OBJECTIVE: Varied acupoint selections represent a potential cause of the uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Skin temperature, a guiding factor for acupoint selection, may help to address this issue. This study explored thermal sensitization of acupoints used for the treatment of knee OA. METHODS: This cross-sectional case-control study enrolled cases aged 45-75 years with symptomatic knee OA and age- and gender-matched non-knee OA controls in a 1:1 ratio. All participants underwent infrared thermographic imaging. The primary outcome was the relative skin temperature of acupoint (STA), and the secondary outcome was the absolute STA of 11 acupoints. The Z test was used to compare the relative and absolute STAs between the groups. Principal component analysis was used to extract the common factors (CFs, acupoint cluster) in the STAs. A general linear model was used to identify factors affecting the STA in the knee OA cases. For the group comparisons of relative STA, P < 0.0045 (adjusted for 11 acupoints through Bonferroni correction) was considered to indicate statistical significance. For other analyses, P < 0.05 was used as the threshold for statistical significance. RESULTS: The analysis included 308 participants, consisting of 151 cases (mean age: [64.58 ± 6.67] years; male: 25.83%; mean body mass index: [25.70 ± 3.16] kg/m²) and 157 controls (mean age: [63.37 ± 5.96] years; male: 26.11%; mean body mass index: [24.47 ± 2.84] kg/m²). The relative STAs of ST34 (P = 0.0001), EX-LE2 (P < 0.0001), EX-LE5 (P = 0.0006), SP10 (P < 0.0001), BL40 (P = 0.0012) and GB39 (P = 0.0037) were higher in the knee OA group. No difference was found in the STAs of ST35, ST36, SP9, GB33 and GB34. Four CFs were identified for relative STA in both groups. The acupoints within each CF were consistent between the groups. The mean values of the relative STAs across each CF were higher in the knee OA group. In the knee OA cases, no factors were observed to affect the relative STA, while age and gender were found to affect the absolute STA. CONCLUSION Among patients with knee OA, thermal sensitization occurs in the acupoints of the lower extremity, exhibiting localized and regional thermal consistencies. The thermally sensitized acupoints that we identified in this study, ST34, SP10, EX-LE2, EX-LE5, GB39 and BL40, may be good choices for the acupuncture treatment of knee OA. Please cite this article as: Tu JF, Wang XZ, Yan SY, Wang YR, Yang JW, Shi GX, Zhang WZ, Jing LN, Yang LS, Liu DH, Wang LQ, Mi BH. Thermal sensitization of acupoints in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional case-control study. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 289-296.
Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Acupuncture Points ; Case-Control Studies ; Aged ; Skin Temperature ; Acupuncture Therapy

Endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) disrupts vascular endothelial integrity and induces atherosclerosis. Active integrin β1 plays a pivotal role in promoting EndMT by facilitating TGFβ/Smad signaling in endothelial cells. Here, we report a novel anthraquinone compound, Kanglexin (KLX), which prevented EndMT and atherosclerosis by activating MAP4K4 and suppressing integrin β1/TGFβ signaling. First, KLX effectively counteracted the EndMT phenotype and mitigated the dysregulation of endothelial and mesenchymal markers induced by TGFβ1. Second, KLX suppressed TGFβ/Smad signaling by inactivating integrin β1 and inhibiting the polymerization of TGFβR1/2. The underlying mechanism involved the activation of FGFR1 by KLX, resulting in the phosphorylation of MAP4K4 and Moesin, which led to integrin β1 inactivation by displacing Talin from its β-tail. Oral administration of KLX effectively stimulated endothelial FGFR1 and inhibited integrin β1, thereby preventing vascular EndMT and attenuating plaque formation and progression in the aorta of atherosclerotic Apoe^-/- mice. Notably, KLX (20 mg/kg) exhibited superior efficacy compared with atorvastatin, a clinically approved lipid-regulating drug. In conclusion, KLX exhibited potential in ameliorating EndMT and retarding the formation and progression of atherosclerosis through direct activation of FGFR1. Therefore, KLX is a promising candidate for the treatment of atherosclerosis to mitigate vascular endothelial injury.
Animals ; Atherosclerosis/prevention & control* ; Mice ; Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Anthraquinones/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Integrin beta1/metabolism* ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/drug effects* ; Male ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/drug effects*

Objective To understand the distribution and changing resistance profiles of clinical isolates of Enterococcus in hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted for the clinical isolates of Enterococcus according to the unified protocol of CHINET program by automated systems,Kirby-Bauer method,or E-test strip.The results were interpreted according to the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints in 2021.WHONET 5.6 software was used for statistical analysis.Results A total of 124 565 strains of Enterococcus were isolated during the 7-year period,mainly including Enterococcus faecalis(50.7％)and Enterococcus faecalis(41.5％).The strains were mainly isolated from urinary tract specimens(46.9％±2.6％),and primarily from the patients in the department of internal medicine,surgery and ICU.E.faecium and E.faecalis strains showed low level resistance rate to vancomycin,teicoplanin and linezolid(≤3.6％).The prevalence of vancomycin-resistant E.faecalis and E.faecium was 0.1％and 1.3％,respectively.The prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecalis increased from 0.7％in 2015 to 3.4％in 2021,while the prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecium was 0.3％.Conclusions The clinical isolates of Enterococcus were still highly susceptible to vancomycin,teicoplanin,and linezolid,evidenced by a low resistance rate.However,the prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecalis was increasing during the 7-year period.It is necessary to strengthen antimicrobial resistance surveillance to effectively identify the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and curb the spread of resistant pathogens.

Objective To investigate the role of long non-coding RNA(lnc RNA)ZFAS1 in glioma cells'sensitivity to cisplatin and its underlying mechanisms.Methods By analyzing the knockdown of ZFAS1 on the sensitivity of glioma cells to cisplatin using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)experiments,and the cells were divided into sh-NC group(transfected with sh-NC lentiviral plasmid),sh#1 group(transfected with sh-ZFAS1-1 lentiviral plasmid)and sh#2 group(transfected with sh-ZFAS1-2 lentiviral plasmid).Dual luciferase experiments verified the interaction between ZFAS1 and miR-193b-3p,and the cells were divided into ZFAS1-WT+NC inhibitor group(transfected with ZFAS1 wild-type plasmid and NC inhibitor),ZFAS1-WT+miR-193b-3p inhibitor group(transfected with ZFAS1 wild-type plasmid and miR-193b-3p inhibitor),ZFAS1-Mut+NC inhibitor group(transfected with ZFAS1 mutant plasmid and NC inhibitor)and ZFAS1-Mut+miR-193b-3p inhibitor group(transfected with ZFAS1 mutant plasmid and miR-193b-3p inhibitor).Cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)and terminal deoxynucleotidly transferase mediated labeling(TUNEL)experiments were used to analyze the effect of ZFAS1/miR-193b-3p on the sensitivity of glioma cells to cisplatin,and the cells were divided into blank control group(0 μg·mL-1 cisplatin treatment of U251 cells),0.5 μg·mL-1 cisplatin+sh-NC+NC inhibitor group(0.5 μg·mL-1 cisplatin treatment of U251 cells co-transfected with sh-NC lentiviral plasmid and NC inhibitor),0.5 μg·mL-1 cisplatin+sh#1+NC inhibitor group(0.5 μg·mL-1cisplatin treatment of U251 cells co-transfected with sh-NC lentiviral plasmid and NC inhibitor),and 0.5 μg·mL-1 cisplatin+sh#1+miR-193b-3p inhibitor group(0.5 μg·mL-1 cisplatin treatment of U251 cells co-transfected with sh-ZFAS1-1 lentiviral plasmid and miR-193b-3p inhibitor).Results The results of the experiment showed that the expression levels of ZFAS1 in the sh-NC group,sh#1 group and sh#2 group were 1.00±0.17,0.48±0.06 and 0.68±0.08.The fluorescence activities of ZFAS 1-WT+NC inhibitor group,ZFAS1-WT+miR-193b-3p inhibitor group,ZFAS1-Mut+NC inhibitor group and ZFAS1-Mut+miR-193b-3p inhibitor group were 1.00±0.10,1.45±0.11,1.02±0.09 and 0.97±0.13.The proliferation rates at 72 h for the blank control group,0.5 μg·mL-1 cisplatin+sh-NC+NC inhibitor group,0.5 μg·mL-1 cisplatin+sh#1+NC inhibitor group and 0.5 μg·mL-1cisplatin+sh# 1+miR-193b-3p inhibitor group were(100.00±14.13)％,(96.62±9.82)％,(60.56±6.08)％and(78.64±7.22)％;while the apoptosis rates at 72 h were(9.52±1.11)％,(10.12±1.34)％,(16.08±1.52)％and(12.22±1.19)％.Comparied between blank control group and 0.5 μg·mL-1 cisplatin+sh-NC+NC inhibitor group,0.5 μg·mL-1 cisplatin+sh#1+NC inhibitor group and 0.5 μg·mL-1 cisplatin+sh # 1+miR-193b-3p inhibitor group,the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion This study reveals the important role of ZFAS1 in cisplatin sensitivity in glioma and elucidates its mechanism of influencing drug sensitivity through the regulation of miR-193b-3p.

Exosomes can ameliorate neuronal cell injury induced by hypoxia-ischemia,but the relation-ship between astrocyte-derived exosomes(As-exo)and mitochondrial function,mitochondrial associated ER membrane(MAM)function and whether mitochondrial autophagy is relevant is currently unclear.The aim of this study was to investigate the role of astrocyte-derived exosomes in the regulation of mito-chondrial function,MAM and mitochondrial autophagy in PC 12 cells after oxygen and glucose depriva-tion/reoxygenation(OGD/R).Exosomes were extracted from the supernatant of the astrocyte culture me-dium by ultracentrifugation.Using the live cell imaging system,we observed that fluorescently labeled exosomes could show obvious enrichment in PC 12 cells at 24 h.Meanwhile,co-localization of exosomes with mitochondria could be observed under the laser confocal scanning microscope;mitochondrial pres-sure changes were detected using the Seahorse cellular energy metabolism fractionation instrument.The result showed that basal respiration in the OGD/R group,compared with that in the control group,proton leakage,maximal respiration and ATP-related respiration were significantly reduced(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),and all four indexes were elevated and statistically significant in the OGD/R+exo group compared with the control group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).The results of the co-localization of the mitochondria and ER showed that the structure of the MAM was harmed by oxygen-sugar deprivation and then reoxygen-ation,and the structure of As-exo and the mitochondria appeared to have a distance-reduced polymeriza-tion phenomenon,while the mitochondria and ER co-localized.The co-localization results of mitochondri-a and ER showed that the structure of MAM was damaged by oxygen deprivation and reoxygenation,and the aggregation phenomenon of MAM was weakened by the treatment of As-exo;the flow-through results showed that As-exo could restore the decrease of the mitochondrial membrane potential and the elevation of the ROS by oxygen deprivation to a certain degree.Western blotting showed that As-exo could signifi-cantly inhibit the mitochondrial autophagy-associated tension protein homologue induced hypothetical ki-nase 1(PTEN induced kinase 1(PINK1)and Parkin protein(parkin RBR E3 ubiquitin protein ligase(Parkin))were elevated,and the addition of As-exo decreased LC3 Ⅱ/LC3 Ⅰ protein expression,ele-vated P62 protein expression,and reduced OGD/R-induced mitochondrial autophagy.The results showed that OGD/R treatment can cause mitochondrial dysfunction,MAM structural changes and increased mito-chondrial autophagy in PC12 cells,and As-exo treatment can improve mitochondrial function,attenuate the formation of MAM,and reduce mitochondrial autophagy in PC 12 cells,which can have the potential of preventing the reperfusion injury in ischemic stroke.

Objective To investigate the application of organoid technology in colorectal cancer research and analyze the factors influencing the success rate of organoid cultivation. Methods A total of 24 samples of colorectal cancer patients treated at Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital and cultured organoids using specific culture media and Matrigel. The samples were collected within 30 minutes post-excision and stored at 4℃ to minimize contamination and protein degradation. During the cultivation process,the authors recorded instances of bacterial or fungal contamination and the organoid growth,and test for their histological structure and expression of tumor markers. Additionally,by analyzing clinical information from the patients who provided the samples,explore potential factors that may affect the success rate of culturing colorectal cancer organoids. Results A success rate of 70.8％ (17/24) was achieved in the cultivation of organoid. The success rate of organoid culture was significantly different from that of tumor stage (all P<0.05),with significantly higher successful organoid cultivation rate for stage Ⅱ and stage Ⅲ tumor tissues than those for stageⅠand Ⅳ[83.3％ (5/6),90.9％ (10/11) vs. 33.4％ (1/3),25.0％ (1/4)]. Additionally,samples with a Ki-67 positive area proportion of 55％-70％ exhibited the highest success rate (100％). Phenotypic experiments on the organoids indicated that their pathological histological structure and the expression of tumor markers were consistent with those of the primary tissues,suggesting that the organoids retained the histological characteristics of the primary lesions. Conclusions This study successfully established a colorectal cancer organoid model revealing the impact of tumor staging and the proportion of Ki-67 positive areas on the success rate of culture. The organoid model effectively retains the histological characteristics of the primary lesion,providing a powerful in vitro tool for the research and treatment of colorectal cancer.

Objective To investigate the application of organoid technology in colorectal cancer research and analyze the factors influencing the success rate of organoid cultivation. Methods A total of 24 samples of colorectal cancer patients treated at Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital and cultured organoids using specific culture media and Matrigel. The samples were collected within 30 minutes post-excision and stored at 4℃ to minimize contamination and protein degradation. During the cultivation process,the authors recorded instances of bacterial or fungal contamination and the organoid growth,and test for their histological structure and expression of tumor markers. Additionally,by analyzing clinical information from the patients who provided the samples,explore potential factors that may affect the success rate of culturing colorectal cancer organoids. Results A success rate of 70.8％ (17/24) was achieved in the cultivation of organoid. The success rate of organoid culture was significantly different from that of tumor stage (all P<0.05),with significantly higher successful organoid cultivation rate for stage Ⅱ and stage Ⅲ tumor tissues than those for stageⅠand Ⅳ[83.3％ (5/6),90.9％ (10/11) vs. 33.4％ (1/3),25.0％ (1/4)]. Additionally,samples with a Ki-67 positive area proportion of 55％-70％ exhibited the highest success rate (100％). Phenotypic experiments on the organoids indicated that their pathological histological structure and the expression of tumor markers were consistent with those of the primary tissues,suggesting that the organoids retained the histological characteristics of the primary lesions. Conclusions This study successfully established a colorectal cancer organoid model revealing the impact of tumor staging and the proportion of Ki-67 positive areas on the success rate of culture. The organoid model effectively retains the histological characteristics of the primary lesion,providing a powerful in vitro tool for the research and treatment of colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To study the genetic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and prognosis of children with primary dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 44 children who were diagnosed with DCM in Hebei Children's Hospital from July 2018 to February 2023. According to the genetic testing results, they were divided into two groups: gene mutation-positive group (n=17) and gene mutation-negative group (n=27). The two groups were compared in terms of clinical data at initial diagnosis and follow-up data. RESULTS: Among the 44 children with DCM, there were 21 boys (48%) and 23 girls (52%). Respiratory symptoms including cough and shortness of breath were the most common symptom at initial diagnosis (34%, 15/44). The detection rate of gene mutations was 39% (17/44). There were no significant differences between the two groups in clinical characteristics, proportion of children with cardiac function grade Ⅲ or Ⅳ, brain natriuretic peptide levels, left ventricular ejection fraction, and left ventricular fractional shortening at initial diagnosis (P>0.05). The median follow-up time was 23 months, and 9 children (20%) died, including 8 children from the gene mutation-positive group, among whom 3 had TTN gene mutation, 2 had LMNA gene mutation, 2 had TAZ gene mutation, and 1 had ATAD3A gene mutation. The gene mutation-positive group had a significantly higher mortality rate than the gene mutation-negative group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is no correlation between the severity of DCM at initial diagnosis and gene mutations in children. However, children with gene mutations may have a poorer prognosis.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Child ; Stroke Volume ; Retrospective Studies ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Phenotype ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated/diagnosis* ; Mutation ; ATPases Associated with Diverse Cellular Activities/genetics* ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Mitochondrial Proteins/genetics*

Purpose: To analyze the gene mutation, immune infiltration and tumor growth of primary tumor and distant tumor under different treatment modes. Materials and Methods: Twenty B16 murine melanoma cells were injected subcutaneously into the of both sides of the thigh, simulating a primary tumor and a secondary tumor impacted by the abscopal effect, respectively. They were divided into blank control group, immunotherapy group, radiotherapy group, and radiotherapy combined immunotherapy group. During this period, tumor volume was measured, and RNA sequencing was performed on tumor samples after the test. R software was used to analyze differentially expressed genes, functional enrichment, and immune infiltration. Results: We found that any treatment mode could cause changes in differentially expressed genes, especially the combination treatment. The different therapeutic effects might be caused by gene expression. In addition, the proportions of infiltrating immune cells in the irradiated and abscopal tumors were different. In the combination treatment group, T-cell infiltration in the irradiated site was the most obvious. In the immunotherapy group, CD8+ T-cell infiltration in the abscopal tumor site was obvious, but immunotherapy alone might have a poor prognosis. Whether the irradiated or abscopal tumor was evaluated, radiotherapy combined with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) therapy produced the most obvious tumor control and might have a positive impact on prognosis. Conclusion Combination therapy not only improves the immune microenvironment but may also have a positive impact on prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the effects of family dignity intervention(FDI)on anxiety,depression,hope level and quality of life(QOL)of male infertility patients and their spouses.Methods:Using quasi-experimental design,we selected male in-fertility patients and their spouses undergoing human-assisted reproductive technology(ART)in our Center of Reproductive Medicine from June to December 2022 and divided them into an intervention group(38 couples)and a control group(40 couples).The former underwent a four-stage FDI,including ovulation promotion cycle assessment,family sharing,pre-transplantation interview and post-transplantation follow-up,while the latter received routine nursing.Using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale,Herth Hope Index and Fertility Quality of Life Scale,we evaluated the effects of FDI before and after transplantation.Results:After FDI,the anxiety and depression scores were significantly lower(P＜0.05)and the total scores on the hope level and all other dimensions remarkably higher in the intervention group than in the control(P＜0.05).The self-confidence of the couples in the intervention groups in ART treatment was markedly increased in comparison with that of the controls,and their scores on physical and mental health were signifi-cantly higher than those of the latter(P＜0.05).Conclusion:FDI can effectively relieve the anxiety and depression,raise the hope level and improve the quality of life of both male infertility patients and their spouses.