OBJECTIVE: To elucidate how spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) exerts its analgesic effects through regulating brain function in lumbar disc herniation (LDH) patients by utilizing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). METHODS: From September 2021 to September 2023, we enrolled LDH patients (LDH group, n=31) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs, n=28). LDH group underwent rs-fMRI at 2 distinct time points (TPs): prior to the initiation of SMT (TP1) and subsequent to the completion of the SMT sessions (TP2). SMT was administered once every other day for 30 min per session, totally 14 treatment sessions over a span of 4 weeks. HCs did not receive SMT treatment and underwent only one fMRI scan. Additionally, participants in LDH group completed clinical questionnaires on pain using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, whereas HCs did not undergo clinical scale assessments. The effects on the brain were jointly characterized using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo). Correlation analyses were conducted between specific brain regions and clinical scales. RESULTS: Following SMT treatment, pain symptoms in LDH patients were notably alleviated and accompanied by evident activation of effects in the brain. In comparison to TP1, TP2 exhibited the most significant increase in ALFF values for Temporal_Sup_R and the most notable decrease in ALFF values for Paracentral_Lobule_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Additionally, the most substantial enhancement in ReHo values was observed for the Cuneus_R, while the most prominent reduction was noted for the Olfactory_R (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Moreover, a comparative analysis revealed that, in contrast to HCs, LDH patients at TP1 exhibited the most significant increase in ALFF values for Temporal_Pole_Sup_L and the most notable decrease in ALFF values for Frontal_Mid_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Furthermore, the most significant enhancement in ReHo values was observed for Postcentral_L, while the most prominent reduction was identified for ParaHippocampal_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Notably, correlation analysis with clinical scales revealed a robust positive correlation between the Cuneus_R score and the rate of change in the VAS score (r=0.9333, P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Long-term chronic lower back pain in patients with LDH manifests significant activation of the "AUN-DMN-S1-SAN" neural circuitry. The visual network, represented by the Cuneus_R, is highly likely to be a key brain network in which the analgesic efficacy of SMT becomes effective in treating LDH patients. (Trial registration No. NCT06277739).
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/diagnostic imaging* ; Male ; Female ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Adult ; Manipulation, Spinal/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Lumbar Vertebrae/physiopathology* ; Pain Management ; Rest ; Case-Control Studies

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent inflammation and joint damage, accompanied by the accumulation of plasma cells, which contributes to its pathogenesis. Understanding the genetic alterations occurring during plasma cell differentiation in RA can deepen our comprehension of its pathogenesis and guide the development of targeted therapeutic interventions. Here, our study elucidates the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying plasma cell differentiation by demonstrating that PRDX1 interacts with DOK3 and modulates its degradation by the autophagy-lysosome pathway. This interaction results in the inhibition of plasma cell differentiation, thereby alleviating the progression of collagen-induced arthritis. Additionally, our investigation identifies Salvianolic acid B (SAB) as a potent small molecular glue-like compound that enhances the interaction between PRDX1 and DOK3, consequently impeding the progression of collagen-induced arthritis by inhibiting plasma cell differentiation. Collectively, these findings underscore the therapeutic potential of developing chemical stabilizers for the PRDX1-DOK3 complex in suppressing plasma cell differentiation for RA treatment and establish a theoretical basis for targeting PRDX1-protein interactions as specific therapeutic targets in various diseases.

The chemical constituents in dried roots of Atractylodes macrocephala were investigated in this study. Through utilizing normal-phase silica gel and ODS column chromatography, TLC, and semi-preparative HPLC, 4 new sesquiterpenoids were purified from the ethyl acetate extract of A. macrocephala. By various spectroscopic techniques, such as 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, IR, UV, and CD, their structures were identified as atractylmacron A (1), 9β-hydroxyasterolide (2), atractylenolide H (3), atractylenolide J (4). Compound 1 possesses a rare 6/7 bicyclic skeleton.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of cervical cerclage in singleton pregnancy with different degrees of short cervix.Methods:The clinical data of singleton pregnant women who underwent transvaginal ultrasound examination at 18-24 +6 weeks of gestation and found cervical dilation with cervical length (CL) ≤20 mm, and without history of spontaneous preterm delivery or late abortion in Women′s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2021 to September 2023 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. According to the case control matching, 78 pregnant women in the cerclage group and 78 women in the conservative treatment group were finally included. The pregnancy outcomes and neonatal prognosis of the two groups were compared. Meanwhile, the two groups of pregnant women were divided into three subgroups for stratification (CL≤10, 11-15, 16-20 mm). Multivariate logistic regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier curve were used to evaluate the effect of cervical cerclage on pregnancy outcomes in different subgroups. Results:(1) Compared with the conservative treatment group, the gestational age at delivery (median: 36 vs 37 weeks) and the duration of pregnancy extension (median: 90 vs 97 days) in the cerclage group were not significantly prolonged (all P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the cumulative non-delivery rate between the cerclage group and the conservative treatment group ( P=0.143). The rate of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission in the cerclage group was significantly higher than that in the conservative treatment group (46.1% vs 31.2%, P<0.001), but there were no significant differences in other neonatal outcomes between the two groups (all P>0.05). (2) CL 16-20 mm subgroup: compared with the conservative treatment group (28 cases), the cerclage group (18 cases) had a significantly higher rate of preterm birth before 37 weeks of gestation (3.6% vs 6/18, P<0.001) and a significantly lower neonatal birth weight (median: 3 370 vs 2 925 g, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the cumulative non-delivery rate between the cerclage group and the conservative treatment group ( P=0.168). (3) CL 11-15 mm subgroup: compared with the conservative treatment group (26 cases), the gestational age of delivery in the cerclage group (32 cases) was later (median: 36 and 37 weeks, respectively), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The cumulative non-delivery rate in the cerclage group was significantly higher than that in the conservative treatment group ( P=0.001). (4) CL≤10 mm subgroup: compared with the conservative treatment group (24 cases), the pregnant women in the cerclage group (28 cases) had a later gestational age at delivery (median: 34 vs 37 weeks), a longer duration of pregnancy (median: 74 vs 97 days), and a larger newborn birth weight (median: 2 300 vs 3 165 g). The rates of preterm birth before 34 weeks of gestation (45.8% vs 14.3%) and before 37 weeks of gestation (83.3% vs 39.3%) were lower, and the differences were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). The cumulative non-delivery rate of pregnant women in the cerclage group was significantly higher than that in the conservative treatment group ( P<0.001). Conclusion:Cervical cerclage could significantly prolong the gestational weeks and improve the perinatal outcomes for singleton pregnant women with cervical internal orifice dilation and CL≤15 mm without a history of spontaneous preterm delivery or late abortion.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Icaritin(ICT)is an 8-isopentenylflavonoid,which is the main effective component of the tra-ditional Chinese medicine Epimedium.Previously,we found that Icaritin inhibits the growth of glioblasto-ma(GBM)cells.Herein we aim to study the in vivo anti-GBM effectiveness of Icaritin and explore its mechanism.The results of MTT assay,flow cytometry,comet assay and cellular immunofluorescence as-say in vitro showed that ICT inhibited the proliferation of four kinds of GBM cells,U87,U251,U118 and A172,induced early apoptosis(P＜0.001)and late apoptosis(P＜0.05)in U87 cells,induced DNA damage in U87 cells,and blocked the growth of U87 cells at the G0/G1 phase(P＜0.0001)in a concen-tration-time-dependent manner.In vivo subcutaneous tumor transplantation tumor experiments showed that feeding 200 mg/kg(P＜0.01)and 400 mg/kg(P＜0.001)ICT had a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of GBM subcutaneous tumors,and had no significant toxic effects on heart,liver,spleen,lung and kidney tissues.The results of network pharmacological analysis,molecular docking and cellular thermodynamic experiments showed that there were 26 possible target proteins between ICT and GBM,a-mong which the expression of p53 in GBM tissues was significantly(P＜0.001)higher than in normal tis-sues,and the binding energy of ICT and p53 was lower;cellular thermodynamic experiments verified that ICT significantly enriched the level of p53 in the living cells of GBM,which indicated that ICT could tar-get p53.The expression of key proteins in the DNA damage repair and apoptosis-associated FOXO signa-ling pathway was detected by ICT.The results showed that the expression of ATR(P＜0.01),P53(P＜0.001),P21(P＜0.05)and γ-H2AX(P＜0.05)was up-regulated,whereas the expression of Cyc-lin E1(P＜0.01),E2F1(P＜0.05),CDK2(P＜0.01),Rb(P＜0.001),p-Rb(P＜0.0001)and WRN(P＜0.0001)expression were down-regulated.There was no significant change in the expres-sion of FOXO 1 in the FOXO pathway or a significant down-regulation of its phosphorylation level.This study demonstrated that ICT could effectively inhibit the growth of GBM cells in vivo.It targets p53 to regulate the DNA damage repair pathway and FOXO signaling pathway to induce GBM cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

Objective:To explore the current status of hospital-acquired rhinosinusitis (HAR) in Neurocritical Care Unit (NCU) patients and to analyze its risk factors.Methods:From January 2021 to December 2022, 819 NCU patients of Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University were selected by whole population sampling method, of which 125 patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria for analysis. Patients were categorized into HAR group ( n=69) and non-HAR group ( n=56) based on the occurrence of HAR. Differences in demographic and clinical data of the two groups of patients were compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the risk factors for the HAR in patients. Results:HAR occurred in 69 NCU patients, with an incidence of 55.2% (69/125) . There were statistically significant differences in gender, smoking history, Glasgow Coma Scale score on admission, whether or not there was pneumonia, whether or not a nasogastric tube was indwelt before the occurrence of HAR, whether or not tracheal intubation was performed before the occurrence of HAR, whether or not mechanical ventilation was conducted before the occurrence of HAR, whether or not tracheotomy was performed, and the length of NCU stay between patients in HAR group and non-HAR group ( P<0.05) . Logistic regression analysis showed that indwelling nasogastric tube before the occurrence of HAR, failure to quit smoking before admission, and prolonged NCU stay were risk factors for HAR ( OR=6.291, 3.976, 1.089; P<0.05) . Conclusions:NCU patients have a high incidence of HAR, and indwelling nasogastric tube, failure to quit smoking before admission, and prolonged NCU stay are risk factors for HAR in NCU patients.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of cervical cerclage in singleton pregnancy with different degrees of short cervix.Methods:The clinical data of singleton pregnant women who underwent transvaginal ultrasound examination at 18-24 +6 weeks of gestation and found cervical dilation with cervical length (CL) ≤20 mm, and without history of spontaneous preterm delivery or late abortion in Women′s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2021 to September 2023 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. According to the case control matching, 78 pregnant women in the cerclage group and 78 women in the conservative treatment group were finally included. The pregnancy outcomes and neonatal prognosis of the two groups were compared. Meanwhile, the two groups of pregnant women were divided into three subgroups for stratification (CL≤10, 11-15, 16-20 mm). Multivariate logistic regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier curve were used to evaluate the effect of cervical cerclage on pregnancy outcomes in different subgroups. Results:(1) Compared with the conservative treatment group, the gestational age at delivery (median: 36 vs 37 weeks) and the duration of pregnancy extension (median: 90 vs 97 days) in the cerclage group were not significantly prolonged (all P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the cumulative non-delivery rate between the cerclage group and the conservative treatment group ( P=0.143). The rate of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission in the cerclage group was significantly higher than that in the conservative treatment group (46.1% vs 31.2%, P<0.001), but there were no significant differences in other neonatal outcomes between the two groups (all P>0.05). (2) CL 16-20 mm subgroup: compared with the conservative treatment group (28 cases), the cerclage group (18 cases) had a significantly higher rate of preterm birth before 37 weeks of gestation (3.6% vs 6/18, P<0.001) and a significantly lower neonatal birth weight (median: 3 370 vs 2 925 g, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the cumulative non-delivery rate between the cerclage group and the conservative treatment group ( P=0.168). (3) CL 11-15 mm subgroup: compared with the conservative treatment group (26 cases), the gestational age of delivery in the cerclage group (32 cases) was later (median: 36 and 37 weeks, respectively), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The cumulative non-delivery rate in the cerclage group was significantly higher than that in the conservative treatment group ( P=0.001). (4) CL≤10 mm subgroup: compared with the conservative treatment group (24 cases), the pregnant women in the cerclage group (28 cases) had a later gestational age at delivery (median: 34 vs 37 weeks), a longer duration of pregnancy (median: 74 vs 97 days), and a larger newborn birth weight (median: 2 300 vs 3 165 g). The rates of preterm birth before 34 weeks of gestation (45.8% vs 14.3%) and before 37 weeks of gestation (83.3% vs 39.3%) were lower, and the differences were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). The cumulative non-delivery rate of pregnant women in the cerclage group was significantly higher than that in the conservative treatment group ( P<0.001). Conclusion:Cervical cerclage could significantly prolong the gestational weeks and improve the perinatal outcomes for singleton pregnant women with cervical internal orifice dilation and CL≤15 mm without a history of spontaneous preterm delivery or late abortion.

Icaritin(ICT)is an 8-isopentenylflavonoid,which is the main effective component of the tra-ditional Chinese medicine Epimedium.Previously,we found that Icaritin inhibits the growth of glioblasto-ma(GBM)cells.Herein we aim to study the in vivo anti-GBM effectiveness of Icaritin and explore its mechanism.The results of MTT assay,flow cytometry,comet assay and cellular immunofluorescence as-say in vitro showed that ICT inhibited the proliferation of four kinds of GBM cells,U87,U251,U118 and A172,induced early apoptosis(P＜0.001)and late apoptosis(P＜0.05)in U87 cells,induced DNA damage in U87 cells,and blocked the growth of U87 cells at the G0/G1 phase(P＜0.0001)in a concen-tration-time-dependent manner.In vivo subcutaneous tumor transplantation tumor experiments showed that feeding 200 mg/kg(P＜0.01)and 400 mg/kg(P＜0.001)ICT had a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of GBM subcutaneous tumors,and had no significant toxic effects on heart,liver,spleen,lung and kidney tissues.The results of network pharmacological analysis,molecular docking and cellular thermodynamic experiments showed that there were 26 possible target proteins between ICT and GBM,a-mong which the expression of p53 in GBM tissues was significantly(P＜0.001)higher than in normal tis-sues,and the binding energy of ICT and p53 was lower;cellular thermodynamic experiments verified that ICT significantly enriched the level of p53 in the living cells of GBM,which indicated that ICT could tar-get p53.The expression of key proteins in the DNA damage repair and apoptosis-associated FOXO signa-ling pathway was detected by ICT.The results showed that the expression of ATR(P＜0.01),P53(P＜0.001),P21(P＜0.05)and γ-H2AX(P＜0.05)was up-regulated,whereas the expression of Cyc-lin E1(P＜0.01),E2F1(P＜0.05),CDK2(P＜0.01),Rb(P＜0.001),p-Rb(P＜0.0001)and WRN(P＜0.0001)expression were down-regulated.There was no significant change in the expres-sion of FOXO 1 in the FOXO pathway or a significant down-regulation of its phosphorylation level.This study demonstrated that ICT could effectively inhibit the growth of GBM cells in vivo.It targets p53 to regulate the DNA damage repair pathway and FOXO signaling pathway to induce GBM cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

Objective:To explore the current status of hospital-acquired rhinosinusitis (HAR) in Neurocritical Care Unit (NCU) patients and to analyze its risk factors.Methods:From January 2021 to December 2022, 819 NCU patients of Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University were selected by whole population sampling method, of which 125 patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria for analysis. Patients were categorized into HAR group ( n=69) and non-HAR group ( n=56) based on the occurrence of HAR. Differences in demographic and clinical data of the two groups of patients were compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the risk factors for the HAR in patients. Results:HAR occurred in 69 NCU patients, with an incidence of 55.2% (69/125) . There were statistically significant differences in gender, smoking history, Glasgow Coma Scale score on admission, whether or not there was pneumonia, whether or not a nasogastric tube was indwelt before the occurrence of HAR, whether or not tracheal intubation was performed before the occurrence of HAR, whether or not mechanical ventilation was conducted before the occurrence of HAR, whether or not tracheotomy was performed, and the length of NCU stay between patients in HAR group and non-HAR group ( P<0.05) . Logistic regression analysis showed that indwelling nasogastric tube before the occurrence of HAR, failure to quit smoking before admission, and prolonged NCU stay were risk factors for HAR ( OR=6.291, 3.976, 1.089; P<0.05) . Conclusions:NCU patients have a high incidence of HAR, and indwelling nasogastric tube, failure to quit smoking before admission, and prolonged NCU stay are risk factors for HAR in NCU patients.