Objective To analyze the detection rate and risk factors of pulmonary infection in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Methods A total of 308 patients with AECOPD hospitalized at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College were selected from October 2020 to October 2023 as the research subjects. The incidence of pulmonary infections was analyzed, and univariate and logistic multivariate regression analyses were conducted to identify the risk factors of pulmonary infections. Results Among the 308 patients with AECOPD, 155 cases (50.32%) had pulmonary infection and were selected as the infected group, and 153 cases without pulmonary infection were included in the uninfected group. There were no obvious differences in gender, body mass index, education level, drinking history, hypertension, heart failure and malnutrition between the two groups (P>0.05). There were significant differences between the two groups in age, hospitalization time, mechanical ventilation history, smoking history, glucocorticoid use time, and diabetes mellitus (P<0.05). Logistic analysis showed that the ORs of pulmonary infection risk in AECOPD patients with age ≥ 60 years old, hospitalization time ≥ 14 days, mechanical ventilation history, glucocorticoid use time ≥ 7 days, diabetes mellitus, and smoking history were 2.740 (1.024-7.330), 4.586 (2.318-9.071), 3.971 (1.806-8.731), 3.264 (1.419-7.508), 2.680 (1.012-7.100), and 2.826 (1.156-6.909), respectively. Conclusion The risk of pulmonary infection is high in AECOPD patients, which is influenced by factors such as age, hospitalization time, mechanical ventilation history, smoking history, and glucocorticoid use time. Clinical screening should be focused on the above indicators and active prevention and treatment measures should be taken to reduce the occurrence of pulmonary infection.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and potential mechanism of caffeic acid （CA） on severe acute pancreatitis （SAP） induced by caerulein combined with lipopolysaccharide （LPS）， and to provide a basis for the research on novel drugs for the treatment of SAP. MethodsC57BL/6J mice， aged 6 weeks， were divided into control group， model group， CA group， and octreotide acetate （OA） group， with 6 mice in each group. The mice in the control group were given injection of normal saline， and those in the other groups were given intraperitoneal injection of caerulein combined with LPS to establish a mouse model of SAP. At 1 hour after the first injection of caerulein， the mice in the CA group and the OA group were given intraperitoneal injection of CA or subcutaneous injection of OA at an interval of 8 hours. The general status of the mice was observed after 24 hours of modeling， and serum， pancreas， lung， and colon samples were collected. HE staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of the pancreas and lungs， and the serum levels of α-amylase， lipase， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， alanine aminotransferase， aspartate aminotransferase， and creatinine were measured. RT-PCR was used to measure the expression of proinflammatory factors in the pancreas and lungs； myeloperoxidase （MPO） immunohistochemistry was used to observe the degree of neutrophil infiltration； Western blot was used to measure the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） and the level of citrullinated histone H3 （CitH3）， a marker for the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps （NETs）， in the pancreas and lungs， as well as the expression level of ZO-1 in colon tissue. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups， and the Dunnett’s t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group had severe injury in the pancreas and lungs and significant increases in the activity of serum α- amylase and lipase and the levels of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and TNF-α in serum and lung tissue （all P<0.05）， as well as significant increases in NF-κB activation， neutrophil infiltration， and the formation of NETs in the pancreas and lungs （all P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the CA group had alleviated pathological injury of the pancreas and lungs and significant reductions in the activity of serum α-amylase and the levels of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α in serum and lung tissue （all P<0.05）， as well as significant reductions in NF-κB activation， neutrophil infiltration， and the formation of NETs in the pancreas and lungs （all P<0.05）. ConclusionCA can alleviate SAP induced by caerulein combined with LPS in mice， possibly by inhibiting neutrophil recruitment and the formation of NETs.

Nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） is an important intracellular transcription factor widely involved in the processes such as immune response， inflammatory response， cell proliferation， and apoptosis. The abnormal activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in various liver diseases including chronic hepatitis， liver fibrosis， liver cirrhosis， and hepatocellular carcinoma. Extensive studies have shown that inhibiting NF-κB activity may effectively reduce inflammation and fibrosis and improve metabolic disorders. Several natural compounds， such as matrine and salvianolic acid B， have shown the potential in suppressing NF-κB activity， thereby exerting anti-inflammatory， anti-fibrotic， and anti-tumor effects. This article systematically reviews the critical role of the NF-κB signaling pathway in liver diseases and its potential as a therapeutic target， in order to highlight its potential as a therapeutic target for liver diseases and provide new directions for the treatment of liver diseases.

BACKGROUND: While emotional distress, encompassing anxiety and depression, has been associated with negative clinical outcomes, its impact across various clinical departments and general hospitals has been less explored. Previous studies with limited sample sizes have examined the effectiveness of specific treatments (e.g., antidepressants) rather than a systemic management strategy for outcome improvement in non-psychiatric inpatients. To enhance the understanding of the importance of addressing mental health care needs among non-psychiatric patients in general hospitals, this study retrospectively investigated the impacts of emotional distress and the effects of early detection and management of depression and anxiety on hospital length of stay (LOS) and rate of long LOS (LLOS, i.e., LOS >30 days) in a large sample of non-psychiatric inpatients. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 487,871 inpatients from 20 non-psychiatric departments of a general hospital. They were divided, according to whether they underwent a novel strategy to manage emotional distress which deployed the Huaxi Emotional Distress Index (HEI) for brief screening with grading psychological services (BS-GPS), into BS-GPS ( n = 178,883) and non-BS-GPS ( n = 308,988) cohorts. The LOS and rate of LLOS between the BS-GPS and non-BS-GPS cohorts and between subcohorts with and without clinically significant anxiety and/or depression (CSAD, i.e., HEI score ≥11 on admission to the hospital) in the BS-GPS cohort were compared using univariable analyses, multilevel analyses, and/or propensity score-matched analyses, respectively. RESULTS: The detection rate of CSAD in the BS-GPS cohort varied from 2.64% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.49%-2.81%) to 20.50% (95% CI: 19.43%-21.62%) across the 20 departments, with a average rate of 5.36%. Significant differences were observed in both the LOS and LLOS rates between the subcohorts with CSAD (12.7 days, 535/9590) and without CSAD (9.5 days, 3800/169,293) and between the BS-GPS (9.6 days, 4335/178,883) and non-BS-GPS (10.8 days, 11,483/308,988) cohorts. These differences remained significant after controlling for confounders using propensity score-matched comparisons. A multilevel analysis indicated that BS-GPS was negatively associated with both LOS and LLOS after controlling for sociodemographics and the departments of patient discharge and remained negatively associated with LLOS after controlling additionally for the year of patient discharge. CONCLUSION Emotional distress significantly prolonged the LOS and increased the LLOS of non-psychiatric inpatients across most departments and general hospitals. These impacts were moderated by the implementation of BS-GPS. Thus, BS-GPS has the potential as an effective, resource-saving strategy for enhancing mental health care and optimizing medical resources in general hospitals.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Length of Stay/statistics & numerical data* ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Psychological Distress ; Inpatients/psychology* ; Aged ; Anxiety/diagnosis* ; Depression/diagnosis*

To clarify the species, pathogenicity, and distribution of the pathogens causing the root rot of Atractylodes lancea in Hubei province, the tissue separation method was used to isolate the pathogens from root rot samples in the main planting areas of A. lancea in Hubei. Based on the preliminary identification of the Fusarium genus by the internal transcribed spacer(ITS) sequence, three housekeeping genes, EF1/EF2, Btu-F-FO1/Btu-F-RO1, and FF1/FR1, were amplified and sequenced. Subsequently, a phylogenetic tree was constructed based on these TEF gene sequences to classify the pathogens. The pathogenicity of these strains was determined using the root irrigation method. A total of 194 pathogen strains were isolated using the tissue separation method. Molecular identification using the three housekeeping genes identified the pathogens as F. solani, F. oxysporum, F. commune, F. equiseti, F. tricinctum, F. redolens, F. fujikuroi, F. avenaceum, F. acuminatum, and F. incarnatum. Among them, F. solani and F. oxysporum were the dominant strains, widely distributed in multiple regions, with F. solani accounting for approximately 54% of the total isolated strains and F. oxysporum accounting for approximately 34%. Other strains accounted for a relatively small proportion, totaling approximately 12%. The results of pathogenicity determination showed that there were certain differences in pathogenicity among strains. The analysis of the pathogenicity differentiation of the widely distributed F. solani and F. oxysporum strains revealed that these dominant strains in Hubei were mainly highly pathogenic. This study determined the species, pathogenicity, and distribution of the pathogens causing the root rot of A. lancea in Hubei province. The results provide a scientific basis for further understanding the root rot of A. lancea and its epidemic occurrence and scientifically preventing and controlling this disease.
Plant Diseases/microbiology* ; Atractylodes/microbiology* ; Phylogeny ; Plant Roots/microbiology* ; Fusarium/classification* ; China ; Virulence ; Fungal Proteins/genetics*

Cryopreservation is the primary technique for in vitro preservation of allogeneic tissue. However, its success is often hindered by factors such as low temperature, ischemia, and hypoxia. This study investigated the potential of Sini Decoction, known for its antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties, to reduce cryopreservation-induced injury in rats' sciatic nerves. Sini Decoction was prepared according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and its cytotoxicity on Rsc96 cells was assessed by using the CCK-8 method. Sini Decoction at concentrations of 4, 8, and 16 mg·mL~(-1), termed as low-(SL), medium-(SM), and high-(SH) doses group, was used for cryopreservation of rats' sciatic nerves. A normal control(NC) group and a fresh nerve control(fresh) group were set. Flow cytometry and TUNEL staining were used to detect the apoptosis of neural tissue cells after cryopreservation. Western blot was used to detect the expression of apoptosis-related proteins(Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, and caspase-8) and nerve regeneration proteins(NGF and BDNF) in vitro after cryopreservation. Oxidative damage of neural tissue after cryopreservation was evaluated by measuring levels of GSH, SOD, MDA, ROS, and ATP. Cryopreserved nerves were then used for allogeneic transplantation. One week after transplantation, CD4~+ and CD8~+ fluorescent double staining assessed inflammatory cell invasion in the transplanted nerve segment, and ELISA evaluated the expression of serum inflammatory factors(IL-1, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) in recipients. Twenty weeks after transplantation, electrophysiology and NF200 neurofilament staining were used to evaluate nerve regeneration. RESULTS:: showed that Sini Decoction at concentrations of below 32 mg·mL~(-1) exhibited no cytotoxicity to Rsc96 cells. During in vitro nerve cryopreservation, Sini Decoction significantly reduced cell apoptosis, ROS, and MDA production compared to the NC group. In the SH group, the protein expression of NGF and BDNF in vitro, as well as ATP, SOD, and GSH production, were significantly increased. In the rejection reaction one week after transplantation, compared to the fresh nerve transplantation group, the SL and SM groups showed reduced CD4~+ and CD8~+ T cell invasion in the transplanted nerve segment and down-regulated IL-1, IFN-γ, and TNF-α expression in recipient serum. Twenty weeks after transplantation, the electrophysiological test results of CMAP, NCV, and NF200 neurofilament protein fluorescent staining in the SM and SH groups were superior to those in the NC and fresh groups. These findings indicate that Sini Decoction offers protective benefits in the cryopreservation of rats' sciatic nerves and holds significant potential for the in vitro preservation of tissue and organs.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Rats ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Sciatic Nerve/cytology* ; Cryopreservation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Protective Agents/pharmacology*

[摘 要] 目的：探讨多结节非小细胞肺癌（NSCLC）组织中的驱动基因突变情况与临床病理特征的关系，为多结节NSCLC患者治疗提供分子诊断依据。方法：本研究共纳入2018年1月至2023年10月间云南省肿瘤医院分子诊断中心检测的121例多结节NSCLC患者的253个肺结节肿瘤组织标本，以第二代测序（NGS）技术或扩增阻滞突变系统PCR（ARMS-PCR）技术检测多结节NSCLC 组织中驱动基因突变情况，分析其与患者临床病理特征的关系，比较不同结节间肺癌驱动基因的突变异质性。结果：与非“宣威”NSCLC相比，“宣威”多结节NSCLC患者驱动基因突变具有显著的地域特点，表现在“宣威”患者具有较低（20%）的EGFR敏感突变（L858R、19-del）及较高（27.26%）的EGFR少见突变（主要为G719/S768I、G719）；“宣威”多结节NSCLC患者的KRAS突变率（27.27%）亦显著高于非“宣威”患者突变率（12.59%）（P<0.05）。此外，“宣威”多结节NSCLC患者驱动基因突变不一致率高达69.23%，远高于非“宣威”患者驱动基因突变不一致率（55.07%）（P<0.05）。结论：“宣威”多结节NSCLC患者具有较高的EGFR少见突变及KRAS突变率，同一患者不同病灶之间存在更高的驱动基因突变异质性，本研究将为“宣威”多结节NSCLC的诊疗策略提供更多的选择。

Recent clinical studies have shown that mutation of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) gene in cancer cells may be associated with immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and poor response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Therefore, efficiently restoring PTEN gene expression in cancer cells is critical to improving the responding rate to ICB therapy. Here, we screened an adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid for efficient PTEN gene delivery into B16F10 tumor cells. We demonstrated that intratumorally injected AAV6-PTEN successfully restored the tumor cell PTEN gene expression and effectively inhibited tumor progression by inducing tumor cell immunogenic cell death (ICD) and increasing immune cell infiltration. Moreover, we developed an anti-PD-1 loaded phospholipid-based phase separation gel (PPSG), which formed an in situ depot and sustainably release anti-PD-1 drugs within 42 days in vivo. In order to effectively inhibit the recurrence of melanoma, we further applied a triple therapy based on AAV6-PTEN, PPSG^@anti-PD-1 and CpG, and showed that this triple therapy strategy enhanced the synergistic antitumor immune effect and also induced robust immune memory, which completely rejected tumor recurrence. We anticipate that this triple therapy could be used as a new tumor combination therapy with stronger immune activation capacity and tumor inhibition efficacy.

Objective To explore the effect of compound active tea of Lithocarpus litseifolius on uric acid levels and kidney function of mice with hyperuricemia nephropathy and to provide an experimental basis for the development of hyperuricemia nephropathy drugs and functional food.Methods A mouse model of hyperuricemia nephropathy was established by administering potassium oxazinate with adenine.Mice were randomly divided into common,model,positive drug(10 mg/(kg·d))and compound active tea of Lithocarpus litseifolius high-,middle-and low-dose groups(10 g/(kg ·d),3.33 g/(kg·d)and 1.11g/(kg·d),respectively).One hour after the last gavage,urine protein(UP)was measured by CBB method,urea nitrogen(UUN)was measured by urease method.Orbital blood pampling,blood was collected for uric acid(UA)analysis by enzyme ratio method,urea nitrogen(BUN)was measured by urease method.The serum contents of interleukin 6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α)were measured by ELISA.Take kidney tissue,levels of urate transporter 1(URAT1)and glucose transporter 9(GLUT9)were measured by quantitative fluorescence,kidney histopathological changes were observed by HE stainning.Results Compared with the control group,the model group's levels of UP,UUN,UA,BUN,IL-6,URAT1,ULUT9 and TNF-α were significantly increased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),and the renal tissue structure was normal.Compared with the model group,the positive group's levels of UP,UUN,UA,BUN,IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly decreased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),there was little glomerular atrophy or deformation in the kidneys,kidney tubular dilatation was occasionally seen,but there was no inflammatory cell infiltration.Compared with the model group,the high-dose compound active tea of Lithocarpus litseifolius group's UP,UUN,UA,BUN,IL-6,URAT1,TNF-α and GLUT9 levels were significantly decreased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).The middle-dose compound active tea of Lithocarpus litseifolius group's UP,UUN,UA content,IL-6,URAT 1,GLUT9,BUN and TNF-αwere significantly decreased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).The low-dose compound active tea of Lithocarpus litseifolius group's UP,UUN,UA,IL-6,URAT1,BUN,TNF-α and GLUT9 levels were significantly decreased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).Conclusions Compound active tea of Lithocarpus litseifolius can reduce uric acid in mice with hyperuricemia nephropathy and has a certain protective effect on the kidneys.The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of uric acid reabsorption,and the specific mechanistic details should be further investigated.

Objective To observe the value of transesophageal echocardiography(TEE)for guiding left atrial appendage closure(LAAC)with LAmbre occluder.Methods Data of 40 non-valvular atrial fibrillation(NVAF)patients who underwent LA AC with LAmbre occluder were retrospectively analyzed.CT angiography(CTA)before treatment,TEE and digital subtraction angiography(DSA)findings during LAAC were comparatively observed,and the correlations of the anchor area diameter and left atrial appendage opening diameter measured with the above three as well as occluder size were analyzed,and TEE and DSA for evaluating peri-device leak(PDL)were compared.Results LAAC were successfully performed with LAmbre occlude in all 40 cases.The diameter of the fixed umbrella was positively correlated with anchor area diameter measured with CTA,TEE and DSA(r=0.79,0.82,0.91,all P＜0.01),of occlusion umbrella was positively correlated with left atrial appendage opening diameter measured with CTA,TEE and DSA(r=0.56,0.89,0.86,all P＜0.01).Immediately after the release of occluder in LAAC,PDL occurred in 16 cases and were detected with both TEE and DSA,while in the rest 24 cases no PDL was found with neither TEE nor DSA.Conclusion TEE had comparable value to DSA for guiding LAAC using LAmbre occluder.