Objective To investigate the influencing factors associated with the comorbidity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and depression. Methods A case-control study was conducted based on the ^“Healthcare Big Data Platform^” of a tertiary class-A comprehensive hospital in Shandong Province. IBD comorbid with depression was served as the case group and IBD without depression was served as the control group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed by matching the case group with the control group in a ratio of 1:2 according to the age and gender of the patients. Conditional logistic regression model was used to explore the influencing factors associated with the comorbidity of IBD and depression. Results A total of 405 patients with IBD were enrolled in this study, including 270 patients without depression and 135 patients comorbid with depression. The results of conditional logistic regression showed that the use of immunosuppressants (OR=2.84, 95% CI: 1.00-8.07) and glucocorticoids (OR=2.05, 95% CI: 1.17-3.58), dementia (OR=5.20, 95% CI:1.59-17.05), cardiovascular disease (OR=3.58, 95% CI: 1.84-6.98) and cancer (OR=2.63, 95% CI: 1.16-5.95) were associated with the comorbidity of depression and IBD. Conclusion Attention should be paid to the use of immunosuppressants and glucocorticoids in the population of IBD comorbid with depression, and the coexistence of physical diseases such as dementia, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Early prevention and targeted treatment measures should be taken for high-risk populations to reduce their risk of depression and improve their quality of life and health.

Humans ; Aged ; Lung Diseases ; Pneumonia/drug therapy* ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy* ; Administration, Inhalation ; Community-Acquired Infections/drug therapy*

Purpose To compare the CT imaging features of the novel coronavirus Omicron variant and influenza A-H1N1-associated viral pneumonia,and to investigate the factors associated with the uptake process of the two pneumonias.Materials and Methods A total of 43 patients with Omicron virus pneumonia(Omicron group)and 30 patients with influenza A(H1N1)virus pneumonia[influenza A(H1N1)group]in Civil Aviation General Hospital from December 2022 to March 2023 were retrospectively collected.The clinical data of the two groups were compared,including age,gender,symptoms(fever or not),duration of symptoms and incidence of complications.White blood cells,monocytes,lymphocytes,neutrophils,C-reactive protein,etc.]and initial and follow-up CT imaging features[lesion density,distribution,signs and qualitative CT severity score(CTSS)].Results The mean age of patients in Omicron group was higher versus that in H1N1 group[(68.61±15.94)years vs.(51.20±16.39)years,P<0.000 1],and the fever rate in Omicron group(58.1%vs.86.7%,P=0.009)and monocyte count[(0.40±0.16)vs.(0.58±0.19),P<0.000 1]were lower than those in the influenza A(H1N1)group.Chest CT showed that the lesions of patients in the Omicron group were mainly distributed under the pleura,and the lesions of patients in the influenza A(H1N1)group were mainly distributed under the pleura and along the bronchovascular bundle(χ2=8.592,P=0.035).Patients in the Omicron group were more likely to have interlobular septal thickening(χ2=11.753,P=0.001),paving pattern(χ2=16.216,P<0.000 1),air bronchogram(χ2=16.216,P<0.000 1),pleural effusion(P=0.039)and pleural thickening(χ2=4.067,P=0.044)than patients in the influenza A(H1N1)group,while patients in the influenza A(H1N1)group were more likely to have nodules than those in the omicron group(χ2=6.971,P=0.008).The CTSS scores of patients in the omicron group were higher than those in the influenza A(H1N1)group at the initial diagnosis(Z=413,P=0.009)and follow-up(Z=107,P=0.027).The correlation between the change of follow-up CTSS and the initial CTSS in the Omicron group was the strongest(r=0.689,P<0.000 1).There was the strongest correlation between the change of follow-up CTSS and the duration of symptoms in influenza A(H1N1)group(r=0.954,P<0.000 1).Conclusion Patients in the Omicron group have a higher range of initial and follow-up lesions than those in influenza A(H1N1)group,and the degree of pneumonia absorption in the omicron group may be related to the initial CTSS,whereas in the influenza A(H1N1)group it may be related to the duration of symptoms.

Objective To understand the research hotspot and development trend of meteorological factors in the field of hand, foot and mouth disease at home and abroad, and to provide references for domestic scholars to explore the frontier of this field. Methods Relevant literature published from the retrievable date to August 31, 2022 was searched in CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, China Biomedical Literature Database, Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed database. CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to retrieve related research literature on hand, foot and mouth disease and meteorological factors, and visualization analysis was conducted from the aspects of publication volume, relevant authors, keywords and journal analysis. Results A total of 610 literatures were included in this study, including 339 foreign documents and 271 Chinese documents. The number of published literatures in this field showed an increasing trend year by year. In foreign literature, there were 147 core authors, and 209 keywords appeared more than 3 times. In Chinese literature, there were 57 core authors, and 66 keywords appeared more than 3 times. In recent years, time series analysis and Bayesian spatiotemporal models had been widely used to explore the relationship between hand, foot and mouth disease and meteorological factors. Science of the Total Environment (28 articles) and Disease Surveillance (12 articles) accounted for the largest number of publications in foreign and Chinese journals, respectively. Compared with Chinese journals, foreign journals formed a stable group of journals. Conclusion In general, the research content in this field is rich, and the research trend has shifted from epidemiological research to the application of new methods in this field to explore the impact of meteorological factors on the incidence of hand, foot and mouth disease.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy(DPN)is a common and devastating complication of diabetes,for which effective therapies are currently lacking.Disturbed energy status plays a crucial role in DPN pathogenesis.However,the integrated profile of energy metabolism,especially the central carbohy-drate metabolism,remains unclear in DPN.Here,we developed a metabolomics approach by targeting 56 metabolites using high-performance ion chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPIC-MS/MS)to illustrate the integrative characteristics of central carbohydrate metabolism in patients with DPN and streptozotocin-induced DPN rats.Furthermore,JinMaiTong(JMT),a traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)formula,was found to be effective for DPN,improving the peripheral neurological function and alleviating the neuropathology of DPN rats even after demyelination and axonal degeneration.JMT ameliorated DPN by regulating the aberrant energy balance and mitochondrial functions,including excessive glycolysis restoration,tricarboxylic acid cycle improvement,and increased adenosine triphosphate(ATP)generation.Bioenergetic profile was aberrant in cultured rat Schwann cells under high-glucose conditions,which was remarkably corrected by JMT treatment.In-vivo and in-vitro studies revealed that these effects of JMT were mainly attributed to the activation of adenosine monophosphate(AMP)-activated protein kinase(AMPK)and downstream peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha(PGC-1α).Our results expand the thera-peutic framework for DPN and suggest the integrative modulation of energy metabolism using TCMs,such as JMT,as an effective strategy for its treatment.

Objective　To investigate the relationship between exosomal microRNA (miR)-335-5p and the severity of cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), in order to provide more clinical information for early intervention and treatment. Methods From February to August 2019, 6 healthy controls, 8 cases of compensated cirrhosis (CLC), and 8 cases of decompensated cirrhosis (DLC) were recruited from the physical examination outpatient department and the hepatology department of Peking University Third Hospital Qinhuangdao Hospital as a discovery cohort, and serum samples were collected for exosome extraction and miRNA microarray analysis. A validation cohort of 229 CHB patients with cirrhosis, including 94 CLC and 135 DLC patients, was selected from those diagnosed and treated in the hepatology department of the hospital from December 2019 to May 2022. Exosomes were extracted and identified, and the expression level of serum exosomal miR-335-5p was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and the combined formula of serum sodium with MELD (MELD-Na) score were used to evaluate the severity of cirrhosis. Results In the discovery cohort, the expression of miR-335-5p in the DLC group was significantly down-regulated compared to the control group and CLC group (P<0.05). In the validation cohort, the level of exosomal miR-335-5p in the DLC group was significantly lower than that in the CLC group (P<0.001). Spearman correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between the expression of exosomal miR-335-5p and both MELD and MELD-Na scores in patients with cirrhosis (P<0.05). After adjusting for other confounding factors in the multiple linear regression model, the expression of exosomal miR-335-5p was still negatively correlated with MELD score (β=-0.103, 95%CI:-3.692 to -1.149, P<0.001) and MELD-NA score (β=-0.109, 95%CI:-4.007 to -1.270, P<0.001). ROC curve analysis indicated that serum exosomal miR-335-5p could differentiate DLC with an area under the ROC curve of 0.905 (95%CI: 0.867 to 0.944), corresponding to a cutoff value of 0.158, with a specificity of 87.2%, and a sensitivity of 83.7%. Conclusions The low expression of exosomal miR-335-5p is associated with the aggravation of cirrhosis in CHB patients, and may serve as a useful biomarker for the early diagnosis of DLC.

This study was aimed at identifying the bioactive components of the crude and stir-baked hawthorn for invigorating spleen and promoting digestion, respectively, to clarify the processing mechanism of hawthorn by applying the partial least squares(PLS) algorithm to build the spectrum-effect relationship model. Firstly, different polar fractions of crude and stir-baked hawthorn aqueous extracts and combinations of different fractions were prepared, respectively. Then, the contents of 24 chemical components were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The effects of different polar fractions of crude hawthorn and stir-baked hawthorn aqueous extracts and combinations of different fractions were evaluated by measuring the gastric emptying rate and small intestinal propulsion rate. Finally, the PLS algorithm was used to establish the spectrum-effect relationship model. The results showed that there were significant differences in the contents of 24 chemical components for different polar fractions of crude and stir-baked hawthorn aqueous extracts and combinations of different fractions, and the gastric emptying rate and small intestinal propulsion rate of model rats were improved by administration of different polar fractions of crude and stir-baked hawthorn aqueous extracts and combinations of different fractions. The bioactive components of crude hawthorn identified by PLS models were vitexin-4″-O-glucoside, vitexin-2″-O-rhamnoside, neochlorogenic acid, rutin, gallic acid, vanillic acid, citric acid, malic acid, quinic acid and fumaric acid, while neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, rutin, gallic acid, vanillic acid, citric acid, quinic acid and fumaric acid were the bioactive components of stir-baked hawthorn. This study provided data support and scientific basis for identifying the bioactive components of crude and stir-baked hawthorn, and clarifying the processing mechanism of hawthorn.
Animals ; Rats ; Spleen ; Crataegus ; Quinic Acid ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Vanillic Acid ; Algorithms ; Digestion

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of modified Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang （MHGW） on endoplasmic reticulum stress in the sciatic nerve of diabetes rats based on the pathways of inositol-requiring enzyme 1α （IRE1α） and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein （CHOP）. MethodSixty rats were fed on a high-sugar and high-fat diet for six weeks， followed by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin at a dose of 35 mg·kg^-1. Random blood glucose levels were measured three days later and rats with a sustained blood glucose level ≥ 16.7 mmol·L^-1 were included in study （n=48）. The rats were randomly divided into a model group， an α-lipoic acid group （0.026 8 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， a high-dose MHGW group （2.5 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and a low-dose MHGW group （1.25 g·kg^-1·d^-1）. Another 10 rats were assigned to the normal group. The intervention lasted for 16 weeks. After 16 weeks， the sciatic nerve structure of the rats in each group was observed under light microscopy using Luxol fast blue （LFB） staining. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructure of the sciatic nerve. Chemiluminescence method was employed to measure the serum reactive oxygen species （ROS） levels. Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were used to evaluate the expression of p-IRE1α protein， IRE1α mRNA， CHOP protein， and CHOP mRNA in the sciatic nerve of the rats. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed elevated serum ROS levels （P<0.01）. In contrast， the serum ROS levels were significantly reduced in the treatment groups compared with those in the model group （P<0.01）. The sciatic nerve of the model group showed pathological changes compared with that in the normal group， while the treatment groups exhibited improvement in sciatic nerve pathology compared with the model group. The protein expression of p-IRE1α and CHOP in the sciatic nerve significantly increased in the model group as compared with that in the normal group （P<0.01）. However， the treatment groups showed a significant decrease in the protein expression of p-IRE1α and CHOP in the sciatic nerve compared with the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Furthermore， compared with the normal group， the model group showed upregulated mRNA expression of IRE1α and CHOP in the sciatic nerve （P<0.01）， while the treatment groups exhibited a significant decrease in the mRNA expression of IRE1α and CHOP compared with the model group （P<0.01）. ConclusionMHGW can alleviate endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced cell apoptosis and improve the structure and function of the sciatic nerve in diabetes rats by inhibiting the expression of IRE1α/CHOP pathway-related proteins and mRNA， thereby preventing and treating peripheral neuropathy in diabetes.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of modified Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang （MHGW） on the protein and mRNA expression of B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X protein （Bax） and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-12 （Caspase-12） related to the apoptosis of sciatic nerve cells in diabetes rats to explore the mechanism of MHGW in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy in diabetes. MethodAnimal experiments were conducted. A diabetes model was induced in sixty male sprague-dawley （SD） rats by feeding on a high-sugar and high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin （STZ） intraperitoneal injection. Rats with random blood glucose levels ≥ 16.7 mmol·L^-1 for three consecutive days were considered to have successfully developed diabetes. Forty-eight rats that successfully developed diabetes were randomly divided into a model group， an α-lipoic acid group （0.026 8 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， a high-dose MHGW group （2.5 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and a low-dose MHGW group （1.25 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， with 12 rats in each group. Another 10 rats were assigned to the normal group. Body weight and random blood glucose levels of the rats were monitored. At the end of a 16-week intervention period， the sciatic nerve conduction velocity of the rats was measured using the Key point electromyography collection system. The protein and mRNA expression of Bax and Caspase-12 in the sciatic nerve cells was detected by Western blot analysis and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， respectively. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant decrease in body weight （P<0.01） and a significant increase in random blood glucose levels （P<0.01）. After a 16-week intervention， compared with the model group， the high-dose MHGW group exhibited a significant increase in body weight （P<0.05）， while there were no statistically significant differences in body weight changes among the other treatment groups. Random blood glucose levels significantly decreased in all treatment groups （P<0.01）. After 16 weeks of intervention， compared with the normal group， the model group had significantly reduced motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all treatment groups showed significant increases in motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression of Bax and Caspase-12 proteins in the sciatic nerve cells was significantly elevated in the model group compared with that in the normal group （P<0.01）. In contrast， all treatment groups showed significant reductions in the expression of Bax and Caspase-12 proteins in the sciatic nerve cells as compared with that in the model group （P<0.01）. The expression of Bax and Caspase-12 mRNA in the sciatic nerve cells significantly increased in the model group compared with that in the normal group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the α-lipoic acid group and the high-dose MHGW group showed significant reductions in the expression of Bax mRNA in the sciatic nerve cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the low-dose MHGW group showed a decreasing trend in the expression of Bax mRNA. The expression of Caspase-12 mRNA in the sciatic nerve cells significantly decreased in all treatment groups （P<0.01）. ConclusionMHGW may improve and repair sciatic nerve damage in diabetes rats by inhibiting sciatic nerve cell apoptosis.