Co-infection of hepatitis D virus （HDV） and hepatitis B virus （HBV） is the most severe form of viral hepatitis and is associated with accelerated progression of liver disease and a significant increase in the risk of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Nucleo（s）tide analogues for HBV treatment are ineffective against HDV infection， necessitating the urgent need for developing specific and effective antiviral therapies for HDV. In recent years， significant advances have been made in the research and development of specific antiviral drugs against HDV， including entry inhibitors targeting viral entry （Bulevirtide） and monoclonal antibody drugs （Libevitug）， which bring ground-breaking advances in the treatment of HDV infection. This article briefly reviews the latest research advances in therapeutic drugs for HDV， introduces the mechanism of action and clinical research data of new drugs recently approved for the treatment of HDV， and discusses the challenges that need to be solved in the field of HDV treatment， in order to provide a reference for understanding the current status of hepatitis D treatment.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism by which Xiebai San regulates respiratory tract and intestinal mucosal immunity in rats with allergic asthma. MethodsForty male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups based on body weight: control group, model group, positive control group, and Xiebai San group. The model group, positive control group, and Xiebai San group were sensitized with ovalbumin to establish a rat model of allergic asthma. From day 21 (the aerosol challenge phase), each group received daily gavage interventions simultaneously: the positive control group was administered dexamethasone (0.068 mg/kg), the Xiebai San group received Xiebai San solution (2 g/mL, 11.3 mL/kg), while the control and model groups were given an equal volume of normal saline, once daily for 14 consecutive days. After euthanasia, lung and intestinal tissues were collected. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe histopathological changes. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to examine tissue ultrastructure. Immunohistochemistry was applied to detect the positive reaction areas of phosphatidyl-inositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (Akt) proteins. Total protein and total RNA were extracted from lung and intestinal tissues, then the protein and mRNA expression levels of PI3K and Akt genes were detected by Western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR, respectively. ResultsHistopathological results showed alveolar emphysema accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration, and intestinal mucosal injury with inflammatory cell infiltration in the model group as compared with the control group; the cellular structure of lung tissues was disrupted in the model group, with reduced organelles, while the ultrastructural lesions in the intestine were relatively mild. Compared with the model group, Xiebai San group exhibited milder pathological changes in lung tissues, with occasional alveolar wall damage and a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration; the intestinal mucosal structure was improved, glands were arranged regularly, and pathological changes such as tissue loosening and inflammatory infiltration were alleviated; the cellular structure of lung tissues was relatively intact with reduced severity of lesions, and no ultrastructural pathological changes were observed in intestinal tissues. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting results showed that compared with the control group, the specific positive reaction areas of PI3K and Akt in lung and intestinal tissues were significantly increased in the model group (all P<0.001); meanwhile, the protein expression levels of PI3K and Akt were significantly upregulated (all P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the positive area of Akt protein in lung tissue was significantly reduced in the Xiebai San group (P<0.001), and the positive area of PI3K in intestinal tissue was also significantly decreased (P<0.000 1). Additionally, the protein expression levels of PI3K and Akt in lung and intestinal tissues were significantly downregulated (all P<0.01). Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that compared with the control group, the mRNA expression levels of PI3K and Akt genes in lung and intestinal tissues were significantly elevated in the model group (all P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the mRNA expression levels of PI3K and Akt genes in lung and intestinal tissues were significantly reduced in the Xiebai San group (all P<0.05). ConclusionXiebai San exerts protective effects on rats with allergic asthma by inhibiting the expression of key nucleic acids and proteins in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway in lung and intestinal tissues, improving the morphological structure of lung tissue, and maintaining intestinal mucosal integrity, and regulating intestinal mucosal immune function.

BACKGROUND:Ammonia poisoning is considered to be the main hypothesis for the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy.Ammonia can lead to psychiatric and cognitive behavioral disorders,although the specific pathological molecular mechanisms remain unclear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of ammonia poisoning on cognitive behavior and hippocampal neuronal synapses in mice.METHODS:Thirty-two C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a normal control group and an ammonium chloride group,with 16 mice in each group.Normal saline was injected intraperitoneally in the control group,and ammonium chloride(10 mmol/kg)was injected intraperitoneally in the ammonium chloride group to construct a model of ammonia poisoning,once a day.After 7 days of ammonium chloride intervention,blood samples were collected from the hearts of six mice in each group for blood ammonia concentration detection.Behavioral experiments,including the open field test,novel object recognition test,and Y-maze test,were performed to assess mental and cognitive-behavioral changes in mice.Finally,hippocampal tissues were extracted for western blot analysis to detect the expression levels of synaptophysin and postsynaptic density protein-95 in hippocampal neurons.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The blood ammonia concentration was significantly elevated in the ammonium chloride group compared with the control group(P＜0.05).Mice in the ammonium chloride group showed anxiety-like behavior and disinhibition phenomenon,and a significant decrease in recognition memory and working memory ability.Western blot results revealed that the expression of synaptophysin and postsynaptic density protein-95 protein in hippocampal neurons in the ammonium chloride group was lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05).To conclude,ammonia poisoning can induce hippocampal neuronal synaptic damage,leading to psychiatric and cognitive behavioral abnormalities in mice.

BACKGROUND:Ammonia poisoning is considered to be the main hypothesis for the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy.Ammonia can lead to psychiatric and cognitive behavioral disorders,although the specific pathological molecular mechanisms remain unclear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of ammonia poisoning on cognitive behavior and hippocampal neuronal synapses in mice.METHODS:Thirty-two C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a normal control group and an ammonium chloride group,with 16 mice in each group.Normal saline was injected intraperitoneally in the control group,and ammonium chloride(10 mmol/kg)was injected intraperitoneally in the ammonium chloride group to construct a model of ammonia poisoning,once a day.After 7 days of ammonium chloride intervention,blood samples were collected from the hearts of six mice in each group for blood ammonia concentration detection.Behavioral experiments,including the open field test,novel object recognition test,and Y-maze test,were performed to assess mental and cognitive-behavioral changes in mice.Finally,hippocampal tissues were extracted for western blot analysis to detect the expression levels of synaptophysin and postsynaptic density protein-95 in hippocampal neurons.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The blood ammonia concentration was significantly elevated in the ammonium chloride group compared with the control group(P＜0.05).Mice in the ammonium chloride group showed anxiety-like behavior and disinhibition phenomenon,and a significant decrease in recognition memory and working memory ability.Western blot results revealed that the expression of synaptophysin and postsynaptic density protein-95 protein in hippocampal neurons in the ammonium chloride group was lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05).To conclude,ammonia poisoning can induce hippocampal neuronal synaptic damage,leading to psychiatric and cognitive behavioral abnormalities in mice.

ObjectiveTo evaluate a novel nomogram based on contrast-enhanced MRI radiomics combined with clinical variables for the preoperative prediction of perineural invasion （PNI） in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma （ICC）. MethodsThe clinical data of 59 ICC patients were retrospectively collected. According to postoperative pathology reports， the patients were divided into the non-PNI group （n = 33） and the PNI group （n = 26）. Regions of interest （ROI） were delineated from five MRI sequences. Radiomics features were then extracted and filtered to select those with the strongest discriminative power for PNI identification. These selected features were used to construct a radiomics model， which subsequently generated a quantitative radiomics score （radiomics score， Radscore）. Univariate analysis was applied to identify clinical variables associated with PNI， and the glm function was subsequently used to construct clinical and combined models. Finally， the models were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curves， calibration curves， and decision curve analysis （DCA）. The combined model was then visualized as a nomogram. ResultsThe clinical model included age， carbohydrate antigen 19-9 （CA19-9）， red blood cell distribution width， and albumin， whereas the Radscore included five radiomic features. The areas under the ROC curves （AUCs） for the clinical and radiomics models were 0.717 （95%CI： 0.586-0.848） and 0.896 （95%CI： 0.820-0.973）， respectively， whereas the combined model further improved its AUC to 0.917 （95% CI：0.848-0.987）. The calibration curves and DCA showed that the nomogram was well calibrated and provided the greatest net clinical benefit. ConclusionThe novel nomogram may serve as a basis for preoperative prediction of PNI status， thereby assisting clinical decision-making and guiding personalized treatment.

Objective To analyze the urban drinking water quality and its influencing factors in Anhui Province from 2014 to 2022, and to provide a scientific basis for water quality improvement and protection. Methods The data were collected, saved and monitored according to the Standard Test Method for Drinking Water (GB/T5750-2006) and evaluated according to the Hygienic Standard for Drinking Water (GB 5749-2006). Results A total of 20 941 samples were collected, and the overall qualified rate was 84.26%. The qualified rate of urban drinking water increased from 76.9% in 2014 to 93.3% in 2022, and the qualified rate of water quality was on the rise (χ²=544.43, P＜0.01). From 2014 to 2022, the qualified rate of water quality in dry season was higher than that in wet season (χ²=35.98, P<0.001), the qualified rate of surface water was higher than that of ground water (χ²=4440.8, P<0.001), and the qualified rate of peripheral tap water was higher than that of factory water (χ²=145.1, P<0.001). Among all kinds of disinfection methods, chlorination disinfection had the highest qualified rate (χ²=1483.8, P<0.001). The qualified rate of water quality increased with the increase of the scale of water plant. Among the inspected indicators, the main unqualified indicators were chlorine dioxide (7.72%), fluoride (7.41%), free residual chlorine (3.90%), and total bacterial count (2.13%). Conclusion The passing rate of urban drinking water quality in Anhui Province is on an upward trend, and the quality of urban drinking water has improved. However, it is still important to pay attention to the problem of excessive microorganism and fluoride in water, and the quality of drinking water varies from place to place.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of Polygala tenuifolia compatibility on toxicity， anti-inflammatory and analgesic efficacy of sand-ironing Strychnos nux-vomica （SS）. METHODS The preparation of SS single decoction， SS-P. tenuifolia core-removed （PC） （1∶2.5） or （1∶5） combined decoction， and SS-PC （1∶5） mixture were carried out to investigate their median lethal dose （LD50）. Using aspirin as positive control， the number of writhing movements， analgesic rate， pain latency， ear swelling degree and inflammation inhibition rate induced by the above-mentioned medicinal liquids in mice were compared. The contents of the active and toxic components， strychnine and brucine， in the above-mentioned medicinal liquids were also determined. RESULTS The LD50 values of SS single decoction， SS-PC （1∶2.5） combined decoction， SS-PC （1∶5） combined decoction and SS- PC （1∶5） mixture were 302.00， 614.47， 1 445.44 and 1 778.28 mg/kg， respectively. Compared with control group， the number of writhing movements and ear swelling degree in the mice of the above-mentioned medicinal liquid groups were reduced or decreased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； pain latency [at 90 and 120 minutes in the SS single decoction group， at 60 and 90 minutes in the SS-PC （1∶2.5） combined decoction group， and at 60，90， 120 minutes in the SS-PC （1∶5） combined decoction group and SS-PC （1∶5） mixture group] was significantly prolonged （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； analgesic rates of the respective medicinal liquids were 39.30%， 70.87%， 80.00% and 82.46%， and inflammation inhibition rates were 38.08%，TD 57.89%， 76.47% and 50.46%； analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of combined decoction and mixture were generally better than those of the single decoction （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. In the above-mentioned four medicinal liquids， the total contents of strychnine were 0.71%， 0.42%， 0.47% and 0.64%， and the total contents of brucine were 0.88%， 0.63%， 0.57% and 0.88%， respectively. CONCLUSIONS The combination of P. tenuifolia can reduce the toxicity of SS and enhance its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Moreover， there is a tendency for the toxicity-reducing and efficacy-enhancing effects to increase with the increasing dosage of P. tenuifolia. Additionally， the combined decoction of SS and P. tenuifolia can reduce the contents of the active and toxic components， strychnine and brucine， in SS.

To investigate the anti-atherosclerotic effects of dietary hesperidin and naringin on ather-osclerosis in rabbits.Twenty-four adult healthy male New Zealand Large White rabbits were ran-domly assigned to four groups based on one factor:control(Con),model(Mod),hesperidin(HP),and naringenin(NG),each containing six rabbits and housed in solitary cages.During the experi-mental period,the control group received normal feed;the model group was fed high-fat for 30 d to establish the atherosclerosis,(AS)model and continued to be fed high-fat feed;the hesperidin and naringenin groups were fed high-fat for 30 d and then underwent AS modeling,and at a later stage,150 mg of hesperidin(or naringenin)was added to the diets at a rate of 1.5 mg per kg of di-et,respectively,for 30 d.Relative body quality,blood lipids,oxidation,and inflammatory factor lev-els were all assessed.At the end of the test period,the test rabbits were sacrificed to obtain the common carotid artery for histopathological section HE staining,Oil red O staining,and Sirius red staining in order to observe vascular tissue structure,lipid and inflammatory cell infiltration,and e-lastic plate and elastic fiber damage.The results indicated that the relative body quality of the mod-el,HP and NG groups increased rapidly,and the difference with the control group within the same period was highly significant(P＜0.01);The HP and NG interventions significantly decreased to-tal cholesterol(TC)and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)levels(P＜0.01),while also leading to a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)levels(P＜0.01);MDA levels exhibited a significant decrease(P＜0.01),while SOD levels showed a notable in-crease(P＜0.01)following the HP and NG interventions;After HP and NG interventions,TNF-α and IL-1 were regressed(P＜0.01)and IL-10 was significantly elevated(P＜0.01);Compared with the control group,the model group showed approximately 41.8 and 2.5 fold thickening of the maximal endo-medial membrane,respectively,and the HP and NG interventions showed approxi-mately 13 and 15 fold thickening of the maximal endo-medial membrane,and both of the maximal medial membranes thickened by approximately 1.4 fold;Staining of pathological sections showed that HP and NG intervened to significantly reduce inflammatory cell infiltration,deposition of lipid components,slight thickening of the endothelium,and intact fibroblastic components.The results showed that the addition of HP and NG to diets could regulate blood lipids and exert anti-inflam-matory and antioxidant effects by inhibiting the expression of inflammatory factors and oxidizing factors,showing significant anti-AS effects,and the two effects were comparable.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze sex and age distribution of global disease burden of calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) from 1990 to 2021. METHODS: CAVD data during 1990-2021 were obtained from the IHME website for Global Burden of Disease (GBD). The prevalence, mortality, years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were analyzed by gender and age groups. Joinpoint regression was used to calculate annual percentage change (APC) and average annual percentage change (AAPC). RESULTS: In 2021, there were 13.32 million CAVD patients and 142 000 deaths caused by CAVD globally. Age-standardized prevalence was higher in males (193.2/10⁵) than that in females (128.9/10⁵). Patients in 65-<85 age group accounted for 64.0% of total cases, while those ≥85 years old accounted for 16.1%. From 1990 to 2021, prevalence increased in both sexes with an AAPC of 0.72% for males and 0.57% for females, respectively. Prevalence grew fastest from 2000 to 2010, slowed thereafter, and declined from 2015 to 2021. In <65 years old, the mortality of males was 2.4 times higher than that of females, while in ≥85 years old, mortality of females (117.3/10⁵) exceeded that of males (99.1/10⁵). YLD rates increased with age, and were higher in males for all age groups. DALY rates decreased overall but increased in ≥85 years old, with a greater increase in females. CONCLUSIONS There are significant gender and age disparities in global disease burden of CAVD, with the elderly, especially super-elderly females deserving particular attention. It is recommended to develop personalized intervention strategies for these populations.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Calcinosis/mortality* ; Prevalence ; Global Burden of Disease ; Aged, 80 and over ; Middle Aged ; Aortic Valve/pathology* ; Aortic Valve Stenosis/epidemiology* ; Age Distribution ; Adult ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Sex Distribution ; Global Health ; Aortic Valve Disease/epidemiology* ; Sex Factors

Pseudohypoaldosteronism type Ⅰ(PHA Ⅰ)is a rare inherited disease,mainly caused by the deficiency of the aldosterone receptor or by reduced or absent binding between aldosterone and its receptor.It typically manifests as neonatal hyponatremia,hyperkalaemia,metabolic acidosis,accompanied by dehydration,vomiting,weight loss,and even shock.PHA Ⅰ is classified into renal-type with mutations in the salt corticosteroid receptor and multi-organ with mutations in any of the three subunits of the epithelial sodium channel(α,β or γ).The renal-type,which is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner,is caused by mutations in the aldosterone receptor with an isolated nephrogenic salt-loss syndrome,and the clinical symptoms are milder compared with those of the multi-organ type,which may improve with age.However,severity varies among individuals depending on the degree of salt loss,and if not treated in time,it may lead to shock due to repeated dehydration or even cardiac arrest due to high potassium.Currently,domestic studies have found that the human salt corticosteroid receptor is encoded by the NR3C2 gene,which is located between the regions of 4q31.1 and 4q31.2.This case reports a child with nephrogenic PHA Ⅰ due to a new-onset variant of the NR3C2(4q31.22)gene,who had chromosomal anomalies in the fetus and demonstrated high blood pressure,high blood potassium and low sodium after birth.The diagnosis of renal neonatal PHA Ⅰ was confirmed by the presence of a microdeletion of NR3C2 gene(4q31.22 region)in the child,which was demonstrated by a genome-wide chromosomal assay and accompanied by a significant elevation of the plasma aldosterone level(>2 000 pg/mL),and by the presence of a microdeletion of NR3C2 gene(4q31.22 region)in the child.Electrolyte disorders were corrected after oral administration of concentrated sodium chloride,and the condition remained stable at the 1-month follow-up.