Objective To explore the predictive value of serum high-mobility group box protein B1(HMGB1)and soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products(sRAGE)in the occurrence and short-term prognosis of sepsis-associated encephalopathy(SAE).Methods Clinical data of 228 patients with sepsis were retrospectively analyzed.According to the presence of SAE,patients were divided into the SAE group(96 cases)and the non-SAE group(132 cases).General clinical data,laboratory test results,Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ)scores,Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA)scores and serum HMGB1 and sRAGE levels were compared between the two groups.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors influencing SAE occurrence.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to evaluate the predictive ability of HMGB1,sRAGE and the HMGB1/sRAGE ratio to predict the occurrence and short-term prognosis of SAE.Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to compare the 28-day mortality rates of SAE patients with different HMGB1 and sRAGE expression levels.Results Compared to the non-SAE group,patients in the SAE group exhibited elevated serum HMGB1 levels,decreased sRAGE levels and an increased HMGB1/sRAGE ratio(P＜0.05).The areas under the curve(AUC)for predicting SAE using HMGB1,sRAGE and the HMGB1/sRAGE ratio were 0.826(95%CI:0.770-0.872),0.682(95%CI:0.617-0.742)and 0.895(95%CI:0.848-0.932),respectively,indicating predictive value.Among the 96 SAE patients,52(54.2%)died within 28 days.There were no statistically significant differences in HMGB1,sRAGE and the HMGB1/sRAGE ratio between surviving and deceased patients(P＞0.05).Similarly,there were no significant differences in 28-day mortality rates between SAE patients with different HMGB1 or sRAGE expression levels.Conclusion Elevated serum HMGB1 and reduced sRAGE are of significant value in the auxiliary diagnosis of SAE,but have limited clinical predictive value for short-term prognosis.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of hederagenin(HDG)on cisplatin(Cis)-induced acute kidney injury(AKI)in mice and its potential mechanism.Methods 24 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a control group,AKI model group,HDG low-dose group,and HDG high-dose group,with six mice in each group.AKI model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg cisplatin(Cis).The HDG low-dose and HDG high-dose groups were given 20,40 mg/kg HDG by intragastric administration,respectively,and samples were collected 3 days later.The kidneys of the mice were collected for hematoxylin-eosin(HE)and periodic-acid-schiff(PAS)staining to evaluate the kidney pathology,and serum was collected to detect changes in serum creatinine(Scr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN).The expression of p-P65,P65,IL-6,TNF-α,IL-1β,and other inflammatory-related proteins was detected by Western Blot.A TCMK1(renal tubular epithelial cell)inflammatory cell model was established by Cis(200 ng/mL)stimulation in vitro.Blank group,Cis model group,HDG low-dose group,HDG high-dose group,Axin2 overexpression group,HDG+Axin2 overexpression group were set up.In the Axin2-overexpression group,the expression of p-P65,P65,IL-6,TNF-α,IL-1β,Axin2,and AREG was detected among total cell proteins.Results Compared with the control group,AKI model mice exhibited significantly elevated serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels(P<0.05),accompanied by pathological alterations including vacuolar degeneration of renal tubules,inflammatory cell infiltration,and glycogen deposition,and the expression of inflammation-related proteins(p-P65,TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1β)and Axin2 was markedly upregulated in AKI mice(P<0.05).HDG treatment induced a dose-dependent reduction in serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels(high-dose>low-dose,P<0.05),alleviated renal histopathological damage,and concurrently suppressed the expression of these inflammatory mediators and Axin2(P<0.05).HDG was confirmed that dose-dependently inhibited Cis-induced upregulation of Axin2,and inflammatory cytokines in vitro experiments.Transcriptome sequencing revealed that Axin2 overexpression significantly increased amphiregulin(AREG)expression(P<0.05).Mechanistically,HDG reduced p-P65 phosphorylation by suppressing the Axin2/AREG axis(P<0.05),while Axin2 overexpression abolished the protective effects of HDG against Cis-induced renal tubular cell injury.Conclusions HDG protects against renal injury in AKI mice by reducing inflammation through the inhibition of Axin2/AREG axis activation.

The machine learning is used increasingly and widely in acupuncture prescription optimization, intelligent treatment and precision medicine, and has obtained a certain achievement. But, there are still some problems remained to be solved such as the poor interpretability of the model, the inconsistency of data quality of acupuncture research, and the clinical application of constructed models. Researches in future should focus on the acquisition of high-quality clinical and experimental data sets, take various machine learning algorithms as the basis, and construct professional models to solve various problems, so as to drive the high-quality development of acupuncture research.
Acupuncture Therapy/trends* ; Machine Learning ; Humans ; Algorithms

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of Shufei Huatan Decoction in the treatment of children with chronic cough of phlegm-dampness accumulating in lung type and to observe its inflammatory regulatory effect.Methods A total of 116 children with chronic cough of phlegm-damp accumulating in lung type who were treated in the outpatient or inpatient departments of Dongguan Hospital,Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from February 2022 to February 2024 were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group,with 58 cases in each group.The control group was treated with conventional western medicine of antibiotics and antihistamines,while the observation group was treated with Shufei Huatan Decoction,a self-formulated Chinese medicine prescription.The course of treatment covered two weeks and then the patients were followed up for four weeks.Before and after treatment,the changes of scores of cough,expectoration,and pulmonary auscultation findings,levels of type 2 inflammatory factors of interleukin 4(IL-4)and total immunoglobulin E(IgE),and indicators of airway inflammation such as Eotaxin,fractional exhaled nitric oxide(FeNO)of the two groups were observed.After treatment,the clinical efficacy,the incidence of adverse reactions and the recurrence rate of the children in the two groups were compared.Results(1)After two weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the observation group was 94.83%(55/58)and that of the control group was 86.21%(50/58),and the intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the therapeutic efficacy of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P<0.05).(2)After treatment,the scores of cough,expectoration,and pulmonary auscultation findings as well as their total scores in the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the decrease in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.05).(3)After treatment,the levels of inflammatory factors of FeNO value and serum Eotaxin,IL-4,and total IgE of the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the decrease in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.05).(4)The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was 8.62%(5/58)and that in the control group was 5.17%(3/58),and the intergroup comparison showed that the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).(5)The four-week follow-up showed that the recurrence rate in the observation group was 3.64%(2/55)and that in the control group was 10.00%(5/50),and the difference was not statistically significant between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion Shufei Huatan Decoction exerts certain efficacy in treating children with chronic cough of phlegm-damp accumulating in lung type,which is effective and safe on significantly improving children's clinical symptoms,reducing the release of inflammatory factors,and inhibiting the inflammatory reactions.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of intraoperative intravenous infusion of lidocaine on the occurrence of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with enterogenic sepsis.Methods:In this prospective randomized controlled trial, 80 patients of either sex with enterogenic sepsis, aged ≥18 yr, with a body mass index of 18-30 kg/m 2, who underwent emergency laparotomy under general anesthesia at the People′s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region between January and December 2024, were assigned to 2 groups ( n=40 each) using a table of random numbers: control group (group C) and lidocaine group (group L). Immediately after anesthetic induction, lidocaine was intravenously injected as a loading dose of 1 mg/kg, followed by a continuous infusion at 1.5 mg·kg -1·h -1 until the end of surgery in group L, while group C received the equal volume of normal saline infused at the same rate instead. The occurrence of AKI was recorded within 7 days after operation. The in-hospital death, length of intensive care unit stay, and duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation were recorded. Peripheral blood samples were collected on the day of surgery (T 0) and on postoperative days 1, 2 and 7 (T 1-3) to measure the concentrations of serum creatinine, urea, lactate, procalcitonin, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein and the difference at each time point after operation relative to the baseline value at T 0 was calculated. Results:Compared with group C, the incidence of postoperative AKI was significantly reduced, serum creatinine concentrations and the difference were decreased at T 2 and T 3, serum urea concentrations and the difference were decreased at T 2, the serum C-reactive protein concentration and the difference were decreased at T 1 and T 3, and the procalcitonin concentration and the difference were decreased at T 3 ( P<0.05), and no statistically significant differences were found in the serum lactate and interleukin-6 concentrations and the difference at each time point, in-hospital case fatality rate, duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation, or length of intensive care unit stay in group L ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Intraoperative intravenous lidocaine infusion can reduce the occurrence of postoperative AKI and improve renal function in patients with enterogenic sepsis.

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and high glucose-hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury in rat cardiomyocytes and the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS).Methods:Normally cultured rat H9C2 cardiomyocytes were divided into 4 groups ( n=24 each) by using a table of random numbers: high glucose control group (HC group), high glucose-H/R group (H/R group), high glucose-H/R + TMAO group (T group), and high glucose-H/R + TMAO + 4-phenylbutyric acid group (P group). The high glucose-H/R injury model was established by incubating cells in high-glucose (25 mmol/L glucose) medium for 72 h, followed by 4 h of hypoxia in glucose-free medium and 4 h of reoxygenation in high-glucose medium. T group was incubated with 400 μmol/L TMAO for 72 h before hypoxia, and P group was incubated with 400 μmol/L TMAO and 1 mmol/L 4-phenylbutyric acid for 72 h before hypoxia. At 4 h of reoxygenation, the cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay, the apoptosis rate, ROS level and opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) were measured by flow cytometry, the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was determined by JC-1 staining, the content of ATP was measured by luciferase method, and the expression of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein (BAX), glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) and inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) was detected by Western blot. Results:Compared with HC group, the cell survival rate, MMP and ATP levels were significantly decreased, the apoptosis rate, ROS level and opening of mPTP were increased, and the expression of ATF4, ATF6, BAX, GRP78, PERK and IRE1α was up-regulated in H/R group ( P<0.05). Compared with H/R group, the cell survival rate, MMP and ATP levels were significantly decreased, the apoptosis rate, ROS level and opening of mPTP were increased, the expression of ATF4, BAX, GRP78 and PERK was up-regulated ( P<0.05), and no statistically significant change was found in the expression of ATF6 or IRE1α in T group ( P>0.05). Compared with T group, the cell survival rate, MMP and ATP levels were significantly increased, and the apoptosis rate, ROS level and opening of mPTP was decreased, and the expression of ATF4, ATF6, BAX, GRP78, PERK and IRE1α was down-regulated in P group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:TMAO is involved in the underlying mechanism of high glucose-H/R injury in rat cardiomyocytes, which may be related to the excessive activation of the PERK pathway-mediated ERS and consequent exacerbation of mitochondrial dysfunction.

Thoracic anesthesia with spontaneous respiration represents a form of precision anesthesia meticulously customized to individual patients.Considering the more stringent requirements this anesthesia approach imposes on the regulation of respiratory function,the writing group of the"Consensus of Experts on the Management of Thoracic Anesthesia with Spontaneous Respiration"has formulated elaborate guidelines regarding indications and contraindications,preoperative evaluation,anesthesia implementation,common complications,and treatment strategies.This was accomplished by referencing relevant domestic and international literature and integrating it with actual clinical requirements.The objective is to standardize the rational application of this anesthesia method.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of intraoperative intravenous infusion of lidocaine on the occurrence of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with enterogenic sepsis.Methods:In this prospective randomized controlled trial, 80 patients of either sex with enterogenic sepsis, aged ≥18 yr, with a body mass index of 18-30 kg/m 2, who underwent emergency laparotomy under general anesthesia at the People′s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region between January and December 2024, were assigned to 2 groups ( n=40 each) using a table of random numbers: control group (group C) and lidocaine group (group L). Immediately after anesthetic induction, lidocaine was intravenously injected as a loading dose of 1 mg/kg, followed by a continuous infusion at 1.5 mg·kg -1·h -1 until the end of surgery in group L, while group C received the equal volume of normal saline infused at the same rate instead. The occurrence of AKI was recorded within 7 days after operation. The in-hospital death, length of intensive care unit stay, and duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation were recorded. Peripheral blood samples were collected on the day of surgery (T 0) and on postoperative days 1, 2 and 7 (T 1-3) to measure the concentrations of serum creatinine, urea, lactate, procalcitonin, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein and the difference at each time point after operation relative to the baseline value at T 0 was calculated. Results:Compared with group C, the incidence of postoperative AKI was significantly reduced, serum creatinine concentrations and the difference were decreased at T 2 and T 3, serum urea concentrations and the difference were decreased at T 2, the serum C-reactive protein concentration and the difference were decreased at T 1 and T 3, and the procalcitonin concentration and the difference were decreased at T 3 ( P<0.05), and no statistically significant differences were found in the serum lactate and interleukin-6 concentrations and the difference at each time point, in-hospital case fatality rate, duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation, or length of intensive care unit stay in group L ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Intraoperative intravenous lidocaine infusion can reduce the occurrence of postoperative AKI and improve renal function in patients with enterogenic sepsis.

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and high glucose-hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury in rat cardiomyocytes and the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS).Methods:Normally cultured rat H9C2 cardiomyocytes were divided into 4 groups ( n=24 each) by using a table of random numbers: high glucose control group (HC group), high glucose-H/R group (H/R group), high glucose-H/R + TMAO group (T group), and high glucose-H/R + TMAO + 4-phenylbutyric acid group (P group). The high glucose-H/R injury model was established by incubating cells in high-glucose (25 mmol/L glucose) medium for 72 h, followed by 4 h of hypoxia in glucose-free medium and 4 h of reoxygenation in high-glucose medium. T group was incubated with 400 μmol/L TMAO for 72 h before hypoxia, and P group was incubated with 400 μmol/L TMAO and 1 mmol/L 4-phenylbutyric acid for 72 h before hypoxia. At 4 h of reoxygenation, the cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay, the apoptosis rate, ROS level and opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) were measured by flow cytometry, the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was determined by JC-1 staining, the content of ATP was measured by luciferase method, and the expression of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein (BAX), glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) and inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) was detected by Western blot. Results:Compared with HC group, the cell survival rate, MMP and ATP levels were significantly decreased, the apoptosis rate, ROS level and opening of mPTP were increased, and the expression of ATF4, ATF6, BAX, GRP78, PERK and IRE1α was up-regulated in H/R group ( P<0.05). Compared with H/R group, the cell survival rate, MMP and ATP levels were significantly decreased, the apoptosis rate, ROS level and opening of mPTP were increased, the expression of ATF4, BAX, GRP78 and PERK was up-regulated ( P<0.05), and no statistically significant change was found in the expression of ATF6 or IRE1α in T group ( P>0.05). Compared with T group, the cell survival rate, MMP and ATP levels were significantly increased, and the apoptosis rate, ROS level and opening of mPTP was decreased, and the expression of ATF4, ATF6, BAX, GRP78, PERK and IRE1α was down-regulated in P group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:TMAO is involved in the underlying mechanism of high glucose-H/R injury in rat cardiomyocytes, which may be related to the excessive activation of the PERK pathway-mediated ERS and consequent exacerbation of mitochondrial dysfunction.

Objective To explore the predictive value of serum high-mobility group box protein B1(HMGB1)and soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products(sRAGE)in the occurrence and short-term prognosis of sepsis-associated encephalopathy(SAE).Methods Clinical data of 228 patients with sepsis were retrospectively analyzed.According to the presence of SAE,patients were divided into the SAE group(96 cases)and the non-SAE group(132 cases).General clinical data,laboratory test results,Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ)scores,Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA)scores and serum HMGB1 and sRAGE levels were compared between the two groups.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors influencing SAE occurrence.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to evaluate the predictive ability of HMGB1,sRAGE and the HMGB1/sRAGE ratio to predict the occurrence and short-term prognosis of SAE.Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to compare the 28-day mortality rates of SAE patients with different HMGB1 and sRAGE expression levels.Results Compared to the non-SAE group,patients in the SAE group exhibited elevated serum HMGB1 levels,decreased sRAGE levels and an increased HMGB1/sRAGE ratio(P＜0.05).The areas under the curve(AUC)for predicting SAE using HMGB1,sRAGE and the HMGB1/sRAGE ratio were 0.826(95%CI:0.770-0.872),0.682(95%CI:0.617-0.742)and 0.895(95%CI:0.848-0.932),respectively,indicating predictive value.Among the 96 SAE patients,52(54.2%)died within 28 days.There were no statistically significant differences in HMGB1,sRAGE and the HMGB1/sRAGE ratio between surviving and deceased patients(P＞0.05).Similarly,there were no significant differences in 28-day mortality rates between SAE patients with different HMGB1 or sRAGE expression levels.Conclusion Elevated serum HMGB1 and reduced sRAGE are of significant value in the auxiliary diagnosis of SAE,but have limited clinical predictive value for short-term prognosis.