OBJECTIVE The emergence of evolving variants of Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has fostered the need for change of newer and adaptive treatments for these infections.During the COVID-19 pandemic and persists,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)herbs exhibit significant bioactivity and therapeutic effect.This study is aimed to evaluate the efficacy of four TCM preparations on 28-day mortality risk of patients and changes of the laboratory indicators.METHODS The retrospective cohort study included patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to the Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from December 15,2022 to January 15,2023,and those died within 48 hours of admission or cannot be tracked for outcomes were excluded.The pri-mary outcome was survival status in 28 days(death or survival)starting from the day of admission.The second outcomes were labora-tory indicators,including absolute lymphocyte count,lactate dehydrogenase,creatinine,and blood urea nitrogen.Binary logistic re-gressions were used to estimate the effect of TCM preparations on the primary and secondary outcomes in main analysis.Meanwhile,heterogeneity and robustness of results from main analysis were assessed by subgroup analyses and multiple sensitivity analyses.RESULTS 1 816 eligible patients were included in analysis dataset,including 573 patients received standard care(control group)and 1 243 patients received TCM preparations(hospital preparation group).The 28-day mortality rate of hospital preparation group was lower than that of control group(4.75%vs.14.83%),and the difference was statistically significant(χ2=54.666,P<0.001).The risk of 28-day mortality was 0.535 times lower in the hospital preparation group as compared with the control group(OR=0.46,95%CI:0.305-0.708,P<0.001)showed by multivariable binary logistic regressions.Subgroup analyses showed that taking TCM preparations reduced the 28-day mortality risk.Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the results of the main analysis for primary outcomes were robust.For secondary outcomes,the risk of abnormal absolute lymphocyte counts at discharge in the hospital prepara-tion group decreased by 0.284 times(OR=0.703,95%CI:0.515-0.961,P=0.027).CONCLUSION Compared with standard of care,taking four hospital preparations including Kanggan Heji,Feining Heji,Qishen Gubiao Keli,and Qianghuo Qushi Qingwen Heji decreased risk of 28-day mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients.TCM therapy achieves adequate therapeutic effects in COVID-19.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common primary malignant tumor of the liver, characterized by high lethality and poor prognosis. Among the three subtypes of ICC, the intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocarcinoma (IMCC) is the most prevalent. In recent years, the incidence of IMCC has been continuously rising, and its differential diagnosis and prognostic prediction have received widespread attention. Multimodal functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) integrates the advantages of various imaging modalities, capable of monitoring tumor hemodynamic changes, cellular metabolism, and other factors. Radiomics, with MRI as its basis, utilizes high-throughput extraction of imaging features to non-invasively acquire information on intra-tumor heterogeneity, subsequently assisting in the diagnosis of liver tumors. This article mainly summarizes the advancements in the application of multimodal functional MRI and MRI-based radiomics in the differential diagnosis and prognostic prediction of IMCC.

Intestinal fibrosis is a significant clinical challenge in inflammatory bowel diseases, but no effective anti-fibrotic therapy is currently available. Glucagon receptor (GCGR) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R) are both peptide hormone receptors involved in energy metabolism of epithelial cells. However, their role in intestinal fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Herein GCGR and GLP1R were found to be reduced in the stenotic ileum of patients with Crohn's disease as well as in the fibrotic colon of mice with chronic colitis. The downregulation of GCGR and GLP1R led to the accumulation of the metabolic byproduct lactate, resulting in histone H3K9 lactylation and exacerbated intestinal fibrosis through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Dual activating GCGR and GLP1R by peptide 1907B reduced the H3K9 lactylation in epithelial cells and ameliorated intestinal fibrosis in vivo. We uncovered the role of GCGR/GLP1R in regulating EMT involved in intestinal fibrosis via histone lactylation. Simultaneously activating GCGR/GLP1R with the novel dual agonist peptide 1907B holds promise as a treatment strategy for alleviating intestinal fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE The emergence of evolving variants of Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has fostered the need for change of newer and adaptive treatments for these infections.During the COVID-19 pandemic and persists,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)herbs exhibit significant bioactivity and therapeutic effect.This study is aimed to evaluate the efficacy of four TCM preparations on 28-day mortality risk of patients and changes of the laboratory indicators.METHODS The retrospective cohort study included patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to the Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from December 15,2022 to January 15,2023,and those died within 48 hours of admission or cannot be tracked for outcomes were excluded.The pri-mary outcome was survival status in 28 days(death or survival)starting from the day of admission.The second outcomes were labora-tory indicators,including absolute lymphocyte count,lactate dehydrogenase,creatinine,and blood urea nitrogen.Binary logistic re-gressions were used to estimate the effect of TCM preparations on the primary and secondary outcomes in main analysis.Meanwhile,heterogeneity and robustness of results from main analysis were assessed by subgroup analyses and multiple sensitivity analyses.RESULTS 1 816 eligible patients were included in analysis dataset,including 573 patients received standard care(control group)and 1 243 patients received TCM preparations(hospital preparation group).The 28-day mortality rate of hospital preparation group was lower than that of control group(4.75%vs.14.83%),and the difference was statistically significant(χ2=54.666,P<0.001).The risk of 28-day mortality was 0.535 times lower in the hospital preparation group as compared with the control group(OR=0.46,95%CI:0.305-0.708,P<0.001)showed by multivariable binary logistic regressions.Subgroup analyses showed that taking TCM preparations reduced the 28-day mortality risk.Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the results of the main analysis for primary outcomes were robust.For secondary outcomes,the risk of abnormal absolute lymphocyte counts at discharge in the hospital prepara-tion group decreased by 0.284 times(OR=0.703,95%CI:0.515-0.961,P=0.027).CONCLUSION Compared with standard of care,taking four hospital preparations including Kanggan Heji,Feining Heji,Qishen Gubiao Keli,and Qianghuo Qushi Qingwen Heji decreased risk of 28-day mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients.TCM therapy achieves adequate therapeutic effects in COVID-19.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common primary malignant tumor of the liver, characterized by high lethality and poor prognosis. Among the three subtypes of ICC, the intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocarcinoma (IMCC) is the most prevalent. In recent years, the incidence of IMCC has been continuously rising, and its differential diagnosis and prognostic prediction have received widespread attention. Multimodal functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) integrates the advantages of various imaging modalities, capable of monitoring tumor hemodynamic changes, cellular metabolism, and other factors. Radiomics, with MRI as its basis, utilizes high-throughput extraction of imaging features to non-invasively acquire information on intra-tumor heterogeneity, subsequently assisting in the diagnosis of liver tumors. This article mainly summarizes the advancements in the application of multimodal functional MRI and MRI-based radiomics in the differential diagnosis and prognostic prediction of IMCC.

In the process of achieving the"Healthy China 2030"goal,the importance of health knowledge popularization behavior is increasingly prominent.Medical communication has emerged to meet the growing demand for medical popularization and improve the shortage of professional medical staff in medical knowledge popularization.At present,literature is relatively scarce on the development process of medical communication in the academic community.By analyzing the development process of this discipline,this paper divided the development process of the knowledge system of medical communication into three stages,including the"initial stage",the"practical exploration stage",and the"rapid development stage".After summarizing the different characteristics exhibited in the three stages,it can be concluded that the number of colleges and universities offering medical communication courses is gradually increasing,and social organizations such as the Society of Medical Communication have been established one after another,expanding the influence of the discipline.The development of medical communication not only helps to enhance the popularization and communication abilities of medical students,but also accelerates the development of China's health industry through its extensive influence at the practical level.

Objective To explore the mechanism underlying the protective effect of α2-macroglobulin (A2M) against glucocorticoid-induced femoral head necrosis. Methods In a human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) model with injuries induced by gradient concentrations of dexamethasone (DEX;10-8-10-5 mol/L), the protective effects of A2M at 0.05 and 0.1 mg/mL were assessed by examining the changes in cell viability, migration, and capacity of angiogenesis using CCK-8 assay, Transwell and scratch healing assays and angiogenesis assay. The expressions of CD31 and VEGF-A proteins in the treated cells were detected using Western blotting. In BALB/c mouse models of avascular necrosis of the femoral head induced by intramuscular injections of methylprednisolone, the effects of intervention with A2M on femoral trabecular structure, histopathological characteristics, and CD31 expression were examined with Micro-CT, HE staining and immunohistochemical staining. Results In cultured HUVECs, DEX treatment significantly reduced cell viability, migration and angiogenic ability in a concentration- and time-dependent manner (P<0.05), and these changes were obviously reversed by treatment with A2M in positive correlation with A2M concentration (P<0.05). DEX significantly reduced the expression of CD31 and VEGF-A proteins in HUVECs, while treatment with A2M restored CD31 and VEGF-A expressions in the cells (P<0.05). The mouse models of femoral head necrosis showed obvious trabecular damages in the femoral head, where a large number of empty lacunae and hypertrophic fat cells could be seen and CD31 expression was significantly decreased (P<0.05). A2M treatment of the mouse models significantly improved trabecular damages, maintained normal bone tissue structures, and increased CD31 expression in the femoral head (P<0.05). Conclusion A2M promotes proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of DEX-treated HUVECs and alleviates methylprednisolone-induced femoral head necrosis by improving microcirculation damages and maintaining microcirculation stability in the femoral head.

Objective To explore the mechanism underlying the protective effect of α2-macroglobulin (A2M) against glucocorticoid-induced femoral head necrosis. Methods In a human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) model with injuries induced by gradient concentrations of dexamethasone (DEX;10-8-10-5 mol/L), the protective effects of A2M at 0.05 and 0.1 mg/mL were assessed by examining the changes in cell viability, migration, and capacity of angiogenesis using CCK-8 assay, Transwell and scratch healing assays and angiogenesis assay. The expressions of CD31 and VEGF-A proteins in the treated cells were detected using Western blotting. In BALB/c mouse models of avascular necrosis of the femoral head induced by intramuscular injections of methylprednisolone, the effects of intervention with A2M on femoral trabecular structure, histopathological characteristics, and CD31 expression were examined with Micro-CT, HE staining and immunohistochemical staining. Results In cultured HUVECs, DEX treatment significantly reduced cell viability, migration and angiogenic ability in a concentration- and time-dependent manner (P<0.05), and these changes were obviously reversed by treatment with A2M in positive correlation with A2M concentration (P<0.05). DEX significantly reduced the expression of CD31 and VEGF-A proteins in HUVECs, while treatment with A2M restored CD31 and VEGF-A expressions in the cells (P<0.05). The mouse models of femoral head necrosis showed obvious trabecular damages in the femoral head, where a large number of empty lacunae and hypertrophic fat cells could be seen and CD31 expression was significantly decreased (P<0.05). A2M treatment of the mouse models significantly improved trabecular damages, maintained normal bone tissue structures, and increased CD31 expression in the femoral head (P<0.05). Conclusion A2M promotes proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of DEX-treated HUVECs and alleviates methylprednisolone-induced femoral head necrosis by improving microcirculation damages and maintaining microcirculation stability in the femoral head.

Objective:To study the effects and the related molecular mechanisms of miR-148a-3p on the proliferation,invasion and migration of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma SACC-LM cells.Methods:miR-148a-3p mimics and inhibitors,siRNA targeting EG-FR and their corresponding controls were transfected into SACC-LM cells.Bioinformatics was used to predict the potential target genes of miR-148a-3p.EGFR and miR-148a-3p mRNA expression levels were examined by qRT-PCR and the protein levels of EG-FR were detected by Western blotting.CCK-8,scratch,and Transwell assays were used to study the proliferation,migration,and invasion of SACC-LM cells,respectively.The direct targeting relationship between miR-148a-3p and EGFR was examined by using the double luciferase reporter gene assay.Statistical analysis of the data was performed by SPSS 22.0 software.Results:Overexpres-sion or inhibition of miR-148a-3p significantly inhibited or promoted the proliferation,invasion and metastasis of SACC-LM cells re-spectively(P＜0.05).Bioinformatics and double luciferase assay showed that miR-148a-3p directly targeted and regulated the expres-sion of EGFR(P＜0.001).Downregulation of EGFR inhibited the proliferation,migration and invasion of SACC-LM cells(P＜0.05)and partially reversed the promoting effect of miR-148a-3p inhibition(P＜0.05).Conclusion:The downregulation of miR-148a-3p leads to the abnormally high expression of its target gene EGFR,and promotes the proliferation,invasion,and migration of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma cells.

Objective:To investigate the effects of methyltransferases like 3(METTL3)mediated m6A modification of double homology cassette A pseudogene8(DUXAP8)on the proliferation,migration and invasion of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma SACC-LM cells and its potential molecular mechanisms.Methods:Whole-transcriptome sequencing showed that DUXAP8 was highly ex-pressed in SACC than in para-cancerous tissues(P＜0.05).The m6A modification sites on DUXAP8 were predicted using the SRAMP website,and the mRNA and protein expression of m6A-modified genes and the genes associated with the epithelial-mesen-chymal transition(EMT)was measured by qRT-PCR and Western blot,respectively.METTL3 and DUXAP8 was knocked down or overexpressed in SACC-LM cells,and the proliferation,migration,and invasion of the cells were assessed by CCK-8,scratch and Transwell assays.The correlation between METTL3 and DUXAP8 was evaluated using MeRIP-qPCR.Results:The expression of DUXAP8 in SACC tumor was higher than that in para-cancerous tissues(P＜0.05).Knockdown of DUXAP8 reduced proliferation,migration and invasion of SACC-LM cells,as well as the expression of EMT-related genes(P＜0.05).Multiple m6A modification sites of high confidence were found on DUXAP8.METTL3 was highly expressed in tumor tissues,more than other related genes(P＜0.05)and enzyme-encoding genes in SACC-LM cells(P＜0.05).METTL3 was found to function as a methyltransferase to regulate the expression of DUX-AP8,and downregulation of METTL3 inhibited prolifera-tion,migration and invasion of SACC-LM cells and partially reversed the promotion of these activities induced by DUX-AP8 overexpression(P＜0.05).Conclusion:METTL3-me-diated m6A modification upregulated DUXAP8 expression,which promotes the proliferation,migration and invasion of SACC cells.