Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy and impact on quality of life of the biofeedback (BF) therapy combined with the Wenyang Yiqi Prescription and self-efficacy interventions in patients with functional defecation disorders (FDD).Methods:A prospective, randomized controlled trial design was employed. A total of 128 FDD patients were selected from the Pelvic Floor Center of the Department of Proctology, Suzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, between January 2021 and April 2023. These patients were randomly divided into two groups, with 64 cases in each group. Additionally, 41 historical control patients, who had received conventional BF training between June 2015 and January 2018 at the same center, were included for comparison. The historical control group received conventional BF therapy, the intervention group 1 combined BF therapy with self-efficacy interventions, and the intervention group 2 added the Wenyang Yiqi Prescription based on intervention group 1's treatment. All three groups underwent two treatment courses. Constipation symptom scores before and after treatment were performed; self-efficacy was assessed via the Self-Rated Abilities for Health Practices scale (SRAHP); health behaviors were evaluated using the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP); anxiety and depression were evaluated through Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS); quality of life was measured through SF-36. Clinical efficacy was evaluated based on constipation symptom scores.Results:During the treatment period, seven patients dropped out due to personal reasons, leaving 61 patients in intervention group 1 and 60 patients in intervention group 2 for efficacy analysis.　The total effective rates were 80.32% (49/61) in intervention group 1, 83.33% (50/60) in intervention group 2, and 56.10% (23/41) in the historical control group. The total effective rates of both intervention groups were significantly higher than those in the historical control group ( χ2=7.06, 9.15; P=0.029, 0.010, respectively). After treatment, intervention group 2 showed significantly lower constipation-related straining scores [1 (1, 2) vs. 2 (1, 2), Z=-4.51] compared to intervention group 1 ( P<0.05). Additionally, intervention group 2 had lower scores for straining [1 (1, 2) vs. 2 (1, 2), Z=-3.15] and defecation time [1 (0, 1) vs. 1 (1, 2), Z=-3.13] compared to the historical control group ( P<0.05). Psychological comfort efficacy (19.13 ± 2.51 vs. 16.98 ± 1.86, t=5.36), health responsibility efficacy (23.63 ± 4.69 vs. 22.59 ± 3.05, t=2.06), and overall SRAHP scores (75.98 ± 4.44 vs. 72.33 ± 5.16, t=4.17) were higher in intervention group 2 compared to intervention group 1 ( P<0.05). The HPLP scores (79.33 ± 11.13 vs. 72.80 ± 9.20, t=3.10) of intervention group 2 were higher than those of the historical control group ( P<0.05). Emotional functioning scores (75.98 ± 18.45 vs. 68.92 ± 20.58 and 68.55 ± 18.21, F=20.91) in intervention group 2 were higher than in both intervention group 1 and the historical control group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The combination of the Wenyang Yiqi Prescription with BF therapy and self-efficacy interventions effectively improves the clinical symptoms and quality of life in FDD patients.

Objective To modify the dosage form of Guoganglong Sugar-Coated Tablets,and to investigate the chemical equivalence and pharmacodynamic equivalence between the new and old dosage forms of Guoganglong Tablets.Methods The preparation technology was screened by single-factor exploration with the indexes of hardness and dispersion uniformity,the quality standard was established by thin layer chromatography identification,high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)content determination and charactertistics chromatograms,the constituents absorbed into blood were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS),and the pharmacodynamics was evaluated by anti-inflammatory experiment and analgesic experiment in mice model with inflammatory pain.Results The molding process of Guoganglong Dispersible Tablets was determined.A thin layer chromatographic identification method was established.A method for detecting the content of Guoganglong Tablets and the charactertistic chromatograms was established by HPLC,and a total of 15 common peaks were identified,with the similarity of the new-old dosage forms being greater than 0.9.A total of 12 constituents absorbed into blood were identified.Guoganglong Tablets could alleviate swelling degree of toes in mice with inflammatory pain,reduce the levels of interleukin 6(IL-6)in serum,improve spleen index,and increase the thermal pain threshold and acetic acid twisting frequency in mice.Conclusion The prescription process of Guoganglong Dispersible Tablets is stable,the quality standard is feasible,the chemical composition and pharmacological actions between the new and old dosage forms are basically the same,and in terms of certain indexes,Dispersible Tablets of Guoganglongare superior to Sugar-Coated Tablets.

Objective:To investigate the regulatory effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on functional connectivity (FC) of thalamic subregions in patients with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).Methods:This study was a cross-sectional investigation. Clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were retrospectively collected from 56 PMS patients (PMS group) and 66 healthy controls (control group) recruited from various universities and hospitals in Nanning between November 2021 and June 2024. Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data and fMRI data during taVNS immediate stimulation (2 Hz, 25 Hz) were acquired from subjects during their late luteal phase. Using thalamic subregions (anterior thalamic nucleus, lateral nucleus, ventral nucleus, medial nucleus, central nucleus, posterior nucleus) as seeds, two-sample t-tests or paired t-tests were employed to analyze alterations in thalamic subregion FC in PMS patients and the regulatory effects of taVNS on these changes. Independent samples t-test were used to compare the differences in clinical and laboratory indicators between the PMS group and the control group. The relationship between taVNS regulation of thalamic subregion FC in PMS patients and thalamic internal functional connectivity were analyzed using mediation effect analysis. Results:Compared to the control group, patients in the PMS group showed increased scores on the Daily Record of Severity of Problems, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale 17, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 14 during the late luteal phase ( P<0.05). At baseline, PMS patients exhibited higher FC between the left thalamic lateral nucleus and the left insula, and lower FC between the left medial nucleus, posterior nucleus, and ventral nucleus of the thalamus and the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) compared to the control group (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). During 2 Hz taVNS immediate stimulation in PMS group, FC between the left thalamic medial nucleus, posterior nucleus, ventral nucleus and the right MFG, as well as the FC between the left thalamic ventral nucleu and the left MFG increased compared to baseline levels; meanwhile, FC between the left thalamic posterior nucleus, ventral nucleus and the left insula decreased compared to baseline levels (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). During 25 Hz taVNS immediate stimulation, the FC between the left thalamic ventral nucleus and the right MFG decreased compared to the baseline level (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). Mediation effect analysis showed that the FC between the left thalamic posterior nucleus and the left lateral nucleus mediated part of the association between the FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-left insula and the FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-left putamen/insula; there were significant direct effects between the FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-the left posterior nucleus and FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-the left insula, as well as between the FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-the left MFG and FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-the right MFG. Conclusions:taVNS can modulate abnormal FC of the left thalamic subregions in PMS patients, restoring it toward normalization. The regulatory effects of 2 Hz stimulation are more pronounced than those of 25 Hz stimulation. This modulation primarily operates through two pathways: the left thalamic lateral nucleus-left insula-left thalamic ventral nucleus pathway and the left MFG-left thalamic ventral nucleus-right MFG.

Objective:To observe and preliminarily analyze the risk factors related to silicone oil dependence after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in open globe injuries (OGI) .Methods:A retrospective clinical study. This study included 211 patients with OGI who received PPV treatment from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2016 in Eye Injury Vitrectomy Study database. Silicone oil dependence was defined as the intraocular pressure <10 mm Hg (1 mm Hg= 0.133 kPa) in silicone oil tamponade eye 6 months after PPV. The patient's age, intraocular pressure, type of injury, length of eyeball wound, as well as the presence of ciliary body injury, choroidal injury, and retinal resection and/or defect area were recorded in detail. Logistic multifactorial regression analyzed the correlation between age, eye wound length and ciliary body iinjury, choroidal injury and retinal resection and/or defect severity and silicone oil dependence.Results:211 OGI eyes underwent vitrectomy were included, the mean age of the study population was 32.93 years (range 1-73 years), and the median follow-up period was 20.06 months (range 5.85-90.58 months). Among the 211 eyes, 121 (57.3%, 121/211), 52 (24.6%, 52/211), 23 (10.9%, 23/211) and 15 (7.1%, 15/211) were rupture, perforation, intraocular foreign bodies and penetrating injury, respectively. 98 eyes (46.4%, 98/211) of silicone oil dependence in total, among them, 64 (65.3%, 64/98), 19 (19.4%, 19/98), 9 (9.2%, 9/98) and 6 (6.1%, 6/98) eyes were rupture, perforation, intraocular foreign body and penetrating injury, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed that silicone oil dependence was significantly associated with ciliary body injury [odds ratio ( OR) = 2.150, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.052-4.393], choroidal injury ( OR=3.233, 95% CI 1.454-7.191), and retinal injury ( OR=2.731, 95% CI 1.393-5.353). No correlation was found with age ( OR= 0.981, 95% CI 0.960-1.002) or ocular wound length ( OR=1.716, 95% CI 0.987-2.984) ( P> 0.05). Conclusion:Silicone oil dependency following PPV in OGIs are associated with ciliary body, choroidal, and retinal injuries, but no association with age or length of the ocular wound.

Objective:To investigate the regulatory effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on functional connectivity (FC) of thalamic subregions in patients with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).Methods:This study was a cross-sectional investigation. Clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were retrospectively collected from 56 PMS patients (PMS group) and 66 healthy controls (control group) recruited from various universities and hospitals in Nanning between November 2021 and June 2024. Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data and fMRI data during taVNS immediate stimulation (2 Hz, 25 Hz) were acquired from subjects during their late luteal phase. Using thalamic subregions (anterior thalamic nucleus, lateral nucleus, ventral nucleus, medial nucleus, central nucleus, posterior nucleus) as seeds, two-sample t-tests or paired t-tests were employed to analyze alterations in thalamic subregion FC in PMS patients and the regulatory effects of taVNS on these changes. Independent samples t-test were used to compare the differences in clinical and laboratory indicators between the PMS group and the control group. The relationship between taVNS regulation of thalamic subregion FC in PMS patients and thalamic internal functional connectivity were analyzed using mediation effect analysis. Results:Compared to the control group, patients in the PMS group showed increased scores on the Daily Record of Severity of Problems, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale 17, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 14 during the late luteal phase ( P<0.05). At baseline, PMS patients exhibited higher FC between the left thalamic lateral nucleus and the left insula, and lower FC between the left medial nucleus, posterior nucleus, and ventral nucleus of the thalamus and the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) compared to the control group (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). During 2 Hz taVNS immediate stimulation in PMS group, FC between the left thalamic medial nucleus, posterior nucleus, ventral nucleus and the right MFG, as well as the FC between the left thalamic ventral nucleu and the left MFG increased compared to baseline levels; meanwhile, FC between the left thalamic posterior nucleus, ventral nucleus and the left insula decreased compared to baseline levels (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). During 25 Hz taVNS immediate stimulation, the FC between the left thalamic ventral nucleus and the right MFG decreased compared to the baseline level (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). Mediation effect analysis showed that the FC between the left thalamic posterior nucleus and the left lateral nucleus mediated part of the association between the FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-left insula and the FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-left putamen/insula; there were significant direct effects between the FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-the left posterior nucleus and FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-the left insula, as well as between the FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-the left MFG and FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-the right MFG. Conclusions:taVNS can modulate abnormal FC of the left thalamic subregions in PMS patients, restoring it toward normalization. The regulatory effects of 2 Hz stimulation are more pronounced than those of 25 Hz stimulation. This modulation primarily operates through two pathways: the left thalamic lateral nucleus-left insula-left thalamic ventral nucleus pathway and the left MFG-left thalamic ventral nucleus-right MFG.

Objective:To observe and preliminarily analyze the risk factors related to silicone oil dependence after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in open globe injuries (OGI) .Methods:A retrospective clinical study. This study included 211 patients with OGI who received PPV treatment from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2016 in Eye Injury Vitrectomy Study database. Silicone oil dependence was defined as the intraocular pressure <10 mm Hg (1 mm Hg= 0.133 kPa) in silicone oil tamponade eye 6 months after PPV. The patient's age, intraocular pressure, type of injury, length of eyeball wound, as well as the presence of ciliary body injury, choroidal injury, and retinal resection and/or defect area were recorded in detail. Logistic multifactorial regression analyzed the correlation between age, eye wound length and ciliary body iinjury, choroidal injury and retinal resection and/or defect severity and silicone oil dependence.Results:211 OGI eyes underwent vitrectomy were included, the mean age of the study population was 32.93 years (range 1-73 years), and the median follow-up period was 20.06 months (range 5.85-90.58 months). Among the 211 eyes, 121 (57.3%, 121/211), 52 (24.6%, 52/211), 23 (10.9%, 23/211) and 15 (7.1%, 15/211) were rupture, perforation, intraocular foreign bodies and penetrating injury, respectively. 98 eyes (46.4%, 98/211) of silicone oil dependence in total, among them, 64 (65.3%, 64/98), 19 (19.4%, 19/98), 9 (9.2%, 9/98) and 6 (6.1%, 6/98) eyes were rupture, perforation, intraocular foreign body and penetrating injury, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed that silicone oil dependence was significantly associated with ciliary body injury [odds ratio ( OR) = 2.150, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.052-4.393], choroidal injury ( OR=3.233, 95% CI 1.454-7.191), and retinal injury ( OR=2.731, 95% CI 1.393-5.353). No correlation was found with age ( OR= 0.981, 95% CI 0.960-1.002) or ocular wound length ( OR=1.716, 95% CI 0.987-2.984) ( P> 0.05). Conclusion:Silicone oil dependency following PPV in OGIs are associated with ciliary body, choroidal, and retinal injuries, but no association with age or length of the ocular wound.

Objective To investigate the influence of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)on cognitive function and the effective connectivity with in the default mode network(DMN)in the brain.Methods A total of 93 hospitalized patients diagnosed with T2DM were enrolled in this study as T2DM group from The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine during September 2021 to December 2022.Simultaneously,108 healthy individuals were recruited from the community as normal control(NC)group.The cognitive functions were evaluated in the two groups.A random dynamic causal modeling approach was employed to analyze the effective connectivity within DMN in both groups.Additionally,Pearson correlation analysis was performed to examine the association between differential connectivity,clinical indicators,and cognitive scores in both groups.Results In comparison to the NC group,T2DM individuals exhibited statistically significant reductions in scores in the auditory verbal learning test(AVLT)for immediate recall and the digit symbol substitution test(DSST)(P＜0.05).Additionally,they displayed a notable decrease in effective connectivity from the left lateral parietal cortex(LLPC)to the posterior cingulate cortex(PCC),as well as from the LLPC to the right lateral parietal cortex(RLPC)within the DMN(P＜0.05).Pearson correlation analysis unveiled a negative association between HbA1c levels and the strength of effective connectivity from LLPC to PCC.Conversely,a positive correlation was observed between AVLT(immediate)scores and the strength of effective connectivity from LLPC to PCC and LLPC to RLPC.Additionally,DSST scores displayed a positive correlation with the strength of effective connectivity from LLPC to PCC(P＜0.05).Conclusion Patients with T2DM display compromised effective connectivity from LLPC to PCC and LLPC to RLPC within the DMN network,and this alteration may associated with cognitive impairment.

Objective To create a recombinant rabies virus overexpressing IL-33 and to clarify the effect of IL-33 overexpression on the phenotypic characteristics of recombinant virus in vitro. Methods The IL-33 gene was obtained and amplified from the brain of a highly virulent strain of rabies infected mouse. It was then inserted between the G and L genes of the parental virus LBNSE genome by reversing genetic manipulation and rescuing a recombinant virus overexpressing IL-33. BSR cells or mouse NA cells were infected with recombinant rabies virus (rLBNSE-IL33) and the parental strain LBNSE. Sequencing and fluorescent antibody virus neutralization assay was employed to detect the stability of recombinant virus at multiplicity of infection=0.01. Viral titres focal forming units (FFU) were detected to plot multi-step growth curves (multiplicity of infection=0.01). Cytotoxicity assay kit was used to detect cellular activity. ELISA was adopted to identify the IL-33 in the supernatant of infected cells of different multiplicity of infection. Results Rescued rLBNSE-IL33 overexpressing IL-33 remained stable for at least 10 consecutive generations and had virus titers of approximately 10⁸ FFU/mL. rLBNSE-IL33 was able to express IL-33 at high levels in a dose-dependent manner, but no high expression of IL-33 was detected in the supernatant of cells infected by LBNSE. Examination of the titers of rLBNSE-IL33 and the parental strain LBNSE in BSR and NA cells over 5 days showed no significant differences and similar kinetic properties in growth. Overexpression of IL-33 had no significant effect on the proliferation and activity of infected cells. Conclusion Overexpression of IL-33 does not significantly affect the phenotypic characteristics of recombinant rabies virus in vitro.
Animals ; Cricetinae ; Mice ; Cell Line ; Interleukin-33/genetics* ; Rabies virus/genetics* ; Phenotype

Cancer stem cell-like cells (CSCs) play an integral role in the heterogeneity, metastasis, and treatment resistance of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) due to their high tumor initiation capacity and plasticity. Here, we identified a candidate gene named LIMP-2 as a novel therapeutic target regulating HNSCC progression and CSC properties. The high expression of LIMP-2 in HNSCC patients suggested a poor prognosis and potential immunotherapy resistance. Functionally, LIMP-2 can facilitate autolysosome formation to promote autophagic flux. LIMP-2 knockdown inhibits autophagic flux and reduces the tumorigenic ability of HNSCC. Further mechanistic studies suggest that enhanced autophagy helps HNSCC maintain stemness and promotes degradation of GSK3β, which in turn facilitates nuclear translocation of β-catenin and transcription of downstream target genes. In conclusion, this study reveals LIMP-2 as a novel prospective therapeutic target for HNSCC and provides evidence for a link between autophagy, CSC, and immunotherapy resistance.
Humans ; Autophagy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta/metabolism* ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/pathology* ; Neoplastic Stem Cells/pathology* ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck/pathology* ; Lysosome-Associated Membrane Glycoproteins