This study aimed to investigate the effects of caffeoylquinic acids from Erigeron breviscapus(EBCQA) on cognitive impairment and mitochondrial dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease(AD), and to explore its underlying mechanisms. The impacts of EBCQA on paralysis, β-amyloid(Aβ) oligomerization, and mRNA expression of mitophagy-related genes [PTEN-induced putative kinase 1(PINK1) homolog-encoding gene pink-1, Parkin homolog-encoding gene pdr-1, Bcl-2 interacting coiled-coil protein 1(Beclin 1) homolog-encoding gene bec-1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3) homolog-encoding gene lgg-1, autophagic adapter protein 62(p62) homolog-encoding gene sqst-1] were examined in the AD Caenorhabditis elegans CL4176 model, along with mitochondrial functions including adenosine triphosphate(ATP) content, enzyme activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes Ⅰ,Ⅲ, and Ⅳ, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Additionally, the effects of EBCQA on the green fluorescent protein(GFP)/red fluorescent protein from Discosoma sp.(DsRed) ratio, the expression of phosphatidylethanolamine-modified and GFP-labeled LGG-1(PE-GFP::LGG-1)/GFP-labeled LGG-1(GFP::LGG-1), and GFP-labeled SQST-1(GFP::SQST-1) proteins were investigated in transgenic C. elegans strains. The effect of EBCQA on paralysis was further evaluated after RNA interference(RNAi)-mediated suppression of the pink-1 and pdr-1 genes in CL4176 strain. An AD rat model was established through intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose and intragastric administration of aluminum trichloride. The effects of β-nicotinamide mononucleotide(NMN) and EBCQA on learning and memory ability, neuronal morphology, mitophagy occurrence, mitophagy-related protein expression(PINK1, Parkin, Beclin 1, LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ, p62), and mitochondrial functions(ATP content; enzyme activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes Ⅰ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ; mitochondrial membrane potential) were investigated in this AD rat model. The results showed that EBCQA delayed paralysis onset in the CL4176 strain, reduced Aβ oligomer formation, and upregulated the mRNA expression levels of lgg-1, bec-1, pink-1, and pdr-1, while downregulating sqst-1 mRNA expression. EBCQA also enhanced ATP content, mitochondrial membrane potential, and the activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes Ⅰ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ. Furthermore, EBCQA improved the PE-GFP::LGG-1/GFP::LGG-1 ratio, reduced GFP::SQST-1 expression, and decreased the GFP/DsRed ratio. Notably, the ability of EBCQA to delay paralysis was significantly reduced following RNAi-mediated suppression of pink-1 and pdr-1 in CL4176 strain. In AD rats, the administration of NMN or EBCQA significantly improved learning and memory, restored neuronal morphology in the hippocampus, increased autophagosome numbers, and upregulated the expression of PINK1, Parkin, Beclin 1, and the LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio, while reducing p62 expression. Additionally, the treatment with NMN or EBCQA both elevated ATP content, mitochondrial respiratory chain complex Ⅰ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ activities, and mitochondrial membrane potential in the hippocampus. The above findings indicate that EBCQA improves cognitive impairment and mitochondrial dysfunction in AD, possibly through activation of PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy.
Animals ; Alzheimer Disease/psychology* ; Mitophagy/drug effects* ; Mitochondria/genetics* ; Caenorhabditis elegans/metabolism* ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/genetics* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/physiopathology* ; Rats ; Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Humans ; Male ; Disease Models, Animal ; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of percutaneous pedicle screw combined with unilateral nail placement combined with bone cement strengthening and bilateral nail placement in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracic and lumbar fractures. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was used to analyze the clinical data of 78 patients with osteoporotic thoracic and lumbar fractures admitted from October 2017 to May 2019. According to the surgical method, it was divided into percutaneous pedicle screw combined with unilateral nail placement combined with unilateral bone cement strengthening group(bone cement group) and percutaneous pedicle screw combined with bilateral nail placement(screw group). In the bone cement group, 40 patients included 16 males and 24 females, with a mean age of (62.1±8.1) years old. In the screw group, 38 patients included 18 males and 20 females with a mean age of (65.1±9.3) years old. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay and postoperative complications were compared between two groups. The kyphosis Cobb angle, anterior edge height ratio, central height ratio and pain visual analogue score(VAS) were compared. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 25 to 36 months. The operation time (70.1±17.3) min of the cement group was shorter than that of the screw group (78.6±18.2) min(P<0.05). There were no significant differences in intraoperative blood loss and length of hospital stay(P>0.05). The VAS in the cement group 1 year 1.5±0.5 and the latest follow-up 0.5±0.3 after operation were lower than 1 year 1.8±0.3 and the latest follow-up 0.8±0.4 in the screw group(P<0.05). The kyphosis Cobb angle, anterior edge height ratio, central height ratio in bone cement group, 1 year (6.2±1.2)°, (86.6±3.5)%, (91.1±2.5)%, the last follow-up (6.4±0.7)°, (85.5±3.3)%, (90.5±6.3)% were better than that of the screw group 1 year (6.8±1.4)°, (83.1±2.4)%, (89.9±3.4)% and the latest follow-up (7.1±1.1)°, (82.6±4.1)%, (87.6±5.9)%(P<0.05). There were 3 cases of bone cement leakage in the cement group, all of which had no clinical symptoms;and 2 cases of pedicle screws were extracted in the screw group, and the screws were removed at the last follow-up. CONCLUSION Percutaneous pedicle screw combined with unilateral nail placement combined with bone cement strengthening and bilateral nail placement in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracic and lumbar compression fractures in the elderly can achieve satisfactory efficacy and effectively relieve the pain of patients, but the former internal fixation system is more stable, and the long-term follow-up can effectively maintain the height of the anterior middle column and the correction of kyphosis deformity, and the incidence of chronic low back pain is lower.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Bone Cements ; Middle Aged ; Thoracic Vertebrae/surgery* ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fractures/surgery* ; Osteoporotic Fractures/surgery* ; Case-Control Studies ; Bone Nails ; Pedicle Screws

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the early clinical efficacy of single-position O-arm navigation-assisted oblique lateral interbody fusion(OLIF) combined with minimally invasive percutaneous pedicle screw fixation(PPS) in the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 22 patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis who underwent OLIF-PPS surgery including 11 males and 11 females with a mean age of (64.6±1.5) years old ranging from 49 to 80 years old between April 2021 and June 2023. All patients presented with lumbosacral pain, lower limb radiating pain, numbness, and had poor responses to conservative treatment. Surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, and postoperative complications were recorded. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the visual analogue scale(VAS) and Oswestry disability index(ODI) preoperatively at 3 days after operation and the final follow-up. Standing lumbar anteroposterior and lateral X-rays were performed to measure disc height(DH), slippage degree, vertebral reduction rate, pedicle screw accuracy, and cage subsidence. RESULTS: All surgeries were successfully completed with a mean follow-up of (27.1±2.2) months (range 18 to 36 months). The mean surgical time was (76.1±12.2) min (range 60 to 93 min), intraoperative blood loss was (86.3±32.2) ml (range 40 to 113 ml), and hospital stay was (7.1±1.2) days. Postoperative VAS significantly improved from (7.2±0.7) preoperatively to (2.3±0.5) at 3 days after operation and (1.7±0.2) at the final follow-up (P<0.05). ODI decreased from (68.5±7.2)% preoperatively to (30.3±3.1)% at 3 days after operation and (16.6±1.6)% at the final follow-up (P<0.05). DH increased from (8.5±1.7) mm preoperatively to (18.1±1.4) mm at 3 days after operation and (17.2±1.1) mm at the final follow-up (P<0.05). Slippage degree improved from (24.1±4.6)% preoperatively to (10.3±4.2)% at 3 days after operation and (10.1±3.2)% at the final follow-up (P<0.05). A total of 88 pedicle screws were implanted with an excellent rate of 98% (86/88). Complications included transient left hip flexion weakness (2 cases) and left anteromedial thigh pain (1 case), all resolved during follow-up. No incision hematoma, infection, screw loosening, or cage subsidence occurred. CONCLUSION Single-position O-arm navigation-assisted OLIF combined with PPS demonstrates satisfactory early clinical efficacy for lumbar spondylolisthesis, with advantages including minimal invasiveness, significant pain relief, effective vertebral reduction, and low complication rates.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Spondylolisthesis/diagnostic imaging* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Spinal Fusion/methods* ; Lumbar Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging* ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Pedicle Screws ; Aged, 80 and over ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy and safety of human epidermal growth factor gel in the treatment of pin tract infections after surgery in patients with severe spinal deformity. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 26 patients with pin tract infections after skull-pelvic ring traction for severe spinal deformity admitted from February 2019 to May 2022. Among them, 11 were male and 15 were female;the age ranged from 18 to 31 years, with an average of (24.1±4.3) years;the Cobb angle ranged 80.3° to 120.7°, with an average of (88.6±10.2)°;there were 52 iliac traction pins, 104 pin tract openings, and 38 pin tract infections. According to the Checketts-Otterbum classification, there were 11 infections of gradeⅠ, 13 infections of gradeⅡ, 10 infections of grade Ⅲ, and 4 infections of grade Ⅳ. The patients were divided into the conventional dressing change group (13 cases) and the growth factor group (13 cases) by coin flipping. Clinical efficacy was evaluated by recording the visual analogue scale(VAS) score during dressing change, duration of dressing change, cost of dressing change, positive rate of bacterial culture, wound improvement rate, and wound improvement time. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in VAS or duration of dressing change between the two groups (P>0.05). The cost of dressing change was (800.0±59.5) yuan in the conventional dressing change group and (1 179.5±80.9) yuan in the growth factor group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the positive rate of bacterial culture between the two groups (P>0.05). In the conventional dressing change group, within 20 pin tract infections, 2 infections achieved wound healing, 7 infections showed improvement, and 11 infections were ineffective;in the growth factor group, within 18 pin tract infections 5 infections achieved wound healing, 8 infections showed improvement, and 5 infections were ineffective, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). The wound healing time was (22.8±4.9) days in the conventional dressing change group and (14.2±2.5) days in the growth factor group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). No complications occurred in either group. CONCLUSION The application of human epidermal growth factor gel in the treatment of pin tract infections after skull-pelvic ring surgery in patients with severe spinal deformity is easy to operate, does not increase patient pain, and has significant efficacy. It shortens wound healing time, effectively promotes wound healing, and has good safety and high cost-effectiveness.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Adolescent ; Retrospective Studies ; Case-Control Studies ; Young Adult ; Epidermal Growth Factor/therapeutic use* ; Traction/adverse effects* ; Gels ; Bone Nails/adverse effects* ; Surgical Wound Infection/drug therapy*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the short-to-medium-term clinical efficacy of total hip arthroplasty(THA) with Pinnacle ES constrained liner in the treatment of femoral neck fractures(FNF) associated with lower limb neuromuscular disorders. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 16 patients who underwent primary THA using Pinnacle ES constrained liner for FNF with lower limb neuromuscular disorders and had complete follow-up data, treated between January 2020 and January 2023. There were 7 males and 9 females, with a mean age of (68.42±3.58) years old ranging from 61 to 75 years old. Among them, 10 cases had left-sided fractures and 6 had right-sided fractures;based on the Garden classification, 11 cases were type Ⅲ and 5 cases were type Ⅳ. The affected limbs were complicated with sequelae of poliomyelitis (2 cases), Parkinson's disease (2 cases), and sequelae of cerebral infarction (12 cases). All operations were performed via a posterolateral approach. Prosthesis position was evaluated using imaging data. Hip function was assessed by the Harris hip score(HHS) and Merle D'Aubigne hip score. During the follow-up period, the occurrence of complications such as prosthetic dislocation, loosening, and infection was recorded. RESULTS: One patient died of advanced tumor 2 years after surgery, and the remaining 15 patients were followed up for 24 to 64 months with a mean of (34.8±5.5) months. The operation time ranged from 50 to 90 minutes with a mean of (75.56±8.15) minutes, and the blood loss ranged from 150 to 200 ml with a mean of (170.32±12.56) ml. All patients achieved primary wound healing after surgery. Intraoperatively, femoral calcar splitting occurred in 2 cases, which were treated with titanium cable binding;no neurovascular injuries were observed in any case. The mean HHS increased from (18.95±2.25) preoperatively to (88.02±2.42) at the last follow-up, and the mean Merle D'Aubigne Score increased from (3.05±0.06) preoperatively to (16.65±0.93) at the last follow-up. Postoperative follow-up X-rays showed good prosthetic position, and no complications such as dislocation, prosthetic loosening, periprosthetic fracture, or deep infection occurred during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION Total hip arthroplasty with Pinnacle ES constrained liner is effective in the treatment of femoral neck fractures associated with lower limb neuromuscular disorders. It can significantly improve hip function, reduce the postoperative prosthetic dislocation rate, provide good initial stability, and achieve satisfactory short-to-medium-term clinical efficacy.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip/methods* ; Femoral Neck Fractures/complications* ; Retrospective Studies ; Neuromuscular Diseases/surgery* ; Lower Extremity ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the causal relationship between Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) using Mendelian randomization (MR), as well as the association between Hp infection and chronic ITP (cITP) through a clinical study. METHODS: The datasets from genome-wide association studies were used to select the single nucleotide polymorphism loci significantly associated with Hp infection as genetic instrumental variables. The MR analysis model was used to investigate the causal relationship between ITP and Hp infection. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical data of 316 children with newly diagnosed ITP at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2020 to December 2023. The children were followed up for 1 year, and a multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for cITP. RESULTS: The inverse variance weighted analysis revealed that Hp infection was significantly associated with an increased risk of ITP (OR=1.280, 95%CI: 1.098-1.492, P=0.002). There was no heterogeneity or pleiotropy in this MR study (P>0.05), and the model was stable. The "leave-one-out" sensitivity analysis verified the reliability of the results. The multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that Hp infection was an independent risk factor for progression to cITP (OR=7.916, 95%CI: 3.327-18.832, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Hp infection is a risk factor for the onset of ITP and is an independent risk factor for cITP in children.
Humans ; Helicobacter Infections/complications* ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic/etiology* ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Helicobacter pylori ; Prognosis ; Child, Preschool ; Logistic Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Adolescent ; Infant

Objective To propose a dynamic electrical impedance tomography imaging algorithm based on complementary information fusion network(CIFN)to enhance image quality of dynamic electrical impedance imaging.Methods There were three modules for initialization,multi-frame complementary information extraction and information fusion involved in the CIFN.Firstly,multi-frame dynamic conductivity distribution images were obtained by the initialization module;secondly,spatial complementary information was extracted from the images by using the multi-frame complementary information extraction module;finally,the fusion of lesion target distribution information and target re-reconstruction were realized by the information fusion module to aquire high-quality EIT images.With a 16-electrode multilayer cranial simulation model,the CIFN-based imaging method was compared with Tikhonov regularization algorithm,spectral constraint algorithm and U-Net algorithm in terms of imaging results of types of lesions to verify its performance.Results Compared with the Tikhonov regularization algorithm,spectral constraint algorithm and U-Net algorithm,the proposed CIFN-based algorithm exhibited the lowest mean absolute error(MAE)and the highest structural similarity(SSIM)when used to image different lesion targets,which accurately reconstructed the distribution of lesion targets and gained high imaging stability under common noise levels.Conclusion The proposed CIFN-based imaging algorithm obtains high imaging quality on a cranial simulation model and reconstruction results close to the real model distribution,which provides algorithmic support for subsequent clinical studies on electrical impedance imaging.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(6):1-6]

Objective:To investigate the safety and efficacy of Pipeline embolization device (PED) Shield in intracranial unruptured saccular aneurysms.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study; 124 patients with intracranial unruptured saccular aneurysms treated with PED Shield at Department of Cerebrovascular Surgery, Neurosurgery Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University from July 2023 to October 2024 were enrolled. Intraoperative device-related complications and occurrence of hemorrhagic and ischemic complications within 30 days of the procedure were recorded. The clinical results and imaging results (degrees of stent patency and aneurysm occlusion rate) 6 months after follow-up were statistically analyzed. Modified Rankin scale (mRS) score>2 was defined as poor prognosis in clinical follow-up, and grade D according to O'Kelly Marotta (OKM) classification was considered as complete aneurysm occlusion in imaging follow-up.Results:Eighty-seven females and 37 males, aged (56.44±12.17) years (ranging from 27 to 80 years) were enrolled, with a maximum aneurysm diameter of 5.12 (3.73, 7.24) mm. Among the 124 patients, incidence of intraoperative instrument-related complications was 6.5% (8/124); and within 30 days of the procedure, incidence of ischemic complications was 4.8% (6/124) and that of hemorrhagic complications was 1.6% (2/124). Eighty-four patients had a 6-month clinical follow-up, with 1 patient (1.2%) having poor prognosis. Eighty-four patients (67.7%) completed a 6-month imaging follow-up: complete occlusion rate of aneurysms was 82.1% (69/84), incidence of in-stent stenosis (stenosis degree ≥25%) was 4.8% (4/84), and no symptomatic in-stent stenosis was found.Conclusion:Result of this study shows that PED Shield may be an effective and safe clinical option for intracranial unruptured saccular aneurysms.

Objective:To investigate the relevant factors for rupture of basilar tip aneurysms.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. Patients who underwent cerebrovascular digital subtraction angiography at Department of Cerebrovascular Disease Surgery,Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University from July 2008 to February 2023 and were confirmed to have basilar tip aneurysms were retrospectively analyzed. There were 45 males and 56 females, aged (57.5±10.2) years (range: 36 to 76 years); the maximum diameter of the basilar tip aneurysm ( M(IQR)) was 6.85 (5.79) mm (range: 1.28 to 27.48 mm). Finally, 101 basilar tip aneurysms were included, and divided into two groups based on whether the basilar tip aneurysm ruptured or not. There were 37 cases (36.6%) in the ruptured group and 64 cases (63.4%) in the unruptured group. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, or Fisher′s exact test, as appropriate, and predictive factors for rupture of basilar tip aneurysms were explored by Logistic regression analysis. Variance inflation factors was used for analysis of collinearity. Results:The univariate results showed statistically significant differences between the ruptured and unruptured groups in terms of aneurysm neck width, basilar artery diameter, mean diameter of the parental artery, the ratio of neck width to parent artery diameter, aneurysm width and maximum diameter of the aneurysm (all P<0.05). In multivariate analysis, basilar artery diameter ( OR=0.347, 95% CI:0.176 to 0.687, P=0.002), and NRP ( OR=0.366, 95% CI:0.192 to 0.696, P=0.002) were predictive factors for rupture of aneurysms occurring at the basilar tip. There was no multiple covariance between NRP and basilar artery diameter in the analysis of covariance (VIF=1). Conclusion:Smaller basilar artery diameter and smaller NRP are relevant factors for rupture of basilar tip aneurysms.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a severe gestational disorder characterized by hypertension and proteinuria, with a subset of cases exhibiting an immune-driven phenotype marked by placental overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines and chronic inflammatory damage, profoundly impacting fetal development. To elucidate the pathophysiology of this PE subtype, we established an inflammation-driven PE mouse model via lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intraperitoneal injection, systematically evaluating histopathological changes in maternal heart, liver, lung, kidney, and placenta, and integrating transcriptomic profiling to uncover molecular mechanisms. LPS administration robustly induced maternal hypertension and proteinuria, hallmarks of PE, without significantly altering organ or fetal weights. Histological analyses revealed pronounced inflammatory damage in the maternal lung, kidney, and placenta, with the lung exhibiting the most severe pathology, characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration, alveolar wall thickening, and interstitial edema-challenging the conventional focus on placental and renal primacy in PE. Placental labyrinth and junctional zones displayed extensive structural disruption and necrosis, indicating functional impairment. Transcriptomic analysis identified 27 inflammation-related genes consistently upregulated across tissues, with protein-protein interaction networks pinpointing Il1β, Il6, Ccl5, Ccl2, Cxcl10, Tlr2, and Icam1 as hub genes. Quantitative PCR validation confirmed Tlr2 as a central regulator, evidenced by significant upregulation of Tlr2 in lung, kidney, and placenta of LPS-induced PE mice, while Cxcl10 exhibited placenta-specific upregulation, suggesting a synergistic inflammatory axis in placental pathology. These findings highlight the lung as a critical, yet underappreciated, target in inflammation-driven PE, reframe the multi-organ inflammatory landscape of the disease, and nominate Tlr2 and Cxcl10 as potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets, offering new avenues for precision intervention in PE.
Animals ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Mice ; Pre-Eclampsia/genetics* ; Inflammation ; Lipopolysaccharides/adverse effects* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Transcriptome ; Placenta/pathology* ; Phenotype