ObjectiveSpinal cord injury (SCI) directly impairs the regulatory function of the autonomic nervous system, induces intestinal dysfunction, and significantly reduces patients’ quality of life. Preclinical studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) therapy can regulate the brain-gut axis and is used to treat central nervous system diseases such as major depressive disorder, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Recent research has established that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from EA-treated SCI rats restored intestinal motility and colonic morphology. However, it remains unclear whether the regulation of gut microbiota by EA therapy directly contributes to neural repair after SCI. This study aims to explore whether gut microbiota mediates the neuroprotective effect of EA in the treatment of SCI and its possible mechanism. MethodsThe study employed RNA transcriptome analysis of spinal cord tissue to characterize gene expression profiles and to identify key signaling pathways following EA treatment for SCI. Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the morphological changes in spinal cord tissue. Western blot (WB) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were applied to detect the effects of EA on the expression of proteins related to nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 (NLRP3) -dependent pyroptosis. Using 16S rDNA sequencing, the study observed alterations in gut microbiota diversity and community composition in SCI rats. Prior to establishing SCI models, rats were pretreated with an antibiotic cocktail to induce gut dysbiosis, and the effects on intestinal function and spinal cord neural repair were evaluated. FMT was performed to investigate the regulatory effects of post-EA FMT on motor function, general status, liver and spleen indices, and NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis in SCI rats. ResultsEA improved motor function and reduced regulated neuronal cell death in SCI rats. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated the activation of immune- and inflammation-related pathways post-SCI, including NOD-like receptors, nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB), and Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways. EA primarily influenced intestinal inflammation and autoimmune functions. 16S rDNA sequencing illustrated that EA did not alter the diversity of gut microbiota. However, EA altered the gut microbiota composition in SCI rats, increasing Lactobacillus and Akkermansia genera while rebalancing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Furthermore, depletion of gut microbiota by antibiotics disrupted the intestinal barrier, reduced the expression of intestinal barrier proteins Zonula Occludens-1 (ZO-1) and Occludin, elevated serum lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) levels, exacerbated spinal cord tissue damage, and hindered motor function recovery in SCI rats. FMT from donors treated with EA reduced LBP levels in the intestine, blood, and spinal cord of rats, inhibited the TLR4 myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MyD88)-NF‑κB pathway and NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis, and improved motor function. On the other hand, FMT treatment resulted in decreased body weight and food intake, whereas FMT using EA-treated donors effectively alleviated these alterations. ConclusionEA effectively alleviated neuroinflammatory responses in rats with SCI, primarily through regulating the gut microbiota and suppressing the NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis signaling pathway.

ObjectiveSpinal cord injury (SCI) directly impairs the regulatory function of the autonomic nervous system, induces intestinal dysfunction, and significantly reduces patients’ quality of life. Preclinical studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) therapy can regulate the brain-gut axis and is used to treat central nervous system diseases such as major depressive disorder, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Recent research has established that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from EA-treated SCI rats restored intestinal motility and colonic morphology. However, it remains unclear whether the regulation of gut microbiota by EA therapy directly contributes to neural repair after SCI. This study aims to explore whether gut microbiota mediates the neuroprotective effect of EA in the treatment of SCI and its possible mechanism. MethodsThe study employed RNA transcriptome analysis of spinal cord tissue to characterize gene expression profiles and to identify key signaling pathways following EA treatment for SCI. Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the morphological changes in spinal cord tissue. Western blot (WB) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were applied to detect the effects of EA on the expression of proteins related to nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 (NLRP3) -dependent pyroptosis. Using 16S rDNA sequencing, the study observed alterations in gut microbiota diversity and community composition in SCI rats. Prior to establishing SCI models, rats were pretreated with an antibiotic cocktail to induce gut dysbiosis, and the effects on intestinal function and spinal cord neural repair were evaluated. FMT was performed to investigate the regulatory effects of post-EA FMT on motor function, general status, liver and spleen indices, and NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis in SCI rats. ResultsEA improved motor function and reduced regulated neuronal cell death in SCI rats. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated the activation of immune- and inflammation-related pathways post-SCI, including NOD-like receptors, nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB), and Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways. EA primarily influenced intestinal inflammation and autoimmune functions. 16S rDNA sequencing illustrated that EA did not alter the diversity of gut microbiota. However, EA altered the gut microbiota composition in SCI rats, increasing Lactobacillus and Akkermansia genera while rebalancing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Furthermore, depletion of gut microbiota by antibiotics disrupted the intestinal barrier, reduced the expression of intestinal barrier proteins Zonula Occludens-1 (ZO-1) and Occludin, elevated serum lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) levels, exacerbated spinal cord tissue damage, and hindered motor function recovery in SCI rats. FMT from donors treated with EA reduced LBP levels in the intestine, blood, and spinal cord of rats, inhibited the TLR4 myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MyD88)-NF‑κB pathway and NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis, and improved motor function. On the other hand, FMT treatment resulted in decreased body weight and food intake, whereas FMT using EA-treated donors effectively alleviated these alterations. ConclusionEA effectively alleviated neuroinflammatory responses in rats with SCI, primarily through regulating the gut microbiota and suppressing the NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of autologous bone combined with allogeneic bone in repairing bone defect after microwave in situ inactivation for bone giant cell tumor around the knee.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 39 patients with bone giant cell tumor around the knee treated in our hospital from January 2015 to December 2022.The tumor tissues of all patients were performed microwave in situ inactivation first,then followed by curettage;the subchondral bone defect adjacent to the articular surface was reconstructed with autologous bone graft,and the remaining tumor cavity was filled with a composite of autologous and allogeneic bone;then a locking plate was applied for protective fixation.The early outcomes including operative time,intraoperative blood loss,hospital stay,wound healing,and surgery-related complications were recorded.The regular follow-up was conducted after surgery,then the tumor recurrence or metastasis was observed and the status of internal fixation and bone graft fusion along with its fusion time were recorded.The knee functions before operation and at the end of follow-up were evaluated with the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society(MSTS)scoring system.The radiographic joint degeneration was evaluated by the Aboulafia classification system at the end of follow-up.Results The patients showed a mean operative time of(134.7±14.2)minutes,an averaged intraoperative blood loss of(153.9±23.0)mL,and a mean hospital stay of(17.4±3.2)days.The patients obtained Ⅰ phase wound healing without any surgery-related complications such as neurovascular injury.All patients underwent the postoperative follow-up,without local recurrence or metastasis cases during the follow-up.At the end of follow-up,the MSTS score of patients was higher than that before operation(P<0.05),with an excellent and good rate of knee function recovery of 89.7%.At the end of follow-up,X-ray films showed good filling of the lesion and bone graft fusion,with a mean fusion time of(9.4±2.1)months.No collapse or fracture of the articular surface occurred.According to the Aboulafia classification,there were 20 cases of grade 0,11 cases of grade 1,and 8 cases of grade 2.Conclusion The autologous bone and allogeneic bone in repair of bone defect after microwave in situ inactivation for bone giant cell tumor around the knee has perfect knee function recovery,and can effectively prevent the collapse and degeneration of articular surfaces,which helps in the reconstruction of tumor cavity.

OBJECTIVE To design and synthesize rifamycin S derivatives and load them into milk exosomes to evaluate their in vitro antimicrobial activity.METHODS Rifamycin S derivatives were synthe-sized and characterized by mass spectrometry and NMR.Using the dilution assay method,the inhibitory activity of each rifamycin S derivatives molecule against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aerugi-nosa was determined,and the IC50 was calculated.Derivatives molecules with excellent antimicrobial activity were selected and loaded into milk exosomes using the ultrasonication method,resulting in the preparation of milk exosome-loaded rifamycin S derivatives.The antimicrobial activity against Staphylo-coccus aureus was determined using the dilution assay method.The inhibitory effect of the exosome-loaded rifamycin S derivatives on Staphylococcus aureus residing within macrophages was detected using the plate colony counting method.RESULTS Three rifamycin S derivatives were successfully designed and synthesized,which demonstrated superior antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus(the parent compound's antimicrobial activity is merely from 1/20 to 1/80 of that of the three rifamycin S derivatives)and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(the parent compound's antimicrobial activity is only 1/14 and 1/9 of that of compound 1 and compound 3)compared to the parent compound.The loading of milk exosomes with the rifamycin S derivatives compound 3 was successfully achieved,with a loading efficiency of 10.9％.The antimicrobial activity of the compound after exosome loading was significantly enhanced against Staphylococcus aureus in vitro and against Staphylococcus aureus residing within macrophages(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION The designed and synthesized derivatives of rifamycin S possess stronger anti-microbial activity,and their antibacterial efficacy against both extracellular and intracellular bacteria can be further enhanced after loading into exosomes.

OBJECTIVE To design and synthesize rifamycin S derivatives and load them into milk exosomes to evaluate their in vitro antimicrobial activity.METHODS Rifamycin S derivatives were synthe-sized and characterized by mass spectrometry and NMR.Using the dilution assay method,the inhibitory activity of each rifamycin S derivatives molecule against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aerugi-nosa was determined,and the IC50 was calculated.Derivatives molecules with excellent antimicrobial activity were selected and loaded into milk exosomes using the ultrasonication method,resulting in the preparation of milk exosome-loaded rifamycin S derivatives.The antimicrobial activity against Staphylo-coccus aureus was determined using the dilution assay method.The inhibitory effect of the exosome-loaded rifamycin S derivatives on Staphylococcus aureus residing within macrophages was detected using the plate colony counting method.RESULTS Three rifamycin S derivatives were successfully designed and synthesized,which demonstrated superior antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus(the parent compound's antimicrobial activity is merely from 1/20 to 1/80 of that of the three rifamycin S derivatives)and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(the parent compound's antimicrobial activity is only 1/14 and 1/9 of that of compound 1 and compound 3)compared to the parent compound.The loading of milk exosomes with the rifamycin S derivatives compound 3 was successfully achieved,with a loading efficiency of 10.9％.The antimicrobial activity of the compound after exosome loading was significantly enhanced against Staphylococcus aureus in vitro and against Staphylococcus aureus residing within macrophages(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION The designed and synthesized derivatives of rifamycin S possess stronger anti-microbial activity,and their antibacterial efficacy against both extracellular and intracellular bacteria can be further enhanced after loading into exosomes.

Objective To propose a residual convolutional feedforward network-based high-resolution medical image generation model to enhance the quality for generating high-resolution medical images.Methods Firstly,a vector quantized generative adversarial network(VQGAN)was selected as the benchmark model;secondly,a residual convolutional feedfor-ward network composed of a residual module and a multi-scale convolutional feedforward module was integrated into the the encoder and decoder of VQGAN to form a new architecture;finally,the model propsed was compared with denoising diffusion model(DDM),StyleSwin model,VQGAN moel and SinGAN model to verify its performance,and the ablation experiment was carried out.Results The quantitative evaluation comparison showed that the model proposed behaved well generally with the lowest frechet inception distance(FID)(145.64),the lowest learned perceptual image patch similarity(LPIPS)(0.46)and the peak signal-to-noise ratio(PSNR)(62.63)only lower than that of DDM.Visualized comparison indicated the model proposed had the image generated gaining advantages over the other models in the texture,edges and sharpness of kidney stones and similarity to the real lesion images.The ablation experiment proved that the model proposed behaved better than the VQGAN benchmark model in convergence rate and training stability.Conclusion The proposed model has significant advantages in learning multi-scale texture features and retaining the information on low-dimensional anatomical structures,which can be used for generating high-quality high-resolution medical images.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(9):1-8]

Objective To propose a residual convolutional feedforward network-based high-resolution medical image generation model to enhance the quality for generating high-resolution medical images.Methods Firstly,a vector quantized generative adversarial network(VQGAN)was selected as the benchmark model;secondly,a residual convolutional feedfor-ward network composed of a residual module and a multi-scale convolutional feedforward module was integrated into the the encoder and decoder of VQGAN to form a new architecture;finally,the model propsed was compared with denoising diffusion model(DDM),StyleSwin model,VQGAN moel and SinGAN model to verify its performance,and the ablation experiment was carried out.Results The quantitative evaluation comparison showed that the model proposed behaved well generally with the lowest frechet inception distance(FID)(145.64),the lowest learned perceptual image patch similarity(LPIPS)(0.46)and the peak signal-to-noise ratio(PSNR)(62.63)only lower than that of DDM.Visualized comparison indicated the model proposed had the image generated gaining advantages over the other models in the texture,edges and sharpness of kidney stones and similarity to the real lesion images.The ablation experiment proved that the model proposed behaved better than the VQGAN benchmark model in convergence rate and training stability.Conclusion The proposed model has significant advantages in learning multi-scale texture features and retaining the information on low-dimensional anatomical structures,which can be used for generating high-quality high-resolution medical images.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(9):1-8]

Objective To clarify the effect of preoperative oral carbohydrate on overweight or obese patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy in Trendelenburg position.Methods A total of 72 overweight or obese patients who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy in Trendelenburg position at Yancheng Third People's Hospital from September 2022 to August 2024 were selected,and randomly divided into the control group and the observation group,with 36 cases in each group.The control group received routine restriction of fasting and fluid starting from 22:00 on the day before surgery,while the observation group was given an additional 300 mL of carbohydrate orally 2 hours before anesthesia on the basis of the control group.The preoperative ultrasound results of gastric antrum,Perlas classification,full stomach status,visual analogue scale(VAS)scores for thirst and hunger,awakening time,tracheal extubation time,intraoperative hypothermia,gastro-intestinal function recovery time,and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.Results Before anesthesia,there was no statistically significant difference in the cross-sectional area of the gastric antrum(CSA)in the right lateral position,gastric volume(GV),or the ratio of gastric volume to body weight(GV/W)between the two groups(P>0.05).There was also no statistically significant difference in the Perlas classification of gastric antrum ultrasound or the incidence of full stomach between the two groups(P>0.05).Immediately before anesthesia,the VAS scores for thirst and hunger in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The awakening time,tracheal extubation time,and incidence of intraoperative hypothermia in the observation group were significantly shorter/lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The observation group had significantly shorter time of first exhaust and defecation after surgery,as well as lower incidence of postoperative bloating,compared with the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion For overweight or obese patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy in the Trendelenburg position,oral intake of 300 mL carbohydrate 2 hours before anesthesia does not increase the risk of regurgitation or aspiration,with safety and reliability.It not only can improve comfort of patients and promote post-anesthesia awakening,but also can reduce the incidences of intraoperative hypothermia and gastrointestinal adverse reactions,which is conducive to accelerating postoperative recovery.

Objective To compare the differences of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided non-invasive measurement of portal venous pressure and EUS-guided portal pressure gradient(EUS-PPG) in measurement of portal venous pressure on animals and their correlation. Methods Twenty-four miniature pigs were selected and fed with carbon tetrachloride and phenobarbital sodium combined with high-fat,low-protein and low-choline diet for 16 weeks to establish a liver cirrhotic portal hypertension model. The changes of biochemical indexes of liver function and liver pathology in the experimental pigs were observed to evaluate whether the model was successful. After the model was successfully established,the hemodynamic parameters of the portal venous trunk were measured non-invasively under EUS guidance,including portal venous blood flow and splenic artery pulsatility index,thereby calculating portal venous pressure. Then,taking EUS-PPG,the portal vein,hepatic vein,and inferior vena cava were punctured with an 18G puncture needle under general anesthesia guided by the translinear endoscopic ultrasound,and the PPG was calculated through the central venous pressure monitoring system.The Pearson correlation analysis,Kappa test,ICC intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plot were used for consistency analysis. Results All the 24 pigs survived 16 weeks after modeling.The serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT),aspartate transaminase (AST),albumin (ALB),globulin (GLB),total bilirubin (TBIL) and indirect bilirubin (IBIL)after modeling were higher than those before modeling(P<0.05). HE staining and Sirius red staining showed abnormal liver morphology and increased collagen fibers after modeling,suggesting that the experimental pig model of liver cirrhotic portal hypertension was successfully established. The results of EUS-guided non-invasive measurement of portal venous pressure showed that the mean splenic artery pulsatility index was (2.03±0.68),the mean portal vein flow was (17.27±4.31)cm/s,and the mean portal venous pressure was (15.97±3.65)mmHg. The measurement results of the mean portal venous pressure,hepatic venous pres-sure and PPG of EUS-PPG were (20.68±4.71)mmHg,(4.07±2.14)mmHg and (16.38±4.28)mmHg respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation between the portal venous pressures measured by the two methods (r=0.902,P<0.001);the consistency tests of Kappa test and ICC intraclass correlation coefficient showed that the measurement results of the two methods were highly consistent (Kappa=0.699,P<0.001;ICC=0.945);Bland-Altman plot analysis showed that most of the points fell within 95％ limits of agreement. Conclusion EUS-guided non-invasive measurement of portal venous pressure has a high correlation and consistency with the measurement results by EUS-PPG,which has high success rate,and accurate reflection of portal venous pressure,with low cost and good safety.

Objective To clarify the effect of preoperative oral carbohydrate on overweight or obese patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy in Trendelenburg position.Methods A total of 72 overweight or obese patients who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy in Trendelenburg position at Yancheng Third People's Hospital from September 2022 to August 2024 were selected,and randomly divided into the control group and the observation group,with 36 cases in each group.The control group received routine restriction of fasting and fluid starting from 22:00 on the day before surgery,while the observation group was given an additional 300 mL of carbohydrate orally 2 hours before anesthesia on the basis of the control group.The preoperative ultrasound results of gastric antrum,Perlas classification,full stomach status,visual analogue scale(VAS)scores for thirst and hunger,awakening time,tracheal extubation time,intraoperative hypothermia,gastro-intestinal function recovery time,and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.Results Before anesthesia,there was no statistically significant difference in the cross-sectional area of the gastric antrum(CSA)in the right lateral position,gastric volume(GV),or the ratio of gastric volume to body weight(GV/W)between the two groups(P>0.05).There was also no statistically significant difference in the Perlas classification of gastric antrum ultrasound or the incidence of full stomach between the two groups(P>0.05).Immediately before anesthesia,the VAS scores for thirst and hunger in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The awakening time,tracheal extubation time,and incidence of intraoperative hypothermia in the observation group were significantly shorter/lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The observation group had significantly shorter time of first exhaust and defecation after surgery,as well as lower incidence of postoperative bloating,compared with the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion For overweight or obese patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy in the Trendelenburg position,oral intake of 300 mL carbohydrate 2 hours before anesthesia does not increase the risk of regurgitation or aspiration,with safety and reliability.It not only can improve comfort of patients and promote post-anesthesia awakening,but also can reduce the incidences of intraoperative hypothermia and gastrointestinal adverse reactions,which is conducive to accelerating postoperative recovery.