To study the ameliorative effect of Eucommiae Cortex extract on spatial learning disabilities in APP/PS1 double-transgenic mice and explore its relationship with estrogen receptor β(ERβ)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK) signaling pathway, sixty 3-month-old male APP/PS1 mice were randomly divided into a model group, an anti-brain failure capsule group(0.585 g·kg~(-1)), a donepezil hydrochloride group(0.65 mg·kg~(-1)), and a Eucommiae Cortex extract group(1.3 g·kg~(-1)), and 15 C57BL/6 mice of the same genetic background were set as WT control group. The learning and memory ability of mice was assessed by the Morris water maze test(MWM), the passive avoidance test(PAT), and the novel object recognition test(NOR). The histomorphological and cellular ultrastructural features of the hippocampal region of the mice were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy(TEM); the molecular docking validation of the key active ingredients and the key targets was performed by using AutoDock Vina software, and the immunohistochemical method(IHC) was used to detect the ERβ expression in the dentate gyrus(DG) area of mouse hippocampus. Western blot(WB) was utilized to detect the expression of ERβ, p-JNK, and JNK in mouse hippocampal area. Compared with those in the WT control group, the results of behavioral experiments showed that the latency of the mice in the model group was significantly increased, the number of platform traversals, and the target quadrant residence time were significantly decreased in the MWM. The evasion latency was significantly reduced, and the number of errors was significantly increased in the PAT. The index of recognition of novel objects was significantly reduced in the NOR. The results of HE staining indicated that the hippocampal area of mice in the model group showed a decrease in the number of neurons, disorganization of pyramidal cell arrangement, nucleus consolidation, and other changes. TEM results showed that some neuronal nuclei in the hippocampal area had a consolidated state, slightly thickened and aberrant nuclear membranes, and fewer intracytoplasmic nidus bodies; the IHC results showed that the expression of ERβ in the hippocampal DG area of the mice was reduced. The WB results showed that the ERβ expression in the hippocampal tissue was decreased, and the p-JNK/JNK level was elevated. Compared with the model group, the Eucommiae Cortex extract group showed a significant decrease in latency, and increase in number of platform traversals and target quadrant residence time in the MWM, a significant increase in evasion latency and decrease in number of errors in the PAT, and a significant increase in the index of recognition of novel objects in the NOR. In addition, there was an increase in the number of neurons in the hippocampal area of mice. The pyramidal cells tended to be arranged in an orderly manner; the nuclei of neurons in the hippocampal area were in a better state; the expression of ERβ in the hippocampal DG area of the mice was elevated; the expression of ERβ in the hippocampal tissue was elevated, and the level of p-JNK/JNK was reduced. The effects of donepezil hydrochloride group and anti-brain failure capsule on APP/PS1 mice in terms of behavioral, HE, and TEM indexes were similar to those of Eucommiae Cortex extract, and there was no significant difference between donepezil hydrochloride group and the model group in IHC and WB experiments, and the results of molecular docking indicated that the estrogen-like components in Eucommiae Cortex extract were tightly bound to ERβ. In conclusion, the binding of Eucommiae Cortex extract to estrogen receptors, regulation of ERβ expression, and activation of ERβ/JNK signaling pathway may be one of the key mechanisms by which it improves the learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 mice.
Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Memory/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Estrogen Receptor beta/genetics* ; Eucommiaceae/chemistry* ; Alzheimer Disease/psychology* ; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor/metabolism* ; Presenilin-1/metabolism* ; Humans ; MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Maze Learning/drug effects* ; Learning/drug effects*

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical value of CD4⁺ cell percentage (CD4⁺%) and NK cell percentage (NK%) in predicting treatment outcomes in children with aplastic anemia (AA), providing a reference for precise diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed the clinical data of AA children treated with cyclosporine A at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2019 to April 2024. The study involved 48 AA children as the observation group and 50 children undergoing medical check-ups during the same period as the control group. Lymphocyte subset data were collected from both groups to analyze differences and their relationship with treatment efficacy. Based on hematological responses, the observation group was divided into an effective group of 18 patients (HR group, including complete and partial remission) and an ineffective group of 30 patients (NHR group, including non-remission). RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed that NK% in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The observation group was followed up for 3 months. The HR group had a lower CD4⁺% than the NHR group (P=0.018) and a higher NK% than the NHR group (P=0.029). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that a high CD4⁺% was a risk factor for poor treatment efficacy (OR=1.062), whereas a high NK% was a protective factor (OR=0.820). The area under the curve for the prediction of HR in pediatric AA by combining CD4⁺% and NK% was 0.812. CONCLUSIONS A higher CD4⁺% at diagnosis is a predictor of poor treatment response, whereas a higher NK% is associated with better outcomes.
Humans ; Anemia, Aplastic/blood* ; Male ; Female ; Killer Cells, Natural ; Child ; Retrospective Studies ; Child, Preschool ; Prognosis ; Adolescent ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; Infant

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of single-balloon and double-balloon enteroscopy in diagnosing pediatric small bowel diseases and assess the diagnostic efficacy of computed tomography enterography (CTE) for small bowel diseases using enteroscopy as the reference standard. METHODS: Clinical data from 576 children who underwent enteroscopy at Hunan Children's Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023 were retrospectively collected. The children were categorized based on enteroscopy type into the single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) group (n=457) and double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) group (n=119), and the clinical data were compared between the two groups. The sensitivity and specificity of CTE for diagnosing small bowel diseases were evaluated using enteroscopy results as the standard. RESULTS: Among the 576 children, small bowel lesions were detected by enteroscopy in 274 children (47.6%).There was no significant difference in lesion detection rates or complication rates between the SBE and DBE groups (P>0.05), but the DBE group had deeper insertion, longer procedure time, and higher complete small bowel examination rate (P<0.05). The complication rate during enteroscopy was 4.3% (25/576), with 18 cases (3.1%) of mild complications and 7 cases (1.2%) of severe complications, which improved with symptomatic treatment, surgical, or endoscopic intervention. Among the 412 children who underwent CTE, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases were 44.4% and 71.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS SBE and DBE have similar diagnostic efficacy for pediatric small bowel diseases, but DBE is preferred for suspected deep small bowel lesions and comprehensive small bowel examination. Enteroscopy in children demonstrates relatively good overall safety. CTE demonstrates relatively low sensitivity but comparatively high specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases.
Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Double-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data* ; Single-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Operative Time ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/statistics & numerical data* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Intestine, Small/surgery* ; Intestinal Diseases/surgery*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the causal relationship between Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) using Mendelian randomization (MR), as well as the association between Hp infection and chronic ITP (cITP) through a clinical study. METHODS: The datasets from genome-wide association studies were used to select the single nucleotide polymorphism loci significantly associated with Hp infection as genetic instrumental variables. The MR analysis model was used to investigate the causal relationship between ITP and Hp infection. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical data of 316 children with newly diagnosed ITP at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2020 to December 2023. The children were followed up for 1 year, and a multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for cITP. RESULTS: The inverse variance weighted analysis revealed that Hp infection was significantly associated with an increased risk of ITP (OR=1.280, 95%CI: 1.098-1.492, P=0.002). There was no heterogeneity or pleiotropy in this MR study (P>0.05), and the model was stable. The "leave-one-out" sensitivity analysis verified the reliability of the results. The multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that Hp infection was an independent risk factor for progression to cITP (OR=7.916, 95%CI: 3.327-18.832, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Hp infection is a risk factor for the onset of ITP and is an independent risk factor for cITP in children.
Humans ; Helicobacter Infections/complications* ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic/etiology* ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Helicobacter pylori ; Prognosis ; Child, Preschool ; Logistic Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Adolescent ; Infant

OBJECTIVE: This study reports the first imported case of Lassa fever (LF) in China. Laboratory detection and molecular epidemiological analysis of the Lassa virus (LASV) from this case offer valuable insights for the prevention and control of LF. METHODS: Samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood, urine, saliva, and environmental materials were collected from the patient and their close contacts for LASV nucleotide detection. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on positive samples to analyze the genetic characteristics of the virus. RESULTS: LASV was detected in the patient's CSF, blood, and urine, while all samples from close contacts and the environment tested negative. The virus belongs to the lineage IV strain and shares the highest homology with strains from Sierra Leone. The variability in the glycoprotein complex (GPC) among different strains ranged from 3.9% to 15.1%, higher than previously reported for the seven known lineages. Amino acid mutation analysis revealed multiple mutations within the GPC immunogenic epitopes, increasing strain diversity and potentially impacting immune response. CONCLUSION The case was confirmed through nucleotide detection, with no evidence of secondary transmission or viral spread. The LASV strain identified belongs to lineage IV, with broader GPC variability than previously reported. Mutations in the immune-related sites of GPC may affect immune responses, necessitating heightened vigilance regarding the virus.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Genome, Viral ; Lassa Fever/virology* ; Lassa virus/classification* ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Phylogeny

Objective To investigate the application value of 320-slice wide-detector multi-phase left at-rial appendage computed tomography angiography(LAA-CTA)with pulmonary artery(PA)monitoring in the preoperative evaluation of left atrial appendage closure.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 110 patients who underwent LAA-CTA before left atrial appendage closure.Among them,47 patients underwent single-phase enhanced scanning with superior vena cava(SVC)monitoring(con-trol group),and 63 patients underwent multi-phase enhanced scanning with pulmonary artery monitoring(study group).The differences in imaging effects of the left atrial appendage under different monitoring points and phase imaging methods were compared,as well as the accuracy of comparing with the diagnostic results of transesophageal ultrasound(TEE),and the differences in the presentation of thrombus,perithrombus,and hypoperfusion areas in the left atrial appendage.Results The study group could comprehensively display the multi-phase CT value changes of different components(thrombus,peri-thrombotic viscosity,normal blood)within the left atrial appendage cavity,and its evaluation of lesion size and progression was superior to that of the control group.Using TEE as the gold standard,the study group demonstrated better diagnostic ac-curacy for different components and normal regions within the left atrial appendage cavity compared to the control group(P<0.001).Additionally,the study group improved the detection rate of peri-thrombotic vis-cosity,clearly delineated thrombus boundaries,and enhanced diagnostic accuracy(P<0.001).Conclusion Multi-phase LAA-CTA with pulmonary artery monitoring can effectively evaluate the morphological dimensions,thrombus,and peri-thrombotic CT manifestations of the left atrial appendage.It is simple to operate,with an accuracy rate close to the gold standard,providing reliable imaging evidence for preoperative evaluation of left atrial appendage closure.

A method was developed for determination of dilauryl thiodipropionate(DLTDP)in fried foods by coupling solid-phase extraction(SPE)pretreatment with reverse-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(RPLC-MS/MS)detection.Samples were extracted with n-hexane as the solvent,purified using a neutral alumina SPE cartridge,and finally analyzed by RPLC-MS/MS.Quantitative analysis was performed using matrix-matched calibration curves combined with an external standard method under optimal experimental conditions.The results showed that DLTDP exhibited good linearity in the range of 2.0-50.0 μg/L,with a correlation coefficient(R2)≥0.999.The limit of detection(LOD)and the limit of quantification(LOQ)of the method were 0.15 mg/kg and 0.5 mg/kg,respectively.The mean recoveries at three fortification levels(0.5,1.0,and 200 mg/kg)in different samples ranged from 84.8%to 96.8%,with the relative standard deviations(RSDs)all less than 8.0%.The developed method was highly sensitive,accurate and reliable,and easy to operate,making it well suited for the routine quantitative analysis of DLTDP in fried foods.

Interventions for endometriosis(EMs)include surgical excision of lesions and hormonal therapy,which usually have limited efficacy and adverse drug reactions.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has the multi-component and multi-target characteristics,which can help patients achieve good clinical benefits by intervening in different parts of the disease.In this paper,we briefly discuss the modern pharmacology of Sanlang and Curcuma longa,and deeply summarize the possible mechanisms of action of TCM monomer and classical compound extracts and their active ingredients through signal pathways in inflammation,immune system,angiogenesis,hormone regulation,etc.,so as to provide theoretical bases for the clinical use of TCM monomers,drug-to-drug groups and compounds in the treatment of EMs.

ObjectiveHuman Ku70 protein mainly involves the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair of double-stranded DNA breaks (DSB) through its DNA-binding properties, and it is recently reported having an RNA-binding ability. This paper is to explore whether Ku70 has RNA helicase activity and affects miRNA maturation. MethodsRNAs bound to Ku protein were analyzed by RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq) and bioinfomatic anaylsis. The expression relationship between Ku protein and miRNAs was verified by Western blot (WB) and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays. Binding ability of Ku protein to the RNAs was tested by biolayer interferometry (BLI) assay. RNA helicase activity of Ku protein was identified with EMSA assay. The effect of Ku70 regulated miR-124 on neuronal differentiation was performed by morphology analysis, WB and immunofluorescence assays with or without Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. ResultsWe revealed that the Ku70 protein had RNA helicase activity and affected miRNA maturation. Deficiency of Ku70 led to the up-regulation of a large number of mature miRNAs, especially neuronal specific miRNAs like miR-124. The knockdown of Ku70 promoted neuronal differentiation in human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) and SH-SY5Y cells by boosting miR-124 maturation. Importantly, ZIKV infection reduced the expression of Ku70 whereas increased expression of miR-124 in hNPCs, and led to morphologically neuronal differentiation. ConclusionOur study revealed a novel function of Ku70 as an RNA helicase and regulating miRNA maturation. The reduced expression of Ku70 with ZIKV infection increased the expression of miR-124 and led to the premature differentiation of embryonic neural progenitor cells, which might be one of the causes of microcephaly.

Objective To provide a longitudinal evaluation tool based on the frequency of aggressive be-havior for the aggression assessment of schizophrenia patients.Methods The Life History of Aggression was translated and revised to form the Life History of Aggression-Chinese Version(LHA-CV)based on 369 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in the Chengdu community and compulsory medical insti-tution.The reliability of LHA-CV was analyzed by means of split-half reliability,test-retest reliability and inter-evaluator consistency.The validity was analyzed by item analysis,construct validity and crite-rion validity.Results Item analysis found that LHA-CV had good homogeneity and discriminant validity.Exploratory factor analysis found that the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin(KMO)test value was 0.80,and the Bartlett's sphericity test χ2=1203.46(P<0.05),and it revealed four factors including non-physical ag-gression,physical aggression,self-directed aggression and antisocial behavior/consequences.The factor loadings for all 11 items were greater than 0.40.Confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the factor model,Chi-square degree of freedom(χ2/df)was 3.61,root mean square error of approxima-tion(RMSEA)was 0.07,goodness-of-fit index(GFI)was 0.92,comparative fit index(CFI)was 0.90,incremental fit index(IFI)was 0.90,and the discriminant validity of each factor was good.The criterion validity test showed the total score of LHA-CV was positively correlated with the aggressive behavior level of MacArthur Community Violence Instrument,the total score of Buss-Perry Aggression Scale,and the score of Antisocial Personality Disorder Subscale of Personality Diagnostic Question-naire-4th Edition Plus(PDQ-4+_ASPD,P<0.05).The Cronbach's α coefficient of non-physical aggres-sion,physical aggression,self-directed aggression,antisocial behavior/consequences and LHA-CV total score were 0.82,0.73,0.74,0.56 and 0.79,respectively.The test-retest reliability,Spearman-Brown split-half reliability and intra-class correlation coefficient of LHA-CV total score were 0.82(P<0.05),0.66 and 0.99,respectively.Conclusion LHA-CV has good reliability and validity,and can be used as an evaluation tool for longitudinally assessing aggressive behavior in schizophrenia patients.