Locomotion, a fundamental motor function encompassing various forms such as swimming, walking, running, and flying, is essential for animal survival and adaptation. The mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR), located at the midbrain-hindbrain junction, is a conserved brain area critical for controlling locomotion. This review highlights recent advances in understanding the MLR’s structure and function across species, from lampreys to mammals and birds, with a particular focus on insights gained from optogenetic studies in mammals. The goal is to uncover universal strategies for MLR-mediated locomotor control. Electrical stimulation of the MLR in species such as lampreys, salamanders, cats, and mice initiates locomotion and modulates speed and patterns. For example, in lampreys, MLR stimulation induces swimming, with increased intensity or frequency enhancing propulsive force. Similarly, in salamanders, graded stimulation transitions locomotor outputs from walking to swimming. Histochemical studies reveal that effective MLR stimulation sites colocalize with cholinergic neurons, suggesting a conserved neurochemical basis for locomotion control. In mammals, the MLR comprises two key nuclei: the cuneiform nucleus (CnF) and the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN). Both nuclei contain glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons, with the PPN additionally housing cholinergic neurons. Optogenetic studies in mice by selectively activating glutamatergic neurons have demonstrated that the CnF and PPN play distinct roles in motor control: the CnF drives rapid escape behaviors, while the PPN regulates slower, exploratory movements. This functional specialization within the MLR allows animals to adapt their locomotion patterns and speed in response to environmental demands and behavioral objectives. Similar to findings in lampreys, the CnF and PPN in mice transmit motor commands to spinal effector circuits by modulating the activity of brainstem reticular formation neurons. However, they achieve this through distinct reticulospinal pathways, enabling the generation of specific behaviors. Further insights from monosynaptic rabies viral tracing reveal that the CnF and PPN integrate inputs from diverse brain regions to produce context-appropriate behaviors. For instance, glutamatergic neurons in the PPN receive signals from other midbrain structures, the basal ganglia, and medullary nuclei, whereas glutamatergic neurons in the CnF rarely receive inputs from the basal ganglia but instead are strongly influenced by the periaqueductal grey and inferior colliculus within the midbrain. These differential connectivity patterns underscore the specialized roles of the CnF and PPN in motor control, highlighting their unique contributions to coordinating locomotion. Birds exhibit exceptional flight capabilities, yet the avian MLR remains poorly understood. Comparative studies suggest that the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg) in birds is homologous to the mammalian PPN, which contains cholinergic neurons, while the intercollicular nucleus (ICo) or nucleus isthmi pars magnocellularis (ImC) may correspond to the CnF. These findings provide important clues for identifying the avian MLR and elucidating its role in flight control. However, functional validation through targeted experiments is urgently needed to confirm these hypotheses. Optogenetics and other advanced techniques in mice have greatly advanced MLR research, enabling precise manipulation of specific neuronal populations. Future studies should extend these methods to other species, particularly birds, to explore unique locomotor adaptations. Comparative analyses of MLR structure and function across species will deepen our understanding of the conserved and evolved features of motor control, revealing fundamental principles of locomotion regulation throughout evolution. By integrating findings from diverse species, we can uncover how the MLR has been adapted to meet the locomotor demands of different environments, from aquatic to aerial habitats.

Bone marrow suppression is one of the common adverse reactions to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Anticancer treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy first directly damage the patient′s peripheral blood cells, impairing qi and blood; further, they damage the actively proliferating cell populations in the bone marrow, impairing yin and blood; and then they interfere with hematopoietic stem cells, impairing essence and blood. This process is rapid and intense, consistent with the characteristics of " acute deficiency syndrome" , marked by sudden onset, rapid changes, critical condition, complexity and variability, multiple complications, and poor prognosis. Given this, its diagnosis and treatment should differ from those of general deficiency syndromes. This paper advocates the principles and ideas of diagnosis and treatment such as " preventing first and treating early to prevent changes; supplementing for deficiency and strengthening vital qi to eliminate pathogenic factor; urgent rescue for critical conditions, no time to lose; and comprehensive supplementing throughout the process, with severe cases requiring singular action" . This approach is intended to provide theoretical reference and practical guidance for bone marrow suppression after radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: Comorbid pain and depression are common but remain difficult to treat. Electroacupuncture (EA) can effectively improve symptoms of depression and relieve pain, but its neural mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to detect cerebral changes after initiating a mouse pain model via constriction of the infraorbital nerve (CION) and then treating these animals with EA. METHODS: Forty male C57BL/6J mice were divided into 4 groups: control, CION model, EA, and sham acupuncture (without needle insertion). EA was performed on the acupoints Baihui (GV20) and Zusanli (ST36) for 20 min, once a day for 10 consecutive days. The mechanical withdrawal threshold was tested 3 days after the surgery and every 3 days after the intervention. The depressive behavior was evaluated with the tail suspension test, open-field test, elevated plus maze (EPM), sucrose preference test, and marble burying test. The rs-fMRI was used to detect the cerebral changes of the functional connectivity (FC) in the mice following EA treatment. RESULTS: Compared with the CION group, the mechanical withdrawal threshold increased in the EA group at the end of the intervention (P < 0.05); the immobility time in tail suspension test decreased (P < 0.05); and the times of the open arm entry and the open arm time in the EPM increased (both P < 0.001). There was no difference in the sucrose preference or marble burying tests (both P > 0.05). The fMRI results showed that EA treatment downregulated the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity values, while these indicators were elevated in brain regions including the amygdala, hippocampus and cerebral cortex in the CION model for comorbid pain and depression. Selecting the amygdala as the seed region, we found that the FC was higher in the CION group than in the control group. Meanwhile, EA treatment was able to decrease the FC between the amygdala and other brain regions including the caudate putamen, thalamus, and parts of the cerebral cortex. CONCLUSION EA can downregulate the abnormal activation of neurons in the amygdala and improve its FC with other brain regions, thus exerting analgesic and antidepressant effects. Please cite this article as: Yin X, Zeng XL, Lin JJ, Xu WQ, Cui KY, Guo XT, Li W, Xu SF. Brain functional changes following electroacupuncture in a mouse model of comorbid pain and depression: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 159-168.
Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Male ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Depression/diagnostic imaging* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice ; Pain/diagnostic imaging* ; Acupuncture Points

OBJECTIVE: Pneumoconiosis, a lung disease caused by irreversible fibrosis, represents a significant public health burden. This study investigates the causal relationships between gut microbiota, gene methylation, gene expression, protein levels, and pneumoconiosis using a multi-omics approach and Mendelian randomization (MR). METHODS: We analyzed gut microbiota data from MiBioGen and Esteban et al. to assess their potential causal effects on pneumoconiosis subtypes (asbestosis, silicosis, and inorganic pneumoconiosis) using conventional and summary-data-based MR (SMR). Gene methylation and expression data from Genotype-Tissue Expression and eQTLGen, along with protein level data from deCODE and UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project, were examined in relation to pneumoconiosis data from FinnGen. To validate our findings, we assessed self-measured gut flora from a pneumoconiosis cohort and performed fine mapping, drug prediction, molecular docking, and Phenome-Wide Association Studies to explore relevant phenotypes of key genes. RESULTS: Three core gut microorganisms were identified: Romboutsia ( OR = 0.249) as a protective factor against silicosis, Pasteurellaceae ( OR = 3.207) and Haemophilus parainfluenzae ( OR = 2.343) as risk factors for inorganic pneumoconiosis. Additionally, mapping and quantitative trait loci analyses revealed that the genes VIM, STX8, and MIF were significantly associated with pneumoconiosis risk. CONCLUSIONS This multi-omics study highlights the associations between gut microbiota and key genes ( VIM, STX8, MIF) with pneumoconiosis, offering insights into potential therapeutic targets and personalized treatment strategies.
Humans ; Male ; East Asian People/genetics* ; Europe ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Lung ; Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors/metabolism* ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Multiomics ; Pneumoconiosis/microbiology* ; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases

Objective:To quantitatively evaluate the effects of left bundle branch block（LBBB）on left ventricular structure，function and myocardial perfusion using left ventricular pressure-strain loop and single photon emission computed tomography（SPECT），and to investigate the relationship between myocardial work，myocardial perfusion and pathological changes of left ventricular remodeling in left bundle branch block induced cardiomyopathy（LBBB-CM）.Methods:Fourteen male beagle dogs were selected，and the main trunk of the left bundle branch was ablated to create an LBBB dog model. Electrocardiogram（ECG），transesophageal echocardiography and arterial blood pressure data of LBBB dogs were collected before and 12 months after the ablation of left bundle branch trunk. Global and segmental myocardial work parameters were obtained by left ventricular pressure-strain loop. The differences of above parameters between baseline and 12 months after the ablation of left bundle branch were compared. SPECT was performed in LBBB dogs 12 months after the creation of LBBB. The hearts were harvested for anatomy observation and histopathological analysis in LBBB dogs and another 7 male beagle dogs（normal control group）matched by age and weight. The correlation between myocardial perfusion（percentage of regional tracer uptake）and myocardial work parameters，myocardial fibrosis in LBBB dogs were analyzed.Results:Compared with baseline，the left ventricular end-diastolic volume of 12 months after the ablation increased［（20.78 ± 5.32）ml vs（26.71 ± 7.94）ml， P = 0.003］，left ventricular ejection fraction decreased［（59.17 ± 5.67）% vs（47.69 ± 5.45）%， P<0.001］；left ventricular global/segmental longitudinal strain，global/segmental constructive work and global/segmental work efficiency decreased（all P<0.05），left ventricular global/segmental wasted work increased（all P<0.001）. Heterogenous perfusion defect was observed in LBBB dogs by SPECT，compared with lateral wall segments，the percentage of regional tracer uptake of septum was decreased（all P<0.05）. Gross anatomical and myocardial pathological changes were manifested as cardiomegaly，flaky or focal grayish thickening of endocardium，cardiomyocyte degeneration and fibrosis. Compared with normal control group，the collagen fiber volume fraction（CVF）in all segmental endocardium and partial segmental myocardium of LBBB dogs were significantly increased（all P<0.05）. Percentage of regional tracer uptake was positively correlated with segmental myocardial work（SMW）and segmental myocardial efficiency（SWE）（ r s = 0.49，0.31；both P<0.001），and negatively correlated with CVF and segmental wasted work（SWW）（ r s = -0.51，-0.49；both P<0.001）. Conclusions:Isolated LBBB is not benign，which can result in left ventricular remodeling，decreased cardiac constructive function，abnormal myocardial perfusion，endocardial fibrosis and myocardial fibrosis.The parameters of myocardial work assecsed by echocardiograpgy and myocardial perfusion，as non-invasive examination，can to some extent reflect the degree of left ventricular remodeling in LBBB-CM.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of thiotepa (TT)-containing conditioning regimens for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in children with inborn errors of immunity (IEI). METHODS: Clinical data of 22 children with IEI who underwent HSCT were retrospectively reviewed. Survival after HSCT was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Nine patients received a traditional conditioning regimen (fludarabine + busulfan + cyclophosphamide/etoposide) and underwent peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). Thirteen patients received a TT-containing modified conditioning regimen (TT + fludarabine + busulfan + cyclophosphamide), including seven PBSCT and six umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) cases. Successful engraftment with complete donor chimerism was achieved in all patients. Acute graft-versus-host disease occurred in 12 patients (one with grade III and the remaining with grade I-II). Chronic graft-versus-host disease occurred in one patient. The incidence of EB viremia in UCBT patients was lower than that in PBSCT patients (P<0.05). Over a median follow-up of 36.0 months, one death occurred. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 100% for the modified regimen and 88.9% ± 10.5% for the traditional regimen (P=0.229). When comparing transplantation types, the 3-year OS rates were 100% for UCBT and 93.8% ± 6.1% for PBSCT (P>0.05), and the 3-year event-free survival rates were 100% and 87.1% ± 8.6%, respectively (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS TT-containing conditioning for allogeneic HSCT in children with IEI is safe and effective. Both UCBT and PBSCT may achieve high success rates.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplantation Conditioning/methods* ; Thiotepa/therapeutic use* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Child ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Adolescent

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL). METHODS: The clinical data of 17 patients with PPL admitted to Gansu Provincial Hospital from January 2013 to June 2023 were collected, and their clinical characteristics and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed and summarized. RESULTS: The median age of the 17 patients was 56 (29-73) years old. There were 8 males and 9 females. According to Ann Arbor staging system, there were 9 patients with stage I-II and 8 patients with stage III-IV. There were 14 patients with IPI score of 0-2 and 3 patients with IPI score of 3-4. All 17 patients had symptoms at the initial diagnosis, most of the first symptoms were cough, and 6 patients had B symptoms.Among the 17 patients, there were 8 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), 5 cases of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, 1 case of gray zone lymphoma (GZL), and 3 cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). 15 patients received chemotherapy, of which 3 cases received autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(ASCT) and 3 cases received radiotherapy; 2 patients did not receive treatment. The median number of chemotherapy courses was 6(2-8). The short-term efficacy was evaluated, 12 patients achieved complete remission (CR) and 3 patients achieved partial remission (PR). The age, pathological subtype, sex, Ann Arbor stage, β₂-microglobulin(β₂-MG) level, lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) level were not correlated with CR rate (P >0.05), while IPI score was correlated with recent CR rate (P < 0.05 ). The median follow-up time was 31(2-102) months. One of the 12 CR patients died of COVID-19, and the rest survived. Among the 3 patients who did not reach CR, 1 died after disease progression, while the other 2 survived. One of the 2 untreated patients died one year after diagnosis. Both the median progression-free survival (PFS) time and overall survival (OS) time of the 17 patients were both 31 (2-102) months. CONCLUSION The incidence of PPL is low, and the disease has no specific clinical manifestations, which is easily missed and misdiagnosed. The pathological subtypes are mainly MALT lymphoma and DLBCL, and the treatment is mainly combined chemotherapy. The IPI score is related to the treatment efficacy.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Prognosis ; Aged ; Lung Neoplasms/therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Neoplasm Staging ; Lymphoma/therapy* ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse

Thyroid hormone（TH）plays an important role in human development and is involved in gene and protein expression in almost all tissues，especially in the development of the central nervous system.TH requires a TH transporter to enter the cell，and three families of TH transporter proteins are known，namely monocarboxylate transporters（MCTs），organic anion transporting polypeptides（OATPs）and L-type amino acid transporter（LAT）.MCT8 has been found to be a specific TH transporter，and OATP1C1 also plays an important role.Deficiency of TH transporters may lead to different degrees of dysfunction in the nervous system and endocrine system.Currently，more studies have been conducted on MCT8 deficiency，which presents with characteristic psychomotor retardation and TH abnormalities，and there are no specific treatment options.In this paper，we summarize the research progress on clinical phenotype，pathogenic mechanism，and treatment of thyroid hormone transporter defects related diseases to provide reference for clinical research.

Objective To investigate the effect of LINC00839 on the malignant biological behavior of endometrial cancer cells by regulating the miR-625-5p/cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein 4 (CPEB4) axis. Methods The cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of 46 patients with endometrial cancer were obtained,endometrial cancer cells of HEC-1B,Ishikawa and RL95-2 and human endometrial epithelial cells (HEEC) were cultured in vitro,and the expression levels of LINC00839,miR-625-5p and CPEB4 in tissues and cells were detected. HEC-1B cells were divided into the HEC-1B group (conventional culture),sh-Ctrl group (transfected with sh-Ctrl),sh-LINC00839 group (transfected with shRNA-LINC00839),anti-miR-625-5p group (transfected with shRNA-LINC00839 and miR-625-5p inhibitor),and anti-NC group (transfected with shRNA-LINC00839 and inhibitor-NC). The proliferation,apoptosis,migration and invasion abilities of HEC-1B cells in each group were compared,and the expressions of CPEB4 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related proteins were determined. The targeting relationships between LINC00839 and miR-625-5p,and miR-625-5p and CPEB4 were analyzed. Results The mRNA expression of LINC00839 and CPEB4,as well as the positive expression rate of CPEB4 protein in endometrial cancer tissues were higher than those in adjacent tissues,and the expression of miR-625-5p was lower than that in adjacent tissues (P<0.05). Compared with HEEC cells,the expression of LINC00839 and the mRNA and protein expression of CPEB4 in Ishikawa,RL95-2 and HEC-1B cells increased (P<0.05),and the expression of miR-625-5p decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the sh-LINC00839 group and anti-NC group,the protein expression of N-cadherin,Vimentin,and CPEB4,24-hour absorbance,and migration and invasion cell numbers of HEC-1B cells in the HEC-1B group,sh-Ctrl group and anti-miR-625-5p group increased (P<0.05),while the expression of E-cadherin protein and cell apoptosis rate decreased (P<0.05). There were binding sites between LINC00839 and miR-625-5p,miR-625-5p and CPEB4,with targeting regulatory relationships. Conclusion LINC00839 is related to the malignant biological behavior of endometrial cancer cells,interference with LINC00839 expression can inhibit the proliferation,invasion and migration,and promote apoptosis of HEC-1B cells,and its mechanism may be achieved by regulating the miR-625-5p/CPEB4 axis.