Clinical study on the treatment of distal ulcerative colitis with Ganyu-Pixu by the therapeutic method of Rougan Jianpi and mesalazine enema / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Rougan Jianpi therapy combined with Mesalazine enema in the treatment of distal ulcerative colitis (DUC) with Ganyu-Pixu syndrome.Methods:This study is a prospective parallel randomized controlled study. From November 2021 to May 2022, 115 patients with DUC in Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine were selected and randomly divided into a control group of 58 patients and a study group of 57 patients. The control group was treated with Mesalazine enema, and the study group was treated with Rougan Jianpi Decoction on the basis of the control group. Both groups were treated for 8 weeks. The severity of the disease was evaluated by using the Modified Mayo Scale, and the clinical and endoscopic efficacy was evaluated based on the changes in the score before and after treatment. TCM syndromes were scored from four aspects: abdominal pain, diarrhea, mucopurulent bloody stool, Rectal tenesmus, and anal burning. The quality of life was evaluated by using the IBD Quality of Life Scale (IBDQ). The serum TNF-αand IL-10 level were detected by using ELISA method. The adverse reactions during treatment were observed and recorded.Results:The total effective rate of the study group was 91.23% (52/57), while that of the control group was 79.31% (46/58). The difference between the two groups was no statistically significant ( Z=1.47, P=0.143). The proportion of patients in the study group who achieved clinical response[40.35% (23/57) vs. 51.72% (30/58)] and clinical relief [59.65% (34/57) vs. 43.11% (25/58)] the total proportion were significantly higher than those in the control group [100.00% (57/57) vs. 94.83% (55/58); Z=1.97, P=0.049]. The proportion of patients with endoscopic response [52.63% (30/57) vs. 56.90% (33/58)] and mucosal healing [33.33% (19/57) vs. 17.24% (10/58)] the total proportion in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group [85.96% (49/57) vs. 74.14% (43/58); Z=2.23, P=0.026]. after treatment, the IBDQ score [(194.3±15.1) vs. (172.6±18.4), t=6.90] in the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group. After treatment, the patient's TCM symptom score: mucopurulent bloody stool [(1.7±0.8) vs. (2.0±0.6), t=2.03], rectal tenesmus [(1.5±0.6) vs. (1.8±0.6), t=2.32] and anal burning [(1.3±0.6) vs. (1.6±0.7), t=2.38] in the control group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05). The level of IL-10 [(53.3±8.0) ng/L vs. (49.0±6.7) ng/L, t=3.10] in the study group after treatment was higher than that of the control group ( P<0.01), and TNF-α [(28.3±7.9)ng/L vs. (36.8±8.1)ng/L, t=3.58] was lower than that of the control group ( P<0.01). There were no significant adverse reactions observed during the treatment in both groups. Conclusion:Method of Rougan Jianpi combined with mesalazine enema can improve the clinical symptoms of DUC patients, improve clinical efficacy, and have good safety.

Postnatal age-related change of brain volume and its association with neurobehavior outcome in term neonates / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

Objective To analyze the relationship of the volume of 87 brain regions with postnatal age and neurobehavior in full-term neonates.Methods A total of 75 full-term newborns[gestational age(39.38±1.22)weeks;male/female(51/24);postnatal age(11.11±6.67)days]without abnormalities on brain MRI(three-dimensional T1-weighted imaging,3D T1WI)at our hospital between November 2010 and September 2017 were retrospectively included.Based on the template of 87 brain regions,the neonatal brains were divided into 87 brain regions and their volumes were calculated by using V-shape Bottleneck network(VB-Net)deep learning segmentation technique,Pearson partial correlation and regression analysis were used to explore the relationship of the volume of each brain region with postnatal age and neurobehavioral scores.Results After adjusting for gestational age,birth weight,head circumference,body length and sex,66.7％of the regional brain volumes(58/87 brain regions)significantly increased with the postnatal age(correlation coefficient r:0.2-0.7,P＜0.05).The volumes of gray matter in bilateral lentiform nucleus,left caudate nucleus,right occipital lobe,right inferior temporal lobe,and bilateral anterior temporal lobe strongly correlated with the postnatal age(r＞0.50,P＜0.05).The gray matter volume of the right occipital lobe linearly increased with age(slope:100.67),and was positively correlated with behavioral scores(r=0.324,P＜0.01).Conclusion Most of regional brain volumes increase with the postnatal age during the neonatal period,and the fastest growth occurs in primary sensorimotor-related brain regions,presenting the spatial heterogeneity.Partial brain region grows with the development of behavioral ability.

Effects of 3.0T magnetic resonance noise on the hearing of children aged 0-12 years with routine hearing protection / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

Objective To explore the effect of exposure to noise of 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)on children's cochlear function.Methods We prospectively recruited 72 children who underwent cranial MRI examination at our hospital from May to November 2018;3M earplugs and sponge mats were used for hearing protection during MRI scanning.Noise level(dBA)of each MRI sequence was detected with a nonmagnetic microphone and a sound level meter.Distortion product otoacoustic emissions(DPOAE)test at 2-7 kHz was performed 24 hours before and 30 minutes after the MRI examination.Paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze differences in DPOAE amplitude before and after the MRI examination.Results The average noise level of MRI measured in the study was(107.7±3.92)dBA.Compared with that before the MRI examination,the DPOAE amplitude(dB)changed little after the MRI examination;the range of amplitude differences in each age group was as follows:left ear(-0.24-1.10)and right ear(-0.24-0.74)in the 0-1 year-old group;left ear(-0.07-0.59)and right ear(-0.57-0.75)in the 2-5 year-old group;left ear(-0.36-0.44)and right ear(-0.30-0.57)in the 6-12 year-old group.No statistically significant difference was found(correction P＞0.05).Conclusion No potential impact of 3.0T MRI noise on children's cochlear function was observed under routine hearing protection.

The expression and significance of serum HO-1 and NQO-1 in children with different severity of mycoplasma pneumoniae infection / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To explore the expression and clinical significance of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and quinone oxidoreductase (NQO-1) in children with different severity levels of mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection.Methods:A total of 140 children with MP infection who were treated at the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University from January to June 2022 were selected as the observation group, while 100 healthy children who underwent physical examination were selected as the control group. The serum levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-6, IL-10, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interferon γ (IFN-γ), HO-1, and relative expression of NQO-1 protein were compared between the control group and the observation group, as well as between children with different degrees of MP infection, Forced vital capacity (FVC), maximum expiratory volume in the first second (FEV 1), peak expiratory flow rate (PEF), 50% forced expiratory flow rate and maximum mid expiratory flow rate (MEF 25-70), 50% forced expiratory flow rate (MEF 50), and 25% forced expiratory flow rate (MEF 25). Pearson correlation method was used to analyze the correlation between the expression of HO-1 and NQO-1 with inflammatory factors and lung function indicators. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the value of HO-1 and NQO-1 expression in predicting severe MP. Results:The serum levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and HO-1 in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05), while the relative expression level of NQO-1 protein was significantly lower than that in the control group ( P<0.05). The FVC, FEV 1, PEF, MEF 25-70, MEF 50, and MEF 25 in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The serum levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and HO-1 in the observation group of severe children were significantly higher than those in mild children (all P<0.05), while the relative expression of NQO-1 protein, FVC, FEV 1, PEF, MEF 25-70, MEF 50, and MEF 25 were significantly lower than those in mild children (all P<0.05). HO-1 in children with MP infection is positively correlated with IL-6, IL-1β, and IFN-γ, while the relative expression level of NQO-1 protein is negatively correlated with IL-6, IL-1β, and IFN-γ (all P<0.05); HO-1 was negatively correlated with MEF 50 and MEF 25, while the relative expression level of NQO-1 protein was positively correlated with MEF 50 (all P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve for predicting the relative expression levels of HO-1 and NQO-1 proteins in severe MP was 0.871 and 0.934, respectively (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The expression of serum HO-1 and NQO-1 in children with MP infection is correlated with cytokines and lung function indicators, and has certain application value in predicting severe illness.

Clinical effects of San'ao Decoction combined with salbutamol on patients with cough variant asthma / 中成药

AIM To explore the clinical effects of San'ao Decoction combined with salbutamol on patients with cough variant asthma.METHODS Eighty patients were randomly assigned into control group(40 cases)for 3-month administration of salbutamol,and observation group(40 cases)for 3-month administration of both San'ao Decoction and mifepristone.The changes in clinical efficacy,TCM syndrome scores,serum MMP-9,VEGF and sex hormones(E2,FSH,PRL)and incidence of adverse reactions were detected.The changes in clinical efficacy,EOS,SIgG4,TIgE,Eotaxin,NKA,LTD4,IL-27,SP,R5-R20,Fres,R5,Zrs,PEF diurnal variation rate,FEF25,PEF,ACT score,PAQLQ score,recurrence rate and incidence of adverse reactions were detected.RESULTS The observation group demonstrated higher total effective rate than the control group(P<0.05),along with lower recurrence rate(P<0.05).After the treatment,the two groups displayed decreased EOS,TIgE,Eotaxin,NKA,LTD4,SP,R5-R20,Fres,R5,Zrs and PEF diurnal variation rate(P<0.05),and increased SIgG4,IL-27,FEF25,PEF,ACT score,PAQLQ score(P<0.05),especially for the observation group(P<0.05).No significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions was found between the two groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION For the patients with cough variant asthma,San'ao Decoction combined with salbutamol can improve EOS,TIgE,Eotaxin,SIgG4 levels and airway resistance indices,lung function indices,regulate neurogenic mediators,alleviate airway inflammation injury,enhance life quality,and reduce recurrence rate.

Danggui Buxuetang Alleviates Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Diabetic Kidney Disease Rats by Improving Mitochondrial Dysfunction of Podocytes / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the intervention effect of Danggui Buxuetang on oxidative stress and inflammatory response in diabetic kidney disease （DKD） rats from its improvement of podocyte mitochondrial dysfunction. MethodSD rats were randomly divided into the control group and modeling group， and the ones in the latter group rats were fed a high-glucose and high-fat diet and then intraperitoneally injected with a small dose of streptozotocin （STZ） for inducing type 2 diabetes. The successfully modeled rats were randomized into the model group， high- and low-dose （1.44 and 0.72 g·kg-1） Danggui Buxuetang groups， and irbesartan （0.017 g·kg-1）group and gavaged with the corresponding drugs， while those in the normal and model groups with an equal volume of normal saline. After 20 weeks of drug intervention， the urinary microalbumin-to-urine creatinine ratio （UACR） and serum malondialdehyde （MDA） content and manganese superoxide dismutase （MnSOD） activity in each group were measured. The pathological changes in renal tissue were observed by Masson trichrome staining， and periodic acid-silver metheramine （PASM） staining， followed by the observation of ultrastructural changes in podocytes under the transmission electron microscope （TEM）. The expression level of reactive oxygen species （ROS） in rat kidney tissue was detected using a fluorescent probe dihydroethidium （DHE）. The protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ -coactivator -1α （PGC-1α）， nucleotide-binding domain like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， and Wilms tumor protein-1 （WT-1） were measured by immunohistochemistry （IHC）， and the expression levels of NLRP3， interleukin-1β （IL-1β），and WT-1 in podocytes by immunofluorescence （IF） assay. The mRNA expression levels of PGC-1α and NLRP3 in the renal tissues were determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and the protein expression levels of PGC-1α， MnSOD， NLRP3， and IL-1β were assayed by Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited elevated UACR and MDA content， weakened MnSOD activity （P<0.01）， glomerular hypertrophy， thickened basement membrane， mesangial hyperplasia， increased extracellular matrix， K-W nodules， podocyte mitochondrial swelling， disordered mitochondrial cristae， foot process fusion or loss， vacuolization， increased ROS （P<0.01）， enhanced NLRP3 and IL-1β but diminished WT-1 expression in podocytes， down-regulated PGC-1α mRNA expression （P<0.01） and PGC-1α and MnSOD protein expression （P<0.01）， and up-regulated NLRP3 mRNA expression and NLRP3 and IL-1β protein expression （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Danggui Buxuetang high-dose group significantly decreased UACR and MDA， enhanced MnSOD activity （P<0.05， P<0.01）， improved renal histopathology and podocyte mitochondrial ultrastructure， decreased ROS （P<0.05， P<0.01） and NLRP3 and IL-1β expression in podocytes， enhanced WT-1 expression in podocytes， up-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of PGC-1α and MnSOD， and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3 and IL-1β （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionDanggui Buxuetang alleviates oxidative stress， reduces inflammatory response， protects kidney， and delays the progression of DKD possibly by improving the mitochondrial dysfunction in podocytes of DKD rats.

Effect of Danggui Buxuetang on Podocyte Injury in Diabetic Kidney Disease Rats： An Exploration Based on RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Danggui Buxuetang on the podocyte injury and receptor-interacting protein kinase 1/receptor-interacting protein kinase3/mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein （RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL） signaling pathway in diabetic kidney disease （DKD） ratsand to explore its possible mechanism against DKD. MethodEight of the 50 SD rats were randomly classified intoa normal group， and the remaining were fed a high-glucose and high-fat diet for six weeks and then intraperitoneally injected with 0.035 g·kg-1streptozotocin （STZ） for inducing type 2 diabetes. After successful modeling，they were randomized into the model group，high- and low-dose （1.44，0.72 g·kg-1） Danggui Buxuetang groups， and irbesartan （0.017 g·kg-1）group. After 20 weeks of drug intervention， the fasting blood glucose （FBG）， kidney index （KI），and urinary microalbumin-to-urine creatinine ratio （UACR）were detected in each group. The pathological changes in renal tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， followed by the observation of ultrastructural changes in podocytes under the transmission electron microscope. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in renal tissue of rats were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the protein expression levels of RIPK1， RIPK3， and MLKL in rat kidney tissue by immunohistochemistry. The apoptosis rate of podocytes was detected by in situ nick end-labeling （TUNEL） assay. The mRNA expression levels of RIPK1， RIPK3， and MLKL in kidney tissue of rats were measured by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and the protein expression levels of RIPK， RIPK3， and MLKL and podocyte marker Wilms tumor protein-1 （WT-1） in rat kidney tissue were assayed by Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited elevated FBG， UACR， and KI （P<0.01）， glomerular hypertrophy， thickened basement membrane， increased extracellular matrix， mesangial hyperplasia， foot process fusion or loss， enhanced apoptosis in renal tissue， up-regulated TNF-α and IL-6 levels （P<0.01） and RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL mRNA and protein expression （P<0.01）， and down-regulated WT-1 protein expression. Compared with the model group， Danggui Buxuetang high-dose group significantly reduced the levels of FBG， UACR， and KI， improved renal histopathology， podocyte loss， and apoptosis in renal tissue， down-regulated TNF-α and IL-6 levels and RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL mRNA and protein expression （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and up-regulated WT-1 protein expression. ConclusionDanggui Buxuetang alleviates podocyte injury and delays the development of DKD possibly by regulating the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL signaling pathway.

Effect of Danggui Buxuetang on Podocyte Pyroptosis in Diabetic Kidney Disease Rats： An Exploration Based on TXNIP/NLRP3/GSDMD Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Danggui Buxuetang on podocyte pyroptosis in diabetic kidney disease （DKD） rats and to explore the possible mechanism of its prevention and treatment of DKD and podocyte pyroptosis. MethodEight of the 50 male SD rats were randomly classified into a normal group， and the remaining 42 were fed a high-glucose and high-fat diet for six weeks and then intraperitoneally injected with 35 mg·kg-1 streptozotocin （STZ） for inducing type 2 diabetes. After successful modeling， they were randomized into the model group， low- （0.72 g·kg-1） and high-dose （1.44 g·kg-1） Danggui Buxuetang group， and irbesartan （0.017 g·kg-1） group and gavaged with the corresponding drugs， while those in the normal group and model group with an equal volume of normal saline， once per day， for 20 weeks. During the medication， the fasting blood glucose （FBG） and 24 h urine protein （24 h-UTP） were measured regularly. After administration， the pathological changes in renal tissues were observed by periodic acid-silver metheramine （PASM） staining， followed by the observation of ultrastructural changes in podocytes under the transmission electron microscope （TEM）. Serum levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and interleukin-18 （IL-18） were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The DNA damage in renal tissue cells of rats was detected by in situ nick end-labeling （TUNEL） assay. The protein expression levels of thioredoxin interacting protein （TXNIP）， cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed protease-1 （Caspase-1）， and gasdermin D （GSDMD） in renal tissues of rats were detected by immunohistochemistry （IHC）， the expression levels of nucleotide binding domain like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） and Wilms tumor protein-1 （WT-1） in podocytes by immunofluorescent （IF） staining， and the expression levels of TXNIP/NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway proteins and Synaptopodin in renal podocytes by Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited increased FBG and 24 h UTP， glomerular hypertrophy， mesangial hyperplasia， increased extracellular matrix， thickened basement membrane， K-W nodules， vacuolar degeneration in renal tubular epithelial cells， foot process fusion or loss， elevated serum IL-1β and IL-18 levels and TUNEL-positive cells in renal tissue， enhanced NLRP3 but diminished WT-1 expression in podocytes， down-regulated Synaptopodin protein expression， and up-regulated TXNIP/NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD protein expression （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Danggui Buxuetang high-dose group remarkably lowered FBG， 24-h UTP， and TUNEL-positive cells in renal tissue， improved renal histopathology and podocyte injury and loss， down-regulated NLRP3 expression in podocytes and TXNIP/NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD protein expression levels， and up-regulated WT-1 expression in podocytes and Synaptopodin protein expression （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionDanggui Buxuetang inhibits podocyte pyroptosis to reduce proteinuria and delays the development of DKD possibly by regulating the TXNIP/NLRP3/GSDMD signaling pathway.

Roles of Pyroptosis and Necroptosis in Diabetic Kidney Disease and Its Regulation with Traditional Chinese Medicine： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The increasing incidence of obesity and diabetes has made diabetic kidney disease （DKD） the main cause of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. Despite current pharmacological interventions for blood glucose control and renin-angiotensin system inhibition， the risk of kidney disease progression and complications remains high. At present， the pathogenesis of DKD has been clarified to be related to chronic inflammatory response， oxidative stress， glucose and lipid metabolism disorders， and hemodynamic abnormalities. According to recent studies， the programmed cell deaths （PCD） of renal intrinsic cells such as pyroptosis and necroptosis play a key role in the occurrence and development of DKD. Pyroptosis and necroptosis， the two newly discovered routes of PCD， can protect the hosts from being invaded by microbial pathogens， but their dysregulation is associated with multiple autoimmunity and autoinflammatory responses. Pyroptosis and necroptosis are closely interlinked and cross-regulated. Different from apoptosis， these two cellular suicide mechanisms cause membrane rupture and release of cell contents through their respective gasdermin D （GSDMD） and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein （MLKL）， with damage-associated molecular patterns （DAMPs） and inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-1β （IL-1β） involved to trigger inflammation， and chronic inflammatory responses are key factors leading to the progression of DKD. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has long been employed for the prevention and treatment of DKD and the resulting clinical outcomes are remarkable. TCM has been proved to exert a protective effect against DKD by affecting the expression of nucleotide oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome， receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 （RIPK3）， and MLKL. This paper reviewed the relationship of pyroptosis and necroptosis with DKD and its intervention with TCM.

Analysis of chronic disease types and drug use of multiple chronic diseases based on regional pretrial center / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To provide reference for chronic disease management in grass-root institution . METHODS System structure design and audit class setting of the regional pretrial center in Changning district of Shanghai were introduced. The number of prescriptions/medical orders from the start of application to February 28，2022 were counted. The prescriptions/medical orders intercepted by the system ，prescriptions/medical orders intervened by physicians ，chronic disease types and drug use of regional multiple chronic diseases were counted and analyzed. RESULTS Compared with the data when the center was on line in September 2021，total qualified rate of prescriptions/medical orders （97.67％ vs. 86.42％）significantly increased ，the number of prescriptions/ medical orders intercepted by the system and intervened by physicians decreased by 55.39％ and 72.67％ in February 2022， respectively. The top five diseases were hypertension （26.52％），coronary heart disease （20.53％），sleep disorders （16.71％），diabetes（15.24％）and bone diseases （14.09％）. Among them ， there were many problematic prescriptions involving coronary heart disease ，sleep disorder and bone disease. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of chronic diseases among community residents remains high. In addition to common chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease ，hypertension and diabetes ，the incidence of sleep disorders and bone diseases is also increasing. With the help of the regional pretrial center ，the focus of chronic disease management can be adjusted timely ，drug supervision can be carried out in real time so as to improve the level of rational drug use in grass-root institution.

Application of Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy in Brain Area Activation Research: Dominant and Non-dominant Hand under Active Grasp-release Task / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To apply functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to analyze brain activity pattern of bilateral sensorimotor cortex (SMC) and premotor cortex (PMC) during complex dominant and non-dominant hand movement in healthy subjects. Methods:From August to December, 2019, 15 right-handed healthy residents were recruited. The block designed grip-release task was used in the subjects, and detected oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin concentration with fNIRS to analyze the activation of bilateral SMC, PMC and prefontal cortex in term of activation channels and intensity. Results:For the oxyhemoglobin concentration, the number of activated channels was the same in both hemispheres during right (dominant) hand movement, and the activation of left SMC was stronger (P < 0.05); however, more channels were activated in the right hemisphere during left (non-dominant) hand movement, and the activation of right SMC was stronger (P < 0.05). For the deoxyhemoglobin concentration, more channels were activated in the contralateral hemisphere during either dominant or non-dominant hand movement, and the activation of left SMC, Channel 12 (left PMC) and Channel 26 (right PMC) were stronger during right (dominant) hand movement (P < 0.05). Conclusion:It is feasible to use fNIRS to study the activation of hand movement related brain regions during complex movement of dominant and non-dominant hand, especially with the results of oxyhemoglobin concentration.

Advance in Application of Neuroimaging in Plasticity Mechanism after Stroke (review) / 中国康复理论与实践

Neuroimaging technique is a kind of significant means to explore the mechanism of cerebral plasticity after stroke. Diffusion tensor imaging can be used to describe the structure of white matter fiber bundles and evaluate the degree of damage, but it cannot reflect the functional connections between different brain regions. Task-state functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) can detect the activation of corresponding brain regions caused by specific tasks, but the test design is complex and demanding for subjects. Resting-state fMRI can analyze complex brain networks and reflect functional connections in different brain regions, but the method of data analysis is complex. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is another non-invasive method to reflect the functional activation of brain regions, in which temporal resolution is better than fMRI, but the spatial resolution is slightly lower. The combination of multiple detection methods may be an important research direction in the future.

Calcium channel blockers improve prognosis of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 and hypertension / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Hypertension is considered an important risk factor for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The commonly anti-hypertensive drugs are the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors, calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and beta-blockers. The association between commonly used anti-hypertensive medications and the clinical outcome of COVID-19 patients with hypertension has not been well studied.@*METHODS@#We conducted a retrospective cohort study that included all patients admitted with COVID-19 to Huo Shen Shan Hospital and Guanggu District of the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province, Wuhan, China. Clinical and laboratory characteristics were extracted from electronic medical records. Hypertension and anti-hypertensive treatment were confirmed by medical history and clinical records. The primary clinical endpoint was all-cause mortality. Secondary endpoints included the rates of patients in common wards transferred to the intensive care unit and hospital stay duration. Logistic regression was used to explore the risk factors associated with mortality and prognosis. Propensity score matching was used to balance the confounders between different anti-hypertensive treatments. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to compare the cumulative recovery rate. Log-rank tests were performed to test for differences in Kaplan-Meier curves between different groups.@*RESULTS@#Among 4569 hospitalized patients with COVID-19, 31.7% (1449/4569) had a history of hypertension. There were significant differences in mortality rates between hypertensive patients with CCBs (7/359) and those without (21/359) (1.95% vs. 5.85%, risk ratio [RR]: 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13-0.76, χ2 = 7.61, P = 0.0058). After matching for confounders, the mortality rates were similar between the RAAS inhibitor (4/236) and non-RAAS inhibitor (9/236) cohorts (1.69% vs. 3.81%, RR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.13-1.43, χ2 = 1.98, P = 0.1596). Hypertensive patients with beta-blockers (13/340) showed no statistical difference in mortality compared with those without (11/340) (3.82% vs. 3.24%, RR: 1.19, 95% CI: 0.53-2.69, χ2 = 0.17, P = 0.6777).@*CONCLUSIONS@#In our study, we did not find any positive or negative effects of RAAS inhibitors or beta-blockers in COVID-19 patients with hypertension, while CCBs could improve prognosis.

Design and in vitro evaluation of delivery systems for co-delivery of siRNA and proteins by mimetic exosomes / 药学学报

To prepare the mimetic exosomes and co-delivery proteins and nucleic acids, and achieve efficient and safe co-delivery of multi-component drugs, an optimized formulation was designed by modifying a polylactic acid-glycolic acid copolymer (PLGA) matrix with a cationic lipid excipient dioleyl trimethylammonium propane (DOTAP), and a PLGA/DOTAP nanoparticles packaged protein and nucleic acid was prepared by double emulsion method, and the outermost membrane structure prepared by reverse phase evaporation method and consists of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC), cholesterol and membrane proteins. The structure of the mimetic exosomes is formed by ultrasonic dispersion and extrusion, and analyzed its characteristics and nature of the transfer effect. The size of mimetic exosomes was about 156.13 nm, with negative charge (-18.23 ± 0.57 mV), and it could efficiently co-transfer protein and siRNA, and siRNA could effectively inhibit the expression of target gene Trim28. The mimetic exosomes simulate the structure of exosomes and achieve safe and efficient co-delivery of multi-component drugs.

Association between Initial Chest CT or Clinical Features and Clinical Course in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia

Objective@#To identify the initial chest computed tomography (CT) findings and clinical characteristics associated with the course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. @*Materials and Methods@#Baseline CT scans and clinical and laboratory data of 72 patients admitted with COVID-19 pneumonia (39 men, 46.2 ± 15.9 years) were retrospectively analyzed. Baseline CT findings including lobar distribution, presence of ground glass opacities, consolidation, linear opacities, and lung severity score were evaluated. The outcome event was recovery with hospital discharge. The time from symptom onset to discharge or the end of follow-up (for those remained hospitalized) was recorded. Data were censored in events such as death or discharge without recovery. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was used to explore the association between initial CT, clinical or laboratory findings, and discharge with recovery, whereby hazard ratio (HR) values 4 vs. ≤ 4 [reference]: adjusted HR = 0.41 [95% confidence interval, CI = 0.18–0.92], p = 0.031) and initial lymphocyte count (reduced vs. normal or elevated [reference]: adjusted HR = 0.14 [95% CI = 0.03–0.60], p = 0.008) were two significant independent factors that influenced recovery and discharge. @*Conclusion@#Lung severity score > 4 and reduced lymphocyte count at initial evaluation were independently associated with a significantly lower rate of recovery and discharge and extended hospitalization in patients admitted for COVID-19 pneumonia.

Relative Abundance of a Vector of Scrub Typhus, Leptotrombidium sialkotense, in Southern Yunnan Province, China

The chigger mite Leptotrombidium sialkotense is one of the 6 main vectors of scrub typhus in China. Before present study, L. sialkotense was found in some parts of Hunan province, China with a narrow geographical distribution. During field investigation 2016-2017, we found L. sialkotense in Jingha, southern Yunnan, China. Of 15 small mammal host species, L. sialkotense were collected from 6 species of the hosts. Rattus brunneusculus was a dominant host of L. sialkotense, from which 98.3% of the mites were collected. The chigger mite showed a relatively high infestation prevalence (PM=11.7%) and mean abundance (MA=0.5) in comparison with the rest 5 host species. These results reveal a certain host specificity of L. sialkotense to a rat R. brunneusculus. The mite L. sialkotense showed an aggregated distribution on the host (P<0.05). A positive correlation observed between L. sialkotense and the body length of hosts. There was a positive interspecific association between L. sialkotense and 2 other dominant vectors, L. deliense and L. scutellare.

Advances in the clinical treatment of autoimmune hepatitis / 临床肝胆病杂志

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an autoimmune-mediated chronic progressive liver inflammatory disease with unknown pathogenesis. The main purpose of AIH treatment at present is to relieve symptoms, improve liver function and pathological abnormalities, and slow down the progression to liver fibrosis. Easy recurrence and a large difference in prognosis bring difficulties to the treatment of this disease. In recent years, AIH treatment methods mainly include standard immunosuppressive therapy, substitutive therapy or second-line therapy for ineffective standard therapy, traditional Chinese medicine treatment with reduced side effects, and liver transplantation rescue therapy for end-stage AIH or severe fulminant AIH. This article reviews the above treatment methods for AIH, in order to provide a reference for clinical application.

Clinical characteristics and related factors of somatization symptoms in outpatients with psychiatric disorders of the department of cardiology in general hospitals / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective@#To explore the clinical characteristics and related factors of somatization symptoms in outpatients with psychiatric disorders of the cardiology department in general hospital.@*Methods@#Cross-sectional survey method was used in this study. From August 2017 to September 2018, 508 outpatients of our department with suspected mental disorders, who complained of physical discomfort and screened by the "Three Questions" method recommended by the Chinese Expert Consensus on Psychological Prescriptions of Cardiovascular Patients in 2014, were consecutively included. General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) and self-made general demographic questionnaire (including age, sex, marital status, educational level, occupation, duration of disease, clinical diagnosis and the process of medical treatment for the main somatic symptoms in recent one year) were used to investigate these patients, under the assistance of unified training psychological consultants. The detection rate of anxiety and depression, the degree and distribution of somatization symptoms in outpatients with mental disorders were analyzed, and the related factors affecting the occurrence of somatization symptoms were screened by multivariate logistic regression.@*Results@#The selected patients were (51.3±10.1) years old, of which 37.8% (192/508) were males and 62.2% (316/508) were females. The total detection rate of anxiety/depression was 86.8% (441/508), and the detection rate of somatization symptoms was 93.1% (473/508). The number of positive symptom items in PHQ-15 was 8.0±2.7, and the detection rate of anxiety/depression was 78.6% (372/473) in patients with somatization symptoms. There were significant differences in the proportion of women, the average number of outpatient visits and hospitalizations in the past one year, GAD-7 score and PHQ-9 score among the patients with mild, moderate and severe somatization symptoms (all P<0.05). PHQ-15 score was positively correlated with GAD-7 score (r=0.524 5, P<0.001) and PHQ-9 score (r=0.574 9, P<0.001) in patients with somatization symptoms. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that total scores of PHQ-9 (OR=8.020, 95%CI 3.470-18.930, P<0.001) and GAD-7 (OR=6.526, 95%CI 2.903-13.045, P<0.001) and female (OR=4.440, 95%CI 1.059-9.073, P=0.011) were related factors of somatizations.@*Conclusions@#The incidence of somatization symptoms is high in patients with psychological disorders in outpatients of cardiology department in general hospital. Anxiety, depression and gender are the main related risk factors of somatization symptoms in this patient cohort. Degree of anxiety and depression increased in proportion to the severity of somatization symptoms. Anxiety, depression and female is related to somatization symptoms.

The fibrotic effect of hypoxic cardiomyocyte-derived exosomes on G U I + cells and its mechanism / 中国药理学通报

; Aim To investigate whether the Glil + cells fibrosis is mediated by damaged cardiomyocyte-derived exosomes and explore the possible mechanism. Methods Glil + cells were isolated from mouse heart and identified by flow cytometry. Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were subjected to normoxic and hypoxic treatment, respectively. Normoxic/hypoxic exosomes were obtained and detected by flow cytometry, nanosight tracficking analysis (NTA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Western blot. Key exosomal miRNA content was determined by RT-qPCR. Then G l i l + cells were co-cultured with normoxic /hypoxic exosomes or transfected with miRNA mimic to confirm the expression level of fibrosis-related proteins. Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of G l i l + cells positively expressing both DDR-2 and a-SMA protein. Results G l i l + cells biomarkers, including CD29,CD105 and G l i l, were identified, but CD31, CD34 and CD45 were undetectable. NTA showed that the diameters of exosomes were about 100 nm and exosomal markers CD63, HSP-70, Alix and Flotillin-1 were detectable by Western blot. Further study found that cardiomyocytes produced more exosomal miR-223 (P < 0. 01) under hypoxia treatment. Hypoxic exosomes and miR-223 mimic obviously increased the expression of a-SMA (P < 0. 01, P < 0. 05), DRR-2 (P <0. 01, P < 0. 01) and collagen I (P < 0. 05, P < 0. 01) in G l i l + cells. Conclusions Hypoxic cardiomyocyte-derived exosomes may promote G l i l + cell fibrosis, which may be related to the high expression of miR-223 in exosomes.

Intradural Transpetrosectomy for Petrous Apex Meningiomas

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the surgical results of the intradural transpetrosectomy for petrous apex meningiomas (PAMs). In addition, we describe the methods and techniques used to expose and manage superior petrous vein and greater superficial petrosal nerve.METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective study of 16 patients with PAMs operated by the senior author via the intradural transpetrosectomy between February 2012 to May 2017. We reviewed patient data regarding the general characteristics, surgical technique and surgery-related outcomes and adopted a combined follow-up strategy of clinic and telephone contacts to evaluate postoperative complications.RESULTS: Simpson grade I and II resection was performed in 10 out of 16 cases (62.5%), and grade III resection were reported in the remaining six cases (37.5%) with no resultant mortality. The mean Karnofsky Performance Status score was 85.6 preoperatively and improved to 91.9 postoperatively, with a mean follow-up period of 34.4 months (range, 6–66 months). Tumor recurrence was found in two patients and they underwent the second surgical operation.CONCLUSION: PAMs could be completely resected by the intradural transpetrosectomy with an improved survival rate and postoperative life quality. Superior petrous vein and greater superficial petrosal nerve should be managed properly in avoidance of postoperative complications. Finally, most meningioma inside cavernous sinus or adhered to brainstem could be totally removed without postoperative complications.