OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) on gut microbiota and fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with constipation. METHODS: A total of 80 PD patients with constipation were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 40 cases in each group. Additionally, 40 healthy individuals were recruited as a healthy control group. The control group received conventional Western medical treatment for PD combined with polyethylene glycol (PEG), once daily for eight weeks. The observation group received additional ACE treatment at bilateral Tianshu (ST25), Zusanli (ST36), and Shangjuxu (ST37), once every two weeks for eight weeks. The healthy control group received no intervention. The spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs) per week and patient assessment of constipation quality of life (PAC-QOL) scores were assessed at baseline and after treatment in the two groups. Fecal samples were collected at the end of treatment for the observation and the control groups and at baseline for the healthy control group. Gut microbiota composition and diversity were analyzed using 16S rRNA method, and SCFA levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the observation group showed a significant increase in SBMs (P<0.01), and PAC-QOL scores including physical discomfort, psychosocial discomfort, worry and concern, and total score were significantly reduced (P<0.01) after treatment; the control group also showed a reduction in PAC-QOL total score after treatment (P<0.01). After treatment, the observation group had significantly more SBMs (P<0.01), and lower PAC-QOL physical discomfort, psychosocial discomfort, worry and concern scores, and total score (P<0.01), and higher PAC-QOL satisfaction score (P<0.01) than the control group. Compared with the healthy control group, the control group showed decreased Chao1 and Ace indices (P<0.01). Compared with the healthy control group, the relative abundance of Prevotella and Roseburia was increased (P<0.05), while that of Enterobacter and Ruminococcus torques (six species in total) was decreased (P<0.05) in the control group. Compared with the control group, the observation group had increased relative abundance of Dialister, Parabacteroides, and Ruminococcus torques (P<0.05), and decreased relative abundance of Prevotella and Eubacterium ruminantium (P<0.05). Compared with the healthy control group, the control group had increased fecal SCFA levels (P<0.05); compared with the control group, the observation group had reduced fecal SCFA levels (P<0.05). Compared with the healthy control group, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid levels were elevated in the control group (P<0.05); compared with the control group, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid levels were decreased in the observation group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION ACE could increase spontaneous bowel movements and improve the quality of life in PD patients with constipation, which may be related to the regulation of gut microbiota composition and SCFA levels.
Humans ; Constipation/metabolism* ; Male ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Acupuncture Points ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Parkinson Disease/complications* ; Aged ; Fatty Acids, Volatile/metabolism* ; Catgut ; Feces/microbiology* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Quality of Life ; Adult

In recent years, prone mechanical ventilation has been widely used to improve oxygenation dysfunction in critically ill patients. During prone mechanical ventilation, the patient's face is compressed for a long time, and due to the difficulty in changing, facial pressure injuries and ocular complications are common and severe. These complications increase patient discomfort, reduce their tolerance and compliance with prone ventilation, and even cause tracheal tube displacement or dislodgement, leading to significant clinical challenges. In order to change this situation, the medical staff of the department of critical care medicine of the Second People's Hospital of Hengshui and the department of critical care medicine of Harrison International Peace Hospital had developed an adjustable facial support pad for prone ventilation, and obtained a National Utility Model Patent of China (ZL 2022 2 3295294.4). The device is composed of a facial support platform, a supporting telescopic foot frame and so on. There are front, back, left and right adjustable tracks below the support cushion platform, which can be adjusted to the best state suitable for the patient's face shape, which can alleviate the facial pressure injuries and ocular complications caused by the different sizes of each patient's face, improve the patient's comfort, and reduce the incidence of facial pressure injury and the occurrence of ocular complications of the patient. The height of the platform is adjusted by the telescopic feet, and there is a hook assembly below, which can be fixed by the clamp of the ventilator tubing, so as to prevent the ventilator tubing from pulling the endotracheal intubation due to the gravity of condensation, resulting in the displacement or even prolapse of the tracheal intubation, and reducing the occurrence of adverse events of tracheal intubation. It is worth promoting in the clinic.
Humans ; Respiration, Artificial/methods* ; Prone Position ; Equipment Design ; Face

Objective To observe the value of shear wave elastography(SWE)for evaluating hepatic iron overload in children with β-thalassemia major(β-TM),as well as the correlations of relative parameters with MR T2*value and serum ferritin.Methods Totally 96 children with β-TM and 100 healthy children(control group)were retrospectively enrolled.Children with β-TM were divided into hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT)group(n=41)or non-HSCT group(n=55)according to underwent HSCT or not.SWE parameters were compared among groups.Spearman correlation was performed to observe the correlations of liver shear wave velocity with MR T2*value and serum ferritin,as well as Young's modulus with MR T2*value and serum ferritin in children with β-TM.Results Liver shear wave velocity(LSWV)and Young's modulus in HSCT group and non-HSCT group were all higher than those in control group(all P＜0.001).No significant difference of LSWV nor Young's modulus was found between HSCT group and non-HSCT group(both P＞0.05).SWE parameters of children with β-TM were moderately and negatively correlated with MR T2*value(r=-0.501,P＜0.05;r=-0.514,P＜0.05),while weakly and positively correlated with serum ferritin(r=0.488,P＜0.05;r=0.470,P＜0.05).Conclusion SWE was helpful for evaluating hepatic iron overload in children with β-TM,with parameters being negatively correlated with MR T2*value and positively correlated with serum ferritin.

Objective:To investigate the protein expression characteristics of bone metastatic breast cancer cells and the underlying molecu-lar mechanism driving bone metastasis.Methods:A firefly luciferase-overexpressing human breast cancer cell line,MCF-7-luc,and its bone metastasis subline,MCF-7-BOM-luc,were established.Additionally,a nude mouse model of breast cancer bone metastasis was established by injecting the aforementioned cells into the left ventricle.Bone metastasis and trabecular changes were assessed using micro-computed tomography(Micro-CT).Cell migration,and invasion were evaluated using the Transwell assays.Differential protein expression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)were analyzed using proteomics,Western blot,and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR(qPCR).We meas-ured the glucose uptake,L-lactic acid content,and cell energy metabolism parameters using 2-NBDG,ELISA,and a Seahorse energy metabol-izer.Results:MCF-7-BOM-luc cells exhibited stronger migration,invasion,and EMT characteristics as well as more pronounced bone meta-stasis capabilities than the MCF-7-luc cells.Proteomic analysis revealed increased S100 calcium-binding protein A(S100A4)expression in MCF-7-BOM-luc cells,with other differentially expressed proteins being primarily involved in metabolic pathways.Additionally,MCF-7-BOM-luc cells displayed increased expression of E-box binding homeobox 1/2(zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1/2,ZEB1/2)and Vimentin and reduced E-cadherin expression.MCF-7-BOM-luc cells also exhibited enhanced glucose uptake,L-lactic acid production,and glycolysis rates as well as increased phosphorylation levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2(ERK1/2)and signal transducer and activator of tran-scription 3(STAT3).Conclusions:MCF-7-BOM-luc cells promote S100A4 expression through ERK1/2 and STAT3 signaling pathway activation,which in turn enhances the EMT process and glycolysis rate,thereby contributing to malignant bone metastasis.Proteomic analysis of breast cancer bone metastasis-related protein characteristics could offer potential targets for the diagnosis,prevention,and treatment of breast cancer bone metastasis.

Objective To explore the correlation of red cell distribution width/albumin ratio(RAR)and fibrinogen/albumin ratio(FAR)with severity of coronary artery disease(CAD)in patients with coronary heart disease(CHD),and to further explore the relationship of RAR and FAR with CAD severity in different glucose metabolic states.Methods A total of 577 CHD patients undergoing coronary angiography(CAG)in Department of Cardiology of Tianjin People's Hospital from January 2021 to December 2022 were enrolled,and according to the results of CAG,412 patients were diagnosed with multi-vessel CAD and the other 165 patients with single-vessel CAD.Their baseline data and results of laboratory tests were collected,and RAR and FAR values were calculated.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed with RAR and FAR as independent variables,and ROC curve was plotted to evaluate the predic-tive values of the 2 indicators for the severity of CAD.Spearman correlation analysis was applied to analyze the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events(MACEs)in the patients.Results Logistic regression analysis showed that RAR and FAR were independent risk factors for CAD(OR=1.974,95％CI:1.348-2.593,P=0.000;OR=1.737,95％CI:1.486-2.377,P=0.000).Un-der different glucose metabolic states,RAR had the highest correlation with the risk of CAD in diabetic patients(OR=2.828,95％CI:1.157-7.145),while FAR was associated with a relatively low risk of CAD in diabetic patients(OR=2.217,95％CI:1.533-5.570).ROC curve analysis showed that RAR(AUC=0.776,95％CI:0.731-0.821,P=0.000)and FAR(AUC=0.725,95％CI:0.676-0.774,P=0.000)had predictive value for the severity of CAD in CHD patients.Spearman correlation analysis indicated that RAR and FAR were positively correlated with occur-rence of MACEs in CHD patients(P＜0.001).Conclusion RAR and FAR are independent pre-dictors for CHD patients.RAR has a stronger predictive value for lesion severity in CHD patients with concomitant abnormal glucose metabolism.

Acute or chronic wounds are common clinical problems. Collagen, with advantages including rich sources, impeccable biocompatibility, and inherent biodegradability, has been widely used in fundamental research and clinical treatment of wound repair with broad prospects of clinical applications. This article provided a brief overview of the role of collagen in various biological processes related to wound healing and also outlined the sources of collagen. Furthermore, the article summarized the application and recent research advancements of collagen-based wound dressings in the field of wound repair.

Objective:To explore the effect of chronic intermittent hypoxia(CIH)on learning and memory dysfunc-tion in rats,as well as the expression of high mobility group box-1(HMGB1)and nuclear transcription factor-KB(NF-κB)in the hippocampus region.Methods:The CIH rat model was established,and forty SD rats were randomly divid-ed into four groups:normoxia group,hypoxia for 4 weeks group(CIH4 group),hypoxia for 8 weeks group(CIH8 group),and hypoxia for 12 weeks group(CIH12 group).Morris water maze was used to assess the learning memory ability of rats,and immunohistochemistry and ELISA were used to detect the expression of HMGB1 and NF-κB in the hippocampus of rats.Results:Compared with the normoxia group,the CIH12 and CIH8 groups had longer escape la-tency,the number of crossing the platform and the residence time in the quadrant of the platform were significantly shortened,but there was no significant difference in the CIH4 group.Additionally,there was no significant expression of HMGB1 and NF-κB in the hippocampal region of the normoxia group,but little expression was observed in CIH4 group,and significantly expressed in CIH8 group and CIH12 group,and the expression of CIH12 group was significantly higher than that of CIH8 group.Conclusion:CIH can lead to a decline in learning and memory function in rats,and the longer time of intermittent hypoxia led to the more significant effect on their learning and memory function.In addi-tion,CIH also leads to increased expression levels of HMGB1 and NF-κB in the hippocampus region,and the expres-sion increased more significantly after hypoxia for 12 weeks,comparing to hypoxia for 8 weeks.

Cryoablation (CRA) and microwave ablation (MWA) are two main local treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, which one is more curative and suitable for combining with immunotherapy is still controversial. Herein, CRA induced higher tumoral PD-L1 expression and more T cells infiltration, but less PD-L1^highCD11b⁺ myeloid cells infiltration than MWA in HCC. Furthermore, CRA had better curative effect than MWA for anti-PD-L1 combination therapy in mouse models. Mechanistically, anti-PD-L1 antibody facilitated infiltration of CD8⁺ T cells by enhancing the secretion of CXCL9 from cDC1 cells after CRA therapy. On the other hand, anti-PD-L1 antibody promoted the infiltration of NK cells to eliminate PD-L1^highCD11b⁺ myeloid cells by antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) effect after CRA therapy. Both aspects relieved the immunosuppressive microenvironment after CRA therapy. Notably, the wild-type PD-L1 Avelumab (Bavencio), compared to the mutant PD-L1 atezolizumab (Tecentriq), was better at inducing the ADCC effect to target PD-L1^highCD11b⁺ myeloid cells. Collectively, our study uncovered the novel insights that CRA showed superior curative effect than MWA in combining with anti-PD-L1 antibody by strengthening CTL/NK cell immune responses, which provided a strong rationale for combining CRA and PD-L1 blockade in the clinical treatment for HCC.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement effects of Arisaema Cum Bile on Parkinson’s disease （PD） model mice and its potential mechanism. METHODS Sixty male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal group， model group， Arisaema Cum Bile low-dose group [0.39 g/（kg·d）]， Arisaema Cum Bile high-dose group [1.56 g/（kg·d）] and positive control drug Levodopa tablet group [80 mg/（kg·d）]， with 12 mice in each group. Except that normal group was given constant volume of normal saline， other groups were given 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1，2，3，6-tetrahydropyridine [MPTP，35 mg/（kg·d）] intraperitoneally for 5 consecutive days to induce subacute PD model； after modeling， they were given relevant medicine continuously for 7 d； rod climbing test and line suspension test were performed 1 d before modeling， on the 5th day of modeling and after the last medication. The number of tyrosine hydroxylase （TH）-positive neurons in the substantia nigra of mice were measured by immunofluorescence； the levels of interleukin 1β （IL-1β） and tumor necrosis factor α（ TNF-α） in serum and the levels of IL- E-mail：qhwang668@sina.com 1β， TNF-α， cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2） and inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS） in the substantia nigra of mice were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression levels of cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit α （PKA C-α）， glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4） and ferritin heavy chain polypeptide 1 （FTH1） proteins in the substantia nigra of mice was measured by Western blot. RESULTS After last medicine， compared with the normal group， mice in the model group had significantly longer pole-climbing time （P＜0.01）， significantly lower line suspension scores （P＜0.01）， significantly fewer TH-positive neurons in the substantia nigra （P＜0.01）， significantly higher serum concentrations of IL-1β and TNF-α and nigrostriatal concentrations of IL-1β， TNF-α， COX-2 and iNOS （P＜0.01）， while lower protein expression levels of GPX4， PKA C-α and FTH1 in the substantia nigra （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， the above indexes of mice were significantly returned in Arisaema Cum Bile high-dose group （P＜0.05 or P＜ 0.01）. CONCLUSIONS Arisaema Cum Bile can improve motor impairment and reduce apoptosis of nigrostriatal TH neurons in MPTP-induced PD mice， and has neuroprotective effects on model mice； this may be related to its inhibition of neuroinflammation and the inhibition of ferroptosis by up-regulating PKA signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on the discharge outcome in elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) receiving intravenous thrombolysis (IVT).Methods:Elderly patients with AIS received IVT in the Department of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from August 2018 to August 2020 were retrospectively included. The modified Rankin Scale was used to evaluate discharge outcome, and the score >2 was defined as poor outcome. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) was defined as any intracranial hemorrhage found on imaging examination accompanied by neurological deterioration, where the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score increased by ≥4 from baseline or bleeding led to death. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent risk factors for sICH and poor discharge outcome. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyze the predictive value of NLR for sICH and poor discharge outcome. Results:A total of 228 elderly patients with AIS receiving IVT were enrolled, including 118 males (51.8%), aged 73.64±8.16 years, with a baseline NIHSS score of 6.23±6.54. Ninety patients (39.5%) had poor outcome at discharge, and 16 (7.0%) developed sICH. Univariate analysis showed that the NLR in the poor outcome group was significantly higher than that in the good outcome group ( P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a higher NLR was an independent risk factor for poor discharge outcome (odds ratio [ OR] 1.245, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 1.044-1.484; P< 0.05) and sICH ( OR 1.124, 95% CI 1.010-1.251; P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of NLR for predicting poor discharge outcome was 0.693 (95% CI 0.620-0.765; P<0.01). The optimal cutoff value was 4.345. Its corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 47.8% and 87.7%, respectively. The area under the curve of NLR for predicting sICH was 0.651 (95% CI 0.498-0.804; P<0.05). The optimal cutoff value was 3.515. Its corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 68.8% and 61.8%, respectively. Conclusions:A higher NLR is independently associated with sICH and poor discharge outcome in elderly patients with AIS receiving IVT, and have certain predictive value for sICH and poor discharge outcome.