The rich club, as a community of highly interconnected nodes, serves as the topological center of the network. However, the similarities and differences in how the rich club supports functional integration and segregation in the brain across different species remain unknown. In this study, we first detected and validated the rich club in the structural networks of mouse, monkey, and human brains using neuronal tracing or diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data. Further, we assessed the role of rich clubs in functional integration, segregation, and balance using quantitative metrics. Our results indicate that the presence of a rich club facilitates whole-brain functional integration in all three species, with the functional networks of higher species exhibiting greater integration. These findings are expected to help to understand the relationship between brain structure and function from the perspective of brain evolution.
Animals ; Humans ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Mice ; Male ; Nerve Net/diagnostic imaging* ; Macaca ; Female ; Neural Pathways/diagnostic imaging* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Biological Evolution ; Adult ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Brain Mapping ; Species Specificity ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Lung cancer is the most common malignant tumor of the respiratory system， and its pathogenesis is still not fully understood. Despite the significant clinical efficacy achieved through treatments such as surgery， radiotherapy， chemotherapy， targeted therapy， and immunotherapy， they still come with many complications and significant adverse reactions. In recent years， numerous basic and clinical studies have confirmed the effectiveness of Chinese medicine in treating lung cancer. Chinese medicine features synergistic regulation through its multiple components， targets， pathways， and approaches. Active monomeric constituents in Chinese medicine are diverse， and their mechanisms of action are intricate， making it challenging to fully understand the mechanisms by which Chinese medicine prevents and treats lung cancer. Therefore， there is an urgent need to approach Chinese medicine intervention in lung cancer from a modern medical perspective， exploring the mechanisms of Chinese medicine intervention in lung cancer at the molecular biology and network pharmacology levels. According to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， the occurrence of lung cancer is predominantly attributed to factors such as deficiency of healthy Qi， presence of pathogenic factors， internal accumulation of heat-toxins， internal accumulation of phlegm-dampness， and Qi stagnation and blood stasis. Literature analysis reveals that Chinese medicine compound formulas for lung cancer predominantly include tonifying agents and heat-clearing and toxin-removing agents， such as Shashen Maidongtang， Xiaoyan prescription， and Feijinsheng prescription. The single herbs used mainly include heat-clearing， deficiency-tonifying， blood-activating， stasis-resolving， phlegm-resolving， cough-relieving， and asthma-calming categories. The use of Chinese medicine aligns with the TCM understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of lung cancer. Studies have shown that TCM can regulate the expression of key molecules in lung cancer-related signaling pathways， such as the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt）， nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB）， Wnt/β-catenin， mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription （JAK/STAT）， thereby exerting effects such as reducing lung cancer cell activity， blocking the cell cycle， inhibiting proliferation and invasion of lung cancer cells， inducing apoptosis in lung cancer cells， promoting cell autophagy， and reversing drug resistance， and intervening in the progression of lung cancer. This study systematically summarized recent research progress on how Chinese medicine monomers or formulas regulated the aforementioned signaling pathways and key protein expression to exert anti-lung cancer effects， aiming to elucidate the mechanisms by which Chinese medicine intervenes in the progression of lung cancer and provide insights and theoretical basis for further research and clinical application of Chinese medicine in lung cancer intervention.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of acupuncture of Zhukeyuanluo principle and Buzhong Yiqi Decoction on obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).Methods:Randomized controlled trial. A total of 104 patients with OSAHS in our hospital from January 2017 to January 2022 who met the inclusion criteria were divided into 2 groups according to random number table method, with 52 patients in each group. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) group was treated with Buzhong Yiqi Decoction on the basis of conventional western medicine treatment, and the acupuncture and medicine group was treated with the combination of primary and primary collaterals and acupoints. Both groups were treated continuously for 2 months. Epworth Lethargy Scale and Stanford Self-Rated Lethargy Scale (SSS) were used to assess the degree of lethargy. The serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 were detected by ELISA. The hemoglobin, RBC and mean RBC volume levels were detected by automatic blood cell analyzer. apnea hypopnea index (AHI), apnea index (AI), hypopnea index (HI) and arterial oxygen saturation (SaO 2) were monitored by polysomnographic sleep monitor to evaluate the clinical effect. Results:The total effective rate was 94.2% (49/52) in the acupuncture group and 82.7% (43/52) in the TCM group, and there was significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=6.73, P=0.035). After treatment, the Epworth Lethargy Scale and SSS scores in the acupuncture and medicine group were significantly lower than those in the TCM group ( t=-8.19 and -5.48, respectively, P<0.01); AHI [(15.64±2.81) times/h vs. (19.82±3.05) times/h, t=-7.27], HI [(5.53±1.28) times/h vs. (7.37±1.34) times/h, t=-7.16], AI [(8.13±1.95) times/h vs. (10.98±2.26) times/h, t=-6.89] in the acupuncture and medicine group were significantly lower than those in the TCM group ( P<0.01), SaO 2 [(92.77±2.91) % vs. (89.53±2.44) %, t=6.15] in the acupuncture and medicine group was significantly higher than that of the TCM group ( P<0.01). The levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 in serum in the acupuncture and medicine group were significantly lower than those in the TCM group ( t=-2.62, -3.14 and -6.58, P<0.01). The levels of hemoglobin, RBC and mean red blood cell volume were in the acupuncture and medicine group were significantly lower than those in the TCM group ( t=-2.11, -2.92, -2.48, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusion:The acupuncture of Zhukeyuanluo principle combined with Buzhong Yiqi Decoction can reduce the serum inflammatory cytokines level in OSAHS patients, increase SaO 2, reduce AHI, HI, AI and lethargy degree, and improve clinical effects.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of improved perforator area CTA three-dimensional reconstruction in design and harvest of anterolateral thigh perforator flap(ALTPF) and deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap(DIEPF).Methods:Repairs of defects of oral and maxillofacial tumour resection with ALTPF for 8 patients and defects of breast tumour resection with DIEPF for 2 patients were performed from September 2021 to January 2022 in the Department of Hand and Microsurgery of Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical College. According to the improved scanning parameters and drug administration protocol, patients underwent CTA scans of both thighs or abbomen before operation. The data of CTA were sent to GE AW 4.7 work station to produce three-dimensional reconstruction of perforator area and angiosome. The source artery and perforator were observed dynamically from the angiosome in the perforator area, and the specific data were measured. The perforator location was marked by HHD, and then according to the measurement data of CTA three-dimensional reconstruction marked the location, course of perforator and the course of source artery on the body surface. The data of source arteries and perforators explored during the operation were compared with preoperative three-dimensional reconstruction. The perforator locations of CTA were compared with the HHD. The harvest time and survival condition of flap were compared with the previous patients who only had the perforator location markers from HHD. The sizes of ALTPFs and DIEPFs were 4.0 cm×4.0 cm-15.0 cm×6.0 cm and 19.0 cm×7.5 cm-25.0 cm×10.0 cm, respectively. The survival of flaps and the healing of wound were observed in the postoperative follow-up in terms of appearance, texture, function of recipient site and the shape and function of the donor site.Results:Eight ALTPFs and 2 DIEPFs all survived without any adverse event. Both recipient and donor sites healed well without any complication. Seven femoral septocutaneous perforators, 2 musculocutaneous perforators and abdominal 3 perforators coursed directly, 2 tortuously perforators were seen from three-dimensional reconstruction. The types and origins of perforators explored during operation were basically consistent with three-dimensional reconstruction. The accuracy of CTA[(0.36±0.11) cm] was higher than HHD[(0.54±0.19) cm] for perforators location( t=-3.160, P<0.05). Compared with the previous group[(74.60±30.53) min], this group[(52.80±24.57) min] had a shorter time to cut out the flap of similar area( t=-9.179, P<0.05). In the previous group, one flap transfer was failed due to the thinner caliber of perforator and source artery. All the flaps survived with satisfactory outline and softness with good blood supply after 2-6 months of follow-up. The oral and maxillofacial functions were normal. The reconstructed breasts were symmetrical with the healthy side, and the shape was satisfactory. Only linear scars remained in the donor sites without dysfunction. Conclusion:The improved CTA three-dimensional reconstruction of perforator area can help to determine the detailed location, course and distribution of the perforators at the superficial fascia layer. It provides a reliable bases in the design and harvest of perforator flaps during operation, reduces the perioperative risks and has certain clinical values.

Objective:To explore the clinical value of point-of-care ultrasonography(PoCUS) in the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism(PE).Methods:Consecutive 196 patients suspected of acute PE were enrolled in East Branch, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2017 to November 2017. All the patients were categorized into no PE group( n=143) and PE group( n=53) based on CTPA results. PoCUS was performed and considered diagnostic for PE if one or more right ventricular dysfunction (right ventricular dilation, right ventricular free wall hypokinesia, increased tricuspid regurgitation velocity or decreased tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion), deep venous thrombosis(DVT) or subpleural infarcts were detected. Results:With CTPA as the gold standard for diagnosis, the sensitivity (94.34%), Youden index (0.531) and the area under the ROC curve(AUC) (0.765) of the combined diagnosis of PE by transthoracic echocardiography(TTE), lower limb vein compression ultrasonography(CUS) and lung ultrasonography (LUS) were the highest. The specificity (94.41%) and accuracy (81.63%) of LUS in the diagnosis of PE were the highest, and the misdiagnosis rate (5.59%) of LUS the lowest. The sensitivity of the combined triple PoCUS (TTE, CUS, and LUS) diagnosis of PE was higher than TTE and CUS combined diagnosis ( P=0.016), and the sensitivity and specificity were higher than TTE and CUS combined diagnosis as a whole ( P<0.005). Conclusions:The combined triple PoCUS (TTE, CUS, and LUS) has the highest accuracy in the diagnosis of PE, while LUS has a high specificity and a low misdiagnosis rate in the diagnosis of PE. Therefore, it is recommended to apply the combined triple PoCUS in clinical practice.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects of Xingzhi Yinao (XZYN) particles combined with hyperbaric oxygen therapy on cognitive impairment and motor dysfunction in patients with delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP). Methods Sixty-seven patients with DEACMP were admitted to the Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2011 to December 2015, and they were randomly divided into a control group (given conventional treatment such as inhalation of oxygen, cytidine diphosphate cholin and vitamin B, 19 cases), a hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment group (given conventional treatment + hyperbaric oxygen therapy once a day, 24 cases) and a XZYN particles treatment (XZYN group, given conventional treatment, hyperbaric oxygen and XZYN particles, 24 cases), the therapeutic course being 2 months in the three groups. Before and after treatment for 1 and 2 months, the cognitive function and motor function of the patients were evaluated by the use of activity of daily living (ADL) scale, Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scale, and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scale; the severity of cerebral white matter injury was assessed by age related white matter changes (ARWMC) scale; and the electromyographic evoked potential was used to detect the amplitude and latency of P300 to assess the severity of cognition impairment and prognosis. Results With the prolongation of therapeutic time, after treatment, the neurological function scores of ADL, MoCA, MMSE and amplitude of P300 were increased, while ARWMC was decreased and the latency of P300 was shortened gradually in the three groups, and the changes of above indexes after treatment for 2 months in XZYN group were more significant than those in either HBO group or control group[ADL score: 70.2±8.3 vs. 60.5±8.1, 23.0±6.1, MoCA score: 26.1±3.1 vs. 22.2±2.7, 18.2±3.6, MMSE score:25.9±4.1 vs. 22.4±3.5, 18.1±4.5, ARWMC score: 7.0±2.1 vs. 8.7±2.2, 15.2±3.3, latency of P300 (ms):332.9±20.4 vs. 352.5±23.6, 381.7±30.3, amplitude of P300 (μV): 6.5±1.6 vs. 5.6±1.3, 4.1±1.5, all P < 0.05]. Conclusion The hyperbaric oxygen therapy combined with XZYN particles for treatment of patients with DEACMP can significantly improve their cognitive and motor functions and ameliorate the severity of cerebral white matter injury.

Objective To investigate the effect of Xing-Zhi-Yi-Nao (XZYN) particles on the expressions of Nogo and OMgp proteins in brain of rats after acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.Methods A total of 120 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal group,CO poisoning group and XZYN particles treatment group (40 rats in each group).The rats in CO poisoning group and treatment group of acute CO poisoning were established by using an animal chamber,and then received hyperbaric oxygen therapy.Meanwhile,rats in treatment group were further given additional XZYN particles twice a day by gavage.At 1 day,1 week,1 month and 2 months after CO poisoning,the neurobehavioral score of rats was evaluated by a Morris water maze test and a shuttle box test,and the expressions of neurite outgrowth inhibitor (Nogo) and oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein (OMgp) were investigated in rat brain tissue by immunohistochemistry staining and western blotting assay,respectively.Results Compared with those in normal control group((11.6±8.4)s,(41.8±4.4)%,(16.1±2.3)s,and (1.2±0.2)s),the escape latency in CO group was significantly prolonged ((14.1±6.1)s),and the T1/ T total was obviously decreased (23.6±2.4) %,the escape time ((26.3±3.8)s),the active escape latency ((2.3±0.3)s) were notably extended at 1 d (P<0.05).The cognitive dysfunction caused by CO poisoning was more obvious in the later stage of poisoning (from 1 week to 2 months,P<0.05).Compared with those in CO group,the escape latency was significantly shortened (from (3.5±0.6)s to (3.1±0.5)s),the T1/ T total was gradually increased (from (29.7±3.2)% to (36.7±3.2)%),the escape time (from (39.7±5.4)s to (18.1±2.0)s) and the active escape latency were obviously decreased (from (4.3±0.4)s to (2.1±0.2)s) in the later stage (>1 week) in Xing-Zhi-Yi-Nao treatment group (P<0.05).The expressions of Nogo and Omgp proteins in brain tissue in CO poisoning group were gradually increased as time went by.The increased expressions of Nogo and Omgp proteins were still observed at 1 month after CO poisoning.By contrast,XZYN particles could significantly improve cognitive function,reduce the expression of Nogo protein,and there was statistical difference compared with the poisoning group (P<0.05).However,the level of Omgp protein in XZYN treatment group was slightly lower than that in CO poisoning group,but there was no difference between the two groups (P>0.05).Conclusion The expression of Nogo and Omgp proteins may be associated with brain injury and demyelination in rats induced by CO poisoning.XZYN particles can down-regulate the expression of Nogo,and pave a way for the treatment of acute brain damage and delayed encephalopathy after CO poisoning.

BACKGROUND:Porous poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate)/calcium metaphosphate composite membranes prepared previously is too thick and uneven in holes.
OBJECTIVE:To prepare the thin even porous poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate)/calcium metaphosphate composite membrane, and to evaluate the cytocompatibility and differentiation capacity.
METHODS:Porous and nonporous, thin and even poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate)/calcium metaphosphate composite membranes were prepared by phase separation method. Its thickness and weight loss rate were determined. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s were cocultured with porous and nonporous poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate)/calcium metaphosphate composite membranes for 7 days. Ultrastructure of composite membranes was observed under the scanning electron microscopy. Surface markers of the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s on the composite membranes were analyzed using flow cytometry.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The thickness of the porous and nonporous composite membranes was (0.041 ± 0.005) mm and (0.058±0.004) mm. Weight loss rates of porous and nonporous composite membranes were respectively 19.93%and 7.64%at 24 hours. Calcium metaphosphate particles were evenly distributed in porous and nonporous composite membrane. Cel s spread entirely, showing spindle shape. Calcium metaphosphate particles were evenly distributed in porous composite membrane. Pore in porous composite membranes was also uniformly distributed, and pore size was about 2-8μm. Cel s spread entirely, showing polygonal shape with multiple tentacles. The tentacles of some cel s entered into the scaffold. CD105, CD90, CD44, CD29 and CD73 expression was detected in porous and nonporous composite membranes. There was no significant difference in cel-positive rate. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate)/calcium metaphosphate composite membranes prepared in this study has good biocompatibility and could not promote cel differentiation.

BACKGROUND:Calcium metaphosphate has excel ent biocompatibility, degradability, and cel affinity. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s can grow and proliferate in the pores of the porous calcium metaphosphate, but less is known about calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles.
OBJECTIVE:To prepare calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles, and to analyze the effect of calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles at different concentrations on apoptosis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s by flow cytometry.
METHODS:The calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles were prepared by wet bal mil ing. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the morphology of the calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles, and the crystal structure of nanoparticles was analyzed by X-ray diffraction. Calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles were mixed in the CYAGON Oricel TM basal medium, and the concentrations of calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles in the medium were 10, 1, 0.1 mg/L. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s were cultured for 7 days in the above-mentioned media, and apoptosis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s was analyzed by flow cytometry.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles were successful y prepared by wet bal mil ing, irregular in shape, and the mean diameter was 10-30 nm. X-ray diffraction results showed the crystal structure of nonaparticles was mainlyβ-Ca(PO3)2. The cel ratio of G0/G1 phase and G2/M phase in 10 mg/L group was obviously higher than that in 1, 0.1 mg/L groups (P<0.01). The cel apoptosis rates during the early, middle, late stages in 10 mg/L group were obviously higher than those in 1, 0.1 mg/L groups (P<0.01), and the total cel apoptosis was also significantly increased in 10 mg/L group (P<0.01). These findings indicate that human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s proliferation can be inhibited by calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles, and apoptosis rate is increased significantly when the concentration of calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles increases from 1 mg/L to 10 mg/L.

Objective Allograft vasculopathy (AV), feature of chronic rejection, is a major serious long-term post-operation complication in organ transplantation. The accurate mechanisms for AV have not been definitively established, but extensive basic and clinical studies demonstrate AV is triggered by immune reaction and nonimmunologic factors, and also possibly attributed to the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). Methods The transplanted hearts from Lewis to Sprague-Dawely rats served as allografts and those from Lewis to Lewis rats as isografts based on Ono 's model. The differential proteins in transplanted hearts were separated by comparative proteomic technique, and some enzymes which regulated the metabolism of BCAA were identified and validated.Results All transplanted hearts at second week postoperation were characterized by lumen loss (total area-luminal area/total area) in coronary artery, but more predominant at 8th week. All samples from the left ventricles were analyzed by proteomic techniques and the subunits E1 a, E1β and E3 of branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) complex were decreased in the heart allografts.Immunohistological detection also showed the expression of BCKDH was reduced not only in the cardiac muscle but also more significantly in blool vessels with cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV).BCAA concentrations were increased in the cardiac allografts, but there was no difference in the serum. Conclusion These findings suggest that the catabolic pathways of the BCAA may be inhibited owing to the reduced expression of BCKDH complex, and elevated intracellular concentrations of leucine. The vascular smooth muscle cell and cardiac muscle cell proliferation is stimulated via mTOR-dependent and mTOR-independent pathways, which is associated with the formation of myocardial hypertrophy and AV in the heart allografts.