The theory of constitution in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has emerged as a new discipline in recent years. Constitution plays a vital role in the onset，progression，transformation，and prognosis of diseases. At present，some clinical scholars have adopted a novel diagnostic and treatment model of "constitution differentiation-disease identification-syndrome differentiation"，in which constitution is regarded as a core element throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic process. Constitution is closely associated with etiology，onset，pathogenesis，syndrome differentiation，and treatment. Against this background，the construction of animal models based on constitution holds far-reaching significance for advancing clinical research. This paper focuses on the construction and evaluation of rodent models with Qi-deficiency constitution，aiming to explore how to further induce Qi-deficiency syndromes and related disease states on the basis of Qi-deficiency constitution models，thereby developing an integrated animal model that embodies the trinity of "constitution-disease-syndrome". The establishment of this model not only provides a solid experimental foundation for the development of new therapies and drugs in TCM targeting specific constitutions，diseases，and syndromes，but also greatly promotes the modernization and scientific advancement of TCM theory. By comprehensively applying multidisciplinary technologies and methods，the study evaluates the model's validity，reliability，and practicality，with the aim of opening new avenues for future research in TCM and promoting the development of the field.

The theory of constitution in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has emerged as a new discipline in recent years. Constitution plays a vital role in the onset，progression，transformation，and prognosis of diseases. At present，some clinical scholars have adopted a novel diagnostic and treatment model of "constitution differentiation-disease identification-syndrome differentiation"，in which constitution is regarded as a core element throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic process. Constitution is closely associated with etiology，onset，pathogenesis，syndrome differentiation，and treatment. Against this background，the construction of animal models based on constitution holds far-reaching significance for advancing clinical research. This paper focuses on the construction and evaluation of rodent models with Qi-deficiency constitution，aiming to explore how to further induce Qi-deficiency syndromes and related disease states on the basis of Qi-deficiency constitution models，thereby developing an integrated animal model that embodies the trinity of "constitution-disease-syndrome". The establishment of this model not only provides a solid experimental foundation for the development of new therapies and drugs in TCM targeting specific constitutions，diseases，and syndromes，but also greatly promotes the modernization and scientific advancement of TCM theory. By comprehensively applying multidisciplinary technologies and methods，the study evaluates the model's validity，reliability，and practicality，with the aim of opening new avenues for future research in TCM and promoting the development of the field.

In recent years， diabetic nephropathy （DN） has become an increasingly serious health challenge worldwide， and its morbidity and mortality rates are rapidly increasing. The patients suffering from the disease tend to be younger. DN is not only accompanied by a wide range of renal pathological changes， such as renal hypertrophy， inflammatory cell infiltration， expansion of the tethered membrane stroma， and thickening of the basement membrane but is also the main cause of end-stage renal disease and death in patients with diabetes mellitus. Therefore， it is particularly urgent to explore new strategies for the prevention and treatment of DN. The pathogenesis of DN is intricate and complex， with current research focusing on multifactorial interactions between metabolic and hemodynamic factors， such as hypoxia， inflammatory responses， and fibrotic processes. Notably， hypoxia plays a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of DN. Hypoxia-inducible factor （HIF-1α）， as a key regulatory protein commonly found in hypoxic cells， has a profound impact on various physiological and pathological processes， such as cell metabolism， vascular neogenesis， oxidative stress， and apoptosis. With its unique theoretical system and therapeutic approach， traditional Chinese medicine has demonstrated significant advantages in coping with hypoxic diseases and can slow down the progression of DN by regulating the expression level of HIF-1α and its downstream signaling molecules and exerting anti-inflammatory， antioxidant， and antifibrotic effects， which has positive clinical significance for drug development and early prevention and treatment of DN.

AIM: To analyze the influencing factors of capsular constriction syndrome(CCS)in cataract patients after phacoemulsification(Phaco)combined with intraocular lens(IOL)implantation.METHODS: Retrospective study. The data of 2 900 cataract patients(2 900 eyes)in our hospital's information system from January 2021 to January 2024 were collected. All patients were treated with Phaco combined with IOL implantation, and the incidence of CCS within 30 wk after surgery was recorded. Patients were categorized into CCS(116 cases, 116 eyes)and N-CCS group(2 784 cases, 2 784 eyes)based on the occurrence of CCS. The basic data of the two groups were compared, and the influencing factors of CCS within 30 wk after Phaco combined with IOL implantation in cataract patients were analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression.RESULTS: Among 2 900 patients(2 900 eyes)included, 116 cataract patients(116 eyes)developed CCS within 30 wk after Phaco combined with IOL implantation, with an incidence rate of 4.00%. The single factor and multi-factor Logistic regression analysis showed that the complicated diabetes, high myopia, complicated glaucoma, and axial length(AL)>30 mm were the risk factors for the occurrence of CCS after Phaco IOL implantation in cataract patients(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Attention should be paid to cataract patients with diabetes, high myopia, glaucoma and AL>30 mm, which will increase the risk of CCS within 30 wk after Phaco combined with IOL implantation in cataract patients.

Heart failure (HF) is a common end-stage clinical manifestation of cardiovascular diseases, imposing substantial health-related burdens worldwide. With its high mortality rates and poor long-term prognosis, there is a pressing need for novel therapies. SIRT1, a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺)-dependent deacetylase, has anti-cardiovascular aging properties and other cardioprotective effects, attracting much research attention in recent years. In addition, SIRT1 plays an important role in HF pathophysiology. This review summarized the roles of SIRT1 and its activators in HF, the changes of SIRT1 gene expression in cardiac tissues from animal models and HF patients, and the current status of clinical trials investigating SIRT1 activators as potential therapies for HF. This will provide new ideas for further exploration of pathological mechanisms and the development of clinical prevention strategies for HF.
Heart Failure/metabolism* ; Sirtuin 1/genetics* ; Humans ; Animals

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a complex disease that is often accompanied by mental health disorders. However, the potential mechanisms underlying the heterogeneous clinical presentation of CP/CPPS remain uncertain. This study analyzed widely targeted metabolomic data of expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) and plasma to reveal the underlying pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS. A total of 24 CP/CPPS patients from The Second Nanning People's Hospital (Nanning, China), and 35 asymptomatic control individuals from First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University (Nanning, China) were enrolled. The indicators related to CP/CPPS and psychiatric symptoms were recorded. Differential analysis, coexpression network analysis, and correlation analysis were performed to identify metabolites that were specifically altered in patients and associated with various phenotypes of CP/CPPS. The crucial links between EPS and plasma were further investigated. The metabolomic data of EPS from CP/CPPS patients were significantly different from those from control individuals. Pathway analysis revealed dysregulation of amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and the citrate cycle in EPS. The tryptophan metabolic pathway was found to be the most significantly altered pathway associated with distinct CP/CPPS phenotypes. Moreover, the dysregulation of tryptophan and tyrosine metabolism and elevation of oxidative stress-related metabolites in plasma were found to effectively elucidate the development of depression in CP/CPPS. Overall, metabolomic alterations in the EPS and plasma of patients were primarily associated with oxidative damage, energy metabolism abnormalities, neurological impairment, and immune dysregulation. These alterations may be associated with chronic pain, voiding symptoms, reduced fertility, and depression in CP/CPPS. This study provides a local-global perspective for understanding the pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS and offers potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatitis/blood* ; Adult ; Pelvic Pain/blood* ; Metabolomics ; Prostate/metabolism* ; Middle Aged ; Chronic Pain/blood* ; Metabolome ; Case-Control Studies ; Tryptophan/blood* ; Depression/blood* ; Oxidative Stress/physiology* ; Chronic Disease ; Lipid Metabolism/physiology*

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to analyze the clinical features and genetic etiology of a patient with multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) retrospectively. METHODS: A severely oligospermic patient from the Reproductive Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University was selected as the study subject. Clinical data and examination results were collected. High-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics were used to analyze the genetic etiology. And Sanger sequencing was employed to validate findings in the family. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the sperm ultrastructure, and immunofluorescence analysis was performed to examine the localization of FSIP2 protein in the sperm. RESULTS: The patient presented with severe oligospermia, and sperm morphology displayed MMAF. TEM revealed fibrous sheath and 9+2 microtubule structural disruptions in the sperm. Sequencing identified compound heterozygous variants in the FSIP2 gene (c.17798C > T, c.5927T > G), inherited from the father and mother, respectively. According to the guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the variants were classified as pathogenic. The patient's spouse underwent intracytoplasmic single sperm injection, resulting in one embryo, but no clinical pregnancy occurred after embryo transfer. CONCLUSION This study reported the mutation of FSIP2 gene c.17798C > T, c.5927T > G in a patient with MMAF. These findings expand the mutational spectrum of the FSIP2 gene and provide insights for genetic and assisted reproductive counseling for patients with MMAF.
Humans ; Male ; Sperm Tail/pathology* ; Heterozygote ; Oligospermia/genetics* ; Spermatozoa ; Mutation ; Infertility, Male/genetics* ; Adult ; Pedigree ; Retrospective Studies ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic

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*

Objective To construct an aptamer-functionalized carboxylated graphene oxide(CGO)fluo-rescent sensor to achieve highly sensitive and specific detection of ketamine(KET)and its metabolite norketamine(NK)using an aptamer capable of simultaneously recognizing KET and NK.Methods A specific aptamer for simultaneous recognition of KET and NK was screened using graphene oxide-sys-tematic evolution of ligand by exponential enrichment(GO-SELEX)and molecular docking tech-niques.The aptamer,labeled with Cy5 fluorescence,was chemically conjugated to CGO to construct an aptamer-functionalized CGO fluorescent sensor.By optimizing detection conditions,including the mass concentration of CGO,aptamer concentration,reaction temperature,and incubation time,quantita-tive analysis of the target analytes was achieved using the ratio of fluorescence intensity changes be-fore and after target addition.The stability of the sensor in biological matrices was evaluated by moni-toring fluorescence intensity changes over incubation time in blank blood and urine,in comparison with the traditional physical adsorption-based CGO fluorescent sensor.Spiked recovery experiments in blank blood and urine were conducted to compare performance with that of HPLC-MS/MS.Results A specific aptamer A5 was selected and chemically conjugated with CGO to construct the aptamer-functionalized CGO fluorescent sensor.Under optimized conditions,the proposed fluorescent sensor ex-hibited a linear detection range of 1.0-5.0 ng/mL for KET,with a limit of detection(LOD)of 0.86 ng/mL;while for NK,the linear detection range was 1.0-5.0 ng/mL,with an LOD of 0.70 ng/mL.Com-pared with the CGO fluorescent sensor constructed via physical adsorption,this sensor demonstrated greater stability in blood and urine.The spiked recovery rates of KET and NK in blank blood and urine ranged from 81.50%to 110.03%,exhibiting detection performance comparable to that of HPLC-MS/MS.Conclusion The aptamer screening method offers a novel approach for selecting aptamers tar-geting drugs and their metabolites.The constructed aptamer-functionalized CGO fluorescent sensor pro-vides an efficient and reliable strategy for the high-performance detection of KET and NK.

In the past few decades, microbubbles were widely used as ultrasound contrast agents in the field of tumor imaging. With the development of research, ultrasound targeted microbubble destruction technology combined with drug-loaded microbubbles can achieve precise drug release and play a therapeutic role. As a micron-scale carrier, microbubbles are difficult to penetrate the endothelial cell space of tumors, and nano-scale drug delivery system—nanobubbles came into being. The structure of the two is similar, but the difference in size highlights the unique advantages of nanobubbles in drug delivery. Based on the classification principle of shell materials, this review summarized micro/nanobubbles used for ultrasound diagnosis or treatment and discussed the possible development directions, providing references for the subsequent development.