Mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes(MAMs)are crucial structural links between the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, formed by a complex protein network. They play a central role in cellular calcium signaling homeostasis, mitochondrial stability, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and inflammatory response. In recent years, advances in subcellular ultrastructure research techniques have gradually uncovered the relationship between MAMs dysfunction and blinding ocular diseases. Studies indicate that structural or functional impairments in MAMs can disrupt retinal pigment epithelial cells homeostasis, compromise the survival microenvironment of retinal ganglion cells, and trigger corneal endothelial cells apoptosis, thereby contributing to the pathogenesis of various blinding ocular diseases including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy, and glaucoma. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms linking MAMs in common blinding ocular diseases.

N-glycosylation is a crucial posttranslational modification of proteins that can modulate their functions and plays key roles in various biological processes. Current research has revealed that alterations in protein N-glycosylation are closely associated with the pathogenesis and progression of multiple ocular diseases. N-glycosylation detection methods can identify changes in N-glycans on proteins; therefore, understanding these techniques and their application value in ocular diseases is important. This article provides a systematic review of the current state of N-glycosylation detection methods, including techniques such as capillary electrophoresis, liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry. It also offers a detailed discussion on the specific applications of these technologies in the study of various ocular diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration and vernal keratoconjunctivitis/atopic keratoconjunctivitis.

The disturbance of the human microbiota influences the occurrence and progression of many diseases. Live therapeutic bacteria, with their genetic manipulability, anaerobic tendencies, and immunomodulatory properties, are emerging as promising therapeutic agents. However, their clinical applications face challenges in maintaining activity and achieving precise spatiotemporal release, particularly in the harsh gastrointestinal environment. This review highlights the innovative bacterial functionalized encapsulation strategies developed through advances in physicochemical and biological techniques. We comprehensively review how bacterial encapsulation strategies can be used to provide physical barriers and enhanced adhesion properties to live microorganisms, while introducing superior material properties to live bacteria. In addition, this review outlines how bacterial surface coating can facilitate targeted delivery and precise spatiotemporal release of live bacteria. Furthermore, it elucidates their potential applications for treating different diseases, along with critical perspectives on challenges in clinical translation. This review comprehensively analyzes the connection between functionalized bacterial encapsulation and innovative biomedical applications, providing a theoretical reference for the development of next-generation bacterial therapies.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the clinical and genetic characteristics of familial cases with Glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome (Glut1DS). METHODS: A survey of family history was conducted on children (proband) with Glut1DS who had visited Peking University First Hospital between November 2008 and April 2024 by focusing on the clinical manifestations of family members. Peripheral venous blood (2 mL) was collected from the pediatric patients and their parents. Genomic DNA was extracted and sequenced subsequently. Sanger sequencing was performed to validate the identified variant sites of the SLC2A1 gene in the probands and their family members. The pathogenicity of suspected variants was analyzed according to the 2015 American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) Standards and Guidelines for the Interpretation of Sequence Variants. The clinical features, auxiliary examinations, and mutational characteristics of family members with SLC2A1 variants were analyzed. This study has been approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Peking University First Hospital (Ethics No. 2021 Research 332). RESULTS: Among 87 cases with Glut1DS, 10 families with autosomal dominate inherited cases were identified, accounting for 11.0% of the cases. Of the 11 children, 8 were boys and 3 were girls. The onset of the disease had ranged from 3 months to 120 months (median 6 months), with 4 cases of early-onset classic type, 2 cases of late-onset classic type, and 5 cases of non-classic type. Six children had seizures, and 7 exhibited movement disorders. Seven children underwent developmental assessment, of which 3 had mild developmental delay, 2 were borderline, and 2 were normal. Nine children underwent lumbar puncture. The cerebrospinal fluid glucose levels ranged from 1.45 to 2.25 mmol/L (median 1.86 mmol/L), and the cerebrospinal fluid to blood glucose ratios ranged from 0.29 to 0.44 (median 0.35). Among the 8 fathers with SLC2A1 gene variants, 4 were asymptomatic, 2 developed paroxysmal exercise-induced movement disorders (PED) in childhood and adulthood, respectively. 1 had poor memory since childhood, 1 developed migraines during adolescence, and his sister was an asymptomatic carrier. The father with childhood-onset PED had a cerebrospinal fluid test with CSF glucose of 1.85 mmol/L. Of the 3 mothers with SLC2A1 gene mutations, 1 was an asymptomatic carrier; 2 developed PED in childhood and after the age of 20, respectively. The mother who developed PED in childhood also had psychomotor developmental delay. Genetic testing results revealed that among 10 families, 8 carried missense variants, 1 carried a nonsense variant, and 1 carried a small fragment insertion leading to a frameshift variant. Among the 11 cases, SLC2A1 gene variants in 8 children were inherited from their fathers, while in 3 cases, the variants were inherited from their mothers. The pathogenicity of the genetic variants was evaluated according to the Standards and Guidelines for the Interpretation of Sequence Variants published by the ACMG. Among the 8 variants identified in the 10 families, 4 were classified as pathogenic variants, 1 as likely pathogenic, and 3 as variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Four variant sites, including c.204_205insTCTC (p.V69fs), c.412G>C (p.G138R), c.431T>G (p.V144G), and c.875A>G (p.Y292C), were not previously reported in the literature. Among these, the latter three were categorized as VUS. CONCLUSION Familial Glut1DS account for 11.0% of the cases in China, with the majority of SLC2A1 gene variants inherited from the fathers, predominantly missense mutations, and with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. Probands tend to have earlier onset and more severe symptoms than their parents, who often present with mild or no symptoms.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Glucose Transporter Type 1/deficiency* ; Monosaccharide Transport Proteins/deficiency* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Carbohydrate Metabolism, Inborn Errors/genetics* ; Mutation ; Infant ; Pedigree ; Adolescent ; Adult

Objective:To investigate the regulatory effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on functional connectivity (FC) of thalamic subregions in patients with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).Methods:This study was a cross-sectional investigation. Clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were retrospectively collected from 56 PMS patients (PMS group) and 66 healthy controls (control group) recruited from various universities and hospitals in Nanning between November 2021 and June 2024. Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data and fMRI data during taVNS immediate stimulation (2 Hz, 25 Hz) were acquired from subjects during their late luteal phase. Using thalamic subregions (anterior thalamic nucleus, lateral nucleus, ventral nucleus, medial nucleus, central nucleus, posterior nucleus) as seeds, two-sample t-tests or paired t-tests were employed to analyze alterations in thalamic subregion FC in PMS patients and the regulatory effects of taVNS on these changes. Independent samples t-test were used to compare the differences in clinical and laboratory indicators between the PMS group and the control group. The relationship between taVNS regulation of thalamic subregion FC in PMS patients and thalamic internal functional connectivity were analyzed using mediation effect analysis. Results:Compared to the control group, patients in the PMS group showed increased scores on the Daily Record of Severity of Problems, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale 17, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 14 during the late luteal phase ( P<0.05). At baseline, PMS patients exhibited higher FC between the left thalamic lateral nucleus and the left insula, and lower FC between the left medial nucleus, posterior nucleus, and ventral nucleus of the thalamus and the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) compared to the control group (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). During 2 Hz taVNS immediate stimulation in PMS group, FC between the left thalamic medial nucleus, posterior nucleus, ventral nucleus and the right MFG, as well as the FC between the left thalamic ventral nucleu and the left MFG increased compared to baseline levels; meanwhile, FC between the left thalamic posterior nucleus, ventral nucleus and the left insula decreased compared to baseline levels (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). During 25 Hz taVNS immediate stimulation, the FC between the left thalamic ventral nucleus and the right MFG decreased compared to the baseline level (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). Mediation effect analysis showed that the FC between the left thalamic posterior nucleus and the left lateral nucleus mediated part of the association between the FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-left insula and the FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-left putamen/insula; there were significant direct effects between the FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-the left posterior nucleus and FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-the left insula, as well as between the FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-the left MFG and FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-the right MFG. Conclusions:taVNS can modulate abnormal FC of the left thalamic subregions in PMS patients, restoring it toward normalization. The regulatory effects of 2 Hz stimulation are more pronounced than those of 25 Hz stimulation. This modulation primarily operates through two pathways: the left thalamic lateral nucleus-left insula-left thalamic ventral nucleus pathway and the left MFG-left thalamic ventral nucleus-right MFG.

Objective:To elucidate the clinical and genetic characteristics of familial cases with Glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome (Glut1DS).Methods:A survey of family history was conducted on children (proband) with Glut1DS who had visited Peking University First Hospital between November 2008 and April 2024 by focusing on the clinical manifestations of family members. Peripheral venous blood (2 mL) was collected from the pediatric patients and their parents. Genomic DNA was extracted and sequenced subsequently. Sanger sequencing was performed to validate the identified variant sites of the SLC2A1 gene in the probands and their family members. The pathogenicity of suspected variants was analyzed according to the 2015 American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) Standards and Guidelines for the Interpretation of Sequence Variants. The clinical features, auxiliary examinations, and mutational characteristics of family members with SLC2A1 variants were analyzed. This study has been approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Peking University First Hospital (Ethics No. 2021 Research 332). Results:Among 87 cases with Glut1DS, 10 families with autosomal dominate inherited cases were identified, accounting for 11.0% of the cases. Of the 11 children, 8 were boys and 3 were girls. The onset of the disease had ranged from 3 months to 120 months (median 6 months), with 4 cases of early-onset classic type, 2 cases of late-onset classic type, and 5 cases of non-classic type. Six children had seizures, and 7 exhibited movement disorders. Seven children underwent developmental assessment, of which 3 had mild developmental delay, 2 were borderline, and 2 were normal. Nine children underwent lumbar puncture. The cerebrospinal fluid glucose levels ranged from 1.45 to 2.25 mmol/L (median 1.86 mmol/L), and the cerebrospinal fluid to blood glucose ratios ranged from 0.29 to 0.44 (median 0.35). Among the 8 fathers with SLC2A1 gene variants, 4 were asymptomatic, 2 developed paroxysmal exercise-induced movement disorders (PED) in childhood and adulthood, respectively, 1 had poor memory since childhood, 1 developed migraines during adolescence, and his sister was an asymptomatic carrier. The father with childhood-onset PED had a cerebrospinal fluid test with CSF glucose of 1.85 mmol/L. Of the 3 mothers with SLC2A1 gene mutations, 1 was an asymptomatic carrier; 2 developed PED in childhood and after the age of 20 respectively. The mother who developed PED in childhood also had psychomotor developmental delay. Genetic testing results revealed that among 10 families, 8 carried missense variants, 1 carried a nonsense variant, and 1 carried a small fragment insertion leading to a frameshift variant. Among the 11 cases, SLC2A1 gene variants in 8 children were inherited from their fathers, while in 3 cases, the variants were inherited from their mothers. The pathogenicity of the genetic variants was evaluated according to the Standards and Guidelines for the Interpretation of Sequence Variants published by the ACMG. Among the 8 variants identified in the 10 families, 4 were classified as pathogenic variants, 1 as likely pathogenic, and 3 as variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Four variant sites induding, c. 204_205insTCTC (p.V69fs), c. 412G>C (p.G138R), c. 431T>G (p.V144G), and c. 875A>G (p.Y292C), were not previously reported in the literature. Among these, the latter three were categorized as VUS. Conclusion:Familial Glut1DS account for 11.0% of the cases in China, with the majority of SLC2A1 gene variants inherited from the fathers, predominantly missense mutations, and with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. Probands tend to have earlier onset and more severe symptoms than their parents, who often present with mild or no symptoms.

ObjectiveTo investigate the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and the level of serum homocysteine (Hcy) in association with the incidence of stroke in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. MethodsBased on the chronic disease risk factor surveillance cohort in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, excluding those with stroke in baseline survey, T2DM patients who joined the cohort from January 2016 to October 2020 were selected as the research subjects. During the follow-up period, a total of 318 new-onset ischemic stroke patients were selected as the case group, and a total of 318 individuals matched by gender without stroke were selected as the control group. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to adjust for confounding factors and explore the serum TyG index and the Hcy biochemical indicator in association with the risk of stroke. ResultsThe Cox proportional hazards regression results showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of stroke in T2DM patients with 10 μmol·L⁻¹-¹ and Hcy>15 μmol·L⁻¹ was 1.532 times (95%CI: 1.017‒2.309 times, P=0.041) and 1.738 times (95%CI: 1.119‒2.699 times, P=0.014) higher respectively, compared to T2DM patients with Hcy≤10 μmol·L⁻¹. T2DM patients with TyG>9.074 had 1.396 times higher risk of stroke (95%CI: 1.091‒1.787, P=0.008) compared to those with TyG≤9.074. The study found that urea and α1-antitrypsin (α1-AT) were independent risk factors for the incidence of stroke in T2DM patients. For every unit increase in urea andα1-AT, the risk of stroke in T2DM patients increased by 233.6% (HR=3.336, 95%CI: 1.588‒7.009, P=0.001) and 11.3% (HR=1.113, 95%CI: 1.028‒1.205, P=0.008), respectively. Cumulative risk curves showed that Hcy>10 μmol·L⁻¹ and TyG>9.074 accelerated the time to stroke occurrence in T2DM patients. ConclusionElevated levels of Hcy>10 μmol·L⁻¹ and a higher TyG index are risk factors for stroke in T2DM patients. Effective interventions for Hcy and TyG should be conducted for diabetic patients to reduce the incidence of stroke.

The paper summarizes Professor YANG Jun's thoughts on clinical treatment with acupuncture and moxibustion. Professor YANG Jun puts forward the "refined mode for diagnosis and treatment of diseases with acupuncture and moxibustion", aiming to improve the capacity of diagnosis and treatment in clinical practice. He advocates that the diagnosis and treatment should be guided by the identification of etiologies, syndromes and meridians; in accordance with regulating the shape/form, balancing yin and yang, and harmonizing the mind; and by means of skillful techniques of acupuncture and moxibustion, simplified selection of acupoints and delicate manipulations. Besides, he stresses on the combination of multiple techniques of acupuncture (such as penetrating technique with long needle, stuck needling by lifting and pulling, and micro-acupuncture systems) with moxibustion techniques (moxibustion for resolving stasis and unblocking collaterals, pressing moxibustion, borneol moxibustion, moxibustion with medicinal plaster) in clinical practice, so as to enhance the therapeutic effects.
Moxibustion/methods* ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Humans ; China ; Acupuncture Points

The paper summarizes Professor YANG Jun's experience in treatment of refractory facial paralysis with the refined mode of acupuncture and moxibustion, so as to provide new ideas and methods for the disease treated with acupuncture and moxibustion. Professor YANG Jun puts forward the refined mode of diagnosis and treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion for refractory facial paralysis. On the basis of syndrome/pattern differentiation of TCM, combined with meridian theory and modern anatomy, the symptom differentiation and meridian differentiation are performed accurately. By selecting local acupoints (e.g. Touwei [ST8], Sibai [ST2], Cuanzhu [BL2] and Yangbai [GB14]), distal acupoints (e.g. Zusanli [ST36], Hegu [LI4] and Jinsuo [GV8]), specific acupoints (e.g.Qianzheng [EX-HN16] and Touqiaoyin [GB11]) and the acupoints for regulating the mind (e.g. Dazhui [GV14] and Shuigou [GV26]), the prescription is composed. The different needling techniques are delivered at the acupoints (e.g. point-to-point needling with long needle, stuck needling by lifting and dragging, and balance needling on the healthy side). Besides, the facial rehabilitation is considered as the adjuvant treatment. This mode of treatment obtains the precise diagnosis and treatment to achieve the utmost therapeutic effects.
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Acupuncture Therapy/history* ; Facial Paralysis/therapy* ; Acupuncture Points ; Male ; Meridians ; Female ; History, 21st Century ; History, 20th Century