Progress in the potential therapeutic mechanism of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes for liver fibrosis / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

Liver fibrosis is pathological in most chronic liver diseases. Exosomes secreted by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can regulate liver fibrosis through mechanisms such as inhibition of inflammatory response and proliferation of activated hepatic stellate cells, regulation of immune cells and metabolism. Therefore, MSC-derived exosomes can be used as a cell-free therapy for chronic liver disease, expanding new ideas for the treatment of chronic liver disease. Recent researches on MSC-derived exosomes in the treatment of liver fibrosis are reviewed in this article.

Serum alpha-fetoprotein in predicting survival of patients with BCLC C hepatocellular carcinoma treated by salvage surgery after downstaging therapy / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective:To analyze the value of alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) in predicting survival of patients who underwent salvage surgery after tumor downstaging therapy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods:The data of 50 patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Staging (BCLC) C hepatocellular carcinoma treated at the Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital from December 2018 to December 2021 were collected. There were 45 males and 5 females, with the age of (53.0±10.5) years. The patients were divided into two groups based on the serum AFP level after tumor downstaging therapy, AFP normal group ( n=27, AFP≤20 μg/L) and the control group ( n=23, AFP>20 μg/L). Patient survival and tumor recurrence were followed up by outpatient review or telephone follow-up. The survival rate was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by the log-rank test. The efficacy of combined immunotargeted therapy were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were carried to analyse the factors influcing prognosis. Results:The median survival time was not reached in both groups. The 1-year and 2-year cumulative survival rates were 95.0% and 88.2% in the normal group and 73.4% and 54.1% in the control group, respectively. The median relapse-free survival time of the normal group was not reached, and the median relapse-free survival time of the control group was 11 months. The 1-year recurrence-free survival rate was 78.1% in the normal group and 39.5% in the control group. The cumulative survival rate and relapse-free survival rate in the normal group were significantly higher than those in the control group (χ 2=7.60, 8.83, P=0.006, 0.003). The complete response, partial response and pathological complete response of tumors in the normal group were significant better than those in the control group. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that patients with serum AFP >20 μg/L ( HR=2.952, 95% CI: 1.023-8.517, P=0.045) after immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy had an increased risk of postoperative recurrence. Conclusion:The reduction of serum AFP to normal after downstaging therapy could be used as a prognostic indicator of salvage surgical in patients with BCLC C hepatocellular carcinoma, and AFP was related to the efficacy of downstaging therapy in patients.

Clinical efficacy of sequential surgery after immune and targeted therapy in downstaging initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective:To assess the clinical efficacy of sequential radical surgery after immune and targeted therapy in downstaging patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods:Data were prospectively collected from December 2018 to July 2022 on patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma which were downstaged to undergo sequential surgery after treatment with immune and targeted therapy at the Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital. There were 79 patients, with 69 men and 10 women, aged (53.0±10.9) years, being enrolled into this study. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the survival rate, and the log-rank test was used for survival rate comparison. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression were used to analyze factors influencing patient prognosis.Results:There were 7 patients (8.9%) with China Liver Cancer Staging (CNLC) Ⅰb, Ⅱa, Ⅱb who had insufficient residual liver volume or tumor rupture before the downstaging therapy, and 38 patients (48.1%) with CNLC Ⅲa and 34 patients (43.0%) with CNLC Ⅲb. These 79 patients underwent R 0 resection after 3-20 cycles (median 5 cycles) of immune and targeted therapy. Based on the modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumor, the results of preoperative imaging assessment were: complete remission in 12 patients (15.2%), partial remission in 50 patients (63.3%), stable disease in 15 patients (19.0%), and disease progression in 2 patients (2.5%). The overall survival rates of patients at 1, 2, and 3 years after diagnosis were 96.1%, 83.5%, and 76.6%; and the recurrence-free survival rates at 1, 2, and 3 years after surgery were 62.1%, 52.9%, and 34.7%, respectively. On multivariate Cox regression analysis, patients with a preoperative alpha-fetoprotein >20 μg/L ( HR=2.816, 95% CI: 1.232-6.432, P=0.014) and a high proportion of pathological residual tumors ( HR=1.015, 95% CI: 1.004-1.026, P=0.006) had a higher risk of postoperative recurrence; and patients with a high proportion of pathological residual tumors ( HR=1.028, 95% CI: 1.007-1.049, P=0.007) and preoperative alpha-fetoprotein >400 μg/L ( HR=4.099, 95% CI: 1.193-14.076, P=0.025) had a higher risk of death. Conclusion:Immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy and sequential surgery for patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma provided long-term survival benefits. Elevated preoperative alpha-fetoprotein and a high proportion of pathological residual tumor were independent risk factors for recurrence-free survival and overall survival in this group of patients.

Role of T lymphocytes in primary sclerosing cholangitis / 临床肝胆病杂志

Primary sclerosing cholangitis （PSC） is an immune-mediated chronic cholestatic liver disease and can progress to end-stage liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis and liver failure， and there are still no effective treatment methods at present. Studies have found that T lymphocytes are closely associated with the development and progression of PSC. This article reviews the role of T lymphocytes in PSC， so as to provide new ideas for research on the pathogenesis of PSC and the clinical diagnosis and treatment of PSC.

Value of Charlson comorbidity index in predicting the prognosis of patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure / 临床肝胆病杂志

Objective To investigate the value of Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) in predicting the short- and long-term risks of death in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Methods A total of 317 patients with ACLF who attended The First Hospital of Lanzhou University from December 1, 2016 to December 1, 2021 were enrolled, and according to their prognosis, they were divided into death group with 169 patients and survival group with 148 patients. The two groups were analyzed in terms of clinical data and follow-up data. The group t -test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The univariate and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression model analyses were used to investigate the influencing factors for the prognosis of ACLF patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves, and the Log-rank test was used for comparison of survival time between patients with different CCI scores. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the performance of CCI and other indices in assessing the prognosis of ACLF patients. Results Among the 317 patients, there were 225 (71.0%) male patients. There were significant differences between the death group and the survival group in age, hemoglobin, white blood cell count, total bilirubin, albumin, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, prothrombin time activity, CCI, age-adjusted Charlson co-morbidity index (ACCI), and follow-up time (all P < 0.05). The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the CCI (hazard ratio [ HR ]=1.351, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.112-1.641, P =0.002), ACCI ( HR =1.200, 95% CI : 1.011-1.423, P =0.037), and MELD score ( HR =1.076, 95% CI : 1.054-1.099, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for the prognosis of ACLF patients. Based on CCI score, the patients were divided into CCI ≤4 group with 167 patients, CCI=5 group with 64 patients, and CCI ≥6 group with 86 patients, with a 3-year mortality rate of 26.5%, 83.2%, and 96.9%, respectively, and there was a significant difference in survival time between any two groups after 3 years of follow-up and at the time of follow-up till September 2022 (all P < 0.001). CCI, ACCI, and MELD scores had an area under the ROC curve of 0.845, 0.811, and 0.790, respectively, in predicting the prognosis of ACLF patients. Conclusion As commonly used comorbidity assessment indices, CCI and ACCI scores have certain value in evaluating the short- and long-term prognosis of ACLF patients.

Research advances in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-related hepatocellular carcinoma / 临床肝胆病杂志

The incidence rate of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-related hepatocellular carcinoma (NAFLD-HCC) tends to increase worldwide, while its pathogenesis remains unclear. With reference to the literature in recent years, this article summarizes the role of adipose tissue inflammation, oxidative stress, gut microbiota, and insulin resistance in the pathogenesis of NAFLD-HCC and the advances in the prevention and treatment of the above mechanisms, so as to provide new ideas for the treatment of NAFLD-HCC.

A study on the changes and clinical value of plasma RIP3 levels in neonatal late-onset sepsis / 中国新生儿科杂志

Objective:To study the changes of plasma receptor interacting protein 3 (RIP3) levels in neonatal late-onset sepsis (LOS) and to determine its clinical value.Methods:From October 2019 to April 2021, plasma samples and clinical data of LOS infants admitted to our hospital were prospectively studied. Infants with similar gestational ages admitted for non-infectious diseases were assigned into the control group. Enzyme-linked immunoassay was used to determine plasma RIP3 levels. The clinical value of plasma RIP3 in the diagnosis and treatment of neonatal LOS were analyzed.Results:A total of 152 cases (76 in the LOS group and 76 in the control group) were included in the study. No significant differences existed in the baseline data between the two groups. A total of 226 plasma samples were collected (76 samples from the LOS group before treatment, 74 samples after treatment and 76 samples from the control group). The plasma RIP3 level of LOS group before treatment (19.9±6.3 ng/ml) was significantly higher than the control group (11.4±3.5 ng/ml) and the after treatment group (11.9±3.5 ng/ml) ( P<0.05). The plasma RIP3 level had good diagnostic value for neonatal LOS (AUC=0.884). With cut-off value of 15.5 ng/ml, the plasma RIP3 showed the best diagnostic efficacy (Youden index 0.658, sensitivity 72.4%, specificity 93.4%, positive likelihood ratio 11.0, negative likelihood ratio 0.3). Conclusions:Plasma RIP3 level is closely related with neonatal LOS and may be used for the early diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation of neonatal LOS.

Late-onset sepsis caused by Leclercia adecarboxylata in a preterm neonate: case report and literature review / 中华围产医学杂志

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of neonatal late-onset sepsis (LOS) caused by Leclercia adecarboxylata, and provide evidence for its diagnosis and treatment. Methods:We report a case of Leclercia adecarboxylata induced LOS in a male preterm neonate diagnosed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) at the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Relavant literature was retrieved from Wanfang, VIP, CNKI, and PubMed databases up to April 2021, using terms including "neonate" "sepsis" and " Leclercia adecarboxylata". Results:The patient presented with dyspnea immediately after birth with gestational age of 34 +3 weeks and birth weight of 2 050 g. After admission at 14 min after birth, he was incubated at temperature of 33-35 ℃ and humidity of 50%-60% and received active treatment, consisting of nasal continuous positive airway pressure, tracheal intubation, intratracheal injection of pulmonary surfactant, invasive mechanical ventilation, and anti-infective treatment with piperacillin, cefoperazone/sulbactam, and meropenem. However, the patient developed LOS on day 11 of life and eventually died of disseminated intravascular coagulation and multiple organs failure despite volume expansion, anti-infective therapy, and respiratory support. The blood culture was positive for Gram-negative rod and confirmed as a multi-drug resistant strain of Leclercia adecarboxylata. Two cases of LOS caused by sensitive strain of Leclercia adecarboxylata in premature female infants were retrieved in the literature with atypical symptoms, of whom one was successfully treated and one died after active treatment. Conclusions:Leclercia adecarboxylata infection alone can lead to LOS in preterm infants without typical manifestations. MALDI-TOF MS is helpful for the diagnosis and rational application of antibiotics.

Effects of different mechanical ventilation methods on respiratory function in elderly patients in the steep Trendelenburg position under general anesthesia / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of different mechanical ventilation methods on respiratory function in elderly patients in the steep Trendelenburg position undergoing general anesthesia.Methods:This was a randomized controlled study.Sixty patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in the steep Trendelenburg position under general anesthesia were randomly divided into the lung protective ventilation strategy group(the P group)and the traditional ventilation strategy group(the T group)(n=30, each group). The setting for the P group included FiO 2 at 50%, tidal volume at 6 ml/kg, respiratory rate at 14-16/min, positive end expiratory pressure(PEEP)at 5 cmH 2O, with sustained lung inflation by pressure control every 30 min and the pressure at 30 cmH 2O for 30 s. The setting for the T group included FiO 2 at 50%, tidal volume at 10 ml/kg, and respiratory rate at 10-12/min.Anesthesia was maintained by sevoflurane, remifentanil and cis-atracurium.Driving pressure(DP), mean airway pressure(P mean)and end-tidal carbon dioxide(EtCO 2)were recorded at T1(5 mins after intubation), T2(after pneumoperitoneum), T3(30 mins after pneumoperitoneum), T4(1h after pneumoperitoneum), T5(2h after pneumoperitoneum), T6(3h after pneumoperitoneum)and T7(end of surgery). Arterial blood partial pressure of carbon dioxide(PaCO 2), alveolar-arterial oxygen partial pressure difference[P(A-a)O 2]and oxygenation index(OI)were recorded at T0(entering the operating room), T1, T3, T4, T5, T6, T8(after extubation)and T9(24h after operation). Arterial-end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure difference[P(a-et)CO 2]was recorded at T3, T4, T5 and T6. Results:DP in the P group was lower than in the T group at each time point( P<0.01). The P mean in the P group at each time point was higher than in the T group( P<0.01). EtCO 2 was higher in the P group than in the T group at T1( t=0.751, P<0.01)and T2( t=2.830, P<0.01). PaCO 2 was higher in the P group than in the T group at T1( t=1.435, P<0.01), T3( t=2.469, P<0.01)and T4( t=1.359, P<0.05). There were no statistic differences in P(A-a)O 2, OI and P(a-et)CO 2 between the two groups at any time point( P>0.05). Conclusions:Compared with the traditional ventilation strategy, the lung protective ventilation strategy has lower DP and higher P mean during laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, while it has no advantage in lung oxygenation.The lung protection ventilation strategy can be safely used in laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in the steep Trendelenburg position under general anesthesia.

Application value of portal vein flow velocity after different interventions on rebleeding in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis complicated with esophageal and gastric variceal bleeding / 中华传染病杂志

Objective:To investigate the predictors of rebleeding three months after treatment of esophageal and gastric variceal bleeding (EGVB) in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis and the effects of different treatments on rebleeding.Methods:From January 2018 to January 2020, the hepatitis B cirrhosis patients with first onset of EGVB in the First Hospital of Lanzhou University were enrolled and followed up for three months. The development of rebleeding, information about portal vein flow velocity and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores after treatment of first bleeding were collected. The statistical analysis was conducted by chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis. The efficacy for predictors of rebleeding was evaluated by using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.Results:Among the 33 patients with the first EGVB, the rebleeding rate during three months follow-up was 42% (14 cases), including one patient (1/8) who underwent transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, 10 patients (10/19) were treated with therapeutic endoscopy, and three patients (3/6) were treated with vasoactive drugs. No statistically significant difference in rebleeding rates was found among the three treatment groups ( χ2=3.853, P=0.175). Portal vein flow velocity after treatment for the first onset of EGVB (odds ratio ( OR)=0.21, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.05 to 0.93, P=0.039) and MELD score ( OR=1.53, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.30, P=0.040) were independent predictors for the occurrence of rebleeding events during three months. When the portal vein flow velocity after treatment for the first bleeding was 19 cm/s, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for prediction of the occurrence of rebleeding during three months was 0.86, with the sensitivity of 92% and the specificity of 61%. Conclusion:Among the patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis and the first onset of EGVB, different treatments may have little relationship with three-month rebleeding, while portal vein flow velocity ≤19 cm/s is the main predictor for rebleeding within three months.

Emergency anesthesia in elderly patients with septic shock: a case report and literature review / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To investigate perioperative management of anesthesia for septic shock.Methods:Anesthesia performed on an elderly patient with septic shock who underwent emergency surgery in Beijing Hospital was analyzed and summarized, with a literature review.Results:Etomidate, Ketamine, cis Atracurium and Remifentanil are preferred for anesthesia induction, and Remifentanil and Sevoflurane are the first choices for anesthesia maintenance.Combined application with Dexmedetomidine may improve patients' prognosis.For septic shock patients with new-onset atrial fibrillation, β-blockers are preferred for perioperative anti-arrhythmia.If necessary, propafenone or amiodarone can be used for cardioversion.Perioperative ultrasound evaluation may be used to guide perioperative fluid therapy and vasoactive drug administration for septic shock in the future.Conclusions:Anesthesiologists should place a high value on and have a good command of the main aspects of perioperative management of anesthesia for septic shock.

Change in the activity of glucosylceramide synthase in human hepatoma cell line with hepatitis B virus infection in vitro / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the change in the activity of glucosylceramide synthase, the key enzyme in glycosphingolipid metabolism and synthesis, in Huh7 cells infected by hepatitis B virus (HBV) in vitro. MethodsBlood samples were collected from nine previously untreated patients with acute hepatitis B who attended Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, from June to August, 2019, and the blood samples collected from seven healthy individuals who underwent physical examination were established as control. Huh7 cells were inoculated with the high-copy HBV particles (＞9.9×107 IU/ml) in the serum of patients with HBV infection (infection group), and Huh7 cells co-cultured with the serum of healthy individuals were established as control group. The expression levels of HBsAg and HBV DNA in the cytoplasm of HBV-infected Huh7 cells were measured, and the correlation between GCS activity and virus was analyzed. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups, and a Pearson correlation analysis was performed. ResultsCompared with the control group, the infection group had a significant reduction in the number of cells, an increase in cell volume, and cell membrane fragmentation. The infection group had a significant increase in the expression of HBsAg in cytoplasm at 4 hours, 8 hours, 2 days, and 5 days after infection (P＜0.05); the expression level of HBV DNA tended to increase significantly from 4 hours after infection to 8 hours, 2 days, and 5 days after infection (16.67±11.55 IU/ml vs 112.01±25.94 IU/ml/328.01±10350 IU/ml/101.60±49.84 IU/ml, P＜0.001), with the highest level at 2 days after infection. During HBV infection, the activity of GCS gradually increased with the increase in viral replication from 4 hours after infection (126.21±9.59 IU/ml) and reached a peak at 2 days after infection (226.53±36.27 IU/ml), with a significant difference between the infection group and the control group at 2 days after infection (226.53±36.27 IU/ml vs 136.50±1544 IU/ml, t=3.956, P=0.016 7). The activity of GCS was positively correlated with HBV DNA level (r=0.576 8, P=0047 1). ConclusionHuh7 cells are successfully infected with the high-copy HBV particles in the serum of patients with HBV infection, which mimics the characteristics of HBV infection in vitro to a certain degree. The activity of GCS may be associated with HBV infection, suggesting that glycosphingolipid synthesis and metabolism may be closely associated with HBV.

Accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound in diagnosis of guidewire tip misplacement during central venous catheterization / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound in diagnosis of guidewire tip misplacement during central venous catheterization.Methods:Ninety patients of both sexes, aged 18-90 yr, with body mass index of 15.5-44.8 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅰ-Ⅳ, scheduled for elective surgery with general anesthesia requiring central venous catheter (CVC) insertion through bilateral internal jugular veins or subclavian veins, were enrolled.The ultrasound probe was used, and the target vessel was selected.Anesthesia was induced with propofol, sufentanil and cisatracurium, and positive pressure ventilation was applied after endotracheal intubation.After central venous puncture was successfully performed under ultrasound guidance, the guidewire was inserted to a predetermined length, and the tips of the guidewire were confirmed with X-ray film and with point-of-care ultrasound including a phased array probe and linear array probe, and the results were recorded.The CVC was inserted after confirming the guidewire tip position.Agreement between the guidewire tip misplacement confirmed with point-of-care ultrasound and with bedside X-ray film was analyzed using Kappa statistics.The sensitivity, specificity, and total coincidence rate, rate of misdiagnosis, rate of missed diagnosis, Youden index, odds product, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the guidewire tip misplacement were calculated during central venous catheterization confirmed using point-of-care ultrasound. Results:Among the 90 patients, 17 cases had guidewire tip misplacement, and the incidence of guidewire tip misplacement was 19%.Point-of-care ultrasound and bedside X-ray film were consistent in the diagnosis of guidewire tip misplacement during CVC insertion (Kappa value 0.945, P<0.05). The sensitivity of point-of-care ultrasound in diagnosing guidewire tip misplacement during CVC insertion was 97.44 %, specificity 97.78%, total coincidence rate 97.67%, rate of misdiagnosis 2.22%, rate of missed diagnosis 2.56%, Youden index 95.22%, odds product 1 672, positive predictive value 95.00%, and negative predictive value 98.88%. Conclusion:Point-of-care ultrasound can be used to diagnose guidewire tip malposition during central venous catheterization.

Research progress on pain assessment in the elderly with dementia / 中华老年医学杂志

The elderly represent a segment with a high incidence of pain.Consciousness impairment and language dysfunction increase the difficulty of pain assessment.At the same time, a lack of understanding of neuropathic mechanisms and assessment scales often leads to inappropriate pain assessment in the elderly with dementia.This article reviews the relationship between dementia and pain, pain assessment protocols and the use of scales in the elderly with dementia.

Mechanism of action of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α in the development and progression of liver fibrosis / 临床肝胆病杂志

Liver fibrosis and end-stage liver cirrhosis are often accompanied by liver hypoxia. As a key transcription factor for regulating the body’s response to hypoxia, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) plays an important role in the activation of hepatic stellate cells and the development and progression of liver fibrosis. In addition, downregulation of HIF-1α expression can alleviate liver fibrosis and thus HIF-1α is expected to become a new target for the treatment of liver fibrosis. This article reviews the association between HIF-1α and liver fibrosis-related signaling pathways and genes and further discusses the potential of HIF-1α as a new therapeutic target for liver fibrosis.

Effect of Pien Tze Huang on bile excretion and its analgesic effect in experimental animals / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Pien Tze Huang on bile excretion and its analgesic effect in experimental animals. MethodsA total of 30 guinea pigs were randomly divided into Pien Tze Huang group, ursodeoxycholic acid group, and control group. According to body mass, the three groups were treated with Pien Tze Huang (140 mg/kg), ursodeoxycholic acid (22.5 mg/kg), and normal saline, respectively, by gavage for 4 consecutive days. Then bile drainage was performed to measure the volume of bile secretion and the change in bile composition. Related liver function parameters were also measured. A total of 30 mice were randomly divided into Pien Tze Huang group (360 mg/kg), ursodeoxycholic acid group (120 mg/kg), and control group. At one hour after the last administration, the mice were given intraperitoneal injection of 0.6% glacial acetic acid (0.15 ml/10 g), and the writhing test was performed to observe the analgesic effect of Pien Tze Huang. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsCompared with the control group, the Pien Tze Huang group and the ursodeoxycholic acid group had a significant increase in the volume of bile secretion (P=0.039 and 0.009). There were no significant differences between the three groups in cholesterol, bilirubin, total bile acid, and phospholipid in bile (all P＞0.05) and liver function parameters (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, and total bile acid) (all P＞0.05). Compared with the control group, the Pien Tze Huang group had a significant reduction in the number of writhing times (P＜0.001), suggesting that Pien Tze Huang had a marked analgesic effect. ConclusionAnimal experiments show that Pien Tze Huang has marked choleretic and analgesic effects, which provides theoretical and data support for the clinical application of Pien Tze Huang.

Effect of Pien Tze Huang on bile excretion and its analgesic effect in experimental animals / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Pien Tze Huang on bile excretion and its analgesic effect in experimental animals. MethodsA total of 30 guinea pigs were randomly divided into Pien Tze Huang group, ursodeoxycholic acid group, and control group. According to body mass, the three groups were treated with Pien Tze Huang (140 mg/kg), ursodeoxycholic acid (22.5 mg/kg), and normal saline, respectively, by gavage for 4 consecutive days. Then bile drainage was performed to measure the volume of bile secretion and the change in bile composition. Related liver function parameters were also measured. A total of 30 mice were randomly divided into Pien Tze Huang group (360 mg/kg), ursodeoxycholic acid group (120 mg/kg), and control group. At one hour after the last administration, the mice were given intraperitoneal injection of 0.6% glacial acetic acid (0.15 ml/10 g), and the writhing test was performed to observe the analgesic effect of Pien Tze Huang. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsCompared with the control group, the Pien Tze Huang group and the ursodeoxycholic acid group had a significant increase in the volume of bile secretion (P=0.039 and 0.009). There were no significant differences between the three groups in cholesterol, bilirubin, total bile acid, and phospholipid in bile (all P＞0.05) and liver function parameters (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, and total bile acid) (all P＞0.05). Compared with the control group, the Pien Tze Huang group had a significant reduction in the number of writhing times (P＜0.001), suggesting that Pien Tze Huang had a marked analgesic effect. ConclusionAnimal experiments show that Pien Tze Huang has marked choleretic and analgesic effects, which provides theoretical and data support for the clinical application of Pien Tze Huang.

Tongue coating microbiome as a potential biomarker for gastritis including precancerous cascade

The development of gastritis is associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer. Current invasive gastritis diagnostic methods are not suitable for monitoring progress. In this work based on 78 gastritis patients and 50 healthy individuals, we observed that the variation of tongue-coating microbiota was associated with the occurrence and development of gastritis. Twenty-one microbial species were identified for differentiating tongue-coating microbiomes of gastritis and healthy individuals. Pathways such as microbial metabolism in diverse environments, biosynthesis of antibiotics and bacterial chemotaxis were up-regulated in gastritis patients. The abundance of Campylobacter concisus was found associated with the gastric precancerous cascade. Furthermore, Campylobacter concisus could be detected in tongue coating and gastric fluid in a validation cohort containing 38 gastritis patients. These observations provided biological evidence of tongue diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine, and indicated that tongue-coating microbiome could be a potential non-invasive biomarker, which might be suitable for long-term monitoring of gastritis.

Value of magnetic resonance functional imaging in evaluating microvascular invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma / 临床肝胆病杂志

Microvascular invasion, as a predictive factor for postoperative recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), can only be diagnosed by the gold standard of pathological histology at present. Conventional imaging examination and serological markers have low sensitivity and specificity in evaluating microvascular invasion. Preoperative prediction and evaluation of microvascular invasion has an important value in selecting clinical treatment and assessing patient diagnosis. In recent years, magnetic resonance (MR) functional imaging and new contrast agents have been developing rapidly and have become the research hotspots in early diagnosis of HCC, postoperative follow-up of treatment outcome, and recurrence evaluation. This article elaborates on the significance of apparent diffusion coefficient of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating microvascular invasion, as well as the potential value of intravoxel incoherent motion-magnetic resonance imaging and a new diffusion model of diffusion kurtosis imaging. This article also analyzes the application of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and Gd-EOB-DTPA-specific MR in evaluating microvascular invasion and predicting postoperative recurrence. The analysis shows that the development of MR functional imaging and the application of several new techniques play an important role in the assessment of microvascular invasion of HCC and can determine the risk of postoperative recurrence and metastasis and provide reliable quantitative assessment indices for early diagnosis and reasonable application of surgery and other treatment methods.

Relationship between bile acid metabolism and chronic non - cholestatic liver disease / 中华肝脏病杂志

Bile acid is a general term for a large class of cholic acid in bile and exerts its unique physiological functions by binding the relevant receptors and bile acid transporters. Bile acids not only promote the absorption of nutrients in the human body, but also as an important signaling molecule in the regulation of inflammatory processes and liver regeneration. Several studies have found that bile acid metabolism is involved in the occurrence and development of chronic non-cholestatic liver diseases. In this article, the latest research results are mentioned, and the relationship between nuclear receptors, membrane receptors, and bile acid transporters and chronic non-cholestatic liver disease that play a key role in the bile acid metabolism were emphatically reviewed.