Clinical Efficacy of Huangkui Capsule Plus Methylprednisolone for Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy and Its Effect on Renal Function and Serum Inflammatory Factors.

Objective: To assess the clinical efficacy of Huangkui capsule plus methylprednisolone for immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy and its effect on renal function and serum inflammatory factors. Methods: A total of 80 patients with IgA nephropathy admitted to our hospital from April 2019 to December 2021 were recruited and assigned (1 : 1) to receive either conventional drugs + methylprednisolone tablets (observation group) or conventional drugs + methylprednisolone tablets + Huangkui capsules (experimental group), with 40 patients in each group. Outcome measures included clinical efficacy, renal function indices, serum inflammatory factor levels, and adverse events. Results: The experimental group showed a significantly higher clinical efficacy versus the observation group (P < 0.05). Patients in the experimental group had significantly lower serum creatinine, serum urea nitrogen, fibrinogen, and 24 h urine protein levels than those in the observation group after treatment (P < 0.05). After treatment, the experimental group showed lower levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) than the observation group (P < 0.05). The differences in the adverse events between the two groups did not come up to the statistical standard (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Huangkui capsule + methylprednisolone provides a feasible therapeutic option for IgA nephropathy by considerably boosting patients' renal function, successfully lowering the inflammatory response, and producing a good safety profile.

The associations between diode laser (810 nm) therapy and chronic wound healing and pain relief: Light into the chronic wound patient's life.

Chronic wounds have become one of the major issues in medicine today, the treatments for which include dressing changes, negative pressure wound therapy, hyperbaric oxygen, light irradiation, surgery and so forth. Nevertheless, the application of diode lasers in chronic wounds has rarely been reported. This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of diode laser (810 nm) irradiation on chronic wounds. Eighty-nine patients were enrolled in the study. The control group (41 patients) received traditional dressing change therapy, while the diode laser treatment group (48 patients) were patients received additional treatment with diode laser (810 nm) irradiation for 10 min at each dressing change. Wound healing time was compared between two groups, while the pain relief index was creatively introduced to evaluate the effect of relieving wound pain, which was calculated by the difference in pain scores between the first and last dressing changes divided by the number of treatment days. The wound healing time of the diode laser treatment group was 22.71 ± 8.99 days, which was significantly shorter than that of the control group (37.44 ± 23.42 days). The pain relief index of the diode laser treatment group was 0.081 ± 0.055, which was significantly increased compared with that of the control group (0.057 ± 0.033). Our findings suggest that diode laser irradiation has the potential to promote healing in chronic wounds and relieve wound pain.

The Effect and Evaluation of the Third Military Medical University Fluid Resuscitation Formula.

Background: The clinical efficacy of the third Military Medical University formula (TMMU formula) for fluid resuscitation stage was evaluated to improve the treatment level of adult patients with extensive burns during the shock stage. Methods: Retrospective analysis of the data of 55 patients undergoing fluid resuscitation according to the TMMU formula within six hours after burn injury. The following indicators were collected: (1) demographic and injury information; (2) fluid resuscitation information; (3) efficiency information, including cardiovascular function, liver function, renal function, coagulation function evaluation indicators, blood concentration, and average urine output index. Results: (1) In the first and second 24 hours after injury, the median fluid rehydration coefficient was 1.68 ml/kg·(%) TBSA and 1.15 ml/kg·(%) TBSA, the median ratio of crystal to colloid was 2.24 and 1.67, and the median urine output index was 0.75 ml/kg·h and 1.05 ml/kg·h, respectively. (2) The actual fluid volume during patient resuscitation is higher than the formula calculated volume, and this difference is more obvious in patients with burn area ≥80%. (3) In the second 24 hours, the value of the actual total fluid volume minus the formula total volume in the group with crystal to colloid ratio ≤2 was significantly lower than that in the ratio >2 group. (4) At 24 and 48 hours after injury, the cardiovascular function, liver function, renal function, and coagulation function were better than those before fluid resuscitation. Conclusions: Early application of the TMMU formula for fluid resuscitation in adult patients with extensive burns is safe and effective, but the actual input volume often exceeds the volume calculated by the formula, especially in the second 24 hours after burn injury and in patients with larger burn areas. Increasing the colloid input volume can help reduce the total amount of fluid used for resuscitation.

Effects of atorvastatin and Zishen Qingqi granules on immune function and liver function of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus with mild and moderate activity.

To explore the effect of atorvastatin combined with Zishen Qingqi granules on the immune function and liver function of patients with mild to moderate activity systemic lupus erythematosus. The data of 120 patients with mild to moderate activity systemic lupus erythematosus admitted to our hospital from February 2019 to February 2020 were retrospectively analyzed and they were divided into experimental group (n=60) and the control group (n=60) according to the order of admission; the control group was treated with atorvastatin, and the experimental group was treated with Zishen Qingqi granules plus. The immune function, liver function, TCM syndrome score and systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) were compared between the two groups. The experimental group after treatment was superior to the control group with respect to immune function indexes, liver function indexes, SLEDAI and TCM syndromes (all P<0.001). Atorvastatin combined with Zishen Qingqi granules can improve the liver function of patients with mild to moderate activity systemic lupus erythematosus, enhance their immunity, and relieve their clinical symptoms.

Clinical Efficacy of Carbon Dioxide Laser Combined with ALA Photodynamics in the Treatment of Condyloma Acuminatum.

'Purpose. To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of carbon dioxide laser combined with ALA photodynamics in the treatment of condyloma acuminatum. Method. A total of 211 patients with condyloma acuminatum admitted to our hospital from April 2018 to June 2021 were selected as the observation object. They were divided into the intervention group (CO2 laser combined with ALA photodynamic therapy, 125 cases) and conventional group (CO2 laser treatment, 86 cases), and the efficacy and incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups were compared. Result. The total effective rate of the intervention group (96.00%) was significantly higher than that of the conventional group (84.88%) (P < 0.05). The total incidence of adverse reactions in the intervention group (8.00%) was lower than that in the conventional group (32.56%) (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that the patient's smoking history, drinking history, course of disease, wart area, and number of sexual partners were related to the short-term prognosis (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the patient's course of disease, the area of the wart body, and the number of sexual partners were independent factors affecting the prognosis of patients with condyloma acuminatum (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Carbon dioxide laser combined with ALA dynamics treatment of condyloma acuminatum significantly improves the clinical efficacy, does not increase the incidence of adverse reactions, and has important clinical therapeutic value. The course of the disease, the area of the wart, and the number of sexual partners are independent factors affecting the prognosis of patients with condyloma acuminatum.

Xinmailong Attenuates Doxorubicin-Induced Lysosomal Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress in H9c2 Cells via HO-1.

The clinical use of doxorubicin (DOX) is limited by its cardiotoxicity, which is closely associated with oxidative stress. Xinmailong (XML) is a bioactive peptide extracted from American cockroaches, which has been mainly applied to treat chronic heart failure in China. Our previous study showed that XML attenuates DOX-induced oxidative stress. However, the mechanism of XML in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity remains unclear. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an enzyme that is ubiquitously expressed in all cell types, has been found to take antioxidant effects in many cardiovascular diseases, and its expression is protectively upregulated under DOX treatment. Lysosome and autophagy are closely involved in oxidative stress as well. It is still unknown whether XML could attenuate doxorubicin-induced lysosomal dysfunction and oxidative stress in H9c2 cells via HO-1. Thus, this study was aimed at investigating the involvement of HO-1-mediated lysosomal function and autophagy flux in DOX-induced oxidative stress and cardiotoxicity in H9c2 cells. Our results showed that XML treatment markedly increased cell proliferation and SOD activity, improved lysosomal function, and ameliorated autophagy flux block in DOX-treated H9c2 cells. Furthermore, XML significantly increased HO-1 expression following DOX treatment. Importantly, HO-1-specific inhibitor (Znpp) or HO-1 siRNA could significantly attenuate the protective effects of XML against DOX-induced cell injury, oxidative stress, lysosomal dysfunction, and autophagy flux block. These results suggest that XML protects against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity through HO-1-mediated recovery of lysosomal function and autophagy flux and decreases oxidative stress, providing a novel mechanism responsible for the protection of XML against DOX-induced cardiomyopathy.

Metabonomic study of the intervention effects of Parthenolide on anti-thyroid cancer activity.

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignant tumor in the world, and its incidence is increasing. Although the mortality rate of thyroid cancer is low, its persistence/recurrence rate is high. In addition, some patients with thyroid cancer fail to respond to radiation. Therefore, it is urgent need to develop a novel treatment for thyroid cancer. Parthenolide (PTL), a traditional Chinese medicine Tanacetum parthenium extract, has shown encouraging effects in anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and anti-malaria. However, it is unclear whether PTL has an anti-thyroid cancer effect and its possible mechanism of action. In the recent years, metabonomics has been widely used in tumors research to explore the pharmacological mechanism of drugs, but few studies used metabonomics to investigate the pharmacological effects of PTL in thyroid tumors. In order to comprehensively reveal the mechanism and effects of PTL on anti-thyroid tumors, metabonomics combined cell biological research methods were conducted. The results showed that PTL promote apoptosis of thyroid cancer cells (TPC-1) in a concentration-dependent manner. The metabolic differences between the PTL group and the control group were compared by metabonomics, and 31 potential metabolites were identified. These metabolites were mainly involved in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, amino acid metabolism, choline metabolism and lipid metabolism. These results implied that PTL may inhibit the proliferation and development of thyroid carcinoma by accelerating oxidation emergency response, inhibiting adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis and metabolic imbalance. The results of this study revealed that PTL can be an effective and potential drug for the treatment of thyroid cancer.

[Research on network pharmacology of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma combined with Curcumae Radix in treating epilepsy].

The chemical constituents and action targets of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma and Curcumae Radix were screened by network pharmacological method,and the mechanism of the combination of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma and Curcumae Radix in the treatment of epilepsy was analyzed. All chemical constituents of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma and Curcumae Radix were retrieved by TCMSP,and their action targets were screened. Component target PPI network was constructed. Epilepsy-related genes were retrieved from PharmGkb database,and PPI networks of disease targets were drawn by Cytoscape software. Cytoscape software was used to merge the network,screen the core network,and further analyze the gene GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment,which was verified by experimental research. One hundred and five chemical constituents of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma and 222 chemical constituents of Curcumae Radix were retrieved. Nineteen compounds were selected as candidate compounds according to OB and DL values. Among them,4 chemical constituents of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma and 15 chemical constituents of Curcumae Radix were found. A total of 88 target proteins were retrieved by retrieving TCMSP data,and PPI network was constructed. Through PharmGkb database,29 epilepsy-related genes were retrieved and disease target network was established. Cytoscape software and plug-ins were used for network merging and core network screening,and 69 genes were screened out. Through GO function analysis and KEGG pathway analysis,the mechanism of anti-epilepsy is related to prolactin signaling pathway,HTLV-Ⅰ infection signaling pathway,MAPK signaling pathway and herpes simplex infection signaling pathway. Further experimental verification showed that the serum prolactin level in epileptic rats was significantly increased. The neurons in hippocampal CA1 area degenerated,necrotized and lost 24 hours after epileptic seizure,and some neuron interstitial edema occurred. The possible mechanism of compatibility of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma and Curcumae Radix is related to serum prolactin level,MAPK signaling pathway,HTLV-Ⅰ infection and herpes simplex infection. The analysis may be related to viral encephalitis caused by HTLV-Ⅰ virus and herpes simplex infection,which damages nerve cells and causes seizures.

[Effect of banxia xiexin decoction on gastric antral interstitial cells of Cajal and stem cell factor in diabetic rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Banxia Xiexin Decoction (BXD) on expression of the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) and stem cell factor (SCF) in the antrum of rats with diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: Totally sixty healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into the control group, the model group, the BXD group, and the Western medicine group (WM, treated by domperidone), 15 in each group. Diabetic rat models were established by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 55 mg/kg). Those in the BXD group were perfused with BXD at the daily dose of 5.4 g/kg. An equal volume of distilled water was given by gastrogavage to those in the WM group and the control group for 8 successive weeks. The body weight and blood glucose of all rats were detected, and the gastric residual rates were detected with semisolid nutrient paste by gastrogavage. The expression of positive ICCs and SCF were observed by immunohistochemical method and quantified image analyzer. RESULTS: Compared with the control group,the body weight reduced, blood glucose and gastric residual rates increased, and the mean optical density of positive ICCs and SCF significantly decreased in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group,symptoms such as polydipsia, polyphagia, polyuria were relieved, spirits improved, the body weight and mean optical densities of positive ICCs and SCF significantly increased (P < 0.05), and gastric residual rates significantly decreased in the BXD group and the WM group (P < 0.05). The blood glucose significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in the BXD group. The mean optical density of positive ICCs was higher in the BXD group than in the WM group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: BXD could promote the expression of positive ICCs and SCF. It could improve the gastric motility in DM rats by partially inverting abnormal changes of gastric antral ICCs and SCF.