Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of miglitol on regulating the energy metabolism of brown adipocytes by activating UCP1 and preventing cold injury in mice after cold exposure. Methods Primary brown adipocytes were induced into mature adipocytes, the effect of miglitol on the viability of brown adipocytes was investigated by MTT method, the lipid droplet consumption level of cells after drug administration was investigated by Oil Red O staining technology, and the level of UCP1, a key protein of thermogenesis in brown adipocytes, was detected by Western blotting. The activity of anti-frostbite was investigated in cold exposure at 4 ℃ and −20 ℃. KM mice, which were randomly divided into control group, cold exposure group, miglitol group and all-trans retinoic acid group, and after 7 days of repeated administration, the body surface temperature of mice was detected by infrared thermal imaging system, the anal temperature change was detected by anal thermometer, and the expression levels of UCP1 and PGC1-α in adipose tissue were detected by immunoblotting. Results Compared with the control group, the lipid droplet consumption and UCP1 expression levels in brown adipocytes in the miglitol group were significantly increased. The levels of body surface temperature and rectal temperature increased significantly after cold exposure, and the levels of UCP1 and PGC1α in the brown adipose tissue of mice increased significantly, which indicated that the miglitol could activate the critical proteins UCP1 and PGC1α of the thermogenesis pathway, increase the thermogenesis of mice after cold exposure, and thus improve the effect of cold injury for toe swelling. Conclusion Miglitol could play a role in improving cold injury and body temperature in mice by increasing the level of UCP1 and PGC1α, which are key targets of the thermogenesis pathway to promote the thermogenesis of brown fat.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Objective:This study aims to systematically compare the differences in severity, clinical manifestations, and treatment processes between patients with foodborne and iatrogenic botulism, thereby providing evidence-based support for clinical diagnosis and management.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on botulism patients admitted to the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University between January 2010 and July 2024. The foodborne group was diagnosed according to the WS/T 83-1996 standard. The iatrogenic group required a documented history of type A botulinum toxin injection and typical clinical manifestations. Individuals with comorbid neurological disorders or incomplete clinical data were excluded. The severity of poisoning was classified into three groups: mild, moderate, and severe, according to the "Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Botulism". SPSS 26.0 software was used to statistically analyze the distribution of poisoning severity between groups and to compare clinical symptoms and course indicators across severity grades.Results:A total of 220 botulism patients were included in this study, comprising 86 cases of foodborne poisoning (39.1%) and 134 cases of iatrogenic poisoning (60.9%). There was a significant difference in the distribution of poisoning severity between the two groups ( P=0.001), the proportion of severe poisoning was significantly higher in the foodborne group. Analysis of clinical symptoms indicated that, among patients with mild poisoning, the incidence of nausea and vomiting was significantly higher in the foodborne group, compared to that in the iatrogenic group (44.0% vs. 16.4%, P=0.006). In patients with moderate poisoning, the iatrogenic group exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of hoarseness (60.5% vs. 35.7%, P=0.041) and neck weakness (53.5% vs. 17.9%, P=0.003) compared to the foodborne group. Conversely, the foodborne cohort experienced a notably longer interval before seeking medical attention when compared to their iatrogenic counterparts (2.25 d vs. 1.50 d, P=0.003). Among severe poisoning patients, the foodborne group exhibited a higher likelihood of experiencing fever (51.5% vs. 25.0%, P=0.044) and abdominal distension accompanied by constipation (69.7% vs. 41.7%, P=0.034) when compared to the iatrogenic group. Furthermore, the foodborne cohort demonstrated a significantly shorter incubation period (1.00 d vs. 2.45 d, P<0.001), an extended length of hospitalization (22.0 d vs. 16.00 d, P=0.001), and a prolonged duration of antitoxin therapy (14.00 d vs. 9.50 d, P<0.001), alongside a markedly higher total dosage administered (315 900 U vs. 163 300 U, P<0.001) compared to their iatrogenic counterparts. Conclusions:Statistically significant differences exist between food-borne and iatrogenic botulism. Food-borne botulism is characterized by acute onset, greater severity, and a prolonged course, predominantly featuring systemic symptoms and gastrointestinal dysfunction. In contrast, iatrogenic botulism primarily manifests with ocular and oropharyngeal muscle symptoms and is generally less severe.

BACKGROUND:Early identification of patients requiring ventilator support will be beneficial for the outcomes of botulism.The present study aimed to establish a new scoring system to predict mechanical ventilation(MV)for botulism patients. METHODS:A single-center retrospective study was conducted to identify risk factors associated with MV in botulism patients from 2007 to 2022.Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to screen out risk factors for constructing a prognostic scoring system.The area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was calculated. RESULTS:A total of 153 patients with botulism(66 males and 87 females,with an average age of 43 years)were included.Of these,49 patients(32.0%)required MV,including 21(13.7%)with invasive ventilation and 28(18.3%)with non-invasive ventilation.Multivariate analysis revealed that botulinum toxin type,pneumonia,incubation period,degree of hypoxia,and severity of muscle involvement were independent risk factors for MV.These risk factors were incorporated into a multivariate logistic regression analysis to establish a prognostic scoring system.Each risk factor was scored by allocating a weight based on its regression coefficient and rounded to whole numbers for practical utilization([botulinum toxin type A:1],[pneumonia:2],[incubation period≤1 day:2],[hypoxia<90%:2],[severity of muscle involvement:grade II,3;grade III,7;grade IV,11]).The scoring system achieved an area under the ROC curve of 0.82(95%CI 0.75-0.89,P<0.001).At the optimal threshold of 9,the scoring system achieved a sensitivity of 83.7%and a specificity of 70.2%. CONCLUSION:Our study identified botulinum toxin type,pneumonia,incubation period,degree of hypoxia,and severity of muscle involvement as independent risk factors for MV in botulism patients.A score≥9 in our scoring system is associated with a higher likelihood of requiring MV in botulism patients.This scoring system needs to be validated externally before it can be applied in clinical settings.

Objective To determine the median effective dose(ED50)of ropivacaine for spinal anesthesia in sub-high altitude cesarean sections.Methods A total of 30 parturients from sub-high altitudes received initial 14 mg(1.4 mL)of 1%ropivacaine intrathecally.Effectiveness was defined by sensory block to T6 within 15 minutes without additional epidural anesthesia.Doses were adjusted by±1 mg based on response.ED50 and 95%CI were estimated using Dixon's method and isotonic regression.Adverse reactions were noted.Results Thirty parturients with an average age of(30.88±5.56)years,gestational weeks of(40±1.41)weeks,height of(156.69±5.80)cm,and weight of(67.44±10.48)kg were studied.The ED50 was 10.68 mg(95%CI:9.65-12.58 mg)by Dixon's method and 10.33 mg(95%CI:9.41-12.07 mg)by isotonic regression.Intraoperatively,8 cases of hypotension,1 case of bradycardia,and 7 cases of nausea and vomiting were observed,no hypertension or shivering occurred among the parturients.Conclusion The ED50 for ropivacaine in sub-high altitude cesarean sections is 10.68 mg,which is higher than the currently known ED50 required for patients in plain areas.

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in adolescents, with high recurrence rate and high suicide rate, seriously endangering the physical and mental health development of adolescents. Adolescent depression animal models can mimic the human depression phenotype, which can help to study the disease pathogenesis, find effective therapeutic targets, and develop new antidepressant drugs. Therefore, in order to screen animal models that better meet the experimental requirements, this paper reviews the articles on animal models of adolescent depression, comprehensively summarises and analyses the modelling methods and principles, strengths and weaknesses, and behavioural evaluations of the commonly used animal models of adolescent depression (stress models, genetic models, chemically-induced models, surgical injury models and composite models), and look forward to the development direction of animal models of depression in adolescence. It also looks forward to the development direction of adolescent depression animal models, aiming to better simulate the development of the disease, provide a variety of animal models for adolescent depression animal model related research, and lay the foundation for subsequent research.

This review discusses the application,mechanism,challenges,and future research directions of interferon-α(IFN-α)in antiviral research and treatment.It provides an overview of the basic biological characteristics of IFN-α,including its mechanism of action in the antiviral immune response.The arti-cle explores the use of IFN-α in treating various viral diseases,such as COVID-19,chronic hepatitis C,and hepatitis B,high-lighting the challenges faced in clinical treatment.To address these challenges,it discusses the focus of future research.This review offers a comprehensive understanding of the application ofα-interferon in modern medicine,demonstrating its importance in the field of antiviral treatment,while also pointing out the limitations of current treatment practices and potential directions for future research.

Objective:To compare the diagnostic efficacy of 22 G fine needle aspiration (FNA) needles and 22 G end-cutting fine needle biopsy (FNB) needles for solid pancreatic lesion using both cytological and histological examination.Methods:Clinical data of 116 patients who underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration/biopsy (EUS-FNA/FNB) at the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from June 2022 to March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Sixty-three patients sampled with 22 G FNA needles were the FNA group, and 53 sampled with 22 G FNB needles were the FNB group. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and cytological and histological diagnostic yield of FNA needles and FNB needles for solid pancreatic lesions were compared.Results:There were no significant differences in age, gender, lesion location, lesion size, or the number of passes between the FNA group and the FNB group ( P>0.05). There were no significant differences in the diagnostic accuracy [93.7% (59/63) VS 90.6% (48/53), P=0.730], sensitivity [93.0% (53/57) VS 90.2% (46/51), P=0.732], specificity [100.0% (6/6) VS 100.0% (2/2), P=1.000], positive predictive value [100.0% (53/53) VS 100.0% (46/46), P=1.000] and negative predictive value [60.0% (6/10) VS 28.6% (2/7), P=0.335] of combined cytology and histology in distinguishing benign and malignant lesions between the two groups. In the FNA group, the diagnostic accuracy of combined cytology and histology was higher than cytology alone [93.7% (59/63) VS 81.0% (51/63), P=0.008], and was higher than histology alone without statistical significance [93.7% (59/63) VS 87.3% (55/63), P=0.125]. In the FNB group, the diagnostic accuracy of combined cytology and histology was higher than cytology alone [90.6% (48/53) VS 69.8% (37/53), P=0.001], but not than histology alone [90.6% (48/53) VS 90.6% (48/53)， P=1.000]. For solid masses located in pancreatic body/tail, the diagnostic accuracy for malignancy by histology using FNB needles tended to be higher than that of FNA needles [100.0% (17/17) VS 81.3% (26/32), P=0.080]. Conclusion:Both FNA needles and FNB needles exhibit adequate diagnostic yield for solid pancreatic masses when combining cytology and histology. FNB needles may offer a higher histological diagnostic yield.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical application of urine sediment score (USS) in early diagnosis, etiological differentiation, staging and prognosis of acute kidney injury (AKI), and to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of independent USS and its combination with blood urea nitrogen(Bun) serum creatinine(sCr) and uric acid(UA) in AKI.Methods:From August 23 to September 28, 2023, 9 020 morning urine samples of hospitalized patients in the First Hospital of Jilin University were detected by Sysmex UF5000.A total of 3 226 ssamples with small and round cell (SRC) > 1/μl and/or CAST>1/μl were screened for microscopic examination, and 404 cases with positive renal tubular epithelial cells and/or cast were enrolled in this study. There were 218 males and 186 females, aged 59.5 (49.0, 71.0) years. The 404 cases were divided into the USS AKI group (345 cases) and the USS non-AKI group (59 cases) according to the USS results based on the microscopic findings. According to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria, they were divided into KDIGO criteria AKI group (63 cases) and KDIGO criteria non-AKI group (341 cases), and the AKI group was divided into renal AKI group (33 cases) and non-renal AKI group (30 cases). According to the clinical diagnosis recorded in the medical records, they were divided into clinically diagnosed AKI group (29 cases) and clinically diagnosed non-AKI group (375 cases).The χ 2 test or Fisher exact test was used to compare USS in different AKI causes and stages. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio of renal AKI and stage 3 AKI. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of USS, sCr, UA and Bun alone and in combination in the diagnosis of AKI, and the best cut-off value, sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of AKI were calculated. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The USS was used to identify the etiology of KDIGO standard AKI group,and there were significant differences in USS between renal AKI group and non-renal AKI group (χ 2=11.070, P<0.001). Compared to USS=1, the odds ratio of renal AKI was 8.125 when USS≥2 (95% CI 2.208—29.901). There was a statistically significant difference in the comparison of USS between groups in each stage of the AKI staging study based on USS (χ 2=15.724, P<0.05). Compared to USS=1, the odds ratio of stage 3 AKI was 9.714 when USS≥2 (95% CI 1.145-82.390). The AUC of independent USS in the diagnosis of AKI was 0.687 (95% CI 0.618-0.757, P<0.001), the specificity was 65.7% and the sensitivity was 61.9%. The AUC of USS combined with Bun, sCr, UA in the diagnosis of AKI was 0.794 (95% CI 0.608-0.980, P<0.05), the specificity was 82.4%, and the sensitivity was 88.9%. Conclusions:There wasan increased likelihood of renal AKI or stage 3 AKI while USS≥2,and whose combination with Bun, sCr and UA will improve the diagnostic efficiency of AKI.