Iron is an indispensable trace element for the human body to maintain normal physiological functions， widely participating in key processes such as oxygen transport， energy metabolism， and cell signal transduction. The homeostasis of iron is crucial for maintaining the structural integrity and functional stability of the cardiovascular system. Recent studies have shown that iron homeostasis imbalance， especially iron overload， has become a major risk factor for the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis （AS）. The downstream-induced ferroptosis can form a "iron overload-lipid peroxidation-inflammation" vicious triangle through multiple pathways such as promoting oxidative stress， lipid peroxidation， and inflammatory response， and the three mutually reinforce each other to accelerate plaque formation and progression. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has demonstrated unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of AS， with definite clinical efficacy. Its mechanism of action， in addition to improving lipid metabolism and protecting vascular endothelium， is closely related to the regulation of iron homeostasis in the body. From the new perspectives of systemic iron homeostasis imbalance and the "iron overload-lipid peroxidation-inflammation" vicious triangle， this article reviews the research progress in the association between iron homeostasis imbalance and AS in recent years， and integrate the mechanism of iron homeostasis imbalance in modern medicine with the TCM theory of stasis and toxin interconnection. It focuses on exploring the potential molecular mechanisms of TCM in regulating iron homeostasis through intervention in key pathways of iron overload and inhibition of ferroptosis， summarizes the "iron reduction-antioxidation-anti-inflammation" network constructed by TCM compound prescriptions， and the characteristics of TCM active components in synergistically resisting systemic iron homeostasis imbalance through sharing key targets such as nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） and nuclear factor （NF）-κB. This article provides ideas and a theoretical basis that combine the characteristics of TCM theory with modern scientific evidence for the prevention and treatment of AS.

The evolution of acupuncture anesthesia (AA) has spanned six decades. Cardiothoracic surgery serves as a representative case study to illustrate this evolution. Reflecting on its historical development, the use of AA in cardiothoracic surgery has advanced from basic AA procedures in the 1960s to combined acupuncture and drug anesthesia techniques in the early 1980s. Since 2005, the innovative use of non-intubation AA combined anesthesia has been implemented extensively in cardiothoracic surgery. As the medical industry continues to evolve, the techniques applied in AA have expanded to encompass the entire perioperative period in cardiothoracic surgery, leading to the introduction of the concept of modern AA. The use of AA in cardiothoracic surgery exemplifies the ongoing advances and integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. Moving forward, it is imperative to enhance the theoretical framework of AA through the execution of rigorous multicenter clinical trials, to further strengthen the body of evidence supporting evidence-based medicine, and to finally explore the underlying mechanisms of AA. Please cite this article as: Wu XD, Wei XQ, Chen TY, Zhou WX, Wang K, Zhou J. From pioneering to innovation: A comprehensive review of acupuncture anesthesia in cardiothoracic surgeries. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):623-629.
Humans ; Acupuncture Analgesia/methods* ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Cardiac Surgical Procedures ; Anesthesia/methods* ; Thoracic Surgical Procedures

Objective:To investigate the clinical application of ultrasound-guided percutaneous catheter drainage in the management of pediatric pancreatitis, delineate the indications, and assess the efficacy and safety of the procedure.Methods:A retrospective case analysis.Eighteen patients who underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous drainage at Children′s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from September 2018 to January 2023 were conducted.The cohort comprised 10 males and 8 females aged 1 year 4 months to 15 years and 9 months.The causes of disease were traumatic pancreatitis (9 cases), acute pancreatitis (8 cases), and recurrent pancreatitis (1 case).The disease duration ranged from 1 day to 5 months.The indications for the procedure included acute peripancreatic fluid collection with infection and peritonitis, pancreatic pseudocyst, progressive increase of acute peripancreatic fluid collection, or compression symptoms.Patients′ clinical data, including drainage site, drainage condition, puncture technique, puncture success rate and puncture complications, were collected and analyzed.Results:Nineteen drainage procedures were all successfully performed on the 18 children, and no puncture injury, drainage tube obstruction, drainage tube infection, and other complications were observed.Postoperative drainage volume on the first day ranged from 100 mL to 1 010 mL.Postoperative catheterization time spanned from 6 to 93 days, with a median of 29 days.One patient experienced drainage tube displacement after surgery, and one patient progressed to chronic pancreatitis.The remaining patients achieved clinical cure and had their drainage tubes removed.No serious short-term or long-term complications were noted postoperatively.Conclusions:Ultrasound-guided percutaneous drainage emerges as an effective therapeutic approach for children with acute pancreatitis, offering advantages such as favorable efficacy, straightforward operation, high safety, and minimal trauma.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of lobetyolin's intervention in HepG2 cells abnormal cholesterol metabolism.Methods This study used oleic acid(OA)stimulation of HepG2 cells as a model.MTT assay,oil red O staining,biochemical kit assay,qRT-PCR assay,Western blot assay and NBD labeled cholesterol effection assay were used to study the effect of lobetyolin on cholesterol metabolism in HepG2 cells.Results The results showed that lobetyolin could reduce the content of lipid drops,the levels of triglyceride(TG)and total cholesterol(TC)in HepG2 cells stimulated by OA,increase cholesterol effection rate,and up-regulate cytochrome 7A1(CYP7A1),liver x receptor α(LXRα),ATP-binding cassette transporter A1(ABCA1),peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor(PPARγ)and other mRNA or protein expression levels.However,combined intervention with PPARγ antagonist Mifobate(SR-202)can significantly inhibit the promoting effect of lobetyolin on cholesterol metabolism in HepG2 cells.Conclusion This study revealed that lobetyolin can improve the cholesterol effection rate of HepG2 cells stimulated by OA and promote cholesterol catabolism,and the mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of PPARγ/CYP7A1 pathway.

How to effectively achieve regenerative repair of large bone defects remains a significant chal-lenge in current clinical treatment.Traditional bone regeneration materials have yet to yield ideal results,while the emergence of nanomaterials offers new options for bone regeneration.In recent years,metal-or-ganic frameworks(MOFs)have been widely applied in fields such as biomedicine,among which zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 nanoparticles(ZIF-8 NPs)have been extensively studied.ZIF-8 NPs are easy to synthesize,with controllable particle sizes,large specific surface areas,high thermal stability,and pH responsiveness.The nanoscale size of ZIF-8 NPs can be utilized to adjust the mechanical properties of biomaterials,further aligning with the elastic modulus of bone tissue.Additionally,ZIF-8 NPs facilitate osteogenic differentiation,vascular regeneration,and exhibit antibacterial properties,while also serving as carriers for controlled release of drugs or biomacromolecules.This article summarizes the characteris-tics and biocompatibility of ZIF-8 NPs and reviews their application progress in the field of bone tissue re-generation,including the enhancement of mechanical properties,cell adhesion,osteoinductive activity,angiogenic ability,anti-inflammatory ability and antibacterial ability of bone regeneration materials.This review aims to provide references for advancing the preparation and application of ZIF-8-based bioactive materials.

Objective To understand the current situation of healthcare-associated infection(HAI)in China,pro-vide data support and decision-making basis for formulating scientific and effective strategies for HAI prevention and control.Methods A nationwide cross-sectional survey on HAI was conducted among various types and levels of medical institutions in China according to a unified protocol of bedside surveys and case investigations.Results In 2024,a total of 5 736 medical institutions and 2 751 765 patients were surveyed.Among them,34 889 HAI cases were identified,with a prevalence rate of 1.27％.The number of HAI episodes was 38 032,and case prevalence rate was 1.38％.The prevalence rate of HAI in medical institutions in different regions of China ranged from 0.66％to 2.35％.Among medical institutions of different scales,those with a bed capacity of ≥900 had the high-est incidence of HAI,reaching 1.65％.The most common infection site was the lower respiratory tract(44.66％),followed by the urinary tract(12.94％),surgical site(9.32％),upper respiratory tract(7.02％),and bloodstream infection(5.78％).The top 3 departments with the highest HAI rates were the general intensive care unit(10.02％),department of neurosurgery(5.51％),and department(group)of hematology(5.34％).A total of 23 238 strains of HAI pathogens were detected,with 10 714 strains(46.10％)from lower respiratory tract speci-mens.The top 5 detected strains were Klebsiella pneumoniae(14.76％),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(13.33％),Escherichia coli(12.79％),Acinetobacter baumannii(9.23％),and Staphylococcus aureus(7.88％).231 944 pa-tients underwent class Ⅰ incision surgery were monitored,with 1 647 cases experienced surgical site infection,and the prevalence rate of surgical site infection was 0.71％.The number of patients who should undergo pathogen de-tection(patients receiving therapeutic and therapeutic combined prophylactic antimicrobial agents)was 715 179,while the actual number was 480 492,with a pathogen detection rate of 67.18％.425 225 patients received patho-genic detection before treatment,with a detection rate of 59.46％.Conclusion The overall HAI prevalence in Chi-na is lower,showing disparities among medical institutions of different regions and scales.Therefore,precise imple-mentation of measures is necessary for HAI prevention and control,with a focus on high-risk institutions and high-risk departments,key areas,and critical procedures.All levels of medical institutions should continuously reduce the incidence of HAI by strengthening monitoring,standardizing the use of antimicrobial agents,and reinforcing basic HAI prevention and control measures.

Objective:To explore the clinical effects of various special forms of the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery (DLCFA) perforator flaps in repairing high-voltage electrical burn wounds on the wrist.Methods:This study was a retrospective observational study. From September 2014 to June 2024, 79 male patients with high-voltage electrical burns on the wrist, aged 20 to 62 years and met the inclusion criteria, were admitted to Beijing Jishuitan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, with wrist high-voltage electrical burn wound (hereinafter referred to as wrist wound) types being classified as type Ⅱ or type Ⅲ. In the early stage after injury, debridement was performed on the patients' wrists. Based on the wound condition and flap indications, the flow-through, lobed, chimeric, flow-through-lobed, lobed-chimeric, flow-through-chimeric, or flow-through-lobed-chimeric DLCFA perforator flap was employed individually, and the flow-through-chimeric DLCFA perforator flap and tensor fascia lata myocutaneous flap were employed in combination to repair the wounds. The donor site wounds were repaired using direct sutures or skin grafting. The number of various DLCFA perforator flaps resected during surgery and the number of various types of wrist wounds repaired were recorded, as well as the closure status of the donor site wound. The postoperative flap survival, occurrence of vascular crisis, wound or suture site healing, and patency of the reconstructed artery in flow-through flaps were recorded. During follow-up, the appearance of the flap, scar formation, and the presence of thigh muscle herniation were observed.Results:Intraoperatively, 11 flow-through DLCFA perforator flaps were resected to repair 11 type Ⅱ wrist wounds, 13 lobed DLCFA perforator flaps were resected to repair 9 type Ⅱ and 4 type Ⅲ wrist wounds, 16 chimeric DLCFA perforator flaps were resected to repair 16 type Ⅱ wrist wounds, 11 flow-through-lobed DLCFA perforator flaps were resected to repair 5 type Ⅱ and 6 type Ⅲ wrist wounds, 10 lobed-chimeric DLCFA perforator flaps were resected to repair 5 type Ⅱ and 5 type Ⅲ wrist wounds, 6 flow-through-chimeric DLCFA perforator flaps were resected to repair 6 type Ⅱ wrist wounds, 7 flow-through-lobed-chimeric DLCFA perforator flaps were resected to repair 7 type Ⅲ wrist wounds, and 5 flow-through-chimeric DLCFA perforator flaps combined with tensor fascia lata myocutaneous flaps were resected to repair 5 type Ⅲ wrist wounds. Seventy-four patients had their donor site wounds closed by direct suturing, while 5 patients had their donor site wounds closed by skin grafting. Postoperatively, the flaps in 3 patients developed vascular crisis, including 1 case of arterial crisis and 2 cases of venous crises but survived after emergency vascular exploration and other treatments; the remaining flaps survived completely. Postoperatively, 3 patients had seepage beneath their flaps, which were closed after dressing changes; the remaining patients' wounds or suture sites all healed. Anteriography showed that all reconstructed arteries in 35 patients who underwent flow-through flap transplantation were patent postoperatively. During the follow-up period of 3 months to 1 year, 20 patients had bloated flap, while the rest had good flap appearance; linear scars were left in the donor sites that underwent direct wound closure, and the skin-grafted areas of the donor site wounds showed no significant patchy hypertrophic scarring; no thigh muscle herniation occurred.Conclusions:Taking the full advantage of perforator flaps, various special forms of the DLCFA perforator flaps are used to repair the three-dimensionally injury wounds caused by high-voltage electrical burns on the wrist, which not only minimizes the damage to the donor site but also allow the recipient site to be well repaired, showing good appearance in the recent follow-up.

Objective:This study aims to analyze the trends,hotspots,and interrelations in research on retroperito-neal tumors through bibliometric methods,providing the latest scientific information support for clinicians and research-ers.Methods:Data were sourced from the SCI-expanded database of the Web of Science Core Collection,covering the period from 2004 to 2023.Statistical analysis and visualization of the number of publications,total citations,average citations per article,countries,institutions,journals,and keywords were conducted using Microsoft Excel 2019,VOS-viewer,and CiteSpace.Results:A total of 6,842 relevant articles were retrieved,with a total of 113 753 citations and an average of 16.63 citations per article.The number of publications had been increasing annually,peaking in 2022.The United States,China,and Japan are the major research countries,with the United States contributing the most.Memo-rial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center are the leading research in-stitutions.The journal with the most publications was the Cureus Journal of Medical Science.Gronchi Alessandro was the most prolific author.The ain keywords were"Management","Surgery",and"Tumor",and the most cited papers focus on surgery and multicenter studies.Conclusion:Research on retroperitoneal tumors is increasing annually,with hot-spots focusing on treatment methods and prognosis analysis.The United States is the main contributor to this field,with significant international collaboration.Future research should further explore the pathogenesis of retroperitoneal tumors and more effective treatment strategies.

Body weight abnormalities, including overweight, obesity, and underweight, have become a dual public health challenge in Chinese adults: overweight and obesity lead to a variety of chronic complications, while underweight increases the risks of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and organ dysfunction. To systematically address these issues, multidisciplinary experts in endocrinology, sports science, nutrition, and psychiatry from various regions have held multiple weight management seminars. Based on the latest epidemiological data and clinical evidence, they expanded the guideline to include assessment and intervention strategies for underweight, in addition to the core content of obesity management. This guideline outlines the etiological mechanisms, evaluation methods, and multidimensional management strategies for overweight and obesity, covering key areas such as diagnosis and assessment, medical nutrition therapy, exercise prescription, pharmacological intervention, and psychological support. It is intended to provide a scientific and standardized approach to weight management across the adult population, aiming to curb the rising prevalence of obesity, mitigate complications associated with abnormal body weight, and improve nutritional status and overall quality of life.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of darolutamide in the treatment of patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 17 cases of prostate cancer patients who received treatment with darolutamide in combination with ADT at our hospital from January to December 2022. The median age was 70 (range: 56 to 92) years old. The median pre-treatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was 63.50 (range: 29.16 to 700.74) ng/ml. Sixteen cases had a Gleason score of 8 or above, and 11 cases were classified as high tumor burden (with four or more bone metastases and/or visceral metastases). The patients were treated with darolutamide in combination with goserelin (10.8 mg, subcutaneous injection, every 12 weeks). The decrease in PSA levels was observed at 2 weeks and at 1, 2, 3, and 6 months post-treatment. The time to achieve a 50% decrease in PSA level (PSA50), a 90% decrease (PSA90), and a PSA level of ≤0.2 ng/ml was recorded.Adverse drug reactions were also documented.Results:All the 17 patients were followed up and continued to receive darolutamide at our center without any loss to follow-up. The median follow-up time was 11.4(8.9, 15.3)months. It showed a median PSA decrease from baseline of 83.33% at 2 weeks, 95.37% at 1 month, 96.71% at 2 months, 97.22% at 3 months, and 99.10% at 6 months. The median time to achieve PSA50, PSA90, and PSA ≤ 0.2 ng/ml were 1.3 (0.9, 1.7)months, 1.7 (1.2, 2.4)months, and 3.6 (2.9, 4.5)months respectively. Six patients with bone metastases experienced relief of metastatic lesions after treatment. Only one patient developed papules on the left upper limb, which were assessed as grade 1 rash, and the rash disappeared after three days treatment of topical application of hydrocortisone cream.Conclusions:Darolutamide could rapidly control and significantly reduce PSA levels in prostate cancer patients, with a favorable safety profile.