ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanism of decoctions from four kinds of processed products of Aconiti Radix Lateralis Praeparata（ARLP） in deficiency-cold syndrome. MethodsA total of 36 SD rats were randomly divided into the control group， model group， Shengfupian（SFP） group， Paofuzi（PFZ） group， Heishunpian（HSP） group and Paofupian（PFP） group with 6 rats in each group. Except for the control group， rats in other groups were administered hydrocortisone sodium succinate via intramuscular injection to induce a cold deficiency syndrome model. After 14 consecutive days， each ARLP decoction pieces was administered via continuous gastric lavage at a dose of 12 g·kg^-1·d^-1 for 7 d， while the control and model groups received an equivalent volume of physiological saline. After the end of administration， body weight， spleen weight and thymus weight were measured for calculating the spleen and thymus indexes. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe the pathological morphology of adrenal tissue. The fully automatic biochemistry analyzer was used to measure the total cholesterol（TC）， triglyceride（TG）， lactic dehydrogenase（LDH） and lactate（LAC） levels in serum. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） was employed to measure the contents of 17-hydroxycorticosteroid（17-OHCS）， cortisol（CORT）， triiodothyronine（T₃）， thyroxine（T₄）， thyrotropin（TSH）， immunoglobulin（Ig） M， IgG， cyclic adenosine monophosphate（cAMP） and cyclic guanosine monophosphate（cGMP）. Western blot was used to measure the protein expression levels of protein kinase A（PKA）， cAMP response element-binding protein（CREB）， silent information regulator 1（Sirt1） and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α（PGC-1α）. And high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） was used to determine the content of major alkaloids， followed by Pearson correlation analysis with pharmacodynamic indicators. ResultsAfter modeling， compare with the control group， the model rats exhibited symptoms such as lethargy and loose stools， mild abnormalities were observed in adrenal tissue structure， and both spleen and thymus indices were significantly reduced（P<0.01）. Thyroid， adrenal and immune system functions were suppressed， with decreased serum cAMP level and significantly elevated cGMP level（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the adrenal injury by hydrocortisone sodium succinate were repaired and the spleen index were increased significantly in all four ARLP groups（P<0.05， P<0.01）. The thymus index in SFP and PFZ groups were increased significantly（P<0.05）. The contents of T₃， TSH， 17-OHCS and CORT were increased significantly in SFP and PFZ groups（P<0.05）. In addition， the content of IgG in SFP， PFZ and PFP groups were increased significantly（P<0.01）， while the content of IgM in PFZ and HSP groups were also increased significantly（P<0.05）. Regarding the cyclic nucleotide system， PFZ significantly elevated cAMP level while reducing cGMP level（P<0.05）， exhibiting the most pronounced effect among the four decoction pieces. For energy metabolism indicators， PFZ significantly improved abnormal markers including TC， TG， LDH， and LAC（P<0.05）. HSP showed marked improvement effects on TG， LDH， and LAC（P<0.05）. Both PFZ and SFP significantly elevated the expression levels of PKA， CREB， Sirt1， and PGC-1α proteins（P<0.01）. Additionally， the diester alkaloids in ARLP showed a strong positive correlation with TG， IgG， and CORT， a strong negative correlation with LAC， a moderate positive correlation with T₄， and moderate negative correlations with cAMP and spleen index. Monomeric alkaloids showed strong positive correlations with TG and IgG， strong negative correlations with LAC， moderate positive correlations with CORT and T₄， and moderate negative correlations with cAMP and spleen index. However， the content of water-soluble alkaloids showed strong positive correlations with TC， LDH， 17-OHCS， T₃， TSH， and thymus index， moderate positive correlations with cAMP， CORT， T₄， and spleen index， and moderate negative correlation with cGMP. ConclusionAmong different processed ARLP decoction pieces， PFZ processed according to ZHANG Zhongjing's method exhibits the most potent warming and cold-dispelling effects. Its pharmacological actions are mediated through regulating the thyroid， adrenal， immune， cyclic nucleotide systems， and material-energy metabolism pathways. Among these， water-soluble alkaloids show strong or moderate correlations with more indicators of deficiency-cold syndrome and exhibit the highest content in PFZ. Therefore， PFZ processed according to ZHANG Zhongjing's method may exert its warming and cold-dispelling effects through water-soluble alkaloids.

Osteoarthritis (OA), a highly prevalent degenerative joint disease worldwide, is defined by articular cartilage degradation, abnormal bone remodeling, and persistent chronic inflammation. It severely compromises patients’ quality of life, and currently, there is no radical cure. Abnormal mechanical stress is widely regarded as a core driver of OA pathogenesis, and the exploration of mechanical signal perception and transduction mechanisms has become crucial for deciphering OA’s pathophysiological processes. Piezo1, a key mechanosensitive cation channel belonging to the Piezo protein family, has recently gained significant attention due to its pivotal role in mediating cellular responses to mechanical stimuli in joint tissues. This review systematically examines Piezo1’s expression patterns, regulatory mechanisms, and pathological functions in OA, with a particular focus on its dual roles in modulating chondrocyte homeostasis and bone metabolism disorders, while also delving into the underlying molecular signaling pathways and potential therapeutic implications. Piezo1, consisting of approximately 2 500 amino acids and forming a unique trimeric propeller-like structure, is widely expressed in chondrocytes, osteocytes, mesenchymal stem cells, and synovial cells. It exhibits permeability to cations such as Ca²⁺, K⁺, and Na⁺, and directly responds to membrane tension changes induced by mechanical stimuli like fluid shear stress and mechanical overload. In OA patients and animal models, Piezo1 expression is significantly upregulated, especially in cartilage regions subjected to abnormal mechanical stress (e.g., human temporomandibular joint cartilage). This overexpression is closely associated with aggravated cartilage degeneration, increased chondrocyte apoptosis, accelerated cellular senescence, and intensified inflammatory responses. Mechanical overload and pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β) are key inducers of Piezo1 upregulation: IL-1β activates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to enhance Piezo1 expression, forming a pathogenic positive feedback loop that inhibits chondrocyte autophagy, promotes apoptosis, and further accelerates joint degeneration. Mechanistically, Piezo1 mediates OA progression through multiple interconnected pathways. When activated by mechanical stress, Piezo1 triggers excessive Ca²⁺ influx, leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and mitochondrial dysfunction, which directly induce chondrocyte apoptosis. This process involves the activation of downstream signaling cascades such as cGAS-STING and YAP-MMP13/ADAMTS5. YAP, a transcriptional regulator, upregulates the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and aggrecanase (ADAMTS5), thereby accelerating cartilage matrix degradation. Additionally, Piezo1-driven Ca²⁺ overload promotes the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and upregulates senescence markers (p16 and p21), accelerating chondrocyte senescence via the p38MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Senescent chondrocytes secrete senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors (e.g., IL-6, IL-1β), further amplifying joint inflammation. In terms of bone metabolism, Piezo1 maintains joint homeostasis by promoting the differentiation of fibrocartilage stem cells into chondrocytes and balancing bone formation and resorption through regulating the FoxC1/YAP axis and RANKL/OPG ratio. Therapeutically, targeting Piezo1 shows promising potential. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that Piezo1 inhibitors (e.g., GsMTx4) can reduce joint damage and alleviate pain in OA mice. Simultaneously, siRNA-mediated co-silencing of Piezo1 and TRPV4 (another mechanosensitive channel) decreases intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration, inhibits chondrocyte apoptosis, and promotes cartilage repair. Conditional knockout of Piezo1 using Gdf5-Cre transgenic mice alleviates cartilage degeneration in post-traumatic OA models by downregulating MMP13 and ADAMTS5 expression. Despite existing challenges, such as off-target effects of inhibitors, inefficient local drug delivery, and interindividual genetic variability, strategies like developing selective Piezo1 antagonists, optimizing targeted nanocarriers, and combining Piezo1-targeted therapy with physical therapy provide viable avenues for clinical translation. The authors propose that Piezo1 serves as a critical therapeutic target for OA, and future research should focus on deciphering its context-dependent regulatory networks, developing tissue-specific intervention strategies, and validating their efficacy and safety in clinical trials to address the unmet medical needs of OA patients.

Although global brain science research has progressed rapidly in recent decades, several fundamental questions in neuroscience remain unresolved. In particular, the physical mechanism underlying neural signal transmission remains controversial, and the carriers responsible for neural information storage and retrieval have not yet been fully clarified. These unresolved issues motivate us to re-examine the processes of neural information generation, transmission, integration, storage, and retrieval from multiple perspectives. A key observation is that neural electromagnetic activities are closely associated with time. Their duration, temporal structure, and dynamic evolution play crucial roles in neural information processing. In this work, we analyze neural electromagnetic activities from the perspective of temporal scales (referred to here as the “time course”). By reviewing and integrating findings from previous studies, we examine the characteristic time requirements and dynamic features of neural processes occurring at different stages of information processing. These stages include neural signal generation, signal transmission along axons, synaptic integration, synaptic plasticity, and memory formation and retrieval. Based on this temporal analysis, we outline a framework describing neural electromagnetic activities across a wide range of time scales, spanning from microseconds to minutes, hours, or even longer periods associated with long-term memory, which suggests that neural information processing involves multiple physical processes operating at different time levels. Rapid electromagnetic events may occur on microsecond scales, whereas electrophysiological phenomena such as action potentials typically last on the order of milliseconds. Longer time scales are associated with synaptic plasticity and memory-related processes. From this perspective, we propose that the physical carrier of neural information may be transient electromagnetic pulses with durations on the microsecond scale. In this framework, action potentials can be interpreted as the macroscopic electrophysiological manifestation of underlying electromagnetic processes triggered by ionic currents across neuronal membranes. Rather than being the fundamental neural signal itself, the action potential may represent a measurable membrane-level response associated with the successful activation of these electromagnetic events. Moreover, we discuss a possible mechanism for long-term memory storage. Considering the apparent temporal contradiction between the millisecond-scale excitation of neurons and the long-term persistence of memories, we believe that long-term memory information may be stored within neural network topologies formed by electrical synapse coupling. Such structures, referred to as electrically coupled memory networks (ECMNs), may enable neurons within the same network to respond rapidly and synchronously to stimuli, thereby facilitating efficient memory retrieval. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of considering the temporal organization of neural electromagnetic activities when interpreting neural signaling mechanisms. It may provide new insights into the physical nature of neural information carriers and the mechanisms of memory storage and retrieval. Furthermore, highlighting the potential role of electromagnetic interactions in neural activity may contribute to the development of new theoretical frameworks and experimental approaches in neuroscience. Such perspectives may also offer valuable references for future research on neural coding, brain function mechanisms, and neuromodulation technologies.

Hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITHOC) is a localized treatment that combines hyperthermia with medications such as chemotherapy, anti-angiogenic agents, targeted therapy, or immunotherapeutic agents. It has advanced clinical progress for conditions such as malignant pleural mesothelioma, pleural metastasis of lung cancer, and pleural dissemination of thymic tumors. Systematic analyses indicate that as an adjuvant therapy to cytoreductive surgery, HITHOC improves patient survival and effectively controls pleural effusion and pleural metastasis. It exerts antitumor effects by enhancing drug penetration through thermal effects, inducing apoptosis, and modulating the immune microenvironment. HITHOC combined with systemic therapies (e.g., chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy) demonstrates synergistic potential, but its role as a local treatment should be clearly defined as adjunctive within the comprehensive management of advanced-stage patients. Further research is needed to clarify its indications, standardized protocols, and long-term efficacy and to explore optimized regimens and personalized combination treatment strategies. This review delves into the key bottlenecks hindering the development of hyperthermia therapy, such as the lack of high-level evidence-based medicine and the absence of standardized diagnostic and efficacy evaluation criteria, and proposes potential solutions.

BACKGROUND:Lijin manipulation can promote skeletal muscle repair and treat skeletal muscle injury.However,the formation of fibrosis and scar tissue hyperplasia are closely related to the quality of skeletal muscle repair.To study the regulatory effect of Lijin manipulation on the formation of fibrosis and scar tissue hyperplasia is helpful to explain the related mechanism of Lijin manipulation to improve the repair quality of skeletal muscle injury. OBJECTIVE:To explore the mechanism of Lijin manipulation to improve the repair quality of skeletal muscle injury in rabbits,thereby providing a scientific basis for clinical treatment. METHODS:Forty-five healthy adult Japanese large-ear white rabbits were randomly divided into blank group,model group and Lijin group,with 15 rats in each group.Gastrocnemius strike modeling was performed in both model group and Lijin group.The Lijin group began to intervene with tendon manipulation on the 3rd day after modeling,once a day,and 15 minutes at a time.Five animals in each group were killed on the 7th,14th and 21st days after modeling.The morphology and inflammatory cell count of gastrocnemius were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining,the collagen fiber amount was observed by Masson staining,the expression of interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 in gastrocnemius was detected by ELISA.The protein and mRNA expressions of paired cassette gene 7,myogenic differentiation factor,myoblastogenin,alpha-actin,transforming growth factor beta 1,and type Ⅰ collagen were detected by western blot and RT-PCR,respectively,and the expression of type Ⅰ collagen protein was detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson staining showed that compared with the model group,inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber content decreased in the Lijin group(P<0.01),and the muscle fibers gradually healed.ELISA results showed that compared with the model group,the expression of interleukin-6 in the Lijin group continued to decrease(P<0.05),and the expression of interleukin-10 increased on the 7th day after modeling(P<0.05)and then showed a decreasing trend(P<0.05).Western blot and RT-PCR results showed that compared with the model group,the protein and mRNA expressions of paired cassette gene 7,myogenic differentiation factor,myoblastogenin in the Lijin group were significantly increased on the 14th day after modeling(P<0.05),but decreased on the 21st day(P<0.05);the protein and mRNA expressions of alpha-actin,transforming growth factor beta 1,and type Ⅰ collagen in the Lijin group were significantly decreased compared with those in the model group(P<0.05).Immunohistochemical results showed that the expression of type Ⅰ collagen in the Lijin group was significantly lower than that in the model group(P<0.05).To conclude,Lijin manipulation could improve the repair quality of skeletal muscle injury by inhibiting inflammation,promoting the proliferation and differentiation of muscle satellite cells,and reducing fibrosis.

Background::The increasing incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) presents significant medical and societal challenges. A well-designed IBD database is crucial for both epidemiological studies and clinical management. However, inconsistencies between regional databases hinder cross-institutional and international research, especially between Eastern and Western societies.Methods::We developed a new IBD database, the 301 IBD database, integrating the IBD clinical characteristics from the Penn IBD database (USA) and the latest IBD guidelines and consensus and clinical practices of the Chinese PLA General Hospital (PLAGH). We applied this database to analyze clinical data of IBD inpatients at PLAGH from 2008 to 2023.Results::The 301 IBD database contains 490 items in 6 sections including demographic characteristics, personal history, clinical phenotype, disease activity, laboratory tests and examinations, and treatment. Features of the 301 IBD database include inpatient focus, biochemical indicators and opportunistic infection focus, and more about ulcerative colitis (UC)-associated complications. Single-center analysis revealed an increasing hospitalization trend, from 2.35% in 2008 to 3.94% in 2023. We found that the clinical characteristics of our UC inpatients are predominantly male (62.5%), extensive lesions (55.1%), low usage of biologics (4.1%), and a high incidence of UC-CRC (3.0%). The clinical characteristics of CD inpatients included male predominance (68.39%), early onset age (35.43 ± 14.75-year-old), and high rate of surgery (25.81%).Conclusion::The 301 IBD database, integrating Eastern and Western clinical data, provides a valuable tool for IBD clinical research. Future international, multicenter collaborations are expected to further enhance its utility.

Objective To investigate the effect and safety of esketamine combined with general anesthesia and ultrasound-guided cervical plexus block in axillary endoscopic thyroidectomy.Methods The subjects of this study,112 female patients who underwent axillary endoscopic thyroidectomy in our hospital from January 2022 to October 2024,were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group,each with 56 cases.All patients were administered with ultrasound-guided cervical plexus block followed by general anesthesia.The observation group was injected with 0.1 mg/kg of esketamine prior to anesthesia induction and continuously pumped with esketamine at a rate of 0.1 mg/(kg·h)during the operation until sutures were completed,while the control group was administered with an equal volume of normal saline following the same procedure.The vital sign indicators[mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR)and percutaneous arterial oxygen saturation(SpO2)]immediately after establishing electrocardiogram monitoring(T0),immediately before tracheal intubation(T1),immediately after tracheal intubation(T2),immediately after skin incision(T3)and immediately after the operation(T4)were compared between the two groups.Surgical related indicators such as propofol dosage,remifentanil dosage,and extubation time were also compared between them.Pain visual analogue scale(VAS)scores were performed on patients from the two groups at 1,6,12,and 24 h postoperatively.The 40-item quality of recovery score(QoR-40)was used before the surgeries and 1 d after surgeries to assess the patients.Adverse reactions were also compared.Results The difference was significant in terms of MAP,HR time effect in the two groups(F=24.63,F=20.11,P<0.05)and inter-group MAP,HR values(F=13.54,F=11.49,P<0.05).There were statistically significant differences in the interaction effects of MAP and HR between the two groups(F=4.10,F=3.46,P<0.05).The difference was not statistically significant in time,inter group,and interaction effects of SpO2(P>0.05).The dosage of propofol,remifentanil,and postoperative 1 d drainage in the observation group were less than those in the control group,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The differences were not statistically signiciant in extubation time and awakening time between the two groups(P>0.05).The VAS scores at 1,6,12,and 24 h after operation in the observation groups were lower than those in the control group,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Physical comfort,pain dimension ratings,and total score of the QoR-40 scale:1)those 1 d after operation were lower than those before operation in both groups(P<0.05);2)1 d after operation:those in the control group were lower than those in the observation group(P<0.05).The control group witnessed a remarkable decrease in QoR-40 emotional state rating 1 d after operation than it did before operation(P<0.05),while no significant change was seen by the observation group in this regard(P>0.05).The incidence of coughing after extubation in the observation group was lower than that in the control group(14.29%and 37.50%),the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The differences were not statistically signiciant in the incidence of other adverse reactions such as nausea,vomiting,dizziness,headache,respiratory depression,awakening restlessness and awakening delirium between the two groups(P>0.05).The total incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group(25.00%and 66.07%,P<0.05).Conclusion The application of esketamine combined with general anesthesia and ultrasound-guided cervical plexus block in axillary endoscopic thyroidectomy can significantly stabilize hemodynamics in patients,reduce postoperative pain,and promote postoperative recovery.It is worthy clinical application.

Objective To explore the relationship between serum Niemann-pick type C1 like protein1(NPC1L1)and propro-tein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9(PCSK9)levels and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)in Mongolian residents.Methods A total of 72 Mongolian patients with T2DM treated in Peking University Cancer Hospital,Inner Mongolia Hospital and the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from June 2022 to June 2024 were selected as the T2DM group,and 81 healthy people in the same period were selected as the control group.LASSO model and multivariate Logistic regression model were used to screen the risk factors of disease onset.Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the correlation between NPC1L1 and PCSK9 levels and insulin function.Restricted cubic spline(RCS)model was used to analyze the dose-response relationship between NPC1L1 and PCSK9 levels and the incidence of T2DM,and explored the interaction between NPC1L1 and PCSK9 levels on the incidence of T2DM.Results NPC1L1(3.11±0.80 ng/L)and PCSK9(10.63±0.79 ng/L)in T2DM group were significantly higher than those in the control group(0.52±0.22 ng/L,3.21±0.17 ng/L),and the differences were statisti-cally significant(t=27.982,82.443,all P<0.05).NPC1L1(OR=2.458,95%CI=2.364～2.594,P<0.05)and PCSK9(OR=2.905,95%CI=2.541～3.528)were risk factors for T2DM(all P<0.001).The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that as NPC1L1 and PCSK9 levels increased,FINS,HbA1c,C-P and OGTT levels also increased accordingly.With the increase of NPC1L1 and PCSK9 levels,insulin function also decreased(all P<0.05).The results of RCS model showed that with the increase of NPC1L1 and PCSK9 levels,the probability of T2DM incidence also increased(χ2=22.334,25.537,all P<0.001).No significant interaction was found between NPC1L1,PCSK9 levels and islet function indexes(P>0.05).Conclusion The levels of NPC1L1 and PCSK9 are closely related to the risk of T2DM in Mongolian residents.With the increase of NPC1L1 and PCSK9 levels,the incidence probability of T2DM increases.

Objective To explore a nomogram of intratumor and peritumor radiomics based on enhanced CT venous phase to pre-operatively predict the pathological grade of poorly differentiated esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).Methods A retro-spective selection was made of 266 ESCC patients confirmed by pathology(76 cases of poorly differentiated;190 cases of non-poorly differentiated),and all patients were randomly divided into training set(n=186),validation set(n=80),and full data set(n=266).Tumors were segmented on the enhanced CT venous phase to create three-dimensional region of interest(ROI)of intratumor,peritu-mor 0.3 cm,and intratumor+peritumor 0.3 cm.A total of 2 553 radiomics features were extracted.After feature dimensionality reduc-tion,XGboost machine learning algorithm was utilized to rank the top fifteen features.Stepwise forward multiple logistic regression was employed to identify the most significant features.The radiomics scores of the intratumor,peritumor 0.3 cm,and intratumor+peritu-mor 0.3 cm were calculated.The diagnostic efficacy of the model was evaluated using the area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,calibration curve and decision curve analysis(DCA).Results The nomogram constructed based on radiomics scores of intratumor,peritumor 0.3 cm,intratumor+peritumor 0.3 cm in the training set for preoperative prediction of poorly differentiated ESCC had an AUC of 0.899[95％confidence interval(CI)0.846-0.938],and it was well validated in the vali-dation set(AUC 0.869,95％CI 0.775-0.934)and the full data set(AUC 0.889,95％CI 0.845-0.924).Additionally,calibration curves and DCA indicated that the nomogram achieved good calibration ability in the three cohorts and offered greater clinical net benefit.Conclusion The nomogram based on enhanced CT venous phase intratumor and peritumor radiomics achieves a high and stable diagnostic efficacy for preoperatively predicting poorly differentiated ESCC,which may help with individualized surgical selec-tion and management before surgery.

Objective:To analyze the evolution and diffusion characteristics of policies related to life expectancy(LE)and healthy life expectancy(HLE)in China from 1982 to 2024 using a biometric approach to policy analysis,revealing the patterns of policy diffusion.Methods:By retrieving databases such as PKULAW.com,We comprehensively collected 701 policy documents closely related to LE and HLE during the period(including 62 central policies and 639 local policies),the policy diffusion process was quantified in four dimensions:diffusion intensity,diffusion breadth,diffusion speed and diffusion direction by using the policy—reference network analysis method.Results:Related policy has gone through the germination period(1982-2001),the development period(2002-2010),the rapid rise period(2011-2015)and the four stages of innovation and pioneering period(2016—present).Policy diffusion is influenced by the hierarchical level of the issuing institution,policy type,and regional economic development level.Policies promulgated by central institutions exhibit stronger and broader diffusion,with guideline—type policies diffusing most widely.The diffusion rate follows a trend of"initial growth,followed by deceleration,and then a slight increase."The primary diffusion directions are vertical diffusion from central to local levels and horizontal diffusion among peers.Conclusion:The diffusion of policies related to LE and HLE is characterized by significant stages,regions and levels.