ObjectiveTo study the effect and mechanism of Shentong Zhuyutang in treating intervertebral disc degeneration （IDD） in rats. MethodsIn the cell experiment， male rats were administrated with normal saline or low-， medium-， and high-dose （3.38， 6.75，13.5 g·kg^-1， respectively） Shentong Zhuyutang by gavage， respectively， and serum samples were collected after 7 days of continuous administration. Another 10 male rats were selected for the isolation of nucleus pulposus cells. The cell model of IDD was established by treatment with interleukin （IL）-1β. The modeled cells were then treated with Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum and the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 （Fer-1）， respectively， to investigate the effects of Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum on the proliferation and ferroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells. To study the role of silent information regulator 1 （SIRT1）/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） in the regulation of ferroptosis in nucleus pulposus cells by Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum， this study treated the cells with the SIRT1 inhibitor Ex 527 and the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385， respectively， in addition to the treatment with IL-1β and high-dose Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum. The cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay and EdU staining were employed to measure the cell viability and proliferation， respectively. The Fe²⁺， glutathione （GSH）， and malondiadehyde （MDA） levels were measured by colorimetric assay. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family 4 （ACSL4）， Collagen Ⅱ， Aggrecan， SIRT1， and Nrf2. Immunofluorescence was used detect SIRT1 expression. In the animal experiment， male rats were treated with anulus puncture for the modeling of IDD. Rats were randomly assigned into sham operation， model， Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum （13.5 g·kg^-1）， and positive control （nimesulide dispersible tablets， 0.18 mg·kg^-1） groups. Rats in the drug intervention groups were administrated with corresponding agents at 1 mL·kg^-1， and those in the sham operation and model groups were administrated with equal volumes of normal saline， once daily for 28 consecutive days. At the end of the last administration， the histopathological changes in the intervertebral discs of rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and scored by the Masuda method. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， GPX4， and Collagen Ⅱ in the nucleus pulposus tissue. ResultsCompared with the control group， the IL-1β group of nucleus pulposus cells showed elevated levels of Fe²⁺， MDA， and ACSL4 （P<0.05）， decreased cell viability， lowered GSH level， and down-regulated protein levels of GPX4， Collagen Ⅱ， and Aggrecan （P<0.05）. Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum and Fer-1 reversed the effects of IL-1β on the viability and ferroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells and up-regulated the protein levels of Collagen Ⅱ and Aggrecan in nucleus pulposus cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， the IL-1β group showcased down-regulated expression of Sirt1 and Nrf2 in nucleus pulposus cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the IL-1β group， the high-dose Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum+IL-1β group showed up-regulated expression of SIRT1 and Nrf2 in nucleus pulposus cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the high-dose Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum+IL-1β group， the ML385 group showed down-regulated protein levels of Nrf2 and GPX4， lowered GSH level， and elevated Fe²⁺ and MDA levels （P<0.05）. In addition， the Ex 527 group showed down-regulated protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， and GPX4 （P<0.05）. The results of the animal experiment showed that compared with the sham operation group， the model group had severe degeneration of the intervertebral disc tissue with increased pathological score， up-regulated protein level of ACSL4 （P<0.05）， and down-regulated protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， GPX4， and Collagen Ⅱ （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the Shentong Zhuyutang group showed alleviated IDD with declined pathological score， down-regulated protein level of ACSL4 （P<0.05）， and up-regulated protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， GPX4， and Collagen Ⅱ （P<0.05）. ConclusionShentong Zhuyutang may activate the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway to inhibit the ferroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells， thereby delaying the process of IDD in rats.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of artemisinin （ART） on histopathological damage and salivary secretion in the submandibular gland （SMG） of mice with Sjögren's syndrome （SS） model，and on the expression of aquaporin 5 （AQP5） in SMG cells. MethodsThe NOD/Ltj mice were used as a model of SS and randomly divided into the SS model group，the ART group，and the hydroxychloroquine sulfate （HCQ） group，with six mice per group. Another 6 female BALB/c mice at the same week were selected as the control group. Mice in the ART group was fed with the ART solution daily in the dosage of 50 mg·kg^-1，and mice in the HCQ group was given with the HCQ solution （1 300 mg·kg^-1）. Mice in the SS model and control groups were given saline daily. The treatment lasted for 8 weeks. The 24-hour average water intake，salivary flow rate，SMG pathology scores of mice in each group were measured，as well as the expression levels of AQP5 protein and gene in the SMG tissues. ResultsCompared with the control group，the 24-hour average water intake of mice in the model group was significantly increased （P<0.01），and the saliva flow rate was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared to the SS model group，the 24-hour average water intake of mice in the ART and HCQ groups was significantly reduced （P<0.01），and the salivary flow rate was significantly increased in the ART group（P<0.01），comparisons between groups showed that the ART was superior to the HCQ in reducing water intake and improving saliva flow rate in SS model mice （P<0.05）. The HE staining results showed that，compared with the normal group，the number of lymphocyte infiltration foci in SMG tissue in the model group increased，and the pathological score increased （P<0.01）. Compared to the SS model group，after the intervention of the ART and HCQ，the number of lymphocytic infiltration foci in the SMG tissue decreased，the area of the lymphocytic infiltration foci was reduced，and the pathology score of the SMG tissues was lowered in the ART group（P<0.01）. However，there was no difference in pathological scores between the ART and HCQ groups . The results of IHC，Western blot，and Real-time PCR showed that，compared with the normal group，the expression levels of AQP5 protein and gene in SMG tissue in the model group significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Comparing with the SS model group，the ART and HCQ groups could significantly up-regulated the expression levels of AQP5 protein and mRNA in the SMG tissue，and the treatment effect was better than that of HCQ. ConclusionART was able to ameliorate SMG structural damage and salivary secretion function in SS model mice，and its mechanism of action may be related to the up-regulation of AQP5 protein and gene expression levels in SMG cells.

Objective : To investigate the protective effect of dimethyl fumarate(DMF) on maternal intrahepatic cholestasis(ICP) during pregnancy induced by di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate(DEHP) exposure and its mechanism. Methods : Thirty-two 8-week-old female institute of cancer research(ICR) mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: Ctrl group, DEHP group, DMF group and DEHP+DMF group. DEHP and DEHP+DMF groups were treated with DEHP(200 mg/kg) by gavage every morning at 9:00 a.m. DMF and DEHP+DMF groups were treated with DMF(150 mg/kg) from day 13 to day 16 of gestation by gavage. After completion of gavage on day 16 of pregnancy, maternal blood, maternal liver, placenta, and amniotic fluid were collected from pregnant mice after a six-hour abrosia. The body weight of the mother rats and the body weight of the fetus rats were sorted and analyzed; the levels of total bile acid(TBA), alkaline phosphatase(ALP), aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase(AST/ALT) in serum and TBA in liver, amniotic fluid and placenta were detected by biochemical analyzer; HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of liver tissue; Quantitative reverse transcription PCR(RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin(IL)-6, IL-1, IL-18 and NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3) in the liver; Western blot was used to detect the expression of the nuclear factor KappaB(NF-κB) and NLRP3. Results : Compared with the control group, the body weight of the DEHP-treated dams and pups decreased(P<0.05); the levels of TBA, ALP, AST/ALT in the serum of dams and the levels of TBA in the liver, amniotic fluid, and placenta of dams increased(P<0.05); the histopathological results showed that liver tissue was damaged, bile ducts were deformed, and there was inflammatory cell infiltration around them; the levels of inflammation-related factors TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1, IL-18 and NLRP3 transcription in maternal liver increased(P<0.05); the expression of NF-κB and NLRP3 protein in maternal liver significantly increased( P<0. 05). Compared with the DEHP group,the body weight of both dams and fetuses significantly increased in DEHP + DMF group( P<0. 05); the levels of TBA,ALP,AST/ALT in the serum of dams and amniotic fluid of fetuses decreased( P<0. 05); the degree of liver lesions was improved; the transcription levels of inflammation-related factors TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1,IL-18 and NLRP3 in maternal liver decreased( P<0. 05); the expression of NF-κB and NLRP3 protein in maternal liver significantly decreased( P<0. 05). Conclusion DMF can effectively protect the DEHP exposure to lead to female ICP,and its mechanism may be through inhibiting the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway and reducing liver inflammation.

The pathogenesis of chronic wound healing is complex. It is often difficult to heal due to a long course of disease， difficulty in treatment， and it seriously affects the quality of life in patients. The active ingredients， couplet medicinals， and compound formulas of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） possess unique advantages in the treatment of chronic wound healing. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway is extremely critical in the treatment of chronic wound healing by regulating a series of biological processes， including cell apoptosis， angiogenesis， and inflammatory responses. This article reviews the relevant research on the regulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by TCM to promote chronic wound healing. It has been found that the active ingredients of TCM （such as geniposide， astragaloside， and ginsenosides， etc.）， and compound formulas （such as Chonghe ointment， Huanglian ointment， Shirun shaoshang ointment， etc.） mainly reduce inflammatory responses， promote angiogenesis， regulate cell autophagy， and accelerate wound healing by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway； at the same time， there are also a few couplet medicinals（ such as Huangqi-Honghua） and compound formulas （such as Xiangpi Shengji ointment） that exert anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting this signaling pathway， to promote wound healing.

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of total arterial off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) using a left internal thoracic artery (LITA) combined with bilateral radial arteries (RAs). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with severe multi-vessel coronary artery disease who underwent total arterial OPCABG with a LITA and bilateral RAs at Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital from November 2020 to April 2023. Results A total of 24 patients were included, comprising 23 males and 1 female, with a mean age of (53.63±4.33) years. The New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class was Ⅱ to Ⅲ. The mean number of distal anastomoses was 3.17±0.38. A Y-graft was constructed in 12 patients and sequential grafting was performed in 4 patients. Concomitant procedures included coronary endarterectomy in 1 patient, intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) implantation in 10 patients, and thymoma resection in 1 patient. The mean operative time was (308.13±30.39) min, mechanical ventilation time was (15.42±7.42) h, ICU stay was (46.08±27.32) h, and postoperative hospital stay was (11.71±1.90) d. There were no in-hospital deaths. Postoperative complications included one patient of acute renal failure and one patient of cerebral infarction. Pre-discharge color Doppler echocardiography revealed that the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was significantly smaller than before surgery (P<0.05), while the left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening were significantly higher (P<0.05). Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed that all arterial grafts were patent. During a mean follow-up of (14.58±8.75) months, no patients experienced angina recurrence or mortality. Repeat coronary CTA or angiography in 16 patients one year postoperatively confirmed that all arterial grafts remained patent. Conclusion Total arterial OPCABG using a LITA and bilateral RAs is a safe and effective treatment for patients with severe multi-vessel coronary artery disease. For high-risk patients, intraoperative IABP support is recommended.

Objective:To investigate the current situation of sitting time and health literacy among high school students in China,in order to provide a basis for improving their physical and mental health levels.Methods:A stratified random cluster sampling method was used to investigate the length of sitting time and health literacy of first and second grade high school students from 31 provinces,cities,and au-tonomous regions in China(data did not include that of Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Re-gion,and Taiwan Province of China).The Kruskal-Wallis H method,independent sample Mann-Whit-ney U test,and regression model were used to analyze the influencing factors of sitting time and total health literacy score.Results:(1)The total score of health literacy was statistically significant(P＜0.01)in different regions,urban and rural distribution,annual family income,parents'educational background,age,and gender.(2)The length of sitting was statistically significant(P＜0.01)among multiple groups in different regions,family annual income,parental education,and gender.However,there was no statistically significant difference between groups of different ages and urban-rural distribution(P＞0.05).(3)The analysis of multiple linear regression model showed that the total score of health literacy was positively correlated with the family's annual income and the mother's education,and nega-tively correlated with the father's education and the length of sitting.Standardized regression coefficientβcomparison:Father's education(-0.32)＞family annual income(0.15)＞mother's education(0.09)＞average daily sitting time(-0.02),with father's education having the greatest impact,fol-lowed by family annual income.The length of sitting was positively related to the family's annual income and the mother's educational background,and negatively related to the total score of health literacy.Standardized regression coefficientβ comparison:Annual family income(0.14)＞education background of mother(0.13)＞total score of health literacy(-0.02),with the impact of annual family income the largest,followed by education background of mother.Conclusion:China's first and second grade high school students generally spend a long time sitting every day,and the level of health literacy is generally low.The level of health literacy and sitting time are negatively correlated with each other,and are most in-fluenced by the educational background of high school students'parents and their family economic levels.

Objective     To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of valve-sparing aortic root replacement (VSARR) in the treatment of patients with dilated aortic root after operation for tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Methods     A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data of TOF patients with aortic root dilation who underwent VSARR in our hospital from 2016 to 2022. Results     Finally 14 patients were collected, including 8 males and 6 females, with a median age of 22 years ranging from 12-48 years. Among them, 5 patients had severe aortic valve regurgitation, 4 moderate regurgitation, and 5 mild or no regurgitation. Six patients had sinus of valsalva dilation, and 8 significant dilation of the ascending aorta. One patient had residual shunt due to ventricular septal defect, and 9 severe pulmonary valve regurgitation. The David procedure was performed in 10 patients, Yacoub procedure in 2 patients, and Florida sleeve in 2 patients. There was no perioperative mortality in the group. The median follow-up time was 2.9 years (ranging from 0.4 to 6.0 years). One patient had mild aortic valve regurgitation, and the rest had minimal or no regurgitation. One patient had mild stenosis of the left ventricular outflow tract, and the rest patients had no obvious stenosis. Conclusion     VSARR is a satisfactory treatment for aortic root dilation in patients with TOF, with no significant increase in the incidence of left ventricular outflow tract stenosis or aortic regurgitation during mid-term follow-up.

Objective:To investigate the effect of sleep on physical performance and the correlation between sleep quality and physical performance in the elderly.Methods:In this prospective multicenter case-control study, 472 elderly people aged 60-80 years were recruited from three regions in China, Beijing, Tianjin, and Hainan Province.Basic information of study participants was collected through face-to-face interviews, and physical performance of study participants was assessed by the time up and go(TUG)test on site, with 106 cases(22.5%)in the normal physical performance group and 366 cases(77.5%)in the abnormal group.The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale(ESS)were applied to assess sleep quality of study subjects.Correlation analysis was performed to examine factors affecting subjects' physical performance.Results:Age, history of alcohol consumption, BMI, past medical history, the ESS score, daytime sleepiness, and some components of PSQI, such as sleep quality, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping drugs and daytime dysfunction, were influencing factors of the TUG score.Two components of PSQI, sleep duration and habitual sleep efficiency, and the ESS score were positively correlated with physical performance.Logistic regression analysis showed that risk factors for decreased physical performance in the elderly included increased age( OR=1.125, 95% CI: 1.083-1.168, P<0.01), history of alcohol consumption( OR=0.482, 95% CI: 0.384-0.605, P<0.001), abnormally high body mass index( OR=1.663, 95% CI: 1.340-2.063, P<0.01), hyperlipemia( OR=0.156, 95% CI: 0.077-0.318, P<0.01), digestive system diseases( OR=0.154, 95% CI: 0.044-0.532, P<0.01), use of sleeping drugs( OR=0.415, 95% CI: 0.202-0.854, P<0.05), daytime sleepiness( OR=4.234, 95% CI: 2.800-6.403, P<0.01), a high habitual sleep efficiency score of PSQI( OR=1.425, 95% CI: 1.214-1.672, P<0.01)and a high sleep disturbances score in PSQI( OR=3.356, 95% CI: 2.337-4.819, P<0.01). Conclusions:The incidence of physical performance decline is high in the elderly.There is a correlation between physical performance and sleep quality.

Objective To study the therapeutic effect of Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule combined with sacubitril valsartan on dilated cardiomyopathy.Methods A total of 70 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy who were hospitalized in the Hospital from January to December 2020 were selected as the research objects and random-ly divided into control group and experimental group,with 35 cases in each group.The control group was only treated with sacubitril valsartan,and the experimental group was treated with Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule combined with sacubitril valsartan.According to the patient's blood pressure and renal function,sacubitril valsartan was titrated from a small dose to the maximum dose.Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule was uesd 2.4 g each time,twice a day,and the treatment time was three months.The symptoms of heart failure,glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c),low density lipoprotein(LDL),total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),ALT,AST,N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP),left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVEDd),left ventricular end-dias-tolic diameter(LVEDs),ejection fraction(EF)and the incidence of arrhythmia were observed in the two groups after treatment.Results After treatment,the level of NT-proBNP in the experimental group was sig-nificantly lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in LDL,TC,TG,LVEDd,LVEDs and EF between the two groups(P＞0.05).The incidence of atrial tachycardia and ven-tricular premature beat in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05).Con-clusion Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule combined with sacubitril valsartan can significantly improve the symptoms of patients with heart failure and reduce the level of NT-proBNP,but it may increase the proportion of patients with atrial tachycardia and ventricular premature beats.

Objective To explore the effects of modulating the Hippo-YAP/TAZ pathway using Huashi Runzao Prescription(HRP)on the apoptosis and salivary secretion function of submandibular gland cells in a naive non-obese diabetic(NOD/Ltj)mouse model of Sj?gren's syndrome(SS).Methods Eight-week-old female BALB/c mice were selected as the blank group.Eight-week-old female NOD/Ltj were randomly divided into the model,HRP-L,HRP-M,HRP-H,and hydroxychloroquine sulphate(HCQ)groups.After eight weeks of drug administration,the water consumption and salivary flow rate of each group were recorded.The histopathological damage of the submandibular gland in each group was determined using hematoxylin and eosin staining,the apoptosis rate of the submandibular gland was determined using TUNEL staining,and AQP5,Bax,Bcl-2,beclin-1,YAP,p-YAP,and TAZ expressions in submandibular gland tissues were determined using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.Results Compared with the blank group,the Hippo-YAP/TAZ pathway was inhibited in the submandibular gland tissues of the model group,lymphocyte infiltration increased,water consumption increased,salivary flow rate decreased,AQP5 expression decreased,and submandibular gland cells apoptosis rate increased(P<0.05).Compared with all other administered groups,in the HRP-M group,the Hippo-YAZ/TAZ pathway was significantly activated,lymphocyte infiltration in submandibular gland tissues was reduced,water consumption was reduced,the salivary flow rate and AQP5 expression were increased,and the apoptosis rate of submandibular gland cells was reduced(P<0.05).Conclusion HRP reduced the pathological damage and apoptosis of submandibular gland cells in SS model mice.It improved the overall secretory function of submandibular gland tissues,which may be related to Hippo pathway activation and downregulating YAP/TAZ expression.