ObjectiveThis study explores the methods of lung tissue extraction and fixation required for pathological studies of fetal rats, based on the unique physiological structure of fetal rat lung tissue and existing lung tissue fixation techniques for adult rats. MethodsSix pregnant adult SD rats at 20.5 days of gestation were subjected to cesarean section to obtain fetal rats. Four healthy fetal rats with similar body weight, vital signs, and respiratory status were selected from each pregnant rat, and they were randomly divided into the following groups using a random number table: direct lung infiltration group, lung infiltration group after intratracheal infusion, whole-body infiltration group of fetal rats, and whole-body infiltration group after intratracheal infusion of fetal rats. To systematically compare and analyze the anatomical morphology under different fixation methods, lung tissues from four groups of fetal rats were harvested, perfused, and fixed, and the gross morphology of lung tissues in each group was observed. Paraffin sections were prepared and stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin (H&E). The histological morphology of the whole lung, alveoli, and bronchi was further examined under optical microscopy. ResultsIn the direct lung infiltration group, the hilar structures were unclear, lung lobation was indistinct, the shape was irregular, lung cavities were small, and alveoli and bronchi were shrunken. In the lung infiltration group after intratracheal infusion, the hilar structures were clear, lobation was pronounced, the shape was regular, lung cavities were large, and alveoli and bronchi were full. Both the whole-body infiltration group and whole-body infiltration group after intratracheal infusion of fetal rats exhibited visible lungs, hearts, skins, and other organs. The lung tissues of both groups showed obvious lobulation, irregular shape, and damage at the margins of lung lobes. In the whole-body infiltration group, the thoracic cavities of the fetus were flattened, lung cavities were small, and alveoli and bronchi were shrunken. In the whole-body infiltration group after intratracheal infusion of fetal rats, the fetal thoracic cavities were full, lung cavities were large, and alveoli and bronchi were relatively full. ConclusionThe lung infiltration after intratracheal infusion method for fetal rat lung tissue fixation outperforms direct lung infiltration, whole-body infiltration of fetal rats, and whole-body infiltration after intratracheal infusion of fetal rats in terms of preservation of the lung tissue's original morphology, paraffin sectioning, staining, and pathological observation and analysis. The embedding, sectioning, and staining processes are also simple and save consumables. Therefore, intratracheal infusion followed by lung infiltration method is recommended for fixation in histopathological observation of fetal rat lung tissue.

Objective To investigate and compare the effects of electroacupuncture and dexamethasone on lung function and histomorphology and behavior in the offspring of perinatal nicotine exposure(PNE)rats.Methods Twenty-four pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control,model,electroacupuncture shallow needling,and dexamethasone groups using the random number table method(n=6 rats per group).A pulmonary dysplasia model in offspring rats with PNE was prepared by cervicodorsal subcutaneous injection with nicotine,and successful establishment of the model was confirmed by demonstrating statistically significant differences in growth parameters,lung function,and lung morphology compared to the control group.From the sixth day of maternal conception,the control group received cervicodorsal subcutaneous injection with 0.9%sodium chloride solution(1 mg/kg once per day),and the remaining groups were similarly injected with nicotine(1 mg/kg once per day).Concurrent with the nicotine injections,the electroacupuncture shallow needling group received electroacupuncture interventions at the"Zusanli"(ST 36)acupoint on both sides once a day for 20 min.In contrast,the offspring rats in the dexamethasone group received intraperitoneal dexamethasone injections from postnatal day 8(1.5 mg/kg once per day for 3 days),with a later dose of 0.75 mg/kg once per day for 4 days.Following successful model establishment,four offspring per rat were retained in each group using the random number table method.Until the 21st day after the birth of the offspring,using the random number table method,one offspring randomly selected from the four retained offspring per rat in each group was assigned to growth parameter assessment including body weight,lung weight,and lung index;simultaneously,one offspring was randomly selected for pulmonary function which was detected by a small animal pulmonary function machine,with the parameters of forced vital capacity(FVC),functional residual capacity(FRC),dynamic lung compliance(Cdyn),peak expiratory flow(PEF),peak inspiratory flow(PIF),and airway resistance(RL);concurrently,one offspring was randomly selected for hematoxylin and eosin staining to observe the histomorphology of the lung tissue,alveolar numbers,and mean alveolar septal thickness;additionally,one offspring was randomly selected for Morris water maze testing to evaluate the effects of the two intervention methods on learning and memory capabilities in offspring rats with PNE.Results Compared with the control group,the body weight,lung weight,lung index,FVC,PEF,FRC,Cdyn,alveolar number,platform crossing times,target quadrant time percentage,and target quadrant path percentage in the Morris water maze experiment were significantly decreased in the offspring rats of the model group(P<0.01).In contrast,PIF,RL,average thickness of alveolar septa,and latency of the Morris water maze experiment were significantly increased in the offspring rats of the model group(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,both electroacupuncture shallow needling group and dexamethasone group exhibited significant increases in body weight,lung weight,lung index,FVC,PEF,FRC,Cdyn,and alveolar numbers(P<0.05,P<0.01),along with significant decreases in PIF,RL values,and mean alveolar septal thickness(P<0.01).However,in the Morris water maze experiment,compared with the model group,the electroacupuncture shallow needling group demonstrated significantly more platform crossing times and a higher target quadrant time percentage and target quadrant path percentage(P<0.01),coupled with reduced latency period(P<0.01),whereas the dexamethasone group showed no significant differences compared to the model group.Compared to the electroacupuncture shallow needling group,the dexamethasone group showed significantly less platform crossing times and a lower target quadrant time percentage and target quadrant path percentage,coupled with increased latency period(P<0.01).Conclusion Both electroacupuncture and dexamethasone demonstrated protective effects on lung development in PNE offspring rats by ameliorating lung histomorphology and pulmonary function.However,offspring receiving late,small-dose,short-course dexamethasone exhibited inferior learning and memory capabilities,whereas the electroacupuncture group showed significantly superior cognitive performance compared to the dexamethasone group.

Objective:To adapt the English version of exteroceptive body awareness questionnaire (EBA-q) into Chinese, and evaluate its reliability and validity in college students.Methods:English version EBA-q was translated and culturally adapted into Chinese, and the tests were administered from October to December 2024, with valid data collected from 1 071 college students. Item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, criterion-related validity analysis, and reliability analysis were conducted by SPSS 23.0 and Mplus 8.3 softwares.Results:(1) The Chinese version of EBA-q contained seventeen items across five factors: visual awareness, tactile awareness, body coordination, awareness of body changes and awareness of clothing fit. The five-factor measurement model fitted the data well ( χ2/ df=2.24, CFI=0.95, TLI=0.94, RMSEA=0.05, SRMR=0.06). (2) The EBA-q scores were positively correlated with the scores of noticing, body listening, public self-consciousness, and private self-consciousness ( r=0.46, 0.36, 0.09, 0.25, all P<0.01). (3)The Cronbach's α coefficient, split-half reliability and test-retest reliability of the Chinese version of EBA-q were 0.79, 0.85 and 0.77, respectively(all P<0.01). Conclusion:The Chinese version of the EBA-q has demonstrated good reliability in assessing external body awareness among college students, but its validity requires further verification.

Objective:To adapt the English version of exteroceptive body awareness questionnaire (EBA-q) into Chinese, and evaluate its reliability and validity in college students.Methods:English version EBA-q was translated and culturally adapted into Chinese, and the tests were administered from October to December 2024, with valid data collected from 1 071 college students. Item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, criterion-related validity analysis, and reliability analysis were conducted by SPSS 23.0 and Mplus 8.3 softwares.Results:(1) The Chinese version of EBA-q contained seventeen items across five factors: visual awareness, tactile awareness, body coordination, awareness of body changes and awareness of clothing fit. The five-factor measurement model fitted the data well ( χ2/ df=2.24, CFI=0.95, TLI=0.94, RMSEA=0.05, SRMR=0.06). (2) The EBA-q scores were positively correlated with the scores of noticing, body listening, public self-consciousness, and private self-consciousness ( r=0.46, 0.36, 0.09, 0.25, all P<0.01). (3)The Cronbach's α coefficient, split-half reliability and test-retest reliability of the Chinese version of EBA-q were 0.79, 0.85 and 0.77, respectively(all P<0.01). Conclusion:The Chinese version of the EBA-q has demonstrated good reliability in assessing external body awareness among college students, but its validity requires further verification.

Objective To investigate and compare the effects of electroacupuncture and dexamethasone on lung function and histomorphology and behavior in the offspring of perinatal nicotine exposure(PNE)rats.Methods Twenty-four pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control,model,electroacupuncture shallow needling,and dexamethasone groups using the random number table method(n=6 rats per group).A pulmonary dysplasia model in offspring rats with PNE was prepared by cervicodorsal subcutaneous injection with nicotine,and successful establishment of the model was confirmed by demonstrating statistically significant differences in growth parameters,lung function,and lung morphology compared to the control group.From the sixth day of maternal conception,the control group received cervicodorsal subcutaneous injection with 0.9%sodium chloride solution(1 mg/kg once per day),and the remaining groups were similarly injected with nicotine(1 mg/kg once per day).Concurrent with the nicotine injections,the electroacupuncture shallow needling group received electroacupuncture interventions at the"Zusanli"(ST 36)acupoint on both sides once a day for 20 min.In contrast,the offspring rats in the dexamethasone group received intraperitoneal dexamethasone injections from postnatal day 8(1.5 mg/kg once per day for 3 days),with a later dose of 0.75 mg/kg once per day for 4 days.Following successful model establishment,four offspring per rat were retained in each group using the random number table method.Until the 21st day after the birth of the offspring,using the random number table method,one offspring randomly selected from the four retained offspring per rat in each group was assigned to growth parameter assessment including body weight,lung weight,and lung index;simultaneously,one offspring was randomly selected for pulmonary function which was detected by a small animal pulmonary function machine,with the parameters of forced vital capacity(FVC),functional residual capacity(FRC),dynamic lung compliance(Cdyn),peak expiratory flow(PEF),peak inspiratory flow(PIF),and airway resistance(RL);concurrently,one offspring was randomly selected for hematoxylin and eosin staining to observe the histomorphology of the lung tissue,alveolar numbers,and mean alveolar septal thickness;additionally,one offspring was randomly selected for Morris water maze testing to evaluate the effects of the two intervention methods on learning and memory capabilities in offspring rats with PNE.Results Compared with the control group,the body weight,lung weight,lung index,FVC,PEF,FRC,Cdyn,alveolar number,platform crossing times,target quadrant time percentage,and target quadrant path percentage in the Morris water maze experiment were significantly decreased in the offspring rats of the model group(P<0.01).In contrast,PIF,RL,average thickness of alveolar septa,and latency of the Morris water maze experiment were significantly increased in the offspring rats of the model group(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,both electroacupuncture shallow needling group and dexamethasone group exhibited significant increases in body weight,lung weight,lung index,FVC,PEF,FRC,Cdyn,and alveolar numbers(P<0.05,P<0.01),along with significant decreases in PIF,RL values,and mean alveolar septal thickness(P<0.01).However,in the Morris water maze experiment,compared with the model group,the electroacupuncture shallow needling group demonstrated significantly more platform crossing times and a higher target quadrant time percentage and target quadrant path percentage(P<0.01),coupled with reduced latency period(P<0.01),whereas the dexamethasone group showed no significant differences compared to the model group.Compared to the electroacupuncture shallow needling group,the dexamethasone group showed significantly less platform crossing times and a lower target quadrant time percentage and target quadrant path percentage,coupled with increased latency period(P<0.01).Conclusion Both electroacupuncture and dexamethasone demonstrated protective effects on lung development in PNE offspring rats by ameliorating lung histomorphology and pulmonary function.However,offspring receiving late,small-dose,short-course dexamethasone exhibited inferior learning and memory capabilities,whereas the electroacupuncture group showed significantly superior cognitive performance compared to the dexamethasone group.

Objective To observe the expression of adhesion molecule CD226 on the small intestinal group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) in mice. Methods The bioinformatics was used to analyze the expression of CD226 on murine ILCs. Small intestinal mucosal lamina propria lymphocytes (LPL) were isolated from wild-type C57BL/6J mice, and the expression of CD226 on ILC1 and ILC3 was detected by flow cytometry. A mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis was constructed to observe the changes in the expression of CD226 on ILC3. Results Both ILC1 and ILC3 in the mice small intestine expressed CD226 molecules; the proportion of ILC3 was reduced, while the expression level of CD226 on ILC3 was increased in the colitis model. Conclusion CD226 is expressed on the small intestines of mice, and although the proportion of ILC3 decreases in the DSS-induced colitis, the expression of CD226 on ILC3 increases.
Animals ; Mice ; Colitis/chemically induced* ; Immunity, Innate ; Intestine, Small ; Lymphocytes ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of an intelligent assisted grading algorithm for nuclear cataract using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) images.Methods:A diagnostic test study was conducted.AS-OCT image data were collected from 939 cases of 1 608 eyes of nuclear cataract patients at the Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University from November 2020 to September 2021.The data were obtained from the electronic case system and met the requirements for clinical reading clarity.Among them, there were 398 cases of 664 male eyes and 541 cases of 944 female eyes.The ages of the patients ranged from 18 to 94 years, with a mean age of (65.7±18.6) years.The AS-OCT images were labelled manually from one to six levels according to the Lens Opacities Classification System Ⅲ (LOCS Ⅲ grading system) by three experienced clinicians.This study proposed a global-local cataract grading algorithm based on multi-level ranking, which contains five basic binary classification global local network (GL-Net).Each GL-Net aggregates multi-scale information, including the cataract nucleus region and original image, for nuclear cataract grading.Based on ablation test and model comparison test, the model's performance was evaluated using accuracy, precision, sensitivity, F1 and Kappa, and all results were cross-validated by five-fold.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinjki and was approrved by Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University (No.21K216).Results:The model achieved the results with an accuracy of 87.81%, precision of 88.88%, sensitivity of 88.33%, F1 of 88.51%, and Kappa of 85.22% on the cataract dataset.The ablation experiments demonstrated that ResNet18 combining local and global features for multi-level ranking classification improved the accuracy, recall, specificity, F1, and Kappa metrics.Compared with ResNet34, VGG16, Ranking-CNN, MRF-Net models, the performance index of this model were improved.Conclusions:The deep learning-based AS-OCT nuclear cataract image multi-level ranking classification algorithm demonstrates high accuracy in grading cataracts.This algorithm may help ophthalmologists in improving the diagnostic accuracy and efficiency of nuclear cataract.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features and prognosis of male with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) autoantibody.Methods:The clinical data of 246 patients with DM and anti-MDA5 autoantibodies hospitalized by Jiangsu Myositis Cooperation Group from 2017 to 2020 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Chi-square test was performed to compared between counting data groups; Quantitative data were expressed by M ( Q1, Q3), and rank sum test was used for comparison between groups; Single factor survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test; Cox regression analysis were used for multivariate survival analysis. Results:①The male group had a higher proportion of rash at the sun exposure area [67.1%(47/70) vs 52.8%(93/176), χ2=4.18, P=0.041] and V-sign [50.0%(35/70) vs 30.7%(54/176), χ2=8.09, P=0.004] than the female group. The male group had higher levels of creatine kinase [112(18, 981)U/L vs 57 (13.6, 1 433)U/L, Z=-3.50, P<0.001] and ferritin [1 500 (166, 32 716)ng/ml vs 569 (18, 14 839)ng/ml, Z=-5.85, P<0.001] than the female group. The proportion of ILD [40.0%(28/70) vs 59.7%(105/176), χ2=7.82, P=0.020] patients and the red blood cell sedimentation rate[31.0(4.0, 101.5)mm/1 h vs 43.4(5.0, 126.5)mm/1 h, Z=-2.22, P=0.026] in the male group was lower than that of the female group, but the proportion of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (PR-ILD) [47.1%(33/70) vs 31.3%(55/176), χ2=5.51, P=0.019] was higher than that of the female group. ②In male patients with positive anti-MDA5 antibodies,the death group had a shorter course of disease[1.0(1.0, 3.0) month vs 2.5(0.5,84) month, Z=-3.07, P=0.002], the incidence of arthritis [16.7%(4/24) vs 42.2%(19/45), χ2=4.60, P=0.032] were low than those in survival group,while aspartate aminotransferase (AST)[64(22.1, 565)U/L vs 51(14,601)U/L, Z=-2.42, P=0.016], lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) [485(24,1 464)U/L vs 352(170, 1 213)U/L, Z=-3.38, P=0.001], C-reactive protein (CRP) [11.6(2.9, 61.7) mg/L vs 4.95(0.6, 86.4) mg/L, Z=-1.96, P=0.050], and ferritin levels [2 000(681, 7 676) vs 1 125 (166, 32 716)ng/ml, Z=-3.18, P=0.001] were higher than those in the survival group, and RP-ILD [95.8%(23/24) vs 22.2%(10/45), χ2=33.99, P<0.001] occurred at a significantly higher rate. ③Cox regression analysis indicated that the course of disease LDH level, and RP-ILD were related factors for the prognosis of male anti-MDA5 antibodies [ HR (95% CI)=0.203(0.077, 0.534), P=0.001; HR (95% CI)=1.002(1.001, 1.004), P=0.003; HR (95% CI)=95.674 (10.872, 841.904), P<0.001]. Conclusion:The clinical manifestations of male anti-MDA5 antibody-positive patients are different from those of female. The incidence of ILD is low, but the proportion of PR-ILD is high. The course of disease, serum LDH level, and RP-ILD are prognostic factors of male anti-MDA5 antibody-positive patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism of electroacupuncture at "Neiguan" （PC6） and "Zhongwan" （RN12） in the treatment of functional dyspepsia （FD）. MethodsSPF male SD rats were randomly divided into model group， Neiguan （PC6） group， Zhongwan （RN12） group， and Neiguan-Zhongwan （PC6-RN12） group， with 8 rats in each group. Except for the normal group， the other groups of rats were cogavaged with 0.1% sucrose iodoacetamide solution combined with small platform standing training to establish FD rat models. After successful modeling， the rats in the normal group and model group were tied up for 30 min/d for 7 days； the Neiguan group， Zhongwan group， and Neiguan-Zhongwan group were treated with electroacupuncture intervention at "Neiguan" （PC6）， "Zhongwan" （RN12）， and "Neiguan" - "Zhongwan" （PC6-RN12） acupoints， respectively， using continuous wave， frequency of 2 Hz， current intensity of 1 mA， 30 min/d， and continuous intervention for 7 days. The general condition of rats in each group was observed. After treatment， the body weight and food intake of rats were measured， and the gastric emptying rate was calculated； HE staining was performed on the gastric antrum tissue of rats to observe the histopathologic changes； the expressions of calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP） and Ghrelin protein in gastric antrum were detected by Western Blot； the metabolites in gastric antrum tissues were detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry （LC-MS）， and differential metabolites were screened by correlation analysis， then Metabo Analyst 5.0 and KEGG databases were used for metabolic pathway analysis. ResultsUnder light microscope， the gastric antrum structure was complete and the glands were abundant. No obvious inflammation and edema were found in gastric mucosa. Compared with the normal group， the body weight， food intake， and gastric emptie rate of rats in model group decreased， the expression of Ghrelin protein decreased and the expression of CGRP protein increased in gastric antrum tissue （P＜0.01）. Compared with model group， the body weight， food intake， and gastric emptance rate of rats in Neiguan group， Zhongwan group and Neiguan-Zhongwan group all increased， CGRP protein expression decreased in Neiguan group， and Ghrelin protein expression increased and CGRP protein expression decreased in Zhongwan group and Neiguan-Zhongwan group （P＜0.01 or P＜0.05）. Compared with Neiguan-Zhongwan group， Ghrelin protein expression decreased and CGRP protein expression increased in Neiguan group and Zhongwan group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Metabolomics results showed that compared with normal group， the content of metabolites adenosine diphosphate ribose， adenosine monophosphate and adenosine diphosphate in gastric antrum tissue of model group decreased； compared with model group， the contents of adenosine diphosphate， adenosine diphosphate and citicoline in Neiguan group increased， the contents of nicotine adenine dinucleotide， cytidine diphosphate ethanolamine and citicoline in Zhongwan group increased， and the contents of adenosine diphosphate， cytidine diphosphate and citicoline in Neiguan-Zhongwan group increased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with model group， the main metabolic pathways of different metabolites in PC6-RN12 group were glycerophospholipid metabolism， taurine and hypotaurine metabolism， purine metabolism， starch and sucrose metabolism. ConclusionElectroacupuncture at “Neiguan” and “Zhongwan” acupoints can effectively regulate gastrointestinal motility and improve FD symptoms in FD rats， and the effect is better than that of "Neiguan" or "Zhongwan" acupoints alone. The mechanism may be related to the influence of related metabolites on energy metabolism， glucose metabolism and nucleotide metabolism， thereby regulating gastrointestinal motility hormones.