Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice. It has a high prevalence and poor prognosis. The application of antiarrhythmic drugs and even surgery cannot completely treat the disease, and there are many sequelae. AF can be classified into the category of "palpitation" in Chinese medicine according to its symptoms. Acupuncture has a significant effect on AF. The authors find that an important mechanism of acupuncture in AF treatment is to regulate the cardiac vagus nerve. Therefore, this article intends to review the distribution and function of vagus nerve in the heart, the application and the regulatroy effect for the treatment of AF.
Atrial Fibrillation/physiopathology* ; Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Vagus Nerve/physiology* ; Animals

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the anti-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) activity of total alkaloids from Gelsemium elegans Benth. (TAG) in vivo and in vitro and to elucidate their potential mechanisms of action through transcriptomic analysis. METHODS: TAG extraction was conducted, and the primary components were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The effects of TAG (100, 150, and 200 µg/mL) on various tumor cells, including SMMC-7721, HepG2, H22, CAL27, MCF7, HT29, and HCT116, were assessed. Effects of TAG on HCC proliferation and apoptosis were detected by colony formation assays and cell stainings. Caspase-3, Bcl-2, and Bax protein levels were detected by Western blotting. In vivo, a tumor xenograft model was developed using H22 cells. Totally 40 Kunming mice were randomly assigned to model, cyclophosphamide (20 mg/kg), TAG low-dose (TAG-L, 0.5 mg/kg), and TAG high-dose (TAG-H, 1 mg/kg) groups, with 10 mice in each group. Tumor volume, body weight, and tumor weight were recorded and compared during 14-day treatment. Immune organ index were calculated. Tissue changes were oberseved by hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. Additionally, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses, as well as quatitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), were performed to detect mRNA and metabolite expressions. RESULTS: HPLC successfully identified the components of TAG extraction. Live cell imaging and analysis, along with cell viability assays, demonstrated that TAG inhibited the proliferation of SMMC-7721, HepG2, H22, CAL27, MCF7, HT29, and HCT116 cells. Colony formation assays, Hoechst 33258 staining, Rhodamine 123 staining, and Western blotting revealed that TAG not only inhibited HCC proliferation but also promoted apoptosis (P<0.05). In vivo experiments showed that TAG inhibited the growth of solid tumors in HCC in mice (P<0.05). Transcriptomic analysis and RT-qPCR indicated that the inhibition of HCC by TAG was associated with the regulation of the key gene CXCL13. CONCLUSION TAG inhibits HCC both in vivo and in vitro, with its inhibitory effect linked to the regulation of the key gene CXCL13.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Liver Neoplasms/genetics* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics* ; Humans ; Alkaloids/therapeutic use* ; Gelsemium/chemistry* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Mice ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between physical activity and genetic risk and their combined effects on the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 318,085 biobank participants from the UK. Physical activity was assessed using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The participants were stratified into low-, intermediate-, and high-genetic-risk groups based on their polygenic risk scores. Multivariate Cox regression models and multiplicative interaction analyses were used. RESULTS: During a median follow-up period of 13 years, 9,209 participants were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For low genetic risk, compared to low physical activity, the hazard ratios ( HRs) for moderate and high physical activity were 0.853 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 0.748-0.972) and 0.831 (95% CI: 0.727-0.950), respectively. For intermediate genetic risk, the HRs were 0.829 (95% CI: 0.758-0.905) and 0.835 (95% CI: 0.764-0.914), respectively. For participants with high genetic risk, the HRs were 0.809 (95% CI: 0.746-0.877) and 0.818 (95% CI: 0.754-0.888), respectively. A significant interaction was observed between genetic risk and physical activity. CONCLUSION Moderate or high levels of physical activity were associated with a lower risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease across all genetic risk groups, highlighting the need to tailor activity interventions for genetically susceptible individuals.
Humans ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/epidemiology* ; Exercise ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Aged ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Risk Factors ; United Kingdom/epidemiology* ; Incidence ; Adult

Osteoarthritis （OA） is characterized by articular cartilage degeneration， synovial hyperplasia， hyperosteogeny， and narrowing of joint space， which can be caused by trauma， inflammation， and other factors. With the increasing global population aging， the incidence of OA is rising year by year， making it a major public health problem that urgently needs to be addressed. Exploring effective treatment schemes is particularly important. The pathogenesis of OA is complex， including oxidative stress， autophagy， and apoptosis. Recent studies have found that ferroptosis， a new type of cell death， is also an important pathogenic factor in OA， characterized by a series of complex changes such as iron ion accumulation， glutathione （GSH） depletion， and mitochondrial dysfunction. Research shows that inhibiting ferroptosis in chondrocytes can promote chondrocyte proliferation， delay extracellular matrix （ECM） degradation， and reduce synovial hyperplasia and inflammation. Targeting ferroptosis is a new direction in the treatment of OA. OA treatment includes intra-articular injections of steroids or hyaluronic acid and artificial joint replacement， but there are limitations. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has been widely used in the treatment of various diseases because of its low cost， low drug resistance， and few side effects. Cell and animal experiments have further confirmed that TCM can intervene in the treatment of OA with ferroptosis from multiple targets， multiple levels， and aspects， but the mechanism of its treatment of OA based on ferroptosis has not been clarified. This paper discussed iron metabolism， lipid peroxidation， cysteine/glutamate transporter system Xc^- （system Xc^-）/GSH/glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4） pathway， nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate（NADPH）/ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 （FSP1）/coenzyme Q₁₀ （CoQ₁₀） pathway， tumor protein p53 in OA， and related molecular targets of Chinese medicine monomers and compounds on ferroptosis inhibition. Their potential therapeutic mechanisms were further analyzed to provide theoretical guidance for the treatment of OA by TCM and useful reference for the research and development of related drugs.

Objective:To assess the efficacy of parent training (PT) on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, behavioral problems, and parenting stress in child with ADHD or ADHD symptoms.Methods:Randomized controlled trials of the effect of PT on ADHD symptoms in Chinese children with ADHD or ADHD symptoms were collected by PsychINFO, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of science, Scopus, China National Knowledge database, WanFang database, the China Science and Technology Journal Database and the China Biology Medicine disc. The quality of the included studies was evaluated by version 2 of the Cochrane tool for assessing risk of bias in randomized trial. Forest plots were drawn using Review Manager 5.4.1, sensitivity analyses of results were performed using Stata 18.0 to assess the stability of the results, and publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Egger's test.Results:A total of 10 studies containing 571 subjects in the experimental group and 562 subjects in the control group met the inclusion exclusion criteria. Significant differences were observed in various measures, including overall ADHD symptoms (MD=-2.43, 95% CI: -3.95--0.91), inattention (MD=-1.10, 95% CI: -1.94--0.26), hyperactivity/impulsivity (SMD=-0.58, 95% CI: -0.87--0.28), overall conduct problems (SMD=-0.80, 95% CI: -1.05--0.55), conduct problem (SMD=-1.34, 95% CI: -2.31--0.37), learning problem (SMD=-0.81, 95% CI: -1.40--0.23), impulsivity/hyperactivity (SMD=-0.53, 95% CI: -0.78--0.29), hyperactivity index (SMD=-1.27, 95% CI: -1.99--0.55), parenting stress index (SMD=-0.69, 95% CI: -1.12--0.26), difficult child (MD=-1.96, 95% CI: -3.44--0.48), dysfunctional interaction (MD=-3.10, 95% CI: -4.43--1.78), and parenting distress (MD=-3.35, 95% CI: -4.59--2.12)(all P<0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in oppositional-defiant disorder, anxiety, or somatic problem. Conclusions:The initial findings suggested that PT was effective for Chinese children with ADHD or ADHD symptoms.The addition of PT appeared to improve core symptoms of ADHD (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity), conduct problems, and parental stress more effectively than routine care alone.

Objective:To observe the effects of brain-computer interface(BCI)combined with GEO system? lower limb robot(G-EO)on the balance and walking function in stroke patients. Method:Forty stroke patients were recruited from Wuxi central rehabilitation hospital,randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group,with 20 cases in each group.The patients in the control group un-derwent lower limb active-passive bicycle training and G-EO training on the basis of conventional rehabilitation treatment.The patients in the experimental group underwent BCI training and G-EO training on the basis of conventional rehabilitation treatment.Patients in both groups were assessed using the Fugl-Meyer lower limb motor function scale(FMA-LE),the Berg balance scale(BBS),the tecnobody balance assessment system and the Gait Watch 3D gait analyzer before treatments and after 4 weeks of treatments. Result:Before treatment,there were no significant differences between the control group and the experimental group(P＞0.05).After 4 weeks of treatment,the FMA-LE,BBS,elliptical area of pressure center motion,length of the pressure center trajectory,stability limit,cadence,gait cycle,stride,stride speed,step length symmetry ratio and maximum ankle dorsiflexion in both groups were significantly better than before treatment(P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,the FMA-LE,BBS,elliptical area of pressure center motion,length of the pressure center trajectory,stability limit,cadence,gait cycle,stride,stride speed of the experi-mental group were significantly improved(P＜0.05). Conclusion:The 4-weeks BCI combined with G-EO training can effectively improve the lower limb move-ment function,the balance and the walking ability of stroke patients,demonstrating immediate effects.

Objective:To conduct a scoping review of research on the self-advocacy of adult cancer patients to identify their self-advocacy needs, behaviors, strengths and weaknesses, so as to provide guidance for future research in this field.Methods:Using the scoping review guidelines of Joanna Briggs Institute in Australia as a methodological framework, relevant literatures were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, Science Direct, CINAHL, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP and China Biology Medicine disc. The search period was from establishment of the databases to December 2023, and the results were summarized and analyzed.Results:A total of 14 articles were included, and self-advocacy needs included six types of needs, such as symptom management, communication, interpersonal support, disease information, decision-making and emotional management. Self-advocacy included four aspects, including seeking information, self-decision-making, strengthening contact with the outside world and effective communication.Conclusions:Adult cancer patients have diverse types of self-advocacy needs and certain self-advocacy behaviors. Future research should pay attention to self-advocacy needs assessment, develop corresponding tools, focus on self-advocacy behaviors, leverage the advantages of self-advocacy and explore strategies to achieve effective self-advocacy support.

Skeletal muscle wasting refers to a loss of skeletal muscle mass and function.Mitochondrial quality control(MQC)is the basis by which normal physiological mitochondrial function is maintained and mainly involves the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis,mitochondrial dynamics(fission/fusion),and mitophagy.MQC maintains muscle homeostasis by regulating the relative stability of mitochondrial shape,quantity,and quality.As an economical and effective treatment for muscular atrophy,exercise interventions are widely used,but the relationship between exercise intervention and MQC is not clear.This paper discusses the role of mitochondrial biogenesis,mitochondrial dynamics,and mitophagy in skeletal muscle atrophy and related molecular targets.We thoroughly analyze the mechanisms by which MQC-mediated exercise can improve the skeletal muscle atrophy caused by aging,disuse,and cancer cachexia in order to provide theoretical guidance for intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of Guanxin Danshen Dripping Pills (GXDS) in the treatment of depression or anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: From September 2017 to June 2019, 200 CHD patients after PCI with depression and anxiety were included and randomly divided into GXDS (100 cases) and placebo control groups (100 cases) by block randomization and a random number table. Patients in the GXDS and control groups were given GXDS and placebo, respectively, 0.4 g each time, 3 times daily for 12 weeks. The primary outcomes were scores of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Scale (GAD-7) and the Seattle Angina Pectoris Scale (SAQ). The secondary outcomes included 12 Health Survey Summary Form (SF-12) scores and the first onset time and incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Other indices including blood pressure, blood lipids, microcirculation and inflammatory-related indices, etc. were monitored at baseline, week 4, and week 12. RESULTS: In the full analysis set (200 cases), after treatment, the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores in the GXDS group were considerably lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the baseline, the total PHQ-9 scores of the experimental and control groups decreased by 3.97 and 1.18, respectively. The corrected mean difference between the two groups was -2.78 (95% CI: -3.47, -2.10; P<0.001). The total GAD-7 score in the GXDS group decreased by 3.48% compared with the baseline level, while that of the placebo group decreased by 1.13%. The corrected mean difference between the two groups was -2.35 (95% CI: -2.95, -1.76; P<0.001). The degree of improvement in SAQ score, SF-12 score, endothelin and high-sensitive C-reactive protein levels in the GXDS group were substantially superior than those in the placebo group, and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). Similar results were obtained in the per protocol population analysis of 177 patients. Three cases of MACES were reported in this study (1 in the GXDS group and 2 in the placebo group), and no serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSIONS GXDS can significantly alleviate depression and anxiety, relieve symptoms of angina, and improve quality of life in patients with CHD after PCI. (Registration No. ChiCTR1800014291).
Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/adverse effects* ; Quality of Life ; Depression ; Coronary Disease/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Angina Pectoris/drug therapy* ; Prognosis ; Anxiety ; Treatment Outcome ; Double-Blind Method

Objective To investigate the release of enterogenic and hepatogenic high mobility group protein B1(HMGB1)through exosomes and its regulatory pathway.Methods We used wild-type(WT)and ASC-/-mice for this study.We randomly selected five mice per group from each strain and fed them either a normal diet(ND)or a high-fat diet(HFD)for eight weeks.The control group consisted of WT mice fed with the normal diet;the HFD group were WT mice with the HFD;the microflora disturbance(MD)group were ASC-/-mice fed with the normal diet;the high-lipid microflora disturbance(HLMD)group were ASC-/-mice with HFD.We used confocal microscopy to detect the co-localization of liver and intestinal exosome markers with HMGB1.We then measured the expression level of HMGB1 content in exosomes by Western blotting and PCR.The AML12 cells were treated with palmitic acid(PA)and lipopolysaccharide(LPS)for 24 h to build an in vitro model.We also detected HMGB1/CD63 levels using Western blotting.To understand the regulatory mechanism of exosome release,we employed siRNA intervention.Results The secretion of exosomes increased significantly in HFD group compared with control group[(3.5±0.2)ng/ml vs.(1.1±0.3)ng/ml,P<0.05],HLMD group compared with those in MD group[(3.2±0.2)ng/ml vs.(1.9±0.4)ng/ml,P<0.05].Using immunofluorescence detection,we observed increased co-localization of exosome markers(ALP or VPS16)with HMGB1 in HFD group compared with control group.We also observed this in AML12 cells treated with PA and LPS compared with blank control.The PCR data showed that HMGB1 in hepatocyte exosomes was higher in HFD group compared with control group(41.5±10.2 vs.1.3±0.3,P<0.05),HLMD group was significantly higher than that in MD group(48.6±7.2 vs.1.5±0.5,P<0.05).TLR4 expression was higher in HFD group compared with control group(13.8±6.2 vs.2.8±0.9,P<0.05),HLMD group compared with MD group(22.6±4.1 vs.2.5±1.5,P<0.05).In intestinal mucosal cells,the co-location of HMGB1 and exosome marker CD63 was significantly higher in HFD group compared with control group(0.6±0.2 vs.0.4±0.1,P<0.05),and HLMD group compared with MD group(0.9±0.2 vs.0.5±0.1,P<0.05).In vitro,the HMGB1 of exosomes was increased in endotoxin group(5.1±0.8)and high lipid endotoxin group(5.5±0.7)compared with control group(3.8±0.6,P<0.05).On the other hand,the HMGB1 of exosomes in the cell siRNA intervention group was not increased compared with control group(3.7±0.6 vs.3.8±0.6,P>0.05).Conclusion HMGB1 is released by exosomes in hepatocytes and intestinal cells,and regulated by Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)under a high-fat diet and intestinal flora disorder,which may be one of the contributing factors in promoting the development of steatohepatitis.