Galectin-9 （Gal-9） is a member of the galectin family that can specifically recognize and bind to galactosides. Recent studies have shown that Gal-9 is highly expressed in the liver and can help to maintain intrahepatic immune homeostasis and perform biological functions in various liver diseases. This article reviews the immunomodulatory functions of Gal-9 and its role in different liver diseases. Studies have shown that Gal-9 has important biological functions in different liver diseases through multiple pathways. Research on the specific immunomodulatory mechanisms and functions of Gal-9 may help to discover the therapeutic role of Gal-9 in liver diseases.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of the therapy of soothing liver and strengthening spleen(shortened as Shugan Jianpi therapy)in the treatment of active thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy(TAO)complicated with dry eye,and to provide a reference basis for clinical treatment.Methods A total of 108 patients with active TAO complicated with dry eye of liver depression and qi stagnation type were randomly divided into observation group and control group,54 patients in each group.Both groups were given conventional treatment for intervention of Graves'disease,and additionally the control group was given hormone shock therapy by intravenous injection of Methylprednisolone Sodium Succinate,and the observation group was treated with Chinese medicine prescription for soothing liver and strengthening spleen orally and intravenous injection of Methylprednisolone Sodium Succinate.The treatment period lasted for 12 weeks,and then the patients were followed up till to the 6th month.The changes of clinical activity score(CAS),proptosis,ocular surface disease index(OSDI),corneal fluorescein staining(FL),Schirmer I test(SIT)and tear film break-up time(BUT)in the two groups were observed before and after the treatment.After treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated.Results(1)After 6 months of treatment,the total effective rate in the observation group was 94.44%(51/54)and that in the control group was 74.07%(40/54),and the intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the efficacy of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the CAS,OSDI score and proptosis of the patients in the two groups were all lower than those before treatment(P＜0.01),and the reduction in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the indicators of tear secretion function such as SIT,FL score and BUT of patients in the two groups were improved compared with those before treatment(P＜0.01),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the differences being all statistically significant(P＜0.01).Conclusion Shugan Jianpi therapy exerts certain clinical efficacy in treating patients with active TAO complicated with dry eye of liver depression and qi stagnation type,which can effectively relieve the proptosis,prolong the tear film break-up time,promote the secretion of tears and the repair of corneal epithelium,improve the visual function,and enhance the quality of life of the patients.

Surgical operation is the main treatment of oral and maxillofacial tumors.Dysphagia is a common postoperative complication.Swal-lowing disorder can not only lead to mis-aspiration,malnutrition,aspiration pneumonia and other serious consequences,but also may cause psychological problems and social communication barriers,affecting the quality of life of the patients.At present,there is no systematic evalua-tion and rehabilitation management plan for the problem of swallowing disorder after oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery in China.Combining the characteristics of postoperative swallowing disorder in patients with oral and maxillofacial tumors,summarizing the clinical experience of ex-perts in the field of tumor and rehabilitation,reviewing and summarizing relevant literature at home and abroad,and through joint discussion and modification,a group of national experts reached this consensus including the core contents of the screening of swallowing disorders,the phased assessment of prognosis and complications,and the implementation plan of comprehensive management such as nutrition management,respiratory management,swallowing function recovery,psychology and nursing during rehabilitation treatment,in order to improve the evalua-tion and rehabilitation of swallowing disorder after oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery in clinic.

Cryoablation therapy with explicit anti-tumor mechanisms and histopathological manifestations has a long history.A large number of clinical practice has shown that cryoablation therapy is safe and effective,making it an ideal tumor treatment method in theory.Previously,its efficacy and clinical application were constrained by the limitations of refrigerants and refrigeration equipment.With the development of the new generation of cryoablation equipment represented by argon helium knives,significant progress has been made in refrigeration efficien-cy,ablation range,and precise temperature measurement,greatly promoting the progression of tumor cryoablation technology.This consensus systematically summarizes the mechanism of cryoablation technology,indications for oral mucosal melanoma(OMM)cryotherapy,clinical treatment process,adverse reactions and management,cryotherapy combination therapy,etc.,aiming to provide reference for carrying out the standardized cryoablation therapy of OMM.

Acupuncture, a therapeutic treatment defined as the insertion of needles into the body at specific points (ie, acupoints), has growing in popularity world-wide to treat various diseases effectively, especially acute and chronic pain. In parallel, interest in the physiological mechanisms underlying acupuncture analgesia, particularly the neural mechanisms have been increasing. Over the past decades, our understanding of how the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system process signals induced by acupuncture has developed rapidly by using electrophysiological methods. However, with the development of neuroscience, electrophysiology is being challenged by calcium imaging in view field, neuron population and visualization in vivo. Owing to the outstanding spatial resolution, the novel imaging approaches provide opportunities to enrich our knowledge about the neurophysiological mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia at subcellular, cellular, and circuit levels in combination with new labeling, genetic and circuit tracing techniques. Therefore, this review will introduce the principle and the method of calcium imaging applied to acupuncture research. We will also review the current findings in pain research using calcium imaging from in vitro to in vivo experiments and discuss the potential methodological considerations in studying acupuncture analgesia.
Calcium ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Analgesia/methods* ; Acupuncture Points ; Technology

OBJECTIVE To prepare patchouli oil enteric-coated dropping pills, evaluate its colon-targeted release behaviors and therapeutic potency against rat ulcerative colitis(UC). METHODS The single factor combined with response surface optimization method was used to screen matrix types and optimize preparation process parameters. Formula and thickness of Eudragit coating was selected based on dissolution tendency toward simulated intestinal fluids. Finally, colon targeting release behavior and the therapeutic effect of the preparation were assessed on the rat UC model induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid(TNBS). RESULTS The optimal prescription of patchouli oil dropping pills was patchouli oil∶PEG6000∶PEG8000 ratio of 1∶1∶1; and the optimal condition for preparing patchouli oil pills was keeping nozzle temperature at 9 ℃, and dropping pills at the speed of 33 drops·min−1, with dropping distance set at 6 cm; the optimal ratio of Eudragit L100∶Eudragit S100 was 3∶7 for preferential release in simulate intestinal fluid over simulated gastric fluid. Compared with free patchouli oil, patchouli oil enteric-coated dropping pills significantly alleviated the pathological symptoms such as weight loss, hematochezia and colon shortening in rats; the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-23 in serum was significantly down-regulated and the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and TGF-β1 was significantly up-regulated. The mRNA expression of Mucin-1 and Mucin-2 in colon tissue was significantly up-regulated and the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α was significantly down-regulated. CONCLUSION The patchouli oil enteric-coated dropping pills have colon-targeted release ability and improve the anti-inflammatory effect of drugs.

Using the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to determine the plasma level of Lyso-GL3 in patients with Fabry disease and to analyze the clinical application of the method.

Objective To identify the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of young patients with sporadic rectal cancer liver metastasis(RCLM).Methods The clinical data of young RCLM patients at 45 years or under(n=40,as younger patient group)in Peking University First Hospital from January 2016 to January 2021 were reviewed,meanwhile,elder RCLM patient group were comprised of 82 patients older than 45-year-old in a 1:2 ratio.Proportions of categorical variables were compared between young patients and old patients.The clinicopathologic parameters were analyzed with univariate and multivariate Cox regression models and Kaplan-Meier method for demonstrating survival differences between the maximum diameter of liver metastasis and local therapy.Results One hundred and twenty-two RCLM patients were identified,the 1-,3-and 5-year survival rates of young patient group were 97.5%,47.5%,15.0%,those of elder patient group were 84.1%,26.8%,9.8%,respectively.The differences in BMI(P=0.008),primary tumor with obstruction and bleeding(P=0.006),synchronous rectal cancer liver metastases(P=0.005),the maximum diameter of liver metastasis>3 cm(P=0.019)were statistically significant between the two groups.And univariate and multivariate analyses showed that age(P=0.003),N stage(P=0.007),local therapy for liver metastases(P=0.047)and the maximum diameter of liver metastasis(P=0.030)were independent risk factors for influencing the prognosis of RCLM patients;curative resection or not of primary tumor(P=0.035)and the maximum diameter of liver metastasis(P=0.041)were independent risk factors for influencing the prognosis of young RCLM patients.Kaplan-Maier curve demonstrated survival differences between the maximum diameter of liver metastasis and local therapy for liver metastasis in RCLM patients(log-rank P=0.000).Conclusions Although with later staging of initial tumor station,young RCLM patients may obtain better survival benefit compared with old patients.Higher degree of lymph node metastasis,local therapy for liver metastases and the maximum diameter of liver metastasis>3 cm indicates poor prognosis in RCLM patients,and without curative resection of primary tumor and maximum diameter of liver metastasis are also considered as the independent poor prognostic factors of young RCLM patients.Local therapy for liver metastases appears to play an important role in the treatment strategy of RCLM patients.

Objective To observe the effects of total saponins of Trillium tschonoskii Maxim(TST)on vascular cognitive impairment(VCI),neurovascular units(NVUs),and neural circuit integrity in rats.Methods Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group,model group,TST group(intragastric administration,100 mg/kg),and donepezil group(intragastric administration,0.45 mg/kg),and then subjected to ischemic stroke by 2-VO method(bilateral common carotid artery ligation)or sham surgery.After 28 days of intragastric administration,Mirros water maze test was performed to evaluate the spatial learning and memory abilities of rats in each group.HE and Nissl staining were used to observe the pathological changes of brain tissue in rats.The expression of synuclein(SYN)in rat hippocampus was observed by immunohistochemical staining.Changes in dendritic spines in rat's hippocampal neurons were observed by Golgi staining.Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of IL-1β,IL-10,vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA),postsynaptic density protein 95(PSD95),and growth associated protein 43(GAP43)in rat's hippocampus in each group.Results In Mirros water maze test,rats in model group showed significant prolonged escape latency(P＜0.05),and a significant reduction in the number of crossing platforms and the percentage of activity time in the target quadrant(P＜0.05)than those in sham-operated group;while rats in TST group and donepezil group showed significant shortened escape latency(P＜0.01),and significant increase of the number of times of crossing platforms and the percentage of activity time in the target quadrant(P＜0.05)than those in model group.Compared of sham-operated group,model group showed a decrease in the expression of SYN and the number of neurons,Nissl bodies,and dendritic spines in the CA1 region of the hippocampus(P＜0.05).Compared with model group,TST group and donepezil group showed an increase in the expression of SYN and the number of neurons,Nissl bodies,and dendritic spines in the CA1 region of the hippocampus(P＜0.05).Western blotting showed a significant increase in the expression of IL-1β and VEGF(P＜0.05),and a decrease in the expression of IL-10,PSD95,and GAP43(P＜0.01)in rat's hippocampus of model group than those in sham-operated group.Compared with model group,TST group and donepezil group showed a significant decrease in the expression of IL-1β(P＜0.05),and an increase in the expression of VEGFA,IL-10,and GAP43(P＜0.05).Conclusions TST could alleviate cognitive impairment through promoting synaptic plasticity and neurovascular unit remodeling in 2-VO model rats,suggesting its significance as a potential drug for apoplexy.

Objective To compare the effects of 20 mg qd and 10 mg bidadministration of iprrazole enteric-coated tablets on the control of gastric acid in healthy subjects.Methods A randomized,single-center,parallel controlled trial was designed to include 8 healthy subjects.Randomly divided into 2 groups,20 mg qd administration group:20 mg enteric-coated tablets of iprrazole in the morning;10 mg bid administration group:10 mg enteric-coated tablets of iprrazole in the morning and 10 mg in the evening.The pH values in the stomach of the subjects before and 24 h after administration were monitored by pH meter.The plasma concentration of iprazole after administration was determined by HPLC-MS/MS.The main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by Phoenix WinNonlin(V8.0)software.Results The PK parameters of iprrazole enteric-coated tablets and reference preparations in fasting group were as follows:The Cmax of 20 mg qd group and 10 mg bid group were(595.75±131.15)and(283.50±96.98)ng·mL-1;AUC0-t were(5 531.94±784.35)and(4 686.67±898.23)h·ng·mL-1;AUC0-∞ were(6 003.19±538.59)and(7 361.48±1 816.77)h·ng·mL-1,respectively.The mean time percentage of gastric pH＞3 after 20 mg qd and 10 mg bid were 82.64％and 61.92％,and the median gastric pH within 24 h were 6.25±1.49 and 3.53±2.05,respectively.The mean gastric pH values within 24 h were 5.71±1.36 and 4.23±1.45,respectively.The correlation analysis of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics showed that there was no significant correlation between the peak concentration of drug in plasma and the inhibitory effect of acid.Conclusion Compared with the 20 mg qd group and the 10 mg bid group,the acid inhibition effect is better,the administration times are less,and the safety of the two administration regimes is good.