ObjectiveTo observe the antidepressant effect of Chaihu Shugansan combined with ferulic acid on the rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress （CUMS） and explore the mechanism from the histomorphology of frontal cortex， expression of key molecules in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF）/tyrosine kinase receptor B （TrkB） signaling pathway， and changes in monoamine neurotransmitter levels. MethodsSixty adult male SD rats were randomized into six groups （n=10）： blank control， depression model， Chaihu Shugansan （3.3 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， ferulic acid （50 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， Chaihu Shugansan （3.3 g·kg^-1·d^-1） + ferulic acid （50 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and fluoxetine （2.1 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）. Rats in other groups except the blank control group were subjected to a mild chronic unpredictable stress stimulus every day. Seven stimuli were used， including fasting with free access to water for 24 h， water deprivation with free access to food for 24 h， wetting the bedding with water in the cage， restraint for 3 h， tail clamping for 1 min， swimming in ice water at 4 ℃， and day and night reversal. Each stimulus was used 1 to 3 times， and the modeling lasted for a total of 21 days. At the same time of stimulation， rats in each medication group were treated with corresponding agents by gavage， while those in the blank control group and the depression model group received equal volumes of normal saline by gavage. The open field test， sucrose preference test， and forced swimming test were conducted before and after modeling. The rats were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of 3% pentobarbital sodium， and the frontal cortex was isolated on ice. The mRNA and protein levels of BDNF， TrkB， and cyclic adenosine monophosphate-responsive element-binding protein （CREB） in the frontal cortex were determined by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. The levels of monoamine neurotransmitters 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT）， dopamine （DA）， and norepinephrine （NE） in the frontal cortex were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Light microscopy was employed to observe the histopathological changes in the frontal cortex. ResultsCompared with the blank control group， the depression model group showed reduced body mass （P<0.05， P<0.01）， decreased number of crossings and rearings in the open field test and sucrose preference （P<0.01）， prolonged time of immobility in the forced swimming test （P<0.01）， reduced neuronal cells， increased necrotic cells， and darkening cell staining in the frontal cortex， down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of BDNF， TrkB， CREB， and lowered levels of 5-HT， NE， and DA in the frontal cortex （P<0.01）. Compared with the depression model group， each intervention group showed improved general state， increased body mass （P<0.05）， increased number of crossings （P<0.05）， shortened immobility time in the forced swimming test （P<0.01）， increased neuronal cells， reduced necrotic cells， and lightened cellular staining in the frontal cortex， up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of BDNF， TrkB and CREB， and elevated levels of 5-HT， NE， and DA in the frontal cortex （P<0.01）. Moreover， the Chaihu Shugansan + ferulic acid group outperformed the Chaihu Shugansan group and the ferulic acid group in increasing the body mass and the 5-HT content in the frontal cortex （P<0.05）. The combination group outperformed the Chaihu Shugansan group regarding the number of rearings and up-regulation in the mRNA level of BDNF in the frontal cortex （P<0.05）， and it was superior to the ferulic acid group in terms of shortening the immobility time in the forced swimming test， up-regulating the mRNA levels of BDNF， TrkB， and CREB and the protein levels of BDNF and CREB in the frontal cortex， and increasing the DA content in the frontal cortex （P<0.05）. ConclusionChaihu Shugansan combined with ferulic acid can exert antidepressant effect on the rat model of CUMS by regulating the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway and monoamine neurotransmitter content in the frontal cortex. Moreover， the antidepressant effect of Chaihu Shugansan combined with ferulic acid was more significant than that of Chaihu Shugansan and ferulic acid used alone.

BACKGROUND: Fibrosis of the connective tissue in the vaginal wall predominates in pelvic organ prolapse (POP), which is characterized by excessive fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation and abnormal deposition of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Our study aimed to investigate the effect of ECM stiffness on vaginal fibroblasts and to explore the role of methyltransferase 3 (METTL3) in the development of POP. METHODS: Polyacrylamide hydrogels were applied to create an ECM microenvironment with variable stiffness to evaluate the effects of ECM stiffness on the proliferation, differentiation, and expression of ECM components in vaginal fibroblasts. METTL3 small interfering RNA and an overexpression vector were transfected into vaginal fibroblasts to evaluate the effects of METTL3 silencing and overexpression on matrix stiffness-induced vaginal fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation and abnormal modulation of the ECM. Both procedures were detected by 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining, Western blotting (WB), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and immunofluorescence (IF). RESULTS: Vaginal fibroblasts from POP patients exhibited increased proliferation ability, increased expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), decreased expression of collagen I/III, and significantly decreased expression of tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in the stiff matrix ( P <0.05). Compared with those from non-POP patients, vaginal wall tissues from POP patients demonstrated a significant increase in METTL3 content ( P <0.05). However, silencing METTL3 expression in vaginal fibroblasts with high ECM stiffness resulted in decreased proliferation ability, decreased α-SMA expression, an increased ratio of collagen I/III, and increased TIMP1 and TIMP2 expression. Conversely, METTL3 overexpression significantly promoted the process of increased proliferation ability, increased α-SMA expression, decreased ratio of collagen I/III and decreased TIMP1 and TIMP2 expression in the soft matrix ( P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS Elevated ECM stiffness can promote excessive proliferation, differentiation, and abnormal ECM modulation, and the expression of METTL3 plays an important role in alleviating or aggravating matrix stiffness-induced vaginal fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation and abnormal ECM modulation.
Humans ; Female ; Extracellular Matrix/metabolism* ; Cell Differentiation/genetics* ; Methyltransferases/metabolism* ; Pelvic Organ Prolapse/pathology* ; Fibroblasts/metabolism* ; Myofibroblasts/metabolism* ; Vagina/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation/physiology* ; Cells, Cultured ; Middle Aged

Paradoxical psoriasis is a special adverse drug reaction characterized by the new onset, exacerbation, or phenotypic change of psoriatic lesions during treatment with biological agents. In recent years, with the increasing use of biologics, this condition has garnered growing attention from clinicians. The pathogenesis of paradoxical psoriasis is complex and its clinical manifestations are highly heterogeneous. Diagnosis currently relies primarily on clinical features and medication history due to the lack of unified diagnostic criteria. Furthermore, treatment strategies—such as whether to discontinue the original biologic agent or switch therapies—remain controversial, posing significant challenges in clinical management.This article presents a case of paradoxical psoriasis occurring in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis following treatment with the tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor (TNFi) infliximab. By discussing the clinical characteristics of this case, we aim to enhance clinicians' understanding of this condition, reduce misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis, and provide valuable insights for its diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To analyze the relationship between the expression level of calumenin(CALU)and the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)patients by bioinformatics tools and establish the prognostic prediction nomogram,and to clarify its possible mechanism.Methods:The data of 374 HCC tissue samples were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database and the data of 160 normal tissue samples were down loaded from Genotype-Tissue Expression(GTEx)database.Paired sample t-test was used to analyze the difference in CALU expression between the HCC tissue samples and the paired adjacent normal tissue samples.Human Protein Atlas(HPA)database was used to verify the results.DESeq2 package was used to screen the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between CALU low expression group and CALU high expression group in the HCC tissue samples.R package pROC was used to analyze the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to confirm the prognosis value of CALU in the HCC patients with different clinicopathological characteristics,and ggplot2 package was used to construct the forest plot.R packages rms and survival were used to construct the nomogram and its calibration curve,and the diagnostic value of CALU in distinguishing HCC tissue from normal tissue was analyzed.The data from Kaplan-Meier Plotter database were used to further verify the relationship between CALU and the prognosis of HCC patients.The gene transcriptional expression data of 216 HCC samples obtained from GSE14520 dataset were used to verify the prediction accuracy of the nomogram.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses were used to determine the function and enrichment pathways of the DEGs,and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA)was used to obtain the significantly enriched gene sets of the DEGs.Single-cell sequencing data of 10 HCC tissue samples and 8 adjacent normal tissue samples obtained from GSE149614 dataset were used to verify the relationship between CALU and the prognosis of HCC patients and its mechanism.Results:Compared with normal tissue,the expression level of CALU mRNA in HCC tissue was significantly increased(P＜0.001),and the expression level of CALU protein in HCC samples was also increased.A total of 928 DEGs were identified between CALU low expression group and CALU high expression group in the HCC samples,including 784 upregulated DEGs and 144 downregulated DEGs.The ROC analysis results indicated that CALU showed high diagnostic value in distinguishing cancer tissue from adjacent non-cancer tissue with an area under curve(AUC)of 0.839.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the survival rate of HCC patients in CALU high expression group was significantly lower than that in CALU group low expression(P＜0.001).Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses results demonstrated that high expression of CALU was an independent risk factor of the prognosis in HCC patients,and a prognosis prediction nomogram was constructed.The applicability of nomogram on the prognosis of HCC was verified by GSE14520 dataset.The GO enrichment analysis results showed that DEGs were mainly enriched in pathways related to the oxidative stress,ferroptosis and cuproptosis(P＜0.05).The KEGG enrichment analysis results showed that DEGs were mainly enriched in the pathways related to extracellular matrix(ECM)receptor interaction,linoleic acid metabolism and neuroactive ligand receptor interaction(P＜0.05).The GSEA results showed that high expression of CALU may promote the G1-S phase transition of the cell cycle,ubiquitination protein polymerization and HCC progression,while low expression of CALU may activate oxidative stress,ferroptosis and cuproptosis in HCC cells.Single-cell sequencing analysis results showed that the expression level of CALU mRNA was significantly increased in HCC cells with advanced tumor stages.HCC_CALU_High cell subset was mainly related to ubiquitination,p53 and cell cycle(P＜0.01),and HCC_CALU_Low cell subset was mainly related to oxidative stress,ferroptosis,and histone binding(P＜0.01).Conclusion:The high expression of CALU may be related to the poor prognosis of HCC patients.The constructed nomogram of HCC prognosis shows favourable effect in predicting the survival rate of the HCC patients.The up-regulation of CALU may promote HCC progression by regulating the G1-S phase of the cell cycle and ubiquitination of protein,while down-regulation of CALU may inhibit HCC progression by inducing oxidative stress,ferroptosis and cuproptosis in cells.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ozone injection therapy for lumbar disc hemiation(LDH).Methods A computerized retrieval of academic papers concerning the randomized controlled trial(RCT)on ozone injection therapy for LDH from the databases of Embase,PubMed,Cochrane library and Web of science was conducted.The retrieval time period was from the establishment of the database to February 2023.The literature retrieval,screening,and data extraction were independently performed by two researchers.Cochrane bias risk assessment tool was used to assess the quality of the included literature.Stata 17.0 software was used to make meta-analysis.Results A total of 9 RCTs including 702 patients were finally included in this study.The results of meta-analysis showed that compared with radiofrequency thermocoagulation,percutaneous rotation and other treatments for LDH,the combination use of ozone injection could signifiicantly improve the effective rate based on Macnab efficacy evaluation criteria(RR=1.097,95％CI:1.038～1.159,P=0.001)and the excellent rate(RR=1.185～95％CI:1.074～1.309,P=0.001),and decrease the visual analog scale(VAS)pain score(WMD=-0.810～95％CI:-1.205～-0.414,P=0.000),and the differences in the above indexes were statistically significant.Conclusion Compared with the simple use of radiofrequency thermocoagulation,percutaneous rotation,and other treatment for LDH,the combination use of ozone injection therapy can significantly improve the effective rate and excellent rate based on Macnab efficacy evaluation criteria,decrease VAS score,with a high clinical safety.Limited by the quantity and quality of the original studies included in this study,the above conclusions need to be further verified by multi-center,large-sample and high-quality studies.

Objective:To investigate the value of peripheral blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels for predicting the occurrence of radiation pneumonia (RP) in small cell lung cancer.Methods:A total of 84 patients with small cell lung cancer who received image-guided radiotherapy in Xuzhou Cancer Hospital between September 2019 and September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into an RP group ( n = 25) and a non-RP group ( n = 59) according to whether RP occurred. Peripheral blood NLR and PLR and serum LDH levels were compared between the two groups before and after radiotherapy. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to analyze the value of peripheral blood NLR, PLR, and serum LDH levels for the diagnosis of RP in small cell lung cancer. Results:Before radiotherapy, there were no significant differences in peripheral blood NLR and PLR between the two groups (both P > 0.05). After radiotherapy, peripheral blood NLR and PLR in the RP group were (3.39 ± 0.81) and (129.06 ± 24.90), respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the non-RP group [(2.54 ± 0.71), (104.76 ± 26.26), t = 3.61, 3.83, both P < 0.05]. The NLR (2.86 ± 0.30) and PLR (110.07 ± 10.05) were the lowest in patients with grade 2 RP and they were highest in patients with grade 4 RP [(4.49 ± 0.63), (168.88 ± 14.11)]. The grade of RP was positively correlated with peripheral blood NLR and PLR. The sensitivity of peripheral blood NLR in the diagnosis of RP was 88.0%, the specificity was 66.1%, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.791. The sensitivity of PLR in the diagnosis of RP was 48.0%, the specificity was 94.9%, and the AUC was 0.735. The sensitivity of NLR combined with PLR in the diagnosis of RP was 92.0%, the specificity was 59.3%, and the AUC was 0.801. There was no significant difference in serum LDH levels between the two groups before and after radiotherapy (both P > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that NLR and PLR were risk factors for RP in patients with small cell lung cancer ( OR = 2.309, 1.037; 95% CI: 1.061-5.024, 1.004-1.071). Conclusion:In patients with small cell lung cancer who develop RP, peripheral blood NLR, and PLR are markedly elevated compared with those in patients who do not develop RP, and combined detection of peripheral blood NLR and PLR has a high value for early diagnosis of RP in patients with small cell lung cancer.

Objective:To explore the effectiveness of intelligent multifunctional rehabilitation instrument for lower limb diseases in preventing deep vein thrombosis in stroke patients with hemiplegia.Methods:From September 2022 to September 2023, convenience sampling was used to select 121 stroke patients with hemiplegia admitted to the Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Rehabilitation of Cangzhou Central Hospital as the study subject. The study subjects were divided into a control group ( n=58) and an observation group ( n=63) using the random number table method. The control group was treated with standard medication and routine rehabilitation nursing, while the observation group was treated with the intelligent multifunctional rehabilitation instrument for lower limb diseases on the basis of the control group. The intervention time was four weeks for both groups. This study compared the incidence of clinical symptoms of lower limbs (swelling, pain, skin temperature, gastrocnemius test results) and deep vein thrombosis in the lower limbs between two groups of patients after intervention. The plasma D-dimer levels, femoral vein blood flow velocity, and blood flow of the two groups of patients before and after intervention were also compared. Results:After intervention, the number of cases of lower limb clinical symptoms (swelling, pain, elevated skin temperature, positive results of gastrocnemius muscle test) and deep vein thrombosis in the observation group was lower than that in the control group ( P<0.05). In the observation group, the plasma D-dimer levels of patients were lower than those of the control group ( P<0.05), and the femoral vein blood flow velocity and blood flow were higher than those of the control group ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:The intelligent multifunctional rehabilitation instrument for lower limb diseases can effectively prevent the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis in stroke patients with hemiplegia.

Objective:To preliminarily investigate the applicability of a poliovirus pseudovirus-based neutralization assay in evaluating the immunogenicity of recombinant poliovirus vaccines and their in vivo potency in rats. Methods:Serum samples from rats immunized with recombinant poliovirus vaccines were tested using both the pseudovirus neutralization assay and the live-virus neutralization assay with Sabin strain. The consistency and correlation of the two methods were analyzed using the Kappa test and Spearman′s rank correlation.Results:For the neutralizing antibodies against typeⅠ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ polioviruses, the Kappa values for consistency analysis of the two methods were 0.914, 1.000, and 0.751, respectively ( P<0.001), and the correlation coefficients ( R values) were 0.833, 0.927, and 0.859, respectively ( P<0.001). Conclusions:The test results of the two methods are consistent and show a good correlation, indicating that the pseudovirus neutralization assay can be applied to evaluating the immunogenicity of poliovirus vaccines and also can be used in rat potency tests.

Background Flurochloridone (FLC) is toxic to male reproduction and can induce apoptosis of testicular tissue and supporting cells under oxidative stress. Of particular concern is whether nuclear factor-erythrocyte 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 (Nrf2/HO-1) signaling pathway and nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) signaling pathway participate this process. Objective To observe apoptosis of testicular tissue and sertoli TM4 cells and alterations of Nrf2/HO-1 and NFκB signaling pathways in mice treated with FLC in vivo/in vitro. Methods (1) Animal experiment. Testis samples were harvested from male C57BL/6 mice after 28-day FLC (0, 3, 15, 75, and 375 mg·kg⁻¹ per day) exposure via oral route. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in homogenate of testicular tissue were measured by colorimetry. Apoptosis of testicular tissue was evaluated by TUNEL staining. Expression and distribution of Nrf2 and NFκB were detected by immunohistochemistry. Protein expression levels of Nrf2, HO-1, NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), NFκB, inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit beta (IKKβ), and phosphorylated recombinant inhibitory subunit of nuclear factor kappa-B alpha (P-IκBα) in testicular tissue homogenate were determined by Western blotting. (2) Cell experiment. TM4 cell lines were treated with 40, 80, 120, 160, and 200 μmol·L⁻¹ FLC for 6 h, and cell viability was detected by CCK-8. After 6 h exposure to 40, 80, and 160 μmol·L⁻¹ FLC, the apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry, and the protein expression levels of Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1, NFκB, IKKβ, and IκBα were detected by Western blotting. Results (1) Animal experiment. Apoptosis occurred in the interstitial and basal parts of spermatogenic tubules in male C57BL/6 mice after 28 days of oral FLC exposure. Compared with the control group, the MDA level in testicular tissue of the 375 mg·kg⁻¹ FLC-treated group was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the SOD activity was significantly decreased (P<0.05). After 375 mg·kg⁻¹ FLC exposure, apoptosis occurred in the interstitial and basal parts of spermatogenic tubules. The results of immunohistochemistry showed the expression of Nrf2 and NFκB in the interstitium and basal part of spermatogenic tubules of the treated groups. Compared with the control group, the protein levels of Nrf2, NQO1, P-IκBα, NFκB, and IKKβ in the 15, 75, and 375 mg·kg^-1 groups were significantly increased (P<0.001), and the HO-1 protein level was significantly increased in the 375 mg·kg⁻¹ group (P<0.001). (2) Cell experiment. Compared with the control group, the TM4 cell viabilities in the 40, 80, 120, 160, and 200 μmol·L⁻¹ FLC-treated groups significantly decreased (P<0.01). The apoptosis rates were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the apoptosis rates increased from 5.7% in the control group to 7.4%, 9.4%, and 11.7% in the 40, 80, and 160 μmol·L⁻¹, respectively. The Nrf2 protein level in the 40 μmol·L⁻¹ group was significantly increased (P<0.01), while the levels significantly decreased in the 80 and 160 μmol·L⁻¹ groups (P<0.01). The HO-1 protein levels in the 40, 80, and 160 μmol·L⁻¹ groups were significantly increased (P<0.01). The level of NQO1 protein in the 40 μmol·L⁻¹ group was significantly increased (P<0.01). The NFκB protein levels were significantly increased in the 80 and 160 μmol·L⁻¹ groups (P<0.001). The IκBα protein levels were significantly decreased in all treated groups (P<0.001). The IKKβ protein had no significant change. Conclusion FLC induces testicular tissue apoptosis, and the process affects Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and NFκB signaling pathway. The in vitro study confirms that FLC could induce apoptosis of TM4 cells and activate Nrf2/HO-1 and NFκB signaling pathways.

Objective:To systematically evaluate the prevalence of norovirus causing sporadic acute gastroenteritis in China.Methods:Relevant articles on acute gastroenteritis caused by norovirus in China published between January 2010 and October 2023 were retrieved from Wanfang, CNKI and PubMed database. The articles met inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled in this study. Excel software and SPSS20.0 software were used for statistical analysis. The epidemiological features of sporadic cases of acute gastroenteritis caused by norovirus in China were summarized using descriptive statistical analysis.Results:A total of 500 articles were included in this study, involving 784 486 cases of acute gastroenteritis and 670 292 samples in 32 provinces and regions. Norovirus GⅡ was the predominant genogroup causing acute gastroenteritis in China in recent years, but there were significant differences in the distribution of genotypes and epidemic strains at different times. GⅡ.4 was the predominant genotype in each year, and GⅡ.4/2006b and GⅡ.4 /Sydney_2012 were the main epidemic strains. Norovirus-related diarrhea occurred throughout the year, especially between the months of October and December. The incidence of norovirus infection was high in children under five years old and varied in different regions.Conclusions:Norovirus GⅡ was the predominant genogroup causing norovirus-related sporadic acute gastroenteritis in China, but there was an obvious genetic evolutionary trend in the epidemic strains. Factors such as epidemic strains, season and geographical region should be considered when making strategies for the prevention and control of norovirus-related diarrhea and developing vaccines.