1.Pinelliae Rhizoma and Its Prescription Compatibility for Depression Treatment: A Review
Zhe XIE ; Yifan SHI ; Linzhe SU ; Ming BAI ; Yucheng LI ; Baoying WANG ; Erping XU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(9):284-293
Depression is a common mental disorder that falls under the category of "stagnation syndrome" in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Its complex pathogenesis poses challenges for the development of novel therapeutic agents. Currently, clinically used antidepressants are often accompanied by significant side effects, and statistics show that about one-third of patients do not respond to these medications. TCM demonstrates advantages in the treatment of depression through multi-target, multi-pathway and multi-mechanistic approaches. Pinelliae Rhizoma, a phlegm-resolving herb, exhibits effects such as drying dampness and resolving phlegm, as well as eliminating stuffiness and reducing masses. The characteristics of harmonizing Yin and Yang and resolving stagnation in the middle energizer align precisely with the pathogenesis of depression syndrome, demonstrating therapeutic efficacy in affected patients. Literature studies have found that the active ingredients of Pinelliae Rhizoma, such as cavidine, baicalein, β-sitosterol, as well as Pinelliae Rhizoma herb pairs, such as Pinelliae Rhizoma-Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex, Pinelliae Rhizoma-husked sorghum, Pinelliae Rhizoma-Prunellae Spica, exhibit significant antidepressant effects. Furthermore, TCM formulas containing Pinelliae Rhizoma as the principal therapeutic agent, such as Banxia Xiexin Tang, Banxia Houpo Tang, and Wendan Tang, as well as formulas incorporating Pinelliae Rhizoma like compound Xiaochaihu Tang, Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Tang, and Erchen Tang, have also demonstrated favorable antidepressant efficacy. The antidepressant mechanism of these agents may involve modulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) levels, up-regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, reduction of oxidative stress, modulation of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, and inhibition of microglia-mediated inflammatory responses. This review summarized the antidepressant mechanisms and clinical applications of the active components, herb pairs, and TCM formulas containing Pinelliae Rhizoma, aiming to provide a reference for modern research on the use of Pinelliae Rhizoma in antidepressant therapy.
2.Predictive value of eosinophils in immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer
GAO Yuan1,2 ; SHI Hui1 ; CHEN Yilin1 ; ZHU Zhanli1,3 ; CHEN Ruohua1,4 ; ZHANG Wei1 ; DONG Yuchao1 ; BAI Chong1
Chinese Journal of Cancer Biotherapy 2026;33(3):296-312
[摘 要] 目的:探讨嗜酸性粒细胞(Eos)和其他循环血细胞和炎症指标在预测小细胞肺癌(SCLC)免疫治疗疗效和免疫相关不良反应(irAE)中的价值。方法:回顾分析2013年8月至2023年7月期间海军军医大学第一附属医院呼吸科收治的410例SCLC患者临床信息;在化疗或免疫治疗前,以及治疗后的3个周期,分别检测患者全血细胞计数和细胞因子等指标;记录irAE的发生时间、类型、分级,以及随访情况。结果: 接受化疗联合免疫检查点抑制剂(ICI)治疗(简称联合治疗)的患者116例,其中一线联合治疗患者91例、后线联合治疗25例。联合组患者的总有效率(ORR)为44.8%,疾病控制率(DCR)为90.5%,单用化疗(单化)组患者的ORR为38.4%,DCR为85.0%。联合组中位PFS为8.9(7.2~10.5)个月,中位OS为17.7(13.9~21.5)个月。将联合组与单化组行倾向得分匹配(PSM)法配对,对比二组治疗后3周期的绝对嗜酸性粒细胞计数(AEC)水平、相对嗜酸性粒细胞计数(REC)水平;计算历次复查Eos水平与基线Eos水平的比值(AECT1/0、AECT2/0、AECT3/0、RECT1/0、RECT2/0、RECT3/0),联合组的AECT3/0和RECT3/0显著高于单化组。单因素分析表明,基线AEC和REC的升高与较好的治疗至失败时间(TTF)和OS显著相关(P < 0.05);治疗后Eos水平与基线水平的比例(AECT3/0、RECT3/0)与较好的PFS和TTF显著相关(P < 0.05);RECT3/0升高同样与OS改善显著相关(P < 0.05)。多因素分析提示,AECT3/0 > 0.41与较好的PFS和TTF显著相关(P < 0.05);当RECT3/0 > 0.32时,与较好的PFS、TTF、OS均显著相关(P < 0.05);RECT3/0 > 0.27仅与较好的TTF、OS显著相关(P < 0.05)。亚组分析发现,缓解组的RECT3/0显著高于非缓解组(P < 0.05)。一线应用ICI与二线/后线应用ICI患者的PFS、TTF、OS无统计学差异,但一线应用ICI时ORR(50% vs 25%,P < 0.05)和DCR(93.48% vs 79.17%,P < 0.05)显著优于二线/后线。116例联合治疗患者发生43例irAE(35.34%), 最常见的为免疫相关性皮炎8.62%;Ⅲ级以上的irAE共17例(14.66%);因irAE停药10例(8.62%),死亡2例;发生irAE的患者PFS较未发生irAE的患者显著延长(P < 0.05),而TTF和OS无统计学差异。发生irAE患者的RECT3较未发生irAE患者显著升高(P < 0.05),AECT3/0 > 0.29的患者irAE发生率显著增高(P < 0.05)。结论: Eos是SCLC接受ICI治疗的保护性因素,通过监测AECT3/0、RECT3/0,并结合患者的临床病理生理特征、细胞因子和炎症标志物水平进行综合评估,可有效预测SCLC患者的免疫治疗疗效和irAE的发生。
3.Establishment and preliminary evaluation of a fluorescent recombinase-aided amplification assay for detection of Strongyloides stercoralis
Xiaodan CHEN ; Wanqiong CHENG ; Xiaoyin FU ; Jiayin LÜ ; Jiayue SUN ; Qiuhua BAI ; Xue HAN ; Yunliang SHI ; Dengyu LIU
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2026;38(2):160-168
Objective To establish a fluorescent recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) assay for detection of Strongyloides stercoralis nucleic acid and to preliminarily evaluate its performance. Methods Six sets of specific primers targeting S. stercoralis 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene and one fluorescent probe were designed and synthesized. The optimal primer-probe set was determined through systematic screening and optimization to establish the fluorescent RAA assay. The assay was evaluated using S. stercoralis genomic DNA at concentrations of 100, 10, and 1 pg/μL, and 100, 10, and 1 fg/μL, as well as recombinant pUC57 plasmids containing the target gene fragments at 1 × 105, 1 × 104, 1 × 103, 1 × 102, 1 × 101, 1 × 100 copies/reaction, to determine the analytical sensitivity. Genomic DNA from Ascaris lumbricoides, Ancylostoma duodenale, Enterobius vermicularis, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Trichinella spiralis, Clonorchis sinensis, Schistosoma japonicum, and Taenia saginata was used to assess assay specificity. A total of 25 stool samples from patients suspected of S. stercoralis infection were tested by the modified Baermann funnel technique, PCR, and the established fluorescent RAA assay. The sensitivity, specificity, concordance rate and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) of these three techniques were estimated, and agreement between methods was evaluated using the Kappa coefficient. Results Exo-4 was identified as the optimal primer set screened from the six primer sets, and the best amplification performance was achieved when the final concentrations of the forward and reverse primers were 0.44 μmol/L and a probe concentration was 0.20 μmol/L. The limit of detection of the fluorescent RAA assay was 100 fg/μL for genomic DNA of S. stercoralis and 1 × 100 copies/reaction for recombinant plasmids. Specific fluorescence signals were detected within 5 min, with no cross-reactivity observed with A. lumbricoides, A. duodenale, E. vermicularis, A. cantonensis, T. spiralis, C. sinensis, S. japonicum, or T. saginata. Among the 25 clinical stool samples from patients suspected of S. stercoralis infections, the modified Baermann funnel technique and fluorescent RAA assay detected 19 positives and 6 negatives, whereas PCR detected 18 positives and 7 negatives. The fluorescent RAA assay showed a sensitivity of 100.00% [95% CI: (82.35%, 100.00%)], specificity of 100.00% [95% CI: (54.07%, 100.00%)], concordance rate of 100.00% [95% CI: (86.28%, 100.00%)], and a Kappa coefficient of 1.00 [95% CI: (1.00, 1.00)] (P < 0.001) relative to the modified Baermann funnel technique, and a sensitivity of 100.00% [95% CI: (81.47%, 100.00%)], specificity of 85.71% [95% CI: (42.13%, 99.64%)], concordance rate of 96.00% [95% CI: (79.65%, 99.90%)], and a Kappa coefficient of 0.90 [95% CI: (0.70, 1.00)] (P < 0.001). Positive amplification products emitted green fluorescence under a portable blue-light device, enabling visual interpretation of results. Conclusions The fluorescent RAA assay established in this study is rapid, highly sensitive, and highly specific. It enables detection of S. stercoralis nucleic acid under isothermal conditions and allows visual interpretation of results, providing a novel tool for rapid clinical diagnosis and field screening of S. stercoralis infections.
4.Efficacy and safety of different daily doses of aspirin in prevention of preeclampsia:a meta-analysis
Xiaoxia SHI ; Yan BAI ; Liting RONG ; Yuanjie DU ; Lijuan YUAN
China Pharmacy 2025;36(21):2733-2737
OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy and safety of different daily doses of aspirin in the prevention of preeclampsia (PE). METHODS The case-control studies and prospective randomized controlled trials on aspirin with daily dose ≥ 100 mg (trial group) vs. <100 mg (control group) in the prevention of PE were retrieved from PubMed, Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, China Biomedical Literatue Database and Wanfang Data from base-building to January 2025. After literature screening, data extraction and quality evaluation, meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS A total of 11 literatures were included, involving 3 052 pregnant women. Meta-analysis showed the incidence of PE [RR=0.63, 95%CI (0.53,0.76), P<0.000 01], gestational hypertension [RR=0.69, 95%CI (0.50,0.94),P=0.02], preterm birth [RR=0.56, 95%CI (0.47,0.66), P<0.000 01], and intrauterine growth retardation [RR=0.73,95%CI (0.61,0.87),P=0.000 5] in trial groups were significantly lower than control group. The incidence of postpartum hemorrhage between the two groups had no statistically significant difference [RR=1.17, 95%CI (0.90,1.53),P=0.25]. Subgroup analysis showed that the incidence of PE in Chinese pregnant women taking 150 mg of aspirin was significantly higher than taking 100 mg of aspirin [RR=3.40, 95%CI (1.29, 8.93), P=0.01]; but there was no significant difference between the two groups in the incidences of postpartum hemorrhage, preterm birth (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Aspirin with daily dose ≥100 mg is more effective in preventing PE than daily dose <100 mg, with lower rates of gestational hypertension, preterm birth, and intrauterine growth retardation. It does not increase the risk of postpartum hemorrhage. For pregnant women in China, daily dose 100 mg of aspirin may be more effective in preventing PE than 150 mg.
5.Assessment of the implementation of Radiation shielding requirements for radiotherapy room—Part 4: Radiotherapy room of 252Cf neutron afterloading (GBZ/T 201.4-2015)
Yuze YANG ; Hongfang WANG ; Haoxian YANG ; Quan WU ; Mingsheng LI ; Bala HARI ; Yongzhong MA ; Zechen FENG ; Bin BAI ; Jie GAO ; Wei ZHOU ; Weixu HUANG ; Zhengjie SHI ; Hezheng ZHAI
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health 2025;34(5):660-665
Objective To track and evaluate the implementation and application of the occupational health standard Radiation shielding requirements for radiotherapy room—Part 4: Radiotherapy room of 252Cf neutron afterloading (GBZ/T 201.4-2015) by radiation health technical service agencies, medical institutions, health supervision agencies, and radiotherapy facility design units, and to provide a scientific basis for the further revision and implementation of this standard. Methods Following the Guideline for health standards tracking evaluation (WS/T 536-2017) and the project implementation plan, relevant practitioners were randomly selected for a questionnaire survey. The survey primarily focused on their awareness, standard training, application, and revision suggestions of GBZ/T 201.4-2015. The results were summarized and analyzed. Results A total of 168 evaluation questionnaires were collected from relevant practitioners in 28 provinces. Only 31.6% of the respondents reported being “well familiar” or “ familiar” with the standard, 27.4% of the respondents believed that the standard was widely used, and 45.2% of the respondents believed that the standard could meet the needs of their work. Only 14.9% of the respondents had received relevant training on the standard, more than half of the respondents had not applied the standard within the past 10 years, and 45.2% of the respondents believed that the standard "needs to be revised". Conclusion Due to the small number of californium-252 neutron afterloading radiotherapy devices in operation on the market, the overall awareness of the standard is low, suggesting that relevant authorities need to strengthen training and publicity of the standard, and that certain sections of the standard need to be revised or merged.
6.Antimicrobial resistance surveillance in the bacterial strains isolated from pediatric intensive care units in China:results from 2020 to 2022
Jing LIU ; Huiyuan YAN ; Gangfeng YAN ; Guoping LU ; Pan FU ; Chuanqing WANG ; Danqun JIN ; Wenjia TONG ; Chenyu ZHANG ; Jianli CHEN ; Yi LIN ; Jia LEI ; Yibing CHENG ; Qunqun ZHANG ; Kaijie GAO ; Yuanyuan CHEN ; Shufang XIAO ; Juan HE ; Li JIANG ; Huimin XU ; Yuxia LI ; Hanghai DING ; Hehe CHEN ; Yao ZHENG ; Qunying CHEN ; Ying WANG ; Hong REN ; Chenmei ZHANG ; Zhenjie CHEN ; Mingming ZHOU ; Yucai ZHANG ; Yiping ZHOU ; Zhenjiang BAI ; Saihu HUANG ; Lili HUANG ; Weiguo YANG ; Weike MA ; Qing MENG ; Pengwei ZHU ; Yong LI ; Yan XU ; Yi WANG ; Yanqiang DU ; Huijun CAI ; Bizhen ZHU ; Huixuan SHI ; Shaoxian HONG ; Yukun HUANG ; Meilian HUANG
Chinese Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy 2025;25(3):303-311
Objective This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance profiles of bacterial strains isolated from pediatric intensive care units(PICU)in China for better antimicrobial therapy.Methods Clinical isolates were collected from 17 institutions,including tertiary care children's hospitals and pediatric department of tertiary general hospitals in China from January 1,2020 to December 31,2022.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out according to a unified protocol using Kirby-Bauer method or automated systems.Results were interpreted according to the breakpoints released by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)in 2020.Results A total of 10 688 isolates were collected,including gram-positive organisms(39.2%)and gram-negative organisms(60.8%).The top three organisms were S.aureus(13.6%,1 453/10 688),A.baumannii(10.0%,1 067/10 688),and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus(9.9%,1 058/10 688).Multi-drug resistant organisms(MDROs)were very common in children.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA),carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE),carbapenem-resistant E.coli,carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae(CRKP),carbapenem-resistant A.baumannii(CRAB),and carbapenem-resistant P.aeruginosa(CRPA)was 41.1%,19.4%,8.8%,30.9%,67.4%,and 28.8%,respectively.Overall,more than 50%of Enterobacteriales isolates were resistant to cephalosporins,while nearly 25%of Enterobacteriales isolates were resistant to carbapenems.MDROs were highly resistant to commonly used antibiotics.More than 80%of CRE and CRAB strains were resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics.CRE and CRAB showed low resistance rates to tigecycline and polymyxin.CRPA showed lower resistance rates to piperacillin,beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations than the resistance rates to third and fourth generation cephalosporins.All of the Staphylococcus and Enterococcus isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and tigecycline.None of PRSP strains isolated from meningitis and nonmeningitis samples were resistant to rifampicin,vancomycin,or linezolid.The prevalence of β-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant(BLNAR)strains was 43.3%in Haemophilus influenzae.Conclusions MDROs were prevalent in PICU.It is necessary to establish an effective multidisciplinary team(MDT)to control the antimicrobial resistance.
7.Efficacy of bilateral mini-open Wiltse approach transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion in the treat-ment of lumbar degenerative diseases in the elderly
Qiushui LIN ; Yan LIU ; Zhicai SHI ; Yushu BAI ; Qiulin ZHANG ; Ziqiang CHEN
Chinese Journal of Spine and Spinal Cord 2025;35(4):384-389
Objectives:To investigate the clinical efficacy of bilateral mini-open Wiltse approach transforami-nal lumbar interbody fusion(MO-TLIF)in the treatment of degenerative lumbar diseases in the elderly.Meth-ods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 62 elderly patients with single-segment degenerative lumbar diseases who underwent MO-TLIF or minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion(MIS-TLIF)inthe First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University between September 2017 and August 2020.Among them,37 were male and 25 were female,aged 68.0±5.5 years.The patients were divided into the MO-TLIF group(32 cases)and the MIS-TLIF group(30 cases).There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender ratio,age,body mass index(BMI),surgical segment,disease duration,or follow-up time(P>0.05).The differences between the two groups were compared in terms of operative time,in-traoperative blood loss,intraoperative fluoroscopy,postoperative wound drainage,time to ambulation,hospital stay,complications,and fusion rate.The visual analogue scale(VAS),lumbar Japanese Orthopedic Association(JOA)scores,and Oswestry disability index(ODI)before surgery,at 3 months postoperatively,and at the final follow-up were recorded and compared.Results:The two groups of patients all successfully completed the surgery without significant surgery-related complications.There were no statistically significant differences be-tween the MO-TLIF and MIS-TLIF groups in terms of intraoperative blood loss(80.3±25.1mL vs.72.3±21.8mL),postoperative wound drainage volume(30.7±10.2mL vs.29.3±9.0mL),or hospital stay(5.4±0.9d vs.5.4±0.8d)(P>0.05).Compared with the MIS-TLIF group,the MO-TLIF group had shorter operative time(90.8±8.8min vs.98.3±8.0min,P=0.001)and fewer number of intraoperative fluoroscopy(4.7±0.7 times vs.7.2±1.4 times,P<0.001).Both groups showed significant improvement in low back pain VAS score,lumbar JOA score,and ODI at postoperative 3 months and final follow-up compared with preoperative values(P<0.001),but there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups at the same time points(P>0.05).At the fi-nal follow-up,no internal fixation-related complications such as screw or rod breakage were observed in both groups,and all the cases achieved bone fusion.Conclusions:Bilateral MO-TLIF can achieve good therapeutic outcomes in treating single-segment degenerative lumbar diseases,which can reduce intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency and shorten operative time comparing with MIS-TLIF.
8.Relapse-related candidate genes and their clinicopathological connections of diffuse large B cell lymphoma
Yuxi GONG ; Yefan YANG ; Shuning SUN ; Rumeng BAI ; Shuaishuai ZHUO ; Yang SHAO ; Kaihua LIU ; Yuqian SHI ; Zhihong ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Pathology 2025;54(4):348-353
Objective:To explore the relapse-related genes and their clinicopathological connections of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL).Methods:Targeted panel sequencing was conducted on 32 eligible DLBCL samples; the patients were diagnosed, treated, and went into complete remission at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2015 to December 2019, including 14 cases with recurrence (relapsed group) and 18 cases with long-term complete remission of over five years (remission group). Clinical and pathological data were further reviewed. Fisher′s exact test was employed to compare the differences in clinicopathological characteristics and mutation patterns between the two groups.Results:Among the 32 patients, there were 18 males and 14 females, with a male to female ratio of 1.3∶1.0 and a median age of 53 (45.5, 67.0) years. In the relapsed group, PIM1 (11/14), KMT2D (7/14), PRDM1 (6/14), MYD88 (6/14), DTX1 (6/14) emerged as the most frequently mutated genes. In the remission group, while recurrent PIM1, KMT2D and MYD88 mutations were also observed, the TP53 gene exhibited the highest mutation frequency (6/18). Compared to the remission group, relapsed group showed elevated mutation frequencies of PIM1 ( P=0.013) and FAT4 ( P=0.010), alongside a reduced incidence of TP53 mutations. In all 32 patients, DLBCL with CD79B, CCND3, DTX1, KMT2D and PRDM1 mutations demonstrated a propensity towards advanced clinicopathologic stage. Conclusions:Relapsed DLBCL has distinctive clinicopathological and genetic features. PIM1 and FAT4 may be served as potential biomarkers for screening relapsed DLBCL-NOS and as targets for novel therapeutic strategies.
9.Artificial intelligence and cervical spine image recognition:application prospects and challenges
Simin WANG ; Dezhou ZHANG ; Jing ZHAO ; Chaoqun WANG ; Kun LI ; Jie CHEN ; Xue BAI ; Hailong ZHAO ; Shaojie ZHANG ; Yuan MA ; Yunteng HAO ; Yang YANG ; Zhijun LI ; Jun SHI ; Xing WANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(33):7231-7240
BACKGROUND:Cervical spondylosis is a chronic degenerative disease that has become one of the most common and frequent diseases threatening human health.At present,the initial diagnosis of the cervical spine and its surrounding structures mainly relies on the interpretation of medical images by radiologists,which not only requires a high level of technical requirements for operators,but also has the disadvantages of strong subjectivity,high labor intensity,and low efficiency.With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology,its powerful data processing and image recognition capabilities have shown broad application prospects in the medical field.Deep learning has also made certain progress in the research of spinal diseases.OBJECTIVE:To summarize the current status and research progress in the application of artificial intelligence technology in cervical spine imaging images in recent years,evaluating the performance of artificial intelligence models as well as future trends and challenges to be overcome.METHODS:The first author searched the relevant articles in WanFang,CNKI,and PubMed in June 2024.The Chinese search terms were"artificial intelligence,deep learning,cervical spine."English serach terms were"artificial intelligence,Al,cervical vertebrae,cervical."Finally,101 articles were included and analyzed.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Artificial intelligence technology can realize automatic segmentation of cervical vertebrae and measurement of curvature change by segmentation,classification,landmarks recognition of medical image parts,detect cervical vertebral fracture,nerve root,and spinal cord type cervical spondylosis,identify cervical spine ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament,and predict post-surgery related risk factors and cervical vertebra maturation classification.(2)Although artificial intelligence technology has shown great potential in the field of cervical spine research,it is still in the early stages of exploration and rapid development,with unlimited room for development and innovation.
10.Insular cortex sends excitatory projections to GABAergic neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarii in rats
Yingbiao CHEN ; Zhen SHI ; Junbin YIN ; Yang BAI ; Qitong FAN ; Yunqing LI
Chinese Journal of Neuroanatomy 2025;41(4):411-421
Objective:To anatomically and phenotypically characterize the insular cortex(IC)-nucleus tractus soli-tarii(NTS)neural pathway.Methods:Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three experimental cohorts for neural circuit tracing.Anterograde labeling was achieved by injecting anterograde self-complementary adeno-associated viruses(scAAVs)into the IC.Retrograde tracing involved NTS injections of either retrograde scAAVs or FluoroGold(FG),combined with immunofluorescence histochemical staining to identify IC-originating projection neurons.For postsynaptic neurochemical phenotype characterization,IC was injected with AAV2/1-CaMKII-Cre,while a mixture of AAV2/9-Syn-DIO-mCherry and AAV2/9-VGAT1-EGFP was injected into the NTS.The rats were allowed to survive for one week following scAAVs or FG injection or four weeks after recombinase-dependent systems injection.Then the rats were sacrificed,and serial brain sections were prepared for immunofluorescence histochemical staining(brain section containing FG)and subsequent fluorescence/confocal microscopic analysis.Results:(1)Anterograde viral tracing re-vealed dense axonal terminals from the IC projecting to the medial subnucleus of the NTS,while retrograde tracing re-vealed that IC neurons projecting to the NTS were predominantly localized within the dysgranular layer;(2)IC-NTS projection neurons were exclusive glutamatergic(100%,n=3);(3)NTS neurons receiving IC inputs were mainly lo-calized in the medial subnucleus,and were predominantly GABAergic(79.8±3.2%,n=3).Conclusion:The pres-ent results indicate that a descending pathway from excitatory neurons of the IC terminates onto inhibitory neurons of the NTS,which might represent a potential neuromodulatory target for visceral pain disorders.

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