OBJECTIVE: Psoriasis, a common chronic inflammatory skin condition with genetic underpinnings, is traditionally managed with cupping therapy. Although used historically, the precise mechanical effects and therapeutic mechanisms of cupping in psoriasis remain largely unexamined. This study aimed to evaluate cupping therapy's efficacy for psoriasis and investigate its role in modulating inflammatory responses and cellular metabolism. METHODS: Psoriasis was induced in mice using topical imiquimod (IMQ). The effects of cupping on psoriatic lesions were assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score, histology, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence staining. polymerase chain reaction sequencing (RNA-seq) and Western blotting were conducted to examine changes in mRNA expression and the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. RESULTS: Cupping therapy significantly reduced inflammation, epidermal thickness, and inflammatory cell infiltration in mice with IMQ-induced psoriasis. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence showed lower expression of inflammatory markers and a shift in T-cell populations. RNA-seq and Western blotting indicated that cupping upregulated Piezo1 and activated the AMPK pathway, improving energy metabolism in psoriatic skin. CONCLUSION Cupping therapy reduces epidermal hyperproliferation and inflammation in psoriasis, rebalancing the local immune microenvironment. Mechanistically, cupping promotes calcium influx via Piezo1, activates AMPK signaling, and supports metabolic homeostasis, suggesting therapeutic potential for psoriasis. Please cite this article as: Xi RF, Liu X, Wang Y, Lu HZ, Yuan SJ, Guo DJ, Zhu JY, Li FL, Duan YJ. Mechanosensory activation of Piezo1 via cupping therapy: Harnessing neural networks to modulate AMPK pathway for metabolic restoration in a mouse model of psoriasis. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):721-732.
Animals ; Psoriasis/chemically induced* ; Mice ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Cupping Therapy/methods* ; Signal Transduction ; Imiquimod ; Ion Channels/genetics* ; Male ; Mechanotransduction, Cellular

The xylitol dehydrogenase(XDH)is a crucial enzyme involved in the xylose utilization in pentose-catabolizing yeasts and fungi.In addition to producing xylulose,XDH can also be employed to develop a biosensor for monitoring xylitol concentration.In this study,the gene encoding the thermophilic fungus Talaromyces emersonii XDH(TeXDH)was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)at 16 ℃ in the soluble form.Recombinant TeXDH with high purity was purified by using a Ni-NTA affinity column.Size-exclusion chromatography and SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated that the puri-fied recombinant TeXDH exists as a native trimer with a molecular mass of approximately 116 kD,and is composed of three identical subunits,each with a molecular weight of around 39 kD.The TeXDH strictly preferred NAD+as a coenzyme to NADP+.The optimal temperature and pH of the TeXDH were 40 ℃and 10.0,respectively.After EDTA treatment,the enzyme activity of TeXDH decreased to 43.26％of the initial enzyme activity,while the divalent metal ions Mg2+or Ca2+could recover the enzyme activity of TeXDH,reaching 103.32％and 110.69％of the initial enzyme activity,respectively,making them the optimal divalent metal ion cofactors for TeXDH enzyme.However,the divalent metal ions of Mn2+,Ni2+,Cu2+,Zn2+,Co2+,and Cd2+significantly inhibited the activity of TeXDH.ICP-MS and molecular doc-king studies revealed that 1 mol/L of TeXDH bound 2 mol/L Zn2+ions and 1 mol/L Mg2+ion.Further-more,TeXDH exhibited a high specificity for xylitol,laying the foundation for the development of future xylitol biosensors.

Objective To explore the value of MRI subtraction technique(ST)for evaluating the efficacy of systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and predicting prognosis after combining with surgery.Methods Totally 35 patients with 39 HCC lesions who received systemic therapy+radical resection were retrospectively collected.Based on preoperative MRI,tumor activity ratio(recorded as tumor activityST)was obtained with ST,while tumor activity value(recorded as tumor activitypathology)was obtained through postoperative pathology,and their correlation was analyzed.The patients were regularly followed up after surgery,and the survival data were recorded.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to evaluate the efficacy of tumor activityST for predicting patients'survival status.Then the patients were divided into survival benefit group and no survival benefit group according to the cut-off value,and survival analysis was conducted.Results Tumor activityST was positively correlated with tumor activitypathology(r=0.900,P＜0.001).The median follow-up time was 32.93 months,during which 8 patients died,and the median survival time was 29.9 months.The area under the curve(AUC)of tumor activityST for predicting patients'survival status was 0.67,and the cut-off value was 0.36.Thirty patients with tumor activityST＜0.36 were enrolled in survival benefit group,while 5 patients≥0.36 were collected in no survival benefit group.The overall survival in survival benefit group was longer than that in no survival benefit group(P＜0.001).Conclusion MRI ST could be used to non-invasively evaluate the efficacy of systemic therapy for advanced HCC and predict prognosis after combining with surgery.

The xylitol dehydrogenase(XDH)is a crucial enzyme involved in the xylose utilization in pentose-catabolizing yeasts and fungi.In addition to producing xylulose,XDH can also be employed to develop a biosensor for monitoring xylitol concentration.In this study,the gene encoding the thermophilic fungus Talaromyces emersonii XDH(TeXDH)was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)at 16 ℃ in the soluble form.Recombinant TeXDH with high purity was purified by using a Ni-NTA affinity column.Size-exclusion chromatography and SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated that the puri-fied recombinant TeXDH exists as a native trimer with a molecular mass of approximately 116 kD,and is composed of three identical subunits,each with a molecular weight of around 39 kD.The TeXDH strictly preferred NAD+as a coenzyme to NADP+.The optimal temperature and pH of the TeXDH were 40 ℃and 10.0,respectively.After EDTA treatment,the enzyme activity of TeXDH decreased to 43.26％of the initial enzyme activity,while the divalent metal ions Mg2+or Ca2+could recover the enzyme activity of TeXDH,reaching 103.32％and 110.69％of the initial enzyme activity,respectively,making them the optimal divalent metal ion cofactors for TeXDH enzyme.However,the divalent metal ions of Mn2+,Ni2+,Cu2+,Zn2+,Co2+,and Cd2+significantly inhibited the activity of TeXDH.ICP-MS and molecular doc-king studies revealed that 1 mol/L of TeXDH bound 2 mol/L Zn2+ions and 1 mol/L Mg2+ion.Further-more,TeXDH exhibited a high specificity for xylitol,laying the foundation for the development of future xylitol biosensors.

Objective To explore the value of MRI subtraction technique(ST)for evaluating the efficacy of systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and predicting prognosis after combining with surgery.Methods Totally 35 patients with 39 HCC lesions who received systemic therapy+radical resection were retrospectively collected.Based on preoperative MRI,tumor activity ratio(recorded as tumor activityST)was obtained with ST,while tumor activity value(recorded as tumor activitypathology)was obtained through postoperative pathology,and their correlation was analyzed.The patients were regularly followed up after surgery,and the survival data were recorded.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to evaluate the efficacy of tumor activityST for predicting patients'survival status.Then the patients were divided into survival benefit group and no survival benefit group according to the cut-off value,and survival analysis was conducted.Results Tumor activityST was positively correlated with tumor activitypathology(r=0.900,P＜0.001).The median follow-up time was 32.93 months,during which 8 patients died,and the median survival time was 29.9 months.The area under the curve(AUC)of tumor activityST for predicting patients'survival status was 0.67,and the cut-off value was 0.36.Thirty patients with tumor activityST＜0.36 were enrolled in survival benefit group,while 5 patients≥0.36 were collected in no survival benefit group.The overall survival in survival benefit group was longer than that in no survival benefit group(P＜0.001).Conclusion MRI ST could be used to non-invasively evaluate the efficacy of systemic therapy for advanced HCC and predict prognosis after combining with surgery.

Objective:To investigate the clinical outcomes of lining repair during the reconstruction of nasal defects.Methods:From January 2010 to December 2022, our team treated 15 nasal defect patients aged between 18 and 62 years with an average age of 38, including 8 males and 7 females. The range of the defect was more than one subunit in all cases. And forehead pedicled flaps were chosen for repair. For nasal reconstruction, expander was implanted to expand the central forehead flap. The choice of support depended on the range of the defect, including rib-rib cartilage composite grafts, rib cartilage grafts and ear cartilage grafts. The repair of the lining was selected with the original skin, local nasolabial flapor forehead pedicled flap to repair the mucosal defect of the nose. Postoperative follow-up was conducted to observe the effects.Results:Among the 15 patients, 8 cases underwent rib-rib cartilage composite grafts. 3 cases had rib cartilage grafts, and 4 cases had ear cartilage grafts. All the flaps survived with 1 case experiencing infection. Postoperative follow-up for 0.5 to 2 years showed that the appearance of nasal defects in all 15 cases was significantly improved, with satisfactory results.Conclusions:The repair of nasal defect lining requires a comprehensive analysis based on the specific location, range of the defect, and the selection of the donor area in order to ultimately determine the surgical approach.

Objective To investigate the effects of cannabinoid receptor agonist,WIN55212-2(WIN),on acute kidney injury(AKI)in mice with sepsis and its underlying mechanism.Methods Twenty-four healthy male mice were divided into(n=6):Control group,sepsis group(LPS group),sepsis+WIN55212-2 group(LPS+WIN group)and sepsis+WIN55212-2+mTOR activator MHY1485 group(LPS+WIN+MHY group).The sepsis model was constructed by intraperitoneal injection of LPS.After the tissue and blood samples were harvested in 24 h after modeling,ELISA was used to determine the contents of IL-1β,IL-18 and lactate dehydrogenase A(LDHA)in the renal tissues,as well as Scr,kidney injury molecule-1(KIM-1)and lactic acid(LA)in the serum.HE staining was employed to observe the pathological changes of kidney tissue and Paller score was calculated.The expression of p-AKT,p-Mtor and 6-phosphofructokinase-2/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3(PFKFB3)in the renal tissues was detected by Western blotting.Results Compared with the Control group,the LPS group had obvious kidney tissue damage,increased Paller score(P＜0.05),increased serum contents of lactic acid,Scr and KIM-1(P＜0.05),up-regulated contents of LDHA,IL-1β and IL-18 in the renal tissues(P＜0.05),and elevated expression levels of p-AKT,p-Mtor and PFKFB3 in the renal tissues(P＜0.05).Milder pathological injury in kidney tissue,decreased Paller score(P＜0.05),reduced contents of lactic acid,Scr and KIM-1(P＜0.05),decreased contents of LDHA,IL-1β and IL-18(P＜0.05),and lower expression of p-AKT,p-Mtor and PFKFB3 were observed in the LPS+WIN group than the LPS group(P＜0.05).The LPS+WIN+MHY group had notably higher Paller score(P＜0.05),raised contents of lactic acid,Scr and KIM-1(P＜0.05),increased contents of LDHA,IL-1β and IL-18(P＜0.05),and up-regulated expression of p-AKT,p-Mtor and PFKFB3(P＜0.05)when compared with the LPS+WIN group.Conclusion WIN can alleviate AKI in sepsis,and it may reduce the level of glycolysis in renal tissue,and alleviate inflammation through inhibiting AKT/Mtor/PFKFB3 signaling pathway.

An online sample decomposition and detection method for high-throughput determination of Se content in organic samples was established based on oxygen combustion combined with hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry.The sole product of Se in oxygen combustion,SeO2,was quantitatively captured on the walls of the combustion flask in an open system.It was then eluted online and reacted in situ with 10％(V/V)HC1 carrier solution and 2％(m/V)NaBH4 reductant solution within the combustion flask.After optimization,for a maximum sample processing amount of 0.2 g,the sample analysis throughput was 20 sample/h.The detection limit(LOD,3SD)for Se reached 0.012 mg/kg,and the relative standard deviations for parallel determinations(RSDs,n=6)was 1.7％.The analytical results of certified reference materials,scallop(GBW10024)and chicken(GBW10018),were consistent with the certified values,and the analytical results of real samples were in good agreement with those obtained by traditional wet digestion.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of naringin on acute lung injury(ALI)in septic mice.Methods The acute lung injury mouse model of sepsis was established by intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg·kg-1 lipopolysaccharide.The mice were randomly divided into control group(injected with equal amounts of saline and phosphate buffer),model group(mouse model of sepsis acute lung injury),naringin group(50 mg·kg-1 naringin injected intraperitoneally 1 hour prior to lipopolysaccharide modeling)and BzATP group(50 mg·kg-1 naringin+5 mg·kg-1 BzATP injected intraperitoneally 1 hour prior to lipopolysaccharide modeling).After modeling,lung tissues were taken 24 h later,lung coefficients were calculated;lung tissue interleukin(-ILβ-1 β),interleukin-10(IL-10)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay;the expression of purinergic 2X7 receptor(P2X7R),nucleotide-binding oligomerization structural domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)and nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)proteins were detected by Western blotting.Results The lung coefficients in the control,model,naringin and BzATP groups were(6.26±0.31),(9.09±1.02),(7.02±0.45)and(8.79±0.55)mg·g-1;the contents of TNF-α were(56.41±0.35),(174.68±1.58),(85.23±1.68)and(162.97±3.42)pg·mL-1;the contents of IL-1β were(44.18±7.37),(119.91±17.16),(85.41±2.14)and(104.57±3.39)pg·mL-1;the contents of IL-10 were(50.82±2.89),(28.31±1.86),(42.82±1.98)and(25.19±1.69)pg·mL-1;P2X7 protein expression levels were 0.45±0.16,1.33±0.10,0.64±0.09 and 1.05±0.18;NF-κB protein expression levels were 0.38±0.19,1.29±0.09,0.57±0.11 and 0.92±0.07;NLRP3 protein expression levels were 0.72±0.14,1.28±0.23,0.75±0.09 and 1.27±0.23.Compared with the model group in the control group and naringin group,compared with the naringin group in the BzATP group,the differences of the above indexes were statistically significant(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).Conclusion Naringin attenuates acute lung injury in septic mice by inhibiting the P2X7 receptor-mediated NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Micro vesicles(MVs)are the membrane structures produced by the direct outgrowth of the cell membrane,which can be involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases;MVs can also be used in the diagnosis of diseases and the prediction of prognosis.In recent years,there are more and more researches related to MVs in the field of sepsis,and the mechanism of MVs in sepsis is now reviewed.