ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the action mechanism by which Banxia Xiexintang （BXT） inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） in chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） rats by regulating the interleukin-17（IL-17）/extracellular regulated protein kinases（ERK）/CCAAT enhancer binding protein β（C/EBPβ）signaling pathway， thereby providing new theoretical evidence for the treatment of CAG with classic traditional Chinese medicine formulas. MethodsA CAG rat model was established by using the combined factor method. After successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided into the model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （0.549， 1.098， 2.196 g·kg^-1， respectively） of BXT， and the positive drug group （vitacoenzyme， 0.3 g·kg^-1）. A normal control group was also set up. After 8 weeks of intervention， the pathological changes of gastric tissue were evaluated. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the contents of IL-17， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2）， and C/EBPβ in serum， as well as the contents of EMT markers in gastric mucosal tissue including E-cadherin， N-cadherin， and vimentin. The immunohistochemistry method was employed to determine the localization and protein expression levels of IL-17， p-ERK， and C/EBPβ in gastric mucosal tissue. Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of C/EBPβ， ERK， and its phosphorylated form （p）-ERK in gastric mucosa. Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was applied to measure the mRNA expression levels of ERK， COX-2， and C/EBPβ in gastric mucosa. ResultsCompared with those in the normal control group， the rats in the model group showed gastric mucosal glandular atrophy and inflammatory cell infiltration. The protein and their related mRNA expressions of C/EBPβ， ERK， and p-ERK in gastric mucosa were significantly increased （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The levels of IL-17， TNF-α， COX-2， and C/EBPβ in serum were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The contents of N-cadherin and vimentin in gastric mucosal tissue were significantly increased， while the content of E-cadherin was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， after intervention with different doses of BXT， the pathological damage of the gastric mucosa was improved to varying degrees. The protein and mRNA expressions of C/EBPβ， ERK， and p-ERK in gastric mucosa were significantly reduced （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The levels of IL-17， TNF-α， COX-2， and C/EBP β in serum were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The contents of N-cadherin and vimentin in gastric mucosa tissue were decreased， while the content of E-cadherin was increased （P<0.05，P<0.01）. ConclusionBXT can effectively improve the pathological damage of gastric mucosal tissue in CAG rats. Its action mechanism may be related to reducing the levels of IL-17 and TNF-α in serum， regulating the IL-17/ERK/C/EBPβ signaling pathway and inhibiting the EMT process.

ObjectiveTo provide a reference for the rational clinical use of cold Chinese medicines by sorting and analyzing their properties， flavors， meridian tropism， primary therapeutic indications， methods of administration， dosages， and precautions as recorded in the 2020 edition of Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China （Chinese Pharmacopoeia）. MethodsCold Chinese medicines for internal and external use included in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia were entered one by one， and their efficacy， properties， flavors， meridian tropism， methods of administration， dosages， and usage precautions were statistically classified and summarized to guide clinical medication use. ResultsA total of 259 cold Chinese medicines for internal use were included and categorized into 18 efficacy groups， mainly comprising heat-clearing drugs， water-excreting and dampness-draining drugs， and phlegm-resolving， cough- and asthma-relieving drugs. Their predominant flavors were bitter， sweet， and pungent， and they primarily entered the liver， lung， and stomach meridians. The main methods of administration included decocting first， grinding into powder for oral use， or preparing into pills or powders， with most dosages ranging from 9 to 15 g. A total of 83 cold Chinese medicines for external use were included， involving 16 efficacy categories. Their main flavors were bitter， sweet， and pungent， primarily entering the liver， lung， and large intestine meridians. The main external application methods were grinding into powder for topical use or preparing decoctions for fumigation and washing， with most dosages ranging from 9 to 15 g. Whether for internal or external use， cold Chinese medicines should be used with caution or contraindicated in pregnant women. ConclusionThe cold Chinese medicines included in the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia are mainly suitable for patients with carbuncles， swellings， and coughs. However， in clinical practice， it is necessary to strictly follow the principles of syndrome differentiation and treatment， pay attention to administration methods and dosages， and use cold medicines rationally and effectively to improve clinical efficacy.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell （hUC-MSC） as a cell-based therapeutic strategy have demonstrated significant application potential in the field of intervention for neurodegenerative disease （NDD） due to their advantages such as self-renewal， multi-directional differentiation， and low immunogenicity. hUC-MSC effectively intervenes in the pathological features and neurological functions of various disease models such as Alzheimer disease， Parkinson’s disease， amyotrophic lateral sclerosis， and multiple sclerosis primarily through multiple mechanisms such as homing and differentiation， mediating paracrine actions and releasing exosomes， as well as immune regulation and anti-inflammation. Some clinical studies have also preliminarily verified their safety and effectiveness. Currently， its research still faces challenges such as immune rejection reactions requiring further observation， long-term safety needing evaluation， mechanisms of action not being fully elucidated， and slow progress in clinical trials. Future research needs to establish pharmaceutical standards for hUC-MSC， deepen their pharmacological mechanisms and clinical trials， ultimately providing new and effective drug treatment options for patients with NDD.

Objective: To characterize perioperative dynamic changes in immune-cell phenotypes and inflammatory cytokines in patients undergoing CPB (cardiopulmonary bypass) cardiac surgery, and to explore their associations with postoperative outcomes. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 120 adult patients who underwent elective cardiac surgery under CPB at West China Hospital from May 2022 to March 2023 were enrolled. Perioperative immune-cell phenotypes and concentrations of 40 inflammation-related cytokines were measured. The primary outcomes were the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score at 24 h after surgery and ΔSOFA (the peak SOFA score within 48 h after surgery minus the preoperative SOFA score). Secondary outcomes included major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), acute kidney injury (AKI), respiratory failure, severe liver injury, and infection. Results: The mean age of enrolled patients was 57±10 years. Of these, 52% (62/120) were male and 90% (108/120) underwent valve surgery. During the rewarming to the end of CPB, neutrophil counts rapidly increased (7.39×10 /L vs preoperative 3.07×10 /L, P<0.001), with significant upregulation of CD11b (7.30×10 /L vs preoperative 3.05×10 /L, P<0.001) and CD54 (7.15×10 /L vs preoperative 2.99×10 /L, P<0.001). Lymphocyte counts increased at the end of CPB (1.75×10 /L vs preoperative 1.12×10 /L, P<0.001) but decreased significantly at 24 h after surgery (0.59×10 /L vs preoperative 1.12×10 /L, P<0.001). Plasma analysis showed that multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines increased during CPB and remained elevated up to 24 h after surgery; five chemokines and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 peaked at the end of CPB. The SOFA score increased from 1 (1, 2) preoperatively to 7 (5, 10) at 24 h after surgery, with a ΔSOFA of 6 (4, 8). Within 30 days after surgery, 48 patients (40.0%) developed AKI, 17 (14.2%) developed infection, 4 (3.3%) developed severe liver injury, 3 (2.5%) developed respiratory failure, and 3 (2.5%) experienced MACE. During the 2-year follow-up, 8 patients (6.7%) experienced MACE and 5 (4.2%) died. Conclusion: Multi-organ dysfunction is common after cardiac surgery under CPB (median ΔSOFA, 6), accompanied by perioperative activation of multiple immune-cell subsets and upregulation of pro-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory, and chemotactic mediators. This study provides data-driven evidence and research clues for further investigation of the associations between CPB-related immune perturbations and postoperative organ dysfunction and clinical outcomes.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of statutory infectious diseases in Yichang City from 2015 to 2023 and evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in infectious disease prevention and control, and to provide a basis for formulating prevention and control strategies. Methods Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze annual incidence rates. SARIMA and SARIMA intervention models were constructed to predict the incidence rates of infectious diseases. Interrupted time series analysis (ITS) was applied to assess the control effectiveness. Results The average annual incidence rate from 2015 to 2023 was 787.47/100 000, with the top five diseases being influenza, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases. The average incidence rate from 2015 to 2019 (654.31/100 000) was significantly higher than that from 2020 to 2022 (489.01/100 000) (χ²= 3 499.6, P < 0.05). The total incidence rate in 2023 (2 396.51/100 000) was significantly higher than the average annual incidence rates from 2015-2019 (χ²= 108 186.1, P < 0.05) and 2020-2022 (χ²= 112 869.4, P < 0.05). SARIMA model results indicated that the actual incidence rate from 2020 to 2022 decreased by 73.49% compared to the predicted rate without intervention, with the highest decline observed in respiratory infectious diseases (79.57%). The SARIMA-intervention model showed a 55.48% relative decrease in the total incidence rate for 2023, with the largest reduction in respiratory infectious diseases (63.28%) and a slight increase in intestinal infectious diseases (5.48%). Conclusion NPIs effectively reduce the incidence of statutory infectious diseases in the short term, especially for acute respiratory and intestinal infectious diseases. However, long-term effectiveness faces challenges, necessitating the development of differentiated prevention and control strategies.

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of oral solution of magnesium sodium potassium sulfate in bowel preparation before colonoscopy. Methods Patients who planned to undergo colonoscopy at the digestive department of the Ninth People’s Hospital, affiliated to School of Medicine of Shanghai Jiao Tong University from January 2023 to August 2023 were selected and eligible subjects were divided into two groups: Group A took polyethylene glycol （PEG） and Group B took oral solution of magnesium sodium potassium sulfate （OSS）. The quality, drug tolerance, and safety of intestinal preparation were evaluated. The quality of bowel preparation was evaluated by the boston bowel preparation scale （BBPS）. Results The right colon BBPS score of Group B was (2.39±0.82) points, which was significantly higher than of Group A (2.11±0.43) points （P<0.05）. The overall score of Group B was higher than that of Group A （P<0.05）. OSS was easier to take than PEG, with a good taste and overall sensation. Patients were willing to use OSS to clean their bowels even when they were willing to undergo another examination （P<0.05）. There was a significant difference in nausea and vomiting symptoms between the two groups （P<0.05）, and there were no significant changes in renal function and electrolytes before and after medication in the two groups of patients. Conclusion OSS had a higher quality of bowel cleaning and was easier for patients to accept.

ObjectiveA mouse model of vaccinia virus Tiantan strain (VTT)-induced encephalopathy was developed using AG6 mice. MethodsVTT was amplified by infecting Vero cells at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.01, followed by concentration and titration. After 72 h of incubation, virus-containing cells were collected and subjected to concentration. The concentrated viral suspension was serially diluted (10-fold dilutions) and added to 6-well plates containing confluent Vero cell monolayers for plaque assay. The number of plaques formed in each well was counted, and the virus titer was calculated based on the dilution factor. Fourteen 5-6-week-old AG6 mice (half male and half female, housed separately by sex) were randomly divided into a control group (n=3, PBS), a low-dose group (n=6, 1×10⁵ PFU), and a high-dose group (n=5, 5×10⁵ PFU). The mice were anesthetized by isoflurane inhalation and then infected via intranasal instillation. The mental state of the mice in each group was observed daily, and the body weight and mortality were recorded. On day 13 post-infection, 2% Evans Blue (4 mL/kg body weight) was administered via tail vein injection to assess blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Subsequently, brain tissue samples were collected for immunofluorescence analysis to evaluate the activation of astrocytes and microglia. ResultsThe titer of purified VTT was 1×10⁷ PFU/mL. Compared with the control group, mice in the low-dose group showed no significant change in body weight, and no lethality was observed. In contrast, mice in the high-dose group exhibited significant weight loss starting on day 5 post-infection (P<0.05), accompanied by lethality. On day 13 post-infection, no Evans Blue extravasation was detected in the brain tissues of the low-dose group, while the olfactory bulb region of the high-dose group displayed distinct blue staining, indicating disruption of the BBB. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed no significant proliferation of astrocytes and microglia in the olfactory bulb region of the low-dose group on day 13 post-infection. In contrast, marked activation of glial cells was observable in the high-dose group. ConclusionAn animal model of VTT-induced encephalopathy in AG6 mice is successfully established, characterized by BBB disruption and reactive gliosis specifically localized to the olfactory bulb region, manifested as astrocytic and microglial proliferation.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide. Research into its mechanisms and the development of therapeutic strategies heavily rely on animal models that accurately replicate the pathological features of human disease. An ideal animal model for stroke should not only reproduce the neurological deficits and pathological changes observed in clinical patients but also demonstrate good reproducibility and translational value. This review focuses on the preparation and evaluation methods of ischemic stroke animal models. Firstly, it elaborates on the selection criteria, advantages, and disadvantages of experimental animals, including rodents (rats, mice) and non-rodents (non-human primates, miniature pigs, rabbits, zebrafish). Secondly, it provides a detailed overview of the modeling principles, key procedures, and application scopes for ischemic stroke models and hemorrhagic stroke models. Furthermore, the review summarizes advances in the applications of emerging technologies—including gene editing [e.g., clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) gene editing], multimodal imaging (e.g., two-photon microscopy, photoacoustic imaging), artificial intelligence, optogenetics, 3D bioprinting, organoid models, and multi-omics–in model optimization, precise assessment, and mechanistic investigation. Finally, based on a systematic analysis of relevant domestic and international literature from 2019 to 2024, this review discusses model selection strategies based on research objectives, a multidimensional evaluation system encompassing behavioral, imaging, and molecular pathological assessments, and envisions future directions involving technological integration to achieve model precision and individualization. This article aims to provide a comprehensive methodological reference to help researchers select appropriate animal models of stroke according to specific scientific questions.

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a chronic hematologic disorder characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, dysplasia of one or more cell lines with or without definite genetic changes. Its diagnosis requires a comprehensive analysis combining morphology, immunology, cytogenetics, and molecular biology findings. In recent years, the development of second-generation sequencing (NGS) has provided great assistance in exploring the molecular pathogenesis of hematological malignancies and guidance for clinical practice. Mutations of a series of gene involved in RNA splicing, DNA methylation, transcriptional regulation, signal transduction, chromatin modification and cohesin complex have been identified as important mechanisms for the development of MDS, among which some mutations have been found to play important roles in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of MDS. This article has provided a comprehensive review the the common molecular genetic abnormalities involved in MDS.
Humans ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes/diagnosis* ; Mutation ; DNA Methylation ; RNA Splicing ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing

ObjectiveTo evaluate the antitumor activity of Periplaneta americana extract（PAE） against human-derived lung adenocarcinoma organoids（LUAD-PDOs） and to elucidate its potential mechanism based on transcriptomics. MethodsFresh tumor and adjacent normal tissues from patients with LUAD were collected to construct LUAD-PDOs and normal lung organoid（Nor-PDOs） models using 3D organoid culture technology. The effective intervention concentration of PAE was determined using the cell counting kit-8（CCK-8） assay. Experimental groups included the model group（LUAD-PDOs）， normal group， model administration group（LUAD-PDOs+PAE）， and normal administration group（Nor-PDOs+PAE）. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe the pathological structures of PDOs， immunohistochemistry（IHC） was performed to detect the expressions of the proliferation marker Ki-67 and lung adenocarcinoma differentiation markers cytokeratin-7（CK-7） and Napsin A， TUNEL staining was applied to detect cell apoptosis. RNA sequencing（RNA-Seq） was conducted to identify differentially expressed genes（DEGs）， followed by Gene Ontology（GO）， Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG）， and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis（GSEA）， alongside protein-protein interaction（PPI） network analysis to screen core mechanisms. Finally， key targets were validated by integrating external database analysis with immunofluorescence（IF）. ResultsNor-PDOs and LUAD-PDOs that highly recapitulated the pathological characteristics of the primary tissues were successfully established. The CCK-8 assay determined that the effective intervention concentration of PAE was 16 g·L^-1. Morphological observation showed that Nor-PDOs exhibited lumen-forming structures， whereas LUAD-PDOs displayed dense， solid structures. CCK-8 and TUNEL assays revealed that， compared with the model group， PAE intervention inhibited the proliferation of LUAD-PDOs and promoted apoptosis in LUAD cells， while showing no significant effect on the viability of Nor-PDOs. Transcriptomic analysis identified 719 DEGs that were significantly reversed after PAE intervention（347 up-regulated and 372 down-regulated）（P<0.05）. GO enrichment analysis indicated that DEGs in the model administration group were significantly enriched in biological processes related to cell cycle regulation compared to the model group. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that PAE affected pathways related to proliferation and metabolism， including pathways in cancer and the p53 signaling pathway. GSEA further confirmed that PAE significantly enhanced the activity of the p53 signaling pathway（P<0.05）. PPI network analysis indicated that breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein（BRCA1） and checkpoint kinase 1（CHEK1） were the core down-regulated targets in the p53 pathway. IF verified the high expression of BRCA1 and CHEK1 in LUAD-PDOs and their significant downregulation after PAE intervention（P<0.05）. Furthermore， survival analysis based on The Cancer Genome Atlas（TCGA） database indicated that low expression of BRCA1 and CHEK1 was significantly associated with prolonged overall survival in patients with LUAD（P<0.05）. ConclusionPAE effectively inhibits proliferation of LUAD-PDOs and promotes their apoptosis， its anti-tumor mechanism is potentially associated with the activation of the p53 signaling pathway， with BRCA1 and CHEK1 genes likely serving as key downstream targets for the effects of PAE.