[Effects of virtual reality in phase I cardiac rehabilitation training for elderly coronary heart disease patients after percutaneous coronary intervention].

The study aimed to examine the effects of virtual reality (VR) technology-based phase I cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program in elderly coronary heart disease (CHD) patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Thirty-six cases of elderly CHD patients who underwent PCI in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from June 2022 to April 2023 were recruited by convenience sampling method. The patients were randomly assigned by means of random digital table method to two study groups: control group (n = 18), which received conventional nursing intervention after PCI, and experimental group (n = 18), which received a combined program of conventional nursing intervention together with CR program based on VR technology. The 6 min walk test (6MWT), Simple Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), SF-36 scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) were tested before and after rehabilitation. Moreover, the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) was recorded at 3 months after PCI. After VR-based CR, the 6MWT distance and SPPB scores of patients in the experimental group were higher than those in control group (P < 0.05). The HADS scores and IES-R scores of the patients in the experimental group were lower than those in control group (P < 0.01), and the difference in SF-36 scale scores was not statistically significant between two groups (P > 0.05). The incidence of MACE was not significantly different at 3 months after PCI (P > 0.05). These results suggest that VR-based phase I CR program mitigates the degree of PCI postoperative stress, anxiety, and depression in elderly CHD patients, however, enhances the resistance to fatigue and does not increase the risk of adverse cardiac events, suggesting it is a safe intervention.

CD146 mediates the anti-apoptotic role of Netrin-1 in endothelial progenitor cells under hypoxic conditions.

Modulating the biological status of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), such as function and survival, is essential for therapeutic angiogenesis in ischemic vascular disease environments. This study aimed to explore the role and molecular mechanisms underlying Netrin­1 in the viability and angiogenic function of EPCs. EPCs were isolated from the bone barrow of adult C57/BL6 mice. The apoptosis and various functions of EPCs were analyzed in vitro by manipulating the expression of Netrin­1. The TUNEL assay was performed to detect apoptotic EPCs. Cell migration and tube formation assays were performed to detect EPC function. Trypan blue staining was performed to detect cell viability. Western blot analysis was performed to detect the protein expression levels of Netrin­1, CD146 and apoptotic factors. Quantitative PCR analysis was performed to detect the expression levels of Netrin­1 receptors. The results demonstrated that treatment with exogenous Netrin­1 promoted EPC migration and tube formation, whereas transfection with small interfering (si)RNA targeting Netrin­1 exhibited the opposite effects. Exogenous Netrin­1 protected EPCs from hypoxia­induced apoptosis, whereas the interruption of endogenous Netrin­1 enhancement under hypoxia by Netrin­1­siRNA exacerbated the apoptosis of EPCs. Furthermore, CD146, one of the immunoglobulin receptors activated by Netrin­1, was screened for in the present study. Results demonstrated that CD146 did not participate in Netrin­1­promoted EPC function, but mediated the anti­apoptotic effects of Netrin­1 in EPCs. In conclusion, Netrin­1 enhanced the angiogenic function of EPCs and alleviated hypoxia­induced apoptosis, which was mediated by CD146. This biological function of Netrin­1 may provide a potential therapeutic option to promote EPCs for the treatment of ischemic vascular diseases.

Intestinal Macrophage Autophagy and its Pharmacological Application in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), comprised of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a group of chronic inflammatory disorders. IBD is regarded as a severe healthcare problem worldwide, with high morbidity and lethality. So far, despite of numerous studies on this issue, the specific mechanisms of IBD still remain unclarified and ideal treatments are not available for IBD. The intestinal mucosal barrier is vital for maintaining the function of the intestinal self-defensive system. Among all of the components, macrophage is an important one in the intestinal self-defensive system, normally protecting the gut against exotic invasion. However, the over-activation of macrophages in pathological conditions leads to the overwhelming induction of intestinal inflammatory and immune reaction, thus damaging the intestinal functions. Autophagy is an important catabolic mechanism. It has been proven to participate the regulation of various kinds of inflammation- and immune-related disorders via the regulation of inflammation in related cells. Here in this paper, we will review the role and mechanism of intestinal macrophage autophagy in IBD. In addition, several well-studied kinds of agents taking advantage of intestinal macrophage autophagy for the treatment of IBD will also be discussed. We aim to bring novel insights in the development of therapeutic strategies against IBD.

Effect of Quyu Chencuo Formula () on Renal Fibrosis in Obstructive Nephropathy Rats.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Quyu Chencuo Formula (, QCF) on renal fibrosis in rats with obstructive nephropathy. METHODS: Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into three groups, 4 for sham operation as the control group, 10 for unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model group, and the rest 10 for QCF treating UUO model group. All rats were sacrificed under 3% pentobarbital (50 mg/kg) anesthesia on the 14th day after surgery, then the right kidney samples of rats were harvested for hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining and Masson staining to observe the renal pathological changes. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to examine the expression of transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1), and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was employed to examine the expressions of TGF-ß1, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and E-cadherin mRNA. RESULTS: HE and Masson staining showed that the renal interstitial of the rats in the control group had no significant fibrotic lesion; in the model group, there were obvious interstitial fibrosis; for the QCF group, there were epithelial cell necrosis, infiltration of lymphocytes and mononuclear cells, aggravated interstitial fibrosis in varied degrees, but the pathological changes were less in the QCF group than in the model group. The immunohistochemistry and Western blotting results showed that the TGF-ß1 expression was increased significantly in the model group, while decreased significantly in the QCF group (P<0.05); RT-PCR showed that the mRNA expression of α-SMA and TGF-ß1 increased significantly in the model group, while both were significantly decreased in the QCF group compared with the model group (P<0.05). The mRNA expression of E-cadherin was decreased significantly in the model group, and it was significantly increased in the QCF group as compared with the model group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: QCF may improve renal fibrosis by regulating the expressions of TGF-ß1, α-SMA and E-cadherin, and prevent the progress of kidney fibrosis.

A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the prognosis of multicentric occurrence and vs. intrahepatic metastasis in patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the prognosis of patients with different types of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) recurrence following hepatectomy. Specifically, it evaluated overall survival and disease-free survival in HCC patients with multicentric occurrence (MO) or intrahepatic metastasis (IM). METHODS: Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were searched until August 22, 2016 using the following search terms: hepatocellular carcinoma, multicentric occurrence, intrahepatic metastasis, early recurrence, and late recurrence. Prospective, retrospective, and case control studies were included. RESULTS: The pooled results showed that patients in the MO group had lower risk of death than the IM group (pooled HR = 0.495, 95% CI = 0.378 to 0.648, P < 0.001). The MO group also had significantly longer disease-free survival than the IM group (pooled HR = 0.774, 95% CI = 0.663 to 0.903, P = 0.001). Sensitivity analysis indicated that no one study dominated the findings and that the data are robust. Overall the included studies were of good quality. CONCLUSION: This study found that MO patients have greater survival following surgery than IM patients, indicating the prognosis of MO patients is significantly better than that for IM patients.

MicroRNA-21 promotes cell proliferation, migration, and resistance to apoptosis through PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in esophageal cancer.

Our study aimed to explore associations between microRNA-21 (miR-21) and PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and, further, to elucidate the regulation of miR-21 on biological behaviors in human esophageal cancer cells. The expressions of miR-21, PTEN, PI3K, and AKT were detected in 89 esophageal cancer samples and 58 adjacent normal tissues respectively. The human esophageal cancer cells (TE11) were grouped as following: blank (TE11 cells without transfection), negative (TE11 cells with miR-21 negative inhibitor), and Inhibition-miR21 (TE11 cells with miR-21 inhibitor). Western blot was used for detection of PTEN, P13K, and AKT protein expressions, MTT method for cell proliferation, Transwell assay for cell migration and invasion, and flow cytometry for cell cycle and apoptosis. MiR-21, PI3K, and AKT have higher expressions, but PTEN has lower expression in esophageal cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. The esophageal cancer tissues with lymph node metastasis and poor differentiation showed significantly low positive rate of PTEN protein, but high positive rates of PI3K and AKT proteins. Compared with blank and negative groups, PTEN expression of TE11 cells in Inhibition-miR21 group was significantly up-regulated, but PI3K and AKT were down-regulated. Further, PTEN was a target gene of miR-21. Besides, compared with blank and negative groups, the proliferation, migration, and invasion of TE11 cells were less active in Inhibition-miR21 group. TE11 cells were significantly increased in the G0/G1 phase of cell cycles, but decreased in the S and G2/M phase in Inhibition-miR21 group. The TE11 cells exhibited significantly increased apoptosis rates. MiR-21 targets key proteins in PTEN/PI3K/AKT signal pathway, promoting proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle, and inhibiting apoptosis of human esophageal cancer cells. It may serve as a novel therapeutic target in esophageal cancer.

[Effects of dachengqi decoction containing serum on the expressions of caveolin-1, eNOS, and NF-kappaB in lipopolysaccharide stimulated human bronchial epithelial cells].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of dachengqi decoction (DD) containing serum on the expressions of caveolin-1 (CAV-1), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and nuclear transcription factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). METHODS: The DD and the DD containing serum were prepared. The in vitro cultured HBECs were randomly divided into 7 groups, i.e., the normal serum control group, the LPS intervention group, the low dose DD serum containing group, the middle dose DD serum containing group, the high dose DD serum containing group, the Western medicine control group, the vehicle serum control group. The effects of DD containing serum at different doses on the mRNA and protein expressions of CAV-1, eNOS, and NF-kappaB were detected using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetry, Real-time PCR, immunocytochemical assay, and Western blot. RESULTS: The mRNA and protein expressions of CAV-1, eNOS, and NF-kappaB at the basic levels were detected in the HBECs of the normal serum control group. After stimulated by LPS, the mRNA and protein expressions of CAV-1, eNOS, and NF-kappaB increased more significantly in the LPS intervention group than in the normal serum control group (P < 0.01), while DD containing serums at different doses all could suppress the mRNA and protein expressions of CAV-1, eNOS, and NF-kappaB. CONCLUSION: DD containing serum could inhibit the expressions of CAV-1, eNOS, and NF-kappaB in LPS stimulated HBECs.

[Effect of salvianolic acid B on CD14 expression in rats with liver fibrosis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of salvianolic acid B (SAB), an extract from Radix Salviae miltiorrhizae, on expression of leucocyte differentiation antigen 14 (CD14) in the liver tissue of experimental rats with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis. METHODS: Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into three groups, the model group, the treated group, and the control group. The pathological fibrosis changes in liver of rats were observed. Meantime, their liver function was detected by automatic biochemical analyzer. Serum content of endotoxin was assayed by matrix staining, and plasma content of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was detected by radioimmunoassay. mRNA and protein expressions of CD14 in the liver tissue were measured using reverse transcriptional-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry respectively. RESULTS: All the laboratory parameters, including liver function, degree of liver fibrosis, serum endotoxin levels, plasma TNF-alpha contents, and CD14 mRNA and protein expressions in the model group were higher than those in the control group (all P<0.01). All the aforesaid indices were lowered more in the treated group than in the model group (all P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: SAB could antagonize the CCl4, induced liver fibrosis in rats. Its mechanism of action was possibly correlated with its effects on down-regulating hepatic CD14 expression and blocking the endotoxin signal transduction pathway.

[Experimental study on acting mechanism of vicera purging method in purging fu-organs and benefiting fei].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the acting mechanism of viscera purging method (VP) in purging Fu-organs and benefiting Fei from integral, cellular and molecular levels. METHODS: Forty SD rats were equally divided into four groups randomly: the normal group, the model group, the unhitch group and the VP group. Except those in the normal group were untreated, rats were established to intestinal obstruction model by incomplete ligation of the rectum in vitro. The ligation was relieved 48 h after operation in the unhitch group and the VP group, and the animals were fed continuously on routine. Meanwhile, Dachengqi Decoction (DD) 2 ml was given twice a day to the VP group for 2 days. Finally, the serum interleukin 8 (IL-8) and mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the lung tissue were detected by radioimmunoassay and RT-PCR respectively. Besides, the number of pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM) in the bronchial alveolus lavage fluid (BALF) was counted and their death rate calculated. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control, the serum IL-8 content in lung tissue in the model rats were remarkably higher (P < 0.01); however, the VP group showed the lowest level of IL-8 content and the highest was shown in the model group. Number of PAM in BALF was higher and its death rate was lower in the VP group than that in the unhitch groups (both P< 0.05). The expression of TNF-alpha mRNA was sinificantly higher as compared with that in the normal group, and lowered after administration of DD. CONCLUSION: Viscera purging method could protect the injured lung tissue to some extent.

Clinical study on therapy of clearing hallow viscera in treating critical patients with gastro-enteric function disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effect of therapy of clearing hallow viscera in treating critical patients with gastro-enteric function disorder (GEFD). METHODS: Retrospective analysis was carried out on 96 critical patients. They were 48 patients in the treated group treated with Dachengqi Decoction and 48 patients in the control group treated with Western medicine for promoting gastric dynamic force. The recovery rate, recovery time of gastro-enteric function, incidence rate and fatality rate of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), as well as the level of plasma endotoxin (ET) before and after treatment between the two groups were compared. RESULTS: Comparison between the two groups in gastro-enteric function recovery rate (81.3% vs 45.8%), functional disorder sustaining time in patients who got recovered (1.2 +/- 0.3 days vs 4.0 +/- 1.1 days), incidence rate (29.17% vs 52.08%) and fatality rate (28.57% vs 56.00%) of MODS all showed significant difference (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The plasma level of ET after treatment in the treated group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Therapy of clearing hallow viscera has a good effect in treating critical patients with gastro-enteric function disorder, and could reduce the incidence and fatality of MODS.

[The protective effect of Rhadiola Astragalus Codonopsis compound on myocardium in early stage of severe burn at plateau in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the severity of early myocardial injury in rats with 30% full thickness burn at plateau and the protective effects of Rhadiola Astragalus Codonopsis Compound (RACC) on the rat myocardial injury. METHODS: One hundred and four Wistar rats with 30% full thickness burn were randomly divided into RACC application (R, n = 48) and scalding group 1 (S, n = 48), and another 8 healthy Wistar rats as control group 2 (C, n = 8). Four ml of RACC was garaged into the rat stomach in R and 4 ml isotonic saline in S groups respectively, but no treatment in C group. Blood samples from the aorta were harvested in 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 postburn hours (PBH) for blood gas analysis and for the determination of the changes in myocardial enzymes. Rat heart was harvested for pathomorphological examination. RESULTS: The rat myocardial tissue injury in R and S groups was obvious at 3 PBH and ameliorated gradually thereafter, up to the degree in C group at 72 PBH. The serum levels of myocardial enzymes in R and S groups were significantly higher than those in C group (P < 0.01). Whereas the enzymes in R group were much lower than those in S group (P < 0.01). It was indicated by blood gas analysis that the pH in R and S groups was lower than that in C group (P < 0.05), while that in R group at 12 - 24 PBH was higher than that in S group (P < 0.05). In addition, the base excess in R and S groups was lower than that in C group (P < 0.01), while that in R group at 6 PBH was higher than that in S group (P < 0.05 approximately 0.01). The PaCO2 in R and S groups was evidently lower than that in C group (P < 0.05 approximately 0.01), while that in R group at 48 PBH was no different to that in C group (35.70 +/- 4.23 mmHg vs 37.50 +/- 6.53 mmHg, P > 0.05). The PaO2 in R and S groups at 3 approximately 24 PBH was higher than that in C group and decreased gradually (P > 0.05). There was no difference in SaO2 among 3 groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: RACC exhibited beneficial to the protection of rat heart from myocardial injury at plateau induced by severe burn.