ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Danggui Shaoyaosan on macrophage polarization and renal inflammation in db/db mice with diabetic kidney disease （DKD）， and to explore its renal protective effects and underlying mechanisms. MethodsEight db/m mice were assigned to the normal group， and forty db/db mice were randomly divided into a model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose Danggui Shaoyaosan groups （8.39， 16.77， 33.54 g·kg^-1）， and an irbesartan group （0.025 g·kg^-1）. All mice were administered treatment by gavage for 12 consecutive weeks. General conditions of the mice were observed during the intervention. At the end of the 12-week intervention， 24-h urine samples were collected using metabolic cages， after which the mice were anesthetized for sample collection. Blood was collected by enucleation and centrifuged to obtain serum for the determination of glycated serum protein （GSP）， serum creatinine （SCr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， total cholesterol （TC）， and triglycerides （TG）. The urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio （UACR） was measured. Renal pathological changes were observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， periodic acid-Schiff （PAS） staining， and Masson staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect serum tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-10 （IL-10）， and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 （MCP-1） levels. Immunofluorescence （IF） was performed to detect F4/80 expression in renal tissue， and immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to assess CD206 expression. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was employed to measure the mRNA expression of TNF-α， IL-10， inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）， and arginase-1 （Arg-1）. Western blot analysis was used to detect the protein expression of iNOS， Arg-1， CD86， and CD206 in renal tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed increased levels of GSP， UACR， SCr， BUN， TC， and TG， elevated levels of the inflammatory factor TNF-α and the chemokine MCP-1， and decreased IL-10 levels （P<0.01）. Pathological examination revealed glomerular hypertrophy， mesangial cell proliferation with marked mesangial expansion， inflammatory cell infiltration， vacuolar degeneration of renal tubular epithelial cells， prominent glycogen deposition， and increased collagen fiber deposition. In addition， relative F4/80 fluorescence intensity was enhanced， CD206 expression in the glomeruli and renal interstitium was reduced， and TNF-α and iNOS mRNA expression was increased. IL-10 and Arg-1 mRNA expression was decreased， iNOS and CD86 protein expression was increased， and Arg-1 and CD206 protein expression was decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Danggui Shaoyaosan groups and the irbesartan group showed decreased levels of GSP， UACR， SCr， BUN， TC， and TG， reduced serum TNF-α and MCP-1 levels， and increased IL-10 levels. Renal pathological damage was improved to varying degrees. Relative F4/80 fluorescence intensity was reduced， CD206 expression in the glomeruli and renal interstitium was increased， and TNF-α and iNOS mRNA expression was decreased. IL-10 and Arg-1 mRNA expression was increased， iNOS and CD86 protein expression was reduced， and Arg-1 and CD206 protein expression was increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionDanggui Shaoyaosan can improve renal function and alleviate renal pathological damage in db/db mice. Its mechanism may be related to inhibiting M1 pro-inflammatory macrophage polarization， promoting M2 anti-inflammatory macrophage polarization， reducing inflammatory responses， delaying the progression of renal fibrosis， improving renal pathological injury， and thereby exerting renal protective effects.

To analyze the clinical and genetic features of oculopharyngodistal myopathy (OPDM) patients and compare the phenotypic differences among various causative genes.

Methods: Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) and somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) were recorded in 48 patients with TOLF (hybrid 20 vs. en bloc 28) during surgery. Patients were categorized based on MEP/SEP improvement, deterioration, or no change, and MEP/SEP improvement rates were measured in the improvement group. Furthermore, all patients were assessed using the Ashworth and modified Japanese Orthopedic Association scores. Results: The incidences of both MEP/SEP improvement (21.4% vs. 25.0%, p=0.772) and deterioration (21.4% vs. 20.0%, p=0.904) were similar between the en bloc and hybrid laminectomy groups, and no difference in preoperative and postoperative clinical assessments was observed between the two groups (p>0.05). In four patients (4/28, 14.3%) undergoing en bloc laminectomy, MEP amplitudes initially increased after OLF removal but gradually decreased. This delayed MEP reduction did not occur in the hybrid laminectomy group. Furthermore, more patients undergoing en bloc laminectomy had CFL than those undergoing hybrid laminectomy (46.4% vs. 15.0%, p=0.023). In the improvement group, the hybrid laminectomy group exhibited higher MEP improvement rates in the bilateral abductor hallucis than the en bloc laminectomy group (left side: 213.4%±35.9% vs. 152.5%±41.0%, p=0.028; right side: 201.2%±32.0% vs. 145.2%±46.3%, p=0.043). Conclusions Compared with en bloc laminectomy, hybrid laminectomy may be a safe and effective method for treating multilevel TOLF, potentially reducing intraoperative spinal cord irritation and CFL and causing relatively better functional recovery.

Objective:This study aims to systematically compare the differences in severity, clinical manifestations, and treatment processes between patients with foodborne and iatrogenic botulism, thereby providing evidence-based support for clinical diagnosis and management.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on botulism patients admitted to the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University between January 2010 and July 2024. The foodborne group was diagnosed according to the WS/T 83-1996 standard. The iatrogenic group required a documented history of type A botulinum toxin injection and typical clinical manifestations. Individuals with comorbid neurological disorders or incomplete clinical data were excluded. The severity of poisoning was classified into three groups: mild, moderate, and severe, according to the "Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Botulism". SPSS 26.0 software was used to statistically analyze the distribution of poisoning severity between groups and to compare clinical symptoms and course indicators across severity grades.Results:A total of 220 botulism patients were included in this study, comprising 86 cases of foodborne poisoning (39.1%) and 134 cases of iatrogenic poisoning (60.9%). There was a significant difference in the distribution of poisoning severity between the two groups ( P=0.001), the proportion of severe poisoning was significantly higher in the foodborne group. Analysis of clinical symptoms indicated that, among patients with mild poisoning, the incidence of nausea and vomiting was significantly higher in the foodborne group, compared to that in the iatrogenic group (44.0% vs. 16.4%, P=0.006). In patients with moderate poisoning, the iatrogenic group exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of hoarseness (60.5% vs. 35.7%, P=0.041) and neck weakness (53.5% vs. 17.9%, P=0.003) compared to the foodborne group. Conversely, the foodborne cohort experienced a notably longer interval before seeking medical attention when compared to their iatrogenic counterparts (2.25 d vs. 1.50 d, P=0.003). Among severe poisoning patients, the foodborne group exhibited a higher likelihood of experiencing fever (51.5% vs. 25.0%, P=0.044) and abdominal distension accompanied by constipation (69.7% vs. 41.7%, P=0.034) when compared to the iatrogenic group. Furthermore, the foodborne cohort demonstrated a significantly shorter incubation period (1.00 d vs. 2.45 d, P<0.001), an extended length of hospitalization (22.0 d vs. 16.00 d, P=0.001), and a prolonged duration of antitoxin therapy (14.00 d vs. 9.50 d, P<0.001), alongside a markedly higher total dosage administered (315 900 U vs. 163 300 U, P<0.001) compared to their iatrogenic counterparts. Conclusions:Statistically significant differences exist between food-borne and iatrogenic botulism. Food-borne botulism is characterized by acute onset, greater severity, and a prolonged course, predominantly featuring systemic symptoms and gastrointestinal dysfunction. In contrast, iatrogenic botulism primarily manifests with ocular and oropharyngeal muscle symptoms and is generally less severe.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of patients with postcraniotomy meningitis(PM)caused by Gram-negative bacteria(GNB),and to evaluate the related risk factors for mortal-ity.Methods A total of 202 PM patients in Beijing Tiantan Hospital,Capital Medical University from May 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed,including 54 cases in the death group and 148 cases in the survival group.The distribution of microorganisms in the two groups was analyzed,and Cox proportional hazards regression model was established to evaluate the risk factors of death.Results Among the 202 pa-tients with PM caused by GNB,with a mortality rate of 26.7%,Klebsiella pneumoniae(24.8%),Acinetobact-er baumannii(21.8%)and Escherichia coli(8.4%)were the top three isolated pathogens.The proportions of GNB distribution in the survival group and the death group were similar,but the bacteria distribution in the death group was more concentrate.Cox proportional hazards regression model results showed that hyperten-sion(HR=2.384,95%CI 1.229-4.626,P=0.010)and admission to ICU(HR=3.695,95%CI 1.412-9.670,P=0.008)were independent risk factors for death in patients with PM caused by GNB.Conclusion The mortality of PM caused by GNB is high.Hypertension and admission to ICU are independent risk factors for death of patients,and attention should be paid to prevention and treatment in clinical practice.

Objective:To explore effect of Astragalus polysaccharides(APS)through TLR4/NF-κB signal pathway on intesti-nal immune inflammation of rats with dampness stagnancy due to spleen deficiency syndrome based on fecal microbiota transplantation.Methods:Rats with dampness stagnancy due to spleen deficiency syndrome were fed with high-fat and low-protein diet and subjected to exhaustive swimming,transplant flora microbiota after intervention of APS.General condition,changes in weight gain,time of weight exhaustion swimming,spleen index and thymus index were tested.Pathological manifestations of duodenal tissue inflammation were observed by HE staining.Serum IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations of rats were determined by ELISA.Protein levels of TLR4,NF-κB p65 and IκBα in colon were determined by Western blot.Results:Compared with model group,general condition rating,changes in weight gain and time of weight exhaustion swimming in APS-FTG group were increased significantly(P<0.01);spleen index and thymus index were increased;pathological manifestations of duodenal inflammation were significantly relieved;serum IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations were decreased significantly(P<0.01),TLR4 and NF-κB p65 levels in colon were decreased significantly(P<0.05 and P<0.01),IκBα level was in colon increased significantly(P<0.01).Conclusion:APS improves intestinal microbiota of rats with dampness stagnancy due to spleen deficiency syndrome and inhibits TLR4/NF-κB pathway activation through intestinal flora,thus improving intestinal immune inflammation status in rats with dampness stagnancy due to spleen deficiency syndrome.

Objective:To investigate the effects of a single intravenous injection of low-dose esketamine during cesarean section on postpartum depression in primiparas.Methods:This study is a prospective randomized controlled trial involving 106 primiparas who underwent scheduled intrathecal anesthesia for cesarean section at Xi'an International Medical Center Hospital from January 2021 to December 2023. The participants were randomly assigned to either the control group or the observation group, with 53 women in each group, using a random number table method. Both groups received the same type and method of anesthesia. In the observation group, 5 minutes after the delivery of the fetus and the clamping of the umbilical cord, a low dose of esketamine (0.2 mg/kg, dissolved in 10 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride injection) was administered intravenously. The control group received an equivalent volume of 0.9% sodium chloride injection as a placebo. The score of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at various postpartum time intervals (3, 7, 14, 30, and 42 days), the incidence of postpartum depression, and any adverse drug reactions occurring within 3 days postoperatively were compared between the two groups. Additionally, the score of the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for contraction pain was assessed.Results:The scores of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in the observation group at 3, 7, 14, 30, and 42 days postpartum were (6.23 ± 1.21), (5.82 ± 1.77), (6.14 ± 1.20), (5.33 ± 1.19), and (6.01 ± 1.23), respectively. These scores were significantly lower than those in the control group [(8.99 ± 1.28), (8.91 ± 2.11), (9.03 ± 1.94), (10.40 ± 2.68), (9.28 ± 1.84), t = 11.40, 8.16, 9.22, 12.58, 10.75, all P < 0.001]. The incidence of postpartum depression in the observation group at 7 and 14 days postpartum was significantly lower than that in the control group [3.77% (2/53) vs. 16.98% (9/53), 3.77% (2/53) vs. 15.09% (8/53), χ2 = 4.97, 3.97, P = 0.026, 0.046]. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse drug reactions within 3 days postoperatively between the two groups of women who underwent scheduled intrathecal anesthesia for cesarean section [15.09% (8/53) vs. 11.32% (6/53), χ2 = 0.32, P = 0.566]. The scores of the Visual Analog Scale for contraction pain in the observation group at 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively were (2.13 ± 0.28), (2.55 ± 0.33), (2.73 ± 0.35), and (3.06 ± 0.37), respectively. These scores were significantly lower than those in the control group [(4.35 ± 0.46), (5.43 ± 0.36), (5.68 ± 0.35), (5.26 ± 0.43), t = 30.01, 42.93, 43.38, 28.23, all P < 0.001]. Conclusions:A single intravenous injection of low-dose esketamine during cesarean section can effectively alleviate emotional distress in primiparas in the short term after surgery, which has significant clinical implications for reducing the incidence of postpartum depression.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate how spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) exerts its analgesic effects through regulating brain function in lumbar disc herniation (LDH) patients by utilizing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). METHODS: From September 2021 to September 2023, we enrolled LDH patients (LDH group, n=31) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs, n=28). LDH group underwent rs-fMRI at 2 distinct time points (TPs): prior to the initiation of SMT (TP1) and subsequent to the completion of the SMT sessions (TP2). SMT was administered once every other day for 30 min per session, totally 14 treatment sessions over a span of 4 weeks. HCs did not receive SMT treatment and underwent only one fMRI scan. Additionally, participants in LDH group completed clinical questionnaires on pain using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, whereas HCs did not undergo clinical scale assessments. The effects on the brain were jointly characterized using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo). Correlation analyses were conducted between specific brain regions and clinical scales. RESULTS: Following SMT treatment, pain symptoms in LDH patients were notably alleviated and accompanied by evident activation of effects in the brain. In comparison to TP1, TP2 exhibited the most significant increase in ALFF values for Temporal_Sup_R and the most notable decrease in ALFF values for Paracentral_Lobule_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Additionally, the most substantial enhancement in ReHo values was observed for the Cuneus_R, while the most prominent reduction was noted for the Olfactory_R (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Moreover, a comparative analysis revealed that, in contrast to HCs, LDH patients at TP1 exhibited the most significant increase in ALFF values for Temporal_Pole_Sup_L and the most notable decrease in ALFF values for Frontal_Mid_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Furthermore, the most significant enhancement in ReHo values was observed for Postcentral_L, while the most prominent reduction was identified for ParaHippocampal_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Notably, correlation analysis with clinical scales revealed a robust positive correlation between the Cuneus_R score and the rate of change in the VAS score (r=0.9333, P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Long-term chronic lower back pain in patients with LDH manifests significant activation of the "AUN-DMN-S1-SAN" neural circuitry. The visual network, represented by the Cuneus_R, is highly likely to be a key brain network in which the analgesic efficacy of SMT becomes effective in treating LDH patients. (Trial registration No. NCT06277739).
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/diagnostic imaging* ; Male ; Female ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Adult ; Manipulation, Spinal/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Lumbar Vertebrae/physiopathology* ; Pain Management ; Rest ; Case-Control Studies

OBJECTIVES: To construct an intelligent analysis model for classifying fetal orientation during intrapartum ultrasound videos based on multi-feature fusion. METHODS: The proposed model consists of the Input, Backbone Network and Classification Head modules. The Input module carries out data augmentation to improve the sample quality and generalization ability of the model. The Backbone Network was responsible for feature extraction based on Yolov8 combined with CBAM, ECA, PSA attention mechanism and AIFI feature interaction module. The Classification Head consists of a convolutional layer and a softmax function to output the final probability value of each class. The images of the key structures (the eyes, face, head, thalamus, and spine) were annotated with frames by physicians for model training to improve the classification accuracy of the anterior occipital, posterior occipital, and transverse occipital orientations. RESULTS: The experimental results showed that the proposed model had excellent performance in the tire orientation classification task with the classification accuracy reaching 0.984, an area under the PR curve (average accuracy) of 0.993, and area under the ROC curve of 0.984, and a kappa consistency test score of 0.974. The prediction results by the deep learning model were highly consistent with the actual classification results. CONCLUSIONS The multi-feature fusion model proposed in this study can efficiently and accurately classify fetal orientation in intrapartum ultrasound videos.
Humans ; Female ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal/methods* ; Pregnancy ; Fetus/diagnostic imaging* ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Video Recording

Loss-of-function variants in CSDE1 have been strongly linked to neuropsychiatric disorders, yet the precise role of CSDE1 in neurogenesis remains elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that knockout of Csde1 during cortical development in mice results in impaired neural progenitor proliferation, leading to abnormal cortical lamination and embryonic lethality. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that Csde1 upregulates the transcription of genes involved in the cell cycle network. Applying a dual thymidine-labelling approach, we further revealed prolonged cell cycle durations of neuronal progenitors in Csde1-knockout mice, with a notable extension of the G1 phase. Intersection with CLIP-seq data demonstrated that Csde1 binds to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of mRNA transcripts encoding cell cycle genes. Particularly, we uncovered that Csde1 directly binds to the 3' UTR of mRNA transcripts encoding Cdk6, a pivotal gene in regulating the transition from the G1 to S phases of the cell cycle, thereby maintaining its stability. Collectively, this study elucidates Csde1 as a novel regulator of Cdk6, sheds new light on its critical roles in orchestrating brain development, and underscores how mutations in Csde1 may contribute to the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Animals ; Neurogenesis/genetics* ; Cell Cycle/genetics* ; Mice, Knockout ; Mice ; Neural Stem Cells/metabolism* ; DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 6/genetics* ; Cell Proliferation ; 3' Untranslated Regions ; Cerebral Cortex/embryology* ; RNA-Binding Proteins ; Mice, Inbred C57BL