epsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome triggered by infection， and its high mortality rate is closely associated with immune imbalance， particularly the imbalance in the differentiation of helper T cell （Th） cell subsets [Th1， Th2， Th17， regulatory T cell （Treg） ] . In recent years， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with its characteristics of multi-component and multi-target actions， has demonstrated unique advantages in regulating Th cell differentiation and function， as well as correcting immune imbalances in sepsis， offering new perspectives for immunotherapy of sepsis. This review summarizes relevant studies on the regulation of Th cell differentiation for sepsis treatment by TCM monomers and active ingredients （such as Astragalus membranaceus ， Scutellaria baicalensis ， Coptis chinensis ， Rheum palmatum ， Ganoderma lucidum ， Ginkgo biloba ， and Cistanche deserticola ）， the alcohol extract of Dai Baijie， and TCM formulas and preparations categorized as blood-activating and stasis-removing， purgative and laxative， warming and tonifying yang， and tonifying qi and nourishing yin. The results indicate that these TCM monomers， active ingredients， extracts， formulas， and preparations can regulate the Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg balance， target the differentiation balance of Th cell subsets， alleviate inflammatory responses， or improve immune suppression， thereby exerting therapeutic effects on sepsis.

OBJECTIVE To study the improvement effect and mechanism of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglucoside （TWM） on nephrotic syndrome in rats. METHODS The nephrotic syndrome model was established by intravenous injection of adriamycin via the tail vein. The modeling rats were randomly divided into the model group （distilled water）， prednisone group （10 mg/kg）， and TWM high- and low-dose groups （10 and 5 mg/kg， respectively）. Additionally， blank group （distilled water） without model induction was established. Each group consisted of 9 rats. Rats in each group were administered the corresponding drugs or distilled water by gavage， once a day， for 6 consecutive weeks. The histopathological morphology of kidney tissues in rats was observed； the levels of 24-hour urinary protein （24 h-UTP） and serum biochemical indicators [albumin （ALB）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， serum creatinine （SCr）， cholesterol （CHOL）， and triglyceride （TG）] in rats were determined； the levels of oxidative stress indicators [superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）] in kidney tissue of rats were determined； expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）/microRNA-155-5p （miR-155-5p）/nuclear factor erythriod 2- related factor 2 （Nrf2） signaling pathway-related mRNA and protein in the renal tissues of rats were detected. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， the rats in the model group exhibited disordered renal tissue structure， with a small amount of glomerular necrosis and edema of the renal tubular epithelial cells. 24 h-UTP， serum levels of SCr， BUN， CHOL and TG， MDA content， mRNA and protein expressions of HIF-1α and Keap1 as well as the expression of miR-155-5p in renal tissues were increased significantly （ P ＜0.05）. Serum level of ALB， SOD level in renal tissue as well as mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf2 were decreased significantly （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， TWM high-dose and low-dose groups exhibited significant improvements in renal injury， with notable reversals in the levels of the above quantitative indicators （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS TWM can alleviate oxidative stress-induced damage and thereby improve nephrotic syndrome in rats by regulating the HIF-1α/miR-155-5p/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of thyroid nodules in the physical examination population in Mianyang region and analyze its association with metabolic syndrome. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 9 978 individuals who underwent health examinations at our hospital from January 2024 to May 2025. Thyroid examinations were performed using color Doppler ultrasound to analyze the prevalence of thyroid nodules in this population. Clinical data of all subjects were collected, and logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the association between metabolic syndrome and the risk of thyroid nodule development. Results The prevalence of thyroid nodules in the physical examination population of Mianyang region was 17.98% (1 794/9 978). The logistic regression results showed that after adjusting for gender, age, BMI, occupation, consumption of non-iodized salt, staying up late, daily sleep duration, anxiety, and depression, metabolic syndrome (OR=6.593, 95% CI: 3.961-10.975) was associated with thyroid nodules (P<0.05). Conclusion The prevalence of thyroid nodules among the physical examination population in the Mianyang area is 17.98%, and metabolic syndrome remains associated with the risk of thyroid nodules after effectively controlling for confounding factors.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of isochlorogenic acid A against hepatocellular carcinoma based on the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin （PI3K/Akt/mTOR） signaling pathway and multi-omics technology. METHODS The invasion rate and migration rate of human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells after 48 h of intervention with 0 （control group）， 0.25 and 0.5 mg/mL isochlorogenic acid A were examined； mRNA expression of DEP domain-containing mTOR-interacting protein （DEPTOR）， the protein expressions of mTOR， PI3K and phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten （PTEN）， as well as the phosphorylation level of Akt protein were determined in the cells. Metabolomics analysis was performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry， and differential metabolites were screened and subjected to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis； transcriptomics monitoring was conducted by RNA sequencing， and differentially expressed genes were screened and subjected to gene ontology （GO） and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. RESULTS Compared with the control group， intervention with 0.25 and 0.5 mg/mL isochlorogenic acid A for 48 h significantly inhibited the invasion rate and migration rate of HepG2 cells， significantly up-regulated the mRNA expression of DEPTOR and the protein expression of PTEN， and significantly down-regulated the protein expression of PI3K and the phosphorylation level of Akt protein （except for 0.25 mg/mL isochlorogenic acid A） （ P ＜0.05）. A total of 304 differential metabolites and 212 differentially expressed genes were screened by multi-omics analysis. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis suggested that isochlorogenic acid A regulated key signaling of HepG2 cell growth mainly by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， synergizing with metabolic reprogramming such as mTOR signaling pathway， ferroptosis， pentose phosphate pathway and purine/pyrimidine metabo lism. CONCLUSIONS The anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effect of isochlorogenic acid A is associated with the blockade of abnormal activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. In addition， it may also be related to the inhibition of the pentose phosphate pathway and purine/pyrimidine metabolism， as well as the induction of ferroptosis，etc.

Background and aims The mechanism of cholestatic liver injury (CLI) is unclear, and effective therapies are lacking. While peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) agonists show potential hepatoprotective effect and pyroptosis is implicated in hepatocellular damage, how PPARα activation mitigates lithocholic acid (LCA)-induced pyroptosis remains unknown. Methods The hepatoprotective effect of PPARα agonists was evaluated in a mouse model of intrahepatic cholestasis induced by LCA. Liver injury was assessed via serum biochemistry, hematoxylin and eosin and TUNEL staining, and electron microscopy. Pyroptosis pathways were analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and co-immunoprecipitation. Results Combined morphological, histopathological, and biochemical analyses confirmed that PPARα activation protects against CLI. Compared with LCA treatment alone, PPARα activation significantly attenuated the elevation of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), the increased TUNEL-positive cells, and the formation of hepatocyte membrane pores. Mechanistically, PPARα activation suppressed both NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis and apoptosis protease-activating factor-1 (APAF-1)/CASPASE-3/GSDME-mediated pyroptosis. Furthermore, PPARα agonist pretreatment inhibited activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) signaling pathways. Conclusions PPARα protects against LCA-induced CLI by inhibiting both NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis associated with NF-κB and APAF-1/CASPASE-3/GSDME-mediated pyroptosis associated with the FOXO1 signaling pathway.

Da Chaihutang， first recorded in Shanghanlun by Zhang Zhongjing of the Eastern Han dynasty， is composed of eight medicinal herbs， namely Bupleuri Radix， Scutellariae Radix， Rhei Radix et Rhizoma， Aurantii Fructus Immaturus， Paeoniae Radix Alba， Pinelliae Rhizoma， Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens， and Jujubae Fructus. It features a well-defined hierarchy of sovereign， minister， assistant， and courier ingredients. The prescription is characterized by its balanced compatibility， mutually restrained cold and warm properties， and combined use of harmonizing and purging therapeutic strategies. As a renowned classical formula indicated for harmonizing Shaoyang and purging internal heat accumulation， it is the core prescription for the treatment of Shaoyang-Yangming combined disease. A comprehensive review of modern research literature on Da Chaihutang reveals that its chemical composition is notably diverse. The core pharmacologically active material bases of its constituent single herbs have been clearly identified， including saikosaponins from Bupleuri Radix， flavonoids from Scutellariae Radix， anthraquinones from Rhei Radix et Rhizoma， flavonoids and alkaloids from Aurantii Fructus Immaturus， monoterpene glycosides from Paeoniae Radix Alba， alkaloids and organic acids from Pinelliae Rhizoma， gingerols from Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens， and polysaccharides and triterpenoid acids from Jujubae Fructus. In the compound formula， a total of 163 chemical constituents have been comprehensively identified， among which flavonoids and their glycosides constitute the most abundant component category. Flavonoids and their glycosides， monoterpene glycosides， and pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins are regarded as the core pharmacologically active substances of the whole formula. In addition， 9 potential quality markers that can comprehensively characterize the overall quality and core therapeutic efficacy of the whole formula have been screened out. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that the pharmacological effects of Da Chaihutang exhibit synergistic characteristics involving multiple components， multiple targets， and multiple pathways. Its core pharmacological activities encompass the regulation of digestive system disorders， including pancreatic protection， intervention in biliary tract diseases， and protection of gastrointestinal mucosa； intervention in hepatobiliary diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cholestatic liver injury； and regulation of metabolic disorders such as hypoglycemic effect， improvement of insulin resistance， and regulation of lipid metabolism. Furthermore， it also possesses multiple pharmacological activities， including intervention in atherosclerosis， regulation of immune and inflammatory responses， multi-organ protection， and anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effect. In modern clinical practice， Da Chaihutang and its modified formulas are mostly used in combination with conventional Western medical regimens. They have demonstrated notable therapeutic advantages in the treatment of digestive system diseases such as cholecystitis， acute pancreatitis， cholelithiasis， and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease， but also have shown definite curative efficacy in the management of diseases affecting multiple other systems， including cardiovascular， endocrine， dermatological， reproductive， respiratory， neurological， urinary， pediatric， and immune systems. These combined applications can effectively improve the overall clinical response rate， shorten the time to symptom relief， and reduce both the disease recurrence rate and the incidence of adverse reactions. This review systematically summarized the formula compatibility， chemical constituents， pharmacological mechanisms， and modern clinical applications of Da Chaihutang and its modified formulas， to provide a theoretical basis and practical reference for the secondary development of classic formulas， the research and development of new drugs， and the precise and safe clinical application of this classical prescription.

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome triggered by infection. It progresses rapidly and tends to develop into multiple organ dysfunction. Tanshinone ⅡA， one of the core active ingredients of Salvia miltiorrhiza， exerts remarkable targeted protective effects against sepsis-induced multiple organ dysfunction. This paper reviews the mechanisms by which tanshinone ⅡA alleviates sepsis-induced multiple organ dysfunction. Tanshinone ⅡA can relieve sepsis-induced lung injury by inhibiting the activity of Toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88/nuclear factor- κB， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathways and maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis. It ameliorates sepsis- induced myocardial injury via suppressing the activation of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3/caspase-1 signaling pathway， downregulating the expression of inflammatory factors and regulating autophagy. It mitigates sepsis-induced renal injury by regulating oxidative stress imbalance and reducing the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. It alleviates sepsis-caused liver injury through inhibiting the release of inflammatory factors and hepatocyte apoptosis. It improves sepsis-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction by upregulating the expression of tight junction proteins and restraining inflammatory responses. Furthermore， it relieves sepsis-associated encephalopathy by activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α/nuclear respiratory factor 1/mitochondrial transcription factor A signaling pathway. Tanshinone ⅡA is expected to be a vital candidate drug for comprehensive prevention and treatment of sepsis. However， interdisciplinary research is required to break through current bottlenecks and realize the transformation from basic experiments to clinical application.

BackgroundSuicide and self-injury risk in patients with depression disorder is associated with pain symptoms， but the relationships between specific pain types and their severity and distinct self-injury/suicide risk phenotypes remain controversial. ObjectiveTo explore whether somatic pain can reflect different self-injury/suicide risk phenotypes， and to provide references for the clinical identification of suicide and self-injury risk in patients with depression. MethodsBased on data from the National Survey on Symptomatology of Depression （NSSD）， 3 275 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fourth edition， text revision （DSM-IV-TR） were recruited. According to previous suicidal behavior， suicidal ideation and self-injury behavior in the past two weeks， patients were divided into the no self-injury/suicide risk group， self-injury group， and high suicide-risk group. The occurrence of headache， muscle soreness， trunk pain， limb pain， and other pain symptoms was assessed using the structured symptom assessment instrument of the NSSD. With the no self-injury/suicide risk group as the reference， an ordinal Logistic regression model was used to analyze the associations between the risk groups and the occurrence frequency of pain， with demographic and clinical characteristics entered into the model as covariates for adjustment. ResultsA total of 3 211 patients （98.05%） were included in the analysis， including 1 329 cases （41.39%） in the no self-injury/suicide risk group， 415 cases （12.92%） in the self-injury group， and 1 467 cases （45.69%） in the high suicide-risk group. Compared with the no self-injury/suicide risk group， the occurrence frequencies of headache （OR=1.526， 95% CI： 1.221–1.894） and muscle soreness （OR=1.287， 95% CI： 1.034–1.597） were higher in the self-injury group， and the occurrence frequencies of headache （OR=0.583， 95% CI： 0.504–0.672）， muscle soreness （OR=0.682， 95% CI： 0.597–0.780）， trunk pain （OR=0.557， 95% CI： 0.475–0.634）， limb pain （OR=0.454， 95% CI： 0.384–0.522）， and other pain difficult to localize （OR=0.542， 95% CI： 0.472–0.631） were all lower in the high suicide-risk group. ConclusionPatients with depression disorder across different self-injury and suicide risk phenotypes exhibit distinct pain characteristics， and these differences may provide a reference for the clinical identification of suicide and self-injury risk in patients with depression disorder. ［Funded by The National Key Research and Development Program of China during the "13th Five-Year Plan" period （number， 2016YFC1307100）； Shanghai Key Clinical Specialties Construction Project］

Background The decline of physical activity in the elderly due to aging may increase the risk of sarcopenia. Currently, there is a lack of evidence from large natural populations on the relationship between PA and sarcopenia. Objective To explore the relationship between PA and sarcopenia in the elderly aged 60 years and above in 10 provinces (autonomous regions) of China. Methods Data were retrieved from the 2022—2023 round of the China Development and Nutrition Health Impact Cohort. Personal basic information and PA data were collected by questionnaire survey. Skeletal muscle mass was measured by bio-electrical impedance analysis, muscle strength was measured using a grip dynamometer, and physical performance was reflected by 6-meter walk speed. The Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 criteria were used to diagnose sarcopenia. Light physical activity (LPA) duration, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) duration, and total physical activity volume were calculated. A total of 3326 residents aged ≥60 years with complete data were selected as the survey participants. Multiple logistic regression models and restricted cubic splines (RCS) were used to assess the association between PA duration/volume and sarcopenia. Results In 10 provinces (autonomous regions) of China, the prevalence of sarcopenia in the elderly aged 60 years and above was 5.5% (95%CI: 4.7%, 6.2%). The logistic regression analysis showed that compared with the elderly reporting 0-7.0 h·week⁻¹ in LPA duration, the risk of sarcopenia in the elderly with LPA duration of >14.0-21.0 h·week⁻¹ was reduced by 51% (OR=0.49, 95%CI: 0.26, 0.96). Compared with the elderly with total physical activity ≥15.0 metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-h·week⁻¹, those with <7.5 MET-h·week⁻¹ had a 2.24-fold increased risk of sarcopenia (OR=2.24, 95%CI: 1.17, 4.29). The RCS results found that LPA duration and total physical activity volume each showed a nonlinear dose-response relationship with the risk of sarcopenia (P_overall<0.05, P_non-linear<0.05). Compared with the elderly with an LPA duration of 0 h· week⁻¹, the risk of sarcopenia in the elderly with an LPA duration of 12.6 h· week⁻¹ was the lowest (OR=0.42, 95%CI: 0.21, 0.83). Compared with the elderly with a total physical activity volume of 15.0 MET-h· week⁻¹, the elderly with a total physical activity volume of 46.0 MET-h· week⁻¹ had the lowest risk of sarcopenia (OR=0.57, 95%CI: 0.38, 0.84). There was no statistically significant association between weekly MVPA duration and the risk of sarcopenia (P>0.05). Conclusion Increasing weekly LPA duration and total physical activity volume would help to reduce the risk of sarcopenia.

Objective To explore the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of transesophageal endoscopic surgery for mediastinal tumors. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 17 patients who underwent transesophageal endoscopic resection for benign mediastinal tumors at the Endoscopy Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2024. Epidemiological characteristics, surgical parameters, adverse events, and follow-up outcomes were analyzed. Results Among the 17 patients, there were 9 males and 8 females, with an average age of (42.4±14.5) years and an average tumor size of (2.6±1.6) cm. Pathological types included esophageal duplication cysts (6 cases, 35.3%), bronchogenic cysts (5 cases, 29.4%), gastroenteric cysts (3 cases, 17.6%), schwannomas (2 cases, 11.8%), and lymphangioma (1 case, 5.9%). Fourteen patients (82.4%) underwent submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER), 3 patients (17.6%) underwent natural orifice transluminal endoscopic mediastinal surgery. All surgeries were successfully completed without conversion to open surgery. En bloc resection was achieved in 11 patients (64.7%), with an average operative time of (60.9±32.6) min. No intraoperative bleeding or mucosal injury occurred, and 4 patients (23.5%) experienced minor complications (pneumothorax, fever, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury), all of which resolved with conservative treatment. The average postoperative hospital stay was (3.2±1.5) days, and no recurrence was observed during the follow-up period. Conclusions Transesophageal endoscopic resection of benign mediastinal tumors is a safe, effective, and minimally invasive treatment method. Further validation of its efficacy and safety through large-scale prospective studies is warranted.