OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Huayu Tongluo (transforming stasis and unblocking collaterals) moxibustion on cognitive function and insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cognitive decline. METHODS: Ninety patients with T2DM and cognitive decline were randomly divided into a moxibustion group (n=45, 3 cases dropped out, 2 cases were eliminated) and a waiting moxibustion group (n=45, 2 cases dropped out). Both groups received routine hypoglycemic treatment for 12 weeks. The moxibustion group additionally received Huayu Tongluo moxibustion at Baihui (GV20), Shenting (GV24), and Dazhui (GV14). Pressing moxibustion was applied to Baihui (GV20) for 20 min, while suspended moxibustion was applied to Shenting (GV24) and Dazhui (GV14) for 20 min each. Treatments of moxibustion were administered every other day (three times per week) for 12 weeks. All patients were followed up for 12 weeks, during which their original hypoglycemic medication regimen was maintained. Before treatment, after 12 weeks of treatment, and at the 12-week follow-up, the scores of Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Addenbrooke's cognitive examination Ⅲ (ACE-Ⅲ), symbol digit modalities test (SDMT), and Athens insomnia scale (AIS) and the insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) were observed in the two groups. RESULTS: Compared with before treatment, the MoCA scores, MMSE scores, ACE-Ⅲ subscale scores (attention, memory, language fluency, language, visuospatial ability) and total scores, and SDMT scores were increased (P<0.01), while the AIS scores were decreased (P<0.05) in the moxibustion group after treatment and at follow-up. Compared with before treatment, the MMSE score, ACE-Ⅲ subscale scores (memory, attention) and total score after treatment, as well as the ACE-Ⅲ subscale scores (language, memory, attention) and total score, and SDMT score at follow-up were increased (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the waiting moxibustion group. Compared with before treatment, HOMA-IR was decreased in both groups after treatment and at follow-up (P<0.01). At follow-up, ACE-Ⅲ subscale scores (attention, memory), and the total score in the moxibustion group were lower than those after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the ACE-Ⅲ language subscale score, total ACE-Ⅲ score, and SDMT score in the waiting moxibustion group were higher than those after treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05). After treatment and at follow-up, compared with the waiting moxibustion group, the moxibustion group had higher MoCA scores, MMSE scores, SDMT scores, ACE-Ⅲ subscale scores (attention, memory, language fluency) and total scores (P<0.05, P<0.01), and lower HOMA-IR (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Huayu Tongluo moxibustion can effectively improve cognitive function in patients with T2DM and cognitive decline. This improvement may be associated with the reduction in insulin resistance.
Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications* ; Male ; Female ; Moxibustion ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Cognition ; Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Cognitive Dysfunction/therapy*

Geniposidic acid(GA), a natural iridoid, exists in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, bark, fruits, and seeds of medicinal plants of Rubiaceae, Eucommiaceae, and Plantaginaceae. Modern pharmacological studies have revealed that GA has multiple pharmacological activities, including organ-protective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-osteoporosis, anti-neurodegenerative, and anti-cardiovascular effects. GA can enhance cell/organism defenses by upregulating key anti-inflammatory and antioxidant cytokines, while downregulating key node proteins in pro-inflammatory signaling pathways such as AhR and TLR4/MyD88, thereby exerting pharmacological effects such as organ protection. Pharmacokinetic investigations have suggested that after oral administration, GA can be distributed in multiple organs(kidney, liver, heart, spleen, lung, etc.). In addition, the pharmacokinetic behavior of GA could be significantly altered under disease conditions, as demonstrated by a marked increase in systematic exposure. This article comprehensively summarizes the reported pharmacological activities and mechanisms and systematically analyzes the pharmacokinetic characteristics and key parameters of GA, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis and scientific reference for the precise clinical application of GA-related Chinese patent medicines, as well as for the investigation and development of innovative drugs based on GA.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Animals ; Iridoid Glucosides/chemistry* ; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry* ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology*

Transient perivascular inflammation of the carotid artery(TIPIC)syndrome is a relatively rare disease,and ultrasound is the first screening method for initial diagnosis of the disease.Contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)has unique advantages in the follow-up of patients with TIPIC syndrome.This paper reports a patient with TIPIC syndrome who was treated with acute left neck pain.The inflammation was significantly re-lieved and subsided after treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.The ultrasound changes of carotid artery lesions in this patient during follow-up were analyzed,and the application value of CEUS in the follow-up diagnosis of this disease was summarized,in the hope of providing clinical reference.

Objective To evaluate the suitability and accessibility of the national Class 1.1 new drug imrecoxib,and provided reference for rational use of drugs in clinical practice.Methods Constructing a suitability and accessibility evaluation system for the national Class 1.1 new drug imrecoxib based on the Delphi method and evaluated through a survey questionnaire.Results After two rounds of expert inquiries,the authority coefficient of the experts was 0.795,the coefficient of variation of the third level indicator of expert opinions was 0.15,and the coordination coefficient was 0.244.Finally,the evaluation index system for the suitability and accessibility of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was determined.The evaluation index system including 2 primary indicators,8 secondary indicators,and 39 tertiary indicators.173 survey questionnaires were distributed in total.The results indicate that in terms of suitability,imrecoxib has good suitability in both drug use and drug technology characteristics;In terms of accessibility,the price level of imrecoxib is relatively low,and its affordability,accessibility,and patient acceptability are good.Conclusions This study comprehensively evaluated the suitability and accessibility of the national Class 1.1 new drug imrecoxib,provided a reference basis for clinical rational use and regulatory decision-making.

Objective:To investigate the role of platelet-derived zyxin in promoting tumor migration by platelets.Methods:The gene expression profile of platelets was analyzed from cancer patients by using the GEO database.Isolated platelets from wild-type(WT)and Zyx-/-mice were co-cultured with B16F10 cells labeled with green fluorescence to investigate the influence of zyxin deficiency on tumor cell migration,invasion,and wound healing.Optical microscopy was employed to evaluate the impact of zyxin deficiency on epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)in B16F10 cells induced by platelets.Employing specific markers to label platelets,fluorescence confocal microscopy was utilized to investigate the impact of platelet-derived zyxin on the binding between tumor cells and platelets.And an aggregometer was employed to observe the influence of zyxin deficiency on tumor cell-induced platelet aggregation.Results:Compared to platelets from healthy volunteers,zyxin was upregulated in platelets from cancer patients.Zyx-/-mouse platelets exhibited a significant reduction in tumor cell invasion and migration,impaired wound healing,and delayed tumor cell EMT compared to WT mouse platelets.Additionally,zyxin deficiency attenuated the interaction between platelets and tumor cells,and diminished the capacity for tumor cell-induced platelet aggregation.Conclusion:Platelet-derived zyxin deficiency diminishes platelet-tumor cell interactions and weakens the ability of tumor cell-induced platelet aggregation,ultimately suppressing tumor cell migration.

Objective To investigate the effects of Echinococcus multilocularis infection on levels of memory T (Tm) cells and their subsets in lymph nodes of mice at different stages of infection, so as to provide new insights into immunotherapy for alveolarechinococcosis. MethodsTwenty-four C57BL/6J mice aged 6 to 9 weeks were randomly divided into the infection group and the control group, of 12 mice in each group. Mice in the infection group were administered with 3 000 E. multilocularis protoscoleces via portal venous injection, while animals in the control group were administered with an equal volume of physiological saline. Three mice from each group were sacrificed 4, 12 weeks and 24 weeks post-infection, and lymph nodes were sampled and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) to investigate the histopathological changes of mouse lymph nodes in the infection group. The expression and localization of T lymphocyte surface markers CD3, CD4, and CD8 were observed in mouse lymph nodes using immunohistochemical staining. In addition, lymphocyte suspensions were prepared from mouse lymph nodes in both groups at different time points post-infection, and the levels of Tm cell subsets and their secreted cytokines were detected using flow cytometry. Results HE staining showed diffuse structural alterations in the subcapsular cortical and paracortical regions of mouse lymph nodes in the infection group 4 weeks post-infection with E. multilocularis. Immunohistochemical staining detected CD3, CD4 and CD8 expression in mouse lymph nodes in both groups. Flow cytometry revealed higher proportions of CD4⁺ Tm cells [(55.3 ± 4.8)% vs. (38.8 ± 6.1)%; t = -4.259, P < 0.05] and CD4⁺ tissue-resident Tm (Trm) cells [(57.7 ± 3.7)% vs. (34.1 ± 11.2)%; t = -3.990, P < 0.05] in mouse lymph nodes in the infection group than in the control group 4 weeks post-infection, and higher proportions of CD4⁺ Tm cells [(34.6 ± 3.2)% vs. (23.3 ± 7.5)%; t = -2.764, P < 0.05] and CD4⁺ Trm cells [(44.0 ± 1.9)% vs. (31.2 ± 1.5)%; t = -4.039, P < 0.05] in mouse lymph nodes in the infection group than in the control group 24 weeks post-infection. The proportions of CD8⁺ Tm cells were higher in the infection group than in the control group 4 weeks [(56.8 ± 2.7)% vs. (43.9 ± 5.2)%; t = -4.416, P < 0.01] and 12 weeks post-infection [(25.4 ± 2.7)% vs. (12.0 ± 2.6)%; t = -2.552, P < 0.05], while the proportions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α⁺ CD4⁺ T cells [(15.7 ± 5.0)% vs. (49.4 ± 6.4)%; t = 7.150, P < 0.01], TNF-α⁺CD8⁺ T cells [(20.7 ± 5.5)% vs. (57.5 ± 8.4)%; t = -6.694, P < 0.01], and TNF-α⁺ CD8⁺ Tm cells [7.0% (1.0%) vs. 31.0% (11.0%); Z = -2.236, P < 0.05] were lower in the infection group than in the control group 24 weeks post-infection. Conclusions Tm cells levels are consistently increased in lymph nodes of mice at different stages of E. multilocularis infection, with Trm cells as the predominantly elevated subset. The impaired capacity of CD8⁺ Tm cells to secrete the effector molecule TNF-α in mouse lymph nodes at the late-stage infection may facilitate chronic parasitism of E. multilocularis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore prevalence, incidence and possible factors of immediate herniated discs after posterior cervical expansive open-door laminoplasty (EODL). METHODS: Totally 29 patients with cervical spinal stenosis and intervertebral disc herniation who underwent EODL from October 2020 to December 2021 were collected, including 24 males and 5 females, aged from 43 to 81 years old with an average of (61.3±9.0) years old;the courses of disease ranged from 1 to 120 months with an average of (36.4±37.0) months. Three or more intervertebral discs on C₃-C₇ were observed. The clinical efficacy was evaluated according to Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score before operation, 3 days and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after operation, respectively. The changes of herniated disc before and after operation were measured by multipoint area method and two-dimensional distance method, and incidence and percentage of herniated disc regression were further calculated. Cervical imaging parameters such as Cobb angle (C₃-C₇), intervertebral angle, T₁ slope (T₁S), spinal canal sagittal diameter, K-line angle, dural sac sagittal diameter were measured and compared before and after operation. Pearson correlation was used to analyze correlation between cervical sagittal imaging parameters and disc herniation changes before and after operation. RESULTS: All patients obtained grade A wound healing, and 14 of them were followed up for 3(1.00, 5.25) months. There were no immediate or long-term postoperative complications. Totally 101 herniated intervertebral discs were measured, of which 79 regression numbers were obtained by area measurement. The number of intervertebral disc regressions by distance measurement was 77. There was no statistically significant difference in Cobb angle, intervertebral angle, T₁S and K-line angle of C₃-C₇ (P>0.05), however, there were statistically significant differences in sagittal diameter of spinal canal, sagittal diameter of dural sac, and JOA score before and after operation(P<0.05). The regression ratio of disc herniation ranged from 5% to 50%, and regression ratio of disc herniation was greater than 25% in 45.57%(36/79). Disc herniation in C_4,5 was positively correlated with sagittal plane diameter in C₅(r=0.423, P=0.028). There was a negative correlation between changes of C_3,4 and C_3,4 intervertebral angle (r=-0.450, P=0.041). The improvement rate of cervical JOA score immediately after operation was (59.54±15.07) %, and postoperative follow-up improved to (76.57±14.66) %. CONCLUSION Herniated disc regression immediately after EODL is a common occurrence, and EODL should be selected as far as possible under the premise of satisfying surgical indications. The regression of disc herniation is positively correlated with spinal canal sagittal diameter, and spinal canal should be enlarged as far as possible in the appropriate scope during EODL, so as to create more opportunities and conditions for disc regression and achieve better clinical results.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/diagnostic imaging* ; Spinal Stenosis/diagnostic imaging* ; Laminoplasty/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Cervical Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging* ; Adult ; Aged, 80 and over ; Intervertebral Disc/surgery*

Despite therapy with potent antiviral agents, chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients remain at high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While metabolites have been rediscovered as active drivers of biological processes including carcinogenesis, the specific metabolites modulating HCC risk in CHB patients are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that baseline plasma from CHB patients who later developed HCC during follow-up exhibits growth-promoting properties in a case-control design nested within a large-scale, prospective cohort. Metabolomics analysis reveals a reduction in long-chain acylcarnitines (LCACs) in the baseline plasma of patients with HCC development. LCACs preferentially inhibit the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro at a physiological concentration and prevent the occurrence of HCC in vivo without hepatorenal toxicity. Uptake and metabolism of circulating LCACs increase the intracellular level of acetyl coenzyme A, which upregulates histone H3 Lys14 acetylation at the promoter region of KLF6 gene and thereby activates KLF6/p21 pathway. Indeed, blocking LCAC metabolism attenuates the difference in KLF6/p21 expression induced by baseline plasma of HCC/non-HCC patients. The deficiency of circulating LCACs represents a driver of HCC in CHB patients with viral control. These insights provide a promising direction for developing therapeutic strategies to reduce HCC risk further in the antiviral era.

Objective:To detect the expression level and clinical significance of centromere protein I (CENPI) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to preliminarily explore the effects of CENPI on the biological behavior of liver cancer cells and its possible molecular mechanisms. Methods:The TCGA database, real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunohistochemical staining experiments were used to analyze and detect the expression differences of CENPI in liver cancer and adjacent tissues. The correlation between CENPI expression levels and clinical pathological features were analyzed in combination with clinical data from HCC patients. The value of CENPI in the diagnosis and prognosis assessment of HCC was explored by plotting receiver operating characteristic curves and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of CENPI overexpression on the migration and healing capabilities of liver cancer cells using Transwell and wound healing experiments. Finally, the effects of CENPI on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process in liver cancer cells and the potential molecular mechanisms were explored using Western blot. Comparisons between two groups were analyzed using t-tests, and comparisons among multiple groups were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. The expression of CENPI and its correlation with clinical pathological features were analyzed using the χ2 test. Results:The TCGA database analysis showed that the expression level of CENPI was significantly higher in liver cancer tissues than adjacent tissues, which was further validated by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining experiments. Combined clinical data analysis from HCC patients demonstrated that high expression of CENPI was positively correlated with the degree of tumor malignancy, T stage, and disease prognosis. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve indicated that the 5-year survival rate was significantly lower in patients with high CENPI expression compared to those with low expression. The results of the receiver operating characteristic curve further indicated that the expression level of CENPI had accurately predicted the prognosis of liver cancer patients (area under the curve=0.962). Transwell and wound healing experiment results indicated that overexpressing CENPI in Hep3B and Huh7 cells significantly increased cell migration numbers and healing rates. Further research results showed that overexpressing CENPI significantly upregulated the expression of mesenchymal cell-related marker genes: N-cadherin, Vimentin, and Snail protein, while the expression of the epithelial cell-related marker gene E-cadherin was significantly reduced. The mechanistic study revealed that when CENPI was overexpressed, the MEK and ERK phosphorylation levels and the expression of RAS protein were significantly increased compared to the control group, and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion:The high expression of CENPI in the tissues of HCC patients is associated with poor prognosis, potentially promoting the migration of liver cancer cells and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process by activating the RAS/MEK/ERK signaling pathway axis, suggesting that the CENPI gene may be a promising target for HCC treatment.

Objective:Analyze the risk factors for acute lung injury of postoperative acute lung injury(ALI)in patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection(STAAD),and construct a nomogram predictive model.Methods:A retrospective cohort study design was adopted.A total of 112 patients with STAAD who underwent surgical treatment in our hopital from January 2021 to August 2024 were included.They were divided into two groups according to the occurrence of ALI after the surgical:non-ALI group(73 cases)and ALI group(39 cases).Clinical data were collected from both groups of patients.The influencing factors of postoperative ALI in patients with STAAD were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression.Established nomogram prediction model based on influencing factors and validated.Results:Among 112 patients with STAAD who underwent surgical treatment,39 case postoperative ALI occurred,with an incidence rate of 34.82％.Age,preoperative creatinine,body mass index(BMI),preoperative white blood cell count,preoperative lactate and other aspects compared,The difference were statistically significant(P＜0.05).The length of stay in the intensive care unit(ICU)of the ALI group was longer than that of the non ALI group(P＜0.05).The intraoperative red blood cell transfusion volume and extracorporeal circulation time in the ALI group were higher than those in the non ALI group(P＜0.05).Long intraoperative cardiopulmonary bypass time,high BMI,high intraoperative red blood cell transfusion volume and high preoperative white blood cell count were risk factors for postoperative ALI(P＜0.05).The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis results show that,the Area under the curve(AUC)of the nomogram prediction model was 0.871.When the optimal critical value was 0.472,its sensitivity and specificity wew 0.887 and 0.776,respectively.The internal validation results of Bootstrap show that,the C-index of the column chart prediction model was 0.862,with an absolute error of 0.032.The calibration curve is close to the ideal curve and the original curve,with a slope close to 1.Conclusions:Long intraoperative cardiopulmonary bypass time,high BMI,high intraoperative red blood cell transfusion volume and high preoperative white blood cell count are independent risk factors for postoperative ALI in patients with STAAD.The nomogram model constructed based on the above risk factors can effectively evaluate the risk of postoperative ALI in patients with STAAD.