery wall model and plaque model were separated, and transient fluid structure coupling calculation was performed. The situation from early stage of carotid atherosclerosis to formation of the plaque was simulated. The plaque types were divided into thickened plaques, lipid plaques, mixed plaques and calcified plaques, among which thickened plaques were regarded as non-plaque conditions for representing the thickening of vascular intima-media. The stenotic carotid arteries with different plaque types were compared and analyzed. Results The plaques with different types had little effect on the overall blood flow, but the wall shear stress of lipid plaques at the lesion was lower than that of other plaques. With thickened plaques as a control, concurrence of the plaque would inhibit artery expansion, and lipid plaques were the most obvious. Calcified plaques had the highest average plaque structure stress, while lipid plaques had the lowest average plaque structure stress. Conclusions The method proposed in this study can analyze fluid area and solid area at the same time. The results can contribute to better understanding the influence of different plaque types on carotid artery diseases.