OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) for ameliorating diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) based on the analysis of gut microbiota and metabolomics. METHODS: Thirty SPF-grade male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, and an EA group, with 10 rats in each one. Except in the normal group, the intraperitoneally injection with streptozotocin was used to induce diabetes mellitus model in the rest groups. In the EA group, acupuncture was delivered at bilateral "Zusanli" (ST36), "Sanyinjiao" (SP6), "Pishu" (BL20) and "Shenshu" (BL23), and electric stimulation was attached to "Zusanli" (ST36)-"Sanyinjiao" (SP6) and "Pishu" (BL20)-"Shenshu" (BL23), on the same side, with continuous wave and a frequency of 2 Hz, for 10 min in each intervention. The intervention measure of each group was delivered once every 2 days, 3 times a week, for 8 consecutive weeks. Body weight, random blood glucose (RBG), thermal withdrawal latency (TWL), and mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) before intervention, and in 4 and 8 weeks of intervention, separately, as well as sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) and motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV) of the sciatic nerve after intervention were measured. Metagenomic sequencing (MS) was used to analyze gut microbiota and screen for differential species. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was employed to detect the differential metabolites in plasma, and the metabolic pathway enrichment analysis was performed on the differential metabolites. Spearman correlation analysis was adopted to assess the relationship between gut microbiota and metabolomics. RESULTS: After 4 and 8 weeks of intervention, when compared with the model group, the EA group showed the increase in body weight, TWL, MWT (P<0.01), and the decrease in RBG (P<0.01). Compared with the normal group, SCV and MCV, as well as Chao1 index were dropped in the model group (P<0.01), and those were elevated in the EA group when compared with those in the model group (P<0.01). The dominant bacterial phyla of each group were Firmicutes (F) and Bacteroidota (B), the ratio of them (F/B) in the model group was lower than that of the normal group (P<0.05), and F/B in the EA group was higher when compared with that in the model group (P<0.05). In comparison with the normal group, the relative abundance increased in Prevotella, Segatella, Prevotella-hominis and Segatella-copri (P<0.05); and it decreased in Ligilactobacillus, Eubacterium, Pseudoflavonifractor, Ligilactobacillus-murinus (P<0.05) in the model group. Compared with the model group, the relevant abundance of the above mentioned gut bacteria was all ameliorated in the EA group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Among the three groups, 120 differential metabolites were identified and enriched in 28 key metabolic pathways, such as glycerophospholipid and linoleic acid, of which, glycerophospholipid was the most significantly affected pathway in EA intervention. Spearman correlation analysis showed that 6 phosphatidylcholine metabolites were significantly positively correlated with Pseudoflavonifractor and were negatively with Prevotella, Segatella, Prevotella-hominis, Segatella-copri; 5 phosphatidylethanolamine metabolites were significantly negatively correlated with Pseudoflavonifractor and positively correlated with Prevotella, Segatella, Prevotella-hominis, Segatella-copri. CONCLUSION EA may regulate metabolic pathways such as glycerophospholipid, modulate specific gut microbiota such as Pseudoflavonifractor, Prevotella, and Segatella, and the co-expressed differential metabolites like phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, thereby reducing blood glucose and protecting nerve function, so as to relieve the symptoms of DPN of rats.
Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Male ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Diabetic Neuropathies/microbiology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Metabolomics ; Humans ; Acupuncture Points

Objective: To compare the difference of the clinical and laboratory characteristics between γδ T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia (γδT-LGLL) and αβ T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia (αβT-LGLL) . Methods: The clinical and laboratory characteristics of 17 patients with γδT-LGLL and 91 patients with αβT-LGLL in the department of therapeutic center of anemia of enrolled in our hospital from January 2009 to January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The median age of the 17 patients with γδT-LGLL was 54 years (range, 25-73 years) , the most common presenting symptom was anemia. In comparison with αβT-LGLL patients, splenomegaly was common (41% and 44%, respectively) , whereas hepatomegaly (12% and 5%, respectively) and lymphadenopathy (6% and 8%, respectively) were rare. The positive rates of antinuclear antibody (59% and 45%, respectively) were high, whereas the positive rates of rheumatoid factor (6% and 10%, respectively) were rare for both groups. There were no differences on peripheral blood counts between the two groups. However, γδT-LGLL patients were found to be predominantly expressed a CD4⁻/CD8⁻ phenotype. Steroid therapy with prednisone was used alone as first-line therapy for 1 patient. Cyclosporin A (CsA) was used alone as first-line therapy for 3 patients. CsA in combination with steroids were administered in 13 patients. After 4 months treatment, 2 patients acquired complete response, 4 patients acquired partial response, the overall response was 35%. Conclusion γδT-LGLL is a rare mature T-lymphocyte proliferative disease. Clinical and laboratory characteristics were quite similar for γδT-LGLL in compare with αβT-LGLL. γδT-LGLL predominantly expressed a CD4⁻/CD8⁻ phenotype. The data presented here indicate the CsA is an effective option for the first-line treatment of γδT-LGLL.

Objective:To investigate the main clinical features of critically ill patients with influenza A (H1N1) influenza virus pneumonia, and the relationship between airway secretions and cardiopulmonary pathology change with continuous hypoxemia. Methods: The retrospective analysis was made in critically ill patients with H1N1 influenza virus pneumonia admitted to a respiratory intensive care unit(RICU). Twenty-four patients were all administrated antiviral drugs (oseltamivir 75/150 mg Bid). Twenty of them were subjected to application of hormonal therapy, and 6 of them with mechanical ventilation. Results: The average age of 24 patients was (48.25±19.73) years old. Fifteen of them were pregnant women, obesity and who suffered from chronic underlying diseases. The main symptoms of them were progressive shortness of breath, cough and myalgia. It was found by X-ray that 22 patients(91.67%) had multiple lung consolidation shadow. After admission, airway secretions were collected, and the protein concentration of which was 34.1-37.7 g/L in 5 cases. The concentration of l-lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) was 792-1 890 U/L. White blood cell count was (0.722-1.470)×10~9/L, included 0.21-0.44 neutrophils, 0.111-0.560 mononuclear cells, 0.027-0.110 eosinophils, 0.018-0.054 basophils. Pathological changes of these patients were hyaline membrane formation, alveolar cavity collapse, myocardial cell degeneration and focal myocardial necrosis. Intubation and mechanical ventilation were performed in 6 cases, 5 of them dead and the mortality rate was 20.83%. Conclusion: The lung pathological damages were increased LDH and protein in airway secretions, and increased count of inflammatory cells. Effect of mechanical ventilation was not satisfied in part of patients who had diffuse lung consolidation in X-ray, and the related complications leaded to exacerbation or death in part of them.