Background Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can influence gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM); however, current studies on their association are limited and have yielded inconsistent findings. Objective To investigate the association between maternal exposure to PFAS, as measured by urinary concentrations in early pregnancy, and the risk of developing GDM. Methods Based on the Wuhu Birth Cohort in Anhui Province conducted between 2020 and 2023, this study included 1910 pregnant women. Urine samples were collected during the first trimester, and a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was completed at 24–28 gestational weeks. The concentrations of six PFAS in urine were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Participants were categorized into low, medium, and high exposure groups according to tertiles of individual PFAS concentrations. Logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the potential impact of early-pregnancy PFAS exposure levels on the risk of GDM, with stratified analyses by maternal age and fetal sex. A generalized weighted quantile sum regression (gWQS) model was applied to evaluate the relative weight distribution of the six PFAS in their mixture effect. Results The logistic regression results revealed that both medium exposure to perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) (OR=1.475, 95%CI: 1.040, 2.093) and high exposure to perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) (OR=1.430, 95%CI: 1.013, 2.018) were positively associated with diagnosed GDM. This association was more pronounced among women older than 28 years. Among pregnant women carrying male fetuses, high-level exposures to per fluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) (OR=1.708, 95%CI: 1.006, 2.899) and PFHxS (OR=2.116, 95%CI: 1.247, 3.584) showed positive associations with diagnosed GDM. In contrast, among those carrying female fetuses, moderate perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) exposure was associated with a lower risk of GDM (OR=0.542, 95%CI: 0.311, 0.946). The gWQS results demonstrated that PFOS (0.48) and perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) (0.34) contributed the most to the mixture effect. Conclusion Early-pregnancy exposure to PFAS (particularly PFHxS and PFNA) may be an etiological factor for GDM, with maternal age and fetal sex potentially acting as effect modifiers in this association.

Objective To investigate the causes and management strategies for lower limb ischemic necrosis following xenogeneic heterotopic heart transplantation from a multigene-edited pig to a rhesus monkey. Methods A xenogeneic heterotopic heart transplantation was performed on December 16, 2023, at the Institute of Experimental Animals of Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, using a quintuple-gene-edited pig as the donor and a rhesus monkey as the recipient. On postoperative day (POD) 9, the recipient monkey underwent left lower limb amputation due to ischemic necrosis. Blood samples were collected at various time points after transplantation for analysis of hematologic parameters, liver and renal function, myocardial enzymes, and coagulation profiles. Ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) were used to evaluate anastomotic patency and cardiac structure. Immunological assays, including complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and IgG/IgM antibody detection, combined with clinical observations, were employed to assess rejection type and therapeutic response. Results The recipient monkey survived for 46 days after transplantation. Echocardiography demonstrated preserved biventricular systolic function in the recipient’s native heart, with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) consistently exceeding 50%. In the donor pig heart, left ventricular endocardial thickening was noted on POD 9, followed by right ventricular endocardial thickening on POD 24, while LVEF remained around 35%. No hyperacute or acute rejection was detected immunologically. CDC positivity ranged between 3.4% and 5.1%, with IgG/IgM antibody binding trends consistent with CDC results. Following amputation, the recipient exhibited elevated inflammatory markers, coagulopathy, and reactive thrombocytosis, which later normalized. Immunohistochemical staining of the necrotic limb revealed arterial and venous thrombosis; however, no T-cell or B-cell infiltration was observed in vascular structures, thrombi, nerves, muscles, fascia, or skin tissues, with CD3 and CD20 staining both negative. Conclusion Limb ischemia after xenogeneic heart transplantation may be associated with lower extremity vascular thrombosis triggered by local trauma in the context of transplantation-induced inflammatory activation and coagulation dysfunction. While no clear lymphocyte-mediated rejection was observed, further studies are needed to explore the potential role of non-lymphocyte-mediated immune mechanisms.

ObjectiveTo investigate the application of central auditory testing combined with electroencephalographic features in the early screening of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease. MethodsA convenience sampling method was used to conduct a field survey in the Qixia District of Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, from July to September, 2025. A total of 40 older adults diagnosed as mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease and 23 cognitively normal older adults were recruited. Auditory N-back and dichotic listening paradigms were employed for assessment, while the scores of Montreal Cognitive Assessment Beijing Version (MoCA-BJ) and 32-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) data were simultaneously collected. Binary logistic regression analysis was applied to identify predictive indicators, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. ResultsThe total score of dichotic listening was positively correlated with overall cognitive function (r = 0.475, P < 0.01), while right-ear advantage showed negative correlations with overall cognition, visuospatial ability, abstract reasoning, and delayed recall (r < -0.276, P < 0.05). Task performance across all conditions of the N-back task was positively correlated with overall cognitive function (r > 0.249, P < 0.05). Regarding EEG features, δ and θ band power and power peaks were positively correlated with delayed recall (r > 0.258, P < 0.05), whereas (α+θ)/(α+β) and θ/(α+β) were positively correlated with naming ability and visuospatial executive function, respectively (r > 0.261, P < 0.05). The results of the binary logistic regression analysis showed that the total score of binaural dichotic listening, the accuracy of 1-back task, the average power of δ waves, and the ratio of θ/(α+β) were independent influencing factors for mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease (P < 0.05). The ROC analysis indicated that the AUC for auditory task performance and EEG features were 0.845 and 0.735 respectively, and when combined, the AUC increased to 0.862. ConclusionThe screening model based on the integration of auditory task performance and EEG features can be used in the early identification of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） has become the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. Its pathological process is centered on the “two-hit” theory， with gut-liver axis dysregulation running through the entire disease course from steatosis to liver cirrhosis and even hepatocellular carcinoma， and it forms an extensive cross-system regulatory mechanism with the metabolic， cardiovascular， renal， and psychological and nervous systems through multi-dimensional pathways such as the “gut-liver-brain axis”， the “liver-kidney axis”， and the “liver-heart axis”. Disease progression is not limited to the liver itself， and it also involves functional imbalance of multiple organ systems throughout the body. This article systematically elaborates on the association mechanism of “liver pathological progression-multi-axis regulation-comorbidity occurrence” in MAFLD， proposes synergistic management strategies integrating early screening based on risk stratification， targeted intervention， and multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment， and analyzes the limitations of current research and future development directions， in order to provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for precise diagnosis and treatment and individualized management of MAFLD.

Annexin A3（ANXA3）is a member of the membrane associated protein family. It has two subtypes of 36 kDa and 33 kDa. Its gene is located on the fourth chromosome of human. ANXA3, widely expressed in human bone marrow, lung, placenta, prostate and thyroid, is closely related to several biological processes such as exoplasmosis, vascular production, fat cell maturity, and white blood cell migration. Studies have found that ANXA3 is abnormally expressed in various diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease and inflammation. It can regulate multiple signaling pathways such as JNK, NF-κB, PI3K/AKT, and may become a potential drug target for treatment of related diseases. The structure, functions, the link with diseases and related mechanisms of ANXA3 were summarized in this paper, which could provide reference for ANXA3 related research.

Objective To investigate the levels of serum neuregulin-4(NRG4)and serum fatty acid binding protein 4(FABP4)in patients with diabetes retinopathy(DR)and their diagnostic value.Methods From A-pril 2020 to April 2023,a total of 84 DR patients admitted to Endocrine and Metabolic Disease Hospital Affili-ated to Shandong First Medical University were regarded as the observation group.Based on the type of retinal lesions,they were grouped into proliferative lesion group(35 cases)and non proliferative lesion group(49 ca-ses).In addition,84 patients with simple diabetes in the same period were regarded as the NDR group,and 84 healthy people who underwent physical examination in the same period were regarded as the control group.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was applied to detect serum levels of NRG4 and FABP4.Multivariate Logistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of DR occurrence.Receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve was applied to analyze the diagnostic value of serum NRG4 and FABP4 levels for DR.Results The levels of C-reactive protein(CRP),fasting plasma glucose(FPG),fasting insulin(FINS)and FABP4 in the observation group were higher than those in the NDR group and the control group(P<0.05),and the serum NRG4 level was lower than those in the NDR group and the control group(P<0.05).The ser-um NRG4 level in the proliferative lesion group was lower than that in the non proliferative lesion group(P<0.05),and the FABP4 level was higher than that in the non proliferative lesion group(P<0.05).NRG4 was a protective factor for the occurrence of DR(P<0.05),while FABP4 was a risk factor for the occurrence of DR(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of serum NRG4 and FABP4 for diagnosing DR was 0.850 and 0.866,and the AUC of combined diagnosis was 0.930.The efficacy of the combination of the two was su-perior to that of the individual diagnosis of serum NRG4 and FABP4(Zcombination-NRG4=3.467,Zcombination-FABP4=2.987,P=0.001,0.002).Conclusion The serum FABP4 level in DR patients is greatly increased,while the NRG4 level is greatly decreased.The combination of the two has high diagnostic value for DR.

Objective:To investigate the mechanism of microRNA-597-3p ( miR-579-3p) in improving hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) by regulating the interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1)/tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6)/transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Methods:Peripheral blood of healthy neonates ( n=5) and HIE newborns ( n=5) from June 2023 to June 2024 in the No.215 Hospital of Shaanxi Nuclear Industry were collected. The differential expression of miRNA in peripheral blood of neonates with HIE was analyzed by next-generation sequencing. The oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) method was used to establish the HIE cell model, which was designated as the OGD group, while cells without OGD treatment served as the control group. Rat adrenal pheochromocytoma PC12 cells were transfected with miR-579-3p mimic (mimic), mimic negative control (mimic-NC), miR-579-3p inhibitor (inhibitor), inhibitor negative control (inhibitor-NC), respectively, and divided into the mimic group, mimic-NC group, inhibitor group, inhibitor-NC group. On the basis of mimic group and inhibitor group, IRAK1 overexpression plasmid ( oeIRAK1) and IRAK1 small interfering RNA plasmid ( siIRAK1) were transfected respectively, which were divided into oeIRAK1 group and siIRAK1 group. The relative expression level of mRNA was detected by real-time reverse transcription-PCR. The absorbance ( A) value was detected by cell counting kit-8 assay. The apoptosis rate was detected by Annexin Ⅴ-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide double staining. The relative expression of protein was detected by Western blotting. The levels of pro-inflammatory factors and anti-oxidative stress factors were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Bioinformatics analysis was used to predict the binding site between miR-579-3p and IRAK1, and the dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to validate their targeting relationship. A total of 12 7-day-old SD rats were selected and randomly divided into the HIE group and the sham group by the random number table method. In the HIE group, the right common carotid artery of rats was permanently occluded, followed by hypoxia exposure, whereas rats in the sham group only underwent common carotid artery exposure without ligation or hypoxia treatment. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of protein in brain tissue of HIE rats. The least significant difference t-test was used for comparison between the two groups, and one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups. Results:Compared with the healthy neonates, a total of 278 differentially expressed miRNAs were detected in the peripheral blood of neonates with HIE, among which miR-579-3p showed the most significant downregulation. The relative expression level of miR-579-3p in the mimic group (15.78±1.93) was significantly higher than that in the mimic-NC group (1.00±0.14) ( P<0.01), and in the inhibitor group (0.29±0.14) was significantly lower than that in inhibitor-NC group (1.00±0.14) ( P<0.01). The A value in the mimic group (0.89±0.09) was significantly higher than that in the mimic-NC group (0.52±0.08) ( P<0.01), and in the inhibitor group (0.30±0.05 ) was significantly lower than that in the inhibitor-NC group (0.56±0.07) ( P<0.05). The apoptosis rate of mimic group [(7.47±1.53)%] was significantly lower than that in the mimic-NC group [(30.97±3.47)%] ( P<0.05), and in the inhibitor group [(49.05±4.21)%] was significantly lower than that in the inhibitor-NC group [(35.51±3.64)%] ( P<0.01). The relative expression level of cysteine aspartic acid specific protease-3 ( Caspase-3) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) associated X protein ( Bax) (1.21±0.10, 1.40±0.13), the relative expression of cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax (1.00±0.13, 1.13±0.09), the levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α [(45.15±5.14, 38.34±5.69) pg/mg] in the mimic group were significantly lower than those in the mimic-NC group [2.10±0.14, 2.37±0.16, 2.29±0.09, 2.27±0.12, (95.67±9.05, 63.99±5.24) pg/mg] (all P<0.01). The relative expression level of Bcl-2 and Claspin (1.03±0.09, 1.00±0.04), the relative expression of Bcl-2 and Claspin (1.21±0.06, 0.94±0.09), the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) [(67.65±6.86, 58.07±5.20) U/mg] in the mimic group were significantly higher than those in the mimic-NC group [(0.51±0.05, 0.52±0.02, 0.58±0.05, 0.46±0.07, 42.08±5.86, 29.80±4.85) U/mg] ( P<0.05, 0.01). The relative expression level of Caspase-3 and Bax (2.72±0.16, 2.97±0.10), the relative expression of cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax (3.25±0.17, 2.76±0.16), the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α [(122.80±11.59, 92.58±7.56) pg/mg] in the inhibitor group were significantly higher than those in the inhibitor-NC group [(1.86±0.14, 2.12±0.10, 2.35±0.15, 1.82±0.15, (88.13±8.59, 68.61±6.17) pg/mg] ( P<0.05, 0.01). The relative expression levels of Bcl-2 and Claspin mRNA (0.17±0.04, 0.20±0.06), the relative expression of Bcl-2 and Claspin proteins (0.11±0.03, 0.13±0.05), the levels of SOD and GSH-Px [(16.62±3.19, 12.01±1.92) U/mg] in the inhibitor group were significantly lower than those in the inhibitor-NC group [0.54±0.05, 0.54±0.05, 0.53±0.10, 0.45±0.07, (38.09±5.47, 30.90±3.87) U/mg] ( P<0.05, 0.01). IRAK1 was identified as a putative target of miR-579-3p. The relative luciferase activity of wild-type IRAK1 in the mimic group (0.45±0.05) was significantly lower than that in the mimic-NC group (1.00±0.08) ( P<0.01). The relative expression levels of IRAK1, TRAF6, TAK1 and NF-κB mRNA in the mimic group (0.96±0.09, 0.96±0.11, 1.34±0.16, 1.74±0.20), the relative expression of IRAK1, TRAF6, TAK1, and phosphorylated NF-κB (p-NF-κB) proteins (0.96±0.20, 1.27±0.19, 1.34±0.18, 1.16±0.19) were all lower than those in the mimic-NC group (1.96±0.17, 1.88±0.24, 2.39±0.23, 2.44±0.20, 2.33±0.22, 2.17±0.24, 2.25±0.28, 2.06±0.28) (all P<0.01). The relative expression levels of IRAK1, TRAF6, TAK1 and NF-κB mRNA in the inhibitor group (2.54±0.15, 2.61±0.13, 2.97±0.15, 2.99±0.20), the relative expression of IRAK1, TRAF6, TAK1 and p-NF-κB proteins (3.73±0.34, 3.17±0.25, 3.68±0.22, 3.29±0.20) were all higher than those in the inhibitor-NC group (1.87±0.18, 1.84±0.19, 2.15±0.24, 2.24±0.26, 2.35±0.23, 1.94±0.25, 2.05±0.27, 2.17±0.29) (all P<0.01). The A value in the oeIRAK1 group (0.66±0.07) was significantly lower than that in the mimic group (0.94±0.10) ( P<0.05), and in the siIRAK1 group (0.51±0.08) was significantly higher than that in the inhibitor group (0.23±0.05) ( P<0.05). The apoptosis rate in the oeIRAK1 group [(23.32±2.40)%] was significantly higher than that in the mimic group [(9.02±1.23)%] ( P<0.05), and in the siIRAK1 group [(28.27±2.57)%] was significantly lower than that in the inhibitor group [(48.96±4.60)%] ( P<0.01). The levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the oeIRAK1 group [(85.10±6.98, 59.49±5.78) pg/mg] were significantly higher than those in the mimic group [(47.51±8.87, 23.65±3.75) pg/mg], and the levels of SOD and GSH-Px [(49.58±5.63, 41.31±6.21) U/mg] were significantly lower than those in the mimic group [(81.22±6.94, 62.26±5.44) U/mg] ( P<0.05, 0.01). The levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the siIRAK1 group [(108.25±9.47, 74.87±8.71) pg/mg] were significantly lower than those in the inhibitor group [(142.65±13.88, 104.49±9.18) pg/mg], and the levels of SOD and GSH-Px [(35.87±3.69, 34.89±4.96) U/mg] were significantly higher than those in the inhibitor group [(15.55±3.70, 15.62±3.30) U/mg] ( P<0.05, 0.01). The relative expression level of miR-579-3p in the HIE group (0.47±0.11) was significantly lower than that in the sham group (1.00±0.09) ( P<0.01). The levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the HIE group [(62.18±6.42, 68.42±4.91) pg/mg] were significantly higher than those in the sham group [(20.77±4.68, 31.16±4.95) pg/mg], and the levels of SOD and GSH-Px [(22.63±3.33, 19.07±2.86) U/mg] were significantly lower than those in the sham group [(47.89±4.58, 56.55±4.45) U/mg] (all P<0.01). The relative levels of TLR4, IRAK1, TRAF6, TAK1, NF-κB, and Caspase-3 mRNA, TLR4, IRAK1, TRAF6, TAK1, p-NF-κB, and cleaved Caspase-3 proteins in the HIE group (1.87±0.24, 2.03±0.21, 2.23±0.20, 1.85±0.18, 1.91±0.20, 2.36±0.20, 2.36±0.28, 2.16±0.28, 1.95±0.27, 2.05±0.26, 2.34±0.24, and 2.72±0.23) were all higher than those in the sham group (1.00±0.15, 1.00±0.11, 1.00±0.09, 1.00±0.05, 1.00±0.12, 1.00±0.15, 1.00±0.15, 1.00±0.21, 1.00±0.10, 1.00±0.14, 1.00±0.19, 1.00±0.16) (all P<0.01), which were consistent with the immunohistochemical staining results. Conclusions:miR-579-3p might alleviate HIE-induced neuronal damage by regulating the IRAK1/TRAF6/TAK1/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective:To explore the external treatment methods of hemorrhoids based on ancient books and documents; To guide clinical medication.Methods:The relevant articles on external treatment of hemorrhoids using Chinese materia medica included in Zhong Hua Yi Dian (5th edition) were retrieved. Excel 2021 was used to analyze the properties, tastes, meridian tropism, external treatment methods and drug efficacy of Chinese materia medica included in the prescriptions, and the relevant discussion contents were sorted out according to the classification of external treatment methods of hemorrhoids. Results:A total of 255 articles in ancient books were included, involving 165 prescriptions. 146 kinds of Chinese materia medica for external treatment of hemorrhoids were selected. The medicinal properties were mainly cold and warm, the main tastes were pungent, bitter and sweet, and the meridian tropism mainly involved the liver, spleen, stomach, heart, lung and large intestine meridians. Fumigation, application and application are the most widely used external treatment methods. Chinese materia medica efficacy mainly includes heat clearing drugs, surface relieving drugs, resuscitation drugs, astringent drugs, anti venom, anti insect and anti itching drugs, and tonic drugs.Conclusions:Ancient physicians treated hemorrhoids with both cold and heat, and paid equal attention to clearing heat and reducing fire, warming and activating blood circulation. They paid attention to the combination of local medication of lesions and the overall treatment of multiple meridians and multiple viscera, so as to achieve the simultaneous treatment of specimens. The treatment methods were rich, including fumigation and washing method to improve local microcirculation, application method using natural adhesive, coating method focusing on precise administration and ligation method of minimally invasive, forming a unique external treatment system, which can be used for modern clinical reference.

Objective To investigate the correlations of expression levels of serum transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)and insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1)with clinicopathological features of patients with adenomyosis,and the clinical value of their prediction of postoperative recurrence.Methods Eighty-two patients with adenomyosis were selected as study subjects(study group).Patients were followed up for two years after surgery and divided into recurrence group(n=15)and non-recur-rence group(n=67)based on their postoperative status.An additional 85 healthy individuals who un-derwent physical examinations during the same period were selected as control group.Serum TGF-β1 and IGF-1 levels were compared between the study group and the control group.The correlations of se-rum TGF-β1 and IGF-1 levels with the clinicopathological characteristics of adenomyosis patients was analyzed.Serum TGF-β1 and IGF-1 levels were compared between the recurrence and non-recurrence groups.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of serum TGF-β1 and IGF-1 levels in predicting postoperative recurrence in adenomyosis pa-tients.Results Serum TGF-β1 and IGF-1 levels in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).Serum TGF-β1 levels were correlated with menstrual vol-ume,history of curettage,uterine volume,pathological type,lesion volume,endometrial status and ectopic gland cycle(P＜0.05).Serum IGF-1 levels were correlated with menstrual volume,history of curettage,uterine volume,pathological type,endometrial status and ectopic gland cycle(P＜0.05).Postoperative serum TGF-β1 and IGF-1 levels in the recurrence group were significantly higher than those in the non-recurrence group(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)for predicting postoperative recurrence using serum TGF-β1,IGF-1 and their combination were 0.823,0.803 and 0.940,respectively.The clinical efficacy of TGF-β1 and IGF-1 in combination in predicting postoperative recurrence was superior to that of TGF-β1 alone(ZcombinedwithTGF-β1=2.001,ZcombinedwithIGF-1=2.318,P=0.045,0.021).Conclusion The serum levels of TGF-β1 and IGF-1 in patients with adenomyosis are significantly increased,which are closely related to the clinicopathological features of the patients.The combination of serum TGF-β1 and IGF-1 levels has high clinical efficacy in predicting postoperative recurrence.