OBJECTIVE To investigate the analgesic effect and potential mechanism of punicalagin on neuropathic pain （NP） rats based on the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）/nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 （NLRP3） signaling pathway. METHODS Male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group （18 rats） and modeling group （72 rats）. NP rat model was established by chronic constriction injury （CCI） of sciatic nerve. The successfully modeled rats were divided into NP group， 2-methoxyestradiol group （HIF-1α antagonist 10 mg/kg）， punicalagin group （300 mg/kg）， and punicalagin+dimethyloxaloglycine group （punicalagin 300 mg/kg+HIF-1α agonist 175 mg/kg）， with 18 rats in each group. Rats in each group were injected intraperitoneally and/or intragastrically with the corresponding solution or 1% dimethyl sulfoxide/normal saline， once a day， for 14 consecutive days. After the last administration， the mechanical withdrawal threshold （MWT）， thermal withdrawal latency （TWL）， the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and IL-6 in spinal cord tissue were detected； the morphological changes in the spinal dorsal horn were observed. Apoptosis rate of spinal dorsal horn neurons， the co-localization of NLRP3/ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1 （Iba-1） （calculated by the number of NLRP3+/Iba-1+ cells） and the protein expressions of HIF-1α， NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD （ASC） and caspase-1 in spinal cord tissue were detected. RESULTS Compared with the sham operation group， neurofibril in spinal dorsal horn of rats in NP group was thickened and wound into knots， and vacuolar degeneration containing silver granules was observed； the MWT and TWL were reduced or shortened； the levels of TNF-α， IL-1β and IL-6 in spinal cord tissue， the apoptosis rate of spinal dorsal horn neurons， the number of NLRP3+/Iba-1+ cells， and protein expressions of HIF-1α， NLRP3， ASC and caspase-1 were significantly increased or up-regulated （P＜0.05）. Compared with the NP group， the above indexes were significantly improved in the 2-methoxyestradiol group and punicalagin group （P＜0.05）， while dimethyloxaloglycine could significantly reverse the improvement effect of punicalagin on the above indexes （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Punicalagin can relieve pain in NP rats， and its analgesic effect may be achieved by inhibiting HIF-1α/NLRP3 signaling pathway and blocking the activation of ma0o4e@163.com NLRP3 inflammasome in spinal dorsal horn microglia.

Objective To integrate and analyze the disease burden of esophageal cancer caused by alcohol consumption in China from 1990 to 2019, along with the differences between genders, and predict the trends in disease burden changes from 2020 to 2029 to improve prevention and treatment strategies. Methods The disease burden of esophageal cancer caused by alcohol consumption in China from 1990 to 2019 was extracted and integrated from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database, and the corresponding trend was analyzed using the Joinpoint regression model with Joinpoint 4.9.1.0 software. The gray prediction model [GM (1, 1) ] was used to forecast the disease burden of alcohol-related esophageal cancer in China from 2020 to 2029. Results In 2019, the leading causes of esophageal cancer in China were tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index, and insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, accounting for the first to fifth positions in esophageal cancer deaths. From a gender perspective, in 2019, the death number and standardized mortality rate for males were 18.97 times and 20.00 times higher than for females, respectively. The disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and standardized DALYs rate for males were 33.08 times and 24.78 times higher than those for females, respectively, indicating a heavier disease burden of alcohol-related esophageal cancer among Chinese males. From 1990 to 2019, the average annual percentage change (AAPC) in deaths and DALYs due to alcohol-related esophageal cancer in China was 2.08% and 1.63%, respectively, showing a continuous upward trend with statistical significance (P<0.05). The AAPC values for standardized mortality rate and standardized DALYs rate from 1990 to 2019 were –0.92% and –1.23%, respectively, showing a continuous downward trend with statistical significance (P<0.05). The population aged ≥55 years was the main group bearing the disease burden among all age groups from 1990 to 2019. The gray prediction model predicted that by 2029, the overall standardized mortality rate and standardized DALYs rate would decrease to 2.94/100 000and 67.94/100 000, with a greater decline in females than in males. Conclusion Over the past 30 years, the disease burden of alcohol-related esophageal cancer in China has slightly decreased. However, the reduction in disease burden is still lower compared to the overall decline in esophageal cancer burden, and the disease burden for males is significantly higher than for females. Focusing on prevention and treatment for males and the elderly population remains a major issue in addressing alcohol-related esophageal cancer in China.

Respiratory syncytial virus(RSV), an RNA virus, is one of the leading pathogens causing respiratory tract infections in infants, the elderly and immunocompromised people, resulting in a huge medical burden of disease worldwide every year. The fusion protein(F protein) on the surface of RSV is the main target of neutralizing antibodies, especially the discovery of its pre-fusion conformation(pre-F), which has laid a key theoretical foundation for the design of a new generation of vaccines. In view of the current limited effective prevention and treatment methods for RSV-related diseases, it is necessary to develop effective vaccines, and vaccines of various technical routes, including subunit vaccines, mRNA vaccines,live attenuated vaccines and viral vector vaccines, are under the development stage. Among them, some RSV vaccine prouducts for the elderly and pregnant women have been approved for marketing. This paper mainly outlines the problems encountered in the early development of RSV vaccines, the current status and progress of RSV vaccine research, in order to provide reference for the follow-up development, clinical evaluation and immunization strategy formulation of RSV vaccines.

OBJECTIVE To study the best extraction process of β-asarone from Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma by ethanol heating reflux method, and to explore the antioxidant activity of different segments. METHODS With β-asarone from Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma as the evaluation index to optimize the extraction method. On the basis of a single factor experiment, the effects of ethanol concentration, solid-liquid ratio and extraction time on the extraction amount of β-asarone from Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma were investigated by orthogonal design and response surface methodology. After the optimal extraction process was determined, the antioxidant activities of different segments were studied. RESULTS The optimum extraction process of β-asarone from Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma was as follows: ethanol concentration was 95%, solid-liquid ratio was 1∶20 g·mL–1 and extraction time was 2.5 h. Under these conditions, the extraction amount of β-asarone from Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma was 0.918 7 mg·g–1. The results of in vitro antioxidant activity showed that the order of antioxidant capacity was ethyl acetate>petroleum ether>ethanol>n-butanol. Among them, the ethyl acetate fraction had the strongest antioxidant activity, with good ability to scavenge DPPH and ABTS free radicals, and had certain reduction ability. CONCLUSION The optimized method is stable, reliable and simple, which can be used for extraction and antioxidant activity determination of β-asarone from Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma, and provides a basis for the further development of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect and safety of Jiuxin Pill （救心丸） on exercise tolerance and quality of life in patients with stable angina pectoris （SAP）. MethodsA randomised， double-blind， placebo-controlled， multicentre study design was used to enroll 170 patients of SAP from nine centres， which were divided into 85 patients each in the trial group and control group with 1∶1 ratio. Both groups maintained the original western medicine treatment plan， and added Jiuxin Pill or placebo respectively， 2 pills （0.05 g） each time twicely for 28 days. The main outcomes were total exercise time （TED） in the exercise treadmill test and Seattle Angina Questionnaire （SAQ） scores including physical limitation （PL）， angina stability （AS）， angina frequency （AF）， treatment satisfaction （TS）， and disease perception （DP）. The secondary outcomes were exercise treadmill test indicators including heart rate recovery in 1 min （HRR1）， metabolic equivalents （METs）， maximum magnitude of ST-segment depression， and the Borg rating of perceived exertion scale， the average number of angina attacks per week， withdrawal and reduction rate of nitroglycerin， traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores， incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events. Safety indicators were evaluated and the occurrence of adverse events during the trial was recorded. Data was collected before treatment， day 28±2 in treatment period， and follow-up at day 56 which is 28±2 days after treatment period finished. ResultsEighty-four and eighty-five patients respectively from trial group and control group were included to the full analysis set （FAS） and safety analysis set （SS）. Compared with the group before treatment and with the control group after treatment， the trial group had higher TED， HRR1， and METs， and lower maximum magnitude of ST-segment depression and Borg rating of perceived exertion scores after treatment （P＜0.01）. Compared with the group before treatment and with the control group after treatment and at follow-up， the total SAQ score and scores of AS， AF， TS and DP of the trial group after treatment and at follow-up elevated， while the average number of angina attacks per week and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores reduced （P＜0.01）. There was no statistically significant difference in the withdrawal and reduction rate of nitroglycerin between groups （P＞0.05）. Major adverse cardiovascular events occurred in 1 case （1/84， 1.19%） in the trial group and 1 case （1/85， 1.18%） in the control group， and the difference between groups was not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. A total of 3 cases of adverse events occurred in the trial group （3/84， 3.57%）， and a total of 6 cases of adverse events occurred in the control group （6/85， 7.06%）， and there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between groups （P＞0.05）. ConclusionIn the treatment of SAP， Jiuxin Pill combined with conventional western medicine can further enhance exercise tolerance， improve quality of life， and demonstrate great safety.

Objective To observe the value of clinical and CT radiomics features for predicting microsatellite instability-high(MSI-H)status of gastric cancer.Methods Totally 150 gastric cancer patients including 30 cases of MSI-H positive and 120 cases of MSI-H negative were enrolled and divided into training set(n=105)or validation set(n=45)at the ratio of 7∶3.Based on abdominal vein phase enhanced CT images,lesions radiomics features were extracted and screened,and radiomics scores(Radscore)was calculated.Clinical data and Radscores were compared between MSI-H positive and negative patients in training set and validation set.Based on clinical factors and Radscores being significant different between MSI-H positive and negative ones,clinical model,CT radiomics model and clinical-CT radiomics combination model were constructed,and their predictive value for MSI-H status of gastric cancer were observed.Results Significant differences of tumor location and Radscore were found between MSI-H positive and negative patients in both training and validation sets(all P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of clinical model,CT radiomics model and combination model for evaluating MSI-H status of gastric cancer in training set was 0.760,0.799 and 0.864,respectively,of that in validation set was 0.735,0.812 and 0.849,respectively.AUC of clinical-CT radiomics combination model was greater than that of the other 2 single models(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Clinical-CT radiomics combination model based on tumor location and Radscore could effectively predict MSI-H status of gastric cancer.

Objective By analyzing the characteristics of hidden poisoning homicide cases,provide scientific references for grass-roots forensic examination and toxicological screening and provide direction for the efficient discovery of hidden or missed cases of poisoning homicide in non-natural death cases.Methods Poisoning incidents in Hunan Province from 2018 to 2023 were retrospectively analyzed and compiled using Origin and EXCEL software.Results There were a total of 149 poisoning homicide cases,with 15 occurring in urban areas(accounting for 10.1%)and 134 in rural areas(accounting for 89.9%).Out of the 46 cases that led to casualties,rodenticide poisoning was the most prevalent(accounting for 52.2%),followed by cyanide(4.3%),nitrite(4.3%),thallium(2.2%),and other forms of poisoning.These incidents were primarily concentrated in urban areas.The main way of poisoning was to mix poisons into drinking water(accounting for 28.3%),meals(26.1%),and dark or heavy seasoning(8.7%).There was no significant disparity in the gender distribution of suspects,although the number of male victims was notably higher than that of female victims.The suspects were predominantly between the ages of 19 and 45,while the victims were mostly between the ages of 46 and 60.Among the 103 cases that did not result in injury or death,99%occurred in rural areas,with more than 95%of the involved poisons included pungent pesticides or herbicides,while rodenticides accounted for the least(1.9%).Conclusion There are obvious urban-rural differences in the case occurrence areas and types of involved poisons in poisoning homicide cases.Therefore,it is imperative to focus on both urban and rural areas during the investigation and evidence collection process in suspected poisoning cases.

Objectives:To analyze the disease burden and changing trends of non-rheumatic valvular heart disease(NRVHD)from 1990 to 2019 in China. Methods:Based on the Global Burden of Disease 2019 database,we collected data related to NRVHD in China from 1990 to 2019,analyzed the crude incidence rate,crude prevalence rate,crude disability-adjusted life year(DALY),and age-scaled rate of NRVHD during this period,and analyzed the corresponding trends.The grey prediction model GM(1,1)was used to predict the disease burden of NRVHD in China from 2020 to 2029. Results:The crude incidence,crude prevalence,and crude DALY rates of NRVHD increased in China from 7.87/100 000,123.21/100 000,and 9.83/100 000 in 1990 to 22.85/100 000,374.16/100 000,and 11.95/100 000 in 2019;the age-standardized incidence rate and the age-standardized prevalence rate increased from 9.22/100 000 and 169.04/100 000 in 1990 to 15.30/100000 and 262.85/100 000 in 2019 respectively,with females being higher than males;the age-standardized DALY rate declined from 13.43/100 000 in 1990 to 9.07/100 000 in 2019,with females being higher than males.Joinpoint regression model analysis showed an increasing trend in the age-standardized incidence rate and age-standardized prevalence rate,and a decreasing trend in the age-standardized DALY rate(annual average percentage change[AAPC]values of 1.86%,1.72%and-1.66%,respectively),trend of change was statistically significant(all P<0.05).The burden of disease for all age groups from 1990 to 2019 showed an overall increasing trend,and the crude incidence rate,crude prevalence rate and crude DALY rate all increased with age,and the elderly group over 60 years old was the main group of disease burden.The results of the grey prediction model showed that by 2029,the age-standardized incidence rate and age-standardized prevalence rate would increase to 18.51/100 000 and 303.26/100 000,respectively,and the age-standardized DALY rate would decrease to 7.42/100 000. Conclusions:From 1990 to 2019,the age-standardized incidence rate and age-standardized prevalence rate of NRVHD in China showed an increasing trend,and the age-standardized DALY rate all showed a decreasing trend.The disease burden of NRVHD in China remains high.Women and the senior population are the main target groups needing special attention in China,and more targeted prevention and treatment strategies are needed for high-risk population.

Objective:To explore the characteristics of 24-hour movement in preschoolers and its relationship with executive function.Methods:The study subjects consisted of 555 preschoolers in Zhuhai City. An objective measurement approach was employed, physical activity level was assessed by utilizing accelerometers and executive function was evaluated by computerized behavioral tests.The characteristics of 24-hour movement in children were described.Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 software, independent samples t-test was used to compare differences in 24-hour activity behaviors across genders, and multivariate linear regression was used to explore the effect of preschoolers' achievement of activity behaviors on executive functioning. Results:According to the physical activity guideline for Chinese preschoolers aged 3-6 years recommendations for children's daily moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity, sedentary screen time, and sleep duration, among the study participants, the compliance rate of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity (≥60 min/d) was 33.9 %(188/555), sedentary screen time (≤1 h/d) was 43.4%(241/555), and sleep duration (10-13 h/d) was 83.4 %(463/555). Only 13.3 %(74/555) of the participants met the recommended guidelines for all three behaviors. The correct score of the working memory test was (60.6±20.3) and the reaction time of the inhibitory control test was (695.1±135.8) ms. In male preschoolers, moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity (≥60 min/d) positively predicted working memory( β=0.121, P=0.037), while sedentary screen time (≤1 h/d) negatively predicted inhibitory control ( β=-0.122, P=0.036). Conclusions:The daily compliance rate of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity and sedentary screen time is low among preschooler. The former is positively correlated with working memory in preschool boys, while the latter is negatively correlated with inhibitory control.

Objective To express recombinant Burkholderia pseudomallei(B.pseudomallei)type Ⅲ secretion system BipD protein,prepare its polyclonal antibodies and verify their immunological traits.Methods The recombinant pET-28a-BipD plasmid was generated,and the pET-28a-BipD-carried E.coli BL21(DE3)bacteria were induced with isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactoside(IPTG)to express recombinant BipD(rBipD)protein.The rBipD was obtained by affinity chromatography using His Trap column,then mixed with Fredrick's adjuvant to immunize BALB/c mice by intraperitoneal injection in order to obtain anti-rBipD polyclonal antibodies.The immunoreactivity of rBipD was detected by Western blot assay using rabbit anti-melioidosis serum and the serum from melioidosis patients.The immunogenicity of rBipD was evaluated using Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining.Finally,rBipD was used to establish an indirect ELISA to detect serum antibodies of clinical melioidosis patients.Results The recombinant plasmid pET-28a-BipD was successfully constructed and transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3)to induce rBipD expression with IPTG treatment.The obtained rBipD had a relative molecular weight of 36×103 and a purity of 95.4％,and had good immunogenicity and immunoreactivity.It could induce the production of specific antibodies after immunizing mice,and mouse polyclonal antibodies against rBipD were prepared with the titer of 1∶512 000.rBipD of 5.0 μg/mL produced specific immune response with the serum of melioidosis patients,but had no specific reaction with the serum of tuberculosis patients,with statistical difference(P＜0.01).Conclusion rBipD with immunological activity is successfully prepared and purified,and its polyclonal antibodies are also developed,which provide a good tool for clinical immunological diagnosis and study of immune mechanism of B.pseudomallei infection.