Objective: This study aimed to explore the correlation between balance function and core muscle activation in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), compared to healthy individuals. Methods: A total of 24 AIS patients and 25 healthy controls were recruited. The limits of stability (LOS) test were conducted to assess balance function, while surface electromyography was used to measure the activity of core muscles, including the internal oblique, external oblique, and multifidus. Diaphragm thickness was measured using ultrasound during different postural tasks. Center of pressure (COP) displacement and trunk inclination distance were also recorded during the LOS test. Results: AIS patients showed significantly greater activation of superficial core muscles, such as the internal and external oblique muscles, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Diaphragm activation was lower in AIS patients during balance tasks (p < 0.01). Although no significant difference was observed in COP displacement between the groups, trunk inclination was significantly greater in the AIS group during certain tasks (p < 0.05). Conclusion These findings suggest distinct postural control patterns in AIS patients, highlighting the importance of targeted interventions to improve balance and core muscle function in this population.

This study aims to investigate the potential effect of the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix on hypercholesterolemia in mice that was induced by a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet and explore its possible mechanism from bile acid reabsorption. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into the following groups: control, model, low-and high-dose(4 and 8 g·kg~(-1), respectively) fresh Rehmanniae Radix, and positive drug(simvastatin, 0.05 g·kg~(-1)). Other groups except the control group were fed with a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet for 6 consecutive weeks to induce hypercholesterolemia. From the 6th week, mice were administrated with corresponding drugs daily via gavage for additional 6 weeks, while continuing to be fed with a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet. Serum levels of total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-c), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-c), and total bile acid(TBA), as well as liver TC and TG levels and fecal TBA level, were determined by commercial assay kits. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, oil red O staining, and transmission electron microscopy were performed to observe the pathological changes in the liver. Three livers samples were randomly selected from each of the control, model, and high-dose fresh Rehmanniae Radix groups for high-throughput transcriptome sequencing. Differentially expressed genes were mined and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was performed to predict the key pathways and target genes of the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. RT-qPCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase(CYP7A1) and cholesterol 27α-hydroxylase(CYP27A1) in the liver. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of CYP7A1 and CYP27A1 in the liver as well as farnesoid X receptor(FXR), apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter(ASBT), and ileum bile acid-binding protein(I-BABP) in the ileum. The results showed that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix significantly lowered the levels of TC and TG in the serum and liver, as well as the level of LDL-c in the serum. Conversely, it elevated the level of HDL-c in the serum and TBA in feces. No significant difference was observed in the level of TBA in the serum among groups. HE staining, oil red O staining, and transmission electron microscopy showed that the water extract reduced the accumulation of lipid droplets in the liver. Further mechanism studies revealed that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix significantly down-regulated the protein levels of FXR and bile acid reabsorption-related proteins ASBT and I-BABP. Additionally, it enhanced CYP7A1 and CYP27A1, the key enzymes involved in bile acid synthesis. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix may exert an anti-hypercholesterolemic effect by regulating FXR/ASBT/I-BABP signaling, inhibiting bile acid reabsorption, and increasing bile acid excretion, thus facilitating the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids.
Animals ; Male ; Bile Acids and Salts/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects* ; Cholesterol/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Hypercholesterolemia/genetics* ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/genetics* ; Rehmannia/chemistry* ; Liver/drug effects* ; Humans ; Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase/genetics* ; Plant Extracts

Grounded in the theory of "all marrows dominated by brain", this study explored the therapeutic mechanism of Zuogui Pills in modulating the oxytocin(OXT)/oxytocin receptor(OXTR) feed-forward loop in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis(PMOP). A PMOP rat model was established using ovariectomy, and 70 Sprague-Dawley female rats were randomly divided into the following groups: sham operation group, model group, estradiol group(17β-estradiol, 0.05 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), Zuogui Pills low, medium, and high dose groups(0.2, 0.4, 0.8 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1), respectively), and an antagonist group(atosiban 0.9 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1) + 17β-estradiol 0.05 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1) + Zuogui Pills 0.4 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)). After 12 weeks of model establishment, treatment was administered by gavage once daily for another 12 weeks, followed by sample collection. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to measure serum levels of estrogen(E_2), OXT, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase(TRACP-5b), and bone alkaline phosphatase(BALP). Histopathological changes in the left distal femur were observed through hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining. Micro-computed tomography(micro-CT) was used to analyze the microstructure of the right distal femur. Western blot was employed to detect the expression levels of OXTR, small GTP-binding protein Ras, Raf1 proto-oncogene(Raf1), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2(MEK1/2), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2(ERK1/2), and their phosphorylated forms in tibial tissues. Compared with the model group, the Zuogui Pills medium and high dose groups showed significantly increased levels of E_2, OXT, and BALP, with a notable decrease in TRACP-5b levels. Morphologically, the trabeculae in the left distal femur were more tightly arranged. The fibrous structure in the right distal femur was significantly improved in the Zuogui Pills high dose group. Additionally, the expression of OXTR, Ras, p-Raf1, p-MEK1/2, and p-ERK1/2 proteins in tibial tissues was significantly increased. The therapeutic effect of the Zuogui Pills high dose group was partially inhibited when an OXTR antagonist was administered. These findings suggest that Zuogui Pills can regulate the OXT/OXTR feed-forward loop, activate the phosphorylation of the downstream Ras/Raf1/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, and ultimately improve bone mineral density, thereby exerting therapeutic effects in PMOP.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Female ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Oxytocin/genetics* ; Receptors, Oxytocin/genetics* ; Humans ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal/genetics* ; Bone and Bones/drug effects* ; Brain/drug effects* ; Bone Marrow/drug effects*

Qing court records show that Arecae Semen was extensively applied. The royal medical records of the Qing Dynasty document nine types of Arecae Semen, with the Palace Museum preserving seven kinds, totaling twelve cultural relics. Historical documents and physical artifacts corroborate each other, providing evidence for the study of the supply channels and court processing of Arecae Semen in the Qing court. According to relevant Qing court archival records, the sources of Arecae Semen used in the imperial court were diverse, including tributes from foreign countries such as Vietnam and Gurkha, annual tributes from local governments in Guangdong, gifts from close aides, and commodities purchased by the Imperial Household Department from civilian shops. The imperial physicians of the Qing court placed great emphasis on the specifications of Arecae Semen slices and were extremely meticulous about their processing. The variety of Arecae Semen slices used in the Qing palace exceeded those recorded in the botanical texts of the era. Compared with the commonly used processing methods for Arecae Semen in the Qing Dynasty, the imperial physicians adjusted the properties and efficacy of the herbs through different processing techniques, based on the patient's condition, constitution, and other factors, in order to meet the clinical treatment needs of the court. The slicing of Arecae Semen in the Qing court required strict control of thickness, with an average thickness of 0.44 mm, which is significantly thinner than the Arecae Semen slices found in today's markets. The texture was softer, making them easier to chew and absorb. Both the Qing court Arecae Semen slices and the Muxiang Binglang Pills focused on the use of authentic medicinal materials, ensuring the quality of the medicine and enhancing the efficacy of Arecae Semen through meticulous selection and preparation.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; History, 19th Century ; History, Ancient ; History, 17th Century ; History, 18th Century

The innate immune response is the first line of defense for the host against viral infections. Targeted degradation of pathogenic microorganisms through autophagy, in conjunction with pattern recognition receptors synergistically inducing the production of interferon (IFN), constitutes an important pathway for the body to resist viral infections. Rubicon, a Run domain Beclin 1-interacting and cysteine-rich domain protein, has an inhibitory effect on autophagy and IFN production. On the one hand, Rubicon, as a component of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) complex, interacts with different domains of vacuolar protein sorting 34 (Vps34), ultraviolet radiation resistance associated gene (UVRAG), guanosine triphosphate (GTP) kinase, and RAS oncogene family member 7 (Rab7) to mediate the inhibition of autophagy maturation; on the other hand, Rubicon inhibits the ubiquitination of nuclear factor κB essential modulator (NEMO) and the dimerization of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), thereby blocking the signal transduction related to IFN production. Research has revealed that various viruses, such as Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), Sendai virus (SeV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV), achieve innate immune evasion by regulating the expression or function of Rubicon. Rubicon is expected to be a new target for antiviral therapy.
Humans ; Autophagy/immunology* ; Immunity, Innate ; Interferons/immunology* ; Immune Evasion ; Animals ; Virus Diseases/virology* ; Signal Transduction ; Viruses/immunology* ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/immunology* ; Autophagy-Related Proteins

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the application value of genetic newborn screening (gNBS) in the Yunnan region. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted with a random selection of 3 001 newborns born in the Yunnan region from February to December 2021. Traditional newborn screening (tNBS) was used to test biochemical indicators, and targeted next-generation sequencing was employed to screen 159 genes related to 156 diseases. Positive-screened newborns underwent validation and confirmation tests, and confirmed cases received standardized treatment and long-term follow-up. RESULTS: Among the 3 001 newborns, 166 (5.53%) were initially positive for genetic screening, and 1 435 (47.82%) were genetic carriers. The top ten genes with the highest variation frequency were GJB2 (21.29%), DUOX2 (7.27%), HBA (6.14%), GALC (3.63%), SLC12A3 (3.33%), HBB (3.03%), G6PD (2.94%), SLC25A13 (2.90%), PAH (2.73%), and UNC13D (2.68%). Among the initially positive newborns from tNBS and gNBS, 33 (1.10%) and 47 (1.57%) cases were confirmed, respectively. A total of 48 (1.60%) cases were confirmed using gNBS+tNBS. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the areas under the curve for tNBS, gNBS, and gNBS+tNBS in diagnosing diseases were 0.866, 0.982, and 0.968, respectively (P<0.05). DeLong's test showed that the area under the curve for gNBS and gNBS+tNBS was higher than that for tNBS (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS gNBS can expand the range of disease detection, and its combined use with tNBS can significantly shorten diagnosis time, enabling early intervention and treatment.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Neonatal Screening ; Genetic Testing ; Female ; Male ; Follow-Up Studies ; Prospective Studies ; China

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that short-term exposure to ambient particulate matter elevates the risk of ischemic stroke in major urban areas of various countries. However, there is a notable gap in research focusing on remote areas inhabited by ethnic minorities and the cumulative effects of air pollutants. Our study conducted in the area aims to explore the potential association between ischemic stroke and air pollutants and contribute to improving health outcomes among the community. METHODS: This retrospective observational study was conducted at the Xing'an League People's Hospital in Inner Mongolia. The medical records of 4,288 patients admitted for IS between November 1, 2019, and October 31, 2020, were reviewed. Data on demographics (age and sex), air pollutants (PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO₂, NO, CO, and O₃), and meteorological factors (daily average temperature, daily average wind speed, and daily average atmosphere pressure) were collected and analyzed. The statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Poisson distribution analysis to evaluate the adverse effects of atmospheric pollutants on daily hospitalizations, and subgroup analysis to determine whether gender and age could modify the impact on hospitalizations. RESULTS: A substantial correlation was revealed in single-day lags model. The peak delayed effects of PM₁₀, PM_2.5, SO₂, and NO₂ were observed at lag8 (PM₁₀ (OR = 1.016, 95%CI 1.002, 1.030), PM_2.5 (OR = 1.027, 95%CI 1.007, 1.048), SO₂ (OR = 1.153, 95%CI 1.040, 279) and NO₂ (OR = 1.054, 95%CI 1.005, 1.105)) while males exhibited a consistent trend from lag0 to lag8 (PM₁₀ (OR = 1.035, 95%CI 1.018, 1.053), PM_2.5 (OR = 1.056, 95%CI 1.030, 1.082), SO₂ (OR = 1.220, 95%CI 1.072, 1.389), NO₂ (OR = 1.126, 95%CI 1.061, 1.120), CO (OR = 10.059, 95%CI 1.697, 59.638) and O₃ (OR = 0.972, 95%CI 0.946, 0.999)). When gender and age were considered, a positive impact was also observed after three days cumulative effect in males. CONCLUSIONS There is a significant cumulative effect of exposure to air pollution on IS hospital admissions, especially the males and patients under the age of 65. Our results also suggested that a notable association between CO and NO₂ in two-pollutant models.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Air Pollution/analysis* ; China/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Aged ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data* ; Adult ; Ischemic Stroke/chemically induced* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Aged, 80 and over

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Yangxue Qingnao Pills (YXQNP) combined with amlodipine in treating patients with grade 1 hypertension. METHODS: This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study. Adult patients with grade 1 hypertension of blood deficiency and Gan (Liver)-yang hyperactivity syndrome were randomly divided into the treatment or the control groups at a 1:1 ratio. The treatment group received YXQNP and amlodipine besylate, while the control group received YXQNP's placebo and amlodipine besylate. The treatment duration lasted for 180 days. Outcomes assessed included changes in blood pressure, Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome scores, symptoms and target organ functions before and after treatment in both groups. Additionally, adverse events, such as nausea, vomiting, rash, itching, and diarrhea, were recorded in both groups. RESULTS: A total of 662 subjects were enrolled, of whom 608 (91.8%) completed the trial (306 in the treatment and 302 in the control groups). After 180 days of treatment, the standard deviations and coefficients of variation of systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were lower in the treatment group compared with the control group. The improvement rates of dizziness, headache, insomnia, and waist soreness were significantly higher in the treatment group compared with the control group (P<0.05). After 30 days of treatment, the overall therapeutic effects on CM clinical syndromes were significantly increased in the treatment group as compared with the control group (P<0.05). After 180 days of treatment, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, ankle brachial index and albumin-to-creatinine ratio were improved in both groups, with no statistically significant differences (P>0.05). No serious treatment-related adverse events occurred during the study period. CONCLUSIONS Combination therapy of YXQNP with amlodipine significantly improved symptoms such as dizziness and headache, reduced blood pressure variability, and showed a trend toward lowering urinary microalbumin in hypertensive patients. These findings suggest that this regimen has good clinical efficacy and safety. (Registration No. ChiCTR1900022470).
Humans ; Amlodipine/adverse effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Hypertension/complications* ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Adult ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Double-Blind Method ; Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents/adverse effects*

Metastatic lung cancer continues to cause a high number of deaths due to high malignancy and poor prognosis, and the efficacy of typical chemotherapy or immunotherapy is less than ideal due to the low pulmonary accumulation and targeting of therapeutics. Here, a submicron-sized biomimetic liposome was formulated for the lung-targeted co-delivery of bacterial superantigen and paclitaxel. Recombinant staphylococcal enterotoxin C2 (rSEC2), a bacterial superantigen, was expressed with the Escherichia coli system and showed potent immunostimulatory activities to mediate tumor cell death. The submicron-sized (∼800 nm) biomimetic liposomes, namely 4T1 cell membrane-hybrid rSEC2 paclitaxel liposomes (TSPLs), exhibited high lung-accumulation efficiency and tumor homologous effect due to the suitable particle size and membrane hybridization of cancer cell membranes with phospholipids. Intravenous TSPLs remarkably inhibited metastatic lung cancer with limited systemic immune responses. TSPLs reversed the immunosuppressive state and increased the proportion of local CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in the lung; moreover, paclitaxel increased tumor cell apoptosis and reduced tumor burden. In summary, the high lung cancer targeting was achieved by particle size control and cell membrane hybridization, and the highly efficient anticancer effect was achieved by the co-delivery of superantigens and chemotherapeutic drugs.

Ovarian tumor (OT) is the most lethal form of gynecologic malignancy, with minimal improvements in patient outcomes over the past several decades. Metastasis is the leading cause of ovarian cancer-related deaths, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Psychological stress is known to activate the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1), a factor associated with poor prognosis in OT patients. However, the precise mechanisms linking NR3C1 signaling and metastasis have yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that chronic restraint stress accelerates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis in OT through an NR3C1-dependent mechanism involving nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1). Mechanistically, NR3C1 directly regulates the transcription of NUPR1, which in turn increases the expression of snail family transcriptional repressor 2 (SNAI2), a key driver of EMT. Clinically, elevated NR3C1 positively correlates with NUPR1 expression in OT patients, and both are positively associated with poorer prognosis. Overall, our study identified the NR3C1/NUPR1 axis as a critical regulatory pathway in psychological stress-induced OT metastasis, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for intervention in OT metastasis.