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*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Tongmai Hypoglycemic Capsule (THC) on myocardium injury in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) rats. METHODS: A total of 24 Sprague Dawley rats were fed for 4 weeks with high-fat and high-sugar food and then injected with streptozotocin intraperitoneally for the establishment of the DCM model. In addition, 6 rats with normal diets were used as the control group. After modeling, 24 DCM rats were randomly divided into the model, L-THC, M-THC, and H-THC groups by computer generated random numbers, and 0, 0.16, 0.32, 0.64 g/kg of THC were adopted respectively by gavage, with 6 rats in each group. After 12 weeks of THC administration, echocardiography, histopathological staining, biochemical analysis, and Western blot were used to detect the changes in myocardial structure, oxidative stress (OS), biochemical indexes, protein expressions of myocardial fibrosis, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related faactor 2 (Nrf2) element, respectively. RESULTS: Treatment with THC significantly decreased cardiac markers such as creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase-MB, etc., (P<0.01); enhanced cardiac function indicators including heart rate, ejection fraction, cardiac output, interventricular septal thickness at diastole, and others (P<0.05 or P<0.01); decreased levels of biochemical indicators such as fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aspartate transaminase, (P<0.05 or P<0.01); and decreased the levels of myocardial fibrosis markers α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and collagen I (Col-1) protein (P<0.01), improved myocardial morphology and the status of myocardial interstitial fibrosis. THC significantly reduced malondialdehyde levels in model rats (P<0.01), increased levels of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione (P<0.01), and significantly increased the expression of Nrf2, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, heme oxygenase-1, and superoxide dismutase 2 proteins in the left ventricle of rats (P<0.01). CONCLUSION THC activates the Nrf2 signaling pathway and plays a protective role in reducing OS injury and cardiac fibrosis in DCM rats.
Animals ; Diabetic Cardiomyopathies/physiopathology* ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Myocardium/metabolism* ; Fibrosis ; Male ; Capsules ; Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; Rats ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/drug therapy*

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of deep learning image reconstruction(DLIR)com-bined with low-dose chest computed tomography(CT)with axial scan in the diagnosis of mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(MPP)in children,and to provide reference for clinical practice.Methods 160 cases MPP children from February 2024 to June 2025 were selected as study subjects,and low-dose chest CT with axial scan was performed on all patients.DLIR and conventional adaptive iterative reconstruction-V(ASIR-V)were used for image reconstruction.The objective image quality[background noise(SD),signal-to-noise ratio(SNR),and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)],subjective image quality,and CT sign detection rate were compared,and the consistency of DLIR and ASIR-V in the diagnosis of MPP severity and clinical diagnosis was compared.Results As the intensity of DLIR and the weight of ASIR increasd,SD gradually decreased,while SNR and CNR gradually increased.The high-strength DLIR(DLIR-H)SD was lower than that of ASIR with a blending level of 80%(ASIR-V80%).The SNR and CNR were higher than those of ASIR-V80%,showing statistical significance(P<0.05).Ridit test showed that DLIR-H had the best subjective image quality score under different DLIR intensities,and ASIR-V80%had the best subjective image quality score under different ASIR weights.Furthermore,the subjective image quality score of DLIR-H was higher that of ASIR-V80%,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Using DLIR-H,the detection rates of air bronchogram,pulmonary consolidation,and interstitial infiltration(69.38%,86.88%,20.63%,respectively)were higher than those using ASIR-V80%(50.00%,71.88%,7.50%,respectively),and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Consistency analysis showed that the Kappa value between the diagnostic results of MPP severity using DLIR-H and clinical diagnosis was 0.856(95%CI:0.771～0.996),while that between the diagnostic results of MPP severity using ASIR-V80%and clinical diagnosis was 0.498(95%CI:0.346～0.650).ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)for diagnosing MPP severity was 0.925(95%CI:0.872～0.960)for DLIR-H and 0.729(95%CI:0.653～0.796)for ASIR-V80%,and the diagnostic value of DLIR-H was superior to that of ASIR-V80%(Z=3.952,P<0.001).Conclusion DLIR can effectively improve image quality.DLIR-H combined with low-dose chest CT with axial scan has high diagnostic value for the severity of MPP,and can serve as a feasible solution for clinical diagnosis of MPP severity and reducing radiation dose.

Objective:To investigate the detection status of serological markers for hepatitis B virus (HBV) among Tibetan college students and their relationship with HBV- deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) load.Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out to retrospectively analyze data from 1 514 Tibetan college students who visited the Affiliated Hospital of Xizang Minzu University for consultations or health examinations between June 1, 2021 and June 1, 2022. The prevalence of HBV infection among these students was analyzed, the primary epidemiological patterns of HBV markers were identified, and their relationship with HBV-DNA load was determined.Results:The positive rate of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among the 1 514 Tibetan college students was 6.7% (101/1 514), while the positive rate for Hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) was 42.2% (639/1 514). The primary serological pattern of HBV infection consisted of positive results for HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBcAb, which accounted for 48.5% of cases. This pattern showed significantly higher rates of HBV-DNA positivity and elevated viral load compared with other serological patterns ( χ2 = 8.70, P < 0.05). Conclusions:The HBV infection rate among Tibetan college students is 6.7%. The primary infection pattern is characterized by positive tests for HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBcAb, with an HBV-DNA positivity rate as high as 87.0% and elevated viral loads.

18F-FDG PET/CT static imaging plays a crucial role in the diagnosis, staging, and efficacy assessment of lung cancer. Semi-quantitative analysis using metabolic parameters, such as SUV, provide essential metabolic information for clinical decision-making. However, SUV is influenced by patient factors, acquisition time, and reconstruction algorithms. Dynamic imaging allows continuous assessment of the metabolic changes in lesions over a specific period, using dynamic parameters like the net uptake rate constant for quantitative analysis. Dynamic imaging provides important complementary information to static imaging, offering more precise information for the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. This article focuses on the applications of dynamic imaging in the diagnosis of lung cancer, lymph node staging, evaluation of immunotherapy efficacy, and optimization of scanning protocols, providing a comprehensive review of the research progress of dynamic 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging in the management of lung cancer.

Objective:To investigate the detection status of serological markers for hepatitis B virus (HBV) among Tibetan college students and their relationship with HBV- deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) load.Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out to retrospectively analyze data from 1 514 Tibetan college students who visited the Affiliated Hospital of Xizang Minzu University for consultations or health examinations between June 1, 2021 and June 1, 2022. The prevalence of HBV infection among these students was analyzed, the primary epidemiological patterns of HBV markers were identified, and their relationship with HBV-DNA load was determined.Results:The positive rate of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among the 1 514 Tibetan college students was 6.7% (101/1 514), while the positive rate for Hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) was 42.2% (639/1 514). The primary serological pattern of HBV infection consisted of positive results for HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBcAb, which accounted for 48.5% of cases. This pattern showed significantly higher rates of HBV-DNA positivity and elevated viral load compared with other serological patterns ( χ2 = 8.70, P < 0.05). Conclusions:The HBV infection rate among Tibetan college students is 6.7%. The primary infection pattern is characterized by positive tests for HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBcAb, with an HBV-DNA positivity rate as high as 87.0% and elevated viral loads.

18F-FDG PET/CT static imaging plays a crucial role in the diagnosis, staging, and efficacy assessment of lung cancer. Semi-quantitative analysis using metabolic parameters, such as SUV, provide essential metabolic information for clinical decision-making. However, SUV is influenced by patient factors, acquisition time, and reconstruction algorithms. Dynamic imaging allows continuous assessment of the metabolic changes in lesions over a specific period, using dynamic parameters like the net uptake rate constant for quantitative analysis. Dynamic imaging provides important complementary information to static imaging, offering more precise information for the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. This article focuses on the applications of dynamic imaging in the diagnosis of lung cancer, lymph node staging, evaluation of immunotherapy efficacy, and optimization of scanning protocols, providing a comprehensive review of the research progress of dynamic 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging in the management of lung cancer.

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of deep learning image reconstruction(DLIR)com-bined with low-dose chest computed tomography(CT)with axial scan in the diagnosis of mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(MPP)in children,and to provide reference for clinical practice.Methods 160 cases MPP children from February 2024 to June 2025 were selected as study subjects,and low-dose chest CT with axial scan was performed on all patients.DLIR and conventional adaptive iterative reconstruction-V(ASIR-V)were used for image reconstruction.The objective image quality[background noise(SD),signal-to-noise ratio(SNR),and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)],subjective image quality,and CT sign detection rate were compared,and the consistency of DLIR and ASIR-V in the diagnosis of MPP severity and clinical diagnosis was compared.Results As the intensity of DLIR and the weight of ASIR increasd,SD gradually decreased,while SNR and CNR gradually increased.The high-strength DLIR(DLIR-H)SD was lower than that of ASIR with a blending level of 80%(ASIR-V80%).The SNR and CNR were higher than those of ASIR-V80%,showing statistical significance(P<0.05).Ridit test showed that DLIR-H had the best subjective image quality score under different DLIR intensities,and ASIR-V80%had the best subjective image quality score under different ASIR weights.Furthermore,the subjective image quality score of DLIR-H was higher that of ASIR-V80%,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Using DLIR-H,the detection rates of air bronchogram,pulmonary consolidation,and interstitial infiltration(69.38%,86.88%,20.63%,respectively)were higher than those using ASIR-V80%(50.00%,71.88%,7.50%,respectively),and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Consistency analysis showed that the Kappa value between the diagnostic results of MPP severity using DLIR-H and clinical diagnosis was 0.856(95%CI:0.771～0.996),while that between the diagnostic results of MPP severity using ASIR-V80%and clinical diagnosis was 0.498(95%CI:0.346～0.650).ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)for diagnosing MPP severity was 0.925(95%CI:0.872～0.960)for DLIR-H and 0.729(95%CI:0.653～0.796)for ASIR-V80%,and the diagnostic value of DLIR-H was superior to that of ASIR-V80%(Z=3.952,P<0.001).Conclusion DLIR can effectively improve image quality.DLIR-H combined with low-dose chest CT with axial scan has high diagnostic value for the severity of MPP,and can serve as a feasible solution for clinical diagnosis of MPP severity and reducing radiation dose.

Objective To evaluate the value of rs61330082 and rs4730153 polymorphisms of Visfatin locus for the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)in a high-risk population.Methods SNPscanTM high-throughput single nucleotide polymorphism typing technique was used to genotype Visfatin gene loci rs61330082 and rs4730153 in 346 T2DM patients(T2DM group)and 1426 normal controls(NC group).Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze T2DM risk factors.ROC curves were used to analyze the optimal cut-off values of Visfatin gene rs61330082 and rs4730153 for the diagnosis of T2DM.Results The proportion of women,age,obesity,smoking,hypertension,FPG,HbA1c and TG were higher in T2DM group than those in NC group(P<0.01)and HDL-C was lower than in NC group(P<0.01).The frequency of G allele and GG genotype was higher in T2DM group compared with NC group(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that age,female,obesity,hypertension,TG,and GG genotype at rs4730153 locus were risk factors for T2DM,HDL-C was a protective factor for T2DM.The area under the ROC curve of GG genotype at Visfatin rs4730153 mutation for diagnosis of T2DM was 0.668 and the optimal cut-off point for predicting T2DM was 20.04%,with sensitivity 60.1%and specificity 66.1%,respectively.Conclusion The GG genotype of Visfatin gene rs4730153 locus is associated with the risk of T2DM and can beused as a candidate gene for predicting phenotype of T2DM.