Noninvasive preoperative assessment of microvascular invasion （MVI） of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma （ICC） is crucial for developing individualized treatment regimens and judging the prognosis of patients. This article comprehensively explores the application value of ultrasound in this field and elaborates on the performance of techniques such as gray-scale ultrasound， contrast-enhanced ultrasound， and ultrasound elastography in predicting MVI by analyzing lesion morphology， blood perfusion， and stiffness characteristics， and meanwhile， it also discusses the application prospects of emerging techniques such as radiomics， deep learning， and dynamic three-dimensional contrast-enhanced ultrasound. The comprehensive analysis shows that ultrasound has an important clinical value in assessing ICC MVI， and the integration of emerging techniques into the ultrasound evaluation system can help to achieve more objective and accurate preoperative prediction and thus has broad application prospects.

Hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection can cause acute or chronic infection， while untreated patients can develop into liver cirrhosis or liver cancer， thereby leading to death. As one of the most important organelles of cells， the maintenance of the normal morphology and function of mitochondria is the basis for ensuring various physiological activities in cells， and physiological activities， such as mitochondrial dynamics， mitophagy， injury， and oxidative phosphorylation， can affect the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis. HBV infection can affect mitochondrial homeostasis. This article summarizes the research advances in mitochondrial homeostasis and HBV infection from the four aspects of mitochondrial dynamics， mitophagy， mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation， and mitochondrial injury and discusses the association between the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis and HBV infection， in order to provide a theoretical basis for understanding the molecular mechanism of HBV infection and identifying the potential therapeutic targets for HBV.

Ovarian aging is a reproductive endocrine disease caused by a variety of factors leading to a gradual decline in ovarian function until ovarian failure， which seriously affects women's physical and reproductive health and is a major factor leading to female infertility. Mitochondria， the energy metabolism centers of cells， are critical for ovarian functions. Their structural and functional abnormalities are key pathological factors leading to the declined ovarian function. Mitochondrial quality control is an important endogenous regulatory mechanism for the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis and the improvement of mitochondrial functions. Abundant studies have shown that the dysregulation of mitochondrial quality control， characterized by mitochondrial oxidative damage， abnormal mitochondrial biogenesis， abnormal mitochondrial dynamics， abnormal mitochondrial autophagy， and dysregulated calcium homeostasis， is closely associated with the occurrence of ovarian hypofunction. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） is a treasure of China's medicine， demonstrating remarkable efficacy in the clinical treatment of ovarian aging-related diseases. In recent years， research progress has been achieved in the TCM treatment of ovarian aging by regulating mitochondrial quality control disorders in a multi-target and multi-pathway manner. However， systematic research remains to be carried out regarding the research progress in this field. Therefore， this article reviews the research progress in the TCM treatment of ovarian aging based on mitochondrial quality control， with a view to providing a theoretical basis for studying the clinical efficacy of TCM in the treatment of ovarian aging and a new strategy for the in-depth research on the prevention and treatment of ovarian aging by TCM.

Objective:To evaluate the correlation between age and renal outcomes in patients with stage 2-4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the impact of age on CKD outcomes in kidney diseases of different etiologies.Methods:A prospective cohort study included 470 patients with stage 2-4 CKD. The Kaplan Meier method was used to analyze the differences in CKD outcomes among different age groups. The independent risk factors for CKD progression were analyzed using a multivariate Cox regression model. We adjusted for baseline differences in risk factors for CKD outcomes between two age groups using propensity score matching (PSM).Results:Among 470 patients, 39 cases of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) events (all starting dialysis) and 51 deaths were observed. The Kaplan Meier survival curve ( P=0.039) and Cox regression univariate survival analysis ( P=0.043) both showed that <60 years old is a risk factor for CKD patients to progress to ESRD. In multivariate Cox regression, age remained an independent risk factor for the progression of CKD patients (hazard ratio 0.386, 95% CI: 0.163-0.916; P=0.031). For kidney diseases with different causes, in patients with hypertensive kidney damage ( P=0.024) and primary glomerulonephritis ( P=0.047), the cumulative incidence rate of ESRD in patients <60 years old was higher than that in patients ≥60 years old. There was no statistically significant difference in all-cause mortality rates between patients aged <60 and ≥60 years old ( P=0.646). Conclusions:Elderly patients with stage 2-4 CKD have a lower ESRD risk than younger patients. This discovery helps nephrologists and decision-makers optimize the management of elderly CKD patients.

Background::Primary cardiac lipoma is very rare, and no consensus has been developed regarding its ideal treatment strategy. This study reviewed the surgical treatment of cardiac lipomas in 20 patients over 20 years.Methods::Twenty patients with cardiac lipomas were treated at Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College from January 1, 2002, to January 1, 2022. The patients' clinical data and pathological reports were retrospectively analyzed, and the follow-up with a range of 1 year to 20 years was conducted.Results::The cardiac lipomas were located in the right atrium (RA) or superior vena cava (SVC) in seven patients (35%) (RA in six patients and SVC in one patient), left ventricle in eight patients (40%) (left ventricular chamber in four patients and left ventricular subepicardium and myocardium in four patients), right ventricle in three patients (15%) (right ventricular chamber in one patient and right ventricular subepicardial layer and myocardium in two patients), subepicardial interventricular groove in one patient (5%), and pericardium in one patient (5%). Complete resection was achieved in 14 patients (70%), including seven patients with lipomas in the RA or SVC. Incomplete resection occurred in six patients (30%) with lipomas in the ventricles. No perioperative deaths occurred. Long-term follow-up was conducted for 19 patients (95%), including two (10%) who died. Both patients who died had lipomas incompletely resected due to ventricles involvement, and preoperative malignant arrhythmias persisted post-operatively.Conclusions::The complete resection rate was high, and the long-term prognosis was satisfactory in patients with cardiac lipomas that did not involve the ventricle. The complete resection rate was low in patients with cardiac lipomas in ventricles; and complications, including malignant arrhythmia, were common. Failure of complete resection and post-operative ventricular arrhythmia are correlated with post-operative mortality.

Objective:To explore the incidence, influencing factors and prognostic value of cardiac valve calcification (CVC) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) non-dialysis patients.Methods:The non-dialysis patients with CKD stage 1-5 who were hospitalized and underwent echocardiography in the Department of Nephrology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019 were retrospectively admitted. The patients were divided into CVC group and non-CVC group, and the clinical data were compared between the two groups. The deadline for follow-up was November 1, 2021, and the follow-up end point event was all-cause mortality. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors of CVC in patients with CKD, and Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the risk factors of all-cause mortality in patients with CKD.Results:A total of 563 patients with CKD were enrolled in the study, with age of (59.49±13.97) years old, and 352 males (62.52%). There were 325 patients (57.73%) with CKD stage 1-3 and 238 patients (42.27%) with CKD stage 4-5. The incidence of CVC in CKD stage 1-5 patients was 32.32%(182/563). Aortic valve calcification occurred in 30.73%(173/563), mitral valve calcification occurred in 9.77% (55/563), double valve (mitral and aortic valve) calcification occurred in 8.35% (47/563), and tricuspid valve calcification occurred in 0.18%(1/563). Age (t=12.223, P<0.001) and the proportions of CKD stage 4-5 ( χ 2=10.854, P=0.001), hypertension ( χ 2=7.811, P=0.005), diabetes ( χ 2=8.424, P=0.004), hyperlipidemia ( χ 2=9.331, P=0.002), and taking statins ( χ 2=4.868, P=0.027) in CVC group were significantly higher than those in non-CVC group. Total cholesterol (t=2.243, P=0.025), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (t=2.025, P=0.043), platelet count (t=2.230, P=0.026) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (t=8.630, P<0.001) in CVC group were lower than those in the non-CVC group. Logistic regression analysis results showed that age≥60 years old (≥60 years old/<60 years old, OR=7.412, 95% CI 4.514-12.170, P<0.001), CKD stage 4-5 (stage 4-5/stage 1-3, OR=2.791, 95% CI 1.730-4.505, P<0.001) and hyperlipidemia ( OR=5.241, 95% CI 3.283-8.367, P<0.001) were the independent influencing factors of CVC in patients with CKD. Five hundred and sixty-three patients were followed up for an average of 26 months, including 68 cases (12.08%) of death, 436 cases (77.44%) of survival and 59 cases (10.48%) of loss to follow-up. Multivariate Cox regression analysis results showed that age≥60 years old (≥60 years old/<60 years old, HR=2.157, 95% CI 1.127-4.127, P=0.020), serum albumin<30 g/L (<30 g/L/≥30 g/L, HR=1.923, 95% CI 1.037-3.568, P=0.038) and double valve calcification (double valve calcification/no valve calcification, HR=2.516, 95% CI 1.279-4.950, P=0.008) were the independent influencing factors of all-cause death in patients with CKD. Conclusions:CVC accounts for 32.32% in non-dialysis patients with CKD stage 1-5. Older age, worse renal function and hyperlipidemia are the independent risk factors of CVC in CKD patients. Older age, hypoproteinemia and double valve calcification are the independent risk factors of all-cause death in patients with CKD.

Objective:To observe the risk of acute kidney disease and disorders (AKD) in patients with coronary heart disease or non-valvular atrial fibrillation who were taking rivaroxaban for the first time in our hospital.Methods:A retrospective case-control analysis was performed using the hospital database to screen for patients with coronary heart disease or non-valvular atrial fibrillation who were taking rivaroxaban for the first time for more than 3 months during January 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019. A total of 279 patients with serum creatinine reviewed within 3 months were as the rivaroxaban group, and 317 patients with coronary heart disease or non-valvular atrial fibrillation who did not take rivaroxaban during the same period in our hospital were selected as the control group. The general condition and the incidence of AKD were compared between the two groups, and the influencing factors of AKD were analyzed by logistic regression analysis.Results:The prothrombin time and international normalized ratio were higher in the rivaroxaban group than those in the control group (both P<0.01). There was no significant difference in age, gender, serum creatinine and urea level between the two groups. The incidence of AKD in the rivaroxaban group was 4.30%(12/279), and the incidence of AKD in the control group was 1.26%(4/317). The relative risk ( RR) of the two groups of patients was 3.409. Logistic regression analysis showed that older age (≥75 years old, OR=1.166, 95% CI 1.012-1.343, P=0.033) and diabetes ( OR=34.261, 95% CI 1.639-716.326, P=0.023) were risk factors for AKD in patients taking rivaroxaban. Rivaroxaban was a risk factor for AKD in patients with coronary heart disease or non-valvular atrial fibrillation ( OR=3.500, 95% CI 1.115-10.988, P=0.032). Conclusions:The incidence of AKD in patients taking rivaroxaban for the first time due to coronary heart disease or non-valvular atrial fibrillation was 4.30%. Taking rivaroxaban is a risk factor for AKD in patients with coronary heart disease or non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Older age and diabetes are the risk factors for AKD in the rivaroxaban group.

BACKGROUND: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been proved to be related to the occurrence of diabetes, dilated cardiomyopathy and neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, it is closely associated with osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of ER stress on the chondrocyte viability as well as the occurrence and development of osteoarthritis in rats. METHODS: Rat chondrocytes were isolated and cultured, and the ER stress in the rat chondrocytes was by 10 mg/L tunicamycin. The expression levels of ER stress markers C/EBP-homologous protein and 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein were detected by western blot assay, and the proliferation and apoptosis of chondrocytes were detected by cell counting kit-8 assay and AnnexinV-FITC flow cytometry, respectively. In the in vivo experiment, 15 Sprague-Dawley rats were selected and subjected to anterior cruciate ligament transection and medial meniscectomy to establish an animal model of osteoarthritis. Tunicamycin, tauroursodeoxycholic acid and PBS (blank control group) were respectively injected into the articular cavity, and then the progression of osteoarthritis was assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining at 4 weeks after treatment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After addition of tunicamycin, the expression levels of C/EBP-homologous protein and 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein were significantly upregulated, the viability of chondrocytes was decreased gradually, while the apoptotic rate was increased significantly. Results from gross observation and hematoxylin-eosin staining suggested that tunicamycin promoted the progression of osteoarthritis and tauroursodeoxycholic acid delayed the deterioration of cartilage in the rats. These findings indicate that ER stress results in the decreased chondrocyte viability and increased apoptosis, which may be an important pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. Additionally, tauroursodeoxycholic acid can effectively alleviate osteoarthritis induced by ER stress.

BACKGROUND:Primary culture in vitro of neurons plays an important role in the development, regeneration, signal transduction mechanisms, neuropharmacology and gene expressions of the nervous system.
OBJECTIVE:To establish a simple method for primary culture of high-purity cortical neurons in neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats.
METHODS:Cortical tissues were acquired from neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats born 1 day. In traditional experimental group, the whole cortex was removed;in improved experimental group, the cortical tissues, 2-3 mm thick on the brain surface were removed. Single cel suspensions were prepared after papain digestion and centrifugation and were then seeded onto 24-wel culture plates containing neuron solutions for primary culture (1×105 per wel ). Cel s were identified by neuronal specific markers MAP-2 and Tuj1 after 3-day culture. The number of neurons and neurite length were observed under inverted phase contrast microscope and recorded at 6, 24, 48 and 72 hours, 5 and 7 days of culture, resprctively.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The cultured cel s expressing MAP-2 and Tuj1 were neurons that could be used in the fol owing experiments. The purity of neurons in the improved experimental group was 92%at 3 days, while only 51%in the traditional experimental group. Cel s in both two groups had attached to the wal presenting with smal processes at 6 hours, and a simple neural network formed at the 3rd day until dense neural networks could be found at the 5th day. To conclude, our culture method herein is simple and convenient, and can be used to produce neurons with high purity, which wil be helpful for the experimental studies on cortical neurons from Sprague-Dawley rats.