BACKGROUND:Acupuncture is an effective method for lumbar pain in lumbar disc herniation,but its mechanism has not yet been clarified.Factors related to the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway regulate the body's inflammatory response and are involved in the process of neuropathic pain. OBJECTIVE:To study the mechanism of acupuncture on lumbar disc herniation in a rat model based on the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. METHODS:Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups:sham operation group,model group,acupuncture group,and acupuncture+agonist group,with 10 rats in each group.Animal models of L5 lumbar disc herniation was constructed through autologous disc cell transplantation in the model group,acupuncture group,and acupuncture+agonist group.Rats in the acupuncture group and the acupuncture+agonist group received acupuncture treatment(Yanglingquan,Shenshu,Huantiao,and Dachangshu acupoints)at 3 days after modeling,and acupuncture treatment was given once a day,20 minutes each,for 15 consecutive days.Rats in the acupuncture+agonist group were injected intrathecally with coumermycin A1,a JAK2 agonist,into the L4/L5 intervertebral space,once a day,20 minutes each,prior to the acupuncture at 6,12,and 18 days after modeling.Paw withdrawal mechanical threshold was detected before and 3,6,9,12,15,and 18 days after modeling.At 18 days after modeling,serum inflammatory factor levels were detected,hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to observe the morphology of L5-L6 tissues,RT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of JAK2 and STAT3 mRNAs in L5-L6 tissues,and western blot was performed to detect the expression of JAK2,p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 proteins in L5-L6 tissues. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The paw withdrawal mechanical thresholds of rats in the model group at different time points after modeling were lower than those in the sham operation group(P<0.05),the paw withdrawal mechanical thresholds of rats in the acupuncture group were higher than those in the model group at 9,12,15,and 18 days after modeling(P<0.05),and the paw withdrawal mechanical thresholds of rats in the acupuncture+agonist group were lower than those in the acupuncture group at 9,12,15,and 18 days after modeling(P<0.05).The levels of interleukin 6,tumor necrosis factor α,neurotransmitter substance P,and brain neuropeptide Y were elevated in the model group compared with the sham operation group(P<0.05);the levels of all four inflammatory factors were reduced in the acupuncture group compared with the model group(P<0.05);and the levels of all four inflammatory factors were elevated in the acupuncture+agonist group compared with the acupuncture group(P<0.05).Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that lumbar degeneration was obvious in the model group but reduced in the acupuncture group and the acupuncture+agonist group.Moreover,the reduction was more obvious in the acupuncture group compared with the acupuncture+agonist group.The JAK2 and STAT3 mRNA expression as well as the p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 protein expression were elevated in the model group compared with the sham operation group(P<0.05),were decreased in the acupuncture group compared with the model group(P<0.05),and were increased in the acupuncture+agonist group compared with the acupuncture group(P<0.05).To conclude,acupuncture can alleviate inflammation to exert analgesic effects in the rat model of lumbar disc herniation,and its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Objective To observe the influence of dapagliflozin tablets on myocardial enzymes,mitral valve blood flow and major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)in patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI)complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)after interventional therapy.Methods AMI patients with T2DM were divided into control group and treatment group by cohort method.The control group was given aspirin tablets 300 mg and ticagrelor 180 mg orally,qd,until the day of interventional treatment.After interventional therapy,aspirin tablets 100 mg,qd,oral ticagrelor tablets 90 mg each time,once in the morning and once in the evening.On the basis of the treatment in the control group,the patients in the treatment group were given dapagliflozin tablets 5-10 mg,qd,every morning after admission.After 3 months of continuous treatment,the clinical efficacy,blood glucose control effect[fasting plasma glucose(FPG),2 hour postprandial blood glucose(2 h PG)],myocardial enzymes indicators[creatine kinase(CK),creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB(CK-MB)],ventricular remodeling indicators[left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left ventricular end systolic diameter(LVESD)],adverse drug reactions and MACE were compared between the two groups.Results There were 55 cases in the control group and 59 cases in the treatment group.After treatment,the total effective rates of the treatment group and the control group were 88.14％(52 cases/59 cases)and 72.73％(40 cases/55 cases),respectively,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).After treatment,the FPG of the treatment group and the control group were(7.29±0.71)and(7.81±0.75)mmol·L-1,respectively;the 2 h PG were(8.66±1.33)and(9.59±1.38)mmol·L-1,respectively;the CK were(145.68±29.82)and(163.68±42.16)U·L-1,respectively;the CK-MB were(8.21±2.37)and(10.33±3.08)U·L-1,respectively;the LVEF were(57.63±8.74)％and(51.41±6.49)％,respectively;LVESD were(33.26±5.33)and(39.51±5.38)mm,respectively.The above indexes in the treatment group were significantly different from those in the control group(all P＜0.05).During the treatment,the adverse drug reactions in the treatment group mainly included nausea and vomiting,diarrhea,constipation.The adverse drug reactions in the control group mainly included hypoglycemia,diarrhea,headache.The total incidence of adverse drug reactions in the treatment group and the control group was 6.68％(4 cases/59 cases)and 9.09％(5 cases/55 cases),respectively,and the difference was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).After 3 months of follow-up,the total incidence of MACE in the treatment group and the control group was 5.08％and 18.18％,respectively,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion Dapagliflozin has a significant efficacy in the treatment of AMI patients with T2DM,and it can enhance the effect of blood glucose control,reduce the myocardial injury,inhibit the ventricular remodeling,and reduce the risk of MACE,with high safety.

Objective:To investigate the learning curve for a five-step procedure, namely, a transthoracic single-port assisted laparoscopic transabdominal diaphragmatic approach, for Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction.Methods:In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed relevant clinical data of 66 patients with Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction who had undergone the five-step procedure performed by the same surgeon in the Gastrointestinal Surgery Department of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine from May 2017 to April 2023. The learning curve were plotted using cumulative summation analysis and selected indicators, including intraoperative blood loss, duration of surgery, time to first flatus, time to first tolerance of liquid food, length of hospital stay, and incidence of perioperative complications at different stages were compared. The data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0 statistical software. Numerical data are presented as cases (%) and data were analyzed using the χ 2 test or Fisher's exact test. Normally distributed measurement data are presented as x±s, and independent sample t-testing was performed for inter group comparison. Non-normally distributed measurement data are presented as M( Q1, Q3) and the Mann–Whitney U test was used for inter group comparison. Results:The five-step procedure had been successfully completed without switching to open surgery in all 66 study patients. There were no perioperative deaths, blood loss was 100 (50, 200) mL and duration of surgery 329.4±87.3 minutes. The equation of optimal fit for the duration of surgery was y=0.031x 3-4.4757x 2+164.97x-264.4 ( P<0.001, R2=0.9797). The cumulative summation learning curve reached a vertex when 25 surgical procedures had accumulated. Using 25 cases as the cut-off, we divided the learning curves into learning and proficiency periods and patients into learning (25) and proficiency period groups (41). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups of patients in sex, age, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, history of abdominal surgery, comorbidities, preoperative neoadjuvant therapy, maximum tumor diameter, surgical procedure, or T and N stage of tumor ( P>0.05). The following factors differed significantly (all P<0.05) between the learning and proficiency stages: in the latter there was less intraoperative blood loss (100 [50, 100] ml vs. 200 [100, 200] ml, U=-3.940, P<0.001), shorter duration of surgery ([289.8±50.7] minutes vs. [394.4±96.0] minutes, t=5.034, P<0.001), more mediastinal lymph nodes removed (5 [2, 8] vs. 2 [1, 5], U=-2.518, P=0.012), earlier time to first flatus (2 [2, 3] days vs. 4 [3, 6] days, U=-4.016, P<0.001), earlier time to first tolerance of liquid food (5 [4, 6] days vs. 7 [6, 8] days, U=-2.922, P=0.003), shorter duration of hospital stay (8 [8, 10] vs. 10 [9, 12] days, U=-2.028, P=0.043). The incidence of surgical complications did not differ significantly between the two groups ( P=0.238). Conclusion:Satisfactory results can be achieved with the five-step procedure for patients with Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction once 25 procedures have been performed.

Objective:To explore the application of anterior esophageal wall full layer fixation and gastric tube guidance in total laparoscopic overlap method for intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy.Methods:Overlap esophagojejunostomy with anterior esophageal wall full layer fixation and gastric tube guidance is suitable for patients with advanced gastric cancer (clinical stage: cT1b~4aN0~3M0) and esophageal invasion <3 cm, who underwent radical total gastrectomy+ overlap esophagojejunostomy. The main operation procedure was performed as follows: A titanium clip was used for fixation of the full anterior wall of esophagus before overlap esophagojejunostomy, and the side‐to‐side esophagojejunostomy was performed with the linear stapler under the guidance of gastric tube. Then the titanium clip was removed after confirming that the correct cavity was entered. Finally, the common outlet was closed by two barbed sutures. A descriptive case series study was conducted. The clinical data of patients who underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy and overlap esophagojejunostomy with anterior esophageal wall full layer fixation and gastric tube guidance in Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese medicine and the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese medicine from May 2021 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:A total of 42 patients were collected, and all of them were successfully completed laparoscopic total radical gastrectomy without conversion to laparotomy or perioperative death. The esophagojejunostomy time, operative time, intraoperative blood loss was 17(5‐25) minutes, (258.8±38.0) minutes and 50(20‐200) ml, respectively. The incidence of esophageal false lumen was 0%, and there were no intraoperative complications. The time of gastric tube removal, initial fluid diet intake and the duration of postoperative hospital were 2(1‐5) , 4(1‐8) and 8(4‐21) days, respectively. There were no postoperative anastomotic hemorrhage, anastomotic stenosis and other related complications. One patient (2.38%) developed a Clavien‐Dindo IIIb complication, which was abdominal hemorrhage after operation. The second surgical exploration confirmed that the patient was bleeding due to gastroduodenal artery rupture. After intraoperative suture hemostasis, fluid expansion, blood transfusion and other treatments, the patient was discharged on the 15th day after the operation. Three patients (7.14%) developed Clavien‐Dindo grade II complications, including anastomotic leakage, chylous leakage and pulmonary infection, and were discharged after conservative treatment such as anti‐infection and prolonged retention of drainage tube.Conclusions:Laparoscopic overlap method for intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy with anterior esophageal wall fixation and gastric tube guidance can shorten the time of esophagojejunostomy and prevent the occurrence of false lumen, and do not increase anastomose‐related complications.

Pleural mesothelioma （PM） is a rare malignant tumor originating from the pleura. Most patients are already in the advanced stage at the time of diagnosis， resulting in a low overall survival rate. MicroRNA （miRNA）， as key regulators of tumor epigenetic modification， have an intertwined interactive network with PM drug resistance. The mechanisms of drug resistance in PM to chemotherapeutic drugs include increasing drug efflux， reducing drug intake， enhancing DNA repair， and altering drug targets. The mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapy drugs include activating alternative signaling pathways， establishing a favorable tumor microenvironment， and triggering epithelial-mesenchymal transition. MiRNA plays a key part in the aforementioned resistance mechanisms， with some miRNAs promoting the drug sensitivity of cancer cells， while others contribute to increased drug resistance. In light of these key regulatory functions， targeting the dysregulated expression of endogenous miRNAs in the process of resistance formation using miRNA antagonists or miRNA mimics may be an effective therapeutic strategy to reverse drug resistance in PM.

Objective To explore the value of expression levels of serum thioredoxin-interacting protein(TXNIP)and baculoviral IAP repeat-containing protein 5(BIRC5)in clinical staging and efficacy monitoring in patients with primary laryngeal cancer(PLC).Methods From June 2020 to January 2023,a total of 68 pa-tients with PLC accepted by the hospital were collected as PLC group,and 80 patients with benign lesions were set as the benign tumors group.After six months of treatment,patients in the PLC group were separated into the treatment effective group(50 cases)and the treatment ineffective group(18 cases)according to the RECIST solid tumor efficacy evaluation criteria.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was applied to detect the levels of TXNIP and BIRC5 in serum of each group;the diagnostic efficacy of TXNIP and BIRC5 in staging PLC and the predictive efficacy of PLC patients were analyzed using the receiver operating characteris-tic(ROC)curve.Results There were statistically significant differences in the expression levels of TXNIP and BIRC5 in the serum between the PLC group and the benign tumors group(P＜0.05).The level of serum TXNIP in the treatment effective group[(99.52±14.12)pg/mL]was obviously higher than that in the treat-ment ineffective group[(85.19±15.17)μg/mL],and the difference was statistically significant(t=3.621,P＜0.05),while the BIRC5 expression level[(15.26±3.65)pg/mL]was obviously lower than that in the treatment ineffective group[(19.13±3.74)pg/mL],and the difference was statistically significant(t=3.833,P＜0.05).The serum TXNIP expression level in early PLC patients[(101.39±12.85)pg/mL]was obviously higher than that in late stage patients[(91.27±13.36)μg/mL],and the difference was statistically significant(t=3.154,P＜0.05),while the BIRC5 expression level[(14.43±3.07)pg/mL]was obviously lower than that in late stage patients[(17.74±3.04)pg/mL],and the difference was statistically significant(t=4.439,P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of serum TXNIP and BIRC5 in diagnosing PLC stag-ing was 0.829(95％CI:0.718-0.909)and 0.795(95％CI:0.679-0.883),respectively,with sensitivity of 81.58％and 89.47％,and the AUC of TXNIP combined BIRC5 in diagnosing PLC staging was 0.899(95％CI:0.802-0.959),with sensitivity of 94.74％.The AUC of serum TXNIP and BIRC5 in predicting the effi-cacy of PLC patients was 0.818(95％CI:0.705-0.901)and 0.761(95％CI:0.642-0.856),respectively,the AUC of the combination of the two was 0.921(95％CI:0.830-0.973),which had higher predictive efficiency(P＜0.05).Conclusion TXNIP is lowly expressed in the serum of patients with PLC,while BIRC5 is highly expressed in the serum of patients with PLC.The combination detection of TXNIP and BIRC5 has certain effi-cacy in the diagnosis of PLC staging and predicting the efficacy of PLC patients.

Objective:To investigate the learning curve for a five-step procedure, namely, a transthoracic single-port assisted laparoscopic transabdominal diaphragmatic approach, for Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction.Methods:In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed relevant clinical data of 66 patients with Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction who had undergone the five-step procedure performed by the same surgeon in the Gastrointestinal Surgery Department of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine from May 2017 to April 2023. The learning curve were plotted using cumulative summation analysis and selected indicators, including intraoperative blood loss, duration of surgery, time to first flatus, time to first tolerance of liquid food, length of hospital stay, and incidence of perioperative complications at different stages were compared. The data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0 statistical software. Numerical data are presented as cases (%) and data were analyzed using the χ 2 test or Fisher's exact test. Normally distributed measurement data are presented as x±s, and independent sample t-testing was performed for inter group comparison. Non-normally distributed measurement data are presented as M( Q1, Q3) and the Mann–Whitney U test was used for inter group comparison. Results:The five-step procedure had been successfully completed without switching to open surgery in all 66 study patients. There were no perioperative deaths, blood loss was 100 (50, 200) mL and duration of surgery 329.4±87.3 minutes. The equation of optimal fit for the duration of surgery was y=0.031x 3-4.4757x 2+164.97x-264.4 ( P<0.001, R2=0.9797). The cumulative summation learning curve reached a vertex when 25 surgical procedures had accumulated. Using 25 cases as the cut-off, we divided the learning curves into learning and proficiency periods and patients into learning (25) and proficiency period groups (41). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups of patients in sex, age, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, history of abdominal surgery, comorbidities, preoperative neoadjuvant therapy, maximum tumor diameter, surgical procedure, or T and N stage of tumor ( P>0.05). The following factors differed significantly (all P<0.05) between the learning and proficiency stages: in the latter there was less intraoperative blood loss (100 [50, 100] ml vs. 200 [100, 200] ml, U=-3.940, P<0.001), shorter duration of surgery ([289.8±50.7] minutes vs. [394.4±96.0] minutes, t=5.034, P<0.001), more mediastinal lymph nodes removed (5 [2, 8] vs. 2 [1, 5], U=-2.518, P=0.012), earlier time to first flatus (2 [2, 3] days vs. 4 [3, 6] days, U=-4.016, P<0.001), earlier time to first tolerance of liquid food (5 [4, 6] days vs. 7 [6, 8] days, U=-2.922, P=0.003), shorter duration of hospital stay (8 [8, 10] vs. 10 [9, 12] days, U=-2.028, P=0.043). The incidence of surgical complications did not differ significantly between the two groups ( P=0.238). Conclusion:Satisfactory results can be achieved with the five-step procedure for patients with Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction once 25 procedures have been performed.

Objective:To explore the application of anterior esophageal wall full layer fixation and gastric tube guidance in total laparoscopic overlap method for intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy.Methods:Overlap esophagojejunostomy with anterior esophageal wall full layer fixation and gastric tube guidance is suitable for patients with advanced gastric cancer (clinical stage: cT1b~4aN0~3M0) and esophageal invasion <3 cm, who underwent radical total gastrectomy+ overlap esophagojejunostomy. The main operation procedure was performed as follows: A titanium clip was used for fixation of the full anterior wall of esophagus before overlap esophagojejunostomy, and the side‐to‐side esophagojejunostomy was performed with the linear stapler under the guidance of gastric tube. Then the titanium clip was removed after confirming that the correct cavity was entered. Finally, the common outlet was closed by two barbed sutures. A descriptive case series study was conducted. The clinical data of patients who underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy and overlap esophagojejunostomy with anterior esophageal wall full layer fixation and gastric tube guidance in Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese medicine and the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese medicine from May 2021 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:A total of 42 patients were collected, and all of them were successfully completed laparoscopic total radical gastrectomy without conversion to laparotomy or perioperative death. The esophagojejunostomy time, operative time, intraoperative blood loss was 17(5‐25) minutes, (258.8±38.0) minutes and 50(20‐200) ml, respectively. The incidence of esophageal false lumen was 0%, and there were no intraoperative complications. The time of gastric tube removal, initial fluid diet intake and the duration of postoperative hospital were 2(1‐5) , 4(1‐8) and 8(4‐21) days, respectively. There were no postoperative anastomotic hemorrhage, anastomotic stenosis and other related complications. One patient (2.38%) developed a Clavien‐Dindo IIIb complication, which was abdominal hemorrhage after operation. The second surgical exploration confirmed that the patient was bleeding due to gastroduodenal artery rupture. After intraoperative suture hemostasis, fluid expansion, blood transfusion and other treatments, the patient was discharged on the 15th day after the operation. Three patients (7.14%) developed Clavien‐Dindo grade II complications, including anastomotic leakage, chylous leakage and pulmonary infection, and were discharged after conservative treatment such as anti‐infection and prolonged retention of drainage tube.Conclusions:Laparoscopic overlap method for intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy with anterior esophageal wall fixation and gastric tube guidance can shorten the time of esophagojejunostomy and prevent the occurrence of false lumen, and do not increase anastomose‐related complications.

Objective:To explore the effects of pre-transplant controlling nutritional status(CONUT)and post-transplant minimal residual disease(MRD)on prognosis of patients with multiple myeloma(MM)after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(auto-HSCT).Methods:The clinical data of 79 patients who received auto-HSCT from 2011 to 2020 in The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into Low-CONUT group(n=62)and High-CONUT group(n=17)according to whether the CONUT score was less than 5.The differences in clinical features,hematopoietic reconstruction,adverse reactions,efficacy and survival between the two groups were compared.In addition,the prognostic risk factors were analyzed and verified by time-dependent ROC curve.Results:The proportions of male patients and bone marrow plasma cells＞30％at initial diagnosis in High-CONUT group were both higher than those in Low-CONUT group(both P＜0.05).While,there were no significant differences in hematopoietic reconstruction and adverse reactions(＞grade 2)between the two groups.The complete response(CR)rate and CR+very good partial response(VGPR)rate before transplantation in Low-CONUT group were both significantly higher than those in High-CONUT group(both P＜0.05).After 3 months of transplantation,the CR+VGPR rate still remained an advantage in Low-CONUT group compared with High-CONUT group(P＜0.01),but CR rate did not(P＞0.05).The overall survival(OS)and progression-free survival(PFS)in Low-CONUT group were both superior to those in High-CONUT group(both P＜0.05).Low CONUT score(0-4)before transplantation and negative MRD at 6 months after transplantation were favorable factors affecting OS and PFS(both P＜0.05),while the International Myeloma Working Group(IMWG)high-risk at initial diagnosis and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)level＞250 U/L before transplantation were only risk factors for PFS(both P＜0.05).Time-dependent ROC curve analysis showed that pre-transplant CONUT score and MRD status at 6 months after transplantation could independently or jointly predict 1-and 2-year OS and PFS,and the combined prediction was more effective.Conclusion:The combination of pre-transplant CONUT and post-transplant MRD can better predict the prognosis of MM patients.

Leonurine(SCM-198)was discovered as one of the active constituents of the Herba Leonuri(HL).Now it can be artificially synthesized.Several recent researches has proven that it exhibits anti-inflammatory effect in several systems in animal models and cell culture in vitro.The key mechanism involves downgrading the activity of nuclear transcription factor-κB(NF-κB),thereby inhibiting the phosphorylation of several signal pathways such as PI3K/Akt,MAPK,ERK,and JNK,or upregulating the activity of Nrf2 related pathways,resulting in downregulated expression of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),IL-1β,IL-2,IL-6,IL-8,inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2),chemokines,adhesion molecules,etc.Owing to the advantages of high safety and efficiency,the ease of administration,as well as its effectiveness in many organs and systems,leonurine has a widely prospect for future research and clinical applications.This article reviews the progress in the fundamental research of leonurine in multiple inflammation-related disease,and it could be expect to offer new possibilities for the treatment of these disease.