ObjectiveTo analyze the processing mechanism underlying the enhanced effect of invigorating spleen and stopping diarrhea of soil-fried Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma（AMR） by analyzing the changes of microstructure， chemical composition and anti-ulcerative colitis（UC） activity before and after soil stir-frying. MethodsThe microstructure and elemental composition of AMR before and after soil stir-frying were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy（SEM-EDS）， to investigate the differences in microstructure and the underlying causes. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） coupled with UNIFI 1.9.2 natural product analysis platform were used to analyze and identify the chemical constituents in raw and soil-fried products， and multivariate statistical methods including principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were used to explore the differences and sources of chemical constituents between them. A dextran sulfate sodium（DSS）-induced UC mouse model was established. The method of disease activity index（DAI） was used to evaluate the severity of intestinal inflammation. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe the pathological changes of colon tissue， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） was used to detect the levels of inflammatory factors， Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to analyze the expressions of key genes and proteins involved in the intestinal mucosal barrier. The 16S rRNA sequencing was used to evaluate the diversity of intestinal flora， headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（HS-GC-MS） was used to explore the levels of short-chain fatty acids（SCFAs） in feces. Base on the above findings， this paper investigated the effects of raw and soil-fried AMR on the biological， chemical， mechanical and immune barriers of model animals， and the differences in pharmacological effects and underlying mechanisms from the perspective of regulating the intestinal mucosal barrier in UC mice. ResultsSEM observation revealed numerous hearth soil particles on the surface of soil-fried AMR， accompanied by bubble-like bulges. At the same time， there were many cracks and folds on the surface of the hearth soil. EDS analysis revealed that the contents of Si， Al， Mg and Ca in soil-fried AMR were significantly higher than those of raw products， and these elements constituted the primary components of hearth soil. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with database comparison was used to identify the chemical constituents of raw and soil-fried AMR. In positive ion mode， a total of 132 components were identified， primarily comprising three categories of terpenoids， polyphenols and amino acids. In negative ion mode， a total of 40 components were identified， primarily polyphenolic and glycoside compounds. Among them， the contents of sesquiterpenes and polyphenolic acids were changed significantly before and after processing. Soil-fried AMR could reduce the DAI score of UC mice， alleviate the shortening of colon length， reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory factors such as interleukin（IL）-17， IL-18， γ-interferon（IFN-γ） and tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α in serum， increase the levels of anti-inflammatory factors such as secretory immunoglobulin A（sIgA）， IL-10， IL-4 and transforming growth factor-β（TGF-β） in serum， increase the expressions of key genes and proteins of intestinal mucosal barrier such as tight junction protein-1（ZO-1）， Occludin， Claudin-1 and mucin 2（MUC2） in colonic mucosa， and improve the disorders of intestinal flora diversity and the levels of SCFAs（P<0.05， P<0.01）. The raw and stir-fried products of AMR also exhibited the aforementioned effects， but they were weaker than the soil-fried products. Additionally， the auxiliary material hearth soil also had a certain pharmacodynamic effect. ConclusionSoil-fried AMR can enhance the protective effect on intestinal mucosal barrier in UC mice. These changes or heating-induced alterations in the microscopic structure and chemical composition of AMR may be attributed to the dual effects of adsorption of hearth soil.

ObjectiveTo analyze the processing mechanism underlying the enhanced effect of invigorating spleen and stopping diarrhea of soil-fried Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma（AMR） by analyzing the changes of microstructure， chemical composition and anti-ulcerative colitis（UC） activity before and after soil stir-frying. MethodsThe microstructure and elemental composition of AMR before and after soil stir-frying were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy（SEM-EDS）， to investigate the differences in microstructure and the underlying causes. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） coupled with UNIFI 1.9.2 natural product analysis platform were used to analyze and identify the chemical constituents in raw and soil-fried products， and multivariate statistical methods including principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were used to explore the differences and sources of chemical constituents between them. A dextran sulfate sodium（DSS）-induced UC mouse model was established. The method of disease activity index（DAI） was used to evaluate the severity of intestinal inflammation. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe the pathological changes of colon tissue， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） was used to detect the levels of inflammatory factors， Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to analyze the expressions of key genes and proteins involved in the intestinal mucosal barrier. The 16S rRNA sequencing was used to evaluate the diversity of intestinal flora， headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（HS-GC-MS） was used to explore the levels of short-chain fatty acids（SCFAs） in feces. Base on the above findings， this paper investigated the effects of raw and soil-fried AMR on the biological， chemical， mechanical and immune barriers of model animals， and the differences in pharmacological effects and underlying mechanisms from the perspective of regulating the intestinal mucosal barrier in UC mice. ResultsSEM observation revealed numerous hearth soil particles on the surface of soil-fried AMR， accompanied by bubble-like bulges. At the same time， there were many cracks and folds on the surface of the hearth soil. EDS analysis revealed that the contents of Si， Al， Mg and Ca in soil-fried AMR were significantly higher than those of raw products， and these elements constituted the primary components of hearth soil. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with database comparison was used to identify the chemical constituents of raw and soil-fried AMR. In positive ion mode， a total of 132 components were identified， primarily comprising three categories of terpenoids， polyphenols and amino acids. In negative ion mode， a total of 40 components were identified， primarily polyphenolic and glycoside compounds. Among them， the contents of sesquiterpenes and polyphenolic acids were changed significantly before and after processing. Soil-fried AMR could reduce the DAI score of UC mice， alleviate the shortening of colon length， reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory factors such as interleukin（IL）-17， IL-18， γ-interferon（IFN-γ） and tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α in serum， increase the levels of anti-inflammatory factors such as secretory immunoglobulin A（sIgA）， IL-10， IL-4 and transforming growth factor-β（TGF-β） in serum， increase the expressions of key genes and proteins of intestinal mucosal barrier such as tight junction protein-1（ZO-1）， Occludin， Claudin-1 and mucin 2（MUC2） in colonic mucosa， and improve the disorders of intestinal flora diversity and the levels of SCFAs（P<0.05， P<0.01）. The raw and stir-fried products of AMR also exhibited the aforementioned effects， but they were weaker than the soil-fried products. Additionally， the auxiliary material hearth soil also had a certain pharmacodynamic effect. ConclusionSoil-fried AMR can enhance the protective effect on intestinal mucosal barrier in UC mice. These changes or heating-induced alterations in the microscopic structure and chemical composition of AMR may be attributed to the dual effects of adsorption of hearth soil.

Objective: To analyze characteristics of hepatitis B infection in HBsAg-/HBV DNA+ blood donors in Taiyuan, so as to provide evidence for adjusting blood screening strategies. Methods: Blood samples of HBsAg-/HBV DNA+ donors were tested using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), chemiluminescence assay, nucleic acid qualitative test, and nucleic acid quantitative test. Data on HBsAg-/HBV DNA+ donors in Taiyuan region from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2024 were statistically analyzed to evaluate the detection rate, demographic characteristics, influencing factors of detection rate, nucleic acid quantitative results, and serological patterns of HBsAg-/HBV DNA+ donors. Results: From January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2024, 991 565 donor samples underwent nucleic acid testing in Taiyuan. A total of 309 HBsAg-/HBV DNA+ samples were detected, resulting in an HBsAg-/HBV DNA+ detection rate of 3.12 per 10 000. The detection rate varied significantly across different years (P<0.05). Males had a significantly higher HBsAg-/HBV DNA+ detection rate than females, first-time donors had a higher rate than repeat donors, and whole blood donors had a higher rate than apheresis donors (P<0.05). The detection rate also differed significantly among age groups (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that gender, age, donation frequency, and donation type were all influencing factors for HBsAg-/HBV DNA+ detection (all P<0.05). The predominant serological patterns among HBsAg-/HBV DNA+ donors were HBsAb+/HBcAb+ (43.69%, 135/309) or HBcAb+ alone (24.27%, 75/309). Viral load was detectable in 53.40% (165/309) of the HBsAg-/HBV DNA+ donors. Among these, 61.21% (101/165) donors had a viral load<20 IU/mL, and 94.55% (156/165) had a viral load<200 IU/mL. Donors with viral load<200 IU/mL primarily exhibited HBsAb+/HBcAb+ (41.67%, 65/156) or HBcAb+alone (36.54%, 57/156) serological patterns. Conclusion: The prevalence of HBsAg-/HBV DNA+ is low among blood donors in Taiyuan. Higher detection rates were observed in the 46-55 years age group, males, first-time donors, and whole blood donors. HBsAg-/HBV DNA+ donors exhibit specific serological patterns and generally have low viral loads, indicating a potential residual transfusion risk. It is recommended to add HBcAb testing, together with high-sensitivity nucleic acid testing technologies and donor follow-up, to ensure blood safety and guide donor reentry.

Background/Aims: Acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) is one of the most essential metabolites in cell metabolism but its function and concentration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain elusive and controversial. Methods: A comprehensive analysis of acetyl-CoA levels and acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) expression across a range of samples, including patient specimens from both hepatitis B virus (HBV) positive and HBV negative HCC individuals, HBV-transgenic mouse HCC models, and multiple cell lines. Furthermore, to evaluate the functional significance of ACSS2 in HBV-related HCC, we implemented both genetic and pharmacological inhibition strategies targeting ACSS2. Molecular mechanism and mitophagy assessment were revealed by cleavage under target and tagmentation sequencing, RNA sequencing, bioinformatic analyses, transmission electron microscopy and JC-1 staining. Results: Our study revealed a distinct metabolic signature of HBV-related HCC, marked by elevated acetyl-CoA, which was driven by ACSS2. ACSS2 was upregulated by the carbohydrate response element-binding protein in HBV-related HCC. Furthermore, ACSS2 improved tumor cell proliferation, an effect that was dependent on its enzymatic activity. Mechanistically, ACSS2-induced acetyl-CoA accumulation activated voltage-dependent anion channels 1 transcription through increased H3K27ac occupancy, which subsequently promoted mitophagy and HBV-related HCC tumorigenesis. Notably, targeting ACSS2 by depletion or inhibition with a catalytic inhibitor significantly suppressed tumor growth. Conclusions These findings not only illustrate the interplay between metabolic reprogramming, epigenetic modification, and tumorigenesis in the context of HBV infection, but also highlight ACSS2 as a novel metabolic vulnerability in HBV-related HCC. Therefore, targeting ACSS2 could be a novel strategy against HBV-related HCC.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory impairment in clinical. Currently, there are no effective treatments for AD. In recent years, a variety of therapeutic approaches from different perspectives have been explored to treat AD. Although the drug therapies targeted at the clearance of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) had made a breakthrough in clinical trials, there were associated with adverse events. Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of AD. Continuous neuroinflammatory was considered to be the third major pathological feature of AD, which could promote the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. At the same time, these toxic substances could accelerate the development of neuroinflammation, form a vicious cycle, and exacerbate disease progression. Reducing neuroinflammation could break the feedback loop pattern between neuroinflammation, Aβ plaque deposition and Tau tangles, which might be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating AD. Traditional Chinese herbs such as Polygonum multiflorum and Curcuma were utilized in the treatment of AD due to their ability to mitigate neuroinflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and indomethacin had been shown to reduce the level of inflammasomes in the body, and taking these drugs was associated with a low incidence of AD. Biosynthetic nanomaterials loaded with oxytocin were demonstrated to have the capability to anti-inflammatory and penetrate the blood-brain barrier effectively, and they played an anti-inflammatory role via sustained-releasing oxytocin in the brain. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells could reduce neuroinflammation and inhibit the activation of microglia. The secretion of mesenchymal stem cells could not only improve neuroinflammation, but also exert a multi-target comprehensive therapeutic effect, making it potentially more suitable for the treatment of AD. Enhancing the level of TREM2 in microglial cells using gene editing technologies, or application of TREM2 antibodies such as Ab-T1, hT2AB could improve microglial cell function and reduce the level of neuroinflammation, which might be a potential treatment for AD. Probiotic therapy, fecal flora transplantation, antibiotic therapy, and dietary intervention could reshape the composition of the gut microbiota and alleviate neuroinflammation through the gut-brain axis. However, the drugs of sodium oligomannose remain controversial. Both exercise intervention and electromagnetic intervention had the potential to attenuate neuroinflammation, thereby delaying AD process. This article focuses on the role of drug therapy, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, gut microbiota therapy, exercise intervention, and brain stimulation in improving neuroinflammation in recent years, aiming to provide a novel insight for the treatment of AD by intervening neuroinflammation in the future.

Objective:To investigate the effect of Isoorientin(Iso)on development of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)and the regulation on immune response mediated by cGAS-STING signaling pathway.Methods:CAL 27 cells were divided into control group,low,medium and high concentration Iso groups and high concentration Iso+cGAS inhibitor group(high concentration Iso+RU.521 group).Proliferation activity of CAL 27 cells was detected by MTT;TUNEL method was applied to detect apoptosis of CAL 27 cells;Transwell chamber test was applied to detect migration and invasion of CAL 27 cells;Western blot was applied to detect expressions of cGAS-STING pathway related proteins in CAL 27 cells;the tumor transplantation model of mice was prepared,and the tumor inhibi-tion rate was calculated.At the same time,peripheral blood was taken to detect the differentiation of T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood of mice in each group by flow cytometry.Results:Compared with control group,proliferation activity,numbers of migration and invasive cells in Iso treated groups were decreased,apoptosis rate,expressions of cGAS,STING protein,and phosphorylation expres-sions of TBK1,IRF3,tumor inhibition rate of mice,and percentages of CD4+T,CD8+T cells in peripheral blood were increased(P<0.05);further use of cGAS inhibitors reversed the inhibitory effect of Iso on development of OSCC and the promotion on cGAS-STING signaling pathway(P<0.05).Conclusion:Iso can inhibit the development of OSCC by activating the immune response mediated by cGAS-STING signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the value of MR modulated flip angle technique in refocused imaging with extended echo train(MATRIX)contrast enhanced(CE)T1-weighted fluid attenuated inversion recovery(T1 FLAIR)for detecting skull metastases.Methods Forty-four patients with malignant tumors who underwent head MR scanning for screening skull metastasis were prospectively enrolled,and skull metastasis were then confirmed by pathology or imaging examinations,including MRI,CT,radionuclide bone imaging(BS),PET/CT and follow-up.Head MATRIX CE-T1 FLAIR(group A),3D gradient recalled echo_fast spin echo with magnetization preparation(GRE_fsp)CE-T1 FLAIR(group B)and fast spin echo(FSE)CE-T1 FLAIR(group C)images of all 44 cases were acquired.The subjective scores(including images quality and diagnostic confidence)and objective evaluation results of images were compared among groups.Taken BS or PET/CT results as standards,the efficacy of 3 kinds of images for detecting skull metastases was calculated.Results The subjective scores of images quality and diagnostic confidence,as well as signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)in group A and C were all higher than those in group B(all P＜0.001),and signal intensity(SI)metastases in group A was higher than those in group B and C(both P＜0.05).No significant difference of subjective score and SNR was found between groups A and C,nor of SImetastases between groups B and C(all P＞0.05).Totally 102 skull metastases were diagnosed with PET/CT or BS,while 129,151 and 115 lesions were detected in group A,B and C,respectively,with accuracy rate of 79.07%(102/129),67.55%(102/151)and 88.70%(102/115),respectively.Conclusion MATRIX CE-T1 FLAIR sequence could be used to detect skull metastases.

Metabolic reprogramming is a crucial feature of cancer.Among various metabolic processes,oxidative phosphorylation(OXPHOS)metabolism serves as the primary biochemical pathway for energy production and significantly influences tumorigenesis and tumor development.Therefore,this study aims to explore the impact of the metabolic characteristics of lung squamous cell carcinoma(LUSC)on its ma-lignant properties.By analyzing the single-cell transcriptome sequencing data of LUSC,lung adenocarci-noma,and normal lung tissues from the gene expression profile database,it was found that the OXPHOS signaling pathway and molecules related to ATP synthesis were remarkably enriched in LUSC tissues.Based on the OXPHOS signal intensity score,LUSC cells were classified into OXPHOShigh and OXPH-OSlow groups.Bioinformatics analysis revealed that 126 transcription factors were highly expressed in both LUSC tumor tissues and the OXPHOShigh group.Notably,the expression levels of cancer stem cell-related signals(such as SOX2,SOX9,POU2F1,CDX1,ARID3A,EZH2,and KLF5)were significantly en-hanced in the OXPHOShigh cell subset(P＜0.05).Treatment of LUSC cells with an OXPHOS antagonist significantly inhibited the sphere formation rate of H520 and SKMES-1 cells,which is a key characteristic of cancer stemness(P＜0.05).Analysis of cell-cell communication data from the LUSC single-cell tran-scriptome indicated that the signal emission and reception in OXPHOShigh cells were stronger than those in OXPHOSlow cells.Moreover,fibroblasts showed significant interaction with OXPHOShigh-LUSC cells.Co-culture of LUSC cell lines H520 and SKMES-1 with human lung fibroblast-like cell lines significantly in-creased the sphere formation rate of tumor cells(P＜0.05).Additionally,the levels of ATP,NADH-ac-tive enzymes,and reactive oxygen species(ROS)in co-cultured H520 and SKMES-1 cells were signifi-cantly elevated(P＜0.05).The results of this study confirm that the OXPHOS pathway is a key signal involved in LUSC metabolism,which is closely associated with the characteristics of cancer stem cells and the regulatory signals of fibroblast interactions.This finding holds promises for providing novel strategies for tumor treatment.

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 potential causes of the rising epidemic of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in Weifang, Shandong province.Methods:The temporal trend of SFTS epidemic was segmented using Joinpoint regression analysis. Changes in epidemiological characteristics across different periods were compared, and correlation analysis was conducted to identify meteorological factors influencing the epidemic trend.Results:Joinpoint regression revealed two distinct periods for SFTS epidemic in Weifang: 2015-2021 and 2022-2024. No significant trend was observed during 2015-2021 ( P=0.634), while a sharp annual increase of 46.69% occurred from 2022 to 2024 ( P=0.006). Spatial autocorrelation analysis demonstrated a global Moran’s I of 0.42 ( Z=8.55, P<0.001) for 2015-2021, with 15 high-high clustering areas identified. For 2022-2024, the global Moran’s I decreased to 0.37 ( Z=7.31, P<0.001), with 13 high-high clusters, including newly emerging hotspots in Anqiu and Zhucheng in the southeastern region. High-risk populations remained individuals aged ≥50 in mountainous and hilly areas, with a marked rise in incidence in these groups. The male-to-female ratio of cases was higher in plain areas than in mountainous/hilly regions. Autumn (September-November) temperatures from the preceding year showed a positive correlation with annual case numbers ( P=0.004, r=0.82). The linear regression expression is y=40.61x-580.78 (y is the annual incidence, and x is the average daily temperature of last autumn). Conclusions:The SFTS epidemic in Weifang is showing a rising trend. There is a linear correlation between the temperature of the previous autumn and the scale of SFTS epidemic in the following year. This correlation allows for predicting the subsequent year′s epidemic, thereby enabling early warning of SFTS.