OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antidepressant effects of Xiaoyao Pill (XYP) by exploring its interactions with gut microbiota and tryptophan metabolism. METHODS: Utilizing network pharmacology, the functional substance groups, key targets, and pathways of XYP in the treatment of depression were identified. The chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) protocol was implemented in male Sprague-Dawley rats to establish depression model. Thirty rats were randomly divided into 3 groups according to their body weight (10 for each): control, CUMS and XYP groups (1.8 g/kg). After 28-day interventions, behavioral phenotyping including sucrose preference test (SPT) and open field test (OFT) were performed. Biochemical validation encompassed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serum cortisol, hematoxylin-eosin histopathology, and immunohistochemistry. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was utilized to profile serum metabolites, while fecal samples underwent metagenomic sequencing for gut microbiota characterization. RESULTS: Network pharmacology studies predicted that key components can protect the nervous system by regulating inflammatory pathways through the blood-brain barrier. SPT and OFT showed that XYP treatment significantly ameliorated depressive-like behaviors (all P<0.05). XYP treatment also restored hippocampal neuronal density, increased serum neurotransmitter levels of neurotransmitters such as 5-hydroxytryptamine and vasoactive intestinal peptide, and while suppressing inflammatory markers such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 β), and IL-6 (all P<0.05). Metagenomics revealed significant restructuring of gut microbiota, notably the regulation of Parabacteroides distasonis (P<0.05). Non-targeted metabolomics analysis showed that the level of metabolites in the tryptophan and kynurenine pathway significantly changed (variable importance in the projection >1, P<0.05), and the change of metabolic flux was significantly correlated with behavioral improvement (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS XYP exerts antidepressant effects by increasing neurotransmitter levels, reducing inflammatory makers and modulating Parabacteroides distasonis. Through further exploration of metabolomics, we found that XYP may play a protective role in depression by regulating tryptophan metabolism.
Animals ; Tryptophan/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Depression/blood* ; Male ; Stress, Psychological/drug therapy* ; Behavior, Animal/drug effects* ; Rats ; Chronic Disease ; Hippocampus/drug effects*

To investigate the correlation between vitamin D nutritional status and insulin resistance in pubertal adolescents.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory impairment in clinical. Currently, there are no effective treatments for AD. In recent years, a variety of therapeutic approaches from different perspectives have been explored to treat AD. Although the drug therapies targeted at the clearance of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) had made a breakthrough in clinical trials, there were associated with adverse events. Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of AD. Continuous neuroinflammatory was considered to be the third major pathological feature of AD, which could promote the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. At the same time, these toxic substances could accelerate the development of neuroinflammation, form a vicious cycle, and exacerbate disease progression. Reducing neuroinflammation could break the feedback loop pattern between neuroinflammation, Aβ plaque deposition and Tau tangles, which might be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating AD. Traditional Chinese herbs such as Polygonum multiflorum and Curcuma were utilized in the treatment of AD due to their ability to mitigate neuroinflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and indomethacin had been shown to reduce the level of inflammasomes in the body, and taking these drugs was associated with a low incidence of AD. Biosynthetic nanomaterials loaded with oxytocin were demonstrated to have the capability to anti-inflammatory and penetrate the blood-brain barrier effectively, and they played an anti-inflammatory role via sustained-releasing oxytocin in the brain. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells could reduce neuroinflammation and inhibit the activation of microglia. The secretion of mesenchymal stem cells could not only improve neuroinflammation, but also exert a multi-target comprehensive therapeutic effect, making it potentially more suitable for the treatment of AD. Enhancing the level of TREM2 in microglial cells using gene editing technologies, or application of TREM2 antibodies such as Ab-T1, hT2AB could improve microglial cell function and reduce the level of neuroinflammation, which might be a potential treatment for AD. Probiotic therapy, fecal flora transplantation, antibiotic therapy, and dietary intervention could reshape the composition of the gut microbiota and alleviate neuroinflammation through the gut-brain axis. However, the drugs of sodium oligomannose remain controversial. Both exercise intervention and electromagnetic intervention had the potential to attenuate neuroinflammation, thereby delaying AD process. This article focuses on the role of drug therapy, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, gut microbiota therapy, exercise intervention, and brain stimulation in improving neuroinflammation in recent years, aiming to provide a novel insight for the treatment of AD by intervening neuroinflammation in the future.

Objective To investigate the causal relationship between abnormal placental lipid metabolism and trophoblast dysfunction in patients with preeclampsia(PE),and to explore the regulatory effects of PPARγ on trophoblast function under hypoxic conditions.Methods Placental tissues were collected from 30 patients with PE and 30 individuals with normal pregnancies at the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University between October 2020 and November 2021 for the analysis of lipid deposition.A rat model of PE was established,comprising a sham-operated(Sham)group and a reduced uterine perfusion pressure(Rupp)group,with six rats in each group(n=12 total).Human trophoblast cells(HTR-8/SVneo)were cultured in vitro and randomly assigned to four experimental groups:normoxic control,hypoxia,hypoxia+PPARγ agonist(Rosiglitazone),and hypoxia+PPARγ antagonist(T0070907).The expression levels of lipid metabolism-related genes and transcription factors(FASN,FABP4,PPARγ,LXRα)were assessed using RT-qPCR.Western blotting was performed to determine the protein expression levels of PPARγ.Cell migration and invasion capacities were evaluated using scratch wound healing and Transwell assays,respectively.Results Placental lipid deposition in the PE group was significantly higher than that in the control group,particularly in the Rupp model mice(P<0.001).Under hypoxic conditions,the expression levels of FASN and FABP4 were upregulated in trophoblast cells(P<0.001),whereas the expression of PPARγ and LXRα was downregulated(P<0.001).Furthermore,treatment with the PPARγ antagonist T0070907 exacerbated the inhibitory effects of hypoxia on cell function(P<0.001),significantly reducing cell invasion and migration capacity(P<0.001).Additional siRNA-mediated knockdown experiments confirmed that PPARγ deficiency further aggravated hypoxia-induced impairments in cell migration and invasion,and this detrimental effect could not be reversed by Rosiglitazone.Conclusions Abnormal placental lipid metabolism in PE is closely linked to PPARγ-mediated enhancement of lipid synthesis and metabolic dysregulation under hypoxic conditions,which may subsequently impair trophoblast invasion and migration.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in the treatment of malignant tongue base tumors.Methods:A multicenter study was conducted to collect and analyze the clinical data of patients with malignant tongue base tumors who underwent TORS at five otolaryngology-head and neck surgery centers in China, including Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, and the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University between January 2017 and January 2023. Among the patients, 38 were males and 11 were females, with a mean age of 59.0±8.8 years. Baseline characteristics, complications, and follow-up data were compared between groups. Independent sample t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests was used for comparisons of continuous variables; chi-square tests or Fisher′s exact tests was applied for categorical variables. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method to calculate overall survival and disease-free survival, and differences between groups were compared using the log-rank test. Results:Among the 49 patients, 41 (83.7%) were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), with a p16 positive rate of 51.2% (21/41). There were no statistically significant differences between the p16-positive group ( n=21) and the p16-negative group ( n=20) in age, sex, or postoperative bleeding (all P>0.05). However, there was a significant difference in TNM stage between the two groups ( χ2=14.556, P=0.020), with the p16-positive group predominantly in stage I (66.7%) and the p16-negative group primarily in stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ (40.0% and 30.0%, respectively). The postoperative tracheotomy rate was 30.6% (15/49), and the incidence of postoperative bleeding was 6.1% (3/49). The 1-year and 3-year overall survival rates were 98.0% and 92.5%, respectively, while, the 1-year and 3-year disease-free survival rates were 89.2% and 84.9%, respectively. No significant differences were observed between the p16-positive and p16-negative groups in 3-year overall survival (100% vs. 83.8%, χ2=1.093, P=0.518) or 3-year disease-free survival (68.2% vs. 88.9%, χ2=2.161, P=0.382). Conclusion:TORS for malignant tongue base tumors demonstrates high clinical safety and favorable oncological outcomes.

Objective:This study aims to analyze historical trends and predict future trends of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to high BMI for osteoarthritis (OA) in China. OA is a common chronic degenerative joint disease, with high body mass index (BMI) being a significant risk factor. in China.Methods:Based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database, we analyzed trends in high-BMI-attributable OA. The ASR of hogh-BMI-attributable OA DALYs increased from DALYs in China from 1990 to 2021. A Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model was used to predict trends from 2022 to 2046. Age-standardized rates (ASR) and estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) were calculated to assess trend changes of trends. A Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model was used to predict trends from 2022 to 2046. Chi-square tests were used to compare differences in high BMI attribution proportions between regions and years.Results:From 1990 to 2021, China′s OA DALYs increased from 1.829 to 5.327 million, with the proportion attributable to high BMI rising from 13.47% to 21.86% ( χ2=60 527.25, P<0.001). The ASR of high-BMI-attributable to OA increased from 27.4 (-2.2, 81.5) per 100,000 to 53.0 (-4.7, 150.7) per 100 000, with an EAPC of 2.48% [95% (uncertainty interval, UI): 2.35, 2.62]. In 2021, females showed significantly higher ASR (69.2 per 100 000) than males (36.1 per 100 000). Knee OA (ASR: 50.5/100 000) demonstrated substantially higher burden than hip OA (ASR: 2.5/100 000). Age effect analysis showed DALYs peaked at ages 80~90; period effect indicated accelerated growth after 2005; cohort effect showed a U-shaped trend with the 1990 birth cohort having the highest relative risk (approximately 3.0). Projections indicated that up to 2046, total OA DALYs will reach approximately 2.39 million with an ASR of about 71, showing more significant growth among females (ASR reaching 100). Conclusion:High-BMI-attributable to OA DALYs in China shows a significant upward trend, and is expected to continue. This trend is more pronounced among females and elderly populations than males, highlighting the urgency of implementing preventive measures for high-risk groups, particularly in weight management.

Objective:To compare the effects of propofol and dexmedetomidine for sedation on the outcome in mechanically ventilated patients with severe pulmonary infection.Methods:Patients with severe pulmonary infection (Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score >7) requiring mechanical ventilation from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care Ⅳ database between 2008 and 2020 were selected and divided into propofol group and dexmedetomidine group based on the sedative agent used. The primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality, and secondary outcomes included 90-day all-cause mortality and duration of mechanical ventilation. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to adjust for baseline confounders, and logistic regression and linear regression were applied to analyze the effects of the two sedative drugs on the outcomes of mechanically ventilated patients with pulmonary infection. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyze survival outcomes.Results:A total of 6 204 critically ill patients with pulmonary infection requiring mechanical ventilation were included, with 3 439 cases in propofol group and 2 765 cases in dexmedetomidine group. The baseline characteristics between the two groups were well balanced (standardized mean difference < 0.1) after IPTW adjustment. In the IPTW-adjusted cohort, the in-hospital all-cause mortality and 90-day all-cause mortality were significantly lower in dexmedetomidine group than in propofol group (439.2[18.7%] vs 563.6[24.1%], 618.0[26.3%] vs 733.6[31.3%], P<0.001), the results of Further Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showed that the 90-day all-cause mortality was significantly lower in dexmedetomidine group than in propofol group ( P<0.01). Conclusions:Compared with propofol, dexmedetomidine can decrease the mortality rate and improve the prognosis in mechanically ventilated patients with severe pulmonary infection when used for sedation.

Objective To explore the potential profile of body image and its influencing factors among head and neck cancer patients.Methods Convenience sampling was employed to investigate 335 head and neck cancer patients in a tertiary hospital in Shandong Province from October 2023 to May 2024.Data was collected using the patient's general information questionnaire,Body Image Scale,Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire,Perceived Social Support Scale,Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity based on the Patient-Reported Outcome Measures.Latent profile analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to explore distinct profiles and influencing factor of body image in head and neck patients.Results A total of 335 valid questionnaires were collected in this study,and 95.4％of the valid questionnaires were included.Body image of patients with head and neck cancer could be divided into 3 latent profiles:body emotional stability(41.5％),body cognitive dissatisfaction(33.7％)and social behavior avoidance(24.8％).Age,location of cancer onset,stage of cancer,surgical treatment,medical coping style(facing coping,yielding coping),social support and economic toxicity were the factors influencing the latent profiles of body image in patients with head and neck cancer(P＜0.05).Conclusion There is heterogeneity in body image of patients with head and neck cancer.Medical staff should implement targeted management strategies based on the influencing factors of different profiles to reduce the body image disorders in patients with head and neck cancer,and to promote patients to better return to society.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of filiform-needle acupuncture(FA)in the treatment of poststroke urinary incontinence(PSUI).Methods:All published papers in PubMed,Excerpta Medica Database(EMBASE),Cochrane Library,Web of Science,China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Chongqing VIP Database(VIP),Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform(Wanfang),and China Biology Medicine Disc(CBM)were retrieved by computer.The retrieval time was from each database's inception to December 9,2023.Meta-analysis and sensitivity analysis were performed using the Revman V5.4 software,and GARDE evaluation was performed using GRADEpro GDT.Dichotomous variables were analyzed by the relative risk(RR),and weighted mean difference(WMD)was used for continuous variables.Each effect size was expressed as a 95%confidence interval(CI).Results:A total of 14 studies were included,comprising a total of 1 259 patients.The findings of the meta-analysis showed that the improvements of the maximum bladder capacity[WMD=64.63,95%CI(41.73,87.53),P<0.00001],72 h urination frequency[WMD=-5.27,95%CI(-6.40,-4.13),P<0.00001],and 72 h urinary incontinence frequency[WMD=-1.62,95%CI(-2.60,-0.64),P=0.001]in PSUI patients by FA were superior compared to conventional therapy.FA plus rehabilitation therapy(RT)was superior to RT alone in improving the maximum bladder capacity[WMD=35.17,95%CI(28.31,42.03),P<0.00001],the International Consultation on Incontinence questionnaire short form(ICI-Q-SF)score[WMD=-2.66,95%CI(-3.28,-2.05),P<0.00001],and incontinence quality of life questionnaire(I-QOL)score[WMD=8.07,95%CI(3.28,12.32),P=0.0002].The incidence of adverse reactions in FA was higher than that in RT[RR=21.62,95%CI(4.04,115.71),P=0.0003],but the severity was mild and did not affect the integrity of the treatment.Conclusion:FA has better safety,and its improving effect on bladder urinary storage function and urinary incontinence symptoms in patients with PSUI is clear.Combined with RT,it can better improve the quality of life in the patients.However,more high-quality studies are still needed for further updates and verification.