This study investigates the mechanism by which Xintong Granules improve myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury(MIRI) through the regulation of gut microbiota and their metabolites, specifically short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs). Rats were randomly divided based on body weight into the sham operation group, model group, low-dose Xintong Granules group(1.43 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), medium-dose Xintong Granules group(2.86 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), high-dose Xintong Granules group(5.72 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), and metoprolol group(10 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)). After 14 days of pre-administration, the MIRI rat model was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. The myocardial infarction area was assessed using the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining method. Apoptosis in tissue cells was detected by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling(TUNEL) assay. Pathological changes in myocardial cells and colonic tissue were observed using hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6(IL-6), creatine kinase MB isoenzyme(CK-MB), and cardiac troponin T(cTnT) in rat serum were quantitatively measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) kits. The activities of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), creatine kinase(CK), and superoxide dismutase(SOD) in myocardial tissue, as well as the level of malondialdehyde(MDA), were determined using colorimetric assays. Gut microbiota composition was analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing, and fecal SCFAs were quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS). The results show that Xintong Granules significantly reduced the myocardial infarction area, suppressed cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and decreased serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines(TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), myocardial injury markers(CK-MB, cTnT, LDH, and CK), and oxidative stress marker MDA. Additionally, Xintong Granules significantly improved intestinal inflammation in MIRI rats, regulated gut microbiota composition and diversity, and increased the levels of SCFAs(acetate, propionate, isobutyrate, etc.). In summary, Xintong Granules effectively alleviate MIRI symptoms. This study preliminarily confirms that Xintong Granules exert their inhibitory effects on MIRI by regulating gut microbiota imbalance and increasing SCFA levels.
Animals ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Rats ; Male ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Humans ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6/genetics* ; Malondialdehyde/metabolism*

BACKGROUND: China is seeing a growing demand for rehabilitation treatments for post-stroke upper limb spastic paresis (PSSP-UL). Although acupuncture is known to be effective for PSSP-UL, there is room to enhance its efficacy. OBJECTIVE: This study explored a semi-personalized acupuncture approach for PSSP-UL that used three-dimensional kinematic analysis (3DKA) results to select additional acupoints, and investigated the feasibility, efficacy and safety of this approach. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: This single-blind, single-center, randomized, controlled trial involved 74 participants who experienced a first-ever ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke with spastic upper limb paresis. The participants were then randomly assigned to the intervention group or the control group in a 1:1 ratio. Both groups received conventional treatments and acupuncture treatment 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The main acupoints in both groups were the same, while participants in the intervention group received additional acupoints selected on the basis of 3DKA results. Follow-up assessments were conducted for 8 weeks after the treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) response rate (≥ 6-point change) at week 4. Secondary outcomes included changes in motor function (FMA-UE), Brunnstrom recovery stage (BRS), manual muscle test (MMT), spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale, MAS), and activities of daily life (Modified Barthel Index, MBI) at week 4 and week 12. RESULTS: Sixty-four participants completed the trial and underwent analyses. Compared with control group, the intervention group exhibited a significantly higher FMA-UE response rate at week 4 (χ² = 5.479, P = 0.019) and greater improvements in FMA-UE at both week 4 and week 12 (both P < 0.001). The intervention group also showed bigger improvements from baseline in the MMT grades for shoulder adduction and elbow flexion at weeks 4 and 12 as well as thumb adduction at week 4 (P = 0.007, P = 0.049, P = 0.019, P = 0.008, P = 0.029, respectively). The intervention group showed a better change in the MBI at both week 4 and week 12 (P = 0.004 and P = 0.010, respectively). Although the intervention group had a higher BRS for the hand at week 12 (P = 0.041), no intergroup differences were observed at week 4 (all P > 0.05). The two groups showed no differences in MAS grades as well as in BRS for the arm at weeks 4 and 12 (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Semi-personalized acupuncture prescription based on 3DKA results significantly improved motor function, muscle strength, and activities of daily living in patients with PSSP-UL. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2200056216. Please cite this article as: Huang XY, Liao OP, Jiang SY, Tao JM, Li Y, Lu XY, Li YY, Wang C, Li J, Ma XP. Three-dimensional kinematic analysis can improve the efficacy of acupoint selection for post-stroke patients with upper limb spastic paresis: A randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 15-24.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Upper Extremity/physiopathology* ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Single-Blind Method ; Aged ; Stroke/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Stroke Rehabilitation/methods* ; Adult ; Muscle Spasticity/therapy* ; Paresis/physiopathology* ; Treatment Outcome

Professor ZHOU Peng has deeply discussed the pathological characteristics of psoriasis vulgaris,emphasizing that the disease is usually manifested deficiency interweaved with excess,leading to frequent recurrence and persistent refractory,which may lead to psychological and emotional problems of patients.This paper further expounds the effect of blood stasis on the pathogenesis,progression and prognosis of psoriasis,and puts forward a new method of combining Lingnan fire needling and filiform needling acupuncture technique to treat psoriasis vulgaris with blood stasis syndrome.Professor ZHOU Peng believes that the treatment principle of this disease is"regulating the mind first,rectifying blood as a base,syndrome differentiating and eliminating pathogenic factors",aiming at comprehensively considering the etiology and symptoms,in order to achieve more effective treatment results.Combined with the analysis of dermoscopic signs,it provides a possible improvement direction for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris from a new perspective.

The presence of 4-aminophenol(4-AP)in wastewater from the pharmaceutical industry is a common occurrence due to its role as a byproduct or intermediate during the hydrolysis process of paracetamol metabolism,resulting in significant water pollution.Therefore,it is crucial to employ a straightforward and reliable analytical approach for detecting 4-AP in the environment.In this study,a specific type of metal-organic framework(MOF)material called[Cd4(ABTC)2(H2O)12]n(SXNU-4-Cd,H4ABTC=3,3′,5,5′-azobenzene tetracarboxylic acid)was successfully synthesized,which exhibited a unique two-dimensional layered structure consisting of three intertwined spiral chains forming a distinctive″twist braid″.These layers underwent π-π stacking,creating three-dimensional channels with azo bonds decorating the channel walls.This p-π interaction significantly enhanced the adsorption capacity of SXNU-4-Cd towards 4-AP,thereby improving its recognition sensitivity.The fabricated SXNU-4-Cd/GCE sensor showed high sensitivity towards 4-AP in the linear concentration range of 0.1-130 μmol/L,with a detection limit of 8.6 nmol/L,and also exhibited good anti-interference capability,reproducibility and stability.The SXNU-4-Cd/GCE sensor was successfully used for detecting 4-AP in lake water sample,with spiked recoveries of 95.9%-102.8%.This study introduced a novel technique that utilized pure Cd-MOFs to develop electrochemical sensor capable of effectively detecting 4-AP in water samples.

AIM To investigate the effect of Wendan Decoction on nerve injury in a mouse model of sleep disorders and its mechanism.METHODS A mouse model of insomnia was established by the modified multiple platform sleep deprivation method.After successful modeling,the mice were randomly divided into the model group,the estazolam tablet group(0.15 mg/kg)and the low-dose and high-dose Wendan Decoction groups(12.5,50 g/kg),with 6 mice in each group,in contrast to the 6 mice of the control group.After 7 days of drug intervention,the mice had their changes of cerebral cortex,hippocampal CA1 area and hypothalamus observed by HE staining;their neuronal damage observed by Nissl staining;their levels of neurofilament light chain(NEFL),neuron-specific enolase(NSE),S100 calcium-binding protein B(S100B),tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6)and interleukin-1β(IL-1β)in brain tissue and serum detected by ELISA;their cerebral expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)detected by immunohistochemical method;and their cerebral expressions of GFAP,phosphorylated IκB kinase β(p-IKKβ)and phosphorylated nuclear transcription factor-κB(p-NF-κB)detected by Western blot.RESULTS Compared with the model group,the high-dose Wendan Decoction group displayed increased number of neurons,complete and neatly arranged structure;decreased number of neurons with nuclear shrinkage and deformation;increased Nissl bodies,decreased levels of NEFL,NSE,S100B,TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β in serum and brain tissue(P＜0.01);decreased cerebral expression of GFAP(P＜0.01);and decreased phosphorylation levels of cerebral p-IKKβ and p-NF-κB(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Wendan Decoction can reduce the nerve damage and the expression of proinflammatory mediator in sleep disorders mice,and the mechanism may be related to the inhibited activation of IKKβ/NF-κB pathway.

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the bacterial communities of biting midges and ticks collected from three sites in the Poyang Lake area,namely,Qunlu Practice Base,Peach Blossom Garden,and Huangtong Animal Husbandry,and whether vectors carry any bacterial pathogens that may cause diseases to humans,to provide scientific basis for prospective pathogen discovery and disease prevention and control. Methods Using a metataxonomics approach in concert with full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing and operational phylogenetic unit(OPU)analysis,we characterized the species-level microbial community structure of two important vector species,biting midges and ticks,including 33 arthropod samples comprising 3,885 individuals,collected around Poyang Lake. Results A total of 662 OPUs were classified in biting midges,including 195 known species and 373 potentially new species,and 618 OPUs were classified in ticks,including 217 known species and 326 potentially new species.Surprisingly,OPUs with potentially pathogenicity were detected in both arthropod vectors,with 66 known species of biting midges reported to carry potential pathogens,including Asaia lannensis and Rickettsia bellii,compared to 50 in ticks,such as Acinetobacter lwoffii and Staphylococcus sciuri.We found that Proteobacteria was the most dominant group in both midges and ticks.Furthermore,the outcomes demonstrated that the microbiota of midges and ticks tend to be governed by a few highly abundant bacteria.Pantoea sp7 was predominant in biting midges,while Coxiella sp1 was enriched in ticks.Meanwhile,Coxiella spp.,which may be essential for the survival of Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann,were detected in all tick samples.The identification of dominant species and pathogens of biting midges and ticks in this study serves to broaden our knowledge associated to microbes of arthropod vectors. Conclusion Biting midges and ticks carry large numbers of known and potentially novel bacteria,and carry a wide range of potentially pathogenic bacteria,which may pose a risk of infection to humans and animals.The microbial communities of midges and ticks tend to be dominated by a few highly abundant bacteria.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Chaihu Shugansan combined with Xuanfu Daizhetang （CHSG-XFDZ） in the management of Barrett's esophagus （BE） with liver-stomach disharmony. MethodA randomized， parallel， controlled， double-blind clinical trial was conducted. BE patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomized into an observation group and a control group， with 34 patients in each group. The observation group was treated with CHSG-XFDZ combined with omeprazole capsules， and the control group was treated with CHSG-XFDZ mimetic combined with omeprazole capsules. Both groups were treated for 12 weeks. The traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom scores， response rate， BE lesion area， BE pathological changes， and bile acid profile were taken as the indicators to jointly evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups. ResultA total of 62 patients who completed the trial were included for statistical analysis， including 32 in the observation group and 30 in the control group. There were no statistically significant differences in baseline demographics or disease characteristics between two groups， which suggested that the two groups were comparable. The total response rate in the observation group was 93.7% （30/32）， which was higher than that （60.0%， 18/30） in the control group （χ²=24.766， P<0.05）. After treatment， the response rate regarding the pathological changes in the observation group was 62.5% （20/32）， which was higher than that （23.3%， 7/30） in the control group （χ²=10.270， P<0.05）. The response rate regarding the BE lesion area change in the observation group was 21.9% （7/32）， which had no statistically significant difference from that （6.7%， 2/30） in the control group， which indicated that the advantages of the two regimens were not obvious in terms of reducing the area of BE lesions. Compared with the control group after treatment， the observation group regulated the bile acid profile， which pointed out the direction for further exploring the mechanism of CHSG-XFDZ in treating BE. Neither group showcased adverse reactions with clinical significance during the treatment period. ConclusionCHSG-XFDZ outperformed the control group in terms of alleviating TCM symptoms， ameliorating pathological changes， and improving the bile acid profile in the BE patients with liver-stomach disharmony. It demonstrates certain potential in reducing the lesion area. This formula is safe and effective in treating BE patients with liver-stomach disharmony and deserves further clinical research and widespread application.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of individual and combined assessment of age- and sex-specific brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and pulse pressure (PP) on all-cause mortality. Methods: This study is a prospective cohort study. Individuals participated in the Kailuan Study and completed baPWV measurements between 2010 and 2016 were included in this study. After stratifying by sex, 75th percentile baPWV and PP values for different age group were calculated at five years interval. BaPWV and PP values below the 75th percentile were defined as normal, and those above or equal to the 75th percentile were defined as increased. The participants were allocated to four groups according to their PP and baPWV status: normal baPWV/PP group, high baPWV/normal PP group, normal baPWV/high PP group and high baPWV/PP group. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality during the follow-up period. Cox proportional hazards models were used to explore the impact of individual and combined assessment of baPWV and PP on all-cause mortality events. Results: A total of 39 339 participants were enrolled in this study, aged (49.3±12.8) years, of which 28 731 (73.03%) were males. There were 23 268, 6 025, 6 210 and 3 836 cases in the normal baPWV/PP group, high baPWV/normal PP group, normal baPWV/high PP group and high baPWV/PP group, respectively. The average follow-up duration was (4.98±2.53) years. During the follow-up period, all-cause mortality occurred in 998 individuals. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed increased risk of all-cause mortality in the high baPWV/normal PP group (HR=1.27, 95%CI 1.07-1.50), and in the high baPWV/PP group (HR=1.33, 95%CI 1.08-1.65) compared to the normal baPWV/PP group. Increased pulse pressure alone had no impcat on all-cause death (HR=1.06, 95%CI 0.87-1.29). Conclusions: The risk of all-cause mortality significantly increases with increased age-and sex-specific baPWV and PP values. BaPWV may be a better predictor of all-cause mortality than PP in this cohort.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Blood Pressure ; Ankle Brachial Index ; Prospective Studies ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; Ankle ; Vascular Stiffness ; Risk Factors

To develop a caregiver parenting behavior scale for children aged 2 to 6 years, and to verify its reliability and validity. This study recruited 1 350 caregivers of children aged 2 to 6 years. The item discrimination analysis and exploratory factor analysis were used to analyze the structure, dimensions and items of the scale. Homogeneity reliability, split-half reliability and test-retest reliability were used to analyze the reliability of the scale. Content validity and construct validity were used to analyze the validity of the scale. The results showed that the final scale contained 7 dimensions and 45 items. Cronbach's α coefficient of the total scale was 0.945; the coefficient of split half was 0.899; the test-retest reliability analysis showed that the correlation coefficients between the two tests were 0.893 (total score), 0.854 (social), 0.832 (language), 0.871 (gross motor), 0.893 (fine motor), 0.862 (cognitive), 0.832 (self-care), and 0.872 (sensory). The content validity analysis was carried out by two rounds of expert argumentation using Delphi expert consultation method. The Kendall coefficient of the items score in two rounds of Delphi expert consultation was 0.813 (P<0.01). The structure validity analysis showed that there were significant correlations between each dimension and the total scale, also between each dimension of the scale, and the extracted average variance values of each dimension was greater than the correlation coefficients between this dimension and other dimensions. In conclusion, the reliability and validity of the scale are qualified. It can be used as a tool to evaluate and guide the parenting behavior of caregivers of children aged 2 to 6 years.
Humans ; Child ; Caregivers/psychology* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Parenting ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Psychometrics/methods*

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of fire needling on prostate symptoms, quality of life, average daily number of nightly urination, urine flow rate and prostat volume in patients with mild to moderate benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) of kidney yang deficiency. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with mild to moderate BPH of kidney yang deficiency were randomly divided into an observation group (30 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a control group (30 cases, 4 cases dropped off). The observation group was treated with fire needling at Guanyuan (CV 4), Shuidao (ST 28) and Qugu (CV 2) twice a week (2-3 d interval between each treatment), continuous treatment for 4 weeks. The control group received lifestyle advice and education, once a week for 4 weeks. In the two groups, the international prostate symptom score (IPSS), the quality of life (QoL) score and the average daily number of nightly urination were observed before treatment, after treatment and during the follow-up of the 4th week; the urinary maximum flow rate (Qmax), the average flow rate (Qave), and the prostate volume were assessed before and after treatment in the two groups. The safety was observed in the observation group. RESULTS: After treatment and during follow-up, the IPSS scores, QoL scores, and the average daily number of nightly urination in the observation group were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, there was no significant difference in Qmax, Qave and prostate volume between the two groups and within the each group (P>0.05). There were no fire needling-related adverse reactions, and no obvious abnormality was found in urine routine and coagulation function tests before and after treatment in the observation group. CONCLUSION Fire needling can improve lower urinary tract symptoms and quality of life, reduce frequency of nightly urination in patients with mild to moderate BPH of kidney yang deficiency, and has good safety.
Male ; Humans ; Prostatic Hyperplasia/therapy* ; Quality of Life ; Yang Deficiency ; Treatment Outcome ; Kidney