Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of micro-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (microPCNL) using Needle-perc in the oblique supine-lithotomy position for treating 1—2 cm lower-pole stones (LPSs)，by comparing it with flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy (FURL)，so as to identify an effective surgical method for LPSs. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 56 patients with isolated LPSs of 1—2 cm treated in our hospital during Jan.and Dec.2023.Patients were divided into two groups based on the treatment method：FURL (n=31) and microPCNL (n=25).General information and perioperative data were compared between the two groups. Results: All operations were successfully completed.The operation time was shorter in the microPCNL group than in the FURL group \[(46.5±10.1) min vs.(73.5±18.9) min，P<0.001\].Stone-free rate (SFR) was 92.0% in the microPCNL group and 71.0% in the FURL group (P=0.026).There were no significant differences in the average fall of hemoglobin level，serumc creatinine change level，hospitalization time and postoperative fever between the two groups. Conclusion: MicroPCNL in oblique supine-lithotomy position is a safe and effective treatment for 1-2 cm LPSs，with a higher SFR compared to FURL.

This study explores the diagnosis and treatment of needle knife therapy for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) at middle and advanced stage based on the theory of meridian tendons, from a holistic perspective and syndrome differentiation. The treatment strategy includes "harmonizing yin and yang" to address root causes and "tendons-based release" to harmonize qi and blood, with the "tendons nodule points" as the core acupoint selection criterion. Based on this approach, the study systematically elaborates on two needle knife methods for AS: "governor vessel bone-piercing technique" and "below-the-umbilicus release technique", covering indications, acupoint location, and procedures. Clinical case examples are provided to enrich needle knife therapy guided by the theory of meridian tendons, offering insights for clinical and research work on AS.
Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Meridians ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing/physiopathology* ; Tendons/physiopathology*

Disruption of the intestinal mucosal barrier caused by gut dysbiosis and metabolic imbalance is the underlying pathology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Traditional Chinese medicine Wuji Wan (WJW) is commonly used to treat digestive system disorders and showed therapeutic potential for IBD. In this interdisciplinary study, we aim to investigate the pharmacological effects of WJW against experimental colitis by combining functional metabolomics and gut-microbiota sequencing techniques. Treatment with WJW altered the profile of the intestinal microbiota and notably increased the abundance of Lactobacillus, thereby facilitating the conversion of tryptophan into indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indoleacrylic acid (IA). These indole derivatives activated the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway, which reduced colonic inflammation and restored the expression of intestinal barrier proteins. Interestingly, the beneficial effects of WJW on gut barrier function improvement and tryptophan metabolism were disappeared in the absence of gut microbiota. Finally, pre-treatment with the AhR antagonist CH-223191 confirmed the essential role of IAA-mediated AhR activation in the therapeutic effects of WJW. Overall, WJW enhanced intestinal barrier function and reduced colonic inflammation in a murine colitis model by modulating Lactobacillus-IAA-AhR signaling pathway. This study provides novel insights into colitis pathogenesis and presents an effective therapeutic and preventive approach against IBD.

Modulating Tankyrases (TNKS), interactions with USP25 to promote TNKS degradation, rather than inhibiting their enzymatic activities, is emerging as an alternative/specific approach to inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Here, we identified UAT-B, a novel neoantimycin analog isolated from Streptomyces conglobatus, as a small-molecule inhibitor of TNKS-USP25 protein-protein interaction (PPI) to overcome multi-drug resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC). The disruption of TNKS-USP25 complex formation by UAT-B led to a significant decrease in TNKS levels, triggering cell apoptosis through modulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Importantly, UAT-B successfully inhibited the CRC cells growth that harbored high TNKS levels, as demonstrated in various in vitro and in vivo studies utilizing cell line-based and patient-derived xenografts, as well as APC^min/+ spontaneous CRC models. Collectively, these findings suggest that targeting the TNKS-USP25 PPI using a small-molecule inhibitor represents a compelling therapeutic strategy for CRC treatment, and UAT-B emerges as a promising candidate for further preclinical and clinical investigations.

[Objective]People infected with Hepatitis B are often divided into hepatitis B carriers and hepatitis B patients based on whether ALT is normal or not,and ALT ≥ 2UNL is one of the indications for clinical antiviral treatment,but no sufficient evidence to justify this. In order to explore the theoretical basis,the paper investigated the effects of hepatitis B virus(HBV) on hepatic stellate cells(HSCs).[Methods]A total of 132 chronic hepatitis B patients with different viral loads and ALT levels were randomly selected as the study subjects. Of these patients,those with ALT≥2UNL were treated with antiviral therapy and followed up for 24 weeks. The effects of HBV on HSCs before and after the treatment were compared and analyzed. HSCs proliferation was detected by MTT method,HSCs cell cycle by flow cytometry,and expression of TGF-β1,Smad3,Smad7,α-SMA,collagen Ⅰ,collgen Ⅲ mRNAs and corresponding proteins by RT-PCR and Western blotting,respectively.[Results]At the normal ALT level,HBV with different viral loads had no significant effect on the proliferation,cell cycle and cell secretion of the HSCs. At the abnormal ALT level,especially when ALT ≥ 2UNL,with the increase of virus loads,HSCs proliferation accelerated;cells in the G0/G1 phase decreased significantly and cells in the S and G2/M phases increased significantly;the expression of TGF-β1,Smad3,α-SMA,collagen Ⅰ,collgen Ⅲ mRNAs and corresponding proteins increased significantly,but Smad7 mRNA and protein expression decreased significantly,the differences were statistically significant. HBV showed a significantly lower effect on HSCs after the antiviral therapy than before.[Conclusions]This paper reveals the differential effects of HBV on HSCs at different ALT levels and presents a comparative analysis of the effects before and after the antiviral therapy,which provides a theroretical basis for identifying the ALT level as an indication for HBV antiviral therapy.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of nerve decompression surgery through the lateral-rectus approach for sacral plexus nerve injury after sacral fracture fixation.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 10 patients with combined sacral plexus nerve injury after sacral fracture fixation who had been admitted to Department of Orthopedics, Xiangya Hospital between May 2022 and May 2023. There were 2 males and 8 females with an age of 16.5 (15.0, 26.3) years. At the time of injury, the patients had been clearly diagnosed as sacral fracture combined with sacral plexus nerve injury. By the Denis classification of sacral fractures: 7 cases of type Ⅱ and 3 cases of type Ⅲ; sacral plexus nerve injury sites: 1 case of L 4, 8 cases of L 5, 7 cases of S 1, and 2 cases of S 2. All of them were treated with reduction and internal fixation via the posterior approach within 2 weeks after injury, but after surgery their manifestations of sacral plexus nerve injury still persisted which were confirmed by CT, magnetic resonance imaging and neuromuscular electromyography. Therefore, at (4.0±2.3) months after internal fixation, all patients were treated with nerve decompression surgery through the lateral-rectus approach. The operative time, intraoperative bleeding, length of hospitalization, Gibbons nerve damage score and neurological recovery at the last follow-up were recorded. Results:In the 10 patients, the operative time was (112.0±21.5) min, intraoperative bleeding (215.0±91.3) mL, and length of hospitalization 7.0 (6.0, 8.5) d. Intraoperatively, sacral plexus nerve compression was found in 9 cases (6 cases of nerve compression and pulling due to fracture displacement, 3 cases of nerve entrapment due to soft tissue scar adhesion), and 1 case of nerve root avulsion injury. No other intraoperative complications occurred. The 10 patients were followed up for (9.2±2.3) months after surgery. At the last follow-up, the Gibbons score for the 10 patients improved from preoperative 3.0 (3.0, 3.3) points to 1.0 (1.0, 2.0) point, and their British Medical Research Council (BMRC) nerve injury grading was improved from the preoperative grade 0.0 (0.0, 1.3) to grade 3.5 (2.8, 4.0) (1 case of M5, 4 cases of M4, 4 cases of M3, and 1 case of M2).Conclusion:The lateral-rectus approach is effective and safe for exploration and decompression of the sacral plexus nerve in patients combined with sacral plexus nerve injury despite sacral fracture fixation.

Radiotherapy is a first-line treatment for a variety of malignant tumors by inducing DNA damage to kill tumor cells. However, tumor cells have different sensitivities to radiotherapy, ultimately leading to different therapeutic effects. Histone acetylation, regulated by histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC), is involved in the regulation of cell radiation sensitivity by influencing DNA damage repair. The main mechanisms are recruiting DNA repair related proteins and mediating chromatin dynamic changes. In this article, the role of histone acetylation modification in tumor radiotherapy was reviewed, aming to provide the basis for the radiotherapy sensitization strategy based on histone acetylation.

Objective To investigate the impact of dexamethasone(DEX)on diaphragmatic atrophy caused by acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)and its correlation with diaphragmatic protein metabolism.Methods Twenty healthy male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly assigned to control,ARDS model,low-dose DEX,and high-dose DEX group,with each group consisting of five rats.ARDS was induced in the rats by intratracheal administration of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)at 4 mg/kg.Conversely,intratracheal saline was administered to the control group at 2 mL/kg.Following the induction of the model,an intraperitoneal injection of DEX at 1 mg·kg-1·d-1 was administered to the low-dose DEX group.Conversely,DEX at 5 mg·kg-1·d-1 was administered to the high-dose group for 7 consecutive days.Subsequently,on the eighth day of the experiment,the diaphragmatic weight of all rats was measured.Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was utilized to assess the mRNA expression of interleukins(IL-1β,IL-18)in each group.Western blotting was employed to determine the protein expression levels of nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)p65,NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),caspase-1,Gasdermin D(GSDMD),myosin heavy chain 2(Myh2),and F-box protein 32(Fbxo32).Additionally,immunohistochemistry was utilized to evaluate the ratio of fast to slow muscle fibers in the diaphragm.Results The ARDS model group showed significant reductions in body weight,diaphragm weight,fast muscle fibers,and Myh2 protein expression compared to the control group[body weight(g):266±17 vs.292±15,diaphragm weight(g):0.77±0.02 vs.0.92±0.08,fast muscle fibers:(74±1)%vs.(78±3)%,Myh2 protein expression(Avalue):0.75±0.07 vs.0.95±0.05,all P<0.05].Conversely,significant increases were observed in the expressions of IL-1β and IL-18 mRNA,slow muscle fibers,and the proteins NF-κB p65,NLRP3,caspase-1,GSDMD,Fbxo32[IL-1β mRNA(IL-1β/GAPDH):2.2±0.3 vs.1.0±0.2,IL-18 mRNA(IL-18/GAPDH):2.3±0.3 vs.1.0±0.3,slow muscle fibers:(26±1)%vs.(22±3)%,NF-κB p65 protein expression(A value):0.40±0.15 vs.0.17±0.05,NLRP3 protein expression(A value):0.51±0.05 vs.0.27±0.08,caspase-1 protein expression(A value):0.54±0.12 vs.0.30±0.19,GSDMD protein expression(A value):0.40±0.12 vs.0.20±0.05,Fbxo32 protein expression(A value):0.51±0.15 vs.0.33±0.08,all P<0.05].Compared with the ARDS group,both low and high doses of DEX were found to further reduce body weight,diaphragm weight,fast muscle fibers,and Myh2 protein expression,and further increase the expressions of IL-1β and IL-18 mRNA,slow muscle fibers,and the proteins NF-κB p65,NLRP3,caspase-1,GSDMD,Fbxo32,with the changes in the high dose DEX group being more significant than those in the low dose group[body weight(g):198±14 vs.222±16,diaphragm weight(g):0.57±0.04 vs.0.68±0.04,fast muscle fibers:(56±5)%vs.(69±2)%,Myh2 protein expression(A value):0.29±0.16 vs.0.57±0.15,IL-1βmRNA expression:5.6±1.4 vs.3.3±0.6,IL-18 mRNA expression(IL-18/GAPDH):5.8±1.2 vs.3.9±0.6,slow muscle fibers:(44±5)%vs.(31±2)%,NF-κB p65 protein expression(A value):0.87±0.04 vs.0.70±0.07,NLRP3 protein expression(A value):0.75±0.08 vs.0.63±0.04,caspase-1 protein expression(A value):0.99±0.06 vs.0.82±0.08,GSDMD protein expression(Avalue):0.85±0.11 vs.0.61±0.10,Fbxo32 protein expression(Avalue):1.00±0.10 vs.0.78±0.12,all P<0.05].Normal muscle fiber structure was revealed by microscopic observation in the control group,clear fiber separation in the ARDS model group,and disordered muscle fiber arrangement with structural distortion was noted in both low and high-dose DEX groups.Conclusion Prolonged administration of DEX may worsen diaphragmatic atrophy induced by ARDS,possibly by promoting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and cell pyroptosis.

Objective:To compare the clinical outcomes of anterolateral femoral interregional flap with turbocharge technique and traditional anterolateral femoral flap in repair of large limb wounds.Methods:Clinical data of 38 patients with large limb surface wound(11 cm×39 cm-16 cm×65 cm)admitted to the Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital,Zhejiang University School of Medicine from May 2018 to May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Eighteen patients were treated by anterolateral thigh perforator flap combined with superficial circumflex iliac artery flap(ALTP-SCIAP)with turbocharge technique(interregional flap group);while 20 patients were treated with unilateral or bilateral anterolateral femoral flaps,combined with skin grafting if necessary(traditional anterolateral femoral flap group).The survival of skin flap,repair of donor area,complications and patient satisfaction were compared between the two groups.Results:In interregional flap group,18 flaps were harvested and transplanted,the flap width,length and the viable area were(9.9±2.0)cm,(44.2±3.5)cm and(343.2±79.9)cm2,respectively.In traditional anterolateral femoral flap group,29 flaps were harvested and transplanted,the flap width,length and the viable area were(11.0±2.8)cm,(21.7±3.2)cm and(186.4±49.2)cm2,respectively.There were significant differences in the flap length and the viable area between the two groups(t=22.365 and 8.345,both P<0.05).In the interregional flap group,the donor site of flap was closed by direct suture in 11 flaps,by skin retractor assisted suture in 6 flaps,and by skin grafting in one flap.In traditional anterolateral femoral flap group,the donor site of flap was closed by direct suture in 12 flaps,by skin retractor assisted suture in 11 flaps,and by skin grafting in 6 flaps.The skin graft rates of the two groups were 5.6%(1/18)and 20.7%(6/29),respectively(χ2=2.007,P>0.05).The interregional flap group had lower postoperative complications rate(5.6%vs.35.0%,χ2=4.942,P<0.05)and higher patient satisfaction rate(94.4%vs.70.0%,χ2=4.448,P<0.05)than traditional anterolateral femoral flap group.Conclusion:Compared with the traditional anterolateral femoral flap,the anterolateral femoral interregional flap with turbocharge technique has a larger flap area,most of the donor areas of the flap can be sutured directly without skin grafting and with less complications and a higher patient satisfaction rate.

Objective To report single-center experience on CBA combined with LAAC in treat-ment of AF.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 27 AF patients undergoing one-stop surgery of CBA combined with LAAC in Department of Cardiovascular Diseases of the People's Hospital of Liaoning Provincie from August 2020 to November 2022.The efficacy and safety of the surgery were analyzed.Results There were 22 patients(81.5％)with LAmbre and 5 patients with Watchman(18.5％,including one case of 24 mm Watchman FLX).All the patients achieved complete pulmonary vein isolation,and conversion to sinus rhythm during operation.During a mean follow-up of 30.0±9.2 months,24 patients(88.9％)maintained sinus rhythm at 12-month follow-up,and 22 patients(81.5％)maintained sinus rhythm at 24-month follow-up.TEE at 3 months after operation displayed that all the devices were in good positions and no PDL or DRT was observed.In the 11 patients undergoing cardiac enhanced CT in 12-36 months after surgery,PDL was detected in one patient(9.1％),and uncomplete endothelialisation of the device was observed in another one(9.1％)using the Watchman device.TEE at 26 months revealed one patient(3.7％)of DRT.Conclusion One-stop surgery of CBA combined with LAAC is a feasible treatment option for patients with NVAF and at high risk of stroke.