ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Xu's Shenqiyizhu （SQYZ） decoction combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue （CRF） of stagnated-toxin spleen deficiency type after gastric cancer surgery and explore its possible mechanism. MethodsFifty postoperative gastric cancer patients with CRF of stagnated-toxin spleen deficiency type were selected and randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group by using a random number table，with 25 cases in each group. The control group was treated with FLOT chemotherapy （50 mg·m^-2 docetaxel （iv drip on day 1） + 85 mg·m^-2 oxaliplatin （iv drip on day 1） + 200 mg·m^-2 calcium folinate （iv drip on day 1） + 2 600 mg·m^-2 fluorouracil （iv drip for 24 h on day 1），once every three weeks） and basic and symptomatic supportive treatment. The experimental group was treated with Xu's SQYZ decoction （decocted twice，200 mL taken orally twice a day） in addition to the treatment of the control group. One course of treatment lasted for three weeks，with a total of four courses conducted. Observation was performed on the piper fatigue scale （PFS） scores，karnofsky performance status （KPS） scores，European Organization for Research and Treatment of cancer quality of life questionnaire （EORTC QLQ-C30） scores，traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores，and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α），interferon-γ （IFN-γ），and interleukin-6 （IL-6）detected via enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） before and after treatment in the two groups. The safety test results before and after treatment for the two groups of patients，as well as the occurrence of adverse events during treatment， were recorded. Transcriptome sequencing data of peripheral blood samples from gastric adenocarcinoma patients and normal individuals were downloaded from the gene expression omnibus （GEO） database，and differentially expressed genes between the tumor and normal groups were identified. Differential gene enrichment analysis was made based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） and Gene Ontology （GO）. The CRF relevance scores of genes were retrieved from the GeneCards database. Results① Compared with that before treatment，the total PFS score in the experimental group was significantly reduced （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group after treatment，the experimental group showed significantly reduced total PFS score （P<0.05）. ② Compared with that before treatment，the KPS score in the experimental group decreased significantly （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group after treatment，the experimental group exhibited a significantly decreased KPS score （P<0.05）. The experimental group demonstrated significantly increased functional scores （physical function，role function，emotional function，social function，and overall health） （P<0.05） and significantly reduced symptom scores （fatigue，shortness of breath，loss of appetite，constipation，and diarrhea） of the EORTC QLQ-C30 scale after treatment compared with before treatment. Compared with the control group after treatment，the experimental group presented significantly increased functional scores （physical function，emotional function，social function，and overall health） （P<0.05） and significantly reduced symptom scores （fatigue，nausea and vomiting，shortness of breath，loss of appetite，and diarrhea） of the EORTC QLQ-C30 scale （P<0.05）. Compared with those before treatment，the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores （eating too little and poor digestion，fatigue and weakness，postprandial bloating，abnormal bowel movements，lassitude and weakness，and total score） in the experimental group were significantly reduced （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group after treatment，the experimental group had significantly reduced traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores （eating too little and poor digestion，fatigue and weakness，nausea and vomiting，and sallow complexion） （P<0.05）， which indicated better efficacy in the experimental group than in the control group （χ²=7.996，P<0.05）. The serum levels of TNF-α，IL-6，and IFN-γ were significantly correlated with each other （P<0.01）. Compared with those before treatment，the levels of serum cytokines TNF-α，IL-6，and IFN-γ in the experimental group were significantly reduced （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group after treatment，the experimental group showed significantly reduced serum levels of cytokines TNF-α，IL-6，and IFN-γ （P<0.05）. ③ There were no significant intra-group and inter-group differences in the safety test results of the two groups before and after treatment. During the treatment period，there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups of patients. ④ Compared with the normal group，the tumor group exhibited a total of 328 significantly up-regulated genes in the peripheral blood （P<0.05），and KEGG and GO analyses showed that they were significantly enriched in signaling pathways such as TNF （P<0.05）. ⑤ TNF，IL6，IFNG， and other cytokine encoding genes may be key pathogenic genes for CRF. ConclusionXu's SQYZ decoction can alleviate symptoms such as fatigue in postoperative chemotherapy patients with gastric cancer and improve their functional status and quality of life. Its mechanism may be related to improving cytokine imbalance.

BACKGROUND:Fibromyalgia syndrome,as a common rheumatic disease,is related to central sensitization and immune abnormalities.However,the specific mechanism has not been elucidated,and there is a lack of specific diagnostic markers.Exploring the possible pathogenesis of this disease has important clinical significance. OBJECTIVE:To screen the potential diagnostic marker genes of fibromyalgia syndrome and analyze the possible immune infiltration characteristics based on bioinformatics methods,such as weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA),and machine learning. METHODS:Gene expression profiles in peripheral serum of fibromyalgia syndrome patients and healthy controls were obtained from the gene expression omnibus(GEO)database.The differentially co-expressed genes were screened in the expression profile by differential analysis and WGCNA analysis.Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination(SVM-RFE)machine learning algorithm were further used to identify hub biomarkers,and draw receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)to evaluate the accuracy of diagnosing fibromyalgia syndrome.Finally,single sample gene set enrichment analysis(ssGSEA)and gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA)were used to evaluate the immune cell infiltration and pathway enrichment in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Eight down-regulated differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were obtained after differential analysis of the GSE67311 dataset according to the conditions of log2|(FC)|>0 and P<0.05.After WGCNA analysis,497 genes were included in the module(MEdarkviolet)with the highest positive correlation(r=0.22,P=0.04),and 19 genes were included in the module(MEsalmon2)with the highest negative correlation(r=-0.41,P=6×10-5).After intersecting DEGs and the module genes of WGCNA,seven genes were obtained.Four genes were screened out by LASSO regression algorithm and five genes were screened out by SVM-RFE machine learning algorithm.After the intersection of the two,three core genes were identified,which were germinal center associated signaling and motility like,integrin beta-8,and carboxypeptidase A3.The areas under the ROC curve of the three core genes were 0.744,0.739,and 0.734,respectively,indicating that they have good diagnostic value and can be used as biomarkers for fibromyalgia syndrome.The results of immune infiltration analysis showed that memory B cells,CD56 bright NK cells,and mast cells were significantly down-regulated in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome compared with the control group(P<0.05),and were significantly positively correlated with the above three biomarkers(P<0.05).The enrichment analysis suggested that there were nine fibromyalgia syndrome enrichment pathways,mainly related to olfactory transduction pathway,neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction,and infection pathway.The above results showed that the occurrence and development of fibromyalgia syndrome are related to the involvement of multiple genes,abnormal immune regulation,and multiple pathways imbalance.However,the interactions between these genes and immune cells,as well as their relationships with various pathways need to be further investigated.

AIM: To investigate the effects of insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1)on the secretion of transforming growth factor β2(TGF-β2), matrix metalloproteinase 2(MMP-2)and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α(HIF-1α)in human scleral fibroblasts(HSF)and their mechanism.METHODS: The cells were cultured with IGF-1 and PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitor LY294002, respectively. CCK-8 method was used to detect cell viability and determine the optimal concentration and time of drug action. Cell migration activity was observed by cell scratch method. To determine the effects of IGF-1 on HSF cells and the regulatory role of PI3K/AKT pathway, HSF cells were divided into control group(without drugs), IGF-1(80 μg/L)group, IGF-1+LY294002(80 μg/L+5 mmol/L)group, and LY294002(5 mmol/L)group, and were cultured for 24 h; the protein expression levels of TGF-β2, MMP-2, HIF-1α, PI3K and AKT were detected by Western blot; the fluorescence expression of TGF-β2, MMP-2 and HIF-1α was detected by cellular immunofluorescence.RESULTS: The results of CCK-8 showed that the cell viability of the 80 μg/L IGF-1 group cultured with different concentrations of IGF-1 was the highest(all P<0.05), and the cell viability of the 80 μg/L IGF-1 group at 24 h was the highest under different culture times. Therefore, the concentration of IGF-1 was selected as 80 μg/L for 24 h. The viability of cells cultured with different concentrations of LY294002 gradually decreased from 6 h(all P<0.05). According to the IC50 value, therefore, the concentration of LY294002 was selected as 5 mmol/L for 24 h. The cell scratch results showed that compared with the control group, the cell mobility of 40 μg/L and 80 μg/L IGF-1 groups was increased(all P<0.05). Compared with the control group, cell mobility in the 2.5 and 5 mmol/L LY294002 groups was decreased(all P<0.05). Western blot results showed that compared with the control group, the protein expressions of TGF-β2, MMP-2, HIF-1α, PI3K and AKT in the IGF-1 group were increased, while those in the LY294002 group were decreased(all P<0.05). Compared with the IGF-1 group, the expression levels of TGF-β2, MMP-2, HIF-1α, PI3K and AKT in the IGF-1+LY294002 group were decreased(all P<0.05). The results of cell immunofluorescence showed that compared with the control group, the fluorescence expressions of TGF-β2, MMP-2 and HIF-1α in the IGF-1 group were increased, while those in the LY294002 group were decreased(all P<0.05). Compared with the IGF-1 group, the fluorescence expressions of TGF-β2, MMP-2 and HIF-1α in the IGF-1+LY294002 group were significantly decreased(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION: IGF-1 promoted the proliferation and migration of human HSF. IGF-1 may up-regulate the expression of TGF-β2, MMP-2 and HIF-1α in HSF through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and participate in the occurrence and development of myopia.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of Fu's subcutaneous needling based on "multi-joint muscle spiral balance chain" theory for cervical vertigo (CV) and its effect on blood flow velocity of vertebral artery. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with CV were randomized into a Fu's subcutaneous needling group and a medication group, 30 cases in each one. In the Fu's subcutaneous needling group, Fu's subcutaneous needling was delivered at Dazhui (GV14), the flexible tube was retained for 5 min after sweeping manipulation, and the treatment was given once every other day, 3 times a week for 3 weeks. In the medication group, betahistine mesylate tablet and diclofenac sodium dual-release enteric capsule were taken orally for continuous 3 weeks. Before treatment, after treatment, and in follow-up of one month after treatment completion, the scores of dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were observed; before and after treatment, the blood flow velocity of vertebral artery was measured by transcranial Doppler, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated after treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment and in follow-up, each item scores and total scores of DHI were decreased compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05); the VAS scores after treatment in the two groups, as well as the VAS score in follow-up of the Fu's subcutaneous needling group, were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). In the Fu's subcutaneous needling group, after treatment and in follow-up, the physical scores and the total scores of DHI, and the VAS scores were lower than those in the medication group (P<0.05); in follow-up, the emotional and functional scores of DHI were lower than those in the medication group (P<0.05). After treatment, the mean blood flow velocity (Vm) of the left vertebral artery (LVA) and the right vertebral artery (RVA) was increased compared with that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and the Vm of LVA and RVA in the Fu's subcutaneous needling group was higher than that in the medication group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 100.0% (30/30) in the Fu's subcutaneous needling group, which was superior to 73.3% (22/30) in the medication group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Fu's subcutaneous needling based on the "multi-joint muscle spiral balance chain" theory can effectively alleviate the vertigo and neck pain, and improve the blood flow velocity of vertebral artery in CV patients, and has a long-term therapeutic effect.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Vertebral Artery/physiopathology* ; Adult ; Vertigo/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Treatment Outcome ; Acupuncture Points ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To review clinical application and research progress of different types of intelligent responsive hydrogels in repairing articular cartilage injury. METHODS: The animal experiments and clinical studies of different types of intelligent responsive hydrogels for repairing articular cartilage injury were summarized by reviewing relevant literature at home and abroad. RESULTS: The intrinsic regenerative capacity of articular cartilage following injury is limited. Intelligent responsive hydrogels, including those that are temperature-sensitive, light-sensitive, enzyme-responsive, pH-sensitive, and other stimuli-responsive hydrogels, can undergo phase transitions in response to specific stimuli, thereby achieving optimal functionality. These hydrogels can fill the injured cartilage area, promote the proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes, and expedite the repair of the damaged site. With advancements in cartilage tissue engineering materials research, intelligent responsive hydrogels offer a novel approach and promising potential for the treatment of cartilage injuries. CONCLUSION Intelligent responsive hydrogel is a kind of flexible, controllable, efficient, and stable polymer, which has similar structure and functional properties to articular cartilage, and has become one of the important biomaterials for cartilage repair. However, there is still a lack of unified treatment standards and simple and efficient preparation technology.
Hydrogels/therapeutic use* ; Cartilage, Articular/injuries* ; Tissue Engineering/methods* ; Humans ; Animals ; Chondrocytes/cytology* ; Biocompatible Materials/chemistry* ; Tissue Scaffolds/chemistry*

Objectives:To investigate the value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in the diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) .Methods:The data of 98 patients with suspected pulmonary infection after allo-HSCT who underwent pathogen detection from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid between June 2016 and August 2023 at Nanfang Hospital were analyzed. The diagnostic performance of mNGS, conventional methods, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for PJP were compared.Results:A total of 12 patients were diagnosed with PJP, including 11 with a proven diagnosis and 1 with a probable diagnosis. Among the patients with a proven diagnosis, 1 was positive by both conventional methods and qPCR, and 10 were positive by qPCR only. Pneumocystis jirovecii was detected by mNGS in all 12 patients. The diagnostic sensitivity of mNGS for PJP was 100%, which was greater than that of conventional methods (8.3%, P=0.001) and similar to that of qPCR (91.6%, P=1.000) . A total of 75% of the patients developed mixed pulmonary infections, and cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus were the most common pathogens. Mixed infection was detected in eight patients by mNGS and in five patients by qPCR, but not by conventional methods ( P=0.008) . Conclusions:mNGS had good sensitivity for diagnosing PJP after allo-HSCT and was advantageous for detecting mixed infectious pathogens; therefore, mNGS might be an effective supplement to regular detection methods and qPCR.

Objective To investigate the effects of insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1)on the expression of transfor-ming growth factor β2(TGF-β2)and matrix metalloproteinase 2(MMP-2)in human retinal pigment epithelial cells(ARPE-19)and related mechanisms.Methods ARPE-19 cells were cultured for 6 h,12 h,24 h and 48 h,respectively,with dif-ferent concentrations of IGF-1 and LY294002.The cell viability was detected using the cell counting kit-8 to determine the optimal action concentration and time of IGF-1 and LY294002.The cell migration activity was detected using the cell scratch assay.The concentration of TGF-β2 in cell culture supernatant was detected using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).ARPE-19 cells were divided into the control group,IGF-1 group(80 μg·L-1 IGF-1),IGF-1+LY294002 group(80 μg·L-1 IGF-1+30 mmol·L-1 LY294002),and LY294002 group(30 mmol·L-1 LY294002)and cultured with serum-free DMEM/F12 medium,while cells in the control group received no treatment.The mRNA and protein expression levels of TGF-β2,MMP-2,phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)and protein kinase B(AKT)in the cells were measured using the re-verse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)and Western blot,respectively.Results Compared with the 0μg·L-1 IGF-1 group,the cell viability in the 80 μg·L-1 IGF-1 group changed the most significantly at 24 h(P＜0.05);thus,the optimal concentration of IGF-1 was 80 μg·L-1 and the optimal culture time was 24 h.Compared with the 0 mmol·L-1 LY294002 group,the inhibition concentration in the 30 mmol·L-1 LY294002 group at 24 h was close to half;thus,the optimal concentration of LY294002 was 30 mmol·L-1 and the optimal culture time was 24 h.The cell scratch assay re-sults showed that the cell migration rate was significantly different among the 0 μg·L-1 IGF-1 group,40 μg·L-1 IGF-1 group,and 80 μg·L-1 IGF-1 group(all P＜0.05).ELISA results showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the concentration of TGF-β2 in cell supernatant among the 0 μg·L-1 IGF-1 group,40 μg·L-1 IGF-1 group,and 80 μg·L-1 IGF-1 group(all P＜0.05).RT-PCR and Western blot results showed that after 24 h culture with IGF-1 and LY294002,compared with the control group,the mRNA and protein expression levels of TGF-β2,MMP-2,PI3K and AKT in the IGF-1 group increased,while the mRNA and protein expression levels of TGF-β2,MMP-2,PI3K and AKT in the LY294002 group decreased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the IGF-1 group,the mRNA and protein expression levels of TGF-[32,MMP-2,PI3K and AKT in the IGF-1+LY294002 group decreased(all P＜0.05).Conclusion IGF-1 can promote the proliferation and migration of ARPE-19 cells.IGF-1 may up-regulate the expression of TGF-β2 and MMP-2 in ARPE-19 cells through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and participate in the occurrence and development of myopia.

Objective To explore the effects of metformin on the proliferation,migration,and epithelial-mesenchy-mal transition(EMT)of human lens epithelial cells(LEC)induced by transforming growth factor-β2(TGF-β2).Methods Immortalized human LEC(HLEB-3 cells)was selected as the cell source.Human LEC with a cell fusion degree of 80％was cultured in DMEM low-glucose medium containing 10 mg·L-1 TGF-β2 for 24 hours as the control group.The cells treated with TGF-β2 and then further treated with different concentrations of metformin were used as the experimental group.After treatment,the morphological changes of cells in each group were observed under an inverted microscope.The cytotoxicity was detected by CCK-8 assay,and the cell survival rate was calculated.The expression levels of Yes-associated protein 1(YAP1),large tumor suppressor 1(LATS1),and Vimentin in cells were detected by Western blot.The mRNA ex-pression levels of YAP1,LATS1,mammalian STE20-like kinase 1(MST1),Vimentin,and E-cadherin were detected by re-al-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Results The cytotoxicity test of metformin showed that when the concen-tration of metformin was greater than 15 mmol·L-1,the survival rate of human LEC significantly decreased,indicating that the concentration of metformin had a significant impact on the survival of LEC.Therefore,15 mmol·L-1 was selected for subsequent experiments.Metformin significantly inhibited the proliferation of human LEC induced by TGF-β2 in a dose-dependent manner(P＜0.001).After 24 hours of treatment with 15 mmol·L-1 metformin,the relative expression levels of YAP1 and Vimentin proteins in human LEC were lower than those in the control group(both P＜0.05),while the relative expression level of LATS1 protein was higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05).After 24 hours of treatment with 15 mmol·L-1 metformin,the relative expression levels of YAP1 and Vimentin mRNA in human LEC were lower than those in the control group,while the relative expression levels of LATS1,MST1,and E-cadherin mRNA were higher than those in the control group,with statistically significant differences(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Metformin can inhibit the prolifer-ation,migration and EMT of human LEC induced by TGF-β2 in vitro,downregulate the expression of YAP1 and Vimentin mRNA,and upregulate the expression of LATS1,MST 1 and E-cadherin.The mechanism of action may be related to its ac-tivation of the Hippo signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To optimize hematopoietic stem cell transplantation therapy and provide support for drug research by investigating the dynamic process of hematopoietic and immune system reconstitution after bone marrow transplantation(BMT)in mice.METHODS CD45.2+C57BL/6 mice were used as recipient mice and randomly divided into the normal control group and transplantation group,with 30 mice in each.The transplantation group was irradiated by a lethal dose of cobalt-60 rays.Bone marrow cells were prepared from CD45.1+C57BL/6 mice and transfused into recipient mice through the tail vein.Peripheral blood,spleens,lymph nodes,thymuses and bone marrow were collected at 1,2,4,8 and 16 weeks after transplantation.Blood routine examination was performed with peripheral blood and total cell numbers in suspensions of other organs were counted by an automated cell counter.Cell classification analysis of white blood cells in peripheral blood,cell suspensions of other organs was performed by flow cytometry.RESULTS Four weeks after BMT,the numbers of white blood cells and red blood cells in peripheral blood of recipient mice returned to the same level of or higher level than normal control(P<0.05).Although the number of platelets recovered significantly,it was still mark-edly lower than that of normal control until 16 weeks post BMT(P<0.05).In addition,the percentages of myeloid leukocytes and B cells in peripheral blood,spleens,lymph nodes,and bone marrow,as well as megakaryocytes and erythrocyte progenitor cells in bone marrow also returned to normal,and the majority of myeloid leukocytes and B cells were CD45.1+cells from the donors.Eight weeks after BMT,T cells in peripheral blood,spleens,lymph nodes,thymuses,and bone marrow of recipient mice returned to normal,and CD45.1+T cells were dominating.CONCLUSION The hematopoietic and immune reconstitution of recipient mice is nearly completed eight weeks after BMT.However,the reconstruction speed of different kinds of cells and the reconstruction status of same kind of cell in different organs vary widely.

Objective To explore the short-term and long-term efficacy of arthroscopic surgery,different non-surgical ther-apy and sham operation intervention in the treatment of meniscus related injuries,and to compare their advantages and disadvan-tages,so as to provide guidance for clinical practice.Methods Randomized controlled trials on arthroscopic surgery,meniscecto-my and other surgical and non-surgical treatments for knee meniscus injury were searched in PubMed,Embase,Cochrane Librar-y and Web of Science,and the search time was from its inception to July 2023.Two researchers independently screened the liter-ature according to the established literature ranking criteria,and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool was used to evalu-ate the risk of bias of the included literature,while the PEDro Scale Evaluation Tool was used to evaluate the quality of the liter-ature of the randomized controlled trials,and the collected data were quantitatively analyzed using RevMan 5.3 software.Results From the qualitative analysis,it was clear that surgical therapies might be more appropriately applied to patients without osteo-arthritis and without mechanical symptoms,and that meniscal suture repair surgery had a more favorable long-term outcome compared with traditional partial meniscectomy.Quantitative analysis showed that there was no statistical significance between arthroscopic surgery and other non-surgical therapies in several short and long term efficacy(all P＞0.05).For example,MD=0.15,95％CI:-4.05～4.35,I2=0％in the short-term comparison of Lysholm knee score;MD=-1.30,95％CI:-3.16～0.57,I2=0％;Short-term VAS score MD=-0.18,95％CI:-0.59～0.23,I2=45％;MD=-0.01,95％CI:-0.20～0.19,I2=36％.In addition,in the subgroup analysis of degenerative meniscus injury alone,the difference in clinical efficacy between the two therapies was also not statistically significant(all P＞0.05).Conclusion There is no practical difference between surgi-cal therapy and non-surgical therapy in the short-term and long-term outcomes.For single type injury,such as degenerative me-niscus injury,there is no practical difference between the two therapies.