ObjectiveTo investigate the analgesic effect of Tuina at the "Weizhong （BL 40）" on neuropathic pain in a rat model of chronic constriction injury （CCI） of the sciatic nerve and its potential central spinal mechanisms. MethodsThirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups （8 rats in each group）， sham-operated group， model group， Tuina group， and blockade group. The CCI model was established in the model group， Tuina group， and the blockade group by ligating the sciatic nerve with catgut， while the sham-operated group underwent only sciatic nerve exposure without ligation. From postoperative day 4 to day 14， rats in the Tuina group and the blockade group received Tuina manipulation at the "Weizhong （BL 40）" using a dynamic pressure distribution measurement system （5 N pressure， 2 Hz frequency， 10 min per session， once daily）. The blockade group also received intraperitoneal injections of the microglial inhibitor minocycline （10 mg/kg） once daily. The sham-operated and the model group underwent the same handling and fixation as the Tuina group without actual Tuina. Mechanical withdrawal threshold （MWT） and paw withdrawal latency （PWL） were measured before surgery and on day 3， 7， 10， and 14 post-surgery. Transmission electron microscopy was used to evaluate sciatic nerve injury and repair， measuring axon diameter and total myelinated fiber diameter to calculate the g-ratio. Western Blotting was performed to detect the protein levels of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 （Iba-1）， CD206， CD68， interleukin-10 （IL-10）， and β-endorphin （β-EP） precursor pro-opiomelanocortin （POMC） in the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horn. ResultsCompared with the sham-operated group， the model group showed significantly reduced MWT and PWL on day 3， 7， 10， and 14 （P＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Tuina group and the blockade group showed increased MWT and PWL on day 10 and 14 （P＜0.05）. Compared with the Tuina group， the blockade group exhibited higher MWT on day 7， 10， and 14， and higher PWL on day 10 （P＜0.05）. Sciatic nerve pathological morphology revealed intact and well-structured myelin in the sham-operated group， while the model group exhibited myelin collapse， distortion， and myelin ovoid formation. The Tuina group displayed partially irregular myelin with occasional myelin collapse， whereas the blockade group exhibited partial myelin irregularities and phospholipid shedding. Compared with the sham-operated group， the model group showed a decreased g-ratio and increased levels of Iba-1 and CD68 in the spinal dorsal horn （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Tuina group and the blockade group exhibited an increased g-ratio and reduced Iba-1 and CD68 levels. Additionally， the Tuina group showed elevated levels of CD206， IL-10， and POMC， whereas the blockade group had decreased CD206 levels （P＜0.05）. ConclusionTuina at "Weizhong （BL 40）" alleviates neuropathic pain in CCI rats， potentially by regulating microglial activation in the spinal cord， inhibiting M1 polarization while promoting M2 polarization， and activating the IL-10/β-EP pathway to exert analgesic effects.

BACKGROUND:As a common disease in middle-aged and elderly,osteoarthritis is difficult to cure,and the pathogenesis is not clear.Long non-coding RNA participates in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis through many ways,such as regulating translation,promoting or inhibiting mRNA,and adsorbing miRNAs. OBJECTIVE:To review the types of common long non-coding RNA in osteoarthritis,and the influence of multiple long non-coding RNAs on the pathological factors related to osteoarthritis,to analyze the future application of long non-coding RNAs in osteoarthritis. METHODS:Literature retrieval was conducted in CNKI,WanFang Data,VIP database,PubMed,Web of Science and Sciencedirect databases,using the search terms of"osteoarthritis,degenerative joint disease,degenerative arthritis,OA,LncRNA,long non-coding RNA,long noncoding RNA,long intergenic non-coding RNA"in Chinese and English.All relevant literature published from 1976 and May 2024 was retrieved.After literature screening,induction,analysis and summary,93 articles were finally included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:This review collected 25 long non-coding RNAs that are well studied with osteoarthritis.Long non-coding RNAs,as a molecular sponge for miRNA,are competing endogenous RNAs to competitively adsorb miRNAs and then affect downstream targets.Long non-coding RNAs can regulate physiopathological processes such as chondrocyte apoptosis and proliferation,cartilage extracellular matrix degradation,and inflammatory responses.Long non-coding RNAs are expected to become a biomarker and potential therapeutic target for the clinical diagnosis and therapeutic prognosis of osteoarthritis,and it may become a new strategy for the clinical treatment of osteoarthritis in the future.

OBJECTIVE: A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted to investigate the early postoperative analgesic effectiveness of using liposomal bupivacaine (LB) for local infiltration anesthesia (LIA) in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). METHODS: Between January 2024 and July 2024, a total of 80 patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) who met the selection criteria were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to either the LB group or the "cocktail" group in a 1∶1 ratio using a random number table, with 40 patients in each group. Baseline characteristics, including gender, age, body mass index, operated side, Kellgren-Lawrence grade, and preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, and knee joint range of motion, showed no significant difference between the two groups ( P>0.05). Both groups received LIA and comprehensive pain management. The surgical duration, incision length, pain-related indicators [resting and activity visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, total dosage of oral morphine, WOMAC scores], knee joint range of motion, first ambulation time after operation, length of hospital stay, and postoperative adverse events. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups in surgical duration, incision length, first ambulation time after operation, length of hospital stay, total dosage of oral morphine, and pre-discharge satisfaction with surgery and WOMAC scores ( P>0.05). At 4, 12, and 24 hours after operation, the resting and activity VAS scores in the "cocktail" group were lower than those in the LB group; at 60 and 72 hours postoperatively, the resting VAS scores in the LB group were lower than those in the "cocktail" group, with the activity VAS scores also being lower at 60 hours; all showing significant differences ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups at other time points ( P>0.05). On the second postoperative day, the sleep scores of the LB group were significantly higher than those of the "cocktail" group ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in sleep scores on the day of surgery and the first postoperative day ( P>0.05). Additionally, the incidence of complications showed no significant difference between the two groups ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION The use of LB for LIA in UKA can provide prolonged postoperative pain relief; however, it does not demonstrate a significant advantage over the "cocktail" method in terms of short-term analgesic effects or reducing opioid consumption and early functional recovery after UKA. Nevertheless, LB may help reduce postoperative sleep disturbances, making it a recommended option for UKA patients with cardiovascular diseases and insomnia or other mental health issues.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Anesthesia, Local/methods* ; Anesthetics, Local/administration & dosage* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/methods* ; Bupivacaine/administration & dosage* ; Liposomes ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/surgery* ; Pain Measurement ; Pain, Postoperative/prevention & control* ; Prospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have become one of the cutting-edge technologies in the world, and have been mainly applicated in medicine. In this article, we sorted out the development history and important scenarios of BCIs in medical application, analyzed the research progress, technology development, clinical transformation and product market through qualitative and quantitative analysis, and looked forward to the future trends. The results showed that the research hotspots included the processing and interpretation of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, the development and application of machine learning algorithms, and the detection and treatment of neurological diseases. The technological key points included hardware development such as new electrodes, software development such as algorithms for EEG signal processing, and various medical applications such as rehabilitation and training in stroke patients. Currently, several invasive and non-invasive BCIs are in research. The R&D level of BCIs in China and the United State is leading the world, and have approved a number of non-invasive BCIs. In the future, BCIs will be applied to a wider range of medical fields. Related products will develop shift from a single mode to a combined mode. EEG signal acquisition devices will be miniaturized and wireless. The information flow and interaction between brain and machine will give birth to brain-machine fusion intelligence. Last but not least, the safety and ethical issues of BCIs will be taken seriously, and the relevant regulations and standards will be further improved.
Humans ; Brain-Computer Interfaces ; Medicine ; Algorithms ; Artificial Intelligence ; Brain

Objective:To investigate the association between serum sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).Methods:In this cross-sectional study, a total of 371 middle-aged and young obese patients who were hospitalized and underwent liver puncture in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 2016 to April 2021 were included. The population was divided into control group ( n=43) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) group ( n=328) based on the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score. Subjects in NAFLD group were further divided into non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) ( n=60), uncertain-NASH ( n=172), and NASH ( n=96). Serum SHBG was tested in patients with NAFLD who were divided into three subgroups according to tertiles. The liver pathological characteristics in different SHBG level subgroups were compared. The risk factors of NASH were analyzed by logistic regression. The prediction model of NASH noninvasive diagnosis was established by forward stepwise regression, and the diagnostic value of non-invasive model for NASH was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results:The median age in patients were (32±10) years old with a body mass index of (39.16±6.58) kg/m2, including 236 females (63.6%). Serum SHBG level [ M ( Q1, Q3)] in NAFLD group was significantly lower than that in control group [16.90 (11.43, 23.00) vs. (23.45 (15.40, 31.22) mmol/L, P<0.05], and progressively diminished in NAFL, uncertain-NASH and NASH subgroups [(22.24±10.47), (20.57±19.58), (15.80±8.74) mmol; P for trend<0.05]. Compared with the high-leveled SHBG subgroup, the steatosis score (2.09±0.80 vs. 1.51±0.72, P<0.01) and lobular inflammation score (1.10±0.68 vs. 0.85±0.68, P<0.05) were significantly higher in the low-leveled SHBG group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that lower serum SHBG level was an independent risk factor for NASH ( OR=2.527, 95% CI: 1.296 to 4.928, P<0.05). The area under ROC curve of SHBG combined with aspartate aminotransferase in predicting NASH in NAFLD patients was 0.752 (95% CI: 0.696 to 0.809). Conclusion:Low serum SHBG level is associated with NASH.

Objective:To investigate the prevalences of overweight and obesity and its relationship with the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases among physical examination population in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 384 061 adults aged 20 years and older. Age- and sex-standardized prevalences of overweight and obesity were calculated using Chinese census data in 2010. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the associations of overweight and obesity with the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases.Results:The age-standardized prevalences of overweight and obesity were 42.8% and 13.2% in men and 23.9% and 6.6% in women. A gradually increasing trend was observed in the prevalences of overweight and obesity from 2008 to 2016, especially in subjects aged 20-39 years. Overweight and obesity were significantly associated with increased risks of dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperuricemia. These associations were found to be the strongest among subjects aged 20-39 years, which became weaker along with the increasing of age. The OR(95% CI) of dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperuricemia were 4.23(4.01-4.47), 3.70(2.97-4.60), 6.19(5.76-6.64), and 3.66(3.45-3.88) in obese men aged 20-39 years, while 5.29(4.63-6.04), 6.38(3.86-10.55), 9.36(7.86-11.13), and 6.65(5.70-7.74) in obese women aged 20-39 years, respectively. Conclusion:The increasing trend in the prevalence of overweight and obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in Nanjing adults, especially in individuals aged 20-39 years.

Objective:To compare the perioperative complications and prognosis of intracorporeal and extracorporea lileal conduit urinary diversion(ICUD or ECUD)following robot-assisted radical cystectomy(RARC).Methods:The data of 95 patients who underwent RARC treatment in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from March 2016 to June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 37 underwent ICUD and 58 underwent ECUD. In the ICUD group, there were 32 males and 5 females, aged(68.0±7.8) years, body mass index (BMI) of (24.1±3.4) kg/m 2, American Society of Anesthesiologists(ASA)score of 1-2 in 4 cases(10.8%), ASA score of 3-5 in 33 cases(89.2%), preoperative hemoglobin of(126.5±14.2)g/L, albumin of(39.0±2.2)g/L, and C-reactive protein of 4.0(2.0-8.5) mg/L. In the ECUD group, there were 53 males and 5 females, aged(67.5±9.0)years, BMI of(24.2±3.6)kg/m 2, ASA score of 1-2 in 16 cases(27.6%), ASA score of 3-5 in 42 cases (72.4%) , preoperative hemoglobin of(129.0±12.4)g/L, albumin (38.2±3.1) g/L, and C-reactive protein of 4.9 (3.1-14.4) mg/L. There was no significant difference in preoperative data between the two groups ( P>0.05). The two groups underwent RARC and pelvic lymph node dissection similarly. The ICUD group underwent a total intracorporeal ileal conduit and the ECUD group underwent extracorporeal ileal conduit with direct vision through a median incision in the lower abdomen.There were 32 cases (86.5%) and 46 cases (79.3%) undergoing expanded pelvic lymph node dissection in the ICUD group and the ECUD group respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant ( P=0.374). The complications were graded according to the Clavien-Dindo grading system. The perioperative complications and prognosis of the two groups were compared. Results:The operation time of the ICUD group and the ECUD group were (430±63) min vs. (410±69) min, respectively ( P=0.163). The estimated blood loss were (435±233) ml vs. (388±277) ml, respectively ( P=0.182). Intraoperative blood transfusion were 10 cases (27.0%) and 12 cases (20.7%)( P=0.475). None of the above differences were statistically significant. Postoperative albumin of the ICUD group and the ECUD group were (31.5±2.4) g/L vs. (31.0±2.8) g/L ( P=0.387), postoperative C-reactive protein were 30.9 (10.4-52.1) mg/L vs.29.5 (14.4-58.5) mg/L ( P=0.655) and postoperative hemoglobin were (110.0±13.8) g/L vs. (113.7±13.4) g/L ( P=0.187). The postoperative feeding recovery were 4(3-5) d vs. 4(3-5) d ( P=0.752) and the postoperative hospital stay were 13(10-19) d vs. 13(11-18) d ( P=1.000). There was no statistically significant difference in perioperative data. The postoperative pathological examination results of ICUD group and ECUD group showed that there were 17 cases (45.9%) vs.19 cases (32.8%) in T a/T 1/Tis stage, 12 cases (32.4%) vs. 18 cases (31.0%) in T 2 stage, 5 cases (13.5%) vs. 19 cases (32.8%) in T 3 stage, 3 cases (8.1%) vs. 2 cases (3.4%) in T 4 stage, respectively and the difference was not statistically significant( P=0.166). The number of lymph nodes removed were (18.2±6.7) vs.(16.5±7.9)( P=0.178) and the number of patients with positive lymph nodes were 6(16.2%) vs.11(19.0%), respectively( P=0.733). None of the patients had positive margins. There was no statistically significant difference in pathological examination overall. There were 14 cases (37.8%) in the ICUD group and 21 cases (36.2%) in the ECUD group experiencing complications within 30 days after operation and the difference was not statistically significant( P=0.872). The complications within 90 days after operation were 14 cases (37.8%) vs. 24 cases (41.4%) respectively and the difference was not statistically significant( P=0.731). Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅲ-Ⅴ complications in the two groups were 1 case (2.7%) vs.1 case (1.7%) respectively, with no significant difference ( P=0.849). One patient in the ICUD group developed an intestinal anastomotic leakage and underwent reoperation for repairing and 1 patient in the ECUD group developed mechanical intestinal obstruction and underwent reoperation. The rate of readmission within 90 days after operation of the ICUD group was lower than that of the ECUD group, but the difference was not statistically significant [3 cases (8.1%) vs. 11 cases (19.0%), P=0.090]. Postoperative follow-up was 13-53 months and the median follow-up of ICUD group and ECUD group were 19 months and 31 months respectively. There was no significant difference in the survival curve between the two groups( P=0.746). The 1-year survival rate was 91.9% in the ICUD group and 91.4% in the ECUD group. Routine re-examination of urinary system CT or B-ultrasound was performed 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after surgery. The incidence of ureteral dilatation/hydronephrosis in the ICUD group was lower than that of the ECUD group, with 4.1%(3 sides) vs. 14.7%(17 sides)( P=0.020). Conclusion:Compared with RARC+ ECUD, RARC+ ICUD does not increase the incidence of complications within 90 days after surgery and may reduce the risk of upper urinary tract dilatation.

Objective:To investigate the factors influencing the prognosis of talar neck fractures of Hawkins type Ⅲ.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed of the 18 patients with complete follow-up data who had been treated from October 2013 to December 2016 at Department of Orthopedic Trauma, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital for talar neck fractures of Hawkins type Ⅲ. They were 14 males and 4 females with an average age of 35.1 years (range, from 17 to 50 years). There were 3 open fractures. All the patients were treated with one-stage open reduction and internal fixation. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scoring system was used to evaluate the functions of ankle and hindfoot during follow-up. The correlations were analyzed between the ankle-hindfoot AOFAS scores and the factors which might have influenced the prognosis, like gender, age, smoking, alcoholic drinking, body mass index, injury cause, medial malleolus osteotomy/fracture, combined fracture, open injury, interval from injury to surgery, operation time, implants (cannulated/plate or Kirschner wire) and infection.Results:The 18 patients were followed up for 21 to 41 months (average, 29.3 months). Of them, 3 had superficial infection which responded to anti-inflammatory therapy and 3 had deep infection which was improved after debridement in 2 cases and led to eventual removal of the talus in one. Tibiotalar arthritis occurred in 6 patients and subtalar arthritis in 10. The AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scores at the last follow-up for this cohort ranged from 12 to 96 points (average, 63.4 points). Ischemic necrosis of the talus was observed in 6 cases and talar collapse in one. The ankle-hindfoot AOFAS scores were strongly correlated with open fracture ( P=0.015,) operation time ( P=0.001), Kirschner wire fixation ( P=0.006), and postoperative infection ( P=0.008). Conclusions:Since open fracture, operation time ≥3 h, Kirschner wire fixation and postoperative infection may be the significant factors that may influence the prognosis of talar neck fractures of Hawkins type Ⅲ, reasonable treatment protocols can help improve the outcomes.

Objective:To study the repair effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) injection via the caudal vein on the nerve cells in the spinal cord tissue of rats with acute spinal cord injury.Methods:Sixty Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into sham operation group, model group and BMSCs group using the random number table method, with 20 rats in each group. The Allen's method was used in the model group and BMSCs group to construct the rat models of a spinal cord injury model. Rats in the sham operation group did not undergo spinal cord injury and only received surgical exposure. 24 hours after the establishment of the model, rats in the BMSCs group were received 0.2 ml BMSCs single cell suspension (2 ×10 6 cells) via tail vein injection. Rats in the sham operation group and model group were received the same volume of 0.2 ml Sodium chloride solution via tail vein injection. The motor function of the rats on the 1st, 4th, 7th, 15th and 30th day after modeling was recorded by Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scoring method. The contents of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-β) and Prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2) in spinal cord tissue of rats were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELASA) on the 30th day after modeling. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological changes of rat spinal cord tissue. Nissl staining was used to analyze the changes of Nissl bodies and neuron cells in rat spinal cord tissue. Result:Compared with the model group, the BBB scores of the BMSC group were significantly increased on the 7 (5.68±0.82 vs 1.82±0.84), 15 ( 10.25±1.55 vs 3.38±0.88) and 30 (13.25±2.36 vs 5.83±1.36) days after modeling, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and PGE 2 in the spinal cord tissue of the BMSCs group were significantly lower than those in the model group on the 30 days after modeling (all P<0.01). Besides, the spinal cord tissue injury was significantly reduced, and the number of neurons and Nissl bodies in the BMSCs group were also significantly higher than those in the model group (all P<0.01). Conclusions:BMSCs injection via the caudal vein can significantly ameliorate acute spinal cord injury in rats. BMSCs may accelerate the repair of nerve cells in acute spinal cord injury tissue and further promote the recovery of motor function in rats with acute spinal cord injury through the regulation of TNF-α, IL-1β, PGE 2 inflammatory factors.

OBJECTIVE: To detect pathogenic variant in a neonate suspected for Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS). METHODS: Potential mutations of CdLS-related genes (NIPBL, SMC1A, SMC3, RAD21 and HDAC8) were detected by high-throughput target region capture and next-generation sequencing. Suspected variants was verified by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The child was found to harbor a heterozygous splice site variant, c.6109-1G>A, of the NIPBL gene. Sanger sequencing suggested that neither parent has carried the same variant, suggesting that it was de novo. The variant was unreported by HGMD and ExAC database, and was predicted to alter an acceptor splicing site. No pathogenic variants of SMC1A, SMC3, RAD21 and HDAC8 genes were detected. CONCLUSION The heterozygous c.6109-1G>A splicing variant of the NIPBL gene may underlie the disease in this child. Above finding has expanded the variant spectrum of the NIPBL gene.
Cell Cycle Proteins ; genetics ; De Lange Syndrome ; genetics ; Genetic Testing ; Genetic Variation ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Mutation ; Phenotype