OBJECTIVE: To investigate the regulatory effects of two traditional mineral medicines (TMMs), Gypsum Fibrosum (Shigao, GF) and Terra Flava Usta (Zaoxintu, TFU), on gut-beneficial bacteria in mice, and preliminarily explore their mechanisms of action. METHODS: Mice were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=10 per group): the control group (standard diet), the GF group (diet supplemented with 2% GF), and the TFU group (diet supplemented with 2% TFU). After 4-week intervention, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to analyze the changes in the gut microbiota (GM). Scanning electron microscopy, in combination with coumarin A tetramethyl rhodamine conjugate and Hoechst stainings, was used to observe the bacteria and biofilm formation. RESULTS: Principal coordinate analysis revealed that GF and TFU significantly altered the GM composition in mice. Further analysis revealed that GF and TFU affected different types of gut bacteria, suggesting that different TMMs may selectively modulate specific bacterial populations. For certain bacteria, such as Faecalibaculum and Ileibacterium, both GF and TFU exhibited growth-promoting effects, implying that they may be sensitive to TMMs and that different TMMs can increase their abundance through their respective mechanisms. Notably, Lactobacillus reuteri, a widely recognized and used probiotic, was significantly enriched in the GF group. Random forest analysis identified Ileibacterium valens as a potential indicator bacterium for TMMs' impact on GM. Further mechanistic studies showed that gut bacteria formed biofilm structures on the TFU surface. CONCLUSIONS This study provides new insights into the interaction between TMMs and GM. As safe and effective natural clays, GF and TFU hold promise as potential candidates for prebiotic development.
Animals ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Bacteria/growth & development* ; Mice ; Biofilms/drug effects* ; Male ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics*

Schizophrenia (SZ) stands as a severe psychiatric disorder. This study applied diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data in conjunction with graph neural networks to distinguish SZ patients from normal controls (NCs) and showcases the superior performance of a graph neural network integrating combined fractional anisotropy and fiber number brain network features, achieving an accuracy of 73.79% in distinguishing SZ patients from NCs. Beyond mere discrimination, our study delved deeper into the advantages of utilizing white matter brain network features for identifying SZ patients through interpretable model analysis and gene expression analysis. These analyses uncovered intricate interrelationships between brain imaging markers and genetic biomarkers, providing novel insights into the neuropathological basis of SZ. In summary, our findings underscore the potential of graph neural networks applied to multimodal DTI data for enhancing SZ detection through an integrated analysis of neuroimaging and genetic features.
Humans ; Schizophrenia/pathology* ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Brain/metabolism* ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; White Matter/pathology* ; Gene Expression ; Nerve Net/diagnostic imaging* ; Graph Neural Networks

Neuropathic pain, a debilitating condition caused by dysfunction of the somatosensory nervous system, remains difficult to treat due to limited understanding of its molecular mechanisms. Bioinformatics analysis identified cerebellin 2 (CBLN2) as highly enriched in human and murine proprioceptive and nociceptive neurons. We found that CBLN2 expression is persistently upregulated in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) following spinal nerve ligation (SNL) in mice. In addition, transcription factor SOX11 binds to 12 cis-regulatory elements within the Cbln2 promoter to enhance its transcription. SNL also induced SOX11 upregulation, with SOX11 and CBLN2 co-localized in nociceptive neurons. The siRNA-mediated knockdown of Sox11 or Cbln2 attenuated SNL-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. High-throughput sequencing of DRG following intrathecal injection of CBLN2 revealed widespread gene expression changes, including upregulation of numerous NF-κB downstream targets. Consistently, CBLN2 activated NF-κB signaling, and inhibition with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate reduced CBLN2-induced pain hypersensitivity, proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines production, and neuronal hyperexcitability. Together, these findings identified the SOX11/CBLN2/NF-κB axis as a critical mediator of neuropathic pain and a promising target for therapeutic intervention.
Animals ; Neuralgia/metabolism* ; Ganglia, Spinal/metabolism* ; Up-Regulation ; Mice ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; SOXC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Male ; Neuroinflammatory Diseases/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics* ; Hyperalgesia/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; Spinal Nerves

Objective To investigate the effects of scutellarin(SCU)on apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells and the Janus kinas 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(JAK2/STAT3)signaling pathway in intervertebral disc degeneration(IVDD)model rats.Methods IVDD rats were randomly divided into IVDD group,SCU low and high dose groups(SCU-L,SCU-H groups),SCU high dose+JAK2 activator bispecific protein phosphatase 19(DUSP19)group(SCU-H+DUSP19 group)and control group.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)method was applied to detect inflammatory factors and oxidative stress level in intervertebral disc tissues.Eosin stai-ning(HE)staining microscopy was used to observe pathological damage of intervertebral disc tissue.Transferase mediated dUTP notch end labeling(TUNEL)staining microscopy was applied to detect apoptosis of nucleus pulpo-sus cells in intervertebral disc tissue.Western blot was applied to detect the expression of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway related proteins.Results Animals in the IVDD group were suffered from partial rupture of the fibrous ring in the intervertebral disc tissue,abnormal shrinkage of the nucleus pulposus structure with reduction of nucleus pul-posus cells and blurred boundary with the fibrous ring.The level of TNF-α,IL-1β,ROS and apoptosis rate of nu-cleus pulposus cells,the expression of Bax,cleaved caspase-3,p-JAK2/JAK2,p-STAT3/STAT3 were all elevated and the expression of SOD,type Ⅱ collagen,and polysaccharides decreased(P＜0.05).The morphology,cell structure,density of fibrous ring and nucleus pulposus in the intervertebral disc tissue of the SCU-L and SCU-H groups were improved as compared to IVDD group.The degeneration was alleviated to varying degrees.The level of TNF-α,IL-1β,ROS,apoptosis rate of nucleus pulposus cells and the expression of Bax,cleaved caspase-3,p-JAK2/JAK2,p-STAT3/STAT3 were all reduced and the expression of SOD,type Ⅱ collagen,and polysaccha-rides significantly increased(P＜0.05).DUSP19 partially reverses the effect of SCU on apoptosis of IVDD rats.Conclusions SCU may alleviate apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells in IVDD rats.

Objective To study the bioequivalence of test and reference olmesartan tablet in Chinese healthy subjects after single dose under fasting and fed conditions.Methods A single-center,random,open,single-dose,two-preparations,double-period,crossover study was adopted.A total of 48 healthy adult male and female subjects(24 cases of fasting test and 24 cases of fed test)were included in the random crossover administration.Single oral dose 20 mg of test and reference were taken under fasting and postprandial conditions,respectively.Plasma concentration of olmesartan in plasma were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.The main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by Phoenix WinNonlin 8.0 software.Results The main pharmacokinetic parameters of the test and reference preparations of olmesartan tablets in the fasting group were as follows:Cmax were(653.06±133.53)and(617.37±151.16)ng·mL-1,AUC0-t were(4 201.18±1 035.21)and(4 087.38±889.99)ng·mL-1·h,AUC0-∞ were(4 254.30±1 058.90)and(4 135.69±905.29)ng·mL-1·h.The main pharmacokinetic parameters of the test and reference preparations of olmesartan tablets in the postprandial group were as follows:Cmax were(574.78±177.05)and(579.98±107.74)ng·mL-1,AUC0-t were(3 288.37±866.06)and(3 181.51±801.06)ng·mL-1·h,AUC0-∞ were(3 326.11±874.26)and(3 242.01±823.09)ng·mL-1·h.Under fasting and postprandial conditions,the 90％confidence intervals of the main pharmacokinetic parameters of the test and reference preparations are both 80.00％-125.00％.Conclusion Under fasting and postprandial conditions,a single oral dose of test and reference preparations olmesartan tablets in Chinese healthy adult volunteers showed bioequivalence.

BACKGROUND: Stress cardiomyopathy (SCM) currently has a high incidence in older adults, and the theories regarding its causes include "catecholamine myocardial toxicity" and "sympathetic hyperactivation". However, the role of the central nervous system in the pathogenesis of SCM remains unknown. We investigated the role of microglia activation in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN) in the development of SCM. METHODS: An SCM model was created using male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, immobilized for 6 h every day for a week. Electrocardiogram, cardiac electrophysiology, and echocardiography examinations were performed to verify the changes in cardiac structure and function in rats with SCM. RNA sequencing was used to explore the changes in the hypothalamus during SCM. In addition, brain and heart tissues were collected to detect microglial activation and sympathetic activity. RESULTS: The main findings were as follows: (1) immobilization stress successfully induced SCM in SD rats; (2) microglia were significantly activated in the hypothalamus, as evidenced by cytosol thickening, increases in the number of microglial branches, and microglia enriched in the PVN; (3) in SCM, the microglia in the PVN exhibited increased central and peripheral cardiac sympathetic activity and increased the expression of neuroinflammatory factors; and (4) it is possible that inhibiting microglial activation could suppress the sympathetic activity of the central nervous system and heart and increase cardiac electrical stability in SCM rats. CONCLUSIONS SCM was induced in SD rats by immobilization stress, acting through the activation of the hypothalamic microglia. The activated microglia were specifically enriched in the PVN, increasing the activity of the central and peripheral sympathetic nervous systems by regulating the expression of neuro-inflammatory factors, mediating dysfunction of the left ventricle, and increasing the susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias.

It has attracted much attention worldwide that the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in primary screening and clinical diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases. In recent years, this technology has also been widely used in various grass-roots eye disease management, effectively improving the current situation of weak eye disease diagnosis ability and shortage of human resources in primary medical institutions. At present, there is no reference standard or guideline for the management mode, implementation content and management method of vision health management based on this technology, which are in urgent need of standardization. The article described the work mode exploration of AI-assisted grass-roots visual health management in Shanghai and shared practical experience. The aim is to provide reference for other provinces in China to carry out relevant work.
Humans ; Artificial Intelligence ; China ; Reference Standards ; Workforce

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value of blood cell ratios and inflammatory markers for adverse prognosis in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (PSS) combined with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: We retrospectively collected clinical data from 80 patients with PSS and COVID-19 who visited the Rheumatology and Immunology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from December 2022 to February 2023. Inclusion criteria were (1) meeting the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for Sjögren's syndrome; (2) confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or antigen testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); (3) availability of necessary clinical data; (4) age > 18 years. According to the clinical classification criteria of the "Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (trial the 10th Revised Edition)", the patients were divided into the mild and severe groups. Disease activity in primary Sjögren' s syndrome was assessed using the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Sjögren' s syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI). Platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), C-reactive protein-lymphocyte ratio (CLR), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and other laboratory data were compared between the two groups within 24-72 hours post-infection. RESULTS: The mild group consisted of 66 cases with an average age of (51. 52±13. 16) years, and the severe group consisted of 14 cases with an average age of (52.64±10.20) years. Disease activity, CRP, platelets, PLR, and CLR were significantly higher in the severe group compared with the mild group (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis using age, disease activity, CRP, platelets, PLR, and CLR as independent variables indicated that disease activity, CRP, PLR, and CLR were correlated with the severity of COVID-19 (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis further confirmed that PLR (OR=1.016, P < 0.05) and CLR (OR=1.504, P < 0.05) were independent risk factors for the severity of COVID-19 in the critically ill patients. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for PLR and CLR was 0.708 (95%CI: 0.588-0.828) and 0.725 (95%CI: 0.578-0.871), respectively. The sensitivity for PLR and CLR was 0.429 and 0.803, respectively, while the highest specificity was 0.714 and 0.758, respectively. The optimal cutoff values for PLR and CLR were 166.214 and 0.870, respectively. CONCLUSION PLR and CLR, particularly the latter, may serve as simple and effective indicators for predicting the prognosis of patients with PSS and COVID-19.
Humans ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Sjogren's Syndrome/diagnosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; C-Reactive Protein ; COVID-19 ; SARS-CoV-2

The study investigated the effects of different processed products of Polygonati Rhizoma(black bean-processed Polygonati Rhizoma, BBPR; stewed Polygonati Rhizoma, SPR) on the urinary metabolites in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease(AD). Sixty SPF-grade male SD rats were randomized into a control group, a model group, a donepezil group, a BBPR group, and a SPR group, with twelve rats in each group. Other groups except the control group were administrated with D-galactose injection(100 mg·kg~(-1)) once a day for seven weeks. The control group was administrated with an equal volume of normal saline once a day for seven consecutive weeks. After three weeks of D-galactose injection, bilateral hippocampal Aβ_(25-35) injections were performed for modeling. The rats were administrated with corresponding drugs(10 mL·kg~(-1)) by gavage since week 2, and the rats in the model and control group with an equal volume of double distilled water once a day for 35 continuous days. The memory behaviour and pathological changes in the hippocampal tissue were observed. The untargeted metabolites in the urine were detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q/TOF-MS). Principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were employed to characterize and screen differential metabolites and potential biomarkers, for which the metabolic pathway enrichment analysis was conducted. The results indicated that BBPR and SPR increased the new object recognition index, shortened the escape latency, and increased the times of crossing the platform of AD rats in the Morris water maze test. The results of hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining showed that the cells in the hippocampal tissue of the drug administration groups were closely arranged. Moreover, the drugs reduced the content of interleukin-6(IL-6, P<0.01) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in the hippocampal tissue, which were more obvious in the BBPR group(P<0.05). After screening, 15 potential biomarkers were identified, involving two metabolic pathways: dicoumarol pathway and piroxicam pathway. BBPR and SPR may alleviate AD by regulating the metabolism of dicoumarol and piroxicam.
Rats ; Male ; Animals ; Alzheimer Disease/drug therapy* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Dicumarol ; Galactose ; Piroxicam ; Metabolomics/methods* ; Biomarkers/urine*