Objective:To explore the clinical effects of unilateral secondary puncture percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in the treatment of type ⅡA acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures (ASOTLF).Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 193 patients with type ⅡA ASOTLF who had been admitted to Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital from February 2016 to October 2018. They were 71 males and 122 females, aged from 65 to 90 years [average, (73.9±4.3) years]. The segments injured were T10 in 21 cases, T11 in 27 cases, T12 in 44 cases, L1 in 48 cases, L2 in 29 cases, L3 in 14 cases, and L4 in 10 cases. Of them, 85 received unilateral secondary puncture PVP (observation group) and 108 did not (control group). The clinical effects were evaluated by comparing between the 2 groups the operation time, bone cement injection volume, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, and visual analogue scale (VAS) for back pain, spinal Oswestry disability index (ODI), anterior height of the injured vertebral body (AH) and kyphosis angle (KA) of the injured vertebra before operation, at 3 days after operation and the last follow-up. The bone cement leakage and fracture of adjacent vertebral body were observed.Results:All patients were followed up for 12 to 24 months (average, 15.8 months). There was no significant difference in the preoperative general data between the 2 groups, showing they were comparable ( P>0.05). The operation time and bone cement injection volume [(36.2±1.4) min and (5.5±0.7) mL] in the observation group were significantly longer or more than those in the control group [(32.3±1.7) min and (4.0±0.7) mL] ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the hospital stay or intraoperative blood loss between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). The VAS, ODI, AH and KA at 3 days after operation and the last follow-up were significantly improved compared with those before operation in both groups ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in VAS, ODI, AH or KA between the 2 groups before operation or at 3 days after operation ( P>0.05). However, the VAS, ODI, AH and KA at the last follow-up in the observation group [(2.2±0.8) points, 19.2%±5.8%, (2.90±0.21) cm, and 12.2°±1.5°] were better than those in the control group [(3.1±0.9) points, 22.8%±5.3%, (2.41±0.15) cm, and 13.3°±1.2°]. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the incidence of postoperative bone cement leakage or that of adjacent vertebral fracture ( P>0.05). Conclusions:In the treatment of type ⅡA ASOTLF, unilateral secondary puncture PVP can result in satisfactory clinical effects, because it effectively promotes dispersion of bone cement and prevents re-collapse of the vertebra operated but does not increase the risks of bone cement leakage and adjacent vertebral fracture.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in patients with rosacea, and to analyze the relationship between breath test results and the occurrence of rosacea.Methods:Patients with rosacea were enrolled from the outpatient department of Xiangya Hospital from March 2022 to June 2023. The methane-hydrogen breath test was used to detect intestinal levels of methane and hydrogen in all patients to investigate the prevalence of SIBO. The basic information, clinical symptoms and severity, quality of life scores, gastrointestinal symptoms, and past medical history of the patients were collected. Statistical analysis was carried out by using the chi-square test, nonparametric test and multivariate logistic regression models to investigate the relationship between SIBO and the occurrence of rosacea.Results:A total of 116 patients with rosacea completed the methane-hydrogen breath test. They were aged 18 to 56 years (median [ Q1, Q3]: 25 [22, 33] years), and included 7 males (6.0%) and 109 females (94.0%) ; there were 43 cases (37.1%) of erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, and 73 (62.9%) of papulopustular rosacea. As the breath test showed, 94 patients were diagnosed with SIBO (81.0%, 95% CI: 72.7% - 87.7%) based on the breath tests, 84 showed positive hydrogen breath test results (72.4%, 95% CI: 63.3% - 80.3%), and 47 had positive methane breath test results (40.5%, 95% CI: 31.5% - 50%). Among the 67 patients with moderate to severe erythema, 33 (49.3%) showed positive methane breath test results, and 14 of 49 (28.6%) patients with mild erythema showed positive methane breath test results, with a rate difference of 20.7% ( P = 0.025, 95% CI: 13.9% - 27.5%) ; there were no significant differences in the positive rates of SIBO and hydrogen breath test results between the patients with moderate to severe erythema and those with mild erythema (both P > 0.05). No significant differences were observed in the age, gender, clinical subtypes, severity of papulopustules, flushing and burning sensation, or rosacea quality of life index scores between the SIBO-positive and -negative groups, between hydrogen-positive and -negative groups, and between methane-positive and -negative groups (all P > 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that methane positivity on breath test was associated with the severity of erythema in rosacea ( OR = 2.495, 95% CI: 1.102 - 5.649, P < 0.05) . Conclusions:The prevalence of SIBO was relatively high in the patients with rosacea. However, only the positive rate of methane breath test differed between the rosacea patients and non-rosacea controls, and there was some correlation between methane positivity on breath test and increased severity of rosacea erythema.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of Biejiajian Wan on liver fibrosis by regulating the polarization of macrophages. MethodRaw264.7 cells were cultured in vitro by serum pharmacological method， and the hypoxia model of RAW264.7 cells was established by stimulating RAW264.7 cells with cobalt chloride （CoCl₂）. The cells were randomly divided into blank group， CoCl₂ hypoxia model group （200 mmol·L^-1）， Biejiajian Wan low-dose group （200 mmol·L^-1+0.55 g·kg^-1 Fuzheng Quyu capsules）， medium-dose group （200 mmol·L^-1+1.1 g·kg^-1 Biejiajian Wan）， and high-dose group （200 mmol·L^-1+2.2 g·kg^-1 Biejiajian Wan） and Fuzheng Quyu capsule group （200 mmol·L^-1+0.56 g·kg^-1 Biejiajian Wan）. Cell proliferation was detected by cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8）， and the gene expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in macrophages was detected by real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The expression of macrophage polarization-related protein and HIF-1α/nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） signaling pathway-related protein was tested by Western blot， and the distribution and expression of NF-κB signaling pathway-related protein and HIF-1α were determined by cell immunofluorescence. ResultCompared with the conditions in the blank group， the proliferation of RAW264.7 cells was inhibited after CoCl₂ stimulation for 24 hours （P<0.05）， the mRNA expression of HIF-1α， IL-1β and IL-6 in the model group were increased （P<0.05）， the protein expression of HIF-1α and M1 macrophage phenotypic proteins IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） was boosted while that of M2 macrophage phenotypic protein interleukin-10 （IL-10） was reduced （P<0.05）， the protein expression of NF-κB p65， phosphorylation （p）-NF-κB p65， phosphorylated NF-κB inhibits protein kinase α/β （p-IKKα/β） and phosphorylated NF-κB inhibits protein α (p-IκBα） was elevated （P<0.05）， the nuclear expression of HIF-1α and NF-κB p65 was promoted. Compared with the conditions in the model group， after 24 hours of treatment with corresponding drug-containing serum， each treatment group promoted the proliferation of RAW264.7 cells （P<0.05）， the mRNA expression levels of HIF-1α， IL-1β and IL-6 in macrophages were reduced （P<0.05）， the protein expression of HIF-1α， IL-6 and TNF-α was decreased， while that of CD163 and IL-10 was increased （P<0.05）， the protein expression of NF-κB p65， p-NF-κB p65， p-IKKα/β and p-IκBα was lowered （P<0.05）， the nuclear expression of HIF-1α and NF-κB p65 was inhibited. ConclusionBiejiajian Wan could modulate the polarization of macrophages， attenuate the injury of macrophage-associated inflammatory response under hypoxia， and thus delay the progression of liver fibrosis， which might be related to its regulation of HIF-1α/NF-κB signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS）-contained serum on β-amyloid （Aβ）_1-40-injured rat adrenal pheochromocytoma PC12 cells and its mechanism in regulating ubiquitin-proteasome pathway （UPP）. MethodAβ_1-40 was used to intervene PC12 cells to prepare the cell models of Alzheimer's disease （AD）， and the experiment was divided into the blank， model， and DSS-contained serum high， medium， and low-dose groups （10%， 5%， and 2.5%）. Cell viability and apoptosis were detected using cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） method and flow cytometry， respectively. The content of Aβ and p-Tau protein was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The ubiquitin （Ub）， ubiquitin ligase E3 （E3）， 26S proteasome， ubiquitin carboxyl terminal hydrolase1 （UCHL1）， and UCHL3 protein expressions of UPP were displayed using immunofluorescence cytochemistry （ICC）， and the mRNA and protein expression levels of Ub， E3-parkin， 26S， UCHL1， and UCHL3 were determined by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. ResultThe data of the CCK8 experiment verified that 5 μmol·L^-1 and 48 hours were the optimal conditions for modeling Aβ_1-40-injured PC12 cells. As compared with the blank group， the cell viability rate in the model group decreased （P<0.05） with an increased apoptosis rate （P<0.05）， the content of Aβ and p-Tau contents was elevated （P<0.05）， the mRNA and protein expression levels of Ub increased， and the mRNA and protein expression levels of 26S， E3， and UCHL1+3 decreased （P<0.05）. As compared with the model group， the cell viability rate in the DSS-contained medium-dose group increased （P<0.05）， whereas the apoptosis rate in each DSS-contained group decreased （P<0.05）. The content of Aβ in each DDS-contained group decreased （P<0.05）， and the content of p-Tau in the DDS-contained high and medium-dose groups decreased （P<0.05）. The mRNA expression level of Ub decreased， and that of 26S increased in each DDS-contained group （P<0.05）. The mRNA expression level of UCHL1 in the DDS-contained medium-dose group increased （P<0.05）， and the mRNA expression levels of E3 and UCHL 3 in the DDS-contained high and medium-dose groups increased （P<0.05）. The protein expression level of Ub in each DDS-contained group decreased， and the protein expression levels of 26S， E3， and UCHL1+3 in the DDS high and medium-dose groups increased. The DSS-contained serum medium-dose group exerted the optimal effect. ConclusionDSS-contained serum can increase cell viability rate， reduce cell apoptosis rate， eliminate Aβ and p-Tau protein deposits， and exert protective effects on Aβ_1-40-injured PC12 cells. Its mechanism may involve UPP via decreasing the expression of Ub and increasing that of 26S， E3， UCHL1， and UCHL3.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS） in the improvement of the cognitive ability of SAMP8 mice with Alzheimer's disease （AD） via regulating the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway （UPP）. MethodFifteen SAMR1 mice were used as a normal group， and 60 SAMP8 mice were randomly divided into a model group and DSS high， medium， and low-dose groups （57.6， 28.8， and 14.4 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， with 15 mice in each group. Intragastric administration was conducted for eight continuous weeks. Place navigation and spatial capacity were evaluated by Morris water maze. Pathological structure changes in neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area was detected by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The protein expression levels of hippocampal β-amyloid protein（Aβ） and phosphorylation（p）-Tau were determined by immunohistochemical staining （IHC） and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the mRNA and protein expression levels of hippocampal ubiquitin （Ub）， ubiquitin ligase E3 （E3）， 26S proteasome， ubiquitin carboxyl terminal hydrolase-1 （UCHL1）， and UCHL3 were determined by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. ResultAs compared with the normal group， the escape latency was prolonged in the model group （P<0.05） with the reduced number of crossing platform quadrants and time ratio in the platform quadrant （P<0.05）. The model group decreased neurons and condensed cell bodies in the CA1 area， and increased β-amyloid precursor protein （β-APP） and p-Tau positive cells （P<0.05）. In the model group， the protein expression levels of Aβ and p-Tau were increased （P<0.05）， the mRNA and protein expression levels of Ub were increased （P<0.05）， and the mRNA and protein expression levels of E3， 26S proteasome， UCHL1， and UCHL3 were decreased （P<0.05）. As compared with the model group， the escape latency was shortened in the DSS high and medium-dose groups （P<0.05） with an increased number of crossing platform quadrants and residence time ratio （P<0.05）. The pathological changes in CA1 of each DSS group were significantly improved， and the number of β-APP positive staining cells decreased （P<0.05）. The number of p-Tau positive staining cells decreased in the DDS medium and low-dose groups （P<0.05）. The protein expression levels of Aβ and p-Tau in each DDS group decreased （P<0.05）， and the mRNA expression level of Ub in each group decreased （P <0.05）. The mRNA expression levels of 26S， E3， and UCHL3 in the DDS high and medium-dose groups increased （P<0.05）， and the mRNA expression level of UCHL1 in the DDS medium-dose group increased （P<0.05）. The protein expression level of Ub in each DDS group decreased， and the protein expression levels of 26S， E3， UCHL1+3 in the DDS high and medium-dose groups increased （P<0.05）. ConclusionDSS can improve the cognitive ability of SAMP8 mice， and its mechanism may be related to the reduction of the abnormal deposition of Aβ and p-Tau via decreasing the expression of Ub and increasing that of E3， 26S， UCHL1， and UCHL3 in the UPP.