ObjectiveMagnetoencephalography (MEG), a non-invasive neuroimaging technique, meticulously captures the magnetic fields emanating from brain electrical activity. Compared with MEG based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID), MEG based on optically pump magnetometer (OPM) has the advantages of higher sensitivity, better spatial resolution and lower cost. However, most of the current studies are clinical studies, and there is a lack of animal studies on MEG based on OPM technology. Pain, a multifaceted sensory and emotional phenomenon, induces intricate alterations in brain activity, exhibiting notable sex differences. Despite clinical revelations of pain-related neuronal activity through MEG, specific properties remain elusive, and comprehensive laboratory studies on pain-associated brain activity alterations are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inflammatory pain (induced by Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA)) on brain activity in a rat model using the MEG technique, to analysis changes in brain activity during pain perception, and to explore sex differences in pain-related MEG signaling. MethodsThis study utilized adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Inflammatory pain was induced via intraplantar injection of CFA (100 μl, 50% in saline) in the left hind paw, with control groups receiving saline. Pain behavior was assessed using von Frey filaments at baseline and 1 h post-injection. For MEG recording, anesthetized rats had an OPM positioned on their head within a magnetic shield, undergoing two 15-minute sessions: a 5-minute baseline followed by a 10-minute mechanical stimulation phase. Data analysis included artifact removal and time-frequency analysis of spontaneous brain activity using accumulated spectrograms, generating spectrograms focused on the 4-30 Hz frequency range. ResultsMEG recordings in anesthetized rats during resting states and hind paw mechanical stimulation were compared, before and after saline/CFA injections. Mechanical stimulation elevated alpha activity in both male and female rats pre- and post-saline/CFA injections. Saline/CFA injections augmented average power in both sexes compared to pre-injection states. Remarkably, female rats exhibited higher average spectral power 1 h after CFA injection than after saline injection during resting states. Furthermore, despite comparable pain thresholds measured by classical pain behavioral tests post-CFA treatment, female rats displayed higher average power than males in the resting state after CFA injection. ConclusionThese results imply an enhanced perception of inflammatory pain in female rats compared to their male counterparts. Our study exhibits sex differences in alpha activities following CFA injection, highlighting heightened brain alpha activity in female rats during acute inflammatory pain in the resting state. Our study provides a method for OPM-based MEG recordings to be used to study brain activity in anaesthetized animals. In addition, the findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of pain-related neural activity and pain sex differences.

Aim To investigate the effects of Cartham-us tinctorius L.extract(CTLE)on oxidative stress,lipid metabolism,and apoptosis levels of mice with al-cohol-induced liver injury and its mechanism of action.Methods The mouse model of alcohol-associated liver disease was established by chronic alcohol feeding and acute alcohol gavage.Mice were randomly divided into four groups.During the modeling period,the state changes of mice were observed every day,and their weight was recorded.At the end of modeling,blood and liver tissues were collected from each group of mice.The blood of mice was analyzed biochemically,and HE staining and Oil Red O staining were used to evaluate further the degree of pathological damage in the liver of mice.Quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR)and Western blot were applied to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of p-PI3K,PI3K,p-Akt,Akt,p-mTOR,mTOR,p-FoxO1,FoxO1,p-FoxO3a,FoxO3a,p-FoxO4,FoxO4,BCL and BAX factors.Results Compared to the model group,the CTLE administration group showed improved hepatic patho-logical injury and reduced lipid deposition.The bio-chemical indexes in serum and liver,such as ALT,AST,TG,TC,and MDA levels were reduced,while GSH and SOD levels increased.Regulating the PI3K/Akt/FoxO pathway resulted in increased production of SOD,which reduced damage and apoptosis caused by reactive oxygen species(ROS).Conclusions CTLE can exert anti-oxidative stress and anti-apoptotic effects through the PI3K/Akt/FoxO pathway and attenuates alcoholic liver injury in mice,providing new ideas for the treatment of alcoholic liver disease and the develop-ment of related drugs.

Aim To explore the effect of Danggui Shaoyao San on edema in rats with nephrotic syndrome and the underlying mechanism.Methods Rats were randomly divided into control group,model group,Danggui Shaoyao San group(17.2 g·kg-1·d-1),losartan group(30 mg·kg-1·d-1)and tolvaptan group(3 mg·kg-1·d-1).The rat model of nephrot-ic syndrome was established by tail vein injection of adriamycin.After four weeks of treatment,the levels of renal function and 24 h urinary protein were detected.The distribution of aquaporin 2(AQP2)and pS256-AQP2 in renal tissue was detected by immunohisto-chemistry.The levels of plasma arginine vasopressin(AVP)and angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ)were measured by radioimmunoassay.The expressions of renal AQP2,pS256-AQP2,angiotensin type 1 receptor(AT1R),arginine vasopressin receptor 2(V2R)protein and mRNA were measured by Western blot and RT-PCR,respectively.Results The three drugs could improve renal function,reduce proteinuria,decrease plasma AVP and Ang Ⅱ levels,and down-regulate AQP2 and pS256-AQP2 protein and mRNA expression in model rats.Danggui Shaoyao San and tolvaptan were more ef-fective than losartan in reducing plasma AVP levels.Conclusions Danggui Shaoyao San may regulate the expression of AQP2 by reducing the levels of AVP and Ang Ⅱ,and improve the edema of nephrotic syndrome rats.

Aim To explore the improvement effect of Bazi Bushen capsule on thymic degeneration in SAMP6 mice and the possible mechanism.Methods Twenty 12 week old male SAMP6 mice were randomly divided into the model group(SAMP6)and the Bazi Busheng capsule treatment group(SAMP6+BZBS).Ten SAMR1 mice were assigned to a homologous control group(SAMR1).The SAMP6+BZBS group was oral-ly administered Bazi Bushen capsule suspension(2.8 g·kg-1)daily,while the other two groups were orally administered an equal amount of distilled water.After nine weeks of administration,the morphology of the thymus in each group was observed and the thymus in-dex was calculated;HE staining was used to observe the structural changes of thymus tissue;SA-β-gal stai-ning was used to detect thymic aging;flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of thymic CD3+T cells in each group;Western blot was used to detect the levels of p16,Bax,Bcl-2,and cleaved caspase-3 proteins in thymus;immunofluorescence was applied to detect the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells in each group;ELISA was employed to detect IL-7 lev-els in thymus.Results Compared with the SAMP6 group,the thymic index of the SAMP6+BZBS group significantly increased(P＜0.05);the disordered thy-mic structure was significantly improved;the positive proportion of SA-β-gal staining significantly decreased(P＜0.01);the proportion of CD3+T cells apparently increased(P＜0.05);the level of p16 protein signifi-cantly decreased(P＜0.05);the level of Bcl-2 pro-tein significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the lev-el of cleaved caspase-3 protein markedly decreased(P＜0.05);the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells evidently increased;the level of IL-7 significantly increased(P＜0.01).Conclusions Bazi Bushen capsule can delay thymic degeneration,inhibit cell ap-optosis in thymus and promote thymic cell development in SAMP6 mice,which may be related to increasing the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells and promoting IL-7 secretion.

Aim To explore the potential genes and mechanism of alisol B in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods The proliferation and migration of NSCLC cells were detected by CCK-8 and Transwell.Genes of NSCLC and alisol B were col-lected through TCGA and compound gene prediction database,and their intersection genes were obtained.The network of protein-protein interaction(PPI)was constructed by using String database,and the top 20 key nodes were screened out,and the prognosis-related proteins related to the prognosis of NSCLC were screened out by using R language,and the intersection of them was obtained.The potential mechanism of ali-sol B on NSCLC was explored by KEGG and GO en-richment analysis and the relationship between related genes and immune cells,which was verified by cell-lev-el experiments.Results Alisol B inhibited the cell activity and migration ability of NSCLC cells.Five im-portant genes were identified by network pharmacologi-cal analysis:CCNE1,CDK1,COL1A1,COL1A2 and COL3A1.The results of cell experiment showed that al-isol B down-regulated the expression of Cyclin E1,CDK1 and COL1A2 in NSCLC cells.In addition,alisol B could inhibit the expression of COL1A2 and M2 macrophage marker CD206 in macrophages.Conclu-sions Alisol B may inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells by down-regulating CDK1 and Cyclin E1,and may affect the function of macrophages by inhibiting COL1A2,thus regulating the tumor immune microenvi-ronment and inhibiting NSCLC.

Objective To compare the effectiveness of TiRobot assisted F screw technique and inverted triangle parallel nail internal fixation in the treatment of unstable femoral neck fractures.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 72 patients with unstable femoral neck fractures who were treated with percutaneous cannulated screw fixation assisted with TiRobot Orthopaedic robot from December 2019 to April 2021.Among them,37 patients were treated with F screw internal fixa-tion,including 16 males and 21 females,aged47 to 64years old with an average of(53.87±5.28)years old;According to Pauwels classification,there were 1 case of type Ⅰ,19 cases of type Ⅱ,17 cases of type Ⅲ;8 cases of combined medical diseases;17 cases of falling,8 cases of traffic accident and 12 cases of falling from height;The time from injury to operation was 29 to 49 hours with average of(35.00±7.34)hours.Another 35 cases used internal fixation with an inverted triangle parallel nail,including 13 males and 22 females with an average age of 46 to 63 years old(52.36±5.05)years old;According to the Pauwels injury classifi-cation:there were 2 cases of type Ⅰ,21 cases of type Ⅱ,12 cases of type Ⅲ;6 cases of medical diseases,15 cases of falling in-jury,9 cases of traffic accident,11 cases of falling injury;The time from injury to operation was 30 to 45 hours with an average of(33.00±6.83)h.The intraoperative blood loss,operation time,intraoperative fluoroscopy times,follow-up time,fracture healing time,postoperative complications were observed and compared between the two groups.The hip joint function was e-valuated by Harris score at 6 months and 12 months after operation.Results There was no significant difference in operation time,intraoperative blood loss,intraoperative fluoroscopy times and other intraoperative data between two groups(P＞0.05).Both groups were followed up regularly,and the follow-up time was 12 to 16 months.The fracture healing time and Harris score of the F screw internal fixation group were better than those of the inverted triangle parallel nail internal fixation group(P＜0.05).There was 1 case of femoral neck shortening in the F screw internal fixation group,1 case of nonunion,1 case of nail withdrawal,and 1 case of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis in the inverted triangle internal fixation group.The incidence of complications in the F screw internal fixation group was lower than that in the inverted triangle parallel nail internal fixation group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Percutaneous cannulated F screw technique using Tirobot navigation positioning system is a safe and effective treatment for patients with unstable femoral neck fractures.It can significantly shorten the fracture healing time,reduce the incidence of postoperative complications,significantly improve hip joint function,and improve the quality of life.

Objective To investigate the gray matter volume(GMV)changes and molecular basis underlying antipsychotic-induced weight gain(AIWG).Methods One hundred twenty-nine first-episode schizophrenia patients from October 2019 to December 2021 were enrolled in this study.Patients with≥7%weight gain(weight gain,WG)and patients with<3%weight changes(weight stable,WS)were studied.All patients underwent T1-weighted MRI scanning at baseline and after 8 week treatment.Transcriptome-neuroimaging correlations were used to investigate brain gene profiles from the Allen Human Brain Atlas and GMV changes induced by AIWG.Results Thirty-three patients with WG and 27 with WS completed the GMV measures.Compared with baseline,the WG group showed reduced GMV in right hippocampus,left basal ganglia,and right inferior parietal lobule,etc.and increased GMV in bilateral thalamus(P<0.05).The WS group showed reduced GMV in bilateral orbital gyrus,bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral hippocampus(P<0.05).These GMV changes in WG group were spatially correlated with expression levels of 354 genes,which were exclusively enriched in Cushing syndrome,neuroinflammation and glutamatergic signaling,and Pnoc+.Conclusion The study has demonstrated increased GMV in thalamus in schizophrenia patients with AIWG which may be associated with Cushing syndrome and Pnoc+.These findings may provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms of AIWG.

Objective:To investigate the effect of CD8+CD28-T cells on acute graft-versus-host disease(aGVHD)after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(haplo-HSCT).Methods:The relationship between absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells and aGVHD in 60 patients with malignant hematological diseases was retrospectively analyzed after haplo-HSCT,and the differences in the incidence rate of chronic graft-versus host disease(cGVHD),infection and prognosis between different CD8+CD28-T absolute cells count groups were compared.Results:aGVHD occurred in 40 of 60 patients after haplo-HSCT,with an incidence rate of 66.67％.The median occurrence time of aGVHD was 32.5(20-100)days.At 30 days after the transplantation,the absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells of aGVHD group was significantly lower than that of non-aGVHD group(P=0.03).Thus the absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells at 30 days after transplantation can be used to predict the occurrence of aGVHD to some extent.At 30 days after transplantation,the incidence rate of aGVHD in the low cell count group(CD8+CD28-T cells absolute count＜0.06/μl)was significantly higher than that in the high cell count group(CD8+CD28-T cells absolute count ≥0.06/μl,P=0.011).Multivariate Cox regression analysis further confirmed that the absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells at 30 days after transplantation was an independent risk factor for aGVHD,and the risk of aGVHD in the low cell count group was 2.222 times higher than that in the high cell count group(P=0.015).The incidence of cGVHD,fungal infection,EBV infection and CMV infection were not significantly different between the two groups with different CD8+CD28-T cells absolute count.The overall survival,non-recurrent mortality and relapse rates were not significantly different between different CD8+CD28-T cells absolute count groups.Conclusion:Patients with delayed CD8+CD28-T cells reconstitution after haplo-HSCT are more likely to develop aGVHD,and the absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells can be used to predict the incidence of aGVHD to some extent.The absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells after haplo-HSCT was not associated with cGVHD,fungal infection,EBV infection,and CMV infection,and was also not significantly associated with the prognosis after transplantation.

Objective:To discuss the relationship between 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters and clinical pathological indicators and prognosis in cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM). Methods:A total of 100 CMM patients (62 males, 38 females, age (56.5±2.5) years) who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT scans at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from August 2013 to November 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. Clinical pathological indicators (such as primary site, TNM staging, sentinel lymph node (SLN) status) and metabolic parameters (SUV max, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), whole-body MTV (wb-MTV), and whole-body TLG (wb-TLG)) were collected. ROC curve analyses were used to determine the PET parameters thresholds for progression-free survival (PFS) and melanoma-specific survival (MSS). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze the prognosis of patients′ PFS and MSS, and a nomogram survival prediction model was constructed. Results:Results of ROC curve analyses showed that the thresholds of SUV max of primary tumor (p-SUV max), MTV of primary tumor (p-MTV), TLG of primary tumor (p-TLG), wb-MTV and wb-TLG for predicting PFS and MSS were 7.13, 2.24 cm 3, 6.98 g, 2.57 cm 3, 8.04 g and 9.09, 2.34 cm 3, 7.44 g, 2.24 cm 3, 9.17 g, respectively. Results of univariate analysis indicated that several clinical pathological indicators and metabolic parameters were prognostic risk factors for PFS and MSS. Results of multivariate analysis indicated that metastases of SLN (hazard ratio( HR)=2.54, 95% CI: 1.09-5.90; P=0.030) and wb-TLG>8.04 g( HR=2.58, 95% CI: 1.17-5.72; P=0.019) were independent prognostic risk factors for PFS, while metastases of SLN ( HR=4.53, 95% CI: 1.54-13.35; P=0.006) and wb-TLG>9.17 g ( HR=2.48, 95% CI: 1.26-4.89; P=0.009) were independent risk prognostic factors for MSS. A nomogram survival prediction model based on PET metabolic parameter (wb-TLG) and clinical pathological indicator (SLN status) can effectively predict the prognosis of CMM patients. Conclusions:Clinical pathological parameters and PET parameters are associated with the prognosis of CMM patients. SLN status is critical for prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of 99Tc m-pyrophosphate (PYP) SPECT imaging for the differential diagnosis of transthyretin-related cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods:Data of patients who were definitively diagnosed with ATTR-CA (35 patients (28 males, 7 females); age 62.5(58.6, 64.3) years) or HCM (14 patients (13 males, 1 female); age 60.5(57.3, 68.7) years) by extracardiac biopsy and echocardiography in the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between June 2020 and March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent planar and SPECT imaging 1 h after injection of 370-720 MBq 99Tc m-PYP. Visual scoring was performed (0-1 was negative, 2-3 was positive), and heart-to-contralateral lung uptake ratio (H/CL) was calculated based on planar images. The χ2 test was used to compare the difference in visual scores between ATTR-CA and HCM groups, and the diagnostic efficacy of the visual score was calculated. The H/CL differences between ATTR and HCM groups were compared with Mann-Whitney U test, and the ROC curve was used to analyze the efficacy of H/CL for the differential diagnosis of ATTR-CA and HCM. Results:There were 34 patients with visual scores≥2 and 1 patient with visual score<2 in the ATTR-CA group, 6 patients with visual scores =2 and 8 patients with visual scores <2 in HCM group, and there were significant differences between the 2 groups ( χ2=16.20, P<0.001). The diagnostic sensitivity of the visual score was 97.1%(34/35), and the specificity was 8/14. The H/CL in the ATTR-CA group was significantly higher than that in the HCM group (2.08(1.97, 2.20) vs 1.26 (1.17, 1.35), z=-5.09, P<0.001). The ROC curve analysis suggested that the optimal cut-off value was 1.45 (AUC: 0.980, 95% CI: 0.946-1.000; P<0.001); the sensitivity of H/CL differential diagnosis between HCM and ATTR-CA was 97.1%(34/35), and the specificity was 14/14. Conclusion:99Tc m-PYP SPECT imaging is useful in differentiation of ATTR-CA and HCM, and the optimal cut-off value of H/CL for differential diagnosis of these 2 diseases is 1.45.