Sepsis-acquired weakness (SAW) is a common complication in critically ill patients, yet significant gaps remain in both mechanistic understanding and therapeutic interventions for this condition. SAW not only prolongs the duration of mechanical ventilation and hospitalization but is also closely associated with increased mortality. Even if these SAW patients survive, they often experience long-term physical dysfunction after hospital discharge, leading to diminished quality of life. Emerging evidence suggests that sustained mitochondrial dysfunction may constitute a pivotal pathophysiological basis for the development and progression of SAW, primarily encompassing five key aspects: dysregulated mitochondrial quality control (MtQC), impaired oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), exacerbated oxidative stress, disrupted Ca²⁺; homeostasis, and their mediation of diverse myofiber injuries. This article systematically elucidates the central role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of SAW. Furthermore, we explore potential therapeutic strategies targeting mitochondrial function, including mitigating mitochondrial oxidative stress, optimizing nutritional support, and supplementing with muscle-derived mesenchymal stem cells. These insights provide a critical theoretical framework for understanding SAW mechanisms and developing clinical interventions, with particular emphasis on the translational value of mitochondrial-targeted therapies in improving outcomes for septic patients.
Humans ; Sepsis/metabolism* ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Muscle Weakness/etiology* ; Oxidative Stress ; Oxidative Phosphorylation

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the regulatory role of Ral guanine nucleotide dissociation stimulator-like 1 (RGL1) in metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: We analyzed the differential expression of RGL1 between metastatic and non-metastatic CRC in GEO database, and examined its expression in 25 patients with metastatic CRC and 25 patients with non-metastatic CRC treated in Zhujiang Hospital between January, 2020 and December, 2022 using quantitative PCR (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry. HCT116 cell lines with stable RGL1 overexpression and SW480 cells with RGL1 knockdown were established using lentiviral vecors, and the changes in invasion and migration abilities of the cells were assessed using Transwell invasion and migration assays. The transduced cells were injected into the serosa of the cecum of nude mice, and tumor growth and liver metastasis were observed 8 weeks later. Fibronectin adhesion assays and immunofluorescence experiments were employed to assess the relationship between RGL1 and focal adhesion formation, and co-immuno-precipitation assays were performed to explore the interaction between RGL1 and GTPase activation. RESULTS: Compared with non-metastatic CRC, metastatic CRC showed significantly upregulated expression of RGL1. HCT116 cells overexpressing RGL1 exhibited obviously enhanced migration and invasion in vitro with increased capacity for liver metastasis in nude mice. RGL1 overexpression strongly accelerated focal adhesion assembly, facilitated the formation of motile focal adhesions, and enhanced the binding of activated CDC42/RAC1 complex to RGL1. CONCLUSIONS RGL1 is highly expressed in metastatic CRC and promotes distant metastasis of CRC by activating the CDC42/RAC1 complex to facilitate the formation of motile focal adhesions. These findings suggest that RGL1 can potentially serve as a therapeutic target for CRC metastasis.
Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/metabolism* ; cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein/metabolism* ; Animals ; Mice, Nude ; rac1 GTP-Binding Protein/metabolism* ; Cell Movement ; Mice ; Focal Adhesions/metabolism* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Cell Line, Tumor ; HCT116 Cells ; Up-Regulation ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; Female ; Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors

AIM:This study aimed to identify the key active components and signaling pathways in the tradi-tional Chinese medicine Fructus Aurantii that contribute to the prevention and treatment of cardiac hypertrophy,along with experimental validation.METHODS:H9C2 cardiomyocytes were pretreated with nobiletin(NOB)for 1 h and then ex-posed to 100 nmol/L angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ)for 24 h.RT-qPCR was used to quantify the mRNA expression of hypertrophy-related genes,including atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP),brain natriuretic peptide(BNP)and myosin heavy chain 7(MYH7).Immunofluorescence staining was employed to assess the surface area of cardiomyocytes.Additionally,a kit was utilized to measure levels of pyroptosis-related factors such as lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),IL-18 and caspase-1,while Western blot was performed to evaluate the expression of gasdermin D and caspase-1.RESULTS:Network pharmacology analyses indicated that NOB is the key active component in Fructus Aurantii that regu-lates cardiac hypertrophy,potentially through the pyroptosis pathway.Further molecular biology experiments confirmed that NOB inhibits Ang Ⅱ-induced cardiac hypertrophy and pyroptosis.Furthermore,the involvement of the pyroptosis pathway was highlighted in the protective effects of NOB against cardiac hypertrophy.CONCLUSION:The active compo-nent NOB in the traditional Chinese medicine Fructus Aurantii alleviates cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting pyroptosis.

Objective:To explore the current status, research hotspots, and trends of age-friendly home environment modifications, and provide references for future research development in China.Methods:Literature related to age-friendly home modifications was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database, with the search covering publications up to January 27, 2024. VOSviewer 1.6.19 and CiteSpace 6.2.R6 were used to perform visualized analyses of keywords, authors, institutions, publication volume, journals, countries, and publication years.Results:A total of 287 articles were included. The number of publications in this field has shown an increasing trend. Gitlin, Laura N and Iwarsson Susanne were the most productive authors in this field; however, a stable core author group has not yet been established. The United States and the University of Florida/State University System of Florida were the most prolific country and institutions, respectively. The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society had the highest number of publications. Research mainly focused on populations such as older adults with dementia or disabilities, informal caregivers, and occupational therapists. Fall prevention and smart home technologies were also hot topics. Conclusions:Age-friendly home environment modification has become a research hotspot. However, relevant research in China remains at an early stage. Future work should focus on developing targeted and effective modification strategies and technologies tailored to the characteristics of different populations.

AIM:This study aimed to identify the key active components and signaling pathways in the tradi-tional Chinese medicine Fructus Aurantii that contribute to the prevention and treatment of cardiac hypertrophy,along with experimental validation.METHODS:H9C2 cardiomyocytes were pretreated with nobiletin(NOB)for 1 h and then ex-posed to 100 nmol/L angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ)for 24 h.RT-qPCR was used to quantify the mRNA expression of hypertrophy-related genes,including atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP),brain natriuretic peptide(BNP)and myosin heavy chain 7(MYH7).Immunofluorescence staining was employed to assess the surface area of cardiomyocytes.Additionally,a kit was utilized to measure levels of pyroptosis-related factors such as lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),IL-18 and caspase-1,while Western blot was performed to evaluate the expression of gasdermin D and caspase-1.RESULTS:Network pharmacology analyses indicated that NOB is the key active component in Fructus Aurantii that regu-lates cardiac hypertrophy,potentially through the pyroptosis pathway.Further molecular biology experiments confirmed that NOB inhibits Ang Ⅱ-induced cardiac hypertrophy and pyroptosis.Furthermore,the involvement of the pyroptosis pathway was highlighted in the protective effects of NOB against cardiac hypertrophy.CONCLUSION:The active compo-nent NOB in the traditional Chinese medicine Fructus Aurantii alleviates cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting pyroptosis.

Objective:To explore the current status, research hotspots, and trends of age-friendly home environment modifications, and provide references for future research development in China.Methods:Literature related to age-friendly home modifications was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database, with the search covering publications up to January 27, 2024. VOSviewer 1.6.19 and CiteSpace 6.2.R6 were used to perform visualized analyses of keywords, authors, institutions, publication volume, journals, countries, and publication years.Results:A total of 287 articles were included. The number of publications in this field has shown an increasing trend. Gitlin, Laura N and Iwarsson Susanne were the most productive authors in this field; however, a stable core author group has not yet been established. The United States and the University of Florida/State University System of Florida were the most prolific country and institutions, respectively. The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society had the highest number of publications. Research mainly focused on populations such as older adults with dementia or disabilities, informal caregivers, and occupational therapists. Fall prevention and smart home technologies were also hot topics. Conclusions:Age-friendly home environment modification has become a research hotspot. However, relevant research in China remains at an early stage. Future work should focus on developing targeted and effective modification strategies and technologies tailored to the characteristics of different populations.

BACKGROUND:Periodontitis is an inflammatory and destructive disease with plaque biofilm as the main pathogenic material,which occurs in the gingiva,periodontal ligament,alveolar bone and cementum.The antigen of bacterial complex and its secreted toxin and enzyme directly lead to the destruction of periodontal tissue and trigger the host's immune response,causing indirect damage to the body tissue.Silence information regulatory factors(Sirtuins,SIRTs)play an important role in anti-aging,anti-oxidative stress,regulating inflammation,and mediating autophagy,and are closely related to the occurrence and development of periodontitis. OBJECTIVE:To review the research status of Sirtuins in periodontitis. METHODS:The first author used the computer to search the relevant research regarding the role of Sirtuins in periodontitis in PubMed,Web of Scene,CNKI and WanFang databases.The key words were"Sirtuins,Sirtuin1-7,periodontitis"in English and Chinese.After literature screening,57 articles were included for review and analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:SIRT1,SIRT2,SIRT3,and SIRT6 participate in regulating the occurrence and development of periodontitis.Inhibition of SIRT1 expression may be the target of periodontitis treatment,while overexpression of SIRT1 can inhibit periodontitis and protect periodontal tissue.The activator of SIRT1 can reduce the inflammation of periodontal tissue and improve the systemic pathological changes caused by periodontitis.SIRT2 is involved in nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase-mediated periodontal inflammation and plays a role in the treatment and prognosis of periodontal diseases.SIRT3 can improve age-related periodontal disease.Gastrodin promotes the osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells through the up-regulation of SIRT3.The activator of SIRT3 reduces the damage of periodontitis to periodontal and renal tissues by regulating the level of autophagy in the cells.SIRT6 can inhibit the inflammatory reaction of periodontal tissue and inhibit the differentiation and mineralization of cementoblasts.SIRT6 is beneficial to the prognosis of periapical periodontitis.The relationship between SIRT4,SIRT5,SIRT7 and periodontitis is rarely reported.

Objective To investigate the effects of long-term administration of tacrolimus(also known as FK506)on the pain-related behaviors in mice and to study the underlying mechanism of pain induced by FK506 via measuring the effect of FK506 on the synaptic expression and phosphorylation of alpha-amino-3-hyroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid(AMPA)receptor in the spinal cord dorsal horn of mice.Methods 1)A total of 24 mice were evenly and randomly assigned to two groups,a FK506 group and a Saline group.The FK506 group was given daily intraperitoneal injection of FK506 and the Saline group received normal saline.Both groups received injection once a day for 7 days in a row.Some of the mice(n=6 in each group)were monitored for the changes in the paw withdrawal threshold(PWT),the paw withdrawal latency(PWL),and the spontaneous pain behaviors to establish the pain model.The other mice(n=6 in each group)of each group underwent isolation of the dorsal horn when obvious pain symptoms were induced on day 7 of injection.Then,immunoblotting was performed to determine the synaptic expression and phosphorylation levels of GluA1 and GluA2 subunits of AMPA receptors.2)The mice were randomly divided into two groups,FK506+calcineurin(CaN)group and FK506+Saline group(n=6 in each group).After the pain model was constructed,the mice were given intrathecal injection of recombinant CaN(also know as 33 U)or normal saline.Then,60 minutes later,the PWT and the PWL of the mice were measured to investigate the role of CaN in FK506-induced pain.3)Another18 mice were selected.The mice were randomly and evenly assigned to three groups,a control group(receiving intraperitoneal injection of normal saline followed by intrathecal injection of normal saline),FK506+Saline group(receiving intraperitoneal injection of FK506 followed by intrathecal injection of normal saline)and FK506+CaN group(receiving intraperitoneal injection of FK506 followed by intrathecal injection of CaN).Then,60 minutes later,the spinal cords were isolated and subjected to immunoblotting assay to determine the role of CaN in FK506-induced AMPA receptor modification.Results 1)After 7 consecutive days of intraperitoneal injection of FK506,the PWT and PWL of mice dropped significantly,reaching on day 7 as low as 22.3%±0.05%and 66.6%±0.05%of the control group,respectively(P<0.01).The FK506-treated mice displayed evident spontaneous pain behavior,presenting significantly increased licking activities(P<0.01).These results indicated that FK506-induced pain model was successfully established.Immunoblotting assay showed that the total expressions of GluA1 and GluA2 subunits in the spinal dorsal horn of the FK506 group remained unchanged in comparison with those of the Saline group.However,FK506 specifically induced an increase in the synaptic expression of GluA1.In addition,the phosphorylation levels of GluA1 at Ser845 and Ser831 in FK506-treated mice were significantly increased in comparison with those of the control group(P<0.05).2)Compared with those of the mice in the FK506+Saline group,the PWT and the PWL of mice in the FK506+CaN group were significantly increased(P<0.05).3)Compared with those of the FK506+Saline group,the synaptic expression of GluA1 were decreased in FK506+CaN group(P<0.01)and the phosphorylation levels of GluA1 at Ser845 and Ser831 were significantly downregulated(P<0.001).Conclusion The hyper-expression and hyperphosphorylation of GluA1 subunit in the spinal cord dorsal horn resulting from CaN inhibition contributes to the FK506-induced pain syndrome.FK506 induces the synaptic hyper-expression and hyperphosphorylation of GluA1 in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord through CaN inhibition,thereby inducing pain.

Objective: To investigate the analgesic mechanism of Tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) by observing the effect of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 2B (NR2B)/postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95) pathway on the dendritic structure of spinal cord dorsal horn in rats with lumbar disc herniation. Methods: Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group, a Tuina group, a blocker agent group, and a blocker agent + Tuina group. The sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury (CCI) model was prepared by the sciatic nerve ligation method. From the 4th day after modeling, rats in the Tuina group and the blocker agent + Tuina group were subject to daily Tuina intervention, and those in the blocker agent group and the blocker agent + Tuina group were daily intrathecally injected with NR2B blocker agent (MK-801). The spontaneous pain score was used to observe the pain behavior of all rats. The expression levels of NR2B and downstream PSD-95 were measured by immunohistochemistry, and the dendritic structure changes were observed by Golgi staining for rat spinal cord dorsal horn after 14 d of continuous intervention. Results: Compared with the blank group, the degree of rat spontaneous pain after CCI was elevated in both the model and the Tuina groups (P<0.01) and was reduced in the Tuina group after the Tuina intervention compared with the model group (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the rat spontaneous pain level after blocking NR2B was reduced in both the blocker agent group and the blocker agent + Tuina group (P<0.05). The NR2B and PSD-95 protein levels were significantly higher in the model group compared with the blank group (P<0.01); the total number of dendritic branches was increased (P<0.01), and the total dendritic length became longer (P<0.01) in the spinal cord dorsal horn. The rat NR2B and PSD-95 protein levels were significantly decreased in the Tuina group compared with the model group (P<0.01); the total dendritic branch number was reduced (P<0.01) and the total length was shortened (P<0.01) in the spinal cord dorsal horn. After blocking NR2B, the expression levels of NR2B and downstream PSD-95 protein were significantly lower in both the blocker agent group and the blocker agent + Tuina group compared to the model group (P<0.01). The total branch number was significantly reduced (P<0.01), and the total length was significantly shortened (P<0.01) of the dendrites in the spinal cord dorsal horn. Conclusion: Tuina may exert an analgesic effect by remodeling the dendritic structure in the spinal cord dorsal horn in rats with lumbar disc herniation, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NR2B/PSD-95 signaling pathway.

Objective In this study,we used artificial intelligence(AI)technology to explore for automated medical record quality control methods,standardize the process for medical record documentation,and deal with the drawbacks of manually implemented quality control.Methods In this study,we constructed a medical record quality control system based on AI.We first designed and built,for the system,a quality control rule base based on authoritative standards and expert opinions.Then,medical records data were automatically collected through a data acquisition engine and were converted into structured data through a post-structured engine.Finally,the medical record quality control engine was combined with the rule base to analyze the data,identify quality problems,and realize automated intelligent quality control.This system was applied to the quality control of medical records and five quality control points were selected,including similarities in the history of the present illness,defects in the description of chief complaints,incomplete initial diagnosis,missing in formation in the history of menstruation,marriage,and childbirth,and mismatch between the chief complaints and the history of the present illness.We randomly selected 2 918 medical records of patients discharged in January 2022 to conduct AI quality control.Then we organized medical record quality control experts to conduct an accuracy review,made a comparison with previous manual quality control records,and analyzed the results.The number of quality problems that were verified in the accuracy review was taken as the gold standard and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were drawn for the 5 quality control points.Results According to the accuracy review performed by medical record quality control experts,the accuracy of AI quality control reached 89.57％.For the sampled medical records,the results of AI quality control were compared with those of previous manually performed quality control and only one problem detected by manual quality control of the sampled medical records was not detected by the AI quality control system.The number of medical record quality problems correctly detected by AI quality control was about 2.97 times that of manual quality control.Analysis of the ROC curves showed that the AUC of the five quality control points of the AI quality control system were statistically significant(P＜0.05)and all the AUC values approximated or exceeded 0.9.In contrast,results obtained through manually performed quality control found significant AUC(0.797)for only one quality control point—similarities in the history of present illness(P＜0.05).Comparison of the AUC values of the two quality control methods showed that AI quality control system had an advantage over manually performed quality control for the five quality control points.Conclusion Through the application of medical record quality control system based on AI,efficient full quality control of medical record documentation can be achieved and the detection rate of quality problems can be effectively improved.In addition,the system helps save manpower and improve the quality of medical record documentation.