OBJECTIVE: Acupuncture therapies are known for their effectiveness in treating a variety of gastric diseases, although the mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. This study tested the effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) at acupoints Zhongwan (RN12) and Weishu (BL21) for managing gastric motility disorder (GMD) and investigated the underlying mechanisms involved. METHODS: A GMD model was used to evaluate the impact of EA on various aspects of gastric function including the amplitude of gastric motility, electrogastrogram, food intake, and the rate of gastric emptying. Immunofluorescence techniques were used to explore the activation of spinal neurons by EA, specifically examining the presence of cholera toxin B subunit (CTB)-positive neurons and fibers emanating from acupoints RN12 and BL21. The stimulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn, the inhibition of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn, and their collective effects on the activity of sympathetic nerves were examined. RESULTS: EA at RN12 and BL21 significantly improved gastric motility compromised by GMD. Notably, EA activated spinal neurons, with CTB-positive neurons and fibers from RN12 and BL21 being detectable in both the dorsal root ganglia and the spinal dorsal horn. Further analysis revealed that EA at these acupoints not only stimulated GABAergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn but also suppressed sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn, effectively reducing excessive activity of sympathetic nerves triggered by GMD. CONCLUSION EA treatment at RN12 and BL21 effectively enhances gastric motility in a GMD model. The therapeutic efficacy of this approach is attributed to the activation of spinal neurons and the modulation of the spinal GABAergic-sympathetic pathway, providing a neurobiological foundation for the role of acupuncture in treating gastric disorders. Please cite this article as: Zhang MT, Liang YF, Dai Q, Gao HR, Wang H, Chen L, Huang S, Wang XY, Shen GM. A spinal neural circuit for electroacupuncture that regulates gastric functional disorders. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 56-65.
Electroacupuncture ; Animals ; Male ; Acupuncture Points ; Stomach Diseases/physiopathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Rats ; Gastric Emptying ; Neurons ; Spinal Cord ; Stomach/physiopathology*

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the effects of a polycaprolactone (PCL)-polyethylene glycol (PEG) scaffold incorporated with concentrated growth factor (CGF) on the adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs). METHODS: The PCL-PEG-CGF composite scaffold was fabricated using an immersion and freeze-drying technique. Its microstructure, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility were systematically characterized. The hPDLSCs were isolated through enzymatic digestion, and the hPDLSCs were identified through flow cytometry. Third-passage hPDLSCs were seeded onto the composite scaffolds, and their adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation were assessed using CCK-8 assays, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, alizarin red staining, and Western blot analysis of osteogenesis-related proteins [Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), ALP, and morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2)]. RESULTS: Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the PCL-PEG-CGF composite scaffold exhibited a honeycomb-like structure with heterogeneous pore sizes. The composite scaffold exhibited excellent hydrophilicity, as evidenced by a contact angle (θ) approaching 0° within 6 s. Its elastic modulus was measured at (4.590 0±0.149 3) MPa, with comparable hydrophilicity, fracture tensile strength, and fracture elongation to PCL-PEG scaffold. The hPDLSCs exhibited significantly improved adhesion to the PCL-PEG-CGF composite scaffold compared with the PCL-PEG scaffold (P<0.01). Additionally, cell proliferation was markedly improved in all the experimental groups on days 3, 5, and 7 (P<0.01), and statistically significant differences were found between the PCL-PEG-CGF group and other groups (P<0.01). The PCL-PEG-CGF group showed significantly elevated ALP activity (P<0.05), increased mineralization nodule formation, and upregulated expression of osteogenic-related proteins (Runx2, BMP2 and ALP; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The PCL-PEG-CGF composite scaffold exhibited excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility, enhancing the adhesion and proliferation of hPDLSCs and promoting their osteogenic differentiation by upregulating osteogenic-related proteins.
Humans ; Polyesters/chemistry* ; Periodontal Ligament/cytology* ; Polyethylene Glycols/chemistry* ; Stem Cells/cytology* ; Tissue Scaffolds ; Cell Proliferation ; Osteogenesis ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Adhesion ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2/metabolism* ; Cells, Cultured ; Alkaline Phosphatase/metabolism* ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit/metabolism* ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/pharmacology* ; Tissue Engineering/methods*

Objective:To investigate the influence of inner cell mass and trophectoderm cytoplasmic strings during blastocyst expan-sion on embryonic development and pregnancy outcome.Methods:A retrospective cohort analysis was performed for the clinical data of patients who received pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy(PGT-A)and underwent single blastocyst transplantation in our hospital from June 2019 to December 2021.A total of 530 patients were enrolled,and genetic testing was performed for 2132 blasto-cysts.According to the presence or absence of cytoplasmic strings during blastocyst expansion,the blastocysts were divided into cyto-plasmic strings(+)group with 534 blastocysts and cytoplasmic strings(-)group with 1598 blastocysts,and quality and PGT-A results were compared between the two groups.After the transfer of euploid blastocysts,pregnancy outcome was compared between the 115 blastocysts with cytoplasmic strings and the 415 blastocysts without cytoplasmic strings.Results:The rates of cytoplasmic strings(+)in the high-,average-,and low-quality blastocyst groups were 30.19%,24.62%,and 12.63%,respectively.The correlation analysis showed a correlation coefficient of-0.115(P<0.001)between embryo quality and the rate of cytoplasmic strings(+).There was no sig-nificant difference in euploidy rate between the two groups(45.3%vs.44.6%).There were no significant differences between the euploid blastocysts with cytoplasmic strings and those without cytoplasmic strings in implantation rate(72.17%vs.66.02%,P=0.213),miscarriage rate(14.46%vs.12.77%,P=0.691),and live birth rate(61.74%vs.57.59%,P=0.424).Conclusion:The presence of cyto-plasmic strings is associated with the morphological quality of blas-tocysts,while it has no impact on embryo ploidy or clinical outcome after euploid embryo transfer.Further research is needed to confirm the impact of cytoplasmic strings on embryonic development.

Objective:This study aims to investigate the differences in emotional status and cognitive function among patients with vestibular migraine (VM), Meniere′s disease (MD), and their comorbidity (VMMD), and to analyze key factors influencing cognitive function.Methods:This cross-sectional study included 96 outpatients (32 males, 64 females, aged 21-73 years) from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, between December 2022 and December 2023. The study population consisted of 31 VM patients (VM group), 36 MD patients (MD group), and 29 VMMD patients (VMMD group), along with 32 healthy controls (16 males, 16 females, aged 19-74 years). Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), while emotional status and somatization symptoms were evaluated through the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, Patient Health Questionnaire Depression scale, Symptom Checklist-90, and the Self-rating Somatization Symptom scale. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to explore the influence of different variables on cognitive function.Results:The total MoCA score in the VMMD group (26.0 [24.5, 28.0]) was significantly lower than that in the control group (28.0 [27.0, 29.0]) and the MD group (28.0 [26.0, 30.0]) ( P=0.006). VMMD patients exhibited significant impairments in specific cognitive domains, including visuospatial/executive function, delayed recall, and orientation ( P<0.05). Patients with VM, MD, and VMMD showed higher rates of anxiety, depression, and somatization symptoms compared to the control group ( P<0.05), with the VMMD group experiencing the most severe emotional distress. Multiple linear regression analysis identified education level and vestibular disease type as key factors affecting cognitive function, with a university-level education predicting higher MoCA scores ( P<0.001), while VMMD was associated with cognitive decline ( P<0.01). Conclusions:Patients with VM and MD, particularly those with comorbid VMMD, exhibit significant emotional distress. Cognitive impairments are present in VM and VMMD patients, affecting different cognitive domains. These factors should be comprehensively considered in clinical assessments to develop more effective treatment strategies.

Recent data suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor (VEGFRi) can enhance the anti-tumor activity of the anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) antibody in colorectal cancer (CRC) with microsatellite stability (MSS). However, the comparison between this combination and standard third-line VEGFRi treatment is not performed, and reliable biomarkers are still lacking. We retrospectively enrolled MSS CRC patients receiving anti-PD-1 antibody plus VEGFRi (combination group, n=54) or VEGFRi alone (VEGFRi group, n=32), and their efficacy and safety were evaluated. We additionally examined the immune characteristics of the MSS CRC tumor microenvironment (TME) through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic data, and an MSS CRC immune cell-related signature (MCICRS) that can be used to predict the clinical outcomes of MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was developed and validated in our in-house cohort. Compared with VEGFRi alone, the combination of anti-PD-1 antibody and VEGFRi exhibited a prolonged survival benefit (median progression-free survival: 4.4 vs. 2.0 months, P=0.0024; median overall survival: 10.2 vs. 5.2 months, P=0.0038) and a similar adverse event incidence. Through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis, we determined ten MSS CRC-enriched immune cell types and their spatial distribution, including naive CD4⁺ T, regulatory CD4⁺ T, CD4⁺ Th17, exhausted CD8⁺ T, cytotoxic CD8⁺ T, proliferated CD8⁺ T, natural killer (NK) cells, plasma, and classical and intermediate monocytes. Based on a systemic meta-analysis and ten machine learning algorithms, we obtained MCICRS, an independent risk factor for the prognosis of MSS CRC patients. Further analyses demonstrated that the low-MCICRS group presented a higher immune cell infiltration and immune-related pathway activation, and hence a significant relation with the superior efficacy of pan-cancer immunotherapy. More importantly, the predictive value of MCICRS in MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was also validated with an in-house cohort. Anti-PD-1 antibody combined with VEGFRi presented an improved clinical benefit in MSS CRC with manageable toxicity. MCICRS could serve as a robust and promising tool to predict clinical outcomes for individual MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy.
Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Male ; Female ; Immunotherapy ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Tumor Microenvironment/immunology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Microsatellite Instability ; Transcriptome ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/immunology* ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Adult ; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor/antagonists & inhibitors*

Aim To investigate the effects of acteoside(ACT)on ulcerative colitis(UC)mice from the per-spective of inflammation and intestinal flora.Methods The UC model was prepared by dextran sulfate sodi-um(DSS)drinking method and treated with ACT for 14 d,during which the activity of the mice was ob-served and the disease activity index(DAI)was scored.ELISA was used to detect the expression of in-flammatory factors.HE staining was used to observe the injury of colon tissue.16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing method was used to detect the structure and abundance of fecal intestinal flora in mice,and the correlation between the flora and inflammatory indica-tors was analyzed.Results After ACT administra-tion,the fear of cold and lazy movement of mice were improved,and the DAI of mice was reduced.The in-tegrity of colon mucosal epithelial cells was restored and mucosal damage was alleviated.The expressions of pro-inflammatory factors MPO,IL-1 β,IL-6,TNF-α,TF and PAF decreased,while the expression of anti-in-flammatory factor IL-10 increased.The abundance of harmful bacteria such as Firmicutes and Bacteroides de-creased,while the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bacteroidetes and Alistipes increased.Protective bacteria such as Bacteroidetes and Lachnospira were negatively correlated with IL-1β,IL-6 and other pro-inflammatory factors,while harmful bacteria such as Proteobacteria and Streptococcus were positively correla-ted with the above pro-inflammatory factors.Conclu-sions The therapeutic mechanism of ACT on chronic UC mice is related to its alleviation of inflammation and regulation of intestinal flora,and there is a correlation between inflammatory factors and intestinal flora.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is currently the most prevalent malignancy and the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Although the early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) presents a relatively good prognosis, a considerable number of lung cancer cases are still detected and diagnosed at locally advanced or late stages. Surgical treatment combined with perioperative multimodality treatment is the mainstay of treatment for locally advanced NSCLC and has been shown to improve patient survival. Following the standard methods of neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, postoperative adjuvant therapy, and other therapeutic strategies are important for improving patients' prognosis and quality of life. However, controversies remain over the perioperative management of NSCLC and presently consensus and standardized guidelines are lacking for addressing critical clinical issues in multimodality treatment. METHODS: The working group consisted of 125 multidisciplinary experts from thoracic surgery, medical oncology, radiotherapy, epidemiology, and psychology. This guideline was developed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The clinical questions were collected and selected based on preliminary open-ended questionnaires and subsequent discussions during the Guideline Working Group meetings. PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched for available evidence. The GRADE system was used to evaluate the quality of evidence and grade the strengths of recommendations. Finally, the recommendations were developed through a structured consensus-building process. RESULTS: The Guideline Development Group initially collected a total of 62 important clinical questions. After a series of consensus-building conferences, 24 clinical questions were identified and corresponding recommendations were ultimately developed, focusing on neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, adjuvant therapy, postoperative psychological rehabilitation, prognosis assement, and follow-up protocols for NSCLC. CONCLUSIONS This guideline puts forward reasonable recommendations focusing on neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, adjuvant therapy, postoperative psychological rehabilitation, prognosis assessment, and follow-up protocol of NSCLC. It standardizes perioperative multimodality treatment and provides guidance for clinical practice among thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiotherapists, aiming to reduce postoperative recurrence, improve patient survival, accelerate recovery, and minimize postoperative complications such as atelectasis.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/therapy* ; Lung Neoplasms/therapy* ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Perioperative Care

Qualitative and quantitative analysis methods for chemical components of different processed products of Corni Fructus were established to systematically characterize and identify these components, and the content of the main differential components was determined. The chemical components of different processed products of Corni Fructus were collected using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Through analysis of self-built databases, literature, and reference standards, a total of 93 components were obtained, including 19 iridoids, 15 flavonoids, 16 organic acids, eight triterpenoids, eight tannins, four amino acids, two polysaccharides, five olefins, and 16 other compounds. Additionally, by using multivariate statistical methods, the differential components between different processed products of Corni Fructus were screened under the conditions of VIP>1.0 and FC<0.5 or FC>2.0 and P<0.05. The PCA and OPLS-DA results showed differences in the chemical components between different processed products of Corni Fructus. A total of 21 differential components were screened, including tartaric acid, morroniside, and rutin. On this basis, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) was used to determine the content of 10 main common differential components, including gallic acid, morroniside, ursolic acid, loganin, swertiamarin, rutin, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, cornuside Ⅰ, quercetin, and oleanolic acid. The above 10 components showed a good linear relationship within the determined concentration range, with the precision, stability, repeatability, and sample recovery rate all meeting the requirements. Compared with that in Corni Fructus, the content of iridoid glycosides in wine-prepared Corni Fructus and wine-and honey-prepared Corni Fructus decreased, while the content of gallic acid, rutin, quercetin, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, ursolic acid, and oleanolic acid increased. Compared with wine-prepared Corni Fructus, wine-and honey-prepared Corni Fructus showed varying degrees of increase in all other components, except for a slight decrease in gallic acid content. In summary, this study clarified the influence of different processing methods on the chemical components of Corni Fructus, providing a theoretical basis for the scientific connotation, overall quality evaluation, and clinically rational application of Corni Fructus processing in the future.
Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Cornus/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Fruit/chemistry*

Aim To investigate the effects of acteoside(ACT)on ulcerative colitis(UC)mice from the per-spective of inflammation and intestinal flora.Methods The UC model was prepared by dextran sulfate sodi-um(DSS)drinking method and treated with ACT for 14 d,during which the activity of the mice was ob-served and the disease activity index(DAI)was scored.ELISA was used to detect the expression of in-flammatory factors.HE staining was used to observe the injury of colon tissue.16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing method was used to detect the structure and abundance of fecal intestinal flora in mice,and the correlation between the flora and inflammatory indica-tors was analyzed.Results After ACT administra-tion,the fear of cold and lazy movement of mice were improved,and the DAI of mice was reduced.The in-tegrity of colon mucosal epithelial cells was restored and mucosal damage was alleviated.The expressions of pro-inflammatory factors MPO,IL-1 β,IL-6,TNF-α,TF and PAF decreased,while the expression of anti-in-flammatory factor IL-10 increased.The abundance of harmful bacteria such as Firmicutes and Bacteroides de-creased,while the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bacteroidetes and Alistipes increased.Protective bacteria such as Bacteroidetes and Lachnospira were negatively correlated with IL-1β,IL-6 and other pro-inflammatory factors,while harmful bacteria such as Proteobacteria and Streptococcus were positively correla-ted with the above pro-inflammatory factors.Conclu-sions The therapeutic mechanism of ACT on chronic UC mice is related to its alleviation of inflammation and regulation of intestinal flora,and there is a correlation between inflammatory factors and intestinal flora.

Objective:This study aims to investigate the differences in emotional status and cognitive function among patients with vestibular migraine (VM), Meniere′s disease (MD), and their comorbidity (VMMD), and to analyze key factors influencing cognitive function.Methods:This cross-sectional study included 96 outpatients (32 males, 64 females, aged 21-73 years) from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, between December 2022 and December 2023. The study population consisted of 31 VM patients (VM group), 36 MD patients (MD group), and 29 VMMD patients (VMMD group), along with 32 healthy controls (16 males, 16 females, aged 19-74 years). Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), while emotional status and somatization symptoms were evaluated through the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, Patient Health Questionnaire Depression scale, Symptom Checklist-90, and the Self-rating Somatization Symptom scale. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to explore the influence of different variables on cognitive function.Results:The total MoCA score in the VMMD group (26.0 [24.5, 28.0]) was significantly lower than that in the control group (28.0 [27.0, 29.0]) and the MD group (28.0 [26.0, 30.0]) ( P=0.006). VMMD patients exhibited significant impairments in specific cognitive domains, including visuospatial/executive function, delayed recall, and orientation ( P<0.05). Patients with VM, MD, and VMMD showed higher rates of anxiety, depression, and somatization symptoms compared to the control group ( P<0.05), with the VMMD group experiencing the most severe emotional distress. Multiple linear regression analysis identified education level and vestibular disease type as key factors affecting cognitive function, with a university-level education predicting higher MoCA scores ( P<0.001), while VMMD was associated with cognitive decline ( P<0.01). Conclusions:Patients with VM and MD, particularly those with comorbid VMMD, exhibit significant emotional distress. Cognitive impairments are present in VM and VMMD patients, affecting different cognitive domains. These factors should be comprehensively considered in clinical assessments to develop more effective treatment strategies.