OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeutic effects of Sheshiliuhuang decoction on clinical outcomes and cytokines in patients with urinary tract infection (UTI).

METHODNinety-two (92) patients were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups, the treatment group (n = 47) administered with Sheshiliuhuang decoction, one prescription, 2 times a day, while patients in the control group (n = 45) were given Sanjin pills, 3 pills a time, 3 times a day. The treatment lasted for 7 days. Clinical outcomes and serum levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-8 in both groups were examined before and after the treatment.

RESULTThe clinical effective rate was 93.62% in the treatment group and 88.22% the control group, indicating a significant difference of P < 0.05. Before the treatment, the serum levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-8 of treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). At the end of the treatment, serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in the treatment group were significantly decreased compared with the before treatment (P < 0.01) and those did in the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSerum cytokines of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha were significantly increased in patients with UTI. Sheshiliuhuang decoction, with the mechanisms of regulating IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, is an effective agent in patients with UTI.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Urinary Tract Infections ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; therapy ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeutic effects of Sanwushaoxie decoction on alternations of serum cytokines in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODSixty-three (63) RA patients were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups, with the treatment group administered with Sanwushaoxie decoction, one prescription, 2 times a day, while patients in the control group were given Common Threewingnut Root polyglycoside 20 mg a time, 3 times a day. The treatment was lasted for 60 days. Serum concentrations of IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-4, IL-10 were observed during the treatment.

RESULTThe clinical effecacy and the experimental indexes were significantly improved in the treatment group than those did in the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). There were significant differences of serum levels of 4 cytokines within the treatment group before and after the treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The serum levels of IL-4, IL-10 were significantly increased in treatment group compared with those did in the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSanwushaoxie decoction is an effective agent in regulating cytokines, improving symptoms and experimental indexes in patients with RA.

Antirheumatic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; blood ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Cells, Cultured ; Cytokines ; blood ; Humans ; Immunologic Factors ; blood ; Interleukin-10 ; blood ; Interleukin-18 ; blood ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Prescriptions ; Prognosis ; Reference Values ; Severity of Illness Index ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical features and genetic variant in a child with Cerebral creatine deficiency syndrome (CCDS). METHODS: A child who had presented at the Affiliated Children's Hospital of Fudan University on March 5, 2021 was selected as the study subject. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was carried out for the child, and candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. The level of creatine in the brain was determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. RESULTS: The patient, a 1-year-and-10-month male, had presented with developmental delay and epilepsy. Both his mother and grandmother had a history of convulsions. MRS showed reduced cerebral creatine in bilateral basal ganglia and thalamus. The child was found to harbor a hemizygous splicing variant of the SLC6A8 gene, namely c.1767+1_1767+2insA, which may lead to protein truncation. The variant was not found in the public databases. Both his mother and grandmother were heterozygous carriers for the same variant. CONCLUSION The hemizygous c.1767+1_1767+2insA variant of the SLC6A8 gene probably underlay the CCDS in this child. Discovery of the novel variant has also expanded the mutational spectrum of the SLC6A8 gene.
Humans ; Male ; Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors ; Brain ; Creatine/genetics* ; Heterozygote ; Mothers ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; Plasma Membrane Neurotransmitter Transport Proteins/genetics* ; Infant

Objective To study the risk factors and prognosis of post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) in recipients with steatotic donor livers.Method The clinical data of 182 patients who underwent liver transplantation from donors with liver steatosis in Tianjin First Central Hospital from June 2002 to December 2010 were retrospectively analyzed.There were sixteen patients with PTDM and one hundred sixtysix without PTDM.The clinical data of these patients were compared and the risk factors were evaluated by COX regression analysis.The 1-,3-,5-year cumulative survival rates were analyzed after liver transplantation.Result The variables which included sex,pretransplant serum creatinine level,model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score,intraoperative red blood cell transfusion,and post-transplant biliary complications were significantly different between the two groups.Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that living-donor,pretransplant fasting blood glucose and post-transplant biliary complications could affect the survival time of patients in PTDM group.The 1-,3-and 5-year cumulative survival rates in the PTDM group were 81.3％,68.8％ and 62.5％,which were significantly lower than those in the non-PTDM group (95.2％,86.1％ and 80.7％ respectively,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Living-donation,pretransplant fasting blood glucose and post-transplant biliary complications had a worse prognosis in the PTDM group.A comparatively better long-term survival after liver transplantation can be achieved by reducing the risk factors and the occurrence of PTDM.

Objective To evaluate the effect of berberine on fatty liver ischemia-repeffusion (I/R) injury and the relationship with endoplasmic reticulum stress in liver tissues.Methods Thirty-two male Wistar rats,aged 4 weeks,weighing 100-150 g,were divided into 4 groups (n=8 each) using a random number table method:control group (group C),fatty liver group (group FL),I/R group and berberine group (group BBR).Rats were fed a normal fat diet for 12 weeks,normal saline 3.5 ml was given intragastrically for 4 weeks starting from 9th week,and rats only underwent simple laparotomy in group C.Rats were fed a high-fat diet (45％ energy originating from fat) for 12 weeks,and the other treatments were similar to those previously described in group C.Rats were fed a high-fat diet (45％ energy originating from fat) for 12 weeks,normal saline 3.5 ml was given intragastrically for 4 weeks starting from 9th week,and then the model of liver I/R injury was established in group I/R.Rats were fed a high-fat diet (45％ energy originating from fat) for 12 weeks,berberine solution (300 mg/kg) 3.5 ml was given intragastrically for 4 weeks starting from 9th week,and then the model of liver I/R injury was established in group BBR.Hepatic ischemia was induced by clamping the portal vein,hepatic artery,right gastric vein,and supra-and inferior-hepatic vena cava to perform cold perfusion with 4 ℃ lactated Ringer's solution lasting for 30 min,followed by reperfusion.The serum triglyceride (TG) concentrations were determined after 4,8 and 12 weeks of diet.Blood samples were collected at 6 h of reperfusion for measurement of serum aspartate transminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) concentrations.Livers were removed after blood sampling at 6 h of reperfusion and liver tissues were obtained and stained with oil red O and haematoxylin and eosin for examination of pathological changes and for determination of the expression of Bip,CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP),protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) and phosphorylated PERK (p-PERK) (by Western blot).p-PERK/PERK ratio was calculated.Results Compared with group C,the serum TG,ALT and AST concentrations were significantly increased,the expression of Bip and CHOP was up-regulated,p-PERK/PERK ratio was increased (P＜0.05),lipid deposition was increased,and liver steatosis was found in group FL.Compared with group FL,the serum AST and ALT concentrations were significantly increased,the expression of Bip and CHOP was up-regulated,pPERK/PERK ratio was increased (P＜0.05),and the pathological changes of liver tissues were accentuated in group I/R.Compared with group I/R,the serum TG,ALT and AST concentrations were significantly decreased,the expression of Bip and CHOP was down-regulated,p-PERK/PERK ratio was decreased (P＜ 0.05),lipid deposition was reduced,and the pathological changes of liver tissues were significantly attenuated in group BBR.Conclusion Berberine can ameliorate fatty liver I/R injury,and the mechanism may be related to inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress in liver tissues of rats.

Objective To explore the effect of berberine (BBR) on steatotic liver ischemia reperfusion injury and analyze the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy .Methods Thirty-four Wistar rats were fed with a high-fat diet for 12 weeks and 2 rats were randomly selected after 8 weeks to observe pathological changes and confirm the model of steatotic liver successfully .Then before opening and closing abdominal cavity ,32 rats were divided into I/R group (normal saline was intragastrically 4 weeks before performing cold I/R treatment) ,BBR group (normal saline was replaced by BBR ,BBR was intragastrically at a dose of 300 mg·kg-1 ·d-1 weeks and others were the same as I/R group) and TG group (TG was intraperitoneally at a dose of 0 .2 mg·kg-124h pre-operation and others were the same as BBR group ) .Then the rats were sacrificed at 6h post-reperfusion .Blood samples were collected from inferior vena cava and hepatic tissues harvested .The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were detected ,histopathologic changes observed by Hematoxylin & Eosin (HE) staining ,oxidative stress and inflammation determined by ELISA kit and the expressions of p-PERK ,CHOP ,Bip ,LC3 ,Beclin-1 and p62 detected by Western blot .Results As compared with Sham group ,the serum levels of ALT and AST were significantly higher in I/R ,BBR and TG groups (P < 0 .05) .And hepatic histological changes were severe and oxidative stress increased in parallel with the enhancement of pro-inflammation (P< 0 .05) .In BBR group ,the level of hepatic enzymes declined ,liver injury was milder ,oxidative stress decreased and pro-inflammation was lesser compared with I/R and TG groups (P< 0 .05) .Additionally ,as compared with sham group ,the expressions of p-PERK ,CHOP ,Bip ,LC3 ,Beclin-1 and p62 were up-regulated in I/R and BBR groups (P < 0 .05) .TG group increased the levels of LC3 ,Beclin-1 and p62 (P< 0 .05) .Interestingly ,compared with I/R group ,BBR pretreatment down-regulated the expressions of p-PERK ,CHOP ,Bip ,LC3 ,Beclin-1 and p62 (P< 0 .05) .TG group had the higher expressions of LC3 ,Beclin-1 and p62 than those of BBR group (P< 0 .05) .Conclusions BBR pretreatment can protect steatotic liver ischemia reperfusion injury .And the mechanisms may be attributed to the inhibitions of endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy .

Objective To explore the mechanism by which CD137 signal regulates the aging of vas-cular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs).Methods Thirty 8-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were ran-domly divided into a young group(8 weeks old)and an aged group(80 weeks old),with 30 mice in each group.After corresponding periods of feeding,the mice were euthanized,and the plasma and aortic blood vessels were isolated.In the cell experiments,normal VSMCs were divided into a control group,bleomycin(BLM)group,combined agonist group,and combined inhibitor group.The cellular senescence level of VSMCs was assessed using a cellular senescence β-galactosidase staining kit.Western blotting and PCR were employed to examine the expression of senescence-related proteins in tissues and cells,while ELISA was utilized to measure the expression of senes-cence-related inflammatory factors.Results The expression of CD137 and γ-H2AX in the aorta was significantly higher,while that of PCNA was obviously lower in the aged group than the young group(P＜0.05).The plasma level of CD137 was notably higher in the aged group than the young group(154.0±4.1 pg/ml vs 98.0±2.3 pg/ml,P＜0.05).Compared with the normal control group,there were significantly more aged VSMCs in the BLM group(P＜0.05).While,treatment of combined agonist resulted in larger amount of aged VSMCs when compared with the BLM group(P＜0.05),which was reversed by combined inhibitor treatment(P＜0.05).The levels of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β were significantly elevated in the BLM group than the normal control group(P＜0.05).The combined agonist group had even higher levels of TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-1βthan the BLM group(P＜0.05),but the levels were decreased in the combined inhibitor group(P＜0.05).Compared with the normal control group,the expression of Bcl-2,γ-H2AX,P53,and P21 were significantly increased in the BLM group,combined agonist group,and combined inhibi-tor group,while that of PCNA was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the BLM group,the expression of P53 and P21 in the combined agonist group showed an increase(P＜0.05),and the expression of P53 was significantly decreased in the combined inhibitor group(P＜0.05).Conclusion CD137 signal regulates the P53/P21 pathway to promote VSMC aging.

ObjectiveTo investigate the psychological tendency characteristics of vocational selection for college students with disabilities. MethodsA total of 155 college students with disabilities in four colleges and universities were investigated using Psychological Tendencies of Vocational Selection for College Students with Disabilities (PTVS). ResultsA total of 151 questionnaires returned finally. The principal component analysis extracted four factors, namely profession, capability, parental occupation and parental education, with a cumulative contribution rate of 74.98%. Clustering analysis clustered three categories, namely vocational capability and parental education dominated, profession and capability dominated, and profession dominated, which accounted for 20.5%, 31.1% and 48.3%, respectively. There were significant differences among the three categories in the dimensions of personal cognition, employment tendency, employment affect and employment will of PTVS (F > 7.021, P < 0.01). ConclusionThere are four dimensions of PTVS, i.e., the dimension of profession, the dimension of capability, the dimension of parental occupation and the dimension of parental education; while the PTVS could be divided into three categories, i.e., vocational capability and parental education dominated, profession and capability dominated, and profession dominated. For college students with disabilities, accurate career counseling and guidance should be provided according to the psychological structure of vocational selection and PTVS.

OBJECTIVE: Cassiae Semen (CS, Juemingzi in Chinese) has been used for thousands of years in ancient Chinese history for relieving constipation, improving liver function as well as preventing myopia. Here we aimed to elucidate the anti-steatosis effect and underlying mechanism of CS against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify the major components of CS water extract. Mice were fed with a high-fat and sugar-water (HFSW) diet to induce hepatic steatosis and then treated with CS. The anti-NAFLD effect was determined by measuring serum biomarkers and histopathology staining. Additionally, the effects of CS on cell viability and lipid metabolism in oleic acid and palmitic acid (OAPA)-treated HepG2 cells were measured. The expression of essential genes and proteins involved in lipid metabolism and autophagy signalings were measured to uncover the underlying mechanism. RESULTS: Five compounds, including aurantio-obtusin, rubrofusarin gentiobioside, cassiaside C, emodin and rhein were simultaneously identified in CS extract. CS not only improved the diet-induced hepatic steatosis in vivo, as indicated by decreased number and size of lipid droplets, hepatic and serum triglycerides (TG) levels, but also markedly attenuated the OAPA-induced lipid accumulation in hepatocytes. These lipid-lowering effects induced by CS were largely dependent on the inhibition of fatty acid synthase (FASN) and the activation of autophagy-related signaling, including AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), light chain 3-II (LC3-II)/ LC3-1 and autophagy-related gene5 (ATG5). CONCLUSION Our study suggested that CS effectively protected liver steatosis via decreasing FASN-related fatty acid synthesis and activating AMPK-mediated autophagy, which might become a promising therapeutic strategy for relieving NAFLD.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for arrhythmia after robotic cardiac surgery. Methods The data of the patients who underwent robotic cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) from July 2016 to June 2022 in Daping Hospital of Army Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether arrhythmia occurred after operation, the patients were divided into an arrhythmia group and a non-arrhythmia group. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic analysis were used to screen the risk factors for arrhythmia after robotic cardiac surgery. Results A total of 146 patients were enrolled, including 55 males and 91 females, with an average age of 43.03±13.11 years. There were 23 patients in the arrhythmia group and 123 patients in the non-arrhythmia group. One (0.49%) patient died in the hospital. Univariate analysis suggested that age, body weight, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, left atrial anteroposterior diameter, left ventricular anteroposterior diameter, right ventricular anteroposterior diameter, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, uric acid, red blood cell width, operation time, CPB time, aortic cross-clamping time, and operation type were associated with postoperative arrhythmia (P<0.05). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis suggested that direct bilirubin (OR=1.334, 95%CI 1.003-1.774, P=0.048) and aortic cross-clamping time (OR=1.018, 95%CI 1.005-1.031, P=0.008) were independent risk factors for arrhythmia after robotic cardiac surgery. In the arrhythmia group, postoperative tracheal intubation time (P<0.001), intensive care unit stay (P<0.001) and postoperative hospital stay (P<0.001) were significantly prolonged, and postoperative high-dose blood transfusion events were significantly increased (P=0.002). Conclusion Preoperative direct bilirubin level and aortic cross-clamping time are independent risk factors for arrhythmia after robotic cardiac surgery. Postoperative tracheal intubation time, intensive care unit stay, and postoperative hospital stay are significantly prolonged in patients with postoperative arrhythmia, and postoperative high-dose blood transfusion events are significantly increased.