1.Ultra-long-term follow-up of renal denervation in patients with resistant hypertension and mild chronic kidney disease
Li WANG ; Hao ZHANG ; Chao LI ; Xuemei YIN ; Zhuqing LI ; Qiang HE ; Xiaoqiang SUN ; Dachuan XIA ; Deling KONG ; Chengzhi LU
Chinese Journal of Cardiology 2025;53(10):1119-1125
Objective:To investigate the ultra-long-term antihypertensive efficacy, safety, major adverse events, and survival benefits of renal denervation (RDN) in patients with resistant hypertension (rHTN) and mild chronic kidney disease (CKD).Methods:This real-world, single-center retrospective study enrolled patients with rHTN and mild CKD who underwent RDN at Tianjin First Central Hospital between October 2011 and June 2016. Office blood pressure, home self-measured blood pressure, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio were collected at baseline and at 1, 5, and 13 years post-RDN. The total daily defined dose of antihypertensive medications at 13 years post-RDN was recorded, along with endpoint events during follow-up, including cardiovascular death, all-cause death, hospitalization for heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Patients were stratified according to CKD stage (G1-G2 vs. G3a) and baseline systolic blood pressure (mild-to-moderate vs. severe hypertension), and follow-up data were compared across subgroups.Results:A total of 40 patients were included, aged (51±15) years, including 26 (65%) males. At the 13-year follow-up, office systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased by (-32±20) mmHg and (-15±14) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), respectively; reductions in home self-measured blood pressure (SBP: (-25±14) mmHg, DBP: (-10±11) mmHg) and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (SBP: (-16±9 mmHg, DBP: (-10±6) mmHg) were also observed, alongside a reduction in the total daily defined dose of antihypertensive medications by (1.1±0.9) compared to baseline. Renal function assessments showed no significant differences at 13 years versus baseline in serum creatinine ((105±51) μmol/L vs. (96±22) μmol/L), estimated glomerular filtration rate ((72±22) ml·min -1·1.73 m -2 vs. (78±17) ml·min -1·1.73 m -2), or urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio ((101±86) mg/g vs. (127±82) mg/g) (all P>0.05). All-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates during follow-up were 13% (5/40) and 8% (3/40), respectively. Subgroup analysis results showed that, although CKD G1-G2 patients had smaller reductions in office SBP ((-31±20) mmHg vs. (-34±19) mmHg) and DBP ((-13±10) mmHg vs. (-25±18) mmHg) compared to G3a patients at 13 years, intergroup differences were not significant (all P>0.05). In contrast, severe hypertension subgroup exhibited greater reductions in office SBP ((-55±13) mmHg vs. (-20±10) mmHg) and DBP ((-24±17) mmHg vs. (-13±10) mmHg) versus mild-to-moderate hypertension subgroup (all P<0.05). Conclusion:RDN demonstrates sustained antihypertensive efficacy with favorable renal safety in rHTN patients with mild CKD. Patients with higher baseline systolic blood pressure may exhibit better responsiveness to RDN.
2.Effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor empagliflozin in alleviating uremic cardiomyopathy and related mechanism
Shi CHENG ; Yeqing XIE ; Wei LU ; Jiarui XU ; Yong YU ; Ruizhen CHEN ; Bo SHEN ; Xiaoqiang DING
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2025;32(2):248-258
Objective To investigate the effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (empagliflozin, EMPA) on myocardial remodeling in a mouse uremic cardiomyopathy (UCM) model induced by 5/6 nephrectomy, through the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB/AKT)/p65 signaling pathway. Methods The animals were divided into three groups: Sham group (n=6), UCM group (n=8), and UCM+EMPA group (n=8). A UCM model was established in C57BL/6N mice using the 5/6 nephrectomy. Starting from 5 weeks post-surgery, EMPA or a placebo was administered. After 16 weeks, blood pressure, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, 24-hour urine glucose and urine sodium were measured. Cardiac structure and function were assessed by echocardiography. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson trichrome staining were used to observe pathological changes in the heart and kidneys. Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) staining was used to evaluate myocardial hypertrophy. The real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression levels of myocardial hypertrophy- and fibrosis-related mRNAs. Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of PI3K, AKT and p65 in myocardial tissues. Results After 16 weeks, UCM group exhibited significantly higher blood pressure, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen than sham group (P<0.01); UCM+EMPA group exhibited lower blood pressure, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and higher 24 h urine sodium and glucose than UCM group (P<0.05). Echocardiographic results showed ventricular remodeling in the UCM group, evidenced by left ventricular wall thickening, left ventricular enlargement, increased left ventricular mass, and decreased systolic function (P<0.05); ventricular remodeling was alleviated (P<0.05), though there was no significant improvement in systolic function in UCM+EMPA group. HE and Masson stainings revealed myocardial degeneration, necrosis, and interstitial fibrosis in UCM group (P<0.01); the myocardial pathology improved with reduced collagen deposition in UCM+EMPA group (P<0.01). WGA staining confirmed myocardial hypertrophy in UCM group (P<0.01), while myocardial hypertrophy was alleviated in UCM+EMPA group (P<0.01). RT-qPCR results showed myocardial hypertrophy- and fibrosis-related genes (NPPA, NPPB, MYH7, COL1A1, COL3A1, TGF-β1) were upregulated in UCM group (P<0.05), but downregulated in UCM+EMPA group. Western blotting showed PI3K, p-AKT/AKT ratio, and p-p65/p65 ratio were increased in UCM group, but decreased in UCM+EMPA group (P<0.05). Conclusion EMPA can improve myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis in the UCM mouse model, and it may play the role through inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/p65 signaling pathway.
3.Principle and characteristics of the mapping/selective renal denervation system and its research progress in hypertension treatment
Li WANG ; Xiaoqiang SUN ; Chengzhi LU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2025;32(6):949-952
Renal denervation (RDN) as an interventional approach for treating refractory hypertension has developed a variety of ablation strategies and different energy ablation techniques. This article reviews the principles, characteristics, clinical advantages, and the latest research progress of mapping/selective RDN system. Selective RDN identifies “hot spots” (sympathetic nerve-rich points) through renal nerve stimulation (RNS) for targeted ablation, while avoiding “cold spots” (parasympathetic nerve-rich points) and “neutral points”, achieving more precise sympathetic nerve regulation. Animal experiments and clinical studies have shown that mapping/selective RDN can more effectively lower blood pressure, achieve blood pressure targets, and reduce the burden of antihypertensive drugs (reducing the drug index by 3.25). Mapping/selective RDN system provides a personalized solution for hypertension treatment, improving treatment efficiency and reducing complications.
4.Effect of position angle on gastric insufflation during induction of general anesthesia in pediatric patients undergoing day surgery
Niqiao CHEN ; Xiaoqiang SUN ; Xiaoling NONG ; Zhijie LIANG ; Jiamei LIANG ; Yixing LU ; Shunzhong JING ; Anyuan LIU ; Yunan LIN
Chongqing Medicine 2025;54(10):2246-2251
Objective To investigate the effect of body position angle on gastric insufflation during the induction of general anesthesia in pediatric patients undergoing day surgery.Methods A total of 111 children scheduled for elective tracheal intubation under general anesthesia at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from December 2022 to March 2023 were selected as study subjects.Six children were ex-cluded due to unclear sonographic visualization of the gastric antrum,resulting in 105 children ultimately in-cluded in the study.The children were divided into three groups using a random number table method:Group D0(supine position),Group D5(5° head-up position),and Group D10(10° head-up position),with 35 children in each group.The presence of a"comet-tail artifact"on ultrasound was used as the criterion for determining gastric insufflation during anesthesia induction.The gastric antrum cross-sectional area(CSA)of the gastric antrum was measured before mask ventilation after loss of consciousness(T1)and immediately after tracheal intubation following mask ventilation(T2).The incidence of gastric insufflation,changes in CSA and their differences,and vital sign changes at T1 and T2,were compared among the three groups.Results Compared with Group D0,the incidence of gastric insufflation was significantly lower in Groups D5 and D10[25.7%(9/35)vs.20.0%(7/35)vs.54.0%(19/35)],and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Howev-er,there was no significant difference between Group D5 and Group D10(P>0.05).No significant difference was observed in CSA at T1 among the three groups(P>0.05).At T2,a statistically significant difference in CSA was found among the three groups(P<0.05),with Group D10 showing a smaller CSA than Group D0(P<0.05).The difference in CSA changes was statistically significant among the three groups(P<0.05),with Groups D5 and D10 exhibiting smaller changes than Group D0,and Group D10 showing a smaller change than Group D5(P<0.05).No significant differences were observed in mean artery pressure(MAP),heart rate,pulse oxygen saturation(SpO2)and pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide(PETCO2)at T1 and T2 among the three groups(P>0.05).A total of 6 children(5.7%)required brief adjustments in jaw support due to irregular PETCO2 waveforms or abnormal peak airway pressure.Conclusion In pediatric patients undergoing day sur-gery under general anesthesia,a 5° head-up position during induction significantly reduces the incidence of gas-tric insufflation and minimizes changes in gastric antral CSA,while a 10° head-up position does not provide ad-ditional benefits.
5.Ultra-long-term follow-up of renal denervation in patients with resistant hypertension and mild chronic kidney disease
Li WANG ; Hao ZHANG ; Chao LI ; Xuemei YIN ; Zhuqing LI ; Qiang HE ; Xiaoqiang SUN ; Dachuan XIA ; Deling KONG ; Chengzhi LU
Chinese Journal of Cardiology 2025;53(10):1119-1125
Objective:To investigate the ultra-long-term antihypertensive efficacy, safety, major adverse events, and survival benefits of renal denervation (RDN) in patients with resistant hypertension (rHTN) and mild chronic kidney disease (CKD).Methods:This real-world, single-center retrospective study enrolled patients with rHTN and mild CKD who underwent RDN at Tianjin First Central Hospital between October 2011 and June 2016. Office blood pressure, home self-measured blood pressure, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio were collected at baseline and at 1, 5, and 13 years post-RDN. The total daily defined dose of antihypertensive medications at 13 years post-RDN was recorded, along with endpoint events during follow-up, including cardiovascular death, all-cause death, hospitalization for heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Patients were stratified according to CKD stage (G1-G2 vs. G3a) and baseline systolic blood pressure (mild-to-moderate vs. severe hypertension), and follow-up data were compared across subgroups.Results:A total of 40 patients were included, aged (51±15) years, including 26 (65%) males. At the 13-year follow-up, office systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased by (-32±20) mmHg and (-15±14) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), respectively; reductions in home self-measured blood pressure (SBP: (-25±14) mmHg, DBP: (-10±11) mmHg) and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (SBP: (-16±9 mmHg, DBP: (-10±6) mmHg) were also observed, alongside a reduction in the total daily defined dose of antihypertensive medications by (1.1±0.9) compared to baseline. Renal function assessments showed no significant differences at 13 years versus baseline in serum creatinine ((105±51) μmol/L vs. (96±22) μmol/L), estimated glomerular filtration rate ((72±22) ml·min -1·1.73 m -2 vs. (78±17) ml·min -1·1.73 m -2), or urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio ((101±86) mg/g vs. (127±82) mg/g) (all P>0.05). All-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates during follow-up were 13% (5/40) and 8% (3/40), respectively. Subgroup analysis results showed that, although CKD G1-G2 patients had smaller reductions in office SBP ((-31±20) mmHg vs. (-34±19) mmHg) and DBP ((-13±10) mmHg vs. (-25±18) mmHg) compared to G3a patients at 13 years, intergroup differences were not significant (all P>0.05). In contrast, severe hypertension subgroup exhibited greater reductions in office SBP ((-55±13) mmHg vs. (-20±10) mmHg) and DBP ((-24±17) mmHg vs. (-13±10) mmHg) versus mild-to-moderate hypertension subgroup (all P<0.05). Conclusion:RDN demonstrates sustained antihypertensive efficacy with favorable renal safety in rHTN patients with mild CKD. Patients with higher baseline systolic blood pressure may exhibit better responsiveness to RDN.
6.Preliminary evaluation of surgical treatment for postpartum diastasis recti
Lu LIU ; Xiaoqiang ZHU ; Nan LIU ; Jiajie LIU ; Rui TANG
Journal of Surgery Concepts & Practice 2024;29(4):329-335
Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy,safety and the postoperative functional improvement of the surgical treatment for postpartum diastasis recti(PDR).Methods A retrospective study was conducted on the patients with PDR who underwent surgical treatment in Department of Hernia and Abdominal Wall Surgery,Shanghai East Hospital,Tongji University from November 2018 to October 2023.The patients'demography,operation data,postoperative complications,recurrence and functional evaluation before and after surgery were analyzed.Results A total of 39 cases were included.Open surgery was performed in 21 cases,laparoscopic surgery in 17 cases,and hybrid surgery in 1 case.On the basis of linear alba reconstruction(LAR),26 cases were additionally repaired with Sublay mesh,9 with Onlay,and 1 with intraperitoneal onlay mesh(IPOM);the other 3 cases were only performed with LAR.The follow-up ranged 6-45 months,and the completion rate was 92.3%.During the follow-up,no recurrence was observed,and the overall complication rate was 20.5%,including 1 case with delayed wound healing,2 cases with seroma,and 5 cases with skin disorders in paraumbilical and subumbilical area.There were significant changes of European Registry for abdominal wall hernias quality of life(EuraHS QoL)score and Oswestry disability index(ODI)after operation,indicating significant improvement in QoL and lower back pain.The inter-recti distance(IRD)of the patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery was less than that of the patients undergoing open surgery(median 4.0 cm vs.4.5 cm),and the duration of hospital stay of the patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery was shorter than that of open surgery(median 7 days vs.9 days).Conclusions In general,the surgical treatment of PDR is safe and effective,and it can not only correct the separation,but also improve QoL and lower back pain of the patients.Tailored surgical procedures should be selected for patients with different conditions.
7.Nociceptive adenosine A2A receptor on trigeminal nerves orchestrates CGRP release to regulate the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma
Jiang LANXIN ; Zhou YING ; Tang SHIJIE ; Yang DAN ; Zhang YIXIN ; Zhang JIUGE ; Yang FAN ; Zhou TONG ; Xia XIAOQIANG ; Chen QIANMING ; Jiang LU ; Jiang YUCHEN ; Feng XIAODONG
International Journal of Oral Science 2024;16(4):685-694
Oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)associated pain commonly predicts adverse events among patients.This clinical feature indicates the engagement of nociceptors on sensory neurons during the development of malignancy.However,it is yet to be determined if targeting oncometabolite-associated nociception processes can hinder OSCC progression.In this study,we reported that nociceptive endings infiltrating both clinical samples and mouse tumor xenografts were associated with poorer clinical outcomes and drove tumor progression in vivo,as evidenced by clinical tissue microarray analysis and murine lingual denervation.We observed that the OSCC microenvironment was characteristic of excessive adenosine due to CD73 upregulation which negatively predicted clinical outcomes in the TCGA-HNSC patient cohort.Notably,such adenosine concentrative OSCC niche was associated with the stimulation of adenosine A2A receptor(A2AR)on trigeminal ganglia.Antagonism of trigeminal A2AR with a selective A2AR inhibitor SCH58261 resulted in impeded OSCC growth in vivo.We showed that trigeminal A2AR overstimulation in OSCC xenograft did not entail any changes in the transcription level of CGRP in trigeminal ganglia but significantly triggered the release of CGRP,an effect counteracted by SCH58261.We further demonstrated the pro-tumor effect of CGRP by feeding mice with the clinically approved CGRP receptor antagonist rimegepant which inhibited the activation of ERK and YAP.Finally,we diminished the impact of CGRP on OSCC with istradefylline,a clinically available drug that targets neuronal A2AR.Therefore,we established trigeminal A2AR-mediated CGRP release as a promising druggable circuit in OSCC treatment.
8.Analysis of the Current Status and Prospects of Multi-Omics Technologies in the Field of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Hongye PENG ; Chunli LU ; Xiaoqiang HUANG ; Shuxia HUANG ; Mo ZHAO ; Jing LIU ; Wenliang LV
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;65(8):775-781
Due to the complexity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) interventions and the diversity of herbal components, single-omics technologies such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics often cannot comprehensively elucidate the scientific connotations of TCM. Multi-omics technologies driven by system biology can analyze the theoretical connotations and application mechanisms of TCM from different levels such as genes, gene expression, proteins, and metabolites, in line with the holistic view of TCM, which helps to promote the modernization of TCM. By reviewing the literature on the application of omics technologies in the field of TCM, it is found that multi-omics technologies have been widely used in TCM for syndrome differentiation, evaluation of herbal quality, elucidation of pharmacological mechanisms, and drug toxicity assessment, providing comprehensive explanations of the mechanisms of action of TCM and overcoming the limitations of single-omics technologies, and having obtained significant achievements. However, multi-omics technologies also face challenges such as high cost, difficulties in data analysis due to large data volumes, and insufficient translation of research results. In the future, it is expected that through strengthening interdisciplinary cooperation, conducting long-term and dynamic clinical research, standardizing and normalizing data analysis processes, adopting appropriate and reasonable multi-omics integration patterns, establishing multi-omics databases for TCM, revealing the individualized characteristics, therapeutic mechanisms, and disease regulatory networks of TCM, the modernization of TCM will be promoted.
9.Prognostic Value of Radiation-Induced Lymphopenia in Patients with Unresectable Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receiving Radiotherapy
Jinlong TONG ; Haiyu WANG ; Xiaoqiang TIAN ; Ying LI ; Shihui LU ; Wei YE
Cancer Research on Prevention and Treatment 2024;51(12):1007-1014
Objective To evaluate the prognostic value of radiation-induced lymphocytopenia in the survival of patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma receiving radiation therapy. Methods The clinical data of 98 patients with unresectable primary hepatocellular carcinoma who received radiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. The minimum absolute lymphocyte count (min ALC) was graded in accordance with CTCAE V4.0. The optimal threshold of min ALC for prognosis was calculated by using the receiver operating characteristic curve, and the correlation of min ALC with clinical characteristics and dosimetry parameters was analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier method was employed to analyze the survival of patients with different levels of min ALC. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional regression models were applied to analyze prognostic factors. Results The baseline and min ALC of 98 patients during radiotherapy were 1.52×109/L and 0.45×109/L, respectively(P<0.001). The optimal cut-off value of min ALC for the prediction of the one-year survival rate was 0.38×109/L. GTV, the mean dose of the liver and spleen, the V5 and V10 of the liver and spleen, and the V15 of the spleen were correlated with min ALC, and the V5 of the liver was an independent predictor of min ALC. The overall survival of patients with high min ALC was higher than that of patients with low min ALC. Independent prognostic factors were min ALC≤0.38×109/L (HR=0.515, P=0.024), min ALC≥grade 3 (HR=0.576, P=0.032), tumor thrombus in the portal/vena cava, Child-Pugh grade A, increase of ≥2 points in the Child-Pugh score after radiotherapy, and received more than two other therapies. Conclusion Min ALC≤0.38×109/L and min ALC≥grade 3 have independent prognostic value in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma receiving radiotherapy.
10.Impact of optimizing stroke green channel on treatment efficiency of acute ischemic stroke treatment efficiency in a county hospital
Yao WANG ; Lei SHI ; Guangbu LI ; Qiyun ZHU ; Xiaoqiang WU ; Maolin LU ; Haiyang LIN ; Wei QI ; Wei GAO ; Ruiyin ZHOU ; Qifeng LU ; Baodong WU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2024;31(6):971-976
Objective To evaluate the impact of optimizing the stroke green channel on the efficiency of acute ischemic stroke management in a county hospital. Methods A retrospective analysis of the emergency stroke green channel treatment data from Sixian People’s Hospital from May 2020 to April 2021 (before optimization of the green channel) and from May 2021 to April 2022 (after optimization of the green channel) was conducted. The rates of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and mechanical thrombectomy (MT) patients, as well as door-to-needle time (DNT), door-to-puncture time (DPT), and the modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores of patients three months post-treatment before and after the optimization of the stroke green channel were compared. Results Within one year before and after optimization of the green channel, the number of acute visits for ischemic stroke was 3 143 and 2 623, respectively. Before optimization, 84 and 51 underwent IVT and MT, respectively. After optimization of the green channel, the ratios of patients underwent IVT (n=215) and MT (n=103) significantly increased, and both DNT and DPT were significantly shortened (P<0.000 1); the proportion of MT patients with an mRS score of 0-2 at 3 months post-discharge significantly increased (46/99 vs 13/46, P=0.038). Conclusion After optimizing the green channel at Sixian People’s Hospital, the efficiency of stroke treatment has significantly improved, and the patients’ prognosis improved.

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