[ABSTRACT]AIM:Toexploretheeffectoftheelasticmodulusandsizesofliquidcrystal(LC)phasesonosteo-genic differentiation based on OPC/PU composite substrate by mimicking the microenvironment in rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs).METHODS: A series of composite substrates with different elastic modulus were constructed via modulation of LC content in the composites .The surface phase structure was observed by polarized microscopy , and the mechanical property was measured by a universal material testing machine .Furthermore, the laser confocal microscope was employed to observe the spreading , polarization and the cytoskeleton arrangement of the rBMSCs .The proliferation of rBM-SCs was evaluated by CCK-8 assay.The specific mRNA expression of osteogenic differentiation such as collagen Ⅰ, and osteopontin on the composite membranes was detected by real-time PCR.RESULTS:The size and number of LC phase in-creased and the elastic modulus of the composite substrates decreased with the increase of the LC content .The rBMSCs ex-hibited better characteristics of initial adhesion , spreading and proliferation on the OPC 10-PU and OPC30-PU in the early and medium culturing .The rBMSCs displayed higher expression of collagen Ⅰ and osteopontin on the OPC10-PU in the early and medium osteogenic induction , while the high expression of these osteogenic genes occured on the OPC 30-PU and OPC50-PU in later osteogenic induction .The emphasis of genetic expression was switched from collagen Ⅰin the early and medium osteogenic induction to osteopontin in the later stage .CONCLUSION:When the content of LC remained low in the composite substrates , rBMSCs mainly responded to the mechanical stimuli induced by substrate stiffness and exhibited distinguished cellular behaviors;with the increase in the LC content , rBMSCs had strong interactions with LC by sensing the viscoelasticity of LC , probably resulted from the contribution of both substrate stiffness and the viscoelasticity of LC phase .

Objective To study the protective effect of shenfu injection on cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in rats.Methods 120 male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats(320-350 g) were randomly divided into sham operation group,model control group,Nimodipine injection group,low,medium and high dose group of shenfu injection according to gender weight.20 males in each group were given medicine once a day for 7 days before operation.The cerebral ischemia model was established by thread embolization after 5 days of administration.In the sham operation group,the other operations were the same as those in the model group except for carotid artery ligation and thread insertion.After 24 hours of perfusion,the neurological score,abdominal aorta blood flow,malondialdehyde (MDA),superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GHS) levels in brain tissues were measured.Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was used to calculate the area of cerebral infarction and pathological examination of brain tissues.Results Compared with the model control group,the middle and high dosage of shenfu injection could obviously improve the nerve function and increase the percentage of cerebral infarction area (P ＜ 0.05);the high dosage group of shenfu injection could obviously decrease the whole blood viscosity (P ＜ 0.01);the middle and high dosage of shenfu injection could obviously reduce the level of MDA in rat brain tissue (P ＜ 0.01) while increasing the levels of SOD and GSH (P ＜0.01),finally could significantly improve the pathological changes of brain tissues such as mild swelling of nerve fibers,mild neuronal degeneration,inflammatory interstitial edema and inflammation.Conclusions Shenfu injection has obvious protective effect on cerebral ischemia reperfusion model in rats.

BACKGROUND:With the variation of disease treatment modes and the in-depth research on senile osteoporosis in recent years,increasing studies have confirmed that traditional Chinese medicine has a significant effect on the prevention and treatment of senile osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of Yishen Gushu Formula on bone metabolic markers in patients with osteoporosis of kidney deficiency and blood stasis type. METHODS:102 patients with senile osteoporosis of kidney deficiency and blood stasis type who were treated at Ruikang Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from July 2020 to March 2022 were enrolled,including 32 males and 70 females,aged 71-93 years.All patients were randomly divided into two groups,with 51 patients in each group.The control group was treated with calcium carbonate D3 granules and sodium alendronate tablets,while the treatment group was treated with Yishen Gushu Formula beyond the control group.Treatments in each group lasted 3 months.Bone mineral density of the L1-4 lumbar vertebrae and left femoral neck,visual analog scale score,and serum levels of osteocalcin,osteopontin,type Ⅰ collagen cross-linked C-terminal peptide and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase were measured before and 3 months after treatment.Traditional Chinese medicine syndrome score and therapeutic efficiency were also assessed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After 3 months of treatment,the bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebrae(L1-4)and left femoral neck was significantly increased in both two groups(P<0.05),and the bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebrae(L1-4)and left femoral neck was significantly higher in the treatment group than the control group(P<0.05).The visual analog scale scores of both groups after 3 months of treatment were lower than those before treatment(P<0.05),and the visual analog scores of the treatment group after 3 months of treatment were lower than those of the control group(P<0.05).After 3 months of treatment,the serum levels of osteocalcin,osteopontin,type Ⅰ collagen cross-linked C-terminal peptide and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase were significantly improved in both two groups,while compared with the control group,the serum levels of osteocalcin and osteopontin were significantly higher(P<0.05)and the serum levels of type Ⅰ collagen cross-linked C-terminal peptide and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase were significantly lower in the treatment group(P<0.05).After 3 months of treatment,the Traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores were decreased in both two groups,while the Traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group.After 3 months of treatment,no significant adverse reactions occurred in both groups.The total effective rate was 88.2%and 70.6%in the treatment and control groups respectively,and there was a significant difference between the two groups(P<0.05).To conclude,Yishen Gushu Formula combined with anti-osteoporosis drugs can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of patients with senile osteoporosis of kidney deficiency and blood stasis type and prevent disease progression by regulating bone metabolism,increasing bone mineral density,and relieving pain.

Objective： ：To detect the gene mutation in cholangiocarcinoma patients using the next generation sequencing (NGS) technology, and to analyze its correlation to the prognosis of the patients. Methods: From June 2016 to June 2018, 40 patients diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma received NGS examination to screen the possible mutations (single base mutation, structural variation, copy number variation and gene fusion, etc.). The disease control rates (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of the patients, who received the first line therapy, were retrospectively reviewed to analyze the relationship between signaling pathway as well as its genetic variation and the prognosis of cholangiocarcinoma patients. Results: The median PFS of patients with and without TP53 mutation was 11.0 and 8.3 months, respectively (P=0.332), while OS was 14.3 and 32.9 months, respectively (P=0.041). The median PFS of patients with and without PI3K mutations was 8.3 and 11.0 months, respectively (P=0.285), while OS was 14.3 and 37.0 months, respectively (P=0.020). The median PFS of patients with and without mTOR pathway mutations was 6.3 and 10.3 months, respectively (P=0.020), while OS was 15.6 and 19.6 months, respectively (P=0.892). There was no significant effect of pathway-related gene mutations on patients’survival. Conclusion: The prognosis of cholangiocarcinoma patients with TP53 and PI3K pathway activation had obviously poor prognosis than those without. No significant difference was observed between the patients with and without mTOR pathway activation and IDH mutation.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prognostic factors relevant to sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

METHODSThe internationally accepted standardized clinical research methods, unified design, and unified program were adopted to conduct the prospective clinical multi-center study. The sudden deafness patients between 18 to 65 years old, with the course of this disorder less than two weeks, and without any medical treatments were collected, and then, divided into four types according to the hearing curve: type A, acute sensorineural hearing loss in low tone frequencies; type B, acute sensorineural hearing loss in high tone frequencies; type C, acute sensorineural hearing loss in all frequencies; and type D, total deafness. The factors, in terms of age, gender, type of initial audiogram, time delay before the first visit, and severity of hearing loss, were included in the analyses.

RESULTSA total of 1 024 cases with single side sudden deafness were collected in the study from 33 hospitals in China from August 2007 to October 2011, inclusive of for 492 males (48.05%) and 532 females (51.95%). The average age was (41.2 ± 12.8) years old. There were 553 cases (54.00%) in left ear, and 471 cases (46.00%) in right ear. The curative effects of different types were shown as follows: the type in low tone frequencies had the highest rate of 90.73%, the type in all frequencies was 82.59%; the type of total deafness was 70.29%; and the type in high tone frequencies had the lowest rate of 65.96%. It had significant difference of the effective rate between different types (χ(2) = 231.58, P = 0.000). Age, time delay before first visit, and severity of initial hearing loss were significantly correlated with hearing improvement.

CONCLUSIONSInitial audiogram of SSNHL might predict hearing recovery. The young in age and a short time delay before starting treatment are positive prognostic factors for hearing recovery in SSNHL. The initial severity of hearing loss is negative prognostic factor of hearing recovery.

Adult ; China ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; diagnosis ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; diagnosis ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the treatment outcome advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma by surgery with laryngeal function preservation.

METHODSTwenty cases with squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx who were treated by the function preserved surgery between January 2000 and March 2012 were reviewed. Of the patients 19 were males and 1 female, and their median age was 62.0 years. Eight cases were only applied with total or subtotal hypopharyngectomy, and others received total or subtotal hypopharyngectomy with partial-laryngectomy. Postoperative functional training was performed. Radiotherapy was used in all cases from 2 to 4 weeks after surgery.

RESULTSSpeech intelligibility remained in all 20 patients and 80.0% of the patients were extracted the trachea tube in the average 60 days.

CONCLUSIONSLaryngeal functions of larynx can be preserved in advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma by total or subtotal hypopharyngectomy alone or plus partial laryngectomy with functional reconstruction, and the patients can maintain their rational speech and swallowing functions.

Carcinoma ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; surgery ; Deglutition ; Female ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; surgery ; Humans ; Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms ; Hypopharynx ; Laryngectomy ; Larynx ; Larynx, Artificial ; Male ; Postoperative Period ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Speech Intelligibility ; Treatment Outcome

To study the protective effect of Xingnaojing Injection on early global brain ischemia-induced deep coma in rats.
 Methods: The deep coma model was induced by global brain ischemia by using four-vessel occlusion method in male SD rats. According to the body weight, the rats were randomly divided into 8 groups: a model control group, three different dose of Xingnaojing Injection (1.8, 3.6 and 5.4 mL.kg-1) groups, a Xingnaojing Injection (3.6 mL.kg-1) plus PI3K inhibitor group, a naloxone injection (0.04 mL.kg-1) group and a naloxone injection (0.04 mL.kg-1) plus Xingnaojing Injection (3.6 mL.kg-1) group (n=8 per group). In addition, eight animals served as the sham group were performed same operation with the model group excepting no blockage of the blood vessels. After the operation, three different doses of Xingnaojing Injection and/or naloxone injection were given intravenously once a day for three days. Ten μL PI3K inhibitor (LY294002, 10 mmol/L) was injected via anterior cerebral ventricle at once after global brain ischemia. The awakening time after the first drug treatment, the grasping power and the autonomous activity within 10 min after the last drug treatment were recorded. The levels of both dopamine (DA) and glutamate (Glu) in cerebrospinal fluid were detected by ELISA. The pathological changes were observed in brain tissue slices with HE staining and the protein levels of Akt/p-Akt and cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB)/p-CREB in hippocampus were detected by Western blotting.
 Results: Comparing with the model group, single administration of Xingnaojing Injection could significantly shorten the waking time (P<0.05) and continuous administration of Xingnaojing Injection for 3 d could increase grasping power, distance, frequency and duration of autonomous activities (P<0.05 or P<0.01) in the deep coma rat. Also, Xingnaojing Injection could inhibit these increases in neurotransmitters DA and Glu contents (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and improve pathological changes of hippocampal tissue. Xingnaojing Injection significantly induced protein phosphorylation of both Akt and CREB (P<0.05 or P<0.01); this effect was inhibited by PI3K inhibitor (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, the protective effects of naloxone on awakening time, grasping power, the autonomous activity and hippocampus damage in global brain ischemia-induced deep coma could be enhanced by joint use of Xingnaojing Injection (P<0.05 or P<0.01).
 Conclusion: Xingnaojing Injection could significantly improve deep coma induced by global brain ischemia in rat, which is related to inducing PI3K/Akt-dependent protein phosphorylation of CREB, and reducing hippocampal damage. The protective effect of Xingnaojing Injection is synergistically enhanced by naloxone.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Ischemia ; Coma ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Male ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Adipocytokines are polypeptides or proteins that are secreted by fat cells with a wide range of biological activities. Adiponectin is a fatty cytokine with insulin sensitization. It possesses the function of anti- diabetes, atherosclerosis and anti-inflammation. Adiponectin may participate in regulating the development of cognitive impairment, which is considered as a new regulatory factor for cognitive impairment.
Adiponectin ; Cognitive Dysfunction ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance