Hepatic encephalopathy is a difficult and critical disease with rapid progression and limited treatment methods in the field of liver disease， and it is urgently needed to make breakthroughs in its pathogenesis. Selection of appropriate prevention and treatment strategies is of great importance in delaying disease progression and reducing the incidence and mortality rates. This article reviews the theory of “turbid toxin pathogenesis” and related prevention and treatment strategies for hepatic encephalopathy in traditional Chinese medicine/Zhuang medicine， proposes a new theory of “turbid toxin pathogenesis”， analyzes the scientific connotations of “turbid”， “toxin”， and the theory of “turbid toxin pathogenesis”， and constructs the “four-step” prevention and treatment strategies for hepatic encephalopathy， thereby establishing the new clinical prevention and treatment regimen for hepatic encephalopathy represented by “four prescriptions and two techniques” and clarifying the effect mechanism and biological basis of core prescriptions and techniques in the prevention and treatment of hepatic encephalopathy， in order to provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of hepatic encephalopathy.

ObjectiveTo induce the rat model of ulcerative colitis （UC） with spleen-kidney Yang deficiency and liver depression， and explore the efficacy and mechanism of Sishenwan combined with Tongxie Yaofang （SSW&TXYF） based on the therapeutic principles of tonifying spleen， soothing liver， warming kidney， and astringing intestine. MethodSixty male SD rats were randomized into normal， model， mesalazine， and high-， medium-， and low-dose SSW&TXYF groups. The rats in other groups except the normal group were administrated with Sennae Folium decoction and hydrocortisone and received tail clamping for 14 days. On day 14， rats received enema with TNBS-ethanol solution to induce UC. The rats were administrated with corresponding drugs from day 15 of modeling， and the body weight and mental state were observed and recorded. The sucrose preference test was performed from day 25. On day 28， the rectal temperature was measured， and the rats were administrated with 3% D-xylose solution at a dose of 10 mL·kg^-1 by gavage. Blood was sampled 1 h later， from which the serum was collected for measurement of the D-xylose content. The serum， hippocampus， and colorectum samples of rats were collected on day 29. The levels of gastrin （GAS）， adrenocorticotropic hormone （ACTH）， corticosterone （CORT）， cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP）， cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP）， interleukin （IL）-4， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， and interferon （IFN）-γ in the serum and 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） in the hippocampus were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to reveal the colonic lesions. The mRNA and protein levels of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK）， and c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK） in the colon tissue were determined by Real-time PCR and Western blot， respectively. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed decreased body weight， anal temperature， and D-xylose content in the serum and increased GAS content （P<0.01）. The modeling led to cAMP/cGMP unbalance and decreased the ACTH and CORT content in the serum （P<0.01）， the preference for sucrose water， and the 5-HT content in the hippocampus （P<0.01）. Moreover， it shortened the colorectal length and caused massive infiltration of inflammatory cells and severe structural damage in the colon tissue. High， medium， and low doses of SSW&TXYF improved above indicators （P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced inflammatory infiltration， and repaired the pathological damage of the tissue. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed lowered IL-4 level （P<0.01） and elevated TNF-α and IFN-γ levels （P<0.05， P<0.01） in the serum， as well as up-regulated expression of p38 MAPK， ERK， and JNK （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， SSW&TXYF elevated the IL-4 level （P<0.01）， lowered the TNF-α and IFN-γ levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of p38 MAPK， ERK， and JNK （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionA rat model of UC with spleen-kidney Yang deficiency and liver depression was successfully established. SSW&TXYF can significantly mitigate this syndrome by reducing the inflammatory response in the colon and inhibiting the MAPK pathway.

Objective To optimize the method of combining azomethane oxide(AOM)and dextran sodium sulfate(DSS)to create a colitis-associated colon cancer(CAC)model,and to explore the pathogenesis of the intestinal flora in CAC.Methods Model groups A and B were established by one and two injections of AOM,respectively,combined with free drinking of DSS,and a normal control group was injected intraperitoneally with normal saline combined with purified water(n=10 mice per group).The better modeling scheme was selected by comprehensive evaluation of the disease activity index score,colon length,tumor rate,and mortality.Serum levels of interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),and tumor markers CA199,CEA,and CA724 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Colon lesions were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining.Changes in the intestinal microbiota in CAC mice were detected by 16S rDNA high-throughput gene sequencing analysis of mouse feces.Results Both single and enhanced AOM injections combined with DSS induced CAC mice;however,colon growths were larger,more closely arranged,and their morphological size was more consistent in group B compared with group A,with a tumor-formation rate of 100％.IL-6 levels were increased in the model group compared with the normal group(P＜0.05).TNF-α levels were increased in the model group compared with the normal group(P＞0.05).The CA199 and CEA levels were also significantly increased(P＜0.05),but CA724 levels were not.Infiltration of inflammatory cells in the colon detected by HE pathology was accompanied by high-grade intraepithelial tumor-like changes on the surface of the lumen.The diversity and abundance of intestinal bacteria were decreased in CAC mice compared with normal mice:phyla Verrucomicrobiota and Actinobacteriota were significantly increased(P＜0.05),Bacteroidota and Campilobacterota were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Akkermansia,Prevotellaceae,Ruminococcus,and Bifidobacterium were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and Roseburia,Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group,Anaeroplasma,and Muribaculaceae were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusions Two injections of AOM combined with 1.5％(1.5 g/100 mL)DSS induced CAC model mice with a high colon-tumorigenesis rate,uniform tumor morphology,and low mortality,and may thus be the preferred modeling scheme for pharmacodynamic experiments.Disorders or dysfunction of the intestinal flora may lead to increased permeability,loss of intestinal mucosal barrier function,and the release of enterogenic endotoxins,Resultsing in a sustained inflammatory response,as an indirect or direct cause of CAC pathogenesis.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of imaging signs of giant cell tumor(GCT)of the hand and foot bones.Methods The clinical,X-ray,CT and MRI images of 18 cases of GCT of hand and foot bones diagnosed by pathology were analyzed retrospectively.And compared with 54 cases of long bone GCT imaging manifestations.Results Among the 18 GCT cases of hand and foot bones,there were 8 cases of hand,10 cases of foot,including 12 cases of short tubular bone and 6 cases of tarsal bone.All lesions were dilatant osteolytic bone destruction involving the joint surface,in which the short tubular bone GCT showed central growth,the tumor occupied the entire wide diameter of the bone,the lesion range was long,consistent with the bone axis,easy to invade the surrounding soft tissue,sclerotic edge,bone ridge,lobed and periosteal reaction were rare,and prone to recurrence after surgery.The GCT of tarsal bone and short tubular bone showed eccentric growth,and there was statistical difference(P<0.05).The probability of pathological fracture in GCT of long bone was significantly greater than that of short tubular bone.There was no significant difference between the two groups in swelling growth,involvement of bone end and ethmoid sign of bone cortex.Conclusion Compared with long bone GCT,hand and foot bones are rare occurrence site of GCT,which is more aggressive than long bone GCT and prone to recurrence after surgery.Full attention should be paid to its imaging characteristics to provide more accurate image information for clinical treatment strategies.

Objective To analyze the correlation between serum miR-939 and miR-15b expression and mi-crovascular injury in patients with diabetic retinopathy(DR).Methods A total of 176 patients with type 2 di-abetes diagnosed and treated in the Baoding Second Hospital from January 2021 to October 2022 were selected as the study objects.The subjects were divided into 74 patients without DR(NDR group),62 patients with non-proliferative DR(NPDR group)and 40 patients with proliferative DR(PDR group)according to whether or not DR occurred and the degree of lesions.Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to detect the relative expression levels of miR-939 and miR-15b in serum of all groups,the level of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and the count percentage of en-dothelial cells(ECs),endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs)and circulating progenitor cells(CPCs)was detected by flow cytometry.Serum levels of miR-939,miR-15b,VEGF and ECs,EPCs and CPCs were compared in 3 groups.Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between serum miR-939 and miR-15b and VEGF,ECs,EPCs and CPCs.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors affecting the oc-currence of DR in patients with type 2 diabetes.Results The relative expression levels of miR-939 and miR-15b in PDR group and NPDR group were lower than those in NDR group,while the serum VEGF levels were higher than those in NDR group,with statistical significance(P＜0.05).ECs in PDR group and NPDR group were higher than those in NDR group,while EPCs and CPCs were lower than those in NDR group,the differ-ence was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Serum miR-939 was negatively correlated with VEGF and ECs(r=-0.407,-0.613,P＜0.05),and positively correlated with EPCs and CPCs(r=0.481,0.486,P＜0.05).Serum miR-15b was negatively correlated with VEGF and ECs(r=-0.539,-0.625,P＜0.05),and positively correlated with EPCs and CPCs(r=0.451,0.483,P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression anal-ysis showed that the duration of type 2 diabetes,hemoglobin A1c,2-hour postprandial blood glucose,VEGF,miR-939 and miR-15b were the influencing factors for the occurrence of DR in type 2 diabetes patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion The expression of miR-939 and miR-15b in serum of DR patients is closely related to VEGF,ECs,EPCs and CPCs,and the expression of miR-939 and miR-15b in serum of DR patients can provide a certain reference for early judgment and evaluation of the degree of microvascular injury.

Objective To investigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on male semen quality through meta-analysis and retrospec-tive study.Methods Literature retrieval was conducted in PubMed,CNKI,Wanfang Database and CBM database.Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 15.0.The male patients meeting the inclusion criteria from our hospital were enrolled as study subjects.General demographic data and semen parameters were collected.Single factor analysis of variance and graphing of semen parameters were con-ducted using GraphPad Prism 9.5.1.The test level was set at 0.05.Results A total of 9 studies involving 267 patients were included in the meta-analysis.There were no significant differences in sperm concentration and survival rate before and after SARS-CoV-2 infec-tion(P＞0.05).Semen volume and percentage of normal morphology significantly increased during 1-3 months after infection(P=0.005,P=0.010),with semen volume recovering to pre-infection level＞3 months later(P＞0.05).Sperm motility and progressive mo-tility increased＞3 months after infection(P=0.046,P=0.045),recovering to pre-infection levels(P=0.099,P=0.098).Sperm DNA fragmentation index may be temporarily elevated within 3 months after infection but gradually decreased＞3 months later.In the retrospective study of 8 cases,there were no statistical differences in semen parameters at different stages compared with pre-infection(P＞0.05),but semen parameters showed a negative trend during＜1 month after infection and recovered to pre-infection levels＞3 months later.Conclusion The results of this laboratory study are basically consistent with the meta-analysis.SARS-CoV-2 infection in males only caused short-term negative effects on sperm morphology,vitality and DNA integrity,but generally recovered to pre-infection levels＞3 months after infection.Due to the limitations of study subjects and sample size,the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on male semen quality needs to be further confirmed by long-term large-scale prospective studies.

Objective : To study the effect and mechanism of action of Silibinin on the differentiation of 3T3-F442A preadipocytes in murine． Methods : The effects of 0－400 μmol / L Silibinin on the proliferation of 3T3-F442A adi- pocytes at 24，48 and 72 h were detected by 3-(4，5-dimethylthiazol-2) -2，5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide ( MTT) assay，and the effects of Silibinin on the adipogenesis of 3T3-F442A adipocytes were visualized by Oil Red O stai- ning ; RT-qPCR , Western blot and ELISA assays were used to detect the effects of Silibinin on 3T3-F442A adipo- cyte differentiation-associated transcription factor CCAAT / enhancer binding protein ( C / EBP) α , C / EBP β , per- oxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ cular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -α and VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) ，matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) -2 and MMP-9，mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) and phosphorylated MEK (p-MEK) ，and extracellular regu- lated protein kinase (ERK) and phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) expression. (PPARγ) ，adipocyte protein 2 (aP2) ，adipose generation-associated vas Results : MTT assay showed that the cell proliferation rate of 3T3-F442A preadipocytes decreased after 100，200，and 400 μmol /L Silibinin treatment compared with the control group (P＜0. 001) ; Oil Red O staining assay showed that the accumulation of red lipid droplets of the cells in the 160 μmol /L Silibinin assay group significantly decreased ; RT-qPCR assay showed that mRNA expression of C/EBPα , C/EBPβ , PPARγ , aP2，VEGF-α , VEGFR-2，MMP-2，and MMP-9 was down-reg- ulated in 3T3-F442A adipocytes treated with 160 μmol /L Silibinin compared with the control group (P＜0. 001) ; Western blot assay showed that protein expression of C /EBPα , C /EBPβ , PPARγ and aP2 was down-regulated in 3T3-F442A adipocytes treated with 160 μmol /L Silibinin (P＜0. 001) ，and the phosphorylation level of p-MEK/ MEK and p-ERK/ ERK proteins was down-regulated compared with the control group (P ＜0. 001) ; ELISA assay showed that the protein concentrations of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the cell supernatant were down-regulated (P < 0. 001) in 3T3-F442A adipocytes treated with 160 μmol /L Silibinin． Conclusion Silibinin inhibited 3T3-F442A adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis through inhibition of the MEK/ ERK pathway and matrix metalloproteinase activity.

BACKGROUND:The abnormal gait of stroke patients seriously affects their propulsive force during walking,which subsequently reduces their walking speed,walking distance,and stability,increases their risk of falls,and seriously affects their quality of life. OBJECTIVE:To review the relevant research on propulsive force deficits in stroke patients with hemiplegia,to summarize the understanding of existing researchers on propulsive force deficits,to analyze the relationship between propulsive force and gait,and finally to explain and compare the latest rehabilitation technologies used to improve propulsive force deficits,providing reference for clinical treatment. METHODS:Relevant literature was retrieved from WanFang,CNKI,PubMed,and Web of Science Core Collection through computer search.The Chinese and English search terms were"propulsive force OR propulsive,stroke OR cerebral infarction OR hemiplegia,walk* OR gait."The search time limit was from 2003 to 2023,and 71 articles were finally included for review and analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Training targeting the hip and ankle joints may be more effective for patients'walking function,especially training with the application of flexible exoskeleton robots,but more sufficient evidence is still needed to use propulsion as a prognostic indicator of walking function in stroke patients.Biomechanical variables related to propulsive force include:the hip joint extension angle at terminal stance,ankle joint dorsiflexion torque,and knee joint extension.Damage to the corticospinal tract,cerebellar-cortical pathways,and the reticulospinal tract in hemiplegic patients are associated with reduced propulsive force and gait asymmetry.Propulsive force is crucial for the stability of healthy gait,and a decrease in propulsive force is unfavorable for gait stability.Gait symmetry is correlated with propulsive force,stride length symmetry,trunk displacement,and lower limb swing ability,with propulsive force being a key factor.Propulsive force can serve as a quantitative indicator for assessing the gait of hemiplegic patients,and evaluation of gait using propulsive force is beneficial for the long-term development of walking ability.Main rehabilitation techniques for improving propulsive force include:lower limb exoskeleton robot walking training,treadmill training combined with functional electrical stimulation,adaptive speed treadmill training,biofeedback technology,and whole-body vibration training.Among them,whole-body vibration training and biofeedback technology are more effective.The specific contributions and mechanisms of the hip,knee,and ankle joints in improving propulsive force are still controversial,but it is expected that the contributions of the hip and ankle joints are greater.Focusing on the improvement of propulsive force as a rehabilitation goal may yield more sustainable advancements in walking function.However,several current challenges persist in this field:understanding the neurobiological basis of propulsive force deficits in stroke patients,assessing the long-term efficacy of current rehabilitation techniques for enhancing propulsive force,and determining the most suitable patient populations for the application of major rehabilitation techniques aiming at improving propulsive force.These areas require further exploration by subsequent researchers.

Objective:To explore the current situation and influencing factors of quality of life of septic patients in intensive care unit (ICU) after discharge, and to provide theoretical basis for clinical early psychological intervention and continuity of care.Methods:A prospective observational study was conducted. The septic patients who were hospitalized in the department of critical care medicine of the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University and discharged with improvement from January 1 to December 31, 2022 were selected as the research objects. The demographic information, basic diseases, infection site, vital signs at ICU admission, severity scores of the condition within 24 hours after ICU admission, various biochemical indexes, treatment process, and prognostic indexes of all the patients were recorded. All patients were assessed by questionnaire at 3 months of discharge using the 36-item short-form health survey scale (SF-36 scale), the activities of daily living scale (ADL scale), and the Montreal cognitive assessment scale (MoCA scale). Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the factors influencing the quality of life of septic patients after discharge from the hospital.Results:A total of 200 septic patients were discharged with improvement and followed up at 3 months of discharge, of which 150 completed the questionnaire. Of the 150 patients, 57 had sepsis and 93 had septic shock. The total SF-36 scale score of septic patients at 3 months of discharge was 81.4±23.0, and the scores of dimensions were, in descending order, role-emotional (83.4±23.0), mental health (82.9±23.6), bodily pain (82.8±23.3), vitality (81.6±23.2), physical function (81.4±23.5), general health (81.1±23.3), role-physical (79.5±27.0), and social function (78.8±25.2). There was no statistically significant difference in the total SF-36 scale score between the patients with sepsis and septic shock (82.6±22.0 vs. 80.7±23.6, P > 0.05). Incorporating the statistically significant indicators from linear univariate analysis into multiple linear regression analysis, and the results showed that the factors influencing the quality of life of septic patients at 3 months after discharge included ADL scale score at 3 months after discharge [ β= 0.741, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.606 to 0.791, P < 0.001], length of ICU stay ( β= -0.209, 95% CI was -0.733 to -0.208, P = 0.001), duration of mechanical ventilation ( β= 0.147, 95% CI was 0.122 to 0.978, P = 0.012), total dosage of norepinephrine ( β= -0.111, 95% CI was -0.044 to -0.002, P = 0.028), mean arterial pressure (MAP) at ICU admission ( β= -0.102, 95% CI was -0.203 to -0.007, P = 0.036) and body weight ( β= 0.097, 95% CI was 0.005 to 0.345, P = 0.044). Conclusions:The quality of life of patients with sepsis at 3 months after discharge is at a moderately high level. The influencing factors of the quality of life of patients with sepsis at 3 months after discharge include the ADL scale score at 3 months after discharge, the length of ICU stay, the duration of mechanical ventilation, the total dosage of norepinephrine, MAP at ICU admission and body weight, and healthcare professionals should enhance the treatment and care of the patients during their hospitalization based on the above influencing factors, and pay attention to early psychological intervention and continued care for such patients.