ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which Xiaoyaosan regulates HPT axis dysfunction in the rat model with the syndrome of liver depression and spleen deficiency by observing its effect on the glycoprotein hormone α-subunit （CGA）/glutathione peroxidase 2 （GPX2）/thyroid-stimulating hormone β-subunit （TSHβ） pathway for thyroid hormone synthesis. MethodsSeventy-two male SD rats were randomized into six groups： normal， model， high-dose （16.7 g·kg^-1）， medium-dose （8.35 g·kg^-1）， and low-dose （4.175 g·kg^-1） Xiaoyaosan， and fluoxetine （0.001 8 g·kg^-1） groups， with 12 rats in each group. The rat model of liver depression and spleen deficiency was induced by chronic restraint stress for 21 days. The intervention groups were treated with Xiaoyaosan decoctions or fluoxetine suspension， respectively. After modeling， hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to observe morphological changes in the thyroid and pituitary tissue of the rats. Serum levels of triiodothyronine （T3）， tetraiodothyronine （T4）， and thyroid-stimulating hormone （TSH） were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were employed to determine the mRNA and protein levels， respectively， of TSH receptor （TSHR） in the thyroid tissue， thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor （TRHR） and TSHβ in the pituitary tissue， and thyrotropin-releasing hormone （TRH）， CGA， GPX2， and TSHβ in the hypothalamic tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed significant atrophy and irregularity of thyroid follicles， a marked reduction in colloid secretion， extensive vacuolar degeneration of adenocytes in the anterior pituitary， lowered serum levels of T3， T4， and TSH （P<0.01）， and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of TSHR in the thyroid tissue， TRHR and TSHβ in the pituitary tissue， and TRH， CGA， GPX2， and TSHβ in the hypothalamic tissue （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， high- and medium-dose Xiaoyaosan and fluoxetine alleviated the pathological changes in the thyroid and pituitary tissue， outperforming the low-dose Xiaoyaosan group. Moreover， they elevated the serum levels of T3， T4， and TSH （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The serum TSH level was also elevated in the low-dose Xiaoyaosan group （P<0.05）. The mRNA and protein levels of TSHR in the thyroid， TRHR and TSHβ in the pituitary， and TRH， CGA， GPX2， and TSHβ in the hypothalamus were up-regulated in the high- and medium-dose Xiaoyaosan groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Additionally， the mRNA and protein levels of TSHβ in the hypothalamus were up-regulated in the low-dose Xiaoyaosan group （P<0.01）. In the fluoxetine group， the mRNA and protein levels of TSHR in the thyroid， TRHR in the pituitary， and TRH， CGA， and GPX2 in the hypothalamus were up-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionThe downregulation of CGA/GPX2/TSHβ pathway may be one of the biological mechanisms underlying HPT axis dysfunction in the rat model with the syndrome of liver depression and spleen deficiency. Xiaoyaosan may regulate the HPT axis dysfunction by up-regulating the CGA/GPX2/TSHβ pathway.

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of modified Chaihu Shugansan on the calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ（CaMKⅡ）/cAMP-response element binding protein （CREB） signaling pathway in the hippocampus and heart tissue of a rat model with myocardial ischemia and depression and explore the mechanism by which this formula prevents and treats coronary heart disease combined with depression. MethodsThe model of myocardial ischemia combined with depression was established by high-fat diet， intraperitoneal injection of isoproterenol （ISO）， and chronic unpredictable mild stress （CUMS）. A total of 108 SD male rats were randomly divided into normal group， model group， high （23.4 g·kg^-1）， medium （11.7 g·kg^-1）， and low （5.85 g·kg^-1） dose groups of modified Chaihu Shugansan， CaMKⅡ inhibitor （KN93） group， and KN93 + high， medium， and low dose groups of modified Chaihu Shugansan， with 12 rats in each group. From the first day of modeling to the end of modeling， drugs were administered once a day. In the seventh and eighth weeks， the KN93 group and the KN93 + high， medium， and low dose groups of modified Chaihu Shugansan were intraperitoneally injected with KN93 three times weekly. At the end of the eighth week， behavioral tests including sucrose preference， open field， and elevated plus maze were conducted. Electrocardiogram （ECG） lead Ⅱ changes were observed in each group of rats， and hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe changes in heart tissue. Serum levels of triglycerides （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， high-density lipoprotein （HDL）， low-density lipoprotein （LDL）， and lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） were measured by using an enzyme-labeled instrument. Creatine kinase （CK） and creatine kinase-MB （CK-MB） were detected by ultraviolet spectrophotometry， while serum monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 （MCP-1） was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect mRNA expression of CaMKⅡ and CREB in hippocampal and heart tissue， and Western blot was performed to assess protein expression of CaMKⅡ， phosphorylated （p）-CaMKⅡ， CREB， and p-CREB. ResultsCompared to the normal group， the model group showed significant reductions in sucrose preference rate， total activity distance in the open field， number of entries into the center area of the open field， and percentage of entries into the open arms of the elevated plus maze （P<0.01）. The ECG showed ST-segment elevation， and HE staining showed serious degeneration of myocardial fibers， disordered arrangement， and infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells. In addition， serum TC and LDL levels increased （P<0.01）， and HDL level decreased （P<0.01）. CK， CK-MB， LDH， and MCP-1 levels significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of CaMKⅡ and CREB and the protein expression of p-CaMKⅡ and p-CREB decreased in the hippocampal tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）， but those increased in the heart tissue （P<0.01）. Compared to the model group， the high， medium， and low dose groups of modified Chaihu Shugansan showed improvements in these abnormalities. The KN93 group had reduced sucrose preference， total activity distance in the open field， number of entries into the center area of the open field， and percentage of entries into the open arms of the elevated plus maze （P<0.01）， as well as decreased serum CK， CK-MB， LDH， and MCP-1 levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）. KN93 also reduced ST-segment elevation， alleviated the degeneration degree of myocardial fibrosis， and lowered inflammatory cell infiltration. The mRNA expression of CaMKⅡ and CREB and the protein expression of p-CaMKⅡ and p-CREB in both the hippocampal and heart tissue were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The KN93 + high， medium， and low dose groups of modified Chaihu Shugansan showed further improvements in these abnormalities compared to the KN93 group. ConclusionThe modified Chaihu Shugansan exerts antidepressant and myocardial protective effects in rats with myocardial ischemia and depression， possibly related to bidirectional regulation of the CaMKⅡ/CREB signaling pathway， with the high-dose modified Chaihu Shugansan showing the best effects.

Fundus photography in small animals holds great significance for studying alterations in the structure and function of retinal blood vessels. However, the absence of uniform operating practices can lead to inconsistencies and incomparability of data. To address this issue, this study aims to develop a standard operation guide for fundus photography in small animals. It will provide researchers with standardized operation procedures and accurate data analysis methods to ensure high accuracy and reproducibility in data collection and analysis. The adoption of these guidelines enables a high level of data consistency while providing more precise results than traditional methods. This guideline bridges the gap in the lack of standard operating norms for fundus photography in small animals, offering researchers a reliable operational framework. This guideline not only helps to improve the accuracy and comparability of data, but also provides strong support for retinal vascular research in clinical practice.

This study aims to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of 50 Hz-0.6 mT low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) on postmenopausal osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats. Thirty 3-month-old female SD rats were selected and divided into a sham operation group (Sham), an ovariectomized model group (OVX), and a low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) treatment group, with 10 rats in each group. After 8 weeks, the whole-body bone mineral density (BMD) of each group of rats was measured. The treatment group began to receive PEMF stimulation for 90 minutes daily, while the OVX group only received a simulated placement without electricity. After 6 weeks of intervention, all rats were sacrificed and tested for in vitro BMD, micro-CT, biomechanics, serum biochemical indicators, and bone tissue-related proteins. The results showed that the BMD of the OVX group was significantly lower than that of the Sham group 8 weeks after surgery, indicating successful modeling. After 6 weeks of treatment, compared with the OVX group, the PEMF group exhibited significantly increased BMD in the whole body, femur, and vertebral bodies. Micro-CT analysis results showed improved bone microstructure, significantly increased maximum load and bending strength of the femur, elevated levels of serum bone formation markers, and increased expression of osteogenic-related proteins. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that daily 90-minute exposure to 50 Hz-0.6 mT PEMF effectively enhances BMD, improves bone biomechanical properties, optimizes bone microstructure, stimulates bone formation, and inhibits bone resorption in ovariectomized rats, highlighting its therapeutic potential for postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Female ; Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal/therapy* ; Rats ; Bone Density ; Ovariectomy ; Magnetic Field Therapy/methods* ; Electromagnetic Fields

Allergen-specific immunotherapy（AIT） remains the only therapeutic approach with the potential to modify the natural course of allergic rhinitis（AR）. Nevertheless, considerable inter-individual variability exists in patients'responses to AIT. To facilitate more reliable assessment of treatment efficacy, the China Rhinopathy Research Cooperation Group（CRRCG） convened young and middle-aged nasal experts in China to formulate the present consensus. The recommended subjective outcome measures for AIT comprise symptom scores, medication scores, combined symptom and medication scores, quality-of-life assessments, evaluation of disease control, and assessment of comorbidities. Objective indicators may supplement these measures. Currently available objective approaches include skin prick testing, nasal provocation testing, and allergen exposure chambers. However, these methods remain constrained by practical limitations and are not yet appropriate for routine implementation in clinical efficacy evaluation. In addition, several biomarkers, including sIgE and the sIgE/tIgE ratio, sIgG4, serum IgE-blocking activity, IgA, cytokines and chemokines, as well as immune cell surface molecules and their functional activity, have been shown to have associations with AIT outcomes. While these biomarkers may complement subjective assessments, they are subject to significant limitations. Consequently, large-scale multicenter trials and real-world evidence are required to strengthen the evidence base. The present consensus underscores the necessity of integrating patients'subjective experiences with objective testing throughout the treatment process, thereby providing a more comprehensive and accurate framework for efficacy evaluation. Looking forward, future investigations should prioritize the incorporation of multi-omics data and artificial intelligence methodologies, which hold promise for overcoming current limitations in assessment strategies and for advancing both the standardization and personalization of AIT.
Humans ; Allergens/immunology* ; China ; Consensus ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; Immunoglobulin E ; Quality of Life ; Rhinitis, Allergic/therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; East Asian People

Ancient traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctrine says "The superior doctor prevents illnesses," pointing out preventative medicine as the ultimate goal for medical care. TCM recognizes that genetic predisposition and environmental and lifestyle influences contribute to diseases. It divides people into eight constitutions in addition to one normal/healthy kind. People with one of the eight subhealth constitutions are prone to develop different kinds of corresponding illnesses. The goal for this type of categorization is to help people take preemptive measures to prevent or delay disease onset. As the peripheral immune system through surveying the body, it can capture information from essentially all organs and reflect anomalies occurring in each organ. Thus, the detailed profiling of the peripheral immune-system function can generally reflect a person's overall heath state. In this study, we performed the single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from individuals with Tanshi (phlegm dampness) constitution. They were prone to develop metabolic disorders including diabetes. scRNA-seq revealed greatly reduced mucosal-associated invariable T cell content and heightened TNFα-NFκB, JAK-STAT, and interferon signaling. These findings indicated heightened chronic inflammation, as well as increased hypoxia/apoptosis responses, likely resulting from frequent sleep apnea that Tanshi individuals experienced. Altogether, this pilot study demonstrated effectiveness in using scRNA-seq to reveal molecular-immunological bases for constitution categorization, thereby substantiating that preventative medicine originated from TCM.
Humans ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/metabolism* ; Male ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Transcriptome ; Single-Cell Gene Expression Analysis

Objective To explore the regulatory effect of miR-204-5p on biological behaviors of bladder cancer cells and its molecular mechanism.Methods Survival analysis and correlation analysis were performed using TCGA database to explore the association of miR-204-5p expression with survival outcomes and clinicopathological parameters of bladder cancer patients.The expression level of miR-204-5p was detected in bladder cancer and adjacent tissues and in normal uroepithelial cells and bladder cancer cells.In cultured bladder cancer cells,the effects of miR-204-5p overexpression and knockdown on cell proliferation,migration,invasion,and apoptosis were analyzed.Transcriptome sequencing,bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase assay were carried out to confirm targeted inhibition of RAB22A by miR-204-5p to promote malignant biological behaviors of bladder cancer cells.Results Patients with high miR-204-5p expressions had lowered median survival time and poor prognosis(P<0.05).The expression of miR-204-5p was significantly up-regulated in bladder cancer tissues and cells(P<0.05).In bladder cancer cells,miR-204-5p overexpression significantly promoted cell proliferation,migration and invasion and reduced cell apoptosis.Transcriptome sequencing,bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase assay all suggested that RAB22A was a key downstream factor of miR-204-5p.Overexpression of miR-204-5p significantly inhibited RAB22A expression in bladder cancer cells,and overexpression of RAB22A partially reversed miR-204-5p overexpression-induced enhancement of bladder cancer cell proliferation.Conclusion High expression of miR-204-5p promotes proliferation,migration and invasion and reduces apoptosis of bladder cancer cells by negatively regulating RAB22A expression.

Objective:To explore the causal relationship between blood metabolites and keloids.Methods:The study was a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis-based study. Blood metabolites of 7 824 adult volunteers and 8 299 participants and data related to 481 912 keloid patients were obtained from the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) Catalog database. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with blood metabolites and keloids were screened for inclusion as instrumental variables in the MR analysis by setting a significance threshold of P<1.0×10 -5, chain imbalance analysis [ r2 = 0.001, kilobase pairs (kb) = 10, 000)], and the F statistic ( F≥10) . Five method of MR analysis, i.e., inverse variance weighting (IVW) as the main method and MR-Egger regression, weighted median, simple modeling, and weighted modeling as auxiliary method, were used to analyze the causal relationship between blood metabolites (exposure factors) and keloids (outcome variables) . Sensitivity analyses were performed on eligible blood metabolite SNPs to assess the reliability and stability of the findings: heterogeneity was assessed by Cochran Q-test and MR-Egger regression test, MR Egger intercept test to rule out horizontal pleiotropy, leave-one-out test to determine if the presence of a single SNP significantly affected the result of the MR analyses, MR-PRESSO method was used to test for outliers of SNPs, which were corrected by false discovery rate (FDR) (FDR <0.2) to control the false positive rate. Reverse MR analysis was performed with keloid as the exposure factor, and blood metabolites screened by the aforementioned MR analysis were used as outcome variables for effect analysis and sensitivity analysis. The data were analyzed using R 4.3.2 software and the TwoSampleMR program package therein, and the causal effect values of the MR analysis were expressed as the ratio ( OR) and 95% CI, with P<0.05 being considered as a statistically significant difference, i. e., the evidence of a potential causal effect was substantial. Forest plots, funnel plots, and scatter plots were constructed to visualize the result of MR analysis and sensitivity analysis. Results:A total of 1 400 blood metabolites with 34 843 SNPs were obtained from the GWAS Catalog database, all of which were consistent with the hypothesis that genetic variants are closely associated with exposure factors; a total of 24 197 210 SNPs were obtained from the keloid dataset. IVW analysis revealed that one blood metabolite, succinyl taurine (16 ∶ 1n-7), had 28 SNPs with keloid with a causal relationship ( OR=1.13, 95% CI 1.06-1.19, P<0.001, FDR=0.070) ; MR-Egger regression method ( OR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.04-1.19, P=0.005), weighted median method ( OR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.02-1.20, P=0.014) and weighted modeling method ( OR=1.12, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.20, P=0.004) analyses also showed that succinyl taurine (16 ∶ 1n-7) was a risk factor for keloid disease; the result of the simple modeling method only showed that the causal relationship between succinyl taurine (16 ∶ 1n-7) and keloid disease was not significant ( OR=1.10, 95% CI 0.85-1.41, P=0.485) . MR overall analysis showed a significant positive causal relationship between succinyl taurine (16 ∶ 1n-7) and keloid, i.e., elevated levels of succinyl taurine (16 ∶ 1n-7) were associated with an increased risk of keloid disease. Cochran Q-test ( Q = 26.98, P=0.465), MR-Egger regression test ( Q = 26.65, P = 0.428), MR-Egger intercept test ( P = 0.574), and MR-PRESSO composite test ( P=0.569) showed that there was no heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy among SNPs ( P>0.05) ; the leave-one-out test confirmed that individual SNPs did not have a significant effect on the overall result, indicating that the result had reliability and stability. The inverse MR analysis suggested that there was no causal relationship between keloid on succinyl taurine (16 ∶ 1n-7) (IVW: OR=0.98, 95% CI 0.93-1.04, P=0.490) . Conclusions:There is a significant positive causal relationship between the blood metabolite succinyl taurine (16 ∶ 1n-7) and keloids, and succinyl taurine (16 ∶ 1n-7) is a risk factor for keloid disease.

Objective:To introduce the method of using anal fistula endoscope to treat chronic sinus tract leakage at rectal anastomosis site.Methods:We used anal fistula endoscopy to treat a patient with chronic sinus tract leakage after radical resection of rectal cancer, mainly including the following 5 steps: (1) establishing a water injection circulation system through the anus; (2) scraping off purulent coating and mucosa on the surface of the sinus tract with the brush; (3) hemostasis and removal of necrotic tissue with electrocoagulation rods; (4) filling the sinus tract with bioprotein gel; (5) compressing the sinus tract with transanal drainage tube.Results:The patient is a 70 year old male with rectal cancer. After undergoing 3D laparoscopic assisted radical resection of rectal cancer via abdominal anterior resection (Dixon's procedure) and diverting ileostomy surgery for more than 3 months, leakage of the rectal anastomosis was found through colonoscopy and anal iodine water contrast imaging .The patient started eating and flowing juice 6 hours after surgery, got out of bed 24 hours after surgery, and was discharged 48 hours after the removal of the anal canal. Three months after surgery, colonoscopy and transanal iodine hydrography showed that the sinus repair was intact. The diverting ileostomy was reduced 4 months after surgery.Conclusion:Anal fistula endoscope is safe and feasible for the treatment of chronic sinus tract anastomotic leakage in selected patients.

Objective To explore the regulatory effect of miR-204-5p on biological behaviors of bladder cancer cells and its molecular mechanism.Methods Survival analysis and correlation analysis were performed using TCGA database to explore the association of miR-204-5p expression with survival outcomes and clinicopathological parameters of bladder cancer patients.The expression level of miR-204-5p was detected in bladder cancer and adjacent tissues and in normal uroepithelial cells and bladder cancer cells.In cultured bladder cancer cells,the effects of miR-204-5p overexpression and knockdown on cell proliferation,migration,invasion,and apoptosis were analyzed.Transcriptome sequencing,bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase assay were carried out to confirm targeted inhibition of RAB22A by miR-204-5p to promote malignant biological behaviors of bladder cancer cells.Results Patients with high miR-204-5p expressions had lowered median survival time and poor prognosis(P<0.05).The expression of miR-204-5p was significantly up-regulated in bladder cancer tissues and cells(P<0.05).In bladder cancer cells,miR-204-5p overexpression significantly promoted cell proliferation,migration and invasion and reduced cell apoptosis.Transcriptome sequencing,bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase assay all suggested that RAB22A was a key downstream factor of miR-204-5p.Overexpression of miR-204-5p significantly inhibited RAB22A expression in bladder cancer cells,and overexpression of RAB22A partially reversed miR-204-5p overexpression-induced enhancement of bladder cancer cell proliferation.Conclusion High expression of miR-204-5p promotes proliferation,migration and invasion and reduces apoptosis of bladder cancer cells by negatively regulating RAB22A expression.