The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication pathway connecting the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract,playing a key role in the occurrence and development of diseases related to this axis.The vermiform appendix,as a part of the gut that is connected to the cecum,has a unique anatomical location,a rich microbiome,and abundant immune cells.Appendicitis and appendectomy have been found to be associated with the development of diseases related to the gut-brain axis.This review first introduces the anatomy and functions of the vermiform appendix and then expounds the associations of appendicitis and appendectomy with diseases related to the gut-brain axis.Furthermore,this review summarizes and prospects the mechanisms of the vermiform appendix in affecting the occurrence and development of diseases related to the gut-brain axis.
Humans ; Appendix/anatomy & histology* ; Brain ; Appendicitis ; Appendectomy/adverse effects* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Brain-Gut Axis

Alcoholic liver disease(ALD), a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, poses a serious threat to human health. Despite the availability of various drugs for treating ALD, their efficacy is often uncertain, necessitating the search for new therapeutic approaches. Traditional Chinese medicine polysaccharides have garnered increasing attention in recent years due to their versatility, high efficiency, and low side effects, and they have demonstrated significant potential in preventing and treating ALD. Emerging studies have suggested that these polysaccharides exert their therapeutic effects through multiple mechanisms, including the inhibition of oxidative stress and the regulation of lipid metabolism, gut microbiota, and programmed cell death. This review summarizes the recent research progress in the pharmacological effects and regulatory mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine polysaccharides in treating ALD, aiming to provide a scientific basis and theoretical support for their application in the prevention and treatment of ALD.
Humans ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic/metabolism* ; Polysaccharides/administration & dosage* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Animals ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Lipid Metabolism/drug effects*

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of Chinese medicine (CM) Lianhua Qingwen Granule (LHQW) and Jingyin Gubiao Prescription (JYGB) in asymptomatic or mild patients with Omicron infection in the shelter hospital. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted in the largest shelter hospital in Shanghai, China, from April 10, 2022 to May 30, 2022. A total of 56,244 asymptomatic and mild Omicron cases were included and divided into 4 groups, i.e., non-administration group (23,702 cases), LHQW group (11,576 cases), JYGB group (12,112 cases), and dual combination of LHQW and JYGB group (8,854 cases). The length of stay (LOS) in the hospital was used to assess the effectiveness of LHQW and JYGB treatment on Omicron infection. RESULTS: Patients aged 41-60 years, with nadir threshold cycle (C_T) value of N gene <25, or those fully vaccinated preferred to receive CM therapy. Before or after propensity score matching (PSM), the multiple linear regression showed that LHQW and JYGB treatment were independent influence factors of LOS (both P<0.001). After PSM, there were significant differences in LOS between the LHQW/JYGB combination and the other groups (P<0.01). The results of factorial design ANOVA proved that the LHQW/JYGB combination therapy synergistically shortened LOS (P=0.032). CONCLUSIONS Patients with a nadir C_T value <25 were more likely to accept CM. The LHQW/JYGB combination therapy could shorten the LOS of Omicron-infected individuals in an isolated environment.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; China/epidemiology* ; Hospitalization ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Length of Stay ; Young Adult ; Aged

The stability of ammonium ion selective electrode is an important indicator to ensure accurate monitoring of ammonia nitrogen concentration in drinking water.However,in long-term monitoring process,interfering ions and water molecules in water samples may penetrate into the interior of the ammonium ion selective electrode to form a water layer,which affects the potential response and stability of the electrode.Perfluorooctanoic acid is a low surface energy material,and doping it in polyaniline can reduce surface energy of the composite and improve surface roughness.In this work,five ammonium ion selective electrodes were prepared by doping polyaniline with different concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid as a solid contact layer,which made the solid contact layer of electrode had hydrophobic properties,thereby improving stability of the ammonium ion selective electrode.The stability of the ion-selective electrode was evaluated by potential drift experiment,and the optimal doping concentration of perfluorooctanoic acid in the sediment solution was determined to be 5 mmol/L.The experiment results showed that the solid contact layer had a water contact angle of 132o under the doping concentration,the potential drift rate was 41.66 μV/h,and potential drift rate in the aqueous layer test was 1.31 mV/h,which were all better than those of the unmodified electrode.The standard deviation of the electrode potential was 1.42 mV,which was obviously superior to that of the unmodified electrode.The characteristics of high stability of the electrode made it suitable for long-term monitoring of ammonia nitrogen content in water samples.

Microalgae can achieve sustainable CO2 fixation and biomass conversion,making them a green path for carbon capture and conversion.Monitoring extracellular carbonic anhydrase(CA)activity in microalgae is crucial for regulating carbon conversion efficiency.In this study,double-stranded DNA was designed as a capture probe to bind H+,which was produced by CA-catalyzed CO2 hydration.This interaction induced conformational changes in the DNA probe,enhancing fluorescence signals and thereby establishing a recognition and signal transduction mechanism for CA catalytic product.This approach enabled a novel method for measuring CA activity.The response of probe to H+was investigated using ultraviolet visible(UV-Vis)spectroscopy,circular dichroism sepctroscopy,and fluorescence spectroscopy.The experimental results indicated that the fluorescence intensity of the probe increased progressively with rising H+concentration.Using this probe,CA activity detection could be completed within 29 min,with a detection range of 0.35-17500 U/mL and a detection limit of 0.15 U/mL.Compared to traditional methods,this approach offered a lower detection limit and was suitable for analyzing and detecting extracellular CA activity in actual algal samples.

Purpose To investigate the clinicopathological features,diagnosis,and molecular genetic characteris-tics of central nervous system(CNS)high-grade neuroepithelial tumors with BCOR alterations.Methods Five cases of CNS high-grade neuroepithelial tumors harboring BCOR alterations were collected.Using immunohistochemistry and molecular detection to analyze its clinical and histological characteristics,and review relevant literatures.Results A-mong the 5 patients,3 cases with EP300 ∷ BCOR tumor(male-to-female ratio 2∶1).These tumors were located in supratentorial regions(right temporal lobe,right frontotemporal lobe,and right frontal lobe).The 2 patients with BCOR-ITD tumors were younger,both with tumors located in the left cerebellum.Imaging studies revealed well-defined large mass lesions in all cases.Histologically,all 5 cases tumor exhibited ependymoma-like or oligodendroglioma-like morphology,featuring uniformly oval or round cells.Focal areas showed increased cellular density,nuclear enlarge-ment,and readily identifiable mitotic figures indicative of anaplastic features.A rich capillary network was frequently observed in the stroma.Palisading necrosis,microcystic changes,and microcalcifications were present in 3 cases.Im-munohistochemically,all 5 cases consistently expressed vimentin and CD56,focal Olig-2 positivity,variable S-100 ex-pression,and were uniformly negative for GFAP.BCOR immunostaining was weakly positive in 1 case with an EP300∷ BCOR fusion and strongly positive in 2 cases with BCOR-ITD.NGS identified an EP300 ∷ BCOR fusion in 3 cases,and Sanger sequencing confirmed the ITD in exon 15 of BCOR gene in 2 cases.During a follow-up period of 8 to 77 months,one pediatric patient with a BCOR-ITD tumor died,while the remaining four patients were alive with no evi-dence of recurrence or metastasis.Conclusion BCOR-ITD and EP300 ∷ BCOR fusion tumors are similar in morphology and immunophenotype,and the incidence rate of BCOR fusion tumors may be underestimated.NGS sequencing based on DNA and RNA and DNA methylation spectrum analysis are helpful for accurate diagnosis of this type of tumor.

Chronic kidney disease(CKD)is a chronic disease characterized by renal structural damage and dysfunction.At present,there is still a lack of effective therapeutic drugs and prevention and treatment methods for CKD in clinical practice.More and more studies have shown that necroptosis,as a new type of programmed cell death,plays a vital role in the onset and progression of CKD.Targeting key molecules in the necroptosis pathway,such as RIPK1,RIPK3 and MLKL,the development of small molecule inhibitors has become an emerging strategy for the treatment of CKD,and has shown significant potential to pro-tect the kidneys and alleviate renal fibrosis in a variety of in vitro and in vivo models.Therefore,this article summarizes the re-search progress of the mechanism of necroptosis in recent years,and focuses on the potential role of necroptosis in the pathogene-sis of CKD and the therapeutic potential of targeting this path-way,providing a new perspective and research direction for the prevention and treatment of CKD in the future.

Objective:Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), an allergen/immune-mediated chronic disorder of the esophagus, is witnessing an incremental rise in its global incidence. However, data in China are very limited. This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of EoE in Chinese adults at our medical center.Methods:We collected information, including clinical characteristics and endoscopic findings, relative to all cases of adult patients who met the pathological diagnostic criteria for EoE at our institution from January 2019 to May 2024. Patients diagnosed with reflux esophagitis (RE) were matched in a 1∶1 ratio based on age and sex, and comparisons were made between the two groups.Results:The overall detection rate of EoE in our hospital was approximately 0.05%, with a trend increasing yearly. In total, 61 patients met the diagnostic criteria for EoE, of whom 42 (68.9%) were male. The median age was 53 years. The clinical manifestations of EoE patients were diverse, with common symptoms including dysphagia, acid reflux, and upper abdominal pain. Serological examination revealed that 23.1% (9/39) of patients had increased absolute eosinophil counts. Allergic diseases were observed in 73.8% (45/61) patients. Most patients exhibited typical mucosal changes in the esophagus during endoscopy, the median EREFS score was 3 points. The most commonly administered treatment included proton pump inhibitors, and 13 patients received steroid treatment. During a follow-up period, 42 patients (68.9%) exhibited clinical symptom improvement or pathological remission. In comparison to Western countries, patients with EoE in China typically presented with milder disease severity and a more favorable prognosis. No significant differences were observed between younger and older adult groups regarding clinical symptoms, the proportion of comorbid allergic diseases, medications, or the rate of improvement ( P for all>0.05). Additionally, patients with EoE more commonly presented with dysphagia (29.5% vs. 1.6%, χ2=15.96, P<0.001), comorbid allergic diseases (73.8% vs. 13.1%, χ2=45.67, P<0.001), increased eosinophil counts (23.1% vs. 3.3%, χ2=7.61, P<0.01), and a positive response to corticosteroids when compared to patients with RE. Conclusions:This study systematically determined the clinical characteristics of adult EoE patients in China. Compared to Western countries, patients from China typically presented with milder disease severity and a more favorable prognosis. No significant clinical manifestations or prognosis differences were observed between younger and older patients. EoE can be differentiated from RE based on symptoms, the presence of comorbid allergic diseases, and the degree of serum eosinophil infiltration. For patients suspected of EoE, endoscopic esophageal biopsy will facilitate early diagnosis.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of body posture combined with pharmacotherapy and pharmacotherapy alone in the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma(CSDH).Methods:Firstly, retrospective case series study was conducted. Thirty cases of CSDH that had received body posture combined with pharmacotherapy at Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University from December 2016 to October 2020 were studied retrospectively. Twenty-seven patients were male, and 3 patients were female. The age of patients ( M(IQR)) was 66(16) years (range:28 to 84). Nineteen patients had unilateral hematoma, and 11 patients had bilateral hematoma. All patients received pharmacotherapy and body posture therapy that was to raise their lower limbs 20 to 30 cm with leg lift pad and get abdominal compressed with customized abdominal belt in supine position. Patients were required to maintain the body posture as much as possible, with the maximum to 16 to 18 hours per day. Patients with unilateral hematoma should tilt the head to the affected side and avoid tilting it to the opposite side. For patients with bilateral hematoma, there was no need for head lateralization. Patient were treated with oral dexamethasone and atorvastatin simultaneously. The preliminary efficacy of body posture combined with pharmacotherapy was determined by hematoma improvement rate which was analyzed by Clopper-Pearson method. Then, the multi-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial had carried out in 9 medical centers from August 2020 to November 2021. The stratified block randomization method was adopted. Patients were randomized in a ratio of 1∶1 to either receive pharmacotherapy alone(the control group) or body posture combined with pharmacotherapy(the experiment group) for 3 months and followed up for 6 months. Effective treatment was defined as complete absorption of hematoma, or the hematoma volume decreased by more than 10 ml and Markwalder grading scale score had improved by more than 1 point compared to the baseline. The efficacy rate and surgery conversion rate at 3 months and recurrence at 6 months were observed. Comparison between groups was performed with paired sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, χ2 test, corrected χ2 test, or Fisher exact probability method. Logistic regression was used to compare the effective rate and operation rate between the two groups. Results:In the respective study, 30 patients completed follow-up 13 to 353 days after treatment. At the last follow-up, the incidence of almost complete absorption or significantly absorption of hematoma (hematoma volume was significantly reduced accompanied by symptom improvement) was 93.3%. The 95% CI for the incidence that analyzed by the Clopper-Pearson method was 77.9% to 99.2%. One hundred and six patients were enrolled in the multicenter study. Fifty-five patients underwent body posture combined with pharmacotherapy. The age was 74(17) years (range:26 to 92). Thirty-nine patients were males and 16 were females. Fifty-one patients underwent pharmacotherapy alone. The age was 69(12) years (range:48 to 84). Thirty-seven patients were males and 14 were females. The length of body posture recorded in diary card was (15.7±2.3) hours(range:7.6 to 19.3 hours). The efficacy rate in the body posture combined with pharmacotherapy group and pharmacotherapy alone group were 83.6% (46/55) and 56.9% (29/51), respectively at 3 months. The result of the logistic regression analysis showed that the efficacy of body posture combined with pharmacotherapy group was better than that of pharmacotherapy alone group ( OR=3.88,95% CI:1.57 to 9.58, P=0.003). Surgery rate in the body posture combined with pharmacotherapy group and pharmacotherapy alone group were 5.5% (3/55) and 21.6% (11/51) respectively. The result of Logistic regression showed that the pharmacotherapy alone group was more likely to be converted to surgery ( OR=0.21,95% CI:0.05 to 0.80, P=0.023). At the 6 months, no recurrence of cases was found in the body posture combined with pharmacotherapy group. However, the recurrence rate of pharmacotherapy alone group was 6.3% (3/48), there was no significant difference between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The effect of body posture combined with pharmacotherapy for chronic subdural hematoma is better than that of pharmacotherapy alone.

Purpose To investigate the clinicopathological features,diagnosis,and molecular genetic characteris-tics of central nervous system(CNS)high-grade neuroepithelial tumors with BCOR alterations.Methods Five cases of CNS high-grade neuroepithelial tumors harboring BCOR alterations were collected.Using immunohistochemistry and molecular detection to analyze its clinical and histological characteristics,and review relevant literatures.Results A-mong the 5 patients,3 cases with EP300 ∷ BCOR tumor(male-to-female ratio 2∶1).These tumors were located in supratentorial regions(right temporal lobe,right frontotemporal lobe,and right frontal lobe).The 2 patients with BCOR-ITD tumors were younger,both with tumors located in the left cerebellum.Imaging studies revealed well-defined large mass lesions in all cases.Histologically,all 5 cases tumor exhibited ependymoma-like or oligodendroglioma-like morphology,featuring uniformly oval or round cells.Focal areas showed increased cellular density,nuclear enlarge-ment,and readily identifiable mitotic figures indicative of anaplastic features.A rich capillary network was frequently observed in the stroma.Palisading necrosis,microcystic changes,and microcalcifications were present in 3 cases.Im-munohistochemically,all 5 cases consistently expressed vimentin and CD56,focal Olig-2 positivity,variable S-100 ex-pression,and were uniformly negative for GFAP.BCOR immunostaining was weakly positive in 1 case with an EP300∷ BCOR fusion and strongly positive in 2 cases with BCOR-ITD.NGS identified an EP300 ∷ BCOR fusion in 3 cases,and Sanger sequencing confirmed the ITD in exon 15 of BCOR gene in 2 cases.During a follow-up period of 8 to 77 months,one pediatric patient with a BCOR-ITD tumor died,while the remaining four patients were alive with no evi-dence of recurrence or metastasis.Conclusion BCOR-ITD and EP300 ∷ BCOR fusion tumors are similar in morphology and immunophenotype,and the incidence rate of BCOR fusion tumors may be underestimated.NGS sequencing based on DNA and RNA and DNA methylation spectrum analysis are helpful for accurate diagnosis of this type of tumor.