Atherosclerosis （AS） is a vascular disease primarily affecting large and medium-sized arteries. It serves as the pathological basis for many cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and is associated with a relatively high incidence of complications and mortality worldwide. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of AS， demonstrating unique therapeutic advantages through multiple targets and pathways. Ligusticum chuanxiong， a commonly used Chinese medicine in clinical practice， contains key active components against AS， including ligustrazine， senkyunolide， ligustilide， quercetin， ferulic acid， vanillic acid， chlorogenic acid， gallic acid， protocatechuic acid， caffeic acid， chrysophanol， and β-sitosterol. Recent literature indicates that these active components can regulate AS through multiple mechanisms， including improving endothelial cell dysfunction， alleviating lipid metabolism disorders， inhibiting macrophage foam cell formation， suppressing the invasion， proliferation， and migration of smooth muscle cells， inhibiting apoptosis， exerting anticoagulant effects and inhibiting platelet activation， protecting mitochondrial function， and modulating intestinal flora and its metabolites， demonstrating significant pharmacological activity and clinical potential. Clinically， L. chuanxiong is often combined with Salvia miltiorrhiza， Paeonia lactiflora， Angelica sinensis， and borneol to form compound formulations， enhancing therapeutic effects and achieving synergistic anti-AS activity. Compound treatment with L. chuanxiong primarily focuses on promoting blood circulation and shows significant efficacy for different AS syndrome types. This article provides an in-depth review of the active components， drug pairs， and compound preparations of L. chuanxiong in the prevention and treatment of AS， aiming to lay a foundation for subsequent theoretical research and clinical applications in managing AS and its related complications.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between transabdominal bowel ultrasongraphy (TBUS) parameters and disease activity of ulcerative colitis (UC).Methods:The results of TBUS, endoscopy and laboratory tests of 68 UC patients (108 examinations) who visited the Department of Gastroenterology of the Second Hospital (Eastern Campus) of Hebei Medical University From January 2022 to February 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. According to Mayo endoscopic score (MES), there were 10 cases of remission (MES=0) and 98 cases of active phase (MES>0); patients in active phase further classified into 16 cases of mild (MES=1), 19 cases of moderate (MES=2), and 63 cases of severe (MES=3). The TAUS parameters were compared between patients in remission and active phases. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the TBUS parameters including bowel wall thickness (BWT), Limberg score, wall layer stratification, fat wrapping and endoscopic activity score, laboratory inflammatory indicators. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was applied to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the TBUS parameters and laboratory inflammatory indicators in identifying remission under endoscopy. Independent sample t-test and Fisher′s exact probability method were used to compare the two groups. Results:The BWT of patients in remission was significantly thinner than that of patients in active phase ((2.99±0.41) mm vs. (5.66±1.57) mm, t=-5.34, P<0.001). The proportions of patients in remisson with Limberg score ≤2, normal wall layer stratification, and absence of fat wrapping were significantly higher than those of patients in active phase (10/10 vs. 34/98, 10/10 vs. 48/98, 10/10 vs. 41/98, Fisher′s exact test, P<0.001, =0.002, =0.001). BWT, Limberg score, wall layer stratification, and fat wrapping were positively correlated with MES ( r=0.676, 0.677, 0.441, and 0.493, all P<0.001). BWT and Limberg score were moderate positively correlated with C-hypersensitive reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and fecal calprotectin (BWT: r=0.561, 0.420 and 0.458, all P<0.001; Limberg score: r=0.576, 0.469 and 0.403, all P<0.001), and were negatively correlated with serum albumin and hemoglobin (BWT: r=-0.604 and -0.453, both P<0.001; Limberg score: r=-0.573 and -0.532, both P<0.001). The results of ROC analysis showed that BWT achieved the best predictive efficacy in identifying endoscopic remission, and the best cut-off value was 3.45 mm (area under the curve was 0.972, 95% confidence interval: 0.944 to 1.000, P<0.001), with a sensitivity of 93.9% and specificity of 100.0%. Conclusions:TBUS parameters can accurately reflect disease activity in UC. It is a powerful tool for UC monitoring. The BWT<3.45 mm is the best cut-off value in prediction of endoscopic remission.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for the treatment of BCR::ABL-negative chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) and MDS/MPN with neutrophilia.Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed 12 cases of CNL and MDS/MPN with neutrophilia that underwent allo-HSCT from March 2017 to June 2024, comprising 7 males and 5 females with a median age of 48 ( IQR: 28, 59) years. The 2-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), and transplantation-related mortality (TRM) rates were analyzed. Complications were also assessed. Results:Of the 12 patients, 6 received matched sibling HSCT and 6 received haploidentical HSCT. All patients had successful engraftment, and the median times of neutrophil and platelet engraftment were 17 ( IQR: 11, 24) days and 15 ( IQR: 9, 28) days, respectively. Grade Ⅱ–Ⅳ acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) and chronic GVHD occurred in 2 and 4 cases, respectively. The 2-year OS, DFS, CIR, and TRM rates were (65.6 ± 16.4) %, (41.7 ± 16.6) %, (47.2 ±18.2) %, and (11.1 ± 11.4) %, respectively, after a median follow-up time of 637 ( IQR: 330, 943) days. One patient died from treatment-related complications due to respiratory failure caused by coronavirus disease 2019. Two patients died due to relapse. Conclusion:Allo-HSCT can be applied as a safe and effective approach to treat CNL and MDS/MPN with neutrophilia.

Objective To investigate the role of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) in trichloroethylene (TCE)-induced skin sensitization and liver damage in guinea pigs, using diallyl sulfide (DAS), a CYP2E1 inhibitor, as an intervention. Methods Specific pathogen-free female guinea pigs were randomly divided into blank control group, solvent control group, positive control (2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene) group, TCE-exposure group, and DAS-intervention group. Skin sensitization experiments were conducted using the guinea pig TCE maximal dose-skin sensitization test. Urinary trichloroacetic acid levels were determined following TCE induction and challenge. At 48 hours after the final challenge, serum liver function markers and inflammatory cytokines levels were detected. Histopathological examination on skin and liver tissues was performed, and hepatic CYP2E1 protein expression and oxidative stress indicators were assessed. Results The sensitization rates of guinea pigs were 100.0%, 75.0%, and 33.3% in the positive control, TCE-exposure, and DAS-intervention groups, respectively, while the blank control and solvent control groups were both 0.0%. Compared with the guinea pigs in TCE-exposure group, those in the DAS-intervention group had lower urinary trichloroacetic acid levels at intradermal induction, local induction, first challenge, and 24 hours after the final challenge time point (all P<0.05). Histopathology of guinea pigs showed dermal inflammatory infiltration and basal keratinocyte necrosis in the TCE-exposure group, whereas only mild dermal inflammation was observed in the DAS-intervention group. The guinea pigs in TCE-exposure group exhibited diffuse hepatocellular necrosis, while hepatic damage in the DAS-intervention group was alleviated, characterized by only mild hepatocellular steatosis and hepatocyte swelling around the central vein. The skin sensitization rate of guinea pigs in the TCE-exposure group increased (all P<0.01), the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT )activity, the levels of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-17, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF- α) increased (all P<0.05), the relative expression of CYP2E1 protein, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the level of malondialdehyde in liver tissue increased (all P<0.05), while the activity of catalase decreased (P<0.05), compared with the blank control and solvent control groups. The serum ALT activity and the levels of IL-2, IL-17, and TNF-α of guinea pigs in DAS-intervention group reduced (all P<0.05), as well as CYP2E1 protein expression, SOD activity, and malondialdehyde level in liver tissue reduced (all P<0.05), compared with the TCE-exposure group. Conclusion TCE can induce hepatic CYP2E1 expression, thereby promoting oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, which contributes to skin sensitization and liver damage. DAS alleviates TCE-induced toxic effects on skin and liver by inhibiting CYP2E1 expression.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of dissociative symptoms induced by esketamine hydrochloride nasal spray in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD).Methods:The medical records of patients in phase Ⅲ clinical trials for the treatment of TRD who received esketamine hydrochloride nasal spray in Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University from June 2018 to February 2021 were collected. The general situation of patients (age, gender, comorbid diseases, etc.), the medication of esketamine hydrochloride nasal spray, the combined use of antidepressants, the time from medication to the occurrence of dissociative symptoms each time, duration, severity, evaluation results of causal relationship with esketamine application, intervention and prognosis were recorded, and a retrospective descriptive statistical analysis was performed.Results:A total of 21 patients with TRD were enrolled in the study, including 17 (81.0%) with dissociative symptoms, 10 males and 7 females; the age ranged from 20 to 53 years, with a median age of 36 years. All patients were treated with esketamine hydrochloride by nasal spray. The first dose was 56 mg, and the other seven doses were 56 mg or 84 mg, twice a week, lasting for 4 weeks. The 17 patients were all given combination treatment with oral antidepressants. A total of 88 times of dissociative symptoms occurred in the 17 patients. The time from medication to the onset of dissociative symptoms ranged from 4 to 128 min, with a median time of 15 min. The duration of dissociative symptoms ranged from 12 to 326 minutes, with a median time of 70 minutes. The dissociative symptoms were mostly mild. The causal relationship analysis between the esketamine hydrochloride nasal spray and the dissociative symptoms showed that it was definitely related in 6 cases, probably in 1 case, and possibly in 10 cases. The dissociative symptoms in all patients were subsided without intervention.Conclusions:Esketamine hydrochloride nasal spray can cause dissociative symptoms in patients with TRD, most of which occur within 30 minutes after the treatment. The duration of symptoms in most patients is less than 120 minutes, most of which are mild and can subside on their own, and the prognosis is good.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of dissociative symptoms induced by esketamine hydrochloride nasal spray in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD).Methods:The medical records of patients in phase Ⅲ clinical trials for the treatment of TRD who received esketamine hydrochloride nasal spray in Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University from June 2018 to February 2021 were collected. The general situation of patients (age, gender, comorbid diseases, etc.), the medication of esketamine hydrochloride nasal spray, the combined use of antidepressants, the time from medication to the occurrence of dissociative symptoms each time, duration, severity, evaluation results of causal relationship with esketamine application, intervention and prognosis were recorded, and a retrospective descriptive statistical analysis was performed.Results:A total of 21 patients with TRD were enrolled in the study, including 17 (81.0%) with dissociative symptoms, 10 males and 7 females; the age ranged from 20 to 53 years, with a median age of 36 years. All patients were treated with esketamine hydrochloride by nasal spray. The first dose was 56 mg, and the other seven doses were 56 mg or 84 mg, twice a week, lasting for 4 weeks. The 17 patients were all given combination treatment with oral antidepressants. A total of 88 times of dissociative symptoms occurred in the 17 patients. The time from medication to the onset of dissociative symptoms ranged from 4 to 128 min, with a median time of 15 min. The duration of dissociative symptoms ranged from 12 to 326 minutes, with a median time of 70 minutes. The dissociative symptoms were mostly mild. The causal relationship analysis between the esketamine hydrochloride nasal spray and the dissociative symptoms showed that it was definitely related in 6 cases, probably in 1 case, and possibly in 10 cases. The dissociative symptoms in all patients were subsided without intervention.Conclusions:Esketamine hydrochloride nasal spray can cause dissociative symptoms in patients with TRD, most of which occur within 30 minutes after the treatment. The duration of symptoms in most patients is less than 120 minutes, most of which are mild and can subside on their own, and the prognosis is good.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for the treatment of BCR::ABL-negative chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) and MDS/MPN with neutrophilia.Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed 12 cases of CNL and MDS/MPN with neutrophilia that underwent allo-HSCT from March 2017 to June 2024, comprising 7 males and 5 females with a median age of 48 ( IQR: 28, 59) years. The 2-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), and transplantation-related mortality (TRM) rates were analyzed. Complications were also assessed. Results:Of the 12 patients, 6 received matched sibling HSCT and 6 received haploidentical HSCT. All patients had successful engraftment, and the median times of neutrophil and platelet engraftment were 17 ( IQR: 11, 24) days and 15 ( IQR: 9, 28) days, respectively. Grade Ⅱ–Ⅳ acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) and chronic GVHD occurred in 2 and 4 cases, respectively. The 2-year OS, DFS, CIR, and TRM rates were (65.6 ± 16.4) %, (41.7 ± 16.6) %, (47.2 ±18.2) %, and (11.1 ± 11.4) %, respectively, after a median follow-up time of 637 ( IQR: 330, 943) days. One patient died from treatment-related complications due to respiratory failure caused by coronavirus disease 2019. Two patients died due to relapse. Conclusion:Allo-HSCT can be applied as a safe and effective approach to treat CNL and MDS/MPN with neutrophilia.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between transabdominal bowel ultrasongraphy (TBUS) parameters and disease activity of ulcerative colitis (UC).Methods:The results of TBUS, endoscopy and laboratory tests of 68 UC patients (108 examinations) who visited the Department of Gastroenterology of the Second Hospital (Eastern Campus) of Hebei Medical University From January 2022 to February 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. According to Mayo endoscopic score (MES), there were 10 cases of remission (MES=0) and 98 cases of active phase (MES>0); patients in active phase further classified into 16 cases of mild (MES=1), 19 cases of moderate (MES=2), and 63 cases of severe (MES=3). The TAUS parameters were compared between patients in remission and active phases. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the TBUS parameters including bowel wall thickness (BWT), Limberg score, wall layer stratification, fat wrapping and endoscopic activity score, laboratory inflammatory indicators. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was applied to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the TBUS parameters and laboratory inflammatory indicators in identifying remission under endoscopy. Independent sample t-test and Fisher′s exact probability method were used to compare the two groups. Results:The BWT of patients in remission was significantly thinner than that of patients in active phase ((2.99±0.41) mm vs. (5.66±1.57) mm, t=-5.34, P<0.001). The proportions of patients in remisson with Limberg score ≤2, normal wall layer stratification, and absence of fat wrapping were significantly higher than those of patients in active phase (10/10 vs. 34/98, 10/10 vs. 48/98, 10/10 vs. 41/98, Fisher′s exact test, P<0.001, =0.002, =0.001). BWT, Limberg score, wall layer stratification, and fat wrapping were positively correlated with MES ( r=0.676, 0.677, 0.441, and 0.493, all P<0.001). BWT and Limberg score were moderate positively correlated with C-hypersensitive reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and fecal calprotectin (BWT: r=0.561, 0.420 and 0.458, all P<0.001; Limberg score: r=0.576, 0.469 and 0.403, all P<0.001), and were negatively correlated with serum albumin and hemoglobin (BWT: r=-0.604 and -0.453, both P<0.001; Limberg score: r=-0.573 and -0.532, both P<0.001). The results of ROC analysis showed that BWT achieved the best predictive efficacy in identifying endoscopic remission, and the best cut-off value was 3.45 mm (area under the curve was 0.972, 95% confidence interval: 0.944 to 1.000, P<0.001), with a sensitivity of 93.9% and specificity of 100.0%. Conclusions:TBUS parameters can accurately reflect disease activity in UC. It is a powerful tool for UC monitoring. The BWT<3.45 mm is the best cut-off value in prediction of endoscopic remission.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with invasive fungal sinusitis (invasive fungal rhinosinusitis, IFR) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and explored the risk factors for IFR after allo-HSCT.Methods:Nineteen patients with IFR after allo-HSCT at Peking University People’s Hospital from January 2012 to December 2021 were selected as the study group, and 95 patients without IFR after allo-HSCT during this period were randomly selected as the control group (1:5 ratio) .Results:Nineteen patients, including 10 males and 9 females, had IFR after allo-HSCT. The median age was 36 (10–59) years. The median IFR onset time was 68 (9–880) days after allo-HSCT. There were seven patients with acute myeloid leukemia, five with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, two with myelodysplastic syndrome, two with chronic myeloid leukemia, one with acute mixed-cell leukemia, one with multiple myeloma, and one with T-lymphoblastic lymph node tumor. There were 13 confirmed cases and 6 clinically diagnosed cases. The responsible fungus was Mucor in two cases, Rhizopus in four, Aspergillus in four, and Candida in three. Five patients received combined treatment comprising amphotericin B and posaconazole, one patient received combined treatment comprising voriconazole and posaconazole, nine patients received voriconazole, and four patients received amphotericin B. In addition to antifungal treatment, 10 patients underwent surgery. After antifungal treatment and surgery, 15 patients achieved a response, including 13 patients with a complete response and 2 patients with a partial response. Multivariate analysis revealed that neutropenia before transplantation ( P=0.021) , hemorrhagic cystitis after transplantation ( P=0.012) , delayed platelet engraftment ( P=0.008) , and lower transplant mononuclear cell count ( P=0.012) were independent risk factors for IFR after allo-HSCT. The 5-year overall survival rates in the IFR and control groups after transplantation were 29.00%±0.12% and 91.00%±0.03%, respectively ( P<0.01) . Conclusion:Although IFR is rare, it is associated with poor outcomes in patients undergoing allo-HSCT. The combination of antifungal treatment and surgery might be effective.

Objectives:To determine the effect of glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency on patients’ complications and prognosis following allogeneic stem cell hematopoietic transplantation (allo-HSCT) .Methods:7 patients with G6PD deficiency (study group) who underwent allo-HSCT at Peking University People's Hospital from March 2015 to January 2021 were selected as the study group, and thirty-five patients who underwent allo-HSCT during the same period but did not have G6PD deficiency were randomly selected as the control group in a 1∶5 ratio. Gender, age, underlying diseases, and donors were balanced between the two groups. Collect clinical data from two patient groups and perform a retrospective nested case-control study.Results:The study group consisted of six male patients and one female patient, with a median age of 37 (range, 2-45) years old. The underlying hematologic diseases included acute myeloid leukemia ( n=3), acute lymphocytic leukemia ( n=2), and severe aplastic anemia ( n=2). All 7 G6PD deficiency patients achieved engraftment of neutrophils within 28 days of allo-HSCT, while the engraftment rate of neutrophils was 94.5% in the control group. The median days of platelet engraftment were 21 (6–64) d and 14 (7–70) d ( P=0.113). The incidence rates of secondary poor graft function in the study group and control group were 42.9% (3/7) and 8.6% (3/35), respectively ( P=0.036). The CMV infection rates were 71.4% (5/7) and 31.4% (11/35), respectively ( P=0.049). The incidence rates of hemorrhagic cystitis were 57.1% (4/7) and 8.6% (3/35), respectively ( P=0.005), while the bacterial infection rates were 100% (7/7) and 77.1% (27/35), respectively ( P=0.070). The infection rates of EBV were 14.3% (1/7) and 14.3% (5/35), respectively ( P=1.000), while the incidence of fungal infection was 14.3% (1/7) and 25.7% (9/35), respectively ( P=0.497). The rates of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) were 0% and 5.7%, respectively ( P=0.387) . Conclusions:The findings of this study indicate that blood disease patients with G6PD deficiency can tolerate conventional allo-HSCT pretreatment regimens, and granulocytes and platelets can be implanted successfully. However, after transplantation, patients should exercise caution to avoid viral infection, complications of hemorrhagic cystitis, and secondary poor graft function.