OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of single-balloon and double-balloon enteroscopy in diagnosing pediatric small bowel diseases and assess the diagnostic efficacy of computed tomography enterography (CTE) for small bowel diseases using enteroscopy as the reference standard. METHODS: Clinical data from 576 children who underwent enteroscopy at Hunan Children's Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023 were retrospectively collected. The children were categorized based on enteroscopy type into the single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) group (n=457) and double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) group (n=119), and the clinical data were compared between the two groups. The sensitivity and specificity of CTE for diagnosing small bowel diseases were evaluated using enteroscopy results as the standard. RESULTS: Among the 576 children, small bowel lesions were detected by enteroscopy in 274 children (47.6%).There was no significant difference in lesion detection rates or complication rates between the SBE and DBE groups (P>0.05), but the DBE group had deeper insertion, longer procedure time, and higher complete small bowel examination rate (P<0.05). The complication rate during enteroscopy was 4.3% (25/576), with 18 cases (3.1%) of mild complications and 7 cases (1.2%) of severe complications, which improved with symptomatic treatment, surgical, or endoscopic intervention. Among the 412 children who underwent CTE, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases were 44.4% and 71.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS SBE and DBE have similar diagnostic efficacy for pediatric small bowel diseases, but DBE is preferred for suspected deep small bowel lesions and comprehensive small bowel examination. Enteroscopy in children demonstrates relatively good overall safety. CTE demonstrates relatively low sensitivity but comparatively high specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases.
Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Double-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data* ; Single-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Operative Time ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/statistics & numerical data* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Intestine, Small/surgery* ; Intestinal Diseases/surgery*

Aim To investigate the effects of lycopene on myocardial microvascular remodeling and elucidate its underlying mechanisms via the LXR/PI3K/Akt pathway.Methods 50 SD rats were selected to establish a coronary microcirculation disorder model and divided into sham,model and low/mid/high concentration lycopene groups.Left ven-tricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD),left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVESD),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFS)in rats were detected using echocardiography,creatine kinase(CK),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),platelet-derived growth factor(PDGF)were detected using ELISA,matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9),matrix metalloproteinase-2(MMP-2)and PI3K/Akt pathway related protein expression were detected using Western blot,and liver X receptor α(LXRα)and liver X receptor β(LXRβ)expression were detected using immunohistochemical staining.In vitro,a hypoxia model of myo-cardial microvascular endothelial cells(MCMEC)was established,with groups including control,hypoxia,hypoxia+low/mid/high concentration lycopene,LXR/PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor group and mitochondrial fission inhibitor group.Cell viability was detected using CCK-8,LXRα and LXRβ were detected using immunofluorescence,superoxide dismutase(SOD),reactive oxygen species(ROS),VEGF and PDGF levels were detected using ELISA,mitochondrial function-re-lated proteins(Drp1,Fis1,LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ,PINK1,Parkin and Opa1)and MMP-9,MMP-2 and PI3K/Akt pathway related proteins were detected using Western blot,and myocardial tissue injury was evaluated using HE staining.Results Compared with the sham group,the model group exhibited severe myocardial injury,with increased levels of LVEDD,LVESD,CK and LDH,decreased LVEF and LVFS,downregulated expression of VEGF,PDGF,MMP-9 and MMP-2,de-creased expression of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt,and downregulated expression of LXRα and LXRβ.In cells,com-pared with the control group,the hypoxia group showed decreased cell viability,downregulated expression of VEGF,PDGF,MMP-9,and MMP-2,and decreased expression of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt.Lycopene treatment could ef-fectively reverse the above changes and increase the expression of LXRα and LXRβ.Moreover,lycopene could also re-verse and modulate the characteristic alterations of Drp1,Fis1,LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ,PINK1,Parkin and Opa1 induced by LXR/PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitors or mitochondrial fission inhibitors.Conclusion Lycopene enhances mitochondrial activi-ty,reduces oxidative stress and improves myocardial microvascular remodeling by activating the LXR/PI3K/Akt pathway.

Aim To investigate the effects of lycopene on myocardial microvascular remodeling and elucidate its underlying mechanisms via the LXR/PI3K/Akt pathway.Methods 50 SD rats were selected to establish a coronary microcirculation disorder model and divided into sham,model and low/mid/high concentration lycopene groups.Left ven-tricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD),left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVESD),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFS)in rats were detected using echocardiography,creatine kinase(CK),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),platelet-derived growth factor(PDGF)were detected using ELISA,matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9),matrix metalloproteinase-2(MMP-2)and PI3K/Akt pathway related protein expression were detected using Western blot,and liver X receptor α(LXRα)and liver X receptor β(LXRβ)expression were detected using immunohistochemical staining.In vitro,a hypoxia model of myo-cardial microvascular endothelial cells(MCMEC)was established,with groups including control,hypoxia,hypoxia+low/mid/high concentration lycopene,LXR/PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor group and mitochondrial fission inhibitor group.Cell viability was detected using CCK-8,LXRα and LXRβ were detected using immunofluorescence,superoxide dismutase(SOD),reactive oxygen species(ROS),VEGF and PDGF levels were detected using ELISA,mitochondrial function-re-lated proteins(Drp1,Fis1,LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ,PINK1,Parkin and Opa1)and MMP-9,MMP-2 and PI3K/Akt pathway related proteins were detected using Western blot,and myocardial tissue injury was evaluated using HE staining.Results Compared with the sham group,the model group exhibited severe myocardial injury,with increased levels of LVEDD,LVESD,CK and LDH,decreased LVEF and LVFS,downregulated expression of VEGF,PDGF,MMP-9 and MMP-2,de-creased expression of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt,and downregulated expression of LXRα and LXRβ.In cells,com-pared with the control group,the hypoxia group showed decreased cell viability,downregulated expression of VEGF,PDGF,MMP-9,and MMP-2,and decreased expression of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt.Lycopene treatment could ef-fectively reverse the above changes and increase the expression of LXRα and LXRβ.Moreover,lycopene could also re-verse and modulate the characteristic alterations of Drp1,Fis1,LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ,PINK1,Parkin and Opa1 induced by LXR/PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitors or mitochondrial fission inhibitors.Conclusion Lycopene enhances mitochondrial activi-ty,reduces oxidative stress and improves myocardial microvascular remodeling by activating the LXR/PI3K/Akt pathway.

Pogostemon cablin is a famous southern medicine.As the important raw material for modern medicine and industry,Pogostemon cablin becomes required with a large marketing demand.However,due to the serious continuous cropping obstacles in the growth process of Pogostemon cablin,the aggravation of diseases of Pogostemon cablin and the degradation of its quality arose.This paper outlined the ecological factors such as climate factors,soil factors and topographic factors suitable for the growth of Pogostemon cablin,analyzed the continuous cropping obstacles and diseases arising in the cultivation,reviewed the current ecological planting mode of Pogostemon cablin such as crop rotation,intercropping,relay-cropping and under-forest planting,and also made a comprehensive evaluation of the economic benefits,ecological benefits and social benefits of the ecological planting mode of Pogostemon cablin,aiming to provide a theoretical basis and a reference for the promotion of the ecological planting mode of Pogostemon cablin.

Osteoporosis(OP)is a bone-related disease characterized by an imbalance between bone resorption and bone formation.Recent studies have shown that endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS)plays an important role in the pathogenesis of OP.On the one hand,moderate ERS can regulate the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells,osteoblasts and osteoclasts through multiple signaling pathways to promote bone homeostasis.On the other hand,excessive ERS can induce apoptosis of bone-related cells through various ways to disrupt bone homeostasis.Traditional Chinese medicine monomer and compound have significant therapeutic effect on OP.Recent studies have found that regulating ERS is one of the important mechanisms of effective treatment of OP by traditional Chinese medicine.From the perspective of ER stress,many studies have explored the mechanism of action in the treatment of OP by Chinese medicine.In this paper,through analyzing and summarizing the literature at home and abroad in recent years,the relevant studies on the involvement of ERS process in osteoporosis and the studies on the treatment of OP by Chinese medicine ERS process were reviewed.To further reveal the involvement of ERS process in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and the regulatory role of traditional Chinese medicine.

Osteoporosis(OP)is a bone-related disease characterized by an imbalance between bone resorption and bone formation.Recent studies have shown that endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS)plays an important role in the pathogenesis of OP.On the one hand,moderate ERS can regulate the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells,osteoblasts and osteoclasts through multiple signaling pathways to promote bone homeostasis.On the other hand,excessive ERS can induce apoptosis of bone-related cells through various ways to disrupt bone homeostasis.Traditional Chinese medicine monomer and compound have significant therapeutic effect on OP.Recent studies have found that regulating ERS is one of the important mechanisms of effective treatment of OP by traditional Chinese medicine.From the perspective of ER stress,many studies have explored the mechanism of action in the treatment of OP by Chinese medicine.In this paper,through analyzing and summarizing the literature at home and abroad in recent years,the relevant studies on the involvement of ERS process in osteoporosis and the studies on the treatment of OP by Chinese medicine ERS process were reviewed.To further reveal the involvement of ERS process in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and the regulatory role of traditional Chinese medicine.

Objective　To explore the molecular epidemiological characteristics of local Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Chongqing, China using genotyping methods and establish a suitable genotyping system tuberculosis genotyping in the region. Methods A total of 268 isolates collected from the sputum of tuberculosis patients at two national drug resistance monitoring sites in Chongqing from 2019 to 2021. The DNA of these isolates was extracted, and genotyping of the isolates was performed using VTNR 24 locus typing method. Epidemiological investigations were conducted on clustered isolates, and the clustering rates of isolates from the two surveillance sites were compared to analyze their transmission differences. Results In the two regions, the Hunter-Gaston discriminatory index (HGI) in Fengjie County ranged from 0 to 0.85, with 10 loci having an HGI above 0.6, 11 loci with an HGI between 0.3 and 0.6, and 3 loci with an HGI below 0.3; the highest resolution site was MIRU31, while the lowest resolution site was MIRU24. The HGI index in Fengdu County ranged from 0 to 0.81, with 12 loci having an HGI above 0.6, 9 loci with an HGI between 0.3 and 0.6, and 3 loci with an HGI below 0.3; the highest resolution site was MIRU26, while the lowest resolution site was MIRU23. In the clustering analysis, among the 140 isolates from Fengdu County, 10 samples clustered into 4 clusters, with the largest cluster consisting of 4 samples, resulting in a clustering rate of 4.1%. Among the 128 isolates in Fengjie County, 10 samples clustered into 5 clusters, with a clustering rate of 4.2%. Conclusion In Fengdu County and Fengjie County of Chongqing, the main population of the disease show independent genotypes, indicating a low recent transmission rate. The incidence of patients is mainly endogenous recurrence, that is, latent infection develops into active tuberculosis. While conducting standardized management of tuberculosis patients, prevention and control agencies should also increase the screening of latent infection at two monitoring points and carry out preventive treatment of latent infection, which is the key to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis in the two places.

Excess acetaminophen(APAP) can be converted by the cytochrome P450 system to the toxic metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine(NAPQI), which consumes glutathione(GSH). When GSH is depleted, NAPQI covalently binds with proteins, inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress and thereby leading to hepatotoxicity. Schisandrin C(SinC) is a dibenzocyclooctadiene derivative isolated from Schisandra chinensis. Although there is some evidence showing that SinC has hepatoprotective activity, its protective effect and mechanism on APAP-induced liver injury remain unclear. In this paper, an acute liver injury mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of APAP at a dose of 400 mg·kg~(-1) to evaluate the effect of SinC administration on the APAP-induced liver injury and its mechanism through an animal experiment. At the same time, a potential candidate drug was provi-ded for traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prevention and treatment of overdose APAP-induced liver injury. In the APAP-induced liver injury mouse model, we found that SinC can relieve hepatic histopathological lesions and significantly reduce the activities of alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and alkaline phosphatase(ALP). It was also capable of increasing the content of GSH and superoxide dismutase(SOD) and decreasing the levels of total bilirubin(TBIL), direct bilirubin(DBIL), malondialdehyde(MDA), interleukin-6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α). Further analysis showed that SinC decreased the content of CYP2 E1 in liver tissues at protein and mRNA levels and increased nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2) and the expression of its downstream targets(including HO-1, NQO1 and GCLC). Taken together, the above results indicate that SinC can alleviate APAP-induced liver injury by reducing the expression of CYP2 E1, suppressing apoptosis, improving inflammatory response and activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway to inhibit oxidative stress.
Mice ; Animals ; Acetaminophen/toxicity* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/pathology* ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury, Chronic/pathology* ; Liver ; Signal Transduction ; Oxidative Stress ; Bilirubin/metabolism*

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by 2019-nCoV. Due to the physiological change in pregnancy, pregnant women are susceptible to COVID-19 and are at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, especially in the context of spread of novel variants. At present, less evidences have been obtained from randomized controlled trials on the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccine use in pregnant women, and the recommendations of COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women vary with countries, posing challenge to the prevention and control of COVID-19 in pregnant women. This paper summarizes the progress in major research of 2019-nCoV infection in pregnancy conducted both at home and abroad, describes the harm of COVID-19 in pregnancy to pregnant women, fetuses and infants and introduces the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy revealed by real world studies in order to provide reference for the related research and development of COVID-19 prevention and control strategies in pregnant women.
COVID-19/prevention & control* ; COVID-19 Vaccines/adverse effects* ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/prevention & control* ; Pregnancy Outcome ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Vaccination