ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of salt processing of Psoraleae Fructus （PF） through modern analytical techniques and biotechnology， focusing on its effects related to hepatotoxicity and anti-osteoporosis activity. MethodsThe zebrafish model was utilized to evaluate the impact of PF and salt-processed Psoraleae Fructus （SPF） on the hepatotoxicity （using 134.17 ， 178.89， 268.34 mg·L^-1 as low， medium， and high dose groups of PF， 135.04， 180.06， 270.08 mg·L^-1 as low， medium， and high dose groups of SPF， respectively） and anti-osteoporotic activity （using 33.54 ， 67.08 and 134.17 mg·L^-1 as low， medium， and high dose groups of PF， 33.76， 67.52， 135.04 mg·L^-1 as low， medium， and high dose groups of SPF， respectively）， which was using alizarin red skull staining of zebrafish as an indicator of different batches of PF. The specific dosage of a batch of PF was taken as an example. Then ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） analysis was employed to identify the chemical composition of PF before and after salt processing， and PCA， OPLS-DA， and independent sample t-test were used to elucidating the compositional changes associated with the effects of salt processing on hepatotoxicity and anti-osteoporosis activity. ResultsUnder specific conditions， PF induced notable hepatotoxicity in zebrafish while simultaneously demonstrating protective effect against prednisolone-induced osteoporosis. In comparison to PF， SPF showed alleviated hepatotoxicity while retaining significant anti-osteoporosis activity. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis revealed that after salt processing， the overall chemical composition of PF showed a downward trend， with 69 components showing a decrease in content， represented by psoralen， and 13 components showing an increase， represented by 4′-O-methyl psoralen B. Further multivariate statistical analysis revealed 11 key differential components before and after salt processing of PF， including psoralen and bakuchiol. ConclusionSalt processing effectively diminishes hepatotoxicity without impairing therapeutic efficacy against osteoporosis of PF， which may be related to the compositional changes before and after salt processing of PF and provides key evidence to reveal the scientific significance of salt processing of PF.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on improving motor function and regulating microglial activation based on Notch receptor 1 (Notch1)/Hes family bHLH transcription factor 1 (Hes1) pathway in mice with Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: Thirty-six male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group, a model group and an EA group, 12 mice in each group. PD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) for 7 consecutive days in the model group and the EA group. From the 1st day of modeling, EA was applied at "Baihui" (GV20) and bilateral "Shenshu" (BL23) in the EA group, with continuous wave, in frequency of 2 Hz and current of 2 mA, 15 min a time, once a day for 14 days continuously. The behavioral performance was evaluated by gait test, pole climbing test and hanging test, the number of positive cells of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and the co-expression positive cells of Notch1/ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1) in the substantia nigra of midbrain was assessed by immunofluorescence, the protein expression of TH, α-synuclein (α-syn), Notch1, Hes1, Iba-1, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), Arginase-1 (ARG1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 was detected by Western blot, the mRNA expression of Notch1 and Hes1 was detected by real-time PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, in the model group, the stride frequency was accelerated (P<0.001) and the stride length was shortened (P<0.001) for the four limbs, the pole climbing test time was prolonged (P<0.01) and the grip level was reduced (P<0.01); in the substantia nigra of midbrain, the number of positive cells of TH was decreased (P<0.001), the number of co-expression positive cells of Notch1/Iba-1 was increased (P<0.001), the protein expression of α-syn, Notch1, Hes1, Iba-1, iNOS, TNF-α, IL-1βand IL-6 was increased (P<0.01, P<0.05, P<0.001), the protein expression of TH, ARG1 and IL-10 was decreased (P<0.01, P<0.001), the mRNA expression of Notch1 and Hes1 was increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, in the EA group, the stride frequency was decelerated (P<0.001) and the stride length was increased (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.001) for the four limbs, the pole climbing test time was shortened (P<0.05) and the grip level was increased (P<0.05); in the substantia nigra of midbrain, the number of positive cells of TH was increased (P<0.01), the number of co-expression positive cells of Notch1/Iba-1 was decreased (P<0.001), the protein expression of α-syn, Notch1, Hes1, Iba-1, iNOS, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β was decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), the protein expression of TH, ARG1 and IL-10 was increased (P<0.05, P<0.001, P<0.01), the mRNA expression of Notch1 and Hes1 was decreased (P<0.05). CONCLUSION EA can improve the behavioral performance and protect the dopaminergic neurons in PD mice, its mechanism may relate to the inhibition of Notch1/Hes1-mediated neuroinflammation, thus inhibiting the microglial activation.
Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Microglia/metabolism* ; Male ; Receptor, Notch1/metabolism* ; Parkinson Disease/physiopathology* ; Transcription Factor HES-1/metabolism* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Humans ; Signal Transduction

One of the basic questions in the aging field is whether there is a fundamental difference between the aging of lower invertebrates and mammals. A major difference between the lower invertebrates and mammals is the abundancy of noncoding RNAs, most of which are not conserved. We have previously identified a noncoding RNA Terc-53 that is derived from the RNA component of telomerase Terc. To study its physiological functions, we generated two transgenic mouse models overexpressing the RNA in wild-type and early-aging Terc-/- backgrounds. Terc-53 mice showed age-related cognition decline and shortened life span, even though no developmental defects or physiological abnormality at an early age was observed, indicating its involvement in normal aging of mammals. Subsequent mechanistic study identified hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor (Hmmr) as the main effector of Terc-53. Terc-53 mediates the degradation of Hmmr, leading to an increase of inflammation in the affected tissues, accelerating organismal aging. adeno-associated virus delivered supplementation of Hmmr in the hippocampus reversed the cognition decline in Terc-53 transgenic mice. Neither Terc-53 nor Hmmr has homologs in C. elegans. Neither do arthropods express hyaluronan. These findings demonstrate the complexity of aging in mammals and open new paths for exploring noncoding RNA and Hmmr as means of treating age-related physical debilities and improving healthspan.
Animals ; Mice ; RNA, Untranslated/metabolism* ; Aging/genetics* ; Mice, Transgenic ; Telomerase/metabolism* ; RNA/genetics* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Humans ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Objective:To investigate the reliability and validity of different measurement methods under 30° arthroscopy for quantifying the proportion of glenoid bone defect in bony Bankart lesions of the shoulder joint and validate its preliminary application effect.Methods:Eight intact shoulder glenoid specimens were selected, with no existing defects or deformities, from donors of 4 females and 4 males, with their age at death of 43-67 years [(54.4±8.0)years]. Bone defects of 12.5% and 25% were created in the glenoid at 0° and 45° relative to the longitudinal axis, with two specimens per defect category. The defect proportion in each specimen was quantified using direct measurement and CT-based digital reconstruction and these values served as reference standards for subsequent statistical analysis. Using a combined approach of arthroscopic simulation equipment and cadaveric study, five investigators performed simulated examinations through the standard posterior portal (2 cm medial and 1.5 cm inferior to the posterolateral acromial corner) and the modified posteroinferior portal (2 cm medial and 3 cm inferior to the posterolateral acromial corner) separately. Under 30° arthroscopy, the glenoid bone loss percentage was measured using the bare spot method and secant chord method. The reliability was analyzed for these measurements. Furthermore, using direct physical measurements and CT-based three-dimensional reconstruction data from the same specimens as reference standards, the comprehensive validity of four measurement methods was evaluated (standard posterior portal-bare spot method, standard posterior portal-secant chord method, modified posteroinferior portal-bare spot method, and modified posteroinferior portal-secant chord method). The independent validity of each method was assessed according to bone defect morphology classification to determine differences in measurement accuracy across defect types. In an arthroscopic procedure for a patient with Bigliani type IIIB bony Bankart lesion, the standard posterior portal-secant chord method was applied to quantify the proportion of glenoid bone defects.Results:The mean reference values from direct measurement and CT measurement of glenoid bone defect proportion in eight bony Bankart lesion specimens were 12.71%/12.37%, 13.17%/13.10%, 25.71%/24.9%, 26.6%/26.95%, 13.41%/13.10%, 12.90%/12.59%, 26.42%/25.94%, and 26.73%/27.06%, respectively. Measurements obtained by the five investigators showed intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) all greater than 0.90, indicating excellent interobserver agreement. In the validity analysis, the standard posterior portal-secant chord method demonstrated the highest overall validity. Using direct measurement and CT-based measurement as reference standards, the overall validity was (0.90±0.38)% and (1.07±0.53)% for the standard posterior portal-bare spot method, (1.33±0.40)% and (1.51±0.54)% for the modified posteroinferior portal-bare spot method, and (0.53±0.17)% and (0.70±0.38)% ( P<0.05) for the modified posteroinferior portal-secant chord method. In contrast, the standard posterior portal-secant chord method showed an overall validity of (0.10±0.10)% and (0.28±0.39)% ( P>0.05). In subsequent independent validity analyses, the standard posterior portal-secant chord method also demonstrated superior validity across all bone defect subtypes over the other three methods. In a patient with a Bigliani type IIIB bony Bankart lesion, we used the standard posterior portal-secant chord method to quantify the glenoid bone loss in 2 minutes, revealing a defect proportion of 26.6%. An arthroscopic autologous iliac bone graft procedure with single-tunnel elastic fixation guided by this measurement achieved favorable outcomes, with stable reduction, secure internal fixation and favorable recovery of shoulder function at 2 months postoperatively. Conclusion:For various types of bony Bankart lesions, the 30° arthroscopic standard posterior portal-secant chord method provides the most accurate quantification of glenoid bone loss and its preliminary clinical application yields satisfactory results.

Objective:To evaluate the mediating effect of electrocardiographic (ECG) indicators in the association between short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and blood pressure and to explore the key PM 2.5 element constituents that produce the mediating effect. Methods:Based on a cross-sectional survey across 10 cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas, PM 2.5 and its element constituents were collected from the nearest air monitoring superstation. Blood pressure and ECG indicators of participants were obtained through physical examinations. A multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate the effect of short-term exposures to PM 2.5 on blood pressure. A mediation analysis was used to identify the mediating effect of ECG indicators in the association between exposure to PM 2.5 and its element constituents and blood pressure. Results:The age of the 1 793 participants was (65.1±13.3) years, and 885 (49.4%) were males. During the study period, the daily mean concentration of PM 2.5 was (70±45) μg/m 3, and the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure (PP) were (139±20), (82±11), (101±13), and (57±17) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), respectively. The results of the multivariate linear regression showed that for every 10 μg/m 3 increase in PM 2.5 on the same day (lag 0), DBP increased by 0.15 (95% CI: 0.02-0.28) mmHg, and PP decreased 0.18 (95% CI: 0.36-0.01) mmHg. The exposure to 14 elemental constituents, such as Ga, Co and Se, was associated with an increase in DBP, while the exposure to 17 elemental constituents, such as Cs, Se and Ag, was associated with a decrease in PP. At lag 0, the PM 2.5-induced increase in DBP was mediated by the QRS interval (mediation percentage of 18.98%), and the PM 2.5-induced decrease in PP was mediated by the QT interval (mediation percentage of -6.31%). The exposure to K, Br, Pb, Zn, Ca, Co, Pd, Cu, and As constituents was associated with increases in DBP mediated by prolonged QRS interval. The exposure to Pb, Zn, K, and As constituents was associated with decreases in PP mediated by prolonged QRS interval. Conclusion:ECG indicators such as QRS interval may mediate the association between short-term exposure to PM 2.5 and its element constituents and blood pressure.

Objective:To develop and validate a clinical prediction model for assessing the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in elderly patients undergoing surgery with general anesthesia.Methods:This prospective observational study enrolled patients aged ≥65 years who underwent general anesthesia with mechanical ventilation duration >3 hours across six tertiary hospitals between December 2022 and August 2023. Based on follow-up outcomes (until discharge or postoperative day 7), patients were categorized into a non-PPCs group and a PPCs group. Detailed records included baseline patient characteristics, preoperative comorbidities, surgical information (type, duration), and bedside lung ultrasound scores (LUS) assessed within 24 hours postoperatively using a standardized 12-zone protocol. Predictor selection was performed using LASSO regression. Significant predictors identified were incorporated into a multivariate logistic regression analysis to build the prediction model, visualized as a nomogram. Internal validation was conducted via bootstrap resampling (1 000 repetitions). Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for discrimination, calibration curves for calibration accuracy, and decision curve analysis (DCA) for clinical utility.Results:A total of 130 eligible elderly surgical patients were included. PPCs occurred in 17 patients (incidence rate: 13.1%). Multivariate analysis identified LUS ( OR=1.248, 95% CI: 1.099-1.417, P=0.001) and elective surgery type ( OR=0.206, 95% CI: 0.043-0.988, P=0.048) as independent predictors of PPCs. The nomogram model demonstrated an AUC of 0.867 (95% CI: 0.775-0.959) upon initial testing. Internal validation confirmed good discrimination (AUC=0.863, 95% CI: 0.778-0.972). Calibration curves indicated excellent agreement between predicted probabilities and observed outcomes. Decision curve analysis demonstrated significant clinical net benefit across a wide range of threshold probabilities (0.03-0.89). Conclusions:The clinical prediction model, developed using early postoperative LUS scores and surgical type, effectively predicts the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications in elderly patients following surgery under general anesthesia. The model exhibits strong discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility, providing clinicians with a reliable tool for individualized risk assessment to support clinical decision-making and potentially reduce PPC incidence.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between the expression of hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) and the prognosis of patients with oral cancer.Methods:Clinical data of 96 patients with oral cancer admitted to Nanjing Tongren Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University from March 2019 to January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, and biopsy cancer tissue specimens and adjacent tissues >3 cm from the tumor margin of oral cancer patients were collected. The expression of HDGF in cancer tissues and adjacent tissues was compared, and the influence of HDGF expression on prognosis of patients was analyzed. The patients were followed up for 36 months to compare the survival rate of patients with HDGF-negative and HDGF-positive oral cancer during follow-up.Results:The positive expression rate of HDGF in oral cancer tissues [75.00%(72/96)] was higher than that in adjacent tissues [11.46%(11/96)] ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the positive expression rate of HDGF in oral cancer patients with different sex, age, body mass index (BMI), smoking and drinking conditions ( P>0.05). The positive expression rate of HDGF in oral cancer tissues of patients with tumor length ≥3 cm, clinical stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ, lymph node metastasis, low differentiation, and vascular invasion was higher than that of patients with tumor length <3 cm, clinical stageⅠ-Ⅱ, no lymph node metastasis, medium/high differentiation, and no vascular invasion (all P<0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that tumor length, periodontitis or pulpitis, smoking, clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, histological type and positive expression of HDGF were independent influencing factors for overall survival of patients with oral cancer (all P<0.05). By the end of follow-up, the overall survival rate of patients with positive expression of HDGF was 70.77%(46/65), and that of patients with negative expression of HDGF was 95.45%(21/22). The survival rate of patients with negative expression of HDGF was higher than that of patients with positive expression ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The expression of HDGF in oral cancer tissues is abnormally high, which is closely related to clinicopathological features and prognosis.

Background::An evidence gap still exists regarding the efficacy and safety of tegoprazan in patients with erosive esophagitis (EE) in China. This study aimed to verify the efficacy and safety of tegoprazan vs. esomeprazole in patients with EE in China. Methods::This study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel, active-controlled, non-inferiority phase III trial of patients with EE randomized 1:1 to tegoprazan 50 mg/day vs. esomeprazole 40 mg/day. This study was conducted in 32 sites between October 24, 2018 and October 18, 2019. The primary endpoint was the cumulative endoscopic healing rate at week 8. The secondary endpoint included endoscopic healing rate at week 4, changes in the reflux disease questionnaire (RDQ) and gastroesophageal reflux disease health-related quality of life (GERD-HRQL) scores, and symptom improvement. Results::A total of 261 patients were randomized: 132 to the tegoprazan group and 129 to the esomeprazole group. The cumulative endoscopic healing rate at 8 weeks in the tegoprazan group was non-inferior to that of the esomeprazole group (91.1% vs. 92.8%, difference: -1.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -8.5%, 5.0%, P = 0.008). There were no statistically significant differences in the changes in RDQ (total, severity, and frequency) and GERD-HRQL scores between the two groups (all P >0.05). The percentages of days without symptoms, including daytime and nighttime symptoms based on patients' diaries, were similar between the two groups (all P >0.05). In the tegoprazan and esomeprazole groups, 71.5% (93/130) and 61.7% (79/128) of the participants reported adverse events (AEs), 2.3% and 0 experienced serious AEs, while 70.0% and 60.2% had treatment-emergent AEs, respectively. Conclusion::Tegoprazan 50 mg/day demonstrated non-inferior efficacy in healing EE, symptom improvement, and quality of life, and it has similar tolerability compared with esomeprazole 40 mg/day.

Small bowel Crohn's disease(CD)is a multi-ulcerative lesion that tends to occur in the small intestine,which leads to intestinal obstruction,stricture,and bleeding easily.With the clinical application of capsule endoscopy and balloon-assisted enteroscopy,the detection rate of small bowel CD has increased significantly.However,the treatment of small bowel CD is still a difficult issue which troubles clinical practice.It is of great significance to standardize the diagnosis and treatment process,optimize the diagnosis and treatment strategy,and further improve the diagnosis and treatment efficiency.Therefore,it is necessary to formulate an expert consensus on the endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of small bowel CD.Based on the evidence-based medicine and expert experience,the consensus focus on the clinical issues including the epidemiology,endoscopic and imaging diagnosis,enteroscopy treatment,drug treatment and follow-up of small bowel CD,and formulated relevant recommendations,so as to standardize the diagnosis and treatment process of small bowel CD and improve the prognosis of patients.

The clinical manifestations and genealogic test results of twin sisters with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) caused by the homozygous mutation of NCF1 treated at the Department of Pediatrics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University from May 2021 to January 2024 were reported.Case 1 (a 8-year-old girl) was admitted in May 2021 due to " epistaxis for two times and thrombocytopenia for more than 1 month", presenting tricytopenia, mainly thrombocytopenia.A homozygous mutation of NCF1 gene c. 269G > A (p.R90H) was detected in case 1, and she was subsequently diagnosed with SLE.Case 2 (a 11-year-old girl), the little sister of case 1, was admitted in January 2024 due to " repeated fever for more than 10 days, cough for 2 days, and convulsion once". The manifestations were reduced myelodysplasia, hemophagy accounted for 66%, and perineal ulcer during treatment.She was finally diagnosed with SLE and also had a homozygous mutation of NCF1 gene c. 269G > A (p.R90H).Their parents both carried the mutation.This case provides a reference for pathogenic mutations and phenotypes of NCF1.It suggests that close attention should be paid to the family history of patients in clinical diagnosis of SLE.