ObjectiveTo investigate the potential mechanism of Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS） in ameliorating renal injury in db/db mice. MethodsThirty 8-week-old specific pathogen-free （SPF）-grade male db/db mice and six db/m mice were acclimated for one week. Urinary microalbumin and blood glucose levels were measured weekly in both db/db and db/m mice. Successful modeling was determined by significantly higher microalbuminuria in db/db mice compared to db/m mice and a fasting blood glucose ≥16.7 mmol·L^-1. The 30 db/db mice were randomly divided into five groups： the model group， the irbesartan （IBN） group， and three DSS dose groups （low-， medium-， and high-dose DSS groups， administered at 16.77， 33.54， 67.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively）. Additionally， the six db/m mice served as the normal control group. The IBN group received irbesartan at 0.025 g·kg^-1·d^-1 by gavage， while the three DSS groups received DSS at 16.77， 33.54， and 67.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1 by gavage， respectively. The normal and model groups were administered with an equivalent volume of normal saline by gavage. All interventions lasted for 8 consecutive weeks. After intervention， serum creatinine （SCr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， urinary total protein （UTP）， triglyceride （TG）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） were measured to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the treatments. Renal histopathological changes were observed with hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of silencing information regulator 1 （SIRT1）， hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）， very low-density lipoprotein receptor （VLDLr）， and cluster of differentiation 31 （CD31）. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA levels of HIF-1α and VLDLr. Immunohistochemistry was used to observe the expression and distribution of HIF-1α and Caspase-3. ResultsCompared to the normal group， the model group showed significantly increased SCr， BUN， UTP， TG， and LDL-C. HE staining revealed glomerulosclerosis， mesangial matrix hyperplasia， capillary loop distortion and thickening， with extensive inflammatory cell infiltration. Protein expression of SIRT1 and CD31 significantly decreased （P<0.05）， while HIF-1α and VLDLr protein and mRNA levels increased （P<0.05）. Immunohistochemistry showed increased expression of HIF-1α and Caspase-3 （P<0.05）， indicating hypoxia and apoptosis in renal cells. In all treatment groups， SCr， BUN， TG， and LDL-C were significantly reduced compared to the model group （P<0.05）， and UTP was significantly improved in the medium-dose DSS group （P<0.05）. Renal tissue structure and morphology were improved， inflammatory cells were reduced， and no vascular hyaline degeneration was observed. SIRT1 and CD31 protein expression was elevated to varying degrees compared to the model group （P<0.05）， while HIF-1α and VLDLr protein and mRNA levels decreased （P<0.05）. Immunohistochemistry showed reduced expression of HIF-1α and Caspase-3 in all treatment groups （P<0.05）， with the most significant improvement observed in the IBN group and medium-dose DSS group （P<0.05）. ConclusionDSS can effectively ameliorate glomerulosclerosis and lipid deposition in db/db mice， and its mechanism may involve the SIRT1/HIF-1α/VLDLr signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic efficacy of Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS） on renal injury in db/db mice and its impact on endoplasmic reticulum stress （ERS） in renal tissues. MethodsThirty 8-week-old male db/db mice and six db/m mice were acclimated for one week， after which urinary microalbumin and blood glucose levels were monitored to establish a diabetic kidney disease （DKD） model. The model mice were randomly divided into a model group， an irbesartan group， and three DSS treatment groups with different doses （16.77， 33.54， and 67.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1）. A normal group was set as control. Each group was intragastrically administered with the corresponding drugs or saline for 8 weeks. After the intervention， general conditions were observed. Serum cystatin C （Cys-C）， 24-hour urinary total protein （24 h-UTP）， 24-hour urinary microalbumin （24 h-UMA）， urinary creatinine （Ucr）， and urea nitrogen （UUN） were measured. Transmission electron microscopy （TEM） was used to observe glomerular basement membrane （GBM） and ultrastructural changes of the endoplasmic reticulum （ER） in glomerular endothelial cells. Western blot， real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze renal tissue structure and the expression of GRP78， CHOP， and related markers. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the mice in the model group showed curled posture， sluggish response， poor fur condition， increased levels of Cys-C， 24 h-UTP， 24 h-UMA， and UUN （P<0.05）， while Ucr decreased （P<0.05）. The GBM was significantly thickened， with podocyte and foot process fusion. The protein expressions of GRP78， CHOP， and ATF6 were significantly upregulated （P<0.05）， the mRNA levels of GRP78 and CHOP increased （P<0.05）， and immunohistochemistry showed an enhanced GRP78 signal （P<0.05）. After treatment， the mice exhibited improved behavior， normalized GBM and podocyte structure， improved ER morphology and markedly better biochemical indicators. Western blot， Real-time PCR， and immunohistochemistry indicated that the ERS-related markers were downregulated in the DSS treatment groups （P<0.05）， suggesting alleviated ERS and improved renal function. ConclusionDSS can effectively ameliorate renal pathological damage in db/db mice， possibly by regulating ERS in glomerular endothelial cells， although the underlying signaling mechanisms require further investigation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence of muscle changes （including sarcopenia and myosteatosis） and related influencing factors in patients with porto-sinusoidal vascular disorder （PSVD）， and to provide a theoretical basis for the early identification， prevention， and intervention of muscle changes in PSVD patients. MethodsA total of 132 PSVD patients who were diagnosed in Nanjing Second Hospital from July 2017 to July 2024 were enrolled as case group， and the hospital staff who underwent physical examination in 2025 were enrolled as healthy control group. Propensity score matching was performed based on age and sex at a ratio of 1∶1. According to muscle status assessed by abdominal CT， the subjects were divided into non-muscle change group， mild muscle change group （myosteatosis alone）， and severe muscle change group （sarcopenia alone or sarcopenia comorbid with myosteatosis）， with the type and severity of muscle change as the exposure factors. General information， laboratory tests， L3-level CT images， and liver biopsy data were collected for the patients in the case group， and general information and CT images were collected for the individuals in the healthy control group. Sarcopenia was diagnosed by measuring skeletal muscle index at the L3 level （<44.77 cm²/m² for men and <32.50 cm²/m² for women）， and myosteatosis was defined by mean muscle attenuation combined with BMI （BMI <24.9 kg/m² with attenuation <41 HU or BMI ≥25 kg/m² with attenuation <33 HU）. Demographic， laboratory， and clinical parameters were compared between the case group and the healthy control group. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups； the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to identify the factors associated with sarcopenia in PSVD. ResultsAmong the 132 patients with PSVD， there were 83 patients with portal hypertension （PH） and 49 patients without PH， and there were significant differences between these two groups in age， albumin， albumin/globulin ratio， leukocyte count， neutrophil count， red blood cell count， platelet count， direct bilirubin， indirect bilirubin， hemoglobin， blood calcium， cholinesterase， total bile acid， triglyceride， total cholesterol， prothrombin time， international normalized ratio， activated partial thromboplastin time， decompensation， gastroesophageal or ectopic varices， bleeding and ascites （all P<0.05）. The analyses after matching showed that compared with the healthy control group， the case group had significantly higher prevalence rates of abnormal muscle structure （43.18% vs 18.94%， P<0.001）， mild muscle changes （22.73% vs 7.58%， P<0.001）， and severe muscle changes （20.45% vs 11.36%， P<0.001）. Further comparison showed that there was no significant difference in the proportion of patients with muscle changes between the PSVD patients with PH and those without PH （42.17% vs 44.90%， P=0.760）. The binary Logistic regression analysis with the presence or absence of muscle changes as the dependent variable showed that age （odds ratio ［OR］=1.05， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.02 — 1.09， P<0.05）， subcutaneous fat index （OR=1.03， 95%CI： 1.01 — 1.06， P<0.05）， hemoglobin （OR=0.97， 95%CI： 0.95 — 0.99， P<0.05）， and thrombin time （OR=1.26， 95%CI： 1.06 — 1.49， P<0.05） were independent influencing factors for muscle changes in PSVD patients. The multivariate ordinal Logistic regression analysis with the severity of muscle changes as the dependent variable showed that age （OR=1.04， 95%CI： 1.01 — 1.07， P<0.05） and thrombin time （OR=1.17， 95%CI： 1.01 — 1.36， P<0.05） were independent risk factors for the grading of muscle changes. ConclusionMuscle changes are common in PSVD patients， and these changes may be caused by PSVD itself rather than PH. Age， fat distribution， thrombin time， and hemoglobin are important influencing factors for muscle changes.

Objective:To explore the effects of low dose esketamine combined with ciprofol on stress level and postoperative recovery quality of elderly patients undergoing radical mastectomy.Methods:92 elderly patients undergoing radical mastectomy at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Shanxi Children’s Hospital from Jan. 2021 to Dec. 2024 were included and divided into the control group ( n=46, Sufentanil + ciprofol) and the study group ( n=46, low dose esketamine + ciprofol) by random number table method. Stress, recovery, postoperative pain and cognitive function were compared between the two groups. Results:In the study group, cortisol and epinephrine levels were lower than those in the control group at 3min after anesthesia, at incision, 30min during operation, and at the end of operation ( P < 0.05). The study group had lower recovery time of orientation force, awake time and extubation time ( P < 0.05). The visual analog scores in the study group at 1 and 6h after operation were lower than those in the control group ( P < 0.05). The study group had lower serum neuron-specific enolase level at 24h after operation, while higher brain-derived neurotrophic factor and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale ( P < 0.05) . Conclusion:In elderly patients undergoing radical mastectomy, low dose esketamine combined with ciprofol anesthesia can effectively reduce the stress level, improve the quality of postoperative recovery and improve cognitive function.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the therapeutic effect of aucubin in mice with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and investigate the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Sixty C57BL/6J mice were randomized equally into sham operation group, KOA model group, glucosamine (positive control) treatment group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose aucubin treatment groups (2, 4, and 8 mg/kg, respectively). KOA mouse models were established by transection of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and the treatment was initiated on day 1 postoperatively and administered weekly for 8 weeks. Safranin O-fast green staining, immunohistochemistry, and microCT were used to evaluate the changes in cartilage pathology, inflammatory protein expression, and subchondral bone volume fraction (BV/TV). The expression levesl of COL2, SOX9, p-P65, IL-1β and MMP13 proteins in the cartilage tissues were detected using Western blotting. In a chondrocyte model with IL-1β treatment for mimicking KOA, the effect of aucubin on chondrogenic differentiation was observed with Alcian blue and Safranin O staining, and cellular COL2, SOX9 and TNF‑α mRNA expressions were detected with RT-qPCR. RESULTS: Compared with those in the model group, the mouse models receiving aucubin treatment showed significantly upregulated COL2 and SOX9 protein levels and downregulated p-P65, IL-1β and MMP13 expressions in the cartilage tissues. In the IL-1β-induced chondrocyte model, aucubin treatment significantly upregulated the mRNA expressions of SOX9 and COL2 but lowered the mRNA expression of TNF-α. Alcian blue and Safranin O staining confirmed that aucubin promoted the synthesis of cartilage extracellular matrix and enhanced chondrogenic differentiation of the cells. CONCLUSIONS Aucubin can effectively alleviate KOA in mice by inhibiting NF‑κB-mediated cartilage inflammation, promoting cartilage matrix synthesis, and improving subchondral bone microstructure.
Animals ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/drug therapy* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Iridoid Glucosides/therapeutic use* ; SOX9 Transcription Factor/metabolism* ; Chondrocytes/drug effects* ; Male ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 13/metabolism* ; Collagen Type II/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal

Objective:To explore the effects of low dose esketamine combined with ciprofol on stress level and postoperative recovery quality of elderly patients undergoing radical mastectomy.Methods:92 elderly patients undergoing radical mastectomy at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Shanxi Children’s Hospital from Jan. 2021 to Dec. 2024 were included and divided into the control group ( n=46, Sufentanil + ciprofol) and the study group ( n=46, low dose esketamine + ciprofol) by random number table method. Stress, recovery, postoperative pain and cognitive function were compared between the two groups. Results:In the study group, cortisol and epinephrine levels were lower than those in the control group at 3min after anesthesia, at incision, 30min during operation, and at the end of operation ( P < 0.05). The study group had lower recovery time of orientation force, awake time and extubation time ( P < 0.05). The visual analog scores in the study group at 1 and 6h after operation were lower than those in the control group ( P < 0.05). The study group had lower serum neuron-specific enolase level at 24h after operation, while higher brain-derived neurotrophic factor and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale ( P < 0.05) . Conclusion:In elderly patients undergoing radical mastectomy, low dose esketamine combined with ciprofol anesthesia can effectively reduce the stress level, improve the quality of postoperative recovery and improve cognitive function.

Objective To explore related factors of intra-amniotic infection(IAI)during the delivery period in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM),and to analyze the predictive value of these related factors for IAI.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 360 GDM pregnant women,including 120 cases with IAI(IAI group)and 240 pregnant women with GDM who did not develop IAI(control group).Clinical data,fetal monitoring during labor,placental pathology,pregnancy outcomes and glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c)results were collected for both groups.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to investigate influencing factors of IAI.The predictive value of combined HbA1c levels,parity and rupture time for IAI was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves,and the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated.Results In the IAI group,the proportion of primigravida,first-time delivery,artificial rupture of membranes,oxytocin use,rupture time and HbA1c levels were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The IAI group had a smaller gestational age at delivery,higher rates of forceps-assisted delivery,cesarean section and amniotic fluid contamination(P＜0.05).In the IAI group,the proportion of abnormal intrapartum baseline fetal heart rate and the incidence of late decelerations were higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05),while the incidence of variable deceleration and the proportion of category Ⅱ fetal heart rate monitoring were lower in the IAI group than those in the control group(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in baseline variability or acceleration of fetal heart rate between the two groups(P＞0.05).The proportions of mild neonatal asphyxia and neonatal transfer to intensive care were high in the IAI group than those of the control group(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression showed that elevated HbA1c levels(OR=3.342,95%CI:1.539-7.257)and prolonged rupture time(OR=1.001,95%CI:1.000-1.001)were independent risk factors for IAI in GDM pregnant women,while multiparity was a protective factor(OR=0.113,95%CI:0.046-0.278).The AUC for predicting IAI during labor by combining HbA1c,parity and rupture time was 0.819(95%CI:0.772-0.865),with a sensitivity of 0.742 and specificity of 0.767.Conclusion HbA1c levels,rupture time and parity are independent influencing factors for IAI during labor in pregnant women with GDM.The combination of these three factors has high clinical value in predicting IAI in GDM patients.

Objective To explore differentially expressed proteins in the serum exosomes of acute myeloid leukemia(AML)patients and healthy controls by using the proteomics method,and provide new biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of AML.Methods A total of 76 AML patients diagnosed and treated in the First People's Hospital of Honghe State from November 2022 to June 2024 were selected as the experimental group,and 60 healthy physical examination participants were selected as the control group.Tandem Mass Tag(TMT)labeled proteomics was used to identify the differences in protein expression in serum exosomes between the experimental and control groups,and the identified differentially expressed proteins were subjected to bioinformatics analysis.Western-Blot was used to verify the differentially expressed proteins.Results Comparedwith healthy controls,146 aberrantly expressed proteinswere detected in serum exosomes of AML patients,of which 89 were up-regulated and 57 were down-regulated.Among them,Alpha-1-antichymotrypsin(α1-ACT),Angiogenin(ANG),Vitronectin(VIT),Clusterin(Clu),Fibronectin(FN),Keratin type I cytoskeletal-18(KRT18),and actinin alpha4(ACTN4)showed changed significantly.Gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis indicated that differentially expresseproteins were involved in biological processes such as neutrophil immunity,neutrophil degranulation,neutrophil activation immune response,and protein activation cascade,significantly enriched in 25 biological pathways including complement and coagulation cascades,extracellular matrix(ECM)-receptor interaction,and hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1)signaling pathways.Western-blot validation results showed that compared with the control group,the expression levels of ANG,Clu and FN in the serum exosomes of AML patients were significantly increased,while the expression level of ACTN4 was significantly decreased,with statistically significant differences(t=-11.854～18.569,all P<0.05).The expression levels of ANG and FN were correlated with white blood cell count(F=8.888,7.818,all P<0.05)and cytogenetics(F=8.619,7.983,P<0.05).The expression level of Clu protein was correlated with white blood cell count(F=2.571,P<0.05),but not significantly associated with cytogenetics(F=1.886,P>0.05).ANG,FN and Clu showed no significant correlation with FAB classification(F=0.175,0.434,0.042,all P>0.05).Conclusion The expression of exosomal proteins in the serum of AML patients compared to healthy individuals are significant differences,which may serve as serological markers for the diagnosis and treatment of AML.

Objective:To investigate the mediating effects of medical inquiry ability and attitudes toward aging on the relationship between socioeconomic status and mental health among the elderly.Methods:Utilizing data from the 2021 China General Social Survey(CGSS), a sample of 957 individuals aged 60 years and older was selected for analysis.The influence of each variable was assessed through regression analysis, and the mediating effects were evaluated using the Bootstrap method.Results:The study samples ranged in age from 60 to 95 years, including 479 females and 478 males.Socioeconomic status significantly positively influenced mental health( β=0.208, P<0.001).Additionally, socioeconomic status had a notable positive effect on medical inquiry ability( β=0.244, P<0.001)and attitudes toward aging( β=0.163, P<0.001)among the elderly population.Furthermore, medical inquiry ability positively affected both attitudes toward aging( β=0.158, P<0.001)and mental health( β=0.139, P<0.001).The attitude toward aging also had a significant positive impact on mental health( β=0.216, P<0.001).Notably, both medical inquiry ability and attitudes toward aging served as significant mediators between socioeconomic status and mental health in the elderly, with a total indirect effect value of 0.091(95% CI: 0.063-0.123).The chain mediating effect of medical inquiry ability and pension mentality was also significant, with an effect size of 0.010(95% CI: 0.005-0.017). Conclusions:Enhancing the socioeconomic status of older adults can foster their medical inquiry ability, positively influence their attitudes toward aging, and ultimately contribute to the promotion of their mental health.

Objective:This study aims to investigate the impact of socioeconomic status on cognitive function in older adults, while analyzing the mediating role of health-related social determinants.The findings will provide a foundation for the implementation of an active aging strategy.Methods:Utilizing data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS)2020, this study employed multiple linear regression analysis to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic status and cognitive function among older adults.A multiple mediation model was applied to evaluate the mediating effects of health-related social determinants on the association between socioeconomic status and cognitive function, with these mediation effects assessed using the Bootstrap method.Results:The results of the multiple linear regression analysis indicated that socioeconomic status significantly positively influences cognitive function in older adults.Factors such as younger age, male gender, Han ethnicity, and urban residence were associated with higher cognitive scores.The mediation analysis demonstrated that, of the total effect of socioeconomic status on cognitive function, health status accounted for 1.564%, individual lifestyle for 14.820%, social support networks for 2.719%, living conditions for 1.632%, and other social structural factors for 1.496%.In the multiple mediation model, a total of 17.945% of the effect of socioeconomic status on cognitive function in older adults was jointly mediated by health-related social determinants.Conclusions:Socioeconomic status is a critical determinant of cognitive impairment among older adults in China.To address this issue, comprehensive interventions should be implemented to promote the equitable distribution of economic and social resources, reduce socioeconomic disparities, and mitigate health inequalities, thereby enhancing the overall cognitive function of disadvantaged groups.Preventive measures and strategies aimed at improving health status, encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, strengthening social support networks, enhancing living conditions, and optimizing social structural factors could serve as essential intervention points to improve the cognitive function of older adults with lower socioeconomic status.