OBJECTIVE: Treating peripheral nerve injury (PNI) presents a clinical challenge due to limited axon regeneration. Strychni Semen, a traditional Chinese medicine, is clinically used for numbness and hemiplegia. However, its role in promoting functional recovery after PNI and the related mechanisms have not yet been systematically studied. METHODS: A mouse model of sciatic nerve crush (SNC) injury was established and the mice received drug treatment via intragastric gavage, followed by behavioral assessments (adhesive removal test, hot-plate test and Von Frey test). Transcriptomic analyses were performed to examine gene expression in the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) from the third to the sixth lumbar vertebrae, so as to identify the significantly differentially expressed genes. Immunofluorescence staining was used to assess the expression levels of superior cervical ganglia neural-specific 10 protein (SCG10). The ultra-trace protein detection technique was used to evaluate changes in gene expression levels. RESULTS: Strychni Semen and its active compounds (brucine and strychnine) improved functional recovery in mice following SNC injury. Transcriptomic data indicated that Strychni Semen and its active compounds initiated transcriptional reprogramming that impacted cellular morphology and extracellular matrix remodeling in DRGs after SNC, suggesting potential roles in promoting axon regeneration. Imaging data further confirmed that Strychni Semen and its active compounds facilitated axon regrowth in SNC-injured mice. By integrating protein-protein interaction predictions, ultra-trace protein detection, and molecular docking analysis, we identified myeloperoxidase as a potentially critical factor in the axon regenerative effects conferred by Strychni Semen and its active compounds. CONCLUSION Strychni Semen and its active compounds enhance sensory function by promoting axonal regeneration after PNI. These findings establish a foundation for the future applications of Strychni Semen and highlight novel therapeutic strategies and drug targets for axon regeneration. Please cite this article as: Zhang Y, Zhao XY, Liu MT, Zhou ZC, Cheng HB, Jiang XH, Zheng YR, Chen Z. Strychni Semen and its active compounds promote axon regeneration following peripheral nerve injury by suppressing myeloperoxidase in the dorsal root ganglia. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 169-181.
Animals ; Nerve Regeneration/drug effects* ; Mice ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/physiopathology* ; Male ; Ganglia, Spinal/enzymology* ; Axons/physiology* ; Peroxidase/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Strychnine/pharmacology*

BACKGROUND: The use of inserted sham acupuncture as a placebo in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is controversial, because it may produce specific effects that cause an underestimation of the effect of acupuncture treatment. OBJECTIVE: This systematic survey investigates the magnitude of insert-specific effects of sham acupuncture and whether they affect the estimation of acupuncture treatment effects. SEARCH STRATEGY: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to identify acupuncture RCTs from their inception until December 2022. INCLUSION CRITERIA: RCTs that evaluated the effects of acupuncture compared to sham acupuncture and no treatment. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: The total effect measured for an acupuncture treatment group in RCTs were divided into three components, including the natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (controlled for no-treatment group), the placebo effect, and the specific effect of acupuncture. The first two constituted the contextual effect of acupuncture, which is mimicked by a sham acupuncture treatment group. The proportion of acupuncture total effect size was considered to be 1. The proportion of natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (PNE) and proportional contextual effect (PCE) of included RCTs were pooled using meta-analyses with a random-effect model. The proportion of acupuncture placebo effect was the difference between PCE and PNE in RCTs with non-inserted sham acupuncture. The proportion of insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture (PIES) was obtained by subtracting the proportion of acupuncture placebo effect and PNE from PCE in RCTs with inserted sham acupuncture. The impact of PIES on the estimation of acupuncture's treatment effect was evaluated by quantifying the percentage of RCTs that the effect of outcome changed from no statistical difference to statistical difference after removing PIES in the included studies, and the impact of PIES was externally validated in other acupuncture RCTs with an inserted sham acupuncture group that were not used to calculate PIES. RESULTS: This analysis included 32 studies with 5492 patients. The overall PNE was 0.335 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.255-0.415) and the PCE of acupuncture was 0.639 (95% CI, 0.567-0.710) of acupuncture's total effect. The proportional contribution of the placebo effect to acupuncture's total effect was 0.191, and the PIES was 0.189. When we modeled the exclusion of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, the acupuncture treatment effect changed from no difference to a significant difference in 45.45% of the included RCTs, and in 40.91% of the external validated RCTs. CONCLUSION The insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture in RCTs represents 18.90% of acupuncture's total effect and significantly affects the evaluation of the acupuncture treatment effect. More than 40% of RCTs that used inserted sham acupuncture would draw different conclusions if the PIES had been controlled for. Considering the impact of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, caution should be taken when using inserted sham acupuncture placebos in RCTs. Please cite this article as: Luo XC, Liu JL, Yao MH, Chen YM, Fan AY, Liang FR, Zhao JP, Zhao L, Zhou X, Zhong XY, Yang JH, Li B, Zhang Y, Sun X, Li L. Specific effect of inserted sham acupuncture and its impact on the estimation of acupuncture treatment effect in randomized controlled trials: A systematic survey. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):630-640.
Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Placebo Effect ; Placebos ; Treatment Outcome

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*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of daratumumab, lenalidomide and dexamethasone on quality of life in transplant-ineligible (TIE) patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). METHODS: The clinical data of 93 TIE NDMM patients in our hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into D-Rd group (48 cases) and Rd group (45 cases) according to treatment regimen. The patients in Rd group were treated with lenalidomide and dexamethasone, while those in D-Rd group were treated with daratumumab on the basis of Rd group. The QLQ-C30 and EQ-5D VAS scores of the two groups were compared at baseline and after 3, 6 and 12 treatment cycles. The last follow-up date was June 30, 2023, and overall survival (OS) was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The median follow-up period in the D-Rd group was 21 (7-38) months, and the median OS was 34 months, while that in the Rd group was 16 (5-35) months, and the median OS was 28 months. There was significant difference in OS between the two groups ( P <0.05). After 3, 6 and 12 treatment cycles, the QLQ-C30 score and EQ-5D VAS score of the two groups were significantly improved (all P <0.05). After 3 and 12 treatment cycles, the QLQ-C30 score and EQ-5D VAS score of D-Rd group were significantly higher than those of Rd group (all P <0.05). There were no significant differences in the improvement of QLQ-C30 GHS and pain scores between the two groups of patients with age <75 years and ECOG 0-1 score after 3, 6 and 12 treatment cycles (P >0.05). In D-Rd group of patients with age≥75 years, the improvement of QLQ-C30 GHS scores after 3 and 12 treatment cycles and QLQ-C30 pain scores after 3, 6 and 12 treatment cycles was significantly superior to that in Rd group (all P <0.05). In D-Rd group of patients with ECOG 2 scores, the improvement of QLQ-C30 GHS and pain scores after 3, 6 and 12 treatment cycles was significantly superior to that in Rd group (all P <0.05). CONCLUSION Daratumumab, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone can significantly improve OS in TIE NDMM patients without decrease of quality of life, especially in those with age≥75 years or ECOG 2 scores.
Humans ; Multiple Myeloma/drug therapy* ; Lenalidomide/therapeutic use* ; Quality of Life ; Dexamethasone/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Stem Cell Transplantation

Peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals targeting integrin α5β1 show promise for precise tumor diagnosis and treatment. However, current peptide-based radioligands that target α5β1 demonstrate inadequate in vivo performance owing to limited tumor retention. The use of PEGylation to enhance the tumor retention of radiopharmaceuticals by prolonging blood circulation time poses a risk of increased blood toxicity. Therefore, a PEGylation strategy that boosts tumor retention while minimizing blood circulation time is urgently needed. Here, we developed a PEGylation-enabled peptide multidisplay platform (PEGibody) for PR_b, an α5β1 targeting peptide. PEGibody generation involved PEGylation and self-assembly. [⁶⁴Cu]QM-2303 PEGibodies displayed spherical nanoparticles ranging from 100 to 200 nm in diameter. Compared with non-PEGylated radioligands, [⁶⁴Cu]QM-2303 demonstrated enhanced tumor retention time due to increased binding affinity and stability. Importantly, the biodistribution analysis confirmed rapid clearance of [⁶⁴Cu]QM-2303 from the bloodstream. Administration of a single dose of [¹⁷⁷Lu]QM-2303 led to robust antitumor efficacy. Furthermore, [⁶⁴Cu]/[¹⁷⁷Lu]QM-2303 exhibited low hematological and organ toxicity in both healthy and tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, this study presents a PEGibody-based radiotheranostic approach that enhances tumor retention time and provides long-lasting antitumor effects without prolonging blood circulation lifetime. The PEGibody-based radiopharmaceutical [⁶⁴Cu]/[¹⁷⁷Lu]QM-2303 shows great potential for positron emission tomography imaging-guided targeted radionuclide therapy for α5β1-overexpressing tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical efficacy of different technical combinations in treating ischemic diabetic foot (DF). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 35 patients with DF who were treated with vascular interventional opening technique, periosteal distraction technique and bone cement coverage technique from January 2024 to November 2024. They were divided into comprehensive group and periosteal distraction group according to whether the vascular interventional opening technique was used in combination or not. There were 5 patients in comprehensive group, including 4 males and 1 female, aged from 59 to 73 years old with an average of (64.40±5.46) years old;the duration of diabetes ranged from 0.17 to 30.00 years with an average of (14.63±12.02) years;the courses of DF ranged from 30 to 150 days with an average of (84.00±61.48) days;2 patients were grade 2, 2 patients were grade 3, and 1 patient was grade 4 according to Wagner classification;combined vascular interventional opening, periosteal distraction and bone cement coverage surgery for treatment. There were 30 patients in periosteal stretch group, including 22 males and 8 females, aged from 58 to 86 years old with an average of (72.63±7.84) years old;the duration of diabetes was 10.00 (6.75, 16.75) years;the courses of DF was 30.00 (15.00, 37.50) days;14 patients were grade 2, 11 patients were grade 3, and 5 patients were grade 4 according to Wagner classification; combined periosteal distraction and bone cement coverage surgery for treatment. Changes of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and procalcitonin (PCT), toe skin temperature, peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO₂), and visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain were compared between two groups before operation and 1 week after operation. The number of operations, healing period, healing number, toe amputation number, preoperative fever situation and the number of complications were compared between two groups. RESULTS: Both groups were followed up for at least 6 months. There were no statistically significant differences in the number of operations, healing period, toe amputation rate, wound healing rate and complications between two groups (P>0.05). Before operation, the toe skin temperature of comprehensive group (26.98±0.88) ℃ was lower than that of periosteal distraction group (28.17±1.45) ℃, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05);while there were no statistically significant difference in CRP, IL-6, PCT, toe SpO2 and VAS between two groups (P>0.05). At 1 week after operation, IL-6, toe skin temperature, toe SpO₂ and VAS in comprehensive group were 12.29(7.92, 22.15) pg·ml-1, (36.02±0.23) ℃, (95.80±0.84) % and(1.40±0.55) respectively, while those in periosteal distraction group were 5.49(4.36, 7.45) pg·ml^-1, (31.36±1.57) ℃, (84.53±6.38) %, (2.20±0.81);and there were statistically significant differences between two groups(P<0.05). CRP, IL-6 and VAS at 1 week after operation in both groups were decreased compared with those before operation, and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05). The toe skin temperature and SpO₂ were increased compared with those before operation, and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.001). CONCLUSION The multi-technique combination therapy, including vascular interventional opening technique, periostealdistraction technique and bone cement covering technique, could protect each other, enhance efficacy, effectively promote the wound healing of ischemic diabetic foot ulcer, and reduce the toe amputation rate. For moderate to severe ischemic DF, the combined use of periosteal distraction and bone cement coverage techniques has a satisfactory effect. For extremely severe ischemic DF with inflow tract lesions, vascular interventional opening techniques need to be added.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Diabetic Foot/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged, 80 and over ; Ischemia/surgery* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism*

Objective:To investigate the effect of risk forewarning hierarchical management on mental state,major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)and quality of life in patients with acute coronary syndrome after percutane-ous coronary intervention(PCI).Methods:This randomized controlled study enrolled 152 patients with acute coro-nary syndrome who underwent PCI in the First Hospital of Qinhuangdao between July 2021 and June 2023.Patients were randomly divided into control group(n=76,conventional intervention program)and intervention group(n=76,additional risk forewarning hierarchical management).After 3-month intervention,mental state[Hamilton anxiety scale(HAMA)and Hamilton depression scale(HAMD)scores],health literacy[perceived knowledge scale for coronary heart diseases(PKS-CHD)score],quality of life[Seattle angina questionnaire(SAQ)score]and in-cidence of MACE were compared between the two groups.Results:Compared to those in the control group,patients in the intervention group had significantly higher total score of PKS-CHD[(35.08±3.59)points vs.(30.53±3.85)points],SAQ dimensional scores of physical limitation[(15.24±1.73)points vs.(13.26±1.45)points],an-ginal stability[(16.84±1.39)points vs.(15.18±1.48)points],disease perception[(17.00±1.46)points vs.(14.34±1.93)points],anginal frequency[(18.55±1.18)points vs.(16.11±1.39)points]and treatment satis-faction[(17.12±1.45)points vs.(14.04±1.93)points](P＜0.001 all),and significantly lower HAMA score[(11.89±1.64)points vs.(13.55±1.56)points],HAMD score[(12.61±1.76)points vs.(16.42±1.92)points]and the incidence of MACE(8.00％vs.28.38％)(P＜0.001 all).Conclusion:Risk forewarning hierarchical man-agement may effectively relieve patients'negative emotions,improve their health literacy and quality of life,and significantly reduce the risk of MACE in patients with acute coronary syndrome after PCI.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin(NGAL),calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP),and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)for the prognostic regression of elderly patients with stroke complicated with pulmonary infection(SCPI).Methods:This study was a retrospective single-center study,149 elderly patients with SCPI who were admitted to Inner Mongolia Baogang Hospital from June 2020 to June 2024 were selected,they were divided into poor prognosis group(n=56)and good prognosis group(n=93)according to the prognosis.Baseline data and laboratory test indicators were collected,and NLR was calculated.Serum NGAL and CGRP levels were measured by ELISA.Influencing factors of poor prognosis of elderly patients with SCPI were analyzed by Multivariate logistic regression.Predicts value was analyzed by Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results:Compared with good prognosis group,the poor prognosis group had higher of aged ≥ 70 years,incidence of hemorrhagic stroke,serum creatinine,white blood cell count,national institute of health stroke scale(NIHSS),platelet count,C-reactive protein,NGAL,and NLR levels,longer nerosurgery intensive care unit(NICU)stay,and lower CGRP levels(P＜0.05).Higher CGRP level was an independent protective factor of poor prognosis of elderly patients with SCPI(OR＜1,P＜0.05).Age ≥ 70 years,hemorrhagic stroke,longer NICU stay,higher NIHSS score,higher NGAL level and higher NLR were independent risk factors of poor prognosis of elderly patients with SCPI(OR＞1,P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)for predicting the prognostic regression of elderly patients with SCPI used NGAL,CGRP,and NLR alone or in combination was 0.777,0.771,0.786,and 0.927,respectively,with the combination of three factors showed the highest predictive power(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Age ≥70 years,hemorrhagic stroke,longer NICU stay,higher NIHSS score,higher NGAL level and higher NLR are independent risk factors of poor prognosis of elderly patients with SCPI,while higher CGRP level is an independent protective factor.The combination detection of NGAL,CGRP and NLR can improve the predictive value of prognostic regression in elderly patients with SCPI.

BACKGROUND:Percutaneous retrograde screws and minimally invasive percutaneous plates are extensively used in the treatment of unilateral pubic ramus fractures.However,the above internal fixations have the disadvantages of mistakenly penetrating the hip joint and damaging the medial pelvic trophoblastic artery.A new type of retrograde superior pubic ramus intramedullary nail offers advantages,such as fewer radiographic exposures and shorter surgery times,but the validation of the biomechanical properties of the three endoprostheses is lacking.OBJECTIVE:To compare the biomechanical differences post-treatment of upper and lower pubic ramus fractures using percutaneous retrograde screws,minimally invasive percutaneous plates,and retrograde superior pubic ramus intramedullary nail under various conditions through finite element analysis.METHODS:Pelvic CT data were collected from one volunteer and imported into Mimics 20,Geomagic Wrap 2021,and SolidWorks 2019 to create geometric models of three types of internal fixation for treating unilateral pubic ramus fractures:hollow screw group,plate group,and intramedullary nail group.Each model was imported into Ansys 2022 software,where it was set up in vertical,book-opening,and shear conditions for preprocessing and calculation to compare and analyze the mechanical stability of the implants.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)In vertical conditions,the biomechanical stability of the hollow screw treatment for unilateral pubic fractures was superior to that of the steel plate and intramedullary nail,with the smallest peak stress in the implant,which was four times lower compared to the other two groups.(2)In book-opening conditions,the steel plate treatment for unilateral pubic fractures showed better biomechanical stability,particularly in reducing stress at the fracture ends of the upper pubic branch,with stress values five times higher in the other two groups.(3)In shear conditions,the intramedullary nail treatment for unilateral pubic fractures exhibited good biomechanical stability,maintaining the best pelvic displacement,with a 25％greater displacement observed in the other two groups.(4)These findings reveal the biomechanical differences of different implants:the peak stress of implants is the smallest under vertical working conditions with percutaneous retrograde screws.Minimally invasive percutaneous plates reduce the stress at the broken end of superior pubic branch under open-book working condition.Retrograde superior pubic ramus intramedullary nail of superior pubic branch maintains pelvic displacement under shear working condition.The surgeon can combine the biomechanical differences of the implants with the actual situation of pubic injury in clinical practice to make the best implant treatment.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of telitacicept in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) .Methods:The clinical data of 25 SLE patients who received standard therapy combined with telitacicept at the Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Second Hospital, Central South University, from 2021 to 2024 were retrospectively collected. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed. Changes in skin lesions, joint pain symptoms, complete blood count, and biochemical parameters at 4, 12, and 24 weeks of treatment were compared with baseline (week 0). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare complement C3 and C4 levels before and after treatment, and univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore factors influencing the efficacy of telitacicept.Results:Among the 25 SLE patients, 3 were male (12.0%) and 22 were female (88.0%). Based on the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) -2000 scores, 8 patients were mild, 13 were moderate, and 4 were severe. Of the 11 SLE patients with rashes before treatment, 6 achieved complete remission at 12 weeks. Among the 7 patients with joint pain before treatment, 4 experienced symptom resolution at 24 weeks. The proportion of patients with leukopenia at baseline and at 4, 12, and 24 weeks was 10/25 (40.0%), 0/24 (0), 1/22 (4.5%), and 2/19 (10.5%), respectively. The proportion of patients with thrombocytopenia was 6/25 (24.0%), 3/24 (12.5%), 1/22 (4.5%), and 1/19 (5.3%), respectively, and the proportion of patients with anemia was 7/25 (28.0%), 3/24 (12.5%), 1/22 (4.5%), and 1/19 (5.3%), respectively. At baseline, 11 out of 25 patients (44.0%) had proteinuria. At 12 weeks, the urinary protein quantification level (0.4 [0, 0.6] g/L) was significantly lower than at baseline (0.9 [0.8, 1.2] g/L). The SLE responder index-4 (SRI4) response rates at 4, 12, and 24 weeks were 14/18, 15/17, and 12/14, respectively. Complement C3 and C4 levels were significantly higher at 4, 12, and 24 weeks compared to baseline (all P < 0.001). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, disease duration, glucocorticoid dosage, baseline complement C4 levels, antinuclear antibody titer, and SLEDAI-2K score did not significantly affect the efficacy of telitacicept (SRI4 response rate at 12 weeks) (all P > 0.05). No serious adverse reactions related to telitacicept were observed in patients. Conclusions:Telitacicept improved skin lesions, complement C3 and C4 levels, and anti-double-stranded DNA antibody levels in SLE patients. No association was found between the efficacy of telitacicept and baseline SLEDAI-2K scores, antinuclear antibody titers, or complement C4 levels, suggesting that telitacicept is an effective and safe treatment for SLE patients.