Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice. It has a high prevalence and poor prognosis. The application of antiarrhythmic drugs and even surgery cannot completely treat the disease, and there are many sequelae. AF can be classified into the category of "palpitation" in Chinese medicine according to its symptoms. Acupuncture has a significant effect on AF. The authors find that an important mechanism of acupuncture in AF treatment is to regulate the cardiac vagus nerve. Therefore, this article intends to review the distribution and function of vagus nerve in the heart, the application and the regulatroy effect for the treatment of AF.
Atrial Fibrillation/physiopathology* ; Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Vagus Nerve/physiology* ; Animals

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.03.002.].

Metformin has been demonstrated to attenuate hyperglycaemia by modulating the gut microbiota. However, the mechanisms through which the microbiome mediates metformin monotherapy failure (MMF) are unclear. Herein, in a prospective clinical cohort study of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients treated with metformin monotherapy, metagenomic sequencing of faecal samples revealed that Phocaeicola vulgatus abundance was approximately 12 times higher in nonresponders than in responders. P. vulgatus rapidly hydrolysed taurine-conjugated bile acids, leading to ceramide accumulation and reversing the improvements in glucose intolerance conferred by metformin in high-fat diet-fed mice. Interestingly, C22:0 ceramide bound to mitochondrial fission factor to induce mitochondrial fragmentation and impair hepatic oxidative phosphorylation in P. vulgatus-colonized hyperglycaemic mice, which could be exacerbated by metformin. This work suggests that metformin may be unsuitable for P. vulgatus-rich T2DM patients and that clinicians should be aware of metformin toxicity to mitochondria. Suppressing P. vulgatus growth with cefaclor or improving mitochondrial function using adenosylcobalamin may represent simple, safe, effective therapeutic strategies for addressing MMF.

Objective To explore the differences in gut microbiota among patients with Parkinson disease(PD),major depressive disorder(MDD)and PD with depression(dPD),as well as their correlation with psychological factors.Methods A cross-sectional control design was used for the study.Fecal samples were collected from 30 PD patients,21 dPD patients,and 20 MDD patients for high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing analysis.The Snaith-Hamilton pleasure scale(SHAPS),ruminative responses scale(RRS),Connor-Davidson resilience scale(CD-RISC)and self-compassion scale short form(SCS-SF)were used for psychological assessments.Results The relative abundance of Megamonas was higher in the MDD group than in the dPD and PD groups,while Prevotella was lower in the MDD group than in the dPD and PD groups.The relative abundance of Escherichia-Shigella in PD was higher than that in the dPD and MDD groups,and the difference was significant(P<0.05).The score of the CD-RISC was positively correlated with the abundance of microbiota at Vibrio(r=0.598,P<0.001)and Shewanella(r=0.569,P<0.001),while the score of ruminative responses scale was positively correlated with the abundance of microbiota at Hydrogenophaga(r=0.625,P<0.001),Rhodococcus(r=0.510,P<0.001).Conclusion There are some differences in gut microbiota among patients with Parkinson disease,Parkinson disease with depression and major depression disorder.The specific microbiota such as Vibrio and Rhodococcus may be related to the psychological factors and depressive symptoms of dPD patients.

Objective: To explore the possibility of performing allogeneic platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment for patients who were not suitable for autologous PRP collection through case reports of two patients with refractory wounds treated with allogeneic PRP. Methods: The ABO-compatible allogeneic whole blood was centrifuged 3 times to obtain allogeneic PRP within 6 hours of blood collection. Then the qualified allogeneic PRP was applied to 2 cases of refractory wound on the same day. Results: The platelet concentration in allogeneic PRP was higher than 1 000×10 /L, and the test results of infectious diseases, as well as the mixing of red blood cells and white blood cells, met the standard of quality control. Both patients achieved satisfactory wound healing outcomes (3 d). Conclusions: For patients who were not suitable for autologous PRP treatment, allogeneic PRP might be a new option.

The deficiency of fingers due to various reasons leads to a certain degree of loss of full or part hand functions. Physical and mental health of patients are seriously affected, and patients have varying degrees of reduced quality of life. Prosthesis fingers play an important role in completing the body shape and enhancing patients’ self-confidence and self-esteem. However, how to make prosthesis fingers perform coordinated movements and restore complete functions is a crucial problem that urgently needs to be solved. This paper reviews the methods of brain-computer interface controlled fine finger movements and elaborates on the origin, current situation, and advancements of the development of this technology, laying a foundation for subsequent research, with the expectation of helping patients solve the problems arising from the insufficiency or absence of finger functions.

ObjectiveTo explore the pharmacological mechanism involved in the treatment of allergic cough （AC） by Xiaoer Huatan Zhike granules （XEHT） based on proteomics and network pharmacology. MethodsAfter sensitization by intraperitoneal injection of 1 mL suspension containing 2 mg ovalbumin （OVA） and 100 mg aluminum hydroxide， a guinea pig model of allergic cough was constructed by nebulization with 1% OVA. The modeled guinea pigs were randomized into the model， low-， medium- and high-dose （1， 5， 20 g·kg^-1， respectively） XEHT， and sodium montelukast （1 mg·kg^-1） groups （n=6）， and another 6 guinea pigs were selected as the blank group. The guinea pigs in drug administration groups were administrated with the corresponding drugs by gavage， and those in the blank and model groups received the same volume of normal saline by gavage， 1 time·d^-1. After 10 consecutive days of drug administration， the guinea pigs were stimulated by 1% OVA nebulization， and the coughs were observed. The pathological changes in the lung tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to measure the levels of C-reactive protein （CRP）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， and malondialdehyde （MDA） in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） and immunoglobulin G （IgG） and immunoglobulin A （IgA） in the serum. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was employed to observe the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α in the lung tissue. Transmission electron microscopy was employed observe the alveolar type Ⅱ epithelial cell ultrastructure. Real-time PCR was employed to determine the mRNA levels of IL-6， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and TNF-α in the lung tissue. Label-free proteomics was used to detect the differential proteins among groups. Network pharmacology was used to predict the targets of XEHT in treating AC. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） enrichment analysis was performed to search for the same pathways from the results of proteomics and network pharmacology. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group showed increased coughs （P<0.01）， elevated levels of CRP， TNF-α， IL-6， and MDA and lowered level of SOD in the BALF （P<0.05， P<0.01）， elevated levels of IgA and IgG in the serum （P<0.05， P<0.01）， congestion of the lung tissue and infiltration of inflammatory cells， increased expression of IL-6 and TNF-α （P<0.01）， large areas of low electron density edema in type Ⅱ epithelial cells， obvious swelling and vacuolization of the organelles， karyopyknosis or sparse and dissolved chromatin， and up-regulated mRNA levels of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the drug administration groups showed reduced coughs （P<0.01）， lowered levels of CRP， TNF-α， IL-6， and MDA and elevated level of SOD in the BALF （P<0.05， P<0.01）， alleviated lung tissue congestion， inflammatory cell infiltration， and type Ⅱ epithelial cell injury， and decreased expression of IL-6 and TNF-α （P<0.01）. In addition， the medium-dose XEHT group and the montelukast sodium group showcased lowered serum levels of IgA and IgG （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The medium- and high-dose XEHT groups and the montelukast sodium showed down-regulated mRNA levels of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α and the low-dose XEHT group showed down-regulated mRNA levels of IL-6 and TNF-α （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Phospholipase D， mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， and epidermal growth factor receptor family of receptor tyrosine kinase （ErbB） signaling pathways were the common pathways predicted by both proteomics and network pharmacology. ConclusionProteomics combined with network pharmacology reveal that XEHT can ameliorate AC by regulating the phospholipase D， mTOR， and ErbB signaling pathways.

Objective:To investigate the effect of Qinggan Bupi Jiangtang Decoction combined with acupuncture on glucose and lipid metabolism and cytokines in patients with overweight/obese T2DM.Methods:Randomized controlled trial. A total of 104 patient with overweight/obese T2DM who were admitted to the Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from September 2022 to March 2023 were selected as the research subjects. They were randomly divided into the control group (52 cases) and the combination group (52 cases). The control group was given conventional symptomatic treatment and treated with acupuncture. On this basis, the combination group was treated with Qinggan Bupi Jiangtang Decoction. The two groups were compared in terms of efficacy, TCM syndrome scores, glucose metabolism indicators, islet function indicators, lipid metabolism indicators, cytokines, and blood glucose control. Results:The total effective rate was 90.38% (47/52) in the combined group and 73.08% (38/52) in the control group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( χ2=5.22, P=0.022). After treatment, the TCM syndrome score (13.21±1.48 vs. 18.54±2.01, t=15.40) of the combination group was lower than that of the control group ( P<0.001). After treatment, the combination group FPG [(6.05 ± 1.01) mmol/L vs. (7.26 ± 1.13) mmol/L, t=5.73], 2 hPG [(8.23 ± 1.12) mmol/L vs. (10.41 ± 1.26) mmol/L, t=9.54], HbAlc [(5.84 ± 0.84) % vs. (6.31 ± 0.93) %, t=2.84] and HOMA-IR (2.57 ± 0.26 vs. 2.86 ± 0.30, t=3.75) were lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05), and HOMA-β (61.34 ± 6.75 vs. 56.69 ± 5.72, t=5.87) was higher than that of the control group ( P<0.05). After treatment, the combination group TC, TG and LDL-C were lower than those in the control group ( t values were 10.25, 5.35, 3.51, respectively, P<0.01), HDL-C was higher than that of the control group ( t=11.59, P<0.01). After treatment, the combination group CTRP12 [(296.05 ± 30.11) ng/L vs. (280.23 ± 28.44) ng/L, t=2.76], FGF-21 [(184.12 ± 19.05) μg/L vs. (170.04 ± 17.03) μg/L, t=2.77], Nesfatin1 [(0.92 ± 0.10) μg/L vs. (0.77±0.08) μg/L, t=5.99] and lipidin levels [(4.89±0.51) mg/L vs. (4.12±0.48) mg/L, t=8.58] were higher than those in the control group ( P<0.01). The combined group composite endpoint achievement rate was 53.85% (28/52), the 12-week HbA1c achievement rate was 80.77% (42/52), and the rate of no weight increase was 84.62% (44/52). The control group's composite endpoint achievement rate was 34.62% (18/52), the 12-week HbA1c achievement rate was 61.54% (32/52), and the rate of no weight increase was 67.31% (35/52). The differences between the two groups were statistically significant ( χ2 values were 3.90, 4.69, 4.27, respectively, and the P values were 0.048, 0.030, 0.039, respectively). The adverse reactions of the two groups were mainly mild nausea, skin rash and pruritus, the incidence of which was 15.38% (8/52) in the combination group and 9.62% (5/52) in the control group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=0.79, P=0.374). Conclusion:The therapeutic effect of Qinggan Bupi Jiangtang Decoction combined with acupuncture on overweight/obese T2DM patients is relatively clear, and it can regulate the glucose and lipid metabolism and cytokines of patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the application of the novel inflammatory factor adsorption column CA280 combined with low-dose plasma exchange （LPE） in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure （ACLF）. MethodsA prospective cohort study was designed， and a total of 93 ACLF patients who were admitted to The Ninth Hospital of Nanchang from June 2023 to January 2025 were enrolled and randomly divided into DPMAS+LPE group with 50 patients and CA280+LPE group with 43 patients. In addition to comprehensive medical treatment， the patients in the DPMAS+LPE group received DPMAS and LPE treatment， and those in the CA280+LPE group received CA280 and LPE treatment. The two groups were observed in terms of routine blood test results， liver function parameters， renal function markers， electrolytes， coagulation function parameters， cytokines， adverse events， and 28-day prognosis before surgery （baseline）， during surgery （DPMAS or CA280）， and after surgery （after sequential LPE treatment）. The paired t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data before and after treatment within each group， and the independent-samples t test was used for comparison between groups； the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data before and after treatment within each group， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between groups. The chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups， and the Spearman test was used for correlation analysis. ResultsAfter CA280 treatment， the ACLF patients had significant reductions in the levels of cytokines （IL-6， IL-8， IL-10， TNF-α， and IFN-γ）， liver function parameters （ALT， AST， ALP， TBil， DBil， Alb， and glutathione reductase）， and the renal function marker urea nitrogen （all P<0.05）， and in terms of coagulation function parameters， there were significant increases in prothrombin time， activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT）， thrombin time， and international normalized ratio （INR） and significant reductions in prothrombin activity （PTA） and fibrinogen （FIB） （all P<0.05）. Compared with the DPMAS+LPE group， the CA280+LPE group showed better improvements in the serum cytokines IL-8 （Z=-2.63， P=0.009）， IL-10 （Z=-3.94， P<0.001）， and TNF-α （Z=-1.53， P=0.023）， and the two artificial liver support systems had a similar effect in improving liver function （ALT， AST， GGT， GR， TBil， and DBil） （all P >0.05）， but the CA280+LPE group showed a significantly greater reduction in Alb （Z=-2.08， P=0.037）. CA280+LPE was more effective in reducing uric acid （Z=-2.97， P=0.003）. Compared with DPMAS+LPE， CA280+LPE treatment resulted in a significant reduction in INR （Z=-4.01， P<0.001）， a significant increase in APTT （Z=-2.53， P=0.011）， and significant greater increases in PTA （Z=-6.28， P<0.001） and FIB （Z=-3.93， P<0.001）. There were no significant differences in the incidence rates of adverse reactions and the rate of improvement at discharge between the two groups （all P>0.05）. The Spearman correlation analysis showed that IL-6 was significantly correlated with WBC （r=0.22， P=0.042）， TBil （r=0.29， P=0.005）， and FIB （r=-0.33， P=0.003）； IL-8 was positively correlated with APTT （r=0.37， P<0.001） and INR （r=0.25， P=0.013）； TNF-α was significantly correlated with WBC （r=0.40， P<0.001） and TBil （r=0.34， P<0.001）. ConclusionCompared with DPMAS， CA280 combined with LPE can effectively clear proinflammatory cytokines and improve liver function in ACLF patients， but it has a certain impact on Alb and coagulation function. This regimen provides a new option for the individualized treatment of ACLF and can improve the short-term prognosis of patients， but further studies are needed to verify its long-term efficacy.