As a common type of primary liver cancer， hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） is a major health threat in China. Ultrasound is a crucial imaging modality in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of HCC， and the development and application of new ultrasound technologies have high clinical value. Currently， ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound combined with artificial intelligence have shown promising potential in the detection of focal liver lesions， image-based HCC diagnosis， outcome assessment， and prognostic prediction； furthermore， ultrasound fusion imaging technology has shown certain clinical value in guidance and efficacy evaluation of percutaneous thermal ablation； three-dimensional ultrasound has certain advantages in assisting ablation and assessing ablation margins； endoscopic ultrasonography can be used as a supplementary method for HCC cases that are difficult to scan or guide via percutaneous ultrasound.

Objective To distinguish Cremastra appendiculata(D.Don)Makino,Pleione yunnanensis Rolfe and Pleione bulbocodioides,and its easily confusing products Oreorchis patens and Iphigenia indica Kunth using the ITS sequence in DNA barcodes;To explore the genetic diversity of Cremastra appendiculata germplasm resources.Methods Three different original Cremastra appendiculata,Pleione yunnanensis Rolfe and Pleione bulbocodioides,and their easily confusing products Cremastrae Pseudobulbus of Oreorchis patens and Iphigenia indica Kunth were selected as the research objects,and the genomic DNA of the above samples were extracted by the modified CTAB method,and then the ITS sequences were amplified,sequenced and spliced by PCR technology.The Kimura 2-Parameter(K2P)model was used to calculate the genetic distance,and the phylogenetic tree was constructed with the help of neighbour joining method(NJ)for genetic relationship analysis.Results Except for the Iphigenia indica Kunth species that were not found during the BLAST search,the BLAST comparison results of the other samples were higher than 95%.At the same time,the results of phylogenetic tree showed that Cremastra appendiculata,Pleione yunnanensis Rolfe and Pleione bulbocodioides were clustered into one branch,respectively,and the easily confusing products were also respectively clustered into one branch.Conclusion The ITS sequence in DNA barcodes can be used to accurately distinguish Cremastra appendiculata,Pleione yunnanensis Rolfe and Pleione bulbocodioides,and its easily confusing products Oreorchis patens and Iphigenia indica Kunth.

Objective:To investigate impact of baicalein(BA)on airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)rats by regulating TLR4/NF-κB pathway.Methods:Rats were randomly divided into model group(n=56)and sham operation group(n=10),COPD rat model was established by smoking and intratracheal instillation of LPS,successful modeling rats were randomly divided into COPD group,BA low dose(BA-L,100 mg/kg)group,BA high dose(BA-H,200 mg/kg)group,TLR4 activator LPS group(0.1 mg/kg)and BA-H+LPS group(0.1 mg/kg LPS+200 mg/kg BA).After 2 h,peak expiratory flow(PEF),forced expiratory volume in first second(FEV1),forced vital capacity(FVC)and other lung function indexes were measured;serum TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-8 levels were measured;bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)was collected to analyze number and classification of cells;lung tissues were isolated to analyze pathological changes and TLR4,p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 expressions.Results:Com-pared with sham operation group,pathological damage in COPD group was serious,PEF,FEV1 and FVC were decreased significantly,serum IL-6,IL-8,TNF-α levels,leukocytes number,neutrophils and lymphocytes proportions,TLR4 and p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 expressions were increased significantly(P<0.05);compared with COPD group,pathological damage in LPS group was further aggra-vated,PEF,FEV1 and FVC were reduced significantly,serum IL-6,IL-8,TNF-α levels,leukocytes number,neutrophils and lym-phocytes proportions,TLR4 and p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 expressions were increased significantly(P<0.05),pathological damage in BA-L group and BA-H group gradually improved,PEF,FEV1 and FVC were increased significantly,serum IL-6,IL-8,TNF-α levels,leukocytes number,neutrophils and lymphocytes proportions,TLR4 and p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 expressions were decreased significantly(P<0.05);LPS reversed protective effect of BA-H on COPD rats.Conclusion:BA can improve airway inflammation in COPD rats,which may be related to inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB pathway.

Objective: To identify ferroptosis-related genes associated with gastric cancer prognosis and investigate their potential molecular functions. Methods: Gene expression profiles and clinical information of gastric cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues were obtained from TCGA database. Differential expression analysis of ferroptosis-related genes was performed using the "DESeq2" package in R software. Key genes were identified and a prognostic model for gastric cancer was constructed through Cox regression analysis based on the LASSO algorithm. Patients were stratified into high-risk and low-risk groups according to the median risk score. The accuracy of the model was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and ROC curve analysis. Immune cell infiltration in gastric cancer patients was assessed with the "CIBERSORT" package. The mRNA expression of differentially expressed genes(DEGs) with prognostic significance was examined in both gastric cancer and adjacent normal tissue samples. In vitro experiments were conducted to validate the impact of hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 1(HCAR1) on the malignant biological behavior of gastric cancer. Results: Based on ferroptosis-related genes from the TCGA database, a novel prognostic model was constructed. It demonstrated robust predictive power for survival in both training and validation cohorts. RT-qPCR analysis of 8 pairs of gastric cancer and normal tissues revealed that the expression patterns of 6 prognostic DEGs in cancer tissues were consistent with those predicted by the model. In vitro experiments confirmed that downregulation of the key gene HCAR1 could inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of gastric cancer cells. Conclusion The ferroptosis-related gene based prognostic model exhibits robust predictive capability, allowing for accurate determination of prognosis and survival in individuals with gastric cancer.

Objective To distinguish Cremastra appendiculata(D.Don)Makino,Pleione yunnanensis Rolfe and Pleione bulbocodioides,and its easily confusing products Oreorchis patens and Iphigenia indica Kunth using the ITS sequence in DNA barcodes;To explore the genetic diversity of Cremastra appendiculata germplasm resources.Methods Three different original Cremastra appendiculata,Pleione yunnanensis Rolfe and Pleione bulbocodioides,and their easily confusing products Cremastrae Pseudobulbus of Oreorchis patens and Iphigenia indica Kunth were selected as the research objects,and the genomic DNA of the above samples were extracted by the modified CTAB method,and then the ITS sequences were amplified,sequenced and spliced by PCR technology.The Kimura 2-Parameter(K2P)model was used to calculate the genetic distance,and the phylogenetic tree was constructed with the help of neighbour joining method(NJ)for genetic relationship analysis.Results Except for the Iphigenia indica Kunth species that were not found during the BLAST search,the BLAST comparison results of the other samples were higher than 95%.At the same time,the results of phylogenetic tree showed that Cremastra appendiculata,Pleione yunnanensis Rolfe and Pleione bulbocodioides were clustered into one branch,respectively,and the easily confusing products were also respectively clustered into one branch.Conclusion The ITS sequence in DNA barcodes can be used to accurately distinguish Cremastra appendiculata,Pleione yunnanensis Rolfe and Pleione bulbocodioides,and its easily confusing products Oreorchis patens and Iphigenia indica Kunth.

Objective:To investigate impact of baicalein(BA)on airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)rats by regulating TLR4/NF-κB pathway.Methods:Rats were randomly divided into model group(n=56)and sham operation group(n=10),COPD rat model was established by smoking and intratracheal instillation of LPS,successful modeling rats were randomly divided into COPD group,BA low dose(BA-L,100 mg/kg)group,BA high dose(BA-H,200 mg/kg)group,TLR4 activator LPS group(0.1 mg/kg)and BA-H+LPS group(0.1 mg/kg LPS+200 mg/kg BA).After 2 h,peak expiratory flow(PEF),forced expiratory volume in first second(FEV1),forced vital capacity(FVC)and other lung function indexes were measured;serum TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-8 levels were measured;bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)was collected to analyze number and classification of cells;lung tissues were isolated to analyze pathological changes and TLR4,p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 expressions.Results:Com-pared with sham operation group,pathological damage in COPD group was serious,PEF,FEV1 and FVC were decreased significantly,serum IL-6,IL-8,TNF-α levels,leukocytes number,neutrophils and lymphocytes proportions,TLR4 and p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 expressions were increased significantly(P<0.05);compared with COPD group,pathological damage in LPS group was further aggra-vated,PEF,FEV1 and FVC were reduced significantly,serum IL-6,IL-8,TNF-α levels,leukocytes number,neutrophils and lym-phocytes proportions,TLR4 and p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 expressions were increased significantly(P<0.05),pathological damage in BA-L group and BA-H group gradually improved,PEF,FEV1 and FVC were increased significantly,serum IL-6,IL-8,TNF-α levels,leukocytes number,neutrophils and lymphocytes proportions,TLR4 and p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 expressions were decreased significantly(P<0.05);LPS reversed protective effect of BA-H on COPD rats.Conclusion:BA can improve airway inflammation in COPD rats,which may be related to inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB pathway.

ObjectiveTo analyze the literature related to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） pharmacology of Institute of Chinese Materia and Medica， China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences （hereinafter referred to as "Institute of Chinese Materia and Medica"）， and evaluate the research status， development trend， influence of discipline members， and patent technology of this field. MethodThe papers from 2002 to 2024 in the databases of CNKI and Web of Science （WOS） were searched， whose first authors or corresponding authors are from the Institute of Chinese Materia and Medica， and CiteSpace 6.3.R6 was adopted for visual analysis of the annual number of publications and keywords. Additionally， the total number of published papers， citation times， and other measurement parameters of discipline members of TCM pharmacology in the institute were counted. After obtaining the h index， the academic track was calculated， and the academic influence of discipline members was quantitatively evaluated from the aspects of the academic track T and highly cited papers. Meanwhile， patent data from 2005 to 2024 of TCM pharmacology in the studied institute were retrieved from the HimmPat patent database， and Excel 2022 and Origin 2021 were utilized to conduct visual analysis on the overall patent application trend and technology composition. ResultIn the past 20 years or more， the annual publication of academic papers has been on the rise generally， and the key words include "animal model"， "mechanism of action"， "network pharmacology" and so on. The studies focus on the innovative methods of TCM pharmacological mechanisms， basic research on TCM prevention and treatment of major non-infectious diseases， and the prevention and treatment of respiratory viral diseases. The academic track T of the discipline members of TCM pharmacology in the Institute of Chinese Materia and Medica is positive， with sound personal influence. In recent years， the patent application trend has increased significantly， mainly concentrating on A61K patents and G01N subcategories， and IPC large-group analysis shows that the main technical applications are mainly in A61K36， A61K31， and other fields. ConclusionTCM pharmacology in the institute develops steadily and the academic influence of the discipline members is still sound， with fruitful patent achievements. In the future， research on pharmacological discipline innovation and new drug research and development can be enhanced， and multidisciplinary integration studies should be carried out to promote TCM modernization.

Objective: To understand the attitudes and perceptions of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners in Beijing TCM hospitals regarding the use of Ephedra sinica Stapf (E. sinica, Ma Huang). Methods: A two-stage cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire survey of TCM practitioners in Beijing TCM hospitals between April 2023 and March 2024. The questionnaire included demographic information, the clinical background of TCM practitioners, and the clinical application of E. sinica. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relevant influencing factors when using E. sinica. Results: Of the 465 questionnaires collected, 441 were valid. Among these, 84.81% (374/441) reported having used E. sinica in clinical practice at least once. The commonly used doses of E. sinica—excluding the pediatric department—were 10 g for high doses, 6 g for medium, and 3 g for low. The three most frequently used formulas for E. sinica included Maxing Shigan decoction, Mahuang decoction, and Xiao Qing Long decoction. The most common TCM patterns treated with a high dose of E. sinica were wind-cold exterior pattern, wind-cold invading the lung, and wind and water combat with meridians congealed by cold. The top three Western medical diagnoses when using E. sinica for treatment were common cold, pneumonia, and upper respiratory tract infections. Nearly half of the respondents reported experiencing adverse reactions from the oral administration of E. sinica, with the most common being palpitations, insomnia, and restlessness. Starting with a low dose and gradually increasing it as appropriate was identified as an effective approach. Conclusion This study investigated the attitudes and perceptions of TCM practitioners in Beijing TCM hospitals regarding the dose–efficacy–adverse reaction relationship of E. sinica, providing a reference for the safe and effective clinical use of E. sinica.

The paper reported a patient under maintained hemodialysis for 11 years, with a large mass appeared in the right thigh after local injury. The mass was clinically considered as tumoral calcinosis combined with clinical, imaging and pathological findings. Several treatments such as enhancing dialysis adequacy, low calcium dialysate, calcimimetic agent, non-calcium- phosphorus binding agents, parathyroidectomy and intravenous infusion of sodium thiosulfate could not vanish the mass. Finally, the lump was surgically removed. The treatment of tumoral calcinosis in the hemodialysis patient can provide a instruction for similar situations in clinical practice.

Objective:To explore clinicopathological features and prognosis of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) in children induced by antithyroid drugs.Methods:The clinicopathological features, treatment and prognosis of 3 children with AAV induced by antithyroid drugs in the Department of Pediatric Nephrology and Rheumatology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were analyzed retrospectively, and the literatures were reviewed.Results:(1) Among the 3 cases, there were 2 females and 1 male, whose ages were 12.6, 13.9 and 13.1 years old, respectively. All patients had medication history of propylthiouracil (PTU) and/or methimazole (MMI) before onset. Initial manifestation was pallor and renal involvements with nephrotic proteinuria, hematuria and renal function abnormality, while 2 of them had hypertension. Extrarenal manifestations were also presented: case 1 presented with rash, arthralgia and cardiac insufficiency; case 2 had brain involvement with repeated convulsions; case 3 presented with arthralgia and lung involvement. They were all tested positive for p-ANCA and MPO-ANCA. Initial renal histopathology of the 3 cases were consistent with ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis, which were classified into sclerosis, crescentic and mixed class respectively. After 8 months of treatments, repeated renal biopsy of case 3 had demonstrated progression to sclerosis class. Antithyroid drugs (PTU or MMI) were discontinued in 3 cases, and the children were all treated with corticosteroid combined with intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide therapy. Plasma exchange was performed in case 2 and case 3 due to rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and disease recurrence (suspected pulmonary hemorrhage), respectively. Case 3 was treated with rituximab combined with mycophenolate mofetil after recurrence. The extrarenal symptoms relieved quickly after treatments in all cases. P-ANCA and MPO-ANCA became negative in case 1 and case 2 after 6 months of treatments but they were persistently positive in case 3. Three cases were followed up for 24 months, 10 months and 12 months, respectively: case 1 develop chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 2 with normal urinalysis; case 2 develop CKD stage 5 and had sudden death at home at 10-month follow-up; case 3 develop CKD stage 4 with nephrotic proteinuria and microscopic hematuria. (2) There were totally 30 pediatric cases with AAV induced by PTU and MMI, including 27 reported cases in the literature and 3 cases in this study. Symptoms of AAV appeared in children after an average administration of (37.5±4.0) months of PTU (range from one month to 96 months and 8 months of MMI alone). Kidney (28 cases, 93.3%) and lung (12 cases, 40.0%) were commonly involved, while brain (2 cases, 6.7%) was rarely involved. The pathological changes of kidney were crescent nephritis (5/23) and necrotizing pauci-immune complex nephritis (11/23). The total remission rate was 93.3% (28/30) after antithyroid drugs withdrawal and treatment with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapy, however, there were still severe cases with progression to CKD stage 5, and death. (3) Thirty cases were divided into complete response group ( n=19) and incomplete response group ( n=11) according to the treatment response. Compared with complete response group, the proportions of massive proteinuria (8/11 vs 5/19), fibrinoid necrosis (7/9 vs 4/14), deposition of immune complex in renal tissues (6/9 vs 2/14) and administration of immunosuppressants (10/11 vs 5/19), and degree of tubular atrophy (0/1/2/3 grade, 2/4/2/1 vs 9/5/0/0) in incomplete response group were higher (all P<0.05). Conclusions:PTU and MMI can both induce AAV in children, and AAV may occur after short-term course of administration. Kidney and lung are commonly involved while brain involvement is rarely seen. Timely withdrawal of antithyroid drugs and proper treatments with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants can result in high remission rate, though there are still some severe cases. Nephrotic-range proteinuria, renal fibrinoid necrosis, immune-complex deposition and tubular atrophy may be the risk factors of AAV for poor prognosis.