Objective To explore the mechanism by which electroacupuncture improves ocular surface inflammation in dry eye mice.Methods 30 SPF-grade healthy male ICR mice were randomly divided into a blank group,a model group,a sham electroacupuncture group,a western medicine group and an electroacupuncture group,with 6 mice in each group.Mice in the blank group and other four groups were subcutaneously injected 200 μL of sterile physiological saline and 200 μL of scopolamine hydrobromide(0.5 mg dissolved in 0.2 mL of sterile physiological saline)at 8:00,11:00,14:00,and 17:00 every day for 35 consecutive days,respectively.From the 22nd day,mice in the sham electroacupunc-ture group were given blunt scalp acupuncture intervention at bilateral Jingming and Taiyang points,without subcutaneous penetration.In the western medicine group,fluorometholone eye drops were applied to both eyes of the mice at 8:00,13:00,and 18:00 daily,with 1 drop each time.Mice in the electroacupuncture group were given electroacupuncture in-tervention,with the same acupoint location and acupuncture time as the sham electroacupuncture group.The electroacu-puncture frequency was 2 Hz/20 Hz,the waves were sparse-dense and the intensity was 1 mA,once a day for 15 min.All groups were intervened for 14 days.The corneal fluorescein(FL)staining scores of mice in each group were detected be-fore modeling,after modeling,and after intervention.The corneal tissue morphology was observed under a light micro-scope.Immunohistochemistry staining and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)were used to detect the protein and mRNA expression of high mobility group box 1(HMGB1)and receptor for advanced glyca-tion end products(RAGE)in the cornea,respectively.Results The FL scores of mice in model,sham electroacupunc-ture,western medicine,and electroacupuncture groups all significantly increased after modeling and intervention,com-pared with those before modeling(all P＜0.01).The FL scores of mice in electroacupuncture and western medicine groups significantly decreased after intervention,compared with those after modeling(both P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,electroacupuncture and western medicine groups showed a significant drop in FL score after intervention(both P＜0.01).HE staining showed that after intervention,mice in electroacupuncture and western medicine groups had a basically normal number of corneal epithelial layers,no obvious shedding of epithelial cells,and neatly arranged and slightly swollen collagen fibers in the stromal layer.The relative protein expression levels of HMGB1 and RAGE in the corneal tissue of both model and sham electroacupuncture groups were significantly higher than those of the blank group(allP＜0.01).The rela-tive protein expression levels of HMGB1 and RAGE in the corneal tissue of both electroacupuncture and western medicine groups were significantly lower than those of the model group(all P＜0.01).The relative mRNA expression levels of HMGB1 and RAGE in the corneal tissue of both model and sham electroacupuncture groups were significantly higher than those of the blank group(all P＜0.01).The relative mRNA expression levels of HMGB1 and RAGE in the corneal tissue of both electroacupuncture and western medicine groups were significantly lower than those of the model group(all P＜0.01).Conclusion Electroacupuncture mitigates corneal epithelial injury,reduces the expression of HMGB1 in the cor-neal tissue,inhibits the binding of HMGB1 and RAGE,and ultimately alleviates ocular surface inflammation responses of dry eye mice.

Objective To explore the mechanism by which electroacupuncture improves ocular surface inflammation in dry eye mice.Methods 30 SPF-grade healthy male ICR mice were randomly divided into a blank group,a model group,a sham electroacupuncture group,a western medicine group and an electroacupuncture group,with 6 mice in each group.Mice in the blank group and other four groups were subcutaneously injected 200 μL of sterile physiological saline and 200 μL of scopolamine hydrobromide(0.5 mg dissolved in 0.2 mL of sterile physiological saline)at 8:00,11:00,14:00,and 17:00 every day for 35 consecutive days,respectively.From the 22nd day,mice in the sham electroacupunc-ture group were given blunt scalp acupuncture intervention at bilateral Jingming and Taiyang points,without subcutaneous penetration.In the western medicine group,fluorometholone eye drops were applied to both eyes of the mice at 8:00,13:00,and 18:00 daily,with 1 drop each time.Mice in the electroacupuncture group were given electroacupuncture in-tervention,with the same acupoint location and acupuncture time as the sham electroacupuncture group.The electroacu-puncture frequency was 2 Hz/20 Hz,the waves were sparse-dense and the intensity was 1 mA,once a day for 15 min.All groups were intervened for 14 days.The corneal fluorescein(FL)staining scores of mice in each group were detected be-fore modeling,after modeling,and after intervention.The corneal tissue morphology was observed under a light micro-scope.Immunohistochemistry staining and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)were used to detect the protein and mRNA expression of high mobility group box 1(HMGB1)and receptor for advanced glyca-tion end products(RAGE)in the cornea,respectively.Results The FL scores of mice in model,sham electroacupunc-ture,western medicine,and electroacupuncture groups all significantly increased after modeling and intervention,com-pared with those before modeling(all P＜0.01).The FL scores of mice in electroacupuncture and western medicine groups significantly decreased after intervention,compared with those after modeling(both P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,electroacupuncture and western medicine groups showed a significant drop in FL score after intervention(both P＜0.01).HE staining showed that after intervention,mice in electroacupuncture and western medicine groups had a basically normal number of corneal epithelial layers,no obvious shedding of epithelial cells,and neatly arranged and slightly swollen collagen fibers in the stromal layer.The relative protein expression levels of HMGB1 and RAGE in the corneal tissue of both model and sham electroacupuncture groups were significantly higher than those of the blank group(allP＜0.01).The rela-tive protein expression levels of HMGB1 and RAGE in the corneal tissue of both electroacupuncture and western medicine groups were significantly lower than those of the model group(all P＜0.01).The relative mRNA expression levels of HMGB1 and RAGE in the corneal tissue of both model and sham electroacupuncture groups were significantly higher than those of the blank group(all P＜0.01).The relative mRNA expression levels of HMGB1 and RAGE in the corneal tissue of both electroacupuncture and western medicine groups were significantly lower than those of the model group(all P＜0.01).Conclusion Electroacupuncture mitigates corneal epithelial injury,reduces the expression of HMGB1 in the cor-neal tissue,inhibits the binding of HMGB1 and RAGE,and ultimately alleviates ocular surface inflammation responses of dry eye mice.

Dry eye disease(DED)refers to a condition characterized by reduced stability of the tear film or an imbalance in the microenvironment of the ocular surface, resulting from abnormalities in quality, quantity and kinetics of tear. This condition leads to various ocular discomforts and even visual impairment. The pathogenesis of DED is multifactorial and current treatment mainly focuses on symptom relief and preservation of visual function. Acupuncture has shown effectiveness in treating dry eye, although its underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. Proteomics technology offers a comprehensive and systematic approach to studying the functions, structures and interactions of proteins. Its application in DED research can provide valuable insights into the dynamic changes in protein levels associated with different etiology or the course of DED and facilitate the identification of potential biomarkers. Furthermore, proteomics can systematically explore the regulatory mechanisms underlying acupuncture treatment for DED, providing a theoretical basis for acupuncture treatment research and contributing to the understanding of its effects at a fundamental level. This paper aims to explore the potential application of proteomics in both clinical and basic research on DED. Ultimately, it strives to offer scientific and effective strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of DED and advance our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying acupuncture therapy.

Background::Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and diameter, stiffness, and wave reflections, are independent and important clinical biomarkers and risk predictors for cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the present study was to establish nationwide reference values of carotid properties for healthy Chinese adults and to explore potential clinical determinants.Methods::A total of 3053 healthy Han Chinese adults (1922 women) aged 18-79 years were enrolled at 28 collaborating tertiary centers throughout China between April 2021 and July 2022. The real-time tracking of common carotid artery walls was achieved by the radio frequency (RF) ultrasound system. The IMT, diameter, compliance coefficient, β stiffness, local pulse wave velocity (PWV), local systolic blood pressure, augmented pressure (AP), and augmentation index (AIx) were then automatically measured and reported. Data were stratified by age groups and sex. The relationships between age and carotid property parameters were analyzed by Jonckheere-Terpstra test and simple linear regressions. The major clinical determinants of carotid properties were identified by Pearson’s correlation, multiple linear regression, and analyses of covariance.Results::All the parameters of carotid properties demonstrated significantly age-related trajectories. Women showed thinner IMT, smaller carotid diameter, larger AP, and AIx than men. The β stiffness and PWV were significantly higher in men than women before forties, but the differences reversed after that. The increase rate of carotid IMT (5.5 μm/year in women and 5.8 μm/year in men) and diameter (0.03 mm/year in both men and women) were similar between men and women. For the stiffness and wave reflections, women showed significantly larger age-related variations than men as demonstrated by steeper regression slopes (all P for age by sex interaction <0.05). The blood pressures, body mass index (BMI), and triglyceride levels were identified as major clinical determinants of carotid properties with adjustment of age and sex. Conclusions::The age- and sex-specific reference values of carotid properties measured by RF ultrasound for healthy Chinese adults were established. The blood pressures, BMI, and triglyceride levels should be considered for clinical application of corresponding reference values.

Objective To evaluate the application value of real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (RT-3DTEE) for the risk assessment of unusual atrial septal defect (ASD) in clinic therapy.Methods Accurate assessment before operation was conducted in 57 cases of patients with unusual ASD by two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2DTTE),two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (2DTEE) and RT-3DTEE.The ultrasound manifestations were observed.And the guidance in clinic therapy were compared.Results The shape and number can be displayed clearly by 2D-TTE and 2D-TEE in 46 of 57 eases.Another 11 cases were diagnosed as irregular or two holes possibly.RT-3DTEE can help to observe the morphology and quantity of ASD visually and comprehensively in all cases.There was no statistical difference among 2DTTE,2DTEE and RT-3DTEE for the measurement of right atrium end-systolic transverse diameter (RATD),left atrium end-systolic transverse diameter (LATD),right ventricular end-diastolic diameter (RVDD) and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDD;all P＞0.05).The statistic difference for the diameter of atrial septal defect (ASDD) was found between 2D-TEE and 2D-TTE (P＜0.05) and RT-3DTEE and 2D-TTE (P＜0.05).There was no statistical difference among 2D-TEE,2DTTE and RT-3DTEE for the measurement of residual boundary condition of superior vena cava,aorta side and the top side of the atrium (all P＞0.05),whereas significant difference was found in measuring the residual boundary condition of inferior vena cava (F=50.39,P＜0.001).There were statistic differences between 2DTEE and 2DTTE,RT-3DTEE and 2DTTE,RT-3DTEE and 2DTEE (all P＜0.05).The clinic therapy can be directed by RT-3DTEE in all 57 cases.The diagnosis of 5 cases was failed by 2D-TTE,and 2 cases was failed by 2D-TEE.Conclusion Abundant image information can be offered by RT-3DTEE which plays an important role in the risk assessment of unusual atrial septal defect.

Objective To test synchronization of cardiac mechanical contraction by means of advanced echocardiography and investigate the correlation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the indexes of mechanical dyssynchrony, and the relationship between DTI, STI and RT-3DE.Methods Control group (20 cases), chronic heart failure with a widened QRS complex (12 cases) and chronic heart failure with a shortened QRS duration (10 cases) were selected. We evaluated mechanical dyssynchrony with the DTI, the STI and the RT-3DE, and analyzed the correlation between the improvement degree of cardiac function and indexes of mechanical dyssynchrony, and the correlation between DTI, STI and RT-3DE. Results (1) In CHF groups (including shortened QRS group and widened QRS group), the indexes of synchronization of cardiac mechanical contraction were higher than control group ( <0.05) . (2) However, the indexes of mechanical dyssynchrony before operation showed no statistically significant difference between the widened QRS group and the shortened QRS group (>0.05) . (3) In CHF groups (including shortened QRS group and widened QRS group), the indexes of mechanical dyssynchrony before operation were higher more than after operation ( <0.05) . (4) In postoperation, the indexes of mechanical dyssynchrony showed no statistically significant difference between the widened QRS group and the shortened QRS group ( >0.05) . (5) There was a significant negative correlation between the LVEF and the indexes of mechanical dyssynchrony (<0.01) . (6) .In the indexes of synchronization of cardiac mechanical contractions, there are significant positive correlations between the DTI, the STI and the RT-3DE ( <0.01) . Conclusion Echocardiography can be used to screen CHF patients,and patients with left ventricular synchronous (including shortened QRS duration) can also be benefited from CRT.

Objective To explore the time-related expressions of TGF-?1mRNA during the healing process of rat skin wounds. Method Using the method of the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reac-tion (RT-PCR) on intra-vital rat skin incised wounds (0.5h, 1h, 3h, 6h, 48h, 72h, 96h, 168h after incision) and postmortem rat skin incised wounds (0.5h, 1h, 3h after incision) to detect the dynamics of expression Ievel of TGF-?1mRNA. The strength of the expression of TGF-?1mRNA in scanned image was using ID-Advanced software. Results The results of RT-PCR showed that TGF-?1mRNA Ievel increased at 0.5h after incision and elevated significantly after 3h. The peak of TGF-?1mRNA occurred at 48h. There was no obvious expression of TGF-?1mRNA in postmortem incised wounds. Conclusion The characteristics of the TGF-?1mRNA expression were potentially indicative for the wound aging. RT-PCR was a sensitive method for detection of the expression of cytokines in genic level.