ObjectiveAge-related macular degeneration （AMD） is one of the leading causes of low vision and blindness in people over 50 years old， and dry AMD （dAMD） is one type for which there is currently no clear treatment. On the basis of the diagnosis and clinical characteristics of dAMD in traditional Chinese and Western medicine， this paper evaluated the fitting degrees of existing animal models of dAMD with clinical characteristics according to the evaluation methods of animal models， and put forward suggestions and prospects. MethodsLiterature on animal models of dAMD was searched against database， and the characteristics of the models were assigned according to the diagnosis criteria of diseases and syndromes of traditional Chinese and Western medicine， and the fitting degrees of the models with clinical characteristics were analyzed and evaluated. ResultsAt present， the animal models of dAMD are mainly established targeting complement factors， chemokines， oxidative damage， lipid/glucose metabolism， and natural strains. Most of the models can simulate the major pathological changes of dAMD， showing the fitting degree of 25%-50% with clinical characteristics in Western medicine. However， the evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes， especially the evaluation of secondary syndromes， is missing， and the models present low fitting degrees with the clinical characteristics in TCM. ConclusionExisting animal models of dAMD are mostly established under the guidance of Western diagnostic standards， which reproduce the main disease characteristics of Western medicine and lack observation of TCM syndromes. Future studies can pay attention to the intervention factors and evaluation systems of spleen deficiency Qi deficiency and liver-kidney Yin deficiency syndrome and build the animal model of dAMD with integration of disease and syndrome based on clinical characteristics of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

ObjectiveAge-related macular degeneration （AMD） is one of the leading causes of low vision and blindness in people over 50 years old， and dry AMD （dAMD） is one type for which there is currently no clear treatment. On the basis of the diagnosis and clinical characteristics of dAMD in traditional Chinese and Western medicine， this paper evaluated the fitting degrees of existing animal models of dAMD with clinical characteristics according to the evaluation methods of animal models， and put forward suggestions and prospects. MethodsLiterature on animal models of dAMD was searched against database， and the characteristics of the models were assigned according to the diagnosis criteria of diseases and syndromes of traditional Chinese and Western medicine， and the fitting degrees of the models with clinical characteristics were analyzed and evaluated. ResultsAt present， the animal models of dAMD are mainly established targeting complement factors， chemokines， oxidative damage， lipid/glucose metabolism， and natural strains. Most of the models can simulate the major pathological changes of dAMD， showing the fitting degree of 25%-50% with clinical characteristics in Western medicine. However， the evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes， especially the evaluation of secondary syndromes， is missing， and the models present low fitting degrees with the clinical characteristics in TCM. ConclusionExisting animal models of dAMD are mostly established under the guidance of Western diagnostic standards， which reproduce the main disease characteristics of Western medicine and lack observation of TCM syndromes. Future studies can pay attention to the intervention factors and evaluation systems of spleen deficiency Qi deficiency and liver-kidney Yin deficiency syndrome and build the animal model of dAMD with integration of disease and syndrome based on clinical characteristics of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Objective: To analyze the expression of sigma factor in drug resistance gene mutations of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), so as to provide a reference for the drug resistance mechanism of tuberculosis. Methods: Clinical sputum specimens of outpatients at Tianjin Center for Tuberculosis from 2018 to 2022 were collected. A total of 899 MTB-positive strains were obtained by culture, and 492 phenotypically sensitive strains and 407 phenotypically resistant strains were identified by an in vitro phenotypic drug susceptibility test. Thirty drug-sensitive strains of MTB were randomly selected, and 98 drug-resistant strains with specific resistance phenotypes were chosen; all were subjected to melting curve analysis for detection of drug-resistance gene mutations. The strains were divided into sensitive strains without gene mutation, isoniazid-resistant strains with inhA mutation or katG mutation, rifampicin-resistant strains with rpoB mutation, and multigene mutation-resistant strains with inhA+rpoB mutation or katG+rpoB mutation. The mRNA relative expression of sigma factor was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the ratio of sigma factor mRNA relative expression between the experimental strain and the standard strain >2 was used to screen for highly expressed sigma factor. The differences in sigma factor mRNA relative expression and high expression rate between drug-resistant gene mutant strains and sensitive strains were analyzed. Results: Thirty sensitive strains and 90 drug-resistant strains were included. Among them, there were 16 strains with inhA mutation, 22 strains with katG mutation, 13 strains with rpoB mutation, 15 strains with inhA+rpoB mutation, and 24 strains with katG+rpoB mutation. Compared to the sigma factors of the sensitive strains, the mRNA expression levels of sigG and sigI in inhA-mutated strains, sigF, sigG, sigH, sigI, sigJ, and sigL in katG-mutated strains, and sigF, sigG, sigH, sigJ, and sigL in rpoB-mutated, inhA+rpoB-mutated, and katG+rpoB-mutated strains were significantly higher (all P<0.05). Additionally, the high-expression rates of sigI in inhA-mutated strains, sigF, sigG, sigI, sigJ, and sigL in katG-mutated and inhA+rpoB-mutated strains, and sigF, sigG, sigH, sigJ, and sigL in rpoB-mutated and katG+rpoB-mutated strains were also higher (all P<0.05). Conclusion Compared to sensitive MTB strains, sigI showed higher relative expression of mRNA and high-expression rate in inhA-mutated strains, and sigF, sigG, sigJ, and sigL had higher mRNA relative expression and high-expression rates in katG-mutated, rpoB-mutated, and multi-drug-resistant strains.

Objective To explore the application value of anhydrous ethanol as an alternative to methanol in the preparation of chromosomal specimens from peripheral blood lymphocytes, and to establish a set of quantitative analytical methods for objectively evaluating the effectiveness of specimen preparation. Methods Residual blood samples from routine laboratory slide preparation were used for lymphocyte culture. The standard slide preparation method was employed. The fixative in the control group was methanol and glacial acetic acid (3∶1). Four experimental groups were set up based on the ratio of anhydrous ethanol to glacial acetic acid in the fixative (volume ratios of 3∶1, 5∶1, 7∶1, and 9∶1 for experimental groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively). A chromosomal analysis was conducted using an automated chromosome scanning/image analysis system to evaluate the morphology and dispersion of metaphase chromosomes in both control and experimental groups. Comparisons were made between the control and experimental groups regarding the dic + r aberration rate, ace aberration rate, chromosomal aberration rate, chromosome dispersion index, chromosome overlapping ratio, and dispersion index/overlapping ratio. Results Microscopic evaluation revealed that the preparation quality of experimental groups 1 and 2 was comparable to the control group. No statistically significant differences were observed in dic + r aberration rate between each of the experimental groups and the control (P > 0.05). All experimental groups except group 4 showed no significant differences in ace aberration rate and chromosome aberration rate compared with the control group (P > 0.05). Experimental groups 1 and 2 showed no significant differences in chromosome dispersion index, overlapping ratio, and dispersion index/overlapping ratio compared with the control group (P > 0.05). Conclusion A mixture of anhydrous ethanol and glacial acetic acid at a 5∶1 ratio is recommended for use as a fixative in the preparation of chromosomal specimens from peripheral blood lymphocytes. A quantitative index system for assessing the quality of chromosomal specimens was established, enabling objective evaluation of slide preparation effectiveness.

OBJECTIVES: Verrucous epidermal nevus (VEN), seborrheic keratosis (SK), verruca plana (VP), verruca vulgaris (VV), and nevus sebaceous (NS) are common verrucous proliferative skin diseases with similar clinical appearances, often posing diagnostic challenges. Dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) can aid in their differentiation, yet their specific features under these tools have not been systematically described. This study aims to summarize and analyze the dermoscopic and RCM features of VEN, SK, VP, VV, and NS. METHODS: A total of 121 patients with histopathologically confirmed verrucous proliferative skin diseases were enrolled. Dermoscopy and RCM imaging was used to observe and analyze the microscopic features of these conditions. RESULTS: Under dermoscopy, the 5 diseases displayed distinct characteristics: VEN typically showed gyriform structures; SK was characterized by gyriform structures, comedo-like openings, and milia-like cysts; VP and VV featured dotted vessels and frogspawn-like structures; NS presented as brownish-yellow globules. RCM revealed shared features such as hyperkeratosis and acanthosis across all 5 diseases. Specific features included gyriform structures and elongated rete ridges in VEN; pseudocysts and gyriform structures in SK; evenly distributed ring-like structures in VP; vacuolated cells and papillomatous proliferation in VV; and frogspawn-like structures in NS. CONCLUSIONS These 5 verrucous proliferative skin conditions exhibit distinguishable features under both dermoscopy and RCM. The combination of these 2 noninvasive imaging modalities holds significant clinical value for the differential diagnosis of verrucous proliferative skin diseases.
Humans ; Dermoscopy/methods* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Microscopy, Confocal/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Adolescent ; Keratosis, Seborrheic/pathology* ; Young Adult ; Warts/diagnosis* ; Child ; Aged ; Skin Diseases/pathology* ; Nevus, Sebaceous of Jadassohn/diagnosis* ; Skin Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Child, Preschool

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of regulating conception vessel and unblocking governor vessel electroacupuncture in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue(CRF)of middle-to-advanced stage cervical cancer,and to explore its effect on inflammatory factors.Methods A total of 122 patients with a definitive diagnosis of CRF of middle-to-advanced stage cervical cancer admitted to the wards and outpatient clinics of Cangzhou Central Hospital from August 2021 to August 2023 were selected for the study.The patients were randomly divided into the control group and the observation group according to the random number table method,with 61 cases in each group.The patients in both groups were given conventional symptomatic treatments such as gastric protection and anti-vomiting since the day of action of chemotherapy.The control group was treated with Dexamethasone Tablets,and the observation group was treated with regulating conception vessel and unblocking governor vessel electroacupuncture on the basis of the control group,the course of treatment covered 21 days.After three weeks of treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated.The changes in the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,Piper's Fatigue Scale(PFS)scores,Karnofsky Performance Status(KPS)scores,and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General(FACT-G)scores of the patients in the two groups before and after treatment were observed.The changes in interleukin 6(IL-6),hypersensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),and T-lymphocyte subsets indicators[CD3+,CD4+,CD8+,CD4+/CD8+]were compared between the patients in the two groups before and after treatment.Results(1)The total effective rate was 95.08%(58/61)in the observation group and 77.05%(47/61)in the control group.The efficacy of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(2)After treatment,the TCM syndrome scores of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(3)After treatment,the PFS scores of patients in the two groups were improved significantly(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(4)After treatment,the serum IL-6,hs-CRP,and TNF-α levels of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(5)After treatment,the CD3+,CD4+,CD8+,CD4+/CD8+of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(6)After treatment,the KPS scores and FACT-G scores of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion Regulating conception vessel and unblocking governor vessel electroacupuncture in the treatment of CRF of middle-to-advanced stage cervical cancer can effectively alleviate the fatigue of patients,inhibit the release of inflammatory factors,regulate the immune function,and improve the physical condition of patients,so as to improve the quality of life of patients.

Objective To study the mechanism by which acoustic wave stimulation improves cognitive function in sleep-deprived mice.Methods(1)Thirty-six male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups:the control group,model group and acoustic wave group(n=12 per group).A sleep deprivation model was established using the modified multiple platform method.After 21 days of sleep deprivation in a row,mice in the acoustic wave group were exposed to 30-minute acoustic wave stimulation at 40 dB.(2)During sleep deprivation,the health status of each group of mice was recorded,including the mental state and body weight.(3)After 21 days of sleep deprivation,behavioral tests(open field test,novel object recognition test,Y-maze and Morris water maze)were performed to assess the spontaneous activity,spatial exploration,and such cognitive functions as learning and memory in mice.Immunohistochemistry was conducted to analyze the expressions of neuronal nuclear antigen(NeuN),glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)and ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1(Iba-1)in the hippocampus.Quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR)was used to measure the expression levels of interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α)and inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)in the hippocampus.(4)Transcriptome sequencing was employed to explore the mechanism underlying the improvement of cognitive impairment by acoustic wave stimulation.Results After 21 days of sleep deprivation,acoustic wave stimulation significantly alleviated weight loss in mice(P＜0.01).The accuracy of Y-maze spontaneous alternation,indexes of novel object discrimination,the time spent in the target quadrant and the number of times the mice crossed the platformin the Morris water maze were all significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the escape latency was significantly reduced(P＜0.05).The average optical density of NeuN in the hippocampal CA3 region significantly increased(P＜0.05),GFAP and Iba-1 immunopositive cell counts significantly decreased(P＜0.01),and the mRNA levels of IL-6,TNF-α,and iNOS in the hippocampal tissue were significantly reduced(P＜0.05).Conclusion Acoustic wave stimulation can repair neural damage,modulate hippocampal inflammatory responses,and improve cognitive deficits induced by sleep deprivation.

Objective To investigate the effects of dihydroartemisinin(DHA)on the proliferation and metastasis of prostate cancer cells via the speckle-type POZ protein(SPOP)/heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K(HnRNPK)pathway.Methods The prostate cancer cell line DU145 was cultured in vitro and treated with different concentrations of DHA.Cells were divided into groups based on DHA concentration:blank group(0 μmol/L),low-concentration group(10 μmol/L),medium-concentration group(50 μmol/L),and high-concentration group(100 μmol/L).Colony formation assay,scratch assay,and Transwell assay were performed to observe changes in proliferation,migration,and invasion of DU145 cells under different DHA treatments.Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of SPOP,HnRNPK,Vimentin,Neural-cadherin(N-cadherin),Epithelial-cadherin(E-cadherin),and Zonula occludens-1(ZO-1).SPOP expression was knocked down in DU145 cells(SPOP-shNC-DU145,SPOP-sh-DU145),which were then subjected to the aforementioned low,medium,and high DHA concentration interventions for rescue experiments.A xenograft mouse model was established by injecting SPOP-knockdown cells into mice,followed by oral administration of low(2.5 mg/kg),medium(5 mg/kg),and high(10 mg/kg)concentrations of DHA.Results Compared with the blank group,the proliferation,migration,and invasion of DU145 cells in the low-,medium-,and high-concentration groups were significantly inhibited(P<0.05),Intracellular expression levels of HnRNPK,Vimentin,and N-cadherin were decreased(P<0.05),while the expression levels of SPOP,E-cadherin,and ZO-1 were increased(P<0.05).Compared with SPOP-shNC DU145 cells,the inhibitory effects of DHA on SPOP-sh DU145 cells were attenuated,with increased expression levels of HnRNPK,Vimentin,and N-cadherin(P<0.05),and decreased expression levels of E-cadherin and ZO-1(P<0.05).Conclusion DHA may target and induce increased SPOP expression,thereby inhibiting the proliferation and metastasis of DU145 cells.

Objective:To predict Chinese materia medica that may prevent and treat coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) by identifying disease core targets.Methods:CMD- related targets were obtained through GeneCards and OMIM databases. Subnetworks were extracted by using MCODE plugin in Cytoscape 3.9.1. Core targets of subnetworks were obtained by using cytoNCA plugin. GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis for core targets were performed by using Metascape. Coremine Medical database was used to match targets with Chinese materia medica. Obtained Chinese materia medica was screened, and their properties and tastes, meridians and efficacy categories were under statistics.Results:Totally 3 859 disease-related targets were screened and five subnetworks were obtained. An in-depth study of MCODE1 yielded ten core targets, including IL-1β, IL6, TNF, STAT3, AKT1, ACTB, VEGFA, GAPDH, TP53, and ALB. GO functional enrichment analysis showed that these core targets were mainly involved in biological processes, such as positive regulation of gene expression, positive regulation of transcription, DNA template, and negative regulation of gene expression. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis identified 67 signaling pathways, including the AGEs-RAGE signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, adipocytokine signaling pathway, fluid shear stress, and atherosclerosis. The researchers identified 36 kinds of Chinese materia medica associated with the ten core targets, including Salviea Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Chuanxiaong Rhizoma, Carthami Flos, Paeoniae Radix Rubra, Coptidis Rhizoma, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Ophiopogonis Radix, Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus, Cinnamomi Cortex, Nelumbinis Semen, and Valerianae Jatamansi Rhizoma et Radix among 880 herbs.Conclusion:This study predicts 36 kinds of Chinese materia medica that have the effect of preventing and treating CMD, which can provide research ideas for the development of new drugs.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of psoriasis and status quo of medical care for patients in county areas of China.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional investigation. Based on the “Qianxian Wuyin” Project (a national project for upgrating ability for psoriasis care at county level), an online questionnaire survey was conducted in the dermatology departments of 459 county hospitals in 404 pilot administrative counties across China from February to June 2023. The questionnaire included demographic information of patients (gender, ethnicity, age, place of residence, education, marital status), and clinical characteristics of psoriasis (disease course, type, comorbidities, body surface area (BSA) and previous treatment. The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) were applied for assessing the quality of life and disease severity, and completed by patients or guardian and doctors, respectively.Results:A total of 16 935 patients completed the questionnaire. The age of patients was 1-102(44.17±11.58)years, and 71.0% (12 036/16 935) were 30-59 years old. The ratio of male to female was 2.21∶1; 24.3%(4 117/16 935) of patients had high school education; there were 9 940 patients(58.7%) with previous or current smoking and/or alcohol use; 42.8%(7 218/16 855) of patients had a disease course of 1-5 years. There were 15 630 patients(92.3%) with DLQI≥10, 8 346 patients(49.7%) with PASI≥10, 15 017 patients(89.2%) with BSA≥10%. The plaque type was the most common disease type ( n=14 965, 88.7%), and spotting type ranked the second ( n=1 141, 6.8%). The most common initial site was the trunk ( n=12 309, 72.9%). Among the comorbidities, hypertension was the most common one ( n=1 681, 10.0%). There were 7 650 reports of treatment response to conventional topical drug therapy and 3 112 reports of treatment response to systemic drug therapy, with 6 269 (81.9%) and 2 493 (80.1%) reporting poor or no response, respectively. Conclusions:The survey shows that in the county areas of China, the majority of psoriasis patients are severe patients with short course of disease, plaque type is the most common type, and hypertension is the most common comorbidity; and the conventional treatment is less effective for most patients.