ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate the effects and mechanism of Mimenghua prescription in modulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase （MEK）/rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog （Ras）/rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma kinase （Raf）/extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK） signaling pathway to inhibit inflammatory responses in a dry eye animal model. MethodsA total of 60 C57BL/6J mice （eight weeks old， half male and half female） were used in the experiment. Ten mice were randomly selected as the blank control group， while the remaining 50 were exposed to a controlled dry system and received instillation of 0.2% benzalkonium chloride （BAC） into the eyes for four weeks to establish a dry eye mouse model. After successful modeling， the mice were randomly divided into five groups： Model group， sodium hyaluronate group， and Mimenghua prescription groups with low dose （4.83 g·kg^-1）， medium dose （9.67 g·kg^-1）， and high dose （19.34 g·kg^-1）. The mice in the model group received an equal volume of normal saline via gavage for four weeks. The mice in the sodium hyaluronate group received instillation of sodium hyaluronate eye drops twice daily for 14 consecutive days. The tear secretion volume， tear film break-up time （TBUT）， and corneal fluorescein staining were evaluated once every two weeks. After four weeks of administration， mice were euthanized， and their lacrimal gland tissues and corneas were harvested. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to assess histopathological morphology. Western blot was performed to detect the protein expression levels of MEK， Ras， Raf， and ERK. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure the contents and expressions of MEK， Ras， Raf， ERK， and interleukin （IL）-1β in lacrimal gland and corneal tissues of the mice in each group. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was employed to determine mRNA expression levels of MEK， Ras， Raf， and ERK. ResultsThe Mimenghua prescription groups and the sodium hyaluronate group exhibited significantly increased tear secretion volume （P<0.05） and prolonged TBUT （P<0.05） after treatment. Ocular surface damage of mice was visibly recovered. Western blot results indicated that protein expression levels of MEK， Ras， Raf， and ERK in the lacrimal gland and corneal tissues were significantly downregulated in the sodium hyaluronate group and Mimenghua prescription group with high dose （P<0.05）. ELISA results showed that IL-1β levels were highest in the model group but significantly reduced in the sodium hyaluronate group and Mimenghua prescription groups （P<0.05）. Both ELISA and Real-time PCR results demonstrated that the expression levels of MEK， Ras， Raf， and ERK in the lacrimal glands and corneal tissues were significantly elevated in the model group （P<0.05）， but markedly downregulated in the sodium hyaluronate group and Mimenghua prescription groups （P<0.05）， suggesting that Mimenghua prescription can decrease the expressions of MEK， Ras， Raf， and ERK in the lacrimal glands and corneal tissues. ConclusionMimenghua prescription can reduce inflammatory responses， increase tear secretion， prolong TBUT， and promote corneal recovery by inhibiting the MEK， Ras， Raf， and ERK signaling pathways in lacrimal gland and corneal tissues.

ObjectiveTo explore the correlation between the occurrence of cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis（RA） and traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） syndrome. MethodsThe cross-sectional study selected 6713 RA patients from 122 centres nationwide， in which general information such as name， gender， age， height， body weight， and course of disease were collected by completing a questionnaire； patients were classified into eight types of syndrome according to the information of their four examinations，i.e. wind-dampness obstruction syndrome， cold-dampness obstruction syndrome， dampness-heat obstruction syndrome， phlegm-stasis obstruction syndrome， stasis-blood obstructing collateral syndrome， qi-blood deficiency syndrome， liver-kidney insufficiency syndrome， and qi-yin deficiency syndrome. According to the occurrence of cardiovascular events， they were divided into the occurrence group and the non-occurrence group， and the condition assessment data and laboratory examination indexes were recorded. The test of difference between groups was used to analyse the possible risk factors for the occurrence of RA cardiovascular events， and binary logistic regression was used to analyse the correlation between TCM syndromes and RA cardiovascular events. ResultsA total of 6713 RA patients were included， including 256 cases in occurrence group and 6457 in non-occurrence group. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in terms of height， gender， insomnia， appetite， white blood cell（WBC）， hemoglobin（HGB）， platelets（PLT）， rheumatoid factor（RF）， anti-cyclic peptide containing citrulline（CCP）， alanine aminotransferase（ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase（AST）， γ-glutamyl transpeptidase（GGT）， urea creatinine（CREA）， and glucose（GLU）（P＞0.05）. The TCM syndromes between groups showed significant statistic differences（P＜0.05）. Patients in occurrence group had longer disease duration， heavier body weight， and older age； more severe conditions such as disease activity（DAS-28）， number of painful joints（TJC）， number of swollen joints（SJC）， health questionnaire scores（HAQ）， visual analog scores（VAS）， restlessness， and fatigue； higher blood sedimentation rate（ESR）， low-density lipoprotein（LDL-C）， triglyceride（TG）， total cholesterol（TC）， D-Dimer， and lower high-density lipoprotein（HDL-C）（P＜0.05）. The distribution of syndrome types showed that dampness-heat obstruction syndrome accounted for the largest proportion of patients in both groups and was higher in RA cardiovascular events. Logistic regression analysis showed that the occurrence of RA cardiovascular events was strongly associated with dampness-heat obstruction syndrome［OR=5.937， 95%CI （4.434， 7.949）， P＜0.001］. ConclusionThe occurrence of RA cardiovascular events were associated with TCM syndromes， and the probability of cardiovascular events in the RA patients with dampness-heat obstruction syndrome was 5.937 times higher than patients with other TCM syndromes.

Objective: To analyze the association between altitudes and nutritional status of children and adolescents, and to explore the moderating effects of dietary behaviors and physical activity, so as to provide a scientific basis for developing lifestyle interventions tailored to local conditions. Methods: From September to November 2023, physical examinations and questionnaire surveys were conducted among children and adolescents aged 7-17 in two autonomous regions, Inner Mongolia and Xizang, with a final sample of 156 511 participants by the stratified cluster random sampling method. Height and weight were measured to calculate body mass index (BMI). Sociodemographic characteristics, dietary behaviors, and physical activity were collected via questionnaires, while the altitude of each participant s school was obtained using Amap. Logistic regression was performed to examine the relationship between altitudes and nutritional status. Interaction terms and stratified analyses were applied to assess the moderating effects of dietary behaviors and physical activity. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) were used for visualization. Results: In 2023, the prevalence of wasting and overweight/obesity among children and adolescents in Xizang were 9.7% and 9.0%, respectively, compared to 2.9% and 22.0% in Inner Mongolia. Logistic regression analysis results showed that for every 1 km increase in altitude, the risk of wasting increased, while the risk of overweight/obesity decreased ( OR =1.43, 0.19, both P <0.05). The results of the stratified analysis showed that compared to those living at altitudes <1 km, children and adolescents with healthy diets showed no significant association between altitudes (1-<2 and 2-<3 km) and wasting ( OR =1.22, 0.75, both P >0.05), whereas significant associations were observed at 3-<4 and ≥4 km altitudes ( OR =2.25, 2.89, both P <0.05). In contrast, unhealthy dietary groups showed statistically significant associations across altitudes ( OR =1.18-4.04, all P <0.05), consistent with RCS results. No moderating effects were observed for physical activity on the altitude wasting association or for dietary behaviors and physical activity combined on the altitude overweight/obesity association ( P interaction =0.63, 0.10, 0.53). Conclusion Healthy dietary behaviors play a critical role in improving the nutritional status of children and adolescents and reducing regional disparities, providing a scientific foundation for public health policy formulation and implementation.

[Purpose]To analyze cancer incidence and mortality in Liaoning cancer registration areas from 2016 to 2020 and the trends from 2006 to 2020.[Methods]Cancer data in cancer registra-tion areas in Liaoning Province from 2016 to 2020 were collected.The incidence and mortality,age-standardized rate,cumulative rate(0～74 years old),and age-specific rate were calculated.Age-standardized incidence and mortality rate were calculated by the Chinese standard popula-tion(ASIRC,ASMRC)and Segi world standard population(ASIRW,ASMRW).Joinpoint software was applied to analyze the trends of incidence and mortality.[Results]From 2016 to 2020,the crude incidence rate of cancer in Liaoning cancer registration areas was 422.30/105,the ASIRC and ASIRW were 215.67/105 and 209.52/105.The ASIRC was higher in urban areas(225.00/105)than that in rural areas(190.15/105),and higher in male(221.47/105)than that in female(213.03/105).The crude mortality rate was 254.22/105,the ASMRC and ASMRW were 113.26/105 and 112.91/105.The ASMRC in urban areas(113.12/105)was the same as that in rural areas(113.01/105),and higher in male(146.86/105)than that in female(83.46/105).The ASIRW of lung cancer was 46.13/105,and the ASMRW was 32.04/105,both ranking the first of all cancers.From 2006 to 2020,the crude incidence,ASIRC and ASIRW in urban areas showed an increasing trend(AAPC=3.921％,t=16.222,P＜0.05;AAPC=0.823％,t=2.409,P＜0.05;AAPC=0.875％,t=2.933,P＜0.05).The crude incidence,ASIRC and ASIRW in urban female were all rising(AAPC=4.151％,t=15.888,P＜0.05;AAPC=1.597％,t=4.819,P＜0.05;AAPC=1.514％,t=4.752,P＜0.05).During the same period,the cancer mortality in urban areas showed an increasing trend(AAPC=3.175％,t=14.745,P＜0.05),and the ASMRW showed a decreasing trend(AAPC=-0.908％,t=-2.273,P＜0.05).The crude mor-tality of both men and women showed an increasing trend(AAPC=3.010％,t=6.032,P＜0.05;AAPC=2.820％,t=5.921,P＜0.05),while the crude mortality and ASMRW for female showed a significant downward trend(AAPC=-1.487％,t=-2.437,P＜0.05;AAPC=-2.680％,t=-2.246,P＜0.05).From 2016 to 2020,the crude incidence,ASIRC and ASIRW in rural areas showed no significant change;however,the crude incidence in male was increasing(AAPC=2.025％,t=3.853,P＜0.05).In the same period,the crude mortality rate in rural areas increased(AAPC=3.577％,t=9.377,P＜0.05),while there was no significant change in the ASMRC and ASMRW.The crude mortality of both men and women showed an increasing trend(AAPC=3.377％,t=10.615,P＜0.05;AAPC=3.978％,t=7.245,P＜0.05),while there was no significant change in ASMRC and ASMRW.[Conclusion]The cancer burden in Liaoning from 2016 to 2020 was higher than the average level in China,can-cer prevention and control should be further strengthened in the provice.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of fuzuloparib for the treatment of ovarian epithelial cancer patients in the real world setting.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the baseline data of 4 620 ovarian cancer patients who had received fuzuloparib monotherapy or combination therapy. Another 224 ovarian cancer patients who were willing to receive fuzuloparib monotherapy or combination therapy were prospectively enrolled, and their baseline characteristics, drug effectiveness, and safety data were analyzed.Results:(1) Among the 4 620 patients in the retrospective cohort, the median age of patients was 60 years; tumor types: 89.8% (4 149/4 620) had ovarian cancer. Among patients with clearly documented information, the vast majority had a histological type of serous carcinoma (82.9%, 3 770/4 546) and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging of Ⅲ-Ⅳ (90.9%, 1 537/1 691). (2) Among the 224 patients in the prospective cohort, the median age of patients was 57 years; tumor types: 83.9% (188/224) had ovarian cancer. Among patients with clearly documented records, the predominant pathologic type was serous carcinoma (91.9%, 193/210), and FIGO stage was Ⅲ-Ⅳ in 79.9% (139/174). (3) Among the 224 prospective patients: 84 patients received first-line fluzoparib maintenance therapy, 92 patients received fluzoparib maintenance therapy after platinum-sensitive recurrence, 23 patients received direct fluzoparib treatment after platinum-sensitive recurrence, 19 patients received direct fluzoparib treatment after platinum-resistant recurrence. The median follow-up durations were 8.5, 8.7, 7.9, and 6.7 months, respectively. The median durations of fluzoparib treatment were 6.7, 4.8, 3.1, and 1.9 months, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) times were not reached during follow-up, 12.6 months, not reached during follow-up, and 4.8 months, respectively. The 1-year PFS rates were 84.1%, 55.0%, 69.8%, and 45.5%, respectively. The remaining 6 patients received other fluzoparib regimens. (4) Among the 224 patients in the prospective dataset, 205 had safety data recorded. Of these, 127 patients (62.0%, 127/205) experienced treatment-related adverse events, with common events including anemia (24.4%, 50/205), thrombocytopenia (21.0%, 43/205), and leukopenia (19.5%, 40/205). Among the 205 patients, 43 (21.0%, 43/205) experienced grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events, with common events including anemia (8.3%, 17/205) and thrombocytopenia (8.3%, 17/205).Conclusions:The effectiveness of fuzuloparib in clinical application is generally consistent with other drugs in the same class, with good safety. This study provids new clinical evidence for the treatment of ovarian cancer with fuzuloparib.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the early clinical efficacy of a three-stage external treatment with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of talar bone contusion caused by acute ankle sprain. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 360 patients with primary lateral ankle sprain admitted from September 2021 to July 2024. Patients with talar bone contusion were selected based on MRI examination, and 73 cases were finally included. According to different treatment methods, they were divided into the observation group and the control group. The observation group consisted of 35 cases, including 16 males and 19 females, aged 24 to 37 years old with an average of (30.34±2.68) years old, and received the three-stage external TCM treatment combined with the "POLICE" protocol. The control group included 38 cases, including 18 males and 20 females, aged 24 to 35 years old with an average of (29.87±2.57) years old, and was treated with the "POLICE" protocol alone. The volume of bone marrow edema (BME) area shown by MRI before treatment and 6 weeks after treatment was measured using 3D Slicer software, and the BME improvement rate was calculated. The "Figure of 8" measurement method was used to assess ankle swelling before treatment and at 1 and 3 weeks after treatment. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate ankle pain before treatment and at 1 and 6 weeks after treatment. At 6 weeks after treatment, the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score and Karlsson ankle function score system were used to evaluate the improvement of ankle function. RESULTS: A total of 73 patients with talar bone contusion caused by ankle sprain completed the 6-week follow-up. At 6 weeks after treatment, the BME improvement rate in the observation group was (39.18±0.06)%, which was higher than (26.75±0.03)% in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). After 1 week of treatment, the VAS score in the observation group was (2.89±0.72) points, lower than (3.37±0.79) points in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The ankle swelling degree in the observation group was (50.20±3.19) cm, lower than (52.00±3.60) cm in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). After 3 weeks of treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in ankle swelling between the two groups. At 6 weeks after treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in VAS scores between the two groups. At 6 weeks after treatment, the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score and Karlsson score in the observation group were (87.43±4.18) and (82.77±5.93) points, respectively, which were higher than (82.92±4.87) and (76.45±6.85) points in the control group, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). According to the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score, 8 cases were excellent and 27 cases were good in the observation group;2 cases were excellent, 33 cases were good, and 3 cases were fair in the control group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (χ²=7.089, P=0.029). CONCLUSION The three-stage external TCM treatment combined with the "POLICE" protocol has a significant early clinical efficacy. It can significantly reduce ankle pain and swelling in patients with bone contusion caused by acute lateral ankle sprain, promote the absorption of bone marrow edema, and accelerate the recovery of ankle function.
Ankle Injuries/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Talus/injuries* ; Retrospective Studies ; Administration, Cutaneous ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Contusions/etiology* ; Visual Analog Scale ; Musculoskeletal Pain/etiology* ; Recovery of Function/drug effects* ; Treatment Outcome ; Follow-Up Studies

Peyronie's disease (PD) is a disorder characterized by fibrous plaque formation in the penile tissue that leads to curvature and complications in advanced stages. In this study, we aimed to compare four injectable induction agents for the establishment of a robust rat model of PD: transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), fibrin, sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS) combined with TGF-β1, and polidocanol (POL) combined with TGF-β1. The results showed that injection of TGF-β1 or fibrin into the tunica albuginea induced pathological endpoints without causing penile curvature. The STS + TGF-β1 combination resulted in both histological and morphological alterations, but with a high incidence of localized necrosis that led to animal death. The POL + TGF-β1 combination produced pathological changes and curvature comparable to STS + TGF-β1 and led to fewer complications. In conclusion, fibrin, STS + TGF-β1, and POL + TGF-β1 all induced PD with a certain degree of penile curvature and histological fibrosis in rats. The POL + TGF-β1 combination offered comparatively greater safety and clinical relevance and may have the greatest potential for PD research using model rats.
Animals ; Male ; Penile Induration/drug therapy* ; Rats ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Fibrin ; Penis/drug effects* ; Polidocanol/administration & dosage* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Polyethylene Glycols/administration & dosage* ; Injections

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical and genetic characteristics of osteopetrosis (OPT) in children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 14 children with OPT. Whole-exome sequencing was used to detect pathogenic genes, and clinical phenotypes and genotypic features were summarized. RESULTS: Among the 14 children (10 males and 4 females), the median age at diagnosis was 8 months. Clinical manifestations included systemic osteosclerosis (14 cases, 100%), anemia (12 cases, 86%), infections (10 cases, 71%), thrombocytopenia (9 cases, 64%), hepatosplenomegaly (8 cases, 57%), and developmental delay (5 cases, 36%). Malignant osteopetrosis (MOP) cases had lower platelet counts, creatine kinase isoenzyme, and serum calcium levels, but higher white blood cell counts, lactate dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase levels compared to non-MOP cases (P<0.05). Genetic testing identified 15 variants in 12 patients, including 8 variants in the CLCN7 gene (53%), 6 in the TCIRG1 gene (40%), and 1 in the TNFRSF11A gene (7%). Three novel CLCN7 variants were identified: c.2351G>C, c.1215-43C>T, and c.1534G>A. All four patients with TCIRG1 variants exhibited MOP clinical phenotypes. Of the seven patients with CLCN7 variants, 4 presented with intermediate OPT, 2 with benign OPT, and 1 with MOP. CONCLUSIONS Clinical phenotypes of OPT in children are heterogeneous, predominantly involving CLCN7 and TCIRG1 gene variants, with a correlation between clinical phenotypes and genotypes.
Humans ; Osteopetrosis/genetics* ; Male ; Female ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Retrospective Studies ; Vacuolar Proton-Translocating ATPases/genetics* ; Child ; Chloride Channels/genetics* ; Mutation ; Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed. CONCLUSION STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Angina, Stable/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome ; Placebos ; Tablets

Vertebral refracture following percutaneous vertebral augmentation (PVA) is commonly seen in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures (OTLCF). It can lead to recurrent pain, loss of vertebral height, progression of kyphosis, and even neurological dysfunction, significantly impairing patients′ quality of life. Current diagnosis and treatment face multiple challenges, including high misdiagnosis rate, difficulty in choosing between surgical and non-surgical treatment options, lack of standardized surgical protocols, interference from intralesional bone cement during procedures, inadequate stability of internal fixation in osteoporotic bone, and suboptimal compliance of anti-osteoporotic therapy. Establishing a standardized diagnostic and therapeutic framework is urgently needed. To standardize the management process and improve outcomes for vertebral refractures after PVA in elderly OTLCF patients, Spinal Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts in the field to develop Guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of vertebral refracture after percutaneous vertebral augmentation in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures ( version 2025), based on current literature and clinical experience, and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and clinical applicability. A total of 11 recommendations were proposed, encompassing diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of vertebral refracture after PVA in elderly patients with OTLCF, aiming to provide a foundation for a standardized management.