ObjectiveTo analyze the clinical data of 126 patients with hepatic myelopathy （HM）， to summarize their clinical manifestations and prognostic features， and to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment. MethodsRelated clinical data were collected from 126 HM patients who attended The First Hospital of Lanzhou University from January 1， 2016 to June 30， 2025， and according to their muscle strength on admission， they were divided into grade<3 group， grade 3 group， and grade 4 group. The three groups were compared in terms of the clinical data including etiology， symptoms， clinical signs， past history， personal history， laboratory test results， imaging findings， treatment， and outcome. An analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups； the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups， and the Bonferroni correction method was used for further comparison between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between multiple groups. ResultsAll 126 patients with HM were comorbid with liver cirrhosis， with a male/female ratio of 2.7∶1， an age of 23 — 73 years， a mean age of 53.9±9.3 years， and a median age of 54 years. The top three etiologies of liver cirrhosis were hepatitis B in 78 patients （61.9%）， hepatitis C in 9 patients （7.1%）， and alcoholic hepatitis in 8 patients （6.3%）. During the course of the disease， all 126 patients with HM showed weakness in both lower limbs， among whom 9 patients （7.1%） also had the symptoms of lower limb pain and numbness. Among the 126 patients， 3 （2.4%） had grade 0 muscle strength， 4 （3.2%） had grade 1 muscle strength， 9 （7.1%） had grade 2 muscle strength， 39 （31.0%） had grade 3 muscle strength， and 71 （56.3%） had grade 4 muscle strength. Comparison of related data between the three groups of patients with varying grades of muscle strength showed that as for comorbidities， there were significant differences between the three groups in the constituent ratios of overt hepatic encephalopathy （OHE） （χ²=6.254， P=0.044）， ascites （χ²=6.248， P=0.044）， and liver failure （χ²=7.704， P=0.029）； as for laboratory markers， there were significant differences between the three groups in red blood cell count （RBC） （F=5.334， P=0.006）， hemoglobin （HGB） （F=4.627， P=0.012）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST） （H=6.866， P=0.032）， alanine aminotransferase （H=6.444， P=0.040）， albumin （Alb） （F=6.331， P=0.002）， cholinesterase （ChE） （H=11.064， P=0.004）， total cholesterol （TC） （F=4.843， P=0.009）， prothrombin activity （PTA） （F=3.937， P=0.022） and international normalized ratio （INR） （H=6.448， P=0.040）. Compared with the grade 4 group， the grade<3 group had significantly lower levels of RBC， HGB， and ChE （all P<0.05） and a significantly higher level of AST （P<0.05）； compared with the grade 3 group， the grade<3 group had significant reductions in Alb， TC， and PTA （all P<0.05） and a significant increase in INR （P<0.05）. At discharge， 27 patients （21.4%） achieved improvement， and 99 patients （78.6%） showed no response， among whom 2 patients died. ConclusionHM has the main clinical manifestation of symmetrical spastic paraplegia of both lower limbs， and it is more common in men. The main causes of HM include hepatitis B， hepatitis C， and alcoholic hepatitis. Muscle strength in HM patients is associated with the comorbidity of OHE， ascites， or liver failure， and patients with weak muscle strength tend to have low levels of RBC， HGB， Alb， ChE， TC， and PTA and high levels of AST and INR， suggesting that the changes in these indicators may be correlated with the degree of muscle strength impairment. HM often has a poor prognosis， and there are currently no effective treatment methods.

Chrysophanol(Chr)and physcion(Phy)are primary active ingredients of a well-known traditional Chinese medicine namely rhubarb(Chinese name:Dahuang),and their glucuronides have been revealed as the dominant forms presenting in rats after oral administration.Either Chr or Phy has two glycosylation sites,resulting in a pair of positional isomers for glucuronides of either compound(CG1&CG2 and PG1&PG2).To confirmatively identify these glucuronides,energy-resolved mass spectrometry(ER-MS)was used to pursue the fragmentation trajectories of the targeted fragment ions,and the resultant breakdown graphs that were described by the optimal collision energy(OCE)were expected to exhibit the differences of glycosidic bond cleavage between the isomers.Quantum chemical calculation was thereafter conducted to produce the bond dissociation energy(BDE)of the glycosidic bonds.The isomers were unambiguously identified through applying the positive correlation rule between OCE and BDE.Fortunately,the glucuronides of Chr and Phy in vivo were observed through liver microsomes incubationin vitro.ER-MS was utilized to collect the Gaussian-shaped breakdown graphs in response to the neutral loss of 176 Da,and the absolute values of OCE were compared between positional isomers.The results revealed that CG1(-32.31 eV)>CG2(-31.61 eV),and nonetheless,PG1(-30.00 eV)Chr-8-GluA(-48.787 kJ/mol),and nonetheless,Phy-1-GluA(-48.672 kJ/mol)

Normal heart function depends on complex regulation by the brain, and abnormalities in the brain‒heart axis affect various diseases, such as myocardial infarction and anxiety disorders. However, systematic tracking of the brain regions associated with the input and output of the heart is lacking. In this study, we injected retrograde transsynaptic pseudorabies virus (PRV) and anterograde transsynaptic herpes simplex virus (HSV) into the left ventricular wall of mice to identify the whole-brain regions associated with the input to and output from the heart. We successfully detected PRV and HSV expression in at least 170 brain subregions in both male and female mice. Sex differences were discovered mainly in the hypothalamus and medulla, with male mice exhibiting greater correlation and hierarchical clustering than female mice, indicating reduced similarity and increased modularity of virus expression patterns in male mice. Further graph theory and multiple linear regression analysis of different injection timelines revealed that hub regions of PRV had highly similar clusters, with different brain levels, suggesting a top-down, hierarchically transmitted neural control pattern of the heart. Hub regions of HSV had scattered clusters, with brain regions gathered in the cortex and brainstem, suggesting a bottom-up, leapfrog, multipoint neural sensing pattern of the heart. Both patterns contain many hub brain regions that have been previously overlooked in brain‒heart axis studies. These results provide brain targets for future research and will lead to deeper insight into the brain mechanisms involved in specific heart conditions.
Animals ; Male ; Female ; Heart/physiology* ; Mice ; Herpesvirus 1, Suid ; Brain/physiology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Brain Mapping ; Efferent Pathways/physiology* ; Afferent Pathways/physiology* ; Simplexvirus ; Sex Characteristics

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to reexplore minimum iodine excretion and to build a dietary iodine recommendation for Chinese adults using the obligatory iodine loss hypothesis. METHODS: Data from 171 Chinese adults (19-21 years old) were collected and analyzed based on three balance studies in Shenzhen, Yinchuan, and Changzhi. The single exponential equation was accordingly used to simulate the trajectory of 24 h urinary iodine excretion as the low iodine experimental diets offered (iodine intake: 11-26 μg/day) and to further deduce the dietary reference intakes (DRIs) for iodine, including estimated average requirement (EAR) and recommended nutrient intake (RNI). RESULTS: The minimum iodine excretion was estimated as 57, 58, and 51 μg/day in three balance studies, respectively. Moreover, it was further suggested as 57, 58, and 51 μg/day for iodine EAR, and 80, 81, and 71 μg/day for iodine RNI or expressed as 1.42, 1.41, and 1.20 μg/(day·kg) of body weight. CONCLUSION The iodine DRIs for Chinese adults were established based on the obligatory iodine loss hypothesis, which provides scientific support for the amendment of nutrient requirements.
Humans ; Iodine/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Female ; China ; Young Adult ; Diet ; Adult ; Nutritional Requirements ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVES: A stable, reliable, and easily implementable clinical diagnostic method for marginal velopharyngeal insufficiency (MVPI) was established on the basis of the subjective hearing judgement of hypernasality and objective examination of velopharyngeal closure to address the lack of unified diagnostic criteria for MVPI. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal fiberscopy and speech assessment results were collected from postoperative patients with cleft palate. These results were used to analyze the differences in the distribution of nasal resonance in patients with different velopharyngeal closure ratios and the correlation between velopharyngeal closure ratios and nasal resonance status. Mild-to-moderate hypernasality with its corresponding elopharyngeal closure ratio was employed to establish the diagnostic criteria of MVPI. The reproducibility of the criteria and whether the patients with MVPI diagnosed by using the criteria exhibited significantly different speech characteristics compared with other patients were verified. RESULTS: A strong correlation was found between velopharyngeal closure ratios and nasal resonance (P<0.001). Mild-to-moderate hypernasality mainly corresponded to velopharyngeal closure ratios ranging from 90% to 99%, and the combination of the two characteristics as the diagnostic criteria for MVPI demonstrated good consistency (Kappa value=0.789, P<0.001). Moreover, under the diagnostic criteria, significant differences in nasal resonance (P<0.001), nasal emission (P=0.007), and misarticulation (P<0.001) were found between patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency and those with MVPI. CONCLUSIONS Combining the subjective hearing judgement of mild-to-moderate hypernasality with velopharyngeal closure ratios over 90% under nasopharyngeal fiberscopy provides a reliable and effective clinical method for diagnosing MVPI.
Humans ; Velopharyngeal Insufficiency/physiopathology* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Cleft Palate/surgery* ; Male ; Female ; Child

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the first cohort of people in China treated with a responsive neurostimulation system (Epilcure TM , GenLight MedTech, Hangzhou, China) for focal drug-resistant epilepsy in this study. METHODS: This multicenter, before-and-after self-controlled study was conducted across 8 centers from March 2022 to June 2023, involving patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who were undergoing responsive neurostimulation (RNS). The study was based on an ongoing multi-center, single-blind, randomized controlled study. Efficacy was assessed through metrics including median seizure count, seizure frequency reduction (SFR), and response rate. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to explore the relationships of basic clinical factors and intracranial electrophysiological characteristics with SFR. The postoperative quality of life, cognitive function, depression, and anxiety were evaluated as well. RESULTS: The follow-up period for the 19 participants was 10.7 ± 3.4 months. Seizure counts decreased significantly 6 months after device activation, with median SFR of 48% at the 6th month (M6) and 58% at M12 ( P  <0.05). The average response rate after 13 months of treatment was 42%, with 21% ( n  = 4) of the participants achieving seizure freedom. Patients who have previously undergone resective surgery appear to achieve better therapeutic outcomes at M11, M12 and M13 ( β  <0, P  <0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed in patients' scores of quality of life, cognition, depression and anxiety following stimulation when compared to baseline measurements. No serious adverse events related to the devices were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The preliminary findings suggest that Epilcure TM exhibits promising therapeutic potential in reducing the frequency of epileptic seizures. However, to further validate its efficacy, larger-scale randomized controlled trials are required. REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (No. ChiCTR2200055247).
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Drug Resistant Epilepsy/therapy* ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; China ; Adolescent ; Treatment Outcome ; Quality of Life ; Single-Blind Method ; Seizures ; Electric Stimulation Therapy/methods*

Objective:To explore the construction of an evaluation model for aortic root anatomy and calcium burden in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) stenosis before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) based on deep learning (DL) algorithms.Methods:A retrospective collection of 362 BAV stenosis patients who underwent TAVR from September 2023 to May 2024 was performed. All patients underwent cardiac CT angiography. The patients were divided into training group ( n=104), internal validation group ( n=206), and external validation group ( n=52). A DL model was trained on the training dataset to assess aortic root anatomy and calcification burden. The evaluation included the segmentation accuracy of the algorithm, the measurement performance of key anatomical structures (i.e., valve leaflets and type-1 and type-2 fusion raphe), and calcification burden, as well as the measurement efficiency. Overall segmentation performance was assessed using the average Dice coefficient (ADC). The fine-scale segmentation quality was validated by the 95th-percentile Hausdorff distance (HD-95) and the average symmetric surface distance (ASSD). The consistency of the measurement results was assessed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and the intraclass correlation coefficient ( ICC) with a two-way mixed model for absolute agreement. In addition, the total time and total mouse movement distance required for manual assessment versus the DL model on the validation datasets were recorded and compared. Results:The algorithm demonstrated excellent segmentation performance on aortic root anatomical targets, achieving outstanding consistency within both internal and external validation datasets (0.955

Objective To analyze the clinical features of premature rupture of membrane(PROM)complicated with histologic chorioamnionitis(HCA),and to provide insights for clinical management of such pregnant women and their newborns.Methods A total of 202 cases of PROM pregnant women who gave birth and performed placental pathological examination in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from January to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the histopathological results,the pregnant women were divided into HCA group(n=151)and control group(n=51),and the prenatal factors and short-term maternal-fetal pregnancy outcomes of two groups were compared and analyzed.Results The amniotic fluid contamination rate,white blood cell count,neutrophil count and serum amyloid A levels in HCA group were significantly higher than those in control group(P＜0.05).There was a higher incidence of early neonatal septicemia in HCA group than in control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion The risk of early-onset sepsis in neonates with PROM complicated with HCA significantly increases.It is necessary to strengthen the screening and early intervention in such cases.Amniotic fluid contamination and increased maternal infection indicators are associated with the occurrence of HCA,which may has potential value in predicting HCA occurrence.

Researchers commonly use cyclization recombination enzyme/locus of X-over P1 (Cre/loxP) technology-based conditional gene knockouts of model mice to investigate the functional roles of genes of interest in Sertoli and Leydig cells within the testis. However, the shortcomings of these genetic tools include high costs, lengthy experimental periods, and limited accessibility for researchers. Therefore, exploring alternative gene silencing techniques is of great practical value. In this study, we employed adeno-associated virus (AAV) as a vector for gene silencing in Sertoli and Leydig cells. Our findings demonstrated that AAV serotypes 1, 8, and 9 exhibited high infection efficiency in both types of testis cells. Importantly, we discovered that all three AAV serotypes exhibited exquisite specificity in targeting Sertoli cells via tubular injection while demonstrating remarkable selectivity in targeting Leydig cells via interstitial injection. We achieved cell-specific knockouts of the steroidogenic acute regulatory ( Star ) and luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin receptor (Lhcgr) genes in Leydig cells, but not in Sertoli cells, using AAV9-single guide RNA (sgRNA)-mediated gene editing in Rosa26-LSL-Cas9 mice. Knockdown of androgen receptor ( Ar ) gene expression in Sertoli cells of wild-type mice was achieved via tubular injection of AAV9-short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated targeting. Our findings offer technical approaches for investigating gene function in Sertoli and Leydig cells through AAV9-mediated gene silencing.
Animals ; Male ; Leydig Cells/metabolism* ; Mice ; Dependovirus/genetics* ; Sertoli Cells/metabolism* ; Gene Silencing ; Genetic Vectors ; Testis/cytology*