The central amygdala (CeA) is a crucial modulator of emotional, behavioral, and autonomic functions, including cardiovascular responses. Despite its importance, the specific circuit by which the CeA modulates blood pressure remains insufficiently explored. Our investigations demonstrate that photostimulation of GABAergic neurons in the centromedial amygdala (CeM^GABA), as opposed to those in the centrolateral amygdala (CeL), produces a depressor response in both anesthetized and freely-moving mice. In addition, activation of CeM^GABA axonal terminals projecting to the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) significantly reduces blood pressure. These CeM^GABA neurons form synaptic connections with NTS neurons, allowing for the modulation of cardiovascular responses by influencing the caudal or rostral ventrolateral medulla. Furthermore, CeM^GABA neurons targeting the NTS receive dense inputs from the CeL. Consequently, stimulation of CeM^GABA neurons elicits hypotension through the CeM-NTS circuit, offering deeper insights into the cardiovascular responses associated with emotions and behaviors.
Animals ; GABAergic Neurons/physiology* ; Male ; Central Amygdaloid Nucleus/physiopathology* ; Hypotension/physiopathology* ; Mice ; Blood Pressure/physiology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Solitary Nucleus/physiology* ; Photic Stimulation ; Neural Pathways/physiology*

OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the effects of deep acupuncture at Weizhong acupoint (BL40) on bladder function and brain activity in a rat model of overactive bladder (OAB), and investigated the possible mechanisms around the acupuncture area that initiate the effects of acupuncture. METHODS: Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups, comprising a control group, model group, group treated with deep acupuncture at BL40, group treated with shallow acupuncture at BL40, group treated with acupuncture at non-acupoint next to BL40, and group treated with acupuncture at Xuanzhong (GB39). Urodynamic evaluation was used to observe the urination, and functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to observe the brain activation. The mechanism of acupuncture at BL40 in regulating bladder function was explored by toluidine blue staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the mechanism was verified by stabilizing mast cells (MCs) or blocking tibial nerve. RESULTS: Deep acupuncture at BL40 significantly increased the intercontraction interval in OAB rats and enhanced the mean amplitude of low frequency fluctuation of primary motor cortex (M1), periaquaductal gray matter (PAG), and pontine micturition center (PMC). It also increased the zero-lag functional connectivity between M1 and PAG and between PAG and PMC. Shallow acupuncture at BL40 and acupuncture at non-acupoint or GB39 had no effect on these indexes. Further studies suggested that deep acupuncture at BL40 increased the number and degranulation rate of MCs as well as the contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine, substance P, and histamine in the tissues around BL40. Blocking the tibial nerve by lidocaine injection or inhibiting MC degranulation by sodium cromoglycate injection obstructed the effects of acupuncture on restoring urinary function and modulating brain activation in OAB rats. CONCLUSION Deep acupuncture at BL40 may be more effective for inhibiting OAB by promoting degranulation of MCs around the acupoint and stimulating tibial nerve, thereby regulating the activation of the brain area that controls the lower urinary tract. Please cite this article as: Liu X, Zhang CY, Du XY, Li SS, Wang YQ, Zheng Y, Deng HZ, Fang XQ, Li JY, Wang ZQ, Xu SF, Mi YQ. Acupuncture at Weizhong (BL40) attenuates acetic acid-induced overactive bladder in rats by regulating brain neural activity through the modulation of mast cells and tibial nerves. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 46-55.
Animals ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive/physiopathology* ; Mast Cells/physiology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Female ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; Rats ; Brain/physiopathology* ; Tibial Nerve/physiopathology* ; Acetic Acid ; Urinary Bladder/physiopathology*

BACKGROUND:In the follow-up after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty,some patients have knee pain,among which postmenopausal obese women are the most common. As an important index to measure the degree of body obesity,whether body mass index is related to the curative effect after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty and whether obesity will affect the function of knee joint after operation are worthy of further study.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of postmenopausal obese women undergoing medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty,and to determine the influence of body mass index on the quality of life after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.METHODS:Female postmenopausal patients who underwent medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty for the first time due to medial knee pain from January 2017 to January 2019 in the Fourth Clinical Medical College of Xinjiang Medical University were enrolled. A total of 270 cases were included according to inclusion and exclusion criteria,and were divided into 4 groups according to preoperative body mass index:There were 42 cases in normal group (body mass index 18.5-22.9 kg/m2),58 cases in overweight group (body mass index 23.0-24.9 kg/m2),122 cases in obese group (body mass index 25.0-29.9 kg/m2),and 48 cases in severely obese group (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2). Hospital for Special Surgery score,Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score,knee range of motion,visual analog scale score,and hip-knee-ankle angle were compared before,after and at the last time in each group. Patients were followed up to record the time of use of prostheses after surgery and reasons for failure or revision. The effective utilization rate of prostheses was calculated and compared in each group. Survival curve was used for statistical analysis of the effective utilization rate of prostheses.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) There was no significant difference in postoperative follow-up time,knee joint range of motion,visual analog scale score,and hip-knee-ankle angle between the groups (P>0.05). (2) The Hospital for Special Surgery score and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score of each group in final follow-up were significantly improved compared with those before surgery (P<0.05),and the postoperative effect was obvious in each group (P<0.05). Regarding Hospital for Special Surgery score,the improvement effect was worse in the severely obese group. (3) The comparison of hip-knee-ankle angle between all groups immediately after surgery and the last follow-up showed that there were significant differences between the other groups at two time points (P<0.05) except the normal group (P>0.05). (4) The effective utilization rate of prosthesis in normal,overweight,obesity,and severely obese groups was 100％,95％,94％,and 94％,respectively,and there was no significant difference between the groups (x2=2.532,P=0.469). (5) It is indicated that body mass index of postmenopausal obese women had no significant effect on the effective utilization rate of medial unicompartmental prosthesis. Obesity is an important factor affecting the postoperative knee function score and the effective utilization rate of prosthesis.Weight should be properly controlled before and after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. At the same time,female body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2 is not the best indication for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. It is suggested that female patients undergoing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty should controlbody mass index below 30 kg/m2.

Objective To investigate the association between gut microbiota metabolite,trimethy-lamine-N-oxide(TMAO),and total imaging burden in diabetic patients with cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD).Methods A prospective study was conducted on 112 elderly diabetic patients with CSVD admitted in our hospital from June 2022 to May 2024.According to the total imaging burden score,they were divided into a high burden group(burden score≥2,57 cases)and a low burden group(burden score＜2,55 cases).High-performance liquid chromatography with online electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry was applied to detect the plasma level of TMAO.Then based on the tertile of plasma TMAO level,the patients were also assigned into low(＜2.44 μmol/L,38 cases),median(2.44 μmol/L≤TMAO＜5.18 μmol/L,37 cases)and high TMAO(≥5.18 μmol/L,37 cases)groups.ROC curve analysis was used to assess the predictive value of plasma TMAO level for high imaging burden in diabetic patients with CSVD.Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to analyze the correlation between plasma TMAO level and high imaging burden.Results The high burden group exhibited significantly higher plasma TMAO level than the low burden group(P=0.002).The AUC value of plasma TMAO level in predicting high imaging burden was 0.669(95％CI:0.569-0.769,P=0.002).The percentage of high imaging burden was 34.2％,54.1％and 64.9％,respectively among the low,median and high TMAO groups,with significant differences among them(Chi-square=7.270,P=0.026).Binary logistic regression analysis indicated the correlation between TMAO and high imaging burden(OR=1.178,95％CI:1.019-1.364,P=0.027).Conclusion In elderly diabetic patients with CSVD,plasma TMAO level is closely associated with high imaging burden,with higher TMAO level,higher risk for high imaging burden.

BACKGROUND:In the follow-up after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty,some patients have knee pain,among which postmenopausal obese women are the most common. As an important index to measure the degree of body obesity,whether body mass index is related to the curative effect after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty and whether obesity will affect the function of knee joint after operation are worthy of further study.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of postmenopausal obese women undergoing medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty,and to determine the influence of body mass index on the quality of life after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.METHODS:Female postmenopausal patients who underwent medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty for the first time due to medial knee pain from January 2017 to January 2019 in the Fourth Clinical Medical College of Xinjiang Medical University were enrolled. A total of 270 cases were included according to inclusion and exclusion criteria,and were divided into 4 groups according to preoperative body mass index:There were 42 cases in normal group (body mass index 18.5-22.9 kg/m2),58 cases in overweight group (body mass index 23.0-24.9 kg/m2),122 cases in obese group (body mass index 25.0-29.9 kg/m2),and 48 cases in severely obese group (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2). Hospital for Special Surgery score,Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score,knee range of motion,visual analog scale score,and hip-knee-ankle angle were compared before,after and at the last time in each group. Patients were followed up to record the time of use of prostheses after surgery and reasons for failure or revision. The effective utilization rate of prostheses was calculated and compared in each group. Survival curve was used for statistical analysis of the effective utilization rate of prostheses.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) There was no significant difference in postoperative follow-up time,knee joint range of motion,visual analog scale score,and hip-knee-ankle angle between the groups (P>0.05). (2) The Hospital for Special Surgery score and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score of each group in final follow-up were significantly improved compared with those before surgery (P<0.05),and the postoperative effect was obvious in each group (P<0.05). Regarding Hospital for Special Surgery score,the improvement effect was worse in the severely obese group. (3) The comparison of hip-knee-ankle angle between all groups immediately after surgery and the last follow-up showed that there were significant differences between the other groups at two time points (P<0.05) except the normal group (P>0.05). (4) The effective utilization rate of prosthesis in normal,overweight,obesity,and severely obese groups was 100％,95％,94％,and 94％,respectively,and there was no significant difference between the groups (x2=2.532,P=0.469). (5) It is indicated that body mass index of postmenopausal obese women had no significant effect on the effective utilization rate of medial unicompartmental prosthesis. Obesity is an important factor affecting the postoperative knee function score and the effective utilization rate of prosthesis.Weight should be properly controlled before and after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. At the same time,female body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2 is not the best indication for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. It is suggested that female patients undergoing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty should controlbody mass index below 30 kg/m2.

Objective To investigate the association between gut microbiota metabolite,trimethy-lamine-N-oxide(TMAO),and total imaging burden in diabetic patients with cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD).Methods A prospective study was conducted on 112 elderly diabetic patients with CSVD admitted in our hospital from June 2022 to May 2024.According to the total imaging burden score,they were divided into a high burden group(burden score≥2,57 cases)and a low burden group(burden score＜2,55 cases).High-performance liquid chromatography with online electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry was applied to detect the plasma level of TMAO.Then based on the tertile of plasma TMAO level,the patients were also assigned into low(＜2.44 μmol/L,38 cases),median(2.44 μmol/L≤TMAO＜5.18 μmol/L,37 cases)and high TMAO(≥5.18 μmol/L,37 cases)groups.ROC curve analysis was used to assess the predictive value of plasma TMAO level for high imaging burden in diabetic patients with CSVD.Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to analyze the correlation between plasma TMAO level and high imaging burden.Results The high burden group exhibited significantly higher plasma TMAO level than the low burden group(P=0.002).The AUC value of plasma TMAO level in predicting high imaging burden was 0.669(95％CI:0.569-0.769,P=0.002).The percentage of high imaging burden was 34.2％,54.1％and 64.9％,respectively among the low,median and high TMAO groups,with significant differences among them(Chi-square=7.270,P=0.026).Binary logistic regression analysis indicated the correlation between TMAO and high imaging burden(OR=1.178,95％CI:1.019-1.364,P=0.027).Conclusion In elderly diabetic patients with CSVD,plasma TMAO level is closely associated with high imaging burden,with higher TMAO level,higher risk for high imaging burden.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the seasonal impact of diurnal temperature range (DTR) on hospitalization rates for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in middle-aged and elderly adults. METHODS: We collected data on the DTR and hospitalization records of ≥45-year-old patients with ICH in 2019 in Hunan Province, central China. Time-series analyses were performed using a distributed lag non-linear model. RESULTS: Overall, 54,690 hospitalizations for ICH were recorded. DTR showed a non-linear relationship with ICH hospitalization in both middle-aged and elderly populations (45-59 and ≥60 years, respectively). During spring, a low DTR coupled with persistently low temperatures increased ICH risk in both age groups, while a high DTR was associated with an increased risk in the middle-aged group only (relative risk [RR], 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21 to 1.27). In the summer, a low DTR combined with persistently high temperatures was linked to a higher risk exclusively in the middle-aged group. A high DTR in the autumn was correlated with increased risk in both age groups. In winter, either a low DTR with a continuously low temperature or a high DTR elevated the risk solely in the elderly population (RR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.69). In the elderly group, the impact of DTR on hospitalization risk manifested within a 5-day period. CONCLUSIONS The impact of DTR on ICH hospitalization risk differed significantly across seasons and between age groups. Elderly individuals demonstrated greater sensitivity to the impact of DTR. Weather forecasting services should emphasize DTR values, and interventions targeting sensitive populations are needed.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the seasonal impact of diurnal temperature range (DTR) on hospitalization rates for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in middle-aged and elderly adults. METHODS: We collected data on the DTR and hospitalization records of ≥45-year-old patients with ICH in 2019 in Hunan Province, central China. Time-series analyses were performed using a distributed lag non-linear model. RESULTS: Overall, 54,690 hospitalizations for ICH were recorded. DTR showed a non-linear relationship with ICH hospitalization in both middle-aged and elderly populations (45-59 and ≥60 years, respectively). During spring, a low DTR coupled with persistently low temperatures increased ICH risk in both age groups, while a high DTR was associated with an increased risk in the middle-aged group only (relative risk [RR], 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21 to 1.27). In the summer, a low DTR combined with persistently high temperatures was linked to a higher risk exclusively in the middle-aged group. A high DTR in the autumn was correlated with increased risk in both age groups. In winter, either a low DTR with a continuously low temperature or a high DTR elevated the risk solely in the elderly population (RR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.69). In the elderly group, the impact of DTR on hospitalization risk manifested within a 5-day period. CONCLUSIONS The impact of DTR on ICH hospitalization risk differed significantly across seasons and between age groups. Elderly individuals demonstrated greater sensitivity to the impact of DTR. Weather forecasting services should emphasize DTR values, and interventions targeting sensitive populations are needed.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the seasonal impact of diurnal temperature range (DTR) on hospitalization rates for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in middle-aged and elderly adults. METHODS: We collected data on the DTR and hospitalization records of ≥45-year-old patients with ICH in 2019 in Hunan Province, central China. Time-series analyses were performed using a distributed lag non-linear model. RESULTS: Overall, 54,690 hospitalizations for ICH were recorded. DTR showed a non-linear relationship with ICH hospitalization in both middle-aged and elderly populations (45-59 and ≥60 years, respectively). During spring, a low DTR coupled with persistently low temperatures increased ICH risk in both age groups, while a high DTR was associated with an increased risk in the middle-aged group only (relative risk [RR], 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21 to 1.27). In the summer, a low DTR combined with persistently high temperatures was linked to a higher risk exclusively in the middle-aged group. A high DTR in the autumn was correlated with increased risk in both age groups. In winter, either a low DTR with a continuously low temperature or a high DTR elevated the risk solely in the elderly population (RR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.69). In the elderly group, the impact of DTR on hospitalization risk manifested within a 5-day period. CONCLUSIONS The impact of DTR on ICH hospitalization risk differed significantly across seasons and between age groups. Elderly individuals demonstrated greater sensitivity to the impact of DTR. Weather forecasting services should emphasize DTR values, and interventions targeting sensitive populations are needed.

The incidence of knee osteoarthritis(KOA)is in-creasing year by year,seriously affecting patients'health.Mes-enchymal stem cells are multipotent cells with multiple differen-tiation functions.The extracellular vesicles released by these cells can carry various"cargo"to corresponding cells and tis-sues,exerting biological functions.They have shown great clini-cal potential in the treatment of KOA.This study reviews the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of extracellular vesicles se-creted by mesenchymal stem cells from different tissues such as bone marrow,adipose tissue,and synovium in KOA.It is found that miRNA is an important biological component in exerting therapeutic effects.The study also discusses the research pro-gress of engineered extracellular vesicles in KOA,pointing out the current challenges in clinical application,such as standard-ized acquisition of extracellular vesicles and difficulties in targe-ted action,aiming to provide a certain reference for the basic re-search and clinical application of extracellular vesicle therapy for KOA.