Diabetic kidney disease（DKD） is a chronic kidney structural and functional disorder caused by diabetes. With the global prevalence of diabetes continuing to rise， DKD has gradually become a major cause of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease（ESRD）， posing a serious threat to patients' quality of life and long-term health outcomes. Studies have shown that apoptosis plays a pivotal role in the development and progression of DKD， with its mechanisms involving abnormal activation of multiple signaling pathways such as Toll-like receptor 4（TLR4）/nuclear transcription factor-κB（NF-κB）/B-cell lymphoma-2（Bcl-2）/cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase（Caspase）-3， protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase（PERK）/eukaryotic initiation factor 2α（eIF2α）/activating transcript factor 4（ATF4）/CCAAT enhancer-binding protein homologous protein（CHOP）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase（PI3K）/protein kinase B（Akt）/glycogen synthase kinase-3β（GSK-3β）， Janus kinase 2（JAK2）/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3（STAT3）， adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase（AMPK）/mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR） and silent information regulator 1（SIRT1）/tumor suppressor protein 53（p53）， thereby accelerating renal pathological damage in DKD. Extensive evidence-based medical studies have confirmed that traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）， leveraging its unique therapeutic advantages of multi-target， multi-component and multi-pathway approaches， has demonstrated remarkable efficacy and favorable safety profiles in treating DKD. Recent studies have demonstrated that active components of TCM can specifically target and modulate key effectors in apoptotic signaling pathways. Meanwhile， traditional compound formulations exert synergistic effects through multiple approaches such as replenishing deficiency and activating blood circulation， detoxifying and dredging collaterals， tonifying kidney essence， and removing stasis and purging turbidity， thereby comprehensively regulating critical pathological processes including endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial apoptosis pathways. This combined therapeutic approach of molecular targeting and holistic regulation provides novel strategies for delaying the progression of DKD. Based on this， this paper provides an in-depth analysis of key apoptotic signaling pathways and their regulatory mechanisms， while systematically summarizing recent research advances regarding the therapeutic effects of TCM active components， compound formulations， and proprietary Chinese medicines on DKD through modulation of these pathways， with particular emphasis on their underlying molecular mechanisms. These findings not only elucidate the modern scientific connotation and theoretical basis of TCM in treating DKD but also establish a solid theoretical and practical foundation for promoting the wider clinical application and further research of TCM in the field of DKD treatment.

Objective To assess the exposure levels of heavy metals,including lead,arsenic,mercury,and cadmium,in the local population in Sichuan and Chongqing,China,to compare and analyze the differences in reference intervals(RIs)obtained from direct and indirect sampling methods,and to explore the interchangeability and limitations of these two sampling methods.Methods RIs were obtained by the direct sampling method and the indirect sampling method.In the direct sample method,the levels of blood arsenic,urinary cadmium,urinary mercury,and blood lead levels of 5562 healthy participants aged 22-50 years in Sichuan and Chongqing,China were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.Using the human biomonitoring(HBM)data,we established RIs for the population by a nonparametric method.On the other hand,in the indirect sampling method,RIs were established via a nonparametric method based on data from the laboratory information system(LIS)of a local hospital after stratifying healthy individuals using a Gaussian mixture model(GMM).Comparative analysis of the RIs derived from the two sampling methods were then conducted.Results The RI for blood arsenic was 0.11-1.3 μmol/L.The RI for urinary cadmium was 0.51-2.80 μmol/mol creatine for adults aged 22 to under 43 years and 0.66-2.96 μmol/mol creatine for adults aged 43-50 years.The RI for urinary mercury was 0.12-1.10 μmol/mol creatine.The RI for blood lead was 14.00-47.00 pg/L for adults aged 22 to under 41 year,16.00-53.38 pg/L for males aged 41-50 year,and 15.00-51.02 pg/L for females aged 41-50 year.Most of the RIs established by the direct sampling method had a narrower range compared to those established by the indirect sampling method,and the RIs established by both sampling methods were partially biased.Conclusions The RIs for blood arsenic,urine cadmium,urine mercury,and blood lead in healthy individuals aged 22-50 years in Sichuan and Chongqing,China were established using both direct and indirect sampling methods,which contributes to a better understanding of environmental exposure to metals in the general population and provides a reference for metal poisoning.For data from the same lab,the GMM-based indirect sampling method demonstrated relatively consistent performance in establishing RIs compared with the direct sampling method.

Objective To comparatively analyze the clinical characteristics of primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia(PBMAH)and adrenal cortisol-producing Adenoma(CPA),and enhance the understanding of two diseases.Methods The clinical data of 85 PBMAH patients(PBMAH group)and 195 CPA patients(CPA group)diagnosed at Department of Endocrinology,the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital,from September 2014 to August 2024 were retrospectively analyzed.The demographic characteristics,comorbidities,biochemical indicators,adrenocorticotropic hormone-cortisol(ACTH-F)levels,and adrenal imaging features and treatment conditions were compared between the two groups.Results(1)General characteristics:Compared with CPA group,PBMAH group had older age at diagnosis and a higher proportion of male patients.(2)Clinical characteristics:Compared with CPA group,PBMAH group had a longer disease duration,a higher proportion of subclinical Cushing's syndrome(CS),and a higher proportion of hypertension,impaired glucose tolerance/diabetes,bone mass reduction or osteoporosis,with higher serum potassium levels,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).(3)Hormone levels:Both PBMAH and CPA groups showed ACTH-F rhythm disorder,significantly increased cortisol levels and suppressed ACTH.Compared with PBMAH group,CPA group had stronger autonomous cortisol secretion ability,manifested by increased midnight serum cortisol(F0:00),16:00 serum cortisol(F16:00),24-hour urinary free cortisol(24 h UFC)levels and lower 8:00 serum ACTH(ACTH8:00)and 16:00 serum ACTH(ACTH16:00)(P<0.01).After low-dose dexamethasone suppression test(LDDST),CPA group showed lower suppression rates of ACTH and cortisol,and higher proportions of paradoxical elevation in serum cortisol and 24 h UFC compared with PBMAH(P<0.01).Conclusions PBMAH has a longer disease course and higher proportions of comorbid metabolic disorders than CPA,mostly manifested as subclinical Cushing's syndrome.CPA has stronger autonomous cortisol secretion ability,with cortisol less likely to be suppressed after LDDST and more obvious paradoxical elevation of cortisol and 24 h UFC.

Objective To investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics of adrenal cortical carcinoma(ACC),compare differences between hypercortisolism and non-functional ACC,and assess the diagnostic value of indicators such as Ki-67 index.Methods The clinical data of 57 ACC patients admitted to the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2015 to March 2025 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the results of endocrine function assessment,47 of these patients were divided into hypercortisolism group(n=19)and non-functional group(n=28).The differences in clinical and pathological characteristics between the two groups were compared,and non-parametric tests and Spearman correlation analysis were used to explore the relationship between Ki-67 index and tumor stage as well as imaging features.Results Among the 57 patients,there were 20 males and 37 females,with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.85.The age ranged from 16 to 76 years,and the age at diagnosis was(48.7±13.3)years.The tumor diameter was(10.53±4.14)cm.The tumors were located on the right side in 12 cases(21.1%),on the left side in 34 cases(59.6%),and bilaterally in 11 cases(19.3%).Among them,16 cases(28.1%)were complicated with glucose metabolism disorders,31 cases(54.3%)had hypertension,and 20 cases(35.1%)had hypokalemia.According to ENSAT staging,there were 0 cases in stage Ⅰ,15 cases(26.3%)in stage Ⅱ,24 cases(42.1%)in stage Ⅲ,and 18 cases(31.6%)in stage Ⅳ.Endocrine function assessment was completed in 47 of the 57 patients,including 28 cases(59.6%)of non-functional ACC and 19 cases(40.4%)of hypercortisolism(including 1 case of hypercortisolism combined with increased sex hormone secretion).Compared with non-functional group,hypercortisolism group had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension(P=0.014),later ENSAT stage(P=0.010),and a higher proportion of hypervascularization(P=0.048).The median Ki-67 index was 20%(10%-40%),showing no significant correlation with either the maximum tumor diameter or SUVmax value,but it was related to ENSAT staging,with Ki-67 index in stageⅣ patients being significantly higher than that in stage Ⅱ(P=0.032).Immunohistochemistry results showed that the positive rate of Inhibin-α was 84.8%,and the positive rate of Melan-A was 40.9%.Conclusions ACC is a rare malignant endocrine tumor.ACC patients with hypercortisolism are more likely to be complicated with hypertension,have later staging,and more common hypervascular manifestations.Clinically,their endocrine function should be prioritized for assessment,and more active treatment strategies should be adopted.Diagnosis should be combined with imaging characteristics(such as hypervascularization)and immunohistochemical indicators(Ki-67,Inhibin-α,Melan-A).The significant increase in Ki-67 is in the advanced stage can serve as an important prognostic indicator to guide individualized treatment.

To investigate the association between obesity-related metabolic indices and the risk of knee osteoarthritis(KOA) in middle-aged and older Chinese adults(≥45 years) using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS).

Objective To compare TyG index between the patients with CHF and ADHF to eluci-date the metabolic difference between these two stages.Methods A total of 1156 HF patients ad-mitted in Taizhou People's Hospital between January 2020 and December 2022 were enrolled,and according to 2021 ESC Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute and Chronic Heart Fail-ure,they were divided into CHF group(365 cases)and ADHF group(791 cases).The clinical da-ta,results of laboratory tests,and cardiovascular history were collected,and TyG index was calcu-lated.All-cause death outcome was observed in ADHF patients during a follow-up of 1 year.Results The TyG index was significantly lower in the ADHF group than the CHF group[8.27(7.99,8.62)vs 8.35(8.04,8.75),P=0.001].In the ADHF group,the TyG index was positively correlated with SBP,DBP,TC,TG,LDL-C,FPG,HbA1c,BMI,and LVEF,and negatively with age(P＜0.01).In the CHF group,the index was positively correlated with DBP,TC,TG,LDL-C,FPG,BMI,and HbA1c,and negatively with age(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Both univariate and multiva-riate logistic regression analyses indicated that the TyG index was a protective factor for ADHF(OR=0.647,95％CI:0.503～0.832,P=0.001;OR=0.694,95％CI:0.536～0.898,P=0.005).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the index in ADHF patients was a protective factor for one-year all-cause mortality(OR=0.483,95％CI:0.254-0.916;P=0.026).Conclusion TyG index might be regarded as an important marker for assessing the metabolic status in HF patients and predicting the prognosis in ADHF patients.

AIM To establish the HPLC characteristic chromatograms for Yixin Fumai Granules,and to determine the contents of sodium danshensu,protocatechualdehyde,chlorogenic acid,calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside,ferulic acid,rosalinic acid,salvianolic acid A,salvianolic acid B,schisandrol A.METHODS The analysis was performed on a 35 ℃ thermostatic Acutfex PA-C18 column(4.6 mm ×250 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of acetonitrile-0.1％phosphoric acid flowing at 1.0 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and the detection wavelengths were set at 210,250,280,320 nm.Subsequently,cluster analysis and principal component analysis were performed.RESULTS There were 11 characteristic peaks in the characteristic chromatograms for 15 batches of samples with the similarities of more than 0.980.Nine constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(r≥0.999 6),whose average recoveries were 97.60％-107.02％with the RSDs of 0.78％-1.87％.Various batches of samples were clustered into 4 categories,2 principal components demonstrated the accumulative variance contribution rate of 89.454％.CONCLUSION This sensitive and reproducible method can provide a reference for the quality evaluation and control of Yixin Fumai Granules.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis（NEC）and analyze the risk factors for early-onset NEC.Methods:A total of 220 children with NEC admitted to the Department of Pediatrics，Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from January 1st，2018 to February 29th，2024 were retrospectively selected as the research objects. According to the time of onset，the early-onset group（ n=120）and the late-onset group（ n=100）were established，and the clinical characteristics of the two groups were compared. Another 150 cases of normal healthy newborns born in this hospital in the same period were selected as the control group，and the clinical data of the control group were collected. The clinical characteristics of the early-onset group and the control group were compared，and the risk factors of early-onset NEC were analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression. Results:Compared with the late-onset group，the early-onset group had fever［50.0%（60/120）vs. 40%（40/100）， χ2=7.333， P=0.007］，apnea［39.17%（47/120）vs. 28%（28/100）， χ2=7.568， P=0.006］，no rise in body temperature［56.67%（68/120）vs. 39%（39/100）， χ2=6.815， P=0.009］，abdominal distension［25%（30/120）vs. 40%（40/100）， χ2=13.200， P<0.001］，vomiting［30.83%（37/120）vs. 45%（45/100）， χ2=12.797， P<0.001］was significantly different（all P<0.05）；Multivariate Logistic regression analysis：weight<1 500 g（ OR=5.871，95% CI：3.153～9.673， P<0.001），gestational age<30 weeks（ OR=4.256，95% CI：2.641～7.896， P=0.007），hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus（hs-PDA）（ OR=3.113，95% CI：1.865～5.133， P=0.033），severe anemia（ OR=3.057，95% CI：2.165～4.802， P=0.001），feeding intolerance（ OR=4.215，95% CI：1.579～10.802， P=0.005），amniotic fluid pollution（ OR=2.452，95% CI：1.579～3.111， P<0.001）were the independent risk factors for early-onset NEC（all P<0.05）. Conclusion:Weight<1 500 g，gestational age<30 weeks，hs-PDA，severe anemia，feeding intolerance，and amniotic fluid contamination are independent risk factors for early-onset NEC. In clinical practice，more attention should be paid to these factors for disease prevention，early identification，and timely intervention in newborns to reduce the occurrence of NEC.

Objective To evaluate the effect of pneumatic logistics transport system(PTS)on the trans-portation efficiency of the transferred samples and the accuracy of the results.Methods The transportation speed,temperature and humidity change of PTS were analyzed by temperature and humidity transmitter.Anti-coagulant samples containing disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate(EDTA-K2),sodium citrate,lithium hepa-rin and samples containing inert separation gel coagulant were selected.and used respectively for complete blood cell analysis,prothrombin time(PT),activated partial prothrombin time(APTT),troponin T(TnT)and other myocardial markers,as well as the detection of items such as glucose(Glu)and lactate dehydrogen-ase(LDH).According to the transfer mode,they were divided into the manual transfer group and the PTS transfer group,and according to the number of PTS transfers,they were divided into the one-time transfer group,the three-time transfer group and before transfer(control).The differences among each group were statistically analyzed,and 1/3 allowable total error(1/3TEa)was adopted as the criterion for determining the clinical application value.Results There was no statistically significant difference in the changes of tempera-ture and humidity during the transportation process of PTS compared with manual transportation(P＞0.05),but it was significantly faster than manual transportation in terms of transportation time(P＜0.05).Com-pared with before transfer,the differences between the PT,APTT,Glu and LDH items in the one-time trans-fer group and the three-time transfer group were statistically significant(P＜0.01),and their deviations were all much greater than 1/3TEa.However,in the plasma samples,compared with before transport,there were statistically significant differences in Glu and LDH between the one-time transfer group and the three-time transfer group(P＜0.05),but the deviations were all less than 1/3TEa.For the items of TnT,red blood cell count and hematocrit,compared with before transfer,there were statistically significant differences between some groups of the one-time transfer group and the three-time transfer group(P＜0.05),but the deviations were all less than 1/3TEa.Conclusion PTS can significantly improve the transportation efficiency of sam-ples,but it significantly affects the detection of Glu and LDH in plasma samples,which can be improved by u-sing serum sample transportation instead.In addition,PTS also affects the detection of PT and APTT,and it is not recommended to use PTS to transport coagulation specimen.

Objective:To present the epidemiological characteristics of ≤28 days case fatality in both hemorrhagic stroke (HS) and ischemic stroke (IS) patients in national cardiovascular disease surveillance areas from 2015 to 2019.Methods:Data on all new patients with stroke and ≤28 days outcomes from 2015 to 2019 were from the China Registry of Cardiovascular Events, which was established in 2014, covering 100 counties (cities, districts) in 31 provinces in China. Poisson regression was used to analyze the annual trend of ≤28 days case fatality. The age-standardized case fatality was directly calculated based on all new stroke onset.Results:In total, 112 069 deaths in HS patients ≤28 days after the onset, as well as 94 373 in IS patients, were identified during the study period. In 2019, the ≤28 days case fatality rate in HS patients was 4.75 times that of IS patients (37.08% vs. 7.80%), as well as that 4.06 times in urban areas (30.13% vs. 7.43%) and 5.30 times in rural areas (42.63% vs. 8.05%), respectively. Thus, in rural areas, HS patients showed 41.49% higher ≤28 days case fatality rate than that in urban areas, as well as 8.34% higher in IS patients. Those ≤28 days case fatality in both stroke subtypes onset increased with age and reached the highest level in those aged 85 years and over. During the study period, HS and IS patients in each age group displayed significant decrease trend in ≤28 days case fatality rate (trend P<0.001). Compared with that in 2015, the age-standardized ≤28 days case-fatality in HS patients in 2019 decreased by 28.52%, which was more in urban areas (-34.27%) than that in rural areas (-23.19%). Meanwhile, IS patients experienced a 39.90% reduction in ≤28 days case fatality, which was much lower in urban areas (-31.62%) than in rural areas (-45.10%, all trend P<0.001). Conclusions:From 2015 to 2019, ≤28 days case fatality in both HS and IS patients decreased in China. Wide variations of ≤28 days case-fatality were evident in the level and trend in stroke subtype, age of patients, as well as urban and rural areas. More precise and comprehensive strategies for stroke prevention, treatment, and post-stroke management are urgently required in China.