Formulation and application of the "hospital-to-home + online-to-offline" treatment scheme in caring for and supporting vulnerable patients with chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is the terminal stage of cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: In this study, the "hospital-to-home + online-to-offline" (H2H + O2O) care scheme was implemented for patients with CHF during vulnerable periods, and its effect was evaluated. METHODS: Patients with CHF in the cardiovascular department of a Class III/Grade A hospital in Jiangxi Province from January to December 2020 were selected using a convenience sampling method and randomly divided into a control and intervention group (n= 100 each). The patients in the control group received routine in-hospital treatment and out-of-hospital follow-up, while in the intervention group, a multi-disciplinary cooperation team with CHF specialist nurses evaluated and stratified the patients before discharge and formulated individualized prescriptions and care plans. Based on the "Health & Happiness" chronic disease follow-up application designed for this study, the specialist nurses provided patients with one-to-one guidance. After three months, the cardiac function, heart failure knowledge, self-care behavior, and re-hospitalization rate of the patients were compared between the two groups. Cardiac function was evaluated by the serum B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and a six-minute walking test (6MWT). Heart failure knowledge and self-care behavior was assessed using specific questionaries. RESULTS: The level of cardiac function in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.001). The mastery of heart failure knowledge and self-care behavior in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P< 0.05). The re-hospitalization rate due to CHF in the intervention group was 21.0%, which was lower than that in the control group (35.0%), and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The H2H + O2O care scheme can be used for the transition of vulnerable patients with CHF from the hospital to family care to improve the patients' level of cardiac function, elevate their knowledge level and self-care abilities, and improve their overall health outcomes.

The Characteristics of Macrophage Heterogeneity in Atherosclerotic Aortas.

Macrophage is the main effector cell during atherosclerosis. We applied single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA) data to investigate the role of macrophage subsets in atherosclerosis. Monocyte and macrophage clusters were divided into 6 subclusters. Each subcluster's markers were calculated and validated by immunofluorescence. Elevated macrophage subclusters in the WD group were subject to enrichment pathway analysis and exhibited different phenotypes. Pseudotime analysis shows the subclusters originate from monocytes. We cultured bone marrow-derived macrophages with CSF-1 and ox-LDL to simulate an atherosclerotic-like environment and detected the transformation of subclusters. Macrophage-Vegfa and Macrophage-C1qb increased in the WD group. Macrophage-Vegfa acquires the characteristics of phagocytosis and immune response, while Macrophage-C1qb is not involved in lipid metabolism. The two subclusters are both enriched in cell movement and migration pathways. Experimental verification proved Monocyte-Ly6C evolved into Macrophage-Vegfa and Macrophage-C1qb during atherosclerosis progression.

Paraventricular nucleus-central amygdala oxytocinergic projection modulates pain-related anxiety-like behaviors in mice.

AIMS: Anxiety disorders associated with pain are a common health problem. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We aimed to investigate the role of paraventricular nucleus (PVN)-central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) oxytocinergic projections in anxiety-like behaviors induced by inflammatory pain. METHODS: After inflammatory pain induction by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), mice underwent elevated plus maze, light-dark transition test, and marble burying test to examine the anxiety-like behaviors. Chemogenetic, optogenetic, and fiber photometry recordings were used to modulate and record the activity of the oxytocinergic projections of the PVN-CeA. RESULTS: The key results are as follows: inflammatory pain-induced anxiety-like behaviors in mice accompanied by decreased activity of PVN oxytocin neurons. Chemogenetic activation of PVN oxytocin neurons prevented pain-related anxiety-like behaviors, whereas inhibition of PVN oxytocin neurons induced anxiety-like behaviors in naïve mice. PVN oxytocin neurons projected directly to the CeA, and microinjection of oxytocin into the CeA blocked anxiety-like behaviors. Inflammatory pain also decreased the activity of CeA neurons, and optogenetic activation of PVNoxytocin -CeA circuit prevented anxiety-like behavior in response to inflammatory pain. CONCLUSION: The results of our study suggest that oxytocin has anti-anxiety effects and provide novel insights into the role of PVNoxytocin -CeA projections in the regulation of anxiety-like behaviors induced by inflammatory pain.

Does additional extracorporeal shock wave therapy improve the effect of isolated percutaneous radiofrequency coblation in patients with insertional Achilles tendinopathy? Study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: No conclusive evidence recommends a prior treatment for insertional Achilles tendinopathy (IAT). It is theorized that both percutaneous radiofrequency coblation and extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) relieve pain within the insertion. However, no clinical evidence shows that either treatment promotes the regeneration of the tendon or if the combination of these 2 interventions offers better function and less pain than one therapy. METHODS: The study is a randomized, controlled trial with patients allocated in a 1:1 ratio to one of two parallel groups. Patients with insertional Achilles tendinopathy who are not satisfied with the effect of conservative treatment will be screened. A minimum of 38 patients will be enrolled after deciding to participate in the trial on an informed basis. Then the intervention group and the control group perform radial ESWT and sham-ESWT respectively at 6 months after percutaneous radiofrequency coblation. The primary outcome will be the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment Achilles (VISA-A) Score. Secondary outcome measures will be Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) scale, visual analog scale (VAS), Tegner Score, and MRI ultra-short echo time (UTE) T2* value. The assessments will occur in 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years, post-operatively. The differences between the 2 groups will be conducted as intention-to-treat basis. DISCUSSION: We aim to investigate if radiofrequency coblation associated with ESWT can provide more encouraging imaging findings as well as functional and clinical outcomes regarding the treatment of the IAT comparing to the single radiofrequency coblation treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1800017898; pre-results. Registered on 20 August 2018.

Potential therapeutic role of pyroptosis mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome in type 2 diabetes and its complications.

As a new way of programmed cell death, pyroptosis plays a vital role in many diseases. In recent years, the relationship between pyroptosis and type 2 diabetes (T2D) has received increasing attention. Although the current treatment options for T2D are abundant, the occurrence and development of T2D appear to continue, and the poor prognosis and high mortality of patients with T2D remain a considerable burden in the global health system. Numerous studies have shown that pyroptosis mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome can affect the progression of T2D and its complications; targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome has potential therapeutic effects. In this review, we described the molecular mechanism of pyroptosis more comprehensively, discussed the most updated progress of pyroptosis mediated by NLRP3 inflammasome in T2D and its complications, and listed some drugs and agents with potential anti-pyroptosis effects. Based on the available evidence, exploring more mechanisms of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway may bring more options and benefits for preventing and treating T2D and drug development.

2'-Fucosyllactose Ameliorates Oxidative Stress Damage in d-Galactose-Induced Aging Mice by Regulating Gut Microbiota and AMPK/SIRT1/FOXO1 Pathway.

The imbalance of reactive oxygen species is the main cause in aging, accompanied by oxidative stress. As the most abundant in human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), 2'-Fucosyllactose (2'-FL) has been confirmed to have great properties in immunity regulation and anti-inflammatory. The research on 2'-FL is focused on infants currently, while there is no related report of 2'-FL for the elderly. A d-galactose-induced accelerated aging model was established to explore the protective effect of 2'-FL on the intestines and brain in mice. In this study, 2'-FL significantly reduced oxidative stress damage and inflammation in the intestines of aging mice, potentially by regulating the sirtuin1 (SIRT1)-related and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathways. In addition, 2'-FL significantly improved the gut mucosal barrier function and increased the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the intestine. The gut microbiota analysis indicated that 2'-FL mainly increased the abundance of probiotics like Akkermansia in aging mice. Moreover, 2'-FL significantly inhibited apoptosis in the brains of aging mice, also increasing the expression of SIRT1. These findings provided a basis for learning the benefits of 2'-FL in the aging process.

Reconstruction of Chronic Injured Distal Tibiofibular Syndesmosis with Autogenous Tendon Graft: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Chronic injuries of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis are common in patients who fail to receive adequate diagnosis and timely treatment. Reconstruction of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis with an autogenous tendon graft in these patients is effective, although relatively rarely reported. PURPOSE: To investigate clinical outcomes of syndesmosis reconstruction with an autogenous tendon graft for chronic injuries of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis by reviewing the current literature. METHODS: An English literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and Cochrane databases to identify published studies up to October 2017. Preset inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to identify all eligible articles. RESULTS: Five studies (all with level IV evidence) that included a total of 51 patients who underwent reconstruction with an autogenous tendon graft were identified. It was reported that the symptoms were relieved postoperatively, including obviously improved functional outcomes and restoration of motions and exercise capacity. The mean American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society scale score of 16 patients was 53 preoperatively and 89 postoperatively. The visual analogue scale score of 14 patients decreased from 82.4 preoperatively to 12.6 postoperatively. A total of 5 (9.8%) complication cases were reported. CONCLUSION: Reconstruction of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis with an autogenous tendon for chronic syndesmosis injury showed a good therapeutic effect in terms of both subjective symptoms and objective evaluation scores. The interosseous ligament could be an appropriate reconstruction target in the treatment of chronic syndesmosis injury.

Optimum interval time of programmed intermittent epidural bolus of ropivacaine 0.08% with sufentanyl 0.3 µg/mL for labor analgesia: a biased-coin up-and-down sequential allocation trial.

BACKGROUND: The programmed intermittent epidural bolus (PIEB) technique is widely used in labor analgesia, but the parameter settings of PIEB have not yet been standardized. We designed a study to identify the optimal interval duration for PIEB using 10 mL of ropivacaine 0.08% and sufentanyl 0.3 µg/mL, a regimen commonly used to control labor pain in China, to provide effective analgesia in 90% of women during the first stage of labor without breakthrough pain. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind sequential allocation trial to obtain the effective interval 90% (EI90%) during the first stage of labor between April 2019 and May 2019. This study included the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status II-III nulliparous parturients at term, who requested epidural analgesia. The bolus volume was fixed at 10 mL of ropivacaine 0.08% with sufentanyl 0.3 µg/mL. Participants were divided into four groups (groups 60, 50, 40, and 30) according to the PIEB intervals (60, 50, 40, and 30 min, respectively). The interval duration of the first parturient was set at 60 min and that of subsequent parturients varied according to a biased-coin design. The truncated Dixon and Mood method and the isotonic regression analysis method were used to estimate the EI90% and its 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Forty-four women were enrolled in this study. The estimated optimal interval was 44.1 min (95% CI 41.7-46.5 min) and 39.5 min (95% CI 32.5-50.0 min), using the truncated Dixon and Mood method and isotonic regression analysis, respectively. The maximum sensory block level above T6 was in nearly 20% of parturients in group 30; however, 5.3%, 0%, and 0% of the parturients presented with sensory block level above T6 in groups 40, 50, and 60, respectively. There were no cases of hypotension and only one parturient complained of motor block. CONCLUSION: With a fixed 10 mL dose of ropivacaine 0.08% with sufentanyl 0.3 µg/mL, the optimal PIEB interval is about 42 min. Further studies are warranted to define the efficacy of this regimen throughout all stages of labor. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1900022199; http://www.chictr.org.cn/com/25/historyversionpuben.aspx?regno=ChiCTR1900022199.

Good outcomes at mid-term following the reconstruction of chronic Achilles tendon rupture with semitendinosus allograft.

PURPOSE: Chronic Achilles tendon rupture is commonly treated surgically, yet there are limited available data on tendon allografts for Achilles tendon reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patient-reported outcomes of chronic Achilles tendon rupture reconstructed with semitendinosus allograft. METHODS: A total of 34 patients (30 males and 4 females, average age 36.1 ± 6.8 years ranging from 25 to 50 years) who underwent Achilles tendon reconstruction with semitendinosus allograft from 2011 to 2015 were identified for this retrospective study. The American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) score, Achilles tendon total rupture score (ATRS), and Tegner score were evaluated preoperatively and at final follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 33 patients (97.1%) were followed up for a median time of 53 (range 24-80) months. The median AOFAS score increased from 50 (5-75) to 100 (86-100), the median VISA-A score increased from 23 (5-59) to 94 (52-100), the median ATRS score increased from 22.5 (6-67) to 99 (84-100), and the median Tegner score increased from 1 (0-3) to 4 (3-9). CONCLUSIONS: Reconstruction of chronic-ruptured Achilles tendon with semitendinosus allograft offers satisfactory patient-reported results with low risk of re-rupture and complications. This technique could be considered an effective alternative for chronic ruptures of the Achilles tendon. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Case series, Level IV.

Similar Outcomes at Early Term After Arthroscopic or Open Repair of Chronic Ankle Instability: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Although the open modified Broström technique remains widely accepted as the gold standard for operative treatment of ankle instability, use of the arthroscopic repair technique has been rapidly increasing. Our aim is to conduct a comparative systematic review and meta-analysis of the data to determine whether there is a significant difference in clinical outcomes between arthroscopic and open repair for lateral ankle instability. A systematic literature review was performed using PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE from 1980 to March 2018 to identify all English-language studies (level of evidence 1 to 3) comparing functional outcomes of arthroscopic versus open repair of lateral ankle instability. Four studies (1 level 1, 3 level 3) involving 207 patients met inclusion criteria. Of those, 97 participants were treated with arthroscopic repair, and 110 were treated with open repair. All of the subjective outcomes were improved for both groups across the 4 studies, without a significant difference in improvement between groups, except in 1 study, in which time to return to daily activity was significantly shorter in arthroscopic group (p < .05). Overall, this review demonstrated no statistically significant difference in outcome measures between arthroscopic versus open repair, both of which reported favorable and satisfactory outcomes, and produced equivalent clinical results. Additional randomized controlled studies of larger numbers of patients with longer follow-up times, however, are required to confirm whether arthroscopic repair leads to earlier recovery.

Tendon allograft for treatment of chronic Achilles tendon rupture: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: To summarize available evidence and determine if tendon allograft is an effective treatment for chronic Achilles tendon rupture. METHODS: A search was performed in the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Database from 1960 to April 2017 to identify relevant articles. Predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to identify all eligible articles. RESULTS: Total 186 articles were identified through our systematic search. Of these, 9 publications met the inclusion criteria. Five studies were case reports; three were case series; and one were expert opinion. Of a total 35 patients, 34 underwent Achilles tendon allograft repair and 1 peroneus brevis tendon allograft reconstruction. All patients experienced good clinical and functional results, but most reports used non-validated outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence suggests that tendon allograft offers favorable outcomes in patients with chronic Achilles tendon rupture. However, randomized controlled trials which use validated functional outcome measures are required to determine effectiveness of this intervention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, systematic review of Level IV and V studies.

Arthroscopic treatment combined with the ankle stabilization procedure is effective for sinus tarsi syndrome in patients with chronic ankle instability.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the results of arthroscopic treatment combined with ankle stabilization procedure for sinus tarsi syndrome (STS) in patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI). METHODS: A total of 57 patients (31 males and 26 females, average age 29.9 ± 8.4 years ranging from 15 to 52 years) with STS and CAI who accepted operation from 2013 to 2015 were included in this retrospective study. Surgical procedures included thorough tarsal sinus debridement and repair or reconstruction of lateral ankle ligaments according to the quality of ligaments. American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, Karlsson score, and Tegner score were evaluated preoperatively and at final follow-up. RESULTS: All the patients accepted thorough debridement of tarsal sinus. Of these, 53 patients (93.0%) had an arch structure between the posterior subtalar joint and the middle subtalar joint. Further, 54 patients accepted lateral ankle ligament repair, and 3 patients accepted ligament reconstruction. A total of 40 patients were followed up with an average time of 30.7 months. The modified AOFAS score increased from 62.5 (27-90) to 93 (67-100), the Karlsson score increased from 57 (30-82) to 90 (55-100), and the Tegner score increased from 1 (1-3) to 5 (1-8). CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopic treatment combined with the ankle stabilization procedure could get satisfactory results for STS in patients with CAI. The arch structure composed by medial calcaneal component of the medial root of the inferior extensor retinaculum (MCC) might contribute to the pathological mechanism of STS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

An alternative method for cDNA cloning from surrogate eukaryotic cells transfected with the corresponding genomic DNA.

cDNA is widely used in gene function elucidation and/or transgenics research but often suitable tissues or cells from which to isolate mRNA for reverse transcription are unavailable. Here, an alternative method for cDNA cloning is described and tested by cloning the cDNA of human LALBA (human alpha-lactalbumin) from genomic DNA. First, genomic DNA containing all of the coding exons was cloned from human peripheral blood and inserted into a eukaryotic expression vector. Next, by delivering the plasmids into either 293T or fibroblast cells, surrogate cells were constructed. Finally, the total RNA was extracted from the surrogate cells and cDNA was obtained by RT-PCR. The human LALBA cDNA that was obtained was compared with the corresponding mRNA published in GenBank. The comparison showed that the two sequences were identical. The novel method for cDNA cloning from surrogate eukaryotic cells described here uses well-established techniques that are feasible and simple to use. We anticipate that this alternative method will have widespread applications.