ObjectiveTo investigate the potential mechanisms of Zingiberis Rhizoma in treating inflammatory bowel disease （IBD） by integrating network pharmacology with in vitro and in vivo experiments. MethodsTraditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database And Analysis Platform （TCMSP）， Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database （TCMID） Database were used to obtain the active component targets of Zingiberis Rhizoma. GeneCards was used to obtain the IBD targets. DAVID was used to perform Gene Ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analyses on core targets. Cytoscape 3.10.2 was used to establish the "active component-disease target-signaling pathway" interaction network. Mice were randomly assigned to control， model， and Zingiberis Rhizoma （400 mg·kg^-1） groups. An IBD model was induced via dextran sulfate sodium （DSS）. The colonic tissue was collected post-treatment to assess histology， expression of Ly6C⁺ monocytes/macrophages， and mRNA levels of Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， and inflammatory cytokines. The effect of Zingiberis Rhizoma aqueous extract on RAW264.7 cell viability was evaluated. Furthermore， the effects of the extract at 100， 10， and 1 mg·L^-1 on LPS-induced differentiation of RAW264.7 cells into Ly6C^hi monocytes/macrophages， mRNA levels of TLR4 and inflammatory cytokines， and protein levels of factors in the TLR4/mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway. ResultsA total of 241 targets were identified for Zingiberis Rhizoma and 6 787 for IBD， with 122 shared targets among Zingiberis Rhizoma， ulcerative colitis （UC）， and Crohn's disease （CD）. The enrichment analyses yielded 297 GO terms and 88 KEGG pathways. Associations were noted between Zingiberis Rhizoma's active component targets and IBD targets. In vivo experiments： Compared with the control group， the model group showed decreased body weight and disease activity index （DAI）（P<0.01）， shortened colon length， damaged mucosal epithelium with inflammatory cell infiltration， raised pathological scores （P<0.05）， increased Ly6C^hi and Ly6C^lo monocytes/macrophages （P<0.05）， and up-regulated mRNA levels of TLR4， TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 （P<0.05） and protein levels of TLR4， phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 （p-ERK1/2）， and phosphorylated p38 MAPK （p-p38 MAPK） （P<0.05）. Zingiberis Rhizoma intervention reversed these changes and reduced Ly6C^hi monocytes/macrophages （P<0.01）. In vitro experiments： compared with the control， LPS increased the proportion and number of Ly6C^hi monocytes/macrophages and mRNA levels of TLR4， TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 （P<0.01） and enhanced the expression of TLR4， p-ERK1/2， and p-p38 MAPK （P<0.05）. Zingiberis Rhizoma reduced Ly6C^hi monocytes/macrophages （P<0.05）， down-regulated the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines （P<0.05）， and suppressed the TLR4/MAPK pathway （P<0.05）. ConclusionZingiberis Rhizoma alleviates IBD by suppressing the TLR4/ERK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway and reducing inflammatory cytokine levels in Ly6C^hi monocytes/macrophages.

ObjectiveTo clarify the repair effect of Mume Fructus on the intestinal mucosal epithelial barrier in the mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease （IBD） and explore the repair mechanism. MethodsThirty-six male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into six groups： normal， model， low-， medium-， and high-dose （200， 400， and 800 mg·kg^-1） Mume Fructus， and sulfasalazine （300 mg·kg^-1）. Except the normal group， the rest groups had free access to 2% dextran sulfate sodium （DSS） solution for seven days to establish the IBD model， followed by a seven-day drug intervention. The body weight change and disease activity index （DAI） were recorded. After the last administration， spleen and colon tissue samples were collected to analyze the differences in colon length and spleen index. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the morphology of the colon tissue. The level of diamine oxidase （DAO） in the serum was measured by the DAO assay kit. Immunohistochemistry was employed to determine the expression of tight junction proteins such as Claudin-1， Occludin， and zonula occludens-1 （ZO-1） in the colon tissue. Real-time PCR was performed to measure the mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-1β （IL-1β） in the colon tissue. Finally， Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase （MEK）， extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK）， phosphorylated （p）-MEK， and phosphorylated ERK in the colon tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited decreases in body weight and colon length （P<0.01）， increases in DAI， spleen index， and serum DAO level （P<0.01）， damaged colonic epithelium and goblet cells， and obvious infiltration of inflammatory cells. In addition， the model group exhibited higher positive expression of Claudin-1， Occludin， and ZO-1 （P<0.01）， higher mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-1β （P<0.01）， and higher protein levels of p-MEK and p-ERK （P<0.05， P<0.01） than the normal group. However， sulfasalazine and three doses of Mume Fructus markedly decreased the body weight and DAI （P<0.05）， recovered the colon length and spleen index， alleviated colon tissue damage， lowered the level of DAO in the serum （P<0.01）， and down-regulated the mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-1β （P<0.01） and the protein levels of p-MEK and p-ERK （P<0.05）. Sulfasalazine and low- and medium-dose Mume Fructus increased the positive expression of Occludin， Claudin-1， and ZO-1 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Furthermore， high-dose Mume Fructus elevated the protein expression of Occludin （P<0.05）. ConclusionMume Fructus can restore the expression of intestinal epithelial tight junction proteins by inhibiting the phosphorylation of proteins in the MEK/ERK signaling pathway and down-regulating the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β， thus repairing the intestinal mucosal barrier in the mouse model of IBD.

ObjectiveTo investigate the modulating effect of modified Wumeiwan （MWMW） on the ulcerative colitis （UC）-associated intestinal helper T cell 17 （Th17）/regulatory T cell （Treg） balance and intestinal flora by using a human flora-associated model of UC patients with dampness-heat obstruction syndrome， thus providing a new idea for the UC-related research and therapeutic strategies. MethodsThe 24 male C57BL/6J mice were randomized into normal control， model， and MWMW groups （n=8）. Model and MWMW groups were first treated with an antibiotic cocktail （vancomycin， 0.1 g·kg^-1； neomycin sulfate， 0.2 g·kg^-1； ampicillin， 0.2 g·kg^-1； metronidazole， 0.2 g·kg^-1） for 21 days. At the end of antibiotic treatment， the gavage of fecal microbiota suspension from UC patients with dampness-heat obstruction syndrome was started at a dose of 0.2 mL·d^-1 for 19 consecutive days， by which a human flora-associated model of UC was obtained. The MWMW group was administrated daily with MWMW liquid （12.5 g·kg^-1）， while the normal control and model groups were administrated by gavage with an equal amount of sterile water for 7 consecutive days. The symptoms of dampness-heat obstruction were observed. The colon length and spleen index were measured and calculated， and the proportions of Th17 and Treg cells were detected by flow assay. The intestinal flora was analyzed by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. ResultsCompared with the normal control group， the model group showed shortened colon （P<0.05） and increased spleen index （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the MWMW group showed prolonged colon （P<0.01） and decreased spleen index （P<0.05）. After the intervention of MWMW， the Th17 proportion and Th17/Treg ratio in the colon decreased （P<0.01）， and the proportion of Treg cells increased （P<0.05）. The number of species and alpha and beta diversity of intestinal flora in mice were regulated by MWMW （P<0.05）. In terms of intestinal flora composition， MWMW increased the relative abundance of several phyla （Firmicutes， Proteobacteria， Fusobacteriota， Actinobacteriota， and Gemmatimonadota）， the genus Bacteroides， and two species （Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and B. fragilis） in model mice. Moreover， Spearman's correlation analysis showed that the relative abundance of B. thetaiotaomicron and B. fragilis were negatively correlated with the Th17 level （P<0.05）. In addition， the above changes in intestinal flora caused the changes in microbial genes involved in 14 pathways， such as glycolysis， amino acid degradation， inorganic nutrient metabolism， biosynthesis of pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotides， antibiotic resistance， and degradation of polysaccharides. ConclusionsThe human flora-associated model successfully simulated the changes （marked by a decrease in the abundance of Bacteroides） of intestinal flora in UC patients with dampness-heat obstruction syndrome. MWMW can enrich the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as B. thetaiotaomicron and B. fragilis and promote the synergistic intestinal immune modulation with the metabolic functions centered on glycolysis， amino acid metabolism， and nucleotide synthesis through bacterial polysaccharide utilization sites to reduce the Th17/Treg ratio， thereby exerting a protective effect on UC.

BACKGROUND:In recent years,with the development of 3D printing,surgical surgery has become personalized and accurate.3D printed guide template technique can realize preoperative planning and intraoperative navigation,making surgery more accurate.In clinical orthopedic surgery for moderate and severe stiff scoliosis,there is still a problem that the accuracy of screw placement is not high,resulting in screw loosening and even nerve complications.There are few studies on 3D printed guide template technique to guide screw placement in surgery for severe stiff scoliosis. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the clinical effect of the 3D printed guide template technique combined with multiple posterior derotation in the treatment of severe rigid scoliosis. METHODS:The clinical data of six patients with severe scoliosis undergoing 3D printed guide template technique of pedicle screw combined with multiple posterior derotation were retrospectively analyzed.There were 3 males and 3 females,with a mean age of(18.17±3.49)years(range,15-23 years).The changes of parameters related to lateral bending were analyzed at postoperative 2 weeks and 18 months,and the results were obtained by statistical analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The operation time was 280-540 minutes(mean 340.83±102.20 minutes).The intraoperative blood loss was 1 000-4 000 mL(mean 2 000.00±1 073.70 mL).The fixed segments were 9-14 vertebral bodies(mean 11.83±1.72),and no screw loosening occurred during the operation.(2)All patients were followed up.At postoperative 2 weeks,the anteroposterior and lateral radiography of the whole spine showed that the cobb angle,the distance between the vertical line of C7 on the coronal plane and the median line of S1,the distance between the vertical line of C7 in the sagittal plane and the posterior edge of S1,apical vertebral translation,thoracic kyphosis,and lumbar lordosis were significantly corrected.The average correction rate of the cobb angle in the main curve was 62.22%.After 18 months of follow-up,there was no significant change in all parameters compared with 2 weeks after operation;the orthopedic effect was satisfactory,and there was no infection or internal fixation fracture.(3)There was one case of delayed wound healing;scar healing appeared after dressing change treatment;no neurological complications occurred.(4)The results show that the 3D print-guide template combined with multiple posterior rod derotation technique is safe and effective in the treatment of severe rigid scoliosis,and the correction effect is satisfactory.

Objective To explore the feasibility and safety of robot-assisted partial right nephrectomy using a combined retroperitoneal and transperitoneal approach in the treatment of horseshoe kidney with renal tumor.Methods Clinical and follow-up data of a patient with horseshoe kidney with renal tumor were retrospectively analyzed.Before operation,the diagnosis was confirmed with renal CT scanning and enhancement with angiography to show the blood supply.After that,the patient underwent robot-assisted partial right nephrectomy for horseshoe kidney by robot-assisted partial right nephrectomy using a combined retroperitoneal and transperitoneal approach.After operation,the patient was followed up.Results The operation went smooth with an operation time of 270 min.The intraoperative warm ischemia time was 30 min,intraoperative bleeding was approximately 300 mL,and no intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred.After 2 months of follow-up,the patient recovered well,and no chest and abdominal lymph node enlargement and lung metastasis were observed.Conclusion Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy of horseshoe kidney using a combined retroperitoneal and transperitoneal approach is a safe and feasible minimally invasive treatment option.

Objective:To investigate the factors affecting the change of serum calcium and phosphorus after total parathyroidectomy for secondary hyperparathyroidism(SHPT).Method:Sixty patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism undergoing total parathyroidectomy were selected.Gender, age, hemodialysis time, bone pain time, intravenous calcium supplementation time, blood parathyroid hormone(PTH), parathyroid mass, blood calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase at admission were tested to compare the correlation between postoperative calcium and phosphorus changes.Result:Blood calcium was: (2.50±0.02), (2.27±0.03), (1.97±0.03), (1.95±0.03), (1.95±0.03), (2.03±0.02) mmol/L at admission, 6 hours after surgery, 1, 2, 3 days after surgery, and when discharged. Blood phosphorus was: (2.32±0.07), (1.95±0.05), (1.65±0.06), (1.44±0.05), (1.35±0.36), (1.14±0.04) mmol/L and when discharged.There are differences between pairwise comparisons ( F=100.979, P<0.05; F=118.910, P<0.05). The blood PTH was (1 791±760) pg/ml, and the postoperative intravenous calcium supplementation time was (7.13±2.34) days. Blood PTH was positively correlated with bone pain time, blood phosphorus and parathyroid mass at admission ( t=-2.199, P<0.05; t=4.718, P<0.05; t=2.507, P<0.05). The time of intravenous calcium supplementation was positively correlated with ALP at admission ( t=3.098, P<0.05). Preoperative serum PTH > 1 430 pg/ml or ALP > 191 mmol/L were prone to hypocalcemia on the first day after surgery. Conclusions:The longer bone pain time, the higher blood phosphorus and the more obvious parathyroid hyperplasia were, the higher PTH was. The higher the ALP, the longer the time of intravenous calcium supplementation. Preoperative serum PTH and ALP values can be used as predictors of hypocalcemia on the first day after surgery.

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy and imaging results of uniportal interlaminar endoscopy(UIE)and unilateral biportal endoscopy(UBE)for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation.Methods The clinical information for 50 patients diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation was collected,and treated by UIE endoscopic surgery and UBE endoscopic surgery in the The First People's Hospital of Hefei city from March 2021 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into two groups,UIE group and the UBE group.Perioperative indexes including incision length,operation time,intraoperative blood loss,and surgical complications,clinical efficacy indexes including VAS scores of low back pain and leg pain before surgery,3 days after surgery,3 months after surgery,6 months after surgery,and 12 months after surgery,ODI scores of dysfunc-tion index,and imaging results including spinal canal area,vertebral space height,before surgery and 1 year after surgery were recorded and compared between the two groups.Results Both groups completed the procedure and were followed up for 12～18 months,with an average of 15 months.1 case was dural injury,no nerve root injury,and no nerve root symptoms during the follow-up.The symptoms of lumbar and leg pain were all relieved in both groups after the procedure.The UBE groups hawed larger surgical incisions,more intraoperative blood loss,and shorter operative time compared to the UIE group(P＜0.05,respectively).Both groups had significant develop-ments in the VAS scores,ODI scores of back,and leg pain at 3 days,3 months,6 months,and 12 months after the operation(all P＜0.05).The UIE group showed significant developments in the VAS scores and ODI scores of back and leg pain at 3 days and 3 months after the operation,as compared to the UBE group(P＜0.05).The imaging analysis did not showed significant changes in the height of intervertebral space and the angle of lumbar lordosis,but a significantly larger increase in the dural sac area in both groups one year after the procedure,and the UBE group had even a larger increase than the UIE group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Both UIE and UBE have good clinical efficacy and imaging results in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation via interlaminal approach.However,the UIE group is superior to the UBE group in terms of the operation time,intraoperative blood loss,postoperative VAS score of low back pain as well as the decompression effectiveness.

Objective:To explore the effects of self-made Huoxue Xiaozhong Xunxi Decoction combined with functional exercise on postoperative swelling of affected limbs, bone metabolism and recovery of knee function in patients with traumatic fracture of tibial plateau (FTP).Methods:Randomized controlled trial. totally 80 patients after FTP surgery in the Qidong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were enrolled and divided into two groups by random number table method from January 2018 to January 2022, with 40 cases in each group. After surgery, control group was treated with functional exercise, while observation group was additionally treated with self-made Huoxue Xiaozhong Xunxi Decoction. All were treated continuously for 8 weeks. The perioperative indexes (operation time, incision length, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, leaving bed time) in the two groups were recorded. The postoperative swelling and pain of affected limbs were observed, and detumescence time, pain relief time, fracture healing time and complete weight-bearing time were recorded. The knee function was evaluated by Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). The level of serum bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) was detected by ELISA, and total n-terminal propeptide of typeⅠprecollagen (t-PINP) and β-crossLaps (β-CTX) were detected by full-automatic immunoluminescence analyzer. The occurrence of postoperative complications in the two groups was recorded.Results:There was no significant difference in operation time, incision length, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume or leaving bed time between the two groups ( P>0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was 97.5% (39/40), while the control group was 80.0% (32/40), with statistical significance ( χ2=6.14, P=0.013). The detumescence time, pain relief time, fracture healing time and complete weight-bearing time were earlier in the observation group than control group ( P<0.01). After 10 d of treatment, VAS score and swelling degree in observation group were lower than those in the control group ( t=7.05, 3.81, P<0.01). After 8 weeks of treatment, levels of serum BMP-2 [(625.16±67.43) μg/L vs. (542.35±53.27) μg/L, t=6.10], t-PINP [(54.16±7.29) μg/L vs. (50.34±6.12) μg/L, t=2.54] and β-CTX [(1.26±0.38) μg/L vs. (1.04±0.23) μg/L, t=3.13] in observation group were higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05). During treatment, the incidence of complications in the observation group was 2.5% (1/40) and the control group was 7.5% (3/40), without statistical significance ( χ2=1.05, P=0.305). Conclusion:Self-made Huoxue Xiaozhong Xunxi Decoction combined with functional exercise is beneficial to improve pain and swelling of affected limbs and bone metabolism, and promote the recovery of knee function in patients after FTP surgery.

Objective:To investigate the factors related to recurrent laryngeal nerve invasion in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with posterior capsular involvment.Methods:The data of 186 PTC patients admitted and operated from Jun 2017 to Jun 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The invasion of recurrent laryngeal nerve was evaluated on its relation to gender, age, tumor size, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, lymph node metastasis in central region, BRAFV600E gene mutation especially PTC posterior capsular involvement.Results:The recurrent laryngeal nerve was invaded in 30 out of 186 patients. Univariate analysis showed that recurrent laryngeal nerve invasion was related to tumor size, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and cervical lymph node metastasis( χ2=6.964,4.814,6.078, P<0.05). Multivariate regression analysis showed that tumor size and lymph node metastasis in cervical region were independent risk factors for recurrent laryngeal nerve invasion(β=1.020,1.622, P<0.05). Hashimoto's thyroiditis was a protective factor for recurrent laryngeal nerve invasion (β=-1.881, P<0.05). Conclusions:When papillary thyroid carcinoma invaded the capsule, the risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve invasion was higher with larger tumor size and cervical lymph node metastasis, while Hashimoto's thyroiditis was a protective factor for the risk of recurrent nerve invasion.

OBJECTIVE: To propose a diffusion tensor field estimation network based on 3D U-Net and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) model constraint (3D DTI-Unet) to accurately estimate DTI quantification parameters from a small number of diffusion-weighted (DW) images with a low signal-to-noise ratio. METHODS: The input of 3D DTI-Unet was noisy diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data containing one non-DW image and 6 DW images with different diffusion coding directions. The noise-reduced non-DW image and accurate diffusion tensor field were predicted through 3D U-Net. The dMRI data were reconstructed using the DTI model and compared with the true value of dMRI data to optimize the network and ensure the consistency of the dMRI data with the physical model of the diffusion tensor field. We compared 3D DTI-Unet with two DW image denoising algorithms (MP-PCA and GL-HOSVD) to verify the effect of the proposed method. RESULTS: The proposed method was better than MP-PCA and GL-HOSVD in terms of quantitative results and visual evaluation of DW images, diffusion tensor field and DTI quantification parameters. CONCLUSION The proposed method can obtain accurate DTI quantification parameters from one non-DW image and 6 DW images to reduce image acquisition time and improve the reliability of quantitative diagnosis.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Reproducibility of Results ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Algorithms ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio