OBJECTIVE To systematically compare mature experiences of comprehensive drug value assessment in typical countries/regions and to provide decision-making references for China to establish a scientific and standardized comprehensive drug value assessment system for medical-insured drugs. METHODS The literature analysis was used to systematically review drug value assessment frameworks in 11 representative countries/regions， namely the UK， Canada， Italy， Australia， Germany， France， South Korea， Japan， the United States， as well as Taiwan （China） and Hong Kong （China）. Comparisons were made across three dimensions： assessment entities， value dimension， and application of results. RESULTS &CONCLUSIONS In most countries/regions， independent technical assessment institutions have been established as part of the drug value evaluation system， with the involvement of multiple stakeholders （e.g.， the UK， Canada）. The mainstream drug value assessment frameworks have generally transcended the traditional core dimensions of safety， efficacy， and cost-effectiveness， exhibiting two major trends： the continuous expansion of assessment dimensions and stricter evidence requirements. Assessment outcomes are closely integrated with payment policies， ranging from providing technical advice for decision-making （e.g.， Italy， France） to directly determining reimbursement eligibility （e.g.， the UK， Germany）. The following recommendations are proposed for China： first， establish an evaluation mechanism featuring multi-stakeholder participation and separation of evaluation from decision-making. Second， develop a comprehensive evaluation framework integrating clinical， economic， patient， and societal value， emphasizing quantitative indicator exploration and real-world evidence application. Third， promote direct linkage between value-based tiering outcomes and medical insurance reimbursement decisions or access negotiations to balance patient benefits， fund sustainability， and industrial innovation.

Chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) is a common long-term complication following lung surgery. Its high incidence significantly impacts patients’ quality of life and functional recovery, and imposes a substantial socioeconomic burden. This consensus aims to systematically establish a standardized integrated Chinese and Western medicine diagnostic and treatment framework for chronic post-lung surgery pain (CPLSP). Based on the latest domestic and international evidence-based medical research and multidisciplinary clinical experience, the working group comprehensively elaborates on core issues regarding CPLSP, including its definition, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical assessment, Western medical treatment, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment, and integrated strategies. The consensus emphasizes a patient-centered approach, adhering to the principles of multimodality, individualization, and stepwise management, highlighting the synergistic advantages of integrating Chinese and Western medicine throughout the entire perioperative management cycle encompassing "perioperative anti-inflammation, acute analgesia, and chronic rehabilitation." Through systematic literature retrieval and evidence integration, a total of 9 core recommendations were established to provide scientifically sound and clinically practical guidance.

Objectives: . This study aimed to investigate the regulatory functions of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neural circuits from the inferior colliculus (IC) to the medial geniculate body (MGB) in salicylate-induced tinnitus. Methods: . Mice were treated with salicylate to induce tinnitus, and tinnitus-like behaviors were evaluated via gap prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle. Using combined viral tracing methodologies, we identified and mapped the pathways and connections from the IC to the MGB. Furthermore, we employed Gq-coupled human M3 designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) and Gi-coupled human M4 DREADDs to achieve targeted excitation or suppression of GABAergic neurons in the IC and MGB. Following the administration of clozapine N-oxide, which binds to these receptors, we modulated these neural circuits to assess their impact on tinnitus severity in a mouse model. Results: . Our findings demonstrated that mice exposed to salicylate exhibited tinnitus-like behaviors. GABAergic neurons projecting retrogradely from the MGB to the IC were primarily concentrated in the external nucleus of the IC. After clozapine N-oxide administration, chemogenetic activation of IC-MGB GABAergic neurons aggravated salicylate-induced tinnitus. Additionally, activation of GABAergic neurons between the IC and MGB induced the perception of tinnitus even without salicylate. However, chemogenetic inhibition of the IC-MGB GABAergic circuit did not reverse salicylate-induced tinnitus. Conclusion . These findings suggest that activation of the IC-MGB GABAergic neural circuit may contribute to tinnitus generation through a mechanism distinct from that of salicylate-induced tinnitus. This study provides novel insights into the mechanisms underlying tinnitus.

Background/Aims: Liver transplantation (LT) following total hepatectomy is a life-saving treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HCC recurrence after LT hinders the effectiveness of the procedure. The objective of this study is to develop a pre-operative risk stratification model based on a liquid biopsy. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive multi-omics study of 260 HCC patients from three centers, including clinical data, low-coverage whole-genome sequencing of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from plasma, as well as whole-exome, single-nucleus RNA, and spatial transcriptomics from matched tumor and non-tumor tissues. Results: We identified cfDNA-derived copy number alteration (CNA) signatures associated with post-transplant recurrence. By integrating cfDNA-derived CNA profiles with single-cell transcriptomic data, we traced recurrence-associated cfDNA to a distinct subpopulation of malignant cells within the primary tumor. These cells were embedded in a pro-metastatic microenvironment of specialized endothelial subtypes and cancer-associated fibroblasts. Notably, most recurrence-associated lesions were detectable in cfDNA prior to liver transplantation (LT). Building on these insights, we developed the ZJU Criteria based on CNA fragments and tumor markers, a pre-LT risk prediction tool that integrates conventional clinical factors with cfDNA-derived CNA signatures, and validated it using internal and independent external cohorts. Conclusion Our findings suggest that post-transplant recurrence commonly originates from advanced subclones that emerge late during tumor evolution. The ZJU Criteria provides an accurate, non-invasive strategy that significantly improves pre-LT risk stratification and clinical decision-making for patients with HCC.

The surgical management of empyema (excluding those caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria) is rapidly evolving towards minimally invasive, precise, and stepwise approaches. The traditional three-stage classification (exudative, fibrinopurulent, and organizing) has limitations in guiding dynamic clinical decision-making. For the first time, this consensus explicitly identifies two critical junctures in the pathological progression of empyema: "early transformation" (stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ) and "late transformation" (stage Ⅱ to Ⅲ), and thereby constructs a corresponding "identification-early warning-intervention" stepwise therapeutic framework. The consensus emphasizes that proactive debridement via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery should be performed during the early transformation phase to halt disease progression. Conversely, during the late transformation phase, therapeutic goals should be rationally adjusted to prioritize adequate drainage, avoiding futile pleural decortication. Moreover, the consensus underscores the pivotal role of precise perioperative etiological diagnosis (e.g. metagenomic nest-generation sequencing) and standardized anti-infective therapy. Integrating practical experiences from multiple thoracic surgery centers in China and relevant evidence-based literature, this consensus formulates recommendations on the precise definitions of staging, surgical indications for each phase, key technical points, perioperative management, and training systems. It aims to promote the standardized and individualized surgical management of empyema, ultimately optimizing patient prognosis.

ObjectiveTo establish the mouse models of psoriasis-like lesions induced by continuous cold exposure or intermittent cold exposure combined with imiquimod （IMQ）， and to evaluate the interventional effects of Kaixuan Jiedu core prescription （KXJD） on the two models. MethodsMale C57BL/6J mice were selected and classified into two experimental batches. The first batch of 36 mice was randomized into a room temperature group， a continuous cold exposure （10 ℃/24 h） group， and an intermittent cold exposure （10 ℃/6 h） group. Each group was further divided into a normal subgroup and a model subgroup （topical application of IMQ to induce skin lesions）， with 6 mice in each subgroup， for modeling and evaluation. The second batch of 54 mice， with 6 in each group， were subjected to the same temperature grouping with an additional KXJD （30.42 g·kg^-1， continuous gavage for 5 days） group. Comprehensive evaluation of model characteristics and KXJD efficacy was conducted through Psoriasis Area and Severity Index （PASI） scoring， skin temperature measurement by infrared thermography， histopathological observation by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， detection of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 （CD31） by immunohistochemistry， detection of Claudin-1 and Occludin by immunofluorescence assay， determination of serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin （IL）-10 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and quantification of mRNA levels of IL-17A， IL-23， IL-6， and chemokine ligand 20 （CCL20） in skin lesions by quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsModel mice in all temperature groups exhibited typical psoriasis-like skin lesions. Compared with the normal groups， the model groups showed increased PASI scores， decreased skin temperatures （P<0.05）， obvious epidermal thickening， parakeratosis， and dermal inflammatory cell infiltration， as well as elevated mRNA levels of IL-17A， IL-23， IL-6， and CCL20 （P<0.05）. Cold exposure further aggravated psoriasis. The total PASI score of the intermittent cold exposure model group was higher than that of the room temperature model group （P<0.05）. The serum IL-10 did not show a compensatory elevation， and the blood vessels presented a characteristic of elevated CD31 expression （P<0.05） without a synchronous increase in VEGF. The continuous cold exposure model group exhibited more significant dermal capillary tortuosity and dilation， with the highest mRNA levels of IL-17A， IL-23， IL-6， and CCL20 among all groups. Compared with the respective model groups， KXJD intervention alleviated skin lesions， reduced epidermal thickness and inflammatory cell infiltration， and increased skin temperature， with the temperature increase being particularly significant in the intermittent cold exposure+KXJD group （P<0.05）. Furthermore， KXJD down-regulated the expression of VEGF and CD31， restored the expression of Claudin-1 and Occludin， decreased the mRNA levels of IL-17A and IL-23 （P<0.05）， and reduced the serum TNF-α level. ConclusionThis study successfully established compound psoriasis-like mouse models induced by cold exposure combined with IMQ. It confirms that cold aggravates the severity of psoriasis by exacerbating the closure of Xuanfu （sweat pores）， microcirculation disorders， and immune imbalance. Moreover， different cold exposure patterns have distinct mechanism differences. Continuous cold exposure focuses on enhancing the inflammatory response via the IL-23/IL-17 axis and angiogenesis， simulating chronic aggravation under a long-term cold environment. Intermittent cold exposure tends to impair immune regulation and induce microvascular endothelial stress， corresponding to acute exacerbations caused by sudden temperature drops. KXJD can effectively alleviate psoriasis-like skin lesions under cold conditions by unblocking Xuanfu， regulating vasomotor function， and correcting abnormal immune-inflammatory responses.

ObjectiveTo investigate the ameliorative effect and potential mechanisms of Kaixuan Jiedu core prescription （KXJD） on imiquimod （IMQ）-combined restraint stress-induced psoriasis-like skin lesions in mice. MethodsA total of 36 C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to six groups （n=6 per group）： Normal group， restraint stress blank group， model group， restraint stress model group， KXJD group （30.42 g·kg^-1）， and methotrexate group （0.001 g·kg^-1）. Psoriasis-like lesions were induced by topical IMQ application combined with restraint stress. After 5 days of intervention， the severity of skin lesions was evaluated using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index （PASI）. The following parameters were assessed： Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis-related hormones， including adrenocorticotropic hormone （ACTH）， corticotropin-releasing hormone （CRH）， and corticosterone （CORT）， central neuronal markers， including neuronal nuclei antigen （NeuN）， microtubule-associated protein 2 （MAP2）， and beta Ⅲ-tubulin （β-Ⅲ tubulin）， microglial activation markers， including ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule-1 （Iba-1） and cluster of differentiation 11b （CD11b）， and skin nerve fiber markers， including protein gene product 9.5 （PGP9.5） and serotonin （5-HT）， as well as the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and interleukin-1 beta （IL-1β）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， both the model group and the restraint stress model group exhibited more severe psoriasis-like skin lesions， with significantly elevated serum levels of ACTH， CRH， and CORT （P<0.01）. The expression of glucocorticoid receptor （GR） and corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 （CRHR1） in the skin was significantly downregulated. The expression of NeuN， MAP2， β-Ⅲ tubulin， Iba-1， and CD11b in the hypothalamus and hippocampus was significantly upregulated， suggesting abnormal changes in neuronal number or structure and aberrant activation of glial cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， the expression of PGP9.5 and 5-HT in the skin， as well as the mRNA levels of TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-1β were all markedly elevated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the restraint stress model group showed further exacerbation in most parameters. Compared with the restraint stress model group， the KXJD group exhibited significantly reduced PASI scores （P<0.01）， significantly decreased serum CRH， ACTH， and CORT levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）， upregulated skin GR and CRHR1 expression， inhibited abnormal neuronal changes and microglial activation in the hypothalamus and hippocampus， attenuated skin nerve fiber hyperplasia and amine signaling molecule release， and significantly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionKaixuan Jiedu Core prescription can effectively ameliorate IMQ combined with restraint stress-induced psoriasis-like skin lesions in mice by modulating HPA axis function， inhibiting central neuropathological changes， and attenuating skin nerve fiber hyperplasia， amine signaling molecule （5‑HT） release and local inflammatory responses.

ObjectiveTo investigate the ameliorative effects of Kaixuan Jiedu core prescription （KXJD） on skin lesions in psoriasis-like mouse models under cold environment exposure， and to analyze its influences on transient receptor potential （TRP） channels and related neuroimmune regulatory factors. MethodsThirty-six C57BL/6J mice were randomized into 6 groups， with 6 mice in each group. Two feeding conditions were set： Normal temperature and cold ［simulating a cold environment at （10±0.5） ℃， for 6 h daily］. Mice were induced to develop psoriasis-like lesions by applying imiquimod externally. The model mice were allocated into model groups and KXJD （30.42 g·kg^-1， continuous gavage for 5 days） groups. Normal mice were used as the control group. Specifically， mice were allocated into normal temperature， normal temperature model， normal temperature+KXJD， cold exposure control， cold exposure model， and cold exposure+KXJD groups. The pathological changes in skin lesions were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The expression of cluster of differentiation （CD） 3⁺ T lymphocytes， CD11c⁺ dendritic cells （DCs）， phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase （p-ERK）， and substance P （SP） were detected by immunofluorescence assay. The protein level of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 8 （TRPM8） in the skin tissue was determined by Western blot. The expression of TRPM8， transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 （TRPV1）， transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily A member 1 （TRPA1）， and transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 2 （TRPV2） at the protein and mRNA levels was determined by immunohistochemistry and Real-time PCR， respectively. The levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP） and neuropeptide Y （NPY） in the serum were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes （DEGs） and TRP pathway network construction were conducted based on the GEO database. The co-expression of TRPM8 and CGRP in the skin lesions was verified by immunofluorescence double labeling. ResultsBoth the normal temperature and cold exposure model groups showed typical psoriasis-like skin lesions. Compared with the normal temperature and cold exposure control groups， the model groups had excessive epidermal keratinization， thickened spinous layer， and inflammatory infiltration in the dermis， with increased pathological scores （P<0.05）， increased infiltration of CD3⁺ and CD11c⁺ cells and expression of p-ERK and SP， upregulated mRNA levels of TRPM8， TRPA1， and TRPV2， downregulated mRNA level of TRPV1 （P<0.05）， and reduced content of CGRP and increased content of NPY in the serum. Compared with the normal temperature and cold exposure model groups， KXJD reduced the pathological manifestations and pathological scores of psoriasis-like skin lesions （P<0.05）， and inhibited the infiltration of CD3⁺ and CD11c⁺ cells and the expression of p-ERK and SP. Gene enrichment analysis suggested that the DEGs of psoriasis were significantly enriched in the interleukin （IL）-17 signaling pathway and TRP channel inflammatory regulation. Compared with the normal temperature and cold exposure model groups， KXJD reversed the abnormal mRNA levels of genes related to the TRP channel subfamilies （P<0.05）， increased the CGRP level， and decreased the NPY level. Immunofluorescence double labeling further confirmed that compared with the model groups， KXJD down-regulated the co-expression of TRPM8 and CGRP in the skin lesions. ConclusionKXJD may ameliorate psoriasis-like skin lesions by downregulating the overexpressed cold-sensitive receptor TRPM8 in skin lesions and correcting the disorder of neuropeptide （such as SP and CGRP） release mediated by it， thereby inhibiting the IL-23/helper T cell 17 （Th17） core inflammatory pathway， suppressing the infiltration of inflammatory cells and the activation of the ERK signaling pathway， and regulating the Xuanfu （sweat pore）-TRPM8-neuroimmune response axis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the ameliorative effects and mechanisms of Kaixuan Jiedu core prescription （KXJD） on neuroimmunological inflammation in imiquimod （IMQ）-induced psoriasis-like mice. MethodsA total of 24 C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups （n=6）： Normal， model， KXJD， and tropomyosin receptor kinase A （TrkA） inhibitor GW441756 groups. The mice in the model， KXJD， and GW441756 groups were topically treated with 5% IMQ cream （62.5 mg·d^-1） on the back to induce psoriasis-like inflammation. The KXJD group received KXJD by gavage （30.42 g·kg^-1）， the GW441756 group received intraperitoneal injection of GW441756 （10 mg·kg^-1）， and the normal and model groups received an equal volume of normal saline by gavage， with continuous intervention for 5 days. The severity of skin lesions was evaluated using the psoriasis area and severity index （PASI）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to measure epidermal thickness and observe pathological changes in the lesioned skin. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen （Ki67） and interleukin-17A （IL-17A） in the lesioned skin. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to quantify the levels of interleukin-23 （IL-23） and calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP） in the lesioned tissues. Western blot was used to detect the expression of TrkA and phosphorylated TrkA （p-TrkA）. Immunofluorescence assay was performed to detect the expression of TrkA receptor， protein gene product 9.5 （PGP9.5）， cluster of differentiation 11c （CD11c）， and CGRP in the lesions. Flow cytometry was used to detect the activation of splenic dendritic cells （DCs）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited typical psoriasis-like inflammation， characterized by erythema， infiltration and scaling， with histopathological findings of epidermal hyperkeratosis and acanthosis. The model group showed significantly increased expression of Ki67， IL-17A， IL-23 and p-TrkA （P<0.05， P<0.01）， increased fluorescence intensity of CD11c， and significantly decreased CGRP expression （P<0.05）. The splenic DC activation was significantly enhanced， as indicated by the increased mean fluorescence intensity （MFI） of CD86 （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， both the KXJD and GW441756 groups showed amelioration of the psoriasis-like skin inflammation， with significantly down-regulated expression of IL-17A， IL-23 and p-TrkA （P<0.05， P<0.01）， significantly up-regulated expression of CGRP （P<0.01）， reduced CD11c⁺ DC infiltration， and restored splenic DC activation balance （down-regulated CD86 MFI and up-regulated CD80 and CD40 MFI）. Furthermore， the inhibitory effect of KXJD on Ki67 was significantly superior to that of the GW441756 group （P<0.01）. ConclusionKXJD may alleviate IMQ-induced psoriasis-like inflammation in mice by targeting and inhibiting TrkA receptor phosphorylation， regulating CGRP expression in the lesions， and ameliorating aberrant activation of dendritic cells， while also significantly inhibiting keratinocyte proliferation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects and molecular mechanisms of Kaixuan Jiedu core prescription （KXJD） on neuroinflammation and immuno-inflammation in the mouse model of imiquimod （IMQ）-induced psoriasis-like skin lesions by regulating the nerve growth factor （NGF）-tropomyosin receptor kinase A （TrkA）/transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 （TRPV1）-protease-activated receptor-2 （PAR-2） signaling pathway. MethodsA psoriasis-like skin lesion model was established in male C57BL/6J mice with IMQ. A total of 24 mice were randomized into four groups （n=6 per group）： Blank control， model， methotrexate （MTX， 1 mg·kg^-1）， and KXJD （30.42 g·kg^-1）. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expression of cluster of differentiation 3 （CD3）， EGF-like module-containing mucin-like hormone receptor-like 1 （F4/80）， lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus G （Ly-6G）， substance P （SP）， calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP）， NGF， phosphorylated TrkA （p-TrkA）， phosphorylated TRPV1 （p-TRPV1）， and PAR-2 in skin lesions. Serum levels of interleukin-17A （IL-17A） and interleukin-23 （IL-23） were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Immunofluorescence assay and Western blot were employed to determine the expression of phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p-p38 MAPK） and phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB p65 （p-NF-κB p65）. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to measure the mRNA levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 （CXCL1） in skin lesions. Correlation analysis was performed. ResultsCompared with the blank control group， the model group showed increased positive areas of CD3⁺， F4/80⁺， and Ly-6G⁺ in skin lesions （P<0.05）， elevated serum levels of IL-17A and IL-23 （P<0.05）， increased positive areas of SP and CGRP in skin lesions （P<0.05）， increased positive areas of NGF， p-TrkA， p-TRPV1， and PAR-2 （P<0.05）， elevated ratios of p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK and p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 （P<0.05）， and upregulated mRNA levels of IL-1β， TNF， IL-6， and CXCL1 （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the model group， all the above indicators were reversed in the KXJD group （P<0.05）. MTX only downregulated the expression of p-TRPV1 and PAR-2 （P<0.05）， with no significant effects on the expression of NGF， p-TrkA， or CGRP. ConclusionKXJD inhibits the NGF-TrkA/TRPV1-PAR-2 signaling pathway to reduce neuropeptide release and simultaneously downregulates the p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway and the expression of downstream pro-inflammatory factors to ameliorate psoriasis-like neuroinflammation and immuno-inflammation. The therapeutic effect of KXJD on psoriasis-like inflammation is closely associated with the inhibition of the NGF-TrkA/TRPV1-PAR-2 signaling pathway. This study provides experimental evidence for the modern interpretation of the Xuanfu theory.