Electroacupuncture at LI11 promotes jejunal motility via the parasympathetic pathway

Background: Gastrointestinal motility disorder has been demonstrated to be regulated by acupuncture treatment. The mechanisms underlying the effects of acupuncture stimulation of abdominal and lower limb acupoints on gastrointestinal motility have been thoroughly studied; however, the physiology underlying the effects of acupuncture on the forelimbs to mediate gastrointestinal motility requires further exploration. The aim of this study was to determine whether electroacupuncture (EA) at LI11 promotes jejunal motility, whether the parasympathetic pathway participates in this effect, and if so, which somatic afferent nerve fibres are involved.Methods: A manometric balloon was used to observe jejunal motility. The effects and mechanisms of EA at LI11 were explored in male Sprague-Dawley rats with or without drug administration (propranolol, clenbuterol, acetylcholine, and atropine) and with or without vagotomy. Three types of male mice (β1β2 receptor-knockout [β1β2 −/−] mice, M2M3 receptor-knockout [M2M3 −/−] mice and wild-type [WT] mice) were also studied by using different EA intensities (1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 mA). A total of 72 rats and 56 mice were included in the study.Results: EA at LI11 increased the contractile amplitude of jejunal motility in the majority of both rats and mice. However, EA at LI11 did not enhance jejunal motility in rats administered atropine, rats that underwent vagotomy, and M2M3 −‍‍/− mice (at all intensities). In WT mice, EA at LI11 significantly increased jejunal motility at all intensities except 1 mA, and a plateau was reached at intensities greater than 4 mA.Conclusion: Our results suggest that EA at LI11 promotes jejunal motility primarily by exciting the parasympathetic pathway, and that Aδ-fibres and C-fibres may play important roles in the process

Effect of night shift work on metabolic syndrome in adults who suffered from earthquake stress in early life

ObjectiveTo examine the role of night shift work on the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adults suffered from earthquakes prenatally or as infants and to analyse the effect of stress on factors that influence MetS in this population.MethodsWe included 870 subjects from 2014 to 2015. All subjects work as miners for the Kailuan Mining Group and were born were living in Tangshan. Participants were classified into two groups on basis of their work schedules: day shift and night shift. They were further classified into the prenatal exposure group, the infancy exposure group, and the control group based on their age during the Tangshan earthquake. This study was conducted 38 years after the earthquake. Participants’ general demographic data, smoking and drinking habits, as well as work schedules were collected. All participants’ sleep status was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The measurement of all subjects’ waist circumference and blood pressure was made, and triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, high-density lipoproteins, and low-density lipoproteins were measured by collecting blood samples. The definition of MetS was made after the guidelines for preventing and controlling type 2 diabetes in China (2017 Edition).ResultsA total of 187 (21.5%) workers were determined to have MetS. The incidence of MetS was greatly higher in night shift workers who were exposed to an earthquake during infancy than in day shift workers (χ2 = 8.053, p = 0.005). A multivariate logistic regression analysis displayed male participants had a higher risk develop MetS than female participants (p = 0.042, OR = 0.368, 95% CI = 0.140, 0.965). Current smokers (p = 0.030, OR = 1.520, 95%CI = 1.042, 2.218) and participants who sleep fewer than 7 h per night (p = 0.015, OR = 1.638, 95%CI = 1.101, 2.437) had a higher risk of MetS. Prenatal earthquake stress was also a risk element for MetS (p = 0.012, OR = 1.644, 95%CI = 1.115, 2.423).ConclusionThe risk of MetS is significantly higher in night shift workers exposed to earthquake stress during infancy than day shift workers. Earthquake exposure during pregnancy is an independent risk factor for MetS. Smoking and sleeping less than 7 h have a higher risk of MetS than the control group

Clinical value of the systemic immune-inflammation index in moyamoya disease

BackgroundMoyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare cerebrovascular disorder with unknown etiology. The underlying pathophysiological mechanism of moyamoya disease remains to be elucidated, but recent studies have increasingly highlighted that abnormal immune response may be a potential trigger for MMD. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) are inflammatory markers that can reflect the immune-inflammation state of the disease.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate SII, NLR, and PLR in patients with moyamoya disease.MethodsA total of 154 patients with moyamoya disease (MMD group) and 321 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects (control group) were included in this retrospective case–control study. Complete blood count parameters were assayed to calculate the SII, NLR, and PLR values.ResultsThe SII, NLR, and PLR values in the moyamoya disease group were significantly higher than those in the control group [754 ± 499 vs. 411 ± 205 (P < 0.001), 2.83 ± 1.98 vs. 1.81 ± 0.72 (P < 0.001), and 152 ± 64 vs. 120 ± 42 (P < 0.001), respectively]. The SII in the medium-moyamoya vessels of moyamoya disease was higher than that in the high-moyamoya vessels and low-moyamoya vessels (P = 0.005). Using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to predict MMD, the highest area under the curve (AUC) was determined for SII (0.76 for SII, 0.69 for NLR, and 0.66 for PLR).ConclusionBased on the results of this study, patients with moyamoya disease admitted for inpatient care due to acute or chronic stroke have significantly higher SII, NLR, and PLR when compared to blood samples drawn from completely healthy controls in a non-emergent outpatient setting. While the findings may suggest that inflammation plays a role in moyamoya disease, further studies are warranted to corroborate such an association. In the middle stage of moyamoya disease, there may be a more intense imbalance of immune inflammation. Further studies are needed to determine whether the SII index contributes to the diagnosis or serves as a potential marker of an inflammatory response in patients with moyamoya disease

The combined signatures of telomere and immune cell landscape provide a prognostic and therapeutic biomarker in glioma

BackgroundGliomas, the most prevalent primary malignant tumors of the central nervous system in adults, exhibit slow growth in lower-grade gliomas (LGG). However, the majority of LGG cases progress to high-grade gliomas, posing challenges for prognostication. The tumor microenvironment (TME), characterized by telomere-related genes and immune cell infiltration, strongly influences glioma growth and therapeutic response. Therefore, our objective was to develop a Telomere-TME (TM-TME) classifier that integrates telomere-related genes and immune cell landscape to assess prognosis and therapeutic response in glioma.MethodsThis study encompassed LGG patients from the TCGA and CCGA databases. TM score and TME score were derived from the expression signatures of telomere-related genes and the presence of immune cells in LGG, respectively. The TM-TME classifier was established by combining TM and TME scores to effectively predict prognosis. Subsequently, we conducted Kaplan-Meier survival estimation, univariate Cox regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curves to validate the prognostic prediction capacity of the TM-TME classifier across multiple cohorts. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, biological processes, and proteomaps were performed to annotate the functional aspects of each subgroup and visualize the cellular signaling pathways.ResultsThe TM_low+TME_high subgroup exhibited superior prognosis and therapeutic response compared to other subgroups (P<0.001). This finding could be attributed to distinct tumor somatic mutations and cancer cellular signaling pathways. GO analysis indicated that the TM_low+TME_high subgroup is associated with the neuronal system and modulation of chemical synaptic transmission. Conversely, the TM_high+TME_low subgroup showed a strong association with cell cycle and DNA metabolic processes. Furthermore, the classifier significantly differentiated overall survival in the TCGA LGG cohort and served as an independent prognostic factor for LGG patients in both the TCGA cohort (P<0.001) and the CGGA cohort (P<0.001).ConclusionOverall, our findings underscore the significance of the TM-TME classifier in predicting prognosis and immune therapeutic response in glioma, shedding light on the complex immune landscape within each subgroup. Additionally, our results suggest the potential of integrating risk stratification with precision therapy for LGG

Patterns of co-morbidity with anxiety disorders in Chinese women with recurrent major depression

BACKGROUND: Studies conducted in Europe and the USA have shown that co-morbidity between major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders is associated with various MDD-related features, including clinical symptoms, degree of familial aggregation and socio-economic status. However, few studies have investigated whether these patterns of association vary across different co-morbid anxiety disorders. Here, using a large cohort of Chinese women with recurrent MDD, we examine the prevalence and associated clinical features of co-morbid anxiety disorders. METHOD: A total of 1970 female Chinese MDD patients with or without seven co-morbid anxiety disorders [including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and five phobia subtypes] were ascertained in the CONVERGE study. Generalized linear models were used to model association between co-morbid anxiety disorders and various MDD features. RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence rate for any type of co-morbid anxiety disorder is 60.2%. Panic and social phobia significantly predict an increased family history of MDD. GAD and animal phobia predict an earlier onset of MDD and a higher number of MDD episodes, respectively. Panic and GAD predict a higher number of DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. GAD and blood-injury phobia are both significantly associated with suicidal attempt with opposite effects. All seven co-morbid anxiety disorders predict higher neuroticism. CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of co-morbidity between MDD and anxiety are consistent with findings from the US and European studies; the seven co-morbid anxiety disorders are heterogeneous when tested for association with various MDD features

Associations of Educational Attainment, Occupation, Social Class and Major Depressive Disorder among Han Chinese Women

Background The prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) is higher in those with low levels of educational attainment, the unemployed and those with low social status. However the extent to which these factors cause MDD is unclear. Most of the available data comes from studies in developed countries, and these findings may not extrapolate to developing countries. Examining the relationship between MDD and socio economic status in China is likely to add to the debate because of the radical economic and social changes occurring in China over the last 30 years. Principal findings We report results from 3,639 Chinese women with recurrent MDD and 3,800 controls. Highly significant odds ratios (ORs) were observed between MDD and full time employment (OR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.25–0.46, logP = 78), social status (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.77–0.87, logP = 13.3) and education attainment (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.86–0.90, logP = 6.8). We found a monotonic relationship between increasing age and increasing levels of educational attainment. Those with only primary school education have significantly more episodes of MDD (mean 6.5, P-value = 0.009) and have a clinically more severe disorder, while those with higher educational attainment are likely to manifest more comorbid anxiety disorders. Conclusions In China lower socioeconomic position is associated with increased rates of MDD, as it is elsewhere in the world. Significantly more episodes of MDD occur among those with lower educational attainment (rather than longer episodes of disease), consistent with the hypothesis that the lower socioeconomic position increases the likelihood of developing MDD. The phenomenology of MDD varies according to the degree of educational attainment: higher educational attainment not only appears to protect against MDD but alters its presentation, to a more anxious phenotype

Childhood Sexual Abuse and the Development of Recurrent Major Depression in Chinese Women

Background Our prior study in Han Chinese women has shown that women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are at increased risk for developing major depression (MD). Would this relationship be found in our whole data set? Method Three levels of CSA (non-genital, genital, and intercourse) were assessed by self-report in two groups of Han Chinese women: 6017 clinically ascertained with recurrent MD and 5983 matched controls. Diagnostic and other risk factor information was assessed at personal interview. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated by logistic regression. Results We confirmed earlier results by replicating prior analyses in 3,950 new recurrent MD cases. There were no significant differences between the two data sets. Any form of CSA was significantly associated with recurrent MD (OR 4.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) [3.19–5.24]). This association strengthened with increasing CSA severity: non-genital (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.58–3.15), genital (OR 5.24, 95% CI 3.52–8.15) and intercourse (OR 10.65, 95% CI 5.56–23.71). Among the depressed women, those with CSA had an earlier age of onset, longer depressive episodes. Recurrent MD patients those with CSA had an increased risk for dysthymia (OR 1.60, 95%CI 1.11–2.27) and phobia (OR 1.41, 95%CI 1.09–1.80). Any form of CSA was significantly associated with suicidal ideation or attempt (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.20–1.89) and feelings of worthlessness or guilt (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.02–2.02). Intercourse (OR 3.47, 95%CI 1.66–8.22), use of force and threats (OR 1.95, 95%CI 1.05–3.82) and how strongly the victims were affected at the time (OR 1.39, 95%CI 1.20–1.64) were significantly associated with recurrent MD