Gastric variceal rupture and bleeding and hepatic encephalopathy are common and life-threatening complications in decompensated cirrhosis. As a minimally invasive interventional technique， balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration （BRTO） has made significant progress in the clinical management of gastric varices and hepatic encephalopathy in recent years. This article systematically reviews the technical principles， indications （e.g.， isolated gastric varices and refractory hepatic encephalopathy）， clinical efficacy （an acute hemostasis rate of 85% — 95%， a 1-year rebleeding rate of <15%， and an improvement rate of 60% — 80% for hepatic encephalopathy）， and safety （including complications such as renal impairment and elevated portal vein pressure） of BRTO. Meanwhile， this article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of BRTO and conventional treatment modalities （e.g.， transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt and endoscopic treatment） and reviews the latest technological improvements in recent years， such as coil-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration and plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration. Future research should focus on the precision of patient selection （e.g.， stratification based on hemodynamic parameters）， the optimization of embolic materials （e.g.， application of new biodegradable embolic agents）， and the development of individualized treatment regimens， so as to improve efficacy and reduce the risk of complications.

ObjectiveTo investigate the potential mechanism of heat-sensitive moxibustion on chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） through the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway. MethodsFifty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into blank group （n=14） and modeling group （n=44）. Rats in the blank group were fed routinely， while the rats in the modeling group received drinking water containing 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG） at a concentration of 140 μg/ml， combined with irregular fasting and feeding for 12 weeks to establish CAG model. After successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided into model group （n=10）， inhibitor group （n=10） and moxibustion group （n=20）. After 40 minutes of suspended moxibustion at "Zhongwan" （CV 12） daily， the rats in the moxibustion group were divided into heat-sensitive moxibustion group （n=10） and non-heat-sensitive moxibustion group （n=9） according to the change of tail temperature during moxibustion. The inhibitor group was bound for 40 minutes daily， and then administered with PI3K/Akt signaling pathway inhibitor， rapamycin solution， by gavage at a dose of 1 mg/kg. The model group received intragastric administration of 1 ml/kg normal saline after 40 minutes of restraint stress each day. All interventions were administered once daily for 28 consecutive days， while the blank group received no intervention. After the intervention finished， the body weight of rats in each group was compared. HE staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of gastric mucosa. The apoptosis-positive rate of gastric mucosal cells was detected by TUNEL assay. Immunohistochemistry was performed to determine the protein levels of matric metalloproteinase-7 （MMP7）， vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA） and epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） in gastric mucosa. The mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） in gastric mucosal tissues were detected by qPCR. The protein levels of phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt） and phosphorylated mTOR （p-mTOR） in rat gastric mucosal tissues were measured by Western Blotting. ResultsCompared to the blank group， rats in all other groups exhibited decreased body weight， significantly increased gastric mucosal cell apoptosis-positive rates， elevated protein levels of MMP7， VEGFA and EGFR in gastric mucosa， increased mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt and mTOR， and enhanced protein expression levels of p-Akt and p-mTOR （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Histopathological examination revealed thinning of the gastric mucosa， glandular disorganization and atrophy， accompanied by intestinal metaplasia.Compared to the model group， the heat-sensitive moxibustion group， the non-heat-sensitive moxibustion group and the inhibitor group all showed significant improvements in the above-mentioned indicators （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to the heat-sensitive moxibustion group， the non-heat-sensitive moxibustion group and the inhibitor group exhibited increased positive rates of gastric mucosal cell apoptosis； the non-heat-sensitive moxibustion group showed increased protein levels of MMP7， VEGFA and EGFR， as well as mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt and mTOR， and protein expressions of p-Akt and p-mTOR； the inhibitor group exhibited elevated protein expression level of EGFR （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Histopathological examination showed that the gastric mucosal glands in the heat-sensitive moxibustion group were arranged more regularly， with an approximately normal structural appearance. ConclusionHeat-sensitive moxibustion can improve the body weight of CAG rats and repair gastric mucosal injury. Its therapeutic effects may be mediated by inhibiting excessive activation of gastric mucosal PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， thereby reducing gastric mucosal cell apoptosis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the potential mechanism of heat-sensitive moxibustion on chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） through the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway. MethodsFifty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into blank group （n=14） and modeling group （n=44）. Rats in the blank group were fed routinely， while the rats in the modeling group received drinking water containing 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG） at a concentration of 140 μg/ml， combined with irregular fasting and feeding for 12 weeks to establish CAG model. After successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided into model group （n=10）， inhibitor group （n=10） and moxibustion group （n=20）. After 40 minutes of suspended moxibustion at "Zhongwan" （CV 12） daily， the rats in the moxibustion group were divided into heat-sensitive moxibustion group （n=10） and non-heat-sensitive moxibustion group （n=9） according to the change of tail temperature during moxibustion. The inhibitor group was bound for 40 minutes daily， and then administered with PI3K/Akt signaling pathway inhibitor， rapamycin solution， by gavage at a dose of 1 mg/kg. The model group received intragastric administration of 1 ml/kg normal saline after 40 minutes of restraint stress each day. All interventions were administered once daily for 28 consecutive days， while the blank group received no intervention. After the intervention finished， the body weight of rats in each group was compared. HE staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of gastric mucosa. The apoptosis-positive rate of gastric mucosal cells was detected by TUNEL assay. Immunohistochemistry was performed to determine the protein levels of matric metalloproteinase-7 （MMP7）， vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA） and epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） in gastric mucosa. The mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） in gastric mucosal tissues were detected by qPCR. The protein levels of phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt） and phosphorylated mTOR （p-mTOR） in rat gastric mucosal tissues were measured by Western Blotting. ResultsCompared to the blank group， rats in all other groups exhibited decreased body weight， significantly increased gastric mucosal cell apoptosis-positive rates， elevated protein levels of MMP7， VEGFA and EGFR in gastric mucosa， increased mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt and mTOR， and enhanced protein expression levels of p-Akt and p-mTOR （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Histopathological examination revealed thinning of the gastric mucosa， glandular disorganization and atrophy， accompanied by intestinal metaplasia.Compared to the model group， the heat-sensitive moxibustion group， the non-heat-sensitive moxibustion group and the inhibitor group all showed significant improvements in the above-mentioned indicators （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to the heat-sensitive moxibustion group， the non-heat-sensitive moxibustion group and the inhibitor group exhibited increased positive rates of gastric mucosal cell apoptosis； the non-heat-sensitive moxibustion group showed increased protein levels of MMP7， VEGFA and EGFR， as well as mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt and mTOR， and protein expressions of p-Akt and p-mTOR； the inhibitor group exhibited elevated protein expression level of EGFR （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Histopathological examination showed that the gastric mucosal glands in the heat-sensitive moxibustion group were arranged more regularly， with an approximately normal structural appearance. ConclusionHeat-sensitive moxibustion can improve the body weight of CAG rats and repair gastric mucosal injury. Its therapeutic effects may be mediated by inhibiting excessive activation of gastric mucosal PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， thereby reducing gastric mucosal cell apoptosis.

ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effect of Xuebijing injection （XBJ） on severe acute pancreatitis induced acute lung injury （SAP-ALI） by regulating formyl peptide receptors （FPRs）/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor 3 （NLRP3） inflammatory pathway. MethodsSixty rats were randomly divided into a sham group， a SAP-ALI model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose XBJ groups （4， 8， and 12 mL·kg^-1）， and a positive drug （BOC2， 0.2 mg·kg^-1） group. For the sham group， the pancreas of rats was only gently flipped after laparotomy， and then the abdomen was closed， while for the remaining five groups， SAP-ALI rat models were established by retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate （Na-Tc） via the biliopancreatic duct. XBJ and BOC2 were administered via intraperitoneal injection once daily for 3 d prior to modeling and 0.5 h after modeling. Blood was collected from the abdominal aorta 6 h after the completion of modeling， and the expression of interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in plasma was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The amount of ascites was measured， and the dry-wet weight ratios of pancreatic and lung tissue were determined. Pancreatic and lung tissue was taken for hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining to observe pathological changes and then scored. The protein expression levels of FPR1， FPR2， and NLRP3 in lung tissue were detected by the immunohistochemical method. Western blot was used to detect the expression of FPR1， FPR2， and NLRP3 in lung tissue. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of FPR1， FPR2， and NLRP3 in lung tissue. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the SAP-ALI model group showed significantly decreased dry-wet weight ratio of lung tissue （P<0.01）， serious pathological changes of lung tissue， a significantly increased pathological score （P<0.01）， and significantly increased protein and mRNA expression levels of FPR1， FPR2， and NLRP3 in lung tissue （P<0.01）. After BOC2 intervention， the above detection indicators were significantly reversed （P<0.01）. After treatment with XBJ， the groups of different XBJ doses achieved results consistent with BOC2 intervention. ConclusionXBJ can effectively improve the inflammatory response of the lungs in SAP-ALI rats and reduce damage. The mechanism may be related to inhibiting the expression of FPRs and NLRP3 in lung tissue， which thereby reduces IL-1β and simultaneously antagonize the release of inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α.

OBJECTIVE To summarize the clinical features and treatment methods of subglottic cysts in infants.METHODS A single-center retrospective study was conducted,enrolling twelve pediatric patients with subglottic cysts who were treated at Beijing Children's Hospital,Affiliated to Capital Medical University,between December 2016 and October 2024.Clinical data were collected and analyzed,including patient age,body weight,perinatal history,presenting symptoms,findings from flexible laryngoscopy and imaging studies,as well as surgical treatment modalities.RESULTS Among the 12 patients,8 were male and 4 were female,with a median age of 7 months.Preterm infants accounted for 83.3%(10/12),low birth weight was observed in 58.3%(7/12),and 75%(9/12)had a history of tracheal intubation.The primary clinical manifestations included stridor,respiratory distress,and feeding difficulties.All patients were diagnosed by laryngoscopy and imaging studies,which confirmed the presence of subglottic cysts.Among these,9 were located on the right side and 3 on the left.All patients underwent subglottic cyst excision under general anesthesia using suspension laryngoscopy combined with endoscopy.Among them,two cases experienced recurrence and required a second surgical procedure three months postoperatively.Histopathological examination revealed a cyst wall lined by stratified squamous epithelium and pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium.All patients were followed up for a period ranging from 6 months to 6 years,with no recurrence observed during this time.CONCLUSION Infants presenting with stridor and dyspnea should undergo prompt laryngoscopy for definitive diagnosis.Subglottic cysts should be highly suspected in preterm,low-birth-weight infants with a history of intubation who develop stridor or respiratory distress during development.Once diagnosed,surgical intervention should be performed promptly to avoid the need for a tracheostomy.Surgical excision under general anesthesia using suspension laryngoscopy combined with endoscopy is an effective treatment for subglottic cysts.

Objective:To prepare heparin (Hep)-modified gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) microspheres and to investigate their application in liver-targeted delivery of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs).Methods:GelMA microspheres were modified with Hep to obtain GelMA-Hep microspheres. The surface morphology of the GelMA-Hep microspheres was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The changes of carbon atoms, nitrogen atoms and sulfur atoms on the surface of the GelMA-Hep microspheres were detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface chemical group composition of the GelMA-Hep microspheres was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The swelling properties of the GelMA-Hep microspheres were detected by water absorption swelling experiment. Human liver HL-7702 cells transfected with lentivirus were co-cultured with GelMA, GelMA-dopamine (GelMA-dop) and GelMA-Hep microspheres. The effects of microspheres on cell proliferation activity were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 method and live/dead cell staining experiment. The adhesion of microspheres to cells was observed by confocal microscopy. The GelMA-Hep microspheres loaded with ADSCs were injected into C57BL/6 mice through the tail vein, and its efficiency of liver-targeted delivery of ADSCs was observed by a small animal in vivo imaging system. The data were compared by independent sample t test or one-way analysis of variance. Results:The GelMA-Hep microspheres were prepared by modifying the GelMA microspheres with Hep. Compared with the GelMA microspheres, the size of the GelMA-Hep microspheres did not change significantly, and the surface did not collapse and showed some crystalline particles. The binding energy of sulfur atoms on the surface of the GelMA-Hep microspheres increased from 166 eV to 168 eV. On the surface of the GelMA-Hep microspheres, the characteristic peaks of sulfonic acid and sulfate groups of Hep were detected at 1 490 cm ?1 and from 1 135 cm ?1 to 1 050 cm ?1, respectively. The swelling rate of the GelMA-dop microspheres was uniform, while the swelling rate of the GelMA microspheres and the GelMA-Hep microsphere was quite different, but the final swelling mass of the three microspheres tended to be consistent at 5 min. After 12, 24, 36 and 48 h of culture, the relative proliferation of cells in the GelMA-Hep group (1.61±0.29, 1.78±0.05, 2.27±0.08, 2.26±0.33) were higher than those in the negative control group (1.00±0.00, 1.28±0.06, 1.39±0.02, 1.41±0.04) (all P<0.05). After 36 h of culture, the relative proliferation of cells in the GelMA-Hep group was higher than that in the GelMA-dop group (1.63±0.21), with significant difference ( P<0.05). Live/dead cell staining experiment showed that after 12 h of cell culture in the GelMA-Hep group, only a few microspheres had cell adhesion; at 24 h, the cells were densely distributed on the surface of the microspheres. After 36 h, the number of cells increased further. At 48 h, live cells were distributed throughout the microspheres. Confocal microscopy showed that after 24 h of culture, cells adhered to the surface of the microspheres in the GelMA-Hep group and showed a stretched morphology. The liver of the GelMA-Hep+ADSCs group showed strong fluorescence at 0.5 h, and the fluorescence brightness continued to 48.0 h. The number of ADSCs reaching the liver was more than that of ADSCs group and GelMA+ADSCs group. Conclusions:GelMA-Hep microspheres were successfully prepared, which can improve the efficiency of liver-targeted delivery of ADSCs.

Objective To investigate the significance of CD4 and CD8 T lymphocyte ATP release assays for the assessment of cellular immune function in patients with digestive tract tumors.Methods 51 digestive tract tumor patients from the Department of Oncology and Department of Radiotherapy of the General Hospital of Southern Theater Command of PLA during 2023～2024 as a study group,and 51 healthy medical checkups were collected from the Physical Examination Center of that Hospital during 2018～2020 as a control group,and the counts of leukocytes,lymphocytes,CD4 T lymphocyte,and CD8 T lymphocyte were conducted to detect the release of ATP from CD4,CD8 T lymphocyte before and after the stimulation of PHA Levels of ATP release from CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes before and after PHA stimulation.Results Lymphocyte counts[1.45(1.12,1.75)×109/L]and CD8 T lymphocyte counts[357.00(232.13,451.35)个/μl]in the research group was lower than in the control group[2.04(1.24,2.27)×109/L,454.36(368.00,566.10)个/μl],and the differences were statistically significant(Z=-4.719,-3.209,all P<0.05).After PHA stimulation,the ATP release level of CD4 T lymphocytes in the research group was lower than that in the control group(Z=-2.181,P＜0.05),and the level of ATP release level of CD8 T lymphocytes in the research group before and after PHA stimulation were lower than those in the control group(Z=-3.314,-3.462,all P<0.05).There was no correlation between CD4 T lymphocyte ATP release values and CD4 T lymphocyte counts in the research group(r=0.617,P=0.093),and there was a positive correlation between CD4 T lymphocyte ATP release values and CD4 T lymphocyte counts in the control group(r=0.276,P=0.049).There was no significant correlation between the ATP release values of CD8 T lymphocytes and lymphatic counts in the research group(r=0.033,P=0.816),and a positive correlation between the ATP release values of CD8 T lymphocytes and lymphatic counts in the control group(r=0.278,P=0.048).Conclusion The CD4 and CD8 T lymphocyte ATP release assay can be used as a method to evaluate the dynamic function of cellular immunity,and in combination with static cell counting can provide a more comprehensive assessment of cellular immunity in patients with gastrointestinal tumors.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of internal decompression based on white matter tract preservation in the treatment of malignant middle cerebral artery infarction(MMCAI).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 54 patients with MMCAI.Patients were divided into a study group(n=26)and a control group(n=28)according to the surgical approach.Patients in the study group underwent preoperative fusion of CT,CTP,DWI,and DTI imaging data within a neuronavigation system.This fusion visualized the spatial relationships between the infarct core(IC),ischemic penumbra,and the corticospinal tract(CST).Subsequently,IC resection combined with decompressive craniectomy(DC)was performed while protecting the CST.Patients in the control group underwent DC alone.Key outcome measures included:changes in fractional anisotropy(FA)within the affected CST projection area at 1 month postoperatively;and 6-month postoperative mRS score,mortality,and surgical complications at 6 months postoperatively.Results At 1 month postoperatively,FA in the affected CST projection area were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group(0.092±0.013 vs.0.082±0.008,P<0.05).At the 6-month follow-up,the postoperative mRS score in the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group[2.3(1.3,4.5)vs.3.9(2.4,5.5),P<0.05]and a lower mortality rate(11.5%vs.39.3%,P<0.05)compared to the control group.However,there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the incidence of postoperative intracranial hemorrhage,intracranial infection,or epilepsy(P>0.05).Conclusion Internal decompression based on white matter tract protection combined with DC can reduce mortality and contribute to improving function outcomes in patients with MMCAI.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive and functional deterioration, with pathological features such as amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregates in the extracellular spaces of parenchymal neurons and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles formed by the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein. Despite a thorough investigation, current treatments targeting the reduction of Aβ production, promotion of its clearance, and inhibition of tau protein phosphorylation and aggregation have not met clinical expectations, posing a substantial obstacle in the development of drugs for AD. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI), computational biology (CB), and systems biology (SB) have emerged as promising methodologies in AD research. Their capacity to analyze extensive and varied datasets facilitates the identification of intricate patterns, thereby enriching our comprehension of AD pathology. This paper provides a comprehensive examination of the utilization of AI, CB, and SB in the diagnosis of AD, including the use of imaging omics for early detection, drug discovery methods such as lecanemab, and complementary therapies like phototherapy. This review offers novel perspectives and potential avenues for further research in the realm of translational AD studies.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiologic characteristics of avian influenza virus and the molecular characteristics and genetic evolution of H9N2 subtype avian influenza viruses in the live poultry markets in Fujian province in 2021-2023.Methods:Six types of specimens were collected from five cities in Fujian province. The specimens were subjected to nucleic acid detection for influenza A viruses, subtypes H5, H7, and H9 by fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the results were analyzed statistically with χ2 test. Specimens with Ct value less than 31 were screened for targeted amplification and next-generation sequencing of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes. Reference sequences were downloaded from the databases, and the characteristics of molecular variation and genetic evolution were analyzed by using bioinformatics softwares. Results:From 2021 to 2023, a total of 1 853 specimens were collected from five cities, with a positive rate of 50.94% for influenza A viruses, including 684 specimens of H9 subtype, 23 specimens of H5 subtype, 1 specimen of H7 subtype, 28 specimens of H5 and H9 subtype, 1 specimen of H7 and H9 subtype, and 207 specimens of unclassified A-type. There were significant differences in the positive detection rates of influenza A viruses in different cities( χ2=461.82, P<0.001). Statistically significant differences in influenza A virus positivity rates across years and quarters( χ2=12.26, P=0.002; χ2=30.12, P<0.001), with higher rates of 56.39% and 55.34% in the first and third quarters, respectively. And the differences in the positive rates of influenza A viruses in different types of specimens were statistically significant( χ2=23.05, P<0.001), with specimens on the cage surface having a positivity rate of 56.09%, which was the highest of all types of specimens. A total of 24 strains of HA and NA genes of H9N2 subtype were fully sequenced. Compared with the sequence of NCBI database, the highest identity of HA gene nucleotide sequences ranged from 97.03% to 99.87%, and the highest identity of NA gene nucleotide sequences ranged from 97.50% to 99.78%.Twenty-three strains with both HA and NA genes belonged to the G57 genotype in the Y280-like evolutionary branch of the Eurasian lineage, and one strain belonged to the Y439-like evolutionary branch of the Eurasian lineage. The cleavage sites of all the strains showed the characteristic of low pathogenicity, and most strains had receptor binding sites characterized by avian-derived and human receptors. Conclusions:The overall positive rate of avian influenza viruses in live poultry markets in Fujian province was relatively high, especially in the first and third quarters, with H9 subtype accounting for the main proportion. Most of H9N2 subtype belonged to the Y280-like G57 genotype with a small number of Y439-like evolutionary branches, suggesting the possibility of genetic recombination and the risk of human infection. Thus, surveillance of avian influenza viruses in the live poultry markets as well as mutation analysis should continue to be strengthened.