Background: High-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) is a chromatin-binding protein involved in arthritis, ischemia, sepsis, atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative disorders, meningitis, and cancer. HMGB1 exhibits dual roles in cancer, acting as either a tumor suppressor or oncoprotein depending on context. Objective: This research aimed to elucidate HMGB1’s functional significance in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Methods: We overexpressed HMGB1 in cSCC cell lines using recombinant adenovirus and examined its effects on cell proliferation, colony formation, and cell migration. Results: Immunohistochemical analysis revealed elevated HMGB1 expression levels in cSCC tissue relative to normal epidermis. To assess the influence of HMGB1, we employed recombinant adenoviruses expressing HMGB1 to transduce SCC cell lines (SCC12 and SCC13). Enhanced HMGB1 expression significantly promoted cellular proliferation and colony formation capacity.Notably, HMGB1 overexpression elevated the levels of proliferation regulators, including P63, SOX2, CDK4 and CDK6. Furthermore, HMGB1 overexpression substantially enhanced tumor invasiveness, accompanied by upregulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarkers. Mechanistically, overexpression of HMGB1 enhanced transforming growth factor-β signaling by increasing phosphorylation of SMAD2/3, the key mediators of EMT. Conclusion These data imply that HMGB1 acts as a tumor-promoting factor in cSCC.

This paper has summarized current studies on retinitis pigmentosa （RP） from two perspectives， which were disease mechanism insights from western medicine， and etiology， pathogenesis and therapeutic principles in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. From the perspective of western medicine， the understanding of RP has evolved from an early single-factor explanation focusing on pathogenic gene mutations to a more comprehensive， multifactorial model involving genetic abnormalities， photoreceptor cell degeneration， retinal pigment epithelium dysfunction， oxidative stress， inflammatory responses， microenvironmental imbalance， and vascular insufficiency. In TCM， RP is considered to be a disorder manifested in the eyes but rooted in dysfunction of the zang-fu （脏腑） organs. Its pathogenesis is primarily associated with congenital insufficiency， liver-kidney depletion， impaired spleen function of transportation and transformation， and stasis obstructing the meridians. The core pathological mechanism can be summarized as "deficiency complicated by stasis"， emphasizing holistic imbalance， dynamic disease progression， and syndrome differentiation and treatment. The differences and complementarities between the two medical systems in understanding disease progression are further discussed. RP is proposed to be more appropriately regarded as a complex disease characterized by long-term progression， stage-dependent evolution， and persistent decompensation. Western medicine contributes to elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying RP and provides the foundation for targeted therapeutic interventions， whereas TCM offers a holistic perspective for understanding disease evolution through the assessment of overall functional status， disease-stage stratification， and long-term syndrome-based regulation.

This paper has summarized current studies on retinitis pigmentosa （RP） from two perspectives， which were disease mechanism insights from western medicine， and etiology， pathogenesis and therapeutic principles in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. From the perspective of western medicine， the understanding of RP has evolved from an early single-factor explanation focusing on pathogenic gene mutations to a more comprehensive， multifactorial model involving genetic abnormalities， photoreceptor cell degeneration， retinal pigment epithelium dysfunction， oxidative stress， inflammatory responses， microenvironmental imbalance， and vascular insufficiency. In TCM， RP is considered to be a disorder manifested in the eyes but rooted in dysfunction of the zang-fu （脏腑） organs. Its pathogenesis is primarily associated with congenital insufficiency， liver-kidney depletion， impaired spleen function of transportation and transformation， and stasis obstructing the meridians. The core pathological mechanism can be summarized as "deficiency complicated by stasis"， emphasizing holistic imbalance， dynamic disease progression， and syndrome differentiation and treatment. The differences and complementarities between the two medical systems in understanding disease progression are further discussed. RP is proposed to be more appropriately regarded as a complex disease characterized by long-term progression， stage-dependent evolution， and persistent decompensation. Western medicine contributes to elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying RP and provides the foundation for targeted therapeutic interventions， whereas TCM offers a holistic perspective for understanding disease evolution through the assessment of overall functional status， disease-stage stratification， and long-term syndrome-based regulation.

Objective:To assess the efficacy and safety of Gongxuening Capsules in reducing post-abortion bleeding following artificial abortion.Methods:A multicenter, randomized, double-blind study was conducted. From May 31, 2022 to March 31, 2023, 484 women who underwent vacuum aspiration abortion for early intrauterine pregnancy were enrolled in 11 centers and randomly assigned to control group and the study group at a 1∶1 ratio using a center-block randomization method. Control group were administered a placebo of Gongxuening Capsules for 9 d, while the study group received the actual Gongxuening Capsules for the same duration. The outcomes measured included vaginal bleeding volume, duration of vaginal bleeding, endometrial thickness, time to menstrual recovery, and complications.Results:1) A total of 484 subjects were enrolled, and 472 completed the study. Totally 450 subjects were included in the efficacy analysis set, with 224 in control group and 226 in the study group; 468 subjects were included in the safety analysis set, with 236 in control group and 232 in the study group. The baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable (all P>0.05). 2) The vaginal bleeding volume was lower in the study group [(13.30±12.14) mL] than in control group [(19.00±17.67) mL, P<0.001]. The proportion of subjects in the study group with bleeding days less than 4 d [29.65% (67/226)] was higher than that in control group [19.20% (43/224), P=0.010]. 3) No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of time to menstrual recovery and endometrial thickness (all P>0.05). 4) In the study group, 3 subjects experienced non-therapeutic-related complications, while 11 subjects in control group. The incidence of complications was lower in the study group [1.29% (3/232)] than in control group [4.66% (11/236), P=0.033]. Conclusion:The administration of Gongxuening Capsules to women following artificial abortion significantly reduced vaginal bleeding volume and was associated with good safety, with the treatment being well-tolerated by the subjects.

As a critical component of global agriculture,the dairy industry is essential for the food security and economic development.In China,the dairy sector in plateau regions plays an important role in addressing the nutritional needs of residents,boosting farmers' incomes,and fostering re-gional economic growth.However,the harsh high-altitude conditions,such as low oxygen,low at-mospheric pressure,and severe climate,pose significant challenges to the health and survival of dairy cows.This article summarizes the changes in physiological characteristics,metabolic perform-ance,production performance,and health status of dairy under high altitude areas,providing in-sights for the identification of adaptive traits in dairy to plateau.Also,the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms behind these phenotypic adaptations are discussed,and future directions and strategies for enhancing adaptability of dairy of dairy n plateau regions are outlined,thereby guiding re-searchers in adaptation evolution and breeding of dairy cattle.

Objective:To investigate the levels of C reactive protein(CRP)and interleukin(IL)-6 in patients with myocardial infarction(MI)and their association with cardiac function.Methods:We enrolled 140 MI patients ad-mitted to Sanya Harbin Medical University Hongsen Hospital Co.,Ltd between January 2020 and December 2022,as MI group.According to coronary stenotic severity,they were divided into mild group(n=62),moderate group(n=41)and severe group(n=37),and 75 healthy individuals who underwent physical examination simultaneously were selected as control group.Serum CRP,IL-6,cardiac troponin Ⅰ(cTnⅠ)and creatine kinase isoenzyme MB(CK-MB)levels were measured by automatic biochemical analyzer,and left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)was assessed by echocardiography.Above-mentioned indexes were compared between MI group and control group,and among groups of different coronary disease severity.Pearson/Spearman correlation was used to analyze the asso-ciation of serum CRP and IL-6 levels with Gensini score,cTnⅠ,CK-MB levels,and LVEF in MI patients.Diag-nostic value of serum CRP and IL-6 levels for MI was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results:Compared with participants in control group,those in MI group had significant higher serum CRP,IL-6,cTnⅠ and CK-MB,and significant lower LVEF(P＜0.001 all).Serum CRP,IL-6,cTnⅠ and CK-MB levels sig-nificantly increased,and LVEF significant decreased in the order of mild group,moderate group and severe group(P＜0.01 all).Pearson/Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum CRP and IL-6 levels were positively cor-related with Gensini score,cTnⅠ,and CK-MB levels(r=0.496～0.646,P＜0.001all),and negatively correlated with LVEF(r=-0.530,-0.572,P＜0.001 all)in MI patients.ROC curve showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of CRP combined IL-6 diagnosing MI was 0.856(95％CI 0.802～0.900),which was significantly higher than those of CRP(AUC=0.770,95％CI 0.708～0.824)and IL-6(AUC=0.793,95％CI 0.733～0.845)alone(Z=3.295,2.877,P＜0.01 all).Conclusion:Serum CRP and IL-6 levels rise in MI patients,and they are closely associated with increased severity of coronary artery disease and reduced cardiac function.

Objective To explore the short- and mid-term efficacy of Castor single branch aortic stent combined with subclavian artery bypass grafting for the aortic arch lesions. Methods A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of patients with proximal anchor zone insufficiency aortic arch lesions treated with Castor stent combined with subclavian artery bypass grafting at the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from August 2020 to November 2023 was performed. Results A total of 22 patients were included, including 19 males and 3 females, with an average age of (56±16) years. There were 18 patients of aortic dissection and 4 patients of aortic arch tumors. The success rate of surgical technique was 100.0%, and the average postoperative hospital stay for patients was (10±4) days. The median follow-up time was 20 months. During the follow-up period, there were no major complications such as endoleak, paraplegia, cerebral infarction, and renal insufficiency, and all patients had no readmissions. Conclusion For proximal anchor zone insufficiency aortic arch lesions, the treatment method of using a Castor stent branch placed in the left common carotid artery can effectively extend the anchor zone, avoid the huge trauma of open chest surgery, and achieve a good short- and mid-term efficacy.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)is a common respiratory emergency,but current clinical treatment remains at the level of symptomatic support and there is a lack of effective targeted treatment measures.Our previous study confirmed that inhalation of hydrogen gas can reduce the acute lung injury of ARDS,but the application of hydrogen has flammable and explosive safety concerns.Drinking hydrogen-rich liquid or inhaling hydrogen gas has been shown to play an important role in scavenging reactive oxygen species and maintaining mitochondrial quality control balance,thus improving ARDS in patients and animal models.Coral calcium hydrogenation(CCH)is a new solid molecular hydrogen carrier prepared from coral calcium(CC).Whether and how CCH affects acute lung injury in ARDS re-mains unstudied.In this study,we observed the therapeutic effect of CCH on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)induced acute lung injury in ARDS mice.The survival rate of mice treated with CCH and hydrogen inhalation was found to be comparable,demonstrating a significant improvement compared to the untreated ARDS model group.CCH treatment significantly reduced pulmonary hemorrhage and edema,and improved pulmonary function and local microcirculation in ARDS mice.CCH promoted mitochon-drial peripheral division in the early course of ARDS by activating mitochondrial thioredoxin 2(Trx2),improved lung mitochondrial dysfunction induced by LPS,and reduced oxidative stress damage.The results indicate that CCH is a highly efficient hydrogen-rich agent that can attenuate acute lung injury of ARDS by improving the mitochondrial function through Trx2 activation.

Transcatheter arterial embolization(TAE)is the mainstay for treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),and the performance of the embolization material is crucial in TAE.With the development of medical imaging and the birth of"X-ray-free"technologies,we designed a new dual-mode imaging material of dimethoxy tetraphenyl ethylene(DMTPE)via emulsification by mixing poly(N-iso-propylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid)(PNA)with lipiodol and fluorocarbons,which was evaluated for temperature sensitivity,stability,and dual-mode visualization in vitro.Additionally,blood vessel casting embolization and renal artery imaging were assessed in healthy rabbits.In a rabbit model with a VX2 tumor,the effectiveness of TAE for treating HCC was examined,with an emphasis on evaluating long-term outcomes of embolization and its effects on tumor growth,necrosis,and proliferation through imaging techniques.In vitro experiments confirmed that the temperature-sensitive dual-oil-phase Pickering emulsion had good flow,stable contrast,and embolism when the oil-to-oil ratio and water-to-oil ratio were both 7∶3(v/v)and stabilized with 8％PNA.Similarly,in vivo,arterial embolization confirmed the excellent properties of DMTPE prepared at the abovementioned ratios.It was observed that DMTPE not only has an antitumor effect but can also achieve dual imaging using X-rays and ultrasound,making it a promising excellent vascular embolization material for TAE in tumor treatment.

Objective To explore the influence of hsa_circ_0004535 on type 2 diabetes(T2DM)combined with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)model mice.Methods Forty-eight healthy SPF grade Balb/c mice were selected for modeling and divided into the following groups(n=6 per group):Control group:normal feed;T2DM group:diabetes model induced by high-glucose and high-fat diet;T2DM combined MAFLD group:non-alcoholic fatty liver high-glucose and high-fat diet-induced diabetes combined with fatty liver model;T2DM combined MAFLD+hsa_circ_NC group:after 4 weeks of modeling,10 nmol hsa_circ_NC injected into the tail vein;T2DM combined MAFLD+hsa_circ_0004535 group:after 4 weeks of modeling,10 nmol circ_0004535 injected into the tail vein;T2DM combined MAFLD+miRNA_NC group:after 4 weeks of modeling,10 nmol miRNA blank control injected into the tail vein;T2DM combined MAFLD+miR-1827 agomir group:after 4 weeks of modeling,10 nmol miR-1827 agomir injected into the tail vein;and T2DM combined MAFLD+miR-1827 antagomir group:after 4 weeks of modeling,10 nmol miR-1827 antagomir injected into the tail vein.Mouse body weight was measured after the interventions and recorded weekly.Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed,blood lipids and liver function were measured,the liver and insulin resistance indexes were calculated,and pathological tests(hematoxylin/eosin(HE),oil red O,and Masson staining,immunohistochemistry,terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL))were performed to measure the degree of hepatic inflammation,fat deposition,and fibrosis.Results(1)Body weight,liver weight,liver index,insulin resistance index,and biochemical indexes were all significantly lower in the hsa_circ_0004535 injection group compared with the hsa_circ_NC injection group and the T2DM combined MAFLD group(both P＜0.05).(2)Steatosis vacuoles were reduced and smaller and inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced in the T2DM combined MAFLD+circ_0004535 group,as shown by HE and oil red staining.(3)TUNEL-positive cells were significantly reduced in the T2DM combined MAFLD+hsa_circ_0004535 group(P＜0.05).(4)Collagen fiber deposition was significantly reduced in the T2DM combined MAFLD+hsa_circ_0004535 group,as shown by Masson staining(P＜0.05).Conclusions The expression of hsa_circ_0004535 and miRNA-1827 play important roles in regulating lipid metabolism,insulin sensitivity,inflammatory pathways,hepatocyte apoptosis,and hepatic fibrosis-related pathways in an animal model of T2DM combined with MAFLD.