ObjectiveTo establish a reliable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mouse model based on a self-developed multichannel automatic control system for long-term continuous cigarette smoke exposure in small animals using a novel continuous cigarette smoke exposure method, and to conduct phenotypic evaluation and analysis, thereby providing an animal experimental basis for investigating COPD pathogenesis and prevention strategies. MethodsTwenty male C57BL/6J mice aged 6 weeks were randomly and equally divided into a control group and a model group. The model group (n=10) underwent 6 h of continuous cigarette smoke exposure daily (6 cigarettes per day for 12 consecutive weeks), while the control group (n=10) received no intervention. Body weight was monitored biweekly. Post-exposure, in vivo micro-CT imaging was performed. After euthanasia, serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were quantified by ELISA. Lung tissues underwent H&E and Masson's trichrome staining to observe changes in lung morphology and inflammatory cell infiltration, and the mean linear intercept (MLI) was calculated, thereby comprehensively evaluating the clinical features of COPD in the mouse model. ResultsCompared with the control group, the model group showed significantly reduced body weight (P<0.01) from the fourth week. Compared with the control group, IL-6 level in the serum and BALF of the model group increased by 27.2% and 140.0%, respectively (P<0.01). TNF-α level in the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of the model group increased by 16.7% (P<0.01) and 19.3% (P<0.05), respectively. Histopathological examination revealed alveolar wall thinning, septal rupture, emphysematous bullae formation, reduced alveolar count, bronchial wall thickening with lumen narrowing, and inflammatory cell infiltration. MLI was significantly elevated (P<0.01). Masson's staining confirmed collagen deposition and bronchial remodeling. Micro-CT demonstrated localized high-density shadows exhibiting typical features of chronic bronchitis. Conclusion The self-developed device enables long-term continuous smoke exposure, and the successfully established COPD mouse model exhibits pathological features highly consistent with clinical manifestations, offering an efficient and reliable tool for COPD research.

AIM: To investigate the protective effect of β-sitosterol on retinal structure and function and its underlying molecular mechanism in a sodium iodate(NaIO3)-induced mouse model of dry age-related macular degeneration(ARMD).METHODS: A dry ARMD mouse model was established by NaIO3 injection. The therapeutic effect of β-sitosterol intervention was evaluated using fundus photography, histopathology(HE staining), and electroretinography(ERG). Network pharmacology was employed to screen potential targets of β-sitosterol in ARMD, and molecular docking was used to validate the binding ability between β-sitosterol and these targets. The impact of β-sitosterol on ARPE-19 cell viability and apoptosis pathways was analyzed using CCK-8 assay, Hoechst staining, and Western blotting.RESULTS: The β-sitosterol significantly alleviated structural damage in the retinas of model mice(increased retinal and outer nuclear layer thickness, reduced yellowish-white drusen-like deposits)and functional impairment(partial restoration of a-wave and b-wave amplitudes). Network pharmacology identified PON1 as a key target of β-sitosterol; molecular docking demonstrated that β-sitosterol binds to PON1 via hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds. In vitro experiments showed that β-sitosterol(10 μmol/L)significantly increased ARPE-19 cell viability(P<0.01), reduced apoptosis(P<0.01), upregulated PON1 expression(P<0.01), and concurrently suppressed cleaved-Caspase3 expression(P<0.01).CONCLUSION: The β-sitosterol likely protects against oxidative stress-induced retinal damage by modulating PON1 to suppress the Caspase3-dependent apoptotic pathway. These findings provide experimental evidence supporting the development of β-sitosterol as a novel therapeutic agent for dry ARMD.

Central positional nystagmus （CPN） is a form of positional nystagmus caused by lesions of the central vestibular system. Since the clinical manifestations and nystagmus features of CPN are highly similar with those of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo， the diagnosis of CPN is highly challenging. The etiology of CPN is complex， involving both structural lesions such as stroke and tumors and non-structural disorders such as vestibular migraine. The primary lesion sites of CPN included the cerebellar nodulus， the uvula， and the tonsil. CPN can be classified into paroxysmal （transient） CPN and persistent CPN. The clinical features of paroxysmal CPN （including latency， duration， direction， intensity， and their correlation with the type and speed of positional maneuvers） suggest that it originates from the semicircular canal， and its pathogenesis involves post-rotatory rebound nystagmus caused by the disinhibition of irregular afferent signals transmitted to the vestibular nuclei due to central damage （often involving the cerebellar nodulus and the uvula）. Persistent CPN may be caused by damage to the velocity storage pathway， resulting in an erroneous assessment of gravity direction and inertia. This article summarizes the latest advances in the etiology， lesion sites， pathogenesis， clinical features， differential diagnosis， and treatment of CPN in China and globally， in order to help clinicians better understand and identify CPN and thus achieve timely diagnosis and effective treatment.
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Objective:To analyze the clinical features of nasal pleomorphic adenoma and to share clinical insights into its diagnosis and treatment.Methods:This was a case series study. Clinical data of 12 patients with nasal pleomorphic adenoma, confirmed by histopathology, admitted to the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from 2014 to 2023, were retrospectively analyzed. This cohort included 3 males and 9 females, aged 12-84 years old. The pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, imaging features, pathological features, treatment methods and prognosis were analyzed.Results:Among the 12 patients with nasal pleomorphic adenoma, the most common symptom was nasal obstruction (8 cases), and the most common site was nasal septum (7 cases). Of the 12 patients, 9 had benign tumors, and 3 had malignant tumors. Postoperative follow-up ranged from 10 months to 9 years. One benign case recurred at 5 years after surgery and was left untreated after recurrence. The remaining 11 cases had shown no recurrence to date.Conclusions:Nasal pleomorphic adenoma is rare in clinical practice, typically occurring in the nasal septum. The primary symptom is nasal obstruction. Diagnosis is primarily based on histopathology, and surgical resection is the primary treatment.

Objective To evaluate the brain injury in children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia(CDH)after surgery through examination methods such as amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram(aEEG),regional cerebral oxygen saturation(rSO2)and neonatal behavioral neurological assessment(NBNA),so as to clarify their diagnostic value.Methods A total of 83 full-term CDH children admitted to our hospital were retrospectively enrolled as the research subjects.According to the brain damage syndrome(BDS)diagnostic criteria,they were divided into brain injury group(n=36)and control group(n=47).We compared the general data of the neonates in the two groups,as well as the modified aEEG scores and rSO2 at admission,14 days after birth,and 28 days after birth.We compared the NBNA scores at 28 days after birth.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of the three tools for brain injury.Results The modified aEEG scores of the children in the brain injury group at each time point were lower than those in the control group.The rSO2 of the children in the brain injury group was lower than that in the control group at 14 days and 28 days after birth and recovered slowly.The NBNA scores also indicated that the neurodevelopment of the children in the brain injury group was significantly lower than that in the control group.The ROC curve showed that the areas under the curve of combined diagnosis exhibited the best diagnostic efficacy compared with rSO2 used alone at 28 days after birth,aEEG at 28 days after birth,and NBNA scores(the area under the curve:0.968 vs.0.701 vs.0.685 vs.0.870;sensitivity:92.0％ vs.53.7％ vs.87.8％ vs.95.1％;specificity:97.0％ vs.86.1％ vs.50.0％ vs.72.2％).Conclusion The combined application of the modified aEEG score,rSO2,and NBNA has high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of brain injury in children with CDH;therefore,it is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a genetic degenerative disease characterized by the presence of eosinophilic and p62-positive inclusions in the nucleus. The pathogenic variant is an abnormal CGG repeat expansion in the 5′ untranslated region of the NOTCH2NLC gene, leading to a pathogenesis of RNA toxicity and poly-glycine protein toxicity that impair cellular functions. NIID presents clinically with great heterogeneous phenotypes, comprising five subtypes: cognitive impairment predominance, movement disorder predominance, paroxysmal neurological events predominance, autonomic dysfunction predominance, and neuromuscular disease predominance. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics provide important diagnostic clues, including the "ribbon sign" at the corticomedullary junction on diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), diffuse white matter lesions symmetrically affecting the corona radiata and centrum semiovale, DWI hyperintensities in the splenium of the corpus callosum, and focal cortical edema with linear enhancement on the surface of corresponding cortex. With the applications of skin biopsies and genetic testing, an increasing number of NIID cases have been identified in China, resulting in recent advancements in clinical and basic research. This review highlights the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, auxiliary examinations, differential diagnosis, and management of this disorder.

Objective:To explore the phenotypic heterogeneity among patients harboring identical pathogenic variants in the dystrophin ( DMD) gene by analyzing clinical and imaging data from 7 pairs of male twins with dystrophinopathy. Methods:Clinical and laboratory data of 14 (7 pairs) male twins diagnosed with dystrophinopathy through genetic testing among 1 767 patients at Peking University First Hospital from January 2017 to October 2024 were collected. Eleven patients underwent thigh muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and muscle biopsies were performed in at least 1 case of each pair.Results:Among the 7 pairs of twin patients, 2 pairs had Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and 5 pairs had Becker muscular dystrophy. In terms of variant types, 4 pairs had in-frame deletions, while the remaining 3 pairs had duplication variants, frameshift variants, and nonsense variants, respectively. Clinically, 6 individuals had asymptomatic hypercreatine kinasemia, and 8 had varying degrees of limb weakness. Among the 5 pairs of symptomatic twins, there were differences in the degree of limb weakness. Four individuals showed no significant abnormalities in thigh muscle MRI, 7 showed fat infiltration mainly in the bilateral gluteus maximus and adductor magnus muscles, and 2 pairs of twins had obvious differences in the degree of fat infiltration in muscle MRI. Muscle biopsies revealed dystrophic or mild myopathic pathological changes, with 2 individuals showing severe loss of dystrophin, while the others had partial loss.Conclusions:Dystrophinopathy exhibits significant individual differences. Even among individuals with highly similar genetic background, clinical and imaging manifestations caused by the same pathogenic variant also vary.

Objective:To summarize the clinical and genetic characteristics of late-onset facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy type 1 (FSHD1) patients, and to compare the differences between late-onset and classic-onset FSHD1 patients.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and genetic data of genetically confirmed late-onset FSHD1 patients (age at onset30 years) between January 2007 and June 2024 from the Department of Neurology of Peking University First Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. Classic-onset FSHD1 patients (10 yearsage at onset≤30 years) were matched 1∶1 according to sex and disease duration for comparison. The demographic information, the number of D4Z4 repeat units, the distal D4Z4 methylation levels, FSHD Clinical Score (CS), Clinical Severity Score (CSS), and Age-Corrected Clinical Severity Score (ACSS) of these patients were collected. Survival analysis was performed to compare the outcome of lower extremity involvement between late-onset and classic-onset FSHD1 patients. The correlation of the number of D4Z4 repeat units and D4Z4 methylation level with CS and ACSS was analyzed in late-onset FSHD1 patients.Results:A total of 61 patients with late-onset FSHD1 were enrolled, 33 (54.1%) of whom are female, with an age of 54.0 (46.0, 62.0) years and a disease duration of 14.0 (5.5, 22.5) years. Compared to classic-onset FSHD1 patients, late-onset patients exhibited significantly lower CS [7.0 (5.6, 8.4) vs 6.0 (4.4, 7.7), U=1 416.000, P=0.013], CSS [3.0 (2.8, 3.3) vs 3.0 (2.0, 4.0), U=2 352.000, P=0.010], and ACSS [189.2 (137.1, 241.3) vs 96.8 (61.3, 132.2), U=3 225.500, P0.001], and higher proportion of patients with limb girdle involvement but no facial muscle involvement [18.0% (11/61) vs 6.6% (4/61), χ2=3.725, P=0.054]. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the onset age of lower extremity involvement in late-onset patients (45 years, 95% CI 42-48 years) was significantly higher than that in classic-onset patients (24 years, 95% CI 21-27 years, χ2=61.012, P0.001). The duration from symptom onset to lower extremity involvement in late-onset patients (15 years, 95% CI 10-20 years) was significantly longer than that in classic-onset patients (8 years, 95% CI 3-13 years, χ2=9.105, P=0.003). Late-onset FSHD1 patients carried higher average distal D4Z4 methylation levels compared to those with classic-onset FSHD1 [46.68% (40.79%,52.57%) vs 41.02% (34.03%,48.00%), U=1 378.500, P=0.014]. Among late-onset FSHD1 patients, cytosine-phosphate-guanine 6 (CpG6) methylation levels were significantly negatively correlated with ACSS ( r=-0.278, P=0.025); the number of D4Z4 repeat units were significantly negatively correlated with ACSS ( r=-0.272, P=0.034);CpG6 methylation levels were significantly negatively correlated with CS ( r=-0.441, P=0.003), while no correlation was found between number of D4Z4 repeat units and CS ( r=-0.161, P=0.310). Conclusions:Compared with classic-onset FSHD1 patients, late-onset FSHD1 patients are associated with a higher degree of distal D4Z4 methylation, along with a milder muscle weakness phenotype, slower disease progression and a higher proportion of cases without facial muscle involvement. The age at onset can be used as a marker of the severity and prognosis in FSHD1.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Huoxue Jiedu Prescription in the treatment of polycythemia vera with heat toxicity and blood stasis syndrome.Methods Totally 155 patients of polycythemia vera with heat toxicity and blood stasis syndrome from 5 hospitals including Langfang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from October 2022 to March 2024 were collected.Patients were divided into an observation group(79 cases)and control group(76 cases)using a random number table method.Both groups received conventional Western medicine treatment.The observation group was given Huoxue Jiedu Prescription,one dosage per day,taken orally twice a day;both groups received one treatment course of one month,and three treatment courses were observed.The efficacy of Western medicine and TCM syndromes was observed,and the total symptom assessment scale of myeloproliferative neoplasms(MPN-10)scores,hematological indicators,coagulation function before and after treatment were compared.The safety indicators of the two groups were monitored.Results The control group and observation group lost 2 and 4 cases,respectively.The total effective rate of Western medicine in the observation group was 90.67%(68/75),while the control group was 67.57%(50/74),with statistical significance(P<0.01).The total effective rate of TCM syndromes in the observation group was 94.67%(71/75),while in the control group was 71.62%(53/74),with statistical significance(P<0.01).Compared with before treatment,the total score of MPN-10 in both groups significantly decreased(P<0.05);after treatment,the total score of MPN-10 in the observation group was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).Compared with before treatment,both groups showed significant reductions in hemoglobin,white blood cell count,hematocrit and platelet count after treatment(P<0.05);after treatment,the above hematological indicators in the observation group were better than those in the control group(P<0.05).Compared with before treatment,the levels of D-dimer and fibrinogen in both groups significantly decreased after treatment,and the activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time were significantly shortened(P<0.05);after treatment,the observation group showed better improvement in the coagulation function indicators compared to the control group(P<0.05).There were no significant adverse reactions in the two groups.Conclusion Huoxue Jiedu Prescription can improve clinical efficacy of polycythemia vera with heat toxicity and blood stasis syndrome,improve hematological indexes,reduce coagulation indexes,and has good safety.