OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect and mechanism of Hyssopus cuspidatus Boriss. extract (HCE) in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma. METHODS: Components identification of HCE was conducted using ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry. Mice were sensitized with OVA to establish asthmatic model, and dexamethasone was used as positive control. Respiratory reactivity, white cells counting in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and peripheral blood, cytokine level measurement in serum and lung tissue, and histologic examination were performed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of HCE on asthma. Network pharmacology approach was used for mechanism prediction. Western blotting and untargeted lipidomics method were applied for mechanism validation. RESULTS: Fifty-two compounds were identified in HCE, predominantly terpenoids and flavonoids. HCE markedly reduced airway resistance, the eosinophil infiltration in lung tissues, and the levels of immunoglobulin E, interleukin-4, interleukin-5, and interleukin-13. Network pharmacology analysis suggested phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 Mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) may be key proteins of HCE in the treatment of allergic asthma. Western blot results indicated that the levels of phosphorylated PI3K, JNK, and P38 were downregulated in HCE-treated group. Moreover, HCE significantly upregulated the levels of ceramide and sphingomyelin and downregulated the level of phosphatidylcholine. CONCLUSION HCE inhibited allergic asthma via PI3K/JNK/P38 signaling pathway and lipid homeostasis regulation.

Objective:To examine the safety and effectiveness of a novel domestic transcatheter aortic valve system in addressing severe aortic valve stenosis.Methods:This prospective, multicenter, single-arm target-value clinical trial enrolled patients with severe aortic stenosis meeting inclusion criteria from 13 Chinese centers between July 2021 and April 2022. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 1-year post-procedure. Secondary endpoints included safety outcomes (30-day all-cause mortality, 1-year major adverse cardiovascular events, device success) and efficacy parameters (transvalvular pressure gradient, paravalvular leak severity, New York Heart Association(NYHA)class improvement, and quality of life). Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier analysis.Results:The study included 134 patients, 85 males and 49 females, with an age of (73.6±5.6)years (range: 65.1 to 91.8 years). Bicuspid aortic valve morphology was present in 59.7% (80/134). Device success rate was 99.3%, with one case converted to open surgery due to coronary obstruction. All-cause mortality was 0.8% (95% CI: 0.1% to 5.3%) at both 30-day and 1-year follow-up, significantly lower than the 25% target value ( P<0.01). Permanent pacemaker implantation rates remained 2.2% (3/134) at both timepoints. Stroke incidence was 0.7% (1/134) at 30 days and 1.5% (2/134) at 1 year. Myocardial infarction rates were 0.7% (1/134) at both intervals. The postoperative transvalvular pressure gradient of the aortic valve was (6.6±3.1) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) (range: 4 to 8 mmHg). Among the patients, 32 cases (23.9%) had mild paravalvular leakage, 4 cases (3.0%) had moderate paravalvular leakage, and no severe paravalvular leakage was observed. NYHA class Ⅰ and Ⅱ patients increased from 18.7% preoperatively to 99.3% postoperatively. Conclusion:The novel domestic transcatheter aortic valve system demonstrates satisfactory 1-year safety and efficacy outcomes in treating severe aortic stenosis.

Gastric cancer (GC) is characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates. Chinese agarwood comprises the resin-containing wood of Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg., traditionally utilized for treating asthma, cardiac ischemia, and tumors. However, comprehensive research regarding its anti-GC effects and underlying mechanisms remains limited. In this study, Chinese agarwood petroleum ether extract (CAPEE) demonstrated potent cytotoxicity against human GC cells, with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values for AGS, HGC27, and MGC803 cells of 2.89, 2.46, and 2.37 μg·mL^-1, respectively, at 48 h. CAPEE significantly induced apoptosis in these GC cells, with B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) associated X protein (BAX)/BCL-2 antagonist killer 1 (BAK) likely mediating CAPEE-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, CAPEE induced G₀/G₁ phase cell cycle arrest in human GC cells via activation of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage-p21-cyclin D1/cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) signaling axis, and increased Fe²⁺, lipid peroxides and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, thereby inducing ferroptosis. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and Western blotting analyses revealed CAPEE-mediated upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in human GC cells. RNA interference studies demonstrated that HO-1 knockdown reduced CAPEE sensitivity and inhibited CAPEE-induced ferroptosis in human GC cells. Additionally, CAPEE administration exhibited robust in vivo anti-GC activity without significant toxicity in nude mice while inhibiting tumor cell growth and promoting apoptosis in tumor tissues. These findings indicate that CAPEE suppresses human GC cell growth through upregulation of the DNA damage-p21-cyclin D1/CDK4 signaling axis and HO-1-mediated ferroptosis, suggesting its potential as a candidate drug for GC treatment.
Animals ; Humans ; Mice ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclin D1/genetics* ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4/genetics* ; DNA Damage/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; G1 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints/drug effects* ; Heme Oxygenase-1/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Stomach Neoplasms/physiopathology* ; Thymelaeaceae/chemistry* ; Up-Regulation/drug effects*

Objective:To investigate the role of RNA helicase DDX5 in renal interstitial fibrosis and its potential mechanism, and provide possible molecular target for the diagnosis and treatment of renal interstitial fibrosis.Methods:The animal and cell models of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and DDX5-pharmacological and genetic blocking were established. Twenty-four male mice aged 6-8 weeks and weighting about 18-22 g were divided into sham operation group, UUO group, sham operation+RX5902 group and UUO+RX5902 group by random number table method, with 6 mice in each group. Supinoxin (RX5902, a phosphorylated DDX5 inhibitor, 75 mg/kg) was administered by gavage in mice in the sham operation+RX5902 group and UUO+RX5902 group on day 0 and day 3 after the operation, respectively. The mice were sacrificed to collect kidney specimens one week after the surgery. The human renal tubular epithelial cell line (HK-2 cells) was routinely cultured and divided into control group, scramble siRNA group, DDX5 siRNA group, TGF-β1 group, scramble siRNA+TGF-β1 group and DDX5 siRNA +TGF-β1 group. The dosage of RX5902 was 20 nmol/L, and the dosage of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was 10 ng/ml. HE staining and Masson staining were used to evaluate renal tubule injury and collagen fiber deposition. Western blotting, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the protein expression levels of DDX5 and fibrosis-related indexes such as fibronectin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). The flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle. Results:In comparison to sham operation group, UUO group exhibited significantly elevated protein expression levels of fibronectin, α-SMA and DDX5 in kidney tissues (all P<0.05), accompanied by notable nuclear translocation of DDX5. TGF-β1 stimulation facilitated the upregulation of fibronectin, α-SMA, and DDX5 expression, as well as DDX5 nuclear translocation in HK-2 cells (all P<0.05). Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of DDX5 attenuated UUO or TGF-β1-induced elevated protein levels of fibronectin and α-SMA. Compared with scramble siRNA+TGF-β1 group, DDX5 siRNA+TGF-β1 group exhibited reduced protein expression levels of fibronectin, α-SMA and DDX5 in HK-2 cells (all P<0.05). Compared with UUO group, UUO+RX5902 group showed alleviation of renal epithelial cell exfoliation, renal tubule atrophy or lumen dilation and decreased scores of both tubular injury and interstitial collagen deposition, along with reduced protein expression levels of fibronectin, α-SMA and DDX5 (all P<0.05). Similarly, RX5902 inhibited TGF-β1-induced fibrotic responses in HK-2 cells (all P<0.05). Flow cytometry analysis results revealed that TGF-β1 stimulation resulted in a significant increase in the proportion of HK-2 cells in the G2/M phase. Conversely, silencing of DDX5 led to a significant reduction in the proportion of HK-2 cells in the G2/M phase (all P<0.05). Conclusions:DDX5 is significantly elevated in the renal tissues of UUO mice and TGF-β1-induced HK-2 cells. The pharmacological and genetic blockade of DDX5 can delay renal fibrosis by reducing cell cycle arrest and alleviating cell damage.

Objective:To evaluate surgical strategies and clinical outcomes in supra-labyrinthine cholesteatoma management, providing evidence-based guidance for therapeutic decision-making. Methods:Seven patients with supra-labyrinthine cholesteatoma in our hospital from 2021 to 2023 were enrolled in this study. The clinical manifestations, imaging findings, and surgical outcomes of patients were retrospectively analyzed. A systematic literature review focused on surgical anatomy correlations and imaging-based approach selection. Results:All seven cases of supra-labyrinthine cholesteatoma were unilateral. Preoperative otoendoscopy, CT, and intraoperative findings confirmed that they were classified as supral-abyrinthine cholesteatoma according to Sanna's classification. Two cases were operated entirely with otoendoscopy, three cases used a postauricular approach with microscopic assistance, and two cases involved a combined approach with endoscopy and microscopy. Hearing reconstruction with ossicular prosthesis was performed in five cases, while two cases did not undergo hearing reconstruction due to preoperative anacusis confirmed by both subjective and objective hearing tests. In all seven cases, various segments of the facial nerve were exposed during surgery, but postoperative facial nerve function remained intact, hearing was preserved, no cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurred, and no recurrences have been observed to date（as of June 2024）. Conclusion:With the advancement of imaging techniques and microsurgical technology, early diagnosis and surgical methods for supral-abyrinthine cholesteatoma have significantly improved. Compared to traditional approaches, the newer methods reduce unnecessary complications and offer advantages such as minimal surgical trauma, superior hearing preservation rates, and shorter recovery times with better postoperative neural function. This study reviews recent literature on petroclival cholesteatomas, combined with our own cases, to analyze the classification of supral-abyrinthine cholesteatoma and surgical approach selection. The findings aim to optimize treatment strategies and guide appropriate surgical methods, ultimately improving patient prognosis and quality of life.
Humans ; Cholesteatoma/surgery* ; Ear, Inner/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Objective With the comprehensive implementation of Diagnosis-Related Groups(DRG)and Diagnosis-In-tervention Packet(DIP)payment reforms,ambulatory surgery has been widely adopted in clinical practice due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness.However,medical insurance compliance issues have become increasingly prominent during management processes.Standardizing ambulatory surgery management and ensuring the security of medical insurance funds have grown in im-portance.Methods Based on the current status of ambulatory surgery medical insurance policies in Tianjin,this study analyzes common compliance issues under DRG/DIP payment systems,explores their causes,and proposes targeted management strate-gies.Results Tianjin currently has 786 ambulatory surgery procedures,with orthopedics being the most common specialty,fol-lowed by ophthalmology,urology,and general surgery.From 2020 to 2024,the sample hospital completed 12,705 ambulatory surgery cases,with a significant increase in 2024.In 2020,the most frequent procedure was circumcision,while in 2024,it was colonoscopic polypectomy.Under DRG/DIP payment systems,common medical insurance compliance issues include upeoding,split hospitalization,excessive treatment,cost shifting,and undertreatment.Conclusion Healthcare and medical insurance sys-tems should collaborate to implement targeted management strategies.These include strengthening hospital medical record and coding management,improving medical quality control,refining medical insurance supervision mechanisms and payment stand-ards,and establishing a multi-stakeholder collaborative oversight system.These measures aim to standardize ambulatory surgery management,safeguard medical insurance funds,and promote the healthy development of the healthcare industry.

Objective:To summarize and investigate the ultrasound manifestations, clinical characteristics, causes, and prognosis of hepatic portal vein gas (HPVG) after liver transplantation in children.Methods:A case series study. Clinical data of 9 pediatric recipients diagnosed with HPVG by ultrasound after liver transplantation between January 2012 and August 2023 were collected, and the ultrasound manifestations, causes, clinical features, and prognosis of HPVG were analyzed.Results:A total of 1,850 pediatric liver transplantations were performed during the same period in Tianjin First Central Hospital, among which 9 cases (0.48%) developed HPVG; 6 cases occurred within 1 month after surgery, and 3 cases occurred more than 1 month after surgery; the duration ranged from 2 to 15 days, with a median of 7 (4.5, 9.0) days. HPVG was first detected by ultrasound in all cases, with common ultrasound manifestations including bubble-like or punctate strong echoes flowing with blood in the portal vein, and patchy strong echoes with unclear borders in the liver parenchyma. Among the 9 patients, 3 had diarrhea with intestinal flora imbalance, 2 had abdominal distension with incomplete intestinal obstruction, 1 had colonic fistula with repeated replacement of Li's tube and concurrent abdominal distension, 1 was experiencing acute T-cell-mediated rejection of the transplanted liver, and the remaining 2 were asymptomatic. Patients with diarrhea and intestinal dysbiosis were treated with Bifidobacterium Lactobacillus triple viable tablets to regulate flora and montmorillonite powder to relieve diarrhea, which gradually subsided. Patients with abdominal distension and incomplete intestinal obstruction were treated with fasting, intravenous nutrition, and enema, and the obstruction gradually resolved, along with disappearance of HPVG.Conclusion:HPVG after liver transplantation has characteristic ultrasound manifestations, and its occurrence may be related to intestinal gas, obstruction, dysbiosis, or mucosal damage. Treatment may be conservative or surgical depending on the underlying cause and severity.

AIM:To investigate the role and mechanism of cell death-inducing DNA fragmentation factor al-pha(DFFA)-like effector B(Cideb)in promoting palmitic acid(PA)-induced lipid deposition in human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells.METHODS:The HepG2 cells were divided into control group,model group,negative control silencing(siR-NC)group and Cideb silencing(siR-Cideb)group.The cells were treated with PA to establish a cellular model of lipid deposition.Specific siRNAs were used to silence the expression of Cideb,and the intracellular lipid content was mea-sured.Lipid deposition was observed by oil red O staining.RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression levels of Cideb,sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c(SREBP1c),acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1(ACC1),fatty acid synthase(FAS),stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1(SCD1)and AMP-activated protein kinase α(AMPKα)in the cells.The ef-fects of Cideb overexpression on HepG2 cells were observed by transfection with a Cideb eukaryotic expression plasmid.RESULTS:Compared with control group,the cells in PA model group presented lipid deposition,significantly increased triglyceride(TG)and total cholesterol(TC)content,elevated expression levels of Cideb,SREBP1c,ACC,FAS and SCD1,and decreased expression of AMPKα(P＜0.05).Compared with siR-NC group,the cells in siR-Cideb group pre-sented decreased lipid deposition,reduced intracellular TG and TC content,decreased SREBP1c,ACC,FAS and SCD1 expression levels,and increased AMPKα expression(P＜0.05).The overexpression of Cideb increased the lipid deposi-tion,TG and TC content,and the expression levels of SREBP1c,ACC,FAS and SCD1 in HepG2 cells,but decreased the expression of AMPKα(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION:Reduction of Cideb alleviates PA-induced lipid deposition in HepG2 cells by down-regulating the SREBP1c/ACC/FAS/SCD1 pathway and up-regulating the AMPKα pathway.

Objective:To explore the distribution and determinants of abnormal blood lipid metabolism among flying personnel with lumbar disc herniation and with different flying hours and to provide data for targeted intervention strategies.Methods:The hospitalization data of 214 male flying personnel was retrospectively analyzed who were admitted to the Air Force Medical Center between September 2020 and September 2023, diagnosed with lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion, and underwent blood lipid testing within 24 h of admission. According to the hours of flying, they were divided into <1 000 h group (45 cases), 1 000-<3 000 h group (107 cases), and ≥3 000 h group (62 cases). The blood lipid biochemical indicators [total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C)], basic information and personal history of the flying personnel were collected. The detection rates of blood lipid metabolism disorders among flying personnel with different durations of flight were compared. The chi-square test for linear trend was used to find out whether there was a trend of linear changes in the detection rates of various blood lipid disorders. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the determinants of abnormal blood lipid metabolism.Results:There were significant differences in age, levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and non-HDL-C between flying personnel in different flying hours groups ( F=80.76, 4.67, 4.00, 6.35, P<0.001,=0.010, 0.020, 0.002). The levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and non-HDL-C in the 1 000-<3 000 h group were higher than those in the <1 000 h group ( P=0.023, 0.029, 0.003). The total detection rate of elevated triglyceride was the highest (28.04%). There was a significant difference in the detection rate of elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol between the 3 groups ( χ2=6.50, P=0.039), which was lower in the 1 000-<3 000 h group than in the <1 000 h group ( P=0.010). The results of the chi-square analysis of linear association showed that with the increase of flight duration, there was a linear decrease in the detection rates of elevated total cholesterol and elevated non-HDL-C ( χ2=4.17, 4.16, P=0.041, 0.041). The univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that compared with the <1 000 h, the 1 000-<3 000 h was an influencing factor for elevated triglyceride ( OR=4.406, 95% CI: 1.604-12.103) and elevated non-HDL-C ( OR=6.217, 95% CI: 1.403-27.551) while body mass index was an influencing factor for elevated total cholesterol ( OR=1.237, 95% CI: 1.055-1.450) and elevated non-HDL-C ( OR=1.298, 95% CI: 1.087-1.548). Current smoking was an influencing factor for elevated triglyceride ( OR=3.214, 95% CI:1.700-6.078) and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( OR=3.200, 95% CI: 1.724-5.941). The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that body mass index was a risk factor for elevated total cholesterol ( OR=1.245, 95% CI: 1.054-1.471) and elevated non-HDL-C ( OR=1.301, 95% CI: 1.082-1.564). Current smoking was a risk factor for elevated triglyceride ( OR=3.439, 95% CI: 1.550-7.631) and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( OR=4.047, 95% CI: 1.901-8.729). Conclusions:Flying personnel with lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion and with different flying hours exhibit distinct features of phased blood lipid metabolism disorders. The triglyceride levels of those with 1 000-<3 000 h deserve more attention while the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol should be brought under control for those with <1 000 h. It is recommended that hierarchical interventions be exercised according to flight stages, and that priority be given to controlling daily adjustable behavioral factors such as body mass index and smoking.

Objective:To study effect of matrine on TNF-α induced proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC),as well as to explore whether its mechanism is related to regulation of miR-125b-5p and STAT3 expressions.Methods:HUVEC proliferation model was established by TNF-α stimulating.After matrine treatment,miR-125b-5p level was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR,proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA),cell cycle protein D1(CyclinD1),matrix metallopro-teinase 2(MMP2),MMP9,STAT3 levels were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and Western blot.Targeting rela-tionship between miR-125b-5p and STAT3 was verified by dual luciferase reporter gene assay.Results:Matrine inhibited TNF-α in-duced HUVEC proliferation(P<0.05),decreased PCNA,CyclinD1,MMP2,MMP9,STAT3 expressions(P<0.05),and increased miR-125b-5p expression(P<0.05).Overexpression of miR-125b-5p could reduce cell proliferation and PCNA,CyclinD1,MMP2,MMP9 expressions HUVEC induced by TNF-α(P<0.05).miR-125b-5p targeted STAT3 expression negatively in HUVEC,and inhi-biting miR-125b-5p expression could reverse effect of matrine on TNF-α induced cell proliferation and PCNA,CyclinD1,MMP2,MMP9 and STAT3 expressions.Conclusion:Matrine inhibits TNF-α induced proliferation of HUVEC,which is related to regulation of miR-125b-5p/STAT3 pathway.