BACKGROUND:Traumatic brain injury is a condition in which the normal function of the brain is disrupted by a bump or impact to the head.It is necessary to find effective treatments and objective targets that can help doctors diagnose the injury status and restore the brain function of patients. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of electroacupuncture combined with low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation on the electroencephalographic signals of rats with traumatic brain injury. METHODS:Forty 6-week-old SPF male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups:sham group,model group,electroacupuncture group,low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation group and combined group(electroacupuncture+low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation),with eight rats in each group.Feeney weight-drop method was used to establish the animal model of traumatic brain injury.In the sham group,the bone window was only opened without impact.Interventions were started at 1 day after modeling.Electroacupuncture in the electroacupuncture group,low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation in the low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation group,and electroacupuncture+low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation in the combined group were performed for days in total.The modified neurological severity scale score for assessing rats'neurological deficits was performed at 8 hours after modeling.The percentage of spontaneous alternation behavior in the Y-maze was measured at 7 days after modeling.Then,the electroencephalographic signals were collected and electroencephalographic data of α,β,θ,and δ waves were extracted by fast Fourier transform,and the value of oscillation amplitude and energy ratio were calculated in α,β,θ,and δ waves,as well as the Lempel-Ziv complexity and sample entropy. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the sham group,the modified neurological severity scale scores in the model group,electroacupuncture group,low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation group and combined group were significantly increased at 8 hours after modeling(P<0.05).Compared with the sham group,the value of oscillation amplitude in δ wave and the value of δ energy ratio were significantly increased in the model group at 7 days after modeling,meanwhile the percentage of spontaneous alternation behavior in Y-maze,and the value of α/β energy ratio,Lempel-Ziv complexity,and sample entropy were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the value of oscillation amplitude in α and δ waves was significantly decreased in the combined group(P<0.05),while the value of α/β energy ratio was significantly increased(P<0.05)and the value of δ energy ratio was significantly decreased(P<0.05)in the electroacupuncture group,low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation group and combined group.Compared with the electroacupuncture group and low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation group,the value of δ energy ratio was significantly decreased in the combined group(P<0.05),while the percentage of spontaneous alternation behavior,the value of α/β energy ratio,the Lempel-Ziv complexity,and the sample entropy were significantly increased(P<0.05).To conclude,abnormal electroencephalographic signals can appear in rats with traumatic brain injury,while the electroacupuncture combined with low-frequency transcranial ultrasound stimulation can alleviate the abnormal electroencephalographic signals in rats,which suggests the electroencephalographic frequency domain value and nonlinear features can be used to assess the severity of traumatic brain injury.

The general models for intermediates quality analysis in the production process of Yaobitong capsule were established by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) combined with chemometrics, realizing the rapid determination of notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rb1, ginsenoside Rd and moisture. The spray-dried fine powder and total mixed granule were selected as research objects. The contents of five saponins were determined by high performance liquid chromatography and the moisture content was determined by drying method. The measured contents were used as reference values. Meanwhile, NIR spectra were collected. After removing abnormal samples by Monte Carlo cross validation (MCCV), Monte Carlo uninformative variables elimination (MC-UVE) and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) were used to select feature variables respectively. Based on the feature variables, quantitative models were established by partial least squares regression (PLSR), extreme learning machine (ELM) and ant lion optimization least squares support vector machine (ALO-LSSVM). The results showed that CARS-ALO-LSSVM model had the optimum effect. The correlation coefficients of the six index components were greater than 0.93, and the relative standard errors were controlled within 6%. ALO-LSSVM was more suitable for a large number of samples with rich information, and the prediction effect and stability of the model were significantly improved. The general models with good predicting effect can be used for the rapid quality determination of Yaobitong capsule intermediates.

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: To explore the diagnostic value of shear wave elastography (SWE) for clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 359 cases with suspected prostate cancer (PCa) in Baoji Central Hospital from June 2017 to July 2023. All the patients underwent the following examinations in the order of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS), measurement of the stiffness of the entire prostate gland by SWE, and TRUS-guided prostate puncture biopsy. The stiffness of the entire prostate gland was defined as the average of Young's modulus at both sides of the base, middle, and apex of the prostate, including the maximum Young's modulus (Emax), mean Young's modulus (Emean), and minimum Young's modulus (Emin). We analyzed the correlation of the parameters of the stiffness of the entire prostate gland with the pathological results, focusing on their diagnostic performance for csPCa. RESULTS: Of the 359 cases, 189 were diagnosed by pathological puncture biopsy as BPH, 26 as non-csPCa, and 144 as csPCa. The PSA level, Emax, Emean and Emin were significantly higher in the csPCa than those in the BPH and non-csPCa groups (all P < 0.01), but showed no statistically significant difference between the BPH and non-csPCa groups (all P > 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), optimal cut-off value, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of Emax in the diagnosis of csPCa were 0.852, 143.92 kPa, 72.22%, 84.65%, 75.91%, 81.98% and 79.67%; those of Emean were 0.868, 82.42 kPa, 67.36%, 91.16%, 83.62%, 80.66% and 81.62%; and those of Emin were 0.682, 32.73 kPa, 47.22%, 89.30%, 73.91%, 71.54% and 72.14%, respectively. In the non-csPCa group, Emax, Emean and Emin were found below the optimal cut-off value in 73.08% (19/26), 92.31% (24/26) and 88.46% (23/26), respectively. CONCLUSION The stiffness of the entire prostate gland measured by SWE contributes to the diagnosis of csPCa, reduces unnecessary detection of non-csPCa, and provides some reference for its active surveillance.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques ; Retrospective Studies ; Prostate/pathology* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/blood* ; Aged ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety, efficacy and potential impact of stem cell therapy (SCT) in improving erectile dysfunction (ED). METHODS: A comprehensive search strategy was used to search the literatures on safety and efficacy evaluation of stem cell (SC) in the treatment of ED by human clinical trials from PubMed, Embase and Web of science databases with a search time frame from database creation to July 4, 2024. The exclusion criteria were as follows: reviews, conference abstracts, animal experiments, and duplicate sample literature. RESULTS: The study initially screened 1 773 papers, and 17 were included in the final analysis. These studies involved a total of 269 ED patients, and a variety of sources of stem cells had been used in the treatment of ED, including adipose-derived stem cells, bone marrow-derived stem cells, placental stroma-derived stem cells, umbilical cord-derived stem cells, dental pulp-derived stem cells, and oral mucosa-derived stem cells. All studies were conducted by injecting stem cells into the cavernous body of the penis, but there is no fixed standard for the amount of injection, injection site and number of injections. The optimal treatment mode was still being explored. Patients' International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) scores and Erection Hardness Score (EHS), peak systolic velocity (PSV), and end diastolic velocity (EDV) improved after treatment. But some studies showed that the efficacy of the treatment diminished with increasing time. No serious adverse effects were reported in any of the studies and none of the adverse effects persisted for a long period of time. The most common adverse effects included injection site reactions, and SCT showed a good safety and tolerability profile. CONCLUSION SCT has the potential to be a promising and innovative regenerative therapy option for ED patients. In the future, with the advancement of stem cell technology, larger randomized controlled studies should continue to be conducted to explore standardized treatments, so as to further evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of SCT for ED.
Humans ; Erectile Dysfunction/therapy* ; Male ; Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Treatment Outcome ; Stem Cells

Acute liver injury (ALI) serves as a critical precursor and major etiological factor in the progression and ultimate manifestation of various hepatic disorders. The prevention and treatment of ALI is still a serious global challenge. Given the limited therapeutic options for ALI, exploring novel targeted therapeutic agents becomes imperative. The potential therapeutic efficacy of inhibiting RIPK2 is highlighted, as it may provide significant benefits by attenuating the MAPK pathway and NF-κB signaling. Herein, we propose a CMD-OPT model, a two-stage molecular optimization tool for the rapid discovery of RIPK2 inhibitors with optimal properties. Compound RP20, which targets the ATP binding site, demonstrated excellent kinase specificity, ideal oral pharmacokinetics, and superior therapeutic effects in a model of APAP-induced ALI, positioning RP20 as a promising preclinical candidate. This marks the first application of RIPK2 inhibitors in ALI treatment, opening a novel therapeutic pathway for clinical applications. These results highlight the efficacy of the CMD-OPT model in producing lead compounds from known active molecules, showcasing its significant potential in drug discovery.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between fish consumption and stroke is inconsistent, and it is uncertain whether this association varies across predicted stroke risks. METHODS: A cohort study comprising 95,800 participants from the Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China project was conducted. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on fish consumption. Participants were stratified into low- and moderate-to-high-risk categories based on their 10-year stroke risk prediction scores. Hazard ratios ( HRs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models and additive interaction by relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (SI). RESULTS: During 703,869 person-years of follow-up, 2,773 incident stroke events were identified. Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, particularly among moderate-to-high-risk individuals ( HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.47-0.60) than among low-risk individuals ( HR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.49-0.85). A significant additive interaction between fish consumption and predicted stroke risk was observed (RERI = 4.08, 95% CI: 2.80-5.36; SI = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.42-1.89; AP = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.28-0.43). CONCLUSION Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, and this beneficial association was more pronounced in individuals with moderate-to-high stroke risk.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Stroke/etiology* ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Incidence ; Aged ; Animals ; Fishes ; Risk Factors ; Diet ; Seafood ; Adult ; Cohort Studies

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between long-term glycemic control and cerebral infarction risk in patients with diabetes through a large-scale cohort study. METHODS: This prospective, community-based cohort study included 12,054 patients with diabetes. From 2006 to 2012, 38,272 fasting blood glucose (FBG) measurements were obtained from these participants. FBG trajectory patterns were generated using latent mixture modelling. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to assess the subsequent risk of cerebral infarction associated with different FBG trajectory patterns. RESULTS: At baseline, the mean age of the participants was 55.2 years. Four distinct FBG trajectories were identified based on FBG concentrations and their changes over the 6-year follow-up period. After a median follow-up of 6.9 years, 786 cerebral infarction events were recorded. Different trajectory patterns were associated with significantly varied outcome risks (Log-Rank P < 0.001). Compared with the low-stability group, Hazard Ratio ( HR) adjusted for potential confounders were 1.37 for the moderate-increasing group, 1.23 for the elevated-decreasing group, and 2.08 for the elevated-stable group. CONCLUSION Sustained high FBG levels were found to play a critical role in the development of ischemic stroke among patients with diabetes. Controlling FBG levels may reduce the risk of cerebral infarction.
Humans ; Cerebral Infarction/blood* ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Blood Glucose/analysis* ; Fasting/blood* ; Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Diabetes Mellitus/blood* ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models

AIM To evaluate the quality of Beidougen Formula Granules.METHODS Fifteen batches of standard decoctions and three batches of formula granules were prepared,after which paste rate and contents,transfer rates of magnoflorine,daurisoline,dauricine were determined.HPLC specific chromatograms were established,and cluster analysis was adopted in chemical pattern recognition.RESULTS For three batches of formula granules,the paste rates were 15.1%-16.6%,the contents of magnoflorine,daurisoline,dauricine were 18.93-19.39,9.42-9.60,6.79-6.85 mg/g with the transfer rates of 34.42%-35.25%,43.81%-44.65%,27.27%-27.51%from decoction pieces to formula granules,respectively,and there were seven characteristic peaks in the specific chromatograms with the similarities of more than 0.95,which demonstrated good consistence with those of standard decoctions and accorded with related limit requirements.Fifteen batches of standard decoctions were clustered into two types,and the medicinal materials produced from Jilin,Hebei,Shangdong could be used for the preparation of formula granules.CONCLUSION This reasonable and reliable method can provide references for the quality control and clinical application of Beidougen Formula Granules.