ObjectiveBased on the theory of "spleen governing transportation and transformation"， this study investigates the efficacy of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma processed with Aurantii Fructus Immaturus juice（AMR-AFI） in improving slow-transit constipation（STC）， as well as the synergistic regulatory mechanism involving the microbiota-metabolism axis， thereby elucidating the scientific basis of its processing theory. MethodsAnimals were randomly divided into the control group， model group， positive drug（mosapride） group（3 mg·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of AMR-AFI（3.9， 7.8， 15.6 g·kg^-1）. Except for the control group， the remaining five groups were induced with STC using loperamide hydrochloride. Following modeling， interventions were administered. All groups received continuous administration for 15 d， during which fecal samples， colon tissue， and serum were collected. Constipation improvement was assessed by measuring fecal moisture content and small intestinal propulsion rate， histological morphology of colonic tissue was observed via hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， and the levels of interleukin（IL）-6， tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α， and IL-2 in serum were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Furthermore， the microbial community structure in mouse feces was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing， while transcriptomic sequencing was employed to screen differentially expressed genes in colonic tissue， followed by gene ontology（GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） enrichment analyses. Finally， Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to explore the association between differential microbiota and differential genes. ResultsCompared with the control group， the intestinal propulsion rate and fecal moisture content in the model group were significantly decreased（P<0.01）， while serum levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-2 were significantly elevated（P<0.01）. HE staining showed damage and shedding of colonic mucosal epithelial cells， along with a reduction in goblet cells in the model group. In comparison with the model group， all treatment groups improved the pathological state of the colonic mucosa to varying degrees and reduced serum levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-2（P<0.01）. Among these， the high-dose group of AMR-AFI significantly increased the intestinal propulsion rate and fecal moisture content of rats（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Further transcriptomic analysis revealed that a total of 104 differentially expressed genes were identified from comparisons between the model group and the control group， as well as between the model group and the high-dose group of AMR-AFI. These genes were mainly enriched in pathways closely related to STC pathogenesis， such as arachidonic acid metabolism and aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption. 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that AMR-AFI reversed the structural imbalance of the gut microbiota in model mice， increased species richness， downregulated the relative abundance of pro-inflammatory bacteria such as Parasutterella， and enriched beneficial and butyrate-producing bacteria， including Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group， Ruminococcaceae， and Lachnospiraceae. Spearman correlation analysis further showed that the beneficial bacteria enriched in the AMR-AFI group were negatively correlated with genes involved in the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway and positively correlated with genes in the aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption pathway. In contrast， pro-inflammatory bacteria in the model group exhibited the opposite correlation trends. ConclusionAMR-AFI can effectively exert synergistic therapeutic effects on STC by regulating intestinal microbiota， arachidonic acid-mediated inflammatory metabolism， and aldosterone-regulated water-salt balance pathways.

ObjectiveBased on the theory of "spleen governing transportation and transformation"， this study investigates the efficacy of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma processed with Aurantii Fructus Immaturus juice（AMR-AFI） in improving slow-transit constipation（STC）， as well as the synergistic regulatory mechanism involving the microbiota-metabolism axis， thereby elucidating the scientific basis of its processing theory. MethodsAnimals were randomly divided into the control group， model group， positive drug（mosapride） group（3 mg·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of AMR-AFI（3.9， 7.8， 15.6 g·kg^-1）. Except for the control group， the remaining five groups were induced with STC using loperamide hydrochloride. Following modeling， interventions were administered. All groups received continuous administration for 15 d， during which fecal samples， colon tissue， and serum were collected. Constipation improvement was assessed by measuring fecal moisture content and small intestinal propulsion rate， histological morphology of colonic tissue was observed via hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， and the levels of interleukin（IL）-6， tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α， and IL-2 in serum were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Furthermore， the microbial community structure in mouse feces was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing， while transcriptomic sequencing was employed to screen differentially expressed genes in colonic tissue， followed by gene ontology（GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） enrichment analyses. Finally， Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to explore the association between differential microbiota and differential genes. ResultsCompared with the control group， the intestinal propulsion rate and fecal moisture content in the model group were significantly decreased（P<0.01）， while serum levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-2 were significantly elevated（P<0.01）. HE staining showed damage and shedding of colonic mucosal epithelial cells， along with a reduction in goblet cells in the model group. In comparison with the model group， all treatment groups improved the pathological state of the colonic mucosa to varying degrees and reduced serum levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-2（P<0.01）. Among these， the high-dose group of AMR-AFI significantly increased the intestinal propulsion rate and fecal moisture content of rats（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Further transcriptomic analysis revealed that a total of 104 differentially expressed genes were identified from comparisons between the model group and the control group， as well as between the model group and the high-dose group of AMR-AFI. These genes were mainly enriched in pathways closely related to STC pathogenesis， such as arachidonic acid metabolism and aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption. 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that AMR-AFI reversed the structural imbalance of the gut microbiota in model mice， increased species richness， downregulated the relative abundance of pro-inflammatory bacteria such as Parasutterella， and enriched beneficial and butyrate-producing bacteria， including Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group， Ruminococcaceae， and Lachnospiraceae. Spearman correlation analysis further showed that the beneficial bacteria enriched in the AMR-AFI group were negatively correlated with genes involved in the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway and positively correlated with genes in the aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption pathway. In contrast， pro-inflammatory bacteria in the model group exhibited the opposite correlation trends. ConclusionAMR-AFI can effectively exert synergistic therapeutic effects on STC by regulating intestinal microbiota， arachidonic acid-mediated inflammatory metabolism， and aldosterone-regulated water-salt balance pathways.

OBJECTIVE To study the mechanism of action of Rehmannia glutinosa-medicated serum （RG） in regulating lipopolysaccharide （LPS）-induced polarization of BV2 microglia to interfere with neuroinflammation. METHODS An in vitro neuroinflammation model of BV2 cells induced by LPS was established. Cells were divided into control group， LPS group， 10%RG group， 20%RG group， BAY 11-7082 [nuclear factor kappa B （NF-κB） inhibitor] group， and 20%RG+BAY 11-7082 group. Except for the control group， cells in all other groups were pretreated with corresponding drugs for 12 h and then stimulated with LPS for 24 h. The morphology of cells in each group was observed， and the fluorescence intensity of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 （Iba-1）， inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）， CD206， the mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-1β， iNOS， IL-4， IL-10， transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β）， arginase-1 （Arg-1）， and the Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/NF-κB/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 （NLRP3） signaling pathway-related protein expression were detected. RESULTS Compared with the control group， the LPS group showed significant changes in cell morphology， exhibiting a typical M1 activated morphology. The fluorescence intensity of Iba-1 and iNOS， the relative expression levels of TNF-α， IL-6， IL-1β， iNOS mRNA， the relative expression levels of TLR4， NLRP3， caspase-1 p20， IL-1β p17 protein， and the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p65 and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B α were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. The fluorescence intensity of CD206 and the relative expression levels of IL-4， IL-10， TGF-β， and Arg-1 mRNA were significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. Compared with the LPS group， the changes in the above indicators in the cells of the 10%RG group， 20%RG group， BAY 11-7082 group， and 20%RG+BAY 11-7082 group were significantly reversed （P＜0.05）， and there was no statistically significant difference in the comparison of the last three groups （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS RG can effectively inhibit the overall activation of microglia and correct their M1/M2 polarization imbalance， and its mechanism may be closely related to the inhibition of excessive activation of the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Objective:This study aims to investigate the risk factors of venous thromboembolism(VTE)in patients with chronic heart failure(CHF),and establish a model for predicting the risk of VTE.Methods:A nested case-control study was conducted on CHF patients admitted in Pengzhou People's Hospital between June 2022 and June 2023.A total of 66 patients were diagnosed with VTE among the 960 CHF patients.Then another 66 patients paired by age and gender to those with VTE were selected from the remaining non-VTE patients as control group.Gener-al data,D dimer(D-D),thrombin-antithrombin complex(TAT),plasmin-α2-antiplasmin complex(PIC),tissue plasminogen activator-inhibitor complex(t-PAIC),thrombomodulin(TM)and Padua score were compared between two groups.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the independent risk factors of VTE in CHF patients.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was applied to assess the efficacy of each indicator in predicting the risk of VTE in CHF patients.Results:Compared to patients in the non-VTE group,those in the VTE group had significantly higher D-D[3.26(1.87,6.19)mg/L vs.0.81(0.56,1.26)mg/L],TAT[5.60(4.90,8.80)ng/ml vs.2.60(1.70,3.30)ng/ml],TM[16.40(13.50,20.03)TU/ml vs.9.65(7.60,11.20)TU/ml],PIC[1.24(0.94,1.68)μg/ml vs.0.84(0.65,1.22)μg/ml],t-PAIC[12.60(9.38,17.05)ng/ml vs.7.70(5.53,9.70)ng/ml],proportion of atrial fibrillation/flutter(54.5％vs.22.7％)and Padua score[4(3,4)points vs.3(2,3)points](P＜0.001 all),and significantly lower lymphocyte count[0.99(0.60,1.38)×109/Lvs.1.20(0.76,1.67)×109/L,P=0.020].Multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated that after adjusting confounders,TM(OR=2.456,95％CI 1.389～14.296,P=0.012)and Padua score(OR=3.257,95％CI 1.270～13.073,P=0.037)were independent risk factors for VTE in CHF patients.A predictive model was constructed using above-mentioned two indexes.The area under the ROC curve(AUC)of the combined prediction was 0.941(95％CI 0.901～0.980),which was significantly higher than those of TM(AUC=0.889,95％CI 0.833～0.945)and Padua score(AUC=0.801,95％CI 0.731～0.871)alone(Z=2.672,4.063,P=0.008,＜0.001).Conclusion:Padua score and TM were independent risk factors for VTE in CHF patients,and their combined detec-tion could better predict the risk of VTE in these patients.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of Ustekinumab combined with fecal microbiota transplantation in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)and its impact on intestinal mucosal barrier and immune function.Methods A total of 106 IBD patients treated from January 2023 to March 2024 were selected and divided into the Usteinumab group and the Usteinumab combined with fecal microbiota transplantation group(combination group)by random number table method,with 53 patients in each group.The Ustekinumab group was treated with Ustekinumab,while the combination group was treated with Ustekinumab combined with fecal microbiota transplantation.The clinical efficacy,intestinal mucosal barrier indicators,immune function indicators,scores of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire(IBDQ)and the total incidence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.Results The total effective rate of the combination group was 94.34%(50/53),which was higher than that of the Ustekinumab group[73.58%(39/53)](P<0.05).After treatment,the levels of endotoxin,D-lactic acid and diamine oxidase in the combination group were all lower than those in the Ustekinumab group,while the levels of CD3+,CD4+,CD4+/CD8+and the scores of IBDQ were all higher than those in the Ustekinumab group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the total incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion The clinical efficacy of Ustekinumab combined with fecal microbiota transplantation is remarkable in the treatment of IBD.It can effectively alleviate intestinal mucosal injury,promote the recovery of intestinal mucosal barrier function,improve the intestinal microbial environment,enhance the immune function of patients,effectively control the progression of the disease,and has high safety.

Objective:To investigate the effect of KRAS,NRAS and BRAF gene mutations on the efficacy of pre-operative short-course radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy and postoperative liver metastasis in patients with stage Ⅱ～Ⅲ mid-low rectal cancer.Methods:The clinical data of 149 patients with stage Ⅱ～Ⅲ low rectal cancer admitted to Dongnan Hospital of Xiamen University from January 2017 to June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients received neoadjuvant therapy with preoperative short-course radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy and radical surgery,and were followed up until June 30,2023.The mutations of KRAS,NRAS and BRAF genes were de-tected by pathological tissue before surgery.The effect of neoadjuvant therapy was evaluated according to tumor re-gression grade(TRG).The risk factors of postoperative liver metastasis were analyzed by Logistic multivariate analysis.Results:There were 44 cases of KRAS,10 cases of NRAS and 12 cases of BRAF gene mutation in 149 patients with stage Ⅱ～Ⅲ low rectal cancer,and the mutation rates were 29.53%,6.71%and 8.05%.The incidence of positive vas-cular invasion in patients with KRAS gene mutation was higher than negative(P＜0.05).In NRAS mutation patients,the incidence of positive lymph node metastasis was higher than negative(P＜0.05),and the incidence of maximum tumor diameter≥5 cm was higher than that of maximum tumor diameter＜5 cm(P＜0.05).The clinical stage of BRAF muta-tion was higher in stage Ⅲ than in stage Ⅱ(P＜0.05),and the incidence of positive lymph node metastasis was higher than negative(P＜0.05).During the follow-up period,liver metastasis occurred in 42 patients,and the liver metastasis rate was 28.18%.The KRAS,NRAS and BRAF gene mutations in the effective group were 25.81%,2.15%and 3.23%,lower than those in the ineffective group(35.71%,14.29%and 17.07%,P＜0.05).Multiple factors found clinical stage Ⅲ(OR=10.620,95%CI:2.645～22.575),lymph node metastasis was positive(OR=8.774,95%CI:1.878～19.645),neoadju-vant therapy failed(OR=3.373,95%CI:1.014～11.218),KRAS gene mutation(OR=6.245,95%CI:1.876～20.789),BRAF gene mutation(OR=9.497,95%CI:1.754～19.335)were independent risk factors for postoperative liver metastasis of stage Ⅱ～Ⅲ mid-low rectal cancer.Conclusion:Mutations in the KRAS and BRAF genes of middle are associated with poorer efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with stage Ⅱ～Ⅲ mid-low rectal cancer and are also indepen-dent risk factors for postoperative liver metastasis.

Body weight abnormalities, including overweight, obesity, and underweight, have become a dual public health challenge in Chinese adults: overweight and obesity lead to a variety of chronic complications, while underweight increases the risks of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and organ dysfunction. To systematically address these issues, multidisciplinary experts in endocrinology, sports science, nutrition, and psychiatry from various regions have held multiple weight management seminars. Based on the latest epidemiological data and clinical evidence, they expanded the guideline to include assessment and intervention strategies for underweight, in addition to the core content of obesity management. This guideline outlines the etiological mechanisms, evaluation methods, and multidimensional management strategies for overweight and obesity, covering key areas such as diagnosis and assessment, medical nutrition therapy, exercise prescription, pharmacological intervention, and psychological support. It is intended to provide a scientific and standardized approach to weight management across the adult population, aiming to curb the rising prevalence of obesity, mitigate complications associated with abnormal body weight, and improve nutritional status and overall quality of life.

Objective:To explore the feasibility of transvaginal core needle biopsy for pelvic masses under finger guidance during a vagino-recto-abdominal examination.Methods:The clinicopathological data and follow-up information of 29 patients with pelvic masses who underwent transvaginal core needle biopsy under finger guidance during a vagino-recto-abdominal examination at Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from January 2020 to July 2024 were collected, and the safety and diagnostic accuracy of the procedure were retrospectively analyzed.Results:(1) A total of 29 patients with pelvic masses were enrolled in this study, with a median age of 50 years (range: 29-73 years), and a median tumor diameter of 3.9 cm (range: 2.7-13.3 cm). Among these patients, 7 were newly diagnosed, and 22 were follow-up. The pre-procedure disease types included 21 patients (72%, 21/29) cervical cancer, 6 patients (21%, 6/29) epithelial ovarian cancer, and 2 patients (7%, 2/29) other suspected gynecologic tumors. (2) Among 29 patients with pelvic masses, 8 cases (28%, 8/29) were diagnosed with benign diseases according to core needle biopsy pathological findings, and 1 case suggested possible residual cervical cancer in the parametrial region by contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging after radical chemoradiotherapy 3 months, while the result of core needle biopsy for this patient was negative, with follow-up after 1 year revealed progression of the lesion in the right parametrial area. Another patient underwent fine-needle aspiration cytology, which suggested gastrointestinal stromal tumor, requiring differentiation from endometriosis, and core needle biopsy pathology confirmed endometriosis, with follow-up at 6 months revealed no evidence of malignancy in this patient. The remaining 6 patients with benign diagnoses had follow-up periods exceeding 1 year without imaging or clinical evidence of local lesion progression or malignancy. Among the 21 patients (72%, 21/29) diagnosed with malignant tumors by core needle biopsy, 14 cases were suspected cases of residual or recurrent cervical cancer, 6 cases had advanced ovarian cancer, and 1 case had rectal cancer metastasis, with all biopsy diagnoses being consistent with preoperative clinical findings and imaging results. The overall diagnostic accuracy of the core needle biopsy was 97% (28/29). Among the 7 newly diagnosed patients, the diagnostic accuracy was 7/7, while it was 95% (21/22) for the 22 follow-up patients, with no statistically significant difference observed between the two groups ( P=1.000). (3) All 29 patients with pelvic masses successfully underwent transvaginal core needle biopsy guided by vagino-recto-abdominal examination. Among them, 28 cases (97%, 28/29) reported tolerable pain during the procedure, while 1 case (3%, 1/29) experienced transient syncope at the end of the procedure due to pain, which resolved within seconds. Vaginal bleeding exceeding 50 ml occurred in 3 patients (10%, 3/29) during paracervical tissue sampling, with the maximum blood loss being 150 ml, and hemorrhage was successfully controlled using vaginal tamponade. The overall incidence of adverse events during the core needle biopsy procedure was 14% (4/29). Conclusion:Transvaginal core needle biopsy for pelvic masses guided by vagino-recto-abdominal examination is a simple, safe, and accurate diagnostic method, suitable for patients with gynecologic malignancies, non-gynecologic malignancies suspected of pelvic mass metastasis, and other benign pelvic lesions.

Epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)gene exon 20 insertion(ex20ins)mutation is a common driver gene activation mutation in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Tumors harboring this gene mutation are characterized by high heterogeneity,high malignancy,low detectability,poor response to conventional therapies,and poor prognosis.In recent years,significant progress has been made in the study of EGFR ex20ins mutation.The wide application of next-generation sequencing has improved the detection rate.The U.S.Food and Drug Administration(FDA)has approved the relevant indications of amivantamab in NSCLC patients with EGFR ex20ins mutation.A variety of new drugs have also achieved good results in previous studies.This article will summarize the structural characteristics,detection methods and clinical treatment progress of NSCLC patients with EGFR ex20ins mutations,hoping to provide help for the choice of clinical treatment for such patients.

Objective To explore the value of transvaginal ultrasound parameters combined with clinical features for predicting success pregnancy or not of polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)patients with infertility after in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection(IVF/ICSI).Methods Totally 348 PCOS patients with infertility were retrospectively analyzed.Patients with presence of a gestational sac on ultrasound and did not experience miscarriage within 4 months after IVF/ICSI were classified as success pregnancy(pregnancy group,n=178),while the rest 170 patients were enrolled in non-pregnancy group.Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to assess clinical data,IVF/ICSI and transvaginal ultrasound parameters to identify the independent predictors of non-pregnancy in PCOS patients with infertility after IVF/ICSI,and a regression equation was constructed.The predictive efficacy,calibration and clinical value of this model were evaluated.Results Patients'age,duration of infertility,ovulation induction protocol(long protocol),duration of gonadotropin treatment,numbers of antral follicles and dominant follicles,total ovarian area,ovarian medullary area and endometrial thickness showed on transvaginal ultrasound before IVF/ICSI,as well as IVF with 2 pronuclei(IVF 2PN)and ICSI with 2 pronuclei(ICSI 2PN)or not were all independent predictors of success pregnancy or not in PCOS patients with infertility after IVF/ICSI(all P＜0.05).The area under the curve of the regression model was 0.771,and its predicted probabilities correlated with actual probabilities.Decision curve analysis indicated that the regression model had good clinical benefit.Conclusion Transvaginal ultrasound parameters combined with clinical features could effectively predict success pregnancy or not in PCOS patients with infertility after IVF/ICSI.