This paper summarizes Professor LIU Fengbin's clinical experience in treating autoimmune liver disease （AILD） using the method of nourishing yin and removing stasis based on stage differentiation. He believes that the pathogenesis of AILD generally involves both deficiency in essence and excess in manifestation， with essence deficiency often presenting as liver and kidney yin deficiency， which may progress to spleen deficiency and yang deficiency over time. The excess manifestation commonly includes qi stagnation， blood stasis， damp-heat， and phlegm toxicity. Clinically， he advocates for the treatment principle of nourishing yin and removing stasis. On the foundation of nourishing liver and kidney yin， different pathological factors causing stasis are eliminated according to their nature. Treatment is also tailored to different stages of AILD. In the early and asymptomatic stages， liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency are prominent， warranting a therapeutic approach of soothing the liver， regulating qi and strengthening the spleen. The modified Chaishao Qizhi Decoction （柴芍气滞汤） is used. During the symptomatic stage， pathogenic factors become more pronounced， often accompanied by a significant deficiency of vital qi， with damp-heat， water retention， and phlegm toxicity as key pathological features. The treatment should focus on strengthening the spleen and dispelling dampness， using modified Sijunzi Decoction （四君子汤） combined with Yinchen Wuling Powder （茵陈五苓散）. In the liver function decompensation stage， vital qi is severely deficient while pathogenic factors persist， with damp-heat， phlegm toxicity， and blood stasis obstructing the liver collaterals. Treatment should focus on nourishing blood， softening the liver， strengthening the spleen， and resolving stasis， using the modified Ruangan Yangxue Decoction （软肝养血汤）. Throughout the treatment process， emphasis is placed on tonifying the liver and kidneys while protecting yin fluids.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a severe type of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is a leading etiology of end-stage liver disease worldwide, posing significant health and economic burdens. microRNA-320 (miR-320), a ubiquitously expressed and evolutionarily conserved miRNA, has been reported to regulate lipid metabolism; however, whether and how miR-320 affects MASH development remains unclear. By performing miR-320 in situ hybridization with RNAscope, we observed a notable downregulation of miR-320 in hepatocytes during MASH, correlating with disease severity. Most importantly, miR-320 downregulation in hepatocytes exacerbated MASH progression as demonstrated that hepatocyte-specific miR-320 deficient mice were more susceptible to high-fat, high-fructose, high-cholesterol diet (HFHC) or choline-deficient, amino acid-defined, high-fat diet (CDAHFD)-induced MASH compared with control littermates. Conversely, restoration of miR-320 in hepatocytes ameliorated MASH-related steatosis and fibrosis by injection of adeno-associated virus 8 (AAV8) carrying miR-320 in different types of diet-induced MASH models. Mechanistic studies revealed that miR-320 specifically regulated fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) production in hepatocytes by inhibiting regulator factor X1 (RFX1) expression. Notably, knockdown of Rfx1 in hepatocytes mitigated MASH by enhancing FGF1-mediated AMPK activation. Our findings underscore the therapeutic potential of hepatic miR-320 supplementation in MASH treatment by inhibiting RFX1-mediated FGF1 suppression.

Chinese medicine therapy for removing gallstones is one of the methods for the treatment of cholelithiasis.In the view of Professor Liu Fengbin,attacking of external pathogens,improper diet and emotional disorders contribute to the main causes of cholelithiasis,and the pathogenesis of cholelithiasis is due to qi stagnation of both liver and gallbladder,and internal obstruction of damp-heat.The occurrence of cholelithiasis is closely related to deficiency of spleen and stomach,and is correlated with the pathological factors of turbid phlegm and blood stasis.For the Chinese medicine treatment of cholelithiasis,Professor Liu follows the principle of"treatment in accordance with three categories of etiological factors"(i.e,seasons,environment and body constitution).He advocates the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine,and is good at utilizing Lingnan herbs and distinctive herbs that can dissolve stones and remove stones.The treatment for cholelithiasis is mainly through the therapies of soothing liver and alleviating depression,clearing heat and removing dampness,and normalizing gallbladder function to remove stones,and is also supplemented by the therapies of invigorating spleen and replenishing qi,regulating qi to resolve phlegm,and activiting qi movement and blood circulation.Modified Da Chaihu Decoction plus Sijin Decoction is often used as a basic formula for treating cholelithiasis,which is mainly composed of Desmodii Styracifolii Herba,Galli Gigerii Endothelium Corneum,Bupleuri Radix,Curcumae Radix,Scutellariae Radix,Aucklandiae Radix,Aurantii Fructus Immaturus stir-fried with bran,Paeoniae Radix Rubra,Linderae Radix,and Rhei Radix et Rhizoma.

Professor Liu Fengbin,a renowned traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)expert in Guangdong Province,specializes in treating digestive system disorders of hepatobiliary and splenic diseases with Chinese herbal medicine,and has accumulated extensive experience in intervening viral hepatitis type B and hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis.Professor Liu proposes that dampness,heat,stasis,toxin,and deficiency are the primary pathogenic factors of hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis.The disease is rooted in the liver,and is also closely related to the spleen and kidney and involves the gallbladder,stomach,and triple energizer.Based on TCM dialectical thinking and years of clinical practice,Professor Liu summarized the"eight methods for treating liver diseases"for intervening hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis with Chinese medicine,i.e.,method of activating the spleen and stomach,method of clearing heat and dispelling dampness,method of dispelling dampness and resolving turbidity,method of enriching yin and subduing fire,method of warming yang and tonifying the kidney,method of softening the liver and nourishing blood,method of activating blood circulation and softening hardness,and method of calming the mind and improving sleep.In clinical practice,these methods are flexibly combined based on patients'syndrome types and manifestations.Moreover,Professor Liu is skilled in using herbal groups having Lingnan medicinal characteristics,such as herbal group for clearing heat and removing toxin,and draining dampness to relieve jaundice which is composed of Mallotus Apelta Radix et Rhizoma,Abri Herba and Phyllanthi Urinariae Herba,herbal group for promoting digestion to remove food retention which is composed of Fermentum Rubrum,Crataegi Fructus and Hordei Fructus Germinatus,herbal group for removing blood and eliminating mass group which is composed of vinegar-processed Curcumae Rhizoma,vinegar-processed Trionycis Carapax and Eupolyphaga Steleophaga,and herbal group for protecting liver and lowering enzyme which is composed of Hoveniae Semen and Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus.Professor Liu's medication experience for intervening hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis will provide valuable references for TCM clinical practice in the management of liver diseases.

Background/Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become an increasingly important health challenge, with a substantial rise linked to changing lifestyles and global obesity. Ursolic acid, a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, has been explored for its potential therapeutic effects. Given its multifunctional bioactive properties, this research further revealed the pharmacological mechanisms of ursolic acid on MASLD. Methods: Drug target chips and bioinformatics analysis were combined in this study to explore the potential therapeutic effects of ursolic acid on MASLD. Molecular docking simulations, surface plasmon resonance analyses, pull-down experiments, and co-immunoprecipitation assays were used to verify the direct interactions. Gene knockdown mice were generated, and high-fat diets were used to validate drug efficacy. Furthermore, initial CD4+ T cells were isolated and stimulated to demonstrate our findings. Results: In this study, the multifunctional extracellular matrix phosphorylated glycoprotein secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) was investigated, highlighting its capability to induce Th17 cell differentiation, amplifying inflammatory cascades, and subsequently promoting the evolution of MASLD. In addition, this study revealed that in addition to the canonical TGF-β/IL-6 cytokine pathway, SPP1 can directly interact with ITGB1 and CD44, orchestrating Th17 cell differentiation via their joint downstream ERK signaling pathway. Remarkably, ursolic acid intervention notably suppressed the protein activity of SPP1, suggesting a promising avenue for ameliorating the immunoinflammatory trajectory in MASLD progression. Conclusions Ursolic acid could improve immune inflammation in MASLD by modulating SPP1-mediated Th17 cell differentiation via the ERK signaling pathway, which is orchestrated jointly by ITGB1 and CD44, emerging as a linchpin in this molecular cascade.

Objective:To study minimally invasive treatment using percutaneous transhepatic choledochoscopic lithotripsy (PTCSL) to treat complicated hepatolithiasis.Methods:Patients with complicated hepatolithiasis who were treated at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from July 2017 to September 2021, were included into this study. There were 48 patients treated with PTCSL (the PTCSL group) and 150 patients treated with conventional open hepatectomy (the OH group). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match 40 patients in the PTCSL group with 40 patients in the OH group. There were 11 males and 29 females, aged 32 to 85 (59.3±12.7) years in the PTCSL group and 15 males and 25 females, aged 20 to 74 (55.4±10.9) years in the OH group. Theoperation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization time, hospitalization cost, incidences of major complications (including pleural effusion, biliary bleeding), residual stone rates and recurrence rates were analyzed.Results:Baseline data were comparable between groups after PSM. For the PTCSL group, the operation time was (135.8±42.6) minutes, intraoperative bleeding volume 32.5(20.0, 50.0) ml, hospitalization time 13.5(11.0, 18.0) days, and hospitalization expense 3.4(2.9, 5.0) wanyuan compared with the corresponding figures in the OH group with operation time (350.7±113.8) minutes, intraoperative bleeding volume 475.0(200.0, 900.0) ml, hospitalization time 24.0(17.3, 28.8) days, and hospitalization expense 6.6(5.0, 8.9) wanyuan. The differences between the two groups were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The overall complication rate was 2.5%(1/40) in the PTCSL group and 22.5%(9/40) in the OH group (χ 2=7.31, P=0.007). The residual stone rate of 20.0%(8/40), stone recurrence rate of 17.5%(7/40), compared with the OH group with the stone residual rate of 27.5%(11/40), stone recurrence rate of 12.5%(5/40). There was no significant difference between the two groups in both the stone residual rates and stone recurrence rates (both P>0.05). Conclusion:In treatment of complex hepatolithiasis, the stone residual rate after repeated PTCSL was comparable to traditional open hepatectomy. PTCSL had the advantages of shorter operation time, less bleeding, lower hospitalization time, lower complication rate and lower hospitalization cost. PTCSL is worthy of wider application and popularization.

Objective:To investigate the status of the vestibular function of the patients with chronic positional symptoms after peripheral acute vestibular syndrome (AVS) and the curative effect of the vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT). Method:Using caloric test (CT), head shaking nystagmus test (HST), cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials as well as ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials to estimate the function of semicircular canal and otolith organs. The patients with normal VEMPs are divided as Group A. Otherwise are as Group B. Both groups are treated with VRT. The curative effect is estimated by vestibular symptom index (VSI) and Berg balance scale (BBS). Result:Thirty-three of 37 patients (86.5%) had an abnormal result of CT and HST, with 23 of these patients (65.7%) had an abnormal of both test. Twenty-two patients (59.5%) were in Group A and 15 (40.5%) in Group B. Before the therapy, Group B had a higher score of the balance and dizziness symptoms of VSI (P<0.05), and Group A had a higher score of the BBS (P<0.05). After the therapy, the VSI scores of both groups dropped and scores of the BBS raised. Conclusion:Patients with chronic positional symptoms after peripheral AVS have dynamic vestibular lesions to different extents. Those with otolith organs lesions tend to have a worse function of balance. Nevertheless, patients have a better off after VRT.

Objective To investigate and evaluate the correlation between brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and gestational hypertension and preeclampsia of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (HDCP).Methods Fifty cases with HDCP and 46 cases with mild and 83 cases with sever stage preeclampsia were selected as our subjects.And 33 cases with regular pregnancy and 31 with irregular pregnancy were served as control group.Plasma brain natriuretic peptide,urinary protein quantity(UBQ),24-hour urinary protein assay (UPA) were measured.The correlations of brain natriuretic peptide and UBQ,UPA,systolic pressure (SP),diastolic pressure (DP) were analyzed.Results The levels of brain natriuretic peptide in the group with gestational hypertension and mild,severe preeclampsia groups were (48.54± 18.27),(79.46± 32.18) and (292.24±213.08) ng/L,higher than that in normal pregnancy and non pregnant group ((27.84± 14.58) and (20.63± 8.28) n/L;F =49.583,P＜0.05).While no significant difference exists between normal pregnancy group and non pregnant group.Grouped on the median values (199) of brain natriuretic peptide of the severe preeclampsia group,the levels of 24-hour UPA,systolic pressure and diastolic pressure were (5.46±2.68) g,(174.55± 13.58) mmHg,(113.74±9.91) mmHg in patients with brain natriuretic peptide ≥ 199 ng/L(n=42),significant higher than those in patients with brain natriuretic peptide ＜ 199 ng/L(n =41;(4.34± 1.95)g,(165.31±11.12) mmHg,(106.05±8.02) mmHg;t=2.603,3.396,2.308;P=＞0.010,0.001,0.024).The levels of 24-hour UPA,systolic pressure and diastolic pressure of patients with brain natriuretic peptide ≥ 86ng/L(n=20) in mild preeclampsia were (1.68±0.27) g,(163.69±8.29) mmHg,(105.45±6.71) mmHg,significant higher than those in patients with brain natriuretic peptide ＜ 86 ng/L (n =26;(1.16 ± 0.31) g,(152.90±7.32) mmHg,(99.19 ± 5.25) mmHg;t =3.180,2.508,2.32;P =0.010,0.016,0.025).Brain natriuretic peptide was closely correlated with UPA,systolic pressure and diastolic pressure in hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (HDCP) (r =0.29,0.30;P ＜ 0.01).Brain natriuretic peptide was closely correlated with UPA systolic pressure and diastolic pressure in mild preeclampsia (r =0.39,0.37,0.40;P ＜0.01).And correlation efficacy of brain natriuretic peptide with UPA,systolic pressure and diastolic pressure were 0.44,0.42 and 0.53 (P＜0.01).Conclusion The level of brain natriuretic peptide is closely associated with the severity of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy.Correlation of brain natriuretic peptide to the severity of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia is independent of urinary protein and hypertension.Brain natriuretic peptide is an important indicator for the severity of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy.

Objective To observe the effect of ageand menstrual statuson body composition in healthy Beijing women.Methods We measured body composition with dual-energy X-ray(GE Lunar Prodigy)in 316 healthy Beijing females aged 20 to 74 years(5-7 cases per age).Parameters provided by the software were as following:total body bone mineral content,lean mass,fat mass and fat percentage(% fat).Local regions measured included arm,leg,trunk,android region and gynoid region.Body mass index (BMI),fat mass index(FMI),free fat mass index(FFMI)and A/G were calculated.Volunteers were assigned to 6 groups according age by every ten years a group.Results BMC peaked during the 4th decade,LM peaked during the 5th decade,with a decline of 18.1%and 5.2%respectively at age 74 years.Total body fat mass and % fat showed a general increase with aging throughout the studied age range.Total body fat mass increased from 16±5 kg at age 20-29 years to 24±6 kg at age 70-74 years,while % fat increased from 31.3%to 39.5%.All local region % fat increased with aging at different extents.Android region % fat showed the largest raise extent(32.2%).BMI increased gradually from 21.1 kg/m2 at age 20-29 years to 26.1 kg/m2 at age 70-74 years.FMI changed more obviously than FFMI.A/G increased from 0.85 at age 20-29years to 1.02 at age 70-74 years.Different menstrual status in women of 40-59 vears had obvious eflfect on A/G and BMC(P＜0.05),while it had no significant effect on BMI.body weight and waist circumference(P＞0.05). Conclusions Aging and menstrual status have evident effect on body composition distribution in healthy Beijing women.