Region-specific transcriptomic responses to obesity and diabetes in macaque hypothalamus.

The hypothalamus plays a crucial role in the progression of obesity and diabetes; however, its structural complexity and cellular heterogeneity impede targeted treatments. Here, we profiled the single-cell and spatial transcriptome of the hypothalamus in obese and sporadic type 2 diabetic macaques, revealing primate-specific distributions of clusters and genes as well as spatial region, cell-type-, and gene-feature-specific changes. The infundibular (INF) and paraventricular nuclei (PVN) are most susceptible to metabolic disruption, with the PVN being more sensitive to diabetes. In the INF, obesity results in reduced synaptic plasticity and energy sensing capability, whereas diabetes involves molecular reprogramming associated with impaired tanycytic barriers, activated microglia, and neuronal inflammatory response. In the PVN, cellular metabolism and neural activity are suppressed in diabetic macaques. Spatial transcriptomic data reveal microglia's preference for the parenchyma over the third ventricle in diabetes. Our findings provide a comprehensive view of molecular changes associated with obesity and diabetes.

The role of tumor parenchyma and brain cortex signal intensity ratio in differentiating solitary fibrous tumors and meningiomas.

BACKGROUND: Solitary fibrous tumors (SFT) and meningiomas (MA) have similar clinical and radiographic presentations but require different treatment approaches and have different prognoses. This emphasizes the importance of a correct preoperative diagnosis of SFT versus MA. OBJECTIVE: In this study, investigated the differences in imaging characteristics between SFT and MA to improve the accuracy of preoperative imaging diagnosis of SFT. METHODS: The clinical and imaging data of 26 patients with SFT and 104 patients with MA who were pathologically diagnosed between August 2017 and December 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical and imaging differences between SFT and MA, as well as between the various pathological grades of SFT, were analyzed. RESULTS: Age, gender, cystic change, flow void phenomenon, yin-yang sign, lobulation, narrow base, tumor/cortex signal ratio (TCSR) > 1.0 in T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), TCSR ≥ 1.1 in T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), peritumoral edema, and absence of dural tail sign varied between SFT and MA. As per the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, TCSR > 1 in T1WI has the maximum diagnostic accuracy for SFT. Cranial or venous sinus invasion had a positive effect on SFT (Grade III, World Health Organization (WHO) grading). CONCLUSION: Among the many radiological and clinical distinctions between SFT and MA, TCSR ≥ 1 exhibits the highest predictive efficacy for SFT; while cranial or venous sinus invasion may be a predictor of WHO grade III SFT.

The Protective Effects of Water Extracts of Compound Turmeric Recipe on Acute Alcoholism: An Experimental Research Using a Mouse Model.

Acute alcoholism (AAI) is a common emergency. Currently, there is a lack of preventive and therapeutic drugs with superior safety and efficacy. Curcuma longa, Panax ginseng, Pueraria lobata, Pueraria flower, and Hovenia dulcis Thunb., which are the components of compound turmeric recipe (CTR), are, respectively, used in China as adjuvant therapeutic agents for AAI and alcoholic liver injury, respectively. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of traditional compound turmeric recipe in anti-inebriation treatment and to identify its underlying mechanisms. The mice were administered with CTR mixture, and ethanol was subsequently given to mice by gavage. The effects of CTR on the righting reflex, 24-hour survival, drunken behavior, blood ethanol concentration, and pathological changes of liver are depicted. The activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were detected. Besides, the activities of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-8 (IL-8), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), cytochrome P450 (P450), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver and the levels of ß-endorphin (ß-EP) and leucine enkephalin (LENK) in the brain were also measured. Our results demonstrated that CTR can increase the activities of ADH, ALDH, P450, and SOD and decrease the contents of TNF-α, IL-8, and MDA in the liver. In addition, it can decrease the activities of ALT, AST, and ALP in serum and ß-EP and LENK activities in the brain. CTR showed effects on prevention of acute alcoholism, promoting wakefulness, and alleviating alcoholic liver injury, which were likely mediated by the above mechanisms.

ATAS Acupuncture Reduces Chemotherapy Induced Fatigue in Breast Cancer Through Regulating ADROA1 Expression: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Pilot Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of ATAS acupuncture (Acupoints-Time-Space Acupuncture) as a non-pharmacological intervention to prevent or relieve chemotherapy-induced fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing taxane chemotherapy. METHODS: A pilot study in Kunming center with the aim of evaluating 40 patients randomized to 3 groups: ATAS, sham and non-acupuncture with an unequal randomization of 2:1:1. Participants with stage I-III breast cancer were scheduled to receive adjuvant EC4P4 chemotherapy. Participants in the ATAS and sham acupuncture arms received 20 sessions of acupuncture over 20 weeks, non-acupuncture arm received usual care. Evaluation scales, including VAS-F, MFI-20, HDAS, ISI, and blood samples were collected at four timepoints (T1-T4). mRNA sequencing was performed to detect the mechanism of acupuncture. RESULTS: A total of 581 sessions of acupuncture were performed on patients in the acupuncture group. There was no difference between the three groups in terms of clinical characteristics. Patients randomized to ATAS acupuncture had improved symptoms including fatigue, anxiety and insomnia during the whole process of chemotherapy compared with the other two groups. The VAS-F score of ATAS acupuncture group was decreased compared with non-acupuncture group (P=0.004). The score of MFI-20 in ATAS acupuncture group was kept at low level, while the other two groups' scores kept climbing during chemotherapy (P=0.016; P=0.028, respectively). The mechanism of ATAS acupuncture which reduced fatigue and depression may be related to ADROA1, by regulating cGMP/PKG pathway. CONCLUSION: This pilot study has demonstrated that ATAS acupuncture can significantly reduce fatigue induced by chemotherapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trials Registry, ChiCTR-IPR-17,013,652, registered Dec 3, 2017. http://www.chictr.org.cn/. PROTOCOL VERSION: Version 3.2 dated from 2018/04/20.

[Exploration on professor ZHU Mian-sheng's space-time acupuncture of the eightfold method of the sacred tortoise].

The space-time acupuncture is a new needling method, summarized by professor ZHU Mian-sheng on the base of the inheritance of four time-acupuncture method in ancient time and the absorption of the European medical culture idea, aiming to the application of the combination of time acupoints and space acupoints. Through constructing the internal and external qi field, the field effect of human body self-healing function is mobilized. The space-time acupuncture of the eightfold method of the sacred tortoise is one of the four methods, on the base of the acquired Wenwang eight diagrams and the night numbers of Luoshu diagrams, and in match with the eight confluent points. It is a special structure of "number, diagram and acupoint". The authors explain systematically the space-time acupuncture of the eightfold method of the sacred tortoise in the aspects of the opening of time acupoints and composition of space acupoints as well as the characteristics of its clinical operation so as to elaborate the essential composition and the feature of clinical application of such method. Moreover, professor ZHU Mian-sheng's innovation is introduced besides inheriting the ancient experience and the theoretic connotation is explored on the spatial acupoint corresponding to the time acupuncture of ancient eightfold method of the sacred tortoise.

Exploration on professor 's space-time acupuncture of the eightfold method of the sacred tortoise / 中国针灸

The space-time acupuncture is a new needling method, summarized by professor on the base of the inheritance of four time-acupuncture method in ancient time and the absorption of the European medical culture idea, aiming to the application of the combination of time acupoints and space acupoints. Through constructing the internal and external field, the field effect of human body self-healing function is mobilized. The space-time acupuncture of the eightfold method of the sacred tortoise is one of the four methods, on the base of the acquired eight diagrams and the night numbers of diagrams, and in match with the eight confluent points. It is a special structure of "number, diagram and acupoint". The authors explain systematically the space-time acupuncture of the eightfold method of the sacred tortoise in the aspects of the opening of time acupoints and composition of space acupoints as well as the characteristics of its clinical operation so as to elaborate the essential composition and the feature of clinical application of such method. Moreover, professor 's innovation is introduced besides inheriting the ancient experience and the theoretic connotation is explored on the spatial acupoint corresponding to the time acupuncture of ancient eightfold method of the sacred tortoise.

[Effect of different initial processing methods on quality of gardenia].

To investigate the effect of different initial processing methods on the quality of Gardenia and determine the best cooking time in gardenia processing through the determination of index components content. The contents of geniposide, crocetin Ⅰ and total iridoid glycosides in Gardenia were determined before storage, six months after storage and one year after storage. During storage, the contents of geniposide, crocetin Ⅰ and total iridoid glycosides in directly dried Gardenia were 1.68%, 0.45% and 6.45% respectively. The contents of geniposide, crocetin Ⅰ and total iridoid glycosides in Gardenia with different steaming time were 1.34%-0.5%, 0.28%-0.06% and 6.09%-1.59% respectively. The contents of geniposide, crocetin Ⅰ and total iridoid glycosides in Gardenia with different boiling time (adding alum)were 1.42%-0.41%, 0.35%-0.07% and 6.40%-1.65% respectively. The direct drying of Gardenia samples could not achieve the function of killing enzyme and protecting glycosides. The enzymes from degradation of the index components were basically destroyed after steaming time of 13 min or boiling (adding alum) time of 8 min, achieving the function of killing enzyme and protecting glycosides.

Asymmetric synthesis of (+)-L-733, 060 and (+)-CP-99, 994 based on a new chiral 3-piperidinol synthon.

[reaction: see text] Selective and potent neurokinin substance P receptor antagonists (+)-L-733, 060 (1) and (+)-CP-99, 994 (2) have been synthesized starting from a new (3S)-piperidinol synthon derived from l-glutamic acid. The methods featured a C-2 regioselective reduction of glutarimide (9), Lewis acid-promoted Si to C-2 phenyl group migration of 10, and stereoselective reduction of acetylated oxime 19 as the key steps.