Stroke is the leading cause of death and disability among adults in China， and its common complications include digestive system abnormalities， cognitive impairment， depression， stroke-associated pneumonia， and hemiplegia. The combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine has great potential in treating post-stroke complications. Xinglou Chengqitang （XLCQT） is a representative prescription of alleviating the disease in the upper part by treating the lower part. It has definite therapeutic effect and high safety. Clinically， XLCQT is often used to treat stroke and its complications. However， the quantity and quality of clinical trials of XLCQT in treating post-stroke complications need to be improved. Additionally， since the basic research is weak， the material basis and multi-target mechanism for the efficacy of this prescription are unknown. This article reviews XLCQT in terms of the pharmacodynamic basis， medicinal properties， safety evaluation， and progress in clinical research and mechanisms in treating post-stroke complications. This article summarizes 22 key active ingredients of XLCQT in treating acute stroke complicated with syndrome of phlegm heat and fu-organ excess. Among these key active ingredients， resveratrol， kaempferol， luteolin， chrysoeriol， apigenin， （+）-catechin， and adenosine have good pharmacokinetic properties and high bioavailability. The mechanisms of XLCQT in treating post-stroke complications are complex， including inflammatory response， brain-gut axis， hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis， intestinal flora， neurotrophic factors， autophagy， oxidative stress， and free radical damage. This review helps to deeply understand the pharmacodynamic basis and mechanisms of XLCQT in treating post-stroke complications and provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of XLCQT against post-stroke complications and the development of drugs.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Qinlian Hongqutang （QLHQT） on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis （NASH）. MethodsC57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal and modeling groups. The NASH model was established by feeding a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. After successful modeling， mice were randomly assigned to the model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose QLHQT groups （0.51， 1.02， and 2.04 g·kg^-1）， and a positive control metformin group， with six mice in each group. The mice were treated for 8 weeks. Body weight was recorded before and after treatment. Serum levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， as well as hepatic TC， TG， and LDL-C contents， were determined by biochemical assays. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and oil red O staining were used to evaluate liver histopathology and lipid deposition， respectively. Flow cytometry， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were used to assess hepatic macrophage expression and related markers. Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to investigate the potential mechanisms of QLHQT in regulating macrophage polarization. ResultsCompared with the normal group， body weight and serum and hepatic levels of TC， TG， and LDL-C were significantly increased in the model group （P<0.01）. Liver histopathology showed unevenly distributed round lipid droplets in the hepatocyte cytoplasm， accompanied by inflammatory cell aggregation. Flow cytometry showed that the proportion of CD86-positive cells was significantly increased， whereas the proportion of CD206-positive cells was markedly decreased （P<0.05）. Hepatic inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS） levels and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） mRNA expression were significantly increased， while hepatic IL-10 levels and IL-4 mRNA expression were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 （TRAF6）， and myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88） in the liver were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， body weight was reduced in the high-， medium-， and low-dose QLHQT groups and in the metformin group. Serum and hepatic TC， TG， and LDL-C levels were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Liver histopathology showed alleviated hepatic lipid deposition， with markedly reduced lipid droplets and inflammation. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry showed that the proportions of CD86-positive cells were significantly decreased， whereas the proportions of CD206-positive cells were significantly increased in the high-， medium-， and low-dose QLHQT groups （P<0.05）. Hepatic iNOS levels and TNF-α mRNA expression were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， whereas hepatic IL-10 levels and IL-4 mRNA expression were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The hepatic protein expression levels of TLR4， TRAF6， and MyD88 were significantly decreased， while signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 （STAT6） phosphorylation was significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. There was no statistically significant difference in total STAT6 protein expression. ConclusionQLHQT effectively ameliorates hepatic inflammation in NASH mice， and the mechanism may involve STAT6- and TLR4-mediated signaling pathways driving polarization of M1 macrophages toward the M2 phenotype.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Qinlian Hongqutang （QLHQT） on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis （NASH）. MethodsC57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal and modeling groups. The NASH model was established by feeding a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. After successful modeling， mice were randomly assigned to the model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose QLHQT groups （0.51， 1.02， and 2.04 g·kg^-1）， and a positive control metformin group， with six mice in each group. The mice were treated for 8 weeks. Body weight was recorded before and after treatment. Serum levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， as well as hepatic TC， TG， and LDL-C contents， were determined by biochemical assays. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and oil red O staining were used to evaluate liver histopathology and lipid deposition， respectively. Flow cytometry， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were used to assess hepatic macrophage expression and related markers. Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to investigate the potential mechanisms of QLHQT in regulating macrophage polarization. ResultsCompared with the normal group， body weight and serum and hepatic levels of TC， TG， and LDL-C were significantly increased in the model group （P<0.01）. Liver histopathology showed unevenly distributed round lipid droplets in the hepatocyte cytoplasm， accompanied by inflammatory cell aggregation. Flow cytometry showed that the proportion of CD86-positive cells was significantly increased， whereas the proportion of CD206-positive cells was markedly decreased （P<0.05）. Hepatic inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS） levels and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） mRNA expression were significantly increased， while hepatic IL-10 levels and IL-4 mRNA expression were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 （TRAF6）， and myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88） in the liver were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， body weight was reduced in the high-， medium-， and low-dose QLHQT groups and in the metformin group. Serum and hepatic TC， TG， and LDL-C levels were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Liver histopathology showed alleviated hepatic lipid deposition， with markedly reduced lipid droplets and inflammation. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry showed that the proportions of CD86-positive cells were significantly decreased， whereas the proportions of CD206-positive cells were significantly increased in the high-， medium-， and low-dose QLHQT groups （P<0.05）. Hepatic iNOS levels and TNF-α mRNA expression were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， whereas hepatic IL-10 levels and IL-4 mRNA expression were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The hepatic protein expression levels of TLR4， TRAF6， and MyD88 were significantly decreased， while signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 （STAT6） phosphorylation was significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. There was no statistically significant difference in total STAT6 protein expression. ConclusionQLHQT effectively ameliorates hepatic inflammation in NASH mice， and the mechanism may involve STAT6- and TLR4-mediated signaling pathways driving polarization of M1 macrophages toward the M2 phenotype.

ObjectiveTo investigate the feasibility and safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography （ERCP） combined with oral cholangiopancreatography in the treatment of major duodenal papilla gallbladder polyps. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of eight patients with choledocholithiasis and gallbladder polyps who underwent ERCP and combined with oral cholangiopancreatography for major duodenal papilla cholecystectomy in Center of Digestive Endoscopy， Jilin People’s Hospital， from May 2022 to June 2024， and related data were collected， including the success rate of surgery， the technical success rate of gallbladder polyp removal， the superselective method of cystic duct， the time of operation， the time of gallbladder polyp removal， and surgical complications. ResultsBoth the success rate of surgery and the technical success rate of gallbladder polyp removal reached 100%， and of all eight patients， three patients used guide wire to enter the gallbladder under direct view， while five patients received oral cholangiopancreatography to directly enter the gallbladder. The time of operation was 51.88±12.34 minutes， and the time of gallbladder polyp removal was 23.13±10.94 minutes. The diameter of gallbladder polyp was 2‍ ‍—‍ ‍8 mm， and pathological examination showed inflammatory polyps in three patients， adenomatous polyps in one patient， and cholesterol polyps in four patients. There were no complications during or after surgery. The patients were followed up for 2‍ ‍—‍ ‍27 months after surgery， and no recurrence of gallbladder polyp was observed. ConclusionOral cholangiopancreatography is technically safe and feasible in endoscopic major duodenal papilla cholecystectomy.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is primarily transmitted through the respiratory tract, and remains one of the diseases with the highest mortality rate of single-pathogen infections globally. The cell wall polysaccharides of M. tuberculosis are critical for maintaining bacterial structure, mediating pathogenesis, and enabling immune evasion. Lipoarabinomannan (LAM), a key polysaccharide component, has revolutionized non-invasive diagnostic technologies as a TB biomarker, while polysaccharide-based vaccines have emerged as innovative strategies for TB prevention. This review systematically examines the composition, subcellular distribution, and functional roles of M. tuberculosis cell wall polysaccharides in bacterial metabolism, drug resistance, and immune regulation. A particular emphasis is placed on recent advancements in LAM-based diagnostics and vaccine development. Future studies should utilize advanced technologies to precisely characterize the structural features of TB polysaccharides and explore their biological functions, providing a foundation for targeted diagnostic and therapeutic innovations. This article aims to provide reference for advancing both basic research and clinical applications related to M. tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Renal osteodystrophy (ROD) is a skeletal pathology associated with chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) that is characterized by aberrant bone mineralization and remodeling. ROD increases the risk of fracture and mortality in CKD patients. The underlying mechanisms of ROD remain elusive, partially due to the absence of an appropriate animal model. To address this gap, we established a stable mouse model of ROD using an optimized adenine-enriched diet and conducted exploratory analyses through ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-seq). METHODS: Eight-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly allocated into three groups: control group ( n = 5), adenine and high-phosphate (HP) diet group ( n = 20), and the optimized adenine-containing diet group ( n = 20) for 12 weeks. We assessed the skeletal characteristics of model mice through blood biochemistry, microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), and bone histomorphometry. RNA-seq was utilized to profile gene expression changes of ROD. We elucidated the functions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using gene ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). DEGs were validated via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: By the fifth week, adenine followed by an HP diet induced rapid weight loss and high mortality rates in the mouse group, precluding further model development. Mice with optimized adenine diet-induced ROD displayed significant abnormalities in serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels, accompanied by pronounced hyperparathyroidism and hyperphosphatemia. The femur bone mineral density (BMD) of the model mice was lower than that of control mice, with substantial bone loss and cortical porosity. ROD mice exhibited substantial bone turnover with an increase in osteoblast and osteoclast markers. Transcriptomic profiling revealed 1907 genes with upregulated expression and 723 genes with downregulated expression in the femurs of ROD mice relative to those of control mice. Pathway analyses indicated significant enrichment of upregulated genes in the sphingolipid metabolism pathway. The significant upregulation of alkaline ceramidase 1 ( Acer1 ), alkaline ceramidase 2 ( Acer2 ), prosaposin-like 1 ( Psapl1 ), adenosine A1 receptor ( Adora1 ), and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 5 ( S1pr5 ) were successfully validated in mouse femurs by qRT-PCR. CONCLUSIONS Optimized adenine diet mouse model may be a valuable proxy for studying ROD. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the sphingolipid metabolism pathway is likely a key player in ROD pathogenesis, thereby providing new avenues for therapeutic intervention.
Animals ; Mice ; Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral and Bone Disorder/genetics* ; Male ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Sphingolipids/metabolism* ; Transcriptome/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/genetics* ; X-Ray Microtomography ; Adenine

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of supraspinatus muscle outlet X-ray film, oblique sagittal multislice helical CT (MSCT), and oblique sagittal MRI in the diagnosis of subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the imaging data of 106 patients diagnosed with SIS between January 2023 and December 2024. The cohort consisted of 32 males and 74 females, with ages ranging from 43 to 70 years (mean, 60.19 years). All patients underwent supraspinatus muscle outlet X-ray film, MSCT, and MRI scans, with MSCT further subjected to three-dimensional reconstruction. Two experienced radiologists independently evaluated the acromion morphology in each imaging modality using the Bigliani classification system. Inter-observer reliability was assessed via Kappa statistics. The CT three-dimensional reconstructions were used as the "gold standard". The overall consistency, Kappa values, sensitivity, and specificity of the three imaging modalities were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted, and the area under the curve (AUC) was computed. RESULTS: The inter-observer reliability for supraspinatus muscle outlet X-ray film, oblique sagittal MSCT, and oblique sagittal MRI was moderate, with Kappa values of 0.62, 0.63, and 0.55, respectively. When compared to the CT three-dimensional reconstructions as the "gold standard", the overall consistency was 88.7% (94/106), 62.3% (66/106), and 58.5% (62/106), respectively. The supraspinatus muscle outlet X-ray film showed excellent consistency (Kappa=0.77), whereas the consistency of MSCT and MRI was lower (Kappa=0.34 and 0.29, respectively). In terms of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, the supraspinatus muscle outlet X-ray film outperformed oblique sagittal MSCT and oblique sagittal MRI in distinguishing various acromion types. ROC analysis demonstrated that the AUC for the supraspinatus muscle outlet X-ray film was consistently higher than for oblique sagittal MSCT and oblique sagittal MRI, with the highest diagnostic performance observed for type Ⅲ hooked acromion (AUC=0.939). CONCLUSION Supraspinatus muscle outlet X-ray film provides the highest diagnostic accuracy for acromion classification in SIS patients, particularly in identifying type Ⅲ hooked acromion, which is strongly associated with SIS. Given its superior sensitivity and consistency, it should be considered the primary screening tool. MSCT and MRI serve as valuable supplementary modalities for complex cases and preoperative evaluation.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Shoulder Impingement Syndrome/diagnostic imaging* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Adult ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, Spiral Computed/methods* ; Multidetector Computed Tomography/methods* ; Reproducibility of Results

Black triangles can be formed due to the defect or absence of the gingival papilla, which increases the risks of food impaction, caries, and periodontal disease, and affects the esthetics of anterior teeth. The incidence of black triangles after orthodontic treatment is from 38% to 58%. The formation of black triangles is influenced by patient-related factors and factors related to orthodontic treatment. This article discusses the factors related to orthodontic treatment and the formation of interdental black triangles and provides reference for preventing the formation of this problem.

During orthodontic treatment,irregular and varying sized nodular bony protrusions may sometimes appear on the labial side of the patient's anterior alveolar bone,which is closely related to the differential bone remodeling on the inner and outer surfaces of the alveolar bone.Labial protuberances not only affect the aesthetic results of orthodontic treatment,but also pose potential risks to periodontal health.Currently,it is believed that the influencing factors of the formation of the labial protuberances may be related to the patient's gender and age,tooth movement speed,and extent of anterior teeth retraction.Labial protuberances typically resolve spontaneously,however,if persistent,alveoloplasty may be necessary for treatment.This review provides a summary on the occurrence,influencing factors of formation,potential biological mechanisms,and corresponding treatment methods of labial protuberances during orthodontic treatment.

Objective The evaluation of lymph node properties before lung cancer surgery has a great impact with the choice of surgical methods.Although there are various examination methods,many methods have invasive or accuracy problems.In order to improve the accuracy of diagnosis,we mainly discuss the value of wide-body spectral CT in the differential diagnosis of mediastinal metastatic lymph nodes,non-metastatic lymph nodes in lung cancer patients and reactive hyperplastic lymph nodes.Methods The clinical and imaging data of 64 patients with lung cancer and 28 patients with pulmonary inflammatory lesions were retrospectively analyzed.All patients underwent plain scan and enhanced dual-phase spectral CT scan.The size,density,three-phase IC,NIC,and λHU of lymph nodes in metastatic,non-metastatic and inflammatory reactive hyperplasia groups were measured on 70 keV single-energy images and iodine-based images,respectively.The single-factor variance and Kruskal-Wallis H rank sum test were used to analyze and compare the differences.Results The short diameter of metastatic lymph nodes was larger than that of non-metastatic lymph nodes and reactive hyperplastic lymph nodes(P<0.001).The plain scan density of reactive hyperplastic lymph nodes was higher than that of metastatic lymph nodes(P<0.001),but there was no significant difference between non-metastatic lymph nodes(P=0.325).The CT values of reactive hyperplastic lymph nodes in arterial phase and venous phase were higher than those of metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes(P<0.05).Except for NIC in arterial phase,IC,NIC and λHU in plain scan,IC and λHU in arterial phase,IC,NIC and λHU in venous phase of reactive hyperplastic lymph nodes and metastatic lymph nodes were statistically significant(all P<0.05).There was no significant difference in IC,NIC and λHU between reactive hyperplastic lymph nodes and non-metastatic lymph nodes in plain scan,arterial phase and venous phase(all P>0.05).Conclusion The quantitative and spectral curve slope of iodine in mediastinal metastatic lymph nodes of lung cancer were basically lower than those in reactive hyperplastic lymph nodes.The quantitative parameters of spectral CT had certain diagnostic efficacy in differentiating metastatic lymph nodes and reactive hyperplastic lymph nodes,while the spectral parameters of non-metastatic lymph nodes and reactive hyperplastic lymph nodes were not statistically significant.