Objective:To compare the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous translumial septal myocardial ablation in dogs using laser and radiofrequency.Methods:Twelve healthy adult Beagle dogs (males or females) were randomly divided into two groups, namely, group laser and group radiofrequency (6 dogs each group). Under ultrasound guidance, laser fiber or radiofrequency ablation needle was respectively inserted into the basal and middle segments of the interventricular septa via the percutaneous transapical approach to perform ablation. The Beagle dogs received radiologic examination, laboratory tests and pathological detection before ablation, immediately after ablation, at 1 week after ablation, and at 1 month after ablation, respectively. The efficacy and safety of the two ablation procedures were compared.Results:All dogs survived after ablation. The peak gradient of LVOT decreased immediately after ablation using either laser or radiofrequency ( P<0.05), but it increased at 1 week after ablation than before ( P<0.05). At 1 month after ablation, no significant differences were found in the peak gradient of LVOT compared with that before surgery ( P<0.05). The interventricular septum thickness was increased immediately after ablation using either laser or radiofrequency than before ( P<0.05), but it decreased at 1 week and at 1 month after surgery than before ( P<0.05). The ablation zone using radiofrequency was slightly larger than that of using laser[(372.50±69.06)mm 3 vs (116.65±20.15)mm 3, P<0.001], and the surgical time of the former was significantly shorter than that of using laser [(56.00±3.22)s vs (260.00±65.39)s, P<0.05)]. Conclusions:Ultrasound-guided percutaneous translumial septal myocardial ablation is feasible, safe and effective using either laser or radiofrequency. Comparatively speaking, radiofrequency ablation is more simple and convenient.

ObjectiveTo investigate the targets and mechanism of Baofeikang granules in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis based on network pharmacology and verify the predicted mechanism based on animal experiment. MethodThe active ingredients and targets of Baofeikang granules were screened via the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform， and the targets of pulmonary fibrosis were searched in various disease databases. The common targets shared by Baofeikang granules and the disease were extracted for the establishment of the protein-protein interaction （PPI） network in STRING. Cytoscape 3.8.0 was used to analyze the network topology of the key targets and to establish the ''active ingredient-target'' network. Gene ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） enrichment analyses were performed on the core targets to explore their possible molecular mechanisms. The rats were assigned into four groups： normal group， model group， prednisone acetate group， and Baofeikang granules group. The rat model of interstitial lung fibrosis was established by tracheal instillation of bleomycin. After 21 days of gavage， the lung tissues of rats were stained with hemotoxylin and eosin （HE） for the observation of morphological changes， and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K） and protein kinase B （Akt） were detected via immunohistochemical （IHC） staining. ResultBased on network pharmacology， 18 key targets of Baofeikang granules were identified for the treatment of pulmonary interstitial fibrosis， including Akt1， mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） 1， myelocytomatosis oncogene （MYC）， hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）， cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A （CDKN1A）， epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）， and Runt-related transcription factor （RUNX2）. KEGG pathway enrichment predicted that Baofeikang granules exerted anti-fibrotic effect mainly through PI3K/Akt， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）， and interleukin-17 （IL-17） signaling pathways. The IHC results in animal experiment showed that the protein levels of PI3K and Akt were lower in the Baofeikang granules group than in the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionBaofeikang granules has low toxicity， multiple targets， and multiple pathways in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. It may alleviate pulmonary fibrosis through regulating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， so as to improve the lung function.