Objective: To explore the longitudinal associations between dietary macronutrients and lung function in schoolaged children, so as to provide the nutritional research evidence for promoting children s lung health. Methods: In November 2021, two primary schools located in Chengdu, Sichuan Province were selected from the Southwest China Childhood Nutrition and Growth (SCCNG) cohort by a stratified cluster random sampling method, enrolling a total of 1 112 school aged children aged 8 to 13 years. At baseline, the dietary and sociodemographic characteristics of the children were assessed. One year later, the forced vital capacity (FVC) of the children was measured and converted into Z scores (FVC- Z ), while the vital capacity index (VCI) was also calculated. Generalized linear regression analysis was employed to examine the associations between dietary macronutrients and lung function, considering interactions with gender and age, followed by stratified analysis. Results: After adjusting for confounding factors, the analysis results of the generalized linear regression model showed that the carbohydrate energy ratio was negatively correlated with FVC- Z ( β =-0.02) and VCI ( β =-0.16), while the fat energy ratio showed a positive correlation with FVC- Z ( β =0.03) and VCI ( β =0.23) ( P <0.05). The protein energy ratio was positively correlated with FVC- Z ( β =0.09) and VCI ( β =0.60) specifically in girls ( P <0.05). Additionally, there was an interaction effect of age on the associations between macronutrients and lung function ( P <0.01); in children aged 8-9 and 10-11, the carbohydrate energy supply ratio was negatively correlated with FVC- Z ( β =-0.04, -0.03) and VCI ( β =-0.29, -0.21), and fat energy supply ratio was positively correlated with FVC- Z ( β =0.07, 0.05) and VCI ( β =0.46, 0.32) ( P <0.05). Conclusions There are age and sex differences in the association of dietary macronutrients with lung function, with a low carbohydrate, high fat diet promoting lung function in children. Additionally, protein intake appears to have a positive influence on the lung function of girls. The early school age period may represent a critical window for dietary interventions aimed at promoting lung health.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of Huoxue Shufeng Granules (HXSFG) for alleviating central sensitization in a mouse model of chronic migraine (CM). METHODS: We analyzed the main chemical components of HXSFG through literature review and explored their pharmacological mechanisms by bioinformatics analyses. In a male C57BL/6J mouse model of CM established by intraperitoneal injections of nitroglycerin (10 mg/kg) every other day (5 injections), the effects of gavage with low, and high doses of HXSFG or intraperitoneal injections of topiramate for ameliorating central sensitization were evaluated using Von Frey test and a hot plate apparatus; the changes in expressions of inflammatory factors, the proteins in the TLR4/NF‑κB signaling pathway, and activation of c-Fos and CGRP were detected using RT-qPCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: Network pharmacology analysis suggested that the main active components in HXSFG for alleviating CM included formononetin, paeoniflorin, quercetin, and tanshinone. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis identified 492 GO entries, comprising 366 biological processes, 46 cellular components, and 80 molecular functions. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the Toll-like receptor and NF‑κB signaling pathways were crucial in mediating the therapeutic effects of HXSFG on CM. In the mouse models of CM, both topiramate and HXSFG treatments alleviated the symptoms of central sensitization, evidenced by improved mechanical and thermal pain thresholds in the mice. HXSFG significantly reduced the expression of c-Fos and CGRP, improved inflammatory markers, and downregulated the expressions of TLR4, p-NF‑κB, IL-1β, and TNF‑α proteins in the mouse models. CONCLUSIONS HXSFG effectively alleviates central sensitization in CM mice by modulating the inflammatory pathways and inhibiting the TLR4/ NF-κB signaling pathway, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic option for CM.
Animals ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Migraine Disorders/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Inflammation

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the mechanisms of Modified Chaihu Guizhi Decoction (MCGD) for ameliorating anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in a mouse model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). METHODS: The main chemical constituents of MCGD were identified through literature review, and network pharmacology analysis was performed to predict the potential pharmacological mechanisms of MCGD. For in vivo validation, male C57BL/6J mice were randomized into control group, CUMS model group, fluoxetine (FLX) treatment group, and low- and high-dose MCGD treatment groups (n=15), and in all but the control group, CUMS models were established by daily exposure to two randomized stressors for 28 consecutive days. Starting from 3 days prior to modeling, MCGD and fluoxetine treatments were administered daily via gavage and intraperitoneal injection, respectively. Depression- and anxiety-like behaviors of the mice were assessed using sucrose preference test, forced swim test, open field test and elevated plus maze test. The changes in mRNA expressions of the clock genes and inflammatory markers and expressions of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling proteins were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining was used to detect microglia activation in the mice. RESULTS: The key active compounds in MCGD identified by network pharmacology analysis included quercetin, acacetin, formononetin, nobiletin, and baicalein. GO analysis identified 607 enriched pathways, and KEGG pathway enrichment revealed significant involvement of the JAK2/STAT3 and NF-κB signaling pathways. In the mouse models of CUMS, treatment with both fluoxetine and MCGD significantly alleviated anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. MCGD treatment significantly reduced Iba1 expression, improved the inflammatory markers, reversed the decrease in clock gene circadian rhythm amplitude, and obviously downregulated the expressions of JAK2, p-STAT3, p-NF-κB, IL-1β, and IL-6 proteins. CONCLUSIONS MCGD effectively alleviates anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in CUMS mice by modulating the inflammatory pathways and inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Janus Kinase 2/metabolism* ; STAT3 Transcription Factor/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Depression/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Mice ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Anxiety/drug therapy* ; Stress, Psychological ; Disease Models, Animal

The prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents in China is rising at an alarming rate,with projections indicating that the national obesity rate will reach 15.1%by 2030.This trend not only affects physical development during childhood and adolescence but also has long-term implications for adult health outcomes.In response,the Chinese government has prioritized improving nutrition and preventing chronic diseases among children and adolescents.Facing this public health challenge,governments at all levels have implemented measures such as disseminating knowledge and skills for preventing overweight and obesity and improving sports facilities to foster a supportive environment conducive to the prevention of overweight and obesity.Schools contribute by improving food offerings and ensuring adequate time for physical activity when children attend school.Families play a critical role,with parents and caregivers guiding children toward healthy eating habits and monitoring their growth and weight.Children and adolescents are encouraged to adopt balanced diets,actively participate in physical exercise,and maintain psychological well-being to develop a positive and healthy mindset that supports their growth and long-term health.Despite these efforts,challenges persist,including unequal access to health resources and increasingly obesogenic environments.Future efforts should focus on utilizing digital technologies to develop precision intervention instruments and on formulating integrated strategies that engage society,schools,families,and individuals through policy guidance.Such comprehensive approaches aim to reduce the risks of obesity and its complications,enhance physical and mental health,and reduce healthcare and socioeconomic burdens.

Objective: To explore the differences in the gut microbiota of primary school students with different levels of sugar sweetened beverage intake, so as to provide scientific evidence for better identification of health risks in children and the development of targeted health policies. Methods: In June 2022, a total of 192 healthy primary school students from Chengdu were selected using a stratified cluster random sampling method. The sugar sweetened beverage intake was assessed through a dietary frequency questionnaire. Based on the median daily sugar sweetened beverage intake, primary school students were categorized into a low intake group ( n =96) and a high intake group ( n =96). The gut microbiota in fresh fecal samples from the two groups of primary school students was analyzed using 16S rRNA high throughput sequencing, and the diversity and community structure differences in the gut microbiota were compared. Results: Children in the low intake group had a sugar sweetened beverage intake of (21.3±1.6) mL/d, while the high intake group had an intake of (269.6±37.3) mL/d. Diversity analysis results showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the low intake and the high intake group in terms of α diversity metrics: Observed_otus index [298.50 (259.75, 342.25), 305.50 (244.25, 367.75)], Goods_coverage index [1.00 (1.00, 1.00), 1.00 (1.00, 1.00)], Chao index [304.18 (260.75, 348.78), 305.88 (245.68, 370.88)], Shannon index [5.88 (5.29, 6.45), 5.71 (4.89, 6.28)] and Simpson index [0.95 (0.91, 0.97), 0.94 (0.88, 0.97)] ( Z =-0.64, -0.76, -0.54, -1.76, -1.67, P >0.05). Furthermore, no statistically significant difference was observed in β diversity between the two groups ( R 2=0.006, P >0.05). At the genus level, the abundance of Blautia [0.033 (0.018, 0.055)] and Fusicatenibacter [0.009 (0.005, 0.015)] were higher in the low intake group compared to the high intake group [0.024 (0.013, 0.041),0.006 (0.003, 0.011)]and differences were statistically significant ( Z =-2.52, -2.81, P <0.05). LEfSe analysis highlighted intergroup differences primarily in Blautia, Fusicatenibacter and Sarcina( LDA= 3.56,3.12,3.53, P <0.05). Conclusions There is no significant difference in the diversity and overall structure of the gut microbiota in primary school students with different levels of sugar sweetened beverage intake. However, there are species variations at the genus level. The information can serve as a scientific basis for identifying health risks in primary school students and formulating targeted health strategies.

Blinding is an important method to control the measure bias in clinical trials.As a complex and invasive intervention,acupuncture has more difficulty in blinding implementation compared to drugs and has a higher risk of unblinding breakage.This article provides an overview of the blinding in acupuncture clinical study and summarized the key aspects,including:there is no standard for the application and reporting of sham acupuncture design and blinding measures,appropriate sham acupuncture devices still need to be developed,currently there are no effective methods of operator blinding,blinding assessment has not been given due attention,sham acupuncture design should be standardized and reported.Researchers should conduct further studies to address critical questions and challenges to provide methodological support to improve and promote the quality of acupuncture clinical research.

Objective To explore the predictive value of serum homo sapiens microRNA(hsa-miR)-30c-5p expression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)for microvascular complications.Methods A total of 205 T2DM patients admitted to Bazhong Central Hospital from May 2021 to September 2022 were selected as the diabetes group,and the diabetes group was further divided into diabetes with combined group(n=124)and non combined group(n=81)according to the microvascular complications of the patients.In addition,205 healthy people who underwent physical examination during the same period were selected as the control group.The expression of hsa-miR-30c-5p in serum was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)and compared.The factors affecting microvascular complications were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to predict the value of serum hsa-miR-30c-5p expression in predicting microvascular complications in T2DM patients.Results The expression of serum hsa-miR-30c-5p in the combined group(0.58±0.06)and the non-combined group(0.72±0.08)were lower than that in the control group(0.89±0.21),and the differences were significant(t=16.038,7.079,all P=0.001).The combined group was lower than the non-combined group,and the difference was significant(t=14.289,P=0.001).The course of diabetes[(OR(95％CI):3.873(2.976～4.770)],uric acid[(OR(95％CI):2.125(1.211～3.040)]and glycosylated hemoglobin[(OR(95％CI):2.680(1.745～3.616)]were independent risk factors for microvascular complications in T2DM patients(all P＜0.05),while the time within the target range of glucose[(OR(95％CI):0.491(0.135～0.846)]and serum hsa-miR-30c-5p[(OR(95％CI):0.532(2.976～4.770)]were protective factors for microvascular complications in T2DM patients(all P＜0.05).The sensitivity,specificity and area under the curve(95％CI)of serum hsa-mir-30c-5p expression in predicting microvascular complications in T2DM patients were 81.45％,85.19％and 0.802(0.741～0.854),respectively.Conclusion The expression of serum hsa-miR-30c-5p in patients with T2DM is abnormally reduced,and serum hsa-miR-30c-5p is a protective factor for microvascular complications in patients with T2DM.It may have a certain predictive value for microvascular complications in patients with T2DM.

Objective To study the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Ski protein overexpression on writing in mice induced by acetic acid.Methods Eight-week-old male ICR mice were administered 0.7%acetic acid solution(0.1 mL/10 g)to induce a writhing reaction.The mice were divided into sham,acetic acid,acetic acid+ibuprofen,acetic acid+ad-EGFP,acetic acid+ad-ski-1,acetic acid+ad-ski-2,and acetic acid+sulfasalazine groups(n=10 mice per group).The time to the first appearance of twisting and the number of twists within 15 min were recorded.Small intestine tissues were removed to identify the effect of adenovirus transfection and to detect protein expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors and pain biomarkers and protein expression of nuclear factor(NF)-κB p65 and its binding with Ski protein.Results Ski protein was successfully overexpressed in small intestine after intraperitoneal injection of Ad-ski adenovirus.Overexpressed Ski protein delayed the start and decreased the frequency of writhing,comparable to ibuprofen(P＞0.05).Groups in which ski protein was overexpressed showed significantly inhibited protein expression of pro-inflammatory factors and pain biomarkers compared with the acetic acid group(P＜0.05).Moreover,NF-κB p65 formed complexes with Ski.Conclusions Overexpression of Ski protein has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects on acetic acid-induced inflammatory pain by inhibiting the expression of inflammatory factors and pain biomarkers,via regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value Tamm-Horsfall protein(THP)and osteopontin(OPN)in serum and 24-hour urine for urolithiasis.Methods A total of 101 patients with urolithiasis who underwent flexible ureteroscopy lithotripsy at the Urology Department of Civil Aviation General Hospital from April 2020 to March 2023 were included as the stone group,and 50 healthy individuals were enrolled as the control group.The samples of serum and 24-hour urine samples were collected from both the groups,and the levels of THP and OPN were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between each biomarker and urolithiasis,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to assess their diagnostic value.Results The stone group showed significantly lower THP levels(20.13[13.12,26.03]mg/d)and OPN levels(51.24[36.72,101.37]μg/d)in 24-hour urine,and THP levels(182.01[160.91,209.20]ng/mL)and OPN lev-els(18.76[15.72,22.48]ng/mL)in serum compared to the control group(all the P＜0.001).Binary Logistic regression analysis re-vealed that THP(OR=0.736,95％CI:0.606-0.895),OPN(OR=0.975,95％CI:0.958-0.993)and citrate(OR=0.067,95％CI:0.012-0.376)in 24-hour urine,and THP(OR=0.946,95％CI:0.908-0.986)and OPN(OR=0.896,95％CI:0.803-0.999)in ser-um were the protective factors for urolithiasis,while calcium level(OR=2.125,95％CI:1.243-3.633)24-hour urine was a risk factor(all the P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve(AUCROC)for the individual diagnosis of urolithiasis were 0.846,0.809,0.786,0.823,0.748,and 0.755 for the above six biomarkers,respectively.The AUCROC for the combined diagnosis u-sing THP+OPN in serum,THP+OPN in 24-hour urine and all the six biomarkers were 0.882,0.920 and 0.984,respectively,indica-ting better diagnostic performance.Conclusion The combined detection of the THP and OPN levels in serum and 24-hour urine may have good diagnostic value for urolithiasis and serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers.

Objective To detect and analyze the expression levels of serum microRNA(miR)-455 and miR-383 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC),and to explore their clinical diagnostic value.Methods A total of 98 NSCLC patients in our hospital from March 2020 to January 2023 were regarded as the NSCLC group,98 patients with benign lung diseases admitted during the same period were regarded as the benign lung disease group,and another 98 healthy volunteers who underwent physical examination in our hospital during the same period were collected as the health group.Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)method was applied to detect the expression levels of miR-455 and miR-383 in serum.Pearson was applied to analyze the correlation between serum miR-455 expression level and miR-383 level in NSCLC patients;multivariate Logistic regression and ROC curve was applied to analyze the influencing factors and diagnostic value of NSCLC occurrence.Results The expression levels of miR-455 and miR-383 in the serum of the healthy group,benign lung disease group,and NSCLC group decreased sequentially.Pearson analysis showed there was a positive correlation between serum miR-455 expression level and miR-383 level in NSCLC patients(r=0.582,P＜0.05).Logistic analysis found that low expression levels of miR-455 and miR-383 were risk factors for the occurrence of NSCLC(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of NSCLC diagnosed by the combination of miR-455 and miR-383 was obviously higher than that diagnosed by miR-455 alone(Z=3.604,P=0.000)and miR-383 alone(Z=2.594,P=0.010).Conclusion The relative expression levels of miR-455 and miR-383 in serum of NSCLC patients are obviously down-regulated.The combined detection of the two has high diagnostic value for NSCLC.