ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of Astragali Radix-mediated changes in gut microbiota on treating type 2 diabetes （T2DM）. MethodsA 12-week randomized， placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled eighty patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and poor glycemic control in the Qi deficiency type. All patients received insulin therapy. The observation group （40 cases） was administered with Astragali Radix Granules， while the control group （40 cases） received a placebo. Both treamtents were taken orally twice daily. Changes in gut microbiota were assessed by 16s rDNA sequencing. Serum glucagon-like peptide-1 （GLP-1） levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Glucose metabolism indicators including fasting blood glucose （FPG）， 2-hour postprandial blood glucose （2 h PG），glycated albumin（GA）， and glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c） were evaluated. Pancreatic function was evaluated using fasting C-peptide （FCP）， 2-hour postprandial C-peptide （2 h CP）， and C-peptide area under the curve （AUC_cp）. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， clinical efficacy， and safety indicators were also observed. ResultsIn terms of glucose metabolism indicators， compared with the baseline， both groups exhibited significantly lower FPG， 2 h PG， GA and HbA1C （P<0.01），while FCP， 2 h CP and AUC_cp were significantly higher （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after the treatment， the observation group showed significantly lower FPG， 2 h PG， GA and HbA1C（P<0.05， P<0.01），and significantly higher FCP， 2 h CP and AUC_cp （P<0.05， P<0.01）， indicating that Astragali Radix can improve glucose metabolism. In terms of the diversity of gut microbiota， no significant differences were detected in the Chao1， Shannon and Simpson indexes of the two groups compared with their respective baselines. However， compared with the post-treatment control group， the observation group demonstrated significant increases in the Chao1， Shannon and Simpson indexes （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The β-diversity analysis showed significant separation in gut microbiota composition before and after treatment in both groups， indicating that Astragali Radix can significantly alter the structure and improve the diversity of gut microbiota. At the phylum level， compared with the baseline， both groups showed a significant increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidota（P<0.01）. The relative abundance of the potentially harmful phylum Proteobacteria was significantly lower in the observation Group after treatment （P<0.01）. Compared with the post-treatment control group， the observation group had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroidota（P<0.01）. No significant difference was found in Firmicutes/Bacteroidota （F/B） ratio between the two groups after treatment， and other phyla showed no significant differences. At the genus level， compared with the baseline， the observation group exhibited a significant increase in Bacteroides （P<0.01） and a significant decrease in Escherichia-Shigella （P<0.01）， whereas no significant difference was seen in the control group . Compared with the control group after treatment， the observation group after treatment had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroides （P<0.01）. No significant differences were seen in other genera. Linear discriminant analysis （LDA） identified potential characteristics taxa： in the observation group， Bacteroidota at the phylum level and Bacteroides and Dubosiella at the genus level， in the control group， Proteobacteria at the phylum level as well as Barnesiella and Staphylococcus at the genus level. Correlation analysis based on a heatmap revealed that GLP-1 levels were positively correlated with Firmicutes， F/B ratio and Fusobacterium， and negatively correlated with Bacteroidota， Proteobacteria， Bacteroides and Escherichia-Shigella. In terms of clinical efficacy， compared with the control group， the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher （P<0.05）. Compared with the baseline， the scores for shortness of breath， fatigue， weakness， spontaneous sweating and reluctance to speak significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after treatment， the score for weakness was significantly lower in the observation group （P<0.01），indicating that Astragali Radix could improve clinical symptoms and alleviate weakness symptoms. In terms of safety， compared with the baseline， alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.05，P<0.01），indicating that Astragali Radix did not induce any significant abnormalities in liver and kidney functions. ConclusionAstragali Radix demonstrates the potential to significantly improve the gut microbiota environment in patients of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes with Qi deficiency. The therapeutic effect may contribute to glycemic control， possibly mediated by an elevation in GLP-1 level. These findings may support its further clinical investigations and potential applications.

Parkinson disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a variety of motor and non-motor symptoms. Many studies have shown that the transmembrane protein 175 (TMEM175) gene may be a potential target for the treatment of PD and other neurodegenerative disorders, but the specific pathogenic mechanism remains unclear. TMEM175 is a lysosomal protein-coding gene that encodes a lysosomal proton channel protein. This article reviews the research advances in the characterization of the TMEM175 gene and its encoded proteins, the clinical features of mutant PD, and related pathogenic mechanism. It is shown that the TMEM175 gene has an impact on the pathogenesis of PD, and patients with different mutation sites tend to have different ages of onset and clinical features. Compared with the patients without TMEM175 mutations, the patients with TMEM175 mutations tend to have an earlier age of onset, more severe motor symptoms, and more susceptibility to cognitive impairment and non-motor symptoms. This article systematically reviews the TMEM175 gene, in order to assist in the early diagnosis of PD and the discovery of new disease-modifying therapies and treatment strategies.
Parkinson Disease

Objective To systematic evaluate the impact of applying the clinical nursing pathway(CNP)on epidural anesthetic analgesia natural delivery.Methods The randomized controlled trial(RCT)and quasi-experimental researches on the application of CNP in epidural anesthetic analgesia natural delivery were retrieved from PubMed,Cochrane Library,Embase,Web of Science,China Knowledge Network database,Wanfang database,VIP and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database.The retrieval time limit was from January 1,2014,to July 31,2024 with no language limitation.The meta analysis on the included studies was performed by applying RevMan5.4.1.Results A total of 5 RCTs and 2 quasi-experimental studies were in-cluded,involving 979 parturients with deliveries.The meta analysis showed that compared with the conven-tional nursing,CNP could shorten the duration of the first stage of labor(MD=—1.06,95％CI:—1.95——0.17,P=0.02)and the duration of the second stage of labor(MD=—0.12,95％CI:—0.21——0.03,P=0.006);decreased the rate of perineal lateral incision(RR=0.73,95％CI:0.65-0.83,P＜0.001)and inci-dence rate of postpartum urinary retention(RR=0.35,95％CI:0.20-0.63,P＜0.001);and shortened the time to lactation initiation(SMD=—1.52,95％CI:—2.38——0.66,P＜0.001).There was no influence on reducing postpartum 24 h hemorrhage amount(SMD=—0.51,95％CI:—1.23-0.21,P=0.16).The study subjects were divided into the primipara women subgroup and unclassified parturients subgroup.Compared with the conventional nursing group,compared with the conventional nursing,CNP had no impact on the dura-tion of the first stage of labor(MD=—0.32,95％CI:—0.61-0.98,P=0.63)and the duration of the second stage of labor(MD=—0.11,95％CI:—0.25-0.04,P=0.15)in the primipara women subgroup.CNP could reduce the postpartum 24 h hemorrhage volume in the unclassified parturients subgroup(SMD=—1.47,95％CI:—1.72——1.21,P＜0.001).Conclusion Application of CNP in parturients labor analgesia could reduce the perineal lateral incision rate and incidence rate of postpartum urinary retention and shorten the time to lac-tation initiation.Due to the heterogeneity among studies,the impact of CNP on the labor duration and the bleeding amount within postpartum 24 h still requires more high-quality studies to be conducted in the future for verification.

Objective To investigate the effect of miR-488-3p on renal tubular epithelial cell injury by regulating the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase(cGAS)-stimulator of interferon gene(STING)signaling pathway.Methods Human renal tubular epithelial HK-2 cells were divided into control,hypoxia-reoxygenation(HR),inhibition control,miR-488-3p inhibition,cGAS-STING pathway activator(RocA),and miR-488-3p inhibition+RocA groups.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect miR-488-3p expression in HK-2 cells.Cell viability was assessed using the CCK-8 assay.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the levels of interleukin(IL)-10,IL-1β,and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in the culture supernatant of HK-2 cells.The DCFH-DA method was applied to detect the average fluorescence intensity of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in cells.Results Compared with the control group,the HR group showed increased miR-488-3p expression,IL-1β and TNF-α levels,average fluorescence intensity of ROS,malondialdehyde(MDA)levels,apoptosis rate,and protein expression of cleaved caspase-3,Bax,cGAS,and STING,whereas cell viability,IL-10 levels,and superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity were reduced in the HR group(P＜0.05).Com-pared with the HR and inhibition control groups,the miR-488-3p inhibition group exhibited decreased expression of miR-488-3p,IL-1β and TNF-α levels,average fluorescence intensity of ROS,MDA levels,apoptosis rate,and protein levels of cleaved caspase-3,Bax,cGAS,and STING,whereas cell viability,IL-10 levels,and SOD activity were increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion Downregulation of miR-488-3p expression mitigates HR-induced inflammation,oxidative stress,and apoptosis in HK-2 cells,thereby reducing cell damage.The under-lying mechanisms may be associated with an inhibition of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG)on 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(MPTP)-induced Parkinson's disease model mice.Methods Twenty-eight male C57BL/6J mice aged 6～8 weeks were randomly divided into four groups:the control group,the model group,the low-dose EGCG group[25 mg/(kg·d)],and the high-dose EGCG group[50 mg/(kg·d)].A Parkin-son's disease(PD)mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of MPTP at a dose of 30 mg/(kg·d)for 7 consecutive days.The protective effect of EGCG on MPTP-induced Parkinson's model mice was analyzed through behavioral index detection and Western blot method.Results(1)In the behavioral tests,compared with the model group,the movement distance and speed of mice treated with low-and high-dose EGCG were significantly improved(both P values<0.001).The mice in the high-dose EGCG treatment group also showed a significant advantage in the percentage of the central path distance(P<0.001).(2)Compared with the control group,the deposition of α-synuclein in the model group increased significantly(P<0.001).Compared with the model group,both the low-and high-dose EGCG groups reduced the deposition of α-synuclein(both P<0.001).(3)Compared with the control group,the expression levels of Beclin 1 and LC3 proteins in the substantia nigra region of mice in the model group decreased significantly(both P<0.001),while the expression level of p62 protein increased significantly(P<0.001).After treatment with EGCG,compared with the model group,the expression levels of Beclin 1 and LC3 proteins in mice of the low-dose EGCG group increased to varying degrees(P<0.01;P<0.001),and the expression level of p62 protein decreased significantly(P<0.001).In the high-dose EGCG group,the expression levels of Beclin 1 and LC3 proteins increased significantly(both P<0.001),and the expression level of p62 protein decreased significantly(P<0.001).Conclusion EGCG reduces alpha-synuclein deposition via the autophagy-lysosomal pathway and protects against MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease model mice.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG)on 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(MPTP)-induced Parkinson's disease model mice.Methods Twenty-eight male C57BL/6J mice aged 6～8 weeks were randomly divided into four groups:the control group,the model group,the low-dose EGCG group[25 mg/(kg·d)],and the high-dose EGCG group[50 mg/(kg·d)].A Parkin-son's disease(PD)mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of MPTP at a dose of 30 mg/(kg·d)for 7 consecutive days.The protective effect of EGCG on MPTP-induced Parkinson's model mice was analyzed through behavioral index detection and Western blot method.Results(1)In the behavioral tests,compared with the model group,the movement distance and speed of mice treated with low-and high-dose EGCG were significantly improved(both P values<0.001).The mice in the high-dose EGCG treatment group also showed a significant advantage in the percentage of the central path distance(P<0.001).(2)Compared with the control group,the deposition of α-synuclein in the model group increased significantly(P<0.001).Compared with the model group,both the low-and high-dose EGCG groups reduced the deposition of α-synuclein(both P<0.001).(3)Compared with the control group,the expression levels of Beclin 1 and LC3 proteins in the substantia nigra region of mice in the model group decreased significantly(both P<0.001),while the expression level of p62 protein increased significantly(P<0.001).After treatment with EGCG,compared with the model group,the expression levels of Beclin 1 and LC3 proteins in mice of the low-dose EGCG group increased to varying degrees(P<0.01;P<0.001),and the expression level of p62 protein decreased significantly(P<0.001).In the high-dose EGCG group,the expression levels of Beclin 1 and LC3 proteins increased significantly(both P<0.001),and the expression level of p62 protein decreased significantly(P<0.001).Conclusion EGCG reduces alpha-synuclein deposition via the autophagy-lysosomal pathway and protects against MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease model mice.

Objective To investigate the effect of miR-488-3p on renal tubular epithelial cell injury by regulating the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase(cGAS)-stimulator of interferon gene(STING)signaling pathway.Methods Human renal tubular epithelial HK-2 cells were divided into control,hypoxia-reoxygenation(HR),inhibition control,miR-488-3p inhibition,cGAS-STING pathway activator(RocA),and miR-488-3p inhibition+RocA groups.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect miR-488-3p expression in HK-2 cells.Cell viability was assessed using the CCK-8 assay.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the levels of interleukin(IL)-10,IL-1β,and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in the culture supernatant of HK-2 cells.The DCFH-DA method was applied to detect the average fluorescence intensity of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in cells.Results Compared with the control group,the HR group showed increased miR-488-3p expression,IL-1β and TNF-α levels,average fluorescence intensity of ROS,malondialdehyde(MDA)levels,apoptosis rate,and protein expression of cleaved caspase-3,Bax,cGAS,and STING,whereas cell viability,IL-10 levels,and superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity were reduced in the HR group(P＜0.05).Com-pared with the HR and inhibition control groups,the miR-488-3p inhibition group exhibited decreased expression of miR-488-3p,IL-1β and TNF-α levels,average fluorescence intensity of ROS,MDA levels,apoptosis rate,and protein levels of cleaved caspase-3,Bax,cGAS,and STING,whereas cell viability,IL-10 levels,and SOD activity were increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion Downregulation of miR-488-3p expression mitigates HR-induced inflammation,oxidative stress,and apoptosis in HK-2 cells,thereby reducing cell damage.The under-lying mechanisms may be associated with an inhibition of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway.

【Objective】 To explore the effectiveness of creating the obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) animal model of glossocoma using the botulinum toxin type A in white rabbits, and to explore the effectiveness and safety of magnetic traction hyoid suspension operation in the OSAHS animal model of glossocoma. 【Methods】 A total of 12 adult male experimental white rabbits were randomly divided into two groups. The animals in the experimental group were injected with 0.4 mL (10 U) of botulinum toxin type A in the genioglossus muscle to construct the OSAHS animal model of glossocoma. The animals in the control group were injected with 0.4 mL of normal saline. We designed and 3D printed a polyacrylate shell that could be loaded with inner and outer neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) magnets. After the modeling, a polyacrylate shell with the inner magnet device was fixed on the hyoid bone of the animals in the experimental group. All animals in the experimental group wore the polyacrylate orthotic neck brace containing the outer magnet 10 days after the operation. The arterial blood oxygen detector was used to record the oxygen saturation (SaO2) of the femoral artery, and multi-slice CT plain scan was used to measure the diameter of the narrowest part of the upper airway. 【Results】 The animals in the experimental group gradually showed decreased activity, labored breathing, blue lips and ear margins and other manifestations of hypoxemia 5 days after intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin type A in the genioglossus, and their body weight dropped from (3.72±0.21)kg to (3.40±0.20)kg, the average SaO2 of the femoral artery decreased from (93.84±5.14)% to (84.00±3.35)%, and the diameter of the narrowest part of the upper airway decreased from (4.83±0.47)mm to (3.52±0.83)mm (P<0.05). In the control group, the animals’ weight, the average SaO2 of the femoral artery, and the diameter of the narrowest part of the upper airway did not significantly change before and after injection of normal saline into the genioglossus muscle (P>0.05). The animals in the experimental group completed the magnetic traction hyoid suspension surgery. After wearing the orthotic neck brace containing an external magnet for hyoid magnetic traction, the food intake and activity of the animals in the experimental group increased, the color of the lips changed from purple to pink, the SaO2 of the femoral artery increased significantly to (90.44±5.95)%, and the diameter of the narrowest part of the upper airway increased significantly to (4.42±0.15)mm (P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 The genioglossus muscle injection of botulinum toxin type A in white rabbits could successfully establish the OSAHS animal model of glossocoma. Magnetic traction hyoid suspension surgery in the treatment of OSAHS animal model could effectively correct the upper airway stenosis related symptoms and hypoxemia caused by glossocoma.

Objective To investigate the metabolic outcomes of primary aldosteronism(PA)patients receiving adrenalectomy(ADX)or spironolactone treatment and the contributing factors to the metabolic outcomes.Methods The clinical data of 70 patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma(APA)and 86 patients with idiopathic hyperaldosteronism(IHA)were retrospectively analyzed.All subjects received confirmatory diagnosis of APA or IHA at the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism,West China Hospital between March 2018 and October 2020.APA patients underwent ADX,while IHA patients were given spironolactone,a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist(MRA).After ADX or spironolactone treatment,the outcomes of the metabolic indicators and the inter-group differences between the APA patients and IHA patients were studied.Results There was no significant difference between the baseline data of the APA group and those of the IHA group in terms of age,sex,duration of hypertension,maximum systolic blood pressure(SBP-max),maximum diastolic blood pressure(DBP-max),body mass index(BMI),fasting blood glucose(FBG),lipid parameters,and renal function.IHA patients had higher waist circumference,serum potassium,and plasma renin activity(PRA)than those of the APA patients(all P＜0.05).All patients showed significant improvement in blood pressure,blood potassium,and plasma aldosterone at follow-up.However,they also showed increased triglycerides(TG)accompanied by deterioration in renal function(P≤0.001).Multiple regression showed that TG levels were associated with spironolactone treatment for IHA patients and post-treatment BMI and creatinine levels.Furthermore,APA patients showed improvement in their FBG after ADX(P=0.041),while IHA patients showed elevated levels of FBG after spironolactone treatment(P=0.037).Conclusion After treatment,PA patients still may experience abnormal lipid metabolism and deteriorating renal function.Spironolactone therapy may give rise to worse glucolipid metabolism than ADX therapy does.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels and white matter high signal and non-dementia vascular cognitive dysfunction in patients with cerebral small vascular disease (CSVD).Methods:Total 106 patients with CSVD who were admitted to the Department of Neurology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College from April 2019 to December 2020 were enrolled.They were divided into vascular cognitive impairment no dementia group (VCIND group, n=47) and no vascular cognitive impairment group (N-VCI group, n=59)according to mini-mental assessment scale (MMSE), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scale and activity of daily living scale (ADL). Serum VEGF levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The baseline data, serum VEGF levels, MoCA score and Fazekas score were compared between the two groups.The correlation between serum VEGF level and white matter high signal and cognitive function was analyzed.SPSS 19.0 software was used for data processing.The statistical methods were t-test, Chi square test, nonparametric test, Logistic regression analysis, Pearson correlation analysis and Spearman correlation analysis. Results:There were significant differences in serum VEGF level((464.18±114.58)pg/mL, (414.17±45.80)pg/mL, F=22.880), MoCA score((13.07±6.48), (20.17±4.06), F=17.920) and Fazekas score (4(3, 5), 3(1, 3), Z=-4.189)between the two groups (all P<0.05). The level of VEGF( β=0.008, OR=1.008, 95% CI=1.001-1.015, P<0.05) was the influencing factor of cognitive function in patients with CSVD .The level of VEGF was negatively correlated with the total score of MoCA, attention and calculation power, and orientation ability ( r=-0.345, -0.373, -0.445, all P<0.05) and it was positively correlated with the total Fazekas score and the Fazekas score of paraventricular and deep white matter ( r=0.392, 0.495, 0.302, all P<0.05). There was a linear trend between the high signal grade of paraventricular and deep white matter and VCIND (both P<0.05). Conclusion:Serum VEGF level is correlated with cognitive function and white matter hyperintensity in patients with CSVD.The increase of VEGF level may be a factor reflecting cognitive dysfunction.In addition, with the increase of white matter hyperintensity level, the risk of VCIND in CSVD is increased.