Astrocytes are a crucial type of glial cells in the central nervous system, not only maintaining brain homeostasis, but also actively participating in the transmission of information within the brain. Astrocytes have a complex structure that includes the soma, various levels of processes, and end-feet. With the advancement of genetically encoded calcium indicators and imaging technologies, researchers have discovered numerous localized and small calcium activities in the fine processes and end-feet. These calcium activities were termed as microdomain calcium activities, which significantly differ from the calcium activities in the soma and can influence the activity of local neurons, synapses, and blood vessels. This article elaborates the detection and analysis, characteristics, sources, and functions of microdomain calcium activities, and discusses the impact of aging and neurodegenerative diseases on these activities, aiming to enhance the understanding of the role of astrocytes in the brain and to provide new insights for the treatment of brain disorders.
Astrocytes/cytology* ; Humans ; Animals ; Calcium/metabolism* ; Calcium Signaling/physiology* ; Brain/physiology* ; Aging/physiology* ; Membrane Microdomains/physiology* ; Neurodegenerative Diseases/physiopathology*

This study aims to comprehensively analyze the material basis of toad visceral oil(hereafter referred to as toad oil), and explore the pharmacological effect of toad oil on atopic dermatitis(AD). Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap/orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry(UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) were employed to comprehensively identify the chemical components in toad oil. The animal model of AD was prepared by the hapten stimulation method. The modeled animals were respectively administrated with positive drug(0.1% hydrocortisone butyrate cream) and low-and high-doses(1%, 10%) of toad oil by gavage. The effect of toad oil on AD was evaluated with the AD score, ear swelling rate, spleen index, and pathological section results as indicators. A total of 99 components were identified by UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS, including 14 bufadienolides, 7 fatty acids, 6 alkaloids, 10 ketones, 18 amides, and other compounds. After methylation of toad oil samples, a total of 20 compounds were identified by GC-MS. Compared with the model group, the low-and high-dose toad oil groups showed declined AD score, ear swelling rate, and spleen index, alleviated skin lesions, and reduced infiltrating mast cells. This study comprehensively analyzes the chemical composition and clarifies the material basis of toad oil. Meanwhile, this study proves that toad oil has a good therapeutic effect on AD and is a reserve resource of traditional Chinese medicine for external use in the treatment of AD.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Atopic/immunology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice ; Male ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Humans ; Bufonidae ; Oils/administration & dosage* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Female ; Mice, Inbred BALB C

Aromatic immunity in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is the medical knowledge accumulated in the process of people's struggling with diseases. It plays an important role in plague prevention, disease treatment, health preservation, and rehabilitation, and has profound TCM basic theoretical support and abundant modern scientific evidence. With the in-depth promotion of the Healthy China initiative and the succession of health needs in the post-COVID-19 era, how to practice the health concept of aromatic immunity in TCM and develop its health service resources with high quality has become an important proposition to be discussed urgently. This paper summarizes the cognitive process, puts forward the basic concept, discusses the scientific connotation and clinical application value, and looks forward to the future development trend of aromatic immunity in TCM, aiming to provide guidance for the development of great health products and promote the application of aromatic immunity in TCM in serving people's health.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Humans ; COVID-19/immunology* ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; SARS-CoV-2

This study aimed to explore the mechanisms and molecular targets of total flavones of Abelmoschus manihot(TFA) plus empagliflozin(EM) in attenuating diabetic tubulopathy(DT) by targeting mitochondrial homeostasis and pyroptosis-apoptosis-necroptosis(PANoptosis). In the in vivo study, the authors established the DT rat models through a combination of uninephrectomy, administration of streptozotocin via intraperitoneal injections, and exposure to a high-fat diet. Following modeling successfully, the DT rat models received either TFA, EM, TFA+EM, or saline(as a vehicle) by gavage for eight weeks, respectively. In the in vitro study, the authors subjected the NRK52E cells with or without knock-down Z-DNA binding protein 1(ZBP1) to a high-glucose(HG) environment and various treatments including TFA, EM, and TFA+EM. In the in vivo and in vitro studies, The authors investigated the relative characteristics of renal tubular injury and renal tubular epithelial cells damage induced by reactive oxygen species(ROS), analyzed the relative characteristics of renal tubular PANoptosis and ZBP1-mediatted PANoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells, and compared the relative characteristics of the protein expression levels of marked molecules of mitochondrial fission in the kidneys and mitochondrial homeostasis in renal tubular epithelial cells, respectively. Furthermore, in the network pharmacology study, the authors predicted and screened targets of TFA and EM using HERB and SwissTargetPrediction databases; The screened chemical constituents and targets of TFA and EM were constructed the relative network using Cytoscape 3.7.2 network graphics software; The relative targets of DT were integrated using OMIM and GeneCards databases; The intersecting targets of TFA, EM, and DT were enriched and analyzed signaling pathways by Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) software using DAVID database. In vivo study results showed that TFA+EM could improve renal tubular injury, the protein expression levels and characteristics of key signaling molecules in PANoptosis pathway in the kidneys, and the protein expression levels of marked molecules of mitochondrial fission in the kidneys. And that, the ameliorative effects in vivo of TFA+EM were both superior to TFA or EM. Network pharmacology study results showed that TFA+EM treated DT by regulating the PANoptosis signaling pathway. In vitro study results showed that TFA+EM could improve ROS-induced cell injury, ZBP1-mediatted PANoptosis, and mitochondrial homeostasis in renal tubular epithelial cells under a state of HG, including the protein expression levels of marked molecules of mitochondrial fission, mitochondrial ultrastructure, and membrane potential level. And that, the ameliorative effects in vitro of TFA+EM were both superior to TFA or EM. More importantly, using the NRK52E cells with knock-down ZBP1, the authors found that, indeed, ZBP1 was mediated PANoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells as an upstream factor. In addition, TFA+EM could regulate the protein expression levels of marked signaling molecules of PANoptosis by targeting ZBP1. In summary, this study clarified that TFA+EM, different from TFA or EM, could attenuate DT with multiple targets by ameliorating mitochondrial homeostasis and inhibiting ZBP1-mediated PANoptosis. These findings provide the clear pharmacological evidence for the clinical treatment of DT with a novel strategy of TFA+EM, which is named "coordinated traditional Chinese and western medicine".
Animals ; Rats ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Benzhydryl Compounds/administration & dosage* ; Glucosides/administration & dosage* ; Abelmoschus/chemistry* ; Male ; Homeostasis/drug effects* ; Flavones/administration & dosage* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Diabetic Nephropathies/physiopathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Humans ; Apoptosis/drug effects*

Investigating the correlation between micronucleus formation and male infertility has the potential to improve clinical diagnosis and deepen our understanding of pathological progression. Our study enrolled 2252 male patients whose semen was analyzed from March 2023 to July 2023. Their clinical data, including semen parameters and age, were also collected. Genetic analysis was used to determine whether the sex chromosome involved in male infertility was abnormal (including the increase, deletion, and translocation of the X and Y chromosomes), and subsequent semen analysis was conducted for clinical grouping purposes. The participants were categorized into five groups: normozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, oligozoospermia, oligoasthenozoospermia, and azoospermia. Patients were randomly selected for further study; 41 patients with normozoospermia were included in the control group and 117 patients with non-normozoospermia were included in the study group according to the proportions of all enrolled patients. Cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) screening was conducted through peripheral blood. Statistical analysis was used to determine the differences in micronuclei (MNi) among the groups and the relationships between MNi and clinical data. There was a significant increase in MNi in infertile men, including those with azoospermia, compared with normozoospermic patients, but there was no significant difference between the genetic and nongenetic groups in azoospermic men. The presence of MNi was associated with sperm concentration, progressive sperm motility, immotile spermatozoa, malformed spermatozoa, total sperm count, and total sperm motility. This study underscores the potential utility of MNi as a diagnostic tool and highlights the need for further research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of male infertility.
Humans ; Male ; Infertility, Male/genetics* ; Adult ; Micronucleus Tests ; Semen Analysis ; Oligospermia/genetics* ; Azoospermia/genetics* ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Sperm Count ; Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective ; Middle Aged

Objective:To compare the outcomes of multiple scales, primarily the speech, spatial, and other qualities of hearing scale for parents（SSQ-P）, in children with ipsilateral vs. Contralateral cochleareimplantat ion（CRI）. Methods: A total of 69 children who received cochlear implantation surgery from April 1999 to June 2024 were included. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether the implantation was on the same side. General information such as gender, age, age at initial implantation and reimplantation was collected. The primary caregivers of the children were followed up by telephone using the categories of auditory performance（CAP）, speech intelligibility rating（SIR）, and SSQ-P questionnaires. Statistical methods including stepwise regression, linear regression, and permutation tests were employed to investigate if there were any statistically significant differences in the scores of CAP, SIR, SSQ-P total, SSQ-P speech perception, SSQ-P spatial hearing, and SSQ-P auditory quality dimensions between the ipsilateral and contralateral reimplantation groups. Results:Of the 69 children included, 62 were in the ipsilateral reimplantation group with a mean age of 11.1 years, and 7 were in the contralateral reimplantation group with a mean age of 11.7 years. Statistical analysis showed that patients in the contralateral reimplantation group had significantly lower SSQ-P total scores （P<0.05） and spatial hearing dimension scores （P<0.05） than those in the ipsilateral reimplantation group after controlling for the corresponding confounders. Conclusion:The effect of ipsilateral reimplantation of cochlear implants is superior to that of contralateral reimplantation in terms of overall auditory function and spatial hearing in daily life for children, but the mechanisms require further investigation.
Humans ; Cochlear Implantation ; Child ; Parents ; Speech Perception ; Male ; Cochlear Implants ; Female ; Hearing ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Speech ; Child, Preschool

Objective To analyze the influencing factors of death in the elderly with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Methods The case data of death caused by COVID-19 in West China Fourth Hospital from January 1 to July 8,2023 were collected,and surviving cases from the West China Elderly Health Cohort infected with COVID-19 during the same period were selected as the control.LASSO-Logistic regression was adopted to analyze the data after propensity score matching and the validity of the model was verified by drawing the receiver operating characteristic curve.Results A total of 3 239 COVID-19 survivors and 142 deaths with COVID-19 were included.The results of LASSO-Logistic regression showed that smoking(OR=3.33,95%CI=1.46-7.59,P=0.004),stroke(OR=3.55,95%CI=1.15-10.30,P=0.022),malignant tumors(OR=19.93, 95%CI=8.52-49.23, P<0.001),coronary heart disease(OR=7.68, 95%CI=3.52-17.07, P<0.001),fever(OR=0.51, 95%CI=0.26-0.96, P=0.042),difficulty breathing or asthma symptoms(OR=21.48, 95%CI=9.44-51.95, P<0.001),and vomiting(OR=8.19,95%CI=2.87-23.58, P<0.001)increased the risk of death with COVID-19.The prediction model constructed based on the influencing factors achieved an area under the curve of 0.889 in the test set.Conclusions Smoking,stroke,malignant tumors,coronary heart disease,fever,breathing difficulty or asthma symptoms,and vomiting were identified as key factors influencing the death risk in COVID-19.
Humans ; COVID-19/mortality* ; Aged ; Propensity Score ; China/epidemiology* ; Risk Factors ; Logistic Models ; Smoking ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Male ; Female ; Stroke ; Neoplasms

Objective:To analyze the proportion of patients with acute primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) after the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients undergoing glaucoma surgery and the factors influencing morbidity.Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed.The cluster sampling method was used to collect 141 glaucoma patients hospitalized for glaucoma surgery after the outbreak of COVID-19 in Xuzhou First People's Hospital from December 16, 2022, to January 16, 2023, and 231 glaucoma patients hospitalized for surgery in the same 1-month period from 2019 to 2020, 2020 to 2021, 2021 to 2022 through the hospital information system.Ninety-two eyes of 92 patients with acute PACG after the outbreak were selected as a study group, and 21 eyes of 21 patients with acute PACG hospitalized during the same 1-month period from 2021 to 2022 were selected as a control group.The proportion of patients with different types of glaucoma during the observation period was analyzed.The proportion of patients with acute PACG and the clinical characteristics of acute PACG were analyzed, including age, sex, visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), and anterior chamber angle status.Epidemiological data such as the use of anti-cold medications, and changes in living habits and moods (including daily water intake and anxiety) of patients after COVID-19 infection were obtained by telephone follow-up.Anxiety levels of patients in the study group were assessed using the Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale (HADS).The triggering factors of acute PACG attack after the COVID-19 outbreak were analyzed.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Xuzhou First People's Hospital (No.xyyll[2023]114).Written informed consent was obtained from each subject.Results:The proportion of acute PACG patients in Xuzhou First People's Hospital within one month after the outbreak in 2022 to 2023 increased significantly compared with the same period in 2021 to 2022, 2020 to 2021 and 2019 to 2020, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=31.066, 33.331, 20.804; all at P<0.001).There was no statistical significance in the distribution of the number of eyes with different grades of visual acuity, IOP, the number of eyes with IOP ≥30 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), and the distribution of the number of eyes with different anterior chamber angles between the two groups (all at P>0.05).Patients in the control group had no history of COVID-19 infection or use of cold medicines at disease onset.During disease onset, all 92 (100%) patients in the study group had positive COVID-19 nucleic acid test results, of which 57 (61.96%) patients had a history of oral anti-cold medication use.During the same period, 49 (100%) hospitalized patients with other types of glaucoma had positive COVID-19 nucleic acid test results, of which 20 (40.82%) patients had a history of oral cold medication.There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients taking oral cold drugs between acute PACG and other types of glaucoma in the study group ( χ2=5.764, P=0.016).During the outbreak of COVID-19, the study group reported that the daily water intake had increased to varying degrees than before.In the study group, 76 patients had anxiety, accounting for 82.6%.Multiple linear regression analysis showed that IOP=19.052+ 0.009×daily water intake+ 0.858×HADS score ( R2=0.780), and the standardized coefficients of daily water intake and HADS score were 0.542 and 0.452, respectively.Daily water intake had a greater effect on IOP than HADS score. Conclusions:The proportion of acute PACG patients among hospitalized surgical glaucoma patients increased significantly after the COVID-19 outbreak, which is related to risk factors such as oral anti-cold medications containing vasoconstrictors or antihistamines, increased daily water intake, anxiety and other lifestyle, and mood changes.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy of endoscopic laryngeal mask in obese patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR).Methods:Adopting a prospective research approach, 90 obese patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal EMR from July 2020 to May 2022 in Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University were selected. The patients were divided into endoscopic laryngeal mask group (using general anesthesia with endoscopic laryngeal mask ventilation) and nasal catheter group (using conventional non intubated intravenous anesthesia) by random digits table method with 45 cases in each. The EMR time; minimum pulse oxygen saturation (SpO 2) during perioperative period; changes of SpO 2, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate during perioperative period; palinesthesia time; postoperative postanesthesia care unit (PACU) residence time; adverse reactions; satisfaction levels of doctor and patient satisfaction were recorded. Results:There were no statistical difference in EMR time and postoperative PACU residence time between two groups ( P>0.05). There were no statistical difference in minimum SpO 2 preoperative and anesthesia induction period between two groups ( P>0.05); the minimum SpO 2 EMR period in endoscopic laryngeal mask group was significantly higher than those in nasal catheter group (0.990 ± 0.010 vs. 0.951 ± 0.037), and there was statistical difference ( P<0.01). There were no statistical difference in heart rate and MAP during perioperative period between two groups ( P>0.05). There were no statistical difference in SpO 2 entering the operating room and leaving the PACU between two groups ( P>0.05), SpO 2 immediately after endoscopic insertion and at the end of surgery in endoscopic laryngeal mask group was significantly higher than that in nasal catheter group (0.989 ± 0.009 vs. 0.976 ± 0.011 and 0.987 ± 0.010 vs. 0.981 ± 0.009), and there was statistical difference ( P<0.01). The palinesthesia time in endoscopic laryngeal mask group was significantly longer than that in nasal catheter group: (6.7 ± 1.1) min vs. (4.6 ± 1.2) min, and there was statistical difference ( P<0.01). Both groups did not experience aspiration, hoarseness or airway spasm. There were no statistical difference in the incidences of pharyngalgia, bradycardia, hypotension, abdominal pain and bloating, postoperative nausea and vomiting between two groups ( P>0.05). The incidence of bucking and body movement in endoscopic laryngeal mask group was significantly lower than that in nasal catheter group: 2.2% (1/45) vs. 24.4% (11/45), and there was statistical difference ( P<0.01). There were no statistical difference in the satisfaction level of patient between two groups ( P>0.05); the satisfaction levels of anesthesiologists and endoscopists in endoscopic laryngeal mask group were significantly higher than those in nasal catheter group: 95.6% (43/45) vs. 66.7% (30/45) and 88.9% (40/45) vs. 71.1% (32/45), and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01 or <0.05). Conclusions:The application of endoscopic laryngeal mask in upper gastrointestinal EMR in obese patients can effectively improve the hypoxia caused by insufficient ventilation. At the same time, it will not cause drastic fluctuations in hemodynamics, and it does not increase the incidence of throat discomfort, but it slightly extends the awakening time.

A 2-year-and-10-month-old boy presented with multiple masses in the neck and chest for over 3 months.The child had a history of unstable walking,with hard lumps visible at the injury sites after falls,which would resolve on their own.Following a recent injury,a mass was discovered in the posterior neck,protruding above the skin surface and accompanied by limited joint movement.Gradually,new masses were found on the left side of the neck,back near the scapular lower angle,in the scapular fossa,and along the left axillary midline.Magnetic resonance imaging examination showed diffuse low signal on T1-weighted images and high signal on T2-weighted images in the bilateral posterior neck and back muscles two months ago.A CT scan revealed muscle swelling,with areas of patchy low density and multiple nodular high-density ossifications within some muscles.Genetic testing results indicated a mutation in the ACVR1 gene,leading to the final diagnosis of progressive ossifying myositis in this patient.This article summarizes the etiology,diagnosis,and treatment of one case of progressive ossifying myositis,providing a reference for clinicians.