BACKGROUND:Acute exercise tends to cause skeletal muscle tissue damage and lipid metabolism disorders in vivo,but the mechanism by which acute exercise combined with electroacupuncture modulates metabolic and autophagic pathways in vivo is unclear. OBJECTIVE:To observe the changes in metabolic enzymes and autophagy levels in skeletal muscle of rats subjected to acute exercise by electroacupuncture at the acupoints of"Zusanli"and"Huantiao." METHODS:Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups:quiet control group(n=10),model group(n=20),and reverse electroacupuncture group(n=20).The latter two groups were set up with two time points,i.e.immediate and 3 hours after exercise groups(n=10 per time point).The model group and the reverse electroacupuncture group underwent acute exercise training after adaptive treadmill training.The rats in the reverse electroacupuncture group underwent electroacupuncture treatment(parameters:electroacupuncture on both sides of the rats at the acupoints of"Zusanli"and"Huantiao,"continuous wave,frequency of 2 Hz,intensity of 2 mA,leaving the needle in the body for 30 minutes,once a day for 7 consecutive days)before treadmill training.Bilateral gastrocnemius muscle tissues were taken under anesthesia immediately after exercise and 3 hours after exercise,and hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of rat skeletal muscle.ELISA kit was used to detect the activities of hepatic lipase,fatty acid synthase,hormone-sensitive lipase,and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 in rat skeletal muscle tissues.Immunohistochemistry and western blot were used to detect the changes in the expression of autophagy genes. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After hematoxylin-eosin staining,the arrangement of gastrocnemius muscle fibers in the model group was disturbed,swollen and ruptured immediately after exercise and 3 hours after exercise.In the reverse electroacupuncture group,gastrocnemius muscle fibers were tightly arranged and the number of swollen and ruptured cells was greatly reduced immediately after exercise and 3 hours after exercise,and there was no significant difference when compared with the quiet control group.Compared with the quiet control group,the activities of hepatic lipase and fatty acid synthase were lower while the activities of lipoprotein lipase,hormone-sensitive lipase,and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 were higher in the model group and the reverse electroacupuncture group 3 hours after exercise(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the activities of lipoprotein lipase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 were higher in the reverse electroacupuncture group immediately after exercise(P＜0.05),while the activity of lipoprotein lipase was higher and the activity of hormone-sensitive lipase was lower in the reverse electroacupuncture group 3 hours after exercise(P＜0.01).Immunohistochemical results showed that compared with the quiet control group,the expression of P62,autophagy-related gene 5 and autophagy-related gene 7 was higher in the model group immediately and 3 hours after exercise,as well as in the reverse electroacupuncture group immediately after exercise(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01);compared with the model group,the expression of P62 and autophagy-related gene 7 was lower in the reverse electroacupuncture group immediately and 3 hours after exercise(P＜0.05).Western blot results showed that the protein expression of P62 and autophagy-related gene 7 in the reverse electroacupuncture group was lower than that in the model group immediately after exercise(P＜0.05);the protein expression of Parkin in the model group was higher than that in the quiet control group immediately and 3 hours after exercise(P＜0.05);and the protein expression of Parkin in the reverse electroacupuncture group was lower than that in the model group immediately and 3 hours after exercise(P＜0.05).To conclude,acute exercise induces disorders,swelling and rupture of gastrocnemius muscle fibers in rats and electroacupuncture on both sides of the acupoints of"Zusanli"and"Huantiao"can improve the level of lipid metabolism and regulate autophagy cells in rat skeletal muscle,preventing the disorders of lipid metabolism and damage of gastrocnemius muscle tissues caused by acute exercise.The mechanism may be closely related to the regulation of autophagy-related factor P62,autophagy-related gene 5,autophagy-related gene 7,and Parkin protein expression to promote the occurrence of autophagy or regulate the autophagy pathway in rat skeletal muscle cells.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical features of the sepsis in immunocompromised hosts and establish an early warning equation. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on sepsis patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Binzhou Medical University Hospital from October 2011 to October 2022. General information, infection site, etiology results and drug susceptibility, clinical symptoms, inflammatory indicators, acute physiology and chronic health status evaluation II (APACHE II), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), incidence of immune paralysis, and outcome during hospitalization were collected. Based on whether they met the diagnostic criteria for immunocompromised hosts, patients were divided into immunocompromised group and immune normal group. The clinical information of the two groups were compared. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of patients with immunocompromised sepsis and the regression equation model was initially established. Omnibus test and Hosmer-Lemeshow test were used to evaluate the model. RESULTS: A total of 169 patients with sepsis were included, including 61 in the immunocompromised group and 108 in the normal immune group. The top 3 infection sites in the immunocompromised group were bloodstream infection, pulmonary infection and abdominal infection. The top 3 infection sites in the normal immune group were pulmonary infection, bloodstream infection and abdominal infection. The infection rate of Gram-negative bacteria in the immunocompromised group was significantly lower than that in the normal group [49.2% (30/61) vs. 64.8% (70/108), P < 0.05]. The infection rate of Gram-positive bacteria [27.9% (17/61) vs. 13.9% (15/108)] and multidrug-resistant bacteria [54.1% (33/61) vs. 29.6% (32/108)] were significantly higher than those in normal immune group (both P < 0.05). In terms of clinical symptoms, the proportion of fever in the immunocompromised group was significantly lower than that in the immune normal group [49.2% (30/61) vs. 66.7% (72/108), P < 0.05]. Neutrophil count (NEU) and neutrophil percentage (NEU%) in the immunocompromised group were significantly lower than those in the normal immune group. Lymphocyte percentage (LYM%), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), APACHE II score, combined shock rate, incidence of immune paralysis, and mortality during hospitalization in the immunocompromised group were significantly higher than those in the normal immune group. Logistic regression analysis showed that NLR, CRP and PCT were risk factors for patients with immunocompromised sepsis (all P < 0.05). The above indicators were used as covariables to construct a Logistic regression equation, that was, Logit (P) = 0.025X₁+0.010X₂+0.013X₃-2.945, where X₁, X₂ and X₃ represent NLR, CRP and PCT respectively. Omnibus test and Hosmer-Lemeshow test show that the model fits well and has certain early warning value. CONCLUSIONS Patients with immunocompromised sepsis have more intense inflammatory response, with Gram-negative bacteria being the predominant pathogen, and a higher incidence of Gram-positive bacterial infections and multi-drug resistant infections. The severity of the disease, in-hospital mortality, the incidence of shock and the incidence of immune paralysis after sepsis were significantly higher. NLR, CRP and PCT were independent risk factors for sepsis in immunocompromised hosts. The regression equation constructed based on this may have early warning significance for patients with immunocompromised sepsis.
Humans ; Sepsis/immunology* ; Immunocompromised Host ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Intensive Care Units ; Logistic Models ; Male ; APACHE ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged

OBJECTIVE: To identify and validate novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) and precise continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) using proteomics. METHODS: A prospective multicenter cohort study was conducted. Patients with sepsis admitted to five hospitals in Taizhou City of Zhejiang Province from April 2019 to December 2021 were continuously enrolled, based on the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI). Sepsis patients were divided into SA-AKI group and non-SA-AKI group, and healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations during the same period were used as control (NC group). Peripheral blood samples from participants were collected for protein mass spectrometry analysis. Differentially expressed proteins were identified, and functional enrichment analysis was conducted on these proteins. The levels of target proteins were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the predictive value of target protein for SA-AKI were evaluated by receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve). Additionally, sepsis patients and healthy individuals were selected from one hospital to externally verify the expression level of the target protein and its predictive value for SA-AKI, as well as the accuracy of CRRT treatment. RESULTS: A total of 37 patients with sepsis (including 19 with AKI and 18 without AKI) and 31 healthy individuals were enrolled for proteomic analysis. Seven proteins were identified with significantly differential expression between the SA-AKI group and non-SA-AKI group: namely cystatin C (CST3), β ₂-microglobulin (β ₂M), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 4 (IGFBP4), complement factor I (CFI), complement factor D (CFD), CD59, and glycoprotein prostaglandin D2 synthase (PTGDS). Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these proteins were involved in immune response, complement activation, coagulation cascade, and neutrophil degranulation. ELISA results demonstrated specific expression of each target protein in the SA-AKI group. Additionally, 65 patients with sepsis (38 with AKI and 27 without AKI) and 20 healthy individuals were selected for external validation of the 7 target proteins. ELISA results showed that there were statistically significant differences in the expression levels of CST3, β ₂M, IGFBP4, CFD, and CD59 between the SA-AKI group and non-SA-AKI group. ROC curve analysis indicated that the area under the curve (AUC) values of CST3, β ₂M, IGFBP4, CFD, and CD59 for predicting SA-AKI were 0.788, 0.723, 0.723, 0.795, and 0.836, respectively, all exceeding 0.7. Further analysis of patients who underwent CRRT or not revealed that IGFBP4 had a good predictive value, with an AUC of 0.84. CONCLUSIONS Based on proteomic analysis, CST3, β ₂M, IGFBP4, CFD, and CD59 may serve as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of SA-AKI, among which IGFBP4 might be a potential biomarker for predicting the need for CRRT in SA-AKI patients. However, further clinical validation is required.
Humans ; Sepsis/complications* ; Acute Kidney Injury/blood* ; Proteomics ; Prospective Studies ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Male ; Female ; beta 2-Microglobulin/blood* ; Middle Aged ; Cystatin C/blood* ; Aged

Objective:To explore the impact of sleep duration, physical exercise, and their interactions on the risk of dyslipidemia in older adults aged ≥80 (the oldest old) in China.Methods:The study subjects were the oldest old from four rounds of Healthy Aging and Biomarkers Cohort Study (2008-2009, 2011-2012, 2014 and 2017-2018). The information about their demographic characteristics, lifestyles, physical examination results and others were collected, and fasting venous blood samples were collected from them for blood lipid testing. Competing risk model was used to analyze the causal associations of sleep duration and physical exercise with the risk for dyslipidemia. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) function was used to explore the dose-response relationship between sleep duration and the risk for dyslipidemia. Additive and multiplicative interaction model were used to explore the interaction of sleep duration and physical exercise on the risk for dyslipidemia.Results:The average age of 1 809 subjects was (93.1±7.7) years, 65.1% of them were women. The average sleep duration of the subjects was (8.0±2.5) hours/day, 28.1% of them had sleep duration for less than 7 hours/day, and 27.2% had sleep for duration more than 9 hours/day at baseline survey. During the 9-year cumulative follow-up of 6 150.6 person years (follow-up of average 3.4 years for one person), there were 304 new cases of dyslipidemia, with an incidence density of 4 942.6/100 000 person years. The results of competitive risk model analysis showed that compared with those who slept for 7-9 hours/day, the risk for dyslipidemia in oldest old with sleep duration >9 hours/day increased by 22% ( HR=1.22, 95% CI: 1.07-1.39). Compared with the oldest old having no physical exercise, the risk for dyslipidemia in the oldest old having physical exercise decreased by 33% ( HR=0.67, 95% CI: 0.57-0.78). The RCS function showed a linear positive dose-response relationship between sleep duration and the risk for hyperlipidemia. The interaction analysis showed that physical exercise and sleep duration had an antagonistic effect on the risk for hyperlipidemia. Conclusion:Physical exercise could reduce the adverse effects of prolonged sleep on blood lipids in the oldest old.

Objective:To investigate the distribution characteristics of skeletal muscle mass and strength in the older adults over 65 years old in 18 longevity areas in China.Methods:The subjects were selected from the Healthy Aging and Biomarkers Cohort Study conducted in 18 longevity areas of China. A total of 4 662 older adults over 65 years old from a cross- sectional survey in 2021 were included in the study. The information about their sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, nutrient intake and other factors were collected through questionnaire surveys and physical examinations. Grip strength was measured by using professional electronic grip dynamometer. Total skeletal muscle mass (TSM) was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis, and TSM was adjusted by height squared and BMI to obtain TSM Ht2 and TSM BMI. The proportion of individuals with low muscle mass and strength was determined according to the recommended method by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS). Descriptive analysis was conducted on the population and regional distribution characteristics of people with different muscle mass and grip strength. A generalized additive model was used to analyze the age-related trends of muscle mass and grip strength. Results:The age of 4 662 study subjects was (82.69±10.54) years, men accounted for 46.85% (2 184 cases) and Han Chinese accounted for 96.27% (4 488 cases). The M( Q1, Q3) of TSM, TSM Ht2 and TSM BMI in men were 23.30 (20.50, 26.20) kg, 9.02 (8.13, 9.89) kg/m 2, and 1.01 (0.90, 1.13) kg·(kg/m 2) -1, respectively, which were all higher than those in women [TSM: 18.20 (15.70, 20.70) kg, TSM Ht2: 8.18 (7.42, 9.07) kg/m 2 and TSM BMI: 0.79 (0.69, 0.90) kg·(kg/m 2) -1], the differences were significant (all P<0.001). The grip strength of men [ M( Q1, Q3): 24.50 (17.80, 30.80) kg] was higher than that of women [ M( Q1, Q3): 15.60 (11.10, 19.90) kg], the difference was significant ( P<0.001). Southern elderly men had lower TSM and TSM Ht2 compared with northern elderly men (all P<0.001), while there was no significant regional difference in TSM BMI ( P>0.05). Southern elderly women had higher TSM Ht2 and TSM BMI compared with northern elderly women (all P<0.001), while there was no significant regional difference in TSM ( P>0.05). Furthermore, according to the method recommended by AWGS, the elderly with low muscle mass and grip strength were characterized by older age, illiteracy, being unmarried/divorced/widowed, poor chewing ability, impaired activity of daily living and living in southern region. Conclusion:There were population and regional differences in muscle mass and grip strength in the older adults over 65 years in 18 longevity areas of China, and these differences showed decreasing trends with age.

Objective:To observe the proteomic changes in vitreous fluid samples from patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment combined with choroidal detachment (RRDCD).Methods:A prospective cross-sectional clinical study. Vitreous fluid samples were collected from 35 patients with RRDCD (RRDCD group) and 40 patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD group) who were diagnosed at Wuhan Aier Eye Hospital between November 2021 and December 2023. Prior to vitrectomy, 0.3-0.5 ml of vitreous fluid was collected from the affected eyes. Differentially expressed proteins were analyzed using Data-Independent Acquisition (DIA). Three of these proteins were randomly selected for validation using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Bioinformatics analyses, including gene ontology functional enrichment and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway enrichment, were performed to explore the functions of the differentially expressed proteins.Results:Significant differences were observed between the RRDCD and RRD groups in intraocular pressure ( t=-12.795), the number of retinal tears ( t=4.601), the extent of retinal detachment ( χ2=39.642), axial length ( t=0.840), postoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy incidence ( χ2=4.730), single-surgery reattachment rate ( χ2=7.717), and best-corrected visual acuity ( t=7.033) at 6 months postoperatively ( P<0.05). A total of 237 differentially expressed proteins were identified between the RRDCD and RRD groups, with 63 upregulated and 174 downregulated. These proteins were involved in pathways such as extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, complement activation, coagulation, and lysosomal pathways. ELISA validation results showed that the expression trends of the three selected proteins in the RRDCD and RRD groups were consistent with the DIA proteomic analysis. Compared to the RRD group, proteins such as fibrin, coagulation factors, cathepsins, and trypsin inhibitors were significantly upregulated in the RRDCD group. Conclusions:The protein expression profile in vitreous fluid samples from RRDCD patients show significant alterations compared to the RRD group. These differential changes suggest that RRDCD is closely associated with complement and coagulation cascade activation, lysosomal pathways, and extracellular matrix remodeling.

Objective:To understand the current situation of college students'sleep quality and the effect of rumination and psychological resilience on sleep quality.Methods:A total of 406 college students from two universities in Wuhu city were randomly selected and investigated by the general information questionnaire,Pittsburgh sleep quality index scale,rumination scale and psychological resilience scale.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between rumination,psychological resilience and sleep quality.Multiple linear stepwise regression was used to analyze the influence of college students'self-improvement and symptom rumination on sleep quality.Finally,Bootstrap mediating effect was used to test the mediating effect of symptom rumination between self-improvement and sleep quality.Results:There were 107(26.4%)college students with sleep problems.The overall level of rumination and its dimensions were positively correlated with the total score of sleep quality(P＜0.05),and the self-improvement factor of psychological resilience was negatively correlated with the total score of sleep quality(P＜0.05).Self-improvement and symptom rumination had certain predictive power for sleep quality.Symptomatic rumination was a mediating variable between self-improvement and sleep quality,and the mediating effect value was-0.025.Conclusions:The sleep situation of college students is not optimistic.Reducing college students'rumination and improving their psychological resilience can effectively improve their sleep quality and promote the development of physical and mental health.

Objective:To explore the occurrence and influencing factors of post-burn psychological stress disorder in preschool children.Methods:This study was a multi-center cross-sectional survey. From January 2022 to February 2023, 85 preschool children (aged 1 to 6 years) with burns admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong Central Hospital, Suining Central Hospital, Guang'an People's Hospital, and Guangyuan Central Hospital who met the inclusion criteria were selected as respondents. A self-made general information questionnaire was used to investigate the children's general data including gender, age group, residential area, main caregiver and their education level, and family type, as well as the injury condition including cause of injury and burn severity. The Child Stress Disorders Checklist was used to investigate the occurrence of psychological stress disorder in children at 3 days to 1 month after injury, and the incidence rate was calculated. The children were classified according to their general data and injury condition, and the occurrence of psychological stress disorder in children at 3 days to 1 month after injury was recorded, and the influencing factors for post-burn psychological stress disorder in preschool children were screened.Results:A total of 85 questionnaires were distributed and 85 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 100%. Among the children, there were 45 boys and 40 girls, with most children aged 1 to 3 years. There were slightly more children in rural areas than in cities. About half of the children were mainly cared for by their parents and grandparents, respectively, and the education level of the main caregivers was mainly high school/technical secondary school. The family type was mainly core family and extended family. The main cause of injury was hydrothermal scald, and the severity of burns was mainly moderate. The incidence rate of psychological stress disorder in this group of children at 3 days to 1 month after injury was 34.12% (29/85). There were statistically significant differences in the occurrence of psychological stress disorder in children with different age groups, causes of injuries, and burn severity at 3 days to 1 month after injury (with χ2 values??of 9.18, 7.80, and 25.47, respectively, P<0.05); there were no statistically significant differences in the occurrence of psychological stress disorder in children with different genders, residential area, main caregivers, main caregivers' education levels, or family types at 3 days to 1 month after injury ( P>0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age group and burn severity were independent influencing factors for the occurrence of psychological stress disorder in preschool children after burns (with odds ratios of 8.21 and 33.99, respectively, and 95% confidence intervals of 1.57-43.04 and 5.55-207.93, respectively, P<0.05), the older the child and the more severe the burn, the higher the possibility of the occurrence of psychological stress disorder. Conclusions:The incidence rate of psychological stress disorder is high in preschool children after burns. Age group and burn severity are independent influencing factors for the occurrence of post-burn psychological stress disorder in this type of children.

AIM:Observation of neuroprotective effects of Toddalia asiatica(TA)on cerebral ischemia-reper-fusion injury(CIRI)in rats by investigating the effects and mechanisms of drugs on the polarization of microglia M1/M2 subtype and the Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88)/nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)path-way.METHODS:The modified thread occlusion method was used to establish a rat model of CIRI,and the rats were ran-domly divided into the model group,Toddalia asiatica(1.08 g/kg)group,donepezil hydrochloride(0.45 mg/kg)group,and sham group,with 16 rats in each group.Based on the assessment of neurofunctional changes in each group of rats,HE and Nissl staining were used to observe the pathological changes in brain tissue.TUNEL staining was performed to de-tect neuronal apoptosis,immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of M1 microglia marker ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1(Iba1),M2 microglia marker arginase 1(Arg1),and TLR4 localization.Western blot was used to detect the expression of microglia polarization proteins and proteins related to TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway in the hippocampus region.RESULTS:Compared with sham group,the model group rats had higher neurological function scores(P＜0.01),and neuronal arrangement in the hippocampus and cortex was loose and disordered,Nissl bodies de-creased,and neuronal apoptosis increased.The numbers of M1 microglia marker Iba1-,M2 microglia marker Arg1-,and TLR4-positive cells were significantly increased.In addition,the protein levels of TLR4,MyD88,p-NF-κB p65,NF-κB p65,p-NF-κB inhibitory factor(p-IκB),Iba1,interleukin-6(IL-6),and Arg1 in the hippocampus were elevated(P＜0.05),while IL-4 and IL-10 expression were decreased(P＜0.01).Compared with model group,the Toddalia asiatica group and Donepezil hydrochloride group showed increased protein expression of Arg1,IL-4 and IL-10(P＜0.05),while the other indicators were decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION:Toddalia asiatica possesses neuroprotective effects on CIRI rats,which may be attributed to its ability to regulate M1/M2 polarization and inhibit the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB-mediated inflammatory pathway.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of endoscopic histoacryl injection in cirrhotic patients with newly-developed esophagogastric varices (EGV) who have previously undergone splenectomy combined with pericardial devascularization.Methods:From January 2015 to January 2020, 125 cirrhotic patients with EGV treated with endoscopic histoacryl injection at the Department of Gastroenterology, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, were included in the retrospective analysis. There were 45 patients in the group of splenectomy combined with pericardial devascularization (splenectomy group for short) and 80 patients in the non-splenectomy group. The efficacy of endoscopic treatment, postoperative variceal improvement, rebleeding rate, and complications were analyzed between the two groups.Results:Endoscopic histoacryl injection was successfully completed in all 125 patients, and the median volume of histoacryl was 4.5 mL. The overall effective rate in splenectomy and non-splenectomy group was 80.0% (36/45) and 57.5% (46/80), respectively. The difference in the number of significantly effective, effective, and ineffective cases between the two groups was statistically significant (16, 20, 9 cases, and 20, 26, 34 cases, respectively, χ 2=6.469, P=0.039). Two and 14 patients developed rebleeding in the splenectomy group and non-splenectomy group, respectively; and the difference in the rebleeding rate between the two groups was statistically significant (4.4% VS 17.5%, Log-rank P=0.039). No patient died within 1 year in either group, and no serious complications such as ectopic embolism occurred. Conclusion:After splenectomy combined with pericardial devascularization in cirrhotic patients with EGV and hypersplenism, the application of histoacryl has better short-term efficacy and can significantly reduce the rebleeding rate compared with the non-splenectomy group.