Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is the predominant pathological contributor to chronic low back pain, a pervasive musculoskeletal condition affecting over 630 million people globally and imposing tremendous socioeconomic and public health burdens. The etiopathogenesis of IVDD is remarkably complex and multifactorial, involving intricate crosstalk among chronic inflammatory responses, extracellular matrix (ECM) catabolism, cellular senescence, aberrant programmed cell death (including apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis), mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative damage. Compelling evidence indicates that the inflammatory microenvironment acts as a decisive driving force throughout the entire degenerative course of IVDD. Among the diverse inflammatory mediators, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) serve as core pro-inflammatory cytokines that initiate and perpetuate the degenerative cascade. These two pivotal cytokines collectively activate an array of canonical intracellular signaling pathways, including nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) cascade. Such interconnected signaling networks trigger a self-reinforcing positive feedback loop, which exacerbates inflammatory reactions, disrupts the anabolic-catabolic homeostasis of the ECM, promotes oxidative stress and mitochondrial injury, induces multiple forms of disc cell death, and ultimately leads to progressive structural collapse and functional deterioration of the intervertebral disc. Conventional therapeutic strategies, dominated by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and surgical interventions, are limited by systemic adverse reactions, suboptimal long-term efficacy, and the risk of adjacent segment degeneration. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) exhibits prominent advantages in the prevention and treatment of IVDD by virtue of its holistic regulation, syndrome differentiation, and multi-component, multi-target, multi-pathway pharmacological properties. This review systematically elucidates the molecular mechanisms by which inflammation-associated signaling pathways modulate disc cell fate and ECM metabolic homeostasis, and comprehensively summarizes the experimental progress over the past five years on TCM monomers and compound formulas for intervening in IVDD. Accumulating studies have confirmed that numerous natural active ingredients isolated from herbal medicines (ferulic acid, mangiferin, paeonol, astragaloside IV) and representative TCM compound prescriptions (Bushen Huoxue Formula, Shensuitongzhi Formula, Fuzi Decoction) exert synergistic protective effects by coordinately targeting core signaling hubs. These TCM agents demonstrate potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-pyroptotic, anti-ferroptotic, ECM-protective, and autophagy-regulating bioactivities, thereby effectively decelerating the pathological progression of IVDD. Despite remarkable progress, current investigations are still confronted by several critical limitations. Most studies are restricted to validating the regulatory effects of single TCM components on individual signaling pathways, leaving the systematic, dynamic, and synergistic mechanisms of TCM compound formulas within multi-pathway regulatory networks largely unexplored. Furthermore, clinical translation of TCM is severely hampered by the lack of efficient targeted drug delivery systems, unclear pharmacokinetic profiles, suboptimal local bioavailability, and incomplete long-term safety assessments. Therefore, future research should adopt an interdisciplinary paradigm integrating multi-omics technologies, artificial intelligence, organoid models, and organ-on-chip systems to systematically decipher the scientific basis of TCM against IVDD. Concurrently, the development of intelligent, site-specific delivery systems (hydrogels, nanoparticles, exosome-based carriers) is urgently needed to enhance the local accumulation and sustained release of TCM ingredients. By deepening mechanistic exploration and accelerating translational research, TCM is expected to evolve into safe, effective, and personalized precision therapeutic regimens for IVDD, offering novel and reliable solutions for the clinical management of chronic low back pain.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is the predominant pathological contributor to chronic low back pain, a pervasive musculoskeletal condition affecting over 630 million people globally and imposing tremendous socioeconomic and public health burdens. The etiopathogenesis of IVDD is remarkably complex and multifactorial, involving intricate crosstalk among chronic inflammatory responses, extracellular matrix (ECM) catabolism, cellular senescence, aberrant programmed cell death (including apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis), mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative damage. Compelling evidence indicates that the inflammatory microenvironment acts as a decisive driving force throughout the entire degenerative course of IVDD. Among the diverse inflammatory mediators, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) serve as core pro-inflammatory cytokines that initiate and perpetuate the degenerative cascade. These two pivotal cytokines collectively activate an array of canonical intracellular signaling pathways, including nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) cascade. Such interconnected signaling networks trigger a self-reinforcing positive feedback loop, which exacerbates inflammatory reactions, disrupts the anabolic-catabolic homeostasis of the ECM, promotes oxidative stress and mitochondrial injury, induces multiple forms of disc cell death, and ultimately leads to progressive structural collapse and functional deterioration of the intervertebral disc. Conventional therapeutic strategies, dominated by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and surgical interventions, are limited by systemic adverse reactions, suboptimal long-term efficacy, and the risk of adjacent segment degeneration. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) exhibits prominent advantages in the prevention and treatment of IVDD by virtue of its holistic regulation, syndrome differentiation, and multi-component, multi-target, multi-pathway pharmacological properties. This review systematically elucidates the molecular mechanisms by which inflammation-associated signaling pathways modulate disc cell fate and ECM metabolic homeostasis, and comprehensively summarizes the experimental progress over the past five years on TCM monomers and compound formulas for intervening in IVDD. Accumulating studies have confirmed that numerous natural active ingredients isolated from herbal medicines (ferulic acid, mangiferin, paeonol, astragaloside IV) and representative TCM compound prescriptions (Bushen Huoxue Formula, Shensuitongzhi Formula, Fuzi Decoction) exert synergistic protective effects by coordinately targeting core signaling hubs. These TCM agents demonstrate potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-pyroptotic, anti-ferroptotic, ECM-protective, and autophagy-regulating bioactivities, thereby effectively decelerating the pathological progression of IVDD. Despite remarkable progress, current investigations are still confronted by several critical limitations. Most studies are restricted to validating the regulatory effects of single TCM components on individual signaling pathways, leaving the systematic, dynamic, and synergistic mechanisms of TCM compound formulas within multi-pathway regulatory networks largely unexplored. Furthermore, clinical translation of TCM is severely hampered by the lack of efficient targeted drug delivery systems, unclear pharmacokinetic profiles, suboptimal local bioavailability, and incomplete long-term safety assessments. Therefore, future research should adopt an interdisciplinary paradigm integrating multi-omics technologies, artificial intelligence, organoid models, and organ-on-chip systems to systematically decipher the scientific basis of TCM against IVDD. Concurrently, the development of intelligent, site-specific delivery systems (hydrogels, nanoparticles, exosome-based carriers) is urgently needed to enhance the local accumulation and sustained release of TCM ingredients. By deepening mechanistic exploration and accelerating translational research, TCM is expected to evolve into safe, effective, and personalized precision therapeutic regimens for IVDD, offering novel and reliable solutions for the clinical management of chronic low back pain.

To formulate an expert consensus on the principles of preoperative hair removal and provide scientific guidance for standardized removal of hair before surgical procedures so as to reduce the incidence of surgical site infections.METHODS Led by the Hospital Management Institute of National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China,this consensus was reached with the joint efforts from the expects of relevant fields such as surgeries,interventional therapies,nursing,and infection prevention and control.The consensus facilitates the classification and evaluation of literatures by following the evidence grade formulated by Oxford Evidence-based Medicine Center and focuses on the association of preoperative hair removal with surgical site infection,it reaches the evidence grade of expert consensus and recommendation intensity by integrating with discussions on meetings and clinical experience of the expects from relevant fields.RESULTS A total of 6 items of consensus were reached by summarizing the latest evidence on the aspects including the indications for preoperative hair removal,tools,range,timing and places.CONCLUSION The consensus,to some extent,make supplements to and complete the exiting regulations and standards.It provides guidance for the medical institutions to carry out the preoperative hair removal.

Central nervous system(CNS)degenerative disorders refer to a spectrum of pathological alterations triggered by struc-tural damage to cerebral neural tissues,clinically manifested as diverse neurological dysfunction syndromes,including multiple sclerosis(MS),neurodegenerative diseases(NDs),and ische-mic stroke.The hallmark pathological features of these disorders involve irreversible neuronal damage and decompensation of functional neural networks,ultimately leading to progressive neurological deficits.Notably,with the accelerating global popu-lation aging,the incidence of these diseases has surged signifi-cantly.According to WHO statistics,they now rank among the top three global causes of disability and mortality.Current re-search has confirmed that the pathogenesis of CNS degenerative disorders exhibits high heterogeneity,encompassing multifaceted pathophysiological processes such as genetic predisposition,oxi-dative stress,protein misfolding,and metabolic dysregulation.This intricate pathogenic network not only complicates clinical differential diagnosis but also poses substantial challenges to the development of precision therapeutic strategies.Importantly,re-cent studies have revealed that mitochondrial homeostasis disrup-tion-induced inflammatory cascades(termed mitochondrial in-flammation)play a pivotal regulatory role in neurodegenerative progression.Key molecular mechanisms include impaired mito-phagy,aberrant mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA)release and NL-RP3 inflammasome activation.This review systematically deci-phers the molecular regulatory network of mitochondrial inflam-mation,with a focus on its biological effects in critical pathologi-cal events such as blood-brain barrier disruption,microglial hy-peractivation and neuronal apoptosis.The overarching aim is to provide a theoretical foundation for developing innovative thera-peutic strategies targeting mitochondrial homeostasis restoration.

Objective:To screen the risk factors for non-complete procedural success of transvenous lead extraction(TLE),and to establish a prediction model based on the results and evaluate its predictive efficacy.Methods:A total of 1 029 patients who underwent TLE in Peking University People's Hospital from January 2014 to December 2020 were enrolled and divided into training set(n=720)and validation set(n=309)using the random number method.There were no statistically significant differences among the variables in the training set and the validation set.The training set was divided into the complete procedural success(CPS)group(n=664)and the non-CPS group(n=56).Univariate analysis was employed to screen the relevant indicators of non-CPS,followed by binary logistic regression analysis to identify the independent risk factors of non-CPS.Subsequently,a predictive model and nomogram were constructed.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was applied to evaluate the ability of the model to distinguish non-CPS from TLE patients in the training set and validation set.The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test was used to assess the consistency between the predicted risk and the actual risk of the model.Results:Univariate analysis showed that the relevant variables with P<0.1 including the age at the first implantation of the lead,the number of leads extracted,the oldest dwell time of lead extracted,the presence of abandoned leads,non-manual traction for lead extracted,the number of extracted leads>3,bilateral lead implantation,and the indications for TLE.The binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of abandoned leads(OR=2.252,95%CI:1.111-4.564,P=0.024),the oldest dwell time of the extracted leads(OR=1.009,95%CI:1.005-1.012,P<0.001),and the number of extracted leads>3(OR=3.177,95%CI:1.306-7.733,P=0.011)were independent risk factors for non-CPS of TLE.ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the ROC curve(AUC)of the training set was 0.80(95%CI:0.75-0.85,P<0.001).The AUC of the validation set was 0.81(95%CI:0.72-0.90,P<0.001).The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test indicated that the P values of both the training set(P=0.089)and the validation set(P=0.136)were greater than 0.05.Conclusions:The presence of abandoned leads,the oldest dwell time of lead extracted,and the number of extracted leads>3 are independent risk factors for non-CPS in patients undergoing TLE.The nomogram model based on the above factors has satisfactory predictive ability.

Aim To investigate the effect of Rtv(a P-gp inhibitor and inducer)on the pharmacokinetics of Y101(P-gp substrate)via P-gp.Methods In short-term studies,rats received a single dose of Rtv,where-as in long-term studies they received continuous dosing for seven days.Following this treatment,Y101 was o-rally administered to analyze its blood concentration in rats.Subsequently,the mechanism by which Rtv af-fected Y101 pharmacokinetics was investigated through the everted gut sac model(in vitro),cellular uptake studies,and so on.Results Short-term administra-tion of Rtv significantly increased Y101's AUC,liver-to-plasma partition coefficient,the everted gut sac model(in vitro),and cellular accumulation.Although long-term Rtv treatment had no effect on Y101 pharma-cokinetics or hepatic distribution,it markedly reduced Y101 cellular accumulation in Caco-2 cells,concomi-tant with an upregulation of P-gp expression.Conclu-sions Short-term Rtv administration acts as a compet-itive P-gp inhibitor,enhancing Y101 intestinal absorp-tion and hepatic distribution.In contrast,the plasma pharmacokinetics and hepatic distribution of Y101 are not altered after long-term administration of Rtv,po-tentially attributable to Rtv's dual modulatory effects on P-gp involving both induction and inhibition.Hence,the potential Rtv and Y101 interaction should be close-ly monitored in the clinic.

Objective:To explore the potential causal relationships between major depressive disorder(MDD),anxiety disorder(AD)and various highly prevalent cancers from the genetic perspective.Methods:Sum-mary statistics from large-scale genome-wide association studies(GW AS)were analyzed using a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization(MR)approach.The inverse variance weighting method(IVW)was usedas the main analytical approach.The intercept term of MR-Egger regression and the MR-PRESSO method were adopted for the pleiotropy test.Results:The IVW analysis revealed potential causal relationships between MDD and breast cancer[OR(95％CI):1.11(1.01-1.22),P＜0.05],AD and lung cancer[OR(95％CI):1.30(1.02-1.65),P＜0.05],and between colon cancer and MDD[OR(95％CI):1.05(1.00-1.11),P＜0.05].The results of the pleiotropy test showed that the intercept terms of the MR-Egger regression were not statistically significant,indica-ting the absence of pleiotropy.The MR-PRESSO method detected outliers only in the relationship between MDD and breast cancer.The association between MDD and breast cancer remained significant after correction for outliers[OR(95％CI):1.10(1.03-1.17),P＜0.05].Conclusion:The study suggests that MDD may be a risk factor for breast cancer,AD may increase the risk factor for lung cancer,and colon cancer may elevate the risk factor of MDD.Moreover,the possibility of reverse causal relationships has been excluded in all these cases.

Drug quality problems seriously threaten the life and health of patients,drug quality problems handling is an important part of pharmaceutical management in medical institutions,and strengthening the management of drug quality problems in medical institutions can provide a strong guarantee for drug safety of patients.This standard was compiled by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Commission of the Chinese Hospital Association,and the process included problems identification,framework development,manuscript writing,opinions gathering,expert argumentation and deliberation,and standards development.The standard regulates the basic requirements,coping strategies,quality control and continuous improvement of drug quality problems handling in medical institutions.This article elaborates on the methods and contents of formulating standards for drug quality problems handling,to pro-vide reference and inspiration for medical institutions to carry out drug quality problems handling.

Objective:To investigate the differences in dosimetric parameters for target volumes and organs at risk (OARs), radiation doses to reconstructed tissues, and beam-on time in radiotherapy among helical tomotherapy (HT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), and fixed-field intensity-modulated radiotherapy (F_IMRT) following immediate breast reconstruction for breast cancer, thereby providing a reference for the selection of clinical radiotherapy techniques.Methods:This study retrospectively investigated 15 breast cancer patients who underwent radiotherapy following modified radical mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction at the Liuzhou Worker′s Hospital from August 2018 to July 2023. During target volume delineation, precautions were taken to avoid the reconstructed tissues, which were delineated separately. Customized HT, VMAT, and F_IMRT treatment plans were designed for each patient. The plans were categorized into the HT, VMAT, and F_IMRT groups based on different radiotherapy techniques employed. They were comparatively analyzed through one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), with multiple comparisons further conducted in the case of significant differences.Results:Statistical analyses reveal significant differences in various parameters of target volumes among the three groups of plans ( F = 38.73, 14.95, 37.01, 48.05, 35.55, 22.56, 34.30, P < 0.05). Pairwise comparisons indicate that the maximum dose ( D2%), minimum dose ( D98%), mean dose ( Dmean), and the proportion of high-dose volumes within the target volume ( V107%and V110%) in both the HT and VMAT groups were significantly better than those in the F_IMRT group. The HT group demonstrated the optimal conformity index (CI), while the VMAT group displayed the superior homogeneity index (HI) compared to the other two groups. In terms of OAR, the V20 of the ipsilateral lung was the lowest in the HT group ( F = 14.31, P < 0.05) and the highest in the F_IMRT group ( F = 14.31, P < 0.05). However, the V5 and Dmean for both the ipsilateral and contralateral lungs in the HT group significantly surpassed those of the other groups ( F = 39.16, 31.91, P < 0.05). The mean dose Dmean ( F = 5.57, P < 0.05) of the contralateral breast was significantly reduced in the VMAT group compared to the other two groups. No statistically significant differences were observed for other OARs, including the heart, spinal cord PRV, thyroid, and humeral head ( P > 0.05). The radiation doses to reconstructed tissues ( Dmax, V53.5, Dmean) ascended in the order of HT, VMAT, and F_IMRT groups ( F = 17.69, 17.53, 15.11, P < 0.05). The HT and F_IMRT groups showed similar beam-on times ( P > 0.05), both exceeding that of the VMAT group by several folds ( F = 28.72, P < 0.05). Conclusions:The comparative analysis indicates that the three radiotherapy techniques exhibit distinct advantages and limitations, with F_IMRT demonstrating the least comprehensive advantage. HT can enhance the conformity of target volumes while reducing the overall radiation doses to reconstructed tissues and the crucial indicator V20 in the ipsilateral lung. VMAT demonstrates the highest treatment efficiency, yielding improved dose uniformity in the target volume and reduced radiation doses to the contralateral breast. It is advisable to prioritize HT or VMAT based on actual clinical conditions.

Objective:To explore the potential causal relationships between major depressive disorder(MDD),anxiety disorder(AD)and various highly prevalent cancers from the genetic perspective.Methods:Sum-mary statistics from large-scale genome-wide association studies(GW AS)were analyzed using a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization(MR)approach.The inverse variance weighting method(IVW)was usedas the main analytical approach.The intercept term of MR-Egger regression and the MR-PRESSO method were adopted for the pleiotropy test.Results:The IVW analysis revealed potential causal relationships between MDD and breast cancer[OR(95％CI):1.11(1.01-1.22),P＜0.05],AD and lung cancer[OR(95％CI):1.30(1.02-1.65),P＜0.05],and between colon cancer and MDD[OR(95％CI):1.05(1.00-1.11),P＜0.05].The results of the pleiotropy test showed that the intercept terms of the MR-Egger regression were not statistically significant,indica-ting the absence of pleiotropy.The MR-PRESSO method detected outliers only in the relationship between MDD and breast cancer.The association between MDD and breast cancer remained significant after correction for outliers[OR(95％CI):1.10(1.03-1.17),P＜0.05].Conclusion:The study suggests that MDD may be a risk factor for breast cancer,AD may increase the risk factor for lung cancer,and colon cancer may elevate the risk factor of MDD.Moreover,the possibility of reverse causal relationships has been excluded in all these cases.