Objective Taking Sortilin as the entry point,this study aims to explore the mechanism of vascular calcification in chronic renal failure(CRF)and explore the influence of Sanqi on Sortilin,TLRs and vascular calcification,and to provide an effective method for clinical reduction of cardiovascular events in CRF.Methods Thirty-six male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group,model group,low-,medium-and high-dose Sanqi group and calcitriol group,with 6 rats in each.The replicative CRF vascular calcification rat model was fed with adenine combined with high phosphorus diet.Aortic calcium salt deposition,serum creatinine(Scr),urea nitrogen(BUN),blood calcium(Ca),blood phosphorus(P),total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),TLRs and Sortilin protein in aorta and inflammatory factors were detected.Results In the model group,renal fibrosis was obvious and many adenine crystals were found in renal interstitium.Large deposits of calcium salts were found.Renal fibrosis and calcium salt deposition were alleviated in different degrees in all treatment groups.Compared with those in the normal group,the level of BUN,Cr,P,TG,TC,IFN-γ,IL-6,IL-10 and IL-17A in the serum of the model group was ascended(P<0.01),while the level of Ca was descended(P<0.01).Compared with those in the model group,the level of BUN,Cr,P,TG,TC,IFN-γ,IL-6,IL-10 and IL-17A in the serum of rats in the Sanqi medium and high dose group and calcitriol group was significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the contents of Ca were significantly increased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with those in the normal group,the protein expression of BMP2,RUNX2,Sortilin,TLR7 and TLR9 in aortic tissue of rats in the model group was elevated(P<0.01),while the protein expression of SM22α was declined(P<0.01).Compared with those in the model group,the protein expression of BMP2,RUNX2,Sortilin,TLR7,and TLR9 in the low-,medium-,and high-dose Sanqi group and calcitriol group was decreased significantly(P<0.01);the protein expression of SM22α was increased significantly(P<0.05 or P<0.01),and the high-dose Sanqi group and calcitriol group had more significant effects.Conclusion Sanqi can improve renal fibrosis and vascular calcification in CRF model rats,and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of biological functions of Sortilin and TLRs.

BACKGROUND:Minipigs are often used in research fields such as skin injury,vascular trauma and cosmetic medicine because they are highly similar to human beings in terms of skin tissue structure and cardiovascular system.Hydrogel as a wound repair drug possesses a variety of excellent physicochemical properties such as strong water retention and adhesion,which can provide isolation moisturization and drug release for wounds. OBJECTIVE:To summarize and conclude the progress of the application of trauma models for different experimental purposes of hydrogel therapy for minipigs,to reveal the development status of various types of minipig trauma models,to analyze the deficiencies of minipig trauma models at the present stage. METHODS:The relevant articles published in Web of Science database and CNKI database from the establishment of each database to 2023 were checked,using"piglet,miniature pig,minipig,miniature pig;gel,hydrogel;trauma,injury,wound,lesion,incision"as Chinese search terms and"Miniature Swine,Miniature pig,minipig;gel,hydrogel;injury,wound,lesion,incision"as English search terms.A total of 438 Chinese and English documents were retrieved,and 59 documents were included in the study through the inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)At present,the main models used clinically for trauma repair are large animal species(dogs and pigs),rabbits,and rodents(rats and mice).Because the skin structure of the minipig is more like that of humans,the minipig is the most ideal animal model for trauma repair.(2)In the in-vitro skin injury model,skin defect model is the basic wound model,which can be divided into full skin defect model and medium-thickness skin defect model according to the depth of the wound defect.Burn wound model and infected wound model are multidimensional models with hot metal scald and bacterial culture imposed on the basis of the skin defect model,which have the advantages of high safety coefficient and low operation difficulty.(3)In the in-vivo trauma repair model,mini-pigs are used as esophageal cricothyrotomy model which is more in line with the pathological state of clinical diseases.Mini-pigs are used in the gastric perforation and vascular hemostasis model,which can visually demonstrate the stronger organ adhesion,hemostatic properties and tissue regeneration-promoting effects of the hydrogel.(4)The specific parts of the pig also has the corresponding mode of use:pig ear is usually used to evaluate the hydrogel drug delayed-release effect.Porcine cellular proteins and pig skin collagen are mostly used to prepare composite hydrogels of tissue origin.

Objective To investigate the dietary intakes of postoperative patients with digestive malignant tumor during their recovery at home and explores the correlation of the intakes with the food nutritional knowledge of their primary family care-givers.Methods A total of 108 primary caregivers of prospective patients with digestive malignant tumors were selected for a sur-vey conducted at home from October 2022 to March 2023 in Guangzhou,from two tertiary hospitals.In this cross-sectional study,this paper investigated these caregivers using its general information questionnaire,a nutritional knowledge-attitude-behavior ques-tionnaire,and a simple dietary self-assessment tool(SDSAT).Results The SDSAT score of the patients was collected(4.16±1.22).Significant differences were observed among patients with various tumor types in terms of the recovery time at home after surgery.The total score of family primary caregivers'nutritional knowledge,attitude,and behavior was(47.64±6.97).Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between the knowledge of dietary guidelines and the patient's dietary intakes during home stay(r=0.285,P＜0.05).Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that caregivers'knowledge of dieta-ry guidelines significantly influenced the dietary intake of the prospective patients.Conclusion It is essential to regularly monitor the dietary intake of prospective patients at home.Medical personnel can concentrate on intervening with the patient's caregivers and encouraging them to participate in nutrition management together.This approach can improve the quality of family care and the nutritional status of the patients.

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors for early tumor recurrence and the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) patients after curative-intent resection.Methods:The retrospective case-control study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 506 patients with GBC in 11 medical centers, including The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University et al, from January 2016 to December 2020 were collected. There were 168 males and 338 females, aged (62±11)years. All patients underwent curative-intent resection of GBC, and they were divided into patients with and without early recurrence based on time to postoperative recurrence. Observation indicators: (1) treatment; (2) follow-up and survival of patients; (3) analysis of influencing factors for early tumor recurrence after curative-intent resection of GBC; (4) efficacy of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Univariate analysis was conducted using the corresponding statistical methods based on data type. Multivariate analysis was conducted using the Logistic regression model with forward method. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw survival curve and calculate survival rate, and Log-Rank test was used for survival analysis. Results:(1) Treatment. Of 506 patients, there were 112 cases with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, and 394 cases without postopera-tive adjuvant chemotherapy. They underwent 5(range, 3-9)cycles of postoperative adjuvant chemo-therapy. (2) Follow-up and survival of patients. All 506 patients underwent postoperative follow-up, with the follow-up time of 55(range, 34-93)months. During the follow-up, there were 248 patients with tumor recurrence, including 158 cases of early recurrence and 90 cases of late recurrence, and there were 258 patients without tumor recurrence. Of 506 patients, 275 cases survived, and 231 cases died of multiple organ failure caused by tumor recurrence and metastasis. The postoperative recurr-ence-free survival time, overall survival time were 52(range,1-93)months, 62(range, 2-93)months. The 1-, 3-, 5-year disease-free survival rates and 1-, 3-, 5-year overall survival rates of the 506 pati-ents were 68.8%, 53.8%, 47.9% and 78.3%, 58.7%, 51.6%, respectively. Results of survival analysis showed that the median overall survival time of 158 patients with postoperative early recurrence and 348 patients without postoperative early recurrence (including 90 cases of late recurrence and 258 cases of no tumor recurrence) were 9(range, 2-73)months and unreached, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=456.15, P<0.05). (3) Analysis of influencing factors for early tumor recurrence after curative-intent resection of GBC. Results of multivariate analysis showed that carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) >5.0 μg/L, poorly differentiated tumor, liver invasion, and tumor N staging as stage N1-N2 were independent risk factors influencing early tumor recurrence after cura-tive-intent resection of GBC ( odds ratio=2.74, 6.20, 1.81, 2.93, 4.82, 95% confidence interval as 1.62-4.64, 1.82-21.12, 1.15-3.08, 1.68-5.09, 1.91-12.18, P<0.05), while postoperative adjuvant chemo-therapy was an independent protect factor ( odds ratio=0.39, 95% confidence interval as 0.21-0.71, P<0.05). (4) Efficacy of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. The median overall survival time of 394 patients without postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and 112 patients with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were 57(range, 2-93)months and unreached, showing a significant differ-ence between them ( χ2=9.38, P<0.05). Of the 158 patients with postoperative early recurrence after curative-intent resection of GBC, 135 cases didn't receive adjuvant chemotherapy and 23 cases received adjuvant chemotherapy, with the overall survival time of 8(range, 2-73)months and 17(range, 8-61)months, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=7.68, P<0.05). Conclusions:CEA >5.0 μg/L, poorly differentiated tumor, liver invasion, and tumor N staging as stage N1-N2 are independent risk factors influencing early tumor recurrence after curative-intent resection of GBC, while postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is an independent protect factor. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy can prolong the overall survival time of patients with post-operative tumor early recurrence.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of proper management of inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery (IPDA) in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD).Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical and pathological data of 70 patients who received LPD due to pancreatic head tumors, periampullary tumors, or distal common bile duct tumors in the Pancreatic Center of the Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from January to December 2022 were retrospectively collected. There were 47 males(67.1%) and 23 females(32.9%),aged (59.9±12.8)years(range:13 to 87 years).The procedure of IPDA exposure was as follows:a middle approach was utilized to expose the right half of superior mesenteric artery(SMA) and its right branches between the SMA and superior mesenteric vein(SMV) in superior colonic region. In the subcolonic region,SMA trunk exposure via dissection along the jejunal artery from feet to head and identification the association between IPDA and jejunal artery were prior to IPDA root ligation and dissection. The safety and efficacy of intraoperative IPDA handling were assessed based on surgical videos. Follow-up was carried out in outpatient clinic or by telephone, and outpatient follow-up was conducted once every 1 to 3 months after surgery.Results:The percentage of total LPD was 98.6%(69/70),with all patients achieving R0 resection. Nine cases(12.9%) were involved in combined vascular resection and reconstruction,with 1 case (1.4%) requiring additional upper abdominal incision for vascular and gastrointestinal reconstruction,while the remaining eight cases (11.4%) were completed laparoscopically. The operative time was (432.7±115.4)minutes(range:282 to 727 minutes), and the blood loss was (140.0±125.7)ml(range:20 to 800 ml). Only two patients(2.9%) received fresh frozen plasma transfusion,with an average volume of 650 ml. Reliable ligation and safe handling of the IPDA were achieved in 91.4%(64/70) of cases, with 8.6%(6/70) suffering from IPDA injury-related bleeding. No one was converted to opened surgery. Pathologically,the mean tumor size was (3.3±1.6)cm (range:1 to 7 cm),and the mean number of harvested lymph nodes was 17.0±7.3(range:0 to 46). Lymph node metastasis was observed in 13 cases (18.6%). Five cases (13.2%) developed grade B pancreatic fistula,while no grade C pancreatic fistula occurred. Other complications included bile leakage in one case(1.4%),delayed gastric emptying in two cases(2.9%), lymphatic leakage in 2 cases(2.9%),intra-abdominal infection in 9 cases(12.9%),and fat liquefaction of surgical incision in 1 case(1.4%). Two cases(2.9%) experienced postoperative intra-abdominal bleeding,one due to mesangial bleeding of lesser curvature of the stomach and the other due to oozing from the hepatic arterial sheath. These bleeding events were not concerned with IPDA. The average length of postoperative hospital stay was (15.2±4.6)days(range:9 to 28 days).Conclusion:Proper intraoperative management of IPDA in LPD might reduce IPDA-related bleeding during and after surgery and improve the safety of LPD.

Background:Following the short-term outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)in December 2022 in China,clinical data on kidney transplant recipients(KTRs)with COVID-19 are lacking.Methods:We conducted a single-center retrospective study to describe the clinical features,complications,and mortality rates of hospitalized KTRs infected with COVID-19 between Dec.16,2022 and Jan.31,2023.The patients were followed up until Mar.31,2023.Results:A total of 324 KTRs with COVID-19 were included.The median age was 49 years.The median time between the onset of symptoms and admission was 13 d.Molnupiravir,azvudine,and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir were administered to 67(20.7%),11(3.4%),and 148(45.7%)patients,respectively.Twenty-nine(9.0%)patients were treated with more than one antiviral agent.Forty-eight(14.8%)patients were treated with tocilizumab and 53(16.4%)patients received baricitinib therapy.The acute kidney injury(AKI)occurred in 81(25.0%)patients and 39(12.0%)patients were admitted to intensive care units.Fungal infections were observed in 55(17.0%)patients.Fifty(15.4%)patients lost their graft.The 28-d mortality rate of patients was 9.0%and 42(13.0%)patients died by the end of follow-up.Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified that cerebrovascular disease,AKI incidence,interleukin(IL)-6 level of>6.8 pg/mL,daily dose of corticosteroids of>50 mg,and fungal infection were all associated with an increased risk of death for hospitalized patients.Conclusions:Our findings demonstrate that hospitalized KTRs with COVID-19 are at high risk of mortality.The administration of immunomodulators or the late application of antiviral drugs does not improve patient survival,while higher doses of corticosteroids may increase the death risk.

OBJECTIVE To provide a reference for the adjustment of antibacterial drug regimens， identification of adverse reactions， and personalized pharmaceutical care for patients with bullous pemphigoid and pulmonary aspergillosis combined with disseminated Nocardia farcinica infection. METHODS Clinical pharmacists participated in the entire treatment process of a patient with bullous pemphigoid and pulmonary aspergillosis combined with disseminated N. farcinica infection. Evidence-based medicine was used to assist in the selection of an initial combined drug regimen against nocardiosis， and timely communication with the microbiology laboratory to provide early antimicrobial susceptibility data. When the patient exhibited epilepsy， the suspected drugs were identified， and it was reminded that imipenem-cilastatin sodium could affect the efficacy of valproic acid. It was suggested to replace valproic acid with levetiracetam for anti-epileptic treatment and to discontinue imipenem-cilastatin sodium. During treatment， it was recommended to monitor the blood concentrations of voriconazole and linezolid， and assist in adjusting the dosage promptly based on the monitoring results. RESULTS The physicians accepted the recommendations of the clinical pharmacists. The patient’s condition improved， and they were discharged with medication. CONCLUSIONS Based on evidence-based medical evidence， antimicrobial susceptibility test results， and blood concentration monitoring data， clinical pharmacists assist clinicians in selecting a sensitive anti-infective regimen for the patient， identifying adverse reactions， adjusting the treatment regimen and providing full-course medication monitoring to ensure the safety and efficacy of clinical drug therapy.

ObjectiveTo explore the role and molecular mechanism of Weifuchun （WFC） in inhibiting inflammation and alleviating gastric precancerous lesions （GPL）. MethodHuman gastric mucosal epithelial cells （GES-1） were stimulated with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG） for the modeling of GPL （MC cells）， with Caspase-3 inhibition by Z-DEVD-FMK. MC cells were divided into control （20% blank serum）， WFC （15% and 20% WFC-containing serum）， and caspase-3 inhibitor groups. The cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） was used to examine the viability of GES-1 cells or MC cells. The Transwell assay and 5-acetylidene-2′-deoxyuridine （EdU） staining were employed to examine cell invasion and proliferation， respectively. Flow cytometry was employed to determine the level of reactive oxygen species. Real-time PCR was conducted to determine the mRNA levels of interleukin （IL）-1， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α. Gene Expression Omnibus （GEO） was used to analyze the role of pyroptosis in gastric cancer progression. Western blotting was employed to determine the protein levels of nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） p65， gasdermin E （GSDME）， and Caspase-3. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to detect the NF-κB p65 protein level and nuclear translocation. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was carried out to observe the pathological changes in the gastric mucosa before and after WFC treatment in the patients. ResultCompared with the control group， MC cells presented enhanced proliferation and invasion energy （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank serum group， WFC-containing serum inhibited the proliferation and invasion of MC cells （P<0.01）， down-regulated the mRNA levels of IL-1， IL-6， and TNF-α， and lowered the level of reactive oxygen species （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The transcriptome data at different stages of gastric cancer showed that pyroptosis was involved in gastric cancer progression， and the GSDME level was significantly higher in GPL patients than in the normal group. Compared with the blank serum， WFC-containing serum lowered the level of NF-κB and inhibited the nuclear translocation of NF-κB （P<0.05）， and it inhibited pyroptosis by suppressing the cleavage of Caspase-3 on GSDME （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The analysis of patient specimens further demonstrated that WFC treatment down-regulated the NF-κB level and GSDME cleavage （P<0.01）， inhibited pyroptosis， and alleviated gastric mucosal inflammation and intestinal epithelial metaplasia. ConclusionPyroptosis is involved in the progression of gastric cancer， and WFC inhibits pyroptosis via the NF-κB/GSDME pathway， thereby alleviating gastric mucosal inflammation in GPL.

Objective:To measure the overall and lobulated volume of the liver with different degrees of liver fibrosis and to further observe pathological changes such as liver microvasculature, hepatocyte apoptosis, and regeneration in order to understand the macroscopic volume changes of the liver during liver fibrosis and its relationship with liver tissue microscopic pathology in patients with chronic liver disease.Methods:53 patients with chronic hepatitis B, alcoholic fatty liver disease, autoimmune liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and drug-induced chronic liver disease who underwent both liver biopsy tissue and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging were collected. Patients were divided into early (F1-2), middle (F3-4), and late (F5-6) in accordance with the Ishak fibrosis stage and Masson stain. The liver and spleen volumes were measured using ITK-SNAP software. CD31 immunohistochemical staining was used to reflect intrahepatic angiogenesis. Ki67 and HNF-4α multiplex immunohistochemical staining were used to reflect hepatocyte regeneration. GS staining was used to determine parenchymal extinction lesions. TUNEL staining was used to observe hepatocyte apoptosis. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between liver volume changes and liver histopathological changes.Results:As liver fibrosis progressed, the total liver volume and right lobe liver volume gradually decreased ( P<0.05), while the spleen volume gradually increased ( P<0.05). The expression of CD31 and GS gradually increased ( P<0.05), and the expression of Ki67 first increased and then decreased ( P<0.05). The positivity rate of CD31 was negatively correlated with the right lobe liver volume ( r=-0.609, P<0.001) and the total liver volume ( r=-0.363, P=0.017). The positivity rate of Ki67 was positively correlated with the right lobe liver volume ( r=0.423, P=0.018), while the positivity rate of apoptotic cells was significantly negatively correlated with the total liver volume ( r=-0.860, P<0.001). The positivity rate of GS was negatively correlated with the right lobe liver volume ( r=-0.440, P=0.002), and the number of PELs was negatively correlated with RV ( r=-0.476, P=0.013). The CD31 positive staining area was negatively correlated with the Ki67 positive staining area( r=-0.511, P=0.009). Conclusion:As liver fibrosis progresses, patients with chronic liver disease have a depletion in total liver volume and right lobe liver volume, and this is mainly in correlation with fewer liver cells and liver tissue microvasculature disorders.

Rare diseases have a significant and profound impact on society, the economy, and the healthcare system. The path to developing drugs for rare diseases is particularly arduous. Due to the small number of patients and limited market demand, pharmaceutical companies don′t have enough incentives and resources to invest in drug research and development. Additionally, the long development cycles, high costs, and high risks have led to a number of potential therapeutic drug failures at the early stages of development. This article summarizes a series of encouraging policies adopted by the National Medical Products Administration for rare diseases, which is an important public health issue, as well as the achievements in the review and approval of rare disease drugs in recent years. These policies have accelerated the approval process. Meanwhile, the policies ensure the safety and effectiveness of drugs and offer more treatment options and hopes to patients with rare diseases. With the continuous effort at optimizing the policy environment and the advancement of research and development technologies, China′s drug regulatory authorities will continue to focus on the clinical needs of rare diseases, to implement " patient-centered " approach to drug development, inject new vitality into the research and development of drugs of rare diseases, and offer more precise and effective treatment choices for patients with rare diseases.