Objective: To assess the dynamic changes of microcirculation at acupoints in patients with primary dysmenorrhea and cold congelation and blood stasis syndrome using laser speckle blood flow imaging. Methods: Patients with primary dysmenorrhea and cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome (primary dysmenorrhea group, n=53) and healthy female college students(control group, n=57) who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria from October 2020 to July 2022 were enrolled at Hebei University of Chinese Medicine. On the premenstrual and first day of menstruation, a laser speckle blood flow imaging system was used to measure the microcirculation blood flow perfusion on the surface of acupoints related to the conception, thoroughfare, and governor vessels, and stomach, spleen, and bladder meridians in the abdomen and lumbosacral regions. The dynamic changes in microcirculation were calculated based on the difference in average blood flow perfusion at each acupoint before and after menstruation. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of dynamic changes in microcirculation on the surface of each acupoint. The microcirculation sensitization rate of acupoints was calculated. Results: Compared with the control group, the dynamic changes in microcirculation at the following acupoints in the primary dysmenorrhea group were increased (P<0.05): conception vessel (Yinjiao[CV7], Qihai[CV6], Shimen[CV5], Guanyuan[CV4]); left thoroughfare vessel (left Huangshu[KI16], left Zhongzhu[KI15], left Siman[KI14], left Qixue[KI13], left Dahe[KI12], left Henggu[KI11]); left stomach meridian (left Tianshu[ST25], left Wailing[ST26], left Qichong[ST30]); left spleen meridian (left Daheng[SP15], left Fujie[SP14]); right thoroughfare vessel (right Huangshu[KI16], right Zhongzhu[KI15], right Siman[KI14], right Qixue[KI13], right Dahe[KI12], right Henggu[KI11]); right stomach meridian (right Wailing[ST26], right Daju[ST27], right Shuidao[ST28], right Guilai[ST29], right Qichong[ST30]); and right spleen meridian (right Fujie[SP14]). The area under the ROC curve of conception vessel (Yinjiao[CV7], Qihai[CV6], Shimen[CV5], Guanyuan[CV4]), thoroughfare vessel (right Siman[KI14], left Huangshu[KI16], right Qixue[KI13], right Zhongzhu[KI15], right Dahe[KI12], left Zhongzhu[KI15], left Siman[KI14], right Huangshu[KI16], left Qixue[KI13], right Henggu[KI11], left Henggu[KI11], left Dahe[KI12]); stomach meridian (left Tianshu[ST25], right Guilai[ST29], left Wailing[ST26], right Shuidao[ST28], right Daju[ST27], right Wailing[ST26], right Qichong[ST30], left Qichong[ST30]), and spleen meridian (left Daheng[SP15], left Fujie[SP14], right Fujie[SP14]) was 0.610-0.682 (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the sensitization rate of some acupoints in the primary dysmenorrhea group increased (P<0.05). Conclusion With the onset of menstruation, the blood flow perfusion of some acupoints in the abdomen (thoroughfare, and conception vessels, and stomach and spleen meridians) of patients with primary dysmenorrhea and cold blood coagulation and blood stasis syndrome increased, and the status of acupoints changed from a resting state to an active state. These acupoints are sensitive in patients with primary dysmenorrhea and cold blood coagulation and blood stasis syndrome and have a certain diagnostic efficacy, providing a basis for further analyzing the efficacy and mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion to treat primary dysmenorrhea with cold blood coagulation and blood stasis syndrome.

Objective: To investigate the effect of auricular therapy on sleep improvement and the GABAergic system pathway in a rat model of insomnia and to explore its possible mechanism. Methods: According to the random number table, 60 male SD rats were randomly divided into blank control, model, auricular point sticking, auricular bloodletting, and auricular bloodletting combined with sticking groups, with 12 rats per group. Insomnia was induced by intraperitoneal injection of p-chlorophenylalanine. After establishing the insomnia model, 36 rats were treated once a day with auricular point sticking or bloodletting for 5 consecutive days. After the intervention, the general condition and body weight of rats were observed; the righting reflex test was used to detect the sleep latency and duration; HE staining was used to observe the morphology of hypothalamic neuron cells; and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the GABA and glutamate content in rat serum. Immunohistochemistry(IHC) and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR were used to detect GABA ARα1 and GABA ARγ2 protein and mRNA expression in the hypothalamus of rats, and Western blotting(WB) was used to detect GABA ARα1, GABA ARγ2, GAD65/67, GAT-1, and GABA-T protein expression in the hypothalamus of rats. Results: Compared with the blank control group, the model group had a lower body weight, a significantly shorter sleep duration (P<0.05), severe damage to the morphological structure of hypothalamic neurons with disordered cell arrangement, larger intercellular gaps, enlarged cell bodies, and a vacuolated appearance. All the intervention groups had significantly higher body weight and longer sleep duration than the model group (P<0.05). Compared with the other intervention groups, the auricular point sticking group had a longer sleep duration (P<0.05), and the hypothalamic neuron cells in all intervention groups improved, with the auricular point sticking group showing more apparent improvement. The model group had a lower GABA and higher glutamate contents, and GABA ARα1, GABA ARγ2, and GAD65/67 protein expression in the hypothalamus were lower than in the blank control group. In contrast, GAT-1 and GABA-T protein expression was higher, and GABA ARα1 and GABA ARγ2 mRNA expression was lower (P<0.05). The serum GABA content in the auricular point sticking and auricular bloodletting groups was higher, and the serum glutamate content in the auricular point sticking and auricular bloodletting combined sticking groups was lower than in the model group. GABA ARα1 mRNA expression in the hypothalamus of each intervention group was significantly increased, and GABA ARγ2 mRNA expression in the hypothalamus of the auricular point sticking and auricular bloodletting combined sticking groups increased. GABA ARα1(IHC, WB), GABA ARγ2(WB), and GAD65/67 protein expression in the hypothalamus of the auricular point sticking group increased, whereas GAT-1 and GABA-T protein expression decreased. GABA ARα1 and GABA ARγ2 protein expression(IHC, WB) in the hypothalamus of the auricular bloodletting group increased, whereas GABA-T protein expression decreased. GABA ARγ1(IHC) and GABA ARγ2(WB) protein expression in the hypothalamus of the auricular bloodletting combined sticking group increased, whereas GAT-1 and GABA-T protein expression decreased (P<0.05). Compared with in the inventation groups, the serum GABA content in the auricular point sticking group increased, the serum glutamate content decreased, GABA ARα1 and GABA ARγ2 mRNA expression in the hypothalamus increased, and GABA ARα1(IHC), GAD65/67 protein expression increased. In contrast, GABA-T protein expression decreased (P<0.05), and GABA ARγ2 protein expression(IHC) in the hypothalamus of the auricular bloodletting group increased (P<0.05). Conclusion Auricular therapy, particularly auricular point sticking, may have modulated the GABAergic system pathway by upregulating hypothalamic GABA ARα1, GABA ARγ2, and GAD65/67 protein expression while downregulating GAT-1 and GABA-T protein expression to alleviate symptoms in an insomnia rat model.

HDAC7, a member of class IIa HDACs, plays a pivotal regulatory role in tumor, immune, fibrosis, and angiogenesis, rendering it a potential therapeutic target. Nevertheless, due to the high similarity in the enzyme active sites of class IIa HDACs, inhibitors encounter challenges in discerning differences among them. Furthermore, the substitution of key residue in the active pocket of class IIa HDACs renders them pseudo-enzymes, leading to a limited impact of enzymatic inhibitors on their function. In this study, proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology was employed to develop HDAC7 drugs. We developed an exceedingly selective HDAC7 PROTAC degrader B14 which showcased superior inhibitory effects on cell proliferation compared to TMP269 in various diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Subsequent investigations unveiled that B14 disrupts BCL6 forming a transcriptional inhibition complex by degrading HDAC7, thereby exerting proliferative inhibition in DLBCL. Our study broadened the understanding of the non-enzymatic functions of HDAC7 and underscored the importance of HDAC7 in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, particularly in DLBCL and AML.

Purpose This study aims to analyze genetic mutations in patients with BCR ∷ABL negative myelopro-liferative neoplasms(MPN)and to explore their relationship with clinical features.Methods We retrospectively ana-lyzed the clinical data of 208 patients diagnosed with BCR ∷ABL negative MPN,which included 34 patients with poly-cythemia vera(PV),33 with essential thrombocytopenia(ET),and 141 with primary myelofibrosis(PMF).Mutations in driver genes were assessed in all patients.A total of 72 patients underwent next-generation sequencing(NGS)with 69-gene panel,and the relationship between gene mutations and clinical features were analyzed.Results Among the 208 MPN patients,at least one driver gene mutation(JAK2,CALR,MPL)was detected in 96.15％(200/208)of the patients.Only 0.48％(1/208)of the patients exhibited both JAK2 and CALR driver mutations.We analyzed the clinical data of 136 patients with only driver gene mutations to compare the relationship between the most common JAK2 mutations(identified in 110 patients)and clinical outcomes.The JAK2 mutation group demonstrated higher white blood cell(WBC)counts and lower platelet(PLT)counts compared to the group without JAK2 mutations.173 muta-tions in 40 genes were detected in 72 patients,per capita carried(2.40±1.40)mutations.TET2,ASXL1,and TP53 are the most prevalent non-driver gene mutations,with 44.4％(32/72)of patients exhibiting at least one mutation in these three genes.In comparison to patients without detected mutations in TET2,ASXL1,and TP53,those with muta-tions in these genes demonstrated lower hemoglobin(HGB)levels,a higher incidence of splenomegaly,and more se-vere bone marrow fibrosis.High-molecular risk category(HMR)mutations were detected in 22.22％(16/72)of the patients,and patients with HMR exhibited lower hemoglobin(HGB)levels,lower PLT counts,a higher likelihood of peripheral blood primitive cell percentage ≥ 1％,a greater incidence of splenomegaly,and more severe myelofibrosis.Mutations in the ASXL1 gene were exclusively observed in patients with PMF.Among the PMF patients with ASXL1 mutations(12 patients),there was a higher likelihood of having a peripheral blood primitive cell percentage of ≥1％,as well as a more severe degree of myelofibrosis.Conclusion Approximately 97％of patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms(MPN)exhibit positivity for driver genes,with a notably high mutation rate of the JAK2 gene.Each sub-group of MPN is characterized by distinct gene mutation patterns.Notably,ASXL1 mutations are exclusive to patients with primary myelofibrosis(PMF).Furthermore,PMF patients harboring ASXL1 mutations tend to demonstrate more pronounced bone marrow fibrosis and a greater proportion of blast cells in peripheral blood.

Objective:To investigate the effect of bone morphogenetic protein-9(BMP9)overexpression on inflammatory response and apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS).Methods:A549 cells were stimulated with 0.1 μg/ml LPS,expressions and changes of BMP9 protein at different time points(LPS stimulation for 0 h,6 h,12 h,24 h)were detected by Western blot.Expression of BMP9 in A549 cells was up-regulated by transfection of BMP9 plasmid,and the transfection efficiency was verified by Western blot and qPCR.After 12 h of LPS stimulation,levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1β in cell supernatant were detected by ELISA,expressions of anti-apoptotic protein(Bcl-2)and pro-apoptotic protein(Bax)were detected by Western blot,and apoptosis of cells was detected by TUNEL staining.Results:With the extension of LPS stimulation time,expression of BMP9 was down-regulated.Overexpression of BMP9 successfully up-regulated expression of BMP9 in A549 cells.LPS stimulation promoted secretions of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β from A549 cells,increased apoptosis,promoted Bcl-2 expression while inhibited Bax expression.Overexpression of BMP9 inhibited TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β releasing,decreased apoptosis,inhibited Bcl-2 expression,while promoted Bax expression.Conclusion:In LPS-stimulated A549 cells,BMP9 expression is gradually decreased at a time-depen-dent manner.Overexpression of BMP9 can inhibit LPS-induced inflammatory response and apoptosis in A549 cells.

Cognitive impairment is one of the manifestations of nervous system injury,which is mainly closely related to neurodegeneration,and the incidence rate is increasing year by year,which has seriously affected the health level of the population.The gut microbiota plays an important role in the health of the body and participates in the regulation of the cognitive behavior of body.The microbiome-gut-brain axis acts as a bridge connecting gut microbiota and the nervous system,and plays a regulatory role between gut microbiota and the nervous system.Therefore,this review summarizes the latest progress in the effects of gut microbiota and nervous system on the cognitive ability of body through the bidirectional regulation of neurotransmitters,gut microbiota derivatives,neuroinflammation,oxidative stress,autophagy and their crosstalk through the microbial-intestinal-brain axis,and providing a reference for the clinical research of targeted transplantation of gut microbiota for preventing and treating cognitive disorders.

Cognitive impairment is one of the manifestations of nervous system injury,which is mainly closely related to neurodegeneration,and the incidence rate is increasing year by year,which has seriously affected the health level of the population.The gut microbiota plays an important role in the health of the body and participates in the regulation of the cognitive behavior of body.The microbiome-gut-brain axis acts as a bridge connecting gut microbiota and the nervous system,and plays a regulatory role between gut microbiota and the nervous system.Therefore,this review summarizes the latest progress in the effects of gut microbiota and nervous system on the cognitive ability of body through the bidirectional regulation of neurotransmitters,gut microbiota derivatives,neuroinflammation,oxidative stress,autophagy and their crosstalk through the microbial-intestinal-brain axis,and providing a reference for the clinical research of targeted transplantation of gut microbiota for preventing and treating cognitive disorders.

Purpose This study aims to analyze genetic mutations in patients with BCR ∷ABL negative myelopro-liferative neoplasms(MPN)and to explore their relationship with clinical features.Methods We retrospectively ana-lyzed the clinical data of 208 patients diagnosed with BCR ∷ABL negative MPN,which included 34 patients with poly-cythemia vera(PV),33 with essential thrombocytopenia(ET),and 141 with primary myelofibrosis(PMF).Mutations in driver genes were assessed in all patients.A total of 72 patients underwent next-generation sequencing(NGS)with 69-gene panel,and the relationship between gene mutations and clinical features were analyzed.Results Among the 208 MPN patients,at least one driver gene mutation(JAK2,CALR,MPL)was detected in 96.15％(200/208)of the patients.Only 0.48％(1/208)of the patients exhibited both JAK2 and CALR driver mutations.We analyzed the clinical data of 136 patients with only driver gene mutations to compare the relationship between the most common JAK2 mutations(identified in 110 patients)and clinical outcomes.The JAK2 mutation group demonstrated higher white blood cell(WBC)counts and lower platelet(PLT)counts compared to the group without JAK2 mutations.173 muta-tions in 40 genes were detected in 72 patients,per capita carried(2.40±1.40)mutations.TET2,ASXL1,and TP53 are the most prevalent non-driver gene mutations,with 44.4％(32/72)of patients exhibiting at least one mutation in these three genes.In comparison to patients without detected mutations in TET2,ASXL1,and TP53,those with muta-tions in these genes demonstrated lower hemoglobin(HGB)levels,a higher incidence of splenomegaly,and more se-vere bone marrow fibrosis.High-molecular risk category(HMR)mutations were detected in 22.22％(16/72)of the patients,and patients with HMR exhibited lower hemoglobin(HGB)levels,lower PLT counts,a higher likelihood of peripheral blood primitive cell percentage ≥ 1％,a greater incidence of splenomegaly,and more severe myelofibrosis.Mutations in the ASXL1 gene were exclusively observed in patients with PMF.Among the PMF patients with ASXL1 mutations(12 patients),there was a higher likelihood of having a peripheral blood primitive cell percentage of ≥1％,as well as a more severe degree of myelofibrosis.Conclusion Approximately 97％of patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms(MPN)exhibit positivity for driver genes,with a notably high mutation rate of the JAK2 gene.Each sub-group of MPN is characterized by distinct gene mutation patterns.Notably,ASXL1 mutations are exclusive to patients with primary myelofibrosis(PMF).Furthermore,PMF patients harboring ASXL1 mutations tend to demonstrate more pronounced bone marrow fibrosis and a greater proportion of blast cells in peripheral blood.

Objective:To investigate the effect of bone morphogenetic protein-9(BMP9)overexpression on inflammatory response and apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS).Methods:A549 cells were stimulated with 0.1 μg/ml LPS,expressions and changes of BMP9 protein at different time points(LPS stimulation for 0 h,6 h,12 h,24 h)were detected by Western blot.Expression of BMP9 in A549 cells was up-regulated by transfection of BMP9 plasmid,and the transfection efficiency was verified by Western blot and qPCR.After 12 h of LPS stimulation,levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1β in cell supernatant were detected by ELISA,expressions of anti-apoptotic protein(Bcl-2)and pro-apoptotic protein(Bax)were detected by Western blot,and apoptosis of cells was detected by TUNEL staining.Results:With the extension of LPS stimulation time,expression of BMP9 was down-regulated.Overexpression of BMP9 successfully up-regulated expression of BMP9 in A549 cells.LPS stimulation promoted secretions of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β from A549 cells,increased apoptosis,promoted Bcl-2 expression while inhibited Bax expression.Overexpression of BMP9 inhibited TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β releasing,decreased apoptosis,inhibited Bcl-2 expression,while promoted Bax expression.Conclusion:In LPS-stimulated A549 cells,BMP9 expression is gradually decreased at a time-depen-dent manner.Overexpression of BMP9 can inhibit LPS-induced inflammatory response and apoptosis in A549 cells.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of anxiety state in patients with primary insomnia(PI). Methods:Randomized controlled trials of acupuncture treatment for PI patients with an anxiety state in Web of Science,Cochrane Library,PubMed,Excerpta Medica Database(EMBASE),China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform(Wanfang),and Chongqing VIP Database(VIP)were retrieved by computer.The retrieval time was from each database's inception to December 30,2022.Data extraction and evaluation were performed for the included studies.The Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool was used to assess the risk of bias in each article.Meta-analysis of valid data was performed using the RevMan 5.4 software.If the outcome indicator was a categorical variable,relative risk(RR)was used as the effect size.If it was a continuous variable,mean difference(MD)was used to calculate the effect size.Each effect size was expressed as a 95%confidence interval(CI).P<0.05 was considered to indicate a statistically significant difference. Results:A total of 18 studies were included,comprising a total of 1198 patients.The findings of the meta-analysis showed that electroacupuncture had a significant advantage in improving the Hamilton anxiety scale(HAMA)score than benzodiazepines[MD=-1.61,95%CI(-2.17,-1.06),P<0.001].Acupuncture was superior to sham acupuncture[MD=-14.90,95%CI(-20.39,-9.41),P<0.001]and benzodiazepines[MD=-3.39,95%CI(-4.67,-2.12),P<0.001]in reducing the self-rating anxiety scale(SAS)score.Acupuncture was superior to sham acupuncture in reducing the insomnia severity index(ISI)score[MD=-5.61,95%CI(-6.63,-4.89),P<0.001].Acupuncture was superior to benzodiazepines[MD=0.84,95%CI(-1.42,-0.25),P=0.005]and sham acupuncture[MD=-8.39,95%CI(-8.39,-7.86),P<0.001]in improving the Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI)score.Acupuncture had a better effective rate than benzodiazepines[RR=1.16,95%CI(1.08,1.25),P<0.001]and sham acupuncture[RR=8.94,95%CI(4.63,17.25),P<0.001]in treating PI. Conclusion:Acupuncture or electroacupuncture has certain therapeutic advantages over benzodiazepines and sham acupuncture in the treatment of anxiety in PI patients.However,more high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed for further verification.