Objective: To assess the dynamic changes of microcirculation at acupoints in patients with primary dysmenorrhea and cold congelation and blood stasis syndrome using laser speckle blood flow imaging. Methods: Patients with primary dysmenorrhea and cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome (primary dysmenorrhea group, n=53) and healthy female college students(control group, n=57) who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria from October 2020 to July 2022 were enrolled at Hebei University of Chinese Medicine. On the premenstrual and first day of menstruation, a laser speckle blood flow imaging system was used to measure the microcirculation blood flow perfusion on the surface of acupoints related to the conception, thoroughfare, and governor vessels, and stomach, spleen, and bladder meridians in the abdomen and lumbosacral regions. The dynamic changes in microcirculation were calculated based on the difference in average blood flow perfusion at each acupoint before and after menstruation. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of dynamic changes in microcirculation on the surface of each acupoint. The microcirculation sensitization rate of acupoints was calculated. Results: Compared with the control group, the dynamic changes in microcirculation at the following acupoints in the primary dysmenorrhea group were increased (P<0.05): conception vessel (Yinjiao[CV7], Qihai[CV6], Shimen[CV5], Guanyuan[CV4]); left thoroughfare vessel (left Huangshu[KI16], left Zhongzhu[KI15], left Siman[KI14], left Qixue[KI13], left Dahe[KI12], left Henggu[KI11]); left stomach meridian (left Tianshu[ST25], left Wailing[ST26], left Qichong[ST30]); left spleen meridian (left Daheng[SP15], left Fujie[SP14]); right thoroughfare vessel (right Huangshu[KI16], right Zhongzhu[KI15], right Siman[KI14], right Qixue[KI13], right Dahe[KI12], right Henggu[KI11]); right stomach meridian (right Wailing[ST26], right Daju[ST27], right Shuidao[ST28], right Guilai[ST29], right Qichong[ST30]); and right spleen meridian (right Fujie[SP14]). The area under the ROC curve of conception vessel (Yinjiao[CV7], Qihai[CV6], Shimen[CV5], Guanyuan[CV4]), thoroughfare vessel (right Siman[KI14], left Huangshu[KI16], right Qixue[KI13], right Zhongzhu[KI15], right Dahe[KI12], left Zhongzhu[KI15], left Siman[KI14], right Huangshu[KI16], left Qixue[KI13], right Henggu[KI11], left Henggu[KI11], left Dahe[KI12]); stomach meridian (left Tianshu[ST25], right Guilai[ST29], left Wailing[ST26], right Shuidao[ST28], right Daju[ST27], right Wailing[ST26], right Qichong[ST30], left Qichong[ST30]), and spleen meridian (left Daheng[SP15], left Fujie[SP14], right Fujie[SP14]) was 0.610-0.682 (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the sensitization rate of some acupoints in the primary dysmenorrhea group increased (P<0.05). Conclusion With the onset of menstruation, the blood flow perfusion of some acupoints in the abdomen (thoroughfare, and conception vessels, and stomach and spleen meridians) of patients with primary dysmenorrhea and cold blood coagulation and blood stasis syndrome increased, and the status of acupoints changed from a resting state to an active state. These acupoints are sensitive in patients with primary dysmenorrhea and cold blood coagulation and blood stasis syndrome and have a certain diagnostic efficacy, providing a basis for further analyzing the efficacy and mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion to treat primary dysmenorrhea with cold blood coagulation and blood stasis syndrome.

Objective: To investigate the effect of auricular therapy on sleep improvement and the GABAergic system pathway in a rat model of insomnia and to explore its possible mechanism. Methods: According to the random number table, 60 male SD rats were randomly divided into blank control, model, auricular point sticking, auricular bloodletting, and auricular bloodletting combined with sticking groups, with 12 rats per group. Insomnia was induced by intraperitoneal injection of p-chlorophenylalanine. After establishing the insomnia model, 36 rats were treated once a day with auricular point sticking or bloodletting for 5 consecutive days. After the intervention, the general condition and body weight of rats were observed; the righting reflex test was used to detect the sleep latency and duration; HE staining was used to observe the morphology of hypothalamic neuron cells; and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the GABA and glutamate content in rat serum. Immunohistochemistry(IHC) and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR were used to detect GABA ARα1 and GABA ARγ2 protein and mRNA expression in the hypothalamus of rats, and Western blotting(WB) was used to detect GABA ARα1, GABA ARγ2, GAD65/67, GAT-1, and GABA-T protein expression in the hypothalamus of rats. Results: Compared with the blank control group, the model group had a lower body weight, a significantly shorter sleep duration (P<0.05), severe damage to the morphological structure of hypothalamic neurons with disordered cell arrangement, larger intercellular gaps, enlarged cell bodies, and a vacuolated appearance. All the intervention groups had significantly higher body weight and longer sleep duration than the model group (P<0.05). Compared with the other intervention groups, the auricular point sticking group had a longer sleep duration (P<0.05), and the hypothalamic neuron cells in all intervention groups improved, with the auricular point sticking group showing more apparent improvement. The model group had a lower GABA and higher glutamate contents, and GABA ARα1, GABA ARγ2, and GAD65/67 protein expression in the hypothalamus were lower than in the blank control group. In contrast, GAT-1 and GABA-T protein expression was higher, and GABA ARα1 and GABA ARγ2 mRNA expression was lower (P<0.05). The serum GABA content in the auricular point sticking and auricular bloodletting groups was higher, and the serum glutamate content in the auricular point sticking and auricular bloodletting combined sticking groups was lower than in the model group. GABA ARα1 mRNA expression in the hypothalamus of each intervention group was significantly increased, and GABA ARγ2 mRNA expression in the hypothalamus of the auricular point sticking and auricular bloodletting combined sticking groups increased. GABA ARα1(IHC, WB), GABA ARγ2(WB), and GAD65/67 protein expression in the hypothalamus of the auricular point sticking group increased, whereas GAT-1 and GABA-T protein expression decreased. GABA ARα1 and GABA ARγ2 protein expression(IHC, WB) in the hypothalamus of the auricular bloodletting group increased, whereas GABA-T protein expression decreased. GABA ARγ1(IHC) and GABA ARγ2(WB) protein expression in the hypothalamus of the auricular bloodletting combined sticking group increased, whereas GAT-1 and GABA-T protein expression decreased (P<0.05). Compared with in the inventation groups, the serum GABA content in the auricular point sticking group increased, the serum glutamate content decreased, GABA ARα1 and GABA ARγ2 mRNA expression in the hypothalamus increased, and GABA ARα1(IHC), GAD65/67 protein expression increased. In contrast, GABA-T protein expression decreased (P<0.05), and GABA ARγ2 protein expression(IHC) in the hypothalamus of the auricular bloodletting group increased (P<0.05). Conclusion Auricular therapy, particularly auricular point sticking, may have modulated the GABAergic system pathway by upregulating hypothalamic GABA ARα1, GABA ARγ2, and GAD65/67 protein expression while downregulating GAT-1 and GABA-T protein expression to alleviate symptoms in an insomnia rat model.

Purpose This study aims to analyze genetic mutations in patients with BCR ∷ABL negative myelopro-liferative neoplasms(MPN)and to explore their relationship with clinical features.Methods We retrospectively ana-lyzed the clinical data of 208 patients diagnosed with BCR ∷ABL negative MPN,which included 34 patients with poly-cythemia vera(PV),33 with essential thrombocytopenia(ET),and 141 with primary myelofibrosis(PMF).Mutations in driver genes were assessed in all patients.A total of 72 patients underwent next-generation sequencing(NGS)with 69-gene panel,and the relationship between gene mutations and clinical features were analyzed.Results Among the 208 MPN patients,at least one driver gene mutation(JAK2,CALR,MPL)was detected in 96.15％(200/208)of the patients.Only 0.48％(1/208)of the patients exhibited both JAK2 and CALR driver mutations.We analyzed the clinical data of 136 patients with only driver gene mutations to compare the relationship between the most common JAK2 mutations(identified in 110 patients)and clinical outcomes.The JAK2 mutation group demonstrated higher white blood cell(WBC)counts and lower platelet(PLT)counts compared to the group without JAK2 mutations.173 muta-tions in 40 genes were detected in 72 patients,per capita carried(2.40±1.40)mutations.TET2,ASXL1,and TP53 are the most prevalent non-driver gene mutations,with 44.4％(32/72)of patients exhibiting at least one mutation in these three genes.In comparison to patients without detected mutations in TET2,ASXL1,and TP53,those with muta-tions in these genes demonstrated lower hemoglobin(HGB)levels,a higher incidence of splenomegaly,and more se-vere bone marrow fibrosis.High-molecular risk category(HMR)mutations were detected in 22.22％(16/72)of the patients,and patients with HMR exhibited lower hemoglobin(HGB)levels,lower PLT counts,a higher likelihood of peripheral blood primitive cell percentage ≥ 1％,a greater incidence of splenomegaly,and more severe myelofibrosis.Mutations in the ASXL1 gene were exclusively observed in patients with PMF.Among the PMF patients with ASXL1 mutations(12 patients),there was a higher likelihood of having a peripheral blood primitive cell percentage of ≥1％,as well as a more severe degree of myelofibrosis.Conclusion Approximately 97％of patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms(MPN)exhibit positivity for driver genes,with a notably high mutation rate of the JAK2 gene.Each sub-group of MPN is characterized by distinct gene mutation patterns.Notably,ASXL1 mutations are exclusive to patients with primary myelofibrosis(PMF).Furthermore,PMF patients harboring ASXL1 mutations tend to demonstrate more pronounced bone marrow fibrosis and a greater proportion of blast cells in peripheral blood.

Objective:To investigate the effect of bone morphogenetic protein-9(BMP9)overexpression on inflammatory response and apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS).Methods:A549 cells were stimulated with 0.1 μg/ml LPS,expressions and changes of BMP9 protein at different time points(LPS stimulation for 0 h,6 h,12 h,24 h)were detected by Western blot.Expression of BMP9 in A549 cells was up-regulated by transfection of BMP9 plasmid,and the transfection efficiency was verified by Western blot and qPCR.After 12 h of LPS stimulation,levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1β in cell supernatant were detected by ELISA,expressions of anti-apoptotic protein(Bcl-2)and pro-apoptotic protein(Bax)were detected by Western blot,and apoptosis of cells was detected by TUNEL staining.Results:With the extension of LPS stimulation time,expression of BMP9 was down-regulated.Overexpression of BMP9 successfully up-regulated expression of BMP9 in A549 cells.LPS stimulation promoted secretions of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β from A549 cells,increased apoptosis,promoted Bcl-2 expression while inhibited Bax expression.Overexpression of BMP9 inhibited TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β releasing,decreased apoptosis,inhibited Bcl-2 expression,while promoted Bax expression.Conclusion:In LPS-stimulated A549 cells,BMP9 expression is gradually decreased at a time-depen-dent manner.Overexpression of BMP9 can inhibit LPS-induced inflammatory response and apoptosis in A549 cells.

Objective:To study the comparative genomic characteristics of Marmota himalayana-derived (referred to as marmota-derived) Brucella abortus (B.ab). Methods:The species and types of one strain of marmota-derived Brucella and one strain of human-derived Brucella isolated from the brucellosis epidemic area in Qinghai Province in the same year were identified. Meanwhile, DNA was extracted for whole genome sequencing and comparative genomics analysis (including phylogenetic tree construction, gene family clustering analysis, common/specific gene analysis, and genomic structural variation analysis, etc.). Results:Two Brucella strains from different hosts were identified as B.ab. By constructing a phylogenetic tree, the marmota-derived B.ab strain was grouped with strains from Heilongjiang Province and showed genetic correlation with strains from Russia. Human-derived B.ab strain was classified as a strain in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hebei Province, Beijing City, and Gansu Province. The multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of the two strains belonged to the ST2 type. Multiple locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) belonged to two new MLVA-8 and MLVA-11 genotypes, which were clustered in two subclusters of the same cluster and clustered with the strains from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Hebei Province. The pan-genome numbers of the marmota-derived B.ab and human-derived B.ab were 283 and 8, respectively; the number of core genes (common genes) was 68 and 2, respectively; and the number of unique genes was 3 and 4, respectively. The unique gene encoded proteins were inconsistent. In marmota-derived B.ab, the main ones were the ABC transporter ATP-binding protein, N-terminal acetyltransferase, and glucose/galactose transporter. The number of homologous genes of the marmota-derived B.ab and human-derived B.ab was 16 and 20, respectively; the number of translocation and inversion genes was 13 and 8, respectively; the number of deletion mutation genes was 11 and 14, respectively. Pathogenicity analysis showed that both strains had the mprF resistance gene, and the marmota-derived B.ab strain also carried bacitracin and macrolide resistance genes. Conclusions:Brucella exhibits cross-species genetic diversity. The proteins encoded by the unique genes of the marmota-derived B.ab mainly play a role in metabolic and epigenetic regulation. The strains cluster with B.ab strains from northern China, providing a reference for molecular epidemiology and pathogen tracing of B.ab infection.

Cognitive impairment is one of the manifestations of nervous system injury,which is mainly closely related to neurodegeneration,and the incidence rate is increasing year by year,which has seriously affected the health level of the population.The gut microbiota plays an important role in the health of the body and participates in the regulation of the cognitive behavior of body.The microbiome-gut-brain axis acts as a bridge connecting gut microbiota and the nervous system,and plays a regulatory role between gut microbiota and the nervous system.Therefore,this review summarizes the latest progress in the effects of gut microbiota and nervous system on the cognitive ability of body through the bidirectional regulation of neurotransmitters,gut microbiota derivatives,neuroinflammation,oxidative stress,autophagy and their crosstalk through the microbial-intestinal-brain axis,and providing a reference for the clinical research of targeted transplantation of gut microbiota for preventing and treating cognitive disorders.

Chronic low back pain has become a leading cause of disability worldwide, significantly impairing individuals' quality of life and imposing a heavy burden on families and society. With the rapid advancement of mobile devices and digital information technologies, digital health interventions are increasingly being applied to the management of chronic low back pain. This review provides an overview of self-management in chronic low back pain patients, the background and current development of digital health, the forms of digital health applications in chronic low back pain self-management, and the effects of such interventions. The aim is to offer new perspectives for research on self-management of chronic low back pain.

Cognitive impairment is one of the manifestations of nervous system injury,which is mainly closely related to neurodegeneration,and the incidence rate is increasing year by year,which has seriously affected the health level of the population.The gut microbiota plays an important role in the health of the body and participates in the regulation of the cognitive behavior of body.The microbiome-gut-brain axis acts as a bridge connecting gut microbiota and the nervous system,and plays a regulatory role between gut microbiota and the nervous system.Therefore,this review summarizes the latest progress in the effects of gut microbiota and nervous system on the cognitive ability of body through the bidirectional regulation of neurotransmitters,gut microbiota derivatives,neuroinflammation,oxidative stress,autophagy and their crosstalk through the microbial-intestinal-brain axis,and providing a reference for the clinical research of targeted transplantation of gut microbiota for preventing and treating cognitive disorders.

Purpose This study aims to analyze genetic mutations in patients with BCR ∷ABL negative myelopro-liferative neoplasms(MPN)and to explore their relationship with clinical features.Methods We retrospectively ana-lyzed the clinical data of 208 patients diagnosed with BCR ∷ABL negative MPN,which included 34 patients with poly-cythemia vera(PV),33 with essential thrombocytopenia(ET),and 141 with primary myelofibrosis(PMF).Mutations in driver genes were assessed in all patients.A total of 72 patients underwent next-generation sequencing(NGS)with 69-gene panel,and the relationship between gene mutations and clinical features were analyzed.Results Among the 208 MPN patients,at least one driver gene mutation(JAK2,CALR,MPL)was detected in 96.15％(200/208)of the patients.Only 0.48％(1/208)of the patients exhibited both JAK2 and CALR driver mutations.We analyzed the clinical data of 136 patients with only driver gene mutations to compare the relationship between the most common JAK2 mutations(identified in 110 patients)and clinical outcomes.The JAK2 mutation group demonstrated higher white blood cell(WBC)counts and lower platelet(PLT)counts compared to the group without JAK2 mutations.173 muta-tions in 40 genes were detected in 72 patients,per capita carried(2.40±1.40)mutations.TET2,ASXL1,and TP53 are the most prevalent non-driver gene mutations,with 44.4％(32/72)of patients exhibiting at least one mutation in these three genes.In comparison to patients without detected mutations in TET2,ASXL1,and TP53,those with muta-tions in these genes demonstrated lower hemoglobin(HGB)levels,a higher incidence of splenomegaly,and more se-vere bone marrow fibrosis.High-molecular risk category(HMR)mutations were detected in 22.22％(16/72)of the patients,and patients with HMR exhibited lower hemoglobin(HGB)levels,lower PLT counts,a higher likelihood of peripheral blood primitive cell percentage ≥ 1％,a greater incidence of splenomegaly,and more severe myelofibrosis.Mutations in the ASXL1 gene were exclusively observed in patients with PMF.Among the PMF patients with ASXL1 mutations(12 patients),there was a higher likelihood of having a peripheral blood primitive cell percentage of ≥1％,as well as a more severe degree of myelofibrosis.Conclusion Approximately 97％of patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms(MPN)exhibit positivity for driver genes,with a notably high mutation rate of the JAK2 gene.Each sub-group of MPN is characterized by distinct gene mutation patterns.Notably,ASXL1 mutations are exclusive to patients with primary myelofibrosis(PMF).Furthermore,PMF patients harboring ASXL1 mutations tend to demonstrate more pronounced bone marrow fibrosis and a greater proportion of blast cells in peripheral blood.

Objective:To investigate the effect of bone morphogenetic protein-9(BMP9)overexpression on inflammatory response and apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS).Methods:A549 cells were stimulated with 0.1 μg/ml LPS,expressions and changes of BMP9 protein at different time points(LPS stimulation for 0 h,6 h,12 h,24 h)were detected by Western blot.Expression of BMP9 in A549 cells was up-regulated by transfection of BMP9 plasmid,and the transfection efficiency was verified by Western blot and qPCR.After 12 h of LPS stimulation,levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1β in cell supernatant were detected by ELISA,expressions of anti-apoptotic protein(Bcl-2)and pro-apoptotic protein(Bax)were detected by Western blot,and apoptosis of cells was detected by TUNEL staining.Results:With the extension of LPS stimulation time,expression of BMP9 was down-regulated.Overexpression of BMP9 successfully up-regulated expression of BMP9 in A549 cells.LPS stimulation promoted secretions of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β from A549 cells,increased apoptosis,promoted Bcl-2 expression while inhibited Bax expression.Overexpression of BMP9 inhibited TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β releasing,decreased apoptosis,inhibited Bcl-2 expression,while promoted Bax expression.Conclusion:In LPS-stimulated A549 cells,BMP9 expression is gradually decreased at a time-depen-dent manner.Overexpression of BMP9 can inhibit LPS-induced inflammatory response and apoptosis in A549 cells.