OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the effects of deep acupuncture at Weizhong acupoint (BL40) on bladder function and brain activity in a rat model of overactive bladder (OAB), and investigated the possible mechanisms around the acupuncture area that initiate the effects of acupuncture. METHODS: Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups, comprising a control group, model group, group treated with deep acupuncture at BL40, group treated with shallow acupuncture at BL40, group treated with acupuncture at non-acupoint next to BL40, and group treated with acupuncture at Xuanzhong (GB39). Urodynamic evaluation was used to observe the urination, and functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to observe the brain activation. The mechanism of acupuncture at BL40 in regulating bladder function was explored by toluidine blue staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the mechanism was verified by stabilizing mast cells (MCs) or blocking tibial nerve. RESULTS: Deep acupuncture at BL40 significantly increased the intercontraction interval in OAB rats and enhanced the mean amplitude of low frequency fluctuation of primary motor cortex (M1), periaquaductal gray matter (PAG), and pontine micturition center (PMC). It also increased the zero-lag functional connectivity between M1 and PAG and between PAG and PMC. Shallow acupuncture at BL40 and acupuncture at non-acupoint or GB39 had no effect on these indexes. Further studies suggested that deep acupuncture at BL40 increased the number and degranulation rate of MCs as well as the contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine, substance P, and histamine in the tissues around BL40. Blocking the tibial nerve by lidocaine injection or inhibiting MC degranulation by sodium cromoglycate injection obstructed the effects of acupuncture on restoring urinary function and modulating brain activation in OAB rats. CONCLUSION Deep acupuncture at BL40 may be more effective for inhibiting OAB by promoting degranulation of MCs around the acupoint and stimulating tibial nerve, thereby regulating the activation of the brain area that controls the lower urinary tract. Please cite this article as: Liu X, Zhang CY, Du XY, Li SS, Wang YQ, Zheng Y, Deng HZ, Fang XQ, Li JY, Wang ZQ, Xu SF, Mi YQ. Acupuncture at Weizhong (BL40) attenuates acetic acid-induced overactive bladder in rats by regulating brain neural activity through the modulation of mast cells and tibial nerves. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 46-55.
Animals ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive/physiopathology* ; Mast Cells/physiology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Female ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; Rats ; Brain/physiopathology* ; Tibial Nerve/physiopathology* ; Acetic Acid ; Urinary Bladder/physiopathology*

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) have been widely used in regenerative medicine, but there is limited research on the stability of UC-MSCs formulation during production. This study aims to assess the stability of the cell stock solution and intermediate product throughout the production process, as well as the final product following reconstitution, in order to offer guidance for the manufacturing process and serve as a reference for formulation reconstitution methods. Three batches of cell formulation were produced and stored under low temperature (2-8 ℃) and room temperature (20-26 ℃) during cell stock solution and intermediate product stages. The storage time intervals for cell stock solution were 0, 2, 4, and 6 h, while for intermediate products, the intervals were 0, 1, 2, and 3 h. The evaluation items included visual inspection, viable cell concentration, cell viability, cell surface markers, lymphocyte proliferation inhibition rate, and sterility. Additionally, dilution and culture stability studies were performed after reconstitution of the cell product. The reconstitution diluents included 0.9% sodium chloride injection, 0.9% sodium chloride injection + 1% human serum albumin, and 0.9% sodium chloride injection + 2% human serum albumin, with dilution ratios of 10-fold and 40-fold. The storage time intervals after dilution were 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 h. The reconstitution culture media included DMEM medium, DMEM + 2% platelet lysate, 0.9% sodium chloride injection, and 0.9% sodium chloride injection + 1% human serum albumin, and the culture duration was 24 h. The evaluation items were viable cell concentration and cell viability. The results showed that the cell stock solution remained stable for up to 6 h under both low temperature (2-8 ℃) and room temperature (20-26 ℃) conditions, while the intermediate product remained stable for up to 3 h under the same conditions. After formulation reconstitution, using sodium chloride injection diluted with 1% or 2% human serum albumin maintained a viability of over 80% within 4 h. It was observed that different dilution factors had an impact on cell viability. After formulation reconstitution, cultivation in medium with 2% platelet lysate resulted in a cell viability of over 80% after 24 h. In conclusion, the stability of cell stock solution within 6 h and intermediate product within 3 h meets the requirements. The addition of 1% or 2% human serum albumin in the reconstitution diluent can better protect the post-reconstitution cell viability.

Aim To establish NCI-H446/EP for small cell lung cancer resistant cells resistant to cisplatin and etoposide, and to evaluate their biological characteristics and multidrug resistance. Methods Nude mice were subcutaneously inoculated with NCI-H446 cells of SCLC to construct an in vivo model of xenograft tumor, and were given first-line EP regimen treatment for SCLC, inducing drug resistance in vivo, and stripping tumor tissue in vitro culture to obtain drug-resistant cells. The resistance coefficient, cell doubling time, cell cycle distribution, expression of multidrug resistance gene (MDR1), and drug resistance-related protein were detected in vitro, and the drug resistance to cisplatin and etoposide in vivo were verified. Results Mice with NCI-H446 tumors acquired resistance after eight weeks' EP regimen treatment, and the drug-resistant cell line NCI-H446/EP was obtained by isolation and culture in vitro. The resistance factors of this cell line to cisplatin, etoposide, SN38 and doxorubicin were 12.01, 18.36, 65.4 and 10.12, respectively. Compared with parental cells, the proportion of NCIH446/EP cells in Q

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the responsiveness of cochlear nerve to electrical stimulation in patients with cochlear nerve deficiency(CND), to compare their results with those measured in implanted children with normal-sized cochlear nerves, and to investigate the characteristics of the cochlear nerve injury of children with CND. Methods: Participants were children who underwent cochlear implantation at Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital from January 2012 to January 2020, including CND group and control group. The CND group included 51 subjects (male:20; female: 31) who were diagnosed with CND and had normal cochlea. For the CND group, four children had been bilaterally implanted, the mean implantation age was (2.7±1.5) years old. The control group included 21 subjects (male:10; femal:11) who had normal-sized cochlear nerve and normal cochlea. For the control group, all children had been unilaterally implanted except one, and the mean implantation age was (3.0±1.9)years old. Three subjects in the CND group used CI422 electrode arrays, and all the other subjects used CI24RECA/CI512 electrode arrays. The electrically evoked compound action potentials (ECAP) had been tried to record for each electrode using Custom Sound EP software (v. 4.3, Cochlear Ltd.) at least six months post first activation. Furthermore, ECAP amplitude growth functions (AGF) were measured at multiple electrode locations across the electrode array. Generalized linear mixed effect models with the subject group and electrode location as the fixed effects and subjects as the random effect were used to compare results of ECAP measurements. Results: In the control group, ECAP could been recorded at all electrodes (100%), but it could only be recorded in 71% (859/1 210) electrodes in the CND group. Additionally, the percentage of electrodes with measurable ECAP decreased from electrode 1 to electrode 22 in the CND group. Compared to the control group, the ECAP thresholds significantly increased, the ECAP amplitudes and AGF slopes significantly decreased, and the ECAP latency significantly increased in the CND group (P<0.01). GLMM showed that the stimulating site had a significant effect on the ECAP threshold, maximum amplitude, and AGF slope (P<0.01), but had no significant effect on the ECAP latency (P>0.05) in the CND group. However, the stimulating site had no significant effects on the ECAP measurements in the control group. Furthermore, the functional status of cochlear nerve varied greatly among CND group. From electrode 1 to electrode 22, the ECAP thresholds gradually increased, the ECAP maximum amplitudes and AGF slopes gradually decreased in the CND group. Conclusion: Compared with patients with normal-sized cochlear nerve, not only the number of residual spinal ganglion neurons reduce,but also the function of spinal ganglion neurons damages in CND patients. The degree of cochlea nerve deterioration varies greatly among CND patients. Generally, the deterioration of cochlear nerve tends to increase from the basal to the apical site of the cochlea.
Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Cochlea ; Cochlear Implantation/methods* ; Cochlear Implants ; Cochlear Nerve ; Electric Stimulation ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory/physiology*

Objective To compare the effects and prognosis between bivalirudin and heparin on coronary microcirculation in patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS)during percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 312 ACS patients who underwent PCI treatment in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University from January 2020 to March 2023.General clinical data were analyzed and divided into a bivalvrudin group of 153 patients and a heparin group of 159 patients based on different anticoagulation regimens during the perioperative period.The postoperative thrombolysis in myocardial infarction(TIMI)blood flow grading,TIMI myocardial perfusion grading(TMPG),ST segment regression rate(STR)of electrocardiogram,and the number of angina pectoris episodes were observed and compared between the two groups The incidence of adverse events within 7 days after surgery,the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)within 3 months after surgery,and the incidence of bleeding events.Results There was no statistically significant difference in the general clinical data and intraoperative conditions between the two groups of patients(both P＞0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in TIMI blood flow grading between the two groups of patients after PCI(P=0.959).The TMPG grading of two groups of patients after PCI was statistically significant(P=0.001).The number of angina attacks and ST segment regression rate of electrocardiogram in both groups of patients after PCI were statistically significant(both P＜0.05).The incidence of adverse events within 7 days after PCI in two groups of patients was not statistically significant(P=0.285).There was no statistically significant difference in the total incidence of MACE events within 3 months after PCI between the two groups of patients(P=0.195).There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of bleeding events within 3 months after PCI between the two groups of patients(all P＞0.05).Conclusions sivalirudin is safe and effective for PCI treatment,can improve coronary microcirculation,and does not increase the incidence of MACE events,bleeding events,and stent thrombosis events.

Objective To investigate the Gram-positive coccus resistance in nationwide's tertiary hospitals and understand the trend of antimicrobial resistance.Methods All the clinical isolates were collected from 19 hospitals and the minimal inhibitory concentrations(MICs)were tested using agar/broth dilution method recommended.Results A total of 1 974 pathogenic Gram-positive coccus from 19 tertiary hospitals in 19 cities nationwide over the period from July 2021 to June 2022 were studied.Based on the MIC results,the prevalence of methicillin resistant Stapylococcus aureus(MRSA)and methicillin resistant Stapylococcus epidermidis(MRSE)were 36.4％and 79.9％respectively.No vancomycin insensitivity Staphylococcus was detected.Staphylococcus aureus were 100％susceptibility to linezolid and teicoplanin.Antibiotic resistance rate of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium to ampicillin were 3.1％and 92.9％.The detectation rate of vancomycin resistant Enterococcus(VRE)was 1.6％.Nonsusceptibility rate of Enterococcus faecalis to linezolid was 32.2％,two consecutive monitoring rises and nonsusceptibility rate of Enterococcus faecium(12.5％)was also significantly increased.The prevalence of penicillin non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae(PNSSP)was 0.8％based on non-meningitis and parenteral administration criterion,decrease of nearly 30 percentage points from the previous surveillance.While for cases of oral penicillin,the rate was 71.8％,showing similar to last time.The results indicated that the number of strains with higher MIC value of penicillin(MIC ≥4 mg·L-1)decreased significantly.There were no significant differences of resistance rates of Stapylococcus aureus,Stapylococcus epidermidis,Enterococcus faecalis,Enterococcus faecium and Streptococcus pneumoniae among various groups such as different department,age,or specimen source.Conclusion VRE detection ratio stablized at a relatively low level.The number of Streptococcus pneumoniae with higher MIC value of penicillin decreased significantly compared with the previous monitoring.The increase of linezolidin-insensitive Enterococcus was noteworthy.

Objective To investigate the Gram-negative bacteria resistance in nationwide's tertiary hospitals and understand the trend of antimicrobial resistance.Method All the clinical isolates were collected from 19 hospitals and the minimal inhibitory concentrations(MICs)were tested using agar/broth dilution method recommended.Results A total of 4 066 pathogenic isolates from 19 tertiary hospitals in 19 cities nationwide over the period from July 2021 to June 2022 were studied.Based on the MIC results,Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae showed extended spectrum β-lactamase(ESBLs)phenotype rates of 55.0％and 21.0％,respectively,ESBLs phenotype rate of Klebsiella pneumoniae keep going down.The ratios of carbapenems resistance Klebsiella pneumoniae increased by 5 percentage points compared with the previous monitoring.Carbapenems,moxalactam,sitafloxacin,β-lactam combination agents,fosfomycin trometamol,and amikacin displayed desirable antibacterial activity against Enterbacterales,susceptibal rates were above 75％.In addition,tigacycline,omacycline,colistin and fluoxefin maintained good antibacterial activity against their respective effective bacteria/species,and the bacterial sensitivity rates by more than 80％.Resistance rates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannnii to imipenem were 26.3％and 72.1％and multidrug-resistant(MDR)detection rates were 41.1％and 77.3％,extensively drug-resistant(XDR)were 12.0％and 71.8％,respectively.Comparison of drug resistance rates from different wards,ages and specimen sources indicated that the proportion of resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from intensive care unit(ICU)were significantly higher than non-ICU.Carbapenem resistance rates of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from ICU were more than 35％.Resistance rates of Haemophilus influenzae isolated in children to β-lactam,macrolide,clindamycin and ESBLs detection rate in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from children were more than those from adults and the old people,so bacterial resistance in children is an important problem in China.Conclusion ESBLs detection rate of Escherichia coli increased slightly after years of continuous decline.The proportion of carbapenem resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa was stable,but the resistance rate of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii to carbapenems was still increased,which should be paid more attention.

ObjectiveTo explore the regulatory effect of Gouqi chewable tablets on innate and adaptive immunity in normal mice and its antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo. MethodThe effects of low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （0.25， 0.5， 1.5 g·kg^-1） on the immune function of normal mice were observed by carbon clearance test， immune organ index test， serum hemolysin test， ConA-induced splenic lymphocyte proliferation test， and natural killer cell （NK cell） activity test. The effects of Gouqi chewable tablets on the antioxidant capacity in vivo were determined by detecting the content of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px）， and malondialdehyde （MDA） in mice serum. The in vitro antioxidant activity of Gouqi chewable tablets was detected by 2，2'-azino-bis（3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid） diammonium salt （ABTS）， 2，2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl （DPPH）， and hydroxyl radical scavenging tests. ResultCompared with the blank control group， the low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of Gouqi chewable tablets improved the viability of NK cells， the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes， and the level of serum hemolysin antibody in mice （P<0.05）. The high-dose group increased the thymus index， spleen index， and phagocytic function of macrophages （P<0.05， P<0.01）. As compared with the blank control group， the activity of GSH-Px in mice serum in the medium-dose group was increased （P<0.05）， and the content of MDA in mice serum in the high-dose group was decreased （P<0.05）. In in vitro antioxidant tests， the median inhibitory concentration （IC₅₀） values of Gouqi chewable tablets were 1.64±0.20， 2.04±0.03， and 10.27±0.03 g·L^-1 by the DPPH， ABTS， and OH^- free radical method， respectively. Those results indicated that Gouqi chewable tablets have good antioxidant effects in vitro. ConclusionGouqi chewable tablets can enhance the immune function of mice with good antioxidant effects.

The content of total flavonol glycosides in Ginkgo Folium in the planting bases was determined by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).The samples were extracted by reflux with methanol-25% hydrochloric acid.The HPLC conditions were as follows: Agilent ZORBAX SB-C_(18) column(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm), isocratic elution with mobile phase of 0.4% phosphoric acid solution-methanol(45∶55), flow rate of 1 mL·min~(-1), column temperature of 30 ℃, detection wavelength of 360 nm, and injection vo-lume of 10 μL.A method for the determination of terpene lactones in Ginkgo Folium was established based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatograph-triple-quadrupole/linear ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS).The UPLC conditions were as below: gradient elution with acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid, flow rate of 0.2 mL·min~(-1), column temperature of 30 ℃, sample chamber temperature of 10 ℃, and injection volume of 10 μL.The ESI~+and multiple reaction monitoring(MRM) were adopted for the MS.The above methods were used to determine the content of total flavonol glycosides and terpene lactones in 99 batches of Ginkgo Folium from 6 planting bases, and the results were statistically analyzed.The content of flavonoids and terpene lactones in Ginkgo Folium from different origins, from trees of different ages, harvested at different time, from trees of different genders, and processed with different methods was compared.The results showed that the content of total flavonol glucosides in 99 Ginkgo Folium samples ranged from 0.38% to 2.08%, and the total content of the four terpene lactones was in the range of 0.03%-0.87%.The method established in this study is simple and reliable, which can be used for the quantitative analysis of Ginkgo Folium.The research results lay a basis for the quality control of Ginkgo Folium.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Flavonoids/analysis* ; Flavonols ; Ginkgo biloba ; Glycosides/analysis* ; Lactones/analysis* ; Methanol ; Plant Leaves/chemistry* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Terpenes/analysis* ; Trees

OBJECTIVES: To examine the changes of intestinal flora in children newly diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the influence of chemotherapy on intestinal flora. METHODS: Fecal samples were collected from 40 children newly diagnosed with ALL before chemotherapy and at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months after chemotherapy. Ten healthy children served as the control group. 16S rDNA sequencing and analysis were performed to compare the differences in intestinal flora between the ALL and control groups and children with ALL before and after chemotherapy. RESULTS: The ALL group had a significant reduction in the abundance of intestinal flora at 1 and 2 months after chemotherapy, with a significant reduction compared with the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the ALL group had a significant reduction in the diversity of intestinal flora before and after chemotherapy (P<0.05). At the phylum level, compared with the control group, the ALL group had a significant reduction in the relative abundance of Actinobacteria at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months after chemotherapy (P<0.05) and a significant increase in the relative abundance of Proteobacteria at 1 and 2 months after chemotherapy (P<0.05). At the genus level, compared with the control group, the ALL group had a significant reduction in the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months after chemotherapy (P<0.05); the relative abundance of Klebsiella in the ALL group was significantly higher than that in the control group at 1 and 2 months after chemotherapy and showed a significant increase at 1 month after chemotherapy (P<0.05); the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium in the ALL group was significantly lower than that in the control group before and after chemotherapy and showed a significant reduction at 2 weeks and 1 month after chemotherapy (P<0.05). The relative abundance of Enterococcus increased significantly at 1 and 2 months after chemotherapy in the ALL group (P<0.05), and was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The diversity of intestinal flora in children with ALL is significantly lower than that in healthy children. Chemotherapy significantly reduces the abundance of intestinal flora and can reduce the abundance of some probiotic bacteria (Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium) and increase the abundance of pathogenic bacteria (Klebsiella and Enterococcus) in children with ALL.
Bacteria/genetics* ; Bifidobacterium ; Child ; Feces/microbiology* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Humans ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/drug therapy*