Objective To compare the differences in alkaloids between Nelumbinis Semen and Nelumbinis Plumula and their inhibitory effects on the proliferation of HepG2 cells, and investigate the material basis for their anti-cancer activity differences. Methods Simultaneous Thermal Analysis was used to preliminarily compare the component differences between Nelumbinis Semen and Nelumbinis Plumula. Alkaloids were extracted from them by both using reflux extraction, and their contents were measured by UV and HPLC methods. The CCK-8 method was used to assess the in vitro inhibitory effects of the alkaloids on the HepG2 cells, and to verify pharmacological differences. Results Simultaneous thermal analysis revealed distinct peak shapes, positions, and sizes in the thermal analysis curves of Nelumbinis Semen and Nelumbinis Plumula at respective temperature stages. The contents of total alkaloids showed as follows: the total alkaloids in Nelumbinis Plumula > total extract of Nelumbinis Plumula > the total alkaloids in Nelumbinis Semen. The total alkaloids in Nelumbinis Plumula effectively inhibited HepG2 cell proliferation, while the total alkaloids in Nelumbinis Semen showed no impact. Conclusion Differences in the composition and content of alkaloids may be key factors underlying the biological activities differences between Nelumbinis Semen and Nelumbinis Plumula. This study provided a basis for exploring the material foundation of the differential efficacy and properties of Nelumbinis Semen and Nelumbinis Plumula, which could support their rational clinical application.

Immunotherapy has been widely used in cancer treatment in recent years and functions by stimulating the immune system to kill tumor cells. Radiation therapy (RT) uses radiation to induce DNA damage and kill tumor cells. However, this activates the body's immune system, promoting the release of tumor-related antigens from inactive dendritic cells, which stimulates the recurrence and metastasis of tumors in immune system tissues. The combination of RT and immunotherapy has been increasingly evaluated in recent years, with studies confirming the synergistic effect of the two antitumor therapies. Particularly, the combination of RT by dose adjustment with different immunotherapies has positive implications on antitumor immunity as well as disease prognosis compared with respective monotherapies. This review summarizes the current research status, progress, and prospects of RT combined with immunotherapy in cancer treatment. It additionally discusses the prevalent concerns regarding the dose, time window, and toxicity of this combination therapy.
Humans ; Neoplasms/radiotherapy* ; Immunotherapy/methods* ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Radiotherapy/methods*

ObjectiveTo explore the potential mechanism of Huoxue Xiaoyi Formula （活血消异方， HXF） in treating ovarian endometriosis （OEM） from the perspective of T follicular helper （Tfh） cells and the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription （JAK/STAT） signaling pathway. MethodsForty-five female SD rats with normal estrous cycles were randomly divided into three groups， HXF group， model group， and normal group， with 15 rats in each group. A rat model of OEM was established by autologous endometrial tissue implantation. After successful modeling， the treatment group received HXF at 5.85 g/（kg·d） by gavage for 14 consecutive days. The model group and normal group received 1 mL/d of normal saline by gavage. RNA-sequencing data from human proliferative-phase endometriotic and normal endometrial tissues were downloaded from the GEO database. Transcriptomic sequencing was used to analyze gene expression in rat ovarian ectopic tissues and normal uterine tissues， and comparisons were made with human data to verify JAK/STAT pathway activation in proliferative-phase ectopic tissues. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the positive expression of CXC chemokine receptor 5 （CXCR5） and interleukin-21 （IL-21） in rat ovarian ectopic and normal uterine tissues. Western Blotting was performed to detect the protein levels of IL-21， IL-21 receptor （IL-21R）， Janus kinase 1 （JAK1）， signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 （STAT6）， and B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）. Tfh cell infiltration was analyzed using immune cell infiltration methods. ResultsGene set enrichment analysis showed that the JAK/STAT pathway was significantly activated in human proliferative-phase endometriotic tissues compared to normal endometrial tissues. Similarly， the JAK/STAT pathway was markedly activated in rat ovarian ectopic tissues in the model group compared to the normal group， but suppressed in the HXF group compared to the model group. Compared with normal uterine tissues， ovarian ectopic tissues in the model group showed increased Tfh cell infiltration scores， higher CXCR5 and IL-21 expression， and elevated levels of IL-21， IL-21R， JAK1， STAT6， and Bcl-2 proteins. Compared with the model group， HXF group showed reduced CXCR5 and IL-21 expression and decreased protein levels of IL-21， IL-21R， JAK1， STAT6， and Bcl-2. ConclusionHXF may suppress activation of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway in ovarian endometriotic tissues by inhibiting IL-21 secretion from Tfh cells.

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP), whose etiology is influenced by genetic and clinical risk factors, considerably impacts women's quality of life. However, the genetic underpinnings in non-European populations and comprehensive risk models integrating genetic and clinical factors remain underexplored. This study constructed the first polygenic risk score (PRS) for POP in the Chinese population by utilizing 20 disease-associated variants from the largest existing genome-wide association study. We analyzed a discovery cohort of 576 cases and 623 controls and a validation cohort of 264 cases and 200 controls. Results showed that the case group exhibited a significantly higher PRS than the control group. Moreover, the odds ratio of the top 10% risk group was 2.6 times higher than that of the bottom 10%. A high PRS was significantly correlated with POP occurrence in women older than 50 years old and in those with one or no childbirths. As far as we know, the integrated prediction model, which combined PRS and clinical risk factors, demonstrated better predictive accuracy than other existing PRS models. This combined risk assessment model serves as a robust tool for POP risk prediction and stratification, thereby offering insights into individualized preventive measures and treatment strategies in future clinical practice.
Humans ; Female ; Pelvic Organ Prolapse/epidemiology* ; Middle Aged ; Risk Assessment/methods* ; China/epidemiology* ; Multifactorial Inheritance ; Aged ; Risk Factors ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Case-Control Studies ; Adult ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Genetic Risk Score ; East Asian People

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma is the most frequent malignant tumor in the oral cavity.The incidence of occult metastasis in early-stage tongue squamous cell carcinoma ranges from 19.81%to 61.8%.The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of currently employed diagnostic techniques vary among different research centers.Cervical lymph nodes in tongue squamous cell carcinoma exhibit certain regu-larities,with metastasis primarily occurring in ipsilateral levels Ⅰ,Ⅱ,and Ⅲ,and occasional occurrence of skip metastasis.Occult metastasis to cervical lymph nodes in tongue squamous cell carcinoma is influenced by various factors.The treatment approach for the neck remains controversial,with options including selective neck dissection,observation,and sentinel lymph node biopsy.This review aims to elaborate on the incidence of occult lymph node metastasis in patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma,the distribution patterns of metastatic lymph nodes,the value of various diagnostic techniques in detecting occult metastasis,risk factors for occult metastasis,and strategies for neck management.

BACKGROUND:The analgesic effect of stagnant moving needle on myofascial pain syndrome is remarkable,but the analgesic mechanism is still unclear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the analgesic mechanism of stagnant moving needle acupuncture in the treatment of myofascial pain syndrome.METHODS:Fifty-four SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group(n=16)and a modeling group(n=38).The models of leftmyofascial pain syndrome in the modeling group were prepared by using the method of"striking combined with centrifugal movement".Twelve weeks after modeling,six mice were randomly selected to verify the success of the modeling.The rest of the 32 rats were randomly divided into the model group and the stagnant moving needle group,with 16 rats in each group.The stagnant needle moving group was treated by stagnant moving needle into the local excitation point nodule of the left medial vastus muscle fascia in rats,twice a week,for 4 weeks.The mechanical foot contraction reflex threshold of the leftfoot were measured weekly in the pre/post modeling and post-intervention groups of rats.At 4 weeks after treatment,hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the morphological changes in the muscle tissue of the leftmedial femoral muscle of rats,ELISA was used to detect the levels of substance P and β-endorphin in the serum and the gray matter around the midbrain aqueduct.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect positive expression of microglia markers(Iba-1)and c-fos in the gray matter around the midbrain aqueduct.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein in the periaqueductal gray.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the blank group,the mechanical pain threshold of the rats in the model group and the stagnant moving needle group decreased after modeling(P<0.05).After 4 weeks of treatment,the mechanical pain threshold of the rats in the stagnant moving needle group was higher than that in the model group(P<0.05).Hematoxylin-eosin staining results showed that in the model group,the muscle fibers of the leftlower limb medial femoral muscle of rats were disorganized,unequal in thickness,myocytes were enlarged,with inward movement of the nucleus,rounded contracture nodules and tension bands;whereas in the stagnant moving needle group,the muscle fibers were arranged in a neat way,the myocytes were angular,and the contracture nodules were occasionally seen.Compared with the blank group,the expression of substance P in the serum of the model group was significantly higher(P<0.05),while the levels of β-endorphin in serum and substance P and β-endorphin in brain were decreased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the level of serum substance P in the stagnant moving needle group was decreased(P<0.05),and the levels of serum β-endorphin and brain substance P and β-endorphin were increased(P<0.05).Compared with the blank group,the positive expression of c-fos and Iba-1 and the protein of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the model group were increased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the positive expression of c-fos in the stagnant moving needle group was increased(P<0.05),and the positive expression of Iba-1 and the protein of brain-derived neurotrophic factor were decreased(P<0.05).These findings suggest that stagnant moving needle may indirectly promote the release of β-endorphin by microglia polarized to the M2 phenotype and increase the excitability of c-fos neurons by inhibiting the activity of microglia in the gray matter around the periaqueductal gray and downregulating the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein,thereby reducing the degree of central sensitization and effectively relieving myofascial pain syndrome.

Objective:To investigate the current situation of knowledge, attitude and practice of medical personnel in areas with high incidence of fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in Anhui Province, in order to provide a scientific basis for conducting systematic training for medical personnel.Methods:From July to August 2024, a multi-stage random sampling method was used to select medical personnel from village, township, county, and city level medical institutions in high incidence areas of SFTS in Anhui Province (Hefei City, Liu'an City, Chuzhou City, Xuancheng City) for an online questionnaire survey on their knowledge, attitude, and practice status. The survey included demographic data, knowledge, attitude, and practice related to SFTS, and a binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of SFTS knowledge qualification rate.Results:A total of 2 718 valid questionnaires were collected, with an effective response rate of 99.60% (2 718/2 729). Among them, 1 384 were males, accounting for 50.92%. The majority were medical personnel aged 41 to 50 years old, with undergraduate degrees, junior professional titles, working in township health centers or community health service centers, as clinical physicians, and with a working experience of no more than 10 years. They accounted for 31.97% (869/2 718), 50.48% (1 372/2 718), 35.54% (966/2 718), 38.52% (1 047/2 718), 62.33% (1 694/2 718), and 30.61% (832/2 718), respectively. The overall correct rates of medical personnel's relevant knowledge, attitude and practice were 77.52% (31 605/40 770), 94.53% (12 847/13 590) and 89.73% (12 194/13 590), respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the knowledge qualification of medical personnel of different genders, ages, education levels, professional titles, hospital levels, job positions, and years of work experience ( P < 0.05). The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that professional title, hospital level, work position, and work experience were the influencing factors of knowledge qualification rate ( P < 0.05). Conclusions:Medical personnel have a relatively positive attitude and high level of practice towards SFTS, but their knowledge level still needs to be improved. It is recommended to provide targeted knowledge training for medical personnel in different positions to promote early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of SFTS.

Objective:To investigate the application value of combined detection of urine genes Twist1,Onecut2,VIM methyl-ation and folate metabolism related genes MTHFR(C677T/A1298C),MTRR(A66G)polymorphisms in the screening and diagnosis of bladder cancer.Methods:A total of 134 patients with primary bladder cancer admitted to the Department of Urology of Qingyang Peo-ple's Hospital and the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University from January 2023 to January 2024 were selected(bladder cancer group),and a total of 130 patients with common benign urinary system diseases and other malignant tumors of urinary system treated with cystoscopy were admitted during the same period(control group).Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction was used to de-tect the methylation of Twist1,Onecut2 and VIM genes in urine shed cells.PCR fluorescence probe fusion was used to detect the poly-morphism of folate metabolism-related genes in peripheral blood of patients,and collected the clinical data and immunological indica-tors,and to all the data for statistical analysis.Results:The methylation rates of hematuria,bladder irritation,Twist1,Onecut2 and VIM genes were significantly different between two groups(P<0.05).The area under ROC curve(AUC)of Twist1,Onecut2 and VIM genes methylation and their combined detection were 0.721,0.675,0.674 and 0.772,respectively.Sensitivity and specificity were 73.20%and 71.00%,56.10%and 79.00%,48.80%and 86.00%,80.50%and 69.00%,respectively.The AUC of hematuria and blad-der irritation were 0.661 and 0.652.The sensitivity and specificity were 60.20%and 72.00%,41.50%and 89.00%,respectively.The combined AUC of all indicators were the largest(0.858),and the sensitivity and specificity were higher.The frequencies of CC,CT,TT,and T alleles of MTHFR C677T in bladder cancer group were 21.64%,41.79%,36.56%and 57.46%,respectively.Compared with the control group,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The T allele frequency was significantly different between methylated and unmethylated Twist1 groups(P<0.05).Others differences were not statistically significant,and there was no signifi-cant association with gene methylation(P>0.05).Conclusion:The methylation of Twist1,Onecut2 and VIM genes are highly ex-pressed in the urine cells of patients with bladder cancer,and the combination of hematuria and bladder irritation has a high predictive value for the diagnosis of bladder cancer.The MTHFR(C677T)T allele is associated with the methylation of Twist1 gene and may be one of the risk factors for bladder cancer.

Objective To explore the risk factors analysis and prediction model establishment of restenosis dysfunction at 1 year after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty(PTA)of internal arteriovenous fistula based on machine learning.Methods A total of 322 patients who underwent PTA of internal arteriovenous fistula in Wenzhou Central Hospital from June 1,2018 to December 31,2023 were enrolled.The operation-related data were collected.Variables were used to construct prediction models using five machine learning algorithms:Random forest(RF),extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost),support vector machine(SVM),gradient boosting decision tree(GBDT)and Logistic regression(LR).The predictive efficacy was evaluated by area under receiver operating characteristic curve.Results There were 97 cases of restenosis dysfunction and 225 cases of non-dysfunction.The incidence of internal fistula restenosis dysfuction was 30.1％1 year after PTA.The age,diabetes,smoking,calcium-phosphorus product,dilatation pressure ≥20mmHg,and balloon diameter ≥6mnm in dysfunction group were higher than those in non-dysfunction group.The difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The area under the curve of RF,XGBoost,SVM,GBDT and LR models based on machine learning was 0.908(95％CI:0.836-0.980),0.809(95％CI:0.696-0.922),0.745(95％CI:0.624-0.867),0.711(95％CI:0.576-0.847)and 0.651(95％CI:0.508-0.795),respectively.The sensitivity was 79.1％,70.8％,83.3％,62.5％and 72.3％,respectively.The specificity was 89.0％,81.2％,57.8％,78.9％and 71.0％,respectively.Conclusion Age,diabetes mellitus,smoking,calcium-phosphorus product,expansion pressure ≥20mnmHg,balloon diameter ≥ 6mm are independent risk factors for restenosis failure after PTA in patients with internal arteriovenous fistula,which can be used as an index to predict restenosis failure 1 year after PTA in internal arteriovenous fistula.The random forest prediction model based on machine learning algorithm has good prediction performance and can better predict restenosis failure 1 year after PTA in internal arteriovenous fistula.

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma is the most frequent malignant tumor in the oral cavity.The incidence of occult metastasis in early-stage tongue squamous cell carcinoma ranges from 19.81%to 61.8%.The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of currently employed diagnostic techniques vary among different research centers.Cervical lymph nodes in tongue squamous cell carcinoma exhibit certain regu-larities,with metastasis primarily occurring in ipsilateral levels Ⅰ,Ⅱ,and Ⅲ,and occasional occurrence of skip metastasis.Occult metastasis to cervical lymph nodes in tongue squamous cell carcinoma is influenced by various factors.The treatment approach for the neck remains controversial,with options including selective neck dissection,observation,and sentinel lymph node biopsy.This review aims to elaborate on the incidence of occult lymph node metastasis in patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma,the distribution patterns of metastatic lymph nodes,the value of various diagnostic techniques in detecting occult metastasis,risk factors for occult metastasis,and strategies for neck management.