ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) on the occurrence, development of psoriasis-like inflammation in mice, and the relative immune mechanisms. MethodsHealthy C57BL/6 mice aged 6-8 weeks were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (Control), psoriasis model group (IMQ), and HDAC3 inhibitor RGFP966-treated psoriasis model group (IMQ+RGFP966). One day prior to the experiment, the back hair of the mice was shaved. After a one-day stabilization period, the mice in Control group was treated with an equal amount of vaseline, while the mice in IMQ group was treated with imiquimod (62.5 mg/d) applied topically on the back to establish a psoriasis-like inflammation model. The mice in IMQ+RGFP966 group received intervention with a high dose of the HDAC3-selective inhibitor RGFP966 (30 mg/kg) based on the psoriasis-like model. All groups were treated continuously for 5 d, during which psoriasis-like inflammation symptoms (scaling, erythema, skin thickness), body weight, and mental status were observed and recorded, with photographs taken for documentation. After euthanasia, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to assess the effect of RGFP966 on the skin tissue structure of the mice, and skin thickness was measured. The mRNA and protein expression levels of HDAC3 in skin tissues were detected using reverse transcription real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot (WB), respectively. Flow cytometry was employed to analyze neutrophils in peripheral blood and lymph nodes, CD4⁺ T lymphocytes, CD8⁺ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood, and IL-17A secretion by peripheral blood CD4⁺ T lymphocytes. Additionally, spleen CD4⁺ T lymphocyte expression of HDAC3, CCR6, CCR8, and IL-17A secretion levels were analyzed. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the localization and expression levels of HDAC3, IL-17A, and IL-10 in skin tissues. ResultsCompared with the Control group, the IMQ group exhibited significant psoriasis-like inflammation, characterized by erythema, scaling, and skin wrinkling. Compared with the IMQ group, RGFP966 exacerbated psoriasis-like inflammatory symptoms, leading to increased hyperkeratosis. The psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) skin symptom scores were higher in the IMQ group than those in the Control group, and the scores were further elevated in the IMQ+RGFP966 group compared to the IMQ group. Skin thickness measurements showed a trend of IMQ+RGFP966>IMQ>Control. The numbers of neutrophils in the blood and lymph nodes increased sequentially in the Control, IMQ, and IMQ+RGFP966 groups, with a similar trend observed for CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T lymphocytes in the blood. In skin tissues, compared with the Control group, the mRNA and protein levels of HDAC3 decreased in the IMQ group, but RGFP966 did not further reduce these expressions. HDAC3 was primarily located in the nucleus. Compared with the Control group, the nuclear HDAC3 content decreased in the skin tissues of the IMQ group, and RGFP966 further reduced nuclear HDAC3. Compared with the Control and IMQ groups, RGFP966 treatment decreased HDAC3 expression in splenic CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. RGFP966 treatment increased the expression of CCR6 and CCR8 in splenic CD4⁺ T cells and enhanced IL-17A secretion by peripheral blood and splenic CD4⁺ T lymphocytes. Additionally, compared with the IMQ group, RGFP966 reduced IL-10 protein levels and upregulated IL-17A expression in skin tissues. ConclusionRGFP966 exacerbates psoriatic-like inflammatory responses by inhibiting HDAC3, increasing the secretion of the cytokine IL-17A, and upregulating the expression of chemokines CCR8 and CCR6.

BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies have indicated that Angong Niuhuang Pills (ANP) reduce cerebral infarct and edema volumes. This study aimed to investigate whether ANP safely reduces cerebral infarct and edema volumes in patients with moderate to severe acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial included patients with acute ischemic stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores ranging from 10 to 20 in 17 centers in China between April 2021 and July 2022. Patients were allocated within 36 h after onset via block randomization to receive ANP or placebo (3 g/day for 5 days). The primary outcomes were changes in cerebral infarct and edema volumes after 14 days of treatment. The primary safety outcome was severe adverse events (SAEs) for 90 days. RESULTS: There were 57 and 60 patients finally included in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively for modified intention-to-treat analysis. The median age was 66.0 years, and the median NIHSS score at baseline was 12.0. The changes in cerebral infarct volume at day 14 were 0.3 mL and 0.4 mL in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively (median difference: -7.1 mL; interquartile range [IQR]: -18.3 to 2.3 mL, P = 0.30). The changes in cerebral edema volume of the ANP and placebo groups on day 14 were 11.4 mL and 4.0 mL, respectively ( median difference: 3.0 mL, IQR: -1.3 to 9.9 mL, P = 0.15). The rates of SAE within 90 days were similar in the ANP (3/57, 5%) and placebo (7/60, 12%) groups ( P = 0.36). Changes in serum mercury and arsenic concentrations were comparable. In patients with large artery atherosclerosis, ANP reduced the cerebral infarct volume at 14 days (median difference: -12.3 mL; IQR: -27.7 to -0.3 mL, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: ANP showed a similar safety profile to placebo and non-significant tendency to reduce cerebral infarct volume in patients with moderate-to-severe stroke. Further studies are warranted to assess the efficacy of ANP in reducing cerebral infarcts and improving clinical prognosis. TRAIL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov , No. NCT04475328.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Ischemic Stroke/drug therapy* ; Pilot Projects ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor autoantibody (AT1-AA) and semen parameters. Methods： The semen samples of 820 male patients who were treated in the Reproductive Medicine Center of Taiyuan Central Hospital from August 2022 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The levels of AT1-AA and Ang Ⅱ of semen were detected by ELISA, and the function of AT1-AA was detected by cardiomyocyte beating assay in suckling rats. The patients were divided into low group, median group and high group according to the OD values of AT1-AA. The differences in general data and semen parameters between different groups were analyzed. And the correlation between AT1-AA level and semen parameters in semen of all study subjects was analyzed by the method of Spearman analysis. And the relationships between AT1-AA OD value, Ang Ⅱ level and semen parameters in the AT1-AA high value group were analyzed as well. RESULTS: AT1-AA was present in semen with good function. There was no significant difference in the general data of patients in different AT1-AA levels (P>0.05). In the comparison of semen parameters among the groups with different levels of AT1-AA, there were differences in sperm concentration, PR concentration, NP％, and ALH among the three groups (P<0.05). And AT1-AA OD value was positively correlated with total sperm count, sperm concentration, PR concentration, and NP％, and negatively correlated with semen volume (P<0.05). In the AT1-AA high value group, the OD value of AT1-AA in semen was negatively correlated with inactive sperm, and positively correlated with total motility (［PR+NP］％), curve rate, mean path rate, and ALH. However, there was no correlation between the level of Ang Ⅱ in semen and semen parameters (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The presence of AT1-AA in semen may be associated with the promotion of sperm motility.
Male ; Humans ; Autoantibodies ; Sperm Motility ; Semen ; Retrospective Studies ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1/immunology* ; Animals ; Rats ; Angiotensin II ; Adult ; Sperm Count ; Semen Analysis ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2/immunology*

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture therapy provides a complementary and alternative approach to treating major depressive disorder (MDD), but its efficacy and safety have still not been comprehensively assessed. Recently published systematic reviews remain confusing and inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review evaluated the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy alone or combined with antidepressants for adult patients with mild and moderate MDD. SEARCH STRATEGY: Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang Database, Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from their inceptions to March 2025. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials that compared acupuncture therapy with antidepressants, or acupuncture therapy plus antidepressants with acupuncture therapy or antidepressants for adult patients with mild and moderate MDD were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Five reviewers independently extracted data from original literature using a standardized form, and the data were verified by two reviewers to ensure accuracy. Statistical meta-analyses, publication bias analyses, and subgroup analyses were performed by using Review Manager 5.3 software. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach was used to assess the certainty of the evidence. RESULTS: A total of 60 eligible studies including 4675 participants were included. Low-certainty evidence showed that compared with antidepressants, acupuncture therapy (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [-0.87, -0.27]; I² = 86%; P = 0.006) or acupuncture therapy plus antidepressants (SMD = -1.00; 95% CI = [-1.18, -0.81]; I² = 77%; P < 0.00001) may reduce the severity of depression at the end of treatment. Low-certainty evidence indicated that compared with acupuncture therapy alone, acupuncture therapy plus antidepressants slightly reduced the severity of depression at the end of treatment (SMD = -0.38; 95% CI = [-0.61, -0.14]; I² = 18%; P = 0.002). Similar results were also found for acupuncture's relief of insomnia. The reported adverse effects of acupuncture therapy were mild and transient. For most of the subgroup analyses, acupuncture type, scale type, and the course of treatment did not show a significant relative effect. CONCLUSION Acupuncture therapy may provide antidepressant effects and relieve insomnia with mild adverse effects for adult patients with mild and moderate MDD. But the certainty of evidence was very low. More high-quality, well designed, large-scale studies with long-term follow-up are needed in the future. Please cite this article as: Kuang HJ, Yang HS, Feng YX, Tang H, Fan Q, Xu YQ, Cui S, Musil R, Luxenburger H, Zhang YX, Zhao H, Zhang YQ. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapies for adult patients with mild and moderate major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):471-491.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Depressive Disorder, Major/therapy* ; Adult ; Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use* ; Treatment Outcome ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Objective To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture combined with Shenqi Huoxue Decoction in the treatment of adenomyosis of qi deficiency and blood stasis type.Methods Seventy patients with adenomyosis of qi deficiency and blood stasis type were randomly divided into observation group and control group,35 cases in each group.The control group was treated with Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system,and the observation group was treated with acupuncture combined with Shenqi Huoxue Decoction on the basis of the treatment of the control group.One menstrual cycle was a course of treatment,and the treatment lasted for three courses.After 3 months of treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated,and the changes of Endometriosis Health Profile-5(EHP-5)score,serum superoxide dismutase(SOD)and catalase(CAT)were observed in the two groups before and after treatment.The changes of serum carbohydrate antigen CA125,carbohydrate antigen 199(CA199)and human epididymis protein 4(HE4)levels were compared before and after treatment between the two groups.Results(1)The total effective rate was 97.14％(34/35)in the observation group and 77.14％(27/35)in the control group.The clinical efficacy of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the levels of serum CA125,CA199 and HE4 in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the improvement of serum CA1 25,CA199 and HE4 levels in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the levels of serum SOD and CAT in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the improvement of serum SOD and CAT levels in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(4)After treatment,the EHP-5 score of quality of life in the two groups was significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the EHP-5 score of quality of life in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture combined with Shenqi Huoxue Decoction in the treatment of adenomyosis of qi deficiency and blood stasis type can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of patients,regulate the levels of SOD and CAT,so as to improve the quality of life of patients,and the curative effect is significant.

Objective To explore the value of serum microRNAs-145(miR-145)and P53 antibody detection in the evaluation of therapeutic effect and prognosis in the treatment of breast cancer with Long Bei Xiaoyao Powder.Methods Ninety cases of breast cancer patients admitted to Beijing Aerospace General Hospital from January 2020 to January 2021 were selected as the study subjects.The patients were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group by random number table method,with 45 cases in each group.All of the patients in the two groups received individualized comprehensive treatment,and additionally the observation group was treated with Long Bei Xiaoyao Powder.The course of treatment covered three months.Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(PCR)method was used to detect serum miR-145 expression level,and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect serum P53 antibody expression level.The differences in the pre-and post-treatment expression levels of serum miR-145 and P53 antibodies in the two groups were compared,the relationship between the serum miR-145 and P53 antibody expression level and the poor prognosis of the patients in the observation group was explored by logistic regression analysis,and receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)was drawn to analyze the value of the serum miR-145 and P53 antibody detection in the prediction of poor prognosis in the observation group.Results(1)After treatment,the detection value of serum miR-145 in the two groups of patients showed an increasing trend(P＜0.05),while that of the P53 antibody showed a decreasing trend(P＜0.05).The intergroup comparison showed that the detection value of serum miR-145 in the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group,while the detection value of P53 antibody was significantly lower than that of the control group,the differences being all statistically significant(P＜0.05).(2)In the observation group,the detection value of serum miR-145 in the patients with good prognosis was significantly higher than that in the patients with poor prognosis,and the detection value of serum P53 antibody in the patients with good prognosis was significantly lower than that in the patients with poor prognosis,the differences being all statistically significant(P＜0.05).(3)Logistic regression analysis showed that high expression of miR-145 was a protective factor for the patients with poor prognosis in the observation group,and high expression of P53 antibody was a risk factor for the patients with poor prognosis in the observation group(P＜0.05).(4)The area under the ROC curve(AUC)for the prediction of prognosis of the patients in the observation group by the combination of serum miR-145 and P53 antibody was the largest(0.877,95%CI:0.769-0.985),and its sensitivity and specificity were 93.75%and 93.10%,respectively,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).Conclusion Low expression of serum miR-145 and high expression of serum P53 antibody are presented in the breast cancer patients with poor prognosis,and Long Bei Xiaoyao Powder exerts satisfactory therapeutic effect in treating breast cancer,which is conducive to enhancing the expression level of serum miR-145 and reducing the expression level of serum P53 antibody.

Objective To investigate the risk factors of relapse in patients with ischemic stroke using aspirin for single drug antiplatelet therapy.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 200 patients with mild and medium ischemic stroke after 12 months of single drug treatment with aspirin,and the patients were divided into non-recurrence group and recurrence group according to the recurrence of stroke.Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression model were used to explore whether the related indicators were risk factors for recurrence.The ROC curve was used to predict the critical value of risk factors.Results Univariate analysis showed that platelet count,Hcy level and the A allele at rs12041331 site of PEAR1 gene were statistically significant risk factors(P<0.05).Multifactor analysis showed that the independent risk factor for recurrence was homocysteine level[OR = 1.16(1.089-1.240),P<0.001)].The critical value of ROC prediction was 8.35 μmol/L(sensitivity 0.847,specificity 0.532).Conclusions The Hcy level,platelet count and A allele at rs12041331 site of PEAR1 gene are risk factors for recurrence in patients with ischemic stroke treated with aspirin for Single drug antiplatelet therapy.Hcy level is independent risk factor and can be used to predict the risk of recurrence.

Objective To explore the value of vesical imaging reporting and data system(VI-RADS)combined with absolute tumor-wall contact length(ABTCL)and actual tumor-wall contact length(ACTCL)in diagnosing muscle invasive bladder cancer(MIBC).Methods The MRI data of 113 patients with pathologically confirmed bladder cancer(BCa)were analyzed retrospectively.All patients underwent conventional MRI,diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)and dynamic contrast enhanced(DCE)MRI before sur-gery.Two radiologists independently evaluated MRI images based on VI-RADS score,and measured quantitative parameters,inclu-ding ABTCL and ACTCL.The Chi-square test was used to compare the difference of VI-RADS scores between MIBC and non-mus-cle invasive bladder cancer(NMIBC).Quantitative parameters between MIBC and NMIBC were compared by Mann-Whitney U test.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of VI-RADS,quantitative parameters and VI-RADS combined with quantitative parameters in the diagnosis of MIBC.Results VI-RADS,ABTCL and ACTCL had significant differences between MIBC and NMIBC(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)for VI-RADS,ABTCL and ACTCL in diagno-sing MIBC were 0.89,0.76 and 0.77,respectively.There was no significant difference between the AUC for ABTCL and ACTCL(P＞0.05).The AUC for VI-RADS combined with ABTCL or ACTCL in diagnosing MIBC was 0.93,higher than that of only VI-RADS(P＜0.05).Conclusion The combination of VI-RADS with either ABTCL or ACTCL can effectively improve the diagnostic performance of MIBC.ABTCL obtainedby linear measurement is easier to implement in clinical practice than ACTCL obtained by curved measurement.

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.