As one of the most common malignant tumors， digestive system tumors exhibit an increase in the incidence and mortality year by year. Its pathogenesis is complex， making it difficult to carry out early prevention. Autophagy is a process in which cells use lysosomes to degrade their organelles and macromolecules to maintain cellular homeostasis under the regulation of autophagy-related genes. Cellular autophagy has a dual regulatory effect on the tumor microenvironment， which always affects the occurrence and development of digestive system tumors. Therefore， the effect and mechanism of action of cellular autophagy on digestive system tumors have become a hot topic in tumor therapy in recent years. Meanwhile， the remarkable research results of targeted autophagy drugs indicate that cellular autophagy may become an important target for anti-digestive system tumors. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has been widely used in the comprehensive treatment of digestive system tumors with good efficacy. A variety of active ingredients in TCM， such as flavonoids， glycosides， terpenoids， quinones， and alkaloids， can increase the expression of autophagy-associated proteins microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）Ⅱ/Ⅰ， autophagy-related gene （ATG）5， ATG7， inhibit the expression of autophagy-related protein p62 ， and induce autophagy in digestive system tumor cells， thereby exerting the anti-digestive system tumor effect. By summarizing the research results in recent years on the modulation of cell autophagy by active ingredients in TCM to fight against digestive system tumors， this paper analyzed the relevant signaling pathways， regulatory factors， and functional characteristics of cell autophagy modulation， so as to elucidate the mechanism by which active ingredients of TCM induce autophagy and to provide ideas and references for clinical application.

As one of the most common malignant tumors， digestive system tumors exhibit an increase in the incidence and mortality year by year. Its pathogenesis is complex， making it difficult to carry out early prevention. Autophagy is a process in which cells use lysosomes to degrade their organelles and macromolecules to maintain cellular homeostasis under the regulation of autophagy-related genes. Cellular autophagy has a dual regulatory effect on the tumor microenvironment， which always affects the occurrence and development of digestive system tumors. Therefore， the effect and mechanism of action of cellular autophagy on digestive system tumors have become a hot topic in tumor therapy in recent years. Meanwhile， the remarkable research results of targeted autophagy drugs indicate that cellular autophagy may become an important target for anti-digestive system tumors. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has been widely used in the comprehensive treatment of digestive system tumors with good efficacy. A variety of active ingredients in TCM， such as flavonoids， glycosides， terpenoids， quinones， and alkaloids， can increase the expression of autophagy-associated proteins microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）Ⅱ/Ⅰ， autophagy-related gene （ATG）5， ATG7， inhibit the expression of autophagy-related protein p62 ， and induce autophagy in digestive system tumor cells， thereby exerting the anti-digestive system tumor effect. By summarizing the research results in recent years on the modulation of cell autophagy by active ingredients in TCM to fight against digestive system tumors， this paper analyzed the relevant signaling pathways， regulatory factors， and functional characteristics of cell autophagy modulation， so as to elucidate the mechanism by which active ingredients of TCM induce autophagy and to provide ideas and references for clinical application.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of Astragali Radix-mediated changes in gut microbiota on treating type 2 diabetes （T2DM）. MethodsA 12-week randomized， placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled eighty patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and poor glycemic control in the Qi deficiency type. All patients received insulin therapy. The observation group （40 cases） was administered with Astragali Radix Granules， while the control group （40 cases） received a placebo. Both treamtents were taken orally twice daily. Changes in gut microbiota were assessed by 16s rDNA sequencing. Serum glucagon-like peptide-1 （GLP-1） levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Glucose metabolism indicators including fasting blood glucose （FPG）， 2-hour postprandial blood glucose （2 h PG），glycated albumin（GA）， and glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c） were evaluated. Pancreatic function was evaluated using fasting C-peptide （FCP）， 2-hour postprandial C-peptide （2 h CP）， and C-peptide area under the curve （AUC_cp）. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， clinical efficacy， and safety indicators were also observed. ResultsIn terms of glucose metabolism indicators， compared with the baseline， both groups exhibited significantly lower FPG， 2 h PG， GA and HbA1C （P<0.01），while FCP， 2 h CP and AUC_cp were significantly higher （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after the treatment， the observation group showed significantly lower FPG， 2 h PG， GA and HbA1C（P<0.05， P<0.01），and significantly higher FCP， 2 h CP and AUC_cp （P<0.05， P<0.01）， indicating that Astragali Radix can improve glucose metabolism. In terms of the diversity of gut microbiota， no significant differences were detected in the Chao1， Shannon and Simpson indexes of the two groups compared with their respective baselines. However， compared with the post-treatment control group， the observation group demonstrated significant increases in the Chao1， Shannon and Simpson indexes （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The β-diversity analysis showed significant separation in gut microbiota composition before and after treatment in both groups， indicating that Astragali Radix can significantly alter the structure and improve the diversity of gut microbiota. At the phylum level， compared with the baseline， both groups showed a significant increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidota（P<0.01）. The relative abundance of the potentially harmful phylum Proteobacteria was significantly lower in the observation Group after treatment （P<0.01）. Compared with the post-treatment control group， the observation group had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroidota（P<0.01）. No significant difference was found in Firmicutes/Bacteroidota （F/B） ratio between the two groups after treatment， and other phyla showed no significant differences. At the genus level， compared with the baseline， the observation group exhibited a significant increase in Bacteroides （P<0.01） and a significant decrease in Escherichia-Shigella （P<0.01）， whereas no significant difference was seen in the control group . Compared with the control group after treatment， the observation group after treatment had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroides （P<0.01）. No significant differences were seen in other genera. Linear discriminant analysis （LDA） identified potential characteristics taxa： in the observation group， Bacteroidota at the phylum level and Bacteroides and Dubosiella at the genus level， in the control group， Proteobacteria at the phylum level as well as Barnesiella and Staphylococcus at the genus level. Correlation analysis based on a heatmap revealed that GLP-1 levels were positively correlated with Firmicutes， F/B ratio and Fusobacterium， and negatively correlated with Bacteroidota， Proteobacteria， Bacteroides and Escherichia-Shigella. In terms of clinical efficacy， compared with the control group， the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher （P<0.05）. Compared with the baseline， the scores for shortness of breath， fatigue， weakness， spontaneous sweating and reluctance to speak significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after treatment， the score for weakness was significantly lower in the observation group （P<0.01），indicating that Astragali Radix could improve clinical symptoms and alleviate weakness symptoms. In terms of safety， compared with the baseline， alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.05，P<0.01），indicating that Astragali Radix did not induce any significant abnormalities in liver and kidney functions. ConclusionAstragali Radix demonstrates the potential to significantly improve the gut microbiota environment in patients of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes with Qi deficiency. The therapeutic effect may contribute to glycemic control， possibly mediated by an elevation in GLP-1 level. These findings may support its further clinical investigations and potential applications.

Background Lung cancer, one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, has long ranked first in cancer incidence and mortality, posing a severe challenge to public health systems. Objective To analyze the trends in incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of lung cancer among residents in Jing'an District, Shanghai, from 2002 to 2021, explore the impacts of population aging, population growth, and age-specific prevalence on disease burden, and provide a scientific basis for optimizing regional lung cancer prevention and control strategies. Methods Based on the cancer registration and cause-of-death surveillance data of registered residents in Jing'an District, Shanghai, from 2002 to 2021, Joinpoint regression models were used to analyze the annual change trends (APC) and average annual change trends (AAPC) of lung cancer incidence, mortality, DALY rate, and their age-standardized rates. Decomposition analysis was applied to quantify the contribution of population aging, population growth, and age-specific prevalence to changes in the number of new cases, deaths, and DALYs. Results From 2002 to 2021, the crude incidence rate of lung cancer in Jing'an District increased from 68.00 per 100000 to 144.36 per 100000 (AAPC=4.86%, P<0.001), and the age-standardized incidence rate rose from 43.09 per 100000 to 61.46 per 100000 (AAPC=2.89%, P<0.001). The growth rate of incidence was significantly higher in females (AAPC=6.73%) than in males (AAPC=3.62%). The crude mortality rate increased from 58.08 per 100000 to 66.11 per 100000 (AAPC=1.10%, P<0.001), while the age-standardized mortality rate decreased (AAPC=−1.54%, P<0.001). The crude DALY rate showed an upward trend (AAPC=0.94%, P=0.002), whereas the age-standardized DALY rate declined (AAPC=−1.63%, P<0.001). Significant differences were observed across genders and age groups: the mortality and DALY rates increased in males aged 60-64 years, while the fastest incidence growth occurred in females aged 45-64 years. The results of decomposition analysis indicated that the increase in new cases was primarily attributed to age-specific incidence (38.15%) and aging (37.31%); the growth in deaths and DALYs was driven by aging, while age-specific mortality and population growth showed offsetting effects. From 2002 to 2021, the probability of premature death from lung cancer among males (2.04%-2.52%) in Jing'an District showed no statistically significant trend (AAPC=−0.28%, P=0.440), while it presented a decreasing trend in the total population (1.37%-1.89%) and females (0.72%-1.26%) (AAPC=−0.80% and −2.23%, respectively; P=0.029 and <0.001, respectively). Conclusion From 2002 to 2021, the risk of lung cancer incidence in Jing’an District, Shanghai, continue to increase, with a disease burden exhibiting significant heterogeneity by gender and age: key features include a rapid increase in new cases and a trend toward younger onset among females, alongside rising mortality risk among males aged 60–64 years. Population aging and increasing age-specific incidence rates are primary drivers of the growing number of cases, while declining age-specific mortality rates mitigate the rise in mortality burden.

Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）， a malignancy with high mortality， exhibits poor survival rates and prognosis. The profound suppression of the tumor immune microenvironment （TIME） and the abnormal hyperactivity of metabolic reprogramming （MR） are the two primary factors driving HCC progression. Traditional Chinese medicine has demonstrated significant efficacy in HCC treatment. The team proposed that "deficiency of healthy Qi and stasis toxins" was the core pathogenesis of HCC， closely associated with TIME suppression and MR hyperactivity. This paper proposed that a suppressed state of the TIME was the biological manifestation of "deficiency of healthy Qi"， where the functional exhaustion of effector T lymphocytes and natural killer cells reflected the decline of "healthy Qi" in eliminating pathogens. Conversely， the expansion and activation of immunosuppressive cells， such as regulatory T cells （Tregs）， M2-like tumor-associated macrophages （TAM-M2）， and myeloid-derived suppressor cells （MDSCs） ， represent the dysfunction of "healthy Qi" in maintaining homeostasis. MR serves as the material basis of "stasis toxins". Stasis toxins exhibit heat stagnation， manifested by abnormal hyperactivity of glycolysis and lipid synthesis. They demonstrate migratory propensity， as toxic metabolites like lactic acid and prostaglandin E2 promote tumor invasion and metastasis. They display a consumptive nature， reflected in the functional suppression of immune cells. The vicious cycle between TIME and MR is the biopathological reflection of "deficiency of healthy Qi intertwined with stasis toxins". Immunosuppression exacerbates MR， while toxic metabolites further impair immune function， establishing a pathogenic chain of "deficiency leading to stasis， and stasis toxins damaging healthy Qi". The primary therapeutic approach is reinforcing healthy Qi， resolving stasis， and removing toxins， which can reinforce and tonify healthy Qi to regulate pathways， such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt）， C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4/ C-X-C chemokine ligand 12 （CXCR4/CXCL12）， and toll-like receptor 4/ nuclear factor-kappa B/ signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （TLR4/NF-κB/STAT3）， adjust T lymphocyte ratios， inhibit Tregs/TAM-M2 function， and downregulate immune checkpoints， including programmed death ligand 1/programmed death 1（PD-L1/PD-1）， and reshape TIME. It is also involved in resolving stasis and removing toxins to modulate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin （PI3K/Akt/mTOR） and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α） signaling pathways， suppress key enzymes in glycolysis and lipid synthesis， and block toxic metabolite production. Thus， this therapy synergistically regulates the immune and metabolic network， breaks the vicious cycle of "deficiency in healthy Qi and stasis toxins"， and offers a novel strategy for integrating traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine in HCC treatment.

Objective To fabricate a large-diameter vascular graft with a pore size gradient structure mimicking that of natural blood vessels, using poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) as base materials through electrospinning and ultrasonic pore-forming techniques, and to evaluate its application potential. Methods A three-layered tubular graft was fabricated from a PCL/PLLA blend (mass ratio 6 : 4) via electrospinning, followed by an ultrasonic pore-forming process to create a gradient porosity. The resulting graft (diameter: 2 cm, length: 4 cm) was implanted into the descending thoracic aorta of an experimental pig using an end-to-end anastomosis. Graft patency and anastomotic sites were monitored by computed tomography angiography (CTA) at 1 and 6 weeks post-surgery. After 2 months, the graft was explanted for systematic evaluation of vascular regeneration and repair through gross examination, histopathology (H&E and elastic fiber staining), immunohistochemistry [for ETS-related gene (ERG), Actin, and Vimentin], and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results Postoperative CTA confirmed excellent graft patency at both 1 and 6 weeks, with no evidence of thrombosis or anastomotic stenosis. Gross examination of the 2-month explant revealed a smooth luminal surface covered by neotissue. Histopathological analysis demonstrated that the graft successfully induced the formation of a three-layered structure resembling a native vessel wall, comprising endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts. Immunohistochemistry further verified coverage of the luminal surface by endothelial cells (ERG-positive), along with the presence of neosmooth muscle (Actin-positive) and fibroblasts (Vimentin-positive). Endothelial cells were observed adhering to the inner surface of the artificial vessel under SEM. Conclusion The biomimetic, three-layered PLLA/PCL large-diameter vascular graft, constructed via electrospinning and ultrasonic pore-forming, exhibits excellent short-term patency and biocompatibility in a large animal model. More importantly, it demonstrates a significant potential to promote host cell infiltration and achieve in situ regeneration of a three-layered vascular wall structure, providing a promising experimental basis for the development of next-generation functional vascular substitutes.

Background Previous studies have focused on the respiratory system and skin damage caused by refractory ceramic fibers (RCFs). However, investigations into cardiovascular health of workers exposed to RCFs are insufficient. There is limited research on the association between occupational RCFs exposure and abnormal blood pressure, as well as the potential underlying mechanisms. Objective To explore the association between occupational exposure to RCFs and abnormal blood pressure, and to analyze the role of serum 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in this relationship, providing a reference for comprehensive health protection strategies for RCFs-exposed workers. Methods Using a cluster sampling method, 311 workers engaged in the production and processing of RCFs at a large RCFs enterprise were selected as the study population. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect demographic information and other relevant data. The workers’ total dust, respirable fiber, and noise exposure levels were measured. Blood pressure was measured during occupational health examinations, and blood samples were collected. Based on blood pressure levels, the participants were divided into three groups: normotension, prehypertension, and hypertension. Serum 8-OHdG concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Ordinal logistic regression and multiple linear regression models were applied to evaluate the associations of exposures to noise and RCFs with abnormal blood pressure and serum 8-OHdG levels. The mediating effect of serum 8-OHdG on the relationship between occupational RCFs exposure and abnormal blood pressure was analyzed using the PROCESS 4.1 macro. Results All 311 RCFs workers had varying levels of occupational exposure to RCFs, among whom 113 were also exposed to noise. The overall prevalences of prehypertension and hypertension among the participants were 49.84% and 11.25%, respectively. In the noise-exposed group, the prevalences of normotension, prehypertension, and hypertension were 44.2%, 43.4%, and 12.4%, respectively, which showed no statistically significant difference compared to the non-noise-exposed group (35.9%, 53.5%, and 10.6%, respectively; P=0.652). Significant differences were observed in the prevalences of normotension, prehypertension, and hypertension among workers with different levels of total dust exposure (P=0.033) and respirable fiber exposure (P=0.034). The differences in serum 8-OHdG concentrations across these groups were also statistically significant (P<0.05). Multiple regression analyses showed that both total dust exposure level (OR=1.83, 95%CI: 1.34, 2.51) and respirable fiber exposure level (OR=1.85, 95%CI: 1.31, 2.62) were positively associated with the detection of abnormal blood pressure. Furthermore, total dust exposure level (β=5.85, 95%CI: 0.53, 11.17) and respirable fiber exposure level (β=6.04, 95%CI: 0.14, 11.94) were positively associated with serum 8-OHdG concentrations. Further analysis indicated that the severity of abnormal blood pressure was positively associated with serum 8-OHdG concentrations (β=10.54, 95%CI: 3.62, 17.46). Mediation analysis demonstrated that serum 8-OHdG mediated the relationship between RCFs total dust exposure levels and the risk of abnormal blood pressure (P<0.05), accounting for 8.63% of the total effect. However, no mediating effect of serum 8-OHdG was observed in the association between RCFs respirable fiber exposure levels and the risk of abnormal blood pressure (P>0.05). Conclusion Occupational exposure to RCFs is closely associated with an increased risk of abnormal blood pressure and elevated serum 8-OHdG levels. Oxidative stress may play a mediating role in the relationship between RCF exposure and abnormal blood pressure.

Chronic heart failure （CHF） is the final stage of cardiovascular diseases. It is a complex syndrome， with dyspnea and edema as the main clinical manifestations， and it is characterized by complex disease conditions， difficult cure， and high mortality. Ferroptosis， a new type of programmed cell death， is different from other types of programmed cell death. Ferroptosis is iron-dependent， accompanied by lipid peroxide accumulation and mitochondrial shrinkage， becoming a hot research topic. Studies have confirmed that ferroptosis plays a key role in the occurrence and development of CHF. The regulation of ferroptosis may become a potential target for the treatment of CHF in the future. The theory of Qi deficiency and stagnation refers to the pathological state of original Qi deficiency and abnormal transportation and distribution of Qi， blood， and body fluid， which has guiding significance for revealing the pathogenesis evolution of some chronic diseases. We believe that Qi deficiency and stagnation is a summary of the pathogenesis of ferroptosis in CHF. Deficiency of Qi （heart Qi） is the root cause of CHF， and stagnation （phlegm turbidity and blood stasis） is the branch of this disease. The two influence each other in a vicious circle to promote the development of this disease. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） plays an important role in the treatment of CHF， improving the prognosis and quality of life of CHF patients. This paper explores the correlation between the theory of Qi deficiency and stagnation and the mechanism of ferroptosis in CHF. Furthermore， this paper reviews the mechanism of Chinese medicines and compound prescriptions in preventing and treating CHF by regulating ferroptosis according to the principles of replenishing Qi and dredging to remove stagnation， aiming to provide new ideas and methods for the treatment of CHF with TCM.

Background Previous studies found that high temperature and heatwave increase the risk of traffic injuries. The complex road conditions in Yunnan Province result in frequent traffic accidents. However, there is limited evidence on the correlation between heatwave and traffic injuries in Yunnan Province. Objective To assess the association between heatwave events and traffic injuries, to estimate its disease burden, and to identify relevant sensitive groups. Methods We collected data on traffic injury cases and concurrent meteorological information from four surveillance sites in Yunnan Province, China: Dali, Lufeng, Zhaoyang, and Qilin from May to September each year from 2015 to 2023. Traffic injury cases refer to patients who visited the outpatient or emergency departments of local surveillance hospitals for the first time due to traffic injuries. Meteorological data were derived from the fifth generation atmosphericreanalysis dataset of the global climate provided by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. A time-stratified case-crossover design combined with distributed lag non-linear model was used to analyze the association between short-term exposure to heatwave and traffic injuries. We also conducted subgroup analyses by sex, age, occupation, injury cause, activity at the time of injury occurrence, and severity of injury. Results A total of 34764 traffic injury surveillance cases were included in the analysis. The risk of traffic injuries occurred during heatwave was 1.13 times (95%CI: 1.07, 1.20) greater than those occurred during non-heatwave, and 2.64% (95%CI: 1.49%, 3.73%) of traffic injuries were attributed to heatwave exposure throughout the study period. The results of stratified analysis showed greater impacts of heatwave on the risk of traffic injuries in female [odds ratio (OR)=1.17, attributable fraction (AF)=3.23%], people aged 15-64 years (OR=1.13, AF=2.68%), farmers/workers (OR=1.22, AF=4.07%), people with non-motor vehicle traffic injuries (OR=1.17, AF=3.24%), people who were driving or riding when injuries occurred (OR=1.12, AF=2.43%), and people with minor injuries (OR=1.18, AF=3.49%) ( P<0.05). Longer duration [excess risk (ER)=0.99%] and greater intensity (ER=4.12%) of heatwave had greater impacts on the risk of traffic injuries (P<0.05). Conclusion Heatwave events are associated with an increased risk of traffic injuries. Female, people aged 15-64, farmers/workers, people with non-motor vehicle traffic injuries, those injured while driving/riding a vehicle, and people with minor injuries are particularly vulnerable. The findings suggest that targeted mitigation and adaptation measures should be taken to address the risk of traffic injuries associated with extreme climate events.

Objective To explore the effect of metformin combined with insulin detemir on intestinal flora in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods A total of 176 patients with GDM admitted to Luzhou People's Hospital from May 2022 to July 2023 were selected and randomly divided into a single drug group and a combined group, with 88 cases in each group. The single drug group was treated with insulin detemir, and the combined group was given metformin combined with insulin detemir. The glucose metabolism levels and intestinal flora distribution were compared between the two groups before treatment and during delivery. The maternal-infant outcomes were statistically analyzed and compared between the two groups. Results During delivery, the levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAlc), and largest amplitude of glycemic excursions (LAGE), and the contents of Enterobacterium, Enterococcus and Escherichia coli in both groups were reduced compared with those before treatment, and the above indicators in the combined group were lower than those in the single drug group (all P<0.05). The contents of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus were increased in both groups, and the indicators were higher in the combined group than those in the single drug group (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in adverse maternal-infant outcomes between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Metformin combined with insulin detemir can effectively reduce blood glucose levels and improve intestinal flora distribution in patients with GDM, without increasing adverse maternal-infant outcomes.