Objective: To investigate the effect of Guangdong Shenqu (GSQ) on intestinal flora structure in mice with food stagnation through 16S rDNA sequencing. Methods: Mice were randomly assigned to control, model, GSQ low-dose (GSQL), GSQ medium-dose (GSQM), GSQ high-dose (GSQH), and lacidophilin tablets (LAB) groups, with each group containing 10 mice. A food stagnation and internal heat mouse model was established through intragastric administration of a mixture of beeswax and olive oil (1:15). The control group was administered normal saline, and the model group was administered beeswax and olive oil to maintain a state. The GSQL (2 g/kg), GSQM (4 g/kg), GSQH (8 g/kg), and LAB groups (0.625 g/kg) were administered corresponding drugs for 5 d. After administration, 16S rDNA sequencing was performed to assess gut microbiota in mouse fecal samples. Results: The model group exhibited significant intestinal flora changes. Following GSQ administration, the abundance and diversity index of the intestinal flora increased significantly, the number of bacterial species was regulated, and α and β diversity were improved. GSQ administration increased the abundance of probiotics, including Clostridia, Lachnospirales, and Lactobacillus, whereas the abundance of conditional pathogenic bacteria, such as Allobaculum, Erysipelotrichaceae, and Bacteroides decreased. Functional prediction analysis indicated that the pathogenesis of food stagnation and GSQ intervention were primarily associated with carbohydrate, lipid, and amino acid metabolism, among other metabolic pathways. Conclusion The digestive mechanism of GSQ may be attributed to its role in restoring diversity and abundance within the intestinal flora, thereby improving the composition and structure of the intestinal flora in mice and subsequently influencing the regulation of metabolic pathways.

ObjectiveTo study the effect and mechanism of Linggui Zhugantang in treating chronic bronchitis （CB） induced by exposure to cigarette smoke combined with tracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide （LPS）. MethodSixty SPF-grade SD rats were randomly divided into normal， model， dexamethasone （1 mg·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose （30.06， 15.03， 7.515 g·kg^-1， respectively） Linggui Zhugantang groups by the body weight stratification method， with 10 rats in each group. Each group was administrated with 200 μL LPS （1 g·L^-1） by tracheal instillation on days 1 and 14， respectively， while the normal group was administrated with an equal volume of normal saline. Except the normal group， the other groups were exposed to cigarette smoke on days 2-13 and 15-30 （10 cigarettes/time/30 min， twice/day） for the modeling of CB. The rats were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage for 30 consecutive days from day 2 of modeling， and the mental status， behavior， and body weights of the rats were observed and measured. The wet/dry mass ratio （W/D） of the left lung was measured 30 days after modeling. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to observe the pathological changes in the lung and bronchial tissues. The bronchial mucus secretion and goblet cell proliferation were observed by Alcian blue-periodic acid Schiff （AB-PAS） staining. The levels of mucin 5AC （MUC5AC）， interleukin （IL）-13， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α in the serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of phospholipase A2 （PLA2）， transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 1 （TRPV1）， and transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 （TRPA1） in the lung tissue was quantitatively analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showcased abnormal mental status and behaviors， bloody secretion in the nose and mouth， the mortality rate of 40%， decreased body weight， severe lung bronchial structure damage， a large number of inflammatory mediators and inflammatory cell infiltration in the tube wall， hyperemia， edema， and fibroplasia， massive proliferation of goblet cells， excessive secretion and accumulation of mucus， stenosis and deformation of the lumen， and aggravation of pulmonary edema （P<0.01）. In addition， the model group had higher levels of MUC5AC， IL-13， IL-6， and TNF-α in the serum and higher expression of PLA2 in the lung tissue than the normal group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the medication groups showed normal mental status and behaviors， reduced mortality rate， stable weight gain， reduced lung and bronchial injuries， decreased goblet cell proliferation and mucus secretion， and alleviated pulmonary edema （P<0.01）. Furthermore， Linggui Zhugantang lowered the levels of MUC5AC， IL-13， IL-6， and TNF-α in the serum and down-regulated the protein levels of PLA2， TRPV1， and TRPA1 in the lung tissue （P<0.01）. ConclusionLinggui Zhugantang can reduce the pulmonary inflammation and airway mucus hypersecretion in the rat model of chronic bronchitis. It may exert the effects of reducing inflammation and resolving phlegm by regulating the PLA2-TRPV1/TRPA1 pathway.

Anti N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a rare autoimmune encephalitis, and its diverse etiology and clinical manifestations have attracted attention. However, the etiology and pathogenesis of anti NMDAR encephalitis are not yet fully understood, and its diagnosis and treatment still have certain limitations. This review mainly explores the environmental genetic factors that drive the occurrence of diseases and the biological indicators that are beneficial for diagnosis. It also elaborates on the current immune regulation and emerging treatment pathways, points out potential targeted interventions, and looks forward to the challenges and future development directions they face.

Anti γ-aminobutyric acid B receptor encephalitis is a type of autoimmune encephalitis characterized by the production of self specific antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid and/or serum, with seizures, memory loss, and consciousness disorders as the main clinical manifestations. This type of encephalitis caused by autoantibodies has the same pathological characteristics as other peripheral encephalitis. There are many different etiologies and pathophysiological processes that lead to the occurrence of limbic encephalitis, and it is necessary to understand their heterogeneity in order to find effective treatment methods. This article will systematically review the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of anti γ-aminobutyric acid B receptor encephalitis, aiming to enhance clinical doctors' understanding of this disease and provide reference for clinical decision-making.

Purpose To explore the application of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in evaluating the local muscle microcirculation before and after acupuncture at Zusanli point in normal people.Materials and Methods A total of 72 healthy volunteers who visited the Department of Ultrasound,the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from September 2018 to May 2020 were prospectively collected,all subjects performed ultrasound contrast before acupuncture,acupuncture with strongest deqi,and two hours after acupuncture to observe the blood flow perfusion of the microvessels in the tibialis anterior muscle.The pre-selected areas of interest the small arteries,muscle tissues and venules in the middle were analyzed to obtain the time-intensity curve and contrast transit time(CTTs)perfusion parameters.Needle sensation was evaluated using objective scoring criteria for acupuncture combined with moxibustion recipients.Gastrin,plasma gastrin,cholecystokinin,and secretin were measured in all subjects before acupuncture,when acupuncture had the strongest deqi,and two hours after acupuncture.Results ①CTTs of arterial-muscle,muscle-venous and arterial-venous of the tibialis anterior muscle at acupuncture with strongest deqi were significantly shorter than those at before acupuncture and two hours after acupuncture(all P<0.001),and there was no significant difference in CTTs before and after acupuncture and moxibustion(P>0.05);②when acupuncture deqi was strongest,serum gastrin,plasma prokinetics,cholecystokinin,and secretin were significantly increased compared with those before acupuncture and two hours after acupuncture,with statistically significant difference(all P<0.001),while there was no significant difference in these parameters between before acupuncture and two hours after acupuncture(P>0.05);③when acupuncture had the strongest deqi,there were positive correlations between gastrin,plasma prokinetic hormone,cholecystokinin,and secretin values and CTTs of arterial-muscle,muscle-venous,and arterial-venous(r=0.360-0.702,P<0.001).Conclusion Acupuncture of the Zusanli,when it gains the strongest deqi,can cause changes in the microcirculation around the skeletal muscle,leading to a significant shortening of CTTs,and also promotes the secretory function of the gastrointestinal tract.

C1 gases including CO, CO₂ and CH₄, are mainly derived from terrestrial biological activities, industrial waste gas and gasification syngas. Particularly, CO₂ and CH₄ are two of the most important greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. Bioconversion of C1 gases is not only a promising solution to addressing the problem of waste gases emission, but also a novel route to produce fuels or chemicals. In the past few years, C1-gas-utilizing microorganisms have drawn much attention and a variety of gene-editing technologies have been applied to improve their product yields or to expand product portfolios. This article reviewed the biological characteristics, aerobic or anaerobic metabolic pathways as well as the metabolic products of methanotrophs, autotrophic acetogens, and carboxydotrophic bacteria. In addition, gene-editing technologies (e.g. gene interruption technology using homologous recombination, group Ⅱ intron ClosTron technology, CRISPR/Cas gene editing and phage recombinase-mediated efficient integration of large DNA fragments) and their application in these C1-gas-utilizing microorganisms were also summarized.
Gene Editing ; Gases ; Carbon Dioxide ; Genetic Engineering ; Cloning, Molecular

Fear memory contextualization is critical for selecting adaptive behavior to survive. Contextual fear conditioning (CFC) is a classical model for elucidating related underlying neuronal circuits. The primary visual cortex (V1) is the primary cortical region for contextual visual inputs, but its role in CFC is poorly understood. Here, our experiments demonstrated that bilateral inactivation of V1 in mice impaired CFC retrieval, and both CFC learning and extinction increased the turnover rate of axonal boutons in V1. The frequency of neuronal Ca²⁺ activity decreased after CFC learning, while CFC extinction reversed the decrease and raised it to the naïve level. Contrary to control mice, the frequency of neuronal Ca²⁺ activity increased after CFC learning in microglia-depleted mice and was maintained after CFC extinction, indicating that microglial depletion alters CFC learning and the frequency response pattern of extinction-induced Ca²⁺ activity. These findings reveal a critical role of microglia in neocortical information processing in V1, and suggest potential approaches for cellular-based manipulation of acquired fear memory.
Mice ; Animals ; Primary Visual Cortex ; Extinction, Psychological/physiology* ; Learning/physiology* ; Fear/physiology* ; Hippocampus/physiology*

Objective:To analyze the correlation between the muscle thickness (MT) and echo intensity (EI) of the medial head of gastrocnemius and muscle mass, strength and functional parameters, and to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of MT and EI for decreased muscle mass.Methods:Fifty-two subjects who visited the Department of Ultrasound Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from March to December 2021 were collected.MT of the medial head of gastrocnemius was measured by two-dimensional ultrasound, and EI values in the region of interest were analyzed using Image J software. Twenty of the subjects were selected to assess the intra-observer and inter-observer agreements in measuring MT and EI values using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Altman-Bland analysis was performed. The subjects were divided into healthy control group (30 cases) and decreased muscle mass group (22 cases) according to 2019 Asian Sarcopenia Working Group (AWGS) diagnostic criteria, the differences in MT and EI values between the two groups were compared, and the correlation between MT, EI values and muscle mass, strength, function were analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis. The diagnostic cutoff values of MT and EI values for decreased muscle mass were obtained using ROC curves, and the diagnostic efficacy was compared.Results:①The ICC of MT and EI in medial head of gastrocnemius detected by the same physician and different physicians were greater than 0.97, and the retest reliability was good. ②Compared with the healthy control group, the MT value in medial head of gastrocnemius decreased and the EI value increased in the decreased muscle mass group ( t=4.759, -3.789; all P<0.001). ③The MT value in medial head of gastrocnemius was positively correlated with appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM), appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), lower limb skeletal muscle mass (LLSM), grip strength, and gait speed ( r=0.579, 0.568, 0.585, 0.495, 0.415; all P<0.001), of which, the correlation with LLSM was the best; ④EI in medial head of gastrocnemius was negatively correlated with ASM and ASMI, LLSM, grip strength, and gait speed, ( r=-0.583, -0.591, -0.590, -0.537, -0.455; all P<0.001), and among which the correlation with ASMI was the best. ⑤The medial head of gastrocnemius MT and EI were 14.33 mm and 58.85 for predicting decreased muscle mass, respectively, and there was no significant difference in the diagnostic performance of the two for decreased muscle mass ( Z=0.734 3, P>0.05). Conclusions:The MT and EI values of the medial head of gastrocnemius can accurately assess muscle mass and can be used in the evaluation of patients with decreased muscle mass.

Objective To evaluate early skeletal muscle myopathy with contrast‐enhanced ultrasound ( CEUS) in diabetic rabbits . Methods Alloxan ( 100 mg/kg ) was given intravenously to 11 New Zealand w hite rabbits . Another 5 age‐matched normal rabbits were used as controls .CEUS was performed at baseline and 1 ,2 ,3 months after the establishment of diabetes ,respectively . T hen ,skeletal muscle samples were obtained for pathological observation . Additionally ,the diabetic rabbits were divided into 3 groups according to their pathologic findings : mild , moderate , and severe myopathy group . M icro‐perfusion parameters ,including artery‐to‐vein transit time ( A‐VT T ) ,muscle tissue mean transit time ( M‐M T T ) and muscle tissue peak intensity ( M‐PI) were calculated . Results T he diabetic rabbits exhibited a lower body weight increase and a decrease of muscle thickness .Plasma levels of triglyceride ,cholesterol and creatinine were significantly higher in diabetic group than those in control group ( P ＜0 .05) . T he A‐V T T and M‐M T T values of the diabetic rabbits significantly increased over time ( all P ＜ 0 .05 ) ,whereas M‐PI value significantly decreased compared with that in control group ( P ＝ 0 .013 ) . Besides ,the A‐V T T value was significantly higher in severe myopathy group than that in mild group ( P ＝0 .001) . T he M‐M T T values in both moderate and severe groups were significantly higher w hen compared to that in mild group ( all P ＜0 .05) . T he A‐VT T and M‐M T T values were correlated with the severity of diabetic myopathy( e＝0 .898 , P ＜0 .001 ;e＝ 0 .527 , P ＝ 0 .01 ) . Conclusions Diabetic rabbits have defective skeletal muscle micro‐ perfusion in the early stage . CEUS can quantify impaire muscle microcirculation ,and is a valuable tool for assessment of diabetic myopathy .

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (oxaliplatin +capecitabine,XELOX) for the resectable locally advanced adenocarcinoma of esophageal-gastric junction (AEG).Methods The prospective study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 106 locally advanced AEG patients who were admitted to the Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College from January 2011 to December 2014 were collected.All the patients were divided into the treatment group and control group by single blind,randomized,controlled random number table.Patients underwent preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy (XELOX) + surgery + postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (XELOX) in the treatment group and surgery + postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (XELOX) in the control group.Total gastrectomy + Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy + D2 lymphadenectomy were applied to patients by the same team of doctors.Observation indicators:(1) treatment situations;(2) results of postoperative pathological examination;(3) follow-up and survival situations.Follow-up using outpatient examination was performed to detect the postoperative tumor recurrence or metastasis and patients' survival up to February 2017.Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as (-x)±s,and comparisons between groups were evaluated with the t test.Measurement data with skewed distribution were described as M (range) and analyzed by the nonparametric test.Comparisons of count data were analyzed using the chi-square test.The ordinal data were compared using the nonparametric test.Survival rate and curve were respectively calculated and drawn by the Kaplan-Meier method and survivals were compared using the Long-rank method.Results One hundred and six patients were screened for eligibility,including 54 in the treatment group and 52 in the control group.(1) Treatment situations:① preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy:54 in the treatment group received 2-4 cycle neoadjuvant chemotherapy.During the chemotherapy,gastrointestinal reaction,grade 1-2 granulocytopenia,elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) and grade 3 granulocytopenia were detected in 21,17,8,1 patients,and 7 patients had no adverse reaction.The complete response(CR),partial response (PR),stable disease (SD) and progressive disease (PD) of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment group were detected in 4,27,20 and 3 patients,respectively.Of 54 patients in the treatment group,4,13,25 and 12 were in grade 0,1,2 and 3 of response to preoperative chemotherapy,respectively.② Surgical situations:preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the treatment and control groups were respectively 4.71 μg/L (range,0.20-36.19 μg/L) and 14.09 μg/L (range,0.71-178.20 μg/L),with a statistically significant difference between groups (Z =-1.92,P＜ 0.05).All patients underwent total gastrectomy + Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy + D2 lymphadenectomy.Operation time in the treatment and control groups were respectively (210± 31) minutes and (195 ±26) minutes,with a statistically significant difference between groups (t =-2.45,P ＜ 0.05).Volume of intraoperative blood loss,cases with intraoperative blood transfusion,time to postoperative anal exsufflation,time to defecation,time for initial diet intake,cases with postoperative complications and duration of hospital stay were respectively (216± 172) mL,6,(4.3± 1.0) days,(4.5±0.8)days,(3.1±0.5)days,11,(15.0±5.0)days in the treatment group and (174±108)mL,4,(4.2± 1.0) days,(4.4± 0.8) days,(3.1 ± 0.5) days,15,(15.0± 5.0) days,with no statistically significant difference between groups (t=-1.01,x2 =0.36,t=-0.31,-0.88,-0.36,x2 =1.03,t=-0.38,P＞0.05).③Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy:all the patients completed the postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.The granulocytopenia,elevated ALT and gastrointestinal reaction occurred in 25,5,28 patients in the treatment group and 21,7,30 patients in the control group,respectively,with no statistically significant difference between groups (x2 =0.38,0.47,0.36,P＞0.05).Some of the patients were merged with multiple adverse reactions.(2) Results of postoperative pathological examination:maximum tumor dimension,cases with lymphovascular invasion,perineural invasion,T0,T2,T3,T4 (T stage),stage 0,Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ1 (TNM stage) were respectively (3.6±1.4)cm,5,10,4,10,20,20,4,7,15,28 in the treatment group and (4.5±1.7)cm,24,30,0,2,13,37,0,1,12,39 in the control group,with statistically significant differences between groups (t=-2.88,x2 =18.14,17.30,Z=14.74,8.13,P＜0.05).(3) Follow-up and survival situations:of 54 patients in the treatment group,52 were followed up for 4-72 months,with a median time of 32 months;of 52 patients in the control group,49 were followed up for 5-71 months,with a median time of 36 months.The postoperative diseasefree survival time,1-,3-and 5-year tumor-free survival rates,postoperative overall survival time and 1-,3-and 5-year overall survival rates were respectively 26 months (range,3-72 months),79.5％,64.7％,61.3％,27 months (range,5-72 months),88.3％,69.2％ and 62.1％ in the treatment group.Seventeen patients had tumor recurrence,including 2 with intraperitoneal local recurrence and 15 with distant metastasis.The postoperative disease-free survival time,1-,3-and 5-year tumor-free survival rates,postoperative overall survival time and 1-,3-and 5-year overall survival rates were respectively 33 months (range,2-71 months),89.7％,55.4％,55.4％,33 months (range,5-71 months),91.8％,72.1％ and 59.7％ in the control group.Nineteen patients had tumor recurrence,including 8 with intraperitoneal local recurrence and 11 with distant metastasis.There was no statistically significant difference in disease-free survival and overall survival between groups (x2 =0.018,0.596,P＞0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in cases with local recurrence between groups (x2=4.41,P＜ 0.05) The tumor-free survival time and overall survival time in the treatment group were respectively 29 months (range,8-72 months),38 months (range,10-72 months) in 31 patients with CR and PR and 11 months (range,3-68 months),18 months (range,4-68 months) in 23 patients with SD and PD,showing statistically significant differences in tumor-free and overall survival times (x2=5.27,7.72,P＜0.05).Concluslon Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with oxaliplatin and capecitabine is safe and effective for patients with the resectable locally advanced AEG,it can also decrease tumor stage and reduce local recurrence,but fail to demonstrate a survival benefit.