Based on the theory that Shaoyang （少阳） and Shaoyin （少阴） function as the principal pivots， and integrating the laws of qi-fire transformation， yin-yang alternation， and the waxing and waning of healthy qi and pathogenic factors， as well as the action characteristics of immune checkpoint inhibitors （ICIs）， this study systematically expounds the dynamic evolution laws of the Shaoyang and Shaoyin pivots and constructs a stage- and phase-based differentiation and treatment framework for gastric cancer immunotherapy. In the neoadjuvant treatment stage， the core pathogenesis is the dysfunction of the Shaoyang pivot and the disorder of qi and fire transformation， often accompanied by stagnation of cold-deficiency in the middle jiao （焦）. In the postoperative adjuvant treatment stage， the dominant factors are the depletion of Shaoyin fire and the damage of yin fluid， accompanied by the lingering of residual pathogen in the Shaoyang level and the obstruction of collaterals by phlegm and stasis. In the advanced stage， the critical conditions are the exhaustion of the Shaoyin pivot， the blockage of orifices by turbid toxins， and the separation of yin and yang， leading to the rampant of pathogenic toxins and the emergence of various complicated syndromes. The treatment should be guided by the principle of regulating the double pivot. In the neoadjuvant treatment stage， it is recommended to activate the Shaoyang pivot and warm and promote the qi movement in the middle jiao. In the postoperative adjuvant treatment stage， clearing the residual pathogenic factors from the pivot and nourishing the Shaoyin. In the advanced stage， rescuing the Shaoyin pivot and opening the orifices to transform turbidity. Furthermore， stage-based treatment should serve as the foundation for dynamically assessing the patient's immune status and phase-specific changes in immunity， thereby promoting immune activation while preventing and managing immune overactivation and drug resistance.

ObjectiveThis study aims to elucidate the potential mechanism of Zuojinwan in improving liver fibrosis through hepatic tissue metabolomics analysis. MethodsTwenty-four mice were randomly allocated into normal group， model group ， positive drug group （silymarin， 100 mg·kg^-1）， and Zuojinwan group （Zuojinwan solution， 2.5 g·kg^-1）， with per group six mice. Liver fibrosis model was induced via intraperitoneal injection of olive oil solution with 10% carbon tetrachloride （CCl₄） （0.5 μL·g^-1， three times weekly for 8 weeks） in all groups except the normal group. During the final 4 weeks， the silymarin group received silymarin （100 mg·kg^-1） by gavage thrice weekly， while the Zuojinwan group was administered Zuojinwan solution （2.5 g·kg^-1） under the same regimen. After the last administration， the levels of liver fibrosis indicators and liver injury markers in serum were detected. The pathological morphological changes of the liver tissues were observed. The levels of liver fibrosis markers α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） and Collagen Ⅰ（ColⅠ） were detected. Metabolomics was analyzed on mice's liver tissues. The mice's serum was collected for metabolomics analysis. ResultsCompared with the model group， Zuojinwan significantly improved indicators related to liver fibrosis and liver injury. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly elevated levels of fibrosis markers such as laminin （LN）， hyaluronic acid （HA）， procollagen typeⅢ （PC-Ⅲ）， and type Ⅳ Collagen （Ⅳ-C）， while liver injury indicators such as alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alkaline phosphatase （ALP）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， and total bilirubin （TBIL）， exhibited a marked upward trend （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the silymarin group showed a significant decrease in the aforementioned indicators （P<0.05）. Notably， compared with the model group， the Zuojinwan group exhibited a significant reduction in all these indicators （P<0.05）， with efficacy comparable to that of the silymarin group. Zuojinwan reduced mRNA and protein levels of α-SMA and ColⅠ in the liver tissue. Metabolomics results revealed that compared with the model group， Zuojiinwan significantly reduced levels of glucose metabolism-related metabolites such as D-fructose 1，6-bisphosphate （FBP）， nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate （NADPH）， sodium beta-D-fructose 6-phosphate （F6P）， dihydroxyacetone phosphate （DHAP）， fumaric acid， and D-glucose 6-phosphate （G6P） （P<0.05）. Serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect glucose metabolism indicators and further validate the regulatory effect of Zuojinwan on glucose metabolism. ConclusionThese results suggest that Zuojinwan may improve liver fibrosis by regulating the dysregulated levels of glucose metabolism during the progression of liver fibrosis.

BACKGROUND:The stress effect of autophagy on epithelial cells,fibroblasts and myofibroblasts is closely related to the formation process of pulmonary fibrosis.OBJECTIVE:To screen the genes related to autophagy in patients with pulmonary fibrosis,and explore their correlation with the prognosis of patients with pulmonary fibrosis,in order to provide a new target for clinical intervention in pulmonary fibrosis.METHODS:The gene expression profiling dataset downloaded from GSE70866 was used as a training set,differentially expressed genes between pulmonary fibrosis patients and normal healthy individuals was analyzed using the R language and intersected with autophagy-related genes to identify the differentially expressed genes with the most significant changes.Multiple analysis methods were used to identify key prognostic genes and construct genetic prognostic models.Patients with pulmonary fibrosis were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups according to their risk scores,and the validity of the prognostic model was verified using the Siena cohort and Leuven cohort validation sets.A cell model of pulmonary fibrosis was established by inducing HFL-1 cells(human embryonic lung fibroblasts)with transforming growth factor-β1,and an animal model of pulmonary fibrosis was established in mice by tracheal instillation of bleomycin to validate the expressions of prognostic genes.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There were 2 650 differentially expressed genes between fibrotic tissue and normal tissue.Among them,34 genes related to autophagy showed significant expression changes.(2)Kaplan-Meier survival analysis curves for the Siena cohort and Leuven cohort validation sets showed significantly lower survival in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group.(3)Three autophagy genes related to prognosis were screened out:myelocytomatosis viral oncogene(MYC),C-C motif chemokine ligand 2(CCL2),and GABA type a receptor associated protein like 1(GABARAPL1).(4)Both in vivo and in vitro studies showed that compared with the control group,the expression levels of myelocytomatosis viral oncogene and C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 mRNA and protein were significantly higher in the lung fibrosis model group(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),while the expression levels of GABA type a receptor associated protein like 1 mRNA and protein were lower(P＜0.001).To conclude,bioinformatics methods are used to analyze the expression of three autophagy-related genes in pulmonary fibrosis and their correlation with the prognosis of patients with pulmonary fibrosis.The constructed prognostic model has good predictive ability for the 1-,2-,and 3-year survival rates of patients with pulmonary fibrosis.Moreover,in vivo and in vitro models have been used to verify that myelocytomatosis viral oncogene and C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 are highly expressed in lung fibroblasts and tissues,and that GABA type a receptor associated protein like 1 is lowly expressed.

BACKGROUND:The stress effect of autophagy on epithelial cells,fibroblasts and myofibroblasts is closely related to the formation process of pulmonary fibrosis.OBJECTIVE:To screen the genes related to autophagy in patients with pulmonary fibrosis,and explore their correlation with the prognosis of patients with pulmonary fibrosis,in order to provide a new target for clinical intervention in pulmonary fibrosis.METHODS:The gene expression profiling dataset downloaded from GSE70866 was used as a training set,differentially expressed genes between pulmonary fibrosis patients and normal healthy individuals was analyzed using the R language and intersected with autophagy-related genes to identify the differentially expressed genes with the most significant changes.Multiple analysis methods were used to identify key prognostic genes and construct genetic prognostic models.Patients with pulmonary fibrosis were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups according to their risk scores,and the validity of the prognostic model was verified using the Siena cohort and Leuven cohort validation sets.A cell model of pulmonary fibrosis was established by inducing HFL-1 cells(human embryonic lung fibroblasts)with transforming growth factor-β1,and an animal model of pulmonary fibrosis was established in mice by tracheal instillation of bleomycin to validate the expressions of prognostic genes.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There were 2 650 differentially expressed genes between fibrotic tissue and normal tissue.Among them,34 genes related to autophagy showed significant expression changes.(2)Kaplan-Meier survival analysis curves for the Siena cohort and Leuven cohort validation sets showed significantly lower survival in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group.(3)Three autophagy genes related to prognosis were screened out:myelocytomatosis viral oncogene(MYC),C-C motif chemokine ligand 2(CCL2),and GABA type a receptor associated protein like 1(GABARAPL1).(4)Both in vivo and in vitro studies showed that compared with the control group,the expression levels of myelocytomatosis viral oncogene and C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 mRNA and protein were significantly higher in the lung fibrosis model group(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),while the expression levels of GABA type a receptor associated protein like 1 mRNA and protein were lower(P＜0.001).To conclude,bioinformatics methods are used to analyze the expression of three autophagy-related genes in pulmonary fibrosis and their correlation with the prognosis of patients with pulmonary fibrosis.The constructed prognostic model has good predictive ability for the 1-,2-,and 3-year survival rates of patients with pulmonary fibrosis.Moreover,in vivo and in vitro models have been used to verify that myelocytomatosis viral oncogene and C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 are highly expressed in lung fibroblasts and tissues,and that GABA type a receptor associated protein like 1 is lowly expressed.

This paper analyzed the characteristics of peer psychological counseling conducted by class committee member for psychology in universities and the dilemmas they faced in four aspects， including dual relationships， confidentiality issues， competence issues， and informed consent. It also examined the causes of these ethical dilemmas and corresponding countermeasures one by one. Specific work requirements were proposed for class committee member for psychology in conducting peer psychological counseling. These encompassed clarifying the nature and boundaries of the helping relationship， establishing appropriate settings， discussing the impacts of dual relationships， maintaining confidentiality awareness， adopting appropriate confidentiality measures， actively participating in training to improve competence， making timely referrals when exceeding their professional scope， ensuring proper informed consent， and maintaining value neutrality. Recommendations were also put forward for universities to strengthen the training and management of class committee member for psychology， enhance their ethical awareness， and ensure the effectiveness of peer counseling.

ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of anticentromere antibody （ACA） on the clinical features and prognosis of patients with primary biliary cholangitis （PBC） by comparing clinical classification， ursodeoxycholic acid （UDCA） response， GLOBE score， and UK-PBC score between ACA-positive PBC patients and ACA-negative PBC patients. MethodsA total of 749 patients who were admitted to Beijing Ditan Hospital， Capital Medical University， from August 2013 to December 2022 and were diagnosed with PBC were enrolled and divided into ACA-positive group with 147 patients and ACA-negative group with 602 patients. According to their conditions on admission， the two groups were compared in terms of the distribution of clinical types， i.e.， chronic progression-type PBC， portal hypertension-type PBC， and standard jaundice/liver failure-type PBC. There were 261 patients with complete data after 1-year follow-up， among whom there were 53 patients with positive ACA and 208 with negative ACA. A statistical analysis was performed， and propensity score matching was performed based on sex and age at a ratio of 1∶2. The two groups were compared in terms of 1-year UDCA response rate， GLOBE score， and UK-PBC score before and after matching. The independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. ResultsCompared with the ACA-negative group， the ACA-positive group had a significantly higher age （61.28±10.35 years vs 56.74±12.17 years， t=4.164， P<0.001）， a significantly higher proportion of female patients （93.9% vs 77.6%， χ²=20.221， P<0.001）， a significantly higher proportion of patients with portal hypertension （48.3% vs 27.6%， χ²=23.289， P<0.001）， and a significantly lower proportion of patients with jaundice/liver failure （24.5% vs 38.5%， χ²=10.205， P<0.001）. After 1-year follow-up， for the 261 PBC patients with complete data， there was no significant difference in UDCA response rate before propensity score matching between the ACA-positive group and the ACA-negative group （41.5% vs 41.8%， P>0.05）， and there was a significant difference in the proportion of patients with a GLOBE score of >0.3 between the ACA-positive group and the ACA-negative group （92.5% vs 80.3%， χ²=3.935， P=0.047）. There were 53 patients in the ACA-positive group and 106 patients in the ACA-negative group after propensity score matching， and there were no significant differences between the two groups in UDCA response rate， GLOBE score， and UK-PBC score （all P>0.05）. ConclusionACA-positive patients tend to have an older age， with a higher proportion of female patients or patients with portal hypertension， while there is a relatively low proportion of patients with jaundice/liver failure. Positive ACA has no significant impact on UDCA response rate， GLOBE score， and UK-PBC score.

The decrease in blood glucose in perinatal dairy cows affects the energy supply and im-mune function of peripheral blood neutrophils(PMN).Fibroblast growth factor 21(FGF21)is an important regulator of glucose metabolism,and serum FGF21 levels in some perinatal cows are significantly elevated after farrowing.In order to explore the effect of FGF21 on PMN glucose ho-meostasis in perinatal dairy cows,the cows were divided into high FGF21 group(high FGF21,n=8,FGF21＞800 ng/L)and low FGF21 group(low FGF21,n=8,FGF21＜200 ng/L)within 3 weeks postpartum.The results showed that compared with the low FGF21 group,the glucose up-take of PMN and the mRNA expression of glucose transporters SLC2A1 and SLC2A3 were signifi-cantly increased in the high FGF21 group.The activities of phosphofructokinase 1(PFK1)and glu-cose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase(G6PDH)were significantly increased,and the activity of glyco-gen synthase(GCS)was significantly decreased in PMN in the high FGF21 group.The lactate con-tent and ATP content of PMN were significantly increased,and the mRNA and protein expressions of hexokinase(HK2)and PFK1 were significantly increased in the high FGF21 group.These re-sults indicated that the uptake and utilization of glucose by PMN in perinatal peripheral blood FGF21 increased to ensure the ATP supply of PMN,which provided a theoretical basis for the pro-posal of a new strategy to alleviate immunosuppression in perinatal dairy cows.

BACKGROUND:Glucose metabolism plays a crucial role in maintaining the normal physiological function of the body.Glucose metabolism disorder can lead to a range of health problems.At present,the molecular mechanism of glucose metabolism and potential gene targets in osteoarthritis need to be further studied.OBJECTIVE:To analyze the genes related to glucose metabolism in osteoarthritis by bioinformatics methods,and to verify them by cell experiments in vitro,so as to provide new ideas for prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis from the perspective of glucose metabolism.METHODS:Differentially expressed genes and glucose metabolism related genes were screened out from GEO database and GeneCards database.The genes related to both osteoarthritis and glucose metabolism were obtained.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis were used to screen the functions and pathways of these genes.To further investigate the interactions between these genes,a protein-protein interaction network was constructed and computational methods using Cytoscape software were utilized to identify key genes(Hub genes)for osteoarthritis glucose metabolism.In addition,CIBERSORT algorithm was used to analyze immune cell infiltration in GSE98918 data set.Finally,the expression of Hub gene was verified by cell experiment in vitro.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 134 osteoarthritis glucose metabolism-related genes were obtained.GO enrichment analysis showed that GO was mainly involved in the reaction of toxic substances,the positive regulation of inflammatory reaction,the reaction of lipopolysaccharide and so on.KEGG enrichment analysis showed that it was closely related to PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,interleukin-17 signaling pathway,and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications.Macrophages,monocytes,resting natural killer cells,regulatory T cells,and CD8+T cells were the main infiltrating cells obtained by immune infiltration analysis.In vitro cell experiments showed that the expression of Hub genes SERPINF1,TAC1,GLUL,APOE,and TMEM176A in the experimental group was significantly different from that in the control group.The mRNA expression of HLA-DRA was not statistically significant.The results show that SERPINF1,TAC1,Glul,APOE,and TMEM176A may be the key genes of glucose metabolism in osteoarthritis,and may be potential new targets for the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Keloids are fibrotic skin disorders characterized by excessive collagen deposition and a high recurrence rate, closely associated with inflammatory mediators. However, existing epidemiological studies are limited by confounding factors and reverse causality, making it difficult to establish causation. This study aims to investigate the causal relationship between circulating cytokines and keloids using Mendelian randomization analysis. METHODS: Significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with circulating cytokines (exposures) and keloids (outcomes) were extracted from genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary datasets. Eligible SNPs were selected as instrumental variables (IVs). Exposure data were derived from a cytokine GWAS including 8 293 Finnish participants, and outcome data from a keloid GWAS based on the UK Biobank. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method served as the primary analytical approach to estimate causal effects, supplemented by weighted median (WME), MR-Egger regression, and other sensitivity analyses. Horizontal pleiotropy was assessed using MR-Egger regression and the MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) test, while Cochran's Q test evaluated heterogeneity. Leave-one-out analysis was used to verify robustness and consistency. A reverse MR analysis was also conducted, with keloid as the exposure and cytokines as outcomes, to rule out reverse causation. RESULTS: IVW analysis identified significant positive causal associations between two cytokines and keloids-macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) [odds ratio (OR)=2.081, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.219 to 3.552, P=0.007] and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) (OR=1.673, 95% CI 1.036 to 2.701, P=0.035). Conversely, stem cell factor (SCF) showed a negative causal relationship with keloids (OR=0.518, 95% CI 0.269 to 0.998, P=0.049). Results from the MR-Egger and weighted median analyses were consistent with IVW findings. No evidence of horizontal pleiotropy was observed (P>0.05). Except for interleukin-6 (P=0.014), no heterogeneity was detected in other cytokines. Leave-one-out analysis further confirmed the robustness of the causal associations. In reverse MR analysis, keloids were causally related only to β-nerve growth factor (beta-NGF) (OR=1.048, 95% CI 1.002 to 1.095, P=0.039), with no heterogeneity or pleiotropy detected in most cytokines (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS MIF and MCP-1 exhibit positive causal associations with keloid formation, while SCF shows a negative causal relationship. These findings provide new evidence for the causal involvement of inflammatory cytokines in keloid pathogenesis and offer potential molecular targets for developing novel keloid therapies.
Humans ; Keloid/blood* ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Cytokines/genetics* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Chemokine CCL2/genetics* ; Interleukin-6/genetics* ; Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors/genetics* ; Male ; Stem Cell Factor/blood* ; Female ; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases

Chronic heart failure （CHF） is the terminal stage of various heart diseases， with high morbidity， mortality， and hospitalization rate. According to the theory of collateral diseases， the core pathogenesis of CHF is blood stasis of collaterals， water retention and stagnation， and pathogen accumulation in collaterals. Accordingly， the treatment should focus on reinforcing healthy Qi to warm Yang， activating blood to dredge collaterals， and excreting water to alleviate edema. On this basis， Qili Qiangxin capsules （QLQX） are created. This prescription can effectively treat chronic heart failure. Modern studies have shown that QLQX contains a variety of pharmacological components such as flavonoids， alkaloids， terpenoids， phenylpropanoids， phenolic acids， and cardiac glycosides. QLQX can improve the cardiac function， inhibit myocardial fibrosis， improve hemodynamics， mitigate inflammation， reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis， and regulate the nervous system， with mild adverse reactions. This study analyzed the etiology and pathogenesis of CHF based on the theory of collateral diseases， explored the relationship between the prescription and syndrome， and delved into the material basis and mechanism of QLQX in the treatment of CHF， aiming to provide reference for the clinical application and scientific research of QLQX.