ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism by which Zhiqiao Gancao Decoction （枳壳甘草汤， ZGD） delays intervertebral disc degeneration （IDD） based on the Hippo-yes-associated protein （YAP）/transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif （TAZ） signaling pathway. MethodsA total of 50 SD rats were randomly divided into sham surgery group， model group， low-dose ZGD group， high-dose ZGD group， and high-dose ZGD + inhibitor group， with 10 rats in each group. In the sham surgery group， the rats were pierced in the skin and muscle at the Co6/7/8 segments of the tail with a 21G needle （depth approximately 2 mm） without damaging the intervertebral disc. In the other groups， rats were injected with a 21G needle at the Co6/7/8 segments of the tail to establish an IDD model by piercing the tail intervertebral disc 5 mm. One week after modeling， rats in the low-dose and high-dose ZGD groups were given 6.24 and 12.24 g/（kg·d） of the decoction via gastric gavage， respectively. The high-dose ZGD + inhibitor group was given 12.24 g/（kg·d） of the decoction and an intraperitoneal injection of YAP/TAZ inhibitor Verteporfin 10 mg/kg. The sham surgery and model groups were given 5 ml/（kg·d） of normal saline via gavage. The gavage was given once a day， and the intraperitoneal injection was given every other day. After 4 weeks of continuous intervention， the pathological changes of the tail intervertebral discs were observed using HE staining， Oil Red O-Green staining， and Toluidine Blue staining. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of aggrecan and MMP3 in the nucleus pulposus. TUNEL fluorescence staining was performed to detect apoptosis in the nucleus pulposus， and the apoptosis rate was calculated. Western blot was used to detect the Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling pathway， including YAP， phosphorylated YAP （p-YAP）， phosphorylated MST1/2 （p-MST1/2）， phosphorylated TAZ （p-TAZ） and apoptosis-related proteins， such as Cleaved Caspase 3， P53， Bcl-2 and Bax. ResultsCompared with sham surgery group， the rats in the model group showed significant degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. The levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins in the nucleus pulposus decreased， while the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and the apoptosis rate increased （P < 0.01）. Compared with the model group， the drug intervention groups showed partial recovery in intervertebral disc degeneration. The levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins increased， while the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and the apoptosis rate decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The high-dose ZGD group showed more significant recovery in intervertebral disc degeneration compared to the low-dose ZGD group， with a decrease in the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and apoptosis rate， and an increase in the levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with the high-dose ZGD group， the high-dose ZGD + inhibitor group showed a reduced recovery in intervertebral disc degeneration， with an increase in the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and apoptosis rate， and a decrease in the levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionZGD may delay intervertebral disc degeneration by inhibiting the phosphorylation of YAP in the nucleus pulposus， maintaining the function of the Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling pathway， and reducing apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of timosaponin BⅡ （TBⅡ） combined with icariin （ICA） on osteoclast （OC）-osteoblast （OB） coupling and decipher the mechanism from the cellular level. MethodsThe cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） was used to assess the effects of different concentrations of TBⅡ and different concentrations of TBⅡ+ICA on the growth of RAW264.7 cells. Soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand （sRANKL） was used to induce the differentiation of RAW264.7 pre-osteoclasts into osteoclasts. The cells were allocated into sRANKL， TBⅡ （1， 5， 10 μmol·L^-1）， and TBⅡ+ICA groups. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining was performed to assess the effects of TBⅡ and TBⅡ+ICA on osteoclast differentiation. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was conducted to examine the effects of TBⅡ+ICA on the expression of key genes involved in osteoclast differentiation and osteoclast-derived coupling factors. The osteogenic differentiation conditioned medium mixed with osteoclast supernatant was used to induce osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. Alkaline phosphatase staining and alizarin red S staining were employed to determine the effect of TBⅡ+ICA on osteogenic differentiation. Real-time PCR was employed to evaluate the effects of conditioned medium on key genes involved in osteogenic differentiation. ResultsTBⅡ at 1， 5， 10 μmol·L^-1 had no significant effect on the cell survival rate. Compared with the sRANKL group， TBⅡ inhibited osteoclast differentiation in a dose-dependent manner and achieved the best effect at 10 μmol·L^-1 （P<0.01）. Compared with the sRANKL group， different concentrations of TBⅡ down-regulated the mRNA levels of osteoclast differentiation-related genes c-Fos， RANK， and RANKL （P<0.05）. None of 10 μmol·L^-1 TBⅡ， 10 μmol·L^-1 TBⅡ+10^-4 μmol·L^-1 ICA， or 10 μmol·L^-1 TBⅡ+10^-3 μmol·L^-1 ICA affected the viability of RAW264.7 cells. TBⅡ and/or ICA inhibited osteoclast differentiation （P<0.01）， and TBⅡ + ICA had the best effect （P<0.01）. Compared with the sRANKL group， TBⅡ and/or ICA down-regulated the mRNA levels of c-Fos， RANK， and RANKL （P<0.05）. The single application of TBⅡ and ICA had no significant effect on the mRNA levels of Wnt10b， Cthrc1， and C3a， while TBⅡ+ICA exerted up-regulating effects （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the blank group， the bone differentiation and mineralization abilities of the normal osteogenic induction group and each osteogenic induction + osteoclast supernatant group were improved （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the normal osteogenic induction group and the osteogenic induction + osteoclast supernatant group showed up-regulated mRNA levels of Runx2 and OCN （P<0.01）. ConclusionTBⅡ+ICA can inhibit osteoclast differentiation， maintain the normal osteoclast-osteoblast coupling， and promote osteogenic differentiation.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of tumor cell Vimentin combined with endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy(EUS-FNB)in diagnosing solid pancreatic tumors.Methods Clinical data from 110 patients who underwent EUS-FNB from October 2021 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Solid pancreatic tumors including but not limited to pancreatic cancer and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of EUS-FNB were assessed by comparing its results with the final pathological diagnoses.Result Clear histopathological diagnoses were obtained in 106 cases,accounting for 96.37%.Among them,87 cases were definitively diagnosed as adenocarcinoma or pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.Immunohistochemical staining showed that Vimentin was expressed in the tumor cells.There was no statistically significant difference in positive rates among biopsies from different anatomical sites(P>0.05),but significant differences were observed in lesions of different diameters(P<0.05).Immunohistochemical staining suggested that Vimentin expression levels might be associated with the nature of the lesions.The overall diagnostic accuracy,sensitivity,and specificity of Vimentin combined with EUS-FNB for pancreatic masses were 86.09%,84.57%,and 100.00%,respectively.Specifically,for solid masses,the diagnostic accuracy,sensitivity,and specificity were 87.67%,86.55%,and 100.00%,respectively.For pancreatic cystic tumors,the diagnostic accuracy,sensitivity,and specificity were 65.42%,69.79%,and 100.00%,respectively.Conclusion The combination of tumor cell Vimentin and EUS-FNB demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy for solid pancreatic tumors,making it a valuable tool for clinical application.

Objective:To explore the changing trajectory of psychological distress in young and middle-aged patients during peridialysis period.Methods:Totally 122 patients in the peridialysis period were investigated with the Self-Designed General Data Questionnaire,Distress Screening Scale(DSS),Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale(CD-RISC),Social Support Revalued Scale(SSRS)and Self-Perceived Burden Scale(SPBS)at the time of diag-nosis,initial dialysis,and dialysis for 1 month,2 months and 3 months,respectively.The growth mix model was used to identify trajectory categories.Results:The time main effect of scores of DSS,CD-RISC and SPBS in peridi-alysis patients was statistically significant(Ps＜0.05),the scores of DSS and SPBS were the highest at the initial dialysis and the lowest at 3 months of dialysis.The CD-RISC scores were the lowest at the first dialysis and the highest at 3 months of dialysis.The trajectory of psychological distress was divided into 3 types,namely continuous high level(26.20％),high level decline(40.72％),and medium-low level decline(33.08％).Conclusion:The psychological distress of young and middle-aged peridialysis patients shows different trajectories from diagnosis to regular dialysis.Clinical staff should pay more attention to the psychological status of the first-time dialysis pa-tients.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of subfascial and extrafascial anterior quadratus lumborum block (AQLB).Methods:This study included two trials. TrialⅠ This trail was a retrospective study. The images of patients undergoing abdominal CT examination from January to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed in the picture archiving and communication system of the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University. One hundred adult patients with no musculoskeletal disorders or history of thoracolumbar surgery were randomly selected, and the anatomical relation between the quadratus lumbar muscle (QLM) and psoas major muscle (PMM) at the L 4 level was observed. Trial Ⅱ This trail was a prospective study. Twenty American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰor Ⅱ male patients, aged 18-65 yr, with a body mass index of 18-25 kg/m 2, who underwent elective unilateral AQLB lower abdominal surgery in Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University from January to February 2024, were included and divided into subfascial group and extrafascial group using computer-generated random numbers, with 10 cases per group (5 cases on the left and 5 cases on the right side each). AQLB was performed using 0.375% ropivacaine 30 ml: the injection point for subfascial group was located between the fascia of the QLM and the anterior layer of the thoracolumbar fascia at the L 4 level, while the injection point for extrafascial group was located underneath the fascia of the PMM at the L 4 level. The blocked side of the body was divided into 15 regions using the anatomical landmarks on the body surface. The positive rates of skin sensory block and sensory disappearance of dermatomes in each region were assessed by cold stimulation at 40 min after block. The modified Bromage score was used to evaluate the lower limb motor block at 40 min after block and 1 h after surgery. Results:PartⅠ At the L 4 level, the overlapping of the bilateral QLM and PMM only occurred in 1 patient (1%), the overlapping only appearing on the left side occurred in 1 patient (1%), and the PMM and QLM in the remaining 98 patients (98%) were separated. Part Ⅱ The positive rates in 3, 5, 6 and 8 regions and the sensory disappearance rates of T 7 to T 12 dermatomes were significantly higher in subfascial group than in extrafascial group ( P<0.05). One patient in extrafascial group had a modified Bromage score of 1 on the block side at 40 min after block, and both groups scored 0 at the other time points. Conclusions:QLM and PMM are separated at the L 4 level in most patients. Subfascial AQLB is more effective than extrafascial AQLB in blocking the middle-lower region of the abdominal wall and has no motor block.

Objective To explore the effects of remote ischemic preconditioning combined with permissive hypercapnia on brain oxygen saturation and postoperative cognition in patients which undergoing thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery.Methods A collection of 64 patients elective requiring thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery who were divided into control group and combined group according to the randomized grouping method,with 32 cases in each group.The PaCO2 in the control group of patient was maintained at normal,and patients in the combination group were given permissive hypercapnia ventilation strategies and performed remote ischemic preconditioning,PaCO2 is maintained at 45-50mmHg(1mmHg=0.133kPa).Record the cerebral oxygen saturation(rSO2)at the five time points before operation(T0),10min after one lung ventilation(T1),30min after one lung ventilation(T2),10 min after lung recruitment(T3)and the end of surgery(T4),measured the internal jugular venous blood oxygen saturation(SjvO2)and calculated cerebral arteriovenous blood oxygen content difference(CaO2-CjvO2),brain oxygen uptake rate(CERO2).Monitored the average arterial pressure(MAP)and heart rate(HR)of the hemodynamic indicators at the above five time points.The scores of cognitive function were recorded 1 day before operation and 1 day and 3 days after operation;detected the levels of serum neuron-specific enolase(NSE),amyloid β(Aβ)and S100β protein(S100β)in 1 day before surgery,24hours after surgery and 48hours after surgery;Comparison of postoperative related indicators and adverse reactions between the patients of two groups.Results The rSO2 and SjvO2 of combined group were higher than control group in the T1-T4,but CaO2-CjvO2 and CERO2 were lower than those of control group.There was no significant difference in HR and MAP between two groups from T0-T4.The mini-mental state examination(MMSE)score of the combined group was significantly higher than that of the control group on the 1 day after operation.The level of serum NSE,Aβ and S100β in the combined group was lower than those of control group at 24hours and 48hours after operation.There was no significant difference in incidence of postoperative adverse reactions and postoperative related indexes between the two groups.Conclusion Permissive hypercapnia combined with remote ischemic preconditioning can increase cerebral oxygen saturation in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery,improve cerebral oxygen metabolism and reduce the levels of serum neuron-specific enolase,β-amyloid protein and S100β protein,decrease the postoperative cognitive dysfunction.

Objective To investigate the effects of Aikeqing(AKQ),a compound of Chinese medicine,on drug-metabolizing activity and on the pharmacokinetic parameters of HIV-1 protease inhibitors lopinavir(LPV)and ritonavir(RTV)in Kaletra tablets.Methods Human liver microsomes were co-incubated with mixed probes and AKQ.HPLC-MS was employed to measure the content of probe.Half-inhibitory concentration(IC50)of AKQ on different subtypes of cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in drug metabolism of liver microsomes was calculated.The P450 subtype,whose activity was significantly inhibited by AKQ was then identified.HPLC-MS analytical method for simultaneous determination of LPV and RTV in rat plasma was established.SD rats were orally given AKQ or vehicle once a day for 7 consecutive days.After half an hour of the last gavage of AKQ,the rats were given Kaletra by intragastric administration.Then,the blood concentration of LPV and RTV were measured and the effect of AKQ on pharmacokinetic parameters of LPV and RTV were analyzed.Results The methanol extract of AKQ at the concentrations of 0～500 μg·mL-1 showed inhibitory effects on the metabolic activity of CYP2D6,CYP2C8、CYP2E1,CYP2C19,CYP1A2,CYP2B6,CYP2C9 and CYP3A4,with IC50 values of 7.7,75.3,144.0,99.5,43.5,104.5,49.3 and 204.9 μg·mL-1,respectively.An HPLC-MS/MS method was established for simultaneous quantification of LPV and RTV in blood samples.LPV and RTV showed linear relationships in the ranges of 30～10 000 ng·mL-1 and 3～1 000 ng·mL-1,respectively.The lowest limits of quantification were 30 ng·mL-1 and 3 ng·mL-1.Intra-day and inter-day precision were all less than 5%,and the accuracy of LPV and RTV was in the range of 96.3%～109%.The extraction recovery rates were not less than 88.7%,the matrix effects were 93.8%～105.0%,and the plasma samples were stable.Compared with Kaletra group,there was no significant changes in non-compartmental model parameters including AUC0-t,AUC0-∞,MRT0-t,t1/2z,tmax,Vz/F,Clz/F and Cmax of LPV in AKQ+Kaletra group(P＞0.05).But MRT0-∞ was found to be obviously affected by AKQ(P＜0.05).All pharmacokinetic parameters of RTV showed no significant change in AKQ+Kaletra group(P＞0.05).Conclusion Aikeqing exhibited varying degrees of inhibitory effects on 8 human drug-metabolizing cytochromes P450,especially CYP2D6.A human-equivalent dose of Aikeqing does not affect the pharmacokinetic parameters of lopinavir and ritonavir in rats.

Objective To investigate the effects of eicosanoic acid(C20DC)on the proliferation and migration of human retinal endothelial cells(HRECs)and its mechanism.Methods The optimal working concentration of C20DC in human retinal pigment epithelium 19(ARPE-19)cells and HRECs was determined as 30 mg·L-1 and 25 mg·L-1,respec-tively.HRECs were divided into the C20DC treatment group(HRECs treated with C20DC)and the control group[HRECs treated with dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)].The effects of C20DC on the migration and proliferation of HRECs were detec-ted by cell proliferation and migration experiments.The molecular docking method was used to simulate the binding ability of C20DC to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ(PPARδ).ARPE-19 cells were divided into the C20DC+ARPE-19 group(ARPE-19 cells treated with C20DC)and the DMSO+ARPE-19 group(ARPE-19 cells treated with DMSO).The ex-pression levels of PPARδ and angiopoietin-like protein 4(ANGPTL4)in ARPE-19 cells and ANGPTL4 protein in HRECs were detected using Western blot.The ANGPTL4 protein expression levels in ARPE-19 cells and HRECs were quantitatively analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results Compared with the control group,the prolifera-tion and migration of cells in the C20DC treatment group significantly increased(both P＜0.05),and C20DC could stably bind to PPAR8(binding energy:-7.20 kcal·mol-1).Western blot showed that the expression level of ANGPTL4 protein in the C20DC+ARPE-19 group was higher than that in the DMSO+ARPE-19 group,and the difference was statistically sig-nificant(P＜0.05);there was no statistically significant difference in the expression level of PPARδ receptor protein be-tween the two groups(P＞0.05).The expression level of ANGPTL4 protein in the C20DC treatment group was higher than that in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).ELISA quantitative analysis showed that the expression level of ANGPTL4 in the C20DC+ARPE-19 group was higher than that in the DMSO+ARPE-19 group(P＜0.001);the expression level of ANGPTL4 in the C20DC treatment group was higher than that in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion C20DC can promote the expression of ANGPTL4 pro-tein by binding to PPARδ and thus increase the proliferation and migration of retinal related cells(HRECs and ARPE-19 cells).Its mechanism may be related to the increased angiogenesis in retinopathy of prematurity.

Objective　To analyze the causes of death of one case of imported falciparum malaria in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in January 2023, to provide a reference for the prevention of fatal malaria cases. Methods Interviews were conducted with the doctors who received and consulted the patient, as well as the family members of the patient. Clinical data from the patient's diagnosis and treatment process were collected, and the patient's clinical records and epidemiological investigation data were analyzed. Results The patient, Mr. He, a 53-year-old male from Pingnan County, Guigang City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, returned from working in Côte d'Ivoire, Africa, and entered Guangxi on December 26, 2022. He returned home after his centralized quarantine was lifted on January 3, 2023. On January 4th, 2023, the patient developed dizziness and vomiting, considering himself to a possible COVID-19 infection, he did not seek treatment. On the morning of January 6, the patient developed a fever (peak body temperature of 40 ℃), accompanied by fatigue and sore throat, and the preemptive symptoms were aggravated. The patient was admitted to the Guancheng Town Health Center with "Pneumonia" and treated with ribavirin, dexamethasone, ceftriaxone sodium, etc. On January 7, the patient again experienced a high fever (40 ℃) and was discharged to the Emergency Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University. Upon admission, the patient's blood pressure was measured at 78/53mmHg, further comprehensive examination showed a decrease in platelets and abnormalities in liver and renal function, procalcitonin levels at 49.9 ng/mL. Chest CT showed pneumonia, and fluid supplements and antibiotics were given. On January 8, malaria parasites were found in the patient's blood smear, and the patient was diagnosed with malaria (not classified, confirmed as falciparum malaria on January 9th). The patient was recommended to transfer to the provincial malaria-designated hospital, but his family refused. On January 8 at 13:27, the patient excreted approximately 700 g of dark red bloody stools accompanied by blurred consciousness and received hemostasis treatment. After coordinating with multiple parties, four doses of "artemisinin injection " (60 mg/dose) were taken for treatment. At 18:59 on January 8, intravenous administration of 60 mg injectable Artesunate was given, accompanied by symptomatic treatment for fever reduction and rehydration. At 19:40, the patient developed severe hypoglycemia, and severe metabolic acidosis, and blood pressure continued to decrease despite the use of vasopressors. After comprehensive treatment at 3:00 am on January 9, the patient's condition continued to deteriorate, the patient's shock could not be corrected, he lapsed into a coma, and the family requested to be discharged from the hospital. The patient returned home at 7:00 am and died of multiple organ failure at 7:30 am. Conclusions For imported malaria, early and precise diagnosis based on epidemiological history, clinical symptoms, laboratory test results, early antimalarial treatment, and management of organ dysfunction are the keys to avoiding fatal outcomes.

Patients with severe trauma require an extremely timely treatment and transfusion plays an irreplaceable role in the emergency treatment of such patients. An increasing number of evidence-based medicinal evidences and clinical practices suggest that patients with severe traumatic bleeding benefit from early transfusion of low-titer group O whole blood or hemostatic resuscitation with red blood cells, plasma and platelet of a balanced ratio. However, the current domestic mode of blood supply cannot fully meet the requirements of timely and effective blood transfusion for emergency treatment of patients with severe trauma in clinical practice. In order to solve the key problems in blood supply and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma, Branch of Clinical Transfusion Medicine of Chinese Medical Association, Group for Trauma Emergency Care and Multiple Injuries of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Young Scholar Group of Disaster Medicine Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized domestic experts of blood transfusion medicine and trauma treatment to jointly formulate Chinese expert consensus on blood support mode and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma patients ( version 2024). Based on the evidence-based medical evidence and Delphi method of expert consultation and voting, 10 recommendations were put forward from two aspects of blood support mode and transfusion strategies, aiming to provide a reference for transfusion resuscitation in the emergency treatment of severe trauma and further improve the success rate of treatment of patients with severe trauma.