The role of mitochondrial fission factor in podocyte injury in diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most important complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) and has become the second cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This study intends to investigate the molecular mechanism of increased mitochondrial fission in podocytes under the effect of high glucose (HG), and to preliminarily study the role of mitochondrial fission factor (MFF)-mediated mitochondrial fission in podocyte injury of DN. In vitro studies, we found that HG induced increased mitochondrial fission and podocyte damage. At the same time MFF mRNA and protein levels was increased, suggesting that MFF was transcriptional upregulated under HG conditions. Consistent with this, in vivo studies found that mitochondrial fission was also significantly increased in podocytes of diabetic nephropathy mice, and MFF expression was up-regulated. Therefore, our study proves that mitochondrial fission increases in podocytes under DM both in vitro and in vivo, and the up-regulation of MFF expression may be one of the reasons for the increase of mitochondrial fission. After inhibiting the expression of MFF, the survival rate of podocytes was significantly decreased under HG conditions, suggesting that MFF may play a protective role in podocyte injury in DN.

Comparison of outcomes between intracapsular resection and pseudocapsule-based extracapsular resection for pituitary adenoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Transsphenoidal surgery is the preferred first-line therapy for most pituitary adenoma(PA), and the conventional strategy of treatment is intracapsular resection(IR). The protocol of extracapsular resection(ER), which considers the pseudocapsule as the PA boundary for surgical removal, has also been introduced gradually. In this study, the clinical efficacies and complications were explored and compared between these two procedures. METHODS: A systematic literature review was performed in the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane databases. Articles comparing between IR and ER were included. RESULTS: There were 7 studies containing 1768 cases in accordance with the inclusion criteria. Although the meta-analysis showed no significant difference in complete resection, a sensitivity analysis revealed that ER was more conducive to total PA resection than IR. Moreover, we found a significant difference in favor of ER regarding biochemical remission. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the incidence rate of certain complications, such as hormone deficiency, diabetes insipidus, intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) and postoperative CSF leakage. However, a sensitivity analysis suggested that IR decreased the risk of intraoperative CSF leakage. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis unveiled that ER contributed to biochemical remission. To some extent, our results also showed that ER played a positive role in complete resection, but that IR reduced the incidence of intraoperative CSF leakage. However, the available evidence needs to be further authenticated using well-designed prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trials.

Lpl-C310R mutation is associated with impaired glucose tolerance and endoplasmic reticulum stress in skeletal muscle.

Primary Hypertriglyceridemia refers to a loss-of-function genetic defect which prevents the triglyceride (TG) in chylomicrons (CM) from lipolysis, leading to the accumulation of TG. The mutation of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene has been recognized as the main cause of primary hypertriglyceridemia. Recently, a new LPL gene mutation p.C310R(c. T928C) was identified in a family with hypertriglyceridemia. The proband was manifested by severe hypertriglyceridemia and diabetes. Skeletal muscle is the major LPL-synthesizing tissue and insulin response target tissue. However, little is known about the effects of LPL gene mutation on skeletal muscle. This study is intended to observe the effects of LPL-C310R mutation on glycolipid metabolism and skeletal muscle. We found that a significantly decreased LPL plasma concentration, activity and the expression levels in skeletal muscle were observed in LplC310R/+ mice comparing to wild type mice. Those mutant mice also exhibited increased fasting plasma TG, free fat acids (FFA) and insulin, as well as FFA in muscle, and decreased glucose tolerance. Enhanced expression of BIP and elevated phosphorylation of IRE1α were observed in skeletal muscle, suggesting increased endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). Consistent with this, increased phosphorylation of JNK was also observed. Meanwhile, remarkably enhanced phosphorylation of IRS-1 (Ser307) and decreased phosphorylation of AKT were observed in skeletal muscle of mutant mice, suggesting impaired insulin signaling. Significant lipid deposition and morphological changes in endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria were observed in the skeletal muscle of mutant mice but not in wild type control. Results demonstrate Lpl C310R mutation caused impaired glucose tolerance, ER stress and impaired insulin signaling in skeletal muscle.

Orientin Protects Podocytes from High Glucose Induced Apoptosis through Mitophagy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the serious complications of diabetes mellitus. Orientin, a major bioactive constituent of Fenugreek, has been reported to possess antihyperglycemic properties. However, its effects on DN remain unclear. Therefore, we explored the protective effect of orientin on podocytes. Here, we assessed cell viability and toxicity, level of autophagy, mitochondrial morphological changes, and podocyte apoptosis. The results indicated that high glucose (HG) induced podocyte apoptosis as well as mitochondrial injury can be partially blocked by orientin. The results showed that orientin could repair autophagy disorder induced by HG, while 3-methyladenine (3-MA) reversed the protection of orientin. Our study demonstrated the possibility of treating DN with orientin.

Cerebral Venous Sinus Incision for Surgical Thrombectomy Combined with Thrombolysis During Decompressive Craniectomy for Malignant Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis Complicated with Cerebral Hernia.

For malignant cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) complicated with cerebral hernia, decompressive craniectomy may be life-saving, and thrombectomy combined with thrombolysis may obtain better outcomes. This report describes an approach performed on 2 patients diagnosed with CVST combined both thrombectomy and thrombolysis with decompressive craniectomy through incising the superior sagittal sinus. The general procedure of the operation is as follows. The anterior part of the superior sagittal sinus was exposed firstly. After cutting the dura matter for decompression, a superior sagittal sinus incision was taken to detect sinus thrombus. In order to facilitate hemostasis during detecting the sagittal sinus, 2 silk sutures were sutured along the incision. The incision was 5 millimeters long approximately along the middle line of the front third of the superior sagittal sinus. A silicone intubation was inserted in the sinus through the incision. Thrombus was seen in the suction tube. At a depth of about 10 cm, while it is difficult to penetrate the tube, we used the gelatin sponge to cover the sinus incision and fixed the suture lines after cross-knotting. The silicone intubation was drawn out through the forehead and connected to external micro pump for injecting anticoagulant drugs, then cut the dura mater into star-shaped and discard bone flap for decompression. Absorbable artificial dura mater was used to repair bilateral dura mater, respectively. At last, connect the catheter to the micro pump for pumping anticoagulant. After operation, the 2 patients received thrombolysis through the catheter placed in the sinus. Both of them recovered well. There was no incision-related bleeding occurred after surgery. Both the patients achieved incredibly good outcomes. For patients with malignant cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, acute cerebral hernia or cerebral hernia tendency, it may be an effective approach combined both thrombectomy and thrombolysis with decompressive craniectomy through incising the superior sagittal sinus.

Association of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes patients.

BACKGROUND: The association of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) with microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains controversial. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with T2DM to investigate the relationship of HDL-C with microalbuminuria. METHODS: A total of 524 participants with T2DM were recruited in this cross-sectional study. The patients were divided into four groups according to serum HDL-C quartile. A nonparametric test was employed to assess the relationships across quartiles with clinical parameters and demographics. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was further performed. RESULTS: Of the 524 patients, 138 (26.3%) were found to have microalbuminuria by urinary albumin excretion rate determination. Serum HDL-C levels in microalbuminuria group were significantly lower than those in non-microalbuminuria group (1.04 (0.90-1.21) vs. 1.10 (0.94-1.31) mmol/L, P = 0.002). The nonparametric test for trend showed that the prevalence of microalbuminuria was significantly reduced for subjects of the fourth quartile of HDL-C compared to the first to third quartile (13.5% vs. 33.1%, 28.6%, 29.4%, P = 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that subjects within the highest quartile of HDL-C had lower odds of microalbuminuria than those within the lowest quartile of HDL-C (OR = 0.17, 95% CI 0.15-0.52, P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of serum HDL-C were associated with decreased rates of microalbuminuria in T2DM patients.

[Effect of Huazhuo Jiedu formula on HIF-1α, VEGF, and PTEN in chronic erosive gastritis patients with syndrome of accumulation of turbidity and toxicity].

To observe the clinical efficacy of Huazhuo Jiedu formula in treating chronic erosive gastritis (CEG) patients with syndrome of accumulation of turbidity and toxicity, explore its mechanism by observing the changes in expression levels of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in serum and gastric mucosa tissues after treatment, and provide theoretical basis for the clinical application of Huazhuo Jiedu formula in treating chronic erosive gastritis. All 70 patient of CEG were randomly divided into control group and treatment group, 35 cases in each group. The patients in control group received Alatan Wuwei Wan, bid, 1 bag/time; while the patients in treatment group were given with Huazhuo Jiedu formula, 1 dose/day. The course of the treatment was 6 months in both groups. The changes in clinical symptoms, gastroscopic signs, pathology and the expression levels of HIF-1α, VEGF, and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) in serum and gastric mucosa tissues were observed in both groups. The results showed that treatment group was better than control group in clinical efficacy, gastroscopic efficacy and pathological effect after treatment (P<0.05); the levels of HIF-1α and VEGF in serum of treatment group were lower than those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05), while the level of PTEN in serum of treatment group was higher than that in the control group after treatment (P<0.05); the levels of HIF-1α and VEGF in gastric mucosa tissues in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group after treatment, while the level of PTEN in gastric mucosa tissues in treatment group was higher than that in the control group after treatment (P<0.05), with statistically significant differences between these two groups (P<0.05). Huazhuo Jiedu formula can improve the clinical symptoms, gastroscopic signs and pathological conditions in CEG patients with syndrome of accumulation of turbidity and toxicity, and the mechanism may be associated with decreasing the expression level of HIF-1α, VEGF and increasing the expression level of PTEN.

Independent Risk Factors Predicting Central Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma.

The incidence of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) has risen rapidly in recent years, and PTMC patients with central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) usually have poor prognosis. Independent risk factors predicting CLNM in PTMC have not been well understood. The aim of our study was to identify useful clinicopathological risk factors predicting CLNM in PTMC patients. This was a retrospective study of 917 patients with PTMC treated with surgery from January 2014 to December 2015 in our hospital. The relationship between clinicopathological factors and CLNM was analyzed to identify those factors predicting CLNM in PTMC. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were further performed. Of 917 PTMC patients, 344 (37.5%) were found to have CLNM confirmed by intraoperative frozen-section examination. Multivariate logistic regression analyses further found several independent factors predicting CLNM in PTMC patients, including male gender (OR=1.75, 95% CI 1.17-2.61; p=0.006), younger age (<45 years) (OR=1.69, 95%CI 1.20-2.38; p=0.002), positive CLNM on ultrasonography (OR=10.20, 95% CI 5.51-18.88; p<0.001), multifocality (OR=1.69, 95% CI 1.00-2.85; p=0.04), and larger tumor size (>5 mm) (OR=2.80, 95% CI 2.01-3.91; p<0.001). The findings of our study identified several useful and independent risk factors predicting CLNM in PTMC patients, such as male gender, younger age, multifocality, positive CLNM on ultrasonography, and larger tumor size. The CLNM is very common in PTMC patients, and routine prophylactic central neck dissection may be recommended in PTMC patients with those independent risk factors of CLNM.

[Correlation Research on HGF and c-Met of Chronic Erosive Gastritis Patients].

Objective To observe the correlation of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and Hepato- cyte growth factor receptor (c-Met ) in serum and gastric mucosa tissues of chronic erosive gastritis pa- tients. Methods Totally 70 patients with chronic erosive gastritis were selected and assigned to turbidity toxin intrinsic syndrome group and Gan-wei disharmony syndrome group, HGF expression level of ser- um,and HGF,c-Met expression level of gastric mucosa tissues were measured;the correlation of HGF and c-Met in gastric mucosa tissues, and the correlation of HGF in serum and gastric mucosa tissues were analyzed. Results The expression level of HGF and c-Met in turbidity toxin intrinsic syndrome group was higher than that in Gan-wei disharmony syndrome group (P <0. 05) ; the expression level of HGF in gastric mucosa tissues was positively correlated with c-Met(r =0. 831 , P <0. 05) ; the expression level of HGF in serum was positively correlated with that of gastric mucosa tissues(r =0. 656, P <0. 05). Conclusions There was correlation between turbidity toxin intrinsic syndrome of Chronic Erosive Gastri- tis patients and the expression level of HGF and c-Met.

Effect of sodium alginate addition to resveratrol on acute gouty arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Resveratrol has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, while sodium alginate is a common pharmaceutic adjuvant with antioxidative and immunomodulatory properties. We performed an animal study to investigate the effect of sodium alginate addition to resveratrol on acute gouty arthritis. METHODS: Twenty-four SPF Wistar mice were randomized to four groups receiving the combination of sodium alginate and resveratrol, resveratrol alone, colchicine, and placebo, respectively. Acute gouty arthritis was induced by injection of 0.05 ml monosodium urate (MSU) solution (25g/mL) into ankle joint cavity. IL-1ß, CCR5, and CXCL10 levels in both serum and synovial fluid were measured using ELISA. NLRP3 expression in the synovial tissues was measured using western plot. RESULTS: The combination of sodium alginate and resveratrol significantly reduced synovial levels of IL-1ß, CCR5, and CXCL10 when compared with colchicines, and all P values were less than 0.0001. The combination of sodium alginate and resveratrol was also superior to resveratrol in terms of both serum levels and synovial levels of IL-1ß, CCR5, and CXCL10. In addition, resveratrol, with or without sodium alginate, could reduce NLRP3 expression obviously in the synovial tissues. CONCLUSION: The combination of sodium alginate and resveratrol has better effect over colchicines in treating MSU-induced acute gouty arthritis.

[Spectroscopic analysis and photocatalytical activity of carbon nitride materials].

Graphited carbon nitride materials (g-C3N4) with high visble-light response were synthesized by thermal condensation of melamine at varied temperature. The microstructure and optical property of as achieved catalysts were investigated by XRD, SEM and UV-Vis techniques, respectively. Moreover, rhodamine B solution was applied to measure the catalytical performance under the irradiation of different sources of light. The results showed that the major structures of g-C3N4 were kept, though lots of blocks were scattered on the surface because of the damage of lamellar structure caused by the high temperature. As the thermal temperature was increased, the adsorptions of light were greatly enhanced in both UV and Vis region, which might be due to the decrease in reflection and the increase in refraction at the lumpy surface. In the degradation of rhodamine B solution, all the samples showed high photocatalytic activities under the irradiation of both Visible-light and sunlight, and 94. 8% (60min, under Vis-light) and 91. 1% (90min, under sunlight) of RhB were degraded when the thermal temperature was 580°C. This research would greatly enlighten the studies of environmental purification using clean green energy.

High leptin level is an independent risk factor of endometrial cancer: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Previous studies suggested that high leptin level might increase risk of endometrial cancer, but available data were conflicting and whether high leptin level was an independent risk factor of endometrial cancer was still unclear. Therefore, a meta-analysis was performed to assess whether high leptin level was an independent risk factor of endometrial cancer. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases were searched for epidemiological studies published up to June 26, 2014. The pooled risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was used to assess the association between leptin level and risk of endometrial cancer. RESULTS: Six studies with a total of 3136 individuals were finally included into the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis of total 6 studies showed that high leptin level was associated with increased risk of endometrial cancer (RR = 2.55, 95%CI 1.91-3.41, P < 0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, high leptin level was also associated with increased risk of endometrial cancer (RR =1.59, 95%CI 1.27-1.98, P < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis proved the stability of the pooled estimates. The RR of endometrial cancer was 1.10 (95%CI, 1.03-1.18, P = 0.005) per 5 ng/mL increment in leptin levels. There was no obvious risk of publication bias (P Egger = 0.54). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that high leptin level is an independent risk factor of endometrial cancer. More prospective studies are needed to further confirm the association in the future.

Association between TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism and thyroid carcinoma risk.

TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism has been proposed to have some effects on host's susceptibility to cancer. Several studies were published to assess the association between TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism and thyroid carcinoma, but they reported controversial results. We performed a systemic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism and thyroid carcinoma. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to assess the association. Fourteen individual studies with 3,483 subjects were finally included into the meta-analysis. Overall, there was an obvious association between TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism and thyroid carcinoma under the recessive model (ProPro vs. ArgArg/ArgPro, OR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.13 to 3.62, P = 0.02). Subgroup analysis by race showed that TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism was associated with thyroid carcinoma in Caucasians (ProPro vs. ArgArg/ArgPro, OR = 2.31, 95% CI 1.08 to 4.93, P = 0.03). Subgroup analysis by histological type showed that TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism was not associated with a risk of different types of thyroid carcinoma. In summary, the meta-analysis suggests that TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism is associated with thyroid carcinoma risk in Caucasians. Besides, more studies with large sample size are needed to further assess the associations above.

Significant associations between X-ray repair cross-complementing group 3 genetic polymorphisms and thyroid cancer risk.

Polymorphisms in X-ray cross-complementing group 3 (XRCC3) are proposed to be associated with cancer susceptibility, but previous studies on the associations between XRCC3 polymorphisms and thyroid cancer are controversial. We performed a systemic review and meta-analysis to investigate the associations of XRCC3 polymorphisms with thyroid cancer risk. We used odds ratio (OR) with 95 % confidence interval (95%CI) to assess the associations. For XRCC3 C241T polymorphism, meta-analysis of total eligible studies showed that there was no association between XRCC3 C241T polymorphism and thyroid cancer risk, but subgroup analysis in Caucasians showed that there was a significant association between XRCC3 C241T polymorphism and thyroid cancer risk (T versus C: OR = 1.30, 95%CI 1.05-1.62, P = 0.01; TT versus CC: OR = 1.74, 95%CI 1.13-2.70, P = 0.01; TT versus CC/CT: OR = 1.74, 95%CI 1.16-2.60, P = 0.007). For XRCC3 A17893G polymorphism, meta-analysis of total eligible studies showed that there was an obvious association between XRCC3 A17893G polymorphism and thyroid cancer risk (GG versus AA/AG: OR = 0.57, 95%CI 0.35-0.93, P = 0.02), but subgroup analysis by ethnicity only identify the significant association in Asians. In summary, the meta-analysis suggests that there are significant associations of XRCC3 polymorphisms with thyroid cancer risk. Besides, more studies with large sample sizes are needed to further assess the associations above.

Dissociative experiences in epilepsy--a neuropathological and sociodemographic study in a Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: It is well known that dissociative experiences coexist with various epilepsy syndromes. However, the prevalence of dissociative experiences in different subtypes of epilepsy remains unknown. This is especially important because of the current prevalent view that the etiology of dissociation in seizures is neurobiological rather than psychosocial. The amygdala especially has been implicated in such dissociative features of epilepsy. This would indirectly imply that the patients with CPS have higher prevalence of dissociative symptoms compared with those with GTCS. METHODOLOGY: We studied and compared the dissociative experiences as well as the depression and anxiety levels between 24 patients suffering from temporal lobe epilepsy and 26 patients suffering from generalized tonic-clonic seizures. We used the Dissociative Experiences Scale to evaluate the dissociative experiences. A third group of healthy individuals was included as the control group. The statistical significance was fixed at 0.05. RESULTS: There were significant differences between the scores of DES-II of the healthy individuals and those of patients with epilepsy. However, there were no significant differences between the DES scores of different patients with epilepsy categorized according to neuropathology. There were also no significant differences between HAM-A and HAM-D scores between groups with epilepsy, but the scores were higher than those of the healthy individuals. There were significant differences between the DES scores in different sociodemographic groups such that higher scores were observed in groups with lower education (p<0.05). In addition, the scores on DES were higher in individuals with low socioeconomic status than in those with high socioeconomic status. CONCLUSION: The patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and those with generalized tonic-clonic seizures have similar dissociative experiences which are both more than those found in individuals without epilepsy. However, these dissociative experiences may not be related to the neuropathological parameters as much as they are to the sociodemographic parameters like education, age, socioeconomic status, and sex. This shows that the psychopathology of dissociation in epilepsy is similar to that of the general population.

[Study on correlation of glucagons, type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose regulation].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the changes of patients with type 2 diabetes in different stages in glucagon (GC) and free fatty acid (FFA) in fasting, OGT and L-Arg experiments, and discusses the role of pancreatic alphabeta cells in diabetes pathogenesis by studying the relations among indexes such as glucagon (GC), free fatty acid (FFA) and blood glucose (BG), insulin, insulin homeostasis model (HOMA) and glucose metabolism hormone secretion curve, in order to provide theoretical basis for the treatment of diabetes. METHOD: Study objects were divided into the T2DM group (45 cases), the IGT group (28 cases) and the NGT group (30 cases) for an OGTT experiment and then an L-Arg experiment on the next day. Under the fasting state, their blood glucose (FBG), insulin (F), glucagon (FGC), free fatty acid (FFA) were detected to calculate HOMA-beta, insulin sensitivity index (ISI) and HOMA-IR of different groups. Meanwhile, efforts were made to calculate different time quantum detected in OGTT and L-Arg experiments and area under the curve AUC(BG), AUC(INS) and AUC(GC). RESULT: Obvious overall differences were observed in FFA and FGC of the three groups. FGC of each group was negatively correlated with HOMA-beta and ISI. Among all of the 103 study objects, FGC was positively correlated with FBG and HOMA-IR and negatively correlated with HOMA-beta and ISI, with no correlation with FINS; FFA was positively correlated with FBG, HOMA-IR and negatively correlated with FINS, HOMA-beta, ISI. FGC and FFA were positively correlated in the T2DM group and the IGT group, but with no statistical correlation in the NGT group. The sequence of the three study objects was T2DM > IGR > NGT in AUC(GC) in the OGTT experiment and T2DM > IGR > NGT in in AUC(GC) in the L-Arg experiment, with the significant positive correlation between AUC(GC) and AUC(BG) and significant negative correlation with AUC(INS). CONCLUSION: Glucagon and free fatty acid of T2DM and IGT patients increased, which was positively correlated with blood glucose and HOMA-IR and negatively correlated with INS, HOMA-beta and ISI. The increase in glucagons of T2DM and IGT patients indicated inappropriate secretion of pancreatic alphabeta cells among patients with type 2 diabetes.

Analysis of Factors Related to the Efficacy of Consciousness-Regaining Therapy for Prolonged Disorder of Consciousness: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the factors related to the efficacy of consciousness-regaining therapy (CRT) for prolonged disorder of consciousness. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the case data of 114 patients with prolonged disorder of consciousness (pDOC) admitted to the Department of Functional Neurosurgery of Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from January 2019 to January 2022 to explore the relevant factors that affect the efficacy of CRT for pDOC. Next, basic information on the cases, data on pDOC disease assessment, CRT methods, and efficacy evaluation were collected. RESULTS: These 114 patients were grouped, and a comparative analysis was done based on the efficacy at the end of treatment. Of these, 61 cases were allotted to the ineffective group and 53 cases to the effective group. There was a lack of statistical difference (P > 0.05) between the 2 groups based on gender, age, etiology, acute cerebral herniation, emergency craniotomy surgery, emergency decompressive craniectomy, time from onset to start of CRT, and CRT duration (P > 0.05). However, secondary hydrocephalus, CRT methods, JFK Coma Recovery Scale-Revised grading before treatment, and extended Glasgow Outcome Scale score at six months after treatment were found to be statistically different. The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that the type of therapy (OR = 0.169, 95% CI: 0.057-0.508) affected the efficacy of CRT (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Personalized awakening therapy using various invasive CRT methods could improve the efficacy of therapy for pDOC compared with noninvasive therapy.

Myosteatosis is associated with coronary artery calcification in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Myosteatosis, rather than low muscle mass, is the primary etiologic factor of sarcopenia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Myosteatosis may lead to a series of metabolic dysfunctions, such as insulin resistance, systematic inflammation, and oxidative stress, and all these dysfunctions are closely associated with the acceleration of T2DM and atherosclerosis. AIM: To investigate the association between myosteatosis and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in patients with T2DM. METHODS: Patients with T2DM, who had not experienced major cardiovascular events and had undergone both abdominal and thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans, were included. The mean skeletal muscle attenuation was assessed using abdominal CT images at the L3 level. The CAC score was determined from thoracic CT images using the Agatston scoring method. Myosteatosis was diagnosed according to Martin's criteria. Severe CAC (SCAC) was defined when the CAC score exceeded 300. Logistic regression and decision tree analyses were performed. RESULTS: A total of 652 patients with T2DM were enrolled. Among them, 167 (25.6%) patients had SCAC. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that myosteatosis, age, duration of diabetes, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption were independent risk factors of SCAC. Myosteatosis was significantly associated with an increased risk of SCAC (OR = 2.381, P = 0.003). The association between myosteatosis and SCAC was significant in the younger patients (OR = 2.672, 95%CI: 1.477-4.834, P = 0.002), but not the older patients (OR = 1.456, 95%CI: 0.863-2.455, P = 0.188), and was more prominent in the population with lower risks of atherosclerosis. The decision tree analyses prioritized older age as the primary variable for SCAC. In older patients, cigarette smoking was the main contributing factor for SCAC, while in younger patients, it was myosteatosis. CONCLUSION: Myosteatosis is a novel risk factor for atherosclerosis in patients with T2DM, especially in the population with younger ages and fewer traditional risk factors.

[Effect of huazhuo jiedu hewei recipe on the mechanism of angiogenesis in precancerous lesions of gastric cancer rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the possible angiogenesis mechanism of Huazhuo Jiedu Hewei Recipe (HJHR) in preventing and treating precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC). METHODS: Totally 66 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, i.e., the normal control group, the model group, the retinoic acid (RA) group, the high dose HJHR group, the middle dose HJHR group, the low dose HJHR group, 11 in each group. PLGC model was duplicated by inserting a spring with Helicobacter. Corresponding medicines were administered to rats in each medicated group once daily by gastrogavage, 2 mL each time for 12 successive weeks. The effect of HJHR on hypoxia induced factor (HIF-1alpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) of PLGC in chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) rats' gastric mucosa was observed by immunohistochemical assay and Western blot method. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the expression of VEGF and HIF-1alpha increased in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the expression of VEGF and HIF-1alpha decreased in each medicated group (P < 0.05). Besides, they were lower in the high and middle dose HJHR groups than in the RA group and the low dose HJHR group (P < 0. 05). There was no statistical difference between the low dose HJHR group and the RA group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: HJHR could prevent and treat PLGC of CAG rats possibly through decreasing the expression of HIF-1alpha and VEGF in a dose-dependent manner.

Mechanisms of Chinese Medicine in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Treatment: Data Mining and Systematic Pharmacology Study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify specific Chinese medicines (CMs) that may benefit patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and explore the action mechanism. METHODS: Domestic and foreign literature on the treatment of GERD with CMs was searched and selected from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wanfang Database, and PubMed from October 1, 2011 to October 1, 2021. Data from all eligible articles were extracted to establish the database of CMs for GERD. Apriori algorithm of data mining techniques was used to analyze the rules of herbs selection and core Chinese medicine formulas were identified. A system pharmacology approach was used to explore the action mechanism of these medicines. RESULTS: A total of 278 prescriptions for GERD were analyzed, including 192 CMs. Results of Apriori algorithm indicated that Evodiae Fructus and Coptidis Rhizoma were the highest confidence combination. A total of 32 active ingredients and 66 targets were screened for the treatment of GERD. Enrichment analysis showed that the mechanisms of action mainly involved pathways in cancer, fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, advanced glycation end product (AGE), the receptor for AGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, bladder cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis. CONCLUSION: Evodiae Fructus and Coptidis Rhizoma are the core drugs in the treatment of GERD and the potential mechanism of action of these medicines includes potential target and pathways.