Hepatic fibrosis is a reversible pathological process in various chronic liver diseases and is closely associated with the development and progression of severe liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma， and it has emerged as a significant global health challenge. In recent years， studies have shown that histone lactylation， a newly discovered epigenetic modification， actively participates in regulating the progression of hepatic fibrosis. This article systematically reviews the core regulatory effect of histone lactylation modification in the interaction between inflammatory microenvironment and hepatic fibrosis， in order to clarify the cascade regulatory mechanism of “inflammation-hepatic fibrosis” and provide new insights for early diagnosis， targeted intervention， and prevention of malignant transformation in hepatic fibrosis.

ObjectiveTo compare the differences between wild Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus（WAOF） and cultivated Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus（CAOF） through a traditional quality evaluation system for medicinal materials. MethodsA total of 10 batches of WAOF and 12 batches of CAOF samples were collected from various regions of Hainan province. Relevant analytical methods from the 2020 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China were employed to observe the characteristics of WAOF and CAOF， followed by microscopic identification， thin-layer chromatography（TLC） identification， moisture content（toluene method）， total ash， acid-insoluble ash， water-soluble and alcohol-soluble extracts（hot dipping method）， water-soluble protein， total polysaccharides and total flavonoids（ultraviolet spectrophotometry）， and volatile oil content（method A under general rule 2204）. The contents of five active components（protocatechuic acid， chrysin， kaempferol， tectochrysin and nootkatone） were quantified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography（UPLC）， and the antioxidant activity was evaluated. Building upon traditional quality evaluation of AOF， quantitative measurements were conducted on its appearance traits including diameter， length， plumpness（diameter/length ratio）， and color. Canonical correlation analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 to explore relationships between appearance traits and intrinsic quality. ResultsNo significant differences were observed between WAOF and CAOF in microscopic observation， TLC identification， moisture content， protocatechuic acid content， kaempferol content， odor， or antioxidant activity measured by 2，2ʹ-azino-bis（3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid）（ABTS） method. WAOF exhibited significantly higher levels in water-soluble extracts， alcohol-soluble extracts， total polysaccharide content， water-soluble protein content， 100-grain weight， length， and total color difference（ΔE^*ab） compared to CAOF（P<0.01）. In contrast， CAOF showed significantly higher levels of total ash， acid-insoluble ash， content of total flavonoids， volatile oil content， chrysin content， tectochrysin content， nootkatone content， diameter， plumpness， lightness（L^*）， red-green chromaticity（a^*）， yellow-blue chromaticity（b^*）， and antioxidant activity measured by 1，1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl（DPPH） method compared to WAOF（P<0.01）. Correlation analysis between 7 phenotypic traits and 8 quality traits revealed that among the phenotypic traits， plumpness， L^*， a^*， and b^* exerted significant influence on intrinsic quality. Among the quality traits， total flavonoids， volatile oils， nootkatone， chrysin， and tectochrysin contributed substantially to intrinsic quality. ConclusionPlumpness， L^*， a^*， and b^* of AOF significantly influence its intrinsic quality， and higher values of these parameters indicate relatively superior intrinsic quality. The comprehensive quality evaluation reveals that CAOF samples collected in this study are superior to their wild counterparts.

Objective To observe the effects of electroacupuncture on intestinal flora and serum inflammatory factors in rabbit model with rheumatoid arthritis(RA);To explore the mechanism of its therapeutic effect on RA.Methods RA model rabbits were established by ovalbumin induction combined with Freund's complete adjuvant,and the rabbits after successful modeling were randomly divided into model group,probiotic group and electroacupuncture group,with 6 rabbits in each group.Another 6 rabbits were set as the normal group.The electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture at the bilateral"Zusanli"and"Dubi"for 30 minutes,the probiotic group was given probiotic capsules solution(14.5 mg/kg)by gavage,once a day,for two consecutive weeks.The knee joint circumference and pain threshold of rabbits were measured,histopathological morphological changes of colonic tissue and synovial tissue ws observed by HE staining,16S rDNA sequencing was used to analyze structural changes of intestinal flora,the contents of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 in serum were detected by ELISA.Results Compared with the normal group,the circumference of knee joint of rabbits in the model group increased significantly,the pain threshold was significantly decreased(P<0.01);the colonic mucosal damage was serious,the goblet cells were missing,a large number of inflammatory cells were infiltrate;the joint capsule synovial surface was rough,the synovial cell layer was hyperplasia and thickening,the synovial tissue inflammatory cell infiltration was obvious;the number and evenness of gut microbiota species decreased,while the relative abundance of Proteobacteria,Firmicutes,and Bacteroidetes decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),the relative abundance of Desulfobacteria increased(P<0.01),while the relative abundance of Campylobacter,Lawsonella,and Pseudomonas increased(P<0.01),while the relative abundance of Heshanomonas and Herbaspirillum decreased(P<0.01);the contents of serum TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the knee joint circumference of the probiotic group and the electroacupuncture group decreased,the pain threshold increased(P<0.01,P<0.05);the degree of intestinal mucosal damage was reduced,the goblet cells were basically arranged neatly,the inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced;synovial cells proliferation and thickening decreased,with a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration;the number and evenness of gut microbiota species increased,while the relative abundance of Proteobacteria,Firmicutes,and Bacteroidetes increased(P<0.05,P<0.01),the relative abundance of Desulfobacteria decreased(P<0.01),while the relative abundance of Campylobacter,Lawsonella and Pseudomonas decreased(P<0.01),the relative abundance of Heshanomonas and Herbaspirillum increased(P<0.05,P<0.01);the contents of serum TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 significantly decreased(P<0.01).Conclusion Electroacupuncture can significantly improve the symptoms of RA rabbits and reduce the inflammatory reaction in synovial tissue of joint,and the mechanism may be related to the regulation of intestinal flora structure.

To investigate the drug-resistance mutations and treatment of hospitalized children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) in Hunan Province. Children with pneumonia, who were hospitalized in the pediatric ward of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, were enrolled in this study, and their clinical data was also collected. The targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) was used to detect Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection and drug-resistance mutations, and the drug-resistance and treatment in children with MPP were also analyzed. A total of 125 children with pneumonia were involved in this study, including 70 children in the MPP group and 55 children in the bacterial pneumonia group. The results showed that there were 41 boys and 29 girls with an average age of (6.50±3.45) years, with the most common group being the school-age group (age≥6 years). The clinical symptoms were characterized by fever and cough. Laboratory examination showed that the white blood cell and neutrophil counts in the MPP group were lower than those in the bacterial pneumonia group, while the lymphocyte ratio and hemoglobin levels in the MPP group were higher than those in the bacterial pneumonia group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Twelve children (17.14%) in the MPP group had severe pneumonia, and all children with severe pneumonia had 23Sr RNA A2063G and/or A2064G mutations. The tNGS detected 60 cases of MPP resistance gene mutations, including 59 cases (98.33%) of A2063G mutation in 23Sr RNA and one case (1.67%) of A2064G mutation in 23Sr RNA. There was a significant difference in the positive rate of drug-resistance mutations among patients of different age groups (χ 2=7.991, P=0.021). A total of 63 children (90.00%) with MPP were treated according to the results of drug-resistance mutations, and seven children (70.00%) with MPP without drug-resistance mutations were treated according to the tNGS results. In children with the drug resistance of MPP, 46 cases (95.83%) of non-severe pneumonia and 10 cases (83.33%) of severe pneumonia were treated according to the tNGS results. All patients had a good prognosis, with no deaths reported and a median hospital stay M ( Q1, Q3) of 9 (7, 11) days. In conclusion, MPP is more common in children aged≥6 years old in Hunan Province, and the detection of drug-resistant mutations includes A2063G and A2064G, with A2063G being the main one. The positive rate of drug-resistant mutations is related to age.

To investigate the drug-resistance mutations and treatment of hospitalized children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) in Hunan Province. Children with pneumonia, who were hospitalized in the pediatric ward of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, were enrolled in this study, and their clinical data was also collected. The targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) was used to detect Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection and drug-resistance mutations, and the drug-resistance and treatment in children with MPP were also analyzed. A total of 125 children with pneumonia were involved in this study, including 70 children in the MPP group and 55 children in the bacterial pneumonia group. The results showed that there were 41 boys and 29 girls with an average age of (6.50±3.45) years, with the most common group being the school-age group (age≥6 years). The clinical symptoms were characterized by fever and cough. Laboratory examination showed that the white blood cell and neutrophil counts in the MPP group were lower than those in the bacterial pneumonia group, while the lymphocyte ratio and hemoglobin levels in the MPP group were higher than those in the bacterial pneumonia group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Twelve children (17.14%) in the MPP group had severe pneumonia, and all children with severe pneumonia had 23Sr RNA A2063G and/or A2064G mutations. The tNGS detected 60 cases of MPP resistance gene mutations, including 59 cases (98.33%) of A2063G mutation in 23Sr RNA and one case (1.67%) of A2064G mutation in 23Sr RNA. There was a significant difference in the positive rate of drug-resistance mutations among patients of different age groups (χ 2=7.991, P=0.021). A total of 63 children (90.00%) with MPP were treated according to the results of drug-resistance mutations, and seven children (70.00%) with MPP without drug-resistance mutations were treated according to the tNGS results. In children with the drug resistance of MPP, 46 cases (95.83%) of non-severe pneumonia and 10 cases (83.33%) of severe pneumonia were treated according to the tNGS results. All patients had a good prognosis, with no deaths reported and a median hospital stay M ( Q1, Q3) of 9 (7, 11) days. In conclusion, MPP is more common in children aged≥6 years old in Hunan Province, and the detection of drug-resistant mutations includes A2063G and A2064G, with A2063G being the main one. The positive rate of drug-resistant mutations is related to age.

Objective: To evaluate the consistency of different methods for detecting aldosterone concentration in blood and to establish a reference interval of serum aldosterone concentration by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS). Methods: Concentrations of blood aldosterone were measured by LC-MS/MS, chemiluminescent assays (Diasorin, Domestic A and B systems) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) in 138 healthy adults, 67 patients with essential hypertension and 23 patients with primary aldosteronism. Results: Aldosterone concentrations measured by various methods were quiet different(P<0.01). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficient were 0.776(P<0.01) between CLIA (Diasorin) and LC-MS/MS, 0.805(P<0.01) between CLIA (Domestic A) and LC-MS/MS, 0.058(P>0.05) between CLIA(Domestic B) and LC-MS/MS, 0.338(P<0.01) as well as between RIA and LC-MS/MS. Bland-Altman analysis for the measurements showed poor consistency among methods for aldosterone concentrations. The reference interval was 15.2-222.2 pg/ml for serum aldosterone concentrations by LC-MS/MS. Conclusions There are significant differences of blood aldosterone concentrations determined by different methods. Clinically, a specified reference interval might be needed while using different methods.

Objective To compare the imported (Diasorin,Italy) and domestic (Mindray,Shenzhen) chemiluminescent systems used in the measurement of plasma aldosterone and renin concentrations;To establish the reference interval of plasma aldosterone and renin concentrations in healthy adults.Methods With the assay instrument and its kits from Italy Diasorin as the reference system,the concentrations of plasma aldosterone and renin were measured by the two systems,in 143 healthy adults,72 patients with hypertension (16 patients with primary aldosteronism) and to establish the medical reference range (P2.5-P97.5) of them.Results The plasma aldosterone (r=0.914,P＜0.01) and renin(r=0.977,P＜0.01)concentrations detected by the two systems were positively correlated.Distribution of plasma aldosterone and renin was skewed in healthy adults.The reference interval was 30.8-344.6 pg/ml for aldosterone and 2.4-90.0 μIU/ml for renin by the imported chemiluminescent system.The reference interval was 29.4-473.3 pg/ml for aldosterone and 3.6-98.3 μIU/ml for renin by the domestic chemiluminescent detection system.Conclusion The two systems are closely correlated in measuring plasma aldosterone and renin concentrations.

OBJECTIVETo compare the differences in the clinical therapeutic effects on juvenile myopia between's stunt needling technique and traditional even needling technique.

METHODSA total of 166 cases of mild juvenile myopia (diopter <-3.00D) were randomized into an observation group ('s stunt needling technique) and a control group (traditional even needling technique), 83 cases in each one (166 affected eyes). Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Fengchi (GB 20), Cuanzhu (BL 2), Hegu (LI 4) and Guangming (GB 37) were used in the two groups. In the observation group, theneedling technique was adopted at Taiyang (EX-HN 5), theneedling technique at Fengchi (GB 20) andneedling technique at Cuanzhu (BL 2). The traditional needling technique was used at Hegu (LI 4) and Guangming (GB 37). In the control group, traditional even needling technique was applied at all the acupoints. The treatment was given once every day, continuously for 6 times as one course. There was 1 day at interval. After treatment for 4 courses, the changes in visual acuity, diopter and axial length were observed before and after treatment. The therapeutic effects were evaluated.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the visual acuity of the naked eyes, and diopter were remarkably improved in the patients of the two groups (all<0.05). The improvements in the observation group were better than those in the control group (both<0.05). The axial length did not change in the two groups (both>0.05). The total effective rate was 78.3% (130/166) in the observation group, which was better than 57.8% (96/166) in the control group (<0.05). .

CONCLUSION 's stunt needling technique effectively improves the vision, rectifies the refractive error and delays the progression of myopia. The therapeutic effects of it are better than traditional even needling technique.

OBJECTIVETo explore heat-reinforcing needling for the metabolite profiling changes in serum of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) rabbits with liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC-MS) technique, and to investigate its mechanisms.

METHODSForty clean purple blue rabbits were randomized into a normal group, a model group, a reinforcing-reducing needling (RRN) group, a twirling-reinforcing needling (TRN) group, and a heat-reinforcing needling (HRN) group, 8 cases in each group. RA rabbits with cold syndrome were made with ovalbumin and freezing except those in the normal group. No treatment was given in the normal and model groups. The corresponding manipulations for 7 days were applied at "Zusanli" (ST 36) in the three acupuncture groups, 30 min a time, once a day. After intervention the pain threshold and the local skin temperature of each group were observed. Fresh serum from heart was collected for metabonomics detection. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were adopted. Several metabolites were screened by the variable importance in the projection values (VIP>1) andvalue (<0.05).

RESULTSThe pain threshold and the local skin temperature in the model group were lower than those in the normal group (both<0.05). The pain threshold and the local skin temperature in the three acupuncture groups were higher than those in the model group after intervention (all<0.05), which were better in the HRN group than those in the RRN and TRN groups (all<0.05). The serum metabolites of carnitine, LysoPC (14∶0), LysoPC (18∶3), LysoPE (0∶0/20∶5), LysoPE (0∶0/22∶1), decylic acid, stearic acid and lactic acid in the model group increased compared with those in the normal group, and other metabolites decreased, including leucine, valine, glutamine, pyroglutamic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, galactose, mannose. Those metabolites were correlated fatty acid, amino acid, citric acid cycle, and glucose metabolism. The metabolites above-mentioned in the three acupuncture groups were regulated in various degrees (all<0.05). Lactic acid decreased and succinic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, galactose, mannose increased more obviously in the HRN group than those in the RRN and TRN groups.

CONCLUSIONThe specificity of heat-reinforcing needling for RA presents the regulation for citric acid cycle and glucose metabolism.