Monotropein is a compound classified into iridoid which is found in herbaceous plants Morindae officinalis. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-osteoarthritic activities. Previous study indicates that monotropein may have the potential to combat cardiovascular disease, although the related mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we constructed the model of atherosclerosis by oxidized low density lipoprotein-induced vascular smooth muscle cells and LDLR –/–mice given high-fat diet to investigate the effects of monotropein on atherosclerosis.Our results showed that monotropein treatment significantly reduced the area of atherosclerotic plaques and necrotic cores in mice, inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, and reduced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which in turn alleviated atherosclerosis. In addition, we found that monotropein reduced the expression levels of P-NF-κB and P-AP-1. In conclusion, our data suggest that monotropein inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells by mediating the activity of NF-κB, AP-1, reducing the level of inflammation and oxidative stress, and thus resisting the development of atherosclerosis. These findings demonstrate the efficacious therapeutic impact of monotropein on atherosclerosis and elucidate its specific target.

Monotropein is a compound classified into iridoid which is found in herbaceous plants Morindae officinalis. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-osteoarthritic activities. Previous study indicates that monotropein may have the potential to combat cardiovascular disease, although the related mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we constructed the model of atherosclerosis by oxidized low density lipoprotein-induced vascular smooth muscle cells and LDLR –/–mice given high-fat diet to investigate the effects of monotropein on atherosclerosis.Our results showed that monotropein treatment significantly reduced the area of atherosclerotic plaques and necrotic cores in mice, inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, and reduced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which in turn alleviated atherosclerosis. In addition, we found that monotropein reduced the expression levels of P-NF-κB and P-AP-1. In conclusion, our data suggest that monotropein inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells by mediating the activity of NF-κB, AP-1, reducing the level of inflammation and oxidative stress, and thus resisting the development of atherosclerosis. These findings demonstrate the efficacious therapeutic impact of monotropein on atherosclerosis and elucidate its specific target.

Monotropein is a compound classified into iridoid which is found in herbaceous plants Morindae officinalis. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-osteoarthritic activities. Previous study indicates that monotropein may have the potential to combat cardiovascular disease, although the related mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we constructed the model of atherosclerosis by oxidized low density lipoprotein-induced vascular smooth muscle cells and LDLR –/–mice given high-fat diet to investigate the effects of monotropein on atherosclerosis.Our results showed that monotropein treatment significantly reduced the area of atherosclerotic plaques and necrotic cores in mice, inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, and reduced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which in turn alleviated atherosclerosis. In addition, we found that monotropein reduced the expression levels of P-NF-κB and P-AP-1. In conclusion, our data suggest that monotropein inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells by mediating the activity of NF-κB, AP-1, reducing the level of inflammation and oxidative stress, and thus resisting the development of atherosclerosis. These findings demonstrate the efficacious therapeutic impact of monotropein on atherosclerosis and elucidate its specific target.

ObjectiveTo divide the muscle into different subzones according to different density ranges using the stratified analysis on the basis of myosteatosis， and to investigate the effect of muscle density changes on complications （Clavien-Dindo grade ≥Ⅲ） after orthotopic liver transplantation （OLT）. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the medical records of 145 patients who underwent OLT in The First Hospital of Jilin University from May 2013 to September 2020， and with the plain CT scan images of the largest level of lumbar 3 vertebrae of each patient as the original data， Neusoft Fatanalysis software was used to measure related muscle parameters. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups. The chi-square test or Fisher test was for comparison of categorical data between two groups. RIAS software was used to extract clinical features and perform analysis and modeling， and three machine learning models of logistic regression （LR）， support vector machine （SVM）， and random forest （RFC） were constructed. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve， the calibration curve， and the decision curve were plotted for each model to calculate the area under the ROC curve （AUC）， sensitivity， specificity， precision， F1 score， and accuracy. ResultsThe three machine learning models of LR-C， SVM-C， and RFC-C were established based on the 7 clinical features before muscle stratification analysis， among which the RFC-C model had an AUC of 0.803， a sensitivity of 0.588， and a specificity of 0.778 in the test set. Among the models of LR-CS， SVM-CS， and RFC-CS established based on the 16 clinical features after muscle stratification analysis， the LR-CS and SVM-CS models had an AUC of 0.852 in the test set， with a sensitivity of 0.765 and 0.706， respectively， and a specificity of 0.889 and 0.926， respectively. Comparison of the AUC， sensitivity， specificity， precision， F1 score， and accuracy of each model in the test set before and after muscle stratification analysis showed that there were improvements in the parameters of the predictive model after muscle stratification analysis. Comparison of the decision curves and calibration curves of each predictive model showed that the LR-CS and SVM-CS models had good efficacy in predicting postoperative complications （Clavien-Dindo grade≥Ⅲ） in OLT patients. ConclusionOn the basis of myosteatosis， the division of the muscle into different subzones according to different densities using the stratified analysis has a certain value in predicting postoperative complications in patients with OLT.

It is believed that the head and facial orifices are connected with the brain's spirit and the spirits of the five organs. Their functions， including vision， hearing， smell， taste， and speech， are manifestations of the activity of the spirit. Furthermore， head and facial orifice disorders are interrelated with spirit disorders， forming a cause-and-effect relationship. Acupuncture has a regulatory effect on the spirit. Based on this， acupuncture for regulating the spirit in treating head and facial orifice disorders is proposed. This includes regulating the brain's spirit to treat functional disorders， regulating the heart's spirit to clarify the functions of governing substances， regulating the organ's spirit to benefit the orifices and enhance the communication of the spirit， and regulating the liver's spirit to promote the flow of Qi （气） and relieve stagnation， thereby providing a framework for acupuncture to treat head and facial orifice disorders.

It is regarded that the disease location of refractory facial paralysis is in the channel sinews of the face， with its primary pathogenesis characterized by a combination of deficiency and stasis of the channel sinews. The integration of repeated shallow needling method and fire acupuncture can first remove stagnation within the channel sinews， and second utilize the warming effect of fire to reinforce yang， stimulate meridian qi， and nourish the channel sinews. This approach balances both supplementation and drainage manipulation， aligning with the underlying pathogenesis of deficiency and stasis combination. In clinical practice， diagnostic methods should be applied flexibly to accurately identify the affected channel sinews. The severity of facial symptoms， the size and mobility of the paralyzed facial muscles， as well as the depth and size of the reactive points identified through palpation， should be considered when determining the extent of the condition. By adjusting the appropriate level of stimulation， the fire acupuncture with repeated shallow needling method could effectively improve facial muscle morphology and function， promoting recovery from the disease.

Monotropein is a compound classified into iridoid which is found in herbaceous plants Morindae officinalis. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-osteoarthritic activities. Previous study indicates that monotropein may have the potential to combat cardiovascular disease, although the related mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we constructed the model of atherosclerosis by oxidized low density lipoprotein-induced vascular smooth muscle cells and LDLR –/–mice given high-fat diet to investigate the effects of monotropein on atherosclerosis.Our results showed that monotropein treatment significantly reduced the area of atherosclerotic plaques and necrotic cores in mice, inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, and reduced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which in turn alleviated atherosclerosis. In addition, we found that monotropein reduced the expression levels of P-NF-κB and P-AP-1. In conclusion, our data suggest that monotropein inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells by mediating the activity of NF-κB, AP-1, reducing the level of inflammation and oxidative stress, and thus resisting the development of atherosclerosis. These findings demonstrate the efficacious therapeutic impact of monotropein on atherosclerosis and elucidate its specific target.

Monotropein is a compound classified into iridoid which is found in herbaceous plants Morindae officinalis. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-osteoarthritic activities. Previous study indicates that monotropein may have the potential to combat cardiovascular disease, although the related mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we constructed the model of atherosclerosis by oxidized low density lipoprotein-induced vascular smooth muscle cells and LDLR –/–mice given high-fat diet to investigate the effects of monotropein on atherosclerosis.Our results showed that monotropein treatment significantly reduced the area of atherosclerotic plaques and necrotic cores in mice, inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, and reduced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which in turn alleviated atherosclerosis. In addition, we found that monotropein reduced the expression levels of P-NF-κB and P-AP-1. In conclusion, our data suggest that monotropein inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells by mediating the activity of NF-κB, AP-1, reducing the level of inflammation and oxidative stress, and thus resisting the development of atherosclerosis. These findings demonstrate the efficacious therapeutic impact of monotropein on atherosclerosis and elucidate its specific target.

By systematically sorting out the theoretical origin， manipulation key points， and clinical applications of sparrow-pecking needling， it is believed that sparrow-pecking needling method involves performing small-amplitude， high-frequency lifting and thrusting of the needle tip in the original position， with heavy thrusting and light lifting， starting slowly and then becoming rapid， thus forming a characteristic needling sensation that spreads to the surroundings in a wavelike manner. The sparrow-pecking needling plays a role in stimulating the conduction of channel qi and regulating the circulation of qi and blood. Additionally， this paper summarized the clinical applications of sparrow-pecking needling in five aspects， regulating mind， regulating channel sinews， regulating zang-fu organs， regulating ying-wei （nutrient and defense qi）， and regulating yang qi， so as to provide references for inheriting and expanding the theory and clinical application of sparrow-pecking needling.

Objective To investigate the expansion margins of the planning target volume (PTV) and the planning organ at risk volume (PRV) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients immobilized with Styrofoam and head-neck-shoulder mask. Methods A convenient sample of 33 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who received radiotherapy at Huanggang Central Hospital from January to October 2024 were selected as the research subjects. All patients underwent cone beam CT scans during the first three treatments and weekly thereafter. After registration and calibration, the setup errors in the X (LAT), Y (LNG), and Z (VRT) directions were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed on the setup errors in each direction to determine differences, and the expansion margins for PTV and PRV were calculated using empirical formulas. Results A total of 229 cone beam CT images were collected. Statistical analysis found that the setup errors (systematic error ± random error) of the patients in the X, Y, and Z directions were 1.05 ± 0.72, 1.30 ± 0.80, and 1.29 ± 0.82 mm, respectively. The expansion margins for PTV in the left-right, superior-inferior, and anterior-posterior directions were 1.40, 1.76, and 1.8 mm, respectively. The expansion margins for PRV in these directions were 0.83, 1.02, and 1.05 mm, respectively. Conclusion For patients immobilized using Styrofoam and head-neck-shoulder mask, it is recommended that the expansion margins for PTV and PRV be set at 2 mm and 1 mm, respectively, in the left-right, superior-inferior, and anterior-posterior directions, and the PRV margin for the spinal cord be set at 3 mm in all directions.