1.Functional connectivity among insula, sensory and social brain regions in boys with autism spectrum disorder
LI Xiaoxue, ZHAI Jinhe, HAO Haiying, XU Zihan, CAO Xuan, XIA Wei, WANG Jia
Chinese Journal of School Health 2023;44(3):335-338
Objective:
To identify the functional connectivity characteristics of insula, sensory and social related brain regions in boys with autism spectrum disorder(ASD), to explore the central nervous basis of sensory abnormality affecting core symptoms in boys with ASD.
Methods:
Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs fMRI) data were collected from 34 boys with ASD and 29 typical development boys (TD group). Based on functional connectivity analysis, the sensory related brain regions, insula, and social related brain regions were taken as regions of interest to calculate the functional connectivity (FC) level between the regions of interest, the differences between the two groups were compared and the results were corrected by FDR. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and Autism Spectrum Quotient-Children s Version (AQ-Child) were used to assess the core phenotypes of boys with ASD.
Results:
Compared with the TD group, the levels of FC between tactile brain regions and insula, olfactory brain regions and insula, auditory brain regions and insula in boys with ASD group were significantly increased. The level of FC between the insula and bilateral amygdala,insula and the medial prefrontal cortex(mPFC) were significantly increased( P <0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that the level of FC between auditory brain region(BA42)and left insula in ASD group was negatively correlated with the scores of communication subscale of ADOS( r =-0.44),social interaction subscale of ADOS( r =-0.43), communication & social interaction subscale of ADOS( r =-0.49),attention to details subscale of AQ-Child( r =-0.41). The level of FC between the right insula and right amygdala was positively correlated with the attention switch subscale of AQ-Child( r =0.38), the level of FC between right insula and mPFC was positively correlated with the scores of repetitive behavior subscale of ADOS( r =0.48), the attention switch subscale of AQ-Child( r =0.49), total scale subscale of AQ-Child( r =0.41), total scale of CARS( r =0.41)( P < 0.05 ).
Conclusion
The levels of FC between insula and sensory related, social related brain regions are abnormal in children with ASD, which have significant correlations with clinical symptoms. In depth studies can be conducted to explore underlying neutral mechanisms.
2.Age-related changes in prevalence and symptom characteristics in kidney deficiency syndrome with varied health status:a cross-sectional observational study
Zhang YIN ; Liu YUE ; Li XIANPING ; Chen YUEZHOU ; Ye HUI ; Li XIAOFENG ; Lin ZIHAN ; Wang ZHENG ; Huang WEI ; Ding XIA
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences 2014;1(1):20-27
Objective:This study aimed to reveal the age-related changes in prevalence and symptom characteristics in kidney deficiency syndrome (KDS) with varied health status.Methods:This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in6 hospitals.Investigators queried participants aged 20-79 about their health,including symptoms if any,and completed questionnaires to collect participants responses.Prevalence,severity,and frequency of KDS and other relevant parameters were observed and recorded.Comparative analysis of count-able variables,including prevalence,was performed by frequency analysis and x2 test and ex-pressed as a composite ratio.Comparative analysis of quantitative scores of the severity and frequency of symptoms was performed by the rank-sum test.Regression analysis of the corre-lation of KDS with potential contributing factors was performed by non-conditional binary lo-gistic stepwise regression of numerical variables.Results:Prevalence of KDS in healthy and unhealthy participants correlated with increasing age (P < 0.05).In those with chronic disease,KDS prevalence was comparatively high,but the trend was not obvious.KDS prevalence in participants age 20-39 showed an increasing trend with deteriorating health (P < 0.05).Compared to healthy individuals,KDS prevalence in subhealthy persons and those with chronic disease showed an increasing trend (P < 0.05)in the 40-59 and 60-79 age groups,whereas there was no difference between subhealthy per-sons and those with chronic disease age 40-59 and 60-79.Symptom severity scores of KDS showed an increasing trend with increasing age and deteriorating health status (P < 0.05).Higher symptom frequency scores were also positively correlated with increasing age(P < 0.05),but health status deterioration was not significantly correlated (P > 0.05).Age,health status,lower back pain,shin soreness or heel pain,tinnitus or deafness,hair loss or loose teeth,incomplete bladder emptying or incontinence,and sexual dysfunction or infer-tility were potential factors contributing to KDS (P < 0.05),but age was the only independent variable for which OR >1.Moreover,the distribution of typical KDS-related symptoms showed dramatic regularities.Conclusion:Prevalence and symptom characteristics of KDS were found to increase consis-tently with increasing age and deteriorating health status.Kidney deficiency may be an impor-tant mechanism of aging in the subhealthy and chronic disease states.
3.Preparation and evaluation of inactivated vaccine against sheep Mannheimia hae-molytica type A1
Zihan XIA ; Yan LI ; Yuan MA ; Huanrong ZHANG ; Falong YANG
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2024;44(11):2356-2362
Mannheimia haemolytica is an important pathogen causing respiratory diseases in sheep,and the development of an inactivated vaccine of sheep origin against Mannheimia haemolytica is an effective means of prevention and control of this pathogen.In this study,Mannheimia haemo-lytica isolated from the diseased material collected from a sheep farm was screened for the most suitable vaccine strain by mouse pathogenicity test,and the inactivated vaccine was prepared by combining four antigenic amounts(106,107,108,109 CFU/mL)with three adjuvants(ISA 201 ad-juvant,ISA 206 adjuvant,and aluminum adjuvant),which were used in immunization and attack protection tests,and then screened for immunity and attack protection tests.Immunization and at-tack protection tests were conducted to screen the optimal antigen amount and adjuvants for inacti-vated vaccine preparation.Finally,the vaccine was prepared under the optimal conditions and the dynamic changes of antibody levels in immunized sheep were observed.The results showed that a total of 24 strains of Mannheimia haemolytica of sheep origin were isolated,among which 12 strains of serotype A1 were the dominant serotypes for the infection in this sheep farm;one strain of Mannheimia haemolytica of sheep origin of type A1(Mh1)was screened and obtained as the strain for vaccine preparation.Its LD50 for mice was 3.16 × 107 CFU/mL,with strong pathogenici-ty,and could cause pathological damage such as inflammatory cell infiltration of varying degrees in heart,liver,spleen,lung and kidney tissues;the results of the immunization and attack protection test showed that the optimal antigenic amount of the inactivated vaccine was 109CFU/mL,and the most suitable adjuvant was ISA 201,which stimulated the production of the highest antibody level and provided 100%protection for the mice.The protection rate of mice reached 100%,and good humoral immunity could be induced after immunizing sheep.The inactivated Mannheimia haemo-lytica type A1 vaccine prepared in this study has good immunoprotection effect,and lays a good foundation for the further development of commercial vaccine against Mannheimia haemolytica of sheep origin.
4.Autism spectrum disorder s sensory characteristics and its correlation with core phenotype
ZHAI Jinhe, LI Xiaoxue, XU Zihan, HAO Haiying, XIA Wei, FAN Lili, TENG Wanmeng, WANG Jia
Chinese Journal of School Health 2023;44(3):339-343
Objective:
To explore the differences of sensory manifestations between ASD children and typical development children, and to clarify the characteristics of sensory abnormalities in ASD and their relationship with various clinical symptoms, so as to provide scientific basis for early identification and specific intervention.
Methods:
A total of 265 ASD children who received rehabilitation training in autism rehabilitation institutions in Heilongjiang Province were collected as the case group, and 223 typical development children in ordinary kindergartens and schools in Harbin were taken as the control group. Short Sensory Profile (SSP) was used to evaluate the difference of children s sensory perception level between the two groups, and Social Response Scale (SRS) and Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) were used to evaluate the severity of symptoms including social disorder of autistic children. The correlation between SSP scores in ASD group and clinical scales was analyzed.
Results:
The comparison of SSP scores between the two groups found that the median scores of all sensory dimensions in ASD group (tactile=33, taste/smell=18, motion sensitivity=13, Low response/sensation seeking=28, auditory filtering=19, low strength=22, visual/auditory=20) were lower than those of the healthy control group( Z =-2.73,-4.36,-3.17,-5.09,-11.00,-10.45,-3.43, P <0.05). The abnormal rate of multisensory score in children in ASD group was 55.1%, and that in control group was 21.2%, with significant difference( χ 2=57.15, P <0.05). Correlation analysis showed that SSP score in ASD group was negatively correlated with all dimensions of SRS, nonverbal communication, and social function of ADI-R scale, ADOS communication and social interaction, and total scores of ABC and CARS( P < 0.05 ).
Conclusion
Children with ASD have atypical sensory experiences, especially in auditory filtering dimension, and the level of atypical sensation is related to the severity of clinical symptoms of autism. In the future clinical diagnosis, treatment and research, it is necessary to strengthen the ability to recognize the sensory symptoms of children with ASD, so as to realize the early diagnosis and intervention.
5.Acupuncture for Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment:An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
Manze XIA ; Zihan YIN ; Zhenghong CHEN ; Xinyue ZHANG ; Yaqin LI ; Ling ZHAO ; Fanrong LIANG
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2023;25(8):2821-2831
Objective To overview the methodological quality,report quality and evidence quality of the Meta-Analyses/Systematic Reviews(MAs/SRs)of acupuncture for post-stroke cognitive impairment(PSCI).Methods A search was conducted for MAs/SRs on PSCI using English or Chinese from inception to 20 February 2022 published in four Chinese databases:CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,CBM;and three English databases:PubMed,Embase and Cochrane Library.The MAs/SRs were evaluated for methodological quality using AMSTAR 2 and for reporting quality using PRISMA,and the quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE system.Results A total of 18 MAs/SRs were included in this study,of which 89%showed the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for PSCI.According to AMSTAR 2,1 study was of low methodological quality and 17 studies were of critically low quality;according to PRISMA,1 study was of high quality,16 studies were of moderate quality and 1 study was of poor quality;GRADE showed that of the 71 outcomes included,however,there was no evidence of high quality outcomes,with 10 of moderate quality,17 of low quality,and 44 of very low quality.Conclusion Acupuncture may be effective and safe in the treatment of PSCI,but in current acupuncture for PSCI is generally of low quality and should be interpreted with caution.
6.Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Mild Cognitive Impairment:A Scoping Review of Clinical Studies
Zhenghong CHEN ; Zihan YIN ; Yaqin LI ; Manze XIA ; Xinyue ZHANG ; Fanrong LIANG
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2023;25(10):3420-3430
Objective A scoping review of clinical research studies on acupuncture and moxibustion intervention in mild cognitive impairment(MCI),to get a comprehensive understanding of the current state of research in the field,in order to provide reference for the key research direction and clinical decision-making of acupuncture and moxibustion intervention in MCI in the future.Methods Systematic searches were carried out in Chinese and English databases(such as CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,China Biomedical Database,Pubmed,Web of Science,Embase,The Cochrane library),and trial registration platforms(such as WHO ICTRP and Clinical Trials.gov).the clinical studies and Systematic Reviews(SRs)and/or Meta-analyses(MAs)of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of MCI were collected.The search language is limited to Chinese and English,and the search time is from the establishment to July 27,2022.The final included studies were summarized from the aspects of annual publication trend,the patterns of Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome differentiation,acupuncture treatment plan,and outcome indicators of clinical studies.AMASTAR 2 was used to evaluate the methodological quality of SRs/MAs,and evidence mapping was constructed using bubble charts,etc.Results 108 original clinical studies and 9 SRs/MAs were included.The included clinical studies were randomized controlled trials.From 2006 to 2022,the number of publications generally showed an upward trend.Kidney essence deficiency syndrome was the most common dialectical classification in TCM.Special acupuncture treatment regimens are most common as interventions.And outcome measures were mainly Mini-Mental State Examination,Montreal Cognitive Assessment,and Activities of Daily Living,and so on.The assessment of AMSTAR 2 showed at least more than 2 critical flaws,the methodological quality of included SRs/MAs was critically low.Conclusion At present,acupuncture and moxibustion intervention for MCI has a good development prospect and is worthy of in-depth study,but there are still problems such as a single type of clinical study,lack of unified standards for TCM syndrome differentiation,and further standardization of outcome indicator reporting.In addition,the quality of existing evidence for SRs/MAs is generally low,and more in-depth studies are needed to clarify the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion intervention for MCI.
7.The association between serum total homocysteine and subacute combined degeneration of spinal cord
Chen MA ; Luojun WANG ; Ling WANG ; Di ZHAO ; Shi XIAODAN ; Zihan WEI ; Na QIN ; Feng XIA ; Jincun WANG ; Fang YANG ; Jiayun LIU ; Yanchun DENG
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2021;55(12):1442-1448
Objective:The research was aimed to investigate the association between serum total homocysteine (tHcy) and subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord (SCD).Methods:A retrospective survey of 106 newly diagnosed patients with SCD were enrolled in this research who were treated in the department of neurology of Xijing Hospital from January 2008 to February 2019, meanwhile, 121 patients with spinal cord lesion (not SCD) and 104 neurology mild outpatients were selected as controls. Serum tHcy level was determined by using the chemiluminescent immunoassay assay. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors for SCD. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, sensitivity, specificity and Youden index were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of tHcy. Spearman correlation analysis was used to observe the correlation between tHcy and SCD severity. The SCD patients were categorized into normal or mild tHcy group, moderate tHcy group, and severe tHcy group based on tHcy levels. Clinical symptoms, nerve conduction velocity, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings from the patients were studied.Results:The serum tHcy levels in SCD patients were 64.3(26.5, 98.8) μmol/L, while in patients with spinal cord lesion (not SCD) group were 13.7(10.8, 19.2) μmol/L, neurology mild outpatients were 10.6(8.2, 13.0) μmol/L, which was higher in SCD group ( H=112.020, P<0.001), ( H=165.525, P<0.001).The multivariate logistic regression model showed tHcy is the impact factor of SCD ( OR=1.107, 95% CI:1.077-1.139, P<0.001). At ROC analysis, tHcy showed diagnostic value with an optimal cut-off value of 24.9 μmol/L (AUC 0.913, 95% CI: 0.875-0.951, sensitivity 79.2%, specificity 91.6%). Spearman correlation analysis showed that tHcy was positively correlated with functional disability rating scale ( r=0.254, P=0.009). Conclusions:Serum tHcy is the risk factor for SCD and related to its disability. Focus on the increased level of tHcy plays a positive role in the diagnosis of SCD.
8.The association between serum total homocysteine and subacute combined degeneration of spinal cord
Chen MA ; Luojun WANG ; Ling WANG ; Di ZHAO ; Shi XIAODAN ; Zihan WEI ; Na QIN ; Feng XIA ; Jincun WANG ; Fang YANG ; Jiayun LIU ; Yanchun DENG
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2021;55(12):1442-1448
Objective:The research was aimed to investigate the association between serum total homocysteine (tHcy) and subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord (SCD).Methods:A retrospective survey of 106 newly diagnosed patients with SCD were enrolled in this research who were treated in the department of neurology of Xijing Hospital from January 2008 to February 2019, meanwhile, 121 patients with spinal cord lesion (not SCD) and 104 neurology mild outpatients were selected as controls. Serum tHcy level was determined by using the chemiluminescent immunoassay assay. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors for SCD. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, sensitivity, specificity and Youden index were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of tHcy. Spearman correlation analysis was used to observe the correlation between tHcy and SCD severity. The SCD patients were categorized into normal or mild tHcy group, moderate tHcy group, and severe tHcy group based on tHcy levels. Clinical symptoms, nerve conduction velocity, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings from the patients were studied.Results:The serum tHcy levels in SCD patients were 64.3(26.5, 98.8) μmol/L, while in patients with spinal cord lesion (not SCD) group were 13.7(10.8, 19.2) μmol/L, neurology mild outpatients were 10.6(8.2, 13.0) μmol/L, which was higher in SCD group ( H=112.020, P<0.001), ( H=165.525, P<0.001).The multivariate logistic regression model showed tHcy is the impact factor of SCD ( OR=1.107, 95% CI:1.077-1.139, P<0.001). At ROC analysis, tHcy showed diagnostic value with an optimal cut-off value of 24.9 μmol/L (AUC 0.913, 95% CI: 0.875-0.951, sensitivity 79.2%, specificity 91.6%). Spearman correlation analysis showed that tHcy was positively correlated with functional disability rating scale ( r=0.254, P=0.009). Conclusions:Serum tHcy is the risk factor for SCD and related to its disability. Focus on the increased level of tHcy plays a positive role in the diagnosis of SCD.
9.HDAC3:a new target for atherosclerosis therapy
Zihan XIA ; He ZHANG ; Ziqiong ZHANG ; Xingyi LI ; Yining WANG ; Weirong WANG
Chinese Journal of Arteriosclerosis 2024;32(7):621-626,640
Histone deacetylase 3(HDAC3)is an epigenetic modification enzyme,which participates in the occur-rence and development of atherosclerosis(As).It is significant to search for effective HDAC3 inhibitors for the treatment of atherosclerosis.This article reviews the relationship between HDAC3 and atherosclerosis,the latest research progress of HDAC3 inhibitors,and the therapeutic effects of some traditional Chinese medicine on cardiovascular diseases by inhibi-ting HDAC3.It aims to provide new ideas for developing anti-atherosclerotic drugs targeting HDAC3.
10.Antiviral Efficacy and Mechanism of BD-77 Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2
Lei BAO ; Qinhai MA ; Shanshan GUO ; Ronghua ZHAO ; Wen XIA ; Zihan GENG ; Jing SUN ; Yanyan BAO ; Zhou XU ; Shenglong YAN ; Jinxin XIAO ; Huarong CHEN ; Chenggang HUANG ; Xiaolan CUI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(13):45-51
ObjectiveThe human angiotensin converting enzyme2 (hACE2) transgenic mouse model was used to clarify the antiviral efficacy of BD-77 against a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and explore the action mechanism of BD-77 against SARS-CoV-2. MethodSARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta variant strains-infected VeroE6 cell models were established and administered with BD-77 to observe the antiviral effect of BD-77 in vitro. A kit was used to detect the effect of BD-77 in vitro on the binding of spike S protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus (Delta/Omicron) to angiotensin converting enzyme2 (ACE2). Chromatography was adopted to detect the binding of BD-77 to the S protein and N protein of the novel coronavirus. hACE2 transgenic C57BL/6 mice were divided into a blank control group, SARS-CoV-2 infection group, BD-77 administration groups of 37.5 mg·kg-1 and 75 mg·kg-1, with eight mice in each group. The pneumonia model of SARS-CoV-2-infected hACE2 transgenic mice was built to observe the survival of the mice, detect the virus titer of the lung tissue of the mice, and observe the lesions in the lung tissue. ResultBD-77 had a certain inhibitory effect on Omicron and Delta variant strains in vitro, with median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 526.3 mg·L-1 and 653.0 mg·L-1, respectively. BD-77 had no significant inhibitory effect on the binding of the S protein of WT, Omicron, and Delta variant strains of SARS-CoV-2 to ACE2 and had no binding effect with the S protein and N protein of the novel coronavirus. No mice in the blank group died, while the mortality rate of SARS-CoV-2-infected mice was 75%. There was a large amount of virus replication in the lung tissue of the mice and large areas of inflammatory infiltration in the lung tissue and interstitium. Compared with the model group, BD-77 administration groups of 37.5 mg·kg-1 and 75 mg·kg-1 could reduce the mortality of mice, significantly lower the virus titer in the lung tissue of mice (P<0.05), and improve lung lesions. ConclusionBD-77 demonstrated significant inhibitory effects against SARS-CoV-2 virus in vitro and in vivo. However, its mechanism of action did not involve direct inhibition of the virus itself or intervention in the virus-host binding process. This finding suggests that the mechanism of action of BD-77 needs to be thoroughly investigated and elucidated by further experiments.