A 51-year-old male presented with nasal obstruction, followed by progressive hearing loss and blurred vision. Imaging identified space-occupying lesions in the paranasal sinuses, orbits, and paraspinal regions, while laboratory tests confirmed positive anti-proteinase 3 anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody(PR3- ANCA) immunoglobulin G (IgG)and markedly elevated serum IgG4. Despite treatment with corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and radiotherapy, the patient exhibited steroid dependency with relentless disease progression. Following multidisciplinary consultation, a diagnosis of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) coexisting with ANCA- associated vasculitis (AAV) was favored, though IgG4-related disease remained a critical differential. Ultimately, profound immunosuppression precipitated a severe herpesvirus infection, leading to disseminated intravascular coagulation and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. This case underscores the rarity and diagnostic complexity of concurrent IMT and AAV, highlights the therapeutic dilemma of balancing primary disease control against fatal opportunistic infections, and emphasizes the critical role of multidisciplinary collaboration in the diagnosis and treatment of complex diseases.

Renal Fanconi syndrome (FS) is a rare renal manifestation of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). This study aims to analyze the clinical and prognostic characteristics of patients with pSS-associated renal FS (pSS-FS) and provide insights for clinical management.

Rheumatoid arthritis belongs to arthralgia in the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, with cold dampness obstruction pattern (CDO) and damp heat obstruction pattern (DHO) as the main pattern types. Fine therapeutic effects have been obtained in clinical practice following the differentiation of CDO and DHO. However, suitable animal models are not available currently. For adapting to the clinical diagnosis, as well as carrying out basic research of integrated Chinese and Western medicine and preclinical study on new Chinese medicine in a better way, the “Guidelines for Establishing Animal Models of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Cold Dampness Obstruction Pattern and Damp Heat Obstruction Pattern” (referred to as “Guidelines”) were compiled by our research group in cooperation with renowned experts in clinical, pharmaceutical, zoological, and methodological research fields. According to the theory of disease and syndrome integration, experts standardized the establishment methods for animal models of rheumatoid arthritis with CDO and DHO. The Guidelines were compiled via the nominal group method according to the principle of evidence coming in main place, consensus as the auxiliary, and experience as the references. Contents such as animal species, arthritis induction methods, external stimulation conditions, and assessment indicators were specified in the Guidelines based on the comprehensive evaluation of pathogenesis homology, behavioral phenotypic consistency, and drug therapy predictability between animal models and human diseases. The Guidelines will be applicable to the research on syndromes in rheumatoid arthritis, elucidation of acting mechanism, and development of new medicine, and provide reference for standardizing other types of animal models with the integration of disease and syndrome, to promote the modernization of Chinese medicine research.

AIM: To investigate the correlation between fundus blood flow parameters and carotid artery ultrasound blood flow parameters in patients with hypertensive retinopathy(HRP).METHODS: A total of 50 patients(22 left eyes and 28 right eyes)with HRP admitted to our hospital from June 2021 to June 2023 were retrospectively included as the experimental group, and 50 healthy physical examination subjects(22 left eyes and 28 right eyes)during the same period were included as the healthy group. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between fundus blood flow parameters and carotid artery ultrasound blood flow parameters.RESULTS: The AUC values of fundus blood flow parameters and carotid artery ultrasound blood flow parameters and their combined diagnosis of HRP were 0.853, 0.844 and 0.935, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed that carotid systolic peak blood flow velocity was negatively correlated with foveal avascular zone(FAZ)area, FAZ circumference and non-circularity index, and positively correlated with macular vascular density(all P<0.05). The end-diastolic blood flow velocity was positively correlated with FAZ area and macular vascular density(all P<0.05). The internal carotid artery resistance index was positively correlated with FAZ area(P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The combination of fundus blood flow parameters and carotid artery ultrasound blood flow parameters in the diagnosis of HRP has good application value in the diagnosis of HRP.

Geraniin, a polyphenol derived from the fruit peel of Nephelium lappaceum L., has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in the cardiovascular system. The present study explored whether geraniin could protect against an isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac hypertrophy model. Mice in the ISO group received an intraperitoneal injection of ISO (5 mg/kg) once daily for 9 days, and the administration group were injected with ISO after 5 days of treatment with geraniin or spironolactone. Potential therapeutic effects and related mechanisms analysed by anatomical coefficients, histopathology, blood biochemical indices, reverse transcription-PCR and immunoblotting. Geraniin decreased the cardiac pathologic remodeling and myocardial fibrosis induced by ISO, as evidenced by the modifications to anatomical coefficients, as well as the reduction in collagen I/III á1mRNA and protein expression and cross-sectional area in hypertrophic cardiac tissue. In addition, geraniin treatment reduced ISO-induced increase in the mRNA and protein expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α, whereas ISO-induced IL-10 showed the opposite behaviour in hypertrophic cardiac tissue.Further analysis showed that geraniin partially reversed the ISO-induced increase in malondialdehyde and nitric oxide, and the ISO-induced decrease in glutathione, superoxide dismutase and glutathione. Furthermore, it suppressed the ISO-induced cellular apoptosis of hypertrophic cardiac tissue, as evidenced by the decrease in Bcell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)-associated X/caspase-3/caspase-9 expression, increase in Bcl-2 expression, and decrease in TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells.These findings suggest that geraniin can attenuate ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis.

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male sexual dysfunction. Gut microbiota plays an important role in various diseases. To investigate the effects and mechanisms of intestinal flora dysregulation induced by high-fat diet (HFD) on erectile function. Materials and Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into the normal diet (ND) and HFD groups. After 24 weeks, a measurement of erectile function was performed. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples. Then, we established fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) rat models by transplanting fecal microbiota from rats of ND group and HFD group to two new groups of rats respectively. After 24 weeks, erectile function of the rats was evaluated and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed, and serum samples were collected for the untargeted metabolomics detection. Results: The erectile function of rats and the species diversity of intestinal microbiota in the HFD group was significantly lower, and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were also significantly different between the two groups. The erectile function of rats in the HFD-FMT group was significantly lower than that of rats in the ND-FMT group. The characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were significantly different. In the HFD-FMT group, 27 metabolites were significantly different and they were mainly involved in the several inflammation-related pathways. Conclusions Intestinal microbiota disorders induced by HFD can damage the intestinal barrier of rats, change the serum metabolic profile, induce low-grade inflammation and apoptosis in the corpus cavernosum of the penis, and lead to ED.

Glaucoma is a group of optic nerve disorders characterized by progressive optic nerve atrophy and visual field defects, which can lead to irreversible blindness. Early diagnosis of glaucoma is essential for preventing visual loss. However, due to the absence of obvious early symptoms, the diagnosis of glaucoma remains challenging. Visual electrophysiological examinations, an objective approach for evaluating visual function, have the potential to be used in the early diagnosis of glaucoma. This review integrates the latest publications to introduce visual electrophysiological examination techniques, including electroretinography(ERG)and visual evoked potential(VEP). It also explores the mechanisms underlying these techniques and their application value in the early diagnosis of glaucoma. In addition, this review summarizes the advantages, limitations, and applicable scenarios of different visual electrophysiological techniques. Finally, the review provides an outlook on the development prospects of visual electrophysiological techniques in the early diagnosis of glaucoma. The findings of this review can assist clinicians in selecting appropriate diagnostic methods, promote the innovation and development of early visual electrophysiological diagnostic techniques for glaucoma, and contribute to reducing the risk of blindness caused by glaucoma.

Objective To compare the effects of dexmedetomidine and midazolam on intraoperative blood pressure and postoperative 90-day outcome of endovascular treatment(EVT)in patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusive stroke.Methods Retrospective consecutive patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke who received EVT within 24 hours of onset,admitted to the Department of Neurology at the Second People's Hospital of Hefei from January 2024 to February 2025 were included.Patients were divided into the dexmedetomidine group and the midazolam group based on the choice of sedative in EVT.Baseline and clinical data were collected from patients,including sex,age,medical history(hypertension,diabetes,atrial fibrillation,stroke history),smoking history,blood pressure at admission(systolic,diastolic,mean arterial pressure),National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score at admission,trial of Org 10172 in acute stroke treatment(TOAST)classification,and site of vascular occlusion(internal carotid artery,M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery).Procedure related parameters,including intravenous thrombolysis before EVT,intraoperative use of tirofiban,modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction(mTICI)grade,thrombectomy techniques(stent-retriever thrombectomy,aspiration thrombectomy,combined stent-retriever and aspiration thrombectomy,and other salvage measures),number of thrombectomy,time from onset to revascularization,time from puncture to revascularization,blood pressure during EVT(minimum systolic,minimum diastolic,and minimum mean arterial pressure),and blood pressure at the end of EVT(systolic,diastolic,and mean arterial pressure).The primary outcome was good prognosis at 90 days after EVT(modified Rankin scale score of 0-2 at 90 days),while secondary outcome was＞20％decrease in mean arterial pressure during EVT,early neurological improvement(ENI;a decrease on NIHSS score no less than 8 or a reduction of NIHSS score to 0-1 at 24 hours after EVT),and early neurological deterioration(END;an increase of more than 2 points on the NIHSS at 24 hours after procedure).Safety outcomes included any intracranial hemorrhage within 48 hours after EVT,symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 48 hours after EVT(sICH;intracranial hemorrhage confirmed by head CT leading to neurological deterioration,with an increase in NIHSS score of at least 4 points,or the presence of potentially fatal intracranial hemorrhage on head CT),pneumonia within 2 weeks after EVT,and the 90-day mortality after EVT.The baseline and clinical data,EVT conditions,primary outcome,secondary outcome,and safety indicators were compared between the two groups.Univariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the variables associated with a decrease in mean arterial pressure＞20％during EVT in patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusive stroke.Variables with P＜0.15 and those considered potentially influential based on clinical experience were included in multivariate Logistic regression analysis to identify predictors of a＞20％decrease in mean arterial pressure during EVT in patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusive stroke.Results A total of 93 patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusive stroke who underwent EVT were included,comprising 51 males and 42 females,aged 34 to 99 years,with an average of(71±13)years old.Among them,63 patients were in the dexmedetomidine group,and 30 patients were in the midazolam group.33 patients showed＞20％decreases in mean arterial pressure during EVT,while 60 patients had ≤20％decreases.(1)Compare with the midazolam group,the proportion of female patients in the dexmedetomidine group was lower(36.5％[23/63]vs.63.3％[19/30],P=0.015),and the age was younger([69±13]years vs.[77±13]years,P=0.005).There were no statistically significant differences in other baseline and clinical data(all P＞0.05).(2)In comparison with the midazolam group,the dexmedetomidine group had a higher proportion of patients with more thrombectomy procedures(1.00[1.00,2.00]times vs.1.00[1.00,1.25]times,P=0.011),END(27.0％[17/63]vs.6.7％[2/30],P=0.023),sICH within 48 hours(19.0％[12/63]vs.3.3％[1/30],P=0.041),and a decrease in mean arterial pressure＞20％during EVT(42.9％[27/63]vs.20.0％[6/30],P=0.031).There were no statistically significant differences in the remaining EVT conditions,primary outcome,secondary outcome,and safety indicators(all P＞0.05).(3)The results of univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that diastolic blood pressure at admission(P=0.002),mean arterial pressure at admission(P=0.009),and dexmedetomidine sedation(P=0.036)were the influencing factors of a decrease＞20％in mean arterial pressure during EVT in patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke.(4)The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that dexmedetomidine sedation(OR,3.271,95％CI 1.057-10.126,P=0.040)and higher diastolic blood pressure on admission(OR,1.105,95％CI 1.006-1.213,P=0.037)were independent predictors of a decrease over 20％in mean arterial pressure during EVT in patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusive stroke.Conclusions Dexmedetomidine is an independent predictor of an over 20％decrease in mean arterial pressure during EVT in patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusive stroke,but there is no statistically significant differences in the rate of good neurological function at 90 days and 90-day mortality postoperatively between the two groups.Further prospective randomized controlled studies are needed.

Objective To explore the current status of penile erection hardness and its influencing factors in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia.Methods From January to December 2024,450 patients with non-obstructive azoospermia were surveyed at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Hospital.A self-made general information questionnaire was used to collect their demographic data.The Erectile Hardness Scale(EHS)was employed to investigate the current status of their penile erection hardness,and a self-made questionnaire was utilized to explore the influencing factors.Results Among the 450 patients with non-obstructive azoospermia,during sexual intercourse,35.3%of the patients reported that their penile erection hardness could reach grade 4(normal state),54.5%reported that it only reached grade 3(sub-optimal state),9.3%reported that it only reached grade 2(slight penile erection),and 0.9%reported that it only reached grade 1(inability to achieve an erection).In the survey of satisfaction with sexual life quality,among the 450 patients,only 24.9%were very satisfied with their sexual life quality;57.3%were basically satisfied;9.6%considered it average;4.0%were dissatisfied;3.1%were very dissatisfied;and 1.1%had no sexual life.alcohol consumption(OR=2.393,95%CI:1.493～3.836),satisfaction with the quality of sexual life(OR=1.455,95%CI:1.118～1.894),educational attainment(OR=0.709,95%CI:0.549～0.917),and the sleep quality in the past month(OR=0.641,95%CI:0.452～0.907).Conclusions Clinical studies have shown that factors such as drinking habits,sexual life satisfaction,sleep quality,and educational attainment collectively influence the penile erection hardness in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia.Therefore,the medical team needs to customize personalized intervention plans and educational materials based on individual differences among patients.Through psychological counseling and lifestyle guidance,they can improve erectile function and the quality of sexual life,promote harmonious marital relationships,and enhance the overall life experience of the patients.

Chinese medicine intestinal administration(CMIA)can avoid the degradation of drugs in gastric acid,bypass the first-pass effect of the liver,and deliver drugs directly to the lesion site.This approach increases local drug concentration,reduces drug dosage,and enhances bioavailability.This study systematically introduces the advantages,drug dosage forms,and whole-colon deliv-ery technologies of CMIA for treating UC,and reviews its mechanisms of action,including repairing intestinal epithelial layer and mu-cous layer,regulating the intestinal microbiota,improving immune function,and promoting local blood circulation.It also analyzes the current progress and limitations of research,aiming to provide a more solid theoretical basis for the treatment of UC with Chinese medi-cine and to offer references for the development of UC therapeutic drugs and administration methods.