Objective To explore the potential molecular mechanism of Sangma Xingbei Tang （SMXBT） in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （AECOPD）. Methods TCMSP and TCMID databases were searched for the active ingredients of SMXBT, the targets of the active ingredients were predicted by SwissTargetPrediction database, and the AECOPD-related targets were searched by GeneCards and OMIM databases; the drug-active ingredient-target network and protein interaction network were constructed, and the GO enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment were analyzed by the DAVID database. The drug-active ingredient-target network and protein interaction network were constructed, and the GO enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment were analyzed by DAVID database, and molecular docking was performed by AutoDock Tools software. Animal experiments were conducted for validation. Results 192 active ingredients were obtained and 1066 targets were predicted in SMXBT. Network analysis showed that the top 3 active ingredients in SMXBT were quercetin, kaempferol, and glycyrrhizin, and the top 3 therapeutic targets were TNF, ALB, and IL-1β, etc. The GO analysis and KEGG showed that the main pathways were the cancer pathway, the MAPK signaling pathway, and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Molecular docking showed that the binding energies of glycyrrhizin and AKT1, IL-1β, GFR, SRC, and quercetin and kaempferol and IL-1β were all <−5 kcal·mol. Animal experiments showed that Sangma Xingbei Decoction could treat AECOPD by anti-inflammatory effects and reduce changes in lung tissue structure. Additionally, it could lower the serum inflammatory levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8. Conclusion SMXBT may act on the targets of AKT1, IL-1β, EGFR, SRC, etc., reduce the serum inflammation levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and improve the lung tissue structure and inflammatory response to achieve the therapeutic effect on AECOPD through the modulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, the MAPK signaling pathway, the cancer pathway, and other pathways of action.

[Objective] To explore the incidence and risk factors of blood transfusion undergoing total knee revision (TKR) using a nationwide database. [Methods] A retrospective data analysis was conducted based on the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), enrolling patients who underwent TKR from 2015 to 2019 with complete information. Patients under 18 years old and those using anticoagulants, antiplatelets, antithrombotic and non-steroidal were excluded. The patients were divided into two groups based on whether they received blood transfusion or not. The demographic characteristics, length of stay (LOS), total charge of hospitalization, hospital characteristics, hospital mortality, comorbidities and perioperative complications by Wilcoxon rank test for continuous data and chi-square test for categorical data. Logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors of blood transfusion undergoing TKR. [Results] The NIS database included 63 359 patients who underwent TKR. Among them, 5 271 patients received blood transfusion, with an incidence of blood transfusion of 7.8%. There was a decrease in the incidence over the years from 2015 to 2019, dropping from 10.2% to 6.5%. TKR patients requiring transfusions had experienced longer LOS, incurred higher total medical expenses, utilized Medicare more frequently, and had increased in-hospital mortality rates (all P<0.001). Independent risk factors for blood transfusion included female gender, iron-deficiency anemia, rheumatoid disease, collagen vascular disease, chronic blood loss anemia, congestive heart failure, coagulopathy, diabetes with chronic complications, lymphoma, fluid and electrolyte disorders, peripheral vascular disorders, renal failure, valvular disease and weight loss (malnutrition). In addition, risk factors for transfusion in TKR surgery included sepsis, acute myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis, gastrointestinal bleeding, heart failure, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, acute renal failure, postoperative delirium, wound infection, lower limb nerve injury, hemorrhage, seroma, hematoma, wound rupture and non healing. [Conclusion] Our findings highlight the importance of recognizing the risk factors of blood transfusion in TKR and establishing corresponding clinical pathways and intervention measures to reduce the occurrence of adverse events.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a global malignancy with significant chemoresistance impacting patient prognosis. The pro-tumorigenic role of hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor (HMMR) in LUAD is recognized. This study was designed to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which HMMR affects chemoresistance in LUAD. Bioinformatics presented the expression patterns of HMMR in LUAD patients and the association between HMMR levels and patient survival, followed by qRT-PCR to verify HMMR expression in LUAD tissues and cells. Further, bioinformatics was leveraged to identify the signaling pathways enriched by HMMR and its relevance to glycolytic genes, we also analyzed changes in the glycolytic activity of LUAD cells by manipulating HMMR expression. Stemness was evaluated through cell aggregation assays and Western blot, and drug responsiveness was gauged using CCK-8 assays, alongside flow cytometry for apoptosis analysis. HMMR was highly expressed in LUAD tissues and cells, and this overexpression correlated with poorer prognoses in patients. GSEA showed that HMMR was notably enriched in the glycolysis and gluconeogenesis pathways, correlating positively with the expression of key glycolytic genes. Cellular experiments confirmed that HMMR knockdown notably suppressed aerobic glycolysis in LUAD cells. Moreover, overexpression of HMMR could further enhance the stemness and cisplatin resistance of LUAD cells by stimulating glycolysis. In brief, this study has validated that high levels of HMMR in LUAD are predictive of poor patient prognosis, and that overexpression of HMMR can catalyze aerobic glycolysis, thus promoting stemness and chemoresistance in LUAD cells. Thus, HMMR could be a target for improving chemosensitivity in LUAD.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a global malignancy with significant chemoresistance impacting patient prognosis. The pro-tumorigenic role of hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor (HMMR) in LUAD is recognized. This study was designed to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which HMMR affects chemoresistance in LUAD. Bioinformatics presented the expression patterns of HMMR in LUAD patients and the association between HMMR levels and patient survival, followed by qRT-PCR to verify HMMR expression in LUAD tissues and cells. Further, bioinformatics was leveraged to identify the signaling pathways enriched by HMMR and its relevance to glycolytic genes, we also analyzed changes in the glycolytic activity of LUAD cells by manipulating HMMR expression. Stemness was evaluated through cell aggregation assays and Western blot, and drug responsiveness was gauged using CCK-8 assays, alongside flow cytometry for apoptosis analysis. HMMR was highly expressed in LUAD tissues and cells, and this overexpression correlated with poorer prognoses in patients. GSEA showed that HMMR was notably enriched in the glycolysis and gluconeogenesis pathways, correlating positively with the expression of key glycolytic genes. Cellular experiments confirmed that HMMR knockdown notably suppressed aerobic glycolysis in LUAD cells. Moreover, overexpression of HMMR could further enhance the stemness and cisplatin resistance of LUAD cells by stimulating glycolysis. In brief, this study has validated that high levels of HMMR in LUAD are predictive of poor patient prognosis, and that overexpression of HMMR can catalyze aerobic glycolysis, thus promoting stemness and chemoresistance in LUAD cells. Thus, HMMR could be a target for improving chemosensitivity in LUAD.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a global malignancy with significant chemoresistance impacting patient prognosis. The pro-tumorigenic role of hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor (HMMR) in LUAD is recognized. This study was designed to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which HMMR affects chemoresistance in LUAD. Bioinformatics presented the expression patterns of HMMR in LUAD patients and the association between HMMR levels and patient survival, followed by qRT-PCR to verify HMMR expression in LUAD tissues and cells. Further, bioinformatics was leveraged to identify the signaling pathways enriched by HMMR and its relevance to glycolytic genes, we also analyzed changes in the glycolytic activity of LUAD cells by manipulating HMMR expression. Stemness was evaluated through cell aggregation assays and Western blot, and drug responsiveness was gauged using CCK-8 assays, alongside flow cytometry for apoptosis analysis. HMMR was highly expressed in LUAD tissues and cells, and this overexpression correlated with poorer prognoses in patients. GSEA showed that HMMR was notably enriched in the glycolysis and gluconeogenesis pathways, correlating positively with the expression of key glycolytic genes. Cellular experiments confirmed that HMMR knockdown notably suppressed aerobic glycolysis in LUAD cells. Moreover, overexpression of HMMR could further enhance the stemness and cisplatin resistance of LUAD cells by stimulating glycolysis. In brief, this study has validated that high levels of HMMR in LUAD are predictive of poor patient prognosis, and that overexpression of HMMR can catalyze aerobic glycolysis, thus promoting stemness and chemoresistance in LUAD cells. Thus, HMMR could be a target for improving chemosensitivity in LUAD.

OBJECTIVE: Varied acupoint selections represent a potential cause of the uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Skin temperature, a guiding factor for acupoint selection, may help to address this issue. This study explored thermal sensitization of acupoints used for the treatment of knee OA. METHODS: This cross-sectional case-control study enrolled cases aged 45-75 years with symptomatic knee OA and age- and gender-matched non-knee OA controls in a 1:1 ratio. All participants underwent infrared thermographic imaging. The primary outcome was the relative skin temperature of acupoint (STA), and the secondary outcome was the absolute STA of 11 acupoints. The Z test was used to compare the relative and absolute STAs between the groups. Principal component analysis was used to extract the common factors (CFs, acupoint cluster) in the STAs. A general linear model was used to identify factors affecting the STA in the knee OA cases. For the group comparisons of relative STA, P < 0.0045 (adjusted for 11 acupoints through Bonferroni correction) was considered to indicate statistical significance. For other analyses, P < 0.05 was used as the threshold for statistical significance. RESULTS: The analysis included 308 participants, consisting of 151 cases (mean age: [64.58 ± 6.67] years; male: 25.83%; mean body mass index: [25.70 ± 3.16] kg/m²) and 157 controls (mean age: [63.37 ± 5.96] years; male: 26.11%; mean body mass index: [24.47 ± 2.84] kg/m²). The relative STAs of ST34 (P = 0.0001), EX-LE2 (P < 0.0001), EX-LE5 (P = 0.0006), SP10 (P < 0.0001), BL40 (P = 0.0012) and GB39 (P = 0.0037) were higher in the knee OA group. No difference was found in the STAs of ST35, ST36, SP9, GB33 and GB34. Four CFs were identified for relative STA in both groups. The acupoints within each CF were consistent between the groups. The mean values of the relative STAs across each CF were higher in the knee OA group. In the knee OA cases, no factors were observed to affect the relative STA, while age and gender were found to affect the absolute STA. CONCLUSION Among patients with knee OA, thermal sensitization occurs in the acupoints of the lower extremity, exhibiting localized and regional thermal consistencies. The thermally sensitized acupoints that we identified in this study, ST34, SP10, EX-LE2, EX-LE5, GB39 and BL40, may be good choices for the acupuncture treatment of knee OA. Please cite this article as: Tu JF, Wang XZ, Yan SY, Wang YR, Yang JW, Shi GX, Zhang WZ, Jing LN, Yang LS, Liu DH, Wang LQ, Mi BH. Thermal sensitization of acupoints in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional case-control study. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 289-296.
Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Acupuncture Points ; Case-Control Studies ; Aged ; Skin Temperature ; Acupuncture Therapy

Objective To evaluate the value of pre-ascent 6-minute walking test performed at a high altitude in predicting the incidence of acute mountain sickness(AMS)induced by rapid ascent to a very high altitude.Methods After baseline information was collected,participants completed the 6-minute walking test at a high altitude of 2 900 m.Then,they rapidly ascended to a very high altitude of 5 000 m.The Lake Louise score was recorded to assess AMS.Results The AMS group showed a shorter pre-ascent 6-minute walking distance(6MWD)at the high altitude than the non-AMS group[480.00(450.00,521.75)m vs.546.00(516.50,568.50)m,P=0.006].No difference was observed regarding the pre-ascent heart rate or peripheral oxygen saturation(both P>0.05).The pre-ascent 6MWD at the high altitude was negatively correlated with the Lake Louise score assessed after rapid ascent to the very high altitude(r=-0.497,P=0.012).Logistic regression analysis confirmed that the pre-ascent 6MWD at the high altitude was associated with the risk of AMS induced by rapid ascent to the very high altitude(OR=0.971,95% CI=0.947-0.996,P=0.022).The results indicated that the pre-ascent 6MWD demonstrated ideal prediction performance(area under receiver operating characteristic curve=0.846,P=0.006).Conclusion The pre-ascent 6MWD recorded at the high altitude is a convenient and reliable predictor of the AMS induced by rapid ascent to the very high altitude.
Humans ; Altitude Sickness/diagnosis* ; Male ; Adult ; Female ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; Acute Disease ; Walk Test ; Walking ; Altitude ; Exercise Test

ObjectiveTo investigate the role of 4-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in modulating the metabolic homeostasis of the pyruvate-lactate axis in the hippocampus of rats with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) to improve their depressive-like behavior. MethodsForty-eight SPF-grade 8-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: the normal quiet group (C), the CUMS quiet group (M), the normal exercise group (HC), and the CUMS exercise group (HM). The M and HM groups received 8 weeks of CUMS modeling, while the HC and HM groups were exposed to 4 weeks of HIIT starting from the 5th week (3 min (85%-90%) S_max+1 min (50%-55%) S_max, 3-5 cycles, S_max is the maximum movement speed). A lactate analyzer was used to detect the blood lactate concentration in the quiet state of rats in the HC and HM groups at week 4 and in the 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h after exercise, as well as in the quiet state of rats in each group at week 8. Behavioral indexes such as sucrose preference rate, number of times of uprightness and number of traversing frames in the absenteeism experiment, and other behavioral indexes were used to assess the depressive-like behavior of the rats at week 4 and week 8. The rats were anesthetized on the next day after the behavioral test in week 8, and hippocampal tissues were taken for assay. LC-MS non-targeted metabolomics, target quantification, ELISA and Western blot were used to detect the changes in metabolite content, lactate and pyruvate concentration, the content of key metabolic enzymes in the pyruvate-lactate axis, and the protein expression levels of monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs). Results4-week HIIT intervention significantly increased the sucrose preference rate, the number of uprights and the number of traversed frames in the absent field experiment in CUMS rats; non-targeted metabolomics assay found that 21 metabolites were significantly changed in group M compared to group C, and 14 and 11 differential metabolites were significantly dialed back in the HC and HM groups, respectively, after the 4-week HIIT intervention; the quantitative results of the targeting showed that, compared to group C, lactate concentration in the hippocampal tissues of M group, compared with group C, lactate concentration in hippocampal tissue was significantly reduced and pyruvate concentration was significantly increased, and 4-week HIIT intervention significantly increased the concentration of lactate and pyruvate in hippocampal tissue of HM group; the trend of changes in blood lactate concentration was consistent with the change in lactate concentration in hippocampal tissue; compared with group C, the LDHB content of group M was significantly increased, the content of PKM2 and PDH, as well as the protein expression level of MCT2 and MCT4 were significantly reduced. The 4-week HIIT intervention upregulated the PKM2 and PDH content as well as the protein expression levels of MCT2 and MCT4 in the HM group. ConclusionThe 4-week HIIT intervention upregulated blood lactate concentration and PKM2 and PDH metabolizing enzymes in hippocampal tissues of CUMS rats, and upregulated the expression of MCT2 and MCT4 transport carrier proteins to promote central lactate uptake and utilization, which regulated metabolic homeostasis of the pyruvate-lactate axis and improved depressive-like behaviors.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the effects of 4-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and to explore its potential mechanisms. MethodsA total of 48 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control (C), model (M), control plus HIIT (HC), and model plus HIIT (HM). Rats in groups M and HM underwent 8 weeks of CUMS to establish depression-like behaviors, while groups HC and HM received HIIT intervention beginning from the 5th week for 4 consecutive weeks. The HIIT protocol consisted of repeated intervals of 3 min at high speed (85%-90% maximal training speed, S_max) alternated with one minute at low speed (50%-55% S_max), with 3 to 5 sets per session, conducted 5 d per week. Behavioral assessments and tail-vein blood lactate levels were measured at the end of the 4th and 8th weeks. After the intervention, rat PFC tissues were collected for Golgi staining to analyze synaptic morphology. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were employed to detect brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), lactate, and glutamate levels in the PFC, as well as serotonin (5-HT) levels in serum. Additionally, Western blot analysis was conducted to quantify the expression of synaptic plasticity-related proteins, including c-Fos, activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 (NMDAR1). ResultsCompared to the control group (C), the CUMS-exposed rats (group M) exhibited significant reductions in sucrose preference rates, number of grid crossings, frequency of upright postures, and entries into and duration spent in open arms of the elevated plus maze, indicating marked depressive-like behaviors. Additionally, the group M showed significantly reduced dendritic spine density in the PFC, along with elevated levels of c-Fos, Arc, NMDAR1 protein expression, and increased concentrations of lactate and glutamate. Conversely, BDNF and MCT1 contents in the PFC and 5-HT levels in serum were significantly decreased. Following HIIT intervention, rats in the group HM displayed considerable improvement in behavioral indicators compared with the group M, accompanied by significant elevations in PFC MCT1 and lactate concentrations. Furthermore, HIIT notably normalized the expression levels of c-Fos, Arc, NMDAR1, as well as glutamate and BDNF contents in the PFC. Synaptic spine density also exhibited significant recovery. ConclusionFour weeks of HIIT intervention may alleviate depressive-like behaviors in CUMS rats by increasing lactate levels and reducing glutamate concentration in the PFC, thereby downregulating the overexpression of NMDAR, attenuating excitotoxicity, and enhancing synaptic plasticity.

Objective To investigate the status of hearing impaired children's hearing device independence skills,and to explore the ways to improve their self-use of hearing equipment.Methods This study surveyed 64 re-habilitation teachers and 411 parents of children with hearing impairment aged 0-12 years.Through face-to-face or remote telephone interview,3 good habits(A asking parents for advice before removing the HA,B putting the de-vice into a moisture-proof box after removing it,C bringing batteries to school and knowing where are them)and 3 key abilities[D wearing the device independently,E replacing the battery independently,and F independently handle foreign bodies in the ear mold(Fa)and water vapor(Fb)]was investigated.The age when mastering skills or de-veloping habits difference of hearing impaired children in different groups were compared.Results ① The ratio of ability D in the bilateral CI group and the bilateral HA group of preschool children was 30.97％and 18.57％respec-tively.Among elementary school children,85.29％and 90.70％had this ability respectively.② The ratio of ability E in the bilateral CI group,the bilateral HA group and the bimodel group were 11.50％,15.71％and 16.49％,re-spectively.Among elementary school children,64.71％,53.49％and 68.52％had this ability,respectively.③Among preschool children,there was no statistical difference in age when different equipment groups developed the three good habits and acquired ability D and E(P＞0.05).④ Among primary school children,there was a statisti-cal difference in the age when different equipment groups formed habit A(P＜0.05),and the age when double CI group had this ability was slightly earlier than the double HA group.There was no significant difference in other abilities among age groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion The age at which hearing impaired children develop the three good habits precedes the age at which they master the key skills,which accords with the law of skill acquisition and development of ordinary children.Corresponding teaching process should be based on the age and ability of hearing-impaired children without considering the type of equipment.