ß-glucan: a potent adjuvant in immunotherapy for digestive tract tumors.

The immunotherapy for gastrointestinal tumors, as a significant research direction in the field of oncology treatment in recent years, has garnered extensive attention due to its potential therapeutic efficacy and promising clinical application prospects. Recent advances in immunotherapy notwithstanding, challenges persist, such as side effects, the complexity of the tumor immune microenvironment, variable patient responses, and drug resistance. Consequently, there is a pressing need to explore novel adjunctive therapeutic modalities. ß-glucan, an immunomodulatory agent, has exhibited promising anti-tumor efficacy in preclinical studies involving colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and gastric cancer, while also mitigating the adverse reactions associated with chemotherapy and enhancing patients' quality of life. However, further clinical and fundamental research is warranted to comprehensively evaluate its therapeutic potential and underlying biological mechanisms. In the future, ß-glucan holds promise as an adjunctive treatment for gastrointestinal tumors, potentially bringing significant benefits to patients.

Comparison of 19G FNA Versus 22G FNB Needles for Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Sampling of Subepithelial Tumors: Is Bigger Better?

OBJECTIVES: To compare the diagnostic efficiency of 19G fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and 22G fine-needle biopsy (FNB) in endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided sampling for subepithelial tumors (SETs). METHODS: The data of patients with SETs who underwent 19G FNA or 22G FNB were reviewed retrospectively in two tertiary hospitals. Tissue cores were assessed by macroscopic on-site evaluation (MOSE). Cytological or histological diagnosis were classified as definite, suspect, or no diagnosis. RESULTS: Seventy five patients (mean age: 55 years, 44 males) underwent 19G EUS-FNA (31) or 22G EUS-FNB (44). The overall diagnostic yield was 82.7%. The rate of definite cytological diagnoses was 9.7% (3/31) in 19G and 13.6% (6/44) in 22G group (x2 = 1.520, P = .468). In terms of MOSE, 19G needle, requiring only two punctures, achieved a higher good tissue core rate than 22G group (100.0% [31/31] versus 84.1% [37/44], x2 = 5.440, P = .020]). For histological diagnosis, the 19G group achieved higher definite rate than the 22G group, 93.6% (29/31) versus 65.9% (29/44) (x2 = 7.957, P = .019) on the first puncture, 90.3% (28/31) versus 63.6% (28/44) (x2 = 7.139, P = .028) on the second puncture, 96.8% (30/31) versus 70.5% (31/44) (x2 = 7.319, P = .026) on both the first and second punctures, and 96.8% (30/31) versus 72.7% (32/44) (x2 = 7.538, P = .023) on all three punctures. CONCLUSIONS: The 19G EUS-FNA requires only two punctures to achieve better tissue core quality by MOSE and yields a higher rate of histological diagnosis than 22G ProCore needle for SETs. The bigger 19G FNA needle seems to play an important role in the evaluation of SETs.

Melatonin prevents EAAC1 deletion-induced retinal ganglion cell degeneration by inhibiting apoptosis and senescence.

Normal tension glaucoma (NTG) is referred to as a progressive degenerative disorder of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), resulting in nonreversible visual defects, despite intraocular pressure levels within the statistically normal range. Current therapeutic strategies for NTG yield limited benefits. Excitatory amino acid carrier 1 (EAAC1) knockout (EAAC1-/- ) in mice has been shown to induce RGC degeneration without elevating intraocular pressure, mimicking pathological characteristics of NTG. In this study, we explored whether daily oral administration of melatonin could block RGCs loss and prevent retinal morphology and function defects associated with EAAC1 deletion. We also explored the molecular mechanisms underlying EAAC1 deletion-induced RGC degeneration and the neuroprotective effects of melatonin. Our RNA sequencing and in vivo data indicated EAAC1 deletion caused elevated oxidative stress, activation of apoptosis and cellular senescence pathways, and neuroinflammation in RGCs. However, melatonin administration efficiently prevented these detrimental effects. Furthermore, we investigated the potential role of apoptosis- and senescence-related redox-sensitive factors in EAAC1 deletion-induced RGCs degeneration and the neuroprotective effects of melatonin administration. We observed remarkable upregulation of p53, whereas NRF2 and Sirt1 expression were significantly decreased in EAAC1-/- mice, which were prevented by melatonin treatment, suggesting that melatonin exerted its neuroprotective effects possibly through modulating NRF2/p53/Sirt1 redox-sensitive signaling pathways. Overall, our study provided a solid foundation for the application of melatonin in the management of NTG.

Triazine herbicide reduced the toxicity of the harmful dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi by impairing its photosynthetic systems.

Triazine herbicides are common contaminants in coastal waters, and they are recognized as inhibitors of photosystem II, causing significant hinderance to the growth and reproduction of phytoplankton. However, the influence of these herbicides on microalgal toxin production remains unclear. This study aimed to examine this relationship by conducting a comprehensive physiological and 4D label-free quantitative proteomic analysis on the harmful dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi in the presence of the triazine herbicide dipropetryn. The findings demonstrated a significant decrease in photosynthetic activity and pigment content, as well as reduced levels of unsaturated fatty acids, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and hemolytic toxins in K. mikimotoi when exposed to dipropetryn. The proteomic analysis revealed a down-regulation in proteins associated with photosynthesis, ROS response, and energy metabolism, such as fatty acid biosynthesis, chlorophyll metabolism, and nitrogen metabolism. In contrast, an up-regulation of proteins related to energy-producing processes, such as fatty acid ß-oxidation, glycolysis, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, was observed. This study demonstrated that dipropetryn disrupts the photosynthetic systems of K. mikimotoi, resulting in a notable decrease in algal toxin production. These findings provide valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms of toxin production in toxigenic microalgae and explore the potential effect of herbicide pollution on harmful algal blooms in coastal environments.

Data Mining of Medication Rules of Chinese Herbal Prescriptions for Oral Use in the Treatment of Venomous Snake Bites / 广州中医药大学学报

Objective Data mining method was used to analyze the Chinese herbal prescriptions for oral use in treating venomous snake bites collected from the major domestic literature databases and the surgery volume of Zhong Hua Yi Fang(Chinese Medical Prescriptions),so as to explore their potential prescription and medication rules,and to provide references for the treatment of venomous snake bites in the primary hospitals.Methods The Chinese herbal prescriptions for oral use in treating venomous snake bites were retrieved from the CNKI,VIP and Wanfang databases,and the ancient formulas for treating venomous snake bites were screened in the surgery volume of Zhong Hua Yi Fang(Chinese Medical Prescriptions).Excel software was used to extract the relevant information of the formulas,and R language was used to analyze the medication frequency,properties,flavors and meridian tropism of the herbs as well as their association rules and clustering analysis.Results A total of 187 prescriptions for oral use in treating venomous snake bite were obtained,involving 284 Chinese herbal medicines.The top 15 Chinese herbal medicines in decreasing sequence of medication frequency were Lobeliae Chinensis Herba,Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,Angelicae Dahuricae Radix,Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Paridis Rhizoma,Rehmanniae Radix,Coptidis Rhizoma,Scutellariae Radix,Lonicerae Japonicae Flos,Paeoniae Radix Rubra,Moutan Cortex,Hedyotis Diffusae Herba,Imperatae Rhizoma,Plantaginis Herba,and Scutellariae Barbatae Herba.The flavor of herbs in the prescription for the treatment of venomous snakebite was usually bitter,pungent and sweet,and their property was relatively cold.Most of the herbs had the meridian tropism of the liver meridian and lung meridian.The core prescription mainly composed of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,Lobeliae Chinensis Herba,and Paridis Rhizoma was obtained after association rule analysis and cluster analysis.Conclusion The herbs for the treatment of venomous snake bites often have the actions of clearing heat and removing toxins,and the prescription is usually composed of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,Lobeliae Chinensis Herba,Paridis Rhizoma together with the compatibility of medicines for clearing heat and cooling blood,extinguishing wind and arresting convulsion,clearing heat and promoting urination.

Analysis of the expression and clinical significance of prostate cancer tissue-specific lncRNAs based on bioinformatics databases / 现代泌尿外科杂志

【Objective】 To explore the expression and clinical significance of prostate cancer tissue-specific lncRNAs. 【Methods】 The gene differences of 492 prostate cancer tissues and 152 adjacent tissues in TCGA and GEO genomic databases were analyzed with bioinformatics methods. A total of 5 lncRNAs were screened out, and their specificity in prostate tissues and impact on the prognosis of patients were analyzed. 【Results】 The 5 lncRNAs included PCAT14, PCA3, CTBP1-AS, DRAIC, and GPC5-AS1. PCAT14 and PCA3 were specifically expressed in prostate cancer tissues, and elevated expression was related to the prognosis. Moreover, they were well correlated with prostate cancer-specific antigens such as KLK3, AMACR, SLC45A3, and so on. GO function enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the differential expression of PCA3 was closely related to phagocytosis, cell recognition, defense response to bacteria, immunoglobulin complex, Golgi apparatus, antigen binding, chemokine receptor binding, white matter digestion and absorption, renin-angiotensin system and other signaling pathways, while the differential expression of PCAT14 was closely related to the activity of Golgi apparatus and ion channels, renin secretion, cAMP signaling pathway, and gonadotropin secretion-related signaling pathway. 【Conclusion】 PCA3 and PCAT14 are specifically expressed in prostate cancer tissues, not in normal tissues, which can be used as potential indicators for the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Preparation of tripterygium glycoside nanoparticles and therapeutic effect on arthritis rats / 中国药理学通报

Aim To prepare tripterygium glycoside nanoparticles and probe into their therapeutic effect on collagen-induced arthritis ( CIA) rats. Methods Tripterygium glycosides polyglycoside nanoparticles were prepared by thin film dispersion method and their quality was assessed. The CIA model was established and drug intervention performed. The body weight, toe swelling degree and arthritis index were measured. The pathological changes of the organs, knee and ankle synovium were observed. The serum levels of kidney function and inflammatory cytokine expression were detected in rats. Results The prepared tripterygium wil-fordii polyglycoside nanoparticles were round particles with uniform distribution and stable properties under electron microscope. Compared with the model group, the swelling of the left and right toes of medication group significantly decreased (P < 0. 01), and the ar-thritis index markedly decreased ( P < 0. 01). Among them, the efficacy of the TG-NPs group was better than that of the TG group. Compared with the normal group, the indexes of heart, spleen, kidney and testis all significantly decreased (P <0. 05, P<0.01). TG-NPs group had a significantly reduced pathological ankle-joint injury in knee cartilage and increased apoptotic synovial cells. Compared with the model group, the serum levels of ALT and BUN and CRE in TG-NPs group were significantly lower (P < 0. 05 ), and IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 levels decreased significantly (P <0. 05). Conclusions TG-NPs have good therapeutic effect on CIA through induction of synovial cell apoptosis and decrease of the expression of inflammatory cytokines. By intravenous injection of blood circula-tion, slow and controlled release of drugs can be achieved, the first pass effect caused by oral drug can be avoided, the viscera toxicity can be reduced, which provides an experimental basis for the development of new nanoagents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Correlation between glycated hemoglobin index and insulin antibody positive in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with poor oral hypoglycemic control / 中国糖尿病杂志

Objective To analyze the correlation between glycated hemoglobin index(HGI)and insulin antibody(IAA)positivity in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients with poorly controlled oral hypoglycemic agents.Methods A total of 260 T2DM patients with poor control of oral hypoglycemic agents and receiving insulin treatment in the Department of Endocrinology of Orthopedics and Diabetes Hospital of Haikou City from January 2020 to December 2021 were selected and divided into IAA positive group(n=75)and IAA negative group(n=185).Clinical data and biochemical indicators of the two groups were compared and analyzed the correlation between IAA positivity and other indicators.Results IAA positive group had a higher proportion of patients with insulin high dosage,insulin treatment time>2 years,and higher FIns,FPG,SUA and HGI than IAA negative group(P<0.05 or P<0.01),HbA1c≥9%lower than IAA negative group(P<0.01).Spearman correlation analysis showed that IAA positive was positively correlated with HGI(P<0.01),and negatively correlated with SUA and HDL-C(P<0.01).Logistic regression analysis showed that insulin treatment time,FIns,FPG,SUA,HbA1c and HGI were the influencing factors for IAA positive in T2DM patients.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve for predicting IAA positive by HGI was 0.854,the optimal critical value for HGI was 0.4%,with the sensitivity 83.2%and the specificity 79.3%.Conclusion In T2DM patients with poorly controlled oral hypoglycemic drugs,high HGI has predictive value for IAA positivity.

Effectiveness of Different Telerehabilitation Strategies on Pain and Physical Function in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, degenerative bone and joint disease. It can lead to major pressure to the quality of life and mental health of patients, and also brings a serious economic burden to society. However, it is difficult for patients with knee OA to access rehabilitation when discharging from the hospital. Internet-based rehabilitation is one of the promising telemedicine strategies for the improvement of knee OA, but the effect of different telerehabilitation strategies on knee OA is not clear. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify telerehabilitation strategies attributing to the improvement of pain and physical function outcomes in patients with knee OA. METHODS: We reviewed and analyzed telerehabilitation strategies from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing telerehabilitation with conventional treatment or usual care. For each strategy, we examined whether RCTs that applied the telerehabilitation strategy resulted in a significant improvement in pain or physical function compared with conventional treatment or usual care. RESULTS: We included 6 RCTs (n=734) incorporating 8 different telerehabilitation strategies. The duration of the interventions ranged from 1 to 48 weeks, and sample sizes ranged from 20 to 350 patients. The results showed that RCTs that provided telerehabilitation were found to be more effective than conventional treatments for improving pain (P=.003; standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.21, 95% CI -0.35 to -0.07), but not physical function (P=.24; SMD -0.09, 95% CI -0.25 to 0.06). Furthermore, this systematic review and meta-analysis indicated that there is no significant correlation between different telerehabilitation strategies and the pain and physical function of patients with knee OA. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis showed that telerehabilitation programs could relieve pain but not improve physical function for patients with knee OA. These results indicated that telerehabilitation is beneficial for the implementation of home rehabilitation exercises for patients with knee OA, thereby reducing the economic burden of health. However, there were limitations in terms of the number of search results and the number of studies that were eligible for this review and meta-analysis. Therefore, the results need to be interpreted with caution, and more high-quality studies with large samples are needed to focus on the long-term outcomes of telerehabilitation for patients with knee OA to address this limitation.

Variation in intracellular polyphosphate and associated gene expression in response to different phosphorus conditions in the dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi.

Polyphosphate (polyP) has long been recognized as a crucial intracellular reservoir for phosphorus in microorganisms. However, the dynamics of polyP and its regulatory mechanism in eukaryotic phytoplankton in response to variations in external phosphorus conditions remain poorly understood. A comprehensive investigation was conducted to examine the intracellular polyP-associated metabolic response of the dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi, a harmful algal bloom species, through integrated physiological, biochemical, and transcriptional analyses under varying external phosphorus conditions. Comparable growth curves and Fv/Fm between phosphorus-replete conditions and phosphorus-depleted conditions suggested that K. mikimotoi has a strong capability to mobilize the intracellular phosphorus pool for growth under phosphorus deficiency. Intracellular phosphate (IPi) and polyP contributed approximately 6-23 % and 1-3 %, respectively, to the overall particulate phosphorus (PP) content under different phosphorus conditions. The significant decrease in PP and increase in polyP:PP suggested that cellular phosphorus components other than polyP are preferred for utilization under phosphorus deficiency. Genes involved in polyP synthesis and hydrolysis were upregulated to maintain phosphorus homeostasis in K. mikimotoi. These findings provide novel insights into the specific cellular strategies for phosphorus storage and the transcriptional response in intracellular polyP metabolism in K. mikimotoi. Additionally, these results also indicate that polyP may not play a crucial role in cellular phosphorus storage in phytoplankton, at least in dinoflagellates.

Fecal microbiota transplantation: a novel strategy for treating Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is a common neurological disorder, which has become one of the major factors affecting human health due to its serious impact on individuals, families and society. It has been confirmed that gut microbiota can affect the occurrence and development of Alzheimer's disease. Especially, fecal microbiota transplantation plays a positive role in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The mechanisms for improving Alzheimer's disease might include anti-inflammation and regulation of amyloid ß-protein, synaptic plasticity, short-chain fatty acids, and histone acetylation. In this mini-review, the relationship between fecal microbiota transplantation and Alzheimer's disease was summarized. It is hoped that fecal microbiota transplantation would play a positive role in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease in the future.

GSK840 Alleviates Retinal Neuronal Injury by Inhibiting RIPK3/MLKL-Mediated RGC Necroptosis After Ischemia/Reperfusion.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the impact of GSK840 on retinal neuronal injury after retinal ischemia/reperfusion (IR) and its associated mechanism. Methods: We established an in vivo mouse model of IR and an in vitro model of oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGDR) in primary mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). GSK840, a small-molecule compound, was used to specifically inhibit RIPK3/MLKL-dependent necroptosis. Retinal structure and function evaluation was performed by using hematoxylin and eosin staining, optical coherence tomography, and electroretinography. Propidium Iodide (PI) staining was used for detection of necroptotic cell death, whereas Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence were used to assess necroptosis-related proteins and inner retinal neurons. Results: RIPK3/MLKL-dependent necroptosis was rapidly activated in RGCs following retinal IR or OGDR. GSK840 helped maintain relatively normal inner retinal structure and thickness by preserving inner retinal neurons, particularly RGCs. Meanwhile, GSK840 ameliorated IR-induced visual dysfunction, as evidenced by the improved amplitudes of photopic negative response, a-wave, b-wave, and oscillatory potentials. And GSK840 treatment significantly reduced the population of PI+ RGCs after injury. Mechanistically, GSK840 ameliorated RGC necroptosis by inhibiting the RIPK3/MLKL pathway. Conclusions: GSK840 exerts protective effects against retinal neuronal injury after IR by inhibiting RIPK3/MLKL-mediated RGC necroptosis. GSK840 may represent a protective strategy for RGC degeneration in ischemic retinopathy.

Comparison of vonoprazan-based with rabeprazole-based dual therapy for treatment-naive patients of Helicobacter pylori infection: a prospective, multi-center, randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The application of vonoprazan significantly improved the eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). This study aimed to compare efficacy and safety of the 10-day vonoprazan-amoxicillin (VA) and 14-day rabeprazole-amoxicillin (RA) dual therapy, and to provide a more efficient, safer, and convenient dual regimen for H. pylori infection. METHODS: This was a prospective, open-label, multi-center, randomized controlled study of treatment-naive patients with H. pylori infection. The participants were randomly assigned to the 10-day VA group with vonoprazan 20 mg Bid plus amoxicillin 1 g Tid or the 14-day RA group with rabeprazole 10 mg Tid plus amoxicillin 1 g Tid. The effectiveness, the adverse events, and the patient compliance of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: A total of 690 patients were enrolled. The eradication rates of 10-day VA and 14-day RA dual therapy were 89.3% and 84.9% in intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis (P = 0.088); 90.6% and 85.9% by modified intention-to-treat (mITT) analysis (P = 0.059); 91.4% and 86.6% by per-protocol (PP) analysis (P = 0.047). Non-inferiority was confirmed between the two groups (all P < 0.001). No discernible differences were observed in adverse effects and compliance between groups. Poor compliance reduced the eradication efficacy (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The 10-day VA dual therapy was non-inferior to the 14-day RA dual therapy for H. pylori treatment-naive patients, which should be given priority in the first-line treatment. The application of vonoprazan reduced treatment course and antibiotic use. Patients' adherence was crucial for the success of eradication.

The psoas muscle density as a predictor of postoperative complications in elderly patients undergoing rectal cancer resection.

Background: Muscle depletion that impairs normal physiological function in elderly patients leads to poor prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the association between total abdominal muscle area (TAMA), total psoas area (TPA), psoas muscle density (PMD), and short-term postoperative complications in elderly patients with rectal cancer. Methods: All elderly patients underwent rectal cancer resection with perioperative abdominal computed tomography (CT). Complications were assessed according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Severe complications were defined as grade III-V following the Clavien-Dindo classification. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate risk factors of short-term severe postoperative complications. Results: The cohort consisted of 191 patients with a mean age of 73.60 ± 8.81 years. Among them, 138 (72.25%) patients had Clavien-Dindo 0- II, 53 (27.75%) patients had severe postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo III-V), and 1(0.52%) patient died within 30 days of surgery. PMD was significantly higher in the Clavien-Dindo 0-II cohort compared to the Clavien-Dindo III-V cohort (p=0.004). Nevertheless, TAMA and TPA failed to exhibit significant differences. Moreover, the multivariate regression analysis implied that advanced age [OR 1.07 95%CI (1.02-1.13) p=0.013], male [OR 5.03 95%CI (1.76-14.41) p=0.003], high charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score [OR 3.60 95%CI (1.44-9.00) p=0.006], and low PMD [OR 0.94 95%CI (0.88-0.99) p=0.04] were independent risk factors of Clavien-Dindo III-V. Conclusion: Preoperative assessment of the PMD on CT can be a simple and practical method for identifying elderly patients with rectal cancer at risk for severe postoperative complications.

27­Gauge vitrectomy vs. 25­gauge vitrectomy in the management of proliferative diabetic retinopathy with preoperative intravitreal injection of conbercept.

Small-gauge vitrectomy has become popular due to its notable advantages, including less trauma, shortened convalescence and improved manoeuvrability. The aim of the present study was to compare the surgical outcomes of 27-gauge (27-G) vitrectomy with those of 25-gauge (25-G) vitrectomy in the management of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) with preoperative intravitreal injection of conbercept. The data of 48 consecutive patients with PDR (48 eyes) were retrospectively collected. The patients underwent conbercept intravitreal injection and pars plana vitrectomy with a 27-G group (23 eyes) or 25-G group (25 eyes) vitrectomy system. The operating time, suturing rate, endodiathermy rate, postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP) and complications were recorded. The mean postoperative BCVA at final follow-up was significantly improved compared with that at the baseline in both groups (P<0.001 for both). The differences in the mean BCVA changes between the two groups were not significant (P>0.99), and no differences were observed in the final central foveal thickness (P=0.51) between the two groups. The final IOP remained stable compared with that at the baseline in the 27-G group (P=0.36) and the 25-G group (P=0.05). The suturing rate was significantly decreased in the 27-G group compared with the 25-G group (P=0.04). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the operating time (P=0.18), rate of endodiathermy use (P>0.99), iatrogenic retinal breaks (P=0.42) or postoperative recurrent vitreous haemorrhage (P>0.99). In addition, no case of ocular hypotony was observed in either group. In conclusion, 27-G vitrectomy was as efficient and safe as 25-G vitrectomy in the management of PDR in terms of operating time and complications. With reference to the literature, preoperative conbercept injection appears to assist in decreasing the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications.

Gut microbiota and transcriptome dynamics in every-other-day fasting are associated with neuroprotection in rats with spinal cord injury.

Introduction: Every-other-day fasting (EODF) is a classical intermittent fasting (IF) mode with neuroprotective effects that promotes motor function recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. However, its dynamic effects on the gut microbiota and spinal cord transcriptome remain unknown. Methods: In this study, 16S rRNA sequencing and RNA-seq analysis were used to investigate the effects of ad libitum (AL) and EODF dietary modes on the structural characteristics of rat gut microbiota in rats and the spinal cord transcriptome at various time points after SCI induction. Results: Our results showed that both dietary modes affected the bacterial community composition in SCI rats, with EODF treatment inducing and suppressing dynamic changes in the abundances of potentially anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory bacteria. Furthermore, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) enriched after EODF intervention in SCI rats were associated with various biological events, including immune inflammatory response, cell differentiation, protein modification, neural growth, and apoptosis. In particular, significant spatiotemporal differences were apparent in the DEGs associated with neuroprotection between the EODF and AL interventions. These DGEs were mainly focused on days 1, 3, and 7 after SCI. The relative abundance of certain genera was significantly correlated with DEGs associated with neuroprotective effects in the EODF-SCI group. Discussion: Our results showed that EODF treatment may exert neuroprotective effects by modulating the transcriptome expression profile following SCI in rats. Furthermore, gut microbiota may be partially involved in mediating these effects.

Preoperative automatic reminder systems and impact on quality and compliance with colonoscopy preparation: A multicenter randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Traditional preoperative reminding services have been applied to enhance the quality of bowel preparation for colonoscopy. In this study we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an automated electronic reminder system (E-reminder) on improving bowel preparation and the quality of preoperative education before colonoscopy. METHODS: From August 2021 to March 2022, 833 outpatients aged 50-75 years who underwent colonoscopy were included and randomly assigned to the E-reminder group and the control group. While the control group received routine preoperative education. The E-reminder group received automatic phone call, text message reminders and web services regarding the details of bowel preparation before the colonoscopic examination. The quality of bowel preparation was evaluated by the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) score and the previously validated objective evaluation scale of automatic BBPS (e-BBPS). RESULTS: In manual assessment, the rate of adequate bowel preparation was improved in the E-reminder group of intention-to-treat population using BBPS (60.7% vs 54.5%, P = 0.01). The percentage of objective evaluated adequate bowel preparation using e-BBPS in the E-reminder group of per-protocol population was significantly higher than that in the control group (76.9% vs 69.2%, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: E-reminder was an effective tool to improve the quality of bowel preparation and compliance with medical instructions. It may be regarded as an efficient and convenient education tool, improving the quality of medical service.

Predictive factors of epiretinal membrane in complicated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment tamponaded with silicone oil.

AIM: To determine the incidence and predictive factors for epiretinal membrane (ERM) formation in eyes with complicated primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) tamponaded with silicone oil (SO). METHODS: This retrospective case-control study included 141 consecutive patients with (51 eyes) and without (90 eyes) ERM formation after primary pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and SO tamponade for complicated RRD. The risk factors for ERM were assessed using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of postoperative ERM was 36.2% (51/141). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors for ERM in SO-tamponaded eyes included preoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy [PVR; odds ratio (OR), 2.578; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.580-4.205, P<0.001], preoperative choroidal detachment (OR, 4.454; 95%CI 1.369-14.498, P=0.013), and photocoagulation energy (OR, 2.700; 95%CI 1.047-6.962, P=0.040). The duration of the preoperative symptoms, intraocular SO tamponade time, giant retinal tear, preoperative vitreous hemorrhage, preoperative best-corrected visual acuity, number of breaks, quadrants of RRD, axial length, and photocoagulation points were not predictive factors for ERM formation. CONCLUSION: Preoperative PVR, choroidal detachment, and photocoagulation energy are risk factors of ERM formation after complicated RRD repair. Better ophthalmic care as well as patient education are necessary for such patients with risk factors.

MIR34A modulates lens epithelial cell apoptosis and cataract development via the HK1/caspase 3 signaling pathway.

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world. Age is a major risk factor for cataracts, and with increasing aging, the burden of cataracts will grow, but the exact details of cataractogenesis remain unclear. A recent study showed that microRNA-34a (MIR34A) is involved in the development of cataracts, but the underlying pathogenesis remains obscure. Here, our results of microRNA target prediction showed that hexokinase 1 (HK1) is one of the genes targeted by MIR34A. Based on this finding, we focused on the function of MIR34A and HK1 in the progress of cataracts, whereby the human lens epithelial cell line SRA01/04 and mouse lens were treated with MIR34A mimics and HK1 siRNA. We found that HK1 mRNA is a direct target of MIR34A, whereby the high expression of MIR34A in the cataract lens suppresses the expression of HK1. In vitro, the upregulation of MIR34A together with the downregulation of HK1 inhibits the proliferation, induces the apoptosis of SRA01/04 cells, and accelerates the opacification of mouse lenses via the HK1/caspase 3 signaling pathway. In summary, our study demonstrates that MIR34A modulates lens epithelial cell (LEC) apoptosis and cataract development through the HK1/caspase 3 signaling pathway.