Chronic heart failure （CHF） is a major global public health problem， and myocardial infarction is one of its main causes. The mouse model of heart failure induced by coronary artery ligation is widely used in the study of CHF， while the TCM syndrome attributes of this model have not yet been clarified. According to the theory of correspondence between prescriptions and syndromes， the method of syndrome identification by prescription efficacy is an important means of current syndrome research of animal models. This method deduces the syndrome characteristics of animal models through prescription efficacy. Taking the four basic syndrome elements of Qi， blood， Yin and Yang as the classification reference， this study used coronary artery ligation to construct a mouse model of CHF and treated the model with four representative TCM injections with the effects of replenishing Qi， warming Yang， nourishing Yin， and activating blood and enalapril. Echocardiography， tongue color parameters， histopathology， serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP） and cardiac troponin Ⅰ （cTnⅠ） levels， and systematically explored the TCM syndrome attributes of this model. The results showed that the coronary ligation model presented an obvious cardiac function decline， myocardial fibrosis， infarct size expansion， and purple dark tongue， which were consistent with the basic syndrome characteristics of blood stasis in CHF. Danhong injection had significant effects of improving the cardiac function， alleviating myocardial fibrosis， and reducing serum NT-proBNP and cTnⅠ levels. Huangqi Injection and Shenfu injection can improve the cardiac function and tongue color parameters， with limited effects. The effect of Shenmai injection group was not obvious. This study verifies that the established model conforms to blood stasis syndrome through the method of syndrome identification by prescription efficacy， which provides an experimental basis for the study of TCM syndrome mechanism of CHF.

ObjectiveTo examine the influences of Shenfu injection on the endogenous metabolic byproducts in the myocardium of the rat model exhibiting chronic heart failure， thus deciphering the therapeutic mechanism of the Qi-reinforcing and Yang-warming method. MethodsSD rats were randomly allocated into a control group and a modeling group. Chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome in rats was modeled by multi-point subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol， and the rats were fed for 14 days after modeling. The successfully modeled rats were randomized into model， Shenfu injection （6.0 mL·kg^-1）， and trimetazidine （10 mg·kg^-1） groups and treated with corresponding agents for 15 days. The control group and the model group were injected with equal doses of normal saline， and the samples were collected after the intervention was completed. Cardiac color ultrasound was performed. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe histopathological morphology， and the serum level of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP） was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The mitochondrial morphological and structural changes of cardiomyocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopy， and the metabolic profiling was carried out by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quantitative exactive-mass spectrometry （UHPLC-QE-MS）. Differential metabolites were screened and identified by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA） and other methods， and then the MetaboAnalyst database was used for further screening. The relevant biological pathways were obtained through pathway enrichment analysis. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was established to evaluate the diagnostic value of each potential biomarker for myocardial injury and the evaluation value for drug efficacy. ResultsThe results of color ultrasound showed that Shenfu Injection improved the cardiac function indexes of model rats （P<0.05）. The results of HE staining showed that Shenfu injection effectively alleviated the pathological phenomena such as myocardial tissue structure disorder and inflammatory cell infiltration in model rats. The results of ELISA showed that Shenfu injection effectively regulated the serum NT-proBNP level in the model rats. Transmission electron microscopy （TEM） showed that Shenfu injection effectively restored the mitochondrial morphological structure. The results of metabolomics showed that the metabolic phenotypes of myocardial samples presented markedly differences between groups. Nine differential metabolites could be significantly reversed in the Shenfu injection group， involving three metabolic pathways： pyruvate metabolism， histidine metabolism， and citric acid cycle （TCA cycle）. The results of ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve （AUC） values of all metabolites were between 0.75 and 1.0， indicating that the differential metabolites had high diagnostic accuracy for myocardial injury， and the changes in their expression levels could be used as potential markers for efficacy evaluation. ConclusionShenfu injection significantly alleviated the damage of cardiac function， myocardium， and mitochondrial structure in the rat model of chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome by ameliorating energy metabolism remodeling. Reinforcing Qi and warming Yang is a key method for treating chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome.

To explore the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and integrative TCM-Western medicine approaches in the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications （DMC）， refine key pathophysiological insights and treatment principles， and promote academic innovation and strategic research planning in the prevention and treatment of DMC. The 38th session of the Expert Salon on Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine， hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， was held in Beijing， 2024. Experts in TCM， Western medicine， and interdisciplinary fields convened to conduct a systematic discussion on the pathogenesis， diagnostic and treatment challenges， and mechanism research related to DMC， ultimately forming a consensus on key directions. Four major research recommendations were proposed. The first is addressing clinical bottlenecks in the prevention and control of DMC by optimizing TCM-based evidence evaluation systems. The second is refining TCM core pathogenesis across DMC stages and establishing corresponding "disease-pattern-time" framework. The third is innovating mechanism research strategies to facilitate a shift from holistic regulation to targeted intervention in TCM. The fourth is advancing interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the role of TCM in new drug development， research prioritization， and guideline formulation. TCM and integrative approaches offer distinct advantages in managing DMC. With a focus on the diseases responding specifically to TCM， strengthening evidence-based support and mechanism interpretation and promoting the integration of clinical care and research innovation will provide strong momentum for the modernization of TCM and the advancement of national health strategies.

Metabolic reprogramming， as one of the core hallmarks of malignant tumors， plays a key role in the occurrence， development and treatment of breast cancer （BC）. Abnormal changes in glucose metabolism， amino acid metabolism， lipid metabolism， as well as the tricarboxylic acid （TCA） cycle and oxidative phosphorylation （OXPHOS） pathways significantly influence the pathogenesis and progression of BC. Studies have shown that various active components of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） （such as berberine， matrine， quercetin， curcumin， etc.） and their compound formulations （e.g. Xihuang pill， Danzhi xiaoyao powder， Yanghe decoction， etc.） can inhibit the proliferation and migration of BC cells and induce apoptosis by regulating key metabolic pathways such as glycolysis， lipid synthesis， and amino acid metabolism. TCM demonstrates multi-target and holistic regulatory advantages in intervening in BC metabolic reprogramming， showing significant potential in modulating key molecules like hypoxia inducible factor-1α， hexokinase-2， pyruvate kinase M2， lactate dehydrogenase A， glucose transporter-1， fatty acid synthase， and signaling pathways such as AKT/mTOR. However， current researches still focus predominantly on glucose metabolism， with insufficient mechanistic studies on lipid metabolism， amino acid metabolism， the TCA cycle， and OXPHOS. The precise targets， molecular mechanisms， and clinical translation value of these interventions require further validation and clarification through more high-quality experimental studies and clinical trials.

Thousands of variant gene sequences of SARS-CoV-2 have been emerged since the COVID-19 epidemic broke out in Dec.2019.Alpha(B.1.1.7),Beta(B.1.351),Gamma(P.1),Delta(B.1.617.2)and Omicron(B.1.1.529)were the most representative variants.With the continuous emergence of new variants,the predomi-nant strain in the global pandemic as of Jan.2025 is the Omicron BA.2.86-derived mutant,JN.1.The effectiveness of drugs against Omicron variants remains a key research focus in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections.The infectiousness and pathogenicity of the variants altered remarkably due to mutations in the genome on S protein of the mutant strains,and these emerging variants are more likely to evade immunity and were more infectious than the previous prevalent variants.During the process of combating with the constantly emerging novel variants,drugs showed various effects on treatment of diseases caused by different variants.New drugs and treatment coun-termeasures are constantly updated with the prevalence of various variants.The current status of research on pres-ent drugs for treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and the therapeutic effects on emerging variants are reviewed in the article so as to provide reference for prevention and treatment of the upcoming evolved variants.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of hypoparathyroidism (HPT) and hypocalcemia in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy (TT), and to explore the changes of parathyroid hormone and blood calcium after TT.Methods:The clinical data of 101 patients undergoing TT from November 2018 to September 2022 in the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. The basic clinical data were recorded. The blood calcium and parathyroid hormone levels were measured before surgery and 1 d, 1 week after surgery. The occurrence of postoperative hypocalcemia was recorded. According to postoperative parathyroid hormone level, the patients were divided into control group (normal parathyroid function) and HPT group (reduced parathyroid hormone level). The patients with postoperative hypocalcemia symptoms were classified as the hypocalcemia symptoms group, and the patients without postoperative hypocalcemia symptoms were classified as the non-hypocalcemia symptoms group. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors of HPT and hypocalcemia in TT patients.Results:The postoperative parathyroid hormone level decreased in 41 cases (HPT group) and normal in 60 cases (control group). There were 24 patients with postoperative hypocalcemia symptoms (hypocalcemia symptoms group) and 77 patients without postoperative hypocalcemia symptoms (non-hypocalcemia symptoms group). The rate of using bipolar electric coagulation forceps in HPT group was significantly lower than that in control group: 31.71% (13/41) vs. 76.67% (46/60), while the rate of central lymph node dissection was significantly higher than that in control group: 82.93% (34/41) vs. 60.00% (36/60), and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01 and <0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis result showed that TT combined with unilateral or bilateral central lymph node dissection was an independent risk factor for HPT in TT patients ( OR = 1.706 and 1.501, 95% CI 1.019 to 2.856 and 1.052 to 2.140, P<0.05). The preoperative serum calcium, postoperative serum calcium and postoperative parathyroid hormone in hypocalcemia symptoms group were significantly lower than those in hypocalcemia symptoms group: (2.32 ± 0.11) mmol/L vs. (2.37 ± 0.11) mmol/L, (2.16 ± 0.21) mmol/L vs. (2.25 ± 0.18) mmol/L and 3.00 (1.00, 5.45) ng/L vs. 19.90 (8.50, 33.80) ng/L, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05 or <0.01). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis result showed that postoperative parathyroid hormone was an independent risk factor of hypocalcemia symptoms in TT patients ( OR = 0.927, 95% CI 0.883 to 0.974, P<0.01). In patients with HPT, the blood calcium at 1 week after surgery was significantly lower than that at 1 d after surgery: (2.07 ± 0.19) mmol/L vs. (2.17 ± 0.25) mmol/L, and there was statistical difference ( t = 2.05, P<0.05); the parathyroid hormone at 1 week after surgery was significantly higher than that at 1 d after surgery: 8.30 (3.55, 19.55) ng/L vs. 3.60 (1.00, 6.85) ng/L, and there was statistical difference ( Z = - 3.78, P<0.01). Conclusions:When performing TT, standardizing the surgical techniques, reducing unnecessary central lymph node dissection, and using bipolar electric coagulation forceps as much as possible can help to reduce the occurrence of postoperative HPT. The levels of postoperative parathyroid hormone and blood calcium should be promptly detected, the change of both should be given attention, and do a good job in preventing and treating hypocalcemia.

Surgical robot(SR),which integrates mechanical control,multimodal image navigation and artificial intelligence(AI)algorithms,is reshaping modern surgical paradigm with its advantages of minimally invasive operation,high precision and intelligent capabilities.The evolution,classification and representative commercial platforms of SR both domestically and internationally were systematically reviewed in this article,mainly focused on in-depth comparison of core parameters and key technological breakthroughs across different manufacturers and future development trends toward semi-autonomous and fully autonomous surgical systems.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the V-shaped bone tunnel technique at the base of the distal phalanx for treating tendinous mallet finger.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from patients with tendinous mallet finger treated in the Department of Hand and Foot Surgery at Linyi People’s Hospital between August 2022 and November 2023. Two oblique bone tunnels were created in a V-shaped configuration at the dorsal base of the distal phalanx, adjacent to the extensor tendon insertion, using a 0.8 mm Kirschner wire. A 4-0 double-needle monofilament tendon suture was passed through the tunnels to secure the ruptured extensor tendon to the base of the distal phalanx, followed by fixation of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint with a 1.0 mm Kirschner wire. The Kirschner wire was removed at 4 weeks postoperatively to initiate functional exercises. Regular follow-up was conducted to monitor wound healing and functional recovery of the DIP joint. At the final follow-up, the range of flexion and extension of the DIP joint was measured, and treatment outcomes were evaluated using Crawford’s mallet finger evaluation criteria, which classified results into four grades: excellent, good, fair, and poor.Results:Fifteen patients (16 fingers) were included, comprising 11 males and 4 females, with a mean age of 44.5 years (range: 17-65 years). The injured fingers included 2 index, 4 middle, 5 ring, and 5 little fingers, all presenting with DIP joint flexion deformity and limited active extension. Postoperative follow-up ranged from 6 to 28 months (mean: 17 months). All wounds healed primarily without complications such as infection or skin necrosis, and no cases of tendon re-rupture occurred. At the final follow-up, the measurement results of flexion and extension range of motion of the affected fingers at the DIP joint were as follows: the maximum flexion angle of all 16 fingers was 45°, among which 7 fingers had an extension angle of 0°, 8 fingers had limited extension ranging from 1° to 10°, and 1 finger had limited extension of 15°. Among the 16 fingers, 7 fingers were rated as excellent, 8 fingers as good and 1 finger as fair.Conclusion:The V-shaped bone tunnel technique for tendon-to-bone reattachment of the extensor tendon insertion is a simple and effective method for treating tendinous mallet finger. It provides satisfactory functional recovery, improves finger appearance, and is associated with minimal complications.

BACKGROUND:The cryopreservation technology enables tissues/cells to be stored for a long time in a low-temperature environment while maintaining the integrity of their activity and function,which is of great significance for the construction of cell therapy,tissue engineering and biological sample banks.Cryoprotective agents often contain dimethyl sulfoxide and serum.To avoid the toxic side effects of dimethyl sulfoxide,the complexity of serum components and immune responses,although some finished cryoprotective agents have been marketed,they are faced with many difficulties such as high cost and limited application.Therefore,there is an urgent need to develop a cryoprotective agent with clear components and the ability to solve the above problems.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of a novel cryoprotectant on cryopreservation efficiency of different tissue and cell sources.METHODS:By applying the novel cryoprotectant as an experimental group with the commercially available and widely used cryoprotectant(control group)to umbilical cord Wharton's jelly tissue,umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells,umbilical cord blood/peripheral blood mononuclear cells,NK and CIK cells,comparative analyses were conducted in terms of cell morphology,number,viability,surface markers,differentiation potential,and cell-killing toxicity assay before cryopreservation and after resuscitation thawing.We confirmed the cryopreservation effect of the new cryoprotectant and its potential application value.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The novel cryoprotectant facilitated the normal growth of cryopreserved Wharton's jelly tissue upon recovery,exhibiting mesenchymal stem cell morphology.No significant differences were observed between the experimental and control groups in terms of cell recovery rate,surface markers,and differentiation potential.(2)There was no significant difference in the number and viability of cells between the experimental group and the control group after cryopreservation of cord blood/peripheral blood mononuclear cells,and the cryo-resuscitated cell numbers and viability of derived NK cells/CIK cells did not show significant difference between the experimental and control groups.(3)For NK cells derived and differentiated from cord blood/peripheral blood mononuclear cells,there was no significant difference in the proportion of CD56+CD16+cell subpopulations between the experimental group and the control group.For CIK cells derived and differentiated from cord blood/peripheral blood mononuclear cells,there was no significant difference in the proportions of CD3+CD8+and CD3+CD56+cell subpopulations between the experimental group and the control group.(4)In terms of cytotoxicity testing,when the effective-target ratio of immune cells and melanoma cell line Mel624 was 20:1,whether it was NK cells/CIK cells derived from cord blood or peripheral blood mononuclear cells,there was no significant difference in the tumoricidal activity of cells between the experimental group and the control group.These findings suggest that the novel cryoprotectant can replace existing commercially available and widely used cryoprotectants,and is applicable to Wharton's jelly tissue,umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells,umbilical cord blood/peripheral blood mononuclear cells,as well as NK and CIK cells,providing a solid technical foundation for the scaling,standardization,and commercialization of universal cryoprotectants.

Objective To explore the value of MRI subtraction technique(ST)for evaluating the efficacy of systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and predicting prognosis after combining with surgery.Methods Totally 35 patients with 39 HCC lesions who received systemic therapy+radical resection were retrospectively collected.Based on preoperative MRI,tumor activity ratio(recorded as tumor activityST)was obtained with ST,while tumor activity value(recorded as tumor activitypathology)was obtained through postoperative pathology,and their correlation was analyzed.The patients were regularly followed up after surgery,and the survival data were recorded.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to evaluate the efficacy of tumor activityST for predicting patients'survival status.Then the patients were divided into survival benefit group and no survival benefit group according to the cut-off value,and survival analysis was conducted.Results Tumor activityST was positively correlated with tumor activitypathology(r=0.900,P＜0.001).The median follow-up time was 32.93 months,during which 8 patients died,and the median survival time was 29.9 months.The area under the curve(AUC)of tumor activityST for predicting patients'survival status was 0.67,and the cut-off value was 0.36.Thirty patients with tumor activityST＜0.36 were enrolled in survival benefit group,while 5 patients≥0.36 were collected in no survival benefit group.The overall survival in survival benefit group was longer than that in no survival benefit group(P＜0.001).Conclusion MRI ST could be used to non-invasively evaluate the efficacy of systemic therapy for advanced HCC and predict prognosis after combining with surgery.