Both cathartic colon （CC） and cathartic-dependent constipation （CDC） are caused by the abuse of stimulant laxatives， while their concepts are not completely the same.Starting from the disease name of CC， this article traced the origin and evolution of the concept of CC， summarizes and compared the similarities and differences between CC， CDC， and slow transit constipation （STC）， and called for strict differentiation among the three.Furthermore， this article explored the specific contents of Western medicine clinical subtypes and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome differentiation of CDC and delved into the TCM pathogenesis of CDC according to both literature and clinical practice.The relationship between clinical subtypes and TCM syndromes was established， and the syndrome characteristics of CDC of different clinical subtypes and TCM syndromes were summarized.The recommended prescriptions for corresponding syndromes were listed.A systematic CDC diagnosis and treatment approach of "clinical subtypes-syndrome differentiation-syndrome characteristics-recommended prescriptions" was thus formed.Additionally， the paper provides an overview of current research on CDC in both Western medicine and TCM contexts， identifies future research directions， and suggests research pathways for refining and advancing CDC studies.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of folic acid combined with decitabine in diabetic retinop-athy(DR)mice with different methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase(MTHFR)genotypes.Methods The DR model mice were created by mating 20 MTHFR-/-mice with 20 wild-type C57 mice.A random number table method was employed to allocate 20 successfully modelled mice into the model group,DAC group,FA group,and FA+DAC group,with five mice assigned to each group.Five untreated MTHFR-/-and wild-type mice served as normal control.After constructing the DR model,the DAC group was injected intraperitoneally with 0.25 mg·kg-1 decitabine once every 5 days;the FA group was given 70 μg·kg-1 folic acid by tube feed once a day;the FA+DAC group was given 0.25 mg·kg-1 decitabine and 70μg·kg-1 folic acid at the same time;and the normal group was given an equal amount of physiological saline.All of the above groups were intervened for 30 days.OCT was employed for the measurement of retinal thickness,OCTA for retinal vascular density,histopathology(HE staining)for pathological changes in the mouse retina,real-time fluorescence quanti-tative PCR for mRNA expression,and Western blot analysis for protein expression levels.Results Compared with the wild-type model group,the degree of increase in retinal thickness and vascular density in the retinal layer was more pro-nounced in the MTHFR-/-mice model group(all P＜0.05).In wild-type mice,retinal thickness and retinal layer vessel den-sity were reduced in the DAC,FA and FA+DAC groups compared to the model group,with the FA+DAC group show-ing the greatest degree of reduction.The differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.05);In MTHFR-/-mice,reti-nal thickness and vascular density in the retinal layer were reduced in the DAC group and the FA+DAC group compared to the model group(allP＜0.05).HE staining results showed an increased extent of retinal damage in the MTHFR-/-mice model group compared with the wild-type mice model group.Compared with the model group,the DAC group and the FA+DAC group had thinner retinas and more aligned ganglion cell layers in all types of mice,with the FA group having a worse effect and the FA+DAC group having a better treatment effect.The results of the polymerase chain reaction(PCR)revealed that the relative expression of the SAHH,MAT2A and DNMT1 proteins in the retinal tissues of the wildtype and MTHFR-/-mice model groups was elevated in comparison to the control group(all P＜0.05).Furthermore,the relative mR-NA expression of the DAC,FA and FA+DAC groups was reduced in comparison to the model group(all P＜0.05).In wild-type mice,the relative expression of MTHFR protein mRNA was decreased in the model group compared with the con-trol group,and increased in the DAC group,FA group,and FA+DAC group compared with the model group(all P＜0.05).Western blot results showed that the relative expression of DNMT1,MAT2A and SAHH proteins in the retinal tissues of the wild-type and MTHFR-/-mice model groups was higher than that of the control group(all P＜0.05),and the relative expression was lower in the DAC,FA,and FA+DAC groups compared with that in the model group(all P＜0.05).In wild-type mice,the relative expression of MTHFR protein in the retinal tissue of the model group was lower than that of the control group,and the relative expression of MTHFR protein in the FA group and the FA+DAC group was elevated com-pared with that of the model group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The protective effect of folic acid combined with decit-abine on DR was superior to that of decitabine alone;treatment with folic acid in combination with decitabine may have yielded better efficacy in wild-type DR mice.

AIM: To explore the factors affecting the whole-eye astigmatism after pterygium excision combined with autologous limbal stem cell transplantation.METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 42 patients(42 eyes)with primary pterygium admitted in the ophthalmology department of Xijing Hospital from January 2023 to October 2023. They underwent pterygium excision combined with autologous limbal stem cell transplantation. The maximum invasion depth of pterygium into the cornea was measured with anterior segment optical coherence tomography(AS-OCT)before operation, the length of the pterygium invading cornea, the width of the limbus and the area of the invading cornea were measured during the operation, and three-dimensional values of corneal astigmatism of anterior segment, index of surface variance(ISV), index of vertical asymmetry(IVA), best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)and whole-eye astigmatism were collected before and at 1 mo after surgery. Patients with astigmatism ≤0.50 D or >0.50 D of the whole eye at 1 mo after surgery were assigned to group A and B, respectively. The differences of clinical data before and at 1 mo after surgery between the two groups, and the correlation between pre-operative clinical indicators and whole-eye astigmatism were analyzed. The decision tree algorithm was performed to explore the influencing factors of whole-eye astigmatism at 1 mo postoperatively.RESULTS: The maximum invasion depth of pterygium in the group A was significantly less than that in the group B [80.00(40.00, 180.00)μm vs 175.00(123.00, 190.00)μm, P=0.002]. Preoperative BCVA(LogMAR), whole-eye astigmatism, cornea astigmatism, ISV, IVA and maximum invasion depth of pterygium were positively correlated with whole-eye astigmatism at 1 mo after surgery(rs=0.317, P=0.041; rs=0.545, P<0.001; rs=0.448, P=0.003; rs=0.389, P=0.011; rs=0.382, P=0.013; rs=0.391, P=0.010). The decision tree algorithm screened out two influential factors: the maximum invasion depth of pterygium into the cornea and preoperative whole-eye astigmatism. The risk of whole-eye astigmatism >0.50 D at 1 mo after operation was higher with maximum invasion depth of pterygium into the cornea >95 μm than that with ≤95 μm. Among the patients with whole-eye astigmatism >2.63 D before operation, the probability of residual whole-eye astigmatism >0.50 D was 88.9%, and the predictive model AUC was 0.804.CONCLUSION: The whole-eye astigmatism after pterygium resection is mainly affected by the maximum invasion depth of pterygium into the cornea and preoperative whole-eye astigmatism. When the maximum invasion depth of pterygium into the corneal is >95 μm and the whole-eye stigmatism is >2.63 D before surgery, the patient should receive surgical treatment as soon as possible in order to obtain good clinical benefits.

Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic value of an abbreviated protocol MRI(AP-MRI)based on first post-contrast subtracted(FAST)images for breast cancer detection.Materials and Methods This study included imaging data from 160 female patients with solid breast lesions who underwent breast MRI in the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine from April 2021 to January 2024.Two AP-MRI protocols were extracted from the full diagnostic protocol(FDP),including:dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI(DCE-MRI)A protocol:FAST and maximum-intensity projection(MIP)images,and DCE-MRI B protocol:FAST+MIP+diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI).Lesions categorized as breast imaging reporting and data system(BI-RADS)1-3 were classified as negative,and those categorized as BI-RADS 4-5 were classified as positive.Pathological findings served as the diagnostic gold standard.Two radiologists independently evaluated the lesions as negative/positive and compared with the gold standard.The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of the three protocols were compared.Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated for each protocol,and the area under the curve(AUC)was compared.Results The accuracy of the three protocols showed statistically significant differences(Cochran's Qreader1=6.000,P=0.050;Cochran's Qreader2=10.909,P=0.012).The accuracy of the DCE-MRI A protocol was significantly lower than that of the FDP protocol(Z=2.449,Preader1=0.043;Z=2.858,Preader2=0.013).There were no statistically significant differences in sensitivity(Cochran's Qreader1=3.000,P=0.223;Cochran's Qreader2=2.667,P=0.264)or specificity(Cochran's Qreader1=3.000,P=0.223;Cochran's Qreader2=2.800,P=0.247)between the two AP-MRI protocols and the FDP protocol.There were no statistically significant differences in AUC between the DCE-MRI B protocol and the FDP protocol(Z=1.390-1.719,all P>0.05),while the AUC of the DCE-MRI A protocol had lower AUCs than the FDP protocol(Z=1.980,2.441;both P<0.05).Conclusion The AP-MRI protocol combining FAST,MIP and DWI shows diagnostic accuracy comparable to that of the FDP and greatly saves time and cost,suggesting its potential as an alternative imaging strategy for women with dense breasts and as a new diagnostic approach for high-risk populations.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between nerve growth factor (NGF) concentration in follicular fluid and abnormal menstrual cycle in infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 100 infertile patients with PCOS who underwent in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) at Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital from March 2017 to June 2019. For comparison, the 100 patients with PCOS were divided into low NGF group ( n=50) and high NGF group ( n=50) based on the median NGF concentration (1 644.03 ng/L) in follicular fluid. Baseline characteristics, menstrual status and clinical outcomes of assisted reproductive technology were compared. We performed multiple linear regression analysis to examine the effect of NGF in follicular fluid on menstrual cycle length for multivariate analysis. Results:1) PCOS patients in the low NGF group had significantly higher body mass index [(27.24±5.17) kg/m 2] and white blood cell count [7.31(5.99, 8.43)×10 9/L ] than those in the high NGF group [(25.03±4.46) kg/m 2, P=0.024; 5.95(5.08,7.01)×10 9/L, P=0.001], while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [1.15 (0.98, 1.36) mmol/L] and basic follicle-stimulating hormone level [6.51 (5.10,7.95) U/L] in the low NGF group were significantly lower than those in the high NGF group [1.36 (1.09,1.52) mmol/L, P=0.039;6.51 (5.10,7.95)U/L, P=0.040]. 2) PCOS patients in the low NGF group had significantly higher menstrual cycle length [60.00 (35.00, 180.00) d] than the high NGF group [32.50 (27.00,67.50) d, P=0.001]. 3) Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that after adjustment for body mass index, age, infertility duration, infertility type, and glucose and lipid metabolic parameters, the NGF concentration in the follicular fluid independently and negatively correlated with menstrual cycle length ( P<0.05). 4) The NGF concentration in follicular fluid was not correlated with assisted reproductive outcomes. Conclusion:NGF concentration in follicular fluid is closely related to the degree of menstrual cycle abnormalities in patients with PCOS.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between nerve growth factor (NGF) concentration in follicular fluid and abnormal menstrual cycle in infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 100 infertile patients with PCOS who underwent in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) at Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital from March 2017 to June 2019. For comparison, the 100 patients with PCOS were divided into low NGF group ( n=50) and high NGF group ( n=50) based on the median NGF concentration (1 644.03 ng/L) in follicular fluid. Baseline characteristics, menstrual status and clinical outcomes of assisted reproductive technology were compared. We performed multiple linear regression analysis to examine the effect of NGF in follicular fluid on menstrual cycle length for multivariate analysis. Results:1) PCOS patients in the low NGF group had significantly higher body mass index [(27.24±5.17) kg/m 2] and white blood cell count [7.31(5.99, 8.43)×10 9/L ] than those in the high NGF group [(25.03±4.46) kg/m 2, P=0.024; 5.95(5.08,7.01)×10 9/L, P=0.001], while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [1.15 (0.98, 1.36) mmol/L] and basic follicle-stimulating hormone level [6.51 (5.10,7.95) U/L] in the low NGF group were significantly lower than those in the high NGF group [1.36 (1.09,1.52) mmol/L, P=0.039;6.51 (5.10,7.95)U/L, P=0.040]. 2) PCOS patients in the low NGF group had significantly higher menstrual cycle length [60.00 (35.00, 180.00) d] than the high NGF group [32.50 (27.00,67.50) d, P=0.001]. 3) Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that after adjustment for body mass index, age, infertility duration, infertility type, and glucose and lipid metabolic parameters, the NGF concentration in the follicular fluid independently and negatively correlated with menstrual cycle length ( P<0.05). 4) The NGF concentration in follicular fluid was not correlated with assisted reproductive outcomes. Conclusion:NGF concentration in follicular fluid is closely related to the degree of menstrual cycle abnormalities in patients with PCOS.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of folic acid combined with decitabine in diabetic retinop-athy(DR)mice with different methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase(MTHFR)genotypes.Methods The DR model mice were created by mating 20 MTHFR-/-mice with 20 wild-type C57 mice.A random number table method was employed to allocate 20 successfully modelled mice into the model group,DAC group,FA group,and FA+DAC group,with five mice assigned to each group.Five untreated MTHFR-/-and wild-type mice served as normal control.After constructing the DR model,the DAC group was injected intraperitoneally with 0.25 mg·kg-1 decitabine once every 5 days;the FA group was given 70 μg·kg-1 folic acid by tube feed once a day;the FA+DAC group was given 0.25 mg·kg-1 decitabine and 70μg·kg-1 folic acid at the same time;and the normal group was given an equal amount of physiological saline.All of the above groups were intervened for 30 days.OCT was employed for the measurement of retinal thickness,OCTA for retinal vascular density,histopathology(HE staining)for pathological changes in the mouse retina,real-time fluorescence quanti-tative PCR for mRNA expression,and Western blot analysis for protein expression levels.Results Compared with the wild-type model group,the degree of increase in retinal thickness and vascular density in the retinal layer was more pro-nounced in the MTHFR-/-mice model group(all P＜0.05).In wild-type mice,retinal thickness and retinal layer vessel den-sity were reduced in the DAC,FA and FA+DAC groups compared to the model group,with the FA+DAC group show-ing the greatest degree of reduction.The differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.05);In MTHFR-/-mice,reti-nal thickness and vascular density in the retinal layer were reduced in the DAC group and the FA+DAC group compared to the model group(allP＜0.05).HE staining results showed an increased extent of retinal damage in the MTHFR-/-mice model group compared with the wild-type mice model group.Compared with the model group,the DAC group and the FA+DAC group had thinner retinas and more aligned ganglion cell layers in all types of mice,with the FA group having a worse effect and the FA+DAC group having a better treatment effect.The results of the polymerase chain reaction(PCR)revealed that the relative expression of the SAHH,MAT2A and DNMT1 proteins in the retinal tissues of the wildtype and MTHFR-/-mice model groups was elevated in comparison to the control group(all P＜0.05).Furthermore,the relative mR-NA expression of the DAC,FA and FA+DAC groups was reduced in comparison to the model group(all P＜0.05).In wild-type mice,the relative expression of MTHFR protein mRNA was decreased in the model group compared with the con-trol group,and increased in the DAC group,FA group,and FA+DAC group compared with the model group(all P＜0.05).Western blot results showed that the relative expression of DNMT1,MAT2A and SAHH proteins in the retinal tissues of the wild-type and MTHFR-/-mice model groups was higher than that of the control group(all P＜0.05),and the relative expression was lower in the DAC,FA,and FA+DAC groups compared with that in the model group(all P＜0.05).In wild-type mice,the relative expression of MTHFR protein in the retinal tissue of the model group was lower than that of the control group,and the relative expression of MTHFR protein in the FA group and the FA+DAC group was elevated com-pared with that of the model group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The protective effect of folic acid combined with decit-abine on DR was superior to that of decitabine alone;treatment with folic acid in combination with decitabine may have yielded better efficacy in wild-type DR mice.

Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic value of an abbreviated protocol MRI(AP-MRI)based on first post-contrast subtracted(FAST)images for breast cancer detection.Materials and Methods This study included imaging data from 160 female patients with solid breast lesions who underwent breast MRI in the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine from April 2021 to January 2024.Two AP-MRI protocols were extracted from the full diagnostic protocol(FDP),including:dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI(DCE-MRI)A protocol:FAST and maximum-intensity projection(MIP)images,and DCE-MRI B protocol:FAST+MIP+diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI).Lesions categorized as breast imaging reporting and data system(BI-RADS)1-3 were classified as negative,and those categorized as BI-RADS 4-5 were classified as positive.Pathological findings served as the diagnostic gold standard.Two radiologists independently evaluated the lesions as negative/positive and compared with the gold standard.The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of the three protocols were compared.Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated for each protocol,and the area under the curve(AUC)was compared.Results The accuracy of the three protocols showed statistically significant differences(Cochran's Qreader1=6.000,P=0.050;Cochran's Qreader2=10.909,P=0.012).The accuracy of the DCE-MRI A protocol was significantly lower than that of the FDP protocol(Z=2.449,Preader1=0.043;Z=2.858,Preader2=0.013).There were no statistically significant differences in sensitivity(Cochran's Qreader1=3.000,P=0.223;Cochran's Qreader2=2.667,P=0.264)or specificity(Cochran's Qreader1=3.000,P=0.223;Cochran's Qreader2=2.800,P=0.247)between the two AP-MRI protocols and the FDP protocol.There were no statistically significant differences in AUC between the DCE-MRI B protocol and the FDP protocol(Z=1.390-1.719,all P>0.05),while the AUC of the DCE-MRI A protocol had lower AUCs than the FDP protocol(Z=1.980,2.441;both P<0.05).Conclusion The AP-MRI protocol combining FAST,MIP and DWI shows diagnostic accuracy comparable to that of the FDP and greatly saves time and cost,suggesting its potential as an alternative imaging strategy for women with dense breasts and as a new diagnostic approach for high-risk populations.

AIM:To investigate the differences in clinical features and therapeutic effects of the tea tree oil wipes combined with deep massages of the meibomian glands for different age groups of patients with demodex blepharitis.METHODS:The clinical data of 146 patients(292 eyes)diagnosed with demodex blepharitis, hospitalized in Department of Ophthalmology, Xijing Hospital from January 2023 to October 2023, was collected in this retrospective study, and the patients were divided into group A(64 cases with 128 eyes)aged ≤45 years old and group B(82 cases with 164 eyes)aged >45 years old according to different ages. The differences in total numbers of binocular mites, Schirmer I tests, symptom and sign scores before, and at 1 and 3 mo after the treatment of the tea tree oil wipes combined with deep massages of the meibomian glands were analyzed between the two groups.RESULTS: Before the treatments, the total number of the mites in the group A [7(6, 8)] was lower than that in the group B [8(7, 9.25); P<0.05]. The dry eye score in the group A [6(6, 7)] was lower than that in the group B [11(10, 12); P<0.001], and the ocular surface irritation symptom score in the group A [10(9, 11)] was higher than that in the group B [6(6, 7); P<0.001]. Both groups experienced a decrease in mite counts and improvement in symptoms and signs scores at 1 mo after treatment, and there was still a degree of improvement in all clinical indicators, with patients in the group B showing a further reduction in mite counts [-1(-3, 0)] even after the treatment was continued for 3 mo.CONCLUSION:The total numbers of mites in patients of older than 45 years old were higher than those in patients of ages younger than 45, and older patients have more serious dry eyes, with less serious symptoms of ocular surface irritation. The treatment can effectively reduce the number of mites in patients of different ages with demodex blepharitis, but the outcomes of Schirmer I tests do not change after the treatment. Longer treatment duration provide sustained clinical benefits.

AIM:To observe the clinical efficacy of 3% diquafosol sodium eye drops combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops in the treatment of dry eyes after pterygium surgery with lacrimal insufficiency.METHODS: A total of 64 cases(64 eyes)of pterygium patients with lacrimal insufficiency were treated with pterygium resection combined with limbal stem cell transplantation, and they were given routine anti-inflammatory and infection prevention treatment postoperatively. In terms of postoperative dry eye treatment, all patients were randomly divided into two groups. The observation group was treated with 3% diquafosol sodium eye drops combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops, and the control group was treated with sodium hyaluronate eye drops. The break-up time of tear film(BUT), fluorescein(FL), Schirmer's Ⅰ test(SⅠt), ocular surface disease index(OSDI)score, central corneal thickness(CCT)changes, adverse reactions and complications were observed and compared between the two groups at different times postoperatively.RESULTS: Both groups of pterygium patients were accompanied with mild to moderate dry eyes with insufficient tear secretion preoperatively. At 2 wk after operation, both groups showed shorter BUT and higher FL score compared with those preoperatively(P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05). At 4 wk after operation, BUT in the observation group was prolonged, OSDI score was decreased(both P<0.05), and FL score in both groups was decreased compared with those at with 2 wk after operation(P<0.05). The observation group was better than the control group(P<0.05). At the first day after operation, the CCT of the two groups was thicker than that preoperatively(P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in SⅠt between the two groups before and after operation(P>0.05).CONCLUSION: In the treatment of dry eye after pterygium surgery with lacrimal insufficiency, 3% diquafosol sodium eye drops combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops can effectively reduce the postoperative dry eye symptoms, and its clinical effect is better than that of sodium hyaluronate eye drops alone.