ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Hei Xiaoyaosan （HXS） in ameliorating cognitive impairment in the rat model of Alzheimer's disease （AD） by regulating the adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）/sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 （SREBP2）/proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 （PCSK9）/low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 （LRP-1） signaling pathway to clear amyloid-β （Aβ） from the peripheral circulation. MethodsNinety 8-week-old specific pathogen-free （SPF）-grade male Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were acclimatized for 1 week. After acclimatization， 10 rats were randomly selected as the blank control group， and the remaining 80 rats were prepared for surgical modeling. Among the 80 rats for modeling， 70 were anesthetized and injected with 1 μL of amyloid-β_1-42 （Aβ_1-42） solution into the bilateral hippocampal CA1 region for the modeling of AD， and the remaining 10 were assigned to the sham operation group， which received an injection of 1 μL normal saline at the same anatomical site. The successfully modeled rats were randomly assigned into 6 groups （n=10 per group）： a model group， a donepezil hydrochloride group， an acadesine （AICAR， an AMPK agonist） group， and high-， medium-， and low-dose HXS groups. After 42 consecutive days of administration intervention， the Morris water maze test and T-maze test were performed to evaluate the learning and memory abilities of rats. Fluoro-Jade B （FJB） staining was conducted to observe pathological changes of neurons in the rat hippocampus， and thioflavin S staining to quantify the area of Aβ deposition in the hippocampal region. Immunofluorescence double staining （IF-DS） was performed to detect the expression of LRP-1 and Aβ signals in the liver tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to measure the levels of Aβ_1-42 and soluble LRP-1 （sLRP-1） in the serum. Western blot was performed to determine the protein levels of AMPK， phosphorylated AMPK （p-AMPK）， SREBP2， PCSK9， and LRP-1 in the liver tissue. Real time polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was adopted to assess the mRNA levels of AMPK， SREBP2， PCSK9， and LRP-1 in the liver tissue. ResultsCompared with the blank control group， the model group showed increased total swimming distance on day 6 and path length in the target quadrant on day 7 （P<0.01）， a decreased correct alternation rate in the T-maze test （P<0.01）， disarrangement of hippocampal neurons， increased FJB-positive cells （P<0.01）， enlarged area of Aβ deposition （P<0.01）. reduced LRP-1 fluorescence signals and enhanced Aβ fluorescence signals in the liver tissue （P<0.01）， elevated serum level of Aβ_1-42， declined serum level of sLRP-1 （P<0.01）， downregulated protein levels of p-AMPK and LRP-1 as well as mRNA levels of AMPK and LRP-1， and upregulated protein and mRNA levels of SREBP2 and PCSK9 in the liver tissue （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the high-dose HXS group， donepezil hydrochloride group， and AICAR group exhibited reduced total swimming distance and target quadrant path length （P<0.05， P<0.01）， an increased correct alternation rate in the T-maze test （P<0.05）， decreased FJB-positive cells （P<0.01）， reduced Aβ deposition （P<0.01） in the hippocampal tissue， enhanced LRP-1 signals and weakened Aβ signals in the liver tissue （P<0.01）， a declined serum level of Aβ_1-42 and an elevated serum level of sLRP-1 （P<0.01）， upregulated protein levels of p-AMPK and LRP-1 as well as mRNA levels of AMPK and LRP-1， and downregulated protein and mRNA levels of SREBP2 and PCSK9 in the liver tissue （P<0.01）. ConclusionHei Xiaoyaosan can regulate the AMPK/SREBP2/PCSK9/LRP-1 signaling pathway to enhance the clearance of peripheral Aβ by the liver tissue and reduce Aβ deposition in the brain， thereby improving the learning and memory abilities of AD rats.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of Hei Xiaoyaosan in preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease （AD） by activating autophagy through regulating the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）/UNC-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 （ULK1） signaling pathway. MethodsNinety 8-week-old male SPF-grade SD rats were selected and randomized into two groups： a blank control group （n=10） and a modeling group （n=80）. From the modeling group， 10 rats were randomly assigned as a sham group （bilateral hippocampal injection of 1 μL normal saline）， while the remaining 70 rats were injected with 1 μL Aβ_1-42 solution bilaterally into the hippocampus to replicate the AD model. The Morris water maze test was conducted to screen the successfully modeled rats， which were then randomly allocated to the model， donepezil hydrochloride， 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-β-D-ribofuranoside （AICAR， an AMPK agonist）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose Hei Xiaoyaosan groups， with 10 rats per group. After 42 days of drug intervention， the Morris water maze and open field tests were conducted to assess learning and memory abilities and motor function. Pathological changes in the hippocampal tissue were observed by Nissl staining， and autophagy-related pathological damage was examined via transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The expression of LC3 in the hippocampus was observed by immunofluorescence staining. The protein levels of AMPK， phosphorylate （p）-AMPK， ULK1， p-ULK1， p62， and autophagy related 7 （Atg7） were determined by Western blot， while the mRNA levels of AMPK and ULK1 were measured by Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsCompared with the blank control group， the model group showed increased escape latency （P<0.01） and decreased platform crossings （P<0.01） on day 6 in the water maze test， reduced total distance traveled and average speed in the open field test （P<0.01）， disarranged neurons with Nissl body loss and evident autophagic damage， weakened LC3 fluorescence signal （P<0.01）， downregulated protein levels of p-AMPK， p-ULK1， and Atg7 and mRNA levels of AMPK and ULK1 in the hippocampus （P<0.01）， and upregulated protein level of p62 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the positive drug group， high-dose Hei Xiaoyaosan group， and AICAR group showed decreased escape latency （P<0.05， P<0.01） and increased platform crossings （P<0.01） on day 6， and increased total distance traveled and average speed in the open field test （P<0.05）. The positive drug group， high- and medium-dose Hei Xiaoyaosan groups， and the AICAR group showed alleviated cellular structural damage， regular neuronal arrangement， increased Nissl bodies， and orderly distribution of autophagosomes. Furthermore， the LC3 fluorescence intensity was enhanced in the positive drug group， high- and medium-dose Hei Xiaoyaosan groups， and the AICAR group （P<0.01）. The positive drug group， high-dose Hei Xiaoyaosan group， and the AICAR group exhibited upregulated protein and mRNA levels of p-AMPK and p-ULK1 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， upregulated protein level of Atg7 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and downregulated protein level of p62 （P<0.01）. ConclusionHei Xiaoyaosan can improve learning and memory abilities and alleviate pathological status in the rat model of AD by regulating the AMPK/ULK1 signaling pathway， enhancing cellular autophagy， and repairing damaged nerve cells.

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) for treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and the factors affecting the prognosis.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted. The clinical data of 51 patients with DLBCL who underwent auto-HSCT in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from March 2019 to January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into high-risk group (19 cases) and non-high-risk group (low-risk, low-moderate-risk and moderate-high-risk groups, 32 cases) based on different risk stratifications; patients were divided into the germinal center B-cell (GCB) group (29 cases) and non-GCB group (22 cases) based on different cellular origins; patients were divided into BEAM group (39 cases) and BeEAM group (12 cases) based on different conditioning regimens before auto-HSCT; patients were divided into auto-HSCT consolidation therapy group (41 cases) and auto-HSCT after relapsed/refractory group (10 cases) based on different transplantation timings. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis and log-rank was used for subgroup comparison.Results:All 51 patients achieved the hematopoietic reconstitution with no transplantation-related death within 100 d. Before auto-HSCT, 39 cases achieved complete remission and 12 cases (23.5%) achieved partial remission. After auto-HSCT, all cases achieved complete remission. Follow-up was until May 31, 2024, and the median follow-up time [ M ( Q1, Q3)] of 51 DLBCL patients was 33 (8, 43) months. After 51 DLBCL patients receiving auto-HSCT, 7 patients relapsed and 6 cases died including 3 cases with relapse-related death and 3 cases with non relapse-related death. The 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 78.5% (95% CI: 64.4%-92.6%) and 85.5% (95% CI: 73.2%-97.8%), respectively. The 3-year PFS rate was 94.7% (95% CI: 84.7%-104.7%) in the high-risk group, 82.2% (95% CI: 67.9%-96.5%) in the non-high-risk group, and the difference in the PFS was not statistically significant between the high-risk group and the non-high-risk group ( P = 0.158). The 3-year PFS rate was 80.1% (95% CI: 64.4%-95.8%) in the GCB group, 88.1% (95% CI: 72.3%-104.2%) in the non-GCB group, and the difference in PFS was not statistically significant between the 2 groups ( P = 0.803). The 3-year PFS rate was 84.9% (95% CI: 72.6%-97.2%) in BEAM group, 61.1% (95% CI: 25.0%-97.2%) in the BeEAM group, and the difference in PFS was not statistically significant between the 2 groups ( P = 0.106). The 3-year PFS rate was 85.4% (95% CI: 73.4%-97.4%) in the auto-HSCT consolidation therapy group, 64.3% (95% CI: 31.4%-96.4%) in the auto-HSCT after relapsed/refractory group, and the difference in PFS was not statistically significant between the 2 groups ( P = 0.171). Conclusions:auto-HSCT is an effective therapy method for DLBCL.

Reactive astrocytes, which exhibit a correlation with the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons, are present in a considerable number during the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the underlying factors shaping astrocyte reactivity and neuroinflammation in PD remain inadequately elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7)/FGF receptor 2 (FGFR2) autocrine signaling intensifies astrocyte reactivity and inflammation. Genetic deletion of Arrb2, β-Arrestin2 encoding gene, led to escalated astrocyte reactivity in MPTP-treated mice, which was further substantiated in astrocyte-specific Arrb2 knockdown mice. RNA sequencing profiling of Arrb2 knockout astrocytes identified Fgf7 as a critical effector of astrocyte reactivity. Subsequently, conditional knockdown of Fgf7 and its receptor Fgfr2 in astrocytes elicited advantageous effects for MPTP-treated mice by restraining the inflammatory phenotypic transition of reactive astrocytes. Furthermore, deletion of astrocytic Fgf7 mitigated MPTP-induced pathology in Arrb2 knockout mice. Mechanistically, STAT1 was distinguished as the transcription factor suppressing Fgf7 expression, while β-Arrestin2 counteracted the proteasomal degradation of STAT1 by binding to RNF220, an E3 ubiquitin ligase for STAT1. More importantly, selectively engaging dopamine D2 receptor (Drd2)/β-Arrestin2-biased signaling using the agonist UNC9995 exhibited therapeutic potential in MPTP-treated mice via moderation of astrocytic FGF7 production, thereby restoring balance in astrocyte reactivity. Collectively, our study bridges a crucial knowledge gap by elucidating the novel functions of FGF family members within the central nervous system, particularly within the context of PD. The autocrine signaling of FGF7/FGFR2 represents a novel mechanism and a potential druggable target for modulating astrocyte-derived inflammation.

Objective:To report the clinical manifestations, structural and functional imaging features of 3 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy with predominant cerebellar ataxia (PSP-C) assisted by florzolotau ( 18F) positron emission tomography (tau PET) imaging, and conduct a literature review, aiming to provide a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of this rare type of PSP. Methods:The clinical data, brain magnetic resonance imaging, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET ( 18F-FDG PET) and tau PET head imaging features of 3 patients with PSP-C who were admitted to the Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021 were summarized, and a systematic review of related case reports or series studies from China and abroad was conducted. Results:The age of onset of the 3 patients was 55-61 years, and the disease duration was 2-5 years at the time of diagnosis. All patients had an onset of instable walking and had repeated falls, and the duration between fall and disease onset was 0.5-3.0 years, with an average of 1.5 years. At the time of diagnosis, all patients showed gait ataxia with or without limb ataxia. The results of the brain magnetic resonance imaging showed that all patients had midbrain atrophy and midbrain-to-pons ratio<0.52. The tau PET results of all patients showed significant tau protein deposition in the midbrain and mild to moderate tau protein deposition in the cerebellum, and case 2 had concomitant mild tau protein deposition in the prefrontal lobe and decreased 18F-FDG PET metabolism in this region, supporting the diagnosis of PSP. Literature review showed that 24 patients with PSP complicated with cerebellar ataxia were reported, and 23 patients provided detailed clinical data. All patients had gait ataxia on physical examination and the clinical manifestations were consistent with those of this group. Conclusions:PSP-C is characterized by early gait ataxia and falls as the core manifestations. Structural imaging shows mesencephalic atrophy, and tau PET shows mesencephalic and cerebellar uptake. In the case of atypical PSP, head magnetic resonance imaging combined with tau PET imaging is helpful to further determine the diagnosis of PSP.

Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is a series of rare inherited organic acid metabolic disorders with variable and nonspecific clinical manifestations, in particular neurological symptoms such as vomiting, lethargy, etc. Even with timely treatment, patients may still have various degrees of neurological complications and can even die. The prognosis is mainly related to the type of genetic variants, level of metabolites, newborn screening, onset of disease and early initiation of treatment. This article has reviewed the prognosis of patients with various types of MMA and factors that may affect it.
Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors/complications* ; Prognosis ; Mutation ; Neonatal Screening ; Propionic Acidemia

Presynaptic dopaminergic PET imaging is a useful method for the diagnosis of parkinsonism. Based on the expert consensus on operation and clinical application of dopamine transporter brain PET imaging technology published in 2020, this paper further recommends the relevant elements of result interpretation of presynaptic dopaminergic PET imaging.

Objective:To investigate the protective function and mechanism of β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HOB) on cisplatin (CP)-induced nephrotoxicity.Methods:C57BL/6 male mice aged 10 weeks were randomly divided into the following three groups: control group (no special treatment), β- HOB+CP group (mice received intraperitoneal injection of 20 mmol/kg β-HOB for 10 days), CP group (received intraperitoneal injection of normal saline for 10 days). CP group and β-HOB+CP group were given once cisplatin (20 mg/kg) intraperitoneal injection on the 8th day in the experiment. On the 10th day, all the mice were sacrificed. Renal pathology was evaluated by HE staining; blood samples were collected for blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr) measurement; immunohistochemistry staining was performed to detect the protein level of Caspase3, Cleaved-caspase3, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in renal tissues; Western blotting was used to detect the relative expression levels of p-MAPK/MAPK and p-NF-κB/NF-κB. In vitro experiment, HK-2 cells were set into three groups: control group, CP group, β-HOB+CP group, and β-HOB+CP+Sappanone A (Sap, MAPK-p38 activator) group. The expression levels of p-MAPK, p-NF-κB, Caspase3 and Cleaved-caspase3 were tested by cell immunofluorescence. The cell apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were examined by flow cytometry. DNA damage was detected by TUNEL staining. Results:In vivo experiments, the renal pathological injury score, BUN and Scr in CP group were significantly higher than those in control group (all P<0.05), while renal pathological injury score, BUN and Scr in β-HOB+CP group were lower than those in CP group (all P<0.05). The protein expression levels of p-MAPK, p-NF-κB, Caspase3 and Cleaved-caspase3 in CP group were higher than those in control group, while these indexes in β-HOB+CP group were lower than those in CP group (all P<0.05). In vitro experiments, compared with CP group, the MMP was higher in β-HOB+CP group; the ratio of cell apoptosis, the expression of Caspase3, Cleaved-caspase3, p-MAPK and p-NF-κB, and the number of TUNEL staining positive cells were significantly lower (all P<0.05). Compared with β-HOB+CP group, the MMP in β-HOB+CP+Sap group was lower; the ratio of cell apoptosis, the expression of Caspase3 and Cleaved-caspase3, and the number of TUNEL staining positive cells were significantly higher (all P<0.05). Conclusions:β-HOB can alleviate the acute renal injury induced by cisplatin, which may be related to the reduction of apoptosis and inhibition of MAPK/NF-κB pathway.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of endoscopic assisted minimally invasive trans foraminal lumbar interbody fusion(MIS-TLIF)and traditional open TLIF in the treatment of senile degenerative spondylolisthesis.Methods From January 2020 to March 2021,100 elderly patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis were selected and divided into MIS-TLIF group and TLIF group according to the surgical method,with 50 cases in each group.The preoperative and postoperative VAS,Japanese Orthopedic Association score(JO A)and Oswestry disability index(ODI),and the rate of interbody fusion and the incidence of complications were compared and analyzed between the two groups.Results In MIS-TLIF group,the operative time,intraoperative blood loss,incision length,postoperative drainage volume and hospital stay were(167.5±54.2)minutes,(173.8±47.1)ml,(3.5±0.7)cm,(69.6±16.3)ml,and(8.3±2.7)days,respectively.In the TLIF group,it was(136.3±38.9)minutes,(281.0±50.3)ml,(10.0±2.1)cm,(148.4±28.2)ml,and(11.2±3.1)days,respectively.The difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The VAS,JO A and ODI scores of MIS-TLIF group were(2.17±0.62)points,(21.72±3.14)points and(13.22 ±2.43)points,respectively.The results in TLIF group were(3.24±1.06)points,(17.06±2.85)points and(16.83±2.87)points,respectively,and there was statistical significance between the two groups(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the rate of interbody fusion between the two groups at 12 months after operation(P＞0.05).The incidence of postoperative complications in MIS-TLIF group(8.00％)was significantly lower than that in TLIF group(24.00％,P＜0.05).Conclusion MIS-TLIF assisted by endoscope has the advantages of less trauma,faster recovery and less postoperative complications,and the short-term curative effect is more satisfactory than TLIF.

Objective:To explore the effect of Tai chi ball combined with Baduanjin in patients with acute myocardial infarction after PCI.Methods:From October 2018 to October 2019, a total of 118 patients with acute myocardial infarction after PCI in Department of Cardiology of Shangqiu First People's Hospital were selected as the research objects using the convenient sampling method, and divided into the observation group (57 cases) and the control group (61 cases) by the random number table method. The control group adopted conventional treatment and nursing, and the observation group conducted Tai Chi ball combined with Baduanjin exercise program on the basis of conventional treatment and nursing. One month after discharge, the ability of activity of daily living and quality of life were compared between the two groups.Results:One month after discharge, the total score of the ability of activity of daily living and the score of each dimension of the observation group were lower than those of the control group, and the differences were statistiocally significant ( P<0.05) ; the total score of the quality of life and the score of each dimension of the observation group were higher than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:Tai Chi ball combined with Baduanjin can effectively improve the ability of activity of daily living and quality of life of patients with acute myocardial infarction after PCI.