Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative prediction of regional lymph node (RLN) metastasis in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) using a machine learning model based on habitat imaging radiomics from renal MRI.Methods:This cross-sectional study retrospectively analyzed 220 patients with RCC who underwent nephrectomy and RLN dissection at four medical centers of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2010 to August 2023. The cohort included 65 patients with RLN metastasis and 155 without. A stratified random sampling method was used to divide 175 patients from the first medical center into a training set ( n=140) and an internal test set ( n=35) in an 8∶2 ratio, while 45 patients from the third, fourth, and fifth medical centers constituted the external test set. The primary RCC lesions were categorized into 15 habitat subregions based on corticomedullary-phase enhancement and T 2WI signal intensity on MRI, and the volume fractions of different subregions were analyzed. In the training cohort, radiomics features derived from the habitat subregions were used to construct a radiomics model employing various machine learning algorithms, including extremely random trees (ET), gradient boosting decision trees (GBDT), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM). The optimal model was selected and combined with RLN short-axis diameter to develop a combined model. The efficacy of each model in predicting RLN metastasis was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results:The volume fraction of hyper-enhanced hyper-intense regions in the non-metastatic group was significantly higher than that in the metastatic group (0.05±0.09 vs. 0.02±0.03; t=3.00, P=0.003). Among the machine learning models constructed using 15 optimal habitat radiomics features, the SVM model demonstrated the best performance, with area under the ROC curve (AUC) values of 0.85 (95% CI 0.72-0.98) in the internal test set and 0.82 (95% CI 0.67-0.98) in the external test set, surpassing those of the ET, GBDT, and RF models. The combined model, integrating the SVM model with RLN short-axis diameter, achieved AUC values of 0.94 (95% CI 0.85-1.00) in the internal test set and 0.89 (95% CI 0.78-1.00) in the external test set, with RLN short-axis diameter contributing AUC values of 0.81 (95% CI 0.66-0.96) and 0.81 (95% CI 0.68-0.94), respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity of the combined model was 91.7% in the internal test set and 85.7% in the external test set, with specificities of 78.3% and 67.7%, respectively. Conclusion:The combined model based on MRI habitat imaging radiomics and RLN short-axis diameter demonstrates excellent preoperative assessment capability for RLN metastasis in RCC.

Objective : To investigate the selective activation of 5-hydroxytryptamine neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus(DRN5-HT) of rats with insomnia induced by p-chlorophenylalanine(PCPA) using chemical genetics techniques, and to explore whether it has a regulatory effect on comorbidities of insomnia and anxiety. Methods : 32 male SD rats were randomly divided into control group, PCPA model group(PCPA group), chemical activation group(hM3Dq+CNO group), and chemical control group(hM3Dq+Saline group). The anxiety level of experimental rats was evaluated through open field experiments and elevated cross maze experiments.In vivoelectroencephalography(EEG) was used to record propofol induced sleep and cortical EEG changes, and immunofluorescence staining was used to observe changes in c-Fos positive protein expression in 5-HT neurons. Results : The behavioral results showed that compared with the chemical control group, the anxiety level of the chemical activation group was significantly lower(P<0.05), and sleep duration was significantly prolonged(P<0.05). The expression level of c-Fos positive protein in DRN5-HT neurons in the chemical activation group was higher(P<0.05). The EEG results showed that the percentage of δ-band power between the chemical activation group and the chemical control group was higher(P<0.05), the power percentage in the α-band was relatively low(P<0.05). Conclusion Chemical activation of 5-HT neurons in the DRN region can improve anxiety levels and increase sleep duration in PCPA induced insomnia rats.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative prediction of regional lymph node (RLN) metastasis in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) using a machine learning model based on habitat imaging radiomics from renal MRI.Methods:This cross-sectional study retrospectively analyzed 220 patients with RCC who underwent nephrectomy and RLN dissection at four medical centers of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2010 to August 2023. The cohort included 65 patients with RLN metastasis and 155 without. A stratified random sampling method was used to divide 175 patients from the first medical center into a training set ( n=140) and an internal test set ( n=35) in an 8∶2 ratio, while 45 patients from the third, fourth, and fifth medical centers constituted the external test set. The primary RCC lesions were categorized into 15 habitat subregions based on corticomedullary-phase enhancement and T 2WI signal intensity on MRI, and the volume fractions of different subregions were analyzed. In the training cohort, radiomics features derived from the habitat subregions were used to construct a radiomics model employing various machine learning algorithms, including extremely random trees (ET), gradient boosting decision trees (GBDT), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM). The optimal model was selected and combined with RLN short-axis diameter to develop a combined model. The efficacy of each model in predicting RLN metastasis was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results:The volume fraction of hyper-enhanced hyper-intense regions in the non-metastatic group was significantly higher than that in the metastatic group (0.05±0.09 vs. 0.02±0.03; t=3.00, P=0.003). Among the machine learning models constructed using 15 optimal habitat radiomics features, the SVM model demonstrated the best performance, with area under the ROC curve (AUC) values of 0.85 (95% CI 0.72-0.98) in the internal test set and 0.82 (95% CI 0.67-0.98) in the external test set, surpassing those of the ET, GBDT, and RF models. The combined model, integrating the SVM model with RLN short-axis diameter, achieved AUC values of 0.94 (95% CI 0.85-1.00) in the internal test set and 0.89 (95% CI 0.78-1.00) in the external test set, with RLN short-axis diameter contributing AUC values of 0.81 (95% CI 0.66-0.96) and 0.81 (95% CI 0.68-0.94), respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity of the combined model was 91.7% in the internal test set and 85.7% in the external test set, with specificities of 78.3% and 67.7%, respectively. Conclusion:The combined model based on MRI habitat imaging radiomics and RLN short-axis diameter demonstrates excellent preoperative assessment capability for RLN metastasis in RCC.

Objective To investigate the role of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicle (hUC-MSC-EV) in the regeneration of fibrotic liver. Methods C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the 70% normal liver resection group (Oil+PHx group), 70% liver fibrosis resection group (CCl₄+PHx group) and 70% liver fibrosis resection+mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicle (MSC-EV) treatment group (CCl₄+PHx+MSC-EV group), with 8 mice in each group. LX-2 cell lines were assigned into the phosphate buffer solution (PBS) group, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β group and TGF-β+MSC-EV group. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in mice after partial liver resection were detected in each group. The expression levels of liver fibrosis and proliferation-related parameters were analyzed in each group. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in LX-2 cells were detected in each group, and their effects on HGF expression in mouse liver were observed. Results Compared with the Oil+PHx group, the serum levels of AST, ALT and LDH were up-regulated, and the degree of fibrosis was more severe, the positive area of Sirius red and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) staining was larger, and the expression level of α-SMA protein was up-regulated in the CCl₄+PHx group. Compared with the CCl₄+PHx group, the serum levels of AST, ALT and LDH were decreased, the degree of fibrosis was slighter, the positive area of Sirius red and α-SMA staining was decreased, and the expression level of α-SMA protein was down-regulated in the CCl₄+PHx+MSC-EV group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Compared with the Oil+PHx group, the protein expression levels of Ki67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were lower in the CCl₄+PHx group. Compared with the CCl₄+PHx group, the protein expression levels of Ki67 and PCNA were increased in the CCl₄+PHx+MSC-EV group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Compared with the PBS group, the expression level of CollagenⅠ mRNA in LX-2 cells was increased, the expression level of α-SMA protein was up-regulated and the expression level of HGF protein was decreased in the TGF-β group. Compared with the TGF-β group, the expression level of CollagenⅠ mRNA in LX-2 cells was decreased, the expression levels of HGF mRNA and protein were increased, and the expression level of α-SMA protein was decreased in the TGF-β+MSC-EV group, the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). The expression level of HGF protein in the CCl₄+PHx group was lower than that in the Oil+PHx group, whereas the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The expression level of HGF protein in the CCl₄+PHx+MSC-EV group was higher than that in the CCl₄+PHx group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions The regenerative capacity of fibrotic liver is weaker than that of normal liver. hUC-MSC-EV may alleviate liver fibrosis and improve liver regeneration by promoting HGF secretion from actived hepatic stellate cells and effectively enhancing the regenerative capacity of fibrotic liver.

Hyperuricemic nephropathy （HN）， a secondary renal damage common in clinical practice， is characterized by early concealing and continuous progression. The understanding of HN in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） is from a macroscopic perspective. According to the TCM theory， HN is caused by the combination of external pathogens and internal injuries， with the main pathogenesis being root deficiency combined with superficial excess and deficiency-excess in complexity. In western medicine， the understanding of HN is from the microscopic perspective， which holds that the occurrence of HN is the result of inflammation， oxidative stress， renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system （RAAS） activation， and metabolic abnormalities. The TCM syndromes of HN include internal dampness and heat， obstruction in dampness and turbidity， deficiency of spleen and kidney， and deficiency of kidney yin. Accordingly， the prescriptions should clear heat and dampness， remove dampness and turbidity， tonify spleen and kidney， and nourish kidney yin， respectively. In addition to TCM prescriptions， single herbal medicines and their extracts， Chinese patent medicines， and external applications of Chinese medicines have played a significant role in the treatment of HN， promoting the application of TCM in the treatment of HN. Moreover， the integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine has also played a role in the treatment of HN， enriching the treatment schemes of HN. Different from common kidney diseases such as acute and chronic glomerulonephritis and nephrotic syndrome， HN with particularity should be carefully differentiated in clinical practice. This article systematically summarizes the research progress in the treatment of traditional Chinese medicine and integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine on hyperuricemic nephropathy with TCM and integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine， aiming to enrich the system and theory of HN treatment and further guide the clinical practice.

Objective:To investigate the role of ineffective esophageal motility (IEM) in the diagnosis of non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) and its relationship with acid exposure.Methods:From March 2013 to May 2019, in First Hospital Affiliated to Jilin University, patients who underwent gastroendoscopy exam, esophageal high-resolution manometry (HRM), 24-h pH monitoring and had gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, and without mucosal or structural abnormal changes under gastroendoscopy were retrospectively selected. Based on Rome Ⅳ criteria, the patients were reevaluated and the diagnostic types were NERD, reflux hypersensitivity (RH) and functional heartburn (FH). The changes of esophageal HRM metrics and acid reflux-related parameters of patients with IEM were analyzed and compared. Independent sample t-test, nonparametric test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Results:The data of 228 patients were collected. Thirty-seven cases with esophageal gastric junction (EGJ) outflow obstruction and severe esophageal motility disorder (8 cases of achalasia, 9 cases of EGJ outflow obstruction, 4 cases of distal esophageal spasm, 14 cases of absent contractility and 2 cases of hypercontractile esophagus) and fifty-three cases with endoscopic reflux esophagitis under endoscopy (20 cases of Los Angeles grade A, 15 cases of grade B, 13 cases of grade C, and 5 cases of grade D) were excluded. In the end 138 patients were enrolled, including 60 males and 78 females, with a mean age of (50.1±14.1) years, including 36 cases of NERD, 44 cases of RH and 58 cases of FH. According to esophageal HRM Chicago classification standard, 138 patients with gastroesophageal reflux symptoms were divided into IEM group (46 cases, including 15 cases of NERD, 12 cases of RH, and 19 cases of FH) and normal manometry group (92 cases, including 21 cases of NERD, 32 cases of RH, and 39 cases of FH). There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients diagnosed as NERD, RH and FH between the two groups ( P> 0.05). The length of lower esophageal sphincter (LES) (2.70 cm, 2.40 to 3.00 cm vs. 3.00 cm, 2.70 to 3.20 cm), the average value of LES resting breathing pressure (16.55 mmHg, 7.98 to 22.95 mmHg vs. 19.10 mmHg, 14.15 to 25.68 mmHg, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), the distal contractile integral (DCI)(417.90 mmHg·s·cm, 279.08 to 584.45 mmHg·s·cm vs. 1 429.40 mmHg·s·cm , 994.38 to 1 852.80 mmHg·s·cm) and EGJ contractile integral (37.86 mmHg·cm, 26.97 to 46.78 mmHg·cm vs. 45.19 mmHg·cm, 35.39 to 58.20 mmHg·cm) of IEM group were all lower than those of normal manometry group, ( Z=3.33, 2.09, 8.09, and 2.90, all P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in LES resting pressure at the end of the breath, 4 s-intergrated reloxation pressure, distal latency, upper esophageal sphincter (UES) resting pressure (UESP), UES residual pressure, UES baseline relaxation time, UES recovery time, EGJ type, acid reflux related parameters (total acid exposure time (AET), AET in upright position, AET in supine position, and Demeester score) between the two groups (all P>0.05). The 36 NERD patients were divided into IEM group (15 cases) and normal manometry group (21 cases). The distal contractile integral was lower in IEM group than that in normal manometry group (401.10 mmHg·s·cm, 276.60 to 555.60 mmHg·s·cm vs. 1 135.00 mmHg·s·cm, 903.20 to 1 537.65 mmHg·s·cm), the difference was statistically significant ( Z=3.93, P<0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in EGJ type, other HRM parameters or acid reflux-related parameters between IEM group and normal manometry group (all P>0.05). Conclusions:IEM is not related with the diagnosis of NERD. In patients with gastroscopy-negative gastroesophageal reflux symptoms or NERD with IEM, except for weakened peristaltic function, the EGJ morphological evaluation of the anti-reflux barrier function has nothing to do with IEM. In NERD patients, the relationship between IEM and acid exposure needs further study.

Purpose: Microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B) serves as a key component of autophagy,which is associated with the progression of carcinoma. Yet, it is still unclear whetherLC3B is also an independent risk factor for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). We aimto explore the predictive value of LC3B on prognosis of ICC, and to establish a novel andavailable nomogram to predict relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) for thesepatients after curative-intent hepatectomy. Materials and Methods: From August 2004 to March 2017, 105 ICC patients were eligibly enrolled in the ThirdAffiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Preoperative clinical information of enrolledpatients was collected. Expression LC3B in the ICC specimen was detected by immunohistochemistry. Results: The 5-year RFS and OS in this cohort were 15.7% and 29.6%, respectively. On multivariateCox regression analysis, independent risk factors for 5-year OS were cancer antigen 125,microvascular invasion, LC3B expression and lymph node metastasis. Except for the above4 factors, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and tumor differentiation were independent factorsfor 5-year RFS. The area under the curve of nomograms for OS and RFS were 0.820 and0.747, respectively. Conclusion The nomograms based on LC3B can be considered as effective models to predict postoperativesurvival for ICC patients.

Objective To explore the protective effect of ETaR siRNA on renal ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) by changing the immuno-microenvironment in rats .Methods A total of 40 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomized into four groups of sham ,IR ,negative siRNA and ETaR siRNA .A renal IRI model was generated by clamping left renal artery .ETaR siRNA was delivered into kidney through renal vein by a retrograde 'hydrodynamic' injection .Blood samples were collected for detecting renal function and kidney tissue harvested for Hematoxylin & Eosin (HE) staining , TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) staining ,polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot at 48 h post-reperfusion .Results Serum creatinine ,blood urea nitrogen and renal apoptotic cells increased and renal tissue was injured after IR . The changes were inhibited by ETaR siRNA . PCR showed that ETaR siRNA treatment significantly down-regulated the expressions of inflammatory factors TNF-α , IFN-γ and IL-6 and transcription factor NF-κB induced by IR .Conclusions ETaR siRNA can effectively improve the immunomicroenvironment and thereby alleviate renal ischemia reperfusion injury .

To provide references for implementing drug patent strategy in China,we introduced the drug patent strategies of America,Japan and Germany,which rank the first three in the amount of patent in the world,and analyzed their successful experiences.