ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Tongluo Baoshen prescription （TLBS）-containing serum on the rat podocyte injury induced by lipopolysaccharide （LPS） and explore the potential mechanisms. MethodsSD rats were used to prepare the blank serum， losartan potassium-containing serum， and low-， medium-， and high-dose TLBS-containing sera. Rat podocytes were cultured in vitro， and the effects of drug-containing sera on podocyte viability were detected by the cell counting kit-8 （CKK-8） method. The optimal intervention volume fraction of drug-containing sera and the optimal concentration of LPS for inducing the podocyte injury were determined. Rat podocytes were grouped as follows： normal control （NC， 10% blank serum）， model control （MC， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% black serum）， losartan potassium （LP， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% losartan potassium-containing serum）， low-dose TLBS （TLBS-L， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% low-dose TLBS-containing serum）， medium-dose TLBS （TLBS-M， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% medium-dose TLBS-containing serum）， and high-dose TLBS （TLBS-H， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% high-dose TLBS-containing serum）， and the interventions lasted for 48 h. The ultrastructure of podocytes was observed under a transmission electron microscope. The podocyte apoptosis was detected by the terminal deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick-end labeling （TUNEL） kit. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of gasdermin D N-terminal fragment （GSDMD-NT） in podocytes. The mRNA and protein levels of G protein-coupled receptor family C group 5 member B （GPRC5B）， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） p50， NF-κB p52， NF-κB p65， Rel B， c-Rel， NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-1 （Caspase-1）， GSDMD-NT， interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-18， nephrin， integrin α₃， and integrin β₁ in podocytes were determined by real-time quaritiative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. ResultsCompared with the NC group， the MC group showed reduced podocyte protrusions and organelles， segmental missing of cell membranes， increased and swollen mitochondria， irregular nuclear membranes， light chromatin， increased TUNEL fluorescence-positive nuclei （P<0.01）， obviously enhanced fluorescence intensity of GSDMD-NT， up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of GPRC5B， NF-κB p50， NF-κB p52， NF-κB p65， Rel B， c-Rel， NLRP3， caspase-1， GSDMD-NT， IL-1β， and IL-18 （P<0.01）， and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of nephrin， integrin α₃， and integrin β₁ （P<0.01） in podocytes. Compared with the MC group， the LP， TLBS-M， and TLBS-H groups showed improved ultrastructure of podocytes with increased protrusions， intact cell membranes， reduced organelles， and alleviated mitochondrial swelling， decreased TUNEL fluorescence-positive nuclei （P<0.01）， weakened fluorescence intensity of GSDMD-NT， down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of GPRC5B， NF-κB p50， NF-κB p52， NF-κB p65， Rel B， c-Rel， NLRP3， caspase-1， GSDMD-NT， IL-1β， and IL-18 （P<0.01）， and up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of nephrin， integrin α₃， and integrin β₁ （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， the changes above were the most obvious in the TLBS-H group. ConclusionThe TLBS-containing serum can regulate the GPRC5B/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway to inhibit pyroptosis， thereby ameliorating the podocyte injury induced by LPS.

IgA nephropathy is the most common primary glomerular disease in China. Its clinical manifestations are mainly proteinuria， hematuria， hypertension， edema， hyperuricemia， etc. Most patients have hidden onset. 30%-40% of patients develop into end stage renal disease 10-20 years after diagnosis and rely on dialysis or kidney transplantation to maintain their lives， which is extremely harmful. Proteinuria is a common clinical manifestation of this disease， and most patients have small-to-moderate amounts of proteinuria， while 10%-24% of patients have large amounts of proteinuria. Proteinuria is the main risk factor affecting the progression of renal function in IgA nephropathy. Podocytes are the terminal part of the glomerular filtration barrier， and various factors can affect the fusion and detachment of podocyte processes that occur after podocyte injury. They are common histological lesions in IgA nephropathy and are key factors leading to proteinuria and the continuous progression of the disease. At present， Western medicine lacks targeted treatment for podocyte injury， with limited intervention methods. Drugs such as glucocorticoids are often used for treatment， and there are many adverse reactions. Based on the physiological function of podocytes， pathological and physiological changes after injury， and histological morphology of this disease， it is believed that it is closely related to traditional Chinese medicine's "Xuanfu Theory" "Kidney Collateral Syndrome" "Collateral Disease Theory"， and "Dry Blood Theory". More and more studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine， which has the characteristics of multiple links， pathways， and targets， has a significant therapeutic effect on podocyte injury in IgA nephropathy. It can protect podocytes and reduce proteinuria and has good application and research prospects. This article systematically summarizes the mechanism and morphological changes of podocyte injury in IgA nephropathy， the understanding of podocyte injury in traditional Chinese medicine theory， and the research progress in traditional Chinese medicine treatment of podocyte injury in IgA nephropathy， so as to provide a reference for further research and application of traditional Chinese medicine intervention in podocyte injury in IgA nephropathy.

IgA nephropathy is recognized as the most common primary glomerular disease， with up to 20%-40% of patients developing end-stage kidney disease within 20 years of onset. The deposition of IgA1-containing immune complexes targeting glycosylation defects in the mesangial region and the subsequent inflammation caused by T lymphocyte activation are considered as the main causes of IgA nephropathy， and innate immunity is also involved in the pathogenesis. Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain （NOD）-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） is a newly discovered pattern recognition receptor expressed in renal intrinsic cells such as renal tubular epithelial cells， mesangial cells， and podocytes. Activated by external stimuli， NLRP3 can form NLRP3 inflammasomes with apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain （ASC）. The NLRP3 inflammasome can activate cysteine aspartate-specific protease-1 （Caspase-1）， causing the maturation and release of interleukin-18 （IL-18） and interleukin-1β （IL-1β） involved in inflammation. Increasing evidence has suggested that NLRP3 inflammasomes are involved in the pathogenesis and progression of IgA nephropathy and associated with the damage of renal intrinsic cells such as podocytes， mesangial cells， endothelial cells， and renal tubular epithelial cells. Chinese medicine can regulate inflammatory cytokines and their signaling pathways by acting on NLRP3 inflammasomes and related molecules， exerting therapeutic effects on IgA nephropathy. This article introduces the role of NLRP3 inflammasomes in IgA nephropathy and reviews the clinical and experimental research progress of Chinese medicine intervention in IgA nephropathy via NLRP3 inflammasomes， aiming to provide a reference for further research and application of Chinese medicine intervention in the NLRP3 inflammasome as a new therapeutic target.

Objective:To explore the association of hemoglobin(HGB) levels with bone mineral density(BMD) and osteoporosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in 364 patients with T2DM who were hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology and Geriatrics of the Affiliated Huaian No. 1 People′s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from September 2019 to September 2020. Participants were stratified into tertiles(lower, middle, and upper) according to femoral BMD determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Demographic characteristics, medical history, chronic diabetes complications, and comorbid conditions were compared among the 3 groups. The association between hemoglobin levels and BMD/osteoporosis was examined using multivariable logistic regression analyses. Interaction and stratified analyses were conducted according to age, body mass index(BMI), duration of diabetes, estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR), glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA 1C), total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C) and uric acid(UA). Results:After adjusting for age, BMI, and duration of diabetes, there were no significant differences observed in the association between hemoglobin levels and BMD or osteoporosis among postmenopausal women with T2DM(all P>0.05). After adjusting for age, BMI, duration of diabetes, and eGFR, men aged≥50 years with hemoglobin≥130 g/L showed a positive association between hemoglobin level and femoral neck BMD compared to those with hemoglobin<130 g/L( β=0.057, 95% CI 0.014-0.100, P=0.011). However, no significant associations were observed between hemoglobin level and BMDs at the total hip or lumbar spine(L1-L4), nor the risk of osteoporosis(all P>0.05). Stratified analyses revealed no significant differences in the subgroups classified based on age, BMI, diabetes duration, eGFR, HbA 1C, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, and UA(all interaction P>0.05). Conclusion:In males aged 50 and above with T2DM, elevated hemoglobin levels may be a protective factor for femoral neck bone density.

Objective To explore the prognostic value of serum gap connexin 43(Cx43)and galectin-9(Gal-9)levels in elderly patients with acute cerebral infarction(ACI)after ultra-early intravenous thrombo-lytic therapy.Methods A total of 106 elderly patients with ACI who received ultra-early intravenous throm-bolytic therapy in the hospital from September 2020 to September 2022 were selected as the study group,and 100 healthy subjects who came to the hospital for physical examination during the same period were selected as the health group.The levels of Cx43 and Gal-9 in serum of all subjects were detected by enzyme-linked im-munosorbent assay(ELISA).After 2 weeks of treatment,106 elderly ACI patients were divided into good prognosis group(81 cases)and poor prognosis group(25 cases)according to the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the evaluation value of serum Cx43 and Gal-9 in the prognosis of ultra-early intravenous thrombolytic therapy in elderly ACI patients.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of poor prognosis of ultra-early intravenous thrombolytic therapy in elderly ACI patients.Results The levels of Cx43 and Gal-9 in the study group were higher than those in the health group(P＜0.05).The levels of Cx43 and Gal-9 in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of serum Cx43 and Gal-9 for predicting the poor prognosis in elderly ACI patients was 0.721(95％CI:0.673-0.758)and 0.837(95％CI:0.787-0.886),respectively,and the AUC of combined detection of CX43 and GAL-9 was 0.901(95％CI:0.857-0.946).The proportion of hypertension in the poor progno-sis group was higher than that in the good prognosis group(P＜0.05).Hypertension(OR=3.487,95％CI:1.564-7.773),serum Cx43≥106.53 pg/mL(OR=4.586,95％CI:1.982-10.611),serum Gal-9≥11.84 ng/mL(OR=4.345,95％CI:1.957-9.648)were risk factors for poor prognosis in elderly patients with ACI after ultra-early intravenous thrombolysis(P＜0.05).Conclusion Serum Cx43 and Gal-9 are highly expressed in elderly ACI patients,which could be used to evaluate the prognosis of elderly ACI patients after ultra-early intravenous thrombolysis therapy,and their combined detection has higher evaluation value.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of Jiawei Tianwang Buxin Dan(JWBXD)on insomnia in rats exposed to simulated high-altitude conditions.METHODS ① Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into the normal control,model,model+Jiawei Tianwang Buxin Dan(JWBXD,9.6 mg·kg-1),model+Tianwang Buxin Dan(TWBXD,9.6 mg·kg-1),and model+diazepam(DZP,3 mg·kg-1)groups.Rats,except for the normal control group,were subjected to a low-pressure,low-oxygen animal experimental chamber simulating a 5000 m altitude.Respective drugs were ig administrated once daily at 9:00 for seven days,and signal acquisition and sleep analysis were conducted by a wireless physiological sig-nal telemetry system.②Forty rats were randomly divided into five groups as described in ①.Through-out the experiment,the general condition and body mass of the rats were observed daily.Drug adminis-tration lasted for seven days,and grip strength was tested one hour after the final administration.ELISA was used to measure the levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone(CRH),adrenocorticotropic hor-mone(ACTH),corticosterone(CORT),and melatonin(MLT)in serum.Western blotting was performed to measure the expression levels of core clock proteins period circadian regulator 2(Per2),circadian locomotor output cycles(Clock),cryptochrome 2(Cry2),brain-muscle arnt-like protein 1(Bmal1),nuclear receptor subfamily 1,group D member 1(NR1D1),glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β),as well as acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase(ASMT)in the hypothalamus and pineal gland,respectively.RESULTS ① Compared with the normal control group,the model group exhibited a decrease in total sleep time(P<0.01),an increase in wakefulness(P<0.01),a significant reduction in slow wave sleep(SWS)(P<0.05)and the mean bouts duration(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,both DZP and JWBXD(P<0.01)prolonged sleep time and suppressed wakefulness(P<0.01)in the hypoxic envi-ronment.DZP and JWBXD prolonged SWS(P<0.05,P<0.01),while TWBXD had no significant effect.JWBXD improved the mean bouts duration of SWS in the model rats(P<0.01),whereas no such improvement was observed in model+DZP and model+TWBXD groups.② Compared with the normal control group,the model group showed a significant decrease in forelimb grip strength(P<0.01),increased levels of serum ACTH(P<0.05),CRH,and CORT(P<0.01),and decreased MLT levels(P<0.05).The expression levels of Per2,Cry2,GSK-3β,and NR1D1 in the hypothalamus were downregu-lated(P<0.05,P<0.01),while Bmal1 and Clock were upregulated(P<0.05,P<0.01).ASMT expression in the pineal gland was decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,JWBXD and TWBXD enhanced forelimb grip strength(P<0.01),reduced serum CORT and ACTH levels(P<0.05),decreased CRH levels(P<0.01),and restored MLT levels(P<0.01).JWBXD upregulated the expression levels of Per2,Cry2,GSK-3β and NR1D1 in the hypothalamus(P<0.05,P<0.01),but downregulated Bmal1 and Clock expression(P<0.05,P<0.01).TWBXD downregulated Bmal1 expression in the hypothalamus(P<0.01)and increased NR1D1 expression(P<0.05).DZP significantly enhanced the expression levels of Per2,Cry2 and NR1D1 in the hypothalamus(P<0.01).JWBXD,TWBXD and DZP improved ASMT expression in the pineal gland(P<0.05).CONCLUSION JWBXD can improve sleep structure and prolong the duration of SWS in rats exposed to simulated high-altitude conditions.The mechanisms may involve the regulation of core clock protein expressions in the hypothalamus,promotion of mela-tonin secretion,and inhibition of HPA axis hyperactivity.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between serum soluble CD155 (sCD155), soluble CD163 (sCD163) and chemotherapy efficacy and prognosis in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).Methods:A total of 126 patients with DLBCL admitted to Handan Central Hospital from May 2018 to May 2020 (DLBCL group) and 126 healthy subjects (control group) were prospectively selected to compare serum sCD155 and sCD163 levels. According to the chemotherapy effect of DLBCL patients, they were divided into effective group and ineffective group, and the serum sCD155 and sCD163 levels were compared before and after treatment. The effective rate of chemotherapy in patients with different serum sCD155 and sCD163 levels was compared. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the relationship between serum sCD155 and sCD163 levels and 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of DLBCL patients. Cox proportional risk regression model was used to analyze the prognostic factors of DLBCL patients.Results:The serum levels of sCD155 and sCD163 in DLBCL group were higher than those in control group before treatment (all P<0.05). The effective rate of chemotherapy in 126 DLBCL patients in this group was 69.8%(88/126). Compared with the effective group, the serum levels of sCD155 and sCD163 were higher in the ineffective group before and after treatment (all P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, serum sCD155 and sCD163 levels in the effective group were decreased after treatment (all P<0.05). The effective rate of DLBCL patients in sCD155 and sCD163 high level groups was lower than that in sCD155 and sCD163 low level groups (all P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the 3-year OS and PFS of DLBCL patients in the low level group of sCD155 and sCD163 were higher than those in the high level group (all P<0.05). The high level of sCD155 and sCD163 were independent risk factors for 3-year PFS and OS in DLBCL patients (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Abnormal levels of serum sCD155 and sCD163 in DLBCL patients may reduce the efficacy of chemotherapy and lead to poor prognosis.

Objective To investigate the infection status after heart transplantation (HT) in a third-grade class-A hospital from 2018 to 2023, and explore its risk factors. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 314 patients who underwent HT surgery from January 2018 to July 2023, they were divided into infection group and control group according to postoperative infection situation, the possible influencing factors of HT postoperative infection were analyzed by univariate analysis, and the risk factors of HT postoperative infection were screened by multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 91 patients(28.98%)developed postoperative infections, with infection sites of respiratory tract and blood. Logistic regression analysis showed that the main risk factors for postoperative infection in HT patients included complicating with chronic lung disease, surgical time ≥5 h, long retention time of postoperative thoracic drainage tube, long postoperative urinary tube retention time, long postoperative mechanical ventilation time, and preoperative Alb < 35 g/L. Conclusion Complicating chronic lung disease, surgical time ≥5 h, long postoperative thoracic drainage tube retention time, long postoperative urinary tube retention time, long postoperative mechanical ventilation time, preoperative Alb < 35 g/L are related to postoperative infection of HT. Therefore, active intervention should be carried out for the above factors in patients to reduce the risk of infection.

{L-End}Objective To analyze sound pressure level and spectrum characteristics of noise from various equipment in noise-related worksites in wooden furniture enterprises in Zhongshan City. {L-End}Methods A total of 107 wooden furniture enterprises with equipment sound pressure levels ≥85.0 dB(A) were selected as the research subjects using the judgment sampling method. Individual noise meters were used to detect the sound level and spectrum of equipment in noise-related worksites. Cluster analysis was used to analyze the noise spectrum characteristics of each noise equipment. {L-End}Results The incidence of sound pressure level exceeding the national standard of occupational exposure limits for noise in workplace among the research subjects was 60.4% (365/604). The equipment with the highest sound pressure level was the sliding table saw (rough shape cutting position) at 101.4 dB(A), while the lowest was the sanding machine (grinding position) at 85.0 dB(A). The clustering analysis results showed that the noise spectrum characteristics of nail guns, sliding table saw, edge banders, spray guns, and drilling machines were similar, with the highest sound pressure level of 4 000.0 Hz, mainly concentrating in the high-frequency. The noise spectrum characteristics of punching machines, sanding machine, lathes, and engraving machines were similar, with the highest sound pressure level ranging from 500.0 to 1 000.0 Hz, mainly concentrating in the mid-frequency. The noise spectrum characteristics of drilling machines, planers, hot press machines, and mortise and tenon machines were similar, with the highest sound pressure level ranging from 500.0 to 1 000.0 Hz, mainly concentrating in the mid- and high-frequency. The sound pressure level of the mixer reached its peak at 8 000.0 Hz, demonstrating a wide frequency domain characteristic of sound pressure level with the presence of low-, mid- and high-frequencies. {L-End}Conclusion The noise-exposed hazards of wooden furniture enterprises are relatively serious, and the spectral characteristics of the equipment with noise are distinct. It is recommended to implement targeted noise reduction measures and personal hearing protection based on the specific spectrum characteristics of equipment noise.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection among patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in some regions of China. Methods Serum samples were collected from 3 131 patients with chronic HBV infection in 10 provinces, cities, and autonomous regions of China from March 2021 to June 2022, and anti-HDV IgG ELISA was used for the detection of all serum samples. Nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (nRT-PCR) was used to detect HDV RNA in anti-HDV IgG-positive samples, and the nRT-PCR amplification products of HDV RNA-positive samples were sequenced and analyzed to determine HDV genotype. The clinical features of anti-HDV IgG-positive patients were analyzed. The Mann-Whitney U rank sum test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. Results The positive rate of anti-HDV IgG in the 3 131 patients with chronic HBV infection was 0.70% (22/3 131), and that in the patients with chronic HBV infection in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Beijing, and Hunan Province was 1.81% (16/886), 0.88% (2/226), 0.28% (2/708), and 1.00% (2/200), respectively; the patients with chronic HBV infection in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region had a significantly higher positive rate of anti-HDV IgG than those in Beijing ( P =0.004), and there was no significant difference between the other regions ( P > 0.05). Clinical features of the patients with chronic HBV infection in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region showed that compared with the anti-HDV IgG-negative group, the anti-HDV IgG-positive group had a significantly higher proportion of patients with Mongol nationality ( P =0.001), abnormal alanine aminotransferase ( P =0.007), or antiviral treatment ( P =0.029), as well as a significantly lower median HBV DNA level ( P =0.030). A total of 19 HDV RNA-positive samples were identified, all of which had HDV genotype 1. Conclusion The prevalence rate of HDV varies greatly across different regions of China, with a higher prevalence rate of HDV in patients with chronic HBV infection from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. HDV genotype 1 is the predominant genotype in some provinces and cities of northern China.