ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal fibrosis in rats with chronic kidney disease （CKD） through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy specific pathogen-free （SPF） Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a control group （n=15） and a modeling group （n=55）. Rats in the modeling group were administered a 2.5% adenine suspension at a dose of 200 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 by gavage for 4 weeks to establish a CKD model. Successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group， an irbesartan group （20.25 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （5.82， 11.64， and 23.28 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively）， with 10 rats in each group. Each group was administered an equal volume of physiological saline， the corresponding concentration of irbesartan， or Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription by gavage for 12 weeks. Body weight and renal function indices were dynamically monitored. Serum creatinine （SCr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio （ACR）， 24-hour urinary total protein （24 hUTP）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） levels were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Renal histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Masson staining. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect the expression of PI3K， Akt， phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）， and mTOR in renal tissues. Western blot was performed to assess the protein expression of PI3K， p-Akt， Akt， phosphorylated mTOR （p-mTOR）， and mTOR in renal tissues. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR in renal tissues. ResultsCompared with the model group， rats in the irbesartan group and the low-， medium-， and high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription groups showed significantly decreased levels of SCr， BUN， ACR， 24 hUTP， IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α （P<0.01）. AST levels were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while no significant difference was observed in ALT levels. Histopathological examination revealed that， compared with the model group， renal tubular epithelial cell edema and necrosis and Bowman's capsule dilation were alleviated， inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced， and interstitial and glomerular fibrosis was markedly improved in all treatment groups， with the most pronounced effect observed in the high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription group. Real-time PCR results showed that mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR were significantly downregulated in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. IHC results demonstrated that PI3K and p-Akt expression levels in renal tissues were significantly decreased in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. Western blot analysis further confirmed that the expression levels of PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， and p-mTOR/mTOR were significantly reduced in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. ConclusionBushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal function indices in CKD rats， reduces collagen deposition in renal tissues， and decreases serum inflammatory factor levels. Its protective effect on renal function may be achieved by activating autophagy through downregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway， thereby alleviating renal fibrosis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation of the serum levels of aminotransferases and their ratios with liver inflammation activity in pediatric chronic hepatitis B （pCHB） patients， and to provide a basis for selecting the dominant population for treatment. MethodsThis study was conducted among 1 267 pCHB patients who were admitted to The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2010 to August 2022 and these patients did not receive antiviral therapy. The patients were analyzed in terms of demographic features， blood routine， blood biochemistry， HBV serological markers， and liver biopsy data. According to liver inflammation activity based on liver biopsy， the patients were divided into no or mild inflammation activity （G0‍ ‍—‍ ‍G1） group and significant inflammation activity （G2‍ ‍—‍ ‍G4） group. The serum levels of aminotransferases and their ratios were compared between groups， and their correlation with liver inflammation activity in pCHB patients was analyzed. Additionally， the patients were stratified by the age， and the relationship between serum aminotransferase levels and liver inflammation activity was analyzed in each age group. For comparison of continuous data between two groups， the independent samples t-test was used when the data were normally distributed， while the Mann-Whitney U test was used when the data were not normally distributed； the chi-square test was employed for comparison of categorical data between two groups. A Spearman’s correlation analysis was performed for correlation assessment. ResultsAmong the 1 267 pCHB patients， there were 468 （36.9%） in the G0‍ ‍—‍ ‍G1 group and 799 （63.1%） in the G2‍ ‍—‍ ‍G4 group， and there were significant differences between the two groups in the levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， AST/ALT ratio， gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase （GGT）， total bilirubin， direct bilirubin， HBeAg quantification， low-density lipoprotein， and platelet count （PLT） （all P<0.05）. The correlation analysis showed that liver inflammation activity was negatively correlated with PLT and low-density lipoprotein （both P<0.05） and was positively correlated with GGT， total bilirubin， direct bilirubin， and HBeAg titer （all P<0.05）， while it was not significantly correlated with ALT， AST， and AST/ALT ratio （all P>0.05）. In the 0‍ ‍—‍ ‍12 years group， the 13‍ ‍—‍ ‍18 years male group， and the 13‍ ‍—‍ ‍18 years female group， liver inflammation activity aggravated with the increases in the serum levels of ALT and AST， and there were significant differences between groups （all P<0.05）. In the 0‍ ‍—‍ ‍12 years group， there was a significant difference in significant liver inflammation activity between the AST/ALT ratio >1 group and the AST/ALT ratio ≤1 group （P<0.001）. Among the 1 267 patients， 447 （35.28%） had an ALT level of <2×upper limit of normal （ULN）， among whom 196 （43.85%） had G≥2 liver inflammation， accounting for 15.47% of all children enrolled. ConclusionLiver inflammation activity is not significantly correlated with ALT， AST， and AST/ALT ratio in pCHB patients， suggesting that the serum levels of aminotransferases cannot truly reflect liver inflammation activity in pCHB patients with an aminotransferase level of <2×ULN. In clinical practice， liver biopsy should be performed for children with an aminotransferase level of <2×ULN to clarify whether antiviral therapy should be performed.

The coinfection of respiratory viruses and bacteria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, despite the development of vaccines and powerful antibiotics. As a macromolecule that is difficult to absorb in the gastrointestinal tract, a homogeneous polysaccharide from Houttuynia cordata (HCPM) has been reported to exhibit anti-complement properties and alleviate influenza A virus (H1N1)-induced lung injury; however, the effects of HCPM without in vitro antiviral and antibacterial activities on more complicated pulmonary diseases resulting from viral-bacterial coinfection remains unclear. This study established a representative coinfection murine pneumonia model infected with H1N1 (0.2 LD₅₀) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, 10⁷ CFU). HCPM significantly improved survival rate and weight loss, and ameliorated gut-lung damage and inflammatory cytokine production. Interestingly, the therapeutic effect of HCPM on intestinal damage preceded that in the lungs. Mechanistically, HCPM inhibited the overactivation of the intestinal complement (C3a and C5a) and suppressed the activation of the NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) pathway, which contributes to the regulation of the Treg/Th17 cell balance in the gut-lung axis. The results indicate the beneficial effects of an anti-complement polysaccharide against viral-bacterial coinfection pneumonia by modulating crosstalk between multiple immune regulatory networks.

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion leads to white matter injury (WMI), which plays a significant role in contributing to vascular cognitive impairment. While 13-docosenamide is a type of fatty acid amide, it remains unclear whether it has therapeutic effects on chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. In this study, we conducted bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) surgery to simulate chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced WMI and cognitive impairment. Our findings showed that 13-docosenamide alleviates WMI and cognitive impairment in BCAS mice. Mechanistically, 13-docosenamide specifically binds to cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) in oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). This interaction results in an upregulation of ubiquitin-specific peptidase 33 (USP33)-mediated CNR1 deubiquitination, subsequently increasing CNR1 protein expression, activating the phosphorylation of the AKT/mTOR pathway, and promoting the differentiation of OPCs. In conclusion, our study suggests that 13-docosenamide can ameliorate chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced WMI and cognitive impairment by enhancing OPC differentiation and could serve as a potential therapeutic drug.
Animals ; Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells/metabolism* ; Mice ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Male ; Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Ubiquitin Thiolesterase/metabolism* ; Ubiquitination/drug effects* ; Carotid Stenosis/complications* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/drug therapy*

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Tangbikang dry paste in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy （DPN） based on the glyoxalase-1 （GLO-1）/advanced glycation end products （AGE）/receptor for advanced glycation end products （RAGE） pathway. MethodsA total of 56 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided， with eight assigned to the normal group. The remaining 48 rats were fed a high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ） to induce a type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） model. Based on blood glucose levels， the rats were randomly assigned to the model group， Tanglin group （13.5 mg·kg^-1）， metformin group （135 mg·kg^-1）， and Tangbikang dry paste low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （3， 6， 12 g·kg^-1）. Successful modeling of DPN was confirmed by a decrease in mechanical pain threshold in the model group at week 4. Fasting blood glucose， body weight， and mechanical pain threshold were measured every 4 weeks. After 16 weeks of intervention， the pathological morphology of the sciatic nerve was observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The expression of RAGE， AGE， protein kinase C （PKC）， and collagen （COL） in the sciatic nerve was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression of RAGE， PKC， Toll-like receptor （TLR）， COL， and GLO-1 was detected using real-time quantitative PCR （Real-time PCR）. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， creatinine （CREA）， urea （UREA）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly increased fasting blood glucose （P<0.01）， decreased body weight and mechanical pain threshold （P<0.01）， and elevated serum AST， ALT， CREA， UREA， IL-6， and TNF-α levels （P<0.01）. The expression of RAGE， AGE， and PKC in the sciatic nerve was significantly increased （P<0.01）， while COL expression was decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of TLR， RAGE， and PKC was upregulated （P<0.01）， whereas COL and GLO-1 mRNA levels were downregulated （P<0.01）. Histological examination showed irregular nerve morphology， axonal alterations， and myelin degeneration. Compared with the model group， fasting blood glucose levels in the Tangbikang dry paste high-dose group at all time points and in the medium-dose group at weeks 4 and 16 were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. No significant changes in body weight were observed across all Tangbikang dose groups. The mechanical pain threshold was elevated at different time points after administration in all Tangbikang groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were decreased in all dose groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression of RAGE， AGE， and PKC in the sciatic nerve was reduced （P<0.01）， while COL expression was increased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of TLR， RAGE， and PKC was downregulated （P<0.01）， whereas GLO-1 mRNA expression was upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Additionally， COL mRNA expression was significantly increased in the low- and high-dose groups （P<0.01）. Pathological changes in the sciatic nerve were milder in all Tangbikang groups compared to the model group. ConclusionTangbikang dry paste significantly improves DPN， and its mechanism may be associated with the regulation of the GLO-1/AGE/RAGE signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Tangbikang dry paste in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy （DPN） based on the glyoxalase-1 （GLO-1）/advanced glycation end products （AGE）/receptor for advanced glycation end products （RAGE） pathway. MethodsA total of 56 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided， with eight assigned to the normal group. The remaining 48 rats were fed a high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ） to induce a type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） model. Based on blood glucose levels， the rats were randomly assigned to the model group， Tanglin group （13.5 mg·kg^-1）， metformin group （135 mg·kg^-1）， and Tangbikang dry paste low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （3， 6， 12 g·kg^-1）. Successful modeling of DPN was confirmed by a decrease in mechanical pain threshold in the model group at week 4. Fasting blood glucose， body weight， and mechanical pain threshold were measured every 4 weeks. After 16 weeks of intervention， the pathological morphology of the sciatic nerve was observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The expression of RAGE， AGE， protein kinase C （PKC）， and collagen （COL） in the sciatic nerve was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression of RAGE， PKC， Toll-like receptor （TLR）， COL， and GLO-1 was detected using real-time quantitative PCR （Real-time PCR）. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， creatinine （CREA）， urea （UREA）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly increased fasting blood glucose （P<0.01）， decreased body weight and mechanical pain threshold （P<0.01）， and elevated serum AST， ALT， CREA， UREA， IL-6， and TNF-α levels （P<0.01）. The expression of RAGE， AGE， and PKC in the sciatic nerve was significantly increased （P<0.01）， while COL expression was decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of TLR， RAGE， and PKC was upregulated （P<0.01）， whereas COL and GLO-1 mRNA levels were downregulated （P<0.01）. Histological examination showed irregular nerve morphology， axonal alterations， and myelin degeneration. Compared with the model group， fasting blood glucose levels in the Tangbikang dry paste high-dose group at all time points and in the medium-dose group at weeks 4 and 16 were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. No significant changes in body weight were observed across all Tangbikang dose groups. The mechanical pain threshold was elevated at different time points after administration in all Tangbikang groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were decreased in all dose groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression of RAGE， AGE， and PKC in the sciatic nerve was reduced （P<0.01）， while COL expression was increased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of TLR， RAGE， and PKC was downregulated （P<0.01）， whereas GLO-1 mRNA expression was upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Additionally， COL mRNA expression was significantly increased in the low- and high-dose groups （P<0.01）. Pathological changes in the sciatic nerve were milder in all Tangbikang groups compared to the model group. ConclusionTangbikang dry paste significantly improves DPN， and its mechanism may be associated with the regulation of the GLO-1/AGE/RAGE signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the clinical and pathological significance of the DICER1 mutation in follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC).Methods:Sixty-eight cases of primary FTC resected between 2009 and 2023 were retrieved from The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China. Sanger sequencing was performed to identify DICER1 and TERT promoter mutations in all cases. Cases with DICER1 or TERT promoter mutations were subject to additional examination of potential mutations in KRAS, HRAS, and NRAS. The clinical and pathological features of DICER1-mutant FTCs were then analyzed. The relationship between DICER1 mutations and TERT-promoter/RAS mutations was also assessed.Results:DICER1 mutations were detected in 16 of the 68 FTC cases (23.5%), with 11 near E1813 at exon 25, 6 near D1709 at exon 24, and 1 in the splice region of exon 25. Two cases harbored two (distinct) mutations. All patients with DICER1-mutant FTC were female. Compared with patients with DICER1-wild-type FTC, those with DICER1-mutant were much younger, and had a higher proportion of minimally invasive subtype. Nine FTCs with DICER1 mutations were subject to further sequencing on adjacent non-cancerous tissues or lymph node tissues, but no mutations were detected. TERT-promoter or RAS hotspot mutations were not identified in any of the DICER1-mutant cases. However, TERT-promoter mutation was found in 6 DICER1-wild-type cases (8.8%, 6/68), with 3 cases also having RAS hotspot mutations and exhibiting highly aggressive biological behaviors.Conclusion:DICER1 mutations may occur in FTCs and appear mutually exclusive with RAS and TERT-promoter mutations, warranting further study as RAS-like mutations.

The " no-accompany" service is an important measure to meet the patients′ needs for comprehensive, continuous, and high-quality diversified care and to enhance their medical experience. Starting in March 2024, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine launched a pilot " no-accompany" service in the breast surgery and dermatology wards. The hospital established a working team led by the nursing department and involving multiple administrative departments such as the medical affairs department, medical insurance office, and logistics management department. And the hospital has successfully advanced the implementation of the " no-accompany" ward program by establishing a multi-department collaborative management mechanism, standardizing the management of medical caregivers, developing a tiered fee scheme for the " no-accompany" service, and improving relevant service measures. The acceptance of the " no-accompany" service by patients increased from (3.93±0.83) in the second quarter of 2024 to (4.69±0.59) in the fourth quarter, and overall satisfaction rose from (4.18±0.73) to (4.50±0.54) (all P<0.001). The job competency of medical caregivers also improved significantly from (64.80±3.49) before starting work in March 2024 to (94.00±2.40) in the fourth quarter ( P<0.001). These findings provide a reference for the implementation of " no-accompany" services in public hospitals.

Objective To investigate the current status and barriers to implementing non-accompanied care services in medical institutions in Zhejiang Province,and to provide a basis for the improvement of standardized management of such services.Methods A self-designed questionnaire was conducted from September to October 2024 among all secondary and tertiary medical institutions in Zhejiang Province to assess the implementation status and barriers to non-accompanied care services.Results A total of 397 questionnaires were distributed,with 389 valid responses,yielding a valid response rate of 97.98％.Non-accompanied care services were implemented in 118 institutions(30.33％).Among these,90 institutions(76.27％)had established management systems for non-accompanied wards;71 institutions(60.17％)had a medical nursing assistant-to-bed ratio lower than 1∶5;41 institu-tions(34.75％)provided tiered training for medical nursing assistants;93 institutions(78.81％)required patients to bear the full cost of the service.Compared with secondary medical institutions,tertiary medical institutions have more complete management system for non-accompanied care services.The main obstacles hindering the development of non-accompanied care services include an imperfect management system for non-accompanied wards,a shortage of medical nursing assistants,a lack of standardized training for such assistants,inconsistent charging standards,and low acceptance among patients and their families.Conclusion The promotion of non-accompanied care services in medical institutions in Zhejiang Province has achieved initial success.However,challenges persist,including incomplete management systems,uneven development across hospital tiers,and imperfect charging mechanisms.It is recommended that relevant authorities strengthen policy support,enhance standardized training for healthcare nursing assistants,refine cost-sharing mechanisms,and improve the quality and sustainability of non-accompanied care services through multi-party collaboration.

Objective To investigate the current status and barriers to implementing non-accompanied care services in medical institutions in Zhejiang Province,and to provide a basis for the improvement of standardized management of such services.Methods A self-designed questionnaire was conducted from September to October 2024 among all secondary and tertiary medical institutions in Zhejiang Province to assess the implementation status and barriers to non-accompanied care services.Results A total of 397 questionnaires were distributed,with 389 valid responses,yielding a valid response rate of 97.98％.Non-accompanied care services were implemented in 118 institutions(30.33％).Among these,90 institutions(76.27％)had established management systems for non-accompanied wards;71 institutions(60.17％)had a medical nursing assistant-to-bed ratio lower than 1∶5;41 institu-tions(34.75％)provided tiered training for medical nursing assistants;93 institutions(78.81％)required patients to bear the full cost of the service.Compared with secondary medical institutions,tertiary medical institutions have more complete management system for non-accompanied care services.The main obstacles hindering the development of non-accompanied care services include an imperfect management system for non-accompanied wards,a shortage of medical nursing assistants,a lack of standardized training for such assistants,inconsistent charging standards,and low acceptance among patients and their families.Conclusion The promotion of non-accompanied care services in medical institutions in Zhejiang Province has achieved initial success.However,challenges persist,including incomplete management systems,uneven development across hospital tiers,and imperfect charging mechanisms.It is recommended that relevant authorities strengthen policy support,enhance standardized training for healthcare nursing assistants,refine cost-sharing mechanisms,and improve the quality and sustainability of non-accompanied care services through multi-party collaboration.