Macular microvasculature in central retinal artery occlusion with paracentral acute middle maculopathy / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To investigate the changes in the macular microvasculature in eyes with central retinal artery occlusion(CRAO)and paracentral acute middle maculopathy(PAMM).METHODS: Retrospective study. A total of 27 cases(27 eyes)who diagnosed with CRAO-PAMM and 29 patients(29 eyes)diagnosed as CRAO but with no PAMM were hospitalized in our hospital from January 2020 to December 2021. There were 33 normal people(33 eyes)who underwent physical examination in our hospital selected as control group. Optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)was used to measure retinal blood flow and thickness parameters in the 3 mm×3 mm area of the macula. The correlation among macular retinal blood flow density, retinal thickness, foveal avascular zone(FAZ)area, FAZ perimeter, acircularity index(AI), flow density in a 300-μm-wide region around the FAZ(FD-300)and lesion area, best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)in the CRAO-PAMM group was analyzed.RESULTS: Among the three groups, there were significant differences in the overall and parafoveal blood flow density of superficial capillary layer(SCP)and deep capillary layer(DCP), foveal thickness, FAZ area, FAZ perimeter, AI and FD-300(all P<0.05). In the CRAO-PAMM group, the lesion area was negatively correlated with DCP overall and parafoveal blood flow density(r=-0.569, P=0.002; r=-0.543, P=0.004), and positively correlated with the parafoveal thickness(r=0.606, P=0.001); BCVA(LogMAR)was negatively correlated with DCP foveal and parafoveal blood flow density(r=-0.433, P=0.024; r=-0.515, P=0.006), and positively correlated with FAZ area, perimeter and lesion area(r=0.484, P=0.011; r=0.531, P=0.004; r=0.417, P=0.030).CONCLUSION:Patients with CRAO and PAMM have lower macular blood flow density, heavier macular edema and poorer visual acuity, and BCVA may be influenced by both lesion area and FAZ area.

Application Value of Plasma vWF and ADAMTS-13 in Evaluating Postoprative Vascular Endothelial Injury and Prognosis in Children with VSD / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To dynamically observe the levels and activities of von Willebrand factor (vWF) and ADAMTS-13 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13) in plasma of children with congenital ventricular septal defect (VSD) during perioperative period, and explore the value of plasma vWF antigen (vWF:Ag) and ADAMTS-13 activity (ADAMTS-13: AC) in evaluating vascular endothelial injury and prognosis in children with VSD.@*METHODS@#In this cross-sectional study, a total of 74 children with VSD who underwent surgical treatment in TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital from September 2018 to March 2019 were enrolled in the observation group. Among them, there were 28 cases of pure VSD, 32 cases of VSD combined with pulmonary hypertension, and 14 cases of VSD combined with valvular heart disease. 31 healthy children who underwent physical examination in Tianjin Children's Hospital during the same period were collected as the control group. The biochemical indexes of the children at admission were recorded. Peripheral plasma was collected at admission, postsurgery day 0 and day 1, respectively, and the levels of vWF activity (vWF:AC), vWF:Ag, ADAMTS-13 antigen (ADAMTS-13:Ag) and ADAMTS-13:AC were detected.@*RESULTS@#The level of plasma vWF:Ag and vWF:AC in the observation group before surgery were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.001), and increased continuously, on postsurgery day 0 and day 1 (P<0.001). The level of ADAMTS-13:Ag in the observation group before surgery was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.001), which decreased significantly on postsurgery day 0 (P<0.001), and increased significantly on postsurgery day 1 compared with postsurgery day 0 (P=0.033). The level of ADAMTS-13:AC in the observation group before surgery was significantly lower than that in the control group (P=0.015), which decreased significantly on postsurgery day 0 (P=0.037), and increased on postsurgery day 1, but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.051). The changes of vWF and ADAMTS-13 in the three subgroups were basically similar to the observation group. vWF: Ag/ADAMTS-13: AC ratio on postsurgery day 0 and day 1 had high diagnostic value in vascular endothelial injury (AUC=0.80, P<0.001; AUC=0.93, P<0.001). Preoperative vWF and ADAMTS-13 levels, and related baseline indicators were not correlated with postoperative infection, bleeding, thrombosis,etc.@*CONCLUSION@#Preoperative vWF: Ag, vWF: AC and ADAMTS-13: AC levels in children with VSD are low, while the level of ADAMTS-13: Ag is high. After surgery, the levels of vWF: Ag and vWF: AC are increased and the level of ADAMTS-13: Ag is decreased. The postoperative vWF: Ag/ADAMTS-13: AC ratio shows high diagnostic value in evaluating vascular endothelial injury. There is no correlation between preoperative vWF and ADAMTS-13 levels with perioperative clinical events.

CBX7 Rejuvenates Late Passage Dental Pulp Stem Cells by Maintaining Stemness and Pro-angiogenic Ability

BACKGROUND@#Ever-growing tissue regeneration causes pressing need for large population of stem cells. However, extensive cell expansion eventually leads to impaired regenerative potentials. In this study, chromobox protein homolog 7 (CBX7) was overexpressed to rejuvenate late passage dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs-P9). @*METHODS@#The recruitment of copper ions (Cu2+ )-activated hypoxia-inducible factor-1a (HIF-1a) to the CBX7 gene promoter was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Functions subsequent to Cu2+ -induced or recombinant overexpression of CBX7 on proliferation, multipotency, odontoblastic differentiation and angiogenesis were investigated in vitro, while murine subcutaneous transplantation model was used to further detect the effects of Cu2+ -induced CBX7 overexpression in vivo. @*RESULTS@#Our data displayed that CBX7 overexpression maintain proliferation and multipotency of DPSCs-P9 almost as strong as those of DPSCs-P3. Both gene level of odontoblast-lineage markers and calcium precipitation were nearly the same between CBX7 overexpressed DPSCs-P9 and normal DPSCs-P3. Moreover, we also found upregulated expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in DPSCs-P9 with CBX7 overexpression, which increased the number of capillary-like structures and migrating co-cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells as well. These findings indicate CBX7 as an effective factor to rejuvenate late passage stem cells insusceptible to cell expansion. Cu2+ has been proved to achieve CBX7 overexpression in DPSCs through the initiation of HIF-1a-CBX7 cascade. Under Cu2+ stimulation since P3, DPSCs-P9 exhibited ameliorated regenerative potential both in vitro and in vivo. @*CONCLUSION@#Long-term stimulation of Cu2+ to overexpress CBX7 could be a new strategy to manufacture large population of self-renewing stem cells.

Evaluation of the predictive effect of parafoveal blood flow density of macula on the number of intravitreal Conbercept injections in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate blood flow density within 300μm(FD-300)around the foveal avascular zone(FAZ)in optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)of patients with macular edema(ME)complicated with non-ischemic branch retinal vein occlusion(BRVO), and to explore and evaluate the predictive effect of this parameter on the number of intraocular drug injections.METHODS: A retrospective case study. A total of 50 patients(50 eyes)who were diagnosed as non-ischemic BRVO combined with ME and received intravitreal conbercept(IVC)in the Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2021 to March 2022 were selected, and they were treated with 3+PRN regimen. The 25 cases(25 eyes)treated with intraocular injection ≤5 times were classified as group B, and 25 cases(25 eyes)treated with intraocular injection &#x003E;5 times were classified as group C, and 25 fellow eyes were randomly selected as control group A. OCTA was used to scan the macular area in 3mm×3mm to collect images of retinal blood flow, the central macular thickness(CMT)and FD-300. The CMT, best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA), and FD-300 were compared between the two groups at baseline, 1, 3, 6 and 12mo after the third injection.RESULTS: The BCVA(LogMAR)of the affected eye in both groups B and C at 1, 3, 6 and 12mo after the third injection was significantly lower than baseline(all P&#x003C;0.05); the CMT and FD-300 were significantly lower than baseline(all P&#x003C;0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the change of BCVA(LogMAR)was positively correlated with the baseline FD-300 and CMT(group B: r=0.77, 0.70, all P&#x003C;0.01; group C: r=0.89, 0.78, all P&#x003C;0.01). The number of intraocular injections was negatively correlated with the baseline FD-300(group B: r=-0.63, P&#x003C;0.01; group C: r=-0.71, P&#x003C;0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that the FD-300 at baseline is a factor that affects the number of intraocular drug injection.CONCLUSION: IVC can effectively alleviate macular edema of the affected eye,improve visual acuity and reduce FD-300. The eyes with worse BCVA and lower FD-300 at baseline may require more injections of anti-VEGF. Observation of FD-300 with OCTA can better predict eventual vision recovery of non-ischemic BRVO with ME before treatment.

Celastrol induces ferroptosis in activated HSCs to ameliorate hepatic fibrosis via targeting peroxiredoxins and HO-1

Ferroptosis is a form of regulated cell death, characterized by excessive membrane lipid peroxidation in an iron- and ROS-dependent manner. Celastrol, a natural bioactive triterpenoid extracted from Tripterygium wilfordii, shows effective anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory activities in multiple hepatic diseases. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of action and the direct protein targets of celastrol in the treatment of liver fibrosis remain largely elusive. Here, we discover that celastrol exerts anti-fibrotic effects via promoting the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inducing ferroptosis in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). By using activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) in combination with bio-orthogonal click chemistry reaction and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), we show that celastrol directly binds to peroxiredoxins (PRDXs), including PRDX1, PRDX2, PRDX4 and PRDX6, through the active cysteine sites, and inhibits their anti-oxidant activities. Celastrol also targets to heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and upregulates its expression in activated-HSCs. Knockdown of PRDX1, PRDX2, PRDX4, PRDX6 or HO-1 in HSCs, to varying extent, elevated cellular ROS levels and induced ferroptosis. Taken together, our findings reveal the direct protein targets and molecular mechanisms via which celastrol ameliorates hepatic fibrosis, thus supporting the further development of celastrol as a promising therapeutic agent for liver fibrosis.

Impairment of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway in Alzheimer's diseases: Pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic potential

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by memory loss and cognitive dysfunction. The accumulation of misfolded protein aggregates including amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides and microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT/tau) in neuronal cells are hallmarks of AD. So far, the exact underlying mechanisms for the aetiologies of AD have not been fully understood and the effective treatment for AD is limited. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular catabolic process by which damaged cellular organelles and protein aggregates are degraded via lysosomes. Recently, there is accumulating evidence linking the impairment of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway with AD pathogenesis. Interestingly, the enhancement of autophagy to remove protein aggregates has been proposed as a promising therapeutic strategy for AD. Here, we first summarize the recent genetic, pathological and experimental studies regarding the impairment of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway in AD. We then describe the interplay between the autophagy-lysosomal pathway and two pathological proteins, Aβ and MAPT/tau, in AD. Finally, we discuss potential therapeutic strategies and small molecules that target the autophagy-lysosomal pathway for AD treatment both in animal models and in clinical trials. Overall, this article highlights the pivotal functions of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway in AD pathogenesis and potential druggable targets in the autophagy-lysosomal pathway for AD treatment.

Onset and Recurrence Characteristics of Chinese Patients with Noncardiogenic Ischemic Stroke in Chinese Medicine Hospital / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To delineate the onset and recurrence characteristics of noncardiogenic ischemic stroke patients in China.@*METHODS@#A prospective, multicenter and registry study was carried out in 2,558 patients at 7 representative clinical sub-centers during November 3, 2016 to February 17, 2019. A questionnaire was used to collect information of patients regarding CM syndromes and constitutions and associated risk factors. Additionally, stroke recurrence was defined as a primary outcome indicator.@*RESULTS@#A total of 327 (12.78 %) patients endured recurrence events, 1,681 (65.72%) were men, and the average age was 63.33 ± 9.45 years. Totally 1,741 (68.06%) patients suffered first-ever ischemic stroke, 1,772 (69.27%) patients reported to have hypertension, and 1,640 (64.11%) of them reported dyslipidemia, 1,595 (62.35%) patients exhibited small-artery occlusion by The Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification. Specifically, 1,271 (49.69%) patients were considered as qi-deficient constitution, and 1,227 (47.97%) patients were determined as stagnant blood constitution. There were 1,303 (50.94%) patients diagnosed as blood stasis syndrome, 1,280 (50.04%) patients exhibited phlegm and dampness syndrome and 1,012 (39.56%) patients demonstrated qi deficiency syndrome. And 1,033 (40.38%) patients declared intracranial artery stenosis, and 478 (18.69%) patients reported carotid artery stenosis. The plaque in 1,508 (41.36%) patients were of mixed. Particularly, 41.09% of them demonstrated abnormal levels of glycated hemoglobin levels.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Recurrence in minor and small-artery stroke cannot be ignored. Hypertension, dyslipidemia, abnormal HbA1c, intracranial artery stenosis and carotid plaque were more common in stroke patients. Particularly, phlegm-dampness and blood stasis syndromes, as well as qi deficiency and blood stasis constitutions, were still the main manifestations of stroke. (Trial registration at ClinicalTrials.gov No. NCT03174535).

Mycena subpiligera sp. nov., a Symbiotic Species from China Associated with the Seed Germination of Gastrodia elata

Mycena subpiligera, a new taxon in sect. Fragilipedes that can strongly enhance the germination efficiency of Gastrodia elata seeds, was discovered in subtropical areas of China. As revealed by a morphological comparison with related Mycena species as well as maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the large subunit (LSU) regions of nuclear ribosomal RNA, the new taxon can be distinguished from phenotypically similar and phylogenetically related species. Optimal cultural conditions for M. subpiligera basidiomata are reported, and the germination rate of the new species is compared with that of M. citrinomarginata.

Statistical methods for relative risk estimation and applications in case-cohort study / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To systematically introduce the design of case-cohort study and the statistical methods of relative risk estimation and their application in the design. Methods: First, we introduced the basic principles of case-cohort study design. Secondly, Prentice's method, Self-Prentice method and Barlow method were described in the weighted Cox proportional hazard regression models in detail, finally, the data from the Shanghai Women's Health Study were used as an example to analyze the association between obesity and liver cancer incidence in the full cohort and case-cohort sample, and the results of parameters from each method were compared. Results: Significant association was observed between obesity and risk for liver cancer incidence in women in both the full cohort and the case-cohort sample. In the Cox proportional hazard regression model, the partial regression coefficients of the full cohort and the case-cohort sample fluctuated with the adjustment of confounding factors, but the hazard ratio estimates of them were close. There was a difference in the standard error of the partial regression coefficient between the full cohort and the case-cohort sample. The standard error of the partial regression coefficient of the case-cohort sample was larger than that of the full cohort, resulting in a wider 95% confidence interval of the relative risk. In the weighted Cox proportional hazard regression model, the standard error of the partial regression coefficient of Prentice's method was closer to the parameter estimates from full cohort than Self-Prentice method and Barlow method, and the 95% confidence interval of hazard ratio was closer to that of the full cohort. Conclusions: Case-cohort design could yield parameter results closer to the full cohort by collecting and analyzing data from sub-cohort members and patients with the disease, and reduce sample size and improve research efficiency. The results suggested that Prentice's method would be preferred in case-cohort design.

Parkinson's Disease in Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Parkinson's disease （PD） is a neurodegenerative disease that seriously endangers the health of the middle-aged and elderly people. The main clinical manifestations include motor symptoms such as bradykinesia， static tremor， and myotonia and non-motor symptoms like constipation， mental disorders， sleep disorders， and autonomic nervous dysfunction. Its etiology and pathogenesis have not been fully understood， and the clinical efficacy is not satisfactory. By searching the relevant literature in China and abroad in recent years， this paper summarized the etiology， pathogenesis， and treatment of PD in both traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and western medicine as well as the integrated TCM and Western medicine treatment. In general， liver and kidney deficiency is recognized by domestic experts in related fields as the main pathogenesis of PD. The abnormal aggregation of α-synuclein， oxidative stress， mitochondrial dysfunction， ubiquitin-proteasome system dysfunction， neuroinflammation， autophagy， microbiota-gut-brain axis regulation， and excitatory neurotoxicity are closely related to the pathogenesis of this disease. At present， treatment based on syndrome differentiation， empirical formulae from famous doctors， single Chinese herbs， and acupuncture and moxibustion are mainly adopted for the tackling of PD in TCM. Western medicine is still dominated by drug replacement therapy， supplemented by such surgical treatments as traditional immunotherapy， neurotrophic factors， and deep brain stimulation （DBS）， rehabilitation and exercise therapy， and scientific nursing. Gene therapy has become a new technical means for the treatment of this disease in recent years. In addition， the combined therapy of TCM and Western medicine has received increasing importance. This paper reviewed the pathogenesis and treatment of PD in TCM and Western medicine， so as to provide reference for its clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Mechanism of Kaixinsan on Learning and Memory Ability and Synaptic Function of APP/PS1 Mice / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the underlying protective mechanism of Kaixinsan on learning， memory， and synaptic function in APP/PS1 mice. Method:Sixty APP/PS1 mice were randomly divided into a model group， a donepezil （2 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） group， and low- （0.7 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， medium- （1.4 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and high-dose （2.8 g·kg^-1·d^-1） Kaixinsan groups， and the wild-type mice of the same age in the same litter were assigned to the normal group， with 12 mice in each group. After continuous intragastric administration for two months， the Morris water maze experiment was performed. The ultrastructure of hippocampal neurons was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The colorimetric assay was used to detect serum content of acetylcholine （ACh）， choline acetyltransferase （ChAT）， acetylcholinesterase （AChE）， and levels of hippocampal reactive oxygen species （ROS）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， and glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px）. Real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real- time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF）， beta-nerve growth factor （NGFB）， discs large homolog (DLG)2， DLG4， and synaptophysin （SYP）. Result:Compared with the normal group， the model group showed prolonged escape latency， reduced number of crossing platforms， shortened stay in the target quadrant （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， decreased number of mitochondria with different shapes and irregular arrangement， some swollen and deformed mitochondria with broken mitochondrial cristae， endolysis， and cytoplasm vacuole， and more cell debris. Additionally， the model group also displayed reduced serum levels of ACh and ChAT， increased AChE （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， elevated hippocampal ROS and MDA （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）， declining SOD and GSH-Px （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and diminished hippocampal BDNF， NGFB， DLG2， DLG4， and SYP mRNA levels （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the model group， the donepezil group， and the medium- and high-dose Kaixinsan groups showed shortened escape latency， increased number of crossing platforms， prolonged stay in the target quadrant （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）， improved mitochondrial damage with a regular shape （mainly oval shape）， relieved mitochondrial swelling and deformation， and clear mitochondrial cristae. Furthermore， the donepezil group， and the medium- and high-dose Kaixinsan groups also exhibited increased serum ACh and ChAT levels （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）， blunted AChE activity （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， reduced hippocampal ROS level （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）， declining MDA level （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， potentiated SOD and GSH-Px activities， and up-regulated hippocampal BDNF， NGFB， DLG2， DLG4， and SYP mRNA levels （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）. In the low-dose Kaixinsan group， the stay time in the target quadrant was prolonged and the expression of hippocampal SYP mRNA was elevated significantly （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. There was no statistical difference in swimming speed between the groups. Conclusion:Kaixinsan can improve the learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 mice by increasing the expression of synaptic plasticity-related proteins， reducing the ultrastructural damage to hippocampal neurons， resisting oxidative stress， and regulating cholinergic neurotransmitters， thereby exerting neuroprotective effects.

Dietary antioxidants and common cancers： evidence from epidemiological studies / 上海预防医学

Cancer causes a considerable disease burden in countries all over the world. Numerous epidemiological evidences suggest that dietary antioxidants are closely related to the incidence， mortality and prognosis of cancer. For example， many antioxidants in fresh vegetables， fruits and legumes have beneficial effects in preventing some common cancers and improving patient survival. Based on our relevant research experience and reported studies from home and abroad， this paper summarizes the results of various epidemiological studies on the association between dietary antioxidants and cancer. Healthy diet education should be conducted in general population for cancer prevention and control.

Synergistic effects of autophagy/mitophagy inhibitors and magnolol promote apoptosis and antitumor efficacy

Mitochondria as a signaling platform play crucial roles in deciding cell fate. Many classic anticancer agents are known to trigger cell death through induction of mitochondrial damage. Mitophagy, one selective autophagy, is the key mitochondrial quality control that effectively removes damaged mitochondria. However, the precise roles of mitophagy in tumorigenesis and anticancer agent treatment remain largely unclear. Here, we examined the functional implication of mitophagy in the anticancer properties of magnolol, a natural product isolated from herbal

Therapeutic effect of Toutongning Dropping Pills on migraine / 中草药

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of Toutongning Dropping Pills in the treatment of migraine in various experimental models. Methods: The experimental model of nitroglycerin-induced migraine in rats was used to observe the preventive effect of Toutongning Dropping Pills. The analgesic effect of Toutongning Dropping Pills was observed by chemical stimulation, thermal stimulation in mice, mechanical stimulation and formalin stimulation in rats. The sedative effect of Toutongning Dropping Pills was observed by using the mice convulsion model induced by strychnine nitrate and the model of spontaneous activity in normal mice. The blood-activating effects of Toutongning Dropping Pills were observed in rats with hyperviscosity and mice with microcirculation disorder. Results: Five days after Toutongning Dropping Pills were given, compared with the model group, 1 g/kg and 2 g/kg drug dose group significantly reduced the number of climbing cage and scratching head in migraine rats, and shortened the fading time of pink ears. Toutongning Dropping Pills 1.5 g/kg and 3 g/kg dose group significantly reduced the number of writhing induced by acetic acid in mice; While it had no obvious effect on the thermal stimulation model. Toutongning Dropping Pills 1 g/kg and 2 g/kg dose group could significantly improve pain threshold of the mechanical stimulation of rats, and shorten the phase II time of formalin pain in rats; 1.5 g/kg and 3 g/kg drug dose group could significantly prolong the incubation period of convulsion and reduce the number of spontaneous activities in mice; 0.5 g/kg and 1 g/kg and 2 g /kg drug dose group significantly inhibited the increase of whole blood viscosity in rats; 1.5 g/kg and 3 g/kg drug dose group significantly improved the blood flow pattern in mice, reduced erythrocyte aggregation, and increased the number of capillary intersection points. Conclusion: Toutongning Dropping Pills have obvious analgesic, sedative, blood-activating functions, and have therapeutic effects on experimental migraine.

GC-MS analysis of volatile oil from traditional She medicine Clematis Florida var. plena flower / 中草药

Objective: Clematis florida var. plena is a traditional She medicine. In this paper, we aim to study the main chemical components of essential oil of C. florida var. plena flower. The study will provide reference for large-scale reasonable cultivation and quality standard establishment of C. florida var. plena. Methods: C. florida var. plena flower's essential oil was extracted with steam distillation and it was identified by GC-MS. Area normalization method was used to measure the percentage of each components. Results: In the experiment, 32 element were detected in essential oil of C. florida var. plena flower, among which 20 chemical components were identified. There are 13 chemical components over 1%, and the top five compounds are palmitic acid (26.94%), phytol (10.58%), linoleic acid (6.13%), pentadecane (4.54%) and n-tricosane (3.84%). Conclusion: GC-MS was first used to analyze the main chemical components of C. florida var. plena's flower essential oil. The study provides scientific basis for cultivation, production, development, utilization of C. florida var. plena.

Effect of electronic moxibustion on memory function in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of electronic moxibustion on memory function in the patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).@*METHODS@#A total of 59 aMCI patients were randomized into an electronic moxibustion group (30 cases) and a placebo moxibustion group (29 cases). In the electronic moxibustion group, the electronic moxibustion was applied to Baihui (GV 20), Dazhui (GV 14), Mingmen (GV 4) and Taixi (KI 3), 45 ℃ in temperature, 20 min each time. The treatment was given once a day, 5 times a week. The treatment for 4 weeks was as one course and 2 courses were required totally. In the placebo moxibustion group, the moxa-free patch was used, 38 ℃ in temperature. The acupoint selection and the treatment frequency were same as the electronic moxibustion group. Before and after treatment, Rivermead behavior memory test (RBMT) was adopted to evaluate the global memory function of the patients in the two groups and the N-back task test was adopted to evaluate working memory function separately. Additionally, the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and its immediate memory, Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and its delay recall were adopted to evaluate the global cognitive function and memory function@*RESULTS@#In the electronic moxibustion group, after treatment, RBMT score, N-back accuracy rates, MMSE and MoCA scores and the scores of immediate memory and delay recall were improved significantly as compared with those before treatment (<0.01). In the placebo moxibustion group, the accuracy rates of 1-back and 2-back task and the scores of immediate memory and delay recall were improved obviously as compared with those before treatment (<0.05, <0.01). After treatment, the improvements of RBMT score, the accuracy rates of N-back task and MMSE and MoCA scores in the electronic moxibustion group were higher than those in the placebo moxibustion group (<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Electronic moxibustion improves memory function in the patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Effects of traditional Chinese exercises on blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c levels in patients with prediabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis / 中西医结合学报

BACKGROUND@#Traditional Chinese exercises (TCEs) have a positive effect on glycemic control and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), but there is no consensus on the benefits of TCEs for patients with prediabetes.@*OBJECTIVE@#The objective of this study was to systematically investigate the effects of TCEs on blood glucose control in patients with prediabetes.@*SEARCH STRATEGY@#Comprehensive retrieval of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was carried out using PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, China Biology Medicine disc, Google Scholar and Baidu academic databases. The retrieval window ranged from the establishment of the database to December 2018, and references related to the included trials were searched without language restrictions.@*INCLUSION CRITERIA@#The study included RCTs with a clinical diagnosis of prediabetes that was also treated with TCEs.@*DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS@#Literature screening, data extraction and literature quality assessment were performed independently by two researchers. In the case of disagreement, a third party was invited to negotiate and make a decision. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to estimate the therapeutic effect. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3.5 and Stata 15.0. Heterogeneity was assessed using Q test and I, and the source of heterogeneity was determined using Galbraith diagram and sensitivity analysis. A Q test resulting in P  50% indicated significant difference and random effect model analysis was performed. Otherwise, a fixed effect model was applied. Begg's and Egger's tests were used to assess publication bias.@*RESULTS@#Nine RCTs involving 485 participants were included in this study. The results showed that TCEs could reduce fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2 h blood glucose (2hPBG) and HbA1c in patients with prediabetes. The treatment subgroup showed that an intervention of 6 months had better results, while the Gongfa subgroup showed that the TCE Baduanjin yielded better results. (1) FBG: SMD = -0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-0.97, -0.50], P < 0.00001; Baduanjin: SMD = -0.83, 95% CI [-1.13, -0.53], P < 0.00001; 6 month treatment: SMD = -0.73, 95% CI [-1.20, -0.26], P = 0.002. (2) 2hPBG: SMD = -0.75, 95% CI [-0.94, -0.57], P < 0.00001; Baduanjin: SMD = -0.62, 95% CI [-0.91, -0.32], P < 0.00001; 6 month treatment: SMD = -0.91, 95% CI [-1.39, -0.44], P = 0.0002. (3) HbA1c: SMD = -0.56, 95% CI [-0.89, -0.23], P = 0.00008; Baduanjin: SMD = -0.46, 95% CI [-0.83, -0.08], P = 0.02; 6 month treatment: SMD = -0.77, 95% CI [-1.24, -0.29], P = 0.002.@*CONCLUSION@#TCEs had positive effects in improving blood glucose levels in patients with prediabetes. Hence, TCEs may be of potential therapeutic value for patients with prediabetes, as an adjuvant therapy along with other treatments. Although the evidence suggests that the intervention is effective for 6 months, the mechanism of TCEs on glycemic control, the minimum exercise dose and their safety remain to be further studied.

Free Flow-through Anterolateral Thigh Flaps for Wrist High-tension Electrical Burns: A Retrospective Case Series / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Objective@#The objective of this report was to demonstrate the clinical application of free flow-through anterolateral thigh flaps for the treatment of high-tension electrical wrist burns.@*Methods@#We collected the data of 8 patients with high-tension electrical wrist burns admitted to Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from January 2014 to December 2018. The clinical and pathological data were extracted from electronic hospital medical records. We obtained follow-up information through clinic visits.@*Results@#The injury sites for all 8 patients were the wrists, specifically 5 right and 3 left wrists, all of which were on the flexor side. Five patients had ulnar artery embolism necrosis and patency, with injury to the radial artery. Two patients had ulnar and radial arterial embolization and necrosis. The last patient had ulnar arterial embolization and necrosis with a normal radial artery. After debridement, the wound area ranged from 12 cm × 9 cm to 25 cm × 16 cm. The diagnoses for the eight patients were type II to type III high-tension electrical wrist burns. Free flow-through anterolateral thigh flaps (combined with great saphenous vein transplantation if necessary) were used to repair the wounds. The prognosis for all patients was good after six months to one year of follow-up.@*Conclusion@#Treating wrist types II and III high-tension electrical burns is still challenging in clinical practice. The use of free flow-through anterolateral thigh flaps (combined with great saphenous vein transplantation if necessary) to repair the wound and to restore the blood supply for the hand at the same time is a good choice for treating severe wrist electrical burns.

Is dorsal vagal complex the key nucleus of acupuncture regulation of gastric function？ / 中国针灸

Acupuncture has remarkable effects on treating functional gastrointestinal diseases, but its central mechanism is not clear. At present, the research has mainly focused on several central nuclei, such as the dorsal vagus complex (DVC), nucleus raphe magnus (NRM), locus coeruleus (LC), subnucleus reticularis dorsalis (SRD), hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), cerebellar fastigial nucleus (FN), central amygdala (CeA), etc. It is not clear whether the nuclei are involved in acupuncture regulation of gastric function through certain interrelation. A further summary of related literature indicates that many brain regions or nuclei in the central nervous system are closely related to gastric function, such as DVC, NRM, parabrachial nuclei (PBN), LC, periaqueductal gray (PAG), cerebellum, PVN, arcuate nucleus (Arc), hippocampus, CeA, etc. Most of these nuclei have certain fiber connections with each other, in which DVC is the basic center, and other nuclei are directly or indirectly involved in the regulation of gastric function through DVC. Is DVC the key target in acupuncture regulation of gastric function? Does other nuclei have direct or indirect neural circuit with DVC to participate in the regulation of gastric function by acupuncture, such as the possibility of CeA-DVC neural loop in acupuncture regulating gastric function. Therefore, more advanced techniques such as photogenetics, chemical genetics should be introduced and the central mechanism of acupuncture on regulating gastric function with DVC as center, from the view of nerve loop, will become the focus of further research, which could explain the central integration mechanism of acupoint compatibility by modern neuroscience technology.

Combined Assessment of Serum Alpha-Synuclein and Rab35 is a Better Biomarker for Parkinson's Disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: It is essential to develop a reliable predictive serum biomarker for Parkinson's disease (PD). The accumulation of alpha-synuclein (αSyn) and up-regulated expression of Rab35 participate in the etiology of PD. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the combined assessment of serum αSyn and Rab35 is a useful predictive biomarker for PD. METHODS: Serum levels of αSyn or Rab35 were determined in serum samples from 59 sporadic PD patients, 19 progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) patients, 20 multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients, and 60 normal controls (NC). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were calculated to determine the diagnostic accuracy of αSyn or/and Rab35 in discriminating PD patients from NC or atypical parkinsonian patients. RESULTS: The levels of αSyn and Rab35 were increased in PD patients. The serum level of Rab35 was positively correlated with that of αSyn in PD patients. Compared to analyzing αSyn or Rab35 alone, the combined analysis of αSyn and Rab35 produced a larger area under the ROC curve and performed better in discriminating PD patients from NC, MSA patients, or PSP patients. When age was dichotomized at 55, 60, 65, or 70 years, the combined assessment of αSyn and Rab35 for classifying PD was better in the group below the cutoff age than in the group above the cutoff age. CONCLUSIONS: Combined assessment of serum αSyn and Rab35 is a better biomarker for discriminating PD patients from NC or atypical parkinsonian patients, and is a useful predictive biomarker for younger sporadic PD patients.