Burden of coronary heart disease for adult patients and its correlation with sociodemographic index / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To analyze the burden of disease attributable to coronary heart disease in adult patients in 2020, to compare the disease burden of patients with coronary heart disease among different sociodemographic indexes (SDI) , and to explore the correlation between the two to provide theoretical guidance for coronary heart disease prevention. Methods The data of 881 adult patients with coronary heart disease in our Hospital in 2020 were collected, and the data, such as illness, morbidity, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) of adult patients with coronary heart disease were analyzed. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the association between disease burden and sociodemographic index in adult patients with coronary heart disease. Results The prevalence and incidence of adult patients with coronary heart disease were higher in women than in men, while the mortality rate and DALY rate were mainly higher in men than in women. The prevalence, morbidity and mortality rates increased in different age groups, and increased rapidly in the age group of 45 years and beyond. The prevalence of DALY in adult patients with coronary heart disease in different age groups also showed an upward trend, and increased rapidly in the age group of 35 years and beyond. The SDI value of adult patients with coronary heart disease was (0.52±0.16), of which the low SDI value was (0.13±0.05), the medium and low SDI value was (0.34±0.17), the medium SDI value was (0.50±0.14), the medium and high SDI value was (0.82±0.25), and the high SDI value was (0.93±0.13). The chi-square results showed that there were differences in mortality (χ2=12.358, P=0.020) and DALY rate (χ2 =14.557, P=0.011) of adult patients with coronary heart disease between different grades of SDI groups, and the differences were statistically significant. Pearson-related results showed that SDI and DALY rate were negatively correlated in adult patients with coronary heart disease (r=-0.374, P=0.022), and there were gender differences. SDI was negatively correlated with DALY rate in male patients with coronary heart disease (r=-0.489, P=0.017), and SDI was negatively correlated with mortality (r=-0.290, P=0.040) and DALY rate in female patients with coronary heart disease (r=-0.392, P=0.006）. Conclusion Burden of disease attributed to coronary heart disease in adult patients varies by sex and it has a negative correlation with SDI, and the improvement of national welfare and education level, that is, the increase of SDI may have a certain effect on reducing the burden of coronary heart disease.

Effect of galvanic vestibular stimulation on stroke patients with lateropulsion / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of galvanic vestibular stimulation on stroke patients with lateropulsion. MethodsFrom February to October, 2023, 30 stroke patients with lateropulsion in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were divided into control group (n = 15) and experimental group (n = 15) randomly. The control group received routine rehabilitation and sham galvanic vestibular stimulation, and the experimental group received routine rehabilitation and true galvanic vestibular stimulation, for two weeks. They were assessed with Scale for Contraversive Pushing (SCP), subjective visual vertical (SVV), Line Cancellation Test (LCT), Star Cancellation Test (SCT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Holden Functional Ambulation Category (FAC) and Barthel Index (BI) before and after treatment. ResultsAll the indexes improved in both groups after intervention (|t| > 2.461, Z > 3.000, P < 0.05), except the SVV orientation, SVV certainty and SCT in the control group; while the SCP, SVV certainty, LCT and FAC were better in the experimental group than in the control group (|t| > 2.189, Z = -2.862, P < 0.05), and the differences before and after intervention were better in the experimental group than in the control group (|t| > 2.382, P < 0.05), except LCT. SCP was correlated with SVV orientation, SVV certainty, SCT, BBS, BI and FAC (|r| > 0.381, P < 0.05). ConclusionGalvanic vestibular stimulation can improve the lateropulsion, balance, walking function and activities of daily living in stroke patients, which may be related to improvement for spatial cognitive function, especially vertical perception.

Effect of modified Baduanjin exercise on cardiopulmonary function, motor function and activities of daily living for stroke patients / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of modified Baduanjin exercise, as an rehabilitation exercise, on cardiopulmonary function, motor function and activities of daily living in patients with stroke. MethodsFrom January to September, 2023, 42 stroke patients in the Nanjing Qixia District Hospital were randomly divided into control group (n = 21) and experimental group (n = 21). The control group received routine rehabilitation, and the experimental group received modified Baduanjin exercise in addition, for four weeks. They were assessed with peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), anaerobic threshold (AT), peak oxygen pulse (VO2peak/HR), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), Fugl-Meyer Assessment-upper extremities (FMA-UE), Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and modified Barthel Index (MBI) before and after intervention. ResultsVO2peak, AT, and the scores of FMA-UE, BBS and MBI improved in the control group after intervention (|t| > 2.256, |Z| > 2.936, P < 0.05); while VO2peak, AT, VO2peak/HR, FVC, FEV1, PEF, and the scores of FMA-UE, BBS and MBI improved in the experimental group (|t| > 4.390, |Z| > 3.451, P < 0.001); and all the indexes were better in the experimental group than in the control group (|t| > 4.136，|Z| > 2.751，P < 0.01), except the scores of BBS and MBI. ConclusionModified Baduanjin exercise can improve the cardiopulmonary function and upper limb motor function for stroke patients.

Impact of subjective vertical perception impairment on function in stroke patients: a retrospective study / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo explore the impact of subjective vertical perception impairment after stroke on visuospatial cognition, balance, walking and activities of daily living, to investigate the mediating role of visuospatial cognition and lateropulsion. MethodsFrom February to December, 2023, 96 stroke patients were selected from the Rehabilitation Medicine Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. They were divided into vertical perception impairment group (n = 53) and non-vertical perception impairment group (n = 43). They were assessed with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the Scale for Contraversive Pushing (SCP), Burke Lateropulsion Scale (BLS), Line Bisection Test (LBT), Line Cancellation Test (LCT), Star Cancellation Test (SCT), Subjective Visual Vertical (SVV), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Holden Functional Ambulation Categories (FAC) and Barthel Index (BI). ResultsScores of SVV orientation, SVV uncertainty, NIHSS, SCT, SCP, BLS, BBS, FAC and BI were worse in the vertical perception impairment group than in the non-vertical perception impairment group (|t| > 2.414, Z = -3.481, P < 0.05). Scores of SVV were correlated with SCT, BLS and BBS (|r| ≥ 0.273, P < 0.05). After controlling for age and gender, SVV orientation score did not directly impact BBS score (β = -0.011, P = 0.920). However, it exerted a partial mediating effect through BLS (effect = -0.173, 95%CI -0.278 to -0.076) and a chain-mediated effect through SCT and BLS (effect = -0.073, 95%CI -0.137 to -0.027), impacting BBS score. ConclusionSubjective vertical perception impairment results in poorer visuospatial cognition, balance, walking and activities of daily living in stroke patients. This influence on balance function is mediated through the mediating effects of visuospatial cognition and lateropulsion.

Neutrophil extracellular trap increase the risk of sepsis: a two-sample, one-way Mendelian randomization study / 中华危重病急救医学

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the causal relationship between neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) and sepsis based on Mendelian randomization analysis.@*METHODS@#The genome wide association study (GWAS) dataset for the NET biomarker myeloperoxidase (MPO)-DNA complex based on Donkel et al. 's Rotterdam study (RS) and GWAS dataset for identifying sepsis from the UK biobank were selected to screen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPS) associated with MPO-DNA complex as instrumental variable (IV) for genetic variation, using MPO-DNA complex as exposure factor. Potential causal associations between MPO-DNA complex and the risk of occurrence of sepsis, 28-day death from sepsis, need for intensive care due to sepsis, and 28-day death from sepsis requiring intensive care were analyzed using a two-sample, one-way Mendelian randomization analysis primary analysis method of inverse analysis of variance (IVW). Potential pleiotropy was assessed using the MR Egger regression intercept test. Sensitivity analysis was performed using the "leave one out" test.@*RESULTS@#The GWAS data were obtained from a European population of both sexes, and the screening criteria was based on the three main assumptions of Mendelian randomization, resulting in 22 SNP entering the Mendelian randomization analysis. The results of the Mendelian randomization causal association effect analysis using the IVW method showed that for every standard deviation increase in the level of the MPO-DNA complex, the risk of sepsis increased by approximately 18% [odds ratio (OR) = 1.18, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.07-1.29, P < 0.001], the risk of 28-day death from sepsis increased by approximately 51% (OR = 1.51, 95%CI was 1.27-1.81, P < 0.001), an increase of approximately 38% in the risk of occurrence of needing intensive care due to sepsis (OR = 1.38, 95%CI was 1.12-1.70, P = 0.002), and an increase of approximately 125% in the risk of 28-day death from sepsis requiring intensive care (OR = 2.25, 95%CI was 1.21-4.18, P = 0.01). MR Egger regression intercept test suggested that there was no horizontal pleiotropy in the included SNP, and the MR-PRESSO test did not find outliers. Sensitivity analysis suggested that the results of Mendelian randomization were robust.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Rising NET can increase the risk of sepsis onset, progression and death as derived from Mendelian randomization analysis.

Research progress on the role of histone modification in sepsis / 中华危重病急救医学

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by dysregulated body response to infection. It is also one of the major causes of death in critically ill patients. Over the past few years, despite the continuous improvement in the treatment of sepsis, there is no specific treatment, clinical morbidity and mortality are still rising. Therefore, finding effective methods to treat sepsis and reduce mortality is an urgent clinical problem. Histone modification is an epigenetic modification that produces heritable phenotypic changes without altering the DNA sequence. In recent years, many studies have shown that histone modification is closely related to sepsis. This review discusses the mechanism of histone modification in the pathogenesis of sepsis from the aspects of inflammatory factors, signaling pathways, and macrophage polarization, in aimed to provide reference for the clinical treatment of sepsis.

Current status and new progress of drug therapy for premature ejaculation / 现代泌尿外科杂志

Premature ejaculation (PE) is the most common male sexual dysfunction with a high incidence, which seriously affects the relationship between a husband and wife and family harmony. Drug therapy is a first-line treatment for PE patients with premature ejaculation, and has achieved good efficacy, but the clinically available drugs are single and the abandonment rate is high. Coupled with the ineffective treatment of some patients, new drug research and development is imminent. This paper systematically reviews the current status of drug treatment for premature ejaculation, focusing on the research and development of new drugs and research progress in order to provide a reference for clinicians.

Research progress on the relationship between gut microbiota and male infertility / 现代泌尿外科杂志

With the decline in male fertility in recent years, infertility has become an urgent global problem to be solved. Existing evidence shows that gut microbiota has an important impact on male reproductive health, and gut microbiota disorder can affect spermatogenesis by inducing inflammation, metabolic disorder and endocrine disruption. This paper systematically reviews the relevant research progress in this field, focusing on the impact of gut microbiota disorder on male reproductive ability from the aspects of gut microbiota and spermatogenesis, gut microbiota and sex hormone metabolism, effects of fecal microbiota transplantation and dietary regulation on male reproductive function, and discusses the future research directions of gut micro-biota and male infertility.

Study on protective effects of twin drugs of tetramethylpyrazine-scutellarein on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury model rats and its mechanism / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To study the protective effects of twin drugs of tetramethylpyrazine-scutellarein （TMSC4） on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury （CIRI） model rats and its mechanism. METHODS One hundred and five SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group， model group， scutellarein group （0.7 mmol/kg）， tetramethylpyrazine group （0.7 mmol/kg）， and TMSC4 low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （0.35， 0.7， 1.4 mmol/kg）， with 15 rats in each group. Sham operation group and model group were given constant volume of normal saline intragastrically， and other groups were given relevant drug intragastrically， once a day， for consecutive 14 d. Except for sham operation group， all other groups were treated to establish the CIRI model using the thread occlusion method. After 2 hours of ischemia and 22 hours of reperfusion， the brain index and brain water content of the rats were measured. Serum levels of interleukin 1β （IL-1β）， IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor α （TNF-α）， the levels of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px） and catalase （CAT） in brain tissues， the situation of neuronal cell apoptosis， and the protein expressions of B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） and cleaved-caspase-3 were evaluated. RESULTS Compared with sham operation group， the brain index， brain water content， the serum levels of IL-1β， IL-6 and TNF-α， the levels of MDA in brain tissues， the brain cell apoptosis and the protein expressions of Bax and cleaved-caspase-3 in model group were significantly increased （P＜0.05）； the levels of SOD， GSH- Px and CAT and the protein expression of Bcl-2 in brain tissues were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group， the above indexes of rats were reversed significantly in administration groups （P＜0.05）， while the reverse effects of TMSC4 medium-dose and high-dose groups were significantly better than those of scutellarein group and tetramethylpyrazine group （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS TMSC4 has a certain protective effect in CIRI model rats， the mechanism of which may be related to relieving inflammatory reaction and oxidative stress， inhibiting cell apoptosis.

Changes of corneal densitometry after small incision lenticule extraction and femtosecond laser in situ keratomileusis / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To compare the changes in corneal densitometry after small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)and femtosecond laser in situ keratomileusis(FS-LASIK)and investigate the effect of corneal interface haze on vision after SMILE.METHODS: Prospective cohort study. A total of 93 patients(186 eyes)who were scheduled to undergo refractive surgery at the Ophthalmic Refractive Surgery Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from May 2020 to October 2021 were included in the study, and there were 48 patients(96 eyes)in the SMILE group and 45 patients(90 eyes)in the FS-LASIK group. The changes in corneal densitometry, spherical equivalent(SE), and uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA)were observed and compared between the two groups before and at 1d, 1wk, 1, 3 and 6mo after surgery.RESULTS: The 93 patients all successfully completed the surgery, and there were no related complications during and after the surgery, and there were no lost cases. The UCVA of FS-LASIK group was 0.044±0.064 and -0.001±0.065 respectively at 1d and 1wk after surgery, which was better than that of SMILE group(0.102±0.077 and 0.023±0.064; all P&#x003C;0.05). There was no statistical difference in the SE between the two groups at the postoperative follow-ups(P&#x003E;0.05). The corneal densitometry values at 0-2 and 2-6 mm from corneal vertex and total corneal densitometry at 1d postoperatively in the FS-LASIK group were 18.0(17.5, 18.6), 16.2(15.6, 16.7)and 16.7(16.1, 17.3), which were lower than those of SMILE group [18.6(18.1, 19.3), 16.8(16.4, 17.4), 17.2(16.6, 17.8)](all P&#x003C;0.05); The corneal densitometry values at 0-2 and 2-6 mm from corneal vertex and total corneal densitometry at 1wk postoperatively in the FS-LASIK group were 17.2(16.7, 17.6), 15.5(15.0, 15.9)and 15.9(15.3, 16.7), which were lower than those of SMILE group [17.6(17.1, 18.3), 16.0(15.6, 16.5), 16.6(15.9, 17.1)](all P&#x003C;0.05).CONCLUSIONS: The transient interface haze after SMILE is responsible for the early higher corneal densitometry than FS-LASIK. The presence of interface haze is probably a factor for the quality of vision.

Meta-analysis of the efficacy of small incision lenticule extraction for astigmatism correction after cyclotorsion compensation / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To compare the efficacy of and without small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)with cyclotorsion compensation for astigmatism correction.METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane and CNKI, VIP, CBM, and Wan Fang Data were searched for clinically controlled studies from January 2010 to August 2022, including an experimental group with cyclotorsion compensation during SMILE and a control group without cyclotorsion compensation during SMILE. After literature screening, quality evaluation, and data extraction by two researchers independently, the Meta-analysis of uncorrected distance visual acuity(UDVA), residual astigmatism, vector analysis indicators for measuring the astigmatism correction including absolute value of angle of error(|AE|)and magnitude error(ME), and post-operative total higher order aberrations, spherical aberration and coma was carried out with Stata 16.0 software.RESULTS: Seven studies with a total of 846 eyes(442 in the experimental group, 404 in the control group)were finally included. The Meta-analysis showed that there were significant differences in the percentage of eyes with residual astigmatism ≥1.00D(OR=0.17, 95%CI: 0.06～0.49, P&#x003C;0.01), |AE|(WMD=-1.56, 95%CI: -2.68～-0.45, P&#x003C;0.01), the coma(WMD=0.06, 95%CI: -0.08～-0.04, P&#x003C;0.01), and the total higher order aberrations(WMD=-0.04, 95%CI: -0.06～-0.02, P&#x003C;0.01). However, there were no differences in the postoperative UDVA(WMD=0.00, 95%CI: -0.02～0.01, P=0.54), residual astigmatism(WMD=0.08, 95%CI: -0.02～0.18, P=0.10), ME(WMD=-0.01, 95%CI: -0.14～0.12, P=0.85), and the spherical aberration(WMD=0.03, 95%CI: -0.07～0.13, P=0.52).CONCLUSION: Cyclotorsion compensation in SMILE can reduce the angular error caused by eye rotation during astigmatism correction. It also decreases postoperative residual astigmatism. Overall, the SMILE with cyclotorsion compensation is superior in clinical efficacy of the precise correction of astigmatism.

Safety and the Short-Term Efficacy of Venetoclax Combined with Azacitidine Followed by Cladribine in Children with Refractory/Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the safety and the short-term efficacy of venetoclax combined with azacitidine followed by cladribine (VAC regimen) in children with refractory/ relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML).@*METHODS@#The clinical data, treatment outcomes, complications, and blood product consumption of 6 children with refractory/relapsed AML treated with VAC regimen in the Children's Hospital of Soochow University from August 2021 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Among the 6 children, there were 1 male and 5 females. 5 cases were refractory AML, and 1 case was relapsed AML, which recurred again 16 months after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. 4 children were accompanied by chromosomes or genes that predicted poor prognosis, such as RUNX1, FLT3-ITD, KMT2A exon 2-exon 8 dup, MLL-AF6, 7q-, KMT2A exon 2-exon 10 dup, etc. After received VAC regimen, 4 cases achieved CR+CRi, 1 case achieved PR (only MRD did not relieve, MRD was 0.59%), and 1 case was NR (but the proportion of bone marrow blasts decreased). All 6 patients had grade Ⅳ neutropenia, and 4 patients had grade Ⅳ thrombocytopenia. During the period of neutropenia, none of the 6 children developed symptoms of infection such as fever, cough, and diarrhea. No treatment-related death occurred.@*CONCLUSION@#Venetoclax combined with azacitidine followed by cladribine provides a new treatment option for patients with relapsed/refractory AML who have poor efficacy in early induction remission theragy, showing good efficacy and safety.

Effect of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Dose in Grafts on CMV Infection after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the correlation between plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) dose in grafts and the occurrence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 80 children who received allo-HSCT in Children's Hospital of Soochow University from August 20, 2020 to June 11, 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Proportions of DC subsets and T-cell subsets in grafts were detected by flow cytometry in order to calculate infused cell dose of each cell. Weekly monitoring of CMV-DNA copies in peripheral blood for each child were performed after transplantation. The last follow-up date was December 31, 2021.@*RESULTS@#All the children gained hematopoietic reconstitution. CMV infection was observed in 51 children (63.8%±5.4%) within the first 100 days after transplantation, including 2 cases developing CMV disease. Univariate analysis indicated that infused doses of DC and pDC were significantly associated with CMV infection within 100 days after allo-HSCT (P <0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that a high dose infusion of pDC was an independent protective factor for CMV infection within 100 days after allo-HSCT (P <0.05). By the end of follow-up, 7 children died of transplantation-related complications, including 2 deaths from CMV disease, 2 deaths from extensive chronic graft-versus-host disease, and 3 deaths from capillary leak syndrome. The overall survival rate was 91.2%.@*CONCLUSION@#The pDC in grafts may be associated with early infection of CMV after allo-HSCT, while a high infused pDC dose may serve as a protective factor for CMV infection after transplantation.

Cross-sectional study on ankle sprain and its related factors in physical education college / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore prevalence, risk factors and treatment of ankle sprain of young college student , in order to obtain accurate epidemiological data.@*METHODS@#From March 2019 to May 2019, 552 college students(1 104 sides of anke joints) from Xi'an Physical Education university were enrolled in study according to inclusion and excludion standard, including 309 males and 243 females aged from 16 to 24 years old with an average of (20.9±3.7) years old. Age, gender, and body mass indes(BMI) etc were recorded. Morbidity of acute and chronic ankle sprains of physical students, treatment after the first sprain (cold compress, cast or plaster bracing and medicine), visual analogue scale (VAS) during walking were assessed through ankle sprain questionnaire;Cumberland ankle instability tool (CAIT), Maryland foot score were applied to assess ankle function. Lateral ankle ligament injury was objectively assessed by musculoskeletal ultrasonography.@*RESULTS@#The prevalence of acute ankle sprain(AAS) was 96.20% (531/552), and the incidence of AAS was 59.96% (622/1 104). The prevalence of chronic ankle joint instability(CAI) was 16.85% (93/552), and the incidence of CAI was 8.97% (99/1 104). In the four categories of sports, college student suffered from multiple sprains in performance majors group was 22.20% (14/63), including of aerobicsand dance performance. The incidence of AAS of ball sports was 8.60%(14/163). After the first sprain, most college students(94.4%) were received cold compression, about 60% of them went to hospital;however, only 44.7% students were received standard treatmens(cast or plaster), only 35.3% of them were received hard ankle orthosis. In 552 college students, 44 students were suffered from more than 4 times of ankle sprain, and the total incidence was 7.97% (44/552). Cumberland score was 26.6±2.4, Cumberland score of students sprained ankle joint more than 4 times was (29.2±1.1), suggested it was a risk factor for ankle joint instability. VAS of students sprained ankle joint more than 4 times was higher than that of less than 4 times(P<0.05), Maryland foot score was significantly lower than that of that of <4 times(P<0.05). Musculoskeletal ultrasonography measured the thickness of anterior tibiofibular ligament(ATFL) was (2.41±0.41) mm, and the thickness of calcaneofibular ligament(CFL) was (1.92±0.21) mm, and had no statistical difference(P>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Ninty-four percent college students had at least once ankle sprain, ankle sprains were more common in erobics and ball sports. After the first sprain, the proportion of cast or plaster treatment was less than 50%. Sprained ankle joint more than 4 times is a risk factor, and musculoskeletal ultrasonography showed thickening of both ATFL and CFL, while no statstical difference.

Electroacupuncture in Treatment of Acute Gastrointestinal Injury in Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate whether electroacupuncture (EA) would improve gastrointestinal function and clinical prognosis in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) complicocted by acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI).@*METHODS@#This multicenter, single-blind trial included patients with TBI and AGI admitted to 5 Chinese hospitals from September 2018 to December 2019. A total of 500 patients were randomized to the control or acupuncture groups using a random number table, 250 cases in each group. Patients in the control group received conventional treatment, including mannitol, nutritional support, epilepsy and infection prevention, and maintenance of water, electrolytes, and acid-base balance. While patients in the acupuncture group received EA intervention at bilateral Zusanli (ST 36), Shangjuxu (ST 37), Xiajuxu (ST 39), Tianshu (ST 25), and Zhongwan (RN 12) acupoints in addition to the conventional treatment, 30 min per time, twice daily, for 7 d. The primary endpoint was 28-d mortality. The secondary endpoints were serum levels of D-lactic acid (D-lac), diamine oxidase (DAO), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), motilin (MTL) and gastrin (GAS), intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), bowel sounds, abdominal circumference, AGI grade, scores of gastrointestinal failure (GIF), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), and Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS), mechanical ventilation time, intense care unit (ICU) stay, and the incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia.@*RESULTS@#The 28-d mortality in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the control group (22.80% vs. 33.20%, P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the acupuncture group at 7 d showed lower GIF, APACHE II, SOFA, MODS scores, D-lac, DAO, LPS, IAP, and abdominal circumference and higher GCS score, MTL, GAS, and bowel sound frequency (all P<0.05). In addition, the above indices showed simillar changes at 7 d compared with days 1 and 3 (all P<0.05) in the EA group.@*CONCLUSION@#Early EA can improve gastrointestinal function and clinical prognosis in patients with severe TBI complicated by AGI. (Registration No. ChiCTR2000032276).

Astrocytes in Chronic Pain: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms / 神经科学通报·英文版

Chronic pain is challenging to treat due to the limited therapeutic options and adverse side-effects of therapies. Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cells in the central nervous system and play important roles in different pathological conditions, including chronic pain. Astrocytes regulate nociceptive synaptic transmission and network function via neuron-glia and glia-glia interactions to exaggerate pain signals under chronic pain conditions. It is also becoming clear that astrocytes play active roles in brain regions important for the emotional and memory-related aspects of chronic pain. Therefore, this review presents our current understanding of the roles of astrocytes in chronic pain, how they regulate nociceptive responses, and their cellular and molecular mechanisms of action.

Advances on pentraxin 3 in osteoporosis and fracture healing / 中国骨伤

Pentaxin 3 (PTX3), as a multifunctional glycoprotein, plays an important role in regulating inflammatory response, promoting tissue repair, inducing ectopic calcification and maintaining bone homeostasis. The effect of PTX3 on bone mineral density (BMD) may be affected by many factors. In PTX3 knockout mice and osteoporosis (OP) patients, the deletion of PTX3 will lead to decrease of BMD. In Korean community "Dong-gu study", it was found that plasma PTX3 was negatively correlated with BMD of femoral neck in male elderly patients. In terms of bone related cells, PTX3 plays an important role in maintaining the phenotype and function of osteoblasts (OB) in OP state;for osteoclast (OC), PTX3 in inflammatory state could stimulate nuclear factor κ receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) production and its combination with TNF-stimulated gene 6(TSG-6) could improve activity of osteoclasts and promote bone resorption;for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), PTX3 could promote osteogenic differentiation of MSCs through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. In recent years, the role of PTX3 as a new bone metabolism regulator in OP and fracture healing has been gradually concerned by scholars. In OP patients, PTX3 regulates bone mass mainly by promoting bone regeneration. In the process of fracture healing, PTX3 promotes fracture healing by coordinating bone regeneration and bone resorption to maintain bone homeostasis. In view of the above biological characteristics, PTX3 is expected to become a new target for the diagnosis and treatment of OP and other age-related bone diseases and fracture healing.

Comparison of efficacy of platelet-rich plasma and extracorporeal shock wave for the treatment of chronic insertional Achilles tendinopathy / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To compare clinical efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and extracorporeal shock wave in treating chronic insertional Achilles tendinopathy.@*METHODS@#From February 2019 to August 2021, 42 patients with chronic insertional Achilles tendinopathy were selected and divided into PRP group(20 patients, 28 feet) and shock wave group (22 patients, 29 feet). In PRP group, there were 12 males and 8 females, aged 47.00(28.00, 50.75) years old, and the courses of disease ranged 7.00(6.00, 7.00) months;PRP injection was performed in the Achilles tendon stop area of the affected side. In shock wave group, there were 16 males and 6 females, aged 42.00(35.75, 47.25) years old;and the courses of disease was 7.00(6.00, 8.00) months;shock wave was performed in Achilles tendon stop area of the affected side and triceps surae area. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) were applied to evaluate clnical effect before treatment, 1, 3 and 6 months after treatment, and satisfaction of patients was investigated.@*RESULTS@#VAS and VISA-A score in both groups were significantly improved at 1, 3 and 6 months after treatment than before treatment (P<0.05), VAS and VISA-A score in PRP group at 6 months after treatment were significantly higher than those at 1 and 3 months after treatment, and VAS and VISA-A score in shock wave group were lower than those at 1 and 3 months after treatment (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in VAS and VISA-A score between two groups before treatment, 1 and 3 months after treatment(P>0.05), while VAS and VISA-A score in PRP group were better than those in shock wave group at 6 months after treatment(P<0.05), and the satisfaction survey in PRP group was better than that in shock wave group(P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#PRP injection has a good clinical effect on chronic insertional Achilles tendinopathy with high patient satisfaction, and medium-and long-term effect of PRP injection for the treatment of chronic insertional Achilles tendinopathy is better than that of extracorporeal divergent shock wave.

Molecular mechanism of ligustilide attenuating OGD/R injury in PC12 cells by inhibiting ferroptosis / 中国中药杂志

The aim of this study is to explore the mechanism of ligustilide, the main active constituent of essential oils of traditional Chinese medicine Angelicae Sinensis Radix, on alleviating oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion(OGD/R) injury in PC12 cells from the perspective of ferroptosis. OGD/R was induced in vitro, and 12 h after ligustilide addition during reperfusion, cell viability was detected by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) assay. DCFH-DA staining was used to detect the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS). Western blot was employed to detect the expression of ferroptosis-related proteins, glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4), transferrin receptor 1(TFR1), and solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11), and ferritinophagy-related proteins, nuclear receptor coactivator 4(NCOA4), ferritin heavy chain 1(FTH1), and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3). The fluorescence intensity of LC3 protein was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining. The content of glutathione(GSH), malondialdehyde(MDA), and Fe was detected by chemiluminescent immunoassay. The effect of ligustilide on ferroptosis was observed by overexpression of NCOA4 gene. The results showed that ligustilide increased the viability of PC12 cells damaged by OGD/R, inhibited the release of ROS, reduced the content of Fe and MDA and the expression of TFR1, NCOA4, and LC3, and improved the content of GSH and the expression of GPX4, SLC7A11, and FTH1 compared with OGD/R group. After overexpression of the key protein NCOA4 in ferritinophagy, the inhibitory effect of ligustilide on ferroptosis was partially reversed, indicating that ligustilide may alleviate OGD/R injury of PC12 cells by blocking ferritinophagy and then inhibiting ferroptosis. The mechanism by which ligustilide reduced OGD/R injury in PC12 cells is that it suppressed the ferroptosis involved in ferritinophagy.

Therapeutic effect of ursodeoxycholic acid-berberine supramolecular nanoparticles on ulcerative colitis based on supramolecular system induced by weak bond / 中国中药杂志

Ulcerative colitis(UC) is a recurrent, intractable inflammatory bowel disease. Coptidis Rhizoma and Bovis Calculus, serving as heat-clearing and toxin-removing drugs, have long been used in the treatment of UC. Berberine(BBR) and ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA), the main active components of Coptidis Rhizoma and Bovis Calculus, respectively, were employed to obtain UDCA-BBR supramolecular nanoparticles by stimulated co-decocting process for enhancing the therapeutic effect on UC. As revealed by the characterization of supramolecular nanoparticles by field emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM) and dynamic light scattering(DLS), the supramolecular nanoparticles were tetrahedral nanoparticles with an average particle size of 180 nm. The molecular structure was described by ultraviolet spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and hydrogen-nuclear magnetic resonance(H-NMR) spectroscopy. The results showed that the formation of the supramolecular nano-particle was attributed to the mutual electrostatic attraction and hydrophobic interaction between BBR and UDCA. Additionally, supramolecular nanoparticles were also characterized by sustained release and pH sensitivity. The acute UC model was induced by dextran sulfate sodium(DSS) in mice. It was found that supramolecular nanoparticles could effectively improve body mass reduction and colon shortening in mice with UC(P<0.001) and decrease disease activity index(DAI)(P<0.01). There were statistically significant differences between the supramolecular nanoparticles group and the mechanical mixture group(P<0.001, P<0.05). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-6(IL-6), and the results showed that supramolecular nanoparticles could reduce serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels(P<0.001) and exhibited an obvious difference with the mechanical mixture group(P<0.01, P<0.05). Flow cytometry indicated that supramolecular nanoparticles could reduce the recruitment of neutrophils in the lamina propria of the colon(P<0.05), which was significantly different from the mechanical mixture group(P<0.05). These findings suggested that as compared with the mechanical mixture, the supramolecular nanoparticles could effectively improve the symptoms of acute UC in mice. The study provides a new research idea for the poor absorption of small molecules and the unsatisfactory therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine and lays a foundation for the research on the nano-drug delivery system of traditional Chinese medicine.