ObjectiveAs the central hub of the classical visual pathway, the primary visual cortex not only encodes and processes visual information but also establishes dense neural circuit connections with higher-order cognitive brain regions. Numerous studies have shown that 40 Hz flicker stimulation can induce γ oscillations in the brain and significantly improve learning and cognitive impairments in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, flickering light phenomena naturally occur in daily environments. Given that the primary visual cortex serves as the brain’s first cortical hub for receiving visual input, it is essential to comprehensively understand how non-invasive light flicker stimulation modulates its information processing mechanisms. This study systematically investigates the effects of non-invasive light flicker stimulation at different frequencies on the functional properties of neurons in the primary visual cortex of adult mice, aiming to uncover how such stimulation modulates this region and, consequently, affects overall brain function. MethodsThree groups of adult mice (approximately 12 weeks old) were exposed to light flicker stimulation at frequencies of 20 Hz, 40 Hz, and 60 Hz, respectively, for a duration of two months. A control group was exposed to the same light intensity without flickering. Following the stimulation period, in vivo multi-channel electrophysiological recordings were conducted. During these recordings, anesthetized mice were presented with various types of moving sinusoidal light gratings to assess the effects of different flicker frequencies on the functional properties of neurons in the primary visual cortex. ResultsThe experimental results demonstrate that two months of light flicker stimulation at 20 Hz, 40 Hz, and 60 Hz enhances the orientation tuning capabilities of neurons in the primary visual cortex. Specifically, 40 Hz and 60 Hz stimulation improved contrast sensitivity, whereas 20 Hz had no significant effect. Further analysis revealed that all three frequencies reduced neuronal response variability (as measured by the Fano factor), increased the signal-to-noise ratio, and decreased noise correlation (r_sc) between neurons. ConclusionNon-invasive light flicker stimulation enhances orientation tuning (e.g., orientation bias index) and contrast sensitivity (e.g., contrast threshold and C₅₀) in neurons of the primary visual cortex. This enhancement is likely due to improved information processing efficiency, characterized by reduced neuronal variability and increased signal-to-noise ratio. These findings suggest that the primary visual cortex can achieve precise and efficient information encoding in complex lighting environments by selectively adapting to different flicker frequencies and optimizing receptive field properties. This study provides new experimental evidence on how various types of light flicker influence visual perception and offers insights into the mechanisms through which specific frequencies enhance brain function.

The study aims to elucidate the existence forms(original constituents and metabolites) of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma in rats and reveal its metabolic pathways. After Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma was administered orally once a day for seven consecutive days to rats, all urine and feces samples were collected for seven days, while the blood samples were obtained 6 h after the last administration. Using the ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) technique, this study identified 6, 73, and 156 existence forms of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma in the rat plasma, urine, and feces samples, respectively. Among them, 101 compounds were identified as new existence forms, and 13 original constituents were identified by comparing with reference compounds. The metabolic reactions of constituents from Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma were mainly deglycosylation, dehydration, hydroxylation, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, acetylation, and amino acid conjugation. Furthermore, the possible in vivo metabolic pathways of protopanaxatriol(PPT) in rats were proposed. Through comprehensive analysis of the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS) data, isomeric compounds were discriminated, and the planar chemical structures of 32 metabolites were clearly identified. According to the literature, 48 original constituents possess antitumor and cardiovascular protective bioactivities. Additionally, 32 metabolites were predicted to have similar bioactivities by SuperPred. This research lays the foundation for further exploring the in vivo effective forms of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma.
Animals ; Rats ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacokinetics* ; Rhizome/metabolism* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Panax notoginseng/chemistry* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Feces/chemistry*

Hemorrhagic shock is a common clinical emergency that can aggravate cell injury after resuscitation. Astrocytes are crucial for the survival of neurons because they regulate the surrounding ionic microenvironment of neurons. Although hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HSR) injury can impair cognition, it remains unclear how this insult directly affects astrocytes. In this study, we established an HSR model by bleeding and re-transfusion in mice. The social interaction test and new object recognition test were applied to evaluate post-operative cognitive changes, and the results suggest that mice experience cognitive impairment following exposure to HSR. In the HSR group, the power spectral density of β and γ oscillations decreased, and the coupling of the θ oscillation phase and γ oscillation amplitude was abnormal, which indicated abnormal neuronal oscillation and cognitive impairment after HSR exposure. In brief, cognitive impairment in mice is strongly correlated with Ca²⁺ signal strength in lateral septum astrocytes following HSR.
Animals ; Astrocytes/metabolism* ; Shock, Hemorrhagic/metabolism* ; Resuscitation/adverse effects* ; Male ; Mice ; Calcium Signaling/physiology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Septal Nuclei/metabolism* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Cognition Disorders/etiology*

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) expresses abundant glycolytic enzymes and displays comprehensive glucose metabolism reprogramming. Aldolase A (ALDOA) plays a prominent role in glycolysis; however, little is known about its role in HCC development. In the present study, we aim to explore how ALDOA is involved in HCC proliferation. HCC proliferation was markedly suppressed both in vitro and in vivo following ALDOA knockout, which is consistent with ALDOA overexpression encouraging HCC proliferation. Mechanistically, ALDOA knockout partially limits the glycolytic flux in HCC cells. Meanwhile, ALDOA translocated to nuclei and directly interacted with c-Jun to facilitate its Thr93 phosphorylation by P21-activated protein kinase; ALDOA knockout markedly diminished c-Jun Thr93 phosphorylation and then dampened c-Jun transcription function. A crucial site Y364 mutation in ALDOA disrupted its interaction with c-Jun, and Y364S ALDOA expression failed to rescue cell proliferation in ALDOA deletion cells. In HCC patients, the expression level of ALDOA was correlated with the phosphorylation level of c-Jun (Thr93) and poor prognosis. Remarkably, hepatic ALDOA was significantly upregulated in the promotion and progression stages of diethylnitrosamine-induced HCC models, and the knockdown of A ldoa strikingly decreased HCC development in vivo. Our study demonstrated that ALDOA is a vital driver for HCC development by activating c-Jun-mediated oncogene transcription, opening additional avenues for anti-cancer therapies.

Objective:To construct a prognostic predictive model for patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI) based on regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO 2) and transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) monitoring parameters and validate its effectiveness. Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 161 patients with msTBI who were treated at Henan Provincial People′s Hospital from January 2021 to December 2022, including 104 males and 57 females, aged 19-76 years [(53.1±12.8)years]. Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score was 3-12 points [(7.0±1.9)points]. Both rScO 2 and TCD monitoring were performed. Based on the results of prognostic evaluation of patients with the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score at 90 days after discharge, the patients were divided into good prognosis group (mRS score≤3 points, n=88) and poor prognosis group (mRS score of 4-6 points, n=73). The following data of the two groups were collected: the general data, clinical data, rScO 2 monitoring parameters and TCD monitoring parameters. Univariate analysis was employed to compare the differences in the relevant prognostic indicators. Multivariate Logistic stepwise regression analysis was conducted to determine the predictors of poor prognostic outcomes in msTBI patients and regression equations were constructed. A nomogram predictive model based on regression equations was drawn with R language. The discriminability of the model was evaluated by drawing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, to calculate the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and Jordan index of the model, and measuring the consistency index (C index). Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) goodness of fit test was conducted to evaluate the fit of the model, and the calibration curve was used to evaluate the calibration degree of the model. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was employed to evaluate the clinical benefit and applicability of the model. Results:There were significant differences between the two groups in the clinical data (cerebral hernia formation, GCS on admission, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score on admission, Rotterdam CT score on admission, oxygenation index on admission, mean arterial pressure on admission), rScO 2 monitoring parameters (mean rScO 2, maximum rScO 2, rScO 2 variability), TCD monitoring parameters [peak systolic blood flow velocity (Vs), average blood flow velocity (Vm), pulse index (PI)] ( P<0.05 or 0.01). The results of multivariate Logistic stepwise regression analysis showed that cerebral hernia formation ( OR=9.28, 95% CI 3.40, 25.33, P<0.01), Rotterdam CT score on admission ( OR=1.92, 95% CI 1.32, 2.78, P<0.01), rScO 2 variability ( OR=4.66, 95% CI 1.74, 12.43, P<0.01), Vs ( OR=0.66, 95% CI 0.61, 0.75, P<0.01) and PI ( OR=20.07, 95% CI 4.17, 16.50, P<0.01) were predictive factors for poor prognosis in patients with msTBI. The regression equation was constructed with the forementioned 5 variables: Logit [ P/(1- P)]=2.23×"brain hernia formation"+0.65×"Rotterdam CT score on admission"+1.54×"rScO 2 variability"-0.42×"Vs"+3.00×"PI"-6.75. The AUC of prognostic predictive model of msTBI patients was 0.90 (95% CI 0.85, 0.95), with the sensitivity and specificity of 86.3% and 78.4%, Youden index of 0.65 and C index of 0.90. H-L goodness of fit test showed that the calibration degree of the predictive model was accurate ( χ2 =12.58, P>0.05). The average absolute error of the calibration curve was 0.025, showing that the calibration of the model was good. DCA results showed that this model had higher net return rate than the reference model within the probability range of risk threshold (20%-100%), with good clinical application value in evaluating the risk of poor prognosis of msTBI patients. Conclusion:The model constructed based on the combination of rScO 2 and TCD monitoring parameters (rScO 2 variability, Vs and PI) with multiple clinical indicators (cerebral hernia formation and Rotterdam CT score on admission) has good predictive performance for the prognosis of msTBI.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of overexpressing 70-kD heat shock pro-teins(Hsp70)on glycolysis in C2C12 cells during myogenesis and adipogenesis.Using C2C12 cells as the research material,adenovirus was used to overexpress the Hsp70 gene,and changes in the expression of glycolytic genes were detected using fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blotting techniques.The study indicated that during C2C12 cell myogenic differentiation,the expression trend of the Hsp70 gene was consistent with that of Gsk3β,Pkm,Prkag3,Pfkm,and Hk-2 genes,suggesting a relationship between Hsp70 and the glycolytic pathway during myogenic differentiation.Overexpression of Hsp70 in the later stages of myogenic differentiation significantly upregulated the expression of Gsk3β,Pkm,Prk-ag3,and Pfkm genes(P＜0.05),with no significant impact on Hk-2 gene expression(P＞0.05).Dur-ing C2C12 cell adipogenic induction,the expression trend of the Hsp70 gene was similar to that of Gsk3β,Pkm,Prkag3,Pfkm,and Hk-2 genes,indicating a relationship between Hsp70 and the glycolytic path-way during adipogenic induction.Following Hsp70 overexpression,in the later stages of adipogenic in-duction,the number of lipid droplets was significantly higher compared to the control group,with a sig-nificant upregulation of Gsk3β,Pkm,Prkag3,and Pfkm gene expression(P＜0.05),while Hk-2 gene expression was not significantly affected(P＞0.05).In conclusion,Hsp70 in C2C12 cells in myogenic and adipogenic states promoted the breakdown of glycogen into 6-phospho-glucose,thereby enhancing the glycolytic pathway,providing insights into the functional role of the Hsp70 gene in glycolysis in C2C12 cells.

Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC)is the most common inflammatory intestinal disease in preterm infants,with a high incidence and mortality rate.The etiology and mechanisms of NEC are not yet fully understood,and multiple factors contribute to its occurrence and development.Recent studies have found that anemia is a risk factor for NEC in neonates,but the specific pathogenic mechanism remains unclear.This article reviews recent research on the relationship between anemia and NEC,providing a reference for further understanding the impact of anemia on intestinal injury and its association with NEC.

Objective To investigate the correlation between the expression of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)and chitosanase 3-like protein 1(CHI3L1)in colon cancer tissue and the prognosis of patients after radical surgery.Methods A total of 152 patients who underwent radical colon cancer surgery in our hospital from January 2017 to May 2018 were collected and divided into the good prognosis group(n=97)and the poor prognosis group(n=47)according to the 5-year survival status after surgery.Immunohistochemical staining was applied to detect the expression levels of TLR4 and CHI3L1 in colon cancer tissues and adjacent tissues;the correlation between the expression of TLR4 and CHI3L1 in colon cancer tissue and the prognosis of patients was analyzed,and the influencing factors for prognosis of colon cancer patients were analyzed.Results The positive expression rates of TLR4 and CHI3L1 in colon cancer tissues were obviously higher than those in adjacent tissues(P<0.05).The expression of TLR4 in colon cancer tissue was related to the degree of tumor differentiation,clinical staging,and lymph node metastasis of colon cancer patients(P<0.05),the expression of CHI3L1 was related to the tumor diameter,degree of tumor differentiation,clinical staging,and lymph node metastasis of colon cancer patients(P<0.05).Compared with the good prognosis group,the poor prognosis group had higher proportions of patients with poorly differentiated tumor,clinical stageⅢ,lymph node metastasis,and positive expression of TLR4 and CHI3L1(P<0.05).The 5-year survival rate of patient with TLR4 positive expression was 60.38%,which was lower than that of 86.84% of patients with TLR4 negative expression(χ2=9.104,P<0.05);the 5-year survival rate of patients with CHI3L1 positive expression was 58.06%,which was lower than that of 84.31% of patients with CHI3L1 negative expression(χ2=10.935,P<0.05).The positive expression of TLR4 and CHI3L1,poorly differentiated tumor,clinical stage Ⅲ,and lymph node metastasis were the independent risk factors for the prognosis of colon cancer patients(P<0.05).Conclusion TLR4 and CHI3L1 are related to the occurrence and clinicopathological features of colon cancer,and the positive expression of TLR4 and CHI3L1 in colon cancer tissues is not conducive to the prognosis of patients,so both of them are expected to become clinical treatment targets.

Atrial fibrillation(AF)is one of the most common arrhythmias in clinical practice,accounting for about 1/3 of all hospitalized arrhythmic patients.With the increasing morbidity of AF and aggravation of aging of popula-tion,the number of AF patients will increase year by year.Long-term AF can cause a series of adverse clinical consequences such as stroke and heart failure,among which apoplexy is the most important cause of death and disa-bility of AF,while stroke is the most common manifestation of it.Therefore,the prevention of stroke in AF pa-tients through anticoagulation therapy has become the core strategy of AF treatment.In China,a considerable number of AF patients have not received effective anticoagulant therapy,which seriously affects the prognosis and normal life of AF patients.At present,there are many kinds of anticoagulant drugs.This article reviews the re-search progress of anticoagulant drugs.