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.

This study was performed to explore the effects of berberine(BBR)and berbamine(BA)on the apoptosis and activity of eosinophils,and to provide new ideas for the treatment of eosinophil-related diseases.Anticoagulated whole blood was taken from hospitalized patients,and eosinophils were purified by magnetic bead sorting technology,and the cell purification rate was compared by using flow cytometry.The purified eosinophils were cultured and stimulated with different concentrations of BBR and BA,and the apoptosis of eosinophils was observed using immunofluorescence microscopy.Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis rate,reactive oxygen species(ROS)release,mitochondrial membrane potential,and CD11b,CD62L and CD63 molecular expression of eosinophils.Data showed that 10 μmol/L BBR displayed significant anti-apoptosis effect on eosinophils at 18 h,24 h,48 h,however,100 μmol/L and 150 μmol/L BBR displayed significant apoptosis-promoting effects on eosinophils at 24 h,48 h,especially in the early stage.BA at 5 μmol/L,15 μmol/L and 25 μmol/L showed significant apoptosis-promoting effects on eosinophils at 24 h,48 h,especially in the late stage.In eosinophils,BA stimulated the production of ROS and the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential in a concentration-dependent manner,reaching the maximum effect at 25 μmol/L,while BBR stimulation did not change mitochondria and ROS.Pretreatment with 25 μmol/L BA significantly inhibited the increase of CD11b expression and the decrease of CD62L expression in eosinophils after eotaxin-2 stimulation.In conclusion,berberine has a bidirectional regulatory effect on the quantity of eosinophils,while berbamine promotes eosinophil apoptosis and inhibits eosinophil activation.Both compounds hold significant potential for regulating the progression of eosinophil-associated diseases,and their regulatory mechanisms need further investigation.

Healthy lifestyles and good living habits are effective strategies and important approaches to prevent chronic non-communicable diseases. With the development of evidence-based medicine, the evidence translation system has made some achievements in clinical practice. There is, however, no comprehensive, professional and efficient system for translating lifestyle evidence globally. Therefore, the Health Lifestyle Evidence (HLSE) Group of Lanzhou University constructed the HLSE Evidence Translation System (https://hlse.cn/), with the aim of synthesizing, evaluating, translating, and applying lifestyle-related evidence resources. This paper aims to introduce the functional module design of the evidence translation system, the system development process and testing, introduce the interface design and function demonstration, and explain the significance of constructing the HLSE.

Healthy lifestyles and good living habits are effective strategies and important approaches to prevent chronic non-communicable diseases. With the development of evidence-based medicine, the evidence translation system has made some achievements in clinical practice. There is, however, no comprehensive, professional and efficient system for translating lifestyle evidence globally. Therefore, the Health Lifestyle Evidence (HLSE) Group of Lanzhou University constructed the HLSE Evidence Translation System (https://hlse.cn/), with the aim of synthesizing, evaluating, translating, and applying lifestyle-related evidence resources. This paper aims to introduce the functional module design of the evidence translation system, the system development process and testing, introduce the interface design and function demonstration, and explain the significance of constructing the HLSE.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of flupentixol combined with ondansetron in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting(PONV)in patients receiving sufentanil and dezocine patient-controlled intravenous analgesia(PCIA).Methods Surgical patients receiving sufentanil and dezocine PCIA were randomly divided into treatment and control groups using a random number table.The control group received sufentanil 150 μg,dezocine 20 mg,and ondansetron 8 mg for PCIA,while the treatment group received sufentanil 150 μg,dezocine 20 mg,flupentixol 5 mg,and ondansetron 8 mg for PCIA.The incidence of PONV,severity of PONV,heart rate(HR),mean arterial pressure(MAP),blood oxygen saturation(SPO2)levels at different time points after surgery,surgery-related indicators,visual analogue scale(VAS)scores,Ramsay scores,PCIA pressing times,and incidence of adverse drug reactions were compared between the two groups.Results The incidence of PONV in the treatment group and the control group at 2,12,24,36 and 48 hours after surgery were 1.64％,4.84％,6.56％,3.28％,0 and 14.75％,18.03％,19.67％,16.39％,9.84％,respectively.The HR at 24 hours after surgery in the treatment group and the control group were(91.42±8.75)and(98.13±9.62)beat·min-1,respectively;the MAP were(91.98±4.56)and(99.05±4.17)mmHg;SPO2 were(98.13±1.65)％and(98.95±1.82)％;VAS scores were 2.68±0.49 and 2.97±0.63;Ramsay scores were 2.27±0.65 and 2.05±0.32;PCIA pressing times were(2.14±0.37)and(4.36±0.78)times,respectively.The differences in the above indicators between the treatment group and the control group were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The incidence of total adverse drug reactions after surgery in the treatment group and the control group were 13.12％and 8.20％,respectively,with no statistically significant difference(P＞0.05).Conclusion Flupentixol combined with ondansetron can reduce the risk of PONV caused by sufentanil combined with dezocine PCIA after surgery,ensuring good analgesic effects and safety.

Objective To explore the effect of rifampicin on the pharmacokinetics of linezolid in mice and provide pharmacokinetic evidence for the formulation of safe drugs for clinical use of pulmonary tuberculosis.Methods Fifty male KM mice were randomly divided into 2 groups:Control group,rifampicin group;the control group was given 15 mg·kg-1 linezolid;the rifampicin group was given 100 mg·mL-1 rifampicin,continuous administration for 7 days,followed by gavage,administration of 15 mg·kg-1 linezolid;blood and lung tissue were collected from mouse at different time points after administration.High performance liquid mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)was used to determine plasma concentration of linezolid and compared the pharmacokinetics between groups.Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using DAS 2.0 software.Results Main pharmacokinetic parameters of plasma linezolid in control group,rifampicin group were as follows:AUC0_t were(23.88±1.16)and(19.06±2.56)pg·mL-1·h,respectively;t1/2 were((1.15±0.11)and(1.11±0.10)h,respectively;Cmax were(9.93±0.46)and(7.74±1.17)μg·mL-1,respectively.The main pharmacokinetic parameters of the lungs in the control group and the rifampicin group were as follows:AUC0_t were(18.76±4.29)and(14.90±1.52)μg·mL-1·h,respectively;t1/2 were(1.94±0.50)and(1.44±0.07)h,respectively;Cmax were(8.28±2.67)and(6.82±1.57)μg·mL-1,respectively.AUC0_t and Cmax in plasma and AUC0_t in lung tissue of control group were significantly different from those of rifampicin group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion After the combination of rifampicin,linezolid plasma and lung tissue exposure decreased significantly,and attention should be paid to monitoring linezolid trough concentration when the two drugs were combined to avoid treatment failure caused by low effective concentration.

Aquaporin 5(AQP5),as the main water transport protein in the body,can regulate lung diseases by regulating airway mucus secretion,pulmonary inflammation,and lung function.Programmed cell death(PCD)plays a crucial role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).AQP5 may affect the development of COPD by regulating PCDs.This article reviews the molecular regulatory mechanism of AQP5 on apoptosis,autophagy,iron death and pyroptosis in PCDs in recent years,and further discusses its effect on COPD in order to provide theoretical support for clinical prevention and treatment of COPD.

Acute high altitude disease (AHAD) is a general term for a series of clinical reactions that occur when the body fails to adapt to the low-pressure hypoxic environment of high altitudes. Mild cases can cause symptoms such as headache, nausea and vomiting, while more severe cases can lead to life-threatening conditions such as pulmonary edema, cerebral edema and other critical conditions that can be fatal. With the increasing demand for high altitudes deployment, understanding the common preventive measures of AHAD can reduce its morbidity or mortality to a certain extent, which is of great benefit to those who reside temporarily at high altitudes. In recent years, as people's health awareness has improved, there has been a growing attention towards non-pharmacological methods of disease prevention. At the same time, non-pharmacological therapy has significant therapeutic effects in preventing and treating high-altitude diseases, which has attracted the attention of researchers in this field. This review summarizes the major non-pharmacological preventive components of modern medicine and outlines the current non-pharmacological approaches to AHAD from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, intending to serve clinical purposes and improve the onset and prognosis of AHAD.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) is a common disease in middle-aged and elderly men, with lower urinary tract symptoms as the main manifestation, severely affecting the quality of life of patients. The pathogenesis of BPH is not yet fully understood, and there are still some challenges and limitations in western medicine treatment for BPH. Therefore, finding new and more effective treatment strategies is urgent. In recent years, many basic and clinical studies have confirmed the important role of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of BPH. This article reviews the progress of basic and clinical research in the treatment of BPH with traditional Chinese medicine, and believes that basic research mainly focuses on the active ingredients of Chinese medicine [regulating pathways such as NF-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)/antioxidant response element(ARE), nuclear factor κB(NF-κB), epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3), phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(p38 MAPK)/forkhead box O subtype(FOXO3a), etc.], single Chinese herbs(regulating inflammatory factors, oxidative stress-related proteins, cell cycle-related proteins, and apoptotic factors, etc.), and Chinese herbal compounds and patent medicines [regulating extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK1/2), transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)/Smad, mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK), PI3K/Akt, Nrf2, trefoil factor 2(TFF2)/Wnt, interleukin-6(IL-6)/Janus kinase 2(JAK2)/STAT3, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α(HIF-1α)/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor(VEGFR), etc.], and then play a therapeutic role by inhibiting BPH cell proliferation, oxidative stress, inflammatory response, promoting apoptosis, and inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Clinical studies mainly focus on internal treatment, external treatment, combined internal and external treatment, and integrated Chinese and western medicine treatment as the main methods, aiming to improve traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores, prostate symptom scores, residual urine volume, effective bladder volume, sexual quality of life, increase average urine flow rate, maximum urine flow rate, and promote balance of sex hormone secretion. Through this research, it is hoped to provide some reference ideas for clinical research and drug development for BPH.
Prostatic Hyperplasia/metabolism* ; Male ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: This study tests the efficacy of Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP), carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC), baicalin (BA) and silver titanate (ST) in a wound dressings to fight infection, promote healing and provide superior biocompatibility. METHODS: The antibacterial activity of BA and ST was evaluated in vitro using the inhibition zone method. BA/ST/BSP/CMC porous sponge dressings were prepared and characterized. The biocompatibility of BA/ST/BSP/CMC was assessed using the cell counting kit-8 assay. The therapeutic effect of BA/ST/BSP/CMC was further investigated using the dorsal skin burn model in Sprague-Dawley rats. RESULTS: The wound dressing had good antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus through BA and ST, while the combination of BSP and CMC played an important role in promoting wound healing. The BA/ST/BSP/CMC porous sponge dressings were prepared using a freeze-drying method with the concentrations of BA and ST at 20 and 0.83 mg/mL, respectively, and the optimal ratio of 5% BSP to 4% CMC was 1:3. The average porosity, water absorption and air permeability of BA/ST/BSP/CMC porous sponge dressings were measured to be 90.43%, 746.1% and 66.60%, respectively. After treatment for 3 and 7 days, the healing rates of the BA/ST/BSP/CMC group and BA/BSP/CMC group were significantly higher than those of the normal saline (NS) group and silver sulfadiazine (SSD) group (P < 0.05). Interleukin-1β expression in the BA/ST/BSP/CMC group at 1 and 3 days was significantly lower than that in the other three groups (P < 0.05). After being treated for 3 days, vascular endothelial growth factor expression in the BA/BSP/CMC group and BA/ST/BSP/CMC group was significantly higher than that in the NS group and SSD group (P < 0.05). Inspection of histological sections showed that the BA/ST/BSP/CMC group and BA/BSP/CMC group began to develop scabbing and peeling of damaged skin after 3 days of treatment, indicating accelerated healing relative to the NS group and SSD group. CONCLUSION The optimized concentration of BA/ST/BSP/CMC dressing was as follows: 6 mg BSP, 14.4 mg CMC, 0.5 mg ST and 12 mg BA. The BA/ST/BSP/CMC dressing, containing antibacterial constituents, was non-cytotoxic and effective in accelerating the healing of burn wounds, making it a promising candidate for wound healing. Please cite this article as: Gong YR, Zhang C, Xiang X, Wang ZB, Wang YQ, Su YH, Zhang HQ. Baicalin, silver titanate, Bletilla striata polysaccharide and carboxymethyl chitosan in a porous sponge dressing for burn wound healing. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(5): 487-495.
Rats ; Animals ; Chitosan/pharmacology* ; Silver/pharmacology* ; Porosity ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/pharmacology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Wound Healing ; Polysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Bandages ; Burns/drug therapy* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Silver Sulfadiazine/pharmacology*