1.Role of lateral habenula and its associated neural circuitry projections in pain regulation
Yanjuan REN ; Dongxu WANG ; Ya CAO ; Yuxuan ZHANG ; Lu QIAN ; Danru WU ; Zhonghua LI ; Ling ZHANG ; Yu SHEN ; He LIU
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(5):465-469
Pain modulation encompasses a complex neurobiological process, in which the lateral habenula (LHb) plays a crucial role in integrating, regulating and modulating pain signals. It is also involved in pain-related memory functions associated with perception, transmission and regulation of pain. Furthermore, the LHb collaborates with structures such as the spinal dorsal horn, forebrain, and amygdala to form an essential neural circuit that contributes to sensitization, development of tolerance, and adaptation processes related to pain. However, there remains limited understanding regarding the specific roles and interactions among different neuron subtypes within the LHb concerning pain regulation. Additionally, further investigation is warranted to explore functional changes and plasticity within both the LHb and its associated neural circuits in chronic pain models. Future research endeavors should utilize advanced neuroimaging techniques alongside optogenetics and gene editing technologies to elucidate intricate neural circuits, cellular architecture, and molecular mechanisms governing LHb function in pain regulation. In conclusion, this paper aims to comprehensively review existing literature on the involvement of the LHb and its neural circuits in modulating pain, thereby enhancing our understanding of their neurobiological mechanisms while providing novel targets for precise therapeutic strategies aimed at alleviating pain.
2.Pathways for integrating Red Medical spirit into ideological and political education of medical students
Siqi JIN ; Zhonghua LI ; Ying XIE ; Qiyu ZHANG
Modern Hospital 2025;25(11):1659-1663
Anchored in the realities of contemporary medical education,this study dissects the persistent bottlenecks that impede the seamless embedding of Red Medical Culture-China's revolutionary medical ethos underpinned by humanitarian com-mitment and public-health dedication-into medical students' ideological-and-political education(IPE).Key impediments include shallow integration,misalignment with modern pedagogical paradigms,paucity of tailored resources,and a dearth of qualified fac-ulty.To counter these constraints,we articulate a multi-pronged praxis that simultaneously preserves and reinvigorates Red Medi-cal Culture.Pilot programs indicated that systematic incorporation of this heritage cultivated socially accountable professionals who internalized historical mission,upheld ethical standards,and embraced humanistic patient-centered care,while concurrently sharpening critical innovation and consolidating comprehensive professional competence.
3.Role of lateral habenula and its associated neural circuitry projections in pain regulation
Yanjuan REN ; Dongxu WANG ; Ya CAO ; Yuxuan ZHANG ; Lu QIAN ; Danru WU ; Zhonghua LI ; Ling ZHANG ; Yu SHEN ; He LIU
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(5):465-469
Pain modulation encompasses a complex neurobiological process, in which the lateral habenula (LHb) plays a crucial role in integrating, regulating and modulating pain signals. It is also involved in pain-related memory functions associated with perception, transmission and regulation of pain. Furthermore, the LHb collaborates with structures such as the spinal dorsal horn, forebrain, and amygdala to form an essential neural circuit that contributes to sensitization, development of tolerance, and adaptation processes related to pain. However, there remains limited understanding regarding the specific roles and interactions among different neuron subtypes within the LHb concerning pain regulation. Additionally, further investigation is warranted to explore functional changes and plasticity within both the LHb and its associated neural circuits in chronic pain models. Future research endeavors should utilize advanced neuroimaging techniques alongside optogenetics and gene editing technologies to elucidate intricate neural circuits, cellular architecture, and molecular mechanisms governing LHb function in pain regulation. In conclusion, this paper aims to comprehensively review existing literature on the involvement of the LHb and its neural circuits in modulating pain, thereby enhancing our understanding of their neurobiological mechanisms while providing novel targets for precise therapeutic strategies aimed at alleviating pain.
4.A comparative study evaluating reconstructive accuracy and clinical result of robotic total hip arthroplasty via anterior and posterior approaches
Zhiming CHENG ; Zhonghua XU ; Xiaojun MAN ; Yuheng LI ; Zaiyang LIU ; Jun ZHANG ; Min WANG ; Xia ZHANG ; Yuan ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Surgery 2025;63(11):1066-1074
Objective:To investigate the differences in prosthesis implantation accuracy, biomechanical indicators, and 2-year postoperative clinical outcomes between robotic-assisted traditional posterior approach (RA-PLA) and robotic-assisted direct anterior approach (RA-DAA) in total hip arthroplasty (THA).Methods:This study is a prospective randomized controlled trial. Patients with unilateral femoral head ischemic necrosis or primary hip osteoarthritis who meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were admitted to the Department of Orthopedics,Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University from May to September 2022. Divided into RA-PLA group and RA-DAA group through central randomization. Use cumulative and fitting methods to analyze the learning curve of robotic surgery and eliminate cases before the inflection point of the learning curve. Compare the abduction angle and anteversion angle of acetabular cup implantation between two groups of patients, as well as the rate of falling into the safe zone, the difference in length between the two lower limbs, hip joint eccentricity, rotation center height, the complete accuracy of prosthesis planning (the number of cases in which acetabular cup prosthesis, femoral stem prosthesis specifications, and neck shaft angle were completely consistent with surgical planning during surgery/total cases×100%), patient reported outcome indicators (including Harris hip score (HHS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC), and 12 item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) score) and clinical outcomes. Data comparison was conducted using independent sample t-test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, chi square test, Fisher′s exact probability method, or repeated measures analysis of variance. Results:A total of 98 patients were included in this study, with 48 in the RA-PLA group and 50 in the RA-DAA group. After excluding cases before the inflection point of the learning curve, 30 patients were included in each group. There was no statistically significant difference in baseline data between the two groups before surgery (all P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the values of the anterior tilt angle and abduction angle between the two groups of acetabular cups compared to preoperative planning (all P>0.05). The proportion of patients who fell into the Lewinnek and Callanan safe zones was 90.0% (27/30) and 96.7% (29/30), respectively ( χ2=0.268, P=0.605). There was no significant difference in postoperative lower limb length, hip joint eccentricity, and rotation center height deviation and grading between the two groups (all P>0.05). The complete accuracy of prosthesis planning in the RA-DAA group was higher than that in the RA-PLA group (86.7% (26/30) compared to 63.3% (19/30), χ2=4.356, P=0.037).All patients were followed up for more than 2 years. In terms of postoperative HHS, WOMAC, and SF-12 score, there was no statistically significant difference in the inter group effect comparison (all P>0.05), but there was a significant statistical significance in the time effect (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of perioperative complications and adverse events between the RA-DAA group and the RA-PLA group (20.0% (6/30) vs. 13.3% (4/30), χ2=0.480, P=0.488). Conclusions:RA-DAA and RA-PLA techniques can achieve similar clinical efficacy after two years of surgery, and both can achieve similar reconstruction accuracy in terms of acetabular cup implantation angle, lower limb length, hip joint eccentricity, and rotation center height. The accuracy of prosthesis planning in RA-DAA is higher.
5.Srebp-1 gene promotes the formation of non-alcoholic fatty liver in WSHc rats
Zhonghua ZHANG ; Qian ZHANG ; Tao LYU ; Yue DING ; Mingsun FANG ; Yueqin CAI ; Yun LING ; Lizong ZHANG
Acta Laboratorium Animalis Scientia Sinica 2025;33(7):1000-1009
Objective This study sought to establish a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)model in Wistar-SD hypercholesterolemia(WSHc)rats induced by a high-fat diet and to reveal the pathogenesis of NAFLD in these rats through the Srebp-1 gene.Methods After 2 weeks of dietary treatment,thirty 6-week-old WSHc rats were divided into High-fat control group,HFD+AAV no load group,and HFD+AAV group,with 10 rats in each group.The HFD+AAV no load group and HFD+AAV group were intravenously injected with a vector virus and an shRNA-containing virus,respectively.WSHc rats were fed with a normal fat diet as a normal control group.Serum levels of ALT,AST,TBIL,ALP,TBA,GLU,CHOL,and TG were measured every 2 weeks.After a further 8 weeks of feeding,the rats were euthanized and livers were excised for HE staining,Oil Red O staining,Masson staining,and Sirius red staining to observe the morphology,lipid deposition,and fibrosis of the liver tissues.RT-qPCR was performed to detect the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes namely Srebp-1,Aacs,FASN and LDLR in the livers.Furthermore,hepatocytes were isolated,cultured,and divided into a normal control group and a high-fat control group.Next,expression of the Srebp-1 gene was detected by RT-qPCR.Srebp-1 knockout(KO)hepatocytes were constructed,then TG content was detected and the lipid accumulation was observed by Oil Red O staining.Results After 10 weeks of high-fat diet treatment,serum ALT(P<0.001),ALP(P<0.001),TBA(P<0.05),GLU(P<0.001),and CHOL(P<0.001)significantly increased in WSHc rats.Abnormal lipid deposition with formation of large vacuolar lipid droplets and fibrotic lesions in livers were observed.The mRNA expression of Srebp-1 noticeably increased in WSHc rats(P<0.001).Moreover,compared with the high-fat control group,the ALT(P<0.05)and GLU(P<0.01)in the HFD+AAV group decreased,and liver lipid deposition and the formation of large vacuolar lipid droplets were alleviated.Expressions of genes such as FASN(P<0.05)and LDLR(P<0.01)were significantly upregulated.Additionally,there was a significant increase in the expression of Srebp-1 in hepatocytes of the high-fat control group(P<0.001),while after Srebp-1 gene knockout,cellular TG levels decreased and the degree of lipid droplet aggregation was reduced.Conclusions The Srebp-1 gene plays a regulatory role in hepatic lipid metabolism and deposition,modulating the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes in WSHc rats with NAFLD.In vitro experiments demonstrated that downregulation of Srebp-1 alleviates lipotoxic injury in hepatocytes,suggesting that the development of NAFLD in WSHc rats is closely associated with abnormally high expressions of the Srebp-1 gene.
6.Development and validation of a machine learning-based dynamic predic-tion model for lactate clearance rate in patients with septic shock
Zhaoguang SONG ; Pingyu WU ; Sicong WEN ; Weihua ZHANG ; Zhonghua LU
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2025;24(8):1097-1105
Objective To meet the clinical need for dynamic monitoring on lactate metabolism in septic shock pa-tients,a time-series prediction model based on a long short-term memory(LSTM)network was developed to predict 24-hour lactate clearance rate at admission.Methods A multi-stage retrospective cohort design was adopted to en-roll septic shock patients admitted to the department of critical care medicine of a hospital from January 2018 to Sep-tember 2024.By conducting univariate analysis and LASSO combined feature screening,predictive factors were extracted from multidimensional clinical data.An end-to-end LSTM framework(two-layer 64/32 units,dropout rate=0.3)was constructed.A sliding window strategy(six-hour step size)was adopted for dynamic prediction and compared with traditional logistic model in terms of three dimensions:calibration(Brier score),discrimination(area under the curve[AUC]of time-dependent receiver operating characteristic[ROC]),and clinical practicality(deci-sion curve analysis).Consistency between model prediction result and actual lactate clearance rate was analyzed,and the accuracy of prediction was evaluated.Results A total of 112 septic shock patients were enrolled in the analysis,including 65 males and 47 females,with an average age of(67.35±7.28)years.65 patients were assigned in the lactate good clearance rate group(lactate good clearance rate≥10%)and 47 in the lactate poor clearance rate group(lactate good clearance rate<10%);78 patients were in the training set and 34 in the validation set.Time-depen-dent AUC analysis revealed that the predictive performance of the LSTM model in the time windows of 6,12,and 24 hours were 0.89(0.85-0.93),0.91(0.88-0.95),and 0.92(0.89-0.96),respectively,superior to the logistic regression model(ΔAUC=0.085,P<0.01).The core predictive factors included APACHE Ⅱ score(OR=1.38),lactate level at admission(OR=1.65),vasoactive drug dosage(OR=1.42),and 6-hour fluid resuscitation dosage(OR=1.35).The Pearson correlation coefficient between the predicted value of the model and the actual 24-hour lactate clearance rate was 0.83(P<0.001),with an average absolute error of 8.2%.Decision curve analysis confirmed that when the threshold probability was 15%-60%,the LSTM model could increase clinical net benefits by 27.3%.The validation of each subgroup showed that the model maintained the optimal predictive performance(AUC=0.87)in the lung infection subgroup(n=16).Conclusion The LSTM-based dynamic prediction model for predicting 24-hour lactate clearance rate through integrating early admission indicators demonstrates excellent pre-dictive performance and clinical application value,which can provide important reference for individualized treatment decisions in septic shock patients.
7.Impacts of paeoniflorin on inflammation and NF-κB/NLRP3 signal pathway in knee osteoarthritis model rats
Zhongbo ZHANG ; Fuzeng ZHENG ; Shangzeng WANG ; Dongliang SHI ; Zhonghua GUO ; Yunfei WANG ; Zhentao WANG
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2025;41(8):1826-1832
Objective:To investigate impacts of paeoniflorin on inflammation and nuclear transcription factor-κB(NF-κB)/nucleotide-binding oligomeric domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)signal pathway in knee osteoarthritis(KOA)model rats.Meth-ods:SD rats were randomly grouped into model group,glucosamine group,paeoniflorin low-dose group,paeoniflorin high-dose group,paeoniflorin high-dose+phorbol ester(PMA)(NF-κB activator)group,with 10 rats in each group,another 10 rats were regarded as control group,and only knee joint capsule was cut,after treatment with glucosamine,paeoniflorin and PMA,joint pain symptoms of rats were detected by mechanical stimulation method and thermal radiation method;knee joint width,joint swelling and synovial thick-ness were measured;HE staining was applied to detect joint tissue structure and morphology of rats in each group;levels of inflamma-tory factors IL-1β,monocyte chemoattractant protein 1(MCP-1)and IL-9 in joint fluid and serum of rats were detected by ELISA;and Western blot was applied to detect expressions of NF-κB/NLRP3 signal pathway related proteins in rat joint tissue.Results:Com-pared with control group,joint tissue structure of model group was significantly damaged,mechanical pain threshold and thermal sen-sitivity pain threshold were significantly lower(P<0.05),knee joint width,joint swelling and synovial thickness,levels of IL-1β,MCP-1 and IL-9 in joint fluid and serum,and expression of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 and NLRP3 proteins in joint tissue were higher(P<0.05).Compared with model group,joint tissue damage of rats in glucosamine group,paeoniflorin low-dose group and paeoniflorin high-dose group was reduced,mechanical pain threshold and thermal sensitivity pain threshold were higher(P<0.05),knee joint width,joint swelling and synovial thickness,levels of IL-1β,MCP-1 and IL-9 in joint fluid and serum,and expressions of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 and NLRP3 proteins in joint tissue were lower(P<0.05);joint tissue injury of rats in paeoniflorin high-dose group was further reduced compared with paeoniflorin low-dose group,mechanical pain threshold and thermal sensitivity pain threshold were further higher(P<0.05),knee joint width,joint swelling and synovial thickness,levels of IL-1β,MCP-1 and IL-9 in joint fluid and serum,and expression of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 and NLRP3 proteins in joint tissue were further lower(P<0.05).Compared with paeoniflorin high-dose group,joint tissue damage of rats in paeoniflorin high-dose+PMA group was increased,mechanical pain threshold and thermal sensitivity pain threshold were lower(P<0.05),knee joint width,joint swelling and synovial thickness,levels of IL-1β,MCP-1 and IL-9 in joint fluid and serum,and expression of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 and NLRP3 proteins in joint tissue were higher(P<0.05);there was no significant change in all indexes of rats in glucosamine group(P>0.05).Conclusion:Paeoniflorin can play an anti-inflammatory role by down-regulating the NF-κB/NLRP3 signal pathway,thus alleviating joint injury and joint pain symptoms of KOA rats.
8.Comparison of curative effects of NNS-guided MIP and CHE in traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage
Chen JIA ; Zhonghua XU ; Xue JIA ; Peng ZHANG
China Medical Equipment 2025;22(11):87-91
Objective:To investigate the differences of comprehensively curative effect of neuro navigation system(NNS)-guided minimally invasive puncture(MIP)and conventional craniotomy hematoma evacuation(CHE)in treatment for traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage,and analyze the mechanisms of affecting the differences of the trajectories postoperative neurologically functional recovery between two kinds of surgical methods.Methods:Based on the design of multicenter prospective cohort study,a total of 240 patients with traumatic intracerebral parenchymal hemorrhage,who admitted to the Neurosurgery Center of Rugao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between June 2021 and May 2024,were selected.They were randomized into the NNS group(n=120)and the CHE group(n=120)by using a stratified block randomization method.The NNS group underwent NNS-guided surgical intervention,while the CHE group received conventional craniotomy.The primary endpoint was hematoma evacuation rate at the postoperative 7th day.The secondary endpoints encompassed surgical parameters,complications,and the prognostic indicators of function.Microstructural assessment was performed by using three-dimensional image fusion technique[three-dimensional-T1weighted imaging magnetic resonance imaging(3D-T1WI MRI)combined with thin-slice computed tomography(CT)]and tract-based spatial statistics(TBSS).Results:At the dimension of hematoma evacuation,the average hematoma evacuation rate of NNS group was(88.37±6.52)%at the postoperative 7th day,which was significantly higher than(76.15±10.32)%of CHE group,and the residual hematoma volume of NNS group was(5.23±2.15)mL at the postoperative 7th day,which was less than(11.49±4.78)ml,and the differences of them between two groups were significant(t=9.843,7.015,P<0.05),respectively.The surgical trauma parameters appeared polarization:the mean incision length in the NNS group was(3.15±0.73)cm,which reduced 76.3%of(13.24±2.15)cm of the CHE group,with statistically significant difference(Z=15.327,P<0.05).The operative duration of NNS group was(68.34±15.32)min,which was shorter than(142.56±23.48)min,and the difference was significant(t=29.846,P<0.05).The radiation dose of NNS group was(312.45±85.32)cGy·cm2,which was significantly higher than(45.23±12.15)cGy·cm2 of CHE group,and the difference was significant(Z=24.156,P<0.05).The volume of intraoperative blood transfusion of NNS group was(50.34±25.36)ml,which was significantly less than(325.67±158.32)ml,and the difference was significant(Z=18.943,P<0.05),The result of complication genealogy analysis indicated that the re-bleeding incidence of the NNS group was 6.67%,which decreased by 9.16%than 15.83%of the CHE group,and the difference of that between two groups was statistical significance(x2=5.627,P<0.05).However,there was not significant difference in infection rates and incidences of deep vein thrombosis between the two groups(P>0.05).For functional recovery,the proportion of patients whose modified Rankin Scale(mRS)scores was≤2 at the postoperative 90th day was 52.50%in the NNS group,which increased 13.33%than 39.17%in the CHE group,and the difference of that between two groups was statistical significance(x2=4.302,P<0.05).Additionally,the improvement value of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)was(9.34±4.156)in the NNS group,which existed marginal advantage of 2.19 points than(7.15±5.327)of the CHE group,and the difference was significant between two groups(Z=3.842,P<0.05).Conclusion:NNS-guided MIP appears notable advantages in enhancing hematoma evacuation efficiency and improving prognosis of neurological function.However,its increased amount of radiation exposure,and risks of specific complication should be considered.The craniotomy approach remains indispensable for complex hematoma morphologies.
9.Logical approach of promoting ideological and political education in medical colleges and universities through the red doctor culture
Zhuoyan YANG ; Zhonghua LI ; Jinfeng ZHANG ; Cheng CHENG
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(7):853-860
The red doctor culture runs through the development process of China’s red health undertakings. It is a unity of revolutionary culture, health culture, and educational culture, providing rich educational resources for ideological and political education in medical colleges and universities. From the perspective of historical logic, red doctor culture is rooted in the traditional medical ethics thought of “medicine is the art of benevolence” in ancient China, as well as has evolved alongside the century-long development of the health and well-being undertakings led by the Communist Party of China. From the perspective of theoretical logic, red doctor culture is closely related to Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, the principle of the dialectical relationship between social existence and social consciousness, and the theory of cultural leadership. From the perspective of practical logic, it is necessary to clarify the practical path from three aspects, namely accurately grasping the Marxist theoretical foundation of the red doctor culture and highlighting its orientation of the ideological and political education of medical students; making effective use of existing resources of red doctor culture to improve the content of ideological and political education and consolidate the foundation of red doctor literacy; optimizing the construction of teaching teams for ideological and political theory courses in medical colleges and universities. From the perspective of value orientation, the red doctor culture is conducive to cultivating the professional ethics spirit of medical students, meeting the teaching needs of ideological and political theory courses in medical colleges and universities, and assisting the construction of the healthy China initiative.
10.Mid- to long-term outcomes of median sternotomy ascending-descending thoracic aortic bypass grafting for complex aortic coarctation
Yongqiang JIN ; Lixin FAN ; Enrui ZHANG ; Xiaoya ZHANG ; Hui XUE ; Zhonghua XU ; Qingyu WU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(07):963-967
Objective To investigate the mid- to long-term follow-up results of ascending aorta (AAO)-descending thoracic aorta (DTA) bypass grafting via median sternotomy incision for the treatment of complex aortic arch coarctation. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients with complex aortic arch coarctation who underwent AAO-DTA bypass grafting via median sternotomy incision at the First Hospital of Tsinghua University from August 2004 to May 2017. Results A total of 7 patients were enrolled, including 4 males and 3 females, aged (13.3±4.6) years, and weighted (40.2±12.2) kg. Six (85.7%) patients had concomitant upper limb hypertension. Four patients were aortic arch coarctation combined with intracardiac malformations, two were post-operative restenosis, and 1 was post-operative restenosis combined with intracardiac malformation. All patients underwent surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. There were no perioperative deaths or major complications. The pre-operative upper-lower limb pressure difference was (39.3±19.2) mm Hg, which decreased to (2.9±2.7) mm Hg post-operatively (P<0.01). The follow-up period was (14.9±5.9) years. There were no long-term deaths or artificial graft-related complications. Except for one patient who still had mild hypertension, the blood pressure of the remaining patients returned to normal. Conclusion AAO-DTA bypass grafting via median sternotomy incision for the treatment of complex aortic arch coarctation can effectively reduce upper limb blood pressure and the upper-lower limb arterial pressure difference, has fewer complications, and demonstrates satisfactory mid- to long-term efficacy.

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