OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy of acupuncture with yin-yang regulation method versus local acupuncture in treating chronic low back pain (CLBP) in elderly patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH), and to evaluate the changes in the multifidus muscle before and after treatment using musculoskeletal ultrasound. METHODS: A total of 128 elderly patients with CLBP due to LDH were randomly assigned to an observation group (64 cases, 2 cases dropped out) and a control group (64 cases, 2 cases dropped out). The control group received local acupuncture at bilateral L₃-L₅ Jiaji points (EX-B2), Shenshu (BL23), Dachangshu (BL25), Weizhong (BL40), Yaoyangguan (GV3), and ashi points. The observation group received acupuncture with yin-yang regulation method, which included an abdominal protocol with Baihui (GV20), Zhongwan (CV12), Qihai (CV6), Guanyuan (CV4), bilateral Tianshu (ST25), and Dahe (KI12), etc., and a lumbar protocol with Baihui (GV20), Dazhui (GV14), Jizhong (GV6), Yaoyangguan (GV3), and ashi points, etc., alternated bilaterally. Both groups were treated once every other day, three times per week, for a total of 12 sessions. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Oswestry disability index (ODI) score, and the indexs of musculoskeletal ultrasound multifidus muscle (resting and functional thickness and Young's modulus values) were observed before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS: After 1 and 4 weeks of treatment, both groups showed lower VAS scores compared to baseline (P<0.05), the VAS scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.001). ODI scores in both groups were decreased after 1 and 4 weeks of treatment compared to baseline (P<0.05), with a further reduction at 4 weeks of treatment compared to 1 week of treatment (P<0.05); the observation group showed lower ODI score than the control group after 1 week of treatment (P<0.001). After treatment, both groups demonstrated increased resting and functional multifidus muscle thickness bilaterally compared to baseline (P<0.01), with an increased right-side thickness change rate (P<0.01), though no significant difference was observed between groups (P>0.05). Compared to baseline, after treatment, the observation group exhibited decreased Young's modulus values for bilateral resting and functional multifidus muscle (P<0.01), while the control group showed reductions only in bilateral resting and right-side functional Young's modulus values (P<0.01). After treatment, the bilateral functional Young's modulus values in the observation group were lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the bilateral resting and functional changes in Young's modulus values were greater in the observation group than those in the control group (P<0.01). The overall effective rate was 93.5% (58/62) in the observation group, which was higher than 79.0% (49/62) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Acupuncture with yin-yang regulation method effectively alleviates pain, improves functional disability, increases multifidus muscle thickness, and reduces Young's modulus values in elderly patients with CLBP due to LDH, which has superior therapeutic effect compared to local acupuncture.
Humans ; Low Back Pain/physiopathology* ; Male ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Female ; Aged ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/physiopathology* ; Middle Aged ; Yin-Yang ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome

Hypercholesterolemia is a significant risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. 2',3',5'-Tri-O-acetyl-N ⁶-(3-hydroxyphenyl) adenosine (IMM-H007), a novel AMPK agonist, has shown protective effects in metabolic diseases. However, its impact on cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism in hypercholesterolemia remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the effects and specific mechanisms by which IMM-H007 regulates cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism. To achieve this goal, we used Apoe ^-/- and Ldlr ^-/- mice to establish a hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis model. Additionally, hepatocyte-specific Ampka1/2 knockout mice were subjected to a 5-week high-cholesterol diet to establish hypercholesterolemia, while atherosclerosis was induced via AAV-PCSK9 injection combined with a 16-week high-cholesterol diet. Our results demonstrated that IMM-H007 improved cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism in mice with hypercholesterolemia. Mechanistically, IMM-H007 modulated the AMPKα1/2-LDLR signaling pathway, increasing cholesterol uptake in the liver. Furthermore, IMM-H007 activated the AMPKα1-FXR pathway, promoting the conversion of hepatic cholesterol to bile acids. Additionally, IMM-H007 prevented hepatic steatosis by activating the AMPKα1/2-ATGL pathway. In conclusion, our study suggests that IMM-H007 is a promising therapeutic agent for improving hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis through the activation of AMPKα.

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

Numerous c-mesenchymal-epithelial transition (c-MET) inhibitors have been reported as potential anticancer agents. However, most fail to enter clinical trials owing to poor efficacy or drug resistance. To date, the scaffold-based chemical space of small-molecule c-MET inhibitors has not been analyzed. In this study, we constructed the largest c-MET dataset, which included 2,278 molecules with different structures, by inhibiting the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of kinase activity. No significant differences in drug-like properties were observed between active molecules (1,228) and inactive molecules (1,050), including chemical space coverage, physicochemical properties, and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) profiles. The higher chemical diversity of the active molecules was downscaled using t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) high-dimensional data. Further clustering and chemical space networks (CSNs) analyses revealed commonly used scaffolds for c-MET inhibitors, such as M5, M7, and M8. Activity cliffs and structural alerts were used to reveal "dead ends" and "safe bets" for c-MET, as well as dominant structural fragments consisting of pyridazinones, triazoles, and pyrazines. Finally, the decision tree model precisely indicated the key structural features required to constitute active c-MET inhibitor molecules, including at least three aromatic heterocycles, five aromatic nitrogen atoms, and eight nitrogen-oxygen atoms. Overall, our analyses revealed potential structure-activity relationship (SAR) patterns for c-MET inhibitors, which can inform the screening of new compounds and guide future optimization efforts.

Abstract In recent years, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents has risen rapidly, posing a serious threat to their physical and mental health. To provide scientific, systematic, and standardized weight management guidance for overweight and obese children and adolescents, the study focuses on the core concept of healthy lifestyle intervention, integrates multidisciplinary expert opinions and research findings,and proposes a comprehensive multidisciplinary intervention framework covering scientific exercise intervention, precise nutrition and diet, optimized sleep management, and standardized psychological support. It calls for the establishment of a multi agent collaborative management mechanism led by the government, implemented by families, fostered by schools, initiated by individuals, optimized by communities, reinforced by healthcare, and coordinated by multiple stakeholders. Emphasizing a child and adolescent centered approach, the consensus advocates for comprehensive, multi level, and personalized guidance strategies to promote the internalization and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. It serves as a reference and provides recommendations for the effective prevention and control of overweight and obesity, and enhancing the health level of children and adolescents.

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum orexin-A(OXA)and aspartate amin-otransferase(AST)levels and the disease severity and prognosis in patients with acute ischemic stroke(AIS).Methods A total of 167 AIS patients(AIS group)treated at Hebei Provincial People's Hospital from January 2021 to January 2024 and 84 healthy individuals undergoing physical examinations(control group)were selected as the research objects.AIS patients were categorized by severity into mild AIS group[National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score＜5,42 cases],moderate AIS group(NIHSS score 5—＜16,56 cases),moderate-to-severe AIS group(NIHSS score 16—＜21,36 cases),and severe AIS group(NIHSS score ≥21,33 cases).Based on 3-month prognosis(modified Rankin scale),patients were divided into poor prognosis group(＞2 grade,54 cases)and good prognosis group(≤2 grade,113 cases).Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between NIHSS scores and serum OXA and AST levels in AIS pa-tients.Multivariate unconditional Logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between serum OXA and AST levels and the prognosis of AIS patients.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive efficacy of serum OXA and AST levels for prognosis.Results Compared with the control group,serum OXA level in the AIS group was lower,while AST level was higher(P＜0.05).Ser-um OXA level progressively decreased,and AST level progressively increased across the mild,moderate,mod-erately severe,and severe AIS groups(P＜0.05).NIHSS score was negatively correlated with serum OXA level and positively correlated with AST level in AIS patients(P＜0.05).High OXA level was an independent protective factor for poor prognosis in AIS patients,while high AST level was an independent risk factor(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of the combined assessment of serum OXA and AST levels in predic-ting poor prognosis in AIS patients was 0.873,which was greater than the AUC of OXA(0.793)and AST(0.770)alone(P＜0.05).Conclusion In AIS patients,lower serum OXA level and higher AST level are as-sociated with disease severity and poor prognosis.The combined evaluation of serum OXA and AST levels has higher predictive value for AIS prognosis.

Objective To investigate the correlations of serum levels of platelet activation com-plex-1(PAC-1)and soluble tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis(sTWEAK)with neu-rological deficit and clinical prognosis in patients with acute cerebral infarction(ACI).Methods A total of 170 ACI patients(ACI group)and 85 healthy volunteers(control group)were enrolled in this study.Based on severity of neurological deficit assessed by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score,ACI patients were divided into of mild neurological deficit group(43 cases),moderate neurological deficit group(57 cases),moderate-to-severe neurological deficit group(37 cases),and severe neurological deficit group(33 cases).Additionally,based on the 6-month fol-low-up prognosis,ACI patients were divided into 51 cases of poor prognosis group and 119 cases of good prognosis group.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure serum levels of PAC-1 and sTWEAK.Spearman correlation analysis was performed to evaluate their correlations with NIHSS scores in ACI patients.Multivariate unconditional Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine their relationships with clinical prognosis.Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to explore their evaluation efficacy for poor clinical prognosis.Results Serum levels of PAC-1 and sTWEAK were significantly higher in the ACI group than in the control group(P＜0.05).Ser-um levels of PAC-1 and sTWEAK increased sequentially in the mild,moderate,moderate-to-severe,and severe neurological deficit groups(P＜0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum levels of PAC-1 and sTWEAK were positively correlated with NIHSS scores in ACI patients(rs=0.715 and 0.706,respectively;P＜0.001).Multivariate unconditional Logistic regression analysis revealed that older age,higher NIHSS score,larger infarct volume,higher PAC-1 level,and higher sTWEAK level were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in ACI patients(P＜0.05).The ar-ea under the curve for the combined assessment of serum PAC-1 and sTWEAK levels for poor clini-cal prognosis in ACI patients was 0.895,which was greater than the areas under the curve for the individual assessments(0.792 and 0.786,respectively;P＜0.05).Conclusion Elevated serum levels of PAC-1 and sTWEAK are closely related to increased neurological deficit and poor clinical prognosis in ACI patients.The combined detection of these two markers has high evaluation efficacy for clinical prognosis in ACI patients.

Objective:To explore the association between sublingual microcirculatory perfusion vessel proportion (PPV), high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1), and sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC), and to identify early predictive markers for clinical intervention.Methods:A total of 66 septic patients admitted to the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU) between November 2021 and May 2024 were enrolled. Based on SIC diagnosis within 24 hours of admission, patients were categorized into SIC ( n=36) and non-SIC ( n=30) groups. Clinical parameters, including prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), sublingual PPV, and serum HMGB1 levels (measured at 0 h and 6 h), were analyzed. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to identify independent predictors. Results:Compared with the non-SIC group, the SIC group demonstrated significantly prolonged PT ( P<0.05) and APTT ( P<0.05), elevated 0 h lactate levels, and increased 6 h HMGB1. Spearman analysis revealed a positive correlation between 6 h PPV and platelet count ( P<0.05), while an inverse correlation was observed with 6 h PT ( P<0.05). Multivariate regression identified APTT, 6 h PPV, and 6 h HMGB1 as independent predictors of SIC. ROC analysis yielded AUC values of 0.732 for APTT, 0.802 for 6 h PPV, and 0.765 for 6 h HMGB1. The combination of 6 h PPV and HMGB1 further improved predictive accuracy (AUC=0.873). Conclusions:Prolonged APTT, decreased 6 h PPV, and elevated 6h HMGB1 are key indicators of SIC. Integrated assessment of these markers enhances early risk stratification in septic patients, facilitating timely clinical intervention.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects and mechanisms of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang on hepatic oxidative stress injury in type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） rats based on the nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 （Nrf2）/heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1） axis. MethodSix ZDF （fa/+） rats were as assigned to the blank group， and 30 ZDF （fa/fa） rats were used to induce the T2DM model by feeding a high-fat diet. After successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided into the model group， metformin group （0.18 g·kg^-1）， and low， medium， and high dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang （0.54， 1.08， 2.16 g·kg^-1）， with six rats in each group. After 12 weeks of drug intervention， the body mass， liver mass， fasting blood glucose （FBG）， and oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT） levels were measured. Serum total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） levels were detected using an automatic biochemical analyzer. The pathological changes of liver tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the activity of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， reactive oxygen species （ROS）， glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px）， and the level of malondialdehyde （MDA） in liver tissues. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Nrf2 in the liver. Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in liver tissues. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant increase in body mass， liver mass， and liver index （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and the medium and high dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed a significant decrease in body weight， liver mass， and liver index （P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly increased TC， TG， and LDL levels （P<0.01）， and significantly decreased HDL levels （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly reduced TC levels （P<0.01）， and significantly reduced TG levels （P<0.05）. The medium and high dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly reduced LDL levels （P<0.05）. The metformin group and all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly increased HDL levels （P<0.05）. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly increased ALT and AST activities （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang and the metformin group showed significantly reduced ALT activities （P<0.05） and significantly reduced AST activities （P<0.01）. Compared with normal group， the model group showed significantly increased FBG at all time points （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly reduced FBG at 8， 10， 12 weeks. The OGTT results showed that compared with the normal group， the model group had significantly increased blood glucose at all time points （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group showed significantly reduced blood glucose at all time points （P<0.01）， and the medium and high dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly reduced blood glucose at 90， 120 min （P<0.01）. HE pathology showed clear and regular liver cell structure in the normal group， while the model group showed disordered liver cell structure with visible fat vacuoles and a large number of deformed necrotic cells. The liver tissue structure improved in the metformin group and all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang， with fewer necrotic cells. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly reduced SOD and GSH-Px levels （P<0.01）， and significantly increased ROS and MDA levels （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly increased SOD and GSH-Px levels （P<0.01）， and significantly reduced MDA levels （P<0.01）. The medium and high dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly reduced ROS levels （P<0.05）. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly reduced Nrf2 and HO-1 mRNA expression levels （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and the medium and high dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly increased Nrf2 and HO-1 mRNA expression levels （P<0.05）. Immunohistochemistry showed that compared with the normal group， the model group had significantly reduced positive expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed increased positive expression of Nrf2 and HO-1， with a significant increase in brown-yellow granules around the cell nucleus （P<0.05）. Western blot results showed that compared with the normal group， the model group had significantly reduced protein expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and all doses of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly increased protein expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 （P<0.01）. ConclusionModified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang can significantly improve the general condition and pathological changes of liver tissues in T2DM model rats. This improvement is likely achieved through ameliorating hepatic oxidative stress injury via regulating the Nrf2/HO-1 axis.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang on mitochondrial autophagy and browning of visceral adipose tissue in obese type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） model ZDF rats. MethodForty ZDF rats were induced with a high-fat diet to establish an obese T2DM model. The rats were randomly divided into five groups： Model group， metformin group （0.18 g·kg^-1）， and high， medium， and low dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang （2.16， 1.08， 0.54 g·kg^-1）， with eight rats in each group. Additionally， eight ZDF （fa/+） rats were assigned to the normal group. All groups received an intragastric volume of 10 mL·kg^-1， with the model and normal groups receiving the same volume of purified water once daily for 12 weeks. Fasting blood glucose （FBG） was regularly measured. After 12 weeks of intervention， the body weight， epididymal fat weight， and serum levels of glucose （GLU）， glycated serum protein （GSP）， triglyceride （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe pathological changes in epididymal fat tissue. Transmission electron microscopy （TEM） was employed to observe mitochondrial autophagy in adipocytes. Real-time PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）， Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa interacting protein 3 （BNIP3）， microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B （LC3B）， p62/SQSTM1， uncoupling protein 1 （UCP1）， iodothyronine deiodinase 2 （Dio2）， and PR domain containing 16 （Prdm16） in epididymal fat. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of HIF-1α， BNIP3， LC3B， p62， and UCP1 in epididymal fat. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed pathological changes in epididymal fat， with adipocyte mitochondrial condensation and numerous autophagosomes indicating mitochondrial autophagy. The model group also exhibited significantly increased body weight， epididymal fat weight， FBG， GLU， GSP， TC， TG， and LDL-C levels （P<0.01）， significantly decreased HDL-C levels （P<0.01）， significantly elevated mRNA and protein expression of HIF-1α， BNIP3， and LC3B （P<0.01）， significantly reduced mRNA and protein expression of p62 and UCP1 （P<0.01）， and significantly reduced mRNA expression of Dio2 and Prdm16 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all intervention groups showed varying degrees of improvement in epididymal fat pathology. The metformin group and high-dose modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang group displayed intact mitochondrial morphology， clear cristae， uniform matrix， and few autophagosomes and autophagosomes in the adipocyte cytoplasm. The metformin group and high- and medium-dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang showed significantly reduced body weight and epididymal fat weight （P<0.01）. The epididymal fat index was reduced in all intervention groups （P<0.05）， and FBG was lowered in all intervention groups （P<0.01）.Serum GSP， GLU， TG， and LDL-C levels were reduced in the metformin group and the high- and medium-dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The serum TC level was significantly reduced in the metformin group and high-dose group of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang （P<0.01）， and HDL-C levels were significantly increased in all intervention groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression of HIF-1α， BNIP3， and LC3B were significantly reduced， and UCP1 protein expression was significantly increased in the metformin group and high- and medium-dose groups of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression of p62， Dio2， and Prdm16 were significantly increased in the metformin group and high-dose group of modified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionModified Dahuang Huanglian Xiexintang may inhibit mitochondrial autophagy and promote the browning of visceral adipose tissue through the HIF-1α/BNIP3/LC3B pathway， thereby improving glucose and lipid metabolism in obese T2DM rats.