Objective:To investigate the regulatory effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on functional connectivity (FC) of thalamic subregions in patients with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).Methods:This study was a cross-sectional investigation. Clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were retrospectively collected from 56 PMS patients (PMS group) and 66 healthy controls (control group) recruited from various universities and hospitals in Nanning between November 2021 and June 2024. Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data and fMRI data during taVNS immediate stimulation (2 Hz, 25 Hz) were acquired from subjects during their late luteal phase. Using thalamic subregions (anterior thalamic nucleus, lateral nucleus, ventral nucleus, medial nucleus, central nucleus, posterior nucleus) as seeds, two-sample t-tests or paired t-tests were employed to analyze alterations in thalamic subregion FC in PMS patients and the regulatory effects of taVNS on these changes. Independent samples t-test were used to compare the differences in clinical and laboratory indicators between the PMS group and the control group. The relationship between taVNS regulation of thalamic subregion FC in PMS patients and thalamic internal functional connectivity were analyzed using mediation effect analysis. Results:Compared to the control group, patients in the PMS group showed increased scores on the Daily Record of Severity of Problems, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale 17, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 14 during the late luteal phase ( P<0.05). At baseline, PMS patients exhibited higher FC between the left thalamic lateral nucleus and the left insula, and lower FC between the left medial nucleus, posterior nucleus, and ventral nucleus of the thalamus and the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) compared to the control group (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). During 2 Hz taVNS immediate stimulation in PMS group, FC between the left thalamic medial nucleus, posterior nucleus, ventral nucleus and the right MFG, as well as the FC between the left thalamic ventral nucleu and the left MFG increased compared to baseline levels; meanwhile, FC between the left thalamic posterior nucleus, ventral nucleus and the left insula decreased compared to baseline levels (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). During 25 Hz taVNS immediate stimulation, the FC between the left thalamic ventral nucleus and the right MFG decreased compared to the baseline level (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). Mediation effect analysis showed that the FC between the left thalamic posterior nucleus and the left lateral nucleus mediated part of the association between the FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-left insula and the FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-left putamen/insula; there were significant direct effects between the FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-the left posterior nucleus and FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-the left insula, as well as between the FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-the left MFG and FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-the right MFG. Conclusions:taVNS can modulate abnormal FC of the left thalamic subregions in PMS patients, restoring it toward normalization. The regulatory effects of 2 Hz stimulation are more pronounced than those of 25 Hz stimulation. This modulation primarily operates through two pathways: the left thalamic lateral nucleus-left insula-left thalamic ventral nucleus pathway and the left MFG-left thalamic ventral nucleus-right MFG.

Objective To investigate the prognostic value of triglyceride-glucose index(TyG index)in non-diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS)who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Methods A total of 529 non-diabetic ACS patients who had successfully underwent PCI in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2020 were selected.According to the median TyG index(8.98),the patients were divided into low TyG index group(TyG＜8.98)and high TyG index group(TyG≥8.98).All the patients were followed up for major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE).Results Overall,55(10.4％)endpoint events were documented during a 24-month follow-up.Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the cumulative incidence of MACE was significantly higher in patients in the high TyG group than in the low TyG group(Log Rank P=0.001).Multivariate Cox analysis showed that after adjusting other confounding factors,TyG index was an independent predictor of MACE(HR=3.50,95％CI:1.44-8.53,P＜0.01).The risk of MACE in the high TyG group was 1.12-fold increased compared with the low TyG group(95％CI:1.19-3.79,P=0.011).The subgroup analysis results were generally consistent.Conclusion TyG index is an independent predictor of MACE in non-diabetic ACS patients who underwent PCI.

Aim To explore the predictive value of serum free triiodothyronine(FT3)on the long-term prognosis of patients with coronary heart disease after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Methods All the subjects were from a prospective cohort study(PRACTICE study).In this study,15 250 patients with coronary heart disease after PCI in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University were selected,and the clinical data,FT3 and creatinine were collected.All the subjects were followed up regularly,and the primary follow-up endpoints were all-cause mortality and cardiogenic mortality,the secondary endpoints were major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events(MACCE).According to the admission criteria,3 109 patients were finally in-cluded in this study.According to the baseline value of FT3,patients were divided into normal FT3 group(FT3:3.65～6.8 pmol/L,1 446 cases)and low FT3 group(FT3＜3.65 pmol/L,1 663 cases).Kaplan-Meier analysis was used for survival analysis,and Log-rank test was used for survival comparison.Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to e-valuate the risk factors of the follow-up results of the two groups.Results Compared with the normal FT3 group,all-cause mortality and cardiogenic mortality in the low FT3 group increased significantly(P＜0.05).Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the cumulative risk of all-cause mortality and cardiogenic mortality increased in the low FT3 group(P＜0.05).Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the risk of all-cause mortality increased by 1.639 folds in the low FT3 group(HR=2.639,95％CI:1.385～5.348,P=0.007),while no statistical difference was found in cardiogenic mortality after adjusting for multiple factors(P=0.125).Conclusion The decrease in serum FT3 levels has important predictive value for all-cause mortality after PCI in patients with coronary heart disease.

Aim To investigate the role and mechanism of KLHL21 gene in myocardial infarction(MI)of mice.Methods KLHL21 gene knockout(KO)mice were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 technology,and C57BL/6 wild-type mice were used as controls.Sixty KLHL21 KO mice and 60 wild-type mice were randomly divided into four groups:WT+Sham group(n=30),WT+MI group(n=30),KO+Sham group(n=30)and KO+MI group(n=30).Postoperative is-chemic and infarct areas were assessed using TTC and Evans Blue staining,myocardial injury markers were measured by ELISA,cardiac function was evaluated by ultrasound,and histological changes were examined using HE and Masson stai-ning.Western blot was used to detect proteins related to the nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)signaling pathway.Results KLHL21 protein expression in the myocardial tissue of KO mice was significantly lower than that in WT mice.The infarct area in KO+MI mice was significantly larger than that in WT+MI group.KO+MI mice showed reduced cardiac function compared with WT+MI mice.HE staining revealed myocardial cell loss,liquefactive necrosis,nuclear fragmentation,and significant neutrophil infiltration,while Masson staining showed aggravated fibrosis in KO+MI group.Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6),creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB),and cardiac troponin Ⅰ(cTnⅠ)lev-els were significantly increased in KO+MI mice compared with WT+MI mice.Western blot analysis showed increased lev-els of phosphorylated inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB alpha(p-IKBα),P65,and P50,and decreased nuclear factor-κB al-pha(IKBα)in KO+MI mice.Conclusion KLHL21 gene plays a preventive role in myocardial infarction in mice,possibly through inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathway activation.

Objective To investigate the relationship between daily intake of monounsaturated fatty acids(MUFAs)and polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFAs)and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),and to determine the threshold values of daily MUFAs and PUFAs intake for NAFLD risk.Methods Date were collected from the Dryad database.We enrolled a total of 1 068 healthy subjects aged 18 years and older(534 in the control group and 534 with NAFLD group)who had physical check-up in the Affiliated Nanping First Hospital of Fujian Medical University from April 2015 to August 2017.Comprehensive medical histories were obtained through questionnaires;information on dietary intake was collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and daily MUFAs and PUFAs intake were calculated.Baseline characteristics were compared between the two groups,and Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline(RCS)analyses were used to explore the relationship between daily MUFAs or PUFAs intake and NAFLD.Results Compared with the control group,the prevalence of hypertension,tea drinking,body mass index(BMI),daily energy intake,and daily MUFAs and PUFAs intakes were significant higher in patients with NAFLD(all P＜0.05),but the proportion of physical activities was significantly lower(P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis revealed that after adjusting other confounding factors such as age,gender and BMI,for every 10 g increase in daily MUFAs or PUFAs intake,the risk of NAFLD increased by 53％(95％ CI:1.25-1.87,P＜0.001)and 3.30 times(95％ CI:2.98-6.20,P＜0.001),respectively.RCS indicated an approximately linear relationship between daily MUFAs intake and NAFLD(P for nonlinearity=0.064)and a nonlinear relationship between daily PUFAs intake and NAFLD(P for nonlinearity＜0.05).Subgroup analysis results were generally consistent,and there was statistical evidence of interactions between MUFAs and factors such as gender,hypertension and education level,with interaction between PUFAs and BMI observed(P＜0.05).Conclusion Increased daily intake of MUFAs or PUFAs is significantly associated with an increased risk of NAFLD,and further research is needed to clarify their specific roles in hepatic lipid accumulation.

Objective:This study empirically analyzes the relationship between outpatient and inpatient services under the impact of healthcare payment reform,and evaluates the effects of the reform.Methods:Data from healthcare services and basic medical insurance payments in eight districts of Jinhua City from 2020 to 2022 were used.A fixed-effects model for outpatient and inpatient services was constructed to analyze the impact of healthcare payment reforms and outpatient services on inpatient services.Results:The DRG-based payment had a significant positive effect on inpatient visits and a significant negative effect on employee basic medical insurance inpatient costs.The"capitation+APG"outpatient payment policy had a significant negative effect on inpatient visits and a significant negative effect on residents'basic medical insurance inpatient costs.The interaction between outpatient payment and outpatient visits had a significant negative effect on employee basic medical insurance inpatient visits,while the interaction between outpatient payment and outpatient costs had a significant negative effect on both overall and employee inpatient costs.Conclusions:The DRG payment reform led to an increase in inpatient visits and a reduction in employee basic medical insurance inpatient costs.The outpatient"capitation+APG"payment reform reduced inpatient visits and lowered residents'basic medical insurance inpatient costs,thereby slowing down the complementary effect between outpatient and inpatient services.

Objective To analyze the clinical and cardiac magnetic resonance(CMR)characteristics of patients with Fabry disease(FD)and evaluate the application value of CMR in the early diagnosis of cardiac involvement in FD.Methods This retrospective study involved nine patients with FD confirmed by renal biopsy pathology and genetic testing at our hospital between January 2021 and October 2024.Their clinical baseline data,laboratory test reuslts,and CMR images were collected.CMR images were analyzed using CVI42 software to generate functional,morphological,and structural parameters.Results In this study,78％of the patients were male,and a high proportion(67％)had a family history of FD.Electrocardiographic abnormalities were observed in eight patients(89％),while 33％reported acroparesthesia and 22％exhibited cornea verticillata,a characteristic ocular manifestation of FD.Left ventricular hypertrophy was present in four patients,with one case also showing right ventricular hypertrophy.Late gadolinium enhancement(LGE)was positive in one patient,presenting as intermural enhancement.The mean left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)was within the normal range.T1 mapping demonstrated that both global and segmental native T1 values in the left ventricular myocardium were below 1 200 ms.Conclusion Multimodal CMR imaging provides crucial imaging evidence for the diagnosis of FD,with native T1 mapping showing significant clinical potential for disease staging.

Emerging evidence suggests that dysbiosis of the gut microbiota is associated with the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder. The microbiota-gut-brain axis plays a crucial role in the development and progression of PD, and numerous studies have demonstrated the potential therapeutic benefits of modulations in the intestinal microbiota. This review provides insights into the characterization of the gut microbiota in patients with PD and highlights associations with clinical symptoms and underlying mechanisms. The discussion underscores the increased influence of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of PD. While the relationship is not fully elucidated, existing research demonstrates a strong correlation between changes in the composition of gut microbiota and disease development, and further investigation is warranted to explain the specific underlying mechanisms.
Humans ; Parkinson Disease/microbiology* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/physiology* ; Dysbiosis/microbiology*

BACKGROUND: Gait impairment is closely related to quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to explore alterations in brain microstructure in PD patients and healthy controls (HCs) and to identify the correlation of gait impairment in the ON and OFF states of patients with PD, respectively. METHODS: We enrolled 24 PD patients and 29 HCs from the Movement Disorders Program at Beijing Friendship Hospital Capital Medical University between 2019 and 2020. We acquired magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and processed the diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) images. Preprocessing of diffusion-weighted data was performed with Mrtrix3 software, using a directional distribution function to track participants' main white matter fiber bundles. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Quantitative gait and clinical scales were used to assess the status of medication ON and OFF in PD patients. RESULTS: The axial kurtosis (AK), mean kurtosis (MK), and radial kurtosis (RK) of five specific white matter fiber tracts, the bilateral corticospinal tract, left superior longitudinal fasciculus, left anterior thalamic radiation, forceps minor, and forceps major were significantly higher in PD patients compared to HCs. Additionally, the MK values were negatively correlated with Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) scores in both the ON and OFF in PD patients. Within the PD group, higher AK, MK, and RK values, whether the patients were ON or OFF, were associated with better gait performance (i.e., higher velocity and stride length). CONCLUSIONS PD exhibits characteristic regional patterns of white matter microstructural degradation. Correlations between objective gait parameters and DKI values suggest that dopamine-responsive gait function depends on preserved white matter microstructure. DKI-based Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) analysis may serve as a tool for evaluating PD-related motor impairments (e.g., gait impairment) and could yield potential neuroimaging biomarkers.
Humans ; Parkinson Disease/diagnostic imaging* ; White Matter/physiopathology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Gait/physiology* ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods*

BACKGROUND: Diabetic foot is a complex condition with high incidence, recurrence, mortality, and disability rates. Current treatments for diabetic foot ulcers are often insufficient. This study was conducted to identify potential therapeutic targets for diabetic foot. METHODS: Datasets related to diabetic foot and diabetic skin were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using R software. Enrichment analysis was conducted to screen for critical gene functions and pathways. A protein interaction network was constructed to identify node genes corresponding to key proteins. The DEGs and node genes were overlapped to pinpoint target genes. Plasma and chronic ulcer samples from diabetic and non-diabetic individuals were collected. Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed to verify the S100 calcium binding protein A9 (S100A9), inflammatory cytokine, and related pathway protein levels. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to measure epidermal layer thickness. RESULTS: In total, 283 common DEGs and 42 node genes in diabetic foot ulcers were identified. Forty-three genes were differentially expressed in the skin of diabetic and non-diabetic individuals. The overlapping of the most significant DEGs and node genes led to the identification of S100A9 as a target gene. The S100A9 level was significantly higher in diabetic than in non-diabetic plasma (178.40 ± 44.65 ng/mL vs. 40.84 ± 18.86 ng/mL) and in chronic ulcers, and the wound healing time correlated positively with the plasma S100A9 level. The levels of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin [IL]-1, and IL-6) and related pathway proteins (phospho-extracellular signal regulated kinase [ERK], phospho-p38, phospho-p65, and p-protein kinase B [Akt]) were also elevated. The epidermal layer was notably thinner in chronic diabetic ulcers than in non-diabetic skin (24.17 ± 25.60 μm vs. 412.00 ± 181.60 μm). CONCLUSIONS S100A9 was significantly upregulated in diabetic foot and was associated with prolonged wound healing. S100A9 may impair diabetic wound healing by disrupting local inflammatory responses and skin re-epithelialization.
Calgranulin B/therapeutic use* ; Diabetic Foot/metabolism* ; Humans ; Datasets as Topic ; Computational Biology ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Animals ; Mice ; Protein Interaction Maps ; Immunohistochemistry