OBJECTIVE: To investigate lymph node metastasis (LNM) in the prostatic anterior fat pad (PAFP) of PCa patients after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), and analyze the clinicopathological features and prognosis of LNM in the PAFP. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological data on 1 003 cases of PCa treated by RARP in the Department of Urology of PLA General Hospital from January 2017 to December 2022. All the patients underwent routine removal of the PAFP during RARP and pathological examination, with the results of all the specimens examined and reported by pathologists. Based on the presence and locations of LNM, we grouped the patients for statistical analysis, compared the clinicopathological features between different groups using the Student's t, Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests, and conducted survival analyses using the Kaplan-Meier and Log-rank methods and survival curves generated by Rstudio. RESULTS: Lymph nodes were detected in 77 (7.7%) of the 1 003 PAFP samples, and LNM in 11 (14.3%) of the 77 cases, with a positive rate of 1.1% (11/1 003). Of the 11 positive cases, 9 were found in the upgraded pathological N stage, and the other 2 complicated by pelvic LNM. The patients with postoperative pathological stage≥T3 constituted a significantly higher proportion in the PAFP LNM than in the non-PAFP LNM group (81.8% ［9/11］ vs 36.2% ［359/992］, P = 0.005), and so did the cases with Gleason score ≥8 (87.5% ［7/8］ vs 35.5% ［279/786］, P = 0.009). No statistically significant differences were observed in the clinicopathological features and biochemical recurrence-free survival between the patients with PAFP LNM only and those with pelvic LNM only. CONCLUSION The PAFP is a potential route to LNM, and patients with LNM in the PAFP are characterized by poor pathological features. There is no statistically significant difference in biochemical recurrence-free survival between the patients with PAFP LNM only and those with pelvic LNM only. Routine removal of the PAFP and independent pathological examination of the specimen during RARP is of great clinical significance.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatectomy/methods* ; Robotic Surgical Procedures ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Adipose Tissue/pathology* ; Prostate/pathology* ; Lymph Nodes/pathology* ; Middle Aged ; Aged

OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the effects of deep acupuncture at Weizhong acupoint (BL40) on bladder function and brain activity in a rat model of overactive bladder (OAB), and investigated the possible mechanisms around the acupuncture area that initiate the effects of acupuncture. METHODS: Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups, comprising a control group, model group, group treated with deep acupuncture at BL40, group treated with shallow acupuncture at BL40, group treated with acupuncture at non-acupoint next to BL40, and group treated with acupuncture at Xuanzhong (GB39). Urodynamic evaluation was used to observe the urination, and functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to observe the brain activation. The mechanism of acupuncture at BL40 in regulating bladder function was explored by toluidine blue staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the mechanism was verified by stabilizing mast cells (MCs) or blocking tibial nerve. RESULTS: Deep acupuncture at BL40 significantly increased the intercontraction interval in OAB rats and enhanced the mean amplitude of low frequency fluctuation of primary motor cortex (M1), periaquaductal gray matter (PAG), and pontine micturition center (PMC). It also increased the zero-lag functional connectivity between M1 and PAG and between PAG and PMC. Shallow acupuncture at BL40 and acupuncture at non-acupoint or GB39 had no effect on these indexes. Further studies suggested that deep acupuncture at BL40 increased the number and degranulation rate of MCs as well as the contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine, substance P, and histamine in the tissues around BL40. Blocking the tibial nerve by lidocaine injection or inhibiting MC degranulation by sodium cromoglycate injection obstructed the effects of acupuncture on restoring urinary function and modulating brain activation in OAB rats. CONCLUSION Deep acupuncture at BL40 may be more effective for inhibiting OAB by promoting degranulation of MCs around the acupoint and stimulating tibial nerve, thereby regulating the activation of the brain area that controls the lower urinary tract. Please cite this article as: Liu X, Zhang CY, Du XY, Li SS, Wang YQ, Zheng Y, Deng HZ, Fang XQ, Li JY, Wang ZQ, Xu SF, Mi YQ. Acupuncture at Weizhong (BL40) attenuates acetic acid-induced overactive bladder in rats by regulating brain neural activity through the modulation of mast cells and tibial nerves. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 46-55.
Animals ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive/physiopathology* ; Mast Cells/physiology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Female ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; Rats ; Brain/physiopathology* ; Tibial Nerve/physiopathology* ; Acetic Acid ; Urinary Bladder/physiopathology*

The structure of intestinal tissue is complex. In vitro simulation of intestinal structure and function is important for studying intestinal development and diseases. Recently, organoids have been successfully constructed and they have come to play an important role in biomedical research. Organoids are miniaturized three-dimensional (3D) organs, derived from stem cells, which mimic the structure, cell types, and physiological functions of an organ, making them robust models for biomedical research. Intestinal organoids are 3D micro-organs derived from intestinal stem cells or pluripotent stem cells that can successfully simulate the complex structure and function of the intestine, thereby providing a valuable platform for intestinal development and disease research. In this article, we review the latest progress in the construction and application of intestinal organoids.
Organoids/cytology* ; Intestines/physiology* ; Humans ; Animals ; Pluripotent Stem Cells

Methods: (i) Animal experiments. This study conducted experiments using specific pathogen-free (SPF) grade male C57BL/6J wild-type (WT) mice and APP/PS1 double transgenic mice. The animals were divided into three groups: WT group (WT mice, n = 5, receiving distilled water daily), APP/PS1 group (APP/PS1 double transgenic mice, n = 5, receiving distilled water daily), and BSTSD group [APP/PS1 double transgenic mice, n = 5, treated with BSTSD suspension at a dosage of 27 g/(kg·d) for 90 d]. Cognitive function was assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM). Post-experiment, hippocampal tissues were collected for analysis of pyramidal cell and synaptic morphology through hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). (ii) Cell experiments. The HT-22 cells were divided into control group (untreated), Aβ25-35 group (treated with 20 μmol/L Aβ25-35 for 24 h), icariin group (pre-treated with 20 μmol/L icariin for 60 min, followed by 20 μmol/L Aβ25-35 for an additional 24 h), and icariin + LY294002 group [treated with 20 μmol/L icariin and 20 μmol/L LY294002 (an inhibitor of the phosphoinostitide 3-kinases (PI3K) signaling pathway) for 60 min, then exposed to 20 μmol/L Aβ25-35 for 24 h], and cell viability was measured. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of synapse-associated proteins [synaptophysin (SYP) and postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95)] and PI3K signaling pathway associated proteins [phosphorylated (p)-PI3K/PI3K, p-protein kinase B (Akt)/Akt, and p-mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR)/mTOR]. Results: (i) Animal experiments. Compared with APP/PS1 group, BSTSD group showed that escape latency was significantly shortened (P < 0.01) and the frequency of crossing the original platform was significantly increased (P < 0.01). Morphological observation showed that pyramidal cells in the hippocampal CA1 region were arranged more regularly, nuclear staining was uniform, and vacuole-like changes were reduced after BSTSD treatment. TEM showed that the length of synaptic active zone in BSTSD treatment group was increased compared with APP/PS1 group (P < 0.01), and the width of synaptic gap was decreased (P < 0.01). (ii) Cell experiments. Icariin had no obvious toxicity to HT-22 cells when the concentration was not more than 20 μmol/L (P > 0.05), and alleviated the cell viability decline induced by Aβ25-35 (P < 0.01). Western blot results showed that compared with Aβ25-35 group, the ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-Akt/Akt and p-mTOR/mTOR in icariin group were significantly increased (P < 0.01), while the protein expression levels of SYP and PSD-95 were increased (P < 0.01). These effects were blocked by LY294002 (P < 0.01). Conclusion BSTSD and icariin enhance cognitive function and synaptic integrity in AD models and provide potential therapeutic strategies through activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

This study was aimed at investigating the effect of lymphocyte activation gene-3(LAG3)on liver B lymphocyte subsets and their functions in WT and LAG3-KO mice infected with Echinococcus multilocularis(E.multilocularis).In a mouse model of E.multilocularis infection,the expression and localization of CD19 and α-SMA in liver were detected by immu nohistochemistry.CD80,CD86 and MHC-Ⅱ molecules expressed on B cells and their subsets in mice liver were detected by flow cytometry.After 12 weeks of infection,the area and percentage of CD19 in LAG3-KO group was slightly higher than that in WT group,but the difference was not statistically(t=-1.241、-1.237,P＞0.05).The area and percentage of a-SMA in LAG3-KO group was higher than that in WT group(t=-3.224、-3.227,P＜0.05).The proportion of CD80 and MHC-Ⅱ molecules expressed on liver B cells in LAG3-KO group was up-regulated(t=-2.379,-3.321,P＜0.05).The percentage of liver B2 cells in LAG3-KO group was higher than that in WT group(t=-2.695,P＜0.05).The expression of CD80 on Blb cells in LAG3-KO group was significantly up-regulated(t=-5.315,P＜0.001).The proportion of CD80 of B2 cells in LAG3-KO group was lower than that in WT group(t=2.806,P＜0.05).The expression of MHC-Ⅱ molecule in B2 cells in LAG3-KO group was up-regulated(t=-4.227,P＜0.01).It is suggested that LAG3 molecules affected the B cell subsets and func-tion of mouse liver in the middle stage of E.multilocularis infection,especially B2 lymphocytes.LAG3 molecule exerted an in-hibitory effect on the activation of B cells and the expression of MHC-class Ⅱ molecules,suggesting that it may be involved in B cell exhaustion caused by E.multilocularis.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of modified Dahuang Fuzi Decoction following the therapy of unblocking bowels for the treatment of acute pancreatitis of pathogenic-cold accumulation and retention type.Methods A total of 78 patients with acute pancreatitis of pathogenic-cold accumulation and retention type were randomly divided into a study group and a control group,39 cases in each group.The control group was treated with conventional western medicine,and the study group was treated with oral use or nasogastric feeding of Dahuang Fuzi Decoction on the basis of treatment for the control group.The course of treatment covered seven days.The two groups were observed in the changes of serum pancreatic enzyme indicators of serum amylase and lipase,inflammatory factors of C-reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),interleukin-6(IL-6)and interleukin-8(IL-8),acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ)score,and modified CT severity index(MCTSI)score before and after treatment.The time for abdominal pain relief,time for abdominal distension relief,and time for anal defecation were compared between the two groups.After treatment,the clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)During the trial,there was one patient falling off separately from the study group and the control group,and 38 patients in each group were eventually included in the efficacy statistics.(2)After seven days of treatment,the total effective rate of the study group was 86.84％(33/38),and that of the control group was 78.95％(30/38).The intergroup comparison(tested by rank sum test)showed that the efficacy of the study group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the serum levels of pancreatic enzyme indicators of amylase and lipase in the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease of serum amylase and lipase levels in the study group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(4)After treatment,the serum levels of inflammatory factors of CRP,PCT,IL-6 and IL-8 in the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease of serum CRP,PCT,IL-6 and IL-8 levels in the study group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(5)After treatment,the APACHE Ⅱ and MCTSI scores of the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease of APACHE Ⅱ and MCTSI scores in the study group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(6)For the time of symptom relief,the time for abdominal pain relief,time for abdominal distension relief,and time for anal defecation in the study group were significantly shortened compared with those in the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).(7)No obvious adverse reactions occurred in the two groups during the treatment,indicating high safety.Conclusion On the basis of conventional treatment,the use of modified Dahuang Fuzi Decoction following the therapy of unblocking bowels exerts certain efficacy for the treatment of patients with acute pancreatitis of pathogenic-cold accumulation and retention type.The therapy is effective on relieving the symptoms and signs of patients,and decreasing the level of serum pancreatic enzyme indicators and inflammatory factors.

Objective To investigate the effect of Ophiopogonin D on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells by regulating the interleukin-6(IL-6)/Janus kinase 2(JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)signaling pathway.Methods A549 AT Ⅱ cells cultured in vitro were randomly divided into four groups:control group,LPS group,LPS+Ophiopogonin D group,LPS+Ophiopogonin D+colivelin(JAK2/STAT3 signal activator)group,except for the control group,and cells in all other groups were established injury models while being grouped with Ophiopogonin D and colivelin for treatment.Cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)experiment and flow cytometry were applied to detect cell proliferation and apoptosis in each group;Western blotting was applied to detect the expression of IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway proteins of cells in each group.Results The apoptosis rates of A549 cells in control group,LPS group,LPS+Ophiopogonin D group and LPS+Ophiopogonin D+colivelin group were(2.52±0.73)％,(52.43±4.14)％,(1.67±0.52)％and(47.94±3.43)％;IL-6 protein levels were 0.14±0.03,0.49±0.05,0.17±0.04 and 0.45±0.06,and p-JAK2/JAK2 protein levels were 0.17±0.04,0.64±0.08,0.19±0.06 and 0.61±0.07;p-STAT3/STAT3 protein levels were 0.20±0.06,0.69±0.10,0.22±0.07 and 0.65±0.09;the apoptosis rates of AT Ⅱ cells were(3.01±0.69)％,(55.16±3.94)％,(2.35±0.71)％and(50.28±3.78)％;the levels of IL-6 protein were 0.11±0.03,0.87±0.13,0.19±0.04 and 0.84±0.12;the p-JAK2/JAK2 protein levels were 0.13±0.04,0.56±0.08,0.15±0.03 and 0.53±0.07;p-STAT3/STAT3 protein levels were 0.30±0.08,0.79±0.14,0.33±0.09 and 0.75±0.13.The above indexes:control group,LPS+Ophiopogonin D group compared with LPS group,LPS+Ophiopogonin D+colivelin group compared with LPS+Ophiopogonin D group,the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Ophiopogonin D can reduce LPS induced inflammation and oxidative stress levels by inhibiting the activation of IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway,ultimately reducing LPS-induced apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective To monitor the susceptibility of clinical isolates to antimicrobial agents in tertiary hospitals in major regions of China in 2022.Methods Clinical isolates from 58 hospitals in China were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using a unified protocol based on disc diffusion method or automated testing systems.Results were interpreted using the 2022 Clinical &Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints.Results A total of 318 013 clinical isolates were collected from January 1,2022 to December 31,2022,of which 29.5％were gram-positive and 70.5％were gram-negative.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains in Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus epidermidis and other coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species(excluding Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus schleiferi)was 28.3％,76.7％and 77.9％,respectively.Overall,94.0％of MRSA strains were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 90.8％of MRSE strains were susceptible to rifampicin.No vancomycin-resistant strains were found.Enterococcus faecalis showed significantly lower resistance rates to most antimicrobial agents tested than Enterococcus faecium.A few vancomycin-resistant strains were identified in both E.faecalis and E.faecium.The prevalence of penicillin-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae was 94.2％in the isolates from children and 95.7％in the isolates from adults.The resistance rate to carbapenems was lower than 13.1％in most Enterobacterales species except for Klebsiella,21.7％-23.1％of which were resistant to carbapenems.Most Enterobacterales isolates were highly susceptible to tigecycline,colistin and polymyxin B,with resistance rates ranging from 0.1％to 13.3％.The prevalence of meropenem-resistant strains decreased from 23.5％in 2019 to 18.0％in 2022 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and decreased from 79.0％in 2019 to 72.5％in 2022 in Acinetobacter baumannii.Conclusions The resistance of clinical isolates to the commonly used antimicrobial agents is still increasing in tertiary hospitals.However,the prevalence of important carbapenem-resistant organisms such as carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa,and A.baumannii showed a downward trend in recent years.This finding suggests that the strategy of combining antimicrobial resistance surveillance with multidisciplinary concerted action works well in curbing the spread of resistant bacteria.