BACKGROUND:In mammals,white adipose tissue stores energy,whereas brown adipose tissue dissipates energy.Conversion from White to brown/beige adipocytes is a potential therapeutic strategy to fight obesity,but the molecular mechanisms that drive this process is unclear.OBJECTIVE:To reveal the potential relationship between Hr mutation and adipocyte browning.METHODS:Ten 10-week-old male Yuyi hairless mice and 10 littermate wild-type controls were selected and changes in food intake,body mass and inguinal white adipose tissue mass were recorded.Serum levels of leptin and adiponectin were estimated by ELISA.Glucose tolerance test was used to assess glucose metabolic function and insulin tolerance test was performed to analyze insulin sensitivity.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to observe pathological changes of inguinal white adipose tissue in mice.Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and immunofluorescent staining were performed to analyze the expression of genes and proteins associated with browning of white adipose tissue in the groin.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with wild-type mice,Yuyi hairless mice had increased brown fat content and ultimately increased glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.Hr mutation reduced body mass and inguinal adipose mass in mice,but food intake did not change significantly compared with wild-type mice,suggesting that there was a reduction in body mass and adipose mass but not in food intake.(2)Hematoxylin-eosin staining results showed browning of adipocytes in the inguinal white adipose tissue of Yuyi hairless mice,which became smaller,rounder and accompanied by the appearance of multilocular cells.(3)There was increased level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α and activation of thyroid hormone receptor α,uncoupling protein 1,and the mitochondria-shaping genes(nuclear respiratory factor 1and mitochondrial transcription factor A),thereby promoting browning of adipocytes.Thus,Hr mutation activates the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α/thyroid hormone receptorα/uncoupling protein 1 signaling pathway and increases brown adipose content in mice,thereby promoting energy expenditure and thermogenesis and inhibiting obesity.

BACKGROUND:In mammals,white adipose tissue stores energy,whereas brown adipose tissue dissipates energy.Conversion from White to brown/beige adipocytes is a potential therapeutic strategy to fight obesity,but the molecular mechanisms that drive this process is unclear.OBJECTIVE:To reveal the potential relationship between Hr mutation and adipocyte browning.METHODS:Ten 10-week-old male Yuyi hairless mice and 10 littermate wild-type controls were selected and changes in food intake,body mass and inguinal white adipose tissue mass were recorded.Serum levels of leptin and adiponectin were estimated by ELISA.Glucose tolerance test was used to assess glucose metabolic function and insulin tolerance test was performed to analyze insulin sensitivity.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to observe pathological changes of inguinal white adipose tissue in mice.Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and immunofluorescent staining were performed to analyze the expression of genes and proteins associated with browning of white adipose tissue in the groin.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with wild-type mice,Yuyi hairless mice had increased brown fat content and ultimately increased glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.Hr mutation reduced body mass and inguinal adipose mass in mice,but food intake did not change significantly compared with wild-type mice,suggesting that there was a reduction in body mass and adipose mass but not in food intake.(2)Hematoxylin-eosin staining results showed browning of adipocytes in the inguinal white adipose tissue of Yuyi hairless mice,which became smaller,rounder and accompanied by the appearance of multilocular cells.(3)There was increased level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α and activation of thyroid hormone receptor α,uncoupling protein 1,and the mitochondria-shaping genes(nuclear respiratory factor 1and mitochondrial transcription factor A),thereby promoting browning of adipocytes.Thus,Hr mutation activates the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α/thyroid hormone receptorα/uncoupling protein 1 signaling pathway and increases brown adipose content in mice,thereby promoting energy expenditure and thermogenesis and inhibiting obesity.

BACKGROUND:Research has shown that vanillic acid has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects,but it is unclear whether it has a protective effect on endplate chondrocytes.OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect and mechanism of vanillic acid on endplate chondrocytes under inflammatory microenvironment.METHODS:(1)Primary endplate chondrocytes were isolated from the intervertebral disc of SD rats and identified by toluidine blue staining and collagenⅡ immunofluorescence.(2)The CCK-8 assay was employed to detect the effects of interleukin-1β and vanillic acid on the proliferation activity of endplate chondrocytes,in order to determine the concentration of vanillic acid for subsequent cell treatment.(3)An inflammatory microenvironment was simulated by adding 10 ng/mL interleukin-1β to the culture medium,and the endplate chondrocytes were treated with low,medium,and high mass concentrations of vanillic acid.The expression levels of inflammatory markers and extracellular matrix proteins were detected by western blot assay and immunofluorescence.(4)The expression of nuclear factor κB signaling pathway-related proteins was detected by western blot assay.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The morphology of endplate chondrocytes in adherent culture was pike or triangular in shape,positive for toluidine blue staining and immunofluorescence for collagen Ⅱ,indicating that the experimentally extracted cells were endplate chondrocytes.(2)The CCK-8 assay results showed that treatment with 2.5,5,10,and 20 μg/mL vanillic acid for 24 hours did not significantly inhibit the proliferation of endplate chondrocytes.Compared with the interleukin-1β group,the viability of endplate chondrocytes treated with 5,10,and 20 μg/mL vanillic acid for 24 hours was significantly increased(P＜0.05).Therefore,5,10,and 20 μg/mL vanillic acid was selected as the low,medium,and high dose groups for subsequent treatment of endplate chondrocytes.(3)Compared with the model group(complete medium containing 10 ng/mL interleukin-1β),the expression of NOD-like receptor thermal domain associated protein 3(NLRP3),matrix metalloproteinase 13,matrix metalloproteinase 3,and tumor necrosis factor alpha protein in the endplate chondrocytes of the low,medium,and high doses of vanillic acid groups were significantly reduced(P＜0.05).(4)Compared with the model group,the protein expression of aggrecan and collagen Ⅱ in the endplate chondrocytes of the low,medium,and high dose groups of vanillic acid significantly increased(P＜0.05).(5)Compared with the model group,the protein expression of phospho-nuclear factor κB and phospho-inhibitor of nuclear factor κB in the endplate chondrocytes of the low,medium,and high dose groups of vanillic acid was significantly reduced(P＜0.05).(6)The above results indicate that vanillic acid may alleviate the inflammatory response and extracellular matrix degradation induced by interleukin-1β in rat endplate chondrocytes by inhibiting the activation of the nuclear factor κB signaling pathway.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of 177Lu-1, 4, 7, 10-tetraazacyclododecane-1, 4, 7, 10-tetraacetic acid- D-Phel-Tyr3-Thr8-octreotide (DOTA-TATE) in patients with advanced pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL). Methods:Sixteen patients with metastatic PPGL, treated with 177Lu-DOTA-TATE in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University between April 2020 and December 2023, were retrospectively included. Among these patients, nine were male and seven were female, with an a median age of 44.5(26.5, 51.0) years. Treatment response was assessed based on changes in blood catecholamine level and 68Ga-DOTA-TATE PET/CT imaging. Evaluation criteria included the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) 1.1 and the modified PET response criteria in solid tumors (PERCIST) 1.0. Treatment-related adverse events were graded according to the common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE) 5.0. All patients received long-term follow-up after treatment, with endpoints including disease progression and death. Paired t-test was used to compare laboratory parameters before and after treatment. Results:The median number of treatment cycles of 177Lu-DOTA-TATE was 3(3, 4) per patient, with an average dose of (7.51±0.67) GBq per cycle. Grade 1 hematologic toxicity was observed in 4 patients (4/16), while grade 2 hematologic toxicity occurred in 2 patients (2/16), primarily manifesting as leukopenia and anemia. A slight decrease was noted post-treatment in PLT ( t=4.06, P=0.001) and Hb levels ( t=2.85, P=0.012), while WBC counts showed no statistically significant change ( t=1.57, P=0.137). No grade 3 or 4 hematologic, renal, or hepatic toxicities were observed. The glomerular filtration rate ( t=-0.29, P=0.778), creatinine ( t=0.04, P=0.697), alanine transaminase ( t=0.08, P=0.938), aspartate transaminase ( t=0.08, P=0.463), and total bilirubin ( t=-0.37, P=0.719) after treatment were not significantly different from those before treatment. According to RECIST 1.1, 13 patients achieved stable disease, 2 patients showed partial response and 1 had progression disease. Based on the modified PERCIST 1.0, stable disease was observed in 11 patients, partial response in 3 patients, and progression disease in 2 patients. Among 9 patients with catecholamine-secreting PPGL, 8 showed reduction in blood norepinephrine level. The median follow-up duration was 21.5(21.1, 42.6) months, with a median progression-free survival of 8.6(6.0, 14.6) months, and no mortality reported during the follow-up period. Conclusion:177Lu-DOTA-TATE appears to be a safe and promising therapeutic option for patients with advanced PPGL demonstrating elevated somatostatin receptor expression.

Objective:To explore the value of blood lactic acid (BLA), procalcitonin (PCT), and total bilirubin (TBil) in the diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of patients with trauma complicated with sepsis.Methods:The clinical data of 151 patients with severe trauma admitted to the Department of Emergency Medicine, Nanxishan Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from July 2019 to August 2023 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into the sepsis group (72 cases) and non-sepsis group (79 cases) according to the diagnosis. They were further divided into the death group (37 cases) and non-death group (114 cases) based on clinical outcomes. Clinical data were compared between groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive efficacy of the above indicators, and Spearman correlation analysis was applied to evaluate the correlation between the indicators.Results:The levels of BLA, PCT, TBil, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score in the sepsis group were higher than those in the non-sepsis group (all P<0.05). The mortality rate of the sepsis group was significantly higher than that of the non-sepsis group, with a statistically significant difference [26/72(36.11%) vs 11/79(13.92%), χ 2=10.024, P=0.002]. The levels of BLA, PCT, TBil, and SOFA score in the death group were higher than those in the non-death group (all P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve (AUC) of BLA, PCT, TBil, and their combination for diagnosing sepsis were 0.745, 0.826, 0.753, and 0.889 respectively; the sensitivity and specificity of the combined diagnosis of sepsis were 87.5% and 72.2%. The AUCs of BLA, PCT, TBil, and their combination for predicting the prognosis of sepsis were 0.644, 0.697, 0.614, and 0.713 respectively; the sensitivity and specificity of the combined prediction of sepsis prognosis were 64.9% and 71.1%. Among the 151 patients, the levels of BLA, PCT, TBil were positively correlated with SOFA score, with statistically significant differences ( r=0.3871, 0.4399, 0.4851, all P<0.001). Conclusions:BLA, PCT, and TBil levels have certain value in the early diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of patients with sepsis. The combined evaluation has the best efficacy and high guiding value in clinical practice.

Objective To analyse the clinical efficiency of endolymphatic sac surgery (ESS) in the management of Meniere’s disease (MD). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 274 patients with MD who were hospitalized for treatment in Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University from January 2009 to August 2023. All patients received lifestyle management and drug treatment such as diuretics. For those whose conditions were not well controlled 3 to 6 months after the initial treatment, intratympanic glucocorticoid (ITG) or ESS treatment was carried out. Six months after the treatment, the classes of vertigo relief and hearing changes in the patients were evaluated. After adjusting the confounding factors through propensity score matching (PSM), the impact of ESS on the prognosis of MD patients was evaluated. Results Among 274 patients, 194 and 80 patients underwent ITG and ESS, respectively. Eighty patients were enrolled into each group after PSM. Before and after PSM, the rate of patients reaching vertigo relief class A in ESS group was higher than that in the ITG group (P＝0.004); there was no significant difference in hearing preservation between the two groups. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that vertigo relief in the ESS group was better than that in the ITG group (P=0.029); there was no statistically significant difference in hearing preservation between the two groups. Conclusion When the initial treatment for patients with MD is ineffective, choosing ESS is more beneficial than ITG for controlling vertigo.

Diabetic kidney disease （DKD）， one of the leading causes of end-stage renal disease， shows increasing prevalence and mortality， seriously affecting the physical and mental health of patients. As a crucial link in the occurrence and development of DKD， pyroptosis can lead to kidney cell injury and inflammation through the abnormal activation of reactive oxygen species （ROS）/thioredoxin-interacting protein （TXNIP）/NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）/NLRP3， nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）/heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1）， mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）/NLRP3， and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）/NLRP3 signaling pathways， which accelerate the progression of DKD. In recent years， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has demonstrated definite efficacy in the treatment of DKD via multiple targets and pathways. Studies have shown that various TCM active components， including glycosides， flavonoids， polyphenols， terpenoids， and alkaloids， as well as TCM compound prescriptions for clearing heat and detoxifying， tonifying deficiency and consolidating root， and eliminating stasis and descending turbidity， can target relevant signaling pathways to inhibit pyroptosis and intervene in the development of DKD， providing new possibilities for precision treatment of DKD. This article systematically reviews the relevant pathways of pyroptosis and summarizes the research achievements and mechanisms of TCM active components and compound prescriptions in the treatment of DKD via pyroptosis in recent years. This review aims to provide new directions and ideas for the treatment and research of DKD with TCM and promote the modernization and development of TCM.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of comprehensive nursing based on the behavioral goal attainment model on the clinical intervention effect among elderly female patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), so as to provide a basis for optimizing the nursing strategies for patients with SUI and improving their quality of life. Methods: A total of 190 elderly female patients with SUI who were treated in the Department of Gynecology of the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2023 to August 2024 were selected and randomly divided into the intervention group and the control group. The control group received routine nursing care, while the intervention group received comprehensive nursing based on the behavioral goal attainment model. The 1-hour pad test was used to assess urinary incontinence symptoms. The bio-electrical stimulation feedback instrument was employed to detect the electromyogram (EMG) values in the pre-resting stage and slow-muscle stage for evaluating pelvic floor function. The bladder function scale was utilized to evaluate bladder function. The Chinese version of urinary incontinence ego-efficacy rating scales and incontinence quality of life assessment scale (IQOL) were used to assess self-efficacy and quality of life. The data on intervention compliance and nursing satisfaction were collected by a questionnaire survey. The differences between the two groups before and after the intervention were compared using the analysis of variance for repeated-measures data to evaluate the intervention effect. Results: There were 95 cases in the control group and 95 cases in the intervention group, with median ages were 64.00 (interquartile range, 23.50) and 64.50 (interquartile range, 19.50) years, respectively. The proportion of patients with cesarean section as the last delivery method was 21.05% in the control group and 12.63% in the intervention group. The proportion of patients with moderate disease severity was 67.36% in the control group and 58.95% in the intervention group. There were no statistically significant differences in age, body mass index, number of pregnancies, number of deliveries, marital status, educational level, mode of last delivery and severity of the disease between the two groups of patients (all P>0.05). The analysis of variance of repeated-measures data showed that there were significant interactions between time and group for the urine leakage volume in the 1-hour pad test, the EMG values in the pre-resting stage, the EMG values in the slow-muscle stage, the scores of the bladder function, the self-efficacy scores, and the IQOL scores (all P<0.05). After 12 weeks of intervention, the EMG values in the slow-muscle stage, the scores of the bladder function, the self-efficacy scores, the IQOL scores in the intervention group were higher than those in the control group, while the urine leakage volume in the 1-hour pad test and the EMG values in the pre-resting stage in the intervention group were lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The good compliance rate of intervention and the satisfaction rate of nursing in the intervention group were higher than those in the control group (83.16% vs. 60.00%, 90.53% vs. 75.79%, both P<0.05). Conclusion Comprehensive nursing based on the behavioral goal attainment model can improve urinary incontinence symptoms, pelvic floor function, bladder function, self-efficacy, quality of life, and intervention compliance of elderly female patients with SUI.

Diabetic kidney disease （DKD） stands as one of the most prevalent microvascular complications of diabetes，noted for its concealed onset and tendency to evolve into end-stage renal disease，profoundly impacting patients' life expectancy and quality of life. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition （EMT） is a central pathological process in the initiation and progression of DKD，facilitating disease advancement and renal fibrosis，thus representing a crucial focus of research into the pathological mechanisms of DKD. EMT is driven by the abnormal activation of signaling pathways，including transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β）/Smad，secreted glycoprotein/β-catenin，Notch，tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB），and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin （PI3K/Akt/mTOR），leading to renal cellular injury and subsequently accelerating renal fibrosis and the progression of DKD. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM），characterized by its multi-target and multi-pathway therapeutic approach，demonstrates unique advantages in addressing DKD and EMT. Recent research has shown that active ingredients in TCM，including glycosides，flavonoids，and polyphenols，as well as TCM formulas，can precisely target these relevant signaling pathways，effectively inhibiting cellular injury in DKD and intervening in the EMT process. These findings not only underscore the potential of TCM monomers and formulas in treating DKD and EMT but also pave new directions for research in this field within TCM. This paper systematically reviewed the signaling pathways associated with EMT and provided an in-depth analysis of the research achievements and underlying mechanisms of TCM monomers and formulas in treating DKD and intervening in EMT，aiming to offer new insights and directions for TCM in the treatment of DKD and research on EMT，thereby further promoting the modernization and development of TCM.

This paper reports a case of disseminated intravascular coagulation(DIC) that occurred early after hybrid surgery for type B aortic dissection with an aortic arch aneurysm. Through analyzing the clinical manifestations, imaging findings, and treatment response of the patient, we propose that massive false-lumen thrombosis may serve as a critical trigger for early postoperative coagulation activation leading to DIC. Corresponding treatment strategies are suggested to enhance clinicians' ability to recognize and manage this critical condition.