OBJECTIVE: To observe the distribution characteristics of sensitization areas on the body surface in the rat models with functional constipation and diarrhea, explore the regulatory patterns of electroacupuncture (EA) of different intensities at "Tianshu" (ST25) on distal colon motility, and clarify the roles of the neurons of different subtypes in the enteric nervous system (ENS) displayed in the regulatory effect. METHODS: Of 90 SD male rats of SPF grade, 15 rats were randomized into a normal group, a constipation group and a diarrhea group, 5 rats in each one. The stool form and fecal water content, as well as the distribution of the Evans blue (EB) extravasation on the body surface after the intravenous injection with EB on the tails were observed. Eighteen rats were randomized into a normal +2 mA group, a normal +4 mA group and a normal + 6 mA group, 6 rats in each one. Using physiological signal acquisition system, the area under the curve and the average amplitude of colon peristalsis were recorded and analyzed, and the immediate effect on distal colon peristalsis observed after EA with different intensities at "Tianshu" (ST25). Thirty rats were randomized into a normal group, a constipation group, a diarrhea group, a constipation +2 mA group, and a diarrhea +6 mA group, 6 rats in each one, so as to observe the cumulative effect on colon motility disorder in the rat models of constipation and diarrhea after EA at "Tianshu" (ST25). Twelve rats were randomized into a constipation +2 mA group and a diarrhea +6 mA group, 6 rats in each one, to observe the immediate effect on colon motility disorder in the rat models of constipation and diarrhea after EA at "Tianshu" (ST25). Fifteen rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a constipation group, a diarrhea group, a constipation +2 mA group, and a diarrhea + 6 mA group, 3 rats in each one. Using the whole-mount staining technique, the expression of vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT)-positive neurons and nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-positive neurons in ENS was detected. According to the group divisions, the functional constipation models were established by intragastric administration of loperamide hydrochloride (10 mg/kg, once daily, for consecutive 7 days), and the functional diarrhea models were prepared by intragastric administration of folium sennae decoction (10 mL/kg, once daily, for consecutive 2 days). The interventions were delivered with EA of different intensities (the electric current of 2, 4 or 6 mA) at bilateral "Tianshu" (ST25), separately, with the continuous wave and the frequency of 10 Hz used. RESULTS: Compared with the normal group, the fecal amount was decreased, and the fecal water content was reduced in the rats of the constipation group (P<0.001); and loose stool was presented and the fecal water content increased in rats of the diarrhea group (P<0.001). EB extravasation on the body surface happened in the region from T₆ to S₂ of the rats in the constipation and diarrhea groups, and it was more concentrated in the lower abdominal and the lower back regions from T₁₀ to L₃. Compared with the indexes before EA, in the normal +2 mA group and the normal +4 mA group, the areas under the curve and the average amplitude of the distal colon peristalsis were higher during EA delivery (P<0.01, P<0.05), showing a stimulatory immediate effect; and the post-effect was obtained after EA at 2 mA. Whereas, these two indexes were declined during EA in the rats of the normal +6 mA group (P<0.001), showing an inhibitory immediate effect. After many interventions with EA, when compared with those before EA, the above two indexes rose in the constipation +2 mA group (P<0.05, P<0.01), and they were dropped in the diarrhea +6 mA group (P<0.01, P<0.05). The area under the curve of the colon peristalsis in the constipation +2 mA group was higher than that of the constipation group (P<0.001), and that in the diarrhea +6 mA group was lower compared with that in the diarrhea group (P<0.001). The stimulatory effect of EA on colon motility in the constipation +2 mA group was stronger than that of the normal + 2 mA group (P<0.05), and its inhibitory effect was not different statistically in comparison between the normal +6 mA group and the diarrhea +6 mA group (P>0.05). In ENS of the distal colon, after EA at 2 mA, the proportion of VAChT-positive neurons was higher than that of the activated nNOS-positive neurons (P<0.001); and after EA at 6 mA, the activated nNOS-positive neurons were dominant (P<0.001). CONCLUSION In the functional constipation and diarrhea rat models, the sensitization areas on the body surface are centralized in the lower abdominal and the lower back regions of T₁₀ to L₃. Electroacupuncture at "Tianshu" (ST25) has a bidirectional regulatory effect on distal colon motility, and this effect is coordinated with the intensity of electroacupuncture, and may be mediated by ENS neurons of different subtypes.
Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Male ; Rats ; Colon/innervation* ; Acupuncture Points ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Constipation/physiopathology* ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Humans ; Diarrhea/physiopathology*

This paper reports a case of head-facial herpes zoster in perimenopausal woman treated with Zheng's cold reducing acupuncture. The patient presented with a syndrome of yin deficiency and internal heat, the treatment principles focused on clearing heat and toxins, nourishing yin and promoting fluid production, achieved through acupuncture. Local surrounding needling was applied around the lesions, supplemented by Zheng's cold reducing acupuncture at head and facial acupoints (including bilateral Fengchi [GB20], Tianzhu [BL10], and Shangxing [GV23], Baihui [GV20], as well as Shuaigu [GB8], Touwei [ST8] on the affected-side) and limb acupoints (including bilateral Lieque [LU7], Neiguan [PC6], Hegu [LI4], Diwuhui [GB42]). Each session lasted 20 min, administered once daily for 8 consecutive days, followed by a 3-day break. An additional session was performed post-break to consolidate efficacy, totally 9 sessions. After treatment, the herpes lesions subsided, and perimenopausal symptoms significantly improved. A 2-month follow-up revealed no residual complications, with the patient in good condition.
Humans ; Female ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Herpes Zoster/therapy* ; Middle Aged ; Perimenopause ; Acupuncture Points ; Head/virology* ; Face/virology*

Gene regulation relies on the precise binding of transcription factors (TFs) at regulatory elements, but simultaneously detecting hundreds of TFs on chromatin is challenging. We developed cFOOT-seq, a cytosine deaminase-based TF footprinting assay, for high-resolution, quantitative genome-wide assessment of TF binding in both open and closed chromatin regions, even with small cell numbers. By utilizing the dsDNA deaminase SsdAtox, cFOOT-seq converts accessible cytosines to uracil while preserving genomic integrity, making it compatible with techniques like ATAC-seq for sensitive and cost-effective detection of TF occupancy at the single-molecule and single-cell level. Our approach enables the delineation of TF footprints, quantification of occupancy, and examination of chromatin influences on TF binding. Notably, cFOOT-seq, combined with FootTrack analysis, enables de novo prediction of TF binding sites and tracking of TF occupancy dynamics. We demonstrate its application in capturing cell type-specific TFs, analyzing TF dynamics during reprogramming, and revealing TF dependencies on chromatin remodelers. Overall, cFOOT-seq represents a robust approach for investigating the genome-wide dynamics of TF occupancy and elucidating the cis-regulatory architecture underlying gene regulation.
Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Humans ; Chromatin/genetics* ; Animals ; Binding Sites ; Mice ; DNA Footprinting/methods*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role and mechanism of the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase/stimulator of interferon gene (cGAS/STING) pathway in oleic acid-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. METHODS: Male wild-type C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into five groups (each n = 10): normal control group, ALI model group, and 5, 50, 500 μg/kg inhibitor pretreatment groups. The ALI model was established by tail vein injection of oleic acid (7 mL/kg), while the normal control group received no intervention. The inhibitor pretreatment groups were intraperitoneally injected with the corresponding doses of cGAS inhibitor RU.521 respectively 1 hour before modeling. At 24 hours post-modeling, blood was collected, and mice were sacrificed. Lung tissue pathological changes were observed under light microscopy after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and pathological scores were assessed. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expressions of cGAS, STING, phosphorylated TANK-binding kinase 1 (p-TBK1), phosphorylated interferon regulatory factor 3 (p-IRF3), and phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB p65 (p-NF-κB p65) in lung tissue. Immunohistochemistry was performed to observe STING and p-NF-κB positive expressions in lung tissue. Serum interferon-β (IFN-β) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the ALI model group exhibited significant focal alveolar thickening, intra-alveolar hemorrhage, pulmonary capillary congestion, and neutrophil infiltration in the pulmonary interstitium and alveoli, along with markedly increased pathological scores (10.33±0.58 vs. 1.33±0.58, P < 0.05). Protein expressions of cGAS, STING, p-TBK1, p-IRF3, and p-NF-κB p65 in lung tissue significantly increased [cGAS protein (cGAS/β-actin): 1.24±0.02 vs. 0.56±0.02, STING protein (STING/β-actin): 1.27±0.01 vs. 0.55±0.01, p-TBK1 protin (p-TBK1/β-actin): 1.34±0.03 vs. 0.22±0.01, p-IRF3 protein (p-IRF3/β-actin): 1.23±0.02 vs. 0.36±0.01, p-NF-κB p65 protein (p-NF-κB p65/β-actin): 1.30±0.02 vs. 0.53±0.02, all P < 0.05], positive expressions of STING and p-NF-κB in lung tissue were significantly elevated [STING (A value): 0.51±0.03 vs. 0.30±0.07, p-NF-κB (A value): 0.57±0.05 vs. 0.31±0.03, both P < 0.05], and serum IFN-β levels were also significantly higher (ng/L: 256.02±3.84 vs. 64.15±1.17, P < 0.05). The cGAS inhibitor pretreatment groups showed restored alveolar structural integrity, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, and decreased hemorrhage area, along with dose-dependent lower pathological scores as well as the protein expressions of cGAS, STING, p-TBK1, p-IRF3 and p-NF-κB p65 in lung tissue, with significant differences between the 500 μg/kg inhibitor group and ALI model group [pathological score: 2.67±0.58 vs. 10.33±0.58, cGAS protein (cGAS/β-actin): 0.56±0.03 vs. 1.24±0.02, STING protein (STING/β-actin): 0.67±0.03 vs. 1.27±0.01, p-TBK1 protein (p-TBK1/β-actin): 0.28±0.01 vs. 1.34±0.03, p-IRF3 protein (p-IRF3/β-actin): 0.32±0.01 vs. 1.23±0.02, p-NF-κB p65 protein (p-NF-κB p65/β-actin): 0.63±0.01 vs. 1.30±0.02, all P < 0.05]. Compared with the ALI model group, positive expressions of STING and p-NF-κB in lung tissue were significantly reduced in the 500 μg/kg inhibitor group [STING (A value): 0.40±0.01 vs. 0.51±0.03, p-NF-κB (A value): 0.43±0.02 vs. 0.57±0.05, both P < 0.05], and serum IFN-β levels were also markedly reduced (ng/L: 150.03±6.19 vs. 256.02±3.84, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The cGAS/STING pathway is activated in oleic acid-induced ALI, leading to exacerbated inflammatory responses and increased lung damage. RU.521 can inhibit cGAS, thereby down-regulating the expression of pathway proteins and cytokines, and providing protection to lung tissue.
Animals ; Acute Lung Injury/chemically induced* ; Male ; Nucleotidyltransferases/metabolism* ; Mice ; Signal Transduction ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Membrane Proteins/metabolism* ; Oleic Acid/adverse effects* ; Transcription Factor RelA/metabolism* ; Lung/pathology* ; Interferon Regulatory Factor-3/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal

Objective To construct risk prediction models of death or readmission in patients with acute heart failure(AHF)during the vulnerable phase based on machine learning algorithms and screen the optimal model.Methods A total of 651 AHF patients with admitted to Department of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from October 2019 to July 2021 were included.The clinical data consisting of admission vital signs,comorbidities and laboratory results were collected from electronic medical records.The composite endpoint was defined as all-cause death or readmission for worsening heart failure within 3 months after discharge.The patients were divided into a training set(521 patients)and a test set(130 patients)in a ratio of 8:2 through the simple random sampling.Six machine learning models were developed,including logistic regression(LR),random forest(RF),decision tree(DT),light gradient boosting machine(LGBM),extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost)and neural networks(NN).Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and decision curve analysis(DCA)were used to evaluate the predictive performance and clinical benefit of the models.Shapley additive explanation(SHAP)was used to explain and evaluate the effect of different clinical characteristics on the models.Results A total of 651 AHF patients were included,of whom 203 patients(31.2%)died or were readmitted during the vulnerable phase.ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC values of the LR,RF,DT,LGBM,XGBoost and NN model were 0.707,0.756,0.616,0.677,0.768 and 0.681,respectively.The XGBoost model had the highest AUC value.DCA showed that the XGBoost model exhibited greater clinical net benefit compared with other models,with the best predictive performance.SHAP algorithm analysis showed that the clinical features that had the greatest impact on the output of the model were serum uric acid,D-dimer,mean arterial pressure,B-type natriuretic peptide,left atrial diameter,body mass index,and New York Heart Association(NYHA)classification.Conclusion The XGBoost model has the best predictive performance in predicting the risk of death or readmission of AHF patients during the vulnerable phase.

Objective: To investigate the inhibitory effect of curcumin(Cur) on IL-1β-induced cartilage damage and to study the relationship between the regulatory mechanisms of the DUSP1/p38 MAPK signalling pathway in the above process. Methods: Chondrocytes(C28/I2) and postoperative primary chondrocytes from osteoarthritis patients were divided into control and experimental groups, and the experimental group was treated with different concentrations of Cur(0, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80 μmol/L) after applying the inflammatory induction treatment with IL-1β(10 μg/L). The cell proliferation inhibition rate was determined by cell viability assay(CCK-8), the apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry assay. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR), Western blot, and immunofluorescence assay were used to detect type II collagen α1 chain(Collagen Ⅱ), matrix metallopeptidase 13(MMP13), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), BCL2-related X protein(Bax), B lymphocytoma-2(Bcl-2), dual-specificity phosphatase 1(DUSP1), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(p38), and phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(p-p38) RNA and protein expression levels. The role of the DUSP1/p38 MAPK axis in the inhibition of chondrocyte oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation by Cur was further validated using DUSP1 interfering RNA and p38 MAPK pathway inhibitor(SB). Results: Cur significantly inhibited the IL-1β-induced decrease in chondrocyte viability and significantly reduced the levels of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation in chondrocytes; Cur inhibited the expression of MMP13, IL-1β, Bax, and p-p38 proteins, while the expression of Collagen II, Bcl-2, and DUSP1 proteins significantly increased; IL-1β and interfering RNA silencing DUSP1 activated the p38 pathway, while Cur inhibited the activation of the p38 pathway; the use of p38 MAPK pathway inhibitors reduced cellular inflammation. Conclusion Cur attenuates IL-1β-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation in chondrocytes by promoting the expression of DUSP1 protein and inhibiting the activation of p38 MAPK pathway.

Background Exposures to environmental pollution and specific occupational hazards exacerbate pulmonary fibrosis which has a complex pathogenesis and lacks effective therapeutic drugs. The extract from Dracocephalum moldavica L. can alleviate pulmonary fibrosis through anti-inflammatory and anti-pyroptosis pathways, but its mechanism of prevention and treatment for pulmonary fibrosis remains unclear. Objective To elucidate the targets and potential mechanism underlying the anti-pulmonary fibrosis efficacy of Dracocephalum moldavica L. extract by employing an amalgamation of network pharmacology and empirical verification. Methods The chemical composition of the extract of Dracocephalum moldavica L. was retrieved with the help of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). The disease targets related to pulmonary fibrosis were inquired using Gene Cards and DisGeNET. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) was constructed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) database and Cytoscape software. The predicted potential targets were analyzed by the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses through the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) and validated by molecular docking. Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a low-dose group of Dracocephalum moldavica L. extract (100 mg·kg⁻¹), and a high-dose group of Dracocephalum moldavica L. extract (400 mg·kg⁻¹), with eight rats in each group. A rat model of pulmonary fibrosis was constructed using bleomycin (5 mg·kg⁻¹) intratracheal instillation, and an equal volume of saline was instilled into the control group. After modelling, 400 and 100 mg·kg⁻¹ of Dracocephalum moldavica L. extract were given the high-dose and low-dose groups by gavage, and an equal volume of saline was given by gavage to the control group and the model group, once per day, for consecutive 28 d. The animals were then neutralized, and lung tissues were collected. Structural changes in rat lung tissue were evaluated by observing stained pathological sections. Western blot (WB) was used to detect fibrosis-related proteins type I collagen (Col-I), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT) in lung tissues. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect α-SMA and Col-I mRNA levels in lung tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in rats. Results A total of 378 key chemical components of the Dracocephalum moldavica L. extract and 1611 lung fibrosis-related targets were identified. Among them, 574 potential targets of Dracocephalum moldavica L. extract acting on lung fibrosis were obtained. The key targets determined by Degree value were albumin (ALB), tumour necrosis factor (TNF), AKT1, etc. The results of KEGG analysis suggested that the potential targets of Dracocephalum moldavica L. extract against pulmonary fibrosis mainly involved the PI3K-AKT, HIF-1 signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway. The molecular docking results showed that the binding energy between the active components (quercetin, apigenin, aesculetin, quercitrin) of Dracocephalum moldavica L. extract and the core targets of pulmonary fibrosis (TNF, IL-6, ALB, AKT1) were all <-29.288 kJ·mol⁻¹, indicating good binding ability. The animal validation results showed that compared with the control group, the rats in the model group had disrupted alveolar structure, obvious inflammatory cell infiltration, positive blue-striped collagen fibre deposition, and increased Col-I and α-SMA protein expression and transcription levels (P<0.001), p-PI3K and p-AKT expression levels (P<0.001), and levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β (P<0.001). Compared with the model group, the high- and low-dose groups of Dracocephalum moldavica L. extract alleviated the progression of pulmonary fibrosis, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, and attenuated collagen fibre deposition in rats, with a decrease in the protein expression and transcription levels of Col-I and α-SMA (P<0.01), the expression levels of p-PI3K and p-AKT (P<0.001), and the levels of inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α (P<0.05, P<0.001). Conclusion Dracocephalum moldavica L. extract manifests anti-pulmonary fibrotic properties through the modulation of the PI3K-AKT signaling cascade and the suppression of inflammatory reactions.

Objective:To construct a prediction model for the emergency volume of the psychiatric hospital, and analyze the changes of psychiatric emergency visits, so as to provide references for optimizing the allocation of emergency service resources.Methods:This study extracted data of the visit time of emergency patients, etc from the information system of a certain psychiatric hospital from 2018 to 2023. The monthly emergency visits (emergency volume) from 2018 to 2022 were used to construct the autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA), and the monthly emergency volume from 2023 was used to validate the predictive performance of the model.Results:After model construction and screening, seasonal ARIMA (0, 1, 0) (1, 1, 1) 12 was determined as the optimal model. The predicted values of the model were in good agreement with the actual values, with an average relative error fluctuation of 1.6% to 26.8% and an average absolute error fluctuation of 9 to 159 person-time. Conclusions:The seasonal ARIMA model could accurately predict the emergency volume of a certain psychiatric hospital and provide references for human resource allocation and emergency response. However, this prediction model was suitable for short-term forecasting. If long-term forecasting was needed, continuous data fitting was necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the prediction.

Objective:To construct a novel dual-specific antibody targeting human CD123 (CD123 DuAb) and study its effects in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) .Methods:Based on the variable region of the CD123 monoclonal antibody independently developed at our institution, the CD123 DuAb expression plasmid was constructed by molecular cloning and transfected into ExpiCHO-S cells to prepare the antibody protein. Through a series of in vitro experiments, its activation and proliferation effect on T cells, as well as the effect of promoting T-cell killing of AML cells, were verified.Results:① A novel CD123 DuAb plasmid targeting CD123 was successfully constructed and expressed in the Expi-CHO eukaryotic system. ②The CD123 DuAb could bind both CD3 on T cells and CD123 on CD123 + tumor cells. ③When T cells were co-cultured with MV4-11 cells with addition of the CD123 DuAb at a concentration of 1 nmol/L, the positive expression rates of CD69 and CD25 on T cells were 68.0% and 44.3%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of the control group ( P<0.05). ④Co-culture with CD123 DuAb at 1 nmol/L promoted T-cell proliferation, and the absolute T-cell count increased from 5×10 5/ml to 3.2×10 6/ml on day 9, and CFSE fluorescence intensity decreased significantly. ⑤ With the increase in CD123 DuAb concentration in the culture system, T-cell exhaustion and apoptosis increased. When the CD123 DuAb was added at a concentration of 1 nmol/L to the culture system, the proportion of CD8 + PD-1 + LAG-3 + T cells was 10.90%, and the proportion of propidium iodide (PI) - Annexin Ⅴ + T cells and PI + Annexin Ⅴ + T cells was 18.27% and 11.43%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05). ⑥ The CD123 DuAb significantly activated T cells, and the activation intensity was positively correlated with its concentration. The expression rate of CD107a on T cells reached 16.05% with 1 nmol/L CD123 DuAb, which was significantly higher than that of the control group ( P<0.05). ⑦The CD123 DuAb promoted cytokine secretion by T cells at a concentration of 1 nmol/L, and the concentration of IFN-γ and TNF-α in the supernatant of the co-culture system reached 193.8 pg/ml and 169.8 pg/ml, respectively, which was significantly higher than that of the control group ( P<0.05). ⑧When CD123 DuAb was added at a concentration of 1 nmol/L to the co-culture system of T cells and CD123 + tumor cells, the killing intensity of T cells significantly increased, and the residual rates of CD123 + MV4-11 cells, CD123 + Molm13 cells, and CD123 + THP-1 cells were 7.4%, 6.7%, and 14.6% on day 3, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:In this study, a novel CD123 DuAb was constructed and expressed. In vitro experiments verified that the DuAb binds to CD123 + tumor cells and T cells simultaneously, promotes T-cell activation and proliferation, and facilitates their anti-leukemia effect, which provides a basis for further clinical research.

This paper aims to discuss the ideas and experience about the radiology residency training system of Canada with a presentation of its base accreditation standards for five aspects, competency goals for seven roles, four stages of training arrangement, and two types of final assessment questions. Although the Canada's radiology residency program differs from China's standardized resident and specialist training programs for radiology, there are still several points that are worth referencing, including emphasizing the training priority of competency goals, providing a specific basis for the stratification of training, offering clear guidance for the implementation of training content, and improving assessment methods to focus on competency goals. These points are of great value for improving the standardized radiology resident and specialist training programs in China, so as to provide a reference for the training of excellent radiologists in China.