ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism by which Gegen Qinliantang（GQT） improves skeletal muscle insulin resistance. MethodsThe db/m mice were used as the normal group， while db/db mice were assigned to a model group， low-dose （3.12 g·kg^-1）， medium-dose （6.24 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose （12.48 g·kg^-1） GQT groups， and a Western medicine group （semaglutide， 0.045 mg·kg^-1），n=6 in each group. All groups received corresponding interventions. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test （IPGTT）， intraperitoneal insulin tolerance test （IPITT）， and hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining were used to evaluate insulin resistance and therapeutic efficacy. Serum lipid levels were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer， and apoptosis in skeletal muscle was assessed via TUNEL assay. Transcriptome sequencing combined with gene ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） analyses was performed to identify differentially expressed genes （DEGs）. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to validate gene expression. Molecular docking was applied to evaluate the binding patterns between active components of GQT and key regulatory genes to elucidate pharmacological mechanisms. ResultsCompared with the model group， the medium-dose and high-dose GQT groups showed significantly reduced fasting blood glucose （FBG） levels （P<0.01）. Triglycerides （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） were markedly decreased （P<0.01）， while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） was significantly increased （P<0.01）. IPGTT， IPITT， and HE staining demonstrated that GQT enhanced insulin sensitivity and restored skeletal muscle morphology. GQT also alleviated apoptosis in skeletal muscle tissue. Transcriptome analysis revealed that GQT primarily affected biological processes such as oxidative phosphorylation， metabolic pathways， cellular processes， and protein binding. Real-time PCR results showed that CBR2， CDK6， F830016B08Rik， IL-1β， Rab27b， and COLEC12 were key regulatory genes. Molecular docking demonstrated that CBR2， IL-1β， Rab27b， and COLEC12 formed stable binding with the main active components of GQT. The therapeutic effects of high- and medium-dose GQT were comparable to those of the semaglutide group. ConclusionGQT improves skeletal muscle insulin resistance， potentially by regulating apoptosis as part of its underlying biological mechanism.

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy and safety of evolocumab and probucol in patients with ultra-high-risk atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease （ASCVD） following percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI）. METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on 156 ultra-high-risk ASCVD patients who underwent PCI in our institution between January 1， 2023 and December 31， 2024. According to the lipid-lowering regimen， the patients were categorized into evolocumab group （ n ＝86） and probucol group （ n ＝70）. Changes in lipid parameters [total cholesterol （TC）， low-density lipoprot ein cholesterol （LDL-C）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， triglycerides， lipoprotein （a）， and lipid goal achievement rate ] ， inflammatory markers [interleukin-6 （IL-6） and C-reactive protein （CRP） ] ， and cardiac function indices （left ventricular ejection fraction， left ventricular end-systolic diameter， left ventricular end-diastolic diameter， and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide） were compared between two groups at baseline and after 6 months of treatment. The incidence of adverse clinical events during treatment， including acute myocardial infarction， in-stent restenosis， acute heart failure， cerebral hemorrhage， and stroke， was also evaluated. RESULTS No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups at baseline （ P ＞0.05）. After 6 months of treatment， both groups demonstrated significant improvements in lipid profiles （except HDL-C） and inflammatory markers compared to those at baseline （ P ＜0.05）. The evolocumab group exhibited greater reductions in TC， LDL-C， IL-6， and CRP， along with a higher lipid target achievement rate， compared with the probucol group （ P ＜0.05）. There were no statistically significant differences in the cardiac function-related indicators before and after treatment between the two groups， nor in the incidence of adverse events during the treatment （ P ＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS For ultra-high-risk ASCVD patients after PCI， both of the above treatment options are associated with improvements in blood lipid and inflammatory response， with good safety during short-term follow-up. Evolocumab shows superior efficacy in TC， LDL-C and inflammatory markers reduction and lipid target achievement， compared to probucol.

ObjectiveTo elucidate the underlying mechanism through which Zhuluan decoction suppresses excessive autophagy in human ovarian granulosa cells （KGN） and ameliorates premature ovarian insufficiency （POI） via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway. MethodsThe optimal concentration of cyclophosphamide for inducing a POI model in KGN cells was identified via the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay. Subsequently， the impacts of varying concentrations of Zhuluan decoction-containing serum on the viability of the KGN cell model were assessed. After the optimal drug concentration was determined， KGN cells were categorized into the following groups： blank control （20% blank serum）， model （20% blank serum + 5 μmol·L^-1 cyclophosphamide）， Zhuluan decoction-containing serum （20% Zhuluan decoction-containing serum + 5 μmol·L^-1 cyclophosphamide）， autophagy inhibitor （20% blank serum + 5 μmol·L^-1 cyclophosphamide + 20 μmol·L^-1 chloroquine phosphate）， autophagy inhibitor + Zhuluan decoction-containing serum （20% Zhuluan decoction-containing serum + 5 μmol·L^-1 cyclophosphamide + 20 μmol·L^-1 chloroquine phosphate）， and estradiol valerate （20% estradiol valerate-containing serum + 5 μmol·L^-1 cyclophosphamide）. Following 48 hours of incubation， flow cytometry was utilized to measure the apoptosis rate of KGN cells in each group. Western blotting was employed to quantify the protein levels of PI3K， phosphorylated （p）-Akt， Akt， p-mTOR， and mTOR， along with the expression levels of autophagy-related proteins such as Beclin1， autophagy-related 5 homolog （ATG5）， and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）， in each group. Additionally， monodansylcadaverine （MDC） staining was performed to evaluate the extent of autophagy in each group. ResultsIncubation of KGN cells with 5 μmol·L^-1 cyclophosphamide for 48 h successfully established a POI model， marked by a significant inhibition of KGN cell proliferation. Notably， the inhibitory effect of cyclophosphamide on KGN cell proliferation exhibited a positive correlation with its concentration. Zhuluan decoction-containing serum at 20% and 30% promoted cell proliferation and mitigated the inhibitory effect of cyclophosphamide on KGN cell proliferation， with comparable therapeutic efficacy observed at both concentrations. Compared with the blank control group， the model group displayed an elevated apoptosis rate （P<0.01）， reduced protein levels of PI3K， p-Akt， and p-mTOR （P<0.01）， increased protein levels of Beclin1， LC3， and ATG5 （P<0.01）， no significant alterations in the protein levels of Akt and mTOR， and an enhanced MDC autophagy fluorescence intensity （P<0.01）. In comparison to that the model group， the apoptosis rates in the blank control group， model group， Zhuluan decoction-containing serum group， autophagy inhibitor group， autophagy inhibitor + Zhuluan decoction-containing serum group， and estradiol valerate group all reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with the most pronounced reduction observed in the autophagy inhibitor + Zhuluan decoction-containing serum group. The protein levels of PI3K， p-Akt， and p-mTOR were higher in other groups than in the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）， being the highest in the autophagy inhibitor + Zhuluan decoctio-containing serum group （P<0.01）. The protein levels of Beclin1 and ATG5 were lower in other groups than in the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression level of LC3 declined in the Zhuluan decoction-containing serum group and the estradiol valerate group （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while it decreased without statistical significance in the autophagy inhibitor group and the autophagy inhibitor + Zhuluan decoction-containing serum group. ConclusionZhuluan decoction may activate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway to inhibit excessive autophagy and counteract the detrimental effects of cyclophosphamide on the KGN cell model， thus managing POI.

ObjectiveTo elucidate the underlying mechanism through which Zhuluan decoction suppresses excessive autophagy in human ovarian granulosa cells （KGN） and ameliorates premature ovarian insufficiency （POI） via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway. MethodsThe optimal concentration of cyclophosphamide for inducing a POI model in KGN cells was identified via the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay. Subsequently， the impacts of varying concentrations of Zhuluan decoction-containing serum on the viability of the KGN cell model were assessed. After the optimal drug concentration was determined， KGN cells were categorized into the following groups： blank control （20% blank serum）， model （20% blank serum + 5 μmol·L^-1 cyclophosphamide）， Zhuluan decoction-containing serum （20% Zhuluan decoction-containing serum + 5 μmol·L^-1 cyclophosphamide）， autophagy inhibitor （20% blank serum + 5 μmol·L^-1 cyclophosphamide + 20 μmol·L^-1 chloroquine phosphate）， autophagy inhibitor + Zhuluan decoction-containing serum （20% Zhuluan decoction-containing serum + 5 μmol·L^-1 cyclophosphamide + 20 μmol·L^-1 chloroquine phosphate）， and estradiol valerate （20% estradiol valerate-containing serum + 5 μmol·L^-1 cyclophosphamide）. Following 48 hours of incubation， flow cytometry was utilized to measure the apoptosis rate of KGN cells in each group. Western blotting was employed to quantify the protein levels of PI3K， phosphorylated （p）-Akt， Akt， p-mTOR， and mTOR， along with the expression levels of autophagy-related proteins such as Beclin1， autophagy-related 5 homolog （ATG5）， and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）， in each group. Additionally， monodansylcadaverine （MDC） staining was performed to evaluate the extent of autophagy in each group. ResultsIncubation of KGN cells with 5 μmol·L^-1 cyclophosphamide for 48 h successfully established a POI model， marked by a significant inhibition of KGN cell proliferation. Notably， the inhibitory effect of cyclophosphamide on KGN cell proliferation exhibited a positive correlation with its concentration. Zhuluan decoction-containing serum at 20% and 30% promoted cell proliferation and mitigated the inhibitory effect of cyclophosphamide on KGN cell proliferation， with comparable therapeutic efficacy observed at both concentrations. Compared with the blank control group， the model group displayed an elevated apoptosis rate （P<0.01）， reduced protein levels of PI3K， p-Akt， and p-mTOR （P<0.01）， increased protein levels of Beclin1， LC3， and ATG5 （P<0.01）， no significant alterations in the protein levels of Akt and mTOR， and an enhanced MDC autophagy fluorescence intensity （P<0.01）. In comparison to that the model group， the apoptosis rates in the blank control group， model group， Zhuluan decoction-containing serum group， autophagy inhibitor group， autophagy inhibitor + Zhuluan decoction-containing serum group， and estradiol valerate group all reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with the most pronounced reduction observed in the autophagy inhibitor + Zhuluan decoction-containing serum group. The protein levels of PI3K， p-Akt， and p-mTOR were higher in other groups than in the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）， being the highest in the autophagy inhibitor + Zhuluan decoctio-containing serum group （P<0.01）. The protein levels of Beclin1 and ATG5 were lower in other groups than in the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression level of LC3 declined in the Zhuluan decoction-containing serum group and the estradiol valerate group （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while it decreased without statistical significance in the autophagy inhibitor group and the autophagy inhibitor + Zhuluan decoction-containing serum group. ConclusionZhuluan decoction may activate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway to inhibit excessive autophagy and counteract the detrimental effects of cyclophosphamide on the KGN cell model， thus managing POI.

Objective: To investigate the status of condom use and its influencing factors among men who have sex with men (MSM), so as to provide a basis for improving condom utilization rates and AIDS prevention and control in this population. Methods: From May to October 2024, a snowball sampling method was employed to recruit MSM in Songjiang District, Shanghai Municipality. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data on demographic characteristics, AIDS-related knowledge, sexual behaviors, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and condom use in the past six months. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors for consistent condom use. Results: A total of 921 MSM were surveyed, with a median age of 29.00 (interquartile range, 9.00) years. Among them, 697 (75.68%) were aware of AIDS-related knowledge, 826 (89.69%) expressed willingness to use PrEP, and 835 (90.66%) were willing to use PEP. Additionally, 787 (85.45%) MSM reported their age at first homosexual intercourse as ≥18 years, while 519 (56.35%) reported consistent condom use in the past six months. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that MSM who were aware of AIDS-related knowledge (OR=0.582, 95% CI: 0.423-0.801), willing to use PrEP (OR =0.611, 95% CI: 0.385-0.969), and whose age at first homosexual intercourse was <18 years (OR=0.480, 95% CI: 0.330-0.700) were less likely to consistent use condoms. Conclusion The proportion of consistent condom use among the MSM remains relatively low, which is primarily associated with AIDS-related knowledge, willingness to use PrEP, and the age at first homosexual intercourse.

Organoid-on-a-chip technology represents a promising interdisciplinary advancement that merges two cutting-edge biomedical platforms: stem cell-derived organoids and microfluidics-based organ-on-a-chip systems. Organoids are self-organizing three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures that mimic the key structural and functional features of in vivo organs. However, traditional organoid culture systems are often static, lacking dynamic environmental cues and suffering from limitations such as batch-to-batch variability, low stability, and low throughput. Organ-on-a-chip platforms, by contrast, utilize microfluidic technologies to simulate the dynamic physiological microenvironment of human tissues and organs, enabling more controlled cell growth and differentiation. By integrating the advantages of organoids and organ-on-a-chip technologies, organoid-on-a-chip systems transcend the limitations of conventional 3D culture models, offering a more physiologically relevant and controllable in vitro platform. In organoid-on-a-chip systems, stem cells or pre-formed organoids are cultured in micro-engineered environments that mimic in vivo conditions, enabling precise control over fluid flow, mechanical forces, and biochemical cues. Specifically, these platforms employ advanced strategies including bio-inspired 3D scaffolds for structural support, precise spatial cell patterning via 3D bioprinting, and integrated biosensors for real-time monitoring of metabolic activities. These synergistic elements recreate complex extracellular matrix signals and ensure high structural fidelity. Based on structural complexity, organoid-on-a-chip systems are classified into single-organoid and multi-organoid types, forming a trajectory from unit biomimicry to systemic simulation. Single-organoid chips focus on highly biomimetic units by integrating vascular, immune, or neural functions. Multi-organoid chips simulate inter-organ crosstalk and systemic homeostasis, advancing complex disease modeling and PK/PD evaluation. This emerging technology has demonstrated broad application potential in multiple fields of biomedicine. Organoid-on-a-chip systems can recapitulate organ developmentin vitro, facilitating research in developmental biology. They mimic organ-specific physiological activities and mechanisms, showing promising applications in regenerative medicine for tissue repair or replacement. In disease modeling, they support the reconstruction of models for neurodegenerative, inflammatory, infectious, metabolic diseases, and cancers. These platforms also enable in vitro drug testing and pharmacokinetic studies (ADME). Patient-derived chips preserve genetic and pathological features, offering potential for precision medicine. Additionally, they reduce species differences in toxicology, providing human-relevant data for environmental, food, cosmetic, and drug safety assessments. Despite progress, organoid-on-a-chip systems face challenges in dynamic simulation, extracellular matrix (ECM) variability, and limited real-time 3D imaging, requiring improved materials and the integration of developmental signals. Current bottlenecks also include the high technical threshold for automation and the lack of standardized validation frameworks for regulatory adoption. Meanwhile, the concept of a “human-on-a-chip” has been proposed to mimic whole-body physiology by integrating multiple organoid modules. This approach enables systemic modeling of drug responses and toxicity, with the potential to reduce animal testing and revolutionize drug development. Future advancements in bio-responsive hydrogels and flexible biosensors will further empower these platforms to bridge the gap between bench-side research and personalized clinical interventions. In conclusion, organoid-on-a-chip technology offers a transformative in vitro model that closely recapitulates the complexity of human tissues and organ systems. It provides an unprecedented platform for advancing biomedical research, clinical translation, and pharmaceutical innovation. Continued development in biomaterials, microengineering, and analytical technologies will be essential to unlocking the full potential of this powerful tool.

Organoid-on-a-chip technology represents a promising interdisciplinary advancement that merges two cutting-edge biomedical platforms: stem cell-derived organoids and microfluidics-based organ-on-a-chip systems. Organoids are self-organizing three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures that mimic the key structural and functional features of in vivo organs. However, traditional organoid culture systems are often static, lacking dynamic environmental cues and suffering from limitations such as batch-to-batch variability, low stability, and low throughput. Organ-on-a-chip platforms, by contrast, utilize microfluidic technologies to simulate the dynamic physiological microenvironment of human tissues and organs, enabling more controlled cell growth and differentiation. By integrating the advantages of organoids and organ-on-a-chip technologies, organoid-on-a-chip systems transcend the limitations of conventional 3D culture models, offering a more physiologically relevant and controllable in vitro platform. In organoid-on-a-chip systems, stem cells or pre-formed organoids are cultured in micro-engineered environments that mimic in vivo conditions, enabling precise control over fluid flow, mechanical forces, and biochemical cues. Specifically, these platforms employ advanced strategies including bio-inspired 3D scaffolds for structural support, precise spatial cell patterning via 3D bioprinting, and integrated biosensors for real-time monitoring of metabolic activities. These synergistic elements recreate complex extracellular matrix signals and ensure high structural fidelity. Based on structural complexity, organoid-on-a-chip systems are classified into single-organoid and multi-organoid types, forming a trajectory from unit biomimicry to systemic simulation. Single-organoid chips focus on highly biomimetic units by integrating vascular, immune, or neural functions. Multi-organoid chips simulate inter-organ crosstalk and systemic homeostasis, advancing complex disease modeling and PK/PD evaluation. This emerging technology has demonstrated broad application potential in multiple fields of biomedicine. Organoid-on-a-chip systems can recapitulate organ developmentin vitro, facilitating research in developmental biology. They mimic organ-specific physiological activities and mechanisms, showing promising applications in regenerative medicine for tissue repair or replacement. In disease modeling, they support the reconstruction of models for neurodegenerative, inflammatory, infectious, metabolic diseases, and cancers. These platforms also enable in vitro drug testing and pharmacokinetic studies (ADME). Patient-derived chips preserve genetic and pathological features, offering potential for precision medicine. Additionally, they reduce species differences in toxicology, providing human-relevant data for environmental, food, cosmetic, and drug safety assessments. Despite progress, organoid-on-a-chip systems face challenges in dynamic simulation, extracellular matrix (ECM) variability, and limited real-time 3D imaging, requiring improved materials and the integration of developmental signals. Current bottlenecks also include the high technical threshold for automation and the lack of standardized validation frameworks for regulatory adoption. Meanwhile, the concept of a “human-on-a-chip” has been proposed to mimic whole-body physiology by integrating multiple organoid modules. This approach enables systemic modeling of drug responses and toxicity, with the potential to reduce animal testing and revolutionize drug development. Future advancements in bio-responsive hydrogels and flexible biosensors will further empower these platforms to bridge the gap between bench-side research and personalized clinical interventions. In conclusion, organoid-on-a-chip technology offers a transformative in vitro model that closely recapitulates the complexity of human tissues and organ systems. It provides an unprecedented platform for advancing biomedical research, clinical translation, and pharmaceutical innovation. Continued development in biomaterials, microengineering, and analytical technologies will be essential to unlocking the full potential of this powerful tool.

ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the potential of different orders of magnitude single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) locus combinations for predicting distant kinship relationships. A high-density SNP locus set was constructed, and a comprehensive assessment of its inference capability was conducted. MethodsFirstly, we selected three commercial chip panels, CGA (Chinese genotyping array, Illumina), GSA (Global screening array, Illumina), Affy (23MF_V2 high-density SNP array, Affymetrix) and merged them after quality control, forming a high-density SNP locus panel(1 180 k). Secondly, we selected 161 samples and collected their peripheral blood samples by using whole-genome sequencing technology. Within this sample population, the levels of kinship relationships fully covered the range from level 1 to level 9, and the number of kinship pairs at each level was consistently maintained at over 50 pairs. From 161 samples data of whole-genome sequencing, the 1 180 k locus set was extracted, which is referred to as the high-density SNP locus set in the following text. The kinship inference was conducted using the identity-by-descent (IBD) algorithm with the selected optimal parameters. To comprehensively evaluate the performance of the high-density SNP locus set in kinship inference, we compared it with the three commercial chip panels, the intersection of these three chip loci, and the control sets constructed by randomly reducing the number of the high-density SNP locus set. Based on the changes in the IBD lengths, as well as the dynamic trends in prediction accuracy, we conducted a scientific assessment of the kinship inference capability of the high-density SNP locus set. ResultsAfter screening, a set of 1 184 334 autosomal SNPs was obtained. During the process of screening the optimal IBD length threshold, the result revealed that 0 cM, 1 cM, and 2 cM all demonstrated good applicability. However, to avoid the issue of a large amount of redundant information caused by setting a too low IBD length threshold, this study ultimately selected 2 cM as the optimal threshold. Compared with the average results of three chip panels, the high-density SNP locus set increased the total IBD length and the average IBD length across levels 1-9; the accuracy of the confidence interval for level 8 was 70.97%, which represented a 3.50% improvement; the average confidence interval accuracy for levels 1-8 was 91.39%, representing a 1.00% increase; and the false negative rates at levels 8 and 9 were reduced by 2.42% and 6.76%, respectively. The system efficacy of the high-density SNP locus set for kinship inference of first to eighth degree relationships reached 98.91%. Through random reduction of the high-density SNP locus set results, it is found that increasing the number of SNPs with the panel, the detection efficiency of IBD length showed a significant upward trend. At the same time, the overall trend in the accuracy of kinship relationship prediction as well as the confidence interval accuracy also indicated that both metrics steadily increased with the addition of more loci. ConclusionThe results show that the high-density SNPs panel significantly enhances the efficacy of distant kinship inference, accurately covering kinship degrees, with the average confidence interval accuracy for first to eighth degree relationships stably above 90%. The study finds that increasing the number of SNPs panel can improve the ability to predict distant kinship.

ObjectiveSpinal cord injury (SCI) directly impairs the regulatory function of the autonomic nervous system, induces intestinal dysfunction, and significantly reduces patients’ quality of life. Preclinical studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) therapy can regulate the brain-gut axis and is used to treat central nervous system diseases such as major depressive disorder, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Recent research has established that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from EA-treated SCI rats restored intestinal motility and colonic morphology. However, it remains unclear whether the regulation of gut microbiota by EA therapy directly contributes to neural repair after SCI. This study aims to explore whether gut microbiota mediates the neuroprotective effect of EA in the treatment of SCI and its possible mechanism. MethodsThe study employed RNA transcriptome analysis of spinal cord tissue to characterize gene expression profiles and to identify key signaling pathways following EA treatment for SCI. Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the morphological changes in spinal cord tissue. Western blot (WB) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were applied to detect the effects of EA on the expression of proteins related to nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 (NLRP3) -dependent pyroptosis. Using 16S rDNA sequencing, the study observed alterations in gut microbiota diversity and community composition in SCI rats. Prior to establishing SCI models, rats were pretreated with an antibiotic cocktail to induce gut dysbiosis, and the effects on intestinal function and spinal cord neural repair were evaluated. FMT was performed to investigate the regulatory effects of post-EA FMT on motor function, general status, liver and spleen indices, and NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis in SCI rats. ResultsEA improved motor function and reduced regulated neuronal cell death in SCI rats. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated the activation of immune- and inflammation-related pathways post-SCI, including NOD-like receptors, nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB), and Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways. EA primarily influenced intestinal inflammation and autoimmune functions. 16S rDNA sequencing illustrated that EA did not alter the diversity of gut microbiota. However, EA altered the gut microbiota composition in SCI rats, increasing Lactobacillus and Akkermansia genera while rebalancing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Furthermore, depletion of gut microbiota by antibiotics disrupted the intestinal barrier, reduced the expression of intestinal barrier proteins Zonula Occludens-1 (ZO-1) and Occludin, elevated serum lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) levels, exacerbated spinal cord tissue damage, and hindered motor function recovery in SCI rats. FMT from donors treated with EA reduced LBP levels in the intestine, blood, and spinal cord of rats, inhibited the TLR4 myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MyD88)-NF‑κB pathway and NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis, and improved motor function. On the other hand, FMT treatment resulted in decreased body weight and food intake, whereas FMT using EA-treated donors effectively alleviated these alterations. ConclusionEA effectively alleviated neuroinflammatory responses in rats with SCI, primarily through regulating the gut microbiota and suppressing the NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis signaling pathway.

ObjectiveSpinal cord injury (SCI) directly impairs the regulatory function of the autonomic nervous system, induces intestinal dysfunction, and significantly reduces patients’ quality of life. Preclinical studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) therapy can regulate the brain-gut axis and is used to treat central nervous system diseases such as major depressive disorder, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Recent research has established that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from EA-treated SCI rats restored intestinal motility and colonic morphology. However, it remains unclear whether the regulation of gut microbiota by EA therapy directly contributes to neural repair after SCI. This study aims to explore whether gut microbiota mediates the neuroprotective effect of EA in the treatment of SCI and its possible mechanism. MethodsThe study employed RNA transcriptome analysis of spinal cord tissue to characterize gene expression profiles and to identify key signaling pathways following EA treatment for SCI. Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the morphological changes in spinal cord tissue. Western blot (WB) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were applied to detect the effects of EA on the expression of proteins related to nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 (NLRP3) -dependent pyroptosis. Using 16S rDNA sequencing, the study observed alterations in gut microbiota diversity and community composition in SCI rats. Prior to establishing SCI models, rats were pretreated with an antibiotic cocktail to induce gut dysbiosis, and the effects on intestinal function and spinal cord neural repair were evaluated. FMT was performed to investigate the regulatory effects of post-EA FMT on motor function, general status, liver and spleen indices, and NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis in SCI rats. ResultsEA improved motor function and reduced regulated neuronal cell death in SCI rats. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated the activation of immune- and inflammation-related pathways post-SCI, including NOD-like receptors, nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB), and Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways. EA primarily influenced intestinal inflammation and autoimmune functions. 16S rDNA sequencing illustrated that EA did not alter the diversity of gut microbiota. However, EA altered the gut microbiota composition in SCI rats, increasing Lactobacillus and Akkermansia genera while rebalancing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Furthermore, depletion of gut microbiota by antibiotics disrupted the intestinal barrier, reduced the expression of intestinal barrier proteins Zonula Occludens-1 (ZO-1) and Occludin, elevated serum lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) levels, exacerbated spinal cord tissue damage, and hindered motor function recovery in SCI rats. FMT from donors treated with EA reduced LBP levels in the intestine, blood, and spinal cord of rats, inhibited the TLR4 myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MyD88)-NF‑κB pathway and NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis, and improved motor function. On the other hand, FMT treatment resulted in decreased body weight and food intake, whereas FMT using EA-treated donors effectively alleviated these alterations. ConclusionEA effectively alleviated neuroinflammatory responses in rats with SCI, primarily through regulating the gut microbiota and suppressing the NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis signaling pathway.