Objective To investigate the value of integrin subunit αM(ITGAM)and integrin subunit β2(ITGB2)levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC)in the diagnosis and prognosis evaluation for patients with severe acute pancreatitis(SAP)complicated with acute lung injury(ALI).Methods A total of 205 patients with SAP admitted from November 2022 to February 2024 in the hospital were selected,and they were divided into ALI group(103 cases)and non-ALI group(102 cases)according to whether they were com-plicated with ALI.Meanwhile,110 healthy people who underwent the physical examination were selected as the control group.The differences of the levels of ITGAM and ITGB2 in PBMC in different groups were com-pared.Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors for ALI in patients with SAP.The re-ceiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of levels of ITGAM and ITGB2 in PBMC for SAP patients complicated with ALI and the predictive value for poor prognosis.Results The levels of ITGAM,ITGB2 in PBMC,and serum amylase and urine amylase levels in ALI group were higher than those in non-ALI group and control group(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression anal-ysis showed that the increase of ITGAM,ITGB2 and serum amylase levels were risk factors for ALI in pa-tients with SAP(P＜0.05).ROC curve results showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of ITGAM com-bined with ITGB2 in diagnosing ALI in patients with SAP was significantly higher than those of ITGAM and ITGB2 alone(P＜0.05).The levels of ITGAM and ITGB2 in PBMC in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group(P＜0.05).ROC curve results showed that the AUC of ITGAM com-bined with ITGB2 in predicting poor prognosis in patients with SAP complicated with ALI was significantly higher than those of ITGAM and ITGB2 alone(P＜0.05).Conclusion Increased levels of ITGAM and IT-GB2 in PBMC are risk factors for ALI in patients with SAP.ITGAM combined with ITGB2 has a good predic-tive efficacy for the poor prognosis in patients with SAP complicated with ALI,which has important value in clinical practice and is expected to become potential biomarkers.

Objective:To construct a rat model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)by choline-deficient high fat diet(CDHFD),and to observe the association between feeding cycle and antioxidant pathway.Methods:The study lasted 16 weeks and was divided into 4 cycles.Detection of pathological changes and expression of antioxidant enzymes in rats liver in different cycles.Results:The early stage of liver steatosis and inflammation in model rats was 2～4 weeks,non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)stage was 4～8 weeks,and liver fibrosis progression was 8～16 weeks.Mechanistic studies had shown that the expressions of antioxidant enzymes Nrf2,SOD and GSH-Px in the liver of NAFLD rats gradually decreased with the extension of the feeding cycle.Conclusion:Different modeling cycles can successfully induce the pathological changes of steatosis,inflammation and liver fibrosis in rat liver,and the pathological changes are time-dependent with the expressions of antioxidant enzymes.

OBJECTIVE: Psoriasis, a common chronic inflammatory skin condition with genetic underpinnings, is traditionally managed with cupping therapy. Although used historically, the precise mechanical effects and therapeutic mechanisms of cupping in psoriasis remain largely unexamined. This study aimed to evaluate cupping therapy's efficacy for psoriasis and investigate its role in modulating inflammatory responses and cellular metabolism. METHODS: Psoriasis was induced in mice using topical imiquimod (IMQ). The effects of cupping on psoriatic lesions were assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score, histology, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence staining. polymerase chain reaction sequencing (RNA-seq) and Western blotting were conducted to examine changes in mRNA expression and the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. RESULTS: Cupping therapy significantly reduced inflammation, epidermal thickness, and inflammatory cell infiltration in mice with IMQ-induced psoriasis. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence showed lower expression of inflammatory markers and a shift in T-cell populations. RNA-seq and Western blotting indicated that cupping upregulated Piezo1 and activated the AMPK pathway, improving energy metabolism in psoriatic skin. CONCLUSION Cupping therapy reduces epidermal hyperproliferation and inflammation in psoriasis, rebalancing the local immune microenvironment. Mechanistically, cupping promotes calcium influx via Piezo1, activates AMPK signaling, and supports metabolic homeostasis, suggesting therapeutic potential for psoriasis. Please cite this article as: Xi RF, Liu X, Wang Y, Lu HZ, Yuan SJ, Guo DJ, Zhu JY, Li FL, Duan YJ. Mechanosensory activation of Piezo1 via cupping therapy: Harnessing neural networks to modulate AMPK pathway for metabolic restoration in a mouse model of psoriasis. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):721-732.
Animals ; Psoriasis/chemically induced* ; Mice ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Cupping Therapy/methods* ; Signal Transduction ; Imiquimod ; Ion Channels/genetics* ; Male ; Mechanotransduction, Cellular

Coptis chinensis Franch. and Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. are traditional herbal medicines with millennia of documented use and broad therapeutic applications, including anti-diabetic properties. However, the synergistic effect of total alkaloids from Coptis chinensis and total ginsenosides from Panax ginseng on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its underlying mechanism remain unclear. The research demonstrated that the optimal ratio of total alkaloids from Coptis chinensis and total ginsenosides from Panax ginseng was 4∶1, exhibiting maximal efficacy in improving insulin resistance and gluconeogenesis in primary mouse hepatocytes. This combination demonstrated significant synergistic effects in improving glucose tolerance, reducing fasting blood glucose (FBG), the weight ratio of epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in leptin receptor-deficient (db/db) mice. Subsequently, a T2DM liver-specific network was constructed based on RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) experiments and public databases by integrating transcriptional properties of disease-associated proteins and protein-protein interactions (PPIs). The network recovery index (NRI) score of the combined treatment group with a 4∶1 ratio exceeded that of groups treated with individual components. The research identified that activated adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) signaling in the liver played a crucial role in the synergistic treatment of T2DM, as verified by western blot experiment in db/db mice. These findings demonstrate that the 4∶1 combination of total alkaloids from Coptis chinensis and total ginsenosides from Panax ginseng significantly improves insulin resistance and glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in db/db mice, surpassing the efficacy of individual treatments. The synergistic mechanism correlates with enhanced AMPK/ACC signaling pathway activity.
Animals ; Panax/chemistry* ; Ginsenosides/administration & dosage* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism* ; Mice ; Male ; Alkaloids/pharmacology* ; Coptis/chemistry* ; Drug Synergism ; Insulin Resistance ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Humans ; Transcriptome/drug effects* ; Blood Glucose/metabolism* ; Hypoglycemic Agents/administration & dosage* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Hepatocytes/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: Poxviruses are zoonotic pathogens that infect humans, mammals, vertebrates, and arthropods. However, the specific role of ticks in transmission and evolution of these viruses remains unclear. METHODS: Transcriptomic and metatranscriptomic raw data from 329 sampling pools of seven tick species across five continents were mined to assess the diversity and abundance of poxviruses. Chordopoxviral sequences were assembled and subjected to phylogenetic analysis to trace the origins of the unblasted fragments within these sequences. RESULTS: Fifty-eight poxvirus species, representing two subfamilies and 20 genera, were identified, with 212 poxviral sequences assembled. A substantial proportion of AT-rich fragments were detected in the assembled poxviral genomes. These genomic sequences contained fragments originating from rodents, archaea, and arthropods. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that ticks play a significant role in the transmission and evolution of poxviruses. These viruses demonstrate the capacity to modulate virulence and adaptability through horizontal gene transfer, gene recombination, and gene mutations, thereby promoting co-existence and co-evolution with their hosts. This study advances understanding of the ecological dynamics of poxvirus transmission and evolution and highlights the potential role of ticks as vectors and vessels in these processes.
Animals ; Poxviridae/physiology* ; Ticks/virology* ; Phylogeny ; Transcriptome ; Evolution, Molecular ; Poxviridae Infections/virology* ; Genome, Viral

Objective To examine the changing prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Burkholderia cepacia in 52 hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021.Methods A total of 9 261 strains of B.cepacia were collected from 52 hospitals between January 1,2015 and December 31,2021.Antimicrobial susceptibility of the strains was tested using Kirby-Bauer method or automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing systems according to a unified protocol.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints released in the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)guidelines(2023 edition).Results A total of 9 261 strains of B.cepacia were isolated from all age groups,especially elderly patients.The proportion was 11.1％(1 032 strains)in children,significantly lower than the proportion in adults.About half(46.5％,4 310/9 261)of the strains were isolated from patients at least 60 years old and 42.3％(3 919/9 261)of the strains were isolated from young adults.Most isolates(71.1％)were isolated from sputum and respiratory secretions,followed by urine(10.7％)and blood samples(8.1％).B.cepacia isolates were highly susceptible to the five antimicrobial agents recommended in the CLSI M100 document(33rd edition,2023).B.cepacia isolates showed relatively higher resistance rates to meropenem and levofloxacin.However,the resistance rates to ceftazidime,trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole,and minocycline remained below 8.1％.The percentage of B.cepacia strains resistant to levofloxacin was the highest compared to other antibiotics in any of the three age groups(from 12.4％in the patients＜18 years old to 20.6％in the patients aged 60 years or older).Conclusions B.cepacia is one of the clinically important non-fermenting gram-negative bacteria.Accurate and timely reporting of antimicrobial susceptibility test results and ongoing antimicrobial resistance surveillance are helpful for rational prescription of antimicrobial agents and proper prevention and control of nosocomial infections.

Objective To summarize the changing prevalence of carbapenem resistance in Enterobacterales based on the data of CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021 for improving antimicrobial treatment in clinical practice.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using a commercial automated susceptibility testing system according to the unified CHINET protocol.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints of the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)M100 31st ed in 2021.Results Over the seven-year period(2015-2021),the overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE)was 9.43％(62 342/661 235).The prevalence of CRE strains in Klebsiella pneumoniae,Citrobacter freundii,and Enterobacter cloacae was 22.38％,9.73％,and 8.47％,respectively.The prevalence of CRE strains in Escherichia coli was 1.99％.A few CRE strains were also identified in Salmonella and Shigella.The CRE strains were mainly isolated from respiratory specimens(44.23±2.80)％,followed by blood(20.88±3.40)％and urine(18.40±3.45)％.Intensive care units(ICUs)were the major source of the CRE strains(27.43±5.20)％.CRE strains were resistant to all the β-lactam antibiotics tested and most non-β-lactam antimicrobial agents.The CRE strains were relatively susceptible to tigecycline and polymyxins with low resistance rates.Conclusions The prevalence of CRE strains was increasing from 2015 to 2021.CRE strains were highly resistant to most of the antibacterial drugs used in clinical practice.Clinicians should prescribe antimicrobial agents rationally.Hospitals should strengthen antibiotic stewardship in key clinical settings such as ICUs,and take effective infection control measures to curb CRE outbreak and epidemic in hospitals.

Objective To characterize the changing species distribution and antibiotic resistance profiles of respiratory isolates in hospitals participating in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021.Methods Commercial automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing systems and disk diffusion method were used to test the susceptibility of respiratory bacterial isolates to antimicrobial agents following the standardized technical protocol established by the CHINET program.Results A total of 589 746 respiratory isolates were collected from 2015 to 2021.Overall,82.6％of the isolates were Gram-negative bacteria and 17.4％were Gram-positive bacteria.The bacterial isolates from outpatients and inpatients accounted for(6.0±0.9)％and(94.0±0.1)％,respectively.The top microorganisms were Klebsiella spp.,Acinetobacter spp.,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Staphylococcus aureus,Haemophilus spp.,Stenotrophomonas maltophilia,Escherichia coli,and Streptococcus pneumoniae.Each microorganism was isolated from significantly more males than from females(P＜0.05).The overall prevalence of methicillin-resistant S.aureus(MRSA)was 39.9％.The prevalence of penicillin-resistant S.pneumoniae was 1.4％.The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase(ESBL)-producing E.coli and K.pneumoniae was 67.8％and 41.3％,respectively.The overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant E.coli,K.pneumoniae,Enterobacter cloacae,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and Acinetobacter baumannii was 3.7％,20.8％,9.4％,29.8％,and 73.3％,respectively.The prevalence of β-lactamase was 96.1％in Moraxella catarrhalis and 60.0％in Haemophilus influenzae.The H.influenzae isolates from children(＜18 years)showed significantly higher resistance rates to β-lactam antibiotics than the isolates from adults(P＜0.05).Conclusions Gram-negative bacteria are still predominant in respiratory isolates associated with serious antibiotic resistance.Antimicrobial resistance surveillance should be strengthened in clinical practice to support accurate etiological diagnosis and appropriate antimicrobial therapy based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing results.

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 Urolo-gy 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 pres-ence 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 statisti-cally significant differences were observed in the clinicopathological features and biochemical recurrence-free survival between the pa-tients 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 recur-rence-free survival between the patients with PAFP LNM only and those with pelvic LNM only.Routine removal of the PAFP and inde-pendent pathological examination of the specimen during RARP is of great clinical significance.

Objective:This study investigated the independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis（LNM）in high-risk prostate cancer（HRPCa）patients undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy（RARP），and constructed a nomogram model based on clinical data to improve the accuracy and clinical practicality of preoperative prediction of LNM.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 218 HRPCa patients who received RARP treatment at the First Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from January 2020 to March 2025 as the modeling group. The age of the modeling group was（66.91±6.94）years old. 75 cases（34.40%）had a history of smoking，and 48 cases（22.02%）had a history of drinking. There were a body mass index（BMI）of 25.55（23.58，27.00）kg/m 2，a total prostate-specific antigen（tPSA）of 20.59（10.42，30.61）ng/ml，a free prostate-specific antigen（fPSA）of 1.87（1.04，3.26）ng/ml，a prostate volume（PV）of（41.19±21.00）ml，a prostate-specific antigen density（PSAD）of 0.52（0.30，0.84）ng/ml 2. Among the patients，60 cases（27.52%）had a preoperative biopsy Gleason score >8，and the percentage of positive biopsy cores（PPBC）was 50%（31%，80%）. Thirty-one patients（14.22%）were staged clinically as >T 2c. The diagnostic criteria for high-risk prostate cancer（HRPCa）were defined as meeting any one of the following：PSA >20 ng/ml，Gleason score on prostate biopsy ≥8，or clinical stage ≥T 3. Among the 218 patients in the modeling cohort，67 cases（30.73%）met two of the criteria，and 7 cases（3.21%）met all three criteria. All 218 patients underwent RARP，and based on postoperative pathology，they were divided into the LNM group and the non-LNM group. The relationship between the number of diagnostic criteria met and the occurrence of LNM was analyzed. An external validation cohort included 42 HRPCa patients who underwent RARP at the Third，Fifth Medical Centers of the PLA General Hospital between January 2023 and May 2025. Their mean age was（66.79±5.92）years. Eighteen patients（42.86%）had a smoking history，and nine（21.43%）had a history of alcohol consumption. The median BMI was 26.00（23.80，27.13）kg/m 2. The median tPSA level was 17.34（8.97，27.30）ng/ml. The median fPSA was 1.51（0.83，2.52）ng/ml，and the median PV was（35.57 ± 15.25）ml. The median PSAD was 0.57（0.23，0.87）ng/ml 2，and the median PPBC was 58%（36%，71%）. Three patients（7.14%）had a clinical stage >T 2c，and 12 patients（28.57%）had a Gleason score >8 on preoperative biopsy. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors for LNM，and a nomogram model was constructed based on these factors. The predictive performance of the model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic（ROC）curves and calibration plots，and the model was validated in the external cohort. Result:According to postoperative pathology，45 patients were classified into the LNM group，and 173 into the non-LNM group. The probability of LNM increased proportionally with the number of diagnostic criteria met for HRPCa（meeting two criteria： OR = 4.762，95% CI 2.323-9.761， P < 0.01；meeting three criteria： OR = 10.667，95% CI 2.187-52.025， P=0.003）. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that age（ OR=0.913，95% CI 0.859-0.971， P = 0.004），tPSA（ OR=1.039，95% CI 1.018-1.061， P<0.01），PPBC（ OR = 5.656，95% CI 1.101-29.056， P = 0.038），and clinical T stage（T 2c stage： OR=2.945，95% CI 0.888-9.769， P=0.077；>T 2c stage OR = 18.351，95% CI 4.790-70.306， P < 0.01）were independent risk factors for postoperative LNM in HRPCa patients after RARP. The ROC curve of the nomogram model based on these factors showed an area under the curve（AUC）of 0.853（95% CI 0.790-0.917）. In the external validation cohort，the nomogram achieved an AUC of 0.743（95% CI 0.556-0.929）. The calibration plots demonstrated good agreement between the predicted probabilities and actual observations. Conclusions:Age，tPSA，PPBC，and clinical T stage were independent predictors of postoperative LNM in HRPCa patients undergoing RARP. The greater the number of HRPCa diagnostic criteria met，the higher the likelihood of postoperative LNM. The nomogram developed in this study could effectively predict the risk of LNM in HRPCa patients after RARP.