Objective:To investigate the interventional effects of the Fuzheng Huayu (FZHY) formula and its partial mechanistic role on cholestatic liver fibrosis in mice.Methods:Mdr2 gene knockout (Mdr2－/ －) mice were randomly divided into a model group, FZHY group, and Obeticholic acid group. Wild-type C57BL/6J mice of the same age served as the control group. Mdr2－/ －mice were given the corresponding drugs starting from the first day of 9 weeks of age by oral gavage in each group. The control and model groups were administered 0.3% sodium carboxymethylcellulose by oral gavage and were sacrificed at 12 weeks of age for specimen collection. High-speed biochemistry analyzer was used to detect serum alkaline phosphatase and alanine aminotransferase activity in mice. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and Sirius red staining were used to observe pathological changes in liver tissues. Hydroxyproline content was measured to assess collagen in liver tissues. Immunohistochemical staining, Western blotting, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR were used to detect the expression of fibrosis markers Col-I and alpha-smooth muscle actin in liver tissues. The expressional condition of cholangiocyte response markers Epcam, CK7, CK19, as well as Pcna, Mki67, and Ccnd1, inflammatory related factors Ccl2, Ccl5, Tnf-α, Il10, and Cxcl4, phosphorylated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) were determined. Comparative analysis among multiple groups was performed using one-way ANOVA. The LSD method was used for comparisons between groups. Two-tailed statistical tests were used.Results:Compared with wild-type mice, Mdr2 －/ － mice had a significant increase in serum alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activity ( P<0.001). The percentage of Sirius red-positive staining areas and hydroxyproline content in liver tissues was significantly increased ( P<0.01). The expression of Col-I, α-smooth muscle actin, Epcam, CK7, CK19, Pcna, Mki67, and Ccnd1, and the expression of Ccl2, Ccl5, Tnf-α, Il10, and Cxcl4 were significantly increased ( P<0.01); however, both FZHY and Obeticholic acid significantly reversed the increases in these indicators ( P<0.05; P<0.01). Further results showed that compared to wild-type mice, the expression of PPARα was significantly reduced in liver tissues of Mdr2 －/ － mice, while NF-κB was significantly enhanced ( P<0.01). In contrast, compared to Mdr2-/- mice, the expression of PPARα in the liver tissues of FZHY group mice was significantly increased ( P<0.05), while NF-κB was significantly inhibited ( P<0.05). Conclusion:FZHY can significantly improve liver fibrosis, cholangiocyte response, and inflammation in Mdr2 －/ － mice with spontaneously occurring cholestatic liver fibrosis, and its mechanistic role is related to the regulation of the PPARα/NF-κB pathway.

Objective To investigate the value of geometric parameters of vertebrobasilar artery(VBA)for judging whether vertebral artery(VA)provide cross blood supply of posterior cerebral artery(PCA)blood supply area.Methods MR T2-fluid attenuated inversion recovery(FLAIR),3D time of flight(TOF)MR angiography(MRA)and territorial arterial spin labeling(t-ASL)images of 244 healthy adults were prospectively acquired.The angles between left VA(LVA)or right VA(RVA)and basilar artery(BA)were measured,and the sum and difference between the two angles were calculated(referred to as the sum of VA angles and the difference of VA angles),and the differences of diameters of LVA and RVA were measured and calculated(referred to as the difference of VA diameters).VA perfusion distribution type in PCA blood supply area were observed,and those with type Ⅲ or Ⅵ were enrolled in cross group,while those with type Ⅱ or Ⅴ were enrolled in non-cross group,respectively.The geometric parameters of VBA were compared between groups.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of parameters being significant different between groups were drawn,and the efficacy of these parameters for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area were evaluated.Results There were 34 subjects in cross group and 75 in non-cross group.The sum of VA angles and the difference of VA angles in cross group were both larger than those in non-cross group(both P＜0.05),while the difference of VA diameters were not significantly different between groups(P＞0.05).The AUC of the difference of VA angles for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area was 0.676(P＜0.05),while of the sum of VA angles was 0.598(P=0.103).Conclusion The angle differences of LVA and RVA with BA had certain application value for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area.

Chronic kidney disease is characterized by complex pathophysiology. In recent years, research has indicated that gut microbiota dysbiosis plays a key role in the progression of chronic kidney disease. In patients with chronic kidney disease, the intestinal barrier function is compromised, allowing enteric metabolic toxins and bacterial translocation into the systemic circulation, which exacerbates the systemic inflammatory response associated with chronic kidney disease. Probiotics, as active microorganisms that regulate gut microbiota, have gradually attracted attention for their potential role in the treatment of chronic kidney disease. This review focuses on the research progress on probiotics for the treatment of chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease is characterized by complex pathophysiology. In recent years, research has indicated that gut microbiota dysbiosis plays a key role in the progression of chronic kidney disease. In patients with chronic kidney disease, the intestinal barrier function is compromised, allowing enteric metabolic toxins and bacterial translocation into the systemic circulation, which exacerbates the systemic inflammatory response associated with chronic kidney disease. Probiotics, as active microorganisms that regulate gut microbiota, have gradually attracted attention for their potential role in the treatment of chronic kidney disease. This review focuses on the research progress on probiotics for the treatment of chronic kidney disease.

Objective To investigate the value of geometric parameters of vertebrobasilar artery(VBA)for judging whether vertebral artery(VA)provide cross blood supply of posterior cerebral artery(PCA)blood supply area.Methods MR T2-fluid attenuated inversion recovery(FLAIR),3D time of flight(TOF)MR angiography(MRA)and territorial arterial spin labeling(t-ASL)images of 244 healthy adults were prospectively acquired.The angles between left VA(LVA)or right VA(RVA)and basilar artery(BA)were measured,and the sum and difference between the two angles were calculated(referred to as the sum of VA angles and the difference of VA angles),and the differences of diameters of LVA and RVA were measured and calculated(referred to as the difference of VA diameters).VA perfusion distribution type in PCA blood supply area were observed,and those with type Ⅲ or Ⅵ were enrolled in cross group,while those with type Ⅱ or Ⅴ were enrolled in non-cross group,respectively.The geometric parameters of VBA were compared between groups.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of parameters being significant different between groups were drawn,and the efficacy of these parameters for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area were evaluated.Results There were 34 subjects in cross group and 75 in non-cross group.The sum of VA angles and the difference of VA angles in cross group were both larger than those in non-cross group(both P＜0.05),while the difference of VA diameters were not significantly different between groups(P＞0.05).The AUC of the difference of VA angles for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area was 0.676(P＜0.05),while of the sum of VA angles was 0.598(P=0.103).Conclusion The angle differences of LVA and RVA with BA had certain application value for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area.

Objective:To investigate the interventional effects of the Fuzheng Huayu (FZHY) formula and its partial mechanistic role on cholestatic liver fibrosis in mice.Methods:Mdr2 gene knockout (Mdr2－/ －) mice were randomly divided into a model group, FZHY group, and Obeticholic acid group. Wild-type C57BL/6J mice of the same age served as the control group. Mdr2－/ －mice were given the corresponding drugs starting from the first day of 9 weeks of age by oral gavage in each group. The control and model groups were administered 0.3% sodium carboxymethylcellulose by oral gavage and were sacrificed at 12 weeks of age for specimen collection. High-speed biochemistry analyzer was used to detect serum alkaline phosphatase and alanine aminotransferase activity in mice. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and Sirius red staining were used to observe pathological changes in liver tissues. Hydroxyproline content was measured to assess collagen in liver tissues. Immunohistochemical staining, Western blotting, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR were used to detect the expression of fibrosis markers Col-I and alpha-smooth muscle actin in liver tissues. The expressional condition of cholangiocyte response markers Epcam, CK7, CK19, as well as Pcna, Mki67, and Ccnd1, inflammatory related factors Ccl2, Ccl5, Tnf-α, Il10, and Cxcl4, phosphorylated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) were determined. Comparative analysis among multiple groups was performed using one-way ANOVA. The LSD method was used for comparisons between groups. Two-tailed statistical tests were used.Results:Compared with wild-type mice, Mdr2 －/ － mice had a significant increase in serum alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activity ( P<0.001). The percentage of Sirius red-positive staining areas and hydroxyproline content in liver tissues was significantly increased ( P<0.01). The expression of Col-I, α-smooth muscle actin, Epcam, CK7, CK19, Pcna, Mki67, and Ccnd1, and the expression of Ccl2, Ccl5, Tnf-α, Il10, and Cxcl4 were significantly increased ( P<0.01); however, both FZHY and Obeticholic acid significantly reversed the increases in these indicators ( P<0.05; P<0.01). Further results showed that compared to wild-type mice, the expression of PPARα was significantly reduced in liver tissues of Mdr2 －/ － mice, while NF-κB was significantly enhanced ( P<0.01). In contrast, compared to Mdr2-/- mice, the expression of PPARα in the liver tissues of FZHY group mice was significantly increased ( P<0.05), while NF-κB was significantly inhibited ( P<0.05). Conclusion:FZHY can significantly improve liver fibrosis, cholangiocyte response, and inflammation in Mdr2 －/ － mice with spontaneously occurring cholestatic liver fibrosis, and its mechanistic role is related to the regulation of the PPARα/NF-κB pathway.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of hemodiafiltration combined with hemoperfusion in the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD).Methods:A total of 40 patients with SHPT undergoing MHD who received treatment at the Blood Purification Center of The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Science and Technology from February 2021 to March 2023 were included in this prospective cohort study. They were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group ( n = 20/group).The control group received a single high flux hemodialysis, while the observation group used a combination of hemodialysis filtration and hemoperfusion for 3 months. In both groups, the changes in hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, serum calcium, serum phosphorus,and parathyroid hormone levels were compared before and after dialysis. Results:After dialysis, the hemoglobin level in the observation group was (119.45 ± 5.27) g/L, which was significantly higher than (106.30 ± 6.52) g/L in the control group ( t = -7.02, P < 0.001). The serum phosphorus level in the observation group was (1.18 ± 0.17) mmol/L, which was significantly lower than (1.52 ± 0.22) mmol/L in the control group ( t = 5.49, P < 0.001). The parathyroid hormone level in the observation group was (122.14 ± 40.57) ng/L, which was significantly lower than (168.78 ± 78.27) ng/L in the control group ( t = 2.39, P = 0.023). Conclusion:Hemodiafiltration combined with hemoperfusion can reduce clinical symptoms, increase hemoglobin level, and reduce phosphorus and parathyroid hormone levels in patients with SHPT undergoing MHD, which deserves clinical promotion.

Abstract Allergic diseases can occur in all systems of the body, covering the whole life cycle, from children to adults and to old age, can be lifelong onset and even fatal in severe cases. Children account for the largest proportion of the victims of allergic disease, Children s allergies start from scratch, ranging from mild to severe, from less to more, from single to multiple systems and systemic performance, so the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases in children is of great importance, which can not only prevent high risk allergic conditions from developing into allergic diseases, but also further block the process of allergy. At present, there is no consensus on the management system of allergic children in kindergartens and primary schools. The "Consensus on Allergy Management and Prevention in Kindergartens and Primary Schools", which includes the organizational structure, system construction and management of allergic children, provides evidence informed recommendations for the long term comprehensive management of allergic children in kindergartens and primary schools, and provides a basis for the establishment of the prevention system for allergic children.

Objective To study the partial mechanism of astragalosides(ASTs)against biliary fibrosis through inhibiting ductular reaction.Methods Rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,bile duct ligation(BDL)group and ASTs group(n=8 in each group).On the first day of the second week after BDL,the rats in ASTs group were given intragastric administration of ASTs for 3 weeks(160 mg·kg-1·d-1,once a day).Rats in sham operation group and BDL group were given the same volume of water.At the end of the fourth week,all rats were euthanasia.HE staining and sirius red staining were used to observe the pathological changes and collagen deposition.The degree of liver fibrosis was evaluated by semi-quantitative analysis of positive area of sirius red staining and the content of hydroxyproline.The expression changes of α smooth muscle actin(α-SMA),Desmin,cytokeratin(CK)19,CK7,epithelial cell adhesion molecule(Epcam),OV6 and lysyl oxidase(LOX)family proteins in liver tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry,Western blot,and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).In vitro,hepatic progenitor cell line WB-F344 cells were induced by sodium butyrate to differentiate into biliary epithelial cells,intervented of ASTs,and collected after 4 days.The expression changes of CK19,LOXL1 and LOXL2 of cells were detected by qRT-PCR.Results Compared with BDL group,serum ALT and AST activities in ASTs group were significantly decreased(P<0.01).Histopathological injury of liver tissue was significantly reduced,Hyp content and percentage of positive area of sirius red were significantly decreased(P<0.01).Immunohistochemical staining showed that the positive expressions of α-SMA,Desmin,CK19,CK7,Epcam and OV6 were significantly decreased in the ASTs group.The mRNA expressions of α-SMA,CK7,LOX and LOXL1 were significantly decreased.The protein expressions of Epcam and LOXL1 were significantly reduced.In vitro results showed that the gene expressions of CK19,LOXL1 and LOXL2 were significantly increased after sodium butyrate induction(P<0.01).Compared with sodium butyrate group,the gene expressions of CK19,LOXL1 and LOXL2 were significantly decreased in ASTs group(P<0.01).Conclusion ASTs improved biliary fibrosis by inhibiting ductular reaction,and the mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of LOXL1.

Objective To investigate the intervention effect of GDC-0449, a hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitor, on rats with liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) combined with 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF). Methods A total of 18 female Fisher344 rats were randomly divided into normal group, CCl 4 /2-AAF group, and GDC-0449 group, with 6 rats in each group. The rats in the CCl 4 /2-AAF group and the GDC-0449 group were given subcutaneously injected 30% CCl 4 -olive oil solution at a dose of 2 mL/kg twice a week for 6 weeks to induce liver fibrosis; since week 7, in addition to the injection of CCl 4 -olive oil solution, the rats in these two groups were given 2-AAF (100 mg/kg/d) by gavage, and the rats in the GDC-0449 group were given GDC-0449 (25 mg/kg/d) by gavage, while those in the normal group were given an equal volume of olive oil solution by injection and normal saline by gavage. All rats were sacrificed at the end of week 9, and related samples were collected. HE staining and sirius red (SR) staining were used to observe the changes in liver histopathology and collagen deposition, and the semi-quantitative analysis of SR-positive area and Ishak score were used to evaluate fibrosis degree; the alkaline hydrolysis method was used to measure the level of hydroxyproline (Hyp) in liver tissue; immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and qRT-PCR were used to measure the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), type Ⅰ collagen (Col-Ⅰ), type Ⅳ collagen (Col-Ⅳ), cytokeratin 19 (CK19), cytokeratin 7 (CK7), the epithelial cell adhesion molecule Epcam, and the hedgehog signaling pathway in liver tissue; double immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the colocalization of CK19 and the oval cell marker OV6. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t -test was used for further comparison between two groups. Results Compared with the normal group, the CCl 4 /2-AAF group had marked inflammatory cell aggregation and collagen deposition in liver tissue, with the formation of a pseudolobular structure, as well as significant increases in Hyp level and collagen positive area ratio in liver tissue ( P < 0.05), Ishak score ( P < 0.05), and the expression of α-SMA, Col-Ⅰ, Col-Ⅳ, Epcam, CK19, CK7, the transmembrane transporter Smoothened (Smo), Hedgehog ligand Desert Hedgehog (Dhh), the Indian Hedgehog membrane-binding receptor Patched (Ptch2), and glioma-related oncogenes Gli1, Gli2, and Gli3 (all P < 0.05); double immunofluorescence staining showed that CK19-positive cells also expressed OV6 in the liver tissue of rats in the CCl 4 /2-AAF group, with a significant increase compared with the normal group. Compared with the CCl 4 /2-AAF group, the GDC-0449 group had significant reductions in inflammatory cell aggregation and collagen deposition in liver tissue, Hyp level and collagen positive area ratio in liver tissue ( P < 0.05), Ishak score ( P < 0.05), and the expression of α-SMA, Epcam, CK19, CK7, Smo, Ptch2, Gli1, Gli2, and Gli3 (all P < 0.05); double immunofluorescence staining showed a significant reduction in the number of cells with co-expression of OV6 and CK19 in liver tissue. Conclusion The Hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitor GDC-0449 can significantly inhibit the progression of liver fibrosis induced by CCl 4 /2-AAF in rats, possibly by inhibiting hepatic stellate cell activation, collagen deposition, activation and proliferation of hepatic progenitor cells, and differentiation of hepatic progenitor cells into biliary epithelial cells.