Metabolic associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） is the main type of chronic liver disease in the world， with an increasingly higher incidence rate and a younger age of onset. At present， the treatment of MAFLD mainly depends on lifestyle intervention and comorbidity management， and there is still a lack of effective drugs for MAFLD itself. As a classic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug of the salicylic acid family， aspirin can intervene in the pathological process of MAFLD by regulating lipid metabolism， relieving insulin resistance， reducing liver inflammation and oxidative stress response， exerting an anti-liver fibrosis effect， and inhibiting hepatocellular carcinoma， and therefore， it has the value of preventing disease onset， delaying disease progression， and reversing disease condition. This article systematically reviews the mechanism of action and safety of aspirin in the treatment of MAFLD， in order to provide more drug treatment options for MAFLD patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the regulatory effect of overexpressed protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 （Ptpn2） on the inflammatory response of mouse alveolar macrophages （MH-S） induced by SiO₂. MethodsCells with overexpressed Ptpn2 were constructed and induced by SiO₂. The experimental groups were divided into four groups： the negative control group with an empty vector （NC）， the overexpressed Ptpn2 group （P）， the negative control group with an empty vector + SiO₂ induction （NS）， and the overexpressed Ptpn2 + SiO₂ induction group （PS）. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification （iTRAQ） combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （LC-MS/MS） were used to screen differential proteins， followed by Gene Ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） database analyses. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expressions of Tumor necrosis factor （TNF） α， Gasdermin D （GSDMD）， and Transforming growth factor （TGF）-β1. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of PTPN2， Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， and proteins related to the TGF-β1 signaling pathway in the cells of each group. ResultsiTRAQ results identified 144 differential proteins among the four groups. GO analysis showed that in biological processes （BP）， these differential proteins were mainly enriched in IκB kinase/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling， cell activation and signal transduction involved in immune responses， and regulation of receptor signaling pathways by signal transducer and activator of transcription （STAT）， etc. KEGG analysis revealed that the differential proteins were mainly enriched in Toll-like receptor signaling pathway， NF-κB signaling pathway， NOD-like receptor signaling pathway， TGF-β signaling pathway， and TNF signaling pathway. The results of immunofluorescence staining showed that compared with the NC group， the expressions of TNF α， GSDMD， and TGF-β1 in the cells of the NS group increased （P < 0.05）； compared to the NS group， the expression of the aforementioned proteins in the PS group decreased in cellular proteins（P < 0.05）. The results of Western blot showed that compared with the NC group， the protein expression levels of PTPN2， p-NF-κB，MyD88，TLR4，NLRP3，GSDMD，Caspase-1，IL-1β， TGF-βR1， TGF-βR，p-Smad2/3 in the NS group were significantly upregulated （P < 0.05）； compared with the NS group， the expression levels of the aforementioned proteins in the PS group were significantly downregulated （P < 0.05）. ConclusionOverexpression of Ptpn2 can inhibit the protein expressions of TLR4-TNF-α signaling， NLRP3 signaling， and TGF-β1 signaling closely related to inflammatory response in SiO₂-mediated MH-S macrophages.

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of shed syndecan-4 (sSDC4) in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) in rats, aiming to provide experimental evidence for its prevention and treatment. Methods: This study was approved by the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee. Twelve 6-week-old female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into two groups. They received a single intra-articular injection into the bilateral superior cavity of temporomandibular joint, which consisted of either 50 μL of 4 mg/mL monosodium iodoacetate (TMJOA model group) or 50 μL of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, control group). After 4 weeks, the mandibular condylar cartilage was harvested for hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining, Safranin O-fast green (SO) staining, and type II collagen (Col-Ⅱ) immunohistochemical staining to assess the degree of cartilage degeneration. The synovium of the temporomandibular joint was collected for immunohistochemical staining to detect the expression levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) to evaluate the degree of synovial inflammation. Synovial fluid from the temporomandibular joint cavity was collected to measure sSDC4 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, 12 6-week-old female SD rats were randomly divided into a His-SDC4 group and a control group, receiving injections into the bilateral superior cavity of temporomandibular joint of either 100 ng/mL (50 μL) of His-SDC4 protein or 50 μL of PBS once every 3 days for a total of 28 days. The same experimental procedures were performed for H&E staining, SO staining, and immunohistochemical staining (Col-Ⅱ IL-6, TNF-α) to observe condylar cartilage degeneration and detect synovial inflammation. Rat synovial fibroblasts and condylar chondrocytes were cultured in vitro and randomly divided into a His-SDC4-stimulated (10 ng/mL) group and control group. Perform CCK-8 cytotoxicity assays and observe cellular morphology under optical microscopy, the mRNA expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in cell culture supernatants were measured by ELISA. Results: Compared with the control group, the TMJOA group showed decreased condylar cartilage thickness, percentage of SO-positive area, and percentage of Col-Ⅱ-positive area (all P<0.001); an increased synovitis score (P<0.001) and increased percentages of IL-6- and TNF-α-positive cells in the synovium (all P<0.001); and a significant increase in sSDC4 levels in the synovial fluid (P=0.011). Following intra-articular injection of His-SDC4, condylar cartilage thickness, percentage of SO-positive area, and percentage of Col-Ⅱ-positive area all decreased (all P<0.001); the synovitis score increased (P=0.006), and the percentages of IL-6- and TNF-α-positive cells in the synovium increased (all P<0.001). In vitro experiments showed that His-SDC4 stimulation significantly upregulated the expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in both synovial fibroblasts and condylar chondrocytes (all P<0.01), and the levels of these two cytokines in the culture supernatants also significantly increased (all P<0.01). Conclusion During TMJOA progression, the level of sSDC4 in the synovial fluid is significantly elevated, which can directly stimulate synovial fibroblasts and condylar chondrocytes to secrete more pro-inflammatory cytokines, forming a vicious cycle that accelerates TMJOA progression.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between color parameters (L^*, a^*, b^*, Eab^*) and the contents of reducing sugars, total polysaccharides, total oligosaccharides, as well as four saccharides (fructose, glucose, sucrose, and kestose) during the nine cycles of steaming and sun-drying processing of Polygonatum kingianum, and to preliminarily explore the optimal processing duration.
Methods: The color changes were objectively evaluated using a colorimeter. The anthrone-sulfuric acid method was employed to determine total polysaccharides and oligosaccharides. The 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) colorimetric method was used to measure total reducing sugar content. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with charged aerosol detection (HPLC-CAD) was applied for quantitative analysis of fructose, glucose, sucrose, and kestose. Multivariate statistical analysis was conducted to assess samples from different processing stages.
Results: Significant variations in color and component contents were observed across processing stages. The herbal pieces progressively darkened with increased processing cycles: brightness (L^*) and total color difference (Eab^*) initially decreased then stabilized, while a^* (red-green) and b^* (yellow-blue) values first increased then declined. Total polysaccharides and oligosaccharides showed overall decreasing trends, whereas reducing sugars initially increased before stabilizing. Fructose and glucose levels rose continuously, while sucrose and kestose decreased progressively, becoming undetectable after five cycles.
Conclusion: The chromatic alteration and saccharide composition of P. kingianum showed significant correlation with processing duration. Both total color difference (Eab^*) and reducing sugar content stabilized after four processing cycles (12 hours), suggesting that four cycles of steaming and sun-drying may represent the optimal processing duration.

Objective To explore the incidence and risk factors of sarcopenia in non-dialysis patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods Non-dialysis stage 5 CKD patients in Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences from October 2023 to October 2024 were enrolled and divided into the non-sarcopenia group and the sarcopenia group according to lean tissue index (LTI) and handgrip strength (HGS). Demographic data of patients were collected and biochemical indicators were detected. Serum advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were detected by competitive ELISA. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the risk factors of sarcopenia in these patients. The diagnostic efficacy of the risk factors was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results A total of 102 non-dialysis stage 5 CKD patients with (68.52±7.39) years, were enrolled, including 61 male (59.8%). Among them, 24 were diagnosed with sarcopenia (23.5%). Compared with patients in non-sarcopenia group, patients in sarcopenia group were older and had higher interleukin-6 (IL-6) and AGEs, lower body mass index (BMI) and lower serum albumin (sAlb; P＜0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that advanced age (OR＝1.153, 95%CI 1.045–1.273, P＝0.005), higher IL-6 (OR＝1.165, 95%CI 1.042–1.302, P＝0.007)、lower sAlb (OR＝0.675, 95%CI 0.542–0.840, P＝0.001), and higher serum AGEs (OR＝1.105, 95%CI 1.013–1.206, P＝0.024) were independent risk factors of sarcopenia in non-dialysis CKD 5 patients. The areas under the curve (AUC) for the age, IL-6, sAlb, and serum AGEs were 0.896, 0.643, 0.658, and 0.724, respectively. Conclusions Sarcopenia is common in non-dialysis stage 5 CKD patients, and the risk of sarcopenia is higher in non-dialysis stage 5 CKD patients with advanced age, higher IL-6, lower sAlb, and higher serum AGEs.

BackgroundPatients with colorectal cancer are frequently comorbid with depression， which severely affects the quality of life and treatment compliance， while compromising the efficacy of anticancer treament and prognosis. Current therapeutic strategies still have notable limitations， particularly the lack of systematic and targeted synergistic regimens that integrate oncological management and anti-depressive intervention. It is of great clinical significance to explore a safe and effective new comprehensive intervention protocol and clarify its underlying mechanism of action. ObjectiveTo explore the effectiveness and safety of Shugan Yunpi Decoction in alleviating depressive and anxiety symptoms in colorectal cancer patients with depressive disorder through the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway， in order to provide references for the comprehensive treatment of colorectal cancer and depressive disorder. MethodsThis study was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 106 patients admitted to the Baoding No.1 Hospital of traditional Chinese medicine from November 2023 to July 2025 were enrolled， who met the diagnostic criteria for the Chinese protocol of diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer （2023 edition） and the diagnostic criteria for depressive disorder as specified in the Chinese Classification and Diagnostic Criteria of Mental Disease， third edition （CCMD-3）. Patients were divided into the study group and the control group using a random number table， with 53 cases in each group. The control group received conventional chemotherapy combined with traditional Chinese medicine five-element music therapy， while the study group received conventional chemotherapy combined with Shugan Yunpi Decoction therapy. Both groups were treated for 8 weeks. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item（HAMD-17） and Hamilton Anxiety Scale （HAMA）， respectively. Western blot protein immunoblotting was used to detect the expression levels of PI3K， AKT， and pAKT. Real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （qRT-PCR） was used to detect the expression levels of PI3K mRNA and AKT mRNA. Adverse reactions were recorded using a self-designed adverse reaction record form. ResultsRepeated measures analysis of variance showed that the time effects （F=139.336， 234.747）， group effects （F=43.900， 101.266）， and time-group interaction effects （F=13.409， 43.216） for HAMD-17 and HAMA scores in both groups were statistically significant （P<0.01）. After 4 and 8 weeks of treatment， the HAMD-17 and HAMA scores in both groups were lower than those before treatment， with statistically significant differences （P<0.05）. HAMD-17 and HAMA scores in the study group were lower than those in the control group （P<0.05）. The time effects （F=571.356， 309.266， 414.492）， group effects （F=6.901， 26.361， 39.362）， and time-group interaction effects （F=18.592， 19.266， 33.484） for the protein expression levels of PI3K， AKT， and pAKT in both groups were all statistically significant （P<0.01）. After 8 weeks of treatment， the protein expression levels of PI3K and pAKT in the study group were lower than those in the control group， while the AKT protein expression level was higher than that in the control group（P<0.01）. The time effects （F=338.555， 225.059）， group effects （F=5.429， 9.726）， and time-group interaction effects （F=12.953， 21.214） for PI3K mRNA and AKT mRNA expression levels in two groups were all statistically significant （P<0.01）. After 8 weeks of treatment， the expression levels of PI3K mRNA and AKT mRNA in the study group were lower than those in the control group （P<0.05）. The incidence of adverse reactions in the study group was lower than that in the control group （χ²=4.810， P<0.05）. ConclusionShugan Yunpi Decoction may help to ameliorate depressive and anxiety symptoms in colorectal cancer patients with depressive disorder by regulating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway， decreasing the levels of PI3K， pAKT， PI3K mRNA， and AKT mRNA， with a favorable safety profile. ［Funded by Baoding City Science and Technology Planning Project （number， 2341ZF291）］

Objective To investigate the effects of combined exposure to benzene series, dust and noise on occupational high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL) in the electronics manufacturing industry. Methods A total of 740 employees from an electronic manufacturing enterprise were selected as the study subjects. According to the detection of occupational hazard factors, they were divided into noise group, noise benzene group, and noise dust group, with 325, 167, and 248 people, respectively. Occupational health examinations were conducted on the study participants to analyze their HFHL detection status and influencing factors. Results Among all participants (n=740), 456 (61.62%) were male, 284 (38.38%) were female, and 123 (15.62%) were detected with HFHL. The detection rate of HFHL increased with age and length of service (P<0.01). According to the exposure factor grouping, the detection rates of HFHL in the noise group, noise benzene group, and noise dust group were 12.00%, 19.16%, and 20.97%, respectively (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that workers aged ≥ 40 years, with 10-20 years of work experience, ≥ 20 years of work experience, exposure to noise and benzene series, and exposure to noise and dust had an increased risk of developing HFHL to 1.734, 1.923, 3.071, 1.706, and 1.527, respectively (P<0.05). Conclusion Combined exposure to noise and benzene series, combined exposure to noise and dust, as well as age and extended length of service may increase the risk of HFHL among workers.

ObjectiveTo explore the application effects of environmentally friendly reagents versus traditional reagents in tissue processing， paraffin sectioning， hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， special staining， and immunohistochemistry. MethodsPancreatic， renal， splenic， hepatic， pulmonary， skeletal muscle， and cardiac tissues were collected from mice and New Zealand rabbits， and randomly divided into a traditional group （Group A）， an environmentally friendly reagent I group （Group B）， and an environmentally friendly reagent Ⅱ group （Group C）. The processed tissue sections from all three groups were subjected to paraffin sections， HE staining， phosphotungstic acid-hematoxylin staining， and Mallory trichrome staining. The pancreatic tissue sections were subjected to immunohistochemical detection of insulin protein. Evaluation criteria included tissue morphological integrity， embedding operability， section quality， and staining effects. ResultsNo significant differences were observed among the three groups of samples in terms of fixation efficacy， embedding operations， and section quality. After HE staining， all groups exhibited bright nuclear and cytoplasmic staining with clear contrast， with excellent-and-good rates of 98%， 99%， and 97% for Groups A， B， and C， respectively， showing no statistically significant differences （A vs. B， P=0.561； A vs. C， P=0.651）. In phosphotungstic acid-hematoxylin staining， Groups A and C showed clear structural contrast and bright staining for striated muscle and collagen fibers， whereas Group B exhibited uneven staining. The excellent-and-good rates were 100%， 10%， and 95% for Groups A， B， and C， respectively， with significant differences between Group A and Group B （P＜0.01） but no statistical difference between Group A and Group C （P=0.311）. In Mallory trichrome staining， Groups A and B outperformed Group C. The excellent-and-good rates were 95%， 90%， and 15% for Groups A， B， and C， respectively， with significant differences between Group A and Group C （P＜0.01）， but no statistical difference between Group A and Group B （P=0.548）. Immunohistochemical results showed that Group A had a clean background with no non-specific staining， while Groups B and C exhibited significant non-specific staining， with statistically significant differences in non-specific staining rates between the groups （A vs. B， 5% vs. 100%， P＜0.01； A vs. C， 5% vs.100%， P＜0.01）. ConclusionIn HE staining， environmentally friendly reagents demonstrated effective tissue fixation and staining results comparable to traditional reagents， meeting the teaching requirements. For special staining， Group B and Group C performed better in Mallory trichrome staining and phosphotungstic acid-hematoxylin staining， respectively. However， environmentally friendly reagents exhibited non-specific staining issues in immunohistochemistry， where further optimization is required.

This study identified 8 members including NjBIN2 of the GSK3 family in Nardostachys jatamansi by bioinformatics analysis. Moreover, the phylogenetic tree revealed that the GKS3 family members of N. jatamansi had a close relationship with those of Arabidopsis. RT-qPCR results showed that NjBIN2 presented a tissue-specific expression pattern with the highest expression in roots, suggesting that NjBIN2 played a role in root growth and development. In addition, the application of epibrassinolide or the brassinosteroid(BR) synthesis inhibitor(brassinazole) altered the expression pattern of NjBIN2 and influenced the photomorphogenesis(cotyledon opening) and root development of N. jatamansi, which provided direct evidence about the functions of NjBIN2. In conclusion, this study highlights the roles of BIN2 in regulating the growth and development of N. jatamansi by analyzing the expression pattern and biological function of NjBIN2. It not only enriches the understanding about the regulatory mechanism of the growth and development of N. jatamansi but also provides a theoretical basis and potential gene targets for molecular breeding of N. jatamansi with improved quality in the future.
Brassinosteroids/metabolism* ; Steroids, Heterocyclic/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant/drug effects* ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Phylogeny ; Nardostachys/metabolism* ; Plant Growth Regulators/pharmacology* ; Plant Roots/drug effects*