Dark plum can be used to treat symptoms such as consumptive thirst due to deficiency-heat and chronic cough due to lung deficiency.Its active ingredients have auxiliary effects on lowering blood glucose,antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities.Insulin resistance is mainly characterized by the weakening of the physiological effects of insulin in the body,with a relatively complex mechanism that can lead to various metabolic-related diseases and seriously affect health.The active ingredients of dark plum can improve insulin resistance by regulating insulin signaling pathways,endoplasmic reticulum stress,antioxidant stress,inflammatory signaling pathways,levels of related inflammatory mediators,and free fatty acid levels.By reviewing the relevant literature on the improvement of insulin resistance by the active ingredients of dark plum,this article summarizes and analyzes its mechanism of action,aiming to provide new ideas and scientific evidence for in-depth research on insulin resistance and the development and application of drugs.

Objective:To explore the short-term clinical effects of deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Methods:A prospective exploratory study was conducted on the treatment of AD patients using the cervical deep lymph node-venous anastomosis technique in Scar and Wound Treatment Department, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from September to October 2024. The patients underwent high-frequency ultrasound to locate deep cervical lymph nodes and the external jugular vein. Under general anesthesia, bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses were performed. Indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography was conducted via subcutaneous injection behind the ear to visualize lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. After making a skin incision along the posterior margin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the external jugular vein, internal jugular veins, and associated lymph nodes were exposed. Adjacent veins were selected for anastomosis of lymph node. Using microsurgical techniques, end-to-side or end-to-end anastomosis was completed for lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. Preoperative assessments included the mini-mental state examination (MMSE, a higher score indicates better cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog, a higher score indicates greater impairment of cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease cooperative study scale for activities of daily living (ADCS-ADL, a higher score indicates better ability to perform daily activity), and neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI, a higher score indicates more severe behavioral and emotional symptom). Postoperative follow-up included the same scales to observe changes in cognitive function, activities of daily living, and emotional communication.Results:Four patients (1 male, 3 females, aged 58-79 years) with AD were included. All were diagnosed based on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. All patients successfully underwent bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses. On average, 4.3 (2-7 per person) anastomoses were performed per patient. Surgical procedures lasted an average of 6.5 h (5.5-8.5 h) with minimal blood loss (less than 50 ml). Patients resumed normal activity within 6 hours postoperatively and were discharged after an average of 4.1 d (3.5-5.0 d). Postoperative complications included one case each of aspiration pneumonia, lower limb venous thrombosis, and transient delirium, all of whom resolved without long-term effects. Clinical symptoms, including memory decline, mood swings, and anxiety, showed varying degrees of improvement. Patients reported enhanced quality of life, emotional stability, and social engagement, confirming the procedure’s safety and potential cognitive benefits. At one month postoperatively, the MMSE scores of the four patients increased by an average of 0.8 points compared to preoperative levels. Additionally, the two patients who completed the ADAS-Cog assessments showed a decrease in their scores (reduced by 1.0 points and 11.3 points, respectively, compared to preoperative scores), indicating a certain degree of improvement in cognitive function during this period. The ADCS-ADL and NPI scores of four patients varied significantly, without showing any clear pattern.Conclusion:Lymphovenous anastomosis of the deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis may provide a new surgical intervention approach for AD, but further large-scale studies and long-term follow-up are needed to validate its safety and effectiveness.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Surgical resection remains the preferred treatment modality, offering the potential for cure. However, over half of HCC patients present as intermediate to advanced stages at diagnosis, with multiple factors precluding surgical resection. Conversion therapy represents an important treatment strategy by enabling tumor downstaging, offering future resectability for patients with intermediate-to-advanced HCC who are initially unresectable. This article reviews the relevant concepts and research progress in conversion therapy for HCC.

Objective To explore the correlation between the expression level of serum fibrinogen-like protein 1(FGL1)and the indexes of metabolism and renal function in patients with diabetic nephropathy(DN)and diabetes mellitus(DM),and provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods From January 2017 to April 2023,30 patients with DM and treated in Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine were selected as the DM group,68 patients with DN were selected as the DN group,and 36 healthy subjects were selected as the control group.The DN group was further divided into the early DN(DN-E)group(n=38)and the late DN(DN-A)group(n=30)according to whether there was a large amount of proteinuria and the severity.Clinical data such as serum albumin(ALB),estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)and albumin-to-creatinine ratio(ACR)were collected.Serum FGL1 level was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Pearson linear correlation was used for correlation,the diagnostic value was analyzed by ROC curve.Results Compared with the control group,the levels of ACR,FGL1 in patients with DM group increased,the levels of eGFR decreased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=5.686,4.336,-4.683,all P<0.05).Compated with the DM group,the levels of ACR,FGL1 in patients with DN-E group was increased,and the level of eGFR was decreased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=5.275,3.454,-4.969,all P<0.05).Compared with the DN-E group,the levels of ACR,FGL1 in the DN-A group were increased,the levels of eGFR were decreased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=7.881,7.051,-5.596,all P<0.05).Serum FGL1 level was negatively correlated with ALB and eGFR(r=-0.638,-0.547,all P<0.05),and positively correlated with ACR(r=0.691,P<0.05).The AUC(95%CI),specificity and sensitivity of serum FGL1 level in the diagnosis of DN were 0.947(0.908～0.987),100%and 82.4%,respectively.Conclusion The level of serum FGL1 in DN and DM patients is high,and the level of serum FGL1 is closely related to the common metabolic indexes such as ALB,eGFR and ACR in the diagnosis of DN,which may have certain clinical diagnostic value.

Objective:To explore the impact of changes of myocardial infarct size on left ventricular adverse remodeling in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods:This was a prospective cohort study. The STEMI patients who underwent primary PCI in the First Medical Center of the Chinese People′s Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Hainan Hospital of the Chinese People′s Liberation Army General Hospital and Guangxi Yulin First People Hospital from January 1, 2017 to January 1, 2022 were enrolled. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) was performed to dynamically assess the myocardial infarct size and calculate the rate of infarct size change between the acute phase (5 to 7 days post-primary PCI) and 6-month follow-up. The endpoint was left ventricular adverse remodeling which was defined as an increase of more than 20% in left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) assessed by CMR at 6 months after primary PCI compared with LVEDV at 1 week after primary PCI. Based on serial CMR assessments, the patients were divided into left ventricular adverse remodeling group and non-remodeling group. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive performance of infarct size change for left ventricular adverse remodeling, and according to the optimal cutoff value, improved infarct size was defined as a decrease of >20% in the infarct size measured by CMR at 6 months after primary PCI compared with infarct size at 1 week after primary PCI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the protective factors and risk factors for left ventricular adverse remodeling.Results:A total of 267 patients were enrolled, aged (58±11) years, with 234 males (87.6%). And 73 cases in the left ventricular remodeling group and 194 cases in the non-remodeling group. Infarct size assessed by CMR at 6 months after primary PCI decreased significantly compared with infarct size at 1 week after primary PCI in the left ventricular remodeling group ((23±13)% vs. (27±12)%, P=0.004), the same as in the non-remodeling group ((18±10)% vs. (23±10)%, P<0.001). The area under the ROC curve for the rate of infarct size change in predicting left ventricular remodeling was 0.735 (95% CI 0.670-0.799, P<0.001), a 20% reduction was the optimal cut-off value. Compared to the patients with non-improved infarct size, the incidence of left ventricular adverse remodeling was significantly lower in the patients with improved infarct size (18% (24/133) vs. 37% (49/134), P=0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that improvement in IS was a protective factor for left ventricular adverse remodeling ( OR=0.376, 95% CI 0.236-0.721, P=0.002). Conclusion:Patients with STEMI who experience obvious reduction in infarct size after primary PCI have a significantly reduced risk of left ventricular adverse remodeling.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of Shenling Guben Granules on quality of life and immune function in patients with HIV classified as immunological non-responders （INRs）. MethodsA prospective， multicenter， randomized， double-blind， controlled trial was conducted from August 21， 2018， to January 6， 2021， across eight hospitals in China. A total of 300 INR patients， diagnosed with spleen-kidney yang deficiency or lung-spleen Qi deficiency syndromes， were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the observation group or the control group， with 150 patients in each group. The control group received antiretroviral therapy （ART） combined with placebo， while the observation group received ART combined with Shenling Guben Granules. After 72 consecutive weeks of treatment， the World Health Organization Quality of Life for HIV brief version （WHOQOL-HIV BREF） was used to assess quality of life before and after treatment in both groups. Immune indicators （CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell counts）， complete blood count， liver and renal function， and adverse events during treatment were also evaluated to assess safety. ResultsA total of 279 patients were included in the final analysis （140 in the observation group and 139 in the control group）. After treatment， CD4⁺ T cell counts in the observation group increased significantly compared to baseline （P< 0.05）， whereas the control group showed an upward trend without statistical significance. Compared with the control group after treatment， the observation group showed a significantly greater increase in CD4⁺ levels （P<0.05）. There were no significant differences in the total score or domain scores of quality of life （physical， psychological， independence， social relationships， environment， and spirituality）， or in CD8⁺ T cell counts， before and after treatment in either group. The incidence of adverse events during treatment was 10% （14/140） in the observation group and 10.07% （14/139） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference between the two groups. ConclusionAlthough Shenling Guben Granules did not significantly improve quality of life in INR patients， they significantly increased CD4⁺ cell counts and demonstrated good safety， providing scientific evidence to support their use as a treatment option for INR patients.

Good endometrial receptivity is an essential factor for embryo implantation,and gene expression in endometrial tissue during the window of implantation(WOI)is closely related to receptivity.Transcriptome sequencing technology enables the identification of gene expression profiles of endometrium during different menstrual phases,as well as microRNAs and long-chain non-coding RNA sequences involved in regulating gene expression.Combining this technology with bioinformatics analysis provides a better understanding of specific gene expression during the receptive period and offers technical support for studying its regulatory mechanism.Moreover,gene expression profiles of the endometrium during different menstrual phases hold significant clinical application value for accurately assessing endometrium receptivity in infertility patients and those with repeated implantation failure,thereby guiding individualized embryo transfer strategies.This review summarizes the progress of transcriptome sequencing in evaluating human endometrial receptivity and discusses future research directions.This review aims to understand the complex molecular mechanisms of endometrial receptivity formation and regulation from the transcriptional level,in order to improve the implantation rate of embryos in assisted reproductive technology and reduce the abortion rate.

With the aggravation of population aging in our country,the prevalence of osteoporosis(OP)has surged dramatically.Currently,the diagnosis of OP primarily relies on bone mineral density(BMD),and the precise measurement of BMD is crucial in the diagnosis and treatment of spinal surgical diseases.In recent years,computed tomography(CT)has gained widespread attention in clinical diagnosis and treatment due to its unique advantages.Vertebral CT values not only enhance the diagnostic rate of OP but also effectively predict the occurrence of postoperative complications such as adjacent vertebral fractures,fusion device subsidence,and pedicle screw loosening.This article summarizes the research progress of vertebral CT value in the field of spine surgery,and discusses its feasibility in guiding spinal surgery and its correlation with postoperative complications of spine.Additionally,it elaborates on the progress of combining CT with artificial intelligence(AI)to assist in disease diagnosis and treatment,aiming to better promote the clinical application of vertebral CT values.

Objective To investigate the factors influencing global longitudinal strain(GLS)measured by cardiac magnetic resonance(CMR)in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI).Methods Clinical data of 315 hospitalized patients diagnosed with acute STEMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)at the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from June 2016 to September 2021 were retrospectively collected.After analyzing CMR images of all patients,GLS and other strain parameters were obtained,and then the patients were divided into two groups according to the median GLS.In order to balance gender and age differences,1:1 propensity score matching was performed,and 206 patients were eventually included:GLS>-11.3%group(indicating severe GLS impairment,n=103)and GLS≤-11.3%group(n=103).Baseline characteristics,laboratory indicators,coronary angiographic parameters,electrocardiogram(ECG)features,and CMR parameters were compared between the two groups.Variables showing significant differences were analyzed for their correlation with GLS.Multivariate logistic regression and multiple stepwise linear regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with GLS impairment.Results Compared with GLS≤-11.3%group,GLS>-11.3%group had significantly higher peak levels of creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB)and troponin T(TnT)(P<0.001).A higher proportion of patients in GLS>-11.3%group had the left anterior descending artery(LAD)as the culprit vessel,while a lower proportion had the right coronary artery(RCA)as the culprit vessel(P<0.001).Additionally,GLS>-11.3%group had longer QRS duration(P<0.001)and a higher incidence of pathological Q waves(P=0.001).Regarding CMR parameters,GLS>-11.3%group exhibited larger global circumferential strain(GCS),infarct size(IS),and left ventricular end-systolic volume(LVESV),as well as lower global radial strain(GRS)and left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)(P<0.001).Multivariate logistic regression indicated that peak TnT(OR=1.092,P=0.001),LAD culprit vessel(OR=3.744,P<0.001),and QRS duration(OR=1.026,P<0.001)were significantly associated with severely impaired GLS.Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis showed that the logarithmic value of peak TnT,LAD as the culprit vessel,and the square root of QRS duration were linearly correlated with GLS values(adjusted R2=0.301,P<0.001),and these independent variables explained 30.1%of the variation in GLS.Conclusion Elevated peak TnT,prolonged QRS duration,and LAD as the culprit vessel are significantly associated with severe GLS impairment in STEMI patients,indicating more severe myocardial infarction and worse left ventricular function.

Liver cirrhosis is the terminal stage of chronic liver disease. Minimizing complications of liver cirrhosis and the occurrence of liver cancer has become an important goal for liver cirrhosis treatment. The primary etiology leading to liver cirrhosis is chronic hepatitis B infection. "Dual-anti therapy" refers to the combination of anti-viral and anti-fibrosis treatment, which is the characteristic and advantage of the integration of Chinese and Western medicine. The article elaborates on the concept and strategies of "dual antibody therapy" based on evidence-based medicine and introduces the research progress in terms of representative anti-fibrotic Chinese patent medicines for reversing liver cirrhosis, reducing the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma, and loweri ng portal hypertension and its complications and others, revealing that dual antibody therapy can clinically facilitate dual reduction" (reducing both liver cancer and complications of cirrhosis). Additionally, it analyzes and summarizes the mechanism of action of anti-fibrotic Chinese patent medicines and prospects of a new model of liver cirrhosis treatment combining Chinese and Western medicine, thereby providing novel ideas for the prevention and treatment of clinical liver diseases.