Objective: To identify early clinical predictors associated with dysphagia and delayed swallowing recovery in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: In this retrospective study, we enrolled adult TBI patients admitted to the rehabilitation unit of a tertiary medical center between June 2019 and June 2023. Data on baseline characteristics, neurological status, imaging findings, and rehabilitation-related variables were collected. Swallowing function was assessed using two indicators: (1) nasogastric (NG) tube retention and (2) the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) scores at 1, 4, and 12 weeks post-injury. Regression analyses were conducted to identify predictors associated with dysphagia and swallowing recovery. Results: A total of 160 patients were included. At 1 week post-injury, longer intensive care unit (ICU) stay, poor initial sitting balance and use of sedative medication in ICU were associated with NG tube retention. At 4 weeks, lower initial Rancho Los Amigos Scale (RLAS) scores, immobility-related complications, longer hospitalization, and temporal lobe hematomas were associated with persistent NG tube dependence. By 12 weeks, older age, delayed ability to follow commands, and poor initial sitting balance remained associated with NG tube retention. FOIS outcomes were also associated with older age, delayed time to follow commands, impaired initial sitting balance, prolonged ICU stay, temporal lobe hematomas, lower initial RLAS scores, immobility-related complications, prolonged endotracheal tube placement and extended hospital stays. Conclusion Impaired cognitive status, poor physical function, immobility-related complications, and temporal lobe hematomas were key factors associated with dysphagia and delayed oral intake in individuals with TBI.

Licochalcone E is a chalcone isolated from Glycyrrhiza uralensis and G. inflata Batal. This study explored the effect of licochalcone E on improving hepatic steatosis in obese mice and evaluated the role of licochalcone E in regulating lipid accumulation in hepatocytes. In vitro, oleic acid–induced hepatocytes were treated with licochalcone E to investigate its effect on lipid metabolic pathways. In animal experiments, male C57BL/6 mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) and treated with licochalcone E by intraperitoneal injection for 12 weeks to assess its effects on biochemical indexes and hepatic steatosis. Furthermore, mice were fed a methionine/choline-deficient (MCD) diet and administered licochalcone E, followed by evaluation of liver fibrosis. Licochalcone E effectively reduced body weight, epididymal and inguinal fat weight, and adipocyte size in HFD-induced obese mice. Licochalcone E treatment of obese mice also reduced hepatic lipid accumulation and improved hepatocyte steatosis. Licochalcone E regulated the expression of lipogenesis- and lipolysis-related genes in the livers of obese mice and increased AMPK phosphorylation and Sirt1 expression in the liver. Licochalcone E also attenuated hepatic inflammation and oxidative stress in obese mice. Furthermore, treatment of MCD-induced mice with licochalcone E reduced the number of lipid vacuoles and the extent of fibrosis and inhibited liver inflammation. In FL83B hepatocytes, licochalcone E could regulate lipogenesis and lipolysis, and increase the phosphorylation of AMPK and ACC. These findings provide new insights into the role of licochalcone E in regulating lipid metabolism and preventing hepatic steatosis.

The 95% ethanol extract from bulbs of Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis(BNTC) was eluted with 30%, 60%, and pure methanol on D-101 macroporous resin. The elution fractions were isolated and purified by silica gel column chromatography, thin layer chromatography, D-101 macroporous resin, semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), and HPLC. The purified compounds were identified using one-dimensional and two-dimensional spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and other techniques. A total of 15 compounds were isolated and identified as 5-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-N-methyl-3,6-dihydropyridine-2(1H)-one(1), 3,5-di(hydroxyphenyl)-N-methyl-3,6-dihydropyridine-2(1H)-one(2), protocatechualdehyde(3), protocatechuic acid(4), 3,4-dihydroxyacetophenone(5), syringic acid(6), vanillic acid(7), p-hydroxybenzoic acid(8),(2S)-4'-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavan(9), 2,4,6-trimethoxyacetophenone(10), N-trans-ferulic acid p-hydroxyphenylethylamine(11), N-cis-p-coumaroyltyramine(12), N-trans-p-coumaroyltyramine(13), piscidic acid(14), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(15). Compounds 1 and 2 are new compounds with similar structure that have not been reported yet, named narcissus A and narcissus B. Compounds 8-13 were isolated and identified from the genus Narcissus for the first time, and compounds 14 and 15 were isolated from BNTC for the first time. Compounds 1 and 2 inhibited the release of NO from RAW264.7 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)(P<0.001), with compound 1 having an IC_(50) value of(72.76±2.97) μmol·L~(-1) and compound 2 having an IC_(50) value of(63.59±0.96) μmol·L~(-1).
Mice ; Animals ; Narcissus/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Plant Roots/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Macrophages/immunology* ; RAW 264.7 Cells

Objective To investigate the characteristics of a novel FANCL mutation identified in a patient with premature ovarian insufficiency(POI)and to explore its potential functional impacts in vitro.Methods A novel FANCL heterozygous mutation c.1033G>A(p.Glu345Lys)was screened in a patient with POI using whole exome sequencing(WES),which was found to be inherited from a mother who had undergone early menopause.The authenticity of the mutation was identified by Sanger sequencing and the conserved nature of the mutation site was predicted by software.Overexpressing FANCL mutant and wildtype plasmids were constructed and transiently transfected into HEK293T cell lines,and the effect of the mutation was detected by qPCR,immunofluorescence and Western blot.Results The mutation site of FANCL was located within the Ring domain of FANCL,which was highly conserved across multiple species.The mutant showed no significant change in mRNA expression level,while the protein expression level was significantly down-regulated.In vitro cellular experiments further revealed that the mutation leads to decreased expression levels by reducing protein stability.Conclusion A FANCL c.1033G>A mutation was found and it may cause disease in the POI patient due to decreased protein stability.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of a novel FANCL mutation identified in a patient with premature ovarian insufficiency(POI)and to explore its potential functional impacts in vitro.Methods A novel FANCL heterozygous mutation c.1033G>A(p.Glu345Lys)was screened in a patient with POI using whole exome sequencing(WES),which was found to be inherited from a mother who had undergone early menopause.The authenticity of the mutation was identified by Sanger sequencing and the conserved nature of the mutation site was predicted by software.Overexpressing FANCL mutant and wildtype plasmids were constructed and transiently transfected into HEK293T cell lines,and the effect of the mutation was detected by qPCR,immunofluorescence and Western blot.Results The mutation site of FANCL was located within the Ring domain of FANCL,which was highly conserved across multiple species.The mutant showed no significant change in mRNA expression level,while the protein expression level was significantly down-regulated.In vitro cellular experiments further revealed that the mutation leads to decreased expression levels by reducing protein stability.Conclusion A FANCL c.1033G>A mutation was found and it may cause disease in the POI patient due to decreased protein stability.

Objective In this study, ecological monitoring data of ticks in Changzhou City(2021-2024)were analyzed to understand the composition, distribution, density, and seasonal trends of the different species and thereby provide a scientific basis for tick-borne disease control strategies. Methods Parasitic ticks were monitored via host surface examination, whereas questing ticks were monitored using the flagging method. Results In total,1 506 ticks(636 parasitic,870 questing), belonging to 1 family,2 genera, and 5 species, were collected. Haemaphysalis longicornis(1 389)was the dominant species, followed by Hae. flava(111), Hae. phasiana(3), Amblyomma testudinarium(2), and Hae. hystricis(1). The parasitic tick index was 1.89 (goats as the dominant hosts), whereas the questing tick density was 0.65 individuals/(cloth flag·100 m) (forest parks as the dominant habitat). Tick activity peaked in July. Conclusions Hae. longicornis is the dominant species in Changzhou City, with activity peaking in July. As these ticks pose a significant public health risk, targeted control measures are recommended.

AIM To investigate the variation rules of main secondary metabolites in Hedysari Radix before and after rubbing strip.METHODS UPLC-MS/MS was adopted in the content determination of formononetin,ononin,calycosin,calycosin-7-glucoside,medicarpin,genistein,luteolin,liquiritigenin,isoliquiritigenin,vanillic acid,ferulic acid,γ-aminobutyric acid,adenosine and betaine,after which cluster analysis,principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis were used for chemical pattern recognition to explore differential components.RESULTS After rubbing strip,formononetin,calycosin,liquiritigenin and γ-aminobutynic acid demonstrated increased contents,along with decreased contents of ononin,calycosin-7-glucoside and vanillic acid.The samples with and without rubbing strip were clustered into two types,calycosin-7-glucoside,formononetin,γ-aminobutynic acid,vanillic acid,calycosin-7-glucoside and formononetin were differential components.CONCLUSION This experiment clarifies the differences of chemical constituents in Hedysari Radix before and after rubbing strip,which can provide a reference for the research on rubbing strip mechanism of other medicinal materials.

Objective To compare the effects of 20 mg qd and 10 mg bidadministration of iprrazole enteric-coated tablets on the control of gastric acid in healthy subjects.Methods A randomized,single-center,parallel controlled trial was designed to include 8 healthy subjects.Randomly divided into 2 groups,20 mg qd administration group:20 mg enteric-coated tablets of iprrazole in the morning;10 mg bid administration group:10 mg enteric-coated tablets of iprrazole in the morning and 10 mg in the evening.The pH values in the stomach of the subjects before and 24 h after administration were monitored by pH meter.The plasma concentration of iprazole after administration was determined by HPLC-MS/MS.The main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by Phoenix WinNonlin(V8.0)software.Results The PK parameters of iprrazole enteric-coated tablets and reference preparations in fasting group were as follows:The Cmax of 20 mg qd group and 10 mg bid group were(595.75±131.15)and(283.50±96.98)ng·mL-1;AUC0-t were(5 531.94±784.35)and(4 686.67±898.23)h·ng·mL-1;AUC0-∞ were(6 003.19±538.59)and(7 361.48±1 816.77)h·ng·mL-1,respectively.The mean time percentage of gastric pH＞3 after 20 mg qd and 10 mg bid were 82.64％and 61.92％,and the median gastric pH within 24 h were 6.25±1.49 and 3.53±2.05,respectively.The mean gastric pH values within 24 h were 5.71±1.36 and 4.23±1.45,respectively.The correlation analysis of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics showed that there was no significant correlation between the peak concentration of drug in plasma and the inhibitory effect of acid.Conclusion Compared with the 20 mg qd group and the 10 mg bid group,the acid inhibition effect is better,the administration times are less,and the safety of the two administration regimes is good.

Background: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key enzyme for cellular energy homeostasis and improves metabolic disorders. Brown and beige adipose tissues exert thermogenesis capacities to dissipate energy in the form of heat. Here, we investigated the beneficial effects of the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in menopausal obesity and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Female Wistar rats (8 weeks old) were subjected to bilateral ovariectomy (Ovx) and divided into four groups: Sham (n=8), Ovx (n=11), Ovx+ALA2 (n=10), and Ovx+ALA3 (n=6) (ALA 200 and 300 mg/kg/day, respectively; gavage) for 8 weeks. 3T3-L1 cells were used for in vitro study. Results: Rats receiving ALA2 and ALA3 treatment showed significantly lower levels of body weight and white adipose tissue (WAT) mass than those of the Ovx group. ALA improved plasma lipid profiles including triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Hematoxylin & eosin staining of inguinal WAT showed that ALA treatment reduced Ovx-induced adipocyte size and enhanced uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression. Moreover, plasma levels of irisin were markedly increased in ALA-treated Ovx rats. Protein expression of brown fat-specific markers including UCP1, PRDM16, and CIDEA was downregulated by Ovx but markedly increased by ALA. Phosphorylation of AMPK, its downstream acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and its upstream LKB1 were all significantly increased by ALA treatment. In 3T3-L1 cells, administration of ALA (100 and 250 μM) reduced lipid accumulation and enhanced oxygen consumption and UCP1 protein expression, while inhibition of AMPK by dorsomorphin (5 μM) significantly reversed these effects. Conclusion ALA improves estrogen deficiency-induced obesity via browning of WAT through AMPK signaling.

Background: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key enzyme for cellular energy homeostasis and improves metabolic disorders. Brown and beige adipose tissues exert thermogenesis capacities to dissipate energy in the form of heat. Here, we investigated the beneficial effects of the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in menopausal obesity and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Female Wistar rats (8 weeks old) were subjected to bilateral ovariectomy (Ovx) and divided into four groups: Sham (n=8), Ovx (n=11), Ovx+ALA2 (n=10), and Ovx+ALA3 (n=6) (ALA 200 and 300 mg/kg/day, respectively; gavage) for 8 weeks. 3T3-L1 cells were used for in vitro study. Results: Rats receiving ALA2 and ALA3 treatment showed significantly lower levels of body weight and white adipose tissue (WAT) mass than those of the Ovx group. ALA improved plasma lipid profiles including triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Hematoxylin & eosin staining of inguinal WAT showed that ALA treatment reduced Ovx-induced adipocyte size and enhanced uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression. Moreover, plasma levels of irisin were markedly increased in ALA-treated Ovx rats. Protein expression of brown fat-specific markers including UCP1, PRDM16, and CIDEA was downregulated by Ovx but markedly increased by ALA. Phosphorylation of AMPK, its downstream acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and its upstream LKB1 were all significantly increased by ALA treatment. In 3T3-L1 cells, administration of ALA (100 and 250 μM) reduced lipid accumulation and enhanced oxygen consumption and UCP1 protein expression, while inhibition of AMPK by dorsomorphin (5 μM) significantly reversed these effects. Conclusion ALA improves estrogen deficiency-induced obesity via browning of WAT through AMPK signaling.