Renal interstitial fibrosis （RIF） is the main pathological feature of chronic kidney disease caused by a variety of factors. "Kidney deficiency and blood stasis in collateral， miniature mass of renal collateral" is the main pathogenesis of RIF. The deficiency of healthy Qi will influence the kidney Qi， resulting in kidney deficiency and unsmooth qi transformation. As a result， phlegm， heat， stasis， toxin and other excess pathogens block the kidney collaterals， forming miniature masses. The masses accumulate in the renal collaterals， finally leading to RIF. Autophagy is a key process that keeps your body's cells in proper balance by taking aged or damaged components in a cell and recycling them. It is involved in the occurrence and development of RIF. The metabolism of excess pathogens such as phlegm， heat， stasis， and toxin in vivo is related to the degradation and reabsorption of autophagy. Autophagy is a way to eliminate phlegm， heat， stasis， toxin and other excess pathogens. Autophagy dysfunction will cause the accumulation of phlegm， heat， blood stasis， toxin and other excess pathogens， further the stasis of the kidney collaterals， miniature mass in kidney， and finally RIF. Kidney deficiency and blood stasis in collateral are the root cause of autophagy dysfunction， and the miniature mass of renal collateral is the manifestation of autophagy dysfunction. Autophagy dysfunction and miniature mass of renal collateral have the same pathological evolution. In this paper， based on the pathogenesis of "kidney deficiency and blood stasis in collateral， miniature mass of renal collateral" of RIF and RIF-autophagy relationship， this paper discusses the "kidney deficiency and blood stasis in collateral-autophagy dysfunction-miniature mass of renal collateral" relationship in RIF and comprehensively interprets the scientific connotation of the pathogenesis of "kidney deficiency and blood stasis in collateral， miniature mass of renal collateral"， which is expected to lay a basis for explaining the role of autophagy in TCM theory and for the treatment of RIF and research on the mechanism.

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of virtual monoenergetic image (VMI) and electron density map (EDM) generated by non-contrast dual-layer spectral detector CT in acute pulmonary embolism(APE).Methods:The clinical and imaging data of 27 patients (41 lesions) who underwent CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) using dual-layer spectral detector CT and were diagnosed with APE in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from October 2022 to May 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received a dual-layer spectral detector CT non-contrast scan. Based on the non-contrast scan data, conventional 120 kVp polyenergetic images (PI), virtual monoenergetic images (40, 70, 100 keV VMI), electron density maps (EDM), and effective atomic number maps (Z eff) were respectively reconstructed. Taking CTPA as the gold standard, the detection rate of APE in different reconstruction images of non-contrast scan were evaluated. The vascular lesion was used as the pulmonary embolism group and the corresponding position of the normal vessel at the same level of the diseased vessel as the control group, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the differences of CT values on PI and 40, 70, and 100 keV VMI (CT PI, CT 40 keV, CT 70 keV, CT 100 keV) as well as the ED values on the EDM, and the Z eff value on the Z eff images between the 2 groups. Parameters with statistically significant differences were included in a multifactor logistic regression, resulting in the construction of a logistic regression model. Receiver operator characteristic curve and area under curve (AUC) were applied to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of different spectral quantitative parameters and logistic regression model in identifying pulmonary embolism group from normal control group. Results:The detection rates of APE on PI, EDM, Z eff map, and EDM and Z eff map fusion images were 14.6% (6/41), 82.9% (34/41), 51.2% (21/41), and 97.6% (40/41), respectively. CT PI, ED, CT 40 keV, CT 70 keV and CT 100 keV in pulmonary embolism group were statistically higher than those in control group ( Z values were 1 009.00, 1 024.50, 1 038.00, 1 079.00 and 1 076.00, respectively, P<0.05). Finally, CT PI, CT 40 keV, and CT 100 keV were selected to construct the logistic regression model. The AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the logistic regression model for distinguishing the embolism group from the control group were 0.771, 0.769, 0.744, and 0.756, respectively. Conclusion:Non-contrast images of dual-layer spectral detector CT VMI and EDM have some clinical value in detecting and diagnosing APE.

Renal interstitial fibrosis（RIF）is a common pathway for the progression of chronic kidney disease to renal failure，and its pathogenesis is mainly related to renal inflammatory damage，oxidative stress，apoptosis，and excessive extracellular matrix（ECM） deposition. Transforming growth factor-β₁（TGF-β₁） signaling pathway，mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR） signaling pathway and other signaling pathways mediate the occurrence and development of RIF. Because of the complicated mechanism of RIF，there have been no specific prevention and treatment measures in clinical practice. Autophagy is a non-damaging response produced by eukaryotic cells. It maintains the balance of tissue homeostasis through degradation and reabsorption. At present， Chinese medicine has achieved desirable clinical effects with its unique advantages of multiple components，multiple effects，and multiple targets in the treatment of chronic kidney disease to delay the process of RIF. Scholars have found that autophagy is consistent with the Yin-Yang theory and the theory of abdominal mass in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） to a certain extent，and it is involved in many aspects of RIF. The progression of RIF is closely related to autophagy. The targeted therapy of RIF by intervention in autophagy has become the frontier of research. However，little is known about the role of autophagy in RIF and the regulation of autophagy by Chinese medicine in the treatment of RIF. Therefore，it is necessary to further elucidate the relationship between autophagy and RIF in order to clarify the mechanism of autophagy in RIF and the mechanism of Chinese medicine regulating autophagy in targeted therapy of RIF. This article focused on the correlation between autophagy and RIF based on TCM theory，and systematically summarized the role of autophagy in RIF and the intervention of Chinese medicine by combining the effects of autophagy on inflammation damage，oxidative stress，apoptosis，and excessive ECM deposition in RIF， and the regulation mechanism of autophagy in TGF-β₁ and mTOR signaling pathways in RIF. This study was expected to provide a certain reference for the clinical treatment of RIF and the development of new drugs.

Chronic renal failure （CRF）， a common outcome of various chronic kidney diseases， is characterized by retention of metabolites and toxins， water-electrolyte imbalance， acid-base disturbance， and various symptoms in diverse systems. The incidence and progression of this disease are influenced by many factors， particularly the change of intestinal flora. Previous research shows that the intestinal flora interacts with CRF. For CRF patients， the metabolic waste fails to be cleared in time due to the gradual decline of renal function and thus accumulates in vivo. Moreover， CRF changes the composition of intestinal flora， damages intestinal barrier， and accelerates the synthesis of intestinal uremic toxins and the accumulation in blood. As a result， the renal injury is aggravated. The imbalance of intestinal flora can induce acute kidney injury， increase cardiovascular complications， stimulate immune inflammatory responses， and thus aggravate the progression of CRF. Microbiota-targeted therapy for CRF has become the research focus. According to traditional Chinese medicine， kidney disease is related to the intestine and kidney disease should be treated from the intestine. Spleen and kidney are in the closest relationship with the pathogenesis of CRF and the intestinal flora. Chinese medicine， which features multiple targets， multiple effects， and multiple components， acts on the "gut-kidney axis". It is thus superior in the clinical treatment of CRF and the regulation of intestinal flora. To be specific， it intervenes in intestinal flora to delay the process of CRF. In this paper， based on the correlation of traditional Chinese medicine theory with intestinal flora and CRF， this paper reviewed the interaction between intestinal flora and CRF and traditional Chinese medicine intervention in the intestinal flora for the treatment of CRF， which is expected to serve as a reference for the clinical treatment of this disease and the drug development.

Objective:To detect the expressions of Krüppel-like factor 12 (KLF12)protein in the cancer tissue and serum of the patients with colorectal cancer,and to investigate their clinical values.Methods:A total of 120 colorectal cancer patients were selected as case group,and 100 normal cases were regarded as control group. The cancer tissue and adjacent mucosa tissue were collected.Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expressions of KLF12,nm23,CyclinE1,matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2),and MMP-9 proteins,and the relationships among these proteins were evaluated.ELISA assay was applied to detect the serum KLF12 levels of the patients in case group before operation and 1 month after operation the levels of serum KLF12 of the subjects in control group.Results:The positive expression rates of KLF12,CyclinE1,MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins in cancer tissue were higher than those in adjacent mucosa tissue (χ2 =66.155,52.795,64.515,52.632;P <0.001),while the positive expression rate of nm23 protein in cancer tissue was lower than that in adjacent mucosa tissue (χ2 =13.019,P <0.001).The Spearman analysis results showed that the expression of KLF12 protein was positively correlated with the expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins (r=0.3963,P <0.001;r=0.3264,P <0.001);the expression of KLF12 was negatively correlated with the expression of nm23 protein (r = - 0.2273,P =0.013).The level of serum KLF12 of the patients in case group before operation was higher than that in control group.The cut-off value of ROC curve of serum KLF12 protein expression level was 3.795 μg·L-1 ,and the area under the ROC curve was 0.834.The sensitivity and specificity were 60.8% and 94.0%,respectively. After operation,the serum level of KLF12 protein in the patients in case group was decreased,which was still higher than that in control group (t=2.708,P =0.007).The expression level of KLF12 protein in cancer tissue was positively correlated with the level of serum KLF12 protein (r =0.4069,P <0.001).According to degree of lymph node metastasis,and the serum level of KLF12 protein in N3 group was the highest,and the lowest serum level of KLF12 protein was found in N0 group (F =21.731,P <0.001).Conclusion:KLF12 protein might be involved in the invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer,and the detection of serum level of KLF12 protein could be valuable for the judgement of disease and prediction of lymph node metastasis of the patients.

BACKGROUND:A variety of factors contribute to biliary injury that is difficult to be repaired. Stent implantation is extensively used for bile duct injury, but either scaffolds made by metal or plastics can lead to certain adverse reactions. OBJECTIVE:To explore the biological characteristics of a novel biodegradable scaffold and its repair effects on bile duct injury. METHODS:The biological characteristics of the novel biodegradable scaffold were detected by fresh bile, and its degradation was observed at different time points. Thirty Bama mini pigs were included and were randomly divided into observation group (n=15) and control group (n=15). After bile duct injury models were prepared, the control group was subjected to the bile duct interrupted suture, while the observation group was subjected to the novel biodegradable scaffold combined with omentum majus. The biological properties of the scaffolds were observed. Hepatic enzymes and serum total bilirubin levels were detected, as wel as hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson staining and immunohistochemistry detection ofα-smooth muscle actin were performed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Before and 1, 3 and 6 months after surgery, hepatic enzymes and total bilirubin of two groups were detected, and neither intra-group nor intergroup comparisons had significant differences (P>0.05). Hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson staining revealed that inflammatory reactions and fiber hyperplasia at the anastomotic site in the observation group were lighter than those in the control group at different time points after surgery. Theα-smooth muscle actin-positive scores in both two groups were in a rise at 1 and 3 months after surgery, and peaked at the 3rd month, and then began to decline. Moreover, theα-smooth muscle actin-positive scores in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group at 3 and 6 months after surgery (P<0.05). These results show that the novel biodegradable scaffold has good biological characteristics and can obtain ideal repair effects in the bile duct injury.

measured to compare the correlation between the changes of T lymphocyte subsets before and after operation and the change of platelet. Results Thirty-one patients were underwent laparoscopic splenectomy. The T lymphocyte subsets and CD3 + ,CD4 + and CD3 + / CD4 + in all patients showed an increase trend as the time prolonged after operation,and the differences were significant( F = 6. 91,3. 93,4. 18;P = 0. 023,0. 004,0. 011). While the ratio of CD3 + / CD8 + and CD3 + CD4 + / CD3 + CD8 + were decreased as time increased,and differences were statistically significant( F = 2. 59,3. 67;P = 0. 001,0. 002). They were related with platelet change after operation and correlation statistics analysis showed R values were 0. 332,0. 271,0. 345,- 0. 119,- 0. 164,and the P value were 0. 039,0. 021,0. 002,0. 017,0. 023. Conclusion ITP patients have the imbalance of T lymphocyte subsets,and splenectomy can improve the imbalance of T lymphocyte subsets in patients with ITP. T lymphocyte subsets may serve as a reference index to indicate the prognosis of the patients.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) in the treatment of immune throm-bocytopenia(ITP) .Methods 230 cases of ITP were collected in this hospital from December 2011 to December 2012 and randomly divided into two groups with 115 cases in each group .Among them ,the control group was treated by the conventional treatment of open splenectomy(OS) ,while the observation group was treated by LS .The differences of the operative time ,hospitalization dura-tion ,intraoperative blood loss and platelet count ,clinical effects and the occurrence situation of adverse reactions were compared be-tween the two kinds of operation method .Results The operative time and the length of hospital stay in the observation group were significantly shortened compared with the control group (t=14 .706 ,t=13 .625 ,P<0 .05);intraoperative blood loss was significant-ly decreased(t=18 .238 ,P<0 .05) and the platelet count was significantly increased (t=17 .248 ,P<0 .05);the total effective rate of the observation group was 96 .52% ,which was significantly higher than 86 .09% of the control group ,(χ2 =9 .35 ,P<0 .05);the adverse reaction rate and the recurrence rate in the observation group were 6 .09% and 6 .96% respectively ,which were significantly lower than 10 .43% and 19 .13% in the control group(χ2 =8 .35 ,χ2 =8 .75 ,P<0 .05) .Conclusion LS for treating immune throm-bocytopenia has definite efficacy with high effective rate ,low adverse reactions and low recurrence rate .

Pang Zanxiang was a famous ophthalmologist of Chinese medicine. Based on his family experience and combined with his clinical practice, he has written the book Clinical practice of ophthalmology in traditional Chinese medicine. In the book, the theory of stagnation of Qi and blood leading to disease was put forward, and radix stellariae was used most frequently in treating eye disease. From literature interview, we found that pang’s experience of radix stellariae in treating eye disease was its function of replenishing vital essence to improve eyesight.

OBJECTIVETo study the signaling pathways associated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in islet micro-endothelial cells (IMECs) and the mechanism of pravastatin intervention.

METHODSIMECs exposed to LPS, SB203580, pravastatin, or SB203580+pravastatin were examined for cell apoptosis with Hoechst staining and flow cytometry and for expression levels of total-p38, photophosphorylation-p38 (p-p38) and iNOS with Western blotting.

RESULTSThe apoptosis rate and expression levels of total-p38, p-p38, iNOS in IMECs all increased after LPS exposure. Pravastatin, SB203580, and their combination significantly attenuated LPS-induced enhancement of cell apoptosis and total-p38, p-p38, and iNOS expressions in IMECs.

CONCLUSIONLPS-induced inflammatory toxicity in IMECs is associated with the activation of P38MAPK and iNOS/NO signaling pathways. Pravastatin can inhibit these pathways and suppress the apoptosis and necrosis of IMECs to relieve the cell inflammatory injuries.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Endothelium, Vascular ; cytology ; Inflammation ; Islets of Langerhans ; blood supply ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; drug effects ; Mice ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Pravastatin ; pharmacology ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism