OBJECTIVE: Identifying novel strategies to prevent particulate matter (PM)-induced lung injury is crucial for the reduction of the morbidity of chronic respiratory diseases. The combined intervention represented by herbal formulae for simultaneously targeting multiple pathological processes can provide a more beneficial effect than the single intervention. The aim of this paper is therefore to design a safe and effective medicinal and edible Chinese herbs (MECHs) formula against PM-induced lung injury. METHODS: PM-induced oxidative stress, inflammatory response and apoptosis A549 cell model were used to screen anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic MECHs, respectively. A network pharmacology method was utilized to rationally design a novel herbal formula. Ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer was utilized to assess the quality control of MECHs formula. The excretion of magnetic iron oxide nanospheres of the MECHs formula was estimated in zebrafish. The MECH formula against PM-induced lung injury was investigated with mice experiments. RESULTS: Five selected herbs were rationally designed to form a new MECH formula, including Citri Exocarpium Rubrum (Juhong), Lablab Semen Album (Baibiandou), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (Baizhu), Mori Folium (Sangye) and Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma (Yuzhu). The formula effectively promoted the magnetic iron oxide nanospheres excretion in zebrafish. The mid/high dose formula significantly prevented PM-induced lung damage in mice by enhancing the activity of SOD and GSH-Px, reducing the MDA and ROS level and attenuating the upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β and TNF-α), down regulating the protein expression of NF-κB, STAT3 and Caspase-3. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the effective MECHs formula will become a novel strategy for preventing PM-induced lung injury and provide a paradigm for the development of functional foods using MECHs.

Objective: To explore the relationship between DNA methylation and occupational noise-induced hearing loss. Methods: A case-control study was conducted. People with hearing loss induced by occupational noise were recruited as the case group and those with normal hearing but still exposed to occupational noise were recruited as the control group. A total of 60 participants were included, of which 30 participants were in the case group and 30 in the control group. The methylation level was detected by 850k genome-wide DNA methylation chip technology. The significance of differential methylated position (DMP) was tested by R-packet 'Champ'. The differential methylated region (DMR) was analyzed by using Champ's Bumphunter algorithm. Cluster profiler was used to analyze the gene list for GO and KEGG pathway enrichment. Results: There was significant difference between two groups in binaural high-frequency average hearing threshold (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in age, smoking, drinking, hypertension, physical exercise and cumulative noise exposure. The results of DMP and DMR analysis showed that 713875 sites were detected in the case group and the control group, and 439 methylation sites with significant difference, accounting for 0.06%; 650 regions were detected, and 72 methylation regions with significant differences, accounting for 11.08%. Compared with the control group, the results of GO enrichment analysis showed that the case group had statistically significant differences in four pathways: axogenesis of projection neurons in the central nervous system, neuronal development in the central nervous system, axogenesis of neurons in the central nervous system and neuronal differentiation in the central nervous system. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that there were significant differences in sphingolipid metabolism, aldosterone synthesis and secretion, primary bile acid biosynthesis pathway between the case group and the control group. Conclusion: The occurrence of occupational noise-induced hearing loss may be related to the regulation of gene expression related to axogenesis of projection neurons in the central nervous system, development of neurons in the central nervous system, axogenesis of neurons in the central nervous system, differentiation of neurons in the central nervous system, sphingolipid metabolism, aldosterone synthesis and secretion, primary bile acid biosynthesis and gene methylation related to metabolism.
Aldosterone ; Bile Acids and Salts ; Case-Control Studies ; DNA Methylation ; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced/genetics* ; Humans ; Noise, Occupational/adverse effects* ; Occupational Diseases ; Occupational Exposure ; Sphingolipids

Objective: To summarize the application of temporalis muscle flap in the salvage nasopharyngectomy for advanced recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (rNPC), and to provide guidance for the repair of extensive skull base defects in salvage rNPC. Methods: A total of 54 patients with the application of temporalis muscle flap in the salvage nasopharyngectomy for advanced rNPC were retrospectively analyzed, including 42 males and 12 females, aging from 29 to 71 years. There were 36 patients with rT3 and 18 patients with rT4. The surgical methods of temporalis muscle flap repair were summarized. The general situation, survival time and postoperative complications of patients were recorded, and the advantages and disadvantages of temporalis muscle flap were discussed. Results: The temporal muscle flap could completely cover the defect area of nasopharynx and skull base, without the need for other autologous repair materials. The follow-up period was 2 to 28 months. The survival rate of temporalis flap was 98.1% (53/54). The 1-year overall survival rate was 84.5% while 1-year progression-free survival rate was 49.0%. None of the patients had facial nerve injury. Three patients (5.6%) had necrosis of the cranial membrane required surgical intervention and four patients (7.4%) required a chonoplasty due to severe chonostril stenosis or chonostril atresia. Eleven cases (20.4%) had mouth opening restriction, chewing weakness, dysphagia and other eating difficulties. Conclusions: Temporalis muscle flap is an alternative flap for the salvage nasopharyngectomy for advanced rNPC. Temporal muscle flap shows high survival rate and wide coverage, but the surgeon should apprehend the possible complications and reduce the occurrence of them.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Flaps ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Muscles/pathology*

Objective: To evaluate the efficiency of internal carotid artery (ICA) embolization technology in endoscopic salvage surgery for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (rNPC) invading the ICA. Methods: From January 2016 to March 2021, 83 patients with rNPC who invaded the ICA and underwent endoscopic extended nasopharyngectomy were retrospectively collected from the Eye & ENT Hospital in Fudan University, including 60 males and 23 females. The age of the patients ranged from 27 to 77 years. The standard of ICA invasion was that the distance from the lesion to the ICA on enhanced MRI was ≤ 1.8 mm. The clinical characteristics, ICA management strategy and survival prognosis of patients were analyzed, and the effectiveness of ICA embolization was evaluated. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the survival rate and Log-rank test was used to compare the difference. Results: In 83 patients with rNPC, there were 13 patients with rT2, 38 patients with rT3, 32 patients with rT4, and 16 patients had lymph node metastasis. A total of 37 patients (44.6%) underwent ICA coil embolization before surgery, of which 2 cases underwent external carotid-middle cerebral artery artery bypass grafting and ICA embolization due to positive balloon occlusion test (BOT). Patients with positive surgical margin accounted for 24.1% (20/83). Among them, patients with rT4 and patients without ICA embolization had a higher positive rate of surgical margin (P value was 0.001, 0.043, respectively). The 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) rate of all patients was 46.5% and 26.7%, respectively. In addition, the 3-year OS and PFS of patients with ICA embolization was significantly higher than those without ICA embolization, respectively (69.1% vs 27.8%, P=0.003; 33.9% vs 18.9%, P=0.018). Only 2 patients (2/37, 5.4%) had cerebral infarction complications after coil embolization of the affected ICA due to negative BOT. Conclusion: Preoperative ICA embolization can be used to treat patients with rNPC invading the ICA, improve the total removal rate and survival rate of patients, which is an effective salvage treatment.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ; Salvage Therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/surgery* ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/pathology*

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture-moxibustion on negative emotions and plasma tryptophan (Trip)-kynurenine (Kyn) metabolism in the patients with Crohn's disease (CD) at the mild and moderate active stage. METHODS: A total of 66 CD patients were randomized into an observation group (33 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (33 cases, 2 cases dropped off). In the observation group, acupuncture was applied in combination with moxibustion. In the control group, the sham-acupuncture was used in combination with sham-moxibustion. In both of the observation group and the control group, acupuncture was applied to Zhongwan (CV 12), Shangjuxu (ST 37), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Gongsun (SP 4), Hegu (LI 4), Quchi (LI 11), Taixi (KI 3) and Taichong (LR 3), and moxibustion was applied to Tianshu (ST 25) and Zusanli (ST 36). The treatment was given once every two days, 3 times a week, totally for 12 weeks. Separately, before and after treatment, the score of the hospital anxiety-depression scale (HADS) and the score of intestinal core symptoms (degree of abdominal pain and frequency of diarrhea) were observed in the patients of the two groups. The concentration of plasma indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and the ratios of Kyn/Trp, QuinA/Kyn, KynA/Kyn and KynA/QuinA were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Compared with before treatment, the scores of HADS-A and HADS-D in the observation group and the score of HADS-A in the control group were all reduced after treatment ( CONCLUSION Acupuncture and moxibustion relieve the negative emotions of anxiety and depression in CD patients at mild and moderate active stage, which is probably related to the regulation of plasma Trp-Kyn metabolic pathway.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Crohn Disease/therapy* ; Emotions ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Plasma ; Treatment Outcome ; Tryptophan

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of the endoscopic transnasal approach (ETA) and to analyze the outcomes and factors of this surgical technique in the management of the tumor invading the anterior skull base. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 42 patients (31 males and 11 females, with mean age of 49 years) with sinonasal tumor invading the anterior skull base, who underwent ETA from June 2015 to April 2019 in Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital of Fudan University. Pathologically, there were 15 cases of squamous carcinoma (14 patients with T4bN0M0 and 1 patient with T4bN1M0) and 27 of olfactory neuroblastomas with Kadish stage C. Anterior skull base reconstruction was performed using the vascular pedicled nasoseptal mucoperiosteal flap and fascia lata. Brain non-contrast-enhanced CT was performed on the first postoperative day to exclude massive pneumocephalus, relevant brain edema and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Sinonasal contrast-enhanced MR was performed to assess the extent of the tumor removal. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to calculate the overall survival (OS) and Cox multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the prognostic factors. Results: The mean duration of the surgery was 452 minutes. Total resection was performed in 36 patients (85.7%), subtotal resection in 2 patients (4.8%) with orbital involvement, partial resection in one patient (2.4%) with injury of the internal carotid artery. One patient (2.4%) underwent the second resection because of the tumor residual, two patients (4.8%) with unsure tumor residual. Mean follow-up was 20 months, with 17 months of median follow-up. One-, two-and three-year overall survival was 86.5%, 76.9% and 64.5%, respectively. For squamous carcinoma, one-, two-and three-year overall survival was 86.2%, 86.2% and 57.4%, respectively. For olfactory neuroblastomas, One-, two-and three-year overall survival was 86.9%, 75.3% and 67.8%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that tumor residual (P=0.001) and recurrence (P<0.01) were independent prognostic factors for survival. Conclusions: The ETA is safe and feasible in selected patients with sinonasal tumor invading the anterior skull base. Tumor residual and recurrence are independent prognostic factors for survival.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasal Cavity ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Nose Neoplasms/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Skull Base/surgery* ; Skull Base Neoplasms/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To observe the impacts of electroacupuncture (EA) on neurological function, the pathological morphology in brain tissue, apoptosis level and the protein expressions of apoptosis-related cytochrome C (Cyt-C) and cysteine aspartic acid protease-9 (Caspase-9) in the rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and explore the potential mechanism of EA in treatment of TBI. METHODS: A total of 70 clean-grade SD mice were randomized into a blank group (8 rats), a sham-operation group (8 rats), a model group (27 rats) and an EA group (27 rats). In terms of interventions of 3, 7 and 14 days, 3 subgroups were divided in the model group and the EA group successively, 9 rats in each subgroup. The modified Feeney free-fall percussion method was adopted to establish TBI models of rats. In the sham-operation group, only the skull was exposed and drilled and no free-fall percussion was exerted. One day after modeling, EA was given in the rats of EA group at "Shuigou" (GV 26), "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Neiguan" (PC 6) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) on the affected side, with intermittent wave, 2 Hz in frequency, once daily, 10 min each time, for 3, 7 and 14 days successively. Separately, on the day 3, 7 and 14 of intervention, the modified neurological severity scale (mNSS) was used to evaluate the degree of neurological function injury in the rats, HE staining and Nissl staining were to observe the pathological and morphological changes in brain tissue, TUNEL method was to observe the level of apoptosis in brain tissue and immunohistochemistry (IHC) method and Western blot were to determine the protein expressions of Cyt-C and Caspase-9 in brain tissue. RESULTS: Compared with the sham-operation group, on the day 3, 7 and 14 of intervention, mNSS scores were increased obviously in the rats of the model group respectively (<0.01). Compared with the model group, on the day 3, 7 and 14 of intervention, mNSS scores were reduced in the rats of the EA group respectively (<0.05). On day 3 of intervention, in brain injury region of the rats in the model group and the EA group, gross tissue necrosis, nuclear fragmentation, consolidation and obvious vacuolar changes, reduced Nissl bodies and scattered arrangement were found. On day 7 and 14 of intervention, in the model group and the EA group, the new connective tissue filling and normal cells were visible and Nissl bodies increased. The overall repair and Nissl body quantity in the EA group were better than the model group. Compared with the sham-operation group, on day 3, 7 and 14 of intervention, the numbers of apoptotic cells were increased obviously in the model group (<0.01) and they were reduced in the EA group as compared with the model group (<0.05). Compared with the sham-operation group, on day 3, 7 and 14 of intervention, the protein expressions of Cyt-C and Caspase-9 in damaged brain tissue were all increased obviously in the model group (<0.01) and they were all reduced in the EA group as compared with the model group successively (<0.05). CONCLUSION Electroacupuncture remarkably improves the condition in the neurological function injury and reduces apoptosis degree in TBI model rats, which is likely related to the down-regulation of the protein expressions of Cyt-C and Caspase-9 in damaged brain tissue and further to bring the impacts on mitochondria mediated apoptosis process.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic ; therapy ; Caspase 9 ; metabolism ; Cytochromes c ; metabolism ; Electroacupuncture ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVE: To study and measure the anatomic structure of lumbar vertebral endplate structure in healthy adults by computed tomography(CT) technique in order to provide a useful guidance for the optimal design and clinical application of lumbar prostheses. METHODS: Sixty healthy adults (male and female equals) were recruited for full-waist CT scan after signing the informed consent form in the imaging department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. The scanning data was imported into the computer aided software Mimics 16.0 for 3D reconstruction and measurement. The acquisition indexes included median sagittal diameter, maximum coronal diameter, concavity depth, median sagittal depression angle, coronal depression angle and so on. Finally, the collected data were statistically analyzed by the statistical software. RESULTS: The median sagittal diameter and the maximum coronal diameter of the upper and lower endplates were not only different between the different sexes(<0.05), but also were increased with the increase of the lumbar spine sequence. The concavity depth of upper and lower endplates had no gender differences(>0.05), but had a little change from L₁ to L₅, fluctuating from 1.5 to 2.0 mm and from 2.2 to 3.9 mm, respectively. In the same sequence, the concavity depth of lower endplate in males was greater than that of upper endplate, and the difference was statistically significant(<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the concavity depth of upper and lower endplate in females(>0.05). Sagittal concavity angle and coronal concavity angle of upper and lower endplates changed slightly with the increase of vertebral order, and there was no gender difference in sagittal and coronal concavity angle of most vertebral sequences (>0.05). Statistics showed that the largest concavity near the caudal lumbar endplate was located on the dorsal side of the endplate plane. CONCLUSIONS The anatomical structure of the lumbar endplate is very complicated. It is important to master the anatomical parameters of the endplate and make full use of CT before operation for the development and clinical application of the lumbar prosthesis.
Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Lumbosacral Region ; Male ; Prostheses and Implants ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a complex disease caused by interactions between environmental and genetic factors. This study investigated whether genetic variability in protocadherin related 15 (PCDH15) underlies an increased susceptibility to the development of NIHL in a Chinese population. The results showed that compared with the TT genotype of rs11004085, CT/CC genotypes were associated with an increased risk of NIHL [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.64; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-6.11, P = 0.024]. Additionally, significant interactions between the rs11004085 and rs978842 genetic variations and noise exposure were observed in the high-level exposure groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the risk haplotype TAGCC was observed when combined with higher levels of noise exposure (P < 0.05). Thus, our study confirms that genetic variations in PCDH15 modify the susceptibility to NIHL development in humans.
Cadherins ; genetics ; China ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genetic Variation ; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced ; epidemiology ; genetics ; Humans ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUNDTendon adhesion is one of the most common causes of disability following tendon surgery. Therefore, prevention of peritendinous adhesion after surgical repair of tendon is a major challenge. The aim of this study was to explore the possible application of a collagen membrane for the prevention or attenuation of peritendinous adhesions.

METHODSSprague-Dawley (SD) rat Achilles tendon was cut and sutured by a modified Kessler's technique with or without the collagen membrane wrapped. Macroscopic, morphological and biomechanical evaluations were applied to examine the recovery of the injured tendon at 4 and 8 weeks after surgery.

RESULTSThe surgery group wrapped by collagen membranes had a better outcome than the group with surgery repair only. In the collagen membrane-treated group, less adhesion appeared, stronger tensile strength was detected, and more tendon fibers and collagen I expression were observed morphologically.

CONCLUSIONWrapping the tendon with a collagen membrane may be an efficient approach for tendon repair and preventing tendon adhesion after its ruptures.

Achilles Tendon ; injuries ; Animals ; Collagen ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tendon Injuries ; surgery ; Tissue Adhesions ; prevention & control ; Wound Healing