OBJECTIVE To investigate the transcriptomal charactersistics of the striatum in the chronic social defeat stress(CSDS)model mice by using spatial transcriptome analysis and to address the underlying mechanism of the striatum in regulating depressive states.METHODS The CSDS para-digm was employed to establish a depression-like mouse model.The depressive indicators of behavioral despair,anhedonia,and social disorders were assessed through a battery of tests,including the tail suspension test,forced swim test,sucrose preference test,and social interaction experiments.The control mice and the mice exhibiting CSDS-sensitive depression-like behaviors were selected for spatial tran-scriptome sequencing of the striatal region.This sequencing aimed to identify highly expressed genes,followed by KEGG and GO enrichment analyses using the DAVID database.RESULTS The CSDS mouse model effectively induced behavioral despair,anhedonia and social avoidance(P<0.05,P<0.01).Spatial transcriptome analysis revealed 193 differentially expressed genes in the striatum of normal mice.KEGG and GO analyses indicated that these genes were primarily associated with striatal devel-opment,locomotor behaviors,and drug addiction.They were strongly implicated in signaling pathways such as cyclic adenosine monophosphate,cyclic guanosine monophosphate-protein kinase G,calcium signaling,Ras-related protein 1,and mitogen-activated protein kinase,and synaptic linked to GABAergic and dopaminergic neurons.In contrast,CSDS modeling mice led to the identification of 298 differentially expressed genes in the striatum compared with the normal control mice.These genes were significantly enriched in pathways related to neurodegenerative diseases,including Huntington disease,Alzheimer disease,and Parkinson disease.CONCLUSION Depressive states induced by CSDS are associated with the pathological processes underlying neurodegenerative diseases in the striatum.

The distribution of Ixodes and Ana plasma carried by Ixodes ticks in Anhui Province was clarified as reference for prevention and control of anaplasmosis.In total,630 hard ticks were collected from Jinzhai County,Hanshan County,Jing-de County and Chaohu City in Anhui Province from April to August 2023.Ticks were identified by morphological analysis and 16S rRNA sequencing.Nested PCR with Anaplasma species-specific primers were used to detect 16S rRNA of Anaplasma spe-cies carried by ticks.A phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA11.0 software.Of the identified ticks,18.8％(18/96)were Rhipicephalus microplus and 81.2％(78/96)were Haemaphysalis longicorni in Jinzhai County of Anhui Province,all were H.longicorni in Hanshan County and Chaohu City,while the main species in Jingde County was R.microplus.The posi-tive rate of Anaplasma carried by H.longicornis was 30.9％(102/330),which included A.bovis at 1.8％(6/330),A.phagocytophilum at 21.8％(72/330)and uncultured Anaplasma species at 7.3％(24/330).R.microplus was positively cor-related to A.bovis(13.6％,18/132).The uncultured Anaplasma species was mainly detected in host-free ticks.A.phagocy-tophilum was detected in 24.4％of parasitic ticks and 15.8％of host-free ticks.The positive rates of host-free and parasitic ticks were 19.9％and 17.8％,respectively.These results show that H.longicornis and R.microplus were the dominant ticks in several counties of Anhui Province.H.longicornis and R.microplus as well as free and parasitic ticks all carried Anaplas-ma.

Objective:To examine the factors that contribute to memory impairment in elderly stroke patients and develop a predictive model.Methods:One hundred stroke patients from the First People's Hospital of Changzhou were selected to assess the incidence of memory impairment using the Montreal cognitive assessment memory index score(MoCA-MIS).Univariate analysis and multivariate Logistic regression were performed to determine the factors influencing memory impairment in these patients.Additionally, the correlation among relevant scale scores was examined, and a prediction model was developed.Results:In the study, 49 patients(49.0%)did not exhibit memory impairment.Patients with memory impairment were found to have higher proportions of individuals over 75 years old, elevated levels of triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol(TC), low-density lipoproteins cholesterol(LDL-C), and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)scores compared to those without memory impairment.Conversely, patients without memory impairment had higher proportions of individuals with more than 9 years of education, higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), mini-mental state examination(MMSE)scores, Rivermead behavioural memory test-Ⅱ(RBMT-Ⅱ)scores, and picture-based memory impairment screen(PMIS)scores(all P<0.05).Furthermore, Montreal cognitive assessment-memory index(MoCA-MIS)scores in stroke patients with memory impairment showed negative correlations with NIHSS scores, TG, and LDL-C, while showing positive correlations with HDL-C, MMSE scores, RBMT-Ⅱ scores, and PMIS scores(all P<0.05).Multifactorial Logistic regression analysis indicated that years of education, TG, HDL-C, NIHSS score, MMSE score, RBMT-Ⅱ score, PMIS score, and the location of the lesion in the cortex or temporal lobe were significant factors influencing memory impairment in stroke patients(all P<0.05).The receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)analysis revealed an area under curve(AUC)of 0.955(95% CI: 0.921-0.977)for the prediction model of memory impairment in stroke patients, with a Yoden index of 0.841. Conclusions:The risk of memory impairment in stroke patients is associated with education years and blood lipid levels.Factors such as high education level, active cognitive function, and memory training serve as protective factors against memory impairment.The prediction model developed using these influencing factors demonstrates high predictive accuracy for post-stroke memory impairment.

Objective To investigate the toxicokinetic differences of 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine(MDMA)and its metabolite 4,5-methylene dioxy amphetamine(MDA)in rats af-ter single and continuous administration of MDMA,providing reference data for the forensic identifica-tion of MDMA.Methods A total of 24 rats in the single administration group were randomly divided into 5,10 and 20 mg/kg experimental groups and the control group,with 6 rats in each group.The ex-perimental group was given intraperitoneal injection of MDMA,and the control group was given intraperi-toneal injection of the same volume of normal saline as the experimental group.The amount of 0.5 mL blood was collected from the medial canthus 5 min,30 min,1 h,1.5 h,2 h,4 h,6 h,8 h,10 h,12 h after administration.In the continuous administration group,24 rats were randomly divided into the experi-mental group(18 rats)and the control group(6 rats).The experimental group was given MDMA 7 d by continuous intraperitoneal injection in increments of 5,7,9,11,13,15,17 mg/kg per day,respectively,while the control group was given the same volume of normal saline as the experimental group by in-traperitoneal injection.On the eighth day,the experimental rats were randomly divided into 5,10 and 20 mg/kg dose groups,with 6 rats in each group.MDMA was injected intraperitoneally,and the con-trol group was injected intraperitoneally with the same volume of normal saline as the experimental group.On the eighth day,0.5 mL of blood was taken from the medial canthus 5 min,30 min,1 h,1.5 h,2 h,4 h,6 h,8 h,10 h,12 h after administration.Liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect MDMA and MDA levels,and statistical software was employed for data analysis.Results In the single-administration group,peak concentrations of MDMA and MDA were reached at 5 min and 1 h after administration,respectively,with the largest detection time limit of 12 h.In the continuous administration group,peak concentrations were reached at 30 min and 1.5 h af-ter administration,respectively,with the largest detection time limit of 10 h.Nonlinear fitting equations for the concentration ratio of MDMA and MDA in plasma and administration time in the single-administration group and continuous administration group were as follows:T=10.362C-1.183,R2=0.974 6;T=7.397 3C-0.694,R2=0.961 5(T:injection time;C:concentration ratio of MDMA to MDA in plasma).Conclusions The toxicokinetic data of MDMA and its metabolite MDA in rats,obtained through single and continuous administration,including peak concentration,peak time,detection time limit,and the relationship between concentration ratio and administration time,provide a theoretical and data foundation for relevant forensic identification.

Objective To analyze the high risk factors of obstetric brachial plexus palsy(OBPP),and to explore how to evaluate the relationship between fault medical behavior and OBPP in the process of medical damage forensic identification.Methods A retrospective analysis was carried out on 25 cases of medical damage liability disputes related to OBPP from 2017 to 2021 in Beijing Fayuan Judicial Science Evidence Appraisal Center.The shortcomings of hospitals in birth weight assessment,delivery mode selection,labor process observation and shoulder dystocia management,and the causal relation-ship between them and the damage consequences of the children were summarized.Results Fault medi-cal behavior was assessed as the primary cause in 2 cases,equal cause in 10 cases,secondary cause in 8 cases,minor cause in 1 case,no causal relationship in 1 case,and unclear causal force in 3 cases.Conclusion In the process of forensic identification of OBPP,whether medical behaviors fulfill diagno-sis and treatment obligations should be objectively analyzed from the aspects of prenatal evaluation,de-livery mode notification,standardized use of oxytocin,standard operation of shoulder dystocia,etc.Meanwhile,it is necessary to fully consider the objective risk of different risk factors and the diffi-culty of injury prevention,and comprehensively evaluate the causal force of fault medical behavior in the damage consequences.

BACKGROUND:Croton cream can activate ERK pathways and have anti-apoptotic effects on neuronal cells.It is not clear whether it synergistically exerts anti-apoptotic effects by inhibiting the activation of JNK and p38 pathways. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects and mechanisms of croton cream on neuronal damage and apoptosis in the ischemic cortex of rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS:(1)Ninety Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group,croton cream low-dose group,croton cream medium-dose group,croton cream high-dose group and nimodipine group,with 15 rats in each group.Except for the sham operation group,animal models of middle cerebral artery occlusion were prepared in rats by the thread method.Rats in the three croton cream groups were given 20,40,and 60 mg/kg croton cream,respectively.Rats in the sham operation and model groups were given the same amount of normal saline,once a day,for 7 consecutive days.The optimal concentration of croton cream,namely the high dose of croton cream,was selected based on neurological deficit score,TTC staining,brain tissue water content,hematoxylin-eosin staining and Nissl staining.(2)Another 120 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group,croton cream group,JNK inhibitor group,croton cream+JNK inhibitor group,p38 MAPK inhibitor group,croton cream+p38 MAPK inhibitor group,and nimodipine group,with 15 rats in each group.Animal models of middle cerebral artery occlusion were prepared using the thread method in all the groups except in the sham operation group.Thirty minutes before modeling,10 μL of SP600125(JNK inhibitor)and 10 μL of SB203580(p38 MAPK inhibitor)were injected into the lateral ventricle of the rats,respectively.Rats in croton cream groups were intragastrically given 60 mg/kg croton cream.Seven days later,the JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway,apoptosis-related proteins and cell apoptosis were detected by western blot,TUNEL staining and flow cytometry,respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the sham operation group,neurological deficit score,cerebral water content,cerebral infarction volume and apoptosis rate were significantly increased in the model group(P<0.05),where nerve cells showed scattered distribution.Compared with the model group,neurological deficit score,water content of brain tissue and cerebral infarction volume were significantly decreased in the croton cream medium-dose group,high-dose group and nimodipine group(P<0.05),and the pathological morphology of nerve cells was significantly improved.(2)Compared with the JNK inhibitor group,p-JNK/JNK,p-p38/p38 and Bax expressions in rat brain tissue and the apoptotic rate were significantly decreased in the croton cream+inhibitor groups(P<0.05),while the expression of and Bcl-2 was significantly increased(P<0.05).To conclude,croton cream may inhibit the activation of JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway and reduce neuronal apoptosis to achieve neuroprotective effects in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of reduced field-of-view DWI （r-FOV DWI） in quantitative assessment of axial spondyloarthritis. MethodsA total of 112 patients with chronic back pain or suspected axial spondyloarthritis receiving full field-of-view DWI （f-FOV DWI） and reduced field-of-view DWI （r-FOV DWI） from December 2019 to December 2021 were enrolled. Next， subjective image quality assessment （anatomical detail， artifacts， distortion， overall image quality） and objective image quality assessment including （signal to noise ratio and contrast to noise ratio） were conducted by two experienced radiologists. In addition， the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient （ADC） values of three groups （active group， inactive group， and control group） on the two DWI sequences were measured by the two radiologists， respectively. Finally， the consistency of measurement between the two researchers was evaluated and the differences in ADC values was compared. Results102 patients were included and were divided into three groups， including the active group （n=32）， inactive group （n=29）， and control group （n=41） according to ASAS diagnostic criteria. All subjective and objective image quality metrics were rated in favor of r-FOV DWI images compared with f-FOV DWI images ［overall image quality： DWI 4（3~4） vs. 3（3~3） and SNR： 6.58（5.05~10.38） vs. 4.46（2.37~10.04）， CNR： 2.04（-1.14~8.29） vs. 0.97（-8.19~7.12）；P＜0.05］. Inter-rater consistency of the two researchers were 0.60~0.74. According to the AUC curve， group inactive vs. control showed r-FOV DWI was better than f-FOV DWI. In other groups （lesion vs. control， active vs. inactive）， there were no differences between both sequences（P＜0.05）. ConclusionThe subjective image quality score and signal to noise ratio of r-FOV DWI were higher than those of f-FOV DWI， which could be used for quantitative assessment of axial spondyloarthritis.

Objective: To investigate the safety and effect of laparoscopy for the treatment of biliary stricture after the biliary dilatation operation. Methods: The clinical data of 78 patients,including 27 males and 51 females aged (48.6±14.2)years(range:17 to 76 years),who presented biliary stricture after biliary dilatation operation from January 2017 to June 2021 in the Department of Minimally Invasive Hepatobiliary Surgery,Hunan Provincial People's Hospital,were retrospectively collected,with 38 cases in the laparoscopy group and 40 cases in the laparotomy group. Of the 78 patients,there were 67 cases of cholangiojejunostomy stricture and 11 cases of stricture of the high intrahepatic bile duct. Statistical methods such as t-test and χ² test were carried out to compare perioperative clinical data and follow-up information between the two groups. Results: Less intraoperative blood loss((102.6±76.4)ml vs. (162.5±105.9) ml, t=-2.874,P=0.005),shorter postoperative stay length of stay((10.5±3.7)days vs. (14.5±6.4)days, t=-3.379,P=0.001) and shorter waiting time for postoperative anal exhaust((2.0±0.6)days vs. (2.5±0.9)days, t=-2.827,P=0.006) were found in the laparoscopy group than that in the laparotomy group,with statistically significant differences. While there was no statistically difference in the operative time((252.8±54.7)minutes vs. (257.4±68.6)minutes,t=-0.331,P=0.742). Postoperative review and follow-up did not show statistically significant differences between the two groups in the residual stone rate(5.3%(2/38) vs. 5.0%(2/40)) and the incidence of recurrent biliary stricture(5.3%(2/38) vs. 7.5%(3/40))(both P>0.05). Conclusion: Laparoscopy may be safe and effective in the treatment of biliary stricture after the biliary dilatation operation,with less trauma,faster recovery compared to laparotomy.

OBJECTIVES: To study the factors influencing the short-term (28 days) efficacy of initial adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS), as well as the factors influencing recurrence and prognosis. METHODS: The clinical data were collected from the children with IESS who received ACTH therapy for the first time in the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, from April 2008 to January 2018 and were followed up for ≥2 years. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the factors influencing the short-term efficacy of ACTH therapy, recurrence, and long-term prognosis. RESULTS: ACTH therapy achieved a control rate of seizures of 55.5% (111/200) on day 28 of treatment. Of the 111 children, 75 (67.6%) had no recurrence of seizures within 12 months of follow-up. The possibility of seizure control on day 28 of ACTH therapy in the children without focal seizures was 2.463 times that in those with focal seizures (P<0.05). The possibility of seizure control on day 28 of ACTH therapy in the children without hypsarrhythmia on electroencephalography on day 14 of ACTH therapy was 2.415 times that in those with hypsarrhythmia (P<0.05). The possibility of recurrence within 12 months after treatment was increased by 11.8% for every 1-month increase in the course of the disease (P<0.05). The possibility of moderate or severe developmental retardation or death in the children without seizure control after 28 days of ACTH therapy was 8.314 times that in those with seizure control (P<0.05). The possibility of moderate or severe developmental retardation or death in the children with structural etiology was 14.448 times that in those with unknown etiology (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Presence or absence of focal seizures and whether hypsarrhythmia disappears after 14 days of treatment can be used as predictors for the short-term efficacy of ACTH therapy, while the course of disease before treatment can be used as the predictor for recurrence after seizure control by ACTH therapy. The prognosis of IESS children is associated with etiology, and early control of seizures after ACTH therapy can improve long-term prognosis.
Child ; Humans ; Infant ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/therapeutic use* ; Spasms, Infantile/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; Seizures ; Electroencephalography/adverse effects* ; Spasm/drug therapy*

Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanism of interleukin-4-modified gold nanoparticle (IL-4-AuNP) on the wound healing of full-thickness skin defects in diabetic mice. Methods: Experimental research methods were adopted. Gold nanoparticle (AuNP) and IL-4-AuNP were synthesized by improving the methods described in published literature. The morphology of those two particles were photographed by transmission electron microscopy, and their particle sizes were calculated. The surface potential and hydration particle size of the two particles were detected by nanoparticle potentiometer and particle size analyzer, respectively. The clearance rate of IL-4-AuNP to hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion was measured by hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion kits, respectively. Mouse fibroblast line 3T3 cells were used and divided into the following groups by the random number table (the same below): blank control group, hydrogen peroxide alone group treated with hydrogen peroxide only, hydrogen peroxide+IL-4-AuNP group treated with IL-4-AuNP for 0.5 h and then treated with hydrogen peroxide. After 24 h of culture, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of cells were detected by immunofluorescence method; cell count kit 8 was used to detect relative cell survival rate. The macrophage Raw264.7 mouse cells were then used and divided into blank control group and IL-4-AuNP group that treated with IL-4-AuNP. After 24 h of culture, the expression of arginase 1 (Arg-1) in cells was observed by immunofluorescence method. Twelve male BALB/c mice (mouse age, sex, and strain, the same below) aged 8 to 10 weeks were divided into IL-4-AuNP group and blank control group, treated accordingly. On the 16^th day of treatment, whole blood samples were collected from mice for analysis of white blood cell count (WBC), red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin level, or platelet count and the level of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), urea, or creatinine. The inflammation, bleeding, or necrosis in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney tissue of mice were detected by hematoxylin-eosin (HE). Another 36 mice were selected to make diabetic model, and the full-thickness skin defect wounds were made on the back of these mice. The wounds were divided into blank control group, AuNP alone group, and IL-4-AuNP group, with 12 mice in each group, and treated accordingly. On the 0 (immediately), 4^th, 9^th, and 15^th day of treatment, the wound condition was observed and the wound area was calculated. On the 9^th day of treatment, HE staining was used to detect the length of neonatal epithelium and the thickness of granulation tissue in the wound. On the 15^th day of treatment, immunofluorescence method was used to detect ROS level and the number of Arg-1 positive cells in the wound tissue. The number of samples was 6 in all cases. Data were statistically analyzed with independent sample t test, corrected t test, Tukey test, or Dunnett T3 test. Results: The size of prepared AuNP and IL-4-AuNP were uniform. The particle size, surface potential, and hydration particle size of AuNP and IL-4-AuNP were (13.0±2.1) and (13.9±2.5) nm, (-45.8±3.2) and (-20.3±2.2) mV, (14±3) and (16±4) nm, respectively. For IL-4-AuNP, the clearance rate to hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion were (69±4)% and (52±5)%, respectively. After 24 h of culture, the ROS level of 3T3 in hydrogen peroxide alone group was significantly higher than that in blank control group (q=26.12, P<0.05); the ROS level of hydrogen peroxide+IL-4-AuNP group was significantly lower than that in hydrogen peroxide alone group (q=25.12, P<0.05) and close to that in blank control group (P>0.05). After 24 h of culture, the relative survival rate of 3T3 cells in hydrogen peroxide+IL-4-AuNP group was significantly higher than that in hydrogen peroxide alone group (t=51.44, P<0.05). After 24 h of culture, Arg-1 expression of Raw264.7 cells in IL-4-AuNP group was significantly higher than that in blank control group (t'=8.83, P<0.05).On the 16^th day of treatment, there were no significant statistically differences in WBC, RBC, hemoglobin level, or platelet count and the level of AST, ALT, urea, or creatinine of mice between blank control group and IL-4-AuNP group (P>0.05). No obvious inflammation, bleeding or necrosis was observed in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney of important organs in IL-4-AuNP group, and no significant changes were observed compared with blank control group. On the 0 and 4^th day of treatment, the wound area of diabetic mice in blank control group, AuNP alone group, and IL-4-AuNP group had no significant difference (P>0.05). On the 9^th day of treatment, the wound areas both in AuNP alone group and IL-4-AuNP group were significantly smaller than that in blank control group (with q values of 9.45 and 14.87, respectively, P<0.05), the wound area in IL-4-AuNP group was significantly smaller than that in AuNP alone group (q=5.42, P<0.05). On the 15^th day of treatment, the wound areas both in AuNP alone group and IL-4-AuNP group were significantly smaller than that in blank control group (with q values of 4.84 and 20.64, respectively, P<0.05), the wound area in IL-4-AuNP group was significantly smaller than that in AuNP alone group (q=15.80, P<0.05); moreover, inflammations such as redness and swelling were significantly reduced in IL-4-AuNP group compared with the other two groups. On the 9^th day of treatment, compared with blank control group and AuNP alone group, the length of neonatal epithelium in the wound of diabetic mice in IL-4-AuNP group was significantly longer (all P<0.05), and the thickness of the granulation tissue in the wound was significantly increased (with q values of 11.33 and 9.65, respectively, all P<0.05). On the 15^th day of treatment, compared with blank control group, ROS levels in wound tissue of diabetic mice in AuNP alone group and IL-4-AuNP group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). On the 15^th day of treatment, the number of Arg-1 positive cells in the wounds of diabetic mice in IL-4-AuNP group was significantly more than that in blank control group and AuNP alone group, respectively (all P<0.05). Conclusions: IL-4-AuNP is safe in vivo, and can improve the oxidative microenvironment by removing ROS and induce macrophage polarization towards M2 phenotype, thus promote efficient diabetic wound healing and regeneration of full-thickness skin defects in diabetic mice.
Mice ; Male ; Animals ; Interleukin-4 ; Gold/pharmacology* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; Creatinine ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Superoxides ; Metal Nanoparticles ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Antibodies ; Inflammation ; Necrosis ; Hemoglobins