BACKGROUND:The inflammatory response of microglia is closely related to neuronal survival,regeneration,and functional recovery after spinal cord injury.Peroxiredoxin 1 is not only involved in the regulation of oxidative stress,but also has an important effect on cell proliferation,apoptosis,and inflammatory response.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the role and mechanism of peroxiredoxin 1 in the inflammatory response of microglia following spinal cord injury.METHODS:(1)Twelve female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into sham-operated(n=6)and spinal cord injury(n=6)groups.The sham-operated group was not modeled and acute spinal cord injury models were constructed in the spinal cord injury group using the modified Allen's method.Spinal cord tissue at the injured site was taken at 7 days after modeling and transcriptome sequencing was performed to identify differentially expressed genes.The expression of peroxiredoxin 1 in spinal cord tissues was verified using western blot and RT-qPCR.(2)Mouse microglia BV2 were divided into two groups:the control group was stimulated with lipopolysaccharide for 6 hours,and in the knockout group,lipopolysaccharide stimulation was applied for 6 hours at 24 hours after peroxiredoxin 1 was knocked down in the cells.RT-qPCR was performed to detect mRNA expression of peroxiredoxin 1,inflammatory factors(interleukin 1β,interleukin 6,inducible nitric oxide synthase,tumor necrosis factor α,C-C motif chemokine ligand 2,and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2),and western blot was performed to detect the expression of peroxiredoxin 1,inducible nitric oxide synthase,and reactive oxygen/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway proteins.Mouse microglia BV2 were treated in two groups:the control group was stimulated by hydrogen peroxide for 4 hours,and the knockout group was stimulated by hydrogen peroxide for 4 hours at 24 hours after knockdown of peroxiredoxin 1.The level of reactive oxygen species was detected by 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate probe.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Results from transcriptome sequencing,western blot and RT-qPCR confirmed that peroxiredoxin 1 expression levels in mouse spinal cord tissues were significantly higher in the spinal cord injury group than the sham-operated group(P＜0.05).(2)Peroxiredoxin 1 knockdown in microglial cells led to decreased expression of peroxiredoxin 1 mRNA and protein(P＜0.05),increased mRNA expression of interleukin 1β,interleukin 6,inducible nitric oxide synthase,tumor necrosis factor α,C-C motif chemokine ligand 2,and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2(P＜0.05),increased protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase,P-P38,P-JNK and P-ERK proteins(P＜0.05),and increased level of reactive oxygen species(P＜0.05).To conclude,peroxiredoxin 1 regulates microglial inflammation by targeting the reactive oxygen species/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.

This paper summarizes the clinical experience in the syndrome differentiation and treatment of rosacea using the method of venting heat and resolving stagnation. It is considered that the key pathogenesis of rosacea is the accumulation of heat with stagnation. Accordingly， the method of venting heat and resolving stagnation is proposed， which vents and disperses constraint heat by applying approaches such as dredging defensive qi， clearing qi， venting ying （营） level， and cooling blood， while eliminating stagnation and masses through regulating qi， resolving dampness， dispelling phlegm and removing stasis. In clinical practice， a core prescription for venting heat and resolving stagnation is formulated， with flexible modifications made according to the clinical characteristics of different rosacea subtypes， including erythematotelangiectatic， papulopustular， phymatous， and ocular types， thereby providing therapeutic insights for the treatment of rosacea with traditional Chinese medicine.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of thyroid nodules in the physical examination population in Mianyang region and analyze its association with metabolic syndrome. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 9 978 individuals who underwent health examinations at our hospital from January 2024 to May 2025. Thyroid examinations were performed using color Doppler ultrasound to analyze the prevalence of thyroid nodules in this population. Clinical data of all subjects were collected, and logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the association between metabolic syndrome and the risk of thyroid nodule development. Results The prevalence of thyroid nodules in the physical examination population of Mianyang region was 17.98% (1 794/9 978). The logistic regression results showed that after adjusting for gender, age, BMI, occupation, consumption of non-iodized salt, staying up late, daily sleep duration, anxiety, and depression, metabolic syndrome (OR=6.593, 95% CI: 3.961-10.975) was associated with thyroid nodules (P<0.05). Conclusion The prevalence of thyroid nodules among the physical examination population in the Mianyang area is 17.98%, and metabolic syndrome remains associated with the risk of thyroid nodules after effectively controlling for confounding factors.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the equivalence of different decoction processes based on rat model of hypertension with liver-yang hyperactivity. METHODS Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （ICP-MS） was used to compare the dissolution differences of inorganic elements in the powder-directly-decocted decoction versus the pieces-decocted-first decoction of Ostreae Concha- Haliotidis Concha- Margaritifera Concha drug pair. Six SD rats were included in the normal group. The spontaneously hypertensive rats were given Aconite decoction for six weeks to induce the hypertension model with liver-yang hyperactivity. After successful modeling， 48 rats were randomly divided into the model group， the captopril group [positive control， 8 mL/（kg·d） ] ， as well as low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of pieces decocted first or directly powder decocted [2.02， 4.05， 8.10 mL/（kg·d） ] ， with 6 rats in each group. Each group received the corresponding drug or equal volume of pure water intragastrically， once a day， for two consecutive weeks. After the last administration， the degree of irritability， facial temperature， pressure pain threshold， blood pressure， and pathological changes of the thoracic aorta were observed in each group. Serum nitric oxide （NO） and plasma angiotensin Ⅱ （Ang Ⅱ）， renin， and aldosterone （ALD） levels were also measured. RESULTS ICP-MS analysis results showed statistically significant differences in the contents of macroelements Li， Na， Mg， Ca， Mn， Ga， Sr， Mo， Cd， Sn， and Sb， between the powder-directly-decocted decoction and the pieces-decocted-first decoction （ P ＜0.05） ，the elements P， Cr， Fe， Ni， Zn， Hg， Tl， and Pb were not detected in either decoction. Animal experiments showed that after two weeks of administration， compared with the model group， the facial temperature， and blood pressure decreased in all treatment groups， while the pressure pain threshold increased； plasma levels of Ang Ⅱ， renin and ALD， as well as the serum level of NO were all decreased， and thoracic aortic media thickness was significantly reduced， most of the differences in the above indicators were statistically significant （ P ＜0.05 or P ＜0.01 or P ＜0.001）. Pathological observation showed improvement in thoracic aortic pathological injury. CONCLUSIONS The powder-directly-decocted process for the Ostreae Concha- Haliotidis Concha- Margaritifera Concha drug pair significantly promotes the dissolution of key elements such as Ca， Mg， and Sr without increasing the dissolution of harmful elements. It is equivalent to the traditional pieces-decocted-first in alleviating liver-yang hyperactivity syndrome， lowering blood pressure， and protecting the vascular endothelium， and even shows better performance in some indicators.

ObjectiveTo construct a nomogram prediction model for non-valvular persistent atrial fibrillation （PeAF） patients with left ventricular hypertrophy （LVH） ， followed by prognostic analysis through follow-up. MethodsThis study retrospectively enrolled 949 patients with newly diagnosed and hospitalized non-valvular PeAF. Among them， 403 patients presented with LVH. The cohort was randomly stratified into a training set （n=665） and a validation set （n=284）. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were employed to identify independent risk factors for PeAF complicated by LVH. A nomogram prediction model was subsequently constructed and evaluated for discriminative ability， calibration， and clinical utility using receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve analysis， calibration plots， and decision curve analysis （DCA）. ResultsSeven independent risk factors were ultimately identified and included in the prediction model： female sex， hypertension， diabetes， red blood cell distribution width-SD （RDW-SD）， body mass index （BMI）， left atrial diameter （LAD）， and left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）. The area under the ROC curve （AUC） in the training set was 0.862 （95% CI： 0.834-0.890）， and in the validation set， it was 0.870 （95% CI： 0.829-0.911）， demonstrating excellent predictive performance. ConclusionIndependent risk factors for LVH in PeAF patients include female， hypertension， diabetes， RDW-SD， BMI， LAD， and LVEF. The prediction model built based on this can help early identification of PeAF patients with high risk of LVH. At the same time， the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events （MACE） is higher in PeAF patients with LVH. Patients with atrial fibrillation combined with LVH may benefit from catheter ablation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism of Pibai Yucuo Formula （枇柏愈痤方， PYF） in treating acne from the perspective of skin barrier damage. MethodsThirty-two mice were randomly divided into blank group， model group， minocycline group， and PYF group， with 8 mice in each group. Except for the blank group， mice were induced by intradermal injection of Cutibacterium acnes （C.acnes） combined with topical application of artificial sebum to establish acne model. The blank group and model group received intragastric administration of 0.2 ml of distilled water， while the PYF group received intragastric administration of 22.75 g/（kg·d）of PYF， and the minocycline group received 0.013 g/（kg·d）of minocycline suspension， all once daily for 5 consecutive days. On day 0 and day 6 of the experiment， the body weight of mice in each group was recorded， and the absolute value of the body weight difference during the experiment was calculated. Skin conditions were assessed with multifunctional skin imaging system on the 2nd， 4th and 6th day of the experiment. Skin barrier function indicators including transepidermal water loss （TEWL）， and the water content of the stratum corneum and epidermis on day 0， 2， 4 and 6 of the experiment. Optical coherence tomography （OCT） was used to observe stratum corneum and skin thickness on the 1st， 3rd and 5th day of the experiment. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe histopathological changes， while ELISA was used to detect interleukin-17A （IL-17A） levels， and immunofluorescence staining was used to assess skin barrier-related proteins filaggrin （FLG） and loricrin （LOR） levels of skin lesions on day 6 of the experiment. ResultsCompared to the blank group， the model group showed a decrease in body weight on day 6， and an increase in the absolute value of the difference in body weight before and after the experiment （P＜0.05）. On day 4 and 6， TEWL values increased， while water content in the skin stratum corneum and epidermis decreased （P＜0.05）， accompanied by elevated IL-17A level and reduced immunofluorescence intensity of FLG and LOR proteins （P＜0.05）. The model group mice showed papules or pustules at the skin modeling site with progressively worsening desquamation under multifunctional skin imaging system. OCT revealed focal epidermal protrusions， blurred epidermal-dermal boundaries， and disorganized structural layers. HE staining showed significant epidermal hyperkeratosis and incomplete keratinization in the skin， with keratin plug formation in hair follicles and glandular lumens， thickened stratum corneum， hyperplasia of the stratum spinosum， as well as dense dermal inflammatory cell infiltration， and capillary dilation. Compared to the model group， both the minocycline group and the PYF group showed a reduced difference in body weight before and after experiment （P＜0.05）. On day 4 and 6， the TEWL value decreased， and water content of the skin stratum corneum increased （P＜0.05）； on day 6， the IL-17A level in the skin lesions decreased and immunofluorescence intensity of FLG and LOR proteins increased （P＜0.05）. On day 4 and 6， the severity of the skin lesions and range of redness and swelling were lighter than those in the model group， with reverted epidermal thickness， smoother surface and clearer epidermis-dermis boundary. HE staining showed that the degree of skin keratinization was reduced， and the inflammatory infiltration and vascular dilation in the dermis were improved compared to the model group. The PYF group showed better results than the minocycline group in reducing TEWL value on day 4 （P＜0.05）. ConclusionPYF may improve inflammation and skin barrier damage by downregulating IL-17A levels in lesion tissue and increasing skin barrier-related proteins， which could be one of the potential mechanism of action on acne.

Objective: To analyze the status of Treponema pallidum (TP) infection among blood donors in Hefei area by evaluating anti-TP reactive donors, and to provide data support for blood screening strategies, evaluation of reagent application, and public health prevention and control strategies. Methods: TPPA confirmation test were performed on 338 anti-TP positive samples of voluntary blood donors at Anhui Blood Center from February to April 2022, July to October 2022, February to June 2023. RPR tests were conducted on samples positive for TPPA. The test results, co-reactivity of TP with HBV, HCV, and HIV, and demographic characteristics of the donors were statistically analyzed. Results: The unqualified rate of anti-TP among blood donors in Hefei area was 0.30% (405/133 587), and the positive rate for TPPA was 67.46% (228/338). Among the TPPA-positive donors, 31.67% were RPR-positive. The co-positive rates of HBV, HCV and HIV in anti-TP reactive blood donors were 0.74% (3/405), 0.49% (2/405), and 1.73% (7/405), respectively, with HIV copositivity being the most common. Most co-positive donors were males aged 31-50 years with a high school education or lower, and all were first-time whole blood donors. Conclusion: The anti-TP unqualified rate among blood donors in Hefei area is at a low-to-mederate level. HIV is the most common co-infection with TP among anti-TP positive donors. The majority of co-infected donors are middle-aged men donating whole blood for the first time.

Background Microparticles (MPs) are one of the main medium of inflammatory reaction with an important role in atherosclerotic progression. Studies on association of air pollution exposure and levels of peripheral blood MPs are limited among human. Objective To evaluate the effects of short-term exposure to air pollution on levels of peripheral blood MPs. Method A panel of 73 healthy adults was followed with 4 repeated follow-ups in Beijing, China, from November 2014 to January 2016. During each visit, we collected questionnaire information, fasting venous blood, urine, and exposures to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), black carbon, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone. We used linear mixed-effect models to analyze associations of air pollution exposure with levels of total MPs (TMPs) and MPs derived from various cells. Stratified analysis was conducted by levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Results The results showed significant associations between air pollution exposure and peripheral blood TMPs at 2 h-6 d prior to the follow-ups (P<0.05), while no statistical associations were found for MPs derived from different cell types. Significant increases in TMPs of 7.8% (95%CI: 0.7%, 15.3%) and 14.3% (95%CI: 2.8%, 27.2%) were observed with each interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM_2.5 (IQR=64.9 μg·m⁻³) at prior 18 h and NO (IQR=40.5 μg·m⁻³) at prior 48 h. Among participants with low levels of CRP and MDA, significantly positive associations were observed between air pollution exposure and levels of TMPs (P<0.05). Conclusion Short-term exposure to air pollution is significantly associated with increased levels of circulating MPs in healthy adults, and in people with lower systemic inflammation, peripheral blood MPs levels are more easily affected after exposure to air pollutants.

ObjectiveTo reveal the molecular mechanism by which the traditional Chinese medicine compound prescription Qiangjing tablets regulate the aging of the testicular tissue and Leydig cells in rats through the cyclin-dependent kinase 4 （CDK4）-early 2 factor （E2F） signaling pathway. MethodsFor the cell experiment， 2-month-old SPF-grade SD male rats were selected and randomly assigned into a blank control group （administrated with an equal volume of 0.9% sodium chloride injection） and a Qiangjing tablets group （20 rats in each group） according to body weight. The Leydig cell model of aging was established by treatment of TM3 cells with 100 μmol·L^-1 H₂O₂， and the modeling performance was evaluated based on the levels of p16 and p21 determined by Western blot. The antioxidant NAC （1 mmol·L^-1） was used as the positive control for eliminating reactive oxygen species （ROS）. Cells were intervened with Qiangjing tablets-containing serum at low （2.5%）， medium （5%）， and high （10%） concentrations. The testosterone level in the cell supernatant was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the protein levels of CDK4， E2F1， and E2F2 were analyzed by Western blot. In the animal experiment， 19-month-old naturally aging rats were used as the model group， and 2-month-old rats as the young control group. The positive control group was subcutaneously injected with 5.21 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 testosterone propionate. Qiangjing tablets were administered by gavage at low， medium， and high doses of 0.72， 1.44， 2.88 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively. The general conditions of rats were observed， and the protein levels of CDK4， E2F1， and E2F2 in the testicular tissue were determined by Western blot. ResultsIn the cell experiment， compared with the blank control group， the model group showed upregulated expression of CDK4 and E2F1 （P<0.05） and slightly downregulated expression of E2F2. Compared with that in the model group， the expression of CDK4 was upregulated in the NAC group and the low-dose Qiangjing tablets group （P<0.05）， slightly upregulated in the medium-dose Qiangjing tablets group， and downregulated in the high-dose Qiangjing tablets group （P<0.05）. The NAC group showed downregulated expression of E2F1 （P<0.05） and E2F2， and the low-， medium-， and high-dose Qiangjing tablets groups showed downregulated expression of both E2F1 and E2F2 （P<0.05）. Compared with that in the NAC group， the expression of CDK4 was upregulated in the low-dose Qiangjing tablets group and downregulated in the medium-dose and high dose （P<0.05） groups. The expression of E2F1 was down-regulated in all the three dose groups， with statistically significance in the high dose group （P<0.05）， and that of E2F2 were downregulated in all the three dose groups （P<0.05）. In the animal experiment， compared with the young control group， the model group exhibited downregulated expression of CDK4 （P<0.05） and slightly upregulated expression of E2F1 and E2F2. Compared with that in the model group， the expression of CDK4 decreased in the testosterone propionate group and the low-dose Qiangjing tablets group （P<0.05） but increased in the medium-dose （P<0.05） and high-dose groups. In addition， the expression of E2F1 decreased （P<0.05）， and that of E2F2 was slightly elevated. Compared with that in the NAC group， CDK4 expression was elevated in the Qiangjing tablets groups， with statistical significance in the medium- and high-dose groups （P<0.05）. Similarly， the E2F1 expression was also upregulated in the Qiangjing tablets groups， with statistical significance in the medium-dose group （P<0.05）. The expression of E2F2 was downregulated in all the Qiangjing tablets groups. ConclusionQiangjing tablets delay the aging process of Leydig cells and testicular tissue by up-regulating the expression of CDK4 and lowering the levels of E2F1 and E2F2.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which Qiangjing tablets （QJT） alleviate the spermatogenic function damage caused by varicocele （VC） based on the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 （Keap1）/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） signaling pathway-mediated oxidative stress. MethodsTen Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly assigned into a control group and a model group. Pathological examination confirmed the stability of the model. Thirty-six SD rats were randomized into control， model， low-dose （0.23 g·kg^-1） QJT， medium-dose （0.46 g·kg^-1） QJT， high-dose （0.92 g·kg^-1） QJT， and mazhilin （61.7 mg·kg^-1） groups， with 6 rats in each group. A rat model of experimental left varicocele （ELV） was established by partially ligating the left renal vein to simulate the human nutcracker syndrome. The rats were administrated with corresponding agents once a day for 28 consecutive days. The in vitro testicular culture model of rats was established through the Transwell chamber method and intervened with QJT-containing sera （2.3， 4.6， and 9.2 g·kg^-1）. Microscopic observation was carried out for the morphology of the left kidney. A micrometer was used to measure the diameter of the left spermatic vein （LSV）. The body weights of rats were recorded weekly， and the epididymis and testis weights were measured. The pathological changes of the testicular tissue was observed via hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The levels of testosterone （T） in the cell culture supernatant and reactive oxygen species （ROS） in the rat testicular tissue were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Flow cytometry was employed to determine the ROS content. Immunohistochemical staining was conducted to analyze Keap1， Nrf2， 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase （3β-Hsd）， GATA-binding protein-4 （Gata-4）， and proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase （C-kit）. The ultrastructure of the tissue was observed by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. Cell apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling （TUNEL） staining. The expression of Keap1， Nrf2， glutathione S-transferase α2 （Gsta2）， glutathione S-transferase μ1 （Gstm1）， heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1）， quinone oxidoreductase 1 （Nqo1）， and thioredoxin reductase 1 （Txnrd1） was quantified by Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） and Western blot. ResultsCompared with the control group， the ROS content and the percentage of apoptotic cells in the model group were significantly increased （P<0.01）， the T concentration was significantly decreased （P<0.01）， the mRNA and protein expressions of Keap1 were significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf2， Gsta2， Gstm1， HO-1， Nqo1 and Txnrd1 were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the ROS content and the percentage of apoptotic cells in each dose group of the Qiangjing Tablets were significantly reduced （P<0.05）， and the mRNA and protein expressions of Keap1 were significantly decreased （P<0.05）， while the mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf2， Gsta2， Gstm1， HO-1， Nqo1 and Txnrd1 were significantly increased （P<0.05）. ConclusionQJT improves sperm motility in the rat model of VC by modulating the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway and reducing oxidative stress injury.