ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal fibrosis in rats with chronic kidney disease （CKD） through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy specific pathogen-free （SPF） Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a control group （n=15） and a modeling group （n=55）. Rats in the modeling group were administered a 2.5% adenine suspension at a dose of 200 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 by gavage for 4 weeks to establish a CKD model. Successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group， an irbesartan group （20.25 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （5.82， 11.64， and 23.28 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively）， with 10 rats in each group. Each group was administered an equal volume of physiological saline， the corresponding concentration of irbesartan， or Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription by gavage for 12 weeks. Body weight and renal function indices were dynamically monitored. Serum creatinine （SCr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio （ACR）， 24-hour urinary total protein （24 hUTP）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） levels were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Renal histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Masson staining. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect the expression of PI3K， Akt， phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）， and mTOR in renal tissues. Western blot was performed to assess the protein expression of PI3K， p-Akt， Akt， phosphorylated mTOR （p-mTOR）， and mTOR in renal tissues. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR in renal tissues. ResultsCompared with the model group， rats in the irbesartan group and the low-， medium-， and high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription groups showed significantly decreased levels of SCr， BUN， ACR， 24 hUTP， IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α （P<0.01）. AST levels were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while no significant difference was observed in ALT levels. Histopathological examination revealed that， compared with the model group， renal tubular epithelial cell edema and necrosis and Bowman's capsule dilation were alleviated， inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced， and interstitial and glomerular fibrosis was markedly improved in all treatment groups， with the most pronounced effect observed in the high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription group. Real-time PCR results showed that mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR were significantly downregulated in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. IHC results demonstrated that PI3K and p-Akt expression levels in renal tissues were significantly decreased in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. Western blot analysis further confirmed that the expression levels of PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， and p-mTOR/mTOR were significantly reduced in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. ConclusionBushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal function indices in CKD rats， reduces collagen deposition in renal tissues， and decreases serum inflammatory factor levels. Its protective effect on renal function may be achieved by activating autophagy through downregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway， thereby alleviating renal fibrosis.

Atherosclerosis （AS） is a vascular disease primarily affecting large and medium-sized arteries. It serves as the pathological basis for many cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and is associated with a relatively high incidence of complications and mortality worldwide. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of AS， demonstrating unique therapeutic advantages through multiple targets and pathways. Ligusticum chuanxiong， a commonly used Chinese medicine in clinical practice， contains key active components against AS， including ligustrazine， senkyunolide， ligustilide， quercetin， ferulic acid， vanillic acid， chlorogenic acid， gallic acid， protocatechuic acid， caffeic acid， chrysophanol， and β-sitosterol. Recent literature indicates that these active components can regulate AS through multiple mechanisms， including improving endothelial cell dysfunction， alleviating lipid metabolism disorders， inhibiting macrophage foam cell formation， suppressing the invasion， proliferation， and migration of smooth muscle cells， inhibiting apoptosis， exerting anticoagulant effects and inhibiting platelet activation， protecting mitochondrial function， and modulating intestinal flora and its metabolites， demonstrating significant pharmacological activity and clinical potential. Clinically， L. chuanxiong is often combined with Salvia miltiorrhiza， Paeonia lactiflora， Angelica sinensis， and borneol to form compound formulations， enhancing therapeutic effects and achieving synergistic anti-AS activity. Compound treatment with L. chuanxiong primarily focuses on promoting blood circulation and shows significant efficacy for different AS syndrome types. This article provides an in-depth review of the active components， drug pairs， and compound preparations of L. chuanxiong in the prevention and treatment of AS， aiming to lay a foundation for subsequent theoretical research and clinical applications in managing AS and its related complications.

Objective To explore the relationship between dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease risk in 340 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 340 DM patients who visited the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2020 to January 2024 and were followed up for at least one year. According to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease in DM patients within 1 year of follow-up after treatment, the patients were divided into occurrence group and non-occurrence group. The demographic and related disease indicators in the two groups were statistically analyzed, and univariate analysis was performed. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors affecting the risk of cardiovascular disease in DM patients. Results The survey results showed that 38 out of 340 DM patients developed cardiovascular disease within 1 year of follow-up after treatment, accounting for 11.18%, and 302 cases did not develop cardiovascular disease, accounting for 88.82%. There were no statistical differences in gender, age, education level, family history of DM, smoking history and alcohol drinking history between the two groups (P>0.05). The proportions of DM course (>10 years), hypertension history and abnormal blood lipid-related indicators in the occurrence group were higher than those in the non-occurrence group (P<0.05). Binary logistics regression analysis showed that DM course>10 years, history of hypertension and abnormal blood lipid-related indicators were independent risk factors affecting the risk of cardiovascular disease in DM patients (P<0.05). Conclusion The course of DM, history of hypertension, and abnormal blood lipid-related indicators in DM patients significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is necessary to actively monitor and manage blood lipid levels to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The Internet of Bodies （IoB） refers to an embodied technology that treats the physical body as a network interface and embeds technological objects into the human body， aiming to collect massive body data. As an emerging technology， the widespread application of IoB in the field of smart healthcare will bring both advantages and disadvantages. It poses ethical risks in terms of physicality， psychology， and sociability， primarily manifested in the uncertainty of technology that may harm patients’ bodies， the easy restriction of patients’ autonomy by external technologies， and issues of fairness and equality caused by the technology gap. Faced with the realistic ethical dilemmas arising from IoB technology empowering smart healthcare， solutions were proposed across several levels. On the ethical mechanism level， an interdisciplinary and multi-field expert alliance should be established to promote the optimization of ethical governance mechanisms. In terms of ethical governance methods， a governance strategy prioritizing “pre-control” should be adopted to front-load ethical risks. On the practical application level， it was vital to clarify the reasonable application boundaries of technology in practice and integrate ethical morality into technology application behavior. Regarding social justice in technology resources， a dual approach of strengthening grassroots investment and educational guidance should be implemented to ensure ethical justice and accessibility in medical practice， thereby guiding the development of IoB technology to align with the fundamental principles of bioethics.

Objective:The prevalence of seasonal allergic rhinitis （AR） and its combined diseases have been increasing recently. The purpose was to investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment of seasonal AR in northern China. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in AR patients. The Visual analogue scale （VAS）, combined diseases, clinical features, allergic pollen and treatments were analyzed. Results:Of the 789 AR subjects included, 54.1% had a family history of atopic disease. The mian course wa s（7.4±5.9） years. 95.4% of the subjects had moderate to severe AR. The prevalence rates of allergic conjunctivitis （AC）, allergic asthma （AA）, and pollen food allergy syndrome （PFAS） were 71.1%, 19.0%, and 39.5% respectively. Among the patients, 13.8% presented with only AR, while 39.3% had an AR combined with other disease, and 1.9% exhibited comorbidity involving five different diseases. VAS was positively correlated with the number of comorbidities（r=0.186, P<0.001）. The mugwort exhibited the highest rate of pollen sensitization （48.9%）, closely followed by cypress （48.3%）. The prevalence of mono-sensitization to pollen was 20.2%, while the positive rates for double-sensitized pollens and more than three sensitized pollens were 17.4% and 62.4%, respectively. Among the study participants, 19.9% did not receive any form of treatment, while 66.2% were administered oral medication and 27.5% underwent nasal steroid spray therapy. The proportion of individuals receiving anti-IgE monoclonal antibodies was 4.3%, and allergen immunotherapy （AIT） treatment was undergone by 11.8%. Meanwhile, 41.2% of patients undergoing anti-IgE monoclonal antibody treatment also received AIT. The distribution of therapy types among patients was as follows: 44.7% received a single type, 22.2% received two types, and 9.8% received three types of therapy. Additionally, there was a subset of patients（1%） who were undergoing five distinct forms of treatment. The VAS score exhibited a significant negative correlation with no treatment（r=-0.199, P<0.001）, while it showed a positive association with the number of treatment modalities（r=0.245, P<0.001）. Conclusion:Mugwort and cypress are the predominant allergenic pollens responsible for seasonal AR in northern China. The majority of cases present with moderate to severe AR, often accompanied by various comorbidities, necessitating consideration of diverse treatment modalities. However, the current rate of adoption for AIT remains relatively insufficient.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal/therapy* ; Pollen/immunology* ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Middle Aged ; Child ; Prevalence ; Allergens/immunology* ; Asthma/epidemiology* ; Conjunctivitis, Allergic

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Tangbikang dry paste in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy （DPN） based on the glyoxalase-1 （GLO-1）/advanced glycation end products （AGE）/receptor for advanced glycation end products （RAGE） pathway. MethodsA total of 56 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided， with eight assigned to the normal group. The remaining 48 rats were fed a high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ） to induce a type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） model. Based on blood glucose levels， the rats were randomly assigned to the model group， Tanglin group （13.5 mg·kg^-1）， metformin group （135 mg·kg^-1）， and Tangbikang dry paste low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （3， 6， 12 g·kg^-1）. Successful modeling of DPN was confirmed by a decrease in mechanical pain threshold in the model group at week 4. Fasting blood glucose， body weight， and mechanical pain threshold were measured every 4 weeks. After 16 weeks of intervention， the pathological morphology of the sciatic nerve was observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The expression of RAGE， AGE， protein kinase C （PKC）， and collagen （COL） in the sciatic nerve was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression of RAGE， PKC， Toll-like receptor （TLR）， COL， and GLO-1 was detected using real-time quantitative PCR （Real-time PCR）. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， creatinine （CREA）， urea （UREA）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly increased fasting blood glucose （P<0.01）， decreased body weight and mechanical pain threshold （P<0.01）， and elevated serum AST， ALT， CREA， UREA， IL-6， and TNF-α levels （P<0.01）. The expression of RAGE， AGE， and PKC in the sciatic nerve was significantly increased （P<0.01）， while COL expression was decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of TLR， RAGE， and PKC was upregulated （P<0.01）， whereas COL and GLO-1 mRNA levels were downregulated （P<0.01）. Histological examination showed irregular nerve morphology， axonal alterations， and myelin degeneration. Compared with the model group， fasting blood glucose levels in the Tangbikang dry paste high-dose group at all time points and in the medium-dose group at weeks 4 and 16 were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. No significant changes in body weight were observed across all Tangbikang dose groups. The mechanical pain threshold was elevated at different time points after administration in all Tangbikang groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were decreased in all dose groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression of RAGE， AGE， and PKC in the sciatic nerve was reduced （P<0.01）， while COL expression was increased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of TLR， RAGE， and PKC was downregulated （P<0.01）， whereas GLO-1 mRNA expression was upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Additionally， COL mRNA expression was significantly increased in the low- and high-dose groups （P<0.01）. Pathological changes in the sciatic nerve were milder in all Tangbikang groups compared to the model group. ConclusionTangbikang dry paste significantly improves DPN， and its mechanism may be associated with the regulation of the GLO-1/AGE/RAGE signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Tangbikang dry paste in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy （DPN） based on the glyoxalase-1 （GLO-1）/advanced glycation end products （AGE）/receptor for advanced glycation end products （RAGE） pathway. MethodsA total of 56 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided， with eight assigned to the normal group. The remaining 48 rats were fed a high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ） to induce a type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） model. Based on blood glucose levels， the rats were randomly assigned to the model group， Tanglin group （13.5 mg·kg^-1）， metformin group （135 mg·kg^-1）， and Tangbikang dry paste low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （3， 6， 12 g·kg^-1）. Successful modeling of DPN was confirmed by a decrease in mechanical pain threshold in the model group at week 4. Fasting blood glucose， body weight， and mechanical pain threshold were measured every 4 weeks. After 16 weeks of intervention， the pathological morphology of the sciatic nerve was observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The expression of RAGE， AGE， protein kinase C （PKC）， and collagen （COL） in the sciatic nerve was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression of RAGE， PKC， Toll-like receptor （TLR）， COL， and GLO-1 was detected using real-time quantitative PCR （Real-time PCR）. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， creatinine （CREA）， urea （UREA）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly increased fasting blood glucose （P<0.01）， decreased body weight and mechanical pain threshold （P<0.01）， and elevated serum AST， ALT， CREA， UREA， IL-6， and TNF-α levels （P<0.01）. The expression of RAGE， AGE， and PKC in the sciatic nerve was significantly increased （P<0.01）， while COL expression was decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of TLR， RAGE， and PKC was upregulated （P<0.01）， whereas COL and GLO-1 mRNA levels were downregulated （P<0.01）. Histological examination showed irregular nerve morphology， axonal alterations， and myelin degeneration. Compared with the model group， fasting blood glucose levels in the Tangbikang dry paste high-dose group at all time points and in the medium-dose group at weeks 4 and 16 were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. No significant changes in body weight were observed across all Tangbikang dose groups. The mechanical pain threshold was elevated at different time points after administration in all Tangbikang groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were decreased in all dose groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression of RAGE， AGE， and PKC in the sciatic nerve was reduced （P<0.01）， while COL expression was increased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of TLR， RAGE， and PKC was downregulated （P<0.01）， whereas GLO-1 mRNA expression was upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Additionally， COL mRNA expression was significantly increased in the low- and high-dose groups （P<0.01）. Pathological changes in the sciatic nerve were milder in all Tangbikang groups compared to the model group. ConclusionTangbikang dry paste significantly improves DPN， and its mechanism may be associated with the regulation of the GLO-1/AGE/RAGE signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the impact of the TINCR-MAF:MAFB transcription factor network on the expression of proliferation and differentiation-related genes in keratinocytes,to verify the role of this network in the occurrence and development of psoriasis and its potential mechanisms.Methods Employed RNA interference technology to knock down TINCR gene expression,and the proliferation ability of keratinocytes was assessed using the CCK-8 method.Additionally,qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses were conducted to evaluate the RNA and protein expression levels of TINCR,MAFB,and KLF4 genes.Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect the expression of KLF4 protein in psoriasis tissues.Results After TINCR gene siRNA interference,the proliferation ability of keratinocytes significantly decreased at 24,48,and 72 hours(P<0.001),indicating that the TINCR gene plays a critical role in cell proliferation.The results of qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses showed that the RNA and protein expression levels of TINCR,MAFB,and KLF4 genes were significantly reduced(P<0.001),suggesting that TINCR may influence the differentiation of keratinocytes by regulating the expression of MAFB transcription factor and KLF4 differentiation-related genes.Furthermore,immunohistochemical results indicated that the expression of KLF4 protein was significantly elevated in psoriasis tissues compared to normal skin tissues,suggesting that KLF4 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.Conclusions The TINCR-MAF:MAFB transcription factor network may participate in the occurrence and development of psoriasis by affecting the proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes.This finding provides a new perspective on the pathogenesis of psoriasis and potential targets for future therapeutic strategies.

Gallbladder cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy of the biliary system, often diagnosed at the advanced stage due to its insidious early symptoms, leading to poor overall progno-sis. In recent years, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and their inte-gration into medicine have opened new avenues for the early diagnosis and precision treatment of gallbladder cancer. Currently, AI incorporating deep learning algorithm has significantly improved diagnostic sensitivity and specificity in ultrasound, computed tomography, and pathological analysis. However, clinical translation of AI models remains limited by challenges such as insufficient annota-ted data and limited model interpretability. Future research should focus on establishing multi-center data-sharing mechanisms, developing interpretability tools, and optimizing multimodal data integration strategies, thereby promoting the transformation of AI technologies from an auxiliary diagnostic tool to a core component of clinical decision-making.

This study aims to investigate whether the dietary supplement coenzyme Q10(CoQ10)alleviates bisphenol A(BPA)-induced mouse Leydig cell line(TM3)damage through autophagy pathway.Cell activity was measured by CCK-8 assay when treated with different concentrations of BPA for 24 h.TM3 cells were then divided into 5 groups:CON group,BPA group,Torin2 group,CQ group and BPA+CoQ10 group,with three repeats in each group.The morphology of TM3 cells were observed under inverted light microscope.Western blot was used to determine the protein ex-pression of p62 and LC3-Ⅰ/Ⅱ.The autophagy level of TM3 cells was detected by MDC cell auto-phagy staining,the mRNA expression levels of Atg7,Beclin 1,p62 and Atg5 genes were deter-mined by RT-qPCR,and the apoptosis rate of TM3 cells was detected by flow cytometry.The results showed that compared with 0 μmol/L BPA treatment group,the viability of TM3 cells de-creased significantly after 24 h treatment with 60 μmol/L BPA(P＜0.01).Compared with CON group,the number of TM3 cells markedly reduced in the BPA-treated group,the expression of au-tophagy-related proteins(p62,LC3-Ⅱ)significantly increased(P＜0.01),comparable to the CQ group.The MDC fluorescence intensity dramatically enhanced(P＜0.01),the mRNA expression levels of autophagy-related genes(Atg7,Beclin1,p62,Atg5)significantly elevated(P＜0.01),and the apoptosis rate significantly increased(P＜0.01).Compared with BPA group,the expression levels of autophagy-related genes Atg7 and Beclin1 mRNA(P＜0.05),p 62 and Atg5 mRNA(P＜0.01)in TM3 cells treated with BPA+CoQ10 significantly decreased.Moreover,the expres-sion levels of autophagy-related protein p62(P＜0.01)and LC3-Ⅱ(P＜0.05),MDC fluorescence intensity(P＜0.05)and apoptosis rate(P＜0.01)also markedly reduced.In conclusion,CoQ10 could subsequently reduce the apoptosis of TM3 cells by improving the abnormal autophagy flux induced by BPA.