Polymyxin serves as the"last line of defense"for treating infection with multidrug-resistant Gram-ne-gative bacteria.However,the emergence and spread of polymyxin-resistant genes such as mcr-1 severely weakens its clinical efficacy.This paper systematically summarizes the antimicrobial and resistance mechanisms of polymy-xin,comprehensively summarizes the current research progresses in polymyxin sensitizers particular focusing on three aspects:natural compounds,synthetic small molecules,and drug repurposing.Furthermore,this paper explores the innovative strategies of gene intervention,new targets,and nanotechnology-based formulations in the develop-ment of sensitizer,aiming to provide systematic theoretical support and research ideas against polymyxin resistance.

Objective:To study the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula in the treatment of brucellosis.Methods:Patients with brucellosis who were treated at the Beidahuang Industry Group General Hospital from March to November 2024 were selected and their clinical data were collected. A case-control study was conducted, thirty patients treated with conventional therapy plus TCM formula were selected as the TCM group, and 35 patients treated with conventional therapy were selected as the control group. Blood routine, C-reactive protein (CRP), lymphocyte subsets (CD45 +, CD3 +, CD4 +, CD8 +, CD19 +), and related cytokines [interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10] were determined before and after treatment to observe the clinical effect of TCM formula in the treatment of brucellosis. Survival curve was draw, and Log-Rank test was used to compare the differences in clinical symptom relief time between the two groups of patients. Results:Compared with pre-treatment, there were statistically significant differences in the numbers of CD45 +, CD3 +, CD4 +, CD8 +, CD19 + lymphocytes, neutrophil (NEUT), and the levels of CRP, IL-6, and IL-10 in the TCM group after treatment ( P < 0.05). After treatment, the comparison of each index between the two groups showed that there were statistically significant differences in the numbers of CD45 +, CD3 +, CD4 +, and CD8 + lymphocytes [control group vs TCM group: 2 470.00 (1 895.50, 3 207.00) vs 1 991.00 (1 720.75, 2 367.25), 1 920.00 (1 364.50, 2 428.00) vs 1 591.00 (1 343.00, 1 884.00), 1 021.00 (785.00, 1 205.50) vs 839.50 (704.25, 1 010.25), (686.42 ± 294.47) vs (596.97 ± 205.32) pieces/μl, P < 0.05]. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of CD19 + lymphocytes, NEUT, and the levels of CRP, IL-6 and IL-10 ( P > 0.05). The Log-Rank test results showed that there were statistically significant differences in the relief time of hyperhidrosis and night sweats ( P = 0.016), fatigue ( P = 0.016), and muscle soreness ( P = 0.004) between the two groups of patients. Conclusion:TCM formula has certain effects in the adjuvant therapy of brucellosis, which can improve the immune function of lymphocytes and relieve clinical symptoms, and has clinical application value.

Objective:To learn about the levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH VD), TBNK lymphocyte subsets, and cytokines in peripheral blood of patients with brucellosis.Methods:A prospective design was adopted, one hundred patients with brucellosis admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases, Beidahuang Industry Group General Hospital from May 2024 to February 2025 were selected as the brucellosis group, and one hundred healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations at the hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. The peripheral blood 25-OH VD levels were detected by chemiluminescence method. Further, 100 patients with brucellosis were divided into a brucellosis combined with osteoarthritis group (74 cases) and a brucellosis without osteoarthritis group (26 cases). Flow cytometry was used to detect the counts of peripheral blood TBNK lymphocyte subsets and cytokine levels. Meanwhile, Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the correlation between peripheral blood 25-OH VD levels and TBNK lymphocyte subsets counts as well as cytokine levels in patients with brucellosis complicated by osteoarthritis.Results:The peripheral blood 25-OH VD level in the brucellosis group [20.31 (15.74, 24.35) ng/ml] was significantly lower than that of the control group [25.18 (21.13, 29.59) ng/ml], and the difference was statistically significant ( Z = - 5.07, P < 0.001). The peripheral blood 25-OH VD level [18.05 (13.79, 23.74) vs 22.43 (19.93, 28.25) ng/ml], CD4 + T cell count [(860 ± 275) vs (1 036 ± 376) cells/μl], and interleukin (IL)-6 levels [4.17 (2.14, 9.41) vs 7.83 (5.97, 11.34) ng/L] in the brucellosis combined with osteoarthritis group were significantly lower than those in the brucellosis without osteoarthritis group ( Z/t = - 2.88, 2.20, - 2.85, P = 0.004, 0.035, 0.004). Correlation analysis showed that the peripheral blood 25-OH VD level in patients with brucellosis complicated by osteoarthritis was positively correlated with the counts of CD45 +, CD3 + T, CD4 + T, CD8 + T, and natural killer cells ( r = 0.31, 0.26, 0.25, 0.25, 0.25, P = 0.007, 0.027, 0.032, 0.031, 0.032), and negatively correlated with IL-17A level ( r = - 0.40, P < 0.001). Conclusion:Patients with brucellosis have insufficient 25-OH VD, and those with osteoarthritis have lower 25-OH VD level, CD4 + T cell count, and IL-6 level than those without osteoarthritis.

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) in plateau areas, and screen potential biomarkers for the pathogenesis of AP at high altitudes by metabolomics.Methods:A total of 42 patients with AP admitted to the Department of Gastroenterology in Lhasa People's Hospital from December 2023 to May 2024 were prospectively enrolled (AP group), and 33 healthy controls (Control group) were included during the same period. Demographic and clinical data were collected, and serum non-targeted metabolomics was performed based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques. The serum metabolites map was evaluated by using principal component analysis, and a regression model with orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was constructed to evaluate the explanatory power ( R2) and predictive power ( Q2) of these metabolites. The OPLS-DA-based dimensionality reduction was applied to compute variable importance in projection (VIP), while fold change (FC) values were used to assess the difference of metabolites between groups. A bidirectional clustering heat map was generated for samples and differential metabolites to evaluate sample similarity within groups. Additionally, a volcano plot was created to visualize differential metabolites, and the top five up-regulated and down-regulated metabolites distinguishing AP from healthy controls were selected. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was drawn, and the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity based on ROC analysis were calculated to evaluate the differential power of differential metabolites. Results:The majority of participants were Tibetans in both the AP group (37 cases, 88.1%) and the control group (27 cases, 81.8%). The average age of AP patients was (50.45±17.85) years old, and the male to female ratio was 1.1∶1.0. The leading etiology was biliary disease (33 cases, 78.6%), and most patients encountered moderately severe disease (26 cases, 61.9%). The incidence of local complications was 83.3%, mainly thoracoabdominal effusion and peripancreatic effusion (30 cases, 71.4%). The incidence of systemic complications was 59.5%, mainly systemic inflammatory response syndrome (22 cases, 52.4%) and respiratory failure (15 cases, 35.7%). Principal component analysis showed significant differences in serum metabolites between groups. OPLS-DA showed that these metabolites effectively distinguished AP patients from healthy controls: R2=0.992 and Q2=0.913 in the positive ion mode, R2=0.983 and Q2=0.914 in the negative ion mode. There were 450 up-regulated and 366 down-regulated differential metabolites in AP group, respectively. Among them, gamma-glutamylleucine, cortisone, 4(15)-Copaen-11-ol, mytiloxanthin, and indole-3-glycol aldehyde were the top five up-regulated metabolites, while N-Acetyltryptophan, kynurenic acid, deoxyuridine monophosphate, pseudouridine, and farnesyl acetate were the top five down-regulated metabolites. ROC analysis of these markers showed that all AUC values were >0.8, with all P values <0.001, with both sensitivity and specificity exceeding 80%. Among them, N-Acetyltryptophan and farnesyl acetate possessed the best differential performance. Conclusions:Biliary causes are most frequent among AP patients in plateau area. The disease severity is mainly moderately severe, accompanied by high incidences of local and systemic complications. Some amino acids and prenol lipids could significantly distinguish AP patients from healthy controls, and might be involved in the pathogenesis of AP at high altitudes.

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) in plateau areas, and screen potential biomarkers for the pathogenesis of AP at high altitudes by metabolomics.Methods:A total of 42 patients with AP admitted to the Department of Gastroenterology in Lhasa People's Hospital from December 2023 to May 2024 were prospectively enrolled (AP group), and 33 healthy controls (Control group) were included during the same period. Demographic and clinical data were collected, and serum non-targeted metabolomics was performed based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques. The serum metabolites map was evaluated by using principal component analysis, and a regression model with orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was constructed to evaluate the explanatory power ( R2) and predictive power ( Q2) of these metabolites. The OPLS-DA-based dimensionality reduction was applied to compute variable importance in projection (VIP), while fold change (FC) values were used to assess the difference of metabolites between groups. A bidirectional clustering heat map was generated for samples and differential metabolites to evaluate sample similarity within groups. Additionally, a volcano plot was created to visualize differential metabolites, and the top five up-regulated and down-regulated metabolites distinguishing AP from healthy controls were selected. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was drawn, and the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity based on ROC analysis were calculated to evaluate the differential power of differential metabolites. Results:The majority of participants were Tibetans in both the AP group (37 cases, 88.1%) and the control group (27 cases, 81.8%). The average age of AP patients was (50.45±17.85) years old, and the male to female ratio was 1.1∶1.0. The leading etiology was biliary disease (33 cases, 78.6%), and most patients encountered moderately severe disease (26 cases, 61.9%). The incidence of local complications was 83.3%, mainly thoracoabdominal effusion and peripancreatic effusion (30 cases, 71.4%). The incidence of systemic complications was 59.5%, mainly systemic inflammatory response syndrome (22 cases, 52.4%) and respiratory failure (15 cases, 35.7%). Principal component analysis showed significant differences in serum metabolites between groups. OPLS-DA showed that these metabolites effectively distinguished AP patients from healthy controls: R2=0.992 and Q2=0.913 in the positive ion mode, R2=0.983 and Q2=0.914 in the negative ion mode. There were 450 up-regulated and 366 down-regulated differential metabolites in AP group, respectively. Among them, gamma-glutamylleucine, cortisone, 4(15)-Copaen-11-ol, mytiloxanthin, and indole-3-glycol aldehyde were the top five up-regulated metabolites, while N-Acetyltryptophan, kynurenic acid, deoxyuridine monophosphate, pseudouridine, and farnesyl acetate were the top five down-regulated metabolites. ROC analysis of these markers showed that all AUC values were >0.8, with all P values <0.001, with both sensitivity and specificity exceeding 80%. Among them, N-Acetyltryptophan and farnesyl acetate possessed the best differential performance. Conclusions:Biliary causes are most frequent among AP patients in plateau area. The disease severity is mainly moderately severe, accompanied by high incidences of local and systemic complications. Some amino acids and prenol lipids could significantly distinguish AP patients from healthy controls, and might be involved in the pathogenesis of AP at high altitudes.

Objective:To explore the risk factors for in-hospital death after complete recanalization by mechanical thrombectomy and establish a risk prediction model in patients with acute large vessel occlusion stroke of the anterior circulation.Methods:A total of 468 patients with anterior circulation acute large vessel occlusion stroke who underwent mechanical thrombectomy in Stroke Center (Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University), Department of Interventional Therapy (First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University), and Department of Neurointervention and Neurocritical Care (Central Hospital Affiliated to Dalian University of Technology) from January 2016 to November 2023 were selected. All patients achieved complete recanalization (modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction: grading 3) immediately after thrombectomy. The clinical data, laboratory and imaging results of the patients were collected, and these patients were divided into in-hospital death group ( n=52) and in-hospital survival group ( n=416) according to occurrence of in-hospital death (all-cause death). Univariate analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to screen the risk factors for in-hospital death, and a risk prediction model was constructed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the model, calibration curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow test were used to evaluate the accuracy of the model, and decision curve was used to evaluate the clinical utility of the model. Results:Univariate analysis showed that the in-hospital death group had significantly higher proportions of female patients, patients with atrial fibrillation, and patients with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage compared with the in-hospital survival group (50.0% vs. 31.3%; 57.7% vs. 41.6%; 38.5% vs.11.8%), and significantly higher baseline blood glucose, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, neutrophil count, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio within 24 hours of thrombectomy (8.10 [7.05, 11.79] vs. 7.31[6.46, 9.25], 20 [16, 32] vs. 15 [10, 22], 10.09 [7.87, 13.19] vs. 8.47 [6.73, 10.32], 10.63 [5.87, 15.69] vs. 7.13 [5.16, 10.91], P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that female ( OR=2.533, 95% CI: 1.306-4.910, P=0.006), atrial fibrillation history ( OR=1.999, 95% CI: 1.044-3.827, P=0.037), neutrophil count within 24 hours of thrombectomy ( OR=1.162, 95% CI: 1.055-1.279, P=0.002), and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage ( OR=4.066, 95% CI: 1.897-8.718, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for in-hospital death after complete recanalization; risk prediction model, accordingly, was 0.929×female+0.692×atrial fibrillation history+0.150×neutrophil count+1.403×symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage-5.349 ( P: probability of event occurrence). Area under ROC curve of the model was 0.765 (95% CI: 0.689-0.842, P<0.001); calibration curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow test of the model showed good accuracy ( χ2=7.656, P=0.468); decision curve of the model showed good clinical utility at threshold probability of 0.05-0.90. Conclusion:For patients with acute large vessel occlusion stroke at the anterior circulation complicated with atrial fibrillation, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage or elevated neutrophil count within 24 hours of thrombectomy, or female patients with acute large vessel occlusion stroke at the anterior circulation, in-hospital death still needs to be highly alert after complete recanalization by mechanical thrombectomy.

Objective To investigate the ameliorative effect of deferoxamine(DFO)on cognitive impairment in a rat model of type 1 diabetes mellitus(T1DM)and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying cerebral iron overload in T1DM rats.Methods Thirty-six healthy male SD rats(weighing 180～250 g)were randomly assigned into a blank control group(Ctrl),a T1DM model group and a DFO group,with 12 rats in each group.A single dose of 65 mg/kg streptozotocin(STZ)was intraperitoneally injected to the rats to establish a T1DM model,and those with fasting blood glucose≥16.7 mmol/L at 3 d later were designated as the T1DM group.Intracerebroventricular administration of DFO(5 μg/kg·d)was given to the DFO group for 28 consecutive days since 21 d after STZ injection.Morris water maze test was carried out to assess the spatial learning and memory abilities.Nissl staining and immunofluorescence assay were applied to observe neuronal morphology and number in the hippocampus and cortex.The iron content in the hippocampus was measured with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS).The expression levels of iron metabolism related proteins were detected with Western blotting.Results In the T1DM group,significant declines in learning and memory abilities(P<0.01)and impaired neuronal morphology and reduced neuronal counts in the hippocampal CA1 region(P<0.01),CA3 region(P<0.01),and cortex(P<0.05)were observed when compared with those in the Ctrl group.ICP-MS analysis showed a marked increase in the hippocampal iron content in the T1DM group(P<0.01).Western blot results demonstrated that T1DM rats exhibited obviously up-regulated expression of iron storage proteins FTH and FTL in both the hippocampus(P<0.01,P<0.05)and the cortex(P<0.05,P<0.01),enhanced expression of iron import protein DMT1 in both the hippocampus and the cortex(P<0.05),while decreased expression of iron export protein FPN1 in the hippocampus(P<0.01)and the cortex(P<0.05).DFO treatment significantly ameliorated all above abnormalities.Conclusion The declines in learning and memory in T1DM rats are closely associated with neuronal damage induced by cerebral iron overload.Iron import protein DMT1 and export protein FPN1 jointly regulate cerebral iron content in T1DM rats.DFO reduces brain iron levels and mitigates iron overload-mediated neuronal injury by modulating the expression of DMT1 and FPN1.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the efficacy and adverse reactions of nusinersen combined with risdiplam in the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 10 pediatric SMA patients treated with nusinersen combined with risdiplam at the Children's Medical Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. RESULTS: Among the 10 SMA patients, there were 4 with type I, 4 with type II, and 2 with type III. Nine patients initially received nusinersen monotherapy, while 1 patient received nusinersen combined with risdiplam. The median duration of combination therapy with nusinersen and risdiplam for the 10 patients was 10.5 months (range: 0.5-20.0 months), with 6 patients undergoing combination therapy for more than 6 months, showing improvements in motor and/or respiratory function. The remaining 4 patients had combination treatment durations of 0.5, 1.0, 1.3, and 4.0 months, respectively, with no significant overall improvement. After combined treatment, 5 patients experienced skin hyperpigmentation, 2 had lumbar puncture site pain, 1 experienced vomiting, 1 had increased sputum production, and 1 had reduced total sleep time. All adverse reactions were mild and did not require medical intervention. CONCLUSIONS Nusinersen combined with risdiplam demonstrates efficacy in the treatment of SMA, and no significant adverse reactions have been observed.
Humans ; Oligonucleotides/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Retrospective Studies ; Infant ; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal/drug therapy* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Child ; Azo Compounds ; Pyrimidines

BACKGROUND: China is seeing a growing demand for rehabilitation treatments for post-stroke upper limb spastic paresis (PSSP-UL). Although acupuncture is known to be effective for PSSP-UL, there is room to enhance its efficacy. OBJECTIVE: This study explored a semi-personalized acupuncture approach for PSSP-UL that used three-dimensional kinematic analysis (3DKA) results to select additional acupoints, and investigated the feasibility, efficacy and safety of this approach. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: This single-blind, single-center, randomized, controlled trial involved 74 participants who experienced a first-ever ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke with spastic upper limb paresis. The participants were then randomly assigned to the intervention group or the control group in a 1:1 ratio. Both groups received conventional treatments and acupuncture treatment 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The main acupoints in both groups were the same, while participants in the intervention group received additional acupoints selected on the basis of 3DKA results. Follow-up assessments were conducted for 8 weeks after the treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) response rate (≥ 6-point change) at week 4. Secondary outcomes included changes in motor function (FMA-UE), Brunnstrom recovery stage (BRS), manual muscle test (MMT), spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale, MAS), and activities of daily life (Modified Barthel Index, MBI) at week 4 and week 12. RESULTS: Sixty-four participants completed the trial and underwent analyses. Compared with control group, the intervention group exhibited a significantly higher FMA-UE response rate at week 4 (χ² = 5.479, P = 0.019) and greater improvements in FMA-UE at both week 4 and week 12 (both P < 0.001). The intervention group also showed bigger improvements from baseline in the MMT grades for shoulder adduction and elbow flexion at weeks 4 and 12 as well as thumb adduction at week 4 (P = 0.007, P = 0.049, P = 0.019, P = 0.008, P = 0.029, respectively). The intervention group showed a better change in the MBI at both week 4 and week 12 (P = 0.004 and P = 0.010, respectively). Although the intervention group had a higher BRS for the hand at week 12 (P = 0.041), no intergroup differences were observed at week 4 (all P > 0.05). The two groups showed no differences in MAS grades as well as in BRS for the arm at weeks 4 and 12 (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Semi-personalized acupuncture prescription based on 3DKA results significantly improved motor function, muscle strength, and activities of daily living in patients with PSSP-UL. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2200056216. Please cite this article as: Huang XY, Liao OP, Jiang SY, Tao JM, Li Y, Lu XY, Li YY, Wang C, Li J, Ma XP. Three-dimensional kinematic analysis can improve the efficacy of acupoint selection for post-stroke patients with upper limb spastic paresis: A randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 15-24.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Upper Extremity/physiopathology* ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Single-Blind Method ; Aged ; Stroke/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Stroke Rehabilitation/methods* ; Adult ; Muscle Spasticity/therapy* ; Paresis/physiopathology* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To explore the role of the protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase(PERK)-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway in a model of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced microglia inflammation.Methods To investigate its effects on endoplasmic reticulum(ER)stress,an inflammation model of microglia was established by stimulating with LPS at gradient concentrations for 24 hours and with 1 mg/L LPS for different durations.Cell viability was assessed by the CCK-8 assay;The mRNA and protein expression levels of related inflammatory factors were measured by Real-time PCR and ELISA kits.Cellular oxidative stress was evaluated by detecting reactive oxygen species(ROS),and Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to examine the mRNA and protein expression levels of ER stress pathway markers associated with inflammation.Results 1.The effects of different concentrations of LPS on cell viability and morphology were not statistically significant after acting on BV-2 cells for 24 hours(P＞0.05);2.1 mg/L LPS incubated with BV-2 cells for different times and the cell viability decreased with the increase of time;3.Compared with the 0 hour group,the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin(IL)-1β,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)mRNA and protein expression increased significantly(P＜0.05)in the LPS-stimulated 9 hours,12 hours,and 24 hours groups,and the inflammation model was successfully established;4.Compared with the 0 hour group,the protein and mRNA expression levels of the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway-related indexes in the LPS-stimulated 9 hours,12 hours,and 24 hours groups increased significantly(P＜0.01),which showed the time-dependence;5.After adding the PERK inhibitor GSK2606414,the mRNA and protein expression levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related indicators in the PERK inhibitor group were significantly reduced compared with those in the LPS group(P＜0.05);6.The mRNA and protein expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the fluorescence intensity of ROS in the PERK inhibitor group were significantly reduced compared with those in the LPS group(P＜0.01).Conclusion Targeting PERK-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory responses in microglia.