Background and aims The mechanism of cholestatic liver injury (CLI) is unclear, and effective therapies are lacking. While peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) agonists show potential hepatoprotective effect and pyroptosis is implicated in hepatocellular damage, how PPARα activation mitigates lithocholic acid (LCA)-induced pyroptosis remains unknown. Methods The hepatoprotective effect of PPARα agonists was evaluated in a mouse model of intrahepatic cholestasis induced by LCA. Liver injury was assessed via serum biochemistry, hematoxylin and eosin and TUNEL staining, and electron microscopy. Pyroptosis pathways were analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and co-immunoprecipitation. Results Combined morphological, histopathological, and biochemical analyses confirmed that PPARα activation protects against CLI. Compared with LCA treatment alone, PPARα activation significantly attenuated the elevation of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), the increased TUNEL-positive cells, and the formation of hepatocyte membrane pores. Mechanistically, PPARα activation suppressed both NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis and apoptosis protease-activating factor-1 (APAF-1)/CASPASE-3/GSDME-mediated pyroptosis. Furthermore, PPARα agonist pretreatment inhibited activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) signaling pathways. Conclusions PPARα protects against LCA-induced CLI by inhibiting both NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis associated with NF-κB and APAF-1/CASPASE-3/GSDME-mediated pyroptosis associated with the FOXO1 signaling pathway.

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 summarize the surgical strategies and to evaluate the clinical outcomes of up-per urinary tract reconstruction in patients with stone-related ureteral strictures.Methods:This retro-spective study included 71 patients diagnosed with ureteral strictures secondary to urinary stones who un-derwent upper urinary tract reconstructive surgery at Peking University First Hospital between March 2014 and November 2023.Patient data were collected,including demographic characteristics,clinical presen-tation,laboratory results,imaging findings,surgical procedures,and follow-up outcomes.Ureteral stric-tures were classified according to anatomical location into upper,middle,lower,or multiple segments.Surgical procedures were carried out depending on the stricture characteristics.Surgical success was de-fined as resolution or improvement of clinical symptoms,radiographic improvement or stabilization of hy-dronephrosis,and maintenance of normal and stable renal function.Results:Among the 71 patients,36(50.7％)had strictures in the upper ureter,9(12.7％)in the middle ureter,15(21.1％)in the lower ureter,and 11(15.5％)had multifocal ureteral strictures.The median stricture length was 5.0 cm(interquartile range:3.0-15.0 cm).Surgical approach selection was individualized based on the location and extent of the stricture.For upper ureteral strictures,the most frequently employed techniques were oral mucosal graft ureteroplasty(13/36,36.1％)and appendiceal flap ureteroplasty(8/36,22.2％).Other options included ureteroureterostomy and ileal ureter replacement for longer or more complex strictures.In middle ureteral strictures,treatment was stratified by length:balloon dilation(1/9,11.1％)and ureteroureterostomy(1/9,11.1％)were applied in shorter strictures,while oral mucosal graft ureteroplasty(3/9,33.3％)and ileal ureter replacement(4/9,44.4％)were reserved for longer segments.For lower ureteral strictures,ureteral reimplantation into the bladder was the most common approach(10/15,66.7％),often combined with a psoas hitch or Boari flap when necessary.All the patients with multiple segmental strictures underwent ileal ureter replacement due to the extensive nature of the disease.The median follow-up period was 14.2 months(range:6.1-107.1 months).During follow-up,69 of 71 patients(97.2％)achieved surgical success.Conclusion:Stone-related ure-teral strictures present with considerable heterogeneity in terms of anatomical location,length,and com-plexity.Careful preoperative evaluation and individualized surgical planning are critical to successful re-construction.With appropriate selection of surgical methods,favorable long-term clinical outcomes can be achieved in the majority of patients.

BACKGROUND: China is seeing a growing demand for rehabilitation treatments for post-stroke upper limb spastic paresis (PSSP-UL). Although acupuncture is known to be effective for PSSP-UL, there is room to enhance its efficacy. OBJECTIVE: This study explored a semi-personalized acupuncture approach for PSSP-UL that used three-dimensional kinematic analysis (3DKA) results to select additional acupoints, and investigated the feasibility, efficacy and safety of this approach. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: This single-blind, single-center, randomized, controlled trial involved 74 participants who experienced a first-ever ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke with spastic upper limb paresis. The participants were then randomly assigned to the intervention group or the control group in a 1:1 ratio. Both groups received conventional treatments and acupuncture treatment 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The main acupoints in both groups were the same, while participants in the intervention group received additional acupoints selected on the basis of 3DKA results. Follow-up assessments were conducted for 8 weeks after the treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) response rate (≥ 6-point change) at week 4. Secondary outcomes included changes in motor function (FMA-UE), Brunnstrom recovery stage (BRS), manual muscle test (MMT), spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale, MAS), and activities of daily life (Modified Barthel Index, MBI) at week 4 and week 12. RESULTS: Sixty-four participants completed the trial and underwent analyses. Compared with control group, the intervention group exhibited a significantly higher FMA-UE response rate at week 4 (χ² = 5.479, P = 0.019) and greater improvements in FMA-UE at both week 4 and week 12 (both P < 0.001). The intervention group also showed bigger improvements from baseline in the MMT grades for shoulder adduction and elbow flexion at weeks 4 and 12 as well as thumb adduction at week 4 (P = 0.007, P = 0.049, P = 0.019, P = 0.008, P = 0.029, respectively). The intervention group showed a better change in the MBI at both week 4 and week 12 (P = 0.004 and P = 0.010, respectively). Although the intervention group had a higher BRS for the hand at week 12 (P = 0.041), no intergroup differences were observed at week 4 (all P > 0.05). The two groups showed no differences in MAS grades as well as in BRS for the arm at weeks 4 and 12 (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Semi-personalized acupuncture prescription based on 3DKA results significantly improved motor function, muscle strength, and activities of daily living in patients with PSSP-UL. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2200056216. Please cite this article as: Huang XY, Liao OP, Jiang SY, Tao JM, Li Y, Lu XY, Li YY, Wang C, Li J, Ma XP. Three-dimensional kinematic analysis can improve the efficacy of acupoint selection for post-stroke patients with upper limb spastic paresis: A randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 15-24.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Upper Extremity/physiopathology* ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Single-Blind Method ; Aged ; Stroke/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Stroke Rehabilitation/methods* ; Adult ; Muscle Spasticity/therapy* ; Paresis/physiopathology* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of interventional bronchoscopy with rigid bronchoscopy(scleroscope),laryngeal mask airway and endotracheal intubation access for the treatment of central airway stenosis.Methods:The data of patients with central airway stenosis who underwent interventional bronchoscopy under general anesthesia were collected,and divided into rigid bronchoscopy group,laryngeal mask group and tracheal intubation group.The average Cost-Effectiveness Ratio(CER)was calculated using total hospitalization cost and total surgery cost as the cost indices,and improvement of shortness of breath symptoms as the effect index.The stability of the evaluation result was analyzed by one-factor sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis.Results:A total of 205 patients were included:rigid bronchoscopy group(66 patients),laryngeal mask group(64 patients)and tracheal intubation group(75 patients).The CERs were 8 851.29 for the rigid bronchoscopy group,10 942.62 for the laryngeal mask group,and 8 902.98 for the tracheal intubation group when using total hospitalization cost as the cost index.For total surgery cost,the CERs were 2 617.80,3 389.73,and 2 741.38,respectively.The order was rigid bronchoscopy＜tracheal intubation＜laryngeal mask.The main factors affecting the model results were the discount rate,non-surgical costs,and improvement of shortness of breath symptoms.Probabilistic sensitivity analysis shows that the results of the basic analysis are stable.Conclusion:Interventional bronchoscopy via rigid bronchoscope is the most economical method for treating central airway stenosis.

The aim of this study is to explore the immunogenicity of African swine fever virus p37 recombinant protein in mice.C57BL/6J mice were immunized subcutaneously in the abdomen using p37 recombinant protein as antigen.The second immunization was performed 21 d after the first immunization.Serum-specific antibody levels were detected by ELISA;serum cytokine levels were detected using a multifactor assay technique;mice splenic lymphocytes were isolated 7 d after sec-ondary immunization,and the number of splenic lymphocytes secreting IFN-γ after recombinant protein stimulation was detected by ELISpot;and the ratio of CD4+T cells to CD8+T cells was detected by flow cytometry.The results of indirect ELISA showed that p37 recombinant protein could stimulate mice to produce high levels of specific antibodies;ELISpot showed that p37 recom-binant protein could significantly stimulate splenic lymphocytes to produce IFN-γ(P＜0.001)and activate cellular immune responses;the results of flow cytometry showed that it could signifi-cantly stimulate the differentiation of T-lymphocytes to CD4+T-lymphocytes(P＜0.001).In ad-dition,serum levels of IL-2,IL-4,IFN-γ,and TNF-α immune-related cytokines were significantly higher after the second immunization.Immunization of mice with p37 recombinant protein induced strong humoral and cellular immune responses with good immunogenicity,providing reference for the subsequent epitope identification and functional study of p37 protein and the antigen screening of ASF mRNA vaccine.

In order to establish a highly efficient,convenient,and effective circular RNA(circRNA)vaccine preparation system,enhanced green fluorescent protein(EGFP)circRNA was constructed using permuted intron exon(PIE)strategy based on type Ⅰ introns.Then,circRNA circularization rates of RNA after in vitro transcription(IVT),primary circularization(IVC1),and secondary circularization(IVC2)were compared after purification.The constructed circRNA system was fur-ther applied to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus(PRRSV),and two circRNAs based on PRRSV GP5 protein were constructed and developed for in vitro expression.Results showed that circularization rates and protein expression effects of EGFP circRNA in IVC1 RNA and IVC2 RNA were similar,but both were significantly better than those of IVT RNA.Purity of EGFP circRNA reached 74％,and purities of two PRRSV GP5 protein circRNAs constructed using this preparation system were 71％and 64％,respectively.Western blot and indirect immunofluo-rescence assay(IFA)results indicated that both of the PRRSV GP5 protein circRNAs were suc-cessfully expressed.The results demonstrated that an easy-to-operate,low-cost circRNA prepara-tion system with high circularization rate was successfully constructed.Two PRRSV GP5 protein circRNA vaccines were successfully prepared using this system and expressed efficiently,which provides a reference for the development of animal circRNA vaccines and novel candidate vaccines against PRRSV.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of the CD200R1 gene deletion on microglia activation and nigrostriatal dopamine neuron loss in the Parkinson's disease (PD) process. The CRISPR-Cas9 technology was applied to construct the CD200R1^-/- mice. The primary microglia cells of wild-type and CD200R1^-/- mice were cultured and treated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Microglia phagocytosis level was assessed by a fluorescent microsphere phagocytosis assay. PD mouse model was prepared by nigral stereotaxic injection of recombinant adeno-associated virus vector carrying human α-synuclein (α-syn). The changes in the motor behavior of the mice with both genotypes were evaluated by cylinder test, open field test, and rotarod test. Immunohistochemical staining was used to assess the loss of dopamine neurons in substantia nigra. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression level of CD68 (a key molecule involved in phagocytosis) in microglia. The results showed that CD200R1 deletion markedly enhanced LPS-induced phagocytosis in vitro by the microglial cells. In the mouse model of PD, CD200R1 deletion exacerbated motor behavior impairment and dopamine neuron loss in substantia nigra. Fluorescence intensity analysis results revealed a significant increase in CD68 expression in microglia located in the substantia nigra of CD200R1^-/- mice. The above results suggest that CD200R1 deletion may further activates microglia by promoting microglial phagocytosis, leading to increased loss of the nigrostriatal dopamine neurons in the PD model mice. Therefore, targeting CD200R1 could potentially serve as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of early-stage PD.
Animals ; Microglia/physiology* ; Mice ; Phagocytosis ; Parkinson Disease/genetics* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Receptors, Cell Surface/physiology* ; Dopaminergic Neurons/pathology* ; Antigens, CD/metabolism* ; Gene Deletion ; Substantia Nigra ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Knockout ; Cells, Cultured ; Male ; alpha-Synuclein ; CD68 Molecule ; Orexin Receptors

Objective:To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of interventional bronchoscopy with rigid bronchoscopy(scleroscope),laryngeal mask airway and endotracheal intubation access for the treatment of central airway stenosis.Methods:The data of patients with central airway stenosis who underwent interventional bronchoscopy under general anesthesia were collected,and divided into rigid bronchoscopy group,laryngeal mask group and tracheal intubation group.The average Cost-Effectiveness Ratio(CER)was calculated using total hospitalization cost and total surgery cost as the cost indices,and improvement of shortness of breath symptoms as the effect index.The stability of the evaluation result was analyzed by one-factor sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis.Results:A total of 205 patients were included:rigid bronchoscopy group(66 patients),laryngeal mask group(64 patients)and tracheal intubation group(75 patients).The CERs were 8 851.29 for the rigid bronchoscopy group,10 942.62 for the laryngeal mask group,and 8 902.98 for the tracheal intubation group when using total hospitalization cost as the cost index.For total surgery cost,the CERs were 2 617.80,3 389.73,and 2 741.38,respectively.The order was rigid bronchoscopy＜tracheal intubation＜laryngeal mask.The main factors affecting the model results were the discount rate,non-surgical costs,and improvement of shortness of breath symptoms.Probabilistic sensitivity analysis shows that the results of the basic analysis are stable.Conclusion:Interventional bronchoscopy via rigid bronchoscope is the most economical method for treating central airway stenosis.

Objective:To summarize the surgical strategies and to evaluate the clinical outcomes of up-per urinary tract reconstruction in patients with stone-related ureteral strictures.Methods:This retro-spective study included 71 patients diagnosed with ureteral strictures secondary to urinary stones who un-derwent upper urinary tract reconstructive surgery at Peking University First Hospital between March 2014 and November 2023.Patient data were collected,including demographic characteristics,clinical presen-tation,laboratory results,imaging findings,surgical procedures,and follow-up outcomes.Ureteral stric-tures were classified according to anatomical location into upper,middle,lower,or multiple segments.Surgical procedures were carried out depending on the stricture characteristics.Surgical success was de-fined as resolution or improvement of clinical symptoms,radiographic improvement or stabilization of hy-dronephrosis,and maintenance of normal and stable renal function.Results:Among the 71 patients,36(50.7％)had strictures in the upper ureter,9(12.7％)in the middle ureter,15(21.1％)in the lower ureter,and 11(15.5％)had multifocal ureteral strictures.The median stricture length was 5.0 cm(interquartile range:3.0-15.0 cm).Surgical approach selection was individualized based on the location and extent of the stricture.For upper ureteral strictures,the most frequently employed techniques were oral mucosal graft ureteroplasty(13/36,36.1％)and appendiceal flap ureteroplasty(8/36,22.2％).Other options included ureteroureterostomy and ileal ureter replacement for longer or more complex strictures.In middle ureteral strictures,treatment was stratified by length:balloon dilation(1/9,11.1％)and ureteroureterostomy(1/9,11.1％)were applied in shorter strictures,while oral mucosal graft ureteroplasty(3/9,33.3％)and ileal ureter replacement(4/9,44.4％)were reserved for longer segments.For lower ureteral strictures,ureteral reimplantation into the bladder was the most common approach(10/15,66.7％),often combined with a psoas hitch or Boari flap when necessary.All the patients with multiple segmental strictures underwent ileal ureter replacement due to the extensive nature of the disease.The median follow-up period was 14.2 months(range:6.1-107.1 months).During follow-up,69 of 71 patients(97.2％)achieved surgical success.Conclusion:Stone-related ure-teral strictures present with considerable heterogeneity in terms of anatomical location,length,and com-plexity.Careful preoperative evaluation and individualized surgical planning are critical to successful re-construction.With appropriate selection of surgical methods,favorable long-term clinical outcomes can be achieved in the majority of patients.