OBJECTIVE:To study the effects of Astragalus granules on the expression of Caveolin-3(Cav-3)and Smad family member 3 (Smad3) in the myocardial cells of rats with viral myocarditis. METHODS:90 rats were randomly divided into a nor-mal group,a model group,a Shenmai injection group [positive drug,0.2 g/(kg·d)] and the groups of low,medium and high-dose Astragalus granules [0.42,0.84,1.68 g/(kg·d)],with 15 rats in each group. The rats in all groups except for the normal group were given CVB3 ip for the establishment of viral myocarditis model. Meanwhile,the rats in the drug administration groups were given corresponding drugs ig,while those in the normal group and the model group were given normal saline ig,for 15 consecu-tive days. 5 rats were selected from each group respectively on the 3rd,9th and 15th days of drug use to take an experiment. For the rats,the pathological change of the cardiac muscle tissue was observed and scored,and the mRNA and protein expression of Cav-3 and Smad3 in the myocardial cells were detected. RESULTS:After 15 days of drug use,compared to the normal group,the rats of the model group had hyperplasia of a large number of cardiac muscle fibers,obvious lesions at cardiac muscle fibers, and significantly higher pathological score and levels of the mRNA and protein expression of Cav-3 and Smad3 in the myocardial cells (P<0.05). Compared to the model group,the rats in the drug administration groups had cardiac muscle tissue lesions improved and had obviously lower pathological score and levels of the mRNA and protein expression of Cav-3 and Smad3 in the myocardial cells(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Astragalus granules can markedly downregulate the gene expression of Cav-3 and Smad3 in the myocardial cells of rats with viral myocarditis,which is inferred as a prevention and treatment mechanism of viral myocarditis.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of non-drug interventions in hospice and palliative care(HPC)for improving cancer-related fatigue(CRF)in elderly individuals and its impact on quality of life.Methods:This study presents findings from a single-center randomized controlled trial conducted at Zhejiang Hospital, focusing on 40 elderly patients experiencing cancer-related fatigue(CRF)between February 2022 and February 2023.The participants were randomly assigned into a control group and an intervention group, each consisting of 20 individuals, using the random number table method.Both groups received routine comprehensive treatment, with the intervention group additionally receiving hospice and palliative care(HPC)non-drug intervention.Following 6 weeks of continuous treatment, the study compared the clinical efficacy, changes in CRF, and quality of life before and after treatment between the two groups.Results:Comparing the baseline data of the two groups of patients, the difference was not statistically significant(all P>0.05).After 6 weeks of treatment, patients in the intervention group reported lower levels of current fatigue, general fatigue, worst fatigue in the past 24 hours, and impact of fatigue on various aspects of their lives compared to the control group(all P<0.01).The clinical remission rate of cancer-related fatigue(CRF)in the intervention group was 60%, significantly higher than the 5% in the control group( P<0.01).Additionally, the intervention group showed improvement in overall quality of life and emotional function with decreased symptom areas scores(fatigue, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, sleep disorders, and loss of appetite)( P<0.01 for quality of life and emotional function, P<0.05 for symptom areas). Conclusions:Non-pharmacological interventions within the context of hospice and palliative care have been shown to alleviate cancer-related fatigue in elderly cancer patients, ultimately improving their quality of life.These interventions have demonstrated positive effects on various aspects such as overall quality of life, functional status, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, sleep disorders, and decreased appetite.Furthermore, these interventions are considered safe and effective in the treatment of elderly cancer patients experiencing fatigue.