OBJECTIVE: Acupuncture therapies are known for their effectiveness in treating a variety of gastric diseases, although the mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. This study tested the effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) at acupoints Zhongwan (RN12) and Weishu (BL21) for managing gastric motility disorder (GMD) and investigated the underlying mechanisms involved. METHODS: A GMD model was used to evaluate the impact of EA on various aspects of gastric function including the amplitude of gastric motility, electrogastrogram, food intake, and the rate of gastric emptying. Immunofluorescence techniques were used to explore the activation of spinal neurons by EA, specifically examining the presence of cholera toxin B subunit (CTB)-positive neurons and fibers emanating from acupoints RN12 and BL21. The stimulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn, the inhibition of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn, and their collective effects on the activity of sympathetic nerves were examined. RESULTS: EA at RN12 and BL21 significantly improved gastric motility compromised by GMD. Notably, EA activated spinal neurons, with CTB-positive neurons and fibers from RN12 and BL21 being detectable in both the dorsal root ganglia and the spinal dorsal horn. Further analysis revealed that EA at these acupoints not only stimulated GABAergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn but also suppressed sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn, effectively reducing excessive activity of sympathetic nerves triggered by GMD. CONCLUSION EA treatment at RN12 and BL21 effectively enhances gastric motility in a GMD model. The therapeutic efficacy of this approach is attributed to the activation of spinal neurons and the modulation of the spinal GABAergic-sympathetic pathway, providing a neurobiological foundation for the role of acupuncture in treating gastric disorders. Please cite this article as: Zhang MT, Liang YF, Dai Q, Gao HR, Wang H, Chen L, Huang S, Wang XY, Shen GM. A spinal neural circuit for electroacupuncture that regulates gastric functional disorders. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 56-65.
Electroacupuncture ; Animals ; Male ; Acupuncture Points ; Stomach Diseases/physiopathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Rats ; Gastric Emptying ; Neurons ; Spinal Cord ; Stomach/physiopathology*

Infant formula milk powder(infant formula)contains a variety of fatty acids that require hydrolysis and derivation,and the calibration methods are complex and variable,affecting the accuracy of quantification.Using the gas chromatography with flame ionization detector(GC-FID)under internal standard and external standard calibration methods,the effects of using fatty acid methyl esters(FAMEs)and triacylglycerol(TAGs)as calibration solutions on determination of 19 kinds of fatty acids content in infant formula were compared in this work.Additionally,the differences in determination between the acetyl chloride methanol method and the hydrolysis extraction method using FAMEs as the calibration solution under internal standard method were also compared.The quantitative results of TAGs external standard quantitative method were significantly higher than those of FAMEs external standard quantitative method and FAMEs calibrator derived by methylation,and the deviation of quantitative results were 7%-20%and 2%-10%,respectively.The quantitative results of FAMEs calibrator added FAME internal standard were significantly higher than those of FAMEs calibrator added FAME internal standard derived from TAG methylation and FAMEs calibrator added TAG internal standard with methyl esterification,and the deviation of quantitative results were about 15%and 2%-5%,respectively.The results indicated that both the two methods of internal standard calibration using FAMEs as the calibration solution and external standard calibration using TAGs as the calibration solution could effectively eliminate the bias in the determination,with simple operation and accurate comparation of the results.However,the results were significantly lower under the external standard calibration using FAMEs as calibration solution.

Aim To establish and evaluate an alternative meth-od for detecting skin sensitization of cosmetics based on local lymph node assay using bromodeoxyuridine(BrdU)with flow cytometry(FCM).Methods(1)25％hexyl cinnamic alde-hyde(HCA)was chosen as a positive control with an acetone:olive oil(4∶1,V/V,AOO)mixture as a vehicle control for the experiment.The dorsal sides of both ears of mice were treated with test solutions on day 1,day 2,and day 3.Brdu solution was injected inter-peritoneally on day 5.On day 6,the bilateral ears and mandibular lymph nodes were excised,and the number of Brdu positive cells was measured by flow cytometry.The stim-ulation index(SI)was calculated to identify whether it was ≥3,in order to establish the method of LLNA:Brdu-FCM.(2)BrdU-FCM test was conducted using a blind method with the fif-teen reference substances listed in OECD TG429 whose skin sensitization potentials were known.The test substances were dissolved in AOO,N,N-dimethylformamide(DMF)or dimeth-yl sulfoxide(DMSO)at three different concentrations.Tests were performed the same as above.SI and EC2.7 were calculat-ed to evaluate whether the test substance was categorized as a skin sensitizer.The reliability and accuracy of the method were validated by comparing the classification of test substances with that in OECD TG429.Results The SI for 25％HCA was 3.9,showing positive in the skin sensitization test.It demonstrated that the LLNA:Brdu-FCM test method was properly implemen-ted.Nine test substances(2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene,4-pheny-lenediamine,cobalt chloride,2-mercaptobenzothiazole,hexyl-cinnamaldehyde,eugenol,phenyl benzoate,cinnamic alcohol,imidazolidinyl urea)were positive,and six test substances(methyl methacrylate,chlorobenzene,isopropanol,lactic acid,methyl salicylate,salicylic acid)were negative.The method was evaluated with sensitivity of 90％,specificity of 100％,positive prediction rate of 100％,negative prediction rate of 83％,false positive rate of 0％,false negative rate of 17％and accuracy of 93％.The LLNA:BrdU-FCM assay could correctly categorize the test substances that were skin sensitizers or non-sensitizers.Conclusion The LLNA:BrdU-FCM assay appears to be a relia-ble predictor of skin sensitization protential of chemicals,and it is expected to an alternative method for identifying skin sensitization as a supplementary in safety evaluation of cosmetic ingredient.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and major adverse cardiovascular events (maces) within 30 days after discharge in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and its predictive value.Methods:A single center retrospective study was conducted to select AMI patients with PCI in the chest pain center of the Fourth Hospital of Changsha from January 2023 to January 2024 by a convenience sampling method. The clinical data and follow-up information of the patients were collected. The relationship between TyG index and Maces and its predictive value were tested by correlation analysis and logistic regression model.Results:A total of 110 patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, including 88 males and 22 females, aged (61.46 ± 12.42) years old. Spearman correlation analysis showed that TyG index was positively correlated with maces 30 days after discharge ( r = 0.421, P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that TyG index was a risk factor for maces in AMI patients 30 days after discharge ( OR = 9.033, 95% CI 2.835-8.788, P<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.854 (95% CI 0.765-0.943, P<0.001). Conclusions:TyG index has a significant positive correlation with maces within 30 days after discharge, which is an independent risk factor for maces within 30 days after discharge. Risk stratification by TyG index is more conducive to the management of clinical postoperative nursing and nursing education after discharge.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and major adverse cardiovascular events (maces) within 30 days after discharge in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and its predictive value.Methods:A single center retrospective study was conducted to select AMI patients with PCI in the chest pain center of the Fourth Hospital of Changsha from January 2023 to January 2024 by a convenience sampling method. The clinical data and follow-up information of the patients were collected. The relationship between TyG index and Maces and its predictive value were tested by correlation analysis and logistic regression model.Results:A total of 110 patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, including 88 males and 22 females, aged (61.46 ± 12.42) years old. Spearman correlation analysis showed that TyG index was positively correlated with maces 30 days after discharge ( r = 0.421, P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that TyG index was a risk factor for maces in AMI patients 30 days after discharge ( OR = 9.033, 95% CI 2.835-8.788, P<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.854 (95% CI 0.765-0.943, P<0.001). Conclusions:TyG index has a significant positive correlation with maces within 30 days after discharge, which is an independent risk factor for maces within 30 days after discharge. Risk stratification by TyG index is more conducive to the management of clinical postoperative nursing and nursing education after discharge.

Aim To establish and evaluate an alternative meth-od for detecting skin sensitization of cosmetics based on local lymph node assay using bromodeoxyuridine(BrdU)with flow cytometry(FCM).Methods(1)25％hexyl cinnamic alde-hyde(HCA)was chosen as a positive control with an acetone:olive oil(4∶1,V/V,AOO)mixture as a vehicle control for the experiment.The dorsal sides of both ears of mice were treated with test solutions on day 1,day 2,and day 3.Brdu solution was injected inter-peritoneally on day 5.On day 6,the bilateral ears and mandibular lymph nodes were excised,and the number of Brdu positive cells was measured by flow cytometry.The stim-ulation index(SI)was calculated to identify whether it was ≥3,in order to establish the method of LLNA:Brdu-FCM.(2)BrdU-FCM test was conducted using a blind method with the fif-teen reference substances listed in OECD TG429 whose skin sensitization potentials were known.The test substances were dissolved in AOO,N,N-dimethylformamide(DMF)or dimeth-yl sulfoxide(DMSO)at three different concentrations.Tests were performed the same as above.SI and EC2.7 were calculat-ed to evaluate whether the test substance was categorized as a skin sensitizer.The reliability and accuracy of the method were validated by comparing the classification of test substances with that in OECD TG429.Results The SI for 25％HCA was 3.9,showing positive in the skin sensitization test.It demonstrated that the LLNA:Brdu-FCM test method was properly implemen-ted.Nine test substances(2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene,4-pheny-lenediamine,cobalt chloride,2-mercaptobenzothiazole,hexyl-cinnamaldehyde,eugenol,phenyl benzoate,cinnamic alcohol,imidazolidinyl urea)were positive,and six test substances(methyl methacrylate,chlorobenzene,isopropanol,lactic acid,methyl salicylate,salicylic acid)were negative.The method was evaluated with sensitivity of 90％,specificity of 100％,positive prediction rate of 100％,negative prediction rate of 83％,false positive rate of 0％,false negative rate of 17％and accuracy of 93％.The LLNA:BrdU-FCM assay could correctly categorize the test substances that were skin sensitizers or non-sensitizers.Conclusion The LLNA:BrdU-FCM assay appears to be a relia-ble predictor of skin sensitization protential of chemicals,and it is expected to an alternative method for identifying skin sensitization as a supplementary in safety evaluation of cosmetic ingredient.

AIM To study the quassinoids and lignans from Brucea javanica (L.) Merr.and their anti-inflammatory activities.METHODS The extract was isolated and purified by silica gel,MCI,Sephadex LH-20 and HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.RESULTS Seven quassinoids were isolated and identified as bruceanic acid E (1),15-O-(3-hydroxy-3-methy1butanoyl)-brucealide (2),bruceine L (3),aglycone of yadanzioside D (4),javanicolide A (5),javanicolide C (6),bruceanic acid A (7).Four lignans were isolated and identified as cleomiscosin A (8),ceplignan (9),threo-guaiacylglycerol 8'-(4-hydroxymethyl-2-methoxyphenyl) ether (10),erythro-guaiacylglycerol 8'-(4-hydroxy-methyl-2-methoxyphenyl) ether (11).Compounds 3,8 could inhibit NO release in RAW264.7 cells.CONCLUSION Compounds 9-11 are isolated from Brucea genus for the first time.Compounds 3 and 8 have anti-inflammatory activities.

Objective To investigate the nutritional status in patients with aplastic anemia (AA), and to analyze the influencing factors. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 152 patients with AA admitted to West China Hospital between March 2019 and March 2022. The nutritional status of all patients was screened by Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS2002). According to the screening criteria, the patients were divided into control group (46 cases, total NRS2002 score <3 points) and malnutrition risk group (106 cases, total NRS2002 score ≥3 points). The body mass index (BMI), disease grading [severe AA (SAA), non-severe AA (NSAA)], levels of hemoglobin (Hb), serum albumin (Alb), serum ferritin (SF), total protein (TP), folic acid (FA), vitamin B12 (VB12), serum iron (SI), unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC) and transferrin saturation (TSAT) were recorded and compared between the two groups. The risk factors of malnutrition were analyzed by logistic regression analysis, and levels of the related influencing factors were compared. The association between nutritional risk and prognosis in patients with AA was analyzed. Results Among the 152 patients with AA, 69.74% of them were at risk of malnutrition. There was no significant difference in the BMI, TP, FA and VB12 between the malnutrition risk group and the control group (P>0.05). The proportion of SAA cases in the malnutrition risk group was significantly higher than that in the control group. The levels of Alb and UIBC in the malnutrition risk group were significantly lower than those in the control group, while the levels of SF, SI and TSAT were higher than those in the control group. In addition, the levels of SF, SI and TSAT in SAA patients were higher than those in NSAA group (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that high levels of SF, SI and TSAT, and high proportion of SAA cases were risk factors of malnutrition in AA patients (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse prognosis in the malnutrition risk group was significantly higher than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion Patients with AA have a higher risk of malnutrition, and high levels of SF, SI and TSAT are risk factors for malnutrition. The greater the risk of malnutrition, the more severe the poor prognosis.

Epigenomic imbalance drives abnormal transcriptional processes,promoting the onset and progression of cancer.Although defective gene regulation generally affects carcinogenesis and tumor suppression networks,tumor immunogenicity and immune cells involved in antitumor responses may also be affected by epigenomic changes,which may have significant implications for the development and application of epigenetic therapy,cancer immunotherapy,and their combinations.Herein,we focus on the impact of epigenetic regulation on tumor immune cell function and the role of key abnormal epigenetic processes,DNA methylation,histone post-translational modification,and chromatin structure in tumor immunogenicity,and introduce these epigenetic research methods.We emphasize the value of small-molecule inhibitors of epigenetic modulators in enhancing antitumor immune responses and discuss the challenges of developing treatment plans that combine epigenetic therapy and immuno-therapy through the complex interaction between cancer epigenetics and cancer immunology.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is considered a stress disorder characterized by psychological and gastrointestinal dysfunction. IBS patients not only suffer from intestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, or constipation but also, experience dysthymic disorders such as anxiety and depression. Studies have found that corticotropin-releasing hormone plays a key role in IBS with comorbid dysthymic disorders. Next, we will summarize the effects of corticotropinreleasing hormone from the central nervous system and periphery on IBS with comorbid dysthymic disorders and relevant treatments based on published literatures in recent years.