Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of using a tourniquet in amputation for lower limb gangrene. Methods All patients underwent amputation for lower limb gangrene from January,2009 to June,2023 in Beijing Bo'ai Hospital were reviewed,involving 41 patients with a total of 44 limbs,and they were divided into non-tourniquet group(n=28)and tourniquet group(n=16)according to whether a tourniquet was used during surgery.The am-putation field clearness,surgical bleeding,incision healing,reoperation rate within 30 days post-operation,intra-operative blood pressure and heart rate,and operation time were compared. Results The amputation field was clearer in the tourniquet group(χ2=42.385,P＜0.001),with less bleeding(Z=-2.082,P＜0.05).No tourniquet-related local damages,such as nerve damage and skin injuries,was observed in the limbs using tourniquets.The incidence of grade A of incision healing was not significantly different(χ2=0.028,P=0.624). Conclusion Application of tourniquet can improve the amputation field clearness and reduce bleeding during amputation for lower limb gangrene,without affecting incision healing.

Objective To analyze the impact of different clinical and rehabilitation characteristics on the prognosis of diabetic foot amputees. Methods Related literatures were searched in CNKI,Wanfang Data,PubMed,Cochrane Library and Google Scholar from establishment to August,2024.The literatures were screened and extracted by two researchers independent-ly,the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale(NOS)and the evaluation criteria recommended by Agency for Healthcare Re-search and Quality(US)were used for quality evaluation,and literatures with above medium quality were includ-ed,and a systematic review was conducted. Results A total of 17 articles involving 9 239 subjects were included,in which three were Chinese,and 14 were English.The study designs were case-control study,cohort study and cross-sectional study.They mainly came from the fields of rehabilitation medicine,orthopedics,sports medicine and disability studies,and were published between 1998 to 2023.Clinical and rehabilitation characteristics related to the prognosis of diabetic foot amputees includ-ed amputation level,socioeconomic determinants(educational attainment,economic status,social participation,etc.),psychological states(anxiety,depression,etc.)and physiological factors(age,gender,pain,prosthetic limb usage,and ambulatory capacity,etc.).These different characteristics could affect the quality of life of diabetic foot amputees,and even lead to re-amputation or death. Conclusion Factors of amputation level,socioeconomic status,psychological status and physiological status are impor-tant for poor prognosis in diabetic foot amputees.Controlling the above factors can effectively reduce the re-am-putation rate and mortality,and improve the quality of life in diabetic foot amputees,thus improving their progno-sis,and promoting functional rehabilitation.

The non-randomized controlled study design was adopted. A total of 90 patients with knee osteoarthritis treated in Beijing Yuetan Community Health Service Center from September 2021 to August 2022 were enrolled in the study, including 45 patients received patellar loosening and then the quadriceps femoris pain point release (successive group) and remaining 45 patients received two manipulations simultaneously (simultaneous group). Patients were treated 3 times in a week, and each time received 5 groups of manipulation. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Lysholm scores were measured before treatment, immediately after treatment and 3 months after treatment. There was no exfoliation and no adverse events in both groups. There were no significant differences in VAS and Lysholm scores between the two groups before treatment ( P>0.05). Immediately after treatment, the VAS pain score in the simultaneous group was lower than that in the successive group ((3.36±1.12) vs.(2.24±0.93), P<0.01), while the Lysholm score in the simultaneous group was higher than that in the successive group ((89.76±6.61) vs.(74.07±16.80), P<0.01); the proportion of VAS score as“painless/mild pain”(88.9% (40/45) vs.64.4% (29/45), P<0.01) and Lysholm score as “excellent/good”(91.1% (41/45) vs. 44.4% (20/45), P<0.01) in the simultaneous group was significantly higher than that in the successive groups. At 3 months after treatment, there were still significant differences in VAS and Lysholm scores between the two groups. The simultaneous manipulations of patellar loosening and quadriceps femoris pain point release can better relieve the pain of patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Objective:To establish a rat model of diabetic microangiopathopathy and simulate the biochemical and pathological changes of diabetic retinal and renal microangiopathopathy.Methods:Forty healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into blank group and model group (10 and 30 rats, respectively). After the rats in blank group and model group were fed ordinary diet and high-fat and high-sugar diet for 5 weeks, respectively, the rats in model group were injected with 1% streptozotocin (STZ) through the abdominal cavity at the dose of 35 mg/kg to establish a type 2 diabetes model. After modeling, the rats were continuously fed until the 10th week (4 weeks after modeling), the general conditions of the rats were observed, and samples were collected for follow-up experiments. Serum creatinine (CREA), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein (LDL-C), microalbuminuria, urinary creatinine (UCr) and urine sugar were detected. Calculate the kidney index and microalbumin/urinary creatinine ratio (UACR). Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was used to observe the vascular changes and non-perfusion area of retinal superficial capillary plexus. The morphological and structural changes of kidney and retina were observed by hematoxylin-eosin and periodate Scheff staining. The expression of nerve fibers and nucleus of Müller cells in rat retina was observed by immunofluorescence staining. Ultrastructural results of retina were observed by transmission electron microscope. Independent sample t test was used for comparison between groups. Results:Four weeks after modeling, compared with blank group, the body weight of rats in model group was significantly decreased, and random glucose was significantly increased, with statistical significance ( t=5.755, -51.291; P<0.05). Renal index, urinary glucose and UACR were significantly increased, while UCr was significantly decreased, with statistical significance ( t=10.878, 137.273, 3.482,-6.110; P<0.05). CREA decreased, TG, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C increased, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=-28.012, 33.018, 118.018, 13.585, 16.480; P<0.05). OCTA examination showed that there was no perfusion area of shallow retinal capillaries. The optical microscope showed that the inner boundary membrane of retina in model group was swollen and thickened, the surface was uneven, the inner and outer nuclear layer cells were disordered and the density decreased. Glomerular congestion was accompanied by cortical tubular epithelial swelling, widening of the mesangial area, and thickening of the basement membrane. The results of immunostaining showed that the inner and outer plexiform layers of the retina showed lamellar strong green fluorescence expression, and the inner and outer nuclear layers showed scattered dot green fluorescence expression. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the basal membrane of retinal microvessels in model group was slightly thickened, vascular endothelial cells edema, endothelial nucleus and perinucleus contraction, nuclear membrane contraction, mild mitochondrial swelling, vacuolation. Conclusion:High-glucose and high-fat feeding plus a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ 35 mg/kg can successfully establish a microangiopathic model of type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To describe the current status and trends in the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) among very preterm infants (VPI) admitted to the neonatal intensive care units (NICU) of the Chinese Neonatal Network (CHNN) from 2019 to 2021, and to compare the differences in PDA treatment among these units. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on the CHNN VPI cohort, all of 22 525 VPI (gestational age<32 weeks) admitted to 79 tertiary NICU within 3 days of age from 2019 to 2021 were included. The overall PDA treatment rates were calculated, as well as the rates of infants with different gestational ages (≤26, 27-28, 29-31 weeks), and pharmacological and surgical treatments were described. PDA was defined as those diagnosed by echocardiography during hospitalization. The PDA treatment rate was defined as the number of VPI who had received medication treatment and (or) surgical ligation of PDA divided by the number of all VPI. Logistic regression was used to investigate the changes in PDA treatment rates over the 3 years and the differences between gestational age groups. A multivariate Logistic regression model was constructed to compute the standardized ratio (SR) of PDA treatment across different units, to compare the rates after adjusting for population characteristics. Results: A total of 22 525 VPI were included in the study, with a gestational age of 30.0 (28.6, 31.0) weeks and birth weight of 1 310 (1 100, 1 540) g; 56.0% (12 615) of them were male. PDA was diagnosed by echocardiography in 49.7% (11 186/22 525) of all VPI, and the overall PDA treatment rate was 16.8% (3 795/22 525). Of 3 762 VPI who received medication treatment, the main first-line medication used was ibuprofen (93.4% (3 515/3 762)) and the postnatal day of first medication treatment was 6 (4, 10) days of age; 59.3% (2 231/3 762) of the VPI had been weaned from invasive respiratory support during the first medication treatment, and 82.2% (3 092/3 762) of the infants received only one course of medication treatment. A total of 143 VPI underwent surgery, which was conducted on 32 (22, 46) days of age. Over the 3 years from 2019 to 2021, there was no significant change in the PDA treatment rate in these VPI (P=0.650). The PDA treatment rate decreased with increasing gestational age (P<0.001). The PDA treatment rates for VPI with gestational age ≤26, 27-28, and 29-31 weeks were 39.6% (688/1 737), 25.9% (1 319/5 098), and 11.4% (1 788/15 690), respectively. There were 61 units having a total number of VPI≥100 cases, and their rates of PDA treatment were 0 (0/116)-47.4% (376/793). After adjusting for population characteristics, the range of standardized ratios for PDA treatment in the 61 units was 0 (95%CI 0-0.3) to 3.4 (95%CI 3.1-3.8). Conclusions: From 2019 to 2021, compared to the peers in developed countries, VPI in CHNN NICU had a different PDA treatment rate; specifically, the VPI with small birth gestational age had a lower treatment rate, while the VPI with large birth gestational age had a higher rate. There are significant differences in PDA treatment rates among different units.
Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent/drug therapy* ; Infant, Premature ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Ibuprofen/therapeutic use* ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Persistent Fetal Circulation Syndrome ; Infant, Premature, Diseases/therapy*

Renal outer medullary potassium (ROMK) channel is an important K⁺ excretion channel in the body, and K⁺ secreted by the ROMK channels is most or all source of urinary potassium. Previous studies focused on the ROMK channels of thick ascending limb (TAL) and collecting duct (CD), while there were few studies on the involvement of ROMK channels of the late distal convoluted tubule (DCT2) in K⁺ excretion. The purpose of the present study was mainly to record the ROMK channels current in renal DCT2 and observe the effect of high potassium diet on the ROMK channels by using single channel and whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. The results showed that a small conductance channel current with a conductance of 39 pS could be recorded in the apical membrane of renal DCT2, and it could be blocked by Tertiapin-Q (TPNQ), a ROMK channel inhibitor. The high potassium diet significantly increased the probability of ROMK channel current occurrence in the apical membrane of renal DCT2, and enhanced the activity of ROMK channel, compared to normal potassium diet (P < 0.01). Western blot results also demonstrated that the high potassium diet significantly up-regulated the protein expression levels of ROMK channels and epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), and down-regulated the protein expression level of Na⁺-Cl^- cotransporter (NCC). Moreover, the high potassium diet significantly increased urinary potassium excretion. These results suggest that the high potassium diet may activate the ROMK channels in the apical membrane of renal DCT2 and increase the urinary potassium excretion by up-regulating the expression of renal ROMK channels.
Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying/metabolism* ; Kidney Tubules, Distal/metabolism* ; Potassium/metabolism* ; Epithelial Sodium Channels/metabolism* ; Diet

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis

Objective: To examine the effect of dietary behaviors on handgrip strength loss among the elderly, so as to provide insights into the prevention of handgrip strength loss. Methods : Based on the health surveillance cohort among the elderly in Zhejiang Province, two villages or communities were randomly sampled from each of Shaoxing and Zhoushan cities using a multi-stage cluster sampling method, and all residents that had lived in local areas for one year and longer and had an age of 60 years and older were enrolled. Participants' demographics, dietary behaviors, smoking, drinking, and exercise were collected through questionnaire surveys, and the height, body weight and handgrip strength were measured. The handgrip strength loss was diagnosed according the 2019 Consensus Update on Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Treatment proposed by Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia, and the effect of dietary behaviors on handgrip strength loss was examined using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 1 265 residents were enrolled, with a mean age of (70.67±7.30) years, and including 565 men (44.66%) and 700 women (55.34%). The overall prevalence of handgrip strength loss was 42.85% among the participants, and the prevalence was 40.35% in men and 44.86% in women, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that nut intake for 1 to 3 times a week (OR=0.180, 95%CI: 0.088-0.367) and for 4 to 6 times a week (OR=0.241, 95%CI: 0.113-0.514) led to a reduced risk of handgrip strength loss among the elderly, and intake of sugary drinks for 4 to 6 times a week led to an increased risk of handgrip strength loss among the elderly (OR=2.298, 95%CI: 1.120-4.714) after adjustment for age, body mass index, educational level and exercise. Conclusion Intake of nuts and sugary drinks may affect the development of handgrip strength loss among the elderly.

Hypertension is one of the strongest risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, cerebral stroke, and kidney failure. Lifestyle and nutrition are important factors that modulate blood pressure. Hypertension can be controlled by increasing physical activity, decreasing alcohol and sodium intake, and stopping tobacco smoking. Chronic kidney disease patients often have increased blood pressure, which indicates that kidney is one of the major organs responsible for blood pressure homeostasis. The decrease of renal sodium reabsorption and increase of diuresis induced by high potassium intake is critical for the blood pressure reduction. The beneficial effect of a high potassium diet on hypertension could be explained by decreased salt reabsorption by sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCC) in the distal convoluted tubule (DCT). In DCT cells, NCC activity is controlled by with-no-lysine kinases (WNKs) and its down-stream target kinases, Ste20-related proline-alanine-rich kinase (SPAK) and oxidative stress-responsive 1 (OSR1). The kinase activity of WNKs is inhibited by intracellular chloride ([Cl^-]_i) and WNK4 is known to be the major WNK positively regulating NCC. Based on our previous studies, high potassium intake reduces the basolateral potassium conductance, decreases the negativity of DCT basolateral membrane (depolarization), and increases [Cl^-]_i. High [Cl^-]_i inhibits WNK4-SPAK/OSR1 pathway, and thereby decreases NCC phosphorylation. In this review, we discuss the role of DCT in the blood pressure regulation by dietary potassium intake, which is the mechanism that has been best dissected so far.
Blood Pressure ; Diet ; Humans ; Kidney/metabolism* ; Kidney Tubules, Distal/metabolism* ; Phosphorylation ; Potassium/pharmacology* ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases ; Solute Carrier Family 12, Member 3/metabolism*

Precious Tibetan medicine formula is a characteristic type of medicine commonly used in the clinical treatment of central nervous system diseases. Through the summary of modern research on the precious Tibetan medicine formulas such as Ratnasampil, Ershiwuwei Zhenzhu Pills, Ershiwewei Shanhu Pills, and Ruyi Zhenbao Pills, it is found that they have obvious advantages in the treatment of stroke, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, angioneurotic headache, and vascular dementia. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that the mechanisms of precious Tibetan medicine formulas in improving central nervous system diseases are that they promote microcirculation of brain tissue, regulate the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, alleviate inflammation, relieve oxidative stress damage, and inhibit nerve cell apoptosis. This review summarizes the clinical and pharmacological studies on precious Tibetan medicine formulas in prevention and treatment of central nervous system diseases, aiming to provide a reference for future in-depth research and innovative discovery of Tibetan medicine against central nervous diseases.
Blood-Brain Barrier ; Brain ; Central Nervous System Diseases ; Humans ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Stroke/drug therapy*