ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effectiveness of horticultural therapy involving the planting of Chinese medicinal herbs （mint and lily potted plants） combined with intradermal needling therapy for generalized anxiety disorder （GAD） of liver depression transforming into fire syndrome under transcranial magnetic stimulation and basic psychological therapy， and to explore the possible mechanisms of action. MethodsA total of 180 patients with GAD of liver depression transforming into fire syndrome were randomly divided into three groups， horticultural therapy group， intradermal needling group， and horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group， with 60 patients in each. All groups received basic treatment including basic psychological therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation. The horticultural therapy group received horticultural therapy in addition to the basic treatment； the intradermal needling group received intradermal needling therapy once a week for 8 weeks in addition to the basic treatment； the horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group received both horticultural therapy and intradermal needling therapy， following the same procedures and duration. Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale （HAMA）， Self-Rating Anxiety Scale （SAS）， and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index （PSQI） scores were assessed at baseline and after 2， 4， 6， and 8 weeks of treatment. Serum levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone （ACTH） and corticosterone （CORT） were measured before treatment and after 8 weeks of treatment. Motor-evoked potential （MEP） baseline levels were recorded before treatment， and MEP amplitude ratios were compared after 1 week and 8 weeks of treatment. Clinical effectiveness and safety were evaluated after 8 weeks of treatment. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships between serum ACTH and CORT levels， MEP amplitude， and anxiety. ResultsIn the horticultural therapy group and intradermal needling group， HAMA， SAS and PSQI scores after 4， 6， and 8 weeks treatment were lower than baseline scores （P＜0.05）. In the horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group， these scores showed a significant decline starting after 2 weeks treatment and continuing through 8 weeks after treatment （P＜0.05）. The HAMA， SAS， and PSQI scores in the horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group were significantly lower than those in the other two groups after 2， 4， 6， and 8 weeks treatment （P＜0.05）. After 8 weeks of treatment， serum CORT and ACTH levels in the horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group were significantly lower than baseline levels （P＜0.05） and were also lower than those in the horticultural therapy group and intradermal needling group at the same time point （P＜0.01）. When comparing the level after 8 weeks treatment to that after 1 week treatment， under PAS10 stimulation， the MEP amplitude ratio in the intradermal needling group decreased at 30 minutes， while in the horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group， the MEP amplitude ratio decreased at all time points （P＜0.05 or P＜0.001）； under PAS25 stimulation， the MEP amplitude ratio in the horticultural therapy group increased at 20 minutes， and in the intradermal needle group at 10 minutes （P＜0.05）. In the horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group， the MEP amplitude ratio increased significantly at all time points after treatment （P＜0.001）. The cure rate in the horticultural therapy+intradermal needling group （74.14%， 43/58） was significantly higher than that in the horticultural therapy group （30.00%， 18/60） and the intradermal needling group （48.28%， 28/58， P＜0.05）. Correlation analysis revealed that serum ACTH and CORT levels were positively correlated with HAMA scores （r = 0.488， P＜0.01； r = 0.428， P＜0.01）. Following PAS10 intervention， the MEP amplitude ratio was positively correlated with HAMA scores （r = 0.458， P＜0.01）， whereas after PAS25 intervention， the MEP amplitude ratio was negatively correlated with HAMA scores （r = -0.562， P＜0.01）. ConclusionHorticultural therapy combined with intradermal needling treatment， under transcranial magnetic stimulation and basic psychological therapy， demonstrates significant clinical effectiveness in patients with GAD of liver depression transforming into fire syndrome. Its mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis and the reduction of cortical excitability.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture combined with ear tip bloodletting for insomnia with phlegm-fire disturbing heart. METHODS: A total of 60 cases with insomnia of phlegm-fire disturbing heart were selected, and the treatment of electroacupuncture combined with ear tip bloodletting was delivered. Acupuncture was applied at Yintang (GV24⁺), Shenting (GV24), Sishencong (EX-HN1) and bilateral Shenmen (HT7), Quchi (LI11), Zhaohai (KI6), Shenmai (BL62), Fenglong (ST40), Neiting (ST4), Yintang (GV24⁺) and Shenting (GV24) were connected to electroacupuncture, continuous wave, 2 Hz in frequency. In addition, bloodletting was applied at ear tip. The treatment was given for 4 weeks. Before treatment, and after 1,4 weeks into treatment, the scores of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Athens insomnia scale (AIS), insomnia severity index (ISI) and TCM syndrome were compared, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated in the patients. RESULTS: After 1,4 weeks into treatment, the scores of PSQI, AIS, ISI and TCM syndrome were decreased compared with those before treatment in the patients (P<0.05). Of 60 cases, 30 cases were cured, 19 cases markedly effective, 9 cases effective and 2 cases failed, and the total effective rate was 96.7% (58/60). CONCLUSION Electroacupuncture combined with ear tip bloodletting can improve the sleep quality and clinical symptoms in patients with insomnia of phlegm-fire disturbing heart.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Electroacupuncture ; Middle Aged ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/physiopathology* ; Adult ; Bloodletting ; Acupuncture Points ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to elucidate the therapeutic potential of osthole for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), focusing on its ability to alleviate chronic pruritus (CP) and the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of osthole in both a 2,4-dichloronitrobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD mouse model and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) stimulated huma immortalized epidermal (HaCaT) cells. The anti-itch effect of osthole was specifically assessed in the AD mouse model. Using methods such as hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blot (WB), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: Osthole improved skin damage and clinical dermatitis scores, reduced scratching bouts, and decreased epidermal thickness AD-like mice. It also reduced the levels of interleukin (IL)-31 and IL-31 receptor A (IL-31 RA) in both skin tissues and HaCaT cells. Furthermore, Osthole suppressed the protein expression levels of phosphor-p65 (p-p65) and phosphor-inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-Bα (p-IκBα). Meanwhile, it increased the protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and PPARγ in HaCaT cells. CONCLUSION These findings indicated that osthole effectively inhibited CP in AD by activating PPARα, PPARγ, repressing the NF-κB signaling pathway, as well as the expression of IL-31 and IL-31 RA.

Objective : To investigate the effects of heat shock protein 70 ku protein 1A(HSPA1A) on H9c2 inflammation and apoptotic injury in rat cardiomyocytes under hypoxia, and to analyze its mechanism. Methods: H9c2 cells were treated with normal oxygen(Nor) and hypoxia(Hyp), and the expression of HSPA1A was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Normal H9c2 cells were divided into Nor group(normoxia culture), sh-HSPA1A+Nor group(cells transfected with HSPA1A shRNA, normoxia culture), Hyp group(hypoxia culture), sh-HSPA1A+Hyp group(cells transfected with HSPA1A SHRNA, hypoxia culture), the expression level of HSPA1A in H9c2 cells in each group was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot, the morphology of H9c2 cells in each group was observed by inverted microscope, and the activity of H9c2 cells in each group was detected by CCK-8, the contents of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin(IL)-6, IL-1β and the activities of myocardial injury markers lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), creatine kinase(CK) in the supernatant of H9c2 cells were detected by ELISA, apoptosis rate of H9c2 cells in each group was detected by Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining, the expression levels of TNF receptor-associated factor 2(TRAF2)/nuclear factor κB(NF-κB) pathway-related proteins in H9c2 cells of each group were detected by Western blot. Results: Compared with Nor group, the relative expression of HSPA1A mRNA and protein in H9c2 cells in Hyp group after hypoxia induction was significantly up-regulated(P<0.05). Compared with Nor group, the number of H9c2 cells in Hyp group significantly decreased, some cells were wrinkled and disordered, the cell activity significantly decreased(P<0.05), the contents of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and the activities of LDH and CK in supernatant significantly increased(P<0.05), the cell apoptosis rate significantly increased(P<0.05), the relative expressions of TRAF2 protein and the phosphorylation level of p65 and inhibitor of nuclear factor κB alpha(IκBα) were significantly up-regulated(P<0.05); compared with Hyp group, the morphology of H9c2 cells in sh-HSPA1A+Hyp group was improved, the cell arrangement was more dense, the cell activity significantly increased(P<0.05), the contents of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in supernatant decreased, the activities of LDH and CK significantly decreased(P<0.05), the apoptosis rate significantly decreased(P<0.05), the relative expressions of TRAF2 protein and the phosphorylation level of p65 and IκBα were also significantly down-regulated(P<0.05). Conclusion The expression of HSPA1A in rat cardiomyocytes H9c2 is increased by hypoxia, and inhibition of HSPA1A expression can improve the hypoxia-induced inflammatory response of H9c2 cells and reduce apoptosis damage, which may be related to the regulation of TRAF2/NF-κB pathway.

Objective To prepare a dissolvable microneedle(DMN)with a tip-layer loaded with hyaluronic acid(HA)modified sinomenine hydrochloride liposomes(HA-SMH-Lip),as well as characterize,evaluate its in vitro transdermal permeability,cellular uptake ability,and anti-inflammatory ability.Methods HA-SMH-Lip-DMNs were prepared by a two-step casting method,and the drug loading capacity was determined using HPLC.The morphology,skin permeation properties and in vitro transdermal ability were investigated by scanning electron microscopy,puncture assay and Franz diffusion cell method.Fluorescent microneedles were prepared by replacing HA-SMH-Lip with fluorescein isothiocyanate liposomes(HA-FITC-Lip/FITC-Lip).The uptake behavior of inflammation cells on HA-FITC-Lip-DMNs/FITC-Lip-DMNs was investigated using a flow cytometer and a fluorescence microscope.To evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of HA-SMH-Lip-DMNs,the levels of inflammatory factors including nitric oxide(NO),tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),interleukin 1β(IL-1β),and IL-10 in cell supernatants were measured using an ELISA kit.Results The prepared HA-SMH-Lip-DMNs have uniform shape and size,integral and visually pleasing array,and an average drug loading of(114.01±1.04)μg.Additionally,they have good puncture ability.The results of in vitro transdermal experiments showed that the accumulated amounts of HA-SMH-Lip-DMNs were(101.47±2.91)μg·cm-2 at 36 hours.Its transdermal ability was better than that of the SMH solution group and SMH liposome group.In vitro cellular uptake results indicated that HA-FITC-Lip-DMNs were more effectively taken up by RAW 264.7 cells(P＜0.01).Compared to the model group,HA-SMH-Lip-DMNs group significantly reduced TNF-α,IL-1β,and NO levels while increase IL-10 levels(P＜0.01).Conclusion The prepared HA-SMH-Lip-DMNs have a complete and beautiful morphology with excellent cellular uptake capability,remarkable in vitro transdermal performance,and potent anti-inflammatory properties.HA-SMH-Lip-DMNs are expected to become a new type of transdermal drug delivery system.

Background and Aims:There is currently no consensus on whether the pancreaticoduodenectomy with Heidelberg triangle operation(PDTRIANGLE)or the standard radical pancreaticoduodenectomy(PDSTANDARD)is more beneficial for patients with pancreatic cancer,and no large-scale multicenter studies have confirmed this.Therefore,this study was conducted to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of PDTRIANGLE and PDSTANDARD for treating pancreatic cancer through a Meta-analysis. Methods:Relevant literature comparing the two surgical approaches comparing the two surgical approaches for treating pancreatic cancer was screened from Chinese and English databases based on inclusion criteria.The search timeframe extended from the inception of the databases to May 2024,and Review Manager 5.3 software was used for Meta-analysis of the extracted outcome variables. Results:A total of 6 retrospective studies were included,comprising 658 patients,with 315 in the PDTRIANGLE group and 343 in the PDSTANDARD group.The Meta-analysis results showed that the operative time in the PDTRIANGLE group was longer than that in the PDSTANDARD group(OR=1.52,95％CI=0.42-2.61,P=0.007),the lymph node dissection rate was higher in the PDTRIANGLE group(OR=0.70,95％CI=-0.4-1.01,P＜0.000 01),and the R0 resection rate was also higher in the PDTRIANGLE group(OR=1.63,95％CI=1.03-2.58,P=0.04).The incidence rates of postoperative lymphatic fistula and diarrhea were higher in the PDTRIANGLE group compared to the PDSTANDARD group(OR=5.60,95％CI=1.81-17.29,P=0.003;OR=0.13,95％CI=0.07-0.20,P＜0.000 1).The length of hospital stay was longer in the PDTRIANGLE group(OR=0.40;95％CI=-0.14-0.65,P=0.003).The overall survival rates at 1 and 2 years were significantly better in the PDTRIANGLE group compared to the PDSTANDARD group(OR=2.19,95％CI=-1.27-3.76,P=0.005;OR=1.65,95％CI=-1.01-2.67,P=0.04),and the 1-year disease-free survival rate was also significantly higher in the PDTRIANGLE group(OR=3.71,95％CI=2.27-6.07,P＜0.000 01),although the difference in the 2-year disease-free survival rate between the two groups was not statistically significant(OR=2.63,95％CI=-0.91-7.59,P=0.07). Conclusion:PDTRIANGLE is a safe and effective treatment for pancreatic cancer.Compared to PDSTANDARD,PDTRIANGLE significantly improves the R0 resection rate,thereby enhancing the postoperative disease-free survival rate and achieving a better long-term prognosis.

Objective:To explore the association between child abuse and suicidal ideation in patients with bi-polar disorder.The mediation of self-esteem and depression in this association was also investigated.Methods:A to-tal of 292 patients with bipolar disorder who met the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,Fifth Edition(DSM-5)were enrolled.Their child abuse,suicidal ideation,self-esteem,depres-sion,and mania were assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire(CTQ),Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation-Chinese Version(BSICV),Self-Esteem Scale(SES),17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HAMD-17)and Young Mania Rating Scale(YMRS).The mediating effects were evaluated using PROCESS for SPSS.Results:The BSICV scores were positively associated with the scores of CTQ(r=0.37,P＜0.01)and HAMD-17(r=0.53,P＜0.01)and negatively associated with SES scores(r=-0.50,P＜0.01)in patients with bipolar disorder.Self-esteem and depression played mediating roles between child abuse and suicidal ideation,respectively(95％CI:0.01-0.09,0.01-0.10).Besides,self-esteem and depression sequentially mediated the relationship between child a-buse and suicidal ideation(95％CI:0.02-0.06).Conclusion:Child abuse,low self-esteem,and depression may be related factors of suicidal ideation in patients with bipolar disorder.

The stenosis and embolization of internal fistula vessels directly affect the clinical treatment effect of maintenance hemodialysis patients, and the study of the mechanism of internal fistula stenosis has become a research hotspot in recent years. Previous studies mainly focused on the hemodynamics and pathophysiology of blood vessel wall, and there were few studies on molecular biology and its related signaling pathways. This paper reviews the hemodynamics of the vascular pathway of internal arteriovenous fistula (AVF), the pathophysiological mechanism, molecular biology, and changes in various signaling pathways of AVF dysfunction at home and abroad, in order to provide references for the study of AVF dysfunction.

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) among acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases in 16 provinces of China from 2009 to 2023.Methods:The data of this study were collected from the ARI surveillance data from 16 provinces in China from 2009 to 2023, with a total of 28 278 ARI cases included in the study. The clinical specimens from ARI cases were screened for HRSV nucleic acid from 2009 to 2023, and differences in virus detection rates among cases of different age groups, regions, and months were analyzed.Results:A total of 28 278 ARI cases were enrolled from January 2009 to September 2023. The age of the cases ranged from<1 month to 112 years, and the age M ( Q1, Q3) was 3 years (1 year, 9 years). Among them, 3 062 cases were positive for HRSV nucleic acid, with a total detection rate of 10.83%. From 2009 to 2019, the detection rate of HRSV was 9.33%, and the virus was mainly prevalent in winter and spring. During the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the detection rate of HRSV fluctuated between 6.32% and 18.67%. There was no traditional winter epidemic peak of HRSV from the end of 2022 to the beginning of 2023, and an anti-seasonal epidemic of HRSV occurred from April to May 2023. About 87.95% (2 693/3 062) of positive cases were children under 5 years old, and the difference in the detection rate of HRSV among different age groups was statistically significant ( P<0.001), showing a decreasing trend of HRSV detection rate with the increase of age ( P<0.001). Among them, the HRSV detection rate (25.69%) was highest in children under 6 months. Compared with 2009-2019, the ranking of HRSV detection rates in different age groups changed from high to low between 2020 and 2023, with the age M (Q1, Q3) of HRSV positive cases increasing from 1 year (6 months, 3 years) to 2 years (11 months, 3 years). Conclusion:Through 15 years of continuous HRSV surveillance analysis, children under 5 years old, especially infants under 6 months old, are the main high-risk population for HRSV infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence and patterns of HRSV in China have changed.

Objective To explore the pathogenesis of cesarean scar pregnancy(CSP)by detecting the ex-pression of transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),and connec-tive tissue growth factor(CTGF)the decidua tissue of cesarean scar and the decidual tissue of uterine cavity of CSP,and the decidua tissue of cesarean scar and the decidual tissue of uterine cavity of normal pregnancy after cesarean section.Methods Decidual tissues of totally 120 cases of CSP group and 120 cases of normal preg-nancy group after induced abortion at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Guizhou Medical Uni-versity Affiliated Hospital were collected.The expression of TGF-β1,CTGF,and TGF and VEGF in decidual tissue was detected using immunohistochemistry.Results The expression of TGF-β1 and CTGF in the decid-ual tissue of cesarean scar in the CSP group was higher than that in the decidual tissue of uterine cavity in the CSP group and the decidua tissue of cesarean scar in the normal pregnancy group,and the differences were sta-tistically significant(P＜0.05).The expression of VEGF the decidua tissue of cesarean scar in the CSP group was not significantly different from that in the decidual tissue of uterine cavity in the CSP group and the decid-ua tissue of cesarean scar in the normal pregnancy group(P＞0.05).TGF-β1 in the decidual tissue was posi-tively correlated with CTGF(r=0.910,P＜0.05),and TGF-β1 and VEGF had no correlation(r=-0.032,P＞0.05).Conclusion The high expression of TGF-β1 and CTGF in decidual tissue of cesarean scar of CSP may be a high risk factor for CSP,and measures should be taken to inhibit the production of TGF-β1 and CT-GF in cesarean scar,so as to open up a new way to prevent the occurrence of CSP.