ObjectiveSpinal cord injury (SCI) directly impairs the regulatory function of the autonomic nervous system, induces intestinal dysfunction, and significantly reduces patients’ quality of life. Preclinical studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) therapy can regulate the brain-gut axis and is used to treat central nervous system diseases such as major depressive disorder, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Recent research has established that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from EA-treated SCI rats restored intestinal motility and colonic morphology. However, it remains unclear whether the regulation of gut microbiota by EA therapy directly contributes to neural repair after SCI. This study aims to explore whether gut microbiota mediates the neuroprotective effect of EA in the treatment of SCI and its possible mechanism. MethodsThe study employed RNA transcriptome analysis of spinal cord tissue to characterize gene expression profiles and to identify key signaling pathways following EA treatment for SCI. Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the morphological changes in spinal cord tissue. Western blot (WB) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were applied to detect the effects of EA on the expression of proteins related to nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 (NLRP3) -dependent pyroptosis. Using 16S rDNA sequencing, the study observed alterations in gut microbiota diversity and community composition in SCI rats. Prior to establishing SCI models, rats were pretreated with an antibiotic cocktail to induce gut dysbiosis, and the effects on intestinal function and spinal cord neural repair were evaluated. FMT was performed to investigate the regulatory effects of post-EA FMT on motor function, general status, liver and spleen indices, and NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis in SCI rats. ResultsEA improved motor function and reduced regulated neuronal cell death in SCI rats. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated the activation of immune- and inflammation-related pathways post-SCI, including NOD-like receptors, nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB), and Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways. EA primarily influenced intestinal inflammation and autoimmune functions. 16S rDNA sequencing illustrated that EA did not alter the diversity of gut microbiota. However, EA altered the gut microbiota composition in SCI rats, increasing Lactobacillus and Akkermansia genera while rebalancing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Furthermore, depletion of gut microbiota by antibiotics disrupted the intestinal barrier, reduced the expression of intestinal barrier proteins Zonula Occludens-1 (ZO-1) and Occludin, elevated serum lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) levels, exacerbated spinal cord tissue damage, and hindered motor function recovery in SCI rats. FMT from donors treated with EA reduced LBP levels in the intestine, blood, and spinal cord of rats, inhibited the TLR4 myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MyD88)-NF‑κB pathway and NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis, and improved motor function. On the other hand, FMT treatment resulted in decreased body weight and food intake, whereas FMT using EA-treated donors effectively alleviated these alterations. ConclusionEA effectively alleviated neuroinflammatory responses in rats with SCI, primarily through regulating the gut microbiota and suppressing the NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis signaling pathway.

ObjectiveSpinal cord injury (SCI) directly impairs the regulatory function of the autonomic nervous system, induces intestinal dysfunction, and significantly reduces patients’ quality of life. Preclinical studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) therapy can regulate the brain-gut axis and is used to treat central nervous system diseases such as major depressive disorder, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Recent research has established that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from EA-treated SCI rats restored intestinal motility and colonic morphology. However, it remains unclear whether the regulation of gut microbiota by EA therapy directly contributes to neural repair after SCI. This study aims to explore whether gut microbiota mediates the neuroprotective effect of EA in the treatment of SCI and its possible mechanism. MethodsThe study employed RNA transcriptome analysis of spinal cord tissue to characterize gene expression profiles and to identify key signaling pathways following EA treatment for SCI. Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the morphological changes in spinal cord tissue. Western blot (WB) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were applied to detect the effects of EA on the expression of proteins related to nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 (NLRP3) -dependent pyroptosis. Using 16S rDNA sequencing, the study observed alterations in gut microbiota diversity and community composition in SCI rats. Prior to establishing SCI models, rats were pretreated with an antibiotic cocktail to induce gut dysbiosis, and the effects on intestinal function and spinal cord neural repair were evaluated. FMT was performed to investigate the regulatory effects of post-EA FMT on motor function, general status, liver and spleen indices, and NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis in SCI rats. ResultsEA improved motor function and reduced regulated neuronal cell death in SCI rats. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated the activation of immune- and inflammation-related pathways post-SCI, including NOD-like receptors, nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB), and Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways. EA primarily influenced intestinal inflammation and autoimmune functions. 16S rDNA sequencing illustrated that EA did not alter the diversity of gut microbiota. However, EA altered the gut microbiota composition in SCI rats, increasing Lactobacillus and Akkermansia genera while rebalancing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Furthermore, depletion of gut microbiota by antibiotics disrupted the intestinal barrier, reduced the expression of intestinal barrier proteins Zonula Occludens-1 (ZO-1) and Occludin, elevated serum lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) levels, exacerbated spinal cord tissue damage, and hindered motor function recovery in SCI rats. FMT from donors treated with EA reduced LBP levels in the intestine, blood, and spinal cord of rats, inhibited the TLR4 myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MyD88)-NF‑κB pathway and NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis, and improved motor function. On the other hand, FMT treatment resulted in decreased body weight and food intake, whereas FMT using EA-treated donors effectively alleviated these alterations. ConclusionEA effectively alleviated neuroinflammatory responses in rats with SCI, primarily through regulating the gut microbiota and suppressing the NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the damage results and structural response laws of medical cabins in ships under explosion attack.Methods Firstly,the cabin structure was equivalently regarded as a T-shaped plate frame based on the explosion load theory,then four finite element models for the medical cabins were established with the dimensions(length ×width×height)of 2.8 m×2.6 m×2.3 m,3.2 m×3.2 m×2.4 m,4.2 m×3.2 m×2.5 m and 5.4 m×4.0 m×2.6 m.Secondly,an explosion damage model was constructed using ABAQUS simulation software,and explosion damage simulation was carried out with the explosion locating at the cabin center and the outside of the bulkhead and the explosion energy of 10 kg and 100 kg trinitrotoluene(TNT)equivalent.Finally,the 10 kg and 100 kg TNT explosion damage results were ananlyzed at the cabin center and the outside of the bulkhead.Results At the cabin center,10 kg TNT explosion resulted in local deformation and limited affected area of the large-sized cabin,while 100 kg TNT explosion lead to extensive affected ranges in the functional areas and severe deformation and damage in the small-sized cabin.At the outside of the bulkhead,10 kg TNT explosion gave rise to breaches in some areas of the small-sized cabin and local deformation of the large-sized cabin,while 100 kg TNT explosion caused large breaches in all the cabins.Conclusion The explosion load induces serious deformation and damage and complicated breaches in the cabin with small size and weak structural strength.The cabin with large size and thick bulkhead and stiffener behaves well in explosion resistance,while high equivalent explosions may bring about serious damage to its local structure.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(1):27-32]

Objective To explore the damage results and structural response laws of medical cabins in ships under explosion attack.Methods Firstly,the cabin structure was equivalently regarded as a T-shaped plate frame based on the explosion load theory,then four finite element models for the medical cabins were established with the dimensions(length ×width×height)of 2.8 m×2.6 m×2.3 m,3.2 m×3.2 m×2.4 m,4.2 m×3.2 m×2.5 m and 5.4 m×4.0 m×2.6 m.Secondly,an explosion damage model was constructed using ABAQUS simulation software,and explosion damage simulation was carried out with the explosion locating at the cabin center and the outside of the bulkhead and the explosion energy of 10 kg and 100 kg trinitrotoluene(TNT)equivalent.Finally,the 10 kg and 100 kg TNT explosion damage results were ananlyzed at the cabin center and the outside of the bulkhead.Results At the cabin center,10 kg TNT explosion resulted in local deformation and limited affected area of the large-sized cabin,while 100 kg TNT explosion lead to extensive affected ranges in the functional areas and severe deformation and damage in the small-sized cabin.At the outside of the bulkhead,10 kg TNT explosion gave rise to breaches in some areas of the small-sized cabin and local deformation of the large-sized cabin,while 100 kg TNT explosion caused large breaches in all the cabins.Conclusion The explosion load induces serious deformation and damage and complicated breaches in the cabin with small size and weak structural strength.The cabin with large size and thick bulkhead and stiffener behaves well in explosion resistance,while high equivalent explosions may bring about serious damage to its local structure.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(1):27-32]

Objective To explore the regulatory effect of amylin on the feeding behavior of mice through the ERK pathway of paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus(PVN).Methods A total of 54 C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into multiple groups for experiments.First,immunofluorescence was used to detect the distribution of ERK and calcitonin receptor(CTR)neurons in the brains of 4 mice.A chemical lesion model of PVN neurons was established,and 16 mice were divided into four groups(4 mice per group):control(Ctrl)group,ibotenic acid(IBO)-lesioned group,amylin group,and amylin+IBO group.The number of ERK-positive neurons in the PVN region and food intake were then measured.Subsequently,16 mice were divided into four groups(4 mice per group),Ctrl group,amylin group,ERK antagonist U0126 group,and amylin+U0126 group.The expression level of the immediate early gene c-fos in the PVN was detected by Real-time PCR.Immunofluorescence was used to detect the distribution of p-ERK positive neurons in the brains of 4 saline-treated mice and 4 amylin-treated mice.Finally,18 mice were randomly divided into three groups(6 mice per group)through intracerebroventricular injection,Ctrl group,amylin group,and amylin+receptor antagonist AC 187 group.Then,triple immunofluorescence was used to detect the co-expression of p-ERK,neuronal nitric oxide synthase(nNOS),and CTR-immunopositive neurons in the PVN region,and food intake within 3 hours after treatment was recorded simultaneously.Results ERK-positive neurons were mainly distributed in the suprachiasmatic nucleus(SCN),arcuate nucleus(ARC),and locus coeruleus(LC),while ERK and CTR co-expressing positive neurons were specifically enriched in the PVN(P=0.0012).Lesion of PVN neurons led to a decrease in the number of ERK-positive neurons(P＜0.001)and blocked the anorectic effect of amylin(P＜0.001).Amylin activated the expression of the c-fos gene in the PVN region(P＜0.05),and this effect was inhibited by U0126(P＜0.05).After intracerebroventricular injection of amylin,the number of triple-positive neurons for p-ERK,nNOS,and CTR in the PVN increased(P＜0.05).Addition of AC 187 blocked the activation effect of amylin(P＜0.01)and reversed the anorectic effect of amylin(1 h,P=0.2218;2 h,P=0.2218;3 h,P=0.6974).Conclusion P-ERK neurons in the PVN regulate feeding behavior through an amylin receptor-dependent ERK signaling pathway.

The aim of this study was to investigate and evaluate the antitumor effects of a novel poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) 1/2 inhibitor, YHP-836, in combination with temozolomide (TMZ) for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM). The cytotoxicity of YHP-836 was tested alone or in combination with TMZ using MTT assay. Immunoblotting and flow cytometry were also employed to assess the combination activity of YHP-836 and TMZ in multiply GBM cell lines. Further, the antitumor activity of YHP-836 and TMZ was evaluated using subcutaneous and orthotopic mice xenograft tumor models. All procedures were approved by the Ethics Committee for Animal Experiments of the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College and conducted under the Guidelines for Animal Experiments of Peking Union Medical College. The approval number is 00009138. It was demonstrated that the combination of YHP-836 and TMZ increased the cytotoxicity against GBM cells and upregulated histone H2AX phosphorylation (γH2AX) expression levels compared to TMZ treatment alone. The combination also led to the S-phase cell cycle arrest. Moreover, YHP-836 significantly enhanced TMZ antitumor effects without significantly increasing chemotherapy drug toxicity in vivo, whereas YHP-836 alone showed limited therapeutic efficacy against GBM. In conclusion, the novel PARP1/2 inhibitor, YHP-836, sensitizes TMZ and provides a basis for further investigation into its mechanism of action. These findings suggest that YHP-836 may be a potential candidate for combination therapy with TMZ in patients with TMZ resistance.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head(ONFH)is a common orthopedic disease,and hip preservation surgery has high clinical value in the early stages of ONFH,especially for young and middle-aged patients.However,the repair of ONFH is heterogeneous,leading to inter-individual variations in the efficacy of hip preservation.Currently,the existing tissue-engineered scaffolds in the field of hip preservation are uncontrollable after implantation,making it difficult to achieve precise repair.Smart responsive materials have good biocompatibility and self-feedback capability.By combining them with therapeutic drugs to construct stimulus-responsive drug delivery systems,new possibilities are provided for the precise repair of ONFH.This paper reviews the research progress of smart responsive materials at home and abroad.Based on the response principles of various materials and the repair characteristics of ONFH,the application prospects of various smart responsive materials such as reactive oxygen species-responsive,fluid shear stress-responsive,and light/magnetic-responsive materials are discussed and prospected in the field of precise repair for ONFH,providing new ideas for the precise treatment of ONFH.

Objective:To explore the clinical correlation and prognostic value of the Albumin-Bilirubin(ALBI)score in children with secondary hemophagocytic syndrome(sHLH).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of children's sHLH cases clearly diagnosed in the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from January 2012 to March 2023.Survival analysis was conducted according to the ALBI classification.Spearman correlation analysis was conducted between the ALBI score and clinical indicators.The Receiver Operating Characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the ALBI score,select the best cutoff value,and evaluate the accuracy of prognostic prediction value.Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve.Log-rank method was used to compare the differences of survival curve between groups.Cox regression was used for prognostic analysis and restricted cubic spline curves used to calculate the relationship between ALBI scores and the risk of death in children with sHLH.Results:A total of 128 children with sHLH were included in this study,with a median age of 38(13.25,84)months.There were 70 males(54.69％)and 58 females(45.31％).The survival analysis results of ALBI grading showed that the survival rate of HLH patients with ALBI grade 3 was significantly lower than those with ALBI grades 1 and 2.Spearman correlation analysis results showed that ALBI score was positively correlated with splenomegaly,respiratory failure,disseminated intravascular coagulation(DIC),pulmonary hemorrhage,gastrointestinal hemorrhage,central nervous system involvement,ALT,AST,TG,LDH,PT,APTT,and SF(the correlation coefficients are:r=0.181,0.362,0.332,0.221,0.351,0.347,0.391,0.563,0.180,0.448,0.483,0.37,0.356),and was negatively correlated with HB,PLT,and FIB(the correlation coefficients are:r=-0.321,-0.316,-0.423),but was not significantly correlated with EBV infection,fungal infection,hepatomegaly,and ANC(P＞0.05).Using the ROC curve,the cutoff value of ALBI was-1.76.Single factor Cox regression analysis results showed that HB＜90 g/L,ALT ≥ 80 U/L,AST≥200 U/L,LDH ≥1 000 U/L,PT ≥20 s,APTT≥40 s,FIB＜1.5 g/L,ALBI ≥-1.76,combined pulmonary hemorrhage,DIC,central nervous system involvement,gastrointestinal bleeding,and not using blood purification may be the prognostic risk factors for children with sHLH(P＜0.05).Multivariate Cox regression results showed that FIB＜1.5 g/L(HR=2.119,95％CI:1.028-4.368),ALBI≥-1.76(HR=2.452,95％CI:1.233-4.875),and central nervous system involvement(HR=4.674,95％CI:2.486-8.789)were independent risk factors affecting prognosis,while blood purification(HR=0.306,95％CI:0.153-0.612)was an independent protective factor for prognosis.The application of restricted cubic splines shows that the risk of death increases with the increase of ALBI score.The area under the ROC curve(AUC)of the ALBI score for predicting the risk of 1-week,2-week,4-week,and overall mortality were 0.825,0.807,0.700,and 0.693,respectively,indicating good predictive performance for early mortality risk.According to subgroup analysis results of clinical manifestations,compared with the ALBI＜-1.76 group,ALBI≥-1.76 was associated with age ≤2 years,EBV infection,HLH-1994/2004 treatment,concomitant respiratory failure,and ANC≤1.0 × 109/L,HB＜90 g/L,PLT＜100 × 109/L,TG≥3.0 mmol/L,LDH ≥ 1 000 U/L,APTT≥40 s,and FIB＜1.5 g/L(P＜0.05).Conclusion:The ALBI score is related to the clinical characteristics and laboratory indicators of sHLH,and can be used as a beneficial indicator for assessing the prognostic risk of sHLH in children.It has good accuracy and clinical application value in predicting the prognosis of sHLH in children.

Objective To evaluate the blast damage of the medical cabin in the coast guard ship based on the neural network prediction model.Methods Firstly,a cabin finite element model was established with the typical medical cabin in some coast guard ship as the subject;secondly,ABAQUS simulation software was used to construct a blast damage simulation model and perform blast damage numerical simulation;thirdly,three neural network prediction models respectively based on Levenberg-Marquardt,Bayesian regularization and conjugate gradient algorithms were formed with the sample data from the simulation results and MATLAB software;finally,visualization over the prediction results of the neural network prediction models was carried out in terms of three blast conditions at the interior,bulkhead and near field of the cabin,and the blast damage to the cabin was analyzed with reference to the simulation results.Results Near the observation points the damage prediction results by the models were similar to those by the simulation.The blasts at the interior and bulkhead both resulted in obvious damages to the cabin framework,with serious effects and large damage areas;near-field blasts did not cause direct damage to the inter-nal framework of the cabin.Conclusion The neural network prediction model forecasts the blast damage to the medical carin in the coast guard ship,and references are provided for the structural design of the cabins in the coast guard ship.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(12):14-18]