Acupuncture, a therapeutic treatment defined as the insertion of needles into the body at specific points (ie, acupoints), has growing in popularity world-wide to treat various diseases effectively, especially acute and chronic pain. In parallel, interest in the physiological mechanisms underlying acupuncture analgesia, particularly the neural mechanisms have been increasing. Over the past decades, our understanding of how the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system process signals induced by acupuncture has developed rapidly by using electrophysiological methods. However, with the development of neuroscience, electrophysiology is being challenged by calcium imaging in view field, neuron population and visualization in vivo. Owing to the outstanding spatial resolution, the novel imaging approaches provide opportunities to enrich our knowledge about the neurophysiological mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia at subcellular, cellular, and circuit levels in combination with new labeling, genetic and circuit tracing techniques. Therefore, this review will introduce the principle and the method of calcium imaging applied to acupuncture research. We will also review the current findings in pain research using calcium imaging from in vitro to in vivo experiments and discuss the potential methodological considerations in studying acupuncture analgesia.
Calcium ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Analgesia/methods* ; Acupuncture Points ; Technology

Three 2,3-diketoquinoxaline alkaloids were isolated from Heterosmilax yunnanensis Gagnep. Their structures were determined through 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, UV, and IR as 1-[5′-(3″-hydroxy-3″-methyl) glutaryl] ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (1), 1-[2′-(3″-hydroxy-3″-methyl) glutaryl]ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (2), and 1-ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (3). Compounds 1 and 2 are novel compounds, and 3 was isolated from H. yunnanensis for the first time. The hepatoprotective activity of these three compounds was evaluated, with compound 3 showing promising hepatoprotective activity.

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of recombinant human anti-severe acute respiratory syn-drome coronavirus 2(anti-SARS-CoV-2)monoclonal antibody injection(F61 injection)in the treatment of patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)combined with renal damage.Methods Patients with COVID-19 and renal damage who visited the PLA General Hospital from January to February 2023 were selected.Subjects were randomly divided into two groups.Control group was treated with conventional anti-COVID-19 therapy,while trial group was treated with conventional anti-COVID-19 therapy combined with F61 injection.A 15-day follow-up was conducted after drug administration.Clinical symptoms,laboratory tests,electrocardiogram,and chest CT of pa-tients were performed to analyze the efficacy and safety of F61 injection.Results Twelve subjects(7 in trial group and 5 in control group)were included in study.Neither group had any clinical progression or death cases.The ave-rage time for negative conversion of nucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2 in control group and trial group were 3.2 days and 1.57 days(P=0.046),respectively.The scores of COVID-19 related target symptom in the trial group on the 3rd and 5th day after medication were both lower than those of the control group(both P＜0.05).According to the clinical staging and World Health Organization 10-point graded disease progression scale,both groups of subjects improved but didn't show statistical differences(P＞0.05).For safety,trial group didn't present any infusion-re-lated adverse event.Subjects in both groups demonstrated varying degrees of elevated blood glucose,elevated urine glucose,elevated urobilinogen,positive urine casts,and cardiac arrhythmia,but the differences were not statistica-lly significant(all P＞0.05).Conclusion F61 injection has initially demonstrated safety and clinical benefit in trea-ting patients with COVID-19 combined with renal damage.As the domestically produced drug,it has good clinical accessibility and may provide more options for clinical practice.

Objective:To construct a remote screening network for breast cancer based on automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) and explore the value of ABUS with remote reading for breast cancer screening.Methods:We constructed a remote breast cancer screening network including one remote reading center and 48 image-acquisition centers. We recruited women to participate in breast cancer screening at one of these image-acquisition centers from January 2021 to January 2023. The technicians collected the whole breast images using the ABUS. The images were then sent to the reading center through the PVBUS System and interpreted independently by two radiologists using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). BI-RADS categories 1 and 2 indicate negative screening results, and women diagnosed with these categories were recommended for annual breast ultrasound screening. BI-RADS categories 3, 4, and 5 indicate positive results. Women with BI-RADS category 3 lesions were recommended for follow-up examinations every 6 months using ABUS or handheld ultrasound, while those with BI-RADS 4 and 5 lesions were suggested to undergo pathological examinations.Results:In our study, we enrolled 10 344 women who completed the ABUS screening and were followed up for more than 12 months. After remote reading, 6 164 women were diagnosed with BI-RADS category 1 and 2 626 woman were within BI-RADS category 2. In contrast, 1 404 women were within BI-RADS category 3, a total of 135 women were within BI-RADS category 4, and 15 women were within BI-RADS category 5. The positive screening rate of ABUS was 15.0% (1 554/10 344). The ABUS with remote reading had a detection rate of 3.7/1 000 (38/10 344) for breast cancer screening, with a sensitivity of 97.4% (38/39) and a specificity of 85.3% (8 789/10 305). Among the 38 breast cancer cases detected, 92.1% (35/38) were invasive carcinomas, and 63.2% (24/38) were stage 0 or Ⅰ breast cancers.Conclusions:Breast cancer screening based on ABUS with remote reading provided an efficient and feasible solution to the problem of unevenly distributed medical resources and medical staff levels in various regions of China, enabling the decentralization of high-quality medical resources and improving the accessibility of high-quality screening services. It has provided an alternative for breast cancer screening in China.

Objective:To construct a remote screening network for breast cancer based on automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) and explore the value of ABUS with remote reading for breast cancer screening.Methods:We constructed a remote breast cancer screening network including one remote reading center and 48 image-acquisition centers. We recruited women to participate in breast cancer screening at one of these image-acquisition centers from January 2021 to January 2023. The technicians collected the whole breast images using the ABUS. The images were then sent to the reading center through the PVBUS System and interpreted independently by two radiologists using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). BI-RADS categories 1 and 2 indicate negative screening results, and women diagnosed with these categories were recommended for annual breast ultrasound screening. BI-RADS categories 3, 4, and 5 indicate positive results. Women with BI-RADS category 3 lesions were recommended for follow-up examinations every 6 months using ABUS or handheld ultrasound, while those with BI-RADS 4 and 5 lesions were suggested to undergo pathological examinations.Results:In our study, we enrolled 10 344 women who completed the ABUS screening and were followed up for more than 12 months. After remote reading, 6 164 women were diagnosed with BI-RADS category 1 and 2 626 woman were within BI-RADS category 2. In contrast, 1 404 women were within BI-RADS category 3, a total of 135 women were within BI-RADS category 4, and 15 women were within BI-RADS category 5. The positive screening rate of ABUS was 15.0% (1 554/10 344). The ABUS with remote reading had a detection rate of 3.7/1 000 (38/10 344) for breast cancer screening, with a sensitivity of 97.4% (38/39) and a specificity of 85.3% (8 789/10 305). Among the 38 breast cancer cases detected, 92.1% (35/38) were invasive carcinomas, and 63.2% (24/38) were stage 0 or Ⅰ breast cancers.Conclusions:Breast cancer screening based on ABUS with remote reading provided an efficient and feasible solution to the problem of unevenly distributed medical resources and medical staff levels in various regions of China, enabling the decentralization of high-quality medical resources and improving the accessibility of high-quality screening services. It has provided an alternative for breast cancer screening in China.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of double beam double tunnel enhanced reconstruction technique in the treatment of knee anterior cruciate ligament(ACL)training injuries.Methods Twenty-nine cases of ACL injury of knee joint from January 2021 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.All the cases were underwent ligament reconstruc-tion surgery.Cases were grouped by surgical technique:there were 14 patients in conventional reconstruction group,including 13 males and 1 female,aged from 22 to 31 years old with an average of(27.07±7.28)years old,autogenous hamstring tendon was used for ligament reconstruction.There were 15 patients in the enhanced reconstruction group,including 13 males and 2 females,aged from 25 to 34 years old with an average of(29.06±4.23)years old,double tunnel ligament reconstruction,the autogenous hamstring muscle was used as the anteromedial bundle,and the posterolateral bundle was replaced by a high-strength line.The difference between knee tibial anterior distance,Lysholm score,International Knee Literature Committee(IKDC)subjective score,Tegner motor level score and visual analog scale(VAS)at 6th and 12th months after the surgery,limb symmetry index(LSI)were recorded at the last follow-up and surgery-related adverse effects during follow-up.Results All patients were followed up,ranged from 13 to 15 months with an average of(13.7±0.8)months.There were no serious adverse reactions related to surgery during the period.There was no statistical difference between the preoperative general data and the observation index of the two groups(P＞0.05).The difference in tibial anterior distance at 6 and 12 months in the enhanced re-construction group(1.45±0.62)mm and(1.74±0.78)mm which were lower those that in the conventional reconstruction group(2.42±0.60)mm and(2.51±0.63)mm(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in postoperative Lysholm score,Tegner motor level score,IKDC score,VAS,and limb symmetry index at the last follow-up(P＞0.05).Conclusion The enhanced recon-struction technique can more effectively maintain the stability of the knee joint and has no significant effect on the postoperative knee joint function compared with the traditional ligament reconstruction technique.The short-term curative effect is satisfac-tory,and it is suitable for the group with high sports demand.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion(ACDF)in the treatment of cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type(CSA).Methods The clinical data of 42 patients with CSA from January 2020 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 25 males and 17 females,aged from 30 to 74 years old with an average of(53.9±11.0)years old.There were 18 cases with single-segment lesions,17 cases with two-segment lesions,and 7 cases with three-segment lesions.The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery's Hearing and Balance Committee score(CHE),the Neck Disability Index(NDI)and the cervical curvature Cobb angle were recorded before surgery and after surgery at 6 months.Results All 42 ACDF patients were followed up for 6 to 30 months with an average of(14.0±5.2)months.The operative time ranged from 95 to 220 min with an average of(160.38±36.77)min,the intraoperative blood loss ranged from 30 to 85 ml with an average of(53.60±18.98)ml.Tow patients had mild postoperative dysphagia,which improved with symptomatic treatment such as nebulized inhalation.CHE score decreased from(4.05±0.96)preoperatively to(2.40±0.70)at 6 months postoperatively(t=12.97,P＜0.05).The number of improved vertigo at 6 months postoperatively was 38,with an im-provement rate of 90.5％.NDI score was reduced from(34.43±8.04)preoperatively to(20.76±3.91)at 6 months postopera-tively(t=1 1.83,P＜0.05).The cervical curvature Cobb angle improved from(8.04±6.70)° preoperatively to(12.42±5.23)° at 6 months postoperatively(t=-15.96,P＜0.05).Conclusion The ACDF procedure has outstanding clinical efficacy in treating CSA.The operation can rapidly relieve patients'episodic vertigo symptoms by relieving bony compression and reconstructing cervical curvature.However,it is necessary to strictly grasp the indications for surgery and clarify the causes of vertigo in pa-tients,and ACDF surgery is recommended for CSA patients for whom conservative treatment is ineffective.

Purpose::Ischemia and hypoxia are the main factors limiting limb replantation and transplantation. Static cold storage (SCS), a common preservation method for tissues and organs, can only prolong limb ischemia time to 4 - 6 h. The normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) is a promising method for the preservation of tissues and organs, which can extend the preservation time in vitro by providing continuous oxygen and nutrients. This study aimed to evaluate the difference in the efficacy of the 2 limb preservation methods. Methods::The 6 forelimbs from beagle dogs were divided into 2 groups. In the SCS group ( n = 3), the limbs were preserved in a sterile refrigerator at 4 °C for 24 h, and in the NMP group ( n = 3), the perfusate prepared with autologous blood was used for the oxygenated machine perfusion at physiological temperature for 24 h, and the solution was changed every 6 h. The effects of limb storage were evaluated by weight gain, perfusate biochemical analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and histological analysis. All statistical analyses and graphs were performed using GraphPad Prism 9.0 one-way or two-way analysis of variance. The p value of less than 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. Results::In the NMP group, the weight gained percentage was 11.72% ± 4.06%; the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α contents showed no significant changes; the shape of muscle fibers was normal; the gap between muscle fibers slightly increased, showing the intercellular distance of (30.19 ± 2.83) μm; and the vascular α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) contents were lower than those in the normal blood vessels. The creatine kinase level in the perfusate of the NMP group increased from the beginning of perfusion, decreased after each perfusate change, and remained stable at the end of perfusion showing a peak level of 4097.6 U/L. The lactate dehydrogenase level of the NMP group increased near the end of perfusion and reached the peak level of 374.4 U/L. In the SCS group, the percentage of weight gain was 0.18% ± 0.10%, and the contents of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α increased gradually and reached the maximum level of (164.85 ± 20.75) pg/mL at the end of the experiment. The muscle fibers lost their normal shape and the gap between muscle fibers increased, showing an intercellular distance of (41.66 ± 5.38) μm. The contents of vascular α-SMA were much lower in the SCS group as compared to normal blood vessels.Conclusions::NMP caused lesser muscle damage and contained more vascular α-SMA as compared to SCS. This study demonstrated that NMP of the amputated limb with perfusate solution based on autologous blood could maintain the physiological activities of the limb for at least 24 h.

Refractory prolactinoma is the most common pituitary neuroendocrine tumor.Dopamine receptor agonists(DA)are the primary choice for drug treatment.Most patients with prolactinomas respond well to DA.However,a minority of prolactinomas patients still show resistance to DA.Although drug-resistant and refractory prolactinomas are rare in clinical practice,their treatment is extremely challenging.Even a combination of drug therapy,multiple surgeries,and radiotherapy may not yield satisfactory outcomes.Therefore,standardizing the diagnosis and treatment process and pathway for refractory prolactionmas and exploring more effective multidisciplinary collaborative treatment strategies are urgent problems to be solved.In the clinical management of refractory prolactinomas,it is often necessary to consider the patient's condition comprehensively,replace other types of DA,or consider surgery,radiotherapy,and immunotherapy,which requires multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment.This review synthesizes the latest literature at home and abroad to systematically discuss the latest advances in drug therapy,surgery,and radiotherapy treatments for refractory prolactionmas,aiming to provide new ideas for basic research,clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Mitral valve prolapse is one of the common causes of mitral regurgitation.Mitral valve prolapse complicated with leaflet cleft is rare in clinical practice,which most often undergo surgical mitral valve repair or mitral valve replacement.We report a case of mitral valve prolapse with posterior leaflet cleft treated by transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair,in order to provide a model for similar cases.