1.Role of the iNOS/IRS1/AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway in chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced insulin resistance
Meina Jin ; Xueli Zhou ; Haibo Li ; Wei Bai ; Chuxuan Jia ; Li Gao ; Lijue Ren ; Qingyu Chen ; Rui Wang ; Hua Li ; Cuiying Wei
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(2):210-217
Objective :
To pathological changes and inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS), phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate 1 serine 307(p-IRS1ser 307), phosphorylated protein kinase B serine 473(p-AKTser 473), glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β), and gluconeogenic synthase(GS) proteins were observed in the liver of rats under the condition of chronic intermittent hypoxia-replicated oxygen in control. And to explore the role of iNOS/IRS1/AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway in chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced insulin resistance.
Methods :
Forty SD rats were randomly divided into a control group(NC group) and an experimental group(CIH group), with 20 rats in each group. The NC group was placed in a normoxic environment for 12 weeks, while the CIH group was first subjected to intermittent hypoxia for 8 weeks, and then resumed normoxic rearing until the 12th week. Fasting blood glucose(FBG) and fasting insulin(FINS) were measured at baseline, week 8 and week 12, and liver tissues were taken for pathology and measurement of iNOS, p-IRS1ser 307, p-AKTser 473, GSK3β and GS levels, to compare the differences between groups.
Results:
t baseline, there was no significant difference in liver pathology between the two groups, and the observed indexes were not statistically significant(P>0.05); at 8 weeks, compared with the NC group, liver pathology in the CIH group showed significant disorganization of hepatic blood sinusoids and hepatocyte cords, obvious hepatocyte edema, smaller nuclei, increased lymphocyte infiltration, and a small number of fat vacuoles, significantly higher levels of FBG, FINS, insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR), iNOS mRNA, p-IRS1ser 307 protein, GSK-3β protein levels, and decreased p-AKTser 473 protein and GS protein levels, all of which were statistically significant(allP<0.05). IRS1ser 307 protein, GSK-3β protein levels were increased, p-AKTser 473 protein and GS protein levels were decreased, and the differences were statistically significant(allP<0.05); at 12 weeks, no lymphocyte infiltration was seen in the CIH group compared with that of the NC group and fat vacuoles significantly increased, and there was no improvement in the other pathological damage that had already occurred, and the levels of p-AKTser 473 protein significantly increased. AKTser 473 protein level significantly increased, p-IRS1ser 307 protein and GS protein levels were significantly reduced, all of which were statistically significant(allP<0.05), and the rest of the observational indexes were not statistically significant. Pearson′s correlation analysis showed that HOMA-IR of CIH group was significantly positively correlated with the levels of iNOS mRNA, p-IRS1ser 307 protein, and GSK-3β protein at 8 weeks(r=0.874, 0.817,0.872;allP<0.05), and significantly negatively correlated with the levels of p-AKTser 473 protein and GS protein(r=-0.886,-0.879;allP<0.05).
Conclusion
Chronic intermittent hypoxia can lead to hepatic pathological damage that cannot be reversed even by reoxygenation interventions and may mediate the development of insulin resistance by upregulating the IRS1/AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway through the upregulation of iNOS mRNA expression.
2.Comparative study of six visual disability-related standards in China based on ICF and ICD-11
Xueli LÜ ; Yaru YANG ; Zhuoying QIU ; Zhongyan WANG ; Yifan TIAN ; Ye LIU ; Chen LI ; Di CHEN
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice 2025;31(7):755-762
Objective To compare six existing Chinese standards related to visual disability,including Disability Assessment and Code for Life Insurance(Insurance Standard),Specification for Ability Assessment of Older Adults(Elderly Stan-dard),Grading of Disability due to Human Body Injury(Judicial Standard),Standard for Identify Work Ability—Gradation of Disability Caused by Work-related Injuries and Occupational Diseases(Work Injury Standard),Standard for Assessment of Disability Grades of Military Personnel(Military Standard),and Classification and Grading Criteria of Disability(Disability Classification Standard).Methods Based on the theoretical framework of International Classification of Functioning,Disability and Health(ICF)and International Classification of Diseases,the 11th Revision(ICD-11),and with reference to World Report on Vision(WRV),this study analyzed and compared five key dimensions of visual disability across the six stan-dards:definition,classification,grading,assessment methods and coding systems.Results In terms of definition,the insurance,work injury,military,and disability classification standards emphasized vi-sual structure and function,focusing on visual acuity and visual field;the insurance and elderly standards incor-porated activities and participation,reflecting the concept of functional vision;the judicial standard lacked a dedi-cated definition of visual disability.In terms of grading,each standard graded visual disability into different lev-els acoording to different functional indicators.In terms of coding,only the insurance standard adopted the ICF framework,while others used non-ICF numeric codes or lacked standardized coding.In terms of assessment tools,the elderly standard employed a customized perceptual and participation scoring system,while others re-lied primarily on vision charts.Conclusion Most current Chinese standards focus on impairments in visual function,with limited attention to activity limitations and participation restrictions.It is needed for incorporating the concept of functional vision,aligned with ICF and WRV,to establish a unified conceptual framework,terminology,coding system for visual disability,and comprehensive assessments that reflect not only impairments but also the impact on daily functioning and en-vironmental interaction.
3.Health economic evaluation of minimally invasive surgery in treatment of digestive tract cancers: a Meta-analysis
Xiaoyue YIN ; Ning ZHOU ; Xueli YANG ; Zhuoyu SUN ; Yinghui BAO ; Shengshu WANG ; Ke HAN ; Jing LONG ; Min ZHAO ; Haowei LI ; Rongrong LI ; Shimin CHEN ; Junhan YANG ; Huaihao LI ; Yueting SHI ; Guoning ZHU ; Jianhua WANG ; Shanshan YANG ; Boyan LI ; Wenchang WANG ; Shengyan DU ; Yao HE ; Enqiang LING-HU ; Huikai LI ; Miao LIU ; Juan XIE
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(1):154-165
Objective:To compare minimally invasive surgery with traditional open surgery, analyze the current application status of health economic evaluations in the treatment of digestive tract cancers, such as esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer by minimally invasive surgery and provide evidence for the rational selection of clinical treatment, alleviation of disease-related economic burdens, and rational allocation of healthcare resources.Methods:By using five databases, i.e. China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang data, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, PubMed, and Embase, a database was established to retrieve all the papers about health economic studies of minimally invasive surgery for esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer published until December 31, 2023. Literature was analyzed by using software NoteExpress 3.8, and data were processed using Excel 2021. The quality of included papers was evaluated using the CHEERS 2022 checklist, and Meta-analysis was conducted by using software Stata 17.0.Results:A total of 10 919 relevant papers were retrieved, and 59 studies were included. Only 14 studies (23.7%) used standard health economic evaluation methods. Meta-analysis results revealed no significant differences in direct medical expenditure and total expenditure between minimally invasive surgery and open surgery. However, the expenditure for minimally invasive surgery exhibited a significant increase [mean difference ( MD)=5 973.12 yuan, P<0.001], while hospital stay and indirect expenditure significantly decreased ( MD: -4.85 days and -733.79 yuan, P<0.001). In China, for gastric cancer, the direct medical expenditure of endoscopic surgery was lower than that of open surgery ( MD=-33 000.00 yuan) with no significant difference ( P<0.001). In colorectal cancer cases, the direct medical and surgical expenditures for laparoscopic surgery were higher than those for open surgery ( MD: 4 277.94 yuan and 4 267.80 yuan, P<0.001), while the indirect and total medical expenditures decreased ( MD: -768.34 yuan and -159.10 yuan). Hospital stays in patients who had minimally invasive surgery for all three types of cancer were shorter than those who had open surgery ( P<0.001). Conclusions:In the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer, compared with open surgery, minimally invasive surgery shows higher expenditure, but has advantages, such as shorter hospital stay and lower indirect expenditure, and there were no significant differences in direct medical and total expenditures between the two approaches. When conducting health economic evaluation, factors such as postoperative complications, hospital stay, and patient's economic status should be considered for their impact on total medical expenditure. It is necessary to pay attention to the application of health economic evaluations in healthcare decision-making.
4.A prospective study of impact of spicy food intake on risk for cardio/cerebrovascular disease in residents aged 30-79 years
Ziyang LUO ; Xiaofang CHEN ; Xiaofang CHEN ; Xia WU ; Xiaoyu CHANG ; Zhuo WANG ; Xueli ZHANG ; Jun LYU ; Canqing YU ; Pei PEI ; Dianjianyi SUN ; Xianping WU
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(7):1150-1159
Objective:To explore the association between spicy food intake and the risk for cardio/cerebrovascular diseases.Methods:Data were collected from the China Kadoorie Biobank project conducted in Pengzhou, Sichuan Province. Using the Cox proportional hazards regression model, we analyzed the associations of the frequency of spicy food intake, spicy level, types of spicy food, and the age when regular intake of spicy food began (intake in 1 day/week), with the risk for cardio/cerebrovascular disease. Furthermore, the associations with the risks for ischemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as the risk of ischemic stroke (IS) and hemorrhagic stroke (HS) were analyzed.Results:A total of 54 859 study participants were included in the study, in whom 49 320 had spicy food intake (89.90%). In these participants, 37 680 (68.69%) had spicy food intake in 6-7 days/week, 5 036 (9.18%) had spicy food intake in 1-5 days/week, and 6 604 (12.03%) had spicy food intake once a week; 5 539 (10.10%) had never/almost never had spicy food intake. After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, compared with those who never/almost never had spicy food intake, intake of spicy food was associated with reduced risks for IHD (intake in 6-7 days/week: HR=0.86, 95% CI: 0.78-0.95), cerebrovascular diseases (intake in 6-7 days/week: HR=0.88, 95% CI: 0.81-0.96), and IS (intak in 6-7 days/week: HR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.76-0.95). With the increase of spicy food intake frequency, the risk for cardio/cerebrovascular disease decreased (intake in 1-5 days/week: HR=0.91, 95% CI: 0.85-0.98; intake in 6-7 days/week: HR=0.89, 95% CI: 0.84-0.94) (trend test P<0.001). However, no statistical association was found between spicy food intake and the risk for HS. In terms of spicy level, after adjusting for multiple confounding factors, compared with those who never/almost never had spicy food intake, intake of spicy food was associated with reduced risk for cardio/cerebrovascular disease (moderate: HR=0.86, 95% CI: 0.82-0.90) and cerebrovascular disease (moderate: HR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.84-0.97). With the increase of spicy level, the risk for IHD decreased (moderate: HR=0.86, 95% CI: 0.79-0.93; strong: HR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.74-0.95) (trend test P<0.001). After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, compared with those who never/almost never had spicy food intake, intake of any type of spicy food was associated with reduced risk for cardio/cerebrovascular disease, IHD, and cerebrovascular disease. Regulat intake of spicy food from age 0-10 years was associated with reduced risk for cardio/cerebrovascular disease, IHD, and cerebrovascular disease. Regular intake of spicy food from age 11-20 years reduced the risk for cardio/cerebrovascular disease and IHD. There was no significant association between the regular intake of spicy food from age 21-79 years and the risks for cardio/cerebrovascular disease, IHD and cerebrovascular disease. Conclusion:The intake of spicy food could reduced the risk for cardio/cerebrovascular diseases, IHD, cerebrovascular diseases and IS in residents aged 30-79 years in Sichuan.
5.Nursing care of a patient with acute injection botulism with respiratory failure
Lingxin CHEN ; Lianlian DONG ; Wenjing WEI ; Xueli LUO ; Fenghui YU
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(8):986-989
To summarize the nursing experience of a patient with acute injection botulism complicated with respiratory failure.The key nursing points include early standard use of botulinum antitoxin therapy to improve the signs of myasthenia;to strengthen respiratory support and airway management,to carry out respiratory training,and to promote the recovery of respiratory function;swallowing function training and dynamic evaluation were carried out to promote the recovery of swallowing function;narrative nursing was carried out to relieve patient's negative emotions.After 17 days of treatment and nursing care,the patient was removed from the tracheal tube on the 7th day,transferred to the general ward on the 14th day,and discharged successfully on the 17th day with a good prognosis.A telephone follow-up was conducted 4 months after discharge,and the patient recovered well.
6.Efficacy and Safety of Less Invasive Surfactant Administration Combined with Budesonide and Supported by Nasal Intermittent Positive Pres-sure Ventilation in Preterm Infants with Respiratory Distress Syndrome:a Clinical Research
Xueli TU ; Bao JIN ; Xueqi CHEN
Journal of Medical Research 2025;54(6):121-126
Objective To study the efficacy and safety of less invasive surfactant administration(LISA)combined with budesonide and supported by nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation(NIPPV)in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome(RDS).Methods Premature infants with RDS at the gestational age of 26-32 weeks in the neonatal ward of Xuzhou Central Hospital from Feb-ruary 2022 to March 2024 were divided into the observation group and the control group in this prospective randomized controlled trial.The control group suspended nasal continuous positive airway pressure(NCPAP),they were intubated and infused with PS into the lung through endotracheal tube and extubated(INSURE),then continued to receive NCPAP.In the observation group,a LISA tube was insert-ed through the vocal cords under direct vision with direct laryngoscope,then infused pulmonary surfactant(PS)and budesonide into the lung when NIPPV ventilation was applied.The results of blood gas analysis at 1h and 6h after intratracheal instillation of PS,medication administration,clinical efficacy,related complications of budesonide,bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD)were compared between the two groups.Results A total of 126 preterm infants with RDS were enrolled in the study,including 65 in the observation group and 61 in the control group.The incidence of regurgitation in the observation group were lower than those in the control group[(10.8%(7/65)vs 24.6%(15/61)],and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The PaO2/FiO2(P/F)in the observation group at 1h and 6h were higher than those in the control group,while PaCO2were lower than those in the control group,and the differences were statis-tically significant(all P<0.05).The duration of non-invasive respiratory support(11.4±4.6 days vs 15.9±5.6 days),total oxygen inhaling(14.9±6.9 days vs 21.2±8.5 days),failure rate of machine withdrawal[(10.8%(7/65)vs 24.6%(15/61)],the rate of tracheal intubation within 72h[9.2%(6/65)vs 23.0%(14/61)],and re-administration of PS[18.5%(12/65)vs 34.4%(21/61)],the times of apnea[9.0(3.0-25.0)times vs 17.0(5.0-29.0)times]in the observation group were lower than those in the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The occurrence of BPD in the observational group were lower than those in the control group[15.4%(10/65)vs 34.4%(21/61)](P<0.05).There were no significant differences between two groups in the related complications of budesonide(all P>0.05).Conclusion LISA combined with budesonide and supported by NIPPV can effectively improve oxygenation,shorten the duration of non-invasive respiratory support,reduce the mechanical ventilation rate,and reduce the incidence of BPD in the treatment of premature infants with RDS at the gestational age of 26-32 weeks.
7.A study of modified ankle pump exercise in stroke patients
Yun CAO ; Guozhen SUN ; Feng CHEN ; Xueli JI ; Mengwan YAN ; Lei JING ; Kun QIAN
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(9):1068-1074
Objective To investigate the effect of ankle pump exercises,based on hemodynamic mechanisms,on the prevention of venous thrombosis in stroke patients.Methods A total of 110 stroke patients,admitted to a tertiary A hospital in Jiangsu Province between June 2023 and June 2024,were selected using a convenience sampling method.The patients were divided into an experimental group and a control group,with 55 patients in each group.The experimental group received ankle pump exercise nursing interventions based on hemodynamic mechanisms,while the control group received routine nursing interventions.The incidence of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis,Pittsburgh Rehabilitation Participation Scale scores,subjective perceived fatigue,and exercise self-efficacy scores were compared between 2 groups on the 7th day of hospitalization.Results No dropouts occurred in either group.The incidence of deep vein thrombosis was significantly lower in the experimental group than it in the control group(P=0.004).The Pittsburgh Rehabilitation Participation scores on day 1,3,5,and 7 were higher in the experimental group compared to them in the control group(P<0.001).A significant time-dependent trend was observed in Pittsburgh Rehabilitation Participation scores(P=0.034).Subjective fatigue was significantly lower in the experimental group at various time points(P<0.001).Both groups showed an increase in exercise self-efficacy over time(P=0.016),with the experimental group demonstrating higher exercise self-efficacy than the control group on the day before discharge(P=0.003).Conclusion Ankle pump exercises,based on hemodynamic mechanisms,can effectively reduce the incidence of deep vein thrombosis in stroke patients,enhance rehabilitation participation and exercise self-efficacy,without increasing subjective fatigue.
8.Identification of potential biomarkers of proliferative diabetic retinopathy based on proteomics and transcriptomics data
Yeanqi JIN ; Junbin LIU ; Xiang FANG ; Guanrong WU ; Haoxian ZHU ; Xinyu CHEN ; Mengya LIU ; Shuoxin LIAO ; Fangfang LI ; Xueli ZHANG ; Qianli MENG
Recent Advances in Ophthalmology 2025;45(8):622-628
Objective To identify potential biomarkers for proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR)using proteomics and transcriptomics data.Methods In this study,the proteomics dataset(PXD046630)and two transcriptomics datasets(GSE60436 and GSE102485)were derived from the aqueous humor samples and fibrovascular membranes of PDR patients,respectively.Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified via R software,specifically the limma and edgeR pack-ages.The shared DEGs between PXD046630 and GSE60436 were analyzed via protein-protein interaction(PPI),Gene On-tology(GO)enrichment,and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analyses.The key DEGs were validated in GSE102485 via receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.A quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)assay was used to confirm the mRNA of these candidate biomarkers in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells(HRMECs)cultured in high glucose and low oxygen conditions.Results A total of 59 shared DEGs and 26 hub genes were identified from the PXD046630 and GSE60436 datasets.KEGG analysis revealed that six pathways,inclu-ding extracellular matrix-receptor interaction,proteoglycans in cancer,and complement and coagulation cascades,were enriched in 12 key DEGs.Fibronectin 1(FN1),tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3(TIMP3),complement factor H(CFH),decorin(DCN),and lipoprotein receptor-related protein-2(LRP2)were identified as potential biomarkers on the basis of their AUC values being greater than 0.900(CI≥95%).The mRNA expression levels of FN1,CFH,and LRP2 were significantly increased in HRMECs cultured in high glucose and low oxygen conditions.Conclusion FN1,CFH,and LRP2 are potential biomarkers for PDR,and further studies are needed to explore their roles and therapeutic potential in PDR.
9.NLUS-VQA: construction and evaluation of a visual question answering model for neonatal lung ultrasound diagnosis
Xuming TONG ; Jiangang CHEN ; Yiran WANG ; Xiqing ZHAO ; Yanhong YUAN ; Zishuo WANG ; Peng JIANG ; Qingyao XIONG ; Renxing LI ; Xueli WANG ; Jing LIU
Chinese Journal of Perinatal Medicine 2025;28(11):917-928
Objective:To develop and evaluate a medical visual question answering (VQA) model for neonatal lung ultrasound (LUS) images to enhance intelligent auxiliary diagnosis of neonatal pulmonary diseases.Methods:Using data from neonates admitted to Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University (January 2023 to December 2024), an image-question-answer dataset comprising 251 LUS images was constructed [43 pneumonia (17.1%), 42 neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (16.7%), 83 transient tachypnea (33.1%), and 83 normal (33.1%) images] with a four-tier medical question-answer framework. Building upon the Qwen2.5-VL-7B base model and integrating LoRA fine-tuning with chain-of-thought prompting, we developed the NLUS-VQA model to enhance visual-language semantic alignment and enable stepwise clinical reasoning, achieving efficient small-sample adaptation. Model performance was comprehensively assessed through natural language generation metrics (BLEU-4, ROUGE-1/2/L), qualitative evaluation of characteristic recognition, and clinical consistency analysis.Results:(1) Quantitative evaluation demonstrated that NLUS-VQA achieved scores of 22.38 (BLEU-4), 48.26 (ROUGE-1), 22.40 (ROUGE-2), and 37.20 (ROUGE-L), representing significant improvements over baseline models. (2) Qualitatively, the model exhibited strong performance in identifying lung consolidation, coalescent B-lines, and snowflake signs, with its chain-of-thought strategy enhancing clinical interpretability and answer accuracy. (3) Clinically, NLUS-VQA achieved a Cohen's Kappa coefficient of 0.78 and diagnostic accuracy of 80.8% (21/26), indicating substantial agreement with clinical experts.Conclusion:The NLUS-VQA model demonstrates robust interpretability in recognizing key sonographic patterns (e.g. lung consolidation, confluent B-lines, and snowflake signs), providing a scalable framework for small-sample medical image analysis, though diagnostic performance on complex conditions remains limited by dataset scale and minority class representation.
10.Exploration on the ideas of Zhuang medicine acupuncture at abdominal ring acupoint in treating depression based on the "gut-brain axis" theory
Xueli SHI ; Chenjie HUANG ; Xiaoting FAN ; Chen LIN
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(6):755-759
The brain-gut axis is an important channel to realize the functional integration of the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system between the brain and the intestine. It is the medium for the occurrence and development of depression and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of depression. From the perspective of modern medicine and TCM, based on the theory of "brain-gut axis", this article discussed the operation method and mechanism of acupuncture at abdominal ring acupoint in the treatment of depression in Zhuang medicine, in order to provide new ideas for acupuncture treatment of depression.


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