ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of stone needle thermocompression and massage compared to flurbiprofen gel patch in relieving chronic musculoskeletal pain in the shoulder and back， and to explore the potential mediating mechanism through muscle elasticity. MethodsA total of 120 patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain in the shoulder and back were randomly assigned to either stone needle group or flurbiprofen group， with 60 patients in each. The stone needle group received stone needle thermocompression and massage for 30 minutes， three times per week； the flurbiprofen group received flurbiprofen gel patch twice daily. Both groups were treated for 2 weeks. Pain improvement， as the primary outcome， was assessed using the Global Pain Scale （GPS） at baseline， after 2 weeks of treatment， and again 2 weeks post-treatment. To explore potential mechanisms， a mediator analysis was conducted by measuring changes in superficial and deep muscle elasticity using musculoskeletal ultrasound at baseline and after the 2-week treatment period. ResultsThe stone needle group showed significantly greater pain relief than the flurbiprofen group 2 weeks post-treatment. After adjusting for confounders related to pain duration， the between-group mean difference was -8.8 ［95% CI （-18.2， -0.7）， P＜0.05］. Part of the therapeutic effect was mediated by changes in deep muscle elasticity， with a mediation effect size of -1.5 ［95% CI （-2.0， -0.9）， P = 0.024］， accounting for 17.9% of the total effect. ConclusionStone needle thermocompression and massage can effectively relieve chronic musculoskeletal pain in the shoulder and back， partly through a mediating effect of improved deep muscle elasticity.

Objective: To investigate the objective characteristics of tongue manifestation in different stages of damp-heat syndrome in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolled 134 patients with DKD G3-5 stages who met the diagnostic criteria for damp-heat syndrome in DKD. The patients were treated at Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, from May 2023 to January 2024. The patients were divided into three groups: DKD G3, DKD G4, and DKD G5 stage, with 53, 33, and 48 patients in each group, respectively. Clinical general data (gender, age, and body mass index) and damp-heat syndrome scores were collected from the patients. The YZAI-02 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) AI Tongue Image Acquisition Device was used to capture tongue images from these patients. The accompanying AI Open Platform for TCM Tongue Diagnosis of the device was used to analyze and extract tongue manifestation features, including objective data on tongue color, tongue quality, coating color, and coating texture. Clinical data and objective tongue manifestation characteristics were compared among patients with DKD G3-5 based on their DKD damp-heat syndrome status. Results: No statistically significant difference in gender or body mass index was observed among the three patient groups. The DKD G3 stage group had the highest age (P<0.05). The DKD G3 stage group had a lower score for symptoms of poor appetite and anorexia(P<0.05) than the DKD G5 group. No statistically significant difference was observed in damp-heat syndrome scores among the three groups. Compared with the DKD G5 stage group, the DKD G3 stage group showed a decreased proportion of pale color at the tip and edges of the tongue (P<0.05). The DKD G4 stage group exhibited an increased proportion of crimson at the root of the tongue, a decreased proportion of thick white tongue coating at the root, a decreased proportion of pale color at the tip and edges of the tongue, an increased hue value (indicating color tone) of the tongue color in the middle, an increased brightness value (indicating color lightness) of the tongue coating color in the middle, and an increased thickness of the tongue coating (P<0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed in other tongue color proportions, color chroma values, body characteristics, coating color proportions, coating color chroma values, and coating texture characteristics among the three groups. Conclusion Tongue features differ in different stages of DKD damp-heat syndrome in multiple dimensions, enabling the inference that during the DKD G5 stage, the degree of qi and blood deficiency in the kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, gallbladder, spleen, and stomach is prominent. Dampness is more likely to accumulate in the lower jiao, particularly in the kidneys, whereas heat evil in the spleen and stomach is the most severe. These insights provide novel ideas for the clinical treatment of DKD.

ObjectiveTo compare the contents and relative molecular weight distributions of proteins and polypeptides in Naoxuekang dropping pills， Huoxue Tongmai capsules and Maixuekang capsules of Hirudo single medicinal preparations， to evaluate the in vitro anticoagulant， antiplatelet and fibrinolytic activities of the three preparations， and to investigate the effects of temperature， pH and digestive enzymes on the anticoagulant activities of the three preparations. MethodsThe contents of soluble proteins and polypeptides in the three preparations were determined by bicinchoninic acid assay（BCA） and Bradford method， and the relative molecular weight distributions of the three preparations were determined by electrophoresis combined with gel chromatography. The antithrombin activity of the three preparations was evaluated by fibrinogen-thrombin time（Fibg-TT） method， and their anticoagulant activities were further assessed by the elongations of activated partial thromboplastin time（APTT）， prothrombin time（PT） and thrombin time（TT）. The antiplatelet aggregation activities of the three preparations were measured by turbidimetry and the fibrinolytic activities were measured by fibrin plate method. Relative TT was used as index to investigate the effects of temperature， pH and digestive enzyme buffer on anticoagulant activities of the three preparations. ResultsAt the lowest single dosage， the contents of proteins and polypeptides were in the order of Maixuekang capsules>Huoxue Tongmai capsules>Naoxuekang dropping pills. Both Huoxue Tongmai capsules and Maixuekang capsules had 11 electrophoretic bands between 4.0 kDa and 90 kDa， the bands of Maixuekang capsules were more clear in the range of >25 kDa， and there was 1 obvious band at 14 kDa for the two capsules. Huoxue Tongmai capsules had one specific band at 9.0 kDa and Maixuekang capsules had one specific band at 48.0 kDa. Naoxuekang dropping pills only had 2 electrophoretic bands at 6.5 kDa and 8.5 kDa， primarily containing peptides below 2 kDa， most of which were oligopeptides. The anticoagulant activity concentrations of the three preparations exhibited a certain dose-dependent effect. At the lowest single dosage， The anticoagulant activity concentrations were ranked as Naoxuekang dropping pills>Huoxue Tongmai capsules>Maixuekang capsules. The prolongation effect of the three preparations on coagulation time was dose-dependent. At the same concentration， the prolongation effect of Naoxuekang dropping pills and Huoxue Tongmai capsules was APTT prolongation rate>TT prolongation rate>PT prolongation rate， whereas for Maixuekang capsules， the sequence was TT prolongation rate>APTT prolongation rate>PT lengthening rate. At the single minimum dosage， the order of APTT prolongation rate was Maixuekang capsules>Huoxue Tongmai capsules≈Naoxuekang dropping pills， the order of PT prolongation rate was Naoxuekang dropping pills≈Maixuekang capsules>Huoxue Tongmai capsules， and the order of TT prolongation rate was Maixuekang capsules>Huoxue Tongmai capsules>Naoxuekang dropping pills. The three preparations showed dose-dependent effects on platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate（ADP） and arachidonic acid（AA）， and the effect induced by ADP was stronger than that induced by AA. The anti-platelet aggregation effect of Naoxuekang dropping pills was significantly stronger than that of Maixuekang capsules（P<0.01）， whereas Huoxue Tongmai capsules had the effect of promoting platelet aggregation. None of the three preparations had the ability to dissolve fibrin. The anticoagulant activity of Naoxuekang dropping pills was least affected by heating， while the activities of the two capsules decreased significantly within 5 min above 80 ℃， and continued to decrease within 2 h. Compared with pure water， the anticoagulant activities of the three preparations could be increased by 1-3 times under strong acidity（pH 1-3）. In the pepsin buffer， the anticoagulant activity of Naoxuekang dropping pills could be increased by 1-3 times， while the anticoagulant activities of Huoxue Tongmai capsules and Maxuekang capsules were significantly decreased， the lowest levels were about 60% and 20%， respectively. In trypsin buffer， the anticoagulant activities of Naoxuekang dropping pills， Huoxue Tongmai capsules and Maixuekang capsules decreased significantly， and the lowest levels decreased to about 41%， 41% and 35%， respectively. ConclusionThe contents of proteins and polypeptides and relative molecular weights of the preparations derived from lyophilized fresh Hirudo powder， dried Hirudo powder and reflux extract of Hirudo decrease sequentially， and the anticoagulant activity decrease gradually， but the anticoagulant pathway is different. And the anti-platelet aggregation activity of the reflux extract is significantly enhanced. The heat resistance and gastrointestinal stability of the three preparations increase successively， and the first two are suitable for enteric-soluble preparations， while the latter is suitable for routine oral administration. The above results can provide data reference for the rationality of different preparation methods， active substances， pharmacodynamics and mechanism of Hirudo preparations.

Objective To explore the current status,hotspots and trends of research on the TCM regulation of cellular autophagy;To provide reference for related research.Methods The literature related to the TCM regulation of cellular autophagy was retrieved from CNKI,Wanfang Data,VIP and CBM from the establishment of the databases to December 31,2022.Authors and institutional collaboration networks were drawn using CiteSpace 5.7.R5.keywords emergence analysis and timeline view were drawn.VOSviewer 1.6.18 software was used to draw keyword co-occurrence mapping.Results A total of 2 001 articles were included,with a general upward trend in the number of publications.The cooperation teams were mainly represented by Jia Lianqun,Yang Guanlin,Song Nan and others.Research institutions with more publications included Hunan University of Chinese Medicine,Liaoning University of Chinese Medicine,and Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine.The keywords of the literature formed 9 meaningful clusters,showing that the research hotspots in this field mainly focused on apoptosis,mitochondrial autophagy,experimental studies,signaling pathways,and herbal monomers,etc.TCM interventions that attracted much attention included electroacupuncture,moxibustion,resveratrol,curcumin,etc,mainly involving PI3K/Akt,AMPK/mTOR and other signaling pathways.Conclusion The research on cellular autophagy in the field of TCM has been highly popular in recent years.Experimental studies,molecular mechanisms,related diseases,and TCM intervention are the research hotspots in this field.The research trend is dominated by TCM monomer,TCM theory research and other directions,mainly focusing on apoptosis,oxidative stress and other pathways to carry out extensive research.

Systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs.Extracel-lular vesicles(EVs),including exosomes,microparticles and apoptotic bodies,are released by most types of cells and carry nucleic acids,proteins and lipids,which play a crucial role in communication among cells.In SLE,extracellular vesicles can act as autoadju-vants to enhance the formation of immune complexes and maintain inflammatory states.In this review,the biological origin and mes-senger role of EVs in cell communication are reviewed,and the research progress of EVs in immune regulation and pathogenesis in SLE is highlighted.

Objective:To identify and characterize one Yokenella regensburgei strain(designated as CXLZQ123) isolated from a case of perionychial abscess. Methods:Strain CXLZQ123 was isolated from a patient with periungual abscess at the Dermatology Department of San County Central Hospital in June 2, 2023. The strain was initially identified through morphological and biochemical tests, followed by mass spectrometry identification, 16S rRNA sequencing and whole-genome sequencing. MEGA 11.0 was used to compare and analyze the strain′s genetic relationship with relevant species in GenBank, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed based on genetic distance to analyze its genetic evolution. Meanwhile, the average nucleotide identity between its genome and similar strains were compared.Results:The strain was identified as a Gram-negative rod. MicroScan WalkAway biochemical tests indicated that the strain was either Yokenella regensburgei (91.47%) or Hafnia alvei (8.53%). MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry confirmed it as Yokenella regensburgei. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the strain showed the highest similarity(99.37%) to CIP 105435 (sequence number NR_104934.1). The 16S rRNA gene sequence of the isolated strain Yokenella regensburgei was submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) with the GenBank sequence number of OR230248.1. The whole-genome of CXLZQ123 were sequenced and uploaded (NCBI, SRA sequence number: SRR26510420). The average nucleotide identity between CXLZQ123 and Yokenella regensburgei strains W13 and UU2206353 were 98.82% and 99.04%, respectively. Conclusions:Through morphological observation, biochemical identification, mass spectrometry identification, 16S rRNA and whole-genome sequencing, this pathogenic strain is identified as Yokenella regensburgei. This rare bacterium is sensitive to most detected antibiotics. This study provides diagnostic and treatment experience for Yokenella regensburgei-related infections.

Objective:To develop a nucleic acid detection system for Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori) based on recombinase-aided isothermal amplification (RAA) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated(Cas13a). Methods:Thirty strains of H. pylori, as well as two strains each of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterobacter cloacae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were collected from the Emergency General Hospital between 2021 and 2022. The specific primers and CRISPR RNA (crRNA) required for this newly established method were designed based on the conserved region of the ureC gene of H. pylori. Then, the primer pair that produced the least non-specific products was screened out using agarose gel electrophoresis, and the crRNA sequence with the highest cleavage efficiency was screened according to the fluorescence intensity produced by Cas13a cutting fluorescence probe. The RAA-Cas13a nucleic acid detection system was developed, and the limit of detection and the specificity of which were evaluated by detecting gradient dilutions of H. pylori ATCC 43504 genomic DNA and 5 different clinically common pathogens′ genomic DNA. The consistency with quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR) method was obtained by simultaneously detecting clinical strains using this method and established qPCR method. Two-tailed paired t-test was used to compare the fluorescence results between the two groups, and a P value less than 0.05 indicates a statistically significant difference. Results:The established RAA-Cas13a nucleic acid detection system could detect target DNA as low as 10 copies/μl. within 1 hour ( t=11.05, P<0.01), without cross-reaction with the other 5 clinically common strains. That method also showed good consistency compared to the qPCR method, the kappa coefficient=1. Conclusions:A method combining RAA with CRISPR-Cas13a for detecting H. pylori has been established, which can be used for rapid and sensitive identification of H. pylori infection.

Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) refers to a clinical syndrome that occurs after a stroke and meets the diagnostic criteria for cognitive impairment, lasting for more than 6 months, and seriously affecting the daily life of patients. The complement system has been confirmed to be associated with PSCI. This article reviews the correlation between complement system and PSCI, as well as the possibility of complement system as an intervention target for PSCI.

Objective:To establish the normal values of water-perfused high resolution esophageal manometry (HREM)(GAP-36A) at resting period, water swallowing, semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing in Chinese population.Methods:From September 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020, 91 healthy volunteers receiving water-perfused HREM (GAP-36A) at resting period, water swallowing, semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing were selected from 9 hospitals (Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University; the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University; the Second Affiliated Hospital, Naval Medical University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University; the First Affiliated Hospital, University of Science and Technology of China; Aviation General Hospital of China Medical University; the Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Nanjing University and the First People′s Hospital of Yichang). Parameters included the position of the upper and lower edges of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) and lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the length of the LES and UES, the position of the pressure inversion point (PIP), the resting pressure of UES and LES and swallow-related parameters such as the distal contraction integral (DCI), 4 s integrated relaxation pressure (IRP), distal latency (DL) and UES residual pressure. One-way analysis of variance, post-hoc test and sum rank test were used for statistical analysis.Results:A total of 87 healthy volunteers were enrolled, including 40 males and 47 females, aged (38.5±14.2) years old (ranged from 19 to 65 years old). The position of the upper and lower edges of the LES was (42.7±2.8) and (45.6±2.8) cm, respectively, the length of the LES was (2.9±0.4) cm, and the position of PIP was (43.3±2.8) cm. The position of the upper and lower edges of the UES was (18.1±3.0) and (22.6±2.0) cm, respectively, and the length of the UES was (4.8±1.0) cm. The resting pressure of LES and UES was (17.4±10.7) and (84.1±61.1) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), respectively. The DCI value at solid swallowing was higher than those at water swallowing and semisolid swallowing ((2 512.4±1 448.0) mmHg·s·cm vs. (2 183.2±1 441.2) and (2 150.8±1 244.8) mmHg·s·cm), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=-4.30 and -3.74, both P<0.001). The values of 4 s IRP at semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing were lower than that at water swallowing ((4.6±4.1) and (4.9±3.9) mmHg vs. (5.4±3.9) mmHg), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=3.38 and 2.09, P=0.001 and 0.037). The DL at water swallowing was shorter than those at semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing ((8.5±1.8) s vs. (9.8±2.2) and (10.6±2.8) s), and the DL at semisolid swallowing was shorter than that at solid swallowing, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=-10.21, -13.91 and -4.68, all P<0.001). The UES residual pressure at water swallowing was higher than those at semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing (9.5 mmHg, 6.5 to 12.3 mmHg vs. 8.0 mmHg, 4.5 to 11.7 mmHg and 5.5 mmHg, 2.0 to 9.3 mmHg), and the UES residual pressure at semisolid swallowing was higher than that at solid swallowing, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=3.48, 10.30 and 6.35, all P<0.001). Conclusions:The normal values of water-perfused HREM (GAP-36A) in Chinese population at resting period, water swallowing, semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing can provide a reference basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment for patients receiving water-perfused HREM examination.

Many people affected by fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism spectrum disorders have sensory processing deficits, such as hypersensitivity to auditory, tactile, and visual stimuli. Like FXS in humans, loss of Fmr1 in rodents also cause sensory, behavioral, and cognitive deficits. However, the neural mechanisms underlying sensory impairment, especially vision impairment, remain unclear. It remains elusive whether the visual processing deficits originate from corrupted inputs, impaired perception in the primary sensory cortex, or altered integration in the higher cortex, and there is no effective treatment. In this study, we used a genetic knockout mouse model (Fmr1^KO), in vivo imaging, and behavioral measurements to show that the loss of Fmr1 impaired signal processing in the primary visual cortex (V1). Specifically, Fmr1^KO mice showed enhanced responses to low-intensity stimuli but normal responses to high-intensity stimuli. This abnormality was accompanied by enhancements in local network connectivity in V1 microcircuits and increased dendritic complexity of V1 neurons. These effects were ameliorated by the acute application of GABA_A receptor activators, which enhanced the activity of inhibitory neurons, or by reintroducing Fmr1 gene expression in knockout V1 neurons in both juvenile and young-adult mice. Overall, V1 plays an important role in the visual abnormalities of Fmr1^KO mice and it could be possible to rescue the sensory disturbances in developed FXS and autism patients.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein/metabolism* ; Fragile X Syndrome/metabolism* ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Neurons/metabolism*