Haihua Qian

Purpose: The study aimed to establish a model of functional constipation (FC) with anxiety and depression in rats using the compound diphenoxylate combined with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). It further investigated constipation and behavioral indicators in different groups of various compounds of diphenoxylate with CUMS durations to determine the optimal time frame for successful model establishment. Method: Thirty-two female rats were randomly assigned to control, FC before CUMS, FC after CUMS, and FC throughout CUMS groups. Control: Same amount of regular saline solution, FC before CUMS: Compound diphenoxylate 15 mg/kg 2 weeks + CUMS 5 weeks, FC after CUMS: CUMS 5 weeks + Compound diphenoxylate 15 mg/kg 2 weeks, FC throughout CUMS: CUMS 5 weeks with compound diphenoxylate 10 mg/kg for 4 weeks. After model establishment, constipation and behavioral indicators were detected. HE staining was used to observe pathological changes in the brain and colon tissue, while AB-PAS was used to observe goblet cells in the colon tissue, and Nissl staining was used to observe neuron cells in the hippocampus. The protein expression of BDNF and Bax in the hippocampus and PGP9.5 and iNOS in the colon was detected by WB. Results: In the FC throughout group, synaptic ultrastructure significantly decreased, aligning with pathological changes, indicators of FC with anxiety and depression. The protein expression levels of BDNF and PGP9.5 were markedly decreased, and the levels of Bax and iNOS were elevated. This study provided a reliable reference for determining the optimal establishment way of FC with anxiety and depression models and for in vivo FC with anxiety and depression animal experiments.

Constipated patients may exhibit anxious behaviors, but the relationship between the two remains unclear. This population-based study aims to investigate the relationships of anxiety status and anxiety duration with constipation among U.S. adults. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database spanning from 2007 to 2010, a cross-sectional study included 8945 participants was performed to assess the relationships of anxiety status and anxiety duration with constipation. Participants’ characteristics were presented using mean or proportion. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using multivariable logistic regression models. The analysis accounted for potential confounding factors, including gender, age, race/ethnicity, education level, marital status, PIR, BMI, smoking status, drinking status, chronic diseases, and dietary intake. Subgroup analyses were conducted to ensure the stability of the results. Smoothed curve fitting was applied to investigate both linear and nonlinear associations between anxiety duration and constipation risk. Threshold effects were assessed using two-piecewise linear regression models. Of the 8945 participants, 922 reported constipation, with a prevalence of 10.3%. After adjusting for confounding factors, individuals with anxiety status exhibited an increased risk of constipation (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.28–1.73). Stratified analyses indicated that the association between anxiety status and constipation remained relatively stable across different stratification levels. Smoothed curve fitting and threshold effect analyses revealed a linear association between anxiety duration and constipation among adults aged 20–60, while a nonlinear inverted U-shaped relationship was observed in those aged 60 and older, with an inflection point at 10 days. The two variables correlated positively on the left side of the inflection point but not on the right. This study showed that a significant association between anxiety status and constipation among U.S. adults. Additionally, an age-dependent association between anxiety duration and constipation was observed, particularly among individuals aged 60 and older.

Background and Aim: Drug therapy is the treatment of choice for Crohn's disease because it effectively controls or prevents intestinal inflammation. The purpose was to research the molecular mechanism of the total flavones of Abelmoschus manihot (TFA) on intestinal fibrosis in Crohn's disease.Methods: A 2,4,6‐Trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)‐induced colitis model and IGF‐1‐treated intestinal fibroblasts were established. Then, TFA, 3‐MA, and compound C were used treatments. Hematoxylin and eosin, Masson, and Picrosirius red staining were performed to observe the colon tissue. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect α‐SMA expression. Flow cytometry, CCK8, wound healing, and Transwell assays were conducted to determine apoptosis, proliferation, invasion, and migration. Col1a1 and Col3a1 levels were detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Proteins related to autophagy and apoptosis were detected using western blotting.Results: TFA treated intestinal fibrosis in chronic Crohn's disease. Colon length was the shortest in the ethanol + TNBS group, and TFA treatment significantly improved the situation. Intestinal fibrosis and the percentage of collagen area decreased after TFA treatment. TFA reduced fibrosis by enhancing autophagy stimulation, whereas an autophagy inhibitor reversed the TFA effect. TFA also inhibited migration, proliferation, and collagen synthesis in intestinal fibroblasts. Moreover, it enhanced autophagy and apoptosis of intestinal fibroblasts. TFA upregulated p‐AMPK expression and decreases p‐mTOR levels. Compound C partially rescued the effect of TFA, indicating that TFA affected intestinal fibroblasts via the AMPK/mTOR pathway in vitro and in vivo. TFA also downregulated Col1a1 and Col3a1 expression.Conclusion: TFA regulates autophagy through AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway to treat intestinal fibrosis, which may provide a new therapy for Crohn's disease treatment.

Numerous studies have demonstrated a robust correlation between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and colorectal cancer (CRC). Nonetheless, no systematic analysis or visualization of relevant publications has been conducted via bibliometrics. This research, centred on 616 publications obtainable through the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), employed CiteSpace software and VOSviewer software for correlation analyses of authors, journals, institutions, countries, keywords, and citations. The findings indicate that the Public Library of Science had the highest number of publications, while the United States, China, and South Korea were the most contributory nations. Recent years have seen the mechanisms linking Metabolic Syndrome with Colorectal Cancer, including diet, obesity, insulin resistance, and intestinal flora, remain a burgeoning research area. Furthermore, bariatric surgery appears to be a promising new area of study. This paper presents the initial bibliometric and visualization analysis of research literature concerning CRC and MetS which examines research trends and hotspots.

Background: Functional constipation (FCon), is a symptom-based functional gastrointestinal disorder without an organic etiology and altering brain structure and function. However, previous studies mainly focused on isolated brain regions involved in brain plasticity. Therefore, little is known about the altered large-scale interaction of brain networks in FCon.Methods: For this study, we recruited 20 patients with FCon and 20 healthy controls. We used group independent component analysis to identify resting-state networks (RSNs) and documented intra- and inter-network alterations in the RSNs of the patients with FCon.Results: We found 14 independent RSNs. Differences in the intra-networks included decreased activities in the bilateral caudate of RSN 3 (strongly related to emotional and autonomic processes) and decreased activities in the left precuneus of RSN 10 (default mode network). Notably, the patients with FCon exhibited significantly decreased interactive connectivity between RSNs, mostly involving the connections to the visual perception network (RSN 7–9).Conclusion: Compared with healthy controls, patients with FCon had extensive brain plastic changes within and across related RSNs. Furthermore, the macroscopic brain alterations in FCon were associated with interoceptive abilities, emotion processing, and sensorimotor control. These insights could therefore lead to the development of new treatment strategies for FCon.

Background: The relationship between hemorrhoid recurrence and poor defecation habits is poorly understood. This study aimed to analyze the effects of poor defecation habits on postoperative hemorrhoid recurrence.Materials and Method: We performed a retrospective study on 1,162 consecutive patients who underwent a surgical procedure for hemorrhoids at the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University from December 2016 to May 2020. All patients were followed for 12 months post-operatively. Patients were monitored for disease recurrence. Patient defecation habits were assessed using an obstructive defecation syndrome (ODS) score.Results: Patients with a score of 0–4 had a mild defecation disorder, 5–8 a moderate defecation disorder, and 9 or more ODS. Of the 1,162 patients, 1,144 (98.45%) had a mild defecation disorder, 13 (1.12%) had a moderate defecation disorder, and 9 (0.43%) had ODS. Older patients were significantly more likely to have worse defecation habits (P < 0.001). A higher ODS score correlated with a higher maximum anal squeeze pressure (P = 0.07) and a more severe inability for the anus to relax during simulated evacuation (P = 0.002). The maximum rectum threshold was also found to be the highest in ODS patients (P = 0.010). The proportion of Procedure for prolapsing hemorrhoids (PPH) was the highest in the moderate defecation disorder group (53.85), followed by the ODS group (40.00) and the mild defecation disorder group (P = 0.023). Recurrence occurred in 5.51% of patients in the mild defecation disorder group, 38.46% of the moderate defecation disorder group, and 60% of the ODS group (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed a higher ODS score (P < 0.001) was an independent predictor of recurrence. Furthermore, patients who occasionally exercised (P = 0.01) and patients who exercised regularly (P = 0.021) were less likely to have a recurrence.Conclusion: Patients with unresolved defecation disorders are more likely to have their hemorrhoids recur and are unlikely to be satisfied with surgical management.

Background. Slow transit constipation (STC) is characterized by persistent, infrequent, or incomplete defecation. Systematic analyses of mRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA expression profiling in STC provide insights to understand the molecular mechanisms of STC pathogenesis. The present study is aimed at observing the interaction of mRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs by RNA sequencing in vivo of STC. Methods. A rat model of STC was induced by loperamide. The expression profiles of both mRNAs and miRNAs were performed by RNA sequencing. Enrichment analyses of anomalous expressed mRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs were performed in order to identify the related biological functions and pathologic pathways through the Gene Ontology (GO) database and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Results. In total, 26435 mRNAs, 5703 lncRNAs, and 7708 circRNAs differentially expressed were identified between the two groups. The analyses of GO and KEGG show that (1) upregulated genes were enriched in a positive regulation of GTPase activity, cell migration, and protein binding and lipid binding and (2) GO annotations revealed that most trans‐target mRNAs are involved in the regulation process of immune signal together with the proliferation and differentiation of immune cells. Additionally, the protein‐protein interaction (PPI) network of differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs was constructed. Interestingly, all of the core lncRNAs and their coexpression mRNAs in this network are downregulated. Moreover, downregulated circRNAs have a set of target mRNAs related to immunoreaction, which was consistent with the overall tendency. Conclusion. Our investigation enriches the STC transcriptome database and provides a preliminary exploration of novel candidate genes and avenues expression profiles in vivo. The dysregulation of mRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs might contribute to the pathological processes during STC.