Objective:To assess the efficiency and safety of combining lenvatinib with DEB-TACE for the treatment of unresectable large hepatocellular carcinoma,accompanied by PVTT,in order to provide insights into its potential as a therapeutic approach.Method:Patients with hepa-tocellular carcinoma and portal vein tumor thrombus,who were diagnosed and treated at Linyi Can-cer Hospital between June 2019 and June 2021,were chosen as the subjects of this study.Patient allocation into the experimental group(23 cases)and control group(27 cases)was based on indi-vidual preferences,ensuring a random distribution of participants.The DEB-TACE treatment was administered to the control group,while the experimental group received a combination of DEB-TACE and lenvatinib.The effectiveness of lenvatinib was assessed in the immediate post-surgery period,the patients'survival was monitored,and any associated side effects were documented.Result:3 months after treatment,the objective remission rates of the experimental group and the control group were 91.31％and 66.67％,and the disease control rates were 100％and 77.78％.The difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).3 months after treatment,the regression rates of tumor thrombus in the experimental group and the control group were 60.87％and 29.63％,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The progression free survival time of the experi-mental group and the control group was 11 months and 8 months,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05);The median survival time of the experimental group and the control group was 20 months and 14 months,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The main ad-verse reactions of the experimental group were hypertension,diarrhea,hand foot syndrome,rash,fatigue,loss of appetite,etc.,all of which were less than or equal to grade 3,and could be basically relieved after symptomatic treatment.Conclusion:The combination of DEB-TACE and lenvatinib is proven to be a safe and well-tolerated treatment for unresectable large hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus.This therapy not only effectively controls tumor progression but also prolongs survival time.

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) is a natural product commonly used in food preservation and pharmaceutical applications. Toxoplasmosis, caused by the protozoan pathogen Toxoplasma gondii, is prevalent globally while the impact of AITC on toxoplasmosis is unclear. We explored the effect of AITC on acute toxoplasmosis. We infected C57BL/6 mice with T. gondii type I RH strain following AITC administration. On the 4th day after infection, which corresponds to the initial stage of infection, we collected serum for the determination of inflammatory cytokine levels. The mice serum of the AITC-administered group contained significantly lower levels of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, interferon-gamma, interleukin (IL)-23 subunit p19, IL-4, IL-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. The lifespan of the mice in the AITC-administered group was significantly reduced. In vitro experiments showed that AITC promoted the proliferation of intracellular T. gondii accompanied by the inhibition of IL-4, IL-1β, and IL-6 production in RAW264.7 macrophages. Our results showed that AITC facilitated T. gondii infection in the early stage by inhibiting the production of several inflammatory cytokines.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of Chaihuang Qingyi Huoxue Granules(Bupleuri Radix,unprocessed Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,Paeoniae Radix Rubra,Paeoniae Radix Alba,Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis,etc.)on rats with severe acute pancreatitis(SAP)based on the renin-Ang-Ⅰ otensin system(RAS).Methods Sixty-four SD rats were randomly divided into four groups:sham operation group,model group,Chaihuang Qingyi Huoxue Granules group(4.42 g·kg-1)and Captopril group(5 mg·kg-1).Each group was further divided into 12-hour and 24-hour subgroups,with 8 rats in each group.SAP rat model was replicated by retrograde injection of 3.5％sodium taurocholate into the biliopancreatic duct.The Captopril group was intraperitoneally injected with Captopril(5 mg·kg-1),and the Chaihuang Qingyi Huoxue Granules group was given intragastric administration,once every 6 hours.The serum amylase(AMY)activity was detected by biochemical method at 12 hours and 24 hours after operation.The pathological changes of pancreatic tissue were observed by HE staining.Serum aldosterone(ALD)content was detected by chemiluminescence.Serum Renin,angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE)and angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang-Ⅱ)were detected by ELISA.The expression of AT1R protein in pancreatic tissue was detected by Western Blot.Results In the same subgroup at 12 and 24 hours,compared with the sham operation group,the serum AMY activity of rats in the model group was significantly increased(P<0.05),the pathological score of pancreatic tissue was significantly increased(P<0.05),the levels of serum ALD,Renin,Ang-Ⅱ and ACE were significantly increased(P<0.05),and the expression of AT1R protein in pancreatic tissue was significantly up-regulated(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the serum AMY activity of rats in Chaihuang Qingyi Huoxue Granules group and Captopril group was significantly decreased(P<0.05),the pathological score of pancreatic tissue was significantly decreased(P<0.05),the levels of serum ALD,Renin,Ang-Ⅱ and ACE were significantly decreased(P<0.05),and the expression of AT1R protein in pancreatic tissue was significantly down-regulated(P<0.05).Compared with the Captopril group,the serum AMY of the rats in the Chaihuang Qingyi Huoxue Granules group was significantly decreased(P<0.05),the pathological score of pancreatic tissue was significantly decreased(P<0.05),and the serum ALD,Renin,Ang-Ⅱ and ACE levels were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion Chaihuang Qingyi Huoxue Granules may inhibit the production of Renin and ALD by down-regulating the expression of ACE-Ang-Ⅱ-AT1R classical axis,thus exerting a protective effect on SAP rats.

Objective To assess the screening efficacy of a novel esophageal cell collector and esophageal exfoliated cell cytology examination for esophageal cancer and investigate risk factors associated with cytological examination results in the Han and Mongolian ethnic groups.Methods ①A total of 1196 high-risk individuals with esophageal cancer were selected for treatment at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College.Esophageal cells were collected,and endoscopic examination and mucosal biopsy of the esophagus were performed.The pathological examination of the digestive tract endoscopic biopsy tissue was used as the gold standard to verify the diagnostic efficacy of cytological examination.① In this study,9256 Han and 572 Mongolian individuals who participated in esophageal cancer screening in the Baotou area were selected as the research subjects.General information,dietary habits,lifestyle habits,and other information of the subjects were collected through a questionnaire survey.Esophageal cells were collected using a new type of esophageal cell collector,and logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for positive cytology in Han and Mongolian populations.Results ① The novel esophageal cell collector and esophageal exfoliated cell cytology examination demonstrated excellent screening capabilities for esophageal cancer,with sensitivity(92.86％),specificity(99.58％),positive predictive value(PPV)of 72.22％,negative predictive value(NPV)of 99.92％,positive likelihood ratio(PLR)of 221.10,negative likelihood ratio(NLR)of 0.07,Youden index of 0.92,and an area under the ROC curve of 0.961(0.923-1.0).The optimal cutoff value was 2.50,yielding a sensitivity of 92.90％and specificity of 88.20％.②The cytological positivity rate among the Mongolian population(2.27％)was higher than that among the Han population(1.12％).The proportion of alcohol drinkers,those with a preference for hot and spicy foods,and those consuming pickled foods was higher in the Mongolian population than in the Han population.Logistic regression analysis revealed risk factors for the Han population:gender(OR=0.381,95％CI:0.256-0.568),age(OR=1.091,95％CI:1.067-1.116),alcohol consumption(OR=1.693,95％CI:1.150-2.492),and smoking(OR=2.127,95％CI:1.439-3.143).Risk factors for the Mongolian population were gender(OR=0.174,95％CI:0.047-0.638),age(OR=1.124,95％CI:1.052-1.200),and alcohol consumption(OR=3.945,95％CI:1.074-14.489).Conclusion ①The novel type of esophageal cell collector-esophageal exfoliative cytology examination has good screening efficacy for esophageal cancer.② Gender,age,alcohol consumption,and hot eating habits are the main risk factors for positive cytological diagnosis in the Mongolian population,while gender,age,alcohol consumption,and smoking are the main risk factors for positive cytological diagnosis in the Han population.

Objective To compare regional pulmonary ventilation and perfusion and ventilation/perfusion(V/Q)matching in different body positions using electrical impedance tomography(EIT).Methods Ten healthy experimental pigs were selected to collect their EIT lung ventilation and perfusion data in supine,prone,left lateral and right lateral positions.The EIT data underwent analysis and image reconstruction using MATLAB R2022b and EIDORS v3.9.The effective regions with ventilation and perfusion were determined and the V/Q matching regions were computed with the maximum pixel value 20％as the threshold.Comparisons were carried out over the V/Q matching indexes including V/Q match％,dead space％and shunt％and ventilation and perfusion distribution in regions of interest(ROIs)including ROI1,ROI2,ROI3 and ROI4 in different body positions.Results The differences in V/Q match％,dead space％and shunt％of the experimental animals in varied positions were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).The regional distribution of pulmonary ventilation and perfusion changed in different positions,and the regional distributions differed in ROIl,ROI2 and ROI3 for ventilation(P＜0.05)and in ROI1 and ROI2 for perfusion(P＜0.05).The ventilation and perfusion regions were distributed consistently with the gravity-dependent areas in supine and prone positions whereas conversely in the right and left lateral positions.Conclusion The V/Q matching indexes of one subject have high test consistency in different body positions;gravity-dependent areas varied with the changes of the body positions,which affected the distribution of pulmonary ventilation and perfusion regions;EIT can be used for measuring the changed pulmonary ventilation and perfusion due to different positions and determining the influences of position changes on pulmonary ventilation and perfusion and V/Q matching.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(5):1-7]

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) is a natural product commonly used in food preservation and pharmaceutical applications. Toxoplasmosis, caused by the protozoan pathogen Toxoplasma gondii, is prevalent globally while the impact of AITC on toxoplasmosis is unclear. We explored the effect of AITC on acute toxoplasmosis. We infected C57BL/6 mice with T. gondii type I RH strain following AITC administration. On the 4th day after infection, which corresponds to the initial stage of infection, we collected serum for the determination of inflammatory cytokine levels. The mice serum of the AITC-administered group contained significantly lower levels of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, interferon-gamma, interleukin (IL)-23 subunit p19, IL-4, IL-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. The lifespan of the mice in the AITC-administered group was significantly reduced. In vitro experiments showed that AITC promoted the proliferation of intracellular T. gondii accompanied by the inhibition of IL-4, IL-1β, and IL-6 production in RAW264.7 macrophages. Our results showed that AITC facilitated T. gondii infection in the early stage by inhibiting the production of several inflammatory cytokines.

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) is a natural product commonly used in food preservation and pharmaceutical applications. Toxoplasmosis, caused by the protozoan pathogen Toxoplasma gondii, is prevalent globally while the impact of AITC on toxoplasmosis is unclear. We explored the effect of AITC on acute toxoplasmosis. We infected C57BL/6 mice with T. gondii type I RH strain following AITC administration. On the 4th day after infection, which corresponds to the initial stage of infection, we collected serum for the determination of inflammatory cytokine levels. The mice serum of the AITC-administered group contained significantly lower levels of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, interferon-gamma, interleukin (IL)-23 subunit p19, IL-4, IL-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. The lifespan of the mice in the AITC-administered group was significantly reduced. In vitro experiments showed that AITC promoted the proliferation of intracellular T. gondii accompanied by the inhibition of IL-4, IL-1β, and IL-6 production in RAW264.7 macrophages. Our results showed that AITC facilitated T. gondii infection in the early stage by inhibiting the production of several inflammatory cytokines.

From the perspective of the physiological basis of liver and kidney sharing the common source in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),and by integrating the theory of kidney dominating bone,liver dominating tendon,and meridian sinew of TCM as well as the bone resorption and collapse theory,and non-uniform settlement theory and lower-limb musculoskeletal bowstring structure theory of modern orthopedics,the pathogenesis of osteonecrosis of the femoral head(ONFH)under the system of non-uniform settlement during bone resorption and multidimensional composite bowstring working in coordination with the theory of liver-kidney and muscle-bone was explored.The key to the TCM pathogenesis of ONFH lies in the deficiency of the liver and kidney,and then the imbalance of kidney yin-yang leads to the disruption of the dynamic balance of bone formation and bone resorption mediated by osteoblasts-osteoclasts,which manifests as the elevated level of bone metabolism and the enhancement of focal bone resorption in the femoral head,and then leads to the necrosis and collapse of the femoral head.It is considered that the kidney dominates bone,liver dominates tendon,and the tendon and bone together constitute the muscle-bone-joint dynamic and static system of the hip joint.The appearance of collapse destroys the originally balanced muscle-bone-joint system.Moreover,the failure of liver blood in the nourishment of muscles and tendons further exacerbates the imbalance of the soft tissues around the hip joint,accelerates the collapse of the muscle-bone-joint dynamic and static system,speeds up the process of femoral head collapse,and ultimately results in irreversible outcomes.Based on the above pathogenesis,the systematic integrative treatment of ONFH should be based on the TCM holistic concept,focuses on the focal improvement of internal and external blood circulation of the femoral head by various approaches,so as to rebuild the coordination of joint function.Moreover,attention should be paid to the physical constitution of the patients,and therapy of tonifying the kidney and regulating the liver can be used to restore the balance between osteogenesis and osteoblastogenesis,and to reconstruct the muscle-bone-joint system,so as to effectively delay or even prevent the occurrence of ONFH.

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides in the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression.Methods An open,single-arm,multi-center design was adopted in our study.Adult patients with mild and moderate depression who had received acute treatment of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides were enrolled and continue to receive Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules for 24 weeks,the dose remained unchanged during continuation treatment.The remission rate,recurrence rate,recurrence time,and the change from baseline to endpoint of Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA),Clinical Global Impression-Severity(CGI-S)and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale(ASEX)were evaluated.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was reported.Results The scores of HAMD-17 at baseline and after treatment were 6.60±1.87 and 5.85±4.18,scores of HAMA were 6.36±3.02 and 4.93±3.09,scores of CGI-S were 1.49±0.56 and 1.29±0.81,scores of ASEX were 15.92±4.72 and 15.57±5.26,with significant difference(P＜0.05).After continuation treatment,the remission rate was 54.59％(202 cases/370 cases),and the recurrence rate was 6.49％(24 cases/370 cases),the recurrence time was(64.67±42.47)days.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was 15.35％(64 cases/417 cases).Conclusion Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules can be effectively used for the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression,and are well tolerated and safe.

Through a compound induction method, combined with neurobehavioral, macroscopic characterization and objective pathological evaluation indicators, a murine depression model of liver depression transforming into fire syndrome was constructed and confirmed. The model was constructed using a combination of sleep deprivation, light exposure, and alternate-day food deprivation. Evaluation was conducted at three levels: face validity, constructs validity, and predictive validity. The establishment of the liver depression transforming into fire syndrome depression model was further validated through the counterproof of traditional Chinese medicine formulas. In terms of face validity, compared to the control group, mice in the model group exhibited typical depressive symptoms in neurobehavioral assessments; the general observation of the model group mice reveals disheveled and lackluster fur, along with delayed and easily agitated responses. Additionally, there is a substantial increase in water consumption. In the sleep phase detection of mouse, the model group showed a significant increase in the proportion of time spent in the wake phase during sleep, accompanied by a significant decrease in the proportions of time spent in both non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep phases. There are significant differences in physiological indicators such as average blood flow velocity, blood flow rate, tongue, urine, and claw color (r values) in the internal carotid artery. Structural validity demonstrated that levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the hippocampus of model mice decreased significantly, while acetylcholine (ACh), tryptophan (Try), and glutamic acid (Glu) levels increased significantly. Treatment with Danzhi Xiaoyao San led to varying degrees of restoration in the aforementioned neurotransmitters. In terms of predictive validity, the antidepressant paroxetine effectively ameliorated depressive behaviors in the model mice, and the classic formula Danzhi Xiaoyao San demonstrated varying degrees of improvement in depression-related indicators. In conclusion, this study has established a novel animal model of liver-stagnation with the fire depression, thereby expanding the repertoire of traditional Chinese medicine depression models. This development contributes to the diversification of melancholic syndrome models in Chinese medicine, offering a broader spectrum of options for scientific exploration, efficacy evaluation, and drug screening in the future prevention and treatment of depression with traditional Chinese medicine. Animal experiments were conducted with the approval and supervision of the Animal Ethics Committee of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ethics number: 20230313040).