Objective To investigate the functional brain characteristics of the frontal and bilateral tempo-ral regions during a verbal fluency task(VFT)in patients with stable schizophrenia using functional near-infrared spectroscopy(fNIRS),and to evaluate its potential clinical application in assisting the diagnosis of schizophrenia.Methods A total of 45 stable schizophrenia patients and 30 healthy controls were enrolled in the study.fNIRS was employed to assess brain activation patterns in the frontal and bilateral temporal lobes during the VFT.The integral values,centroid values,and slopes of the frontal and bilateral temporal lobes were measured.Differences in demographic characteristics,word count,and fNIRS-derived parameters between the two groups were analyzed.A logistic regression model and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis were conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the fNIRS measures in distinguishing schizophrenia patients from healthy controls.Results During VFT,the patient group demonstrated reduced word count and decreased integral values and slopes in the frontal lobe,as well as lower integral values in the bilateral temporal lobes,compared to the healthy control group(all P＜0.05).However,no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of frontal lobe centroid value,temporal lobe centroid value,or bilateral temporal lobe slope(all P＞0.05).The logistic regression model indicated that the temporal lobe integral value was significantly associated with the diagnosis of schizophrenia(OR=0.979,P=0.005).ROC curve analysis revealed that the frontal lobe integral value,frontal lobe slope,and temporal lobe integral value exhibited acceptable discriminatory power for disease classification,with area under the curve(AUC)values of 0.681,0.644,and 0.779,respectively(all P＜0.05).Conclusion In stable schizophrenia,the integral values of the frontal and temporal lobes,as well as the slope of the frontal lobe,decrease during the VFT,suggesting potential clinical utility in differentiating individuals with schizophrenia from healthy controls.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the role of dynamin-related protein 1(Drp1)in the A1 type activation of astrocytes and elucidate the underlying mechanism of abnormal astrocyte activation.METHODS:Rat astro-cyte line CTX-TNA2 was divided into control group,astrocyte-conditioned medium(ACM)group,and 5,10 and 25 μmol/L mitochondrial division inhibitor-1(Mdivi-1;a selective inhibitor of Drp1)+ACM group.The cells in ACM group were exposed to ACM containing interleukin-1α(IL-1α),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and complement 1q(C1q)for 24 h to induce type A1 activation,while those in Mdivi-1+ACM group were pre-treated with various concentrations of Mdi-vi-1 for 2 h before stimulation with ACM for 24 h.RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression levels of A1 type activation-related indicators IL-1β,TNF-α and IL-10 mRNA in each group.Immunofluorescence was utilized to assess the expres-sion levels of A1 type activation marker molecules C3,inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)and S100 calcium binding protein A10(S100A10).The level of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species(ROS)was measured using MitoSOX Red staining and flow cytometry analysis.The mitochondrial morphology was observed using the MICA full-field imaging analy-sis platform.Lastly,the expression level of mitochondrial fission protein 1(FIS1)and the activation level of Drp1 in each group were evaluated through immunoblotting analysis.RESULTS:The RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence results indi-cated that the ACM group exhibited significantly elevated levels of IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA,and C3 protein expression compared with control group,along with increased iNOS protein expression and reduced IL-10 mRNA and S100A10 pro-tein expression(P＜0.05).Interventions with 10 and 25 μmol/L Mdivi-1 effectively inhibited the rise in IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA,and C3 and iNOS protein expression induced by ACM,while promoting S100A10 expression.MitoSOX Red staining revealed a significant increase in mitochondrial ROS levels in astrocytes stimulated by ACM,which was effectively re-versed by Mdivi-1 intervention.The MICA full-field imaging analysis platform demonstrated that ACM induced the forma-tion of round-shaped mitochondria in astrocytes,while 10 and 25 μmol/L Mdivi-1 interventions facilitated the restoration of their tubular shape.Additionally,Western blot results confirmed that Mdivi-1 intervention effectively reversed the acti-vation of Drp1 and FIS1.CONCLUSION:The Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission represents one of the intrinsic molecu-lar mechanisms underlying A1 type activation of astrocytes,and Mdivi-1,as a selective inhibitor of Drp1,can effectively inhibit abnormal astrocyte activation.

Objective To investigate the functional brain characteristics of the frontal and bilateral tempo-ral regions during a verbal fluency task(VFT)in patients with stable schizophrenia using functional near-infrared spectroscopy(fNIRS),and to evaluate its potential clinical application in assisting the diagnosis of schizophrenia.Methods A total of 45 stable schizophrenia patients and 30 healthy controls were enrolled in the study.fNIRS was employed to assess brain activation patterns in the frontal and bilateral temporal lobes during the VFT.The integral values,centroid values,and slopes of the frontal and bilateral temporal lobes were measured.Differences in demographic characteristics,word count,and fNIRS-derived parameters between the two groups were analyzed.A logistic regression model and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis were conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the fNIRS measures in distinguishing schizophrenia patients from healthy controls.Results During VFT,the patient group demonstrated reduced word count and decreased integral values and slopes in the frontal lobe,as well as lower integral values in the bilateral temporal lobes,compared to the healthy control group(all P＜0.05).However,no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of frontal lobe centroid value,temporal lobe centroid value,or bilateral temporal lobe slope(all P＞0.05).The logistic regression model indicated that the temporal lobe integral value was significantly associated with the diagnosis of schizophrenia(OR=0.979,P=0.005).ROC curve analysis revealed that the frontal lobe integral value,frontal lobe slope,and temporal lobe integral value exhibited acceptable discriminatory power for disease classification,with area under the curve(AUC)values of 0.681,0.644,and 0.779,respectively(all P＜0.05).Conclusion In stable schizophrenia,the integral values of the frontal and temporal lobes,as well as the slope of the frontal lobe,decrease during the VFT,suggesting potential clinical utility in differentiating individuals with schizophrenia from healthy controls.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the role of dynamin-related protein 1(Drp1)in the A1 type activation of astrocytes and elucidate the underlying mechanism of abnormal astrocyte activation.METHODS:Rat astro-cyte line CTX-TNA2 was divided into control group,astrocyte-conditioned medium(ACM)group,and 5,10 and 25 μmol/L mitochondrial division inhibitor-1(Mdivi-1;a selective inhibitor of Drp1)+ACM group.The cells in ACM group were exposed to ACM containing interleukin-1α(IL-1α),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and complement 1q(C1q)for 24 h to induce type A1 activation,while those in Mdivi-1+ACM group were pre-treated with various concentrations of Mdi-vi-1 for 2 h before stimulation with ACM for 24 h.RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression levels of A1 type activation-related indicators IL-1β,TNF-α and IL-10 mRNA in each group.Immunofluorescence was utilized to assess the expres-sion levels of A1 type activation marker molecules C3,inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)and S100 calcium binding protein A10(S100A10).The level of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species(ROS)was measured using MitoSOX Red staining and flow cytometry analysis.The mitochondrial morphology was observed using the MICA full-field imaging analy-sis platform.Lastly,the expression level of mitochondrial fission protein 1(FIS1)and the activation level of Drp1 in each group were evaluated through immunoblotting analysis.RESULTS:The RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence results indi-cated that the ACM group exhibited significantly elevated levels of IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA,and C3 protein expression compared with control group,along with increased iNOS protein expression and reduced IL-10 mRNA and S100A10 pro-tein expression(P＜0.05).Interventions with 10 and 25 μmol/L Mdivi-1 effectively inhibited the rise in IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA,and C3 and iNOS protein expression induced by ACM,while promoting S100A10 expression.MitoSOX Red staining revealed a significant increase in mitochondrial ROS levels in astrocytes stimulated by ACM,which was effectively re-versed by Mdivi-1 intervention.The MICA full-field imaging analysis platform demonstrated that ACM induced the forma-tion of round-shaped mitochondria in astrocytes,while 10 and 25 μmol/L Mdivi-1 interventions facilitated the restoration of their tubular shape.Additionally,Western blot results confirmed that Mdivi-1 intervention effectively reversed the acti-vation of Drp1 and FIS1.CONCLUSION:The Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission represents one of the intrinsic molecu-lar mechanisms underlying A1 type activation of astrocytes,and Mdivi-1,as a selective inhibitor of Drp1,can effectively inhibit abnormal astrocyte activation.

Objective To discuss the clinical value of tumor components of renal angiomyolipoma(AML)in predicting the efficacy of selective arterial embolization(SAE).Methods The clinical data of 20 patients with AML,who received SAE treatment at the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University of China between August 2019 and April 2023,were retrospectively analyzed.The pre-SAE and post-SAE total tumor volume,fat volume(FV),non-fat volume(NFV),proportion of FV,proportion of NFV were calculated.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the initial volume of each tumor component and the tumor volume reduction rate.Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the factors affecting the tumor volume reduction rate.Results The postoperative tumor volume,FV,and NFV were all significantly reduced when compared with their preoperative values(all P＜0.01).The postoperative proportion of FV was increased,and the postoperative proportion of NFV was decreased(P＜0.05).The postoperative tumor volume reduction value was closely correlated with the volume of tumor components and the presence of rupture(P＜0.05).Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the proportion of NFV was the independent risk factor for reduced tumor size.Conclusion After SAE,the proportion of NFV in AML is decreased.The preoperative measurement of this index can help clinicians to predict the postoperative tumor volume reduction ratio and to evaluate the postoperative efficacy of patients.

Objective To investigate the effect of dihydroartemisinin(DHA)for enhancing the inhibitory effect of cisplatin(DDP)on DDP-resistant nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line HNE1/DDP and explore the mechanism.Methods CCK-8 method was used to assess the survival rate of HNE1/DDP cells treated with DHA(0,5,10,20,40,80,and 160 μmol/L)and DDP(0,4,8,16,32,64,128 μmol/L)for 24 or 48 h,and the combination index of DHA and DDP was calculated using Compusyn software.HNE1/DDP cells treated with DHA,DDP,or their combination for 24 h were examined for cell viability,proliferation and colony formation ability using CCK-8,EdU and colony-forming assays.Flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis and intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS).The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins cleaved PARP,cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3 were detected by Western blotting.The effects of N-acetyl-cysteine(a ROS inhibitor)on proliferation and apoptosis of HNE1/DDP cells with combined treatment with DHA and DDP were analyzed.Results Different concentrations of DHA and DDP alone both significantly inhibited the viability of HNE1/DDP cells.The combination index of DHA(5 μmol/L)combined with DDP(8,16,32,64,128 μmol/L)were all below 1.Compared with DHA or DDP alone,their combined treatment more potently decreased the cell viability,colony-forming ability and the number of EdU-positive cells,and significantly increased the apoptotic rate,intracellular ROS level,and the expression levels of cleaved PARP,cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3 in HNE1/DDP cells.N-acetyl-cysteine pretreatment obviously attenuated the inhibitory effect on proliferation and apoptosis-inducing effect of DHA combined with DDP in HNE1/DDP cells(P<0.01).Conclusion DHA enhances the growth-inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing effect of DDP on HNE1/DDP cells possibly by promoting accumulation of intracellular ROS.

Objective To investigate the effect of dihydroartemisinin(DHA)for enhancing the inhibitory effect of cisplatin(DDP)on DDP-resistant nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line HNE1/DDP and explore the mechanism.Methods CCK-8 method was used to assess the survival rate of HNE1/DDP cells treated with DHA(0,5,10,20,40,80,and 160 μmol/L)and DDP(0,4,8,16,32,64,128 μmol/L)for 24 or 48 h,and the combination index of DHA and DDP was calculated using Compusyn software.HNE1/DDP cells treated with DHA,DDP,or their combination for 24 h were examined for cell viability,proliferation and colony formation ability using CCK-8,EdU and colony-forming assays.Flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis and intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS).The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins cleaved PARP,cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3 were detected by Western blotting.The effects of N-acetyl-cysteine(a ROS inhibitor)on proliferation and apoptosis of HNE1/DDP cells with combined treatment with DHA and DDP were analyzed.Results Different concentrations of DHA and DDP alone both significantly inhibited the viability of HNE1/DDP cells.The combination index of DHA(5 μmol/L)combined with DDP(8,16,32,64,128 μmol/L)were all below 1.Compared with DHA or DDP alone,their combined treatment more potently decreased the cell viability,colony-forming ability and the number of EdU-positive cells,and significantly increased the apoptotic rate,intracellular ROS level,and the expression levels of cleaved PARP,cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3 in HNE1/DDP cells.N-acetyl-cysteine pretreatment obviously attenuated the inhibitory effect on proliferation and apoptosis-inducing effect of DHA combined with DDP in HNE1/DDP cells(P<0.01).Conclusion DHA enhances the growth-inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing effect of DDP on HNE1/DDP cells possibly by promoting accumulation of intracellular ROS.

A 40-year-old female patient took Rukuaixiao granules 10 g thrice daily orally by herself due to breast pain and nodules. After about 1 and a half months of medication, the patient developed intermittent right upper abdominal distension and pain, dark yellow urine, accompanied by fatigue, aversion to greasy food, nausea, vomiting, etc. After 2 and a half months of medication, the above symptoms worsened. Laboratory tests showed total bilirubin (TBil) 98.8 mmol/L, direct bilirubin (DBil) 51.5 mmol/L, alanine aminotransferase(ALT) 962 U/L, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) 1 213 U/L, γ-Glutamyltransferase(GGT) 196 U/L, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) 124 U/L. The liver injury caused by Rukuaixiao granules were considered. Then the drug was discontinued and treatments such as glutathione, hepatocyte growth-promoting factor, tiopronin, Jiangmeiling(降酶灵), silymarin, and ursodeoxycholic acid were given. After 10 days of treatments, the patient′s symptoms were gradually improved; after 13 days, the patient′s digestive symptoms disappeared. Laboratory tests showed TBil 20.5 mmol/L, DBil 6.2 mmol/L, ALT 43 U/L, AST 58 U/L, GGT 53 U/L, and ALP 60 U/L. Glutathione, hepatocyte growth-promoting factor, and tiopronin were discontinued, and Jiangmeiling, silymarin, and ursodeoxycholic acid were continued to be taken for 2 weeks. Six weeks later, the patient′s liver function returned to normal. The patient′s liver injury was most likely related to the Fructus toosendan in Rukuaixiao granules.

A 40-year-old female patient took Rukuaixiao granules 10 g thrice daily orally by herself due to breast pain and nodules. After about 1 and a half months of medication, the patient developed intermittent right upper abdominal distension and pain, dark yellow urine, accompanied by fatigue, aversion to greasy food, nausea, vomiting, etc. After 2 and a half months of medication, the above symptoms worsened. Laboratory tests showed total bilirubin (TBil) 98.8 mmol/L, direct bilirubin (DBil) 51.5 mmol/L, alanine aminotransferase(ALT) 962 U/L, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) 1 213 U/L, γ-Glutamyltransferase(GGT) 196 U/L, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) 124 U/L. The liver injury caused by Rukuaixiao granules were considered. Then the drug was discontinued and treatments such as glutathione, hepatocyte growth-promoting factor, tiopronin, Jiangmeiling(降酶灵), silymarin, and ursodeoxycholic acid were given. After 10 days of treatments, the patient′s symptoms were gradually improved; after 13 days, the patient′s digestive symptoms disappeared. Laboratory tests showed TBil 20.5 mmol/L, DBil 6.2 mmol/L, ALT 43 U/L, AST 58 U/L, GGT 53 U/L, and ALP 60 U/L. Glutathione, hepatocyte growth-promoting factor, and tiopronin were discontinued, and Jiangmeiling, silymarin, and ursodeoxycholic acid were continued to be taken for 2 weeks. Six weeks later, the patient′s liver function returned to normal. The patient′s liver injury was most likely related to the Fructus toosendan in Rukuaixiao granules.

Objective:To explore the independent influencing factors of patients with spontaneous rupture hemorrhage of primary liver cancer (PLC).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinical data of 128 patients with PLC spontaneous rupture hemorrhage in Ningxia Medical University General Hospital from January 2017 to March 2022 were analyzed, including 108 males and 20 females, aged (53.4±10.6) years. According to different treatment, 128 patients were divided into liver resection group (LR, n=28), interventional group [ n=39, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE)], and conservative group ( n=61). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was performed to analyze prognostic factors. The LR and TACE groups were subdivided into LR (aLR, n=15), TACE/TAE (aTACE, n=33) and LR+ TACE ( n=19) groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed, and the survival rate was compared by log-rank test. Results:The median survival time of LR group and TACE group was 23 months and 21 months, respectively, with no statistical significance ( P>0.05). The median survival time (38 months) in LR+ TACE group was significantly longer than that in aLR group (10 months) and aTACE group (9 months), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Univariate analysis showed that Barcelona Clinical Liver Cancer (BCLC)staging, tumor length ≥10.0 cm, vascular invasion, α-fetoprotein ≥400 μg/L, total bilirubin, prothrombin time and treatment affected overall survival of PLC spontaneous rupture hemorrhage patients (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that BCLC staging, tumor length ≥10.0 cm, Child-Pugh grade and treatment were independent influencing factors for overall survival of PLC spontaneous rupture hemorrhage patients (all P<0.05). Conclusion:BCLC stage, tumor length ≥10.0 cm, Child-Pugh grade and treatment method are independent predictors of overall survival in patients with spontaneous rupture of PLC. LR combined with TACE therapy can improve the survival and prognosis of patients with spontaneous rupture of primary liver cancer.