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TCM functional exercises are the important means of TCM to prevent and cure diseases. By adjusting the bones and muscles externally, adjusting the heart and organs internally, promoting blood circulation, improving sleep disorders, enhancing metabolism and immune capacity, the aim of preventing and treating diseases, prolonging life span, and strengthening the body is achieved. TCM exercises have a significant effect on the treatment of various types of fatigue such as chronic fatigue syndrome, Exercise-induced fatigue, post-stroke fatigue, and cancer-related fatigue.
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Objective:There are a variety of minimally invasive interventional treatments for trigeminal neuralgia,and the efficacy evaluation is different.The preferred treatment scheme is still controversial.This study aims to investigate the differences in treatment effects between patients with primary trigeminal neuralgia(PTN)treated with percutaneous balloon compression(PBC)for the first intervention and patients with pain recurrence after radiofrequency thermocoagulation(RT)who then received PBC for PTN,and to offer clinicians and patients more scientifically grounded and precise treatment alternatives. Methods:We retrospectively analyzed 103 patients with PTN admitted to the Department of Pain Management of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from January 2020 to December 2021,including 49 patients who received PBC for the first time(PBC group)and 54 patients who received PBC for pain recurrence after RT(RT+PBC group).General information,preoperative pain score,intraoperative oval foramen morphology,oval foramen area,balloon volume,duration of compression,and postoperative pain scores and pain recurrence at each time point on day 1(T1),day 7(T2),day 14(T3),1 month(T4),3 months(T5),and 1 year(T6)were collected and recorded for both groups.The differences in treatment effect,complications and recurrence between the 2 groups were compared,and the related influencing factors were analyzed. Results:The differences of general information,preoperative pain scores,foramen ovale morphology,foramen ovale area,T1 to T3 pain scores between the 2 groups were not statistically different(all P>0.05).The balloon filling volume in the PBC group was smaller than that in the RT+PBC group,the pain scores at T4 to T6 and pain recurrence were better than those in the RT+PBC group(all P<0.05).Pain recurrence was positively correlated with pain scores of T2 to T6(r=0.306,0.482,0.831,0.876,0.887,respectively;all P<0.01). Conclusion:The choice of PBC for the first intervention in PTN patients is superior to the choice of PBC after pain recurrence after RT treatment in terms of treatment outcome and pain recurrence.
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Objective To analyze the effects of deep learning image reconstruction(DLIR)and adaptive statistical iterative recon-struction V(ASIR-V)on the imaging quality of chest CT in patient with pulmonary nodules,and to evaluate the differences based on different image reconstruction techniques in the detection of efficiency of computer-aided diagnosis(CAD)for pulmonary nodules.Methods The image data of pulmonary nodules of eighty patients with chest CT screening were reconstructed with ASIR-V 80％,DLIR-low(DLIR-L),DLIR-medium(DLIR-M)and DLIR-high(DLIR-H)images,respectively.The objective image quality and sub-jective image quality of the four groups were compared and analyzed.Objective image quality includes CT value of region of interest(ROI),noise,signal-to-noise ratio(SNR),contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)and image average gradient.The diagnostic efficacy of CAD in detecting pulmonary nodules of reconstructed images among four groups were further evaluated.Results There were no signifi-cant difference in CT value of ROI of reconstructed images among the four groups(P＞0.05).The noise,SNR and CNR of DLIR-H images were similar to those of ASIR-V 80％(P＞0.05),but significantly better than those of DLIR-L and DLIR-M(P＜0.05).The average gradient of DLIR-L,DLIR-M and DLIR-H images were significantly higher than those of ASIR-V 80％(P＜0.05).The subjective image quality scores of DLIR-L,DLIR-M and DLIR-H images were significantly higher than those of ASIR-V 80％(P＜0.05),and the subjective image quality score of DLIR-H image was the highest.CAD showed the highest true positive rate in DLIR-H images for detecting pulmonary nodules(P＜0.05),and CAD showed the highest false positives per capita in ASIR-V 80％images for detecting pulmonary nodules(P＜0.05).Conclusion The noise,SNR and CNR of DLIR-H images are similar to those of ASIR-V 80％,with the significantly higher image clarity and subjective image quality scores.DLIR-H has advantages in CAD detection of pulmonary nodules,which is an ideal image reconstruction technology for chest CT pulmonary nodule screening.
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BACKGROUND:With the increasing demand for edentulous jaw restoration,"All-on-4"concept is widely used.The load transfer mode of implant is different from that of natural tooth.The three-dimensional finite element analysis can study the stress distribution of implants and surrounding bone tissues under functional loading.On this basis,it provides research methods for finding suitable implant materials,optimizing implant geometry,and designing clinical surgical protocols. OBJECTIVE:To review researches related to three-dimensional finite element analysis in"All-on-4"concept. METHODS:Relevant literature published from 2003 to 2023 was searched in CNKI and PubMed databases with the search terms of"finite element method;All-on-4;edentulous;biomechanics"in Chinese and English.Finally,65 articles were included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)In the case of insufficient horizontal bone mass,we can choose to apply narrow diameter implants,but we need to pay attention to the effect of the presence of the cantilever on the stress distribution and reduce the risk of failure.(2)The"All-on-4"concept reduces the stress distribution of bone by tilting the distal middle implant,but the ideal angle of the distal implant tilt in different jaw types requires further study.(3)The presence of cantilevers increases the risk of implant failure,and keeping the cantilever length/AP distance ratio at 0.9 helps to minimize mechanical complications.(4)When a framework is made of a material with a lower elastic modulus,the stress on the framework itself will be smaller,but it will increase the stress on the implant,prosthetic screw,abutment and peri-implant bone.On the contrary,when a material with a higher elastic modulus is used,it can reduce the stress on the prosthetic components,implants and peri-implant bone in the restoration,but the stress on the framework itself is higher.(5)The"All-on-4"concept allows for a better mechanistic balance,but requires the development of a long-term,effective treatment program that is tailored to the patient's specific situation.(6)Proper occlusal scheme is the key to the success of implant treatment,and there is no difference between canine-guide occlusion and group function occlusion in terms of the longevity of the restoration.However,there are many factors that influence occlusal design,and further in vitro experiments as well as a number of clinical studies are needed to explore the ideal occlusal design of the"All-on-4".
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Objective:To investigate the application value of biological muscle flap in laparo-scopic radical proximal gastrectomy with esophagogastric anastomosis.Methods:The retrospec-tive and descriptive study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 10 patients with adeno-carcinoma of esophagogastric junction who were admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from May 2023 to August 2023 were collected. All patients were males, aged (65±5)years. All patients underwent laparoscopic radical proximal gastrectomy and esophagogastric anastomosis with digestive tract reconstruction using the esophagogastric biological muscle flap. Observation indicators: (1) surgical situations and early complications; (2) follow-up and late com-plications. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and measure-ment data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were described as absolute numbers. Results:(1) Surgical situations and early complications. All 10 patients success-fully completed the surgery without conversion to open surgery, and the operation time was (166±18)minutes. Cases with digestive tract reconstruction as end-to-side anastomosis and Overlap anas-tomosis were 1 and 9, respectively. The time of digestive tract reconstruction, the number of lymph node dissected, volume of intraoperative blood loss, time to postoperative first anal exhaust, time to postoperative first intake of liquid food, duration of postoperative hospital stay were (40±12)minutes, 24±6, (41±9)mL, (3.4±0.5)days, (4.1±1.0)days, (8.3±0.7)days in the 10 patients. Of 4 cases with postoperative early complications, 1 case developed pulmonary infection (Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅱ) on the second day after surgery, with pulmonary infection absorbed after 5 days of antibiotic treat-ment. Two cases experienced chest distress and shortness of breath on the third day after surgery, with the diagnosis of a small to moderate amount of pleural effusion after chest B-ultrasound examination. After pleural puncture and active treatment, the symptoms of them were improved and the pleural effusion disappeared. There was 1 case with choking sensation when eating solid food, which was started from the third week after surgery. Upper gastrointestinal imaging revealed mild anastomotic stenosis of Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅰ in the patient, who was improved after conservative treatment. On the 7th day after surgery, all 10 patients underwent upper gastrointestinal angiography, and no anastomotic leakage or stenosis occurred. There was no sign of contrast agent reflux in the supine position and 30° head down position. (2) Follow-up and late complications. All 10 patients were followed up for 59.5(range, 31.0-127.0)days. The esophageal reflux scale score of 10 patients was 1.4±0.3. During the follow-up, 1 case underwent gastroscopy on 40 days after surgery, which showed reflux esophagitis with Los Angeles grade as B and the Clavien-Dindo grade as Ⅰ. There was no clinical symptom such as heartburn or acid reflux. Results of 24-hour pH monitoring showed that the patient experienced 24 instances of reflux in an upright position and 15 instances of reflux in a supine position, with no prolonged reflux. The total reflux time within 24 hours was 75 minutes. The DeMeester score was 38.3. Results of esophageal pressure measurement showed that the esophageal contraction morphology was normal, but the anastomotic opening was not well relaxed. The rest of 9 cases had no complication such as reflux esophagitis.Conclusion:Biological muscle flap applied in the laparoscopic radical proximal gastrectomy with esophagogastric anastomosis is safe and feasible, with satisfied short-term efficacy.
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Payment by diagnosis related groups(DRG)is an important research direction in China's current medical insurance payment reform.However,it limits the clinical development and utilization of innovative medicines to a certain extent.Additional payments for innovative medicines have been thoroughly studied in many countries.This paper conducted an analysis and summary of the global experience regarding additional payment for innovative medicines under the DRG payment system.U-sing the United States,France,and Germany as case studies,this paper also examined the current state of medical insurance pay-ment for innovative medicines in China and the influence of DRG payment on the development of such medicine.In addition,it has put forward explicit policy recommendations,including the establishment of inclusion criteria,the selection of appropriate payment modes,the implementation of dynamic adjustment mechanisms,the enhancement of payment methods,etc.This paper aims to provide references to comprehensively promote DRG payment reform while further establishing and enhancing medical in-surance payment mechanisms related to innovative medicines in the context of China's national conditions.
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Objective To compare the therapeutic efficacy of whey protein powder in peritoneal dialysis hypoproteinemia patients.Methods From August 2019 to August 2020,100 patients with peritoneal dialysis hypoproteinemia from the Peritoneal Dialysis Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University were investigated.The patients were separated into 2 groups randomly;the study group were administered whey protein powder and the control group with high protein food.After 32 weeks of treatment,biochemical and biometric indices including hemoglobin(Hb),albumin(ALB),prealbumin(PA),triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC),phosphorus(P),low density lipoprotein(LDL),high density lipoprotein(HDL),serum creatinine(Scr),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),estimated glo-merular filtration rate(eGFR),total spKt/Vurea(TKt/V),total creatinine clearance rate(TCcr),hand grip strength(HG),triceps skinfold(TSF),arm circumference(AMC),mid-arm muscle circumference(MAMC)were compared between groups.Results Compared with 0 week,at 16 and 32 weeks,ALB,PA,and HG were significantly increased in the study group(P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,ALB,PA,and HG increased significantly at 16 and 32 weeks in the study group(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in TG,TC,HDL,LDL,eGFR,TKt/V,and TCcr at 0,8,16,and 32 weeks between the control and study groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion For patients with peritoneal dialysis hypoproteinemia caused by insufficient protein intake or excessive protein loss,the addition of whey protein during peritoneal dialysis can significantly improve the nutritional status of patients,with greater efficacy than a high protein diet alone.
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Bioactive compounds derived from herbal medicinal plants modulate various therapeutic targets and signaling pathways associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the world's primary cause of death. Ginkgo biloba, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine with notable cardiovascular actions, has been used as a cardio- and cerebrovascular therapeutic drug and nutraceutical in Asian countries for centuries. Preclinical studies have shown that ginkgolide B, a bioactive component in Ginkgo biloba, can ameliorate atherosclerosis in cultured vascular cells and disease models. Of clinical relevance, several clinical trials are ongoing or being completed to examine the efficacy and safety of ginkgolide B-related drug preparations in the prevention of cerebrovascular diseases, such as ischemia stroke. Here, we present a comprehensive review of the pharmacological activities, pharmacokinetic characteristics, and mechanisms of action of ginkgolide B in atherosclerosis prevention and therapy. We highlight new molecular targets of ginkgolide B, including nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidases (NADPH oxidase), lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1), sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), platelet-activating factor (PAF), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and others. Finally, we provide an overview and discussion of the therapeutic potential of ginkgolide B and highlight the future perspective of developing ginkgolide B as an effective therapeutic agent for treating atherosclerosis.
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Organ transplantation is the optimal treatment for end-stage organ failure. Nevertheless, organ shortage is a global problem, which limits further development of organ transplantation. Recent research shows that genetically modified pig may become a realistic alternative source of clinical organ transplantation donor. Xenotransplantation may serve as one of the effective measures to resolve the problem of organ shortage. Since 2021, 2 cases of living xenotransplantation and 6 cases of xenotransplantation in brain death recipients have been performed worldwide, and phase Ⅰ clinical trial of xenotransplantation has been launched, and the results have exceeded expectations. Therefore, in this article, recent clinical trial results of xenotransplantation in living and brain death recipients were retrospectively analyzed, and scientific, technical and ethical issues related to clinical research of xenotransplantation were illustrated, hoping to provide reference for clinical research of xenotransplantation in China and promote the development of xenotransplantation in clinical practice.
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Aim To investigate the regulatory effect of Cortaetin on pathological myocardial hypertrophy induced by isoprenaline (ISO) and the underlying mechanism. Methods ISO was used to stimulate neonatal rat cardiomyocytes for 24 h, and myocardial hypertrophy model was established at the cellular level. C57BL/6 mice were injected subcutaneously with ISO for one week to establish myocardial hypertrophy model at animal level. RT-qPCR was used to detect the changes of mRNA and Western blot was used to detect the changes of relative protein content. Immunofluorescence was used to measure the subcellular location of Cortaetin and the change of its expression. The overex-pression of Cortaetin by adenovirus infection and the knockdown of Cortaetin by transfection of small interfering RNA were studied. Results On the cellular and animal levels, ISO-induced myocardial hypertrophy models were successfully established, and it was observed that ISO caused the decrease of Cortaetin and N-cadherin protein levels. Overexpression of Cortaetin could reverse the decrease of N-cadherin protein level and myocardial hypertrophy caused by ISO. Knockdown of Cortaetin showed the opposite effect. Conclusion Cortaetin, in combination with N-cadherin, may play a role in combating myocardial hypertrophy by enhancing the connections between cardiomyocytes.
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Objective:To investigate the impact of nursing simulation training combined with mentor responsibility system teaching on the thinking ability and core competence of interns receiving surgical nursing training.Methods:A total of 96 nursing students who were trained in Department of General Surgery in our hospital were selected as subjects, and they were randomly divided into control group (conventional teaching+mentor responsibility system) and observation group (nursing simulation training+mentor responsibility system) using a random number table, with 48 students in each group. The two groups were compared in terms of assessment score, clinical thinking ability, creative ability, core competence, and degree of satisfaction with teaching. SPSS 24.0 was used for the t-test, the chi-square test, and the Fisher's exact test. Results:After teaching, the observation group had significantly higher theoretical[(75.92±1.15) vs. (73.01±0.89)] and skill test scores[(16.96±1.17) vs. (15.10±1.03)] than the control group ( P<0.05). After teaching, both groups had significant increases in the scores of evidence-based thinking, critical thinking, and systematic thinking abilities, and the observation group had significantly higher scores than the control group ( P<0.05). After teaching, both groups had significant increases in the scores of curiosity, adventure, challenge, and imagination, and the observation group had significantly higher scores than the control group ( P<0.05). After teaching, both groups had significant increases in the scores of practical ability, organization and communication, quality evaluation improvement, critical thinking, scientific research innovation, and training guidance, and the observation group had significantly higher scores than the control group ( P<0.05). After teaching, the observation group had significantly higher scores of each dimension of teaching satisfaction than the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Nursing simulation training combined with mentor responsibility system teaching can effectively improve the teaching quality of surgical nursing training, enhance clinical thinking ability and core competence, and increase the degree of satisfaction with teaching.
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Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy(JME)is a common subtype of idiopathic generalized epilepsy(IGE).Genetic factors play an important role in JME.Multiple genes and chromosomal loci have been found to be associated with the onset of JME.According to the different mechanisms involved in gene mutations causing JME,JME related genes can be divided into ion channel genes and non-ion channel genes.The mechanism of action of ion channel genes has gradually been clarified which only accounts for a few cases.The mechanism of action of JME related non-ion channel genes is not yet clear.This article will review the research progress of JME related non-ion channel genes from three aspects:neurotransmitter related genes(CHRNA4,GRM4,SLC6A4),nervous system development related genes(TOP3B,CILK1,BRD2,EFHC1)and other related genes(TAP-1,CX36).
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Objective:To explore the regulatory mechanism of α-synuclein in the degradation of autophagy-lysosome pathway(ALP) in Parkinson disease(PD) model cells after interference or overexpression of dynein heavy chain(Dynhc) gene.Methods:SH-SY5Y cells were divided into control group, PD group, Dynhc interference group, Dynhc overexpression group, and Dynhc interference+ rapamycin group according to experimental requirements.Using Western blot to detect Dynhc, α-synuclein, microtubule-associated protein l light chain 3 (LC3), lysosome-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2), tubulin, dynein activator protein p150, and kinesin KIF5B.Flow cytometry was used to detect the level of cell apoptosis.Immunoconfocal microscopy was used to observe the structure of tubulin and the co-localization of LC3 and LAMP.SPSS 23.0 software was used for statistical analysis.One-way ANOVA was used for inter group comparisons, and further pairwise comparisons were conducted by LSD- t test. Results:There were statistically significant differences in the expression of α-synuclein, autophagy-related proteins, microtubules, and microtubule-related proteins among cells in the 5 groups(all P<0.001). The protein expression levels of Dynhc, α-synuclein, LC3, LAMP2, p150, and KIF5B in the PD group were higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The protein levels of Dynhc, LAMP2, tubulin and p150 in the Dynhc interference group were lower than those in the PD group (all P<0.05), while the protein levels of α-synuclein, LC3 and KIF5B were higher than those in the PD group (all P<0.05). The protein levels of α-synuclein, LC3, and KIF5B in the Dynhc overexpression group were lower than those in the PD group (all P<0.05), while the protein levels of Dynhc, LAMP2 and p150 were higher than those in the PD group (all P<0.05). The protein level of LC3 in the Dynhc interference+ rapamycin group was higher than that in the Dynhc interference group ( P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the protein levels of Dynhc, α-synuclein, LAMP2, microtubule protein, p150 and KIF5B compared to the Dynhc interference group (all P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the cell apoptosis rate in PD group increased((12.77±1.66)%, (7.64±1.45)%), the microtubule morphology remained unchanged, and autophagosomes fused more with lysosomes. Compared with the PD group, the cell apoptosis rate of Dynhc overexpression group decreased, and there was no significant change in microtubule structure, and there was more fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes.Compared with the PD group, the cell apoptosis rat of Dynhc interference group increased((18.45±1.91)%), and the microtubule morphology was sparse, and there was less fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes. Compared with the PD group, the Dynhc overexpression group showed a decrease in cell apoptosis rate ((9.95±1.56)%), no significant changes in microtubule structure, and more fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes.Compared with the Dynhc interference group, the Dynhc interference+ rapamycin group showed no significant changes in cell apoptosis rate ((19.05±2.46)%), microtubule morphology, and fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes. Conclusion:Dynhc can reduce cell apoptosis by enhancing cell ALP function, increasing the degradation of α-synuclein and maintaining of microtubule structure integrity.
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The clinical utilization of doxorubicin (Dox) in various malignancies is restrained by its major adverse effect: irreversible cardiomyopathy. Extensive studies have been done to explore the prevention of Dox cardiomyopathy. Currently, ferroptosis has been shown to participate in the incidence and development of Dox cardiomyopathy. Sorting Nexin 3 (SNX3), the retromer-associated cargo binding protein with important physiological functions, was identified as a potent therapeutic target for cardiac hypertrophy in our previous study. However, few study has shown whether SNX3 plays a critical role in Dox-induced cardiomyopathy. In this study, a decreased level of SNX3 in Dox-induced cardiomyopathy was observed. Cardiac-specific Snx3 knockout (Snx3-cKO) significantly alleviated cardiomyopathy by downregulating Dox-induced ferroptosis significantly. SNX3 was further demonstrated to exacerbate Dox-induced cardiomyopathy via induction of ferroptosis in vivo and in vitro, and cardiac-specific Snx3 transgenic (Snx3-cTg) mice were more susceptible to Dox-induced ferroptosis and cardiomyopathy. Mechanistically, SNX3 facilitated the recycling of transferrin 1 receptor (TFRC) via direct interaction, disrupting iron homeostasis, increasing the accumulation of iron, triggering ferroptosis, and eventually exacerbating Dox-induced cardiomyopathy. Overall, these findings established a direct SNX3-TFRC-ferroptosis positive regulatory axis in Dox-induced cardiomyopathy and suggested that targeting SNX3 provided a new effective therapeutic strategy for Dox-induced cardiomyopathy through TFRC-dependent ferroptosis.
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OBJECTIVE To explore the role and underlying mechanism of tournefolic acid B （TAB） on the improvement of glucose metabolism and renal function in diabetic nephropathy （DN） model mice. METHODS DN model mice were established by high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin， and then randomly divided into model group， positive control group （vitamin E， 20 mg/kg）， TAB low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （1， 2， 4 mg/kg）， with 12 mice in each group； normal control group was given regular diet. Each group was given relevant medicine or normal saline intragastrically， once a day， for 4 consecutive weeks. The glucose metabolic function was estimated by fasting blood glucose， glucose tolerance test， insulin tolerance test and serum insulin concentration. The renal coefficients and biochemical indicators related to renal function [serum uric acid， blood urea nitrogen， creatinine levels， and ratio of urine microalbumin to creatinine] were detected in mice； the contents of biochemical indicators related to oxidative stress [superoxide dismutase （SOD）， glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine （8-OHdG）] were determined in renal tissue of mice； the pathological morphology of renal tissue was observed； the expressions of extracellular matrix （ECM） deposition related factors [transforming growth factor β1 （TGF- β1）， fibronectin （Fn）， type Ⅳ collagen （Col Ⅳ）] and protein kinase B （Akt）/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）/heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1） pathway related proteins were determined in renal tissue of mice. RESULTS Compared with normal control group， fasting blood glucose， area under glucose tolerance curve， area under insulin tolerance curve， serum insulin content， the levels of uric acid， urea nitrogen and creatinine @qq.com and ratio of urinary microalbumin to creatinine in serum， the contents of MDA and 8-OHdG and the protein expressions of TGF-β1， Fn and Col Ⅳ were increased significantly in model group （P＜0.05）， while the contents of SOD， GSH-Px and the protein expressions of p-Akt， Nrf2， HO-1 in renal tissue were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）； the significant thickening of the basement membrane， accumulation of mesangial matrix， glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis of the renal tubules were all found. Compared with model group， above indexes of mice were all reversed significantly in TAB groups （P＜0.05）， and pathological changes were alleviated in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS TAB can improve blood glucose metabolism and kidney function and alleviate renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis in DN model mice， the mechanism of which may be associated with activating the Akt/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and suppressing ECM deposition.
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An UHPLC-Q-exactive orbitrap MS method for the simultaneous determination of 19 chemical components in Qilong Zhuang'er oral liquid was established and the quality differences between different batches of samples was compared by chemometric analysis to provide a basis for the quality evaluation of the preparation. The contents of allantoin, L-proline, pyroglutamic acid, hordenine, adenosine, L-phenylalanine, guanosine, L-tryptophan, caffeic acid, calycosin-7-glucoside, verbascoside, isoacteoside, ononin, calycosin, 3-hydroxy-9,10-dimethoxyptercarpan, formononetin, atractylenolide III, atractylenolide II and astragaloside A were analyzed by cluster heat map, principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) using Hiplot platform and MarkerlynxXS software to comprehensively evaluate the quality difference of different batches of Qilong Zhuang'er oral liquid. The 19 chemical compounds showed good linearity in their respective concentration ranges (r ≥ 0.999). The RSD of precision, repeatability and stability (24 h) tests were all less than 1.94%. The average recovery was 97.24%-102.75% (RSD < 2.74%, n = 6). The 10 batches of samples were divided into two categories by cluster heat map and PCA analysis. 3-Hydroxy-9,10-dimethoxyptercarpan, atractylenolide III, calycosin, atractylenolide II, formononetin, allantoin and caffeic acid were identified as differential markers by PLS-DA. The established multi component quantitative method of Qilong Zhuang'er oral liquid combined with chemometric analysis can provide reference for the quality evaluation of the preparation.
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Stroke is one of the most common cerebrovascular diseases， including hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke. From a modern medical perspective， stroke is caused by cerebrovascular damage or embolism leading to impaired blood circulation. From the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） perspective， the pathogenesis of this disease is mainly due to the disorder of Qi and blood， which ascend to the brain， causing either blood extravasation or blockage of brain collaterals. Stasis is a pathological factor that runs throughout the entire course of stroke， and the method of promoting blood circulation and resolving stasis has been a core treatment for stroke for a long time. Hirudo， as a traditional insect drug， has shown good effects in promoting blood circulation and resolving stasis. Modern pharmacological research has confirmed that Hirudo contains anticoagulant components， which provide significant advantages in dissolving thrombi in ischemic stroke and facilitating hematoma absorption in hemorrhagic stroke. Hirudo and its related preparations have been proven to exert an anti-stroke effect through anticoagulation， anti-thrombosis， and protection of vascular endothelium. As a result， they have been widely used in the treatment of stroke. This article explored the theoretical basis and research status of using Hirudo for treating stroke based on its main active components and hemostatic properties and summarized the current research status of commonly used Hirudo-based formulations and preparations， aiming to provide references for the involvement of Hirudo in stroke treatment.
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Objective To establish a scoring system based on the preoperative serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and to investigate its value in predicting the prognosis of patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 154 HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy as the initial treatment in Tianjin First Central Hospital from January 2016 to August 2019. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the optimal cut-off values of serum AFP and ALP; the Kaplan-Meier curve and the log-rank test were used for survival analysis to evaluate the relationship between the AFP-ALP score and disease-free survival (DFS); univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify the independent prognostic factors for HCC patients. The independent samples t -test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. Results The ROC curve analysis showed that serum AFP had an optimal cut-off value of 250.0 ng/mL and an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.674 (95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 0.580-0.767) in predicting DFS, while serum ALP had an optimal cut-off value of 95.5 U/L and an AUC of 0.745 (95% CI : 0.652-0.838). The survival analysis showed that high preoperative serum levels of AFP (≥250.0 ng/mL) and ALP (≥95.5 U/L) were significantly associated with the poor prognosis of HCC patients ( P < 0.001). Based on the AFP-ALP score, all HCC patients were further divided into 0-point group (AFP < 250.0 ng/mL and ALP < 95.5 U/L), 1-point group (AFP≥250.0 ng/mL, ALP < 95.5 U/L; or AFP < 250.0 ng/mL, ALP ≥95.5 U/L), and 2-point group (AFP≥250.0 ng/mL and ALP≥95.5 U/L). The survival curves showed that the 0-, 1-, and 2-point groups had a median DFS of 60.0 (56.7-67.3) months, 20.0 (1.4-36.6) months, and 13.0(7.9-18.0) months, respectively, and there were significant survival differences between the three groups ( P < 0.05). Serum AFP-ALP score (1 point vs 0 point: hazard ratio [ HR ]=4.060, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 2.050-8.039, P < 0.001; 2 points vs 0 point: HR =4.583, 95% CI : 2.385-8.805, P < 0.001) was an independent prognostic factor for HCC patients. Conclusion The scoring system based on the serum levels of AFP and ALP can effectively identify HCC patients with poor prognosis, and therefore, it might be used as a simple and reliable tool for prognostic assessment in the clinical treatment of HCC.
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Objective@# To explore whether Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) can reduce the apoptosis of retinal photoreceptor cells in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) mice by inhibiting nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain-associated protein 3 (NLRP3) signaling pathway. @*Methods@# (i) In vitro experiments, mouse retinal ganglion cells (661W cells) were divided into normal, model, LBP low-dose (LBP-L, 40 mg/L), LBP middle-dose (LBP-M, 80 mg/L), LBP high-dose (LBP-H, 160 mg/L), and positive drug control (NLRP3 inhibitor, 160 mg/L) groups. And the 661W cells were exposed to varying concentrations of H2O2 ranging from 50 to 400 μmol/L to determine the optimal concentration for inducing apoptosis (200 μmol/L). Then the cell viability was assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), while the apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry; the expression of NLRP3 was detected by immunofluorescence; and the expression of apoptosis markers was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot (WB). (ii) In vivo assays were carried out with the use of C57/BL6 and Rd10 mice. The animal experimental groups were divided into normal, model, LBP-L, LBP-M, LBP-H, and NLRP3 inhibitor groups, in which the normal group was C57/BL6 mice and the other groups were Rd10 mice. Ten mice were included in each group, and the corresponding drugs were administered intragastrically for a duration of four weeks. NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway and the expression of apoptosis markers were observed by electroretinogram, histopathological examination, and WB to assess the effects of LBP on retinal photoreceptor cell apoptosis.@*Results@#(i) In vitro experiments, compared with the normal group, the apoptosis rate of 661W cells in model group was significantly increased (P < 0.01), and the expression levels of key proteins of NF-κB/NLRP pathway, such as NLRP3, NF-κB, p-NF-κB, and pro-apoptotic protein caspase-3, were up-regulated (P < 0.01). The rate of Bax/Bcl-2 was increased (P < 0.01), and the concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were significantly increased (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, high dose of LBP decreased the apoptosis rate of 661W cells (P < 0.01), and down-regulated the expression levelsof the key proteins of NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway, including NF-κB, NLRP3, p-NF-κB, and caspase-3 (P < 0.01). The rate of Bax/Bcl-2 was decreased (P < 0.01), and the concentrations of IL-1β and TNF-α were decreased (P < 0.01). (ii) In vivo experiments, high dose of LBP significantly increased morphological changes in the outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness of Rd10 mice, as well as functional changes in the amplitudes of the a-wave and b-wave (P < 0.01), which also down-regulated the expression levels of NF-κB (P < 0.05), NLRP3, p-NF-κB, and caspase-3 (P < 0.01), reduced the Bax/Bcl-2 rate (P < 0.01), and decreased the concentrations of IL-1β (P < 0.01) and TNF-α (P < 0.05). @*Conclusion@#LBP could improve both retinal morphology and function, providing protection to photoreceptors from apoptosis through the inhibition of the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.
ABSTRACT
Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) is a serious complication after acute ischemic stroke, leading to increased adverse outcomes and mortality. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of studies in predicting HT occurrence, but most of the existing studies have focused on patients accepted reperfusion therapy, and few studies have predicted spontaneous HT. This article provides a review of epidemiology, risk factors, and available prediction models for prediction of spontaneous HT after acute ischemic stroke.