Objective:To investigate whether Lycopi Herba can serve as a viable alternative to Alismatis Rhizoma in the treatment of heart failure (HF) through network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques.Methods:TCMSP database was used to filter active components of Lycopi Herba and Alismatis Rhizoma. SwissTargetPrediction database was used to predict potential targets. HF-related targets were collected from databases such as GeneCards, OMIM, and DisGeNET. Venny 2.1.0 was used to draw a Venn diagram illustrating the intersection of targets between Lycopi Herba and Alismatis Rhizoma and HF. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established using the String database, and key targets for the treatment of HF with Lycopi Herba and Alismatis Rhizoma were selected using Cytoscape 3.9.1 software to construct a component-intersection target network. The intersection targets were then analyzed for Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways using Metascape. Molecular docking techniques were used to evaluate the affinity between active components and key targets.Results:Lycopi Herba primarily targeted pivotal proteins such as HMGCR and CYP27B1, while Alismatis Rhizoma had a broader target spectrum, including PPARA, JAK2, among others. Shared key targets between the two included HMGCR and ESR1, which were primarily involved in cholesterol synthesis and steroid hormone biosynthesis. Enrichment pathway analysis showed similarities in steroid metabolism between the two; Alismatis Rhizoma, however, was more likely to act through protein phosphorylation regulation and modulating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway for HF treatment. A unique target for Lycopi Herba in treating HF was CHRM4, indicating its potential for blood pressure regulation and myocardial protection.Conclusions:Both Lycopi Herba and Alismatis Rhizoma exhibit certain commonalities in the treatment of HF, but Alismatis Rhizoma has a wider range of targets and signaling pathways, implying more extensive therapeutic potential. However, considering the nephrotoxicity of Alismatis Rhizoma, Lycopi Herba could be considered as an alternative treatment for HF, especially in patients with renal insufficiency or in the early stages of HF.

BACKGROUND:Dendritic cells exhibit extremely strong antigen phagocytic function in the immature stage,and they can demonstrate great advantages in immune tolerance,cancer immunotherapy,and other aspects.However,due to the extremely low content of immature dendritic cells in living organisms,its clinical and scientific applications are severely limited. OBJECTIVE:To study the extraction and identification of mature and immature dendritic cells from Lewis rat bone marrow. METHODS:Bone marrow precursor cells were isolated from the bone marrow of Lewis rats,and immature dendritic cells were induced by 20 ng/mL of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and 10 ng/mL of interleukin-4 for 7 days,and then mature dendritic cells were induced by adding 1 μg/mL of lipopolysaccharide to immature dendritic cells for 2 days.The morphology of dendritic cells was observed using inverted fluorescence microscopy.The surface-specific molecules of mature and immature dendritic cells were identified by flow cytometry,and the secretion levels of supernatant interleukin-10,interleukin-12,and interleukin-17A in mature and immature dendritic cells were detected by ELISA.The response of mature and immature dendritic cells to T lymphocyte stimulation was measured by mixed lymphocyte reaction. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The dendritic cells showed an obvious protrusion structure under an ordinary inverted fluorescence microscope.(2)Flow cytometry showed low expression of CD40,CD86,and other co-stimulatory molecules in immature dendritic cells.On the contrary,mature dendritic cells highly expressed the above co-stimulatory molecules.(3)The secretion of interleukin-10 and interleukin-17A in immature dendritic cells was much higher than that in mature dendritic cells(P<0.01).Interleukin-12 secretion in immature dendritic cells was much lower than that in mature dendritic cells(P<0.05).(4)Mature dendritic cells stimulated T cells significantly better than immature dendritic cells,and the stimulation ability was stronger when the ratio of mature dendritic cells to T lymphocytes reached 1:10.(5)The results indicate that Lewis rat bone marrow precursor cells can differentiate into dendritic cells and distinguish between mature and immature dendritic cells by flow cytometry identification,related factor detection,and mixed lymphocyte reaction.

Objective To evaluate the intraoperative identification of ectopic parathyroid tissue in the central neck region using autofluorescence point-spectral analysis(AFPSA)combined with immune colloidal gold technique(ICGT),for guiding total parathyroidectomy(TPTX)or clean parathyroidectomy(CPTX)in the management of secondary hyperparathyroidism(SHPT).Methods Retrospectively collected and compared the clinical data of 64 patients with SHPT from October 2019 to June 2023.In the observation group,TPTX was performed as the initial procedure in 36 cases,followed by sampling of suspicious targets using AFPSA in the central neck area and subsequent detection through ICGT.CPTX was then conducted if a positive result was obtained.On the other hand,the control group consisted of 28 cases where only TPTX was performed without any additional tests during surgery.The surgical data,parathyroid hormone(PTH)levels,blood calcium levels,blood phosphorus levels,alkaline phosphatase(ALP)levels,regression of clinical symptoms,changes in parathyroid function and occurrence of hypocalcemia were compared between these two groups.Results In the observation group,there were 9 cases of AFPSA-ICGT positivity,including 2 left-sided cases,4 right-sided cases,and 3 thymic cases;among these posi-tive cases,there were a total of 10 locations with mildly hyperplastic or nonhyperplastic microscopic parathyroid tissue.The difference in the number of total parathyroid glands removed(including ectopic)between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05).At both 3 and 6 months postoperatively,ALP levels in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.01 and P<0.001 respectively);at 6 months postoperatively,differences in PTH and blood phosphorus levels between the two groups were also statistically significant(P<0.05 and P<0.001 respectively).Joint bone pain and skin itching recurred in some patients within the control group at six months after surgery(P<0.05),whereas recurrence of SHPT was less frequent within the observation group compared to controls(P<0.05);however,no statistically significant differences were observed regarding postoperative hypoparathyroidism or hyperparathyroidism as well as hypocalcemia between either groups.Conclusion The AFPSA-ICGT intraoperative test can be utilized to guide surgery for SHPT,enabling accurate and efficient identification as well as safe targeting of parathyroid tissues that may not exhibit obvious hyperplasia in the central cervical region.

Objective:To evaluate laparoscopic choledocholithotomy in patients with cholecystolithiasis and normal sized common bile duct(CBD) with choledocholithiasis.Methods:The clinical data of 393 patients with cholecystolithiasis and choledocholithiasis treated by LC combined with LCBDE at the Department of General Surgery of Hefei Second People's Hospital from Mar 2014 to Jul 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:There were 280 CBD calculi cases in which CBD diameter >8 mm which was included into CBD dilated group, and 113 cases of CBD calculi with normal diameter (5 mm≤CBD diameter ≤8 mm). There was no difference in operative time and postoperative complications in the small diameter group. During the follow-up period, 1 case in the dilated group experienced biliary tract stenosis and treated by stenting. There was no statistical significance in biliary tract stenosis in both groups ( P>0.05).Stone recurrence occurred in 3 cases (2.7%) in the normal diameter group, all of which were removed by ERCP lithotomy. Stone recurrence occurred in 8 cases (2.9%) in the CBD dilated group, 7 were removed by ERCP stone extraction and 1 refused further treatment. Conclusion:It is safe and feasible to perform LC+LCBDE in patients with cholecystolithiasis complicating normal sized CBD stones.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop a comprehensive instrument for evaluating and ranking clinical practice guidelines, named Scientific, Transparent and Applicable Rankings tool (STAR), and test its reliability, validity, and usability. METHODS: This study set up a multidisciplinary working group including guideline methodologists, statisticians, journal editors, clinicians, and other experts. Scoping review, Delphi methods, and hierarchical analysis were used to develop the STAR tool. We evaluated the instrument's intrinsic and interrater reliability, content and criterion validity, and usability. RESULTS: STAR contained 39 items grouped into 11 domains. The mean intrinsic reliability of the domains, indicated by Cronbach's α coefficient, was 0.588 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.414, 0.762). Interrater reliability as assessed with Cohen's kappa coefficient was 0.774 (95% CI: 0.740, 0.807) for methodological evaluators and 0.618 (95% CI: 0.587, 0.648) for clinical evaluators. The overall content validity index was 0.905. Pearson's r correlation for criterion validity was 0.885 (95% CI: 0.804, 0.932). The mean usability score of the items was 4.6 and the median time spent to evaluate each guideline was 20 min. CONCLUSION The instrument performed well in terms of reliability, validity, and efficiency, and can be used for comprehensively evaluating and ranking guidelines.
Reproducibility of Results ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Humans

Objective:To investigate the effect of Nodal protein on retinal neovascularization under hypoxia.Methods:In vivo animal experiment: 48 healthy C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal group, oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) group, OIR+dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) group and OIR+SB431542 group, with 12 mice in each group. Retinal neovascularization was observed in mice at 17 days of age by retina flat mount. Counts exceeded the number of vascular endothelial nuclei in the retinal inner boundary membrane (ILM) by hematoxylin eosin staining. In vivo cell experiment: human retinal microvascular endothelial cells(hRMEC) were divided into normal group, hypoxia group, hypoxia+DMSO group and hypoxia +SB431542 group. The cell proliferation was detected by thiazolyl blue colorimetry (MTT). The effect of SB431542 on hRMEC lumen formation was detected by Matrigel three-dimensional in vitro molding method. Cell migration in hRMEC was detected by cell scratch assay. The Seahorse XFe96 Cell Energy Metabolism analyzer measured extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) of intracellular glycolysis, glycolysis reserve, and glycolysis capacity. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare groups.Results:In vivo animal experiment: compared with normal group, the neovascularization increased in OIR group ( t=41.621, P<0.001). Compared with OIR group, the number of vascular endothelial nuclei breaking through ILM in OIR+SB431542 group was significantly reduced, and the difference was statistically significant ( F=36.183, P<0.001). MTT test results showed that compared with normal group and hypoxia+SB431542 group, the cell proliferation of hypoxia group and hypoxia+DMSO group was significantly increased, and the difference was statistically significant ( F=39.316, P<0.01). The cell proliferation of hypoxia+SB431542 group was significantly lower than that of hypoxia+DMSO group, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=26.182, P<0.001). The number of intact lumen formation and migration cells in normal group, hypoxia group, hypoxia+DMSO group and hypoxia+SB431542 group were statistically significant ( F=34.513, 41.862; P<0.001, <0.01). Compared with the hypoxia+DMSO group, the number of intact lumen formation and migrating cells in the hypoxia+SB431542 group decreased significantly, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=44.723, 31.178; P<0.001,<0.01). The results of cell energy metabolism showed that compared with the hypoxia +DMSO group, the ECAR of intracellular glycolysis and glycolysis reserve in the hypoxia +SB431542 group was decreased, and the ECAR of glycolysis capacity was increased, with statistical significance ( t=26.175, 33.623, 37.276; P<0.05). Conclusion:SB431542 can inhibit the proliferation, migration and the ability to form lumens, reduce the level of glycolysis of hRMECs cells induced by hypoxia.

Objective:To analyze the clinical effects of the pre-expanded internal mammary artery perforator flap in large chest keloids surgical treatment.Methods:Patients with large chest keloid were treated with the pre-expanded internal mammary artery perforator flap between January 2017 and September 2021. The surgical treatment was divided into two different phases. In the first phase, a tissue expander was implanted beneath the skin within the angiosome of the internal mammary artery perforator. The expander was injected with normal saline once a week. In the second phase, the expander and the keloid tissue were removed, and a pre-expanded internal mammary artery perforator flap was designed to cover the wound. Radiotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy were performed in the postoperative period. The treatment effect was followed up. The postoperative complications were analyzed, and the recurrence and patient satisfaction rates were recorded.Results:A total of 41 patients were enrolled, including 20 male and 21 female patients. The patients’ age ranged from 24 to 64, with a mean disease history of 11.9 years. The mean size of the keloid was 9 cm × 8 cm. Some patients were treated with one expander, but four expanders were needed in some extensive cases. The volume of the expander ranged from 80 to 600 ml. The mean volume was 300 ml, with a mean expansion time of 3 months. The mean flap size was 9 cm × 8 cm. Two cases with distal necrosis were observed. Five cases suffered from partial incision scar hyperplasia. No recurrence occurred during the followed-up period. Thirty-six patients (87.8%) were satisfied with the operation effect, and five (12.2%) thought the effect was acceptable.Conclusions:The pre-expanded internal mammary artery perforator flap is an effective treatment for the large chest keloid. It can provide sufficient skin tissue for wound repair, with a stable blood supply and an excellent curative effect.

Objective:To analyze the clinical effects of the pre-expanded internal mammary artery perforator flap in large chest keloids surgical treatment.Methods:Patients with large chest keloid were treated with the pre-expanded internal mammary artery perforator flap between January 2017 and September 2021. The surgical treatment was divided into two different phases. In the first phase, a tissue expander was implanted beneath the skin within the angiosome of the internal mammary artery perforator. The expander was injected with normal saline once a week. In the second phase, the expander and the keloid tissue were removed, and a pre-expanded internal mammary artery perforator flap was designed to cover the wound. Radiotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy were performed in the postoperative period. The treatment effect was followed up. The postoperative complications were analyzed, and the recurrence and patient satisfaction rates were recorded.Results:A total of 41 patients were enrolled, including 20 male and 21 female patients. The patients’ age ranged from 24 to 64, with a mean disease history of 11.9 years. The mean size of the keloid was 9 cm × 8 cm. Some patients were treated with one expander, but four expanders were needed in some extensive cases. The volume of the expander ranged from 80 to 600 ml. The mean volume was 300 ml, with a mean expansion time of 3 months. The mean flap size was 9 cm × 8 cm. Two cases with distal necrosis were observed. Five cases suffered from partial incision scar hyperplasia. No recurrence occurred during the followed-up period. Thirty-six patients (87.8%) were satisfied with the operation effect, and five (12.2%) thought the effect was acceptable.Conclusions:The pre-expanded internal mammary artery perforator flap is an effective treatment for the large chest keloid. It can provide sufficient skin tissue for wound repair, with a stable blood supply and an excellent curative effect.

Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) is a disabling osteoarthropathy of unknown cause, which occurs most frequently in children and adolescents and affects many regions in China. In adults KBD patients, the degeneration of weight-bearing joints is the most serious, especially the knee joint. Up to now, there are still a large number of adult patients with KBD arthritis of the knee, and they have not been systematically and effectively treated. The main manifestations are knee joint pain, thickening, deformation and restricted movement. In severe cases, it can lead to knee joint varus, valgus, flexion contracture, and rotational deformity, which seriously affects the quality of life and work ability of the patients. Early diagnosis of KBD arthritis of the knee is difficult and there is no effective treatment, so it needs to be differentiated from knee osteoarthritis (OA). KBD and OA have common pathological characteristics. According to the "Consensus of Four-stepladder Program of Knee 0steoarthritis" (2018), OA treatment is divided into four levels: basic treatment, drug treatment, restorative treatment and reconstruction treatment. In this paper, the treatment of KBD arthritis of adult knee joint is summarized, which is also divided into four steps. It is necessary to make stepwise treatments according to the severity of KBD arthritis of the knee and the differences of patient's own condition, so that the limited medical resources can be efficiently used. At the same time, this paper also systematically summarizes the epidemiological characteristics, pathological features and diagnostic criteria of KBD arthritis of the knee, aiming to provide effective reference and guidance for the treatment of KBD arthritis of the knee.