OBJECTIVE: Cassiae Semen (CS, Juemingzi in Chinese) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine with a variety of pharmacological effects. This study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic effects and molecular mechanisms of anthraquinones of CS (AQS) for adiposity. METHODS: The chemical components of the AQS were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Network pharmacology analysis was used to predict potential anti-obesity targets of action for AQS. We constructed high fat with high sugar water diet-induced obese mice and observed their body weight and whole-body lipid metabolism to evaluate the efficacy of AQS in promoting lipid metabolism. Subsequently, the epidermal temperature at the brown adipose tissue (BAT) before and after cold stimulation was observed and the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes in the liver and BAT tissues was detected to clarify the mechanism of action of AQS. RESULTS: Network pharmacology analysis showed that AQS was involved in the regulation of liver and adipose tissue function under obesity. Pathological and biochemical results showed that AQS reduced lipid accumulation in the liver and adipose tissue induced by an unhealthy diet. With the increase of cold tolerance, the volume and weight of BAT were increased by AQS, suggesting that it regulated the body heat production dominated by BAT. After AQS treatment, the levels of genes related to uncoupling protein1 (UCP1)-mediated adaptive thermogenesis in BAT tissues and lipid metabolism in the liver were also increased, which further proved that AQS activated BAT function to promote lipid metabolism in the whole body. CONCLUSION This study revealed the pharmacological effects of AQS, thereby providing a scientific basis for regulating BAT thermogenesis and liver lipid metabolism to alleviate obesity and providing clues for further exploring the application of natural active ingredients in the treatment of metabolism-related diseases.

Clinicians need to focus on various points in the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia.This article prescribed the treatment protocol based on the unique features,such as insomnia in the elderly,women experiencing specific physiologi-cal periods,children insomnia,insomnia in sleep-breathing disorder patients,insomnia in patients with chronic liver and kidney dysfunction.It pro-vides some reference for clinicians while they make decision on diagnosis,differentiation and treat-ment methods.

Traumatic supraorbital fissure syndrome (TSOFS) is a symptom complex caused by nerve entrapment in the supraorbital fissure after skull base trauma. If the compressed cranial nerve in the supraorbital fissure is not decompressed surgically, ptosis, diplopia and eye movement disorder may exist for a long time and seriously affect the patients′ quality of life. Since its overall incidence is not high, it is not familiarized with the majority of neurosurgeons and some TSOFS may be complicated with skull base vascular injury. If the supraorbital fissure surgery is performed without treatment of vascular injury, it may cause massive hemorrhage, and disability and even life-threatening in severe cases. At present, there is no consensus or guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of TSOFS that can be referred to both domestically and internationally. To improve the understanding of TSOFS among clinical physicians and establish standardized diagnosis and treatment plans, the Skull Base Trauma Group of the Neurorepair Professional Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Neurotrauma Group of the Neurosurgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Neurotrauma Group of the Traumatology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Editorial Committee of Chinese Journal of Trauma organized relevant experts to formulate Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic supraorbital fissure syndrome ( version 2024) based on evidence of evidence-based medicine and clinical experience of diagnosis and treatment. This consensus puts forward 12 recommendations on the diagnosis, classification, treatment, efficacy evaluation and follow-up of TSOFS, aiming to provide references for neurosurgeons from hospitals of all levels to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of TSOFS.

Objective:To investigate the role of group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) in skin wound healing, and to explore the underlying mechanisms.Methods:Twenty-four 5-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly and equally allocated into 3 groups: the skin wound + ILC3 inhibitor group (referred to as ILC3 inhibitor group), the skin wound group, and the control group, with 8 mice in each group. Four days before the establishment of the wound model, mice in the ILC3 inhibitor group were intraperitoneally injected with 1 μg of ILC3 inhibitor every 2 days for a total of 2 doses, mice in the skin wound group were injected with an equal volume of physiological saline solution, and mice in the control group were fed normally. To establish a mouse skin wound model, a full-thickness circular incision with a diameter of 0.6 cm was made around the midpoint of the dorsal midline using a biopsy punch after the intraperitoneal injection of anesthetics, which was histologically confirmed to be a full-thickness injury. The size of the wounds was observed and recorded, photographs of the wounds were taken on days 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 after wounding, and corresponding wound healing rates were calculated. On day 9 after wounding, tissue samples were collected from the wound edges, and subjected to flow cytometry analysis to quantify ILC3 infiltrating around the skin wound, and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed to assess the healing status of the skin wounds. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was conducted to determine the mRNA expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR), Notch1, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL) -17A, IL-17F, and IL-22 in the wound-edge tissues, and Western blot analysis to determine their protein expression. Statistical analysis was carried out by using one-way analysis of variance and t test. Results:On day 9 after wounding, the skin wound group showed an increased number of ILC3 in the wound-edge tissues (5.31% ± 1.47% vs. 3.10% ± 0.54%, P < 0.01), increased mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α, IL-22, IL-17A, and IL-17F (all P < 0.05), but decreased mRNA and protein expression of VDR (both P < 0.05) compared with the control group; the protein expression of Notch1 was significantly higher in the skin wound group than in the control group ( P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in its mRNA expression between the two groups ( P > 0.05). On days 1, 3 and 5, the wound healing rates were significantly higher in the ILC3 inhibitor group (45.17% ± 9.90%, 61.58% ± 11.61%, 75.61% ± 9.12%, respectively) than in the skin wound group (25.87% ± 10.96%, 47.78% ± 13.81%, 64.55% ± 10.29%, respectively, all P < 0.05). On day 9, the ILC3 inhibitor group showed a decreased number of ILC3 around the wound (2.69% ± 0.95%, P < 0.01), decreased mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α, IL-22, IL-17A, and IL-17F in the wound-edge tissues (all P < 0.05), but increased mRNA and protein expression of Notch1 and VDR in the wound-edge tissues (all P < 0.05) compared with the skin wound group. On day 9 after wounding, histopathological examination with HE staining revealed continuous and intact epithelial structure, as well as dense and neatly arranged collagen fibers in the ILC3 inhibitor group, and the structures of hair follicles, blood vessels, and sebaceous glands were similar to those in the control group. Conclusions:Skin ILC3 infiltrated local wounds and were involved in the skin wound healing process through inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-17F, and IL-22. Downregulating the number of ILC3 may promote skin wound healing by activating VDR and Notch1, as well as inhibiting the TNF-α signaling pathway and the expression of downstream inflammatory factors.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease marked by a dysregulated immune microenvironment, posing formidable challenges for effective treatment. The disease is characterized by an altered glucose metabolism in macrophages, specifically an increase in aerobic glycolysis, which is linked to heightened inflammatory responses. This suggests that targeting macrophage metabolism could offer a new therapeutic avenue. In this study, we developed an immunometabolic intervention using quercetin (Q) encapsulated in bioadhesive mesoporous polydopamine (Q@MPDA) to treat periodontitis. Our results demonstrated that Q@MPDA could reprogram inflammatory macrophages to an anti-inflammatory phenotype (i.e., from-M1-to-M2 repolarization). In a murine periodontitis model, locally administered Q@MPDA reduced the presence of inflammatory macrophages, and decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the periodontium. Consequently, it alleviated periodontitis symptoms, reduced alveolar bone loss, and promoted tissue repair. Furthermore, our study revealed that Q@MPDA could inhibit the glycolysis of inflammatory macrophages while enhancing oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), facilitating the shift from M1 to M2 macrophage subtype. Our findings suggest that Q@MPDA is a promising treatment for periodontitis via immunometabolic rewiring.

Interval timing is involved in a variety of cognitive behaviors such as associative learning and decision-making. While it has been shown that time estimation is adaptive to the temporal context, it remains unclear how interval timing behavior is influenced by recent trial history. Here we found that, in mice trained to perform a licking-based interval timing task, a decrease of inter-reinforcement interval in the previous trial rapidly shifted the time of anticipatory licking earlier. Optogenetic inactivation of the anterior lateral motor cortex (ALM), but not the medial prefrontal cortex, for a short time before reward delivery caused a decrease in the peak time of anticipatory licking in the next trial. Electrophysiological recordings from the ALM showed that the response profiles preceded by short and long inter-reinforcement intervals exhibited task-engagement-dependent temporal scaling. Thus, interval timing is adaptive to recent experience of the temporal interval, and ALM activity during time estimation reflects recent experience of interval.
Animals ; Mice ; Reward ; Time Factors ; Cognition ; Learning ; Decision Making ; Reinforcement, Psychology

The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects and potential mechanism of c(RGDyK) peptide modified mesenchymal stem cell exosomes loaded with ginsenoside Rg1 (G-Rg1) on ischemic stroke. Thread-tying method was used to establish SD rats transient middle cerebral occlusion model (tMCAO). The model rats were randomly divided into tMCAO group, Exo group, free G-Rg1 group, Exo-Rg1 group and cRGD-Exo-Rg1 group, and sham group was used as control. The infarct volume was measured by 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrachloride (TTC) staining, the changes of neuron and endothelium were observed by immunofluorescence, and the expression of related proteins was detected by Western blotting. The results showed that cRGD-Exo-Rg1 up-regulated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF-1α) by activating PI3K/AKT pathway, thus promoting angiogenesis and neurogenesis, effectively reducing the volume of cerebral infarction and improving neural function. In addition, the delivery of cRGD-Exo-Rg1 to ischemic brain tissue up-regulated the expression of occludin and claudin-5, and reduced the injury of blood-brain barrier. Taken together, cRGD-Exo-Rg1 was effective in the treatment of ischemic stroke by promoting angiogenesis and neurogenesis, which provided experimental evidence for the potential clinical benefits of other neuroprotective therapies.
Rats ; Animals ; Ischemic Stroke/drug therapy* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism* ; Exosomes/metabolism* ; Ginsenosides/therapeutic use*

Objective:To compare the cost-effectiveness before and after using an artificial intelligence gastroscopy-assisted system for early gastric cancer screening.Methods:The gastroscopy cases before (non-AI group) and after (AI group) the use of artificial intelligence gastroscopy-assisted system were retrospectively collected in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from January 1, 2017 to February 28, 2022. The proportion of early gastric cancer among all gastric cancer was analyzed. Costs were estimated based on the standards of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University and the 2021 edition of Wuhan Disease Diagnosis-related Group Payment Standards. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted per 100 thousand cases with and without the system. And the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated.Results:For the non-AI group, the proportion of early gastric cancer among all gastric cancer was 28.81% (70/243). The cost of gastroscopy screening per 100 thousand was 54 598.0 thousand yuan, early gastric treatment cost was 221.8 thousand yuan, and a total cost was 54 819.8 thousand yuan. The direct effectiveness was 894.2 thousand yuan, the indirect effectiveness was 1 828.2 thousand yuan and the total effectiveness was 2 722.4 thousand yuan per 100 thousand cases. For the AI group, the early gastric cancer diagnositic rate was 36.56%(366/1 001), where gastroscopy cost was 53 440.0 thousand yuan, early gastric treatment cost 315.8 thousand yuan, the total cost 53 755.8 thousand yuan. The direct effectiveness was 1 273.5 thousand yuan, indirect effectiveness 2 603.1 thousand yuan and the total effectiveness 3 876.6 thousand yuan per 100 thousand cases. The use of the system reduced the cost of early gastric cancer screening by 1 064.0 thousand yuan, and increased the benefit by 1 154.2 thousand yuan per 100 thousand cases. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was -0.92.Conclusion:The use of artificial intelligence gastroscopy-assisted system for gastric early cancer screening can reduce medical costs as well as improve the efficiency of screening, and it is recommended for gastroscopy screening .

Objective:To investigate the clinical difference between primary suture and T tube drainage in laparoscopic choledocholithotomy.Methods:The clinical data of 124 patients treated by laparoscopic choledocholithotomy in Suzhou Municipal Hospital from December 2018 to February 2020 were retrospectively studied. The patients were divided into the primary suture group (71 cases) and the T tube drainage group (53 cases) according to the different surgical methods, and the differences in the relevant treatment indicators were compared between the two groups.Results:There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, preoperative aspartate aminotransferase, preoperative alanine aminotransferase, preoperative total bilirubin, preoperative common bile duct diameter, postoperative length of stay, total cost of hospitalization, postoperative exhaust time, or postoperative biliary leakage, et al. Compared with the T tube drainage group, the primary suture group had more single choledocholithiasis before operation (33 cases vs. 15 cases), shorter operation time: (100.14 ± 38.90) h vs. (140.45 ± 54.17) h, less intraoperative bleeding: (35.70 ± 30.17) ml vs. (49.53 ± 34.58) ml, and later extraction time of Winslow hole drainage tube after operation: (7.15 ± 2.61) d vs. (5.45 ± 3.35) d, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Under the condition of strictly controlling the indications of primary suture and being operated by general surgeons who can skillfully operate laparoscope and choledochoscope, laparoscopic choledocholithotomy for primary suture has better curative effect than T tube drainage, and has higher clinical application value.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of shear wave elastography (SWE) in predicting pathological responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer.Methods:According to the postoperative pathological responses, 56 patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgical excision in the Fujian Cancer Hospital from August 2019 to September 2020 were divided into responders and non-responders. The relative change rates of tumor maximum diameter(ΔD2, ΔD4) and SWE stiffness (ΔEmax2, ΔEmax4, ΔEmean2, ΔEmean4) were assessed before NAC and after different NAC cycles (t2, t4). Clinical information, including age, T, N stages, ER, PR, HER2, Ki67, and molecular subtype were also considered as the variables. The independent influencing factors of pathological responses after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were obtained by logistic regression analysis and diagnostic test was carried out.Results:There were 23 cases as responders (41.0%, 23/56), and 33 cases as non-responders (58.9%, 33/56). Results of multivariate analysis showed ΔEmax4 and HER2 index were independent influencing factors of pathological responses ( OR=1.11, P<0.001; OR=31.81, P=0.002). Area under curve of the ΔEmax4 (AUC: 0.869, 95% CI: 0.746-0.941) was higher than that of HER2 (AUC: 0.690, 95% CI: 0.545-0.834). The combination of ΔEmax4 and HER2 gave the best prediction of pathological responses (AUC 0.930, 95% CI: 0.829-0.981). the sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, postive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 78.26%, 96.97%, 75.23%, 94.73%, and 86.49%, respectively. Conclusions:ΔEmax4 and HER2 are independent predictors of pathological responses after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Combined ΔEmax4 and HER2 can improve the predictive diagnostic efficacy of pathological responses to chemotherapy for breast cancer.