ObjectiveObesity, a global chronic metabolic disease, is closely associated with disruptions in lipid metabolism and gut microbiota. Current intervention strategies still have limitations in terms of safety and microecological regulation, necessitating the exploration of novel natural regulatory approaches. Based on the early pathological characteristics of obesity, this study innovatively employs a rectal delivery method alongside a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity model to systematically evaluate the inhibitory effects, safety, and gut microbiota regulation mechanisms of leek-derived and konjac-derived extracellular vesicles on obesity development. By simulating early clinical intervention scenarios, this study aims to explore the preventive potential of plant-derived extracellular vesicles during the initial stages of obesity onset. MethodsExtracellular vesicles from leek and konjac were isolated using ultracentrifugation combined with density gradient centrifugation. Their nanoscale properties were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups: normal control (NC), high-fat diet (HFD), leek-derived extracellular vesicles (LEVs), and konjac-derived extracellular vesicles (KEVs). Beginning simultaneously with HFD feeding, mice in the intervention groups received 20 g/L vesicles rectally every 3 d for 4 weeks. Body mass and body composition were monitored throughout. At endpoint, mouse serum, adipose tissue, and colonic contents were collected. Serum biochemical indices (lipid profile, liver and kidney function, cardiac markers) were assessed to evaluate safety and metabolic efficacy, while 16S rRNA sequencing was employed to analyze gut microbial structure and diversity. ResultsDLS, NTA, and TEM confirmed that both LEVs and KEVs exhibited typical cup-shaped nanostructures with average particle sizes of approximately 284 nm and 223 nm, respectively. LEVs and KEVs treatment significantly suppressed HFD-induced weight gain and elevation of body-fat percentage (P<0.05), and reduced accumulation of abdominal white and epididymal adipose tissue. Serological analyses showed that both vesicles lowered total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol, and ameliorated liver enzyme profiles (ALT, AST), demonstrating lipid-metabolic regulation and hepatoprotective effects. No hepatic, renal or cardiac dysfunction was observed, indicating favorable safety. Gut microbiota analyses revealed that vesicle intervention partially restored HFD-depleted microbial diversity and reshaped community structure. Notably, LEVs markedly increased the relative abundance of the beneficial taxon Lachnospiraceae at the family level, which is known for producing short-chain fatty acids and enhancing intestinal barrier function. Furthermore, Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) functional prediction suggested that LEVs and KEVs modulated gut microbial functions through distinct mechanisms: LEVs downregulated pathways related to ribosomes and DNA replication while enhancing xenobiotic degradation, whereas KEVs tended to upregulate energy metabolism and protein synthesis toward healthy levels. ConclusionRectally administered LEVs and KEVs exhibit excellent safety and pronounced metabolic benefits during the early phase of obesity, suppressing weight gain, correcting lipid dysregulation, and exerting effects via modulation of gut microbial composition and function. This study provides systematic experimental evidence supporting plant-derived exosome-like vesicles as an early intervention strategy against obesity.

ObjectiveObesity, a global chronic metabolic disease, is closely associated with disruptions in lipid metabolism and gut microbiota. Current intervention strategies still have limitations in terms of safety and microecological regulation, necessitating the exploration of novel natural regulatory approaches. Based on the early pathological characteristics of obesity, this study innovatively employs a rectal delivery method alongside a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity model to systematically evaluate the inhibitory effects, safety, and gut microbiota regulation mechanisms of leek-derived and konjac-derived extracellular vesicles on obesity development. By simulating early clinical intervention scenarios, this study aims to explore the preventive potential of plant-derived extracellular vesicles during the initial stages of obesity onset. MethodsExtracellular vesicles from leek and konjac were isolated using ultracentrifugation combined with density gradient centrifugation. Their nanoscale properties were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups: normal control (NC), high-fat diet (HFD), leek-derived extracellular vesicles (LEVs), and konjac-derived extracellular vesicles (KEVs). Beginning simultaneously with HFD feeding, mice in the intervention groups received 20 g/L vesicles rectally every 3 d for 4 weeks. Body mass and body composition were monitored throughout. At endpoint, mouse serum, adipose tissue, and colonic contents were collected. Serum biochemical indices (lipid profile, liver and kidney function, cardiac markers) were assessed to evaluate safety and metabolic efficacy, while 16S rRNA sequencing was employed to analyze gut microbial structure and diversity. ResultsDLS, NTA, and TEM confirmed that both LEVs and KEVs exhibited typical cup-shaped nanostructures with average particle sizes of approximately 284 nm and 223 nm, respectively. LEVs and KEVs treatment significantly suppressed HFD-induced weight gain and elevation of body-fat percentage (P<0.05), and reduced accumulation of abdominal white and epididymal adipose tissue. Serological analyses showed that both vesicles lowered total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol, and ameliorated liver enzyme profiles (ALT, AST), demonstrating lipid-metabolic regulation and hepatoprotective effects. No hepatic, renal or cardiac dysfunction was observed, indicating favorable safety. Gut microbiota analyses revealed that vesicle intervention partially restored HFD-depleted microbial diversity and reshaped community structure. Notably, LEVs markedly increased the relative abundance of the beneficial taxon Lachnospiraceae at the family level, which is known for producing short-chain fatty acids and enhancing intestinal barrier function. Furthermore, Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) functional prediction suggested that LEVs and KEVs modulated gut microbial functions through distinct mechanisms: LEVs downregulated pathways related to ribosomes and DNA replication while enhancing xenobiotic degradation, whereas KEVs tended to upregulate energy metabolism and protein synthesis toward healthy levels. ConclusionRectally administered LEVs and KEVs exhibit excellent safety and pronounced metabolic benefits during the early phase of obesity, suppressing weight gain, correcting lipid dysregulation, and exerting effects via modulation of gut microbial composition and function. This study provides systematic experimental evidence supporting plant-derived exosome-like vesicles as an early intervention strategy against obesity.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism through which Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang ameliorates cognitive impairment in epileptic rats induced by lithium chloride-pilocarpine by regulating the neuroinflammatory reaction mediated by NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） inflammasomes. MethodsSixty male SD rats were randomly allocated into blank， model， carbamazepine （0.125 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang （1.04 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and carbamazepine （0.125 g·kg^-1·d^-1） + Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang （1.04 g·kg^-1·d^-1） groups （n=12）. After the modeling of epilepsy， rats were administrated with corresponding agents by gavage for 12 weeks. At the 6th and 12th week of the intervention， the rats’ hyper-excited behavior was evaluated by the stylus experiment， and at the 12^th week of intervention， the cognitive function was evaluated by Barnes maze. At the same time， the seizure frequency and severity grade （Racine score） were recorded. The serum and hippocampus tissue samples were collected after anesthesia for the following tests. Nissl staining was used to evaluate the degree of neuronal damage in the hippocampal CA1 area. The content of malondialdehyde （MDA） in the hippocampus was determined by the thiobarbituric acid （TBA） method. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-18 （IL-18） were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Immunohistochemical method was adopted to detect the expression of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a card （ASC） in the hippocampus. Western blot was employed to quantitatively analyze the protein levels of NLRP3， cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 （Caspase-1）， and brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） in the hippocampus. ResultsThe model group showed increased stylus scores at the 6th and 12^th week after modeling， a decreased Barnes maze strategy score at the 12^th week， a prolonged incubation period （P<0.05）， elevated serum levels of inflammatory factors （P<0.05）， decreased neurons with scattered arrangement and large gaps in the hippocampus， increased content of MDA in the hippocampus （P<0.05）， an increased positive expression of ASC， and up-regulated protein levels of Caspase-1， NLRP3， and BDNF （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the intervention with Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang for 12 weeks was accompanied by a decreased stylus score， epileptic seizures with a decreased score， a decreased number， and shortened duration， an increased Barnes maze strategy score， shortened escape latency （P<0.01）， declined serum levels of inflammatory factors （P<0.05）， regular morphology of hippocampal neurons， reduced MDA content in the hippocampus （P<0.05）， a decreased positive expression of ASC， and down-regulated protein levels of Caspase-1， NLRP3， and BDNF （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， compared with the carbamazepine group， Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang + carbamazepine showed improved performance in controlling the seizure， improved the cognitive behavior score and morphology of hippocampal neurons， alleviated the oxidative stress products， lowered the levels of inflammatory factors， reduced the positive expression of ASC in the hippocampus， and down-regulated the expression of Caspase-1， NLRP3 and BDNF， with no significant differences. ConclusionBanxia Baizhu Tianmatang may reduce neuroinflammation， control epileptic seizures， and ameliorate cognitive impairment by inhibiting the expression of NLRP3 inflammasomes.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of intense pulsed light(IPL)therapy in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome-related dry eye(SS-DE).METHODS:In this prospective randomized trial, 82 cases(82 eyes)diagnosed with moderate-to-severe SS-DE at our hospital from January 2023 to December 2023 were selected. If both eyes meet the criteria, one eye will be randomly selected for inclusion, and if one eye meets the inclusion criteria, the eye will be selected for enrollment. They were randomly assigned to either an experiment group receiving dextran hydroxypropyl methylcellulose eye drops and 0.05% cyclosporine A eye drops plus IPL therapy, or a control group receiving dextran hydroxypropyl methylcellulose eye drops and 0.05% cyclosporine A eye drops. Ocular surface disease index(OSDI)score, tear meniscus height(TMH), noninvasive tear breakup time(NITBUT), meibomian gland loss score, Schirmer I test(SⅠt), corneal fluorescein staining(CFS)score, conjunctival lissamine green staining(CLGS)score, lipid layer thickness(LLT), blink frequency, corneal Langerhans cell density(CLCD)and complications of both groups were assessed at baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 wk after treatment.RESULTS:There were 6 cases lost to follow-up in the experiment group, with a missing rate of 14.6%, and 1 case was lost to follow-up in the control group, with a missing rate of 2.4%, and valid data were eventually obtained from 35 cases(35 eyes)in the experiment group and 40 cases(40 eyes)in the control group. Baseline parameters did not differ significantly between the two groups of patients(all P>0.05). At 4, 8 and 12 wk after treatment, both groups showed significant reductions in OSDI scores, CFS scores, CLGS score, blink frequency, and CLCD, while the reductions were significantly greater in the experiment group compared to the control group(all P<0.05). The experiment group also demonstrated significant increases in TMH, SⅠt, and NITBUT at 4, 8 and 12 wk after treatment, which were significantly greater than those observed in the control group(all P<0.05). No significant intergroup differences were observed in LLT, meibomian gland loss score in the experiment group at any time point(all P>0.05). Furthermore, no severe ocular or cutaneous complications were associated with IPL treatment.CONCLUSION:IPL significantly improves ocular signs and symptoms, enhances aqueous tear secretion, and reduces ocular surface inflammation in patients with SS-DE, with no significant adverse reactions observed.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic efficacy， influencing factors， and safety of a treatment regimen based on coblopasvir hydrochloride capsules/sofosbuvir tablets in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus （HCV） infection in a real-world setting. MethodsA total of 253 patients who attended The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from September 1， 2021 to May 31， 2024 were enrolled， among whom there were 86 patients with compensated liver cirrhosis （CLC group） and 167 patients with chronic hepatitis C （CHC group）. The patients were treated with coblopasvir hydrochloride capsules （60 mg）/sofosbuvir tablets （400 mg） with or without ribavirin tablets for 12 weeks， and they were followed up for 12 weeks after drug withdrawal. The primary outcome measures were the rate of sustained virologic response at week 12 after treatment （SVR12） and safety， and the secondary outcome measures were the changes in liver function， renal function， blood routine， and liver stiffness measurements （LSM） after 4 weeks of treatment， after 12 weeks of treatment， and at 12 weeks after drug withdrawal. The independent-samples t test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and the Friedman test was used for comparison between multiple groups， while the Bonferroni method was used for paired comparison within each group； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The Logistic analysis was used to investigate related influencing factors. ResultsThe 253 patients with chronic HCV infection had a mean age of 49.38±8.65 years， and there were 151 male patients （59.7%）. Of all patients， 33.99% （86/253） had liver cirrhosis， 25.69% （65/253） had hypertension， 10.67% （27/253） had HIV infection， 8.70% （22/253） had diabetes， 3.95% （10/253） had liver cancer， 1.98% （5/253） had chronic hepatitis B， and 7.91% （20/253） were treatment-experienced patients. As for genotype distribution， 2.77% （7/253） had genotype 1， 12.65% （32/253） had genotype 2， 66.01% （167/253） had genotype 3， 16.60% （42/253） had genotype 6， and 1.98% （5/253） had unknown genotype. The patients had an overall SVR12 rate of 92.09%， with an SVR12 rate of 93.02% in the CLC group and 91.02% in the CHC group. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age （odds ratio ［OR］=1.086， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.007 — 1.170， P=0.032） and HCC （OR=9.178， 95%CI： 1.722 — 48.912， P=0.009） were independent influencing factors for sustained virologic response. Compared with baseline data， the CLC group had significant reductions in alanine aminotransferase （ALT） （χ²=107.103， P0.05）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST） （χ²=90.602， P0.05）， and LSM （χ²=42.235， P0.05） after 12 weeks of treatment， while the CHC group had significant reductions in total bilirubin （χ²=15.113， P0.05）， ALT （χ²=202.237， P0.05）， AST （χ²=161.193， P0.05）， and LSM （χ²=37.606， P0.05）. The incidence rate of serious adverse events was 1.58%， and none of the patients withdrew from drug therapy； the patients with such events were relieved after active symptomatic treatment. The incidence rate of all adverse events was 23.72%， among which fatigue （17.39%） and nausea （2.37%） were the most common adverse events， and these events often disappeared within 2 weeks or were gradually relieved after symptomatic treatment. ConclusionCoblopasvir hydrochloride capsules/sofosbuvir tablets with or without ribavirin tablets has good efficacy and safety in the treatment of chronic HCV infection.

Gastric ulcer (GU) is a common digestive system disease. Acupuncture, as one of the external treatments of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has the characteristics of multi-target, multi-pathway and multi-level action in the treatment of GU. The relationship between meridian points and Zang-fu is an important part of the theory of TCM, which is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. There is an external and internal link between acupoints and Zang-fu. The pathological reaction of Zang-fu can manifest as acupoint sensitization, while stimulation of acupoints can play a therapeutic role in the internal Zang-fu. Therefore, the acupoint has the functions of reflecting and treating diseases. This review explores the tender points on the body surface of patients with GU and the rules of acupoint selection. In addition, Zusanli (ST36), as one of the most used acupoints of the stomach meridian, was selected to show the mechanisms behind acupoint stimulation in the treatment of GU in greater detail, specifically in the well-studied model of the stress GU (SGU). Hence, the mechanisms of acupuncture at ST36 and points commonly used in combination with ST36 to treat SGU are discussed further. Treatment effects can be achieved through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, gastric mucosal injury repair, and interaction with the brain-gut axis. In summary, this review provides evidence for a comprehensive understanding of the phenomena and mechanism of acupoint functions for GU. Please cite this article as: He M, Lim XY, Li J, Li L, Zhang T. Mechanisms of acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) and its combinational acupoints for stress gastric ulcer based on the correlation between Zang-fu and acupoints. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 1-11.
Acupuncture Points ; Humans ; Stomach Ulcer/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Animals ; Meridians

OBJECTIVE: Several epidemiological observational studies have related particulate matter (PM) exposure to Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but many confounding factors make it difficult to draw causal links from observational studies. The objective of this study was to explore the causal association between PM _2.5 exposure, its absorbance, and IBD. METHODS: We assessed the association of PM _2.5 and PM _2.5 absorbance with the two primary forms of IBD (Crohn's disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC]) using Mendelian randomization (MR) to explore the causal relationship. We conducted two-sample MR analyses with aggregated data from the UK Biobank genome-wide association study. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms linked with PM _2.5 concentrations or their absorbance were used as instrumental variables (IVs). We used inverse variance weighting (IVW) as the primary analytical approach and four other standard methods as supplementary analyses for quality control. RESULTS: The results of MR demonstrated that PM _2.5 had an adverse influence on UC risk (odds ratio [ OR] = 1.010; 95% confidence interval [ CI] = 1.001-1.019, P = 0.020). Meanwhile, the results of IVW showed that PM _2.5 absorbance was also causally associated with UC ( OR = 1.012; 95% CI = 1.004-1.019, P = 0.002). We observed no causal relationship between PM _2.5, PM _2.5 absorbance, and CD. The results of sensitivity analysis indicated the absence of heterogeneity or pleiotropy, ensuring the reliability of MR results. CONCLUSION Based on two-sample MR analyses, there are potential positive causal relationships between PM _2.5, PM _2.5 absorbance, and UC.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/genetics* ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Crohn Disease/genetics* ; Colitis, Ulcerative/genetics* ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Risk Factors ; Environmental Exposure

Objective : To investigate whole genome information of a newly isolatedBifidobacterium animalissubsp. lactic B4 strain from healthy human feces was analyzed and its probiotic properties. Methods : The antimicrobial resistance, hemolytic, gastric acid tolerance and biochemical characteristics of B. animalis B4 were evaluated byin vitroexperiments, and its whole genome was sequentially sequenced and functional annotation was performed by next and three-generation sequencing technology. Results: Whole genome sequencing of B. animalis B4 showed that its genome size was 1 944 146 bp, with GC content of 60.49%, no plasmid, and a total of 1 642 genes. The results ofin vitroanalysis showed that the B. animalis B4 had good probiotic properties, including non-hemolytic and stomach acid resistance. At the same time, the genome results showed that the B. animalis B4 strain did not have toxin and disease-related genes, drug resistance genes were few and the transmission ability was not high, so it had high safety. Gene annotation of KEGG, COG and GO showed that it contained many biological active enzymes, such as β-galactosidase, L-lactate dehydrogenase and other probiotic genes. Conclusion The B. animalis B4 has good probiotic properties, showing excellent safety at the genetic level, with a probiotic gene sequence.

Objective To analyze clinical characteristics affecting survival outcomes in gastric adenocarcinoma(GAC)patients with second primary malignancies(SPM)and construct a predictive model with a web-based calculator.Methods Patients diagnosed with GAC between January 2010 and December 2017 in the SEER database(n=24 085)were analyzed,comparing non-SPM(n=22 963)and SPM cohorts(n=1 122).SPM patients were randomized(3:1)into training(n=842)and internal validation cohorts(n=280).Univariate/multivariate Cox regression identified prognostic factors for model construction.Model performance was evaluated via ROC curves,calibration plots,and decision curve analysis(DCA).A web-based calculator was deployed using DynNom(https://kunma697.shinyapps.io/dynnomapp-1/).External validation used 192 SPM patients diagnosed at Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital(2010-2017).Results χ2 tests revealed SPM patients had higher age(56.3%),earlier T-stage(T1:29.2%;T2:10.5%),predominant gastric cardia involvement(43.7%),fewer distant metastases(12.3%),and higher rates of radiotherapy(32.5%)and surgery(77.2%)vs.non-SPM(P<0.05).Cox analyses identified GAC primary site,T-stage,SEER stage,radiotherapy/surgery history,plus SPM grade/stage/treatment history as significant predictors(P<0.05).AUCs in the training cohort were 0.771(95%CI:0.722～0.820),0.839(95%CI:0.796～0.882),and 0.836(95%CI:0.792～0.879)for 1-/3-/5-year survival;internal validation showed 0.751(95%CI:0.700～0.801),0.746(95%CI:0.695～0.797),and 0.772(95%CI:0.723～0.821);external validation yielded 0.713(95%CI:0.648～0.778),0.805(95%CI:0.749～0.861),and 0.851(95%CI:0.801～0.901).Calibration indicated high prediction-actuality concordance;DCA confirmed clinical utility.Conclusion The model and web calculator incorporating GAC/SPM characteristics effectively predict SPM patient prognosis.