AIM:To evaluate the accuracy of a portable non-contact tonometer(PNCT)compared with a traditional non-contact tonometer(NCT)in measuring intraocular pressure(IOP)at different levels.METHODS:Patients who presented to Ningbo Eye Hospital between January 2025 and January 2026 were retrospectively included. All patients underwent measurements using PNCT, NCT, and Goldmann applanation tonometry(GAT). Based on the GAT measurements, the patients were categorized into a low IOP group(IOP≤16 mmHg), a moderate IOP group(16 mmHg0.05). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the IOP values measured by both PNCT and NCT were positively correlated with those measured by GAT(rs=0.86 and 0.84, respectively, P<0.05). Intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC)analysis demonstrated an ICC of 0.89 between PNCT and GAT(P<0.05), and 0.88 between NCT and GAT(P<0.05), with an overall ICC of 0.88 among the three instruments(P<0.05). Bland-Altman analysis indicated a mean bias of 0.1 mmHg [95% limits of agreement(LoA): -7.3 to 7.6 mmHg] between PNCT and GAT, and a mean bias of 0.1 mmHg(95%LoA: -8.4 to 8.6 mmHg)between NCT and GAT. Based on the GAT measurements, the eyes were categorized into a low IOP group(60 eyes, 32.6%, IOP≤16 mmHg), a moderate IOP group(63 eyes, 34.2%, 16 mmHg0.05), whereas the difference between NCT and GAT showed a positive correlation with CCT(rs=0.23, P<0.05).CONCLUSION:The IOP measurements obtained by PNCT, NCT, and GAT demonstrated strong correlation and good agreement, with PNCT being less influenced by CCT. However, as IOP levels increased, the measurement errors of both PNCT and NCT also increased. Therefore, PNCT and NCT readings should only serve as references and cannot replace GAT.

Objective To compare the differences in clinical features and treatment choices between periph-eral spondyloarthritis(pSpA)and axial spondyloarthritis(axSpA),and better understand the clinical charac-teristics and medication needs of pSpA.Methods Our study is a retrospective cohort study.The patients who first visited the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital between January 2016 and December 2022 and were diagnosed with axSpA or pSpA according to the classification criteria established by the Assess-ment of SpondyloArthritis International Society were selected as the study subjects.Demographic data,clinical characteristics,laboratory tests,and treatment information of these patients were obtained through the electronic medical records management system and the intelligent management system for spondyloarthritis.The research compared the distribution of swollen and tender joints between pSpA and axSpA patients,as well as that between pSpA1(excluding patients with psoriatic arthritis)and axSpA patients.Additionally,we analyzed differences in clinical features and treatment options among these groups.Results A total of 1639 pa-tients were included in the study,of which 184 had pSpA(including 97 with psoriatic arthritis),and 1455 had axSpA.Compared to axSpA patients,pSpA patients had fewer male patients(62.5％vs.79.7％,P＜0.001),later onset age(33.8 years vs.22.0 years,P＜0.001),shorter diagnostic delays(6.0 months vs.14.2 months,P=0.004),more associated peripheral arthritis(71.7％vs.9.3％,P＜0.001)and dac-tylitis(6.5％vs.0.3％,P＜0.001),more cases of psoriasis(52.7％vs.1.1％,P＜0.001)and a more common family history of psoriasis(11.4％vs.3.4％,P＜0.001).pSpA patients had higher levels of in-flammatory markers but a lower positive rate of human leukocyte antigen(HLA)-B27(43.5％vs.87.4％,P＜0.001).A positive HLA-B27 was associated with an earlier onset age,fewer cases of psoriasis,and a fami-ly history of ankylosing spondylitis.pSpA patients had a higher proportion of using conventional synthetic dis-ease-modifying antirheumatic drugs(csDMARDs),biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs(bDMARDs),and oral glucocorticoids,and they also more frequently used a combination of bDMARDs and csDMARDs(19.0％vs.12.2％,P=0.009)or multiple csDMARDs(65.8％vs.12.5％,P＜0.001).Compared to axSpA patients,pSpA1 patients(excluding psoriatic arthritis)did not show significant differences in the prevalence of psoriasis,uveitis,family history of psoriasis,or the use of bDMARDs,but the subgroup analysis of other variables was consistent with the results of pSpA patients.Conclusions pSpA patients tend to have a later onset of disease,a lower proportion of male and HLA-B27 positivity,more associ-ated peripheral arthritis,dactylitis,psoriasis,and a more common family history of psoriasis.The disease bur-den in terms of treatment for pSpA is not lower than that for axSpA.Due to the presence of more peripheral symptoms,psoriasis,and higher levels of inflammation,they also require more medication.

AIM:To investigate whether direct stimulation of the Du Meridian improves autism-like behaviors in mice by modulating synaptic pruning.METHODS:Pregnant mice received intraperitoneal injections of valproic acid(VPA)or saline on gestational day 12.5.Offspring from saline-treated mice were assigned to the saline group.Offspring from VPA-treated mice were randomly divided into the model(VPA)group and the VPA-model-DuMaiTuiFa(VPA-DMTF)group.Each group included five mice.The VPA-DMTF group received direct stimulation along the Du Mai at 80 times per minute,10 minutes per session,twice daily for 21 days.After treatment,behavioral tests were conducted,in-cluding the three-chamber test for social interaction and the open field test for anxiety-like behavior.Hippocampal tissue was collected for analysis.Golgi staining was used to assess dendritic spine density.Immunofluorescence staining for post-synaptic denisty protein(PSD95)and synapsin 1(SYN1)was performed to evaluate synaptic protein expression.Staining for ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1(IBA1)and CD68 was used to assess microglial phagocytosis.Western blot analysis was conducted to evaluate hippocampal expression levels of PSD95,SYN1,IBA1,complement component 1,q subcomponent(C1q),complement component 3(C3),and complement receptor 3(CR3).RESULTS:Compared with the saline group,VPA mice showed reduced social behavior and increased anxiety(P<0.05).The expression levels of IBA1,PSD95,and SYN1 were significantly increased(P<0.05),whereas C1q,C3,and CR3 were significantly de-creased(P<0.05).Microglial phagocytosis declined.Immunofluorescence analysis showed increased levels of synaptic proteins(PSD95 and SYN1)in the VPA group(P<0.05).Golgi staining revealed a higher dendritic spine density and an increased proportion of immature dendritic spines(P<0.05).Compared with the VPA group,VPA-DMTF mice showed improved behavior,reduced IBA1,PSD95,and SYN1 levels(P<0.05),and increased expression of C1q,C3,and CR3(P<0.05).Microglial phagocytosis was enhanced,and dendritic spine number was reduced.CONCLUSION:Direct stimulation of the Du Mai alleviates autism-like behaviors in mice.This effect may be mediated by upregulation of comple-ment proteins C1q and C3,which enhance microglia-mediated synaptic pruning and reduce synaptic overabundance.

AIM:To investigate whether direct stimulation of the Du Meridian improves autism-like behaviors in mice by modulating synaptic pruning.METHODS:Pregnant mice received intraperitoneal injections of valproic acid(VPA)or saline on gestational day 12.5.Offspring from saline-treated mice were assigned to the saline group.Offspring from VPA-treated mice were randomly divided into the model(VPA)group and the VPA-model-DuMaiTuiFa(VPA-DMTF)group.Each group included five mice.The VPA-DMTF group received direct stimulation along the Du Mai at 80 times per minute,10 minutes per session,twice daily for 21 days.After treatment,behavioral tests were conducted,in-cluding the three-chamber test for social interaction and the open field test for anxiety-like behavior.Hippocampal tissue was collected for analysis.Golgi staining was used to assess dendritic spine density.Immunofluorescence staining for post-synaptic denisty protein(PSD95)and synapsin 1(SYN1)was performed to evaluate synaptic protein expression.Staining for ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1(IBA1)and CD68 was used to assess microglial phagocytosis.Western blot analysis was conducted to evaluate hippocampal expression levels of PSD95,SYN1,IBA1,complement component 1,q subcomponent(C1q),complement component 3(C3),and complement receptor 3(CR3).RESULTS:Compared with the saline group,VPA mice showed reduced social behavior and increased anxiety(P<0.05).The expression levels of IBA1,PSD95,and SYN1 were significantly increased(P<0.05),whereas C1q,C3,and CR3 were significantly de-creased(P<0.05).Microglial phagocytosis declined.Immunofluorescence analysis showed increased levels of synaptic proteins(PSD95 and SYN1)in the VPA group(P<0.05).Golgi staining revealed a higher dendritic spine density and an increased proportion of immature dendritic spines(P<0.05).Compared with the VPA group,VPA-DMTF mice showed improved behavior,reduced IBA1,PSD95,and SYN1 levels(P<0.05),and increased expression of C1q,C3,and CR3(P<0.05).Microglial phagocytosis was enhanced,and dendritic spine number was reduced.CONCLUSION:Direct stimulation of the Du Mai alleviates autism-like behaviors in mice.This effect may be mediated by upregulation of comple-ment proteins C1q and C3,which enhance microglia-mediated synaptic pruning and reduce synaptic overabundance.

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in middle-aged and elderly people.It is characterized by a long disease course and complex treatment process,introducing great challenges to society.Behavioral changes in animal models of Parkinson's disease can intuitively reflect the modeling situation of experimental animals and the effects of drug interventions.Therefore,selecting standardized animal models and appropriate behavioral assays is fundamental for both understanding the mechanisms of Parkinson's disease and developing anti-Parkinson drugs.In this paper,we summarize the method of behavioral experiments of Parkinson's disease using mice and rats at home and abroad and systematically summarize the experimental equipment,experimental method,evaluation indexes,and precautions of commonly used Parkinson's behavioral experiments.We also provide an overview of the commonly used animal models of Parkinson's disease and analyze their modeling mechanisms,alignment with the clinical features of Parkinson's disease,and respective advantages and disadvantages.This analysis will help researchers in choosing appropriate animal models of Parkinson's disease and behavioral testing method according to the purpose of the study.

5-Hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)type 3 receptor(5-HT3R)is the only type of ligand-gated ion channel in the 5-HT receptor family.Through the high permeability of Na+,K+,and Ca2+ and activation of subsequent voltage-gated calcium channels(VGCCs),5-HT3R induces a rapid increase of neuronal excitability or the release of neurotransmitters from axon terminals in the central nervous system(CNS).5-HT3Rs are widely expressed in the medial prefrontal cortex(mPFC),amygdala(AMYG),hippocampus(HIP),periaqueductal gray(PAG),and other brain regions closely associated with anxiety reactions.They have a bidirectional regulatory effect on anxiety reactions by acting on different types of cells in different brain regions.5-HT3Rs mediate the activation of the cholecystokinin(CCK)system in the AMYG,and the γ-aminobutyric acid(GABA)"disinhibition"mechanism in the prelimbic area of the mPFC promotes anxiety by the activation of GABAergic intermediate inhibitory neurons(IINs).In contrast,a 5-HT3R-induced GABA"disinhibition"mechanism in the infralimbic area of the mPFC and the ventral HIP produces anxiolytic effects.5-HT2R-mediated regulation of anxiety reactions are also activated by 5-HT3R-activated 5-HT release in the HIP and PAG.This provides a theoretical basis for the treatment of anxiety disorders or the production of anxiolytic drugs by targeting 5-HT3Rs.However,given the circuit specific modulation of 5-HT3Rs on emotion,systemic use of 5-HT3R agonism or antagonism alone seems unlikely to remedy anxiety,which deeply hinders the current clinical application of 5-HT3R drugs.Therefore,the exploitation of circuit targeting methods or a combined drug strategy might be a useful developmental approach in the future.

Objective To investigate the modeling elements of various types of animal models for acute liver injury,and to provide references and suggestions to establish and evaluate animal models of acute liver injury(ALI).Methods The animal experimental literature of ALI from 2002 to 2022 was searched in the databases of the China Knowledge Network,WanFang,Chongqing Vip(VIP),Chinese Medical Journal Full Text Data(Yiigle),and PubMed.The animal species,positive control drugs,modeling method,modeling drugs,and drug administration of the animal models of ALI in the literature were summarized.The result were analyzed using Excel,SPSS Modeler 18.0,and Cytoscape 3.8.2.Results A total of 896 articles were included in the databases.The most used animal models for ALI were male KM mice.The modeling method were mainly chemical liver injury,alcoholic liver injury,drug-related liver injury,and immune liver injury.①The corresponding main modeling method were intraperitoneal injection of 10 mL/kg of 0.1％CC14 in vegetable oil at 24 h before experiments,②gavage of 12.0 mL/kg of 50.0％～56.0％ethanol at 16 h before experiments,③intraperitoneal injection of 300 mg/kg APAP at 24 h before experiments,④tail vein injection of 20 mg/kg Con A at 8 h before experiments.Evaluation of the models was based on liver pathological indexes as the gold standard combined with biochemical indexes of serum ALT,AST,and SOD and MDA contents and activities in liver tissue homogenate as direct indicators.Conclusions Because the causes of ALI vary in clinical practice,the preparation of animal models of ALI should be based on the specific study content and characteristics,and the corresponding modeling method should be selected.

To compare the differences in clinical features and treatment choices between peripheral spondyloarthritis(pSpA) and axial spondyloarthritis(axSpA), and better understand the clinical characteristics and medication needs of pSpA.

Gypenosides, structurally analogous to ginsenosides and derived from a sustainable source, are recognized as the principal active compounds found in Gynostemma pentaphyllum, a Chinese medicinal plant used in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome. By bioactive tracking isolation of the plants collected from different regions across China, we obtained four new gypenosides (1-4), together with nine known gypenosides (5-13), from the methanol extract of the plant. The structures of new gypenosides were elucidated by one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, complemented by chemical degradation experiments. Through comprehensive evaluation involving COL1A1 promoter assays and PP2Cα activity assays, we established a definitive structure-activity relationship for these dammarane-type triterpenoids, affirming the indispensability of the C-3 saccharide chain and C-17 lactone ring in effectively impeding extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition within hepatic stellate cells. Further in vivo study on the CCl₄-induced liver damage mouse model corroborated that compound 5 significantly ameliorated the process of hepatic fibrosis by oral administration. These results underscore the potential of dammarane-type triterpenoids as prospective anti-fibrotic leads and highlight their prevalence as key molecular frameworks in the therapeutic intervention of chronic hepatic disorders.
Animals ; Mice ; Gynostemma ; Liver Cirrhosis/drug therapy* ; Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Ginsenosides ; Extracellular Matrix ; Dammaranes