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Objective: Dyna computed tomography (DynaCT) is an innovative clinical imaging tool used to obtain three-dimensional (3D) images of biliary structures via the Artis Zee DSA system (SIEMENS Company, Germany). DynaCT is a type of 3D cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) reconstruction produced from a two-dimensional (2D) cholangiography system by rotating the C-arm without moving the patient. The aim of this study was to evaluate the technical approach and application value of DynaCT to diagnosis hepatolithiasis and biliary stenosis., Methods: This was a retrospective single-centre series of 37 hepatolithiasis patients with tubes receiving one-step percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopic lithotripsy (one-step PTCSL) between October 2021 and October 2022: twenty-one patients were guided by CT (CT group) and sixteen by DynaCT biliary reconstruction (DynaCT group). We compared DynaCT biliary reconstruction technology with computed tomography (CT) in the application of bile ducts., Results: DynaCT biliary reconstruction was successfully performed in 37 patients. Biliary stenosis, including anatomy, morphology, and size, was visualized via DynaCT. Compared with the CT group, the DynaCT group was characterized by significantly more target biliary branches with stones (92 vs. 48, P < 0.05), a higher percentage of secondary stenosis (75.76% vs. 24.24%, p < 0.05), a greater percentage of biliary infection (37.5% vs. 9.5%, P = 0.041), a shorter overall stone clearance time (26.38 ± 13.49 vs. 52.67 ± 30.10, P = 0.001), and a lower rate of reoperation for residual stones (25.00% vs. 66.67%, P = 0.012). DynaCT had a lower contrast agent (25.61 ± 5.13 vs. 42.69 ± 11.15, p < 0.05). However, DynaCT increased radiation exposure (38.12 ± 10.59 vs. 25.79 ± 4.76, p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding the clearance ratio of the calculus or several postoperative complications., Conclusion: DynaCT for biliary reconstruction has the potential to be a powerful evaluation tool for one-step PTCSL surgery and could lead to new possibilities for hepatobiliary surgery., Advances in Knowledge: DynaCT was used for the first time in patients with hepatolithiasis and biliary stenosis. Compared with CT, DynaCT for biliary reconstruction results in higher-quality 3D biliary, blood vessel and liver images. On the basis of the DynaCT biliary model, one-step PTCSL has the potential to improve the stone clearance ratio and shorten the stone clearance time and reoperation ratio., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Institute of Radiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Introduction: Hypothyroidism has been found to be influenced by gut microbiota. However, it remains unclear which a taxon of gut microbiota plays a key role in this function. Identifying the key bacteria affects hypothyroidism and through what mechanism will be helpful for the prevention of hypothyroidism through specific clinical pathways., Materials and Methods: In Study A, 35 families and 130 genera of gut microbiota are used as exposures, with hypothyroidism as the outcome. The causal effect of the gut microbiota on hypothyroidism is estimated through two-sample Mendelian randomization. Combining the results of the two taxonomical levels, key taxa are selected, which in Study B are investigated for their causal association with multiple generally admitted causes of hypothyroidism and their more upstream factors. For validating and revealing the potential mechanism, enrichment analyses of the related genes and interacting transcription factors were performed., Results: In Study A, Defluviitaleaceae (OR: 0.043, 95% CI: 0.005-0.363, P = 0.018)/ Defluviitaleaceae&#95;UCG&#95;011 (OR: 0.385, 95% CI: 0.172-0.865, P = 0.021) are significantly causally associated with hypothyroidism at both taxonomical levels. In Study B, Defluviitaleaceae family and Defluviitaleaceae&#95;UCG&#95;011 genus show the causal association with decreased thyroiditis (Family: OR: 0.174, 95% CI: 0.046-0.653, P = 0.029; Genus: OR: 0.139, 95% CI: 0.029-0.664, P = 0.043), decreased subacute thyroiditis (Family: OR: 0.028, 95% CI: 0.004-0.213, P = 0.007; Genus: OR: 0.018, 95% CI: 0.002-0.194, P = 0.013), decreased influenza (Family: OR: 0.818, 95% CI: 0.676-0.989, P = 0.038; Genus: OR: 0.792, 95% CI: 0.644-0.974, P = 0.027), and increased anti-influenza H3N2 IgG levels (Family: OR: 1.934, 95% CI: 1.123-3.332, P = 0.017; Genus: OR: 1.675, 95% CI: 0.953-2.943, P = 0.073). The results of the enrichment analysis are consistent with the findings and the suggested possible mechanisms., Conclusion: Defluviitaleaceae of the gut microbiota displays the probability of causally inhibiting the clinical pathway of "Influenza-Subacute Thyroiditis-Hypothyroidism" and acts as the potential probiotics to prevent influenza, subacute thyroiditis, and hypothyroidism., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhang, Li, Wang, Li, Kong, Zhang, Zhao, Liu, Wu, Zhang, Li and Luo.)

Aim: To study the effects of Radix Puerariae flavones (RPF) on liver lipid metabolism in ovariectomized (OVX) rats., Methods: Forty adult female Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: OVX group; sham-OVX group; OVX+estrogen group and OVX+RPF group. One week after operation rats of the first two groups were treated with physiological saline, rats of OVX+estrogen group with estrogen (1 mg/kg.b.w.) and rats of OVX+RPF group with RPF (100 mg/kg.b.w.), respectively for 5 weeks. After the rats were killed, their body weight, the weight of the abdominal fat and uterus were measured, and the levels of total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) in liver homogenate were determined., Results: Compared with the sham-OVX group, the body mass of the rats in OVX group was found increased significantly; more abdominal fat in store; TC and TG in liver increased and uterine became further atrophy. As a result, the RPF was found to have an inhibitive action on those changes of various degrees., Conclusion: RPF has estrogen-like effect on lipid metabolism in liver and adipose tissue.

Objective: To screen the active ingredients of Chailing decoction (CLD) by using rat nephritis model induced by mono-colonal antibody 1-22-3 (mAb) injection., Methods: The active ingredients of CLD was screened by 5 successive times of experiment. In each time, 28 rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, 7 in each. Group 1 was treated with PBS as control, Groups 2-4 were treated separately with CLD and its various ingredients, the medication was started 5 days before and lasted to 8 days after modeling by peritoneal injection, 13 days totally. All the rats were killed 8 days after modeling to observe the effect of various drugs on proteinuria, morphological change of kidney and biochemical parameters., Results: CLD, Xiaochaihu decoction, various combination of thorowax root and its extract (saikosaponin-d) could reduce urinary protein, inhibit the proliferation of mesangial cell and expansion of extracellular matrix., Conclusion: CLD and its active ingredients had inhibition on mAb induced rat model of nephritis, the active is saikosaponin-d.