Objective To investigate the mechanism by which angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor autoantibody(AT1-AA)promotes phenotypic switch of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs)and vascular fibrosis through abnormal expression of circadian clock protein BMAL1.Methods Twelve male SD rats(6～8 weeks old,weighing 180～220 g)were randomly divided into(n=6)a control group and an AT1-AA-positive group[established by active immunization of SD rats with AT1R extracellular loop Ⅱ peptide(AT1R-ECLⅡ)].HE and Masson stainings were used to observe structural changes and fibrosis in the thoracic aorta(n=3).Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of Collagen I,phenotypic switch-related proteins(SM22,α-SMA,OPN and MMP2)in vascular tissues and primary VSMCs(n=4),as well as the expression of BMAL1 at CT0,CT4,CT8,CT12,CT16,and CT20.Transwell and scratch assays were used to assess the proliferation and migration of VSMCs(n=3).si-RNA was employed to knock down Bmal1,followed by detection of BMAL1,Collagen I,and phenotypic conversion-related protein expression(n=3).Additionally,AT1-AA-positive AT1R-knockout(AT1R-KO)rats were constructed to measure BMAL1 expression in thoracic aortic tissues(n=4).Results The AT1-AA-positive rats had significantly thickened thoracic aortic vessel wall[(140±9)%vs(120±5)%,P<0.05],badly arranged VSMCs,obvious blue Masson staining,and up-regulated Collagen I expression(P<0.05).In the thoracic aorta of AT1-AA-positive rats and AT1-AA-treated VSMCs,the expression of contractile phenotype-related proteins(α-SMA,SM22)was decreased(P<0.05),while the expression of synthetic phenotype-related proteins(OPN,MMP2)was increased(P<0.05).AT1-AA enhanced the scratch healing ability and migration ability of VSMCs.Furthermore,both mRNA and protein levels of Bmal1 were significantly up-regulated at CT12(P<0.05),and the rhythmicity of Bmal1 was lost.Knockdown of Bmal1 partially ameliorated AT1-AA-induced phenotypic switch of VSMCs.Compared with AT1-AA-positive WT rats,AT1-AA-positive AT1R-KO rats showed significantly reduced BMAL1 expression in the thoracic aorta(1.35±0.06 vs 0.86±0.07,P<0.001).At the cellular level,AT1-AA-induced phenotypic switch and high Collagen I expression in VSMCs were partially improved in AT1R-KO VSMCs.Conclusion AT1-AA promotes VSMCs phenotypic conversion and vascular fibrosis through the AT1R-Bmal1 axis.

The 2023 China Health Report on Spine Degeneration noted a significant increase in lumbar surgery among patients under 35 years old in recent years, indicating a trend towards younger onset of cervical and lumbar diseases. Lumbar intervertebral disc herniation has become a major concern, making the study of disc degeneration pathogenesis and treatment methods clinically significant. At present, human intervertebral disc diseases are primarily diagnosed through imaging due to the challenges of obtaining tissue samples from the spine. Therefore, experimental animals have emerged as alternative research subjects because they are cost-effective, have short experimental cycles, and are easily accessible. Given the structural and physiological differences between human and other animal intervertebral discs, comparing their anatomy and histological characteristics forms the foundation of research into human disc degeneration. The purpose of this paper is to collect and review relevant studies on anatomical and histological structures of intervertebral discs in different animals and conduct a comparative analysis from four aspects, namely, intervertebral disc height, lumbar disc geometry, lumbar disc cartilaginous endplate characteristics, and extracellular matrix components. The results show that humans, kangaroos, sheep, pigs, and rats exhibit similar relative heights between the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae. Mice possess lumbar disc geometries most akin to humans. Compared to other animals, humans have the thickest cartilaginous endplates and the lowest cell densities. The collagen within the fibrous annulus differs most notably in pigs compared to humans, while water content in the nucleus pulposus is consistent across pigs, sheep, rabbits, rats, and humans. Additionally, this paper describes the commonalities and discrepancies in disc degeneration manifestations between humans and animals, and summarizes modeling methods for disc degeneration in different experimental animals. Ultimately, the aims of this paper is to provide fundamental data for selecting suitable experimental animal models for the study of intervertebral disc degeneration.

The article presents the diagnosis and treatment of an imported case with severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria, and the effect of plasma exchange combined with continuous renal replacement therapy. Severe P. falciparum malaria is characterized by complex clinical symptoms and multiple complications, and plasma exchange combined with continuous renal replacement therapy has a satisfactory therapeutic efficacy for severe P. falciparum malaria.

ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy and safety of Uyghur medicine Yangxin Dawayimixike Honey Paste （养心达瓦依米西克蜜膏， YDMHP） in the treatment of stable angina pectoris （SAP） of qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome. MethodsA randomized ， double-blind， positive-controlled，multi-center clinical trial was conducted， in which 370 patients with SAP of qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome were randomly divided into treatment group（279 cases）and control group（91cases）at a ratio of 3∶1. The treatment group was orally administered with YDMHP， 3 g each time， and placebo of Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule （血府逐瘀胶囊）， 2.4 g each time， while the control group was treated with Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule， 2.4 g each time， and placebo of YDMHP， 3 g each time， both twice a day for a course of 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the effect of angina pectoris symptom. The secondary outcomes include single angina symptom scores such as number of attacks， duration of attacks， pain intensity and usae of nitroglycerin scores， the total angina symptom score before and after the treatment， the usage of nitroglycerin， the exercise duration in treadmill exercise test （TET） and the Duck treadmill score among patients，the scores of Seattle Angina Questionnaire （SAQ） on five dimensions including physical limitations， anginal stability， anginal frequency， treatment satisfaction， and disease perception， and efficacy of TCM syndrome and of each single TCM symptom after treatment. The safety were evaluated by examine blood routine， urine routine， liver and kidney function， fasting blood sugar， electrocardiogram， adverse events. ResultsThe total effective rate of angina symptom in the treatment group was 71.69% （200/279）， significantly higher than 51.64% （47/91） in the control group （P＜0.01）. The curative and markedly effective rate of TCM syndrome in the treatment group was 53.05% （148/279）， which was significantly higher than 25.27% （23/91） in the control group （P＜0.01）. After treatment， scores of the number as well as duration of angina attacks and pain severity， the total score of angina symptoms， and the usage of nitroglycerin significantly decreased in both groups， and more changes were seen in the treatment group than in the control group； the scores of physical limitations， anginal stability， anginal frequency， treatment satisfaction， and disease perception in both groups significantly increased， and more improvement were shown in the experimental group regarding the anginal stability， anginal frequency and treatment satisfaction （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The effects of chest pain， chest tightness， palpitation， shortness of breath and fatigue in experimental group were significantly higher than those in control group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. There was no significant difference in the exercise duration of treadmill test and Duke score among patients between the two groups either before or after treatment （P＞0.05）. Adverse events occurred in 66 cases （23.66%） of the experimental group and 16 cases （17.58%） of the control group， with no statistical significance between the two groups （P＞0.05）. ConclusionThe Uyghur medicine YDMHP can effectively improve symptoms of angina pectoris， reduce the number， duration， and intensity of attacks， decrease the dosage of nitrogly-cerin and improve the individual TCM symptoms and has good safety in the treatment of SAP patients of qi stagnation and blood stasis.

Objective:To explore the mediating role of rumination thinking between demoralization and quality of life in malignant tumor patients, provide guidance and reference for helping tumor patients overcome rumination thinking and demoralization and improve quality of life.Methods:From February 2020 to June 2022, 189 patients with malignant tumors admitted to the Department of Oncology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University were selected by convenience sampling method as the research objects, and a cross-sectional survey was conducted using general information questionnaire, Demoralization Scale-Mandarin Version, Ruminative Responses Scale, Punctional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General.Results:Among 189 malignant tumor patients, there were 102 males, 87 females, aged (43.54 ± 13.12) years old. The total score of loss of demoralization was (34.37 ± 10.34) points, the total score of rumination thinking was (41.01 ± 17.10) points, the total score of quality of life was (48.51 ± 15.41) points. The Pearson analysis results showed that the total score of demoralization in malignant tumor patients was negatively correlated with the total score of quality of life ( r = -0.502, P<0.01); the total score of rumination thinking was negatively correlated with the total score of quality of life ( r = -0.465, P<0.01), and the total score of demoralization was positively correlated with the total score of rumination thinking ( r = 0.628, P<0.01). Bootstrap mediation test results showed that ruminant thinking played a partial mediating effect between demoralization and quality of life of patients with malignant tumors, accounted for 30.9% of the total effect. Conclusions:Rumination plays a partially mediating role in the demoralization and quality of life of patients with malignant tumors, suggesting that clinical staff can improve the quality of life of patients with tumors by developing a systematic and comprehensive cognitive-behavioral intervention strategy to improve the demoralization and rumination.

Objective:The incidence of occupational burnout among emergency department healthcare workers is high,and their occupational health deserves attention.Establishing a comprehensive occupational health system in medical institutions is crucial.This study aims to understand the current status of occupational burnout among emergency department healthcare workers,analyze its influencing factors,and provide references for preventing burnout in this population. Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted using convenience sampling through the Questionnaire Star platform from December 2022 to January 2023 among emergency department healthcare workers.The Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey(MBI-GS)scale was used to assess the level of occupational burnout,and univariate analysis and binary Logistic regression analysis were employed to explore the influencing factors of burnout. Results:A total of 1 173 valid questionnaires were collected,with 946(80.65％)respondents experiencing occupational burnout.The proportions of mild-to-moderate and severe burnout were 73.57％and 7.08％,respectively.The scores for the three dimensions of burnout among emergency department healthcare workers were as follows:emotional exhaustion(EE)2.33±0.31;depersonalization(DP)1.88±0.28;low personal accomplishment(LPA)3.20±0.39.The overall score was 2.46±0.22.Factors associated with occupational burnout included being an only child(OR=1.362,95％CI-0.707 to-0.058),the average number of night shifts per month(OR=1.167,95％CI 0.091 to 0.272),and personal experience of workplace violence(OR=1.094,95％CI 0.027 to 0.195)(all P＜0.05). Conclusion:The incidence of occupational burnout is high among emergency department healthcare workers.Effective measures should be taken by management to promptly intervene,reduce burnout,and ensure the smooth functioning of emergency medical services.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a clinical syndrome characterized by persistent proteinuria and progressive decline in renal function, and is one of the microvascular complications of diabetes. With the in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis of DN, the role of intestinal flora imbalance in the disease has been found clinically. This suggests that restoring the host′s healthy gut flora may be a means of improving DN. In fact, recent studies have shown that many of the drugs currently used to treat DN affect gut microbiota composition. In this review, intestinal flora is regarded as one of the main factors affecting the development of DN, and DN therapy targeting intestinal flora is summarized to provide new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of DN.

Objective:To summary the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) originating from the temporal pole (TP), and to conduct brain network analysis based on stereo-electroencephalogram (SEEG) and head positron emission tomography- computed tomography (PET-CT).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with TLE who underwent SEEG implantation from January 1, 2019 to September 1, 2023 in Guangdong Sanjiu Brain Hospital. Based on anatomical-electrical-clinical analysis and SEEG findings, patients with seizures originating from the TP were selected. The clinical data, head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), PET-CT, scalp electroencephalogram were reviewed, and the seizure-induced network was analyzed based on SEEG and head PET-CT.Results:A total of 108 cases of TLE were analyzed, of whom 13 cases had an epileptogenic zone located at the TP, accounting for 12% (13/108) of all TLE patients. Among them, 8 were males and 5 were females, and age of onset was (11.6±7.8) years. All of them were drug-resistant epilepsy patients, of whom 6 cases had normal cognitive function, 4 had mild cognitive abnormalities, and 3 had severe cognitive decline. A total of 59 seizures were recorded, and the occurrence rate of generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) was 42% (25/59). Seizure symptoms were classified into 3 types: the first type was hypermotor, seen in 9 patients; the second type was complex motor, seen in 2 patients; and the third type was automotor, seen in 2 patients. Head MRI showed that 9 cases had a blurring of the TP on one side, with or without hippocampal sclerosis; 2 cases had a mass at the TP without hippocampal sclerosis; 2 cases were negative on head MRI. Head PET-CT showed that 13 cases had TP hypometabolism on the lesion side, of whom 11 cases had hypometabolism involving the medial temporal lobe (mTL), posterior orbital gyrus (POG), anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG) and insular lobe at the same time, the other 2 cases combined with ipsilateral hypometabolism of the medial temporal lobe. Pathology showed that 7 cases had microcortical dysplasia of the TP; 3 had focal cortical dysplasia Ⅰ or focal cortical dysplasia Ⅱ; 2 had benign tumors. Scalp electroencephalogram showed that interictal phase was divided into 3 discharge patterns: bilateral temporal regions with prominent lesion side; bilateral anterior regions with prominent lesion side; lesion-side hemisphere with prominent temporal region. Ictal period showed 4 initial patterns: lesion-side hemispheric rhythmic spikes-slow waves or polyspikes-slow waves; lesion-side anterior region rhythmic slow waves; lesion-side anterior region low voltage fast (LVF) activities, and diffuse LVF with prominent lesion-side hemisphere. SEEG showed that 13 patients received electrode implantation with (9±2) electrodes per patient, divided into 3 seizure patterns: type 1: TP?adjacent temporal neocortex?POG, ACG and insula?mTL; type 2: TP?para hippocampal gyrus and the base of temporal lobe?ACG ,POG and insula?mTL; type 3: TP?mTL?insular lobe?POG.Conclusions:TLE originating from the TP is relatively rare, with hypermotor or complex motor as the main manifestations, and automotor being relatively less common, which is more likely to be followed by GTCS. The epileptogenic network analysis displays a tendency to spread from the TP to the frontal and insular lobes, as well as to the mTL, with the former pattern being more common. Common etiologies are cortical dysplasia and benign tumors of the TP without hippocampal sclerosis.

Objective:To explore the epileptogenic network patterns in 14 patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) originating from the amygdala.Methods:A total of 14 patients with mTLE originating from the amygdala underwent preoperative evaluation in Department of Epilepsy, Guangdong Sanjiu Brain Hospital from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2023 were selected. A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of these patients. Epileptogenic network patterns were further explored based on stereo-electroencephalogram (SEEG) and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT).Results:Craniocerebral MRI indicated 12 patients with unilateral amygdala hypertrophy, and 2 with increased T2-FLAIR signal in the amygdala but no obvious volume change. During interictal period, scalp EEG indicated discharges in one or both temporal regions and distinguished at the lesion side. During ictal period, scalp EEG indicated that the initial side is consistent with the lesion side. Three clinical phenotypes and epileptogenic network patterns were summarized: the first type ( n=5) had clinical manifestations as aura→automotor→autonomic symptoms, with epileptic seizure starting from amygdala→hippocampus→preinsula→temporal pole (by SEEG) and low metabolism in the medial structures of the temporal lobe (by PET-CT); the second type ( n=6) had clinical manifestations as aura→hypermotor/complex motor→autonomic symptoms, with epileptic seizure starting from amygdala→hippocampus→temporal pole→frontal orbital gyrus and anterior cingulate cortex→insula (by SEEG) and low metabolism in the medial structures of the temporal lobe, temporal pole, insula, frontal-orbital gyrus, and inner frontal lobe (by PET-CT); the third type ( n=3) had clinical manifestations as aura→bilateral symmetrical dystonia→autonomic symptoms (with or without oral-alimentary automotor), with epileptic seizure starting from amygdala→hippocampus and insula→temporal pole and adjacent temporal neocortex (by SEEG) and low metabolism in the mesial structures of the temporal lobe and the insula (by PET-CT). Conclusion:The different clinical phenotypes of patients with mTLE originating from the amygdala may have equivalent epileptogenic network patterns.

Abstract: Objective To compare the differences in the expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) among three groups of individuals: patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), patients with drug-susceptible tuberculosis (DSP-TB), and healthy controls. By analyzing the differences between these groups, the study seeks to provide a reference basis for clinical auxiliary diagnosis of new type tuberculosis. Methods The differences in mRNA expression profiles of chip from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) among three groups were analyzed. MDR-TB and DSP-TB patients were selected as study subjects, with healthy individuals serving as a control group, and the serum IL-8 concentration of each group was measured using an ELISA assay to compare differences between groups. Additionally, PBMCs from all groups were isolated and total RNA was extracted for analysis of IL-8 and STAT3 mRNA expression using quantitative real-time PCR(Q-PCR). Differences in STAT3 protein expression among the groups were also compared by Western blot assay. Results The serum IL-8 concentration in the MDR-TB and DSP-TB groups was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The relative expression level of IL-8 mRNA in PBMCs of the MDR-TB group and DSP-TB group was also significantly higher than that of the healthy control group, with a statistical significance (P<0.05). Both Q-PCR and Western Blot results revealed that the expression of STAT3 in the healthy, DSP-TB and MDR-TB groups sequentially increased, presenting statistically significant differences between the groups (P<0.05), consistent with the mRNA chip results. Conclusions The expression of IL-8 in active tuberculosis patients (ATB) is significantly increased, which can be used as a marker to distinguish ATB from healthy populations. The changes of STAT3 concentration not only serve as a reference for the diagnosis of ATB but can also distinguish between DSP-TB and MDR-TB populations. The combined detection of IL-8 and STAT3 holds promise as a clinical auxiliary diagnostic basis for different tuberculosis patients.