The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is higher among individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than in the general population. Emerging evidence indicates that the development of MASLD in patients with IBD may occur independently of traditional metabolic risk factors, suggesting a unique pathophysiological mechanism distinct from conventional MASLD pathways. Bile acids (BAs), which act as critical signaling molecules in enterohepatic circulation, play an essential role in maintaining gastrointestinal homeostasis through bidirectional gut–liver axis communication. These molecules are increasingly recognized as pivotal regulators in the progression of both MASLD and IBD. While previous studies have characterized the dynamics of BA in blood or fecal samples under both conditions, a comprehensive understanding of their metabolic profiles and the associated interactions within the gut–liver axis is still lacking. This review synthesizes current evidence from studies employing BA metabolomics to investigate IBD and MASLD. By focusing on BA signatures, we summarize conserved alterations between these two conditions and their potential mechanisms of disease progression. Our review advances understanding of BA-mediated pathways in IBD and MASLD, providing a foundation for assessing their roles in contributing to the pathogenesis of MASLD in patients with IBD.

This study was aimed at identifying the pathogenic bacteria responsible for the death of a young tiger at the Fujian Meihua Mountain South China Tiger Breeding Research Institute.Tissue samples from the lungs,liver,and intestines of the deceased tiger were collected,and the bacteria were cultured inasterile environment.The bacterial strains were characterized according to their morphological and molecular biological properties,including assessment of virulence genes and antibiotic resistance genes,mouse lethality tests,and antibiotic susceptibility evaluations.A predominant bacterial strain isolated from the liver of the deceased tiger was identified as enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(ETEC)strain Tiger22513F.Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the Tiger22513F strain exhibited close genetic similarity to the reference strain ETEC(MF919609.1),with 99.9%nucleotide similarity,and resided on the same evolutionary branch.The Tiger22513F strain contained 11 antibiotic resistance genes(tetA,sul1,sul3,cmlA,floR,blaTEM,blaSHV,blaCMY-2,qnrA,qnrS,and qnrD)along with five virulence genes(VT1,fyuA,tsh,iucD,and ST).Mouse lethality tests indicated significant pathogenicity toward mice,affecting primarily the lungs,liver,and intestines.Antibiotic susceptibility testing demonstrated that this strain exhibited resistance to various classes of beta-lactam antibiotics,as well as quinolones and aminoglycosides.This investigation successfully isolated a multi-drug resistant enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain with pronounced pathogenicity from the liver of a deceased tiger;thus providing valuable scientific insights for clinical diagnosis,as well as prevention and control measures,against ETEC infections in South China tigers.

BACKGROUND: There is a gap in understanding the effects of different acupoints and treatment methods (acupuncture and moxibustion) on microcirculatory changes in the lumbar region. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the thermal effects of acupuncture at Weizhong (BL40), with acupuncture at Chize (LU5) and moxibustion at both acupoints as control interventions. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: In this randomized controlled trial, 140 healthy participants were equally divided into four groups: acupuncture at BL40 (Acu-BL40), acupuncture at LU5 (Acu-LU5), moxibustion at BL40 (Mox-BL40) and moxibustion at LU5 (Mox-LU5). Participants underwent a 30-minute session of their assigned treatment. Infrared thermal imaging was used to collect temperature data on the areas of interest for analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary measure was the change in average temperature of the observed area after the intervention. The secondary measures included periodic temperature changes every 5 min and the temperature changes of the Governor Vessel and Bladder Meridian in the observed area after the intervention. RESULTS: Significant interactions were observed between treatments and acupoints affecting temperature (P < 0.001). The Acu-BL40 group showed a notably higher increase in mean temperature after 30 min compared to the Acu-LU5 and Mox-BL40 groups, with increases of 0.29 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.17 to 0.41) and 0.24 (95% CI = 0.08 to 0.41) °C, respectively. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture at BL40 acupoint can significantly increase the mean temperature in the observed area, highlighting the specific thermal effect of acupuncture compared to moxibustion in the lumbar area. This suggests a potential therapeutic benefit of acupuncture at BL40 for managing lumbar conditions. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05665426). Please cite this article as: Zheng SY, Wang XY, Lin LN, Liu S, Huang XX, Liu YY, Yu XS, Pan W, Fang JQ, Liang Y. Lumbar temperature change after acupuncture or moxibustion at Weizhong (BL40) or Chize (LU5) in healthy adults: A randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 145-151.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Young Adult ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Body Temperature ; Healthy Volunteers ; Lumbosacral Region/physiology* ; Moxibustion ; Adolescent

Depression is a highly heterogeneous psychiatric disorder with complex pathogenesis influenced by the interplay of biological,psychological,and social-environmental factors.Based on the 2021 edition of the Chinese Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Depressive Disorders,which explicitly identify gender as a significant risk factor for depression onset,this paper systematically reviews the gender-differentiated pathogenesis and therapeutic advances in depression from both traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)and Western medical perspectives.In Western medicine,a large number of studies have demonstrated the sex-specific mechanism of estrogen/testosterone fluctuations and monoamine transmitter system regulation.While in TCM,although the constitution theory proposes that there are significant gender differences in congenital constitution and that qi depression and qi deficiency are associated with susceptibility to depression,current evidence primarily relies on cross-sectional surveys and lacks validation through high-quality RCTs.Compared with Western medicine,the direct research on gender-differentiated antidepressant effects in TCM remains relatively underdeveloped.In future study,it may be possible to deepen and improve the research on anti-depression in TCM from the biological markers of particular constitutions in the gender dimension.This paper advocates establishing a bio-psycho-social integrated intervention model,advancing mechanistic exploration through prospective cohort studies and multi-omics technologies,and promoting precision diagnosis and treatment systems based on gender differences,and to form a three-dimensional diagnosis and treatment and research system that covers biomarkers,social role assessment,and TCM constitution identification,in order to provide a new theoretical framework and a practical pathway for the precise medical treatment of depression.

Aim To elucidate whether Astragaloside Ⅳcould ameliorate pathological myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis via the EGR1-SIRT1-PPARα-SCAD signa-ling pathway in TAC mice.Methods After randomi-zing mice into groups,the Sham+AS-Ⅳ group and TAC+AS-Ⅳ group were intragastrically administered 20 mg·kg-1AS-Ⅳ once daily,whereas the Sham+NS group and TAC+NS group were given equivalent saline.Six weeks post-surgery,an evaluation of cardiac function was conducted,heart weight index was compu-ted,morphological alterations in heart were noted,vari-ations in collagen and myocardial hypertrophy indexes were analyzed,ATP content,free fatty acid content,hydroxyproline content,SCAD expression,and enzyme activity were measured,and an initial investigation into the protein expression of EGR1-SIRT1-PPARα-SCAD in myocardial tissues was undertaken.Results After AS-Ⅳ intervention,the heart weight index of TAC mice decreased(P＜0.01),LVAWd,LVAWs,LVPWd and LVPWs values decreased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),EF％and FS％values increased(all P＜0.01),myocardial hypertrophy markers and collagen area decreased,FFA content,HYP content and collagen expression de-creased(all P＜0.01),SCAD enzyme activity and ex-pression increased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),and ATP content increased(P＜0.01).The expression of EGR1 protein decreased,and the expression of SIRT1 and PPARα protein increased(all P＜0.01).Conclu-sions AS-Ⅳ may improve fatty acid oxidation via the EGR1-SIRT1-PPARα-SCAD signaling pathway,thereby ameliorating pathological myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis in TAC model mice.

Critical care medicine(CCM)is a multifaceted discipline challenged by the inherent heterogeneity and complexity of critical illnesses.Establishing precise,standardized diagnostic and therapeutic systems has emerged as a crucial challenge requiring urgent resolution in this field.Surgical critical care,a pivotal branch of CCM,plays an indispensable role in managing patients with severe trauma,postoperative intra-abdominal infections,solid organ transplantation,and other life-threatening conditions.Evidence-based,etiology-guided therapy serves as the cornerstone of surgical critical care,where accurate identification and timely interventions constitute vital determinants for enhancing patient survival rates and improving prognoses.This article proposes an innovative diagnostic and therapeutic paradigm termed the urgency/physics-biology-chemistry(U/P-B-C)model.Built upon the established principle of urgent(urgency,U)life support in surgical critical care,this model emphasizes a novel conceptual framework centered on etiology-based(physics-biology-chemistry,P-B-C)diagnosis and treatment.Implementing the U/P-B-C innovative diagnostic and therapeutic model in surgical critical care facilitates precise identification of the fundamental pathological mechanisms underlying critical clinical conditions with complex and dynamic clinical environments,enables systematic clarification of clinical reasoning,and ultimately supports evidence-informed decision-making.Its core objectives encompass enhancing surgical intensivists' diagnostic-therapeutic capabilities and ensuring rigorous adherence to the principle of etiology-guided therapy,thereby providing both theoretical foundation and practical guidance for improving the success rate of patient resuscitation and optimizing prognosis in surgical critical care settings.

Objective:To explore the impulsivity characteristics of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD)comorbid with borderline personality disorder(BPD)and the mediating role of emotion regula-tion strategies.Methods:A total of 96 patients with ADHD meeting the diagnostic criteria of the American Diagnos-tic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,Fourth Edition(DSM-Ⅳ)were enrolled,48 of whom had comorbid BPD.Impulsivity was assessed with the Barratt Impulse Scale(BIS)and the impulse control difficulty dimensions of Emotional Regulation Difficulty Scale(DERS).Emotion regulation strategies were evaluated with the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire(ERQ).Results:No significant differences were found between the ADHD with and with-out BPD group in cognitive impulsivity,motor impulsivity,or non-planning impulsivity as assessed with the BIS(Ps＞0.05).However,the ADHD with BPD group showed higher scores on the DERS impulse control difficulty subscale(P＜0.001)and less frequent use of cognitive reappraisal strategies(P＜0.001).Cognitive reappraisal partially mediated the relationship between ADHD with BPD and impulse control difficulties,with an effect size of 25.9％.Conclusion:ADHD patients comorbid with BPD exhibit heightened emotional impulsivity,which might be partially mediated by reduced use of cognitive reappraisal.

Objective:To investigate the computed tomography (CT) imaging features of patients with chronic hydrocephalus after intracerebral hemorrhage surgery and the difference between endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and ventricular peritoneal shunt (VPS).Methods:A total of 158 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage who received surgical treatment in the Department of Neurosurgery of the People′s Hospital of Jinan from January 2021 to June 2023 were retrospectively selected as the study objects, including 78 patients with chronic hydrocephalus after surgery as the hydrocephalus group, and 80 patients with no hydrocephalus after surgery as the non-hydrocephalus group, and the CT imaging data of the patients were statistically analyzed. Hydrocephalus group was divided into ETV group (42 cases) and VPS group (36 cases) according to different treatment methods. The efficacy and quality of life of the two groups were compared, and the incidence of complications in the two groups were counted.Results:There was no significant difference between hydrocephalus group and non-hydrocephalus group in the site of cerebral hemorrhage, hematoma morphology and the proportion of patients with mixed signs, lobular signs and black hole signs (all P>0.05). The proportion of patients with ventricular dilation and hematoma enlargement in hydrocephalus group was significantly higher than that in non-hydrocephalus group (all P<0.05). The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores of hydrocephalus patients in the two groups were measured continuously at different time points, and there was no significant difference in NIHSS scores between the ETV group and the VPS group before treatment, at 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment (all P>0.05). There was no significant difference between the ETV group and the VPS group ( P>0.05). The recurrence rate of the ETV group was lower than that of the VPS group ( P<0.05). The quality of life scores of patients in ETV group were higher than those in the VPS group at 3 months and 6 months after surgery ( P<0.05). Conclusions:CT examination of patients with chronic hydrocephalus after intracerebral hemorrhage will show obvious characteristics of hematoma enlargement and ventricle enlargement. The efficacy of ETV and VPS in the treatment of chronic hydrocephalus after intracerebral hemorrhage surgery is similar, but the former has a lower recurrence rate and a higher postoperative quality of life.

Objective:To investigate the computed tomography (CT) imaging features of patients with chronic hydrocephalus after intracerebral hemorrhage surgery and the difference between endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and ventricular peritoneal shunt (VPS).Methods:A total of 158 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage who received surgical treatment in the Department of Neurosurgery of the People′s Hospital of Jinan from January 2021 to June 2023 were retrospectively selected as the study objects, including 78 patients with chronic hydrocephalus after surgery as the hydrocephalus group, and 80 patients with no hydrocephalus after surgery as the non-hydrocephalus group, and the CT imaging data of the patients were statistically analyzed. Hydrocephalus group was divided into ETV group (42 cases) and VPS group (36 cases) according to different treatment methods. The efficacy and quality of life of the two groups were compared, and the incidence of complications in the two groups were counted.Results:There was no significant difference between hydrocephalus group and non-hydrocephalus group in the site of cerebral hemorrhage, hematoma morphology and the proportion of patients with mixed signs, lobular signs and black hole signs (all P>0.05). The proportion of patients with ventricular dilation and hematoma enlargement in hydrocephalus group was significantly higher than that in non-hydrocephalus group (all P<0.05). The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores of hydrocephalus patients in the two groups were measured continuously at different time points, and there was no significant difference in NIHSS scores between the ETV group and the VPS group before treatment, at 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment (all P>0.05). There was no significant difference between the ETV group and the VPS group ( P>0.05). The recurrence rate of the ETV group was lower than that of the VPS group ( P<0.05). The quality of life scores of patients in ETV group were higher than those in the VPS group at 3 months and 6 months after surgery ( P<0.05). Conclusions:CT examination of patients with chronic hydrocephalus after intracerebral hemorrhage will show obvious characteristics of hematoma enlargement and ventricle enlargement. The efficacy of ETV and VPS in the treatment of chronic hydrocephalus after intracerebral hemorrhage surgery is similar, but the former has a lower recurrence rate and a higher postoperative quality of life.

This study investigates the reproductive protective effect and potential mechanism of Cistanches Herba extract(CHE) on a rat model of kidney-Yang deficiency induced by adenine. Rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal, model, low-dose CHE(0.6 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), high-dose CHE(1.2 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), and L-carnitine(100 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)). The rats were administered adenine(200 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) by gavage for the first 14 days to induce kidney-Yang deficiency, while simultaneously receiving drug treatment. After 14 days, the modeling was discontinued, but drug treatment continued to 49 days. The content of components in CHE was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The adenine-induced kidney-Yang deficiency model was assessed through symptom characterization and measurement of testosterone(T) levels using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Pathological damage to the testis and epididymis was evaluated based on the wet weight and performing hematoxylin-eosin staining. Sperm density and motility were measured using computer-aided sperm analysis, and sperm viability was assessed using live/dead sperm staining kits, and sperm morphology was evaluated using eosin staining, thereby determining rat sperm quality. Metabolomics was used to analyze changes in serum metabolites, enrich related metabolic pathways, and explore the mechanism of CHE in improving reproductive function damage in rats with kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome. Compared to the normal group, the model group exhibited significant kidney-Yang deficiency symptoms, reduced T levels, decreased testicular and epididymal wet weights, and significant pathological damage to the testis and epididymis. The sperm density, motility, and viability decreased, with an increased rate of sperm abnormalities. In contrast, rats treated with CHE showed marked improvements in kidney-Yang deficiency symptoms, restored T levels, alleviated pathological damage to the testis and epididymis, and improved various sperm parameters. Metabolomics results revealed 286 differential metabolites between the normal and model groups(191 upregulated and 95 downregulated). Seventy-five differential metabolites were identified between the model and low-dose CHE groups(21 upregulated and 54 downregulated). A total of 24 common differential metabolites were identified across the three groups, with 22 of these metabolites exhibiting opposite regulation trends between the two comparison groups. These metabolites were primarily involved in linoleic acid metabolism, ether lipid metabolism, and pantothenic acid and coenzyme A biosynthesis, as well as metabolites including 13-hydroperoxylinoleic acid, lysophosphatidylcholine, and pantethine. CHE can improve kidney-Yang deficiency symptoms in rats, alleviate reproductive organ damage, and enhance sperm quality. The regulation of lipid metabolism may be a potential mechanism through which CHE improves reproductive function in rats with kidney-Yang deficiency. The potential bioactive compounds of CHE include echinacoside, verbascoside, salidroside, betaine, and cistanoside A.
Animals ; Male ; Rats ; Yang Deficiency/physiopathology* ; Metabolomics ; Kidney/physiopathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Cistanche/chemistry* ; Kidney Diseases/metabolism* ; Testis/metabolism* ; Humans ; Reproduction/drug effects* ; Testosterone/blood*