ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Huangqi Jianzhongtang （HQJZ） on macrophage polarization and fat consumption in cancer cachexia （CC） mice. MethodsUltra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS） was used to control the quality of HQJZ. （1） In vitro experiment： HQJZ-containing serum was prepared， and the optimal concentration was determined by cytotoxicity assay. Mouse monocyte-derived macrophages （RAW264.7） were cultured and randomly divided into six groups， including a blank group， a classically activated macrophages （M1） group， an alternatively activated macrophages （M2） group， a HQJZ + blank group， a HQJZ+M1 group， and a HQJZ + M2 group. The relative expression of macrophage marker genes CD86， inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）， CD206， and arginase-1 （Arg1） was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR ）. （2） In vivo experiment： Thirty-two BALB/c mice were randomly divided into a control group， a model group， a medroxyprogesterone acetate （MPA） group， and a HQJZ group. Except for the control group， the other mice were injected with CT-26 colon cancer cells to establish a CC model. Mice in the MPA and HQJZ groups were given MPA （0.13 g·kg^-1·d^-1） or HQJZ （13.13 g·kg^-1·d^-1） by gavage， respectively， while mice in the control and model groups were given an equal volume of saline by gavage， with interventions continued for 10 d. Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of macrophage markers （iNOS， Arg1， CD86， CD206） and fat browning-related genes uncoupling protein 1 （UCP1） and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ （PPARγ） in epididymal adipose tissue. Western blot （WB） was used to detect protein expression levels of UCP1 and PPARγ. Micro-computed tomography （micro-CT） was used to measure residual fat volume， and hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to assess fat browning and calculate pathological scores. ResultsIn vitro， the dominant effective concentration of HQJZ-containing serum was 12.5%. Real-time PCR results showed that， compared with the blank group， Arg1 expression decreased in the HQJZ+blank group （P<0.05）， CD206 showed a downward trend without statistical significance， while iNOS and CD86 expression were significantly increased （P<0.05）. Compared with the M1 group， Arg1 and CD206 expression decreased in the HQJZ+M1 group （P<0.05）. Compared with the M2 group， CD206 expression decreased in the HQJZ+M2 group （P<0.05）， CD86 expression increased significantly （P<0.01）. In vivo， Real-time PCR results showed that， compared with the control group， CD86 and CD206 expression levels were significantly increased in the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， CD206 expression in the MPA group was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. In the HQJZ group， CD206 was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. WB results showed that， compared with the model group， protein expression of UCP1 and PPARγ was significantly reduced in the HQJZ group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. micro-CT results showed that the total white fat volume in the HQJZ group was greater than that in the model group （P<0.05）. HE staining results showed that pathological scores in the HQJZ group were lower than those in the model group （P<0.05）. ConclusionHQJZ may inhibit white adipose tissue browning by promoting macrophage M1 polarization and suppressing M2 polarization， thereby delaying fat consumption in CC mice.

Background Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic heavy metal. Chronic low-dose cadmium exposure can lead to renal tubular dysfunction. However, the precise mechanisms by which cadmium induces renal tubular injury through disruption of intracellular metabolic networks remain incompletely understood. Objective To investigate the toxic effects of cadmium exposure on human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) and to elucidate the associated metabolic regulatory network from the perspective of metabolic reprogramming. Methods An in vitro HK-2 cell injury model was established using 5 μmol·L⁻¹ cadmium chloride (CdCl₂). The expression of the renal injury marker kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) was determined by Western blot (WB). Glycolytic capacity was evaluated by metabolic flux analysis. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was assessed with a fluorescent probe. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was evaluated after JC-1 staining. Intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels were measured using an ATP assay kit. In addition, untargeted metabolomics analysis was conducted to characterize alterations in the intracellular metabolic fingerprint profile and to explore the metabolic pathway changes underlying cadmium-induced renal tubular epithelial cell injury. Results Cadmium exposure induced injury in HK-2 cells, as indicated by mitochondrial membrane depolarization, increased mitochondrial ROS levels, and decreased intracellular ATP levels. Metabolic flux analysis further revealed significant metabolic reprogramming, characterized by compensatory increases in basal glycolytic rate and maximal glycolytic capacity. Untargeted metabolomics showed depletion of the long-chain acylcarnitine pool and deficiency of key metabolic cofactors, suggesting impaired fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial energy metabolism. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the differential metabolites were mainly enriched in oxidative phosphorylation and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Correlation analysis showed that acylcarnitines were negatively correlated with nucleic acid metabolism-related metabolites, whereas ATP was positively correlated with lysophosphatidylcholine, suggesting that cadmium exposure-induced mitochondrial dysfunction may be accompanied by abnormal DNA metabolism and lipid peroxidation. Conclusion Cadmium exposure could induce impaired mitochondrial function, and promote glycolytic metabolic reprogramming in renal tubular epithelial cells. These findings provide new insights into the metabolic mechanisms underlying cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity and may help identify potential metabolic targets for intervention.

ObjectiveTo investigate the patterns of chronic disease comorbidity among permanent elderly residents in Xuhui District of Shanghai, and to analyze the impact of different comorbidity patterns on the elderly’s ability to perform activities of daily living. MethodsBased on data from the 2015 and 2021 Surveys on Health Status and Health Service Utilization among Permanent Residents in Xuhui District of Shanghai, the study included permanent residents who fully participated in both surveys, were aged 60 years or older at the 2015 survey, self-reported having a chronic disease, and reported no significant changes in their chronic disease status between the two surveys. A prospective cohort study design was adopted, using the 2015 data as the baseline and the 2021 survey data as follow-up data. Physical examinations and questionnaire surveys were conducted by the Shanghai Xuhui District Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the subdistricts and towns within the jurisdiction from April to July in both 2015 and 2021. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to classify comorbidity patterns across 11 types of chronic diseases. The smaller the values of the Akaike information criterion (AIC), the Bayesian information criterion (BIC), and the sample-corrected Bayesian information criterion (aBIC), the better the model fits. The Barthel index (BI) and the Lawton and Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (LB-IADL) were used to assess the participants’ activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Multiple linear regression and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between different comorbidity patterns and ADL and IADL. ResultsA total of 1 608 study participants were enrolled. Among them, 671 (41.73%) self-reported having no chronic diseases. The prevalence of 11 types of chronic diseases was as follows: hypertension in 743 participants (46.21%), heart disease in 148 participants (9.20%), cerebrovascular disease in 37 participants (2.30%), diabetes or abnormal blood glucose in 310 participants (19.28%), other endocrine system diseases (non-diabetic) in 39 participants (2.43%), malignant tumors in 37 participants (2.30%), chronic lung disease in 16 participants (1.00%), gout in 8 participants (0.50%), musculoskeletal disorders in 34 participants (2.11%), gastric or digestive system diseases in 27 participants (1.68%), and dyslipidemia in 15 participants (0.93%). LCA was used to classify comorbidity patterns of chronic diseases among older adults into 1 to 9 latent category combinations. Model 5 (i.e., 5 latent categories) had the lowest BIC (7 112.69) and aBIC (6 909.38), with a relatively low AIC (6 768.20), indicating the best model fit; thus, five latent categories represented the optimal combination in this study. The five latent categories (and their respective proportions of study participants) were the healthy control group (41.73%), the hypertension group (31.28%), the diabetes-hypertension group (19.28%), the severe illness group (5.29%), and the other metabolic diseases group (2.43%). According to multiple linear regression analyses, compared with the healthy control group, the diabetes-hypertension group had significantly lower BI-20 scores (b=-0.952, 95%CI: -1.317‒ -0.587, P<0.001) and lower IADL scores (b=-0.744, 95%CI: -0.999‒ -0.489, P<0.001); the severe illness group (b=-0.644, 95%CI: -1.072‒ -0.217, P=0.003) and the hypertension group (b=-0.344, 95%CI: -0.562‒ -0.125, P=0.002) had lower IADL scores. According to multivariate logistic regression analyses, compared with the healthy control group, older adults in the diabetes-hypertension group had a higher risk of disability (OR=2.835, 95%CI: 1.392‒5.774), impaired ADL function (OR=2.470, 95%CI: 1.637‒3.726), and impaired IADL function (OR=1.739, 95%CI: 1.264‒2.392); older adults in the severe illness group had a higher risk of impaired ADL function (OR=2.206, 95%CI: 1.171‒4.155). ConclusionAmong the elderly participating in the Survey on Health Status and Health Service Utilization of Permanent Residents in Xuhui District of Shanghai, diabetes-hypertension is one of the key chronic disease comorbidity combinations and has adverse effects on both ADL and IADL. Community health management should prioritize the elderly with diabetes-hypertension comorbidity, and strengthen early screening and comprehensive interventions to slow the decline in ADL and IADL.

Objective: To assess parental expectations for the development of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and identify factors associated with these expectations, so as to provide references for improving rehabilitation outcomes and long term development in children with ASD. Methods: From June 2024 to January 2026, a total of 877 children with ASD and their parents were recruited from 27 rehabilitation institutions in Hefei. The children had been diagnosed by chief physicians at tertiary level hospitals. Demographic characteristics and data on parental expectations were collected by the Parental Expectations Questionnaire. Differences in parental expectations between groups were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U- test and Kruskal-Wallis H-test, and associated factors were examined using quantile regression. Results: The mean item score for overall parental expectations among parents of children with ASD was (4.55±0.47), and scores for all dimensions were higher than those among parents of typically developing children ( t =11.11-31.14, all P <0.01). Child age, school enrollment, and maternal personality were associated with daily living expectation scores, learning and special talents and strengths expectation scores, and special talents and strengths expectation scores, respectively ( H =6.16-8.18, all P <0.05). Parents of preterm children had higher expectations for social interaction, physical and mental well being, and daily living than parents of non-preterm children ( Z =-2.56, -2.48, -2.39, all P <0.05). Multivariate quantile regression analysis showed that children’s age was associated with the expected level of self care ability; school enrollment status was associated with the expected level of learning and specialty strengths; maternal personality was associated with the expected levels of social competence, physical and mental health, self care ability, and specialty strengths; parental age was associated with the expected levels of physical and mental health and specialty strengths; and parental educational attainment was associated with the expected level of self care ability ( β =-0.36-0.41, all P <0.05). Conclusion Parents of children with ASD in Hefei generally have high expectations for their children s development across the domains of learning, daily living, social interaction, and physical and mental well being.

Objective: To investigate the association between parenting styles and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschool children，so as to provide a basis for family based interventions for ADHD in the population. Methods: Between August and December 2023, a random cluster sampling method was used to recruit 6 454 preschool children from 60 kindergartens in two counties/districts in Wuhu City, Anhui Province. The Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Rating Scale, version IV was used to assess ADHD symptoms, and the Caregiver Parenting Style Questionnaire was applied to collect data on parenting styles. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the associations between parenting styles and ADHD subtypes. Results: Among the preschool children, 235 were screened positive for ADHD, with a positivity rate of 3.64%. Parenting style scores were as follows:indulgent parenting for 8.00 (7.00, 10.00), authoritative parenting for 38.00 (33.00, 41.00), permissive parenting for 14.00 (11.00, 17.00), authoritarian parenting for 17.00 (14.00, 20.00), and inconsistent parenting 10.00 (7.00, 12.00). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjustment for confounding factors such as childrens sex, age, and family characteristics, preschool children with authoritarian parenting style were associated with higher odds of hyperactive ( OR = 1.13 ) and combined ADHD subtypes ( OR =1.11), while those with inconsistent parenting style were associated with higher odds of the inattentive subtype ( OR =1.09) (all P <0.01). Indulgent, democratic and permissive parenting styles showed no statistically significant associations with any ADHD subtype ( OR =1.02-1.07, 0.98-1.00, 1.01-1.03, all P >0.05). Conclusions Parenting styles are closely associated with the occurrence and subtypes of ADHD in preschool children. Authoritarian and inconsistent parenting styles are potential risk factors for ADHD in preschool children, and modifying adverse parenting styles may serve as an important strategy for family based interventions for ADHD in preschool children.

Sepsis is a potentially fatal infectious disease that easily causes shock and numerous organ failures. The kidney is one of the most susceptible to injury. Early intervention and renal protection significantly minimize patient mortality. Oligomeric proanthocyanidin (OPC), a naturally occurring plant compound, has a high potential for renal protection. This study was aimed at exploring the potential renoprotective role of OPC in sepsis-related renal tubular injury. C57/B6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to simulate sepsis-related acute kidney injury in vivo. Renal function and pathology were assessed. RNA sequencing examined OPC mechanisms against LPS-induced renal injury. Oxidative stress indicators and inflammatory cytokines in blood serum and renal tissues were evaluated. In vitro, MTT assays assess cell viability. Apoptosis cells were detected using Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide staining. Western blot assessed PI3K/AKT and NFκB signaling pathway proteins. OPC reduced LPS-induced renal tubular injury, improved renal functions and pathological changes, restored glutathione content, superoxide dismutase activity, and catalase activity, inhibited malondialdehyde overproduction, and suppressed LPS-induced overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the decline of anti-inflammatory cytokines. OPC attenuated LPS-induced cell morphological injury, reduced cell viability loss, and recovered the changes in proteins involved in PI3K/AKT and NFκB signaling pathways in MTEC cells. OPC protects against LPSinduced renal tubular injury by counteracting oxidative stress, inhibiting inflammatory responses, activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and inhibiting the NFκB signaling pathway. It may provide a viable solution to lessen renal injury in patients with sepsis.

Sepsis is a potentially fatal infectious disease that easily causes shock and numerous organ failures. The kidney is one of the most susceptible to injury. Early intervention and renal protection significantly minimize patient mortality. Oligomeric proanthocyanidin (OPC), a naturally occurring plant compound, has a high potential for renal protection. This study was aimed at exploring the potential renoprotective role of OPC in sepsis-related renal tubular injury. C57/B6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to simulate sepsis-related acute kidney injury in vivo. Renal function and pathology were assessed. RNA sequencing examined OPC mechanisms against LPS-induced renal injury. Oxidative stress indicators and inflammatory cytokines in blood serum and renal tissues were evaluated. In vitro, MTT assays assess cell viability. Apoptosis cells were detected using Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide staining. Western blot assessed PI3K/AKT and NFκB signaling pathway proteins. OPC reduced LPS-induced renal tubular injury, improved renal functions and pathological changes, restored glutathione content, superoxide dismutase activity, and catalase activity, inhibited malondialdehyde overproduction, and suppressed LPS-induced overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the decline of anti-inflammatory cytokines. OPC attenuated LPS-induced cell morphological injury, reduced cell viability loss, and recovered the changes in proteins involved in PI3K/AKT and NFκB signaling pathways in MTEC cells. OPC protects against LPSinduced renal tubular injury by counteracting oxidative stress, inhibiting inflammatory responses, activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and inhibiting the NFκB signaling pathway. It may provide a viable solution to lessen renal injury in patients with sepsis.

Objective: To investigate the mediating role of children s sleep quality in the association between mother-child relationship and the executive function of preschool children, providing a reference for promoting the development of the executive function of preschool children. Methods: A stratified cluster sampling method was used to select 842 preschoolers from 12 kindergartens in Wuhu City, Anhui Province in December 2021 as the subjects of the first follow up study with follow up every six months thereafter. Finally, 746 children were included in the study after 3 follow up. Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the associations among mother-child relationship, sleep quality and executive function in preschool children. Bootstrap program and PROCESS software were applied to test the mediating effect of sleep quality in the association between mother-child relationship and the executive function of preschool children. Results: Conflictual mother-child relationship was positively correlated with the total score of executive function, as well as scores of inhibitory, shifting, emotional control, working memory, and organizational planning ( r=0.40, 0.37, 0.36, 0.41, 0.38 , 0.34, all P <0.05). Dependent mother-child relationship was positively correlated with the total score of executive function, as well as scores of inhibitory, shifting, emotional control, working memory , and organizational planning ( r=0.23, 0.20, 0.21, 0.22 , 0.22, 0.19, all P <0.05). Sleep quality was positively correlated with the total executive function score ( r=0.27, P <0.01). After adjusting for confounding factors, sleep quality played a partial mediating role in the associations between dependent and conflictual mother-child relationships and executive function, the mediating effects were 19.40% and 11.22% respectively. Conclusions Sleep quality plays a mediating role in the association between mother-child relationship and the executive function of preschool children. Improving sleep quality in the early stage can promote the executive function of preschool children.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the improvement effect of electroacupuncture (EA) based on Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture (acupuncture for regaining consciousness and opening orifices) on cognitive impairment in mice with Parkinson's disease (PD), and to explore its regulatory mechanisms on the kinesin family member 5A (KIF5A)/mitochondrial Rho GTPase 1 (Miro1) pathway and mitophagy in prefrontal cortical neurons. METHODS: A total of 70 male C57BL/6J mice of clean grade were randomly divided into a normal group (12 mice), a sham operation group (12 mice), and a model pre-screening group (46 mice). Unilateral stereotaxic injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the medial forebrain bundle was adopted to establish the PD model in the model pre-screening group. Twenty-four mice after successful modeling were randomly selected and divided into a model group and an EA group, 12 mice in each one. In the EA group, acupuncture was applied at "Shuigou" (GV26) and bilateral "Sanyinjiao" (SP6) and "Neiguan" (PC6), ipsilateral "Sanyinjiao" (SP6) and "Neiguan" (PC6) were connected to EA respectively, with disperse-dense wave, 5 Hz/20 Hz in frequency, 0.5 mA in current intensity, 20 min a time, 6 times a week for 30 days. Cognitive function was assessed by Y-maze and Morris water maze tests; morphology of prefrontal cortex was observed by H.E. staining; reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in prefrontal cortex was detected by fluorescence probe method; mitochondrial morphology and autophagosome ultrastructure were observed by transmission electron microscopy; the mRNA expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was detected by quantitative real-time PCR; the protein expression of TH, KIF5A, Miro1, p62, Parkin and PTEN induced kinase 1 (PINK1) was detected by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the sham operation group, both the model group and the EA group exhibited increased rotation number of per minute (P<0.001). Compared with the sham operation group, in the model group, the novel arm exploration time of Y-maze test was shortened (P<0.001), the escape latency of Morris water maze test was prolonged (P<0.05) and the platform crossing number of Morris water maze test was reduced (P<0.01); in the prefrontal cortex, the number of cellular vacuole and neurons with karyopyknosis was increased (P<0.001), and mitochondrial autophagosomes could be observed; in the prefrontal cortex, the relative expression of ROS was increased (P<0.001), the protein and mRNA expression of TH was decreased (P<0.001), the protein expression of Miro1, PINK1, Parkin was increased (P<0.001, P<0.01), the protein expression of KIF5A and p62 was decreased (P<0.001). Compared with the model group, in the EA group, the novel arm exploration time of Y-maze test was prolonged (P<0.01), the escape latency of Morris water maze test was shortened (P<0.05) and the platform crossing number of Morris water maze test was increased (P<0.05); in the prefrontal cortex, the number of cellular vacuole and neurons with karyopyknosis was decreased (P<0.001), and the number of mitochondrial autophagosomes reduced and the mitochondrial morphology was improved; in the prefrontal cortex, the relative expression of ROS was decreased (P<0.01), the protein and mRNA expression of TH was increased (P<0.001, P<0.01), the protein expression of Miro1, PINK1, Parkin was decreased (P<0.001, P<0.01, P<0.05), the protein expression of KIF5A and p62 was increased (P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSION Xingnao Kaiqiao electroacupuncture effectively alleviates cognitive impairment and damage of neuronal function in PD mice, its mechanism may be related to the regulation of KIF5A/Miro1 pathway, hence reducing the mitophagy in prefrontal cortical neurons.
Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Male ; Mice ; Parkinson Disease/physiopathology* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/psychology* ; Kinesins/genetics* ; Humans ; Mitophagy ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; rho GTP-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Mitochondria/genetics* ; Prefrontal Cortex/metabolism*