The inflammatory microenvironment is closely associated with the initiation and progression of osteoarthritis （OA）， specifically manifesting as macrophage activation， dysregulation of inflammatory cytokines， and redox imbalance. Following an overview of the pathological characteristics of the OA inflammatory microenvironment， this paper reviews the research progress on the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） intervening in OA by modulating the inflammatory microenvironment. It has been found that TCM monomers/active ingredients （such as total alkaloids from Strychnos nux-vomica ， quercetin， triptolide， etc.）， herb pairs （e.g. Angelica pubescens - Gentiana macrophylla ， Carthami Flos-Lycopodii Herba）， and TCM formulas （such as Zhuanggu jianxi formula， Duhuo jisheng decoction and Rongjin niantong formula， etc.） can inhibit macrophage activation， reduce the release of proinflammatory cytokines and the generation of reactive oxygen species by inhibiting multiple signaling pathways， including nuclear factor-κB， Wnt/ β -catenin， and mitogen-activated protein kinase， thereby alleviating the articular inflammatory microenvironment， restoring local joint homeostasis， and slowing the progression of OA.

Objective: To explore the feasibility, precision, and clinical value of a personalized primary repair approach centered on digital design, integrating 3D printing technology with multiple materials such as titanium mesh, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and titanium plates, for complex craniofacial bone defects involving the skull, mandible, orbit, and zygoma resulting from traffic accidents, providing a reference for primary repair of clinically complex craniofacial bone defects. Methods: One patient who was admitted in September 2021 with multiple comminuted fractures of the right craniomaxillofacial region and large-area bone defects caused by a traffic accident was selected. Digital design was integrated throughout the entire repair process. First, preoperative computed tomography (CT) data were used for 3D reconstruction of the craniomaxillofacial region; then, based on the model, the anatomical contour of the healthy left side was reproduced via mirroring technology for the defects on the right side. A targeted repair plan was designed: 3D-printed PEEK material was used to reconstruct the right orbital floor and zygomaticomaxillary complex, a 0.6-mm-thick titanium mesh was adopted to repair the right skull defect, and a 2.0-mm-thick titanium plate was applied for rigid internal fixation of the mandibular fracture. A one-stage repair surgery was completed simultaneously. In addition, a literature review was conducted on studies related to the repair of complex combined craniomaxillofacial defects. Results: CT examination at 1 week postoperatively showed that the average fitting gap of the implants was 0.3 mm, and the symmetry difference of the facial contour was less than 5 mm. At 3 months postoperatively, the patient’s maximum mouth opening reached 38 mm, the occlusal relationship returned to normal, and the diplopia symptom completely disappeared. During the 6-month postoperative follow-up, no complications such as implant loosening, infection, or displacement occurred; the FACE-Q scale score was 91, indicating a high level of subjective patient satisfaction. The literature review indicated that digital design combined with 3D printing technology can significantly improve the accuracy of complex craniomaxillofacial bone defect reconstruction. PEEK material is suitable for the reconstruction of the orbital floor and zygomaticomaxillary complex. Titanium mesh and plates can ensure the stability of the reconstruction. Multi-materials combined reconstruction represents an important therapeutic strategy for such defects. Conclusion The individualized one-stage repair scheme, centered on digital design and combined with 3D printing technology and multi-materials (titanium mesh, PEEK, and titanium plates), can achieve precise anatomical reduction and simultaneous functional recovery for complex combined craniomaxillofacial bone defects caused by traffic accidents.

Objective: This prospective study evaluated the feasibility of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI for assessing disease activity in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Materials and Methods: A total of 88 patients with active TAO, 76 with inactive TAO, and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. CEST MRI-derived magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) and MTR asymmetry (MTRasym) at 1 ppm, 2 ppm, and 3.5 ppm were calculated. Clinical data, MTR, and MTRasym values for the extraocular muscles (one representative muscle per eye, yielding two measurements per participant) were compared among the groups. Spearman’s correlation was used to examine associations between imaging parameters and the clinical activity score (CAS) in patients with TAO. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent associations between imaging parameters and disease activity in patients with TAO (active vs. inactive). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance for discriminating active from inactive TAO. Results: Patients with active TAO showed lower MTR values (P < 0.001) and higher MTRasym (1 ppm), MTRasym (2 ppm), and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) (all P < 0.001) compared with those with inactive TAO. MTR was negatively correlated with CAS (r = -0.402; P < 0.001), while MTRasym (1 ppm), MTRasym (2 ppm), and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) were positively correlated with CAS (r = 0.369, 0.350, and 0.349, respectively;all P < 0.001). MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) were independently associated with TAO activity. The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) for MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) in discriminating active from inactive TAO were 0.772 and 0.730, respectively. Combining MTR with MTRasym (1 ppm) significantly improved diagnostic performance compared with either parameter alone, achieving an AUC of 0.805 (P = 0.029 and 0.001). Conclusion MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) were independently associated with TAO activity. Their combination further enhanced diagnostic performance in distinguishing active from inactive TAO, suggesting their potential as quantitative imaging biomarkers to guide treatment in patients with TAO.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement effects and potential mechanisms of Sangbaipi decoction （SBP） on mice with second-hand smoke-induced pulmonary fibrosis （PF）. METHODS Using network pharmacology methods， the common targets between the active components of SBP and PF-specific targets were screened， the protein-protein interaction network was constructed， the pathway enrichment analysis was performed using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes， and the molecular docking was conducted. Based on these results， the male Kunming mice were divided into a normal control group， a model control group， an SBP group （1.08 g/kg， calculated by crude drugs）， and a pirfenidone group （positive control， 90 mg/kg）， with eight mice in each group. Except for the normal control group， all other groups were exposed to second-hand smoke via the static respiratory tract smoking method （30 min of smoking twice daily for 20 consecutive days） to establish a mouse model of PF induced by second-hand smoke. Each drug group was administered the corresponding drug solution via gavage 0.5 h after the second daily smoke exposure； the normal control and model control groups were simultaneously administered an equal volume of water via gavage， once daily for 20 consecutive days. Twenty-four hours after the final administration， pathological changes in lung tissue were observed， and the levels of pro-inflammatory factors， injury markers， and the expression of proteins in related signaling pathways in lung tissue were detected. RESULTS A total of 2 448 common targets were identified， with core targets including protein kinase B1 （AKT1）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6）， which were enriched in signaling pathways such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K）/AKT. The bin ding energies of AKT1， PI3K， TNF-α， and IL-6 to the active compound chaksine were －11.0， －7.7， －9.0， and －9.4 kcal/mol， respectively. Compared with the model control group， pathological changes such as inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition in lung tissue were alleviated in the administration groups. The expression of collagen Ⅲ in lung tissue was significantly downregulated， and the levels of IL-6， TNF-α， tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1， and pulmonary surfactant-associated protein D， as well as the percentage of positive areas with pulmonary fibrosis and protein phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT， were all significantly downregulated or reduced （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS The role of SBP in improving PF induced by second-hand smoke may be related to the regulation of multiple core targets， including AKT1， and the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway， thereby alleviating pulmonary inflammation and collagen deposition.

BACKGROUND:The decreased postural control ability due to mild cognitive impairment in elderly people leads to the increased risk of falls.Dual-task is the primary research paradigm for evaluating the relationship between cognition and postural control in the scenes close to real life.The sample entropy of the plantar center of pressure(COP)displacement during standing can represent the complexity of postural control. OBJECTIVE:Based on the COP displacement sample entropy,to analyze the differences in postural stability characteristics and control strategies between older adults with mild cognitive impairment and cognitively normal older adults during the dual-task with postural control and spatial working memory,aiming to explore the impact of cognitive impairment on the postural control ability during standing. METHODS:Sixteen older adults with mild cognitive impairment and 17 cognitively normal older adults were eligible and selected for the study.They completed five test tasks,including spatial working memory,double-feet balance stance,Romberg stance,double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task,and Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task,with three valid completions of each task.The plantar COP data were collected by the Kistler 3D force platform.The indicators included cognitive behavior(cognitive score and reaction time)and kinematic indexes(COP displacement and sample entropy). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The older adults with mild cognitive impairment performed the spatial working memory task with the greatest cognitive score and the shortest reaction time,the double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task with moderate cognitive score and reaction time,and the Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task with the smallest cognitive score and the longest reaction time,where the differences were significant among the tasks(P<0.05).In the older adults with mild cognitive impairment,the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral COP displacements were significantly greater,and their sample entropy values were significantly smaller in the double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task and Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task than in the double-feet balance stance and Romberg stance tasks(P<0.05).In the spatial working memory task,there were no significant differences in cognitive score and reaction time between the both groups(P>0.05);however,in the double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task and Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task,cognitive scores were significantly smaller and reaction times were longer in the older adults with mild cognitive impairment compared with the cognitively normal older adults(P<0.05).In the double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task and Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task,the older adults with mild cognitive impairment exhibited significantly greater anterior-posterior and medial-lateral COP displacements and significantly smaller sample entropy values compared with the cognitively normal older adults(P<0.05).All findings indicate that compared with cognitively normal older adults,older adults with mild cognitive impairment exhibit smaller complexity,poorer systematic adaption and decreased automatic regulation of the postural control during performing the dual-tasks,who are more susceptible to spatial working memory interference,leading to the increased risk of falls.

The paper introduces Professor FAN Gangqi's clinical experience in treatment of migraine. Regarding the syndrome/pattern differentiation of TCM, a four-approach framework is established, identifying the nature of illness, analyzing the syndrome/pattern and pathogenesis, determining the stage of illness, and identifying body constitution. In treatment, the principle of treatment is determined in line with syndrome/pattern differentiation, so as to ensure the therapeutic effect by means of "four dimensions". The acupuncture regimens are formulated in terms of the illness stages, "strong needling stimulation in acute stage for analgesia, and needle retaining in chronic stage for long-term effect". "Focusing on neuovascular pathway" is the effective approach to treatment of migraine with acupuncture and moxiubstion. The clinical holistic model by combining acupuncture with medication is advocated because that "the single acupuncture is weak in therapeutic effect, but with medication combined, the effect is enhanced". The different acupuncture techniques are provided comprehensively in treatment of migraine such as horizontal and row-like needling, collateral needling at Taiyang (EX-HN5), acupuncture at Sankong (Yuyao [EX-HN4], Sibai [ST2] and Jiachengjiang [Extra]), acupoint injection at Tianyou (TE16) and Renying (ST9), and acupoint embedding therapy at Fengchi (GB20).
Humans ; Migraine Disorders/diagnosis* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Moxibustion ; Acupuncture Points ; Female ; Male ; Adult

ObjectiveThrough qualitatively and quantitatively analysis of the differences in chemical composition between the combined decoction and single decoction of Huaganjian and comparison of their core efficacy， to explore the rationality of the flexible clinical application of Huaganjian compound preparations and single-flavored dispensing granules. MethodsUltra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS） was used to qualitatively analyze the combined decoction and single decoction samples of Huaganjian， and meanwhile， the contents of four index components（geniposide， paeoniflorin， hesperidin and paeonol） were quantitatively analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease（NAFLD） rat model induced by high-fat diet was applied to compare the efficacy of combined decoction and single decoction of Huaganjian. A total of 30 male SD rats were randomly divided into the control group， model group， lovastatin group（1.8 mg·kg^-1）， combined decoction group（1.26 g·kg^-1） and single decoction group（1.18 g·kg^-1）. After successful modeling， lovastatin group， combined decoction group and single decoction group were given corresponding doses of drugs by intragastric administration every day， and the control group and model group were given equal amounts of normal saline by intragastric administration， after 4 weeks of administration， the serum and liver tissues were collected， and the contents of alanine aminotransferase（ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase（AST）， total cholesterol（TC）， triglyceride（TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol（LDL-C） and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol（HDL-C） in serum of rats were detected， and the liver pathological examination was carried out by hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining and oil red O staining， so as to compare differences of their efficacy. ResultsSeventy chemical components were initially identified and attributed from the lyophilized powder of the combined decoction and single decoction samples of Huaganjian， and there was no obvious difference in composition between the two. Further quantitative analysis showed that the contents of geniposide， paeoniflorin， hesperidin and paeonol in the combined decoction samples were significantly increased when compared with those of the single decoction samples（P<0.01）. The pharmacodynamic results showed that compared with the model group， both the combined and single decoction groups of Huaganjian could improve the liver index of NAFLD rats， reduce the serum levels of AST， ALT， TC， TG and LDL-C， increase the serum level of HDL-C， and ameliorate the pathological changes of liver cell steatosis and fat accumulation. However， there was no significant difference in pharmacodynamic effects between the combined decoction group and the single decoction group. ConclusionThere is no significant difference between the combined decoction and single decoction of Huaganjian in terms of chemical composition， but the contents of the four index components show significantly difference. Both of them can significantly improve the fat accumulation and liver function in NAFLD rats. This study provides a reference basis for the rational clinical application and evaluation of famous classical formula compound preparations and single-flavored dispensing granules.

Objective: This study aimed to compare outcomes and adverse events of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with cisplatin single-agent chemotherapy vs. CCRT with cisplatin combined with paclitaxel dualagent therapy. The primary outcomes are overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), local recurrence (LR), distant metastasis (DM) and the occurrence of adverse events. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with FIGO 2009 stage IB1-IVA cervical squamous cell carcinoma undergoing radical CCRT. Patients were divided into groups A and B, treatment outcomes were compared between the two groups after 1:1 proportional propensity score matching. Results: Medical records of 1,203 patients were reviewed and 572 patients were finally included for propensity score matching. After propensity score matching, 121 pairs of patients were selected for analysis. The OS, PFS, LR and DM rates were 78.5% and 83.5% (p=0.417), 73.3% and 78.5% (p=0.312), 6.6% and 2.5% (p=0.123), 19% and 15.7% (p=0.497) for groups A and B, respectively. Further subgroup analysis according to stage and lymph node metastatic status showed no difference in survival between the two groups. The incidence of grade 3–4 acute haematological toxicities was different between the two groups (p<0.05). Conclusion Cisplatin combined with paclitaxel CCRT couldn’t improve the survival rates of patients with LACC. However, the hematological toxicity of combination chemotherapy is more severe but controllable. Cisplatin single-agent therapy remains the first choice for CCRT. Further prospective studies are indicated to provide evidence for the efficacy of cisplatin plus paclitaxel in dual-agent concurrent therapy.

OBJECTIVES: Intracranial aneurysm (IA) has an insidious onset, and once ruptured, it carries high rates of mortality and disability. Cardiometabolic factors may be associated with the formation and rupture of IA. This study aims to summarize the application of Mendelian randomization (MR) methods in research on cardiometabolic factors and IA, providing insights for further elucidation of IA etiology and pathogenesis. METHODS: Literature about MR-based IA studies published up to February 21, 2024, was retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang. Two researchers independently performed literature screening, data extraction, and quality assessment. A narrative synthesis approach was used to conduct a qualitative systematic review of the included studies. RESULTS: A total of 11 MR-based studies on IA published between 2017 to 2024 were included, of which 4 were rated as high quality. These studies investigated the associations between blood pressure, blood lipids, blood glucose, obesity-related indicators, and inflammatory cytokines with IA and its subtypes, though issues of duplication were noted. Four MR studies based on the same European population but using different instrumental variable selection criteria, as well as another MR study in a different European cohort, consistently identified blood pressure as a risk factor for IA and its subtypes. Findings for blood lipids, blood glucose, obesity-related indicators, and inflammatory cytokines were inconsistent across MR studies. CONCLUSIONS Blood pressure appears to increase the risk of IA and its subtypes. Associations between other cardiometabolic factors and IA/subtypes require further in-depth investigation. Given the inherent limitations of MR studies, causal inferences should be made cautiously in combination with other lines of evidence.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Intracranial Aneurysm/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Glucose ; Obesity/complications* ; Cardiometabolic Risk Factors ; Lipids/blood*

Objective: This study aimed to compare outcomes and adverse events of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with cisplatin single-agent chemotherapy vs. CCRT with cisplatin combined with paclitaxel dualagent therapy. The primary outcomes are overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), local recurrence (LR), distant metastasis (DM) and the occurrence of adverse events. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with FIGO 2009 stage IB1-IVA cervical squamous cell carcinoma undergoing radical CCRT. Patients were divided into groups A and B, treatment outcomes were compared between the two groups after 1:1 proportional propensity score matching. Results: Medical records of 1,203 patients were reviewed and 572 patients were finally included for propensity score matching. After propensity score matching, 121 pairs of patients were selected for analysis. The OS, PFS, LR and DM rates were 78.5% and 83.5% (p=0.417), 73.3% and 78.5% (p=0.312), 6.6% and 2.5% (p=0.123), 19% and 15.7% (p=0.497) for groups A and B, respectively. Further subgroup analysis according to stage and lymph node metastatic status showed no difference in survival between the two groups. The incidence of grade 3–4 acute haematological toxicities was different between the two groups (p<0.05). Conclusion Cisplatin combined with paclitaxel CCRT couldn’t improve the survival rates of patients with LACC. However, the hematological toxicity of combination chemotherapy is more severe but controllable. Cisplatin single-agent therapy remains the first choice for CCRT. Further prospective studies are indicated to provide evidence for the efficacy of cisplatin plus paclitaxel in dual-agent concurrent therapy.